Finding Motivation to get Fit and Eat Healthy

When you don't have a babysitter...just take her running with you!

In my never ending quest to be fit and to eat healthfully, it’s not so much a matter of looking good as the be-all and end-all source of motivation.  The idea of being physically strong directly translates into being mentally strong and that is what drives me and motivates me.  I feel great after fitting in a physical activity for the day and knowing I have fueled my body with healthy food.  I have a lot on my plate these days, no pun intended, and I need a strong vehicle to handle it, or at the least be able to prioritize and manage what is the most important.  I have had many hats to wear in my years, but at the top of the list is my role as a mother of three kids and as a wife.  These two roles alone require me to be physically and mentally strong.

I love to run!  I am, by no means, a pro at it, but I am a running enthusiast.  Before I was pregnant with my 3^rd child, I was well into a great running streak.  I was running all sorts of long distance races and made decent time.  During my pregnancy, especially at the latter end, I had to slow down due the physical demands my pregnant body could no longer endure.  After 5 months of the baby’s birth, I am slowly finding my “running feet” again, but it has been a slow recovery.  I stay patient with what my body can do each day and with each day; I improve just a little bit more.  There are certainly days where even the shortest of runs can just kick my butt, but I keep going.  What keeps me going?  The energy and clarity I gain after each run.  I am more productive and I feel stronger to tackle on any stress. 

Eating healthy and not feeling like being on a “diet” is very important to me.  My motivation to eat as healthfully as possible is the same motivation as exercising; it simply feels great.  When I eat fresh, healthy prepared foods from breakfast, lunch to dinner, I have more energy and I have better focus.  It’s not about going on a diet; so much as it is making good choices on foods that work for me.  You need good fuel to be able to do challenging physical activities.  For example, a typical breakfast for me could be a bowl of oatmeal, a fruit and protein smoothie or egg scramble with veggies.  These foods are loaded with nutritional value.  I don’t go crazy though where I don’t have a treat here and there.  I do occasionally cook whole wheat pancakes for the kids as treat, but now-a-days hardly ever because pancakes, although they taste good, they just do nothing for me or my family nutritionally. 

The first step in finding Motivation is quite simply that you have to Want It.  You can't fake it and you can't wait for it to begin.  What is it that you want out of your life?  Are you willing to carve out sometime in the early morning for physical activity to reap the rewards of a stronger physical and mental you?  Are you willing to cook healthy foods, so that you may fuel your body for a stronger physical and mental you?  If the answer is Yes, act on it.  Sure, setbacks will happen, embrace the setbacks as they come, move on and forward stronger.  Finding motivation and keeping motivation gets easier as a lifestyle choice.  As my British friend and workout queen, Jane, use to tell me, “now, off you go!”

My Tomato Head

Breaking news!  My 5 year old loves tomatoes!!!  It was a long road...but so worth it...

I feel for any parent out there who has to struggle to get their kids, especially young kids, to eat their fresh veggies.  I've been there, I am there and I will be there.  It's so difficult sometimes and such a battle that it's easier to just let it slide.  Should you give up?  Heck, No!  It is SO important for children to eat their veggies to make sure their growing bodies stay healthy.  

So how can you get your kids to eat their veggies and make the experience a little more successful and just overall pleasant for everyone?!?  This is the million dollar question.  I have tried most everything from pureeing the veggies and hiding it in other foods that they would eat with no struggle...yes, a while back I bought Jessica Seinfield's book, Deceptively Delicious, because Oprah told me to...to just plain making them eat it.  I feel that neither is really effective in the long run, although both methods yielded some pretty absolute results.  I wanted my kids to really grow to love vegetables and not just feel like they had to eat them.  I found the puree method (unless you're dealing with a newborn) was too tedious and hiding the actual texture and look of the veggie was not doing my kids any favors for the long run.  I wanted them to associate what a tomato looked like with the way it tasted, for example.  The other method forcing, usually worked, but extremely taxing for both parent and child.  So here are some of our "plans of attack", if you will, that my husband and I implemented which works most of the time.  Remember getting kids to eat vegetables is a life-long process...patience is key.

