(O)live Health

I’ve finally done it! I’ve moved to a wordpress...

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:09:38 -0400

I’ve finally done it! I’ve moved to a wordpress account. Come join me at

olivehealth.wordpress.com

You are awesome!

Prior to this weekend, I had not worked out for the past month....

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 13:44:00 -0400

Prior to this weekend, I had not worked out for the past month. As a result, I felt like garbage. I made up a ton of excuses but none of them were legit. I felt sluggish, sleepy, and my eating habits were off too. So I decided to just DO IT.

Saturday morning my husband and I went running. It was HOT. It was HARD. I almost melted. Forward to one hour later…I felt amazing! I felt so alive! That day I felt empowered, and chose to fuel my body properly.

What’s the point of this post you ask?

I just wanted to say that I know its hard. Working out/eating right go hand in hand to achieving a happy, healthy YOU.

So don’t wait a month, or even an entire summer to get moving. JUST DO IT.

Do it because you have never finished a workout wishing you had done something else. But you HAVE done something else, wishing you had worked out instead.

Monday Musings

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 23:59:00 -0400

I hope everyone’s Monday was as fabulous as mine:) This post is going to be as random as they get…but you know what? Random=cool…so keep reading.

I guess I’ll do this list style since there is no other way to bring rhyme/reason to this post.

1. I heard the “Walk to Remember” theme song blasting in the Safeway parking lot today. I glanced to see who the driver was and was surprised to see a 20-ish male in a Ford focus! ha ha! Made me laugh..and then worry some.

source

2. Instagram is awesome. I officially love it. I almost wanted to quit this tumblr thing. Why did I come back you ask? I miss writing.

3. My boss just got back from Canada and got me some Maple syrup and maple syrup green tea. YUM-O! I totally consumed some for dinner tonight.

4. Dinner tonight was supposed to be breakfast tomorrow but I couldn’t wait. I am so easily influenced so when I read about Kodiak Cake Pancake mix on Courtney’s blog I knew I had to try it. Oh-Em-G<— That is the first/last time you will see that phrase on my blog:) They are so good! Way better than the pancake recipe I posted. Sorry folks!.. I never claimed to be the best:)

source

You can buy the mix at the beloved Target.

5. I made Ree’s iced coffee again today and wondered why it took me so long to make it again! So easy and so good! Especially in this heat storm we’ve been having.

6. I’ve been wanting to make this blog thing of mine more user friendly for a while now and have no idea where to begin! Idea’s anyone?

7. I succeeded at making French macaroons!!! Most of you knew that thanks to Instagram. What you might not have known is that 2 batches turned out beautifully, while 1 produced cracked shells. I couldn’t throw such delicacies away so I threw together a white chocolate raspberry layered cake.. So good!…I’m almost glad that batch didn’t work. almost.

Thank you for reading! I know it was a wordy post;)

Hi all, It’s been a while! It’s been quite crazy...

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 16:51:00 -0400

Hi all,

It’s been a while! It’s been quite crazy here at the Ivanov household. Most of you know that my father in law recently passed away, so between the funeral and time spent with family, I haven’t had the time nor desire to post anything.

and then this corn on the cob happened…and I knew I could not NOT share it with you.

The husband & I stopped by the farmers market near our home today & picked up some fresh corn. I came home & googled ‘the best way to prepare corn’ and I can truly say that I found it..Thank you google:)

I was skeptical…boiling corn in milk?..I don’t even like plain milk, why would I like to boil my corn in it? Well, the high reviews made me cave & give this corn a try.

I’m so glad I did. YUM!

Here’s the link. It takes less than 10 minutes to get this corn out of its husk & into your mouth;) what are you waiting for?

***I didn’t add the butter to the pot nor or top of the corn. It was yummy enough without it.

Puff pastry with fresh fruit I’ve found my new favorite...

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:12:41 -0400

Puff pastry with fresh fruit

I’ve found my new favorite summer dessert!

It’s decadent, fluffy, and full of delicious berries. YUM!

I followed this recipe exactly, and loved the results.

**tip: fill the puff pastry with cream/fruit 5 minutes before consuming it;) otherwise, it will get soggy.

Most of you know how much I like oatmeal for breakfast. Well...

