Birthdays & Boardgames

Last night my family came over for dinner & we celebrated my Gramma's 92nd birthday as well as my brother's 28th. He just flew in from Colorado yesterday and I'm pretty sure this week will be filled with a little more of this silliness:

Let's try that picture again without the knife mmmmkay?

After a delish meal, we started up the first of many coffee pots to go with the bday cake. I just love this picture of my brother & Gramma getting ready to maket their wishes. Although Gramma will never admit it...Shawn was always a little bit of a favourite of hers and to this day she will drop everything to make him her special scrambled eggs when he asks.

And then the board games broke out and well because that is just what we do around here.

My brother will be popping in for visits much of this week so I've been workin a little magic in my Veggie kitchen. Here's what we've been digging into this week:

M~ Rock n Roll Veggie Sushi & more gamenight

T~ Veggie Chili & Jalepeno Cornbread Muffins

W~ Black Bean Quinoa Burgs & Baked Potatoes

Th~ Coconut Chick'n, Fresh Beans w/almonds & Rice

F~ Pizza for the boys, monthly Gourmet Club with the ladies pour moi

S ~ Cashew Tofu Curry

Su~ Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells & Salad

Hope you're having a great weekend so far....please come by & visit me on my new blog Health & Swellbeing where I'll be regularly posting from as of next week!

Weekly Eats & Home Gyms

It's really overcast this morning & a storm seems to be brewing, but these are the kind of mornings reserved for a big mug of coffee, morning oats & a little free time to plan out the week.

Mr Swell has just taken Chloe out for a little daddy/daughter morning and I'm just about to get to work in the kitchen. Here she is all ready to take on the day and I just don't have the heart to tell her that she won't be needing those sunglasses today!

I love planning out our meals for the week and thinking about who's stopping by for a visit and what the perfect food would be to go with that. All the good stuff in life revolves around food doesn't it?

This week's a busy one with lots of friends & family coming over and we're also getting started on putting a gym in our basement. Our basement is completely finished and most of it is home to our movie theater that we put in when we first bought the house (an awesome wedding gift from my in laws). I also have a small space down there/woman cave where lots of magical creations take place.....or better known as the home of a million projects that get started and never get finished :)

The gym is going to go into an area that basically houses our workout equipment already & a bar area. Here's a few pics of what it looks like right now:

This week will be all about organizing, optimizing space & hauling to goodwill. I've been spending quite a bit of time sourcing out prices for the equipment we need - which is basically a treadmill, smith machine/squatting rack, dumbbell rack & some kettle balls. We already have a great spin bike, step mill, balls, & cables etc. I'll do a proper before & after post once it's complete.

So here's our menu for this week - a lot of clean eating recipes that I'd love for you to try out!

M~ Rainbow Tofu Salad w/Cilantro Lime Dressing

T ~ Veggie Lasagna w/Ricotta Chive Nut Cheese

W ~ Spelt Macaroni w/Cashew Cheddar Cheeze

Th ~ Tofu Parm & Cappelini. Caramel Popcorn (Girls Movie Night w/ my sister)

F ~ Veggie Dogs & Roasted Potatoes

Sat ~ Pizza

Sun ~ Veggie Nachos in the theater

** all of these recipes and more can be found in my Plan to Eat database. You can also check out Org Junkie where lots of other bloggers post their meal plans for the week every Monday.

Question: Can you recommend any great sites for gym equipment at lower costs? Have you seen any great pictures of home gyms people have posted?

Have a great week everyone and please take a second to follow the new blog, Health & Swell Being, which I'll be switching over to in a few weeks!

Weekly Eats & Bday Planning

This week is gonna be a beauty but very busy! Along with Chloe's birthday party this weekend and all the planning that goes with that, I've got lots of items to ship out that I sold on Ebay & Kijiji, as well as some studying for my Personal Training exam.

I keep telling everyone that I really want to keep Chloe's birthday very simple this year - just with family & a few close friends. But in typical me fashion, I have been swept away to the land of "it's all about the details" land. How do I not know myself better by now? Here are the many projects I have decided to take on this week as we prep for our little girl's big day:

~Make Tissue Pom Poms

~Create HB Banner using Fabric scraps

~Make Chloe's Tutu

because this one doesn't fit anymore :)

use bedazzling skills to make #1 Tank like this:

Monthly Picture Cutouts:

As far as gifts go - we've gotten her a few musical toys because she's quite the little Beethoven. Something that's been on my list has been to canvas paint this quote to put in her room - because I just think it's so darn sweet:

And then of course there's the house sprucing and the meal planning but that will take care of itself sometime between midnight & 6am the night before.