1) Fact: kids learn their eating habits early on from their parents.  If you want your kids to eat their vegetables, you have to eat them too, no exceptions.  My kids are 7, 5, and 5 months, and I've learned that they are "copycats" so why not use this to my advantage?  At every mealtime, especially dinner when we are all together, my husband and I usually fill-up our plates with fresh veggies to lead by example.  We do this consistently and it's pretty much habit at this point.

2) Get Them excited about veggies!  This is going to sound cheesy, but we overly emphasize or exaggerate how good a vegetable taste.  We also make it a point to mention what a certain vegetable does for their bodies, for example carrots and broccoli are good for the eyes, and so on, and so fort.  Yes, broccoli contains high levels of beta carotene, really good for the eyes.  Keeps us up to date on veggie knowledge and the kids learn too.

3) Season veggies well!  It makes all the difference.  Let's face it, some veggies just taste bland by themselves.  If it tastes good they'll be more likely to eat them.  So what we do is experiment with with healthy spices and fresh or dried herbs.  Saute veggies or roast them with olive oil.  Try new techniques and cook up a variety of Fresh veggies, change it up.  Don't underestimate what your child will eat.  It is important to expose them to all veggies even if it sounds too exotic. Fresh vegetables are very inexpensive for the most part and recipes are overflowing on the web, so this is really yours to play with. 

In a nutshell, although nothing is perfect, what works for us most of the time in getting the kids to eat their vegetables is being Consistent with leading by example, providing knowledge with Excitement, and for goodness sake cooking it so it Tastes Good!

In honor of my "Tomato Head", here's a fam favorite, Caprese Salad.  Recipe below, a must try as an appetizer or side dish.  It can even be a light entree, if you're in the mood.  This is Amaze-balls!

  

Caprese Salad, seriously amazing!!!

On one average day in my household, I asked my 5 year old what she wanted for an afternoon snack.  She said, "a tomato!"  I leaped and cheered and sang "Hooray", for this was one small victory for this grateful mom that day!

Here she is my "Tomato Head" with her whole cut-up tomato...she ate it all, that's my gurl!

Caprese Salad

by The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond

Ingredients

·         2 cups Balsamic Vinegar

·         3 whole Ripe Tomatoes, Sliced Thick

·         12 ounces, weight Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Thick

·         Fresh Basil Leaves

·         Olive Oil, For Drizzling

·         Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, or until balsamic has reduced to a thicker glaze. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or cruet. Allow to cool.

When you’re ready to serve, arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter. Arrange basil leaves between the slices. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the salad, getting a little bit on each slice. Do the same with the balsamic reduction, making designs if you want. Store extra balsamic reduction in fridge for a later use.

End with a sprinkling of kosher salt and black pepper. Serve as a lunch, with crusty bread. Or serve alongside a beef main course for dinner.

Fudge Brownie Make Over & Inspiration of of Day

My reality is no matter how crazy, stressful and busy life can get, I'm the most capable to tackle it all head on when I can fit in a workout (even if it's only for 20-30 minutes) consistently.  Making time out to exercise makes me a better wife, mom and human being.  It is not easy at times as we all have constant forces that distract us from exercise, we talk ourselves into that it can be put off because of family, work or just lack of energy.  For me these are all general demands of life that will not change anytime soon, so I have to adapt and make time.  Being strong physically translates into every aspect of my life so I can tackle the real crises and not sweat the small stuff.  Life is enjoyable and you appreciate everything around you.  To start you don't need fancy equipment or a gym membership, you just need to get moving even if it's a walk around the block.  Exercise meaningfully and consistently, eat mindfully and soon you will see what I mean.


With that said, I also feel you should reward yourself from time to time for hard work.  Chocolate is my go to of all treats.  I leave you with this Happy Friday brownie recipe treat (key word) that is delicious and gluten free (a redo from its wheat counterpart).  In the near future I hope to post more recipe make-overs that are healthier and gluten free (I'll talk about this more later).  I'm constantly trying to improve my culinary "health-in-mind" skills and have been testing out some yummy, affordable gluten free recipes both savory and sweet with my family, so stay tuned.

Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies

Ingredients

·         1/2 cup almond meal

·         1/3 cup brown rice flour

·         2 Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Bars (broken into pieces)

·         6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         3/4 cup sugar

·         1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·         2 eggs

·         1 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Directions

1.    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the lower third of the oven. Line an 8x8-inch metal baking pan across the bottom and up two opposite sides with parchment paper or foil.

2.    Mix almond meal with the rice flour. Set aside.

3.    Place the chocolate, butter and salt in the top of a large double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Add the almond meal and rice flour mixture and stir until moistened, and then mix briskly about 40 strokes. Stir in the walnuts or pecans if using.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the brownies are slightly puffed all over and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but clean. Cool the pan on a rack. Lift the edges of the parchment paper or foil to remove the brownies. Cut into squares.  Enjoy!!!

Easy Homemade Hummus

"The cast of characters" 

Hummus is a power snack or appetizer, naturally gluten-free and packed with protein, which I love.  If you haven't already, you should definitely try making it at home.  The list of ingredients are simple and you just toss everything in your blender/food processor.  Tahini (pureed sesame seeds) was the most daunting and most exotic ingredient listed, if you will, but I was able to find it at my local Sprouts market by the peanut butter.  I love hummus as a dip for a variety of veggies or corn chips.  You can even use it as a spread for sandwiches.  Hummus is also a kid friendly snack and is a great alternative to highly processed ranch dressing that often accompany veggies in their school lunchbox.  I hope you will attempt and enjoy this healthy recipe.  Once you master it, you can add your own twist of spices and flavors.

• Traditional Hummus
• Ingredients
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Place beans and garlic in a food processor; pulse 5 times or until chopped. Add 1/2 cup water and remaining ingredients; blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Store in refrigerator.

*If possible, try letting the Hummus marinate overnight in the refrigerator before serving.  

"Ta-dah, homemade hummus!"

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Bread

I do my best to eat gluten free most of the time, but this was just one of those days where reckless abandonment overruled. Baking is my absolute favorite thing to do, it was a rainy day and fresh baked cinnamon bread just sounded so good...so I had to bake it. I don't have a fancy bread maker, nor do I have the counter space for it...so I baked bread the old fashion way. It's actually really easy to bake bread, but it does require a little patience to wait for the dough to rise and then rise again. You'll find below the cinnamon bread recipe I used that I originally found on the Pioneer Woman website. I did substitute whole wheat flour and nonfat milk where needed because it's a little healthier than its counterparts. I hope you try this and let me know what you think.

So good, my family loves this bread!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Bread

Ingredients

§ 1 cup nonfat Milk

§ 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

§ 2-1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast

§ 2 whole Eggs

§ 1/3 cup Sugar

§ 3-1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

§ 1 teaspoon Sea Salt

§ 1/3 cup Sugar

§ 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

§ 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter (unsalted)

§ Egg And Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing

§ Softened Butter, For Smearing And Greasing Loaf Pan

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don't boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Combine flour and salt.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.

Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it's warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm, hospitable place for at least 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you're going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.

Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.

Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool. Slice and serve, or make cinnamon toast or French toast with it.

Yummy!

No excuses!

When I first started my blog a couple years back my intent was to journal my journey through figuring out how to be a fit mom and how to eat right without all the craziness and nonsense that can sometimes accompany the attempt. I also wanted to inspire others, whether you're a busy mom or any woman wanting to make a healthy change, that it can be done. Even though as women, we want to be strong, fit and healthy, there are many excuses all of us can make to not workout or not eat well, but the bottom line is you just have to be stronger. I'm certainly imperfect in my journey, so I have to constantly remind myself of this, look to others for inspiration and I strive never to quit. There's always going to be bumps in the road and set backs, but there's always recovery too.

