What’s on My Plate Wednesday – Weekly Eats

Hey guys! It’s hump day! Just 2 full work days left and then it is the weekend! Got anything special going on this weekend?

I will probably sleep a lot – I was not getting enough sleep this week. And when I don’t get enough sleep…well…you know…”don’t get body slammed by a low land gorilla” 🙂

It’s been a while since I shared my eats with you here, so here we go – “What’s on my plate Wednesday” post in store for you today. 🙂

B-1

Egg sandwich on an English muffin, corn muffin (recipe coming soon), oatmeal with cinnamon chips and sliced almonds, buckwheat with honey and butter, oatmeal with cinnamon chips and marshmallows. I’ve generally been pretty good with my breakfast choices as you can see.

L-1

Warm quinoa salad on a bed of spinach, pre-prepped salads, lentil soup (crockpot), salad/sandwich combo, Italian Grinder. Lunch…I am a Queen of Lunch Prep! So pretty good choices here too.

D-1

Pork loin with buckwheat, mushrooms and onions on the side; pork chops with buckwheat; salmon, rice, avocado and spaghetti squash; home made beef enchiladas; chicken roaster with veggies. Except when my hubby is making dinner (yes, enchiladas, I am talking to you), my dinners look pretty healthy. 🙂

S-1

Celery + homemade hummus, snapeas crisps, PB-banana smoothie, raspberry-banana smoothie, cuties. Yeah, this is my weakness. Can’t even begin to describe you what I snack on that doesn’t get to the social media in the form of pictures 🙂 Het, bare with me – I am working on it and it’s a journey!

What fun foods have you eaten lately?

Stay fit, folks!

Lena

 

Weekend Cooking Spree

Hey guys! How was your weekend?

Mine was busy!

The weather was just gorgeous here this weekend, but sadly, I didn’t get to do much outside.

On Saturday morning hubby and I headed out to the Y to take Jim’s indoor cycling class. It was so nice out that I decided to take my new Vibram Five Fingers for a walk.

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Love-love-love them!

Since my Spinning® instructor training I noticed that my workout attitude and the overall “feeling” at a cycling class has changed dramatically! For some reason I was always going for the speed – thinking that if I go faster, it will be better for me, I will burn more calories and all that crap. Well, that all has changed now. I am doing speed work, too but generally try to apply more resistance on the wheel than I used to and focus more on my heart rate rather than the RPM.

Taking the training also changed my entire perspective on what a bike set up should be – I have my saddle a lot higher now and I’ve noticed that it is making it much easier on my knees – a lot less cracking! 🙂

Anyway, with that in mind, I went pretty close to my usual distance on Saturday but burnt the number of calories I haven’t burnt in a cycling class in a long time.

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I did take a nice two-hour nap on Saturday after this class + yoga. I just had to! It was the best nap of my life 🙂

When I woke up from my nap, it turned out the youngest had gone for a sleepover, so suddenly me and hubby had the evening to ourselves. We headed out for dinner to a Chinese place, and then decided to do some wandering around TJ Maxx. Well, I never leave that store without a score (yep, I rhymed that on purpose!)

Got me some yoga socks :)

Got me some yoga socks 🙂

I’ve been eyeing those for a while, but they just cost some ridiculous money it seems like. These were $3.something a pair so I got them and will give them a try this Wednesday!

On Saturday I also managed to squeeze in some meal prep into my day somewhere between the two workouts and the nap.

Homemade hummus, quinoa, water infused with cucumber and frozen mint leaves

Homemade hummus, quinoa, water infused with cucumber and frozen mint leaves

Did you notice I got my water infusing water bottles that I mentioned here? 🙂 I just love the one with the orange cap except for one thing – it had a huge sticker on the front. Being an OCD driven woman, I took it off and now it’s sticky. Some Googone will have to be applied – and that’s just too many motions for something I want to get in the mail and simply enjoy. If you don’t have an OCD, you will do just that without Googone – enjoy 🙂

The one with the red lid and bottom – I haven’t quite figured it out yet – the infuser part comes out through the bottom, if you don’t put the bottom lid back on tightly – it leeks. It’ll take me a while to make friends with this one 🙂

Anyway! On Sunday morning we slept in and hubby made me an awesome brunch.

crispy bacon, poached eggs, potatoes and English muffin

crispy bacon, poached eggs, potatoes and English muffin

And then it started…My cooking bug was obviously up and full force this weekend. I just couldn’t stop cooking!

