I have a confession. Those flipping Easter Peeps started chirping my name as soon as the sun broke through the night sky on Easter morning. I was SO good. I told them, “No, Peeps! You stop chirping my name! I don’t want your melty, sugary selves in my bellah, messin’ up my blood sugar mojo!” [...]
I woke up this morning to Grady SCREAMING. I’m going to go ahead and pretend that he was just singing “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” to me at the very top of his lungs.
I reluctantly crawled out of bed and rolled downstairs to fix myself a caffeinated beverage. I contemplated some scotch too but decided 7:23am might be a little early for that. Sorry, but I need SOMETHING to deal with this attitude:
Coffee is my religion. It is something I do every single morning. I enjoy the aroma of coffee, the notes of different blends, and the way it warms you to the core, inducing an uncontrollable smile from within. Sometimes it is enjoyed while I surf the web, play a game, or read a book. Other times it is gulped down while I’m making breakfast, scrubbing egg out of someone’s hair, or while I’m hastily mopping the floor. Sometimes I just want to put it in a CamelBak and sip it while I’m pirouetting around with a broom in my hand. I drink two cups a day, one in the morning and one around 2pm. The Workaholic gets a fancy coffee schmoothie every day before work and let me tell you, folks; it is freaking DELICIOUS. And that, my friends, is exactly what I was craving this morning.
Luckily I had taken a trip to Walmart late last week to stock up on supplies for our delicious schmoothie treat. I LOVE that Walmart carries Seattle’s Best coffee. I’m from Juneau, Alaska so by default, Seattle is my second home and Seattle’s Best was the second coffee I ever had. Plus, $6 for a pound of deliciousness? Done. No contest, no question. Seattle’s Best it is. Alone, this coffee is smooth and flavorful with very little bitterness. I like a dark roast but my Walmart only had the Medium and Balanced in whole bean so I bought that. There’s something extra special about freshly ground beans in the morning.
And here’s why I need coffee in the afternoon. This kid is Houdini reincarnate.
OK so I’m not even going to lie, when I woke up this morning and attempted to fashion a gourmet drink out of thin air, I remembered why I drink coffee before doing ANYTHING. I can’ t think straight without at least 12 ounces of hot coffee coursing through my veins.
I screwed the recipe up so badly it’s not even funny. I had some Seattle’s Best coffee left in my coffee pot from yesterday. I heated it up in the microwave, chugged it and gave myself a 15 minute break from concocting the easiest, most familiar recipe EVER.
When the London fog finally lifted, I peeled myself off of my chair and got back to work. This schmoothie can be made so many different ways, with all different types of milk or nut butter. You can use cocoa powder or whatever protein powder you use on a daily basis. We make it a little different every day but I share the base recipe below.
Seattle’s Best is currently hosting a #RedCupShowdown where you can submit your very own coffee recipe for AWESOME prizes including a trip for two to NYC. I’d LOVE to win but since I’m telling you about this phenomenal contest, I can’t participate, which is actually good for you because you don’t have to go up against my schmoothie and me. Check this vid out for all of the exciting information. If you need any recipe inspiration, I have another recipe up my sleeve and I’m totally willing to share it with you if you ask nicely.
And without further ado, here is the recipe for our delicious dairy-free, sugar-free, protein-filled Banana Berry Cuppa Cocoa Schmoothie:
Ingredients:
1 handful frozen strawberries
1 banana, peeled and cut into pieces
6 Seattle’s Best Coffee ice cubes
1-1/2 cup almond milk
2 Tablespoons almond butter (or peanut butter if you prefer)
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, adding additional milk if necessary until desired texture is reached. The banana will add all of the sweetness that you need for this shake, no additional sugar is necessary. Top with a fresh strawberry and suck it down for a healthy, protein packed, caffeine-buzz worthy way to start your day.
Then enjoy and feel your spirits soar.
To enter your own recipe into the Red Cup Showdown and for more contest info, CLICK HERE. It’s SO easy to enter. ”Like” the page and click on the red “Enter Now” circle, then follow the simple instructions. Let me know if you enter a recipe into the contest! I’d love to follow your journey!
