In a funk

Blahhh.
That is how I have been feeling lately. I haven't been working out, eating healthy, or sleeping well. It's time to get my butt into gear and get back on the horse.

I went to the gym today, and stepped on the scale. I went from 118 (the start of summer) to 127. It's so discouraging. I think I might be having a reaction to gluten or soy. I have been feeling lethargic, having muscle aches, stomach pains and headaches lately. I'm going to have to start tinkering around with my diet to figure out what it is.


My workout plan for the week: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/body-transformation-pta-hotness.html

Dinner this week:
BBQ Chicken Quesadillas with grilled marinated veggies on the side (so good!)

BBQ Chicken Quinoa Bowls

 Grilled Green Chicken with Coconut Rice and Beans

I have been trying to avoid wheat and see how my body reacts. If you have any good recipes that I should try, please help a girl out :)

WINE GLASSES full of LOVE

Some things just taste better in a certain glass. Don't you agree? Like Starbucks tastes better in that stupid-landfill destined-paper cup, then when you bring your own "save-the-earth" mug. Soda is better in aluminum cans than in a plastic bottle. Wine tastes better in a pretty glass than in a coffee mug (I hate doing dishes sometimes- haha) I love having a glass of wine after dinner.. I mean who doesn't?! It's a great way to unwind from the day and get's you nice and toasty for bedtime.

A few weeks ago I won a giveaway on Powercake's blog for a BEAUTIFUL hand painted wine glass. Sarah can paint whatever you like for a custom glass or you can buy one already made from her etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SarahMammay?ref=search_shop_redirect

Check out her Etsy shop to see all the other adorable wine glasses she makes!

This is the little beauty she made for me. I wanted something beachy and girly.. I think she captured "me" perfectly in a wine glass! I've been drinking everything out of this: water, iced coffee, grapefruit juice, and of course wine!

Sarah is generously giving 15% off for anyone who wants a custom wine glass from Sarah!! The code is: SARAH15OFF from her Etsy shop

THANK YOU SO MUCH Sarah and Kasey!

Itty Bitty Teeny Weeny Bikinis

I can't believe I accidentally stumbled on this Tumblr page: goldfishkiss
If you love tiny bikinis, the ocean, sand in your hair and gorgeous mermaid style, then check out her page. She also has great ideas on how to re-style your old bikinis. She gave me the inspiration to repair my old swimsuit that I found. The bottoms were way too long (think 1980's bottoms) so I took in the crotch by cutting off about two inches of material, and then sewing a straight line down the back.

They fit PERFECTLY. I have a pretty flat butt, so they make my little tooshie look a little rounder. Thank the lord. I am on the stairmill 6 days a week at the gym, with lots of squats in between, yet my behind is still as flat as a pancake.

Here are some suits I have been lusting over lately:

 Mimi Chaos

 Lolli

I miss the ocean, the salty air, warm breezes, the sand between my toes.. I miss home. SOmeone please transport me back to California.

 Pacific Beach, Ca

 Sunset out on Pacific Beach Dr.

On another note, I have been eating pure junk lately. I have a problem of eating one bad thing, then the whole day is ruined. I can't stop at three cookies, I have to eat the whole batch and then bake some more (I wish I was lying). It's a bad habit I'm trying to get rid of. I need to get my body bikini ready for when I get back to California.. whenever that may be.

What are your favorite swimsuit designers? What's the max you'll shell out for a tiny piece of fabric?
{I can't bring myself to spend more than 75 for both top and bottom. Broke college student.}

Rice Chex Granola

Oh boy this is yummy. I love how crunchy and delicate rice chex is, now add that yumminess to granola and it's SUPER YUM.

Rice Chex Granola
(I didn't use exact measurements, it's kinda hard to mess this one up. Feel free to tweak this recipe to your liking)

1 tsp almond butter (I used Raw Maple Almond Butter)
1 TB raw natural honey
1 tsp agave nectar-amber
1 tsp coconut oil
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 TB unsweetened coconuts
3/4 cup rice chex
shakes of cinnamon
sprinkle of salt

Preheat oven to 325.
Warm the almond butter, coconut oil, honey and agave in the microwave just until it's liquid-y. Then add oats and mix well. Then add nuts, cinnamon and coconut flakes, then rice chex. Mix well. Place on parchment paper or greased baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Make sure not to burn it. Let it cool completely before breaking it into pieces to eat.

1/3 cup equals to around 100 calories. It's so delicious on it's own, with greek yogurt, in a bowl of cereal, or crumbles on top of an acai bowl!

Coconut Banana Bread

Every week we usually buy a whole bunch of bananas for the week. Oddly enough, neither Brian or I actually eat bananas fresh. I usually wait until they begin to have little brown spots on them, then I peel them, cut them into thirds, and freeze them. I use these frozen banana bits for my smoothies, acai bowls and protein shakes. They always make everything so creamy.

If you haven't had banana soft freeze, you are missing out!! All you do is throw your frozen bananas into a blender or food processor and blend it until it is creamy like soft serve yogurt. You can add peanut butter, chocolate powder, vanilla, anything your heart desires.

I haven't made banana bread for a while, so I knew that these little brown babies will be destined to be in loaf form. Last time I made banana bread it came out super rich and decadent. Unfortunately I never bookmarked the recipe- all I remember was it had greek yogurt in it. While I was perusing the world wide web, I found a recipe that I decided to tweek a little make it with the ingredients I had.