I did my lunch prep for the week:

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Cut up some bananas to freeze for my smoothies:

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Made some more infused water (oranges and tangerines):

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Made these super awesome breakfast corn muffins with cheese and ham:

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By the time I was done with my meal prep, it was time to make dinner. So I threw together this chicken with veggies.

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And yes, those are pecan bars you see in the background – I made them, too. What? The oven was warm anyway 🙂

Tell me: what fun stuff did you do this weekend?

And as always – stay fit!

Tasty Tuesday – Foodie’s Guide to Snacking

Hey, happy Tuesday! Tasty Tuesday! 🙂

Are you a snacker?

I am a “snacker”. Oh, I am such a “snacker”.

I am one of those people who needs to eat every couple hours. WHAT to eat is a big question here as you want to keep your body fueled, not overwhelmed by what you put in your month in between the meals.

I have been on the hunt for perfect snacks and sharing my finds with you today.

{ONE} Homemade Peanut Butter and Banana.

First of all, you can easily use store bought PB if you don’t feel like making your own. If you do feel like making your own, check out this recipe here that I used. I should have processed mine a little longer though – it is a little crumbly.

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{TWO} Smoothie

There is nothing like a good smoothie to keep me going until my next meal!

Usually I put all the ingredients for my morning smoothie in the blender cup the night before and put it in the fridge. Whirl it up in the morning after breakfast and take to work with me. This way I don’t reach for that candy in the break room at work but drink my delicious smoothie that keeps me going until lunch.

The flavor possibilities are endless and you are your own chef!

Smoothies

My “must include” ingredients are frozen fruit and cottage cheese/yogurt – they create the thick and creamy consistency that I like.

{THREE} Homemade Hummus

Love it! Try making it using this recipe and you will never buy hummus again! Have it with veggies or tortilla rounds.

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{FOUR} Fruit

Perfect snack! Sweet, juicy and good for you. Prep some the night before or on the weekend (rinse, peel, cut, pack in zip lock bags) and take to work.

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{FIVE} Nuts

If you love nuts as much as I do, it is probably very difficult for you to avoid buying and eating nut bars. Am I right?

Choose raw nuts over nut bars and spare yourself that extra added sugar. Don’t buy the “super-protein-and-fiber-packed” promises on the labels. Just eat raw nuts instead.

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{SIX} Homemade Granola

Is a super-snack! Make a batch on the weekend, pre-pack in zip lock bags or small plastic containers and enjoy during the week.

Here’s a recipe for you to play with – add/substitute the ingredients depending on what you like and keep it healthy!

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Add fruit and/or cottage cheese/yogurt to it and you got a perfect snack or breakfast!

{SEVEN} Baked Oatmeal

This is not only a GREAT breakfast, but also an awesome snack – one of my all-time favorites. Make a whole batch on the weekend and you have a ready snack/breakfast for the whole week.

One of the base recipes is right here for you – play with it as you like.

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Enjoy with yogurt, fruit and/or cottage cheese on top.

There you have it – 7 snack ideas for 7 days of the week.

To sum it up, here are some general guidelines when it comes to snacking:

  • Prep-prep-prep. Don’t be lazy to do your meal/snack prep on the weekend – you’ll be happy you did. Rinse and pack fruit and veggies, make a batch of baked oatmeal, granola or hummus and pre-pack for the weekdays. Cut up and freeze bananas and other fruit for your smoothies. Put all the ingredients in the blender cup the night before for your morning smoothie. You will thank yourself later.
  • Always carry a healthy snack in your purse. Never leave the house without one. What happens is – you are out and about – > you get hungry – > Les Big Mac. Don’t let it happen and have a healthy snack with you.
  • Make smart choices (choose raw nuts over sugar packed nut bars).
  • Before you buy, ask yourself – can I make it myself? If you can – make it!
  • Let fruit and veggies always be your number one choice when it comes to snacking.

Share: link up your favorite snack recipes below or share in comments: what is your favorite snack?

Stay fit!

Lena

MNB Challenge, Week 2 Recap – Nourish

Hey guys! It’s the weekend! YEY!

We are totally and completely snowed in this week!

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I needed a training plan to shovel all that! My back and arms are still sore…

Anyway, back to the business –  today I am going to tell you about Week 2 of the Move. Nourish. Believe Challenge that I am taking part in.

You can find the first week’s recap here if you missed it last Friday.

So, the second week was all about nourishing your body.

