Susan G. Komen Pink & Treat 5k #boohoo

 

waaaaaaaaaah! i was looking SO forward to running in the Komen Pink and Treat 5k this past weekend but the rain and flooding in and around the houston area saturday morning said, 'HA. no.'  safety first, i know.

nevertheless,

BOOM!

we made eeeeet! because of the selfless donations from my friends and family, we were able to reach our fundraising goal of 150.00 in just a few days!!! i am honored to be able to gift another woman with a mammogram so that she can stay abreast of what's going on in her body, pun intended!  i could not have done this without the help of these wonderful people:

Christina Lyons

Shanna

Carlena Harris

Michelle Atanu

Nathan Atanu

Ijeoma Ikechi

thank you, thank you, thank you.

i was so ready, yall!!  had all my stuff out the night before like i usually do before a race.  Sonny found my Polar watch a few days ago (YAY) in a corner of our bedroom that Dego likes to play in. can't believe we didn't look over there sooner. it had been missing for like 2 months.

16 month update: *waving* hellooooo separation anxiety! actually i'm waving goodbye cause it seems to be on its way out these days. hopefully.  he knows when i leave a room, enter a room, come home, etc, etc, and let's whomever is watch him know mommy is in the building. temper tantrums are beginning to come on out, and teething is on/off which makes him extremely clingy. when i take something from his little hand he isn't supposed to have, he drops to the floor and screams his little face off for a few minutes! hmph. Chiso prepped me real good for that though, so i've been expecting it.  we have awesome days, and we have those tough, draining, restless days but hey, it's all apart of this motherhood deal!

 '(24/7). once you sign on to be a mother, that's the only shift they offer.'

                                             -Jody Picoult

 when i look over at him sleeping innocently in the most adorable pose in the universe....my heart immediately turns to complete mush. bananas. mashed potatoes. green peas. applesauce. mush. my spirit is renewed, my heart is softened, and my attitude is adjusted. thank God for His grace and new mercies every single day.

i had to cancel my postpartum clients, my preggo fitness class, and i couldn't even go do my own thing and run out side. rain, rain, RAIN. everywhere. sooo i did something i haven't done on saturday morning in years.  i got right back in the bed with my boys and we all slept till noon!  we were extra hoongry when we woke up though so i made pancakes.

i carmelized some bananas on my griddle and served them with Carey's sugar-free syrup, So Delicious #dairyfree Coco Whip, and some roasted, unsalted walnuts.

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on halloween night, we headed over to my sis-in-laws to let the kids play, hang out, and eat a ton of pizza! i waited so last-minute to make a dish so i needed something crazy quick. this was the first easy, pinterest recipe i could find- 'dirt cake' w/ worms!  this recipe is older than dirt but it was fun and just what i needed.

i combined an Immaculate Baking Company Scratch Chocolate Cake + 1 can of pure pumpkin and baked it as normal.  cooking times vary so keep an eye on your cake(s)!  using the pumpkin instead of the oil and eggs cuts down on the fat & calories, and adds a ton of fiber and moisture.  also, you can totally use brownies instead! let it cool then crumble it all up. that part was so fun!

portion out some single serving cups and spoon a heaping serving of cake crumbles in the bottom.  use your creativity here! some people add chocolate pudding, cream cheese, cool whip, etc... i melted some semi-sweet chocolate and mixed it with lite cool whip.  i spooned some over the cake and added mini chocolate chips and a sour gummy worm.

i topped that with more cake crumbles and another gummy worm. that's it! so many options to play with here though!  hope you had a fun, safe, halloween, fit friends!

Q: WHAT were you for halloween this year!?

pump up your oatmeal volume (vid inside!) + Pink and Treat Halloween 5k

top of the morning!  i have thoroughly enjoyed letting moderation back into my diet since we returned from Maui last month but i'm still holding tight to 16-17% body fat.   i absolutely do not weigh myself daily and i don't plan on ever doing that again.  they say 'never say never' but that is definitely one thing i can say 'never' about.

i love it here and that's what matters.  let it GO, ladies.

once home, i made my usual 'expanding oatbran' and i took my periscope viewers along for the ride this time! check out the vid i was able to shoot interruption-free since my boys were still snoring away once i arrived.  adding volume to your food keeps you full longer between meals and ya get to eat MORE for relatively the same nutritional stats, hello! love sharing little tips like these and i hope my oatmeal loving peeps appreciate this one too.

