Recipe Box: Oriental Cold Noodles

July 23, 2013 by bec2point0

It’s been the summer of cold salads in my house. The heat has been unbearable, and the only thing I like less than cooking hot food is eating hot food. Because yuck.

I’ve been all about Pasta Salad and Potato Salad and Quinoa Salad and Fruit Salad and Garden Salad and Mexican Veggie and Bean Salad (future recipe post to follow) and… I think you get the picture. I get up super early on Sundays, before the heat hits, cook and prep large batches of a couple of salads and then eat them all week for lunch or with dinner. This has been working out great in terms of time management and having healthy food at the ready, but flavor-wise, things had gotten a bit boring.

Until this Sunday.

In search of some flavor in my salads, I turned to the internet, and after a couple of searches for ‘cold dinner ideas’, I found the following recipe on LaaLoosh (an invaluable resource for healthy, and specifically Weight Watchers friendly, recipes).

Oriental Cold Noodles (adapted from LaaLoosh)

Ingredients

1 12 oz. package Whole Wheat Spaghetti
1 large cucumber, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 ½ tsp sesame seeds
Juice from 1 lime
Instructions
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Place in a large bowl. Toss in cilantro, cucumbers and carrots, and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, garlic, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil.
Pour dressing over noodles and toss to combine. Top with sesame seeds.

Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 1.5 hours.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s), Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 6
PER SERVING: 231 calories; 3.5g fat; 41g carbohydrates; 6g protein; 2.5g fiber

Recipe Source: LaaLoosh

Now, I’ve never met a recipe I didn’t want to tweak, but I stayed very close to the original on this. The only changes I made were to add some scallions and to usage Whole Wheat Spaghetti instead of Soba Noodles (because I had it on hand). Also, I measure nothing. Ever.

The result?

Ooooooodles of Noodles

BOOM. FLAVOR EXPLOSION IN MY MOUTH.

You guys, this was SO good. Aside from cutting veggies, the prep work was very minimal. And aside from the 20 minutes of boiling water and cooking pasta, I didn’t have to turn on the stove. WHICH MAKES ME VERY HAPPY.

This and some diced chicken breast were my lunch on Monday, and the rest will be a side dish for the Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs I’ll be making for dinner one night this week. You know, if it lasts that long.

If you’re a Weight Watcher’s member, I calculated this differently than the website did. Mine came up to 4 Points Plus for 6 servings or 7 Points Plus for 4 servings (I went with four servings because I was HUNGRY!)

So, whip yourself up a batch and set them aside for the next hot night. Which is surely imminent. SIGH.

When it’s hot out, what’s your go to cold dinner? Help Bec out. Her family is ready to mutiny if she serves sandwiches one more time.

I Scream, You Scream… OINK!

July 22, 2013 by scootadoot

Total Fat – 23,968g, Total Sugars – 25,680g, Total Calories – 359,520 – 330 registered participants. It’s Team Scoot a Doot’s Jog ‘n Hog experience… in pictures!

Team Scoot a Doot – out in full force and ready to Jog ‘n Hog!

Kimberly and Kyle drove all the way from the DC area to jog and hog with us!

Seen on our run through Shady Brook Farm.

Nom nom!

Team Scoot a Doot found a corner and started to chow down.

Megan

Brandi with her littlest helper.

Jena digs in.

Chick Vic and Kyle.

Aaron and Jen

Kimberly

Chocolate sauce did NOT want to open!

Kate finished… and she doesn’t even LIKE ice cream.

Christina gets it done.

Linda, our Jog ‘n Hog giveaway winner. Double fisting takes on a whole new meaning.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNOwdzHo5cg&w=640&h=360]

Then there was this guy, the Pace Pig. To add to the fun of the Jog ‘n Hog there, you either beat the pig or the pig beat you! Our team was half and half, if anyone’s keeping track.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sew97-xWe1E&w=640&h=360]

credit: Jog ‘n Hog Boss Hogs (thanks guys, it was a blast!)

So much fun was had and naturally, since we’re planners, we’re already talking about Team Scoot a Doot’s triumphant return in 2014. Who’s in?

Time To Get Your Snack On- We Have Winners!

July 17, 2013 by scootadoot

Last week, the Chicks shared some of our favorite snacks with you. From almonds and yogurt, to granola and popcorn (and maybe the occasional bag of Fritos), we have strong opinions about what to eat between meal times. We were also inspired by your snack suggestions, so thank you!

