Four hours

So I went to the Y last night as planned, but I didn’t take the muscle conditioning class like I wanted.  My lower half was just too sore to put those muscles through their paces again.  I mean, lowering myself onto the toilet to pee was painful, there was no way I was going to be able to do multiple reps of squats and lunges.  Instead, I hit the cardio machines upstairs and torched about 600 calories that way.

While I was elliptical-ing my butt off (hopefully literally), I was reading a recent issue of Women’s Health and I saw this little blurb.

And you know what?  I totally agree.  If suddenly my boss told me I could start leaving at 4:00 four days a week, I would absolutely try to get to the Y for a workout or go for a run before picking Connor up.  How awesome it would be to get in my exercise before the evening rush and then have time for my family and house and myself.  Not to mention I’d avoid the evening commute that I normally suffer through.

How about you guys?  What would you use those four hours for?  I admit, there are weeks when I’d probably just like to save up a chunk of time for an epic nap, but I prefer to be awake during my “me time.”  Unless I’m absolutely exhausted (instead of just really really tired like usual), I will always choose to catch up on some TV or do some blogging – or both at once – rather than snooze.  I find that I need to be awake to get that mental reset.  Yes, a nap helps offset physical fatigue, but time all to myself helps with my mental fatigue.

Looks like we have a rainy weekend on tap around here.  The upside to that is it might keep the McHusband inside, and I just might have a few projects he can help me with (hint hint).

Hope you guys have a great weekend!

PS  Happy early birthday to Chase who turns seven tomorrow.

Exercise!

Guess what I did Monday morning?  I ran!  Since we moved, I haven’t done any REAL exercise besides walking (although some of those walks were hilly and fast) and, back closer to the move (I feel like I should start writing THE MOVE because it was such a major event for me this year), there was a lot of lugging heavy boxes up and down stairs.  But I haven’t been back to the Y since…the first week of August, I think.  No, actually, I think it was the last week of July.  And to think, in 2013, when I spent more than half the year pregnant, I earned a t-shirt for being one of the top 100 attendees.  Hope they don’t want that back…

Anyway, so I got up at 4:20, got myself dressed and out the door, ready to turn on some music and see how far I could go on what was a really nice morning.  Halfway down my driveway, my iPod dies.  Womp womp.  It had shown almost a full battery but it lied.  Ugh.  But I was committed to the run at that point so I did a little walking warm-up before picking up the pace.  I really had no idea how far I’d get before I needed to walk.  One minute?  Ten?  I ran a fairly hilly route out and back and then had a big hill to get up to get back in the neighborhood.  Knowing I had another hill pretty much immediately, I gave myself a 50-second walk break and that was at the 16-minute mark.  Not too bad for someone who hasn’t done much huffing and puffing in way too long.  I finished up my run about 7 minutes later without any additional walk breaks.

It wasn’t as long a run as I would’ve liked, but I didn’t exactly jump out of bed so I lost a few minutes to the snooze button.  But still, it was better than nothing and certainly was a great way to start my week.  I was a little sore during the day on Monday and my quads were even a little more sore yesterday.  But that was to be expected and honestly, I was surprised they didn’t hurt worse.  They might have if I’d gone longer so it was probably a good thing I reached my finish line when I did.

Another pop quiz for you: Guess what I did last night?  I went to boot camp at the Y!  It was so nice to see all my boot camp buddies and sweat alongside them during an amazing workout.  Misery loves company, don’t you know. 

(I’m writing this too soon to say for sure how sore I am, but I’m pretty sure I’m hurting today.)

I hope to get back to the Y for my muscle class on Thursday so that I can officially have a good foothold on the exercise thing.  It’d be one thing if I just weren’t exercising but my diet’s been terrible, too, and that’s not a good combination according to my pants.  So before I need to invest in bigger clothes, it’s time to put myself a little higher on the priority list.

Fingers crossed that I can keep the momentum going!

PS  Happy 10-year wedding anniversary to Chelle and Jeremy today!

Exercise over blogging

I haven’t been a very good blogger this week, have I?  But I promise, I have a good excuse.  I was busy exercising!  After almost two weeks mostly off thanks to the winter weather and other life circumstances, it was so nice to sweat again.  And exercise cuts into my free time in the evenings so blogging moved to the back burner.

I ran in my neighborhood Monday night.  32 minutes and 32 seconds and it wasn’t just fine, it was actually enjoyable.  Temperatures were mild (for winter) and I got started before it was full-on dark.  Sure, that little bit of light only last for about 5 minutes, but I’ll take it ahead of this weekend’s time change.

