Hey My Gorgeous Four-Leaf Clovers!

Thanks for all of your comments on my Great Harvest Inspired Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. We’ve already devoured an entire loaf and are on a second batch! And this won’t last long either!

Btw, a few individuals were asking about ways to make it sugar-free, so check out the comments to find out how!

It’s time for another GRAND QUESTIONNAIRE!!!

I can’t wait to see your answers!

xoxox,

Hey My Luscious Pumpkin Chocolate Chips!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post about how I have to get more blood tests and for all of your tips on what to do before/after. I had blood work done Friday morning and they took five vials worth! FIVE OF THEM! I was expecting maybe two or three at most… At least he used a baby/butterfly needle on me; I didn’t feel any pain (there’s never really any pain), and the guys who do it always tell me I have good veins, but I was just tensing up and stressing myself out just over the situation. The guy who did it had me talk the entire time, which helped it go by faster. Yeah, I still cried, but I was fine; I actually even went to the gym afterwards. Ha-ha, I know, I’m crazy, but I listened to my body and didn’t do anymore than I felt like; some laps around the track, plie jumps between laps, and some core work at the end was all I did. I did feel a little weird running around with the “bandage” on my arm. In fact, I don’t know if it’s from getting my blood pumping or leaving the bandage on for over one and a half or two hours, but I never got much of a bruise at all, (which I’m not in the least displeased by). So now I just get to wait and see what the tests say.

My family loves Great Harvest Bread. We always get the latest samples whenever we go. I usually either get the Honey Whole Wheat, the Pumpkin, or the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip.

But now, I don’t have to go all the way there to have some: I can make some in my own kitchen.

What kind do I make?

My Great Harvest Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread!

Mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl.

Set aside.

Mix pumpkin, oil, tofu, and water together in a bowl. (I used a whisk.)

Make sure to get the tofu really smooth so as not to have big pieces in the bread. (It won’t change the flavor at all, but it will look nicer.)

Add the dry ingredients to the wet

And mix them together until the flour is all incorporated. Don’t overmix.

Add chocolate chips

And fold them in.

Pour/spoon batter into a lightly greased 9×5 loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the center of the bread is firm and bounces back. Let it cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes,

And then transfer it to a wire rack. Cut when fully cooled and serve!

Great Harvest Inspired Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• ½ tsp ground ginger
  
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• 1 cup (8oz) canned pumpkin purée
  
• ½ cup oil (either canola or coconut)
  
• ½ cup silken tofu
  
• 1/3 cup water
  
• ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy-free ones preferred, but regular ones work just as well!)
  

Directions

Mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside.

Mix pumpkin, oil, tofu, and water together in a bowl. (I used a whisk.) Make sure to get the tofu really smooth so as not to have big pieces in the bread. (It won’t change the flavor at all, but it will look nicer.) Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix them together until the flour is all incorporated. Don’t overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour/spoon batter into a lightly greased 9×5 loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the center of the bread is firm and bounces back. Let it cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes, and then transfer it to a wire rack. Cut when fully cooled and serve!

Notes:

1. If you don’t have tofu, you can also use ½ cup more of pumpkin purée or applesauce, 2 tbsp of flax/chia plus 6 tbsp water, or even two eggs if desired.
   
2. To make gluten-free, you can use 1 ¾ cup of Bob’s Red Mills GF all purpose baking mix in place of the flour.
   
3. If you want even sweeter bread, you can use no-sugar-added canned sweet potato purée in place of the pumpkin or even up the sugar a little bit if desired. I found the sweetness of this was perfect for my family.

Pumpkin + Chocolate = Heaven On Earth!

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Do you like Great Harvest’s Breads? My family adores them! But now I’m glad we can enjoy a Great Harvest Bread and not have to travel all the way to get it! (This version’s lighter on the wallet, too.)

Do you find it easy to give blood/have blood taken? I react the same way when I ice skate as when I get blood taken. It’s all in if I just stay relaxed and breathe normally; if I don’t, then I can feel faintish; if I do, then I’ve come off conqueror.

