A couple months ago, I eluded to the fact that my cousin, Curtis, was starting a new business centered around quinoa and quinoa products. It’s been a long time in coming, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to share with you a little bit more about his company now that it’s up and running! Curtis and I grew up together and he’s the closest thing I had to a brother. His heart for the Lord and those … Read More
No Fat Talk Tuesday: Natalie’s Story
Today’s No Fat Talk Tuesday post comes to us from Natalie, who blogs over at Married Meets Healthy. I am so excited to share Natalie’s story with you all, because she brings a unique perspective to the series. Natalie’s story of learning to love and appreciate her body through her fitness and athletic accomplishments is something I can relate to personally and know many of you will be able to as well. Thanks for sharing, Natalie! – Madison There wasn’t … Read More
Spiced Roasted Chickpeas
Hey, all! I hope you all had a happy weekend. Joe and I spent our time up in Minneapolis partaking in bachelor and bachelorette festivities for Joe’s brother, Jason, and his fiancé, Ali. And I solidified my title as worst blogger ever by taking zero pictures of our weekend. Thankfully, someone had the good sense to take a picture this morning at brunch with Ali’s family, or I would have nothing to show you. Ali has amazing friends. Even though … Read More
Chop, Chop!
It must be something in the air, but I got the crazy desire today to cut my hair. And cut I did! I can’t say I thought about it all that much. It was impulsive, to say the least. Ahh! When all was said and done, I think I cut off somewhere around six inches. I can hardly believe it, but I feel even more ready for summer than ever before. Happy weekend, all!Madison
Crispy Baked Tofu with Marinara
Last week when I posted a picture of the tofu I had in my lunch from dinner the night before, I got a lot of requests for the recipe. Honestly, I haven’t had much success preparing tofu at home in the past. Usually it ends up getting stuck to the skillet or ends up tasting soggy and tasteless. Unless, of course, you cover it in a bunch of browned butter or calorie-dense sauce, but I guess that really negates the … Read More
No Fat Talk Tuesday: Chelsy’s Story
Today’s No Fat Talk Tuesday post comes to us from Chelsy. She is a longtime Espresso and Cream reader (and recently won the Chobani giveaway), and blogs about food and life over at Mangia. Chelsy brings a unique perspective to the series, having majored in Kinesiology. And in May she will officially be a certified ACE personal trainer. It’s amazing to read her story of how she came to be such a healthy, beautiful and confident woman. Thanks for sharing, … Read More
Online “Clothing Sale” for Charity
Twice a year, I go through my closet and do a little sorting and purging. I get rid of old items I haven’t worn in the past year and bring them to my local consignment shop or Goodwill, depending on the condition they are in. This spring I wanted to do things a little differently. Most of the clothes I was thinking of getting rid of were in great shape, some had hardly been worn more than a few … Read More
What do you eat?
When I was home in Idaho a couple weeks ago, my dad asked me (earnestly, not in a sarcastic manner), “What do you eat?” You see, my dad’s a very healthy eater, but the world of vegetarianism is an uncharted world to him. After returning home, his question stuck with me. What do I eat? Normal things, of course! It was so familiar to me, that I hardly knew how to answer the question. So to answer the question, I … Read More
Tracking Food and Protein Consumption
Happy Wednesday, everyone! Nutmeg got a haircut last Friday, so we took a few beauty shots. She was also complaining about not being on the blog much lately, so before I get to talking about food tracking, here are a few snapshots. Lately, I’ve been getting quite a few Tweets and e-mails about protein and nutrition, much of which is directly related to being a vegetarian. Many people wonder if you can get enough protein day-to-day without consuming meat, and … Read More
No Fat Talk Tuesday: Tara’s Story
Last month when I was in NYC for work, I had the opportunity to meet Tara of Chip Chip Hooray in person. I had ‘talked’ with Tara for the longest time via Twitter and through comments on our blogs. Now that we’ve actually met, I feel a little less crazy calling her a friend. In the short time I’ve spent with her, I can tell you this: Tara is absolutely beautiful, inside and out and radiates confidence and joy. I … Read More
Keep It Sweet Desserts Giveaway
Last fall when I was in NYC for The Rachael Ray Show, I had the pleasure of finally getting to meet my blog friend, Lauren, in real life. Lauren and I had been commenting on one another’s blogs and talking via Twitter for almost a year, and I was trilled to find out she is just as sweet and wonderful in person as she is on the web. Don’t you love it when that happens? I knew Lauren loved to … Read More
Baked Chicken Parmesan
Last weekend when Joe and I were in Idaho visiting my family, we stopped by Great Harvest to pick up some bread for the weekend. Like Joe and me, my family loves Great Harvest bread because it tastes, well, like bread is supposed to taste. I could go on and on about their bread, but I’ll spare you the details and tell you to get yourself to a location near you. Up until six months ago, Des Moines had … Read More