Is going for it OK? January 27, 2011

What’s up, buttercups? I taught my 6 a.m. Pump class then headed to Starbucks for Awake tea and a breakfast “happy bowl” that I made last night at home. I liked the tea 😉

In the Happy Bowl

• organic fuji apple
• 1/4 avocado
• a few soaked almonds and pistaschios
• 2 chopped dates
• cinnamon
• 1 tbsp original tahini hummus

Yummy! Then studying for a while. Is it bad if they recognize you at the local Starbucks now?

I am in extreme like of the new BodyCombat, so I went back to the gym to take that, then home for lunch: a beast of a salad with carrots, celery, grape tomatoes, tabouli, hummus, and herb greens,…

…a bowl of 1/2 orange and kiwi slices

and a smooooooooooooothie!

Green Drink

Makes 2

• 1 cup coconut water
• sliced banana
• mixed fruit (strawberries, sliced peaches, mango) from a frozen mixed fruit bag that I defrosted
• handful of spinach
• 3 sprigs of mint
• 1/2 organic lemon with rind (I’m not sure I’d add that again, but I wanted to use what was in the refrigerator)
• toppings: 1 tbsp Naturally More, cacao nibs

It made enough for tomorrow’s breakfast: smoothie in a bowl!!! I forgot how nice it was to make breakfast at night since I haven’t had overnight oats in a while. I may have to bring those back for y’all! So selfless hehe 😉

After more studying, I made a quick snack since I knew that I was teaching Zumba. I wasn’t super hungry, but I feel like I teach better when I have a little fuel for the fire. Not sure if that was a good decision, but I had greek yogurt for protein with some mixed fruit and a few soaked mixed nuts.

 After a Zumba class, I wasn’t super hungry for dinner, but my mood was telling me that I needed food (you know what I mean?). Y’all can pray for me. Satan is after me with negative questioning of food as to over analyzing everything I’m eating again.

My parents were making spaghetti, so I tried to simulate their meal so that we could all eat together….

spinach noodles from Whole Foods with organic pasta sauce, a few steamed broccoli and cauliflower, black beans for protein, nutritional yeast, and spices all over a bed of spinach. I made a side salad just like the one at lunch and had an end piece of bread with some EVOO.

While battling in my head over the bread, I just decided to do it and have a glass of Charles Shaw Merlot. I’m feeling the acid now, but I just went for it.

I wasn’t even sure that I should have dessert, but, again, I went for it! I rolled with a Ball of Energy, a square of 100% cacao, and a random mix of chia seeds/warmed almond milk/special dark cocoa powder that I wanted to turn into “pudding” after I sat it in the frige, but no luck 😦 Blah! Oh well….

What is going on with me?!

Sorry, y’all! I’m praying against this spiritual warfare amidst the blessings God’s showing me. Tell me the happiest thing that happened to you this week.

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Crazy, Wonderful, Happy Bowl Day January 25, 2011

Hey y’all! It’s been a crazy wonderful day! Thanks for the comments on TOMS…so helpful! Now I just have to pick a pattern that I like. What a challenge!

Today’s breakfast is dedicated to Mira. She calls it her “Happy Bowl.” She told me it’s a food combination nightmare but really random and really good!

Mira’s Happy Bowl

• 2 chopped dates
• 1 organic Fuji apple 
• 1/3 avocado
• 1 tbsp tahini hummus (She uses tahini or almond butter, but I didn’t have any on hand.)
• cinnamon

I’ve NEVER had hummus for breakfast before, but it was really good and refreshing. Hummus for breakfast was my new ingredient for the day. I’ll do it again for sure.

And I had some “a is for almond milk” to drink 😉

I taught Zumba this morning. A little later, I had a Cherry Pie Larabar, but who hasn’t seen one of those?

I went with my grandma to get her hair done, then she took me out to lunch today. I picked Nil’s Bakery (can you believe it?!), and I had greek salad per usual. I was really in the mood for a salad. Their’s is sooooo yummy!

Afternoon snack: a chai tea latte from Starbucks over studying.

Then it was off to Hot Yoga for some detox and relaxation at One Heart Yoga in Varina. ahhhhhhhh! Mira really challenged us today and made some great adjustments to really help me feel the poses better. What an amazing woman!

More studying, then Bible study! Bible study snacks. Our hostess is the BEST. She even takes into account my love for raw food, and is seriously the sweetest person I’ve ever met.

