sattaday

in addition to solids 2 or 3 times a day, Dego is still requesting the breast 3 times (or more) a day as well.  so yep, breastfeeding is still in full swing over here.  my trainer reminded me that nursing is just like mini workout sessions, which is such an awesome analogy.  breastfeeding has become so routine i have to stop and wonder WHY i'm so hungry in between meals sometimes!  eating more food to keep up with his demands and to keep my supply strong has never been a problem though; i certainly don't mind, haha!  s/n: i should make Chiso park his bike in the garage from now on, wow. sometimes you don't see things in the background until after you take (and post) a pic. whoops. anyway,  i trained a 6 Pack USA client of ours after heading out that day, then hit my gym for some HIIT.

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i've done these two moves separately before, but never together. i'm definitely incorporating this one into my TCX (Total Conditioning Extreme) class!

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sooooo, my brother was supposed to hop back on a plane headed to Afghanistan this past saturday (to finish up the last of his contract) but he chose not to. WOO friggin' HOO. it is finished!

we had a small family lunch the day before he was supposed to leave with Sonny's younger brother and wife (who is having her first mini me! it's a girl!)!  i admire his decision to stay and i'm elated he will be around to watch his 2nd nephew take his first steps.

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we had a birthday party to attend saturday evening!  no surprise there!  they have become our new normal.  i sat in the back seat a lot with my first-born for obvious reasons, but i admit, i have bouts of second child syndrome with Dego every now and then.  hadn't been back there in a while, so it was fun hanging out with him on the way to see The Rat.

even did a mini vlog:

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we made eeeeet!

pizza, cake, games, tokens, tickets, kids running around screaming, playing, crying... you know the drill!  Happy 3rd Birthday, Bria!  Sonny went to high school with Bria's father, Mike, and coincidentally, i went to elementary and middle school with his wife, Tashone,  on the opposite side of town. small world. 

City Centre Gap was having a fantabulous 40% off sale this weekend, so i found this cute grey dress on the final sale rack! i know it's too big but i couldn't pass up the 20 buck price.  my IG friend Alisa suggested i belt it. i agree. i suck at accessorizing.  i have been asked about my sandles a lot too- they are like 3 or 4 years old and from Urban Outfitters.  one of my fave pairs!  can't wear them without a fresh pedi though. Dego's fit is from Baby Gap; there's a camera icon on the front that says 'smile' underneath it. 4 bucks! #HammyMcHamster

Chiso doesn't eat the crusts of his pizza slices (did this child really come from me?!) so i took care of them for him lol.  other than that, no pizza and cake for this girl.  i was speaking to a 6 Pack USA client of ours recently about celebrating the small, daily victories during our ongoing fitness journeys.  she said she went to a get together recently that had WINGS (her fave), cake, and all kinds of good ol' party food, but she stuck to her guns and did not deviate from her meal plan.  she said she didn't even drink the water there lol!!!! BRAVO, Reshema! i get it though. i've been there. i usually eat way more than i plan to in social settings cause usually there is such an abundance of food.  but whenever i pass (cause we always have a choice, right?) or at least exercise some moderation instead of going crazy, i walk outta there feeling like a BOSS. a disciplined boss. and my tummy always appreciates it later. no bloating, no sugar cravings.  we stopped by Whole Foods on the way home and i hit up the hot bar for my dinner. lean grilled herbed chicken, roasted bell peppers, artichokes, and lima beans agreed waaaaay more with my tummy than that pizza and cake would have. take it one day at a time, y'all, and those small victories DO count! may they propel you to keep going and making healthier choices.

le

Roasted Carrot Cake Pancakes + Special AZ Delivery!

got a special delivery todaaay!

i knew it was a delivery cause once again i heard an engine start up and a truck burn off before i even got to my first floor, haha.

