52 in 52: Week Three

Since going grain free I have been really missing my oatmeal. Oats are probably one of my favorite foods. Over this winter break I have been testing different grains to see what I can tolerate. Oats seem to be okay for me now!

This brings me to what I tried this week... savory oatmeal. I have never had savory oats before, and it has also been years since I have had a sunny side up egg. I made a bowl of oatmeal topped with a sunny side up egg, tomato, sautéed spinach, avocado and bagel seasoning.

I absolutely loved this breakfast. I have always been skeptical but somehow it all worked out really well. I ended up eating a sunny side up egg almost every day this week and have been loving them. It wasn't until about a year or two ago that I really started to love eating eggs. Now I typically have eggs 5-6 days a week for breakfast when I am home; I like them that much.

Next week I go back to school which will make trying new things a little harder,  but I am excited to see what I can come up with this semester.

until next time, 

Maddie 

Tuesday Eats: I'm Back (again)

I am really hoping that this semester I can get better at blogging more often. Last semester was crazy for me. I didn't have time to relax, let alone write blog posts. This semester should be a little easier (fingers crossed) so I am planning on spending more time blogging. I always liked to write the Tuesday Eats, so I know I will be continuing with these posts for now. With that, here is what I ate:

Breakfast: Pumpkin Egg White Pancake w/ Maple Syrup and Raspberries + Grapefruit 

Finding a good grain free pancake recipe is so hard. I am really picky which doesn't help at all. I like this pancake recipe because it only uses pumpkin and egg whites so it isn't pretending to be a "real" pancake. This day I warmed up frozen raspberries and used it as a topping along with maple syrup. It makes for a really good breakfast

Lunch: Kale Salad w/ Poached Egg, Tomato, Cucumber, Sauerkraut, and Leftover Roasted Veggies 

I wanted to try a salad with a poached egg so my mom and I made this for lunch. The egg doesn't really look poached but we tried. We just used up a bunch of random veggies we had in the house and it made for an amazing lunch. 

Snack: Candied Nuts 

My aunt came over in the afternoon to teach us how to make her signature candied nuts. We made an original flavor and a chipotle flavor. My favorite was the original but they are both really good. It is crazy how many nuts I ate once we had them in the house but that are that delicious. 

Dinner: Chicken Noodle Soup + Kale Salad 

My Parents love to make homemade chicken noodle soup. They made the broth in the instant pot and for everyone else, my dad makes homemade noodles too. I use chickpea noodles to make it grain free. My favorite part of this soup is that the noodles are cooked in the broth so they have a different taste than when cooked in water. I hadn't tried that before they began making the soup. 

Until next time, 

Maddie 

52 in 52: Week One and Two

I wasn't going to do anything in terms of "New Years resolutions" this year, but the other day I heard on the radio the idea of 52 in 52. Every week for a year you try something new. The new thing can be anything you want it to be. I loved this idea so I am going to do 52 in 52 with the goal of trying a new food or recipe each week. I am excited to see where this takes me while I am in school. I have had a pretty easy start since I am home for winter break, but the real challenge lies ahead.

  

Seeing as almost two weeks have already passed this month, I am combining this post. The goal is to do a short post each week about what I tried. I am making my weeks Sunday through Monday for the sake of ease instead of trying to go by the dates. So here we go! 

Week One

If you follow me on instagram (@classyandcleverblog) you would have seen my post about these new grain free English muffins I tried. I had been really wanting avocado toast, I don't like to have avocado with most grain free breads because it doesn't make for a balanced breakfast ie no carbs. So many people are afraid of carb but I find that I don't function well if I am not eating enough carbs. 

These english muffins were so easy to make that I know I will make them again and again. They were the perfect base for avocado and will make for a great peanut butter and jelly.  I made a lot of these and put them in the freezer so I can just pull one out whenever I want. 

Week Two

I tried a papaya this week! As much as I love to eat locally, I am really interested in trying tropical fruits as well. Of course I am never going to find a papaya growing in Wisconsin so I got this from the grocery store.  

I first tried the papaya by scooping it out of its skin and thought it was just okay. BUT, once I added lime juice on top of the fruit it was amazing. I loved the fresh citrus burst that the lime gives. It completely changes how the fruit tastes. I will definitely have papaya again if I see it at the store. 

