Life updates with a side of green smoothie bowl deliciousness

Everyone around me seems to be getting healthy - from cutting out gluten to 30 days of yoga - and it’s been quite inspiring. I moved to Pittsburgh six months ago and I still don’t have a routine, a workout class I love; I don’t even cook anymore. I drive to work, I sit at a desk, I barely walk. Gone are the days of ten million flights of stairs at the 63rd Street F stop. And what’s funny is that I expected the first year to be tough. I expected that we’d be living in our own little world with no social life, but I figured this would be the year to escape everyone and work on myself. I’d go to work, get super fit, cook all of our meals and pour myself into my blog. Guess what? I was wrong. I now know it’s going to happen in stages. I have to focus on a new job before I can move on to other areas. I can make small adjustments to my diet without feeling restricted and miserable. I can work out at home in lieu of taking the time to drive to the gym and I can focus on my blog when I have some down time. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you can probably expect ClaraMaeJames to change a bit and it’s all part of my constant journey to be honest with myself (and honest with you.)

This little epiphany (which is one of many - I have like ten a day) occurred over the last few weeks. And so I’m turning to the people around me for inspiration and like I said before, everyone is getting on their A game. Now, more than ever, I need to follow their lead. So, here I am. I’m starting to re-introduce foods I once loved, recipes I once enjoyed to prepare. First is this beautiful bowl of goodness. It’s super easy to assemble (cleaning a blender is a drag), but overall it’s worth it. I hope you enjoy. xo, Jamie

Ingredients

• 1/4 ripe avocado
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries/raspberries)
• 2 large handfuls spinach 
• 1 small handful kale, stems removed
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk 
• 2 Tbsp salted creamy almond butter
• 1 Tbsp agave

Toppings

• Mixed nuts
• Coconut flakes
• Dried blueberries

Add all smoothie ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more agave for added sweetness, more spinach for a brighter green, or coconut milk for creaminess. Divide between two serving bowls and top with nuts, coconut flakes and dried blueberries, but really anything will do!

Simple Zucchini Bread Recipe

Hi, friends! More life progress to share - we finally got the kitchen organized, we opened a Giant Eagle Advantage Card - which is serious business - and filled our refrigerator/cabinets with all the necessities to start cooking again. Unfortunately, we only had room to pack the spices from our last apartment and building our new inventory is quite expensive! So, I decided to take full advantage of our new basics and bake. 

Today, I'm featuring one of my favorite recipes and it's a favorite because 1) it tastes delicious, 2) it was passed down to me from my mother-in-law and 3) it's so easy to make. Due to an unplanned drive-by from my parents, I also had a little assistance from my mom. She suggested the addition of carrots and a touch of nutmeg, which I welcomed to make this the perfect mom mash-up recipe. Food styling was also provided by my father and I must say, he's not bad! Looks like I might have to add them to the masthead :)

Happy baking and enjoy!

P.S. I'm now on Bloglovin'! Follow me here to stay up-to-date on my posts, plus follow all of your favorite bloggers in one place!

Makes two loaves:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups grated zucchini 
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg 
• Chopped nuts (optional)

Beat eggs until foamy. Combine oil, sugar, grated zucchini and carrot. Once mixed, add all other ingredients. Pour into greased loaf pan (I also like to use parchment paper) and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Very Berry Smoothie Bowl

Happy Monday! I recently stumbled upon a blog called Breakfast Criminals and it inspired me to make this smoothie bowl. It also motivated me to care more about my health, which is a goal of mine for 2015. I signed up for yoga and so far, I'm into it. I'm also drinking water!!! - which I failed to do in 2014. And I'm trying not to stress about work. Next on my list is dancing again - something I used to love and enjoy very much. Basically, I just want to feel like I'm 21 again because 32 is next month and my body is falling apart...not cute. 

Smoothie

• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup frozen rasberries
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 avocado
• 3/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
• 3 ice cubes
• A little water

Toppings

• Goji berries
• Chia seeds
• Maple granola
• Blueberries

Combine smoothie ingredients in blender and pulse until you reach your desired consistency. Add toppings once in the bowl. 

Spinach and Cheese Strata

It's freezing and all I want to do is hide away in my apartment and eat! I have absolutely no interest in the gym when it's so f'ing cold! I made this strata over the holiday break and I'm already planning the next. The possibilities for ingredients are endless and the recipe doesn't take too much time to prep. It's perfect if you're hosting a brunch or just in the mood for something other than cereal. The hubs and I ate the entire thing in one day - oops. 

Enjoy!

• 6-7 thick slices of Challah bread
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup Vermont cheddar cheese
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese
• 1 cup spinach, finely chopped
• 5 eggs plus 1 extra yolk
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. 

Layer half of the torn bread in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the onions and green bell pepper evenly over the bread layer. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with remaining bread pieces, then layer with the spinach and remaining cheese. 

Whisk together eggs, milk and spices and pour over the entire pan using a fork to press down, making sure everything is soaked in. 

Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake covered for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until top is evenly brown.