I had to pop in to share my latest breakfast obsession. I tend to get on breakfast kicks. Ya know, where you eat the same exact thing for breakfast for months at a time until the thought of it kind of makes you sick. Yeah, those kind of kicks.
But my current breakfast kick is REALLY good. I’ve heard about the 2-ingredient pancake for a long time, but I finally got the guts to give it a try. If you’re like me and doubt that something made with only eggs and bananas can taste really good, trust me on this one. You need to make these. I’ve started making 3-ingredient pancakes because I think protein powder makes the consistency and the flavor even better. Give these a try — you’ll be happy you did!
3-Ingredient Protein Pancakes
Ingredients 3 eggs
1 banana, mashed
Half scoop of Protein Powder (I use SFH Coconut Fuel)
Directions
Whisk together egg, mashed banana and protein powder until mixed well
Heat a greased skillet over Medium
Pour some of the batter to skillet, let sit 3-4 minutes.
*I like to add blueberries at this point!
Once bubbles appear on the pancake (wait for the middle to bubble as well), flip and let sit for about 2 minutes.
Repeat until batter is gone and top with whatever you choose! I like mine with almond butter, strawberries and maple syrup.
Note that you have to cook these a little slower and on lower heat than normal pancakes. Happy Breakfasting!
I love weekends that involve zero traveling, zero plans, and lots of Netflix and strolls down the pier. I went to bed before 10 on both Friday and Saturday night and it was glorious.
We also had taco night on Saturday with homemade fresh margaritas! I had to share this recipe because it is my go-to simple and delicious margarita recipe. One of my best friends’ dad’s made us these margaritas a while back and it’s still the best ‘rita I’ve ever had. Of course, there is a lot of lemon squeezing involved, but trust me the labor is worth it. Oh yeah, and after all of that work I ended up dumping my entire marg right on my lap. Classic.
Into the Blender:
-Juice of 6 lemons
-1/2 cup sugar
-Fill the rest of blender with water
-Add 1 egg white for froth
Blend and pour mixture over glass with ice & tequila, and mix. I rimmed mine with salt and and a lime 🙂
I skipped last week’s workouts (oops) so let’s get a taste for what I did this week!
Monday – 3 mile Run + Core Circuit
I’m still using this piggy bank as my weight for all core movements. Whatever works!
Tuesday – Iron Tribe
8-6-4-2 Muscle-Ups
16-14-12-10 Pistols
Cash Out: 100 Double Unders
I definitely do not have muscle ups down yet, but I ended up doing a new-to-me scale for muscle ups using a band! You basically do a chest to bar pull up using a band and then push up to fully extend your arms at the end. I’m so happy I finally found out about this scale!
Then…I did a bonus workout with a friend for our Savage Race training/my own Operation Grow-a-Butt-by-my-wedding training. This was by far the hardest workout I did all week. But my butt was sore so the mission was accomplished.
40-30-20-10
Lunges with 35# Kettlebell held at chest
Russian Twists with 25# plate
Kettlebell Swings with 35# KB
Wednesday – Iron Tribe
Buy-In: 800m Run
4 Rounds of the following:
15 Deadlifts (I did 105#)
20 1-Arm Kettlebell Push Press (10 each arm)
Cash-Out: 800m Run
Thursday – Iron Tribe
A. 12 Min EMOM of the following:
Min 1-4: 6 front squats
Min 6-9: 4 front squats
Min 11-12: 2 front squats
Min 5 & 10 are rest to build weight. Weight had to be taken from the floor, so the debilitating factor was how much you could clean. I started at 85#, then went up to 105# and finally 115# and my quads were 100% done. I was so sore for the next 3 days.
B. For Time (10 Min Cap):
40 Wall Balls
40 Box Jumps
40 Knees to Elbows
You could partition the reps any way you wanted so I stuck with sets of 10 for all until I was done. The hardest part for me was the Knees to Elbows, as per usual.
Friday – REST.
I slept in. I ate sushi takeout. I watched Gone Girl (btw, that movie blew my mind). It was great.