I've learned so much about myself through these past two years. One of the most humbling things I've done is run long distance by way of a Half Marathon (hopefully a full one day). Since my first Half, I've ran 3 more. It really shows you what you can accomplish with a little hard work and perseverance. Crossing the finish line is an unbelievable feeling. Another absolute love of mine is Yoga. I have a lot of love and respect for Yoga (Hot Yoga). I've also learned that it is absolutely imperative for well rounded fitness to do strength training, which is the most challenging for me (weight training is not my favorite activity). Lastly, I've learned that I hate diets (with tons of restrictions) and refuse to do so...life is too short not to enjoy the cookies I love to bake (especially with my kiddos).

My approach to fitness

*stay real (dirty dishes are still in the sink because I chose to workout first)

*work hard, if you're making time out to exercise, make it count

*get knowledgeable

*do your favorite exercises but be open to the ones you least like because it's good for you

*move your body or get in a workout at least 20 minutes as day

*No excuses, don't quit

My approach to healthy eating

*stay real (I refuse to starve)

*choose as much whole foods as possible

*get knowledgeable

*80/20 rule, eat the bad stuff (if you must) only 20% of the time or less and watch your portions

*Treat yourself from time-to-time to the "real" deal (i.e. a homemade brownie with real butter), stay away from processed foods as much as possible

*Drink a ton of water!

This is a pretty easy salad I made after a 20 minute workout today (my 5 year old giving a thumbs up)

Ingredients:

Mixed Greens

Tomato Slices

1 Hard Boiled Egg

1/2 Avocado

Chopped Roasted Almonds

Homemade Vinaigrette (EVOO, balsamic vinegar and a little spice)

Yummy! There are so many healthy foods out there that taste amazing, it just takes a little effort to prepare it.

This is me getting my 20 minute workout in before I had to pick up my 5 year old from preschool with baby sleeping in background (love Her!). That's real sweat I'm showing you on my hand just after 20 minutes of circuits. No excuses!

This is the Jillian Michaels exercise DVD I was working out to that I bought at Target. Maybe cheesy to some, but with a newborn and limited time, it allowed me to get a pretty good workout in, in 20 minutes. I can't say I've always been a fan of hers (I've seen only a handful of The Biggest Loser episodes), but she's a badass and I was definitely sweating. I have a few workout DVDs which I alternate to keep from getting bored. One of my favorites is the Express 15 by Gabby Reece (another badass gal, big fan), I combine two workouts to get a full body workout. It's great for busy moms.

My very basic exercise equipment that are worth its weight in gold (no pun). Love all of them!

Always Make Time for Breakfast {egg scramble & sprouted bread}

One of my favorite meals of the day is Breakfast. I'm a firm believer that no one should ever skip out on eating breakfast as it fuels you for your whole day. Usually I keep it simple, mainly oatmeal most days, but when I have a spare minute or two I love to make egg scrambles with veggies for me and my growing family. I don't usually do omelets for the sheer fact that they always fall apart on me, so I end up with a scramble anyway. Nothing beats protein for breakfast with veggies. I also have discovered a love for Sprouted Bread, which I have read is healthier than whole wheat. I love to toast it with a little butter or peanut butter...yum. Here's a typical scramble I make with Sprouted Bread for a side. Very simple, quick and healthy.

Egg Scramble with Veggies and fresh flat leaf parsley on top (Hubby's portion, lucky man).

My usual cut-up veggies prep. Once you have the rhythm down, it's so easy and quick.

I saute the veggies first with a little canola oil, set aside, cook eggs then add veggies back in.

Love this bread, a little on the pricey side but well worth it.

Life With 3...

It's sad for me to say, this is my first post for the new year, but I have been a little busy. Happy belated new year to everyone! I hope its been a good year so far.

