Lunch with the Princpel

                  Growing up there was only my sister and me. We truly had the best child hood ever!! My parents were as good as they come. Loving, caring, hard working and understanding. Things were always very very tight at home. My mom was a Homemaker and my dad would sometimes hold 3 jobs to cover things. My family did not live an extravagant life. We never had cable and used make believe to pass our time. My mom packed my lunch until I reached Jr. high, there were 2 reason behind this, number one being cost. My mom did a lot of work to make menus, save money and prepare food for every one. Secondly,  if they had sent me to eat school lunch, I would not have eaten half of  the food on my plate.She would pack food we enjoyed eating and was beneficial to our health.
         I never really grew up thinking man" I wish I could eat school lunch. I feel completely left out." A lot of my friends did the same. We would all meet together, open our brown paper bags and nibble on carrots. Now that I've grown and have kids of my own, I have put a lot of thought into this subject. Life in general has gotten bigger. We have social media, sports, jobs and everything in between. We are surrounded with worries that were not present when I was growing up. As time has gone by I think there are some instances where health is not the number one concern when it comes to what is being fed to children in America today. I feel blessed to have grown up in a wonderful home where my mom took the time to make us all lunch's each morning including my dad. I am also grateful to have the knowledge to research this subject.
             I had a humbling experience this morning. Our daughter was chosen to eat lunch with the big guy! The principle!! I went shopping last night and had a plan I wanted to put into action! I woke up this morning 20 minutes before my kids needed to get up and get going. Thought that was plenty of time to whip up my master piece! But DANG it takes some serious time and dedication to make a healthy lunch your kids will eat. I still have some time until CapriLee is in full day school. Thank heavens! The reason I told you the whole back story, is because I think the experiences we have growing up help mold us into adult hood and parenting. The hardships and learning curves my family went through enforced a love to be a good parent with a health driven back bone.

I packed her a turkey sandwich, organic sweet potato and blue corn chips. Grapes, cantaloupe, pistachios, cheese and a juice.  She only had time to eat her fruit and cheese slices but gobbled the rest in the car on the way home. Being a mom is hard but so rewarding! Cheers to 27500 more packed lunches in my life time!

                     

Yo where you been fool!?

Oh my heavens here I am typing away, 8 months since my last post. Well let me explain. I was in the best shape of my life last year. I was training for a fitness comp and felt like I had a hold on my life. Well a little over a year later things have changed. I no longer have abs and a lot of times find myself guzzling a black death down my throat Ive gained weight and don't make it to the gym 6 days a week.
      Deciding not to compete was one of the best things for me. I slept, breathed and ate only fitness. It was becoming like a fog over my life. Since then I have competed in a half marathon and several other types of races. I am working on a  balanced life and have learned to accept that my body does not define who I am. And please understand it takes EXTREME dedication to train and compete in those types of competitions. I respect and look up to others who have so much hard will to do so. As for me it was not the path I wanted to go down.
               I stopped writing this blog because for a long time I felt like I was failing.I would compare myself to the old me. How could I write to others about health and fitness if I was struggling so much. Then I realized I'm not the only one. Life is hard. Its hard to get up in the morning and have every one out the door by 7:45. Its hard to remember to count to 10 while your children are toilet papering your living room. Its hard to try and be Christ like 100% of the time heck even 50% of the time. But we just have to remember its the hard stuff that makes us great. Its that dig deep in your soul and try to make gold out of that crappy situating. I believe that I am here on this earth to learn, to grow and to become better. So lets make a promise. Lets pinky swear to try. To not give up and to remember we have a sister hood where we are all doing the best we can. Besides in the end we all want to win together!!
                    I cant wait to keep up on this blog. I hope to inspire you along the way!
                                    XOXOX  Awnaliese

Chia Parfait

This is one Yummy healthy packed breakfast! I put 1 tablespoon of Chia seeds in 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt plus a bit of steveia. Then I  let it sit over night. That way the seeds have time to swell. In the morning all I did was layered the Yogurt then old fashioned oats and my favorite fruit! Strawberries, mango and blackberries. My kids also really enjoy this and it gives them lots of energy for the school day!