Have any plans for President’s Day? Tomorrow is actually one of my bff’s birthdays, so I’m going to give her a call!

xoxox,

Thanks for all of your comments on my Carob Chip Cookies with Walnuts. Those were seriously gone in a matter of days. Carob is a favorite in my household!

I’ve been researching different books for good tips on healthy college living, and I’ve found two I would whole-heartedly recommend.

My girl Maria recommended The College Vegetarian Cooking by Megan Carle and Jill Carle to me after I had reviewed the One Bowl Cookbook, and I’m so glad she did! I put it on hold from my library and was so excited when it came in. I was literally leaping for joy past the point of happy – bursting with excitement!

I love how easy and group-friendly these recipes are and how low-cost and nutritious they are, too! Some of the recipes that caught my eye included:

• Pasta with Broccoli and Caramelized Onions
  
• Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Tomato Sauce
  
• Vegetable Tagine with Couscous
  
• Onion Stuffed with Quinoa and Mushrooms
  

I also found The Everything College Cookbook by Rhonda Lauret Parkinson at the library and just had to check it out. I love how this book has a whole introduction in the beginning with essentials for the college-room kitchen, pantry staples, tips on living a healthy lifestyle, etc!

Some of the recipes that caught my eye included:

• Buckwheat Pancakes
  
• Coconut Risotto
  
• Tofu Burgers
  
• Roasted Tomatoes
  
• Tender Glazed Carrots
  

Overall, I would definitely want to get my hands on these books!

I was not paid to review these books; I just checked them out from the library, really liked them, and thought I’d share my thoughts on them.

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Not my picture btw, but it’s from this lovely lady who made it into ice cream.

Butterfingers are probably the only candy bar I will risk the milk for once in a while. The fun-sized one still affects me, so I prefer not to have them very often (if it comes between having one of these and breaking out with acne, or not having it and having clearer skin, I’m going to pick the latter). I did have one the other morning (in my early morning scripture study class) and I did enjoy it (ha-ha, but I of course did not enjoy the consequences that came with it). My face and my stomach are both much happier when I avoid milk as much as possible. I guess it’s because there’s peanut butter in it that I’ll have it once in a while; maybe I should try to find a way to make a protein bar version of this that I can enjoy without the worry of breaking out! I bet that would taste incredible!

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My Endocrinologist called a few days ago and said she wanted me to get some more blood work. (Yep, more.) She wants to check a certain aspect of my progesterone and see if I by chance have celiac disease (which I highly doubt, as I have none of the other symptoms; but there’s no harm in checking. My life would change if I had celiac… it wouldn’t be easy, especially at first…)

My dad drove me to the doctor’s clinic this morning so I could get my blood drawn, but they said that the blood work for the tests I was having done had to be done in the AM-time period (which kind of confused me, since we got there at 10AM); aka, I’ll have to get it done tomorrow. I was all prepared to have it done when I found out I had to get it done in an AM-period, which turned out to be before 8am. The clinic only opens at 7:15am, so that gives us only a 45 minute window to get it done. My dad and I (and my mom) were a little frustrated, but I’m sure it was just a simple misunderstanding; my endocrinologist may have just forgotten to mention it. My dad works up near there anyways. So my dad is going to take me up there again tomorrow morning to get the tests done (and hopefully these will be the last for a while).

I am getting a little tired of all of these blood tests. I just had some drawn this previous month, and I can’t even recall how many vials they did this previous year. I feel like they’ve already sucked out enough blood out of me for a lifetime… or two… But I guess that’s what needs to be done (whether I like it or not).

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What’s your favorite candy-bar flavor combination? I love Almond Joy, Reese’s, and Butterfinger flavor combinations.

Do you like/use protein bars? Do you usually buy them or make them? I prefer to make them myself instead of having to always check to see if the bar has milk in it: making it myself, I can pretty much guarantee it will be milk-free for me. I also find that it is less expensive that way, too, as many dairy-free/vegan bars are pretty pricy. I wish I could have those yummy whey-based protein bars, but I’d rather not breakout.

