is comparing yourself to others a good thing?

hey hey buddies. it's tuesday, jess!

i had a bombtastic day today. i acted like a blob all morning, read a little, went out to lunch with christie from honoring health (again! love her!), and knocked out a killer strength training workout.

yep. all in a days work :)

just a quick thought for you all tonight... i was reading some older posts from two awesome blogs and came across posts about how many calories they consume.

usually, i'm not really into other people's diets, but that day it struck a chord with me. i guess i was blown away by how active these girls are, and how little calories they actually ate (compared to me).

my first reaction was intrigue. they are both so healthy, and their diets really seem flawless! i'm amazed at their endless creativity and dedication to health.

... but then, i started internalizing. you know, comparing myself.

i started thinking about how beautiful and active these girls are, and how i move so much less, but eat so much more! it blew my mind.

i wouldn't say it made me uncomfortable, but i definitely had a few moments of uncertainty. how could this be? am i eating the right amount? am i overeating? 

i quickly came to a shocking conclusion: i am not either of them.

brilliant, i know. the important fact i lost sight of was that we are all unique. what's good for me may not be good for you, or anyone else for that matter. we are individuals, and we require different things to feel and look our best.

i know what i normally eat, and if i was to eat less, i would definitely lose weight that i don't want to lose. if someone else ate like me, however, they might gain or lose weight. or just feel like crap. or be bored. or not think i have very good tastes in snacks. whatever.

it was eye-opening, to say the least. i realized even when i think that i've conquered a weak area, i can always be taken off guard! i'm not immune to insecurity, that's for sure.

so i decided to do my own "day of food" post.

this is not meant to encourage more comparison. please, don't look at me as the standard. i'm quite the opposite, actually.

it's meant to be a declaration of self-acceptance: i am rebekah. this is what i eat, and i'm totally ok with that.

let's get started, shall we?

5:05am - must. drink. water. now.

5:31am - oatmeal time! oatmeal time! oatmeal time!

in the mix: chocolate chia tahini oats. yum.

6:00am - decaf coffee (and assume i am pounding water the rest of the day from here out)

9:20am - post-run recover smoothie (recycled picture, i ate too quick!)

in the mix: hemp protein, hemp milk, banana, strawberries, blueberries, + spinach

p.s. - you can tell it's finally daylight! lol.

11:40am - leftover amaranth savory pancakes

mix it up! try substituting leftover cooked grains in your next pancake recipe. blend them up a bit in the food processor first if you like a smoother texture.

+ snow peas and copious amounts of (unpictured) carrots

intermission: i just had to show you guys this shelf on our freezer.

i love my little brother! he's 16... can you tell?

1:30pm - gala apple + almonds + rooibos tea

second intermission: look at my mom's cute plants!

2:06pm - second snack. because apparently the first one wasn't enough.

(on a book up for review - coming soon!)

4:07pm - dinner, part one.

mom's homemade whole wheat bread + homemade hummus

5:15pm - leftover baked potato + homemade 3-bean chili

... where are my leafy greens today???

taa-daa! y'all sleepin' yet?

who cares what everyone else does? you are really quite lovely just how you are.

i want you to look at your body and what you eat, and promise not to judge yourselves, either. deal?

-rebekah

my week in pictures.

not a lot of words for today... just some long overdue pictures and recipes!

maybe this will give you guys a little peek into my day :)

the beautiful kelli sent me some goodies a while back, and deserves a hella shoutout! this girl is wicked creative... she made me maple cinnamon almond/peanut butter!!! enough said.

and i might add - the nut butter is almost totally gone...

and fig basalmic vinegar! gasp. thank you kelli!

i think i'm gonna go make dressing right, actually.

zee knees, post-run.

my rule? if you run for more than 30 mins, please ice, just in case!

and my foam roller... i love you.

don't know how to use it? now you can!

a random breakfast...

and a recipe!

this is some of the best gluten-free bread i've ever made. it's protein packed and super-nutritious, which can be rare in GF products.

the process:

the result:

seriously guys, make this bread! it's so dense and satisfying.

i'd choose it over whole wheat bread anyday... and that's sayin' something.

this runner knows her carbs.

next up? quinoa breakfast brownies.

the gluten-free goddess is probably the blog i'd credit to my success at GF baking.

she is a genius, and knows EVERYTHING.

i made these bars for my little sister (a celiac) to grab on her way out the door before 5:45AM swim practice - yes, seriously.

obviously, she deserves good grub.

i am to deliver.