Saturday – Iron Tribe
Our gym did a workout in remembrance of Phoebe, a 5-year-old girl who was tragically thrown off a bridge in St. Pete by her father. This has really effected our community and we had a huge turn out in support of Phoebe. It is so sad and terrible that things like this even happen, so I was glad we could come together and do something to remember this little girl.
I love brunch (who doesn’t?) because it means slowly drinking your coffee and enjoying the best meal of the day without feeling rushed. Unfortunately, it’s usually limited to Saturdays and/or Sundays. During the week, I eat breakfasts that are fast and filling. They take little effort because effort usually means more dishes to clean, and I want nothing to do with that. Lately I’ve been loving these easy Banana Power Pancakes. Don’t fret, this is not your traditional pancake. It only has 3 ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes to make. AND it will actually keep you full until lunch!
Banana Power Pancakes Ingredients:
1/3 cup oats
1 Egg, 1 Egg White
1 Banana, Mashed
Optional, depending on how rushed you are: 1 tsp vanilla, lots of cinnamon
Directions:
1. Place greased skillet over medium heat
2. Whisk together Oats, Eggs, and Mashed Banana in a bowl, mix well
In my opinion, the easiest way to mash a banana is to pick a ripe one and mash it with the peel on, like so: 3. Pour batter into skillet to make 3-5 pancakes
4. Let sit for 2-3 minutes per side, and flip.
5. Top with your favorites and enjoy! I eat mine with almond butter and some maple syrup.
Weekly Workouts With a combination of coming off the Christmas sugar-high AND a holiday right smack in the middle of the week, this week just felt weird. Back to normal this week….or are things ever “normal” when your wedding is just weeks away? Nevertheless, I worked out this week, so let’s analyze it:
Monday – Iron Tribe 21 Min. EMOM
1st Min: 6-10 Strict Pull Ups
2nd Min: 10 Front-Rack Lunges (5 each leg) – I used 75#
3rd Min: 30 Sit Ups
Tuesday – Iron Tribe + Lululemon Run Club
Iron Tribe:
3 rounds of the following:
75 Double Unders
30 Kettlebell 1-Arm Front Squats (35# – 15 each arm)
15 Ring Dips
I led the Lululemon run club at 6pm and it was so fun! This time we went for a 3 mile run through all the pretty Christmas lights that are still up. Christmas lights on palm trees should be a year-round thing. (yes, it is still very much tank top and shorts weather here).
Wednesday – Iron Tribe
“Resolution”
20 Clean & Jerks (I used 85#)
20 Burpees
20 Deadlifts (85#)
14 Clean & Jerks
14 Burpees
14 Deadlifts
-Rest 2 Min.-
20 Clean & Jerks
20 Burpees
20 Deadlifts
15 Clean & Jerks
15 Burpees
15 Deadlifts As you can see…this one SUCKED. I totally guessed on what weight to use, and turns out it was too heavy. I was only able to do about 2 at a time toward the end, which got me a big fat DNF on the workout. Not finishing, in my opinion, is the woooorst feeling. There was a 25 min. cap and I was on the last set of clean and jerks when they called time. I’ll be back for you, Resolution.
Thursday: Sprints & Abs at Marco Island Marriott Fitness Center
This was our spa day! We kicked off the new year with sprints (I followed the same format as last week) and an ab circuit:
3 rounds of:
20 V-ups
30 Russian Twists with Medicine Ball
40 Situps
Friday: Happy Hour Power Vinyasa Yoga at BalaVinyasa
I loved taking this 5:30 yoga class before a chill Friday night in complete with thai and sushi takeout. The only thing I didn’t love was that I forgot a towel, and this class is H-O-T.
Saturday: Iron Tribe 800m Run
60 Kettlebell Swings (35#)
40 Burpee Pull Ups (I scaled this to 10 Burpees, 10 Pull Ups at a time) 20 Handstand Pushups
What was your favorite workout of the week? What is your breakfast staple?
Let’s talk cookies & workouts. Those two things go together, right?
