Egg-cellent!

Since eggs are almost always breakfast for me, I have fallen in love with my handy, dandy egg cooker! Hard boiled, soft boiled, or perfectly poached this little cooker does it all. Sure, we all know how to boil water and put some eggs in it. But how many times do you take them out too early (unknown to you!) to find a liquid center that makes you gag? Or you want them not too hard, not to soft, but just right? 

The multitasker.

You can perfectly poach 2 eggs at a time or hard boil 7 at once. You can decide who hard, soft or in between you want them. Once everything is set up, just turn it on and walk away. It has a buzzer loud enough that you could be having a dance party in the other room, music blasting and know that your eggs are done. 

Easy!

Once you’ve decided what kind of eggs you want, measure out the amount of water to add with the little container they provide for you. If your hard boiling, the little container has a pin at the end of it which you use to poke a hole in each egg so you don’t get that gross greenish yolk. Then place your eggs and find something else to do. No need to clean a pot, pan, or spatula when you’re done. 

Good Price. 

It’s only $25.66 for it from Amazon.

Need For Speed.

The work week can get quite busy and we often turn to what's quick and easy which often comes at the forfeit of our health. I often spend my Sunday's (or any greater chunk of free time) planning, food shopping, prepping and even making a few meals and snacks for the week. This makes my meals convenient, relaxing and easy without compromising how healthy I'm eating or how good I'm feeling. 

What’s the trick? Plan ahead! Before you go food shopping plan your meals for the week. I know it can take some of the excitement out of the nagging question "what do I feel like eating today" but this question and various answers you provide can take up your valuable time. If you plan ahead, then that time previously devoted to answering that question can be channeled to eating your meal and relaxing. And we all need a few extra minutes of relaxation during the day don't we?! 

These cute little notepads can help make the planning fun and keep you organized.  Once you have this list complete, make your shopping list based on what you have and what you need for the recipes for the week. This will also help keep your impulsive grocery shopping down and keep your trip quick. Happy Shopping!

Buy What to Eat notepads here

Whip It Good.

As the weather turns warm and ice cream cravings are on the rise, it can be difficult to stay dairy free when it comes to cooling treats. Well, fear not my friends as there is a little gem that cools my heart called Banana Whip. Don’t let the ‘whip’ in the name fool you.  It’s cold, creamy goodness only has one ingredient: frozen bananas!

Often times I’ll make it at home in my vitamix.  I’ll freeze my bananas that are looking like they only have a day or two left in their lifetime. (Don’t forget to peel them first before freezing. I learned that the hard way!) Pop 2 bananas and a teaspoon of water in my vitamix and blend until it’s smooth and creamy.  Periodically, I’ll have to stop and scrape the sides of the vitamix before continuing. But the end result is quite divine.  Half the time, I can’t even wait for it to hit the bowl before eating it.

If you spend some summer sunshine in Ocean City, NJ the boardwalk sources this heavenly treat at Bashful Banana. Many thanks to my best friend LS for introducing me to this place.  Not only does it have Banana Whip, but it also has gluten-free and dairy-free items on their menu.  That’s hard to come by in a land of Johnson’s Caramel Corn and Mac and Manco’s Pizza! 

If you are stuck in the concrete jungle of Philadelphia, turn to FUEL on 12th and Walnut for your Banana Whip. You can get it to go and venture to Washington Square to enjoy it on a park bench beneath the shade of a giant tree. 

Looking to avoid the sugar spike? Top your whip with some unsweetened coconut to keep that sugar level stable. 

Nah na na na, nah na, nah nah, whip it good!

Balls O' Bliss

A fabulous afternoon, pre-lithe snack that I am currently hooked on are these coconut macaroons.  They are so easy to make and so yummy to eat I guarantee you'll be hooked too! I'll eat a few in the afternoon to keep me going until dinner time.  

GRAB:

8 dates (you'll need to soak them for 30 minutes)

1 medium banana

1 cup unsweetened coconut 

DO:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Remove pits from dates and place in Vitamix or blender with your banana

Blend until a smooth paste-like consistency

Remove from blender and mix with coconut

Take 1 Tablespoon of the mixture and roll into small ball

Place on parchment lined cookie sheet (repeat with remainder of mixture)

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom

DONE!

If you make them, let me know how you like them!

Thank you Ali Shapiro for this recipe!