9 Months Postpartum

April 9, 2013 by Lindsay Ingalls 5 Comments

I knew that losing the baby weight might be a challenge. I had hopes, not too high, but hopes nonetheless that I would lose the baby weight much more quickly than I have been. To be honest I lost a bit in the first 6 weeks and then I got my IUD which seemed to make me put on a little weight (side effect) and then we entered the craziest two months of our lives with preparing to move, limbo and finally moving but being without any of our things for a month.

During the month of December I really slacked on the workouts and indulged in way too many peanut butter balls. In January we finally moved and things slowly started to improve. I started to increase my activity and only ate one cookie per day instead of three peanut butter balls per day.

You’ll probably be shocked (*sarcasm*) to hear that I became a sugar addict. So in February Neil and I decided to challenge ourselves to a cleanse. No processed sugar or caffeine, both of which I had been over indulging on. The first three days were hell but by the end of the cleanse I had greatly reduced my dependance on both sugar and caffeine and am proud to say that two months later and I do not crave either. I still enjoy a small piece of chocolate or a dessert once in awhile as well as one cup of coffee per day but it is nothing compared to the massive amounts of sugar and gallons of coffee I was drinking.

In late January/early February I finally got back to consistent running and I have been going strong. I finally feel like I am back in a good routine and I have a few races coming up. I feel like this has been the tipping point for me and I am finally feeling better, looking better and even losing some weight (3.6 lbs since the beginning of March).

My goal when Edith was born was to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight by her first birthday and back to my pre-pre-pregnancy weight (I put on a few pounds before I got pregnant) by next fall. I am currently not on track to lose the weight by then but am hoping to be back/closer to my pre-pregnancy weight by the end of August.

Monday Link Up: April 8

April 8, 2013 by Lindsay Ingalls Leave a Comment

This weekend…
Friday night we went to a family meet up with one of my mom meet up groups at Lucky Labrador.
We went to breakfast at Suzette and had the most amazing vegan crepes.
We went grocery shopping (I know we’re wild).
We went to buy more coffee beans for Neil to roast and then we went to REI, Whole Foods and Portland Running Company

Guilty Pleasures…
Anyone who really knows me knows that I love to snoop in refrigerators, especially the ones at department stores-hey they used to put fake food in them when I was a kid, anyways today I snooped in Kris Carr’s fridge and you can too (there is real food inside).

Food I want to Eat…
How insane does this crispy cauliflower look?
I could eat a tempeh sandwich everyday. Adding this one to the list.

Clothes I want to Wear…
I hate shorts (on me) so I have been lusting after this skort for summer activities.

Over on Naturally Family…

You can check out some snapshots from our weekend at the coast, check out what Edith has been eating and drinking and read up on Neil’s goals for the month of April.

Don’t Forget…

To enter my More Peas, Thank You giveaway!

More Peas, Thank You Blog Tour

April 7, 2013 by Lindsay Ingalls 2 Comments

Mama Pea has done it again, she has released another family friendly cookbook. As a new mom I am always on the lookout for tasty, healthy and quick recipes to create for my family and More Peas, Thank You has all three of these components. Not only is this cookbook filled with scrumptious recipes it is also filled with Sarah’s humorous writing. I mean really, how many cookbooks can you read and find yourself rolling on the floor in laughter.

This book is filled with a ton of really great recipes including her famous MMMM Sauce which we have been making on a regular basis over here. It is also filled with tasty recipes that you haven’t seen before like this one for Sunrise Smoothies. This recipe is husband, mama and baby approved.

Sunrise Smoothies

Makes 4 smoothies

INGREDIENTS

1 1⁄2 cups frozen strawberries
1 1⁄2 cups apple juice
stevia, honey or agave to taste (optional)
1 cup frozen mango
1⁄2 cup frozen pineapple
1 1⁄2 cups orange juice
4 strawberries, to garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a blender, combine strawberries, apple juice and sweetener, if using.

2. Pour strawberry smoothie carefully into 4 glasses, and transfer glasses to freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to allow strawberry layer to set.

3. Rinse out blender and put in mango, pineapple, orange juice and sweetener, if using. Blend until smooth. Remove glasses from freezer and carefully pour mango smoothie into each one to achieve a layered effect.

4. Garnish with a fresh strawberry and serve.

Nutrition information per serving: 150 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 30 g sugar, 1 g protein, vitamin A 8%, vitamin C 130%, calcium 4%, iron 6%

Optional ingredients and toppings not included in analysis.

PEA POINTS
The longer you let the strawberry layer set, the more distinct the divide will be between the layers. You can also make these in Popsicle molds for a two-tone frozen summer treat.

In addition to this Sunrise Smoothie we have enjoyed the Quinoa-Zucchini Lasagna and MMMM Sauce in various forms (mac and mmm, with steamed veggies and rice, on toast). So far we have enjoyed everything we have made from More Peas, Thank You and I am planning to keep this cookbook in my rotation.

Giveaway Time:

The prize is a ton of fun, and includes:

Insulated Cooler Bag
Stainless Steel Tumbler with Straw
Glass Fruit Infuser Bottle
A copy of More Peas, Thank You

One lucky winner will win this package but first you have to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was provided with a review copy of More Peas, Thank You. All opinions are my own.

First National Acai Bowl Day

April 6, 2013 by Lindsay Ingalls Leave a Comment

Happy First National Acai Bowl Day!

