servin' it up

tomorrow is fridaaaaay!  man.  the spring semester Small Groups at Parkway Fellowship started up last week!  i am so happy to have a found a group specifically for expecting moms and moms with young kiddos. what a blessing it has been so far.  serving makes me incredibly happy, so i jumped at the chance and volunteered to bring snacks for our very first meeting.  here's what we munched on:

yall know real fruit snacks are pretty much always on my menu!  strawberries, nectarines, blueberries, pineapple, and cantaloupe, all fresh and on sale from my Sprouts Farmers Market.

roll up your sleeves and cut your own fruit!  that pre-cut convenience fee is ridiculous.  use those savings and buy more food. lol.

i skewered some of them just cause.

next, breakfast quesadillas!  i asked Sonny what i should make and he said breakfast tacos.  sooooooo, i tweaked his suggestion and did quesadillas, naturally. lol.  these got rave reviews from the moms!  the combo of fluffy, whole eggs, savory turkey bacon, fresh spinach, portabella mushrooms, and melty monterey jack cheese... i mean that just makes your mouth water, right?! the tortillas were fresh made from HEB.

i used whole eggs and cracked a bunch of them into a large mixing bowl the night before.  i diced half a yellow onion and threw that into the egg batter along with some cracked black pepper and liquid aminos.  the next morning, all i had to do was scramble and cook them all up of course!  i made an assembly line for each ingredient, added a little of each to the tortilla, folded it in half, and toasted it on both side using my griddle.  a little Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread  was put on the outsides of the tortilla before toasting. gave  them a lovely color, crunch, and of course that buttery flavor!

moving right along to these BOMB mini Banana Pecan Chocolate Muffins! the kiddos enjoyed these too and i'm glad because they are naturally sweetened and a great 'grab & go' option.  they work any time of day- breakfast, snack, or dessert.  you can also use walnuts instead of pecans.

i forgot to buy some greek yogurt while at the store but i had plenty of unsweetened applesauce at home. so i used that instead and they were still as moist and tasty as ever.

 it's refreshing to meet, connect, and discuss all things motherhood with other moms....or not!  we have already discussed such a wide range of topics and i look forward to more.  we all have our stories but one thing is constant; we are all women wanting to grow in our relationships with Christ and raise our little blessings up His way. 

speaking of motherhood, i wanted to share one of the best motherhood articles i've read in a good while. i completely identified with the author.

"One day….I will sleep peacefully through the night, never a worry of a sick child or a crying baby. It will be but a memory. These years of being needed are exhausting, yet fleeting. I have to stop dreaming of "one day" when things will be easier. Because the truth is, it may get easier, but it will never be better than today. Today, when I am covered in toddler snot and spit-up. Today, when I savor those chubby little arms around my neck. Today is perfect. "One day" I will get pedicures and showers alone. "One day" I will get myself back. But, today I give myself away, and I am tired and dirty and loved SO much, and I gotta go. Somebody needs me."

 that gave me chills.  especially since that paragraph described the day we were having at the time. LOL. at some point every single day, Chiso gets down on the floor to play with his cars, action figures, do flips, and other things little boys do... so Dego and i got down there with him to play.  seeing the world through their eyes is indeed humbling and Megan's article reminded me yet again to just slow down and soak in as much of these guys as i can.

my answered prayers. my miracles.

can you relate to her excerpt?

would you join or lead a small group yourself?

le

Banana Pecan Chocolate Chunk Muffins

how was your monday?

the 'monday blues' do not exist!  Mondays only suck if you let them- accept what you can't change and change what you can't accept.

 whether it's your career, your relationships, or even something you want to change within yourself, start by making a CONSCIOUS effort to be positive with your actions, expressions, and words.  positivity breeds positivity. don't dwell on the negative and what went wrong.  break the habit.  talk about your joys and count your blessings!  and if what went wrong is worth it, fix it, but keep building and focusing on the NEW.

i finally started the online defensive driving course (gag) task i've been putting off since i got the ticket back in july.  i thought that horrible procrastination habit was supposed to fade out as you got older, i mean really.  during one of my countless mini breaks i went and made some of the best homemade muffins i've had....ever. look!