Any thoughts on a good pre-blood-lab breakfast? I know I will be drinking lots of water between now and 8am so my veins will be nice and big before the lab occurs. (I don’t want them to miss!)

xoxox,

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post about the call from my endocrinologist. The Game Night was wonderful! I got to hang out with some of my friends that I don’t get to see very often and just be silly. Then the next morning (Saturday morning) I did parallel parking on my drive. Whenever I have my driving lessons they’re always in a smaller car that I can see the front end of, but our only automatic is our minivan and I can’t see the front end of it, which will make taking the test for my license in our minivan a challenge. Nevertheless, I found it easier than I expected and had lots of fun learning to drive downtown.

Carob and I are like best buds. My mom introduced us a few years back and it was love at first taste.

I found that my Heb carries carob chips, so I HAD to get some.

Can you guess what I did with them?

I made cookies!

My Carob Chip Cookies with Walnuts to be exact!

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and nutmeg.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

In the center, add the applesauce, agave, and vanilla.

Combine just until there are no dry areas.

Add the carob chips and chopped walnuts.

Mix well.

Drop cookie dough by teaspoonful (or with a small cookie scoop: that’s what I did) onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet.

Flatten dough slightly with a fork.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 8-9 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned.

Remove from the cookie sheets immediately.

Pour yourself a glass of milk and start dunkin’!

Carob Chip Walnut Cookies!

Makes about 48-55 cookies, depending on size

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cup whole wheat flour (or other whole-grain flour)
  
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  
• ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
  
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  
• ½ cup agave nectar or honey
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• ¾ cup unsweetened carob chips
  
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In the center, add the applesauce, agave, and vanilla. Combine just until there are no dry areas.

Add the carob chips and chopped walnuts. Mix well. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonful (or with a small cookie scoop: that’s what I did) onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Flatten dough slightly with a fork.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 8-9 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Remove from the cookie sheets immediately.

Print This!

These cookies were (I say were because we’ve already EATEN THEM ALL) the perfect sweetness for my mom and I. If you prefer a sweeter cookie, simply replace about ¼ cup of the applesauce with agave/honey.  If you’re not the biggest fan of carob, chocolate chips work beautifully in these, too!

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What are you doing for Valentine’s Day? Some of the girls in my church and I are going to be babysitting some of the kids in my church for a few hours so their parents can go out and have a date.

Do you like Carob? I like how it’s sweeter than chocolate naturally and doesn’t have caffeine (perfect for a late-night snack that won’t keep me up at night).

Do you like to dance? Go to dances? I just went to a Valentine’s Dance (I wore this black v-neck formish-fitting maxi dress with these silver glittery zebra stripes all over it, and I wore it with a pink cami, a little black jacket, and some silver heels; I would have taken a picture, but I was rushing out the door before I could grab one) and I had a lot of fun! I like to line dance and do ballroom.

xoxox,

Thanks for all of your comments on my What Kat Ate. I really want to continue doing these, as they help show a more accurate way of how I eat instead of just a lot of oatmeal/bananners with nut butters. I’m also glad you liked reading the eleven questions and I answered.

I saw a very sad sight yesterday afternoon:

The bottom of my Homemade Sun Butter Jar. Oh, and I definitely did NOT leave it like this after my amount for my banana. He-he, I finished him up! Still sad, since I don’t have any sun flower seeds and I didn’t pick up any from the grocery store last time. Hopefully I can get some more the next time we go.

Talking about Nut Butter, guess what I got in the mail!

A special Blendtec jar made for NUT BUTTER MAKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love how the lid has those long black “legs” and can twist, helping keep the nuts from gathering up on the sides of the jar (which is one of those things I have to do manually if I use my other jar). I’m so excited to try this baby out! I’m thinking about those walnuts and almonds I have in the freezer…… Walnut Almond Butter perhaps?

