Cross Fit Fulshear

i have been wanting to try Cross Fit foreeeeever and i finally got the chance!

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one of my biggest fitness inspirations, Alli Vasquez, is co-owner of CrossFit Fulshear! I'm incredibly excited for her and was honored to have been invited to their Get Real event yesterday morning. she is so passionate about sharing her purpose with others and such a humble, sweet woman.

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there was Zumba indoors, and a boot camp happening outside.  i planned to do both before i realized they were happening at the same time!  so after a few songs i stepped outside for some team circuit training. i've always seen the row machine at the gym and never used it...until yesterday.

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the trainers coached us through a combo of kettle bell swings, high knees, walking weighted lunges, rowing, mountain climbers, and then we flipped a few tires. fun, fun.

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flexin' cause we had all just killed it out there!

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i grabbed a quick snack outta my bag as i had a full morning of training ahead of me in addition to this event.  i had a crunchy nectarine right after boot camp, and some chicken breast chunks, carrots, and grape tomatoes for later.  then, Alli hopped on the bullhorn cause it was time....

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for our WOD! my very first one!

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i see that acronym aaaaaall over instagram on some of the fitness pages i follow. it stands for Workout Of the Day. ours was 1 min of the following exercises 3 times straight, no breaks:

• wall ball squats

• kettle bell swings

• toe touch sit ups

• ball slams

• row machine

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after each coach explained the exercises i was all like, 'but where are the muscle ups? handstand push ups? cleans?' bwhahahaha!  yeah, i am definitely not ready for all that stuff, but those are the moves i think of whenever i hear the words Cross Fit. one of the trainers graciously recorded some footage of me in action:

[wpvideo Mci28S8S]

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YEAH. loved it.  i'd also love to stick with it so that i can look back at this a few months down the line and see my progress. we'll see what happens!

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big thanks to Alli and the Cross Fit Fulshear team for hosting such a FUN event.  if you're located and never tried CF or looking for a CF box, give them a shout!

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i had to head back to Houston to train one of our 6 Pack USA clients and spotted this baby on the way to my car. taking pics of cars is so not my thing but when it comes to Vettes...i couldn't help it! isn't she everything!? looked like it was about to transform into an autobot or something #chills

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fueling up and eating with my hands cause i forgot my fork!  i used two kinds of Weber Seasoning (from Walmart) on the chicken breasts: Beer Can Chicken and Garlic Sriracha. i hope you spent your weekend doing something you enjoyed too!

Q: why do you cross fit?? why haven't you tried it? what do you like (or dislike) about it?

le

dairy-free deliciousness: Mexican Mess Dip

after what has seemed like 2 straight weeks of rainy, gloomy days in houston, this is my friday the 13th mood:

so our iMac's hard drive started doing weird things last week and Sonny immediately took it to the Apple store.  i have been using that 27 inch beast of a screen to blog since we got it 2 years ago and i kinda couldn't function without it this past week! seriously. blogging from anywhere else is just not the same. translation: i am terribly behind. but that ain't nothin' new.

Dego has been taking 2 naps per day and the first one usually starts at 11am without fail.  the second one is tricky though!  he'll wake up around 1ish, but then he doesn't get sleepy again til 7. one would hope that he would just sleep through the rest of the night at that point, but no, he takes another 'nap' and wakes up again at 9. so then i'm ready to hit the sack around 10 and he is WIDE. AWAKE. and wants to play. soooo i've been trying to put him down around 5ish to prevent this so we can all go to bed at the same time. not going so well yet lol.  but consistency will take care of that in the coming days. that said, i only got about 4 hours of sleep before i had to get up and teach Barbell Strength thursday morning! but i made it. my lazy selfie proves it.

one of the moms brought a layered mexican dip type dish to small group this week that i could not get off my mind! after i left, i was officially on a mission to create a dairy-free mexican dip kinda deal so i stopped by Wally World (aka walmart) to get some avocados.  gotta have avo. then i came across this new (well, new to me) Weber seasoning blend in the spice isle: Garlic Sriracha!!!!

so i made some homemade Garlic Sriracha Guac, naturally!

