Veggie Bee

No, not healthy treats! Although there are lots of those included in the list. I’ve been studying like a maniac for a fitness nutrition certification exam, so I’ve been out of touch here for a couple of weeks. But I’ve been dutifully following all my Twitter buddies during study breaks.  These are just a few of my favorite “tweets” of the last couple of weeks from everyone I follow on Twitter. Follow Veggie Bee if you’re on Twitter, or send me your favorite “tweets” to include in the list!  I’ll be back in a couple of days with some new posts. By the way, RT simply stands for “retweet” in Twitter lingo, it just means I’m passing along someone else’s brilliant ideas and information!

• RT@WholeFoods: …thoughts on this unique summertime treat? Watermelon Salad w/Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Basil http://tinyurl.com/p5jw8b
• RT @UncluttererTips: From @rubbermaid Save 20% on rubbermaid.com purchases through 6/30/09. Use promo code CL5000 in the shopping cart.
• RT @mambosprouts: RT @rshreeves Looking for coupons on organic groceries ? http://bit.ly/10Dux3
• RT @skinnyjeans: RT @noshtopia Salmon ideas: 20 Salmon Dishes like Glazed Salmon w/ Mint & Cucumber Slaw [pics]: http://twurl.nl/5z4wgc
• RT @UncluttererTips: Tip — How to clean a dirty sponge: http://bit.ly/1f1jLd (via Slashfood)
• RT @lunchboxbunch: Re-think Hemp Milk with this fresh peach smoothie. Vegan. http://bit.ly/XMy1K
• RT @FitnessMagazine: RT @HomeFamilyNet… Here are healthy recipes for a summer barbeque from Fitness Magazine: http://bit.ly/Hqymj
• JillianMichaels: Eat smart when you go out. Check the Web site of a chain restaurant for the nutrition information and stick to your guns when you get there!

Featured blogs & web sites from tweets of the week:

• Whole Foods
• Unclutterer
• The Lunch Box Bunch
• Noshtopia
• Fitness Magazine
• Mambo Sprouts
• Jillian Michaels

Have a fabulous and fun weekend!!

Now that summer is here, I’m sure you’ve already done some grilling!! While grilling is a fabulous option for poultry, fish and shellfish as part of your healthy life, don’t forget that dessert deserves a chance on the grill too. Grilled fruit is a tasty and easy way to help you increase your fruits and veggies and enjoy your dessert too!

 Grilled Fruit with Strawberry Dip

Ingredients
4 peaches, halved or quartered
8 chunks of pineapple
4 plums, nectarines or papayas, halved
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Dip
8 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon dried, ground ginger
8 strawberries, halved

Preparation
In a blender, puree cheese, yogurt, ginger and strawberries until smooth. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate for two hours. Thread fruit onto eight skewers and mix vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Grill fruit until lightly browned, turning frequently and brushing with vinegar mixture every few minutes. Serve with strawberry dip on the side.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts per serving
Calories: 106
Protein: 4 grams
Fiber: 2 grams

Recipe courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Grilled Bananas

Ingredients
4 bananas, cut in half
Cinnamon sugar
Melted butter, optional (or olive oil spray)

Preparation
Cut bananas in half so that both halves have all the skin on. Cut the halves lengthwise (so the bananas are shaped like boats) and LEAVE THE SKIN ON. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. (If using butter or olive oil spray, brush or spray bananas lightly before sprinkling with cinnamon sugar. To make it lower calorie, use olive oil or canola spray and sprinkle with cinnamon).

Place bananas cut side down for 1 to 3 minutes or until bananas have grill marks. Turn over and continue cooking until warmed through. When the banana skin starts to pull away from the fruit, they’re done.

Eat right out of the skin while still warm or serve on top of a serving of Stonyfield Farms Organic Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt!

What’s your favorite recipe for grilling fruit??

David and I, along with our friend Heidi, are already signed up and ready to start training for the Disneyland Half Marathon on September 6. I’ll post more about the training plan I’m using to try to beat my personal best half marathon finish, but here’s the recap of how our relay went.

First, however, five things to bring to the start line!  Here’s what I throw in my “throw away” bag for the start line:

• A sweatshirt, if necessary ~ I usually keep old sweatshirts specifically for this purpose. You may have to wait a while before you actually start the race, and it’s nice to be comfortable if it’s chilly outside, yet you don’t want to have to carry a sweatshirt with you during the run. Most races gather all the sweatshirts left at the start line and donate them to a charity.
• A Clif bar ~ in case I’m still hungry after my breakfast, which usually consists of oatmeal and banana. I’ll have half the bar and throw away the rest if I don’t eat it.
• Tissues or toilet paper ~ mandatory for the port-a-potties! You might end up in one that’s run out of TP.
• Antibacterial wipe ~ mandatory for after the port-a-potties!  Although, at the Rock and Roll last week, they had antibacterial dispensers outside, but I’m not going to rely on that.
• 5-Hour Energy Shot ~ I have this in case I don’t get to have any coffee the morning of the run. I typically drink coffee before I run, but maybe I just have an iron stomach. If you know of any all-natural energy shots, let me know. Since I only have this a couple of times a year, I’m not too worried about the artificial flavors or sucralose, but if there is another option, I would love to know about it.

Right before the race, I just throw everything away and set aside the sweatshirt on the corral railing for organizers to pick up. Easy breezy! 

Now for the recap… I posted this first on my other blog last week…

We actually had a lot of fun on Sunday, May 31, at the Rock and Roll Marathon… the relay is the way to go!!  Being there did make me want to run the whole marathon, until I got finished at mile 13.5 with what I had committed to do!  A full marathon takes so much focus and training, but the feeling of accomplishment is worth the few days (or more!) of recovery. At least we got a medal for the relay!  We’re already signed up to do the Disneyland Half Marathon on September 6, 2009 and by “we” I mean David and me!  Yes, he’s really going to do it. I am so proud of him!

Read the rest of this entry »

Kath Eats Real Food has a great giveaway for a crock-pot, courtesy of The Juice, a partnership between BlogHer and Tropicana Trop 50. The Juice is a new online community for women to share and exchange practical advice and tips.

A crock-pot is a fantastic way to make easy, healthy meals ahead of time so that you’re not reaching for the nearest delivery menu when you get home and don’t have the energy to cook a meal… your crock-pot meal can be ready for you when you walk in the door!

To enter to win, leave a comment on Kath’s site with a crock-pot friendly dish you would like to try. She will be drawing for the winner on June 8.

ZestyCook.com has a great idea for a smoothie using frozen cranberries, a Cranberry Sizzler… as well as all the facts you wanted to know about harvesting cranberries!

And the generous Zesty is giving away a blog makeover! Of course I entered, Veggie Bee can always use an upgrade from a pro.  Even if you’re just thinking about starting a blog, Zesty can help you get started. Be sure to enter before 5 p.m. EST on June 8!