#SundayBumday + Healthy Cookies!

#SundayBumday

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cause after church, this is pretty much how we spent the rest of our afternoon!  it has been raining non-stop since yesterday morning... seriously. no breaks it seems like.  hurricane Patricia is NOT playing.  we spent all day yesterday in humble, texas at the Mocha Kid Expo (post coming up next) and had a BLAST. so we needed to stay in the house and #NetflixNoChill today anyway.  WE killed that entire bag of Boom Chika Pop kettlecorn!! it's time to have another giveaway with Angie's! #WaitOnIt

#ImUsingHashtagsLikeThisIsTwitterOrSomething

#ICantStop

#SorryNotSorry

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i whipped out my crock pot and just starting cooking!  i threw some chicken breasts in there (i sliced up 3 whole oranges + a cup of Sprouts Farmers Market Honey Chipotle bbq sauce + 3 stalks of green onion) for us to eat through wednesday. totally made that 'recipe' up on the spot and it turned out delicious.  for dinner, baked tilapia, sautéed peppers and asparagus (marinated in Coconut Aminos first), and a sweet potato for Sonny.  i had cauliflower 'mashed potatoes'! this is whatcha do:

1. boil some frozen cauliflower until it is super tender (about 10 min or so) in some unsweetened cashew milk and a dash of sea salt. pour in enough milk to cover the cauliflower.
2. drain it, throw it in your food processor, and blended it for about 10 seconds, making it half creamy, half chunky.  OR you can blend until it's super smooth if that's your thing.
3. add cracked black pepper and some chopped green onion on top!  you can even make 'loaded mashed potatoes' and add bacon and cheese, YUM.  i bet the kiddos would NEVER know. haven't tried that on my 4-year-old though....yet.

tasted JUST like mashed potatoes. texture and errythang!

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for dessert.... yes, please. i've been waiting to try these guys out!  Sprouts Farmer's Market has them 3 for 5 this week, so i took them up on that deal. they're VEGAN, people! no eggs, no dairy!

Chiso chose the chocolate chip to tackle first, so i warmed it up in the microwave for 20 seconds.

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smelled incredible... was hoping it tasted the same.

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we split it in 4 and dove right in. seriously good.

impressive facts, right!?  agreed!

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the stats aren't too shabby either! it's dessert for crying out loud!  subway cookies are waaaaay smaller and are around 220 cals EACH.  this is prolly the biggest, healthiest cookie i've ever eaten and enjoyed.

are you ready for a new week? ready or not, it's here!  nite :)

Q: what's your favorite thing to do when it's raining outside?  

no beastmode + avocado crema dip

concerning the game....

WHAT?!

i'll just keep it classy and congratulate the Pats.  moving on......

being at home to raise my boys has been one of the biggest blessings in my entire life. i am so thankful.  the only time i really hear crying from Dego is when he's uncomfortable (needs to be changed, hungry, the usual). other than that, he's showing that gummy smile off and cackling at Chiso! i thought Chiso smiled a lot but Dego takes the cake in that department.  Chiso is now a threenager. even on our most difficult, trying, exhausting days, the Lord reminds me how hard i prayed and cried for these boys.  that thought alone makes whatever i'm upset or irritated about (toddler temper tantrum, spilled food, disobedience, etc.) just not that big a deal anymore.  i actually dropped a big bowl of pancake batter and it splattered EVERYWHERE recently. everywhere. the ceiling, walls waaaaay across the room, under tables... just a gigantic mess. albeit my fault, instead of getting angry i stared at the chaos on my floor and laughed (not a crazed, hysterical, witch-like laugh or anything lol) then Chiso chimed right in with me.  i cleaned it all up with a smile.

these guys constantly remind me to stop sweating and stressing the small stuff. we just don't have time. or the energy, most days.

 so before the big game started i went outside to get a 1 hour walk/jog/run thing on!  that's all i had planned to do, but i saw new fit mom Ashley Horner on IG outside doing 300 walking lunges with her 12 day old new-born strapped to her chest and that motivated THE heck outta me.  so i did 300 walking lunges too before heading back home to...

mr. P.J.!

i'm finding it harder and harder to post these kinds of pics to IG because i don't want to discourage our 6 Pack USA clients as they work towards their own fitness goals.  i do maintain my current body fat % using my own personalized plan, but i also indulge in moderation as i am able to easily compensate via my diet and/or exercise for those indulgences to keep me where i want to be. so there! yes, i had a few slices of pizza on game day and i was back on track with no guilt or worries the next day.

my brother and sister-in-law came over to watch the game with us so i made a few snacks including this one i'd love to share with ya:

Avocado Crema Dip 

the stuff: (source)

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1 - 6 oz container 0% greek yogurt
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper
• juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• cracked black pepper & sea salt to taste

do this:

