Yummy In My Tummy!

I found a super delicious recipe last week and I just couldn't wait to make it and share with you. The recipe is from Spabettie and it's for a Chipotle Tofu Potato Burrito w/chipotle vegan mayo. When I first saw the picture for this recipe I was drooling...maybe not literally, but I was close to it.lol If you check out the pics below I'm sure you'll agree. I had to use a few substitutions for this burrito but I think it was still one of the tastiest meals I've had.

I used kale instead of arugula. 

Since I didn't have any bell peppers I decided to throw in some broccoli. 

If you check out the recipe, the wrap is supposed to be gluten free, but I couldn't find one that  looked as good or  would wrap as good as this spinach one. 

Finish product. Yum! 

This burrito was so flavorful and I can't wait to make it again. I've never made chipotle mayo before, so that was quite a tasty change. I used soy free vegenaise. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect gluten free wrap. I love the brown rice tortilla ones but they break apart when I try to wrap something in them. I use them mainly for quesadillas. Here's the link to the recipe: http://spabettie.com/2012/03/19/chipotle-tofu-potato-burrito-with-chipotle-mayo/

Getting Prepared for the Week!

Hey guys! I made this little video to show you some of the meals I like to prepare for the week. I think it's so important to have your meals nice and ready for you so that you don't have to stress about it during the week. I know I feel so much better when I come home and I don't have to worry about boiling something, or soaking something, etc. Just take it out of the fridge and heat it up in your pan (or microwave if you're in a time crunch). Being prepared just makes eating healthy so much easier.

Yummy BLT

Over the weekend I made this scrumptious BLT sandwich. I haven't had a BLT in a long time so I don't know why I randomly started craving for one. Anyway, this sandwich was bangin and if you get a chance you should definitely try and make it sometime. First, I made some tempeh bacon...got the recipe from the lunch box blog. After I made the bacon, I set it aside and moved on to the rest of the sandwich. I used baguette bread, sliced it in half, and baked in a 425 degree oven for about 3-4 minutes. I spread a little soy free vegenaise on each bread slice, added some sliced tomatoes, avocado, and I used spinach instead of lettuce...oh, and some pepper on top. Yum! You can add a little organic ketchup and hot sauce, like I did, or you can leave it alone and munch away. Nom nom nom...so good! :-)

Being prepared for the week!

Hey guys! Check out this video of how I get a couple of food items prepared for the week. :-)




What food do you like to prepare for the week?

Vegan Power Cakes & New Shoes!

Hey guys! Last night's workout was brutal for my arms! I did the Bodyrock "Set It Off" Resistance Training Routine with the hubby last night and we were both dying by the time we finished. I love workouts that really push you and it's always nice to have someone there motivating you to push harder (even though I think I did most of the motivating...but I don't mind :-P). Here's the link: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/01/11/day-3-week-2-of-the-30-day-challenge-wild-ones-workout/. If you don't have a gym membership or have one but can't find the time, check out Bodyrock.tv and Toneitup.com. I can not stress enough how amazing these workout hosts are. They train you right in your home for FREE! And they really kick your butt too!lol

This morning I had Zumba class! So much fun every time I go. This class is always packed because we all love sweating and having a good time while dancing and losing weight. I try to go every week but sometimes I can't make it. I had a bowl of my favorite quinoa cereal before class because I knew I would be getting out too late for breakfast.

After the gym and errands I headed home to try my hand at making a Power Cake. This awesome chick named Kasey makes these power cakes which remind me of protein pancakes but a little more edgy.lol...I don't know if healthy pancakes can be considered edgy, but you have to check out her site to see what I'm talking about. Anyway, I've been wanting to make some for a while but she uses egg whites to make them and that's a no no in the world of veganism, so I asked her if she was planning on making a vegan version anytime soon and she said she was working on it. Me, being the impatient person that I am couldn't wait to taste one of these amazing looking powercakes, so I tried to veganize it myself. My first attempt was pretty bad. I'd show you but I threw them out.lol I used egg replacer from the box and for some reason it just did not come out right. So, last night I remembered that Tone It Up uses silken tofu in their protein pancakes. I also checked out one of my vegan cook books for ways to replace eggs. After the gym I stopped by Whole Foods (or as some say "Whole Paycheck") and picked up some silken tofu. I brought up the recipe for her Carrot Cake Power Cake and got to work. Here is the recipe:

WHIP 4 Egg Whites (I used ½ a tub of Organic Silken Tofu & 1 Whole Banana mashed)

Then fold in:

2 TB Ground Flax
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1 TB Coconut Flour
(sub protein powder or other flour)
1 Grated Carrot
2 TSP Baking Powder
Cinnamon/Ginger/Cloves
Vanilla
Stevia
(or other sweetener)

Spoon the mix onto a pan & SPRAY the pan. (I used parchment paper)

Bake @ 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes!

