Summer Vacation Snacking with Blue Diamond Almonds

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Almonds make a good travel snack

Whoohoo, I’m a little bit nutty! When I jump in front of national monuments or execute yoga poses in public places, my kids always roll their eyes, hide and later say “sheeze, mom! Aren’t you embarrassed to do that?” Absolutely not, no way, nope! That’s one of the freeing things about being an adult and no longer caring what people think! I’ve done the Chicken Dance in the grocery store, cartwheeled down the sidewalk and wear my pajamas during early morning carpooling while singing along to music with the windows rolled down (the horror!)

almonds healthy travel snack

But on a recent vacation to Washington, D.C., I had selfish motives for embarrassing my 3 ‘tween and teen children – I was greedily keeping those human vacuum cleaners away from my Blue Diamond Almonds!  As a Blue Diamond Tastemaker , I was sent a couple of cans of healthy, yummy almonds to incorporate into my summer entertaining plans. However, we don’t entertain much in the summer because the family is too busy attending family reunions, heading off to camp or exploring new cities on vacation.  Instead, we let our adventures entertain us!

In my opinion, there is no better healthy snack to take on a trip than almonds. Nutritionally dense, they don’t take up a lot of space in a purse, backpack or airline carry-on. Almonds are also loaded with protein and heart-healthy fats that keep the hunger pangs away longer than carbohydrate-heavy food.  One of my favorite quick travel “recipes” is to set a whole natural almond on top of a dried apricot and top it with a chocolate chip – only 20 calories and totally delicious!

blue diamond natural almond and apricot snack

Blue Diamond’s Whole Natural Almonds are very versatile -you can eat them plain, put them in trail mix or even whip up into your smoothie.  They can also be easily toasted at home and incorporated into so many breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes. Toasting whole natural almonds only takes about 10 minutes and makes them super fragrant and crunchy – Cooking Light has a great tutorial on how to toast nuts.

toast almond video tutorial

The other almond flavor I sampled was the Rosemary & Black Pepper. These little guys pack a bold punch without being too overwhelming. While I gobbled mine straight from the can, these salted, herbed nuts would be great on a salad, alongside a cheese board, or crushed up and used as a topping for salmon.

Blue Diamond provided me with compensation and product for this post. However, the opinions and nuttiness are completely my own!

My Famous Salad Recipe & More Favorites (Like Pandas)

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Hey, I’m just back from my vacation to Washington, DC and have lots of interesting, historical, and presidentially-inspired food discoveries to share. However, I want to recreate and “health-ify” some of the recipes at home first, so today I will leave you with one of my favorite moments in the Smithsonian – getting to see Julia Child’s kitchen! Whoot, whoot!

julia child kitchen 700

Because I’ve been eating out for the last week and not making new healthy recipes at home, today I’m sharing a recipe that’s been a real superstar for me – Tropical Fusion Salad with Spicy Tortilla Ribbons.  It’s been featured on the COVER of Taste of Home magazine and in a number of their cookbooks. This summer, they have the recipe running in the June/July issue of their sister publication (and one of my favorite reads), Simple & Delicious.

black bean, avocado and papaya salad

Below is the glamor “cover” shot! You can check out my previous post to get the full recipe – this almost no-cook recipe is perfect for these hot dog days of summer when it’s just plain miserable to turn on the oven. It’s also super nutritious too – black beans, avocado, papaya and more! While my recipe instructs baking the tortillas in the oven to crisp them into strips, you can easily crunch-ify them in the microwave or just crumble up some chips as a no-sweat alternative.

2010 MAy taste of home cover

 

 

baby panda

I just can’t resist sharing this photo — the kids and I were so lucky to get to see the panda baby toddle about. He was so cute and endearingly uncoordinated to watch climb over fallen tree trunks or roll down the grassy hill!

Talk to me, leave your thoughts in the comments below.

  • What no-cook recipes do you like to make for dinner?
  • What is your favorite thing to do in Washington, DC?
  • Have you ever seen a baby panda bear?

Colorful Protein Smoothie & Run or Dye 5k

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Layered strawberry and blueberry smoothie

With the family vacation to Washington, DC and the recent celebration of Independence Day, I’ve been feeling pretty patriotic.  That’s why I’m still blending up delicious and nutritious Red, White & Blue Smoothies and declaring my independence from sugary soft drinks. This healthy frozen beverage is perfect for a breakfast that won’t have you crashing in an hour or also as a muscle-making post-workout treat.

That time we went to the White House.

That time we went to the White House.

Red, White & Blue Protein Smoothie

  • 1 (11.5 oz.) bottle Vanilla Core Power or milk of choice(divided)
  • ½ cup frozen blueberries
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup of frozen red fruit (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, or mix)
  • Ice, as needed
  • Whipped cream, sprinkles and fresh fruit (optional garnish)
  1. Blend blue layer first. Add 1/3 bottle of Core Power high protein milkshake into the blender along with blueberries. Blend until smooth, adding ice if needed to thicken up. Divide among two 16-ounce glasses.
  2. Rinse out blender before making the white layer. Add 1/3 bottle of Core Power Greek yogurt and small handful of ice. Blend until smooth and pour over blue layers.
  3. Make red layer by adding the remaining 1/3 bottle of Core Power to blender along with red fruit and ice, if needed. Blend until smooth and pour over white layers.
  4. Top with whipped cream, sprinkles and fresh fruit to garnish. Serves 2.

Tip: Place glasses in freezer during the preparation of each layer to prevent melting. However, if the smoothie does melt together (which happens in the hot summer), it still has an awesome tie-died look. 

