And, I’m Off…

Hi….um….Lemonheads?  Will that work?!?  It’s my last day for nicknames and I can’t think of anything!!    Does that mean I FAILED at this quest?

You’re probably wondering what I’m doing here, huh?  I thought I was going to have 3 guest bloggers lined up, but it looks like it’ll only be two, so I figured I’d say goodbye to my favorite peeps before I head up north

Very simply…

Today’s workout went well.  I was slightly timid on my run because of the knee and didn’t push it as much as I could/should have.  It didn’t hurt at all while I was running and I was able to bust out 4 miles.  Mr. KD and I completed the Legs & Back portion of P90 again this morning.  This is a great workout that really gets your legs burning!  My knee was okay for the most part, but there were definitely a few times where it just didn’t feel right.  I’m so unimpressed by it, honestly

After out workout, I had another protein shake before hitting the shower.

Since I’m off today, I got a bunch of stuff done around the house and packed for my trip.  After that was all said and done, I settled into the MOST decadent breakfast known to woman.  Seriously.  It was the best batch of oats I’ve ever eaten.

I decided that since I’m on a mini “vacation”, it would only be proper to kick the weekend off with a dessert-like bowl of oats.  I knew I wanted it to be sweet and something I would never make myself on a normal day.  I definitely wanted to step it up a notch and found inspiration in a jar of maple butter I had leftover from Easter (I mixed it with butter for the cornbread). 

The only ingredients are: Organic Maple Syrup and Inverted Organic Maple Syrup.

I’m not exactly sure what the latter means, but I can tell you it is lights out.  You have to enjoy really sweet things because it’s basically solidified maple syrup, which makes it somehow sweeter if you can imagine that.  A little definitely goes a long way.  This is a good thing because while it’s a natural source of sugar, it’s STILL sugar.  Once I found this puppy, I knew exactly where my bowl of oats was headed!

In the mix:

• 1/2 banana
• 1/4 oats
• 1/4 almond milk
• 1/4 water
• 1 tbsp flaxseed
• 1/3 cup cottage cheese
• Dash of vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Toppings:

• 1/2 banana
• Maple Butter (Melted in the microwave for 1 min and drizzle on top)
• 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp chocolate chips

Do I actually have to put in words how good this was?  Good.  Because there aren’t any.  It was so, so, so delish.  It’s definitely not a breakfast that I would have on a regular basis, but I can tell you it was worth every splurge calorie.  Holy delish!

In fact, this was so filling that it held me over through lunch.  Starbucks sent me a coupon for a free drink due to my upcoming birthday   I happily obliged and stopped over to get a tall skinny cinnamon dolce latte (unpictured).  Heavenly!  I had this around noonish on my way to the mall where I picked up Mr. KD’s birthday present (shh!) and some summer scents from Bath & Body Works!

Do you change your scents with the seasons?  In the winter, I’m an amber and vanilla girl.  In the summer, I’m all about coconut lime.  This year, I also bought the new vanilla coconut smell.  It smells outrageously good!

At around 3:00, I got home and heated up last night’s leftovers and tossed the remainder of the pork onto the plate, as well.  I didn’t eat the whole thing, but came pretty darn close.  It was a protein feast after my carb overload this morning!

Okay, I am officially unplugging for the remainder of the weekend!  Can’t wait to chat on Monday!  Have a safe and lovely two days!!!

Question of the day:  What’s the best breakfast you’ve ever created?  Or, if you’ve never created anything spectacular, spill on the best you’ve had!

All Cheer for Chia!

Mornin’

How is everyone on this fine day?  I’m spectacular.  Just got home from a great elliptical workout and an amazing bowl of oats.

I made a deal with myself this morning that I wouldn’t set an alarm and simply wake up when my body was rested.  Almost 8 hours on the dot, I was ready to hit the gym.  Felt so good! 

Because I woke up a little later, my belly was already rumbling, so I snacked on half of a Berry Whole Food Engery Bar by Amazing Grass.  Now, while I love berries, I’ve told you guys before that I’m generally not in love with berry flavored things.  So, I didn’t really expect much from this bar.

Oh my gosh, you guys!  This thing was rockin’!  It tasted like the inside of a berry flavored Nutri-Grain bar!  It was soooooooooo delish and didn’t have that I’m-eating-something-healthy vibe to it like the original flavor had.

Unfortunately, it still looked the same:

I guess when you’re creating a raw, unprocessed product, it’s not acceptable to add a little food coloring to jazz it up   I HIGHLY recommend this one, guys!  Felt so good knowing I got some veggies in so early in the morning!

After my workout, it was time for a real breakfast and I couldn’t wait to use some of the package I got in the mail last night!!  I have been SO anxious to try chia seeds since perusing other ladies’ blogs.  However, the price of them made me think twice.  Well, last week, Kath and Tina both offered a sale via their Open Sky shops to get chia and flax seeds at a discount!  The bonus, they came as a package, so now I have BOTH flax and chia seeds!  So stoked!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with chia seeds, they are one of the most nutritious seeds on the planet!  I’ve probably visited 15 sites to compile this list for you!

Check out these benefits:

• Great source of fiber
• Complete source of protein.  This means, that on their own, the protein in chia seeds contains all of the 9 essential amino acids.  Ah-mazing, people!
• Excellent source of calcium, so eat ‘em up, ladies!  In addition to this, they are rich in boron, which helps the body absorb calcium
• They help your body maintain electrolytes, which in turn, keeps you hydrated longer
• Great source of antioxidants
• Many also believe they are a great source of energy (although I couldn’t find too much detail on this, so I don’t know if this has been scientifically proven)

The best part about them?  They are SO fun to eat!  They are BABY seeds!  So tiny!  I mixed them into my oatmeal this morning and while they have no taste, they added the cutest like “pop” every so often.   I would equate them to the seeds on the outside a strawberry or – better yet – kiwi seeds.  They are definitely a keeper and something I will be incorporating into all of my oatmeal and smoothies from now on   Yay, chia!

I also tried something different with my oats this morning.  The aforementioned Kath always mixes in cottage cheese at the end of her oats cooking.  It always sounded really weird to me, but I had an untouched container in the fridge, so I decided to go for it?

The verdict?  LOVED it!  They don’t make the oats cheesy, which is what I was so worried about it.  Instead, they simply make them thicker and more creamy.  What’s not to love?

Cottage and Chia Oats on the Stovetop:

In the mix:

• 1/3 unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 oats
• 1/2 banana
• Cinnamon
• Dash of vanila
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup cottage cheese (mixed in at the very end)
• 1/2 tbsp chia seeds!!

Toppings:

• Naturally Nutty Chocolate Toffee Butter (Yes, I did finish one jar, but I had another in the cabinet.  Muwahaha!)
• Pinch of raisins

I served up the oatmeal with an iced coffee because America I run on Dunkin’.  I tried to get a picture of the chia seeds for you guys, but this is the best I could do.  Someday, I’m going to get a nice camera.  I promise.  The prices are just too outrageous for me right now!

Okay, loves, I’m off to get a bunch of stuff done for the remainder of the day.  Not sure when we’ll chat again, but I’ll be sure to update you on the Easter egg coloring and Fish N Chips sometime! 

Have an AWESOME Friday!!