Naturally Addicted

Cilantro-Lime Avocado Chicken Salad

NaturallyAddicted — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:00:44 +0000

Good morning everyone!

Usually I despise Mondays and Tuesdays…. I’m just waiting to get over the hump of Wednesday, but I woke up especially peppy yesterday morning and this peppy-ness has continued into this morning!!

I don’t know if it’s because October (my fav month ever) is just around the corner, yoga has been especially awakening this week, or the fact that GLEE comes back on tonight! O yes I am thrilled!!! To be honest I think it’s a combination of all three…

I love the fact that fall is beginning to set in and that the holidays will be swiftly approaching! There are also some fun things happening over the next few months, but you’ll just have to stay tuned to find out what they are… mwahaha

I easily slipped back into the work-thang yesterday and was thrilled to return home and be a couch potato the rest of the evening! Sometimes it’s the only way to go…

For dinner I had roasted veggies with Cilantro- Lime Avocado Chicken salad (yes, that’s a mouthful) and a unpictured sweet potato! “Dank-a-licious…”

On Sunday when I returned from Raleigh, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up all my necessities for the week… TONS of produce, salmon, yogurt, and a rotisserie chicken.

The best buy was definitely the rotisserie chicken… last week I picked up some Curry Chicken Salad from Earthfare and successfully gobbled it up in 2 days, so this week I wanted to try my hand at making my own.

I’m not a huge fan of mayo… sometimes it just makes me squeamish, so on my way into the grocery store I was thinking of doing something with avocado to replace the mayo. Then while shopping I spotted this….

It’s a mayo substitute with no eggs, no dairy, and no soy. I thought sure I’ll try it out, so I threw it in my basket along with a few other ingredients.

Cilantro-Lime Avocado Chicken Salad

chicken from 1 rotesserie chicken shredded
1 avocado
1 tbsp. of mayo (or mayo substitute)
1/4 c. chopped scallions
juice 2 limes
1/2 c. cilantro
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Seriously this stuff is so good!! First, I mashed the avocado and the mayo leaving a few chunky cubes of avocado. Next, I added in the lime juice, cilantro, scallions, cayenne and s&p. Lastly, I combined it all with the chicken. The creamy-ness from the avocado really doesn’t let you miss the missing amount of mayo in the least and you’re getting a good serving of some healthy fats! This would be great on a sandwich with juicy thick slices of tomatoes or on top of a salad packed to the max…

Spinach, beets, peppers, zucchini, sweet potatoes and lastly my new beloved addiction of avocado chicken salad. Yum… can’t wait for lunch today

Hope you all have a fabulous day and you better be ready to discuss all the GLEE-worthy news tomorrow.

(source)

Are you excited for GLEE? What other shows in the fall line-up are you excited to check out??

Filed under: Lunch

It’s Here! It’s Here!

NaturallyAddicted — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:00:46 +0000

It’s here! It’s here… It’s Friday!!!

I’m always happy when it’s Friday, but for some reason the end of this week is bringing me pure joy! I had an awesome yoga class this morning, today is jeans day at work and I’m going to Raleigh after work… it’s going to be a good day

(source)

Yesterday was pretty boring, except for an office tour of the Levine Children’s Hospital here in Charlotte. My company is sponsor for their annual fundraising event – HopeBuilders 5k in October, so we all went on a tour of the hospital. I’m so happy it was possible for us to go and see the hospital. It really shows how much of an impact the children’s hospital has on the community and I’m so happy to be getting involved.

After work, I came home and did not feel like cooking in the least so I had a huge bowl of Ginger Carrot Soup from Earthfare along with some sweet potato fries and chicken salad… completely random, but I was trying to get rid of some of the food in my fridge before I headed out of town this weekend!!

See I told you… very uneventful, but I will leave you with a good little laugh…

(source)

In hot yoga many people use Yogitoes to help them not slip on their mat. I just recently finally bought one as a reward to myself for completing the Feel the Love challenge over the summer. Anyways.. I washed it the other night and in the morning when I took it out of the dryer there were so many pieces of clothes stuck to it. I was half asleep on my way out the door and thought I had gotten them all, but… Do you see where this is going?

