Saturday, May 31, 2014

Dressin' up my oatmeal


Working out builds quite an appetite in me. I don't know about you, but I always picture that post-workout meal to be rewarding and incredibly satisfying. After hitting the gym this morning, I came back to the dorm and whipped up a hot bowl of oatmeal in less than 10 minutes. For a college student who doesn't have a weekend meal plan and convenient access to a kitchen, oatmeal has definitely been my go-to breakfast/meal. I probably sound like an old soul for saying this, but you honestly can't go wrong with oatmeal. It makes the perfect base for when you want something quick, healthy, and just as filling. I've been really liking the Nature's Path Organic Instant Hot Oatmeal. It's tasty and comes in bigger portions than the Instant Quaker Oatmeal, which I did not enjoy. How I have my oatmeal: with a sprinkle of craisins here, a little bit of chia seeds there, a handful of raisins and a banana. Oh, and can't forget about the paper bowl and plastic spoon!

Healthy? Check. Satisfying? Check. Fancy eats in the dorm room? Um, I think yes. 

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Flour-less Chocolate Chip Cookies


Easy recipe for chocolate chip cookies that are completely gluten-free!

I've been using up all the flour in the house for my baking lately that I decided to try out a flour-less recipe instead. I used Jif Creamy Almond Butter, which did wonders because of its consistency and made my cookies uber soft and chewy. They turned out such a success and I assure you that these cookies will not disappoint! With the $9 a jar almond butter and the Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips, I'd say that I made some pretty fancy cookies. Also, if you look closely at the picture, you can spot a few questionable red looking things. Don't worry, they're craisins. I added some in because they're currently my favorite thing to snack on and I think they bring out such a nice flavor in everything. Okay, I clearly get too carried away with food sometimes. That's a story for another day haha. Do let me know if you try making these and what you think of them! 

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Makes 12 cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes
Oven time: 8 minutes at 350ยบ F

Ingredients:

1 large egg
Three hefty spoonfuls of Jif Creamy Almond Butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup craisins (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg. Add the almond butter, baking soda,, and brown sugar. Mix until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and craisins.

Scoop the dough onto the baking sheets. The dough balls will be oily-looking.

Bake for 8 minutes. If you want crispier cookies, leave it in the oven for another minute or two.

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Sunday, May 4, 2014

Braces update #2: 10 random things I didn't know 'til now...


Hello, hello! It's time for another braces update! This might be an unexpected post for some of you who are new to my blog but this is just something I like to do every few months ever since I got braces in September last year. 

It's been roughly six months since then and I've gotta say, they're not as bad as I thought they would be. I mean, there's the occasional soreness and there's a slight lisp I've got going on (it's quite unattractive), but for a majority of the time, I forget that the braces are even there. About that lisp though...

In the beginning, I secretly dreaded going to the orthodontist because the first few visits of retightening and readjusting my braces always left me feeling sore and worn out. I guess the immense pressure that was being applied was just too much for my sensitive gums.  The experience reminded me of my childhood days when I had to go to the dentist to get my baby teeth pulled out. Because my baby teeth always stuck around for longer than they should and never fell off on their own, the dentist always had to take it out using full force. The plier-like tool did not make the situation any better. Yeah, not very pleasant memories there haha. Anyhoo, the soreness lessened and became manageable over time. In short, braces aren't bad at all - it just takes some getting used to!

Below are 10 random things that I didn't know about braces until now:

1. They rarely hurt.
2. The wire in the braces are replaced by thicker ones later on.
3. Food will get stuck in the braces and it will be unbelievably frustrating.
4. Rubber bands are used towards the end.
5. I feel like I'm smiling way too big with my braces sometimes when posing for the camera.
6. Yogurt, oatmeal, and tofu were basically all I ate for the first two weeks after I got my braces on. 
7. This is probably where my obsession with making smoothies started. 
8. I try to rinse my mouth after each meal. 
9. I''m constantly drinking water because my mouth feels dry all the time.
10. I've developed this habit of tearing sandwiches/burgers apart instead of straight up biting into them. I would also use a knife and fork sometime, I know, silly right? 

In case you were wondering about the picture above, it was taken around the three months mark and I've definitely noticed some differences in my teeth since then.

What was it like when you had braces?