Simple Lunch

As promised from my Instagram post, I wanted to share with you a simple lunch that takes no time to make!

But first...

I have been posting lately about being busy and not having the time to eat right and exercise and I wanted to touch a little more on that.  Every single day every single person is fighting a battle within them, so never feel like you are the only one struggling with something.  The fact that you got out of bed today is proof enough that you are a fighter, so keep going.

Taking the time to care about yourself and what you are putting into your body is really important.  Do you ever stop to read the ingredients before you put something in your shopping cart?  I do and I always wonder what the heck some of those things are.  It kind of makes me mad that companies can put those poisonous things in the things we eat.  Be smart when you shop and take the time to consider what you are putting into your body!  I like to buy pretty much everything organic and yes I know there is much controversy about if organic really is better, but I know for a fact that organic is better for you.  Organic might cost more but your body is important so be conscious of that.

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him.  For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." 

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

This verse says it all. 

Take care of yourself! 

Life is about change. I mean think about it.  If we stay in one place forever are we making any growth? Are we becoming a better version of ourselves? Are we really improving  anything?  No. Change can be difficult and often times uncomfortable, but it's good for us we need it to move positively into the future.

If you are struggling with getting healthy, know that you are not alone. I have been struggling for years now.  It just takes time and consistency. Time is never really on my side it seems and I just always have to tell myself that "Rome wasn't built it a day."

On to the point of this post...

I wanted to share with you a simple lunch/snack that literally takes no time to make!

Avocado Bacon Roll Ups 

Ingredients

• 4 slices of lunch meat (I use central market honey ham) 
• 2 slices of bacon 
• 1 avocado
• 1 tsp pepper 
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt 

Directions
Place four slices of lunch meat on a plate.  Break the two pieces of cooked bacon in half and place in the center of each piece of meat.  Top with mashed avocado.

Avocado Directions:
Mash one avocado in a bowl mix in pepper, cumin and sea salt

Enjoy! 

and stay focused 

-L

Yummy, Yummy

I like to experiment with food. 

I am in no way a chef, but there is something about pairing things together that I enjoy.  I also get tired of eating the same things all the time.  Unlike my boyfriend,  I tend to get really bored really easily when eating healthy.  Eating right doesn't have to be all that boring though.  There are tons of options, it just takes a little creativity.

Time is another factor that gets in the way of my healthy eating.  I am constantly busy with school, and that's when I start to eat bad.  Throughout my journey I have come up with different foods that are fast to whip up and keep me satisfied. I would like to share with you my yummy broccoli and spinach salad I made for lunch today. It takes about ten minute to throw together and is great when you are crunched for time!

Yummy Broccoli and Spinach Salad

Ingredients

• 1 Handful of Spinach (I use organic box spinach that is cleaned are ready to eat) 
• 1 cup chopped up broccoli (I use organic Broccoli Wokly)
• Half a tomato or more depending on your preference
• 2 strips of bacon

Directions
Cook bacon. Add a handful of spinach to a bowl.  Chop broccoli and tomato then add to the spinach. When the bacon is cooked and cooled, crumble on top of the salad.  Add a dollop of avocado topping then enjoy!

Avocado Topping

• 1 avocado
• 1 tsp course black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin

Directions
Mash avocado in a bowl using a fork. Add pepper and cumin then mix together.

 

Hope you enjoy!

-L

Chocolate Dream Protein Shake

I have really been trying to get healthy lately, but there always comes a time that I get super busy and throw all healthy eating out the window. 

This week I have started back up again with my clean eating diet and I thought I would share with you the recipe for the protein shake I just made myself tonight.  First off let me touch on a few things...

I like to drink protein shakes at night because the protein helps to keep your body nourished throughout the night.  When I am eating good and working out I like to drink at least two protein shakes throughout the day to ensure that my body is getting the right amount of protein it needs.  I also like to incorporate healthy protein snacks in my diet like nuts, cheese, and yogurt to name a few. 

Protein is a great for weight loss so don't be afraid of it! Protein is the building block of your muscles, and we need it to help build them.  Whenever you don't have enough protein intake, your body starts to hold onto fat therefore causing you to gain weight.  When your body had an efficient amount of protein levels, you start to drop fat. 

I came up with this protein shake but you are totally welcome to add your own touches to it!

