light, fluffy, healthy Sweet Potato Oat Bran Pancakes + Headband Giveaway!

       halfway to friday, guys!!!  Chiso (the 4 yr old) requested pancakes for dinner last night, so i added some roasted sweet potato into my usual recipe and BAM. these were so tasty we devoured another stack his morning for breakfast!  you do need a high powered blender for this recipe for optimal cake fluffiness, fyi. 

Sweet Potato Oat Bran Pancakes

the stuff:

• 3/4 cup dry oat bran
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla cashew milk
• 2 egg whites (from real eggs, not the carton)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup roasted, soft sweet potato
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 packets granulated stevia (optional)
• dash sea salt

do this: 

1. set griddle to high and coat with no stick cooking spray
2. add egg whites into high powered blender and 'whip' them for about 30-45 seconds until super fluffy (we received a Ninja Blender from our dear friend Diamond this past Christmas and i have been using it every single week since then!)
3. 
4. add in everything else!
5. blend oh high speed for at least 1 minute until super smooth
6. let batter sit for approx. 5 minutes. oat bran is suuuuper absorbent and will need a few moments to do its thing
7. spoon batter onto griddle (make as many cakes as you'd like; the size is your call)
8. when you see bubbles start to form on the top of the cake (approx. 3 min), flip!  (ensure the color is golden brown and not pale)
9. cook an additional 2-3 min on this side
10. top with pecans and powdered sugar and your fave sugar-free syrup! we use Walden Farms.

nutritional facts for the entire stack: 363 cals, 11g fat, 71g carbs, 21g protein, 10g sugar

neeeext, i get asked about my wide headband often and i finally answered with deets on IG recently. it's a @firstlinebrands Dri Sweat Edge and boy do i wear it often. it absorbs all my awesomeness (sweat) and keeps everything beneath it nice and dry (dem edges).

they now have more color options on their website if you're cool enough to color coordinate your gym gear like that.

so, who NEEDS one!? i'm giving away a free Dri Sweat Flex (see pic above) to someone that needs help preserving their hairdo  while they get their sweat on!

how do you get in on this?

*ahem*

SHARE this post and comment below with your answer to the following question:

WHAT is your fave type of cardio and why?

no cardio hater over here!  some of my fave forms include spinning & kickboxing.

don't forget make these cakes and tag me on Insta or Tweet me a pic!

have you tried out Periscope yet!? i'm having a ton of fun with it and posting vids daily. check us out, follow (fitfoodiele), and say haaaay!

le

what itch? 7 year anni wkend

 aaaahhh!! so many pictures! well thank God for pic collage apps or this blog post would be 2 miles worth of scrolling.  we had a low-key, relaxing time in Lakeway (right outside of Austin) at the Lakeway Resort & Spa this past weekend for our 7th wedding anni. time for a new mattress.

this sweaty selfie was taken after my last workout before our anni weekend began.  i had only managed to unbraid half of the what seemed like 1 million braids in my head at that point, so i threw on a head scarf and got some upper body and cardio done regardless.

 not gonna lie, i worked out with the anticipation of some good food in my near future! intensity is everything and i turned it UP. here's my stair slaver workout: (video coming soon)

after i posted this pic of my go-to traveling snacks on Instagram i remembered it would tip Sonny off about our trip, whoops.  it's my year to plan and i hadn't told him a thing about leaving to go anywhere. oh wells.

i hardly ever leave for trips without:

• fresh fruit (nectarines this time)
• bottled water
• turkey jerky (high protein snack)
• Quest Bars ( i like Double Chocolate Chunk and Sonny likes Cookies & Cream the best)
• gum to combat mindless munching! that gets me in so much trouble
• roasted, unsalted nuts
• granulated stevia (for my coffee, tea, and oatmeal when eating at restaurants still operating in the stone age)
• Beats headphones + Spotify
• fitness or foodie mags

off we went!  breakfast, snacks, and breast pump in tow.  i actually sat in the passenger seat first but soon as my butt hit that seat Sonny reminded me that it was my year to host.  yeah, yeah.  i actually had another stop planned along the way, but the weather ruined it! i did NOT even check nor consider the weather when i was planning everything, seriously. i just knew it would be clear, hot, and sunny as usual. no. so i'll save that stop for a later date.

