>Sweet ‘n spicy deliciousness and giveaway winner!

>I am like a kid in a candy store in Whole Foods. I swear I can walk around bright-eyed for hours in that place. This morning I woke in the mood for chocolate! And so I choc-ed it up, protein-cupcake style.

Chocolate – covered Strawberry PC

Timberrrr!

 Ingdedients:

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use SunWarrior brand, it’s da bestttt)

5 thawed frozen strawberries, mashed

1 T egg whites

1 t chia seeds (optional, good source of omega’s)

pinch baking powder

stevia (1 serving)

h20 to moisten (~2T)

Directions: 

Mix with fork until brownie-like consistency

Spray coffee mug with cooking spray

Microwave ~1 min 30 secs

Top with sweetened low-fat Greek yogurt 

 * * *

Post-digestion, I hit up ‘bucks for the usual “Venti Pike’s Place coffee with 1 inch steamed soy”. Tip: If you think Starbucks is a little too strong for your taste buds, ask for Pike’s Place. It’s their lighter blend. Deeeeeeeeeelish.

Now back to Whole Foods. Not kidding, I think I spent 1.5 hours there. And I didn’t even eat, ha! I did score some major goods however. Some notable mentions..

(click to zooom)

– Flax seed meal (ground flax seeds; can’t wait to use in pizza crust)

– Almond meal (ground almonds; gonna make homemade protein muffins and cookies)

– Coconut butter (heat a little in microwave the drizzle over oatmeal, toast, etc. Great source of healthy fats)

– Black Cherry Berry tea (just tried and ahhhmazing)

– Nutritional yeast (we all know how much I use this stuff)

– Organic Lite Honey Mustard dressing (planning a salmon dish with this one)

– Raw bee polin (a prebiotic and a natural sweetener)

– Spirulina (probiotic; add to smoothies)

– Pesto paste (all organic ingredients. Just add EVOO. And sans parmesan so allergy-friendly)

– Maca powder (good source of vitamin C and known for crazy energy boost. Add to smoothies. Love the stuff)

After cleaning the kitchen and re-organizing (stay tuned for a “what’s in my kitchen” post coming soon), I made hands down the best salad I’ve had in a looooong time. Sorry to toot my own horn, but toot toot 😉 First I cut up lot of veggies.. 

Spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots and avocado 

Then added diced Tempeh 

(And garbanzo beans (chickpeas), sunflower seeds, sea salt, and black pepper)

Next I made the dressing. I used my favorite hummus in the whole wide world, Jalapeno and Cilantro (Trader Joe’s). If you don’t have a TJ’s near you, you can add some fresh cilantro to traditional hummus (and a teeeeny bit of diced jalapenos if like a kick).

Sweet n’ Spicy dressing (1-2 servings)

4 T hummus

2 T nutritional yeast

1/2 – 1 t honey

water, to thin out consistency

(Dressing was so good that I forgot to snap a pic until after I inhaled it)

Add dressing and mix.

The spice of the cilantro was perfectly complemented by the honey. The hummus and avocado added nice texture while the sunflower seeds added the perfect amount of crunch. I not kidding when I tell you this is the best salad I’ve had in long time. Get on it 😉

* * *

If you’ve been following my workout schedule, you can see that I’ve clearly been slacking on the weights and yoga – two very important components of running. I blame it on vacation and catching the spring running bug. I took a BodyPump class yesterday and it felt great to be back. Tomorrow I willlll do yoga. Hold me to it 😉 

Have a great night everyone! I’m heading to the gym then it’s a girls night out 🙂 What are your plans???

 * * *

And the winner for the Wildtree.com giveaway package is…

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:42Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Beth Skendrovic!!! Beth, e-mail me at Biochemista@gmail.com and send me your shipping address 🙂

>Look for the smoothie butt

>Good morning afternoon. It’s the morning for me because I kinda sorta…just woke up. To my defense I worked until 11:45pm last night. And by the time I drove home, showered, had a snack, and unwound, it was past 2am. Eeeek. Gotta work on that. Although it’s late I have such a hard time showering and going right to bed. One would think I’d be exhausted after running around for an 8-12 hour hospital shift. Hmm…

Ideas on how to get this girl in bed earlier?

