.:quinoa - friend or foe?:.

whether you're trying to pronounce it or cook it, quinoa can be intidating, right?

if you're anything like me, you dream of being a connoisseur of quinoa because of all the awesome recipes you see on Pinterest, plus you heard somewhere that it's healthy for you, right? one issue, you just don't know how to get it from the crazy bulk grain container at the grocery store to your stove (do you put it on the stove? who knows!)

well, let me break it down for you - quinoa is great for you :: give yourself 3 tries cooking it and you will be a pro, i promise!!!

buying quinoa:. it is cheaper to buy quinoa out of the bulk section in the grocery store, but you can also buy it in a fancy plastic zip bag found in either the pasta or baking items aisle.

preparing quinoa:. since i buy quinoa out of the bulk dispenser, i soak it for about 15 minutes in lukewarm water before cooking. this can help take off the bitter coating called saponin (i am also a slight germaphobe, so it makes me feel better). don't have 15 minutes??? soak it for 5 minutes or simply give it a quick rinse through a mesh strainer (hand mesh strainer, approx $3 at Target) or just skip this all together. you will be ok, deep breath.

cooking quinoa:. i swear, the first 5 times i cooked quinoa i 'Googled' how to do it JUST to make sure i was OK. the ratio i like to use is 1 cup quinoa, 1 1/2 cups of cold water and a dash of salt - you may want to play around with this ratio depending on how 'soft' or 'firm' you decide you like your quinoa (relax, Goldilocks).

anyway, put the quinoa, water and salt in a pot, cover it and let it come to boil. turn the heat down to low-medium (there should still be a slow boil) and let it work it's magic for about 15 minutes, until the quinoa absorbed most of the water - occasionally, you can fluff with a fork.

voila! that's it - not that hard, right? like i said, you can play around with the quinoa::water ratio depending on your preference. i made quinoa for the 6th time last night and i didn't even double check Google.

is it really healthy for you?!

think of it as a superhero version of brown rice. quinoa has all the essential amino acids making it a complete protein. along with it being a complete protein, quinoa is gluten free, has more protein (8 g) and fiber (5 g) AND less carbs than brown rice - need i say more???

brown rice and quinoa can be used interchangeably - play around with it as a plain side dish, in a casserole or soup, pilaf or stir fry!

i have a few recipes that i will share shortly - enjoy!


always striving for more,
dee b.



.:2013 - a clean slate:.

during our dinner on New Year's, drew and i were trying to brainstorm resolutions. truth be told, my attention has been focused on 2 things lately, my new job and my health, and i forgot to even think about resolutions ahead of time.

i thought it would be fun to review my resolutions that i made for 2012 to help me get the process going.....here they are:.

>become more organized and with this SIMPLIFY! do i really ALL those clothes, shoes and junk that causes more stress then anything? regardless of what my mother may think, i do not enjoy coming home to a messy room or driving around in a messy car, it makes me feel uneasy and stressed. my goal is to only have to spot clean every once in awhile vs. having to spend an entire evening cleaning a week's worth of mess!

organization has been kind of an uphill battle simply because of the move - it was a process for drew and i to compile our things. we had to take about 10 steps back in order to simplify (read: get rid of a ton of shit) and then move ahead with organization. luckily, we are now winning the battle and have fell into routine to help each other and our place stay (semi) clean. as far as my car, i always force myself to bring everything from the day in the house. this has been life-changing, it always stays relatively clean!
>take better care of my teeth:. i'll admit, i fell into bad habits of not taking care of my teeth while in college. don't get me wrong, i brush my teeth twice a day (most days), but i have white strips i would like to start using and floss that NEEDS to be used.

i have picked up flossing! i regularly buy those flossing sticks, or whatever they're called, and keep them in my purse or cube so they are always handy after i eat or when i'm bored.

>eat less carbs....i know, i know, what a lame GIRL resolution, but seriously, it can be a bit excessive.

my diet significantly improved this year, so i am going to consider this one a win.