we're here!  however, our room wasn't ready since we arrived earlier than expected.  we were hungry again though so we hit up the resort's breakfast buffet per the front desk attendant's suggestion.  boy was he right!  everything, and i mean everything was as delicious as it looked. so.many.options.  we love a good omelette bar and both got egg white omelets loaded with veggies.  no surprise there.  Sonny is prepping for a few upcoming shows and did his best to stick to his meal plan.

bacon, sausage, pancakes, french toast, migas, fruit... sensory OVERLOAD.

next, a couples massage i have been anticipating since i booked the appointment. we were already full and lethargic from breakfast and the massage was the icing on the cake for Sonny. at one point he was over there drooling.

the view overlooking the pool from the spa. the gym was right across from the spa and you knoooow we checked that out next.

impressive! you can get an excellent full body workout done in there, oh yeah. hotel gyms are high on our amenity list and this one gets 5 stars from us. they had my beloved arc trainer, treadmills, a full rack of dumbbells, and a bunch of machines including a Smith machine. lovely.

our room was ready by this time so we headed to check it out and take the most incredible, uninterrupted nap, EVER.  boooo to the weather though.

it didn't start clearing up until the day we left, but we will certainly be back with the kiddos so they can have the time of their lives out there on that slide!

 next up, an early dinner before the big Mayweather fight.  so this was my first time seeing my hair straightened (my beautician wrapped it at my appointment friday and i kept it that way) and i was blown away.

 may not seem like much to anybody else but man my hair has come a long way as far as length and texture! i decided not to get another perm but i knew that as soon as the tiniest drop of moisture hit my head, it would never be the same!  after wearing my braids for a year (shout out to my gorgeous, mobile (yes, she will come to you), braid lady, Ogechi) with 3 short breaks in between, they really are the best fit for my sweaty, on the move lifestyle. they'll be back very soon, but i enjoyed being girly and flipping my hair around town all weekend, lol.

one of my regular Lifetime class members, Sally,  lives in Austin and really hooked me up with the scoop on where to go in ATX.  she suggested we stay downtown close to 6th street with the youngins' but after i told her how Sonny just wants to actually relax on his vacations she said to stick with the hill country, (i.e., Lakeway).  we hit up Oasis and saw a little bit of the sunset.  through the fog.

after perusing the menu for forever i finally decided on salmon with sweet potato cakes, grilled veggies w/ a side salad, and Sonny went with a grilled shrimp salad. i ate most of those chips.

then, we stopped by the landmark Whole Foods Market in downtown Austin for snacks and gelato! so many nostalgic memories here for me. you can read about one of them in the IG post i made that day <3

gosh i love this store.

especially this aisle.

unpictured are the plantain chips and chocolate covered raisins i killed before the fight even started.

was it just me or was the Mayweather fight...boring?? anyway, the next morning we were both up super early as usual and headed to the gym before breakfast. who forgot their workout shoes? :'(  so unlike me!  i went anyway but i don't advise working out in flip-flops around weights, guys. in addition to the shoe fiasco, i had one of THE dumbest workouts ever.  complete waste of time. i was so worried about my hair puffing up i didn't want to move. and i love to move. i think i did the arc trainer for like 8 minutes super slow, then some dumbbell curls, lunges, and squats holding the dumbbells. didn't sweat a drop. ridiculous. i love my hair like this so much but unless i flat-iron it every single morning (and i definitely won't) then i just can't rock the straight look with my lifestyle. THE struggle.

we got cleaned up, explored the resort a little more, then headed to hit up the omelette bar again.

7 years in the marriage game! hard to believe i've known this dude for almost 14 years. we had plans to go out on the lake that fell through, so we hit the Lakeway Galleria Outlet Mall to look around and get some lunch and fro-yo.

found a new fave flavor i've never had before-- taro. yum! i discovered it at Red Mango back in houston too.

pistachio & taro fro-yo randomness.  worth every bit of dairy bloat.

while walking through the galleria, i did a double-take after seeing the word Chiso!  close enough. what a rare sighting.  from there we went back to the room to pack up because #Texans. yeah, they were apart of last years Miami trip too.  so was the Mayweather fight now that i think about it!

i requested a fridge to our room to freeze and store the milk i was pumping.  gotta get it out, and gotta get it done.  we headed to watch the Texans game at Sally's beautiful home in the hill country before heading home to our boys.

