hearty turkey casserole + fit foodie lean legs workout

while i was away at the BE Conference (that post is in the works), my FITzee Foods orders came in!  thankfully Sonny only got to one meal before i got my hands on them :x.  i now have a new favorite to add to my list i wanted to share with ya:

Mom's Hearty Turkey Casserole

layers of sautéed vegetables, lean ground turkey, rich tomato sauce, and mashed yams all baked to perfection and sprinkled with mozzarella cheese!   low carb and gluten-free.  it was the first meal i cracked open and it reminded me of a healthified shepherd's pie.  this experience was over way too fast.

*stats: 353 cals, 16g fat, 20g carbs, 5g fiber, 29g protein*

then i hit the gym to combat the massive amount of sugar i ate over the weekend :shock:

i created that lean leg routine up there while using the limited hotel gym at the conference, and did it again that day.    grab two dumbbells (preferably 10's or higher) and a sturdy wall to lean on for the wall sits and have at it.  3-5 times through, no breaks!

i couldn't decide which bar to eat for my post workout snack so i ate both!!!! kidding, i had the apples 'n oats, my fave.

afterwards, PWO grocery shopping.  which is always a bad idea for me.  i can never wait until i get home to open something up.  you can eat them in the car. you can eat them on a chair. you can eat them ANYWHERE.  get those greens in :)

the FITzee Food's menu changes frequently because they use local, seasonal and natural ingredients.  make sure to keep checking the online menu to see the latest and greatest culinary delights – they just might become your new favorite.

in those defeated moments, think back to why you even started your journey in the first place.

then keep going, friends!!!

 FITzee Food questions? email me directly at le@fitfoodiele.com.  to order your healthy meals, go check out the September menu- October is upon us! 

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

strawberry spinach pancakes + Angie's Popcorn GIVEAWAY

strawberry spinach salad meets strawberry spinach pancakes.

these are similar to the Spanana pancake recipe but i kinda went off the top of my head this morning with this one.

strawberry spinach pancakes

the stuff:

• 1/2 cup raw oat bran or ground oatmeal
• 3 oz ripe banana
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup frozen spinach
• 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 3-4 strawberries, sliced
• 1 packet stevia (optional)

do this: 

combine everything except the berries in your blender or food processor.  coat your skillet with no stick cooking spray and set to medium heat.  cook each cake 4-5 min on one side; flip and cook 3-4 on the other.  top cakes with strawberries and Walden Farms pancake syrup before dig in and check out the IG vid i posted this morning while you're at it!

stats are for the entire stacky stack.

********

i just want to say YOU ROCK for helping Fit Foodie Le reach 1K Facebook Fans over this past weekend!!!!! what!? small to some but a huge milestone for me man.  i appreciate every single click of support! that said,

it's that time again.

 i can't get enough of doing these giveaways!!! ever. they make me so happy and i'm not even the winner. giving really does feel better than receiving.

after fighting the urge to eat this entire sample box myself from Angie's Popcorn- this variety pack shall be the next Fit Foodie Le giveaway prize.  ASAP.  THANK YOU,  Angie's!

as you know, i looooove me some Boom Chicka Pop- it's my favorite movie-watching snack.  they have a variety of flavors like the ones pictured above and i am on my way to trying them all.

 if you're already following me on Facebook, you are good to G-O! click below if you'd like to jump in on this:

---------->a Rafflecopter giveaway<----------

contest starts......NOW!

remember-  what you allow is what will continue. remain humble, but don't be afraid to stand up and speak up for yourself.

have a great rest of your monday and head to Facebook and get 'ta Liking!

le

go for it- this girl did!

i received some outstanding and heartwarming news this past weekend that i'd like to share with you.

*****

'I remember the day that I decided to start living a healthier life; it was the day after I got laid off from my corporate career. Before that, I thought I was a pretty healthy individual. My diet consisted mostly of fruit, veggies, meats and a little water. Of course there were the indulgences, such as chocolate (I am sorry, but who can resist?) especially when you sit in a cubicle for hours at a time. I did the occasional cleanse and I looked healthy but I simply wasn’t. I knew I needed to do more but HOW?! I didn’t want to spend my life writing down everything I ate or spend my time waiting for cleanses to end. I needed something else; I need a lifestyle change…a new way of looking at my health…. I realized that if I was going to make a lifestyle change, my perspective had to change as well. Instead of wanting to lose weight…I decided that feeling great was now going to be my motivation. During this transition, so many things for me changed; the way I lived, the way I socialized and the way I thought! I found myself wanting to change everything about me, IN A GOOD WAY, and I did! I grew very fond of a childhood friend who you guys know as FitFoodieLe. Her obsession with favorable food made me feel like I could actually make this a permanent change and enjoy every minute of it. I watched Leah blossom in so many aspects! I was drawn to do better, achieve more and conquer all that I can because she was making her dreams come true through a thousand pictures for everyone to see. Talk about inspired and motivated, I felt obligated and that obligation forced me to obtain my Group Fitness Instructor certification! Everyone that knows me, knows I absolutely LOVE Step…it’s an ancient workout but with a great instructor, great audience and some great music you are forced to have a great,long-lasting workout. I am so honored to know through the hard work and dedication of a super gorgeous sister, mother, friend, daughter, wife and motivator; I was able to achieve my own dreams as a Step Aerobics instructor!

