Spring Is here and so is FOODIE PEN PALS!

So we have officially made it to Spring. Although her in Florida it is already starting to feel like Summer. Not that this is any surprise to anyone living her... Im just sayin'

Once again the wonderful Lindsay has managed to organize an overgrowing list of Foodie Pen Pals Participants. 

This month I received my box from Brooke over at Brooke: Not On a Diet

Brooke is an amazing inspiration out there to anyone looking to lose a lot of weight. Brooke has lost over 125lbs and has a new love of healthy living. I am glad she was my Pen Pal because she sent me some awesome stuff I have been meaning to try and some awesome stuff I didn't even know existed but now I am on the hunt for!

  Brooke Sent me a box packed with goodies.

 I was super stoked about the nut thins because I have been meaning to try them and for some reason hadn't yet purchased any for myself.

If you read my blog on a regular basis you know I am an Oatmeal Fiend!

I have been working on a healthy way to use the Ranch dip so I will be experimenting with it shortly. 


So as I said before I have been meaning to buy the Nut-Thins for a while. So I sat down with my adorable nephew to try them out. Guess what?! we both enjoyed them A LOT! So if they are good enough to paste a 5yr old taste test I guess they get my stamp of approval.

 

I have to say though this was my ABOSLUTE FAVORITE!!! I have never seen them before but now I am on a constant hunt for them. Brooke where can I BUY THESE????

I was running late to get to my Stadium Saturday workout and I cam home to my foodie pen pal box! Great timing or what?

I opened it and decided this would be my pre-workout snack. MAN OH MAN was I right. I am not one for pre-packed food but this was pretty amazing. Not to sweet, filled with oats and apparently ALL NATURAL!

Now only if i could find somewhere to buy these for emergency situations. MMMMMMMMM



A big thanks again to Brooke!

If you interested in joining next months Foodie Pen Pals (and you do not have to be a blogger) 
 send  an email to Lindsay at theleangreenbean@gmail.com and include the following information:
-Your full name
-Your email address
-Your blog name/address (if applicable)
-Your twitter handle (if applicable)
let her know by April 4th as pairings will be emailed on April 5th!

Ciao and Cookie Love

Alexis 

Coffee Smoothie

I love COFFEE and I love PROTEIN SMOOTHIES. Love is a strong word but I believe it is extremely necessary in this case. I don't need coffee, once I am awake I am up for the rest of the day,  I just enjoy the taste! Protein smoothies make me happy because not only do they taste fantastic but they are also filled with great nutrients to keep me going after my workouts.

After a great workout at Muscle Park one of my favorite outdoor spots to get in a great workout I headed home to do some yard work. I needed to get in some protein, wanted a pick me up, and need something cold after a workout in the HOT FLORIDA SUN!!!

I came home to a coffee maker that still had coffee left and I was all set... and this is when I decided I wanted a coffee protein smoothie.

What you need
1 cup coffee (chilled)
1/2 cup Almond Milk (or milk of your choice)

1tsp chia seeds
Vanilla Protein Powder
*optional: 1 banana
                1tsp of agave (or any sweetener you prefer)

*place all ingredients into a blender and mix well.

I enjoyed my smoothie while outside trimming my bushes.

*side note: I am not a big banana fan in my smoothie so next time I will cut it down to only half a banana or omit it all together.  I also add ice to make it more of an ice coffee consistency.

Ciao with lots of mid afternoon energy

Alexis

Lots of JAM! WIAW v24

HELLLLLLLOOOOO fellow food stalkers!!! Today I have some pretty typical eats to share with you (I know I am slacking) but I also have a new love in my kitchen life that I am super excited to share as well.


Be sure to check out my post on:
Tips to eating less

Anywho... I have been experimenting with making my own Chia Jams lately. Trying to get creative, keep it clean, not add sugar, and most of all it has to be TASTY!!! I am lucky enough to go back to PA all the time and spend time on my grandparents land. There is an endless supply of veggies and fruits... best of all they are free!!! haha

 

Yes I had to add all those pictures... it is Going Green WIAW after all. That said I also grew up watching my grandma can everything she could. When winter came, the ground was frozen, the garden became a snow sled route,  there were always  fresh garden veggies available at the house.  So I have decided to follow in her footsteps. This past week I have successfully jarred A LOT of my now mastered Chia Jams and to be honest all I really want to do is make more jam so I can can again LOL, This is my successful Sunday abundance of CHIA JAM!

