What I like about Sundays

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Sundays are a treat for me because it usually I am able to prep food for the week, workout as long as I want, relax, and enjoy just being at home with Chloe and B.  It is so cold here and has even been feeling cold in the house.  We are all bundled up and Chloe basically stays on the couch under a blanket.  

This morning I woke up and hit the treadmill for a nice run.  I ran for 15 minutes and then did the spin bike for another 20 minutes.  After all the cardio I did some sumo squats, wall exercises, glute bridges and v crunches.  I love working out and watching Netflix documentaries.  There is something about me time that is truly amazing.

I decided to whip up this yummy smoothie bowl and carb up after my long workout.


Raspberry Smoothie Bowl

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 cup frozen raspberries
  • 1/2 cup frozen mango
  • 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
  • 1 banana
  • toppings (optional)
    • I used unsweetened shredded coconut, hemp seeds and chia seeds
  • Blend until all ingredients are the consistency of sorbet.
  • Enjoy!

I love a hot cup of tea and on a morning like this it's hard to not want multiple cups.  I had a piping hot cup of Trader Joe's organic red chai this morning with a wee bit of raw honey.  Who needs coffee?


The saddest part of today will be taking down our Christmas decor throughout the house.  I love Christmas lights and everything else, but I guess it really is time.  Goodbye beautiful lights and greenery.

I am hoping to get a post up about Freezer Cooking! Stay tuned :)

Pink Pineapple Smoothie

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This smoothie makes for a sweet and yummy breakfast or afternoon snack.  It's just the right amount of sweet and is loaded with protein and other nutrients.


Pink Pineapple Smoothie


  • 1 cup non-dairy milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
  • 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
  • 2 fresh pineapple spears
  • 1 scoop whey protein powder (I use Designer Whey Protein Powder)
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 3-4 ice cubes
  • Blend all ingredients and ENJOY!

Double Berry Smoothie

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This makes a HUGE serving and is perfect for breakfast or as a post workout snack.  This smoothie is loaded with protein and oh so yummy!

Double Berry Smoothie

  • 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (I use Designer Whey Protein)
  • 2 tablespoons oats
  • 3-4 ice cubes

  • Blend all the ingredients in a blender and ENJOY!
Serves: 1 large or 2 small




COLOR RUN ATLANTA and Homemade Larabars!

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Ever since I ran my half marathon last Thanksgiving I have really enjoyed races.  I am not quite sure that the COLOR RUN qualifies as a true race because it's so much more fun, but nonetheless it is a 5K.  I ran it with my friends Felicia and Holly.  We had a lot of fun even if we had to sit in traffic to get there and back! Oh Atlanta traffic...yes it is always that bad.  When we finished we were covered in colored powder and looked like human tye dye. 


Here is me and Felicia before!  Notice how clean and white we are.


My support system is always there and I could never be more thankful for that.  Not only does he always encourage me, but he loves to drive me to these things and never complains that he has to hang around and wait for me to finish.


 Here is me after the race! I am covered in colored powder and have it in places one should never have anything. 


This is all of us after the run!  Not only are we glad to be finished, but we are coated in powder. 


The weather could not have been better and the sun kept the temperature in the low 70s.  I had a great time and always enjoy a good run, but I was one happy girl to be home.  I had a date with my hot shower after all. 


After the race we chowded down on some homemade Larabars that I made last night.  Larabars are available at the store and are yummy fruit and nut bars with few ingredients.


This recipe makes about 6 and we toted them with us for a nice snack before lunch.  They are the perfect pre or post workout food because they use whole ingredients, don't have any added sugar, and are the perfect portion.  They are also gluten free.


AND they are boyfriend approved!

Oatmeal Cookie Larabars


This recipe has been modified from Chocolate Covered Katie.

  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup dried dates
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 3/4 cup oats
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pecans (could use walnuts)

  • In a food processor, pulverize oats then add remaining ingredients.  Process everything until mixture is well blended and sticky.
  • Line a small pan (8 x 8 or smaller) with wax or parchment paper.
  • Press mixture into pan and use another sheet of wax paper on top to ensure that mixture is flat and even.  Continue pressing mixture until flat.
  • Place bars in the freezer for 5-7 minutes or until firm enough to cut with a knife.
  • Cut into bars, shape edges, and ENJOY!
Serves: 6

* You could also skip the bars and roll these into balls.


Healthier Carrot "Cake" Muffins

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Happy Easter ya'll! In celebration of Easter I thought I would make something carrot-y and share.  I whipped up these muffins this morning and they are so tasty.  Not only are they outrageously moist but they have all the tradition flavors of carrot cake, but use healthier ingredients.  I was inspired by The Fountain Avenue Kitchen and decided to adapt her recipe a bit further to my pantry and taste.


