January Foodie Pen Pals Reveal Day

I've been a bad blogger...  I haven't been posting as much as I would like.  I'm afraid my internship is getting the best of me.  I've started my food service rotation and it has kept me pretty busy.  I am really enjoying my placement.  They've implemented new menus for both the patients and the cafeteria, and because of this, my fellow intern and I have plenty of projects and studies for the 7 weeks we are there.

....But it's that time of the month!  Foodie Pen Pals!!  This month I received a goodie box from Kellie from Life As A Redhead.  And when I say goodie box, I mean goodie box!  She sent me some wonderful items.  Here is a list of the items she sent me:

• PB 2: This is a jar of powdered peanut butter.  I was very intrigued.  Never have I seen powdered peanut butter.  Tried it.... tastes like peanut butter!!  I cannot wait to use it in some recipes.  I don't have want make the usual PB&J.  I'm thinking cookies, smoothies, oatmeal, pancakes.  The possibilities are endless!
• Near East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous: Couscous is one of my favorite go-to staples I keep in my pantry at all times.  I usually buy a bulk container and season it myself (way cheaper), so this was a treat for me!
• Ancient Harvest Inca Red Quinoa: I do enjoy making quinoa, but I don't usually keep it in my cabinet.  (Bad RD to be!).  It is a great substitute for bulgar, which is not a fave grain of mine, and I like to use it when I make tabbouleh in the summer.  It is packed full of nutrients and has all of the essential proteins! 
• SunRype Fruit Strips: I must confess.  When I think fruit strips, I think of those sugary roll-up "fruit" treats.  And I do still buy them periodically.  And I may or may not consume them within one two three days of purchasing them.  Tried these.  LOVE THEM! Sadly, I have yet to find them in stores around where I live, but the search is on!!
• Homemade granola: And without tree nuts!  I have such a hard time finding granola and granola bars that don't have tree nuts in them.  And I haven't taken the time to make my own granola.  Kellie was so considerate of my allergy to make some and send it, with the recipe, too! (THANK YOU, KELLIE!!)
• Spice mixture with dehydrated orange, fennel, and fleur de sel.  Good on seafood, poultry, and veggies.  Or so it says on the label.  I had some tilapia the other night for dinner and completely forgot I had a new spice to try out

What is Food Pen Pals you ask?

• On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
• You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
• The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
• You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
• Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 
• Foodie Penplas is open to US, Canadian & European residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. Same with Europeans. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

If you’re from the US or Canada and are in participating for November, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.

You must submit your information by February 4th as pairings will be emailed on February 5th!

*If you're from Europe, please CLICK HERE to signup.

Elf for Health: Week 5 Overview

Round 2 of Elf for Health was so fun!  I love connecting with other elves on Twitter, the Facebook group, and Instagram.  Seeing what everyone is posting with their challenges is motivating to be better and healthier for myself.  It is wonderful! Thank you Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean and Elle @ Nutrition Ella for creating this wonderful program!!

My elf for this round is absolutely wonderful!  Esther @ Pink and Purple Lemonade has been tweeting and posting about her challenges.  She has been so motivating and inspiring that it makes me want to do better with my own challenges.  I have been slacking on posting my challenges daily because I have been enjoying the holidays with my family.  Here are the challenges for this week:

• Monday: Call friends just to chat
• Tuesday: Go for a walk with a family member
• Wednesday: Find 3 things you love about yourself
• Thursday: Make a list of 20 things you're thankful for
• Friday: Make a healthy microwave mug cake
• Weekend: Take some time for yourself

Monday was extremely hectic with Christmas Eve festivities that I didn't get a chance to call anyone (but I did text people wishing them a Merry Christmas!!).  I enjoyed spending time and celebrating Christmas with my extended family.  We played bingo for gag gifts (a new tradition started by my Nana) and I won twice!

Charlie the doxie pup

On Tuesday, myself, mom, sister, and Charlie the doxie pup went on a walk in our neighborhood.  It was a beautiful day!  Even though we had spent all morning opening gifts and talking, the walk allowed us to calm down from all of the excitement and talk. 

Wednesday's Challenge: Find 3 things you love about yourself

• My eyes - I love the hazel blue color and the long lashes (thank you Mom!!)
• My long legs - even though I am only 5'4" tall, my legs make me feel taller than I actually am.  They also come in handy when I get the chance to exercise
• My hair - even though it doesn't hold ANY curl like I wish it would, it is soft, full and healthy

Thursday's Challenge: 20 things I am thankful for

1. Family
2. Friends
3. Roof over my head
4. Food in my refrigerator
5. Health - especially during my internship because if I get sick, I'll have to make up those hours.  Hard to do with a hectic schedule
6. Education - Marshall University Dietetic Internship and Master's program, graduating in July!
7. Reliable car that allows me to get to my dietetic rotations
8. Ability to cook
9. My comfortable bed
10. My professors - they are so supportive of myself and fellow students.  They are what make the dietetic program great!
11. Wine (especially red wine)
12. Dark chocolate
13. Soy milk - because I'm lactose intolerant
14. Access to healthy food - this includes our new local co-op market The Wild Ramp!
15. Travel experiences - allows me to see and experience more than what is in Huntington, WV (smallish community with little diversity)
16. My dog Charlie - even though I have only had him since Thanksgiving, he brings me joy and motivates me to go on walks
17. Audio books - with lots driving I get tired to just listening to music.
18. Kitchenaid Stand Mixer (LOVE IT!!)
19. Peanut Butter & Co's Chocolate Peanut Butter - tree nut allergy doesn't let me have chocolate hazelnut spread.  Found a delicious alternative!
20. My cookbook collection, that is still growing!!