Cameron has been raving about his mom’s peanut butter cookies ever since we first started dating in college, but I hadn’t tried them until last weekend. Well, he was right – they are the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever had! I asked his mom for the recipe and she kindly shared it so do yourself a favor and make these. I’m giving some away as gifts for co-workers and Cameron is really mad about it.
The BEST Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
2 Cups Bisquick
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 can condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
Granulated sugar for rolling cookies in
Hershey kisses of your choice
Directions:
preheat oven to 375.
Blend together pb and condensed milk, add in bisquick mix well, when almost blended add in vanilla.
Roll into approx. 1.5 inch balls and then roll in sugar.
If making blossoms: Place balls on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart and cook 7-10 min. Pull out of oven and press kiss into ball while hot. Let sit until cool. You can transfer to a wire rack after a few minutes of cooling if you need to alternate your cookie sheets.
If making pb cookies: make balls and roll in sugar as above. Once they are place on cookie sheet mash with fork once then turn fork 90 degrees and mash again (Makes cute grids).
Weekly Workouts
The workouts this week were TOUGH. I can’t remember the last time my whole body was this sore.
Monday: Rest I flew home from Birmingham this day and was not feeling a workout. We did get to workout with Cameron’s mom and dad while we were in B-ham! Iron Tribe is headquartered there, so there are about 5 different locations and it’s so fun to visit.
Tuesday: Iron Tribe
For Time:
30 Box jumps (20#)
30 Push press (I did 75#)
100m Farmer’s Carry (I did 35#)
25 Box jumps
25 Push press
100m Farmers carry
20 Box jumps
20 Push press
100m Farmers carry
Wednesday: Iron Tribe
20 min EMOM:
1st min: 100m Row then max reps of KB front rack lunge (I used 35#)
2nd min: 5 hang cleans (I used 90#)
I guess I always underestimate EMOMs because this was WAY harder than I expected. It rivaled the 12 days of Christmas WOD. It also initiated my soreness that continued through the rest of the week.
Thursday: Iron Tribe
7 Min AMRAP of:
7 Thrusters (I used 65#)
7 Knees to elbows
-Rest 2 min-
7 Min AMRAP of:
7 front squats (65#)
10 V-ups
-Rest 2 min-
7 Min AMRAP of:
7 Barbell push ups 10 Jumping squats
Friday: Iron Tribe
“12 Days of Christmas”
*Follow the same structure of the song..for example:
1 run
2 Deadlifts, 1 run
3 Burpees, 2 Deadlifts, 1 run etc.
For Time (30 min cap):
1 100m Run
2 Deadlifts (I did 135#) 3 Burpees 4 Box jumps (20#) 5 Push ups 6 Pull ups 7 Sit ups 8 KB goblet squats (35#) 9 KB swings (35#) 10 Wall balls (14# ball) 11 Double unders 12 Handstand push ups
I started way too hot out of the gate with this one. I was cruising along until we got to the wall balls. At that point, the person I was trying to stay in front of caught up to me and passed me, and then my motivation to go fast just went out the window. I ended up being in the middle of the last run when they called time for the 30 min cap. It was pretty heartbreaking, but I think I’ll get over it.
The rest of Friday was spent at the Iron Tribe Christmas party! We ate tacos, drank margaritas and danced to country music. It was fantastic. Saturday & Sunday were deemed rest days because my body was done for. We did some Christmas shopping and hit up the beach. Winter in Naples is pretty awesome.
Tell me about your favorite workout this week! Have you made Christmas cookies this year? What’s your favorite kind?
Happy Monday!!! This weekend flew by but it was so fun to finally spend a weekend in Naples. When people tell me they live in Naples but don’t go to the beach, I get so confused. Why else would you live here!? I can’t get enough of this.
Here’s a look at this week’s workouts:
Monday – Iron Tribe
A. 100 Double unders
40 Plate lunges (25#)
20 Kettlebell swings (I used 35#)
400m Run
20 KB swings
40 Plate lunges
100 Double unders
B. 3 rounds of:
50m Farmer’s walk each arm (I used 35#)
3×7 Second hanging L hold
I can officially do 30 double unders in a row! But once I get past that number they start getting reeeeally difficult to string together. Does anyone else catch yourself holding your breath during these? I’m guilty.
