Spring Has Finally Sprung

 

It’s finally happening people…spring is arriving in Minnesota! Yesterday the temperature got up to 50°F which being that we had these sights just days ago, gets us Minnesotans super amped up. Today is supposed to reach 69, Saturday: 72, and Sunday:  76. If every Minnesotan who is capable of being outside this weekend isn’t outside I would be truly surprised. We have been caged up for far too long. There will be people in shorts and flip-flops left and right, and possibly even bathing suits. Spring is finally ARRIVING! My heart flutters at the thought.

Tomorrow we run are running in a 10K race. Because of the nasty weather, and since the beginning of Insanity, we haven’t been running…at.all. I am hoping since we are keeping up on our cardio and endurance and building up our strength, that 6.2 miles will be a breeze (*fingers crossed*). The other thing that should help is the gorgeous weather. The adrenaline of warm weather and cheering spectators should be all that we need to make this race a great one. We shall see!

Last night there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to grill. At lunch time I started marinading two skinless chicken breasts in coconut aminos, honey, pineapple, ginger, and garlic powder.

When it was time for dinner we threw those bad boys on the grill and hung outside with the pooch while they cooked away.

outside

outside dana grill

“Look ma, no snow!”

outside moose

To go along with the chicken, I put together a simple romaine salad with red peppers and lima beans. For the dressing I made a simple mix of rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and a touch of honey. We plated the chicken over the salad, and dressed it with the Asian-inspired mixture. That’s what you call a springy-looking plate! So light and refreshing!

chicken salad

I’m officially welcoming salads back in as a dinner option now that the warm weather is rolling around.

chicken salad

 

After dinner we took Mooser for a 2 mile walk around the neighborhood. I underestimated my clothing and lack of layers and wound up being pretty chilly through the walk. It was still so nice to get out and not have to trudge through any snow. LOVE.

I am really hoping to make this a ritual in the evenings. So often I find myself wanting to snuggle into the couch after dinner and then I don’t end up moving from my spot until bedtime. I’m working on breaking that habit and the warmer weather will absolutely help that.

After our walk we came in and enjoyed Glee and I whipped up a batch of banana soft serve. I made it in the NutriBullet for the first time and it came out even smoother than when I make it in the blender. We went the simple au natural route and just used bananas and a little coconut milk.

 

banana softserve

 

Between the grilling, the salad, the evening walk, the banana soft serve, it looks like spring has finally sprung over here! Can I get a whoop whoop?!

What do you enjoy most about spring?

Happy Friday my friends!

Continue Reading Spring Has Finally Sprung

Fish Tacos with Fresh Mango Salsa

Oh boy do I have a treat for you. Our fridge is stocked full of fresh produce right now and I had the luxury of throwing together many different fresh ingredients to come up with this incredibly amazing concoction….

Fish Tacos with Fresh Mango Avocado Salsa!

mango salsa

For the salsa: I bought two ripe mangos from Whole Foods the other day and knew I had to use them quickly before they went bad, so I peeled them, and diced them, and used the fruit from one mango in this salsa. I added the mango to a bowl, then added diced avocado, red bell peppers, red onion, cilantro, black beans, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper (recipe below). I mixed it up gently and refrigerated it while I got the rest of dinner ready.

In a saute pan lightly coated with olive oil, we cooked two tilapia filets with a multi-spice seasoning blend that gave it just the slightest “kick.”

While the tilapia cooked, I washed one head of red cabbage and did my best to tear off shells to serve as the base of the fish taco.

Once the fish was cooked through and white and flaky, we used a spatula to divide it into big chunk-sized bites. I plated the cabbage, then the fish, and finally, the royal salsa.

fish tacos with mango salsa fish tacos with mango salsa

Oh my goodness these things were INCREDIBLE! If I had a restaurant I would sell these for sure.

IMG_2192

 

They were definitely messy and you could go ahead and make the cabbage into more of a slaw salad to sit underneath the fish taco and fresh salsa, but I don’t mind a mess and had fun with it this way!

