Thanksgiving cookie cake pie!

Back to blogging.. and guess what.. My internet still isn't working!! My wonderful hubster conjured up a little internet miracle via Iphone. Its not to bad, not as fast as normal but it beats the long wait for qwest to fix it..
Thanksgiving was CRAZY! Lets just say.. there is to much food to blog about! Really, we had 4 thanksgiving meals.. and I won't be sad to not eat turkey for the rest of the year! I love thanksgiving because it is a time to look back and reflect on the wonderful things in life that we are grateful for. Which along with most people the top things on my list are 1. the gospel. 2. my husband. 3. my babies. & 4. my health..
I was in charge of making a dessert for one thanksgiving and rolls for another. AND my step-mother made sure to let me know.. that it isn't a health fair and to make dessert "not healthy" ... OKAY.. ?! well, I guess I could do that.. I went to work and found a recipe.. from another fellow healthy blogger julie who also believes that indulgences are part of life and well deserved..

{Thanksgiving cookie cake pie}

Take a look at some of the ingredients.. Yes.. I did have to make a special trip to the grocery store for this.. WHEN was the last time I used real Butter.. vegetable oil... sugar.... & white flour... uhhhhh??

Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie Dough

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 2 c. old fashioned oats
• ¾ c.  sugar
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 c.  vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

• Mix all dry ingredients together. Mix in wet ingredients until evenly distributed and dough is moist and thick.

Cookie dough!! I think next time I will mix in some raisins! yes?

• Take your dough and press it in your pie crust using a metal spoon or if your feeling messy just use your fingers! ;)

I only made 2 pies.. But you have alot of dough left over you could probably make 4! fyi.

Spice Cake

After the cookie dough  is in the pie crusts, just mix up the spice cake mix how the directions on the box propose. 

And pour it on top of the cookie dough filling the pie tins about 2/3 of the way full, allowing room for it to rise when it bakes.

YOU WILL have ALOT left over if your only making 2! 

Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 40-45 min. make sure to test it with a toothpick to make sure the cake isn't ooey in the middle

While the cookie cake pies cool start making the frosting.

Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 sticks of room-temperature butter
• ½ c. canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp. ginger
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 4 c. powdered sugar

Directions

Cream together butter, pumpkin, vanilla and spices until evenly combined. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time until frosting becomes thick and spreadable.

Once the cookie cake pies are completely cool, just spread a generous amount of frosting on top;)

I have missed alot of meals.. 

But you can expect I had alot of this..

OaTs

1/2 cup with water cook on high in microwave one minute

mix in desirables..

in this case

almonds

cinna

1/2 scoop of elite protein 

and a dash of nutmeg

Snacked on this..

greek yog with pomegranate arils

YUM! 

I LOVE POMEGRANATES!

I have some new fitness goals in mind.. so my eating lifestyle is about to get a little boring for awhile.. but I'll be sure to mix up some good stuff in there as well. 

No stress y'all..

PPS.. I just registered for the moab half marathon.. coming up MARCH 19, 2011

YOU IN? 

I need a babysitter..haha.. but seriously.. its tax season.. The mr. will be busy with numbers...

 (he is an accountant) 

here we go again... 

training begins.. tomorrow.. 

Let the HOLIDAYS begin!!

Internet bumps..

Hey friends! Blogging from the iPhone!! Once again.. Our Internet isn't working.. And neither is my neighbors! So hopefully it gets fixed soon! Because I have SO much to blog!! It was only the biggest food holiday of the year. Homemade rolls, thanksgiving cookie pie.. And more indulgences! And how did you burn off those calories post turkey coma? Black shopping anyone?! So until my Internet is up, i will continue to call qwest everyday until it works again, I apologize for the lack the last couple days.. It hasn't worked since the "snowmaggedon" which ended up being LAME .. Nothing what it was hyped to be.
Hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving!! See you soon! Xoxo:)

Hibernation.

Hibernation, Yes thats the plan.. You want to know why? This is our weather in utah...

BRRRRRR... Is that really 17 degrees tomorrow..

My sister is in cancun.. and my cousin lives in Texas.. which by the way have about 80 degree + I'd rather spend the holidays there.. and then I wouldn't even have to decide on a yellow coat! 

Seriously.... did the weather miss my post about how I strongly dislike the cold..I guess I'm going to have to dig out my coats and mittens..

Or maybe Ill just find go get some new ones? When I buy new clothes I usually can't wait to wear them.. so maybe the same effect will work with coats?

So.. ladies I have a dilemma...

I can't make a decision...

I have had my eye on this fancy pea coat..

from victoria secret..

I love that it is yellow! It will for sure brighten any goopy snowy day.

OR the long version?

I love the buttons down the back!

What do you think? Which one do you like best?

