Popcorn Indiana giveaway + clean, shrimp fried brown rice

back to back giveaways?! WHY NOT!

if you're following me on Instagram, then you already know by now what was in that big box.

 oooh just one of my fave snacks ever-  POPCORN!!!! THANK YOU TONS, Popcorn Indiana!

they sent me two phenomenal flavors of their new Fit Popcorn:

i have my eyes straight PEELED for the onion & dijon flavor for sure. so far my Sprouts Farmer's Market hasn't carried it.  anyway, on to the contest rules!

• Instagram: share the Popcorn Indiana giveaway pic on your own IG page!  remember to tag #popig and @fitfoodiele in the comments so i don't miss your vote.

for multiple entries, you can:

• Facebook fan page: 'Like' it!
• Follow: www.fitfoodiele.com via email (top right corner of this page;))
• Comment: on THIS post telling me your absolute, hands down, favorite Popcorn Indiana flavor. mine is dark fudge chocolate chip kettle corn.... :shock:

 Fit Popcorn stats: ★approx. 40 cals per cup★ all natural, gluten-free ★whole grain ★zero trans fat ★and non-GMO.

I just want to make somebody else's tummy and face SMILE!!!!!!!!!!! please share!

this fine tuesday morning started out with a crazy Total Body Conditioning workout as it usually does.

then breakfast.  just an egg white omelette topped with alfalfa sprouts, low carb ketchup, greek yogurt, and dijon mustard.  pancakes were super ugly and did NOT make the cut. heck that omelette barely did.

oh and i wanted to post my baby bella almond cheddar grilled cheese sammich from yesterday's lunch as i received quite a few inquiries on what the heck almond cheese is and where can you get some!  it's a dairy-free cheese substitute that shreds and tastes darn close to dairy cheese IMO.  it will melt, just takes a little longer to do so.  i  learned about the Lisanatti brand via Instagram, and i have always stuck with it.  i'll have to do a product review on some of those other brands at a later date!  you can find Lisanatti almond cheese in the cheddar, jalapeno jack, and mozzarella varieties at Sprout's Farmers Market, Whole Foods, Central Market, and most other speciality food stores.  i just read on their site that they no longer ship orders out though :(

so my first chicken fried rice recipe is super old.... a revamped was needed.  so here it is!

i used shrimp this time though as you can see ;)

clean, shrimp fried brown rice

the stuff:

• 2 cups brown rice, cooked
• 5 whole baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• handful of sprouts (bean, alfalfa, your choice)
• 2 tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 egg whites
• 2 green onion stalks, chopped
• 1 medium shallot or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 lb shrimp, marinated
• 5 baby carrots, chopped thinly or shaved
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup green peas (optional)
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh, chopped pineapple (optional)

shrimp marinade

• 2 tbsp Mrs. Dash fiesta lime seasoning or 1 heaping tbsp Weber Boston Bay all natural seasoning
• 2 tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic

do this:

1.marinate your shrimp for at least 30 minutes in the spices, liquid aminos, cilantro, and garlic.

2.add them to a medium to high heated wok or skillet sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.

3.they cook quickly, so about 3-4 minutes max will do.  remove them from the pan and set them aside for now.

4.add all onions (1 green onion stalk though)  garlic or shallots, carrots, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and aminos into the medium heated pan and cook covered until the onions are translucent and carrots are softened, about 5 minutes.

5.make a well in the middle of your wok and pour the egg whites into it.  let them cook and scramble as you continuously stir until they are done.

6.add the cooked rice, mushrooms, cooked shrimp, pepper, red pepper flakes, a little green onions, fresh pineapple, and green peas into the wok.

7. incorporate and mix well, then let it sit covered for 2-3 more minutes over low heat. chop the remaining green onion stalk and top your dish with it.

8. devourrrrrrrr!

 learn to look for the good in EVERY situation; i promise you it's there.  think positive, be positive, and positive things WILL happen.

le

competition eve

i'm getting used to not doing morning cardio already lol!!! my last cardio workout was wednesday, so thursday i went and got a pedi for the first time since this past April.

i have always been uncomfortable with falling asleep in public places, especially when i'm travelling alone. i don't see how people do it. i just feel so vulnerable and i'm sure people have been taken advantage of in those types of situations.  however, when i tell you that this is the first time i have ever dozed off during a pedicure and plain did not care, you better believe it.  i got the works- massage, wax wrap thing, salt scrub, yeah all that. it felt that darn good and was well worth the wait.

golden toes! they will match my show suit perfectly, you'll see!  i would have gone for the french tip (or whatever it's called) but ummmmmm, i can't get that done on my toes for the very same reason i didn't include my left foot in the shot. HAHAHAHA

this morning's breakfast: 1 egg + 2 whites, banana pancakes, and a bowl of oatmeal that isn't pictured.