our actual anni this year is on monday, september 15th, and instead of going out to dinner, we went to the gym and sipped on anniversary protein shakes.

wouldn't have had it any other way.

happy 7th anni, Mr. Egwuatu!

thanks for reading:)

le

40 weeks preggo + Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash

 glory to God! we made it! 40 weeks in the bag.

wednesday i had (what i hope to be) my very last routine check up with my OB before meeting Odego.

did some reading to pass the time in the waiting area and my eyes were immediately drawn to "why it's OK to get an epidural" after picking up this magazine, lol.  this birth plan is the same as my first... to give it my best shot  naturally, and call for the epi if i need it. God has already gone before me and everything is in His hands. everything.

i love that my OB involves Chiso somehow at every visit.  especially when i forget to bring his ipad!  i just love her to pieces and thank God for connecting us.  according to Chi's calculations, my belly is currently measuring at 39.7 cms (the number your belly measures in cms usually corresponds with your current week, fyi).  pretty happy to have progressed to 2 cms dilated without feeling a thing at that.  well, what i HAVE felt has not been painful at all, rather.

so i left my appointment with JUST enough time to hit the gym for one last TKB (turbo kickboxing) class!!! i also just wanted to tell the best kickboxing instructor i know that i'd be seeing her in a few weeks, or whenever i'm cleared to come back.

i started that day with lean turkey sausage, 1 whole egg, 3 egg whites, the last of a ripe avocado, all over  a sweet potato hash i could have sworn i had already added  to my blog, sorry guys!! here are the ingredients i sautéed in my no stick skillet with 1 tbsp coconut oil:

• 1 small peeled/cubed sweet potato (microwave for 1 min first to make it easier to chop)
• 1 yelllow oinion, chopped
• 1/4 cup cubed zucchini
• 1/4 cup cubed yellow squash
• 1/2 cup  cubed red bell pepper
• red pepper flakes
• sea salt (i used liquid aminos) & pepper
• fresh chopped cilantro

and i scarfed down those rotisserie chicken breast deli sammiches on Sara Lee whole wheat 45 calories & delightful bread and raw carrots after the TKB class.

   

here's dinner from tonight with the recipe as promised:

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash

the stuff:

• 1 lb raw, de-veined, shelled shrimp
• 1 roasted small - medium spaghetti squash  ( i throw the whole thing in my oven on 375 for 45 min)
• 1/2 cup whole grape tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1-2 tbsp or more lemon pepper seasoning
• cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 lemon

do this:

1. heat a large wok to med-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
2. add 2 tbsp garlic and stir constantly so it doesn't burn for about 2 minutes; add shrimp.
3. season shrimp with 1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning and black pepper; remove from wok and set aside.
4. add in another tbsp olive oil and the remaining 2 tbsp of garlic; cook for about 1 minute.
5. add bell pepper if wanted at this point and let it cook/soften for 2 minutes. if no bell pepper, just add cooked spaghetti squash into wok along with another tbsp or two of lemon pepper seasoning and black pepper. mix well.
6. halve the grape tomatoes then add them to your wok along with the cooked shrimp and cilantro; mix very well.
7. squeeze the fresh lemon over the top of everything and serve!

nutritional stats coming right up, asap. as for now, the baby waiting game continues!  have a safe, fun, friday night :)

le

oatmeal banana mini muffins

do you believe that?  this phrase has been echoing in my mind since the day i read it, several weeks ago.  i said earlier on IG that i accepted my first formal health and fitness speaking engagement and well, i can honestly say that this is THE first public speaking event i'm actually excited about!!! prolly cause it's concerning health and fitness :) .  i'd be lying if i said i wasn't nervous, but hey, if it doesn't challenge me, it doesn't change me.  time to start SPEAKING along with all this typing!  if God brings you to something, He will surely take you through it. keep walking in faith and reaching for your dreams, friends... if i can get my sometimes timid and scary behind up there and do the one thing that terrifies most people, YOU CAN TOO.

super ripe bananas mean what? some baking is about to go down.   for breakfast this morning after my class, i made some banana oatmeal mini muffins.  i had the boy in mind- he loves these things and as long as i keep them coming, he will keep gobbling.

there is a similar recipe in my ebook for these puppies, and i got the calorie count even lower in there! pretty excited about that.