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We’re having a Teen Game Night tonight. Over thirty-five teenagers are coming over to our house (and those are just the ones that RSVPed, so I don’t really know how many are coming). Their each bringing their favorite treat and/or a favorite game.

Some of the games we have include: Scattergories and Catch Phrase (both of which I’ve never played before), Rummikub, Othello, Clue, Racko, Apple to Apples…..

…..Sorry, Monopoly, Mancala, Scene It, Life, Bananagrams, Tumbling Towers, Uno, Blink, and Phase Ten. These are just the ones we’ll probably be playing, not including the ones others might bring.

I also found this little darling taking a nap under the table while I was taking pictures.

In addition to the fourteen pizzas we bought for tonight, my mom and I made some Pizza Spaghetti Casseroles this morning (which were super easy: spaghetti, spaghetti and/or pizza sauce, pepperoni, and shredded cheese).

I also made some Jam Jam Bars (cake mix recipe). I would have also made a veggie tray for everyone to share, but we don’t have all the veggies I would need for it – especially since I just finished munching on our last stalk of celery.  Nonetheless, since everyone is bringing a game and a treat, we shouldn’t run out of games nor food. I know it’s going to be fun!

(If you’re wondering, I probably won’t be eating any of the pizza or bars since they all have milk in them in one form or another; nevertheless, I’ll probably just make a Morningstar hamburger with some guac for myself alongside a banana with nut butter or something — not too hard and not out of the way.) 

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I got a call from my endocrinologist. She told me that my bone density tests were normal (nice and dense like they should be), my hormone levels were normal, my vitamin/minerals were normal, and that there was nothing in my blood tests that wasn’t normal. So now, I have officially baffled many pediatricians, adolescent doctors, GYN doctors, and now an endocrinologist with why I’m not having my TOM. She said she couldn’t think of a good solid reason why I’m not having it. She said that the three months I did it may not have been enough to have my body start doing it on its own; even though my hormone levels are normal, she said my body may just not be making the amount to kick it back into gear. My levels are normal, but I may just not be making that little bit more that would give me my TOM. So, she’s having me double my calcium and vitamin D supplement that I take everyday and she’s also putting me on a low dose of BCPs for six months and see if that works. I hope this works. I really want this to all be sorted out before I head off to college this next year, so if it takes taking BCPs for a few months then I’m willing to try it.

I have my next Driving Lesson tomorrow morning! This will be my sixth drive (so hopefully he’ll teach me how to parallel park; I should have learned to do it on my fourth drive, but they got confused and I sort of did my “fifth” drive twice). I did watch while my teacher taught a young man to parallel park, so I saw him do it (turn to reverse gear, turn the wheel all the way to the right, back up, turn the wheel all the way to the left, continue in, then turn to straight and pull up a little – did I get it right?). Anyways, I’ll see what happens!

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Do you have a favorite game? I REALLY like Bananagrams, Rummikub, and Phase 10!

Do you have your license? If so, do you ever have to parallel park much? Ha-ha, I’m going to have fun trying to parallel park our minivan to be able to get my license this spring.

What do you do when you hit the bottom of a nut/seed butter jar? Sometimes I’ll make it into a OIAJ; sometimes I’ll just finished it up; and other times I’ll hurry to the kitchen, whip up a batch, and fill it all up again. 

xoxox,

Hey my Beautiful Blueberry Honeysuckles!

Thanks for all of your comments on my Homemade Sun Butter. I’m so glad that so many of you are addicted to nut/seed butter as much as I am. He-he (*evil laugh*). jk!

Here’s another What Kat Ate! I love how Jen is making this a veggie-filled month of February!

BREAKFAST:

Protein oats (with soy nuts) with cocoa powder and cinnamon (so, pretty much my homemade protein powder, but not in crushed form) and a low sodium V8 on the side.

