Footie and pizza!

Anyone who knows my husband and I, know we love soccer. In fact, that's how we met! We played on the same co ed team. I wasn't a fan of him at first ...I thought he was full of himself...plus I accidentally kicked him in the shin and he made a dramatic scene about it...which triggered an eye roll from me... But I guess he grew on me... :) And I stopped accidentally kicking him in the shin... He was madly in love with me from the get go.

Anyways, we went to kick the ball around yesterday like we used to!  We went to an indoor facility that just put in a new turf field!  Torin had a blast. We're pretty sure he may play professionally. We're expecting a call from scouts any minute! ...but seriously, at 15 months, he knows exactly what to do! He dribbled the ball up and down the turf like a pro! It made me one proud mummy!


After a big day of play, we needed a yummy dinner! So we made pizza! I love pizza.

 I am not a big fan of ordering it though because it's so easy to make...not to mention a lot cheaper. I make a really delicious honey wheat crust. I don't do the pizza sauce thing typically. Usually I just empty a can of diced tomatoes on top of the crust. Then you cover it with fresh spinach and then cheese.

This next step is really important. Take anything that is in your fridge and put it on top. He he The husband watches me strangely when I root around trying to find more to put on top of the pizza. Tonight he asked, "Is there anything you're not going to put in there?"

So if you look closely, we have a bit of crumbled Italian chicken sausage, red peppers, broccoli, and pineapple! Yummm! Writing this makes me want another slice.

Here's my crust recipe...

Honey Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
1 C warm water
2 T honey
2 1/4 t yeast
1 1/4 t salt
3 T coconut oil (or olive oil)
2 3/4 C whole wheat flour

Put water and honey in bowl of stand mixer with dough hook. Sprinkle yeast on top and leave until yeast gets nice and foamy-about 5 minutes.
Add in the salt and oil. Gradually add in the flour. Allow the dough hook to knead the bread for about 6-8 minutes. Cover bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for an hour.
Form into pizza pie and bake for 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees.


I don't eat a whole lot of bread, so I can tell a difference when I do.  I definitely feel a lot fuller and a little sluggish, but 100 % whole wheat is so much better than white!  And pizza is just so yummy!  Especially when it slightly resembles the back of a garbage truck...Kidding!  Kind of.

 

Morning oats and Cup of Joe

Good morning! My son slept until almost 8 o'clock this morning! That is late for him! Which is strange because we live in Alaska and it is dark outside until almost 10 AM...but he's an early bird and always has been! But I got some extra snoozing this morning! Yay!

So we got up..changed his nappy...played for a few...then got breakfast started.

I always drink a cup of warm water in the morning with lemon juice and a bit of apple cider vinegar in hopes of realigning my digestion and hydrating before that cup of coffee!



What a cool coffee cup, right?  My sister, a ceramics major, gifted it to me at Christmas.  It is awesome.  My favorite mug.  Coffee tastes better out of it I'm pretty for sure.  She didn't make this one herself, but she is seriously talented.  I am amazed by all of the stuff she makes and so proud that she is doing what she loves.  A friend of hers made this one.  I love stuff that has that handmade touch to it! 

But onto my oats...yummmm



here's what I do:

World's Greatest Oats (seriously...)

1/4 C old fashioned oats
1/4 C oat bran
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 banana, sliced
2/3 C water
2/3 C whole milk

Put all of these ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat.  It will start to thicken up, so make sure you stir it consistently at this point so it doesn't stick to the pan.  The bananas will mash up as you stir it, so you will get that sweetness in every bite!  Once the liquid has been soaked up, and it's pretty thick, remove from heat and eat! 

So you can top this bowl of deliciousness with more fruit - blueberries perhaps?  or strawberries like we did?! Torin loves strawberries do he was excited this morning! Or you can put some natural peanut butter on top.  Or maybe some raisins. 

I love oatmeal.  Adding the oat bran creates a really smooth feeling to the oats.  and cooking on the stovetop allows the oats to expand so it feels like you're eating more!!