In trying to keep everything else simple for this week - here's what on our menu with some links to the recipes if you're interested in trying them out.

M: Asian Tofu Lettuce Wraps

T: Black Bean & Corn Quesas

W: Bean & Quinoa Burgs w/ Parm Potato Fries

Th: Coconut-Curry Lentil Stew

F: Homemade Pizza Dough (DIY style)

And if you haven't already - please sign up to follow the new blog I have in the works: Health & Swell Being. For some instant gratification while it's still being built - check out this great article on how to incorporate more health into your day

Hope you all have a great week!

Weekly Eats & Organizing

Today is totally gorge out and the rest of the week is looking like total perfection. I think we'll be doing a little grillin every night & I can't wait. We spent all of yesterday outside - powerwashing the deck & patio cushions, getting the veggie garden done & just some overall sprucing.

Here's our menu for this week with links to the recipes if you'd like to give them a try:

M Veggie Nachos & Chunky Guac (perfect while watching Valentines Day)

T Black Bean Quinoa Burgers & Nut Butter Fries

W Veggie Chili & WW Cornbread

Th Broccoli & Leek Soup

F Tofu Parm & Angel Hair

*Visit Org Junkie for more recipes*

And while you're in the organizing spirit, check out this great little article on how the perfect mom stays organized. There's a few good tips in there and a sprinkling of that totally unachievable feeling :)

Weekly Eats & Weekend Recap

It's a beautiful sunny Monday and I've got a massive mug of coffee in hand so... all is swell!

We had an awesome weekend away visiting with family. We left Sat morning and hit up my favorite shoe shop where the cuteness of Chloe managed to get me 15% off my cherished Fly Londons. Once we arrived, we had lunch and then Mr Swell took Chloe for the afternoon while Nana and I did some home decor shopping. At approx 2pm, I fell in love with this light for our high-ceiling living room:

{please help me convince Mr Swell that this light will add majah value to our life}

After dinner we rented a classic funny - Waiting. You can never go wrong with a little Ryan Reynolds and some inspiration to never eat out again!

The next morning we were up at 5am to eat and then head downtown Toronto for the race. I'll do a separate post on that, but I was so happy to finish in 55 minutes - such a fun experience! Afterwards we went to Cora's for some delicious eats & took a nap before making the drive home.

So, here are our eats for this week. I love not having to think about what to make for dinner when the day rolls around - you should give it a try!

M ~ Tofu & Walnut Rice

T ~ Kashi Quiche & Greek Goddess Salad

W ~ Black Bean Quesadillas & Strawberry Soda Cupcakes

Th ~ Spinach Ricotta Shells

F ~ Coconut Faux Chicken & Quinoa.

Sa ~ Eggplant Parmesan

Su ~ Mother's Day...not sure what's planned :)

Also - Nana surprised with the dehydrator I've been drooling over for a while now and I'm super excited to start making raw treats! I need to purchase a good food processor - could you guys recommend a good one to buy?

Planning our Eats

Happy MPM!

Here's our eats for the week...as you can see we are about 1-chicken-dinner-a-month away from being 100% vegetarian. Hope these recipes can inspire some meat free meals around your table a few nights a week :)

M Feelin Good Stew & WW Cornbread

T Quinoa Apple Slaw

W Bean/Veg Beef Tacos & Salad

Th Asian Noodle Salad & Pita Chips

F Coconut Faux Chicken & Brown Rice

Sat Carbs with Carbs & dessert Carbs (10K next morning) :)

This week is shaping up to be pretty swell:

- picking up my texts for the Personal Training course I'm taking mid-May.

- Norwex girls night. Do any of you use Norwex products? They're pretty life-changing!

- Date night with Mr Swell

- Toronto for the weekend: lots of shopping, visiting & a little 10K on Sunday!!

A little planning inspiration: "How we spend our days is inevitably how we spend our lives." ~ Annie Dillard

Make it a great one!

Green Thumbs & Monsters

So tomorrow being Earth Day, and me being a bit obsessed with themes & planning....here is how we're getting our green on:

- Plant a tree with Chloe in our backyard.