Vegan Carrot Cake Power Cakes. 

Topped with Protein Frosting (Vanilla Protein Powder w/water)

And last but not least, some yummy chia jam. Check the Power Cake link for the recipe. 

Nom nom nom

This came out so much better than the last batch. I think it definitely helped adding in the mashed banana. It gave it a more creamy texture. The Protein Powder Frosting was good but a little too sweet for me, so maybe I'll just stick with the chia jam as my topping. As a whole this was definitely a yummy treat for an after workout meal. I paired it with half a grapefruit.

Oh, before I forget...I got some new trainers to show you!

Nike Free TR Fit Winter Shoes

I've been in desperate need for some new workout shoes...and when I saw these I fell in love! Once I saw one of the Bodyrock host wearing the exact ones I wanted (same color too!), it was like a sign. These pretty blue babies were delivered to me on Friday and they're even more amazing than I thought they would be. They're so light and comfortable. My feet thank me after every workout. :-)

For lunch I had a Tone It Up black bean patty with brown rice, tomatoes, and avocado. I had half a whole wheat pita bread with a small dollop of hummus.

  

My Last Week of My 30 day Bodyrock Challenge!

Wow! It's really hard to keep up with your blog, facebook page, twitter page, and youtube vlog...and the rest of your life.lol I just looked at the date of my last post and shook my head. I have to keep on track with my post. Not just for the sake of posting but because I love to write and this is where it all started with my vegan journey. So, anyway I've been really rocking this month's challenge from Tone It Up & Bodyrock. The workouts have been amazing and I'm feeling stronger everyday. There have been some slip ups with the food, but I try not to beat myself up about it. I love eating healthy and fueling my body but sometimes I do just want to indulge a little. So, if I do slip up, I just know that I have to work harder the next day to make up for it. I'm wondering how the rest of you guys deal with the slip ups. Morning workout was Tone It Up's "Beach Babe Workout."

This morning for breakfast (Meal 1) I had the Tone It Up Quinoa Cereal.

Here's the link to recipe: http://toneitup.com/blog.php?We-LOVE-Food-Friday-Home-made-Maple-Quinoa-Cereal-From-EyeItTryIt-5149. I love this stuff! :-)


For Meal 2 I had some kale chips and home made trail mix with: almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and unsweetened dried cranberries. Very happy to be able to use my dehydrator again. This time I used it for the cranberries.

For Meal 3 I had I burrito with black & kidney beans, brown rice, avocado, tomatoes, and lime juice. I had a salad on the side.

This meal was delicious and I was nice and full. I love brown rice and beans. They go together with almost everything...almost. ;-) Afternoon workout was Bodyrock's "Rock Star Booty Workout."

For my Meal 4 I thought I would celebrate Peanut Butter Day with a Tone It Up peanut butter protein shake. I didn't know there was such a holiday as Peanut Butter Day, but apparently there is. Whatever, peanut butter is delicious so I'll celebrate it any time they want me to.

For dinner I had a scrumptious quinoa bowl. I had some leftover quinoa and beans and layered them with some onions & peppers my hubby sauteed, some lettuce, and fresh guacamole. Yum!

I hope everyone had a great day today. Keep up with your workouts and eat the best food to fuel your body. :-)

Quick Brown Rice Pasta & Tone It Up Check In!

Hey guys! Check out my video for my Tone It Up Check In. I also have a quick recipe on there for you of some yummy brown rice pasta.




