Cereal Milk

Oh my goodness!! I am so excited about this! Cereal milk. It's stupid simple. It's a little ridiculous. It really doesn't deserve a "recipe". But it's sssoooo fun and out of the ordinary that I felt like I had to share it. Because CEREAL MILK!! And I absolutely loved all of the pictures. Who knew cereal was so stinking pretty?? 

While getting lunch with a friend at a really cool new restaurant, I saw bottled cereal milk being sold. I couldn't get the idea out of my head. I mean, it's genius! In high school, the leftover milk from my cereal was my FAVORITE part. It's like the last sugary sip of a caramel macchiato, the top of a muffin, or the last bite of the bottom of a McDonald's ice cream cone. The best things in life...My husband, Isaac, thinks the idea of cereal milk is disgusting. Of course he would--he dumps his leftover milk down the drain. He just doesn't get it. How are we so different and yet married?!  

Now I have to be honest. I haven't bought a box of cereal since last summer sometime. I mean, I absolutely love cereal (I've talked about how I love eating soggy cereal in a past post), but Isaac and I tend to stick with oatmeal since it's so versatile and it keeps us fuller longer. Cereal just doesn't have much staying power for me. It's more of a late snack food.  I bought several boxes of cereal for this recipe post and I am not disappointed at all about needing to eat up what's leftover. I know, life is rough for me.

For this "recipe"--if I'm allowed to call it that--all you need is your favorite box of cereal and your milk of choice. I must say that almond milk and soy milk are the top choices since they are already sweeter to begin with, but, hey, we are all entitled to our own opinions. And if I were really honest, I wish I liked regular cow's milk. Whichever milk suits you, add 1.5 cups of milk to 1 cup of cereal and allow it to set for 15-20 minutes or so. If you're using a crunchy cereal like Oh's (probably the best cereal ever made), you may need to go longer. Once your milk has "steeped," place a colander with small holes over a large enough bowl and pour the cereal/milk mixture into the colander to strain. If you get chunks of cereal in your milk, put a coffee filter in your colander and strain it again. Viola! Delicious cereal milk! Put your milk in a container and store in the fridge for future milk-drinking goodness. Or maybe even for some smoothie/shake-making. You can decide how you want to eat it.

So, if you're like me and you haven't gotten cereal in a while, head on over to the store to get a box. Or two. Or maybe even three...Okay, don't do that--that would be a little ridiculous. But you get the idea :-)

In A Pinch Microwave Granola

Heya, how are you guys doing??

Nothing much happening over here on my end. I'm still looking for a job and am exploring lots of different options. As I've been reading the Mindful Eating book, my interest in working with people with weight issues (both under-eating and overeating) is growing. Our nation is obsessed with food, fitness, health, weight loss, clean eating, etc. and yet so many people are unhappy with their relationship with food and their body. I really want to help with that. 

Lately I've noticed a few mental shifts in my own heart and mind that I'm really excited about. I was working out the other day and a thin, pretty girl walked in. Per my default mode, I automatically started comparing our bodies. She was thinner than I am, and instead of feeling defeated or inferior, I started speaking truth to myself--her weight and my weight meant nothing about my worth, my value, or my personality. It just was what it was. And several times I've found myself starting down the restriction thought mode ("I'll just eat really clean for the next few weeks") just to remember that a healthy weight and relationship with food is about listening to my body and eating what it needs, not depriving it of what it wants or needs. These mental changes are huge and I'm excited to see what they will produce in the long-term. 

So with reading and soaking in the book, I have tried out a few of the exercises. I'm not gonna lie, it's hard for me to do. Sitting at the table without the tv on or my computer in front of me is a real stretch. I've been focusing on really looking at my food and savoring the textures and flavors of foods when I put them in my mouth. The other day I put a small strawberry chunk in my mouth and moved it around in my mouth. Have you ever noticed the texture of those tiny seeds on your tongue?? Yeah, me neither. Well, not until a few days ago. 

Or how about the wonderful crunch of granola in your yogurt? Having a crunch to add some texture to your food is a really great thing. For the most part I'm totally all about soft textures. In high school I would pour the milk on my cereal and then leave to finish up my hair so that my cereal would be soggy when I ate it. And the pureed week of nutrition food lab was one of my favorites. I know, it's weird, but it's how I do. Despite loving cold, wet things, I still like a nice crunch to go with it. Hence why I put cheetos, fritos, or doritos (really anything ending in -os) on my sandwiches. Don't hate. 

