Banana Oatmeal Muffins

mmm, Mmm, MMM! This is a super easy recipe and is really tasty with healthy ingredients. It's a win-win! I love to enjoy 1 (ok, sometimes 2) with my morning coffee, and both Rob & Sofie love them as well. Makes me heart happy. :D

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Oops, I switched the name! Haha

 I originally got my recipe here.

Ingredients:

2.5 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 ripe bananas 
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (yes!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line 12 muffin tins with silicone or foil liners.
2. Place the oats in the food processor(I use my Vitamix) and pulse for about 10 seconds.  Add remaining ingredients.

3. Process until everything is mixed together and oats are smooth.

4. Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 15ish minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cool on wire rack, and then ENJOY!

I just saw that the blog I swiped this recipe from is now baking at 350 degrees, I will have to try that next time.  My oven bakes things a little quicker, so I tend to shave off 3-5 minutes and check the goods a few times.

This is a great "Sunday Food Prep" item, if you want something quick and on the go.  Plus, it has mini chocolate chips in it!

I love baking, and would like to make an effort to bake more often.  My sweet tooth is always looking for a fix ;)

 In addition to my bake sesh, hubby & I participated in the Tempe International Triathlon yesterday.  It's been a tradition with his side of the family for as long as we have been together(and more)  I think it's an awesome way to encourage each other to stay active and another fun way to spend time together.

Our relay team name was "Tri Anything": Rob swam(and ran for another team), my fellow fit step-mama, Amber, did the bike, and yours truly finished it up with the run. It's something we look forward to every year and every year I get really pumped and vow to do my own triathlon by myself.  One day. Hopes and dreams, people!  It's good to make both short-term and long-term goals. Does 5 years count as long-term? Hehe

Sofie cheering us on, Hubby & I before the run, and the family participants this year!

It's also a tradition to take a pic of us flexing! Good times with a great family. ♥

 Ok, time to keep this Monday as productive as possible.  Make it a great day!

 Lex 

The question that matters: Why?

Hope all my fellow mama's had a wonderful Mother's Day full of love and laughter! I'm so blessed to have a great relationship with my mom, and feel so lucky to have her so involved in our daughter's life.  She is a beautiful and wonderful lady!

My mommy and her favorite grand daughter ;)

I had a great birthday/Mother's Day weekend filled with happy memories and great company. I also did what every mom secretly wants: a day of rest! Hehe, but really.  I have been sick all week, so I finally laid on my couch for hours and watched movies/relaxed.  It was perfect.

Last year of my twenties, cheers!

As I was watching a movie and cuddling with the munchkin, I realized she is the answer to the question in my subject line:  Why?

When you make the decision to change something in your life, you must ask yourself: Why?  Sometimes the answer is obvious, sometimes you simply can not pinpoint only one reason.  Why do I choose to be healthy and fit? It's all for my daughter, Miss Sofia Rose.

I have other reasons, of course, but she is the most important one. I want to be healthy for all of my days, so I can be around longer for as many of her days.  I want to have enough energy to run around after her as a toddler or play outside at the park with her for hours on end.  I want to be a healthy example of having confidence with the body God gave her, and to never let anyone make her feel insecure about something she should be proud of.  I want her to nourish her body with healthy food, and to stay active for so many reasons.  To have energy, to be able to focus better, to feel happier from the endorphins released as a direct result from being active, to have an outlet to let go of any negativity that will come into her life, etc.

This is my Why. Have some self reflection or quiet time and figure out what yours is.  Write it on a post-it note and stick it on your bathroom mirror.  When things get challenging and you want to give up, remember your Why. It will give you the strength and motivation to challenge yourself.  To make the healthier choice when tempted.  To wake up for an early workout instead of hitting snooze for 30 minutes.  It will make you stop and think, at the very least, I promise you that!

I plan to write a post about the key factors(in my own, personal opinion) that are important for successfully losing weight, and most importantly, keeping it off.  Having a "Why" is definitely one of those key factors.

Until then, I will leave you with a motivational quote *of course*

Happy Monday!

Lex

Grilled Chicken Pita with Avocado Spread

You'll come to notice that avocados are a staple in the Hegarty household.  We love us some avocado!  It's my favorite type of fat, haha. Well...it is a healthy fat, of course, and has so many other great health benefits. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber content.  It is a great food choice that is considered to be nutrient-dense, meaning it provides substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients with relatively few calories. (read more at Avocado Central)

I hafta admit; I am not the main cook in our house( I can cook, but Rob loves to cook and is really great at making up new recipes) So, this is one of the many recipes Rob has thrown together. It is so full of flavorful and filling.  Who says eating healthier has to be bland or boring?

*note* This recipe feeds 2 (we eat smaller portions)

Grilled Chicken Pita with Avocado Spread

 Ingredients: 

1 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast

1-2 avocados

1/2 lemon

1-2 TB Olive oil (for sauteing) 

1/2 onion

1 stalk of Kale, chopped (sub Spinach)

1 bell pepper, chopped (long thin pieces)

2 pitas

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Garlic Powder, to taste

Lawry's, to taste *optional

Directions:

1. Chop onions and Kale (and Bell Peppers, we didn't have any this go around) and saute over medium heat with Olive oil.

2. Flatten chicken breast with mallet and sprinkle each side with spices. We use salt, pepper, and garlic salt.  Sometimes we use Lawry's too.  Grill chicken for about 10 minutes. Chop or shred.

3. Put avocado in a bowl and use a fork to mash it up.  Squeeze lemon juice, to taste (maybe 1 tsp?) and mix.

4.  Optional: Use low/medium heat with Olive oil to warm up pitas. Spread Avocado mix onto pita and add all the yummy ingredients.  Add another squeeze of lemon (if you want) or your favorite hot sauce (we love Cholula) and ENJOY!

Our little healthnut enjoyed herself some pita bread, grilled chicken, and avocado too!

When Sofie was weaned off of her bottle, it was impossible for me to get her to drink more than 5 oz of milk per day (according to her doc, it was recommended that she consume an average of 16-24 oz of whole milk) Fortunately, she came around to liking avocado and that's where she gets the majority of her healthy fat intake.

Welp, that does it for this post, until next time my friends!

Lex