* * * 

Since we just returned from Myrtle Beach and I’ve been working a lot, I stillllll have yet to make to the grocery store. Therefore many of my meals have been boooorning. Still tasty, but lacking a little in the creativity department.

Enter breakfast #1 (yesterday)

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (SunWarrior brand)

handfull frozen strawberries

1/2 frozen banana

hand full fresh spinach

1 t SuperGreens

1 t flax seed oil (healthy fat, yo)

1 t xanthan gum (to thicken, optional)

stevia (1 serving, to sweeten)

H20

ice

How do you know when your smoothie is of the right consistency? 

Well when it get’s a Smoothie Butt, of course..

 Look for da butt. Works like a charm every time.

Breakfast #2 (today)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (SunWarrior brand)

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup frozen mangoes

1/2 frozen banana

1 t chia seeds

~1 cup unsweetened almond milk

hand full fresh spinach

1 t SuperGreens

stevia (1 serving)

Ice

goblet wine glass (optional)

Lunch #1 (yesterday)

1 can Amy’s Organic Split Pea Soup

2 T nutritional yeast (cheesy flavor plus added protein and B vitamins)

1/4 cup egg whites (added protein, you won’t taste the difference)

cumin

chili powder

pinch cayenne pepper (for spiiiiice)

Snacks

apples

Think thin bars (almost tried every flavor so look for review soon!)

carrots n’ peanut butter

So there ya have it. My snoozefest assembly of recent meals. But in all honesty, it’s comforting to know I  always have a hand full of meals and snacks on hand when the fridge is nekkked. I always have a stash of the following items for times of desperation/laziness:

– Frozen veggies

– Frozen fruit

– veggie burgers

– oats

– protein powder

– organic canned soup

– magic soup/Indian food starters

– Organic Spaghetti O’s (Call me a 5-year-old if you want)

Some easy peasy meals:

Protein oats

Magic soup (on the fly)

Indian food (a la Trader Joe’s)

Amped-up Veggie Burgers

* * *

Completely random, but I’ve received a few emails/comments recently about how some of you want to try spaghetti or acorn squash but are too scared to cut into the darn thing. And rather than telling you to just try it, I think I’ll save a finger or two.

Simple cutting/cooking instructions (for any large squash)

1. Boil whole squash for ~25 mins. This will soften it up (at same time, preheat oven to 425F)

2. Cut open squash length wise

3.  Line baking sheet with tin foil and spray with olive oil

4. Place cut side down and bake for ~20 mins until soft throughout and browned

5. Spoon/fork out seeds

Ta-dah!

* * *

Have a great rest of your day! So jealous most of you only have a few hours of work left. I, on the other hand, am heading to work at 3pm!

Oh and guess what…I am officially registered for the Marine Corps Marathon (Oct 30th)!!!!

Don’t forget to enter my Giveaway! Giving away a great foodie gift package! 

What foods do you always have on hand? 

>The hostess with the mostest

>I kid, I kid. But last night I did host a shebang for 25+ health nuts food bloggers. I asked guests to bring a bottle of wine (covered, to allow for a blind tasting) either red or white depending on birth months. I provided pens and small white labels so we could (try to) guess the type of wine after tasting.

(Image of maaaybe 1/3 of the vino)

And where there are foodies…

You can find lots of FOOD! 

Everyone brought such amazing dishes! Guess that’s to be expected tho 😉 

I supplied a variety of healthy treats…

(Each labeled to let those with allergies know what’s up)

Spiralized raw zucchini with carrots, sea-salted peanuts, & Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette

“Real Food” Brownies 

(Made of dates and chickpeas. No flour!)