I was motivated on Tuesday to do an in-home workout.  Dolvett Quince from The Biggest Loser suggested this quickie: warm up, then do four rounds of 15 squats, 5 burpees, and 5 push-ups.  I did 25 jumping jacks in between each round and when I was done, I did a plank-for-the-whole-body circuit from my newest Women’s Health magazine. 

Best workout ever?  No.  But it was better than nothing!

Then I had boot camp Wednesday night and it was a doozy!  Some of the circuits used weights but for the most part, it was a workout that anyone could do at home.  I plan to do just that sometimes when I can’t make it to the Y.  My heart rate monitor (over there on Instagram) doesn’t lie – over 600 calories burned during boot camp.

And the cherry on top?  I also took Monte on a 25-minute walk that night because he needed it after being cooped up so much in general and crated  while we were at work on Wednesday.

To round out the week, I went to the muscle conditioning class at the Y last night.  That class can be hit or miss but last night was a hit.  Or maybe it’s just because I was sore from the previous night’s workout.  Either way, it was what I needed.  Then I headed home to do a little cleaning up including some mopping ahead of Kevin’s visit this weekend.  Very little couch time for me the past couple of nights and that’s okay.

I get tonight off (although there may still be a walk with Monte), then it’s back to the Y Saturday morning.  Hope my track record looks similar next week.

TGIF!

Friday randomness

If I weren’t already an Android user, I probably would be after this commercial.

Not only are the unlikely animal pairs adorable, but I love that song from Disney’s Robin Hood.  It takes me back to my wonderful days as a babysitter of the Schulte boys.

I had popcorn last night for the first time in almost a month and man did it hit the spot!  I love salty stuff almost as much as sweet stuff.  And when you put them together?  Delish!

My office is moving today so it will be a crazy-busy day, but at least there’ll be pizza for lunch.  I love a silver lining!

I have been really good with my exercise and eating for the past couple of weeks and someone I hadn’t run into at the Y for maybe three weeks or a month saw me last night and commented on me looking thinner.  I almost hugged her!  Whaddayouknow, that whole calories in vs. calories out thing really works.

Finally, we put an actual car seat in my car for Connor, and he rode in it for the first time on Wednesday.  He was quieter than usual on the way home, and I think he was trying to figure out what was different.

All right, this is the part where I say TGIF and wish you guys a wonderful weekend!  We are looking forward to seeing friends tomorrow and enjoying some warmer-than-is-seasonal temps all weekend long.

{Recipe Recap} Funfetti Crumble Bars

I couldn’t show up to Women’s Night without something sweet, especially considering this month’s hostess.  She is the first to tell you that she doesn’t excel at the party stuff and it’s just understood in general that I’m going to bring a dessert to share at every Women’s Night.  This hostess in particular counts on my contribution as the something sweet she can offer people.

I knew I wanted to make something simple and I remembered these bars.  I thought the sprinkles were fun and who doesn’t like Funfetti?

Okay, if you DON’T like Funfetti cake flavor, then these aren’t for you.  The cake mix in the crumble is definitely the dominant flavor.

The cookie bars underneath were good for being plain vanilla, but the best part about them was the texture. They were dense and chewy just like I like.

The McHusband tried these and said he was surprised by how much he liked them.  Not sure why he anticipated not being a fan, but he ate enough to more than prove that he liked them.

So how do I know that they tasted mostly like Funfetti?  Well, Women’s Night didn’t exactly go as planned.  I blame the wine.  Yep, just like Jamie Foxx says, blame it on the alcohol.  At least my neighbor had veggies for us to snack on.

I pretty much went off the detox for the weekend with the plan to get back on come Monday.  I started off on the right foot with a piece of sausage-egg-spinach casserole, but I fell into the cracker-and-Coke Zero hole mid-morning.  Okay, one step forward, one step back.  Lunch was a salad with my homemade dressing so another step forward.  Then the McHusband had some good news at work so that required champagne and dinner and there might’ve been some chips snacked on while the meatloaf cooked.

So I think I can officially declare the detox over, but I am going to continue trying to eat more real food, less processed stuff, and carbs are welcome, but they should be whole grains for the most part.

But when they aren’t whole grains, they should be thoroughly enjoyed, in moderation and without guilt.

{Recipe here}

PS  Happy Birthday to Kevin today!  And to Monte, who turns 2.  Hard to believe he was ever so small.

Detox update

Okay, it’s been about 10 days since I started my detox.  I am the first to say that I’m surprised I’ve lasted this long.  For someone who generally didn’t go more than a few hours (much less days!) between hits of carbs and Coke Zero, it’s a pretty big deal.

How do you feel?

