sweet toof + we stay ready

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i sent Sonny off right yesterday like i try to do every morning!  his 6 Pack USA lunches were packed and ready to GO.  cause if they aren't i will find Popeye's and Timmy Chan's receipts in the car cup holders.  hey, he's only human and so am i! which is why preparation is so important and never fails us.  unless it's a major holiday, haha.  seriously though, we practice what we preach.  we stay ready.

i whipped up some spicy cashew chicken over steamed broccoli and he made it even spicier by adding Sriracha cause he's crazy!  i used Weber all natural Kick'n Chicken seasoning blend and cooked the chicken breast chunks on high heat in my wok before adding the unsalted cashews pieces.

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  these things are one of my biggest weaknesses.  the food that i must grab a handful of every time i go in the kitchen. so by the end of the day i've had like 3 cups. lol. great source of good fat, but don't over do it.  i get mine at my local Sprouts from the bulk bins.

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welp, we finally had a successful gym trip after two straight fails.  after literally 19 minutes (both times) someone from the child center had to hunt me down because Dego was just not happy.  even when i make sure he's fed and changed immediately before dropping him off, no one else can calm him like mama. when this happened the first time last week i just bit the bullet, drove home, and made that YouTube video out of frustration lol, so something good definitely came out of a 'bad' situation!  Dego likes to reach for things and jump out of my arms these days, especially food and my phone as you can see. he's still immobile, but he will be scooting around the house soon enough.

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aaaagggh, sweet success and no need for plan B.  smiling after a full workout and i even went over time and got a warning for being late to pick up the boys! i was having too much fun. i did my 6 Pack USA leg day routine, some arc trainer for my cardio, and i even did a FIT (Functionally Integrated Training) class.  whoop! then we hit up HEB real quick to get some Quest Bars for these sweet teeth of ours.

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did i mention how much my HEB rocks!? man they always have the goodies we like.  i've been hearing a ton about Quest protein powder (even though i haven't used it in years at home) and i so want to try making protein cheesecake (and everything else i see on @pbeechi's account! love her) i see all across Instagram.  anyway, they got the Quest chips, protein powder, and pretty much every bar flavor available!  wat.  awesome sauce. when i don't eat real fruit, Quest bars are the next best thing to snack on.

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and they had coupons!

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i took advantage and got our two faves:

• DCC (pictured above) (160 cals, 6g fat, 25g carbs, 16g fiber, 20g protein)

• Cookies & Cream (180 cals, 7g fat, 22g carbs, 17g fiber, 21g protein)

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speaking of all natural sweets, we made ice cream using the Ninja blender sunday night!  man. good thing cause i sure planned on buying an ice cream maker soon.  not now!  i don't have room for it anyway.

Tropical Strawberry Ice Cream (dairy-free, all natural)

the stuff:

• 1 lb tropical frozen fruit (i used a bagged strawberry, mango, pineapple combo)

• 1 can full fat coconut milk/cream

• 2-3 packets granulated Stevia or 1/4 tsp liquid Stevia or 2 tbsp light agave nectar / pure maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla

do this:

1. throw everything into the Ninja

2. blend until smooth.

3. open lid and throw in 2 or 3 fresh strawberries and PULSE them lightly if you want the real fruit chunks in there!

4. stick in freezer for at least 2 hours...for best results freeze overnight.

wait 'til you see the next flavor i'm workin' on! stick around!

Q: what is your ALL time fave ice cream flavor?

A: the sweet cream at Marble Slab.... bomb.

le

crunchy ginger rotisseri chicken wrap + stay fuller longer

having the same thing i had for breakfast yesterday while there are a few La Tortilla Factory Tortillas left in this house. they go so fast cause we all like them! Chiso eats them as pb & j rollups, Sonny makes tacos, and quesadillas are my fave. the exact kind i get are only at the Sprouts Farmers Market closest to where i live.

 since i always make them for lunch or dinner,  i tried a breakfast quesadilla this time with egg whites, red bell pepper, green onion, low fat turkey sausage, and 2% pepper jack cheese.  i cooked it on the griddle for 4-5 min on each side and threw in some tomatoes, bluebs, and homemade guacamole. excellent!

