Saturday Adventures

I knew I had a busy morning ahead, so I started my Saturday with this:

What is it, you ask?!  Why it's Peanut Butter and Banana Overnight Oats, of course!

Peanut Butter and Banana Overnight Oats
Serves 1

1/2 C oats
1 1/2 C liquid (water, milk, a combination thereof, etc.)
pinch of salt
2 stevia packets (or 2 tsp sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 small banana, sliced (or 1/2 large)
2 T peanut butter (I used homemade)

Directions:

1. Add oats, salt, and liquid to a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until beginning to bubble.
2. Turn down heat to low.
3. Add stevia and vanilla extract.  Stir until smooth.
4. Pour into a Tupperware, or other container, and store in refrigerator overnight.
1. Note:  The oats will not be fully cooked at this point.  Overnight, the oats will absorb the remaining liquid, continue to cook, and become voluminous and fluffy.  YUM!
5. In the morning, stir in a splash of milk to loosen the oats.
1. Note: I prefer my oats cold.  Weird, I know, but I like what I like!  If you prefer warm oats, at this point you may choose to heat them up either via stove top or microwave.
6. Place the sliced banana on top of the oats, and drizzle peanut butter on top.
7. Enjoy!  Elvis would have loved this bowl of oats!

After devouring this bowl of PB&B oats, Bo and I headed to the Corpus Christi Farmer's Market Fall Arts & Crafts Fair to do some Christmas shopping. 

Although it was pretty overcast and blustery, over 50 vendors showed up to display their food and/or crafts!  Bo and I were pretty impressed with some of the stuff up for grabs!

  

We ended up buying several Christmas gifts for our family and friends, but just in case some of you are reading, I can't show them here! :)

Later that afternoon, after returning home for some lunch and a little down time, Bo and I decided to go play golf.  This go 'round I played the role of caddy by driving the cart, holding his clubs, and manning the pole flag.  It was just a little too windy for me to feel comfortable hitting the ball, but next time I am definitely going to have to get back in on the action!

I completely forgot my camera for that outing, so there aren't any pictures from that part of our day. :(  Oh well, there is always next time!

For dinner, I decided to make something simple, quick, and easy: stir-fry!

Asian Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce
Serves 2

1 broccoli crown, chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small carton of button mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp grapseed oil (or other oil)
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 block of firm tofu, cubed (or other meat such as chicken, beef, etc.)

Directions:

• Heat oil over medium heat.
• Add onion and stir-fry until beginning to sweat and soften.
• Add bell pepper and broccoli, and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, and stir-fry for 7-10 minutes.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Note: The peanut sauce has soy sauce/tamari in it and is quite salty.  Be careful not to over-salt this dish.

• While vegetables are stir-frying, heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
• Once the saucepan is heated through, add the cubed tofu.  Allow to brown on the first side before rotating.
• Continue rotating tofu once every 5-7 minutes until tofu is browned on all sides.
• Note: This step can be a nuisance, but the end-product is well worth your effort!

• Once tofu is browned, add to the vegetable mixture.
• Toss vegetable/tofu mixture with Peanut Sauce (see recipe below) until fully coated.

• Serve over brown rice.

Bo and I both agreed that the Peanut Sauce made this dish!  Without it, it is a bit boring and a bit "flat" in terms of taste.  So, if you are going to make this dish, I would strongly recommend making the sauce to go along with it!

Peanut Sauce
Serves 2

1/4 C PB2
1 T rice vinegar
1 T sesame oil (or other light oil)
2 T tamari (or soy sauce)
2-3 T water (I used 2T)

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients together until smooth.
• Pour over stir-fry and serve.

As you all know, I LOVE regular peanut butter, but PB2 is particularly good for recipes like this because it is peanut butter in powder form.  As a result, it mixes very easily into sauces and dips and creates a smooth, slightly thick, consistency.  It is perfect for sauces such as this one, because it sticks to each individual vegetable and piece of tofu.  If you can find it, I would strongly suggest investing in some PB2.  It is great to have on-hand in your pantry!

Sadly, we didn't have any leftovers from dinner. :(  I guess it was just too good!

Question of the Day:

Did you have any adventures this Saturday?  If so, I would love to hear all about them!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Midnight Movie Madness: Twilight Breaking Dawn (Part 1)

WARNING: this post was authored by a sleep deprived, moderately-Twilight-obsessed woman.  Keep this in mind as you continue reading...