When I was reading about papaya I found that the seeds are edible. My mom found a great salad dressing using the papaya seeds and a bit of fresh papaya. The seeds have a peppery taste that make for a great salad dressing. Some people dry the seeds to use like peppercorns but that was more work than I was willing to put in. 

So there is week one and two! Let me know if you have ideas of any foods or recipes I should try. My mom is also doing this on her blog, so you can follow along here! She made a new cinnamon roll repine for New Years Day, and then an instant pot recipe that everyone in my family loved.

I am excited to see where this takes me!

xoxo,

Maddie 

Tuesday's Eats:: Making Up Meals

Posting this semester will definitely be all over the place, but this weekend I was so productive with homework that I actually have time to write something! This weekend was so much fun with a HUGE badger win over Michigan, hanging out with my friends a lot and just finally having a moment to breathe. When it comes to food, my weekends are pretty similar as we aren't served anything in our sorority house. This means all of us eat a lot of leftovers or random snacks. This "Tuesday Eats" is from Sunday and I am pleased with how I was able to make a tasty full day of eating from just what I had around... no spending on food for me this week. Here is what I ate: 

Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Skyr w/ Blueberries, Grain Free Granola, Plums and Turmeric Juice Shot

I absolutely love the fall for all the foods. I really love pumpkin foods, and the Pumpkin Spice skyr is what I look forward to the most. When it isn't in season, I add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to my yogurt just to get same idea. My only complaint about fall foods is that it is so much so focused on pumpkin, but there are others like maple and sweet potato flavors that are so underrated. Even with that, I am still so happy to see my Pumpkin Spice Siggi's back on the shelves. 

Lunch: Eggs w/ Salsa, Leftover Roasted Brussel Sprouts, and Carrots w/ Hummus 

On Sundays we are served brunch in my sorority, so I made for a lunch of mix of leftovers and brunch. I grabbed some scrambled eggs, but of course had to have some leftover Brussel sprouts as those are one of my favorite things we are served. I honestly only added the carrots and hummus to add a little color, but it worked out to make a good meal. 

Snack: Smoothie (blueberries, banana, yogurt, fig, spinach, cinnamon)

I love the weekends because I can make better snacks for myself then just beef jerky or fruit with nut butter. I just wanted something small, so I threw a bunch on things in the blender and hoped for the best. I was pleasantly surprised with how good this was! I have been really liking to add cinnamon to my smoothies, just like with my yogurt mentioned above, because it adds some warmth to an otherwise cold snack. 

Dinner: Salmon Bowl w/ Cauliflower Rice, Broccoli, Leftover Brussel Sprouts and Capers

Dinner was just a random bowl of leftovers, which is typical for my Saturday and Sunday nights. I could easily order in food, but why would I do that when I can make these bowls for free instead of paying over $10? I have gotten really good at putting together leftovers in a way that tastes good, and is a little different every time. For this bowl, it was the capers and a little lemon juice I added that really brought everything together. 

Dessert: Chocolate Banana Protein Pudding w/ Hemp Seeds and Granola 

I was procrastinating doing homework when I saw a recipe online for a protein pudding. I decided to give it a try and I am so surprised by how good it tasted, even if it was pretty ugly looking. I was thinking it would taste like straight protein but it didn't! All it is, is chocolate protein powder, milk, peanut butter and mashed banana. Letting it sit in the fridge allows it to thicken up into a pudding like consistency. I am not the biggest pudding fan to begin with, but it is really nice to know that I can easily make myself a dessert if I have a sweet tooth that day. 

Until Next Time! 

xoxo,

Maddie

Tuesday's Eats: Some Real Meals Again

You would think the first week of classes would be pretty calm and relaxed right? Nope. Between working, homework, classes and sorority recruitment I have had no time this week. Everything has been back to back so much so that I found myself eating mainly protein bars (Bhu and Perfect Bars) and fruit, but no real meals. This week I wanted to make a point of eating real meals instead of just snacks. I always find that meals keep me fuller and happier than just a bunch of snack. Monday was the first day of eating real meals again, and lets say it turned out pretty well. Here is what I ate. 

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Toast w/ Rhubarb Jam, Blueberries and an Orange 

The highlight of this breakfast was the rhubarb jam. My mom made it for the first time this summer and it was amazing. It was the perfect level of tartness. I just had it on toast, but it would also be so good with almond butter or in yogurt. I've also been experimenting with different protein sources other than yogurt (though I still love my yogurt), and microwave scrambled eggs have been on repeat. They are easy and fast which is great for week day breakfasts. 

