BIG News for TBT

This has nothing at all to do with what I normally blog about, but I have AMAZING news! Lee passed his test and is officially a licensed electrician! 

 

That's right, this guy! This is where the Throw Back Thursday (TBT) is coming in. 

That's all I have for today. I somehow managed a workout this morning after only about 5.5 hours of sleep, so I can't wait for my rest day tomorrow. I also think I may be under-eating slightly during the week, since I'm starving all the time lately. Metabolism boost? Who knows, but I'm investigating!

Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I'm not sure if I've let this slip yet, but I'm obsessed with anything Meixcan-like. Tacos, fajitas, guac, I love it all!
I can't believe it's taken me this long to post this recipe, or to make these again. I got the inspiration from the leangreenbean blog, and naturally, modified it to my own tastes. Even the recipe below can be modified a lot, but it's a good starting point. 

To start, cut sweet potatoes in half (lengthwise), and microwave for 4 minutes on high, flip, and then microwave for another 3 minutes. Set these aside to cool. 

In the meantime, start cooking your meat. You can really use anything here - ground chicken, ground turkey, leftover chicken, or you can keep it vegetarian and use beans! Last night I used chicken breast, which I cut into small pieces, coated in garlic, chili powder and a bit of Franks hot sauce. I then tossed it in a few tablespoons of oat flour and panko bread crumbs. I heated up a skillet with a bit of cooking spray and tossed it in to cook. 

I then chopped up the veggies and got them cooking, I used....

1/2 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
5 mushrooms
1 onion

**you can add whatever veggies you want, plus a grain like brown rice or quinoa or black beans!

Once those were almost cooked, I hollowed out the sweet potatoes, leaving about a 1/2 cm edge and chopped up what was left to toss in the skillet with the other veggies, and then added the chicken. Once that was mixed I added 1/2 a package of taco seasoning and let it cook with a lid on for a bit. 

After that I filled the hollowed out sweet potatoes, topped with a bit of lactose-free cheese, and baked at 350 for 12 minutes. 

I topped them with tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, salsa and hot sauce!

Body Earned: A Quick Update

I realized this morning that I haven't talked about Body Earned for a while, so I thought I'd do a quick update!
I started week 10 yesterday - so crazy! I still absolutely LOVE this program. It's great to have something to keep me on track with my workouts. I find that I'm much more prone to find an excuse to skip the gym if I'm doing my own thing. I've been very strict with completing all 5 workouts within a week and starting fresh every Sunday or Monday. 
I'm really excited to have some measurements and progress pictures done in a few weeks - I have no idea what kind of progress I've actually made. With it being summer, it's VERY hard for me to made huge strides of progress, but I have definitely maintained my shape despite some un-clean weekends. Apart from that, I'm much stronger. As much as I may not looking smaller to me, I do see more definition in my arms and back, which is exciting - I guess that is some progress! I've increased almost all of my weights, and I've become much more confident at the gym.
Speaking of confidence though, I got a bit too confident doing box jumps the other day. Needless to say, I didn't finish the set.

I'll try to post some pictures after week 12 is completed, and then post an update on my plan for the fall!

What a Weekend!

Monday came way too fast this week. After a weekend packed with family activities, I'm exhausted and not ready to face a full week at work. The good news is, I finished my first class! One down, six to go. 

Saturday we were at a wedding for my aunt and uncle, who had a very cute ceremony in their backyard, only to tell us afterwards that they actually got married last September in Maui on the beach! Everyone had a great time, but being up until 3:00am made for a rough start on Sunday, even though I was the DD!

Before the ceremony at my parent's house.

On Sunday morning I woke up to a power outage. I wasn't too upset about sitting down to read until it came back on, but I wasn't happy about my lack of coffee. Once it came back on, about an hour later, I headed right to the kitchen for some very intense food prep. Lee almost never asks me to make him anything in particular, so when he requested I made him granola, I jumped on the request.

Out of the oven

Cooled and with cranberries added :)

I also made some banana protein muffins, half with blueberries and half with chocolate chips. I'm still not sure how much I love these, so the recipe may not surface for a while. Stay tuned though!

Of course, this was intense food prep day, so it didn't stop there. One of my very good friends was in need of some comfort food, so I also made a batch of brownies. I think I nailed them this time. I used a cup of oats, but didn't blend the dry ingredients in the blender. I blended the beans with the liquids, and then mixed the rest of the ingredients with a whisk. I set a bunch of these aside for Lee's family too since they're very curious. His sister and her husband are moving into their new house this week, so I may have to make a batch of real cookies to bring over. Hopefully I don't end up eating too many!
I also boiled 14 eggs, and chopped up veggies for my eggs. I was too hot and tired after all of the baking to make sweet potatoes as well, so my eggs are featuring black beans this week for the carbs!