As I rolled out the Yogitoes over my mat there was a pair of underwear stuck to it.. bahaha!! Luckily I saw it before anyone else. well except for Mel. I was so embarrassed, but at the same time was laughing hysterically. There is nothing better than an early morning fit of hysteria!

O ps… I had to share this – NEW Twilight Breaking Dawn trailer. Ah… I’m beyond thrilled and can not wait until November 18th!

CLICK HERE TO SEE IT

Hope you all have a fantastic day and a fabulous weekend!!

Filed under: Dinner, Fitness

Aliens… really?

NaturallyAddicted — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:00:25 +0000

It’s Thursday, It’s Thursday!

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for Friday to be here already!!

Do you ever have those weeks where you just feel a bit off? For me it has been this week… I have just been so tired all week and have actually had to drink coffee in the mornings to get me going. (usually I don’t drink coffee because it makes me so jittery and early morning yoga works just as good )

I don’t know if it was the two yoga classes on Monday or something else leaving me with this lingering sleepy feeling, but I can’t wait to sleep in Saturday!

Another reason I can’t wait for Friday… I am going to Raleigh to see Matt!! He went to Athens last weekend for the USC vs. Georgia game, so I’m excited to spend the weekend with him!

This morning started with a low sugar Green Smoothie. I have been gobbling up Pumpkin Smoothies the last few days and decided I need some greens in my life this morning.

Into the mix went: apple, papaya, handful spinach, romaine, almond milk, coconut flavored yogurt, and protein powder.

Wow… the coconut flavored yogurt really gave this smoothie a little somethin’ somethin’! I love it… note to self, buy an ever-lasting supply of coconut flavored yogurt!

While at work yesterday I came across this article:

16 ‘super-Earths’ found outside solar system

This article states that “scientists now have newly identified at least one planet that could potentially sustain life.”

(source)

I know CRAZY right?? I mean seriously… what if there really is life on another planet? Would they look like us or like the creatures from Mars Attacks? Would they be civilized or barbaric? What language would they speak? Do you think they would have technology more advanced than ours? Would they be a threat or would we all get along amicably?

Yes, all these questions immediately popped into my head and for some reason I couldn’t stop thinking about it the rest of the day.

(source)

Maybe I’m in fairy tale land, but I’d like to think we’d all get along. I’m also not quite sure how I imagine them looking, but The Jetsons are the only thing I keep imagining. Flying cars anyone?? In fact I kind of imagine their whole environment looking like The Jetsons. It would be awesome if their technology was more advanced than ours! Maybe even able to teleport..

Yes I’m getting way ahead of myself… in fact the article also said that there is still more work to be done to able to tell if this planet is truly fit for life and it could take the “next 10-20 years until they have the first list of potentially habitable planets.” Bummer…

What do you think life on another planet would be like?

Filed under: Breakfast, Smoothies

Veggie Rice

NaturallyAddicted — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:00:51 +0000

Yes, I know no post yesterday?? Let’s just say Monday was super busy and I ended up sleeping through my alarm on Tuesday…oops! I did wake up 10 minutes before my standard yoga class started and I made it there just as the class was moving into their first downward dog… SUCCESS!

I think the sleeping in had a lot to do with a few days of some intense yoga for me. On Monday I went to my usual 6am class and then Katie talked me into going with her to a 6:30 class after work at a different studio.

Last night when I arrived home from work, even though I was sore and exhausted I really wanted to play around in the kitchen before I took to the couch for the rest of the evening.

I didn’t mention this on Monday’s post because it’s become my standard weekend lunch spot if I’m here in Charlotte and many of you have seen the same dish posted on the blog over and over again.