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Arctic Zeroooooo! *backflip*

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i had been home for hours been home just a lil' while from teaching my 530am HIIT class and hadn't even showered yet but i had to capture this glorious moment with my AZ goodies!  keepin' it real!  no highlight reel over here.  perfect pictures all the time make me apprehensive.  that's just not real life.  plus those 'Perfect Picture' apps i recently found out about (i'm so outta the loop)... i mean, after using it once i'd feel like i'd have to use it every single time and that no picture would be worth posting without it. so i just won't use it at all!  that's just me though.   getting sexified from head to toe is fun too (it's part of the reason we work out, hello) don't get me wrong, but i love meeting followers out in the streets and being in my element = bun, headband, gym clothes.  i should be easily recognizable that way lol #nofilter

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personalization wins me over every time. THANK YOU, ARCTIC ZERO!  i am so appreciative of this! y'all know i've been lookin' for that darn Key Lime Pie flavor for weeks now.

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they sent this Product Request Form with my goodies and i thought that was such a genius idea.  i will be dropping this guy off at my Sprouts Farmers Market ASAP.  after i circle Key Lime Pie of course.

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shucky ducky quack quack. #whostillsaysthat

the new chunky pints all have bits and chunks of goodies in them!  75 cals per 1/2 cup serving and 300 cals total for the entire pint.  they are lactose-free, gluten-free, non GMO, fat-free, low glycemic, Kosher and a highly recommended fit frozen dessert.

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chunky pints... meet Chunky Butt.

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 what you're seeing up there is bits of graham cracker crust in the key lime pie chunky pint. YES!!!! THIS is what i have been waiting to devour and i finally have. two thumbs waaaay up from me. key lime pie is my fave (Papadeaux's specifically) but i said i was gonna make a completely RAW key lime pie for my birthday which is coming up faster that i expected, sheesh. it's all about the kids now anyway; i don't even remember mine is coming until somebody mentions it.  next on our tuesday to-do list was breakfast!

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with hidden veggies! yeah, it's fun being a professional veggie sneaker and all, but i do wish i wouldn't have to go through 'so much' just to get my 3 yr old to eat them.  nevertheless, I CAN'T EVEN with how good these cakes were.  and there's a Chocolate Covered Katie inspired greek yogurt frosting on top!

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 i roasted the carrots on 400 degrees in the oven (spread them in an even layer on a foiled pan) for about 30-40 min or until they are super soft.  i did drizzle them with about a tbsp of raw honey first.

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Roasted Carrot Cake Pancakes

the stuff:(source)

• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour OR all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• dash ginger
• dash cloves
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar OR brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk
• 1 tsp melted coconut oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1.5 cups roasted carrots

do this:

1. add every single ingredient to your blender or food processor
2. blend until super smooth
3. heat your griddle to 400 deg or set your cast iron skillet to med-high heat and coat with no-stick cooking spray
4. spoon batter onto griddle by the tbsp; cake size is up to you!
5. once bubbles start to form on top (3-4 min), flip the cake and continue to cook for another 2-3 min or until lightly browned.

top with raw, shredded carrots, greek yogurt icing, and pecan. keep scrollin' for that icing recipe!

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Cinnamon Vanilla Greek Yogurt Icing: (combine & mix!)

• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp Tofutti dairy-free cream cheese (softened)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp dairy-free greek yogurt
• 4 tbsp Stevia for baking or Truvia
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

make these toddler-friendly, #fitmom approved pancakes and TAG ME on IG!

Q: YouTube ideas needed....what would you like to see?! recipes? more workouts? 

have a terrific tues, y'all.

le

dairy-free deliciousness: Mexican Mess Dip

after what has seemed like 2 straight weeks of rainy, gloomy days in houston, this is my friday the 13th mood:

so our iMac's hard drive started doing weird things last week and Sonny immediately took it to the Apple store.  i have been using that 27 inch beast of a screen to blog since we got it 2 years ago and i kinda couldn't function without it this past week! seriously. blogging from anywhere else is just not the same. translation: i am terribly behind. but that ain't nothin' new.

Dego has been taking 2 naps per day and the first one usually starts at 11am without fail.  the second one is tricky though!  he'll wake up around 1ish, but then he doesn't get sleepy again til 7. one would hope that he would just sleep through the rest of the night at that point, but no, he takes another 'nap' and wakes up again at 9. so then i'm ready to hit the sack around 10 and he is WIDE. AWAKE. and wants to play. soooo i've been trying to put him down around 5ish to prevent this so we can all go to bed at the same time. not going so well yet lol.  but consistency will take care of that in the coming days. that said, i only got about 4 hours of sleep before i had to get up and teach Barbell Strength thursday morning! but i made it. my lazy selfie proves it.

one of the moms brought a layered mexican dip type dish to small group this week that i could not get off my mind! after i left, i was officially on a mission to create a dairy-free mexican dip kinda deal so i stopped by Wally World (aka walmart) to get some avocados.  gotta have avo. then i came across this new (well, new to me) Weber seasoning blend in the spice isle: Garlic Sriracha!!!!

so i made some homemade Garlic Sriracha Guac, naturally!

