#SundayBumday + Healthy Cookies!

#SundayBumday

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cause after church, this is pretty much how we spent the rest of our afternoon!  it has been raining non-stop since yesterday morning... seriously. no breaks it seems like.  hurricane Patricia is NOT playing.  we spent all day yesterday in humble, texas at the Mocha Kid Expo (post coming up next) and had a BLAST. so we needed to stay in the house and #NetflixNoChill today anyway.  WE killed that entire bag of Boom Chika Pop kettlecorn!! it's time to have another giveaway with Angie's! #WaitOnIt

#ImUsingHashtagsLikeThisIsTwitterOrSomething

#ICantStop

#SorryNotSorry

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i whipped out my crock pot and just starting cooking!  i threw some chicken breasts in there (i sliced up 3 whole oranges + a cup of Sprouts Farmers Market Honey Chipotle bbq sauce + 3 stalks of green onion) for us to eat through wednesday. totally made that 'recipe' up on the spot and it turned out delicious.  for dinner, baked tilapia, sautéed peppers and asparagus (marinated in Coconut Aminos first), and a sweet potato for Sonny.  i had cauliflower 'mashed potatoes'! this is whatcha do:

1. boil some frozen cauliflower until it is super tender (about 10 min or so) in some unsweetened cashew milk and a dash of sea salt. pour in enough milk to cover the cauliflower.
2. drain it, throw it in your food processor, and blended it for about 10 seconds, making it half creamy, half chunky.  OR you can blend until it's super smooth if that's your thing.
3. add cracked black pepper and some chopped green onion on top!  you can even make 'loaded mashed potatoes' and add bacon and cheese, YUM.  i bet the kiddos would NEVER know. haven't tried that on my 4-year-old though....yet.

tasted JUST like mashed potatoes. texture and errythang!

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for dessert.... yes, please. i've been waiting to try these guys out!  Sprouts Farmer's Market has them 3 for 5 this week, so i took them up on that deal. they're VEGAN, people! no eggs, no dairy!

Chiso chose the chocolate chip to tackle first, so i warmed it up in the microwave for 20 seconds.

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smelled incredible... was hoping it tasted the same.

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we split it in 4 and dove right in. seriously good.

impressive facts, right!?  agreed!

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the stats aren't too shabby either! it's dessert for crying out loud!  subway cookies are waaaaay smaller and are around 220 cals EACH.  this is prolly the biggest, healthiest cookie i've ever eaten and enjoyed.

are you ready for a new week? ready or not, it's here!  nite :)

Q: what's your favorite thing to do when it's raining outside?  

Vegan Coconut Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

cut off t-shirts...the secret to muscle gains ;) . that's it.  a participant actually cut this shirt for me right before our Zumba half-time performance this past monday during the Rockets game (yeah haven't gotten that post up yet, whoops) and now i want to do all my lifting shirts this way! will have to YouTube a tutorial for sure.  after Barbell Strength class this morning i did back & biceps on my own before starting my day.

whenever i see these baby 1 lb weights on the rack i think about how cute they would be for my future mini me. baby fever strikes again! i've never seen anyone actually use them (other than for a door stop) but aren't they adorable??

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on my last grocery trip, i got a few of these StarKist Tuna Creations from Walmart.  i devoured the Sweet & Spicy and Herb & Garlic flavors a few days ago and finished the Hickory Smoked tuna today. all three were tasty!  love me some portable protein!  someone on IG said they have a Ranch flavor and i sure wish i had seen it at my Wally World.  i'm on the hunt for it.

they are already packed with a ton of flavor, but to the Sweet & Spicy one i added:

• raisins
• boiled egg whites
• green onion
• Grey Poupon Mild & Creamy Dijon Mustard (calorie-free)
• cracked black pepper
• red pepper flakes
• sweet smoked paprika

and topped a few raw red bell pepper slices for lunch one day.  again, it didn't even need all the hoopla!  i usually add all those ingredients to regular, unflavored tuna though.  try it and lemme know what cha think.

