The Great Debate

Hey friends!

First things first - the winner of the Zevia giveaway (according to random.org) is #28 - G! Congrats! Please email me so I can get your free Zevia shipped out to you!

How has everyone been? It's been another busy week for me. Only 1.5 weeks of school left! How great is that? As usual, I haven't been running because I've been writing papers... and my 5k is quickly approaching. My first 5k is this Saturday. I'm so nervous - especially since I haven't been training! Does anyone have any tips for me about preparing for a 5k? I'd really appreciate all your help!

I also think I may take up walking instead of running, since I'm a terrible runner (at least, I think so). Here's an info graphic I found on Pinterest about walking:

My only problem is I'm an intense cardio kind of girl, and I feel like walking won't do much for me - although it obviously does. What do you think? Do you walk? Do you enjoy walking? 

I'm also about to start a little bit of a debate here. I recently began eating fish. Why? Well, no real reason, really. I ate it once on Sunday when Stuart and I went out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse, and the only vegetarian option they had was some sort of pasta alfredo - and I really did not want a heavy cream sauce. So I decided to get the rare tuna - which was one of my favorites before I went vegetarian - and loved it. I also know I will be eating salmon for dinner this Sunday because Residence Life is taking us all to Montgomery Inn, and, again, there are no vegetarian options.

Which brings up another point - why do so many vegetarians think it's okay to eat fish? Fish is not a vegetable, people. I fully realize that. If you eat only fish, you are a pescatarian - not a vegetarian. Too often I hear "Oh, I'm a vegetarian who eats fish," and I'm thinking to myself then you're not a vegetarian! Uhg. It kills me! Sorry if that offended anyone - not trying to be offensive, but I just don't understand how fish is considered a vegetarian option. There are other ways to get omega-3s and protein.

So, anyways, back to my original question - to eat fish or not? I'm okay with it, I don't eat fish much anyways - as in, basically never - so I think it'd be alright. I can't tell you how many times I've almost gone back to eating meat recently, but I manage to pull myself together and stop myself every time, because I know I would rather have that animal live than be on my plate. Which is the same reason I wouldn't be eating a whole lot of fish.

What's your opinion?

Alright - I'm off to write another paper (yikes), go to class, mail a package, order some things for Newswire, and then go to BW3's and bowling with the Newswire staff. I'm also busy filling out job applications to the Disney store, First Watch, Whole Foods, Sur La Table, Charming Charlies, and much more! Hopefully I'll be able to find a job this summer so I won't be broke!

Adios!
Much love,

Product Review: Hail Merry Raw Snacks

Let me begin by saying that I absolutely adore this company. 

It's rare when I come out in a product review and say that just love a company. A product? Yeah, sometimes, but not usually a company. 

I think Hail Merry does such a great job at what they do - a lot of time, raw snacks can be a hit or miss - and in my experience, I've have a lot of misses. Not here. They know what they are doing.

I had tried both flavors of their raw macaroons before - cocoa and original - and loved them. Honestly, they are probably the best macaroons I've ever eaten. They have a strong maple flavor, are the perfect size, and are just overall delicious. Great coconut flavor. And of course, how can you go wrong with chocolate? (The answer: you can't). Both flavors are wonderful and I highly recommend that you run to your nearest Whole Foods and pick up a bag or two. Or three. 

The nuts that they sent for me to review were new for me, and I was excited to try them. I was expecting nothing but the best. 

These were the Vanilla Maple Almonds. Oh. My. Goodness. 

The maple was the first flavor to hit me - it was very strong, and very yummy. The vanilla was also a strong flavor, and it paired well with the maple. I devoured this package right after receiving the package of snacks. These lasted maybe 10 minutes - if that! So good.  I definitely recommend them. 

Hail Merry also offers a wide variety of other raw seasoned nuts, like Orange Rosemary Pecans, Lemon Thyme Pecans, Chimayo Chili Pecans, and Salt N Black Pepper Sunflower Seeds. They also offer something they call "Grawnola" - or raw granola! If only my Whole Foods sold those babies. 

They also offer chilled raw "Miracle Tarts," which I want to try, but my Whole Foods doesn't sell those either. Darn. That Lime Tart is totally calling my name.

There are a few reasons why I love this company. First, they have great packaging and I love their slogan, "Feed your body royally." Secondly, all of the products that I've tried have been great. Third, they use a lot of coconut oil, which is a healthy fat for your body. Learn more about coconut oil/butter here. And it's yummy. And no refined sugar! 

Overall, great products and great people. I highly recommend trying these products for yourself if you haven't already!

The Daisy Rating

5/5 daisies

I would also like to congratulate Hail Merry on receiving what I think may by the first perfect score I've given out on a product review! 

What is your favorite raw food snack?

