Brrrrrr it was cold getting out of my bed this morning. I debated skipping the gym this morning because I did not like the idea of putting on all kinds of outerwear to drive in the dark to do some dumb machine. But I made a PROS and CONS list in my head and the pros vastly outweighed the cons so I went. That trick always works.
I had a hard time breaking a sweat today though 🙁 30 minutes of ET (on my usual settings – my HR would just not climb!), 10 minutes of stat biking and 10 minutes of Stairmaster. I ended with the stairs and finally got my HR above 150. I’m wondering if all of my running has made me more fit and that’s why I’m having trouble getting a good workout on the machines lately?
And then I saw a dead roach in the main gym hallway!!!! They just FLOCK to me!
I was more than ready for breakfast today and dove right into my favorite combo. Would you believe I ate that whole jumbo size can of pumpkin in less than a week!?
I could not, however, decide which photos I liked the best!!!
HOT or COLD!?
I’m leaning towards cold…
Today’s mix:
- 1/3 cup oats
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup milk
- Half banana
- Half tbsp chia seeds
- Pinch salt
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
- 1/3 cup cottage cheese, stirred in at end
- 1/4 cup pumpkin, stirred in at end (I prefer more but that’s all that was left!)
Toppings:
- Cacao Bliss, microwave melted in the jar and spooned on as frosting
- A tsp of TJ’s PB
- Slivered almonds
I couldn’t decide on the shape today either. Here’s the progression over 30 seconds – what do you think!?
Love me some Windows Live Writer that makes all this formatting SO EASY! (And love my fast wide-screen computer too 🙂 )
***
OPEN SKY NEWS!!
We finagled a way to get the price of Naturally Nutty Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower Butter down with the company! $14 –> $7 for TWO 15 oz jars!
It involves TWENTY (that’s 20) of you 🙂 If 20 of you buy it, the price gets cut in HALF. Also, free shipping! If MORE THAN 20 of you buy it, you all win the discount!!
Check the site for specs on the jars. Promo begins at 9:00 EST
If less than 20 of you purchase, I believe the transactions are cancelled, so you have nothing to lose. (I have a feeling 20 will go for it though 🙂 I would if I didn’t have a jar in my cabinet right now!)
***
Off to work!
I’ll bite (or buy, I suppose)!
This sounds like a good deal to me. I’ve been reading your blog for a while now but I don’t comment much. Just wanted to tell you how awesome and inspiring you are!
Hey Kath! I saw this article by Johnny Bowden (author of the cookbook I believe you just bought) about agave nectar. He thinks it’s not all it’s cracked up to be – just glorified HCFS, basically. I was just curious about your take on it:
http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/02/15/debunking-the-agave-myth/
Yes, that is what my lecturer, who is on the board for recommending RDA’s for vitamins told us- its actually worse than HFCS? And is now used so much in foods ;( Apparently it causes formation of Advanced-Glycation End products, which can damage your blood vessels etc (increasing risk atherosclerotic plaque formation), and because it doesn’t enter the respiratory cycle within cells like glucose does, it is linked to central obesity?! Scary if true!
Thanks, Laura. Good thing I’m usually too cheap to buy it! 🙂
Matt Allen sent that to me the other day 🙂
I have never been one to preach agave, although I’ll say I didn’t realize how high it was in fructose. I do not promote ANY sweetener, really. I use agave, honey, maple syrup and sometimes sugar but only in a tsp at a time portions, which won’t really do much harm.
I am voting for Cold as well!
I love seeing all of your photos, especially with the different white balance settings. I have had a dslr for a couple of months and am still scared to mess with the settings. I really want to get into a class or something. My photos turn out pretty well but I know I could take them so much farther!
I went to go buy the nut butter and it says “sorry, this offer has ended on February 19th at 3pm eastern time” and won’t let me buy it. Since it’s only the 18th I’m a little confused?
Haha, such indecisions! I was leaning towards warm on the photos 🙂
I want some of that nut butter!
I’d say that’s definitely a map of Africa in your coffee. It even has Madagascar on it!
Also, I just want to say that love your blog and you’ve been a big inspiration for me during my weight loss!
I vote for warm!
This post made me smile. I just can’t deal with that much decision-making in the morning, so I do all sorts of preparation in advance so I won’t be caught hmm-ing and haw-ing when I should be eating and getting dressed. These days I think almost all my breakfasts are chosen and prepped the night before–oats are always pre-soaked and ready to roll in the morning!
