Weekly Wisdom and Top 5 Nutrition Noshes

Nutrition Nosh One. Wisdom. 

As we near the end of National Dairy Month, I had to share one last thought provoking nutrition-ish dairy delicious wisdom that came to me when I was making my morning smoothie. My morning smoothie/milkshake (because yeah that happens sometimes) makes me happy.  It is the perfect blend of all the things I love for breakfast and I truly look forward to it. As the day progresses and my interactions with humans start, my positive vibes can tend to dwindle. I let negative talk take over my brain. What if I always chose to look for the things I liked about a situation or a person?  It could be anything or anyone I encounter at any particular moment. What if I focused on seeing only the good things, instead of the things I like? 

 If we chose to always find the positives in people and situations, the world would be full of strawberry milkshakes.

If you start the day by looking into the mirror at yourself...the gorgeous and brilliant human being you see staring back at you...and looking at all the things you like about yourself, is exactly where to start. It is then, you can continue the momentum to do the same with everyone else who graces your day. Positive thoughts undeniably equal positive vibes others can sense and feel.  Kind of like the feeling you get when you drink a delicious milkshake. 

Nutrition Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.

My conversation today is with Registered Dietitian Amanda Kruse.

While I was continuing my adventure in Indianapolis, then president-elect of the Indiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Amanda Kruse just got done putting the final touches on their annual meeting. It was about 9:30 pm and I knew upon first meeting her, passion is everything to Amanda. Amanda learned a lot about being a collegiate athlete, but also being a college student and how important food is where the student is dining. She started her career being a resource for college students in dining services and quickly advanced her career in management in K-12 for the Indianapolis Public Schools. She values conversations like I do and finds her best ones come when talking with students about food. She not only works a full time job, but volunteers for her state affiliate, the Academy and loves being a preceptor.

Please click here to enjoy my conversation with Amanda 

Connect with Amanda:  kruseama@gmail.com

Nutrition Nosh Three. Week in Review.

This summer has been a little different and I think a little delayed. I have had baby birds all over my backyard this year and Lil g has been in heaven!  The best part is, she loves to look outside but not so excited about actually going outside. This week, we had a baby robin working really hard on his flying skills but just quite couldn't get off the ground. He spent about 24 hours sitting on the patio trying hard to get going. Lil g spent all 24 hours monitoring the situation. She seriously did not leave the back door all day or night. Finally, he found his wings!

I had Friday off this past week and my friend Jason and I had a local day of adventure by doing a little shopping, getting mani's and pedi's and attending happy hour at a new local brewery. When I went to the Barn Town Brewery website, I was hooked with the opening line of their "About" section. 

"Barn Town was built on one word - Passion."

The atmosphere of Barn Town Brewing is very much Iowa. It has a cozy barn feeling and is bright and airy. The back wall has a mural made of beer cans into the shape of the State of Iowa with the infamous Des Moines area code "515" in the middle. I can't believe I forgot to get a photo!  Next time. Barn Town Brewing provides homemade, full -flavored, artisanal ales and chef-inspired elevated America style pub fare. They try to locally source ingredients from Iowa farms and pride themselves in the freshness, quality and origin of their food and drink.  My kind of place!  It was Des Moines Beer Week, so even more reason to jump into a flight of beer. There is an extensive menu of their own beers, with clever names, so it was very difficult to choose! My favorite was The Real Slim Shandy and the Iowa Gold. But with names like Millennial Disco Party and Wagon Wheel Wit, I will be making another trip. 

Since we were there during happy hour (3-5 pm Monday-Friday), we took advantage of $6 appetizers. In honor of National Dairy Month, Cheese Curds and Bavarian Pretzels with Iowa Gold Cheddar Sauce were chosen. Both were very delicious and a perfect compliment to my beer selection.     There are also items such as Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Craft Mac & Cheese, a variety of salads and sandwiches, including burgers. I am excited to have a new watering hole in my neighborhood!

I ended my weekend with a quick trip to Omaha for some Frista time with Carlena. It has been too long in between our visits so I needed my fix and a bonus was getting to have her hubby Doug come with us!  When you are busy parents of 2 boys, it is hard for both of them to get away, so it was an even more special night out on the town!

Nutrition Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week. 

Sharing with you my "Undeniably Dairy" Playlist to get your fitness on this week.  I even discovered a song I had never heard by Elvis. 

Nutrition Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now. 

A few weeks ago, I got a wonderful package from Land O' Lakes filled with their new Less Sodium Butter and I am a fan!  It is great to use with almost everything I do and is easily spreadable after leaving it out for a few minutes on the counter-top. The other day, I had a craving for Alfredo pasta and I wasn't sure what I had for ingredients and I also really did not want to head out to the grocery store. Luckily, I was able to put together this recipe with what I had and it simple and fast. 

Undeniably Simple Alfredo Sauce

Serves 2

2 tablespoons Land O' Lakes Less Sodium Butter

1 cup fat-free half and half

3 ounces of whipped cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 clove of minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano 

1/2 pound of your favorite pasta, prepared per directions on package

1. Heat a large sauté pan to medium heat adding butter, half and half and cream cheese. Stir or whisk continuously until melted. 

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk for another 2-3 minutes to blend and thicken. 

3. Add in your prepared pasta and blend with the sauce. 

4. Serve and eat immediately. 

I topped my pasta with fresh chives from my herb pot in the back yard for some pretty green color and an additional layer of flavor. 

~AE

5 Nutrition Noshes and Food Hangover Wisdom Wednesday

Nosh One. Wisdom. 

Hungry. Cravings. Food. More. Now. 

There are days all I want to do is eat the house down. It is usually after a holiday where I eat anything  and everything I want with wild abandon. Then the next day....my body pays for it. 

