Welcome the Week (March 18, 2013)

Here's the 30 Happiest Facts of all time. I'm a particular fan of 1, 11, 14, 15, and 27. And all the rest of them too. What makes you happy?

Spring Into Action

Trying to get more healthy? I did it by signing up for a half marathon (couldn't run a single mile at that point, proud to say I did do it), cooking for myself, learning more about good nutrition, and joining a triathlon team. The neat part was, I did it all because of my friends. Super A and one of the girls down the hall got me to sign up for the half marathon, and they helped me figure out how to train myself for it. Super A and I also cooked basically every single one of our own meals last summer while interning, so I had to learn about nutrition to make sure I was eating right. For the triathlon team, several of my friends were on it and had been bugging me for months to join - and I'm glad I did. It keeps me going to the gym multiple times a week even though the half is long over. It's something I do with my friends, which makes it more fun. I've also learned a lot by cooking for myself, and I'm excited to do it again this summer.

If you're just deciding that you want to be healthier, or you already are and want to track it better, or hey, maybe you're reading this cus you're bored, check out this list of the top 50 healthy startups. They're apps, websites, and programs that can help you track workouts and meals, make healthier meals, and even figure out what's best to get at the supermarket.

(Also, I apologize for the overly corny title. Sorry. :p )

Low Calorie Chocolate Muffins

Oh yummy! Muffins are a weakness of mine, and chocolate muffins even more so. I stumbled across this recipe yesterday, and although I don't have a muffin pan and haven't adapted it for a college dorm cook, they look fantastic! They look pretty healthy (for muffins) since they have oats, applesauce, and Greek yogurt, but there is probably an alternative to all the sugar/sugar substitute farther down the list. Also, I have no idea why cream of tartar/vinegar is on the ingredients list. If anyone figures it out, let me know?

Triple Chunk Chocolate Muffins Recipe:

(Makes 24 muffins, 58 calories per muffin)

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cup old fashioned oats 
3 egg whites
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain low fat yogurt)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (or 1-1/2 tablespoons vinegar)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water
1 cup sugar substitute (like Splenda granular) OR 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Stevia
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a blender (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.
Place mixture in a bowl and gently stir in 1/4 cup of chocolate chips (set the rest aside). Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans.
Place muffins tins in the oven for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, remove muffins from the oven (but don’t shut oven off), and distribute the other half (1/4 cup) of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin.*
Place the muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. *Note, you could skip this step by putting all of the chips in the batter, and baking the muffins for 12-15 min straight, but this method gives the muffins the traditional ‘VitaTop Muffin’ look with the chocolate chips on top!
Cool muffins before removing from pan.

***I take no credit for this recipe, I don't own it, I just found it and wanted to share.

Why You Should Nap

Sleepy? Me too. Unfortunately the classes, homework, and clubs that make up the life of a college student don't usually allow for a full 8 hours a night. You should still try your best - you'll function better the next day,  getting enough sleep will keep you from eating to stay awake, etc - but here's the deal about why napping can be good for you:

25 Napping Facts Every College Student Should Know

Just don't do it in class if you can help it!

Welcome the Week: Sweet and Serious

This lovely gem about two friends greeted me this morning, and I thought I'd help you welcome the new week by sharing it:

ICU Friendship

Personally, I think it's really sweet. I hope that if something like this ever happened to me, one of my friends would do something similar. It would probably help save a lot of time.

Busy-Time Self-Cooking Food

If you're like me, growing out of the dining hall and wanting to spend more time in the kitchen but too busy to actually do it, you're probably searching the Internet and bookstores for quick and easy recipes and cookbooks to accommodate your tastebuds as well as your schedule. Unfortunately most dorms limit your access to cooking media (except microwaves) in your room and the common kitchen is probably too small, in use, or is covered in spaghetti sauce and needs to be cleaned. There's actually quite a few things you can make in your microwave, if you're creative enough - one of my roommates has a "microwave pasta cooker" that basically amounts to a large microwave safe bowl with a lid. You put in the pasta, add water, and pop the whole thing into the microwave for around 15 minutes (enough time for a little homework or a shower). It turns out pretty well!

Another alternative for the busy and not as kitchen-restrained is a slow cooker. I managed to score one when my family cleaned out our home kitchen during winter break and hadn't used it yet because I didn't have any recipes. Well, lovely Super A found this list of solidly good healthy slow cooker recipes. I'm a particular fan of breakfast food, as he well knows, and I can't wait to try the Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal. I'm also looking forward to the Pulled Pork and Squash Lasagna, and maybe trying to replicate my mom's Cranberry Sauce recipe!

There are plenty of dining hall alternatives if you're ready to move on. Just make sure you check and see what the rules of the dorm are, if you're still living in campus housing, and learn how to use your kitchen stuff!

Keep Calm Printable

First things first: above all else, keep calm. College can be very stressful, but that doesn't mean you need to stress out. A friend of mine once told me, "Don't  be stressed. It slows down your reaction time, speeds up your heartrate, and increases your blood pressure. Besides, you don't need to be stressed, you can handle it." He was right, I could. But sometimes we all need that little reminder. In honor of not being stressed, here's a link to some nice printable "Keep Calm" posters. (I'm partial to the cupcake one!)

Keep Calm Printable