OMG CINNAMON ROLL PANCAKES

Alright people. I got something to tell ya. THIS girl is running the mini marathon! I know what you might be thinking, "yea yea I know tons of people who run the mini every year". But for me, it's a pretty big deal!

Being an athlete since I was a wee little tike, I was always "in shape" but i was never "a runner".. Chris hates when people say that :] but it's true. I never ran more than a mile at a time.. ever. That is, until I went through Bridging the Wellness Gap last year.  In the beginning, the running workouts were my LEAST favorite out of everything in the program. But by the time that it was over, running was one of my favorite things about it! Once I learned how to make the connection, or "Bridge the Gap" if you will, with my spirit, mind & body, another thing I learned through BTWG, running had a whole new purpose! Now, don't get me wrong, it does suck sometimes, and there are alot of days where it's the very last thing that I want to do, but the feeling I get once my run is over makes it all worth it.  Euphoria, accomplished, proud of myself, unstoppable, happy, strong, humbled... just to name a few.

So anyway, back to the mini, I decided that I wanted to run a half marathon to prove to myself that I could do it. Being a weenie and not wanting to do it alone, I knew my sister in law would totally be up for the challenge. She is flying in from Georgia to run it with me! Having someone to keep you accountable, even if its from a few states away, helps more than you can imagine. We talk and text daily about our diet, our workouts, and our daily struggles or accomplishments. I recommend everyone finds an accountability partner, and I am so blessed to have mine be my sister-in-law!

This picture was taken last year at race that we did at a winery, we ran the 5 mile and our moms walked the 5k. We had a blast! 

I have been training like crazy for this race and I am determined to run the entire 13.1 miles. With hard training comes big eating. duh. I am always starving after my long runs, and that's where these pancakes come in. These pancakes. OMG. That's literally all I can say. OMG OMG OMG. My new favorite meal. Ever. OMG. [drool...going to make some more of them right now].

These pancakes are so good that I made them for Kyle and he had no idea that they weren't made from boxed pancake batter! Last weekend he said "I cant believe you're eating pancakes for breakfast". LITTLE DID HE KNOW THEYRE HEALTHY HAHAHAHAHAHAHA GOTCHA!

I came across this recipe at this blog: http://www.spoonfuloffit.com and decided to try it. I made some substitutions like using almond flour instead of oat flour and honey instead of stevia, but they turned out AMAZING. OMG. I have made these a few different ways. The first ingredient calls for a scoop of protein powder. I have both chocolate and vanilla flavored, so I just decide which one I'm in the mood for that day. If I am having a chocolate day, I like to add some almond butter to the batter or spread almond butter on top of the pancake. If I am having a vanilla day, I make this:

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop protein powder (I have Sunwarrior Vanilla, it's a raw plant based protein powder)
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tablespoon non-fat greek yogurt (I just used Fage)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon honey
• pinch of salt
• maple syrup 

1. In a mixing bowl combine protein powder, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon & salt
2. add in egg whites, greek yogurt, almond milk, honey, and then fold in raisins
3. mix until pancake-like consistency
4. Bring the skillet to medium heat, and add spoonfuls of batter to form a pancake
5. Cook until you have used all of the batter 
6. top with maple syrup and EAT EAT EAT

This made about 3 nice sized fluffy pancakes, enough for one person. When I'm cooking for kyle and I, I just double the recipe. Like I said, I have switched it up based on what flavor protein powder  that I use, so try some new concoctions and see how it turns out! And if you come up with something yummy then make sure to share it with me. Because I love yummy food. duh. :] 

I will rave about these pancakes forever because they're that amazing. You need to try them. PLEASE try them. I'm pretty much begging you. But it's your own loss if you dont :]

OMG. PANCAKES.  

Sweet Potato Tacos

So I'm not going to lie. I've been stuck in a winter funk for the past 3 months which is why I have kind of been MIA from my blog. I was doing everything in my power to get out of it but the gloomy weather and mood just sucked me in. I didn't feel like cooking or cleaning, I came home and slept everyday after work and I was basically a lazy slob with a bad diet and a messy house (YIKES). When my grandma passed away about a month and a half ago that was just the "icing on the cake", if you will. I was just sad all day, everyday, and couldn't seem to bring myself out of it. All I wanted to do was sleep.

Well ladies and gents, I am ECSTATIC to say that I've beaten the funk. How you ask? Prayer. Lots and Lots of prayer & meditation! Yea folks, it really works. One of my favorite songs that has helped is Jeremy Camp's "Walk by Faith", because it couldn't have been more true for my life the last few months. While I still miss my grandma like crazy, I am at ease knowing that she is with the Lord and with my grandpa once again. I have started running again (training for the mini marathon!) and I have been cooking & so much more and coming up with some yummy recipes which I will be sharing with you all. OH and my house has been spotless too just incase I grossed you out about living in filth (although I wasn't really, my fabulous fiance took care of everything when I wasn't feeling up to it!).