LUNCH:

Morningstar Grillers Chick’n with a flatout with my homemade sun butter and apricot preserves alongside a green smoothie (forgot the precise ingredients, but it had a non-dairy milk of some type with lots of kale, either a banana or an apple, and a few other ingredients).

SNACK:

Yep. Another Peanut Butter Banana (but this time with a sliced Kiwi).

DINNER:

A Veggie Delight from Subway (I had the 9 grain wheat with tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, olives, red onion, and bell peppers) with dark chocolate chips and almonds (unpictured) on the side for dessert.

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Both Sarah and Julianna (along with many other lovely individuals) tagged me with the 11 Questions.

Here are the survey “rules”:

#1: You must post these rules.
#2: Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
#3: Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

1. Are you a shoe or purse person (you have to pick one)? SHOE! I can get tired of purses easily, as while I’m shopping they get in the way. I still love purses and they are really cute, but I would probably use a cute pair of shoes more than a purse.
2. What is your favorite book?
3. What’s your favorite quote from a movie? Hmmm, I love Star Wars “Luke, I am your father;” How To Train A Dragon “Thank you for nothing/you useless reptile;” Scar’s first scene in The Lion King: “Life’s not fair, is it!? …”; “What is he doing? He’s expressing himself…” from The Seeker; the “Mrs. Darcy” scene at the end of the Keira Knightley Pride and Prejudice; and, ooopps! He-he, I guess that’s more than one.
4. Do you think you can dance? Ha-ha, yep! I like to do ballroom. Not that I’ve taken lessons, but I always love learning whatever I can from my friends who take ballroom. I also really like line-dancing.
5. Have you ever had a penpal? Yes I have! Well, she was more of an email-penpal, but I still keep up with her.
6. Would you rather text or call? I usually just text since I have unlimited text, but I think calling is better when I can. If I had to put them in categories of good/better/or best, I’d say: text is good, calling is better, and in person is best.
7. Which place in the world would you like to visit the most, and why? Egypt: because Cleopatra was such a strong woman (first Ptolemy ruler to actually learn the Egyptian language – and I do NOT believe she killed herself; Octavius must have had her killed. Why on earth would she leave her children unguarded??!!) and I have always loved learning about the ancient Egyptian culture.
8. What were your career ambitions at age 9? To be a ballerina. Ha-ha, that did not happen.
9. Who’s your favorite Spice Girl? I don’t even know WHO the Spice Girls are. Nutmeg is one of my favorite spices though.
10. Dream kitchen or dream master suite? Dream Kitchen of course!
11. What’s your favorite salad ingredient? I really like chickpeas on my salads.

Questions to Answer:

1. What is your biggest goal/dream right now?
   
2. What is your favorite color?
   
3. What’s your favorite kind of music?
   
4. Do you have any fears or phobias?
   
5. Do you like getting manicures?
   
6. Favorite meal of the day?
   
7. Would you ever wear bright pink toe-socks?
   
8. What’s your favorite color?
   
9. What has been the best moment in your life so far?
   
10. Chocolate or Peanut Butter?
    
11. What time do you go to bed?
    

Bloggers I Tag with the questions:

1. Mellie @ Eat Read Move  
   
2. Danielle @ Sweetness Plus
   
3. Sami @ Freckled Foodie
   
4. Mary @ Fervent Foodie
   
5. Whitney @ Vegan Sunshine
   
6. Emily @ As Dreams Become Reality
   
7. Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin
   
8. Carlyn @ Not The Normal Teenage Fare
   
9. Kayla @ Little Miss Healthify
   
10. Mallory @ Have Your Cake
    
11. Katie @ Chocolate Covered Katie
    

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Would you wear bright pink toe-socks? I might if I was convinced to….

What are some of your favorite ways to add extra fruits and vegetables to your daily eats? I love to blend up greens in a smoothie, pill them up on sandwiches, sneak them into muffins,

Favorite food eaten today? Fave food pictured above? I’ve been loving my homemade sun butter – the jar is almost OIAJ worthy. Though, I also finished a jar of peanut butter yesterday and didn’t make it an OIAJ, so I guess it depends on my mood.

xoxox,

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post. I love spending time with my sister, especially since I will be going off to college this next year and won’t see her as often. Thank you for always being there for me, Elizabeth! <3

Recently I got myself a bag of raw sunflowers seeds.