Yes you know what I’m talking about… Luna’s Living Kitchen. I’m telling you I am head over heels in love with this place and Saturday was no different. I ordered my favorite Gaia’s Treasure and devoured every bite. My favorite part of this dish is the veggie rice. It is a mix of cauliflower, walnuts, garlic and celery root left to marinate in ginger dressing. It is amazing!

One thing which was new to my lunch was this Fruit Tart. O yes and it was all raw… nom nom nom. The crust was made of brazil nuts, dates and cashews. The inside crème was a combination of coconut butter, cashews, vanilla and a few other ingredients I couldn’t remember…oops! The tart was topped with plum slices and figs! Isn’t it pretty?? It tasted just as good as it looks if not better. Even though I was full from lunch, there is always room for a new dessert

Now back to the veggie rice… sometimes desserts just get me so sidetracked! Over the weekend I picked up the biggest head of cauliflower at the grocery store I could find just so I could make my own veggie rice at home.

It is so easy and it’s a great way to add some protein and healthy fats to your diet. Of course it’s an easy way to get some more added veggies too!

Veggie Rice

1 c. chopped cauliflower
½ c. walnuts
1/2 clove garlic

Place all ingredients in a food processor and combine! The end result will look a little something like this…

I multiplied this recipe by 3 to make a large batch! When they are raw like this they taste kind of bland, but once you dress them up in a marinade… delish!! I dressed this batch up with soy sauce and when I combined the ingredients above I added 1/2 c. carrots!

I wish I had thought to buy some peas to add to it too as they kind of taste like fried rice!

It’s delicious and I’ve been enjoying it all week as one of the toppings to my salad. After I make my salad I’ve been topping ½ c. – 1c. of this “fried” veggie rice and it really adds some great texture and protein!!

Yes, I promise it’s under there!

Stay tuned for more variations coming soon… this just may be my next new KICK!

Happy Hump Day!!

Have you discovered a food or recipe recently that you just can’t get enough of? Please share!!

Filed under: Charlotte, Dining Out, Lunch, Snacks

Ready for Fall

NaturallyAddicted — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:00:10 +0000

This weekend I enjoyed quite a few fall-inspired treats…

Pumpkin Apple Smoothie

Pumpkin Muffins

I topped these muffins with Cinnamon Honey and Apple Butter… so delicious!

Can you tell I’m so ready for fall??

Last week as I was catching up on my blog reading I noticed a trend sweeping through the blogosphere…

PUMPKIN!

In the form of pumpkin overnight oats, pumpkin breads and everything in-between. Even though the official start of fall isn’t for a few weeks, the cooler mornings along with the pumpkin recipes has really been making my pumpkin craving creep up on me in full force. Over the weekend I set out on a mission to snag some. In Trader Joe’s the staff looked at me like I was crazy stating pumpkin was a seasonal item and wouldn’t be available for a few weeks. I did get lucky at my next stop and left with jars full of pumpkin deliciousness!!

I wish I could take credit for the pumpkin muffins, but they are actually grain-free made with buckwheat flour. I found them on Pure2Raw and thought they looked interesting. I didn’t have arrowroot or amaranth, so I just used buckwheat. These muffins are pretty delicious… next time I need to try it with all three flours and see if there was a difference.

One thing I did create…

Pumpkin Apple Smoothie

1 c. pumpkin
1 skinned and cubed apple
1/2 c. almond milk
1/2 c. vanilla yogurt
1-2 scoops protein powder
tbsp. chia seeds
tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
dash nutmeg

So decadent and it is the perfect morning treat. The best part… this will definitely keep you perfectly full until lunch! I bet this would awesome with a little banana added too… yum! I might need to do this next time.

Other pumpkin-inspired recipes…

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting via Eat, Live, Run

Pumpkin Peanut Butter French Toast via PBFingers

Pumpkin Oats via Sweet Tooth Sweet Life

I’m off to work… Happy Monday!!

Have you found yourself reaching for your fav fall recipes? Which ones are your favorite? Please share

Filed under: Breakfast, Smoothies