Mint Chocolate Birfday Cake

I made a birthday cake for my friend and it turned out so cute! I made it mint chocolate.

Unfortunately, as I was running up the stairs to deliver it my phone popped out of my pocket and landed on the ground.:(( Luckily, I came across this guy who fixes cracked screens on craigslist. :) I got it repaired the next day, and it's mostly fine. There's still a few quirks now, but it will last me until I get my next phone. So probably like 10 years. ;)

BTS Cake

Made this tasty cake for my friend's birthday the other day. It was fun, since BTS cake is loaded with milk, I can't really eat it, but it was fun to get to make it:)  I used this recipe but used packaged heath with chocolate bits rather than candy bars, and I made the whipped cream topping from scratch rather than buying it. Working with cream is one of the biggest things I miss since I was diagnosed with a milk allergy, so it was really fun!

#5aDay

Nutrition is complex.

It's hard to know what to eat and how much and when.

But one thing is for extra-double-super-duper sure:

Fruits and veggies are good for you!!!

I know people get hung up on the fact that they aren't manna and they're not perfect for you. They have pesticide residue, or natural sugar, or are starchy or cooked in butter.

I think when people think of fruits and veggies, they go into health nut thinking mode. Yes, grapes have sugar, but you know what? They're still waaaay healthier than cookies:) Yes, broccoli may be sauteed in butter, but you know what? Buttered broccoli is still waaaay healthier than Cheetos.

I don't think I really realized the virtues of fruits and veggies until I started studying nutrition in college. I always thought it was a waste of time to eat a veggie that was high in only one vitamin instead of all of them (once again, veggies aren't manna:). But now I understand it's not only worth it, but essential for optimal health.

Some of the benefits of fruits and veggies:

• High fiber content- aids with digestion 
• High water content- hydrates you as you eat them!
• High in many micronutrients (vitamins, phytochemicals, etc.)- staves off a bunch of diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies, improves immunity, improves functioning of every bodily system. 
• Low in calories- no one ever becomes overweight because they just ate too many apples. It's virtually impossible to gain weight from eating fruits and veggies. They are super low calorie and high volume, so filling up on fruits and veggies gives you less calories than filling up on almost anything else. (Of course, those with diabetes may need to be careful not to consume too much of certain things at once.)
• It's easy:)- It does take some intentional effort to add fruits and veggies to your diet, but it's much easier than say, cutting out sugar or starting a new workout routine. But the health benefits are huge!

For the month of September I'm doing the #5aDay Challenge by eating five servings of fruits or vegetables every day of the month. I hope you will too!

TIPS:

• Eat a variety of fruits and veggies. They are all different and have different benefits
• Eat fruits and veggies in the way you like them. Not in pie and fries;) But notice which ones you like and which you don't. Notice whether you like broccoli better steamed or fresh. If you like grapes, but dislike rasins. If you love steamed spinach and hate peas. It's okay if not every fruit or veggie is something you like, you don't have to eat it. And if you looove cauliflower with a little cheese sauce, don't be afraid to eat it. Sustainability is more important than ever so slightly healthier choices.

*Eating 5 a Day is just a start. It's still important to get lean protein, whole grains, vitamins/minerals and water from other sources. And it's important to limit harmful things in your diet as well, such as trans/saturated fat, refined sugar, refined carbohydrates, SODA, and alcohol. There is no silver bullet for health. But eating at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day is a great place where most people could use improvement and the benefits are huge!

If you liked this post, you might also like: What Is Caloric Density?

What Does Caloric Density Mean?

Here's an excerpt of a post I wrote for our website at work, www.utahfootdoc.com. Please check out our podiatry website! There's a lot of info about foot pain and how to prevent problems with your feet.

In the mean time, when I tell people I studied nutrition, I get a lot of questions about what to/not to eat to maintain health and especially to stay or get to a healthy weight. Some people think the trick to losing weight is eating "less." False! Starving yourself is just setting yourself up for failure and can be very unhealthy. Instead, eat a diet low in calories, high in food volume and vitamins/minerals (micronutrients.)

