crunchy ginger rotisseri chicken wrap + stay fuller longer

having the same thing i had for breakfast yesterday while there are a few La Tortilla Factory Tortillas left in this house. they go so fast cause we all like them! Chiso eats them as pb & j rollups, Sonny makes tacos, and quesadillas are my fave. the exact kind i get are only at the Sprouts Farmers Market closest to where i live.

 since i always make them for lunch or dinner,  i tried a breakfast quesadilla this time with egg whites, red bell pepper, green onion, low fat turkey sausage, and 2% pepper jack cheese.  i cooked it on the griddle for 4-5 min on each side and threw in some tomatoes, bluebs, and homemade guacamole. excellent!

 my day gets going after some good fuel, and this thing makes it so much easier to get stuff done around the house when baby boy is fussy or i just don't want to put him down.  i received this Baby Bjorn as a gift while preggo with Chiso and i love it for home use and outings.  Dego is a thumb sucker and puts his whole hand over his face while he does it! so funny.

so with breastfeeding and getting back to my random, sweaty workouts as of this week, i am double HOONGRY. this is ridiculous.  i just want to eat the entire fridge and pantry when i get home.  coincidently i got an email from Spark People titled 'Tips to Stay Full Longer' and i could not click the link fast enough.  these are some awesome tips to follow and i've already been doing some of them such as:

• eat protein and fiber rich foods every 3-4 hours with healthy snacks in between (like fresh fruit and mixed nuts)
• fill up on the non-starchy veggies and fibrous foods (leafy greens, cucumbers, red bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, sugar snap peas) with every meal
• reach for natural fruit first to lessen/knock out those sugar cravings. remember, white sugar only makes you crave it MORE! it's a dangerous cycle.
• drink a full glass or bottle of water before every meal
• take your time and eat!!! when i'm super hungry i rush and stuff myself (which is why eating every couple of hours is still the best option for me). it takes about 20 minutes for your tummy to tell your brain you are even full, but by that time it's too late and you're on your way to a food coma. take your time to chew and swallow every bite.

today was my first day back on the stair master since i was like 6 or 7 months preggo!  my heart rate always shot up and being up so high with my belly made Sonny uncomfy so i just stopped using it. i didn't miss it. lol. hurts so good though!  i did some intervals for about 30 minutes for my cardio and headed to a core class.  how about i modified everythang. my postpartum core is way stronger now than in my first pregnancy, but i still have a crap ton of work to do. but first..... :D

afterwards, i picked up some of nature's candy from Sprouts.  i love their 3 for 5 bucks sale! i got 2 strawberries and one pint of bluebs. and those sweet, crunchy nectaries of course.

i also picked up another one of Annie's all natural dressings-- Gingerly.  winner!

i wanted to use it right away, so for dinner, i threw some shredded rotisserie chicken, raw red bell pepper, bagged cabbage mix, cilantro, green onion, and crushed almonds into a bowl, poured in the dressing, and coated the chicken mixture in it.

i grabbed a La Tortilla Factory tortilla, rolled the chicken mixture up really tight and made a Crunchy Ginger Rotisserie Chicken Wrap that had so much flavor!  please try this, guys!

 for dessert i skipped the fruit and had some Arctic Zero with mini chocolate chips, fat-free Redi Whip, and sprinkles lol. have a fun friday night and a great weekend!

le

Q: what are your thoughts on Artic Zero? yay? nay? 

 i add a tbsp of Hershey's sugar-free chocolate syrup to mine, stir until creamy, and add a few toppings first. hits the sweet spot.

chop, chop

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!

------------->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.

 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!

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

what time is it?

GIVEAWAY TIME.

and it's FOOD.  i'm down if you are.

La Tortilla Factory Light Flour Tortillas are hot, hot, HOT.  so hot, they are hardly ever in stock at my Sprouts when i go.  but this ain't about me!  it's about YOU and your tortilla needs. cause you really, really need these tortillas.

so i've partnered up with La Tortilla Factory again cause i wanna put these guys in your life. again.

these large, 80 calorie, full of fiber, low carb tortillas are awesome for wraps, enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos, tacos, and apparently ---->POPTARTS<---.  homemade, healthy poptarts of course.  sweet OR savory!

with this whole Instagram poptart craze going on,

 wouldn't you like to get your hands on some?

make you some of my homemade strawberry chia jam and you are well on your way!  or you can make some bbq shrimp pineapple quesadillas (recipe in Fit Foodie Lean!)

they are also holding a fun, edible art contest with some NICE prizes to win via Facebook right now as well.  i got my eyes on that Williams and Sonoma gift card.  oooh the things i would buy...

SO, how do you win 5 packs of these babies?

you know i keeps it simple- comment on this very post and tell me just what the heck you're gonna make with them if you win!