I have to admit.. I am not the shopper I used to be.. The fashionista in me disappeared.. I don't know why?.. I love shopping.. but the styles have changed so much and really fancy to me is now a basic tee and jeans with some heels.. Call me cute.. ha! No style..Sad I know.. but I really spend more money on fitness clothes.. ahem.. lulu lemon. And Running shoes. Imagine that.. if I had the choice to pick between nordstrom and lulu.. well.. you can just take a big guess which one I'd pick..

ALTHOUGH.. I found a killer deal on GROUPON.COM for nordstrom rack! You pay $25 for a $50 gift certificate! PLUS I have a gift certificate that I haven't used yet! I'm excited to go shopping and get some style back in my life.. So get on that..!!

Okay enough about fashion. Or the lack there of..

 To the food and action.

My workout today consisted of this..

1000 m row

30 sit ups X3

then,

3 sets of 3 reps of each of the following:

power squat cleans AHAP
hang cleans AHAP
power clean and jerk AHAP

Can I just say I LOVE power lifting! Odd I know, but it is challenging for sure and these were all Olympic lifts which makes it that much cooler.. right?

Thanks to GPP! 

After the group workout I headed over to they gym for a 3 mile run real quick.

Then it was time to come back home and had a protein shake then it was time to get the babies READY to go visit their Dr. Nothing serious, just the 4 month appointment. Which yes, consisted of two shots. Which I wasn't really looking forward to because I hate the tears that follow immediately after. I had the bottles ready to go and they calmed down pretty quick. Poor babies.. 

The babies LOVE their dr! He is fabulous with them. They were giggling and talking to him. Very Cute!

The Dr. also advised that We go get our Flu shots.. great..Did you know that your babies can't get flu shots until they are 6 months old!? So to protect them from the influenza we need to protect ourselves first. ps.. i hate getting shots too.. :( Wish me luck.

Breakfast was.. 

old fashioned oats

1/2 scoop of vanilla protein 

cinnamon 

almonds

&

mix her up.

& serve with 3 egg whites.

delicious and filling ;)

Lunch I met up with a friend at Einstein bagels.

I had a late breakfast so I wasn't to hungry yet so I picked at 

 a plain pumpkin bagel.. (tis the season) and a fruit cup! I could hardly resist myself when I saw the melons! 

and now I'm enjoying another little snack

4 oz of grilled chicken and 1 cup of green beans.

..FYI..

Does anyone want to know what the TOY of the year is...

really. 

What the heck..

and yes, I bought one.. hahaha!~

It is a SING-A-MAJIG

creative name eh?

Looks more like some kind of annoying bug if you ask me..

but the babies LOVE it! 

Its actually kinda cute.. It sings and if you have more then one they sing and harmonize together! 

SO today on ELLEN, she had one and she also gave them to everyone in the audience.. it was hilarious, she had everyone push them together and hum their little tune.

Gotta love it.

So go buy your sing-a-majig 

and get hunkered down inside before the storm of the year gets here! 

What do you do during "Hibernation" weather?

I'll be a scrapbook, blogging queen tonight! maybe I'll bake some survivor cookies;)

What is your favorite Bagel and schmear??

Did you ever have a ridiculous popular toy?

I had a furby.. yes.. actually I had 2.

Stay warm. & have a good night! 

White Poop.

Hi everyone! So I'm rewriting this post.. cause of a mishap..that actually really wanted me to make throw my computer out in the snow.. Sorry I haven't posted much in the past couple days but its been IN. Freaking. SANE around here..

The wedding turned out beautiful!

Pictures hung, hot chocolate ready, pie cut, centerpieces placed, babies happy, bride happy.. It was a crazy day but it was perfect..

The twinners ready to party.. well besides shoes..

..Ode to the madre..

This was done at my wedding along with both of my sisters. Its done in honor of my mother who passed away in 2005. Her favorite flower was yellow roses, her wedding dress and a picture to show just how beautiful she really was.

My sister had a hot chocolate bar and pumpkin or apple pie for the guests! 

Such a cute idea, I have never seen it done before at any other reception. We had hot water with different kinds of hot chocolate and syrup mix ins with mallows!

PIE!!

the beautiful bride and I!

We were even able to get a family picture!

All in all.. By the end of the day we all had a great time

Congrats little SIS!

Yesterday I had a hankering to try out Averies Recipe

Averie's Raw Vegan Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes - 5 minute Recipe
1/2 c Flax Seeds.  Grind well, then add the rest of the ingredients.
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Puree (I used TJ's Organic canned)
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (or Agave to preserve true raw status)
1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (or a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, clove...your basic fall seasonings)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil (Note: You may have to go a little over or a little under this amount.  Your batter may appear a little crumbly in the Vita or Food Proc so be careful not to overdo it with the oil or you will suffer a bad case of Sloppy Balls.  TWSS)

Recipe Yields 14 Balls 

I didn't have flaxseeds.. so I decided that flaxseed meal would be a good idea..

okay.. X that.. BAD IDEA..

