Oats in a Jar - 2nd time

Hello all! I hope you're all staying warm during this crazy winter! I wanted to share my second OIAJ experience since the first one didn't go so well. I will say that this time it was better - mainly because of the jar's structure. The base of my Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter jar was much smoother, with fewer crevices for oats and PB to get stuck as I cleaned out the very bottom (this was the main problem last time). Otherwise, I had the same ingredients: .5c oats, 1 banana, 2 tbsp. flax seed, and of course PB! The only thing I still need is a longer spoon, then this will work even better! So, there will be more OIAJ in my future - but only if I deem the container conducive to scooping PB & oats out of it :-). Here's the pic:



And here are some more winter pics taken this past week at Iowa State!

And now back to my homework! This is by far my busiest semester (which I suppose makes sense since it's my last semester of undergrad). Ah well, I'm learning lots of useful stuff so I'll just keep trucking along :-). And I'll keep doing mini yoga sessions to help keep me sane!

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I think I'll start posting questions occassionally after my blog posts too, so here goes: What are your reactions to Jillian Michaels being sued over the weight loss supplement pills she promotes? Here's one article I found on it: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2010/02/11/2010-02-11_biggest_loser_trainer_jillian_michaels_sued_over_weight_loss_supplement_pills.html

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My answer is that while I don't know much about the legality of it all or whether there are really grounds upon which to sue, I do believe that a legitimate complaint has been made. I don't think Jillian should have been advertising pills as they are a quick fix at best. Permanent weight loss should be achieved with healthy food choices and exercise if at all possible since that is most likely to lead to a healthy lifestyle change that can be maintained.

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AND check out a cool fitness giveaway hosted by April: http://foodsofapril.com/?p=4887

Krema and Crazy Richard's CRUNCHY Peanut Butter Review

You knew it was coming ;-). I broke open my crunchy Krema PB (courtesy of Nanette at thesisterssweetshoppe.com where they sell Krema and Crazy Richard's PB in addition to many other goodies!). This was actually kind of new to me since I haven't had crunchy PB for about 2yrs. or so. I haven't been that impressed with it in the past, but I have a different outlook now :-). Here's my review of Krema Crunchy Peanut Butter:

I give it a 9 out of 10 too, equal to the creamy version. I was super impressed by the amount of peanut pieces there were, which did make it a bit difficult to stir in the oil. It was worth it for that satisfying crunch though! And maybe it's the fact that I'm influenced by the advertisement that they use "top quality peanuts," but I'm truly convinced that they taste better than other peanuts I've had :-). Now, I'll still stick with creamy PB for some purposes like on bananas, but I really enjoyed this crunchy PB on bread. It made my PB sandwich more substantial and "meaty" - I believe I've been missing out these past couple of years! This PB was still smooth, though less so than the creamy version. It was sticky too, but I've discovered a way to help with that since it's a new and somewhat akward experience for me still. So, here's what I do: I take a lick of PB and THEN follow it with a bite of banana. The banana's moist texture captures the PB in my mouth and it goes down nice and easy. How's that for a pleasant image :-). Anyway, that's my "stickiness solution." I've found it works better than eating the bite of banana first or eating both simultaneously.

Also, just to back up my claim that their peanuts taste so darn good, here's some information you can see on their website at http://www.kremaproducts.com/faq.asp :

"As the oldest peanut butter company in the country, we understand the art of making peanut butter. We use only the finest #1 Runner-split peanuts from Georgia. Because we do not mask the flavor of the peanuts with any salt or sugar we must have the best tasting peanuts available. Our roasting process brings out the flavor without burning the peanuts. We then use a special unique grind that gives our peanut butter its creamy, smooth texture. We do this so that the peanut butter can be stored in the refrigerator without becoming too hard to spread."

And here are some great pics:

I'm hoping to post another review this weekend too! I wish I wasn't so busy with my classes and could post more often. I'll definitely do more this summer!

P.S. There's a sweet running skirt giveaway here: http://enduranceisntonlyphysical.blogspot.com/2010/02/running-skirt-saturday-giveaway-2.html

And another cool giveaway to give you a taste of Northern Michigan here: http://savoringsarah.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/my-favorite-things/

And a random giveaway by CandidRD, including fun peanut butter flavors, a pilates DVD, and coconut milk here: http://candidrd.blogspot.com/2010/02/totally-random-giveaway.html

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Krema and Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter Review

First off, I'm fairly limited in my peanut butter experiences. As a kid I'd have regular Jif, Skippy, store brands, you name it. For the past year or so, I've been a big fan of Skippy Natural. But now I am proud to say I've actually tried REAL peanut butter with ONLY peanuts thanks to the Krema Peanut Butter Company that sent me their creamy and crunchy varieties. So far I've tried the creamy ones, and here's my review:

I give a 9 out of 10 to Krema Smooth and Creamy peanut butter (which is actually exactly the same peanut butter as Crazy Richard's). It is super peanuty! This isn't too surprising since that's the only ingredient :-). I was a bit hesitant to try a peanut butter with oil separation, but it was very easy to stir in the oil that had settled on top. I've been keeping the jar in my refrigerator and have not had any oil settle to the top after stirring it (vigorously!) just that once. This peanut butter is super creamy, just like it says on the jar :-). My only complaint is that it is a bit too sticky for my liking. The taste is wonderful, but the texture is just a bit too much for me. I'm guessing I could get used to it though and even come to prefer it to the Skippy Natural. So far I've tried it on pita bread (see below) as well as on apples and bananas. I'm looking forward to trying it with oatmeal soon too (I think it will work well because it's so creamy!). Anyway, I would recommed trying it or at least another all natural peanut butter if you haven't since it is definitely a different experience than something such as Skippy Natural for instance. And here's a link to the Krema Peanut Butter Company website: http://www.kremaproducts.com/ They have lots of great products with something for everyone. And here are my pics:

And on another note, ever since the beginning of this year, I've been trying to practice yoga at least a few times a week. My favorite time of day to do it is right before bed since I sometimes have trouble getting to sleep, and flow yoga calms and relaxes me. I also love the fact that I have access to lots of free yoga videos online, such as on youtube! It's so easy - I have few excuses not to take the time for some yoga. It's also hard to get bored with so many different routines to try! -

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Do any of you practice yoga? If so, what time of day do you prefer? Do you workout at home or at a gym/studio?

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Oats in a Jar

Hello! I have finally tried Oats in a Jar... and the verdict is.... good. Sorry, not great, not stupendous, just good. Let me explain. I used about 1/2c. oats, 1 banana, 1 tbsp. ground flax, and the remains of a Skippy Natural PB jar. Really, not too different than oats in a bowl. The thing is, it was a lot more messy than I thought it would be. Instead of having to simply scrape PB out of a jar as I normally would, I had to scrape PB AND sticky oats out of a jar - it was quite the task! I think it'd be easier to scrape the PB out and then add it to my bowl of oats :-). I guess this is just one of those crazes I'm not that into, but hey, I'm definitely not bashing those of you who love this concoction! It's just not for me. Anyway, here are the pics:

And, just for kicks, here's a clipping from my university's student-run newspaper. Three Thursdays in a row! Let's just say I'd much rather have three Fridays or Saturdays in a row ;-).