Sunday afternoon we had two family events; we stopped by my aunt and uncle's for a bit to say goodbye to my Dutch cousin, who is heading back home this week, and then went to Lee's family reunion for the rest of the afternoon.
I brought a salad to the reunion, and decided to try a new recipe that Colleen had sent me last week. It was absolutely DELICIOUS!

Broccoli Salad: 

1 1/2 bunches of broccoli, blanched for one or two minutes, chopped

This was my first time blanching anything, so I had to google it. This is what I did:

- Boiled water, added the broccoli in large chunks and let boil for about 90 seconds. I then drained it and immediately put the broccoli in a large bowl of cold water for about 45 seconds, then drained it again and put it in the fridge to cool further while I got everything else ready. Once it was cool I chopped it up smaller.  

Small zucchini cut lengthwise in quarters and sliced thin

½ small Red onion, finely chopped

½ cup sunflower seeds

1/2 package chicken bacon

You can use regular bacon as well, which is what the original recipe called for. I chopped the bacon up before cooking it to make it a bit easier. It worked really well!

1 cup grapes, halved

Dressing:

1/3 cup veg oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate

4 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp rice vinegar

¼ tsp each ginger and cayenne

Drizzle of honey to taste

(I didn't need all of the dressing)

 

Before the sunflower seeds and bacon were added

Mushroom Quinoa

I know that Lee enjoys my cooking, but he doesn't often get too excited about it. This is one healthy dish that he LOVES, and frequently requests. I made this on Friday night as well, and finally took the time to measure what I put in it. Lee was thrilled, as was his best friend who even requested the recipe :)

1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 cups beef broth (or just add a package of dehydrated beef broth to the water)

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh garlic
1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups mushrooms - for the mushrooms I chop some small, and leave some sliced
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
fresh pepper

First cook the quinoa in the beef broth - bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for about 15-18 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. 

In the meantime, add the oil, garlic and onion to a skillet and let the onions cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and some fresh pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are soft, and some are turning a golden brown. I think I do this over about medium-high heat, watching it closely. You want it to look like this:

Once the quinoa is cooked, add it to the skillet and mix. Then add the soy sauce and some more pepper. I let it cook for a bit longer so that some of the quinoa is golden brown. Enjoy!

Cucumber and Zucchini Salad with ACV

I go through phases with taking apple cider vinegar (ACV), just like I go through phases with taking liquid iron versus the pill form. I should probably try and keep up with the first two better, but I just can't seem to make them into priorities, even though I'm prone to bloating, and I've still been very lightheaded lately because of my low iron. 
Speaking of low iron, this topic has something to do with my final paper for class that is due on Friday, which I'm FINISHED! Yep. I was done with 4 days to spare and I'm very happy about that. 
Yesterday, I tried to do another WIAW, but about halfway through the day I forgot to take pictures of my food. Whoops. 

On Friday night I was making dinner and had veggies that desperately needed to be eaten, including a cucumber and a zucchini, and this was the result:

1 cucumber (peeled or unpeeled), finely sliced
1 zucchini, peeled and finely sliced
1/3 large red onion, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup ACV
1/4 cup water
pepper
dill
basil
garlic

Mix all of the above together and let cool in a covered container for about an hour before serving. I shook mine up a few times during the hour. This stayed good for two days in my fridge. 

Black Bean Brownies with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

I knew my weekend was going to be full of writing my final paper for class, so on Friday night I spent a while in the kitchen inventing. Be prepared for some new recipes this week!
As predicted, it wasn't the most fun weekend, but at least I could suffer inside along with Lee, who is studying for his test. At least I had some yummy treats to eat all weekend. 
I started off my Monday on a good note, doing something I haven't for a while - I ran! I only went 5k, but my goodness did it ever feel great! As much as I love lifting lately, I'm still a runner at heart. I need to try to fit it in more I think! Next I need to get back on my bike...

Onto a recipe!

Black bean brownies come up here and there on pinterest, and I finally decided that I needed to give them a try. My first attempt at them a few weeks ago was alright, but I decided that I needed to play with the recipe a bit to make it more to my taste. I also very much require a FOOD PROCESSOR. If someone wants to send me the full Ninja System, that would be great. Lee doesn't seem to think I need this, he believes I just want something new. 

