Thank you, thank you for all the kind words on the blog’s new look! It’s still a work in progress but we’re getting there! I also posted my FIRST recipe of 2016 yesterday in case you missed it. 🙂
In the spirit of the New Year and since the blog has just undergone a whole new redesign, I thought it would be fun to kick off the first WIAW of 2016 with a fun survey! There are some new faces around here (hi new readers!) and if you haven’t been here since the beginning (way back in 2010 if you can believe it!), then you might be curious to learn a little bit more about the girl behind Healthy Helper.
Like usual, my pal Allie (sweetest girl you’ll ever meet BTW!) always finds the best surveys from around the web. So I am stealing this from her blog to share with all of you! 🙂
Recipe I’m scare to try: Well I’ve tackled bagels, homemade bread, and fudge, but still on my list? Alfredo sauce (I have something in the works!), soufflés, homemade pasta, and some different homemade pies (something about making crusts intimidates me!).
Favorite family recipe: Love my mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup and White Clam Sauce Pasta! Also, nothing beats my Grandma’s Peanut Butter Pie (I’m thinking I should attempt a healthy version one of these days!).
Household chore I actually enjoy: Putting dishes away, vacuuming, putting laundry away, CUTTING THE LAWN (Does anyone else enjoy this?! It’s one of my favorite summer chores! Ha!)
Before company arrives, I hide: Shoes, cooking utensils, my gym gear…I always leave stuff lying around!
Favorite junk food: Well I’ve been experimenting with eating a lot of different ‘junk’ (I hate to use that term!) foods lately and I am currently really liking donuts! I’ve even tried my hand at making homemade ones…stay tuned for those recipes! 🙂
I’d do anything to avoid: cleaning the bathroom, dusting, falling behind on work.
Good habit: Drinking water ALL DAY and taking deep breaths whenever I feel stressed or anxious.
Bad habit: Using electronics before bed, reading in dim light, not letting myself relax.
Stuff I can’t live without: my parents, podcasts, my iPhone (so sad, but true), coffee,
I’m currently reading: My GRE review book. 🙁 (It will be the death of me!) As for fun reads, I just finished Furiously Happy and plan on starting Mindy Kaling’s book, Why Not Me? soon!
I stay fit by: Moving my body! 😉 Specifically, running, walking, and strength training! Biking too when the streets are clear! It’s my preferred method of transportation.
Personal motto/mantra: I have so many and I feel like they are always changing as I grow and evolve as a person. Currently loving: It’s about the journey, not the destination. I feel like I am on a path to somewhere right now, but I have no idea where it leads. Instead of stressing, I’m choosing to just take one day at a time and learn from the present moment as best I can.
I think I had a new mantra everyday during the Daily Dose of Good Project! 🙂
I wish I could tell my future self to: Learn from my past and use it as a catalyst to make the future even better. Also, TRAVEL MORE.
Etiquette pet peeve: Slow walkers, people who don’t use turn signals, cars who don’t yield to pedestrians/stop at stop signs, leaving dirty dishes on the counter instead of putting them in the sink or dish washer.
Cat/dog/other: One dog, Ella! She’s a yorkie and she’s turning 6 this year. I want to have at least one other dog and a cat when I move out of my parent’s house. Dad’s allergic to cats so that is out of the question right now! We tried to have one a few years back and ended up having to give him up…heart breaking for me.
And now onto the first WIAW of the new year (these eats are from my mom’s birthday last week!)…
Breakfastegg white and feta omelette with spinach//caprese toast with balsamic on the side
green tea mango power bowl with pear, NuZest brown rice protein powder, and vegan protein crunchies
Snack 1one of my custom Raaw Macaw Bars//cashew fig carrot Thunderbird Bar//creamy breakfast pudding from Amanda
Lunch turkey cabbage salad//tortillas with pepper jack laughing cow and avocado//raw mixed nuts
Snack 2homemade strawberry shortcake pronut (recipe coming soon!)//raw tempeh//white cheddar laughing cow
Dinner & Dessertauthentic Italian pizzas from a local restaurant to celebrate my mom’s birthday: white pizza, one with banana peppers, and a classic pepperoni…all with fresh mozzarella slices
a Russian Reindeer…my sister and brother in law’s holiday twist on Moscow Mules 😉
my homemade Reeses Pieces with Homemade Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing (<- click for the icing recipe I used!
close up of the deliciousness (I saved the extra to make cookies with!)
Snack 3homemade popcorn//BBQ Quest chips//sliced apple//kefir with cottage cheese, cocoa, and Holiday Cookie Amazing Grass
A few other recent eats…ABBA Paleo Bar (use code HEALTHYHELPER15 for a discount!)//bakewell tart Nakd bar//single serve pudding pie
hazelnut heart Thunderbird Bar//pumpkin spice RX bar//rhubarb & custard Nakd bar
Eat Me Guilt Free pumpkin spice blondie//maple pecan Simply Protein bar
raw mushroom chips//raw tempeh//spicy black bean dip
homemade pb-banana granola (recipe coming soon!) with cashew milk//carrot mango Gem Wraps with lentil dip and greens
baked bean and cabbage salad//raw pumpkin seeds//english muffin pb & j
banana peanut butter tortillas//chopped chicken burger salad//wasabi Enlightened Crisps (use code healthyhelper20 for a discount at checkout!)
tuna salad//dry roasted edamame//goats milk cream cheese//flatbread crackers
stir fried peanut noodles with salmon//purple sweet potatoes//roasted veggies
TVP-feta kale chips//the most PERFECT kabocha//roasted broccoli
spaghetti squash with tuna and veggies//bagels with cream cheese and tomato//roasted brocolli
How is 2016 going for you so far?
