The Katie Whisperer...

Thursday Recap:

9:00am:  Breakfast- Dark Chocolate Chunk KIND bar

I love these all-natural bars just as much as my beloved Larabars (the Honey Coconut is TODIEFOR!) and they are great for on the run breakfasts or snacks.  I had to 'grab & go' breakfast yesterday too since Katie was grabbing my hand to go play down in our playroom before 9amJ  hahahahaha  No languishing over the stove to make pancakes for me yesterdayJ

+ACV update

Starting making it with a 1-to-1 tablespoon ration of Apple Cider Vinegar & pineapple juice.  Hey, any LESS shot to take is A-OK by me!  Followed by that juice chaser and it is a health benefit you can nail in under 30 secondsJ

11:00am:  1/2 grapefruit with 1/2 packet of Stevia 

Ummmm...that knife looks very foreboding in that picture, but I've gotten quite a bit more proficient in slicing grapefruit segments thanks to that little guyJ

12:30pm:  Lunch- 2 leftover corn lettuce wraps & sauteed zucchini

Thank God for 2 minutes in the microwave because, despite that mid-morning grapefruit, I was pretty STARVING by the time lunch rolled around.  Thankfully this lunch came together in under 5 minutes, thanks to leftovers.  After housing these, downing some water and keeping myself busy, these kept me full the rest of the afternoon.

4:00pm:  Snack- 1 Mango Coconut bite

Our last three from the recipe got divided up by Katie, Scott & myself.  I already can't wait to try a new recipe for these little bites next week!  They are a great 'sweet tooth satisfy-er" in the afternoons.

6:00pm:  Dinner- Kale salad with Maple Almond Vinaigrette 

How this salad isn't a weekly staple, I have no idea.  Well, I have one idea:  it DOES require a little more prep work than normal.  Chopping the kale, slivering the brussel sprouts, caramelizing some shallots...but oh, is it worth it.  It is SO worth it.  If you're not a fan of kale: TRY THIS SALAD.  You will be a believer in the raw, green stuff... 

Think we'll be adding more kale salads to our weekly menu, not only because they are beyond fabulous for you and blah, blah, blah...but they are HONESTLY Katie's favorite dinner.  I know.  I know! you are proclaiming me a liar at this moment, but she will just sit & slowly pick her way through this, polishing off her entire plate.  And here's the most important part:  She does so...QUIETLY.  That child didn't make ONE PEEP last night while we ate...which is...rare these daysJ  I always feed her whatever we're having, but for some nights, the (non too subtle) squeal of "DOWWWWN!" come a little more quickly than othersJ  And if kale salad is the "Katie-whisperer", well then I'll freakin take it!  More motivating for us on many levelsJ

Workout:  "Tone it up" Sandcastle Workout

I told you the weather wasn't very encouraging yesterday and I just was NOT feeling the gym yesterday (it happens).  But I knew I still wanted to do SOMETHING, but didn't feel like going too crazy and this little FIFTEEN MINUTE (yes, that's 1-5) totally hit the spot for the night.  Just enough to feel like I got some toning work in (those 4 little moves, of working double muscle groups, will wear you out FAST!) and despite the short time, was still better than NOTHING...which is what probably would have happened if I had SWORN to myself I was going to workout for an hour when I really just didn't feel like it.  SOMETHING is ALWAYS better than nothing!

Not to mention, it would have been WAY to easy to just COMPLETELY blow off ANY workout in favor of plopping myself on the couch with my latest obsession...

...at least I got in my little workout in and felt justified spending the rest of the evening with the TV OFF and plowing through this read.  If you LOVED Moriarty's "The Husband's Secret" (and if you haven't read that:  Stop reading this RIGHT NOW and GO GET IT!), you'll love this one too.  A page turner with a little hint of sinister hidden beneath the surface of each chapter. (ps-Scott works out on Monday & Thursday nights.  I wasn't forcing him to stare at me while I readingJ)

And speaking of Scott, he has lost 11 pounds in 2 weeks!  I....have NOT lost that muchJ  He's worked really hard and I'm super proud of him, but us women are just a little slower going on the scaleJ  hahahahahahaha  I'm still VERY happy of the 'healthier (and delicious!) choices' from this week and that gives us motivation going into the HOLIDAY WEEKEND!  CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT?????????????  You can just never get over how fast time flies.  So of course we have picnic food to enjoy PLUS a fun little 'Jersey foodie road trip' planned (somewhat of a Memorial weekend traditionJ) So I'm just gonna try to take my own damn advice as best I can, eat those two 'funner meals' mindfully and stay in the 'healthy' game the rest of the time.  You gotta live & love...but we just gotta be more mindful about it when you're trying to keep the scale on your sideJ hahahahaha

Have a WONDERFUL weekend and I know I'll have some goodies to show you come Monday/Tuesday (we'll see how soon I get back on hereJ)  ENJOY!

