weekend + peanut butter oatmeal carob chip cookie balls

i mean i just wanted to take a selfie of my new top from my sweet coworker, Monica!  apparently everybody needed to use the bathroom at the same time.doing his daily ritual.

love it!  workout gear is one of my fave ever gifts to receive.   it's Nike, very light weight, has a cool design, and most important, racerback.

we hit the gym and i decided to take a Total Conditioning class instead of my normal weights and cardio routine.  taking classes and teaching them are completely different for me concerning the workout part!  i do 80%+of the workout with my class, and the rest is coaching, motivating, and walking around checking for great form.  before i began teaching, seeing the instructor struggling with me provided some of THE best motivation to keep me going! so i definitely try to provide that for my members. when i'm up there on that podium, it's like i feel NO burn, seriously!  my adrenaline goes crazy the entire time. talk about an endorphin high :shock:

where's waldo?

 when i take a class, i feel the burn waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay sooner, LOL.  i feel every thing!  it's now me vs me and  i go to war with that voice inside my head telling me the burn is too much and to STOP.  but i refuse!

i did the class, then 30 min of fat burning cardio and got up outta there.

but not before a progress selfie lol.  Chiso and i had a day of Christmas and grocery shopping to get to, and i neglected to pack our lunches.  i knew we'd pass by that death trap of a food court at the mall and the smell of fries just might win me over after that workout! so, we had lunch at the gym.

 

and i'm glad we did! ok more like a snack.  i got a smoothie for the first time in MONTHS.  i've enjoyed eating my fruit instead of drinking it..that's my only reason.  anyway i was super surprised to see that Lifetime now has almond milk substitutions!! what!? they are always one step ahead!

i got an almond delight which did not hit all my macros for meal 2, but it held me over juuuuust enough until we got home.  don't worry, i made up for it.

i chose blueberry and banana for my fruits of choice; the best smoothie combo ever, i know!

cold and creamy.

Chiso loves the chocolate flavor of this milk too, lol! (me too)  

'if it's here, it's healthy.'

100% clean menu.

on to the mall!

i spotted this while we were out shopping and did the most obnoxious double take ever.  miracle slimming system.  no diet and exercise required. 10 minute method. 3.99. it's called a WORKOUT for a reason, yall!  it requires an effort.  it's still on the shelf because unfortunately someone will buy this thing.  only real, lasting results come from good nutrition and exercise. that's it. that's the secret.

i spent longer grocery shopping than Christmas shopping lol. i  saw these in the bulk isle at HEB and gave them a taste...score.  they are low in sugar, grain sweetened, carob chips and they taste just like semi sweet chocolate chips!  grain sweetened chocolate covered raisins from Whole Foods have been my guilty pleasure for YEARS.  it was the only place i could find them for a while, but carob has definitely gotten more popular lately!  you'll see these guys again shortly.

TODAY was leg day and i had a grilled turkey and almond cheese sandwich on Ezekiel bread, a small red delicious apple, and some tomato & cucumber salad from Central Market before hitting the gym. 

tryin to shred these puppies!!

had just finished doing my heavy squats here.  i went heavy and did 4 sets of 10 of the following: barbel squats, single leg seated presses, hack squats, alternating dumbbell lunges, deadlifts, leg extensions & curls.

then i followed that up with about 10 min of abs.

nice burn!

 

i've been thinking about the kind of cookie i wanted to leave out for Santa, and i tried my hand at some no-bake peanut butter cookie balls that turned out darn good!

No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Carob Chip Cookie Balls

the stuff:

• 10 tbsp quick oats
• 2 tbsp carob chips (can totally use any kind of chocolate chips)
• 2 tbsp agave nectar (can sub honey)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla
• 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 4 tbsp chocolate PB2

do this:

MIX! form into 10 balls and pop them into the fridge until you're ready to devour.  give them at least 30 min though.  if they are too sticky for you, add more oats in increments of 1 table-spoon.  they were just right for us though!  recipe makes 10 balls.

serving size = 1 cookie

low sugar, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free (long as your oats are gluten-free) and YUM-MY.

Chiso looooooooooooved them!

him and his faces.

more, more, more!  

ok we ate this entire batch, but we will make plenty more.

Santa will wash them down with a big glass of almond milk!

what kinda cookies will you be leaving out for Santa this year?

le

grocery finds

i know variety is important, but my breakfast just ain't right without my oats (either in a bowl with toppings or in my pancakes).  i NEED them. i'm still finding new ways to eat them every single day.

 i made saturday morning's bowl of oats with Silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a few drops of vanilla creme stevia, lots of cinnamon, half a banana, some chocolate pb2, and some unsweetened coconut flakes.

and my daily egg omelette of course topped with fresh cilantro and pineapple salsa.

  i did about 30 min of fat burning cardio on the elliptical + an upperbody weight workout and high tailed it outta there. we had a few birthday parties to attend as well as grocery shopping to get done, the usual!

 i'm doing a fitness challenge via IG (Instagram) right now (@fight_for_healthy).  my goal is to add more definition to my body overall, especially in my abs.  also, i plan to eat as clean as possible for the month of october.  but these birthday parties though... :shock:  expecting big changes next month just in time for the Thanksgiving holidays. oh boy.

