Nummy Nummers

Well, I slept in until about 8:30 this morning. I thought for sure I'd sleep in longer after taking Robitussin laced w/Codeine, but to no avail. In fact, I woke up still w/this terrible cough. So, I decided to treat myself for breakfast.

Pumpkin Pie Monster

This just hit the spot!

I added about 1/4 tsp honey to mine.

My hubby made the most delicious lunch! He made Angela's Cranberry, Pear and Candied Pecan Salad. Except he candied Walnuts instead of pecans. They were still amazing!

Top the salad w/my favorite Better Than Bottled Balsamic Vinaigrette. (you can find the recipe under my "Recipes" page)

Tonight is date night! We're going to a Mystery Dinner Theater! I'm so excited!!!

Dinner and a Tiger

Don't you love it when you find something that you forgot about? I just found these; a friend gave them to me! Score!

I made this snack for the kids today.

Banana spread w/Almond Butter & Cacao Nibs

The kids loved them and just gobbled them right up! Thanks Angela for the idea!

My little tiger thought it would be fun to put cover her face in face paints. I must say, she did a great job!

Yeah, that was fun to try to scrub off her face in the tub tonight! Good times.

Dinner was an Avocado & Tomato Salad w/Better Than Bottled Balsamic Vinaigrette. I love that dressing! It is SOOOO good!

The other delightful thing on this plate is Angela's Roasted Apple and Acorn Squash Soup. It was delish!

I also attempted to make Angela's Vegan Fluffy White Dinner Rolls. But I had some trouble w/my substitutes so they weren't quite done in time for dinner.

I would post my version, but I honestly didn't think mine were that great. I'm pretty sure it was because my all-purpose flour was gluten-free, so mine turned out a little crispier and not fluffy. Also, I didn't use an egg replacer, I used a mixture of flax and water. It gave my dinner rolls a heartier flavor and also didn't allow mine to rise and NOT be sticky. So, I ended up letting it rise an additional 30 minutes and then added another 1/2 cup of flour, which also could've led to the density.

sorry for the poor lighting of this photo

All in all, my rolls were just ok. I'd recommend sticking with Angela's original recipe.

Hubby Goodies

My husband is truly amazing!

While I've been sick (and thus neglecting my blog lately) and resting in bed, he was running around the house getting things done and making me food. Did I mention he was also sick himself?! How did I get so lucky?!

For lunch, he made Caitlin's Autumn Grilled Banana Sandwich. We changed the recipe a bit to be more "Endo"-zied.

Autumn Grilled Banana Sandwich

Ingredients (for 1 serving):

2 banana eggs, beaten (1/2 banana, mashed w/1/2 tsp baking soda = 1 egg)

• Two pieces of wheat-free bread
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
• Drizzle of honey
• Dash of cinnamon
• Sprinkle of crushed pecans

Directions:

• Grease and heat frying pan.
• Make basic French bread by dredging the toast in banana eggs and placing on griddle.
• Meanwhile, slice the banana length-wise and place on griddle to cook.
• While the toast and banana cooks, mix pumpkin, chia seeds, honey, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
• Once toast has finished cooking, remove from heat and put bananas in between slices.  Top with pumpkin mix and pecans.

I really loved this sandwich, except I ate mine more like french toast and less like a sandwich. It wasn't too sweet either, which I appreciate.


For dinner, he made Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Pasta w/"Trees"

Brown Rice Pasta

Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto

Broccoli, cooked

Toss everything together and enjoy.

Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto Pasta w/"Trees"

The name "Trees" comes from my DD, who loves broccoli and calls them that.

I found this dish to be a bit bland, so you might want to add something else in there to spice it up a bit... maybe more garlic? More salt? More pepper? You could even add meat, if you're a meat-eater. However, I ate it up and didn't complain, because after-all, my sick hubby made it for sick 'ol me. :) (I'm such a princess sometimes)

After making me food all day, my DD and hubby decided to even make me dessert! They whipped up a batch of Evan's Chunky Monkey Nut Butter Oaties. For the optional add-in's, he used non-dairy chocolate chips and chopped pecans. I served these at a Scentsy party and they were a huge hit! Everyone asked for the recipe!