 my day gets going after some good fuel, and this thing makes it so much easier to get stuff done around the house when baby boy is fussy or i just don't want to put him down.  i received this Baby Bjorn as a gift while preggo with Chiso and i love it for home use and outings.  Dego is a thumb sucker and puts his whole hand over his face while he does it! so funny.

so with breastfeeding and getting back to my random, sweaty workouts as of this week, i am double HOONGRY. this is ridiculous.  i just want to eat the entire fridge and pantry when i get home.  coincidently i got an email from Spark People titled 'Tips to Stay Full Longer' and i could not click the link fast enough.  these are some awesome tips to follow and i've already been doing some of them such as:

• eat protein and fiber rich foods every 3-4 hours with healthy snacks in between (like fresh fruit and mixed nuts)
• fill up on the non-starchy veggies and fibrous foods (leafy greens, cucumbers, red bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, sugar snap peas) with every meal
• reach for natural fruit first to lessen/knock out those sugar cravings. remember, white sugar only makes you crave it MORE! it's a dangerous cycle.
• drink a full glass or bottle of water before every meal
• take your time and eat!!! when i'm super hungry i rush and stuff myself (which is why eating every couple of hours is still the best option for me). it takes about 20 minutes for your tummy to tell your brain you are even full, but by that time it's too late and you're on your way to a food coma. take your time to chew and swallow every bite.

today was my first day back on the stair master since i was like 6 or 7 months preggo!  my heart rate always shot up and being up so high with my belly made Sonny uncomfy so i just stopped using it. i didn't miss it. lol. hurts so good though!  i did some intervals for about 30 minutes for my cardio and headed to a core class.  how about i modified everythang. my postpartum core is way stronger now than in my first pregnancy, but i still have a crap ton of work to do. but first..... :D

afterwards, i picked up some of nature's candy from Sprouts.  i love their 3 for 5 bucks sale! i got 2 strawberries and one pint of bluebs. and those sweet, crunchy nectaries of course.

i also picked up another one of Annie's all natural dressings-- Gingerly.  winner!

i wanted to use it right away, so for dinner, i threw some shredded rotisserie chicken, raw red bell pepper, bagged cabbage mix, cilantro, green onion, and crushed almonds into a bowl, poured in the dressing, and coated the chicken mixture in it.

i grabbed a La Tortilla Factory tortilla, rolled the chicken mixture up really tight and made a Crunchy Ginger Rotisserie Chicken Wrap that had so much flavor!  please try this, guys!

 for dessert i skipped the fruit and had some Arctic Zero with mini chocolate chips, fat-free Redi Whip, and sprinkles lol. have a fun friday night and a great weekend!

le

Q: what are your thoughts on Artic Zero? yay? nay? 

 i add a tbsp of Hershey's sugar-free chocolate syrup to mine, stir until creamy, and add a few toppings first. hits the sweet spot.

sunday family fun day

i have been teaching my 11am 24 Hour Fitness Total Conditioning class since the beginning of 2013.  i've had a crazy good time meeting so many new members and sweating our faces off together sunday after sunday for these past 9 months!   nevertheless, after having a sit-down with Sonny and fighting weeks (ok months) of conviction, i have finally decided to give it up.  even if a class inconvenienced me, leaving is always difficult.  i despise disappointing and letting people down, especially when they get a routine going and expect me to hold up my end of the bargain and be there.  i guess i despise it cause i know how it feels.    this isn't the first class i've had to leave in my 6 years of teaching, but yesterday gave me that overwhelmingly bittersweet feeling.  again.

i could barely let my supervisor know my decision let alone share my 'important announcement' with my class today.  yeah.... this is always my answer to that dreaded 'what's one thing you would change about yourself' question.

if we made it to church for early service, i felt good.  starting my sunday with Word and worship with my fam is well, the best way to start the day IMO.  however,  if we were out too late at a saturday night event (which happened all too often e.g. birthday parties, dinners,  gatherings, weddings, etc.) early service was out of the question, which meant church didn't happen at all.  i have missed church more times this year than i have in my entire life...and that is so unfair to my family.   individual worship is important to grow your relationship with God, definitely....  but church is a vital part of that growth for me and my spiritual life has suffered because of its absence.  when this happens, i have to evaluate whatever is going in my life at the time,  pinpoint those distraction(s),  and either move or remove them.  it took me 9 months to accept this, but i finally let it go.  why? because it's the best move for our family and the head of my household and heart agree.  masking those feelings of disappointment completely will come with time, but putting it that way makes me feel a whole lot better.

and i really miss going out to eat after church. lol. not just as an immediate fam, but meeting up with my parents, friends, and extended family, etc.  we have either turned down those invites or showed up super-duper late.  rushing off to the gym after service was the only thing on my mind...  if i hadn't gotten my routine together the night before, i found myself writing down moves during service instead of giving God my undivided attention.  ok i could go ON.