• 4 ripe avocados
• juice of half a large lemon
• 1 heaping tbsp Weber Garlic Sriracha seasoning blend
• 1 tsp sea salt (optional) *i actually added this by habit before i added the Weber seasoning. not sure i needed it.*

then, i got a little surprise visit from... my brother!  he is back from working overseas in Afghanistan again for a lil' bit! so i made him a homemade meal and deemed him my guinea pig for the garlic sriracha. i chopped up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and threw them into my hot wok with the seasoning...and that's it!  once the chunks were almost done, i added some red and orange mini peppers and sautéed them for about 2 min.  i paired that with steamed brown rice, the Garlic Sriracha Guac, and some shredded monterey jack cheese. he was one happy home-sick guy.

then this happened. it all came together perfectly.

Mexican Mess Dip (cold or hot)

the stuff:

• 1 cup organic vegetarian refried back beans (mine are HEB organic brand)
• 1 cup Tofutti dairy-free cream cheese spread
• 1 cup Garlic Sriracha Guac (see above)
• 1 cup chopped grape tomatoes OR your fave salsa
• 2 cups cheese diary-free cheese of choice (mozzarella, cheddar, jalapeño jack), shredded
• 1 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped

do this:

1. i made one hot (rectangle pan) and one cold (mixing bowl) dip.
2. layer away! starting from the bottom add your beans and smooth each layer flat using the back of your spoon or a spatula.
3. next, add cream cheese, then guacamole, then salsa/tomatoes, shredded cheese, olives, green onion.
4. if eating cold, you are done!  if hot (which is what we preferred) bake in the oven on 400 degrees until the cheese is melty, bout 10-15 min.
5. 

for the homemade chips, i used La Tortilla Factory low carb, high fiber light flour tortillas.  cut them into 8's, coat them with no-stick cooking spray and place them flat on a large, foiled baking pan.  bake for 5-6 minutes tops!!! they burn easily so keep an eye on them. k?

then i hit the gym for round two! taught a double yesterday, which is why i'm forcing myself to rest today. and eat more chips and dip.

an IGer pointed out that Lisanatti almond cheese is lactose free, but not dairy-free and she's exactly right.  Daiya is another popular dairy-cheese brand you could use for this dip though, which is available at Sprouts Farmer's Market and also Whole Foods Market.

Q: do you prefer hot or cold dips?

*reminderrrrr*

bootcamp is tomorroooooow!  also, prenatal classes will be available beginning in APRIL guys!! if you're interested or know a Preggo Patty who might be, send her my way. email me: le@fitfoodiele.com. even if you are unable to workout, meal plans are available as well.  here's to healthy, fit pregnancies!

le

Roasted Veggie-Packed Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

R O T F L.

around here with all these boys though it's prolly pee :-|

Dego is 8 months, has 2 bottom teeth, and saying da-da-da-da-da-da all day long these days.  he is rolling/flipping EVERYWHERE and is a spinning axis when on his belly.  however he has yet to actually move forward! i do believe that's next on his to-do list for this week. we'll see!

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Homemade Vegan Spaghetti Sauce comin' at you RIGHT now!  i did a quick vlog one day last week (just now getting my life together, yep) so press play below and enjoy!  here are a few pics with tips you should read first (cause i forgot to mention some of them during the video). and sorry about the black bars, but they won't be there much longer ;)

TIPS:

• if you coat your baking pan with no stick cooking spray before roasting the tomatoes and red peppers, you don't have to worry about moving them around during baking.

• the more green veggies you add, the browner or 'muddier' the sauce color will be. red + green = brown, remember :(  you can compensate for this by adding more red peppers or tomatoes though to sustain that bright red 'tomatoey' color.