On Tuesday, I had to skip my hip-hop class, due to this delightful cough. On Wednesday, I still felt terrible and had to cancel my running date. So, I decided to make one of Angela's Don't Get [A] Cold Green Monster's. Here was my version:

• 3 organic kale leaves
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 T lemon juice
• 3 small organic carrots
• 1/2 organic tomato
• 1/2 garlic clove
• Pinch ground ginger 
• 1 Scoop Amazing Grass Amazing Meal Chocolate Infusion
• 1 T chia seeds
• Black pepper
• 1/4-1/2 cup 100% apple juice

Directions: Blend all ingredients together. 

I'm not going to lie. This wasn't one of those surprisingly "YUM!" green monsters. This was a "suck it up - it's going to make you feel better" green monsters. I nursed this baby, but I eventually got it down. Maybe next time, I'll take Angela's advice and warm it up first. ;)

I have yet to get to a yoga class on a Thursday night. Thursdays are my day off and I'm usually running around doing errands or spending the day w/my sister and her kids. Instead yesterday, I went shopping at the Outlet Mall. :) My hubby & I have an upcoming cruise that I needed some clothes for and I also found a few goodies for my exercise-life, too!

L: Gap outdoor running vest - $20
R: 2 Under Armour outdoor long-sleeved running shirts - $15 each!

I couldn't pass up those great deals! I had zero outdoor running gear. I might've found a few cute things for my DD, too...

Ivory long-sleeved shirt - $5.50
Brown vest - $10
Skinny Jean (Yes, 4T SKINNY jeans! I couldn't resist!) - $10
Woven ivory boots (too cute) - $17.50

Ok, truth be told... this isn't even HALF of the damage that was done yesterday! I had to cut myself off and didn't even visit all the stores I wanted to go to. I knew I'd already be in enough trouble w/the DH.

Today, I'm paying for being out and pushing the limit all day yesterday. My hacking is at it's worst and my throat feels like a desert. I wish that said dessert, but no, it says desert. I picked up the Traditional Medicinal's Herbal Tea Combo Pack and have been drinking tea like crazy still.

For my Christian-friend readers, please pray this cold away! (or whatever it is) I need to get back to running! And it's been such beautiful weather here; I'm so upset that I can't run in it. :(


Lastly, Whole Foods put a great 5-min long podcast on their blog called Promoting Seasonal Health. It discusses seasonal health with a Naturopathic doctor.

His Princess: Love Letters from Your King

I have this devotional sitting in my bathroom and occasionally I'll pick up and read the devotion for the day. I love this devotional, because it's written in love letter form from God to ME (or you!). It always seems to meet me right where I am at. And when I was at the worst of dealing with infertility and was angry with God and couldn't pray, I would read these and slowly I warmed back up to being with the Lord. Today's was no different. It met me right where I am. I felt validated and reassured in my choices to pursue healthy living. And in using my running time to be with the Him and be "still" (at least in my mind!) Enjoy and Happy Sunday!

My Princess...
SET YOUR BOUNDARIES
Come to Me, My precious, when you feel out of control and overextended. I want to take you to a place where you can be still and reflect on your life. I did not call you to be everything to everyone. You have placed that demand on yourself. Even My son, Jesus, needed to walk away from the demands of the crowd and find comfort alone with Me. Let's write out what really matters most to you, so we can draw some boundaries to preserve your peace of mind and purpose for living. Even I drew the boundaries around the mighty ocean. It's good to take control of your valuable time and realize it's all right to say no. That one word will deliver you from a life of pressure to a place of amazing control and peace.
Love,
Your King who knows your boundaries

Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. ~Proverbs 4:26-27

Hello from my bed...

Hello from my bed. :( Sickness seems to be wreaking havoc in my little corner of the world this week. Guess it's just my turn to get it. I do have to say though, I've done a pretty good job keeping it a bay with my secret weapons...

