baptized as one

today was the day!

yall, i attempted to do a Periscope vid on the way to church this morning and i thought i had succeeded.  a friend text me about 2 hours later (i couldn't watch the replay right then cause we had arrived at church by that time) that the vid 'cut off or something'. on the way to lunch after church i finally watched the replay in the car and she was so right (thanks, Adaeze)!! after 5 seconds of my big face cheesing in the camera, the vid randomly cuts off. just like that. UUUUGGGGGGGH! my scope was like 4 minutes long, womp womp. AND i spelled baptized wrong in my title, LOL. soooo i deleted it. ah well!

Sonny and i had always spoken about getting baptized as adults here and there over the 15 years we've known each other but we never quite worked up the nerve to act on it.  until today. last month while talking during service, we agreed to finally take the plunge...together, this time.

some of our family attended and captured these moments on camera for us. we are utterly grateful for their support.

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God is in everything we do.  he fuels our passions, our careers, our relationships...everything.  so we must never be ashamed to give Him the glory.  i try to keep my IG posts food/fitness/family related so i honestly wondered just how this post would be received. however.... He is the foundation for those things in my life! and ultimately, it's simply not for me to worry how people receive it. it's not about Likes. it's not about popularity.  it's about being obedient because our purpose is SO MUCH BIGGER THAN US!

our sweet friend Mel greeted us in the hallway afterwards with the biggest hug! we love you, lady.

this girl... the sister i never had. seriously. thanks for coming, O.

brother and sister :)

 our support system.

and how cool is our pastor, lol!? thanks for the pics, Pastor Mike!

Matthew 5:16

let your light shine!

Dego's Dedication Day + Chocolate Chick Cookie Pie

baby Dego was dedicated to the Lord recently!  Sonny and i both desire to raise these boys up His way.... that is our daily prayer.  though our parenting styles differ in some ways one thing is clear; we both love our boys deeply and have their best interests at heart.  always.  we want them to both have their own personal relationship with our Savior and we can illustrate that best by setting the example.

our niece, Camille, was also dedicated that same day!  so sunday was pretty busy.  i didn't get to meal prep like i planned,

but i did get a quick workout in that morning before coming home to cook dinner for the family we had coming over.

fresh trout is on sale at HEB this week, so i seasoned a 2 lb. fillet with one of my fave spices! i can only find Adams Reserve at HEB, and the Smokey Sweet Potato is BOMB.  450 degree oven, 12-15 minutes or until cooked through. depends on the size of the fillet though.  just pierce the thickest part with a fork to check and make sure it's done.

on the side, i made a fresh spinach salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing!

whisk together:

• 2 tbsp raw honey (or 2 tbsp granulate stevia packets)

• juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

• 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (or white wine vinegar

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1 tsp poppy seeds (i get mine from the bulk spice aisle at Sprouts Farmers Market)

i added crumbled goat cheese, cucumber, and avocado on top.

toss and coat!

my dad is a bean eater so i had to include them on the menu.

for dessert? deep dish cookie pie. again!

man. i have made this dessert like 6 or seven times in the past few weeks.  this has become the kind of recipe i don't even need to read anymore; it's all in my head.  and it's SO good!  and deceiving!  

Chocolate Chick Cookie Pie

the stuff:

• 1 -15 oz can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)

• 1/2 cup rolled oats or oatbran

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 heaping tbps unsweetened applesauce

• dash salt (maybe 1/4 tsp)

• 1.5 tbs melted coconut oil

• 1/2 cup golden brown sugar or coconut sugar

• 1/2 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips

do this:

1. throw everything except the chocolate chips into your blender/food processor and let it rip until a smooth and creamy consistency is achieved.

2. in a mixing bowl, add the batter + 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and combine really good

3. pour into prepared baking pan, spread batter evenly across, sprinkle on a few more chocolate chips on top, then bake for 35-40 min.

the chocolate drizzle is just melted down dairy-free chocolate chips mixed with a little unsweetened cashew milk ;)

i plopped two spoonfuls of Arctic Zero's A Lil' Bit Chippy ice cream on toppa there. had to!

we thank our friends and family for celebrating Dego's dedication with us.  it's a REALLY big deal and we treated it like one.

up on the jumbotrons!

