Fruity Egg Cake

This recipe was given to me by my dear friend Sharon who lives in Nova Scotia, on the other end of Canada.  She has been doing the Whole30 Paleo Challenge for several days now and came up with this mixture in order to get in a bit of ‘sweet’ one afternoon.

I thought it looked very good and so I made it up and had it for breakfast recently.  It doesn’t look like much, volume-wise, but the fat in the coconut and almond butter, and the protein in the egg whites and almond butter really kept me satisfied for several hours… even through a sweaty and hard 20 minute strength workout.

I have put together little egg white cakes before, but never thought to add these kinds of sweet and chewy bits to them.  Such a great idea!

I will be definitely be making it again… and I think the possibilties for little changes are endless… raisins, shaved almonds, cashew butter, vanilla... and on and on.

Fruity Egg Cake
Makes 1 serving

• 2 egg whites
• 10g dried unsweetened coconut shreds
• 10g dried dates, chopped
• 10g dried cranberries, chopped
• 2 tsp almond butter

1. Whisk egg whites till frothy.
2. Fold in coconut, dates, and cranberries.
3. Put in small microwave-safe dish with sides that has been lightly coated with non-stick spray.
4. Drizzle almond butter over the mixture and pull through with a knife to swirl and spread somewhat.
5. Microwave on HIGH in 30 second increments, for 1-1/2 minutes.
6. Remove to plate and serve.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 211; Protein 10g; Carbohydrate 19g; Fat 12g; Fibre 4g.

Printable Recipe

Eat Smart Precision Pro Kitchen Scale Giveaway

Did you read my Eat Smart Precision Pro Kitchen Scale review last week?

I am so excited to share this news… Eat Smart wants to give one of my readers a Precision Pro Kitchen Scale just like the one in my review.

So, if you live in Canada or the U.S. and would like to have one of these scales, here is how to enter the giveaway:

Mandatory:

Leave a comment on this post and tell me why you want to win. Make sure you leave an email address so I can find you easily if you win, PLEASE.

Bonus entry:

For an additional entry, tweet about the giveaway and include @EatSmartScales and @WeCanBegin2Feed and a link to this post in your tweet.  You do not need to leave an additional comment.   If you tweeted as indicated, I will find it.  Simply Retweeting my tweet or someone else's tweet does not qualify. You must post an original tweet.

The giveaway will be open until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, February 3rd, 2013.  I will select a winner on Monday, February 4th, 2013, and try to contact the winner by email and also share the winner’s name on this post.  If I do not receive an email in response from the winner by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, February 7th, 2013, I will select a different winner.

The prize will be provided and directly sent to the winner by Eat Smart Products.

I am hosting this same giveaway for the same scale on another blog eatrunsail ... there is only the one scale to be awarded and it is being advertised on both blogs.  You can enter there as well if you like.  If you enter on both blogs you can have a maximum of 4 entries.

UPDATE!

This giveaway is now closed and the lucky winner is

kevershed

I have sent an email message to the winner and hope to hear back soon!

Savory Squash and Flax EggCakes

The dish that I came up with a short while ago to use up my sweet potatoes,  Sweet Potato and Flax EggCakes, gave way to another idea to use up some leftover roasted Carnival Squash.

Have you ever tried Carnival Squash?  It looks somewhat like a large yellow and green Acorn Squash, but the inside is quite different.  The fleshy walls are thicker and the cooked squash has a real sweetness to it. When it is cooled, the shell falls away from the cooked squash very easily.  I love it!



So to change up the eggcakes a bit I decided to make them savory instead of sweet, and included a bit of onion in my recipe.  I am sure any squash you would like to use, or even canned pumpkin would be nice in this recipe.

This makes a really large cake because the egg and egg whites fluff up so much. If you like, make 2 and share with a friend, or eat one and save the other for another time. This goes very nicely with some ham and some fruit on the side.





Savory Squash and Flax EggCakes
Makes 1 large cake

• 1 slice of white onion, chopped
• 1 egg 
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/2 cup cooked squash
• 1 Tbs milled flax seeds
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix all the ingredients except the onions together in a medium bowl.
2. Saute the onions in a non-stick skillet over MEDIUM heat for about 3 or 4 minutes.
3. Pour the batter over the onions in the skillet and cook approximately 4 or 5 minutes until the edges dry a bit and there are bubbles in the batter. If you already make pancakes you will recognize this stage.
4. Flip the cake over and cook the second side for about 2 more minutes.
5. Remove to a plate and serve.