Hi-
I have been reading for a month or so now and love your ideas!! I have made several recipes and all are awesome!!
Thank you for taking the time to do this-you brighten my day here in northern Canada:)
I like the warm!!! Geezums, you take a lot of pictures!!! Guess that’s how you always get the right one 🙂
I like the HOT ones, but either way they look delicious 😉
Ordered the peanut butter. Need 9 more to order so we can get the discount! Thanks Kath, your awesome!
It’s funny…I’ve had the same type of trouble of machines at the gym lately. No matter what I do…it’s not nearly as intense of a workout as say my kickboxing or spinning is.
I imagine your cardiovascular endurance has greatly increased with running- especially b/c you are pushing your speed! Maybe it’s time to spice things up a bit at the gym and do something crazy! 😉
It looks like underwear and a sock in the first two cups! Then…UFO? And I kind of prefer the cold. You know. Cold, icy oatmeal…
I vote HOT…and looks like Africa to me 🙂
i like the cold photos!
I see a baby ghost in your coffee (first pic) but maybe that’s because you can make any blob look like a ghost 😉
I think you definitely are strong and have increased endurance from running, but I can attest that some mornings (especially cold ones) I just cannot get my HR up either, no matter what I do. I think it’s my body’s way of dictating what type of exercise I should do for the day.
I like the “cold” pictures too!
Thank you for the great deal on the Naturally Nutty! I just bought mine. I so appreciate the chance to buy these items at reduced price, as I love a good deal, and I’m excited to try a new product!!!
Thank you!
I love these deals you make with OpenSky! Such an amazing program, and so much fun!
You may need to take a rest day…not being able to get your heart rate up can be a sign of overtraining. You may just need to give your ticker and body a rest for a day!
Courtney
adventures in tri-ing
Looks like great minds think alike… definitely say Africa in the last shot. Complete with Madagascar off the coast. Maybe the other ones can be bits of Pangea as the continents formed 😛
Hawaii maybe or another warm island; however, I might be imagining that since I want it to warm up here in DC!!!
Love the HOT photos! Both look great, though.
I couldn’t sleep last night so I was up really late and took an extra two hours this morning, now I’m contemplating skipping the gym as well . . . buuuuuuuut I won’t either, I know it will make me feel good.
I am stumped as to what shape is in your coffee. Hmpfh. Thanks for the great Open Sky deal!
Oooh, gotsta get me some of that nut butter. Yum! Thanks for working out that great deal.
Wow you take a ton of photos! How long does it take you to take all your photos, input them to your comp and then upload them all? Impressive!
I don’t normally take that many photos, but thanks to my super fast new computer, I can upload and sort in a matter of minutes.
Thanks, Kath! What an awesome deal. I just bought mine. 🙂
Nut butter frosting!!
Have a great day! It’s so good to get a workout in right away!
Whit was telling me about the Windows Live Writer! Guess I should look into it 😀 Hmmm, I’d say your coffee ended up taking the shape of a heart??? And maybe you ARE more fit, so that’s why your HR wasn’t climbing. I have that problem too sometimes. Especially in the winter, I can’t seem to break a sweat without setting the machine of a really hard level.
I have been dying to give Naturally Nutty a try. Breakfast looks delicious, oatmeal always warms me right up during a cold morning.
Shots #1 and #2 made me think of a poodle about to dip his head down toward his bowl.
#3 and #4 morphed into Africa. 🙂
That has been happening to me on the elliptical as well! I try to push myself, but I can’t seem to break a sweat! Let me know if you figure out the problem… I hate un-fruitful workouts. 🙁
I can’t believe you take all those pictures!
I also think the coffee looks like a continent…
I totally see Africa and Madagascar too.
I actually like the photos on the left more… the warmer tones make me feel like the bowl is warm and comforting, whereas in the photos in the right it looks like there was not a lot of light and that bowl is cold! I also like the color of the peanut butter more in the left.
some others said this, but i totally thought africa and madagascar when i saw it too!
I vote warm!
Wow-you have some unfortunate encounters with cockroaches!! EWW! I live in PA but go to SC on vacation each year. The only time I ever see cockroaches are when we are at our condo down there. Must be a hot climate Southern thing! eekk!
On a side note…thanks so much for the OS offer. I love OS and love these offers..so excited to try the nut butter. This is perfect timing as well bc I just polished off my jar of peanut butter!
Oh no!! I bet the deal is already over. Bloggies are so darn quick! I’ll check anyways though.
Your photo selections look like mine….so many of the same thing, yet different in their own right.