*************

   FOR EXTRA ENTIRES YOU CAN: 

* Like the Fit Foodie Le FB fan page *

* follow my blog via email ( add your email addy at the top right corner of this screen) *

* tag a friend that likes or may like La Tortilla Factory tortillas under the Instagram post concerning this giveaway*

****************

just a friendly reminder that  i see and count ALL entires myself, so they are never in vain.

share away below and GOOD LUCK FIT FOODIES!

le

Sprouts Farmers Market *KATY*

 

that is HILARIOUS cause you know it's true!!!!  however this is also how stuff gets lost. forever.

i made Chiso some lemon-blueberry french toast Thursday morning that i cannot stop thinking about!  we will prolly have it for Easter breakfast tomorrow too.  this recipe will certainly be in the Fit Foodie Le ebook, and the nutritional stats are bananas! see? 156 cals, 3g fat, 6g fiber, 21g carbs, and 10 grams of protein! and yep for the whole she-bang.  2 slices of bread and all the toppings.

what Easter dish will you be making?

it's HEEEEERE!!! so i've been seeing the back of this building for MONTHS and had no earthy idea that it would be home to Sprouts Katy.  it's in the same lot as one of my gyms so you know what that means :lol: .  i literally pulled out of the gym parking lot, turned on my gps, and she made me turn right back in. #blondemoment!  anyway, the  future frequent trips won't do crazy damage  cause these prices.... WOW.  i was blown away.

something tells me these aren't just grand opening prices either!  you can even go to their website and print out your own coupons before hand.  also, Lifetime Fitness members get 5 dollars off their total bill at this location! not sure how long that lasts, but you can login to the Lifetime website and print out that coupon yourself too.

we walked through the doors and immediately went left to the bread section.  i found these new, 80 calorie light flour tortillas by La Tortilla Factory and i was not thinking straight and only got one package.  they were amazing and i have so many recipes for these guys!

i didn't take a pic of EVERYTHING this time lol, just a few landscape type shots.  the store isn't too big and i kinda like it that way. i go in HEB and get lost for hours but since everything is so close together in here, i'm in and out. i appreciate that.

sample mode ON.

just taking a peek! didn't grab any THIS time, but i'm glad to see they have multiple Arctic Zero flavors instead of just maple vanilla.  AND they have those 85 cal bars too!

we visited every single department (trust me).  the produce section was nothing short of amazing cause again, those prices! best i've ever seen. anyway, this was our last stop before heading to check out. popcorn!  i planned on getting a bag of Popcorn Indiana Kettle Corn and i was eyeing the bacon ranch flavor too until i saw these:

really now? olive oil, parmesan & garlic, and sea salt flavors.  awesomeness!  i'm on my second bag of parmesan garlic in 3 days. it's good.

first Sprouts shopping trip is a wrap!

one mo landscape shot at the front registers.

one of the kindest sales associates brought Chiso a cup of gummy bears while we waited! that was extremely nice of him.

indeed!

got another free grand opening grocery bag to add to my collection.  great experience, great store, and we will TOTALLY be back! a lot.

i got outta there with some good stuff- Justin's nut butters were 79 cents instead of the usual 99, cuties were just 3 bucks for that big crate, the cherry tomatoes were a whopping ONE dollar each, strawberries and blueberries were 2 for 3, and those bags of mini peppers were 2 for 5. yessssss!

i immediately whipped out those tortillas and went to work on these grilled chicken burritos.

alfalfa sprouts, tomato, grilled chicken, and homemade guac all rolled up.

the next day, Good Friday, we did an early family gym date.  we made grilled quesadillas  for our post workout meal this time!  Sprouts pineapples salsa and greek yogurt for dipping on the side.

and for dessert....

how did those get in there?

HAPPY EASTER, y'all!!!

le

updated oats & flashbacks

i am all over the place today and don't even know where to friggin' start! ok how about with....breakfast:

i've been saying i'm gonna post my updated morning bowl of oats recipe and i need to do it already. less talking and more action is what i'm putting into 2013.  i mean really.

this particular bowl was made with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, real vanilla, vanilla creme stevia, and topped with bananas, chopped almonds, and a sprinkle of cinnamon <3

fitfoodiele's BBO (basic bowl of oats) 

the stuff:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

do this:

bring the almond milk to a boil, add the vanilla, then add the oats. stir them around until every oat is wet lol, then turn your burner on low.  after 3 minutes it's pretty much done!  i like mine not too lose, and not too tight.. so if a little liquid left is left that's cool wit me.