Per serving.

Weight Watchers P+ = 5.

Calories 220; Protein 21g; Carbohydrate 12g; Fat 9g; Fibre 3g.

Printable Recipe

Have you had a Carnival Squash?  What is your favorite squash variety?

Eat Smart Precision Pro Kitchen Scale

I was really quite excited when a package arrived a couple of weeks ago and I opened it to find an Eat Smart Precision Pro kitchen scale inside.

 

I have a long history with food scales.  I first started using one in the mid 90’s when I became a Weight Watcher.  In those days on the program, we were encouraged to weigh and measure every morsel that we consumed.

 

My first scale was a very small spring-loaded analog version and I had several variations on that theme, in succession, for about 16 or 17 years. When we moved onto the boat in 2002 I had no room on my galley countertop to keep a scale out for use all the time, and these little analogs were easily stowed in a galley locker, with no real worry about breakage. Like every other tool in my galley, I just got it out and used it when I needed to, and then promptly stowed it away afterward.

 

I cannot imagine not having a scale in my kitchen now, after all these years. I rely on them for:

• Portion Control
• Recipe Development
• Measurement Accuracy
• Calorie Counting/Nutrient Tracking

And this Eat Smart Precision Pro food scale certainly does all of those things, and more, with the simple push of a couple buttons.

 

 

The left button is used to turn the scale On and Off and it is also used to reset the weight measurement display to Zero.  It’s a very useful function because it allows you to keep adding items to the scale, but weigh them individually.

 

The right button allows you to select the Unit for your weight measurement.  It can be grams, kilograms, ounces, or pounds. 

 

And the scale accurately weighs up to 5kg or 11 pounds.

 

It automatically turns itself off if left idle for 3 minutes to save your battery power.

 I like to carry a little package of nuts in my purse, or pocket or daypack whenever I leave home. It’s an emergency snack that will be enough to get me to the next meal, should a case of the hangries attack. I like to take 14grams, approximately half an ounce, in each container and my Eat Smart Precision Pro food scale helps me portion them out.   Normally the scale sits on my counter between the fridge and the stove, but for the sake of these pictures, I moved it to the table. I set out the scale and my containers and the bags of nuts.

 

 

 

Then I pushed the left button to turn the scale On, and placed some containers on the top.  Check out the easy to read display...

 

I don’t care how much the containers weigh.  I just want to weigh the nuts, so I pushed the left button to Zero the display….

 

 

 

And added almonds to one of the containers till the display read 14g.

 

 

Then I pushed the TARE button again to Zero the display…

 

 

and filled the second container till the display read 14g. And then Zeroed the display again and I repeated the process until they were all done. So easy!  When I am working with new recipes I want to keep track of accurate measurements. I don’t like to try to follow a new recipe where the author uses ‘a handful of’ spinach or tells you to use a ‘medium’ potato…. what does that mean? (I realize I have been guilty of that myself in the past.) I would much rather read a precise ingredient list that I can easily duplicate, especially for recipes where I am not familiar with the outcome. And I require that accuracy when I am calculating the nutritional information for my recipes. A food scale is needed here, obviously.  And yes, sometimes you can use measuring cups, but I do prefer those for liquid measures. I like to use a scale for solid food measurements. Why?  

Here is a good example.

This rolled oats package gives the nutritional information for 1/2 cup or 40 grams. In Canada all our labels are in both English and French. 

But when I measure out 1/2 cup it actually weighs 53 grams not 40 (and yes, I did Zero out for the container). That is a difference of 13 grams… almost half an ounce. Does it matter? Well, it does to me and if you are concerned enough to be checking the nutritional information in the first place, it likely does to you as well.

If you are into calorie counting, or tracking your nutrients like I am, this scale is a really good tool. I like to keep a diary of my food intake so I can make sure I am getting in my important vitamins and minerals each day, along with an appropriate number of calories… broken down into proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

The Eat Smart Precision Pro comes with an added little tool to help you count calories.  It is a booklet that lists hundreds of foods, by category, and gives the USDA calculated number of calories per gram of food.

 

For example, an apple with the skin, is listed at .52  - so you would weigh the amount you are going to eat in grams, and multiply that number by .52 to find out how many calories are in your apple.

In most calorie guides I see medium apples listed at 80 calories so I would normally use that number.  Let’s see how many calories my apple really has.

