'it was the best of times, it was the worst of times..'

thursday.... was pretty epic.

wednesday? HA. easily one of the most frustrating days of my life.  i felt the same level of anger when i attempted to release my e-cookbook for the first time in the summer of 2013. error after error and issue after issue went on for weeks.  i was pretty distraught and defeated about the whole thing. luckily, wednesday's drama only lasted about 24 hours.  thank. God.  i'm in the process of building my YouTube channel and i struuuuuggled for hours on end from sun up to sun down that day trying to create and upload my very first vid.  just one dang 2 min video!!!  i even took my frustration out on Chiso and we all know that's a big no-no.  #mommyguilt = terrible. well, i can gratefully say the struggle wasn't in vain.  i can't teach a class on it or anything lol but i now know enough about editing software to get things poppin'.  practice makes PROGRESS, not perfect.  i appreciate that struggle today....but wednesday?  i did NOT want to hear that. which brings me to this reminder: life is filled with problems. expect them! they are all trials which test our faith.  anyone can have faith in God during fair weather, sure. the true test of our faith is how we respond when it's raining cats and dogs. i get quiet, angry, frustrated, and i struggle and suffer alone or just nag the heck out of Sonny 'til the issue is fixed.  i'm a work in progress in that department.  i'm thankful for friends who keep me grounded when i just want to scream my face off though.  it's like God puts me on their hearts/minds and they call or text at the perfect time. never fails. so when you're in the valley, remember this verse and keep your head UP:

 Psalms 30:5 '...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.'

now, He didn't say which morning, but He said that joy would come and it's impossible for Him to fail or break a promise.

i woke up early thursday morning to go teach Barbell Strength class and still hadn't figured out how to fix my vid at that point but i was determined to SMILE and have a better day and claimed the victory!  i subbed a class that night for another instructor and when i tell you it was one of the best TCX (Total Conditioning Extreme) classes i have ever taught... man. such an indescribable feeling.  they gave me a standing ovation!  ok they were already standing LMBO but that abrupt applause at the end of class made my heart so full.  when i got home that night i got my video up successfully.  man!  from one of the roughest days to one of the best days. that's just the roller coaster called Life. buckle up.

 soooooo, *drum roll* check us out in our first video, Tank Top Arms, and SUBSCRIBE to my channel!

Fitfoodie Le.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcEt_QypxtQ]

i made some Italian chicken in my crock pot earlier this week and feasted on it for a couple of days. easy recipe below.

easy Italian crock pot chicken

the stuff:

• 4 chicken breasts (boneless or bone-in, your call. just make sure they fit)
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

do this:

1. everybody in the pool! chicken first, seasonings second.
2. turn pot on low and cook for 6 hours. *white meat cooks fast and can get super dry; test the breast with your fork during the 5-6 hr mark.)

 i've always been on the fence about vlogging cause 1.) i often look a mess and 2.) vlogging is waaaay more personal than blogging IMO, but creating this video was so much fun, even the editing part!! you'll definitely be seeing more vids (recipes, workouts, mom stuff) from us!  suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

so, what would you like to see on my channel? 

share some of your favorite YouTube channels below!

le

because i do. Chevron Houston Marathon EXPO

we moved right on along to carrots today in the homemade baby food chronicles!

i switch new foods every 4 days or so to give any allergic reactions time to reveal themselves. we'll see what happens. i just eyeballed and simmered raw carrots + cinnamon + water until tender then puree in the Ninja. carrots are naturally sweet like sweet potatoes so they don't need any extra sugar! they also:

• slow down aging
• reduce blood pressure
• reduce risk of stroke
• helps prevent cancer
• facilitates digestion
• boosts immune system
• improve eyesight

my eyesight has been terrible for as long as i can remember.  i've worn glasses since elementary school and only need them to see far distances and to drive.  i pray the boys get Sonny's eyesight cause i am pretty much legally blind!  i hope they get his teeth too cause i went through braces, a head-gear, a retainer...the whole 9.  i'd love to get Invisialign as they are shifting again from not wearing my retainer years ago. i was so happy to be DONE with all that stuff i didn't care. but now i do. that's how it goes!

so far so good!

i've been doing solo dates once a week with Chiso for a while now and today i took him downtown to the GRB for the Chevron Houston Marathon EXPO!  i registered for the 5k while i was there and ran right into my Sorority sister and fitness expert, Crystal!  she was there to do the same thing.

only she was using the 5k for her warmup for the marathon on sunday! superwoman status!  I will be running along side her in a marathon one day, mark my words!  i have yet to do my very first full marathon, but my goal is to do a half mar sometime this year.

i can't wait until this guy can keep up and run alongside me.  i plan to put him in his first 1k this year and i am SO excited to watch him run across his first finish line.

we walked around and visited the booths for a little while,  ate Cliff Bar samples, and eventually made our way to the 'I RUN HOU BECAUSE....' wall.  i gave Chiso the marker and he started drawing shapes :D.  then i asked him, 'why do you like to run, Chiso?' and he simply looked at me and replied 'because i do.'

