Tornadoes Tabatas & Thieves

As the end of February draws closer and closer I am struck with the urge to clean and declutter our home. Spring fever is going strong over here, even though a slew of tornadoes and rain brought another cold snap through last night. Of course, that would happen right after we get our new garden started, but with the exception of a couple of basil sprigs we weathered the storm quite well. Much better than many in our area unfortunately :( Thankfully, the storms weren't as bad as they could have been but the tornado did take out several homes and businesses. However, if one thing can be said of this community it is that they take care of their own. As early as this morning posts were going up all over the spouse pages about relief efforts and donation sites!

http://pulsegulfcoast.com/2016/02/photos-see-aftermath-of-pensacola-tornado-from-the-air

But back to the subject of spring cleaning...

When I say spring cleaning, I am also referring to cleaning up ones eating habits and shedding the layer of blubber that appeared out of nowhere over the winter months. We have been back in the gym attempting to get back on our clean eating and fitness regimen. It's a process. Down here in Florida bikini season starts at the end of march and that time, my friends, is fast approaching. 

Some of the easy ways I'm getting back in shape for the summer are:

~Trying to run at least 2 miles every day

~No fast food or junk food

~Upping my cardio game at the gym to 45 mins

~Portion control and smaller meals throughout the day

~Drink. More. Water.

~Tabatas that focus on the booty, core, and arms

When it comes to our home, some of the simple ways we spring clean include; opening the windows whenever it is nice out to get fresh air inside, diffusing essential oils like thieves/peppermint/tangerine to combat allergies, getting all of the pillows and linens washed and dried out, and filling the house with as many live plants as possible (which can be a pain in the ass since we have to get pet safe plants). 

New years resolutions are for people who don't want to deal with goals throughout the year! Theres no bad time to set a goal and make a plan to accomplish it :) I find it much easier to set seasonal goals anyways since I find myself having different focuses during different times of the year. Like eating all the carbs in the winter, and then having to spend half my life in the gym during the spring. 

For more ideas on fitness, clean eating, and oils check out my Pinterest boards ;)

Here:

What are some of your spring goals for your house? Body? Mind?

The 52 Lists Project: List 43

This past weeks prompt was: List your favorite meals and treats. 

Well, my inner fat kid had a field day with this one. I've been known to put away copious amounts of ice cream in very short time periods. Reeses run screaming from me. And no biscuit is safe when I'm around. With that being said here is my list...

When it's hot outside: watermelon, pink drink ice pops, lemon sorbet, ice cream, peaches, grapefruits, ice cold corona, beefsteak tomato sandwiches 

When it's cold outside: veggie chili, tomato soup and grilled cheese, my dad's christmas chocolate chip cookies, mom's chex mix, cheese grits, hot coco, s'mores

All of the time: Swedish fish, southern buttermilk biscuits, coffee flavored everything, french fries with ranch, mashed potatoes, sweet tea, dark chocolate, rice and black beans, cosmic cantina veggie deluxe burritos, cold orange juice, blackberries, strawberries, oreos, peppermint everything, big crunchy salads with lots of veggies in them, cheese & wine

I'm certain that I've forgotten something, but I am making myself soooo hungry writing this all down that I think I need to go get a snack ;) 

What are some of your favorite foods??

This weeks prompt is:

List the words that warm your heart.

Tomato Pie Recipe

Mondaaaaayyyyyyy?!?! Okay, glad I got that out of my system. 
This morning as I was making my coffee and trying to find some breakfast, I peered into our fridge and was momentarily stunned by the amount of food in our there!

Yesterday was such a blur that I completely forgot about all of the leftovers from our football cookout. Now, I'm not a huge football fan. I enjoy tailgating, but that's about where it ends. And since there are no Bojangles down here, there isn't much point in tailgating. *sob*

Anyway, Indy and I got up early and cooked WAY too much food, and a group of us spent the day watching football and stuffing our faces like true americans! Haha

I always love a good opportunity to try new recipes and use my friends as guinea pigs, so yesterday I tried two new recipes. One for tomato pie and one for a better version of my churro cheescake. (I have to add that as I'm typing this I'm thinking about how amazing my lunch will be today muahaha). 

The tomato pie recipe was so fun to make because it is easy, and the different kinds of tomatoes make the flavors amazing and the pie itself beautiful. 
Here are the ingredients:

1 pre-made pie crust
2 lbs. of assorted tomatoes (green, sunburst, beefsteak etc...)
1.5 cups of sharp cheddar cheese
.5 cup of mayonnaise
1 large egg
salt, pepper, basil, & other spices at your preference 

Instructions:
1. Slice tomatoes and lay out on paper towels (lightly salt them)
2. Set oven to 425 degrees
3. Mix the cheese, egg, mayo, & spices together
4. Butter the pie crust (optional)
5. Coat the bottom of the pie crust with a layer of the cheese mix
6. Place a layer of tomatoes on the cheese mix
7. Another layer of cheesy goodness
8. Final layer of tomatoes on top (make it pretty if you want)
9. salt and pepper on top to finish it
10. Pop it in the over for 40-45 minutes 

This is a great recipe to try if you are like me and don't have mad chef skills ;)

enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Tonight I decided to try a new recipe from the blog www.simplyquinoa.com 

However, I am not mentally capable of following a recipe without deciding that it would be better if I change a few hundred things. Sometimes it works, sometimes its disgusting ;)

That being said, this recipe was very simple to make and definitely satisfied my need to eat something leafy and green but still full of flavor. If you know me, you know that I am not the best chef in the world, or even close to it!  In fact, I'm pretty sure I resemble a mad scientist in a faulty lab more so than a semi-capable cook in her kitchen. 

But! This recipe was easy peasy and I managed to not set anything on fire. Holla.

I started by bringing 2 cups of water to a boil and adding 1 cup of quinoa. Quinoa takes about 15-20 to cook so I put a lid on it and let it do its thing. 

Next, I chopped up a large sweet potato, doused the chunks in coconut oil and a bit of brown sugar, laid them out on a baking sheet and stuck them in the oven at 425 to bake for approximately 15 mins. (scrambling them up with a big spoon every once in a while)

While the potatoes and quinoa were cooking I added 2 avocados, some lemon juice, basil from our garden, 1/2 cup of water, garlic salt, and LOTS of pepper to my food processor and whipped up some homemade avocado ranch. It was ok, but not great. I think I added too much lemon juice...

Once the quinoa was done cooking I mixed in the chunks of sweet potato and black beans (had I remembered to buy black beans...) poured the concoction over a bed of fresh greens, and drizzled my home made ranch on top. 

Thankfully, the sweetness of the potatoes balanced out the lemon in my dressing and it tasted pretty darn good. Also, coconut oil on sweet potatoes makes your whole kitchen smell amazing and you should cook them all the time.