I removed the core from the apple and sliced it up into a little bowl, and after Zeroing out the weight of the bowl, I determined that the weight of what I am going to actually eat is 138 grams. When I multiply that by .52 I come up with 71.76 calories for this apple.

This is a wonderful little added feature if this level of accuracy is important to you.

Overall I am very impressed with this little Eat Smart Precision Pro kitchen scale, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who already uses a food scale, or as a first-time purchase for anyone wanting to start using one.

You can find out more about the Eat Smart Precision Pro kitchen scale at: Amazon and on their Social media sites: LIKE EatSmart Products on Facebook Twitter @EatSmartScales Pinterest Google Plus Follow the EatSmart Blog Instagram
I was given the Eat Smart Precision Pro kitchen scale but all opinions are my own.

Tired of Eggs? Try This Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl Scramble

I have been eating eggs for breakfast every day since I started this Whole30 Paleo Challenge on January 1st. EVERY DAY! Eggs have lots of protein and a bit of fat, and keep me satisfied till lunchtime no matter how busy my morning happens to be, or how hard I might workout.  For me, these days, eggs are synonomous with breakfast.

But I just couldn't face scrambled eggs or baked eggs, or even a veggie omelet. I wanted the benefit of eating eggs but I didn't want to taste eggs... what to do?

I thought something sweetened with banana might be good, and then I remembered that I had some frozen berries that I should start using up... so I thought Id make a banana omelet with some berries on the top.... but when I opened the refrigerator, I saw some leftover cooked sweet potato and decided to use that too and make up a sweet potato and banana scramble.

When it was all done, it reminded me of a hot cereal so I put it into a bowl, and ate it with a spoon!  If  I only wanted one serving, I would halve these ingredients. I doubt that reheated leftovers would taste very good... and reheating egg dishes in the mike makes them tough, or so I have heard.

I put some almond butter and berries on mine; The Captain chose chunky peanut butter and I gave him berries as well.  If you are a yogurt fan, it would probably be good with this dish as well.



Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl Scramble
Makes 2 servings

• 1 banana
• 1/2 cooked sweet potato
• 2 eggs
• dash of cinnamon
• dash of vanilla extract

1. Roughly mash the banana and sweet potato together in a medium bowl.
2. Add the eggs, cinnamon and vanilla and mix well.
3. Pour the mixture into a hot skillet that has been coated with non-stick spray, over MEDIUM heat.
4. Allow to cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Divide between 2 bowls and put on toppings of your choice before serving.

Per serving, without toppings.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 179; Protein 8g; Carbohydrate 26g; Fat 5g; Fibre 3g.

Pour the mixture into a prepared pan.

 

 

And stir occasionally.

 

 

You will notice a color change and a texture change as the eggs cook.

 

 

It will be fairly dry when it's ready... may take 6 or 7 minutes.

 

 

In my bowl, topped with almond butter and berries.

 

 

The Captain likes to mix everything together... but you can see that it resembles cooked cereal.

 

Printable Recipe

 

Do you think this is something you might like? 

 

Do you know any other ways to use eggs and not have them TASTE like eggs?



Curried Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup

This thick, hearty and flavorful soup is much like one I have been making since it was first introduced to me a few months ago by Tamara at fitknitchick.  And I intended to make that same Curried Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup again this week, but the butternut squash was such a good price at my local produce market, and the sweet potatoes were not, so I changed course and ended up with this lovely soup instead.  

It is a pretty big batch so you may want to adjust the amounts... I like to have soup stored in individual servings in the freezer ready to pull out and reheat when I am in a hurry or need a quick snack.

This lovely soup works very nicely into my current Whole30 Paleo Challenge and it is also gluten-free.

I used coconut oil instead of olive oil to saute the veggies. I have come to really love the smell of coconut oil cocoking away in my kitchen and have started using it wherever I can!  And you won't be surprised to learn that I used a can of Kirkland chunk chicken breasts.  If you have chicken already cooked, great... or turkey would be very good, too.

I should tell you that I added a dash of ground coriander along with the cumin, but didn't include it on the ingredient list because I don't really think it is necessary.  Use about 3/4 to 1 tsp of it if you like it.

Don't be put off by the color! The green comes from the kale.  It truly is delicious.  And I have to admit, that being a Weight Watcher, I appreciate that the butternut squash has a much lower calorie count than a sweet potato has, too.



Curried Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup
Makes 14 servings, 1 cup each.

