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Friday Fun & A Giveaway!

Posted on July 20, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Hey guys!

Whelp, it’s FINALLY Friday! You guys have any big plans for the weekend? BB is on his way home THIS minute so the only plan I have this weekend is to get my fill of snuggling!

Cheesy, mushy, “gag-me”, I know…but it’s true! 🙂

So I thought I’d have a little fun with this post before I get to the second half of the title…yes, a giveaway…but you can hold on to your britches for just a couple of minutes can’t you?

No scrolling down to the end now! 😉

You see, sometimes it feels like I have TWO blogs…one on here and one on Instagram. Every now and then they merge, but I thought I’d do a post to kinda fill in the gaps as of late and show you a few of my latest uploads!

So here goes!

Remember that spinach pasta I picked up from Whole Foods waaaaaaay back when? Well, I finally ran out of arugula this week and was sadly left with no greens the other day when I was craving a huge salad beast…

So meet my “pasta” salad! 😉

I know a few of you were interested in how the pasta tasted, so I’ll tell you…

It tasted like nothing…Not good. Not bad…just nothing! Lol

But my salad sure was delicious! I threw in some crumbled tempeh, raw okra, carrots, red bell pepper, and some tomatoes and topped it ok with a bit of nooch…

Ok, a LOT of nooch!

I took my first spin class in over a year today…I was totally siked when I realized my favorite trainer, Claudia, was teaching the class and she quickly reminded me why she’s my favorite…

Because she totally kicks my butt!

I’ve recently become obsessed with self manicures…

My first try at a variation of the “gradient manicure”

And my most recent, what I’m calling “summer fun”

I may or may not have done this one while on the clock…spread out over my shift, I’m pretty sure it was the longest manicure ever! Lol

Speaking of the night shift,

For the first time in over TWO MONTHS, I had my second cup of coffee today.

I have been SUCKING in the sleep department recently…really hoping I can find a good plan soon so that I don’t become super dependent on caffeine to keep me awake or pills to keep me asleep! :-/

On a more positive note, I went shopping with a friend yesterday! She took me to Ft. Campbell where we stopped by the GNC before heading to the brand new Commissary (grocery store).

And I scored some pretty awesome goodies that I can’t wait to try!

I also picked up a new Camelbak bottle…you know, because the four I already have isn’t enough! But check this, it has a built in water filter! I bought one for BB for Christmas and he loves it!

I managed some restraint at the Commissary since I’m mulling over the idea of doing Lindsay’s Survive on 35 Challenge next week…

Seaweed seasoning, mango coconut pepper sauce, chocolate mocha coffee (which is deeeeelicious btw), PB2 (whoop whoop!), and Soy Joy bars for 50 cents each!

Oh and I also snagged a fresh spring roll from the sushi counter!

Which I devoured in the car, but not before proclaiming it’s deliciousness to my friend at least a dozen times!

Then I decided I wanted to make my own so we stopped by one of the Asian markets on the way back home.

Rice paper x TWO, a roasted seaweed snack, and some ginormous puffed wheat cakes!

Once home and settled in for the evening, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to munch on:

Mutant puffed wheat cake, meet my new casein protein, chocolate, cinnamon, bananas, and SPRINNNNNNNNNKLES!

And it was even BETTER than it looks! 😉

I’ve been looking for a good casein protein powder for a few weeks now. After 15 minutes or so of comparing labels, I decided to go with the Re-Feed from GNC’s line of protein powder because it A.) had pretty good stats and B.) had the least amount of ingredients and NOW I can add a C.) tastes AMAZING!!

And lastly…

I’ve been a bit of a tease…

On more than one occasion.

But, you’ll just have to wait until Sunday for the recipe to my latest creation…
Cha Cha Cha Chia Pancakes!

Until then, how about I tide you over with the dream of owning this bad boy:

Stainless steel with a locking lid AND a spoon holder!

The lovely people over at SlimKicker recently contacted me explaining that they are looking for some fresh ideas for health and fitness challenges for their website so much so that they are willing to give one lucky commenter this amazing slow cooker for FREE!

SlimKicker is a calorie counter and game that turns your diet and fitness goals into a level-up game with points, rewards and challenges. You level up by tracking healthy calories and exercises, and completing challenges such as quitting soda for a week. They also have recipe suggestions for many diets such as Medifast and Weight Watchers.”

You guys know that I recently started tracking my calories and I’ve checked out SlimKicker’s site and think it’s a fun way to help motivate and support people through their weight loss journey. And now we can have a bit of fun too!

All you have to do is leave a comment with an fun idea for a fitness and diet challenge.

