Happy National Pancake Day!

Apparently, today, September 26 is National Pancake Day! I confirmed it via the internet, but this is different then IHOPs national pancake day. Confusing! Either way, any excuse to make pancakes I am game! I made Vanilla Protein Almond Pancakes with fried bananas & raspberries (in coconut oil with cinnamon) topped with a vanilla cinnamon protein glaze and raw cacoa nibs! AMAZING!

Vanilla Protein Almond Pancakes:

1/4 cup almond flour

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 tsp cinnamon

3 egg whites

Mix dry ingredients together, then add egg whites and whisk until full mixed.

Heat a small pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp coconut oil.

This makes 2 medium size pancakes.

Vanilla-Cinnamon Protein "Glaze"

1/2 scoop vanilla protein

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp unsweetened, original almond milk or coconut milk (approx.)

Just like the chocolate protein frosting on a previous post, add the almond milk very slowly, stirring with a fork, until just the right amount to make a "glaze"-like consistency. Serve this over the warm pancakes.

Fried Bananas

1 banana, thickly sliced

1 tablespoon coconut oil

cinnamon, as desired

Heat coconut oil over high to medium-high heat. 

Add banana slices, lightly sprinkle cinnamon over bananas.

Cook until browned, about 2 minutes, then flip, lightly sprinkle other side with cinnamon and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Then serve on top of pancakes!

For the raspberries, I put 1/2 cup in the pan with a little coconut oil after the bananas to warm them and then served them over the pancakes also.

If you are a big snacker like I can be at times, make your own trail mix and keep it in a big jar! I have found when you purchase pre-made trail mix  there can be salt, or different ingredients added so I prefer to make mine with all raw nuts and seeds. Almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, pecans, hazelnuts  pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds, add whatever you like!

These past couple weeks I have been very busy with school and also coming up with some great track workouts! There is the high school track right by my house and I am loving it! I mix up long distance running with short sprints, with lunges, body squats, and do a lot of work on the football track. They even have tires and I will bring along my jump rope! Working out at the track for 45 minutes as my cardio routine is so much more fun outside compared to on the treadmill and then I will head to the gym for 30 min-1 hour of weight lifting and abs!

Some informational photos I came across on instagram about nuts & seeds nutritional information and kale. 

EAT MORE KALE! 

Some other clean eats...

Grilled chicken, steamed asparagus and 1/4 of an avocado!  

Grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, 1/4 avocado and fresh tomatoes!

Lunch salad with arugula, bell pepper, tomato, celery, kalamti olives, grilled chicken and pumpkin seeds! Used 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar as the dressing.

I will be adding some recipes for butternut squash and acorn squash soon also! Stay tuned :)

Have a happy, healthy day!

Pumpkin Pie-Almond Protein Pancakes

I am sorry it has been so long since my last blog post! I have been busy acclimating to Idaho and my first two weeks in engineering school. This has been a big change for me, much bigger then I had expected, but school is going great so I am staying positive. I have been eating clean, although it is much harder to keep with the paleo and whole 30 lifestyles due to family misconceptions. I got a membership to the gym near my house and it is AWESOME! 

I do have a frustration/revelation that I must get out! I LOVE my coconut oil. It took time to get use to the fact that it is solid at room temperature but it is one of my favorites now :) Anyways, I finished my unrefined coconut oil jar and was in a rush to get a new one. I went to the local grocery store and grabbed the only coconut oil they had... Little did I know until after I purchased it that this coconut oil was refined and pressed coconut oil, which I didn't think would make a big difference. OH BUT IT DOES! I am going to have to throw it away or use it for something else, because compared to unrefined coconut oil... well there is no comparison. From now on I am going to always check to make sure I am purchasing unrefined coconut oil.  

First new recipe for this week...

Chia "Oatmeal"

1. Soak 2 TBSP Chia seeds in 5-6oz hot water for 5 minutes.

2. Add 2 TBSP shelled hemp seeds/hearts, stir and then add whatever toppings you want!

I added raspberries, peach, raw cacoa nibs, raw coconut threads, and 1/2 tbsp coconut nectar. I enjoyed this from my usual egg white omelet for breakfast. If you have ever drank the Kombucha with chia seeds in it, this has a similar texture. 

2nd new recipe for this week... inspired by the upcoming fall season! YUMMM!

Pumpkin Pie-Almond Protein Pancakes

Wet Ingredients:

3 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp unsweetened, original almond milk or coconut milk

Dry Ingredients:

1/4 cup almond meal/flour

1 tbsp pumpkin pie seasoning

1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

1. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl, mix with fork; do the same for wet ingredients.

2. Combine wet and dry ingredients together and mix thoroughly with a fork or small whisk

3. Heat 1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium-medium high heat. 

4. Add half of the batter to the small saucepan and cover with lid. Cook approximately 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. 