- Go to Home Depot to pick up seedlings for the Salad Garden we're going to start. I am super stoked about having a veggie garden to pull from every night! Here's what we're going to plant:

- Spinach

- Romaine

- Kale

- Mixed Bell Peppers

- Cukes

- Green Onions

- Tomatoes

- Strawberries

- Spruce up my container herb garden

- Attend webinar with David Wolfe at 12p. He is considered to be one of the world's top authorities on natural health, beauty nutrition, & raw/organic superfoods. He is also president of FTPF which has set a goal of planting 18 billion fruit trees on earth. {sign up here if interested in webinar} He also records podcasts on Itunes which I think might be just the trick to get me through my....

- 1oK outdoor run tomorrow. This is my last practice run before the big day next weekend!

- Make a delish Green Monster after my run. This is my latest addiction:

- 1 scoop hemp protein powder

- 1 tsp dark chocolate powder

- 1/2 cup almond milk

- 1/2 cup water

- 1 cup frozen spinach

- 1 frozen banana

- 1/2 cup frozen cherries (found here for all you local gals)

- 1 tsp chia seeds

Blend, sip, smile & wipe that green moustache off your lips!

Hope you all have the chance to do something earthly tomorrow, and remember.....

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~Native American Proverb

This Week's Menu

Happy Monday everyone!

Hope everyone had a nice weekend! I finally reached the bottom of the suitcases last night - it does feel great to be home and see the sun shining this morning!

Here's our menu for the week...if you'd like to join in the sharing, pop over to Org Junkie and link up!

M: Kashi Quiche & Salad

T: Asian Tofu Lettuce Wraps

W: Healthy Fettucini Alfredo & Green Beans

Th: Spelt Veggie Burgs & Sweet Potato Rounds

F: Veggie Mexican Casserole

Sunshine Salad & the Wig

Today has been yet another gorgeousssss day in West Palm that I think I may just have to start wearing tracksuits, get my face lifted & call it a day! Seriously...this is the good life out here. Why do I & my sweet family & friends inflict such pain on ourselves by enduring long, cold, snowy, depressing winters in Ontario?

I started the morning off with a light run while Papa walked Chloe around the town. I'm preparing for a 10K in May so I'm into the heavier runs now. I logged 8.5km a few days ago and was pretty sore after so I'm trying to pace myself. I'll do a separate post later about the fun that is known as running!

The babe was still out for her walk when I got home so I decided to cram in a little hair highlighting in the bathroom. Or should I say darklights. I thought it was time to put a little party into the do so I added in a few dark pieces.

I was picking up my regular kit at the drugstore when I decided to venture out and buy the $2.99 Revlon boxed color too. I am always being asked where I get my hair done (because people are so silly nice with their compliments), and it surprises people to know that I do it myself for a whopping $20 every couple of months. This is what I normally use if you're interested:

{Creme Brulee} { Light Golden Brown}

Tonight I'm making a huge salad up for dinner - keeping it light to kind of fit the mood of this sunny day!

I have to share with you my new love affair with salads. I've never been a rabbit food kind of gal but I'm trying to eat 50% of my food raw at each meal. Now - I find my body just craves veggies!

Here's a simple & delish Salada for you to try:

- 2 stalks of Romaine chopped

- 1 bunch of Kale chopped

- 1 cup of chickpeas (try soaking dry chickpeas instead of buying canned - super yum!)

- 1 stalk of celery chopped

- 1/2 red onion chopped

- red & green bell pepper chopped

- 1/4 cup slivered almonds

- 1/2 avacodo

Dressing: Better than Bottled Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 2.5 tablespoons balsamic, white, or red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or regular mustard
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 minced clove of garlic (optional)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Enjoy!!

Meal Planning & Tornadoes

Happy Monday!

The whole world looks like a rainstorm today & we have tornado warnings here in West Palm (yes - we're back for another quick visit with family!). Chloe is teething once again and this has brought a bit of turmoil to our nice little sleeping routine. So I'm now just waiting for her to wake up and then we're going to spend the day girl style at the mall!

I had to forego my morning run today and instead tried out a yoga DVD that I picked up at Walmart - Jillain Michaels Yoga Meltdown.

I actually loved this for a few reasons - it's quick (there are two 30 min workouts), dirt cheap and it's more of a hybrid style yoga that mixes lots of aerobic activity in between the poses so that you're getting your heart rate up at the same time.

