Iowa Girl Eats » honeycrisp

Man Seeking Filter

admin — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:30:26 +0000

Mornin’!

Just got back from the grocery store where someone told me I didn’t look old enough to be buying groceries. Ouch. Furthermore, he told me I barely looked 17. Double ouch. Oh, people with no filters – what is WRONG with you?! Love thy neighbor, love thy neighbor…

At any rate, before I went, I had a quick and oh-so-amazing breakfast of an Apple + Almond Butter.

This was a rogue Honeycrisp that I found in the depths of my fruit drawer – I was so happy to see it!

Sort of looks like an awesome blossom, no?

Gross.

I’m off to lunch at my parent’s house – Finn should be there! It’s been far too long since I’ve seen that little boo, and I can’t wait to cuddle!

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Are you good about using your filter? What’s the last “filterless” comment someone said to you?

To be honest, I can’t get too mad at the guy from the grocery store, because I could work on my filter usage as well. Over the past several years, though, I’ve been working on pausing – analyzing the situation – then saying what I need to say in the most appropriate way possible. It doesn’t always happen, but I’m working on it!

Hop To It!

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:03:27 +0000

Did you know that the Great Lakes – Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie & Superior (HOMES anyone? Remember that from elementary school??) – form the largest supply of fresh water on earth and 20% of the world’s fresh water can be found there? Did you also know that they were carved out from ancient river beds and ice sheets that covered the entire area not once, but twice? Finally, did you also happen to know that the world’s largest salt mine sits underneath the Great Lakes? I didn’t either…until I watched How the Earth was Made: The Great Lakes on the History Channel last night! In another life, I may have been a geologist.

In this life, I like yogurt, apples & granola, so I made a Yog/App/Gran Parfait for breakfast today!

We start with one Raspberry Cheesecake Fat-Free Yogurt,

Toss in one, chopped Honeycrisp Apple,

And sprinkle on a handful of Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola.

See?

Looove, love, love this granola! It’s a tad on the $$$ side, but you can find it for less at Trader Joes (where I got mine when I was in Minneapolis) or if you have a coupon.

Crunchy, cool & sweet. Perf.

For lunch today, I packed an Amy’s Light in Sodium Brown Rice & Vegetable Bowl.

I don’t usually eat frozen foods, but when I do – it’s got to be Amy’s. All of their products are vegetarian, made from organic ingredients and are seriously. delish. I also like the variety of products the company offers – Palak Paneer, anyone?

Today’s offering includes tofu, brown rice and veggies, and is light in sodium. So many frozen meals are literally jam packed with added sodium – it’s nice to see a company making an effort to make their healthy products, even healthier!

Here’s what it looks like out of the package. I hate seeing just the outside of packages…I need to see the GOODS!

At any rate, it’s sure to be delish – as will my Honeycrisp Apple that I’m also packing (rocking two in one day!)

I’ve just been informed that it’s snowing and the roads are pretty bad so I’ve got to hop to it – happy hump day!!

Don’t forget that today is the last day to enter up to 3 ways to win the Vitalicious SuperSampler Pack giveaway! 3pm central deadline, folks!

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As you may know, a new year and DECADE are approaching in just a few days! What are some of your 2009 highlights?

Mine include celebrating my one year wedding anniversary with Ben, visiting San Francisco for the first time and, of course, becoming and AUNT!

A Lovely Cheese Pizza, Just For Me

admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:11:32 +0000

Today I pulled the classic Home Alone move (Lord I love that movie!) Approximately 30 minutes after I was supposed to wake up, I sat straight up and said, “I slept in!” Morning workout = no go. That’s ok though, I’m taking a half day today so I’ll work out right after I leave. I have another killer treadmill routine that I’m going to try out, so I’ll share it with you later this afternoon!

Breakfast is another on-the-go assortment. I miss oatmeal. I need to get back in the game!

Being out of the game with a Cashew Cookie Larabar isn’t so bad though.

Cashews and dates – that’s all she wrote!

Look at that little Honeybear on my Honeycrisp! It’s the little things.

All toghether now. The leaning tower of breakfast!

In other news, I got zero packing done last night but, I got all my laundry done so packing should be a breeze this afternoon. Where are we going you ask?

Denver, Colorado!

I have not been to Denver in yeeeeears, so if you have a “must see” spot, restaurant or neighboring town – let me know! Ben and I have ZERO plans. Usually, that would absolutely freak me out, but somehow, I’m ok!