Chocolate Dream Protein Shake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of dark chocolate almond milk (I just recently tried almond milk because sometimes regular milk upsets my stomach, although you should know that whole milk is the best, yes whole!)
• 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein
• 1 tbsp chia seed (chia seeds are the most amazing things I have discovered.  Chia seeds absorb the flavor of whatever they are put in.  They can pretty much be added to anything.  They are beneficial because when chia seeds are exposed to water they become like a gel and increase in size and weight. This is great because they help you feel fuller without overeating.  For more in depth info on chia seed visit this website
• 1 tbsp flax seed
• 2 tbsp Greek gods plain yogurt 
• 5 ice cubes

Directions

• blend everything together in the order listed above, the enjoy!
• note: the chia seeds will start to expand in your shake is you don't drink it right away making it think and undesirable (after about 10 mins).  Drink the shake as soon as you make it!

Since we all like images I made this little chart to show you the ingredients

I hope if you try making this shake you enjoy it! Remember to add protein to your diet, it is good for you! 

-L

Regrouped, Refocused

Coming off of spring break and pulling myself out of bed at the crack of dawn to get ready for school this morning wasn't all that great. Not to mention I didn't have my coffee until after I got home from school and well that's a whole other story. 

The past week has been a really good time for me to just rest, think, restore, and restart everything in my life.  Being so busy and then having such a long break (that flew by) has really helped me realize that sometimes I stretch myself way too thin.  I think we all go through this from time to time when we feel like we are super women and that we can get everything done, and some of us are, yet sometimes we need to just step back from it all and just breath. 

This past week I let myself sleep in, I ate yummy things, I saw friends who I haven't seen in a while, I visited with family...and it was good.  I also got to see my boyfriends wonderful family who I haven't got to see since school started this semester and it was nice to finally catch up with them.  I ended my spring break at church last night.  I left everything there, maybe even my heart, and I walked away from it all restored and refocused. 

We rush through life so much that we don't focus on what is really good for us.  There are times when being busy is good, and then there are times when we need to take time off and talk with God and reestablish what we really want our lives to be about.  Something that hit me last night at church was that I let too many things get in the way of my relationship with God, and although I am not proud to admit this, I put a lot of things before him.  I thought to myself, what am I really trying to accomplish with my life?  That part I am still trying to figure out, but there is one thing I know for sure, none of my joy can come from anything other than the Lord.  Everything that is taking the place of God in my life has to go.  This is what the sermon was about last night in church.  If there is something you desire more than God, cut it off.  It seems impossible, and it might hurt, but it has to go.  I realized when I heard that, that there were so many things I do that is for my own personal gain, and really what is the point of that.  Nothing good can come from self righteousness.  Priding ourselves in accomplishing many great things will only lead to hurt and living a life of self fulfillment is sinful. 

It is time for me to take a step back and let God be in charge of my life, but it can't just stop there.  God didn't put us on the earth so that we could just live our lives for Him, he put us here so that we could spread the word to others and help them live in the light.  This was the second part of the sermon last night.  Living our lives for God and not helping others is just as sinful as worshiping ourselves.  We must not only focus on ourselves, we have to reach out to others and help them as well. 

^"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

John 15:12

 

There is nothing wrong with admitting that you aren't living your life the right way.  Realizing it and doing something about it is the biggest step you will have to take.  God already loves you and has forgiven you.  Living in him doesn't mean that you have to be prefect,  it means that you admit that you need him and want him to take control of your life.  Nothing good can come from self righteousness.  Take time and really think about your life, what you are seeking, and if it has anything to do with the greater good of others and following God's plan.  For there will be a day when the world will end and you will be left to explain to Him what you did with your life.  You pick your eternity.

 

-L

Finally, It's Spring Break!

Thank you Lord that this week of school is about to come to a draw.

