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!

New Challenge & Meal Plan

My good friend from college is doing a challenge she did at school and it has inspired me to do it as well! I think creating a monthly challenge for yourself is a good way to set goals. The challenge is 30 days, 100 miles. The first night (Saturday) I was able to complete 4 miles on my treadmill and yesterday (Sunday) I was able to complete 4 as well. I downloaded a new app on my iPhone called Map My Run that has been helpful in calculating distances, time and calories burned while running outside, but I hear the Nike running app is better so I will try that one next! On Saturday my post workout protein shake was 1 scoop chocolate protein + 8oz of water and I made sure to take some Fish oil Omega-3 capsules.

Meal Plan for Sunday June 17

Meal 1:

2 whole duck eggs + 1 cup veggies (zucchini, tomato, kale, rosemary) + ½ avocado + 3 grilled asparagus spears

½ cup fruit (strawberries, kiwi)

Snack: 

Fruit & Veggie Smoothie: 1 cup frozen blueberries + 1.5 cup spinach + 1 scoop vanilla protein powder + 2 tbsp whole flax seeds + 1 cup coconut milk + 1 cup water

Meal 2:

Romaine salad with grilled turkey breast, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, 1 TBSP seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond slivers), 1/2 lemon juiced

Snack: 

Pineapple, Cantelope, Watermelon fruit salad and Bing cherries

Meal 3:

Pan seared Tilapia (in coconut oil, seasoned with lemon pepper, fresh oregano, and garlic powder) + 1 cup steamed broccoli & asparagus + 1 cup spicy coconut carrot mash

To steam broccoli and asparagus:

Put 1 cup (or desired amount) into a steamer, add a small amount of water on the bottom of the pot. On high heat, covered for 6-8 minutes until bright colored and fork tender. Turn off heat and add 1 chopped garlic glove and 1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary, put the lid back on for 1-2 minutes with no heat; then serve immediately, or store in airtight container and reheat later.

Spicy Coconut Carrot Mash:

2 large carrots, cut into pieces

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 TBSP unrefined coconut oil

1 tsp red cayenne pepper

Put carrot in a medium pot, cover with water, put lid on and bring water to a boil, remove lid and let boil for 25-30 minutes. (watch to make sure the water does not over flow) Drain water completely, add coconut milk and mash carrots. Once carrots are mashed to desired consistency, add oil and pepper and mix completely. Serve immediately, or store in airtight container and reheat later.

Final Meal 3 Product:

Birthday Weekend!

This past Memorial Day weekend was the weekend of my 23rd birthday!

I did have a couple cheats this weekend. One of which included a mini red velvet cake and Piper Heidsieck champagne! The cake was suprisingly good, considering it was from Ralph's grocery store.

On Saturday morning, I did go to the farmer's market again! I needed to get a few items before my 2 week Alaska vacation! I was able to get more oranges for juicing, apple pomegranate juice, strawberries, blood oranges, raw nuts, trail mix, almond meal, duck eggs, cucumbers, red swiss chard, carrots, green onions, duck eggs, and broccoli!

For a breakfast shake after the farmer's market, I included purple carrots, frozen berries, red swiss chard and coconut water! The red swiss chard adds a lot more flavor to smoothies compared to spinach and kale. Kale barely adds any flavor (in my opinion) and is perfect if you're trying to incorporate greens into your smoothies or diet.

Everyday over the 3 day weekend I had scrambled eggs, avocado and turkey bacon! I got the uncured, no preservatives, no nitrates or nitrites added turkey bacon from trader Joes! It was the closest bacon to Paleo I could find and I enjoyed it! Each slice was only 30 calories, low in fat and had a good amount of protein.

I love adding freshly chopped green onions, green peppers, white onions, tomatoes and avocado slices on top of my eggs. It is a good way to add freshness to a simple egg scramble without adding a lot of calories.

Included in breakfast along side the bacon and eggs, I made some delicious fruit plates! I love having a fruit plate at breakfast to munch on.

Also this weekend, my puppy Jack got a hair cut! They cut a lot of hair off, but it was much needed with summer coming up.Also, since he is staying with one of my friends while I go to Alaska I thought it would be nice if I got him groomed and bathed.

I was able to find Paleo beef hot dogs! These are uncured, no preservatives, no nitrates, no nitrites, with very little ingredients including beef, garlic, spices, and sea salt. They were very good, but did not taste like the typical hot dog that I grew up with, but I am happy that I found an alternative that will work with the Paleo diet.

Hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Now, I am off to Alaska for 2 weeks on a cruise! 

I will continue to blog and upload a lot of pictures! It should be beautiful during this time of year. Last year I went late in the season (early September) and this year we are going early in the season! I am hoping to see a lot of bears and eat some very good food.

Paleo Flank Steak

Flank steak was on sale at Srouts! I never have made flank steak, so I searched online for some recipe ideas. I still had fresh thyme and rosemary, so I found a recipe that inspired me to make this Rosemary-Thyme Flank steak. It turned out so good! I love the way flank steak can be used on top of salads.

Rosemary-Thyme Flank Steak

1 lb Flank Steak

2 Tbsp EVOO

Juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh rosemarry, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

Pepper & sea salt to taste

1. Cut grid pattern on both sides of steak. I used a very sharp knife to cut about quarter of an inch deep on each side.

2. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, balsmic vinegar, sea salt, and pepper in a sepearte bowl, whisk together ingredients. On a large plate or baking dish, coat the top and bottom of flank steak in the liquid mixture.

3. Combine chopped rosemary, thyme, and garlic.

4. Place half of the herb garlic mixture to top and other half to the bottom of the flank steak. Cover the plate with a piece of plastic wrap, and let the steak marinate at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.

5. Preheat a lightly greased cast iron grill pan to medium-high heat. I prefer my steak medium-rare, so I cooked mine for 4 minutes on high heat on each side.

6. Once the steak is cooked to your likeness, let it rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes to let the juices settle so the steak does not lose all of its moisture.

7. Then serve! I paired mine with steamed zucchini and aparagus which I steaked with chopped rosemary, garlic and pepper.

Final Product!

I also  had to prep my dinner because I worked the evening shift at work! So I made a spinach salad with green peppers, avocado, onion and tomato, steamed zucchini and asparagus with garlic & rosemary, and the yummy flank steak!

I used this Rosemray-Thyme recipe (except I added finely chopped onions to the marinate) on New York Steak. Unfortunately it was not as successful as the flank steak, but it was still very tastey.

I paired the new york steak with mashed sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli!

I love mashed sweet potatoes now. I think I may like them better then regular mashed potatoes! ;)

Legs, Legs, & EGGS!

I do love doing legs days. I adapted this leg workout from a class I took at C.O.R.E. Condition Boot Camp. I remember it being really hard, but after waking up today, my legs are definitely feeling it! I also ran a 7:58 mile at the end, so I was very excited! The pandora station Dance Cardio is a really good station to workout too! The songs are pop but I think it hard upbeat songs that will get you sweating.

Immediately after my run, I had the same shake as yesterday; 1 cup almond milk, 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder, and 1 tsp powdered greens, all in a shaker cup.

I made a very similar breakfast to yesterday also, except I put fresh tomatoes and chives on top of my egg white frittata and I cut up an apple!

Sautee chopped zucchini and onions in a medium heat pan with a small amount of coconut oil.

Add chopped kale and turkey breast.

Once warmed through, add egg whites, sprinkle a small amount of red pepper flakes, and put the top on, lower the heat to medium-medium-low.

For this frittata, I left the top on the whole time, and never needed to flip it! It cooked all the way through, and I slid it onto a plate, topped it with fresh tomatoes and green onions.

I also cut up an apple, half of a banana, and 2 tbsp raw crunchy almond butter!

This helps crave my sweet tooth through out the day :)

The weather was so nice, I had to go swim laps at the pool! I ended up swimming for 30 minutes, and did about 1300m of freestyle and breast stroke. I even got a tan!

After my workout, I made a refreshing shake with strawberries, mango, pineapple, vanilla protein powder, ground flax seed, water, and ice.

I made the smoothie very thick, and topped it with dry oats, raw sunflower seeds, and raw pumpkin seeds. I ate it with a spoon and it was delicious! I like the texture the oats and seeds add to the smoothie; makes it chunky.

Dinner was BBQ turkey burgers, protein style with grilled onions, with baked sweet potato "chips", turkey chili left overs, and a small side salad! After working out twice I was really hungry, and it tasted so good.

Good Morning Stair Circuits!

Yesterday in between my AM Physics class and PM Math class, I completed my first stair circuit. I got the work out from May 2012 Oxygen Magazine. I did one complete circuit on the top 55 steps. I was breathing very hard, and I felt the burn. The total workout was about 40 minutes, including the 1 mile run uphill to get there the shortcut way, and 1 mile run it took to get home (downhill).

                                   

After my PM class, I went to the pool and did a 40 minutes of swimming circuit, made up by me!

Swim Circuit

Warm Up!

100m breast stroke, 50m backstroke, & 50m freestyle

Circuit Time!

100m freestyle swim

Get out of the pool, and on a towel or blanket do 20 Push ups, 25 Crunches, 20 Seated bicycles, 25 Toe touches, 25 Flutter kicks, 50 Russian twists, Plank 30 seconds.

1 minute break

Do this circuit 5X

Cool down!

50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 100m breast stroke

Total Time: ~45 minutes

Total Distance Swam: 900 meters, which is a little over 1/2 mile

Today..

Early this morning I took the normal route to the stairs, which is a 1.5 mile run from my house, so total of 3 miles there and back! 

I'm now addicted to the stairs workout and its only day 2! I completed all 120 stairs through 1 complete circuit. It was hard, but doable and I could tell this was a great high intensity workout for me that was completely FREE! Combined with the 3 mile run and the 30-40 minute stair circuit, I would say I am definitely getting in a solid workout.

I'll post what the stair circuit includes later tonight!

Post Workout Mini Shake directly after my workout:

1 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1 Tsp Powdered Greens

1 Tbsp Vanilla Protein Powder

Combine ingredients into a shaker cup, and shake until fully combined. Enjoy!

Breakfast Time!

For breakfast, I made an egg white frittata (1 large egg, 2 egg whites) with 1 large kale leaf chopped and vein removed, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped zucchini and 1/2 cup cooked ground turkey breast. I topped it with 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/4 of a mashed avocado and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh green onions.

As a side to my frittata, I cut up half of a pear and half of a banana with 2 tablespoons raw crunchy almond butter.

It was such a beautiful morning I enjoyed breakfast on my back patio with 1 cup of Unsweetened Coconut Milk.

All around, I would say this was a successful breakfast! It is high in protein, low in fat with vegetables, fruit, and healthy fats from the avocado and almond butter.