**this is THE most basic way to make the oats...like ever.   when i post recipes in the future, this will almost always be the very base of the recipe...before i go crazy and start adding stuff all willy nilly.   sometimes i like to use 1 cup of almond milk + 1 cup of water which makes for one big huuuuuge bowl of oatmeal.  you know oats expand  in volume and soak up alotta the liquid it's cooked in, so it's like you're eating more but really, you're not.  i usually add a heaping tablespoon of cinnamon in there too- i like A LOT.  now, the toppings are endless i tell you, ENDLESS.  i usually do bananas (as if you didn't know lol) but apple chunks and raisins, and blueberries work well as far as fruit goes, and all kinds of nuts pair well too.  my fave are almond, pecans, and pistachios.  a lot of people throw in a big scoop of nut butter (PB2, the real thang, almond butter, etc.) which adds incredible flavor. add what ya like!!!**

here's the break down on the types of oats so you won't be in the bulk aisle lookin' clueless:

old fashioned - not that great for smooth pancakes UNLESS you grind them first.  even when making a bowl of regular oatmeal, they don't soak up much liquid, and take the longest to cook.

quick cooking / rolled oats  (1-3 minute cooking time) - these are pressed old-fashioned oats into thinner flakes which makes for a quicker cooking time, hence the name.  they work best for pancakes IMO. makes a huge difference in the texture of your cake.  buuut again, if you grind them up first, it doesn't really matter now does it!

steel-cut - chopped up oat groats. (oat groats are the real whole oat, hulled and unprocessed). they produce a rougher, chewier bowl of regular oatmeal and take as long as old-fashioned oats to cook...maybe longer.

instant - i don't do instant and you shouldn't either :shock:

after breakfast, i hit the gym and worked on my core, glutes, and ended with a little cardio.  you remember that ab machine that looks like a little tire wheel with two handles on either side? we had one of those growing up lol! the thought of my parents attempting to use that thing back then is HILARIOUS to me now.  matter fact, i don't even remember anybody using it correctly, ever.  i like the cooler looking one above- i saw somebody else with one and grabbed one too.   i did 5 reps of 10 of these and was feelin' it by the 2nd set, MY GOODNESS.

then, grocery shopping! yeah i had a pretty awesome day! got lots of fresh produce and restocked Produce Island (e.g. my kitchen island, even though you prolly figured that out).  i have a lot of work to do in my test kitchen this month:)

aaaand of course i restocked my snack corner too. all good stuff, i promise.

sooo, yesterday i made nachos for lunch. not just any nachos though, 

grilled, JUMBO shrimp nachos!!!!

i marinated the shrimp in liquid aminos, smokehouse maple seasoning, fresh chopped cilantro, and black pepper for a few minutes first,

then went to work with my grill pan.  before i started that, i sliced up  some of my low carb La Tortilla Factory soft wraps, put them on a baking sheet, and cooked them until they were crispy.

then...the magic happened.

semi-homemade chips, shredded kale, chopped roma tomatoes, green onion, cilantro, shredded almond cheese, and SCRIMPS! i only had one small corner of almond cheese left and nachos MUST HAVE CHEESE! i scrounged up what i could, but they were still so good!  next time, way more cheese. way more. i also made some homemade guacamole:  avocado, tomato, cilantro, liquid aminos, pepper, and lemon juice.

KILLED IT!

so i taught my very first class of 2013 this past Wed- i subbed a weight's class for another instructor and got my burn ON baby!  i also realized that this is the beginning of my 5th year as an instructor. MY how time has flown. i have super-duper BIG news for my Houston area readers and gymers- just you wait!!

all these progress and throwback pics on IG have me going back looking through my own photo archives these days!  i came across this one from Sonny's frat brother's wedding in 2011.  

fluffaaaaay!  and look at my posture:( however, my boobs were so heavy from breastfeeding.  i was darn  near hiding behind Sonny!!   i felt and definitely looked self-conscious and unconfident. i said on IG that Chiso was less than a year when we took this, but i later realized that he was 4 months old at the time.

now, it didn't take me an entire year to trim down to this size, but it's something very gratifying about being able to look back to see where you WERE.  one bikini comp down and a current, consistent exercise/nutrition off-season regiment and i'm grabbing a fist full of that dress behind me cause it won't stay up on its own these days!  i can finally say i'm content with my body; i'm staying right here. HEY Chiso, dang!!!!!!!

never, ever limit exercise to physical benefits only; i tell people this over and over again!  exercise reduces stress... it's an escape.. it's a form of therapy.  along with looking fitter, it makes you FEEL better emotionally too.  i even sleep better!  this is why i was ITCHING to get back into the gym after having to sit down and recover from my dental surgery.  all of  those reasons above!

so, other than the physical benefits, WHY do you exercise?  (2013 gym newbies AND veterans!)

le