Hiatus...

Wow, so I took a break didn't I? This week has been filled with great weather(till yesterday's monsoon) and Spring cleaning.....oh and our clothes dryer broke---definitely wasn't expecting that *new* investment we were going to have to make.

Monday as I was putting the hubbs clothes away I realized our closet was WAY too packed, especially my poor husbands side...somehow I have begun taking over that side as well as my own. Hum, not sure how that happened! ;) I decided I needed to clean it out. Okay, and and my youngest's closet....oh, and rearrange our room a little. Slightly overboard, but I am so glad I had the energy to do it! My oldest currently has a love for vacuuming(woo-hoo!) so he helped clean too! I could get used to that.

Tuesday the dryer broke. Boo.....pretty sure the 20 loads I did last week was the culprit. We were able to find an awesome one on sale though and it comes in TODAY! How's that for speedy?!

The boys "helping" me with the laundry. Right before the dryer broke.

Also, let me give you an update on how my "healthy living" plan has been going. If you remember my post last week. It definitely didn't start very well! But, guess what?! It got easier! I basically cut back on sugar and flour and increased my fruits, veggies, and protein. That combined with my couch to 5k program helped me lose 2 pounds! Woot Woot! Plus, I just FEEL better overall. Take THAT Hoshimotos! :)

Fav new "meal." Green Monster Smoothie

Speaking of the couch to 5k program I have officially completed week 3 and am beginning week 4 today. So far everything is going well and I feel really good. A lot better than the first time I did the program.

It has been a good, productive week. I feel more energized and also less cluttered. Happy Friday everyone!

Fab Food: Whole Wheat pancakes...

This post is on a Saturday instead of a Friday because I was waiting till today to make them for breakfast.

My beautiful friend Courtney asked me a few weeks ago to post the recipe for the pancakes I used to make way back in the day :) I have adapted it a little since then and love it! You can easily substitute various ingredients based on your tastes, diet, etc...

This is my "health nut" version of Whole Wheat Pancakes......

Healthy Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 TB. cinnamon (I love cinnamon)

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 TB. Milled Flax Seed (substitute for some fats and egg)

1 egg plus 1 egg white*

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 2/3 cup skim milk (or soy, almond, etc...)

1/2 TB lemon juice

1/2 TB Vanilla

2 TB melted butter**

1 TB honey (or leave out if you like)

*(can do 3 egg whites to omit the yolk OR add 2 TB more flax plus 1/3 cup of milk to replace ALL the eggs)

**(I like the flavor of butter in the pancakes, BUT if you want to omit it you can just add more applesauce)

1) Mix together the dry ingredients (first 5)

2) Mix together the wet ingredients (next 7 ingredients) in a separate bowl

3) Using a whisk gradually combine the dry into the wet ingredients till combined and no clumps are left

4) We use an iron skillet and sometimes our griddle to cook the pancakes. Once the pan is heated at Medium to Medium-High heat spray it with cooking spray. Using a ladle make pancakes 3-4 inches wide. Add toppings if desired!

My son's "Mickey Mouse" pancake...except when he got it he said, "Who's this Momma?" Well, I tried!

My pancakes...with pecans

The Hubbs' pancakes...with Pecans and Dark Chocolate Chips

YUM!

These pancakes are light, but extremely filling. They are full of flavor. I don't even use syrup on them. Today I ate them with 1/4 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt. Dip the pancakes in the yogurt and enjoy! Or you can smother your pancakes with Peanut Butter and Syrup like the hubbs always does :) Equally as yummy.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. The flax is something I add to a lot of breads, cereal, oatmeal, etc....Is heart healthy and a great substitute for fats, eggs, etc....Love!

Happy Saturday everyone!

Better Choices

This week has been beautiful so I have been outside playing with the kiddos rather than inside on the computer. I hope wherever you are you have been able to enjoy a glimpse of Spring also!

Playing some T-Ball :)

This week besides enjoying the weather I also tried to begin a new "eating regime". Oh Lordy.....I have this amazing friend who wanted to lose her baby weight so she began this same "eating plan" and has done amazing. I on the other hand have decided that she must have the self restraint of a monk because I have had a REALLY hard time with it! Part of it probably stems from the fact that since I have to keep thinking about what I am eating I am ALWAYS thinking about food. Which leaves me wanting food all the time. :)

Of course it meant cutting out most of the "snacky" food(we have so many crackers, etc here because of the kids and they are way to easy to grab when I don't have the time to sit and make something) and in my case I tried to cut way back on breads. I LOVE BREAD. It is such a comfort to me. I am also a major foodie and, well, love yummy food. BUT I came up with a plan and gave myself options of different healthy and yummy things to eat. I could do this...right?

The first day: AHHHHHHHH I felt like I was hungry all day

Day two: AHH a little easier...but all I wanted was a sandwich....so since I wasn't completely cutting out bread I dreamed up an awesome dinner for myself that consisted of a Pesto, Mozzarella, and sun dried tomato grilled sandwich and an amazing salad...Probably not the most balanced meal, I but I was SOOO wanting something to satisfy my bread craving...My husbands first reaction? "Where's the meat?" After promising him meat the next day I set out to make my yummy dinner.

I love feta as mentioned in this post and I recently have come across these pomegranate craisins. I love the flavor of the craisins, but try to eat them too much because of the sugar BUT ohhhh how I love them in a salad!