Here are a few examples:
The Green Meal Challenge: Eat something green in every meal, no matter how small the portion size is.
Exercise before Facebook: For the next week, you can’t check Facebook or your favorite website unless you did 15 minutes of exercise (a short walk if it’s a rest day)
Stress Relief: Find a way to relieve stress 10 minutes a day.

And the best part is there are examples and ideas inside each challenge to help get people going! Neat, huh?

Whoever comes up with the best, most creative idea will be selected by SlimKicker as the winner!

Only open to US residents. Giveaway will run until next Thursday (11:59pm CST) with the winner announced on Friday’s post!

Good luck!

Posted in Friday Fun, Giveaway, Product Review, Shopping, Snacks | Tagged Camelbak, Instagram, pancakes, protein powder, shopping, sprinkles | 49 Comments

Meet My Blends: Katie @ Talk Less Say More

Posted on July 19, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Hey boos!

Imma keep this short and sweet because I have my very first…totally official…debut…

GUEST POSTER!!

I know, right? It only took me a month and a half! 😉

Tonight’s post is from the beautiful Katie of Talk Less Say More!

I had the privilege of meeting Katie and getting to know her while attending the Blend Retreat in Colorado in May. Recap posts here, here, here, here annnnnd here! 😉

We hiked, we boot-camped, and we noshed our way through the a wonderfully wild weekend and I only wished we had had more time to get to know each other. Since the retreat, I have absolutely LOVED getting to know her even more by following her blog and ~~occasionally~~ frequently stalking her via Instagram 😉

I thought it would be great to have a “meet and greet” sort of theme for this post, so I threw some questions her way and she came back with some great answers!

So without further adieu…or anymore of my rambling…how about a nice warm welcome for Katie? 😉

How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start your own?

I started blogging in January 2011 as a way to share my journey of healthy living, fitness and life. I needed to find an outlet to express the way I was feeling and to document my adventures.

How much time do you spend on your blog each day?

On average I spend about 1-2 hours per day, depending on the post. Some days I can spend a lot less time but others I may spend longer.

What is your favorite thing to write about?

I love writing about life. Honestly as much as I love healthy living and fitness, it’s the little things in life that carry us through each day. Talking about the fun or little things that have brought me joy are definitely the most fun to talk about.

Where were you born?

I was born in a small suburb of Chicago and lived there for the first 18 years of my life. (And then I haven’t been able to stop moving!)

Do you have any siblings?

I have one sister who is two years older than me. Her name is Bethany and I often refer to her as a much better person than me. While I move from state to state, she often moves from country to country, including multiple moves to Senegal to support the Peace Corps and/or assist with research and training. I’m the one who went to school for Rock & Roll… 😉

Ok, just popping in for a minute…is she not utterly breathtaking in this pic?!
That’s all! 😉

Did/do you have any special nicknames?

My parents used to always call me “Katie girl” as a kid. I kind of hated it but I dealt with it. Thankfully they no longer use that nickname. And the only nicknames I have are “Katie” or “Kate” as no one calls me “Katelyn.” (Did you even know that was my real name?)

What motivates you to live a healthy lifestyle?

Someone told me when I was in college that you’re in the best shape of your life in your 20s. Whether this is true or not, I decided that the best shape of my life should be something I was proud calling my best shape. Even if it all “goes downhill from here,” it can never be that bad.

How is the Fitmixer challenge going? What is your favorite & least favorite thing about the program?

The FitMixer Bootcamp has been awesome! I decided to join the program as a way to change up my workout and that’s exactly what it has done. I went into the program not looking to necessarily lose weight, but if it happened along the way, then I was okay with it. And I’ve actually lost 4 lbs – what?!

While I expected to hate counting calories, I actually have enjoyed it as it’s allowed me to look further at what I eat and when, and analyzing if I’m eating out of hunger, boredom, or emotion.

I’m not sure I necessarily have a least favorite thing as I’ve really enjoyed the Bootcamp. But with that, the hardest thing for me has been motivating myself to complete some of the workouts. If they don’t catch my attention or there’s a specific move in the mix that I’m not looking forward to, I have a hard time motivating myself to actually complete the whole activity.

What is your favorite sport/outdoor activity?

I love hiking but I also love a little yoga overlooking the ocean. It’s definitely a nice perk of living in SoCal near the beach.

What is your favorite food?

Peanut butter and almond butter!! Can I call that my favorite food? 🙂

What kind of healthy snacks do you reach for the most?

I often reach for fruit, nuts, granola / protein bars or smoothie / protein shakes.

What is your one food vice/kryptonite?

I have the biggest sweet tooth ever! Put chocolate, cookies, or ice cream / frozen yogurt in front of me and I have the hardest time saying no!

What did you do for the fourth of July?

I was in NYC visiting friends. We went to the roof top of my friend’s apartment in Jersey City and got a 360 degree view of fireworks, including an amazing view of the NYC fireworks.

What’s the last book you read?

Harry Potter 7! A couple months ago I finished reading and watching each Harry Potter book for the first time, ever! I’ve tried to read a few books since but have hardly made it more than a couple of pages.

What song/album can you just not get enough of lately?

Of Monsters and Men – My Head is an Animal

Top three things you want to do or see before the end of summer 2012!

Hydrobiking – I actually have done this! We went for my friend’s birthday and it was SO fun!!

Wine tasting

Get a massage

Ahh, I’ve been wanting to try hydrobiking since I saw her post on Instagram and had to ask BB what the heck it was! Lol

Thank you SO much, Katie, for being my very first guest post!

I would absolutely LOVE to start up a series and introduce you guys to ALL my Blends (Blogger + Friend = BLEND)! If anyone is interested in doing a guest post, just shoot me a quick email and we’ll work out all the deets!

Until then, tell me something:

What are three things YOU want to do or see before the end of this summer?
Here are mine:
1. Go canoeing on the Red River
2. Stick my toes in ocean water (BB promised me a beach vacation this summer!)
3. Learn how to use my camera off of “auto mode” 😉

Posted in Guest Post | Tagged BLEND Retreat, blends, summer, workouts | 19 Comments

Sexy Eggs and Molten Lava Java

Posted on July 17, 2012 by kissmybroccoli

Hey guys! What’s up?

Can you believe it’s already time for another edition of What I Ate Wednesday?

Guess time flies when you’re getting drunk on peanut butter and skipping through aisles of food props 😉

But I digress…

Be sure to head on over to Peas & Crayons and show our ever gracious hostess a bit of comment love for throwing this weekly shindig! And if you’re interested in joining up, click here for all the deets!

Alright, let’s party!

After I woke up from my night shift on Monday morning, I had a serious craving for eggs…but more specifically I wanted

Warm…

runny…

drippy…

#yolkporn!

That would be a spinach Flat Out wrap slathered in nooch sauce (just nutritional yeast thinned with a bit of water) and then stuffed to the brim with arugula, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, and of course two of the most provocative eggs the farmer’s market could provide! 😉

After I used the wrap to mop up each and every bit of that warm yellow goodness, I headed off to the gym.

As far as my workout went…for our food AND fitness theme, I’ve been loving the elliptical even more than usual these days. I always just jump on, hit manual, and get swinging, but lately I’ve been experimenting with the customizable HIIT workout programs. Oh yes, I said customizable!

Which is apparently code for “kick your own ass” 😉

I was DRENCHED after this workout and it was only 2o minutes long…even my forearms were sweating! LOL

Once I got back home, I whipped myself up a little snack to refuel my tired muscles before heading into work for another shift.

Now, I know air popped popcorn is no well kept secret or anything, but I swear I just wasn’t doing it right in the past…for this batch, I drizzled a bit of melted coconut oil overtop, put it in a bowl with some cocoa powder and cinnamon and…

Shook the hell out of it!

Oh my god, soooooooooooooooooooooooo good!

I also made myself a little chocolate frosty…which is just an extra thick protein shake (more ice, less water), but don’t you think calling it a “frosty” makes it so much more appealing?

And I may or may not have made it even MORE delicious by combing the two:

C’mon, you guys already know that I’m weird…

Are you really surprised?

Dinner was packed up and ready to go in a matter of minutes thanks to a bit of pre-chopping I did after coming home from the farmer’s market on Saturday.

Arugula salad with sprouts (that are hiding under there somewhere), zucchini, red bell pepper, okra, lox, and crumbled feta cheese along with a cup of fresh strawberries and a lemon for squeezing over my salad.

Citrus and seafood were meant to be together!

And since I skipped out on my daily cup when I first woke up, I took advantage of the turn-in-your-empty-bag-for-free-coffee thing at Starbux!

If only I had known they had the brew set to “hot molten lava”…I didn’t even get to take a sip until after it cooled down…an hour later!

Snackage throughout my shift (along with my FitMixer aminos that I had pre-workout) were a tasty mix:

I’m totally digging these Gnu Cinnamon Raisin Bars…a tad bit sweet for me, but just the right size and FULL of fiber that I was surprised to find had no…ahem, consequences!

After my shift and BEFORE I face planted into my pillow, I kept it simple with a quick bowl of cereal: