The Egwuatus

happy sunday funday!

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today was a rest day for me so i stayed indoors looking somewhat like this. i bust out laughing every time i look at this pic! give me a pair of fuzzy socks and i'd be set.  an IG follower commented on how her 13 month old would still find her way inside to breastfeed. LOL.

i threw a whole bunch of stuff in my egg whites this morning to make #weggs (waffle iron eggs) and made a huge, delicious mess instead.  no-stick cooking spray wasn't enough to save me cause i loaded that thing ridiculously full!  there's cheddar almond cheese, Applegate organic chicken & apple sausage cilantro, tomatoes, golden bell peppers, liquid aminos, and black pepper in there.  low sugar ketchup on the side!  i also had some oat bran with kiwi and unsweetened coconut flakes.

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 so in addition to it being frosty outside today, it was also raining in my hood at that. staying in was definitely alright with me. i somehow snuck away for a bit to finally break out that Enfusia bath bomb i received in my goodie bag from my WFM Post Oak tour!

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the first thing that came to mind when i saw this pic i snapped was 'Calgon, take me away!'.  aaaaand now i'm showing my age.

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it was like a Sesame Street Fizzy Tub Color Tablet on steroids. the lemon grass aroma filled my bathroom and turned the water a subtle lime green color.  nothing like a steaming, hot bath on a nippy, winter day.

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i got some blogging done (obvi) and i even updated a new page for baby stuff!! i appreciate the Instagram baby food feed back, man!  i wanted to get all my old baby food posts and fit preggo info in general together in one place for you guys and i do hope this serves as a huge resource. i'm also working on that baby food e-book as well! aaand i'm redoing the other pages on my site too, so bear with me.

 my fave IG caption for this pic:

'mama imma let you finish, but first i gotta take this selfie.' HILARIOUS.

we received so many beautiful Christmas cards in the mail from our friends this season.

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gosh, it just seems like we all graduated yesterday! crazy.  well, The Egwuatus didn't get it together in time for Christmas pics (again) this year but we are right on time for New Year's, ha.  so here we are!

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whadaya think?!  Christin is a beast and this a sneak peek from last month's photo shoot!!! my dress is from H & M and i found the stilettos at Aldo during black friday madness for like 50% off. they are definitely the highest pair i own and they keep Sonny on his tippy toes lol.  the boy's fits are from H & M too,  and Chiso's kicks are from Old Navy.  they were THE last pair on the shelf and matched our color theme perfectly!  Sonny doesn't care for H & M (half the stuff doesn't fit his athletic build anyway) so he headed on over to Express for his threads.

Qs: what's your favorite rest day relaxation technique?

 do you send out family holiday cards?

what else would you like to see in the Preggo Powerrr section???

stay warm over there,

le

The Egwuatus

happy sunday funday!

IMG_20150109_143043-1

today was a rest day for me so i stayed indoors looking somewhat like this. i bust out laughing every time i look at this pic! give me a pair of fuzzy socks and i'd be set.  an IG follower commented on how her 13 month old would still find her way inside to breastfeed. LOL.

i threw a whole bunch of stuff in my egg whites this morning to make #weggs (waffle iron eggs) and made a huge, delicious mess instead.  no-stick cooking spray wasn't enough to save me cause i loaded that thing ridiculously full!  there's cheddar almond cheese, Applegate organic chicken & apple sausage cilantro, tomatoes, golden bell peppers, liquid aminos, and black pepper in there.  low sugar ketchup on the side!  i also had some oat bran with kiwi and unsweetened coconut flakes.

IMG_20150111_114434

 so in addition to it being frosty outside today, it was also raining in my hood at that. staying in was definitely alright with me. i somehow snuck away for a bit to finally break out that Enfusia bath bomb i received in my goodie bag from my WFM Post Oak tour!

20150109_114821_1

the first thing that came to mind when i saw this pic i snapped was 'Calgon, take me away!'.  aaaaand now i'm showing my age.

CYMERA_20150111_123634

it was like a Sesame Street Fizzy Tub Color Tablet on steroids. the lemon grass aroma filled my bathroom and turned the water a subtle lime green color.  nothing like a steaming, hot bath on a nippy, winter day.

IMG_20150111_155110

i got some blogging done (obvi) and i even updated a new page for baby stuff!! i appreciate the Instagram baby food feed back, man!  i wanted to get all my old baby food posts and fit preggo info in general together in one place for you guys and i do hope this serves as a huge resource. i'm also working on that baby food e-book as well! aaand i'm redoing the other pages on my site too, so bear with me.

 my fave IG caption for this pic:

'mama imma let you finish, but first i gotta take this selfie.' HILARIOUS.

we received so many beautiful Christmas cards in the mail from our friends this season.