And you know what I decided to make with it?

Some of this:

My Homemade Sun Butter!

I want to dive right into this goodness.

Lay out the sunflower seeds onto a dry baking sheet.

Toast them at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for about 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant.

Pour seeds into blender or food processor.

Turn it on high and blend until…

…The seeds become a powder.

Add the salt, agave, and canola oil.

Scrape the side and put on the lid.

BLEND HER UP! You may need to stop and scrape the sides throughout. You may also have to add a little extra oil if needed to help it process.

Keep processing until smooth and creamy.

Pour into a glass container, store in the fridge, and ENJOY!

Homemade Sun Butter!

Nut-free, Gluten-free, Sugar-free option*, Vegan, Soy-free,

Makes about 1 ½ cup

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cup raw sunflower seeds (you can also use dry roasted; if you do, skip the first step)
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp agave nectar
  
• 2 Tbsp canola or coconut oil
  

Directions

Lay out the sunflower seeds onto a dry baking sheet. Toast them at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for about 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant. Pour seeds into blender or food processor. Turn it on high and process until the seeds become a powder.

Add the salt, agave, and canola oil. Scrape the sides and put on the lid. BLEND HER UP! You may need to stop and scrape the sides throughout. You may also have to add a little extra oil if needed to help it process. Keep processing until smooth and creamy.

Pour into a glass container and store in the fridge. ENJOY!

*In place of the agave, you can use one packet of stevia. You may have to add a little more oil to compensate for the liquid in the nectar.

Print This

This bag of sunflower seeds only cost me a little over two dollars, and now it has been turned into a treat that can’t be beat! It’s much cheaper than and just as delicious as any of the sun butter you can buy! I had one of my friends try this (she was my official taste-tester, as she knows sun butter VERY well) and she said it tasted just like any of the sun butter you can buy! Now I can indulge in sun butter without depleting my wallet!

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Have you ever tried Sun Butter? I like how it is a delicious alternative for those with peanut allergies (and simply delicious period!).

What is your favorite addition to breakfast? Nut and/or seed butter for me – it’s a nice source of protein and healthy fats!

What do you consider a balanced diet? I feel that a balanced diet as where I eat lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, lean proteins (like beans and legumes, even meats and eggs if you desire), and dairy and/or dairy alternatives; I also feel that there should be room for flexibility, and having a treat (in moderation) helps keep everything balanced. But even beyond that, I feel that moving a lot, giving my body the rest it needs, listening to my body, and loving my body just the way it is are just as important.

xoxox,

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post: my Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes. Those are seriously my favorite pancakes now: and I love how incredibly filling they are!

There are some “healthy” things I probably will never be able to get my sister to eat. But, when I got her to try one of my single lady banana cream pies, she fell in LOVE.

She fell in love with them so much with that she and I, at 9:30pm at night, were in the kitchen whipping up some yummies.

We took different roles: she prepared the banana filling while I handled the crust.

She had never made them before, so I just guided her through the steps – she caught on pretty quickly.

Lastly, she decorated them with chocolate chips and some almond slices, and then we stuck them in the freezer.

This is what they looked like in the morning!

Awwwwhhhhh, so good. I’m so glad that she loves these as much as I do! I always know something’s good if my sister really likes it.

And just like how my sister has been making a lot of my single lady banana cream pies…

…I’ve been making a lot of these! Practically every day I have one of these, in one form or another.

But there is something different about this one than all the others I’ve eaten!

Can you guess? It involves suns, and flowers, and seeds, and butter.

Yep, it’s SUN BUTTER! <3

Don’t worry; I’ll be sharing the recipe next!

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Here’s what’s been going on with my workouts and sleep goal!

