Showing posts with label oatmeal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oatmeal. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Pumpkin OOIAJ

The most beautiful view is the one I share with you

This morning I finally did it. I dragged my sleepy butt out of my comfy king sized bed and went to spin class at 5:45. It was still dark outside, which can only mean the sun was trying to tell me to jump back in bed and sleep. The dogs were even too tired to bark at me when I got back at 7... now that is telling you something!

Since I was already awake and had time to spare I decided to make a healthy lunch that wasn't thrown together frantically in 2 seconds. Black bean burgers with hummus and spring greens.

Black bean burger recipe.


I really do love how easy these bad boys are to make and how healthy they are. I'm not one bit sad about not packing a salad today.


I also packed some of my roasted garlic hummus for a snack. I topped it off with some Old Bay...don't judge. You can never just lightly sprinkle this stuff. After reading blog after blog about overnight oats in a jar {OOIAJ} I decided I needed to try this addiction. I prepared my oats last night in an empty organic peanut butter jar. I don't know how anyone eats this entire thing! It was so filling, delicious and creamy. If you don't judge my OB obsession I won't judge yours.

Pumpkin OOIAJ:
1/3-1/2 cup oats
1 tbsp chia seeds or flax seeds
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon)
3/4 cup nonfat Milk (or Almond Milk for vegan recipe)
1/2 tbsp sugar free syrup
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
Walnuts (optional topping)
1/2 tbsp sugar free syrup (optional topping)
Dried Cranberries or Raisins (optional topping)
granola (optional topping)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in your empty peanut/almond butter jar. Mix well. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. Top with raisins, cranberries, walnuts, granola and/or maple syrup and enjoy!

my toppings
I swear the oats are in there! They are hiding!

I decided to make a list of goals I would like to accomplish in March.

1. I would like to go the gym in the morning 2 days a week. Preferably on Monday's and Tuesday's so I can come home to Chris on the days he has off work and actually spend time with him other than shoving our face with dinner and then going to bed after watching a movie/tv/BRAVO {yes, he watches all seasons of Real Housewives with me}.


2. Pick up my bike from my parents. I have been attending spin class 3-4 times a week and think now that the weather is {hopefully} starting to warm up I could probably bike to my gym. It is about 5 miles away, but I could always use an excuse to get some Chipotle next door. {yes- I am that girl who has a basket attached to her bike for the sole purpose of riding around the neighborhood with her tiny dog. Moo loves bike rides!}


3. Continue to find new healthy recipes and workouts that are outside the box. Bootcamp class, yoga in the city, rock climbing, etc. I have already lost about 8 pounds without trying - my healthy lifestyle has become a routine and not a chore!


4. Find a sushi making class for me and Chris to take with his mom and stepdad. I just want to take a one day class where we can learn how to make 3-4 rolls. I think that would be so much fun!


I think those are pretty reasonable goals! Tonight Chris and I are heading to his mom's for game night with his family - hence the reason I went to the gym this morning. We are ordering Mexican and I will hopefully be in a guac and cheese coma.

do you guys make goals at the beginning of each month? have you ever taken a sushi/cooking class?

xoxo,
Cara

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Tofu Banana Bread

I was once afraid of people saying, "Who does she think she is?" Now I have the courage to stand and say, "This is who I am."


This morning I reunited with my long lost friend - oatmeal. I had an extra couple minutes so I decided to get fancy and make them on the stove instead of the microwave. Chris says he likes the taste better that way, I think I like the taste better in the microwave... but it did save me from having to clean up any explosions that would have indefinitely happened. I topped each with half a banana, sliced strawberries and galaxy granola. I found this at the grocery store about a month ago and it has 70% less fat than other granolas because they use fruit instead of oils. How perfect.

If you haven't heard, Woman's Health Magazine is holding a blog contest. I have nominated a few of my favorites, go ahead and enter me for a chance to be nominated! I'll love you forever and you can enter as many times as you like! I also added a few of my favorite blog reads as a tab, check them out! All those girls are amazing!

After waking up from a dreamless night, I decided to throw some baby powder on my roots, dress down and relax. It felt good and I love getting to work earlier than normal. It makes me feel productive. However, I do miss my Ojon Dry Shampoo. I am a firm believer every girl should carry this in her beach and/or gym bag. It works so well! Do you ever use dry shampoo? I know so many who are clueless to this! Hello to days without showers and not looking homeless!

Chobani announced today via twitter that it was national Banana Bread Day. What a perfect way to introduce you guys to tofu banana bread! It is vegan and oh so delicious. I first was introduced to this by Chris' mom. If you are afraid to try tofu, this is the way to do it!!

Tofu Banana Bread:
2 ripe bananas
1/2 pound tofu
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flower
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Line pan with foil, letting edges overhang, and spray foil with cooking spray. Blend or beat the tofu and bananas together in a food processor or mixer until smooth. Scrape down the sides. Add sugar and vanilla. Process until fully blended. In a medium bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to the banana mixture and beat or pulse in a food processor just until smooth. By hand, fold in walnuts, if using. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan. Peel off the foil and let the cake fully cool on the wire rack. Enjoy! I got this recipe from food.com and it tastes amazing. Serves 10 and is 160 calories per serving.

dry and wet ingredients
blended tofu and banana
all ingredients combined, this is one thick batter!
finished product, if you look closely you can see the piece i tore off the top!
So good! I can't wait for breakfast!

It's Wednesday, so I am sure you all can only assume what I was doing. Kickboxing class! I never get sick of it, and I hope you don't get sick of reading about it. I am obsessed with my instructor. I don't know who invented turbo time, but they are a genius! Pre-workout. Your Welcome, now take your butt to the gym! I hadn't worked out since Saturday and was feeling extra guilty about all the pasta and pumpkin cheesecake I ate last night!

Chance wanted his 15 minutes of fame!
I made some asian style lettuce wraps for dinner. It was my first time and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with the recipe I came up with!

Cara's Asian Lettuce Wraps and Rice:
2 chicken breasts
cooking spray
6 green onions (finely sliced)
10-15 baby carrots (finely sliced)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 jalapeno (finely diced)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic
juice of one lime
1 cup uncooked rice
lettuce or butter lettuce would have been good
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook chicken breasts with cooking spray, salt and pepper. Slice and set aside. In the same pan (on low) add garlic, lime juice, sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, 1/2 sliced green onions and jalapeno. Stir until warm. Add your chicken to the sauce and let it hang out until you are finished cooking your rice. Top lettuce wraps with rice, chicken, sauce and the sliced green onions and carrots. Done!


I think that was a successful night of cooking!

Do you have a favorite class at the gym? Would you rather cook your oatmeal in the microwave or on the stove? Have you ever tried tofu before? If so, what was the recipe?

xoxo,
Cara

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Protein Oatmeal?

I hope you never look back but you never forget, all the ones who loved you and the place you left.

It's days like this where I can't wait for Spring. We gain an extra hour of sleep (I could have used that this morning), the sun comes out to play more than once a week and I will no longer have to walk out to my car in the dark after work. But for now I am still grateful we are in the winter because that means more boots, leggings and cute jackets!

Speaking of winter wear - am I alone in saying that I absolutely am addicted to wearing tights!?! They tighten everything, allow you to wear your favorite dress/shorts throughout the year and go with heels flats boots all footwear! Ugh! I am obsessed and probably own 15 pairs to my name. If you are still sticking to normal black and nude tights please give textured tights a go! They come in all sorts of fabric and spice up any monotone wardrobe.


 This morning I decided to try adding my protein to my oatmeal and it turned out nicely. It will replace the brown sugar or honey and trust me just a spoonful will sweeten up your average Plain Jane breakfast.

Protein Packed Oatmeal:
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup blueberries
1 heaping spoonful of your favorite protein (mine is vanilla creme)

Directions:
Combine oats, water, milk and protein. Mix well, you don't want the protein to clump or dry up in the microwave. If you have a shallow bowl remember to heat the oatmeal in rotations. I did three rotations of 45 seconds. Top with blueberries! You won't need any honey or sugar, it will be sweet enough! ;-)

Lunch was leftover tandoori chicken turned into a sandwich using my new love - flax seed sandwich thins. I topped with reduced fat provolone cheese and spinach with 1 teaspoon fat free sour cream.

As much as I loved cooking something new, I am happy to say I am going back to my old ways. Tonight is chicken meatball sandwiches using, you guessed it, sandwich thins. I think I might make another batch of roasted cauliflower - that is how much I loved it last night! Chris compared them to french fries - which, if you can turn roasted cauliflower into a fry that is only 94 calories per serving you know you have hit the jackpot! Check out my recipes tab for the recipe if you missed yesterdays post.

Chicken Meatballs v.2.0:
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg whites
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs (whole wheat if you have them)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine. Separate and roll into small balls. Spray a cooling rack with cooking spray and place on top of a cookie sheet (all the fat drips to the bottom and the heat circulates around the meatballs). Cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve in your spaghetti, on a sandwich thin like myself or sometimes I make meatball chili. Whatever you do with these I am positive you will love them.



I have taken the past few days off from the gym. I need to go back asap! Have any of you taken a bootcamp class? My gym offers one EARLY Sunday mornings that I have been meaning to try. If you have any good reviews I think it is worth getting up for ;-)

Onto my 30 day blog challenge.

Day Five: Find a Song to fit today's mood.

On my way to work this morning I heard this Britney Spears/N'Sync mashup. It will help you relive your middle school days. You can never have too much Britney!



The weather outside influenced the next song. It is one of my favorite calming love songs and it seems perfect for this cloudy, cold day. The lyrics and her voice literally give me goose bumps, I love how music can do that to you. If your life had a soundtrack, what would your song be for today?



P.S. I entered to win a bag full of goodies, you can too by checking out this blog and if you love Larabars check out this blog for a giveaway bag full of them! Remember to subscribe to my blog! I am thinking of doing a giveaway in the near future. Have any ideas?

See you tomorrow!
xoxo,
Cara

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Tandoori White

My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.

It's a snow day here in Maryland! It's days like this where I ask myself, "why didn't I become a teacher?". Then snow days would actually mean more than driving slow and wearing rain boots to work. But, we closed the agency at 3 so that was a little bit of bright news!


If you are looking for a good pair of rain boots that don't fit the cookie cutter image try out Laila Rowe. Their online selection, quite frankly, stinks but if you are in the Annapolis area hit up the mall and check them out! They are all under 30 dollars and have at least 20 different styles! PLUS they ALWAYS are having killer sales on shoes, accessories and jewelry.
My Sperry Rain boots
The time has come. The holiday that is as equally loved as it is hated; Valentine's Day. It is just around the corner! Geez where has the time gone?! If you are looking for the perfect dress for a night out with that special someone, try lulus.com. They have links upon links of dresses that are easy on the eyes AND your wallet. Who doesn't love an excuse to go shopping?



Welp, the snow got in the way of my kickboxing class. I couldn't be more bummed so I am going to attempt to do a pilates sesh in my living room. Thankfully, I just found out they have kickboxing on Fridays also :-)

I finally made my banana walnut oatmeal this morning... and it was fabulous. Think of banana nut bread without feeling guilty. I added a tablespoon of brown sugar, half of a sliced banana and a handful of chopped walnuts to my 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal. I highly suggest! Plus, it is mega filling!

Last night we hit up the grocery store! I picked up all the necessities for my tandoori shrimp, plus we found ridic sales on fresh wild salmon. Safeway is going crazy on sales right now... I suggest you go... and before you do check out their website where you can add coupons to your club card ;-) 

Chris' family is amazing at cooking fresh Indian style meals and I never realized how healthy they truly are until I started looking at the nutritional facts. This tandoori shrimp meal is only 122 calories, 1 gram of fat and 21g of protein. Holy moly! You definitely won't feel bad about having seconds!!

Tandoori Shrimp for Two:
1/2 pound of fresh/frozen deveined shrimp
1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic 
1/2 onion thinly sliced

Directions:
Pat your shrimp dry. In a bowl combine shrimp, yogurt, lime juice, curry powder, garlic and salt to taste.  Cook onions on medium heat (add a little vegetable oil or non-stick spray) for about 8 minutes, or until they are lightly brown. Move your onions to a serving bowl. Add shrimp to your pan and sauté until fully cooked. About 2 to 3 minutes. Add on top of onions in your serving bowl.

I bought some fresh zucchini that I am going to grill with olive oil and garlic. Serve with brown rice as a healthy and delicious side. Who said cooking healthy had to taste bad and take extra time. This whole process will only take you 20 minutes tops! (well, only if you can multi task). 

Non-Fat Greek Yogurt. Use for marinade and also for dipping!

Toss all ingredients together.

While shrimp are hanging out in the bowl, slice your veggies thin.

DONE! Easy meal in under 20 minutes. Healthy and simple.

I added half of a chicken breast to the pan after the shrimp cooked. (I bought teeny tiny shrimp!)

Photos are now up! If you missed it - I added photos to my better burger post! Check out how delicious everything turned out! It honestly tasted like a taco burger with the cumin and chili powder.

Happy Snow Day Bloggets!
xoxo,
Cara

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Better Burger

“The most important thing in life is your family. There are days you love them, and others you don’t. But, in the end, they’re the people you always come home to. Sometimes it’s the family you’re born into and sometimes it’s the one you make for yourself.”

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since Friday!! I would love to tell all of you I had such an amazingly busy and hectic weekend, but sadly I would be lying. HA! It was more of a relaxing, nap taking sort of weekend.

Friday after work I headed to Fed Hill for some hot yoga with the interactive ladies. If you haven't tried hot yoga yet because you're afraid you might die of a heat stroke, try out Charm City Yoga. The room isn't insanely hot (I wore a jacket and leggings the entire time) and the community classes are only 6 dollars for a 90 minute session! You can go here to look at the schedule. I suggest bringing a towel, your yoga mat, an icy cold water bottle and a few of your most awesome friends! The classes aren't over crowded, but I do suggest getting there a little early so you don't miss out! The instructors are always super nice and willing to help out the class beginners. 


I am proud to say I made it to the gym 5 out of 7 days last week with Tuesday and Sunday being my days to rest. If I am not participating in a class, I try to do an hour on the elliptical and 20 minutes of abs and weights. Have I mentioned how excited I am for tomorrow's kickboxing class!?

You may notice a few changes happening to my blog! I'm trying to make it more user friendly! I have now included an About Me and Recipes tab. All new recipes I write about in blogs can be found under the Recipes tab, no more searching!!

I almost forgot to mention that Safeway is having a killer deal on grapefruits and blueberries! Only a dollar each! Which means my (and your) mornings are now complete with blueberry oatmeal and half of a grapefruit topped with burnt brown sugar for a mid-morning snack! I found this out while stopping at the grocery store Sunday night to pick up a bag of salad for my work-week lunches (if i pack it i have to eat it).

Tonight is burger night! Our once a week, red-meat meal! I think I can make a burger dinner in 20 minutes flat from beginning to end. You don't have to use the seasonings I chose for tonight. Sometimes I use French Onion Soup Mix (2-3 tablespoons), garlic and onion powder or chili seasoning (2-3 tablespoons). Each burger is only about 350-400 calories too. My new obsession is sandwich thins! They are only 100 calories (top and bottom) and make you feel better about eating your juicy burger!

