sb sunday

i started my super bowl sunday out with a beast of a workout!  why was it such a beast?  well, my bro-in-law, Brian, strolled into the gym and took the last 30 minutes of my total conditioning class with me, and he made me do 30 minutes of his workout afterwards in return, whew.  s/n- it's always a great thing to see familiar faces in my class!!! when i first started teaching, i used to get ridiculously nervous if someone i knew told me they were coming.  even having my own husband there used to frighten me!  i just didn't want to get so nervous and mess up.... unconfident much?

 but you know what i learned? nobody even know's i've 'messed up' unless i SAY something.  i actually used to apologize on the mic to everyone in the middle of the routine!  i have grown tremendously over the years through practice and experience and did NOT give up.  even now, i have brain farts often  but it's usually because i get so pumped and start to run around the room motivating members that i forget what i was about to do next in my routine!!

quitting is NOT an option though- do. not. give. up.  if you're committed to something you truly LOVE,  your passion for it won't let you.  it's worth all the time, energy, and effort you put into it.

we did a kettle bell and box circuit.

when i saw him go get those stupid boxes i knew it was about to be ON. #crotchsweat

that's my grimace face...not a smile.

i post pics of my Polar watch after my workout on Instagram sometimes and i get questions like, 'wow, what'd you do to burn all that??' or 'how much of those cals were from ____?'

truth be told, it's different every work out, of course.  i try to get in and out in under 90- minutes, but it also depends on what i'm workin that day.  here's the approximate breakdown for this particular day though:

200 cals - 15 min fat burning warmup on the elliptical while waiting to begin my class

750+ cals - 1 full hour of Total Body Conditioning (cardio + weights, HIIT)

350 cals - 20 minutes of kb's and boxes with my bro

i go over 1k maybe twice a week at the most.

working out with Brian = soreness in places i forgot about. never a dull moment with him, EVER.

hope you guys enjoyed watching the big game on Sunday, whatever you did! we had a little last-minute viewing party at our home and i told myself i wouldn't stress this year and to make it a SB potluck party!  i only made four things:

1. chunky grilled shrimp dip

grilled chunky shrimp dip

the stuff:

• 1 lb EZ peel shrimp, any size
• 1 avocado, chopped
• half of 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• half of 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped

do this:

cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice onto the thawed shrimp and add 1 tbsp of liquid aminos.  season with your choice of no-low sodium seasoning, and let it sit for 30 minutes minimum.  whip out your grill pan and grill them up on high heat. remember they cook extremely fast...no more than 3 min on each side.  plate them, cover with foil, and let them sit tight for about 5 minutes.  chop up everything else if you haven't yet and throw it in a bowl: cilantro, bell peppers, red onion, avocado, and finally your shrimp.  bite size pieces perfect for scooping with chips is best.  add the last tbsp of aminos, squeeze the other half of the lemon over your mixture, and sprinkle with the cracked pepper.  let this chill in the fridge for at least an hour. then, scoop away.  fresh, easy, quick, mmm hmm, all that!

2. tidy turkey janes

waaaaait a minute....i said i was saving this recipe for my Fit Foodie Le  fit e-cookbook, remember!?!? uh oh, i think i only disclosed that info on IG and hadn't mention it on my blog yet. well, SURPRISE!!!! :shock:

the meat sauce is aaaaaalll clean, but you can always switch out the rolls and use whole wheat/grain for sure.  e-book is still in the works! will hop right back working on it after i finish this post. it'll be worth the wait;)

3. homemade, clean guacamole

i did everything 'to taste' with this guac recipe! forgive me! here is everything i used though:

ffl's homemade guac:

the stuff:

• 8 ripe avocados
• 2-3 roma tomatoes
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• coconut aminos
• half of 1 medium yellow onion
• fresh cracked black pepper
• sweet, smokey chipotle paprika
• juice of half of 1 lemon
• fresh chopped cilantro

do this:

you can throw ALL this into your food processor/blender and whip it into a smooth, creamy avocado mousse like texture, or chop everything finely by hand and keep it chunky.  here's a tip though- make sure the tomatoes are somewhat dry, cause they can make the dip runny.  taste and season accordingly from there!

