take it in stride

decisions, decisions.  this year has already started out with way more than i ever thought i could handle.  the major issue being my career!  I've been in the IT industry since i graduated 8 (WOW :shock:) years ago.  i'm an IT contractor, but let's just say i'm on an extended holiday vacation right now lol.  which means...... i get to spend more time in my sanctuary (my kitchen!!!!!) creating new recipes galore, playing, teaching, & showing my little big boy new things, sprucing up my wifely duties big time, and finally, putting maximum effort towards the multiple personal projects God has dropped on my heart. finding balance is hard as crap sometimes! however, i find so much comfort in the fact that He not only tells us what He wants us to do, but He makes a way for it to be done.

 HELLO!  He won't leave you hanging and clueless....  but if you don't move, He can't work.   remember, 'ALL things work together for the good of those that love Him!'

you've only got ONE.  He has given me this precious time, and i'm going to ENJOY and cherish this blessing.

now let's talk about food.

i finally got that red velvet pancake recipe up, and i made my little guy a mini stack of them yesterday for breakfast.

i can't even begin to tell you how gratifying it is to see him stuff his face with VEGGIES!  cause he still hates them.  anything green goes on the floor.  good thing beets are UBER good for us!  they are low-calorie, no fat, high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and help fight various types of cancer.  i'll certainly be making some type of spinach cakes next lol.  i'm gonna get them into his diet however i can.

this photo was pre-walden farms syrup...they look so dry!! but i promise you they are moist and fluffy on the inside. Chiso doesn't appreciate my fanciness yet as he slid the whipped cream right off the top and pushed the chocolate chips around before making a pile of them in the corner of his high chair table.

Q: how do you roast your beets?

A: in a pan:)

that's it! i avoided them for the LONGEST time at the store..i mean they just look so dirty and hard to prepare.  i cut the tops off (someone told me you can save them, cook them, and eat them, but i had already tossed them in the trash) put them in a pan, and shoved them in a 450 degree oven.  in about 45 min, they were soft to the touch, and the peeling came right on off.  beets have officially been conquered!

this morning i made us some cinnamon oatmeal pancrepes.  why crepes? cause i added too much almond milk!  you can compensate by adding more dry ingredients, but i kept it as is and went for it.  i have FUN in my kitchen.  sometimes it's a great success, sometimes it sucks.  flip a coin!

since they are thinner than pancakes, my recipe made a ton.  i ate some flat, and i rolled some too. no pics of those yet though, lmbo.  i'd love to stuff them with something the next time, and i will. so sit tight.  i topped the flat ones with sugar-free cool whip, strawberry slices, and cinnamon.

so, salmon went on sale at HEB this past week and i didn't say a word.  ironically, i got so many PM's from friends letting me know about it  though LOL!!! thank you guys so much!! i'll say something next time, i promise!

red bell peppers were also on sale, so i snagged some of them too.  i made a huuuuge filet of salmon when i was prepping at the beginning of the week, and here are just a few of my meals.

honey mustard smokehouse salmon with steamed okra and red bell peppers.

the salmon was cooked at 450 degrees for 12 minutes.  i squirted it with some Bragg's liquid aminos, then seasoned it with Mc Cormick Smokehouse maple seasoning.

since i have beets at home, i wanted to make one of my fave Cheesecake Factory Salads: the beet, goat cheese, and candied pecan spring mix salad.  what a combo!  i was looking for regular old goat cheese when i came across this gem!  it's so sweet, creamy, and SOUR. the best part!  i don't really do candied nuts, so i figured the sweetness will come from the cheese, and i can keep the nuts roasted and unsalted.  i'll be making that tonight, can't wait!

last night i was browsing Instagram (fitfoodiele) and got inspiration for my final dish of the evening.  i took some scrambled egg whites with spinach, garlic powder & onion powder, incorporated some shredded salmon into it, then stuffed all that into my bell peps.  i topped them with the honey goat cheese and baked them in a 405 degree oven until the peps were tender but still crisp, and the cheese was lightly browned.

