Friday Favorites + Paleo Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies! November 30, 2012

TGIF!  I’m SO glad it is Friday; it has been quite a week with being sick, still trying to get some good  training time in for next week’s competition, as well projects completed for the holidays! Though we have a busy day tomorrow, it will be nice to have some quality family time on Sunday. We are planning to get our Christmas tree this weekend, so Sunday’s agenda is decorating it and baking cookies! Also, I’m excited to start the Advent calendar and “Elf on the Shelf” with Keenan tomorrow!

Today has been a nice lazy day at home. My husband let me sleep in this morning to get some additional rest and boy, did it help! I definitely feel a lot better today. Even though I don’t like using nasal sprays, I gave in and used one last night and it worked wonders! I could breathe and finally get some sleep. I’m hoping with another good night’s rest, I will feel even better tomorrow.

Since it was raining this morning, I thought it was a perfect time to bake cookies, experimenting with almond flour and coconut oil. Keenan was eager to be my “baking assistant,” so he could taste everything, especially the chocolate chips! We had a fun time baking while listening to Christmas music. It was cute, he sat on his step stool and watched the cookies bake (I had the oven light on), the entire 8 minutes! Once the cookies were ready to eat, he was super excited to have one, and another and a half of another one! I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the cookies turned out. They are perfectly moist and flavorful. My husband actually said that they were probably some of the best cookies he has ever eaten…WOW!

These are so good, it is hard to stop eating them!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies: (makes 2 dozen cookies)

Ingredients:

– 2 1/2 cups almond flour

– 1/2 tsp baking soda

– 1 heaping scoop vanilla protein powder

– 1/2 tsp salt

– 2 tbsp flaxseed

– 1/4 cup Xylitol

– 1/2 cup coconut oil

– 2 eggs

– 1 tsp vanilla

– 1/4 cup raw honey

– 1/2 – 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (depending on how chocolatey you want your cookies to be)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray nonstick spray on two cookie sheets

2. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

3. Mix wet ingredients together in a small bowl and gently mix into dry ingredients.

4. Add chocolate chips and combine.

5. Form dough into small balls, place onto prepared cookie sheets and press them down.

6. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until lightly browned (but don’t over bake). Let cool and enjoy!

*Notes: These cookies don’t rise and spread out as regular chocolate chip cookies, so make sure to press them down, otherwise the cookies will stay in the shape of a ball.

So excited to finally eat a cookie!

Now, onto “Friday Favorites!” I love Fridays, because it is a great time to reflect back on the week and think about my favorite moments and things that I ate. I’ve been doing pretty well with living more in the present and cherishing each and every moment, instead of thinking about what I have to do next, but it is still a challenge. Friday Favorites is a nice reminder to slow down and appreciate the little things in my life!

Favorite Moments:

• Keenan enjoying the wonderful taste of homemade whipped cream!
  

  Having a taste straight from the container (thanks to my husband)!

• Cuddling with Keenan and his critters!
  

  Snuggling with his blanket and critters!

• Baking cookies!
  

  My little “baking assistant!”

• Enjoying some cuddle time with my husband while watching one of our favorite shows, “Parenthood.”

Favorite Eats:

• Spaghetti Squash Tomato Bake with turkey (Mexican style with black beans, spices, salsa and cheddar cheese)
  

  I made this last night for dinner and it was the best batch ever. Everyone liked the Mexican version better!

• Mediterranean Chicken in the Crock Pot
  

  Such a good dinner and super easy to make!

• Rustic Pumpkin and White Bean Soup
  

  Such a nice Fall soup!

• Paleo Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies
  

  Fresh out of the oven!

It’s time to work on some more Christmas projects and visit with my brother (he came in last night for a quick visit, since he has some work in the area). No CrossFit again for me today. I’m thinking rest is the best thing until I’m feeling 100%. I’m hoping to fit in a workout tomorrow or Sunday. Have a great afternoon!

Question: What were some of your favorite moments and eats from this week? Any fun holiday plans for the weekend?

REMINDER: There is still time to enter a chance to win a cute workout headband from Simple-Trends! Giveaway ends Monday, Dec. 3rd at 8 p.m. PST!! Click here to enter.