for meal 2, i cracked open some canned salmon (fresh is too high right now @ HEB)  and put some on a 3-seed La Tortilla Factory soft wrap along with some fresh cilantro, rice cheese, avocado, tomato, smokehouse maple seasoning, spicy mustard, and some fig butter. i  microwaved it til the cheese melted and devoured it. two of them.

in the car on the way to the party, i had meal 3 which was a salmon sandwich on raisin Ezekiel bread with the same toppings.

after running around chasing this boy the whole darn time, let's just say i'm so grateful to be in good shape!  trouble finding workout motivation?  keep your babies (or future babies) in mind.  thank me later.  i see why those child leash thingies were invented!!!

i see to it that Chiso eats nutritious, healthy stuff all day long, so of course he (we) can partake in party food every now and then.  didn't i just say i was in the middle of an october fitness challenge lol? come on,  it's not a party without cake.  i split a piece with my boo and we had a blast partying with family.  and it was the non-dairy whipped topping, not the super, duper sweet sugary kind ;)  just go with it.

 after the par-tay, i guilted Sonny into going grocery shopping with us since the HEB i frequent was nearby.

in addition to my normal goodies, i got some other cool items i'm so excited about trying!!

quark. i learned about quark through a few Aussie IGers.  i had been looking for this stuff for weeks- not all HEB's sell it and few people even know what it is.  it's comparable to greek yogurt as far as taste.  nutritional stats? not so much.  not a lotta protein per serving, but very low cal, fat, carbs, and an awesome 0 grams of sugar.  ever notice just how much sugar your greek yogurt contains?  yep, even the plain varieties.

not too shabby.  non-fat ricotta cheese is another alternative to add to your fresh fruit instead of cottage cheese or yogurt.

next,

one of my guilt-free treats.  i make a two scoop sundae with vanilla maple flavored Artic Zero (150 cals per PINT)  with some soy whip. and sprinkles.  recently, Artic Zero underwent some scrutiny for incorrect nutritional stats and ingredients on their labels.  they ended up adding milk to their ingredient list (for some reason it still doesn't bloat me like real ice cream though) which upset a good amount of their consumers.  seriously... even if the stats were off a bit, come on.  can you eat a freakin entire pint of ANY of the other brands for less than 150 cals, total?  it's not that biga deal my goodness. :roll:  i'm still a fan and will continue to be! i also drizzle some healthy chocolate sauce (will share recipe soon) on top and it's an incredible, low cal, carb, guilt-free, bowl of yumminess.

i can dig it!   a little expensive for the size of the bottle though.

i taste tested it solo, and it tastes exactly like reg. ketchup. no funny after taste or any of that.  but it wasn't enough.

so i baked some Ore-ida fast food fries. it passed.

ok...i had to share this as i've been asked a few times what my cheat snacks are...and this is one.  sweet and salty chex mix.  it's even good in a bowl of almond milk!!!!  we passed by a big shelf of it and as i talked myself into not even looking in that direction, Sonny picked up the biggest bag they had and threw it in our buggy.  and i let him.   

ok focus!!! back to the good stuff that's good for you and to you.  we got plenty of fresh fruits and veggies as they are at the top of my list, every time.  strawberries, blackberries, bananas, grapefruit, apples, roma tomatoes, zucchini, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and avocados this trip.

ooooh Ezekiel... i love your bread and now i must try your cereal.  with my silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk of course. match made in heaven.

and the award for the cutest bag of popcorn ever goes to Angie's.  it definitely got my attention! sure i'm a stove popcorn popping advocate, but as healthy and fun as this bag looked, i just had to try this kettlecorn.

even vegan.  impressive.

what else can you do with an old nike box? use it to hold all your snacks. ghetto? prolly. effective. ya.  i like to keep things out where i can see them.

try a new item on your next grocery shopping trip!

le

cajun crusted tilapia

cajun crusted tilapia sandwich on sprouted grain sesame Ezekiel bread for one of my meals last week. or two weeks ago.  oh whenever that was, idk. it was good though.  i grew up eating deep fried catfish sandwiches on white bread.  you remember those fish fry fundraisers at church lol!  the best.

  i said on IG that i thought this recipe up while i was on the elliptical.  i get some of my very best ideas and recipes while i'm working out. it's usually in the middle of cardio when i have a lot of time to just THINK.  if that's what i need to do to get my inspiration, so be it!

