wienervention - the cleanest hot dog i've ever eaten

another early gym date accomplished this morning and officially 1 month postpartum! i expect to get a lot done today. 

i had my usual preworkout snack, some hot, magical coffee, and headed out for an hour of treadmill intervals. i alternated btw:

5 incline @ 4 mph - 5 minutes

15 incline @ 3 mph - 5 minutes 

walking IS boring but there are ways you can rev it up.  i always swing my arms vigorously, walk heel-to-toe with a wide stride, and i never hold the side rails either. that's cheatiiiiing ;)

can i do a blog #throwbackthursday? i'm doin' it anyway!

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while we were headed home from the hospital last month with our brand new baby boy, something beat us there- my Wienervention Kit from Applegate!!!

that nostalgic red and white pattern always reminds you of what? a summer picnic, yep.

however, the Houston heat was too much and i just wanted to lay down somewhere and stuff my face in the AC.  i'd like to give a gigantic high-five and thank you to one of my favorite natural and organic brands, Applegate, for the goods. i knew the kit was on the way, but it slipped my mind after giving birth and all.  my mom and aunt were at our house tidying up and waiting to help out with our new family member, so unbeknownst to Sonny & i, they went ahead and cracked the kit open and prepared a welcome home lunch for us! perfect timing, right?

i actually used to avoid hot dog wieners for this very reason...  i've always thought of them as the wack parts of meat that didn't make the cut all blended up together with fat and other UFOs.  i would only have them every blue moon, like july 4th or memorial day at somebody's BBQ. at home? not so much.  also, reading 'mechanically separated turkey, chicken, or beef' in the ingredients list is not very appetizing. thank God we have many healthier options to choose from these days; these Applegate wieners are in a league of their own! a wienerventioW was overdue.

rest assured these top-notch dogs are:

• all natural
• contain no antibiotics
• humanely raised beef fed vegetarian/grain diet
• gluten-free
• casein-free
• contain no fillers
• contain recognizable ingredients! every single one.
• really, really tasty.

nailed that presentation.

they also sent along condiments, cause you can't build a stellar dog without them.

• Annie's Organic All Natural Ketchup (her salad dressings are crazy good, especially the artichoke parmesan, trust)
• Rick's Picks Zesty Dill Relish - (which tasted like a combo of sweet & dill relish! i've always topped my dog with one or the other..not both. i bet it would be amazing in potato salad as well.)
• Annie's Organic Yellow Mustard

 for the buns, we had a choice of Rudi's Organic Bakery Multigrain or White hot dog buns!  i loved them both and you can snag a coupon for a bag of your choice right on their website. from the bun, to the condiments, to the wiener, this is THE cleanest hot dog i've ever eaten.

time to change the meat you eat and give Applegate a try.

in newborn news, 

i think he'll be tall.

more tummy time, aka, push up practice!

le

hostess with the mostess - cheesy spinacy & squash au gratin

my mom is a pre-K teacher and still on her holiday break, so she and my aunt (her sis-in-law) came over to hang out, sleepover, and keep Chiso company with us. which means, i get ta' COOKIN'!  whipping up healthy, tasty food for my family gives me life (add that to the phrases we should stop using in 2014 :roll: ) but it best describes how i feel while i'm doing my thing in my kitchen.  now can i do all this again tomorrow?  you bet! playing hostess is FUN. what we chowed down on today:

lean turkey burgaaaaaas for lunch!  super easy recipe can be found on my instagram post from earlier today (look for this same photo).

i topped the patties with cheddar style rice cheese,

and i found those sprouted grain buns at Sprouts Farmer's Market recently.  i was looking for the Ezekiel ones but these were cheaper and by Alvarado Street Bakery.  heard a lot about them and was not disappointed.

no lettuce or avocado in the house, womp. but i did have condiments, tomatoes, and plenty of pickles. stuff your burgers with your fave toppings and toast your buns (makes a big difference in taste and texture).  everyone enjoyed their burger except for you-know-who.

he touched it like he was going to pick it up and then faked everybody out.  i'll try again tomorrow.

i've been playing around with a squash casserole type recipe for the past few days and finally just went for it today since i was all up in the kitchen anyway. turned out better than i imagined, whoa.   Sonny says it tastes just like Boston Market's squash casserole side and well, i won't argue with him!

cheesy spinach & squash au gratin

the stuff:

• 2 large zucchini, raw, coined & halved (see pic above)
• 2 large yellow squash, raw, coined & halved
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 eggs
• Earth Balance Organic Whipped Buttery Spread
• 2 tbsp liquid aminos
• 1 cup frozen, thawed spinach
• 1/2 cup cheddar style rice cheese
• 1/2 cup skim mozzarella (you may use mozzarella almond cheese as well)
• 1/8 cup light parmesan cheese

breadcrumbs:

• 3 slices Sara Lee 45 Calories & Delightful bread, toasted until crispy
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 cup light parmesan cheese

do this:

1. spray your casserole dish with no-stick cooking spray and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. make breadcrumbs by combining listed ingredients in your food processor and pulsing until you achieve a breadcrumb-like consistency.
3. in a large skillet over medium heat, saute the garlic, onion, zucchini, and squash together for 4-5 minutes or until translucent.
4. add spinach, garlic powder, onion powder, liquid aminos, parsley, and cracked black pepper to pan; mix.
5. cover pan and let cook down for 10 more minutes before shutting off the heat and pouring your squash mixture into your prepared casserole dish. set aside.
6. in a separate bowl, whisk eggs.
7. to the egg mixture, add 1/8 cup of parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup of breadcrumb mixture, 1/2 cup of cheese, and the 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
8. if your squash mixture has completely cooled by now, go ahead and add the egg mixture to it in the casserole dish and mix WELL. if it's still warm, temper the eggs by adding a little bit of squash mixture to the egg mixture (in that order, please!)  at a time to prevent making scrambled eggs.  the cold almond milk should help cool the squash mixture down faster too. once all combined, set aside.
9. add the last 1/2 cup of cheese to  1/4 cup of the breadcrumb mixture and sprinkle it on top of your casserole evenly.
10. bake for 40-45 minutes or until the casserole no longer jiggles when you shake the dish.
11. let it cool then dive in.

i divided my dish into 8 nice size servings and here are the stats for 1 serving: 162 cals, 6g fat, 14g carbs, 15g protein, 4 g sugar.

have a seat, Boston Market :lol:

lastly, for dinner, i heated up some leftover chicken & veggie stir fry and mixed it with some marinara sauce to revive the flavors. very yummy!  i also baked two pans of swai for tonight and for Sonny's lunches tomorrow.  i don't add ANY salt to the swai cause it doesn't need it at all like tilapia.

  i topped these with onion powder, garlic powder, and salt free Southwest seasoning from Mc Cormick (found at Walmart and HEB) and cooked them for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. that's it!  roasted brussels sprouts on the side.

 thinking about all the crazy business ideas in my head and on my heart for 2014 and it overwhelms me.  i'm determined to make 2014 NOTHING like 2013 though. one day at a time.  ok, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

le

Banana Pecan Chocolate Chunk Muffins

how was your monday?

the 'monday blues' do not exist!  Mondays only suck if you let them- accept what you can't change and change what you can't accept.

 whether it's your career, your relationships, or even something you want to change within yourself, start by making a CONSCIOUS effort to be positive with your actions, expressions, and words.  positivity breeds positivity. don't dwell on the negative and what went wrong.  break the habit.  talk about your joys and count your blessings!  and if what went wrong is worth it, fix it, but keep building and focusing on the NEW.

i finally started the online defensive driving course (gag) task i've been putting off since i got the ticket back in july.  i thought that horrible procrastination habit was supposed to fade out as you got older, i mean really.  during one of my countless mini breaks i went and made some of the best homemade muffins i've had....ever. look!

Banana Pecan Chocolate Chunk Muffins (source)

the stuff:

• 6 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup coconut crystals
• 1 cup 2% greek yogurt
• 3 small RIPE bananas
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chunks
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces

do this:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. mix the wet ingredients with the wet, and the dry with the dry.
3. combine all together in a large mixing bowl
4. fold in chocolate chunks and pecans last
5. spray muffin pan with no-stick cooking spray
6. bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown

macros for 1 regular muffin (makes 24):

 macros for 1 mini muffin (makes 36):

30 minutes of defensive driving down, 5.5 hours to go. welp, goodnight. :lol:

le

Fit Foodie Lean 7 buck sale!

my first mini Fit Foodie Lean tasting party calls for my very first ebook sale!  huh? tasting party? i know, right?! suuuuper excited about that. baby steps, baby steps.

the process for me to get this ebook out there was anything BUT smooth but your positive, encouraging, feedback reminds me again and again how worth it the struggle was.

your Instagram posts! your comments!

your tweets! your emails!

YOUR SUPPORT!

they have all fueled this little passion of mine and i am just gonna keep going, one foot in front of the other.

i thank you. with my whole heart, i thank you.

i don't even know what i'm making for the tasting party yet and it's this weekend!!!!!!!  ready to get my Rachael Ray ON though!

take advantage of this ebook sale- it ends Friday night  (Sept. 27th, 2013) at 11:59pm. click here, or click up top on the Fit Foodie Lean Ebook tab!  as always, tag me on IG: #fitfoodiele @fitfoodiele #fitclean2013

happy HUMP DAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

le

let's try this again, shall we!?

and just like that....my prayers for the last 2 months have been answered.  to God  be ALL the glory.

buy FIT FOODIE LEAN right here, right NOW.

if you don't have a Paypal account, no big deal! you can log on in as a guest.

:shock:

as promised, it includes:

full page color foodie photos

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almost 50 healthy, lean, clean, delish recipes

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breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert & snack options

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gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar, low-calorie, vegetarian, vegan options

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macro & micro-nutrients included (calories, fat, sodium, carbs, fiber, protein)

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specialty grocery list for my favorite items used in the book

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made with tons of LOVE!

to buy Fit Foodie Lean, click meeeeee!

or click the Fit foodie Lean cover in the right sidebar up there OR the cover pic in this very post. they'll all get you to the right place.

i just want to thank each and every single one of you fit foodies for being so patient with me and the never ending battle to publish Fit Foodie Lean.  i can finally say IT IS COMPLETELY FINISHED without a shadow of a doubt.  enjoy this ebook and have fun making and devouring these recipes with your family!

*jumping up and down*

NOTE: if you've purchased Fit Foodie Lean already via amazon, EMAIL YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFO TO LE@FITFOODIELE.COM RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!! please and thank you :)

for now, ummm it's super late and i have to teach in the morning, eeeeek!!!! GOODNIGHT!

le