Today is rockin! Loving my Fridays!

Today is rocking!! I missed my workout yesterday cause the alarm clock decided to completely die out on me. Scary. I'm glad I woke up in time for work though! Whew! So I charged on over to Bed Bath and Beyond and crisis has now been diverted.

So I usually end up taking Fridays off but I hit the gym today since I missed yesterday. Gotta be flexible with the schedule! And today just rocked! I tried out a new spin class, muy bueno. 60 minutes of heart pounding fun. Plus I got a great workout and cool down session in too. I'm feeling amazing. I made an appt. with a trainer for next week too which I'm really excited about. Id love to learn some new things. I think its super important to mix up your workout routines. Shakes the body up and plus you don't ever get bored! I grabbed my usual bowl of oats and coffee and time to start my morning!



Lunch was quick, simple and above all delish! ABout 2 giant handfuls of fresh spinach, cucumbers, cherry tomaoes (they were super sweet!) I can of tuna and salsa on top. Had some crackers with cheese on the side too. Pretty tasty. I grabbed some chocolate tea for the afternoon as well.

Later tonight we hit up Menchies. I have a huge froYo fan and this completely hit the spot. I swirled in French Vanilla, with a bit of pumpkin and strawberry shortcake. Delish! Austin added a bit more to his!=)
Have a great friday night!!

Spaghetti Squash with a Cilantro Pesto

I woke up this morning at my usual time. 4:45. It was super chilly. In my opinion anyways although I think some people would disagree. (Hey I love the hot weather!) and hit the road to the gym. I was a little sluggish today for some reason, so when I came home I made sure to chug a huge water bottle of cold water. For some reason this really help to perk me up. Then packed up the oatmeal for breakfast and off to work! I chopped up some veggies before work real quick that I could roast up for later. Gotta multi task!


Im thinking today for lunch I need to do something with all that spaghetti squash I have lying around left over from my pancakes I made the other night. Using up the ol' leftovers. I actually love left overs. Gives me a chance to make some totally new from something old. Spice it up a bit.

I did a little research of squash first. I like to see what health benefits my foods have. In general its good to stay away from empty calories. Meaning limit the amount of calories with no nutritional value you take in. I LOVE this post by Katie.

Her example is spot on! A 100 calorie snack pack vs. banana. Sure banana might have a few extra calories but oh man are you getting a TON of amazing vitmains and nutrients that you body needs in that banana. If its your thing though, just keep it in moderation!! More bang for your buck and thats the way I roll! Snack pack is pretty much 100 calories of nadda. Well sugar and chemicals=) If its your thing though, just keep it in moderation!!

Ok, back to squash peeps. Squash is an amazing source of Vitamin A, Folate, Omega 3 acids, pantothenic acid and niacin. (Thank you George!) Vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene, has amazing anti inflammatory properties as well as many antioxidants. It helps protect against heart attacks and strokes. Squash is also good at regulating blood sugar levels. And I don't know about you, but when my blood sugar spikes I turn into a huge sugar monster out to destroy any innocent little cupcake that might be lying around. So regulation is a good thing=)

So for lunch today I made a quick spaghetti squash pasta toss. I love the delicate sweetness from the apples and squash. Its offset by the slight firey kick from the chili peppers. Delicious. Shrimp add a nice bit of protein to the whole toss.


Spaghetti squash and Shrimp Toss

1c. spaghetti squash
1/2 c. tomatoes
2 Tbs. diced onion
2 cups spinach
12 small shrimp
1Tbs. garlic
squeeze of lemon
pepper and red chili flakes to taste

In a small pan heat spaghetti squash on medium heat until slightly crunchy. Next add in Shrimp. When the shrimp are done add in the spinach, tomatoes and sautee for about 2-3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. add in garlic, lemon, pepper, chili flakes and parsley. Serve hot and enjoy!