Lunch: Salad w/ Taco Seasoned Tofu, Cucumbers, Tomato, Carrot and Salsa with Baby Bel Cheese

Being grain free means that most of my meals consist of fruits/veggies and protein. Initially I was struggling to make meals that kept me full, but I find that if I fill the whole plate with veggies and then top it with a lot of protein staying full isn't a problem. We always have a salad bar for lunch and dinner, so I took ingredients from teh salad bar and then just topped it off with tofu that had been leftover from taco night. Not a crazy meal, but not bad either. 

Dinner: Alfredo Zoodles w/ Chicken, Broccoli, Olives,  and Tomato 

You have no idea how excited I was for zoodles. Everyone was having pasta with Alfredo Sauce so I was preparing myself to have just some broccoli and chicken but instead I was able to make a delicious meal with extra topping from the salad bar. The chicken this night was so good for some reason, I went back for seconds. 

Dessert: Apple and Dark Chocolate (unpictured) 

I had been initially thinking I would want a smoothie for dessert, but instead it wasn't that hungry but definitely still had a sweet tooth. To remedy this first I had some dark chocolate which is my usual dessert of choice if I want something small. I was still a little hungry since I had eaten an early dinner. For some reason an apple was sounding so good to me, so I had that as well. Apples are never my "dessert" of choice, but today it was what I wanted so I just rolled with it. 

Until next time, 

Maddie 

Tuesday's Eats: Back at School

      It's been a while. Between working, greek life and packing for school I have not been able to find anytime to blog. I've mentioned in the past how I've been eating grain free and feeling a lot better, so in the last couple of weeks I have tested different grains to see what I might be able to tolerate. The answer... pretty much none of them. So far, I have done the best with rice but I will still be sticking with grain free for a while because I still didn't feel good after rice two days in a row.
      Another life update is that I am back at school. I got back at the end of last week. Right now,  we don't have food service right now (I am still in the sorority house) so my meals are either eating out or whatever I can make using a fridge, blender and microwave. This means my meals are not that exciting but I have managed to make some good meals for myself regardless. Here is what I've been eating.

Breakfast: Skyr w/ Strawberries and Grain Free Granola

Back to my usual school breakfast of a parfait. This one was really good because I used coconut Icelandic Provisions and Purely Elizabeth Vanilla Almond Butter granola. This granola is by far and away the best grain free granola out there. I have tried a lot of different grain free granolas because if you have been looking at my old "what I eat posts" you'll notice that granola has always been a staple in my diet. I would say that Purely Elizabeth is the best gluten free and grain free granolas out there.

AM Snack: Cashews 

Cashews are my favorite nut and its crazy how many I have eaten this yummy and already this school year. I had easy access to them at work so I could enjoy them whenever and my parents got me some when moving in as a treat. I typically don't buy nuts for myself because they are so expensive but I always make sure to enjoy them when I have a chance. My only complaint is that the 365 brand isn't as salty as others, and being a salt fan, this is a little bit of a let down. 

Lunch: Strawberry Chicken Salad, Plums, Cheese and Carrots w/ Quac 

I have seriously eaten this salad 3 times in the past 2 days, its a little much. We get all of the leftovers in my sorority house so I had this for lunch the initial day, dinner that night, and then lunch this day. I don't mind it becuase it tastes really good, but I need a break from it too. I changed it up a little by adding the fruit and veggies on the side. It is times like these where I look forward to meal service so that I can eat a little more variety in my days but oh well, at least it tasted good. 

Dinner: Naf Naf Grilled (Catered) 

I had a work meeting this night and it catered Naf Naf which is a middle eastern grill. I really appreciated this choice because it was so easy for me to make a grain free meal. In my bowl there was lettuce, chicken, steak, falafel, various veggie toppings, bit of tahini and a couple other random things.  I ended up eating two bowls worth of food with hopes that I could avoid needing to eat food that I bought at home. 

Bedtime Snack: Coconut Peanut Butter Perfect Bar

Not eating again definitely didn't happen. Because I had dinner so early, I ended up needing something before bed so I chose a perfect bar. The honey helped give me a little something sweet while the bar still had enough protein to keep me full throughout the night. I would never turn down a Perfect Bar any time of day so this addition is no surprise to me. 

Until next time, 

Maddie 

Reading Recently: Summer 2019

This summer a lot of reading has been accomplished, especially when I was recovering from hip surgery. Sadly a lot of the books I read were subpar but there were some really good ones. These are five of my favorites that I have read so far this summer, and would highly recommend them. I have added their description from Amazon (linked in the title) as it gives you a much better idea of what the book is about, than me trying to explain it without giving it away. 

When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger 

"Welcome to Greenwich, Connecticut, where the lawns and the women are perfectly manicured, the Tito’s and sodas are extra strong, and everyone has something to say about the infamous new neighbor.

Let’s be clear: Emily Charlton does not do the suburbs. After leaving Miranda Priestly, she’s been working in Hollywood as an image consultant to the stars, but recently, Emily’s lost a few clients. She’s hopeless with social media. The new guard is nipping at her heels. She needs a big opportunity, and she needs it now.

When Karolina Hartwell, a gorgeous former supermodel, is arrested for a DUI, her fall from grace is merciless. Her senator-husband leaves her, her Beltway friends disappear, and the tabloids pounce.

In Karolina, Emily finds her comeback opportunity. But she quickly learns Greenwich is a world apart and that this comeback needs a team approach.

So it is that Emily, the scorned Karolina, and their mutual friend Miriam, a powerful attorney turned stay-at-home suburban mom, band together to not only navigate the social land mines of suburban Greenwich but win back the hearts of the American public. Along the way, an indispensable ally emerges in one Miranda Priestly."

Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life in Italy by Frances Mayes

"Bella Tuscany, a companion volume to Under the Tuscan Sun, is her passionate and lyrical account of her continuing love affair with Italy. Now truly at home there, Mayes writes of her deepening connection to the land, her flourishing friendships with local people, the joys of art, food, and wine, and the rewards and occasional heartbreaks of her villa's ongoing restoration. It is also a memoir of a season of change, and of renewed possibility. As spring becomes summer she revives Bramasole's lush gardens, meets the challenges of learning a new language, tours regions from Sicily to the Veneto, and faces transitions in her family life." 

The Lake House by Kate Morton

"Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories.

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. He is never found, and the family is torn apart, the house abandoned.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as a novelist. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old Edevane estate—now crumbling and covered with vines. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.

A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies from a masterful storyteller, The Lake House is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read."


Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey

"With the man of her dreams back in her life and all three of her daughters happy, Ansley Murphy should be content. But she can’t help but feel like it’s all a little too good to be true.

Meanwhile, youngest daughter and actress Emerson, who is recently engaged and has just landed the role of a lifetime, seemingly has the world by the tail. Only, something she can’t quite put her finger on is worrying her—and it has nothing to do with her recent health scare.

When two new women arrive in Peachtree Bluff—one who has the potential to wreck Ansley’s happiness and one who could tear Emerson’s world apart—everything is put in perspective. And after secrets that were never meant to be told come to light, the powerful bond between the Murphy sisters and their mother comes crumbling down, testing their devotion to each other and forcing them to evaluate the meaning of family."


The Guest Book by Sarah Blake 

"No. It is a simple word, uttered on a summer porch in 1936. And it will haunt Kitty Milton for the rest of her life. Kitty and her husband, Ogden, are both from families considered the backbone of the country. But this refusal will come to be Kitty’s defining moment, and its consequences will ripple through the Milton family for generations. For while they summer on their island in Maine, anchored as they are to the way things have always been, the winds of change are beginning to stir.

In 1959 New York City, two strangers enter the Miltons’ circle. One captures the attention of Kitty’s daughter, while the other makes each of them question what the family stands for. This new generation insists the times are changing. And in one night, everything does.

So much so that in the present day, the third generation of Miltons doesn’t have enough money to keep the island in Maine. Evie Milton’s mother has just died, and as Evie digs into her mother’s and grandparents’ history, what she finds is a story as unsettling as it is inescapable, the story that threatens the foundation of the Milton family myth."

My favorites of these books would have to be The Guest Book or Bella Tuscany. Both of these books completely sucked me in, so much so that I read them in less than two days. Now I am on the search for more good books, so if you have any recommendation comment below! 

Until next time, 

Maddie