i didn't think the cheese could get any creamier or tangier...oh but it DID.  steamed okra and corn on the side!

hitting the gym today for my 2nd leg day this week and ready to get my squat ON.

a quick announcement.....

for my Houston readers, i am excited to announce that i will be instructing at 24 Hour Fitness again!!  the Katy Bella Terra Super Sport location is launching a free weekend of Les Mills, Cycle, Zumba, and recently added, Total Body Conditioning classes!  i'm ALWAYS raving about this class and how much it has improved my cardiovascular & muscular strength and endurance.  now, you can come experience it for yo self, with ME!!!!  check out the schedule and join us!

*Total Conditioning @ 11am with Leah on  Sunday, January 13th*

le

happy fit & clean 2013!

 well, it's here. the new year is underway.... i'm just happy and grateful to be here. soon as i opened my eyes today i made a Facebook status that said  'if you woke up this morning, you were SUPPOSED TO!! thank God! now, go and be YOU.' i'm excited and so ready to live His purpose for my life. it's time!

the day after Christmas, i had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed.  thanks to my driver and brother Matt for this hot photo.  what a day!  i was knocked out and didn't feel a thing, but the 3rd day was definitely the worst as the swelling was at its peak.  howeverrrr,  it's all over and done with now FOR GOOD!

6 days later i'm still healing and struggling to chew and it sucks.  i can only do so on one side for now, and i'm not supposed to eat any crackers, chips, popcorn- anything that crumbles and can get stuck in those crevices back there.  this foodie is ready to EAT.  so while my family gets to eat Papa Johns :shock:, i'm on baby food status. how i've been surviving:

oh and let's not forget i couldn't exercise! no food = no energy = no activity = boo. this entire pint of Arctic Zero came in handy.

however for breakfast, i cooked my oats as normal with vanilla creme stevia and unsweetened vanilla almond milk, then i sliced up a banana and threw it in the blender with them. this pic translates to how i felt that morning :lol: BLAH

before bed one night, i whipped out some cottage cheese to get some protein in.  i made some of my healthy chocolate sauce and drizzled some on top along with a dash of cinnamon.

 aaaand for dinner, i got fancy and made some roasted squash and onion soup.  i roasted the veggies in the oven until soft, tender, and charred, then threw them in the blender along with some low sodium vegetable broth, nutritional yeast flakes, black pepper, liquid aminos, sweet smokey paprika, and sprinkled some goat cheese on top.

i was trying to make a balanced meal in a glass and this actually turned out ok!  fruit, greens, healthy fats, and carbs.

 i'm outta protein powder, but a scoop of vanilla would have been perfect!

i ate it with a spoon though, no straws allowed yet.

no gym for 4 straight days and i felt like a weak, wet, limp noodle.  lost a couple of pounds of both fat and muscle for sure.  this is why i LOOOOVE my complex carbs combined with hitting the weights (oatmeal, sweet potatoes, whole wheat bread, etc) - without them i'm flat and squishy.

sunday was my first day back in the gym and i made some green eggs for real!  liquified frozen spinach + egg whites then scramble!  shredded a little almond cheese on'em that melted on top.

got a nice welcome back 700+ calorie burn in my boxing shoes which happen to be perfect for weight lifting.

 definitely getting a few pairs of these in more crazy colors!

i hope you enjoyed your new years eve WHATEVER you did last night!!  Chiso surprisingly checked out at 9:30... SCORE.  i know! soooo Sonny and i enjoyed a quiet evening at home and popped open a bottle of  the good stuff - sparkling welches red grape juice cocktail. we had a quiet, intimate toast to end a great year and welcome an even better one!

this morning was the Commitment Day 5k-  did you get up and go run in your city?

it rained. it was windy. it was cold.

but that didn't stop these people from coming out in their raincoats, hats, and umbrellas!  it was still a fair turnout and i was honored to participate.

i ran with my sister-friend Shabakka; she showed up and showed out!  we had just finished up.