---------->let nothing hinder or get in the way of your worship & relationship with God or block the spiritual & emotional growth of your family.  nothing.<----------

now does this mean i won't workout on sundays anymore?  not at all! i appreciate having the option to go at a more convenient time though vs. mandatory for sure. no pressure.  those family gym dates will keep right on rolling.

 i'm so grateful for these two knuckleheads cause they are totally worth the sacrifice.  so each sunday when we do our family thing, i'll capture the moment, upload it to Instagram, and hashtag it #sundayfamilyfunday.    seeing other families spending quality time together really makes you appreciate and cherish what you have.  so if you're following me on IG, well, join in and share!  just don't forget to hashtag it #sundayfamilyfunday. eating, chilling, hanging out, exercising....WHATEVER it is you and your family do together, share it.   i have a feeling most pics will revolve around food - i know most of ours will :shock:

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if there's a HEB by you, fresh salmon is on sale for 6.97 a lb this week until tuesday!

 i got us a couple pounds this past weekend and i have been roasting it with hidden valley ranch dry ranch dressing mix.

Walden Farms dressings have been BOGO (buy one get one free) at Sprouts Farmers Market this week so i got the Asian and Balsamic flavors on my last trip there.

 you can use them as actual salad dressings, or as marinades for your proteins (fish, chicken, beef, shellfish).

that chicken up there turned out great (roasted it for 50 minutes on 350 degrees) and i threw it on a salad for lunch last week.

see! it's a berry almond Asian chicken salad.  romain lettuce mix, raw sugar snap peas, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, sliced almonds, roasted chicken breast (marinated and sprinkled with Mc Cormick Perfect Pinch Asian seasoning), all drizzled with a little more Asian dressing.  crunchy, crispy, fresh and healthy.

back to the salmon - i've been making these 'teriyaki' bowls by throwing everything into a container (carbs, veggies, protein, fat) and drizzling it all with one of the WF dressings.  flavorful, fresh, and addicting.  switch out any and everything for your favorites!  countless combos i tell you, COUNTLESS!!!!!!

  these fantastic sales are over this week (tuesday and wednesday), so take advantage.

we always have enough to be happy if we are enjoying what we do have and not worrying about what we don't have.

you'll always be waiting for or on SOMETHING.  take a look over your life and praise Him for all you have right, right now.  you are so BLESSED!

Q: what day of the week do you consider your family day?

le

fit eggplant parm

same concept when you apply it to your body, aka, your temple. put great stuff in, get great results right on out!

yesterday i had vanilla oat bran with banana slices, Walden Farms syrup, and Trader Joes cinnamon sugar,

and this morning it was rolled oats cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk, pure vanilla extract, and some cinnamon and granulated stevia stirred in.  some days i flip a coin! they are both great starts to the day.  this bowl was sooooo creamy.  i topped it with one strawberry cause that's all i needed since they are so dang GIANT this season.  and a small tsp of Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter. so, so good.

today's eggs weren't pretty at ALL so i didn't take a pic.  these were from yesterday and were topped with some alfalfa sprouts and pineapple salsa from Sprouts.  i love getting a little bit of charr mixed in with my eggs from the skillet- gives them extra flavor.

who's got some core exercises for you? I DO!  did'em this morning after teaching my total conditioning class!

i'm sure you're familiar with the basic high plank on your palms and toes. right? yeah you can do that one in your sleep.

but when you mount up on a medicine ball (any solid ball will work really) then you really put that core to work.  this is one of those exercises that looks uuuuber easy until you do it yourself.  so, grab yoself a medicine ball and do these semi-advanced core exercises that promote core strength and stability!