Healthy Coconut Banana Bread
adapted from Monique of Ambitious Kitchen

1 3/4 cups of flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup + 3 TB sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 TB olive oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Baking Blend (or 1/2 cup brown sugar)
3 egg whites
1/4 cup fat free greek yogurt
2 TB coconut milk (or almond milk, soy milk, or regular milk)
2 TB of pineapple juice (or OJ or grapefruit)
Cinnamon

Preheat 350.
Mix the first three ingredients.
In a separate bowl mix the bananas, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, then add oil.
Mix the dry with the wet ingredients.
Then add the yogurt, coconut milk and juice.
Fold in 1/2 cup of coconut flakes.

Grease a 9x5 pan and pour in batter. Sprinkle the remaining 3 TB of coconut flakes on top. Then lightly sprinkle cinnamon evenly on top. Bake for 55-60 minutes.

This bread tasted better after a night in the fridge. I think the bananas needed time to really mesh with the coconut. Brian said this is a keeper. It was good, but not my ABSOLUTE favorite I have ever had. I think next time I will try using riper bananas, and pre toasting the coconut before putting it in the bread. Sorry for the lack of picture, I am just too freaking lazy.

EDIT: COCONUT BANANA BREAD FRENCH TOAST!! I always hate the ends of the banana bread because they are always drier and get cooked more thn the soft middle pieces. So one night I decided to make french toast with them. DELICIOUS. You can make french toast with other pieces too if you leave them out over night to get a little stale. I used egg, coconut milk, cinnamon and stevia and dredged the banana bread pieces in them. It was so decadent, yet healthy!

A few Giveaways

I love giveaways. Who doesn't like to try new things and win free stuff? Here are a few that are going on right now:

Enjoy your healthy life is giving away Kodiak Pancakes
My Food N Fitness Diaries is giving away PB Crave
Inspired by Savannah is giving away Almondia cookies
Meals and Miles is giving away Mallow Crunchies 

I'll keep adding to this list as I find out about new giveaways :)  Good luck kids. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Keepin Austin Weird

A few weeks ago my bf & I flew to Austin, Texas for his cousin's wedding. I was skeptical, but I immediately fell in love. The first two nights we stayed at a rental with his parents, so we didn't get to see the sights until our last night. We stayed at the Omni downtown and were able to walk everywhere.
Here are my recommendations:

Salt Lick: They re-did their outside patio. We sat underneath big shady trees in cute little picnic tables. They allow you to BYOB, so definitely save a pretty penny and bring your own delicious beverages. They also have a vineyard onsite, but we didn't get a chance to explore their wine. The brisket was unbelievable. The potato salad was nothing like I've ever had before (it was tinted orange!) and the coleslaw was sweet and tangy, not gross and mayonnaise-y. The BBQ sauce was the best part. I wish I bought a bottle of the good stuff while we were there.

 (photo credit)

La Condensa: This place was decorated so cute with bright colors and large windows. We ordered their breakfast margaritas which were made with orange marmalade. I really hope you get a chance to try one of those tasty treats, it was incredible. I ordered the taco plate with pork shoulder and it was delicious. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals, but the drinks were the star of the show.

Koriente: We came here on our way home after a long day of drinking. I am so glad we did. We ordered the bibimbap with beef. The ingredients were fresh and all the veggies were crisp. The next morning we woke up refreshed instead of feeling gross and nasty like after a late night Taco Bell run.

 

(photo credit)

Easy Tiger: We were walking around downtown when we ran into this little coffee place. Downstairs they have a bar with an amazing selection of microbrews and wine. Brian loves beer gardens, and they had a cute back patio with beer pong and large picnic tables. We ordered the pretzel and beer cheese which were very tasty, and a few new friends recommended the reuben sandwich and goatcheese/pear/fennel sandwich (we were too full to order it- but next time we will!)

East Side Kings: This was BY FAR my favorite meal. It took quite a drunken hike to get to this bar. Behind the Liberty Bar is an amazing little food truck. This place came highly recommended by our new friends at Easy Tiger. We ordered the Tori Meshi and the pork buns. They were both unbelievable. I found a recipe for the chicken that was used in the Tori Meshi online, and I am going to take a stab at it. The chicken was crunchy, sweet, and spicy. The rice was buttery soft with hints of ginger and garlic. Then there was lots of fresh jalapeno, cilantro, mint and thai basil mixed in. The herbs were amazing paired with the deepfried chicken. I am in LOVE. The pork buns were so soft, the pork were fried and crispy, and the sauces complimented the mesh of flavors and textures. I want to fly back to Austin just so I can try the rest of the menu. I heard the beet fries are unbelievable.

It was a long and adventurous day in Austin. We actually bumped into people we knew. Small world. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at a gas station and I was DELIGHTED to find these little suckers... SPONCH!
 They are my favorite mexican treat since childhood. The bottom is a soft cookies, with marshmallows coated in coconut on top, and a dollop of strawberry jam in the middle. It is sooooo good. I can't find these in WV (can't really find any ethnic food here.. **sigh**) Tastes like home.

Austin stole my heart. I want to go back and explore more of 6th street. I love the beer gardens, the culture, the hipsters, the BBQ, the food trucks.. the list is endless.