I'm obsessed with grapefruit (again).

Once again, I find myself totally obsessed with grapefruit. Ruby Red for the win, always. They're tangy but oddly sweet with tons of juice that quenches my thirst. I'm drooling, seriously just drooling at the very thought of it. I bought a huge bag at the grocery store last week and since I'm in the only one in the house that eats grapefruit, well...the bag is still going strong. Common occurrence at lunch:

Here's the thing, though. I'm not very adventurous with my grapefruit. I really, truly like it plain. No sugar, no honey. Just plain. Although I have had it broiled with brown sugar and it's quite fantastic.

FYI: Looks can be deceiving.

But, well...broiling grapefruit takes time.

I've pinned a number of potentially delicious grapefruit recipes:

1) Shrimp Salad with Grapefruit and Avocado
2) Grapefruit Poppyseed Cake
3) Pink Grapefruit Breakfast Smoothie
4) Champagne Grapefruit Pineapple Mojito
5) Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Seriously, I could get lost in all the grapefruit options on Pinterest. Do you follow me on Pinterest? You should, mostly so I can follow you back and pin all the awesomeness that you pin, too.

Here's to hoping I can turn some of the above into Pinterest Success Stories...

But first, I must remind you that grapefruit juices can interact negatively with medication. I looked up the science and my head started to spin. Long story short, grapefruit juice can delay the effects of your meds. Longer story short: If you're taking medicine and find yourself in dire need of grapefruit, check in with your physician first to see if there's anything you need to worry about. Best to be safe, right?

Question: What is your fruit of choice right now?

Make yogurt at home! (It's so easy.)

I've been reveling in the glory of a Pinterest success story for a few months now, and it's about time I share the pin with you. Here's the thing: I've been making my own yogurt. It's so easy, and saves me so much money—because seriously, we eat yogurt all the time. Like, ALL THE TIME. And yogurt (the good stuff) isn't cheap.

So here's how it all started:

A few months ago, one of my friends from the gym brought be that little jar of homemade yogurt. She has a yogurt maker, and we somehow got to talking about yogurt one day, which then led to her bringing some in for me—and I'm so glad she did because, literally, she changed my life. My yogurt experiences have never been the same.

Of course, I immediately got online to find the yogurt machine she told me about. Essentially, it heats up little jars of milk, which got me thinking about my crockpot. Because obviously I can heat milk in my crockpot, right? So I did what any curious person does these days.

I got on Pinterest.

And that's where I found Michelle's recipe for crockpot yogurt.

It's essentially the most amazing thing I've ever pinned.

Now, instead of spending a fortune on yogurt from week to week, I buy a half gallon of whole milk and a single container of plain Greek yogurt. And then I multiply it.

Seriously, that's all you need to make your own yogurt. No sugar, no anything. Just milk and a single thing of yogurt (for the bacteria cultures). With a little patience, it turns into a shoebox-size Glad container full of yogurt.

I mean, you don't make the container (obviously).

You make the yogurt, which you then top with your favorites.

Take a look at Michelle's recipe for all the directions. It does take some planning because there are a few steps involved, but the steps are not complicated and take maybe two seconds of your time. I have it down to a science. My yogurt day looks something like this:

2:30PM Put milk in crockpot.
5:00PM Turn off crockpot.
8:00PM Add yogurt.

And then the following morning, I have fresh yogurt, which I usually put into the container and then into the fridge to chill (and then I eat it at lunch).

It's so good.
So much better than the store stuff.

It's not at all sour like Greek yogurt, which actually doesn't bother me.

But you could eat this plain without a problem. Even my daughter does, although we usually add a touch of honey and some cinnamon before adding fruit or whatever.

Literally, it costs me like $4.00 to make enough yogurt for almost two weeks, depending.

One thing I haven't tried: Using the yogurt I make to make the next batch of yogurt. So far, I've always just purchased that single carton of plain yogurt. Confession: Mostly because I don't have the discipline to leave a cup of yogurt aside to make the next batch.