I then packed up my snacks for the day which normally is peanut butter on crackers but i decided to switch things up a bit and eat my pudding instead for a snack. I find at night I get super pickey so Im thinking that if I avoid sugar at night it might help with this. Today is an experiment! So in the bag went apples and pudding! (Along with all the fixin's!)

Its a Glo-Bar kind of Day!

So I got the most amazing package in the mail today. My Glo-bars!! Oh man, I could not wait to tear into these puppies. Even as I opened the box, they looked incredible! I immediately went for the Revive bar. Dark chocolate and Peanut butter?! Yes please! When I opened the package a waft of delicious chocolately goodness hit my face. At first bite they were an instant hit. They taste amazing, texture is nice, soft and chewy. Love it. It tastes so decadent but its full of wholesome wonderful ingredients. This one gets two thumbs up in my book!! As you can see in the picture, I took a bite before I even took the picture! ha!


Next up the Endure Glo bar. I LOVE spelt and was really curious how this would taste in a bar. First bite..oh gosh, vanilla heaven. I had to take all my will power and put this one back in its wrapper before I ate the whole thing. Im gonna go out on a limb and say I like this one a bit better than the Revive bar. The vanilla flavor is wonderful! Wow. Hits of cranberry and coconut are present and make this bar a fanastic treat. Great flavor.


Renew bar was fabulous too. Slight bit of sweetness but not overpowering and I love the fact it has Chia seeds in it. I do love my chias! Had a nice little crunch to it which I found to be nice.

When I work out I don't like to eat things that are too sweet. And the Run Glo Bar is exactly what the type of thing I would take with me. The aftertaste has slight notes of peanut butter and vanilla. So yummy. I can see myself packing some of these to the gym or on one of my rides. It doesn't have that overpowering sweet taste that a lot of bars have. It tastes way more natural to me and that gets a huge two thumbs up in my book! I already put a few in my bag to take to the gym with me.


Last but not least is the Classic Glo bar. Cant go wrong with a classic right? Right! This ones a winner. Peanut buttery taste, slightly sweet. Reminds me of the Run glow bar. It has ground flax and hemp seeds in it which Im always looking to eat more of in my diet.

Overall thoughts? These are A-mazing. As I was saying earlier I love the non-commerical very organic natural taste that they have. The bars are chewy, not too sweet and made with wholesome ingredients. I would hands down recommend these to everyone I know. I love the inclusion of Omega-3 and Omega-6 stats in the nutritional info as well. They are 100% vegan, (which means Im so sending my mom a case of these) and 100% organic. Rock on! Each bar is filling, delicious and the perfect snack for anyone on the Glo...I mean go!=) Be warned though, they are crazy addicting. (I had to put mine in the cabinet so I wouldn't eat them all in one night)

Thanks Angela for the amazing products. I know I will be ordering a bunch more in the near future. I cant wait to try the granola as well!

Autumn is here!

I absolutely love fall. Its my favorite time of year. The trees are changing, the air is crisp and chilly and everything just seems so comforting and amazing to me. I woke up this morning and curled up on the couch with my big warm bowl of oatmeal and a steaming hot cup of coffee. Its the usual, but always hits the spot. I went to the gym and hit the elliptical for 75 minutes today! Crazy! There was a good show on, I couldn't stop watching. The time jsut flew by. I have to say I love days like that. After a great gym session I came home and was starving. Definitely in a bottomless pit kind of way. I ended up eating some fiber crackers with 1 Tbs. of peanut butter. some cereal and a apple. Overall not too bad. I definitely could have don't more damage. Then onto making some dinner. Since I was feeling festive I decided to make some spaghetti squash pancakes with a spicy pumpkin and black bean salsa on top of a bed of roasted spinach. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine was. They were super crispy, a bit spicy and sweet at the same time.

But first I had to curb my sweet tooth before I cooked so I popped a few of these. Delicous...chewy, sweet..did the trick. If you love black licorice I highly recommend these. It only takes one or two pieces to satisfy me.



