Howdy Friends,

As I write this post, I am listening to the rain pour down outside, enjoying a cup of coffee, and munching on gluten free chocolate chip pumpkin bread while the tiny human naps. Life can't get much better! I should probably knock on wood quickly before little bit decides to wake! Pumpkin bread has to be one of my all time favorite Fall foods. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but don't leave me alone with a loaf of pumpkin bread unless you want me to devour the whole thing. It's quite a problem really! Zero self control when it comes to this stuff!

This pumpkin bread recipe is pretty much as simple as they come and oh so delicious. It is gluten free as is and can be easily be made dairy free and paleo by subbing the regular dark chocolate chips for Enjoy Life chocolate chips. I literally had all of these ingredients (minus the coconut oil which I ran out of last week) already in my pantry and just calling my name. (P.S. the rain lasted all of about 5 minutes.... so sad).

My sous chef has learned how to take her pacifier out of her mouth but hasn't quite mastered getting it back in and letting go so it can stay there. This results in many moments like this... Excited she found the binky followed closesly by pissed off because she can't get it back in her mouth. Life is so hard at 4 months old!



Poor baby! Mommy standing there laughing at her struggles probably doesn't help. After I assisted with getting the binky back in her mouth (about 20 times), we were able to continue cooking and ended up with a beautiful loaf of pumpkin bread!





If you give it a try let me know! Now that I have inhaled 1/4 of the loaf by myself, I should probably do the Power Up Circuit I posted yesterday to build up a good sweat! I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your Thursday.

What is your favorite Fall food?

In health,

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Happy Monday Friends!

Woohoo it's Monday and it's cool outside in Austin! I thought we should start Monday off with a positive note instead of dreading it like we all do from time to time. Sure, Monday signals the end of the weekend, but it also kicks off a fresh new weeks full of possibilities! An opportunity to eat right, stick to your exercise plan, and spend quality time with friends and family. That is precisely what we did this weekend. We stayed in town for the UT game so we got to spend lots of quality family of four (must include the pup) time! We went to the game, watched football on TV, ran a few errands, tried a new almond butter recipe, and got a tiny bit of R&R. Pretty nice if you ask me.

This weekend was Annabelle's first official football game to attend and she did great! First things first, she had to get dressed in proper football game attire!

How cute are those leggings and that bib? This was probably one of my favorite outfits I have ever dressed little bit in. She seemed pretty excited about it too. I'm not going to lie, I was a little bit nervous about how the game was going to go. She has really mellowed out over the past month or so and turned into a pretty calm and super happy baby. When she was younger, she got overstimulated and fussy really quickly so I was afraid that the game was going to be too much for her. She must officially be a big girl now though, because she was a champ at the game and was able to stay the whole time!


Thanks to her noise cancelling headphones, all the commotion didn't seem to bother her at all, and she was even able to sneak in a cat nap during the third quarter. Dad is super comfy after all.


The game was a blast and UT even won!! Our Aggies won as well, so of course we hurried home to watch our recording of the Aggie game. Two wins and a happy baby equals one very good Saturday!

Saturday morning  I went for my long run of the week. I was scheduled for 9 miles and headed out at around 6:00 AM for a hilly run. The race I am doing is supposed to be super hilly so I figured I should be prepared. It was a crisp 55 degrees out, so I couldn't ask for better running weather. The first 6 miles went really well, but after that it was a downward spiral. My right hip flexor kept cramping up and my IT bands weren't too happy with me either. I had to stop to stretch them out 2-3 times during the last 3 miles but I still managed to stay under my goal time so that was a positive. Here's to hoping my 10 mile run next weekend goes better!

Training Plan November 10 - 16th (not including my teaching schedule):
Monday: 3 mile run
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: HIIT strength workout
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: HIIT strength workout
Saturday: 10 miles
Sunday: rest

Sunday was full of grocery shopping, laundry, and food prep. Thanks to my wonderful friend Lora, I was excited to try out a new almond butter recipe. It was super easy and dangerously delicious!