I think most of you by now know that I was due with baby #3 in February. Baby Tessa (as my hubby and I finally agreed on a name), was born 19 days early on January 27th. She was tiny and perfect at 5lbs 13ozs. and 19 inches long. Her birth was pretty exciting to say the least. To make a long story short, my water had broken the morning of the 27th. As my history with birthing would have it, I did not feel any contractions right away. My husband took me to be checked out by my midwife at noon and still no contractions and only 2 centimeters dilated. I was advised by BJ, my amazing midwife who helped birth my other two babies, to take Castor Oil to get the contractions going. Castor Oil acts as natural laxative that irritates your uterus if taken while pregnant and can get contractions started. I took some Castor Oil mixed with Root Beer, as recommended, at 3pm and finally I started feeling mild contractions by 7pm. By 8pm my contractions went from mild to "hello!" As we were packing up to go to the birthing center (where I was to have a natural birth anyway), baby Tessa was born at approximately 8:09pm at home. My awesome, amazing, and very calm husband caught the baby and everyone was fine and healthy. My midwife met us at the house 20 minutes later and did all the vitals on myself and the baby. I also can not forget to mention my sister was present and was an amazing help. It turned out to be an accidental "home birth", but a blessing in disguise.

Since then I get asked a lot of questions.

Was it scary? There was actually no time to be scared, as it happened so quick, and the complete confidence I had in my husband to take care of me and the baby was huge. And, having birth twice before, I kind of knew what I was in for. If this had been my first baby, it would probably have been a lot more scarier.

Why did you choose not to have an epidural? There is really no profound answer to this, but it's simple, over 7 years ago with the birth of my first daughter, after talking with many people about birth options, this is the path I chose and committed to with the very loving support of my husband and family, as I firmly believe the less drug intervention the better. When I can and able to, I go the natural route and granted my all my pregnancies were considered low risk which helped. Natural birthing aided by a midwife is something I am very passionate about and hope other women would consider it. Sure things can go wrong like with most anything, but having a child there is no guarantee, like most anything. It boils down to trust what your body was made to do, handle complications, if and any, as they come, have a solid support system (husband, sister, mom, midwife, friend, etc.) and most importantly know your options. It's often I have conversations about natural birthing and other women get so curious and ask a lot of questions and at the end of the conversations, they say "wow, I didn't know that was even an option." I certainly respect when a C-Section is needed and if a woman does not want to go the natural route for birthing. For me, this was the most amazing way to experience all 3 of my daughters births with my husband very involved with all 3 (especially the 3rd). It sounds crazy, but it's a magical moment to feel your body birthing, finding the calm all of us have, yet passed over by many out of fear. Although not easy at times, I appreciated every minute of it, the experience, for it's life changing.

So where are we now?!? Fast forward four weeks later and life with 3 kids...

1. The baby is four weeks old and thriving and older sisters are adjusting just fine

2. Our household just got even louder and I swear I do enough laundry a week for an entire village (of little people and one green giant)

3. I'm addicted to Pinterest and Polyvore (fun things to do to pass the time while breastfeeding at 1 or 2am in the morning)

4. I vaguely remember who my husband is...although he was sweet enough to take me to sushi the other night out of the blue...date nights, very important, even if its just to go grocery shopping at Trader's b/c the kids need lunches for school and milk...

5. I am overwhelmed with gratitude at all the help, food, gifts and well wishes we've received - in fact I have to get my thank you notes out...I hope my friends and family will forgive me

6. Sleep, I will meet up with you again one day...

7. I got my first 2 mile run in today...feels good to get these rickety legs going

8. I'm in heaven as I write this post (hoping there are not too many grammatical errors) , my older girls are playing (hopefully nicely) in the backyard, hubby went for a run and the baby is asleep on my chest.

Life is what you make it, appreciate every twist and turn...it's a beautiful day in SoCal.

Eat and Eat More Often...

When I started training for 1/2 Marathons about 2 years ago now, I really had to rethink my strategy on food as fuel. Before I would eat relatively healthy but would only have 3 meals a day. After months and months of training, not only did my appetite get increasingly more demanding, but my body really needed to fuel and fuel more often. After reading countless articles both in fitness magazines and on the web, I decided that I would try to eat every 2-3 hours. What I have learned and have tried to incorporate every day:

1) It is best to eat within an hour after your metabolic fast meaning within an hour after you wake up in the morning.

2) Eat every 2-3 hours (set alarms if you have to) and not big portions (about 250-300 calories per meal, but if you're very active 400-450 is probably more realistic).

