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

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       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. 11403083_10102555765702216_6265772524055854844_n

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!)
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  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

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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).

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

20150204_223116_1-1so, 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.

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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

The Egwuatus

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happy sunday funday!

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today was a rest day for me so i stayed indoors looking somewhat like this. i bust out laughing every time i look at this pic! give me a pair of fuzzy socks and i'd be set.  an IG follower commented on how her 13 month old would still find her way inside to breastfeed. LOL.

i threw a whole bunch of stuff in my egg whites this morning to make #weggs (waffle iron eggs) and made a huge, delicious mess instead.  no-stick cooking spray wasn't enough to save me cause i loaded that thing ridiculously full!  there's cheddar almond cheese, Applegate organic chicken & apple sausage cilantro, tomatoes, golden bell peppers, liquid aminos, and black pepper in there.  low sugar ketchup on the side!  i also had some oat bran with kiwi and unsweetened coconut flakes.

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IMG_20150111_114434

 so in addition to it being frosty outside today, it was also raining in my hood at that. staying in was definitely alright with me. i somehow snuck away for a bit to finally break out that Enfusia bath bomb i received in my goodie bag from my WFM Post Oak tour!

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20150109_114821_1

the first thing that came to mind when i saw this pic i snapped was 'Calgon, take me away!'.  aaaaand now i'm showing my age.

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CYMERA_20150111_123634

it was like a Sesame Street Fizzy Tub Color Tablet on steroids. the lemon grass aroma filled my bathroom and turned the water a subtle lime green color.  nothing like a steaming, hot bath on a nippy, winter day.

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IMG_20150111_155110

i got some blogging done (obvi) and i even updated a new page for baby stuff!! i appreciate the Instagram baby food feed back, man!  i wanted to get all my old baby food posts and fit preggo info in general together in one place for you guys and i do hope this serves as a huge resource. i'm also working on that baby food e-book as well! aaand i'm redoing the other pages on my site too, so bear with me.

 my fave IG caption for this pic:

'mama imma let you finish, but first i gotta take this selfie.' HILARIOUS.

we received so many beautiful Christmas cards in the mail from our friends this season.

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CYMERA_20150111_230556

gosh, it just seems like we all graduated yesterday! crazy.  well, The Egwuatus didn't get it together in time for Christmas pics (again) this year but we are right on time for New Year's, ha.  so here we are!

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IMG_20150109_185409

whadaya think?!  Christin is a beast and this a sneak peek from last month's photo shoot!!! my dress is from H & M and i found the stilettos at Aldo during black friday madness for like 50% off. they are definitely the highest pair i own and they keep Sonny on his tippy toes lol.  the boy's fits are from H & M too,  and Chiso's kicks are from Old Navy.  they were THE last pair on the shelf and matched our color theme perfectly!  Sonny doesn't care for H & M (half the stuff doesn't fit his athletic build anyway) so he headed on over to Express for his threads.

Qs: what's your favorite rest day relaxation technique?

 do you send out family holiday cards?

what else would you like to see in the Preggo Powerrr section???

stay warm over there,

le

The Egwuatus

happy sunday funday!

IMG_20150109_143043-1
IMG_20150109_143043-1

today was a rest day for me so i stayed indoors looking somewhat like this. i bust out laughing every time i look at this pic! give me a pair of fuzzy socks and i'd be set.  an IG follower commented on how her 13 month old would still find her way inside to breastfeed. LOL.

i threw a whole bunch of stuff in my egg whites this morning to make #weggs (waffle iron eggs) and made a huge, delicious mess instead.  no-stick cooking spray wasn't enough to save me cause i loaded that thing ridiculously full!  there's cheddar almond cheese, Applegate organic chicken & apple sausage cilantro, tomatoes, golden bell peppers, liquid aminos, and black pepper in there.  low sugar ketchup on the side!  i also had some oat bran with kiwi and unsweetened coconut flakes.

IMG_20150111_114434
IMG_20150111_114434

 so in addition to it being frosty outside today, it was also raining in my hood at that. staying in was definitely alright with me. i somehow snuck away for a bit to finally break out that Enfusia bath bomb i received in my goodie bag from my WFM Post Oak tour!

20150109_114821_1
20150109_114821_1

the first thing that came to mind when i saw this pic i snapped was 'Calgon, take me away!'.  aaaaand now i'm showing my age.

CYMERA_20150111_123634
CYMERA_20150111_123634

it was like a Sesame Street Fizzy Tub Color Tablet on steroids. the lemon grass aroma filled my bathroom and turned the water a subtle lime green color.  nothing like a steaming, hot bath on a nippy, winter day.

IMG_20150111_155110
IMG_20150111_155110

i got some blogging done (obvi) and i even updated a new page for baby stuff!! i appreciate the Instagram baby food feed back, man!  i wanted to get all my old baby food posts and fit preggo info in general together in one place for you guys and i do hope this serves as a huge resource. i'm also working on that baby food e-book as well! aaand i'm redoing the other pages on my site too, so bear with me.

 my fave IG caption for this pic:

'mama imma let you finish, but first i gotta take this selfie.' HILARIOUS.

we received so many beautiful Christmas cards in the mail from our friends this season.

CYMERA_20150111_230556
CYMERA_20150111_230556

gosh, it just seems like we all graduated yesterday! crazy.  well, The Egwuatus didn't get it together in time for Christmas pics (again) this year but we are right on time for New Year's, ha.  so here we are!

IMG_20150109_185409
IMG_20150109_185409

whadaya think?!  Christin is a beast and this a sneak peek from last month's photo shoot!!! my dress is from H & M and i found the stilettos at Aldo during black friday madness for like 50% off. they are definitely the highest pair i own and they keep Sonny on his tippy toes lol.  the boy's fits are from H & M too,  and Chiso's kicks are from Old Navy.  they were THE last pair on the shelf and matched our color theme perfectly!  Sonny doesn't care for H & M (half the stuff doesn't fit his athletic build anyway) so he headed on over to Express for his threads.

Qs: what's your favorite rest day relaxation technique?

 do you send out family holiday cards?

what else would you like to see in the Preggo Powerrr section???

stay warm over there,

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.

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 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)

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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!

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 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.

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 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.

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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. 20140913_192822_1

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

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gosh i love this store.

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especially this aisle.

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

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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.

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

20140914_103932_1_3 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.

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

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

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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!

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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.

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wouldn't have had it any other way.

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happy 7th anni, Mr. Egwuatu!

thanks for reading:)

le

Grovin'

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i started saturday morning with a RUN!  yep, i stepped it on up and turned my power walk into a run. after a restful night i felt the urge and had the energy to do more for my workout.  and uhhh, my legs said GO but my boobs said NO.  ouch. so it definitely became more of a jog/walk kinda thing for about an hour or so. nice, early, humid workout nonetheless.

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 great support from both sports bras and regular bras is EVERYTHING when it comes to postpartum boobs.  all boobies are different but i am now back up to a D cup (k, double) after getting quite comfy and confident with my B's post bikini comp last year.  my strongest, most supportive, 'old faithful' sports bra is so old actually that i can only find it used on eBay lol. it's the Asics Athletic Seamless Racerback bra and has served me well, so i'm sticking with the Asics brand from here on out. it's like a brand new bra after every wash- it tightens back up and provides maximum support.

*****

mama and papa stepped out for a hot date saturday night!  dates are good. dates are refreshing.  dates keep things going, exciting, and refreshing. dates give you something to look forward to.  we are going on 7 years of marriage this year!  i actually had something really cool planned that fell through....but i didn't reveal it to Sonny yet cause i'm totally gonna try again.  so, we went to dinner anyway to just enjoy some kiddo-free time. and burgers.

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i chose the Grove downtown, and we got a nice big cozy booth to ourselves.

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repeat offender.  just one of those things Sonny has grown to 'love' about me.  even if we're at a new spot- i always play it safe and order salmon, and then we argue on how to even say salmon correctly.

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excuse the disrespectful flash;  the lighting was super dim and sexy though so i needed it.  reminds me of my early IG pictures pics- i can't stand looking at them!! uuuggggghhhh.

this was a spring mix salad with radish and tomatoes.  now that i think about it, our waiter didn't ask me when kind of dressing i even wanted, so no idea there.  i was living life on the edge and didn't get my dressing on the side this time.

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Sonny asked our waiter what the quickest appetizer to make was (kinda hungry, aye?) and he said the flash fried shrimp.

sweet, crunchy, and full of flavor.

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a tasty bacon burger and french fry combo for hubby,

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and a grilled salmon fillet paired with sautéed cauliflower, kale, and fennel for moi.

much needed!

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are they twinning or what?  Dego is much more social and aware these days which means more smiles :D

Q: what's your favorite date nite with your S.O.?

Q: how often do you make time for them? weekly? monthly?

long as i'm eating good food i'm a happy camper; 2-3 times a month is ideal for us when going out. home movie/dinner/game dates are great ideas too!

le