I started out by pouring 1lb of roasted almonds into a glass pyrex container and zapping them in the microwave for 2 minutes. Lora told me this was key to helping release the oil and get the process going.


Luckily, I had a very helpful assistant for this project!


After I zapped the almonds, I placed all of the ingredients in the food processor and pulsed until well blended.

Caution, this takes longer than you might think and is very noisy so just keep going until your almonds turn into almond butter. I would blend even a little longer than you might think necessary to make sure it is nice and smooth!


And there you have it! Easy as pie and so delicious!

Easy Pumpkin Spice Almond Butter

Ingredients:
1 lb roasted almonds (I purchased unsalted)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Heat almonds in microwave for 1.5-2 minutes.
2. Place almonds, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in food processor or blender.
3. Pulse until smooth. You may have to stop a few times to scrape the sides.

I hope you enjoy it. A big thanks to Lora for the great recipe. Now, if I can just keep myself from eating it by the spoonfull every time I walk by the pantry!

Have you ever made homemade nut butter? Thoughts?

In health,

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Howdy Friends,

Today, I want to talk about healthy snacking on the go! I try to incorporate as many whole foods into my snacks as possible (boiled eggs, fruit with nut butter, veggies and hummus, etc.), but sometimes you just need to grab something quick on the go. When it comes to snacking, I am a huge fan of trying new things especially from brands I know and love (and trust)! Recently, I have come across three new healthy snacks that are worth blogging about.

First up, Kind Healthy Grains Peanut Butter Protein Granola (wow, that's quite the descriptive name). This stuff is out of this world delicious! If you are a peanut butter lover, buy this stuff immediately and then hide it from yourself so you don't eat it all at once.

I usually stay away from granola because the calories per serving can get a little bit hairy, but this one isn't too bad. The nutrition facts list two serving sizes - "a snack" at 1/3 cup (which has 120 calories, 3.5g of fat, 17g of carbs, 2g of fiber, 5g of sugar, and 6g of protein), or "a bowl" at 1/2 cup (which has 210 calories, 6g of fat, 29g of carbs, 3g of fiber 8g of sugar, and 10g of protein). I like that they are realistic about their serving sizes. We all know we probably down a 1/2 a cup at a time. :) Ok, maybe that's just me. But even at 1/2 a cup, 210 calories and 10g of protein is great for granola. In order to keep myself in check, I scoop out a serving size with a measuring cup and put the package back in the pantry (at the very back where I can't see it and will hopefully forget about it until the following day). :)

Next up is the new Oatmega Chocolate Peanut Crisp Bar. These babies are gluten free, non GMO, and made with gress-fed whey. And oh yeah, they taste amazing as well!


 At 190 calories per bar, 7g of fiber, and 14g of protein, these bad boys pack a healthy punch! Check out the vitamin and mineral row - 40% of your daily vitamin C and 20% of your daily calcium in a bar is wonderful. The taste and texture of this bar is what really sold me. It was delicious, slightly crunchy, and really left me filling full. I hate it when a bar has 150-200 calories and is the size of an oreo. Wait a minute, did I just eat anything or was I imagining it all? If you haven't given these guys a try, I would totally suggest it. I found them at HEB in the health food section here in Austin.

Finally, I want to talk about the bar that has captured my hear and my sweet tooth for some time now. The Quest Cookies & Cream Bar is oh so delicious and really makes me feel like I'm getting to eat dessert without doing damage to my healthy eating plan! I have tried several of the Quest bars, but these are far and above my favorite.


This bar has only 180 calories, 7g of fat, 22g carbohydrate, 17g of fiber, and 21g of protein. It is by far my go to snack whenever I need something to fill me up and keep me going between teaching classes, work, and taking care of the tiny human. The only downside to this bar is that it is hard to find. I can usually find it at Sprouts but it never seems to be in stock at our local HEB. Good thing it's worth the hunt. I also order them online by the box through Iherb.com. Iherb has great prices and sometimes you can score free shipping (always a bonus)!