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our homework was to write a letter to Dego as if he were 18 years old.  man, each family that went up had beautifully written, heartfelt letters for their children!  it was incredible to witness. sure we wanted to write a novel (ok, i did) but Sonny kept ours short and sweet.

what is this, a natural hair convention? LMBO

my mom, brother, and sis-in-law came up to pray over Dego with us.

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Dego was pretty excited for his big day.

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i was looking through my closet for something to wear that morning and came across my baby shower dress!  last time i wore this thing we were two weeks away from meeting Dego.  sure it was a lil' baggy, but it was perfect for the occasion.

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congrats to baby Camille and baby Dego; God's will was certainly done.

le

servin' it up

tomorrow is fridaaaaay!  man.  the spring semester Small Groups at Parkway Fellowship started up last week!  i am so happy to have a found a group specifically for expecting moms and moms with young kiddos. what a blessing it has been so far.  serving makes me incredibly happy, so i jumped at the chance and volunteered to bring snacks for our very first meeting.  here's what we munched on:

yall know real fruit snacks are pretty much always on my menu!  strawberries, nectarines, blueberries, pineapple, and cantaloupe, all fresh and on sale from my Sprouts Farmers Market.

roll up your sleeves and cut your own fruit!  that pre-cut convenience fee is ridiculous.  use those savings and buy more food. lol.

i skewered some of them just cause.

next, breakfast quesadillas!  i asked Sonny what i should make and he said breakfast tacos.  sooooooo, i tweaked his suggestion and did quesadillas, naturally. lol.  these got rave reviews from the moms!  the combo of fluffy, whole eggs, savory turkey bacon, fresh spinach, portabella mushrooms, and melty monterey jack cheese... i mean that just makes your mouth water, right?! the tortillas were fresh made from HEB.

i used whole eggs and cracked a bunch of them into a large mixing bowl the night before.  i diced half a yellow onion and threw that into the egg batter along with some cracked black pepper and liquid aminos.  the next morning, all i had to do was scramble and cook them all up of course!  i made an assembly line for each ingredient, added a little of each to the tortilla, folded it in half, and toasted it on both side using my griddle.  a little Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread  was put on the outsides of the tortilla before toasting. gave  them a lovely color, crunch, and of course that buttery flavor!

moving right along to these BOMB mini Banana Pecan Chocolate Muffins! the kiddos enjoyed these too and i'm glad because they are naturally sweetened and a great 'grab & go' option.  they work any time of day- breakfast, snack, or dessert.  you can also use walnuts instead of pecans.

i forgot to buy some greek yogurt while at the store but i had plenty of unsweetened applesauce at home. so i used that instead and they were still as moist and tasty as ever.

 it's refreshing to meet, connect, and discuss all things motherhood with other moms....or not!  we have already discussed such a wide range of topics and i look forward to more.  we all have our stories but one thing is constant; we are all women wanting to grow in our relationships with Christ and raise our little blessings up His way. 

speaking of motherhood, i wanted to share one of the best motherhood articles i've read in a good while. i completely identified with the author.

"One day….I will sleep peacefully through the night, never a worry of a sick child or a crying baby. It will be but a memory. These years of being needed are exhausting, yet fleeting. I have to stop dreaming of "one day" when things will be easier. Because the truth is, it may get easier, but it will never be better than today. Today, when I am covered in toddler snot and spit-up. Today, when I savor those chubby little arms around my neck. Today is perfect. "One day" I will get pedicures and showers alone. "One day" I will get myself back. But, today I give myself away, and I am tired and dirty and loved SO much, and I gotta go. Somebody needs me."

 that gave me chills.  especially since that paragraph described the day we were having at the time. LOL. at some point every single day, Chiso gets down on the floor to play with his cars, action figures, do flips, and other things little boys do... so Dego and i got down there with him to play.  seeing the world through their eyes is indeed humbling and Megan's article reminded me yet again to just slow down and soak in as much of these guys as i can.

my answered prayers. my miracles.

can you relate to her excerpt?

would you join or lead a small group yourself?