>train for SOMETHING:. with my recent knee surgery, i may not be able to train for a marathon (yet), but there are a lot of other events i could should be training for! first on my list, Alexandria's Sprint Tri. going along with this, i would like to create a leaner body type. i consider myself to be 'bulky' (thanks to years of playing soccer and basketball) and i think it is time to get rid of that! i am hoping that by leaning myself out, my knees won't have as much pressure on them, resulting in being able to run long distances again (read train for marathon) !!!!
  i trained for my biggest and last 1/2 marathon, the Lululemon Seawheeze!


> make the next step in my career planning/pathway, i'm on a 3-5 year plan (more on this later....)

i have taken the next and biggest step in my career path!!!!!!! i recently accepted a Wellness Coordinator position which is an absolutely amazing opportunity for me - it hasn't really hit me yet, actually! this means so much for me both. personally and professionally - i may be able to save money by not having to go back to school, again!!!! also, i feel like i can finally start my 'adult' life. ever since graduation, i have been planning the 'next step' whether it's taking more classes, applying for grad school, looking at what requirements i need for a job that i want, but that can all be put to rest. i put in my notice at UCare and will start my new adventure on January 21st!!!!! 


>save more money:. luckily, my mf and i are both on a budget diet with the help of some expense tracker apps, but i'm beginning to realize the more money i have in my savings account, the more i seem at ease and the more risks i can take...
managing finances as a new grad is a rollercoaster. you get ahead and then you somehow fall behind. well, as of this last friday, i hit my goal for my savings account and have almost all of my bad debt paid off (school and car loans don't count here, yet). 

so, what should i resolve to do in 2013???  i have a couple ideas:.

>> eat less sugar:. in the nutrition class i recently took, i learned A LOT of truths and myths about the food we eat - maybe more than what is good for me (and drew). one thing that i took away is that too much sugar can really wreak havoc on our body. did you know that carbs turn into sugar once it's put it in our body??? neither did i!!! i could go on and on about how sugar causes inflammation in our body and it can screw up our hormones and the release of insulin, but i won't. let's just say i want to cut down sugar this year from ice cream to breads and pastas to yes, chocolate!
>> quit biting/picking at my nails and cuticles. i have improved this horrible habit signifcantly in the past year, but there are still days when stress takes over and i find myself mindlessly mutilating my nails. i am an adult with a new career and will need to make good impressions on a daily basis. even though i cringe at the thought, i am willing to spend money on shellac manicures in order to hold myself accountable for this one.

>> continue helping my immune system stay strong and improve. you know that feeling when you get sick and overload on Emergen-C, tea, Lysol and humidifiers to help kick your immune system into overdrive and then when you start to feel better, you promise yourself you will continue all of these immune boosting practices on a regular basis??? well, i have been forced to be consistant with all of these practices the past few months, but i should really continue it on into the next year and beyond! i meet with an immunologist on Friday about why i have been sick so much lately, but i think it wouldn't hurt to help out my immune system daily.

>> be carefree!!! like i stated above, ever since graduating from college, i have spent hours plotting a route to where i want to be, different options within that route and what would happen if i were to succeed or fail. i have hit my big break and i am going to enjoy it - i am finally going to live in the moment and quit worrying about tomorrow. while this resolution may not display concrete results, this is the one that i am most excited about!!!!

>> spend more time in the kitchen:. i really enjoy cooking and baking, it's kind of therapeutic for me and now that i am going to be spending less energy mapping out my life and all the "what ifs", i would like to put that energy into trying new recipes. on a regular basis, drew and i eat a lot of the same things (i'm not complaining) because it is safe, healthy (for the most part) and pretty mindless. there are so many tastes and flavors out there that i really would like to explore this next year!

as i mentioned before, i didn't spend much time thinking about resolutions before last night, so these are all that i could come up with.

i have a feeling that 2013 is going to be BIG year for me!!!

always striving for more,
dee b.