Wed, 23 May 2012 15:03:00 -0400

Most of you know how much I like oatmeal for breakfast. Well lately, since I’ve been having extra time in the mornings I’ve been making pancakes…not just any kind of pancakes. Oatmeal Pancakes! …I’m kind of hooked;)

My two favorite pancakes to date are:

1. Chelsey’s oatmeal pumpkin pancakes (these are so yummy, and give me a little taste of fall, in the spring. Plus they are helping me get rid of the 10 cans of pumkin I bought on sale a few months ago;))

I use chelsey’s base:

1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup oat flour (ground oats)
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla extract

and add:

1 dash of salt
2 whisked egg whites
1 T ground Flax seeds
1/2 T raw cane sugar

Basically, you can make any pancakes using this healthy base. Go crazy with the add-ins!

My second favorite pancake is blueberry. I use the base and add blueberries (duh!), lemon zest (optional), Greek yogurt+sugar streusel (leftover from blueberry muffins) to top.

***If making pumkin/ or any other kind of pancakes PLEASE use real maple syrup! The fake stuff doens’t even compare. It’s a bit pricy, but a little goes a long way.

***since I love every layer to be drenched in syrup I pour about a tea. of syrup on each pancake before stacking so that I don’t have a super soggy top pancake and dry bottom one. Plus, I don’t use as much syrup (3 teaspoons…Heck yeah!)

Question: What’s your favorite breakfast lately?

DIY Deodorant: 4 natural/easy ingredients. {Coconut oil,...

Tue, 22 May 2012 17:11:00 -0400

DIY Deodorant: 4 natural/easy ingredients. {Coconut oil, Cornstarch, Tea tree oil, Baking soda}. Aluminum free is the way to be!;))

Homemade Deodorant

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:48:00 -0400

So I’ve been loving homemade things lately…It started with this, and has led to this;)

I decided to make a ‘natural’ deodorant after getting feeling like my deodorant(s) weren’t doing their job. I sweat. A lot…and I’m proud of it…kinda;) I honestly just felt like my deordorant was blocking my body from doing its thing.

I felt like a hippie. The husband laughed…until…He ran out of HIS deodorant and reluctanly tried mine. Let’s just say that he stopped laughing;)

My dad came over a few nights after I made this and I gave him a little container to try. He was so proud;) I think I get my random nature loving side from him. He said that our family is so sposobne and that we should open a shop. He sells honey, I sell deodorant, and my grandma sells her veggies.

…don’t know about the shop idea, but I’m certain that if you give this stuff a try, you will love it!

HERE is the link to the ‘recipe’ :) I made the second one.

*only complaint so far is that the Baking Soda irritates my skin just a teansey bit right after I’ve shaved. I will try adding less next time.

Hey guys, it’s been a while since you’ve last heard...

Wed, 16 May 2012 01:33:00 -0400

Hey guys, it’s been a while since you’ve last heard from me. My last final is on Friday so I’m almost officially tasting freedom.

I know I promised you guys a kale smoothie recipe a while ago. I made it as promised, but the pictured didn’t portray how tasty the smoothie really was…so I made it again, and finally got around to taking more pictures.

So as most of you know, I recently bought a blender. I was in love until…it stopped doing its job. Why is wrong with me? or maybe it’s the blender? Either way, I need a new blender. Any suggestions?

Here is my favorite smoothie to date.

inspired by my lovely sister

“FREEDOM SMOOTHIE”

-1 cup kale (washed and cut into small pieces)

-1/2 cup cottage cheese (protein and yummy consistancy. you can’t taste it promise)

-1 tbsp ground Flax seeds

-1/2 cup pineapple

-1/2 cup frozen mango

-3/4 cup water

-5-7 ice cubes

-1/2 frozen banana

-1 tbsp shredded coconut

You really can make smoothies with any fruit, it will taste as delicious! I’ve tried using spinach and could totally taste it, so I tried kale and fell in love.

sidenotes:

**Don’t push anything into the working blender to assist the movement of the contents. It WILL fall in. The tip of my plastic straw was scarred fo’ life.

