take care + toffee chip roasted banana ice cream

<<rewind<<

to last wednesday.

missed my super early cycle class but i still made it to the gym with enough time to get it in on my own that day. i have been putting my best foot forward about hitting the gym super early every single day as opposed to only when i teach my classes.   my body just operates better in the early morning.  as the day goes on, my desire to workout decreases dramatically.  i was able to record a HIIT & abs video i will be uploading to my YouTube channel for ya asap!

i came back home and had one of those breakfasts i could eat every day: whole wheat toast, eggs, avocado, and fruit. i wonder how many pics i have of this plate on my blog already, jeez.  i fueled up so i could head right back out though; i had a hot date planned!

ok, the boys came with me.  ok, it was actually a playdate, haha.  we loaded up the truck and went to spend some time with my BM (baby mama), Marguerite.

she had this beauty, Callie, back in August '14 so Dego was in great company!

i even brought my meals with me so i could stay on track for the day: seasoned chicken breast chunks, sautéed kale, and roasted sweet potato. nothin' fancy!

transforming is fun...and needed.  since leaving the IT industry 2 years ago, i normally only 'dress up' and do something with myself for church and special occasions/events. other than that, i'm in gym clothes and sneakers.  running errands with the boys... ha. i get home from the gym, get them ready, and head right back out most days.  so, i have become accustom to looking a hot mess often.  and i'm ok with it. until i see somebody i know!!! anyway, it's fun to get girly and put more effort into my appearance.  just a little goal of mine that was set at the start of this year along with taking better care of my hair. moms often take care of everybody else and end up with a lack of time for themselves!  make no mistake though; taking time for yourself doesn't mean you must spend hours in the mirror. it means taking and making (15, 20, 30 min or so) every single day to do something for YOU, mentally, emotionally, and physically with NO GUILT. pick a few from this list:

• reading your bible, praying, and meditating. every day.
• working out...especially the sauna or steam room to clear your mind
• learn how to say no, then do it
• get a pedicure
• read a little bit of a GOOD book every day
• take a class (cooking, pottery, painting, YOGA!!!!, etc)
• a long bubble bath soak
• watch the sunrise, solo
• a quiet, daily walk
• dance without music
• sleep in
• go get some fro-yo
• lay down in the middle of the grass and look up at the sky
• a kid-less trip to the store
• schedule a monthly massage
• catch up with friends via a real phone conversation or meet for lunch
• pause, breathe, inhale, exhale, repeat.

i sure do feel better when i'm put together (hair combed, dressed, face made) and looking my best.  my top and bottoms are from H & M! i exchanged the heels for flats before i left though. comfort over style ova heeeere! things have changed.

---

my Ninja blender is the BOMB!  what a useful, blessing this Christmas gift is.  the next flavor i whipped up was Toffee Chip Roasted Banana Ice Cream but the roasting part is actually optional. tastes fantabulous either way.

 above was the soft-serve stage and i wanted to devour the entire bowl right then!!! readyyyyy?

Toffee Chip Roasted Banana Ice Cream

the stuff:

• 3 frozen bananas
• 1 cup coconut cream (i get mine canned from Sprouts Farmers Market)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup toffee pieces

do this:

1. if roasting, do this step the day before or 2-3 hours prior: place bananas in baking dish, drizzle with vanilla, bake for 40-45 min on 375 degrees.  toss them halfway through baking.  transfer bananas to a freezer safe container and freeze 2 hours minimum or overnight for best results. jump down to #3, add your coconut cream, and continue.
2. if not roasting, add frozen bananas to your Ninja along with the coconut cream and vanilla.
3. blend until smooth. it will eventually get super-duper creamy, don't worry! just keep scraping the sides down and blending.
4. dump creamy soft-serve into your bowl and add mix-ins (chocolate chips, toffee, optional nuts, etc.)
5. eat a few spoonfuls!!!!
6. stir it just a few times to incorporate the mix-ins then put it back in the freezer.
7. after 2 hours or so, it's all yours.