.:welcoming 2013 with open arms:.

happy 2013!!!!!

i hope you all had a safe and happy New Year celebration!

drew and i decided to stay in this year since i have been battling, yet another bout of a chest cold (not even to mention 2 black eyes), but i wouldn't have wanted it any other way! drew picked up 4 lbs of king crab while i got champagne. we spent the evening reflecting on 2012 and what we hope to see in 2013.

when we first started dating, we started a tradition on New Year's Eve. we write down all the major events of the year on an ornament for our tree - it was neat to pull out last year's ornament and remember last year's memories. unfortunately, with me being sick off and on the past couple months, we took the Christmas tree down early and replaced it with an extra large humidifier. this also meant that we forgot to get an ornament to carry on our tradition. of course, drew was 2 steps ahead of me and wrote it all down on a card which he gave to me during dinner last night (he  truly is the most thoughtful person i have ever met, sigh).

some things listed are big, others are little, a few are negative, while many are positive.

a few negatives include having to put my family dog, Maggie, down and losing Zeus, drew's little sister's Savannah monitor. we also lost drew's most prized possession, his Macbook Pro (don't worry, it was quickly replaced with a new car). others include drew breaking his nose playing soccer while i dropped a dumbbell on my forehead giving myself 2 black eyes, running my last race and being sick several times.

on the positive side, career wise drew and i have both had success. he passed his series 7 and 63 exams and moved departments. i hit my big break and was offered a Wellness Coordinator position which made me so happy, i cried (alone, at home, but pulled myself together before drew got home from work). we took our first trip together to Vancouver, saw great friends get married, got another kitten and most importantly, we moved in together!

we have endless small memories that make us who we are as a couple:. numerous bike rides, countless inside jokes, late nite bonfires for two, road trips to NDSU for soccer games, voting, admittedly spending hours watching 8 seasons of Criminal Minds and visited a bed and breakfast.

while i am SO ready to say good bye to 2012 and see what 2013 has for me and us, i am glad drew was able to remind me of what the year has blessed us with. our lives are abundant with simple happiness, memories and opportunities.


thanks for following me on this crazy journey - cheers to health, wealth and happiness!



always striving for more,

dee b.


p.s. don't worry, i didn't forget resolutions - stay tuned!

.:date night in!:.

it's that time of year where every dollar counts, right?

i think it has been that time of year for me ever since....i graduated college. whether you are a recent college grad, pinching pennies to save for Christmas presents or just want to be more mindful of your spending (hello early New Year's resolution), here are a few good ideas for date nights IN!

while drew and i both have full-time jobs, we hold ourselves accountable for living within a budget to pay our bills, etc. well, as most of you probably know, living within a budget can be boring and can mean a lot of nights making your own food, doing your own dishes and probably watching a movie you've already seen, but we always try to get creative so we don't feel the urge to go out and spend money!

here are a few of ideas that we enjoy....


chicken for me, with a small piece of his steak....




steak for him--both are great with wine :)




breakfast for dinner--how fun and SO good!

 




zucchini lasagna--it's always fun to try something that you wouldn't typically make.
think of it as.....exotic???

 




it isn't often that we do crab legs, but when we do, it's for a special occasion
and WAY cheaper than getting it in the restaurant. bonus:. they're insanely easy to make!

 



when was the last time you had grilled cheese??? you can play around with
making it fancy by adding bacon, tomato, avocado. cheap, easy to make
and easy clean up! (yes, that is boxed wine, we keep it classy)





who doesn't love kabobs?! winter, spring or summer,
these are fun to put together and go well with beer or wine!





taco night--tacos are by far my favorite! try to switch it up,
make mexican lasagna or try yout hand at homemade guacamole!
 plus, it gives you an excuse to buy a couple
Coronas or make Margaritas! who can complain about that?





nerd alert:. Scrabble is our guilty pleasure, but it is actually really fun-
i had never played it before we dated! board games can be a fun competition
and if it's your style, you can throw in a few drinks and really make things interesting!



hello romance and s'mores! bonfires are great for playing music,
getting away from technology and just talking to each other!










another guilty pleasure:. how can you go out when you have such a good helper with the dishes?

ok, maybe all these ideas are lame to you, but we really enjoy staying in and keeping things simple (*read: save money*). we also like that we can make our own meals and keep them as healthy (or unhealthy) as we want. don't get me wrong, we have our lazy nights when we go grab Noodles or Chipotle in our sweats or when we want to dress up and go out for dinner at Stella's, but at the end of a busy work week, spending time together is what is most important!