This is such a simple salsa that would be great with most any type of cooked fish, or with grilled chicken, with a whole grain tortilla chip, and fantastic even by itself!

Mango Avocado Salsa
Print
Ingredients
  • ½ cup mango, diced
  • ½ cup avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup red peppers, diced
  • 2 Tbsp red onion, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • ½ of a lime (juice)
  • sprinkle of cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix gently. Refrigerate and serve cold. This was AMAZING on tilapia but would be great on a salad or with whole grain tortilla chips too!

ENJOY!

Happy Saturday! I have a very fun day ahead of me! Catch up with you later gators!

Continue Reading Fish Tacos with Fresh Mango Salsa

Mom’s Ham and White Bean Soup

Hello hello and happy Wednesday!

I’ve been dealing with some type of allergic reaction the past few days, so I am keeping a close eye on my food intake to see if it is a certain food that is triggering an allergic response or perhaps it’s from a medication. I’m in touch with my docs too so I am in good hands; no worries! It’s just really weird. I am feeling more and more inclined to have a food intolerance test done to see which foods I should really be staying away from.

I switched up my breakfast a bit from the usual and went with a bowl of mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries) with FAGE Greek yogurt, a touch of honey, and chia seeds. I gave it a good stir and thoroughly enjoyed this sweet breakfast.

fruit and yogurt

I snacked on a huge baggy of carrots to tide me over between breakfast and lunch, and there was a huge bowl of shelled peanuts at work so I snagged a handful of those too.

For lunch, I used celery stalks to scoop up freshly made egg salad. I was so inspired by the deviled eggs from Sunday that I went ahead and made this similar tasting, protein-packed meal right away on Monday.

egg salad

I attempted a run in the early afternoon but was hindered by some new pain, so I kept it short and made my way home.

I had a few snacks in the afternoon before heading over to mom and dad’s for dinner.

yogurt

Mom had made ham and white bean soup from the leftover Easter ham, per my request. She’s the best!

mom's ham and bean soup

I love this soup! It’s so simple yet so flavorful, comforting and belly-warming. It’s such a good way to use up the remainder of the Easter ham too. I would love the recipe for this one but I’m almost positive mom just does her own thing when she makes this soup and goes by taste, adding a pinch of this and that here and there. She adds her motherly TLC in there too so that’s probably why her food always tastes good. 🙂

It was the perfect meal for a very cool evening. It is supposed to be in the 50’s again today so I am super excited about that!

I officially saw my first robin yesterday which means that spring is definitely here. My mom and grandma always used to say that to me when I was younger and I would always look forward to it every spring, and I still do!

Happy Hump Day! I hope it’s a good one!

Question of the day: What are your favorite ways to use holiday feast leftovers?

Continue Reading Mom’s Ham and White Bean Soup

A Hungry Morning

We are half way through the work week! How about that?! I hope everyone is having a great week.

Yesterday was one of those days where my body just couldn’t get enough to eat. I think I did a pretty good job of listening to what my body was asking for and feeding it lots of healthy foods. The morning was a feeding fiasco. 😉

It started off with a bowl of gluten-free Erewhon Buckwheat and Hemp cereal with homemade almond milk, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and banana. I had to remind myself to slow down as I ate this but it was SO good I couldn’t help myself! cereal and fruit

I really want to try other Erewhon cereals. They have strawberry crisp, raisin bran, crispy brown rice, and more. They all sound fantastic! I haven’t had cereal in forever.

cereal and fruit

For my workout yesterday I turned on Apple TV and found a ZUMBA workout led by a young male Zumba instructor who was a really good dancer. It was fun but not as fun as actually being in a class with other people dancing with me. After Zumba I completed a 15-minute intense ab workout.

Many snacks proceeded the workouts. I ate walnuts, dates and peanut butter, a banana, celery, and an energy bite. I’m probably missing something else in there.

walnuts

After all of the snacking, it was only about 11:00 am but I figured since I was still hungry I may as well make lunch.