(adapted from Jonny Bowden’s Healthiest Meals on Earth)

Combine and blend in food processor 

(or blender in my case, because mine broke! ha)

1 1/4 cup pitted dates, soaked in boiling water for 5 mins, drained

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

4 eggs

1/4 cup almond oil

9 T cacao powder

1/2 t baking powder

1 t cinnamon

stevia (equal to 6 servings)

Bake at 350F for 35 mins

 They were made the night before and were still incredibly moist and gooey.

Veggie platter

Protein-packed Ranch dip 
(organic)

2 cups fat-free cottage cheese

4 T light ranch dressing

1/4 t garlic powder

1/4 t parsley

1/2 t dill

Hummus

(Trader Joe’s brand, garnished with paprika)

Fruit bowl

Chopping fruit yourself lets you hand select which fruits make the cut. Most packaged ones have too much honeydew melon, in my opinion. Ick.

Garlic-stuffed olives

(also TJ’s brand)

And plenty of snacks…

(pineapple salsa)

And where there’s wine…

 (There’s gotta be dark chocolate!)

It was great to see some old faces and meet lots of new ones..

But one guy seemed to steal all of the attention..

Michael!

* * *

After most people left this somehow happened…

And we hit the town for a couple of hours with our dancing feet….

* * *

All in all, I think my first [large] dinner/wine party was a success!

Here are my tips of how to throw a fab (and healthy!) get together:

– Wine over liquor. Cost effective, more antioxidants, and safer for those driving. Skinny sangria is always fun a hit as well.

– Offer plenty of no-calorie hydration (i.e. soda water, and bottled)

– Stick with the basics as a host/hostess to accommodate varieties in taste buds, allergies, etc. (Fruit, veggies, salads healthy dips, pita/hummus, dark chocolate bars, and if you have time try your hand at a guilt-free dessert. Your quests will thank you as they have tons of energy to chat up a storm and aren’t sunken into the couch in a food coma).

– Serve all food in dishes rather than original containers. I know it’s an extra dirty dish, but simple store-bought hummus garnished with your favorite spice can look quite spectacular.

– Offer a few vegan and gluten-free options. Everyone will eat these even if no one ends up requiring them so it’s a win-win situation for all.

– If guests offer to bring food, ask them to bring their favorite/unique appetizer. This way all the basic food groups are already covered (by you) and guests can also enjoy new and delicious treats.

~ Have you ever hosted a large wine/dinner party? ~

*Special thanks to Jill, Lauren, Jenna, Chase, Suzanne, Katie, Emily, Amanda, Lisa, Danielle, Sana, Erin, Sarah, Paige, Sara, and Alex for attending!*

>Mrs. Crankypants

>Ahhh, a day off. Finally. I need it. Mentally. Physically. My poor feet. Ok enough whining..

Yesterday I hit the gym with the Manfriend for a spinning sesh. Since I was feeling devoid of all energy, I decided a class where someone forces tells me what to do, would be better for my current mental state. I don’t know about you but it’s much easier to follow along to someone else’s commands than to motivate myself to the same degree. And me + machines don’t mix all that well <—-snooze.

I was actually getting excited for the class until we realized the instructor was a no-show. Thanks for nothin’. Considering I prepared for a class, I purposely left my ipod at home. Treadmill ADD + no music = not a productive combo. I’ll admit, I’ve been skimping on weights this week so I did my best at a full-body (BodyPump inspired) weights workout. Twas ok, but I probably should have stayed on the couch. Just one of dem days…

For lunch, I wanted complex carbs (and COFFEE) to pump up my energy for a long night at work. Similar to last week’s PB and sweet potato combo, I made a protein-ified (nice word, eh?) version using Greek yogurt.

Salty & Sweet perfection: Baked sweet potato with peanut butter Greek yogurt (FF gr yogurt, peanut flour, sea salt, stevia) and a drizzle of organic maple syrup.

* * *

Work was fine. I really do love the time I spend on the unit. I am so fortunate to have an incredibly rewarding job. I was however, hurting last night. My feet that is. I need to remember to wear these bad boys every shift..

source

By the time I got home and showered (hospitals are dirty, y’all), I was hungry, tired, cranky, and it was 12:00am. Eeeek, there goes the whining again. I had been slacking on my veggies. Aaaand they’re on their way out (nothing irks me more than throwing out fresh fruits/veggies).

