chocolate banana chia pudding

Another recipe video say what?? That’s right!  I got down and dirty (in cacao powder) on snapchat the other night to bring you another video recipe!  This one features my favorite dessert/sweet tooth diet saver: Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding.  Some people do not like the texture of chia seeds in the pudding and to that I say BLEND IT!  That’s right!  Just blend/process the pudding to make a smoother, more pudding-like texture.  Personally, I like the gel texture of the chia seeds.  It is part of the reason I love chia puddings, but to each their own.

paleo coconut brownies

Oooohhh baby!  Summer is finally here and for once I am NOT taking summer classes!  It has been a long four years of endless schooling, and although I am not graduating for another year-ish (hello two and a half degrees), this summer is just me, myself and I going on adventures and discovering more about myself.  I am beyond psyched.  I am not gonna lie, despite my awesome class schedule this past semester, my world around me seemed to crumble.  Then I realized I was being a tad too dramatic and letting depression creep back to the surface of my being.  Whoa!  Deep for a post entitled Paleo Coconut Brownies I know, my apologies.  So, let me get back to this bomb recipe because it really does deserve a spotlight.  I will do separate posts about my severe semester slump, including the saga of my pretty much weekly trips to doctor’s offices and all the labs I’m having to do. *Spoiler: still no answers to why my body is flipping out.*  To be continued… BUT read on for delish Paleo Coconut Brownies because chocolate fixes everything, right?

skinny mini pumpkin muffins

I have recently moved and although packing has never been a favorite of mine, this move was much easier than expected.  The packing, the transporting, the carrying, the unpacking, all were not quite as gruesome as I recall.  Maybe it is because I am use to moving every year and I have learned to make things easier (maybe I’ll do a moving tips post later).  I am not quite settled in yet…well, that’s an understatement.  If I am gauging this off of the level of groceries in my pantry and refrigerator, then I am dogging it.  One of the things I have learned from moving is this: it is a pain to transport food (in my opinion)–having to keep it all cold/frozen, worrying about spills and glass breaking etc.  That is why this time, I hadn’t been grocery shopping the two weeks prior to moving–and confession…I still have yet to go.  Needless to say, my food intake has been all over the place and it’s killing me and my workouts, but it has given me plenty of opportunities to use what I have and get creative.  Exhibit A: Skinny Mini Pumpkin Muffins.  

skinny lemon cookies

I made these cookies a while back for my momma’s birthday.  She loves lemon and prefers a healthier treat if she has the option.  Since I love to bake and enjoy the challenge of making healthy goodies, I whipped up these Skinny Lemon Cookies.  They were so simple to make, tasty and easy to transport to my momma all the way in Texas.  Both my dad and mom raved about them!  Nothing makes me happier than a successful recipe!

the little things

I have been taking more time to reflect and enjoy the little moments in life.  You know, part of my resolutions and all that.  It is only day five of the new year, but my newly improved positive outlook on life, I can already tell, will make this year one of my best yet!  Only day five and I already feel happier, more in control of my own life and plans for my future.  I have goals, I have dreams, I am inspired! 

nuts for nut butter

Oh, one of my weaknesses!  Nuts, or in this case specifically—nut butter. Jessi and I had this in common; we both went nuts for nut butter!  I remember she used to keep a jar of peanut butter in her cabinet and eat a spoonful as a treat.  I know we are all guilty of this.  I mean who hasn’t eaten a jar of peanut butter without it ever touching anything but a spoon?  I know my family is guilty as charged.  Even my sister’s dog had his own jar of peanut butter for a while, that is, until he was denounced as overweight by the vet…

not-so-texas-sized texas sheet cake mini cupcakes

I am finally satisfied with this recipe!  I have been working on it and perfecting it for a week now, and last night’s batch was the winner!  I am so excited with how these turned out!  They are soft, light, chocolatey, and very moist for being gluten-free.  This experiment first began as a Texas Sheet Cake (which I still want to make), but I was lacking ingredients for a full cake.  Then, I decided to cut down the recipe and make a small loaf of “sheet” cake.  I was trying to make this recipe gluten-free and healthier as I always do too.  

kick-start circuit series:rotation six

Yesterday was a good day.  I received my Liveashore workout tank in the mail, had a day full of great snacks, and filled with kick-butt workouts!  It all began with my morning run as I continue training for my half-marathon(s).  I have just been running 6-8 miles a week since I have not registered for any halfs yet, and Jessi’s is in all the way in May.  It has been really hot here in Houston, so I learned to listen to my body and heart and slow it down.