Tuesday: 5 mile Run
Wednesday: Iron Tribe
10 Min EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) of:
3 Hang cleans + 3 Burpees (I worked up to 115#)
*Build weight through the course of 10 sets
Rest 1 Min.
B. 8 Min AMRAP of the following:
5 Hang cleans (I used 95#)
10 Hand release push ups
Usually when I see EMOMs like this I go into it thinking it will be a good strength workout without much cardio. Well this one was both and was WAY harder than I anticipated. Getting in 3 heavy hang cleans, 3 burpees, AND switching your weight out in one minute means there is literally zero rest.
Thursday: Iron Tribe
For time:
400m Run
20 Deadlifts (I used 105#)
10 Pistols
400m Run
15 Deadlifts
10 Pistols
400m Run
10 Deadlifts
10 Pistols
I talked about my love for pistol squats on Friday, but this WOD was a good balance of my strengths and weaknesses. Deadlifts being my weakness. I can clean more than I can deadlift….not normal.
Friday: Hot Power Yoga @ BV Yoga
How many times do you attend a random yoga class and think “I need to do this more” but then don’t go back for another two months? This is the vicious cycle yoga & I play with each other. I’m considering getting a yoga package because I’m sick of lying to myself. If you pay money…you will show up. It works, people.
Saturday: Iron Tribe
3 Rounds of the following:
200m Run
20 Russian kettlebell swings (I used 26# for all of the movements)
20 1-Arm KB thrusters (10 each arm)
100m KB carry
10 KB goblet squats
10 Strict pull-ups
*Must use same kettlebell weight for all movements. Becky joined me for this WOD and I was so happy to have her a workout buddy! This girl is running for two and is still REALLY fast! Don’t judge our sweatyness…it was very hot outside.
Sunday: Pancakes + Beach time
Ahhh…my two favorite things. We were having such a perfect beach day…and then Cameron got stung by a yellow jacket. His foot is super swollen, but it was still a really great day minus that incident. P.S. We found lots of coconuts!
*Makes about 10 pancakes
Ingredients:
1.5 cups almond flour
3 eggs
1/4 cup cream cheese (yep…the ingredient that makes them super delish)
2 tbs. melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 banana chopped in very small pieces
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients and mix until mostly smooth.
2. Fold in banana pieces.
3. Heat pan over medium heat and coat with coconut oil/non-stick spray.
4. Pour batter onto pan. Cook each pancake about 2-3 minutes before flipping. Cook other side for about 1 minute.
5. Top pancakes with maple syrup, almond butter, fruit…whatever you like!
In case you were wondering, this is not how you milk an almond:
Yeah, that won’t work. I always thought making almond milk would be a long, tedious process, but it’s actually quite easy and quick! I decided to make my own partly because the store bought kind is filled with junk, but mostly because I knew it would taste delicious. I love almond milk even by itself, so I knew homemade almond milk would be even better because everything tastes better homemade!
The end result was frothy, flavorful and delicious almond milk!
And an added bonus? Almond flour! I got a whole bag’s worth of almond flour from my almond milk leftovers. Double awesome.
Homemade Almond Milk Makes about 2 cups of almond milk
Immediately strain the almonds and run cool water over them
Here comes the fun part: remove the almond from their skin by pinching the non-pointy side with two fingers. They might go flying out of their skin, so watch out. You should end up with naked almonds.
Place almonds in blender with 2 cups of water and blend until completely pulverized.
Pour into a bowl lined with your nut milk bag/cheesecloth
Strain, squeeze and enjoy!
Remove the leftover pulverized almonds from the bag and store it in the refrigerator for almond meal!
I am totally on board with anything that remotely tastes like pasta, so it’s no surprise I love spaghetti squash. As many know, when you bake a spaghetti squash, you can rake out “noodles” to create a delicious spaghetti-like meal.
While I love these veggie noodles, I stopped making them for a while because cutting spaghetti squashes in half is terrifying. I always felt like I was about to cut off my hand, and have gotten extremely close to doing so. So, I finally found a solution to easily cut a spaghetti squash in half sans-trip to the ER, so I thought I’d share!