I had two beautiful fall squashes lying on my kitchen counter that I could not wait to use. Spaghetti squash and a sugar pumpkin. Tasty and versatile they are a great choice for dinner or even dessert dishes! Super healthy to boot too! (And did I mention low calorie?) I started off my cutting my squash in half. I laid each half into about 1 inch of water and covered with foil. Then about 30 minutes later its time to shred!


In about two minutes I had a huge bowlful of shredded spaghetti squash. The pumpkin takes a bit more time but super easy. I cut into big cubes. Carefully cut the outer skin off then cube. I plan to use the pumpking for my pumpkin and black bean salsa and the other half for my dehydrator to make some pumpkin leather.


Spaghetti Squash Pancakes with a Spicy Pumpkin and Black Bean Salsa:

Pancakes:
2 c. shredded spaghetti squash
3 Tbs. liquid egg whites
4 Tbs. whole wheat flour
pepper to taste


Salsa:
1 c. cooked pumpkin, small dice
1/2 c. black beans
1 Tbs. garlic
1/2 c. tomato, small dice
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tsp. chili powder
pinch of salt and pepper


Put cooked squash into a big bowl. Add in egg whites and flour and pepper. Mix. Heat a griddle, spray with your favorite non stick cooking spray (these puppies will stick horribly if you don't) Take a small scoop of the "batter" and form into a pancake shape. Put into pan. Cook on medium heat until heated through. Flip and cook opposite side.

For the salsa:
Add all ingredients into pan and toss to combine. Set aside and let the flavors marry each other. Longer it sits the tastier it is!

When pancakes are done, place onto plate, scoop salsa on top and enjoy!

I enjoyed mine with a side of sauteed spinach. It was amazing! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Have a wonderful evening!

Yoga and Snacks

I went to my very first Yoga class yesterday and it completely rocked! Im used to doing alot of long endurance type cardio but this was amazing. It really stretched my muscles out, relaxed me and felt like a great workout for my core. Which is something that I really need to work on more. Overall I cant wait to take another class, its definently something that I want to start doing on a regular basis. If you haven't taken one before, its just overall fun! Don't worry about keeping up or not understanding the poses. I was a little slow at first since I didn't understand the different poses but you pick it up quickly. Plus I had a great instructor that really helped me out.

When I got home I had the picks! I just wanted to snack a bit so I made up some spicy chipotle lime toasted chickpeas and my "famous" guacamole. (Not to toot my own horn but I make a mean guac!) I love chickpeas. They are a fantastic source of fiber, protein, folate and maganese just to name a few. And if you watching your budget, dried chickpeas are super cheap and can be stored for months in a an air tight container! So chick pea it up!



Spicy Chipotle and Lime Chickpeas:

1/2 c. dried chickpeas (or 1 can if that is what you have on hand)
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs fresh garlic
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic
2 tsp. ancho chili powder


juice from 1/2 lime
dash of hot sauce
(salt and pepper if needed-I didnt use any, but you can add in whatever you'd like!)

soak chick peas in water overnight. Drain, rinse and throw into pan with enough water to cover. Add in fresh garlic. Boil until soft. Drain and add to bowl. Toss in your spices, lime juice, hot sauce and sprinkle onto baking sheet. Toast in oven at 350 until nice and crispy. Enjoy!!

(My husband says these remind him or corn nuts, HA!) Also, being a huge football fan actually ate a bowl of these instead of the usual chips which watching the game. Total score!


And now for the guacamole! The trick to amazing guacamole is just finding the ripest most delicious avacados that you can. When Im at the store I always squeeze and smell my avacados before I buy them. If they squish a bit, I will buy those as they will be pretty good for guacamole. Avacados are amazingly healthy and full of healthy fats (the monosaturated kind). Sine they are high in fat though you should eat them in moderation. This recipe is simple, delicious and takes no time to prepare. Its fanastic with some warmed up tortillas or fresh cut veggies.