Im Back!!

Hi my dear readers! Its been almost a year since I have written. Seriously cant believe I fell off the wagon for that long. Life got crazy and lets be honest Im a granny when it comes to computer tech stuff so I always felt like I was trying to catch up on figuring this stuff out. Well a little while back I decided to read my blog and it brought back a lot of memories of way I started living this lifestyle. I've had a lot of hardships and experiences that have made me a stronger and better person this last year. I have so much to share with all of you and I'm so excited to get to it!! And even though I stopped writing I didn't stop working hard on my goals. Had a few set backs here and there what can I say I still LOVE me some Black Death every once and a great moon. I will be up loading some pictures here soon and cant wait to share with ya some Yummy recipes!!

Cheat meal turns into cheat day

OK I believe that all is good in moderation. But only to an extant. I still do not partake in soda or truly unhealthy foods. Even on cheat day. I give myself one or two cheat days a week. Sometimes they are planned out or spur of the moment. But some times cheat meals turn into cheat days. On Sunday my family and I had come home from church and I had not gotten to the store the day before to get food to prep or even get healthy snacks. So I was feeling a little overwhelmed with the thought of what to make for dinner or lunch.
      So being over come with hunger I fed my kids a sandwich and got them to bed. I walked back to the kitchen and saw a huge thing of pop corn from the movies from the night before. I had bought it to share and didn't feel bad about eating it since it was our date night and my cheat meal. I had maybe eaten four bites at the movies. So I took the almost full tub of popcorn down stairs with me along with some otter pops and a rice krispy treat. Dan and I watched Pretty little lairs and consumed way to much junk for me to even mention!!
             Around 6:30 I got horribly sick. I was shaking and  and had the worst migraine!
I went up stairs, got my hot pad out and sat there and bailed my eyes out for the next half hour.I remember thinking to myself I had done this. I'm the reason why my body is shutting down. My Husband came to check on me a long with my two sugars. My daughter tucked me in and gave me a soft monkey to hold. And in that instance I realized I could never binge eat again. It is to important for me to be there mommy and take care of my self. I felt guilty for over indulging to the point of completely sickness. My husband took the kids to see my mom so I could relax. ( oh how I love him!) I pulled myself together and walked down stairs to make a veggie omelet and some blue berries. I rubbed some peppermint oil on my fore head and finally fell asleep. I don't even remember my kids kissing me before they went to sleep.
           The reason why I am writing you this is because I am not going to give up and either should any one who falls off the wagon. Just because you hit a bump in the road doesn't mean you should throw in the towel for good. We've come way to far to quit. Im having a hard time passing on sweets and not caving when it comes to crap. But each day is getting better and better. I never want to feel like I did on Sunday again and even though it was the sickest I've felt since giving up caffeine. I'm glad it happened. Ive got some Major goals in mind and I'm not letting this set me back!!!

Mug Cake

I found this Amazing IG account and am loving all her stuff! Ive seen tons of these mug cakes all over fitness accounts that I follow and have always been interested in making one. So this morning I tried it. I was very pleased!! It was so tasty and I cant wait to make another one tomorrow!

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp cinnamon

1/2 Tbs Steviea

3 Tbs mashed banana

2 egg whites

2 Tbs almond milk
Mix in a blender then spray mug with non stick spray. Pour into mug and cook for 2 min.

Protein Fluff icing
All I did was put 1 cup frozen raspberries in my blender with 1 scoop vanilla protein powder. I also added a little milk. Blend for a few min till its fluffy heaven!! 

Protein Bars

Ok Folks I am on the hunt for the best Protein bar. I like to make my own so I know exactly what I'm eating. This is the first one I tried and it was pretty good.

1 cup oats
3 scoops Choc. Whey Protein
3 Tbs Nutella
3 Tbs coconut
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa
4 Tbs Almond Milk ( I would be careful with this. It all depends on your protein. So add a little at first.)