So those are the three on the go snacks I simply can't live without right now! I send out a big thank you to these three companies for making healthy snacking possible. P.S. this was not a sponsored post and I purchased these products on my own. They are just too fabulous not to share.

Now, for the big announcement of the FREE SPARTAN RACE ENTRY winner. Drum roll please........


Seth you are our lucky winner! I will email you with the information you need to register for your FREE race! Congratulations!

Be on the lookout for a new video addition of Workout Wednesday tomorrow. Annabelle and I whipped up a kick butt kettlebell workout for your viewing pleasure. It only takes 20 minutes, 1 piece of equipment, and 4 exercises to work the entire body. I got winded just demonstrating the exercises for you so you know it's going to be a good one. My production assistant wasn't too sure about all of my hopping around, but she approved of the final cut before publication.


See you tomorrow! Have a wonderful tasty tuesday!

What are your favorite on the go snacks?

In health,

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Happy Thursday Friends,

I hope you are having a wonderful day so far! Like most days, mine started out with an early morning workout. I had a great group of clients in the 7 AM class this morning and they rocked it as usual! :) One of the amazing things about teaching early morning classes is seeing the sun rise. The clouds were a gorgeous shade of pink this morning when I arrived at the studio.

Last night, Roger, Todd, and some of the wonderful ladies from the studio through Eric and I a baby shower at Water 2 Wine. It was so much fun to get to socialize with everyone outside of class and E, Annabelle, and I felt so loved. The studio is my home away from home, and I feel so blessed to have such an amazing second family here in Austin. I don't have any of the pictures yet, but I will share those with you as soon as I get them. I did manage to snap a quick picture of the cookie cake they had made for us. They knew it was E's favorite! They also got me gluten free vanilla cupcakes from my favorite bakery!


I can't believe Annabelle could be here in 3 short week or less! Yikes! To prepare for her arrival, I have been experimenting with recipes I can make ahead of time and freeze. On Sunday, I tried out a new blueberry muffin recipe using almond meal and flax seeds. I also tried to add a little extra protein with Greek yogurt. I was totally flying by the seat of my pants, but I was so excited with how it turned out. They even froze well! I have been eating on them all week. The best way to reheat them is to turn the oven on at 350 F, put the muffins in cold, and leave them in there for 15 minutes. They taste like they are fresh out of the oven every time.



I was a little weary about using almond meal because it tends to dry things out. However, these muffins were extremely moist and had a delightful nutty flavor. Let me know if you give them a try!

It's time for a little cardio via the treadmill for me and miss Annabelle. I hope you have a great rest of your Thursday.


In health,

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Howdy Friends,

I have a delicious recipe to share with you today! One of our studio assistants brought in a blueberry muffin from Starbucks on Tuesday, and I have been craving one since then. Muffins are really something I struggle with because I LOVE them but I know they are usually a nutritionless carbohydrate and sugar bomb. That kind of takes the fun out of eating one when all I can think about is how much sugar is in it. I know, I'm a total buzz kill!

Anyways, I decided to experiment with a healthier blueberry muffin that I could make in the microwave whenever my craving strikes. I must say, I was quite pleased with how my first test run turned out!

First, I assessed the ingredients I had in the pantry and got to work creating a muffin batter.

I used my mini Ninja to make sure my batter was nice a smooth. Anytime I cook with coconut flour, I usually bust out the blender to get rid of any clumps.


After my batter was all blended up, I poured it in an extra tall mug to prevent any spill over while microwaving.


 Check out the final product. Not too shabby for the microwave!


I was super excited with how it turned out and dived right in once it cooled a bit. I will definitely be making this bad boy again in the future. I'm thinking tomorrow sounds good! :)


Let me know if you give it a try! I hope you all have a great rest of your day!

In health,

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Howdy,

Happy Hump Day everyone! I hope you guys are having a great day so far. I have a yummy smoothie recipe lined up for this weeks installment of What I Ate Wednesday.

