Protein Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup protein powder
• 1/2 cup liquid egg whites
• 1/4 cup flaked coconut
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

DIRECTIONS

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and mix. Warm a pan on medium heat with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon the batter into the hot pan and check the bottom frequently to see when it's ready to flip. 

I actually used chocolate protein powder and added strawberries to the top. Then I drizzled a little honey on top. They tasted fabulous and my boyfriend approved. He now wants these for breakfast every morning...

Point Lobos Hike

Amazing hike with amazing friends!

Today my friends and I went hiking in Point Lobos Reserve, just south of Carmel, Ca. Even on a foggy day this place is still beautiful. There were quite a few people there today and one guy was nice enough to stop and take this picture of us:) I'm not really sure why, but I go through spells in life of wanting to be closer to nature. Maybe it's because I just started a new job and this is a way for me to clear my mind. To me, hiking is very healing. Not only do you have an abundance of endorphins running through you, but the colors, sights, and sounds remind me how small I am and how insignificant my problems are. When I was little, my Dad used to take my brother and I for hikes pretty much every other weekend. Being the 'mountain-man' that he is, we hiked for HOURS... at a young age. At the time I absolutely hated hiking! I can still hear my Dad's voice saying annoying things like, "No pain, no gain." and "No water until we get to the top." Now when I look back I realize it was more than just hiking. It was one of those inconspicuous life lessons that we take for granted. Life is like one big hike! We travel uphill and then back down again. We have lots of bumps in the road and beautiful things to look at along the way. Am I the type of person who just stares at the ground underneath my feet watching every step and anticipating the next obstacle in order to make sure that I don't make a mistake? Or am I the type of person who keeps focus on the goals ahead while taking the time to enjoy the journey I'm on and taking in the beauty all around me? I think the answer is that we are all a little bit of both. So that's my inspiration for the day. My goal is to try a little harder to see that there is always beauty and goodness in the world if we can only take the time to stop looking at our feet and enjoy this adventure we call life ♥

Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

If you think you HATE brussels sprouts (like I did), you must try preparing them this way!

Ingredients:

EVOO

Bacon

Onion

Brussels sprouts

1 cup balsamic vinegar

Salt & pepper

Directions:

Cook bacon lightly in a pan and lay flat on paper towel

Heat EVOO in pot on medium heat

Rinse the sprouts and drain in collander

Cut sprouts into halves

Add chopped/sliced onion (if desired)

Add brussels sprouts and cook until leaves start to brown 

Add basalmic vinegar

Cover pot with lid and reduce heat to low

Simmer until tender

chop bacon into pieces and add to pot

Salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!  

Beet Salad Recipe

Roasted beets

Feta cheese

Toasted walnuts

Oregano

Balsamic vinegar 

Vega One Review

This is my FAVORITE shake.. And 

I've tried nearly all of them. What I like about Vega One is that not only are you getting protein - you're getting probiotics, omega-3, fiber, greens, antioxidants, and vitamins/minerals! - Did I mention its VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE?!

This is not ideal for bodybuilders trying to use shakes to gain muscle mass. In that case they need a shake with approximately 40g of protein so I would suggest mixing a scoop of this with something else such as Isopure if you're trying to gain mass. 

Each scoop has less than 200 calories so its a perfect in-between-meal snack or you could drink it as a meal replacement. If you want to lose weight fast I would suggest drinking this for dinner at about 6pm and having nothing else for the rest of the night except tea or water. 

Sometimes when people start taking this they will feel a little "off" as in some bowel upset, but that's just your body detoxing the crap you've been eating. If you get an upset tummy don't worry it will only last a few days!

Flavors:

Chocolate (my fav)

Berry

Vanilla Chai 

Natural
You can mix the powder with water, but I like coconut milk and almond milk because to me it tastes better.
 www.myvega.com

Not all smoothies are created equal

There is a big fad now in the health world with smoothies. Everyday I see people posting their not-so-healthy fruit smoothies on Pinterest and Instagram and I have decided to post about how you can actually LOSE weight drinking them.

First of all... Don't ever use sugary fruit juice!!! It's best to use water as the liquid or all natural juice like Simply Orange or POM juice. Just don't go crazy with the juice because it does add a lot of calories and sugar. 

I personally like to use organic produce and the biggest thing that people don't realize is that 80% of the blender should be greens/veggies and the other 20% is fruit. Honestly, you only need a small amount of fruit to make it sweet and cover up the greens. 

If you keep those things in mind when making healthy smoothies, you will be much better off

Ps. NEVER use arugula in a smoothie unless you don't mind a peppery taste. I love it for salads but not for my smoothies!!!