I bet your <3 rate went up when you spotted the roach!
Kath, when you get a chance would you post the nutritional stats for the butter? great deal
Try Naturally Nutty.com. Almost all nut butters are 180-200 kcal per 2 tbsp.
OK, OK, you talked me into it… I’m a sucker for anything vanilla, so I decided to give the nut butter a try. We’ll see how it goes.
Kath,
I just recently bought two 8oz jars of the nutbutter, but it’s so delicious that I am going to take advantage of this deal (I also sent gifts to two of my friends!). But, I was wondering if you had any of the nutritional information because it isn’t printed on the jar. Thanks!
See my response to Heather above!
I would jump on that Naturally Nutty offer in a heartbeat if I didn’t already have a jar!!! That is some seriously awesome nut butter!!!! Amazing actually!
totally ordered that nut butter!! what an awesome deal, thank you so much!!!!
Ahh roaches everywhere!! It must be warming up or something…just enough for them to poke their gross heads out and say hello. Those oats look absolutely amazing. Love the little pitcher. Too cute!! All I can come up with for the coffee is that they look like islands…haha I’m so creative this morning…
I vote for warm — it makes it much more cozy for a cold morning =)
Hey kath – just wondering – whats your pre workout snack in the morning? I always have a problem with having too much or too little.
I don’t have one when I go at 5AM. It’s just so early that I’m not ravenous and a bottle of water is enough to tide my hunger an hour and a half until breakfast. If I workout with more time between waking and a workout, my fav. is either a banana or toast with PB.
I’m kind of jealous haha I always wake up starving and then eat too much! I would love to one day not wake up hungry. I’ve even tried eating a small bowl of oatmeal or yogurt right before bed, but still..morning comes and there’s hunger. Thanks for writing back 🙂
AHH! I wish you would have posted the sale oh, about a week ago! LOL! I’m apparently OBSESSED with Naturally Nutty. I currently have SEVEN jars of their nut butters on my counter. Insane I tell you! I’ll have to say though, although the Vanilla Cinnamon Sunflower Seed NB is delish, the Peptia is DIVINE!!! I would seriously check it out!!
like the first hot photo and the other 2 cold photos.
good for you for going to the gym in the dark and cold!
Awesome deal! It gave me an some chocolate cherry butter too! 🙂 Been reading your blog for a while now, and I just love it! You’re such an inspiration to me, as I have been trying to get myserlf and the fiance to live healthier, and happier, lives. Thanks for being so awesome and giving me something to look forward to reading! 🙂
Thanks!
i’m a fan of the warm photos…but i always tend to lean towards the warmer colors anyway 🙂 i’m glad you showed us the whole sequence, that was fun!
I am SO excited about my Nut Butters!
I need to get some sort of blogging program. WordPress has been killing me lately. And I would definitely go with the cold photos if I were you, the hot ones don’t look very true to color. As for the shape in your coffee, who knows….
Kath,
You probably are getting fitter because of the added cardio (running). My suggestion, up the resistance or level on whatever cardio machine you are using to stay in your zone or appropriate HR. If you don’t change that, you won’t get fitter. The heart rate never lies!
Onwards and upwards!
Nic
I already use quite a hefty resistance at 14!
I like the cold one better too!
Thanks so much for mentioning Windows Live Writer because I probably never would have discovered it on my own… it has made things SO much easier!
I like ALL of the photos!
Ewww about the roach. I’ve never even seen on in person – being Canadian.
I’m sure I would freak out!
Wow! I just found a reason to move to Canada! 😉
Thank you for not taking a pictures of the roach(s). 😉
Wow, thanks Kath!! I just got in on the deal, and apparently so have 118 other people so far! I’ve never tried sunbutter before, so I’m very excited! I also have trouble getting my HR up sometimes, even on the same cardio machine settings. It’s really frustrating, but I would also like to think it is because my cardiovascular ability has increased. 😛
I feel the same way about getting my HR up, and it’s even more troublesome trying to do it without a monitor or anything technical. But it’s probably that you’ve increased your endurance, keep up the cardio!!
Oh and the hot photos bring out the brilliance in the pumpkin but I’m more of a blue person myself so I’d opt for the cold 😉
Hey Kath,
I love your blog and read it everyday! Thank you for sharing your cute pictures and meals with us. Now, I normally wouldn’t go out and buy a product like that without trying it first, but it is such a GREAT deal! And I trust your judgment : )
Have a great day!
