Homemade Granola Bars

Hey guys! Today I am posting one of my favourite snack recipes over here in Sweden. When I was here last year I had a hard time finding granola bars that were similar to back home.. my beloved Kashi bars were no where to be found! I ended up finding a super easy recipe for homemade granola bars and have made them a few times since then. The great thing about this recipe is you can adapt it to suit your tastes!

Homemade Granola Bars:

Adapted from http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/02/healthy-banana-oat-snack-bars.html

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried ligonberries or cranberries 

Preheat your oven to 350F/177C. Line a baking pan with parchment paper, spray a little cooking spray ( I used my misto with olive oil). 

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, Rice Krispies, oats, salt, cinnamon) in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, combine the wet ingredients (bananas, greek yogurt, honey, vanilla, peanut butter). Whisk together to combine. 

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ones until combined. Slowly fold in the dark chocolate chips and ligonberries.

Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to pat the mixture down until smooth and level throughout. Bake from 15-30 minutes depending on if you want chewy or firmer granola bars. Remove from the pan to cool and cut into bars (should make about 15-20).

Before baking

You can wrap your bars in wax paper and store in a baggie or airtight container. I love this recipe because I know exactly what is going into my granola bars ( no funky preservatives here) and it's also a great way to save on paying $5 for 6 granola bars! Win-win in my books :)

Sorry I forgot to take a picture after they came out of the oven, but trust me on this one!

xo

Ash

Soups on!

As many of you already know, the reason we are in Sweden is because my husband is playing hockey over here. When you play hockey for a living it is impossible to avoid the odd bump and bruise now and then. After all, it is a pretty physical game. Along these lines, Liam had a rather unfortunate run in with the ice the other night and banged up his mouth pretty good. He came home with a protein shake for dinner and told me he couldn't eat any solid food for the next few days... which leads me to todays post! An amazing recipe for creamy chicken and vegetable soup! The recipe comes from one of my all time favourite food blogs and I can honestly say everything I have made from her site has turned out amazing so you should really check it out!

Here is the link to the recipe as I didn't really change anything, except for adding some frozen peas at the very end:

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/10/cream-cheese-chicken-and-vegetable-soup.html

Dicing up a storm

Creamy goodness!

Often times with cream based soups you know its going to be pretty heavy on the calories! However, this soup uses skim milk and low fat cream cheese and still achieves the same amazing silkiness of a full fat cream soup! I think this recipe can really work as a base for any combination of veggies/protein that you wish to use- the possibilities are endless! 

xo

Ash

Review: Dr. Oz's 3 day Cleanse

A few days ago a girlfriend of mine messaged me asking if I knew anything about cleanses. I replied that I didn't know much and would try to look into it, but before I got the chance she sent me this link:
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-3-day-detox-cleanse-one-sheet

I checked it out and it seemed fairly straight forward and not all that restrictive so we both decided to give Dr. Oz's cleanse a go. 

I headed out to the grocery store armed with my list of required foods and was able to find most items here which was great! And so we started the cleanse which consisted of:
a morning cup of green tea combo'd with lemon slices and stevia, a breakfast smoothie, lunch smoothie, snack smoothie and dinner smoothie! Basically a whole lotta liquid meals! You are also asked to take a multivitamin, probiotic and omega 3 supplement. 

Day 1: The green tea is nice in the morning and is a decent replacement for my usual 2 cups of coffee. The breakfast smoothie is REALLY good and very filling! By lunch time I am feeling a little hungry and so I blend up the next drink: this one is not so good and has a very thick consistency. I force it down over the next 2 hours...
I chose to have the breakfast smoothie again for my snack and it reminds me of eating a PB and J sandwich!! Manage to put off "drinking" dinner until about 7pm- I blend up the dinner drink and ugh I do not really enjoy this one either- it calls for a pinch of cayenne pepper and you can really taste it. I am a little sad knowing that I won't be able to enjoy my breakfast smoothie until tomorrow morning! For the cleanse you are also supposed to have a lavender and epsom salt bath each night, however, we only have a stand-up shower here, so I have to skip this part!  I head to bed feeling a little hungry.