The finished salad along with some toasted pecans...topped with Balsamic Vinaigrette...YUM!

And with my incredibly yummy Pesto, Mozza, and Sun Dried tomato sandwich. I enjoyed every bit of it and didn't feel one bit guilty.

Enough with the yummy bread....lets move on to the crackers and super sugary things I need to cut back on. This has become my favorite snack...

Dark Chocolate Yogurt

Easy to make and yummy to eat. It's kind of like a healthier version of Pudding.

Dark Chocolate Yogurt

4 ounces Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt

2 ounces Plain low fat yogurt (not pictured)

1/2-1 tsp of Dark Chocolate cocoa(more or less depends on your taste)

-Mix

-Enjoy :)

It completely satisfies my sweet tooth and adds protein and calcium to my day. A cookie can't exactly say that much.

Okay, so lets just go ahead and say I don't "diet" well. My plan from now on is to make healthier choices than the normal, easy choices, but also allowing myself to indulge every once and a while. I think I would go crazy otherwise. I love food too much.

This is also why I run. :)

Here's to making more better choices......

Today is the day!

Okay...today is the day I have had a love/hate relationship with a while now.....

The day I start running again. Boo, hiss, woo-hoo! I love being able to run...period, no matter the distance. I also love finishing races...no they are not an actually "race" to me, because honestly I feel like a winner by just finishing! I didn't grow up running, and it is REALLY hard to me, so that is a big deal.

I am putting my gym membership on hold until it gets crazy hot in the summer because it is getting so nice outside. I'd rather be outside with my family than in a stuffy gym....so, I'm starting the Couch to 5k program. I've used it before after I lost all my "baby weight" with my first because I didn't want to chance gaining it back. And now it's that time again with the 2nd.

I love the program and the feeling I get while doing it....it's just getting started that is hard. SO, since it is so nice today I am taking my boys and our jogging stroller out to complete day 1! Wish me luck!

Goofing around with my crazy friend :) before the relay-marathon 2 years ago

With the most amazing coach/running partner ever before a 5k here in town

Fab Food: Flourless, protein packed Banana Muffins(aka Elvis Muffins)

Our family has been sick the last week. That on top of me just feeling "blah" lately definitely hasn't been fun. Yesterday though, the clouds parted, and we saw that light! I was finally feeling better and everything that I've been dealing with because of my thyroid felt better. I felt normal, like myself again. For the first time in a while.

That "good feelings surge" started me on a "busy spree." I cleaned, finished projects, played with my boys, and baked. It was fun, relaxing, and I was at peace.

The baking part of my day started with me needing to use up some bananas that had gotten old. A lot of people throw these out, but THAT IS A HUGE MISTAKE! Old bananas are the best.

--Here's a secret: I used to be a health nut. There was a time in College and early marriage that I loved recreating recipes to make them lower in fat and healthier over all. My husband didn't exactly care for this, mainly because he never knew exactly what he was eating. During my first pregnancy all that changed when all I wanted was meat and potatoes. The hubbs was a happy camper :) Now I am trying out "healthy" again and attempting to marry healthy and tasty to satisfy everyone(especially the picky kiddos).

With three HUNGRY boys in the house I always need something on hand that I can feed them--especially for breakfast. They don't mind cereal, but that gets old and isn't very filling so I try to have muffins, pancakes, or oatmeal already made to give them. I typically make whole wheat banana muffins for them with our old bananas, a fav, but I decided to try a recipe that I found on Pinterest instead. And of course because I always have to put my own spin on things, I changed it up a little. Ever heard of an Elvis sandwich? Peanut Butter, banana, and honey...grilled. This was partly my inspiration....

The original muffin recipe can be found here: banana oatmeal cups

This is my recipe:

Blue Suede Muffins

Ingredients:

3 mashed bananas

1 cup skim milk(original used Vanilla Almond milk, but we didn't have any)

2 eggs

1 TB baking powder

3 cups Old fashion oats

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 TB sugar (or you could use honey)---optional, and I opted!

4 Tablespoons Peanut Butter (Sunbutter is another great alternative!)

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (A MUST!!)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) Spray or line muffin tins (Makes 18 muffins)

2) Beat bananas, milk, eggs, extracts, sugar, and peanut butter using an electric beater

3) Mix together the Oats and baking powder and add into your liquid mix

4) Fold in your chocolate chips

***Note, the mixture smelled horrible to me, but trust me....and yeah, DON'T forget the chocolate chips, they kind of "make" the muffins

5) Fill muffin cups 3/4 to almost full...will make 18 muffins

6) Bake for 22 minutes

7) Let cool about 10 minutes and ease them out of the muffin tin using a knife to loosen them.

Fiber, Protein, LOW sugar...love. Enjoy :) They are moist and the flavors are wonderfully subtle. Even the hubbs loved these and they are quickly disappearing. The best part? I don't feel guilty about eating them and they "stick" with ya for a while.

***An update***
I've revamped this recipe a little since this post. A few have asked for it, so here ya go....

4 mashed bananas

1 cup skim milk(original used Vanilla Almond milk, but we didn't have any)

2 egg whites

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 TB baking powder

3 cups Old fashion oats

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

--no sugar :) I added the extra banana to compensate!

3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter (Sunbutter is another great alternative!)

Less than 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips and Peanut Butter Chips combined (A MUST!!)

Bake 20 minutes at 375.