{MONDAY} Go Meatless

This week’s Monday was announced to be Meatless Monday by the challenge hosts Fit Approach and Lorna Jane Active.

The name speaks for itself – we had to go meatless.

Meatless Monday

I had oatmeal with honey and frozen raspberries for breakfast, pasta salad for lunch and Thai food (salmon, fried rice with veggies and tofu, and rice noodles) for dinner as it was Simon’s birthday and we went out to eat.

{TUESDAY} Bring your lunch to work

Tuesday was Bring Your Lunch to Work day. That one was easy for me – even though I didn’t get my usual massive food prep done last weekend (as I spent most of it in my Spinning Instructor Training), I still managed to prep salads for a couple of week day lunches and also took some leftover fried rice with veggies and tofu to work with me from the night before.

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{WEDNESDAY} Write it down!

On Wednesday the challenge was to journal our food and show what we ate (another easy one for me since I do it every day with MyFitnessPal).

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

{THURSDAY} Thirsty Thursday

On Thursday the challenge was to make a healthy smoothie. Another easy one for me! I usually make a smoothie every morning and take it to work with me to have as a morning snack as I have breakfast pretty early and usually get hungry by 10:30 am.

Carrot Cake Smoothie

So, the Thursday smoothie was:

1 carrot cake popsicle

1 frozen banana

2 tbsp. Activia Greek yogurt (vanilla)

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp sliced almonds (to garnish)

3-4 frozen raspberries (to garnish)

1/4 tsp chia seeds (to garnish)

{FRIDAY} Go raw!

Now, that was a heard one for me… even though I love salads, fruit, veggies and smoothies.

I did some prep.work the day before:

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So all I had to do on Friday was stick to the plan! That made it a lot easier for sure.

Breakfast smoothie: spinach, kale, celery, avocado, frozen banana, almond milk

Breakfast smoothie: spinach, kale, celery, avocado, frozen banana, almond milk

Lunch was an all-veggie salad with spinach, avocado, cucumber, bell pepper, red onions, corn and pepitas.

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Dinner unfortunately was not raw…hubby took me out to eat for Valentine’s day, so my plan did not work 🙁

Now – on to Week 3 of the challenge – the Believe part! Stay tuned for the recap next weekend.

Question: have you ever tried raw eating? What did you think of that?

Stay fit, friends!

Lena

Recipe: Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hey guys! Happy Saturday!

I hope you’re having a wonderful day. While I am at a very exciting event right now, which I will tell you about in the beginning of next week, I have scheduled this post to share a great recipe I have recently discovered.

I was looking for a recipe for oatmeal cookies last week and found this one in my recipe keeper. I honestly don’t know where it came from, but with a few changes to the original recipe, it turned out great and not so damaging 🙂

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

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INGREDIENTS:
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 ripe banana, mashed
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 oz dried cranberries
  • 2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 375º F
  2. Beat butter, sugar and banana together until light and fluffy
  3. Add eggs, mixing well
  4. Combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl
  5. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition
  6. Stir in dried cranberries and chocolate chips
  7. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown
  9. Cool on wire rack

Makes 18 cookies @ 173 calories per cookie.

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Have a wonderful weekend, guys! Stay fit and warm.

Lena

Tasty Tuesday – Homemade Hummus Recipe

Hey guys! Happy Tasty Tuesday from the snow covered PA!

My back yard yesterday

My back yard yesterday

you can see on the patio table how much snow we got

you can see on the patio table how much snow we got

and on my garage light...

and on my garage light…

and the trees still look like they came out of a fairy tale

and the trees still look like they came out of a fairy tale

So this past weekend, in preparation for the Big Game, I was thinking about the snack menu and decided to go with tortia rounds and homemade hummus.I then embarked on a long and complicated journey of finding a perfect recipe for it as I had already had a few unsuccessful attempts in making hummus at home.

I found this recipe here and decided I will share it on my blog with you guys and so I could go back to it myself when I need to.

The link above has great pictures of the process and a lot of details on “how to” and why not any other way, so I am just going to do the facts here 🙂

Homemade Hummus Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Homemade Hummus Recipe

Ingredients

  • One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • Half of a large garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water
  • Dash of ground paprika for serving

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1.5 minute.
  2. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and the salt to whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute.
  3. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and smooth.
  4. If the hummus is too thick or still has tiny bits of chickpea, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until the consistency is perfect.
  5. To Serve: scrape the hummus into a bowl then drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika.
https://leanlena.com/tasty-tuesday-homemade-hummus-recipe/

I hope you’re enjoying your week so far and staying warm!