I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Seattle’s Best Coffee #CBias #SocialFabric – As always, all opinions, amazing recipes, and attitude-filled toddlers are my very own.
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Jul 112012
It’s been a while since I gave an update into our Paleo journey.
When The Workaholic moved to North Carolina and left us in Georgia for a few weeks, I slacked BIG. TIME. I packed the kitchen first because it is the most daunting room for me. I left out one pot, one pan, one cookie sheet, and paper plates. I did NOT feel like cooking so the kids ate lots of pre-made things and I ate lots of salad and the occasional bowl of cereal. I was working out while he was gone and it felt SO good to get out of the house and sweat a little bit while someone else dealt with my screaming children. Despite my lack of cooking, I lost 10 more pounds while The Workaholic was gone!
Because of all the travel that we have subjected ourselves to since February, I’ve lost and gained that same 10 pounds twice. I can’t seem to make the best decisions when I’m out to eat, no matter how hard I try.
The great thing about living Paleo as a lifestyle is that it doesn’t really matter! What matters is that we don’t eat processed food at home. We don’t have many grains here. I say “many” because Styles and Madilyn still eat gluten-free cereal in the mornings. They just can’t give it up. Anyone know of a cerealaholic support group, please let me know. We cook from scratch and are thoughtful about what we put in our bodies at home which is where we spend MOST of our time. Paleo might be “restrictive” in that you can’t eat grains or consume pasteurized dairy, but there are substitutions for everything that you “can’t” have. We are rarely without muffins and cookies in our house. The “Any Time Cookies” from “Eat Like a Dinosaur” are a staple in our kitchen. We still eat pancakes. We eat Cauliflower rice like we’re Asian. We do biscuits. We eat Shepherd’s Pie. The Workaholic and the kiddos eat potatoes. WE USE SALT! We do Chinese, Italian, Thai, and Mexican. My kids never feel deprived or like they are missing anything and neither do The Workaholic or I. Yesterday we indulged in freeze dried fruit from Trader Joe’s and dark chocolate. Yum. I understand that it’s difficult to have to prepare all of your food and be thoughtful about what you eat but it’s a decision with sacrifices that we are willing to make for better health for our family.
We met with our new Pediatrician yesterday and I told him about our lifestyle. He was surprised and pleased that my kids ate so many diverse foods. He had heard about Paleo and said that there is never anything wrong or unhealthy with a lifestyle that promotes whole foods (more often referred to as “real food” on this blog). He said for children to grow and for adults to be happy, they need a good combination of fat, protein, and carbohydrates; of which we lack none. He also went on to explain that what it all boils down to is that most grains are simple carbohydrates and break down into sugar in our bodies. Which is EXACTLY why we stay away from them. He said that as long as the kids are getting complex carbohydrates from other sources that they’re fine. Of course, Grady’s growth chart speaks for itself. He went from being in the 50% in height to the 75% in height and stayed in the 5% range for weight. All 3 of my children are tall and lean, which Dr. Fennel said is great, as long as they are following their own individual growth plans.
I’d also like to address how Paleo is “working for us”. I didn’t start eating whole foods to lose weight. That was, and still is not my motivation. My weight loss motivates other people, but it does not motivate me. I started it because I was having chronic migraines, constant joint pain, extreme fatigue, a sluggish digestive system, acne, endometriosis, excessive hair growth in areas you shouldn’t have hair i.e.: neck, and some depression thrown into the mix as well. A doctor recommended Paleo to me and after an entire day of research, I decided I’d give it a shot for 30 days to see if it worked. Within one week, I was pain free. Since then, I have had 3 migraines and each one was after consuming cookies or pasta. 3 migraines in 7 months is a hugely positive change from 3-5 migraines a month. When The Workaholic finally jumped on board, his Irritable Bowel Syndrome went the way of the Dodo. It flares up from time to time when he decides to indulge in pasta or a bagel.
The physical benefits FAR outweigh the amount of weight that we have lost, which collectively is 90lbs.