Because sharing is caring, we offered the opportunity for two of you to nosh on our favorite tasty tidbits. Today, we have winners:

Congrats, Ray and Ben, you get to eat all the treats! Or at least, a box of delicious bites curated by the Scoot a Doot chicks. We salute you! If you haven’t heard from us already, please email us at scootadoot AT gmail.com and we’ll get you all set up to receive your prize.

More fun coming next week! Are you following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram?

Chick Chat: Snack Attack!

July 11, 2013 by scootadoot

What’s the best meal of the day? Snack. Boom. Done.

The Scoot a Doot chicks LOVE us some snacks. We try to keep the snackage on the healthy side, and we’re more than willing to share. Okay, maybe not more than willing, but at least willing. At the very least, we share snack ideas with each other… and now we’re going to share them with you! And rest assured, this is nothing but our unbridled opinions. The links below are just for your information. No one sent us free snacks. But, you know, we certainly wouldn’t object to getting free snacks! Would you? (Hint, hint).

Mer

Oh, yay! We are back to my favorite subject: FOOD!

I feel like all the time is snack time at our house. Snacks for everyone! My kids are grazers, they like to eat smaller meals throughout the day rather than full meals. Breakfast can last all morning long and as far as I’m concerned, that’s not a bad thing!

Some favorite afternoon snacks are mixed nuts, trail mix, that sort of thing. Whole wheat sandwich thins with either Justin’s or MaraNatha peanut or almond butters, sliced bananas and cinnamon. Fage or Chobani Greek yogurts are delicious and easy.

Now I’m hungry.

Me too, Mer. Me too.

Jess

I’m not always the healthiest of snackers, so I need easy grab-and-go snacks in order to make the right choices. You can always find some sea salted almonds or cashews in my snack drawer at work, nestled next to a bag of sweet potato Pop Chips. Whole wheat bagels with chunky organic peanut butter and a banana is yummy and filling.

But my absolute favorite healthy snack is Greek yogurt with Nature’s Path pumpkin flax granola. People, this stuff is amazing. I mean really, really delicious. When in doubt, I always fall back on it for breakfast or a snack!

Greek Yogurt and delicious looking granola a la Jess!

Cam

My favorite snack currently is juiced veggies and fruits but since you can’t put that in a basket and ship across the country, a very close second is belVita Breakfast Biscuits.

They’re like graham crackers but come in a couple different varieties, like blueberry and apple cinnamon. They’re not very low in calories but they’re high in fiber, grains, and vitamins. They’re a cookie substitute that satisfies my sweet cravings when I don’t have time to juice or make a smoothie. The package comes with 4 biscuits but it usually only takes 2 to fill me up. And my kids love them too!

Belvita. Not Velveeta.

Vic

I’m a snacker. And I usually crave fritos.

Yes, I know they are bad for me. Yes, I know they have no redeeming qualities. But I love them nonetheless.

Occasionally, I throw caution to the wind and eat them anyway, but I typically snack on fresh fruit (apples, bananas and grapes are my faves) or yogurt (Noosa, Chobani bites or Oikos Greek yogurt.) I also love pretzel thins, raisins, pita chips with hummus, sunflower seeds and nuts – any type of nut, I don’t discriminate.

Vic is never too busy for Noosa!

And to try to stave the cravings, I also drink LOTS of water. I’m hoping it will fill me up so I’m not hungry – read, snacking – but that rarely works as well as I’d hoped.

Brooke

I love snacks! Who doesn’t? I have a lot of awesome crackers and cookies in my house, because I have kids and we don’t completely
deprive them of treats (aka junk food), but I always make sure they have a healthy snack first. And I try to avoid most of the treats by
keeping the pantry and fridge stocked with my favorite healthy stuff.

Flavored almonds and I are totally having a moment right now. I love the wasabi spiced almonds and the vanilla roasted are great if I want something sweet.

Brooke likes sugar AND spice!

Kashi trail mix bars are my “on the go” snack; I always have one in my tote. And some days, my favorite snack is a latte from Starbucks. That totally counts, right?

Of course, I eat lots of fruits and veggies too.

Bec

If I were a dinosaur, I’d be a Snackosauras. Seriously. If I could realistically make my entire diet of snacks, I’d be a happy girl. Don’t get me wrong, I love mealtime, but I LOVE snacktime. And it happens so often, which is even better!

In my unhealthier days, snacks were a box of Cheez-its. Or a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Yeah, the whole thing. In both cases. These days, I’m working on making snack time part of my healthy diet and making sure my snacks are nutritious, tasty and satisfying.