the sauce is melted down diary-free chocolate chips.  some walnuts would actually set this off but i didn't have any.  if you do, throw'em  in!

what does your 'me' time consist of?

pedicures and bubble baths keep me sane.

le

food faces #toddlerfood

having a little fun with healthy breakfasts these days!  it's whatever works and gets Chiso's plate clean, and these have proven to do just that. he thinks it's hilarious (telling a funny story along with it helps too) and i enjoy creating them. just some ideas for your picky eater(s) fueled by Pinterest.

banana bear faces using Sara Lee whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, and chocolate chips.

 the original 'recipe' actually used blueberries for the eyes and nose, but they were a no-go.

this morning we had whole wheat pancakes and i'd love to share this easy recipe with ya as promised.

easy whole wheat pancakes

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk + 2 tbsp
• 1 packet stevia
• 1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp baking powder

do this:

1. heat your griddle or pan to med heat and coat it with no-stick cooking spray.
2. mix all ingredients well in a large mixing bowl.
3. drop 2 tbsp worth of batter onto your griddle and cook 2-3 minutes on each side (flip when you see bubbles form)
4. top however you'd like and eat warm!

makes 15 (or more) silver dollar sized pancakes. for 1:

i added natural pb and chocolate chips to Ralph too. happy friday :)

le

clean, all natural, guilt-free chocolate sauce

i'm going dip and drizzle crazy.  i've googled homemade chocolate sauces in the past and normally they contain some type of oil (usually coconut which is 120 calories 13g fat, 12 saturated), a wack sugar substitute that tastes like chemicals, or just an ingredient i don't particularly care for.  i took a complete gamble with the ingredients and the measurements and it turned out, well, darn good. so i tried it on what else, some dessert first!

i made a guilt-free arctic zero sundae with soy whip and crushed pistachios.

trial and error is a huge, frustrating part of coming up with your own recipes.  it can get expensive too!!  so getting it right the first time (or at least the first few times) makes me feel good. really good.

would you like to read about my fantastic workout from this morning before i share the recipe? ok great!!! there is something about the peacefulness of the gym super early in the morning.  i get it now.  i can clear my mind, focus on my to-do list not only for that day but my long-term goals, projects, dreams, next moves, pray...talk to God...and get my life together.

  it's that crucial.  minimal interruptions, effective workout, no waiting on the equipment...  it's never the same in the evenings immediately after work.  even late at night; it doesn't compare.

symmetry is good.  symmetry is preferred. lol.  my right shoulder area is still more defined than my left, but i'm in the process of fixing it. one way to correct that is to do isolations (one limb at a time).  i used to pass this machine up, but never again!  i added it to my routine this morning and felt different parts of my glutes and hamstrings being worked way more vs. pressing both legs at once.  do NOT let the machines intimidate you- you can't progress if you don't try different things.  find a trainer and ask them for a demo if you can't decipher the directions.

i rushed home to my breakfast and my boys!  made some egg whites and topped them with fat-free feta and parsley.  i kept my banana oat pancakes simple and sprayed them with 'i can't believe it's not butter' and walden farms pancake syrup. aaand reduced sugar Heinz for my eggs.

 for my oatmeal though, i topped it with more fresh bananas, crushed almonds, and a drizzle of my clean chocolate sauce!  mmmm crepes would also be a grand idea.

  by the way, my oatmeal is cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk/water, and a splash of vanilla.  then i add cinnamon and stir.

ready now?