Getting Ready for The Holidays and Thankful Thursday

With the last day of November being tomorrow, the countdown to the holidays is quickly approaching (or really, has already begun!). I felt the countdown starting as of last week, thinking about all of the things that I need to do. Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays, in fact, it is my favorite time of year, but I feel that they have snuck up all of a sudden. This year just went by way too fast! We are spending the holidays at my brother and sister-in-law’s house in Montreal this year, thus leaving the week before Christmas, so I’m already feeling overwhelmed in getting everything done beforehand! We are doing a lot of homemade gifts, which is a lot of fun, but also takes a lot of time. Already, every weekend in December is booked, so it makes it challenging to work on things. There is only so much time in the day to do things with Keenan only napping for 2-3 hours. Anyhow, as my husband calls me, “a big stress puppy,” I just need to take a deep breath, make LOTS of to-do lists and start crossing them off! Doesn’t anyone else feel that way?

Fortunately, my husband is very supportive, so he has offered to help me with some of the gift ideas that we are doing, thus taking a load off of my shoulders. I don’t feel as stressed, but the stress is still there. I think a lot of it has to do with how I feel. My cold has gotten worse, in fact, my nose was so stuffed-up last night that I could hardly sleep. Everything has moved in to my sinuses and head, as well as feeling cold one minute and hot the next, so I’m drinking lots of fluids and taking plenty of vitamin c to hopefully get rid of this bug soon! Today was definitely all about laying low with no CrossFit, that’s for sure!

This is how our day started while I was making No Oat Oatmeal for breakfast. Keenan was having fun with an app all about different sounds!

Speaking of the holidays, I’m so excited that Keenan is of the age where he is starting to “get” Christmas. When he sat on Santa’s lap last weekend, he was so excited and no longer scared like last year! He says “hi” to our Santas and baby Jesuses in our nativity scenes (my mom bought him a toy one to play with) every morning. He is learning (and can pretty much sing them entirely) “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” with is so cute! Yesterday, as we were driving to the box, “Rudolph” came on the radio (we pretty much listen to Christmas songs in the car from now until the end of December) and he started singing along! Every time we pass by Christmas lights, he is in awe and it is so much fun to see him experience the magic of the holidays. It has brought back many wonderful holiday memories for my husband and me when we were kids. I just love it!

To continue fostering the magic of the holidays, we are starting some family traditions. Last year we were given an Advent calendar and we used it with Keenan, but he was still a tad young for it. As soon as we brought it out this year, he was super excited to “practice” opening all of the boxes. Starting on Saturday, I will place either a sticker, a very small toy or one of his favorite snacks in the first box for him to open in the morning. We will continue the tradition until Christmas!

Our Advent calendar!

In addition, I just bought the “Elf on the Shelf,” after hearing about it and seeing it on so many blogs. It is such a cute idea and a great story! If you aren’t familiar with it, the book is about an elf that comes to live with you from December 1st until Christmas. The elf is watching you at all times and taking notes for Santa, so it can be used as a great tool for fostering good behavior (something I’m looking forward to!). The idea is to put the elf in different parts of your house each day and have your children look for it when they wake up in the morning. I think Keenan is going to love this and I can’t wait to start on Saturday! We are going to read the story with him tomorrow night and then have him look for the elf when he wakes up. I’ll keep you posted on his reaction!

Such a fun tradition!

We accidentally got the “girl” elf, oh, well. I didn’t know there were different ones! Keenan won’t know the difference!

Since the holidays is now all about Keenan, my husband and I are thinking about starting our own tradition of having an “at home date night,” exchanging our gifts and watching a holiday movie a couple of days before Christmas. Dana from Mastering Mommy Brain and her husband do this tradition and I really like it! I mentioned it to my husband and I think we might do it a couple of days before we leave for Montreal.

Since it is Thursday, I also wanted to link-up with Jessie for her fun Thankful Thursday Link-up!

