Crazy About Kale

 

Yesterday day was a very kale day. When I first started LittleBlueDress I had never even heard about or tried kale. Let's just say a big green leafy veggie was not my first choice of food. But once I actually started trying all of these green leafy veggies I learned that they can be really tasty.

 

For example my lunch yesterday I went to Earth Fare and picked up their kale sesame seed salad. I really wasn't sure if I would like it but oh my goodness it was so tasty. I love the texture of kale and with the added sesame seeds it was perfect.

 

I also decided to try out one of their juices. They had so many to pick from but I finally went with All Natural Kale Lemonade. This was a bitter/sweet/sour juice.  (made of kale, apple, ginger and lemon)

It was a drink that I could sip on the whole afternoon and kept me from munching on office snacks. Which thank goodness I had something because Coldstone Creamery came and handed out ice cream. I just kept having to say to myself you are getting married in 30 days, you are getting married in 30 days, your mommas dress is so small , your mommas dress is so small :):) It worked!!

My neck has been bothering me again so this week I have been a little scared to workout but hopefully it will get to feeling better and I can get back.

 

Check out tomorrow for some more yummy, healthy meals....and MAYBE a new recipe!!

 

 

M1: 2 eggs with spinach

M2: strawberries

M3: grilled chicken salad with almonds and vinigerette dressing

M4: grapes

M5: will add tomorrow

 

Cheers to Taylor!!

Last night after work I headed to one of my lovely friends Graduation parties. (she is one of my bridesmaids) I was pretty excited because it was at Davanis and I had never been there but heard great things about it.

 

When we walked in there were flowers and balloons everywhere.

 

 

 

How awesome is this cake!!

 

 

And of course you have to have champagne to make the toast......

 

and boy did they have champagne.

 

 

Taylor's mom & sis, can't you tell?

After we all said our hellos and gave out our hugs it was time to make the toast.

 



 

CHEERS TO YOU TAYLOR!!!

 

We then all stood around and caught up with each other.......

 

She has been in hiding for a little while. But now she is freeeeeee. (well after Saturday)

 

We then all sat down for dinner and boy I was glad we did, I was starving.

 

This of course was not my soup but I had to take a picture of it.

 

This was my meal, it was SO amazingly good! I had smoked trout with a side salad. (no dressing)

 

After our bellies were full it was CAKE time. The cake was almost to cute to cut.

 

But it had to be done :)

 

The night was so wonderful with everyone together. Congrats Taylor I know how hard you worked and how happy your are now that its over. Love you girl!!

 





 

M1: morning smoothie: strawberries, blueberries, flax seed, almond milk, spinach, protein

M2: almonds and apple

M3: shrimp salad with siracha hot sauce and kale salad from earth fare

M4: green juice: kale, lemon, apple and ginger

M5: Will add

All About The Greens

I want to focus on green veggies today. As a child I wouldn't even take look at a green veggie but my mom always had a rule that we had to take three bites of everything. This is when my brothers, sister and I learned to be very good at hiding food. We were so sneaky or at least we thought we were. But now that I am an adult and my taste buds have changed I can't seem to get enough of them. I actually crave some of them. For example, yesterday I was craving roasted brussels sprouts. I am still thinking what in the world? I used to HATE brussel sprouts. I already had my dinner planed out for yesterday so I defiantly will be roasting them tonight.

 

I wanted to share some of the benefits of  eating tons of greens.

(http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsuperfoods/a/greensnutrition.htm)

 

Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, probably the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.

Perhaps the star of these nutrients is Vitamin K. A cup of most cooked greens provides at least nine times the minimum recommended intake of Vitamin K, and even a couple of cups of dark salad greens usually provide the minimum all on their own. Recent research has provided evidence that this vitamin may be even more important than we once thought (the current minimum may not be optimal), and many people do not get enough of it.

Vitamin K:

• Regulates blood clotting
• Helps protect bones from osteoporosis
• May help prevent and possibly even reduce atherosclerosis by reducing calcium in arterial plaques
• May be a key regulator of inflammation, and may help protect us from inflammatory diseases including arthitis
• May help prevent diabetes

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, so make sure to put dressing on your salad, or cook your greens with oil.