Lena

Five on Friday – Foodie Pen Pals Reveal Day

Hey guys! Happy Friday to you!

I hope you had a wonderful week or just happy that the work part of it is over if you didn’t.

So, traditionally on Fridays I post about five things I am loving lately. This time this post happens to fall on the same day as my Foodie Pen Pals Reveal Day, so I am going to tell you all about that in the form of Five on Friday post! 2 in 1. Behold!

This month I was paired with Andrea from TN! After a quick exchange the boxes were on the way. Before I knew it – mine has arrived:

The box was sooo big!

The box was sooo big!

So, here we go – things I got in my wonderful box!

{{ONE}} PB2

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If you live in the woods (like me), you’ve never heard of such a thing as powdered peanut butter 🙂 PB in my family is a sensitive subject – because everyone is addicted to it. We try not to buy it because it disappears faster than we remember that we’re trying to eat healthy. The only time I buy it is when I need it for cooking (seriously!)…But before I can even start thinking about cooking with PB – it disappears.

So – this thing here is a perfect solution to my problem! Those PB addicts will not eat powder (I know that because it has been sitting in my kitchen cabinet for 2 weeks now and nobody touched it).

{{TWO}} Bob’s Red Mill – Hot Cereal

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Another first for me and look how wonderful it is to have it for breakfast!

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{{THREE}} Sweet Potato Chips

I LOVE sweet potatoes! In any form and shape and size.

Omnomnom!

Omnomnom!

 

This is how much I got to have of them before they vanished...mysteriously

This is how much I got to have of them before they vanished…mysteriously

{{FOUR}} Wasabi Peas

These had to be donated to the husband - turned out to be too spicy for me. He was very happy!

These had to be donated to the husband – turned out to be too spicy for me. He was very happy!

{{FIVE}} Pot Holder and Bag Clips

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Even though you don’t have to send anything but food, Andrea was so kind to include these wonderful presents for me!

All in all, look what a great box I got from Andrea:

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Have you ever participated in Foodie Pen Pals? No??? You gotta do this! Head over here and register!

Check out the pervious boxes I got from my Foodie Pen Pals:

October 2013

September 2013

August 2013

July 2013

Stay fit and have fun, guys!

Lena

Five on Friday

Hey guys! Happy Friday!

I hope you had a wonderful week and are ready for an even better weekend!

While you’re still waiting for it to come, here’s my “Five on Friday” – a weekly post about 5 things that I have been loving, liking, enjoying, etc.. lately.

{{ONE}} EOS – Lip Balm

Blueberry-Acai

Blueberry-Acai

Love those things! Carmen got me hooked on those – she started collecting them a while ago. I got her a set of lip balm and hand lotion by EOS for Christmas. She already had the lip balm flavor that was in the package, so I kept it for myself 😉

I am not a lip balm/chopstick kind of person at all…But I LOVE this series! It is sweet, too!

{{TWO}} Nike Air Total Core Cross-Trainers

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$70 at Kohl’s.

I have shoes for running and walking, so I was looking for something light and easy to slip on for my cross training. Found it!

I love these shoes! They are extremely lightweight, comfortable and stylish!

Let's go lift some heavy stuff!

Let’s go lift some heavy stuff!

{{THREE}} CND Creative Scentsations Hand & Body Lotion – Pear & Dandelion

It looks like this post is going to be about girly stuff 🙂 Oh well, let it be. Next on the list is this magic hand and body lotion.

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What’s interesting – I don’t like any other kind from this CND series – just pear and dandelion. I absolutely cannot survive the winter without it! I use it mainly as hand lotion, but it is good as body lotion as well. I buy it in 31 OZ bottles. Seriously!

{{FOUR}} Naval Oranges

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Image and Oranges Source

I made my husband go to Walmart at 9:00 PM and get me those the other day. It says it all!

I crave them, I eat at least one a day and I don’t see the end of it in the near future.

{{FIVE}} Ceramic Candle Warmers (Electric)

LOVE those things! After searching everywhere – Target, Kohl’s, Walmart, etc., I got mine from Amazon.

You put in a candle in a glass jar into this thing, plug it in, it heats up and melts the candle. I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful it makes my house smell! I got a candle with the holiday season scent and we enjoyed it so much! It also lasts a lot longer that if you would light up that candle.