3) It is a good idea to eat a small but satisfying meal (example: whole toast w/peanut butter or a 12 oz. smoothie) before a workout. I know there are just some people who can not eat before a workout, but I almost always have to for energy, unless I do yoga - better to practice yoga on empty tummy.

4) Drink, drink, drink WATER...this is still very challenging for me and I work at. I'd rather drink coffee all day, if I could.

5) Make wise food choices for every meal, so it counts as good fuel. We all know the difference between nutrient rich and not. Basic rule, stay away, far away from processed!

6) Most important is just be conscious of food as fuel and TRY, but do not obsess on structuring meals perfectly. Also, learn to love the foods that are good for you...for me, that was oatmeal and a handful of veggies.

You want your body to use food it needs and not store what it does not need. The idea is not to let your blood sugar drop in levels which encourages overeating. Once your blood sugar level drops, the body goes into somewhat of a panic mode and eats up muscles and holds on to and stores fat for reserves. Eating smaller meals more frequently works for me. I know everyone is different and it takes planning (I won't lie), so find what works for you, and most of all move your body as much as you can and EAT well!

Here's a typically good day of eating for me:

Breakfast: between 6:30 am - 7:15 am (usually)

Oatmeal, oh - how I love thee...oatmeal with slivered almonds, sliced bananas, and a cup of coffee (decaf for now)

Lunch: between 12pm - 1:30 pm

Usually for lunch, I will have a salad with some sort of protein (mostly chicken) and lite dressing. Try to go for the rich green leaves, this is an ok example of a typical salad.

Dinner: between 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Although dinner in my household varies a lot, this might be one typical dinner. I am not afraid to eat pasta for dinner nor bread, my balance is I try to go for whole grains and/or whole wheat varieties. This meal: angel hair pasta with turkey meatballs and marinara sauce, homemade whole wheat buttermilk garlic herb biscuit, and a side of arugula salad (love the taste of arugula, so nutty and unique)

1st Snack: between 9:00 am - 10:30 am

Typically a simple banana, yogurt, or smoothie (I may even have a smoothie for breakfast)

2nd Snack: 1pm - 4pm

After lunch and before dinner, usually fruit (fresh or dried), a smoothie, whole wheat crackers, or nuts (usually almonds)

My weakness in snacking, CHOCOLATE! My counter measure: give in when I really want it! But, I try to have on hand some semi-sweet chocolate chips. A few of these usually takes care of any chocolate craving and I feel satisfied without the guilt. On the same note, I do eat dessert once or twice a week (maybe even 3), but again I try to go for the all natural (stuff the body can actually breakdown), preferably homemade and not from a box. Moderation, not deprivation!

Crazy for Crepes!

November was a slow month for me blogging. I was so busy with kids stuff (end of soccer celebrations, classroom volunteering, girls scouts, prenatal appointments, you name it!) and oh yeah hubby needed my attention somewhere in there too. Then to cap off the month, our family hosted Thanksgiving, which is always great because I love to feed people! But it was hard to get a minute to pound the keyboard for thoughts.

Story Telling Time:

After hosting Thanksgiving and eating up a few days worth of left-overs "this and that turkey stuff," I was over it! Luckily, hubby is so resourceful (I adore him so much!)...(long story, short) he came across a coupon on Amanzon.com that had an amazing deal for a local restaurant in Huntington Beach, CA serving, non other than, specialty CREPES. The name of the restaurant is Rockin Crepes, off of Atlanta and Magnolia. What a find! It was dinner time and we were all hungry for anything but left-overs...crepes sounded perfect, the other end of the spectrum from a fall feast and the restaurant was opened for dinner. Great, let's get to gettin'...