         I wrap mine in tin foil and put them in the freezer till I'm ready to eat one. Mine came out a little soft to so it helped them set up.

Sometime It Just Plain Sucks!!

Well my Husband Man started a new work schedule today. So that means I get to start getting up at 4:30.... That's early people! He had been out of town since Monday so I was doing my best to work out at home. So this morning when I woke up it was so hard! I didn't get to bed till 11 because I was updating Dan in on our babies while he was filling me in on the crazies he sat by on his plane rides. But I rolled out of bed after I had snoozed my alarm twice. Got dressed, ate my oats I had made last night, drank my prework out and jumped into my cold truck.
                  As soon as I got there I saw a neighbor who is not to fawned of me (long story). I waved to be polite and headed to do my leg press. I wanted to see if I could add another 25 pounds to each side.I put my plates on and sat down. While my first try my legs completely gave out. Good thing for safety's! I was so so embarrassed. Every one was staring at me and a few girls were laughing. I just knew my neighbor hater blocker was so happy to see me fail. It took every fiber of me to sallow my tears and not ran and leave. I went down to my regular weight and did my routine. The whole time just feeling off my game and wanting to quite.
      As I was driving home I started to think. Yeah today SUCKED but you know what be proud because you didn't stay in bed and you didn't give up. Tomorrow is a new day and a new start. And for all those people who saw me almost get crushed I'm not there for them. I'm doing this for me. For a better healthier life. And I just need to remember that!! Success is a journey and I know tomorrows work out will be better!!

Progress

While there finally up! I had to down load an app to my phone then my Husband had them on here in like 2 secs! First I just want to start off by saying please only leave positive comments. This is an uplifting and motivating blog. No haters please.These pictures are around 8 months after my second child. I had been eating clean for about a month and lost almost ten pounds in that four weeks from changing the way I ate. And that may not be a lot to some but to me I was thrilled. I weighed around 130 and my body fat was around 27 percent. I now weigh 112 and have 16 percent body fat.  I wish I would of taken a picture when I very first started but at that point I had no plans of what has transpired. Through this all I have fallen in love with fitness and helping others a long the way.  

          

I work my abs 6 days a week. They are regenerative muscles so you don't need to wait in between days to work them. As I look at the pictures I get excited for whats to come. I'm no where near where I would like to be but am on my way. And ladies If you can dream it, believe it then you can achieve it!! And always keep in mind success is a journey! Now lets do this!!! 

Promise I havent forgotten!

OK I think I may be crazy!! My first pic I took was on my phone and I am having the hardest time getting it over to save on my computer!! My Husband owns a Vinyl Decal business and we have 2 monitors so he can do this thang but let me tell ya... It makes it hard for me to figure things out! He's promised me he will help get things up on here because apparently I'm a joke when it comes to high tech stuff! So keep checking back and they will be posted soon. Don't lose faith in me!

3 Bean soup

This is one of my Moms recipes. Its really inexpensive to make and tatsty.  I made it this weekend to last us throughout the week and it was gone in 2 days!! This was the second time I have made this recipe for my family. The first time I made it I remember Dan (the Hubcap) and I both not loving it. I'm pretty sure some of it went to waste. At that point in our lives we were eating poorly and had a very unhealthy lifestyle. We added lots of salt to most everything we ate even things  that were already pre salted. So when we ate it we thought it was tasteless. Its funny how eating clean can completely change your taste buds!! When I took the first spoonful of this I was so excited because I thought it was so flavorful and yummy. I didn't want to stop!

