Recap: Try Something New Tuesday 65!
Hey there friends! 
How’s your morning going so far? Did anyone spend some time on Pinterest after yesterday’s post? Was it as addictive for you as it is for me?! I’m pleased to report that I managed to pry myself away for long enough yesterday to try some new things, so here’s the run-down for Try Something New Tuesday 65!
1. Recipe of the Week: For me, summer means cramming in ans many meals on the barbecue as possible. While I haven’t yet tried to make any breakfasts on my ‘cue, there have been plenty of grilled veggies, burgers, chicken, fish, and fruit coming off of the grill lately. One of my most recent creations was pretty bomb, which is why I think it deserves Recipe of the Week status this week. May I present: Cajun Lime Shrimp Skewers with Grilled Summer Squash.
The beauty of this is that it can be made really really quickly. You only need to marinade the shrimp for an hour in order for them to absorb the lime flavour, and since they’re already cooked, they only need to be on the barbecue for long enough to become heated throughout. Oh, and you might want to get a few grill marks on them too, because in my opinion, that’s always the best part. 
2. Liberte Svelte yogurt. If you’ve been browsing the smoothies list on my recipes page lately, you might notice that several of the earlier ones contain those 100g snack-sized fruit flavoured yogurts. I’m not particularly brand loyal when it comes to that type of yogurt – I’ll usually buy whatever’s cheapest out of Astro, Silhouette, Source, or the store brand equivalent. However, deep down, the healthy foodie in me knows that these yogurts aren’t really all that good for you. Some contain artificial sweeteners and colourings – the same ones I’ve been trying to eliminate from my eats for so long. Since some of the super amazing US yogurt brands (hello Chobani!) aren’t available in Canada yet, my go-to brand for Greek yogurt is Liberte.
This weekend, rather than reaching for a pack of snack-sized yogurts, I decided to try one of Liberte’s regular yogurts. Enter, the plain fat-free Liberte Svelte.
Did I have it on its own? Nah, I’m far more creative than that! Yesterday morning, I put some in a container with some frozen strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple. By the time I was ready for some snacking at work, the fruit had thawed just enough to release some of its (non-artificially-sweetened and non-artificially coloured) juices into the yogurt.
In addition to squeaky clean ingredients…
…I also love this yogurt because it has more of a creamy consistency than the other brands I’ve purchased. It’s nowhere near as thick as Greek yogurt, but if you’re trying to wean yourself off of flavoured yogurts, I’d suggest mixing it up just like in the photo above. ‘Twas delicious!
3. Bikram yoga. For the past 6 months or so, it seems that the WagJags, Groupons, and TeamBuys for my area have been for things that I don’t need – electrolysis, car maintenance, bowling, and window treatments have been the most common. However, I was thrilled last week when the daily Groupon arrived in my inbox for Bikram yoga, a style of yoga that I haven’t tried yet. To date, my favourite type has been Moksha (reviewed here). Knowing that Bikram was a little different, I wanted to try it out. This also fell under one of my goals for this month, which is to try at least 3 forms of fitness that I don’t normally do. Perfect!
I plan to do a post soon on the main differences that I noticed between Moksha and Bikram, but for now, this pretty much sums up what Bikram is all about (from the Bikram Yoga KW website):
“A challenging series of 26 postures and two breathing exercises suitable for all ages and levels of ability. Each posture stretches and strengthens specific muscles, ligaments and joints needed for the next posture. The Bikram method also stimulates the organs, glands and nerves, systematically moving fresh oxygenated blood to 100 percent of the body. The result is a restoration of health of all systems of the body, including the brain.”
Only 90 minute classes are offered, so I drank ridiculous amounts of water during the day in order to make sure I was hydrated and would be able to endure the entire feat. Upon arriving at the studio after work, I stripped down to my hot yoga gear (shorts and a Lululemon Cool Racerback because I adore them and they’re super comfy). After taking a couple of gasps of normal air, I entered the sauna studio and found out for myself how “challenging” those 26 postures really are.
