food faces #toddlerfood

having a little fun with healthy breakfasts these days!  it's whatever works and gets Chiso's plate clean, and these have proven to do just that. he thinks it's hilarious (telling a funny story along with it helps too) and i enjoy creating them. just some ideas for your picky eater(s) fueled by Pinterest.

banana bear faces using Sara Lee whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, and chocolate chips.

 the original 'recipe' actually used blueberries for the eyes and nose, but they were a no-go.

this morning we had whole wheat pancakes and i'd love to share this easy recipe with ya as promised.

easy whole wheat pancakes

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk + 2 tbsp
• 1 packet stevia
• 1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp baking powder

do this:

1. heat your griddle or pan to med heat and coat it with no-stick cooking spray.
2. mix all ingredients well in a large mixing bowl.
3. drop 2 tbsp worth of batter onto your griddle and cook 2-3 minutes on each side (flip when you see bubbles form)
4. top however you'd like and eat warm!

makes 15 (or more) silver dollar sized pancakes. for 1:

i added natural pb and chocolate chips to Ralph too. happy friday :)

le

'my kids didn't ruin my body. Ben did. and Jerry.'

i snagged my blog title from a random preggo message board concerning weight gain and had to include it in this post somewhere!  while the commenter was being funny, there is so much truth to her statement.  i stated on IG that the full list for preventing 'stretchies' (as my best friend refers to them) would be posted here to my blog, but honestly the list is quite short and sweet and focuses on these 3 things:                              skin, diet, and exercise.

overall great health begins on the inside, and so does the handling and even prevention of 'tiger stripes'.  i do the whole cocoa butter & sometimes olive oil thing on my belly at night (ok almost every night..sometimes i'm already in the bed and say screw it) and sure, that helps to keep my belly smooth, moisturized, and the itching to a minimum.   does that actually prevent them from forming? in my opinion, not at all.  i don't believe they are hereditary either, but eating habits can be.  nevertheless, stretch marks are caused by          ----->rapid<------ weight gain and / or weight loss.  for all the creams, treatments, and remedies i researched, avoiding aggressive weight gain is usually in the fine print somewhere and one of the biggest factors in avoiding stretchies altogether.  since babies don't go/grow from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye in your belly, it's important to make the weight gain process a gradual thing as best you can.  now, i have a few preggo friends fighting hard to get through their first trimesters, and i can empathize with them greatly as the memory of my own is still pretty strong :shock: .  for the majority of women, you either can't eat a thing, or you want to eat everything during that time span.  or, you can only eat certain things without...well, you know.  so when your appetite and normal eating patterns have pretty much been shot for a few weeks or more, motivation to stay active, be active, and eat healthy can be at an all time low. what has worked for me after getting back on track around week 14? read on!

1. eating a skin nourishing diet

• antioxidants - nourishes and protects skin.  eat leafy, dark greens, blueberries, strawberries, and fresh, unprocessed produce, period.
• vitamin E - protects skin cell membranes. eat nuts, seeds, avocados, broccoli, cabbage (pictured above and part of my dinner one night), and collard greens.
• vitamin A - repairs skin tissues.  eat carrots, sweet potatoes, mango, squash, & red bell peppers.
• omega 3s - keeps cell membranes healthy for glowing skin. eat fish (salmon's a winner), fish oil supplements, walnuts, eggs and oysters.
• prenatal pills - keep popping them, everyday.

2. chug, chug, chugging that H2O

• keep those skin cells plump and hydrated by drinking a full glass or bottle of water with every meal. how much in a day exactly? half your body weight in oz is a standard rule, especially if you are staying active.  i know, pee, pee, and more peeeeeeeee
• all natural, flavored, herbal, decaffeinated teas (in the bag) sweetened with Stevia have helped me achieve my water intake goal these days.
• seltzer water with a bit of 100% juice is awesome too and the closest thing to soda i will go.
• snacking on water-filled fruits and veggies counts too. watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, cucumbers, bell peppers, & celery are great picks.