SO psyched about the nut butter!! I had looked into purchasing it earlier this week, but couldnt justify the cost…!!! YIPPEEEEEEEE
Can’t wait to try out the sunflower seed butter! I’m allergic to nuts, so it’s hard to find good alternatives.
Hmmm… I think I like the warm pics 🙂
Oh my gosh all those pictures!! It’s like a photo shoot! haha They all look great, Kath 🙂
I hate when I just can’t get my sweat going at the gym. I’m sure it was still a great workout!
africa and madagascar! v cool. ew roaches, no! it’s ok, i’m a spider web magnet. always walk in to them..with my FACE yuck!
LOVE your bowl! And of course your running has made you fitter – I basically only do running, but if I go to the gym, I can’t get my heart rate above resting pretty much on any machine! Hence why I don’t go to the gym :p
I just bought the sunflower butter!! I just ordered the Cinnamon Vanilla almond butter and now I have the sunflower butter. My parents are going to think I’m crazy with all these nut butters, LOL! I just couldn’t pass up that deal though, amazing. You have by far the best shop on Open Sky. I love it!
at least that roach was dead! i would buy the sunflower butter…if i hadn’t just bought almond butter, cashew butter AND peanut butter last week! lol
Oh, how I wish I had an address to ship it to right now! (And would you believe I haven’t been able to find ANYTHING apart from normal peanut butter in England?! Not even an almond butter, much less a flavoured nut butter! Why didn’t I stock up before leaving the US?!)
Also, with the coffee, the first two pictures I was thinking “foam bikini” 😛
I just bought the nut butter…I’m a nut butter virgin (besides peanut butter, of course), so this will be a fun try. When I bought mine, the deal was confirmed…148 people had bought it already. Yeah! I like the warm pix.
I like the HOT pics best.
Can you up the incline or speed of your machine workouts?
I already have the resistance set to 14 so I can’t push much harder!
I like the HOT pics best. I love your deal on sunflower butter. I’m so there. My son is allergic to tree nuts so we don’t keep almond butter or that type of butter in my house. But this sounds too yummy to pass up.
Ohhh so much to comment on here. 1] I had a total of 4 roaches in our apt…never became a problem..sounds like they’re following you!! The most I ever saw were climbing out of the sewers at night [GAG] 2] I can’t decide between the “hot” or “cold” but I love seeing all the tiny photos 3] Do you ever get any “problems” from eating chia seeds everyday???? I can only eat them a few times a week…lol 4] in the last mug I see a mini Africa 5] i never would have thought you could microwave the whole jar of cacao bliss.. 6] i’m done now 😉
3) No problems with the chias!!!
i like the hot pictures 🙂
and kudos on eating that much pumpkin lol
Holy YUM, Kath!
They both looked delicious… 😉
Brazilian XOXO´s,
Gabriela
It’s Pangea! 🙂
Deciding which pics to post is the hardest part of doing an update. Well, actually, thinking of a title is the hardest part for me, followed by pic selection. lol
Jenn
haha love all the pics. i couldn’t decided what it was today either. have a good day!
LOVE windows live writer! It is awesome. Makes blogging ten bazillion times easier 🙂
I think running for sure has an effect on your inability to get your heart rate up. I had always done cardio but when I started running, my endurance went WAY up. Running works miracles.
Good for you, getting up and doing your workout! I did the same thing this morning – laid around reading a book, then finally got up and got an interval run in … I immediately felt a million times better! And now, I don’t have to worry about doing it tonight!
Personally, I’m leaning towards hot … I’m not a huge fan of the blue tinge in the cold pictures!
K
I like the ‘cold’ pictures too. I was curious if you take a lot of photos of everything, or if you’ve nailed down the technique to only taking the ones shown. Now I now. Is Windows Live Writter a free program that anyone can use???
Normally I have a technique and can nail the shots in 5-10. But today I couldn’t decide so I took a bunch more than usual.
And WLW is free – google it and download ASAP!
i like that pros/cons list thing. i usually just sit thinking about the cons. i guess that’s why it doesn’t work out for me!
Thanks for being an inspiration.
Last weekend we bought a Vita-Mix at Costco. Today I made my own nutty butter with butter toffee peanuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios and sunflower seeds. Plopped some on my oatmeal–Yum! Warm nut butter! I planned on trying my hand at making the Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower Seed butter–now I don’t have to, at least for awhile. Thanks for the special deal–and the timing is perfect!