I am also SO excited for the new class of Bridging the Wellness Gap. This past weeked was the initial testing and I am so hopeful for what the future holds for these recruits. AMAZING THINGS ARE IN STORE! If you don't know what I'm talking about you can visit the website http://bridgingthewellnessgap.wordpress.com/ .

Anyway, let's cut to the chase. This is my new favorite way to eat tacos. Period. I am not taking ANY credit for this recipe, though. I got the idea from Stacy at my gym, Circle City Strength and Conditioning, who told me that she makes a sweet potato taco packet with black beans and other ingredients. But I was extremely intrigued by her idea of having sweet potato and tacos on the same plate, so I tried it.

If you haven't discovered the beauty of a sweet potato, you are seriously missing out. Most people only know sweet potatoes as a side to Thanksgiving dinner, smothered in butter and brown sugar. Well my friends, these little gems can do SO MUCH MORE than that. If you're curious you can google other recipes or you can stay tuned for upcoming blog posts :]

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium sweet potato per mouth you are feeding
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 1 small-medium sized onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• taco seasoning (My fav is Trader Joe's brand)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (you can get the one with green chiles for an extra kick if you like)
• 1 tbsp sour cream (if you go for that)

1. Cook your sweet potato. How you do this is up to you. I think that the easiest way is to pierce it a few times with a fork, wrap it in a damp paper towel and put it in the microwave for 6-7 minutes. You could also bake it in the oven, but this takes about 45 min-1 hour.
2. Heat some olive oil in a skillet on medium and throw in the diced onion, garlic and peppers and cook until onions are translucent. Add your ground beef/turkey and cook through.
3. Add diced tomatoes & taco seasoning and let cook together for about 10-15 minutes.
4. When sweet potato is done cooking, slice it open on your plate and mash it up.
5. Pour taco meat mixture over the top of the sweet potato, top with a dollop of sour cream & EAT YOUR HEART OUT

I apologize that I do not have a picture of this, but It was one of those meals that after I was done inhaling it that I decided to put on on my blog. I hope you enjoy!!

Crockpot Peppered Pork Steak

I apologize its been so long since my last post! Things have been pretty crazy around here! For starters, IM ENGAGED! Kyle proposed on Christmas Eve and I couldn't be happier. I've already begun wedding planning and settled on September 21 of this year... There is so much to do! So I am going to do my best to keep updating recipes and posts amongst the craziness.

Also, the 2013 class of Bridging the Wellness Gap is getting ready to start, which Is SO EXCITING! The program did amazing things for me and changed my life in so many ways. I am now honored to say that I'm coming back for this class as a wellness coach! So there will be plenty more Interesting blog posts once that get underway. But for now, lets stick to why you're really here. To see the recipe for the most tender, mouth watering pork steak I've ever made. FYI: I'm typing This blog post from my phone so I apologize if the quality is poor!

Ingredients:
-4 bone-in pork steaks (or however many mouths you're feeding)
-1 large onion, cut into slices
-2 bell peppers, cut into strips. any color, i used green and orange because that's what I had on hand
-Minced garlic (I buy the jar packed in olive oil)
-1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
-3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
-3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (not completely paleo but..whatever)
-salt & pepper, garlic and herb spice mixture (optional)

1. Slice your onions and peppers and layer them in the bottom of the crockpot
2. Trim the fat and then brown all of your pork steaks in a skillet. This really doesn't take long, and it gives your pork steak better flavor.
3. Once browned, lay them on top of the peppers and onions in the crockpot
4. Pour can of diced tomatoes over the top of the steaks
5. Top each steak with a little bit of minced garlic
6. Add Worcestershire and cider vinegar to the pot, Then add seasonings of your choice. I used salt, pepper, and a little bit of a garlic and herb spice
7. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. The meat gets so tender it literally falls off of the bone.
8. Top with onion and pepper mixture and eat your little heart out.

Sorry folks, no picture. It was one of those meals that I wolfed down in no time and then thought to myself "maybe I should blog that". But trust me, it got two thumbs up from all four of the people at my dinner table tonight, so you should make this recipe. What do you have to lose? :)

Paleo Roasted Tomato Vegetable Soup

So Christmas is slooowly (but not really that slowly) creeping up on us. Lets just say that last year during this time i seriously gained about 13lbs. THIS IS NOT A JOKE PEOPLE. I let my sweet tooth get the best of me and I ate cookies, cake, chocolates.. etc with NO self control what-so-ever. It has also taken me all year long to work all of that back off and get to where I want to be. This year I'm not letting that happen again. Ive already had a few slip ups and bombed out days but the only thing that you can do is bounce back and take on the next day determined and without guilt from the day before. Trust me on this. I am THE WORST at beating myself up over what I ate so this is the best advice that I can give: It's a NEW DAY to start over and give it your best!!!! I have found that the best way to control myself is to just PRAY. I rely on God so much throughout the day for strength, especially in tough situations, and saying NO to certain foods qualifies as a tough situation in my book.

Tonight was just one of those nights to be snuggled up on the couch watching Christmas specials (Saturday Night Live Christmas to be exact) in front of the Christmas tree with a fire going. And fuzzy socks. And bassett hounds. and my boyfrind. Oh and wine. Cant forget that. If you're having a hard time picturing this let me show you...

This is happening right now. Be jealous.

Along with this cozy day comes cozy food. What better cozy food than tomato soup???? I set out to find a homemade tomato soup because my days of eating shit out of a can are long gone. Homemade soup is 100000000x better tasting and better for you anyway. I came across this website http://blog.seasonwithspice.com/2012/08/homemade-tomato-basil-soup-recipe.html and thought that it sounded delicious. I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand so I kind of took her idea and ran with it and this is the soup I came up with. It was SOO GOOOD, it made the "best soup i've ever had" category by kyle, which is huge because his family is full of awesome cooks! This is one of those recipes that even the non-paleo eaters will go nuts over. trust me.

INGREDIENTS

• 5-6 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 green or red bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 zucchini, cut into chunks
• 1 medium sized onion, cut into chunks
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, cut into chunks
• 1/2 bag baby carrots, coined (you could use 3 full sized carrots but I didnt have any)
• handful of spinach
• 2 cups chicken/vegetable broth
• 2 tsp -ish basil
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• olive oil
• salt to taste

1. Set your oven to 375. While that is preheating, cut up your tomatoes, onion, pepper, garlic, zucchini and carrots and spread them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over the top and sprinkle with basil, salt, & pepper. Place in the oven and let roast, it took about 25-30 minutes but keep an eye on it.

 

 

2. While those are roasting, heat the chicken broth, paprika & pepper on low in a large pot.

3. When the veggies are done roasting, add them all to a blender along with the handful of fresh spinach and blend together. I left mine a little bit chunky but you can blend until smooth if you like.

3. Add tomato mixture to broth and stir together. Cook on medium for a few minutes and then stir in butter and milk. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

4. Serve hot

 

I made kyle a grilled cheese to eat with his but I cut up half of an avocado and added that to mine. It was ABSOLUTELY DELISH. I know I say this about all of my recipes but seriously this one is a MUST try! Especially for those cozy winter nights :]

 

 

Happy cooking!



Paleo Oatmeal

So lately I've been getting a little tired of just plain eggs or fruit for breakfast. I had been looking for something new and warm and delicious for wintertime and I'm so glad that I came across recipe on http://onapinktypewriter.com/2012/01/09/paleo-oatmeal/ , it's EXACTLY what I needed to switch things up a little!

This is the best paleo oatmeal that I've made so far, so good that I may or may not have made it every day for breakfast last week........ :]

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp honey
• frozen fruit of your choice, my two favorites are blueberries and rasberries

1. whisk together egg whites and almond milk. Then add the rest of the ingredients and make sure its blended well. (I found that peeling the banana and microwaving it in a bowl for about 20 seconds helps mash it much easier!)
2. heat in small saucepan on low-medium heat and stir frequently until it reaches the right consistency. This took me about 10 minutes until I could tell that it had all been cooked through.
3. DEVOUR

This has become one of my new favorite breakfasts... or lunches... or dinners (when kyle has school and im cooking for just myself). I have not yet tried to make it in the microwave but i'm sure that it would work just fine if you continue to stir it every 30 seconds or so. Trust me, this recipe is a keeper!

Banana Avocado Chocolate Pudding

Hello everybody! It's been a few weeks since my last post and I apologize! Things have been pretty crazy and I've had alot going on!

Last week my mom, my aunt and I flew out to LA to visit my cousin for her 30th birthday. We had a BLAST! But lots and lots and lots of wine, and lots and lots and lots of bad food. Friday we ventured to a horse ranch in Santa Barbara, but the rainy weather put an end to that adventure much earlier than we had hoped, so we went wine tasting in Malibu instead. That was AWESOME! And I can honestly say that California wine is wayyy better than the 10$ box wine that I usually stock up on in my fridge :].We also had a chance to visit Hollywood, which was very...........different. People dressing up as characters from movies and charge money to take picutres with them, hustlers on the street trying to sell cd's, the sidewalk was so dirty and packed full of people that you couldn't even see the celebrity's names on the stars. But on the bright side I dont think I have ever people-watched so much in my entire life. That's one of my favorite things to do. It makes me realize how many different kinds of people there are in the world and everyone is out to find their own happiness. I feel that Living in a world with such diversity, being close-minded is only going make yourself miserable at the end of the day.

