Up at 4:45 this morning! I would have slept in on my first day of spring break but…
1) The husband wanted to go to the gym before work and I thought it would be nice to give him company
2) My dad left this morning at 5:15 to drive to work in Greensboro so I got to say goodbye.
So it was worth it to give the men some company! And as always, it’s great to have a good workout done before 7 a.m.
At the gym I did 30 minutes on the Stairs, 12 on the squirrelliptical and 10 of upper body lifting (using resistance bands and body bars today).
Before I left – potato bun + jam –
For breakfast we made a triple batch of Whipped Banana Oatmeal to include my mom. She said over and over “man, this oatmeal is so good” but she doesn’t try to make it Kath-style at home! She just likes it when I make it for her 🙂 But she does make oatmeal pancakes!
Topped with walnuts, brown sugar and peanut butter –
With café –
Breakfast was about 440 kcal, 7 grams fiber and 17 grams protein.
BlogHer Survey
You’ve probably seen this ad from BlogHer. They are conducting an annual reader survey and would love as much participation as possible. Plus, you could win tickets to the BlogHer Conference in San Francisco – and there’s a 95% chance I’ll be there too!
(Click the image if you’d like to take the survey)
We’ve got a big day ahead. See you late this afternoon for a lunch recap from my second trip to Nolen Kitchen!
Katers says
I got booted off the BlogHer survey on the first question because I work at an ad agency! Booo! 🙁
Kath says
Awww, sorry Katers!
Katie says
Sorry you had to wakeup early but YAY for Spring Break!!! Happy St P’s day! 🙂
Elina says
I filled out the survey!
I would not wake up at 4:45 on my spring break… actually I would never wake up that early unless I have to catch a plane or something:)
Kath, sorry for repeating my question, but I was wondering about how you store your potato buns. How long do they stay fresh? I spent so much time making them, I really don’t want them to go bad. Thanks!
Romina says
I’ve never been able to sleep in when I want to. It’s a good thing your body has a routine. =)
I tried whipping my banana before putting it in my oatmeal… such a fantastic idea!
Kelly T says
survey done.
Good for you for getting up early. i always feel like I get more accomplished when i wake up early. I have to work at 5:30 am so Im just sort of stuck on that schedule, which is fine with me.
Have a great day!
arimcg says
I just realized at the gym this morning that you’re right, the arc trainer does kind of look like a squirrel. I don’t know how you thought of that, but it’s pretty funny.
christina says
I love working out first thing in the morning, I wake up everyday at 4:45 to get my workout in before work 🙂
DaisyMAY says
So I am making something with sweet potatoes for easter. I am thinking either a sweet potato casserole or mashed sweet potatos. does anyone have a good healthy recipe for that?
Betsy in Pittsburgh says
I’m back to work after spring break and a visit from some family, and I feel like I didn’t have any time to relax! I feel like I need a vacation from all my vacations….they were too jam-packed! I hope you actually get some rest this week.
Also, because of all the vacation festivities, I overindulged quite a bit! And my fridge/freezer is now nicely packed with goodies from my BF’s mom. I thought I would feel more guilty about basically eating as much of whatever I want (standing rib-roast was my downfall!), but I don’t. I feel like I can get back on track pretty quick, and eat the rest of the sweets around the house in carefully planned out portions. Besides, we all need to indulge a little bit, right?
Recently I saw someone post about baked oatmeal, and I thought it would be a good idea to put the walnuts on top, and then bake the it so the nuts turn in to part of the crust on top. For some reason, I can’t stand eating a bowl of creamy oatmeal and having little bits of nuts in it. Has anyone actually tried baked oatmeal?
Elina says
Does anyone have a good recipe with butternut squash? I have a bunch leftover from making Kath’s soup 🙂
amber says
Hi Kath–I recently started baking bread and was wondering if your “Kath’s Breakfast Bread” recipe is posted anywhere on the site? I briefly skimmed the recipe page but didn’t see it. Thanks for your help! Keep up the great work.
VeggieGirl says
ahh, so sorry that you had to get up EXTRA early this morning – but hey, it’s better to start the day early rather than late, in my opinion :0)
mmm, Whipped Banana Oatmeal – best way to begin a new week!! that’s cute that your mom likes it when you make it for her.
happy monday, st. patrick’s day, first day of your spring break… everything! haha.
Betsy says
those potato buns always look so amazing.
Elina
I just chop it up and roast it with olive oil, salt and pepper. Always ends up delish!
Amber
look under “the husband”. all the bread recipes are there.
Katers says
Thanks Kath…boo hoo.