Banana Pecan Chocolate Chunk Muffins (source)

the stuff:

• 6 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup coconut crystals
• 1 cup 2% greek yogurt
• 3 small RIPE bananas
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chunks
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces

do this:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. mix the wet ingredients with the wet, and the dry with the dry.
3. combine all together in a large mixing bowl
4. fold in chocolate chunks and pecans last
5. spray muffin pan with no-stick cooking spray
6. bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown

macros for 1 regular muffin (makes 24):

 macros for 1 mini muffin (makes 36):

30 minutes of defensive driving down, 5.5 hours to go. welp, goodnight. :lol:

le

oatmeal banana mini muffins

do you believe that?  this phrase has been echoing in my mind since the day i read it, several weeks ago.  i said earlier on IG that i accepted my first formal health and fitness speaking engagement and well, i can honestly say that this is THE first public speaking event i'm actually excited about!!! prolly cause it's concerning health and fitness :) .  i'd be lying if i said i wasn't nervous, but hey, if it doesn't challenge me, it doesn't change me.  time to start SPEAKING along with all this typing!  if God brings you to something, He will surely take you through it. keep walking in faith and reaching for your dreams, friends... if i can get my sometimes timid and scary behind up there and do the one thing that terrifies most people, YOU CAN TOO.

super ripe bananas mean what? some baking is about to go down.   for breakfast this morning after my class, i made some banana oatmeal mini muffins.  i had the boy in mind- he loves these things and as long as i keep them coming, he will keep gobbling.

there is a similar recipe in my ebook for these puppies, and i got the calorie count even lower in there! pretty excited about that.

oatmeal banana mini muffins:

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup ground rolled or quick oats ( or oat flour)
• 1 small super ripe banana, mashed
• 1 packet stevia
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 tbsp greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• pinch of salt

do this:

mix real good until smooth!  if you'd like to use your food processor, that's cool too.  i kinda liked the banana chunks in each bite though.  fill your tins 3/4 of the way up and cook these guys for 7-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. i topped mine with a banana slice, a drizzle of chocolate PB2 (mixed with unsweetened vanilla almond milk), and a dark chocolate chip.

makes 19-20 mini muffins. for 1 muffin (excluding toppings):

tty lata!

le

sunday, sweat, & salmon

i must start this post out by giving a HUUUUUGE congrats to everyone that participated in the Chevron Houston Half and Full Marathon races this morning!!!! my Facebook feed is blowing the heck up right now with pics of friends i had no idea were even running this year! the weather wasn't the greatest, but i am so thrilled to see people sticking to their goals, breaking PR's and just being such HEALTHY examples.  AWESOME job, all runners!

i had this bad boy a few days ago- my protein filled breakfast sammie.

 it's got 2 egg whites and 2 oz of lean grilled chicken breast previously dipped in some calorie-free, carb-free, fat-free, Walden Farms pancake syrup and sandwiched between a Thomas light, multigrain english muffin. who needs a high-priced drive-through breakfast sandwich when you can make these right at home? my family doesn't.

before heading out to church this morning, i had another one and added some dijon mustard for some tang.  some cheese will make it even better! stats: 225 cals, 3g fat, 26.6 carbs, 8g fiber, and a WHOPPING 30g of protein! YUP!

so today was the launch of 24 Hour Fitness's new Total Body Conditioning format (HIIT) and i had so much fun sweating it out with the members!   please, allow me to give just one more shout out to my amazing husband for his support.

weights? yes. cardio? not a big fan.  nevertheless, he was in my front row doing his thing and making crazy faces at me as usual.

this is my 5th year teaching and i always, and i mean always, get butterflies in my tummy right before class.  i don't think that feeling will ever leave me.  soon as i put that mic on...

it's ON!!

i feel unstoppable when i am in my zone!

they made breaking a sweat look FANTASTIC.  so inspiring.

i was on such a natural high which called for rr selfies-  it was a modest turn out and i KNOW the class will only grow to be bigger and better in the coming weeks. i just love family gym dates! heeeey, Chiso ;)

so salmon is STILL on sale at HEB this week *big cheese*.  the price did go up a dollar, but it's still a couple dollars lower than regular price. i couldn't pass it up.  soooo, here are more healthy, fresh salmon meal ideas:

salmon is amazing when paired with fresh dill, but i didn't have any.  i used another toasted Thomas english muffin, broke apart some of the baked salmon and put it on one side, and i slathered the other half of the muffin with a homemade no-fat cream cheese & green onion spread.  i smell a salmon, dill, chive,  cream cheese dip coming soon, don't you!? no pun intended.