Here are some pics from the trip:

Airport fun!

 

My cousin Wendy and I on her birthday, she makes 30 look GOOOOD! :]

 My beautiful mom and I at Malibu Winery

 

Wendy, myself, my mom and my aunt at SIP Winery

 

Mom and I at Kodak Theater in Hollywood

 

 

Now don't get me wrong, I had SO MUCH FUN, but after I got home, I was miserable! I was bloated, fatigued, swollen, grouchy, and all around feeling crappy. I had stuffed myself with so much wine, pizza, more wine, more pizza, and lots more wine. I couldn't wait to get back on my normal diet and eating/workout schedule.

 

I had heard great things about this recipe so I decided to see for myself. I originally found it on http://www.thefoodieandthefamily.com/2012/01/22/banana-cado-chocolate-pudding/ , but instead of making 12 servings, I switched it up a little to make just 1-2 and it was delicious! I HIGHLY recommend that you try this one, I even let co-workers who tend to poke fun of my healthy eating habits try it and they even agreed that it was delicious and couldn't believe it was made from avocados.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

• 1 avocado
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 TBS cocoa powder
• 1 TBS honey or maple syrup
• dash vanilla
• dash cinnamon
 

Put all of the above in a blender and blend until smooth! Then chill in the refrigerator for atleast 30 minutes. this stuff is THE BOMB DIGGITY! 

 

 

Hot n Spicy Paleo Meatloaf....and Running.

MAN it's been too long since my last blog post. I have been such a little busy bee lately. I just recently started a new job, which I absolutely LOVE. My previous job was a 45+ minute commute each way, and now I work just 5 minutes down the road with AWESOME hours! I'm done everyday by 2:30, how cool is that? So since I have all this new free time, I decided that I needed to pick up another hobby. Who in the hell would have ever guessed that hobby would be running? NOT me that's for sure! I started this whole running thing when I began Bridging the Wellness Gap, and since then it has just taken off. I started at just going 1-2 miles once or twice a week, and here I am now signed up for a half marathon in March. WHO AM I?

I love the way that running makes me feel. Well, after the runner's high kicks in that is. Until then it kind of sucks. The first two miles are always so hard for me and then after that I get lost in my own euphoric state of mind where nothing bothers me. Nothing stresses me out. I get a sense of satisfaction that I have control over my well being and I feel so alive! Now, I'm not saying that I go out and run 10 miles every day. or ever. But I have found that 5-6 miles a few times a week is just what I need to stay sane and it helps keep my mindfulness on track.

ANYWAY, enough about that. Let's get to the food.

When I was younger, I HATED when my mom made meatloaf. I don't even know why. Maybe it just had something to do with the name. Meatloaf. Something about that just sounded un appetizing... in my PRE paleo days, that is. Now that I'm a meat-atarian (yes, I just made that word up), I can't get enough. Sometimes I feel like the dog on the Beggin Strips commerical... like "BACOOONNNNN!!!! BACON BACON BACON BACON I SMELL BACONN!!!". It's that bad.

I just compared myself to a dog....................oh well.

So I set out to make a meatloaf, with no specific recipe in mind. it couldn't be THAT hard, right? I mean it's just a bunch of meat...in a pan... So I literally just threw a bunch of stuff together and this is what I got. Now the ingredients list is a bit long, but seriously don't let it scare you! This was so easy to make. Obviously I got a little spice happy so you can add or omit any of them that you like to make it more or less spicy.  Kyle and I just love spicy food so that's why I went a little crazy but I love the way that it turned out! Kyle thought it was amazing, and I asked him if it was the best meatloaf he had ever had. His response: "It was delicious, but it wasn't as good as my Nana makes it". Now, if his Nana wasn't one of the most precious, sweetest, kindest little lady's that I have ever met, and  really didnt make some damn good meatloaf, then he might have been thrown in the Dog House after that comment. I decided to let this one slide.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey (or beef, your choice)
• 1 lb ground pork sausage
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tbsp almond flour
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup hot saunce, I used Franks
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• salt & pepper

1. Set your oven at 400 degrees
2. Heat up a skillet with some Olive oil and toss in your green pepper, onion, and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine meat, egg, flour, tomato paste, hot sauce, and spices. Mix well
4. Once veggies are done in the skillet, add them to the bowl and stir to incorporate.
5. Transfer meat mixture to an 8x5 loaf pan, and bake uncovered for approx 45-50 minutes, until no longer pink on the inside.
6.  Have your glass of water ready because this stuff is spiiiiccyyyy, but absolutely DELISH! Sorry no picture, but everyone knows what meatloaf looks like. Or atleast I hope you do. If not just picture a loaf of bread.....made out of meat.

HAPPY COOKING :]