Father's Day: Izzy's Ice Cream Cafe - Pt 3

In case you missed them:
Father's Day: Como Zoo - Pt 1
Father's Day: Picnic - Pt 2

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To finish off our most perfect Father's Day celebration, we headed over to Izzy's Ice Cream Cafe, which was featured on the show Throwdown with Bobby Flay on the Food Network.

When we arrived, there was some sort of event going on. So we moseyed on over to find out what.

Every year, the ice cream cafe hosts The People's Flavor Awards. Regular people, like you and like me, submit their flavor ideas. The cafe picks the top 4 in each of the categories (Mix-Ins, Fruit, Chocolate, So Local, Kids & Specialties) and hosts a taste-testing event where you get to try them all and vote on your favorites.

I was in! Until...

I saw the price of tickets... $14 per adult and $7 per kid. Whoa!

We decided to pass on the event & instead went inside to order 3 servings for under the price of 1 adult ticket!

Inside, it's a bit cramped. It's hard to look at all the flavors and get through to the end of the line, especially when you're 9 months pregnant!

They have a wide array of products for sale in their coolers, too. From these Izzy Pop's (shown above) to ice cream cupcakes & cakes, ice cream sandwiches, etc.

They have such a wide array of flavors, that they have to rotate them every day. So you never know what they'll be serving that day, unless you use their online Flavor Up tool - it lets you pick your favorites & it alerts you when they've added that flavor to their menu that day.

We decided to stick with our favorites...

DD calls this "my ice cream shop" because her name is Izzy. :) She asks quite frequently if we can go there, because they carry her favorite ice cream flavor: Bubble Gum. It's bubble gum ice cream with bubble gum pieces in it. She's still learning how to not swallow the gum pieces!

DH had the same as me (see below) but for his "Izzy" scoop he ordered Salted Caramel. It's caramel ice cream with sea salt. Yum!

What's an "Izzy" scoop? It's a tiny little scoop of ice cream that goes on top of your ordered ice cream!

I was soooo excited to see my favorite on their menu, because it's not always available! I ordered Chubby Bunny... cinnamon & nutmeg ice cream with cream cheese frosting swirls & walnut carrot cake pieces! O.M.G.!!!!!!!!!

I didn't order an "Izzy" scoop, so what you see on my ice cream is a malted milk ball. I gave mine to my DH.

I'd like to take just a minute and talk about how I was able to enjoy ice cream being gestational diabetic and usually avoiding all forms of sugar.

I had previously decided that I was going to have this ice cream the night before when we were looking at the flavors and I saw that they had Chubby Bunny. Chubby Bunny is my absolute favorite ice cream flavor at Izzy's Ice Cream Cafe. I haven't had it since last summer. In fact, I haven't had any ice cream in...gosh, I can't even remember. So, I decided I was going to go for it!

Here are the tips that I used, so I could enjoy my ice cream guilt-free!

• Only eat sugar when you really want something. (i.e. Chubby Bunny!)
• Don't eat it very often. (i.e. Can't remember last time)
• Eat a reasonable portion (i.e. I ordered a kiddie-size and x'd the cone & "Izzy" scoop)
• Count it towards your carbs (i.e. I had very little carbs at lunch)
• Enjoy.Every.Last.Bite. YUM!

Father's Day: Picnic - Pt 2

Here's, part 1 of our day, in case you missed it.

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Como Zoo has a beautiful park area surrounding it, which is the perfect setting for a picnic. Originally, we were hoping for more time, so we could have our picnic and play yard games, but we were running out of time. So, we settled for the picnic.

My husband is so amazing, that he made my lunch on his own Father's Day! And it was delicious!

Ben's Makeshift Salad

handful fresh romaine, chopped

handful fresh spinach

1/4 c cucumber, chopped
1/4 c carrots, chopped

2 T pecans

1 T sunflower seeds

2 T cashews

mild cheddar cheese, shredded

2 T bleu cheese dressing (my fav is Lighthouse)

DH was eating leftovers: cooked sweet potatoes with butter & pumpkin pie spice, raw julienne-cut carrots, watermelon and Anne's Sweet Potato Lentil Chili (we added the optional kale & 1 lb of hormone-free, grass-fed ground beef to the recipe).

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Before we move onto Part 3 of our day (the local famous ice cream shop), I asked my DH to gather up his favorite recipes from my blog. So, here they are! Enjoy and I hope the "Father's" in your life enjoy them, too!