• to keep this recipe vegan, use vegetable stock instead of chicken.
• you can do a combo of basil & cilantro instead of a bunch of the same herb.
• lasts in the fridge 5-10 days and up to 6 months in the freezer!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qifJ8IhKwoE]

i used this chicken meatball recipe cause i LOVE following @fitmencook on IG!

Roasted Veggie-Packed Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

the stuff:(source)

• 8 medium ripe tomatoes
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 2 - 15 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes in garlic (i use Hunts)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 1 cup basil leaves (or cilantro)
• 1/2 sundried  tomatoes OR 1/2 cup tomato pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp garlic or shallots, chopped
• sea salt & cracked black peppers to taste

do this:

1. pre-heat oven to 400 deg
2. toss tomatoes and bell pepper in olive oil and roast them for 1 hr on baking sheet coated with no stick cooking spray and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil
3. in a large pot saute onions & garlic, remaining olive oil, & salt for 10 min or until translucent
4. add carrots, zucchini  and saute for 10 min or until tender
5. add in tomatoes, peppers (and their juices), veggie broth, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes or paste, and any other vegetable you'd like to include in the pot.  if that veggie needs to be cooked and softened, add it in step 4
6. reduce to simmer for about 20-30 min until flavors marry
7. cool!
8. put into your blender in batches and process until super smooth.  enjoy over pasta or zoodles!! super healthy and veggie-packed.  use this stuff for any other Italian dish as well: pizza sauce, lasagna, marinara, etc. makes 10 cups!

Q: video suggestions!  what else would you like to see on vid?

le

 

veggie packed cheesy mac + plot twist

 so.... Sonny was laid off from his Lead Network Administrator job last wednesday! that morning, i was finishing up nursing Dego and simultaneously saying a prayer of thanks to God out loud.  i never want to get in the habit of always asking God for things.... it shouldn't be like that.  so i randomly started saying thank you for everything i could think of that i might have taken for granted!  until i was interrupted by Sonny's phone call.  'welp, i just got laid off!' was the first thing he said, which was followed by an 'oh wow...' from me.  my initial, honest reaction in my head though was 'really, God??well, we're listening.' Sonny had been preparing for this day, hence his Facebook status:

and warning me about the ongoing employee cutbacks other companies were making. however, i still have a bad habit of thinking we are somehow exempt and that 'those kinds of things' can't happen to us. ha! every once in a while i have to be reminded that His plans > our plans.  sometimes when we find ourselves floating down that comfy, stagnant river, He will abruptly turn the boat right on over.  thankfully, we have been presented with some really awesome opportunities as well as more time to focus on our fitness company, 6 Pack USA.   for that, we are extremely grateful!  i'm most excited about Sonny having more time to spend with his boys, especially at their ages. looking for the good in a seemingly tragic situation is not easy,

but when you place your future in His hands completely there is absolutely no room for stress and/or worry.  i snapped that pic of Sonny heading out the door friday (well, barely, he wouldn't slow down lol) for his last official day. we are boldly stepping out on faith and ready for this new plot twist in our story.  here we go!

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i am a mac & cheese freak!!!!! Luby's is where i get my fix if it's not homemade. it's prolly my fave comfort food besides pizza.  aaaand if it ain't creamy, it just ain't right.

this recipe is lightened up and full of VEGGIES. most important, the creaminess factor is still strong, as it should be.

my veggies of choice: fresh asparagus and portabella mushrooms.  broccoli would work very well here too.

the secret to this recipe's cheesy sauce: butternut squash!!! see, veggie-packed.

cheese choice is up to you, but i went with part-skim mozzarella.

i'm not sure how it would work with almond or rice cheese, but if you try it let me know! that would make this entire dish dairy-free.

any type of pasta works here: penne, corkscrew, bowtie, maccaroni, whatever!  and you can sub whole wheat pasta as well.

i ate some just like this before baking cause i could not resist!