Here's what I said about calories for a post on Valentine's Day Chocolate, it's a tiny bit technical, but it covers the basics of Caloric density:

Chocolate can cause weight gain due to something called caloric density. Caloric density is how many calories are in a given mass.  For example, one pound of broccoli will have far fewer calories than one pound of chocolate. There are two reasons for this caloric discrepancy.

First, the type of macronutrients in the food.

This shows how many calories are in a gram of fat, protein, carbohydrate, and alcohol. 

Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories
Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories
Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories
Alcohol: 1 gram = 7 calories 

Chocolate has a lot more fat than broccoli.  Fat is one of the four “macronutrients,” or nutrients that give us energy. It has the highest caloric density, 9 calories in each gram, compared with 4 calories per gram in carbs and protein.

Second, the proportion of macronutrients to other food volume.

Chocolate is almost pure macronutrient: sugar and cocoa (carbohydrate); and butter (fat). Each bite is pure energy. Broccoli has macronutrients (mostly carbohydrate) but also contains a lot of fiber and water, so there are fewer macronutrients in each bite.

So, if you are choosing a diet that’s not calorically dense in effort to lose weight, consider:

· Do you have a healthy balance of macronutrients (fat, carb, and protein)?

· Are you eating foods high in fiber?

· Are you eating foods high in water?

Take home message: It’s Valentine’s Day, enjoy some chocolates!:)  Eating a few chocolates won’t wreck a healthy diet, but for every day eating, stick with foods that are less calorie dense.

Classic Skating and Sugar Roulette

Had a fun night at Classic Skating and Denny's. We played sugar roulette. Such fun, for those who don't lose!

Sugar Roulette

Birthday Birthday

I had such a great birthday and felt so loved:)  I didn't take many pics, I think that's a testament of a fun birthday! No time for photos!

I made s'mores cupcakes this year, Graham cracker crust, chocolate cake and marshmallow cream frosting. You'll just have to imagine the frosting. 

;D

My sweet coworkers got me cupcakes and decorated my desk! They even let me choose where to order our med rep lunch from. :) Zupas, all the way!

Em took me to dinner, Mikayla gave me a beautiful homemade card, Kait and Chris brought me flowers, and a bunch of people came over to celebrate. It was a day well spent.:)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies-- YUM!

 I was in church and the girl next to me had trail mix.  The delicious smell of peanuts and chocolate prompted me to make this less healthy peanut butter and chocolate treat!

I just used the BH&G recipe for peanut butter cookies. Of course I skipped the chill time.  I rolled in sugar and pressed them out with a fork like normal. Then I put 5 chocolate chips on top and the cookies puffed up great!

So cute and even yummier than they look!

The 7th Wonder of Provo: After Gym Adventures

Came home from the gym last night.  Just mindin' my own business.  Until Gabi asks if I want to go see the "7th Wonder of Provo."

Okay. Is it scary? No. Will it take long? No. Can i go in my gym clothes? Yes.
So I went.:)  Let me just say: it did not disappoint. Here's the thing: you can't know what it is until you go see it for your first time. So sorry, but I'll have to be shady on the deets here. If you want to know, you'll just have to ask me to take you. ;)

And after we went to Wendy's.  It just seemed appropriate.

Driving out to the "site"

Liberation!

Like many things of its "kind," it doesn't take to being photographed.

Post exposure

Can't beat Wendy's.

It's great, even late.  Is that the slogan? Well, it's definitely true.

Wow, they're not even a couple, but they look so beautiful...

OG

Next time you go to Olive Garden, ask for the extra supreme celebratory party platter deluxe for your water.

Just kidding, that's not a real thing.  

But you should ask for Chase if you go to Orem.  Cuz that's a real thing. :)

He was the best waiter ever and brought us fruit all night.

Come Over Here and Gimme Some Suga!