Oh, you guys, Top Chef fans have got to check out this video from FunnyorDie.com. The girl’s impression of Gail is spot on!

Don’t forget, you have until 3:00 TODAY to enter to win one of two Food Should Taste Good chip packages! Nom, nom, nom.

Talk to you later!

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Do you have travel plans for the Holidays or are you staying home?

Breakfast Challenge Continues…with Chocolate!

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:39:20 +0000

What happens when you take one, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup loving girl, add in an upcoming spooky holiday and a baked oatmeal breakfast challenge?

+

=

Baked Chocolate Almond Butter Oatmeal!

Oh yes I did! That’s baked banana oatmeal, a milk chocolate “Boo”, and almond butter spiderwebs! Can you say melted peanut butter cup for breakfast??

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup water
1/2 medium banana, mashed
splash of vanilla
1 Tablespoon milk chocolate morsels
1 Tablespoon almond butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Combine oats through vanilla and pour into baking dish.

2. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove dish from oven, add chocolate & peanut butter and bake for 5 more minutes.

3. Dig in!

FYI, I have a serious weakness for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which was the inspiration behind this breakfast. I have a very serious weakeness for Halloween Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – you know, when they come in the shape of a pumpkin? The peanut butter to chocolate ratio is off the charts.

This was a fun, not to mention fantastically delicious, way to get my chocolate almond butter and Halloween fix for the week!

You guys have GOT to give this baked chocolate almond butter oatmeal a try – it’ll blow your mind!

For lunch today, I was a little more modest. Chocolate in the morning isn’t an everyday thing, mind you! I packed more of my Quinoa Greek Salad and a mammoth Honeycrisp.

I can’t emphasize enough how FUN quinoa is to eat. Taste is first for me, but the experience also counts for a lot too.

This miiight be the biggest Honeycrisp I’ve ever had. Forget the 2pm snack – this fellow is a meal!

Need a pick me up this morning? Oprah strikes again with another feel good video! Yesterday her show was all about instant millionaires – Lottery winners, Publishers Clearing House winners, etc. One of her guests was the biggest winner in Price is Right history. Check out his reaction when he finds out he won - it is priceless!

How’s that for a reaction?! Don’t you feel great for this guy?

Well it’s a rainy day here in Central Iowa – lucky for me, I don’t have to step foot outside. I go from my garage here at home, to my underground garage at work – nice

Have a great day everybody!

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It’s my favorite time…Three Question Thursday time!

1. Who was your favorite singer or group when you were a teenager?

2. What’s your favorite game show?

3. Beach or Mountain vacation?

My answers:

1. N’sync! No shame. I was Lance’s #1 fan…clearly that wouldn’t have worked out very well.

2. Jeopardy. I’m a sucker for good trivia!

3. Beach! I could stare at the ocean for hours. Plus, I’m dying to learn how to surf!

My Cold Sandwich Exception

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:19:03 +0000

For the past several months, I’ve had this girl’s picture hanging on my fridge among to-do lists, awards, magnets and recipes.

It’s been my inspiration to grow long, strong and luscious hair like hers. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t working out, so…

I chopped it!

I don’t like how my stylist fixes my hair after a cut, so I wanted to wait until today to show you! It’s definitely more high maintenance then my long hair which I could just blow-dry and go, but that’s the price you pay, I guess! Do you ever use pictures for inspiration?

At any rate – today I made some oh-so-fluffy Banana Almond Oatmeal for breakfast.

Cooked on the stove-top to whippy, hot oat-y perfection.

In the mix:

1/3 cup each old fashioned oats, skim milk & water
1 banana (1/2 sliced in while oats were cooking, 1/2 sliced on top)
Sliced almonds
Splash of vanilla, dash of cinnamon
Drizzle of sugar-free syrup

This totally hit the spot! What’s your favorite oatmeal combo?

Today’s lunch is sure to be better than yesterdays – it’s the other half of last night’s Cuban Sandwich and a Honeycrisp Apple.

Ok, I know I said last night that I have no taste for cold sandwiches, but the rules bend for sandwiches that were at one point hot, and are now cold. Mmmkay?

Are you sick of seeing these Honeycrisps yet? No? Good, ‘cause I’m not sick of eating them! Glad we’re all on the same page here. Oh and thanks to everyone who let me know yesterday where the good sales are at for these guys!