Spinach, cherry tomatoes, cukes, fat-free cottage cheese 

With a 1:1 mixture of Goddess dressing and balsamic vinegar <—-Best dressing

And some more unpictured veggies dipped in my favorite hummus…

Trader Joe’s Jalapeno & Cilantro

Note: My sister hates cilantro in almost anything, but love this stuff…

Aaaand some unpictured hot tea and dark chocolate in bed 😉

* * *

This morning I woke around 9am and made breakfast for me and our friend Cory that’s staying with us..

Blueberry Protein Pancakes (recipe here)

* * *

I have a confession: It’s now 4:45pm, and I’m still in my fleece pj’s. I’ve spent my day off cooking (dinner is in the crock pot!), playing with the pup, catching up on the news, recipe reading, and straight up reeeelaxing.

Tonight’s agenda? Yoga then dinner/wine partay to celebrate Kelsey’s (sister) last day of work. Now that’s a perfect day off in my eyes!

~ What’s your idea of a perfect day off? ~ 

>A few quickies

>In the spirit of confessions, I have another one..

I haven’t started Christmas shopping yet. Whoops. But today’s the day. Before I head out for my run, I wanted to share a few favorites I’ve been enjoying recently..

Peanut Butter & Banana oats

1/3 cup oats (soaked in 1 cup almond milk overnight)

1/4 cup egg whites

1/8 cup peanut flour

banana

stevia 

cinnamon

pinch sea salt

peanut butter drizzle

* * * 

Trader Joe’s Lentil Vegetable soup

I add:

pinch cayenne (for heat)

1/4 t cumin (because I love it)

2 T nutritional yeast (for added protein)

*total protein for meal = 25g! 

* * *

Tea at bedtime

A hot shower + tea puts me in the sleepy mood

* * *

What have you been enjoying lately? 

* * *

Completely unrelated but if you want a good laugh…

Briefly watch this (if you don’t know the song)

Then this

>It’s confession time baby

>Like the title? I promise an explanation in a sec…

Today I had the day off. That meant what it usually does: Waking up around 10am, making breakfast and a big ole mug of coffee, catching up on the news and my favorite blogs, then hitting the gym. Today was no different. Is that weird? Do you have a “routine” on your days off?

Breakfast was Raspberry Vanilla Oats

1/3 cup oats

1 cup almond milk

1 t chia seeds

1/2 t flax seeds

stevia, cinnamon, nutmeg

1/4 cup raspberries

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (added after cooking)

pecans to garnish

I didn’t capture any pictures of my coffee but I can estimate for you my caffeine intake was quite high today. It was one of those mornings. I did capture a nice pic of our back deck..

We have SNOW in DC! 

Now onto the R&R of the day…

Confession #1: My sister and I recently reached a milestone. We successfully re-watched all 10 seasons of [the old-school] 90210:

Now let’s do some math: 

10 seasons x 30 episodes/season = 300 episodes
300 episodes x 45 mins = 225 hours or 9.33 days of 90210!

Why am I admitting this again??

———————

For lunch I was in the veggie mood..

Veggies and hummus

And then snacked on yogurt and fruit…

1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt, frozen raspberries, frozen pineapple, stevia

———————

When my eyes were ready to bleed from watching too much Donna Martin, I ventured to the gym for a 30 min spinning class followed by BodyPump. I seriously can’t get enough BodyPump. I love feeling STRONG!