• 1 Tbs coconut oil
• 3/4 cup chopped white onion
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 30 ounces)
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 bunch kale, large stems removed, washed and torn into pieces
• 1-1/2 Tbs ground cumin
• 6 cups water
• 7.5 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Warm the coconut oil in a stock pot or very large saucepan over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add the garlic and onions and saute about 5 minutes
3. Add the squash and kale and saute till the kale starts to get shiny, about 5 more minutes. Stir occasionally. 
4. Add the cumin and stir to coat the vegetables.
5. Cover the vegetables with the water.
6. Cover the saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and let cook for 45 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about half an hour.
8. Puree with immersion blender or food processor. (Leave a bit chunky.)
9. Add chicken to mixture and heat through.
10. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Per 1 cup serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 66; Protein 5g; Carbohydrate 10g; Fat 1g; Fibre 2g.

Saute the veggies in the coconut oil.

 



Reheat on the stove to serve.
 
Printable Recipe

Are you a kale fan?  Does the color ever put you off?

Eggs with Sweet Potato Hash

I do love sweet potatoes... those lovely dark orange Beauregard or Louisiana sweet potatoes.  Here we call them yams to distinguish them from the drier, yellow variety, that I have never cared for at all.

I have been trying to encourage The Captain to eat more sweet potatoes instead of white or red potatoes lately, cause they are so full of vitamins, so I made up this dish for breakfast recently.  It went over pretty well, too!

You can easily halve the ingredients to make a single serving or even just use one egg per person if you prefer.  We had this for brunch so I wanted to make sure it would be hearty enough to get us through till tea time!

Eggs with Sweet Potato Hash
Makes 2 servings

• 1 medium sweet potato, baked and cooled (about 1-1/2 cups total)
• 4 eggs
• 1 handful of spinach leaves, chopped
• 1 Tbs bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled

1. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into large chunks and place in a microwave safe dish.
2. Add the crumbled bacon and spinach, and stir altogether lightly.
3. Put in the microwave oven and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes.
4. In the meantime, fry the eggs in a non-stick skillet, till done to your liking.
5. Divide the potato mixture between 2 plates, and top with an eggs.
6. Season with salt and pepper.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 8.
Calories 318; Protein 17g; Carbohydrate 37g;  Fat 11g; Fibre 5g.

Ready to pop into the mike while the eggs are cooking.



Printable Recipe

Sweet Potato and Flax EggCakes

The other day I miked a huge sweet potato and after it was cooked and cooled, I wrapped it up and put it in the refrigerator. Since then, I have been cutting slices from it to use in various lunch dishes and as snacks... a slice with a sprinkle of cinnamon is filling and delicious.

I decided, afer a couple of days, that I should probably devise some way to use the rest of it up, so this Sweet Potato and Flax Eggcake was hatched.  I originally though it would be just right for us at breakfast, but after I ate one cake, I had no room for the second one, although The Captain did eat 2 of them. So I will give you the N.I. per cake as I made them.

I have been following the Whole30 Challenge since January 1st, to the letter I think, and am really missing my protein powder pancakes and this mixture is so good I may never go back!  When I first started mixing ingredients together, I thought I was making an omelet, but when I poured the batter into the pan, I realized it was thick enough to be a pancake, so that is how it happened!  If you would like more of an omelet, just leave out the flax.  Perhaps that is a post for another day.

I did put a bit of syrup on The Captain's cakes.  For my topping, I stirred together 2 tsp of almond butter and 2 tsp of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.   Of course you could halve these ingredients.  I am keeping the leftover cake in the fridge to have as an after-workout snack.







Sweet Potato and Flax Eggcakes
Makes 4 eggcakes.

• 1 cup cooked, and mashed sweet potato
• 4 eggs
• 2 Tbs milled/ground flax seed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

1. Mix all the ingredients together well in a medium bowl.
2. Scoop out 1/2 cup of batter and pour in the centre of a hot non-stick skillet and cook over MEDIUM heat approximately 3 or 4 minutes until the edges dry a bit and there are bubbles in the batter. If you already make pancakes you will recognize this stage.
3. Flip the cake over and cook the second side for about 2 more minutes.
4. Remove to a plate and keep warm while you cook 3 more cakes.
5. Serve with your choice of toppings.

Per eggcake without toppings.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 150; Protein 8g; Carbohydrate 13g; Fat 7g; Fibre 2g.