So since I really love having crunchy granola for my yogurt and fruit or my morning crepes, I came up with this quick microwavable granola. I don't buy granola because most brands are really high in sugar and fat and taste stale to me. I used to make batches of granola for Isaac and I, but not everyone has time for that. So here's my solution for you! You're welcome :-)

This recipe takes no time at all and could be eaten entirely for breakfast with some milk and fruit, or eaten in increments. I'm gonna leave that up to you. And you could add dried cranberries, toasted coconut, or other nuts if that sounds good to you. You do you. 

A Brand New Attitude (and Homemade Cocoa Almond Butter)

Hello hello! 

I hope your Christmas and New Years brimmed over with rich time with family and friends (and good food). I know mine was WAY too short with the people I love so much and get to call my family. Did you do the same old same old, or spice it up a little bit? Isaac and I split our time between both of our families for Christmas and then branched out for New Year's Eve by spending it with another married couple we're friends with. It was super low key, but incredibly fun! There were even 2016 hats and bizookas involved...Yeah, we're pretty wild. :-)

As we celebrated New Year's Day, I decided to be a little bit more grown up and actually reflect on the past year. I mean, that's what you're supposed to do when you're grown up, right? So Isaac and I went through the past year month-by-month. It blows my mind how big of a year 2015 was for me. Like huge. Here's a recap: Isaac and I went on a ski trip with friends (best vacay EVER), my sister and brother-in-law moved to Italy, I presented my nutrition seminar, defended my thesis, graduated with my master's, celebrated our one year anniversary, moved to Tulsa, joined an incredible church, started my dietetic internship, finished my dietetic internship, moved again, and passed my RD exam. Reflecting on the past year was incredibly encouraging--I have been blessed beyond measure!! 

And in keeping with the new year, I contemplated setting a new year's resolution. I'm sure a lot of you did it yourself. Prior to Christmas, my eating habits weren't what I would have liked for them to be. I thought about food too much, ate beyond feeling satisfied, and craved sweets like none other. In fact, I was to the point where I was considering doing the whole30. But then I looked at what all that entails. Nope. Not gonna happen. (To those of you who are able to do it--power to you!) So then I decided I would do a sugar challenge before Christmas--no added sugars for 10 days. Welp, I failed miserably. Once Christmas was upon us and I was up to my eyeballs in white trash and ranch crackers, I had decided for sure I was going to do an indefinite sugar challenge once the holidays were over. I mean, my eating seemed ridiculous, I didn't feel good, and I had a few pounds I wanted to get rid of. But then I read this article on my favorite blog titled "Why not to go on a diet in 2016". 

Reading that article and her subsequent one on intuitive eating really got me thinking. So much so that I checked out the book "Mindful Eating" by Jan Chozen Bays at our local library. The basic premise of both is that food should be savored and enjoyed. Being healthy (physically and emotionally) is about honoring cravings, listening to your body, and eating the amount of food that your body needs. 

Here's a few lines from the book that really resonated with me:

" The problem is not in our food. Food is just food. It is neither good nor bad. The problem is not in our fat cells or stomach or small intestine...The long-term solution is not to eat food that has been stripped of nutrition or to mutilate healthy organs...The source of the problem lies in the thinking mind and the feeling heart."

Wow. Chew on that one for a while... And here's another:

" When we don't taste what we eat, we can end up stuffed to the gills but feeling completely unsatisfied. This is because the mind and mouth weren't present, weren't tasting or enjoying, as we ate. The stomach became full but the mind and mouth were unfulfilled and continued calling for us to eat."

So I am starting this journey of learning to eat when I'm really hungry, eating what I really want (not what I think I should eat), stopping when I'm satisfied, and finding balance and freedom with food. I hope you'll consider joining me. 

Aaand now you're probably thinking, "When is she going to get to the recipe part? And what does it have to do with mindful eating?" Well, they're not really connected. But I LOVE almond butter, and it's something I am going to mindfully enjoy the next few weeks. So there.

Since getting my vitamix a few weeks ago (best purchase ever), I've made almond butter for two friends and a few batches for myself. You literally just throw almonds into the blender/food processor. I prefer salted almonds for regular almond butter. As for this batch, I simply used cocoa almonds. Depending on the brand you purchase, you may want to add some honey/maple syrup and some vanilla, but my almonds already had sugar on them so I didn't add anything to them. 

So, go out and buy yourself some almonds (1.5-2 cups is a good amount), put them in your food processor for several minutes (time will vary depending on your processor, and you may need to scrape the sides every-so-often), and enjoy the most delicious spread ever. Top on apples, bananas, oats, english muffins...the possibilities are endless!! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for several weeks--if it lasts that long!!

In case you missed it, here are the links again to the two articles: http://immaeatthat.com/2015/12/28/why-not-to-go-on-a-diet-this-year/ and http://immaeatthat.com/2016/01/08/hunger-and-fullness-scale/