That said, because weight loss is such a motivating factor to overweight people EVERYWHERE, here is my 7 month update shot:
(REMEMBER: The “before” photo is about 9 pounds lighter than when I actually started Paleo and this “during” shot was taken 6 weeks ago when I was 7 months Paleo and 10 pounds heavier than I am now. We are now officially at 8 months Paleo but I don’t have anyone around to take a shot for me so I’m using this one.)
My advice to you is that you’re looking to become a healthier person, do some serious checking into how Paleo can work for you. If you’re just trying to lose weight and don’t really care about your overall health, keep drinking milkshakes or taking growth hormones or starving yourself. Because that’s all SO super healthy.
May 092012
I’ve come to the conclusion that my children want me to be fat.
It only makes sense, I mean, why else would they scream like pterodactyls in child care at the YMCA and force the poor, deaf child care workers to come haul me out of a class only 15 minutes in?
Because they like being able to run circles around me.
I mean come on! Doesn’t it make perfect sense to you?
“Mom is fat and can’t keep up with our crazy energy. Man, this ROCKS!”
Upon Mom renewing her Y Membership:
“Balls! Mom’s going to try to get fit again! We can’t let this happen. IF we let this happen, she’ll be able to keep up with us and then we won’t be able to wreak as much havoc on her life, therefore our lives will become increasingly dull and uneventful. No more watching Mom clean food up off of the living room floor while we do back flips off of her forehead while juggling steak knives with one hand!”
They then concoct an evil scheme that works EVERY time.
They scream.
And scream.
AND scream.
AND SCREAM.
while in the care of others so that I cannot work out for longer than 15 minutes….
Until I’m sick and tired of putting in the effort of getting them into the car, taking them out of the car; signing them, kicking and screaming, into the kid fit area, only to get to work out for 15 minutes. That’s JUST long enough to break a sweat.
What’s WITH these people, anyways?! Can’t handle a screaming kid? Then perhaps you’re in the wrong industry.
How the HELL is a mom supposed to have some “me” time if her kids won’t let her out of their sight?
After this happened tonight, my eyes were bulging out of my head in absolute anger, and I wanted to drag them back to the car caveman-style. I refrained from being so barbaric but I really am at my breaking point with these little buttholes.
Don’t they realize that if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy?
I Don’t Know Where I’m Going, Only God Knows Where I’ve BeenI still love you ALL. I really do. I miss my little bundle of faithful readers and I hope that I haven’t completely lost you all in the course of the last month. Following my post about my grandmother’s bout with Alzheimer’s Disease, I got news that my dad’s dad was not doing so well. [...] |
21 Day Body Transformation Day 12Happy Saturday, everyone! I’m typing this at a much earlier hour than I normally wake but I’m not tired. Thank God for small miracles! I’ve had my steaming cup of coffee and didn’t have to worry about spilling it on a little head, or worse, worry about little hands dumping my coffee all over the [...] |
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RESOLUTION : Paleo Week 5 – TREATS!I am so excited to have a guest blogger with us today. Melissa is a Pilates Instructor and the mastermind behind the blog, Satisfying Eats. Her grain-free desserts and baked goods are phenomenal. If you’re new to Paleo, you won’t want to miss out on this blog so that you never feel like you’re missing [...] |
21 Day Body Transformation Day 11Good afternoon! Welcome to Day 11. Are you sore from yesterday? If you’re not, then you didn’t do the WOW! Or you’re superhuman. Pick one. Today is good. We can totally handle today. As a matter of fact, I already did today and didn’t even realize it. Do you like to get fancy in the [...] |
21 Day Body Transformation Day 10HOLY Cow can you believe that we’re almost 1/2 way done? I can’t believe it’s Day 10 already. Although my body composition hasn’t changed much, I love the new movement that I’m incorporating into my life. While the change isn’t drastic physically, I FEEL better. How about you? Today isn’t quite as fun, y’all. It’s [...] |
21 Day Body Transformation Day 9Yesterday was sprints, today is INCREASE DAILY MOVEMENT! Remember as we travel along in the next 2 weeks, that the ideas in each day should begin to expand throughout your entire lifestyle. Don’t just increase your movement today because I’m telling you to. Increase your movement every day because you SHOULD. Because your body would [...] |
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