In other news – I won a contest on Twitter yesterday! You’ve seen me feature Blue Bunny products (seriously, click on that link and tell me that music doesn’t make you smile) on this blog before. From Blackberry Creme & Raspberry Acai Berry yogurt to Sweet & Salty Cluster ice cream (twice) – I truly love their products.

When @Blue_Bunny tweeted the following challenge yesterday:

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Blue_Bunny: Trivia (& 1 FREE ice cream winner) – in your POV whats been the greatest invention in the ice cream world? (IMHO, inclusions! & lots of em!)

I responded:

IowaGirlEats: The peanut butter cone pieces in Sweet & Salty Cluster, which never get soggy. Brilliant!

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What would you know – they picked me as the winner! FYI, Sweet & Salty Cluster ice cream is whipped cream flavored ice cream with salty chocolate peanuts, peanut butter cone pieces and a caramel swirl. I KNOW.

I find out what my prize is sometime today. Hopefully it’s vats and vats of ice cream. My thighs won’t be pleased.

Off for another day – can you believe tomorrow’s Friday? My, my…time flies!

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It’s Three Question Thursday time! Here we go folks:

1. Would you rather see the future or hear what everyone is thinking?

2. 2 part Q: Is your hair long or short? Curly or straight?

3. What would you do if someone gave you $1,000 dollars today?

My answers:

1. Eek, both options sound equally as horrifying, actually! I guess seeing the future could totally ruin the present, so as painful as it could potentially be, I’d rather hear what people are thinking.

2. Short and stick straight. My hair won’t hold a curl for one, hot minute!

3. Book a trip to NYC for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Just a Little Taste!

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:32:04 +0000

Good evening everyone! How’d your Monday go? Mine went as quick as the snap of a whip and my eyes literally crossed at one point because I had been staring at my computer for HOURS. Gross…I need to get up more often!

I came home and made the quickest & easiest dinner that I had planned for the week: Grilled Steak, Mashed Sweet Potatoes & a Sliced Apple.

I seasoned our steaks with Weber Veggie Grill Seasoning (I know, ironic.) I do love these grill blends though – I haven’t tried a flavor that I haven’t absolutely loved, actually!

Alert the press, I actually shared this Honeycrisp apple with Ben tonight! You may recall that I was having some anxiety about running through “my fair share” of Honeycrisps…thankfully, I’ve matured in the last week!

I love how these apples have that pink hue that bleeds through the skin of the apple into the flesh, kind of like a plum. So pretty

My sweet potater was just the best – I mashed up one cooked sweet potato with ~2 tsp brown sugar, some cinnamon & a splash of skim milk.

It couldn’t have been easier and it couldn’t have been more special. Sometimes kicking up ordinary foods – like mashed potatoes – with a little something extra, a little “oopmh” if you will, makes it that much better!

I’m holding off on having dessert for as long as possible tonight because I know as soon as I have it I’m going to want more. It’s PUMPKIN Ice Cream!

Mmmkay, busted. I clearly couldn’t resist a taste before dinner…it is AWESOME! Very spicy, love it, can’t wait to have my dessert dish full of pumpkiny goodness.

Tonight’s agenda includes prepping for a slow cooker dinner tomorrow (yes!) sorting through some bills & mail (no!) and watching Gossip Girl (mmmmmhmmm!!)

Have a great night everyone!

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What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

My favorite ice cream is the Oreo flavor from an ice cream shop in Minneapolis called Sebastian Joes. I used to live across the street from it…danger. My second favorite is Blue Bunny Sweet & Salty Cluster ice cream. Can’t.get.enough!!

Happy Birthday To…

admin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:12:05 +0000

Soooooomebody’s a little bit older and wiiiiser today! BEN! 27 years ago today, my little gemstone of a husband was born. Here’s the stud muffin rooting for the Minnesota Twins last night…he was screaming as loud as he usually does for the Miami Hurricanes…check him out in action!

Ahhh – the face of innocence. I have a special dinner planned for tonight – something very atypical for the IGE household, but it was a special request from the birthday boy, so I must oblige. Recipe to come tonight!

So today’s breakfast and lunch were inspired by the desire to clean out some of the surplus food in the fridge and pantry…thus, a little random – but still delish!

Breakfast includes some of that Bear Naked Fruit and Nut granola perfection which I had picked up a bunch of when they were 2/$1 at the store awhile ago, a perfect Honeycrisp apple which we all know I have supplies to last for days of (yes!) and a CherryCashew PURE Bar!