The word stressed is overrated, I need something stronger, like 10x stronger to describe my week.   School really picked up these past few weeks and it seems like the days are getting shorter and I have just been running out of time.  My closet looks like a mad woman came in a ripped out all of the clothes, maybe she did, nothings been fitting right lately and I feel like I need a major wardrobe change...not important, my desk is completely taken over by paper clippings, markers, pens, my new business cards (Yes, I now I business card, can you say official?) and well just a whole bunch of stuff, my sheets needed to be washed...like yesterday, my bathroom well it got a little attention because I couldn't deal with the toothpaste on the mirror and the makeup covering the counter top anymore, and I haven't seen my carpet in days and I'm wondering if its still there.  My poor poor room.  I feel like the people from Hording: Buried Alive are going to come in at any moment to intervene.  But alas, I have finished everything that needed to done,  and I am completely stress free and ready for spring break! Oh, and the greatest news, my Studio project, which was part of the reason my room has been upside down, was cancelled until after spring break, holla! I mean yeah it would have been nice to get it out of the way, but lets be honest I was really nervous and unprepared to present it tomorrow.  Now I actually have time to take my clothes to the cleaners before we present after spring break, rather than giving them my beautiful (crappy) ironing job they would have received.  I just finished my last midterm, which was an oral presentation (nerve racking), and now I can breath easy and finally chill out for a second.  I still have one thing lingering in the back of my head and that is that I still haven't found an internship for the summer yet.  It's seriously been crazy juggling school and getting resumes out.  I seriously needed like 7 extra arms this week.  I did however get a few resumes out and I am eagerly waiting to hear back.  I will begin hardcore searching from now on since everything else is out of the way.  I am so excited to see all of my friends tomorrow in celebration of their birthdays! I haven't seen my college station people in so long.  What a great way to start spring break!  I also can't wait to see my family and my little Tanner boy who I heard hasn't been feeling well lately, poor puppy, he misses me I guess.  All in all I am just happy.  Happy to be done with school work, happy to get to sleep in finally, happy to see friends and family and catch up with everyone lives, my poor parents feel like I have neglected them lately,  and happy to just be alive.

Have a wonderful weekend!
-L

Perdenales State Park

I has been a crazy, hectic couple of weeks and writing this post has been lingering in the back of my mind the whole time.  A few Saturdays ago, Sonny and I took his little brother Spencer and cousin Jonathan to Perdenales State Park for some hiking.  We had been wanting to visit Perdenales for some time now and we finally found time to make it happen!  It did not disappoint.  It was awesome.  I can say with full honesty that at this point in my life, it was the prettiest place I have ever seen in Texas.  I mean that's not saying much since I haven't seen all of Texas, but it was just so beautiful that I have seen enough of the lone star state.  I literally took a whole camera card full of pictures so I will pick the best ones to show you...enjoy!

This was our first site of the Perdenales Falls- beautiful right?

This is me standing on a cliff.  I didn't realize until I got home how many times I could have fallen off of one of these while we were there. 

 

Sonny took this picture- of course its blurry lol.

Had to get my foot in to show you how high up I was!

And then it started getting dark on us signaling it was time to go.

This place was amazing! If you ever get the chance to, go!


Have a great week.
-L

Positive Change

Change is good. Changing something shows that there was a problem, and you are taking control of it. I have been in college for nearly four years now, and with only one semester to go after this one, I can see that I definitely need a change. When starting college I was of course younger, straight out of high school, and lean. I'm not going to say I was in great shape, but I was naturally just skinny. I had been in drill team for the last three years of high school, which allowed me to have a crappy diet along with regularly working out and dancing. I use to make meals off of disgusting lean cuisine meals and I never really got the appropriate amount of protein in my diet. Fast forward three years to my first semester of college. This is where it all began. I was still eating crappy, but I lost my regular workout regimen. This is when the weight started to pack on. I felt hopeless at the time until I started to slowly change my eating habits and actually started to work out. The pounds started to come off and for a while I was is great shape. I got my "high school skinny" back until only a few years later when it all went down hill again. School started to take over most of my life and it just seemed like I would never have the body of my dreams. I stopped working out but I still ate semi healthy, but not nearly good enough. So here I am today at a weight that makes me want to throw up and I'm trying to make positive changes in my life. I am nowhere near the weight I want to be at but I am desperately trying to get there. It's hard, I'm not going to lie, and I'm only on my second week. Yeah I know, whoo second week, but I am writing this to keep myself inspired to want to make a change. I just want to be healthy. Yes I am also worried about bikini season because I felt awful about myself last year, but the summer will end eventually. Ultimately I just want to be a healthier version of myself. I hope and pray that this journey doesn't end soon like all my other weight loss journeys where I'm sitting on the couch a week later eating fast food and not caring about myself. Please pray for me that I will succeed this time!

I hope to post little tidbits ever so often to help guide you to making healthy choices as well. My first tip being: Love yourself no matter what. Looks aren't everything, keep that in mind, but push yourself to make the changes your life needs! Believe that you can do it and you will!

-L

Ps: freezing Greek yogurt and adding Stevia and fruit is almost like ice cream and it is delicious!

Amazing Cookies You Have to Try!

As soon as these gooey, chocolaty, amazing, where have they been all my life cookie balls hit my mouth, I knew I was in love.  I have to share this with you friends...I promise your life will be changed forever! I'm just going to say this, I may like these flour free, oil free, grain free, protein packed cookies better than a regular chocolate chip cookies.  Did I really just say that...I think I did!