When I want yogurt, I want yogurt. Know what I'm sayin'?

Question: Do you make anything at home so that you don't have to spend money (or as much money) on it at the store? I need more make-at-home ideas!

Pinterest Success Story: Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce

I love picking apples. There's something about being in an orchard that feels so healthy and so far removed from the crazier aspects of life. Plus, I'm of the opinion that the apples taste way better. We went this weekend. I mean, the weather was absolutely perfect.

There were a wide variety of apples to pick, but we stuck to Gala and Golden Delicious apples. Both of which are tasty and entirely perfect for applesauce.

In addition to big and juicy apples, we hunted down some that were smaller that would fit in Hannah's little hands.

Girl eats applesauce like it's her job, and is just now figuring out that actual apples are just as good. 

Evan even got in on the picking action.

Well, sort of. He pretty much slept through the entire experience. That carrier puts him right to sleep. Nod to being in the womb, perhaps?

We ended up picking enough for at least two batches of applesauce and plenty of apple snackage. My little helper jumped right in when I asked her to assist with making the first batch of sauce.

Now, this was going to be my first time cooking applesauce in my crockpot, so I turned to Pinterest for some recipe ideas. The one I pinned seemed simple enough. And it literally took me five minutes to prep.

I ended up making two modifications to the original recipe: I left out the sugar and used two cinnamon sticks instead of powdered cinnamon.

As you can imagine, the house smelled uh-mayzing while it cooked. And after about three hours, the apples were soft enough to purée in my stand mixer. I didn't peel the apples before cooking them, which created a chunkier applesauce.

Not a bad thing, but I think next time I will just take the skins off (so that Hannah doesn't have to pick them out, silly girl).

So, six medium apples makes a giant jar of fresh, free-of-gunk applesauce. I mean, so awesome. And so delicious. (Ours is nearly gone, time to make that second batch.)

Question: What is your favorite Fall activity or treat?

Intention versus habit. (#pinspirationthursday)

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, intention is "a determination to act in a certain way" while habit is "a usual way of behaving." The two words are very obviously different, made especially evident when it comes to health and fitness. We all have goals, right? We all have reasons for exercising. But it's so easy to get caught up in the "because I have to" mentality, which eliminates the part where you choose to accept your need for physical fitness. Otherwise known as the part where you choose to admit why you have to exercise.

And also, the part where you choose to actually engage in your exercise of choice.

Pin / Source

This engagement, that's where intention comes into play. Because if you aren't exercising with intent, then you're most likely going through the motions and not really, truly marching yourself toward your goals.

Next time you go to the gym, don't just turn on the treadmill and clock miles. Or bust out a few biceps curls. Really, truly lock into what your body is doing and why. Because going through the motions, the actual habit of working out, while it's good that you've developed this repeat pattern of physical activity—it's really only part of your health and fitness journey.

I'll say it again: Engage in your exercise of choice. Truly respond to it. Exercise from a place of intention, not from habit. Get in there and earn that burn.

And when you're done, apply that same feeling to the rest of your life.

Pinterest Success Story: Baked Apple Cinnamon Donuts

So this happened today:

We went from a yard full of Fall leaves to a foot of snow in one single night. No easy transition to the white stuff, just a dumping of it off Lake Michigan. Man, I hate where I live sometimes. Except, that's not really true. I don't think I could live somewhere that lacked a this season. I love snow when it's pretty, full...and clean. I love waking up to a Winter wonderland, even if it prevents me from getting to work and consequently teaching my classes—thus was the case today.

I just couldn't get through. Too thick, no plows. Cars everywhere. So we stayed in, and what's a girl and her mini-me to do when they're snowed in? Bake, of course.