le

chocolate festival + life goals

i checked IG this morning and my eyes were immediately drawn to this comment:

reading that blessed me in a major way.  even though my IG account is mostly a combo of fitness inspiration, food, relevant funny memes, and a lil bit of family, i never want to lose sight of the BIG picture, which is pointing souls toward Christ and being a light for Him via my lifestyle.  He is apart of everything i do.  and if he isn't, i want no part of it.  my account did not start out this way though.  i used to follow the big 'fitspo' pages until they became oversexualized and promoting everything but fitness.  seems like Likes and praise from man outweigh His approval more and more these days but i refuse to compromise my faith...anymore. i have deleted many a picture because it made me uneasy and didn't sit well with my spirit.  which means it didn't sit well with Him either!  at this point in my life, i simply want what He wants.  if that means letting go of those IG pages that stunt my spiritual growth, so be it. done.  IDK how in the world i found Heather Lindsey but she has been a blessing ever since that fateful day.  whew! she inspires me daily as a woman, wife, and mother and has such an inspiring testimony.  if you aren't already following her, #youremissingout!

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relationship goals!!!

i found this on Instagram somewhere and i thought it was the cutest thing ever.  it reminded me of my parents actually. my mom is a few inches taller than my dad so they'd have to switch though, hahahaha!  this could be Sonny and i, but the amount of time i spend in any grocery store annoys him (it's an experience. hello.) and i'd never come out with just 5 items. even at Sam's.

happy sunday family funday to you! #bestpicofthebunch

speaking of grocery shopping, we took a trip to the best store eva after church today, Central Market.  the Chocolate Festival is currently going on until the 17th of this month, guys! i believe we have gone for the past 4 or 5 years now.

we strolled right on up as these guys were being served. salty, sweet PERFECTION! i grabbed a recipe card immediately.  you bet i'm gonna make a heathified version of these puppies.

here's the original version though.

we grabbed lunch inside before heading out to the patio to enjoy the live band.  Chiso is unbelievably picky and wasn't interested in anything CM had to offer. well, besides candy of course, which was not happening. so, he had a banana and some plantain chips for the time being and i made him some pizza when we got home.

i attacked the salad bar and seriously got like one scoop of everything!

we hope you had a sweet V-Day weekend ;)

Q: what's your fave chocolate covered treat?

A: raisins!

le

small group host + BE conference time again

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 bwhahahahahaha!  i cracked UP at that meme and immediately sent it to my brother. he understands my humor like nobody else.  get it?? happy first day of FALL, yall!

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in the studio extra early waiting for my coffee to kick in and ready to teach some HIIT.  i usually wear my Lifetime jacket to feel cool but i needed it this morning. the weather was fantastic at the crack of dawn; the exact opposite of humid and stuffy.

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afterwards i did about 10 min of steady state cardio on the arc trainer (cause i got cold again after class) before hitting the weights for some upper body work.  bring on the leggings, yoga pants, and all things pumpkin!  i was sipping on the last of my coffee spiked with International Delight's fat-free Pumpkin Pie Spice creamer on my way home.

later that evening, i had the pleasure of hosting my very first small group.  yep, comfort zone aborted.  joining one, sure, ok. hosting one? me? no way.  i remember signing up for it several weeks back, but only up until a few days ago did i realize the magnitude of what i had done. people really were signing up to come, and they were actually coming.  whoa.  the food responsibilities fall on the host, and well, i was SUPER excited about that part, you already know. i had to sincerely pray about keeping the whole point of the small group and our curriculum as the main focus though, not the food!  don't get me wrong, the food needed to be on point, but ensuring our meeting was well facilitated from beginning to end was just as important.

thank God, it went WELL!  excited to meet again next week.

so, here's what we munched on:

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fresh fruit salad with blackberries, strawberries, and nectarines,

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i got all the ingredients needed to make my kopy kate Central Market Cranberry Pepita Kale Salad and did just that.

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yummers.

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next, Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships made with 93% lean ground turkey, smoky chipotle cheese, and turkey pepperoni.

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voila.

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homemade guac and butternut squash tortilla chips,

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and finally, i cut up and toasted some naan bread to be dipped into the hummus or the guac.

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here's my plate! got a little bit of everything like always.

remember last year's BE conference!? well it's that time AGAIN! the opening ceremony kicks off tomorrow and Ogechi and i are IN THAT THANG!  be sure to keep up with me during BE weekend on Twitter and IG.

peace!

le