I sautéed onion, green bell pepper, and mushrooms. I then added a splash of bone broth, leftover chicken and black beans. I topped off this concoction with avocado and salsa. NUM!

sauteed vergis

After “lunch” my belly was finally feeling satisfied. The hunger staved off for a while after that!

Later in the afternoon I took the pooch for a 3-mile walk around the neighborhood. It is extremely messy around here these days. The snow is definitely melting and we are left with very muddy grass, wet sidewalks, and a dirty dog, but I’ll take it because that means spring is really here!

Moose

More snacks happened in the afternoon.

Dinner was light because I had done the majority of my eating throughout the day and wasn’t super hungry, but still wanted some nutrition. I threw together a lazy salad with mixed greens, red bell pepper, peas, olives, pickles, avocado, sunflower seeds and a dressing made with Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar. It was simple but tasty.

I am pretty much convinced that I could put avocado on anything and it would taste good. The avocado really stole the show last night.

salad

 

The rest of the evening was pretty quiet and relaxing!

Question of the day: What is your favorite cereal?

Have a great day!!

 

Continue Reading A Hungry Morning

Lots of Food Prep

Happy Friday!

I had a bit of a goofy tummy yesterday so my day of eats was very sporadic. I started the day off with a smoothie.

Strawberry Banana Cocoa Smoothie:

  • Strawberries
  • Banana
  • Kefir
  • Kale
  • Aloe Vera Juice
  • Cocoa powder

smoothie

I really had to force that bad boy down; I just wasn’t feeling hungry. I drank about half of it and put the rest in the fridge.

I also sipped on a warm cup of Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea. When I was in Colorado last weekend, I got to sample this stuff and really liked it so bought a box to bring home. I still need to tell you about my Colorado weekend!

celestial seasonings tea

Lunch was more of a snacky deal all day than an actual “lunch”. One of my snacks was ants on a log, aka celery with peanut butter and raisins…

ants on a log

This definitely brought me back to childhood. My mom would make us these for a snack or sometimes she would do banana with peanut butter and raisins. I really enjoy the crunch of the celery and the smooth peanut butter combined with the chewy raisins. So many textures and a nice sweet flavor!

Yesterday I received a book I ordered called “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon. It is a book my chiropractor recommended to me and one that he and his family use all of the time. I am just getting into the book but what I know so far is that this book brings us back to our roots, or really, our ancestors roots in regards to food intake. It is about eating whole foods, eating fermented foods to help with intestinal health, eliminating sugars as much as possible, etc.

nourishing traditions

 

I am pretty pumped about it and will keep you posted when I learn more. Right now I have a pot of bone broth simmering on the stove with 2 Tablespoons of vinegar (this helps leach calcium and minerals out of the bone and into the broth; it will simmer for 24 hours). Bone broth is something mentioned in the book quite a bit.

I also made my first batch of homemade fermented sauerkraut. It’s been a while since I have tried sauerkraut, but last time I did I wasn’t a fan at all. We will see how I feel about my own batch.

The directions said to combine one shredded medium head of cabbage, one tablespoon of caraway seeds, and two tablespoons of sea salt (it called for whey but said if you don’t have whey you can use an extra tablespoon of salt so that’s what I did) in a bowl.

fermented cabbage

Next, it said to take a meat tenderizer mallet and pound down the cabbage for ten minutes, to release the natural juices from the cabbage.

fermented cabbage

Arm workout, done. Next, you spoon the cabbage mixture into canning jars, smash it down with a utensil that fits in there (I just used a spoon) until water gathers at the top of the cabbage. You want to leave one inch of space between the top of the cabbage/water and the lid.

fermented cabbage fermented cabbage

Cover the cabbage and let it sit in room temperature for three days, then place in the fridge and eat whenever! Like I said, we will see if I like it but it’s worth a shot at least!

I also made some homemade fauxtmeal raisin cookie bites made from dates, raisins, cinnamon, and almonds. These were also part of my snacky lunch.

mah balls

In the later afternoon I took Moose for a walk outside and it was unbelievably gorgeous! In Minnesota at this time of year that means it was 40 degrees, but it sure felt warm! Moose was having a hay day with all of the smells everywhere in the snow.

For dinner, we made my favorite grilled salmon recipe with grilled parmesan garlic broccoli.

salmon

And an evening snack of FAGE Greek yogurt with honey and strawberries.

greek yogurt and fruit

We spent the rest of the evening catching up on DVR’ed Whitney and Modern Family episodes that we missed while we were away.

It was a good day full of lots of food prep!

I hope you all had a great Thursday and have an even better Friday!

Continue Reading Lots of Food Prep

Meal Planning for Vacation

Hello hello from Turks and Caicos! How’s everyone doing? I’m sending warm weather wishes your way.

While we are away in Turks and Caicos, we are staying in a villa complete with a full kitchen. This is our first time ever staying in a villa and are super excited about it. We usually go to all-inclusive hotel resorts which typically entail lots of great food, fruity cocktails, too many desserts, and an unhappy tummy.

dominican dessert

dominican dana pina coladas

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy an all-inclusive hotel as much as the next guy, but given my digestive system has been “off” for a while now, it’s a good idea for me to try to stick to more typical food and beverages as much as possible while I’m away. The last thing I want is to regress with my progress because I a feeling gooooood!

Being that we do have access to a full kitchen while we are in Turks, we have decided to prepare most of our own meals while we are there. We were told that groceries are pretty spendy over there, so we did A LOT of food planning, and brought the majority of our food from home. The only food that we are not allowed to bring from home is fresh produce, so we will be going to a local farm/farmer’s market while we are there to stock up on the fresh fruits and vegetables. I can’t wait to see what they have!

We packed all of our food in a cooler, which was duct-taped shut after inspection. The meat we brought was packed frozen solid, and stayed cold enough (and in the safe zone) until we reached our destination. Once we got to the villa, it went right into the fridge and freezer.

turks and caicos food turks and caicos food turks and caicos food

turks and caicos food

We plan on going out to eat a couple of times while we are there to enjoy some of the local food, and we plan to purchase some fresh seafood and cook it in our villa couple of nights as well.

Here is what our meal plan looks like for the week:

 

Weekly Meal Plan for Turks and Caicos
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Thursday x x Turkey Burgers
Friday Banana w/ peanut butter Chicken Caesar Wraps and veggies Lentil Tacos
Saturday Eggs w/ turkey bacon and fruit Leftover tacos or pb wraps Fresh seafood and veggies, quinoa
Sunday Oatmeal or eggs Leftover chicken caesar Out to dinner
Monday Banana w/ peanut butter, eggs, or oatmeal PB banana wraps Veggie hash
Tuesday Oatmeal or eggs Salad Veggie something?
Wednesday Eggs w/ turkey bacon and fruit Leftovers Seafood and veggies
Thursday Leftovers PB wraps x
Snacks Dried fruit, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, pistachios, Chex Mix, date/nut bites, chips and salsa
Beverages LOTS of water, wine, tea, coffee, fresh juice?
http://beautifullynutty.com

I’ll be excited to fill you in how all it all turned out!

Catch up with you later gators!

Continue Reading Meal Planning for Vacation

The Next Phase

Yesterday was the third day of the SCD intro diet. Since my symptoms were so minimal to begin with, I decided to start incorporating some foods back into my diet after two full days on intro diet. I am choosing foods that I knew my body would normally handle well. Yesterday I reintroduced the banana.

After eating only eggs, meat, cooked carrots, and grape juice gelatin, I was ready for more variety. Eating a banana was such a treat! It was like eating candy.

My body reacted very well as I suspected it would. I will continue to slowly reintroduce easy to digest foods.

