Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Brownies

2nd Barbell Strength class back from maternity leave under ma'  belt! i used class as my warm up and went downstairs to get a solid back workout in afterwards.  i'm taking my time, trusting the process, and sticking to my 6 Pack USA plan these days.  i want to maintain balance and not go crazy with the exercise this time around. no need!  well, as long as i'm sticking to the nutrition part of the plan too.

 baking has been on my brain this week.  why?

most likely cause Sonny surprised Chiso and i with this really, really, magically, delicious lemon bundt cake tuesday from Nothing Bundt Cakes, ugh.  he says they were randomly giving out free mini bundt cakes to the companies in his office building. is that not the best marketing strategy ever?? um, it worked cause now i want one and will most likely use them for a future event. that reminded me of HEB's and Whole Food's sample stations throughout the store. if you feed me while i shop, well hey, i'm coming back there again and again to spend my money. and eat. and buy things that were never on my shopping list. and blow my grocery budget. genius. ok anyway, soon as i eat white sugar i just want more, more, MORE. sugar addiction is real. real annoying.   Chiso was super happy but yall know how i am around large amounts of my trigger foods!!! womp, womp.  i couldn't let all my work from the past few weeks go to crap so i did have a small piece, cut Chiso some, and threw it out.  my very preggo sis-in-law was the first person i thought to give the leftovers to, but that's just evil lol! i would have taken a bite every single time i entered the kitchen until it was all gone, SMH. we are all for minimizing waste when possible, but this was a game time decision that had to be done. so, that's how these brownies came about. i was so excited about whipping them up regardless cause i haven't baked anything sweet since i was waiting around trying to get Dego outta this tummy. these are naturally sweetened for the most part; the chocolate PB2 does contain sugar but not a mind-blowing amount like Mr. Bundt cake up there. i used agave nectar but you can use honey as well. it's up to you!  heck you can also use full fat peanut butter if ya want.  just melt it in the microwave a little first for better mixability.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Brownies

the stuff: (source)

• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup chocolate PB2
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• *optional* 1/4 cup rolled, uncooked oats (either leave them as-is or grind them into a fine flour)
• 1/2 cup light agave nectar
• 1/2 cup water + 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla

do this:

1. combine eggs, vanilla, agave nectar and water in a small mixing bowl.
2. combine PB2, cocoa powder, oatmeal, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl.
3. add the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined.
4. pour mixture into an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan coated with no stick cooking spray.
5. bake for 30 minutes on 325 degrees or until an inserted coupon comes out clean.

recipe makes 12 brownies.  nutritional stats can be found on my Instagram post at the moment until i add them here!

before i go, thank you to Rosa from Enlightened Ice Cream for the coupons!! i cannot WAIT to pick up my samples at my Sprouts Farmers Market soon.  these bars are low in calories (70), high in protein (8g) and fiber (5g), 20% of the RDA for calcium, and contains only 2g of fat and 3g of sugar.  It's made from rBST-free milk, is gluten free, and contains no added sugars or artificial sweeteners!  i like. review coming soon.

nite!

le

in full swing - Fit Foodie Le Cooking Classes

hay.  i'm a little lopsided over here with blogging again yall. no surprise there :lol: !  my cooking classes are in full swing and i'm just over here trying to get into a good schedule groove again with home life and running my own business. that is still so crazy and foreign to me to speak those words!  grateful and taking it one day at a time.   i haven't even done my 3rd trimester post yet but i'm officially here and the post is on the way.  here's a quick Fit Foodie Le Cooking Class re-cap:

my hoongry boys helped me prep for Burger Night the day before my first class two weeks ago.

i had 2 bajillion things running through my mind on top of nerves the entire day and didn't even think to take pics during class.  the highlight of my evening was my dear parents driving across town to attend and support me!!!

my hubby also shifted his schedule a bit to help me set up and get ready. oh how i appreciate him for supporting my dreams.

we made grilled southwest salmon burgers using fresh salmon, the smokey spicy sweet potato fries from my e-book, and i brought along some peanut butta banana fudgy brownies for a giveaway snack.

aaaand last week, homemade pizza was made and devoured!!

i had so much fun teaching this class, let me tell you.  it's definitely interactive and hands-on and there were plenty of toppings to get creative with.  several masterpieces were made! pizza brings people together.  it's just a fun food to make and eat and happens to be one of my all time faves.  i'd love to teach another pizza class before i deliver in June, so stay tuned!

these pretty ladies did their THING in their cupcake aprons :) and promised me they would attempt to make pizza on their own at home.  the process is too easy not to and the hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise! two lucky ladies received raffles prizes that evening - a Starbucks gift card and a garlic peeler!

everybody received samples of Nature's Bakery Fig Bars!  they can be found at HEB, Sprout's Farmers Market, Walmart and come in strawberry, blueberry, lemon, peach apricot, apple cinnamon, raspberry, and mango flavors. they even have vanilla and vanilla raspberry flavors as well- cant wait to try those, yum. so many options to chose from but my fave is raspberry so far.  let me know yours!

