Pumpkin

With Fall in full swing the cold cereal I was eating for breakfast so many days a week just didn't seem to be doing the trick. Earlier in the summer I had experimented with overnight oats which were delicious but I wanted a warm start to the chilly morning. After strolling the isles at Trader Joe's I decided it would be a pumpkin oatmeal experiment. This went well with the Great Pumpkin Chase 5k Race I was set to run on Sunday.
I bought some gluten free quick cooking oats, cooked them as the package said. Then I set about adding ingredients till my tongue said it was just right. I felt a bit like Goldilocks tasting the three bears porridge if I'm being honest.
Here is a list of what I mixed into mine, yours might be totally different.
Organic pumpkin puree, about 1/4 cup
Pumpkin Pie Spice, who knew there was such a thing, about 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon, about 4 shakes of the hand
Agave nectar, a healthy dollop

A fitbit love affair

Hello everyone! I would like to take a little time to tell you about my favorite fitness gadget, the fitbit!
I have the fitbit ultra and to say that I don't leave home without it would be an understatement. Since my purchase in July, one for me one for my mom I have come to love this little thing.
What does this thing do you ask? It's a pedometer, fancy word for step counter, altimeter, another fancy word for counting how many flights of stairs you climb. Calories burned and miles traveled are also tracked. What makes this little device so special, it tracks your sleep! It tells you how many times you woke up during the night and how long you actually slept. A feature that has helped me realize I am an amazing sleeper.
The website is amazing, with an easy to follow breakdown of all your stats. This is where to friend others with a fitbit and before you know it you are engaged in an all out step war with your friends. At least that is how it has worked out for me and my friends. Goal setting is also a huge part of the website, totally customizable to your lifestyle and available in every category that is tracked.
The applications that you can link to your fitbit are too numerous to mention , my favorites are myfitnesspal.com where you can track calories and activites and earndit.com a website that rewards you with points for being active that you can redeem for free items. There is also a digital scale that syncs with your account and keeps track of weight, BMI and body fat. Where can you buy this life changing tool you ask? Amazon and fitbit.com for you online shoppers. For those of you that want to go get one right now, Target, Best Buy, Sears and REI just to name a few.
This concludes the end of my non paid fitbit endorsement. It's a wonderful tool to help you get in your 10,000 steps a day, which is harder than I thought it would be.

My partner in fitness crime!

Hello and Welcome to Healthy with Sass! A place where I will share my adventures in vegetarian cooking. I say adventures because I am a novice in the kitchen, and even that is giving myself some credit. Previous to taking my health coaching course the microwave was the only thing I needed in that place they call the kitchen. Just know that if I can cook these foods so can you!
I promise to only share recipes I have tried myself. To begin I will keep my ingredients and cook time to a minimum. For me if cooking takes too long or gets to complex the fun starts to dwindle. 
I will also share workout moves and quick routines that you can do anywhere and with minimal equipment. Are you sensing my minimalist approach to life yet?
I have a belief that eating healthy and working out should be fun and customized to what you like. If it's not something you like the chances of sticking with it plummet. 

All that being said I have a deep love in my stomach for mac and cheese. In an effort to make that dish a little healthier I happened upon a recipe for quinoa mac and cheese on Pinterest of course! Original recipe found aroundthetableri.blogspot.com. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised at how easy this was. 
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• Veggies of your choice (optional)
• good pinch of salt
• a few grinds of seasoning salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup soy milk or non-fat milk
• 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling
• Optional- Crushed Red Pepper, Panko Bread crumbs for topping
• Toppings (optional)- salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, scallions

1. Cook the quinoa as package directions say. I used tricolor quinoa from Trader Joes.

2. Lightly saute any veggies you would like to use. I used peas the second time around. 

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 pan or 8 individual ramekins with cooking spray. I used a smaller pan the second time to get more depth to my servings. 

4. Whisk together the eggs and milk in a large bowl. Fold in quinoa and cheese and the veggies if you used them. Stir well, the mixture will thicken, allow some cheese to melt. Transfer to a baking dish. You can sprinkle breadcrumbs on top for texture if you would like. Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

5. Enjoy!