3. MOVEing

• if you're a reader of my blog then you know physical activity is automatic and understood! exercising keeps your skin elastic, flexible,  improves your body's blood circulation, keeps those joint lubricated and from getting stiff...the list goes on.  plus it just makes you feel so much better in most cases.  you'll need all the endorphins you can scrounge up.. every drop.
•   staying active *drum roll* prevents you from gaining too much weight too fast which is what we're trying to prevent!
• as you grow, modify your movements and your workouts as needed.  as i near the 3rd tri, prenatal yoga, the elliptical, walking outside, zumba, and spinning will be my go-to activities.  light weight training here are there for my back and upper body, but that's about it.  slow down, but don't stop.

postpartum

KEEP IT GOING.  exercise will be added back into your routine eventually, but use that inactive window of time to sustain those healthy nutritional habits as you enjoy your newborn, breastfeeding or not.   your skin and body will still need to get those vitamins and nutrients to renew itself from all the stretching.  no crash diets! you'll need to lose the weight as gradually as you gained it.

if you get'em, treat'em 

• bio oil - this method gets high marks and reviews across the WWW as it is great for both old and new scars.
• glycollic acid - women who use this cream on new stretch marks saw huge improvement as it is proven to boost collagen.  the word 'acid' always makes me raise an eyebrow, but unlike Retin-A, which apparently causes severe birth defects if you are preggo or breastfeeding, you can safely use this cream during and after pregnancy.  it can be bought over the counter, but you can get a stronger dose from a dermatologist.  read up on the pros and cons of this method.
• laser treatments - this is not my area of expertise, but according to Dr. Oz, banishing them completely is just not possible at this time.  laser treatments can successfully reduce redness, diminish the appearance of white marks, and improve the texture of the skin, making them a lot less noticeable though.
• and then i came across a story that was shared on bodybuilding.com from a young lady with a surefire stretch mark treatment (and four kiddos later might i add). it's worth reading and checking out her progress pics; some of her methods just might work for you too.

battle scars, stretchies, war wounds, tiger stripes, etc...there are far worse things to worry about.  so nip them in the bud while you can, or minimize them as best you can.  these knuckleheads were worth it.

Q: what has worked for YOU?  prevention and  minimization? share and help another mama out.

le

that's amore - homemade whole wheat pizza crust + med ball moves

what.a.morning.

 i woke up at 2:30am randomly and just couldn't get comfy again nor could i go back to sleep! daylight savings time + a kickboxing 27 week fetus = one tired mama.  praying & hoping this doesn't become a normal occurrence.

getting to 5:30am class was something like pulling teeth but we made it!  smiling up there in the pic cause my workout was finally over after that :lol: .  i taught Total Conditioning for 1 hr as usual and then did these exercises with the med ball and bands afterwards (listed clockwise):

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1.  medicine ball squat throws against the wall: 4 x 25
2. med ball squats w/ explosive jack - band is optional but come ooooon! USE IT! 4 x 25
3. burpees with overhead dumbbell presses. modify where needed! walk back if you are preggo or nursing an injury if you do not wish to jump. it's your workout. 3 x 12
4. 90 degree wall sits with extended med ball (see top pic).  hold this guy for as long as you can. your arms will most likely give out before your legs, so let them drop but stay up until you can't take it anymore. HOLD until it burns ;)

i owe you a pizza crust recipe, don't i!

this was Chiso's cheese pie hot outta the oven.

the sauce is homemade too!!! i'll share that recipe in a future post.

and here's the pie i made Sonny and i for dinner that night looooaded with goodies!

extra lean ground chicken, red onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, grape tomatoes, fresh cilantro,  homemade pizza sauce, and plenty of shredded provolone.

i'm saving my very special crust recipe for my homemade pizza cooking class so you'll have to join me on March 25th to get that one!

homemade whole wheat pizza crust

the stuff:

• 1 cup white whole wheat bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp coconut sugar (or agave nectar or honey or pure maple syrup)
• 1 cup warm water
• dash sea salt
• 1/4th tsp fresh minced garlic
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 envelope)

do this: 

ok, i actually had steps listed out for the beginning part ( :shock: i know) but SEEING it done is the easiest way to actually get it. i don't want to scare you guys from making it and i haven't created my own video yet, so i'm going to use a popular youtube vid that is very similar to what i did. also, i added the dry seasonings and garlic in with the wet ingredients.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvIF81APkj8&w=560&h=315]