    3 Bean Soup 
2 cans Kidney Beans
2 cans Garbanzo Beans
2 cans Great Northern Beans
2 Quarts Tomatoes ( I bottel my own but store bought works just as well)
1/4 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1/2 c chopped celery
2 medium sized zucchini chopped
1/2 tea garlic powder
1 1/2 tea basil
1/4 tea pepper
2 bay leaves

Combine all ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Stay positive

I have been working on trying to upload some progress pictures but am having a little trouble. Ha ha I'm a granny I tell ya! So stay tuned and they should be up either tonight or tomorrow for sure!
            But for today Id like to share with you how I try and stay motivated and positive. Eating clean and getting to the gym is surly not always easy!! I have a hard time on weekends or on family trips and get togethers. I sometimes feel like I don't want to be rude or put people out by bringing my own food or making an extra trip to the store for clean foods. My husband is very good to remind me to not worry so much of what others think. If they truly love and care about you they will be interested in what your making or eating. Hey they might even want to try a taste.
     Something that also has really helped me is to write on my mirror. I write positive quotes and uplifting messages to push me to keep going. When I look at them I remember how far I've come. I remember the reason why I'm doing this.
   I'm going to start on a vision board this week. I'm going to put my goals on it and place it up by my mirror. I will post a picture of it when I am done. I am also challenging you all to make one to. And lets see what we can accomplish!

Over night Steel Cut Oats!

Ok Peeps this is my Favorite Oatmeal Recipe! I'm not a very big fan of soggy food but this one takes the cake! So simple too!!

3 cups Steel Cut Oats

3 cups Almond milk

10 cups water 

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 c brown sugar

3 tablespoons cinnamon

1 tea nutmeg

1 tea salt

1.5 tea vanilla

Make sure you spray your crock pot with non spray cooking spray!! 

Spray the crock pot and add all ingredients. Then let it cook over night (8 hours) Stir it well then serve with Raisins, Apples and sliced almonds if desired. I also add a tiny bit of almond milk.This is going to make a lot! I make this once a week and it will feed my Hubby and I each morning for a week.

A Little Fitness

Well I haven't written much on the fitness part of my journey and its become a big part. I never really  loved going to the gym. It was hard to get there and I would much rather be sitting watching Chopped or Project Runway while I was snacking on Nachos (which by the way I did on a nightly basis.) And when I did go it was more of a chat sess then anything. My Husband started going regularly while I was pregnant with Hayze and He was so dedicated it motivated me. But didn't kick in until a year later. When I did go I would only ran on the treadmill and do little weights. I think I was worried I was going to pop into a huge muscle manly woman. But that's just not the case. It takes a lot of hard work to build muscle mass.
     I did some research and talked to a lot of people who were in the fitness industry. I came up with a plan. I had to eat right and get my booty to the gym. Ive been going every day for about two months and now I do very little cardio and lots of weight training. Its been tough to put any kind of size on my body but I have seen improvement which helps me to keep going.
      Adding strength training to your workouts is a great way to burn calories. I learned lifting increases your BMC (Basal Metabolic Rate) causing you to burn more through out your day verses cardio. Also if you are running on a full belly its burning off whats in your stomach rather then your other areas. I have a really hard time running or doing carido with an empty tummy. So I was thrilled to be able to eat lift and still burn.
              Its taken me till up to a few weeks ago to actually Love getting up at 5:30 and heading into the cold to go sweat with a bunch of strangers. But now I wake up and look forward to seeing those dedicated people and driving while every one is still asleep. Its like I get to see the world wake up. Trust me I still have those days where its harder then others but when I get in my car and turn on my tunes I'm glad I didn't give up. Here is my workout routine that I do. Hope it helps.

Mon-Thurs legs
leg press 3 sets of 10
Leg extensions 3 sets of 10
lunges with weights 3 sets of 10
leg curls 3 sets of 10
dead lifts 3 sets of 10
calves with weight 3 sets of 10

Tues-Fri
Chest-
Incline press 3 sets of 10
flat bench dumbbells 3 sets of 10
incline flys 3 sets of 10
shoulders-
Military press 3 sets of 10
standing lateral 3 sets of ten
bent over lateral 3 sets of 10
trys-
over head dumbbells 3 sets of 10
kick backs 3 sets of 10

Wed -Sat
Back-
Pull downs 3 sets of 10
long pull 3 sets of 10
close grip pull downs 3 sets of 10
Traps-
upright row 3 sets of 10
shrugs with weights 3 sets of 10
Bis-
standing barbell 3 sets of 10
dumbbell curls 3 sets of 10


    Now when I first did this I had to look on the Internet to see what half  of these things even were. On my paper I drew little pictures of how to do some of the exercise. Don't feel dumb about asking for help I still do!!