Amber – right scroll bar under The Husband. Oatmeal, flax, and walnut bread (Kath’s breakfast bread)
Lindsay says
Wow – way to be productive on your day off 🙂 I agree, it’s better to get up early and get stuff done, that way you will now have the whole rest of the day free!
mel says
Mel (the other one) this is a belated post..but I’m just catching up on some of the comments! I went to hawaii last Christmas and didn’t gain a pound (maybe even lost a couple!) even though I drank ALOT everyday and ate dessert. There is SO much fresh fruit, fish and veggies to choose from and my family bought groceries to eat breakfast and lunch in everyday so we could enjoy dinner out!! Saves money and it healthier!! Have a great time and sleep a lot!!
Tina says
Kath, I think I was finally falling asleep when you woke up this morning! Damn, rough night of sleep!
Kelly T says
betsy in pittsburgh- i love baked oatmeal! i like things better with a crust. i thought i invented it (like so many other things) because i would just make oatmeal with my regular fixin’sand roll them into balls and bake them on a sheet. like oatmeal cookies except just madxe from regular oatmeal. they are so delicious that way, especially with nuts for a little crunch!
Kiala says
Kelly T – I thought you invented the internet?
Kath – We are totally planning on going to Blogher – maybe we’ll meet in person. That will be neat and possibly a little awkward, too. Unless I have a drink in my hand. Then it will be fine.
kristin point says
kath have you ever tried ground cumin in your tuna salad? i’m at my boyfriend’s parents house for spring break and was making lunch and trying out all the the good spices they have here and i made tuna salad with carrots, celery, peppers, fage, pepper, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, spinach and ground cumin and BOY was it good.
Kelly T says
well, i just had the idea first but never got around to actually making any plans, because i told my friends i would invent a box that would suck all of the grammar and productiveness (see?) from your life and people told me it would never catch on. but whos laughing now? Microsoft, thats who. Im too busy looking at perez hilton and nursing my carpal tunnel.
NC says
Hi-Pro Oatmeal Jumble Cookies~
I asked mommy for the recipe, but she didn’t have it because apparently, she never used one– it was just a bunch of stuff she threw together. So, I asked her to make some and measure/write down what she put in it, so I’ll get back to you all on that one as soon as I hear back.
In the meantime though, this is a GREAT, really quick recipe that I’ve been using lately for healthy oatmeal cookies: http://www.pcrm.org/health/recipes/recipe990906.html
I didn’t have molasses and I have no idea what sorghum syrup is, so I’ve just been using light maple syrup or agave nectar, and it’s turned out fine. You can also just use 1T canola oil and 2T water, and increase the cinnamon or add choc chips. I like them a bit overdone.
Also, the PCRM archive is just great in general for low-fat, high-fiber, vegetarian recipes so look around the site!! I was introduced to the PCRM through a cooking class at Whole Foods and I love their recipes, even tho I am not a vegetarian (anymore).
Daisy & Elina~
I know there are some using sweet potatoes and squash, and there’s also a mashed quinoa and cauliflower recipe (similar to Jenna’s version) that I LOVE.
NC says
and hey Kath, what’s the squirrel elliptical?? Is that a brand (like Precor)??
amber says
thanks for pointing me in the right direction on the bread recipes!
Susa says
Kath maybe you mentioned it before-what jam do you have on those potato buns? It looks so good!
NC I think they were talking about the Arc Trainer which is one of my favorites (right after the rowing machine-that’s the best kept secret in the gym 🙂 )
apple says
Kelly T- that sounds really good. I will have to give it a try…regular oatmeal, but baked sounds revolutionary.
I just took the survey. I’m in San Francisco so it wouldn’t be too crazy if I got to go, but still exciting, since nothing exciting happens around here.
I tried carob chips this weekend and was not impressed. They taste like burnt chocolate. Are they just best used in baking?
Elina says
Thanks Betsy and NC!
KarenR says
Thanks for the cookie recipe NC! I’ll try it as soon as I get the WW pastry flour.
Ally says
You woke up earlier than me and I’m not even on break yet! You have such great habits, they seem perfect!
As always, the oatmeal looks fantastic!
NCCarter says
Kath & others – I diverged from my usual Quaker oats this morning and tried the Silver Palate oats. Not sure if anyone else has tried them, but they won some sort of award and are highly renowned (my mom told me about them). They’re called “thick and rough.” I was not all that impressed. First of all, you use 1/3 cup oats to 3/4 water. I did a milk/water combo. They cook for 10 minutes. They were tasty, and had good flavor, but I just didn’t like them nearly as well. Plus, that measly 1/3 cup is 160 calories, compared to 150 for 1/2 cup Quaker. I put all my usual fixins in them….banana, craisins, flax, granola, brown sugar. I may just use the rest of the oats for cookies or something.
