brunchin' & baby planks

this had me CRYING LAUGHING!!!!!! you don't feel her grind though!!!  by any means necessary, church clothes, boots, and all. maybe she was just trying out the gym after church to see if she wanted to join though. why do i keep trying to find reasons to justify what is going on here!?

every time i looked up sunday while getting ready for church Dego was randomly planking- and he was doing it correctly at that! natural born athlete right there, haha.  Chiso is first up to play sports and he wants to play literally everything.  after completing his first 1k you can't tell that boy nothin'.

immediately after church, i planned on heading back home to meal prep and hit the gym since Sonny took the early shift.  however, he drove straight to North Italia for brunch!

i really only like surprises if food is involved so this was good. this was great.

Chiso spent the weekend with his grandparents so the house was EXTRA weird and quiet to us.  Dego was knocked out when we sat down, so Sonny & i enjoyed some appetizers while we chatted it up a bit.

bruschetta, baby!  this one was topped with: crescenza cheese, grilled asparagus, truffle, grana padano.

aaaaaand this one was topped with: grilled eggplant, roasted red pepper, saba, & oregano.

i chose the *drum roll* sammaaaaaaaan!  of course.  it came with roasted mushroom fregula, horseradish gremolata, and breadcrumbs.   well done.  #punintended 

10/10 for presentation. so pretty!

and this was Sonny's D-friggin'-licious breakfast wrap!!!!  when we go back....i'm getting that. Italian sausage, smoked mozzeralla, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, roasted peppers......

nap time again. we get it. #teamnosocks

i hit the gym after brunch for some cardio and abs.  needed a break from the weights so that i could hit that reset button and start fresh the next day (monday).

1 hour of fat-burning, steady-state cardio went down!  i used the arc trainer, the stair master, and finished with a lil' foam roller action cause it makes my muscles feel so good!  do you own a foam roller?  ever see people using one?  try these moves after your workout or on rest day at home:

then i got up outta there.

     back home, i whipped out one of those Weber Just Add Juice Marinade Mixes i found at Walmart.  i used a combo of fresh squeezed lemon and orange juice with the Sesame Ginger blend.  that's all ya gotta add!  water would work fine too i'm sure. i used low-sodium lemon pepper seasoning on the brussels sprouts, and normally i'd take the time to make my sweet potatoes nice and pretty with my Deluxe Fry Cutter!  but not that night. nope. sometimes it's all about getting it DONE. i went to bed with a clear, confident conscious and ready for the new week.  i hope you did too, fit friends.

caption the very first pic on this post!!

le

savory protein-packed albacore tuna cakes....and stuff

it is NOT tuesday already!!! seriously?  please, come back with me to the weekend for a sec.

it started with this awesome quote above by Jim Rohn. when a quote hits home and find myself reading it over and over again, i GOTTA share it.

if you're satisfied with being unsatisfied, stop complaining and UPROOT YOURSELF.   take comfort in knowing that you have the power to change your situation for the better, especially if you are unhappy  with the way things are.  less talking, more action!!

we met up with a few of our 6 Pack USA clients that morning for body fat testing and progress checks, then hit the gym, together! we make the effort to work out together at least once a week, minimum.  it's our kinda date.  this man pushes me like NO OTHER.  buttons and all :lol:  but it brings out the best in me as well as fantastic results.  i always see more progress in my body working out with Sonny vs. solo.  working out with a partner (or sig. other) provides:

*support

*encouragement

*partnership

*motivation

*accountability

*companionship

*friendly competition

choose a workout partner that truly pushes and inspires you to do better and go harder.  friends don't let friends SLACK!

also, being able to see Sonny across the (weight ) room  is....nice.  even if we are both doing our own thing on opposite ends of the gym, i take comfort in knowing he is simply there.

afterwards, we went on another date.

a lunch date.

to my fave Greek spot in Houston, Niko Nikos!  peak or off-peak hour, it don't matter.  they stay busy because the food is that good.

i started with the greek salad- it's automatic.  it was topped with a block of salty feta, calamata olives, tomato, red onion, peppers, and a splash of their famous vinaigrette dressing.  i usually get my dressing on the side, but they never load it on ridiculously and i have always appreciated that.  their salads are always cold, fresh, and crisp.

the salad was followed by a spinach & chicken pita loaded with lots of feta and melted mozzarella.

ok....as much as i LOVE me some cheese, it was too much.  i watch my sodium intake and because i had just murdered that block of feta on my salad, i was good in that department already.  soooo, i definitely took some off before i dove in.

this one's at the top of his list...the massive, impressive, Hercules Plate.

like mother like son! i'm always reaching over my own plate for Sonny's food too.

i sure wish i had read this statement straight from their menu while we were there:

'We challenge you to finish it: Gyros, Souvlaki, Chicken kebob served with tomato, cooked onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, tzatziki, yalandji dolma and two pita breads.'

cause Sonny KILLED IT.  maybe we could have gotten free dessert or something!? i'll ask next time.

after church and teaching my gym class on Sunday, we sped over to a kiddie b-day party for Titus, the Engineer!  he turned the ripe ol' ago of TWO. happy birthday big boy!

Chiso will be two in May, and i plan to do a similar type of party, meaning, somebody else will be doing all the work this time!  nothin like last year's 1st birthday party at all!

Chi chowing down on cheese pizza.

once home again, meal prep sunday was in full effect.

i did a combo of grilling and roasting for my vegetables this week.

even had some egg-plant up in the mix!

i also made egg-plant 'fries' by slicing the starchy veggie into fry sized stalks, seasoning them with Mrs. Dash no-salt garlic & herb, and placing them flat on a baking sheet, 7 minutes each side. different and tasty!

roasting and grilling over steaming, ANYDAY.  brussels sprouts, multi-color bell peppers, and egg-plant for the next few days.

last nights dinner:

savory, protein-packed albacore tuna cakes

the stuff:

• 2 cans albacore tuna, drained
• 2 egg whites
• 1 heaping tbsp 0% greek yogurt
• 1 heaping tbsp course ground mustard
• 2 tbsp red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tbsp yellow, orange, or green bell pepper
• 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp Mrs. Dash no-salt garlic & herb seasoning ( i like lots!)
• 1 tbsp green onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

do this: * in a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix very well.

* coat a medium heated pan with no-stick cooking spray

* scoop out some of the mixture and place it in the hot pan, pressing it down flat, like a pancake.

*cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until done and cooked through!

that topping is just 0% greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic powder, and sriracha.  i didn't measure, but play around with these components to make a dipping sauce to your liking!

i made 8 cakes, and these are the stats for 1:

if you hadn't noticed yet, 

SO,  i started a new section up there titled FFL approved!  but you noticed already, right!  that page will be filled with all things health and fitness that i have either eaten, worn, or used myself!  e.g. good ol' PRODUCT REVIEWS!!!  i mean i've really been doing them all along, but this time the products will be mostly complimentary which i appreciate TREMENDOUSLY.  sooo, head on over there if you haven't already... there's more to come. way mo!

**p.s. if you make ANY of my recipes, i'd LOVE to see them! how? take a pic and post them to the Fit Foodie Le Facebook Fan Page, or Instagram it and tag me to it -----> #fitfoodiele. **

le