Step 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off both ends of the Spaghetti Squash. (This step takes the probability of slicing open your hand down by at least 50%. Ok, I completely made up that stat, but just trust me on this one.)
Step 2. Using the biggest knife you have, cut the spaghetti squash length-wise by starting in the center and going outward. Then, take the knife out and cut back into the center going outward the other direction.
Don’t worry if you’re sides are uneven (like mine are). Also, I don’t recommend taking pictures of yourself while doing this…so this is a reenactment.
Step 3. Scoop out the guts.
Step 4. Place the two sides facing down on a greased baking sheet. Put in oven for about 25 minutes, or until the skin of the squash gives when you press on it. If you have a smaller side you may need to take that side out earlier than the other.
Step 5. Using a fork, rake the spaghetti squash and create noodles.
Step 6. Top with marinara, ground beef, or whatever you like on your spaghetti! This one has ground turkey, basil, onion, mushroom, garlic and marinara.
In my quest to eat more “real” foods, I gave up protein powder for the past year. It seemed like every kind that I tried (and actually liked the taste of) had a laundry list of ingredients that sounded more like a science experiment than something I should be consuming.
But, my gym just introduced a new-to-me protein powder called Stronger. Faster. Healthier. (SFH), and I decided to give it a try. It’s said to be the highest-quality whey protein powder out there because of its bioavailability, whey that comes from grass-fed, free-range cows, A2 milk (which contains less antigen proteins), and its short list of soy-free, sugar-free and artificial substance-free ingredients. You can also check out their article on what to avoid in a whey protein, which I found interesting.
I was able to test out all flavors of their whey protein – chocolate, vanilla, mango and coconut. They definitely have a more mild taste than what I am used to with flavored proteins, but they were all delicious. After trying them all, I ended up buying the SFH Fuel in coconut (shocking, I know – #givemeALLthecoconut).
I also tried their Omega-3 fish oil in tangerine, which delivers over 3100mg of EPA and DHA. I learned that the EPA + DHA levels in your fish oil supplement is what matters most (not just the milligrams companies put on the front of the bottle…turn that thing around and check out the nutrition facts!) I looked at the Nature Made fish oil supplement I had at home, and I would have to take 6 capsules/day to equal just one teaspoon of the EPA+DHA levels in the SFH fish oil. And, as someone who typically gags at fish oil supplements, this was by far the best tasting kind I’ve tried.
In my opinion, protein powder is not a necessity, even if you are lifting weights on a regular basis. You can build muscle from real food alone, as long as you’re consuming enough protein and calories. I think it’s the convenience factor that makes protein powder so appealing. That being said, I’ve been making more protein smoothies lately for breakfast, and I’ve found that I don’t get hungry again until lunchtime (I usually get hungry around 11, and then hangry by 12, so this is a huge plus!).
Lately I’m loving incorporating coffee into my smoothies because, well, caffeine rocks. Whether you love iced coffee like I do, or maybe you stayed up too late watching Big Bang Theory because it’s nerd month (guilty), this smoothie is a seriously delicious wake up call. Coconut Mocha Protein Smoothie
1 scoop of protein powder (I used SFH Coconut Whey Protein Powder) 1 cup coffee (I brew a cup from my Keurig, put it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and pour it in once its cooled) 1 frozen banana 1 tbs cocoa powder
1 tbs almond butter 1 handful of spinach (optional – I just always add the greens to my smoothie because you can’t taste them)
1-2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon, to taste (I use a lot. Pumpkin pie spice works well too!)
Two large hand fulls of ice cubes
Anyone else tried SFH? What is your favorite smoothie combo?
‘Twas a great week of workouts and a relaxing weekend that included cheerleading, beer and a fall-inspired baking project. Here’s what my workouts looked like this week:
Monday – Iron Tribe
1 Mile Run
Rest 3 min
Then 3 rounds of:
10 Burpees
15 Kettlebell swings
25 Double-unders
I ran the mile in 6:50, and then slooowly made it through Part B of the workout.