 ★1st things 1st- engage your core by sucking your belly button to your spine, but DON'T hold your breath!★

• high plank (top pic) - start on your knees. grip the ball on either side and press your palms into it as you elevate your body up into a straight high plank balancing on your toes.  maintain a neutral spine while keeping your head and chest lifted.  even if you don't add the variations, you are still working to balance yourself without even moving! you'll see!  hold for 30-60 secs or for as long as you can take it. ***you can also go down a level and perform this on your knees keeping your body flat and pushing your hips and glutes towards the floor***

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• high plank + leg lift (bottom pic) - keep your hips square, squeeze the heck outta your glute, and lift that leg up off the ground and hold it for 30-60 secs. repeat on the opp side.

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• high plank + pendulum leg lifts - while that one leg is in the air, take it out to the side from right to left in a controlled swinging motion going no wider than shoulder width. repeat on either side for 30-60 seconds or until burnout.

what a :shock: BURN :shock: !

 this exercise works glutes, core, and your shoulders & back definitely feel the wrath of supporting your bodyweight the entire time. try'em at the gym or at home during commercial breaks.

well hello there, fit eggplant parm.  i whipped up a crazy good fit chicken parm that will be going into the you-know-what!  for now, enjoy this healthier classic, fit foodie le style.

fit egg plant parm

the stuff:

• 1 large raw eggplant, sliced into 1/2 in rounds (you can peel them if you'd like- i kept the skin on)
• 2 egg whites
• 3 tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
• 2 tbsp  unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
• 1 cup Lissanati almond cheese, shredded
• 3/4 - 1 cup homemade breadcrumbs*
• 28 oz Sprouts all natural low sodium crushed tomatoes with basil & garlic
• 1 tsp basil, dried
• 1 tsp oregano, dried
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1/2 tsp parsely
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• olive oil cooking spray
• 5 baby portabella mushrooms (optional!)
• fresh basil leaves for garnish

*homemade breadcrumbs: toast 4 slices of Sara Lee 45 Calories & Delightful Whole Wheat with Honey bread until crispy, and toss them in your food processor.  pulse until breadcrumb-like consistency.*

do this: * important S/N* this can totally be dairy-free if you use only almond cheese, (or rice cheese, or your fave vegan cheese) throughout the recipe. but then you'd have to call it fit eggplant almond.  or whatever. you know me- i needed some nutty, creamy parmesan in my dish cause cheese is my thing, so i added it.  just a little.  and you can too. if you want. also if you don't have the same brands i'm using and naming, no big deal!

1. lay the eggplant slices flat in a shallow baking dish and pour the liquid aminos all over them. let it soak in real good, about 10-15 minutes or so.

2.  in a shallow dish, combine the egg whites and unsweetened almond milk; mix.

3.  grab another shallow dish and pour in your breadcrumbs.  add: the finely grated parmesan cheese, pepper, basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley;  mix.

4. dip each eggplant slice into your egg mixture with one hand, then immediately drop it into your breadcrumb mixture. i only coated one side with breadcrumbs cause i was lazy and didn't want to have to flip them halfway through. lol. spray a flat baking pan with the olive oil spray and bake your slices for about 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

5. when the eggplant is almost done, go ahead and start the first layer of the dish by spooning some of the crushed tomatoes in the bottom of your olive oil coated baking pan. eyeball it.

6. when the eggplant is ready and cool enough to handle (surprise, i didn't wait), create the second layer. i know mushrooms are untraditional in this recipe, but so am i!  and come on- melted cheese and mushrooms just go together. so i added a few sliced baby bellas for the 3rd layer,

7.  top with 1/4 of the almond cheese. or more. way more.  

8. and finally, top that with more sauce and repeat until you run outta ingredients.  the last layer should be CHEESE! and lots of it.  now don't put those fresh basil leaves on there yet cause you will torch them in the oven. i put them there cause it looked pretty.

9.  back into the oven on 400 degrees for about 20 more minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melty and brown and stuff.

this made about 6 servings; stats are for 1:

we killed the pan but there are certainly a couple things i'll be doing differently from here on: take note!