Like a lot of the chicks, I’m a big fan of Justin’s Almond Butter (the vanilla flavored packet is a go to high calorie snack when I need protein) and Greek yogurt (Noosa and Chobani top my list, but Oikos does in a pinch). Lara Bars, Kind Bars, nuts or seed based snacks (Somersaults… delicious), fruit and veggies, or cheese and whole grain crackers are all in heavy rotation.

But when I’m craving something salty by the handful, it’s all about Boom Chicka Pop. This four ingredient wonder is addictive, so be careful. But at 35 calories a cup, you don’t have to be too careful. Three cups of that in a baggie is the best 100 calorie pack known to man. It’s salty and fresh and just so good.

Chicka chicka yeah yeah! (Name that film).

So, who’s hungry? Me? Yes. You? Probably. And we don’t want to leave our readers hungry! So…..

We’ve decided to share our snacks with you, for real. There’s a link below for a little giveaway. We’ll select two winners and you will receive a box of yummy snacks from either Chick Bec or Chick Brooke. We probably won’t mail you any Greek yogurt, because ewww, but we’ll make up boxes of our faves and send them out to you. Good? Good!

Click the pic to enter!

These are the Chicks’ favorite snacks. What are yours? Tell us all about them!

ENERGYbits review and giveaway

July 2, 2013 by vfreile

I’ve been hearing about ENERGYbits for months, but I really wasn’t sure what to expect.

I knew the bits are 100% Spirulina algae – and a power food with more than 60% protein. In short, it means consumed ENERGYbits quickly turn to glucose after taken…. And as a result give you a steady stream of energy sans chemicals.

I knew they were completely natural – organic, vegan and gluten-free. All of which really appealed to me since so many seemingly healthy products add chemicals or sugar to the mix.

And I knew people raved about them.

Enter the ENERGYbits social media team, who were kind enough to provide me a sample to try and a second sample FOR ONE LUCKY READER! (More on that below.)

My sample tin contained enough bits for two tests.

ENERGYbits in my hot little hand

I decided to test two scenarios – a long run and at the start of a potentially long work day. After all, these would likely be two scenarios I’d be using said bits.

I tested both out last week, and I wasn’t disappointed.

A serving size of ENERGYbits is about 30 tabs. Each bit is a speck smaller than an Advil. They went down pretty easily for me when chased by water. I split them into two handfuls.

On the run
I swallowed a handful of bits at about 30 minutes before my long run last weekend, a hilly 6-miler in Mendon Ponds Park in suburban Rochester, NY. Since this was my first attempt in swallowing bits before exercising, I was a little concerned they might not stay down. (They did, for the record.)

I knew I’d need a little extra oomph as I ran Saturday since I tackled rolling hills with my running pal Traci and a large community running group. For me, it was the first week of my fall marathon training plan, hence the short mileage.

We headed off and I felt great. I was chatty, which as my running pals know, is a sure sign that I am feeling strong.

As we hit the halfway point of our route, I was still feeling fantastic! I was strong, steady and on a mission. I actually passed our group’s pacer twice. He politely reeled me back in with some wit and a smile.

Once finished, I was still feeling good. Yes, of course I felt like I ran 6 miles, but I felt as though I could keep running. Since the skies were about to open up, we drove back home. And the skies opened up moments later.

I had an abundance of energy though, so I ran errands!

On the job
I ate the bits at the start of what ended up being a rather long work day. I’d love to tell you I has super strength and laser-like focus all day, but I’d be fibbing. I DID however, not feel tired or interested in a second cup of coffee. I also didn’t snack all morning. I felt very full, which is not my norm.

Ask my colleagues, I’m a snacker.

So… score two for the bits.

A tin of bits, hanging on my keyboard

I was pleased with my test experiments and am definitely planning to buy more ENERGYbits. The lone drawback is the price. It’s $115 for a bag of 1,000 tabs. That said, that settles out at 33 servings of bits for about $3.50 per serving.

When I do the math it seems way more reasonable.

Plus, discount codes are aplenty. For a 10% discount, type BLOG into coupon box at checkout.

Still too rich for your blood? The company offers a sampling program. Just reach out to them via Twitter and tell them of your interests (and that the Scoot A Doot chicks sent you). Or send a note to Jonathan at jlevitt AT ENERGYbits.com and he’ll share the details.

The giveaway

One lucky reader will receive a sample tin of ENERGYbits. Just click on the Rafflecopter image below to enter.

Click the pic to enter

Scoot a Doot’s ENERGYbits giveaway begins 7/2/13 and ends 7/10/13 at midnight. Winner will need to provide their name, address and email to us so we may pass it along to ENERGYbits.

What do you eat for fuel before a long run? Have you ever tried eating algae? Tell us in the comments!

