Tag Archives: Kashi

Life Update

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I apologize for my absence. I rarely several days go by without a post, but life has been very busy and very stressful.

Here’s a brief summary of what I’ve been up to.

Over the weekend, Craig and I went camping with another couple from our church. I did not take a single picture while we were there, so you’ll have to enjoy this picture from a previous camping trip.


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We spent two nights camping at Quartz Creek Campground which is on the Kenai Peninsula. It is definitely one of my favorite campgrounds because the lots are well-maintained, there is ample room to spread out on each lot, there are trees and vegetation all around you, and you have beautiful views of Kenai Lake.

Highlights of the trip:

- I ran 3 miles on Saturday morning. It is always a big accomplishment for me to run while camping.

- We had very little rain. . . .and a little sun.

- My Therm-a-rest sleeping pad was super comfortable.


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(Source)

Lowlights of the trip:

- I froze my butt off the entire time, which is normal. :-?

- Not eating enough vegetables.


Workouts

I am starting to get back into the groove of running.

Last week’s total mileage: 24 miles

My goal for this week: 33 miles


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So far I ran 6 miles on Monday, 4 miles on Tuesday, and 7 miles (3 x 1 mile repeats) this morning.

I also went to the gym with Craig on Monday night to lift weights for 45 minutes. Now I am super sore, but I love it!


Meals

I have been slacking on cooking and baking lately. I did cook a couple of meals at the beginning of last week that we ate for leftovers the remainder of the week.

For our camping trip, Craig did cook a big pot of White Chicken Chili, which is must-try if you haven’t had this before! And tonight I am going to make Curried Tofu with Israeli Couscous <—also a good one.  

My mid-morning snack one morning was this Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bar—a new granola bar from Kashi. I got a free sample sent to me in the mail, which is always exciting!


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Overall, I was impressed with the granola bar. I liked the flavor and would consider buying them in the store.


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Work

Two words: VERY STRESSFUL!!

Even more stressful than last year!! Things have not been going well for me. :(

I was hopeful this school year would turn out to be okay, but the kids are no longer scared because it is their first day and they are giving me a run for my money.

I hate having to be someone I am not and am struggling to find motivation to teach each class. I am not sleeping well, I dread getting up in the morning, and I can’t believe it is only September.

I also started taking a class on Tuesday nights in order to renew my teaching license. (I have another class that will start in November as well.) These classes will definitely take time away from my blogging because of attending the class and working on homework. So I don’t think I will be able to blog very much this semester. Hopefully, it will pick up again next semester.

Thick Chewy Granola Bars

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I’ve tried making my granola bars before, but I have not found a recipe that I like. So when I saw these Thick Chewy Granola Bars on N Her Shoes, I knew I had to try them. Bobbi from N Her Shoes actually got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen. (Just want to give credit where credit is due.)

Thick Chewy Granola Bars

1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats (I used old-fashioned.)
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (use more for a sweetness akin to most purchased bars; use less for a mildly sweet bar) (I used 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup oats, processed till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts (I used 2 cups of dried blueberries, dried cranberries, raisins, and some slivered almonds)
1/3 cup peanut butter or another nut butter (I used almond butter.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan in one direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Lightly grease the parchment paper and the exposed pan, or coat with a non-stick spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter or oil, liquid sweeteners and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry (and nut butter, if you’re using it) until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. (A piece of plastic wrap can help with this, as you press down on the back of it.)

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. They’ll still seem soft and almost underbaked when you press into the center of the pan but do not worry, they’ll set completely once completely cool.

I snagged a bite while they were still warm, and I do believe they are going to be a winner!!

Workouts

This morning I decided to take the day off from running and go for a nice 30 minute bike ride. It is exhilerating to go at a faster pace and cruise through the neighborhoods.

Weight Lifting

I am still sore from my 30 minute lifting workout last night. Here’s what I did:

- squats

- lat pull-downs

- adductor (inner thigh) machine

- deltoid raises

- straight-leg lifts

- rowing machine

- walking lunges

- tricep presses

- hip flexor exercises

- back extension

I generally alternate between legs and arms to maximize my time and give each half of the body adequate rest time. I usually did 2 sets of 10-12 reps for each exercise listed.

Food Reviews

As you guys know, I enjoy trying new foods, so here are some items I’ve recently tried.

These Raspberry Chocolate Kashi granola bars were awesome!! This granola bar was “frosted” with a mixture of dates, raspberry juice, and chocolate. The raspberry flavor was definitely evident and the combination of chocolate was perfect.