After reading yesterday's post, you know I have not been eating watermelon. :( I was also pretty over PB&J, so I mixed things up a bit for lunch this week with an open faced turkey, colby jack, and avocado sandwich on gluten free bread.



I'm not usually a huge sandwich person, but I am totally going through a phase right now. This sandwich absolutely hit it out of the ballpark in my book. It's even better if you toast your bread first and add a little spicy mustard!

Since my tummy still isn't loving real food in the morning, I went with a smoothie for breakfast. I decided to pump up the nutrition factor by throwing in a Mamma Chia Squeeze Vitality packet. Total success. Trusty smoothie ingredients + a Mamma Chia packet = a power packed smoothie!







It's time for me to tackle a little bit more work before heading back up to the studio for barre. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day!!


What is your favorite smoothie ingredient?

In health,

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Happy Friday Friends!

Wooohooo it's Friday and it's going to be a great weekend!



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 In honor of Friday and all its gloriousness, I thought I would share my Friday Faves!

1) Jenny P is coming to visit me in Austin! Jenny has been one of my closest friends since we met teaching aerobics at Texas A&M. She is seriously one of the most caring people I know and so much dange fun I can't stand it. She and her new fiance are coming to visit for the weekend, and I couldn't be more excited to catch up!




2) I am absolutely loving the Spring flowers happening in our neighborhood right now. Our rose bushes are absolutely out of control in the best possible way! They are growing so quickly, E has to prune them weekly which means pretty flower inside as well.




3) Healthy new snacks compliments of Mamma Chia. The wonderful people over at Mamma Chia sent me some products to try, and I am completely obsessed with their Chia Squeeze packets. They are portable, delicious, and only have 80 calories and 1200mg of Omega 3's! Stay tuned for an amazing giveaway soon from Mamma Chia. Trust me you are not going to want to miss this one.


4) The cutest baby socks I've ever seen. One of the lovely ladies at my studio, Dallas, gave me these precious ballerina socks for Annabelle. The package included 6 different colors so now she has a pair to match every outfit. Thanks Dallas!!



5) Last, but certainly not least, I can't get enough watermelon right now. I am literally on my second one this week and I have to exercise immense self control to keep from eating the entire bowl in one sitting. I guess there are worse things I could be craving. :)



So many things to be happy about and thankful for right now! I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!

What are a few of your favorite things right now?

What little thing made you smile yesterday?

In health,

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Howdy!

I hope your Thursday treated you well and you are gearing up for Friday! :) I am extra excited about this particular Friday because it means we are finally leaving for San Francisco for our Babymoon! We fly out tomorrow evening and will be there through next Wednesday. I have never been to San Fran before, so I am beyond excited. Plus, five quality day with the hubs is pretty much my version of Heaven on earth. :) It's been a crazy busy week at the studio, so I've been prepping for the trip in between running around for work. Ready or not, we are leaving tomorrow and it's going to be great!

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In true pregnant lady style, I had a massive craving for watermelon yesterday. I headed straight to the grocery store and purchased a huge juicy melon. With less than 72 hours to finish the watermelon before we head to San Fran (it's a crime to waste watermelon), I got right to work on it yesterday. I am happy to report that I am definitely on pace to finish the entire thing before we leave tomorrow night! Mission accomplished!



While I am training for competetive watermelon eating, some of you may have other fitness goals in mind. If you are gearing up for a Spring race and need a few tips on how to add yoga to your running program, head over to PrettyMuddy.com and check out the guest post I did for them on "Yoga Poses For Runners!" It's the follow up for the article I wrote on the "Benefits Of Yoga For Runners" a few weeks ago.

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To finish up this extremely random post, let's talk about music. You all know I am a huge fan of making fun playlists for my Pilates and Barre classes. I must say I am particularly in love with my Barre playlist right now so I thought I would share it with you guys.




What are your favorite workout songs to jam to currently? Any suggestions on what I should add to my playlist next?

I am off to whip up some dinner before tackling a little pre trip laundry. I hope you have a great rest of your evening.

In health,

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