I didn't take any pictures of mine because well it was my first time to make them and they weren't so pretty.  But I found these miracle cookies from this blog I found on Pintrest.  I am just going to copy her recipe but you HAVE to go to her blog to look at the delisious pictures she took of her cookies!

Here is is people...may you forever be changed (I like being dramatic)

Grain-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Recipe by: Erin D. | Texanerin Baking

Category: Cookies
Yields: fourteen 1 1/2" cookie dough balls
Prep Time: 8 min • Cook Time: 10 min • Total Time: 18 min

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups canned chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel¹
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter ²
• 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey (commenters have used agave with success!) 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder ³
• a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn't have salt in it
• 1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C. Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they're combined.
2. Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.
3. With wet hands, form into 1 1/2" balls. Place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don't do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Notes:

1. My can of chickpeas was 400 grams, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons.
2. Don't even try with regular peanut butter! They'll come out oily. You MUST use natural peanut butter. :)
3. If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

Check our her blog, and make these cookies! 

I seriously hope you enjoy them as much as I do...

Tootles 

-L

A Time For Change

Here goes the longest post I've written in 2013 (or only)

*****

With only a week into the new year, I have decided that this year my resolutions are going to be big.  I think it is cliche to say "I'm going to lose weight, get the house organized, yada yada.." Because in reality how many times do we do the things we say we are going to do. I want to make changes within myself this year.   The type of things that will follow me into the years to come.

Losing a few pounds wouldn't be bad either...

So what are these "big resolutions" you are wondering.  Well, to start, one thing I want to change the most is my spiritual life.  I have been convicted (no not by the law) and it really took me by surprise   I am one to say things and then not live them out.  I know it's wrong but we are all guilty of this I'm sure.  I like to think I am doing things I say I'm doing when in reality I'm just pretending, and I don't want to pretend anymore.  It's time to make the change.  A "big" life change.  Recently I have been told that I do not have enough faith in God, and to be honest, I don't.  I haven't been putting Him first in my life and it has really shown.  The first major change for my life has to be to put God first.  It just has to, because once you put Him first, everything will fall into place just as it should.

Another change I would like to make is the way I perceive things.  I am one to immediately jump to conclusions.  Call me a typical woman but I like to be in control of everything when in reality I need to step down and let God take the wheel.  I like to freak out when things don't go the way I planned, and I need to realize that I do not have the power to predict the way my life will turn out, and I should find joy in that.  It's  a relief to know that I don't have to worry about anything when God is in control.

My last goal is to not to sit on the sideline of life anymore. I want to get out there and live.  I want to push myself to do things out of my comfort zone. I want to live a life that when people look at me they see the love of God in every aspect of it. And I want to be a great friend and listen to people when they need me.

I want to ask you to pray for my to achieve these things, and in return I will pray that by you reading this you are inspired too!

*****
Now onto the main attraction...

This past weekend we took a trip to the ranch in Uvalde.  It is such a blessing that I get to enjoy something like this because not everyone gets to do awesome things like this.

The first day we were there it was freezing cold and raining, but we made the best of things and still had a lot of fun.  The rest of the weekend we enjoyed beautiful weather, cold yet beautiful!

Yep, that's my dad, not a bank robber. 

I mean seriously this is the life!

Even Addy got to enjoy the wilderness!

There is a dry riverbed that runs through the ranch and along the mountain by the river there are caves.  It was only necessary that we climb them!

The little guys loved it!

We had some wimps stay at the bottom! 

We had a minor set back when one of the rangers broke down...

When we got back to camp from pulling the broken ranger in, Kendra and I took the little guys to check out the pond.

After our pond adventure, everyone loaded up and hit the deer stands.  Kendra and I went as well with food, drinks, cell phones, cameras, binoculars, and no gun.  If only you could have seen us.  I'm surprised deer even showed up with all the noise we were making.

We did have success within our group.  My dad shot an axis doe!

Before we left today I snapped a few shots...

These kiddos are just too cute!

We spotted a deer on the way out... 

We use to swim in this river outside of the ranch in the summertime. Now its drying up.  It's funny how things change. 

We had a wonderful cellphone-less weekend and it was actually refreshing.  I feels good to not have to worry about your phone all the time.  Maybe that's another change I need to make this year.  Limited cellphone access, hmm.. might be pushing it!

Make your year worth remembering! 

-L