I created 4 new flavors (for me) and the all sealed perfectly. In total Sunday brought 8 jars of jam, and I canned 3 a few days before that. I sent one to my foodie pen pal, we went through an entire jar in 2 days so I am only left with 9 of the 11 as I type LOL. The flavors I created were strawberry orange, Strawberry mango, Triple berry, blackberry strawberry and just blackberry. The triple berry has become a house favorite and the jar only lasted through 2 breakfast sittings lol.

I have become obsessed with jam and canning, maybe I should start selling them haha... hmmmm any takers?

Ok on to the eats. Today's eats are brought to you courtesy of Tuesday's food consumption

My morning started with PrOatmeal. Topped with Triple Berry Chia Jam, Natural PB and sliced almonds

Mid-Morning snack was a HUGE Green Apple...For fear of repercussions I am admitting that I am bias when it comes to apples. I pretty much hate all apples besides Granny Smiths LOL There I said it.

**Side Note. I have been trying to hit 5 of my 24oz glasses of water daily. This gives me about a gallon of water consumed daily. I have been hitting between 4-5 everyday. Gotta stay hydrated. Especially since it is already mid 80's here in Florida. 

Lunch was grilled chicken, spinach, goat cheese and Chia seeds. Can't really go wrong with any of those ingredients so I was pretty much in love with my lunch.

 Afternoon Snack- Plain Greek yogurt with honey mixed in. I was still a bit hungry so I grabbed half of a nature valley bar that I have stashed in my desk drawer at all time :o)

 

 Before my workout I grabbed a handful of Frosted Wheat (yep totally the Publix brand and not the real ones haha) and I may or may not have grabbed another handful before running out of the door. Taz did try to steal some at one point... sneaky cat.

 Post workout protein drink, while I wait for Brian to get home from his gym workout so we can make dinner.

 We decided we wanted breakfast for dinner and it was a great choice if I do say so myself.

 Scrambled Egg whites with Spinach, onions and goat cheese, Chicken Sausage and a whole grain waffle topped with a little Natural PB. It was delish and satisfying. Sometimes the simplest dinners are the greatest.


Tonight we plan to relax and enjoy time together. Brian and I have both been working a lot (his a lot more physical than mine) but we are both tired. Along with our little munchkin... he is always tired though.

 Thanks to Jen over at PeasandCrayons for hosting this wonderful day of the week. If you want to join in on the party head on over and get involved in the food stalking... you know you want to.                         
            

Do you like breakfast for dinner? Or do you prefer to keep your meals in the correct timezone?  

Ciao and loving lazy dinners,

Alexis

February Foodie Pen Pals

So another month has flown by, and another package has arrived at my doorstep. They little package that brings joy, excitement, curiosity and impatience. That package is none other than the monthly package of joy filled with yummy goodies sent from places unknown thanks to the wonderful Lindsay.

For a look back at all my past wonderful packages... October, November, December, January

This month I received my package from Kasey over at Powercakes. Kasey is super into fitness and clean eating, this is how I know we will get along lol. She is also studying to become a teacher which is another thing we have in common. Although if you recall January's pen pal was from my hometown, which made me a giddy little kid lol. Well Kasey is from the very town in which my mother attended college. Crazy small world. Anywho, let me get on with the post....

Kasey sent a package that would make any chocolate lover quiver in excitement... Unfortunatly I am not one of those lovers of chocolate I have mentioned so my mother; who could eat a chocolate bar, covered in chocolate icecream topped with chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles will be receiving a whole lot of goodies VIA Kasey LOL

  My package consisted of a giant bag of teas, which I broke into right away. I am loving the coconut mango! I will have to find that brand at the store. Once I have finished this bag and the 3 boxes of tea I bought recently that is LOL.

I am a coffee drinker (love the taste) but over the past year I have begun to love tea as well. I enjoy tea at night (decaf of course) with a little honey and a nice pair of sweets. It is relaxing to sip on a hot cup of goodness while relaxing. I will be loving this gift for a while :o)

 Next up come the food goodies. Kasey sent me two barre bars which was created by two dancers as an alternative to other nutrition/protein bars on the market. A Dagoba chocolate bar. Coffee and a Vega smoothiw






I tried the Cinnamon pecan Barre bar and was very impressed. The texture reminded me of a lara bar and the taste was pretty spot on. The bar tasted fresh and natural which I am all about. Food should be enjoyed not altered and I feel like the makers of barre did a very good job keeping the integrate of all their natural ingredients. 