the verdict? and i quote... "OMG THESE TASTE LIKE NAUGHTY COOKIES!"

victory is mine.

one of my favorite new snacks, jess-style.

melted cheddar + crofter's = bliss.

i seriously cannot say enough good things about crofter's.

organic, tangy, and not sweet? i like.

oats in a jar. at 5AM. on film. epic.

soft-fried egg + spinach + sauteed mustrooms + homemade guac.

i eat this quite a lot. no shame.

props to alton.

and iced tea, because i'm a good southern girl, y'all.

flowers from mom's garden... she's so talented!

everything is gorgeous, and she gardens organically - no sprays or pesticides.

i am so blessed to be able to pick chemical-free flowers and veggies from my back yard... thank you Lord!

last but not least, the recipe from last night's dinner.

really, really, good, and mostly healthy, creamy penne pesto pasta

(didn't photograph, but it looked like this!)

8 oz. whole wheat penne

1/2 box frozen spinach, thawed and liquids squeezed out

3 or 4 tbsp pesto (i used homemade!)

handful sundried tomatoes, packed in oil

8 oz. sour cream (i had leftover from a cookout, but this would be an ideal place to substitute greek yogurt!)

handful or two of grated parmesan, fresh if you can manage

few big pinches of black pepper, to taste

pinch of salt, to taste

optional: 1/2 lb grilled chicken, cut into strips

here we go:

DISCLAIMER: when i cook, i don't really measure. sorry type-A girls :)

started by cooking the man's chicken in a skillet with a tiny dab of olive oil. i just seasoned them up with salt and pepper and cut them into skinny strips. start with your heat up high to get a good sear on them, then turn it down to low to cook through. when they were almost done, i tented some aluminum foil over them to finish cooking through and keep them warm while the pasta cooked.

i boiled the pasta to al dente, drained, and returned to the pasta pot. i first stirred in my pesto, spinach, and tomatoes, coating all the noodles. once that was well-mixed, i stirred in my sour cream and parmesan cheese. things started lookin' pretty sexy in there, so i tasted it, seasoned it up with my S + P, and served my boyfriend who had patiently been hovering for an hour or so :)

i served it with crusty whole wheat bread and sauteed basalmic asparagus. if you and your dinner date are both omnivores, you should stir in the chicken after adding the sour cream and cheese.

i also brought him a batch of chocolate chip cookies to celebrate his track season ending (he coaches high school). i used this recipe from Allrecipes, but it wasn't my favorite. the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies from Dorie's book are still the best i've ever made.... if you love to bake, you need this book!

now your turn - do you guys have to measure to cook?

i don't even measure when i bake... terrible, i know!

-rebekah

ok guys... i never do this.

i can't believe i'm posting... an oatmeal recipe.
i'm officially a bandwagon blogger, but forgive me.

these oats are just that good.

dreamsicle protein oats

1/2 c rolled oats
3 spoonfuls oat bran
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/2-2/3 c orange juice (depending on how thick you like your oats)
1 packet stevia/sprinkle of sugar (optional)

toppings - shredded coconut, coconut butter drizzle, and vanilla extract!

1. eat and 2. enjoy!!!
- r

get in maa bellahh

good morning everyone!

i got over 8 hours of sleep for probably the first time in 6 months or so

... today is a great day!

(the flowers are fresh cut from my mom's garden... i love you spring!)

some foodzzzz i has been scarfin':

english muffin topped with cottage cheese, chocolate PB2, cinnamon, and a few fresh strawberries.

strawberry shortcake, anyone?

dinner on sunday - black beans, 1/2 avocado, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, radishes, a HUGE blob of salsa, and a disgusting amount of seasonings.

Q: do you guys HEAVILY season your food?

i can't just eat anything plain anymore. everything is a blank canvas now :)

OIAJ - this is a gift of god. seriously.

in the mix: 1/3 c oats, 2 tbsp oat bran, pinch salt, 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder, coffee to cook (maybe 1/2c?)

sweet, caramelly gooooooooddddddddnesss.

product review: PURE BAR cherry cashew (tj's - $1.49)

the taste was "meh." the nutritional stats were not "meh," however.

basically, it's a larabar with a few less nuts and rice protein substituted, but the calories/fats/protein is pretty similar. it's pretty nice for someone like me who tries to save their nut consumption for aforementioned OIAJ.

they are 100% raw and natural, so i would definitely keep them in mind in a pinch.

want a coupon? 

low and slow sweet 'taters, tomato sauce, hot sauce, and nutritional yeast.

two things -

1. homemade tomato sauce is INFINITELY better than canned.

