.:sugar hangover:.

are you, like MANY other people, feeling hungover from too much candy and sugar? even though it is Friday, i am getting a sluggish feeling from A LOT of people.

well, here are a couple (pumpkin) recipes that will help you continue your fall celebration, but also recover from that wicked sugar crash (or help you fit back into your jeans sooner).

pumpkin protein shake:.

again, this is a recipe that i have seen everywhere - Pinterest (duh!), Chris Freytag, Heidi Powell, etc. i decided to mesh together a few recipes to create something that i would like best and to include ingredients that i had around the house, per usual.

>> 1/4 - 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
>> 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
>> 1/2 scoop Garden of Life Raw Vanilla Chai protein powder - this was a sample packet from Vitamin Shoppe, pretty good!
>> 1/2 scoop Garden of Life Raw Vanilla protein powder (the chai one scared me, so i played it safe)
>> 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
>> 1 tbsp maple syrup
>> 1/2 cup coconut milk
>> 1/2 cup oats
>> 3 ice cubes (i am not a big fan of putting too much ice in my smoothies because 1. i don't like being cold and 2. i would rather have room for more substantial ingredients....)

blend!

i am slightly disappointed that i forgot to add almond butter, but peanut or almond butter would work well with this recipe! also, you could obviously substitute your favorite protein powder in for the Garden of Life that i used. i should probably do a post on protein powders and what to look for, but i have 2 different types of protein powder - one for after workouts that really targets repairing and recovering muscle tissue and the Garden of Life that i use in my morning smoothies which is easier to digset. i intended to make this smoothie after yoga sculpt class on wednesday night, but i was in 'hangry' mode. i had also preorded Chipotle, so i couldn't stop myself from tearing into my burrito bowl to make a pumpkin smoothie. let's be serious, i am human.

play around with this recipe and see what you like - there are endless substitutions!

pumpkin granola:.

before i dive into this recipe, i would like to mention that this granola does not explicitly taste like pumpkin, it has pepitas in it, but you will not get a lot of pumpkin flavor (unless you want to)

>> 3 cups rolled oats
>> 1/2 cup pepitas (unhulled pumpkin seeds - ok, bascially pumpkin seeds without the white shell that you dig out of your pumpkins)
>> 1/2 cup slivered almonds
>> 1 cup flaked coconut (or 1/2 cup shredded)
>> 1/2 cup olive oil
>> 1/3 cup maple syrup (agave nectar or honey would work well too!)
>> 2 tsp vanilla extract
>> 1 tsp cinnamon
>> 1/2 tsp nutmeg
>> 1/2 tsp salt
>> 1/2 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds
>> 1/4 cup pecan pieces
>> 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
>> a couple shakes of pumpkin spice (depending on how much 'pumpkin' you want to taste)

preheat oven to 300 degrees. in one bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: oats, pepitas, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, salt, ground flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pecan pieces. in another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla. add wet to dry and mix well - you want to make sure it is evenly coated. ideally, you will want to spread it out on a cookie sheet, but some people (me) ruined their cookie sheet in the grill (don't ask) and found that a cake pan will work well too! *be sure to spray the pan* (speaking of spray, i recently discovered the coconut oil spray at Trader Joe's, awesome!) bake at 300 for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure it bakes evenly. since i used a Pyrex cake pan, i had to let mine cook longer - i think because it wasn't 'spread out' and needed more time to fully bake. let cool and store! i store mine in mason jars, i feel better when they are sealed nice and tight! plus, i just have a thing with mason jars.

i have tried MANY granola recipes and this is the first one i have found that actually made crispy granola, not soggy stuff that will mold in days. gross. i love mixing my granola in yogurt or eating plain by the spoonfuls.

i hope you enjoy these recipes and use them to help 'reset' over the weekend - speaking of resetting, don't forget to reset your clock this weekend, you do NOT want to be the dork who missed the extra hour of sleep!

always striving for more,
dee b.

recipe was modified from: http://www.thedailymuse.com/lifestyle/the-easiest-homemade-granola/ which was featured on http://greatist.com/health/best-healthy-pumpkin-recipes-102113.

buffalo chicken quinoa:.

i'll be honest and let you all know that i saw this recipe on Pinterest - who doesn't get inspiration from Pinterest?

i seriously LOVE anything related to buffalo chicken, so i was excited when i came across this recipe. i changed up a few things to not only make it easier for me (we were trying to watch The Office at the same time......priorities) and i wanted to make sure that i used up some produce that was on the edge of going bad!

so, here is what Pinterest and i came up with.