Happy New Year and all that, I've made some resolutions.  They're very flexible this year, and so far they've been great at guiding me.  One is to do something every day to improve myself (physically, spiritually, financially... just in some way something out of the ordinary).  The other is to consciously serve someone (go out of my way to do something selfless for someone) every day.  It's really made me examine my life, and it's been great so far:)

On the same track as resolutions... since I got braces, I've been a little more conscious about how much sugar I eat. I have always been a sweets kinda girl, not so much a potato chips, or even soda, thank goodness. I just love treats! I've been aware that I should be more public health:) and stop eating so much sugar, because it's not healthy for me, but despite previous attempts, I've never really cut back.  My weight's never been an issue, and it's hard to motivate myself just by "knowing" it's healthier.  I thought I'd be better about it now having braces, but I really haven't been.  The last few days though, I've been testing my willpower.  When I reach for a sugary treat, I've stopped myself a few times.  When ever I think to myself, "This is the last one..." I stop and don't eat it.  It's been really exciting!  To actually see that I can exercise my willpower and make improvements.  I mean, it's only been a few days, and I know I'll never get to the point when I no longer eat sugar, but it's already boosted my feelings of self-efficacy.

Yummmmmaaay!

I think one reason it's been easier for me to decrease my sugar intake is getting a gym pass because I've been working out a lot more lately.  I studied public health, and my area of interest is everything to do with weight, eating, body dismorphia, society's stigmatism, etc.  

People sometimes ask me, which is more important, eating healthy or working out?  The answer isn't what they want to hear, but it's really "Both."  They are two wings of the health airplane.  Neither is sufficient.  Together, neither has do work as hard.  

But.  If we're talking about weight and it's strictly math, then I'll tell you: diet is more important.  I say this because it's far, far easier to control calorie intake than to work out.  Eat one chocolate chip cookie, it takes 20 seconds.  But it takes about 30 minutes on the treadmill to burn those calories off.  Wow, right?  Daily caloric intake can vary by literally thousands of calories, but we can (sustainably) only change how many calories we use up by a few hundred by working out.

But human beings aren't that mathematical.  We don't eat for math.  We eat for emotion, pleasure, society. And working out helps control the appetite.  Some say they're hungrier when they work out.  True.  BUT they have fewer cravings.  Because while hunger, or the physiological need to eat is increased, appetite, or the psychological desire to eat is decreased.  So you might eat more at meals, but you won't be binging or eating as many treats. And your higher muscle mass will burn more calories.

Exercise bathes the brain in healthy and happy neurotransmitters.  That is why exercise is always encouraged for people dealing with psychological issues.  When you get that stimulation, you need it less from other sources.

So, maybe a better way of saying it is that intake is more important than output when it comes to weight. However, intake is best managed by a) proper intake habits and balances b) working out. So, yeah, both are essential, their's just no getting around it:)

52 New Things: Got a Kitchenaid! (14 to go)

Let's just say, Christmas came a little early this year and I am the happiest woman on the planet:)  I've already made cookies, pizza, bread, cinnamon rolls and frosting, and I can't WAIT to keep using this beaut:)  Baking just got better.

Ahhhh...sooo beautiful:)

52 New Things: Ate and Made the Liège Waffle (15 to go)

Part One: Eating the waffles

I'm counting this one as two new things.  A couple weeks back, Chris' parents were in town. His dad had served and LDS mission in the Netherlands and wanted to get these authentic waffles in downtown Salt Lake at Bruges Waffles & Frites.

Bruges Waffles & Frites downtown Salt Lake

They were indescribable.  But let me try anyway.  The liège waffle goes by many different names: Brussles waffle, Flemish waffle, Bergische waffle, or simply, sugar waffle.  

It was like no waffle I'd ever had.  They were crusty and carmelized on the outside with a little hint of cinnamon. They were doughy, gooey, sweet deliciousness on the inside.  The flavor was complex and tasted nothing like any other waffle I'd ever had.  They were very sweet, but that didn't inhibit the flavor.  The texture was so variable, my mind was blown.

Chris and I went back twice in the next couple of weeks to have them. 

To Salt Lake. 

They were that good.

Okay, we were already in Salt Lake both times, but I WOULD have driven 60 minutes to taste these waffles.  I knew I had to create them myself.

Most of the ingredients in these waffles are common, except for the Belgium pearl sugar.