Perfection…in…every…bite…

For lunch I packed another Honeycrisp apple (you knew the day would come when I would crush 2 in one day, muwahaha!) a Honey Wheat Bagel which I have another pack of in my freezer and a sample of Sunflower Seed Butter that I received in the mail awhile ago.

I’m not sure what to think about this sunflower seed butter. I like nut butters, I like sunflower seeds…so I should probably like sunflower seed butter, right? At any rate, my plan is to slather it all over my apple and bagel…mmmm!

Pretty good for rummaging through my cupboards and coming up with 2 meals on the fly!

I’m excited to give Ben his birthday gifts tonight – I think I’ve got all his “favorites” covered in one way or another. Crossing my fingers!!

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When’s your birthday? Do you have any special birthday traditions?

My birthday is July 5th – my Mom picked the name Kristin because she thought it sounded like a firecracker…hmmm.

The birthday tradition in my family is to have the Pepperidge Farms Cake as our birthday cake. Yep, the one in your grocer’s freezer isle! It started one year when my Dad forgot my Mom’s birthday until like 3:00pm the day of, so he raced to the grocery store to get her a cake, picked up the first one he saw – which happened to be the pepperidge farms one – and it was still frozen when they cut into it that night. Busted! Ever since then, it’s all we’ve eaten for every family member’s birthday! Good thing it’s the best cake in the world, otherwise I’m not so sure how I’d feel about getting a frozen and thawed cake for my birthday!?

I’ll Take It Dry…Thank You Very Much

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:13:18 +0000

Good morning BB!

It was raining this morning so no Mom walk, but it was an excellent excuse for burrowing under the covers for an extra 30 minutes. Usually I’m a big advocate of taking advantage of “found time” – but sometimes I’m a bigger advocate for staying in a nice, warm bed!

For breakfast, I went the quick, easy and portable route: Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Cereal and a French Vanilla Bean AE yogurt.

I actually prefer to eat most cereals dry, as opposed to with milk. I think it’s because I’m afraid it’ll turn to the consistency of soggy Fruity Pebbles circa 1993 too quickly. Sickening!

All together with a sweet little pumpkin that I keep on my windowsill. I also keep one on my desk at work. It makes me happy and sometimes it’s the little things that help get us through the day, you know? Do you keep anything special on your desk? I also keep a bottle of coconut scented lotion there so I can be whisked off to a tropical island at a moment’s notice…

Without hesitation, I packed some of my Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup + Heaven in Fruit Form for lunch!

The great thing about this soup is that it gets better and better, the longer it sits. The noodles soak up more and more of the broth and get chewier and chewier…amazing!

I was this close to having one of these babies for breakfast too…they are so good!

I’m heading to the gym again after work tonight – I actually think it’s easier to stay on a schedule when I’m working out in a gym, as opposed to outdoors. The weather is so un-predictable at times and especially in the summertime, I’d decide I was going to run outdoors, but by the time I got home I deemed it too hot, etc. By eliminating the weather aspect and going to the gym, there’s nothing standing in my way!

It’s off to work, work, work – then I’m decorating sugar cookies tonight! See past projects here, here and here!

