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

basil boobie bells

immediately after this morning's class! a good friend of mine told me she was coming to see me and she showed up as promised :) i know how tough a 5:30am appointment can be to make, and i was so happy to see her again.  i expressed my gratitude by kicking her butt, lol!  1 hour of total body conditioning later, we were outta there for the day.

a little later, i took Chiso to an Easter Egg Hunt that was being held at Discovery Green downtown.  they always have something going on there for all ages, love it!  we made it exactly 3 minutes before it started, but mommy forgot to put money in the meter so we had to speed walk all the way back to the truck. the meter maid  actually met us there and had the ticket in hand and everything that fast!!!! he let me make it this time though, thank God. #whew

they let the 0 - 2 kiddos go first, so we made it back in time for Chiso to grab a few eggs. i cherish spending time with my little Stank Tank.

on to tha fooooood!  i got some sliced rotisserie chicken from the HEB deli earlier this week, so i chopped it up and topped my spring mix salad with it for meal 3.  it also had strawberries, carrots, avocado, tomatoes, pecans, fat-free feta, cracked black pepper, and a couple drizzles of Walden Farms raspberry vinaigrette.

 so about those bell peppers!  how many pics of these guys did i take? lots.

they were on sale at Kroger at the time 10 for 10 dollars, so i bought a bunch of 'em.

then we walked to the mailbox later that evening and lookie there!  perfect timing for the cover of one of my fave mags! what a coincidence.  at least i think that's what happened. i don't remember anymore cause this post has been a draft since the end of January :lol: sounds about right though.

basil boobie bells

the stuff:

• 4 large bell peppers
• 2 large chicken breasts (or ground turkey, ground chicken)
• 1 cup cooked brown rice (or quinoa, or couscous)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp mrs. dash southwest chipotle seasoning
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
• 2 tbsp fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 roma tomato, chopped
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2  cup low sodium oregano, garlic tomato sauce
• 1 - 2 tbsp liquid aminos
• 1/2 cup goat cheese (or shredded parmesan, or fat-free feta)
• no stick cooking spray

do this:

1. preheat your oven to 375 degrees. cut the tops off of your peppers, remove the seeds, and if need be, cut the bottoms to ensure they sit flat in your pan.

2. spray both your baking pan and a medium heated skillet with no-stick cooking spray.

3.  add the chopped garlic and onion to the hot skillet, and saute until translucent (2-3 minutes)

4. add raw, chopped chicken, liquid aminos, herbs, and spices; cook through until there is no more pink (5-7 minutes)

5. add the cooked rice, tomato sauce, chopped tomato and goat cheese, then turn off the heat and mix well.

6.  situate your peppers into your baking pan, and distribute the mixture evenly between all four peppers.

7. bake for 40-50 minutes or until tender.

8. top with more fresh basil, let them cool, then eat 'em up.

per bell pepper! remember the stats change depending on your substitutions ;)

let the bell pepper pic collage ensue:

eat arainbow!!!

also, if you haven't seen it on Instagram yet,  i'm running a contest that started yesterday (monday) and will end this FRIDAY! you MUST like the Fit Foodie Le Facebook Fan Page if you haven't already- i will pick one lucky fan to win something seriously cool. health and fitness related of course! spread the word, please and thank you!

le

The Color Run 5k - Houston

what.a.BLAST this morning!  this was my first time participating in the The Color Run 5k and imo,  everything was set up perfectly.  because i have a goal of hosting my own 5k one day, i took special note of well, everything.  instead of just showing up to run, i tried my best to pay attention to all the minor details that go into making a 5k (or any distance really) so great, fun, and memorable.  and BOY am i overwhelmed!!! but hey:

:shock:

never settle for good, mediocre, or average because you weren't created to do good, mediocre, or average things!

packet pickup was at Rei and i had never even been inside the store until then.  there was soooo much Color Run paraphernalia to choose from it's not even funny!  shorts, fanny packs, drawstring back packs, tanks, frisbees, bandanas, socks,

and sunglasses!

pre-race breakfast was an egg-white omelette (with some shredded and melted parmesan cheese that was thrown on top as it cooked), fresh spinach, tomato, and honey mustard on Nature's Own double fiber wheat bread.  no oatmeal this time as it can come back to haunt ya real quick if you know what i mean, especially on longer runs.  no pun intended. L O L.   however 5k's are over rather quickly.

that's my sweet, fab, supportive friend Kara!

our driver (Sonny) so graciously snapped some pics of us right after we jumped outta the truck and headed to the start line.

i met up with more great friends on our way to the start line- hey Roberto, Ana, and Kara's fingers! *waving*

i had NO idea how popular this run was!!!  our team was set for takeoff at 9am, but we didn't make it all the way to the front as it was just too crowded.  to avoid so many people on the course at once, they created several 'waves' and our start time was unexpectedly pushed back more than a little bit.  this was terrible because somebody had to drive back across town to teach class in less than 2 hours. yep....me. when i signed up for the race i was so excited about participating i forgot about my class!!!! pushing it, yes, but i knew both could be done.  i can't and won't let my members down. or waste 50 bucks :lol:

i heard somebody was not feelin' the weather change this morning. it dropped to around 50 degrees outta no where.

but we finished strong. it was bob and weave, stop and go the entire way. this was the first untimed race i've ever participated in and it was a true fun run with an emphasis on fun! people were clearly not concerned with breaking any PR's lol.   it's a huge, family and friends type event for sure, and i DEFINITELY recommend this race for anybody's very first 5k.

the Fit Foodies meant business though! we turned on our heart rate monitors and did our thing. Kara and i pretty much have the same running pace, so we started and finished together.

