Easy Recipes

Salmon Salad and Curried Egg on Multigrain Bread:

(First on my list to make)

Ingredients:

• 1 7.5-ounce can wild Red Sockeye
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest (1 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons minced shallot (about half a shallot)
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 slices multigrain bread
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• Sprouts, for serving

Ingredients

1. Mix salmon and olive oil together in a bowl, using a fork to flake the salmon. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon zest (finely grated), lemon juice, shallot, and pepper. Spread onto bread slices.
2. Peel and slice eggs, and place 2 slices on each piece of bread. Mix sea salt with the curry powder in a small bowl, and sprinkle on top of each egg slice.
   Scatter remaining lemon zest over them, top with sprouts, and serve.

(text and image via whole living magazine)

Cookbooks

What better way to approach tackling weight than preparing for a wedding, your best friend's in fact! Her wedding is coming up in a few short months (just in time to lose the six pounds I need too so the bridesmaid dress is a little more flowing and a little less tight) and with the bridesmaid dress as beautiful as it is so I gotta be looking good, but not too good!!! I recently stumbled up on this cookbook-I immediately thought to myself Whole Living has a cookbook-why I don't I have this!  After all I've only been a dedicated Whole Living Magazine reader for several years now, so why am I only just now learning about this little treasure.  

(image via amazon)

Finding My Place

BEFORE

And AFTER losing 30 pounds!!!!!!

For the past three and half months I've had mixed feelings about sharing my weight-loss story. I didn't know if I was ready to share with the world that I had gained weight in college (which is not so secret, as many college students go through this). I was ashamed and depressed but as soon as I got out of school, found a job and started making a life of my own, I wanted to change my eating and exercise habits. My family use to joke with me, "I don't understand how you're not a toothpick Sarah, you actually like healthy food," I wanted to say them yeah I do like healthy food but I feel like crap so I'm gonna eat pizza and chocolate and whatever else I want. Hi there, I'm an emotional eater, how are you today?! 

When it came down to deciding if I was going to write this post I felt I owed it to "Sit and Stay A While" and to all of you who follow, comment or stumble across my page. When I started this blog, I had no idea of the direction it was headed, but somewhere along my weight-loss journey I figured out this little creative outlet has become a place for me to hopefully inspire you to live a happy and healthy life, whatever that may be for you. And in return, you have taught me, inspired and shared with me your lives and let me tell you, it puts a HUGE smile on my face at the end of the day! 

Just Dance

From the time I was three years old and enrolled in dance classes, you couldn't stop me from dancing. I have taken everything from ballet to tap classes, every jazz class imaginable, lyrical, modern dance, acrobatics, even a little ballroom dance, I've done it all. Since the dance program at the college I attended was a popular and pretty good program, I took just about everything they had to offer to keep me moving through college. Now that I've been out of school and in the working world I definitley miss it. So I'm excited to say after seven months of not moving my derriere, I'm ready to get back into it and am thrilled to be taking a jazz class. Enroll in a local dance class this month and try it out!

Fresh Start, Take Two or Three...

Six way to a healthier and better you.

1. Become aware of your breath. Meditation is really a great thing, even if you only have a few minutes. During the work day, I allow myself five to seven minutes to close my eyes and focus on my breath. I usually do this the last ten minutes of my break and by then I'm ready to get back to work.

2. Pay closer attention to what you eat. When you give a plant water or feed your animal, you're providing them with the best nutrition so they live a long healthy life. So why don't we have this same mentality when it comes to feeding ourselves? Eat on a regular basis and be a litte picky, choose slower to digest whole grains and lighter meats.

3. Just move it. When talking with friends, significant others and family about dieting and exercising, I often find that the immediate reaction is "what exercise, I don't want to exercise".  We fixate on this word and turn it into this negative thing. Any physical movement is better than nothing, so if that means walking around the colsdsac for ten minutes, walking your dogs, or cleaning the house, it all helps!

4. Sleep is key. There's nothing more healthy than getting the right amount of sleep, even if your one of those people who can survive on very little sleep. You should be sleeping seven hours at night, seven and half to eight is really choice. I'll be the first to say I look forward to getting in my covers at night and when my alarm goes off at six the next morning, I'm awake and ready for the day to start.

5. Think about it. Often times what we think we're craving doesn't always produce the feeling we're hoping for. So the next time you think you're craving a candy bar, are you really satisfied after eating it, usually or not. So think twice!

6.Self-forgiveness. Instead of avoiding feelings of anger, stress or disappointment because of mistakes we've made or from falling into bad habits, let yourself listen and achkowledge those feelings, even journal them if it helps. If you continue to put them aside, you'll end up having a melt down (this is happens to me on somewhat of a regular basis) or taking it out on someone else. Remember the ultimate goal and figure out how to get back on track. You're your own best friend.

College Snack Staples

Not necessarily a good thing, but I lived at the Convenient Store on campus. Between magazines, dollar dvds and snacks, these were the snacks and desserts I bought regularly.