Light it up!

Walking up to my boyfriend's house this weekend I suddenly noticed the exterior house lights were an awful shade of pink. I mentioned it to him and he said his mom was thinking about painting them black. I chatted with her about it and next thing I knew, nick and I were off to Home Depot to get some black spray paint.

We managed to get them off the house and taken apart with no injuries. I set up an area in the garage and went to work. A couple of coats later they were beautiful.

The next morning we got them back up with only a few swear words! All in all it was an easy yet super satisfying project! Here are the before and afters...

Homemade Ham & Pineapple Pizza

Okay, so I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this on my blog, but pizza is my favorite food in the world. I don’t care if that makes me a 12 year old. I love it for many reasons, including, but not limited to:

1. It covers all four food groups.
2. It brings ham and pineapple together in my mouth.
3. It's just as good leftover as it is fresh.
4. It's covered in cheese.

I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that, until recently, I’ve never made a pizza from scratch... Unless you count pita-pizzas, in which case I’ve made hundreds!

Anyhow, I decided to rectify this blasphemous situation and so I bought myself a pizza stone, peel and assorted pizza making ingredients. I went to town on them and succeeded brilliantly. With brilliant forethought I made 2 LARGE Pizzas and therefore got to eat a whole ton of it. (Don’t worry, I worked it off at bootcamp!) Below is the recipe for homemade pizza sauce and homemade pizza dough…

 

Super Flavorful Homemade Pizza Sauce (original recipe here)

1 can tomato paste

6 oz warm water

3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

6 cloves crushed garlic

2 packets of Splenda (or a couple tsp of white sugar)

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp marjoram

½ tsp basil

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp dried red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Combine ingredients together. Make sure to crush oregano, marjoram and basin in your band first, which releases the flavor.
2. Let pizza sauce sit for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can marry.

Easy Homemade Pizza Dough (original recipe here)

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

2 tsp white sugar

Directions

1.  Dissolve yeast in a bowl with warm water. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Combine all other ingredients and mix until a still dough has formed. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. On a floured surface, knead dough until it’s no longer sticky.
5. Use your hands to press the dough out into a circle big enough to fit your pizza stone, or use a rolling pin.
6. Top with sauce, then ham, then pineapple and then mozzarella cheese (or whatever delicious pizza toppings you like).
7. ENJOY your pizza goodness.

Homemade Walnut Date Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bars

I've been looking for a homemade granola bar recipe for ages, but they always call for ingredients I don't keep on hand so I never got around to making them.

However last weekend, Sara fed me an energy bar that was pretty yummy and only had 5 ingredients, which is such a rare and beautiful thing. I decided I must buy dates and make my own.

I found a set of recipes that seemed too easy to screw up and boy was I right. The only problem was I couldn't figure out how to work my brand new food processor... Seriously, appliances confuse me. I tried everything to no avail and ended up using my magic bullet which worked mostly fine.

The dates and walnuts blended together tastes strangely (and deliciously) like cookie dough. I ate so much of the batter out of the bowl that I feared I wouldn't be able to make a full batch of granola bars, so I decided to add the raisins and oatmeal in to beef it up. This recipe was 100% off the cuff and still so delicious. Pretty sure you could put any kind of add ins in here and it would be tasty. Without further ado, here ya go:

Homemade Walnut Date Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bars (Original recipe here)

1 cup dates
2 cups warm water
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Put dates and raisins in a bowl and pour warm water over top. Let sit for 10 minutes until plump and then strain.
3. While the fruit is plumping, pulse the walnuts in a food processor, or magic bullet (if you don't have or don't know how to work your food processor like me) until they are finely chopped. If you want bigger chunks of nuts, add some extras in towards the end.
4. Then add the dates adn raisins to the nut mixture in the food processor and pulse until everythign starts to come together. Then mix in cinnamon and oatmeal.
5. Plop into the loaf pan and spread out with a spoon.
6. Refrigerate for 30 min, then cut them into 6 bars and individually wrap for snacks.

Bootcamp Avocado-But-Still-Chocolate Brownies

We are having a Bootcamp girls get together night tomorrow. It's a pot luck which is fun. It's also like this weird contest women do to see who can make the best dish. Or maybe that's just me. It's a known fact anything with melted cheese will be in the running for at least top three. Meatballs, devilled eggs, and things stuffed with other things are always big hits. Unfortunately my appetizer skills are pretty minimal. I usually bring out a veggie, pita and hummus tray to shut my hungry friends up. Once the wine starts flowing they usually forget all about food anyways!

So my conundrum for pot lucks is what to bring! And the answer I usually select is baked goods. If it's an all girls party I invariably go to brownies. Bit*hes love brownies. (Lol too much? Sorry!)

I have this bad habit of wanting to put healthy things in my baking. It's mostly me trying to make the world a better place and also to try to justify the eating of brownies on a more regular basis. Today it was avocados I needed to stuff in my brownies. Avocados are super creamy and full of healthy days and antioxidants. They aren't just for guacamole, people! Here's how I made my treats...

Bootcamp Avocado-but-still-Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
1 avocado, mashed
3/4 cup almond milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp salt
1 cup Hershey's mini kisses or chocolate chips

1. Preheat Oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 dish.
2. Beat avocado, almond milk and vanilla together until smooth. 
3. Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Add in chocolate chips.
5. Spread batter evenly in pan and bake for 26-30 minutes.

Avocado peanut butter chocolate frosting

Ingredients

1 avocado mashed

1/2 cup all natural peanut butter

2 cups icing sugar

1 Tsp vanilla

1/3 Tsp salt

1. Mix mashed avocado and peanut butter until creamy.
2. Add in icing sugar a little at a time and mix until smooth.
3. Add in vanilla and salt.
4. Frost brownies while they are still warm.
5. Top with chopped Reese peanut butter cups if so desired (who wouldn't desire that?).

Spectacular Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I went through a phase of eating way too much squash and got all squashed out. I am back on the squishy squash train and have a delightful recipe to share with you!

First, some quick facts... Did you know spaghetti squash only has 31 calories and 7 grams of carbs per 100 grams? Compare that to pasta at 374 calories and 75 grams of carbs!

It's also super easy to make and doesn't have a super squashy taste to it! Forgive me for the annoyingly long name but I couldn't come up with anything shorter!  Now, here's my recipe...

Spectacular Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
1 coil garlic sausage
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 white onion
1 red bell pepper
1 cup white mushrooms
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 jar roasted red pepper tomato sauce
Seasonings to taste - I used salt, pepper, oregano, basil and cayenne

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
3. Place skin side up on tinfoil lined baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile in a frying pan, cook sliced sausage until nicely browned.
5. In a large pot, heat a couple tablespoons of oil and add chopped onion and garlic. 
6. Once garlic sausage is done add that to the pot as well.
7. Then add mushrooms, tomatoes and red pepper, letting them soften before adding pasta sauce.
8. Add spices in to taste.
9. When squash is done, let it cool slightly and then use a fork to scrape the squash to make the 'noodles'. You can add the pasta sauce directly to the squash for a cute presentation, or scoop it out into a bowl.
10. Top with some grated cheese and fresh basil and enjoy!

Sun Runnin' Fool

Sun run season is almost upon us. It's coming up April 27. I signed up on a whim and was hoping I could convince nick to join me. Apparently that was wishful thinking. I believe he gave me an "absolutely not" when I asked him. Im not too concerned on finding a running buddy as I do enjoy running solo.

I started training in March, committing myself to one "long" run every weekend as I have Bootcamp Monday Tuesday Thursday during the week. I started out with a five km run and have been upping it by one km every week. Tomorrow should be 8km but I'm in whistler and am going to substitute a treadmill run for a real one, so we will see. I have a way harder time running that type of distance ona a treadmill, I always want to just up the speed and get it done with sooner but then I get a side Cramp and end up dying.

I don't have Bootcamp for the second half of March so I'll be able to get in a few extra runs and will do some speed work at the track too! Wanna race? Meet me at LSS! :)

I'm aiming for a sun run finish time of under an hour and hopefully under 55 minutes. Last week I ran  my 7 k in 41 min and it was sub zero temperatures. I think in milder weather I'll be able to pick up the pace and hit my goal!