Workouts: I’ve been having fun with my treadmill recently: trying out different inclines, various speeds, interval training, running, jogging, etc. On Monday I did an intense incline workout (my backside REALLY felt it); yesterday was a 5k on my treadmill while singing/listening to the Tarzan and Little Mermaid II soundtracks (I was running at 7 mph to some of the songs) varying between running, jogging, and speed walking; and today was an incline workout with some weight lifting beforehand (total body and abs). Since trying different speeds and pushing myself a little, I’ve found that I CAN run: I am capable of it; I never thought I could, but I’ve found that I CAN!

Sleep: I went to bed at 9:15pm last night! I never thought I would ever be able to go to bed with a 3 digit number on my clock (and to willing do it makes me even more amazed!). Even though I went to bed at 9:15, I realized I was still tired this morning. I guess I am starting to recognize those messages my body sends saying “TIME TO GO TO BED!” Before, collapsing on my bed and practically passing out (three hours past the time my body wanted to go to bed) used to be what told me I was tired. Now I know I CAN go to bed at a decent time. I CAN.

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What are some of your favorite ways to spend time with your family? I like anything that I get to just spend that one-on-one time with them, whether that be folding laundry, doing dishing, grocery shopping, writing cards, riding bikes, coloring in a coloring book (when I have the time – yes, I still love doing that!), or just playing a game!

Do you have a favorite snack you just can’t get enough of? Bananas (frozen) with nut/seed butter for me!

Have you ever thought you would never be able to do something to find out later that you CAN do it? Have you ever just had to push yourself a little to try something to find out you like it? Like with school or work; fitness/working out; or cooking or baking. Overcoming hardships? Conquering fears? Jumping off a pole? (You can read about my experience here.)

xoxox,

Hey My Swirly Twirly Flapjacks!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post about my home gym! I really like that we now have a pretty well-rounded gym here at home, especially since we don’t have a membership to a gym anymore. It also helps that we have five bedrooms in our house with only two kids total. We use one of the two extra rooms as a sewing/guest room and the other as a gym/library.

I asked, and you answered.

Here they are:

My Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes!

Combine the almond milk and the distilled vinegar in a medium bowl (or measuring cup like I did). Set it aside to thicken.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Once the milk mixture has thickened, pour it into a blender/food processor, and add the oatmeal, agave, silken tofu, and applesauce.

Process until the oats are a finely milled.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the oat mixture into the center.

Mix well, but don’t overmix.

Preheat a nonstick or lightly coated with cooking spray griddle.

Use a ¼ cup measurement cup to ladle out the batter for each pancake. Flip pancakes when bubbles rise and break open on the top, or when they’re golden brown on the bottom.

Cook until lightly browned on their reverse side. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Transfer to a plate, decorate, and devour8!”

Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes!

Vegan, Whole Grain, Sugar-Free option*

Makes 4 servings, with about 3 pancakes per serving (depending on the size of the pancakes)

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 1 cup old-fashioned (or quick) rolled oats
  
• 1 tsp. salt
  
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or honey
  
• 1 ¾ cup buttermilk: [1-2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 ½ Tbsp distilled vinegar]
  
• 1/3 cup silken or soft tofu
  
• 2 Tbsp. applesauce or oil**
  

Directions

Combine the almond milk and the distilled vinegar in a medium bowl (or measuring cup like I did). Set it aside to thicken. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Once the milk mixture has thickened, pour it into a blender/food processor, and add the oatmeal, agave, silken tofu, and applesauce. Blend it all up until the oats are a finely milled. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the oat mixture into the center. Mix well, but don’t overmix.

Preheat a nonstick or lightly coated with cooking spray griddle. Use a ¼ cup measurement cup to ladle out the batter for each pancake. Flip pancakes when bubbles rise and break open on the top, or when they are golden brown on their bottoms. Cook until lightly browned on their reverse side.

Transfer to a plate, decorate, and devour8!”