(Source)
The verdict? To be honest, I’m still sort of on the fence! I adore Moksha yoga, so the entire time I couldn’t help but compare the two. There was a ton of overlap pose-wise, but Bikram didn’t have the flow sequences that Moksha has. Instead, there are the 26 poses (which yes, are rather challenging!) and the instructor talks the class through 2 rounds of each pose. Despite having eaten a snack beforehand and drinking a ton of water, I started to get a bit headachey towards the end. I figure it might have been from poses like rabbit (lots of pressure on the head) and camel (or other back-bends… my neck doesn’t seem to like those poses!)
(Source)
Again, I’ll do a separate, more detailed post about Bikram soon, but one thing I did really like was that Bikram KW has a smoothie bar. At the end of class when everyone is lying in savasana, the instructor asks how many people would like one. When you’re all done with your savasana, the smoothies are waiting at the smoothie bar (below) for anyone who ordered. Unique, don’t you think?
4. Pasta Slim spinach “noodles”. Remember how last week I tried shirataki noodles and decided that they were a pretty amazing substitute for ramen noodles? Well when I was shopping for them, I couldn’t make up my mind between the shirataki noodles and these beasts:
Like shirataki noodles, Pasta Slim by Wild Wood Organics is another super low calorie, low cholesterol, low carb, low everything noodle.
I decided to wait until this week to try the Pasta Slim noodles just in case the shirataki ones turned out to be revolting and unpalatable. That was clearly not the case! Rather than an Asian cuisine – and yes I consider my kitchen concoctions to be worthy of the label ‘cuisine’ – I opted for some Italian-inspired fare.
After giving the noodles a very thorough rinsing to remove the stinky salty water mixture that they come in, I put them in a bowl of hot water to warm them up. (As the package above says, you don’t need to cook them.)
Meanwhile, I got on with some slicing and dicing. In the mix:
- 1/2 can of salmon
- Tomato
- Yellow and green zucchini
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Fresh Italian parsley and basil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt and pepper
- Italian seasoning – about 1 tsp, dried
After warming the whole mixture throughout in a pan on the stove, I strained the noodles and tossed them in a little bit of olive oil, plated them, and tossed the whole tomato-y mix on top. Result:
While they don’t really have the wheaty taste of regular pasta (nor should they, because they don’t contain wheat!) they are still a good sturdy noodle stand in, especially if you’ve got a carb craving. I really liked that they didn’t seem to have that heavy-in-your-stomach feeling like regular pasta sometimes does. Like the shirataki noodles, they take on the taste of the dish really well and are super quick to prepare. I’m rather intrigued by these!
Alrighty friends, let’s get on with Wednesday, shall we? Before you do, check out my questions for today:
- Have you ever tried Bikram? What did you think of it in comparison to other types of yoga?
- What’s your favourite yogurt brand? I’m longing for the day that Chobani makes its way up to Canada, but for now, it’s Liberte or Stonyfield for me!
I would lovelove to try Chobani! it needs to come to Canada for sure! Stonyfield is my favourite though
i’m esp interested in your bikram comments, angela, as it’s on my list of 2011 goals to try bikram and moksha. i saw that groupon, too and was very excited, although ultimately i decided to pass on it right now…but i agree, nice to see a groupon for something not too obscure!
i wish chobani would come here, too! funny – i talk about yogurt today, too, on the blog – i like PC plain yogurt or stoneyfield is very good, too. anything plain, then i throw in choco chips!
Call me sheltered, but I don’t think I’ve ever had chocolate chips in my yogurt before! Thanks for bringing up PC – I forgot about that one! I tried the fruit flavoured Greek yogurts but found them pretty sweet. I’ll try the plain next time.
I love Stonyfield, but sometimes I don’t splurge since other brands are so much cheaper. TJ’s brand is pretty good too.
I’ve been on a shrimp kick lately, and those look great. I need to get my hands on those noodles though! Yum.
I’ve been on a shrimp kick too lately. My noodle dish was supposed to have shrimp in it instead of salmon, but I noticed I only had about 3 left in the bag.