1. add all ingredients to your blender or food processor
2. blend until super-duper creamy (keep scraping down the sides if using a blender)
3. get scoop happy! you can dip anything you want, but i chose plantain chips and the bell peppers.

switching to the 8oz baby bottles for parties / get-togethers was a great move.  one of my pet peeves is walking around picking up half-finished water bottles at the end of a party!!!! never again. that dip in the center of the veggie plate is just Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix + 0% greek yogurt. my mom gave me that idea but used to use sour cream. so yummy!!! it really brings veggies to life.

love this stuff!! my Sprouts Farmers Market usually has a great variety of flavors too; there are so many to choose from.  we recently tried the Cheddar Caramel Mix and gave it two thumbs way up.  if you're gonna sneak snacks into the movie theater, bring this stuff!

did you watch the big game? where?

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

chocolate, chips, and crackers, oh my

this morning i got the chance to walk it OUT again at the gym! you've seen the quote 'you're one workout away from a good mood,' but baybaaaay, i was already in one and the early workout made my day that much better.

i did about an hours worth of treadmill incline intervals.  i switched back and forth between these two settings:

4 mph @ incline level 4

2.5 mph @ incline level 15

sweaty, saturday FUN.

back at home, i had a gangload of zucchini (about 6 medium) i needed to spiralize so that's exactly what i did before they went bad.  i sauteed the zoodles in a large wok for about 5 minutes in 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat, then added them to a large bowl with about 3 large spoons of homemade guacamole from yesterday.  i didn't really have a sauce prepared and was being lazy. it worked though!  i paired them with tilapia and a few fresh tomatoes for lunch.  Sonny really enjoyed this! seriously.  these postpartum cravings...  i try to fight them as best i can and it is pure torture some days. i am a bottomless pit and i'm not even working out like i used to yet, jeez.  i either want chocolate, salty, crunchy chips, or crackers, so I turned to my old friend, popcorn.

3 cups of air popped popcorn is only 25 cals, 1g of fat, 22g carbs, 6g fiber, and 3g protein. soooo I made a big vat of homemade Salted Dark Chocolate Popcorn! I melted 2 tbsp of dark chocolate and drizzled it over the popcorn (that I cook on the stovetop with a lil coconut oil) and added a pinch of sea salt and a few mini chocolate chips. i suggest putting the entire bowl into the fridge so the drizzle can harden first, but i didn't wanna wait nor did i mind the mess.

 so, friday night ended differently that i expected! hubs came home and suggested sushi and i did not dispute him.  i order the same thing at our fave spot every time with the following adjustments:

• salmon teriyaki bento box with the teriyaki sauce on the side
• steamed veggies instead of vegetable tempura
• 2 salads instead of the soup & salad my meals comes with as the sodium from the miso soup bloats me
• i customized my roll and asked for brown rice with fresh shrimp and avocado.

according to Sonny my roll always tastes too healthy.  whatevs.

dinner... and a show.

 Q: what special healthier requests do you make when ordering food at a restaurant?

le

strawberry spinach pancakes + Angie's Popcorn GIVEAWAY

strawberry spinach salad meets strawberry spinach pancakes.

these are similar to the Spanana pancake recipe but i kinda went off the top of my head this morning with this one.

strawberry spinach pancakes

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup raw oat bran or ground oatmeal
• 3 oz ripe banana
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup frozen spinach
• 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 3-4 strawberries, sliced
• 1 packet stevia (optional)

do this: 

combine everything except the berries in your blender or food processor.  coat your skillet with no stick cooking spray and set to medium heat.  cook each cake 4-5 min on one side; flip and cook 3-4 on the other.  top cakes with strawberries and Walden Farms pancake syrup before dig in and check out the IG vid i posted this morning while you're at it!

stats are for the entire stacky stack.

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i just want to say YOU ROCK for helping Fit Foodie Le reach 1K Facebook Fans over this past weekend!!!!! what!? small to some but a huge milestone for me man.  i appreciate every single click of support! that said,

it's that time again.

 i can't get enough of doing these giveaways!!! ever. they make me so happy and i'm not even the winner. giving really does feel better than receiving.

after fighting the urge to eat this entire sample box myself from Angie's Popcorn- this variety pack shall be the next Fit Foodie Le giveaway prize.  ASAP.  THANK YOU,  Angie's!

as you know, i looooove me some Boom Chicka Pop- it's my favorite movie-watching snack.  they have a variety of flavors like the ones pictured above and i am on my way to trying them all.

 if you're already following me on Facebook, you are good to G-O! click below if you'd like to jump in on this:

---------->a Rafflecopter giveaway<----------

contest starts......NOW!

remember-  what you allow is what will continue. remain humble, but don't be afraid to stand up and speak up for yourself.

have a great rest of your monday and head to Facebook and get 'ta Liking!

le