• 4 ripe avocados
• juice of half a large lemon
• 1 heaping tbsp Weber Garlic Sriracha seasoning blend
• 1 tsp sea salt (optional) *i actually added this by habit before i added the Weber seasoning. not sure i needed it.*

then, i got a little surprise visit from... my brother!  he is back from working overseas in Afghanistan again for a lil' bit! so i made him a homemade meal and deemed him my guinea pig for the garlic sriracha. i chopped up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and threw them into my hot wok with the seasoning...and that's it!  once the chunks were almost done, i added some red and orange mini peppers and sautéed them for about 2 min.  i paired that with steamed brown rice, the Garlic Sriracha Guac, and some shredded monterey jack cheese. he was one happy home-sick guy.

then this happened. it all came together perfectly.

Mexican Mess Dip (cold or hot)

the stuff:

• 1 cup organic vegetarian refried back beans (mine are HEB organic brand)
• 1 cup Tofutti dairy-free cream cheese spread
• 1 cup Garlic Sriracha Guac (see above)
• 1 cup chopped grape tomatoes OR your fave salsa
• 2 cups cheese diary-free cheese of choice (mozzarella, cheddar, jalapeño jack), shredded
• 1 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped

do this:

1. i made one hot (rectangle pan) and one cold (mixing bowl) dip.
2. layer away! starting from the bottom add your beans and smooth each layer flat using the back of your spoon or a spatula.
3. next, add cream cheese, then guacamole, then salsa/tomatoes, shredded cheese, olives, green onion.
4. if eating cold, you are done!  if hot (which is what we preferred) bake in the oven on 400 degrees until the cheese is melty, bout 10-15 min.
5. 

for the homemade chips, i used La Tortilla Factory low carb, high fiber light flour tortillas.  cut them into 8's, coat them with no-stick cooking spray and place them flat on a large, foiled baking pan.  bake for 5-6 minutes tops!!! they burn easily so keep an eye on them. k?

then i hit the gym for round two! taught a double yesterday, which is why i'm forcing myself to rest today. and eat more chips and dip.

an IGer pointed out that Lisanatti almond cheese is lactose free, but not dairy-free and she's exactly right.  Daiya is another popular dairy-cheese brand you could use for this dip though, which is available at Sprouts Farmer's Market and also Whole Foods Market.

Q: do you prefer hot or cold dips?

*reminderrrrr*

bootcamp is tomorroooooow!  also, prenatal classes will be available beginning in APRIL guys!! if you're interested or know a Preggo Patty who might be, send her my way. email me: le@fitfoodiele.com. even if you are unable to workout, meal plans are available as well.  here's to healthy, fit pregnancies!

le

Roasted Veggie-Packed Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

R O T F L.

around here with all these boys though it's prolly pee :-|

Dego is 8 months, has 2 bottom teeth, and saying da-da-da-da-da-da all day long these days.  he is rolling/flipping EVERYWHERE and is a spinning axis when on his belly.  however he has yet to actually move forward! i do believe that's next on his to-do list for this week. we'll see!

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Homemade Vegan Spaghetti Sauce comin' at you RIGHT now!  i did a quick vlog one day last week (just now getting my life together, yep) so press play below and enjoy!  here are a few pics with tips you should read first (cause i forgot to mention some of them during the video). and sorry about the black bars, but they won't be there much longer ;)

TIPS:

• if you coat your baking pan with no stick cooking spray before roasting the tomatoes and red peppers, you don't have to worry about moving them around during baking.

• the more green veggies you add, the browner or 'muddier' the sauce color will be. red + green = brown, remember :(  you can compensate for this by adding more red peppers or tomatoes though to sustain that bright red 'tomatoey' color.