We made baked apple cinnamon donuts (and then had breakfast for lunch). Someone is obsessed with apples, so we found a recipe on Pinterest that used applesauce

There's not a stitch I'd change about the original recipe, except I'd highlight the part where it says to spray the donut pan with non-stick oil. I skipped that part because my pans are naturally non-stick, and I thought that would be enough. Well, the donuts stuck a little bit, but a butter knife and some patience salvaged the batch. They're only slightly less pretty than they would have been had I used the spray.

But, you know, it's all about the flavor.

Never judge a baked good by it's looks.
If it tastes good, it's a total winner.

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest. And don't miss my other Pinterest Success Stories.

Question: How do you feel about snow? What do you do when you're snowed in?

Pinterest Success Story: Hard Boiled Eggs in the Oven

When I was a kid, I used to hate taking egg salad sandwiches to school for lunch. They smelled, right? When you opened that Ziplock bag, they sent a putrid fume of egg nasty flying around your lunch table. And when you're a kid, the last thing you want to do is be the cause of any foul scent. But, man...such a good sandwich. Just not one I ate often. And then I grew up. I started working out and paying more attention to my protein intake. Which made me appreciate the egg even more. 

Read any magazine about health and fitness and they'll talk about how easy it is to make hard boiled eggs. You can make a bunch on Sunday, keep them in a bowl in your 'fridge, and have healthy snacks, sandwiches and more throughout the week. Protein deliciousness, right? Right, except I hate making hard boiled eggs.

Maybe it's because I can't shake the smell of that Ziplock bag in my lunchbox. But most likely it's because I can't make a hard boiled egg to save my life. I know, I know—it's so easy. Feel free to laugh at me. I laugh at me. But I seriously can never remember how long to boil them, whether they go in before the water starts to boil, and for how long they need to sit in cold water post-boil. Do they even need to sit in cold water post boil?

Seriously, I don't know. Which is why this pin made me so happy:

The link in the pin leads you to nothing, but everything you need to know about making hard boiled eggs in the oven is in the corresponding description. 

I've seen so many pins and have read so many blogs about this technique, but you know how it goes...half the stuff you read and/or pin, you leave in The Land of Never-Do-It. Right?

Well, I did it. And it works.

30 minutes in a 325F oven grants you perfectly hard boiled eggs—without having to boil them. And they did seem pretty easy to peel. 

Now, if you're an egg snob (and I use that term affectionately), you might want to be aware of the possibility of that green layer between the yolk and the white part. I read on Cooking Light's website that this can be eliminated when you run the eggs under cold water when they're done. I tested that theory with a second batch and still got the green layer, but the eggs tasted the same and, you know, smelled the same, too.

I haven't had an egg salad sandwich in years, but I love putting hard boiled eggs on my salad:

Yum.

In case you missed my other success stories:

1) Chewy Strawberry Banana Granola Bars

2) Grow Green Onions

3) Baked Maple Cinnamon Donuts

Question: Have any Pinterest success stories lately?

Pinterest Success Story: Chewy Strawberry Banana Granola Bars

Go ahead, admit that you pin recipes that aren't healthy. I won't judge—I do it, too. Espresso chocolate-chip ice cream? Oh, hell yes. Buffalo chicken dip baked in a pastry ring? Please and thank you.

Confession: I haven't tackled the ice cream or the dip yet. In fact, I very rarely make anything that I pin. For me, Pinterest is mostly a time-kill. And that's exactly what I need it to be. But I do find things that amount to something, like all the quotes I use for Pinspiration Thursday. Or the workouts that I sometimes incorporate into classes or client sessions. And yes, occasionally I make a recipe. Which brings me to today's Pinterest success story.

No, sorry. It's not either of the aforementioned dips.
It's actually something Chobani Champions pinned.

Top-left in the photo above. (Go ahead, look. I'll wait...)

Chewy strawberry banana granola bars.

I know, right? Sounds healthy, and it is, but tastes like a million pounds of deliciousness. Obviously I added blueberries to mine. Recipes that easily adapt? Winners in my cookbook.

