WIAW #12

Hi loves!

Happy hump day! It’s almost Friday! This week just flew by dontcha think?!

I haven’t done this in a while but today is WIAW, and I am taking part in the delicious food-fest over at Jenn’s adorable blog, Pea’s and Crayons! Thanks for hosting Jenn :)!

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For breakfast I felt like trying something new so I made (never home) maker’s hearty pecan chip micro muffin! But instead of pecans I used dried cranberries and instead of whole wheat flour I made it gluten free and used brown rice flour and gluten free oats (I’m not gluten free but my roommate/bff is and I wanted her to be able to try it out too!).

my very first micro muffin!

It was delicious, but I made the mistake of adding too much stevia to the peanut sauce so it was like sweetness overload and for some reason I just can’t handle overly sweet things in the morning. I think next time I’ll make the muffin with pecans and dried cranberries or add less chocolate chips!

In between classes, I snacked on a pink lady apple but forgot to take a picture. You guys are really missing out..what an interesting picture that would have been 😉 but it was crunchy and delish!

After a cardio chisel and spin class today I was starvinnn! Don’t get in between me and the refrigerator…you’ll get hurt hehe.

wrap time!

I sauteed some mushrooms in coconut oil, added 3 scrambled egg whites and some herbs de provence! I laid that mixture on a bed of spinach on top of a La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious tortilla and chopped up red bell pepper, a low sodium slice of turkey from TJ’s and feta. Loooooved it.

new favorite bars!!!

Snack time. These are literally too good to be true. I am obsessed. I want to try out every flavor! Or find out a way to make my own because there’s no way I can afford having one a day haha! #poorcollegehealthnutproblems

vegetarian lettuce wraps!

My roommate, Elana’s mom signed us up to get a box of all organic veggies from local farms delivered to our doorstep. The goods showed up this week! But unfortunately I was too excited I forgot to snap a picture! A big thank you to Nina for getting this for us!!!! 🙂 The lettuce, onion and red bell pepper in the lettuce wraps were from the box. If you’re interested in participating in this and supporting your local farmers visit the website itsorganicdelivery.com for more info!! A couple strange looking radish/parsnip looking things were in the box as well as a vegetable called Kohlrabi. We’re not sure what to do with that yet!

To make the lettuce wraps we sauteed half a white onion with two cloves of garlic in about one tablespoon sesame oil. Then we added in chopped bell pepper (about a half of one), one grated carrot, celery, and one package & a half of TJ’s baked tofu. Bragg’s liquid aminos was used to give it some more flava! I whipped up some dipping sauce with one heaping tablespoon of raw almond butter, about 2 tablespoons liquid aminos, the juice of half a lime, one tablespoon agave, and a little bit of ground chia seeds to thicken it out.

topped with some peanuts for crunch and a squeeze of lime!

This dinner was sooo easy and delicious. Plus it’s pretty low calorie, gluten free and is filling! Elana and I were proud of ourselves and we even made enough for leftovers :).

I needed a little something sweet to end the day off right so I made some hot chocolate!

would you like some almond milk with that cocoa powder?!

Although, I accidentally dumped too much cocoa powder into my mug so it was more like clumps of cocoa powder floating in almond milk. Yuck. I had to doctor it up a bit, add some water to thin it out and stir it a ton for it to finally be drinkable! I didn’t take a picture of the final product though…ugh! I added a few drops of liquid stevia and cinnamon and it was delicious end to my night of studying!

Hope you guys had a fabulous day! I hope it’s sunny tomorrow here so I can go for a nice run outside!!

missin this face.

I get to see Lily again this weekend! Soo excited.

xoxo,

Kara

Lily, the love of my life.

While procrastinating from studying for my chemistry midterm tomorrow, I realized that I have not publicly shared the love of my life with you guys! Don’t tell Cookie I said that ;).

well hello there, i'm lily. aren't i the cutest?

i really really like lettuce, preferably romaine.

sometimes i pretend i'm a wabbit.

for fun, i like to sit on my mommy's head.

i will go crazy for strawberries. gimme gimme!

i can't help it that i'm just so adorable.

this is me if i was human. KALE!!!!

this is usually where you'll find me. loungin in my zebra print hammock.

i'm always sweet and innocent.

but sometimes i'll get all up in yo face.

i'm the only one who will give mommy kisses after she's worked out and is all schweatyy.

this is my best non-human friend, cookie. she steals all my dry nasty guinea pig food but that means i get MORE VEGGIES!

whatcha lookin at?

one time, i was stuffed into a sweatshirt pocket.

i didn't like that very much.

i love climbing on visitors.

this is me pretending to be a crouching tiger! just kidding, i'm just munchin on some grass.

Call me crazy, call me obsessed, call me whatever you want. If you don’t find this guinea pig to be the cutest lil thing, I may have to reconsider our friendship. Just kidding. Sorta. Maybe. Kinda.

Back to studying!

Kisses from me and Lily!

xoxo,

Kara

how to dig yourself out of a workout rut

As of lately I’ve been experiencing a little case of motivational issues when it comes to exercising.

Even thinking of running makes my booootay sore and beads of sweat form on my forehead.

Welllllll maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration … But ever since I started working, my desire to get mah heart beatin flew out the window. All I want to do when I get home from work is eat, lie on the couch and eat some more.

So in order to jumpstart my fitness routine I started googling “how to get yourself out of a workout rut” and came up with this list (plus a few more that I thought of myself)!

ENJOY!!!!!

Plan a short workout that doesn’t require getting in your car and driving to the gym. It can even be less than 20 minutes. Something is better than nothing! A few of Kristin (sister) and my favorite things to do when we want to get a quickie workout in are running up and down the stairs blasting music throughout our house, and shakin what our mama gave us in the kitchen. Sorry to reveal our secrets Kristin ;).

Wear your workout clothes around the house. You might suddenly have the urge to bust out some jumping jacks or pushups.

Change up your usual (and maybe boring) routine, i.e. go to the gym at a different time, try a new workout class, run outside, go hiking …

tahoe with my loves

Hating the dreadmill? Try walking or running outside! And don’t forget to bring your dog, cat, guinea pig (kidding …) if you have one :).

i spy ...

Focus on the benefits not the difficulties. Remind yourself of how good you will feel after working out, how much more energized you will be, and how happier and slimmer you will look, rather than thinking about how hard that 5 mile run or spin class is.

my bikini bod can SO handle this hill.

Go to an exercise class! I find that working out with others around pushes me, because I compete with others in my mind (even though the instructors tell you not to compare yourself to others). This is an example of what goes on in my head: “That lady is lifting 10 pound weights … come on Kara if she can do it, you can too!” or “Wow that girl is squatting low, I bet can squat lower” or “I’m sooo sore but no one else is giving up so neither will I!” Maybe I’m the only one that does that, but I encourage you all to try it ;).

Ease into it after a long dry spell. You can’t except your body to be right back where it was before you stopped working out. Start with a brisk walk/run or yoga class and gradually work your way up to your usual workout routine.

Schedule a time in your calendar dedicated to exercise. This way you can’t give yourself any excuses NOT to go.

sorry i'm booked!

j biebs on my mind.

Make a new workout playlist to get yourself pumped up! This song always gives me a sudden burst of energy.

Buy a workout video to sweat and pant to in the comfort of your own living room ;).

Buy a cute workout top, running shorts, head band … whatever. Then go show it off at the gym :D.

got my eye on these lulus!

Reward yourself for your hard work. A piece of chocolate, some fro yo, a jar of pb (oh wait .. that’s just me), a movie night, or a massage are all great options.

Email me, call your mom, find a workout buddy, join an online forum like Dailymile.

me & my sis just doin what we do

Working out doesn’t always have to be at the gym. Make it fun and mix it up! Play volleyball, tennis, soccer, racquetball, go rock climbing, jump rope, paddle board … the list goes on. Do something you like.

Boxing or tae bo are very popular, fun and calorie blasting workouts! And it makes you feel strong and fearless ;). Many models even do it.

Make goals and give yourself deadlines to meet those goals.

Post your goal in BIG WORDS somewhere that is easily visible to you every day. On the fridge, on your mirror, directly on the ice cream carton …

inspirational!

that's the right kind of attitude!!

