Recap: October Grocery Challenge

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kabocha avocado kale october challengeI don’t know why but this year the time change has really thrown me right off schedule.  Absolutely nothing, except my run, got done yesterday and Edith’s naps and our meals and everything were just way off. Anyways it has also thrown my mornings off when I normally work so I have been lagging on getting this (and many other) posts out. So anyways lets get down to it.

So last month I wrote about a food spending challenge that I had set out for our family.  We challenged ourselves to spend no more than $825 and it was broken down like this:

  • Groceries: 84 meals at $5 per meal +Coffee/Alcohol/Chocolate/Snacks + Oil/Spices = $550
  • 9 meals out + Coffee Out =  $275 (mini goal $200)

Now for some of you $825 may still have seemed like a lot but since we had been spending closer to $1000+ on everything. I know crazy. So now the question is did we succeed?

YES!

It feels so good to actually tell you that yes I actually successfully completed one of my challenges.

We even had a date night in which is why we didn’t meet our mini dining out goal but overall we did really well.

So how did we do it:

  • Menu Planning. I tried my best to create a menu for the week and a shopping list and buy only what was on my list and to stick to the plan as close as possible.
  • Shop Deals. I really shopped the sales and swapped out ingredients when I was able to for less expensive ones.
  • Dine out at Happy Hour. This nice thing about Portland is that most places have happy hour from 4-6 and sometimes later and since having a toddler means we turn into old people eating dinner at 5/5:30pm works for us. This means less expensive drinks and eats for the whole family!
  • Chinook Book (or any local discount book). In Vermont we used to buy deals on Localvore Today and yearly we bought a Buy Local Coupon book. Out here in Portland we buy the Chinook Book app that we can use right from our phone. Both have local deals at restaurants, coffee shops, stores and other local businesses. We are able to support local businesses while also saving money!

Reflections:

Dining out actually feels like a treat and more FUN! We have really cut back on meals out that are just out of laziness and are focusing on going out for a treat. Now when we do go out to eat we really enjoy the family time and get more out of the experience.

We have been going to the grocery store less.  Before when we were going out to eat so often we were also going to the market all the time. I mean like almost every day. CRAZY. Now we go on one big grocery trip and then mid/end of the week we might pick up a few things because I seem to always forget my list or forget to get everything on my list even when i do bring it.

I want to keep with it. Now I want to keep with eating the majority of our meals at home however the one change I will be making is I might spend a little more here and there on ingredients that are a little fresher. I found we ate a lot more frozen veggies, beans and grains and I would rather be eating more fresh vegetables.

How do you save money while still eating well?

Fitness Friday: Holiday Races

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So I did something a little crazy Wednesday. I signed up for a 5k on November 16th. It’s 15 days away. Oh and I just got back to running after 3 months off. Crazy.

So despite being a little nutty I decided to sign up for this race.  I have 2 more weeks to train and which will be a total of 3 weeks (I started back up this week). Anyways I’m not running this race for speed or to PR but rather to get out and have fun because it’s The Ugly Sweater Run!

I figured it would be a good way to kick off the holiday season plus it was only $17.70 on Living Social with a discount promo code. I mean really how could I not sign up? Plus I recruited Neil to run it with me since strollers are allowed. Bonus: you also get an Ugly Sweater Run knit hat, stick-on mustache and Two Sam Adams beers (Winter or Boston Lager, or Angry Orchard Hard Cider) <– I am a fan of any race with beer at the end.

So now I need to find ugly sweaters for the three of us, lace my shoes up and get serious about running and get ready for a fun time!

Who else is running holiday races? I am thinking about running another Holiday 5k (sans stroller and sweater) in December but haven’t committed to one yet. I also wish I could run the first night 5k but staying up to midnight on New Years Eve hasn’t happened in many years.

Pumpkin Beer & Upton’s Seitan Bacon Pizza

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For the past three years Neil and I have done a harvest beer/pumpkin beer tasting (2010, 2011, 2012) and this year was no different except we are now on the other side of the country where there is a major lack of pumpkin beer options. Anyways we decided to have our friends over and we did a blind tasting of 6 different pumpkin beers, or rather it was 4 pumpkin beers, one pumpkin cider and one combo or pumpkin beer and oatmeal stout.

Of course a pumpkin beer dinner party is complete without dinner so first I whipped up some appetizers of chips, salsa, veggies and hummus and then for dinner we had vegan caesar salad and pizza.  Now this post is really about the beer and the pizza so let’s first do a run down of the pumpkin beers (and cider) that we had and then I’ll share my recipe or a yummy fall pizza.

2013 pumpkin beer

Okay so the beers we tried were:

  1. Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale
  2. Elysian Night Owl
  3. Ace Hard Pumpkin Cider
  4. St. Ambroise Pumpkin
  5. KBC Pumpkin Ale (Trader Joe’s)
  6. KBC Pumpkin Ale + Stockyard Oatmeal Stout

Favorite of the night: Elysian Night Owl. Runner Up: Ace Hard Pumpkin Cider

Now on to the tasty stuff the pizza! As you might already know we are big fans of pizza around here and I really enjoy creating fun and new topping combinations. Last nights combination was a bit of a risk but I would say it was a success, a delicious success! I have been working on a few recipes using Upton’s Seitan products and this pizza uses my absolute favorite product of theirs, seitan bacon. Seriously this stuff is so good!

