Happy Easter!!!

Happy Easter Everyone!!! 

Easter is definitely one of my favorite holidays because it was Michael's first holiday! Look how tiny he was the first time he met the Easter Bunny! I love looking at each new Easter Bunny picture next to his first, because he was so tiny, and the picture people did a wonderful job accommodating our newborn! I hope everyone's Easter is full of joy!!!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Protein Muffins

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Protein Muffins

Chocolate and Peanut Butter have become HUGE weaknesses of mine! I've been craving a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup REALLY bad. This definitely hit the spot!!!

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 4 egg whites
• 2 scoops Vi Protein Powder (that tastes like cake mix)
• 1/2 cup sweetener
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 8 oz berry flavored baby food
• 3 Tbsp. baking cocoa

Filling

• 1 cup low fat creamy peanut butter (or you can use PB2)
• 2 scoops Vi Protein Powder (that tastes like cake mix)

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, protein powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa)
3. Mix wet ingredients together in a bowl (eggs, sweetener, baby food)
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Pour the batter into muffin tins.
6. Mix the peanut butter and protein powder together.
7. Add a dollop of the peanut butter mixture to each muffin.
8. Bake 20-25 min in the oven
9. ENJOY!!!

Source : Jamie Eason's Chocolate Protein Bars

I often have to remind myself of this while I'm at the gym. I look around, and a lot of the people there are more educated about fitness than me, and are lifting SOOOO much more than what I'm capable of currently. But, I remind myself that everyone is on their own journey. Right now, I am where I am, I can only move forward! =)

Love Yourself

First of all, I LOVE Jennifer Aniston.

When I decided to start losing weight and join THE CHALLENGE, I thought I would get to spend as much time in the kitchen baking.  What I have learned about myself is that I am GREAT with recipes.  It has become a personal challenge to not stop eating the things that I love, but to make the things that I love better for me, and for my family. I love adapting recipes, and making them healthy. To be honest, since I started losing weight, I have spent more time in the kitchen.  I make protein brownies, cookies, cakes, etc.  I am even working on adapting a Pop Tart recipe that I found to make it more healthy.  Pop Tarts are my son's FAVORITE food in the world.  I cringe every.single.time that I put them in the toaster, thinking of all the processed junk and sugar that is in them.  I can't wait to perfect this recipe and share it with you all!!! 

Shamrock Shake

SHAMROCK SHAKE!!!

Ingredients:

- 2 Scoops Vi Protein Powder (that tastes like cake mix)

- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

- 1/8 teaspoon mint extract

- 2 teaspoons Sugar-Free pistachio pudding mix

- Ice (to taste)

- 1/4 cup of fat-free cottage cheese (optional)

- 2-3 drop of green food coloring (optional)

Directions :

Put all the ingredients in the blender and mix until the desired consistency! Then drink it up!!! =)

McDonalds' Shamrock Shake is one of my BIGGEST weaknesses. Mmmm so delicious. But, they will not get the best of me this season. I found a delicious protein shake recipe that tastes VERY close to this shake, and IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!!!

Source : Adapted from Dashing Dish

SORE

It's legs day... Eesh!!! LoL. I love legs day, because I can really FEEL the workout. And I mean I am sore for days! Haha. It's great though, I love the sore feeling because it gives me a great sense of accomplishment!!!

So True

It is going to take me a LONG time to accomplish all of the health and fitness goals that I have set for myself, but I look forward to the journey. My only regret is that it took me so much time to get started!