Veggie Packed Cheesy Mac 

the stuff:(source)

• 1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cashew milk
• 3 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 2 tbsp Toffuti dairy-free cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheese of choice
• 1 lb cooked pasta
• 1/2 lb  vegetable of choice
• 2 tbsp shallot, minced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• optional: 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs for topping

do this:

1. pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and coat a large 13 x 9 baking pan with no-stick cooking spray
2. in a large saucepan, combine butternut squash, chicken broth, milk, and shallots and bring to a boil.
3. let simmer for about 20 min or until squash is tender
4. cook pasta while squash mixture is simmering
5. pour hot squash mixture in your blender and add cream cheese, salt, and pepper
6. blend until super creamy and smooth
7. add squash mixture back to your sauce pan and sprinkle in your shredded cheese
8. stir until combined and melted
9. add all veggies and cooked pasta, stir until combined, then transfer to your prepared baking dish
10. sprinkle optional whole wheat bread crumbs over the top (i toast my own wheat bread then make crumbs via my food processor) and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until browned

makes 8 (cups) servings!

stats per serving: 261 cals, 7g fat, 38g carbs, 15g protein

happy monday, peeps!

le

dairy-free cream cheese chocolate chunk cookies + Buffalo Chicken Chunks meal prep

satadaaaaay!

we all got in bed at a reasonable hour last night so Sonny and i popped up extra early.  we decided to take advantage and go get some cardio in together.

breakfast to-go was a slice of whole wheat toast slathered with Dark Chocolate Dreams and Jiffy natural peanut butters and a few banana slices.  and coffee of course!  still chugging 1/2 caff because Dego is still going strong and nursing 3 times a day.

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struggling' together!  pretty sure cardio is included in that 'through thick or thin' marriage vow, haha.  Sonny is actually having issues with his achilles tendon so the elliptical and ice are his BFF's right now.

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fun, sweaty times were had this morning in bootcamp class!  join me every saturday at 9am if you're local or visiting Houston.  Prenatal fitness classes are coming SOON!  i am looking to start them up April, my birthday month (whoop).  if you know a local preggo, fit mama that may be interested, send her my way!  email me: le@fitfoodiele.com.

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once home, it was time to refuel.  i made a huge pan of Buffalo Chicken chunks (garlic powder, onion powder, Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce, parsley, and ground black peppers) with steamed brussels sprouts for us.

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 done in less than 10 minutes!

and for dessert, a gem from Chocolate Covered Katie.  she is so dang talented!  please check her site out and i believe she just released her very first healthy dessert book, which is already #1 on Amazon. i am NOT surprised!  kudos to her. and here goes that recipe:

Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Chocolate Chunk Cookies

the stuff (source):

• 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup oat flour (if making your own oat flour, grind it into a really fine powder 1st)

• 1/4 cup Truvia / Stevia for Baking or granulated sugar

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 2-5 tbsp Enjoy Life Dairy Free Mega Chocolate Chunks

• 3 tbsp full fat cream cheese (i used dairy free Tofutti (found at Sprouts))

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

do this:

1. combine oats, salt, baking soda, chocolate chips, and sugar in a large mixing bowl

2. in another bowl, add (warm) cream cheese, vanilla, and oil in bowl

3. pour wet into dry. per Katie, do NOT add extra liquid! just keep stirring and it will moisten into a batter

4. form a big ball, then roll into cookie dough balls

5. place balls on plate and freeze at least 30 min

6. when ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 and coat your pan with no stick cooking spray

7. place balls on tray and bake 8-10 minutes

8. they will look underdone at first, so don't touch them for at least 10 min... if you can help it!

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yep. be flexible about your methods, but stubborn about those goals.  FINISH.  you'll be so glad you didn't give up.

 i am so excited for church in the morning. night!

Q: what role does fitness play in your life?

A: i shared my thoughts via IG!

le