I mean...hello, berries:

Even Hannah loves them. If your kid eats eggs, these are very easy to chop up into bite-size pieces for little toddler hands to enjoy. "Coookieeeee," she says to me as I put them on her plate.

Little does she know that A) They aren't cookies, and B) I'm stealing bits of her snack for the top of my lemon Chobani yogurt:

Yogurt croutons! So, yeah...check out this pin if you haven't already. And follow me on Pinterest!

TWO THINGS BEFORE I GO:

1) If you'd like to get in touch with me, please use my new email address in the "Talk to Me!" section of the sidebar.

2) If you need an at-home, no-equipment workout, check out New Leaf Wellness. Yours truly is on tap with a "Total Body(Weight) Workout" that you can do anywhere.

Question: Got any Pinterest success stories to share?

Pinterest Success Story: Grow Green Onions

I really shouldn't be devoting an entire post to this particular Pinterest success story. I mean, the donuts were complicated, sure. But this...this is one of those things that will totally make you ask: "Why didn't I think of that?!" See pin, can you find it?

There it is, folks. Stuck right in the middle. How to grow your own green onions. (Now you see it, right? Among some other delicious pins on my"On food and drink." board....) Do I even need to explain this pin? Didn't think so. I'll just prove to you that it really works.

Photographic Evidence, Part 1:

This was taken a day after I cut them. You can see where I cut them, and that they grew overnight.

Photographic Evidence, Part 2:

Photographic Evidence, Part 3:

I took this picture today. I swear on my running shoes that it's the same bunch. I mean, these bad boys cost nothing at the store. But in my house, I'm the only one that eats them on any all things Mexican and/or salad. So I often throw away unused onions. Which means I'm spending money on something I'm not, in fact, using. But now I don't have to worry about that.

I'm growing green onions. If I don't use them in time, it will hurt me that I've let good food go bad, but I can feel a little better about it by snipping off what's bad so that I can wait patiently for more to grow. Or, look at it this way, if you eat green onions a lot, you can have your own little green onion patch on your kitchen sink! See how many times you can grow onions before you have to buy another bunch!

Honestly, though. I wonder how long I can keep these guys growin'.

(Hey, follow me on Pinterest.)

Question: What's the last thing you discovered that made you wonder "Why didn't I think of that?!"

Pinterest Success Story: Baked Maple Cinnamon Donuts

I pin recipes like a machine: 

But I almost never, rarely do I ever go back to my pinned recipes and actually make them. I just don't. But I got two donut pans for Christmas, so I pinned a few donut recipes—and I actually tested one of them out today, the results of which were quite fantastic. 

Baked maple cinnamon donuts, compliments of Chobani. 

I know, right. Leave it to my favorite yogurt company to come up with my new favorite donut recipe. Seriously, I'm not sure it can be beat.

I've wanted a donut pan for a really long time because I love donuts, but I'm not a huge fan of the calorie count that comes with them. So baking my own at home seemed like an obvious, awesome solution to the nutritional problem. And it is, especially when Chobani is involved. Don't forget that you can sub out higher calorie ingredients for Greek yogurt and get the same, if not better, results.

And speaking of "the same, if not better" results—if you don't have a donut pan, do not worry. You can make donut muffins. Because let's be honest, it's really about the flavor (who cares what they look like). Proof:

So anyway, this is a Pinterest success story. Made furthermore successful by the fact that Chobani's recipe is highly adaptable. For example, you could switch out the maple syrup for honey and add blueberries.

I know, right?

Needless to say, I'll be experimenting. And if you do the same, my only piece of advice to you: Half the amount of cinnamon and sugar you make. I have so much left over, which is fine as I like to sprinkle a little bit of it on toast. (Bad, but good.)

Is it tomorrow morning yet? I want breakfast.

Question: What is your latest Pinterest success story?