Healthy Cookies!

I know I've been MIA lately and I'm sorry!! But I've been trying out lots of new Yummy things to share in the mean time. These our my Fav Cookies. I keep a ziplock in my gym bag and have one or two on my way home after my work out each day. They go great with my protein shake and gives me a boost of happiness! 

Nature Cookies

6 Bananas mashed

1 c olive oil

1/2 tea cloves 

1 tea cinnamon

1 tea soda

2 eggs 

3 c whole wheat flour ( I grind my own but store bought is great too)

3-4 c oats

I also add raisins craisins and dark chocolate chips.

Mix together well Bake at 325 for 8 min.

Clean No Bake Cookies

1 ripe mashed Banana

1 c sugar

1/4 c cocoa powder

1/2 c almond milk

1/2 c natural peanut butter

pinch of salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 c old fashioned oats

Place all ingredients in a pan except for the oats and vanilla bring to boil over med heat stir often. Let boil for one min then remove from heat. Let it cool for one min then add remaining ingredients mix well and form cookies onto wax paper.

I replaced the butter with the Banana and it has half the sugar in it. Yes there is sugar but much healthier then the regular no bake cookies. The banana keeps them very moist and I like mine a little drier so I just kept them uncovered for a day. Very Yummy!

Strawberry Power Bowl

Here is a great energy builder for the morning. I make mine the night before so its all ready for me in the morning before I head to the gym.

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 TB Chis seeds

1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

5 oz plain non fat Greek Yogurt

2-3 packets of Stevia (or Truvia)

3-5 sliced Strawberries(or dark berries)

Now make sure you mix this very well. The first time I made this most of my Chia Seeds clumped together and I had to throw most of it out. The Seeds are going to swell and have a jelly like coating. Don't be worried. This makes a bowl full I eat half in the morning and the rest for a snack later in the day. Hope you enjoy it!

Cha Cha Chia!!

OK my friends I have came a crossed gold! I'm a little in LOVE with these awesome seeds. I get mine from Good Earth and you can put them in pretty much anything. Ive made jello with them added them to my green smoothies and in my water. Here are some fun facts about Chia seeds.

-Anti inflammatory

-41% of your daily fiber in 1 serving

-contains your omega 3

-double the antioxidant's of blueberries

-6 times more calcium of milk

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Oh my heavens this is soooooo Good I was dying at how amazing this was! It makes a lot and we went through it in two days! You have got to try this!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups onion
1 tsp oregano
4 cloves minced garlic
2 medium green peppers
4 14.5 oz cans organic diced tom. with green chilies
8 cups organic low sodium chicken broth
2 cups frozen corn
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

Add everything in the crock pot and stir it a little bit. Cook on high for 8 hours or on low for 4 hours. I also added kidney beans. There wasn't any room in the crock pot so I would just add some into our bowls each time we ate some. Love this one!!!!

Salsa Chicken

I found this recipe on line and it turned out really good!

SALSA CHICKEN

3-4 lbs  boneless skinless chicken breast

4 large diced tomatoes

1.5 cups salsa ( I get mine from Cosco its organic and you get two!)

2 tbsp red pepper flakes

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper (if you want to add some heat)

Add all your ingredient's to the crock pot and cook on low for 7 hr.

I added sliced onions and green peppers to mine. We have had this on salads, by its self and in burritos. Its pretty yummy!

Clean Pizza

K this by far has to be one of my FAVORITE clean meals I have ever made! All you do is take a whole wheat English muffin spread olive oil over them mince some garlic and spread. Then I used mozzarella cheese spinach and tomatoes on top. I put in the oven on 350 till I could see the cheese was melted and the veggies were cooked. I cut up some kiwis and let my kids use organic spaghetti sauce for theres.