I am 27 years old, and last night I went to my very first midnight movie premiere.  It was quite the rite of passage, especially because the movie was the Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn: Part 1.

Okay, so let me just get this out in the open now:

• yes, I do realize that Twilight is a book series/movie franchise geared towards teenage girls that are blindly obsessed with Robert Pattinson's hair, Taylor Lautner's abs, and Bella (the slightly awkward girl-next-door's) ability to get both of these hunks to fall madly in love with her;
• yes, I am fully aware that these movies will not be winning any sort of cinematic and/or acting awards in the near future...or ever; and
• yes, I realize that vampires and werewolves aren't real, that "imprinting" is weird...especially on a newborn baby (you have to read the book to truly understand that one!), and that no man, no matter how good you are in bed, will ever actually break a headboard as a result of your lovemaking skills.

All that being said, I loved the movie, and here are a few simple reasons why.

1. Director Bill Condon wasn't afraid to make fun of the sometimes cheesy storyline (Can you say giant wedding cake made of corpses? Werewolf mind-speak?  And sly, series in-jokes one right after the other?).
2. The wedding dress was beautiful, and although I know it will have its critics, I think it lived up to the hype.
3. The honeymoon scenes lived right on the edge of PG-13 and Rated R, just as they should have.  Enough said...(insert swoon here!)
4. Considering a 19 year-old werewolf was claiming a newborn as his soulmate, the imprinting scene between Jacob and Renesme was shot as appropriately as possible.
5. As the film's director, Condon really goes there in terms of making Bella as sickly and corpse-like as she is described in the book.  It is a little scary to watch, but as a devoted reader, I appreciated the fact that they didn't soften the horror of her pregnancy.  And as for the birth scene...
6. ...it takes a few steps into the horror genre, not because it is evil or demonic or anything remotely of the sort, but instead because Condon doesn't shy away from the terror that is Renesmee's birth, or the desperate fear on Edward's face as he thinks he's lost Bella forever.

Enough of my amateur review skills, here's what one professional movie editor had to say:

It's essential, [to] be able to embrace the ridiculous as Condon has and not go in with an ironic distance. Accept that this particular take on vampires and werewolves exists, and try not to be put off by the romantic moments (which, this go-around, feel like more accurate allegories for actual marital tensions). Granted, there's one late-in-the-game twist involving Jacob (you almost certainly know the one by now) that's over-the-top absurd even for Twilight. Condon pulls it off about as well as anybody could.

Now, someone remind me, when will Breaking Dawn: Part 1 come out on redbox?!  You betcha! I am already looking forward to seeing it again and picking up on all the small little things I missed the first go 'round.  That's how you know I'm a true fan :)

As for the midnight movie madness itself, Colbi and I had quite a good time! 

Although we arrived a little over two hours early (around 9:45 pm), we didn't have to stand outside in the cold for more than 10 minutes, and we caught up on our "girl talk" while sitting in our comfortable theater seats.

The other thing about midnight showings that I liked?  Practically everyone wears sweatpants or pajamas and has bed-head hair.  In that respect, Colbi and I fit right in because we had both come from the weekly yogatluck and were decked out in our best yoga gear!  Hey, at least it made sitting in the theater for over four hours a little more comfortable...

In total, the theater had four theaters simultaneously showing Twilight at midnight, and all four were completely sold out.  (Which, by the way, the theater workers made no jokes about!  Because I didn't have any pockets, I had to tuck my ticket into my bra to go to the bathroom just to make sure I could get back in to the theater afterwards.  Those movie theater employees meant business!)

My apologies, I know that this picture is horrible.  I couldn't seem to figure out my flash last night.  Oh well, this should give you at least a little inking of last night's crowds (this was the line for just one of the theaters!).  Seriously though, every seat in the theater was taken...even the super-front-row-crappy ones.  Man do I feel sorry for the neck-ache those guys are experiencing today!

All in all, the movie lasted until a little past 2:00 am, I got home around 2:30 am, and for some ungodly reason I woke up at 6:45 am.  REALLY body clock?! You couldn't wait at least two more hours to wake me up?!

Now it is 8:45 am.  I have breakfast in my tummy, this post typed, and my eyelids are drooping dangerously low.

I need to regain my energy before teaching my Hatha Yoga III class this afternoon.

I think I hear my bed calling my name...nightie night!