Much love, 

3 Ingredient Pesto Rice

Hey loves! <3 Have you entered my giveaway for Lucy's cookies yet? IT ENDS TONIGHT AT 11PM EST! Get entering!

I realized today that I never post themed food for holidays. I didn't do much around Christmas, when a lot of bloggers were crafting all sorts of Santa & Rudolph themed treats. I also didn't do anything for Halloween. Or Thanksgiving. I want to change that!

Although I decided this about an hour ago when I woke up from my nap (best nap ever), I remembered I made some pesto rice for dinner last night in my rice cooker. Talk about yummy. It's not exactly cute and it's not shaped like a leprechaun or a pot of gold, but it is definitely delicious. My ode to St. Patty's Day will come tomorrow when I host at St. Patty's party for my residents in the dorm!

Have you joined yet? Click to read more about it!

Before we get to the rice - an update on the Couch to 5k challenge!

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little disappointed with myself. This past week I was feeling really good on the first two days, where my running routine on the first day consisted of:

• Brisk 5 min. warmup walk
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 min)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 min)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 min)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 min)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 min)

And on the second day: 

• Brisk 5 min. warmup walk 
• Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 min)
• Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 min)
• Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 min)

Honestly, my legs didn't hurt at all during these workouts. I was pumped, and I didn't even have to stop to take a break during the 5 or 8 minute running sessions! I was ready for Friday to come, when my workout would consist of:

• Brisk 5 min warmup walk
• Jog 2 miles without stopping (or 20 min)

Yes, I was intimidated, but I wanted to reach that goal. Then...it didn't happen. I managed to run a complete mile before having to stop, and then I walked/ran the last mile in alternating increments. It was hard, and my shins hurt a little more afterwards than normal. 

So now I'm feeling bummed. 

That's not to say I haven't made progress; I know I've been doing really well, and running that mile was 1/4 mile longer than the distance I ran in the previous workout, which is still good. I just continue to get nervous thinking about my upcoming 5Ks and wonder if I'll be able to push through it. 

I meant to run outside today, because the weather was beautiful and I still need to figure out my Garmin, but exhaustion hit and I needed to take a nap. So I did. A nice, long, nearly 5 hour nap, actually! I plan on doing some Jillian DVDs before bed tonight, so at least I get somewhat of a workout in today.

Okay, without further ado, my recipe for pesto rice! Yummy.

3 Ingredient Pesto Rice
Ingredients
1/2 jar basil pesto (approximately 4.4 oz.)
1 1/4 c. rice of choice
Water

Directions
1. Cook rice and water according to package directions, depending on what rice you choose to use. I used Arborio rice because that's what I had sitting around.
2. Once rice has been cooked, fluff it with a fork, and then mix in pesto. Stir until rice is covered.

I'm not sure what could be easier than that. Of course, you could make your own pesto, but when you are a college student who needs to save money (or needs to learn to save money, instead of buying tons of food, like me...), jarred pesto is the way to go. Especially when you get a jar in the mail from your foodie pen pal and want to devour the whole jar because its the best pesto you've ever eaten :)

I served it with some steamed baby carrots, drizzled with honey. I've been on a honey kick recently. So yummy!

Alright folks, that's all for now - have a lovely rest of your St. Patty's Day!
Much love,

So Long, Farewell!

Well my friends, it's time for me to part from the blog for awhile. It is now *officially* SPRING BREAK (woohoo!) and I will be leaving for Falls Church, Virginia (population = a little over 50) around 6:30 AM tomorrow morning.

What will I be doing there, you may ask?

Volunteering! A small group of us from school are volunteering all week at an animal sanctuary place to help take care of the animals (emus, no less!), make organic soaps, and other things I'm not yet aware of. The trip is focusing on animal rights and welfare, as well as eating a largely vegan diet, so I'm really excited and I think it will be a lot of fun! I will definitely take lots of pictures to share with you all!

Until I return (March 10, i think), I have scheduled a few posts so the blog won't be completely dead. Make sure to check back for those posts and comment on them! I'll check in when I have access to a computer.

I love you all, and I'll see you when I return!

Much love,

Product Review: La Tortilla Factory

Do you have a hard time finding quality tortillas? 


I know I do. 


I have seriously stood in the international aisle at the grocery store for 10 minutes, just reading all the ingredients on all the different brands of tortillas. You know what really sucks? All of them have lard and leavening with aluminum. 


That's why, when I was contacted my La Tortilla Factory to review their products, I was really excited! This company does not use either of those ingredients and are much healthier for you than your traditional tortilla. 


I was sent three of their products to review: 100 Calorie Whole Wheat, Fiber & Flax, and Handmade Style Corn Tortillas. 

Ingredients: water, stone ground corn masa flour, wheat gluten, contains less than 2% of each of the following: sea salt, aluminum free leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate ), guar gum, cellulose gum, fumaric acid, trace of lime, to maintain freshness (sorbic acid, calcium propionate, potassium sorbate).