• NOT burning the breadcrumbs in the toaster smh - it made the eggplant darker and harder on the eyes. i didn't want to waste it and used it anyway
• using the small side of the grater for the parmesan cheese cause the large shreds don't stick to the eggplant as easily
• pan frying the egg plant instead of baking (however i'm not sure the cheese in the breadcrumb mixture would hold up in the hot skillet...i'll just have to see)
• OR, roast the eggplant solo first,  assemble the dish, and save the breadcrumb mixture for the topping only. <------i really like that idea!!!!! if you try it this way, upload a pic to the Fan Page or tag me on IG (#fitfoodiele #fitclean2013).  i'd LOVE to see your creations.

cooking is ALL about having fun and trial & error for me. get in there and make your own masterpiece!

i'd like to give a big THANK YOU to Bragg for sending me a few samples of their seasonings recently!  i'll be testing the nutritional yeast, the sea kelp delight seasoning, and the 24 herbs and spices seasoning this week. 

ooooh the joys, blessings, and lessons of good ol' parenthood :lol: it was just one of those days.

thank God for electronic devices!!!!!

le

p.s., if you haven't entered to win some FREE FOOD, then click there and go see what's up! contest ends this saturday.

Sprouts Farmers Market *KATY*

 

that is HILARIOUS cause you know it's true!!!!  however this is also how stuff gets lost. forever.

i made Chiso some lemon-blueberry french toast Thursday morning that i cannot stop thinking about!  we will prolly have it for Easter breakfast tomorrow too.  this recipe will certainly be in the Fit Foodie Le ebook, and the nutritional stats are bananas! see? 156 cals, 3g fat, 6g fiber, 21g carbs, and 10 grams of protein! and yep for the whole she-bang.  2 slices of bread and all the toppings.

what Easter dish will you be making?

it's HEEEEERE!!! so i've been seeing the back of this building for MONTHS and had no earthy idea that it would be home to Sprouts Katy.  it's in the same lot as one of my gyms so you know what that means :lol: .  i literally pulled out of the gym parking lot, turned on my gps, and she made me turn right back in. #blondemoment!  anyway, the  future frequent trips won't do crazy damage  cause these prices.... WOW.  i was blown away.

something tells me these aren't just grand opening prices either!  you can even go to their website and print out your own coupons before hand.  also, Lifetime Fitness members get 5 dollars off their total bill at this location! not sure how long that lasts, but you can login to the Lifetime website and print out that coupon yourself too.

we walked through the doors and immediately went left to the bread section.  i found these new, 80 calorie light flour tortillas by La Tortilla Factory and i was not thinking straight and only got one package.  they were amazing and i have so many recipes for these guys!

i didn't take a pic of EVERYTHING this time lol, just a few landscape type shots.  the store isn't too big and i kinda like it that way. i go in HEB and get lost for hours but since everything is so close together in here, i'm in and out. i appreciate that.

sample mode ON.

just taking a peek! didn't grab any THIS time, but i'm glad to see they have multiple Arctic Zero flavors instead of just maple vanilla.  AND they have those 85 cal bars too!

we visited every single department (trust me).  the produce section was nothing short of amazing cause again, those prices! best i've ever seen. anyway, this was our last stop before heading to check out. popcorn!  i planned on getting a bag of Popcorn Indiana Kettle Corn and i was eyeing the bacon ranch flavor too until i saw these:

really now? olive oil, parmesan & garlic, and sea salt flavors.  awesomeness!  i'm on my second bag of parmesan garlic in 3 days. it's good.

first Sprouts shopping trip is a wrap!

one mo landscape shot at the front registers.

one of the kindest sales associates brought Chiso a cup of gummy bears while we waited! that was extremely nice of him.

indeed!

got another free grand opening grocery bag to add to my collection.  great experience, great store, and we will TOTALLY be back! a lot.

i got outta there with some good stuff- Justin's nut butters were 79 cents instead of the usual 99, cuties were just 3 bucks for that big crate, the cherry tomatoes were a whopping ONE dollar each, strawberries and blueberries were 2 for 3, and those bags of mini peppers were 2 for 5. yessssss!

i immediately whipped out those tortillas and went to work on these grilled chicken burritos.

alfalfa sprouts, tomato, grilled chicken, and homemade guac all rolled up.

the next day, Good Friday, we did an early family gym date.  we made grilled quesadillas  for our post workout meal this time!  Sprouts pineapples salsa and greek yogurt for dipping on the side.

and for dessert....

how did those get in there?

HAPPY EASTER, y'all!!!

le