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 

Spicey Cauliflower Mash

I have been meaning to try out Mashed Cauliflower for quite a while, but it wasn't until I saw Jenn's Mashed cauliflower post that I decided I was going to actually try it out. I followed her recipe but made a few alterations to meet our dietary and taste needs :o)

While shopping with Brian Monday night, spending most of the time in the produce section (like always) we came across the cauliflower. To make it even better it was BOGO. At first I thought to myself out loud "there is no way we will eat 2 heads of cauliflower before they go bad." Then a light bulb suddenly turned on and I remembered my self promise to try out the Mash.

So enter extremely easy and delish Spicey Cauliflower Mash!

What you need
1 head of Cauliflower
1-2 cups rotisserie chicken  (optional of course)
Roasted Garlic (about 5 cloves)
1 Hungarian pepper
Half a white onion
2 Tbsp Almond Milk
salt and pepper to taste

What you do


drizzle garlic with about a 1/2tsp olive oil and roast garlic on 400 for 25-30 min. After 10 min. passes toss in the Hungarian pepper and roast for remaining 20-15 min with the garlic.

Meanwhile blanch Cauliflower for 10-15 min or until tender enough to mash with a fork.

While cauliflower, garlic and pepper are cooking begin to saute (caramelize) your onions.

Heat 2 tsp olive oil on med heat and toss in onions. De glaze pan with any wine you may have lying around. I used a bottle of Riesling that had been opened and never finished. You don't have to do this but I find it adds another layer of flavor and love the sweetness it brings out of the onions.

by this time your garlic and pepper should be done and the smell in your house will be WONDERFUL. Confession: I love the smell of garlic A LOT! Blame it on being Italian

Toss caluiflower, onions, pepper, garlic and almond milk into a food processor and mix well and bring to your consistency of choice.  Once all veggies are incorporated toss in chicken: easily omitted if making a vegetarian meal.

This was a super easy meal to make and it was crazy good with a slight kick from the pepper. This is also a super easy way to trick your kids or other adults into eating their veggies if you need too lol.

I know its not the prettiest looking meal I have made but it went fast and there were no left overs. So to me that is more important!

Ciao and hidden veggies

Alexis

My first Mud Race!!!

Have you ever done a mud run? Have you had the desire to pay for a race just to get disgustingly dirty?  Do you enjoy doing things to benefit others, i.e. Charity, Cancer awareness? Do you have a crazy friend who will drive across state borders to do just this? WELL I DO!!! And I am also one of those Crazies that will be making my way to Atlanta for the sole purpose of getting absolutely DIRTY!

Enter background story here:

A few weeks ago I got a tweet from my good friend Carissa over at Fit2Flex asking me about some race in Atlanta sometime in April.


I glanced over the tweet and didn't really give it much thought till later. To be honest I was a bit confused. I wasn't sure if Carissa was announcing the race and wanted company on the drive there, or actually taking part in the race and wanted a race partner. Either way when I got home I took a second look.

This race turned out to be the  Dirty Girl Mud Run.
The Dirty Girl is a 5k course with 11 crazy fun filled obstacles at different checkpoints throughout the course.  There is even a mud crawl! Who get's exctied over this sort of thing? THIS GIRL!!! and apparently quite a few others out there.  

I have always wanted to do a Mud Race i.e warrior dash but have yet to actually sign up for one. Well I can't say that anymore! On April 28th I will be running the Dirty Girl Mud Run with some amazing girls.


What started off as Carissa talking me into going into Atlanta with her, truth be told it didn't take much convincing lol (Brian will be gone anyways on Navy business). Has turned into a mass Fit Blogger meet up at the 1:45pm wave. I will be running with

Carissa of Fit2Flex

Madeline of Food, Family, and Fitness

Maria of A Life to Bragg About

Victoria of Victoria Runs

I am super stoked about this last part. Aside from Carissa,  I have only had the pleasure have talking to the others online. So I am excited to meet up with some wonderful blogger friends I have met this year!

Now I am not quite sure if I am supposed to say anything but there have been talks about matching outfits. And by talks I mean it is pretty much a GO!!! 

I am excited to finally complete a mud run, go on a road trip with my girl Carissa, meet some amazing women, have a blast, get dirty and all while raising money for charity! What get's better than that?  

Ciao, ready to get down and dirty!

Alexis 

WIAW v. 25.. Short and Sweet

Hey everyone! I am on spring break, one of the perks to teaching!!! I am getting ready to go for a run then head to the beach for some fun in the sun! So this post will be short and sweet.

Check out other post this week:
Coffee Protein Smoothie
 full body workout 

Breakfast: PrOatmeal with Chia Jam, natural PB and Almonds
Snack: Coffee Protein Smoothie
Snack: Plain greek yogurt with Chia jam

Then it was off to the gym and for a full body workout  and some fun in the sun!

 I was running around town all morning then getting my workout in so I didn't really have a "real" lunch I just continued to snack until I came across left overs from Sunday's dinner!

 RECIPE COMING SOON! SOOO GOOD!
Left overs: Sweet Potato Quinoa pilaf, topped with sesame ahi and wasabi sauce. 









Snack: Hummus and cucumbers... and yes I dipped right into the container lol

Snack: Trail mix

Dinner: Rotisserie Chicken, spinach, blueberries, almonds, tomatoes, chia seeds and almond salad. 


Ok time to hit the pavement to give myself a little self esteem boost before I put on a bathing suit and head to the beach

Ciao and spring break 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

Full Body Work Out

I am an avid weight lifter but I have been making an effort to break out of my comfort zone and incorporate more types of fitness into my life. So far I have been sticking to my "self challenge" and I am feeling great. Today I worked in some plyo, balance and weights into today's workout.

When I am at the gym I want to get in as much work as possible. To accomplish this I try to work as many large muscle groups at one time as I can. I don't break up my workouts into days i.e. leg day, back day, arm day. 

This is a look at today's workout that i knocked out and left me feeling it and feeling good! I finally feel like I getting back into my grove and I am loving it.



By the time I got to uneven lunges my hamstrings, quads and lower back were already feeling the burn from the squats and super slow single leg (balancing) dead lifts. I was loving every min. of it... does that make me weird?

I am one of those strange fitness lovers who enjoys the sore feeling of a great workout.

What type of workouts make you feel your best?

Ciao with full body love, 

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