sunday, sweat, & salmon

i must start this post out by giving a HUUUUUGE congrats to everyone that participated in the Chevron Houston Half and Full Marathon races this morning!!!! my Facebook feed is blowing the heck up right now with pics of friends i had no idea were even running this year! the weather wasn't the greatest, but i am so thrilled to see people sticking to their goals, breaking PR's and just being such HEALTHY examples. AWESOME job, all runners!

i had this bad boy a few days ago- my protein filled breakfast sammie.

it's got 2 egg whites and 2 oz of lean grilled chicken breast previously dipped in some calorie-free, carb-free, fat-free, Walden Farms pancake syrup and sandwiched between a Thomas light, multigrain english muffin. who needs a high-priced drive-through breakfast sandwich when you can make these right at home? my family doesn't.

before heading out to church this morning, i had another one and added some dijon mustard for some tang. some cheese will make it even better! stats: 225 cals, 3g fat, 26.6 carbs, 8g fiber, and a WHOPPING 30g of protein! YUP!

so today was the launch of 24 Hour Fitness's new Total Body Conditioning format (HIIT) and i had so much fun sweating it out with the members! please, allow me to give just one more shout out to my amazing husband for his support.

weights? yes. cardio? not a big fan. nevertheless, he was in my front row doing his thing and making crazy faces at me as usual.

this is my 5th year teaching and i always, and i mean always, get butterflies in my tummy right before class. i don't think that feeling will ever leave me. soon as i put that mic on...

it's ON!!

i feel unstoppable when i am in my zone!

they made breaking a sweat look FANTASTIC. so inspiring.

i was on such a natural high which called for rr selfies- it was a modest turn out and i KNOW the class will only grow to be bigger and better in the coming weeks. i just love family gym dates! heeeey, Chiso ;)

so salmon is STILL on sale at HEB this week *big cheese*. the price did go up a dollar, but it's still a couple dollars lower than regular price. i couldn't pass it up. soooo, here are more healthy, fresh salmon meal ideas:

salmon is amazing when paired with fresh dill, but i didn't have any. i used another toasted Thomas english muffin, broke apart some of the baked salmon and put it on one side, and i slathered the other half of the muffin with a homemade no-fat cream cheese & green onion spread. i smell a salmon, dill, chive, cream cheese dip coming soon, don't you!? no pun intended.

fresh blackberries are on sale too! i made a spring mix salad for lunch one day last week and threw a few on top for one of my meal 5's. grilled squash, roasted new potatoes and a hunk of garlic and herb salmon went right along with it. i roast or grill my food A LOT- you create so much flavor! steamed is my least fave...

yesterday, my fam got together at my grandma's house for a huge pot luck style brunch. what did i volunteer to make? banana pancakes, duuuuuh!

i quadrupled my original recipe and blended 3/4th of the oats in a powder but i left 1 cup whole for texture. you already know the ingredients, so i'll spare ya.

all griddled up and ready to be devoured.

if you gone do brunch, do it right! i brought sliced fresh bananas, chopped pecans, Cary's sugar-free syrup, and whipped cream along to top them. we also had:

a beautiful concoction of fresh, ripe fresh fruit brought by my cousin Anne,

eggies made with love by my aunts,

french toast (made with organic, low-fat milk, right, Kristy!)

here's one end of the table,

this thing was soooooo sweet and delectable! i had to know what the crust was and found out it was a big sugar cookie, yum! topped with cool whip, cinnamon, and fresh fruit. awesome idea that i WILL be stealing and tweaking lol.

aaaand here's the other end.