Things I'm loving lately - Tidbits

I love posts where bloggers talk about they are currently loving. To switch things up a little and have some fun on this Thursday morning, here are a few random things I'm loving lately.

1. Late sunsets + perfect temperatures make for gorgeous evenings spent walking by the water. I love the nights that I get to do this. It's so relaxing and peaceful.

2. Casa Primi blend coffee beans from the Coffee Tree Roastery on Bloor Street in Toronto is where it's at. So smooth!

3. I've become enthralled with the Game of Thrones Books after being introduced to them about a year ago. I Just finished book two and have started book three. They just keep getting better and better!

4. We planted our bell peppers and tomatoes three weeks ago. The peppers are starting to get nice and strong and the tomatoes are coming along. I've spotted a few flowers already on the peppers.

5. Homemade Greek salads with a bit of a twist. I use a mixture of fresh romain and boston lettuce and add a few black olives, feta cheese crumbles, sliced cucumber, dried cranberries, roasted cashews, and grilled chicken for protein. All dressed up in this balsamic vinaigrette. I had forgotten how much I love Greek salads. I started making them to have for lunch now and then. Dee-lish.

6. This bowl of hot oats for breakfast. Stove top cooked oats topped with chia seeds, almond butter, fresh figs, and homemade granola.

7. Hello camera upgrade! After much research and consideration I finally made a decision and am now working with the Canon 60D.

My fabulous Panasonic Lumix point-n-shoot served me very well. The lens on this camera is fantastic and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to buy a handy lightweight point-n-shoot.

Check out the side by side comparison.

Today's Eat's & A Gift From Larabar

I thought I'd try something a little different today by posting my clean eats for the day, but don't worry I'll have another recipe for you next week. I have quite the mix of delicious meals to share with you too. I might even make a thing of this and continue to give you a weekly peek at my eats for an entire day. Sort of like a food diary. Of course I'm a eat-whole-foods nutrition nut, so you can expect nothing but the best. Maybe I'll even inspire someone to start doing the same.

Looking back at a full day of meals can benefit your healthy eating goals so much. I know I love getting meal inspiration from many of the what-I-ate blogs out there (many of which are Registered Dieticians or one's in the making).

Now let's get to it shall we?

Breakfast: 7:30am

If you're an edible sound bites reader, you already know that oatmeal is my first breakfast love. It's stick to your ribs good! Todays bowl was the usual with cinnamon, chia seeds, banana, and almond butter. Plus a cup of David's Tea delicious organic Some Velvet Morning green tea. I forgot to take a picture but it looked exactly like this only with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Snack: 10:30am

A little bit of low-sodium water packed canned tuna and chopped cucumbers to tide me over until lunch. Not overly appetizing but definitely the perfect combination of protein and water based carbohydrates to keep the metabolism burning.

Lunch: 1:30pm

Most day's I aim for a salad - the best way to get green's and veggies in! Bright leafy greens are just so cleansing for your body. In the mix was romain and red leaf lettuce, sliced cucumbers, 1 chopped medjool date, baked chicken (recipe coming soon!), and a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar for dressing.

Afternoon Snack: 4:30pm

Today was a gym day. A weight lifting gym day that is, which meant that I had a new routine with repetitions of 5x10 + heavy weights. I needed some serious energy so I had a Peanut Butter Cookie Larabar to fuel me.

Dinner: 7:30pm

Dinner was an incredible piece of bbq'd rainbow trout, steamed veggies and roasted sweet+russet potatoes. And that was all she wrote.

Speaking of Larabars, this arrived on my doorstep the other day.

After posting my cashew cookie dough bars, a recipe for homemade larabars, I was sent a gift from the wonderful people at Larabar:

• 9 different flavours (some of which you can't buy in Canada...I'm looking at you Ginger Snap & Carrot Cake!)


• A cute Larabar bag that they came in.


• And a pretty apron from anna's apron's etsy shop. I love the pattern and colours.

I've been a fan ever since I first spotted them a few years ago. What I love about them so much is their minimal, healthy ingredient lists. No preservatives. Only fruits and nuts with the occasional added spice. The Peanut Butter Cookie one is made up of 3 ingredients; peanuts, dates, and sea salt. That's it! Simplicity doesn't get much better than this.

That's it for me today. I hope everyone has a great weekend!