this is prolly THE saddest breakfast shot i'll ever take but i don't regret posting it.  every meal isn't a pretty presentation although most times that is what i strive for, even if i don't take a pic.  i remember trying to WOW Sonny when we first got married with my food creations and presentations.  i really do enjoy them. it's all apart of my cooking/kitchen experience lol. ok ANYWAY,   i burned my omelette at that.  i cut it up, added some fresh cilantro and dijon mustard and enjoyed every bite.  i used to put one egg white into my pancakes, but one morning i tried leaving the eggs out entirely to see if it would still cook and hold together ok.  and it did.  i added water to the mix instead.  i just wanted a bigger omelette, that's all.  that way, it seems like im eating more food.  get it? and besides,  after putting 'i can't believe it's not butter'  and Walden Farms pancake syrup over them, the consistency doesn't even matter anymore.   still the yummiest, cleanest pancakes ever!  but if you'd like them to look prettier, add the egg.

  i really thought it would be hard for me to just sit down and do absolutely nothing today, but that feeling passed rather swiftly  :lol:

i also woke up with something extra-

lots of HAIR!!! and a headache as my scalp is super sore:(.  i normally don't get my hair done, done unless there's a huge event happening. aaaand well, this one calls for it.  i'm ready to whip it all across the stage tomorrow!

i picked up a slab of salmon yesterday in prep for Sonny's last meals before our show.

i used some Walden Farms (calorie-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, etc) pancake syrup, Mc Cormick smokehouse maple seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried parsley.

12 min in a 450 deg oven. cooking salmon could not be any easier.

or any tastier.

i paired it with lime brown rice and steamed asparagus just before Sonny drowned everything in sriracha (hot sauce). sweet, salty, and spicy.

only thing left to do for the show is tan. that will be done tonight and again tomorrow (touch ups). oh and my makeup as well- bright and early!

le

give me CARBS. now.

i put my grill pan to work today.  this morning's breakfast was slow cooked oats over grilled bananas and dusted with cinnamon.  putting heat to a banana always helps it release more of its natural sugars.  i might not ever use brown sugar again! it was so good!  course i had my eggs too with fresh cilantro and some dijon mustard.

 i woke up feeling very loose in my mid-section...definitely not as tight all over as last week.

not being funny or insensitive at all.   as you know, i started carb cycling monday and i'm going to bed tonight like a kid at Christmas cause tomorrow is my HIGH CARB DAAAAAY!!!!! this explains my bloated/loose feeling and why when i used to skip meals in order to fit in a dress (long, long time ago when i didn't know any better), it never really worked for me.  ever.     when your body doesn't know the next time it'll get some food after an extended period of time, it begins to store whatever is left in there as fat.  thus, reversing the very thing you are trying to do!  restricting meals creates slowed metabolism, cravings, and ultimately, weight gain.  just a bad, bad domino effect.  so, when i did finally eat, i was SO HUNGRY and always ended up eating way too much. well, by then my metabolism had crashed and it couldn't work fast enough to burn all the food i just straight stuffed my face with which just makes everything worse. again, sad situation.  don't do that!  OK?

i hit it hard with my trainer this morning with chest and back supersets, then i headed to the gym this evening for some cardio on the elliptical.  this is another reason i love my Polar FT7 so much:

off by more than 100 cals!  my hr watch never tells me such lies, hmph!

per my trainer, by tomorrow, (after adding a higher amount of carbs back into my diet and after my weight workout of course)  my muscles should be popping out and waving HELLO, and i'll appear 'bigger' and more defined.  well we'll just have to see then, won't we.  will post my after pic then to see if we can spot the differences.

i hit up Sams on the way home for some sirloin and they only had the really thick cuts,  so i went with that.  got my grill pan out again for dinner tonight and put the burner on as high as it would go.  meanwhile,

my steaks were marinating in more liquid aminos, green onion, fresh cilantro, and black pepper. i trimmed the fat beforehand.

sprayed my grill pan (found at Walmart for 17 bucks) with Pam first, and cooked it for 7 min on one side,

and 6 mins after flipping.  far from dry!!! are you kidding me?? so much flavor and tenderness just after a few minutes.  key things- HIGH heat, and marinate it for at least 30 min first and you won't go wrong.

Instagram sirloin collage:)

i did some mid-week prepping after dinner tonight and cooked up a vat of brown rice and mixed it with some fresh chopped cilantro and lime juice.

i also baked some chicken breasts with those McCormick seasonings (smokehouse maple, lemon pepper, garlic and herb, and montreal chicken), and some dried parsley.

in conclusion, i should really stop complaining cause my low-carb days could be NO-carb days :lol:  about those- no-carb diets are often associated with lack of focus, low metabolism, uncontrollable cravings, and low energy levels.  carbs are so NOT the enemy when it comes to weight-loss, so bump what you heard!!!  ever wonder WHY you don't have the energy to workout and feel terrible when you try to cut carbs completely?  cause you NEED them. so don't do that either!

heading to bed to dream about CARBS.

le