take care + toffee chip roasted banana ice cream

<<rewind<<

to last wednesday.

missed my super early cycle class but i still made it to the gym with enough time to get it in on my own that day. i have been putting my best foot forward about hitting the gym super early every single day as opposed to only when i teach my classes.   my body just operates better in the early morning.  as the day goes on, my desire to workout decreases dramatically.  i was able to record a HIIT & abs video i will be uploading to my YouTube channel for ya asap!

i came back home and had one of those breakfasts i could eat every day: whole wheat toast, eggs, avocado, and fruit. i wonder how many pics i have of this plate on my blog already, jeez.  i fueled up so i could head right back out though; i had a hot date planned!

ok, the boys came with me.  ok, it was actually a playdate, haha.  we loaded up the truck and went to spend some time with my BM (baby mama), Marguerite.

she had this beauty, Callie, back in August '14 so Dego was in great company!

i even brought my meals with me so i could stay on track for the day: seasoned chicken breast chunks, sautéed kale, and roasted sweet potato. nothin' fancy!

transforming is fun...and needed.  since leaving the IT industry 2 years ago, i normally only 'dress up' and do something with myself for church and special occasions/events. other than that, i'm in gym clothes and sneakers.  running errands with the boys... ha. i get home from the gym, get them ready, and head right back out most days.  so, i have become accustom to looking a hot mess often.  and i'm ok with it. until i see somebody i know!!! anyway, it's fun to get girly and put more effort into my appearance.  just a little goal of mine that was set at the start of this year along with taking better care of my hair. moms often take care of everybody else and end up with a lack of time for themselves!  make no mistake though; taking time for yourself doesn't mean you must spend hours in the mirror. it means taking and making (15, 20, 30 min or so) every single day to do something for YOU, mentally, emotionally, and physically with NO GUILT. pick a few from this list:

• reading your bible, praying, and meditating. every day.
• working out...especially the sauna or steam room to clear your mind
• learn how to say no, then do it
• get a pedicure
• read a little bit of a GOOD book every day
• take a class (cooking, pottery, painting, YOGA!!!!, etc)
• a long bubble bath soak
• watch the sunrise, solo
• a quiet, daily walk
• dance without music
• sleep in
• go get some fro-yo
• lay down in the middle of the grass and look up at the sky
• a kid-less trip to the store
• schedule a monthly massage
• catch up with friends via a real phone conversation or meet for lunch
• pause, breathe, inhale, exhale, repeat.

i sure do feel better when i'm put together (hair combed, dressed, face made) and looking my best.  my top and bottoms are from H & M! i exchanged the heels for flats before i left though. comfort over style ova heeeere! things have changed.

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my Ninja blender is the BOMB!  what a useful, blessing this Christmas gift is.  the next flavor i whipped up was Toffee Chip Roasted Banana Ice Cream but the roasting part is actually optional. tastes fantabulous either way.

 above was the soft-serve stage and i wanted to devour the entire bowl right then!!! readyyyyy?

Toffee Chip Roasted Banana Ice Cream

the stuff:

• 3 frozen bananas
• 1 cup coconut cream (i get mine canned from Sprouts Farmers Market)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup toffee pieces

do this:

1. if roasting, do this step the day before or 2-3 hours prior: place bananas in baking dish, drizzle with vanilla, bake for 40-45 min on 375 degrees.  toss them halfway through baking.  transfer bananas to a freezer safe container and freeze 2 hours minimum or overnight for best results. jump down to #3, add your coconut cream, and continue.
2. if not roasting, add frozen bananas to your Ninja along with the coconut cream and vanilla.
3. blend until smooth. it will eventually get super-duper creamy, don't worry! just keep scraping the sides down and blending.
4. dump creamy soft-serve into your bowl and add mix-ins (chocolate chips, toffee, optional nuts, etc.)
5. eat a few spoonfuls!!!!
6. stir it just a few times to incorporate the mix-ins then put it back in the freezer.
7. after 2 hours or so, it's all yours.