Chia seeds are amazing little seeds and are a great source of calcium and protein so I try to throw them into my oats and smoothies!

My whole breakfast.  A hard boiled egg is a must when I work out in the morning.  Otherwise I find myself starving halfway through the workout. 

Torin and I have a Mommy fitness group this morning.  It's such a fun class and I love that Torin gets to socialize while I sweat my butt off!  Happy Friday!

Aren't we beautiful? Inside and out!

Sometimes I let myself forget just how beautiful life is.  Then I see my little  boy and I am just amazed by his precious liveliness.  I want to take care of that little boy and make sure he gets everything he needs.  Now I am not talking about expensive clothing or toys.  I'm talking about his needs to be a healthy, happy individual.  I believe that so much of what and how we feel - physically and emotionally - stems from how we treat our bodies and what we put in them. 

We have these amazing bodies that are able to do such amazing things - internally and externally. At any moment, so many things are happening that we aren't even aware of.  It's silly , to think that sometimes we take better care of household appliances that we do of ourselves.  I mean, I have a toaster oven that I regularly clean just because I want it to stay in tip top shape. 

I take care of myself now, but there was a time when I didn't and I frequently indulged in junk food.  This all changed when I became pregnant with Torin, my angel of a son.  As my due date approached and it hit me that the health of another person rested on my shoulders, I began to research food ingredients (or should I say fake food ingredients...you know, the ones you can't pronounce).  Torin was born, and I was busy as could be.  Days full of nursing, diaper changing, sleeping (when I could!!), more nursing, holding baby on couch, more nursing...you know the drill. 

As I became a more confident mum, I started taking him for walks around the block very early.  First in the moby wrap, then the baby carrier, then the stroller.  Eventually, when I was ready and he was ready, walks turned into short runs.  I wanted to get back in shape so I would feel better for me, but also to be a good role model for him.

I started reading food labels and I was disgusted.  I plugged ingredients into google and was horrified by what the search results revealed.  I realized so-called healthy foods really weren't so healthy.  I stopped buying processed food and food that had more than 5 ingredients.  I didn't want to expose myself or my son (since I'm a nursing mum) to any of those crazy chemicals.  I started drinking whole milk, eating nuts, eating whole wheat, plenty of vegetables, and fruits. 

Before I knew it, all of the pregnancy weight I had gained - which was a ridiculous amount...had disappeared along with about ten extra pounds.  Why had I never done this before?!  Did people think I was weird for looking at food labels?  Yes.  Even my husband thought I was crazy at first, but he's come around since then (he stilll thinks I'm crazy, but for different reasons).  I've been called a hippie...but I don't understand why.  I've been asked why I'm dieting, but I explain that I just like to eat healthy.  But that's the truth. 

I love oatmeal.  It is the only thing I want in the morning.  Broccoli is one of my favorite foods.  I crave avocados just like I crave chocolate (which I do crave!!).  I eat an apple a day to keep the doctor away.  These are the habits that I want to pass on to my son and my future kids.  It makes me smile when I see Torin reach for the brocolli crown instead of the peanut butter sandwich, and then ask for more. 

These are the gifts that I am giving him.  Health and happiness.  He comes with me to work out.  He goes running with me.  He helps me make awesome meals and snacks that are full of nutrients.  Real food that will supply him with the energy to be the fun, exploring little boy he is!

As I was out running today, pushing Torin in the jogging stroller, I couldn't help but thank my body for doing everything it was doing.  Thank you legs for your stamina.  Thank you feet for keeping me balanced.  Thank you arms for pushing my big boy.  Thank you lungs for maintaining.  Thank you body.  This body of mine is pretty amazing and I want to make sure I treat her that way.  Give her what she needs.  Take care of her.  And as Torin's mummy, it's my responsibility to do the same for his.  And hopefully I can teach him to make good decisions for himself and his body as he gets older.

Tomorrow morning I'll snap a shot of my oatmeal and leave the recipe.  It is to die for.  Try it and tell me that you don't want it every morning.