Breakfast Smoothie- yum!

Lunch being prepared

Lunch smoothie... a little thick for my taste!

Day 2: Wake up super excited for my green tea and breakfast smoothie! It is very satisfying after my disappointing dinner last night. The routine is much the same as Day 1, however for the dinner drink I skip the cayenne pepper because I just couldn't handle the taste. For most of the day today, I have a headache- I think probably from lack of coffee. I try to drink as much water as I can and it helps a bit. After dinner I am really hungry and have the urge to eat something!! I decide to have a cup of hot water with lemon slices and this stops me from heading to the fridge.

Ingredients for dinner

Dinner smoothie sans cayenne

Day 3: I wake up happy this morning knowing that this is the last day of the cleanse and tomorrow I will be able to eat real food again! This gives me the motivation to finish without cheating! I have my breakfast drink a little bit later today and am not hungry again until about 2pm so instead of choking down the lunch drink I decide to skip straight to the snack. For some reason I decide it is a good idea to make cookies for a friend and manage to do so without eating any of the batter or finished product- a true test of willpower!! Blend up my dinner drink knowing this is the last smoothie I will drink for a while. Head to bed feeling proud of myself for completing the cleanse :)

Overall, I felt like this cleanse was pretty easy to follow and never really left me feeling hungry. I did miss chewing my food and drinking my morning coffee! In terms of any changes I noticed after, I did feel less bloated and probably lost a few pounds. It also made me take notice of the processed foods I had been eating and has inspired me to make a more conscious effort to eat more fresh and healthy foods. I will also continue with the supplements and try to incorporate the breakfast smoothie into my daily routine!

Dr. Oz recommends doing this cleanse 3-4 times per year, so when May rolls around we'll see if I am up for it again...

xo

Ash

Tuck, tighten and tilt your way to better posture!

Sit up straight! Stop slouching! I am sure many of us have had these comments mentioned to us at one time or another, which is why I want to talk about posture today. 

In todays world a lot of time is spent sitting. Sitting at your desk, on the couch, in the car.. the list goes on. Many of us don't realize all this time sitting can often lead to poor posture as our natural inclination is to sit stooped forward or hunched over. When we are in this position for so long it can translate to when we are standing or walking. As a physiotherapist, I have seen first hand the negative effects that poor posture can have on our bodies. I have found that a few simple exercises and a conscious effort to change can have a profound effect on your posture and overall well being!

Lets go through 3 simple exercises you can start with to promote better body alignment and posture. 
1) Chin Tucks
As you are reading this, take a second and look at where your ears are sitting in relation to your shoulders. Your ears should be in line with the top of your shoulder- not in front, which is often the case! This exercise if done frequently should help to correct this and bring your neck into a better alignment. Try for about 15 repetitions, repeating often throughout the day.

Start position

End position

This one can be tricky to get at first. Try thinking about leaning away from someone trying to kiss you or place your hand under your chin and think about sliding your chin backwards on your hand. 

2) Scapular retractions

All this sitting can lead to rounded shoulders and a stooped upper back. To correct this, think about pulling your shoulder blades together. Imagine there is a pencil sitting between your shoulder blades and you want to pinch this pencil with your shoulder blades. Repeat this exercise for about 15 repetitions, holding for 5 seconds when squeezing. Try and do a few times throughout the day. 

Squeezing the shoulder blades together

3) Pelvic tilts

Again take a second and notice the position your pelvis and hips are in as you are sitting. They are most likely rolled under, creating a stooped lower back. The natural curve in the lower part of our spine should be slightly arched. This exercise will help to restore the natural curve in your lower back. I like to think of this exercise in 3 steps. 

1) Roll your hips under you, emphasizing the "stooped" or rounded position of the lower back (the posterior tilt).