Your turn! Share links to your “Five on Friday” posts with me or just comment here! I would love to hear what you’ve been loving lately.

 

Apple-Eggnog Baked Oatmeal

Hi guys! Tasty Tuesday here!

So, you have definitely noticed by now that I am a big fan of oatmeal 🙂 I love it and can think of 15 ways to eat my oats!

But I also keep coming up with new ways for you and me to enjoy oatmeal!

Last weekend I got inspired by the season and came up with a recipe of Apple-Eggnog baked oatmeal. It turned out so well my husband said it was the best yet! Give it a try while we still have fresh apples and eggnog on the store shelves at the same time.

For this recipe I didn’t use fresh apples, though – just because I still had leftover dehydrated apples that Noah sent me as part of the Foodie Penpals box exchange.

Apple-Eggnog Baked Oatmeal

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Yield: 9 servings

Serving Size: 1 serving

Calories per serving: 189

4 g

Apple-Eggnog Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups dry oats (I used Giant old fashioned oats)
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 1 very ripe banana, mashed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cup dehydrated or fresh apples, cubed

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Mix dry ingredients until well combined.
  3. Combine liquid ingredients in a separate bowl.
  4. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry.
  5. Mix well.
  6. Spray a pan with a non-stick spray.
  7. Pour the mix into the pan.
  8. Bake for 45-60 minutes.
  9. Enjoy!
https://leanlena.com/apple-eggnog-baked-oatmeal/

Have a great rest of your week, guys and eat healthy!

 

Peanut Butter-Banana Energy Bites

Hey, guys! Happy Saturday!

I am a snacking person, and snacks are a very important part of my daily meal plan. The only problem is – if I don’t watch it, my snacking gets out of control and I just eat all the unhealthy crap I can get my hands onto! To avoid this, I do a few things:

– I plan my snacks for the day.

– I ALWAYS have a snack with me when I leave the house.

– I make sure I have healthy snacks.

I wanted to share one of my go-to recipes for a healthy snack with you today. These guys come together in under half an hour and are very delicious!

Peanut Butter-Banana Energy Bites

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 14 bites

Serving Size: 1 bite

Peanut Butter-Banana Energy Bites

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup of creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tbs honey
  • 1 ripe banana, mashed
  • 1 cup oats (quick or old-fashioned)
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Cocoa powder for rolling

Instructions

  1. Melt peanut butter and honey in a microwave. It melts very quickly, so make sure you keep an eye on it.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
  3. Add peanut butter and honey mix to the dry mix.
  4. Add mashed banana.
  5. Combine well.
  6. Roll into balls and roll them in cocoa powder.
  7. Refrigerate for minimum of 2 hours before eating.
https://leanlena.com/peanut-butter-banana-energy-bites/

 

Foodie Penpals Reveal Day – October 2013

Hey, guys!

I am finally back here from my week of being down with a bad cold, and it is that time of the month again – Foodie Pen Pals Reveal Day.

This month I got paired up with Noah, who is a professional cross country skier and a member of the US ski team. I am very thankful for this program for giving me a chance to get to know so many wonderful people from all over the United States!

Without further ado, here are the goodies I received from Noah.

Always exciting to get a box in the mail!

Always exciting to get a box in the mail!

Noah included a hand written note for me.

Noah included a hand written note for me!

 

Pasta - always a hot commodity in my house!

Pasta – always a hot commodity in my house!

Tortilla Chips - these guys disappeared within seconds from the moment I opened the box!

Tortilla Chips – these guys disappeared within seconds from the moment I opened the box!

It was a miracle that I managed to save some for myself to eat later :)

It was a miracle that I managed to save some for myself to eat later 🙂

OMG! These apple rings are SO good! I wish I could get a pack of those every week.

OMG! These apple rings are SO good! I wish I could get a pack of those every week.

See? Perfect snack! And no added sugar.

See? Perfect snack! And no added sugar.

My favorite PB - Justin's

My favorite PB – Justin’s

Exercise hydration mix!

Exercise hydration mix!

Great box - all the way around!

Great box – all the way around!

Noah, thank you so much for the time and thought you put into this wonderful selection of goodies!

And you guys can now go and check out a super nice post Noah wrote about the box I sent him.

Interested in what the Foodie Penpals program is? Head over here:

blogbadgeAPPLE

Previous Posts about Foodie Penpals:

September 2013

August 2013

July 2013

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Muffins Recipe

Hey, guys! How is your week going?

