oatmeal chocolate chip birthday cakes!!! - bday post

this year, my birthday fell on a monday. YIPPEEEEE :?

so Sonny started celebrating early (like i had hoped).  immediately after church service, we went to get our rings cleaned.

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i promise we're only in our thirties. lol.  Chiso saw us placing our hands strategically on the display case for this pic and wanted part of the action.

over time, i have come to the realization that i'm a hint thrower.  what a lucky guy Sonny is.  rarely does one go over his head though, i gotta give it to him.  i forwarded him a Ruggles Green brunch email i received a few weeks earlier, you know, randomly.  high-five, Sonny.  high-five.

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so that was our next stop.  only the Heights location serves breakfast / brunch in Houston, and i had been eager to check it out for months.  i chose the delish crab & avocado omelette and Sonny played it safe with the breakfast plate (sausage, pancakes, eggs, potatoes).  Chiso handled up on his turkey sausage, scrambled eggs, and pancakes too.  we love us some eggs.

the next day, my actual birthday, Sonny got up and rushed off to work like normal, so i hit the gym early, like normal.

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but not before making this gorgeous stack of oatmeal pancakes! with the start of my cooking classes, blogging took a small backseat. obvi. but i believe i have a routine going now with my schedule. *crosses fingers, toes, and eyes*.  here's that recipe:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes 

the stuff: (source)

  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 cup dry rolled oats
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (add more if needed- you be the thickness judge)
  • 2 packets granulated stevia
  • 1 tbsp agave nectar or honey (optional)
  • dash of sea salt
  • 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • handful of dark chocolate chips

do this:

  1. mix all ingredients except chocolate chips together in a large mixing bowl.
  2. if ya need more almond milk at this point, add it a tbsp at a time.
  3. heat your griddle or cast iron / no-stick skillet to medium heat and coat with no-stick cooking spray.
  4. spoon the cakes onto your cooking device as large or as small as you'd like them.  when bubbles start to form on top, check the bottom of the cake to see how brown it is first before flipping.
  5. you're looking for a golden brown color (bout 2-4 minutes).
  6. eat'em up. sprinkles are optional but mandatory if it's your birthday.

or, you can do blueberries instead of chocolate chips!

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 back to the birthday festivities.

little did i know that Sonny went right down the street to his mom's house to hide out.

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i took a Barbell Strength class and worked my back a little more on my own in addition to some steady-state cardio on the elliptical. suddenly, i got a 'lunch?' text from Sonny, so i said 'screw this!' and sped home to get cleaned up.

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 i opened the door and walked right into .. Sonny!?, fit gifts, and cake.

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and a birthday song serenade from my boys!

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 just one small piece before lunch.

   Sonny shocked our palettes and drove us to an Indian inspired restaurant in Upper Kirby called Ponidicheri.  he didn't know it was 'meatless monday' though lol. tasty  nonetheless and i appreciate the experience.

20140407_134832_1i got the Saag Paneer Omelette, Barley Salad, a piece of gluten-free, millet Roti, and one of their fresh, housemade juices, the Hari.

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 Sonny got an omelette too.  They didn't really have a kids menu, but the guy taking orders suggested this concoction.  can you guess which two Chiso ate? yep, the fries and the Elephant Cookie.

i got a birthday nap back at home (YAAAAAY for daytime sleep) and we went back out for dinner that evening.  i was actually still full from lunch but went anyway just cause it was my bday and already on the agenda.

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my cups runneth over :shock: ! literally and figuratively.  we concluded the evening with Italian food and Neapolitan gelato from Sapore Ristorante, right in our own backyard.  which was awesome cause i had to be up at 4:15am  to teach my class the next day.

i feel like i'm at the age where i forget what i'm even turning and that my birthday is even coming up.  thankful to God for another year though, no doubt, and for Sonny's impeccable planning skills year after year.

THANK YOU to my family and friends for the calls, texts, cards, gifts, and birthday wishes!!!!!!

and thank you for reading.

le

chop, chop

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oooooh i needed this espresso this morning of all days.  compliments of one of my early morning Lifetime members, so sweet.  i chugged my own instant coffee on the way to class then this on the way home.  running off of 3 hours of sleep + caffeine = a HARD crash sooner or later.

today's workout:

  • 1 hr Barbel Strength (full body weight workout)
  • walking weighted lunges 3 x s forward and reverse ( approx. 50 feet?? idk!)
  • 10 minutes straight of core (russian twists, bicycle crunches, planks)
  • 20 min cardio on the elliptical

so random! i normally use my class as my warmup and go do my real workout afterwards, but my body checked OUT immediately after class.  GET YOUR REST GUYS.  it will catch up to you....eventually.

 i stayed up super late the night before getting things ready for the tortilla giveaway that took place earlier today!

