happiness

My Breakfast

/ ktbuchs87

healthy-breakfast

Breakfast is awesome.  Sometimes as I am going to sleep at night I get a little excited to wake up because I get to eat breakfast.  Brunch is a thing of beauty and a breakfast buffet?  Heaven on earth my friends.  I am definitely in camp eat breakfast every morning no matter what, even if it’s something small and on the go.

I thought I would share the breakfast I have been enjoying for a while now and maybe give you some breakfast inspiration.  I tend to get stuck on one breakfast for like 6 months and then decide to change things up.  What can I say?  I really am a creature of habit.  This breakfast is in month 3, so sometime mid-summer expect something new.

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Oat grains are made up of three different parts, the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.  Usually the outer husk or bran is removed and most people enjoy the steel cut or rolled form of oatmeal.  Oat bran is mostly used for baking and adding to breads and muffins to boost the fiber content.  I have been using oat bran to make my morning oatmeal.  I like that it cooks super fast (less than five minutes), it has a nice creamy texture, and it is a great base for the most important part of oatmeal.  The toppings.

Oat bran also boasts a pretty decent nutrition profile.  1 ounce or about 28 grams has 69 calories, 4 grams of dietary fiber, and 5 grams of protein.  It’s also high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium.  All good things.  You can check out some more of its benefits here and here.

My oatmeal never looks this fancy. This is just for you!

My oatmeal never looks this fancy. This is just for you!

But let’s get to those toppings!  This is one of the big reasons I love oatmeal in any form.  You can mix in any thing and customize it to your tastes.  I have been cooking my oat bran in about a cup of coconut milk for an extra creamy texture and then my toppings of choice lately have been:

  • dried prunes
  • goji berries
  • chopped hazelnuts
  • flax meal
  • chia seeds
  • pureed pumpkin
  • toasted buckwheat groats
  • hemp seeds
  • cinnamon
  • peanut butter

As you can see I like to shove in as many toppings as possible.  The sky is really the limit to what you can put into your oatmeal bowl.  Try things like:

  • any nut (almonds/walnuts/pecans)
  • any seed (sunflower/pumpkin)
  • cocoa powder
  • homemade granola
  • any dried fruit, no sugar added (cranberries/raisins/figs/apricots)
  • fresh fruit, especially berries
  • maple syrup
  • nut or seed butter
Homemade almond milk. Easy to make and delicious to add to oats!

Homemade almond milk. Easy to make and delicious to add to oats!

These are just a few toppings.  If it fits in your bowl and you enjoy it, go for it!  Oatmeal and breakfast in general doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless just to be healthy.  Go make a custom and delicious bowl of your own and see just how awesome a healthy breakfast can be!

How to make Oat Bran

  • 1/4 cup oat bran
  • 1 cup water or non-dairy milk like almond or coconut
  1. Add oat bran and water or milk to a small saucepan.  Bring oats to a boil and then lower the heat to low and cover.
  2. Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Remove lid and pour into a bowl and add all the toppings!

My Month of No Running… A Year Later

/ ktbuchs87

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This past Thursday, I came back home after housesitting in Sycamore for two and a half weeks.  Other than seeing my husband and my cats, I was most excited to run along the lake again.  It’s an awesome experience.  To one side you have the lake and the beaches, and (if you run as early as I do) the beautiful sunset.  On the other side you have lake shore drive and all the early morning commuters zooming by.

It’s the perfect balance of zen and chaos.  I love it. 

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Friday morning rolled around and I popped right out of bed when my alarm went off at 5:30 am.  Yes folks, I wake up that early on weekdays.  It was the perfect day for a run.  Not too hot but not too cold.  There was a slight breeze, not the winter gale force wind I had been experiencing for months and there was a gorgeous sunrise.  It was one of those runs where you don’t even realize you’re running because everything is just perfect.

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As I was blissing out over this run, I started to think back to last year.  About this time last year as I was on one of my runs my left knee started to hurt.  Then it started to really hurt.  Then I had to stop running and walk and then sit down in the middle of a country road and wonder how I was going to get back home.  It was the first time that I had a real running injury.  I had gotten my share of blisters and chafing and other running maladies but I had never had a full-blown, can’t run it hurts so bad injury.

I was devastated.

Not because I was hurt or because it was really painful but because I could NOT run.  I tried to trick myself and took a few days off thinking I would be fine after the weekend.  Yeah, no dice.  There was no way I was going to be able to keep my regular running schedule with that knee.