>> 1 cup quinoa
>> 1 chicken breast
>> broccoli
>> shredded cabbage
>> shredded carrots (i just cut up carrots really thin - who buys shredded carrots?)
>> kale (i have to throw kale in everything....drew hates it)
>> 1/2 cup hot sauce - i used Frank's hot wing sauce because i put that sh!t on everything
>> 1/2 cup olive oil
>> blue cheese crumbles - i skipped this since i was on my last day of .;get balanced:. and also because i hate blue cheese.

cook the quinoa as you normally would (if you need help check this out). cook the chicken in a separate pan with a little bit of olive oil and in another pan or wok, start to cook all of your vegetables - you want them tender, yet still pretty firm because the sauce is going to make them even softer. while everything is cooking, whisk together the hot sauce, olive oil and a dash of salt. when the chicken is almost done cooking, cut it up into bite-size pieces, put it back in the pan with 1/4 of the hot sauce mixture - this will allow the chicken to soak up some of the hot sauce. once the chicken is completely done, the veggies are tender and the quinoa is cooked, combine all of it in either a big wok or bowl and add the rest of the hot sauce. stir until evenly mixed. top with blue cheese crumbles, if you're into that.

as with most of the recipes that i post, please feel free to mix things up - add different veggies, use more or less sauce, add more chicken, use beef or tofu, add ranch seasoning or dressing - literally whatever you think would be good with buffalo sauce (almost anything) would go well with this recipe.

let me know how you've decided to make it your own and as always, enjoy!


always striving for more,
dee b.

.:simple or free-spirited?:.

i stumbled upon the excerpt below on none other, than pinterest! i really think it pertains to my personality and this new concept of living simple. i find that i can not only relate to a few of these (celebrate authenticity, LOL, enjoy simple things), but i can also look at this for inspiration. in times that i am feeling stuck in my cubicle, wondering how in the world did i end up here, or where will my career end up, OR what for/when i will go back to school, i can pull this up, take a deep breath and just live. everyone has unanswered questions that they'd like an 'easy' answer to, but it's how we go about finding those answers that defines us. live life, friends and enjoy the journey (this journey is promised to be bumpy, hard hat may be required in some situations).
 

we've reached another friday, any big plans this weekend?

i am so excited for 5 o'clock when i am done with work! my mf and i are going for a walk down by the stone arch bridge. awwww, precious, i know, i know. i love going for walks and want to get in as many as i can before the it gets unbearably cold! like i said, some of the best things in life are free. tomorrow night, i get to go to my first bachelorette party for my good friend, emily. i am so excited to catch up with friends from high school and celebrate emily, who deserves the best night ever! in between, i have to work my shift at the yoga studio and run basketball practice for my girls (our next tournament is next weekend!).

.:GOALS/TO-DO:.

-make an appt for mr. henry to get neutered/declawed (sorry, dude)

-go for a run and/or to yoga sometime  

-prepare for an upcoming t-giving day 5k--i almost forgot i was a runner thanks to my knees and sickness, maybe i should run outside a couple times before to make sure i still got it?

-try out some new recipes from http://www.bhg.com/recipes/healthy/dinner/cheap-heart-healthy-dinner-ideas/#page=8

-attempt to make homemade laundry detergent

-create a practice plan for my girls to prepare for our tournament

i'm surprised that i can't think of any other ones? i've done quite well staying on top of my laundry/cleaning which normally rules my goals list....

any goals you would like to accomplish before winter hits?

always striving for more,

dee b.

.:bliss is a constant state of mind, undisturbed by gain or loss:.

i did it, i sucked it up and made my first attempt to run in weeks and i survived! i only had time for a 25 minute run before i had hit the court for basketball, but i didn't take a single minute for granted! it felt great to get moving, get my heart rate up and burn some serious calories in a short amount of time. i am happy to share with you that my mix from rockmyrun.com was fantastic. inspiration 4 perspiration may now be my go-to mix for working out. it's a 45 minute playlist that mixes rap and hip hop, i am now motivated to workout long enough to hear the entire playlist. again, i highly suggest this website for FREE mix playlists that range from hip hop to country to rock. i can't wait to download more!