Belgium pearl sugar is different from Swedish or Swiss, because it easily caramelizes with heat, where as the others stay solid. Important, because you don't want crunchy chunks of sugar in your waffles, just crusty caramel.:)

Part Two: Making the waffles

As I have expressed, these waffles are VERY unique and VERY different from regular Belguim waffles.  I wanted to make them right.  I researched and read a lot about how to make them and compared a lot of recipes. I finally settled on this baby.  

Why?  Primarily because this guy has an entire blog, no no, not blog post,  an ENTIRE BLOG dedicated just to these waffles.  Yeah, they're good:)  This recipe was very specific and explained why each step was essential to creating an authentic liège waffle.  

This recipe starts the dough making process the day before.  It's quite specific about amounts and mixing times.  I was sooooooo happy when my dough balled up within 30 seconds of when he said it should!  Victory, part one:)  But I'm not gonna lie, I skimped a little on the 4 hour rising period to "develop the flavor."  Because I wanted to go to bed before 2:00.  Silly me.  Baking should always come first;)

     *Side note; the morning after rising, I made pumpkin pancakes with some leftover pumpkin from

pumpkin bread. Can I just state that I love fall and baking with pumpkin:)))??? But I thought it 

would be inappropriate to serve simple pumpkin pancakes along with these gourmet waffles, 

so we ate them all this morning.:)

Anyway, the dough sat in the fridge all day (under heavy objects of course, wouldn't want that dough getting all crazy and trying to rise...) while I was at work.  After work I came home and my pearl sugar had arrived!  I ordered it off Amazon.  Lars Own was the recommended brand, so that's what I bought. 

I mixed it into the dough, let it rise 90 minutes and threw them in the waffle iron.  I played with turning the iron off and on because it was hotter than the recommended fancy cast iron Liège waffle iron.

They turned out perfect!!!!!

After crouching with my chin on the counter watching them cook, I took my first bite and was literally jumping for joy.  They were just like the ones we had:)  VICTORY!

                  

52 New Things: Indian Food (17 to go)

I went with my great ex-roommie Rosi to get Indian food this week.  It was soooo yummy!  I'd never had Indian food before.  We went to India Palace on Center Street in Provo.

It seemed really authentic. The entire staff appeared to be Indian.

We ordered some traditional Tandoori Naan.   It was soo delicious.  Like a really fluffy, light tortilla.  I ordered Chicken Coconut Korma, which was delllllicous. They brought it out with really flavorful rice. They brought our food out in these unique little bowls.  Everything was very unique and Indian in the restaruant.

I thought it was a little pricey and didn't look like that much food, but I had a lot leftover, so for two meals, it really wasn't bad.  You could easily split a curry dish and naan for $15.  And the service was superb:)  Now I love Indian food! Soo yummy.

52 New Things: Had Funnel Cake (19 to go)

Funnel cake is a big deal.  I get this.  I had just never had it before.  Until now!  And all I have to say is...it was delicious. We went to an outdoor concert in Park City and I got to try my first funnel cake!

52 New Things: Bear Lake, Evanston, and El Sabor (22 to go)

In July my sisters and mom and I went to Bear Lake! I've been several times before, but this was new because I was driving.  We stayed three days at Bear Lake and it was beautiful. It was hot and the water was cool.  The town is so peaceful and I love all the touristy little gift shops. I can't help it:) We ate at this new restaurant, El Sabor.  It truly was so flavorful.  On the way home, there was a terrible accident and after sitting on the free way for two hours, we were guided to U-turn back to Evanston, Wyoming.  We got the LAST room in the Best Western.  We were so lucky.  It was like walking into heaven when we walked into our room and saw the beautiful beds after driving all day and being stuck on the freeway.  We made it home safe and sound the next day after our little adventure:) And there are a million photos.  Deal with it.

Driving in the middle of nowhere:)

Goofs in the backseat

Jumping bean Emily

In the perfect lake:)

Just chillin on the beach

Shell henge

Sandy toes

A mermaid washed up on the beach!

We got bored waiting for our pizza...

Beautiful hollyhocks:)

Beach time

Happy mama:)

MMM!  El Sabor!

Where the burritos are literally as big as your face.

Crashing into a big comfy bed after a long day of driving:) If that's not nice, I don't know what is.