homemade granola fail

It's Tuesday yall! That means one more day closer to the weekend! Heellll to the YEAH!

So in last night's post I mentioned that I had a bit of baking to do. 

I am a major yogurt lover, and have usually eaten Yoplait my entire life. When it comes to my yogie I am very picky. I like it creamy and smooth, flavorful, and absolutely NO fruit chunks in it! BLEH. There is nothing more dissatisfying than stumbling upon a mushy strawberry. I also don't like plain, non-flavored yogurt, or any kind that is so sweet I can feel my teeth throbbing as I eat it.

Lately, I've been interested in this whole Greek yogurt kick that everyone is on. So at the grocery store the other day, I went out of my comfort zone and purchased a single cup of Okios Greek Yogurt in vanilla flavor. STOP. THE. BUS. Seriously? This crap tasted like 4 month old sour cream in a cup. Why??? WHY I ask you! Why must it be so horrible? You can bet your bottom dollar that doo doo went straight into the trash.

Back to the grocery store I went, and as I almost grabbed for my usual Yoplait yog, I opted to try their version of Greekness. I grabbed a strawberry flavor and tossed it in the cart. When I arrived home I immediately ripped one from the carton and dug in. DAMN. Still sour. Even with strawberry flavoring?? What is wrong with you people that eat this garbage? You're all crazy, I tell ya! Crazy! But wait a second... can't I just add a little sweetener and everything will be fixed? Now, you can bet your TOP dollar on that one! One packet of truvia later and I was a happy girl. The truiva immediately replaced the bitter, sour taste for a more calm, sweet taste. PERFECTO! Nailed it biotch!

You're wondering what all of this has to do with me baking... right? Well, I don't know about you... but I absolutely love to eat my yogie with granola. SO.. I decided to make some from "scratch".

In the mix I used:

1 1/2 c. oats
3/4 c. pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. goji berries
1/4 c. smart balance vegetable oil (i would have much rather used coconut oil, but didn't have any)
1/4 c. agave nectar
pinch or 2 of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon

I started by mixing all of my oats, seeds, and nuts together, then spreading them out on a baking sheet and cooking at 350 for about 7 minutes.

While they were cooking, I mixed together the veggie oil, agave, and spices.

Next, I combined the dry with the wet, and added my cranberries and goji berries, and mixed it all together. I then put it back on the baking sheet and into the oven.

I probably shouldn't have been such a dumbass and set a timer... because when I took out the mix.. I knew immediately that it was over cooked. Well, crap! I let it sit to cool, and then put in a baggy while I dreamed of what could possibly make this sh*t taste any good.

YOU GOT IT! My beloved yogie. :-D I mixed up a cup of my Yoplait strawberry Greek yog with a packet of truvia, and topped it with a little granola.

Needless to say, the yogurt didn't mask the chewy, overcooked texture (I like my granola crunchy), nor did it hide the burnt flavor. Major Fail. Capital M-F. I suck. So, the granola was picked out, and just the yogurt was consumed.


Oh well, you will definitely be seeing another batch of this stuff in the future... I won't stop until I get it right!

blogger identity

Hey hey hey! We made it through another Monday, yippe!

Tonight I've got a touch of baking to do. I'll definitely be sharing the recipe with you all (tomorrow, possibly). Let's just say I am SUPER excited about this one. It's something I absolutely love love love to eat! Stay tuned!

As for tonight, I wanted to talk to you guys about finding your blogger voice. When I started blogging, I honestly had no idea what direction I wanted to go in. Food, fitness, health, work?? The options were endless and I had no idea what the heck to do or where to start. So, what did I do?

1. I just started writing. I chose something I liked, and rolled with it.


this writing thing stinks

2. I keep in mind that while I want other people to read my blog, and I want them to be truely interested and enjoy reading what I have to say, I also make it a point that I enjoy what I write about. What good would it be to write something that means nothing to me? There would be no passion, no substance, and most of all no voice. When I read something, I want to be able to hear a voice shine through. I want to feel like I know the person writing, whether I do or not.

3. I got connected. I joined Twitter, and began following other bloggers that write about my interests. I can honestly say, that this was one of the best choices I have ever made. I never knew how many bloggers there were out there, and it makes me extremely happy to know that there are other people in this world that are doing the same thing as I am. This also helped me find out what I really wanted to write about. I found that by reading other's blogs, I could learn what really sparks my interest, and from there I was able to pin point exactly what I wanted to write about.