I apologize for the food photos, but here they are…

Breakfast looks like carrot puree but it was really a totally botched carrot and egg pancake. I also drank a glass of diluted grape juice.

carrot egg pancake dcd

For lunch I heated up some chicken breast, a turkey meatball, and cooked carrots. I couldn’t stomach the chicken some reason so that went back into the fridge.

scd lunch

I grabbed an egg…

egg scd

And finished off lunch with grape juice gelatin.

For dinner I ate another bowl of the carrot and bone broth soup and another banana.

carrot soup scd

I also had a very small diluted glass of grape juice. I think I drank too much juice yesterday, but my body was completely craving it.

I’ve been taking it easy on the workouts the past few days because I know my food and calorie intake isn’t where it should be. I am truly doing the best I can with the SCD intro and trying to eat as much of the allowable foods as I can stomach. I am very happy that I can reintroduce some other foods again because it is not healthy for me to continue on with this minimal amounts of food. I know that I can’t eat “as much as tolerated” of the allowable foods in the intro diet, but when you already have a slight distaste for meat, it is really challenging to force it down.

I continue to do my plank-a-day though as part of my February Fitness Challenge. Today is the last day of week three which means I need to get one more strength training activity in today. I’m hoping I feel up to it this afternoon!

Thanks for sticking by my side through this diet. I am very anxious to eat more of my “normal” foods again and to be 100% healthy!

Happy Thursday!

Continue Reading The Next Phase

Back to the Gym & A Happy Cup of Tea

Okay, good morning! How did everyone sleep last night? I slept really well except for some crazy dreams this morning. Our brains are so incredible. They take our thoughts and wishes and fears and turn them into some very interesting dreams. Some seem so vivid and real like the one I had last night, and some are so completely out there you wonder how your brain even came up with them. Or how about when you randomly see someone in your dream who you haven’t heard of or seen in ages?! That always blows my mind too.

But anyway…let’s get back to reality.

Monday

I’m starting to lose my creativity again and falling back into the pb banana breakfast again. I have still been trying to incorporate more smoothies in though. It’s a work in progress. We’ll leave it at that.

banana pb

I was out all morning running errands and hitting up the gym. Oh yea, I seriously went to the gym. It had been a long time since I had been there because I was sick last week and because I have been doing a lot of my workouts in the comfort of my own warm home. I’m still debating putting my membership on hold, but something keeps holding me back from doing it.

At the gym I planted myself on a treadmill directly in front of a TV showing The Price is Right. I began with a light jog, then decided to make this run a HIIT kind of run. I ran for 3-4 minutes at an intense speed, followed by 1-2 minutes of recovery walking, then amped up the speed this time higher than the sprint before, ran for 3-4 minutes, recovered for 1-2, and so on. I did this sprint/walk drill for 3 miles. I was dripping sweat by the time I was done with it.

Next, I moved over to the mats and worked on strengthening my abs. I feel like ever since the January 30-Day-Abs Challenge, I have learned so many great workouts for my abs that really target all areas. This abs workout was the 2nd session of my February Fitness Challenge.

I packed a large bag of carrots to munch on while I was out and about. By the time I got home around noon, I was more than ready for lunch.

I snacked on a few dates with peanut butter while I got lunch ready.

date pb

I roasted broccoli, brussels sprouts, and butternut squash in the oven with coconut oil, salt, and pepper. I really wasn’t feeling the sprouts yesterday but ate a few of them anyway.

roasted veggies

I finished lunch off with a small snack bowl of mixed nuts and raisins.

In the afternoon I had a cup of green tea kombucha and fell in love with the inspirational words on the tea tag.

tea

“Happiness comes when you overcome the most impossible challenge.” We all have challenges and obstacles in our lives, but we must remember that we will get through them as we always do. Also, we always need to remember to enjoy life each day and show love to the people in our lives each day. That will bring us happiness. At least that’s what I took from it. I’m sure everyone has their own interpretation. I felt happy even before I drank my tea just by reading those words.