To the grocery store I go!
I LOVE this post! I’ve just been getting into yoga recently, and I’m loving it more than ever. I’ve never tried Bikram though, although, right now it’s 115F with 99% humidity here, so all I’d have to do is step outside…
I love spinach noodles and topping the pasta with canned salmon is genius. I’ve been craving fish more than usual lately, so this is a great new way to get some in my belly!
That’s great that you’re loving yoga so much! It’s been pretty hot here too, and yes, it does seem a little odd to go to hot yoga when it’s just as hot outside!!
I’ve never tried Bikram, but I’d definitely like to one day! I hope the yoga studio that I choose also has a smoothie bar for refueling after a long class!
I like Chobani and Oikos Greek Yogurt!
Avid fan of Bikram, never done Moksha (isn’t available in The Netherlands). Every lesson is different, although the moves same the same.
My first Bikram lesson was hell, I tried too hard. You really have to go with the flow and ease yourself into the moves.
Ahhh I LOVE Bikram yoga! Do it a couple more times before you make a final judgment– I hated it my first time but was forced to return by a friend. After about the 4th visit, I was hooked!!
That’s great to hear! Yep, I definitely plan to go a couple more times – you’ve gotta give it a chance, right?
Hi Angela. I’m not sure exactly where you are in southern Ontario but if you’re in the GTA you can buy Chobani, Fage and Siggi’s Skyr at Summerhill Market in Toronto.
Wow, I had no idea! Thanks so much for letting me know – I’ll definitely check it out next time I’m in Toronto!
You can buy Chobani yogurt (as well as Fage and Siggi’s Sky) at Summerhill Market in Toronto.
Im big on yogurt. I eat them all (and too much) I go through a 500 g tub in less than 2 days. Yipes.
I like to make a single-serving muffin and dump in yogurt…
just take 1/4 cup flour (approx. 3 tbsps) – i like buckwheat or quinoa flour the best
add 1/4 tsp baking powder
sweetner to your taste
2-3 tbsps of liquid (water or milk)
1 tablespoon of olive oil (or coconut oil)
put in microwave for 1 min – 1:30 …whatever you prefer…i find it best with one tbsp of oil…but others sub out the oil for one tbsp of applesauce…
u can also add chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, etc etc
I live in Canada (Toronto, specifically) and have seen Chobani and Oikos in supermarkets almost everywhere! The only reason I don’t buy them regularly is because they are UBER, UBER expensive. Till they decide to drop below $1.50 for a 6 oz-er, I’m stickin’ to Liberte’s Greek yoghurt (available at Costco!! SCORE!!)
izzyy
I’ve heard rumours about bloggers finding it in Toronto, and I’m going to be there next weekend so I’m definitely going to hunt some down! Do you know of anywhere else that carries it apart from Summerhill market?
I’ve never been to SUmmerhill Market myself, so can’t vouch for them, but I’ve seen it at certain Metro/Loblaws locations, as well as No Frills and Real Canadian Superstore. I’ve noticed stores with a Kosher section often have the best selection of flavours. Superstore on Steeles Ave W has a BIIIG selection, all the time.
Good luck!
Oooh excellent! Thank you SO much! I’ll be sure to report back on my finds!
Hey there! I know this is a bit late but I thought I’d just throw in a friendly tip (from an obsessed Bikram yogi)… in rabbit pose, only about 10% of the pressure/weight should be on the head and neck, the focus should be on hollowing the belly, pulling hard on the heels, and stretching UP toward the ceiling (so the neck shouldn’t hurt!). It’s a bit difficult/ awkward to get the concept right at first, but keep at it… hopefully you’ve been back and it’s getting more enjoyable
Thanks so much for the tip, Lily! I haven’t had time to go back yet and since the weather has been so hot, it’s been difficult to get myself into the mood for hot yoga, but I definitely plan to go again in the next couple of weeks. I’ll keep this in mind and hopefully it won’t hurt as much. Thanks again!