Quick Brown Rice Pasta

Here are the ingredients that I used:

Organic Brown Rice Pasta (I used the Trader Joe's Brand)
A can of Organic Diced Tomatoes
Shiitake Mushrooms (Use whatever mushrooms you like)
Some greens (I used kale & spinach)
2 cloves of garlic
Herbamare (or a little salt)
Pepper

Cook your pasta until done. Saute your garlic in a little olive oil until a little golden then add your mushrooms and mix until they get soft. Add in your greens and stir until they wilt a little then add your diced tomatoes. Mix in your tomatoes well, add your seasonings, cover, and let simmer until ready. Yum!

Check out what I had for breakfast.

Half a grapefruit & a home made protein bar. Recipe from Bodyrock.tv

Day 2 of Tone It Up & Bodyrock Challenge! Spirulina in my juice!

Hey everyone! This is day 2 of my workout challenges and I feel great! I find myself more and more excited to wake up and find new ways to push myself physically and mentally. Because we all know that getting into shape starts with mentally forcing yourself to get your body up and moving. This morning for my Tone It Up Booty Call I did the stairs challenge. Running up and down stairs is definitely a good way to get your heart rate up and get that metabolism going.


For breakfast I made a tofu scramble with a slice of Ezekiel bread on the side.

Tofu scramble with red peppers, green & red onions, tomatoes, spinach,  and  some avocado on top. I also sprinkled in  some nutritional yeast. A slice of Ezekiel bread to accompany. 

For my snack I had some soaked raw almonds, kale chips, and green juice. I had to eat the almonds on the run because I had some errands. I ate the kale chips and made the green juice when I got home.

Green juice with spinach, apples, spirulina, cranberries, and squeezed orange juice.

I was going to do my workout around this time but Bodyrock was having some loading issues with youtube so I just decided For lunch I had some leftover curry with chickpeas, veggies, and couscous.

Okay, so after lunch they finally put up the workout for Bodyrock. Here is the link: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/01/03/day-2-of-our-30-day-challenge-good-feeling-workout/. OMG! This thing was brutal. I was drenched and exhausted by the time this was done. But, I'm so glad I made it through and finished it. After my workout I had my usual favorite, the Tone It Up Peanut Butter Protein Shake. Yes, I have a picture this time...but I gobbled half of it up before I realized that I needed to take a picture...sorry.lol 

Peanut Butter, Almond Milk, Organic Hemp Protein(Vanilla),  Frozen Banana, Ground Flax seed, and I added a scoop of Almond Butter. 

Dinner was yummity yum yum! Sushi night! One of my favorite things to eat is sushi. If you've checked out my post on Shojin, then you know how delicious vegan sushi can be, but sometimes you can't make out for some fine dining and you just have to make the sushi yourself. Well, I did all the chopping of the veggies & "meat" and my hubby does the sushi rollin. I used a gardein "chick'n" scallopin breast and seasoned it with some organic soy sauce & rice vinegar. 

Sushi with brown rice, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, and gardein chick'n.

Alright everyone, this is the conclusion to my day. I hope you all have a goodnight and make sure to get your workout in tomorrow! :-)

Tone It Up Check In & What I ate today

Hey guys! Today was the first day of the Tone It Up & Bodyrock challenge. Here are links to the two workouts that I did today:
http://www.bodyrock.tv/2012/01/02/day-1-of-our-30-day-challenge-fit-test/#comments

http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/06/04/l-a-hard-body-workout/

For breakfast I made some apple cinnamon oatmeal.



After my workouts I had the Tone It Up Peanut Butter Protein Shake.

For lunch  I had leftover potatoes, chard, mushrooms, green onions, and I added some spinach.

For dinner I had a whole wheat tortilla with brown rice, black beans, sauteed spinach, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, avocado, and organic salsa. 

Tone It Up Quinoa Snack & Sandbag Workout!

Hey Peeps! I had a crazy workout today! I'm still all over from yesterday's workout.lol I finally got to make and use my new sandbag, which was awesome and really helped me feel the burn. I used it for my body rock workout this morning and for my Tone It Up Humps workout. I made a snack today from Tone It Up's site. They have this great recipe for Maple Quinoa Cereal. It's tasty and very easy to make, so check it out!

Tone It Up Protein Shake, Workout, & Healthy Snack!