Kind Bars! i see these guys in Whole Foods all the time and they look scrumptious, right? they were giving out these two flavors and OH BOY...

this peanut butter and strawberry flavor was uhhhmazing. tasted like a sticky, chewy, pb and jelly bar sammich.  these are the only samples i could get my hands on before having to head out.

going and coming, literally. i missed out on tons of pictures and good ol' fashioned color fun and could not stay to meet up with and party with the other runners at all:(  you live and you learn. this was our first Fit Foodies event and we have only just begun to scratch the surface.  so seriously,  NO WORRIES if you weren't able to make it this morning, there are too many races coming up to dwell on one!  just know that plenty of advanced noticed will be provided next time, you have my word.

we sped across town and made it just in time.  did i shower first? heck no! i didn't have time anyway! 1 hour of total conditioning and a family shoulder workout later,

(alternating punches with dumbbells for 1 minute straight w/ Kara, my bro Brian, my hubby, and i )

TOAST was not the word.

  i'm gonna put this in the side bar over there, but the Green 6.2 will be held on April 27th, 2013. that's next month yall! email me if you'd like to run with the Fit Foodies team. the earlier you register, the cheaper the price.  set a goal and let's go for it, together.  le@fitfoodiele.com

alright...had this dressing tonight and it's  definitely gonna be added to the FFL approved list!  Walden Farms Raspberry Vinaigrette.  it's great as a salad dressing, but i'm positive it would work as a marinade for fish or chicken too.  try it! i like.

250mg of sodium per 2 tbsp and you know the rest: calorie, gluten, fat, sugar, carb, and cholesterol-FREE.

 more q & a in the upcoming posts, fyi.

start this week off STRONG!!!

le

compound movements + let's RUN!!!

how it went down eeeeearly this morning...

i double (tea) bagged it (+ water, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and stevia). i had to.  didn't get much sleep cause i've been grinding on these cook books and they WILL NOT DEFEAT ME!!!! :twisted:  i'm not yelling at you. i'm yelling at the cook books.  a little sleep deprived but the sacrifice will be worth it. it better beeeeee :lol:

let's talk about something i incorporate into pretty much all my classes at the gym:

can't get enough of compound movements and there are TONS of them. what are they?

'multi-joint movements that rely on the coordinated actions of several muscle groups to move two or more joints through a range of motion'

the featured move of this post (up ^ there) combines squats (which is honestly a compound movement by itself since it works multiple parts of the body) and over-head presses.

Squats + overhead press

• start with feet shoulder width apart, weights on either side of your body.
• perform a low squat, pushing your glutes back, weight in your heels, knees behind your toes, back flat, head up, chest up.  have a seat in that imaginary chair!
• bear all your weight on your left heel and while driving it into the floor, lift your right knee straight up towards your chest and perform your over head press simultaneously. keep your core tight, and squeeze the glute of the heel that's on the floor. hard.
• repeat on the right and make it a continuous, fluid movement by alternating your knees from left to right.

the heavier your dumbbells, the harder you work, and the more you burn!

 *tip: working upper and lower body together is one of the best ways to burn fat.*

class went well this morning, can't you tell from those disgusting sweat stains!?!?  i didn't even notice them until after i posted the pic to IG. but that's just how it goes down in my class :lol:.  if i could bottle the feeling exercise gives me....i'd sell it and retire at 30. good music gives me so much energy- i got a new cd and i know my members can tell i love it cause i keep playing it! good, loud music gives me energy through the roof!  i need all the energy i can get at 5:30am.

then i came home to these babies. NOM. i threw the recipe together, but the base of it stemmed from the banana blueberry pancakes, if you're wondering.

i subbed the banana for 1 packet of stevia, then topped them with sliced almonds, raw, unsweetened, shredded coconut, and that big vat of walden farms pancake syrup back there.

WELL, i am so excited about the response concerning the Houston Color Run THIS Sunday, March 24th!  Thank you for your emails!  if you'd still like to run, you haven't missed a thing- email me @ le@fitfoodiele.com and i'll send ya the link to join team Fit Foodies.  however...my sincere apologies for not giving enough notice.  there were several people who wanted to run with Fit Foodies but the timing was just not right.  even for a 5k, training is very important, and some of the 1st timers need more of it.  i understand completely.  also, the race rates are cheapest when you register super early, and 6 days pre-race day is pushing it, i know!  so i'm super grateful, and thankful to all who have committed to running with Fit Foodies.

WITH THAT SAID,

let's do it right this time!  remember my Conn's Green 10k post from last year??  if you'd like to get your run on with Fit Foodies for this event that is near and dear to my heart, come on then!  it's special because it starts and ends in City Centre, one of my fave Houston hangouts, and also home to the best Lifetime Fitness in the entire universe!  #ithoughtyouknew.  if you're interested, hit me up at the same email addy, and check out their site for details!

 race date is Saturday, April 27th, 2013, and as always, same rules apply: walk, run, skip- however you gotta cross that line, just FINISH!

le