Healthier Carrot "Cake" Muffins

  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour (or wwheat pastry or gluten free mix)
  • 1/4 cup almond meal
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 inch piece crystallized ginger, minced
  • 1 1/2 cup carrots grated (I used the pulp from the Sweetheart Juice)
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple
  • 1/2 cup raisins *see note
  • turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) for sprinkling (optional)

  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Combine the first seven ingredients and whisk to get rid of any lumps.
  • Combine the egg, oil, milk, and vanilla extract in a seperate bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Pour wet ingredients into the dry ones and combine until moist.
  • Stir in the crystallized ginger.
  • Divide mixture into greased muffin pan (no liners).
  • If using the sugar in the raw, sprinkle the tops before baking (about 1/4 tsp per muffin)
  • Bake 35-40 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.
Notes:
  • I pulsed my raisins in the food processor for a minute until they were a paste because I am not a fan of the texture of them whole.  You could pulse them like I did or leave them whole.
Enjoy and Happy Easter!

Cinnamon Nut Butter Spread for One

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This is a super simple throw together spread that goes perfect on toast but I imagine would make a tasty dip for fruit too.

What You'll Need:


  • 2 Tablespoons Nut Butter of Choice (peanut and almond are tasty)
  • Ground Cinnamon to taste
  • 1 Teaspoon Honey
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Flaxseed
Place the nut butter, cinnamon, and honey in a microwave safe bowl. Warm through for about 15 seconds, just so everything is smooth.  Remove from the microwave, add the ground flax seed, and stir.  That's it!  Voila! Perfect healthy filling breakfast!


Enjoy!

Happiest Monday for Weeks

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Yesterday was by far one of the best Mondays I have had in a long time.  Not only did I quit my miserable job, but I was able to focus on me and all those little things that come along with extra time.

It's truly unbelievable how entirely refreshed I felt after I turned in my resignation letter.  It's so silly to think how much a little tiny piece of paper can allow you to feel so liberated.  I'm ready to start this next chapter in my life.  I'm ready to start my classes, change my career, become more focused on my quiet time, and continue to grow with my honey.

I spent yesterday as a way to catch up on some stuff like bed making, cleaning, and rearranging some furniture.  I also managed to exercise a little as well.  My treadmill has literally been collecting dust...gross.  Gross because it's gotten dirty and gross because I am so out of shape.  I'm ready to be rock hard again and ready for this new phase.  The Spending Freeze has already proven to be challenging but so life changing in a certain way.  It's wonderful how content you feel when you can control your wallet.

Since I took yesterday as more of a "personal" day after I quit my job I was able to cook and be merry.  The cooking part comes from making this tasty Cranberry with Crystallized Ginger Bread and creating this sorta Valentine's Day like banner.

What's tastier than the heat from crystallized ginger?

Glazed and ready to eat
For the bread I substituted lime zest and juice instead of the lemon in both the batter and the glaze and it was perfect.  The loaf is beautifully studded with cranberries and crystallized ginger and not too sweet.  This quick bread is the ideal snack or indulgence.

Love always has a place in your home


The banner turned out adorable with a little help from some leftover fuchsia yarn and card stock.  It adds just the right amount of whimsy to the mantle since it's naked without all that Christmas garland. 

I hope your week has started out with all the joy that mine has.  Happy Tuesday!

Peppered Bacon Gravy with Biscuits

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Living in the South everything is about family and pork and sharing a meal together, so it seems just natural that you would want to make Peppered Bacon Gravy with Biscuits for your family on a Sunday morning.  This recipe will blow your mind at how simple and delicious it is.  The biscuit recipe is the one I used and all and all it turned out well.  The only thing I did was brush each biscuit top with a little melted butter before I removed them from the oven.

 Here is what you will need:

biscuits

6-8 slices of good quality bacon chopped

2 1/2 cups milk ( I used low fat)

2-3 Tbs flour

salt & pepper to taste

Serves 4



Brown your bacon in a deep sided skillet until crispy.  Be sure to cook the bacon a little bit longer than you normally would so it does not get too soggy when you mix it with the gravy.



Once bacon is crispy, remove from skillet and drain on a paper towel.



Drain bacon grease from pan, but be sure to leave 2-3 tablespoons of bacon fat in skillet.  Stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes on medium high heat.


Whisk in milk a little at a time on medium high heat being sure to eliminate all clumps by whisking.  Once all milk is added whisk on medium high continuously ensuring that mixture does not scald.


Turn heat to low until mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon.


Once mixture is desired thickness return bacon and heat through.


Split biscuits and serve. 

Breakfast Burritos

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I am always looking for more high protein filling breakfast options and these burritos definitely fit the bill.  The best part is that they can be froze and the recipe can be modified to suit just a few or a crowd.  If freezing these burritos you may want to double the recipe.  