Tuesday – Iron Tribe
20 min AMRAP of:
12 Knees to elbows
6 Handstand pushups
12 Box jumps
Rest 1 min
Wednesday – Iron Tribe
A. 10 min EMOM of:
1 Power clean + 1 hang power clean + 1 front squat
Cleans are my newfound favorite. I did 100# which is the heaviest I’ve ever cleaned in a workout. I’m in the back in the purple top…my hair-twin is in front, though.
B. 3 rounds of the following:
In a 3 min window, Run, then perform as many deadlifts as possible in the remaining time.
Thursday – 4 Mile Run
When I started running, there was a slight drizzle, which was nice. By the time I was 2 miles in, it started full-on pouring. Not so nice.
The look of defeat. #soaked.
Friday – Iron Tribe
A. 7 min AMRAP of:
3 Power snatch
3 Chest to bar pull-ups
6 Power snatches
6 Chest to bar pull-ups…
*Add 3 reps to each movement each round
Rest 3 minutes
B. For time (8 min cap)
Start on the last full round completed and work back down the ladder.
I’m slowly starting to get my snatch form down, but this WOD was just too. many. snatches.
Saturday – Rest Day!
I got to be a cheerleader for Cameron and the Tribe team! They competed in Lululemon’s Men’s beach brawl which consisted of a WOD, volleyball and paddleboarding. There was a lot of testosterone.
Saturday ended in checking out a new brewery, Momentum Brewhouse. Ping pong, card games and Jenga also ensued, so it was a good night.
Sunday consisted of lots of eating, couch time and baking. I’m really good at Sundays.
I’m still “trying to make Fall happen” so I made some delicious muffins that are fall-tastic. These are really good and really easy, so you should make them. Added bonus: they make your house (or tiny apartment) smell like heaven.
Paleo Zucchini Pumpkin Muffins Ingredients
6 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Zest of one orange
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together eggs, pumpkin, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Sift in flour, spices, salt, baking powder and salt.
Then mix in zucchini, carrots, walnuts, cranberries and orange zest.
I feel like your mid-20s are an awkward in-between stage of acting like a college kid and a grandma. It seems like half of my friends are off traveling the world, partying and single, while the other half is buying homes, having babies and going to bed at 9pm after a hot mug of tea.
And then there are others like me, who are in-between both of these. No, I don’t travel the world and hit up clubs on the reg, but I enjoy a night out, a glass (or five) of wine and doing fun, spontaneous things. And while I haven’t taken up knitting, I do enjoy a cup of hot tea before I go to bed at 9:30pm.
Sometimes, I take the grandma thing too far and decide it’s time to go out and have some fun. So I turn on my college-kid side and wake up with a pounding headache and am unable to move for 24 hours. I then remember why I don’t go out and return to my grandma-like state. It’s a vicious cycle.
In the end, I love themed parties, dancing like idiots with my best friends, and pajama chick flick nights, and I hope they never end. I also am looking forward to more Saturday nights spent watching a documentary in front of the TV (um, this occurred last Saturday night). Who’s with me?
Well, there’s no normal way to transition from that soooo…CARROT FRIES.
Ever since I stopped eating lean cuisines and started cooking, baked sweet potato fries/wedges have been a staple. Recently, I discovered carrot fries and…MIND. BLOWN. They are so good, and dare I say even better than sweet potato fries? If you haven’t tried them, you must!
I realize this is not a recipe and merely baking a vegetable, but I’m going to put the steps for how I make carrot fries anyway because honestly, majority of the things I make take about 5 minutes so how is this any different?
P.S. The reason my carrots look crazy is because I bought the multi-colored carrots from TJs. They just looked more fun.
Carrot Fries 1. Pre-heat oven to 425.
2. Cut large carrots into 3/4 inch fries
3. Place carrot fries on a greased baking sheet.
4. Toss carrots with 3 – 4 tbs olive oil, then add garlic powder and salt, to taste (I like mine salty.)
5. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, then bake for another 10 minutes.
Living Unbalanced 