Hey guys! I had a great workout this morning from Bodyrocktv. I did day 2 of their Christmas workout count down. For breakfast I made a Tone It Up Peanut Butter Protein Shake. It was so yummy and creamy, but the banana did upset my stomach a little, so I'll probably only use half of one next time. For a snack this week I made Tone It Up's Krazy Koconut Bites. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are raw and vegan. So, I'll snack on those yummy bites for the week. Check out the video and pics below. Have a great day! :-)

Krazy Koconut Bites (minus the coconut) 

Tone It Up Booty Call, Protein Pancake, Workout 2, and Quesadilla!

Hey Peeps! Got some good workouts in today. I did a Tone it up stairs workout and a Bodyrocktv Christmas workout. I finally made the Tone it up protein pancake. I've been dying to try it out and so I got the chance to make it this morning and it was pretty good. Check out my video for the step by step recipe.

Finished the rest of my Kale salad from Veggie Grill for lunch.

Quesadilla for dinner. I sauteed some shiitake mushrooms with green onions, kale, and a little organic salsa. 

I added some daiya cheese, pinto beans, and brown rice. 

Topped it with some fresh guacamole. 

Breakfast Burrito & Back to Veggie Grill!

Hey guys! I did a quick video of a breakfast burrito my husband and I made for the morning. I also shot some footage of me taking another delightful trip to Veggie Grill. Check it out below!

Breakfast burrito with daiya cheese, pinto beans, red onions, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and lime. 

Christmas tree at Universal City Walk. 

All Hail Kale salad. 

Chill out wings.

Buffalo wings. 

Sweet potato fries and my husband ordered the All American Stack.

Yummity yum yum!

Sprouts Market & Morning Workout!

Veggie Soup & Kombucha in the morning!

I made some veggie soup for lunch yesterday and decided to have it for breakfast this morning. I added some leftover quinoa for that added protein quick and I had a bottle of Kombucha. Now I know some people can't handle Kombucha. It has a very strong flavor that can be overwhelming to some, but I love it! It's so nourishing and full of antioxidants, vitamins, and probiotics. So, check it out one day and let me know what you think.

Tofu Scramble!

This morning after my workout I wanted to mix up my protein intake so instead of a smoothie I made a tofu scramble. I mixed in some tomatoes, red onions, green onions, spinach, black pepper, parsley, and garlic powder. Although tofu is not my favorite thing to eat, it can pretty tasty at times. Check out my video for the recipe:

Breakfast Smoothie!

I got my box from CSA yesterday and it had a couple of apples in there. I don't really like apples much...except for in apple pie, then yum! Whenever I do receives apples in my CSA box I usually just give them to my husband for his lunch. But, this time I thought they might be tasty in my after workout smoothie. So, I dropped them in my blendtec along with some other fruits, veggies, and some water. Tasted pretty good!

Smoothie with apples, carrots, celery, broccoli, kale, fresh squeezed orange,  strawberries, and water. 

Breakfast Potatoes

I'm not really a morning person but I'm definitely a breakfast person. I love all things breakfast and sometimes I even have breakfast for dinner. Yum! This morning I cooked up some potatoes with some scrumptious veggies. Look at the beautiful colors in the pan. Don't you just love home fries?? :-)

Potatoes with kale, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, green onions, a little parsley, and red onions.

Smoothie Time!

There's nothing better than having a refreshing smoothie after a workout. I did some yoga today and afterwards I made a protein smoothie with hemp protein, kale, strawberries, cherries, flax seed, chia seeds, and orange juice. I love making smoothies at home because you can add or take out whatever ingredients you want and it's so much cheaper than buying one at a smoothie shop. I always use my blendtec blender, push the smoothie button and let it do its magic, but you don't need a high powered blender. You can use any blender to make your delicious smoothies. So, please experiment and have fun with making some smoothie goodness!

Breakfast in Danville!

The hubby and I went to visit some of his family in Danville California last weekend. Fortunately, he prepared his cousin ahead of time that they would be housing a vegan guest (Me!). She made sure that I had plenty to eat. We even checked out a food truck gathering at a park...pretty disappointing selection of trucks, but at least Nom Nom was there. :-) Brunch, the next morning was definitely not disappointing! The whole family came over and grubbed on some goodness. Even though I was the only vegan there, I did not feel left out... and I was completely stuffed by the end of the meal.

A buckwheat waffle, potatoes, fruit, broccoli, carrots, smart sausage, yellow rice,  a roll, and herb dijon gardein chicken breast.

P.S. All of the veggies were cooked in olive oil. No butter!