Recipe Box: Green Smoothie

June 29, 2013 by beewhobabbles

My husband loves to buy bottled smoothies. You know, the ones with 27 grams of sugar per serving? They make you think you’re drinking something healthy, because there’s some fiber content and a bunch of fruit on the wrapper and maybe it even says “FIVE SERVINGS OF FRUIT” or something crazy on the front of the bottle. And they taste really good. And, hey! Fruit! Five servings, even! And as much sugar as five cookies.

I asked him if I could make some healthier smoothies at home, hoping I’d find one or two that he liked better, or at least almost as much, as his store-bought drink. He agreed because he loves me and he knew I was going to make him try them anyway.

Luckily, I quickly found one that we all love. This smoothie is so versatile- I’ve used greek yogurt to up the protein and I even added peanut butter the other day (which was DELISH). I’ve used kale when I didn’t have spinach, and sometimes I skip the honey if my bananas are very ripe. J drinks it for breakfast; I love it after a workout; the girls have it as a pre-dinner treat.

photo(24)

Green Smoothie
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 cups vanilla almond milk
4 cups fresh spinach, packed into the measuring cup
2 bananas
1 tablespoon honey

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients into blender and puree on high until smooth. Serve!

Very slightly adapted from Weelicious

Do you make your own smoothies? Share your faves with me!

Are You There, Dinner? It’s Me, Jessica

May 31, 2013 by writeitdownjess

“What do you want for dinner?”

“I dunno, what do you want for dinner?”

“I dunno.”

End scene.

And thus ends another scintillating conversation between me and Mister Jess about – you guessed it – what to eat for dinner. This is, by and large, the conversation we have every single night. This isn’t something I can blame on Bug, either. Even before we had a baby, we would sit in our living room and stare at each other, tummies rumbling as if to say, “yeah, what the eff IS for dinner?”

I have to admit that I’m not a cooker. Or a baker. Recipe books freak me out. Chicks Meri and Brooke send me super easy recipes and I smile (to my computer. Who doesn’t do that, okay?) and say “thanks!” Then the emails get filed away and die slow deaths, never to be seen again. When I do try to cook, it usually ends in disaster. One time I attempted to make a baked potato soup in the crock pot and I had to YouTube how to chop onions. Plot twist: the soup was awful. Surprise!

Mister Jess is more skilled than me, but his specialties are limited: he can cook a mean steak and a pretty delicious spaghetti. He’s probably the reason we haven’t starved to death. Well, him and the various restaurants of San Francisco. Thanks, guys.

I’m admitting all of this because I want you all to know how dire this situation is before I ask for your help. I will wait for you to finish laughing before I continue.

The fact of the matter is, I’m tired of take-out. I’m tired of making “nachos”, aka Tostitos chips and pre-packaged shredded cheese. I’m tired of frequenting the Whole Foods hot food bar, because it ain’t that hot. I want food. Real, delicious food. Real, delicious, healthy food that’s extremely easy to prepare and cook.

That’s not too tall an order, is it? Good!

I’m really asking for your help here, Scoot a Doot readers. Help me. Help Mister Jess. Save my little Bug from a future of hearing “what’s for dinner?” every night.

I love food. I just can’t make it.

So here it is: Do you have advice for me? Tips on how to get out of this years-long food rut? Easy, yummy recipes that I promise I’ll actually use? Meal planning advice? Tricks to get my vegetable-hating husband to eat some green stuff? Give it to me, I’ll take it all!

Recipe Box: Tomato and Corn Pizza

May 23, 2013 by Meridith

Brooke is our resident recipe sharer, so it’s only natural that I first heard about this delish pizza from her. A couple of summers ago I was searching for new recipes and Brooke came to the rescue with a boatload of recipes, including this one.

Okay, it was three recipes. Does three constitute a boatload? Let’s pretend it does.

Ingredients

I’ll chime in with my notes after each.