other date night ideas on budget:. keep your eye open for Groupons, Living Social or Crowd Cut deals. on several occasions, we have bought these to make going out more affordable or to try a new restaurant. plus, they also have activities that may be fun to explore together!


any good date ideas that i am missing?! it's winter time and it would be nice to come up with some more ideas for these next few months of hibernating!

always striving for more,
dee b.

i have never used my blog to vent, but i am going to take a small moment to get something off my chest.

i do not understand why i am always sick!!!!!!! in the past few months, i have had a double ear infection with strep, head cold, stomach flu (for the first time, ever) and recently diagnosed with strep, again. obviously, being sick isn't fun for anyone, but i REALLY hate being sick. i don't do well missing work, not being able to work out or doing stuff around the house; i pretty much suck at sitting still.

since drew and i started dating, we focused on holding each other accountable with getting enough sleep, having a healthy diet and getting enough exercise, but not too much. after being completely miserable at the end of July with the ear infections and strep, i really took initiative to take even better care of myself. i consistently get 7-9 hours of sleep, eat a ton of fresh produce, drinking green tea like it's going out of style, exercise plenty while giving myself rest days and wash my hands (i am the person at work who opens the bathroom door with a paper towel).

anyway, i feel like i deserve to be healthy and in the past few months, i have been more sick than healthy and i am unbelievably frustrated with it all. after getting diagnosed with strep this week, my Dr. decided that it would be best to consult with an allergist/immunologist to see if they can shed some light on what could possibly be going on. in the meantime, i get to continue 2 anitbiotics and continue doing what i am doing. 

thank you for empathizing with me just by reading this post. it is saturday and i am off to bed quite early. heaven forbid, i don't get 8 hours of sleep.....



always striving for more, 
dee b. 

afternoon pick-me-ups:.

if any of you are like me, you are probably close to being in a sugar comatose, thanks to Halloween. you also may feel like you are SO ready to get on a big health kick before the Holidays (after all, you don't want to be the one that the relatives 'poke' fun at.....again), BUT you are going to start after all the Halloween candy is gone.....right? i get it. before you reach for the 'almost empty' stash of Halloween candy, that is probably getting stale anyway (don't be ashamed, we've all done it), take some time to read this! i am a HUGE fan of snacking because eating 3 square meals a day is just boring. also, i sit in a cube all day and there are many moments of  'i'm bored, i think i'll eat'.

here are a few of my favorites (when i am doing myself a favor):.

homemade green tea and orange

coffee and larabar (recently discovered these, awesome!)

chobani, anyone? i told you these were a staple!

roasted and salted almonds (tip:. do not bring the entire bag to work with you...)

side salad with LOTS of veggies--it's like having 2 lunches!

unfortunately, i wasn't able to capture the candy bars, cheez-its or office cupcakes, but you guys get the picture, right? other favorites are apples (with or w/o almond butter), carrots, cottage cheese, string cheese and apple sauce. 

seriously, i am horribly guilty of having my tough afternoons when i hit up the vending machine or a co-worker's candy dish in a moment of vulnerability, but overall, i try to keep it light and healthy. i feel more energetic and focused to finished out the day. recently, i was reading an article that discussed how to avoid the after lunch or late afternoon crash (you know exactly what i am referring to--total post grad problem) and the suggestion wasn't a 5 hour energy. the suggestion was to keep it light; what do you feel like eating in the middle of summer? aside from ice cream, most of the time it isn't going to be a carb loaded, sugar ridden food, but rather something light and citrusy. by keeping it light, you will most likely be eating a food that will provide a steady release of sugar avoiding that rapid spike and dramatic crash (that 5 hour energy moment). think fresh fruit and veggies, green tea (especially if you are sensitive to caffeine in the afternoon), yogurt, pistachios, or a granola bar. extra bonus, if it is a source of protein!

do you guys have any suggestions for me to expand my afternoon pick-me-ups? 

always striving for more,

dee b.

a healthy fridge!

several times i have been asked, 'what do you eat?', 'i need help eating healthier' or my favorite, 'what the heck are you eating now?'. i'm not writing this post to declare that i am the cleanest and healthiest  eater. i'm 23 years old, i still live for happy hours, late nights and quick meals on the go. so, i am writing this post to help with a few guidelines and maybe help you with making healthier substitutions at the grocery store! 