1. NOW you're ready! let the dough rise for at least 2 hours minimum. (whip up a ball right after breakfast)
2. preheat your oven to 500 degrees and put your pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven NOW.
3. on a flat, clean, floured surface, drop your round dough ball in to the center.
4. use your fingers to press the dough out as wide/thin as you'd like it. my Sur la table instructor advised against using a rolling-pin.
5. sprinkle your pizza paddle (or a pan/cookie sheet with no edges) generously with dry, yellow corn meal
6. pick up your dough and place it on top of the corn meal bed. is it slide-able? rock the pan back and forth and see.
7. top your pizza however you'd like. (sauce, cheese, veggies, meat, cheese...but remember less is more! that doesn't apply to cheese though)
8. do a slide check one more time, then open your oven and transfer (rock vigorously back and forth til you've successfully moved it over) the pizza paddle onto the already HOT HOT HOT pizza stone or baking pan.
9. needs to bake about 7-9 minutes at most. cooks super fast!

nutritional stats ONLY IF you use the entire dough ball and make a gigantic pizza cut into 8 slices:

i find that cutting the ball in half first makes the perfect size pie for 2 people. in that instance, stats for 1 slice when cut into 8:

you can refrigerate the other half for 2-3 days and even longer in the freezer.

yummmmmmmmmmmmmy!

make your own pizza at home, take a pic, and tag me @fitfoodiele on IG! also, if you send your pics to le@fitfoodiele.com, i will feature them on my Facebook Fan Page, blog, or IG. can't wait to see the deliciousness you create!

 Q: what do you do when you can't go back to sleep? read? watch TV? stare at your significant other in the dark? :shock:

le

Fit Foodie Le Cooking Classes

HAPPY MONDAY FIT FOODIES!!!!!

i have been planning these cooking classes in my head for months and i can't wait to share these experiences with people interested in living healthier, active lifestyles by fueling themselves and their families with flavorful, homemade, wholesome food straight from their own kitchens.  sign up via the Fit Foodie Le Cooking Classes page i just put up!

*****

join me empty-handed on Tuesday evenings from 7:15 - 8:45pm at the Eagle Heights Church

(located in the heart of the Aliana Community)

16718 W Bellfort

Richmond, TX 77407-3251

and leave with your hands full! ;)

*****

current class schedule:

to RSVP your spot (only 10 foodies per class), click HERE to see your options.

looking forward to cooking with you!!

le

bottoms up + big news on the way

starting to really feel like i suck at multitasking. or maybe it's prioritizing. both. idk :roll: idk, but whenever i am focused on my next move it's like i can't focus on anything except THAT thing. what thing? hosting my very own COOKING CLASS!!!! i have finally secured a location to do my thang (workout classes are coming right along with that) and i am crazy excited about it. i can't help but to be. this is what i do! a much more detailed announcement will be made really soon.  extremely soon.

ok so this past wednesday,

Chi and i hit the road for my monthly check up.  while there, that yummy, delicious, glucose drink was also waiting for me to chug.  i can't believe it's time to test for gestational diabetes already! it's done somewhere in between weeks 24 and 26.

if i had a dollar for every time i've had to look at someone's confused face and say 'oh, i'm a blogger', i'd go buy a pair of shoes with it :lol: . the phlebotomist shot me a 'why are you snapping pics of that of all things?' look. when i did this test for my 1st pregnancy i went online to read reviews on how the test would go, and with that came comments about how horrid and disgusting this stuff was. so of course i walked in very hesitant and expecting the absolute worst. verdict: no big deal. seriously. i tuned that bottle upside down and drank it all at once, no breaks. after i told Chiso why he couldn't have any orange soda lol.

waiting for my Doc and admiring my kicks! yep, it's tha shoes!!!!  the ones i posted about on IG a few weeks ago!  i was actually going to keep them in the box until i reached 9 months.  kinda like a push present to myself.  i couldn't wait though lol. high top Nike Frees. i'm in complete love.

some recent IG eats!  man those zucchini fritters are so dang good. please go make them if you haven't already. i am out but bought a ton of zucchini at Sprouts a few days ago and will be making more soon.

clockwise:

• lean ground chicken burger w/ tomatoes & mozzarella almond cheese using zucchini fritters for buns
• crock pot sirloin stead seasoned with Weber Chicago Streak seasoning and cooked on low for 6 hours w/ roasted asparagus and smashed red potatoes.  i boiled the red potatoes until tender, then added green onion, cilantro, some plain  non-fat yogurt, and organic whipped buttery spread. mozzarella almond cheese melted on top!
• a gigantic salad from the HEB salad bar
• zucchini cakes with herb goat cheese, pan seared tilapia, roma tomatoes, and strawberries.

still trying to keep it clean for the most part....even though i want Papa Johns pizza all day every day. no sweets for me...cheese must go on everything.

happy weekend!

le