CYMERA_20150111_230556

gosh, it just seems like we all graduated yesterday! crazy.  well, The Egwuatus didn't get it together in time for Christmas pics (again) this year but we are right on time for New Year's, ha.  so here we are!

IMG_20150109_185409

whadaya think?!  Christin is a beast and this a sneak peek from last month's photo shoot!!! my dress is from H & M and i found the stilettos at Aldo during black friday madness for like 50% off. they are definitely the highest pair i own and they keep Sonny on his tippy toes lol.  the boy's fits are from H & M too,  and Chiso's kicks are from Old Navy.  they were THE last pair on the shelf and matched our color theme perfectly!  Sonny doesn't care for H & M (half the stuff doesn't fit his athletic build anyway) so he headed on over to Express for his threads.

Qs: what's your favorite rest day relaxation technique?

 do you send out family holiday cards?

what else would you like to see in the Preggo Powerrr section???

stay warm over there,

le

cinnamon pears + hot body or hot wings?

baby Dego wakes up so happy!  his mood is crazy contagious and always reminds me of this quote:

'Children are happy because they don't have a file in their minds called, 'Everything That Could Go Wrong.'

well i do and it's FULL and needs to be deleted. lol.

  he started clapping (or trying to) a few days ago and has not stopped since.

well this happens every weekend, right on schedule.

decisions, decisions! i start craving those weekend foods... pizza, french fries, subway cookies, etc.  i guess that's where my passion for making healthier versions of classic comfort foods came from though.  i want to satisfy that craving (more often) without sacrificing my health or gym progress.  fair enough!?  i'm so glad we have tons of healthier alternatives to work with and swap out these days! anyway,  i have been having some stiffness in my neck, so i hit the gym for cardio only and stretching for my saturday workout.  will be taking it easy so i can hit it hard again on tuesday for my HIIT class.

i stopped by Sprouts after the gym and picked up some protein: 99% lean ground chicken breast and Applegate organic chicken and apple sausage for breakfast next week.  i cracked open the sausage as soon as i got home though and had a filling post-workout meal of whole wheat toast, egg white/veggie/sausage scramble,  and kiwi (low sugar ketchup & cheddar almond cheese on the side). delish!!!!

oh, i got some pears too!  they were next in line to try for Dego's homemade baby food.  i just diced up 1 anjou pear, threw it in a small sauce pan with 2 tbsp water and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, covered it, and cooked it on med-low until tender.  after less than 10 min, i poured it all into my Ninja and pureed the mixture until it was super smooth.  pears = thumbs up!

then, we turned UP!!!!

 with letter puzzles on the floor,

Food Network mag, and i killed the last of that coconut Arctic Zero pint with some fat-free cool whip and sprinkles on top. party, party! hope you had a relaxing saturday yourself!! after your workout of course ;)

Q: have you tried the Applegate Turkey or Good Morning bacon yet!?

what's your fave Applegate product?

le

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup...healthified! + skinny bacon

i told Sonny to get me outta bed when my alarm went off this morning no matter what.  he didn't, haha, but i got on up anyway and hit it early so i could use the rest of the day cooking for Thanksgiving!  speaking of, we have a Thanksgiving Damage Control Challenge going on right now by the way for 1 buck!! check out the details and sign up to keep yourself in check for the big day tomorrow.  i did a little arc trainer for my cardio and then one of our 6 Pack USA upper body workouts which targeted chest, biceps, triceps, and a little back.  then i went into the group fitness studio for core and stretching and did a few of these:

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i admit- i love this Beyoncé video and song. i just do!  not a Yonce stan, but definitely a fan.

then i got home and got the boys up and fed before i got cracking on this soup again.  yesterday went terribly wrong. bad pics, bad soup color cause i burned the sausage...it was just...wrong.  sometimes i want to post anyway and get it off my chest but something kept telling me to WAIT and be still.  today turned out loads better. loads.

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while i was cooking away, the doorbell rang.  i immediately heard a truck engine start which means it was UPS and i had a package, haha! they never wait. ever.

knock, knock...

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IT'S BACON!!!!!!

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not just any bacon though. uncured, ApplegateGood Morning Bacon.