Dinner was salmon again! Once a week is still salmon week and let me tell you, I am really starting to like this healthy fish. We made it the same way as we did last week with a little butter, almonds, capers, and sesame oil mixture drizzled over the top of grilled salmon with green beans and asparagus.

salmon salmon

I can’t get over how much more I prefer salmon when it is grilled on an outside grill versus inside. It takes any potential fishy taste out of it and gives it a very subtle smoky flavor. I am happy to say the salmon is growing on me!

The rest of the evening was spent in our cozy home watching the Bachelor and celebrating when someone on there FINALLY got sent home (I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t watched it yet). The second person he sent home though however I wasn’t too happy about. BUT, it’s down to the last four now which means home-town dates, and it looks like it’s going to be drama-filled! Again, this show sucks me in every season.

I made myself a snack of blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries with a dollop of FAGE Greek yogurt and honey.

greek yogurt with berries

It was the perfect sweet snack to end the night.

Don’t forget to enter my Intelligent Nutrients Organic Shampoo and Conditioner Giveaway! You have until Wednesday to enter. 🙂

Have a great Tuesday!

Continue Reading Back to the Gym & A Happy Cup of Tea

Blueberry Lemon Bread & February Fitness Challenge Week 1 Recap

I’m finally nearing the end of this cold! By tomorrow I should be 100% back to normal.

After work yesterday I snuggled into my sweats and relaxed on the couch. I managed to eat my way through a good portion of this bag of trail mix while I vegged.

trail mix

Eventually I got tired of sitting around and put on a very slow and easy breath and stretch pilates On Demand. It felt great to stretch and move a little bit because I’ve been pretty inactive the past couple of days. I also managed to get my 1 minute plank-a-day in.

Speaking of plank-a-day, today ends week 1 of my February Fitness Challenge. My goal was to complete 3 strength train type workouts throughout the weeks during February as well as at least a 1 minute plank every day. Considering I was sick this past week, I am proud to say I still met my week 1 goal.

Strength Training Activities:

  1. Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred plus plank
  2. This leg workout with dumbbells plus plank
  3. A 30 Day Abs workout (from last month’s fitness challenge)

I’m hoping to make it to the gym this week and work it out there a bit. I haven’t been making too many appearances there lately.

Also, I NEED to start running again because I am officially registered for a 7K on St. Patty’s Day which is on March 17th. I am hoping the weather starts improving so I can make it outside, otherwise the treadmill will have to do. It’s time to get these legs-a-movin’!

************

Blueberry Lemon Bread (Gluten-Free and SCD Friendly!)

This may sound strange to some, but when I am feeling slightly under the weather, I enjoy relaxing in the kitchen, and baking up something tasty and comforting. So, that is exactly what I did last night.

How does blueberry lemon bread sound? It’s made with almond flour too so it is 100% gluten-free! Check it out.

blueberry lemon bread

blueberry lemon bread

Blueberry Lemon Bread
Recipe Type: Gluten-Free, SCD
Cuisine: Breakfast
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • the juice of one lemon
  • the zest of one lemon
  • 1/3 cup ripe banana
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a standard bread pan with cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together applesauce, lemon juice, zest, banana, honey, eggs, and vanilla until well mixed.
  4. Add flour mixture into applesauce mixture, stir to combine.
  5. Stir in blueberries until just incorporated (do not overmix).
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  7. Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

The end result is a not-too-sweet blueberry bread with a subtle lemon flavor. Eat it plain, or toast it up and add a small smear of butter, peanut butter, or honey.

blueberry lemon bread blueberry lemon bread
Cooking and baking can be such a comfort!
Happy fabulous Friday to you all!
Do you find comfort in cooking and baking? 
Continue Reading Blueberry Lemon Bread & February Fitness Challenge Week 1 Recap

Pumpkin Waffles and Super Bowl Snacks

Hello, hello! How did everyone’s Sunday pan out? Mine was pretty darn fantastic.