Recognize and accept the ebb and flow. Motivation is not always a constant thing. Realize that every day your body will tell you what it is capable of, and sometimes it might say: “Today I want to sit on the couch, eat cookies and watch marathons of Jersey Shore.” Hey, I’m not gonna deny it. But while you’re feeling like a couch potato, don’t fret, because your motivation will soon return. In the meantime, think about your goal and do some of the things on this list until it comes back.

Stick with it! Don’t let obstacles in the road knock you over. Force yourself to keep moving forward towards success. (I guess force is kind of a strong word, but sometimes I feel like I have to force myself to work out or else I will never do it. After “forcing” myself though, I always feel happy I did it.)

Remember that working out isn’t only about burning calories and losing weight. Exercise not only improves your physical health, but livens your mood, wards off sickness, raises your self-confidence and builds friendships.

that's one healthy polar bear!

So next time you are feeling unmotivated, tired, worn down and have absolutely no energy to work out, I encourage you to try something on this list!

And now, I’m going to work my lil booty off at zee gym!

Adios ❤

Kara

my very first wiaw

Hey y’all!

Are you ready to see some pictchas of fooood?! Well good, because today is WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday)!

As I mentioned in my first blog entry, Blondie Bakes and Bikes is not solely a food blog. With that said, I definitely won’t be posting or taking pictures what I inhale consume every day. This will save you guys from boredom (remember I am a college student with not much time to whip up gourmet/exciting meals) and will also keep me sane…or from kicking myself over that second bowl of cookie dough ice cream ahhh ;).

Today I got up at 6:30 am, made my breakfast and packed a lunch for the loooong day ahead of me. I work in Sac-town so I have to leave the house by 7, get stuck in traffic for a while (so fun), and then finally sleepwalk into work at 8. Times that by 5 and you get my weekday routine this summer!

This fabulous morning I was feeling like…

EGGGGGGS!

2 scrambled eggs with mushrooms, bell peppers, salsa and feta cheese with some cinnamon raisin toast (from Trader Joe’s) and half a peach on the side!

The tummy was happy after that :).

Then around 10:30 she started talking to me. Good thing I packed a snack too!

feelin snacky

Half a pink lady apple (da bessttt) with cinnamon sprinkled on top! Alright here comes the nutritionist in me…

cinna-yum

Did you know that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory? So down.

Cinnamon is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium. I like!

Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Wowzaa!

Preliminary lab and animals studies have found that cinnamon may have antibacterial and antifungal properties. It’s active against the fungus that causes yeast infections, and  the bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers. Good to know! 

Cinnamon is a metabolism-boosting spice that aids in getting rid of unwanted body fat. Ooooh go cinnamon!

Okay that was a nice little tangent (you’ll find I do that often) now onto lunch…

the bomb ingredients

A turkey sandwich on Oroweat Healthfull hearty wheat bread with avocado, TJ’s spicy brown mustard, cucumber, sprouts and spring mix/spinach with a side of grapes.

too bad they weren't frozen 😦 favorite

would you like some sandwich with your lettuce?!

I love mah greens…I know, I’m weird. But not as green obsessed as this one…

GIMME THE LETTUCE!!!

That would be Lily, our guinea pig. Isn’t she the cutest?!

Now onto the rest of today’s eats!

I left work at 5, got home at 6:30 (there was an accident..YAY MORE TRAFFIC!), fueled up on a Halo Pro Bar before hitting the gym with my sis…

couldn't resist this at whole foods...especially since it was ON SALE!

nutrition facts for yooouu. not too shabby!

Once I got home from workin out I made a quick (and easy!) dinner. I was really craving fish tacos (ahem…I’m always craving fish tacos) but I wasn’t about to go bbq in the dark. Soooo I made this instead!

a lazy girl's dinna

In the {greek} salad went chopped romaine, red cabbage, carrots, bell peps, feta, kalamata olives, with a cut up (cooked in the skillet ) Morningstar Farms Griller’s Original veggie burger on top! Those babies are only 130 calories with 15 g of protein…ohhh yeahhh! The dressing was a little bit of olive oil, red wine & balsamic vinegar, and pepper. Super satisfying and only took me 5 minutes!! That’s how I like it ;).

Annndddd that concludes WIAW! Hope you enjoyed it and had some delicious meals today as well!!

xoxoxo

Kara