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 skinny bacon! what? yes please! when it comes to natural and organic meats, Applegate is top-notch.  you get what you pay for, guaranteed.  Chiso looooved the hot dogs from our welcome-home-from-the-hospital lunch a few months ago!  and if you're a dear reader of mine then you know how picky that guy is.  we cracked the bacon open right away for breakfast. it's:

• applewood smoked
• 60% less fat than regular bacon
• uncured
• antibiotic, gluten, casein, hormone, and nitrate-FREE
•  heaven-sent

it's no coincidence the soup calls for *drum roll* bacooooon. i told ya, perfect timing.  His timing!  anyway, it tastes just like pork belly bacon without all the excess grease and/or oil.  let's give it up for Applegate!

*round of applause*

without further adieu, i present to you, healthified, dairy-free, Zuppa Toscana soup!  it's 2nd place to Olive Garden's chicken & gnocchi soup in my book.  maybe i'll healthify that one next ;) .  the longer you let it sit, the creamier it will become, fyi. i hurriedly took these pics a few minutes after i finished cooking while i still had some good natural light left and it was still a tad thin. a few hours have passed since and the flavors have made their presence known and the texture is just right.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup - Healthified

the stuff:

• 1 lb sausage of your choice (see mine below), sliced
• 2 medium red potatoes
• 1/4 cup Applegate uncured Good Morning Bacon, roughly chopped
• 1 can light OR full-fat coconut milk
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 1 medium shallot, diced
• 32 oz low sodium chicken broth
• 2 big handfuls of raw, fresh kale
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

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couple things: i used light coconut milk.  full fat would yield an even thicker, creamier soup of course!  i also used spinach & garlic chicken sausage that i found at HEB, but you can use whatever you fancy.

do this:

1. coat a very large pot with no-stick cooking spray and set it to med-high heat
2. brown sliced sausage in pot  (3-4 minutes)
3. add onion, shallot, potatoes to pot and stir
4. add chicken broth ensuring the water cover the top of the veggies/meat
5. cook on medium heat until the potatoes are done (about 10-12 minutes...watch it closely)
6. add bacon
7. add salt & pepper and let simmer for 10 min; taste
8. season again if needed then turn heat to low
9. add coconut milk and kale (make sure you push the kale into and under the liquid) and stir until well combined
10. serve warm and top it with more bacon!

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using the My Fitness Pal recipe nutrition calculator i estimate 4 big bowls of soup from this pot. for one 12 oz serving:

285 cals, 10g fat, 28g carbs, 4g sugar and 1299mg sodium

 (high sodium because of my sausage choice but that can be altered.)

pure YUMMINESS! make this and tag me! @fitfoodiele

omg. i'm running a 10k tomorrow morning. it's not like i don't know how to train for a run, i just don't want to. lol. and the temperature has dipped early this year at that!  man. this time last year i was preggo and complaining about the cold.  only difference is i still want to workout (indoors) and no first trimester woes.  welp, if you're out there getting your trot on in Houston, holla at meeeeee!  for now...

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back to cooking my mom's famous cornbread dressing! happy TG eve!

le

buy 4 get 1 free! + Sprout Channel

only two more Thursdays 'til Turkey Day yall!

this is my highlight meal for the week:

this filling, savory meal is the Baked Penne with Sausage and Kale from FITzee Foods.  the kale part immediately sparked my taste buds!  whole wheat penne pasta, chicken italian sausage, and fresh kale all baked together with a dairy-free cream sauce, mushrooms, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs. i'm lovin' it.

-----> a 'buy 4 meals get the 5th free' deal is happening right, right now! take advantage, fit friends.<-----

i would just love to express my joy for the Sprout channel real quick.

my sis-in-law told me about it months ago and after the last adult joke i could stand from Sponge Bob i decided to look it up in our cable directory.

3 words. WHAT A BLESSING.  Chiso has fallen head over heels in love with, well, every single show.  his absolute fave is Caillou.   Caillou games have mysteriously appeared on the iPad and neither Sonny nor myself put them there.  and then there's Tree Fu Tom:

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so even if we don't head to the park, he can still move and shake indoors! that makes me one happy fit mom. but not happy enough to clean out that file cabinet.

Chiso sings,  interacts,  learns, & plays SO much more so than when the TV was on Nickelodeon or  Disney.  the Sprout channel caters to his crowd (24 hour pre-school channel) and i have really seen a different side of him these past few weeks.

they have a fantastic, interactive website too! games, videos, and next on our agenda is printing out some of the blank coloring sheets provided of some of his favorite characters (soon as we get some more ink.) i am fond of several of the shows myself; especially The Goodnight Show :lol:.   i really like that they keep some of the classic shows like Sesame Street in rotation too. ooooh the memories. i am just too happy about this and wanted to share.

 parents, please check and see if your cable provider hosts this channel for your little one!  if you're already a fan, which show does your little one love the most?

you can check out the FITzee Foods Facebook & Twitter pages, or click here to order.

le