Over the past few months I have become addicted to making acai bowls for breakfast and I am working on a few recipes to share with you. I actually had planned to share a new recipe today for the first ever National Acai Bowl Day but alas it just didn’t happen (life as a mom). Anyways I did want to share some more info about this special day

More than 300 juice and smoothie bars in 30-plus states are participating by offering açaí bowls at half price. Additionally, National Açaí Bowl Day will be celebrated at Sambazon’s two Açaí Café locations in Southern California. To find specific locations, you can visit the Sambazon.com store locator and choose National Acai Bowl Day under “Products” list.

We are heading to KURE on Hawthorne to pick up our bowls this morning- so excited!

Have you ever had an acai bowl? What is your favorite kind?

You can find recipes here.

Active Vacations: Cape Disappointment & Ecola State Park

April 4, 2013 by Lindsay Ingalls 1 Comment

Neil and I used to like to do a lot of city vacations before we had Edith and as much as we love those types of trips we have become more attracted to active outdoorsy vacations. This past weekend we took a spur of the moment trip to the Oregon Coast (who says you can’t take spur of the moment trips with a baby?). We really didn’t have anything on the agenda except to get outside and enjoy the beautiful warm weather.

Saturday we wandered around Astoria and then found ourselves hoping into the car and heading overthe bridge to Washington. We weren’t really sure what to do so we followed the signs to Cape Disappointment, a Washington State Park. We found a parking area and took a short hike out to a viewing area and lighthouse. We didn’t do much hiking on Saturday but definitely found a spot we’d like to return to.

Sunday we headed south to Cannon Beach were we visited Ecola State Park. We arrived just as the fog started to lift and the sun came out. We headed first to the viewing area where we saw some of the most beautiful postcard-worthy sites. After we took in the view we changed into our hiking shoes and headed out on the path to the beach. The path was described as a gradual assent and a steep descent so we weren’t sure what to expect but we headed out anyways. I strapped Edith on my back and we hiked in about a mile before hitting some trees that were down making it too much of a challenge to even attempt to get under them (there was no going over) with a baby in tow. So be grudgingly we headed back to the car where we promptly devoured half a container of hummus and carrots before heading home.

I’m looking forward to doing a lot more hiking this summer and hopefully at least one more trip to the coast.

What are your favorite types of vacations?

Active Vacations: Running in Astoria

April 3, 2013 by Lindsay Ingalls Leave a Comment

Have I ever told you how much I love to run on vacation? I really do, especially when there is an amazing running route right outside our hotel*.

This past Saturday, while in Astoria, Neil and I woke up and the first thing we did was go out for our runs. We both have races coming up so even though we were on a mini-vacation there was no way we could skip our training runs. I packed Edith up in the BOB and headed out a little before Neil since my run was a total of 60 minutes and his would be closer to 45 or so.

We lucked out that the weather was amazing, sunny but not hot and not too cold for a nice morning run. After stretching I started out with a 5 minute walking warm-up and then did 50 minutes of walk/run intervals and met up with Neil to finish off with a 5 minute cool down. In all I did 4.13 miles in 60 minutes and finished the 5k in 43:18 (my goal was 45 minutes). I have to say I felt amazing after my run because I beat my 5k time goal while running the first 30 minutes with a wicked headwind and pushing the BOB, oh yeah and because my entire run was along the water (!!).

Do you like to run on vacation? Where is the best place you have ever ran?

*We stayed at the Best Western in Astoria (we got it on Hotwire) which is right on the river walk. It is a great location on the water only a few miles from downtown and there is even a trolly that you can take for $2/day that drops you off/picks you up right by the hotel.

Adventures in Astoria

April 2, 2013 by Lindsay Ingalls Leave a Comment

This past weekend we took advantage of the beautiful weather and took a spur of the moment trip to the Oregon Coast. This was our first trip to the coast and of course because our trip was so last minute, I’m talking we decided Thursday night to go away for the weekend, we had very limited options for accommodations due to Oregon schools being on spring break. We ended up finding a hotel in Astoria and here are a few of the places we visited.

Breweries: Of course we had to stop into Rogue and Fort George for some beer sampling while in Astoria. While I loved the location of Rogue (right on the water literally) I have to say Fort George was the winner with it’s amazing beers. My favorite Fort George brew was the 1811 Lager, which is surprising to me because I am a lover of hoppy beers which this one is not. Not a beer drinker? Well then you must try the wasabi ginger ale at Fort George. So good.

Night Life: If you do happen to go to Rogue at night you’ll probably walk outside and be greeted by the sound of sea lions, they are seriously so loud and so cute. You will also be able to take in a breath taking view and sunset. I recommend taking a walk along the water down to the pier so you can see the sea lions up close while enjoying the sunset.

Filmed in Astoria: I knew that The Goonies was filmed onsite in Astoria but did you know that Short Circuit, The Black Stallion, Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Benji the Hunted, The Ring Two, and Into the Wild were also filmed in Astoria? Of course we had to grab a map (side note: seriously who uses mapquest anymore? Google Maps for the win) and visit The Goonies house and take a photo of the school where Kindergarten Cop was filmed.

Blue Schorcher: This vegetarian cafe has a small food menu, lots of baked goods, chocolates that I wish I had bought and of course coffee. The menu is vegetarian but vegans don’t get too excited because everything is very dairy heavy. We ended up ordering the Tempeh & Toast for breakfast and coffees and it was really good, so good I’d recommend going. You can also pick up one of their wonderful homemade breads to take home and if you forget your reading material they have a wall full of really wonderful magazines you can purchase. Also for those of you with little ones there was an amazing little play area that Edith enjoyed for almost our entire meal.

Coming up later this week I’ll show you a few other adventures from this past weekend.

Have you ever visited Astoria?

Where did/are you travel for Spring Break?