Love the color of this batter!

 

 

Pour about 1/2 cup for each eggcake.

 

 

The Captain' plate, with syrup.

 

 

And mine, with almond butter and milk topping.

 



 

Printable Recipe

Curried Coconut Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

I love to make soups in the Winter.  The aroma of garlic and onions fills the kitchen with the promise of homemade with love goodness!  I love the rich golden color and the silky texture.  And there are so many lovely local squashes in our local produce markets at this time of year that I want to sample them all.

In getting ready to start a 30 Day Paleo Challenge on January 1st I decided to make up a lovely spicy, nutritious soup, to have on hand for lunches and snacks.  I know that preparing for this challenge is going to be very important to my success on it. 

Normally I like to put a spoonful of fat free yogurt on my vegetable soups when I serve them... stirring the yogurt into the hot soup makes it creamy and rich.  But there is no dairy on the Paleo plan so I decided to use some coconut milk in this soup to take the place of the yogurt (I used a light version - after all I am still a Weight Watcher) and followed that theme by using coconut oil instead of the olive olive I would usually use, too. 

And I have to say, the coconut oil smells wonderful while it cooks.  Mouthwatering, actually!  I will be using it a lot more often.

I prefer to use my homemade turkey stock in recipes like this, but if you don't have turkey or chicken stock on hand, use a couple of bullion cubes and 4 cups of water.  It really does result in a richer flavor than water alone... or use vegetable bullion if you want a vegan soup.



Curried Coconut Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
Makes 6 servings of 1-1/2 cups each.

• 1 Tbs coconut oil/butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped (8 ounces)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (26 ounces)
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 cups turkey stock
• 1 Tbs ground cumin
• 1/2 cup canned light coconut milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the coconut oil/butter in a large stock pot over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and saute till translucent, about 6 or 7  minutes.
3. Add the butternut squash and the carrot pieces and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the ground cumin to coat the veggies.
5. Add the stock to the pot, cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
6. Lower the heat and leave the soup to simmer for 40 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes
8. Purree the soup with your immersion blender or remove to blender jar in batches to purree.
9. Stir in coconut milk and gently reheat before serving.
10. Season with salt and pepper at the table.

At first I wasn't sure if I had added enough cumin to my soup because it didn't seem to be quite as spicy as I would have liked.  But, I resisted adding more, and I placed the cooled soup in 6 different single serving containers and then refrigerated them.  The next day, I heated up 2 servings for The Captain and I to enjoy for lunch, and I noticed that the soup tasted much spicier than it had the day before... guess the cumin just needed a bit of time to do its magic!

It was wonderful!  The rest of the leftovers have been moved to the freezer for now, but it won't be long before they are used up and I will be making another batch!

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3.
Calories 119 ; Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 22g; Fat 4g; Fibre 4g.

Add the cumin to the sauteed veggies...

 

and stir to coat them and let it cook a bit before adding the broth.

 

Cover and bring to boil, then let simmer for about 40 minutes.

 

Gently reheat before serving.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Printable Recipe

 

 

Are you a homemade soup fan?  What is your favorite kind?

 

Do you like coconut oil?



Beanless Paleo Beef Chili

I love chili. I love the spicy tomato sauce, and I love all of the different vegetables.... and I love the smell of it simmering away on the stove! Iespecially love to have it it stored in my freezer for quick lunches or dinners on busy days, or days when just don't feel like cooking at all. It is comfort food at its best.

I have made many different kinds of chili over the years... with ground beef, or small chunks of a cut of beef called 'chuck steak' or even ground turkey. I have made vegetarian versions with soy crumbles and lots of different varieties of beans. I have made it with so many different kinds of vegetables... and every time it is a bit different, but always delicious!

But this was the first time I was faced with the task of making chili WITHOUT any beans in it.

I am following a legume-free food challenge right now. It is called Whole30 and, in a nutshell, it is the Paleo Food Plan in its purest and most basic form.

So I made up a really thick, spicy chili, with lots of vegetables and some extra lean ground beef... and the first night we had it I had mine spooned over a baked sweet potato... you know those lovely dark orange Beauregard Sweet Potatoes that we mistakenly love to call yams? The Captain enjoyed his over a baked Russet Potato and declared it 'perfect'... which means that it wasn't too hot and spicy, so if you like yours very peppery, you may want to add more spice to the mixture!