Has anyone else tried these?
Barb says
Does anyone the serving size and nutritional info for shrimps? I mean just the regular size shrimp that you eat as shrimp cocktail. I’m planning on grilling some for dinner tonihght but I have no idea how many constitute an appropriate serving..I have no idea how they fare calorie-wise either.
Anyone know???
mel says
Hey barb, I actually made shrimp and broccoli ww spaghetti last night and it was soooo good!! I grilled about 12 small/medium ones for myself but I’m not sure what an exact serving size is bc I don’t weigh my food or anything- they are really low calorie and fat but the only thing you have to worry about is cholesterol but it’s not a big deal if you only eat them a couple of times a week! enjoy
Mel says
Mel (the other one, haha)
Yeah, the last time we went to Hawaii we stayed in a condo and we’re able to buy our own groceries, but this time since were staying at a resort with no refrigerator my family is planning on eating 2 meals a day out. I’m pretty much on my own with healthy eating in my family; my parents tend to skip breakfast but then eat dessert with both “brunch” and dinner, and do work on buffets. They’re big into fast food as a norm.
I bought some Larabars and Cliff bars last night, and I’m hoping to snag some fresh fruit and nuts when we’re on the island so that I can make some quick power meals, save money, and not go overboard with sweets and buffets. I can’t imagine spending 15 dollars on fruit and yogurt for breakfast at one of the resort restaurants!
SarahF says
Does anyone have any good ideas for healthy pub food? I told my friend that I would make us “pub-inspired” food for dinner on Thursday, but I don’t want to eat a million calories for dinne (especially because we’ll be drinking beer & clam with the food). I also don’t want to make too much because I’ll be gone for the Easter weekend and everything will go bad. So far I’m thinking chicken wings, edamame beans and a crab caesar salad…but I don’t know how much that’s like pub food. Any suggestions would be GREAT! 🙂
rhodeygirl says
SarahF: You could try making “chicken cheesesteaks”… Marinate chicken, onions, and green peppers in olive oil (1-2 tbs for 2 huge breasts), S & P, paprika, and garlic powder- cut up into teeny tiny pieces.. basically keep cutting the chicken breast(s) for like 2 minutes straight until it is really tiny. after marinating for a bit, cook in a skillet with non-stick spray. slice a baguette in half and put a bit of provolone cheese, then the cooked chicken/onion/pepper mixture, then a bit of shredded mozz and broil for about 5-10 minutes until the cheese is all bubbly.. delicious!
KarenR says
How about sweet potato fries with that? You can just bake them or use Alexia brand. They’re not too bad, 150cal for 3oz.
Kath says
Elina ,
We store the buns in a ziplock bag in our pantry. I’d say they last a week? You could definitely freeze some in a freezer safe bag.
For butternut, click on “butternut squash” in the tag cloud for everything we’ve done with it since the blog.
Kelly T,
OH MY GOSH – oatmeal balls!?!? You must elaborate!
Kiala ,
I’d LOVE to meet!!! You are such a huge part of KERF! I’m probably coming with my mom Thurs-Sat.
kristin point,
I usually stick to curry powder (red and yellow) but cumin sounds good! I think curry has cumin it in, so it’s probably a similar taste.
NC,
Squirrelliptical is just a brand of elliptical that I think looks like a squirrel with big legs. I don’t remember the brand of it – the husband knows though! Arc trainer sounds right.
Susa,
Trader Joe’s all fruit kind. Love it! The raspberry especially.
Barb ,
Calorieking.com has info on shrimp both raw and cooked.
SarahF,
I think fish ‘n chips with green peas and beer is as classic English pub as you can get! Yum!!!!
Kath
Susa says
NCarter-I have tried them and loved them! I can’t remember where I got them from though so I haven’t had any. Where did you buy them?
Thanks Kath, I will have to get my hubby to send me some 🙂
Tara says
I don’t want to be bold here, but perhaps it would be neat to have a KERF lunch in SF? I don’t know if the CA blog audience is big enough, but it might be neat!
Kath says
Tara,
I’d definitely be up for that if it works. The Conf. has lunches included so if you didn’t go to the Conf. we’d have to do the lunch/dinner on Wednesday. My mom and I aren’t sure when we’re arriving and that kind of stuff but I will try to make it work!
Kath