It is in food hangover mode. It is sleepy, exhausted, lethargic. My brain is fuzzy, I cannot focus. My pants are tight, my socks are cutting off the circulation in my legs and ankles, a new pimple has decided to pay my chin a visit and my thirst cannot be conquered. 

I could give 2 shits what the scale says after a day of eating like this. It is all about the way I feel. I feel horrible and my body is doing everything to process the caloric, sugar and fat madness boxing it out inside my body. Then there is my appetite, it is raging out of control and I want to continue the inhaling of all things made of sugar and fat deliciousness. I am a firm believer my appetite spirals when I eat an excess of any food, including fruits and vegetables. 

It is all about balance and portion size and all foods fit. Quote me on that AND please, please, pretty please hold me to it upon the next holiday.  Thank you. 

Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.

The Story, Journey and Passion of Brian Smith, RDN, LD

My conversation today is with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Brian Smith.  I have to tell you, sitting and talking with Brian is like sitting with a friend I have known for a 100 years. He is so warm and welcoming. What I love about this conversation with Brian is that he has had multiple careers, has traveled around the world, was a star college athlete, brews his own beer, loves to cook, is raising 2 daughters after the passing of his wife and still lives a good examined life with much satisfaction. He truly embodies the definition of living his passion by being a registered dietitian. If you are someone who has found dietetics later in life, you will find a great connection with Brian. Also, if you are a student or intern, Brian is a mentor who welcomes you with open arms. I wish I would have had him in my life at the start of my dietetics adventures.

Click here to enjoy my conversation with Brian

Nosh Three. Week in Review. 

This past week I flew into Indianapolis to speak at the Indiana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meeting: Making A Difference.  

It was my first time to Indianapolis and it was a quick in and out. It was great to meet new dietitians again! I was surprised to learn there are more than 1400 members of IAND and 4 colleges that either offer a dietetics program and/or internship. A lot of mentoring and preceptors in Indiana! I absolutely am loving getting to know new people along my journey and maybe getting a chance to touch their lives in some way. I also got to do some podcasting with 2 new friends that I cannot wait to share with you. Registered Dietitians are doing some AHHHH-MAZZING things!  I am always blown away by my peers!  It confirms the path I chose was the right one. 

Before I boarded my plane back to Iowa, I had a few hours to catch some of the local eats in Indiana. I headed to the Broad Ripple neighborhood. There were a ton of restaurants and places to enjoy a cocktail, but Flatwater Restaurant caught my eye based on menu items and what I was hungry for!

It was a beautiful day to sit on the patio overlooking the canal. Very relaxing place to enjoy my last few hours in Indy. 

Wedge Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, yum!

House-made hummus I could have eaten with a spoon. 

Pulled Pork Nachos

I kind of had a problem choosing one thing and I did not make it past the appetizer/salad section of the menu. So now, I will have to go back!  Everything was delicious and you can tell they made about everything in house. The Green Goddess dressing on the salad was delicious and the hummus was creamy and perfectly flavored. It was even a bigger treat to have a dill cucumber salad and kalamata olives with it. The nacho chips were made fresh too and the brisket was perfect, not to smokey and perfectly tender. I highly recommend!

Since I was traveling, I also had a lot of work to do, so I decided to host Easter at my house this year.  As I was getting things ready on Saturday night, I channeled my Dad and decided to dye eggs. Something I never did when I was younger because my Dad and sister always did it for the family. I had no idea how to even do it, so thank goodness for McCormick's dye and easy directions. 

The finished project!  I even had a white crayon for adding decor!

I decided to fancy up my table with beautiful glass chargers my sweet cousin Christine gave to me that matches my polka dots and dots on my glasses and dishes. The Easter Bunny brought my guests a Lindt Gold Bunny and a snack container of Skippy Natural Peanut Butter for dipping (I still haven't eaten mine, but I know he will be whispering to me tonight). 

Ham and fresh asparagus make a pretty presentation. 

Roasted sweet potatoes with honey and fresh rosemary

Hy-Vee Seasons Magazine saved the day and gave me some great and easy recipes for Easter dinner. Thank goodness!  I did not have much time to plan and it was easy to grab the magazine and shop right from there in-store. 

My Gramma Alice celebrated 91 years of life this past Friday, so it seemed only fitting to have her favorite pie, sing Happy Birthday and make wishes. My mom also brought her delectable caramel pecan cinnamon rolls (with golden raisins! Yipee!) that I have mentioned before. So I had to have a little of each. It was a great, relaxing day!

Too much sugar?  Nah.

Love these two beauties. 

Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week. 

Channeling my inner small town country girl this week, channel yours and click here!

Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.

While I was in Utah, I met Registered Dietitian Brianna Rhodes, who love to cook and entertain as well as being a wife and a mother of 3 kiddos. She has started her own new adventure, her own business, RD and Me Nutrition.  She enjoys one-on-one counseling and takes clients to help them make real lifestyle changes with the help of her coaching and expertise. You must go check out her blog!  She shares easy and delicious recipes in her blog with mouth-watering photos of her food creations.  You can sign up for her blog, Confessions of a Dietitian, and never miss a recipe. This is a picture of her Cran-Apple Chicken Salad. I love her passion: "teaching you that nutrition is simple and to get back to basic, healthy and happy eating." I have made a couple of her recipes, including this one, her Asian Lettuce Wraps & Chow Mein and her Greek Meatballs & Couscous. All of them are soooo easy, delicious and healthy. What is also SOOO GREAT is she includes the nutrition label for each recipe. Give her some love and yourself some love by going to her website to make some of her recipes. I know I will be visiting often!

~AE