If you have experienced vegan bacon in the past you may have had what I like to call “cardboard” version, you know the one that you cook and it gets really hard and loses any flavor it’s just gross. Then there is the tempeh and coconut versions which are both tasty but not so versatile. Well now Upton’s has a seitan bacon and it is seriously so good. It cooks up well, it tastes great and I have used it for so many different recipes although I have to say a good ol’ BLT is my favorite way to use it, however this recipe is probably my new favorite way to use it now.

Okay, okay let’s get on to the recipe!

upton's seitan bacon pizza

Upton’s Seitan Bacon Harvest Pizza Pie

Preheat your oven (and pizza stone if you have one) to 550F. Roll out the dough cover with a layer of pesto and then top with all of your toppings. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove. Let rest for a few minutes. Serve. (Easy right?)

Little note about Upton’s (from a recent press release of theirs): Upton’s Naturals—a Chicago company specializing in a wheat-based meat alternative, seitan—has opened West Town’s very first 100 percent vegan establishment, housing their production facility, a top floor yoga studio, and Upton’s Breakroom: a vegan cafe with a modest menu featuring the company’s seitan, soft serve ice cream, and pastries created in-house by Chicago-area native Kelly Peloza (author of The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur and the soon-to-be released Cheers to Vegan Sweets).

So Chicago friends if you’re in the West Town neighborhood stop on by and check out Upton’s Breakroom and enjoy a yoga class or a vegan ice cream! I just checked out the menu and a vegan pastrami sandwich sounds so good. I am hoping we make a Chicago trip soon and this will for sure be on our list!

Disclaimer: I was provided coupons for free Upton’s Seitan products. All opinions are my own and I really am excited about their new location! 

You can check out my very first Upton’s post back in April 2011 here and my recipe for Upton’s Chorizo & Mushroom Potato Skins.

Q: Have you ever tried Upton’s seitan?

 

 

My Big Fat Revenge Finale & Giveaway Winner!

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The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Oxygen Network. All opinions are my own.

I can’t believe that the season finale of My Big Fat Revenge airs tonight 9/8c on Oxygen.  What a season it has been! Who else has been following this season? I have to say it’s pretty inspiring to watch others achieve their health and fitness goals. I’m ready to take charge myself and start accomplishing my own health and fitness goals such as putting myself first more often, losing the baby weight and (finally) running a half marathon.

So before I reveal the winner of the giveaway check out this sneak peak clip from tonight’s season finale:

So now for the giveaway winner. First I want to say thank you to all 53 entrants your stories were all so inspiring and I am planning on responding to each of you over the next month. I really appreciated the time you took to answer the giveaway question and seriously what amazing answers (go take a minute and read a few).

The winner of this giveaway was chosen my random.org and the winner is:

Christina!

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Committing to Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation

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The following post is sponsored by Girls Gone Sporty on behalf of Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation. As always all opinions are my own.

I am just going to say it I’ve been struggling with making time for workouts.  I started off October on a good foot and was doing T25 but I didn’t stick with it (surprise, surprise?). Now we’re getting closer to November and it’s time to recommit and this time really commit so I am going to say it here and now to all of you:

I am committing to four weeks of participation in Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation program.

Right now we are in pre-season mode so I am getting ready to officially start the program this Monday. In pre-season there are eight tasks to fulfill and let me tell you they really put things into perspective. For example the ‘Get Real’ task forces you to confront everything that is holding you back or rather how you are holding yourself back.  All the excuses that I make which lately have included lack of sleep, Neil’s schedule, too many other things to do, too late, too rainy, ect.

Once I laid out my excuses I then set my goals for the next 12 months. My overall goal is to lose 30+ lbs in the next year.  This month my goal is to lose 5 pounds, my three month goal is to have lost 10 pounds and to be able to once again run a 5k with ease, my six month goal is to have lost 20 pounds and to be back at my 10k pace and then lastly at 12 months I want to have lost 30 pounds and be ready to run a half marathon.

So task three was to gear up based on where you will be doing your workouts inside, outside or at home.  Since most of my workouts will be outside or at home I really have nothing to get but I do need to get the tire on our BOB looked at because it keep losing air; anyone else have this problem?

Task four is the kitchen makeover and I have to say besides the pumpkin beer for our tasting party this weekend there really isn’t anything that I needed to clean out. We have been making a real effort to keep our kitchen filled with whole and healthy foods so it felt good to see that we have been keeping up with it.

Next I did my Fitness Test which included a flexibility test, running, push ups, plank and a wall sit. It felt really good to get out and run even if it was just for the fit test. I’m slow but honestly my pace wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated but nevertheless I am still in the beginner category because I have taken such a long break from consistent workouts.