Check it out, I got a new iPhone arm band. I'm sure this will also make me faster. Hiding my phone in my sports bra has gotta be slowing me down :/

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I love lettuce wraps. I can't help but order them when I come across them on a menu. I don't know why I've waited this long to make them myself! They are very simple to make and are great for lunch or dinner. This week I literally brought a container full of filling and a head of lettuce to work. Viola - lunches taken care of!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
2 tbsp oil
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut up in small pieces
1 can water chestnuts, drained and diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp garlic powder (or fresh)
1 tsp ground ginger (or fresh)

salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1 head iceberg lettuce

1. Heat oil in pan and cook chicken until no longer pink.
2. Meanwhile, chop vegetables and nuts.
3. Once chicken is cooked add in vegetables, sauce and spices and cook for a few minutes until warmed through. I knew I would be reheating this, so I didn't cook it for very long as I didn't want the vegetables to get soggy.
4. Spoon filling into lettuce and wrap up to eat. You can top with extra chopped cashews and/or grated carrots if you are looking for more crunch.
5. Enjoy:)

Chicken Cheese Avocado Quesadilla

My daily life revolves around food. Often, before I'm even out of bed I have a meal plan. Might sound excessive but remember that I eat the same thing for breakfast every day (banana, mixed berries, flax and almond milk protein smoothie) and I plan my lunches and a general dinner theme on Sunday. I know most people can't/won't eat the same thing for five days straight, but lucky for me I thrive on consistency. Also, I try to be conscious about not over shopping and buying more food than I need, then having to throw it away., so I don't usually have too many options!

Quesadillas are something I make all the time. Fact: quesadillas are delicious. Even when I have no groceries I still have the fixings for a dilla. All you need is cheese and tortilla- never let yourself run out of those! Sometimes I make them as simple as pesto and cheese. Often I'll use leftover fajita filling. I love a pesto cranberry chicken and Parmesan dilla. My most favourite, by far, is chicken with cheese and avocado!

Chicken Cheese Avocado Quesadilla

Ingredients
Whole wheat tortilla
Chicken
Cheese
Avocado
Salsa

Directions

1. Place wrap in a frying pan and turn stove to medium-high.
2. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces (I used teriyaki chicken -yum)
3. Sprinkle one half of tortilla with cheese, then top with chicken.
4. Cut up avocado and distribute half on top of chicken, top with more cheese.
5. Mash the remainder of the avocado and spread on empty side of tortilla.
6. Fold the tortilla over on itself and cook until edges harden, then flip to other side. This only takes a few minutes. 
7. Get your salsa out and a plate, cut the dilla into 4 pieces and enjoy!

Banana Coconut Oatmeal Flax Muffins

I am working on cleaning up my pantry, which means lots of interesting baking adventures! I'm also working on getting back in shape and that means I'm hungry all the time and need more snacks. This recipe was inspired by those two things - a healthy snack with a whole bunch of stuff in it!

Who can argue with deliciously sweet banana mixed with chewy coconut and yummy oats?  Nobody that I'd like to know, that's for sure!

Banana Coconut Oatmeal Flax Muffins (original recipe here)

Ingredients

3 Tbsp flax seed
6 Tbsp water
4 Ripe bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
2 Tsp vanilla
2 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp kosher salt (or table or sea)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 Tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened shaved coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease one muffin tin (this will make 12 good sized muffins).
2. In your magic bullet, blend ground flax with water. This mixture acts as an egg substitute!
3. Add the flax to your mashed bananas.
4. In another bowl mix your melted coconut oil with brown sugar, then add vanilla and flax And egg mixture.
5. Add your dry ingredients to the wet and mix untrustworthy combined. Don't over mix or you will ruin everything.
6. Scoop into muffin tin then sprinkle with coconut or oats or both. Cinnamon sugar would be delicious too!
7. Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean!

