Week 6 Day 5 (Fun Friday)

Today, for Fun Friday, we started out by sleeping in just a tad! Everyone needs a little beauty rest every now and then, right? :)

We got up at 8 and started prepping everything we would need to make breakfast once our morning workout was over! Then, Sacha hopped on the treadmill and ran a mile, we grabbed our bathing suits and then we took off down to the river!

For Fun Friday, we decided to go swimming. Which is usually quite fun.. but, today... it was TORTURE! There's just something about exercising that ruins the whole idea of swimming! (I mean, for me anyway.. Sacha had a blast!)

Once we finished pretending to be fish, we went back up to the house and made "brunch".

We had Chocolate Banana Protein Pancakes!

These things were yummy!! (As long as you weren't expecting them to taste like a pancake!)

I stole this recipe from a girl named Susanna Backman whose Instagram name is @tastyhealth. She makes some of the best breakfasts EVER!!!

Pancakes:

1/2 cup oats
1/2 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp granulated sweetener
2 egg whites
2/3 medium banana
2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

Mix ingredients with hand blender until smooth. Fry in a pan using coconut oil for about 30-45 sec each side.

Frosting:

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1/3 cup cottage cheese

3 tbsp raw honey

Mix with a hand blender and add water until desired consistency.

Now, I have to get ready for work!!! I hope you guys have a wonderful day! 

-E

Fiesta Taco Salad

I keep meaning to post this recipe.
But, every time I think about it..
I get distracted! 

So, here it is: 

Fiesta Taco Salad!! 

This recipe was a hit with my family! 

They LOVED it (and that's very rare when I cook!) 

I'm still learning!

I started by making the black bean salad found in a blog called once upon a chef  

Then, I added lean ground beef, tortilla chips, and sharp cheddar cheese!

Black Bean Salad: (6-8 servings)

•2 15ounce cans of black beans(rinsed and drained)

•3 ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob. (I used a can, rinsed & drained)

•2 red bell peppers, diced

•2 cloves garlic, minced

•2 tbs minced shallots

•1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

•2 tbs sugar

•9 tbs extra virgin olive oil

•1 tsp lime zest (zest lime before juicing)

•6 tbs fresh lime juice

•1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 Hass Avocados

Mix everything except avocado in a large bowl. Chill for several hours. Add avocado right before serving. Serve at room temp!

I put tortilla chips in a bowl, added the ground beef on top, then the black bean salad, and topped it with a little bit of sharp cheddar. It was delicious. They absolutely loved it! :)

Eating Clean, One Meal at a Time!

Alyssa let me go wedding decoration shopping with her today!! We had a ton of fun :)

Then, we decided that since she is moving away in two months we need to spend as much time as possible together! So, we're having a sleepover at her house!

We started by making dinner for her family. Honestly, she did most of the work.. But, I helped! :)

We made black bean and corn turkey burgers with whole wheat buns and sweet potato fries! I swear, it was delicious! Her family loved it!

The burgers were made with lean ground turkey, black beans, corn, egg whites, chili powder, and salt and pepper. We added pepperjack cheese, mashed avocado, and sliced tomato. Alyssa did GREAT!

After dinner, we got to start working on some cute little wedding decorations.

These turned out so cute! I'm so excited to see how it turns out on her wedding day! :)

Oh, and then we all got a sweet tooth.. so, we made a healthier chocolate chip cookie. It was sooooo good. It called for old fashion oats, mashed banana, peanut butter, apple sauce, vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. Delicious!!!

Its been such a fun night with the Miller sisters!! :)

Homemade Granola

So, ever since Alyssa gave me a sample of her AMAZING homemade granola.. I have wanted to try to make some myself! I just kept forgetting to have her give me her recipe. But, I finally found one that I thought I could try! I altered the recipe just a tad! It turned out better than I thought it would!

• 7 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cups of slivered almonds 
• 3 Tablespoons of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons pure vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of no sugar added applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey

This recipe makes a giant batch. But, its so yummy!

You can definitely alter the recipe to better suit you.

Check out the link above to see the original recipe.

Enjoy!

-E

Strawberry Smoothies

At our house, we LOVE having smoothies for lunch. Especially during the summer. Lately, Sacha and I have been trying to make healthier smoothies(that don't taste healthy!). One that we like particularly well is our special strawberry smoothies. Here is our recipe:

• 2 cups of ice
• 1/2 cup of orange juice (or any other fruit juice)
• 1/2 cup of kefir probiotic (or a plain greek yogurt)
• 1/2 cup of lowfat strawberry yogurt (I prefer greek yogurt)
• 4 large strawberries (or any other fruit)
• 1 tsp of flax seed oil (can be omitted)
• 4 tbs of honey

Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve.

Makes about 3 servings.

Feel free to add anything you like to the recipe. 

I hope you enjoy!!

-E