In a similar fashion to what Jessie wrote, I’m not going to make a list of all that I’m thankful for, as I have pretty much said most of it before. After talking about family traditions around the holidays, it has really made me think about the true meaning of Christmas. My mom gave Keenan two great books about the story of Christmas, one from Tommy DiPaola, “The Christmas Pageant.” We have been reading them almost every night and they have made me think about why we celebrate Christmas, not just for Santa Claus. Giving gifts to others is really a side note; it shouldn’t be the main event. The best gift of all is giving back to those in need and spending quality time with your family, truly appreciating all of the moments you have with them. The time you have with your family is time that you won’t get back. Even though families can sometimes be complicated (who has a family that’s perfect?), it is still important to spend quality time and show them that you love them. In addition, helping someone who is less fortunate than you can be the only and most special gift that person has ever received (the true gift of giving).

I’m thankful for Keenan opening my eyes again to the magic of the holidays and making me remember why it is such a special time.

Questions: What are you thankful for this time of year? What kinds of holiday traditions do you have? Any new ideas that you are trying this year? I would love ideas for more traditions!

REMINDER: There is still time to enter a chance to win a stylish and comfortable workout headband from Simple-Trends! Giveaway ends Monday, Dec. 3rd at 8 p.m. PST!! Click here to enter.

What I Ate Wednesday and More November 29, 2012

Happy Hump-Day! Sorry this is so late; this is the first time I’ve had a chance to sit down in front of my computer all day! It was a busy one, to say the least! Keenan woke up past 8:00 a.m. which was nice, but he also woke up at 3:00 a.m., calling frantically for my husband. I think he had a bad dream because he just wanted to be held and sung to when my husband went into his room. Fortunately, he went right back to sleep, but my husband and I had a hard time going back to sleep. Needless to say, we were tired this morning!

Today was cleaning day (not one of my favorite days, especially with a cold!), so after Keenan and I ate breakfast, I  did a little cleaning downstairs while he played (which included some cuddle time on the couch with his critters!) before we got ready to head to the box. I met a couple of my fellow athletes to do some skill work, back extensions on the glute ham developer, light deadlifts and box cleans. It was good to get some extra work in before the evening class.

Snuggling with his blanket and critters!

Tonight’s WOD was challenging: run 400 meters and 3 rounds of 15 pullups and 15 hand release pushups for 20 minutes, doing as many rounds as possible. The pullups were tough on my arm and the running is always a challenge. I’m slowly working on a faster pace. I was able to complete 2 rounds and 200 meters, not bad, but definitely not the best. After class, I helped coach the beginner’s class, which was fun, as always! It is fun to meet new people who have just joined and those who have been coming for a while and are continuing to get stronger!

Since it’s Wednesday, you know the drill! I’m linking up with Jenn at Peas and Crayons for What I Ate Wednesday!

Here are some of the things I ate the past few days:

Breakfasts:

• No Oat Oatmeal with spinach
  

  I just love this breakfast!

• My husband’s famous “cheesy eggs” (with feta, for a change)
  

  My husband’s scrambled eggs are some of the best I have ever eaten!

• Pumpkin Pie Latte with my husband’s leftover homemade whipped cream (a nice compliment to my breakfasts!)
  

  So yummy; perfect for cold and rainy mornings!

Lunches:

• Turkey wraps with spinach, tomato, avocado and pepperoncinis
  

  One of my new favorites!

• Egg whites in a mug over a bed of spinach, tomato, avocado, pasta sauce and roasted pumpkin seeds
  

  I just can’t get enough of this!

• Egg White Florentine in a Mug with avocado and pasta sauce on top
  

  So easy to make and so satisfying for breakfast or lunch!

Dinners:

• Mediterranean Chicken in the Crock Pot
  

  Such a good dinner and super easy to make!

• Crock Pot Pork and Apples with roasted broccoli, cherry tomatoes, red onions and feta cheese
  

  Such a hearty and yummy meal!

• Thai red curry stir-fry of baby bok choy, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and chicken
  

  A great meal for a cold night, thanks to my husband for making it!

Well, it is time for a nice hot shower and then bed! I’m exhausted! Have a good night!

Questions: What have you eaten the past few days? Are you still eating turkey leftovers? Have you tried any new foods or recipes lately?