Cajun Crusted Tilapia

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Corn Meal
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sweet dried basil
• 1 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
• 1 egg white

that's supposed to be sweet basil on top of the onion powder, not curry. sorry.

do this:

combine the egg and the liquid aminos in one bowl, everything else in another bowl.  with your left wet hand, dip the fillet into the egg white/amino mixture, then drop it into the dry mixture bowl.  using your right dry hand, press the fillet into the mixture, flip it over, and ensure it is covered on both sides or to your liking.  spray your low/medium heated pan with Pam (or any no-stick spray)  if you haven't already, and lay the fish on one side to cook until done, then flip it (about 5-7 minutes on each side.) cooking times and temps vary, so watch it!  *s/n: you can add a tsp of coconut oil to your pan as well, but you'll have to adjust the nutritional stats accordingly.*

don't want a sandwich?  plate your fillet up and pair it with some sides.  i made a sandwich cause i had plenty of Ezek bread to spare and sandwiches are fun to make, eat and take pictures of.

now, about these nutritional stats....i tend to make things way more difficult than they should be so there is prolly an easier way to do this.  i know there is.  and someone will comment on this post and make me feel really dumb.  i'm counting on you.  anyway,  i didn't figure out how to do this before posting and didn't want to wait. i totaled the ingredient list up, then divided it by 4 (fillets).  you never really use ALL the breading when you're dipping stuff, you know? at least i don't.  so you can't include that in the total calories.  you really only use about 2-3 tbsp of the breading, if that.  so the stats below are a little higher than they should be cause it's for 1/8th a cup of breading (dry + wet) + the tilapia fillet. i guess i could figure out what 2 tbsp of breading equals but my head hurts already.  so here are the stats for 1/8th a cup (includes both wet and dry ingredients).  did that even make sense?

serving:  1 crusted tilapia fillet

i love finding ways to eat more food!!!

i got wind of these corn thins via Facebook last week and picked some up at WF this past weekend as well.

i switched sides on ya.  rice cakes on the left, corn thins on the right.

 1 serving = 2 cakes

ingredients for both:

corn thins- whole grain popped corn, sea salt. (gluten and fat-free)

rice cakes- whole grain brown rice, sea salt.

verdict: eat 3 corn thins and STILL come out lower in every stat category compared with the rice cakes.  awesome!!  sure they are a little thinner, but still filling after being topped with some PB2, cottage cheese, or greek yogurt.

look what i found. oh just another item i wasn't even looking for, a yogurt maker!!!

 i actually received this as a baby shower gift.  i sure do appreciate it!  perfect timing.

i was reading the instructions and all that and noticed one of the ingredients required to make yogurt is yogurt :shock: huh? so i have to go buy some yogurt to make yogurt. oh, ok.  riiight... SO, after i google a good homemade yogurt recipe, i'll be trying my hand at *drumroll*

 almond yogurt!!!! i saw some at Whole Foods while i was there and had no idea almond yogurt even existed yet.  the nutritional stats were surprisingly high for one serving though.  i'll see what i can come up with.

guess who had banana pancakes this morning? we all did. everybody. duh :lol:

Chiso tackled his three and so did i.

my random lunch sandwich today:

i just wanted to eat my cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread really bad, lol. i threw some grilled chicken, cheddar almond cheese, avocado and spicy mustard on it and it WORKED.  it fit my macros perfectly, too! that sweet and salty combo can't be beat. i chilled on any fruit butter this time since the bread was already sweet though.

have you ever made homemade yogurt? 

le

bbq + fish = why didn't i think of this sooner

so, i'll be turning the big 3-0 next month, and my little man will be 1 the following month!  i'm so excited for all these upcoming milestones, sweet.  i took my LO (little one) to the dr. yesterday for his check up and all went well.  as luck would have it, HEB is directly across the street from the clinic and i just couldn't be so close and not pay them a visit.  i got a few items for dinner and also some that i will add to the right stuff (i hope you've been checking for updates over there).  bbq shrimp was on the sampling menu and it smelled and tasted fantastic. sooo you already know what we had for dinner:

pretty sure they meant 'than'.. but who cares, it was so tasty.  i used up all my shrimp for another dish recently, but i knew this recipe would work just as good on some tilapia. and i always have tilapia.  people bbq up some ribs and chicken- why not fish?  i bought the sauce and did the buy-one-get-one-free deal.

i bought some fresh limes, used shallots instead of garlic, and chopped up plenty of fresh cilantro.

 i didn't buy the adams rub the recipe calls for- i stuck with my tony c's to season the fish with.

everybody in the pool.

i could have grilled this up in my grill pan, but i wanted to go get a quick run in since i have another 10K saturday and i hadn't run all week. surprise. so, i baked it like i normally do- 350 deg oven for 30 min.  when i walked back in the house, the smell was out of this world! definitely a new twist for this boring, but nutritious protein.

steamed some corn and whipped up some creamed spinach for the sides.

i packed up the rest for Sonny's lunch- i know he'll enjoy it even better today, yum.

speaking of today, i had about 3/4th cup of 2% greek yogurt with some almonds and a handful of pumpkin flax granola for my mid-morning snack.

you can find this at Whole Foods in the bulk isle. it's definitely the lowest cal count i've found for granola at 140 cals per 1/2 a cup.  pretty reasonable sugar count too at 3 grams per serving. not bad.  most other granola i find start above 200 cals.  again, no drizzle of honey needed cause the granola is sweet enough.

i taught my hour-long weights class this morning so my appetite is raging. lunch has already been served and devoured:

who has lettuce now? i do! i swallowed this peppercorn turkey avocado sandwich on wheat bread with a side of strawberries.

smile, tomorrow's FRIDAY:)

le