chocolate, chips, and crackers, oh my

this morning i got the chance to walk it OUT again at the gym! you've seen the quote 'you're one workout away from a good mood,' but baybaaaay, i was already in one and the early workout made my day that much better.

i did about an hours worth of treadmill incline intervals.  i switched back and forth between these two settings:

4 mph @ incline level 4

2.5 mph @ incline level 15

sweaty, saturday FUN.

back at home, i had a gangload of zucchini (about 6 medium) i needed to spiralize so that's exactly what i did before they went bad.  i sauteed the zoodles in a large wok for about 5 minutes in 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat, then added them to a large bowl with about 3 large spoons of homemade guacamole from yesterday.  i didn't really have a sauce prepared and was being lazy. it worked though!  i paired them with tilapia and a few fresh tomatoes for lunch.  Sonny really enjoyed this! seriously.  these postpartum cravings...  i try to fight them as best i can and it is pure torture some days. i am a bottomless pit and i'm not even working out like i used to yet, jeez.  i either want chocolate, salty, crunchy chips, or crackers, so I turned to my old friend, popcorn.

3 cups of air popped popcorn is only 25 cals, 1g of fat, 22g carbs, 6g fiber, and 3g protein. soooo I made a big vat of homemade Salted Dark Chocolate Popcorn! I melted 2 tbsp of dark chocolate and drizzled it over the popcorn (that I cook on the stovetop with a lil coconut oil) and added a pinch of sea salt and a few mini chocolate chips. i suggest putting the entire bowl into the fridge so the drizzle can harden first, but i didn't wanna wait nor did i mind the mess.

 so, friday night ended differently that i expected! hubs came home and suggested sushi and i did not dispute him.  i order the same thing at our fave spot every time with the following adjustments:

• salmon teriyaki bento box with the teriyaki sauce on the side
• steamed veggies instead of vegetable tempura
• 2 salads instead of the soup & salad my meals comes with as the sodium from the miso soup bloats me
• i customized my roll and asked for brown rice with fresh shrimp and avocado.

according to Sonny my roll always tastes too healthy.  whatevs.

dinner... and a show.

 Q: what special healthier requests do you make when ordering food at a restaurant?

le

BE countdown

and we're back!  Sonny and i celebrated wedding anni #6 in South Beach this past weekend.  you know i'll be making a nice little blog post about it when i get my life together but check out my Instagram feed for a few highlights in the meantime.

we got in late monday night after picking up Chiso from his grandparents house and i went to bed feeling like i shoulda got a sub for my 5:30am class the next morning.  after not picking up any dumbbells in 5 days straight and eating everything under the blazing Miami sun, um i needed to be there :shock: . i felt crappy on the way and not even my cup of coffee did much to help but i left the gym feeling the exact opposite.  it always happens that way!  then i crashed when i got home. really hard.

one great thought or action breeds another, so start your day with POSITIVITY!  an uplifting song, a scripture, prayer, or a motivational quote or all three.  they have an incredible, noticeable impact on the rest of your day. then pair it with something healthy and nutritious to go in your body and you are well on your way!

******

AAAAAAAGGGHH!!!!! the Blog Elevated Conference (BE) starts TOMORROW!!!!!! super-duper stoked is an understatement.  i'm shy, i'm reserved, yeah, yeah, yeah, but i am gonna try my absolute best to JUMP outta my comfort zone this weekend and be the social butterfly i know i can be.  i'm anxious just thinking about it but enough is enough.

got it? good. now apply it.

i owe you like three recipes!!! let's talk about these apple pie pancakes real quick though.  not to be confused with the apple pie oatmeal in my ebook (shameful plug).

hot apple-cinnamon pie  oat bran pancakes

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup raw oat bran
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 3 - 4 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 heaping tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup chopped red delicious apple
• 1 tbsp coconut crystals
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

do this:

mix everything in your blender EXCEPT the apples, coconut crystals, and lemon juice.  add as much almond milk as you'd like; i dont like super thick batter so i add about 4-5 tbsp myself to stretch it and make as many cakes as possible.  cook up the batter in your medium heated, no-stick cooking spray coated pan for 3-4 minutes each side.  heat a small saucepan over a medium flame and add your apples, lemon juice, and coconut crystals all at once.  stir until crystals have melted a bit but make sure it doesn't burn! it cooks fast.  top your cakes with the hot apple mixture.  drizzle them with some zero calorie Walden Farms pancake syrup.  ready, set,

go.

stats are for the entire thang.

happy pancaking.

Q: what's one thing in your morning routine that you must do every single day?

le