We arrived at our destination and it was kind of hard to find at first as it is tucked away next to a UPS Store and some other small store (perhaps a tanning salon, it was HB). It was not busy at all, but it was a weeknight after all. Hmmm, could this be good?!? Open minded and a hungry belly, I was game. Looking around, it was obvious why the restaurant was called "Rockin Crepes" for the love of all that is Rockin! (I'm more of a Top 40 listener myself much to my hubby's dislike who's all time fav band is RUSH - yes ladies, opposites DO attract!). Ready for this, the decor, rows of Marshall amps (only my father-in-law could appreciate) painted on one wall, painted on the opposite wall was a chain linked fenced, rock-n-roll and sports banners splashed all around, the tables were decoupaged with pictures of rockstar icons including KISS of course (I got flashbacks of my cousin Sal's room in the 80's), and an occasional skull and crossbones as a final touch. For someone who has studied professional commercial interiors, you would think this would be destructive to my aesthetic sensibility, but not a all, it was very comfortable. The service was great! After talking with our very young waiter (all of 15 years old, very nice kid, skater type), we came to find that it is a family owned restaurant and Jimmy, our garçon (French for waiter - we are talkin about crepes), was the son of the owner. We studied the menu coming across crepes named "Alice Cooper", which the my girls ended up ordering and sharing, "Black Sabbath", "AC/DC" just to name a few. I ended up eating "Poison" and hubby ordered "Saxon"...all were savory crepes, although the menu had a wide impressive list of both savory and sweet. It was delicious and beautifully made, in the simplest terms!!! And, a full bar to boot. I definitely recommend it and would go back again and again.

Reviews in, restaurant review 4 stars for "Rockin Crepes", Huntington Beach, CA http://www.rockincrepeshb.com. Great atmosphere, great and friendly service and most of all Rockin Good Crepes! Good on them, for pairing such a delicate fare such as crepes with hard edge rock-n-roll! (Just as an aside, Jimmy Bennett, our garçon, is somewhat of a celeb in his own right, feel free to IMdb or Google him and you'll see what I mean. What was most impressive is that his parents had obviously instilled that it is important to help with the family business despite a little fame, love it!)

This morning:

I have been known to cook up my own crepes from time to time. This morning was the morning, I just felt like reinstating my ever improving, skill seeking of crepe making. I have only tackled sweet crepes, but with my new found restaurant of inspiration, I hope to tackle some savory for future...

Semi-sweet Chocolate Filled Crepes. Looks so innocent, but so mouth-watering good.

Fancy Crepe Ladle that measures the right amount of batter for my crepe pan precisely (it was a wedding gift). The amount is about equal to a 1/4 cup measure, so if you don't have a fancy ladle from William-Sonoma, a 1/4 measuring cup is just fine.

This is my special non-stick crepe pan about 8" round (with a perfectly cooked crepe on top :-)). My mother-in-law gave me this pan as gift about 9 years ago along with neat crepe recipe book. She was always so thoughtful in a culinary sense, giving me cookbooks, kitchen tools, and small appliances. I think it was to ensure that her son will be well fed. Smart woman, for at that time 9 years ago, I literally could burn water. Back then eggs were about the only thing I could do right. But, the upside is I am the perfect example that "anyone" can learn to cook decently and deliciously. Below is my go to crepe recipe...try making it fresh...it's incredible!

RECIPE: Plain Flour Crepes (I use this recipe for sweet crepes)

1-3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

3 eggs

2 cups nonfat milk

2 oz. unsalted butter (or half a stick - 4 tablespoons)

Mix the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.

Beat the eggs in a second bowl, incorporating one cup of milk. Pour the mixture into the flour well and whisk vigorously until the batter is smooth and lump-free. Melt the butter in the microwave, in a microwave safe bowl, for about 45 seconds, let cool a bit. Add the remaining milk and slightly cooled melted butter a little at a time to batter.

Let the batter stand for at least one hour. This step can not be skipped otherwise you will get a different texture. It's worth the wait!

Heat crepe pan and grease a bit with butter if needed. Pour batter and spread either with a special crepe tool spreader (for lack of better term) or simply swirl the pan until you get it evenly coated with a thin layer of batter. Cook crepes at moderately low heat until it slides when pan is slightly shaken about 1-2 minutes. Turn over once and cook for another minute. Serve with fresh fruit, fruit preserves, chocolate, whipped cream, powdered sugar, maple syrup...the list of sweet fillings are endless, get creative!