Question of the Day:

Have you ever been to a midnight movie premiere?  If so, which movie?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

(Homemade) Honey-Cinnamon Peanut Butter + Overnight PB & J Oats

When I was a little girl, I loved peanut butter and jelly.  I loved it so much that my mom thought I would like to eat it every. single. day. for lunch. 

Seriously...I'm not joking.

My mother packed me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every day for lunch for. years. 

(Mom, don't take offense, I love you so much.  You were the best mom I could have ever asked for, and you are perfect for me in every way.  I am just picking on you!) :) 

We joke about it now, but the truth is I didn't really mind.  I mean who can complain about the delicious combination of peanut butter and jelly.  It is the perfect marriage of tastes for a reason.  It is salty and sweet, crunchy and creamy, and it comes embedded between two perfectly baked pieces of bread.  What could possibly be wrong with eating that every day?!

So after devouring our last batch of homemade peanut butter, I decided to make another batch.  Except this time, I made it extra special by adding in a few of my favorite ingredients: honey, cinnamon, and good-quality vanilla extract.  This peanut butter is like cinnamon honey grahams in nut butter form!

(Homemade) Honey-Cinnamon Peanut Butter
Makes a Scant 2 Cups

2 C roasted, salted peanuts
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1-2 T honey (I used 1 1/2 T)
1-1 1/2 T grapeseed oil (or other subtle oil), if necessary

Directions:

1. Process peanuts for 10-15 minutes until buttery and smooth.  Note: You will probably need to scrape down the sides every 2-3 minutes to make sure all of the nuts fully process.
2. Add in all of the remaining ingredients, except for the oil, and process 1-3 minutes.
3. If the peanut butter is still not smooth, add in the grapeseed 1/2 T at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.

There are practically countless ways to enjoy this honey-cinnamon peanut butter.  Here are just a few that I have already tried:

• I have spread it onto perfectly toasted English Muffin Bread from Sun Harvest.

• I have slathered it onto Jonathan apple slices. 

• Perhaps my favorite variation thus far, I have dolloped it onto my overnight oats.

So what are overnight oats, you might ask?!  Well, it is only my favorite way of all time to prepare oatmeal.  By half-baking the oats, and then letting them soak overnight to absorb the remainder of the liquid, the oats become soft, fluffy, voluminous, and far easier to digest.  Here is a scientific explanation of the benefits of soaking your oats:

All grains contain phytic acid...in the outer layer or bran. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron especially zinc in the intestinal track and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may led to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss...Soaking allows enzyme, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid. As little as seven hours of soaking in warm acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits. (source)

Ok, so enough of the fancy scientific jargon.  The point is, soaking your oats is both good and yummy (which, let's be honest, is what we really care about)!

Overnight PB & J Oats
Serves 1

1/2 C oats
1 1/2 C liquid (I use water, but you can use milk)
2-3 stevia packets (or 2-3 tsp sugar/honey/agave, etc.)
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp almond extract, optional
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
splash of milk, as garnish
1 T (homemade) honey-cinnamon peanut butter, as garnish
1 T jelly, as garnish

Directions:

1. Add oats, salt, and liquid to a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until beginning to bubble.
2. Turn down heat to low.
3. Add stevia and almond and/or vanilla extracts.  Stir until smooth.
4. Pour into a Tupperware, or other container, and store in refrigerator overnight.
1. Note:  The oats will not be fully cooked at this point.  Overnight, the oats will absorb the remaining liquid, continue to cook, and become voluminous and fluffy.  YUM!
5. In the morning, stir in a splash of milk to loosen the oats.
1. Note: I prefer my oats cold.  Weird, I know, but I like what I like!  If you prefer warm oats, at this point you may choose to heat them up either via stove top or microwave.
6. Dollop the jelly and peanut butter onto the top of the oats.  You may swirl them in if you prefer. :)
7. Enjoy!  This is comfort food at its best AND its healthiest!

I must eat a variation-on-a-theme of these oats at least four times a week.  I love my overnight oats! 

So, what are you waiting for?!

Pull out that food processor and get to whirlin' that homemade honey-cinnamon peanut butter.  And while your at it, pre-make your oats tonight so that you can start your Thursday off right with a bowl of these delicious oats!

I promise you, you will thank me :)

Coming up: potentially a yoga post (assuming my photographer is available), and on Friday, a HUGE post about my trip to the midnight showing of Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1.  GET EXCITED!

Question of the Day:

Do you like PB& J?  If so, are you a creamy or a crunchy PB fan?  And as for jelly, are you a strawberry, grape, or other fruit fan?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo