Easy PB Cookies.

I haven't blogged much lately. Lots of working out, complaining about food, grocery shopping and enjoying movies & snuggling with the hubs and pups. So lets get to it!

I have been very diligent about making sure I record EVERYTHING into my Fitbit. I swear, it has made me crazy! Yesterday was 5K and leg day! A good 1.5-2 hour workout that made me light-headed at the end. Afterwards, I was rewarded with Ihop! Even though I was allowed to get pancakes ( thanks, CJ!) I only ate one with very minimal syrup. I was so proud of myself! So afterwards when we went grocery shopping I bought stuff to make 4-ingredient peanut butter cookies and paleo chocolate zucchini bars. Well, I didn't buy everything for the bars so I just made the cookies.

I grilled dinner last night of steak, asparagus, potatoes and jalapeño smoked sausage. The smoked sausage isn't entirely the best for you but it is gluten-free, no MSG and fulfilled by spicy craving without turning towards mexican food.

Oh! I did get this amazing 4 spice kit at Costco for $1.97. I used the pumpkin spice in my coffee instead of cinnamon this morning. With it being cloudy, it definitely took me back to fall this morning!

Now, lets get to the real point of this post: COOKIES! I truly have to blog about this and give y'all the receipt because it is SO easy and tastes just like peanut butter. You won't even miss the flour.

4-Ingredient PB Cookies

Ingredients

1 large egg, whipped

1 cup of almond butter (or peanut butter)

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of coconut palm sugar

Baking

Preheat oven to 350*

Whip egg in medium large bowl. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until completely smooth. Fold in coconut palm sugar until blended. Roll into your choice balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten with a fork. No need to grease the cookie sheet at all and they won't expand so you don't have to give them too much space to roam!

Now, in mine I used regular peanut butter because CJ insisted it was better when we went to the grocery store. He compared the nutritional labels like a champ! I was so proud of him. I was hesitant to buy the coconut palm sugar for this recipe as I have a TON (Costco size) of organic sugar. I did a lot of reading and there truly is no substitute. It has the feel of regular sugar but the taste of brown sugar. When I opened the package, that is exactly what I found. Now, I don't see why you couldn't do a mixture of the brown and white sugar to get the same results. I didn't test it, but I am sure it could be done. Let me know if anyone tries it.

Since I was over my calories, due to dinner yesterday, I made CJ ate one. They were approved as they were "tasting like peanut butter." I tried one this morning and they were WAY softer than ANY peanut butter cookie I ever had and they tasted just like peanut butter. YUM! These will definitely stay in the cookbook for, forever. A simple, guilt-free cookie. I guess I can't complain about not having sweets anymore!

As it being Sunday, it is REST DAY and homework day. I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and is ready to rock out the week.

XO, Sandra

Crashing.

I can't lie. I am about an inch from getting a hot fudge brownie sundae, crying in the shower drinking wine and calling into work sick so I can watch Netflix all day. Yep. I have reached the bottom!

It is okay though. I am feeling better, sore as shit though, and the protein drinks are way too sweet for me. Salads taste good, until the girl next to me is eating pizza. My fruit is amazing, until the girl next to me is a eating a cheese stick. And if things couldn't get harder - free tacos. Need I say more??

I have a ton of homework for final projects coming due and man, I just want some chocolate! I keep thinking CJ won't know... but I know I will crack! I can't keep anything from him. So until our honeymoon, or until he gives into my grouchiness, I will eat this:

I do have another recipe for y'all. There are so many ways to make POTATOES. Yes, potatoes. The best food I can eat yet next to strawberries and steak! This way is my favorite.

Garlic Roasted Po-ta-toes.

Ingredients

- Any amount of potatoes you feel best (I used about 4, gives us some for dinner, lunch and usually some leftover).

- Oil of choice (I used avocado oil this time)

- Salt

- Pepper

- Garlic powder

Chop potatoes up into wedges or cubes, put into a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle seasonings on (I used a ton because I love seasonings). Stir. Put into a glass 13x9 pan and bake at 400* for 30 to 40 minutes. Done.

You could also fry these on the stove-top with a little bit of oil. If you want fried potatoes, dice them up. If you want more like french fries, cut them like wedges. Just remember to soak them for 10 minutes in cold water if you go the stove-top route so they get soft.

Now that I have shared my miserableness for wanting SWEETS (Jillian, if you are reading this, please make some banana split cake...) and shared my awful recipe writing skills, I will now continue to study.

One month left before the end of the semester.

Assignment countdowns:

Class #1: focus group, analysis and whatever assignments follow.

Class #2: two discussion group posts and group final project.

Class #3: class facilitation next week, finalize and run a study, results summary presentation, final project presentation, draft paper, final paper..... yay! research papers. 

All of this would be so much easier if I enjoyed reading research studies as much as I enjoy conducting the research. Also, if anyone wants to gift me with a thesaurus to up my vocab game, my birthday is coming up (June). Not really, but seriously though. 

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far! Remember Mike, it's hump day!

XO, Sandra

P.S. Why doesn't anyone complain about ab day?? I can't roll over in bed with bruised abs. Give me leg day! At least it won't hurt when I crawl.

Meat Muffins

This morning I just wanted to sleep. However, at 5:11 a.m. I sucked it up and got ready for the gym. It wasn't too bad because I got to wear the best workout shirt ever.

Today was pure treadmill day. I started the 5K option and fast walked at 3.3. About .20 into it, I decided to run. As I increased the speed, the treadmill died. Uh, WAY TO RUIN MY RUNNING MODE. I sucked it up, hopped on another. Error. What?! Third try did the work! I did 2.76 miles in the 41m I had left before stretching. CJ commented on how much more I ran today than he has seen me do - improvement!

I made us eggs & bacon for breakfast. Said "have a great day" to the sweets, showered and laid back down. It was definitely the Monday blues. I however, decided that today I wouldn't let that happen. I got dressed, got ready and made it to work my usual 1 minute late.

Work didn't entirely kick my ass but it was a busier morning. I ate my 16oz of strawberries throughout the day and could barely choke down my salad. The dressing was terrible! It tasted too healthy. About 3 p.m. I made my protein coffee shake to get me going again.

This stuff is seriously delicious guys. It is a sweeter coffee and AMAZING. It isn't Whole30 but I am still under 800 calories for the day. For dinner I made sweet potatoes (CJ regular potatoes), asparagus (CJ carrots) and "meat muffins." The term meat muffins came from a girl at work. They are really meatloaf made in a cupcake pan. But depending on how you make them, meat muffins is a better term.

This recipe is SO easy y'all.

"MEAT MUFFINS"

Ingredients

1-1.5lb of ground turkey or (organic) beef

1 (organic) egg

1/4 cup of (gluten free) flour.

seasonings of your choice.

Sometimes I add chopped onions and peppers. Today I did both, except regular peppers I did sweet peppers. Such a great decision!!

Baking

Pre-heat oven to 425*. Grease cupcake pan. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Scoop into cupcake pan. Cook for approximately 25 to 35 minutes. Serve!

Super simple. I get all my meat at Costco, so if I do ground turkey it makes 12 meat muffins whereas the organic beef only makes 9. Either way, they are great portions and simply delicious.

Welp, now that it is 8 p.m. it is time to do some homework and then sneak off to bed early! 5:05 a.m. is going to come way too early.

XO, Sandra