4. savory & sweet rotisseri chicken bites

ok....i did not get to go to Sam's and get some rotisserie chicken, but i DID have some leg quarters in my freezer already. so i totally switched this recipe up this year.  i roasted them on 350 for about an hour or so, then shredded them after they were cool.  dark meat just doesn't shred as easily as white meat, but i did my best to make it work.  and i didn't use flour this time.  the clean version is right beside each ingredient in parenthesis for ya, as promised!

savory sweet rotisserie chicken bites w/ pb toast crunch coating

the stuff:

• 4 cups shredded chicken (white, breast meat)
• 1 bunch chopped green onion
• 4 oz garlic and herb goat cheese (4 oz fat free cream cheese)
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (1 cup low fat or 2% cheddar)
• 1/2 cup sriracha hot sauce
• 2-3 tsp black pepper
• coating - 3 cups crushed peanut butter toast crunch cereal (3 cups peanut butter puffins or fiber one cereal)
• 4 scrambled raw eggs (5 egg whites)
• 2 tbsp tony chacheres cajun seasoning (salt-free tony chacheres)
• 2 cups flour (whole wheat flour) OPTIONAL!

do this:

turn oven on 350.  after  the chicken has been shredded finely, add the cream cheese, hot sauce, shredded cheese, green onion, seasonings, and  form individual balls (1-2 in in diameter) with your hands.  get two separate bowls and put the eggs in one, crushed cereal in one, and the flour in another.  use one hand to roll the chicken ball into the flour first (optional), then the egg wash,  and finally the dry cereal mix until it is covered completely.  place the balls on your baking pan, and cook them for about  15-20 min or until brown and crispy.  makes about 30+ balls, depending on the size you rolled'em!

yes, more goat cheeeeese! i found this one right next to the honey goat cheese @ HEB. it worked GREAT in the chicken bites recipe! so much flavor.

alright, here's some of the spread!

these snacks made the Beyonce concert, i mean, the game much more enjoyable. a family member of ours brought wangs, YUM! you can't watch football without'em.  hot, galic and parmesan, and my fave, honey bbq.

friends also brought several bags of chips, like these multigrain Tostitos i adore,  among other things! we were so grateful for every contribution thank you MUCHO, friends and fam! and lastly, there is NOTHING thing clean about these babies! i just used an ordinary vanilla boxed cake and made mini and reg size cup cakes topped with vanilla icing and sliced strawberries.  they went FAST.

alright, those were our game day treats!

now, what did you make? was it 'clean' or 'dirty'?

le

made with LOVE

i had a cooking date with my sister-friend, Ogechi recently.

she's heeeeeere!  i snapped this right after she rang the doorbell-  i was so excited to spend some girl time together hanging out, cooking, and EATING.

Ogechi brought me some of this insanely good sweet potato black bean soup while i was in the hospital having Chiso, and again once we got home and adjusted to being a 3 member family.  so this recipe is AAAALLLL her! she gets 100% credit and nothing but 100% gratitude from me.

 it was a no-brainer as to what we'd be making for our cooking date.

'just be natural, Ogechi!' lol.

Sonny better be glad he wasn't home cause he knows he woulda been our photographer for the evening.

 she brought the bulk of the ingredients with her and even some gifts for me:

SEASONINGS!!!!!!! :shock:  smoky chipotle...it smelled magical.

and some sweet smoked paprika.  will that not be BOMBTASTIC on some  fresh salmon!?

this girl loooooooooves the spice aisle @ Marshalls and hooked me up big time.  she also brought me some hickory smoked salt.  i have been convinced to go look around for more spice aisle goodies at Marshalls / Home Goods / T. J. Maxx for sure.

we broke out all the ingredients on the island, and yaaaaay, she brought the Bragg's liquid aminos!!! then, Ogechi whipped out her kitchen knife.

