Five Things Friday {3/20}

1. Happy first day of Spring! I’m always confused as to what month it is here because the weather doesn’t change that much but I’m happy for all of you in the chilly states that hopefully things will start to warm up soon. Except for that extra snow today.. but hey, that’s what late March is all about, right? You could always come visit me and we can head to wine country..
   
2. First things first, I tried to burn down the apartment yesterday. Really, I was microwaving popcorn in a regular brown paper bag [as I’ve done 100 times before] and the damn bag caught fire! So instead of immediately pouring water on it, I decided it was a good idea to panic and start yelling “NO! NO! NO!” Genius, people. Pure genius. Don’t worry, I did finally realize that I had water sitting next to me and saved the day.
   
3. I made burrito bowls for dinner the other night and making my own black beans makes all the difference in the world. Have you ever tried it instead of getting canned beans? So much better! I use this recipe and it’s delicious.
   
4. Yesterday was amazingly wonderful [aside from almost burning the place down.] It was practically my day off with only 1 client and I soaked in all of the quiet. Especially after such a long Wednesday, it was much needed.
5. Don’t forget to enter my MealEnders giveaway!

Have a great weekend, friends!

Food for Thought

Any fun plans this weekend?

What I Ate Wednesday #128: MealEnders Review & Giveaway

Lordy, how is it already Wednesday? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining that we’re already halfway to the weekend! Today is a long one for me; I’ll be opening Athleta at 9 a.m. and closing the gym at 9 p.m. But at least I have an hour break in between, right? Silver lining, my friend. And a silver lining for you is another giveaway today! Lets get to it, shall we?

[Pre-Workout]

Super power bites save the day! You should really make them if you haven’t yet.

[Breakfast]

Standard oatmeal, nut butters, and iced coffee. It totally gets me through my workouts 😉

[Snack Time]

I was in serious need of a snack at work and luckily I never leave home without a bar. A caramel nut blast Balance Bar held me over until I got home. Unfortunately, I had to go to the store before I could have lunch so I threw some yogurt, chocolate peanut butter protein powder, and peanuts into a bowl. Deeelish!

[Lunch]

FINALLY lunch time! We’re still going through the pork and it made another awesome salad!

[Afternoon Snack]

I got some awesome strawberries from the store so I grabbed a couple of those to snack on and followed it up with a MealEnders Lozenge. Taken directly from their website..

MealEnders Signaling Lozenges are a weight management product designed to help people avoid overeating and master portion control by clearing cravings from the mouth and mind. Each Signaling Lozenge consists of two flavorful layers, each playing a strategic role in weight loss. The sweet, outer coating provides a measured dose of “dessert”, habitually associated with the end of a meal. Avoiding the “no dessert” mindset prevents a sense of deprivation, which can thwart even the most earnest weight loss efforts. The tingling/cooling inner layer engages the trigeminal nerve, clears the palate and creates a 20-minute eating pause, enabling the brain to recognize the body’s natural transition from hungry to full. By the time the MealEnders experience is finished, the body’s natural signaling process of satiation has begun. With repeated use, users accept MealEnders’ sensations as a cue to stop eating, resulting in sustainable and healthy eating habits.

Sound interesting? When I first was presented the opportunity to review them, I was a bit skeptical. That said, I’m a big fan of the post-meal mint because I feel like it helps curb my sweet tooth, so why not give them a shot? First things first, the flavors are delicious! If I’m craving chocolate, I’ll reach for a Chocolate Mint or Mocha. The Mocha and Citrus are definitely my favorites, though. Once you get through the initial sweet layer, the extra tingly lozenge inside acts as my mint. I’ve definitely noticed that these little guys have helped to curb my sweet tooth after meals!

Want to give them a try for yourself? Click here to enter my giveaway!

Don’t worry if your name isn’t chosen. MealEnders wants to put an end to overeating and believes the more people its 15-calorie signaling lozenges can help, the better! So for two weeks, all “runners up” for the giveaway will be able to buy MealEnders at 30% off. Just enter coupon code WINNER-TOO at checkout. To place your order and learn more about the product, visit www.mealenders.com.