Tangent: The husband and I used to (ha! I can say that now!) carpool to school at the ghastly hour of 7 AM on T/Th, so when the blender ate the tip of my straw I spent exactly 0.5 minutes to try to find the plastic in my smoothie. (I could not NOT drink it, It was my breakfast. I never skip breakfast). I finally found it at the bottom of my cup upon consuming my smoothie. Thank goodness!

****The husband said the color of this smoothie reminds him of this nerdy looking girl in his class who brings in a giant green smoothie to class everyday. I think her and I would be friends;)

I have discovered the key to finishing that seemingly...

Wed, 16 May 2012 01:18:00 -0400

I have discovered the key to finishing that seemingly unfinishable TO DO list.

Nope!…It’s not a handy-dandy planner…or calender to help manage your time (although these are nice and oh-so-helpful).

The secret is found in the Word.

” But seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness, and these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33)

I know most of us know the verse above, but here’s another one I recently discovered and was changed by.

“Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established” Proverbs 16: 3

What do these verses mean to me?

When I seek first God’s kingdom (through reading/prayer: my personal time with Him), He directs my THOUGHTS! How great is that?!

Everyone say’s that as you get older time flies by faster and faster. I’m young, but life is just zooming on by! I’ve personally experienced that when I seek Jesus, he directs my paths. He gives my thoughts direction. My list of things to do may not be fully accomplished, but in reality it doesn’t even matter. There will always be laundry to fold. What matters at the end of the day is how you and Jesus are doing.

There will always be a million things I feel I need to do, but the Lord shows me what’s important to do NOW, and what I can save for later.

* I got the idea to call my time with Jesus “date w/Jesus” from my friend Irina on a missions trip a few years ago. She made herself a cup of coffee and grabbed her Bible while declaring she was going on a date;). Good news: this is the only date you don’t have to spend time getting ready for…Come just as you are!

Pesto Potatoes The very first time I made mashed potatoes, they...

Wed, 16 May 2012 01:02:49 -0400

Pesto Potatoes

The very first time I made mashed potatoes, they turned out soupy/gloppy and utterly disguistiing. Bless my husband for eating them and ~~not~~ saying “my mom’s potatoes look different” haha!

Let’s just say…I stayed away from the russets for as long as possible. Whenever we had company I would make different styles of potatoes such as duchess, baked fries, etc. Anything but mashed;)

Well I have finally mastered the art of mashed potatoes, but I’ve come to enjoy the texture of baked/roasted potatoes much more.

I found an awesome recipe for roasted potatoes here, but forgot all about it for the longest time. When my grandma asked if I wanted some “young” potatoes from her garden I knew just what to make! ( I was NOT just about to spend 5 whole minutes peeling mini potatoes!;)

Here’s my adaptation of Chelsey’s recipe.

Ingredients:

-potatoes

-pesto (basil)

-parmesan cheese

-salt/pepper

-fresh basil leaves (chopped)

*I’m not including portions because it’s really up to you how much of everything you want on your taters.

1. Wash and dry potatoes. Leave skins on for an incredible crunch! Just make sure to scrub the dirt away.

2. Cube potatoes in similar sized pieces to ensure even roasting time.

3. Season with s/p

3. Toss the cut potatoes with enough pesto to evenly coat all pieces.

4. Roast at 450’ for 20 minutes or until they are as crunchy as you please. Check up on them after 10/15 minutes to rotate pan.

5. Take potatoes out of the oven and let them cool slightly. Next add more fresh pesto (optional). I just love PESTO!

6. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Additional tip for pesto: I once bought a LARGE jar of pesto at Costco and could only handle so much before thinking that I would have to throw the precious stuff away. So I poured the pesto into an ice cube tray (remember those things your parents used to make ice in?…before freezers got all technological;). Once pesto is frozen transfer into freezable ziplocs. They should last a while. To reheat just zap in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Photo

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:11:02 -0400

3 Weekend Things 1. I made Ree’s iced coffee this weekend....

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:19:00 -0400

3 Weekend Things

1. I made Ree’s iced coffee this weekend. Why did I wait so long to do this?!? Ah-mazing. You guys have no idea how much better iced coffee is than brewing hot coffee and adding ice…unless of course you order iced coffee at Starbucks…then you know…but you don’t really know, untill you try this!