Green Monsters

Zicam and Echinacea

Lots of Tea! This is one of my fav's.

A cold has been going around with the kids in my daycare. Started with one, spread to another, then my hubby, now me. Tuesday my DD was sick, throwing up all morning. :(

But she somehow managed to keep a smile on her face.

Must've been all that healthy food I was feeding her. :)

Or maybe it was this...

Elmo's World

Being ill has made me wonder if it's better to keep on with your exercise routine or if you should maybe rest instead. Here's a good article from the well-known Mayo Clinic here in MN and what they recommend.

I was planning on going for a light run, but after breakfast, I was just feeling too weak. So, I'm listening to my body and just resting in bed today.

Q: What natural remedies have you found work for your quick recovery/healing of illnesses?

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There Are No Words...

This post was too good for me to not share. Please take the time to watch both Part I and Part II. It will change your life. ~Amykinz

Stress Reducers

The healthy breakfast and lunch kept me feeling 100% until about 3pm. That's when I started feeling the cold-like symptoms coming on again, so I gave myself another shot of Zicam spray.

At snack time, I was craving something sweet, so in addition to my 1/2 banana, I devoured enjoyed one of these beauties from the other night...

Salt-Kissed Peanut Butter Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I was making them, this little guy didn't want to come off the pan... so I ate him. :)

Salt-Kissed Chunky Peanut Butter Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe courtesy of Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

• 1 + 1/4 cup whole grain spelt flour* (see note below) <--- I used 1 cup (Amykinz)
• 1/4 cup organic sugar
• 1/4 tsp fleur de sel (or reg. salt)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tbsp cacao nibs (optional, but they add crunch!) <--- I used non-dairy chocolate chips instead (Amykinz)
• 3-4 tsp non-dairy dark chocolate chips <--- I still added these, too (Amykinz)
• 1.5 tbsp chunky peanut butter <--- I used creamy peanut butter (Amykinz)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3.5 tbsp canola oil <--- I used olive oil (Amykinz)
• Fleur de sel, for garnish
• Turbinado sugar, for garnish (optional) <--- I opted, YES! (Amykinz)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with oil. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients (spelt flour, baking soda, baking powder, fleur de sel, sugar). Whisk together. In a medium sized bowl mix all wet ingredients (peanut butter, maple syrup, oil. vanilla). Mix well making sure the PB is thoroughly mixed in. Now add wet to dry and stir. Mix with hands if necessary until fully incorporated. Stir in cacao nibs and chocolate chips. Wet hands and shape small cookies about 1.5 inches in diameter and place on baking sheet. Bake for just 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack after a couple minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. 

*Note: If you prefer thinner cookies as in trial 3, omit 1/4 cup spelt flour and just use 1 cup.

Nutritional info: (Make 14 cookies, per cookie:) 115 kcals, 6 grams fat, 2 grams fibre, 2 grams protein, 7 grams sugar.

Today was a running day with a friend, so I was excited to try out a new path! It was tougher than my last 2 runs because the paths were hilly, but they were really quite beautiful this time of year. I was also SUPER excited because I shaved off another minute/per mile from my pace! I'm up to 13 min/mile averages, which I think is pretty good for it only being my 3rd run and I'm doing walk/run intervals. Anyway, the moral of the story is that I actually ran on an empty stomach which was a really BAD idea! Next time... fuel before my run! Oh, and when I left for my run, I was C.R.A.B.B.Y. (because I couldn't find my pedometer to keep my distance), but once again, after my run... crabbiness is gone! I heart running as a stress-reducer!

I think I downed about 32 oz of water, just on the car ride home! And when I got there, my hubby had made dinner. It was just ok, but he gets an "A" for effort. Actually, I'm the one who picked out the recipe, so it's kinda my fault. He just followed the recipe. At any rate, it was highly unsatisfying and I'm certain I'll find some dark chocolate and maybe even a bowl of homemade granola later. ;) Recipe to come!