Print This Recipe

*To make sugar-free, in place of the agave use 2 packets of stevia. (Or you can even just replace the agave with 1 Tbsp. more of applesauce.)

**I like using applesauce when I plan to top my pancakes with nut butter, and oil when I plan to top them with fruit, like jam, preserves, or applesauce.

I topped mine with my Homemade Sun Butter and some fresh blackberries (which were on sale — score!).

I really love how healthy, filling, and satisfying these are! We all (as in, each of my family members) topped our pancakes differently, with a variety of things, which included: sun butter, preserves, maple syrup, smart balance lite buttery spread, applesauce, berries, etc! We DEVOURED these in two seconds flat!

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What is your favorite pancake topper? I really like to use nut/seed butters and applesauce (or preserves to make PB&J pancakes).

Do you like breakfast for dinner? I think breakfast for dinner is the BEST! My whole family enjoys it, so I made these for dinner tonight!

How do you keep organized? I like to use lists and schedules/calendars to keep my day organized. I list down what I want to get done that day, and I love being able to cross things off as I do them: a fully crossed off list at the end of the day is something I really like seeing! I’ve also been recently scheduling my day. I had been falling behind in my schoolwork, and so for this past week I’ve really scheduled myself (practically minute by minute; not quite, but close) so I could focus and plan in the time to get some things I’ve-been-needing-to-get-done done. It worked! I’m all caught up. The schedule isn’t restrictive: things come up and it has to change a lot, but I still like to write it up because it helps me stay focused. It gives me a visualization for my day. For the rest of the stuff I have, I use bins, shelves, labels, folders, dividers, assigned places, etc. to keep things organized.

xoxox,

P.S. Sun Butter Recipe coming soon! I made it today and have it all ready for you!

Thanks for all of your comments on my Pumpkin Spice Muffins! Those are seriously one of my favorite muffins EVER! They were eaten all up within days of making them! <3

I don’t workout at Spectrum Fitness Gym any more. I’m kind of sad that I don’t, as I miss all the classes I could take, the variety of machines I could use, and the motivation I could get from the other individuals there.

But now instead of working out at Spectrum, I workout at home in my home gym. I love how it is really convenient (as it is just down the hall from my room), customizable, and all mine! It works for me and I truly love it!

Here’s a view from where you enter.

It consists of:

My workout DVDs (plus some more which are in a different area of the house); these are in the bookshelf to the right when you enter the room.

My dumbbells: 2 pounds, 8 pounds, 3 pounds, and 5 pounds.

The Stride Trainer! They have pre-programmed workouts on it and they are NOT easy! It may not look hard, but it has SERIOUS INTESITY in those pedals!

My big bouncy ball. He’s a jolly happy soul.

A mini-trampoline and a jump rope.

My blue yoga mat.

My mom’s stationary bike.

My treadmill!

And, a weight machine outside around the corner of the workout room (the workout room is on the other side of the wall behind it). I don’t use this one very much, as I prefer dumbbells, but my parents like it.

And that’s my home gym!

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I took some time the other day and reorganized my Blogroll into different categories (you can see it here). I’d love to know if you have any ideas for different kinds of categories I should use. Also, if I don’t have you on my blogroll, just let me know and I’ll be glad to add you!

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What is your favorite way to workout? Time of day to workout? Pre-workout/Post-workout snack? I usually workout after I get home from my early morning scripture study class, but some days I’ll do it in the afternoon.

Do you ever mix-and-match workouts on different DVDs to make one workout? I’ll do that with 10 minute workouts: like, I’ll do Tamilee’s Tight on Time DVD (Total Body, Arms and Shoulders, and Abs: each 10 minutes), pair it with Jillian’s 10 minute workout segment on the Cardio Max DVD, and then maybe do a 20 minute Winsor Pilates workout.

Which recipe do you want next? Carob Chip Cookies? Oat Pecan Scones? Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes? Pumpkin Spice Milkshake? Or Homemade Whole Wheat Bread sticks? You have the power in your hands.

xoxox,