Giveaway Update:
Due to popular demand, the Chocolate Mint flavor is currently on back order. Because MealEnders wants to be sure to deliver the products as promised, the giveaway prize will be set to go out around mid-April when Chocolate Mint is back in stock.

[Dinner]

Buffalo chicken is always a favorite in this house, so crunchy buffalo chicken is even better! And then adding roasted potatoes and brussels? We were quite happy.

[Evening Snack]
Apple + dark chocolate covered salted cashews = happy tummy.

Food for Thought

What tricks do you use to curb your sweet tooth?

Link Love #77 + a Super Power Bite Recipe & Giveaway

Today is going to be a really exciting Tuesday. Not only do I have my usual link love below, but I also have a delicious recipe and giveaway!

A couple weeks ago, I received a sample of Manitoba Harvest’s Hemp Hearts. If you’re not familiar with hemp hearts, they are shelled hemp seeds that are considered a “superfood.” They provide 10g of plant-based protein and 10g of Omegas per 30g serving. With a slightly nutty flavor, they are great on salads, smoothies, ice cream, oatmeal, and more. I’m personally a fan of rolling some protein bites in hemp seeds for a nutty, sweet treat!

Chocolate Berry Super Power Bites

Makes 55-60 bites
Adapted from Cotter Crunch’s Gluten Free Triple Berry Chocolate Cake Bites

Ingredients
– 1/3 cup ground Strawberry Power O’s [can sub vanilla protein powder]
– 3/4 cup coconut flour
– 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
– 1 scoop Healthy Skoop SweetGreens A Game [can sub 1 tbsp protein powder or coconut flour]
– 1/4 cup granola
– 1 cup nut butter [I used Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams]
– 2 tbsp honey
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
– 1/4 cup Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts

Directions
Grind up the Power O’s and mix in a large bowl with the coconut flour, protein powder, Skoop, & granola.

In a smaller bowl, microwave the nut butter and honey to make mixing easier. Pour over the dry mixture, add in the vanilla extract and mix, allowing the nut butter to cool before adding in the chocolate chips. Mix everything except the hemp hearts until incorporated well.

In a small bowl, measure out the hemp hearts and using a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon, measure out the bites and roll in the hemp hearts. Store in the freezer for quick and easy snackage!

Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 tbsp bite
45 Calories / 3g Fat / 5g Carbs / 1g Fiber / 3g Sugar / 2g Protein

Want to win your own bag of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts? Click here to enter my giveaway!

Health

Why Eating A Brownie Can Be Good For You – Love & Zest

Why Eating A Brownie Can Be Good For You – Love & Zest
The dark side of wearable fitness trackers – FitKnitChick
What to Do When You Gain Weight – Eating Bird Food
Food with Benefits – Carla Birnberg via EleVen by Venus
The Amazing Benefits of Honey – Organic Runner Mom

Fitness

“Ups” Pyramid Workout with Cardio Intervals – Pumps & Iron

“Ups” Pyramid Workout with Cardio Intervals – Pumps & Iron
Triple Threat Tabata Workout – Fitnessista
1,000 Rep Workout – Lindsay’s List
At Home Bodyweight Workout – Survive & Thrive
Weekend Warrior 3: Reach The Summit Advanced Workout – Lifting Revolution

Food

Grain-Free Chocolate Donuts with Peanut Butter Sprinkles – Yeah…immaeatthat

Grain-Free Chocolate Donuts with Peanut Butter Sprinkles – Yeah…immaeatthat
Double Chocolate Brownie Irish Car Bomb Cheesecakes – Half Baked harvest
Sesame Crusted Salmon with a Zesty Ginger-garlic Drizzle {Gluten Free} – Cara’s Healthy Cravings via Cotter Crunch
Roasted Broccoli with Curry Dipping Sauce – Delish Knowledge
Vegan Peanut Butter Shorties – Radiant Rachels

Food for Thought

Have you ever tried hemp hearts?
What’s one of your favorite posts from the past week?

Foodie Friday: Asian Sesame Broccoli with Spicy Sriracha Peanut Sauce {Giveaway}

If you ask me, peanut butter goes with everything. Sweet, savory, salty, spicy. Let’s do it!