 

 The Vega smoothie looks like it is right up my alley. I will have to search out where I can find them around Orlando so I can try another flavor. As for the Choc-a-Lot version my mother will be trying it out and giving me her own disclaimer. :o)

Brian tasted the Dagoba bar and was a fan. I tried a little bite of his and I just can't do the chocolate LOL. However, Brian gives it a big thumbs up. He is a huge dark chocolate fan and didn't stop at just one piece.

The last one I can not wait to try. As I stated above I love coffee! I used to drink a lot of flavored coffee when I first started drinking coffee and have since just stuck to good 'ol STRONG coffee LOL. However this coffee sounds super delish and I can not wait to sit down with a cup on the weekend. (Just have to wait till I use up my bag that is already open)


I am very grateful for my box, along with Brian and my mother :o) I know I am odd, and really the only person I know (aside from my sister) who doesn't like chocolate. But HEY it will be enjoyed by others and that is all that matters. A big THANK YOU goes out to Kasey for my wonderful box. GO check her out at Powercakes.

Thank you again to Lindsay for hosting this wonderful foodie pen pal party! So if you interested in joining next months Foodie Pen Pals (and you do not have to be a blogger) 
 send  an email to Lindsay at theleangreenbean@gmail.com and include the following information:
-Your full name
-Your email address
-Your blog name/address (if applicable)
-Your twitter handle (if applicable)
let her know by March 4th as pairings will be emailed on March 5th!

My favorite healthy snacks!!! WIAW19

I can't believe I am almost at 20 WIAW posts... man it seems like I just started blogging yesterday LOL.

Well for a look back at some oldies but goodies.....
WIAWv1  WIAWv2  WIAWv3  WIAWv4  WIAWv5   WIAWv6   WIAWv7   WIAWv8  WIAWv9  WIAWv10   WIAWv11 WIAWv12  WIAWv13   WIAWv14  WIAWv15 WIAWv16  WIAWv17  WIAW18

If you are just tuning in here is what you missed so far this week
Getting Back on track
In honor of my dad
Foodie Pen Pals
Guest Blog 
 SuperSets: Quick Workout 


And here is a sneak peek at what is to come
*I have an AMAZING GIVEAWAY which is coming up on my 100th post (only 2 more to go) trust me... all of my fellow fitbloggers do not want to miss this one. (hint... one of the pictures below is the item I will be giving away tehe)
*I am working on my first VLOG... I am new to this whole thing
*I have a very exciting project in the works that I can not wait to tell you about 

Ok So as I start my detox for the first time this year ( I do it bi-yearly) I dont have a day of munching for your enjoyment. Instead I decided to post my favorite HEALTHY snacks... what I use to eat to stay on track.  I may even through in a recipe if you are nice...




So here are just a few healthy things I like to munch on throughout the day... I have my days where mindless munching does occur but thankfully I always have enough of the healthy options around so that the mindless munching isn't as bad....

   Home made smoothies
   Cottage Cheese and pomegranate

PrOatmeal with fresh berries, almond milk and Natural PB
Plain Cottage Cheese

  Lara Bars ( I make home made ones too.. Check out the recipe)
O.N.E. coconut water- Great after a run or with some vodka haha that recipe coming soon... you know you want it

Plain sweet bell peppers and some Babybel cheese

Home made Granola Bark... SO YUMMY! A lot healthier then those Barks you find at the store. RECIPE BELOW!!!

 Chobani yogurt :o)
Naked Juices (A little high in sugar) but filled with lots of vitamins, fruits and veggies ( I also like to make my own juice but it is not as convenient) Taz loves it too.

Apple Slices with different types of nut butters YUMMM! 

 Home made PB protein bars.. recipe here

  OK so there was just a few of my favorite snacks. A lot better then eating a bag of chips...

Ok I promised a recipe so here it goes

Alexis' Granola Bark 
 3cups oats
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pecans
1 cup sunflower seeds
1Tbsp sesame seed
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/8cup dried blueberries
1/8cup dried cherries
1/4cup raisins
64 chocolate chips (this was 2 servings)
2 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
2Tbsp butter
1cup honey
18Tbsp Ground Flax seed
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Heat over to 250
add all dry ingredients (except flax) in a LARGE bowl. Heat butter, honey, and flax in a pan on Med heat. Once blended (about 5 min)  stir in salt and vanilla. Pour over dry ingedients

Bake about 50 min. Take out and let cool. It will harden a little more as it cools so if you want it a little softer cut back time in the over by 5 min, if you like it harder add 5 min.

 Heating Honey, Butter, and flax

 This is what it looks like when it is combined

 Add to dry ingredients

                                Dump into lined baking sheet.                                                    All Done!

What are your favorite snacks to munch on? 

Ciao and healthy snacks

Alexis