What’s one thing you’re looking forward to this year?
Pick a question from the survey and answer it in the comments!

Linking up with: Allergy Free Wednesdays,#RecipeOfTheWeek,#StrangeButGood,Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays,Tasty Tuesdays,Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Meatless Mondays,Lena’s Tasty Tuesdays, Full Plate Thursday,WNWN Wednesday, JillConyers!
All of your pet peeves are my pet peeves! And rude people. Add that to the list. Also, I love that personal motto quote. Good one! The recipe I’m most scared to try is sourdough bread.
Yes sourdough is majorly intimidating for me too!
I love that you share so many of your recipes with us! You never leave us in the dark. <3
Thanks lovely. More to come in the new year!
It is probably bad its so normalizing it is for me that evening you have recipes you are hesitant to try. That is my life 🙂
Oh no!! Don’t be scared! I am here to answer any questions you have about them. 🙂
Oh my goodness! Please give me ALL of your food! My goodness, so good. Also, love that survey, so fun. I USED to love washing the dishes and found (find, sometimes) it very relaxing. But now I’m a SAHM and I feel like ALL i do is dishes ahhaha. So now I like cleaning the floors? Like sweeping and Wet-Jetting. My fave.
Ahhhh yes! I forgot sweeping! I like that too! 🙂
all of these eats look SO good! Especially that pizza 🙂 In 2016 I’m looking forward to blogging more, spending time with family and friends, going back to finish my spring semester of my freshman year in college, and more yoga!
The pizza was AMAZING. I want to try to recreate it at home! Good luck with your second semester! That’s exciting.
I love reading WIAWs. You have such creative combinations! I never would have thought to mix kefir and cottage cheese but it makes sense. 🙂
Thanks Amy! It’s a really tasty combo!
banana PB tortillas? Wow I need those in my life. I HATE seeing dishes on the counter or in the sink – just put them in the dishwasher, how hard is that?!
Right!? Pure laziness in my opinion! Especially when the dishwasher is inches away! LOL
Yes definitely travel more. Ugh to slow walkers, especially when I’m biking and they are taking up the entire sidewalk haha 😀 And make that PB pie!!! And i’m so bad about electronics before bed. This was fun!
I think I HAVE to make the PB pie now…I am craving it ever since writing this post!!!
i hate vacuuming, putting dishes away, and anything with lawn. We’d make a great room mate 😛
Match made in heaven! 🙂
Where do you get all of your bars from? They all sound so good!!!!!
I buy them, get them sent to me directly for review by companies, I am an ambassador for a few companies, and order online myself! 🙂
Kaila, this was fun to read. Nice to get to know you better. Thanks for sharing at My Flagstaff Home!
Jennifer
Thanks so much Jennifer!
Your pet peeves are similar to mine. I hate rude and unkind people too. (Particularly when that rude unkind person is me!)
Hehe! Great minds get annoyed alike! LOL
Drinking lots of water is also one of my good habits! Fun survey!
It’s hydration nation at my house! LOL
Love the survey – it is great getting to know you =)
I also enjoy household “chores”, except cutting grass – I actually can’t stand doing it. I think it’s because I’m super allergic ;p
I want to read the Mindy Kaling book, too. I’ve been sick this past week and started binge watching her show as I’m not up to much else. She is hilarious and seems super cool.
Love your current mantra – I need to adopt a similar one.
We have the exact same pet peeves! I thought I was the only one annoyed by slow walkers.
You should post a picture of your pup!!! I have a Yorkie too. They are the cutest, sweetest dogs ever =)
Great looking eats – especially the reese’s pieces frosting!!!
Oh there are TONS of pics of Ella back on my instagram!! Check them out! She’s a cutie for sure. I didn’t know you have a yorkie! We are alike in so many ways. 🙂
hehe, love this survey! Making crusts kinda intimidates me too. :O
Folding laundry is one of my favorite household chores! I have a friend who’d rather clean bathrooms and kitchens than fold laundry/cook. I tried so hard to get him to be my roommate last year, but he chose someone else because he was a dude and I was not. Super sad. :[ His loss, though. >_>
That would have been awesome! The perfect pairing for getting chores done! LOL
Kaila, this is my first time here and I have to say I love the look of your site, so clean and bright, perfect! And I really loved the survey, getting to know you a bit is really cool. Alfredo sauce looks so easy, but a good one is a work of art, I’m still trying to perfect! I love a clam pasta, or any seafood and pasta, and I really liked seeing what you are eating! Fun spot!!!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Aw, Kaila, you’re so sweet!! Thanks for mentioning me :). I’m so glad you filled out this survey!
I am always afraid of making pie crusts, too. I’ve found a good recipe that uses the food processor, but it’s still a pain for some reason. I think I just don’t like making pies?! It’s funny because Jimmy’s favorite dessert is, you guessed it, apple pie! LOL. He knows I love him when I make an apple pie ;).
I also want to tell my future self (and present self!) to travel more. I never, ever regret traveling!
Of course!! You always find the best surveys!
Thanks for sharing at Funtastic Friday!!
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you for sharing at Bloggers Spotlight Linky Party! Your meals and snacks always makes me hungry , hope to see you again!
Aww thank you so much, lovely!
I love that one of your favorites is your mom’s chicken soup. So sweet. Thanks for sharing this with us at Savoring Saturdays linky party.
It is so good! Nothing like homecookin’!
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