dairy-free deliciousness: Mexican Mess Dip

after what has seemed like 2 straight weeks of rainy, gloomy days in houston, this is my friday the 13th mood:

so our iMac's hard drive started doing weird things last week and Sonny immediately took it to the Apple store.  i have been using that 27 inch beast of a screen to blog since we got it 2 years ago and i kinda couldn't function without it this past week! seriously. blogging from anywhere else is just not the same. translation: i am terribly behind. but that ain't nothin' new.

Dego has been taking 2 naps per day and the first one usually starts at 11am without fail.  the second one is tricky though!  he'll wake up around 1ish, but then he doesn't get sleepy again til 7. one would hope that he would just sleep through the rest of the night at that point, but no, he takes another 'nap' and wakes up again at 9. so then i'm ready to hit the sack around 10 and he is WIDE. AWAKE. and wants to play. soooo i've been trying to put him down around 5ish to prevent this so we can all go to bed at the same time. not going so well yet lol.  but consistency will take care of that in the coming days. that said, i only got about 4 hours of sleep before i had to get up and teach Barbell Strength thursday morning! but i made it. my lazy selfie proves it.

one of the moms brought a layered mexican dip type dish to small group this week that i could not get off my mind! after i left, i was officially on a mission to create a dairy-free mexican dip kinda deal so i stopped by Wally World (aka walmart) to get some avocados.  gotta have avo. then i came across this new (well, new to me) Weber seasoning blend in the spice isle: Garlic Sriracha!!!!

so i made some homemade Garlic Sriracha Guac, naturally!

• 4 ripe avocados
• juice of half a large lemon
• 1 heaping tbsp Weber Garlic Sriracha seasoning blend
• 1 tsp sea salt (optional) *i actually added this by habit before i added the Weber seasoning. not sure i needed it.*

then, i got a little surprise visit from... my brother!  he is back from working overseas in Afghanistan again for a lil' bit! so i made him a homemade meal and deemed him my guinea pig for the garlic sriracha. i chopped up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and threw them into my hot wok with the seasoning...and that's it!  once the chunks were almost done, i added some red and orange mini peppers and sautéed them for about 2 min.  i paired that with steamed brown rice, the Garlic Sriracha Guac, and some shredded monterey jack cheese. he was one happy home-sick guy.

then this happened. it all came together perfectly.

Mexican Mess Dip (cold or hot)

the stuff:

• 1 cup organic vegetarian refried back beans (mine are HEB organic brand)
• 1 cup Tofutti dairy-free cream cheese spread
• 1 cup Garlic Sriracha Guac (see above)
• 1 cup chopped grape tomatoes OR your fave salsa
• 2 cups cheese diary-free cheese of choice (mozzarella, cheddar, jalapeño jack), shredded
• 1 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped

do this:

1. i made one hot (rectangle pan) and one cold (mixing bowl) dip.
2. layer away! starting from the bottom add your beans and smooth each layer flat using the back of your spoon or a spatula.
3. next, add cream cheese, then guacamole, then salsa/tomatoes, shredded cheese, olives, green onion.
4. if eating cold, you are done!  if hot (which is what we preferred) bake in the oven on 400 degrees until the cheese is melty, bout 10-15 min.
5. 

for the homemade chips, i used La Tortilla Factory low carb, high fiber light flour tortillas.  cut them into 8's, coat them with no-stick cooking spray and place them flat on a large, foiled baking pan.  bake for 5-6 minutes tops!!! they burn easily so keep an eye on them. k?

then i hit the gym for round two! taught a double yesterday, which is why i'm forcing myself to rest today. and eat more chips and dip.

an IGer pointed out that Lisanatti almond cheese is lactose free, but not dairy-free and she's exactly right.  Daiya is another popular dairy-cheese brand you could use for this dip though, which is available at Sprouts Farmer's Market and also Whole Foods Market.

Q: do you prefer hot or cold dips?

*reminderrrrr*

bootcamp is tomorroooooow!  also, prenatal classes will be available beginning in APRIL guys!! if you're interested or know a Preggo Patty who might be, send her my way. email me: le@fitfoodiele.com. even if you are unable to workout, meal plans are available as well.  here's to healthy, fit pregnancies!

le

but did you die? + dairy-free banana fudge bomb pops

the first time i saw that meme on IG... instant tears. ooooh, spinning. the class i hate to love and love to hate.  i still remember taking my very first cycle class at 24HF years ago. i was drenched in sweat from head to toe like WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.... *blank stare*.  i looked like i had just taken a dip in the pool, fully clothed.

Miko and i made it through again though!  i do believe the seat is more uncomfy the next few times after the initial time.  the 'it gets worse before it gets better.' phrase applies here.  wheeeeew, God bless spin instructors everywhere. i know you get used to it after a while but because i'm in the adjusting phase again it's definitely the discomfort talking. #seasonalcycler

  broken vajayjay.... but did you die? LOL #almost

colorful plates make my face and tummy HAPPY. i planned on baking meatballs this week but got lazy (hungry) and whipped up my lean apple-chicken  on Nature's Own Whole Wheat bread  with cheddar almond cheese instead. i still have Honey Crisp apples around from making homemade apple sauce, so i subbed one of those for the Red DelicicvVous apple my recipe calls for. i threw some steamed green beans, raw golden bell peppers w/ roasted red pepper hummus, and blackberries on the side.

 after making those chocolate coconut pb cups the other day, i got to thinking about other layered desserts and those classic banana fudge bomb pops came to mind. i used to LOVE getting them from the ice cream truck when i was a kid.  so i went for a healthier, dairy-free version!  Chiso gobbled his up, so i count it as a success!  I'd love them to be a little creamier, so i'm going to add some Skinny Tru Whip to the batters before freezing next time. make and try them with your kiddos!

Dairy-free Banana Fudge Bomb Pops

the stuff:

banana layer

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk

fudge layer

• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Mega Chunks
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk

do this:

1. blend bananas and milk in blender until smooth
2. add chocolate chips and milk to a microwave safe bowl and nuke it for 15 seconds at a time until chunks are completely melted. incorporate this together until smooth.
3. add banana layer 1 to your popsicle trays filling them only 1/3 of the way full
4. freeze for 15 minutes
5. take out of freezer and add the chocolate layer, leaving room for banana layer 2 near the top
6. freeze for 15 minutes
7. take out of freezer and fill trays to the brim with banana layer 2. insert popsicle tops/sticks and put back into freezer for at least 1 hr or more.

* running hot water over the popsicle trays first helps them to pop out easier when you're ready to eat them by the way*

 feel free to make as many layers as you'd like!  more layers = more prep time though and your little one might keep asking 'is it ready yet!?'

the boys and i finally got to hang out with and take an #usie with this amazingly sweet woman this week!  Adaeze is a long-time blog follower of mine (like she has been there from THE jump), a former 6 Pack USA client, and a newlywed (woo hoo!). it was a true pleasure chatting with her!!! she has such a genuine, gentle spirit a big beautiful smile to go with it.  i'm grateful for all her support over the years <3

Q. what exercise do you HATE doing but feel so dang unstoppable when you finish?  

le

Blog Elevated '14 - Galveston Island

has it really been a year!? catch up on my BE '13 experience there.

Galveston, we have arrived!

my girl Ogechi and i road tripped (if you can even call it that) from Houston to G-town this past weekend for the 2nd annual Blog Elevated Conference held at Moody Gardens. i live less than an hour from Galveston, i'm 32 years old, and this was my very first time at MG.

Ogechi went first and checked in right away.  i walked up to the registration table and the volunteers could not find my name. 'fitfoodiele?  hmmmm...' who forgot to register for the conference online before attending?? *raises hand* WHO does that?! i registered right there on the spot on my phone and was able to confirm i was supposed to be there.  one day i will get my life together.

i would just like to sincerely thank the founder of the BE, Lisa Stauber, for being so generous to Ogechi and i.

i was not leaving the conference without hugging and thanking her a billion times.  i had no trouble finding her though because she was extremely involved in the conference happenings, workshops, etc., and always easily accessible and approachable.  the number one thing that stands out about her to me is that she is REAL. a real life, hard-working mother of 10. TEN. no twins, triplets, multiples... all singles. her youngest is like 10 months old! hello? and she is running around handling business and operating her own conference?! she takes that 'no excuse' motto to a whole nother level.  she is MY motivation to be the business woman and mother i desire to be.  Lisa, you are one incredibly inspirational mama and i highly respect and appreciate you.

we got our swag bags and headed to mix and mingle with the other bloggers.

 

we participated in the Imperial Sugar sweet scrub booths right away and made some all natural body and lip scrubs! they were super simple to create and made with all natural ingredients you can pick up at your grocery store. try it at home yourself:

then try not to eat it all off.  impossible.

we made two others; orange dreamsicle body scrub, and i did a lavender, rosemary, lemon combo scrub as well.

here ya go:

ready to give my elbows and knees some love :D

fooooood! so lately i can't go to Sprouts without getting a handful of plantain chips #slightlyobessed so when i saw that basket full of them fireworks went off in my head.  we snacked on the chips with mango salsa, fresh fruit with yogurt dip, pineapple and chicken skewers, mini quiches, prosciutto wrapped melon, and...

smores for dessert!  we roasted our own marshmallows in that fire pit behind us first. such a fun idea!

after meeting, snapping pics, and hanging out with more blogger friends for a bit (hey @superradchristianwriterchick and @mysocalledglamorouslife!) we hit the road home since we had to be back early again the next day.

what's up day 2!? we checked into MG and dropped off our stuff in our room.  nursing babies were welcome so i brought one with me. Dego had plenty of company; there were a good handful of babies present this year.

my badge was waiting for me after last night's registration snafu so i excitedly threw it on!

 anxious and ready to learn but had to get a pic in front of the BE backdrop first.

another great turn out this year!  i was up and walking around with Dego for a bit while listening to the Brands and Bloggers PR panel answer our questions.

Dego had his own agenda, and it was definitely lunch time.

soon as the ballroom was open for lunch we went right on in and got a great spot in front of the big screen.  this is one place i didn't feel like i was being watched while taking pics of my food- everybody else was aiming and snapping away too. lol.

i was looking at last years BE post and noticed that nothing has changed as far as me and Ogechi's eating habits cause we are all about that fit life!  small, balanced meals every 3 hours or so works best for our energy levels and attitudes. lol.  when i'm working towards a specific goal with my body like our 6 Pack USA clients, i stick to my meal plan and do not budge no matter what.  yes, even while traveling. especially while traveling!! that's when i and most people stall the progress and fall off track..  however you can always stick to your guns though.  preparation goes a long way, especially with your nutrition.  however, i didn't bring any food food again this year,  just snacks like nectarines, quest bars, Ogechi's almonds, and water.  i'm pretty good at eyeballing my portion sizes for each meal according to my macros, so i did just that and did not stress.

back to it! after a hilarious yet informative lesson on creating charming & cheeky social media content from Marie Bonaccorse from Charmin, we took down several pages of notes from Matt Cherry's 30 Easy Changes to Make for Giant Growth seminar.

 after getting home so late thursday night, i skipped my early friday gym date (more like missed purposely) and planned on working out later that day sometime.  i attempted to take advantage of the 3 hour break we were given while Ogechi napped, but nope, Dego needed me more. after, oh idk, 10 min or so on the elliptical, Ogechi called me back to the room to tend to Dego's cries screams! so, no workout that day.

we attended the Beauty, Bubbles, and Bites Cocktail party that evening hosted by Kroger and did the mingle thang!

 and snacking thang. lol. if there's a chocolate fondu fountain in our vicinity, we'll find it.

 we were on our own for dinner, so we stayed on location and ate at the MG restaurant, Cafe in the Park.  i had a turkey-veggie burger with fries, plenty of water, and two dinner salads.

it was off to bed after i researched and connected via social media with some of the bloggers i had met earlier that day.  Dego was patiently waiting on his nightcap, haha.

early the next morning, this definitely happened! i couldn't wait to hit it hard.  i see you, Cintia! she was up early too and getting her run on, love it.  O took the first shift around 4-5am, and i went second while Dego snoozed.  the hotel didn't have a stair master, but i found the real thing and got in some lower body work outside.  it totally pumped me up to attack BE day 3! after breakfast of course.

back to Cafe in the Park we went.  i ordered some coffee, and an egg white veggie omelette with a little cheese. if that's a little cheese...... :/ but i was too hungry to wait for another (and we needed to get going)!  so i peeled it off myself and made it work.

we attended more workshops and seminars all afternoon until lunch time. the Representing Brands with Style workshop by Frederick Goodall was actually after lunch, but i didn't get any pics in them! nevertheless, @MochaDad did an amazing job.

lunch time again.

boxed lunches were provided by BE, so we took ours to the room so we could also get our stuff together to check out of the hotel.

after listening to Kristen Welch discuss how her non-profit org Mercy House was birthed, she wrapped up the conference, we said our goodbyes, and headed home to our hubbies.

but not before giving this guy a fresh diaper!

a few fitfoodiele takeaways:

•  trial and error. every speaker covered different topics and what worked for them of course, but they all had one common piece of advice-- get out there and try it and if it doesn't work, take note and try something else!  you'll never, ever know if you don't TRY.

•  i WILL conquer YouTube after Audra Kurtz' workshop! she inspired me so dang much. currently at #lostpuppystatus but i'm excited to use a different media other than photos.  maybe it will work out; maybe it won't. but i'm no longer afraid to try.

• focus on what you are good at. your niche. we ALL have one, but YOURS should be your focus. doesn't matter if there are multiple people doing what you're doing... you can't do it like THEM and they can't do it like YOU.

• STOP COMPARING. everything.

•  it will take hard work, blood, sweat, tears, late nights, and possibly YEARS for your blog to reach its potential.  accept that and continue to be consistent, be yourself, and post quality content about what you are most passionate about.

until next year, BE!

le

H-town's very first 24 hour donut cafe

 a former colleague of mine and fellow UH Cougar, Ose Ohen, opened up Glazed last week!  we headed to stuff our faces immediately after church as planned.

transparency is a wonderful thing.  i appreciate and enjoy being able to watch my food being prepared and just the entire process in general.  maybe that's why i'm such a big fan of Unwrapped on Food Network.  seeing how things i've been eating for YEARS are made is just really interesting and cool.  anyway, kitchen windows build trust.  it can also change the way an employee works if you know what i mean, lol.

 they had 3 flavors ready to go for the soft opening: lemon poppy, glazed, and maple bacon (with a turkey bacon version as well).

more glass windows, awesome.

we all sat down and got comfy while Sonny went to order our sweets.  i didn't even have to tell him what to get either.

*just before pulling the deliciousness out of the bag*

i know. and it tasted as incredible as it looked.  perfect balance of sweet/salty/doughy/chewy/fluffy. WHAT a donut. i am crazy excited about this gigantic list of flavors they'll be selling in the near future and i'm not even a donut person!

Chiso eats his donuts just like his pizza, plain.  i'd say he enjoyed it.

 well you knew this was happening later.  sweaty stair master intervals and some core work completed my sunday.  5 weeks postpartum and i still work my kegal muscles (when i think about it randomly at home) to strengthen my pelvic floor again.  it's a process, ladies!  be patient, work them daily if you can, and make sure you do them on an empty bladder.

 as i got meal prep going for the next few days, i channeled my inner Fish City Grill with these tacos for dinner.  if you've been there and ordered them they should look pretty familiar to ya ;) .  i used La Tortilla Factory 70 calorie tortillas as usual (which i saw at HEB recently!!!!) and filled them with baked swai fish, bagged cabbage and Annie's all natural Lite Goddess dressing.  this is super similar to the Crunchy Ginger Rotisserie Chicken Wrap from a few days ago.  then i grilled them up on our griddle for a few minutes until they browned.   heating the tortilla first makes a huge difference vs a cold, flimsy tortilla.  try it!  someone from Instagram suggested i taste that flavor of Annie's next and i'm glad i did.

Q: kolaches or donuts?

i'm a cheese lover so that's an easy one. 

le

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.