As part of the Peanut Butter & Co. Yum Squad, I was given the opportunity to create a recipe using their peanut butter and a mystery ingredient. That mystery ingredient just so happened to be a staple in my house—Sriracha.

Peanut sauce fits right in with our typical meals around here and I had a recipe on hand I’d been wanting to try. Adding in the sriracha was the right pop of flavor that I knew would be perfect.

Asian Sesame Broccoli with Spicy Sriracha Peanut Sauce

Serves 4 as a side dish
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients
– 1 large head of broccoli
– 1 cup shelled edamame
– 1/2 cup sliced green onion
– 1/2 cup peanuts; chopped
– 1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flake
– Sesame seeds for garnish
– 1/4 cup Peanut Butter & Co. The Bee’s Knees
– 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
– 1 tbsp lite soy sauce
– 1/8 tsp toasted sesame oil
– 1-2 tbsp sriracha
– 2-3 tbsp hot water to thin the sauce

Directions
Boil a large pot of water, add the broccoli florets, and cook for about 30 seconds. Drain the broccoli and add the edamame, green onion, peanuts, and coconut flake.

For the spicy peanut sauce, mix the remaining ingredients together, except the sesame seeds. Pour half of the sauce over the broccoli and mix well. Drizzle the rest of the sauce over top of the broccoli and top with sesame seeds.

Feeling a little extra saucy? Drizzle some more sriracha on top! What could be bad?

Giveaway Time!

Click here to win a #MysteryIngredient package from Peanut Butter & Co!

Food for Thought

What would you make with the mystery ingredient?

She’s Losing It Book Review & Giveaway

Well this is a new thing for me. I’m not a big reader [aside from blogs], but recently had the opportunity to read and review She’s Losing It!

She’s Losing It! is a memoir about how Lisa lost 50 lbs. at age 38 by entering a bodybuilding competition. She’s Losing It! is like Pumping Iron, only if Tina Fey played Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ultimately it’s a Rocky for moms who find the inherent humor in combining strength training with potty training.

Aside from it being an easy read, it also hits home for every lady out there, I’m sure. How many times have you told yourself you’d start tomorrow but it took a couple of extra days [or months..] for tomorrow to get here? Sometimes your bed is just a little too cozy.

Lisa started from square one; she was once a marathoner who gained a little extra weight over the years. After deciding she’d had more than enough, at 38, she sought out a personal trainer and decided that she not only wanted to get in shape and feel comfortable in her skin again, but enter a bikini competition. She also shares a whole slew of tips and tricks at the end of the book, including a sample meal plan from her trainer. I find those little tidbits extra interesting.. it’s almost saying “hey, you want to compete? Here’s what you’re getting yourself into!” Sometimes we need that extra heads up.

She’s Losing It! is such an inspiring and motivational story to follow of a badass mom rocking her new, killer bod and her struggles and successes that got her there. I’m so happy to be able to offer one of you a book of your own by entering my giveaway!
If you don’t want to wait, you can order a copy direct from Amazon, too. I’d highly recommend you do!

Food for Thought

Have you had struggles with weight loss?

And We’re Back

Have you entered my Peanut Butter & Co. giveaway?

Well, it was a pretty fantastic 2 weeks at home, but today we make our way back to San Francisco. I just have to share a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Clearly my world revolved around my girl!

Food for Thought

What’s your favorite part of a trip home?

Five Things Friday + Giveaway {11/14}

Hot damn, it’s Friday! I don’t know the last time I was this excited to see the big Fri. Yea, that’s what I’m calling it now. It’s just been one of those weeks.. you know the kind where nothing goes right? But it’s over and I’m looking forward to weekend festivities!

1. We have a friend visiting this weekend! Ok, he’s really coming out here for work, but the point is he’s here and we get to spend time with him tonight and all day tomorrow. We have big plans for tomorrow; it’s going to be quite the indulgent day, but anytime we have someone visiting, it’s always all about the food and drink. Just ask my parents!
   

