brunchin' & baby planks

this had me CRYING LAUGHING!!!!!! you don't feel her grind though!!!  by any means necessary, church clothes, boots, and all. maybe she was just trying out the gym after church to see if she wanted to join though. why do i keep trying to find reasons to justify what is going on here!?

every time i looked up sunday while getting ready for church Dego was randomly planking- and he was doing it correctly at that! natural born athlete right there, haha.  Chiso is first up to play sports and he wants to play literally everything.  after completing his first 1k you can't tell that boy nothin'.

immediately after church, i planned on heading back home to meal prep and hit the gym since Sonny took the early shift.  however, he drove straight to North Italia for brunch!

i really only like surprises if food is involved so this was good. this was great.

Chiso spent the weekend with his grandparents so the house was EXTRA weird and quiet to us.  Dego was knocked out when we sat down, so Sonny & i enjoyed some appetizers while we chatted it up a bit.

bruschetta, baby!  this one was topped with: crescenza cheese, grilled asparagus, truffle, grana padano.

aaaaaand this one was topped with: grilled eggplant, roasted red pepper, saba, & oregano.

i chose the *drum roll* sammaaaaaaaan!  of course.  it came with roasted mushroom fregula, horseradish gremolata, and breadcrumbs.   well done.  #punintended 

10/10 for presentation. so pretty!

and this was Sonny's D-friggin'-licious breakfast wrap!!!!  when we go back....i'm getting that. Italian sausage, smoked mozzeralla, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, roasted peppers......

nap time again. we get it. #teamnosocks

i hit the gym after brunch for some cardio and abs.  needed a break from the weights so that i could hit that reset button and start fresh the next day (monday).

1 hour of fat-burning, steady-state cardio went down!  i used the arc trainer, the stair master, and finished with a lil' foam roller action cause it makes my muscles feel so good!  do you own a foam roller?  ever see people using one?  try these moves after your workout or on rest day at home:

then i got up outta there.

     back home, i whipped out one of those Weber Just Add Juice Marinade Mixes i found at Walmart.  i used a combo of fresh squeezed lemon and orange juice with the Sesame Ginger blend.  that's all ya gotta add!  water would work fine too i'm sure. i used low-sodium lemon pepper seasoning on the brussels sprouts, and normally i'd take the time to make my sweet potatoes nice and pretty with my Deluxe Fry Cutter!  but not that night. nope. sometimes it's all about getting it DONE. i went to bed with a clear, confident conscious and ready for the new week.  i hope you did too, fit friends.

caption the very first pic on this post!!

le

chocolate festival + life goals

i checked IG this morning and my eyes were immediately drawn to this comment:

reading that blessed me in a major way.  even though my IG account is mostly a combo of fitness inspiration, food, relevant funny memes, and a lil bit of family, i never want to lose sight of the BIG picture, which is pointing souls toward Christ and being a light for Him via my lifestyle.  He is apart of everything i do.  and if he isn't, i want no part of it.  my account did not start out this way though.  i used to follow the big 'fitspo' pages until they became oversexualized and promoting everything but fitness.  seems like Likes and praise from man outweigh His approval more and more these days but i refuse to compromise my faith...anymore. i have deleted many a picture because it made me uneasy and didn't sit well with my spirit.  which means it didn't sit well with Him either!  at this point in my life, i simply want what He wants.  if that means letting go of those IG pages that stunt my spiritual growth, so be it. done.  IDK how in the world i found Heather Lindsey but she has been a blessing ever since that fateful day.  whew! she inspires me daily as a woman, wife, and mother and has such an inspiring testimony.  if you aren't already following her, #youremissingout!

---

relationship goals!!!

i found this on Instagram somewhere and i thought it was the cutest thing ever.  it reminded me of my parents actually. my mom is a few inches taller than my dad so they'd have to switch though, hahahaha!  this could be Sonny and i, but the amount of time i spend in any grocery store annoys him (it's an experience. hello.) and i'd never come out with just 5 items. even at Sam's.

happy sunday family funday to you! #bestpicofthebunch

speaking of grocery shopping, we took a trip to the best store eva after church today, Central Market.  the Chocolate Festival is currently going on until the 17th of this month, guys! i believe we have gone for the past 4 or 5 years now.

we strolled right on up as these guys were being served. salty, sweet PERFECTION! i grabbed a recipe card immediately.  you bet i'm gonna make a heathified version of these puppies.

here's the original version though.

we grabbed lunch inside before heading out to the patio to enjoy the live band.  Chiso is unbelievably picky and wasn't interested in anything CM had to offer. well, besides candy of course, which was not happening. so, he had a banana and some plantain chips for the time being and i made him some pizza when we got home.

i attacked the salad bar and seriously got like one scoop of everything!

we hope you had a sweet V-Day weekend ;)

Q: what's your fave chocolate covered treat?