the sauce is melted down diary-free chocolate chips.  some walnuts would actually set this off but i didn't have any.  if you do, throw'em  in!

what does your 'me' time consist of?

pedicures and bubble baths keep me sane.

le

sweet toof + we stay ready

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i sent Sonny off right yesterday like i try to do every morning!  his 6 Pack USA lunches were packed and ready to GO.  cause if they aren't i will find Popeye's and Timmy Chan's receipts in the car cup holders.  hey, he's only human and so am i! which is why preparation is so important and never fails us.  unless it's a major holiday, haha.  seriously though, we practice what we preach.  we stay ready.

i whipped up some spicy cashew chicken over steamed broccoli and he made it even spicier by adding Sriracha cause he's crazy!  i used Weber all natural Kick'n Chicken seasoning blend and cooked the chicken breast chunks on high heat in my wok before adding the unsalted cashews pieces.

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  these things are one of my biggest weaknesses.  the food that i must grab a handful of every time i go in the kitchen. so by the end of the day i've had like 3 cups. lol. great source of good fat, but don't over do it.  i get mine at my local Sprouts from the bulk bins.

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welp, we finally had a successful gym trip after two straight fails.  after literally 19 minutes (both times) someone from the child center had to hunt me down because Dego was just not happy.  even when i make sure he's fed and changed immediately before dropping him off, no one else can calm him like mama. when this happened the first time last week i just bit the bullet, drove home, and made that YouTube video out of frustration lol, so something good definitely came out of a 'bad' situation!  Dego likes to reach for things and jump out of my arms these days, especially food and my phone as you can see. he's still immobile, but he will be scooting around the house soon enough.

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aaaagggh, sweet success and no need for plan B.  smiling after a full workout and i even went over time and got a warning for being late to pick up the boys! i was having too much fun. i did my 6 Pack USA leg day routine, some arc trainer for my cardio, and i even did a FIT (Functionally Integrated Training) class.  whoop! then we hit up HEB real quick to get some Quest Bars for these sweet teeth of ours.

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did i mention how much my HEB rocks!? man they always have the goodies we like.  i've been hearing a ton about Quest protein powder (even though i haven't used it in years at home) and i so want to try making protein cheesecake (and everything else i see on @pbeechi's account! love her) i see all across Instagram.  anyway, they got the Quest chips, protein powder, and pretty much every bar flavor available!  wat.  awesome sauce. when i don't eat real fruit, Quest bars are the next best thing to snack on.

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and they had coupons!

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i took advantage and got our two faves:

• DCC (pictured above) (160 cals, 6g fat, 25g carbs, 16g fiber, 20g protein)

• Cookies & Cream (180 cals, 7g fat, 22g carbs, 17g fiber, 21g protein)

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speaking of all natural sweets, we made ice cream using the Ninja blender sunday night!  man. good thing cause i sure planned on buying an ice cream maker soon.  not now!  i don't have room for it anyway.

Tropical Strawberry Ice Cream (dairy-free, all natural)

the stuff:

• 1 lb tropical frozen fruit (i used a bagged strawberry, mango, pineapple combo)

• 1 can full fat coconut milk/cream

• 2-3 packets granulated Stevia or 1/4 tsp liquid Stevia or 2 tbsp light agave nectar / pure maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla

do this:

1. throw everything into the Ninja

2. blend until smooth.

3. open lid and throw in 2 or 3 fresh strawberries and PULSE them lightly if you want the real fruit chunks in there!

4. stick in freezer for at least 2 hours...for best results freeze overnight.

wait 'til you see the next flavor i'm workin' on! stick around!

Q: what is your ALL time fave ice cream flavor?