i didn't even ask him to explain! this time.

pose for the frame! neat idea!

then we went to Whole Foods for lunch.  we discussed his new friends in the child care center at our gym and also sports he would like to try this year.  3 is still tougher than 2 in my opinion but it has its highlights like all ages i'm sure!  i'm loving our discussions these days.  pepperoni pizza for Chi,

spring mix salad with pomegranate vinaigrette,

and a few scoops of the hot bar items for me which included: chicken fajitas w/ peppers & onions, hoke (white fish), cilantro-lime rice, and a scoop of spinach/mushroom enchiladas- they looked too good not to try!  the enchilada pan was pretty much empty and i saw why. YUM.

i got my race stuff ready as soon as i got home!  the ABB 5k shirts matched my shoes this year, how cool is that?  bib #55808 is ready to RUN! that said,

and blogging of course!  have a relaxing friday night, friends!

Q: what special things do you do for one-on-one time with your kiddos?

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!

LA road trip - Destiny Christian Center Health Fair

so i got a chance to do my first live cooking demo this past weekend at a health fair held at the Destiny Christian Center in LaPlace, Louisiana :shock: :)

 the day before though, Chiso and i had the pleasure of meeting a fit foodie le supporter in HEB while i was picking up a few last-minute things for our road trip.  i so thought i was being reprimanded for going back to the grape sample bowl too many times, but nope, it was Tiara, a fit mom of two doing some shopping with her mom and just introducing herself!  she asked about getting started with grocery shopping and well, i will cover ALL that and more in my (hopefully) next post. nice meeting you lady.

k, back to the trip.

we hit the road at 3 somethin' AM, homemade egg white & bacon bowls to-go (2 slices sara lee 45 cals & delightful bread for me, 1 whole wheat tortilla for him) in tow.

oh what fuuuuuun it is to ride with my hub-by to LA. HEY!

by the grace of God we made it right on time,

and started setting up immediately.  i made the Mo-Rockin' Chicken and Cold Cucumber & Tomato salad w/ Dill from my ebook, and also whipped up some of my oatmeal banana pancakes.

i spoke to the attendees about healthier ingredients (swaps) when cooking at home, shared a starter grocery list, grocery shopping tips, and concluded with a little Q & A.

then i added Sonny to the presentation so he could give everyone the run down on our personalized health and fitness company, 6 Pack USA!

Food Network ain't ready for me!!!!!! i ain't read for them either though :lol: . those cooking show hosts make it look CRAZY easy. cooking & talking (and making sense) in front of people or a camera is no easy task, but it will just take practice, practice, and  mo' practice for me.

grateful for this fun learning experience. friends and family keep asking me if i was nervous up there- heck yeah.  however,

so don't let fear block your blessings.  if God brings you to it, HE'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH IT.

my line sister Santrice so kindly had my e-book printed and binded in color just for my trip and i thank her SINCERELY!!!! i brought them with me to be auctioned off during the raffles at the health fair, and here i am with Kimber, a sweet, helpful woman who gave me SO much great feedback on how to improve and grow after my presentation.  she blessed me greatly and whaddaya know, her name was pulled to win my e-book!

i'd like to give BIG thanks to my girl Dami for hooking me up with the ladies over the Destiny Christian Center Health Fair, Kassidy and Brittany, in the first place! they both did a fantastic job of catering to the vendors and putting on a successful community event.

thanks for reading!

 to contact me about speaking at your health and wellness event, email me! le@fitfoodiele.com

for 6 Pack USA inquiries, email me at: leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

le

sweet potato pie + Light of Hope Festival

i know Thanksgiving is headed our way, but not that kinda pie yet! we had guilt-free, sweet potato crust pizza for dinner last night from my ebook.

i usually make 3 mini pizzas, but i did a large one for the very first time.

our toppings included: fire roasted all natural pizza sauce, fresh spinach, sliced roma tomatoes, fat-free feta, shredded mozzarella almond cheese,  golden & orange bell peppers, and italian seasoned extra lean ground chicken.

Chiso actually ate a small piece after taking off all the toppings, so i made him a small pie with cheese only. the 'what will Chiso eat today?' saga continues. :shock:

calorie count for 1 piece of crust (1 large pizza cut into 8 slices): 67 cals, 0g fat, 14g carbs,  2g sugar,  2g fiber, 3g protein!

ready to make some pizza? click here to get your copy of Fit Foodie Lean along with almost 50 other healthy recipes.

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this past weekend i was invited to be apart of the Light of Hope Festival as a community partner! it was an extremely beneficial event that provided free health and educational information for the surrounding communities designed to increase family skills.  i was honored to participate.

thank you to Chrystal Rivers for allowing me to share health and fitness tips with the participants and mingle / network with the other community partners!

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the attendees even got down and did my rendition of The Wobble with me- the Fit Wobble! fun, fun ;)

le