Grab Bag of Afternoon Fun

Hello Health lovers!

I have had another busy bee day so far! It is warm again today, 9C/45ishF, and all the snow is melting!!! yippee. :) I can’t wait until it is gone and Spring is here!

Does anyone else have Spring Fever?! Man, I have it bad. This has been a long winter.

This afternoon we have a grab bag of afternoon fun in store…

First up…a Healthy Valentine’s Day Recipe!

Heart Shaped Oatmeal Pancakes by Nadia

Nadia writes:

“Hi Angela,
Thank you so much for putting on this contest! I’m Canadian, by the way! I’ve attached a picture of my Valentine’s breakfast -oatmeal pancakes, adapted from a Hungry Girl recipe. To keep with the valentine’s theme, i used heart shaped cookie cutters to shape the pancakes (I admit I may have gone slightly overboard with the heart shaped dishes). As you can see, the first pancake got a tad dark, but they were delish!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup large flake oats
3 tbsp egg whites
1 tbsp skim milk
2 tbsp low fat ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp water
pinch of salt
dash of splenda

Combine all ingredients and stir well. Spray skillet with non-stick spray and drop batter into pan (makes ~3 pancakes). Once pancakes start to look solid (a couple minutes), gently flip. Cook for another couple minutes. I served it with ricotta, pomegranate arils, strawberries, and no-sugar-added syrup. Oh, and coffee of course!”

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How cute is this recipe!!? Thanks Nadia! You sure have a talent for making your food look absolutely adorable. :D

Now for an update on my sister Kristi’s ‘Get Your Body Back’ feature!

Get Your Body Back 2009 Challenge: Week 7

Missed these?

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Hey guys! It’s me, Kristi…..Angela’s long lost sister! I am so sorry that I haven’t posted an update lately. Life took over. My family has been through the stomach flu twice in the last three weeks. Ugh. Anyway, it is over now! :)  So here is what has been happening fitness wise on my end! Of course, during my illnesses, working out was not at the top of my list. Life happens though and there is nothing we can do about it.

I have a pretty good routine going at the gym though. I am usually there 3 times a week which is a perfect balance for me. I go two mornings a week when my kids are in programs within the facility and once on the weekend. Because I am limited in the number of times I hit the gym each week, I have incorporated weights and cardio into each session. I have been faithfully attending my Strong Class (one hour of weight training each major muscle group). I love this class so much! I usually do about 20-30 minutes of cardio as well to give my body a well-rounded work out.

I have noticed a huge change in my body since the beginning of the year. I am more toned and I have more endurance. I still have areas to improve, but they are a work in progress. The important thing here, is that I feel better about myself, not just because my clothes fit better, but because I am proud of myself. I am proud that I have found a way to fit fitness into my busy schedule. For a long time, I just made excuses and let it become a habit to not exercise. Now, I look forward to working out as it gives me much needed stress relief from a sometimes hectic life!

I also love being a good role model for my adorable boys. I think it is so important to show children that exercise can be fun, especially in today’s world where there is such a high percentage of obese children. If you make fitness a part of their life from day one, then they don’t notice the difference. My three year old attends programs during the week that include gym time. The kids run around the gym, kick balls and play a wide variety of games. He absolutely LOVES it. It makes me to happy to see him getting exercise and having fun!

In case you are curious, here is what a typical day looks for me food wise:

For breakfast I always have a piece of toast with peanut butter and a yogurt accompanied by a much needed coffee :)  (On the weekends my lovely husband usually makes me eggs and toast! Yummy!)

Mid morning snacks are rare for me because I usually make lunch for my boys at 11a.m. So because we eat lunch so early, I usually don’t need a snack.

Lunch is usually soup and salad with crackers or a sandwich and fruit. Typically, I eat whatever I make for my kids. It can sometimes be pizza, or grilled cheese sandwiches :)

Dinner is usually Chicken, steak or fish with potatoes or rice and veggies. We eat a lot of salads in the summer, but not so much in the winter (Why is that???)

My evening snacks can be anything from cereal to toast.

I promise to do another update in a few weeks. I will include a picture next time too! .

:)  Kristi

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Thanks sis! Keep up the awesome work. I can’t believe that you and the family got the stomach flu TWICE in such a short amount of time- poor guys!!!! I can only imagine how exhasuted you were cleaning up after the kids.

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NEW PAGE ALERT!!!!

I have been getting asked a lot lately what a typical day of eating looks like for me, so I finally got some time to put a page together called ‘What I eat’. I hope you will all enjoy this new page feature!

Check it out here: What I eat! :)

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Stay tuned tonight for Andrew’s first post on how to create the blog of your dreams!!! Check out his website Go Healthy Go Fit– he designed it himself and it is FABULOUS. I can’t wait to read his tips!

This will be the first of several segments by Andrew. Sweet!

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“The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer somebody else up.”
– Mark Twain