After a muscle-pumping sesh, I refueled with an easy peasy big bowl of thai curry veggies & chickpeas:

Step #1: Boil veggies

Butternut squash, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans

Step #2: Drain. Add spices (curry, turmeric, coriander, S&P)

Step #3: Dress in Thai Curry sauce

This stuff is amazing

Step #4: Savor

——————–

Ok, and now for Confession #2: I’ve been reading a lot of other blogger’s winter skincare routines. It got me thinking: What’s my skin care secret? And then I immediately thought, do I want to share this secret? Not because I want to keep the magic to myself, but because it’s a little embarrassing. If you happen to watch Real Housewives of NJ, you know that Caroline shaves her face because she claims it keeps her face super soft and is the best exfoliant that she’s ever tried. Well I have a problem, I have the worlds most dry nose. No matter what I do, it’s always flaky in the winter months. So I figured, why not shave my nose? I tried it, and viola! I’ve been doing this once per month all winter and no more flaky dry skin on my nose! TMI?? Perhaps! 

Well there you have it!

Do you have any embarrassing beauty secrets?

Do you have a “routine” even on your days off?

>That’s a huuuuuge…TREE!

>

Season’s greetings from Washington!

White House Christmas tree

After a relaxing day off (aka sleeping ’til noon, watching more episodes of 90210 than I care to admit), I hit the pavement for a freeeezing refreshing 4.5 mile run around the White House! I know I say this all the time, but DC is such a beautiful city!

Getting ready for battle (sans make-up, be kind)

During the last mile I could already feel hunger pains setting in. Convenient considering we are in desperate need of a grocery trip. I whipped together a quick Indian dish with foods we usually always have on hand. And ya know what? It was pretty darn good!

Trader Joe’s Punjab Eggplant w/ green beans, corn, kidney beans, red peppers, and scrambled egg whites (only protein we had, haha)

The night was spent watching The Santa Claus 1 AND 2! And a nice big glass of red vino 🙂

And got into the holiday spirit with some new holiday red nails 🙂

——————-

This morning I met Chase bright and early to take her BodyPump class. Girl is a great teacher! So enthusiastic and really motivating. Chase, I’ll happily take your class any time…wink wink, haha. After a heart and muscle-pumpin’ class we chatted over coffee and breakfast. A great start to my day! Thanks again girl ❤

—————–

And then it was time to [finally] get a Christmas tree!

Kelsey (sister) hugging the perfect one ❤

Oh, and it’s quite massive…

 Puts the other tree to SHAME!

Yeah, it’s 1/2 the size of our car…

Can’t wait to decorate!!

—————–

Well I’m off to bake some cookies for tomorrow’s Cookie exchange (so excited!) then head to bed early because tomorrow is Jingle All The Way 10K! Can’t wait to see/meet everyone!

XX,

Lauren

>Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful..

>Does anyone know where fall went? I feel like summer was just around the corner and we just skipped over fall and it’s now magically December. Is it me or does time go by faster each year we grow older? Hmph.

It’s only a matter of days until we see this again…

Last winter in Washington, DC

——————

During the winter months I 90% of the time crave hot and comforting foods: think big bowls of oatmeal, soup, stews, etc. 

Almost every day recently I’ve been having a steaming hot bowls of… 

Blueberry Muffin Oats

1/3 cup oats (soaked overnight in 1 cup almond milk)

1/4 cup egg whites

cinnamon

nutmeg

pinch sea salt

stevia

1/3 cup blueberries

1/2 scoop vanilla protein (added after microwaving)

——————-

As the weather gets colder I typically replace salads, sushi, and other cold foods for those that warm my soul. Since I’ve been working a lot, most lunches have to be thrown together on the

fly

Some canned favorites

 For more protein add diced tofu and/or nutritional yeast 

 Spice ’em up with black pepper, cayenne, cumin, etc. and

ALL-time favorites

Indian fare: Add diced tofu, beans, and frozen veggies

Tomato/Pepper soup: Make magic soup!

Favorite veg burger

  Make veggie burger pizzas or toast them at work and top over toast + marinara 

Leftovers

Roasted veggies on day #2 are even better than day #1.

What are your favorite quick-prep winter meals???

——————–

Well I’m off to enjoy the rest of my day off! On today’s agenda:

– BodyPump class

– Run with the Manfriend

– Decorate/clean apartment

– Vino & dinner party

Have a great weekend,

Laur

*Something to read: Check out my BFF Alyson’s fun, quirky new blog!