2) Now roll your hips back the other way, emphasizing the arched or "lordotic" position of your lower back (the anterior tilt).

3) Come to a point in the middle of these two extremes. This should be a neutral position for your lower back and you should try and maintain this position when sitting. 

Image from: http://erickeene.wordpress.com/

Obviously these exercises are not a cure all and every person is different! I have just found, in my experience, these exercises to be helpful in maintaining better body alignment! So the next time you are sitting on the couch or at the computer, take a minute to tuck, tighten and tilt your way to a better posture! Your body will thank you :)

xo

Ash

The above is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be taken as medical advice. If you have a serious medical problem you should consult a health care professional. 

London Calling

Back in December when I first arrived in Sweden, Liam and I were able to head to London for a short trip. We were there for 4 days and we tried to squeeze in every bit of sight seeing that we could! We stayed in a cute little hotel right near Buckingham Palace and were able to use this as a home base to tour around London. 

Our cozy hotel room

We were able to see some amazing sites and I am sure there is much, much more that we didn't even get to! Check out some of our pictures below..

Buckingham Palace

Escaping the rain in Harrods

View of the London Eye from the tour bus

Big Ben and the parliament buildings

Changing of the guards

The Queen's Gallery

Carriages in the Royal Mews

Liam met a new friend

Another gorgeous carriage

Westminster Abbey

Tower of London

Tower Bridge

View from the London Eye

Our whirlwind trip to London was amazing! Safe to say we were pooped when we returned back to Vaxjo, but it was worth it :)

xo

Ash

..and they called it puppy love

As I mentioned in an earlier post we welcomed a new addition to our little family at the start of the New Year- an 8 week old Russian Toy terrier puppy! We named her Lilja and we just think she is the cutest puppy out there- but we'll let you be the judge of that (since we may be a little biased)!

Just a few weeks old here

So tiny 

Welcome to your new home!

 Lilja seems to be loving her new home and is adjusting really well. We have been trying to channel our inner dog whisperer and she seems to be catching on to most things pretty quickly! As I write this she is curled up in my lap having a nap (she does this quite frequently).. I think she's going to be a snuggler! 

I think it's official it is most defiantly puppy love :)

xo
Ash

Bachelor and Biscotti

Happy Tuesday! 

 In case you are living under a rock.. the latest season of the Bachelor started last night! So naturally a few of the girls here and I got together this morning for a bachelor breakfast. 

The spread

While we watched the first episode and the awkwardness that is the limo exits (and an awesome failed back walkover attempt) we munched on a yummy breakfast. Our amazing host made mini egg white omelettes, fruit kabobs and some much needed lattes. I attempted making biscotti for the first time and it actually turned out not half bad! Check out the recipe below if you are looking for a yummy treat to dip in some coffee.

Almond, ligonberry chocolate biscotti

Recipe adapted from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/02/chocolate-chocolate-chip-biscotti.html

• 1-2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder 
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup sugar (pulsed in the blender to get it very fine)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (crushed)
• 1/4 cup dried ligonberries (or dried cranberries) chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg white

Hello blog world!

Hello again! Well my first attempt at starting a blog failed miserably (as I only posted a measly 1 time!!). However, I now have a little bit more time on my hands due to some big changes that took place over the past month or so.

What are these changes you might be wondering? Well for one thing I moved to Sweden and will be here until mid March-April depending on how things play out. You see- the husband is working over here right now and the whole long distance first year of marriage thing just wasn't working out!! So here I am in beautiful Vaxjo, Sweden.

Downtown Vaxjo (beautiful cobblestone streets)

I am also unable to obtain my license as a physiotherapist overseas and so I will be volunteering at some local clinics, training our puppy (YES! We got a puppy- more to come on that later), testing out recipes and just enjoying a slower pace of life over here in Europe!

So please stay tuned for my daily musings :) 

xo

Ash