For lunch the next day, I had a serving over baked spaghetti squash, and of course it was even better because the spices had had a chance to work longer... chilis and stews and soups always seem to be better the day AFTER you make them, don't you think?

Oh, and if you want beans, just add a can or two of your favorite!



Beanless Paleo Beef Chili
Makes 11 servings of approximately 1 cup each.

• 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
• 1 large onion (10 oz.)
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large green pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 large yellow pepper, cut into chunks
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (28 oz. each)
• 1 can tomato paste (5.5 oz.)
• 1-1/2 Tbs chili pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt

1. Place the ground beef into a large saucepan or stock pot, over MEDIUM heat, and cook it, stirring occasionally to break up any clumps, until it is browned, about 10 or 15 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and the oinions and cook till translucent, about 10 minutes more.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover, and simmer about 45 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and serve. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
5. Leftovers can be stored in fridge a few days, or frozen.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 157; Protein 11g, Carbohydrate 18g; Fat 4g, Fibre 4g.

 

Printable Recipe



The Liebster Award

A few weeks ago I was nominated for the Liebter Award by Karey at Nutty About Health and I have been holding off writing my blog post about it till now... wanted to make it part of my year end wrap up.

I am really happy to have received this award from Karey, whom I became familiar with this past Fall during Anna Wootton's  #healthybreakfastchallenge Twitter campaign.  You may be familiar with Anna's blog,  The Guiltless Life,  too.

So what is the Liebster Award?

Well, it’s a nice, friendly way for bloggers to recognize each other and reach out and get to know each other better, along with our readers.

Liebster is a German word, which usually means “dearest”, or “beloved,” so I’m feeling pretty special as well as loved right about now!

This award comes along with a few rules:

1. Write 11 random facts about yourself.
2. Answer the 11 questions by the person who nominated you.
3. Create 11 new questions.
4. Nominate 11 bloggers and mention them in your post.
5. Thank the person that nominated you and tell the people you’ve nominated.

I always have trouble coming up with new things to reveal about myself, without boring everyone to tears.... here goes:

1. I am a prairie girl at heart.  Even though we live on the ocean now, I was raised in Calgary and when we drive East through Rocky Mountains, and I can see big blue sky and open fields, I always let out a big sigh, and feel very elated and free. Wide open spaces really appeal to me.
2. I am dog crazy.  I will stop you on the street and ask to pet your dog. So, if you see me coming, you may want to cross the street!
3. I love to cook.  And I love to eat what I cook!
4. I love to travel and explore new places.  I am game for just about anything but caves.
5. I am afraid of bats. I don't know why, they appear very odd looking to me and I am sorry about it, but I really dislike them.
6. My very favorite color is aqua... reminds me of the sea, and the sky and the coldest ice you can find. 
7. I appear to have a short attention span and to be quite fickle... it is just that I want to experience everything there is so I feel there is no time to be wasted!
8. I was a Daddy's girl.
9. My favorite flowers have always been daisies and violets.
10. I  love silence. When I am alone I never turn on the radio, or TV or the stereo. I never wear earbuds when I run. I don't chatter a lot.
11. I think sleep is a necessary waste of  my time!

Ok, now for the questions Karey asked:

1. If you had to choose one, chocolate or PB? Chocolate
2. What is your biggest accomplishment? Running a half marathon in May of 2012
3. What is one thing that you’re very afraid of? Caves
4. Coffee or tea? Both
5. Do you blog on a Mac or PC? PC
6. Favorite TV show? Revenge/Big Bang Theory
7. Dogs, cats, or neither? Dogs, cats, all animals (but bats)
8. What is your favorite brand of nut butter? Marinatha Almond Butter
9. Best place you’ve ever visited? Disney World
10. What’s your favorite restaurant? Shogun (Japanese)
11. Favorite type of workout? Running

And here are my 11 questions:

1. What is your favorite name for a girl?  boy?
2. What is your favorite dish to prepare for company?
3. Where did you grow up?
4. Favorite childhood food?
5. Favorite logo?
6. Best toy you ever had?
7. Wine, yay or nay?
8. What was the first vehicle you ever drove?
9. Bike or walk?
10. Favorite music genre?
11. First chilhood memory?

And just to be a bit of a rebel, instead of naming my 11 Liebster Award nominees, I am hoping that when YOU read this post, you will accept this Liebter Award from me, answer my 11 questions, and carry on the tradition of the award on your blog, too.

Thanks so much to Karey for having me take part... it was fun!