Back To The Grind

Rise and Shine Pretties!

Just had the yummiest breakfast so I had to share. I woke up super sleepy and this warm bowl of oatmeal woke me right up. I am going to have a busy morning with the toddlers today, so I need a super filling breakfast.

The secret ingredient is maple almond butter. Have I told you about this? It is 12 million times better than peanut butter, and is a great natural protein source. Yes I said 12 million. I do not exaggerate.

Just make a few servings of steel cut oatmeal the night before and stick in the refrigerator. Then warm up the next morning and add toppings. Yum!

Rise and Shine Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1. 1-2 serving of steel cut oats, made the night before (depending on how active you are during the day)
2. 1/4 cup of almond milk
3. 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4. 1 banana, cut into pieces
5. 1/2 Tbsp maple almond butter
6. 1 tsp. flax seed

Directions:
1. Warm up oatmeal in the microwave with almond milk. Use more milk for a creamier oatmeal
2. Stir in brown sugar and almond butter
3. Add banana and flax
4. Enjoy with a steaming mug of coffee or green tea

Time for preschool! Hope you have an awesome Monday.

xx,
Pretty Penny

Breathe In Breathe Out

This glorious 4-day weekend is sadly coming to an end. We spent the day cleaning and organizing, and I thought it would be wonderful to end the weekend with an afternoon vinyasa class at a new gym I am trying out.

Boy was I wrong. It was like a million degrees in the studio, and we were literally packed in like sardines. I mean there was maybe an inch between each mat. I totally appreciate if you are one who loves practicing yoga by doing chaturangas in a sweaty room on top of the yogi next to you, but that is so not for me. The instructor kept telling us to breathe and I was thinking "It's too hot to breathe!!" Needless to say I walked out early, super disappointed.

So I came home and made Tempeh. Tempeh is basically fermented soybeans formed into a patty-like shape. It is packed with protein, which makes it a great meat alternative for vegetarians. I have recently stopped eating red meat, and rarely eat chicken, so I have been looking for other protein sources in my diet.

It is really hard to take a pretty picture of tempeh. It just isn't the most aesthetically pleasing food. 

The first thing I did was cut the tempeh into strips.

Then I marinated it in teriyaki sauce. I put kind of a lot because I was really nervous about this tasting super awful. I cooked it on a pan with a little sesame oil until it was nicely browned on all sides.

So it came out tasting pretty good. It definitely has a nutty texture, and the teriyaki sauce blends nicely with the natural tempeh flavor. It does have sort of a bitter aftertaste BUT I didn't hate it! I'm going to try it for lunch tomorrow with leftover veggies that we had in the fridge.

Happy Sunday :)

-Pretty Penny

HBD

I had such a wonderful birthday yesterday. It is soo nice when your birthday falls on a Jewish holiday and you have the day off from work :)

We started the day by trying out a new brunch place called Mona's in the LoHi area. Mona's flirty legs hanging over the door, as well as her food, did not disappoint

I ordered the orange brioche french toast. It was fluffy with a hint of citrus and served with pure vermont maple syrup. It's a really good thing that calories don't count on your birthday.

I also had this iced latte, which was so necessary on this 90 degree day. When am I not drinking an iced latte?

After brunch we went to Ben's Aunt Jodi's house for Rosh Hashanah lunch. She had a birthday banner up, and ordered me this beautiful chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. I love the flower :)

My parents sent me these beautiful flowers. I didn't notice at first, but they are in the shape of a little dog. How cute :) 

After lunch I got a mani/pedi and we ordered chinese food and ate it on the couch. It was the perfect birthday. Tonight we are celebrating some more by meeting some friends for drinks. See your pretty faces tomorrow!

xx,

Pretty Penny

This Little Piggy Went to Market

Happy Saturday pretties.

This morning we woke up and went to the Cherry Creek farmer's market. We have been dying to go all summer, but between the wedding and honeymoon it just didn't happen.

We had some interesting breakfast choices at the market. We started off with a green juice from pressery, then took a few bites of a cronut (a mix between a donut and croissant) from Glazed and Confused Dougnuts. I wasn't too impressed with the cronut (I just don't get the big deal) but loved the juice.

Then, we moved on to bigger and better things. "Is that a grilled cheese made with bread that has a fried egg cooked into the middle?" you ask. Why yes, yes it is. We devoured this delicious creation with a handful of tots on the side.