Here's what you'll need:
8-10 Large Eggs, scrambled
5-6 Large Tortillas ( I used these spinach wraps)
1/2 cup Cheese of Choice, grated
1/2 cup Green Pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup Onion, finely chopped
8 oz Sausage ( I used chicken sausage to cut out fat)


First, saute the pepper and onion until soft.  If using fatty pork sausage you will want to cook separately and blot the excess grease with paper towels.  If using chicken sausage like I am then cut each sausage in half lengthwise then slice into thin half moon shapes.  Add to pan and turn heat to medium to ensure that the sausage browns and gets color on the edges, keeping in mind that the sausage is already fully cooked so you are just browning it.


Next, add the eggs to the pan with the sausage, onion, and pepper.  Cook on low working the edges into the center with a rubber spatula.  DO NOT rush the eggs, this will result in rubber textured eggs. It will take a little longer but will be worth it, I promise.


While the egg mixture is slowly cooking you can go ahead and grate the cheese.  I used jack cheese because it gets really melty, but you can use whatever type you like. 

Once the egg mixture is set remove from heat.  Remember we want the eggs to be cooked through, but not brown and dry.


Now it's time to assemble the burritos.  Divide the mixture into 5-6 portions depending on how many eggs you added and portion onto the tortilla.  Next, sprinkle with cheese and top with your favorite salsa.  I used a combination of salsa verde and hot mexican sauce.  Roll up like a burrito and you're done.  Serve immediately or freeze to serve later.

*If freezing wrap each burrito in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag.  To reheat remove plastic and wrap with damp paper towel then microwave for 1-1/2 minutes until warmed through.

Buttermilk Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

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These "pancakes" are most certainly Pinterest inspired and they turned out simply delicious.  They are basically a sweet red apple slice battered in yummy pancake batter.  

This is what you'll need:
Favorite Buttermilk Pancake mix (you could make your own)
Water or Milk for pancake mix
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
2-3 Medium sweet red apples (I used Sonya)
Makes: 18-20 pancakes

Start by slicing the apples thin enough to batter but thick enough to stand up to cooking, about 1/4 inch thick.  Depending on how large your apples are you may need more or less than 2, but you can always slice more as the batter gets used.  You can core the slices if you choose, but at the very least make sure you pop out the seeds.
Next, you will want to place the stack of apples on a microwave safe dish and microwave for a minute and a half.  This step ensures that the apple will not be completely raw in the middle of the batter.  While the apples are microwaving start to mix your batter.  I am usually not a fan of the prepackaged mix, but this one is really tasty and I needed to use up the last of the box.  Be sure to spike the pancake batter with cinnamon while mixing.  I also like to slightly thin the batter with additional almond milk so that the apples do not get too gooey but have a thin layer of batter instead.
Once you have mixed your batter and microwaved your apples, dip an apple slice in the batter then place on a griddle or skillet.  I chose to add the tiniest bit of butter to my skillet, but you could of course use cooking spray.  Make sure your pan is on medium to medium low heat.  You will know when the skillet is the right temperature because the batter will start to bubble up around the edge and puff like the picture above.
Cook each side until golden brown and then ENJOY.  These little cuties are so sweet you won't even need syrup.

Day 9 Interval Training and Banana Oatmeal Muffins

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Today before work I decided to do some interval training and this is what I decided on.  This workout was designed by my sister, but I have tweaked it for my liking and ability.  This is the perfect treadmill workout to set yourself up for success because it is quick and everything is done in short bouts so you won't get bored.  It will also whip you into shape, so be warned.


Here is how it shakes out:

Warm up for a few minutes

5 minutes at a level a little slower than your normal pace (for me this is a jog at a 4.3)
1 minute at a 5
1 minute at a 6
1 minute at a 7
1 minute at a 6
1 minute at a 5

*repeat 2-3 times

The best part of this is that you can tailor it to what will challenge you then after your legs will feel like jelly.  I'm a big fan of this routine because it is an easy way to be exhausted and really push yourself in a 20 minute run.  After the interval training I decided to do a little yoga progression and it was relaxing to stretch after all that running.  

Then, I got really ambitious and decided to bake up some of my favorite banana muffins.  These little babies are awesome because you mix them in a food processor, they are gluten free, and you don't have to add any extra sugar.  Here is the recipe that will become a favorite of yours too, Banana Oatmeal Muffins

wonderful start to wonderful wednesday
The only thing I have changed about this recipe is that I like to add 1 Tablespoon of ground flaxseed, 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds to the batter, and 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts.  I like all the nutty-ness that this adds and it makes them more like banana bread.  You'll love them!  The best part is that you can freeze them and pull them out one at a time.  If you are taking them to work there is no need to defrost, they will thaw in a few hours for the perfect snack.  Based on what I used there are about 130 calories in one muffin...perfect.

Work was blah today but that is okay because I have so much to look forward to these next few days.  Worship night at church tomorrow, lots of half marathon training this weekend, and then singles gathering on Sunday at church.  Woohoo! 

Goodnight and best wishes!



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