• to keep this recipe vegan, use vegetable stock instead of chicken.
• you can do a combo of basil & cilantro instead of a bunch of the same herb.
• lasts in the fridge 5-10 days and up to 6 months in the freezer!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qifJ8IhKwoE]

i used this chicken meatball recipe cause i LOVE following @fitmencook on IG!

Roasted Veggie-Packed Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

the stuff:(source)

• 8 medium ripe tomatoes
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 2 - 15 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes in garlic (i use Hunts)
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 1 cup basil leaves (or cilantro)
• 1/2 sundried  tomatoes OR 1/2 cup tomato pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp garlic or shallots, chopped
• sea salt & cracked black peppers to taste

do this:

1. pre-heat oven to 400 deg
2. toss tomatoes and bell pepper in olive oil and roast them for 1 hr on baking sheet coated with no stick cooking spray and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil
3. in a large pot saute onions & garlic, remaining olive oil, & salt for 10 min or until translucent
4. add carrots, zucchini  and saute for 10 min or until tender
5. add in tomatoes, peppers (and their juices), veggie broth, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes or paste, and any other vegetable you'd like to include in the pot.  if that veggie needs to be cooked and softened, add it in step 4
6. reduce to simmer for about 20-30 min until flavors marry
7. cool!
8. put into your blender in batches and process until super smooth.  enjoy over pasta or zoodles!! super healthy and veggie-packed.  use this stuff for any other Italian dish as well: pizza sauce, lasagna, marinara, etc. makes 10 cups!

Q: video suggestions!  what else would you like to see on vid?

le

 

super crazy late vday post

this was our v-day weekend '15!  my parents gifted me with a Sur La Table gift card for Christmas and i finally put it to use by signing Sonny and i up for a couples cooking class. a tasty, fun, night. seriously!  if you've never done one, do one then! we were on the wait list and got in because another couple canceled.  so V-Day eve we made and devoured:

Spinach Salad with Warm Sherry Vinaigrette

Porcini-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Chocolate-Port Sauce

 Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Caramel Pot de Crème with Cocoa Nib Cookies

Sonny doesn't really do creamy type desserts so i smashed his too. omg, it was SO GOOD. i can't even remember the last time i had full-fat cream so i savored EVERY single bite of yumminess in that ramakin! the creaminess was out of this world. i'm about to sound like a Food Network Star real quick: 'the creaminess and sweetness of the custard combined with the cold, fluffy, whipped cream and crunch of the cocoa nib cookie... dessert trifection.' #AndCut

we were paired up with such a down to earth, funny couple. an #usie was a must, lol.

 they had us cracking up the entire class and made the experience so FUN.

that's what i'm talkin' about. snacks while we cook.

we took turns cooking our dinner,

and taking pics. i was trying to be jazzy for Sonny, hence the heels.  my feet hurt something serious later that night though. can't do it like i used to. and don't even want to most days! man i used to LIVE in heels.

we all came together to make a 'mock' dessert.  they just wanted us to go through the actual steps should we make it at home.  they had plenty of pre-made pots de creme ready for us in the fridge since it has to chill in there for while ahead of time.

she was a riot!

on Valentine's Day, we 'celebrated' as a fam.

Chiso and i decorated some strawberries after i taught boot camp earlier that morning.

we used a 25 cent squeeze bottle for the melted chocolate and plenty of sprinkles!  it's the same bottle i use to freestyle his pancake shapes on the griddle.  more inexpensive toddler entertainment!

then i got the boys ready so that we could go grab some dinner.  one sock already gone and we hadn't even left the house yet! i received a few compliments on my blouse while we were out lol- it's actually a dress that i tucked into my pants from Zara.

V-Day was on saturday so most restaurants were crazy full!  we tried to go to Benihana's with no reservation... HA!  that bombed so we ended up at Whole Foods Market which had something for all of us. Chiso suggested we have a picnic, so we went home and had one while watching the All Star Festivities.

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here's my foooood: chicken, potatoes, mushrooms, salad, more chicken, veggies, blah, blah, blah and water.

seriously...why do we even buy toys?  paper bags, water bottles, cardboard boxes, pots and pans...that's all they need.

did you stay in or go out for V - Day this year?

le