2. I bought a new blender! As opposed to buying an old blender lol! The English language is quite funny! Ours broke a while ago, and although I do love me some fresh fruit…there is nothing like a nice kale smoothie. (More to come soon;)

3. SO…I have a confession to make…I’m a bit of a snacker<— the previous statement is an underexaggeration. I snack ALL day long.

If you are not a snacker, I wish I had your discipline!..the information below does not pertain to you;)

Since, I know my eating habits, I try to keep them in check. Here are a few things I have found help me not go overboard;)

-I weigh my snacks into a (1) portion size small snack bag (smaller than regular ziploc), for 2 reasons.

A) No matter how hungry I am, I will eat the entire bag of Cheeze-Its just because they are there.

B) A snack is not a meal, and so it shouldn’t be as big as one.

*Buying a scale is worth the 20 bucks you dish out on it. You can weigh your own snack bags instead of buying the 100 calorie packs or whatever you buy;) Also, if you ever want to make French macaroons, a scale is helpful;)…apparently not helpful enough to give you perfect little ‘feet’…I will master you little French delights. One day.

God’s Promises It’s been a rough 2 months here at...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:52:38 -0400

God’s Promises

It’s been a rough 2 months here at the Ivanov household. Most of you know that my father in-law has stage 4 stomach cancer…and it’s looking pretty bad.

I have learned many things through this ongoing ordeal.

1. Life is but a breath. A breath that only God can give. Don’t count on tomorrow. Get your life in order today.

2. God is ALWAYS ever so faithful in keeping his promise that He will never give you more than you can handle.

I had a bit of a mini meltdown on Saturday morning. The only thing that gave me peace was getting down on my knees before my Father. The Holy Spirit kept gently reminding me that God will never give me more than I can handle. Knowing that God keeps HIS promises, I chose to believe and allow myself to be filled with strength from above.

The quote in the photo is from “The way I was made” by Chris Tomlin.

The Cake Boss box is another story: I almost made a separate post but found that I could tie it in here.

My lovely sister promised my brother Viktor a cake from Cake Boss in NJ for his birthday. If you don’t know who Cake Boss is, shame on you;) jk his T.V. show/cakes are a bit overrated;)

When we got to the Cake Boss bakery there was a line as long as there was in front of the Apple store when the iPhone 4S came out…okay maybe not as long, but long enough. My sister (being the brave soul she is) came up to the woman waiting first in line and explained our situation to her and asked if she would buy a cake for her. (They only allow a few people in at a time). Even though the lady was first in line, we still waited around 40 minutes for our red velvet….and that is how I spent a 6 hour airplane ride with a cake in my lap;) okay…it took 30 minutes before I realized a cake box doesn’t make for a good pillow and that the floor has just as much support as my lap.

Morale of the story: don’t make promises to kids/teens that you can’t keep in a timely manner… They won’t let you forget!

Things I’m loving lately: 1. Flowers. Don’t know...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:28:00 -0400

Things I’m loving lately:

1. Flowers. Don’t know what this particular one is but it greeted me quite gracefully this morning.

2. ‘Worn in’ Sperrys.

You guys wanna know how I broke these in? Okay okay if you insist…

True story: A few months ago I went to a cycle class and hopped on my bike only to find that I had forgotten my Nikes. Nevertheless, the show had to go on. I was there. They say the hardest part is getting to the gym right?!…and that my friends is how you break in a pair of shoes. ;)

3. My NEW contigo water bottle. Yes I am a water bottle fanatic…but I justify my biannual water bottle collection by the fact that I’m saving money and plastic instead of buying other filters/bottles.

* I can honestly say that I drink more water when I have a cute water bottle. It’s a win/win.

4. The Weather. Oh my! It’s been so beautiful out! I’ve enjoyed a few walks/runs so far and hope to squeeze in a bike ride or two while I have the chance.

5. Roasted vegetables. It doesn’t get better than this my friends.

What are some things you’ve been loving lately?