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It was a really hard month.  I was mopey and crabby and pouty.  Adam should get a medal for being around me because I was not a pleasant person to be around. Running felt like the only thing that defined me as far as physical activity.  I had fallen in love with running and it had helped changed me inside and out and to suddenly have it ripped away really took it’s toll on me.

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It sounds dramatic, but I know other runners will feel me on this one.

But here I am a year later, running along Lake Shore Trail despite my dark moments of despair when I would cry and ask Adam if I would ever run again.  That month of no running taught me a lot of things and they have stuck.

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1. I am not just a runner.  I have so many other things going for me

2. I don’t have to run every single day to be physically fit, in fact I shouldn’t run every single day

3. Running isn’t the only form of exercise that I enjoy.  I actually like lifting heavy weights and want to lift even heavier

4. I can handle adversity, but I need to learn how to do it with a little more grace.

5. I need to be thankful every run that I can do because sometimes I can’t

Sometimes things happen in life that knock you down so that you can pick yourself up and be stronger.

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I think experiencing a month of no running helped me to get to where I am right now.  And where I am right now is pretty awesome.  I am truly blessed to be living the life I am and I love being able to do things that I believe in and help others.  I have an amazing support system and I learn new things each day.  I have pushed my limits more than I thought I could and I am ready to go even further past my comfort zone.  Running has given me so much but not running gave me more than I thought possible.

I can’t wait to see what happens next.

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All In The Family

/ ktbuchs87

One of the biggest things that has helped me as I’ve started this blog and continued with my healthy lifestyle is the support of my family.  My husband, Adam, has been one of the biggest driving forces.  He has pushed me to do more, think bigger, and to truly believe in myself and this blog.  I wouldn’t have tried some of things or expanded this blog without his support.

ubuntusoulphoto@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of Jodie Buchanan

My parents have also given me a lot of support.  They ask me for tips, try my recipes, share my blog posts, and again believe in me to do more than I think I can.  They have always been this way with whatever endeavors I pursue.

ubuntusoulphoto@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of Jodie Buchanan

The other person who is without a doubt one of my biggest supporters is my little sister, Jodie.  I can honestly say that from the time she was born she has always been behind whatever I do 100%.  At times, I ignored that support (stupidly) and didn’t realize how much it meant to me and what I do.  As I have gotten older I have learned how valuable she is to what I do.  I know that no matter what I have her there by me urging me to do more and be better and helping me when I fall.  She is amazing and I am blessed to have her as my sister.

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Photo courtesy of Jodie Buchanan

That’s why I am thrilled to support her in her dreams and goals.

ubuntusoulphoto@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of Jodie Buchanan

Today I wanted to share one of her new pursuits and urge you to take advantage of her amazing talents.  Besides being an awesome social worker, Jo has always been interested in photography.  She has always liked to take pictures and stage photoshoots, even as a kid.  She’s done a few amateur photoshoots like engagement pictures and family photos, and she is looking to expand and start doing more photography.

ubuntusoulphoto@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of Jodie Buchanan

Last week she came out to Sycamore and took some pictures of me prepping and cooking as well as some headshots.  They are awesome and I will be using these on the blog and my other social media sites.  She is just starting out, but she does great work and is eager to learn more.  If you are interested in getting some photos taken, for graduation, engagements, professional headshots, family portraits, or anything else and are looking for a great price and a fun person to work with, contact Jodie.  You can email her at ubuntusoulphoto@gmail.com for more information and to set up a shoot.

ubuntusoulphoto@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of Jodie Buchanan

Support is one of the most important things when you are starting something new.  Whether that is becoming healthier, starting a new business, or diving into a new goal.  Having people behind you to push you forward, pick you up, and keep you going can make all the difference. If you have amazing support, make sure that you are paying it forward and supporting the people in your life.  You never know when you might be the only one keeping that person going.

Who is your biggest supporter?

ubuntusoulphoto@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of Jodie Buchanan

Big Batch Cooking

/ ktbuchs87

While I’m working on coming up with a new video series for the blog (totally open to suggestions of what YOU want to see) I thought I would use the Wednesday post to share a few of the things that I do during the week to help make eating and being healthy easier.

