Love Thy Freckles

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Fall is here! I love the changing of the leaves and smell of cinnamon in the air. Warm, comforting foods are all I want. Last night, I had a strong craving for McDonald's apple pie. They are so so good, but so so bad. I found an easy recipe and had most of the ingredients. Success! My apple pie craving was satisfied. I will most definitely be making this again.

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Recipe cred Familyfeedbag.com

Ingredients:

1 apple cored and chopped (skin on)
1 cup water
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions:

Bring water to a boil, then add all the ingredients. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into a bowl, sprinkle brown sugar or your choice of sweetner. Pour a little bit of milk. Enjoy!

Lemon Water Benefits

I've been reading a lot about food and health lately. The foods we eat directly affect our health. Most foods we eat are acidic and an acidic environment is where viruses and illnesses thrive. Ideally, we want our bodies to be in an alkaline state.  Healthy foods don't cure illnesses. They simply nourish our bodies and strengthen our immune system to do what it does best: attack the bad stuff.

Believe it or not, lemons help keep our bodies alkaline. Counterintuitive, right? Lemons themselves are acidic, but once ingested, they become alkaline. The easiest way for me to get in my daily dose of lemons: LEMON WATER!

We're supposed to drink 6-8 glasses of water, so why not hit two birds with one stone. Hydrate and get our bodies alkaline! They say room temperature water is the best and cold water isn't good for you, but in my opinion, too many rules deter people from living a healthy lifestyle. Do what works for you!

There are so many other benefits: improved digestion, good for the skin, boosts immune system...CHEERS!

Fitness Motivation

This is what I tell myself on the days I need a little push. Legs sore and feel like jello from this morning's workout. Tired, but I feel great. Happy Friday!

30 Day Plank Challenge

This 30 Day Plank Challenge was a no-brainer for me to try. I won't lie though. It gets tough once you get to 2 minutes and up to 4 minutes. I had to take micro breaks and went straight back into plank position. I'm going to try this again soon...hopefully with less/no breaks!

Audrey Hepburn on Happiness

Audrey Hepburn...the epitome of timeless elegance. Oh, Audrey, how I love thee and this quote!

Stir-fried Dried Anchovies (Myul Chi Bokkeum)

I love myul chi bokkeum. I can eat it by itself or with a bowl of rice, seaweed paper and kimchi. Easy meal, done. In fact, I had it today for breakfast instead of my usual cottage cheese with flaxseed oil sprinkled with granola, which I've been eating every morning for the past month.

I've tried several different recipes from family members and from recipes I've found online. Truthfully, they all taste good and it's pretty versatile. If I'm in the mood for more of a sweet taste, I'll add in more sugar or honey. If I want something more salty, I'll add in some soy sauce. Generally speaking, I do prefer simple ingredients and I definitely try to cook in a way so food isn't salty.

The basis of this recipe is from Maangchi. I added the almonds and walnuts to give it extra nutritional value and bulk it up.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup small dried anchovies
• half a handful almonds and and half a handful of walnuts roughly chopped
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon of water
• 1/4 teaspoon of Stevia or 1 Tablespoon of sugar or 1 Tablespoon of honey
• olive oil

Instructions:

Mix garlic, water, sugar in a bowl
Set aside.

In a heated pan on medium high heat, fry the anchovies for 1-2 minutes.

Push anchovies to the side of the pan and throw in the chopped almonds and walnuts. Toast for 1-2 minutes. Be sure to keep the anchovies side of the pan off the heat.

Drizzle olive oil into the pan. I do 2 swirls around the pan. Stir for 1 minute more.

Add the sauce previously mixed in a bowl.

Mix everything in the pan and turn off the heat immediately. Remove the anchovies from the pan immediately and serve!


Julia's Notes: I think anchovies are salty enough as is, so I prefer not to use soy sauce. You can add in chili peppers for a kick, sesame seeds and sesame oil. You can also add in 1 Tablespoon of hot pepper paste for a spicier version. They all taste great to me!