Healthy Habits: The Perfect Parfait

Let me tell you a story. About 7 years ago, while on vacation in the fabulous town of Las Vegas, I ordered something called a "Breakfast Parfait" for breakfast one morning. Being the then-unadventurous eater that I was, my breakfast options had previously been limited to Honey Nut Cheerios and Eggo Waffles. Thus, this "breakfast parfait" was a major departure from my habitual morning meal. When it arrived, I was delighted by the eye-catching layers of yogurt, granola, and fruit. I liked it so much, I ordered it again the next morning. I completely forgot about that divine breakfast treat until many years later, when I had been bitten by the cooking bug. Inspired to assemble something more elaborate than toast or cereal, I determined to re-create that breakfast treat. Little did I know that I would soon develop a new culinary obsession.

Breakfast parfaits have it all: they're versatile, nutritious, and beautiful:
-You can adapt any parfait to suit your taste preferences; there are no real rules about what must go into a breakfast parfait.
-If you choose relatively healthful components (i.e., low-fat or non-fat yogurt, plenty of fruit, and whole grains), then a breakfast parfait is a healthy addition to any diet.
-Be sure to choose a pretty glass in which to place your ingredients. Half the fun of eating a parfait is the presentation!

I've had much practice in making parfaits over the years (almost as much expertise as I have in smoothie making), so here are a few guidelines I've created to ensure a maximally enjoyable parfait experience:
*Choose a grain component. I like whole grain cereals such as Fiber One, raisin bran, and Kashi GoLean. Other grain options include VitaTops, homemade whole grain muffins (crumbled), or other baked goods.
*Choose a fruit. There are no real limits here. Go with your favorite...or even a combination of several.
*Choose a wet ingredient. Mine is almost always yogurt, but I have been known to include applesauce or pumpkin as well. Most often I use plain yogurt, but feel free to include flavored yogurts as well--just keep an eye on that sugar count.
*You may like to sprinkle an optional topping as a final flourish. I typically place a dollop of nut butter, a few chopped nuts, wheat germ, or granola for texture and taste.
*Pay attention to the order in which you layer your ingredients. I happen to enjoy soggy textures, so I like to layer in the following order: grain, yogurt, fruit--repeat! That way the muffins or cereal soak up the flavor of the yogurt, creating a texture not unlike a trifle. Feel free to change up the sequence as you please.

I have made MANY breakfast parfaits on this blog, but here is a mere sampling:

For a complete list of all my parfait posts, click here. If you have any questions about any of the ingredients in any of my creations, just shoot me an email!

Happy parfait-making!

You've Got a Friend in Me

These past few days have been all about reuniting with friends. Study abroad programs are quite popular at Duke, so a large percentage of the junior class has not been on campus since last May. Hence, I hadn't seen some of my buddies for 8 months! Yikes! I've been thoroughly enjoying my run-ins with pals from the past all day; reconnecting with friends always lifts my mood.

I have received some fun Christmas presents from my friends while back at Duke. They know me so well--I received plenty of dishes, a cookbook, and a signed Duke basketball poster with a cute green bracelet. Thanks, friends!
While we're on the topic of friends, I just want to mention that one of my favorite aspects of the blog world is the support and friendship I have found in readers and fellow bloggers. Thanks for making my life a little brighter with your comments and companionship!

My eats have been a tad boring lately due to my super-busy schedule. Here's a look at what I've been munching:

Monday
I ended my busy day of travel in the typical way: with a large, refreshing smoothie. I combined unsweetened vanilla Spirutein (from Sarah) with strawberries, banana, soymilk, and cashew granola. Delish.
Tuesday
Yesterday morning, I had about an hour to eat breakfast, shower, and primp before recruitment activities began again. Thus, a very easy breakfast: mango-rice milk smoothie with coconut and toast with cashew butter.
I packed a lunch to nibble on between parties: hummus sandwich, trail mix made up of pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries, and a big honkin' apple.
I also tossed this bar into my bag at the last second. I think eventually I will have sampled every single "chocolate brownie" flavored bar on the market. I love me some chocolate.
For dinner, I headed out to Elmo's Diner again with some buds. I ordered the exact same things as I did on this occasion, so no pictures. Just as delicious as ever:)

The smoothie of the evening used yet another Spirutein packet given to me by Sarah; this flavor is called "Nutty Berry Burst." I combined it with soymilk, strawberries, and banana. I really enjoyed it due to its very prominent pistachio flavor. YUM!
Wednesday
I kept it simple this morning so as to have plenty of time to get to my classes (first of the semester!). I had a bowl of spelt flakes with rice milk, banana, wheat germ, and almonds. Yet another deluxe cereal bowl, yet another tasty breakfast.
I will be busy with basketball games and more sorority activities later in the day. I keep all my activities straight with my Franklin Covey planner (mine is red with polka dots) and this new wall calendar. How do you keep your life organized?

