Hi, my name is Marissa. I'm a 21 year old Boston College student and marathon runner. I have a passion for fitness, running and nutrition as well as music, art, concerts, playing instruments, marching band, cheerleading, fashion, Neuroscience, Psychology, cooking, Boston, movies and of course certain tv shows (The OC and One Tree Hill in particular).
This blog is for things that I like and also to inspire a healthy lifestyle for myself and others. I love sharing interesting things with the world and hope that I can help people along the way.
My goal is to get healthy and REMAIN healthy for life - Eat better, exercise, and just be the best version of myself. Just watch me.
Height: 5'5
SW: around 145-147 (6/1/11)
CW: 115.6 (5/5/13)
UGW: Fit!
This is your life. Are you who you want to be?
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Cinnamon Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding with blueberries for breakfast today - this was so delicious!
Serves 2
1 cup milk, any kind you like (I like plain, unsweetened almond milk)
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1-2 packets stevia (more or less to taste)*
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 small pinch sea salt
Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl; refrigerate until it reaches your desired thickness, stirring occasionally (I had mine chill overnight, but less time is okay too!)
I put the blueberries on top after :)
I’d always heard rumors of people making their own almond milk but I assumed it was a super difficult process. I was pleasantly surprised when I finally built up the courage to make it. It’s really easy, and oddly fun.
To make Raw Almond Milk:
What you’ll need:
1 cup raw almonds
2-3 cups of water
vanilla extract (optional)
blender
cheesecloth/muslin/pantyhose
What you’ll need to do:
Combine almonds and water. Let sit overnight. Blend together and pour into a jar lined with cheesecloth/muslin/pantyhose. Let this separate the milk from the leftover almond chunks. Make sure to give the cloth a good squeeze when you’re done to get as much out as you can. Refrigerate and enjoy!
(Source: asimplecraft)
Pumpkin Cinnamon Applesauce
This looks so amazing.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Applesauce
Yield: 4 cups of applesauce, 8 servings
Recipe Note: Notice in the directions the apples do not need to be peeled. The skin of an apple holds a lot of nutrients, and once the apple is cooked down and pureed, you won’t even notice it’s there! Also, this recipe has No Sugar Added, just natural sweetness!
ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds apples, cored and chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
directions:
In a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat, combine apples, cinnamon, lemon juice, and water. The liquid will not cover the apples. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Simmer the apples for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally, until apples are super soft.
Once apples are nice and tender, remove the pot from the heat. And now we split off into two groups of people. Chunky or Smooth!
Chunky: Add pumpkin puree and vanilla. Smash apples with a potato masher until you reach the desired chunky-ness.
Smooth: Carefully transfer apples and all liquid to food processor or blender. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla. Puree until desired consistency.
Serve applesauce room temperature or cold, straight from the fridge. Store applesauce in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 1 week. Or freeze up to 3 months.
1/2 cup applesauce: 90 calories, .3 g fat, 23 carbs, 4.5 g finer, .5 g protein.
nutrition info calculated using sparkrecipes.com
(Source: thenovicechefblog.com)
Fudge Babies!
I made Chocolate Covered Katie’s Fudge Babies tonight and they came out good! It was so much work to get the dates and nuts chopped up in my Magic Bullet, but I got it done through multiple tries and constant rearranging of the contents of the blender cup. I really need a food processor.
Original Fudge Babies
(You can also use this as a Hot Chocolate Crust!)
- 1 c walnuts (120 grams)
- 1 and 1/3 cups pitted dates (220 grams) (I often use SunMaid dates, which are super-soft.)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- optional: 1/8 plus 1/16 tsp salt (I always add this.)
- 3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder (or even Dutch cocoa)
Blend all the ingredients, using a food processor, Magic Bullet, etc. (No need to blend the dates first; I just blend everything all at once in a Cuisinart food processor.) Roll into cutey-pie little balls. (Use plastic wrap if you wish, or smush it all together in a plastic bag so it’ll stay together better.) Or, if you want true brownies, shape the dough into bars!
For a crust: press the dough down firmly into a pie pan.
My dinner tonight - Sweet ginger glazed salmon with avocado over spinach and a mini sweet potato with cinnamon!
Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies Recipe:
(Makes 30 cookies)Ingredients:3 ripe bananas
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mash bananas in a large bowl, then stir in remaining ingredients. Let batter stand for approximately 20 minutes, then drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.
Freezing Directions:
Cool completely, then place cookies in a freezer bag. Seal, label, and freeze.
Nutritional Information (per cookie):
47 calories; 7.5 g carbs; 1.6 g fat; 1.5 g protein; 1.3 g fiber; 1 WW PointsPlusuhm, yum.
(Source: fat-to-workout-mat)
Healthy Chocolate Brownie
Ingredients
1 TBSP whole wheat flour
1 TBSP sugar (do not substitute)
1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa
a pinch of baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 TBSP of low fat vanilla yogurt, add more if needed to blend the mixture
Directions
Mix it all up, pop it in the microwave for just over a minute, enjoy :)
Number of Servings: 1
Per Serving Calories: 95.2
Mom, making this!
AMAZING Avocado smoothie!!
I made this tonight and it was so incredibly delicious. Putting an avocado in your smoothie is great because it makes it so creamy. :)
Ingredients:
1 avocado (I used a mini one from Trader Joe’s)
1 banana
1 kiwi
3 tablespoons Agave Nectar or Honey
about 1 cup of Vanilla Unsweetened Almond milk (I put a little less so that my smoothie would be thicker)
And here you have a delicious smoothie:
It was seriously so amazing, I wanted to have another one. I would suggest you put it in the fridge for a little while so that it can get nice and cold.
Yum!
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup of quick cooking oats
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 teasp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk (I’d use rice milk or skim)
- 1 egg
- 1 banana
- 1/4 cup creamy peanutbutter (natural or organic)
Directions:
- Mix together the quick cooking oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt and ground cinnamon.
- Add in the vanilla extract, milk and egg. Mix the ingredients together.
- Then add in the mashed banana and peanut butter. Combine all of the ingredients.
- Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8 by 8 inch metal baking pan. Bake at 350 F degrees for 20 minutes.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!
I must make this!!
(Source: healthinthemoment)
My lunch - avocado, organic 3 grain tempeh, tomato and horseradish flavored hummus on toasted Ezekial.
So yum! Clearly I don’t like sandwiches… Or Ezekial bread. :P