oatmeal banana mini muffins:

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup ground rolled or quick oats ( or oat flour)
• 1 small super ripe banana, mashed
• 1 packet stevia
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 tbsp greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• pinch of salt

do this:

mix real good until smooth!  if you'd like to use your food processor, that's cool too.  i kinda liked the banana chunks in each bite though.  fill your tins 3/4 of the way up and cook these guys for 7-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. i topped mine with a banana slice, a drizzle of chocolate PB2 (mixed with unsweetened vanilla almond milk), and a dark chocolate chip.

makes 19-20 mini muffins. for 1 muffin (excluding toppings):

tty lata!

le

chicken PB2 pad thai + TJ's trip

let's pretend today is yesterday, ok? ok.

i made pb chicken pad thai for an Instagram challenge last night for dinner.  IG can be so addictive! i've been seeing a number of 'i need to get away from technology and focus on my life and the plan God has for me....etc.' posts lately from some of the health and fitness peeps i follow.  it's admirable, long as it's not a publicity stunt or anything.  it takes a LOT to step away from technology for a few hours, days, or even weeks nowadays.  anyway, i get it.  what is IG to you though anyway? a 'likes' contest? are you secretly competing with someone? a business opportunity?  marketing tool? searching for who can flex the hardest?  seeing what celebs are up to? seeing who can make their plate of food the prettiest? finding who can wear the least amount of clothes? lmbo (not really).  i said all that to say it's cool to be inspired and build off of what you see in your feed, but stay true to YOURSELF.  after all, it's your account.  it's tough to be original once your mind has been tainted with what everybody else is doing.   on top of all that, IG can be a huuuuge distraction, like facebook.  sometimes you gotta put the phone down,  log off your computer and just live.....  technology-free.

*inhale....exhale*

so i adapted this from my own PB2 Shrimp Pad Thai recipe, but i used chicken breasts and fettucine miracle noodles instead of kelp.

aaaand i added a yellow bell pepper along with the red.  everything else is the same.

ooooh these noodles are simply amazing and went PERFECT with this dish i tell you, perfect.  my relationship with kelp is officially OVER, thanks to my affair with miracle noodles. *chunks deuce*

eye-popping color and freshness goin' on up in that pot!

letting the flavors marry for the last few minutes...

and bam! plated up! no cashews....i used pistachios and it was an even exchange.  ok, the pistachios really was the last thing i altered, whoops.

yummay &  healthay.

i worked the leggies at the gym this morning! how do i get my calves to pop?  4 x 25 of calve raises in between leg press sets.

flexin' in btw squat sets.

afterwards, my Stank Tank and i had lunch in the Life Cafe that started out with some Snikiddy grilled cheese puffs.

we're fans of Snikiddy all natural snacks-  they sell the huuuuge bags in sams and costco, fyi.

i ordered half a cheese pizza with whole wheat crust 2% mozzarella for Chiso (yes more cheeeeese),

and a turkey avocado sammich on Udi's gluten-free whole grain bread for moi.  this was my first time having Udi's bread and i liked it cause it was thick and actually kinda sweet, like challah bread or even a coarse pound cake!  however, like Ezekiel, the slices are kinda small, and the price is kinda big. Natures Own and Sara Lee have the regular size bread and for less cals and price.

nevertheless, both halves were gone in about 2 minutes.

the weather was GORGEOUS, so we took to the courtyard for a little bit to play.  funny, i remember bringing Chi out here and all he could do was crawl and watch the other kids play and jump over him.  yeah, i had a moment.

 our next stop- Trader Joe's Houston numero TWO!!!! i took this pic from the car so i wouldn't seem like an, i don't know...TJ's stan?

 they said it was coming...and it's here.  crunchy cookie butter. *shakes first*

i walked down this aisle for f...o...r...e...v...e..r.  TJ's  literally has chocolate covered everything you can think of.  some of THE oddest combos just go together.

i didn't do too bad- walked away with only a handful of items i don't need, like these. cinnamon sugar (15 cals per tsp) and sugar chocolate coffee bean (calorie-free) 'sprinkles' or dust, or whatever you wanna call it.

first victim - PB2 topped whole wheat toast.

so...how are yours coming along?

  whether short-term or long, sow your seeds NOW and as often as possible, and knock'em out one by one.  happy to be sharing some of mine very soon!

le