I never felt terrible like I was warned.  Apparently some people feel like they have the flu around Day 5.  There were a couple of times when I had some hot flashes and felt light-headed, but those feelings didn’t last long.  One thing that seems to be generally promised is better sleep.  Not in my case.  Or maybe it’s because the McHusband’s not on this diet and getting better sleep and he’s waking me up.  I’m definitely disappointed not to be getting 6.5 quality hours of sleep as opposed whatever time my crappy hours add up to.  I assure you, most days it doesn’t feel like I logged more than 5 hours of zzz’s.

I had to get accustomed to the prolonged feeling of being satisfied without feeling really full.  I guess that’s what real food – healthy fats, veggies, and lean protein – add up to.  Normally, I’d eat, be full for maybe an hour, then steadily get back to that starving state.  To say food was on my mind a lot is an understatement.  I was always thinking ahead to my next snack or meal.

So…what are you eating?

Like I mentioned above, it’s a pretty basic diet: vegetables, lean meat, healthy fats like coconut oil and avocado, some nuts, almond butter, and eggs.  Lots and lots of eggs.  I already knew that a scrambled-egg breakfast stuck with me longer than a bowl of cereal, but I didn’t always have time to actually cook and sometimes I just really craved a bowl of milk-soaked carbs. 

I miss those milk-soaked carbs.

What else do you miss?

• Wine. 
• My morning crackers and Coke Zero as well as the ritual of it.  10:00 = snack time.  I’m a creature of habit so it’s been hard to skip that snack.
• The ease of grabbing a Lean Pocket or Lean Cuisine.
• Subway Wednesday.  I love a good sandwich.
• Wine.  Oh, I already said that?

What don’t you miss?

• Feeling powerless against my cravings.  It’s very defeating to not be able to keep my hand out of the proverbial cookie jar (or candy bin in my office’s case).
• Losing control at a party.  I love party foods.  Dips, meatballs, bready-things, all those yummy appetizers are at the top of my list.  Add a few drinks and I would eat til I felt like bursting.  And then I’d eat some more.
• Feeling guilty for “being bad.”  I think we’ve all been here.  We have good intentions, then we end up eating huge portions or falling for the BOGO deal on Cadbury Eggs at the cash register.  Suuuuuure, one of those is for your spouse, riiiiiight.

Have you cheated?

I have.  I had a diet Coke (so good!) when I did my grocery shopping at Walmart this past Sunday, and I have added back a packet of Splenda to my hot teas.  I made it through last week without any sweetener but you know what?  Those drinks just did not taste good at all.  And I know that no matter how well this detox goes, I will be drinking my diet soda again, I just am going to make a conscious effort to drink less of it.  So I’m okay with having the fake sugar/Splenda because it’s always going to be in my diet.  I am, however, happy to be using just one packet of sweetener instead of two.

Food-wise, though, I have been really good and have stuck closely to the approved foods.  However, I think I accidentally cheated on Wednesday.  I went to Zoes and got the steak kabobs (I know, red meat!  Who AM I?) with two servings of roasted veggies.  I didn’t realize, because the menu didn’t say, that there was a glaze on the kabobs, and I’m sure there was sugar in it. 

And then yesterday was a tough day.  I know I was tired, but I don’t know if I just didn’t have enough for breakfast and lunch or what, but I was hungry (not starving like before the detox) and craving a quick hit of some calories.  I ended up grabbing a handful of caramel corn from the bin my office was gifted at Christmas.  (It was still fresh, I wasn’t THAT desperate.)

General impressions?

I am really happy that I’m doing this.  I am glad that I’m eating REAL food on a regular basis.  Convenience foods have their place, and they will be back in my life, but I hope to not be eating nearly as much of them.  Also, this way of eating and drinking is making me drink water like I did when I was pregnant.  I was already pretty good about drinking water at work because we have a water cooler and I like to drink so I tend to keep my water cup filled up.  But without my soda, I am drinking even more water.

Have you lost any weight?

I know, that’s probably all you really want to know, isn’t it?  I weighed myself last week on Tuesday, then again this week on Tuesday.  I was down 6.5 pounds that day.  For the purpose of this post, I weighed myself again this morning.  The scale was the same so my total loss is still 6.5 pounds.  Is it “real” weight?  Nah, I’m sure most of it is water weight from the lack of carbs.  But it feels good to look better in some clothes and fit better, and fit back into, other clothes. 

Are you going to finish out the 21 days?

I am going to try.  I do have Women’s Night tonight, but my plan is to not take any wine and to eat my healthy dinner beforehand so I’m not as tempted to snack.  I will make my detox known so that I have people judging watching me and that will make me less likely to reach for the foods I’m not supposed to have.

If I can make it through this weekend, then I will certainly try to keep this up through the end of next week.  The McHusband and I have our date night at the DPAC on Friday, and I know there will be some drinks, but I will see about sticking to the diet.  Shouldn’t be too hard if I order seafood and veggies for dinner.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

TGIF!  Hope you guys have a fantastic weekend!

Detox

So I’m three days into a detox diet.  I know, I know, how many times have you read “everything in moderation” on here?  I really do ultimately believe in that philosophy and will get back to living by it.  I’m torturing myself doing this because I wasn’t doing sugar in moderation.  Or alcohol.  Or chips/candy/chocolate/cereal/Coke Zero.  Yeah, pretty much if it started with a “c,” I was eating too much of it.  I’ve always had a soft spot for carbs, which were in danger of leading to more soft spots on my body so I finally decided enough was enough: if I can’t do moderation, I’ll do something extreme for a short time.  I’m trying not to think about it as punishment but…it kinda is.  I’m definitely paying the consequences for enjoying the holiday season. 

Which started the minute those Reese’s Pumpkins hit the shelves back in September.

I can’t exercise as much as I used to.  I just don’t have the time or the energy and it’s hard for me to muster the motivation once I get home.  Before Connor, I always went straight to the Y after work so there was no couch to knock me off track.  Now, I try to get to the Y three days a week and of course there are the walks with the dogs and the general chasing around of and playing with a mobile infant.  Once the weather warms up and the time changes, I hope to be better about getting in some weeknight runs and backyard boot camp sessions.

Since I’m not as active, I need to count on my diet to keep my weight in check.  Honestly, I’m surprised that I’m still wearing the clothes that I am considering how bad I’ve been in the food department.  But it just makes me think of the smaller clothes in my closet that I COULD be wearing if I had a little more discipline.  The detox diet is just a way of hopefully jump-starting my weight loss and a way to deal with my sugar cravings.

So what AM I eating, you’re wondering?  It’s pretty basic: meat, veggies (but no white potatoes), eggs, some nuts, good fats, and small amounts of fruit. There’s no dairy, beans, grains, or sugar, and there isn’t supposed to be any caffeine but I do have some green tea in the mornings at work. 

On Wednesday, I ate:

• Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled, 2 sausage links
• Snack: Cashews
• Lunch: Bunless burger with grilled mushrooms, jalapenos, and avocado and a salad with an olive oil-vinegar dressing
• Dinner: Leftover rotisserie chicken, peas, and cauliflower (I should’ve had a good fat)
• Snack: An apple and a few almonds

I took a picture of my dinner from last night: grilled chicken, a small sweet potato with a little coconut oil (good fat!) drizzled on it and some cinnamon sprinkled on top, and peas.  That’s a lot of “real” food for the girl whose favorite dinner used to be a bowl of cereal carefully measured out so that she didn’t get more than one serving.

You aren’t supposed to snack because each meal should be filling enough on its own.  But I’m still figuring out how much and what to eat to ensure that I get enough.  Plus on Wednesday I had a late lunch and my breakfast at 6:30 just wasn’t going to hold me over til 2:00.  On the other two days, I only had one snack.

So far, the hardest part has been not having my morning crackers (another c!) and Coke Zero at work.  Yes, I at because I was hungry, but it was also just such a habit to have that snack at 10:00.  I’m sure after a weekend on the detox diet, I’ll be changing my tune about what the hardest part is.

This detox is supposed to last 21 days, which takes me to February 3^rd.  Between now and then, I have a Women’s Night in the ‘hood and a show with the McHusband at the DPAC on a Friday night.  The latter event is just before the end of the detox, and I am already thinking I’ll probably bend the rules and have some wine that night.

If I make it that long.

Just like the old days

So last night I went from work straight to the Y.  I didn’t take the Thursday-night muscle class that I used to; instead, I gathered my magazine and my iPod and I headed upstairs for some “alone” time on a couple machines.

It.was.perfect.

I’m a little under the weather with a cold (Thanks, Connor!), but I mustered the energy to ride the elliptical machine and do some running and hill intervals on the treadmill.  I felt great when I was done.  I was still tired, but I had more energy and felt like I could actually DO something with my evening.  Good thing because I had to bake some cheesecake bars for Women’s Night when I got home.

See, just like how things used to be: the Y, home for a quick dinner, some baking, a shower, then TV and blogging.  I know I can’t do that every night like I used to, but once a week for now is a good balance.

Speaking of balance, did you guys see me riding a bike in my den?  We borrowed a bike trainer from the McHusband’s coworker and I finally pulled it out Wednesday night.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to just suffer through my workout or if I was going to like it but guess what?  I enjoyed it! 

My plan is to use the bike a couple of times a week and get to the Y at least two, but preferably three, times a week: once right after work, once after I pick Connor up and get him started on his bedtime routine, and then Saturday morning.

There’s hope that by Connor’s first birthday, I could be in decent shape!  And more importantly, I would just feel like I had figured out this working, exercising, socializing, to-do-list-completing mom thing.

I have Women’s Night tonight and the McHusband has dinner with a friend.  No social plans tomorrow so maybe I’ll get started on my wrapping.  My tree would be much happier with some presents under it.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

PS  Happy, happy birthday to my mom today!  Hope it’s a great one, Mom!

PPS  This post had two pictures, but it wouldn’t publish with them in there.  Not sure why, but I was too tired to try to fix it.  Sorry for all the words.

Friday fitness report

I know you’re disappointed that there aren’t any sweaty post-workout pics in this post.  Maybe next time.

I had a great week regarding my exercising:

• Saturday: A class at the Y plus some elliptical-ing.
• Monday: A 32-minute run followed by walking lunges and squats in the driveway.
• Tuesday: Supposed to be boot camp at the Y but it got rained out and I ended up getting a 50-minute personal training session.  Win!
• Wednesday: Long walk with Monte.
• Thursday: 15-minute jog to warm up then a 45-minute personal training session.

I’m not sure how much REAL exercise I’ll get this weekend.  The McHusband’s traveling so I won’t make it to the Y on Saturday, and I have a lot of cleaning to do because Bri and the girls are coming up next weekend.  Just vacuuming the den and sweeping the kitchen isn’t going to cut it this time around.  Chores and our normal weekend morning walks are going to have to be enough this weekend. 

I’m okay with that being the case sometimes because for the near future at least, I don’t think I have much choice.  This is my new normal.

I guess he’s worth it.

TGIF!

Friday Fitness Report

I’m making this quick.  Because I was able to work out last night, I was pressed for time to get everything done and ready for the next day.

I went to the Y on Tuesday for my boot camp class, the one I attended through the week of Christmas.  I was so excited to get back to it.  Can you tell?

Boot camp was awesome and I have a ways to go to get back to where I was, but I have to start somewhere.

Then last night, I met with Linda who used to teach the Saturday boot camp that the McHusband attended and I went to for a few months until Linda decided she couldn’t afford to keep meeting our group for free.  I’m going to see her once a week for about six weeks to kickstart things and then I’ll probably back off to every other week for another couple months.  After that, hopefully I can keep up the momentum on my own.

I felt great when I got home, even though it was 8:45 and I knew it was going to be a late night.  (Please ignore my messy bathroom and dirty mirror.)

I can’t wait to see how my body reacts to the exercise.

TGIF and have a great weekend!

P.S.  Happy Birthday to Shawn today!  And an early shout-out to my mom and the McMom – Happy Mother’s Day!

Friday Fitness Report

I worked out!  For the first time in six weeks and two days (because the last time I worked out was the Tuesday before Connor was born thanks to the inclement weather we had that week), I went to the Y and got in a great workout.  I warmed up with 10 minutes on the elliptical doing my usual program, which was a touch more difficult than normal.  Then I took my Thursday night muscle conditioning class that was being taught by one of my favorite instructors.

I wasn’t surprised that some moves were harder than they used to be, but a welcome change was the return of my balance.  Toward the end of my pregnancy, I could hardly do lunges because I was in danger of toppling over.  So it was nice to do them again and only feel as uncoordinated as usual.  This teacher likes to do ab work and I was a little worried about how I was going to get through all her moves, but I think I did pretty good.  I could actually hold a plank for the required amount of time and I didn’t have to rest too much during the other moves.

I have a feeling that I am going to be super sore today and tomorrow.  I rarely got sore (in a good way – my back often hurt) toward the end of my pregnancy so while I’ll be wishing I’d eased back into things a little better, I’ll also be happy to have my muscles talking to me again.

Just for comparison’s sake:  Roughly 38 1/2 weeks pregnant and also taken just before muscle conditioning vs. almost 6 weeks postpartum.  I still have a ways to go in the tighten-and-tone department, but I can’t complain too much.

TGIF!  Hope you all have great weekends!

P.S.  I have to thank the McHusband really quick for coming home early from work so that I could go to this class. Connor and I actually had a really great day and both of us took long afternoon naps so getting to the Y was the icing on that cake.  Thanks, McHusband, I really appreciate it!

P.P.S.  Happy early birthday to Jennifer!

{Recipe Recap} Malted Treats

I’m celebrating my birthday with the girls tonight.  We’re eating at a pizza place that I’ve wanted to try for a while.  I really hope it lives up to the hype.

So you know how I make treats-to-order for people’s birthdays?  Well last year and this year, Heather’s taken it upon herself to be my birthday baker.  I requested a Heath Bar Cake from her, but I decided I wanted to use my birthday to make a dessert more complicated than anything I’d normally attempt.  You can sneak a peek at the cake over there on the right in my Instagram pics.  So yes, I baked my own birthday cake, but I enjoyed it.  As of this post, I haven’t tried the cake as a whole, but the marshmallow filling and chocolate frosting were both divine.  I plan to use them both again separately.

Anyway, the reason I bring all that up is that the frosting had Ovaltine, chocolate malted milk powder, in it.  I recently made two different bars that used regular malted milk so I guess you could say I’m on a malt flavor kick.  The McHusband isn’t complaining as malt is one of his favorite flavors.

First up: Brewers’ Blondies.

These weren’t as malt-y as we would have liked, but as far as blondies go, they tasted just fine.

I used some Easter Whoppers in these to up the maltiness.

When the McHusband and I had a nibble of these the night I made them, when they were still warm, we thought they tasted a little burned.  I think it was just the dark brown sugar we were tasting, that caramelized flavor.  By the next day, that blended into the blondie and just gave it some nice caramel undertones.

Next: Malt Cookie Bars.  This was a simple recipe that I doubled and almost ruined because I didn’t bake them long enough at first.  Yes, I do prefer my brownies and blondies to be fudgy, but they should still be baked through.

The tops of these got crackly and separated from the bars around the edges.  I took it upon myself to clean up that mess.

I don’t think you can go wrong with either of these bars, but the latter ones were much simpler and were just as good.

Enjoy looking at these blondies because I’m going to be cutting back on the treat-making.  I do have a few birthday celebrations for friends coming up so I’ll be doing the usual for them, but I need to get back on track with my healthy eating.  I still believe that treats can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet, but they need to be enjoyed in moderation and I haven’t been moderate lately.

It’s time for a reset.  But not until after dinner tonight.  I’m going to enjoy my pizza and TWO cakes and then I’ll repent for the next month.

{Brewers’ Blondies}

{Malt Cookie Bars}

{Recipe Recap} Chocolate Green Monster Smoothie

I’m not going to lie, this smoothie is not pretty. It doesn’t beg you to drink it.  You don’t eat it with your eyes first.

As ugly as this smoothie is, though, it may be my favorite.  Really, though, was there much doubt that I’d really like the chocolate version?

Here’s how I made it.

Ingredients:

• 2 T. cocoa powder (the kind you bake with)
• 1/2 c. 2% Greek yogurt
• Scant 1/4 c. 1% milk
• Half to one scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• A cup or so of ice
• One packet sweetener of your choice if you need it

Instructions:

• Add yogurt, cocoa powder, milk, and spinach to the blender.  This order helps to keep the powder from exploding when the blender comes on.  Blend until fully combined.
• Add protein powder and sweetener and blend 30 seconds.
• Add ice and let blender run on highest setting for a couple minutes to get the mixture nice and smooth.
• Adjust the thickness as needed with more milk/water or ice.

If you haven’t tried it, I know you have a hard time believing that spinach and chocolate can be good together, but I promise that I wouldn’t lead you astray when it comes to chocolate.  Now, don’t get me wrong, this is no Baskin Robbins milkshake either, but it’s pretty tasty for what it is.

The other new recipe I tried was a strawberry-oatmeal smoothie.  Yep, I added oats to my smoothie.  I was skeptical, but with the vanilla protein powder, it turned out pretty good.  I would definitely make it again.

Check out Katherine’s post with pictures and links to other participants.  Maybe you’ll find a recipe that calls your name.

Thanks, Katherine, for hosting this again.  I only got in five smoothies since I started a couple days late, but it was a great reminder of what an easy way they are to get in a little bit of everything I need in one meal.  What I’d like to experiment with now is making them ahead so I can just grab one in the morning before work as opposed to making them from scratch, which takes time I already don’t have enough of thanks to a cold bedroom and the snooze button.

Green Smoothie Challenge Take Two

I did my first green smoothie challenge in March and I’m so glad I did – who would’ve thought spinach could be hidden in plain sight and taste so good?

Katherine, the Real Food Runner, is hosting the challenge again.  I started a couple days late because I didn’t feel like going to the store on New Year’s Day, then yesterday was my late day at the Y so I still didn’t make it to a grocery store.  Finally, though, I was able to go today.  We’ll see if I can squeeze an extra smoothie into each weekend day, or if I end up with only five smoothies in my system.

We had a company lunch meeting today and ordered pizza from Capital Creations.  I’m making sure to give the restaurant a shout-out here because it was some really good pizza so I’m recommending you try it if you’re in the area.  Anyway, I ate two slices and figured a smoothie for dinner was just what I needed.  I whipped up my old favorite: a small banana, some strawberries, half a cup of plain 2% Greek yogurt, about a cup of spinach, half a scoop of vanilla protein powder, then ice as needed to thicken it to smoothie consistency.

I’m looking forward to having a chocolate green smoothie this weekend and wait ‘til you see that one.  It’s not exactly the most appealing-looking drink out there.

Nope, it doesn’t look half as delicious as this.

If you were intrigued by the last challenge and were leaning even a little toward drinking your greens, I urge you to give it a try.  I promise, with the right combination of fruit, you really can’t taste the spinach.  I will admit, though, that the flavored protein powder helps with making this concoction tasty, but it’s not necessary.  Use honey or even a little vanilla extract to sweeten the smoothie as needed.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  And I promise I’ll be back on Monday with something a little more cupcake-y.

{Recipe Recap} White Bean Bundt and Turkey-Lentil Meatloaf Muffins

So I’m sure we’re all feeling a little guilty thanks to some Thanksgiving indulgences.  Thanksgiving Day was probably my healthiest day of the four-day weekend: I had an egg-veggie sausage-spinach personal-sized casserole for breakfast then went on a six-mile run.  Snacking was minimal, lunch was cereal, and I didn’t stuff myself at dinner.  After all, I had to leave room for dessert.  I had a slice of apple pie, a slice of my peanut butter pie, and a square of the layered pumpkin pudding dessert that I made.  Yum, yum, and yum!

I wish I could say my willpower was as strong before and after Turkey Day, but that’s just not the case.  From being in vacation mode to feeding my sorrows (and routinely drowning them as well) to feeling extra snacks were okay because I ran a marathon (never mind that it was a week ago), I didn’t just bend my “everything in moderation” rule, I snapped it in half, threw it down, and stomped on it.

My clothes aren’t fitting as well, or at all in some cases.  I do NOT want to buy bigger pants so it’s back to letting MFP guide my food decisions and hitting the gym six days a week.  Now that I’m not training for the marathon, I want to do more “muscle stuff,” whether that’s an extra muscle conditioning class at the Y, a DVD in the bonus room, or lifting weights here at home.  Hopefully I’ll be back in my sweater dresses by the new year.

So, in honor of my renewed efforts, I’m sharing a could-be-worse-for-you cake and some healthy and tasty meatloaf muffins with you.

I made this cake for my coworker who tries to eat healthfully.  I’d seen the recipe a while back and was intrigued, but I needed the right person to make it for.

See that stuff on top of the sugar and butter?

It’s not dough, it’s pureed cannellini beans.

While I detected a slight bean flavor in the batter, it was not noticeable at all once the Bundt was baked.

Oh yeah, I also added a heart-healthy ganache made from dark chocolate and red wine.  The Bundt cake just looked so plain-Jane and not special enough for a birthday that I decided some kind of an icing was necessary.

This wasn’t the best plain cake I’ve ever had, but it was good enough and I felt slightly better eating it knowing it wasn’t quite as full of butter, sugar, and oil as what I normally make.

But before you have dessert, you should probably eat dinner.  I recommend these turkey-lentil meat-muffins.

I got 18 meat-muffins, which MFP says are 75 calories each.  They have lentils, oats, and carrots in them so they win points for being healthy, but they also actually taste good. 

(BTW, I used Garland Jack’s Secret Six barbecue sauce on top instead of the ketchup-based sauce that the recipe calls for.)

Hope you all had wonderful Thanksgiving weekends!  Mine’s coming to an end today.  I took today off and will get the rest of my Christmas decorations up, chill a bit, and also go to my normal Monday-night Power Hour Extreme class at the Y.  Then it’ll be back to the grind on Tuesday…

{White Bean Bundt Cake}

{Turkey-Lentil Mini Meatloaves}

{Recipe Recap} Jo-Ann’s Power Bars

I recently bought my first bag of whole wheat flour with plans to use it in muffins.  Then I saw this recipe and, I don’t know, it just sorta spoke to me.  I don’t know why; other than the flour, I didn’t have the other main ingredients.  No dried fruit, Grape Nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or applesauce.  I was even out of the oats, normally a pantry staple.

Maybe it was the Green Monster challenge that got me thinking I could improve some of my food choices.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not revamping my entire diet.  I’m not giving up my Kashi or my six-pack of Lance Peanut Butter & Honey crackers that I eat every weekday around 10:00 at the office.  But it seems like I could try to eat some less-processed foods so long as it’s convenient and tastes good.  Luckily, these bars qualify.

