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!

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

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 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.

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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. IMG_20130113_130339

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...

no worries

it's ON!!

i feel unstoppable when i am in my zone!

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they made breaking a sweat look FANTASTIC.  so inspiring.

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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 ;)

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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:

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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.

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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!

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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.

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all griddled up and ready to be devoured.

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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:

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

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eggies made with love by my aunts,20130112_134011

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

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here's one end of the table,

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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.

20130112_133955aaaand here's the other end.

time spent with the people i love and a big table of FOOD. i love my life.                    20130112_134257

aren't these guys the cutest!? also brought by cousin Anne- they are soy yogurt shots topped with fresh fruit and granola. 20130112_134252

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

welp, it's that time again.weekend ecard

rest up :lol:

Q: what is your FAVORITE brunch food?

hands down, mine is french toast.

le

not so fast

everything happens for a reason!  you better believe it.  i logged into Facebook earlier this week and saw that two friends of mine had been selected to run in the Chevron Houston Marathon 2013!!!  if you can run a 10K in 51 minutes or so, you automatically qualify to run in either the half or the full marathon.  if not,  you have to sign up for the lottery and then wait to be selected randomly.  i excitedly pulled up my email account and right away this caught my eye: 2013 Aramco Houston Half Marathon Lottery: Not Selected.  disappointed? a little, but i was immediately reminded that what i want is not always what He wants.  who knows just what the heck i will have gotten myself into by early next year!  i did one of my first posts on this annual event- seems like yesterday.

 i have so many fond memories from this race and i'll definitely do the 5k again or just go volunteer and support all the other runners to keep my tradition going.  outstanding event to attend and be apart of whether you are running or not.  i still got love for you, ChevronHM!! :roll: kidding :lol:  congrats to all who were selected!  if you weren't, KEEP running!!!

my mom got me one of those enormous desk calendars ( just 54 cents, who knew? i didn't).

it helps me stay organized and see just how much time i have left before my first show.  i know it's 2012 and i should be putting tasks, reminders,  etc. in my iPhone or have an electronic copy somewhere (according to Sonny), but there is just something about writing things down and 'x'ing off the days by hand that keeps me on track, positive, and focused...and hopefull!

it's that time again-

 blueberries are in season :)

 sometimes it's all you can get your hands on, i know, but store-bought blueberries fail greatly in comparison to the wild, hand-picked ones straight from the country.  i do hope you get the chance to taste the difference.  i happen to have a country connection i'm so grateful for- 1 gallon for 20 bucks.

  i split up that big bag into smaller portions for my meals so they are ready to grab and go.

frozen blueberries are SO GOOD! get you some snack size bags and go to work.

if i wasn't in training right now i'd be making blueberry crumbles, pancakes, cobblers, turnovers and muffins GALORE.   i have even been putting them in Chiso's food:

his dinner last night: grilled chicken, new potatoes, and wild blueberries!

(before and after i blended it with a little breast milk.)

off to go burn some more fat- 1 hr of cardio awaits me.  my first posing camp is coming up this weekend- i gotta go buy my shoes and get ready to soak up all this knowledge.  may the rest of your thursday be EXCELLENT!

le