Ingredients:  water, whole wheat flour, cellulose fiber, wheat gluten, raisin juice, contains less than 2% of the following: golden flaxseed, cultured wheat (cultured wheat with added vinegar), aluminum free leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate), sea salt, vinegar, calcium carbonate, guar gum, dough conditioner (sodium stearoyl lactylate), xanthan gum, to maintain freshness (sorbic acid, calcium propionate).

INGREDIENTS: WATER, STONE GROUND YELLOW CORN MASA FLOUR (CORN MASA FLOUR, CELLULOSE GUM, GUAR GUM , FUMARIC ACID , SORBIC ACID , CALCIUM PROPIONATE, TRACE OF LIME), CELLULOSE FIBER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: GOLDEN MILLED FLAXSEED, GUAR GUM, ENZYME, TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS (SORBIC ACID, CALCIUM PROPIONATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE).

I used the Fiber & Flax Corn Tortilla to make a wrap with almond butter, almonds, fresh cherries, and chia seeds. The tortilla itself was very delicious and extremely hearty - with only 45 calories per tortilla! I would recommend using this with a more savory dish, though - it didn't mix to well with the peanut butter (my bad!) This would be great for tacos! 

I used the Handmade Style Corn Tortillas to make a hummus and carrot wrap. This was really delicious as well! It is a bit thicker and more substantial than the Fiber & Flax, but was the same size and had double the calories. Very tasty. 

Finally, I made another wrap with the 100 Calorie Whole Wheat Tortillas - and they are HUGE for only 100 calories each! These were by far my favorite. I pus some Peanut Butter & Co. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl pb on it with some extra raisins for a snack. Very soft and delicious. 

The Daisy Rating

4/5 daisies

Overall, great tortillas. I just can't say how happy I am with their ingredients. No more standing in the grocery aisle forever trying to decide what to buy! 

Much love,

Guest Post: Apricot Oat Bars

Hey guys! Today I have a guest post for you from Annie over at Naturally Sweet Recipes - she and her sisters have the most ADORABLE site! They only post recipes that are sugar free, so for those of you who want to watch your sugar, be sure to check their blog out! Now, without further ado... please welcome Annie!

Hello, Passing Daisies readers! I’m Annie from Naturally Sweet Recipes and I’m so happy to guest post for Rachael! She’s got an amazing blog and I’m thrilled to have the chance to be a part of it!

I share Naturally Sweet Recipes with my 2 lovely sisters, Holly and Chelsea.  We share a common love of good food, but more particularly delicious sweets and desserts! As we’ve experienced some health challenges and learned about healthy eating, we’ve adapted lifestyle habits for better health and well being. This has led us to cook with whole, natural ingredients and bake with natural sweeteners. Naturally Sweet Recipes was born out of a love of baking and cooking and a passion for natural clean eating.

Today, I wanted to share a recipe I made when I first started going sugar free and eating more natural foods. It’s a recipe that was inspired by the food network star Giada De Laurentiis.  Apricot bars are a delicious sweet treat that are loaded with nuts, grains and fruit. Using natural sweeteners, they become pretty healthy! Add a good measure of cinnamon and vanilla and these bars are scrumptious and a bit addicting too!

Apricot Oat Bars
(adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

Filling:
1 1/4 cups (13-ounces) sugar free or naturally sweetened Apricot Jam
10 Dried Apricots, chopped coarsely
1 teaspoon Honey

Crust:
1 3/4 cups Spelt Flour
3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon (divided) Coconut Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Sea or Pink Salt
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 3/4 cups plus 1 Tablespoon Oats
3/4 cup coarsely Chopped Walnuts
2/3 cup Honey
1 cup Coconut Oil or unsalted Butter, melted
1 beaten Large Egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
Optional: 1 Tablespoon flax seed

1. Start by mixing your filling of the apricots, jam and honey in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
2.For the crust, mix together your flour, 3/4 cup coconut sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, oats and walnuts. Stir in your honey. 
3. Add the melted coconut oil or butter, beaten egg and vanilla and stir until well combined. 
4. Spray a 7 by 11 or a 9 by 13 baking dish. With clean fingers, press half of the crust mixture firmly in the bottom of your baking dish. Spread your apricot jam filling all over the crust.
5. Cover the apricot filling with the remaining crust mixture and press lightly to flatten and firm. Sprinkle on bars 1 teaspoon of coconut sugar. 
6. Bake at 350 for 28-30 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Thanks so much, Annie!

If anyone else is interested in writing a guest post for me, or would like me to write a guest post for them. please email me at rachael[at]passingdaisies[dot]net! I can't wait to hear from you all and I would love to feature as many of you as possible!

Much love,