Bootcamp aka death camp pt2

Bootcamp day 2. I spent most of my day trying not to move too much. Nearly every muscle in my body is sore.... Read all about Bootcamp day 1 here! I have been trying not to think too much about how much worse tonight's session is going to be.

Just put on my workout clothes. These ones also have shrunk since I last wore them. I think I need some laundry lessons.

I'm hoping tonight is a whole new set of exercises. I might cry if I have to do another burpee.

Leaving for class now. If I don't die of muscle failure, I will finish this post later tonight.

Survived class 2. Lots of running probably saved me, since it meant less burpies and push-ups. Worked with weights but Manda was kind enough to let me use her five lb weights and she used my 8s!

Once again I realized (slash Manda pointed out) how uncoordinated I am! So many of the stretches and sets were multi-movement exercises that my brain and body parts just don't know how to deal with. Luckily everyone is too busy to notice that my super lunge jump looks more like a mix between a seizure and a dance move!

No fainting spells this time around, however acid reflux kicked in about half way through. Still suffering from it now. Will have to google the cause and figure out how to prevent it.

Tomorrow is our break day so I have some time to recuperate my traumatized muscles. Stay tuned for more!

Xo Shelly.

Michelle's Bootcamp Adventure Part 1

Big news! I'm getting back on the workout train. I, of course, started with a shopping spree where I bought a new yoga mat, foam roller and set of 8lb weights. I had to carry the weights around the store for a while so I consider that my first workout.

I went through my workout clothes drawer and reminisced about all the fun sweaty times I've had with my various outfits. Eventually I manned up and picked something to wear. Really strange but they seem a bit too small, I must've shrunk them in the wash or something!

So my chosen activity (and by chosen, I mean the one that Manda forced me into) is a women's only boot camp through NewBodyFitness.

My first session is tonight. Not gonna lie, I'm kind of nervous. I haven't done any strenuous activity in a while. Oh well, wish me luck!

Wait, first lets do a before picture...

Ok. Time lapse to after my first boot camp session. It didn't even start off easy. It was a series of painful awful excessively hard activity followed by two more rounds of the same. I managed to not swear too much and I didn't hit anyone but I don't know how much longer I can keep that up.

About half way through I thought I might puke up some of the delicious salad I had for dinner. Thankfully that subsided quickly enough, but shortly after I could feel Pale Face coming on. You know, the one where all the blood drains from your face which is pretty much the last step before fainting? Well luckily by that time we were nearing the end of the class. I managed to finish without embarrassing myself too badly.

Luckily Manda drove me home, because I'm pretty sure my leg would've rebelled against driving standard🙀! When I got home I Crawled up the stairs which was super funnn. When I finally made it  to the top I accidentally dropped my water bottle (I think my arms were seizing up) so I had to go down a flight and retrieve it. I almost kept going down just so that I could take the elevator back up.

Tomorrow's class is day two and we are required to bring a set of eight pound weights. I am trying not to think too much about it. I'm sure I'll have nightmares regardless.

I'm about to get in the bath. If you don't hear from me again I probably am still in my bathtub, too exhausted to pull myself out.

Sincerely,
The sorest (and whiniest) girl in Langley.

Orange Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins Recipe

These muffins were born of necessity. I accidentally bought a box of tangerines with seeds! I hate seeds in my oranges. I think everyone does. Not one to be wasteful I bought myself a hand juicer (that I don't know how to use properly) and juiced at least 20 tangerines. Before juicing I zested a few of them as well. Fresh squeezed orange juice is amazing. Nothing in the world like it. It's a mouthful of fresh deliciousness.

These muffins are super moist and delicious. I think they would be delicious with cranberries instead of blueberries as well. I also think the topping is not strictly necessary.

Orange Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins Recipe (original recipe here)
 Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked oats
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 tbsp orange zest
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 muffin tins.
2. Mix orange juice and oats and set aside.
3. Combine dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add wet ingredients. Mix only until combined. Fold in blueberries and zest.
4. Divide evenly among 2 muffin tins. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar recipe. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I rotated my pans at 8 minutes to ensure even baking.