3 ingredients:

clean, guilt-free, all natural, chocolate sauce

the stuff:

• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp all natural, raw, coconut crystals (found at Whole Foods)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk

do this:

i suggest you heat the milk first ( you can nuke it for 15-20 seconds) THEN add the cocoa powder and crystals.  the cocoa won't absorb into the milk if it's cold and you will be stirring forever cause it  just won't mix. just like oil and water. you can either add more or less almond milk- the consistency is up to you.  i found that after mixing these exact amounts together (get all the lumps out) and letting it sit in the fridge for less than 30 min, it was the perfect consistency for dipping, pouring, or spooning it straight :lol:

the sky is the limit!   double, triple, or quadruple the recipe as needed, just adjust your stats accordingly.

strawberries and chocolate - classic combo.

banana chunks, dipped and topped.

raw unsweetened coconut flakes, crushed almonds, crushed pistachios.

had way too much fun today.  happy friday eve :)

le

tidbits

saturday morning started out with bananas and Justin's almond butter. Chiso killed these things one by one and so did i! what a yummy combo. 

 i sprinkled some coconut flakes on a couple of them too.

we'll be having these more often.

it was leg day @ the gym-

i didn't even get to finish though which makes me so upset!!! i had to get to my hair appointment (time to chunk the deuce to this  weave)  and i was scolding myself for setting it so early in the day.  rushing through my gym time is the worst.  this is what i did get done though using moderate to heavy weight:

barbel squats 5 x 12

calve raises 5 x 12

machine  leg press 4 x 12

barbel dead lift 4 x 12

then i went into the empty workout room and did three full circuits of this holding 15 lb. dumbbells:

walking lunges forward/backwards (used length of room)

stationary reverse lunges (12 each leg)

stationary side lunges (12 each leg)

15 jumping squats (put the weights down 1st)

rest then repeat.

i ended it with 20 minutes of fat burning cardio on my second fav machine, the stairmaster. i have grown to love this thing.

700+ cals later, crotch-sweat status was achieved and we were outta there!

on our agenda for saturday was a trip to see the Rat.  { happy very 1st birthday, Levi!!!! } we hit up Chuck E. Cheese, aka, CEC, for a family birthday party.  i ate a quick meal in the car on the way of canned salmon (chicken of the sea), avocado chunks, and some asian stir fried veggies.  i think it's some rice cheese up under there somewhere too.  i sprinkled Mc Cormick's BBQ seasoning on it and it came out waaaaaaay too fast. whoops.

yeeeeah Chiso pretty much stayed cooped up under one of us for the most part.

he is not a fan of Chuck yet.   couple more trips and he'll be kicking CEC in the shins like the rest of the kids.   and yes, the weave was still present in my head at that point, lol.  i ended up having to push my appt. to the following day.  sooooo i rushed through my workout for nothin :roll:

but i'm glad i got somethin in cause WE enjoyed the 'peeza' and cupcakes.

 back on track this monday morning though, right. i hope you started your day with some GOOD stuff- i had a spinach and tomato egg white omelette, my oats made with vanilla almond milk, bananas, cinnamon, and vanilla creme stevia, and a cup of green tea.

more healthy recipes and are en route-   pumpkin chili, cauliflower crust pizza, salmon cakes, and pumpkin brownies.  it's also time for an updated oatmeal post as i make it a liiiittle different now, huh.

le

grocery finds

i know variety is important, but my breakfast just ain't right without my oats (either in a bowl with toppings or in my pancakes).  i NEED them. i'm still finding new ways to eat them every single day.

 i made saturday morning's bowl of oats with Silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a few drops of vanilla creme stevia, lots of cinnamon, half a banana, some chocolate pb2, and some unsweetened coconut flakes.

and my daily egg omelette of course topped with fresh cilantro and pineapple salsa.

  i did about 30 min of fat burning cardio on the elliptical + an upperbody weight workout and high tailed it outta there. we had a few birthday parties to attend as well as grocery shopping to get done, the usual!

 i'm doing a fitness challenge via IG (Instagram) right now (@fight_for_healthy).  my goal is to add more definition to my body overall, especially in my abs.  also, i plan to eat as clean as possible for the month of october.  but these birthday parties though... :shock:  expecting big changes next month just in time for the Thanksgiving holidays. oh boy.