Almost Carb-Free

Greens have very little carbohydrate in them, and the carbs that are there are packed in layers of fiber, which make them very slow to digest. That is why, in general, greens have very little impact on blood glucose. In some systems greens are even treated as a "freebie" carb-wise (meaning the carbohydrate doesn't have to be counted at all).



I also wanted to share some of my meals. I made it a point to have some sort of green veggie for every meal.

 

Siracha Shrimp and Red Pepper Lettuce Wraps

 

 

For dinner last night I grilled chicken with all natural seasoning and then had a side of asparagus. I cooked the asparagus in fat free balsamic vinaigrette. So good!

 

Now to my meals for today.

 

Day 2

 

M1:

Morning smoothie: Blueberries, strawberries, spinach, unsweetened almond mild, flax seed and organic protein powder.

 

 

M2: Granny Smith apple and almonds

M3: Shrimp and zucchini with all natural seasoning and a side salad with romaine lettuce and kale with balsamic vinaigrette with 6 turkey bites

M4: Afternoon smoothie: kale, spinach, banana and a green apple.

 

M5: smoked trout and side salad

 

NOW GO OUT AND EAT YOUR GREENS!!!

 

 

Weekend Shenanigans & Sunday Food Prep Day

Friday during my lunch break I went to Earth Fare for the first time and oh my goodness it was food heaven for me. Everything was so fresh and clean. I know me saying clean is weird for grocery stores but some grocery stores I can't even go in to because they just gross me out. Another thing I really liked is they have their own juice bar so I forsee me going during lunches and trying out all the different juices and of course the salad bar. But while I was there I picked up some Raw Organic Rice Protein. I am basically beginning my 30 days before the wedding cleanse today so this stuff is perfect for my after workout smoothies.

 

 

 

But now to the weekend. I woke up bright and early Saturday morning and the fiance and I headed to our favorite little French Cafe for Breakfast. I love sitting at the bar area because you get to watch crapes being made while you eat. I stick with the same breakfast. Egg omelet with sun dried tomatoes, spinach and turkey sausage with a side of fruit.

 

 

After breakfast we did a little shopping for Mother's Day then met up with the rest of the family.

 

I  thoroughly loved hanging out with this little feller all weekend.

 

 

This is what I call real man talk.

 

As you know Sunday is always kind of my one day of the week where I do all my grocery shopping, cooking and really just having me time. So this Sunday was no different .

 

Since I am beginning my 30 day cleanse I knew I needed to pick up plenty of fruit and veggies.

 

My Grocery List

Kale

Spinach

Green left lettuce

Strawberries

Blueberries

Apples

Bananas

Red Pepper

Lemon

Orange

Detox Tea

Unsweetened Almond Milk

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Carrots

Shrimp

Chicken (to be baked or grilled)

 

After my food prep, I had built up an appetite so I made me a yummy salad. I used some leftover ham from our Mothers Day dinner and toped it with yogurt dressing (40 cals 2tbsp) and siracha

 

Once it was time for bed I went to set my alarm and realized I was setting it much earlier then I have been lately and I got excited because I knew that working out in the morning makes me feel great the rest of the day.

 

 

My Morning Workout

Since I have been a slacker lately I started back with a workout that I knew wouldn't kill me.

 

Jogged 1 mile on the treadmill

30 sec plank

10 push ups

10 supermans

10 kettle ball swings

30 sit ups

30 mountain climbers

30 cafe raises

30 sec plank

10 push ups

30 sit ups

10 minutes on the bike on fat burner.

 

Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day and will follow my 30 Day Cleanse.

 

 

Day1:

M1: morning smoothies (1/2 cup fresh fruit, unsweetened almond milk, spinach, 1 tbsp flax seed, 1 scoop protein, ice)

M2: Handful of strawberries

M3: Lettuce wraps with red peppers and shrimp (I cooked both in siracha) and Veggies with 2 tbs of hummus

M4: Green juice (almond milk, kale, spinach, apple)

M5: Side salad with grilled chicken, asparagus and brussel sprouts