the bars are whole wheat, cholesterol-free, dairy-free, 0% trans-fat, Kosher, non-GMO, and fitfoodiele approved ;)

next class up this tuesday is all about CRABS!!!!! hot, healthy, whole wheat, pan seared crab cakes from my e-book will be made among other things! SIGN UP HERE as i do have spots open for the moment. it's also April Fools Day, hence the 'i've got crabs and i'm sharing' class title. i hope you weren't as weirded out as my hubby after reading it :shock:

have a blessed sunday!

sunday family fun day

i have been teaching my 11am 24 Hour Fitness Total Conditioning class since the beginning of 2013.  i've had a crazy good time meeting so many new members and sweating our faces off together sunday after sunday for these past 9 months!   nevertheless, after having a sit-down with Sonny and fighting weeks (ok months) of conviction, i have finally decided to give it up.  even if a class inconvenienced me, leaving is always difficult.  i despise disappointing and letting people down, especially when they get a routine going and expect me to hold up my end of the bargain and be there.  i guess i despise it cause i know how it feels.    this isn't the first class i've had to leave in my 6 years of teaching, but yesterday gave me that overwhelmingly bittersweet feeling.  again.

i could barely let my supervisor know my decision let alone share my 'important announcement' with my class today.  yeah.... this is always my answer to that dreaded 'what's one thing you would change about yourself' question.

if we made it to church for early service, i felt good.  starting my sunday with Word and worship with my fam is well, the best way to start the day IMO.  however,  if we were out too late at a saturday night event (which happened all too often e.g. birthday parties, dinners,  gatherings, weddings, etc.) early service was out of the question, which meant church didn't happen at all.  i have missed church more times this year than i have in my entire life...and that is so unfair to my family.   individual worship is important to grow your relationship with God, definitely....  but church is a vital part of that growth for me and my spiritual life has suffered because of its absence.  when this happens, i have to evaluate whatever is going in my life at the time,  pinpoint those distraction(s),  and either move or remove them.  it took me 9 months to accept this, but i finally let it go.  why? because it's the best move for our family and the head of my household and heart agree.  masking those feelings of disappointment completely will come with time, but putting it that way makes me feel a whole lot better.

and i really miss going out to eat after church. lol. not just as an immediate fam, but meeting up with my parents, friends, and extended family, etc.  we have either turned down those invites or showed up super-duper late.  rushing off to the gym after service was the only thing on my mind...  if i hadn't gotten my routine together the night before, i found myself writing down moves during service instead of giving God my undivided attention.  ok i could go ON.

---------->let nothing hinder or get in the way of your worship & relationship with God or block the spiritual & emotional growth of your family.  nothing.<----------

now does this mean i won't workout on sundays anymore?  not at all! i appreciate having the option to go at a more convenient time though vs. mandatory for sure. no pressure.  those family gym dates will keep right on rolling.

 i'm so grateful for these two knuckleheads cause they are totally worth the sacrifice.  so each sunday when we do our family thing, i'll capture the moment, upload it to Instagram, and hashtag it #sundayfamilyfunday.    seeing other families spending quality time together really makes you appreciate and cherish what you have.  so if you're following me on IG, well, join in and share!  just don't forget to hashtag it #sundayfamilyfunday. eating, chilling, hanging out, exercising....WHATEVER it is you and your family do together, share it.   i have a feeling most pics will revolve around food - i know most of ours will :shock:

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if there's a HEB by you, fresh salmon is on sale for 6.97 a lb this week until tuesday!

 i got us a couple pounds this past weekend and i have been roasting it with hidden valley ranch dry ranch dressing mix.

Walden Farms dressings have been BOGO (buy one get one free) at Sprouts Farmers Market this week so i got the Asian and Balsamic flavors on my last trip there.

 you can use them as actual salad dressings, or as marinades for your proteins (fish, chicken, beef, shellfish).

that chicken up there turned out great (roasted it for 50 minutes on 350 degrees) and i threw it on a salad for lunch last week.

see! it's a berry almond Asian chicken salad.  romain lettuce mix, raw sugar snap peas, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, sliced almonds, roasted chicken breast (marinated and sprinkled with Mc Cormick Perfect Pinch Asian seasoning), all drizzled with a little more Asian dressing.  crunchy, crispy, fresh and healthy.

back to the salmon - i've been making these 'teriyaki' bowls by throwing everything into a container (carbs, veggies, protein, fat) and drizzling it all with one of the WF dressings.  flavorful, fresh, and addicting.  switch out any and everything for your favorites!  countless combos i tell you, COUNTLESS!!!!!!

  these fantastic sales are over this week (tuesday and wednesday), so take advantage.

we always have enough to be happy if we are enjoying what we do have and not worrying about what we don't have.

you'll always be waiting for or on SOMETHING.  take a look over your life and praise Him for all you have right, right now.  you are so BLESSED!

Q: what day of the week do you consider your family day?

le