Cara's Better Burger:
2 Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins rolls
1/2 lb. 96% lean ground sirloin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
ground pepper to taste
2 slices reduced-fat cheese
sliced tomato, red onion, avocado and lettuce 

Combine chili powder, cumin, pepper and ground sirloin in a bowl and mix with your hands. You want to make sure you evenly disperse the seasoning. Shape into two burger patties and place on the grill (I use a George Foreman Grill). Cook until your desired temperature. Top burgers with cheese, tomato, red onion and avocado (replaces mayo). That's it! You are done! Serve with grilled veggies or a salad. 

Steamed Broccoli, Chili-esque Burger and Baked Red Potatoes
Delish! I grilled some onions, used light mayo with olive oil (out of avocados), reduced fat american cheese and spinach

Tomorrow I am going to make Tandoori Shrimp, yuummm-o! It's my night off from the gym so I am going to make the most of it hanging with Chris and pups. I still haven't decided what I want to do for Valentine's day, but Friday keeps inching closer and closer and PTO is calling my name!

xoxo,
Cara

Friday, January 21, 2011

I HEART MUFFINS

 TGIF! If you must have motivation, think of your paycheck on Friday.

It's sad that I wish some of the week days away so quickly. I'm going to be 24 this year and I can't help to think "where has the time gone?!". Most people have a hard time with 25, being a quarter of a century old... and don't get me wrong I probably definitely will! 24 is the age my parents got married and the age my cousin and his wife had their first kid. It definitely makes me sit down and think where I am in my life. No where near these things! But it is a new year and I can happily say I am happy not to rush life. I am happy that my relationship is healthy and strong and I still have a lot of growing to do myself! So take that 2011! Maybe I'll only have a mini-breakdown come September!

I know I said I was going to make banana walnut oatmeal this morning, but I completely forgot we had a work breakfast scheduled! Being the thinker that I am I found a peanut butter banana recipe that I made a few tweeks to and it turned out DELICIOUS!

Cara's Oatmeal, Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins:
1 cup of skim milk
2 tablespoons of honey
2 mashed up bananas
1/2 cup of organic peanut butter
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3-4 tablespoons oatmeal


Preheat the oven to 375. Mix your dry ingredients in one bowl and the oil, milk, bananas, honey, peanut butter and eggs in a separate bowl. If you are like me, your bananas might not be as mushy on their own... to help them out I put them (skins on) in the microwave for 40 seconds. It did the trick! Combine the dry with wet ingredients and mix well. Add to lined and sprayed (PAM) muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with oatmeal. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean. This will make 15-18 muffins. I made 6 heart shaped muffins for Chris and I and threw the rest in a bread tin to take to work!

My dry ingredients. I sifted these just to make sure there weren't any clumps!
Mix well! The last thing you want is some flour spots in your muffins!
The finished products! look good huh?! And NO butter! I have better photos of the heart muffins Ill add later.
My little chef, Chance! He always is helping me in the kitchen. Look how big he is getting!!
Who needs oatmeal when you can have it in a muffin! I got the idea for "Fill in the Blank" Friday from another blog and who doesn't love reading above other people's lives and their perspectives! I mean that is why you visit my blog right?! I finally showed my boyfriend my blog last night and he LOVED it. He has always been my rock and so supportive of everything I do. 

BTW, does anyone have any good suggestions for a sentimental anniversary gift? I already have something in mind but wanted to give him a gift he doesn't already know about! If you do send me an email....




1.   My favorite quote is -  There are sooo many!! I have always loved "knowing is better than wondering, waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beats the hell out of never trying."

2.  A bad habit I have is  -  Leaving for work on time! No matter if I wake up an hour and a half before I have to leave I am always in a rush!

3.  The first time I felt like a "grown up" was - when Chris and I moved into our first solo apartment together, no roomies. It was my senior year of college. Also, the day I started paying for my own health insurance. I've always paid my own bills, but this was a hard adjustment planning for a 401k at 23.