Blogging

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:39:01 -0400

Why I blog:

I recently discovered that I love to write…it took long enough;) No really though…I love sharing my daily musings with you all. I like writing better than speaking because I am an overthinker who OVER-analyzes the things I say ALL THE TIME. It drives me crazy! (I’m working on it;) When I write, I love the freedom I get in erasing. I started reading blogs last year and have come to love it! Blogging can get tricky for a few reasons. Some people blog everyday (good for them), I just don’t have the time or to be honest the inspiration to come up with something on a daily basis. So…I appreciate you coming back every once in a while:)

You know that bowl/drawer/box you have sitting on your counter full of random but often useful stuff? Well, that’s what I feel like my blog is like. I know there are a million other blogs out there with amazing recipes, fabulous photos, and stories that are grammatically correct, so I don’t claim to be the best blog for you to spend your time on. My blog is random (just like the bowl/drawer/box). I post recipes(rarely my own), photos (thank you Iphone), and just stuff(for lack of better word) that I learn/am inspired by.

For now, I’ve really enjoyed being part of this blog world. It’s something fun I’m trying out. I don’t know if it’s a long term/permanent thing but I’m just going to go with the flow.

Thank you to all those who encourage me:) YOU guys ROCK

Cake Pops How to Video A few people have asked me how I make my...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 01:21:50 -0400

Cake Pops How to Video

A few people have asked me how I make my cake pops. It’s so so easy that I’m often embarrased to tell them. I just flip my hair back and say that it takes technique and percision :) haha not!

Bakerella is like the mother of cake pops. Watch this video, and you will see why. She takes you through the easy cake pop making process.

A few additional tips:

* Mix the frosting into the cake crumbs in small increments. I’ve overdone it before and had to bake another cake. You can’t take frosting out of the mix, but you can always add more.

* Buy good melting chocolate. Chocolate chips won’t work. Well they will for like 3 pops and then the cake mix with fall into the thick chocolate and you will be fishing in your bowl trying to get it out and once you get it out your chocolate with harden. No this did not happen to me:)

I’ve used

source

AND

source

Both were excellent. The melts can be found at Michaels (a wide variety of colors), and the almond bark pretty much anywhere (I bought mine at Walmart).

*Don’t add food coloring to your chocolate. It will get gunky and freeze up.

*Sticks for the cake pops can be purchased at Michaels.

Hope the information above is helpful! If you have additional tips feel free to pass along the wealth.

Happy Baking!

Hello! Thanks for coming back to check up on me;) I...

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:24:00 -0400

Central Park

biking in D.C.

Hello!

Thanks for coming back to check up on me;) I haven’t posted for a while because I’ve been too busy ~~frolicking the streets of Jersey/New York/D.C~~. spending quality time with the lovely family. It was grand. Since I’m too lazy to type and you’re probably tired of reading enjoy the photos:).

Sushi Trifle A was looking up a layered salad recipe online a...

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:07:00 -0400

Sushi Trifle

A was looking up a layered salad recipe online a few weeks ago and stumbled upon sushi layered in a jar. I love how random google searches lead me to deliciousness:)

The original recipe can be found here

I just layered my (seasoned) brown rice, seaweed sheets (TJ’s), chopped cucumber, smoked salmon, avacado and cream cheese cubes to make something similar to the ‘Sexy French’ at Blue Nami.

True Story: When we were dating I would always order the SF roll. I was too shy to say the “S” word in front of the boyfriend so when ordering I would just point to it;)))

Who comes up with their names anyway?

Homemade KIND Bars I discovered KIND bars a few months ago and...

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 02:24:00 -0400

Homemade KIND Bars

I discovered KIND bars a few months ago and have loved them ever since. If only I had discipline and didn’t crave these bars every afternoon maybe I wouldn’t mind the $2 price tag.

Since we live in an era where you can find copycat recipes to pretty much anything, I googled a few recipes online and found the one I liked best to share with you.

The great thing about these bars is that you can add/omit whatever you like:)

I followed this recipe and added dark chocolate chips to make the bar taste an almond joy:)

I tried making granola/bars with honey and it DOES not work. If you like KIND bars don’t be afraid to plop down 6 bucks for the brown rice syrup (you can find it at WF in the sugar aisle).

Wrap up the bars and you are loaded for the ~~week~~ next 2 days!:)

P.S. I would have included a photo of the finished bar but apparantely granola bars aren’t too photogenic!