So I decided to just add some PB

Good idea.

This morning I felt like a 

{Omelet Mess}

8 egg whites w. 1 yolk

some green pepper

some red pepper

some yellow pepper

some sweet onion

some spinach

Do you like how I measured out “some” today with the ingredients.

Truthfully, it doesn't matter how much you use with this certain recipe.. Part of the reason I call it a “mess”

But the main reason is.. I cannot perfect the omelet.. so it ends up being scrambled aka A MESS!!

Just another recipe I need to "perfect" 

chop all your veggies and throw on in your skillet with some pam. 

Crack your eggs.

Pour it in and scramble it up... add the spinach very last. 

Slice some avocado on top..

& eat with some toast with agave.. 

please and thank you!! 

White POOP..

No I'm not talking about the baby poop..

I am referring to the white poop outside

I hate snow.. really.. I know. To me it just stinks.. How could I hate something that is so pure and white? Let me tell you..

I don't like wearing coats. I can't move my arms, scarfs hang and get caught on everything.. I become special needs when I wear gloves.. I can't do anything with them on..

I hate having to bundle the babies up so they barely buckle in their car seats. And Hauling them in and out in the cold wet SNOW.. 

Also you have to pull this out 

several times throughout the day and hold down your stuffy baby and try your best to get the snot out of the moving target.. 

Give me some hot pro co. I'm callin it a day... 

But for now we are staying nice and bundled..

BUT I do LOVE it because it means THE HOLIDAYS are HERE! 

So now that I re typed most of what I wrote before the mishap..

Go make yourself some cookies!

cookies please.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

you will need.

2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 Cups of Oat Flour
1 15 oz Can of Pumpkin
4 eggs (only 1 yolk)
2 tsp of baking soda
2 tsp of baking powder
Chocolate chips.. (as desired)
1 1/2 C. of Agave Nectar
1/2 C. of Apple Sauce
2 Tsp of vanilla
4-5 Scoops of Vanilla Elite Protein
Optional: 1 cup + of Walnuts

Mix pumpkin, applesauce, vanilla, Agave & eggs together with electric mixture till smooth..

Add flour, protein, baking soda, powder, and choco chips.
Mix well

and dollop on your cookie sheet (the mixture will be runny) make sure to leave 2-3 inches in between each cookie.

I don't have a final pic.. cause they are bakin as im a typin.. So tomorrow.. i will eat three one with my breakfast..

What do you think about these cookies..? Healthy as can be so you can eat three!!! ;)

Hope you all have a happy and healthy Sunday!! 

(OKAY.. I had a whole LOOOONG post written and I went to add a link to something and the whole beginning of the blog post got erased!!! GRRR..) Ill rewrite tomorrow.. boo. blooooger)

Wedding day

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday.. BUT I got a wedding today!! My little and last sister is getting married TODAY!! I love her so much! Ill post pics of the wedding lata..

Have a good day!

Fish and Fat With a side of GI

Hey everyone! hope your having a good Tuesday!!
I woke up early and enjoyed a breakfast cookie! Its been awhile so it was fabulous to wake up to.
Who doesn't want a cookie for breakfast

I also whipped up 5 egg whites with peppers for protein

I cooked my peppers for a little bit, while I separated the yolks from the whites ;)

Maybe I should just STOP taking photos the long way.. I can never get them to flip.

Through it on my plate after I ate my cookie.. dessert first?.. yep.

I added a little avocado on top also. 

I missed that fat.

Workout was at GPP

3 sets of each:

5 BB bent rows AHAP
10 BB skull crushers AHAP
15 toes to bar
max rep DB pushups (pushups on a DB for incr ROM)

Complete all 3 rounds of an exercise before moving to the next.
Take as much rest as needed between each exercise. 

Afterwards I headed over to the gym to get a little treadmill run in but that lasted all but 5 minutes.. I was hunted down by the daycare.. B had a blowout.. So I just packed up and headed home to change her.. called it good for the day.

Once I got the babies happy and poop free I sat down and enjoyed another Almond Joy shake during tummy time ;)

T looked like he wanted one too

Laundry, dishes, mom stuff. 

it was time for lunch!

Tilapia and green beans.. I also had a apple while the tilapia was baking

{Tilapia}

sidenote: I buy my fish & chicken fresh then freeze. Its just better that way. 

Spread with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon Pepper

bake @ 350 for 20 minutes

I missed this fish. Its been a long time since I had it. Salmon is still my #1 but I like it cause it isn't really fishy tasting and is packed with 30 + grams of Protein!