5. Repeat with other pancake.

6. Serve!

*** I topped mine with...

Warm Cinnamon Peaches 

1 golden peach, thinly sliced

1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil

1/2 tbsp cinnamon 

Heat coconut oil in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, add peaches and cinnamon and cook until a light golden crust formed and they were cooked through.

Vanilla-Cinnamon Protein "Glaze"

1/2 scoop vanilla protein

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp unsweetened, original almond milk or coconut milk (approx.)

Just like the chocolate protein frosting on a previous post, add the almond milk very slowly, stirring with a fork, until just the right amount to make a "glaze"-like consistency. Serve this over the warm pancakes and peaches and top with shaved almonds!

Other Clean Eats...

Paleo Antipasto Platter: fresh sliced cucumber, kalamati olives, steamed asparagus, fresh cherry tomatoes, and chicken breast; all topped with oregano and served with a side of olive oil and balsamic for dipping. (optional)

Some Recent Workouts..

Upper Body WOD #1

15 min stair mater
#1 X3
 20 Tricep Cable Pull Downs
30 Cable Ab Crunch
10 Pushups
#2 X3
15 Cable Bicep Curls
15 Bench One Arm Row
15 Single DB Tricep Extension
#3 X3
20 DB Flat Bench Press
20 Twisting Plank
10 DB Overhead Shrug low weight
20 Briefcases
#4 X4
15 DB Bicep curls
30 Mountain Climbers
15 DB Shoulder Press
50 Russian Twists
30 DB Shrug low weight
#5 X2
15 Hang Clean W Squat & Press
50 Skier Side to Sides
15 Barbell Bent Over row
15 Single Arm DB Swing
#6 X2
10 Jackknife w stab ball
30 Toe touches
20 Butt lifts
20 Leg lifts
30 Flutter kicks
50 Crunches

Upper Body WOD #2

Warm Up Cardio: 15 min stair master

#1 X3

10 Barbell Bicep Curls

10 Bench Dips

20 Back Alt Lunges no weight

#2 X3

10 DB Front Shoulder Raises

10 DB Side Shoulder Raises

10 Jack knife w stab ball

#3 X2

16 Hammer curls 12.5

18 Plank One Arm Row

20 Body squat (no weight)

#4 X3

20 Bent Over Barbell row

50 Crunches on stab ball

#5 X3

20 DB Crossbody Hammer curls

15 Single DB Overhead Tricep extensions

10 DB Bent Over Row

#6 X3

12 DB Flat Bench Press

12 DB Bench Fly

10 DB Bent Over Fly

20 Forward Alt Lunges (no weight)

Upper Body WOD #3

Warm Up Cardio 10 min stairs

#1 X3

25 Seated Cable Row

60 Russian Twists

20 Plank DB Row

#2 X3

12 CableRope tricep pulldowns

30 Cable Ab Crunch

15 each side high Cable Ab Twist

#3 X3

10 Pike w stab ball

15 Cable Bar Pulldowns

12 Jack knife w stab ball

15 Reverse Cable Bar Pulldowns

#4 X4

10 DB Bicep Curls

15 DB Shoulder Press

30 Mountain climbers

#5 X2

20 Wide Front Lat pull downs

20 Wide Back Lat Pull downs

10 Bench dips

Lower Body WOD #1

Warm Up Cardio: 10 min stairs

#1: X3

50 side to side w band

30 sumo DB squat

50 Russian twists

#2: X2

30 RDLs

20 Squat jumps

20 Leg lifts

30 Flutter kicks

#3: X2

20 Good Morning

20 Squat to raise

20 Twisting Plank

#4: X2

20 Back squat

20 Alt Back curtsy lunge

50 Alt Back Kicks

20 Calf Raises

20 Dead lifts

20 sec high knees

20 sec jumping jacks

Lower Body WOD #2

Warm Up Cardio 10 min stairs

#1 X2

30 Alt Fordward Lunges

15 DB Sumo Squat

50 Skier side to sides

#2  X2

20 Alt Back Lunges

60 Russian Twists

20 Alt Side to Side Lunges

#3 X2

20 RDLs

20 Single back leg extension, each side

20 Good mornings

20 Torso twists

#4 X2

20 Squat to Raise

20 Single side leg extension, each side

20 DB Alt Back Cross Lunges

40 Alt Side Ab Crunch

Lower Body WOD #3

Warm Up Cardio 20 min spin

Each Superset X2

#1

15 DB Squat

20 DB Forward Alt Lunges

20 Twisting plank

#2

20 Single DB PlierSumoSquat

30 Back Alt Lunges (no weight)

30 sec Mountain climbers

#3

15 Good mornings

20 Back Alt Curtsy Lunge

30 Bench briefcases

#4

20 Split Squat/each

10 Suitcase deadlift/each

50 Bench Russian Twists

#5

20 RDLs

20 Sumo RDLs

15 Calf Raises

#6

15 Squat

15 Low Fast Squat

15 Deadlifts

15 Wide Calf Raises

#7 X3

20 Single Back Leg Ext (each)