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I feel like everyone is talking about Chia seeds lately, and there is good reason for it. For the last few months I have been meaning to pick up a bag to try but it always seemed to slip my mind while at the store. Well, this weekend when I was at Sprouts they had a big display of Spectrum Chia Seeds that caught my eye and I quickly grabbed

a bag and threw them in my cart, excited to try them out.

It was only when I got home that I realized I wasn’t exactly sure how I should eat the seeds! For my first attempt, I simply sprinkled some on one of my go-to morning bowl of oats combos (oats, banana and almond butter) and was satisfied with how it turned out. The seeds have a very slight nutty flavor and are odorless so I could barely notice the addition in my breakfast.

A call out to twitter asking how everyone else liked to eat Chia seeds also gave me some great ideas that I am eager to try. As I experiment with them, I’ll be sure to share the results.

Here are some facts explaining why Chia seeds are such a great addition to a your diet:

• Chia seeds have more Omega-3 fatty acids than any other plant food, including flax seeds. I am not a fan of eating fish and seafood in general at all, so am very conscious about eating other foods (nuts, oils etc) with natural sources of Omega-3′s.
• They are about 20% protein with all essential amino acids (amino acids not produced by the body).
• When soaked in water for 30 mins, the seeds form a thick gel. This change in state also happens in the stomach which can help increase satiety and the feeling of fullness.
• Chia seeds contain six times more calcium than milk
• They are 40% fiber, with about 5% of this being soluble fiber.  

Have you tried Chia Seeds? Let me know if you have any great recipes!

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Breakfast is definitely my favorite meal. It gets me going and sets my mood for the day. I’m not going to lie, on mornings I don’t have to wake up to an alarm it’s breakfast that gets me out of bed

This pancake recipe is simply scrumptious! I always have frozen berries on hand to add to smoothies but this morning I mixed things up and made a berry sauce to complement fluffy gluten free pancakes. On top of each pancake I smeared plain, fat free Chobani Greek yogurt to add a little protein to the meal.

For the

Pancakes

Simply prepare your favorite pancakes. Smear 1 Tbsp plain, fat free Chobani Greek yogurt on each pancake and stack together.

For the Double Berry Sauce

• 3 cups apple juice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup cornstarch (for thickening)

In a saucepan, combine apple juice, maple syrup, blueberries and raspberries and bring to a boil. In a small dish, combine the cold water and cornstarch, mixing well. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and stir. Remove from heat and pour sauce over stacked pancakes.

Add a side of sliced fresh strawberries if desired.

** This recipe makes approx 6 servings. Remaining sauce freezes well and can be reheated or frozen in ice cube trays to add to sparkling water or seltzer.

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So began the granola baking process….

The prep time only took about 5 mins. I then let the tray of granola bake while preparing dinner.

Crunchy Almond Cranberry Granola

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl combine oats, almonds and cranberries. In a separate bowl mix water, honey

and vanilla extract, stirring well. Pour wet ingredients over dry and thoroughly combine. The mix will appear a little wet compared to other granola recipes, however this extra moisture aids in helping the oats expand and become extra crunchy during the cooking process without burning. Cook for 30 mins at 350F. To ensure an even crunch throughout, move the mixture around the tray approximately every 10 mins during cooking.

I love how easy (and cheap) granola is to make at home. I really think the hardest part is keeping your hands out of the container after making a big batch

Last week my Mum sent me this photo displaying the price of bananas in my home town of Townsville in Australia.

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Can you believe they are paying $10/kg for bananas??! The hike in price is due to the hurricane and flooding that occurred earlier this year throughout Queensland. When I was back home in June the price was about $13/kg, so everyone is excited for the (slight) price drop.

I took this photo while grocery shopping last week and emailed it back to my Mum.

Yup, 55c/lb for bananas here in Greeley I’m sure my Mum will take full advantage of these prices when she is visiting later this week and have all the ‘nanas she can handle with a price like that!

I’m glad weather hasn’t affected banana crops in the US. I love bananas. And i also love granola. This is how my new granola flavor was created. Usually I enjoy a bowl of oatmeal with sliced banana and a sprinkling of nutty granola on top for breakfast. So, yesterday when I was staring down into my breakfast bowl I decided to experiment with some granola flavors (it also provided the perfect excuse to continue avoid packing whenever possible).

After a little experimenting I came up with a banana coconut combo. It was hands down delicious!

Banana Coconut Granola

• 2.5 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 extra ripe banana
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl combine oats and coconut. In a blender, combine water, banana, honey, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the oats and coconut, stirring well. Spread granola mixture on a cookie sheet and bake at 375F for 35-40 mins. Every 10-12 mins, be sure to move the mixture around the tray so granola does not burn in any one spot while cooking.

And there ya have it! An easy-peasy slightly tropical granola flavor

Question: Have you ever tried making your own granola from scratch? What inspires your granola flavors?

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The word of the week is Peace:

“Peace recognizes that each moment is a purposeful gift, and each situation has a unique solution which may be found within quiet tranquility…know that there is no better moment than right here, right now.”

Throughout the

class the instructor continually reinforced the importance of keeping our minds ‘in the room’ and to try and avoid letting our minds wander. Unfortunately, my mind kept wandering to one thing: Breakfast.

I was in the mood for trying something a little different this morning and realized I had two ingredients in the pantry that I don’t normally keep. Canned pumpkin and cranberry granola. I then immediately thought of Kristen’s pumpkin yogurt parfait recipe that was recently featured in the Canadian magazine Glow.

By this point, my mind was back in my kitchen and definitely not ‘in the room’ like the teacher was enforcing. Ooopsies!

A little canned pumpkin layered with maple and cranberry granola (courtesy of Bakery on Main, another freebie from the FNCE expo) and plain non-fat Greek yogurt made for a totally satisfying breakfast. The best part? The pumpkin and cranberry combo really hit the spot when it comes to fall flavors.

And the martini glass? Well that just made the breakfast all the more fun

Today I did a class at the gym called ‘willPower & grace’. The class focuses on lower body and core strengthening exercises all performed barefoot to develop ankle, knee and hip

stabilization while preventing injury.

Although the only weight used in this class is your own body weight, it is the best lower-body workout I have personally experienced. The first time I ever attended a class was a Sunday morning. I then returned to the next class offered on Thursday of the same week and my hammies, glutes and quads were STILL hurting! After so many years of weighted squats, lunges, deadlifts etc. from basketball, this class totally redefined my love/hate relationship with lower body strengthening and toning exercises.Another thing I love about this class is that they have a ‘word of the week’ which is read allowed, along with a brief definition and how the meaning of the word can be implemented into our lives. This week’s word was ‘dignity’.

“Dignity is listening to your moral compass, your golden rule, your inner voice. Know your worth, behave with dignity. “

After the class I headed upstairs to complete 30 mins of interval training on the treadmill. Wowee were my legs were h.e.a.v.y!

This morning I had two parts t0 my breakfast. Part one was enjoyed before heading to the gym. I cooked a piece of toast, spread the new honey I bought yesterday at the Farmers Market and layered slices of banana on top. I love how fresh honey is slightly grainier than most options available at the grocery store.

Part two of breakfast was an oats combo I’m currently loving:

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cups water
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix the above ingredients and microwave for 1 min 40 secs. Top with fresh diced apple and 2 tablespoons plain non fat Greek yogurt.

This left my tummy full and content all morning

Most of my afternoon was spent working on case studies and assignments for the internship. While out running a few errands later in the day I picked up a fresh guava, peach, passionfruit and mango fruit smoothie.

This tropical combo = ahhmaazing!!