   I’m still proud of them for holding their own with all of the drinking we had them doing 😉

2. Speaking of my parents, the countdown till we head back to Baltimore for 2 weeks is in the single-digits! 9 more days, baby! It’s a shame I’m not at all excited.
3. I got to skype with my nugget yesterday and as soon as we turned the cameras on, she walked across the room to get to me [alright, to get to the iPad and her Bubby, but I can pretend!] She just started walking a couple weeks ago and I can’t wait to play with her and see her run [or waddle] around.
   
4. As part of a campaign with Fit Approach, I received 2 bottles of WIN Detergent. It may not sound too exciting to you, but if you’ve ever experienced the post-laundry stinky workout clothes, you should understand my excitement when I tell you that this detergent is specifically designed to remove sweat, oil, and odors from technical athletic/sports apparel. Hooray for no more stinky workout gear! Haha.
   
5. Even more exciting than me getting the detergent is that they’re offering YOU the chance to win your own bottles. Click here to enter for a chance to win!
   Can’t wait? You can also get $1 off your purchase by entering the code WINGIVE1 at checkout.

And with that, I’m off for a fun weekend 🙂

Food for Thought

Any big plans this weekend?

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary shipment of WIN Detergent as a Sweat Pink Ambassador. All thoughts and opinions of the product are my own.

What I Ate Wednesday #108: National Chocolate Day

Have you entered my Athleta giveaway yet?

Did you know that yesterday was National Chocolate Day? I found out later in the day but luckily I happily celebrate everyday 😉 I swear, no one should have told me that dark chocolate is good for me.. that means I can have it by the handfuls, right? If you’re looking for ways to have a belated celebration, check out these delicious recipes!

• Chocolate Protein Oats
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bark
• Dark Chocolate Dreamy Powerballs
• Dark Chocolate Berry Protein Bites
• Healthy Banana Peanut Butter Cups
• Peanut Butter Cup PARTY Popcorn
• Choco-cado Peanut Butter Pudding

Chocolate for every occasion!

[Breakfast]

Same ol’, same ol’. I’ve been running dangerously low on my nut butters but I’m trying to use up as much as I can before I make more. Let me tell you, it’s rough! Haha I live such a hard life..

[Mid-Morning Snack]
I won a box of Banana Butterscotch Simply Protein bars and they’ve been a great little snack for when I have a quick break at work and know that I’ll need a little something to hold me over. At 130 calories, 8g fiber, 15g protein, and only 1g sugar, they do just that!

[Lunch]

It’s nice having leftovers that aren’t chicken sometimes. A steak salad turns out to be pretty darn exciting! Especially with a sweet persimmon and some cowboy caviar from Trader Joes.

[Afternoon Snack]

Like I said, I celebrate National Chocolate Day everyday! I’m loving having these brownies in the freezer; I just pop it in the microwave with a little coconut almond milk for 30 seconds and top with almond butter. It’s just so good and hits the chocolate spot!

[Dinner]

Note to self: Nathan isn’t a fan of meatless Monday. Ha! At least I enjoyed dinner..

[Evening Snack]
Another apple. More almond butter. And more chocolate.. in the form of chocolate covered salted cashews. Try limiting your intake on those bad boys!

Food for Thought

Did you celebrate National Chocolate Day?

Fitness Friday: Working Out with fitmob + Athleta Giveaway!

There’s an awesome new fitness trend that is making the ability to take a bunch of classes at different gyms more readily accessible. As someone who has lived in an apartment complex with a gym for the past 3 years, I find it hard to want to pay for a gym but at the same time, feel like I’m missing out on some of the fantastic classes that are available for gym-goers. Enter fitmob.

Founded by Snapfish co-founder and entrepreneur/VC Raj Kapoor as CEO, tech guru and martial arts champion Paul Twohey as CTO, and worldwide fitness expert Tony Horton, fitmob is a San Francisco-based company that is described on the their website as:

“An authentic fusion of fitness, community and technology. fitmob combines the power of community with the convenience of a mobile platform to create a fun, affordable and rewarding workout experience in your neighborhood. It’s a new fitness movement with YOU at the center.”