Big batch cooking is one of the best ways that I save time and brain power when it comes to making healthy meals.  It’s exactly what it sounds like; I cook a lot of food all at once.  That simple.  I do this with vegetables and grains/legumes. Sunday and Monday I will spend time washing, cutting, and prepping all the vegetables that I bought on Friday.

Parsnips cut and ready to be roasted

Parsnips cut and ready to be roasted

Then it’s time to cook it all.

My favorite way to cook my vegetables is to roast them.  It tastes great and it’s an easy way to cook a lot of vegetables at one time.  I roast sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets, cabbage, and green beans.  I also saute a big batch of broccoli and sometimes throw a few carrots into the mix.

Broccoli cooked and ready to be added to meals!

Broccoli cooked and ready to be added to meals!

While my vegetables are roasting I cook up quinoa, brown rice, and whatever beans I have on hand like black beans or garbanzo beans.  I cook these on the stovetop.  I know a lot of people like to use canned beans for the convenience, but I like to use dried beans because it’s cheaper than buying the cans.  It takes a little bit of planning since you have to soak the beans before you cook them but other than that you just boil and simmer them on the stove for 20-40 minutes.

Once everything is done cooking, I put them into large glass containers, let them cool, and stick them in the fridge.  Now I don’t have to worry about cooking them on a busy weeknight.  I can just pull out the container warm them up, throw them into whatever dish I have planned for that night and get dinner on the table in a timely manner.

You can do this with other things as well.  You can cook up big batches of chicken or pork, you can hard boil a bunch of eggs, or you can wash, dry and cut up leafy greens to be used for salads throughout the week.

Batch of my chickpea tofu ready to be added to stir fry

Batch of my chickpea tofu ready to be added to stir fry

Cooking a whole lot of things all at once and having them ready when you want to eat takes the work out of planning a healthy meal.  How many times have you come home from a long day at work and realized if you want to eat a healthy dinner you’re going to have to spend at least 40 minutes in the kitchen getting it ready?  At that points it becomes much more tempting to just grab something at a drive through or get a frozen dinner from the grocery store, neither of which are that healthy of an option.

Do yourself a favor and give big batch cooking a try.  I bet you’ll find that it saves you a bunch of time and helps you stick to your healthy lifestyle!

Transforming The Creature Of Habit

/ ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

creatureofhabit

The idea of routines has been on my mind this week.  You know from previous posts that I am a creature of habit.  I like having a routine and doing certain things at certain times.  I feel more in control of my day when I have a set out plan for what is going to happen.  It also keeps me organized and on track to have a schedule to adhere to.

This past week I have been nowhere near my normal routine and you know what?  I haven’t fallen apart.  The days have moved on as they always do and time has gone by just like normal and I am still here and haven’t gone to pieces.  In fact I have doing some great and inspired work.  It might not seem like a huge thing to you, but to a control freak like me this is nothing short of a miracle.

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There have been times where things have not gone according to my “plan” and I have completely lost it.  Adam can attest to my horrible attitude when something out of the blue comes my way.  I almost turn into a small child having a temper tantrum.  I would always marvel at my husband’s ability to take everything that comes at him in stride.  He knows that there are certain things that he can’t change and rather than let it ruin his whole day and turn him into a moody teenager, he works around it and figures out a new plan.

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And I think that attitude is starting to rub off on me.

As time goes on I am learning that I am in no way in control of the things around me.  Sure, I can have a routine and some semblance of order, but there will always be curve balls.  Life in general is one big curveball.  Letting my life come to a screeching halt whenever something goes awry is no way to live.  In fact it isn’t living at all.  I want to be able to say that I enjoyed life, that I was able to adapt and deal with any hardships that came my way.  I don’t want to look back and see that I pouted my life away or flew to pieces because something happened that I had no control over in the first place.

In light of this revelation (that only took 27 years for me to even begin to figure out) I want to try and step out of my comfort zone a little more.  I want to try things that aren’t in my routine.  Let my schedule be more of a loose guideline than a strict plan I have to follow or lose all hope.  I’m betting that amazing things will come my way and I will be able to seize them much better than if I had stuck to my rigid plan.

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What about you?  Are there things in your life that you can let go of?  Are there changes you can make to your routine that might allow you to experience something new and amazing?  If something has been holding you back or you have been waiting for a nudge, consider this it.  Try something new, step out of your comfort zone, forget the plan for a little while.

I promise you that you won’t fall apart and you might even grow just a little bit.

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