Chiso still may hate veggies...but that boy LOVES oatmeal. he specifically requested oatmeal with raisins this morning for breakfast before school. made me smile seriously big as i made it for him. sometimes we eat out of real bowls... sometimes most of the time  we do tupperware.  bikini prep life changed me apparently, haha.

[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="http://fitfoodiele.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/finna-get-loose1.mp4"][/video]

then we got silly! this week is Red Ribbon Week  at preschool so every day the students get to wear something fun and non-traditional.  Chiso couldn't wait to wear his workout gear today and he is ecstatic about wearing jammies (pajamas) on thursday!  we got a quick workout in after breakfast since he was already dressed for the part.  somebody tell me WHY Dego has more muscles than Chiso and i combined though!?

we are doing all this work but all he does is sleep, eat, & poop. hmph.

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k, last thang!

i'm runnin' in the Susan G. Koman Pink and Treat 5k this coming saturday, yall!!

 i am also raising funds for breast cancer research and awareness and i'm on a mission to reach my goal.   i would love your support in helping me get there; any and everything is APPRECIATED!!! i want to give a special shout out to my friends and family who have already donated and definitely those who still plan to do so!  we have just 4 days left til' race day. again, i am forever grateful for your support and thank you in advance.

to donate or even register yourself for the race (please run so we can meet up!) is riiiight here. the price is still currently 25 bucks but it shoots up to 40 on race day so get up on that!

peaaaaace!

Q: do you 'celebrate' Halloween? why or why not?

lean turkey pumpkin black bean chili + sweet golden conebread

conebread. today is spell-it-like-you-say-it-day.

aaaah yeeeeez.... it's finally chili and cornbread weather in Houston!

if you're like me, then you prolly already have multiple cans of pure pumpkin in your pantry in prep for next month. whoa.  way too many p's in one sentence.  pop one of those babies open and make this chili while we count down the days until TG.

lean turkey pumpkin black bean chili (adapted from here)

the stuff:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 small yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 1 can Low Sodium Black Beans
• 4 tbsp Liquid Aminos
• 1 can Libby's pure pumpkin
• 1 can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 cup sweet corn
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
•  1 tsp sriracha chili sauce
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup baby portabella mushrooms, chopped

do this:

1. spray your large pan with no-stick cooking spray and set it to medium - high heat.
2. add onion, bell pepper, & garlic, 1 tbsp of the cilantro, and cook while stirring frequently until translucent; about 4-5 minutes.
3. add ground turkey (or chicken, or beef) and cook until browned.
4. add tomatoes, pumpkin, mushrooms, chicken broth, sweet corn, sriracha, chili powder, cumin, garlic & onion powder, liquid aminos, rest of the cilantro and pepper and bring to a boil.
5. reduce heat to medium low and add beans.
6. cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 more minutes so those flavors can work their magic.

 my recipe made 8 cups with a little extra left over.  so for 1 heaping cup of chili:

and because you can't eat one without the other,

sweet golden cornbread: (adapted from here)

• 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Stone Ground Yellow Corn Meal
• 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill 100& Stone Ground Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp Stevia for baking
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tbsp Earth Balance Whipped Organic Buttery Spread, slightly melted
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn

do this:

1. preheat oven to  425°
2. sift together dry ingredients into a bowl.
3. add egg, milk, butter, corn, and oil.
4. beat until smooth; do not overbeat.
5. spray your pan with no-stick cooking spray (or add some melted buttery spread to the bottom of the pan and pour your batter into it for those buttery, crackalicious, crispy edges!!! thanks mom :)
6. bake for 20-23 minutes.

i put my batter in a 9 in round pan and cut it into 8 slices.  stats for 1 slice:

uuuugggghhh, is it November yet!?!?!? all i wanted to do was clock in and teach my class this morning :shock:

Halloween has just never been my thing.  this is a picture, AND the thing is fake, and it's still giving me chills.  blood, gore, guts, horror movies - no thank you!

Q: what is your least favorite holiday?

le