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------------->STEPHANIE RUANO!<-----------------

i want to personally thank every single person who entered into this giveaway! i'm just paying it forward, passing on the blessing, and loving it!

 THANK YOU kindly.

theres more to come though- stay.tuned.

so this past tuesday was definitely NOT about me so i did not include this in Sonny's birthday post, but i did a little something to my hair that was WELL overdue.

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 i have neglected this head of mine for a long, long time.   i go to the shop for special occasions, but in between those visits, HA.  bun city.  i actually planned to go waaaaay shorter than that, but i am super satisfied.  it definitely doesn't look like this anymore after 2 workouts lol, but i'm gonna do better about maintaining my hair! this time.

it's official. i'm out of Fitzee Foods.  I didn't leave a note on the fridge and Sonny actually ate a few of the meals they sent me which means i did not get to snag a pic of them.  but it's all good cause i am about to put in another order real quick!

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Fitzee Foods is based out of San Diego, CA, but they deliver nation wide.  thank God, cause Texas is quite a ways away from Cali.     their meals are:

  • local, organic, all natural products
  • breakfast, lunch, and dinner, snack and meal replacement bar options
  • gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian options available
  • DELISH.

if you have questions about a specific product on their site, email me! (le@fitfoodiele.com).  my Fitzee Foods product reviews will resume shortly.

last fitness class of the week in the morning :shock: ! nite

Q: have you ever done something drastic to your hair and regretted it?

le

get on the floor

and do the exercises below at home, in front of the tv while you stuff your face with... pancakes.

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ok do them after the pancakes.  they are guilt-free, so do it in whatever order you like, just promise me you'll do both!!!!!

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my favorite smoothie fruit combo to order in the Lifetime Cafe, or any smoothie place really, is blueberry banana. which means blueberry banana pancakes were calling meeeeee this morning.

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so i answered.

blueberry banana cakes

the stuff:

  • 1/2 cup wheat bran
  • 1/4 cup oat bran
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3 0z banana
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (ya might need more!)
  • 5 drops vanilla creme stevia
  • 1/4 cup blueberries
  • 2 egg whites

do this:

miiiiiix!  everything! i threw the banana into my mix and mashed it up with a fork until it was chunky smooth.  so you can either throw your fruit in your batter, or leave it for the topping. or do half and half. it's your call!  i'm pretty sure i used like 1/2 cup or more of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but it's cause i don't like my batter sooooo thick. 1/4th a cup just might work for ya though.  again, i've been experimenting with oat bran, but you can totally use 1/2 cup of ground or rolled oats as a sub.  stats are for the entire recipe. look at all that fiber and protein! *high-five*

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2 fantastic floor exercises that build your booty and strengthen your core:

#1. glute bridges

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a.)on your back, plant your heels firmly into the floor and bring them as close to your glutes as you can get'em.

b.)with your palms pressed into the floor on either side of you, drive your heels into the floor, pull your belly button into your spine, keep your hips and shoulders square (level), thrust them up towards the ceiling and squeeeeeeeeze your glutes!!! 4 x 25

for an extra challenge, try these options:

  • extend one leg out straight, keeping it level with your opposite knee.  hold until it burnzzzz! switch.
  • put a weighted barbel or a heavy plate across your hips.
  • place and hold a dumbbell in between your knees while thrusting. don't drop that weight!

#2. planks IMG_20130202_141101

we all know how to do these, right?  super simple but so effective!

a.) keep your body as flat as a board- no glutes in the air, and no sinking hips.  resting on your elbows and toes, pull your belly button into your spine as tight as possible, and tilt your pelvis slightly towards the floor, and of course, squeeeeeeeze your glutes.

b.) hold this position for as long as possible.  if you'd like a challenge, try these options:

  • transition to a high plank (palms directly below your shoulders); repeat low to high to low, etc.
  • take your right leg  up and hold, repeat on the left
  • take your right arm up and hold, repeat on the left
  • drop your hips and glutes to one side at a time in a twisting motion while keeping your toes and elbows planted. greeeeat oblique exercise right there!

20130207_195250 what has Chiso been up to? well, we are currently in potty training mode. aaaaaand we're gonna get it right one of these days.   my OBGYN and his Pedi gave me great tips and one of them was to invest in a singing potty, which makes perfect sense!  every time he does his thing, it plays a little song. i'll have to bootleg it and use my cell for now.  whatever works.  when he finally completes his mission that fateful day in the NEAR future, trust me, you will know. i will blow up this blog, twitter, IG, sound the alarm, run tel dat, EVERYTHANG :lol:

it's #throwbackthursday on IG!

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how bad do you want to change?  make the decision, commit, and DO IT then!

le