Calling all South Park Fans...

So when I met my boyfriend, (not that you care) I knew we were going to mesh well because of our love for South Park. Especially Randy, Staaaaan's dad. Staaan.

When I came across this little blurb in one of the Newsweek, Time, One-Of-Those magazines, I was pretty friggin excited.

YAAAAAAAAY!

I probably will buy them just for the reason they are the infamous Cheesy Poofs and so I can say "No! These are MY Cheesy Poofs, bad kittay!"

But I'll probably wont eat them...a lot..

Play with your Food.

During the summer, you don't really need a reason to eat fruit. It's delicious, nutritious, juicy, and easily cools you down and quenches your thirst on a hot July day. My personal summer favorite is watermelon. Nothing is more refreshing than a large wedge of the red stuff.

Watermelon is great for before workouts because they fuel your body with quick energy while digesting quickly enough to not bother your stomach during your fitness routine. It's also a wonderful afternoon snack to have by the pool or a satisfying dessert to finish off your day.

Yet what is really fun about watermelon is that it is easy to play around with...

See what I mean?

It's large circumference allows it to be cut out into fun shapes! I also like to slather a little Chobani nonfat plain yogurt on to add a little protein. 

Hey, who said you can't play with your food?

Wonderful healthy snack idea found here! Props to Taralynn!

F-Factor

It's pretty well advertised that most Americans don't get enough of the fiber they need. Actually, many people living in developed nations have this problem. Personally, being a vegetarian, I'm spending so much time making sure I'm getting enough protein and iron in my diet, that I'll often forget about fiber.

Now it's well known that fruits and vegetables provide great amounts of fiber. Apples have something called pectin which is a soluble fiber that keeps you feeling full and digests slowly. Broccoli and carrots are great daily snacks that you can eat with ranch dressing or hummus, but they also provide around 5 grams of fiber. You can also start your mornings with a healthy cereal (no, Cookie Crisp doesn't count, guys).

But still, regardless of your efforts, it's hard to keep up with a proper eating routine and some days you wont reach your necessary intake. So I'm here to introduce you to something that has helped me out A LOT.

Need I say more? 72% of your DAILY FIBER INTAKE!!

(oh...and only 70 calories per serving.)

So I'm not here to lie to you and say, "oh it tastes just like Kashi!" because it doesn't. While Kashi cereals are wonderful ways to start your day, this is much more healthy tasting, but I actually really enjoy that. I like the way my body feels when I take each bite. Plus, you can add some fruit or some Splenda to it to kick it up a notch. 

Adding this great item a couple times a week to your nutrition plan can assist your quest to fulfilling fiber needs. Try it!!

Healthy snackies:

Instead of reaching for the ice cream or the sweets, I decided to freeze a serving of seedless red grapes for a cold and refreshing afternoon snack. Try it!

Chocolate Lave Cake

Warning for the weight obsessed: This is the recipe of death. While consumed, you'll be transported to a divine, higher place where a warming sensation will overcome your earthly body. Once completely devoured, you will kick your legs around like a whiny little 6-year-old and wonder how you just ruined your diet.

For those not on a diet, carry on.

Ingredients:

• ramekins
• 1 stick of butter, plus a pad for greasing
• 4 oz. dark chocolate
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks (so yes, you're using 4 eggs, but not 2 egg whites)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. sifted flour
• cocoa powder

Preparation:

1. Grease the ramekins with a little pad of butter

2. With cocoa powder, line the ramekin. This will allow the complete ramekin to not be lined by white flour and will also give more chocolate flavor.

3. Once complete, place the ramekins on a cookie sheet. 

4. Now it's time to melt the dark chocolate and butter. Use a double broiler. If you're like me and don't own a double broiler, google how to substitute a double broiler.

5. While that's melting, mix together the eggs, yolks, and sugar.

6. Gradually drizzle in the melted butter and chocolate with the eggs and sugar mixture.

7. Gradually add 2 tablespoons of sifted flour. 

8. Now that the ingredients are all together, place even amounts into the ramekin.

9. Bake for EXACTLY 7 minutes at 450 degrees. You're going to look at the cake in the oven and say, "hmm, it looks like it needs another minute." NO! Any more, the center will not be molten! It will taste like a chocolate cooked through cake...good...but not lava cake!

10. Let cool for a minute and then take a knife to go around the ramekin. This will help the cake come out easily. 

11. Decorate and serve!

Guys love these recipes, so make it for a loved one!

Green Monster Smoothie

Oh wow...I think I just had a revelation.

I know I get my fruits and veggies in more than the average person, but when you try to count up all the servings you're supposed to have each day, it can get overwhelming. And, well being very into cooking, I'm always looking for yummy new things to make to incorporate my greens.

Well, I stumbled upon this Youtube "vlogger" a week ago that offered this great concept: DRINK your veggies! Sort of like a V8, except what I'm about to propose is literally an organic garden sitting right on your taste buds. It's called the Green Monster. Roarrrr.

While I halved the portion of the original recipe, this bad boy has approximately 3 servings of fruits and veggies, a mere 30 grams of cars, 11 grams of great fat, and 3 grams of protein. And trust me, this drink is filling, but only about 150 calories!

And also, I know the idea of this smoothie will turn some people off, but please don't knock it until you try it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of filtered water
• .5 organic granny smith apple
• a handful of fresh parsley
• 3 stalks of celery
• 3 romaine lettuce leaves
• one fourth of an avocado
• half a lemon

Preparation:

1. Put the water into the blender first.
2. Put all the ingredients into the blender according to the ingredient list.
3. Blend.
4. Drink.

Oh my lord, its a salad in a bottle.

To define the taste, it would be fresh. It's not overly sweet like a fruit smoothie, but it's absolutely drinkable. I slurped it just as fast as any other smoothie I'd drink; there was no nasty flavor or aftertaste. I am going to be making this every week. The benefits for your digestive track is insane. Hopefully you work up the courage to try it!

And no, it's not expensive. I spent less than $12 on the ingredients and that is enough for 4 smoothies!

Washington DC Fancy Food Show

I've been doing a little traveling down south to visit my college friends that reside in DC.

 Did some grade A tourist-ing.

So besides for sight-seeing, going out to see DC night life the first time, I got to tag along with family friends at the Fancy Food Show at the Convention Center.

Oh my lord, you guys, this place consisted of 4 endless rooms (seriously, it took 4 hours to get through half of one!!). They were all full of amazing foods from all over the world.

I don't think I've ever eaten so much in one day. Every vendor had something crazy to try and you just couldn't resist!

Some things I found that I'm trying to locate at home:

Delish and vegetarian and...DELISH. Great for college kids living out of a freezer/fridge

Seriously, whatever the heck this was, I want more of it. Because it's not at all bad for you and it tasted SO SO good. You can dip pretzels, fruit, or crackers into it. Good for when you're hosting a party.

These chocolate bars are not only phenomenal, but they look so pretty that they'd make great gifts. They're called Zoe's Chocolate Co. You can buy them at www.zeoschocolate.com. I ate the Raw bar, which is for people who like intense dar chocolate. It was sprinkled with roasted cocoa niblets straight for the cacao tree. MMM.

There were so many other things I loved, but this would go on for hours if I didn't limit myself to just a few pictures.

I had such an amazing time in DC and I already can't wait to go back!