yes, she brought her own knife!  i completely understand... i'm the same way with my own kitchen utensils and pots and pans.  she was slicing and dicing away on the onions, garlic and sweet potatoes with her impressive knife skills, my goodness.  i was in awe cause ummmm....   i put the rough in rough chop :lol:

'i just love the sound of sizzling vegetables.'

me too Ogechi, me too.

medjool dates- sweet and chewy.  Ogechi brought these with her, but i had some fake medjools (they were cheaper *shrugs*) i bought in bulk from HEB last week. they have been sitting on my counter staring at me since then.  i've seen them used in pie crusts for vegan recipes and i plan on making some key lime pie soon, just in time for turkey day next month!

my kitchen

smelled

AMAZING.

p.s. remove the bay leaves after the soup is done; they get bitter if  left in too long.

time to taste!  a few pinches of salt and some fresh cilantro made it perfect.

Chi enjoyed his dinner and the show.

sweet potato black bean soup

the stuff:

• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
• 1  large sweet potato
• 1 can diced tomatoes (may use fresh as well)
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn (may use canned)
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves fresh garlic
• 3 medjool dates chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp smoky paprika chipotle seasoning- (can use regular paprika, no worries)
• 1 tsp cumin
• *1 tsp smokey sweet paprika.....(add this more for color but it gives a nice smokey taste too) optional!
• 1/2 cube low sodium veggie bouillon
• 1 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
• salt & pepper to taste (or chili powder)
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1-2tbsp olive oil (may use vegetable oil)
• 3 cups broth or stock
• 3 cups water

do this:

1. chop the onions, garlic & cut sweet potatoes into bite sizes.
2.  heat oil in sauce pan on medium heat, add onions, garlic and sweet potatoes. saute for 3-5mins.
3.  while veggies are sautéing, rinse beans very well (this helps keep the soup color pretty & not muddy brown & washing off extra salt too).
4. after 3-5mins of sautéing, add the stock to the pot.
5. throw everything else in.....the beans, tomatoes, salsa, dates, corn, bouillon cube (melt this with a lil warm water first) ginger, all seasonings and top off with water.
6. add enough liquid to make it soup. remember, the size of the soup will reduce a bit as it simmers.
7. cover and let simmer for about 30mins.
8. taste and adjust seasoning (some salt or even an extra dash of Braggs ) as needed, then top with cilantro, cheese avocado, lime, sriracha, etc.

 Ogechi enjoyed a bowl topped with plenty of ripe, creamy avocado.

 i almost titled this post 'soup and sisters'.  sooooooo corny.

i've been eating the leftovers for the past few days and topping it with almond cheese and avocado- it just keeps getting BETTER AND BETTER!

make some for someone you love.

thank you x's infinity, Ogechi. xoxo

le

tidbits

saturday morning started out with bananas and Justin's almond butter. Chiso killed these things one by one and so did i! what a yummy combo. 

 i sprinkled some coconut flakes on a couple of them too.

we'll be having these more often.

it was leg day @ the gym-

i didn't even get to finish though which makes me so upset!!! i had to get to my hair appointment (time to chunk the deuce to this  weave)  and i was scolding myself for setting it so early in the day.  rushing through my gym time is the worst.  this is what i did get done though using moderate to heavy weight:

barbel squats 5 x 12

calve raises 5 x 12

machine  leg press 4 x 12

barbel dead lift 4 x 12

then i went into the empty workout room and did three full circuits of this holding 15 lb. dumbbells:

walking lunges forward/backwards (used length of room)

stationary reverse lunges (12 each leg)

stationary side lunges (12 each leg)

15 jumping squats (put the weights down 1st)

rest then repeat.

i ended it with 20 minutes of fat burning cardio on my second fav machine, the stairmaster. i have grown to love this thing.