I had all this goodness and then some more veggies with hummus and orange slices. The colors in this plate are beautiful.

The Bible study ladies are AMAZING! What an encouragement! God is teaching me a lot about obedience through Jonah. I’m praying for exactly what He has for me and what He wants me to get out of it and how I can be obedient to Him.

When I got home, I wanted dessert…

Ashley’s Happy Bowl (my take on Mira’s bowl hehe)

• smashed banana
• little greek yogurt (gotta get that protein!)
• cinnamon
• 3 slices of kiwi
• 4 chopped strawberries
• a few raw almonds and pistachios that have been soaked, toasted, and refrigerated (whew! a lot with those nuts!)
• a BIG dollop of Naturally More (it’s all I had today)
• some apple pie spice for fun
• a square and a half-ish of 85% cocoa chocolate

Yummmmmmmy! And, I got to eat it while chatting with my best friend on the phone!!! Does today get any better?!

I am on the hunt for a Valentine’s Bowl for February…have y’all seen any that I’d like? hehe

Now it’s time for this little girl to get some beauty sleep. Do you have anything or topics that you want me to address? I’m thinking of starting a Reader’s Request Day. Let me know!

Sweet dreams, bloggies! Anything fun on the agenda for tomorrow?

Is this real life? January 19, 2011

Howdy y’all! (We did an American country mix at Zumba tonight, and I have it on the brain 😉 )

WHAT. A. DAY!

Let’s begin with breakfast: a bowl of everything raw in my kitchen 😉 well, sort of.

In the polka dot bowl:

• 1 cup of mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
• smashed nanner
• a few soaked pistachios and almonds (soaking nuts adds SO much flavors and helps with enzyme breakdown)
• 1/2 organic apple
• a few old-fashioned oats just plain
• sprinkle of sexy spice (no one says you can’t be sexy at breakfast!)
• almond milk to wet everything, but definitely not soaked (I love texture and crunch)

It was so yummy!

For lunch, I met my little sister for lunch in Chapel Hill. We tried Sandwhich for the first time. We both had the GMC…Amber as a sandwich and me as a salad without the bun and without cheese. The description is “Ashley Farms chicken breast grilled to order, grilled red onions, roasted peppers, our pesto, melted provolone on handmade hoagie.” It was Ashley Farms…how could we resist? 😉 The chicken was great, but I’m still deciding how I feel about truly eating raw and the adjustments that may mean for my diet. I’m so glad that they let me do it as a salad that came dry, which was great by me. The greens were fresh and crunchy, the pesto was a treat. It was a little pricey for me for lunch at $9.16 with tax. Amber wished it had come with a bigger side. It was just a few seasoned carrots…good!

And dessert…a staple: Yogurt Pump. I rolled with a small cake cone of Tahitian vanilla (my favorite!) and Oreo.

I got a hair cut, had a quick snack, ran some errands, and then went to teach Zumba at One Heart Yoga. I had some super fun new ladies!

After a hose off aka shower hehe, dinner is served…

A grain bowl of leftover quinoa-broccoli pilaf, a veggie burger with goat cheese over mixed green and tomatoes, leftover steamed veggies (aren’t leftovers SO great?!), and a piece of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread with 1 tsp Trader Joe’s Superfruit spread. (I’m craving carbs!) I had cucumber water to hydrate. One thing I learned from Mira is that adding something to water helps your body get more from it so it just doesn’t pass right through. I’m not a huge lemon water fan, but I do love the cucumber “flavor.”

And dessert…a little bowl of 1/2 organic apple, little but of greek yogurt, 4 soaked raw almonds, sexy spice, a few old-fashioned oats (I guess I missed my oatmeal this morning), and a square of 85% cocoa chocolate peaking up in the background.

plus an organic pear and 1 more square of 85% cocoa chocolate. Why am i so hungry?!

OK, so BIGGGGGG news!!!!!

1. I got this black beauty today…

2. We’re going to DISNEY WORLD for spring break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Am I the luckiest girl princess in the world or what?!

P.S. – I don’t share this to look like a selfish brat, but just to let y’all know how blessed I am and how much God has gone above and beyond to surprise me and done WAY ABOVE & BEYOND what I could EVER imagine. Once I finally surrendered all to Him, He’s been able to work both in and through me in ways I never thought possible. Be encouraged!

It’s Off the Map for me, then sweet sweet dreams. I wish y’all the same! Let me know how you are.