Lunches/Dinners

Angela's HM Chunky Tomato Sauce over Salt-kissed & Buttery Brown Rice

Anne's Goat Cheese & Beet Salad

Averie's Sweet & Sour Veggie Stir Fry
Red Pepper, Bean & Cheese Burrito

Appetizers/Sides/Snacks
Angela's Easy & Delicious Bruchetta
H&H's Moroccan Carrot Salad
Oven Fries

Breakfasts/Desserts

Angela's Chocolate Coconut Maple dipped Strawberries

Angela's Savory Pumpkin Scones in a Pumpkin Spiced Glaze

Macaroon Brownies

Father's Day: Como Zoo - Pt 1

My husband requested one thing that we do on Father's Day... go to the zoo & have a picnic in the park afterwards.

So, he picked the free zoo in MN: Como Zoo.

We couldn't have asked for better weather! It was mostly cloudy and in the 70's, which was fine with me, since I'm sporting a 9-month preggo belly now!

Off we went!

First stop was the new edible garden exhibit!

DD got to take part in some cool things, too!

Touching the herbs & then smelling her fingers. :)

Touching the soil to check for dampness.

I fell in love with some gardening items for sale!
(But sadly, didn't get to purchase them).

 

Onto the animals!

 

 

Last week, my sister was at the zoo and just happened to be walking by when the bison was giving birth to this little cutie!

 

We determined the penguins must've had a falling out. None of them were facing each other! haha

Last of the animals was my personal favorite... the giant tortoise!

 

Next, we moved onto the conservatory part of the zoo. First stop was the new bonsai tree exhibit. These are amazing! Makes me want to start my own bonsai trees in my house! Who wants to teach me how to grow them?

 

 


Lastly, we headed outside to the Japanese gardens. Can someone please build this in my backyard? :)

Stay tuned for Parts 2 & 3 of our day... the picnic & a local famous ice cream shop!

Weekly Wrap-Up

I hope you all had an awesome Father's Day! We sure did. I have some great posts coming up to recap what we did, so stay tuned...

But for now...

I'd like to start doing a weekly wrap-up post once a week to do just that, wrap up the week. Here's the first installment. Enjoy!

Popular Posts
My top 5 most popular posts from this week. Check them out, if you missed them!

1. Healthy Fast Food... in a Glass!
2. The McDonald's Experiment/Freedom From Food Addiction
3. Bare Naked
4. Diabetics Eat Burritos, too
5. My Miracle

Blogger Love - Referrals
A big THANK YOU and shout out to the following bloggers, who were the top referring sites this week! Check out their blogs, if you haven't yet!

1. The Fowble Five
2. Choosing Raw
3. Chocolate-Covered Katie
4. Oh She Glows

Blogger Love - My Favorite Posts
These are posts written by fellow bloggers. These are my favorites from this week!

1. Green Recovery: Wendy Puts An End to Compulsive Eating Thru a Plant-Strong Diet @ Choosing Raw
2. I'm Not Wearing Makeup @ Chocolate Covered Katie
3. Learning to Love My Post-Partum Body @ The Wannabe Athlete
4. Speedy Running Strategies & Summer Running Goals @ Oh She Glows
5. Coconut Oil Almond Butter Cookies @ Daily Garnish
6. Week 22: My Pregnancy Journey @ Daily Garnish
7. Lower Body Beach Blast @ Faith, Fitness, Fun
8. Crazy Mother Nature @ Oh She Glows

Just For Fun - Popular Search Words
These are the top keywords that people have used this week to find my blog.

1. Garlic In Your Pores
2. Healing Dish
3. Trader Joe's Diabetic Friendly Bread
4. What Is the Most Diabetic-Friendly Bread

Just For Fun - Countries Visited
People from all over the world find my blog! Here are the countries that visited this week (besides the USA).

1. Canada
2. Germany
3. United Kingdom
4. India
5. Peru
6. Sweden
7. Spain
8. New Zealand
9. Pakistan

A special THANK YOU to all my readers! YOU are the reason I write this blog. YOU make all the effort worth it! I am grateful for each and every one of you. 

xoxo,

Amykinz, Foodie4Healing

Diabetics Eat Burritos, too

Normally, I love thunderstorms.

But last night's storm was ridiculous.

The thunder was so loud that it woke up my entire household numerous times.

In addition, my DD woke up several times due to bad dreams and seeing "something flying" in her bedroom. I don't even want to begin to think about what she thinks she saw.

Needless to say, I slept some of the night in my DD's single bed and no one got much sleep.

I was soooo bummed. I had plans to meet an old college friend bright and early for the St. Paul's Farmer's Market, which I had never been to before. But, I was just so exhausted from yesterday's Labor & Delivery Scare and then no sleep, that I had to reschedule. :(

I stayed in bed all morning, sleeping off and on.

My DH brought me my Breakfast Protein Shake in bed. :) And then made me this awesome burrito for lunch! Yes, diabetics can eat burritos, too.

Red Pepper, Bean & Cheese Burrito

1/2 c black beans, canned

1 Ezekiel sprouted whole-grain burrito-size wrap

1 c carrots, chopped & fresh organic spinach

1 T red pepper hummus (our favorite is Holy Land)

chipotle seasoning, to taste

Throw it all in the wrap. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until the wrap is slightly warm and cheese is melted. Enjoy!