4. Make sure you love what you do. I don't think I can explain how insanely happy and excited it makes me every time I get an email stating that someone left a comment on my blog. I truely enjoy and appreciate every single one of you that has taken the time to read my blog, and come back to read it again. Besides, if you aren't enjoying what you're talking about, it will shine through in your writing. And nobody, I mean nobody wants to read boring crap. Well, at least I don't.


oh, you bore me with your doo doo writing

So, now you're probably wondering... what is the focus of my blog? Well, it's clearly been a little bit about fitness, health, life changes, and most importantly food. And that's the way I plan to keep it.

With that being said, when I started my blog, I chose a name that I thought sounded beautiful, and it did actually have meaning to what I thought I would be writing about. Now that my focus has changed, and I have found my voice, the name is going to change as well. I hope you guys are ready for a complete blog makeover of Living With Grace. While the name and design may be changing, the voice behind LWG is not, and I hope that you all continue to come back, and continue to read. Within the next few weeks you will notice the changes rolling out. I'm excited, hope you are too!


Questions of the night:

How did you find your blogger identity?

How did you decide on a name for your blog?

finding motivation

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all of you mommies out there are having the best day ever!

This evening I want to talk about finding motivation to workout. Lately, I feel like I just don't want to do it. I find myself making excuse upon excuse or telling myself "there's always tomorrow". Well, unfortunately, tomorrow keeps coming and I keep being a lazy piece (of you know what).

Working out ignites such an amazing feeling in me, but I just lack the discipline to actually get myself into the gym. Once I'm there, I'm good to go. One thing I do know is that when I do actually get into the gym, I'm happy. I feel proud of myself and I don't want the workout to end. When it finally does, I want to keep going. And then I skip 4 days because I'm "too busy" or "too tired", which results in me feeling like a loser.

Today me and BF spent about 2.5 hours in the gym. My workout looked a little something like this:

Warm-up
5 min. on eliptical
5 min. on bike
3 sets of seated calve raises @ 45lb., 55lb., 70lb.
Strech

Upper Body
3 sets of incline bench press @ 65lb., 70lb., 70lb.
3 sets of resistance bicep curls @ 50lb., 60lb, 70lb.
3 sets of resistance tricept push @ 50lb., 60lb., 70lb.
3 sets of row @ 60lb., 75lb., 75lb.
3 sets of bicep curls w/ dumbells @ 17.5lb., 20lb., 22.5lb.
2 sets of tricept curls w/ dumbells @ 15lb.

Abs
2 sets of sit ups using incline bench

Cardio
.5 miles incline- 8 speed- 3.5
.5 miles incline- 1 speed- 6.5
.5 miles incline- 6 speed- 3.5
.5 miles incline- 1 speed- 6.6
.5 miles incline- 4 speed- 3.8
.5 miles incline- 0 speed- 7.0
.5 miles incline- 3 speed- 3.6

I looked like a hot, sweaty, nasty mess after this one, and I loved every minute of it! The nastier I look leaving the gym, the happier I am, because I know that I pushed myself!

Now- the one thing that I have never ever ever ever (idk if that's even enough evers) enjoyed, was running. I absolutely cannot stand the process of it, but I absolutely love the way it makes me feel when I'm done! Today, as I was hopping onto the treadmill, I looked up, and noticed a certain movie was on, and although I am not a fan of the movie, it was the perfect motivation I needed to bust my ass. What movie was it, you ask?

Step Up 2 The Streets. And of course, the scene that was playing the moment I see it? The infamous "it just so happened to start raining but we're gonna battle anyway because it will make for a good movie" scene. Of course, the acting is totally unreal and cheesey, but I do give the dancers credit because they are badass. I could never dance like that. I may or may not have tried before. Just don't tell anyone, k? So I'm watching this scene unfold, and it gets to this part:

source

source

THIS BITCH! Look at her body! NOT. FAIR. But, as jelly as I am... I used her hot bod as motivation and kept telling myself through my run that I'll never look like that unless I get my butt moving. So moving I got. Now... I just have to keep it up. And not stop.