Have a great Tuuuuuuuesday!

~~~~~

How long is your commute to work or school?

If I hit a certain 2 minute window, it’s about 15 minutes door to door. If I miss that precious window – it’s about 22-23!

Three Question Thursday!

admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:01:56 +0000

Good morning everyone – Happy Thursday! This week is flyyyyying – so jazzed…

So I was thinking about what to have for breakfast last night, and realized I had all the ingredients for a stellar Fruit & Yogurt Parfait!

In the mix:

1 Lemon Chiffon AE Yogo
1 banana
Raspberries
Blueberries
Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Raisin Granola
Sliced almonds

We went from this…

to this!

As always, the combo of the smooth yogo, creamy banana, sweet & tart berries & crunchy granola really hit the spot!

This is one of those meals that you don’t even care if it gets all mixed up and combined because each component is so delicious on its own

I continued to enjoy the crock-pot love for lunch today, and brought ingredients to make my own toasty sammich at work!

One serving of delicious, slow-cooked, Shredded BBQ Pork,

And one, perfectly chewy whole-wheat English Muffin. We have a toaster at work, so I’ll just pop it in there at lunch time and assemble.

I also packed this old friend…I sure you recognize her by now, don’t you? I love that you can tell you’re eating a Honeycrisp from the moment you slice or bite into it. You can literally hear the unique crispiness. No lie!

Oh, I thought of two additional tips to add to the How to Meal Plan & Grocery Shop post!

If you ever have a question about where something is in the grocery store, or if your store carries a particular item – just ask. I seriously ask questions all the time. The people that work at my local store are extremely friendly and always jump at the chance to help.
If your grocery store doesn’t carry something that you’re looking for, ask the manager to start stocking it. My grocery store didn’t stock Barney Butter until my Mom asked the manager to. Several months later – they’re still stocking the shelves with it!

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Well it’s Thursday and you know what that means…it’s Three Question Thursday time!

1. Would you rather smell like black licorice or garlic for the rest of your life?

2. Who’s your favorite talk show host between Oprah, Ellen, Tyra and Dr. Phil?

3. What’s your favorite Halloween candy?

My answers:

1. Ugh, garlic. All the way – garlic!

2. ELLEN! Funny people are my weakness in life. If you’re funny, I’ll pretty much automatically like you. Ben is wickedly funny

3. Starburst two-pack. I love the excitement of opening them up and seeing what two flavors you get. High point: 2 pinks Low point: 2 yellows

The King Has Arrived

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:13:14 +0000

Goooood Monday morning to you all! Hope your weekend was faaaantastic! Did-ya’ do anything crazy?

First things first – some housekeeping:

I heard commenting wasn’t working for some people, but I think it’s fixed! If you continue to have problems, shoot me an email @ IowaGirlEats@hotmail.com.
I also got messages that some people aren’t even able to see the site. If this happens again, try going to your Internet Options and clearing your cookies. If you’re still having troubles, shoot me an email.
If you’re signed up for my RSS feed, just make sure it’s http://feeds.feedburner.com/iowagirleats and NOT http://iowagirleats.com/feed.

I promise I’ll get this stuff figured out eventually…or die trying! Thanks for sticking with me in the meantime

Well we’re finally getting some rain moving in our area. It’s been 24 days, or something crazy like that, since our last rainfall!! My Mom and I did manage to squeak in a morning walk, but it’s lookin’ pa-retty dark out there!

So dark in fact, that my pictures are halo’d in the harsh glare of florescent light. Good thing it didn’t affect the taste of my breakfast – Banana & Almond Butter English Muffins!

These are Thomas Hearty-Grain English Muffins and they are wonderfully soft and pillowy.

Almond butter + bananas = no fail combo. Delicious, nutritious and keeps me full all morning long!

And remember when I was telling you how one of my favorite things about Fall was all the apple varieties trickling into the grocery stores? Well, the KING has arrived – Honeycrisp! These babies were only $1.99/lb at the store yesterday…are you joking me?! You better believe I snatched up my fair share

Crisp, sweet, crunchy…Honeycrisp apples are the perfect apples, if you ask me. I sliced one up for my breakfast! What’s your favorite apple variety?

Lunch will be pure deliciousness: Chopped Mango, Cottage Cheese & a CherryCashew PURE Bar.

Eating mangoes makes me giddy – seriously! They are SO tropical and such a treat

And I splurged at the grocery store this weekend and bought AE Cottage Cheese. This cottage cheese is like ice cream – so creamy, so cold and almost decadent. Can you call your cottage cheese decadent!?

To finish things off, a CherryCashew PURE Bar. One of my faves

So I read an interesting article last week called “8 Reasons to Hit the Gym – Why We Work Out.” It contains reasons why everyday people continually get their booties to the gym, and here they are:

To battle depression when dealing with a deployed husband or wife, sick relative, etc.
To feel sexy(ier!) by taking unconventional fitness classes like pole dancing.
To stay healthy in order to get off certain medications and/or to prevent having to take them in the future.
For the kids, parents wanting to be healthy role models for their children and making sure they’re around in the future.
To achieve new goals such as increasing running mileage, being able to lift more weight, becoming more flexible in yoga, etc.
To feel happier and get those endorphins flowing.
To build stamina in order to bike longer, run harder, etc.
To have your cake and eat it too – literally, so you can eat lots of cake!

Do you identify with any of the points above?

I identify most with #8. Unfortunately, as short as I am – I don’t require a lot of calories everyday, but I LOVE to taste and eat. Therefore, in order to keep eating and tasting – I have to workout. It’s as simple, and hard, as that.

Have a fabulous Monday everyone!