I just finished planning out our meals for the week and looking forward to hitting up Whole Foods this afternoon. Being that I'm here with my in laws - I have to try to make dinners that everyone will like but still eat clean. Hoping this menu till hit the spot!

M Chicken Pesto Pizza

T Black Bean Quesadillas

W Spaghetti & Veg Balls with Salad

Th Spinach & Black Bean Lasagna. Whole Wheat Blueberry Choc Cake for dessert.

F Coconut Chicken, Green Beans & Herbed Potatoes

Sa Chicken & Veg Stir Fry with brown rice

Su Dinner out

I'm also going to do a little baking this week as I've got a boatload of super ripe bananas. So choco banana bread & protein bars it is!

Head on over to Org Junkie if you want to participate in the weekly meal planning!

Meal Planning

Happy Monday everyone!

So, I've talked about Plan To Eat on here before - a website I love to use to plan out my meals for the week (and love even more for the pretty little shopping list it spits out for me after I do the planning!)

I'm not sure if you've heard of Laura over at Organizing Junkie, but if you're looking to do a little spring cleaning - she has some really great resources...and well, her whole blog is dedicated to organizing life's nooks & crannies, so I pretty much love her! One thing she does is a weekly Menu Plan link up where you can share what you're cookin up for the week! So, I thought I'd join in the fun and maybe inspire a few healthy meals for you all!

Here's the plan for our week:

M: Veggie Chili & Cornbread

T: Kale Soup & toasted Naan bread

W: Veggie Mexican Casserole

Th: Egg Salad on Ezekial wraps

F: Thai Chicken Pizza

Sa: Bean & Quinoa Burgs with Sweet Pot Fries

Su: Spaghetti & Veg Balls

I've put links to the items that I have a known recipe source for, but for the others - let me know if you join Plan to Eat because then we can start sharing recipes!

Healthy Mama Popcorn

Hey Healthy Mamas!

This week I thought I'd share a super simple snack that I've been really loving lately. And not only is it super easy to make but it's super healthy and perfect for the late night cravings!

I give you this:

{via}

Popcorn is high in fibre, low in calories and contains no sodium or sugar. Unfortunately, all that prettiness is masked by trans fats & popcorn lungs when you buy the microwaveable pouches! I first heard about this method from Averie at Love Veggies & Yoga. She regularly posts amazing raw & healthy recipes and is so passionate about helping others achieve a healthy balance! So, grab the following ingredients & get popping!

• 1/3 cup kernels
• whatever flavors you wish: cinnamon, choc chips, sea salt, nutritional yeast, peanuts
• spoonful of earth balance butter
• pot with a lid

Melt butter in pot on med/high heat then add kernels and cover with a lid. They will start popping after 30 seconds and will be done when you don't hear popping for 10 sec. Give pot a little shake then pour in bowl and sprinkle with toppings. I personally love shaking nutritional yeast & dark choc chips on mine! If you'd like to learn about a brown bag/microwave version - check out Averie's post here.

Fromage Friday

So this morning I sit, drinking my lemon water & eating my oats, wondering how in the world I could even be hungry right now. You see, last night was our first Girls Gourmet Night and to say that we indulged is a bit of an understatement. There were 8 of us total, all who happen to be mothers, so we had such a great time just sitting around, eating, chatting, eating, eating...okay you get the point.

We're going to do it monthly with a different Mama hosting each month. Last night, Krista hosted and we all had to make a recipe from the Pioneer Woman's blog. I had never heard of this superhuman mother before, but let's just say she has 4 kids and manages to pump out really delicious meals and great pictures. You actually might leave her website feeling like everything in your life is going to be okay.

My dish was french onion soup - something I love to order but have never made. As you know, I'm always out to find healthy & clean ways to prepare meals, but last night was all about the butter & cheese (in every dish that was made) and I think that this brought some good balance into my life! All of the dishes were fantabulous and I can't wait for our next one!

Speaking of balance - today I'm driving into Toronto to attend a RAW cooking seminar with Joy McCarthy. My healthy eating path is leading me to this so I'm really excited to learn more. Then I think a little Lulu & Lush is in order before I meet my Mom for dinner & watch my sister perform/kick butt at a singing competition. Chloe is quite excited to spend the day with Mr Swell doing some swimming, shopping and hopefully a little napping & eating (all according to the schedule I have written out...which I'm sure she will stick to 100%. Ya, right) Sounds like a pretty good way to spend a Saturday.