Secret ingredient...

Wednesday Recap:

9:30am:  Flax pancake with Almond butter & a drizzle of maple

Morning Workout:  Power Yoga Class

TOUGH one yesterday.  The class was soooooooo hot...and it's not even 'hot yoga.'  I don't think I'd ever do well in one of those Bikrim classes where the temperature is set to 95 degrees or something ridiculous like that.  (I get it, I get it...detoxing.)  If you haven't noticed, I'm not a big fan of heat & humidityJ  This class was borderline, but still greatJ

1:30pm:  Lunch- Strawberry & Oat Smoothie in a bowl 

So not only is eating a smoothie with a spoon more fun, BUTTTT the added texture of a sprinkle of toppings makes these EXTRA fun:

Smoothie (adapted from here)

• 1/3 cup oats
• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• Frozen banana
• 3 frozen strawberries
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• Pinch of salt
• Sprinkle of cinnamon

Toppings:

• Sprinkle of Kashi Go Lean
• Coconut butter  (about 1/2 tablespoon)
• Coconut chips 

...which I was so excited to use after finding them on the cheap at the market over the weekend....(although Trader Joe's has phenomenal ones too!)

Blend all of the smoothie ingredients, sprinkle on your toppings and you're good to go!  Ain't she so pretty???

Love the cool, creamy consistency + the crunchy texture from the toppings.  Makes for a 'complete meal' in my opinionJ  And I'm not POSITIVE this will work, but I'm gonna go out on a limb & and say if you make the smoothie and freeze it ahead of time before letting it defrost for 20 minutes or so before lunch, it might not be a bad 'prep ahead' lunch idea.  And how jealous will your co-workers be at your 'bowl of ice cream' lunch??J  You don't even need to tell em how healthy it isJ  You can just let em think you're fit & fabulous while downing that ice creamJ hahahahahahhaha 

5:00pm:  Dinner- Hummus Patties with spinach feta salad

My latest re-emerged obsession with hummus + a pint of brown rice in need of use in our fridge made this dinner a no brainier.  Katie & I whirled up some hummus in a matter of moments (well, as many moments as it takes to make hummus with a 2-year oldJ), but store bought would make this meal even quicker.

Give the...

• 1 cup hummus
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• 1 egg white

...in a food processor.  Form them into patties, toss em in an olive oil drizzled pan and cook until crisp on either side...

Oh...and sprinkle em with salt when they are cooked.  THAT's what's also on the panJ

While the patties were cooking, I whipped up a quick side salad:

• Spinach
• 1/2 diced cucumber
• Greek seasoning
• Feta cheese 

The patties were crisp & creamy while the salad was cool, with nice sharp bites of feta.  This dish was as delicious as it was easy to throw together.  Definitely add this to your list of 'quick & healthy weeknight dinners."

Evening Workout:  Body Jam

8:00pm:  Dessert- Healthy Fudge Pops 

I think I have about 20 recipes for 'healthy Popsicle' lined up on my Pinterest board for summer this year, and at least 3 of them are for fudge popsJ  But I had to try these ones first, where the creamy & rich texture comes NOT from cream, but from...

AVOCADO!

(oh...can I add my child has never even LIKED avocado.  That was until I needed that half to toss into the food processor for the popsicles.J)  Thankfully I had another one to split in half...since she wasn't parting with her new favorite snack of the momentJ)

"Tone it Up" Fudge pops

• 1 cup chocolate almond milk  (didn't have any so I swapped vanilla almond milk & a teaspoon of chocolate protein powder.  But you can just use vanilla if that's all you have.  They'll be chocolate-y enough)
• 3 dates
• 1 medium avocado, pitted
• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of sea salt

Let the dates soak in the milk for about an hour before pouring all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulsing until smooth.  Pour into Popsicle molds and freeze for 4 hour or overnight.

Here was one little change I made:  the only cocoa powder I had was DARK, so I used 4 tablespoons + 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder, which helped add a bit of extra sweetness.  I think they would have been VERY 'chocolate-intense' without that added sweetness, but try out the mix before adding it to the molds to check your desired level of sweetness.

But there's no need to tell anyone you made these with healthier ingredients since there was NO WAY you'd know avocado was in there (as long as you blended it up really wellJ) They really were supremely rich & VERY chocolate-y.  Definitely a healthy way to get that chocolate fix!

Which we enjoyed along with the season finale of Survivor!  SO SAD to see this season end!  Even though my FAVORITE (Spencer) didn't win, at least a Jersey boy didJ  Such a great season that I already can't wait for the next one to start.

Alright...well, it is a DREARY day in Jersey.  It's never encouraging to wake up to a RAGING thunderstorm.  I'm still surprised Katie slept as long as she did this morning.  The thunder was CRACKING around here.

Stay dry and have a great Thursday!

Meals & snacks for the warmer days ahead...

Tuesday Recap:

Morning Workout:  30 Minute Walk/Jog

9:00am:  Breakfast- 3 Coconut Mango Bites

Three was a little much, since they are sorta rich (at least for me), so I may be sticking to 2 from now on...even if it's for breakfast.  But these were definitely a fun little treatJ

11:00am:  Snack- Pear 

Per Katie's request...so I followed in her little footstepsJ

1:00pm:  Lunch- 6 mini wheat pitas & sundried tomato hummus 

I love heating these in the microwave for 30 seconds.  It makes them feel 'extra special' for absolutly NO apparent reasonJ.  "It's what my head tells me", as my Grandmother would sayJ

3:30pm:  Snack- Kahuki's Colada "Smoothie in a bowl" 

So I had made the "Tone it up" Kahuki Colada smoothie, but had to swap the pineapple for frozen mango as it was all I had on hand.  And much like anytime I add frozen mango to a smoothie, the smoothie came out much more 'ice cream-like' than smoothie.  Sooooooo...instead of pouring it into a glass, I decided to pour it in a bowl and eat it with a spoon.  NOW, "Smoothie in a bowl" is somewhat of a blogger "thing" and I've seen them in the past and never given them too much thought.  HOWEVER after trying this little number, I found myself searching out various 'recipe ideas' to whirl up  It was funny seeing how much more satisfying sitting & eating the smoothie with a spoon seemed, rather than sipping it up without a lot of thought.  Not to mention, the choppy texture that I've LOATHED in blended smoothies actually gave this a little 'chew' and the texture added to it's satiety.  Be prepared to see more of these down the line, especially as they're perfect for the warmer months ahead.  And talk about VOLUME!  That bowl looked HUGE compared to being poured into a glass.  These would be great for breakfast, lunch, snack or even an evening dessert.

Evening Workout:  Love your arms & abs

Just a little quick 10-minute number for a little extra BURN & some toning.  I used 4 pound weights for the arm section and that was MORE than enough.  The exercises were certainly effective & efficient in such a short time.  

7:00pm:  Dinner-  2 Fiesta Roasted Corn Lettuce Wraps & sauteed zucchini  (not pictured...opps!)

In the wraps:

• Fresh corn sauteed with diced peppers
• Fat free refried beans
• Diced red onion & scallions
• Sliced avocado
• Sprinkle of cheese
• Dollop of light sour cream

...all rolled up in a lettuce wrap.  They were a bit of a mess, and you'll need a few extra napkins, but they were SOOOOOOOOOOOO light, fresh, crisp & delicious!

The great part about these wraps is you can use any variety of vegetable you have on hand AND in those hot summer months, you can eat everything totally raw.  No need to even turn on a burner.  But even with the cooking time, these came together in mere minutes. (15-20 to be exactJ)

Plus, who couldn't always use a few meatless dinners throughout the week?  You won't even miss the taco meat!  And lettuce always makes a good wrap for ANYTHING.  Again, messy: Yes...but low-cal and the 'stuffing flavors' really shine through: DOUBLE YES!J

8:00pm:  Dessert- Frozen yogurt (not pictured)

Forgot to snap a pic of this one in my fury of gobbling it down, but we are INLUV with the 'newer' "Let's Yo!" on route 33 and it was just too nice of a night to pass some up.  Kept it to a small cup with only a few toppings (not that their COCONUT LAYER CAKE & CHERRY GELATI flavors even need any!) and a little bit of a couple flavors.  Oh yeah...and ONE piece of peanut butter cupJ  A gal sometimes just needs a BITEJ

Alrighty...I better get myself ready for some yoga this morning.  UGH- even though I LOVE my class, today's dreary weather isn't doing much for my motivation this morningJ  Oh well...I'll get there & be fine.  (repeat, repeat, repeat...J)

Have a good Wednesday!

Back to normal...