These Kashi Pumpkin Pecan granola bars were very similar to the previous granola bar–both were a “Fruit and Grain Bar.” I loved the pumpkin flavor in this granola bar. It tasted just like pumpkin pie!!

I guess this post is turning into a Kashi post. Actually, the reason I’ve tried so many Kashi products recently is because I’ve had a bunch of coupons to use!! I heart coupons.

I was definitely intrigued by the combination of toppings on this pizza and the description:

Plantains, mangos, kale and fire-roasted red onions with mozzarella cheese and a sweet & spicy guava-infused, Jerk sauce on stone-firedKashi 7 Whole Grains & Sesame® with flax seed crust.

Both Craig and I liked this pizza but not as much as a couple of the other ones we’ve recently tried. The Jerk sauce was prominent and the crust was crunchy, but other than that it wasn’t anything to rant and rave about.

The nutrition facts are pretty awesome for pizza. Add a side of veggies and you’ve got yourself a nice well-balanced meal.

Yeah! I finally found the Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips, and they were even on sale 2/$5. These bad boys are very addicting!! They are so crunchy and savory it will be hard to make them last. Definitely a winner!!

That’s all I’ve got for tonight. Later!!

Food Reviews #2

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When I go grocery shopping, I usually end up picking up something new each time. What can I say, I like trying new things (recipes, food, clothes, etc.)–it keeps things interesting!!

Lara Bar

I like Lara Bars because they have real, whole ingredients–no fillers or additives!! Most bars only contain 4-5 ingredients!!

Key Lime Pie

You could definitely taste the lime juice in this bar which gave it some zip. Obviously this did not taste exactly like key lime pie, but it did have a nice lime flavoring to it. I would recommend this flavor!

Chocolate Coconut Chew

This is my favorite flavor so far! It was sweet–but not too sweet–and the combination of chocolate and coconut complimented each other nicely.

Cherry Pie

The dried cherries in this bar had a nice tangy flavor, which is what I love about dried cherries. Of the three, though, this was my least favorite. It was still good; I just preferred the others.

Kombucha Beverages

What is kombucha? According to Wikipedia, it is a fermented tea–and apparently it has some ancient health benefits. I personally don’t know if drinking massive amounts of kombucha will cause all of your wrinkles to disappear off your face and the fat to fall off your hips, but I do know these beverages taste good!!

I am not sure what it is about these beverages that keeps me buying them. Initially the taste is kind of odd–you don’t know what to think, but then you find yourself taking another sip. . . and another sip. . . well, you get the point. They are just so light and refreshing (not heavy like a traditional soda). The only drawback is that they are a little pricey!!

Gingerade

You’ve gotta like ginger to enjoy this one, so it was a good thing I do like ginger!! (Actually, one of my favorite flavors of tea right now is Lemon Ginger.) The ginger flavoring definitely makes its presence known, but there is still the kombucha flavoring it is as well.

Divine Grape

This flavor was a winner. I had been wanting to try this flavor because I had heard good reviews about it from others and they were right. The grape flavor was very fresh and refreshing!!

Kashi’s TLC Dark Mocha Almond

I used to love granola bars. A few years back, it wasn’t uncommon for me to have 4-5 boxes of granola bars in my cupboards. (What can I saw, I love my carbs.) For whatever reason, though, I don’t live and die by granola bars nearly as much any more.

I did pick these guys up a while back (they were on sale and I had a coupon–score!!), and they were definitely worth it!! I loved the combination of almonds, dark chocolate, and mocha flavorings–you can’t get much better than that.

Clif Bars

I enjoy Clif bars, but after eating quite a few of them, all of the flavors start to taste the same; they all have the same underlying taste. Despite that, Clif bars are a great on-the-go item, and I did enjoy this Banana Nut Bread flavored bar. I was pleasantly surprised by how much it did taste like banana nut bread.

Food Should Taste Good

Oh my goodness gracious, the chips from Food Should Taste Good have to be my favorite brand of chips ever!!. It doesn’t matter what the flavor is, they all are dynamite!! These lime flavored chips are WAY better than the extra salty chips from Tostitos!! The lime flavor in these is much more authentic, and they are not doused in salt. These chips quickly disappeared in a few days!!

I have also tried the multigrain and olive flavors in this brand, and both were excellent!! The multi-grain is my favorite thus far–nutty and wholesome. You really have to like your olives to eat a lot of the olive kind.

I really want to try their sweet potato chips and chocolate chips. Yes, that’s right CHOCOLATE chips. I’m a little weary but definitely intrigued!

Time to do some more grocery shopping!!