I added a couple tablespoons of flax seed, which I’ve been adding to my smoothies,  and used pecans instead of walnuts but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly.  I divided the bars into 12 squares and MFP told me they were about 190 calories with 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber each.  I would’ve preferred them to be closer to 150 calories with the same protein and fiber so I might play around with the recipe and see what I can come up with.

My general review is that these have good texture and they taste healthy but in a flavorful way.  They won’t be mistaken for a cookie, but they aren’t something you have to force yourself to eat.  If you feed your kids granola bars but you secretly feel a little guilty about giving them glorified junk food, definitely give this recipe a try.

My first batch of these is just about gone, and I will definitely be making them again.  And not just because I have a whole box of Walmart-brand Grape Nuts save half a cup in my pantry that I need to use up.

{Recipe here}

The perfect snack food?

Just finished my healthy Wednesday habit.  No, I’m not talking about my regular spinning class (although I did go to that tonight), I’m talking about my bowl of popcorn.

Heather sent me this article that basically said popcorn is as good for you as fruits and veggies:

A team of researchers from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania has found that popcorn contains more antioxidants than other fruits and vegetables.

One of the researchers cautions against replacing fruits and veggies with popcorn and I get that, but I do exactly that on Wednesdays when I trade my apple and peanut butter with my bowl of popcorn.

Turkey meatloaf, Green Monsters, popcorn…  I’m on such a healthful roll this week that I think I’m going to have to bring it to a screeching halt with a slab slice of no-bake peanut butter tart tomorrow.  Which reminds me, I need to stir the fudge sauce and see if it’s ready to go on the tart.

Enjoy your Thursdays!  Hope yours is like mine and is the last day in your work week.

Green Monster Smoothie Challenge: Check!

So today was Day 7 of the weeklong Green Monster Smoothie Challenge that I decided to join last week.  I went with what I know works: banana, pineapple, plain Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, a splash of milk, and a few ice cubes to thicken my breakfast shake to smoothie consistency.

I actually made a half-serving of my smoothie because we had a company meeting at the office first thing today, and I’d made a Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake to share with my coworkers.  I didn’t try it the night before so I of course had to have a small piece and it was worth it.  This coffee cake came together very quickly and easily – give it a try!

But back to the challenge.

I’m very glad I opened my mind (and my mouth) to the Green Monster.  With spinach as a main ingredient, I found that you can’t throw just anything else into the blender with it and expect something yummy to come out.  That being said, I would like to try one with cherries so I guess I’ll keep my fingers crossed as I push the blender buttons and maybe have another meal on the sidelines in case my smoothie isn’t palatable.

I don’t know if it was the amount of protein or fiber or sheer number of calories – or a combo of any or all of those things – but the smoothie definitely helped me not be starving so soon after breakfast in the morning.  I’d normally eat my banana and yogurt by 7:30 and drink about 3 cups of water on my way to work, and my stomach would literally be growling by 8:45 and I’d have to force myself to wait until at least 9:30 before I had my morning snack.

So, final verdict?  I’m a convert!  I like spinach in my salads and on my Subway sandwiches every Wednesday (and especially in a hot dip with cheese and artichokes), but my favorite way to eat it is in a smoothie.

Thank you Jen and Katherine for coming together and inviting us to join you in this challenge. 

So…what’s next?

Not my normal Wednesday

Today was a little different from the norm.

• No Subway for lunch
• No spinning at the Y
• No popcorn for a snack

There was a good reason that my day veered off its usual course, and I’ll be sure to update you guys on why, but you’ll have to be patient.  It’s already 10:05 and I’m hoping to get to bed by 11:00 (An early night for us!).  Then I have some baking to do tomorrow night (You know, just another normal Thursday.) so I promise to take some time this weekend to get my ducks in a row and write a post about what’s going on.

In the meantime: Today was my second day in the smoothie challenge.  I had planned to make a peanut butter chocolate smoothie with some of the McHusband’s protein powder, but it turns out the powder was an imposter – it was strawberry flavored.  But I had frozen strawberries and I was pressed for time so I went with the flow and threw everything in the blender.

Verdict?  It tasted like what I expected a spinach smoothie to taste like.   But it looked better than I expected in that it was green, not some sick gray or muddy brown color.

Okay, so it might not look like the greenest of Green Monsters, but I promise it was decidedly green.

So it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ingested, but I’m glad it wasn’t my first Green Monster because then the rest of this week really would be a challenge because I would NOT be looking forward to having five more big cups of green goo that tasted like the one I had this morning.

I’m going back to the banana-pineapple-vanilla combo tomorrow, and I may stick with it for the rest of the week.  I mean, if it ain’t broke…