It started out with Sunday morning waffles and coupon cutting. On Saturday night I pre-made pumpkin waffle batter so that on Sunday all I would have to do is crank on the waffle iron and get pourin’. I adapted a pumpkin waffle recipe from PaleOMG and they turned out very tasty!  waffle IMG_1569 waffle

The first couple of waffles didn’t come out very easily but I think it was because I was being slightly impatient waiting for them to finish cooking and opened up the iron too early. The last few turned came out way better!

I made a big batch because I wanted extra waffles to freeze so that I could have some quick breakfasts in the future. I could even slather one of those bad boys with peanut butter and call it lunch!

waffle

Pumpkin Waffles
Recipe Type: Gluten-Free Breakfast
Recipe adapted from PaleOMG at http://paleomg.com/paleo-pumpkin-waffles/
Ingredients
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
  1. Preheat waffle iron–(you could use a flat griddle instead and make pancakes).
  2. In a small bowl combine dry ingredients, mix well, and set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl combine remaining wet ingredients. Use a hand-mixer or a whisk to beat ingredients together.
  4. Slowly mix in dry ingredients into the wet.
  5. Spray your waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray or butter and use a half cup measuring cup to scoop the batter onto the hot iron. Close and let cook for about 4-5 minutes (keep an eye on them).
  6. Serve with honey, peanut butter, syrup, or whatever you please! It would be really good to mix a small handful of chocolate chips into the batter too!

 Speaking of lunch, after running our grocery store errands, I put together a snack plate with veggies and turkey wrapped cheese, avocado, and mustard.snack plate

For dessert I had a spoonful of peanut butter.

I got into my workout gear and cranked out this leg workout with dumbbells, my plank-a-day, and other core work. I continued my workout by dusting and vacuuming (<—-such a weird word if you think about if for too long) the house. That absolutely counts as exercise in my book!

In the afternoon I snacked on a super sweet tangelo that mom and dad brought home from Florida, and a handful of cashews.

Then it was time to get ready for a Super Bowl party with a bunch of our friends. I seriously couldn’t decide what to bring for a snack to share (I am the world’s worst decision maker, ask anyone), but decided on simple yet tasty garlic parmesan popcorn.

To make the popcorn:

  1. Pop up a big batch of plain popcorn and place in a big brown grocery bag.
  2. Melt a half a stick of butter on the stove with two garlic cloves that have been peeled and cracked open.
  3. Scoop out the garlic and discard.
  4. Pour butter over popcorn and mix well.
  5. Use a mini grater to grate fresh parmesan all over the popcorn while it’s still hot. Give the bag a good shake. Serve warm if possible!

superbowl parmesan popcorn

The night was filled with great friends, kiddos, football, and of course tons of snacks.

There was jalapeño popper dip…

superbowl jalepeno popper dip

Saucy BBQ meatballs…

superbowl meatballs

Bacon wrapped lil’ smokies with a brown sugar glaze(!!)…

superbowl wrapped little smokies

Warm and hearty taco chili, beer bread…

superbowl chili

Fruit salsa with cinnamon chips, soft pretzels with cheese sauce, chips and dip…

And of course, the desserts.

superbowl cupcakes

I had good intentions of not touching any sweets but that intention was lost in the breeze as soon as my eyes caught the Special K bars. Those babies are definitely up there on the list of my favorite dessert bars. I kept shaving off piece after piece and wound up eating what would probably be equivalent to one of those big bars you buy in the bakery, but who’s keeping track?

As far as the clean eating goes, yesterday was what we call “a wash.” I am definitely okay with that though because it was GOOD, and it was just one day. Today’s a new day. 🙂 I had such a great time last night. Although I can’t say I watched a whole lot of the game, I thoroughly enjoyed the halftime show and catching up with friends. Beyonce’s still got it!

I have some very fun and relaxing plans on the agenda today. I can’t wait to tell you about it! Have a great day! xoxo

Question of the day: Did you watch the Super Bowl? What was your favorite snack?!

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