A: the sweet cream at Marble Slab.... bomb.

le

i dip you dip we dip

happy labor day.

since it was a holiday, i went to the gym. no surprise there. i took my GFDH's (group fitness department head)  Total Conditioning Xtreme class and WELL, that's why she's the GFDH of the best gym in the universe.  i sweat in places i don't recall ever sweating in before (sweaty knees???)  and i just didn't know what to even do with myself once class was over. LOVED IT.  every sweaty second.  i headed home with Chiso and after a nice shower i sat on the bed to nurse my two month old and the next thing you know all three of us were out.  i have not had the pleasure of taking a daytime nap in.... idk.  i actually stopped taking naps purposely cause they messed with my sleep later that same night (i.e. up staring at Sonny sleeping in the dark).  however, for a good hour or so it went down and i did not fight it.  Dego was the only thing interrupting my sleep later!

my sis-in-love invited us to her church's BBQ so off we went and had a great time with family and friends eating and fellowshipping (not a word).  this is actually my to-go plate as i ate there. lol. bbq'd chicken, salmon, corn, and i made my own side salad drizzled with lite strawberry balsamic dressing. then...it was time for dessert.

when we got back home we tried out ENLIGHTENED Ice Cream instead of getting fro-yo.  impressive!  healthy ice cream?  of course we're trying it.   dipped in chocolate.  not that it even needed all the extra hoopla.  i just wanted to get Chiso involved ( he looooves to help me in the kitchen ) and more excited than he already was. sprinkles tend to do that ;)

so sprinkles for him, and toasted almonds for me! i melted down some semi-sweet chocolate chips and thinned it out with a little unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  the instructions say to let the bars sit for 3-5 minutes (pure torture by the way)  to temper before eating.  so we impatiently stuck it out before we dipped. my Sprouts Farmer's Market only carried the fudge flavor and the texture is suuuuper creamy.

how bout those stats?  no artificial sweeteners and only 70 cals per bar.  don't mind treating Chiso with these at all and hoping to get my hands on the other flavors in the near future.

 depending on what your 'thing' is, check out ENLIGHTENED, well, everywhere:

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

Q: well, football season is officially here. what does this mean to you?

a. absolutely nothing

b. see ya in february, hubby

c. got my jersey ready, let's gooooo

le

crunchy ginger rotisseri chicken wrap + stay fuller longer

having the same thing i had for breakfast yesterday while there are a few La Tortilla Factory Tortillas left in this house. they go so fast cause we all like them! Chiso eats them as pb & j rollups, Sonny makes tacos, and quesadillas are my fave. the exact kind i get are only at the Sprouts Farmers Market closest to where i live.

 since i always make them for lunch or dinner,  i tried a breakfast quesadilla this time with egg whites, red bell pepper, green onion, low fat turkey sausage, and 2% pepper jack cheese.  i cooked it on the griddle for 4-5 min on each side and threw in some tomatoes, bluebs, and homemade guacamole. excellent!

 my day gets going after some good fuel, and this thing makes it so much easier to get stuff done around the house when baby boy is fussy or i just don't want to put him down.  i received this Baby Bjorn as a gift while preggo with Chiso and i love it for home use and outings.  Dego is a thumb sucker and puts his whole hand over his face while he does it! so funny.

so with breastfeeding and getting back to my random, sweaty workouts as of this week, i am double HOONGRY. this is ridiculous.  i just want to eat the entire fridge and pantry when i get home.  coincidently i got an email from Spark People titled 'Tips to Stay Full Longer' and i could not click the link fast enough.  these are some awesome tips to follow and i've already been doing some of them such as:

• eat protein and fiber rich foods every 3-4 hours with healthy snacks in between (like fresh fruit and mixed nuts)
• fill up on the non-starchy veggies and fibrous foods (leafy greens, cucumbers, red bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, sugar snap peas) with every meal
• reach for natural fruit first to lessen/knock out those sugar cravings. remember, white sugar only makes you crave it MORE! it's a dangerous cycle.
• drink a full glass or bottle of water before every meal
• take your time and eat!!! when i'm super hungry i rush and stuff myself (which is why eating every couple of hours is still the best option for me). it takes about 20 minutes for your tummy to tell your brain you are even full, but by that time it's too late and you're on your way to a food coma. take your time to chew and swallow every bite.

