First Chill

For the first time since the end of winter Ryan and I walked outside this morning and the air was chillier than it was inside.

Helloooo, autumn!

I immediately said “I hope this means cooler weather for our wedding!”

Ryan then made the astute observation that everything is about the wedding these days. Yes, yes it is.  I mean, c’mon! We’re 45 days away and our invitations were mailed out yesterday (VICTORY!). 😀

Workout

Today’s morning sweat session included a BodyPump class, followed by 15 minutes of light cardio on the elliptical. I’m not sure what it was about the bicep, tricep and shoulder tracks during BodyPump today, but my arms feel like Jello right now!

Breakfast

Breakfast this morning was a yogurt bowl that included a cup of Oikos vanilla Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup of 1% cottage cheese and a sliced nectarine.

Nectarine + Greek Yog + Cottage Cheese

I topped the bowl with a sprinkle of nutmeg before digging in.

Spices Make Everything Nice(s)

Aaaand, since it was a little chilly outside, I also enjoyed a tumbler full of Barnie’s cinnamon butter cookie coffee that I snagged for free from my gym.

Drink Up!

Yum!

This little glimmer of hope for cooler weather has me all excited about fall fashion!

What fall fashion item are you most excited about wearing?

I think I’m most excited to bust out some cute boots!

The Most Awkward Move at the Gym

Today’s workout included the most awkward move you can possibly do at the gym:

Hubba, Hubba

Doesn’t this move seem wildly inappropriate?

Despite the totally embarrassing nature of this move, it really is a great lil’ one to do to target your tushie.

I felt like a complete tool as I completed three sets of this weighted hip thrust, but my butt felt the burn and that’s what I was goin’ for!

Ryan and I have talked in the past about embarrassing moves to do at the gym. One of his favorites is the hip abductor machine.

"Hey, Baby!"

Something about the hip abductor machine just screams, “Hey, baby! Come look at my crotch!”

The things we do in the name of fitness… 😉

Along with 20 minutes of cardio split between the stair master and the elliptical, my workout included this total-body weights routine:

Work it Oooout

Breakfast

Breakfast today included a little experiment.

I read about Bethenny Frankel’s recipe for brown rice hot cereal in a magazine a couple of weeks ago and made a mental note to try to incorporate the healthy grain into my morning meal.

I started with a cup of Fage Greek yogurt.

Fage

Yog-a-Yog

On top of the yogurt, I added brown rice, sliced peaches and nutmeg for some added texture and sweetness.

Brown Rice Breakfast Bowl

I used brown rice from a packet of Uncle Ben’s whole grain brown Ready Rice which made this meal super easy to assemble.

Eat Up, Buttercup!

The verdict?

Deeeeelicious! It reminded me a lot of one of my barley breakfast bowls, but it was easier to prepare since the rice was pre-cooked thanks to good ol’ Uncle Ben.

Time to get to work, friends. See ya fo’ lunch! 😀

Question of the Morning

In your opinion, what is the most embarrassing move you can do in the name of fitness?

I’m sure you yoga-lovers have some good ones!

Butternut Squash Protein Pancakes

I know some of you out there are just as bummed about the lack of canned pumpkin available on the shelves at the grocery store lately. How are we supposed to make pumpkin pie protein smoothies or pumpkin protein pancakes without the key ingredient?

Well, I have one can of pumpkin remaining in my cabinet that I am hoarding and saving for a special day when a pumpkin craving really hits! Since I am saving that can, I figured I could try to recreate my pumpkin protein pancakes with pumpkin’s sister squash, little miss butternut.

My first attempt was a mega-fail, which made Sadie quite happy (she enthusiastically ate up my unsuccessful attempt), but my second go was much better.

While the ‘cakes were cooking on the griddle, I sliced up a nectarine to enjoy along with the butternutty goodness.

After topping the protein pancakes with the nectarine slices and sweet syrup, I dusted the plate with nutmeg for some added flava-flav.

Breakfast is Served

This breakfast came together quickly, but seemed more intense, like a weekend-worthy breakfast or something.

My belly was happy.

'Cakes + Nectarine + Syrup + Nutmeg

And Again

Along with the butternut squash protein pancakes, I downed a tumbler full of Barnie’s French vanilla and nutmeg coffee that I snagged for free as I was leaving the gym this morning.

You can't tell by looking, but my throat is on fiiiire...

Not only was my throat on fire in the above picture, but my head was also throbbing from that headband. Too bad I didn’t take it off sooner because I am now forced to wear it all day because I have the “headband bump” if I take it off, and we all know how cute that looks. 😉

Butternut Squash Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. canned butternut squash
• 2 egg whites
• 1 scoop protein powder (I used All the Whey cinnamon bun protein powder which tastes like sewage in a shake, but is perfect in recipes)
• Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, to taste

Directions

Blend ingredients together using an immersion blender. Spray pan or griddle with cooking spray and cook pancakes for a couple of minutes on each side. Top with syrup, peanut butter, fruit or desired toppings.

Note: The pancakes will not have the same texture as fluffy pancakes made with flour and will be thinner and “eggier.”

Of Possible Interest

• Simple Way to Make Healthy Snacking Easier (FitSugar.com)
• Overcome Your Carb-Phobia (Health.com)
• Sarah (SkinnyRunner) mentioned me on her blog and she’s flippin’ hilarious. If you haven’t read her blog already, you’re seriously missing out.