running is my time to think. on my run today, i thought about how simple my life has become in a short amount of time. i went from going to college full-time, working 2 jobs and sharing any spare time that i had with socializing and running. my money was spent on expensive food, going out (to eat and for drinks) and 'retail therapy'. i considered myself frugal. since then, i have cut down to one full time job (thankfully), food i can make in bulk (that freezes well)and an expensive night is hitting up late night happy at green mill with the man friend. i am happy, happier then what i have ever been, in fact. it's been months since i have even considered taking a happy pill (read anti-depressant, that before, i thought i needed in times of 'stress'. most of my money has a place to go (loans/bills) before it's even in my account, but i wouldn't change a thing in my life. i can put all my energy into this one job to be successful at it, share my large(and cheap) meals with my man friend and i enjoy the little victories in life. some of the best things are free.

there are a few things that i have come to really enjoy while living simple: a good cup of coffee or tea, catching up with a friend over the phone or over spaghetti (shout out to my fellow poor friends), enjoying a yoga class, the smell of library books, reading in the glow of a burning candle, bubble baths, watching old tv shows online, criminal minds marathon with my mf(man friend), pinterest, or being greeted by my kitten when i walk in the door.

i challenge you friends, that thing you need want, wait a week or two. see how you managed survive without it and re-evaluate that need. like me, you may surprise yourself at how happy you will be living simple.

i'd love to hear ideas on how you all manage to cut costs and 'tighten that belt' of finances!

always striving for more,
dee b.

happy tuesday!


i have survived monday (barely) and have officially been sick for a week! i am proud to say that i pushed through a yoga sculpt class (burning 454 cals in 1 hr) last night which sets me up to accomplish my goal of attending 3 yoga classes this week, yaay! i am very motivated to start getting back into the gym, i've let my new work and coaching schedule get in the way too much and it's time to start making this a priority again. does anyone else feel empowered when leaving the gym? well, i'm starting to forget what that feeling is.....


alright friends, i have a confession to make, i'm an addict. i am officially confessing my addiction to pinterest; it is the first thing i log in to at work (after the necessary login windows). i really enjoy finding out new recipes (many will be posted here after i try them), getting fun ideas for DIY projects or simply scrolling through all the pictures (and sharing them with my man friend which he is so enthused about). if you haven't checked it out, i highly suggest it!

here is a picture of my dad and i sharing our first father/daughter dance a few years ago at my cousin's wedding.  i'm sharing this picture with you to tell you how truly blessed i am to have this man as my father. although this picture may show otherwise, i was not always a daddy's girl. i have 2 older brothers who bonded more with him growing up than i thought i ever could. over the years, we have grown closer and i matured to appreciate his advice and guidance. i may have hated having to do chores and things called responsibilities when i was younger, but today, i look back and know that i would not be where i am at today without that type of push. my dad travels a lot for his job and he was in middle of nowhere WI last night when he hit a deer, the airbags deployed and his new business car may be totaled, but he was able to walk away. events like this make you reflect and be thankful for all the moments you had with that certain someone. my dad and i get each other. we make ridiculous jokes (sorry, mom), quotes movies (joe dirt) and interrupt dinner prayers (dear 6 lb 7 oz baby Jesus). my dad takes care of me, from supplying the extra car parts i have in the trunk of my car to making sure i have enough food to eat to washing my car while i sleep in on saturday mornings. i know one day i will have to face this world without him, but i know the values that he's instilled (and i'm sure i'll still have some of those extra car parts) will live on. for now, i can't wait to continue the memories and to share our father/daughter dance at my own wedding (which we already have a song pick out for :) ). Love you Dad!

i am spending this quiet evening (rare) getting caught up on laundry, cleaning, making a good meal (pot roast) and simply relaxing with my 2 guys (kitten and bf). i am in high hopes that i will feel better soon and i can get started on a new workout plan tomorrow and try out my new workout mix! i am excited to share with you a website that offers free mixes to help inspire your runs or push you through those last few reps. this wonderful website is rockmyrun.com and they offer various mixes that range in BPM to specialize to your workouts. i haven't tried out my mixes yet thanks to this cold, but i will let you know how they go!




now that it's getting cold outside, what's your favorite way to sweat?


always striving for more,
dee b.


p.s. the recipe for my pot roast is simple, healthy, yet delicious!
all you need to do is a crock pot, roast, carrots and potatoes. first, put the roast in and fill around it with carrots and cut up potatoes. pour a cup of water into the crock pot and let sit for 6-8 hours. you know it's done when the roast is falling apart :)


i promise more interesting recipes are on the way!