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what did i end up doing with this overripe bunch of bananas?  i found a WINNER:

Vegan Coconut Banana Bread Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

say that 3 times fast!  soooooo, vegan desserts have completely won me over.  i have committed myself to creating way more of them.  i've had a handful of moms contact me about making tasty food for their kiddos with specialty diets, and dairy-free is usually at the top of their list (for the parent's diet too).  i understand completely cause bloating = :( . i found Minimalist Baker surfing the net one day and saw about a quadrillion recipes of theirs i wanted to try.  most vegan dessert recipes i've come across contain a bajillion ingredients, like forreal.  i get discouraged myself just scrolling through them.  that's another reason i like Minimalist Baker though, hence the name! simple, tasty, and they use as few ingredients possible.  busy moms appreciate that too!  i know i do.  anywaaaaaay, this recipe is oil-free, egg-free, wheat-free, diary-free and still tastes freaking AMAZING.  that's always my first concern when all the 'good' stuff is missing from a recipe, ha. i found and adapted this recipe from another healthy site i came across during cardio recently, Ambitious Kitchen.  these do NOT disappoint your taste buds or your waistline.  now that's my kinda dessert!!  all things in moderation though, yall.

no apologies...my nails are the last thing on my to-do list these days. actually they never even make the list. 

moist, delectable, and HEALTHY! 

go ahead, get PIN-happy! i'll wait :)

ok i'm done. ready?

Vegan Coconut Banana Bread Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

the stuff:

• 2 cups gluten-free oat flour (make your own...i used rolled oats + Ninja Blender)
• 1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats, un-blended (just for texture)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup honey or light agave nectar
• 3 medium ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 heaping tbsp unsweetened toasted coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chunks

topping:

• 1/2 tsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbsp dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chunks, melted
• 1 heaping tbsp toasted coconut flakes (optional...but that crunch and toasted flavor is everything)

do this:

1. pre-heat oven to 350 degrees & coat baking pan with non-stick cooking spray
2. oat flour: place oats into blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour.
3. transfer oat flour to a medium bowl and add: 1/4 rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon
4. throw bananas, vanilla, applesauce, and honey into blender; blend 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy
5. add wet mixture to oat flour mixture and mix until just combined
6. gently fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chunks
7. pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly with rubber spatula
8. bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean
9. let cool for 10 min.
10. prepare drizzle by adding 2 tablespoons of chocolate chunks + coconut oil in microwave safe bowl. microwave on high 30 seconds; stir well to combine then drizzle over the top of bars.  sprinkle toasted coconuts over bars. cut into 16 bars and serve it UP!

***NUTRITIONAL STATS( per 1 bar): 98 calories, 18g carbs, 4g fat,  2g protein, 10g sugar***

LOVE AT FIRST BITE!

make these, take a pic, then TAG ME on IG or Facebook and let me know what you thought of this treat!

Q: what are some of your favorite IG accounts to follow for recipes?  please share!

le

let the Christmas shopping BEGIN + clean, gluten-free, dairy-free SUGAR COOKIES!

finally started a little Christmas shopping!

 for myself :lol: .  i found these guys yesterday at Hobby Lobby for half price and i can't wait to make healthy sugar cookies with Chiso.  here's a tip that you may or may not have known- you can just pull up the featured Hobby Lobby coupon right on your mobile device and show it to the cashier, no printer or hard copy needed.  i found that out while in line yesterday cause the lady in front of me did it.  i logged onto www.hobbylobby.com super fast before my turn and immediately clicked on Coupon; it was for 40% off one regular priced item. SCORE.

we might leave these out for Santa this year, try'em!

clean, dairy-free, gluten-free, vanilla and chocolate sugar cookies

the stuff:

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal / flour
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla OR almond extract (either works)
• dash of sea salt

--->for the chocolate cookies, make 1/4th of the almond meal unsweetened cocoa powder (which leaves 1 1/4 cups almond meal left, right? right.)<---

do this:

1. mix your batter well.
2. place bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes. **i know you want to skip that step but don't!** it determines the texture of your cookies.
3. press dough out on flat surface and use cookie cutters, or roll dough into 22 balls.
4. bake for 7-9 minutes on 350 degrees or until golden brown.

makes 22 cookies! per cookie: 44 cals, 3g fat, 4g carbs, 3g sugar.

