>Well that was a bust

>Happy Tuesday! Yesterday I had the day off and it was glorious. I woke to yet another bowl of Blueberry Muffin Oats (I can’t get enough! Side note: 1/4 cup Greek yogurt stirred into oatmeal is fantastic).

I caught up on the news with a good friend..

Sir Keurig. How I love you ❤

Oh, and I have another love around me. My sister (his primary owner, even though I like to claim he’s all mine) is in NYC for a few days so I have this little man all to myself:

Michael gazing at the TV

—————–

It’s been a while (err 2.5 weeks) since I took a BodyPump class and so I finally returned and it felt good! After class I had time to kill and some more energy so I decided to take a 45 min cardio kickbox class.

However, something happened that had never happened before: The class was terrible and I left 10 mins. The instructor had no microphone, terrible/scratchy music, and a horribly choreographed routine. I’m not one to complain about classes, but this one was just terrible. So during a water break I inconspicuously slipped out the door and spent my time in the steam room/sauna instead 🙂

*Have you ever walked out of a class???*

—————

For lunch I made a fall favorite…

Boiled then broiled sweet potato topped with 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Turkey chili (I mixed in black beans, salsa, chili powder, and cumin) plus a dollop of Greek yogurt

And in a few hours followed up with a Chocolate Protein Cupcake inspired by Julie’s recipe:

In a bowl, whisk:

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (In my opinion, SunWarrior is by far the best)

1 T egg whites

1/4 t baking powder

stevia, 1-2 servings

1 T Greek yogurt

*Optional: nuts, dark choc chips

Directions:

Spoon into a microwave-safe mug sprayed with cooking spray

Microwave ~ 1 min 20 seconds

In a separate bowl, whisk:

2 T Greek Yogurt

stevia, 1 serving

1 T peanut flour (or 1 T PB/almond butter)

Top with raw cacao nibs

*Note: SunWarrior is the BEST protein I’ve ever tried. It’s absolutely 100% worth the investment. I believe it runs for $46 for 47 servings (<$1/serving isn't bad!). Chocolate and vanilla are my favorite flavors.

And check out the nutritional stats:

source

————–

I spent the evening playing with the pup at the dog park, reading, and whipping up an Indian-inspired dinner.

Using my favorite curry simmer sauce to start:

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425F

Line baking pan with tinfoil and lightly coat with cooking spray

In a large bowl, combine and gently mix:

1/2 eggplant, chopped

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Broccoli spears, fresh

Brussel sprouts, steamed

Cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup curry simmer sauce

1 T EVOO

Turmeric, coriander, garlic powder, curry powder (pinch each)

dash sea salt, black pepper

Roast:

~30 mins, mixing 1-2 times throughout until veggies are roasted

And viola!

I also roasted some additional veggies for tomorrow’s dinner since I’m working 3-11pm.

Steamed, sliced Brussel sprouts then broiled for ~5 mins. Seasoned with EVOO spray, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, drizzle balsamic vinegar.

And more veggies for later!

Roasted acorn squash, brussel sprouts, cherry tomatoes, and tofu (not pictured) seasoned with organic maple syrup (squash) and EVOO, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder (brussels, tomatoes, tofu)

—————

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!

Fitness tip of the day: Next time you’re lifting weights, focus 100% of your mental energy solely on that muscle group. Picture that muscle, and only that muscle feeling “the burn”. This great tip can increase your productivity/results drastically considering muscle wear/tear yeilds increased muscle tone. Give it a try!

Don’t forget to enter my Whole Foods $30 Gift Certificate Giveaway! If you can’t think of a name, just link the giveaway to tomorrow’s blog post/tweet/Facebook post (let me know you did) and each will count as a separate entry! You have until Tuesday (16th) evening!