fresh blackberries are on sale too!  i made a spring mix salad for lunch one day last week and threw a few on top for one of my meal 5's.  grilled squash, roasted new potatoes and a hunk of garlic and herb salmon went right along with it.  i roast or grill my food A LOT- you create so much flavor!  steamed is my least fave...

yesterday, my fam got together at my grandma's house for a huge pot luck style brunch. what did i volunteer to make? banana pancakes, duuuuuh!

i quadrupled my original recipe and blended 3/4th of the oats in a powder but i left 1 cup whole for texture.  you already know the ingredients, so i'll spare ya.

all griddled up and ready to be devoured.

if you gone do brunch, do it right!  i brought sliced fresh bananas, chopped pecans, Cary's sugar-free syrup, and whipped cream along to top them.  we also had:

a beautiful concoction of fresh, ripe fresh fruit brought by my cousin Anne,

eggies made with love by my aunts,

french toast (made with organic, low-fat milk, right, Kristy!)

here's one end of the table,

this thing was soooooo sweet and delectable!  i had to know what the crust was and found out it was a big sugar cookie, yum! topped with cool whip, cinnamon, and fresh fruit. awesome idea that i WILL be stealing and tweaking lol.

aaaand here's the other end.

time spent with the people i love and a big table of FOOD. i love my life.                   

aren't these guys the cutest!? also brought by cousin Anne- they are soy yogurt shots topped with fresh fruit and granola.

the tasted as amazing as they looked. i know you see that bacon :shock:

welp, it's that time again.

rest up :lol:

Q: what is your FAVORITE brunch food?

hands down, mine is french toast.

le

banana oat protein YUMmuffins

thanks a TON, Ogechi!!! a girl after my own heart. she knew i would be geeked over this recipe and she was exactly right. these muffins are great for breakfast or a snack.  Ogechi also makes a FANTASTIC black bean/sweet potato soup i can't wait to share with you guys- she brought me buckets of it right after i got home from delivering my son.  she is just awesome like that and no you can't have her cause she's all MINE!

Banana Oat Protein YumMufffins (or bread!)

the stuff:

(Dry)

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup vanilla whey protein
• 3/4 cup quick oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (toasting always makes a difference)

(Wet)

• 1/4 cup  coconut oil (in solid form)
• 1 whole egg 2 egg whites
• 2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large bananas)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup chia gel (mix together 9 tbsp water & 1 tbsp chia seeds then wait 10-15mins to turn into gel....it's quite interesting to watch )
• 1 tsp pure vanilla

do this:

preheat oven to 350 right now. also, go ahead and activate those chia seeds.  the chia seeds replace the oil & the butter- neither are used or needed in this recipe!

put them in a small separate bowl and add the water.

 measure out all dry ingredients in a bowl MINUS the walnuts. *tip* swirl it around a few times with a whisk to combine & break apart all the ingredients. set aside.

in another bowl, mix coconut oil, eggs, bananas, applesauce, chia gel & vanilla till well combined.  here's another *tip*- make sure your wet ingredients are room temperature so your coconut oil doesn't harden on you when you mix them together.

Ogechi told me this stuff made a world of difference in the flavor department for these muffins.  i found it in WF and prayed it was worth all 7 dollars. it was.

 be sure you buy it in solid form.  looks just like hair grease.

keep adding..

my bananas weren't super ripe, but if yours are, mash them all up.

i left my batter a little chunky, of course.

gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients till everything is combined. do not over mix!

fold in walnuts aaaaaaaaaand (optional): 1/4 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips! will do that next time..don't have any right now:(

pour in a greased loaf pan or do muffins. this recipe makes 12 large muffins or 18 medium ones. top with any leftover nuts and bake.

i pulled the muffins out after about 20 minutes- look at those fresh banana chunks.

it was SUCH a beautiful Houston day! we were invited to my friend Joanna's potluck party in the park and the muffins were perfect timing.  SO, because we were going to a party, i added some buttercream frosting on top and more toasted walnuts!! otherwise, no party, no frosting.  keep them clean.

happy birthday, Joanna! have a muffin!

or three. they're guilt-free!

i hope YOU enjoyed your st. paddy's day as much as i did!

how did you celebrate for st. paddy's day this year?

le