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Between yesterday and today, we had 4 things on our to do list:

• Pack our hospital bags Done!
• Plan meals for the rest of the month Done!
• Go grocery shopping/To St. Paul Farmer's Market
• Gather items & label for this week's garage sale

I'm a little scared to go grocery shopping. 

We recently did this...

Yup! We like to swim upstream. :) We cut up all of our credit cards.

Living off a zero-balance budget is freeing! And also stressful at times, like the last week or two of the month when you need to go grocery shopping and money is starting to running out!

So, what to do, what to do?

Go grocery shopping (on our limited budget)? Start gathering items for the sale? Or go back to bed?

I think bed on a rainy Saturday sounds nice! :)

Labor & Delivery Scare

Yesterday was a crap shoot.

My hubby gets Fridays off in the summer, which is really nice, usually.

We decided to start moving our chiropractic appointments to Fridays, because it's only a mile from our house. Plus, it's on the same street as the Farmer's Market. So, we figured we could walk to our appointments, hit the Farmer's Market and head home, all on foot.

It's a great plan! Except I'm 9 months pregnant...

I made it through the 2 mile walk great! It was a challenge, even at a pace of 20 minutes/mile and thank the Lord above for nearby stores with public bathrooms (I stopped 2 times)!

But when we got home something happened that changed the course of how our Friday was going to go...

I went to the bathroom for the 3rd time and noticed this time that I had leaked fluid. (Sorry, I tend to be the queen of TMI, but this tidbit is important.) I didn't think much of it since I wasn't having contractions, but after talking with a few friends, they convinced me to call the midwife.

The midwife was concerned and said, "It's hard to tell over the phone, but it sounds like your water broke and like the baby possibly pooped. You need to come in right away." Did I mention that I still have 4 weeks to go till my due date? How about that we didn't have our bags packed for the hospital yet? Oy! So, an hour later, we were off to the hospital (which is a 1/2 hr drive).

I was admitted, got to put on the full sexy nasty hospital gown, got hooked up to the monitor and be uncomfortably poked and prodded. All while trying to get a hold of my mother who was supposed to be picking up our DD from the sitter (she never did answer her phone). Then, we waited. They were testing the fluid to see if it was amniotic or not...

Turns out it was not.

So, we picked up DD and headed home. What a waste of a Friday. Definitely not how my DH anticipated his day off!

In the end, it motivated us to get our bags packed, at least! :) And baby is doing well and still needs to cook a bit longer, which is okay with me. 

The question now is... should we continue with our weekly Friday plans of walking 2 miles? The midwife discharged me from the hospital with "regular activity as comfortable" papers. What do you think?

Healthy Fast Food... in a Glass!

I didn't know what to call this post... Meals on the Go, Meals in a Glass, Complete Meals in a Glass, etc. Really, it's all of these things.

This pregnancy I haven't had much of an appetite, so drinking my meals was a better option. Or it seems that we are constantly on the go & as we've learned from The McDonald's Experiment, I can't eat fast food. So, what's a girl to do?

Make a complete meal... quick & easy... to go!

Introducing...

Healthy Fast-Food...in a Glass!
Yields: 1 whole meal!
1 serving whole-grain carb (buckwheat, oats, etc)
1 c dairy/non-dairy liquid (kefir, organic whole milk, non-dairy milk, organic yogurt, etc)
1 serving fruit (any kind)
1-2 handfuls organic greens (spinach, kale, etc)
2-3 oz protein source (protein powder of choice, nut butters of choice, nuts, etc)
1 serving healthy fat (coconut oil, coconut butter, etc) optional

Put it all in a blender (lighter density ingredients first, to heavier density ingredients on top. For example, protein powder should go in first, a banana should go in last). Enjoy in a glass with a straw!

Tips:

• Sometimes these can get a little thick, so I add water to get the desired consistency that I'm looking for. 
• You can also use frozen fruit, to make it more smoothie-like, but if you don't have frozen fruit, don't fret! Just add a couple ice cubes and blend away.
• If you're on the go, throw it in a shaker jar or to-go cup!

Note: This is the very basic version. You can also mix things up a bit, like omit the whole-grain carb and do 2 fruits. Or if your protein powder has a serving of carbs in it, omit the fruit or whole-grain carb. There are so many variations on this! I never get sick of them! And because they are a full meal in a glass, they are super filling and keep your hunger at bay!