Monday Recap:

*First things first:  Coffee

So I made a little pact with myself that I'll let myself have some flavored coffee creamer ONLY if I get up and get in that extra morning workoutJ  How's that for motivation?? J hahahahahaha

Morning Workout:  30 minutes dance/arm sets/squats/planks mix

When you want to work out and just don't feel like having anyone tell you what to do, just pop in some ear buds and dance like a lunatic for a half hourJ  (just don't let the neighbors see yaJ)  You'll break a good sweat, especially if you mix in some 'muscle moves,' plus who doesn't love the excuse to pretend they are Beyonce before 8am??J

9:00am:  Breakfast- 2/3 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch with almond milk

Obsessing over servings sizes isn't a great idea, but busting out the measuring cups every once in a while is a good gauge of keeping your servings sizes honest.  I always use this smaller bowl for cereal and try to only fill it up 3/4 of the way, but seeing that exactly 2/3 of this particular cereal was just short of half a bowl was a good reminder.  

+ Apple Cider Vinegar shot with 2 tablespoons pineapple juice & 1/4 glass juice chaser

I added this to my morning routine, chugging it down right after breakfast.  I'll probably keep forgetting to mention it, so unless I tell you about a change, just assume they're happeningJ  OH!  I should also mention that you should try to give your mouth a quick rinse with water after (and don't brush your teeth right away!)  That helps from letting the acid sit on your teeth and weaken the enamel.  

11:00am:  Morning Snack- 4-5 Strawberries 

I added a few extra to that bowl because I knew Katie was gonna wanna share...which she did, so I don't remember how many of those strawberries I actually managed to shake from her tight graspJ

1:00pm:  Lunch- Salad with leftover turkey breast 

If you want to eat for VOLUME, salad is the way to go.  You can pack a TON of veggies, flavor it up with a tablespoon of balsamic (or dressing of your choice) add some protein and I feel like this takes awhile to plow through...which is just what you need sometimes.

3:30pm:  Afternoon Snack- Coconut Mango Balls!

"Tone it Up" approved and OH SO DELICIOUS!  These little babies are SUPER sweet from the dried fruit, but with the addition of protein, they also keep you full without having a sugar spike and subsequent crash.  Oh yeah...plus they're phenomenal!

• 1 cup dried mango
• 1/2 cup cashews  (or walnuts or almonds)
• 1/2 cup pitted whole dates
• 1 1/2 scoops protein powder (I used "ours" or you can use Perfect Fit or whatever you have)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (which I got at Target, oddly enough!)
• Pinch of sea salt

Toss everything in a food processor and let it blend until it forms a dough (I had to add a little water to have it all gather together.)

Roll the mix into 1/2-1 inch snack balls and roll in a little bit of extra coconut... 

If Katie's opinion matters, she took one bite and said "MMMMMMMM! THAT'S GOOD!"  (or maybe she was just proud that she helped make & shape themJ) 

But Scott loved them too.  Not to mention my heart soared with pride a bit when I told him the ingredients and he said "Oh, so they're like Larabars?"  Yes, young kemosabe!  They are indeedJ

ANYWAY...GO MAKE THEM SOON!  You'll love em and they TOTALLY make for a great, healthy and more natural sweet tooth fix.  (ps- Stick to a serving of 2-3)

5:30pm:  Dinner- Spring Pappardelle with salad

After a week of barely any carbs,  Momma was ready for some pasta-let me tell yaJ  I'm gonna try to be more conscious of how many 'heavy carb' dinners I serve/have throughout the week, but I can't pretend I'm going to cut em out of my diet completely.  And as much as I do like the "before 3pm" rule, a night of pasta one a week isn't gonna hurt nobodyJ  (not to mention, I REFUSE to go through a Jersey summer without corn on the cob!  Katie would disown me!J)

I just had a serving size, this one was actually 1 3/4 cup (per Cooking Light), but usually 1 cup of pasta in a single layer on these smaller plates is more than enough AND small enough that it can fit into any normal diet.

And, as always, I try to add a salad to any 'heavier dinner.'  Not only does it add vitamins, but I think it also helps keep your portion of the 'decadence' in check.  Instead of just polishing off 1 cup of pasta (a little too quickly), it gives you something else to focus on and move on from, instead of day dreaming of a second helpingJ  

Evening Workout:  Beginner's Power Yoga

So that wraps up Day 1 of "Back to normal" and I'd say it went pretty successful.  Healthy choices of things I wanted, WITHOUT going overboard.  CONSISTENCY with that and you are on the pathJ

Have a great Tuesday, everyone!