for meal 2, i cracked open some canned salmon (fresh is too high right now @ HEB)  and put some on a 3-seed La Tortilla Factory soft wrap along with some fresh cilantro, rice cheese, avocado, tomato, smokehouse maple seasoning, spicy mustard, and some fig butter. i  microwaved it til the cheese melted and devoured it. two of them.

in the car on the way to the party, i had meal 3 which was a salmon sandwich on raisin Ezekiel bread with the same toppings.

after running around chasing this boy the whole darn time, let's just say i'm so grateful to be in good shape!  trouble finding workout motivation?  keep your babies (or future babies) in mind.  thank me later.  i see why those child leash thingies were invented!!!

i see to it that Chiso eats nutritious, healthy stuff all day long, so of course he (we) can partake in party food every now and then.  didn't i just say i was in the middle of an october fitness challenge lol? come on,  it's not a party without cake.  i split a piece with my boo and we had a blast partying with family.  and it was the non-dairy whipped topping, not the super, duper sweet sugary kind ;)  just go with it.

 after the par-tay, i guilted Sonny into going grocery shopping with us since the HEB i frequent was nearby.

in addition to my normal goodies, i got some other cool items i'm so excited about trying!!

quark. i learned about quark through a few Aussie IGers.  i had been looking for this stuff for weeks- not all HEB's sell it and few people even know what it is.  it's comparable to greek yogurt as far as taste.  nutritional stats? not so much.  not a lotta protein per serving, but very low cal, fat, carbs, and an awesome 0 grams of sugar.  ever notice just how much sugar your greek yogurt contains?  yep, even the plain varieties.

not too shabby.  non-fat ricotta cheese is another alternative to add to your fresh fruit instead of cottage cheese or yogurt.

next,

one of my guilt-free treats.  i make a two scoop sundae with vanilla maple flavored Artic Zero (150 cals per PINT)  with some soy whip. and sprinkles.  recently, Artic Zero underwent some scrutiny for incorrect nutritional stats and ingredients on their labels.  they ended up adding milk to their ingredient list (for some reason it still doesn't bloat me like real ice cream though) which upset a good amount of their consumers.  seriously... even if the stats were off a bit, come on.  can you eat a freakin entire pint of ANY of the other brands for less than 150 cals, total?  it's not that biga deal my goodness. :roll:  i'm still a fan and will continue to be! i also drizzle some healthy chocolate sauce (will share recipe soon) on top and it's an incredible, low cal, carb, guilt-free, bowl of yumminess.

i can dig it!   a little expensive for the size of the bottle though.

i taste tested it solo, and it tastes exactly like reg. ketchup. no funny after taste or any of that.  but it wasn't enough.

so i baked some Ore-ida fast food fries. it passed.

ok...i had to share this as i've been asked a few times what my cheat snacks are...and this is one.  sweet and salty chex mix.  it's even good in a bowl of almond milk!!!!  we passed by a big shelf of it and as i talked myself into not even looking in that direction, Sonny picked up the biggest bag they had and threw it in our buggy.  and i let him.   

ok focus!!! back to the good stuff that's good for you and to you.  we got plenty of fresh fruits and veggies as they are at the top of my list, every time.  strawberries, blackberries, bananas, grapefruit, apples, roma tomatoes, zucchini, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and avocados this trip.

ooooh Ezekiel... i love your bread and now i must try your cereal.  with my silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk of course. match made in heaven.

and the award for the cutest bag of popcorn ever goes to Angie's.  it definitely got my attention! sure i'm a stove popcorn popping advocate, but as healthy and fun as this bag looked, i just had to try this kettlecorn.

even vegan.  impressive.

what else can you do with an old nike box? use it to hold all your snacks. ghetto? prolly. effective. ya.  i like to keep things out where i can see them.

try a new item on your next grocery shopping trip!

le