>Life.is.good

>Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was spectacular. Sorry for the break in blogging, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t nice to leave the laptop at home and spend some quality time with the family.

Therefore, a bit of a rewind is in order…

Tuesday before work, my hip was feeling good so I headed out for a brisk 6-mile run around the National Mall.

Still looks like fall in the District

—————

Wednesday morning we left before the sun came up and set out for an 8-hour roadtrip to The Granite State (New Hampsha). It wasn’t a bad drive at all – considering I slept over 6 hours 🙂

I was extremely happy to see the new Starbucks decorations when I eventually woke

Roadtrip breakfast of champions:

Oatmeal + diced banana + mixed in protein (I brought some SunWarrior along for the ride)

And a gigantic coffee (Venti coffee + 1 inch steamed soy) <—Picky?? haha

—————–

Thanksgiving morning I ran a 5K in the FREEZING (25F) weather with my entire family. I love our new tradition. I was happy with my time – I ran a 7:45 pace and it was hilly!

I didn’t take any pictures of our Thanksgiving meal because I really wanted to focus on spending quality time with my family that I rarely get to see (because I live in DC). I hope you understand 🙂

I did however, get a picture with the Manfriend’s new nephew.

I’m in love.

—————-

Friday morning I convinced my Dad to take a Bikram Yoga class with me (90 mins in 106F heat) and guess what? He LOVED it.

But first I fueled with a favorite fall classic:

Pumpkin Oats

In the mix:

1/4 cup oats (soaked in 1 cup almond milk overnight)

1/4 cup pumpkin (Note: use 100% pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling)

1/4 cup egg whites (optional, for extra protein)

stevia, 2 servings

1/4 t cinnamon

1/8 t nutmeg

teeeny pinch sea salt

Directions:

Microwave ~3 mins or until oats rise

Stir in 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder

Top with 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (sweetened with stevia)

—————–

Both my parents run half marathons (Note: They started running in their 50’s) so I really think incorporating yoga into his training will help tremendously. It’s helped me for sure!

After an intense sweat sesh, I introduced him to a love in my life:

The Protein Cupcake!

These were fantastic. I think the peanut butter addition made all the difference.

In a bowl, combine and mix:

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I prefer chocolate SunWarrior)

1 T Greek yogurt

1T chunky peanut butter (can use smooth but the nuts were a nice addition)

1 T egg whites

1/8 t baking powder

stevia (1 serving)

teeeeny pinch sea salt

H20 to moisten

Directions:

Spray mug with cooking spray

Spoon in mixture

Microwave for ~1 min, 30 seconds

Topping:

Greek yogurt + stevia, cocoa nibs to garnish

After workout #1 was over, I headed out for an even longer workout #2…..

All I have to say was EVERYTHING at Banana Republic was 50% off….

——————-

All in all, it was a lovely weekend spent with family I love and miss. Sunday morning we had brunch with my parents then hit the road for a long trip back to the Nation’s Capital.

Check out those colors along the way. Not bad for a Blackberry camera!

—————–

Today after work I headed straight to Trader Joe’s as we’re completely out of food. I won’t comment on the ridiculously massive size of the bill, but I will say dinner was pretty great…

Taco Salad!

Ground lean turkey (cooked on the stove top over medium heat)

Turkey seasoning:

1/2 cup salsa

1 T chili powder

1 t cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

pinch cayenne pepper (to spice it up)

juice from 2 lime wedges

Toppings:

And the BEST dressing….

1:1 Greek yogurt/Chipotle salsa + chili powder, cumin

Served with Trader Joe’s Spicy Veggie & Flax Chips

—————–

To top off a great night, we have Holiday music blasting and….

The Manfriend is painting the kitchen

My sister is painting a BEAUTIFUL new painting for our wall

And I’m sitting here relaxing…

With some red wine + dark chocolate.

Life.is.good.

See you tomorrow,

Lauren

>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)

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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!