Cozying Up For Fall!

Here are some cute new friends around my house this Fall!

This is our new lamp. I named him Professor Higgins, as and my husband says...he lights up the room! (So baaad!)

And this adorable little pillow from a New Orleans art market...HootenAnnie!

We are decorating for Fall and Halloween today and it's so much fun. I also treated myself to some amazing sounding teas from David's Tea today (will report back on these intriguing flavors: Birthday Cake, Creme Caramel, and Toasted Marshmallow!!) It's beginning to look a lot like cozy sweaters and warm drinks! 

Eat Clean: Morning Glory Muffins!

 Ahhh...my favorite kind of moment! Beans soaking to cook tomorrow, tomatoes and peppers ready to cook in a recipe, and muffins cooling....bliss!

    Presenting...Morning Glory Muffins! Can't wait to try these in the morning with my coffee! Check out my cool little football themed muffin liners too! ;)

Morning Glory Muffins from Tosca Reno’s “Eat Clean Cookbook”

Dry Ingredients
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat bran
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple pie spice (1t cinnamon, 1/2t nutmeg, 1/4t allspice, 1/4t cardamom)
1/2 cup Sucanat or rapadura sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients
1 banana, mashed
1/2 cup plain kefir
1 egg white and 1 whole egg, well beaten
2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped nuts (raw is best)

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Prepare muffin tins by lining with silicon or paper liners, or by greasing with a good quality olive oil (see ***TIP*** below)
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.
4. Combine all wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix well.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined. Do not over mix or your muffins will come out flat and rubbery.
6. Spoon batter into muffin cups until 3/4 full. Place in hot oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire cooling rack.

Makes 12 muffins. 
**TIP** Make sure you divide into 12 muffins to get correct portion!

Nutritional value for one muffin:
Calories 187, Protein 7g, Total Fat 5g, Fibre 4g, Sodium 168 mg 

Firedaughter Clothing

I am SOOOOO crowding up my wishlist with these workout shirts from Firedaughter Clothing!

So cute! 

Chike Coffee Protein!

Yay! I won this Chike protein coffee/shake mix prize pack from one of my new favorite blogs, Sprint To The Table. I can't wait to try it out!

Have you tried this or other coffee protein mixes?

Still time to enter the giveaway! 

Eat Clean: Peach Cobbler Baked Oatmeal

This is what happens when I have a day off...wild amounts of food prep!

Roasted eggplant and sweet potatoes, toot-free bean salad, and baked oatmeal dish!

 This baked oatmeal was DELICIOUS...so much so that I feel I need to give a warning. For the last two days I have *way* overeaten it...heheh! Serious brick in the tummy style- but it's so good! Portion control needs to be in full control with this one :)

Peach Cobbler Baked Oatmeal
(from here and here)

Ingredients

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 2 cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1egg+1 egg white
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 TBS of succanat, palm sugar or other natural sweetner
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1 &1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 TBS of extra virgin coconut oil melted
• 1 TBS vanilla extract
• 3 peaches peeled, pitted, & cut into cubes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 and coat 8x8 baking pan with nonstick spray.
In a large mix oats,half of nuts,palm sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, set aside. In another bowl mix milk, eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla. Spread oat mixture on bottom of pan then top with peaches. Slowly pour the milk mixture over oats then top with remaining nuts. Gently tap pan on counter to make sure milk mixture is evenly distributed. Bake for 35-40 minutes until browned. My favorite way to have this is with 0% Greek yogurt with honey and flaxseed sprinkled on top. Enjoy!

YIELD: 6-8 
PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes 
COOKING TIME: 35-40 minutes 

P.S. Click here to enter my Strike Sugar giveaway!

Saints Opening Weekend!

As you read this, I am in New Orleans with my honey for the first Saints game of the season!!

Today I am running my first 5k ever!  It is to kick off the season and should be fun. I've been working on my running in preparation. It ends on the 50 yard line of the Superdome field! Hopefully I cross the finish line in one piece, we win the first game of the season, and we have an amazing trip all around. 

Some of my favorite NOLA activities are lots of awesome local coffee, shopping on Magazine Street, and maybe a little junky eating! So glad the season is starting!

September Event: Mud Fears Me

This race looks awesome!

Mud Fears Me

Click here to enter the current giveaway!

Foodie Showdown #2: Beet Cookies!

Happy Labor Day, all! Hope you have some nice time with friends and family!

Today is the day to share results of the second Foodie Showdown over at I Heart Wellness (a blog that I super heart!).

The ingredients for this week are:

beets

orange zest

honey ( I subbed agave)

nuts/seeds

I decided to make cookies! I am super revved up about the Eat Clean Diet (which is really more a lifestyle than a diet...) so I attempted a pretty "clean" vegan cookie recipe. 

Beet Cookies 

(original recipe blueprint from here)

3/4 c Bob's Red Mill low carb baking mix

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t sea salt

1/4 mashed beets

1/2 t vanilla

5 drops liquid stevia

3 T unsweetened almond milk

1 T unsweetened applesauce

1/2 t coconut oil

1/2 t orange zest

1 T ground flax seed

1 T agave (could use honey)

1/4 c vegan chocolate chips

Stir up and bake 10-12 minutes at 350. The low carb baking mix makes a kind of muffin-y cookie, and these are very mildly sweet. If you like the sweetness upped, use more stevia for sure! 

 The finished product! These are dense, kooky looking, and perfect for a sweet tooth attack!

   

P.S. Check back Wednesday for a super cute giveaway in honor of Strike Sugar month! 

Strike Sugar September

Over at the Eat Clean website, September is Strike Sugar Month! 

I am definitely up for this challenge. How about you?

Some helpful links:

Info:
Strike Sugar!
More

Recipes:
 Tofu Chocolate Mousse, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Backpack Kisses or Chocolate Almond Cake 

Progress, Proof, Onward!!

Just a quick post to say that I had another InBody assessment today. A month out, I have reduced my body fat by 1.7%!! That is awesome news! I read that 1-3% per month is an average rate of reduction, so I feel great.

More cardio, strength, and clean eating to come! YAAAAY!! Next test is in a month :)