I will probably do today's challenge of making a healthy microwave mug cake this weekend as a treat to myself. I've spent this week at my parents and am going back home this evening.  This weekend I am going to be cleaning and reorganizing the apartment, which I do consider "me time."  I have Christmas gifts to find homes for, including a new food processor/blender (YAY!).

Can't wait to start on week 6's challenges on Monday!

Dietetic Internship Community Rotations: 17 Weeks

This week I will be wrapping up my final week of my 17 week community rotations.  I have been rotating through weight management, bariatric surgery, WIC, long-term care, nutrition education, diabetes, and  research.  These past weeks have been a blur of information.  I have learned so much information during each rotation that by the end of the day I felt like my head was about to explode.  The exhaustion at the end of the day is worth it because I know that I am going into a field that I love.

So far, the rotations I enjoyed the most were weight management and bariatric surgery.  Everyone has a different story on how they got to where they are and why they want to lose their excess weight.   Because of their uniqueness, their weight loss journey is more individualized.  Each conversation with patients will have the same basic structure, but they will still be different because each person has different struggles and strengths.  Additionally, because this population tend to want to change, they are more apt to come to their appointments.

I have discovered several aspects I do not enjoy about outpatient care.  I don't like experiencing not knowing if a patient is going to show up for an appointment.  This happened a lot during my diabetes rotation.  Patients had to make an appointment to see a registered dietitian to learn how to manage their diabetes, but during the two weeks I was there, only 40% of the scheduled patients showed up for their appointments. 

Starting in the new year, I will be starting 7 weeks of foodservice rotations.  I'm not sure what to expect, but it is rumored that there will be days I to report by 5AM.  Those will be not fun mornings!

But it's all worth it... right?

Elf For Health - Round 2

After two weeks of debating, I have signed up for Elf for Health. I don't know what took me so long to decide, but all the Instagram posts The Lean Green Bean, The Lemon Bowl, and Nutrition Ella have been posting the past two weeks definitely encouraged me to take the plunge. Their pictures made me want to be an elf for someone by supporting them through their goals and challenges, and have my own elf for the same support. I'm pretty excited to take part in the daily challenges, which include supporting a local charity, cleaning out your fridge and pantry, and working out. 

So, what exactly is Elf for Health? Every two weeks, you are assigned a buddy, who is also your elf. You support your buddy through their health challenges and daily goals. You are required to email your buddy twice a week–Monday and another day in the week. You emails can be anything supportive! Tips and tricks, encouraging messages, funny cartoons to lift their spirits. ANYTHING! Every two weeks you sign up for a new buddy to support and a new round begins. Wanna participate? Head over to The Lean Green Bean's or Nutrition Ella's sites for more information about participating and to sign up!

Needless to say, I am quite excited to receive my buddy and participate in Round 2. Additionally, I have found I love virtually meeting new people and expanding my blogger network (which is currently quite small).

November Foodie Pen Pals Reveal Day

This month I participated for the first time in a program all foodies should take part in: Foodie Pen Pals.  When I first heard about the program several weeks ago, I was intrigued.  I love talking food with people who share the same interest.  So what is it do you ask?  Foodie Pen Pals was started in 2011 by Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean.  It is where you send your assigned pen pal a goodie box of food products that is worth $15 along with something handwritten (maybe a recipe or an explanation of the things you sent).  These foods can be any thing of your choice, depending on your pen pal's dietary needs of course.  At the beginning of every month, you get paired up with your pen pal.  It is your responsibility to email them to find out what their dietary needs are, likes, dislikes, and so on.  You mail out your goodie box by the 15th of the month, and if you are a blogger, you write about the box you received at the end of the month.  Blog readers, you can take part too!  Fun right??  How do you get involved?  Click the link below.  But for the month of December, FPP is taking a hiatus to raise money to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.  Click HERE for more information and to get involved.

I had such a blast in my first month of participating.  This month I received a goodie box from Margaret from Raleigh, NC.  She emailed me the day we received our matching (which I loved!) and felt she was very thorough in her questions on what to choose for me.  Once November 15th came, I anxiously awaited for my goodie box.  When it came, I could not wait to open it. 

She sent me sweet potato crackers (delicious!), homemade roasted peanut butter with honey and salt (yum!), pomegranate molasses, Escazu chocolate, and a very sweet card explaining her goodies.  She said the pomegranate molasses is commonly used in Middle Eastern dishes.  I cannot wait to try this out!  I will admit that I took a finger swipe of it and the taste is indescribable!  I will be sad the day it runs out, but there are many recipes that explain how to make it.  Looks to be pretty easy.  Honestly, if Michelle didn't send me some I probably wouldn't have thought it would be worth the trouble making some! THANK YOU, MARGARET!!

I haven't tasted the Escazu chocolate yet.  Saving it for a weekend at home, on the couch, catching up on my TV shows.  Dietetic internship keeps me pretty busy and can't stay awake past 9:30pm to watch anything.  So far, what I love about this chocolate is that they include a batch number on each bar and that they are a local producer that cares about their product.  I'll be sad the day I finish this chocolate.  Can't wait for the next FPP starting in January; meanwhile, participate in Foodie Pen Pals for Hurricane Sandy