I’d vote for HOT!
i’ve seriously been staring down sunflower butters like “ummm seriously?” but this was a great opportunity for me to try it! i just ordered and i’m so excited to try 🙂
Cold is best! Less flash the better!
just went and ordered the naturally nutty!! i was like the 230th order haha!! cant wait to try! thanks 🙂
I think that ur coffe shape is a mushroom cap. I was just htinking I needed to use the rest of my baby bellas. And I’m leaning towards cold.
also I got plain sunflower butter from my local grocery store and I though it was phenominal. I love how it’s a little less thick compared to natural peanut butter. It has a nutty sweet taste. I can’t wait to try the vanilla and cinnamon flavor!
I vote for hot! Question: you talk a lot about your workouts, which you do a lot of, but I notice it is all cardio…do you ever do any weights?
Well you don’t read very closely then! I do weights a couple times a week. Just mentioned using 17.5 lbs on Tuesday!
Hey now…I read on google reader on my Palm..the print is seriously tiny…cut me some slack!
Whoa! I cannot believe how many pics you take of a single breakfast!! Do you do that many for all your meals?!
Nope – usually 5-10.
I second you on the cold set. 🙂
Pumpkin is such an amazing nutritious ingredient to add to a fiber filled bowl of oats!
I really wish OpenSky took paypal.
I’ve got to get back into chia seeds and pumpkin in the morning. I’ve been on a home-made bread kick with an egg kick in the morning. Are you training for anything specific?
It says the Naturally Nutty is sold out. Boo 🙁 Hopefully it’ll be back in stock soon!
Wow definitely impressed with the amount of photos you take! That’s dedication!
They sold out!!!! I was so all over that too! I have wanted to try those jars of heaven for so long…I’m sad.
I love the coffee pics! I think it looks like AFRICA shortly after Pangea…the end has Africa as we know it today and a baby Madagascar!! LOL 🙂
Thanks for the deal! I’m so excited! I like the warmer pictures.
Hot, definitely. Cold is what’s know as light pollution. It talks about it in the manual and, well, every other photo book.
I can’t seem to place an order for the nut butters. Is there a secret? Thanks
sold out 🙁 boo!
The first cup of coffee picture looks like an upside down New Zealand! How very international of you
Thanks! Found it!!! =)
I’ve been reading your blog for about a month now and have used a BUNCH of your recipes and LOVE them. I’ve been waititng to get some of the Naturally Nutty products a little cheaper, but unfortunately when I went to go purchase it just now, it said it was SOLD OUT!!! 200 units already sold! You go girl! Too bad for me though…. 🙁
Sorry you missed it!
I think the cool color pic makes the food look much less appetizing. The warm color photo is more appealing but the intensity is too high. I think the answer is warm colors, less saturation.
When I went to hotel and restaurant management school, color was actually brought up in regards to servingware. Warm colors are appealing to the appetite.
i like the hot pics!! very warm and yummy looking 🙂
You seriously have the best sense of humor with all those photographs! Keep us on our toes. 🙂
You obviously love pumpkin. It sounds so good, but my body doesn’t seem to process beta-carotene properly and it stores it as pigment in my skin in hands, face, feet, etc. So I avoid anything with BC, in cluding pumpkin. Any suggestions for an alternate substitute? Or ideas (counselling!!) on how to process the bc better?
Thanks! 🙂
Hmm. I’ve heard of that happening to babies who eat TONS of orange veggies and to adults who eat pounds and pounds of carrots but not with just a little bit of pumpkin. I’d have to do more research, but you might want to bring it up with your doctor and/or have your BC levels checked?
Thanks for your thoughts. The doctor simply told me to avoid foods with them. I used to eat a carrot a day for probably 10 years….perhaps that was too much to handle?!
Let me know if you find anything. 🙂
I’ve recently discovered your blog and I’m loving it and looking forward to trying your recipes. I noticed you like to use bananas. My husband is allergic to them. Do you have any suggestions for a substitute?
Thanks!
Welcome!!
Nothing blends like a banana….but there are lots of fruits that will be delicious! Like mango, perhaps?
hey Kath- i have a question about the cacoa bliss- I got a mini jar (sample) of it, but it’s HARD. how do you reccommend I “warm it up” per se- so I can eat it??
thanks!
Lisa
I put my whole jar in the microwave for 20 seconds. I’m not sure how good it is to get hot and cold over and over, but it’s worth it to get to the frosting. In the summertime, it’s frosting all the time.
re the coffee, it’s clearly donald duck being transformed into a person. with a small speech bubble.
lol 🙂