This yummy layered smoothie isn’t the only colorful thing I have to share today — I’m also pumped for the upcoming Run or Dye 5k race.

Blog_Austin_3

I’ve run a lot of races in my day, but not one that sounds nearly as fun as the Run or Dye –it’s billed as the world’s most colorful 5k. Run with your friends or kids to make vivid memories, everyone will long be swapping stories about the color-blasting on the course!  The Austin, Texas Run or Dye 5k is headed to the Travis County Expo Center on the morning of August 30, 2014 and I have a special discount code for you to use – get $10 off admission with the code BLOGAUSTIN .

If you’re on the fence, don’t be. I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and looking forward to getting messy – and I’m inviting my BRF (best running friend) to join me.  In my opinion, finishing a race resembling a rainbow is so much better than having mud in every body crevice –plus, how much fun to be laughing with friends along the way. So, the deal with Run or Dye is that you wear white running gear  (for the best effect, but you can wear whatever you want) and get sprayed with safe, eco-friendly dye every kilometer on the course – the dye is made with cornstarch and washes off in the shower and allegedly out of clothes (but I wouldn’t wear anything new)!

So, doesn’t this look like a big, beautiful blast – a riotous rainbow of fun?  After the run, hang out at the Dye Festival and “tie-dye” the sky in an overhead, over-the-top showering of color.  Join the Run or Dye Facebook page so you don’t miss out on any of the action. And, don’t forget to register for  Austin, Tx Run or Dye race with the code BLOGAUSTIN for $10 off!

So, have you run a Run or Dye or similar race before – what tips do I need to know?! Please share in the comments.

 

Lemon-Lime Chicken & Grilled Grapes – Love the One You’re With

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I call this post, “Love the one you’re with” after that folksy 1970s song by Crosby, Stills & Nash. I had my heart set on making a grilled steak with tomatoes for dinner but all I had in the fridge was chicken breast and grapes. As the chorus of this oldy-but-goodie goes, if you can’t be with the one you love – honey, love the one you’re with!    

grilled citrus chicken and grapes

Getting flexible and going with the flow is just my way (usually) and I rarely know what I’m making at dinnertime until minutes before – or sometimes the dish just evolves during the process. I know I can’t be the only one leaving evening meal planning until the last minute – pretty sure that “chicken recipes,” “easy dinner ideas,” and “30 minute meals” are some of the most Googled phrases between 4 pm and 6pm.

google search chicken dinner

If you’re guilty of Googling, then I’ve got your back! My recipe for Tuscan Lemon-Lime Chicken with Grilled Grapes (created for my friends at Litehouse Foods) will get dinner on the table in half an hour and impress your family with gourmet goodness. The chicken dinner is “fancy” enough to show off your ad hoc hospitality skills should guests unexpectedly drop by. Of course, you can follow the recipe to the letter – or use it for inspiration and get creative with other fruits and veggies.

Get the whole recipe for Tuscan Lemon-Lime Chicken with Grilled Grapes at the Living Litehouse blog.

I have another grilled citrusy chicken dinner that is a winner – Mojo Chicken Breast with Grilled Citrus. Keeping it colorful and creative and loving the one I’m with! Tomorrow, steak

grilled chicken and oranges

Best Watermelon Tips – Day 7 #LivingOnTheWedge

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#LivingOnTheWedge Watermelon Tips

Did you know the average person eats 16 pounds of watermelon per year?  That’s pretty close to the weight of a typical medium watermelon – but I’m not typical nor am I average when it comes to most things and I could eat another person’s annual allotment in two days – now that’s #LivingOnTheWedge!  My friends and family will agree that I often like to take moderation in moderation — sometimes over-the-top is under rated!  There’s that time I tried to set a Guinness World Record in 6th grade for “Sitting on the Wall.” I held the hideous, quad-burning position for 1 hour and 37 minutes before the school nurse made me stop. Or, when I decided to run an out-of-town, 50 mile ultra-marathon race on a whim literally, on the morning of the event with no training or preparation other than serendipitously having packed my running shoes   . . . . or, that time I won a beer drinking competition on my honeymoon.  I don’t really even like beer.

But I do love watermelon! Here are some tips you should know about picking out, storing and serving watermelon:

good watermelon picking tips

Storing watermelon:  The general rule of thumb is to keep your melons chilled between 32 and 55 degrees. Watermelons won’t ripen any further once they’ve been picked from the vine. However, a watermelon will stay fresh for around a week at room temperature. Freezing doesn’t work well for watermelon, except in the case where you want to use it in a smoothie or frozen treat recipe.

Cutting watermelon: As with any fruit or vegetable, you should wash the exterior before slicing into the flesh. You don’t want your knife to cross-contaminate the inside with any germs that were lurking on the outside.  There are many ways to cut up and serve a watermelon – if you have the patience, you can even use a melon baller for a nice presentation. However, I like to cut my watermelon in half and cross-hatch it into spears for the quickest, most convenient way to serve.

watermelon cutting tip

If you have a watermelon tip to share, please post it in the comments. Or, better yet, join the group at my #LivingOnTheWedge Pinterest board.

watermelon prize pack

If you haven’t already, enter my giveaway for a great Watermelon Prize Pack.

This is the last post in my #LivingOnTheWedge week but please go back and visit all the other the other watermelon love I’ve been sharing since July 1st, the start of National Watermelon Month.

 

 

The National Watermelon Promotion Board is providing me with compensation to share my love of watermelon. However, the opinions and content (unless otherwise noted) shared are my own and NWPB did not tell me what to say or how to say it.