Question of the Morning

Pumpkin vs. Butternut Squash: Which do you prefer?

Move Over, Cinnamon

Cinnamon may be my favorite spice. I adore everything about it, from the taste of the spice to the smell of it. I even love the soft brown color.

Within the past year I’ve become quite friendly with another spice… Perhaps the only other spice that holds a candle to cinnamon in my book: Nutmeg.

Today my breakfast included both spices in a battle over which spice was more delicious.

Cinnamon made an appearance first in the form of Van’s cinnamon French toast sticks.

This was my first time trying these French toast sticks, and let me just say a beautiful new relationship has blossomed.

Lovers and Friends

Van's Cinnamon French Toast Sticks

Cinnamon came back for more before nutmeg even got in on the goods.

I mixed several shakes of cinnamon into two large dollops of ricotta cheese, along with a squirt of honey.

I placed the cinnamon-ricotta-honey mixture on top of the French toast sticks before adding a freshly sliced pear to the mix.

Then, it was nutmeg’s turn to make an appearance.

I sprinkled copious amounts of nutmeg over the entire dish for a punch of flavor.

Cinnamon vs. Nutmeg

Pear and Ricotta Topped Cinnamon French Toast

Monday Morning Breakfast

Oh how I wish I had syrup for on top of this bad boy! Unfortunately we used it all up on Saturday morning. 😦

Still, syrup or no syrup, this breakfast kicked major boo-tay.

Though cinnamon was prominently featured throughout the dish, and tasted fantastic, the nutmeg really stole the show. It upped the flavor of this breakfast and made it look a little prettier, too. 😉

Workout

Pre-breakfast, Ryan and I hit the gym for an early morning workout. While Ryan went off to kick his own butt in the weight room, I stuck to the cardio machines and pounded out a sweaty workout that looked like this:

• 20 minutes stair master
• 20 minute treadmill blast
• 10 minutes elliptical

My 20 minutes on the treadmill was spent alternating running with super-fast walking. Here’s the breakdown:

20 Minute Treadmill Blast

The hardest part of my time on the treadmill was the last 5 minutes. I was haulin’ hiney at a pretty decent incline. It was tough!

Save the Dates

Wedding news!!!!!!!! Last night Ryan and I brainstormed a bit about our save the dates. We selected a do-it-yourself project and placed an order for a whole bunch of paper and stamps which should arrive within the next couple days.

I can’t wait to get started!

Tonight we’re going to attempt to get to know the self timer on my camera really well as we try to snap a picture of us to include on the save the date cards. We want it to look classy, romantic and loving without looking super cheesy. Should be interesting!

Question of the Day

Did you make your own save the dates or purchase them from a professional? If you are not married, are you planning on making your own save the dates?

I love being crafty and figured making our own save the dates would be a fun way to show our personalities and save some money at the same time.

BSI Winner!

Thank you mucho to everyone who entered the Blogger Secret Ingredient competition this week.

Nutmeg was the ingredient of choice and multiple yummy-lookin’ recipes were sumbitted. Let’s get right to the good stuff:

VeggieGirl entered an adapted recipe from Gourmet magazine for applesauce pecan cake with nutmeg.

Applesauce Pecan Cake with Nutmeg

VeggieGirl said, “This cake was proclaimed by my family as ‘the best thing you’ve baked yet!'” Check out the recipe on VeggieGirl’s blog.

Jessica submitted these colorful fruit cake cookies.

Fruit Cake Cookies

Jessica said, “We loved them so much (before) that this year I purposely bought enough extra ingredients to bake a whole batch.” Check out the recipe for these fruit cake cookies on Jessica’s blog.

Naomi created a creamy-looking recipe for a pumpkalicious shake.

Pumpkalicious Shake

Naomi said, “a few shakes of Nutmeg and you have yourself one delicious shake!” Check out her recipe for this shake on Naomi’s blog.

Taylor emailed me with a recipe for carrot soup with coconut milk.

Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

5 carrots, chopped or shredded
1 onion, chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon curry
1/2 teaspoon NUTMEG
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil and the chopped onion to a soup pot and cook over high heat until onions are soft.

2.  Add the garlic and carrots for a few more minutes, then stir in the spices, quickly followed by the stock and coconut milk.

3.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. Blend in a blender or food processor, return to the pot and add the chopped cilantro.

Kelly’s recipe submission of a pumpkin gingerbread trifle definitely caught my eye.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

Kelly said, “My favorite holiday dessert is my Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle! It is AMAZING in taste AND calories!” You may find the recipe for Kelly’s pumpkin gingerbread trifle on Kelly’s blog.

Biz submitted an awesome recipe for chai tea mix.

Chai Tea Mix

Biz made this recipe to include in a gift box for her brother and sister for the holidays. To see her recipe for chai tea mix, check out Biz’s blog.

And the Winner is…

Kelly with her pumpkin gingerbread trifle! Seriously how good does that trifle look?

Kelly, please email me at pbfingers@gmail.com with your address so I may send you a lil’ somethin’ somethin’ for your big win.

I really did have a hard time chosing just one winner since every recipe submitted made me drool worse than Sadie when we’re eating chicken for dinner. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Be sure to head on over to Mellissa’s blog for next week’s BSI competition. 😀