700+ cals later, crotch-sweat status was achieved and we were outta there!

on our agenda for saturday was a trip to see the Rat.  { happy very 1st birthday, Levi!!!! } we hit up Chuck E. Cheese, aka, CEC, for a family birthday party.  i ate a quick meal in the car on the way of canned salmon (chicken of the sea), avocado chunks, and some asian stir fried veggies.  i think it's some rice cheese up under there somewhere too.  i sprinkled Mc Cormick's BBQ seasoning on it and it came out waaaaaaay too fast. whoops.

yeeeeah Chiso pretty much stayed cooped up under one of us for the most part.

he is not a fan of Chuck yet.   couple more trips and he'll be kicking CEC in the shins like the rest of the kids.   and yes, the weave was still present in my head at that point, lol.  i ended up having to push my appt. to the following day.  sooooo i rushed through my workout for nothin :roll:

but i'm glad i got somethin in cause WE enjoyed the 'peeza' and cupcakes.

 back on track this monday morning though, right. i hope you started your day with some GOOD stuff- i had a spinach and tomato egg white omelette, my oats made with vanilla almond milk, bananas, cinnamon, and vanilla creme stevia, and a cup of green tea.

more healthy recipes and are en route-   pumpkin chili, cauliflower crust pizza, salmon cakes, and pumpkin brownies.  it's also time for an updated oatmeal post as i make it a liiiittle different now, huh.

le

stick to the plan

green tea! my 'coffee'.

i sipped some on the way to the gym eeeeearly this morning. i drink more throughout the day with some of my meals as well.  be sure to switch to decaf in the evenings though so you can go to sleep at night.

it's always so peaceful at the gym in the early mornings.

i did some cardio, abs, and some much-needed stretching.  working out super early means more family time after work. wouldn't have it any other way.

Chi's breakfast this morning- raisin Ezekiel bread, eggs, and strawberries.  what, no pancakes!?  trying not to burn him out on them lol. i still had mine though! anyway, Ezekiel products have become a staple in our home. we all love them.

i got my meals for the day going starting with some grilled zucchini.

i cut them long ways and seasoned them with lemon pepper, curry, garlic powder, onion powder, and liquid aminos.  then, garnished them with fresh cilantro!  'what can i do to season my food and not add calories'? fresh herbs work wonders.  also, mrs. dash also has a great low/no sodium line.  special seasoning post coming, so i'll stop there!

i open some canned salmon and added a few ounces to each of my containers.  for fat, i used fresh avocado and pistachio nuts.  for carbs, i threw a bag full of La Tortilla Factory whole white-wheat soft wrap tortillas in my lunch kit. i take my condiments with me too- spicy mustard and my TJ fig butters.  i shredded a sweet potato, added garlic powder, onion powder, 1 egg white and pan (burned) fried the cakes on both sides.

for my protein, i mixed the canned salmon, avocado, a little goat cheese, and some spicy mustard together in a bowl, sprinkled some Mc Cormick BBQ seasoning on it and it was SO simple and good!!!!! no cooking required there.  i put some reduced sugar ketchup in my little dipping thingy for my sweet potato cakes.  no i didn't steal it from a restaurant like someone assumed...  came from Ikea :roll:

after i assemble my lunch together at work, it usually looks like this:

or this,

or i'll use Ezekiel's sprouted grain sesame or cinnamon raisin bread and make a sandwich.

just some super quick ideas.

  i am currently in a maintenance phase after my competition last month and loooooving it!!!  a little too much.  i'm totally enjoying my food freedom, can you tell?  however, i'm still keep up with my workouts and staying active.  that'll never change.

 Q: what is your current   workout schedule?

A: goes a lil somethin like this:

less cardio, more weights.  only about 4 hours of cardio a week actually.  a couple weeks before my first show, my cardio capped out around 9-10 hrs a week.  i laugh in the face of four measly hours now, HA!

for my active rest days, i'll either take Chiso out in the jogging stroller for a walk, or i'll take a class at my gym for fun.  i love taking classes from other instructors!!  i get to experience their teaching style and i am always inspired to create different moves for my own classes.

other than growing these baby biceps, i'm content with my current size and body fat.  i have NOT been able to say that, well, ever.  every few weeks, i'll sit down and come up with a new plan to switch things up to keep my body from plateauing.

welp, you know what this means.

empty jars make me smile. back to TJ's.

happy weekend!!

le