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 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

buy 4 get 1 free! + Sprout Channel

only two more Thursdays 'til Turkey Day yall!

this is my highlight meal for the week:

this filling, savory meal is the Baked Penne with Sausage and Kale from FITzee Foods.  the kale part immediately sparked my taste buds!  whole wheat penne pasta, chicken italian sausage, and fresh kale all baked together with a dairy-free cream sauce, mushrooms, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs. i'm lovin' it.

-----> a 'buy 4 meals get the 5th free' deal is happening right, right now! take advantage, fit friends.<-----

i would just love to express my joy for the Sprout channel real quick.

my sis-in-law told me about it months ago and after the last adult joke i could stand from Sponge Bob i decided to look it up in our cable directory.

3 words. WHAT A BLESSING.  Chiso has fallen head over heels in love with, well, every single show.  his absolute fave is Caillou.   Caillou games have mysteriously appeared on the iPad and neither Sonny nor myself put them there.  and then there's Tree Fu Tom:

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so even if we don't head to the park, he can still move and shake indoors! that makes me one happy fit mom. but not happy enough to clean out that file cabinet.

Chiso sings,  interacts,  learns, & plays SO much more so than when the TV was on Nickelodeon or  Disney.  the Sprout channel caters to his crowd (24 hour pre-school channel) and i have really seen a different side of him these past few weeks.

they have a fantastic, interactive website too! games, videos, and next on our agenda is printing out some of the blank coloring sheets provided of some of his favorite characters (soon as we get some more ink.) i am fond of several of the shows myself; especially The Goodnight Show :lol:.   i really like that they keep some of the classic shows like Sesame Street in rotation too. ooooh the memories. i am just too happy about this and wanted to share.

 parents, please check and see if your cable provider hosts this channel for your little one!  if you're already a fan, which show does your little one love the most?

you can check out the FITzee Foods Facebook & Twitter pages, or click here to order.

le