Mine is hectic and busy, but I live in the hope for Friday, which is right around the corner!

Anyway, just wanted to share a great recipe with you today.

I have found the original recipe over at My Whole Food Life and modified it a little. If you like simple healthy recipes, be sure to check out this blog. Melissa has a ton o those for you!

Now let’s take a look at how to make these super delicious and easy pumpkin muffin!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Muffins

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 9 muffins

Serving Size: 1 muffin

Calories per serving: 125

4.1

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup or raw honey
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 2 T apple sauce
  • 4 T almond milk
  • 1 ripe banana, mashed

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl.
  3. Mix wet in another.
  4. Add wet to dry and mix until wel combined.
  5. Spoon batter into lined muffin pan.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes.
  7. Take out of the oven and let cool on a rack.
  8. Enjoy!
https://leanlena.com/pumpkin-pie-oatmeal-muffins-recipe/

Stay fit, friends!

 

 

Tasty Tuesday – 15 Ways to Eat Your Oats

Hey guys! Happy Tasty Tuesday!

Did you have something yummy for breakfast today? I had oatmeal 🙂

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I LOVE oatmeal! I can have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and then through some in as a snack, too 🙂

Anyway, I post a lot of pictures of oatmeal in my “What’s on my Plate Wednesday” posts, but I never really share the recipes for my “oatmeal adventures”. A lot of times you can see in the pictures what goes into my oatmeal, but I thought I’d share a more detailed post with you entirely dedicated to my oatmeal obsession 🙂

So, here are my 15 ways to eat my oats!

Bake it!

Baked Oatmeal

This is my all time favorite. Usually every Sunday I make a whole new batch of baked oatmeal, then heat it up in the morning and have it for breakfast with some fruit and yogurt.

Baked oatmeal with bananas, blueberries and yogurt

Baked oatmeal with bananas, blueberries, sliced almonds and yogurt

I also eat it as a snack in the afternoon with some coconut butter on it.

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The beauty of the baked oatmeal recipe is in the fact that you can add whatever you want to it! Swap the dried cranberries for dried apricots, add chocolate chips, nuts or whatever your heart desires.

Check out the recipe here.

Hot Oatmeal with Toppings

cherries, cinnamon and chocolate chips

cherries, cinnamon and chocolate chips

Cinnamon, chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds

Cinnamon, chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds

Banana, blueberries and cinnamon

Banana, blueberries and cinnamon

banana, cinnamon and apple-quinoa crunch

banana, cinnamon and apple-quinoa crunch

pomegranate, chocolate chips and cinnamon

pomegranate, chocolate chips and cinnamon

strawberries, chia seeds and cinnamon

strawberries, chia seeds and cinnamon

chocolate chips, cinnamon and chocolate chips

apple chips, cinnamon and chocolate chips

Overnight Oats

If you know you’re going to have a super busy week when every minute of sleep counts, this is a great way to save time on making breakfast and still eat right and healthy.

On the weekend before a week like that I make my overnight oats for the whole week. Just combine oats and milk (I use almond milk) put into jars and refrigerate. I like adding 1 tsp of chia seed per jar into mine.

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During the week – just heat it up or eat cold – however you like it.

strawberries, chocolate chips, sliced almonds

strawberries, chocolate chips, sliced almonds

dried cranberries, bananas and sliced almonds

dried cranberries, bananas and sliced almonds

Make Granola!

One of the ways to eat your oats is make granola! That is such a great snack or part of your breakfast, too. Here’s the recipe for the homemade granola I use.

mix it with fresh fruit

mix it with fresh fruit

 

add some Greek yogurt

add some Greek yogurt

have it on top of some cottage cheese

have it on top of some cottage cheese

have it on top of chia seed pudding

have it on top of chia seed pudding

And those are my ways of eating oats, friends!

What is your favorite way to eat oats?

Foods of the Week – What’s on my Plate Wednesday

Hello and happy Wednesday to you, my friends!

Let’s talk healthy (and not so much) food, shall we? I am changing the format of my weekly “What’s on my Plate Wednesday” blog post today – just because I get bored if things don’t change for a while 🙂

Hope you like it!Continue Reading

Foodie Pen Pals – Reveal Day

 

Hey, my fitness friends!

Guess what? I did it again! I participated in Foodie Pen Pals program and today is the Reveal Day!

Curious what I got?

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