After my fitness test i did my weight and measurements which is always something I dread.  I don’t plan on going back and doing either again until I have completed the four weeks. I really don’t want to get hung up on my weight and measurements and would rather focus on how I feel. I do however think that a monthly check in especially when doing an activity like this is important so that I can gage results.

Let’s see the last few tasks I completed where to organize my schedule to include time for the prescribed workouts and I took time to go over the first weeks meal plan. Unfortunately there is no vegan plan so I have to go with the vegetarian and make swap outs. This is the one thing I haven’t cared for with the program because I ended up having to take about 45-60 minutes to rework my meal plan for the month so that it was dairy and egg free and I had to make my own shopping list because once you customize your own meal plan your shopping list they provide you is useless.

So here I am at my last task before the official start of the program; I need to say it out loud. So now I have. I am committing to this program and I am ready for a change. I am ready to commit to myself and to improving my health and fitness levels.

What are you committing yourself to this month?

100 Things Before 100

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I have been meaning to do this for years and I finally sat down and did it. Here is my list of 100 things I want to do before you turn 100. Otherwise known as a “bucket list”.

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1. Buy an Airstream or something similar.
2. Travel to all 50 states.
3. Take a romantic trip with my husband for our 25 wedding anniversary.
4. Run a half-marathon.
5. Run a race in 10 different states.
6. Practice yoga on a beach.
7. Take Edith on an overnight hike.
8. Go on a two night backpacking trip.
9. Go snowboarding at Mount Hood.
10. Become a postpartum doula.
11. Complete my baby wearing educator certification.
12. Become a birth doula.
13. Become a child birth educator.
14. Practice yoga everyday for one year.
15. Run 1,000 miles in a year.
16. Write a cookbook.
17. Travel to Spain (again) and show Neil all of the places I love.
18. Buy a house.
19. Visit the Portland Art Museum.
20. Go on one date per month with Neil for an entire year.
21. Watch all of the Godfather Movies.
22. Visit Disneyland.
23. Learn French.
24. Visit Ireland.
25. Run a 10k.
26. Write a book (not a cookbook).
27. Move to Montreal.
28. Ride in a hot-air balloon.
29. Pay off my student loan debt.
30. Skydive.
31. Visit all seven continents.
32. Dine at Candle 79.
33. Become a midwife.
34. Become a placenta encapsulation specialist
35. Run a mile in less than 8 minutes.
36. Run a sub 27 min 5k.
37. Run the Disney Princess Half Marathon.
38. Run the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.
39. Do the Goofy Challenge.
40. Become a yoga instructor.
41. Go for a hike in the Grand Canyon.
42. Visit the Red Wood Forest.
43. Have six months of living expenses saved.
44. Run Hood To Coast.
45. Run a Ragnar Relay.
46. Run the Vermont relay 100 on 100.
47. Float in the Dead Sea.
48. Put a piece of bubble gum on the Gum Wall in Seattle.
49. Try hot yoga.
50. Attend Wanderlust Tahoe.
51. Make homemade ice cream.
52. Become a good photographer.
53. Visit Germany.
54. Attend a Portland Timbers Game.
55. Go to a World Series Game (when the Yankees are playing).
56. Attend SXSW.
57. See Chuck Ragan live.
58. Visit Vancouver, BC.
59. Spend a child free weekend at The Essex.
60. Have a second child.
61. Travel to Wawa, Ontario (and visit Emma & Derek if they still live there).
62. Vacation on Lake Superior.
63. Tailgate.
64. Play a round of golf.
65. Become fluent in Spanish.
66. Adopt a dog.
67. Reach my “happy weight”.
68. Gamble in Vegas.
69. Visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
70. Become a NASM certified personal trainer.
71. Visit a Trappist brewery in Europe.
72. Go to a resort in Bali.
73. Write for a magazine.
74. Byline in a healthy living magazine.
75. Byline in a parenting magazine.
76. Try Barre3.
77. Complete the entire Long Trail.
78. Visit all Canadian Provinces.
79. Go for a run in Central Park.
80. Brew my own beer.
81. Have a professional massage once per month for an entire year.
82. Take a cake decorating class.
83. Speak at a conference.
84. Go Wine tasting in Oregon.
85. See Eberts ‘102 Movies You Must See’
86. Watch all Best Picture nominees prior to the Oscars.
87. Host a huge Oscar party.
88. Make a vegan creme brulee
89. Eat every meal at home for a month.
90. Audition for The Amazing Race.
91. Visit Crater Lake.
92. Spend the weekend at the beach in Newport, Or.
93. Take a photo next to the Goonies House.
94. Spend the night in a Yurt.
95. Go fruit picking along the Hood River County Fruit Loop.
96. Hike to the top of Multnomah Falls.
97. Go camping at Acadia National Park.
98. Make pickled green beans.
99. Knit a pair of slippers.
100. Kiss the Blarney Stone.

What’s on your bucket list?

P.S. this was harder than I thought it was going to be!