They have a huge array of classes ranging from cardio and strength to barre, yoga, TRX, and more. For just $99/month, you’re able to attend classes with over 75 studios and trainers to choose from as many times as you can get your butt to class! In addition to their Passport program, they’ve also introduced MobTribes, described as on their website as:

“…a shared personal training that’s fun, affordable and all about results. You’ll be matched with a top-rated personal trainer to lead workouts at a convenient location picked by your MobTribe of 4-6 friends.

Your MobTribe will meet twice a week in a 6-week program designed for results! We’ve done plenty of research and studied the science of shared group training.

With MobTribes you’ll get personal attention, nutrition tips, daily activity tracking and off-day workouts, without the price tag of personal training.”

I had the opportunity to attend one of their workouts, Weapons of Ass Reduction [love the name!], last week but unfortunately couldn’t work out the commute with my work schedule. I absolutely plan on giving this a go and checking out a bunch of studios in SF, along with some of their own workouts, in the near future. How could I pass on the opportunity to push my limits? Eeeexxactly!

And now for the giveaway!

Want to enter for your chance to win a $50 Athleta Gift Card? [You do. The new winter line just came in!] Click here to enter and keep cross your fingers!

If you’re free, join fitmob + Sweat Pink #HolidayFitList Twitter Party on Tuesday, November 4th from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST. More details on the event coming soon!

Food for Thought

Do you prefer indoor or outdoor workouts?

I received the opportunity to take part in the fitmob campaign through my ambassadorship with Fit Approach. All opinions are my own.

What I Ate Wednesday #101: Eat All the Food!

Have you entered my AMRAP giveaway yet?

The last couple of days for me have been some serious hungry days. You know the days when you haven’t even finished eating a meal and you’re already thinking about what you’re going to eat next? I just couldn’t get enough! In regards to getting better at the whole intuitive eating idea, I figured I should probably listen to my constant growling stomach and feed it. Makes sense, right? Good.

Pre-Workout

I love my morning bites and I like to think the coffee beans in these bites give me an extra kick 😉

Breakfast

Pretty much the same old protein oats, but I’ve decided to start stirring in the egg whites after the oats have cooked as opposed to cooking the eggs first, separately. The oats end up being creamier and fluffier.. it’s really hitting the spot these days.

Lunch #1

On the rare days that I get to sit on my butt during the day, I tend to go for a snack-style lunch. I sauteed up a jalapeno chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s, loaded up on some veggies, and my new favorite eggplant hummus. The way I’ve been going through that stuff, I’m thinking it’s time I whip up my own version at home.

Lunch #2

I gave it a good 30 minutes or so before deciding I was still hungry for real. Cajun chicken and ketchup? Why not?! I’ve also been having a love affair with ketchup lately. Don’t ask.. ha!

Afternoon Snacks

I truly believe having healthy food in the house is key and when I need a little sweet treat, having a few flavors of bites in the freezer helps. Carrot cake after lunch it is!

And some homemade kombucha! I came back from Baltimore to a gallon of kombucha ready to drink and I’ve been loving it. It’s not so bubbly this time around, but hey, it’s only my first try! I bought some ginger to add to it but I’ve really been enjoying the plain flavor.

A couple hours later, the monster was back and growling again. I mixed a little Vega vanilla protein powder and cinnamon into some Greek yogurt, added a dollop of almond butter, and dug into some granola on the side. That should hold me over for another 20 minutes..

Dinner

The plan was for buffalo tenders but seeing as how I couldn’t find any good buffalo sauce, I made the quinoa crusted chicken strips and Tieghan’s new hot wing sauce. As Nathan said, if we can’t do buffalo, a good spicy Asian sauce hits the spot! I also made some spiralized baked “curly fries” for Nathan. It was a darn good dinner!

Evening Snack
The SweeTangos are out! This apple is a hybrid of Honeycrisp and Zestar; it’s always crisp and not too sweet [I find Honeycrisp to be too sweet for me]. I’m usually not a fan of anything other than Fuji but these hit the spot!

Hopefully I’ve taken care of my bottomless pit of a stomach for at least a few days!

Food for Thought

How do you deal with your bottomless pit days?