Guacamole:

3 avacados
1 lime
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 sweet onion
2-3 jalapenos (depending on how spicy you like it!)
salt
pepper
1 heaping Tbs of fresh garlic

Peel and rough chop avacado. Once the pieces are all in the bowl, add in your lime juice. The lime juice not only adds to the flavor but the acid in the lime prevents the avacados from browning. Not take a fork (or hands!) and mash away. small dice your onion and jalapenos and mix it. Season with garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Toss in cilantro. Mix.

Thats it! Easy and delicous. I like to eat mine margarita style!! Enjoy!

Gorgeous and Sunny!

This morning was amazingly gorgeous, warm and sunny outside. Its been super cold and rainy so its been such a great change! I woke up, had my usualy tasty breakfast of oatmeal and coffee and hit the road. I had my spin class this morning and it was fabulous. Lots of hill climbs and speed work. Perfect way to start the morning. Then after class I was off to Whole Foods. This place is super dangerous. I know alot of people say its pricey but really I dont find it to be way more than other grocery stores. You just have to really shop around and look for good deals. Their 365 brand of products I think are very quality and reasonably priced. I must say I so totally scored this morning! Yessss! Heres some of the booty:


Ok so my puffed Kamut 2 for $2! Good deal! I love this stuff. Im such a grazer so I love to just keep it around and snack on it. Turbinado raw sugar just $2.99..I checked, its the same price at Trader Joes so thats cool! Pure Maple syrup is always a bit pricey but worth it. I paid 15.99 for this. (Its a 32oz bottle) I dont know if this is a super steal or not but considering I sent my husbands to the grocery store the other day and bought me a Ralph's brand maple syrup that was only 12 oz for $14 bucks I think he said. So to me this seemed like a decent deal. I also found some Barney Butter! Ive been hearing so much about it and have really wanted to give it a shot. So I'll post back later on that one. And my dark chocolate chunks. I plan to do a little baking today so I needed these. They are 70% pure cocoa. Its the highest I could find in chips and it was pretty cheap as well. I also bought bags full or organic veggies and fruits but I'll admit, i do splurge alot of my veggies!

On the agenda today is cleaning. Fun stuff! But also I plan to do some cooking, baking and I also have a new class I'm attending today! Its a mix of pilates and spin. Sounds way interesting so Im super excited! Texas game is on today and my husbands and our good friends are making there legendary game day tater tot nachos. They tell me this is something you should never eat if you value your health. HA! Hey, all in moderation though, right? I'm definitely going to post pictures of their master piece once its finished. Have a super day everyone!

Peanut Butter Pudding Love!

So I just completed my metric century last weekend. I'm a bit gung ho about it and I read about another one that takes places in a month! hhmmm.... I was thinking about giving myself a mini break but this one seems really fun. So I'm kind of contemplating whether or not to go for it. In the end I think I will, just to challenge myself. But we shall see.

Today was waaay warmer which was awesome. After work I got to curl up and watch a Sons of Anarchy episode that I had recorded (which totally rocks! its like Spranos but with a biker gang!) and suddenly realized that I was out of my all time favorite dessert! My Peanut butter tofu pudding! Im the kind of person that has to have some type of dessert every night and for me it fits the bill! Plus its somewhat healthy so I can justify eating it everyday! First up I gather my ingredients. Its super super super simple to make. In about no time flat you will be in peanut butter pudding heaven!
All you need is some Silken Tofu, PB2 (you can always use any nutbutter, its delicious anyway you make it!) and some stevia to sweeten it a bit.


Throw the tofu and Peanut butter in the food processor and let 'er rip! You might have to add a bit of water depending on thin or thick you like it. Thats it! Wow easy! I usually just spoon some into a bowl and sweeten to taste with some stevia. My favorite toppings are some bananas, chocolate chips and granola. Super tasty snack!