Here are some that I've tried out lately (sorry, I don't have pictures of them all):

Almond PB MIAG (meal in a glass)

1 c mixed fruit, frozen

1/2 c almond milk

1 c water

2 handfuls of organic fresh spinach

1 scoop Vega Original Whole Food Health Optimizer (aka protein powder)

1 T PB

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Sweet Potato Pie MIAG

1/2 c sweet potatoes, cooked

2 T dates

1-1.5 c almond milk

1 handful of organic fresh spinach

1 T vanilla rice protein powder

1 T sunflower seed butter

couple dashes pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

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Mandarin Sunflower Seed MIAG

1/2 c rolled oats

2 T Premier Research Labs Lean Body Whey Protein Blend

1/4 c mandarin oranges

1 c milk

1 T Premier Research Labs Greens Mix

4 T sunflower seed butter

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Pumpkin Pie MIAG

1 c pumpkin

1/2 c mixed berries

1 c almond milk

1/2 c water

1 handful organic fresh spinach

2 T Premier Research Labs Lean Body Whey Protein Blend

2 T almond butter

couple dashes pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

couple dashes cinnamon (to taste)

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Orange Cinnamon Pecan MIAG

1/2 c rolled oats

1/2 c fresh-squeezed orange juice

1 c organic whole milk

1 T Premier Research Labs Greens Mix

1-2 T sunflower seed butter

1/4 c pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

couple dashes of cinnamon (to taste)

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PB Banana Coconut MIAG

1/2 c rolled oats

1/2 banana

1 c organic whole milk

3/4 c kale

3/4 c organic fresh spinach

1 T almond butter

2 T peanut butter

1 tsp organic extra-virgin coconut oil

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Tangy Strawberry MIAG

6 oz Chobani strawberry greek yogurt

1 c almond milk

1 handful of kale

1 T coconut butter

*I served a slice of whole-grain bread on the side, to get in the extra carb. You could also probably add another protein source to this.

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Blueberry Coconut Buckwheat MIAG

1/4 c buckwheat groats, raw

6 oz Chobani blueberry greek yogurt

1 handful kale

2 T almond butter

1 tsp organic extra-virgin coconut oil

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Chocolate Covered Strawberry MIAG

1/4 c buckwheat groats, raw

1 c organic whole milk

1 T homemade strawberry jam

1 handful kale

1 T coconut butter

1 T cocoa powder

*I served this with cheesy scrambled eggs to get in some protein.

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Grape Vanilla MIAG

1/4 c buckwheat groats, raw

1/2 c grapes

1 c organic whole milk

1 handful kale

2 T peanut butter

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

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Sunflower Watermelon MIAG

1/2 c rolled oats

1/2 c watermelon

1 c organic whole milk

1 handful organic fresh spinach

1 T sunflower seed butter

2 T vanilla rice protein powder

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Nutty MIAG

1/2 c rolled oats

1 c organic whole milk

1 c strawberries

1 T sunflower seed butter

1 T peanut butter

1 T almond butter

1 T coconut oil

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Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate MIAG

1/2 frozen banana

1 c organic whole milk
1 handful fresh spinach

1 T peanut butter
2 T Premier Research Labs Lean Body Whey Protein Blend
2 tsp flaxseeds, ground
1 T chia seeds
2 T cocoa powder, unsweetened

6-8 drops Chocolate Raspberry Stevia

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Super Thick Chocolate Berries MIAG
Adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers' Smoothie
1.5 tsp Guar Gum
1 c frozen mixed Berries
1 c unsweetened, original, Almond Milk
1 T Premier Research Labs Greens Mix
1/2 T chia seeds
1.5 T chocolate rice protein powder

1.5 T unsweetened cocoa powder
6-8 drops Chocolate Raspberry Stevia

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Carob Fudge Blueberry MIAG

1 c non-dairy milk
1/4 c blueberries
1 T raw honey
1/4 c brown rice flour
1 T toasted carob powder
1/2 scoop Amazing Grass Wheatgrass
1 tsp Premier Research Lab Greens Mix
1 serving chocolate or neutral-flavored protein powder
1/2 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
1/2 tsp stevia powder
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp sea salt

Blend all in a blender & enjoy with a straw! Yum!

And here's a picture of my DD enjoying a Snack In A Glass... 

 

Katie's Carrot Cake Milkshake! Here are my modifications to Katie's original recipe - I used:

• 1/2 a large banana, not frozen
• 1 c organic whole milk
• omitted the xantham/guar gum
• added the optional coconut oil
• added 1 T vanilla rice protein powder
• added a few ice cubes before blending

A friend of mine also said she made this by adding pumpkin to it!

Bare Naked

Recently, Chocolate Covered Katie challenged us to post pictures of ourselves with no makeup on. I like swimming upstream, so I decided to take her challenge. Here's a recent photo of me Bare.Naked. Won't you join the challenge? Enjoy!

DD & Me at the Festival of Nations sporting our Bindi's

P.S. The picture of me on the main page of my blog is also me wearing no makeup!