ok, let's start at the top of the fridge. cottage cheese is wonderful for many reasons. you can eat it plain or mix it with fruit or veggies and it is packed with casein protein-a slow digesting protein. note: i try stay away from anything that straight 'low fat' or 'fat free'. read it as 'filled with junky air to make it less dense'. you can barely see it the top right corner, but it's a carton of Archer Farm organic brown eggs. another great source of protein and it REALLY helps that the chickens were fed well (i am hoping to write another post soon about what is worth buying organic and what you can buy from a conventional source). no, i didn't purposely skip over the 'to-go' box hoping you would miss it, it's probably left overs from a happy hour. again, i am not proclaiming to be perfect. the other tupper-ware is my salad for lunch! however, i will not take responsibility for the Red Bull that is tucked away on the left, i am not a fan of energy drinks!

moving down to the second row. Chobani is a staple around our house. It is packed with protein and awesome on the go for breakfast, before a workout, or to hold you over until dinner time. they are SO yummy and SO much better for you than it's popular competitor, Yoplait. i know, it can be hard to swallow paying over $1 for a yogurt, but your body deserves it, trust me! besides all that Chobani, there is a pack of edamame, one of my favorite snacks to have while i sit in my cube. this is a great snack heated up a bit with some soy sauce and sea salt! beneath the edamame is tortellini. we try to keep a small stock of 'quick' meals on nights we work out late or find better things to do than cook. next up is meat and poultry. drew and i love to hit up the local Trader Joe's for our meat. the prices are reasonable for great organic, grass fed meat and chicken. here, i believe we have ground hamburger, various cuts of chicken and porks, stuffed and regular. now that we have gone organic with our meat, i don't think we will ever go back! meat is one thing that is worth splurging to buy organic or grass-fed. happy animals=happy, nutritious  meat!

deli drawer--this can get a little random, but we can never go without string cheese! another good source of quick protein (notice a trend here?). most of the time we also have a bag or two of shredded cheese and/or a pack of tortillas!

bottom shelf--here is obviously where our bigger stuff resides. drew drinks whole milk while i enjoy coconut milk. reasoning behind this? i eat a lot of dairy between yogurt and string cheese, so i try to cut down on dairy by drinking coconut milk. plus, it makes my morning oatmeal taste SO much better. the whole milk? well, that is what drew likes, so that is what drew gets :)

kefir! as you can see we love kefir just about as much as we love Chobani. kefir is a great probiotic for gut health/digestion, it also is an awesome compliment to any breakfast as well as a something to put in your stomach without actually 'eating'. while plain kefir is recommended (less sugar), we cannot stop buying the fruity stuff, especially raspberry or blueberry. when trying kefir for the first time, do yourself a favor, buy a flavored one. plain kefir can be a little tart since it is essentially fermented yogurt, but i promise it is delicious and your tummy will thank you! i think there is a pitcher of green tea off to left. i LOVE keeping a pitcher of green tea on hand, it's cheap and easy to make and it's a nice alternative to pop, coffee, and water. plus, no one can deny the mile long list of benefits you can get from green tea!

last, but certainly not least, the 'crisper' drawers--i can get strategic about what i put in these because i don't want it to go to waste! in this picture, i believe there is a mixture of produce from Trader Joe's and Target! there is for sure a bag of organic kale, it's my newest addiction!  this particular trip, i know i picked up cucumbers, grape tomatoes, brussel sprouts (cannot get enough), yellow onion and most likely carrots. when i am buying produce, i try to buy items that can be used multiple ways (i.e in a salad, can be steam/grilled/baked as a side or maybe just something to munch on in my cube). this saves waste and money! a future goal for myself to expand my produce list beyond the 'typical' and force myself to find a way to use it!


now you may know a little more about our diet than what you may like, but we do take pride in stocking our fridge with quality food! while we may be struggling to still get 'our feet beneath us' after graduation, we found that we would much rather spend extra money on groceries than we would on clothes or 'material' things. (i know, hard to believe for those of you that knew me through college!).

either way, i hope this can somewhat help you next time you hit the grocery store!

always striving for more,

dee b.