i saw a few familiar faces along the way though and i was definitely looking for some!  i'd like to give a huge CONGRATS and shout out to one of my readers and fam, Ivy!!!  you did it! way to start 2013 STRONG.

you know i wore my watch. couldn't tell ya what my time was though...let's say around 24 min or so.

that's my holiday wrap up!  i'll leave you with one of the quotes i'm really feelin':

'don't tell people your dreams, show them.'

here's to a fit & clean 2013! (thx Dami;)

le

caramel pecan pancakes

hi. i had all that yumminess for breakfast this morning.

caramel pecan pancakes inspired by @Spoonfuloffit via Instagram.  she is a motivational and inspirational powerhouse! i love her recipes and spunkiness :)  she blogs too- hit her up!

i haven't made or eaten protein pancakes in a really long time - i like to get my protein from plain ol' food.  you can certainly add a scoop of your fave protein flavor to this recipe if ya like though.

i made a sweet cream (only 15 calories) to go on top using a big dollop of fromage blanc, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and half a packet of stevia. you could also use a few drops of vanilla creme stevia instead of the granules. theeeeen i drizzled the cakes with walden farms caramel sauce (calorie-free, carb-free, gluten-free, etc, etc, etc!!) and dropped a tablespoon of chopped toasted pecans on there. oh and one more shot of cinnamon to make it pretty.

caramel pecan pancakes

the stuff: 

• 1/3  cup oat flour (you can buy the flour in the store or just throw your oats in the blender yourself like i did)
• 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or until your desired consistency)
• 1/2 tsp butter extract
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3-5 drops of vanilla creme stevia or 1 packet or stevia granules
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tbsp fromage blanc or 0% greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp of chopped toasted pecans (you can throw these in the batter or sprinkle on top)

do this:

mix thoroughly! in a medium heated pan, cook your cakes (the size is up to you) on one side until you start to see bubbles popping, then flip.  top with the fromage sweet cream- the recipe is above!  eat. enjoy.

i needed all those good carbs after my workout this morning for sure.

stats are listed below for one big fluffy, scrumptious stack of these babies:

i used 1/2 cup of oats cause i eat a big breakfast and that adds approx. 50 more cals to those stats, fyi.

thank you for reading.  sincerely.  i started this thing a year ago and i have received some pretty awesome feedback from people i see in the street, private messages, and of course from the comments on various posts!   i loooooove and appreciate all forms of feedback.  all of it.  every acknowledgement, every like, every share.  i have so many plans for Fit Foodie Le...so many things i want to do that have been placed on my heart.  and with God's grace and direction, i'll do just that.

the Commitment Day 5K is still open! you've got EXACTLY two weeks until go time.  start 2013 off strong and DON'T LOOK BACK.  is your city participating? check and see! and if you're in Houston, come run with meeeeeeeeee!

this post was ONLY supposed to be about caramel pecan pancakes.  i knew i couldn't do it. nite.

le

Commitment Day

have you heard about this day yet?!

i KNOW you have if you're a Lifetime Athletic member :) howeverrrr,

you DON'T have to be a member to participate!!!!!

300,000+ runners

30+ cities

one 5K race

1.1.2013

COMMITMENT DAY!!!! 

'it's not a resolution....but a revolution of you.'

January 1st is headed our way and the 'new year, new me' Facebook statuses have begun :shock:.  here come last year's fitness resolutions and promises to exercise more and eat better.  mmmm hmmm, yeah, ok.

let's try a different approach this year.  how about a commitment?

a commitment to a healthy or healthier way of life for you, your kiddos, your husbands, your wives, your parents, your siblings, and your friends.  'you'll feel good, and inspire someone else to make a positive change.'

watch this -----> http://www.commitmentday.com/ <-----watch this

 my passion and fire for health and fitness relates directly to the Commitment Day message; i am THRILLED to be apart of this great event.

SO, who'll be reppin' for Houston with me!?  

and if you don't live in H-town, what city WILL you be reppin' then?

P.S. use referral code CCH0051 when you sign up so I'll know to look for you out there!