Yonanas

We eat a lot of ice cream around here, it's sort of our weakness! We bought a Yonanas machine a few months ago and love it! It turns any frozen fruit into self serve ice cream. You don't have to add milk or anything. Tonight we made a batch of banana/peach. It should last through the week or at least a few days! We usually make it and eat it right away but thought we'd prep some in advance so we had some on hand. For $50 it's definitely paid for itself considering we aren't going to Dairy Queen nearly as often! And I love that our little guy thinks he's getting actual ice cream when I'm really just sneaking in more fruit!

Vegetable Bake Recipe

I had found this recipe on Pinterest and had been wanting to try it for sometime now. I tweaked it a little bit but it turned out good. Here is the recipe how I made it:

Ingredients:

1 large zuchinni
3 small yellow squash
2 medium or large potatoes
2 tomatoes ( I used one large one)
1-2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Pre heat oven to 400. Slice up all the veggies and line them up in the baking dish. Salt and pepper to taste, cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle cheese on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Voila!

Serves 6, 174 calories per serving

7 Year Anniversary

Today is our 7 year anniversary. We spent last night at The Cave B Inn in a desert yurt. It's on a vineyard overlooking the Columbia River. We only stayed one night and didn't really do much while we were there but it was nice to get away, even for a night. Here are a few pics from our stay. I think we'd go again and budget for the extras like wine tasting and the spa, maybe try one off their other types of rooms. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to get away.

Finally got a Fitbit!

I bought a Fitbit Flex last night, today was my first day using it. Still getting used to it. I'm not very techy so hubby had to help me set it up online. But so far it's cool. It helps you keep track of how many steps you're taking per day (goal is 10,000) and tracks your sleep as well. It syncs with My Fitness Pal as well so all of my food/calorie intake and any exercise is tracked automatically when I update my diary. It's a neat little gadget I'm hoping will help me stay motivated! Maybe I'll post another update once I've used it for awhile :)

Check out the website and tutorial video at www.fitbit.com

"Failing to plan is planning to fail"

This last week has been CRAZY! I literally ate like crap all week long and missed the last 3 Zumba classes. And man, I felt it! I worked 13 hours of overtime this week and it's marching band season...which means hubby was busy with band camp for 2 different high schools all week long including one overnight (that was the night I had a mommy meltdown). On top of that add in an almost 18 month old who has started the terrible twos early. Like I said it was CRAZY. A perfect example of why it's so important to prep your food and plan a menu. If you don't, you end up eating fast food and making impulsive choices. Just like I did...all week long! James and I will be celebrating our 7 year wedding anniversary tomorrow by splurging and going to Red Lobster for lunch before heading to Cave B Inn for the night. But next week I plan to be back on track!

Soda Alternative

I haven't drank any soda in at least 6 months. I'm really not tempted but every once in awhile I crave something bubbly. I found some drinks called Cascade Ice. They have lots of different flavors and are sweetened with sucralose not aspartame and are sugar free, fat free, gluten free, and sodium free. I try to avoid all artificial sweeteners but sucralose is one I will do in moderation. The only thing about the drinks is that they have different color dyes in them but I figured as often as I'd drink them, it'd still be a better choice over soda when I get those cravings for bubbly carbonation!

Just the other day I found some Cascade Ice in the organic section at Fred Meyer. The organic versions don't have anything in them no color dyes or anything. I've only tried one flavor so far and it's ok definitely more of a sparkling water than soda but still a better choice for when that craving hits.

Water with fruit in it to flavor it is still my favorite but wanted to share!

Protein Pancake

This is a recipe I have had for awhile but completely forgot about it! My friend Danielle introduced it to me. It's super easy and fast! The consistency is more like a crepe than a pancake but it's very filling. You could pair it with some fruit or yogurt and be totally satisfied.

Protein Pancake (makes 1 pancake)

- Coconut oil spray

- 1/2 cup egg whites 

- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

- 1 tbsp chia seeds

- Sprinkle cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to taste

- 2 packets Truvia or Stevia

- Syrup

Blend ingredients in your magic bullet or blender and then pour into a frying pan (spray the coconut oil spray onto the pan first). Cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve with syrup of your choice. I use Trader Joe's Short Stack Pancake Syrup. It's higher on the calorie side but doesn't have high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners in it. I only use half a serving. 

* THE NUTRITION INFO BELOW DOES NOT INCLUDE SYRUP, IT IS FOR 1 PANCAKE ONLY