Ms. Leah thank you so much and never stop; I can only imagine how much work it takes to be in your shoes for a day but I want you to know that it never goes unnoticed because I am INSPIRED I am MOTIVATED I am FIT!'

Thanks again,

Sharonda Ausbie

*****

say WHAT!? beaming from ear to ear is an understatement.  Sharonda has made my YEAR and i cannot wait to take her class!! she is such a positive, energetic spirit and is headed straight for greatness.

health and fitness is pouring out of me and i will NOT put a cap on it!  it's a sincere honor to inspire someone to finally go for their dreams and goals or  to simply try something new and different.   i am completely humbled to have been apart of her health and fitness journey.  much love, Sharonda, and thank you for sharing a piece of your story!

le

The Color Run 5k - Houston

what.a.BLAST this morning!  this was my first time participating in the The Color Run 5k and imo,  everything was set up perfectly.  because i have a goal of hosting my own 5k one day, i took special note of well, everything.  instead of just showing up to run, i tried my best to pay attention to all the minor details that go into making a 5k (or any distance really) so great, fun, and memorable.  and BOY am i overwhelmed!!! but hey:

:shock:

never settle for good, mediocre, or average because you weren't created to do good, mediocre, or average things!

packet pickup was at Rei and i had never even been inside the store until then.  there was soooo much Color Run paraphernalia to choose from it's not even funny!  shorts, fanny packs, drawstring back packs, tanks, frisbees, bandanas, socks,

and sunglasses!

pre-race breakfast was an egg-white omelette (with some shredded and melted parmesan cheese that was thrown on top as it cooked), fresh spinach, tomato, and honey mustard on Nature's Own double fiber wheat bread.  no oatmeal this time as it can come back to haunt ya real quick if you know what i mean, especially on longer runs.  no pun intended. L O L.   however 5k's are over rather quickly.

that's my sweet, fab, supportive friend Kara!

our driver (Sonny) so graciously snapped some pics of us right after we jumped outta the truck and headed to the start line.

i met up with more great friends on our way to the start line- hey Roberto, Ana, and Kara's fingers! *waving*

i had NO idea how popular this run was!!!  our team was set for takeoff at 9am, but we didn't make it all the way to the front as it was just too crowded.  to avoid so many people on the course at once, they created several 'waves' and our start time was unexpectedly pushed back more than a little bit.  this was terrible because somebody had to drive back across town to teach class in less than 2 hours. yep....me. when i signed up for the race i was so excited about participating i forgot about my class!!!! pushing it, yes, but i knew both could be done.  i can't and won't let my members down. or waste 50 bucks :lol:

i heard somebody was not feelin' the weather change this morning. it dropped to around 50 degrees outta no where.

but we finished strong. it was bob and weave, stop and go the entire way. this was the first untimed race i've ever participated in and it was a true fun run with an emphasis on fun! people were clearly not concerned with breaking any PR's lol.   it's a huge, family and friends type event for sure, and i DEFINITELY recommend this race for anybody's very first 5k.

the Fit Foodies meant business though! we turned on our heart rate monitors and did our thing. Kara and i pretty much have the same running pace, so we started and finished together.

Kind Bars! i see these guys in Whole Foods all the time and they look scrumptious, right? they were giving out these two flavors and OH BOY...

this peanut butter and strawberry flavor was uhhhmazing. tasted like a sticky, chewy, pb and jelly bar sammich.  these are the only samples i could get my hands on before having to head out.

going and coming, literally. i missed out on tons of pictures and good ol' fashioned color fun and could not stay to meet up with and party with the other runners at all:(  you live and you learn. this was our first Fit Foodies event and we have only just begun to scratch the surface.  so seriously,  NO WORRIES if you weren't able to make it this morning, there are too many races coming up to dwell on one!  just know that plenty of advanced noticed will be provided next time, you have my word.

we sped across town and made it just in time.  did i shower first? heck no! i didn't have time anyway! 1 hour of total conditioning and a family shoulder workout later,

(alternating punches with dumbbells for 1 minute straight w/ Kara, my bro Brian, my hubby, and i )

TOAST was not the word.

  i'm gonna put this in the side bar over there, but the Green 6.2 will be held on April 27th, 2013. that's next month yall! email me if you'd like to run with the Fit Foodies team. the earlier you register, the cheaper the price.  set a goal and let's go for it, together.  le@fitfoodiele.com

alright...had this dressing tonight and it's  definitely gonna be added to the FFL approved list!  Walden Farms Raspberry Vinaigrette.  it's great as a salad dressing, but i'm positive it would work as a marinade for fish or chicken too.  try it! i like.

250mg of sodium per 2 tbsp and you know the rest: calorie, gluten, fat, sugar, carb, and cholesterol-FREE.

 more q & a in the upcoming posts, fyi.

start this week off STRONG!!!

le