A: raisins!

le

vlog: 3 things i like about natural hair!

happy sunday to yaaaaaaa!

this is what Sonny and Dego did all afternoon,

but Chi and i had way too much energy for a nap!  so we took a long walk and hit the park.

i also had a little time to get my vlogging game UP!  hope you guys had a great weekend too.  check out my vlog and subscribe to my YouTube channel here. i got recipes and workouts ON THA WAY.

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Q: if you're natural, what do you LOVE about it?

le

Chicken Fajita Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas

 for the past 8 days Chiso has asked me the following every.single.day:

when is papa coming home?

when does Nigeria close so Papa can come home?

why is it always night-time in Nigeria?

can we Skype Papa?

where is Papa?

why isn't Papa answering?

are you making (food) for Papa too?

can i save the rest of my food for Papa when he gets home?

well thanks be to God that Papa is home from his work trip.

my boo coming home put me in a cooking mood! ok i'm almost always in a cooking mood but today was special.  i had a taste for some enchiladas. healthy enchiladas.  Chicken Fajita Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce. yaz.

i used boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can also use lean beef, you bet. i diced up the veggies, chopped up the chicken,

assembled my spice mixture,

then made the enchilada sauce! this can certainly be made ahead of time.

Healthy, Homemade Enchilada Sauce

the stuff:

• 1 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt or 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 - 15oz can low sodium tomato sauce
• 1 cup low sodium chicken stock

do this:

1. heat EVOO in sauce pan over medium heat
2. add diced onion and saute until translucent; about 3-5 minutes
3. add in chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, and cocoa powder; cook for 2-3 minutes while continuing to stir
4. add in tomato sauce & chicken stock and simmer mixture for approx. 10 minutes
5. remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes before adding mixture to your blender or food processor.
6. blend until super smooth!

recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

this'll taste even better the next day once the flavors elope in the fridge.

i only had 2.5 La Tortilla Factory (i mostly use this variety; there are SO many!) tortillas left SMH!  i wasn't about to leave and go to the store, so i halved them and made 5 mini enchiladas so i could fill my mini rectangle pan.  you will make enough chicken mixture to cram full 8 regular size tortillas (or more) so don't you worry. i put in about 2 heaping tbsp of chicken mixture and a pinch of 2% mozzarella inside before rolling them up. ok here's that recipe:

Chicken Fajita Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas

the stuff:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed or cut into strips
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 5 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained

fajita seasoning

• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1-2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt OR 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos

for enchiladas

• 8 low carb, high fiber La Tortilla Factory 70 cal flour tortillas
• 2 cups homemade enchilada sauce (recipe above)
• 2 cups shredded 2% cheese or dairy-free almond or rice cheese...it's your call
• optional toppings: fresh cilantro, avocado, tomato, olives, cheese, green onion, more chicken mixture.

do this:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13'' pan with no-stick cooking spray
2. add 1 tbsp EVOO to medium heated skillet
3. add chicken; cook 5-7 min or until cooked through
4. remove from skillet and set aside
5. add last tbsp of EVOO to your skillet
6. add bell peppers and onions and cook until tender and charred, about 8-10 minutes
7. add chicken and spice mixture all at once into your skillet and combine
8. add mushrooms and spinach and combine once more; cook for 2-3 more minutes
9. spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce evenly across the bottom of your baking pan
10. fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup of filling and 2 tbsp of shredded cheese of your choice. remember to save some filling for your topping if you desire.
11. roll them up and place them into your baking dish, seam side down.
12. pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas, then top with remaining cheese.
13. bake in over for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
14. take out and top with your desired goodies! the olives don't really make sense lol and i wanted some tomatoes on top for color but i didn't have any.

enjoy this family friendly, healthy meal with your loved ones!  take pics and tag me!

now to catch up on that lost family time. happy early MLK Day! hollerrrrrr

le

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