For my second attempt at black bean brownies...

1 can black beans, rinsed well
3 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup no sugar added syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup apple sauce

4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 - 1 cup oats (depending on the texture you'd like)
1/8 cup sweetener (optional)

2/3 cup chocolate chips (I used 1/3 carob and 1/3 dark chocolate)

Since I still don't have a food processor I blended the first 5 ingredients in my nutribullet until very smooth, and then added the next 4. I transferred the batter to a bowl after that and mixed with a hand mixer before adding the chocolate chips. 
Transfer to a greased 8x8 dish and bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. Let cool before cutting!

I've tested these on a few people that don't like beans and don't eat clean, and they've been very well received! 
These pictures were actually from my first batch (I forgot to take pictures on Friday, whoops). They pretty much look the same though! 

And for the most amazing and healthy topping...

Mix in a bowl (a spoon works fine for this)...

3 heaping tbsp of blended LF cottage cheese
1 heaping tbsp of peanut butter
**I actually used a spoon for these, not one of the premeasured scoops
1 packet sweetener
dash of vanilla 

You can make more of this by doubling the ingredients, it just depends on how much you need!

Peanut Stirfry and Raisin Bran Muffins

A couple weeks ago I made a stirfry with a peanut sauce for Amy and I, and I've been craving it pretty much since I put my fork down that night. I've always loved stirfry, but my problem with making it would always be the sauce. I'd throw a bunch of things into a bowl, whisk it up, and by the time we were sitting down to eat I wouldn't have a clue what I'd done. 
Last night, I made a better effort and actually measured everything I put into the bowl, crossed my fingers and it turned out!

Here's what was in the sauce: 

1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter
2/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh garlic
1/2 tsp crushed peppers
1/2 tsp hot sauce of choice 
1/2 tbsp corn starch
fresh ground pepper

First mix the PB and water, and then add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth!

For my veggies I used:

onion
broccoli
mushrooms
peppers
zucchini
celery 
water chestnuts (my favourite part)

I first sauteed strips of chicken breast that I had placed in ziploc bags, hammered until thin, and then froze. This is an awesome way to store chicken that can be defrosted in a hurry!

Once the chicken was almost done, I removed it, added a bit more oil and threw in my veggies. Once cooked, I added the chicken back in, stirred, made a hole for the sauce so that it could thicken a bit and then mixed it all together!

I topped it with Sriracha and cashews, and yes, I went back for seconds!

On Sunday I decided to try creating another recipe, and too my delight - it turned out! On a whim one day I bought wheat bran, I'm still not sure why, but I finally decided to use some of it. I ended up with "Banana Oatmeal Raisin Bran Muffins", which was too long of a name according to my mom - so Raisin Bran Muffins it is!

1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup wheat bran
1/8 cup sweetener or sugar (more if you want the muffins to be sweeter)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
cinnamon

3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup egg whites
vanilla

raisins (or chocolate chips!)

Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately then blend together and add the raisins, I think I used about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup. 

Bake at 375 for 18 minutes. 

Balancing Summer

Summertime, although awesome, can be difficult for staying on track. It's like having Christmas every weekend - for me at least. There is always somewhere to be with amazing food and a beverage or two, which creates a dilemma. I know that I sometimes struggle with self-control around unhealthy food, so it's hard to put myself in those situations.
Sometimes I think that it would be best to skip the events all together and avoid the temptation, but that would emphasize a very unhealthy relationship with food, and I'd miss out on a ton of fun. 
I knew going into the summer months I wasn't going to see crazy progress, but I didn't want to lose what I had gained. My focus lately has been more on maintenance than anything else. Part of balancing a clean lifestyle is still enjoying life. I don't see balance in skipping out on summer fun to avoid temptation, or being miserable at an event because you refuse to enjoy yourself a little with everyone else. 
This past weekend (yes, I know it's Wednesday already) I definitely enjoyed myself, and come Tuesday morning, I was ready to be right back on track. I know that I can't have these weekends every week, but I'm learning not to feel guilty about a few extra calories. Granted, although I stray on weekends, I try to really focus during the week. Just because I cheated a bit on the weekend doesn't mean I need to let it carry through the week! I like to think that I balance a bad weekend with a really good week ;)
Tuesday morning I rocked a leg workout, kept my eats clean all day and felt great about it! All I wanted after class on Tuesday was a salad, and did I ever do it right!

How do you handle summer temptations?