Be back soon!

Healthy Habits: Taste the Rainbow!

One of the simplest ways to ensure that you're getting adequate nutrition from the foods you eat is to reach for color. If a food boasts a vibrant hue, chances are good that it contains loads of valuable carotenoids, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals that promote overall health. In an effort to take advantage of all these nutrients (and experiment with some new foods!), I aim to include as much color in my diet as possible. As many of you know, I have chosen my oatmeal bowl as the conduit through which I may "taste the rainbow." Here are a few pictures of my kaleidoscopic breakfast adventures:

Raspberry oats with chopped almonds
Pumpkin oats with pecans, cinnamon, and ginger
Pineapple oats with coconut and cashew butter
"Amazing Grass" oats with chopped almonds
Blueberry oats with almond butter
Pomegranate oats with almond butter and wheat germ
For more information about colorful eating, click here.

Just Call Me Aunt Bethany

"I should say hello?"
"Hello everybody!"

Can you guess from which Christmas movie I selected that quote?

Just as Aunt Bethany would, I am dropping in to say hello to everybody...I have been diligently working on my paper that is due on Wednesday. Classes have ended for the semester, so the only things that separate me from Winter Break is this paper and a stats exam on Friday. Woohoo! I wish all you students out there the best of luck during finals week!

Anyway, I better get to it, if I want to be able to take a study break to watch the basketball game later today. Here's a glance at my grub:

Wednesday
Just before the Rockefeller Christmas special came on, I decided to whip up a quick dinner to enjoy while watching all the performances. I was craving cashew-ginger tofu from ED&BV (my favorite comfort food) but realized I had already eaten tofu for lunch, plus I didn't have any cashew butter. So, I improvised and made peanut ginger veggies. I had some couscous and pineapple with wheat germ on the side. Hit the spot!
The smoothie of the evening was fabulous--peach and banana with Nutribody protein and soymilk.
Thursday
I woke up for my last day of classes (on time!) and made an Apple Pie Parfait. I alternated layers of plain yogurt, applesauce, and spelt flakes, then topped it off with wheat germ and almond butter.
For lunch I made a quick mock tuna salad wrap with chickpeas, vegan mayo, a dash of mustard, kelp granules, and some lemon zest. In case you can't tell, I am really into zesting things lately. Check out my spiffy microplane. It's great for finely grating cheese/soy cheese as well. I also had a salad with peanuts and more pineapple.
After lunch, I baked a loaf of pumpkin bread for a sorority study break. Here's what it looked like, fresh out of the oven. The smell of baking pumpkin bread always makes me think of my mom--she used to bake triple batches of the stuff so that my sisters and I could give loaves to our teachers. Do you have any special food memories to share?
For dinner, I went out with the dining committee to an Italian restaurant in Raleigh called Vic's. It was family-style dining, so I chose a little of this and a little of that: Kalamata olives, caprese salad, fresh rolls, an eggplant roll up with ricotta cheese, and some sauteed vegetables. I also had quite a few glasses of wine...perhaps too many. It was a great way to spend the evening! Sorry, no pictures.

Friday
I had a little bit of silken tofu in the fridge just begging to be made into vegan French toast...so you can guess what I had for breakfast...Tofu-Banana French Toast. This time I topped it with banana slices and a few dollops of PB, kind of like a more complex banana-PB sandwich.
After my last trip of the semester to Whole Foods (the Durham location, that is!), I came home and made some coconut black beans. I was so excited to use the coconut milk that I picked up at the store, I couldn't wait to use it. I combined black beans, mango, cumin, garlic, red onion, and coconut milk and served the mixture alongside a pita and a salad with Woodstock dressing.
I was a lame-o last night and worked on my paper. After a little Frosty the Snowman action on ABC family, I decided to make a simple supper: hummus-salsa sammie, zucchini, spinach salad, and an apple with almond butter.
Well, I should get back to work. Ciao for now...be back soon!