3 small plum tomatoes, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 (14-oz.) package prebaked Italian pizza crust – the Boboli Wheat is pretty rad but really, anything will work. Anything that is pizza crust, that is. Don’t try using cardboard. That would be bad. Sidenote: someone in college actually attempted to warm pizza and didn’t remove it from the cardboard box before putting it in the oven. That was a mistake.
Parchment paper – this isn’t absolutely necessary, as I have made the pizza sans parchment paper. But it does help reduce stickage.
1/3 cup refrigerated pesto – this can be homemade or jarred, I’ve used both and both taste delicious. However, I don’t use 1/3 cup. I just use as much as it takes to cover the pizza crust. Actually, maybe I do use 1/3 cup and don’t know it. Hmmmm.
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels – fresh, frozen, whatevs!
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese – that’s a fact. I really do use 1/4 grated Parmesan. Measured and all.
1 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

Preparation

Place tomato slices on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; let stand 20 minutes.
While you’re waiting for the moisture to drain from the tomatoes, pre-heat your oven to 450°.
My goal is to dirty up as many dishes as possible to give the illusion of more work for me. I’m sure my husband is on to this.My plan goes a little something like this:
- Plate to cut the tomatoes
- Plate to slice the mozzarella – my mozzarella has no salt added, which I suppose is good since I just did the Salt and Pepa (Slide, Push It!) to the tomatoes. The package says that it’s easy open. But don’t believe their lies, because it was not.
- Bowl to mix together corn, Parmesan, and sugar
- Measuring cups! Measuring spoons! Mixing spoons! NO UTENSIL LEFT BEHIND!
Place pizza crust on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; spread with pesto (however much or little you’d like).
Bake at 450° for 14 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. While you’re waiting for the pizza to cook, snack on leftover tomatoes. YUM!
Remove from oven. Try not to shove directly in mouth to avoid burning oneself (trust me on this one) and enjoy!

The original recipe is on MyRecipes.com but I made some modifications.

Recipe Box: Lemony Kale Pasta

May 15, 2013 by beewhobabbles

Our recent trip to New York was very kind to my kale craving. I love all greens (I even have my girls eating raw spinach), but kale is my current favorite. And I’m not the only one who loves it, apparently. Kale with eggs at breakfast, kale and grapefruit at lunch, kale with farro at dinner. I’m surprised we didn’t find a kale-tini during cocktail hour.

I read a few food magazines and blogs, so I know it’s a popular vegetable, but it isn’t on the menu of many restaurants in our city. (Or maybe we need to get out more.) I happily ordered it at most meals during our trip.

Once home, I searched for some healthy meals (to detox) and kale recipes (because, kale) and found this quick and easy pasta dish on my favorite food blog. It’s a cinch to prepare, which is really the best kind of recipe for me, and tastes delicious.

Lemony Kale Pasta

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing:
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
5-6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
¼-½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the pasta:
1 lb. whole grain pasta, such as penne
1 large bunch kale (black/lacinato kale preferred), rinsed and dried, stems removed*

DIRECTIONS

Boil water for the pasta. To make the dressing, sprinkle 1/4 tsp. of salt on the minced garlic and mash with a fork to make a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and add the remaining salt, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and pepper. Whisk together until well combined.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Chop the kale into ½-inch ribbons. Add the kale to a large bowl and toss with the dressing to coat well. When the pasta is finished, drain well and let cool a minute or two. Toss the pasta with the kale and dressing until well coated. Serve with additional Parmesan as desired.

photo(11)

*I used pre-cut kale because my grocery store had a big bag of it. I’m not sure what type it was, but it worked well. And I didn’t chop anything.

Recipe Source: Annie’s Eats

In other news, I am happy to report that I am running again! I ran three miles on Saturday with my friend, Sara. My goal is to get to the treadmill at least twice more this week, and I’m outlining my fitness plan for this summer so I can begin training for Wine and Dine. All three kids will be at home with me so it will be tricky, but I know I can do it!

Are you a kale fan? Let me know if you try this or point me in the direction of your favorite recipe. What race are you training for right now?

Philadelphia Chocolate Tours Giveaway

May 9, 2013 by scootadoot

Back in March, Chicks Vic and Mer treated themselves to a Philadelphia Chocolate Tour after running a 5k.

Mayhaps you remember reading about the snowy run and the delicious tour in Philly. Despite the weather, we had chocolate and when we have chocolate, we are happy campers!

Om nom nom!

The good people of the Philadelphia Chocolate Tours thought that our readers would enjoy checking out the sights and tastes of Philly and generously offered up two gift certificates for free walking tours. (See, that’s sort of work out related. Plus, there’s health benefits associated with chocolate!)

Since we know that chocolate is always better with a friend, we’re keeping the pair together.

Who could resist?

Grab your bestie, grab your significant other, grab a group and split the difference of the remaining tours, grab a stranger (just make sure they’re consenting to all this grabbing) and try your luck at our Scoot a Doot Philadelphia Chocolate Tours giveaway! Encourage them to sign up, too, and increase your chances – woohoo!

This giveaway starts today, May 9th, and goes until midnight on May 14th.

What’s your favorite type of chocolate? And do you consider white chocolate to be chocolate? This is a very pressing matter!