My main fitness goals are to tone up my mid-section, my back, and my inner thighs. I can do that, right? Maybe one day I'll look a little something like this pretty lady:

source

NOT! Yikes... I could never. Just... um... okay I'll just stop right now before this gets a little out of hand.

So, the whole point of this post is to share with you that I have trouble finding motivation to keep pushing. I am constantly looking for ways to keep my head up, and keep going. Right now, my mantra is Never Quit, and Just keep going, and I'll look like "her". While I never want to be anybody other than me, a hot bod would be nice :-)

Question of the night:

Do you struggle finding motivation?

What helps you get/stay motivated to workout?

sensational stuffed spaghetti squash

Hi all!!! Today were getting straight to the point. I modified this recipe I got from Courtney at Sweet Tooth Sweet Life (yes, I stalk her blog... I'm obsessed!)

As a girl that grew up with a vegetable palate consisting of carrots and peas (and nothing more), I've learned to love vegetables. Still, to this day, I am finding new veggies that I've never had, let alone heard of. This recipe allows an endless amount of versions, which is what I love so much about it!


MY recipe calls for:
2 spaghetti squash
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T fresh garlic
3/4 c diced onion
1 c. shredded carrots
1 c. zucchini
1/2 c. broccoli
1/2 c. orange pepper
1/2 c. yellow pepper
1 c. Italian style diced tomatoes
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
1 1/2 c. marinara sauce
1/2 c. Italian blend shredded cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. 94/6 ground hamburger meat
Parmesan cheese
Italian spices
**I planned to add fresh spinach leaves, but mine had already keeled over :(

Cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and boil for 15 minutes.

While the squash is boiling, thoroughly cook the hamburger meat. (You're more than welcome to use ANY kind of meat you like, or none at all.)

Once finished with the meat, saute olive oil, garlic, and onions together, adding all other veggies as well.

 

Combine sauteed veggies, meat, breadcrumbs, marinara, and cheese in a bowl, and set aside.

Next comes the fun part! Once the squash is done boiling, grab a fork (I used a big metal spork-- you might need a spoon towards then end) and start shredding! Place the shredded squash into the same bowl with your other ingredients.

**For all you carb lovers (like me), if you're expecting a noodle-like texture, keep dreamin'! The texture of the squash is more firm, and crunchy. Somewhat like an apple, but not so much. Makes a lot of sense, right?



When all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together, stuff it back into the skins of the squash. Top with some extra marinara, cheese, and spices, and pop in the oven at 375 degrees.

When you see that the cheese is ooey-gooey and melty, it's ready!! Next step... ENJOY!!

I enjoyed mine along side a few slices of Italian style bread and butter. It was so good, that I'm eating my left overs for lunch in about .5 seconds!

I hope you guys like this recipe, and remember to explore all of your veggies options! To each his (or her) own!

cinco de drinko

Feliz Cinco de Mayo hombres! There's my spanish for ya. Hope it's satisfying enough. Isn't it a shame that my boyfriend is hispanic and can speak fluently, yet I can't speak a damn 5 words? Sad. One of my major goals (stay tuned for that post) in life is to learn Spanish. I plan on having children with this man and there is no way in hell that they're gonna be telling secrets behind mommy's back!

So, I'm going to go ahead and let you all know that I did not do any celebrating. Unfortunately, the holiday fell on a Thursday; one of my 14+ hour work days. My hands were a little bit tied, to say the least. I did dream about baking margarita cupcakes, rolling around in queso, and downing a sixer of DosXX. A girl can dream, right??

Because I am such a hard worker ;-P, I did make sure to treat myself to one of these babies:

It was every bit of fantastic as it looks, too. I paired the lager with a few fried pickles and buffalo wings. Not such a healthy choice... but that's what happens when you work at a wing bar and were born a girl.

In yesterday's post I mentioned that I had to get up early for a 6am gym session. Welp, folks, that flat out didn't happen. I went to bed at 11pm, and was up every 2 hours after that, for reasons unkown. By the time 6 rolled around, I wasn't moving a damn finger. I usually get super mad when I plan to get up early and workout, but I really tried to not be so hard on myself this time. I'll make up for it tomorrow, right? Hehe... I'll be sure to fill ya in tomorrow!

Questions of the evening:

Did you do anything to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

How to you handle missing scheduled workouts?

what i ate wednesday

I've been seeing this "What I Ate Wednesday" all over the blogger world and I absolutely love the idea! So with out further adue... I present to you my very first WIAW!

I started off the morning with a bowl of Special K original cereal. If you read my post from this morning, you'll remember that I was having quite the cravings, and poured about 2 tons of a cake in a jar down my throat as well. No need to tell me, I'm super healthy today! Don't worry, I DO make up for it later on.

For lunch, I made a mozzarella, avocado, and baby spinach quesadilla on whole wheat tortillas. Let me tell you, it was one of the yummiest things I have eaten in quite some time. I have a serious cheese/carb addiction, and could probably use some intense help. Is there such thing as a cheese rehab?

I also munched on a bag of these. What is it about Cheez-Its? I could eat an entire box in one sitting. Chub at heart right here!

After piling another gallon of cake into my belly, I started to feel a little nauseated and decided I'd better put down the spoon for the day. Bad girl. BAD!

For dinner, I made an absolutely fantastic veggie-filled meal. (Told you I'd make up for it!) I modified a recipe that Courtney over at STSL posted about. Stuffed Spaghetti Squash. All I can say about this is YUM!!

I paired the squash with a few slices of HEB brand italian style bread. I will definitely be eating left-overs for days and will have the recipe to follow!

Dinner completely filled me up... but my tummy was yearning for something sweet. After eating so much crap in a jar (like that?) already, I was a good girl and made myself a fruity smoothie.

Into the blender went:

- 1 banana

- 1 cup frozen & fresh strawberries

- 1 large tbsp. nutella

- 1 scoop greens & whey protien powder

- 4 oz.water

Yes, I did lick the spoon used to scoop out the nutella. No, I don't feel guilty. Don't I look good not wearing any makeup, cramming food into my mouth? NOT.

The smoothie was exactly what I needed and now I'm perfectly satisfied and ready to hit the hay. I've got a long day ahead, beginning with a gym session at 6:30am!

See you guys tomorrow!

who invited you?

Happy Hump Day! (Wednesday... people, Wednesday) I surely do hope your day is going much better than mine! To be honest, my day has actually been pretty good other than one minor huge annoyance.

CAUTION: Men, if you are reading, you just might want to stop, or turn away. This may get a little uncomfortable for ya.

So, ya know that little bitch named Mother Nature that likes to pay us ladies a visit once a month? Well, she dropped by my place today. I guess she's mad at me too, 'cause she came in full force and is being one persistent ho. "Hey Mother Nature! Nobody invited you! Why don't you go back to where you came from!"


Here's a picture of me I took this morning just to help you all understand:

PS- when I googled this picture I typed in "girl with craps" instead of "craMps", and well... I'm sure you can imagine how that search turned out. Oops!

But really, this was me this morning:

but I don't WANNA get out of bed!

Finally after rolling myself out of bed, I packed up my lunch and headed out the door. While I was packing this morning, this baby kept eye-ballin' me. How RUDE!

you eye-ballin' me boy??

DAMN YOU cake! Ugh, of course though... I threw it in the lunchbox and it tagged along with me. I may or may not have eaten some of it for breakfast. I did make sure to eat a bowl of Special K, first. Yeah... real nutritious Sam. Usually, after I down some type of sweet, I feel insanely guilty. Not today... I ate that cake like I was on a mission and definitely plan on going back for seconds. Or thirds. Don't judge.

Luckily, for those around me, I don't typically have "bitch-mode" during this time. It also helps that I popped a few of these bad boys. (It's just ibuprofen, don't worry!)

i love you, drugs <3

And with the weather so fantastic lately, my day is pretty close to impossible to ruin. You'd really have to brainstorm to make me mad!

clear blue skies and green grass

 

crisp clean air

 As for the rest of the day, my plans (other than cake eating) involve some major bedroom cleaning.

I have become a lazy piece lately, and can't seem to remember how to put away my clothes. Can anyone say slob? It's just such an annoying task!! Who knows, it may or may not get done. Like I said, the weather is just beautiful... and an outdoor workout sounds right up my cake-shoveling, cheese-eating, bloated alley.

I've also got a (sounds like) delicious recipe that I am dying to attempt, and must do so before my ingredients keel over. See you guys on the flip side!

- - - - - - - - -

What cravings does Mother Nature bring to you?

How far does someone have to go to ruin your day?