today was my first day back on the stair master since i was like 6 or 7 months preggo!  my heart rate always shot up and being up so high with my belly made Sonny uncomfy so i just stopped using it. i didn't miss it. lol. hurts so good though!  i did some intervals for about 30 minutes for my cardio and headed to a core class.  how about i modified everythang. my postpartum core is way stronger now than in my first pregnancy, but i still have a crap ton of work to do. but first..... :D

afterwards, i picked up some of nature's candy from Sprouts.  i love their 3 for 5 bucks sale! i got 2 strawberries and one pint of bluebs. and those sweet, crunchy nectaries of course.

i also picked up another one of Annie's all natural dressings-- Gingerly.  winner!

i wanted to use it right away, so for dinner, i threw some shredded rotisserie chicken, raw red bell pepper, bagged cabbage mix, cilantro, green onion, and crushed almonds into a bowl, poured in the dressing, and coated the chicken mixture in it.

i grabbed a La Tortilla Factory tortilla, rolled the chicken mixture up really tight and made a Crunchy Ginger Rotisserie Chicken Wrap that had so much flavor!  please try this, guys!

 for dessert i skipped the fruit and had some Arctic Zero with mini chocolate chips, fat-free Redi Whip, and sprinkles lol. have a fun friday night and a great weekend!

le

Q: what are your thoughts on Artic Zero? yay? nay? 

 i add a tbsp of Hershey's sugar-free chocolate syrup to mine, stir until creamy, and add a few toppings first. hits the sweet spot.

it's hottt

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why? two words: THE SUN.

nothing drains me more these days and it's not like i'm out jogging in it either! just walking up to the store and/or driving around in my truck (even with the air cranked to the max) still makes me crazy tired more so than any of my gym workouts. which is why i'm glad this little guy will be outta here before the texas heat really shows out. God bless and be with you preggo mama's this summer (wherever you are)! i mean that sincerely. be safe, stay hydrated, and stay indoors.

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the weekend was rather warm too, so Chiso and i jumped at the chance to hit the pool with my sis, Michelle,  and her daughter, cousin Livvy.  time for swimming lessons for these two.  we did a family maternity shoot last month and i totally want to do a look in my bikini now! i enjoyed wearing it and sporting my bump.  most likely Sonny will have to be the camera man for that though, lol.

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something about the pool makes me want chips, hot dogs, burgers, and ICE CREAM! thanks, Sonic.

remember that summer stir fry i made? i finally got some shrimp from HEB and made it again.  this time i added red bell pepper and yellow squash too since they were on sale.  and yall know the more color in your meals, the better.

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i have still been eating the heck out of nectarines these past few days. i can't get enough of them! plus the longer they sit in the fridge the softer they become. so i must eat them while they are still crisp. all of them.

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was sad to finish the last of this stir fry today for lunch but it'll be back soon.

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Q: do i ever feel my bump is too small?

A: during my first pregnancy? yeah. this time around? nah. when people ask me (especially at the gym) how far along i am these days, 'almost 10 months' is the last thing they expect to hear.  their faces say it all, and 'you're so tiny!!!' is usually soon to follow.  then the women reflect back on their own journeys and express how ginormous they were compared to me before delivering, and the men usually tell me the same about their wives, sisters, friends, etc!! never, ever gets old.  i welcome the questions (yes, the same ones over and over ;) ) and LOVE to discuss my journey with anyone willing to listen!   i enjoy hearing all about other women's preggo stories by the same token as they are all unique.  anyway, that darn, 'every woman is different' statement refers to, well, everything, including bump size. the 'right' size doesn't exist. also: bump size is not an indicator of your baby's weight.  mom's height, weight, activity level, the way baby is positioned, how much fluid present, etc, etc, etc...... so.many.factors.  so don't compare bumps.  especially if you trust your OB and he/she assures you that you and baby are on track every check-up, just as mine has!  done deal ^^'.

Q: what's your biggest pregnancy pet peeve? vent below!

le