I also enjoyed an organic iced coffee with soy milk. It was a million degrees outside. Yes, I have very stubby and weird looking thumbs.

We got the tots and grilled cheese from the tots truck. I love there vintage 50's theme. I love their grilled cheese more.

We picked up a few white peaches, Udi's bread, and headed to the gym. I swear I was sweating out cheese and butter from that greasy and glorious grilled cheese. Is that too much information?

Sorry I'm not sorry.

Now I'm home snacking on an apple carrot muffin with maple almond butter, a piece of honey cake, and a steaming mug of green tea with a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Thank god my air conditioning is working.

xx,

Pretty Penny

Shana Tova

I can't believe it is that time of year again! Apples and honey, brisket, matzah ball soup, lot's of shul time, and honey challah.

And it is also my birthday soon :) I am really looking forward to this new year. There is something magical about your first year of marriage, and I know this will be a sweet one.

Now let's move on to muffins. These muffins are great for a healthy afternoon snack or breakfast on the go. They contain real apples, carrots, and no added sugars. Top them with anything from honey to maple almond butter.

Carrot-Apple Spice Muffins
(Adapted from foodbabbles.com)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/3 cup of honey
1 egg
1/2 cup yogurt (I used Stonyfield organic plain greek yogurt)
1/3 cup applesauce (I used unsweetened, natural applesauce)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup grated apples

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice.

3. In a second larger bowl, mix together the honey, egg, yogurt, applesauce, vanilla extract, carrots and apples

4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just moistened.

5. Divide the batter among 12 muffins cups.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.- 7. Cool on a wire rack.

Shana Tova--wishing you all a sweet new year!

xo,

Pretty Penny

Life is Good

Hey Pretties.

Today felt like it just dragged on. The kids were bouncing off the walls and took so long to fall asleep because of this awful heat. Poor things woke up with sweaty heads and very dazed looks on their faces.

But I came home to some wonderful things.

Homemade kale chips from my hubby...

Honey cake from one of my students

...and a sweet round challah from another Rosh Hashanah well-wisher.

One day I will learn to make a beautiful challah like this. But for now, I'm going to concentrate on eating it.

And also eating yummy greek chicken for dinner. We've been making dinners in bulk and freezing them using our food saver. Tonight we pulled out this delicious stewy chicken dish, just as it started to rain a little outside. Just defrost, heat, and serve!

We adapted the recipe from Eating Well. The best part? You can make it in a crockpot.

Happy Tuesday :)

-Pretty Penny

Red Delicious Waffles with Cinnamon Apple Topping

Happy Sunday Pretties :)

This is the perfect sunday brunch recipe. I adapted it from a blueberry yogurt waffle recipe from Two Peas & There Pod, and it is an easy and healthy base recipe for any kind of waffle you want to make.

Plus we got to use our cool new waffle maker :)

This recipe is the kind that fills your kitchen with the smell of cinnamon, cloves, and fragrant apples bubbling in brown sugar and butter. It is also perfect for this time of year, as the Jewish New Year is next week, where apples are definitely the star of the show.

These waffles also made my husband very happy, which makes me happy :)

Red Delicious Waffles with Cinnamon Apple Topping

Ingredients:
2 Red delicious apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 cup organic all-purpose flour
3/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (we use 0% Stoneyfield organic greek yogurt)
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Topping:
Leftover apples
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Butter

Directions:
1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Slowly pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients. Whisk until just combined. Gently fold in the melted butter and about a third of the chopped apples.

3. Grease the waffle iron with butter or cooking spray. Scoop out 1/4 cup of waffle batter, or the amount recommended by your waffle iron's manufacturer. Pour batter onto the hot iron. Smooth the batter to the edge of the grids with a spatula. Close the lid and bake until browned and crisp.

Topping:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat
2. Put in the remaining chopped apples and mix them into the butter
3. Add brown sugar and cinnamon
4. Mix ingredients together until apples are soft and brown sugar has turned into a syrup
5. Add topping to waffles. Serve warm with whipped cream and powdered sugar

I love these waffles because you can freeze them in individual freezer packs and pop them in the toaster for a quick and yummy breakfast.

Feeling adventurous? Add some flax seeds or chopped walnuts to your waffles for a little crunch. Inhale with a steaming cup of french press coffee.

xo,
Petty Penny