... especially if you don't make it and your mom does all the work. score.

2. nutritional yeast is my new favorite non-meat protein source. i love it.

yeah, i'll jump on that blogger bandwagon.

do you guys use the website coupons, too?

hope your week's kickin' off right.

-r

ps - tonight is my cinco de mayo cooking demo at whole foods with miss stephanie and miss brittany!!!

wish me luck, and i can't wait to meet these lovely ladies.

family gatherings and product review.

how insanely gorgeous was the weather this weekend???

it was PERFECT here. so beautiful.

le sigh.

anyways, onto food, shall we?

i haven't been very good about taking pictures of my daily eats recently, but i think that's a good thing.

don't get me wrong, i love reading daily eats blogs (hello kath!). i think it can be really interesting to see how other healthy bloggers eat, but most of my food is pretty repetitive and not photogenic. think about when your stomach doesn't feel well... usually, that's not when you try out an exotic new thai dish. i tend to kinda think this way:

"um.. i'm hungry. helllloooo conveniently placed apple!"

you guys know what an apple looks like, right?

ok, i think we're on the same page.

also, i think it can be easy to get trapped into taking pictures of EVERY bite you put in your mouth. it can turn a bit obsessive, and i don't really want to head down that road. i enjoy my food with NO GUILT, and i enjoy the pictures i do take, so why fix it if it ain't broke? capishe?

just because it's been about a week since i bombed your google readers with a kitchen sink salad, here's your fill for this week.

spinach/kale base, bell peppers, cukes, avocado, tomatoes, radishes, carrot, strawberries, chopped dates, stacy's pita chips, salsa, hot sauce, and nutritional yeast!

om nom nom. cheeseeeeeeeee.

mom always jokes that i can't go back to school, because who will make her salads???

i'll hire an intern, mom. no worries.

also, a new addition to KSS (kitchen sink salads) worth sharing:

foodie review:

riceworks sweet chili rice chips

these are SO good! mom and i got a huge box to share from costco probably a month ago, and we've been slowly working our way through ever since! if you don't already crumble chips in your salads, you guys are seriously missing out. it's like croutons that don't taste like dirt!

they make quite a few flavors, but i've only had the chili. i can't wait to get my grubby little paws on some of the other varieties... especially the baked cinnamon!!!

they're made from whole grain rice and gluten-free, so they're pretty dang awesome for someone with food sensitivities (like my celiac sister).

want a coupon?

moving on...

want to see more of my snacks?

of course you do!

it's an apple, i swear.

nor is it a mutant - not stellar lighting, i'll admit.

my first savory oats experience!
- 2 tbsp oat bran
- 1/4 c rolled oats
- 1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk
- pinch salt
- insane amounts of black pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder

after i cooked it almost all the way, i stirred in a laughing cow swiss cheese wedge.

#@*$(@#$#@*$(@#$#@*$(@#$#@*$(@#$

i want more now!

like cheesy mashed potatoes,

but way better for you!

(not knocking the spuds...)

prime example of why i don't document everything i eat.

allow me to introduce you to daily breakfast:

- 1/2 c cottage cheese

- sprinkle stevia

- mixture of 2 kinds of cereal... usually trader joe's high fiber cereal and ezekiel cereal.

photographic yawn.

and it's 5:30am.

double yawn.

but tasty!?!?

we also had a little family get together on saturday.

usually, mom and i try to cook for the family on saturday since it's one of two nights dad's home for dinner (he works in illinois).

the crowd usually includes me, mom and dad, my little brother and sister if they aren't out on dates, my older sister and her guy, my nephew, and any other scragglers who are left high and dry and need some grub.

on the menu:

- roast

- mashed potatoes

- green beans

- roasted sweet potatoes (low and slow)

- mushrooms sauteed in red wine reduction

- ciabatta bread from tj's

- homemade fro-yo!

le spread.

my salad.

you know the deal/usual suspects.

taters.

oops.

i wanted to show you guys my shirt, but i forgot to put down my towel...

it says c'est la vie!

correct me if i'm wrong french-speakers,

but doesn't that mean it's the life?

it also has my favorite thing on it: a fleur-de-lis.

not sure when the obsession started, but i'm in love.

i think it's the combination of the old-world look of them and the shape. they're just so gorgeous and intricate. 

and finally,

check out my new tab.

if you're interested in why my life is the way it is (no school, work, etc.), check it out!

happy moday loveies!

-r