Q: :shock: Christmas shopping....... have you started!?

le

is that sweat? 3 weeks postpartum

why yes!  that IS sweat.  today...was a great day. not just cause it's friday either! it was great cause i started my day super-duper early this morning in the what?

GYYYM!

i'm back baby!!!! i'm home. kinda. i miss the smell, the energy,  the whirring of the machines...  is that weird!?   the same smell that used to make my stomach turn when i was training for my bikini comp, go figure. and i definitely miss my gym buddies and instructor friends!  i said 'kinda' cause i only came to walk, which is still the only thing i've been doing until i'm cleared to hit those weights again.  that's next though! i haven't gotten up at the crack of dawn to workout since i took my hiatus from teaching my Lifetime classes at the end of May.  i had my headphones blasting and arms swinging as i power walked to the beat. before i knew it, my hour was up! pure, sweaty, bliss.

Odego is sleeping a lil' longer these days (prolly 3-4 hour stretches if that) so this morning i had a small window of opportunity that i ran and jumped straight through.  praying for more mornings like that! else it's back to my evening neighborhood walks or whenever i can get them in.

i felt like i had the entire day ahead of me to get stuff DONE.  i've been losing track of what day it even is while trying to get a routine going with the kiddos, and today's workout made me energized, refreshed, focused, and most important, MOTIVATED!!! you see i even got this blog post up :D

i'm eating around 1900 cals a day currently, and this morning's balanced brekky consisted of scrambled egg whites with homemade guacamole (i only had a fresh lime instead of lemon and it worked just as well, yum), low fat turkey sausage, a nectarine, and some whole wheat toast with a tbsp of dark chocolate dreams peanut butter.  for your own customized meal plan, email me at leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com.

i marinated some chicken breasts in homemade honey mustard (equal parts dijon mustard and agave nectar and yes you can you honey) and a little sea salt and black pepper to taste.  i grilled them up on my grill pan and smoked up the 1st floor of the house real good.  all you need is a HOT grill pan sprayed with no stick cooking spray, cook the breasts for 8 minutes on each side (depending on size), then cover the meat with foil and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.  here are a few of my grilled chicken lunch/dinner plates from this week:

,..paired with plantains pan-fried in coconut oil, a fresh spinach, tomato, pecan, jicama salad, Annie's  all natural Artichoke Parmesan dressing on the side (i could turn the entire bottle UP it's so good) and my prenatal vitamin...

..paired with sautéed spinach and mushrooms, a summer corn, tomato, cilantro & mozzarella salad with honey mustard on the side..

..a ginormous spinach salad topped with pecans, strawberries, blueberries, jicama, green onion, and feta cheese crumbles.. this was actually my first time ever buying jicama and it won't be my last!

3 weeks postpartum now and my sweet tooth is still RAAAAGING, so i've been trying to stick to natural sugars as often as possible.  the cravings are SO strong though and all i want to do is eat chocolate and chips all day.  so i've been having fresh fruit with a little sugar-free cool whip and cinnamon for dessert most nights. super yummy and a better option than the Marble Slab i will go HAM on. also, the peeps over at Squarebars so graciously sent me some samples of their organic protein bars to try. omg. can you say right on time!? they are D-freakin-licious!!

no refined sugars, no GMOs, soy-free, gluten-free,  low glycemic, vegan, and 12g of protein. i'm feelin'em, and their nutritional stats aren't too shabby!

newborn life lol! have a fun friday evening!

le