{Fat Loss}

Okay, Ladies, Today I am going to explain fat loss. Where is the most common frustrating areas where fat likes to "stick" Well.. lets face it. Butt, Thighs, back of our arms and we can't forget the famous "love handle" area. There are SO many factors in fat but I'm not going to get into all the details but just the jiggly facts.

Simply, some areas of the body have more receptors that block fat breakdown than receptors that increase fat breakdown. Such as the butt, thighs, back of your arms and love handle area.

So whats the best way to lose it?

3 things.

Healthy lifestyle (aka diet) 

Cardio

Weight Training

Surprised?

I know. Not the easy answer you were hoping for.. 

The Lifestyle.

Calorie Control

You have to watch your calories.. Don't know how much is too much?

click here

The biggest factor is calories in vs calories burned.. If you eat to much your going to gain fat and if you eat to little your not going to produce that lean muscle look you want. 

So how do you do that?

Make sure you get your whole grains, fresh produce, and PROTEIN

Protein is the #1 thing that women forget about in there diet.

It is so important to get enough protein to encourage fat loss and lean muscle. 

So set up a target calorie intake. 

Best way to stick with it is to write down everything you eat.

I kept  a food journal for about 3 days just to get an idea and it was just ridiculous how much I just snacked.. a handful of this and a little piece of that.. etc. and I wasn't getting nearly enough protein.

How much protein do women need?

Thats easy to figure out. How much do you weigh? 

That is how many grams of protein that you need

for example.

if you weigh 140 lbs

you need 140 grams of protein each day.

Macronutrient calculator

will help you find out how much protein, fats and carbs you need per day.

Insulin Control

Insulin is the "storage" hormone. When it is secreted fat burning is staled 

You can keep your insulin in control and decrease fat by eating low GI carbs. It will stablize your blood sugar and improve your energy, mood and your attitude. By consuming these it will lead to leaner muscle gain and little to no fat gain.

Eating high-glycemic carbohydrates (ones that turn to sugary quickly) will hinder the fat burning process and will decrease energy levels. Here's why: When you eat high-glycemic carbs, your blood sugar levels soar ; when this happens your pancreas produces insulin. One of the roles of insulin is to keep your blood sugar levels regulated -but its also a storage hormone. When your sugars go up, your body produces the storage hormone to clear the excess sugars. Those sugars end up in fatty tissue. Ultimately, your gaining fat, because internally, your telling your body to store.

here's how it relates to energy levels: When you overproduce insulin, you clear the sugars out of your blood-the end result is that you are now hypoglycemic. What does that mean? Blood sugar levels are lower than they should be, "you crash" or get lethargic, and now your body craves sugars. So what next? You end up overeating , and the cycle continues

By switching to low-glycemic carbs, the energy release is gradual and long lasting which is ideal for athletes, you do not tax your pancreas, you do not over-produce a storage hormone, you feel better and you're in a better position to lose weight or more accurately, burn body fat.

Here is a list of foods that are low on the GI 

inguine-50

multigrain bread- 48

bulgur-48

converted rice -47

macaroni-45

spaghetti, white -41

ravioli, meat filled-39

spaghetti, whole wheat- 37

spaghetti, protein enriched-27

barley  -25

banana -53

kiwi fruit-53

grapes -52

canned peach 47

orange -43

peaches-42

blueberries -40

plums-39

pear -36

apple -36

strawberries-32

raspberries-32

blackberries-32

dried apricots- 30

grapefruit-25

cherries-22

sweet potatoes-54

yam-51

green peas-48

carrots,cooked-39

green beans-15

peppers-15

spinach -15

tomatoes- 15

artichoke -15

asparagus-15

broccoli-15

cauliflower-15

celery -15

cucumber -15

lettuce -15

baked Beans-48

Chickpean,tinned-42

Haricot Beans-38

Chick peas-33

Butter beans-31

Lentils-29

Kidney Beans-27

source

{Healthy fats BURN FAT}

Essential fatty acids are so important in a healthy diet. Eating fats does not equate to getting fat. In fact, most EFAs help support the fat burning process and getting a lean body. Do not be scared to eat good fats. EFAs are not the enemy.

Healthy Fat Foods

avocado

fish

flax seed

olive oil

olives

almonds

 peanuts

sesame oil

 pecans

 pistachio nuts, 

cashews,

 hazelnuts,

 macadamia nuts.

etc.

I hope this helps, those who have asked me what is the best way to lose fat. Its not easy and struggle we all deal with. But it is possible to overcome and you CAN do it. Its just about becoming informed and following through with a plan. ;)

Nobody is perfect, but everyone is worthwhile. Believe in yourself!!