REMINDER: There is still time to enter a chance to win a stylish and comfortable workout headband from Simple-Trends! Giveaway ends Monday, Dec. 3rd at 8 p.m. PST!! Click here to enter.

Giving Back and Simple-Trends Headband Review and Giveaway!! November 27, 2012

Well, I definitely have a cold. My throat is not as sore as it was yesterday, but I definitely have a lot of post-nasal drip. When I woke up this morning, everything had moved into my head. Ugh…I just hate head colds, because I feel like one giant nose (like in those cold medicine commercials)! Fortunately, Keenan woke up late this morning, at 8:30, so I was able to sleep in a bit, which helped. My husband doesn’t seem to be as affected, so far, and Keenan seems to be okay. I’m hoping he doesn’t get it.

My husband was very sweet this morning and fixed us a nice breakfast of his famous “cheesy eggs” with a pear and a latte. It was nice to come downstairs and have breakfast all ready!

After breakfast, Keenan and I headed to our local retirement home for my MOMs Club service project. As part of my duties as the Vice President, I have to plan at least one service project for the year. Since we haven’t done any work with retirement homes, I thought it would be nice to coordinate some activities during the holidays with them, especially since many of the residents don’t have any family. Today, we did holiday arts and crafts: making cards, pictures and ornaments with the residents. We are going back in a couple of weeks to attend their holiday party and give a card and picture or ornament to each resident while singing Christmas songs. The residents were so happy to have us there today. Some of them enjoyed helping the kids color and glue, while others just enjoyed watching. They kept talking about how they were looking forward to having us come back for their holiday party, as well as starting a regular story time. In January, we are starting a monthly story time where the residents will read their favorite stories to the kids. Overall, it was great morning, both for the residents and for our kids. I look forward to going back, soon!

It feels so good to give back or help those in need, which is what the holidays are all about (or should be). It shouldn’t be so much about shopping and giving gifts to friends and family members; the real gift of giving should be volunteering your time (or money, if you have it) to those who are less fortunate (or don’t have anyone in their lives, like the residents of the retirement home we visited today). Maybe for every gift you buy for someone, you donate money to your favorite charity or donate your time this holiday season–just a thought.

On another note, I’m excited to host a giveaway, just in time for the holidays!

Nicole at Simple-Trends kindly sent me a couple of headbands, one to try and one to give away. They are just what their name implies, simple, but comfortable (and versatile) headbands that you can wear for working out, when out-and-about, or simply spending the day at home. You can wear their bands wide, or tuck them in to be thin. You can also wear them with your hair up or down. All of Simple-Trends headbands are handmade in the U.S. and come in a variety of prints.

I wore my band to CrossFit last week and I have to say, I loved the style and fit (so comfortable, I practically forgot it was on my head!), but as soon as I started my WOD, it slid right off. The band doesn’t have any material underneath to make it stay on your head, so it is definitely a band to wear for low-intensity activities, only, such as yoga, pilates or walking. I love the style and how it feels on my head, so I will definitely wear it out and about, but I just can’t wear it for CrossFit. If you are one who does yoga and pilates, Simple-Trends is the band for you, or if you just want a fun and stylish band to wear out-and-about, I highly recommend them!

Since Nicole was so generous and sent me an extra headband to give away, see below on how to win it!

To enter the giveaway, please follow the steps below:

1. Leave a comment on this post stating how you would wear your headband.

(Optional) Earn an extra entry by:

1. Like Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy’s Facebook page

2. Follow Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy on Twitter: @FitNWellMommy

3. Follow Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy by email

4. Post on YOUR Facebook page, or Tweet, “I want to win a headband from Simple-Trends and Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy!”

*Make sure to leave a second comment on this post with your Facebook post, Tweet, like or following, in order for your extra entry/entries to be counted!

The giveaway ends Monday, December 3rd at 8 p.m. PST!! Good luck!

Well, it is time to get ready for CrossFit and finish preparing dinner (crock pot pork and apples with roasted broccoli) so it is done when we get home. My piriformis and rhomboids feel pretty good today, but I’m still not going to go 100%, to make sure I continue to feel better (in addition, my energy is low due to my cold). Enjoy the rest of your afternoon!