4.  Weekends are - oh so wonderful! I get to catch up on sleep, always make it to the gym, hang out with friends and lay on the couch doing absolutely NOTHING. Although they would be better if Chris didn't work all weekend.

5.  When I was a child I wished my name was -  this is a hard one. I have always loved the name Avery though! My full name is Carolyn, but I have gone by Cara for about 10 years now. I am always wondering when I will go back. I'm not ready to grow up yet!

6.  I wish - I could make enough money in my career to not worry about money. Be able to travel, buy a house and go out on the weekends without counting my pennies. One day!

7.  A secret I have is - I used to wake up my dog Princeton every morning with the same song. "Good morning, good morning, good morning to you. Good morning to you Mister Princey-Poo!" I still get upset and miss him everyday.


Remember to always follow your heart <3
Much love and I hope your Friday at work goes by quickly!
xoxo,
Cara

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Bikini Ready

Eating healthy doesn't have to be boring. It's all about getting into a new routine and sticking to it until you learn to love it!

It's sad for me to admit, but when I get to work the first thing I look forward to is eating my bowl of oatmeal! The great thing about skipping the Instant Oatmeal packs and making your own is you know exactly what goes into it! (plus its a lot healthier for you - instant has added sugar/salt/chemicals, even if you get the plain kind, but regular has none of them).

My Morning Oatmeal:
1/2 cup of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
1/2 cup of skim milk
1/2 cup of water
1 tablespoon of brown sugar or honey
4-5 of each raspberries and blackberries

In a bowl I combine the oats, milk, water and brown sugar. If you are using a shallow bowl I suggest cooking in two rounds for 1 minute 15 seconds (total of 2 1/2 minutes) since the milk has a tendency of making the oatmeal bubble overboard. Add the berries to the top, and if you are feeling extra indulgent you can also drizzle a little honey on top (I usually do one or the other). Since you are using old fashioned oats instead of instant it also helps keep you feeling full longer! Try topping with almonds, strawberries and bananas! You can always mix up your toppings!

My actual oatmeal, drizzled with a little honey (no brown sugar)

Another habit I have been introducing to my waistline is packing a salad for lunch, rather than bringing last nights leftovers (I mean dinner is the heaviest meal of the day so why am I eating it twice?) Just like oatmeal, the great things about salads is you can add different ingredients each day to make it feel brand new! 

I love adding dried cranberries and walnuts with a light pomegranate vinaigrette to some spinach. For a more hearty salad I love adding avocados, red onion, green bell peppers and carrots to a spring mix salad with a light ranch or italian dressing. In the summer time sliced apples or strawberries are delicious! Lets be honest, you probably aren't going to make your own dressing, but if you were here is an easy one.

Light Pomegranate Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch of Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil 

or check out this recipe for a pomegranate balsamic salad dressing with only 26 calories! I love packing my salads with some grilled chicken or miso soup! I just recently ordered the spicy chicken salad while out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and can't wait to replicate it (although Hungry Girl only rated it a 5). It has a corn salsa, black beans, roasted red peppers, brown rice, grilled chicken and cilantro (almost like a healthy Chipotle burrito bowl)! Which brings me to my next recipe...


My healthier version of Chipotle's Cilantro Rice: (tastes amazing)
1 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice
1/2 lime, juice of (or a couple good squirts of lime juice concentrate)
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
Handful of fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon vegetable/olive oil

In a small pot, add rice, water, 1/2 tablespoon of oil and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover. Once fully cooked, in a medium bowl, combine chopped cilantro, lime juice, rice and remaining oil and toss until completely mixed. I love serving this as if I was making a burrito bowl. I mix with corn salsa, fat free sour cream, lettuce, black beans and chicken (grilled with garlic, chili powder, cumin and ground pepper).

Heres to Healthy Beginnings and itty bitty bikinis!
xoxo,
Cara