Mom's Birthday Treat

This past weekend was my mom's birthday, she turned 38! (Again!)

The morning of, we met up with the Camp Gladiator Run Team and did a 4 mile run. We started at about 7am, and by the time we were done we were incredibly hot and sweaty! So we decided to have a dip in Barton Springs. We then ventured over to Austin Java for some gigantic omelets and iced coffees.

It was at Austin Java that she decided she did not want to go to Bat Fest that night (cuz it was 4million degrees outside) and she wanted to go see The Help and then just have dinner. I told her I would supply the dessert- I have been planning this special birthday dessert for quite a while!!

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

root beer cake with ice cream frosting. mmmmmmmm.

it certainly smelled like root beer!

lookin tasty!

whippin up some ice cream frosting!

not the prettiest frosting job lol

Ready to eat!

mom's first bite...

"mmmmmmmm"

I found this recipe on an awesome blog I follow called American Cupcake in London
she adapted it from Guilty Kitchen & the frosting is from All Recipes

Cupcake Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg & 1 yolk

2 tsp root beer extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1) cream together the butter and sugar. add egg and egg yolk, beat.

2) stir in the extracts, set aside.

3) in a separate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.

4) add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in 2 parts, alternating with buttermilk and completly combining between additions. pour into lined baking tins.

5) bake at 350* for 20-25mins

6) allow to cool completely before frosting.

Ice Cream Frosting

8oz of full-fat cream cheese at room temp

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla ext

2 cups whipping cream

1)combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and mix on medium until smooth. While the mixture is whipping, slowly add the cream.

2) stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times and keep mixing until the whipping cream holds a stiff peak.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA!

P.S. I don't know what's up with the white background, it won't let me fix it!

Motivation Monday- #3

Happy Monday!!!!

Are you excited about the week ahead!? It's almost September! For me, this means the Brown Bag Challenge! I am probably way too excited about this thing. :-)

Today's MM will be short and sweet.

 I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes.

Maybe one of these will strike a chord with you and become the fire that you need today.

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Love the life you live, live the life you love."
-Bob Marley

"Whether you say I can, or whether you say I can't- they're both true"
-Anonymous

"You is kind, you is smart, you is important"
-The Help

(and my favorite, especially for working with kids)

You do not have to attend every argument you are invited to!
-Unknown

Hope everyone has an awesome Monday!

Grandpa Tom, who told his granddaughters
"stand up straight, stick your boobs out"
:-)

Hydration Horror Story

As most of you know, Monday was the first day of school for my district. I was asked to come in early to help direct traffic, give directions, ease worried parents etc etc etc.
When I came in, I was shocked to find out that the school's secretary was out! I knew that she must be SUPER sick if she was missing the first day of school!


When I arrived on Tuesday, she was back and I asked her if she was okay- she told me she had been in the ER because of complication from dehydration.
I wanted to share her story to remind all of you how important it is to stay hydrated at all times.
She told me that she has been running in the evenings after dinner, and that she has started running on a track by her house so that she can have a drink every half mile. A little while ago she noticed that she hadn't had to use the restroom on a regular basis but figured that this happens to everyone and most of the time it just sort of works itself out. (she also told me that her diet is chock-full of fruits, veggies and whole grains, she's def getting enough fiber) When her dehydration symptoms got really bad (severe headache) she went to the hospital and the doctor told her that even though she thought she was drinking regularly it was NOT enough. He said basically, her insides were drying up, which is what caused the backup, she had no inner-lubrication. They pumped her out and then pumped her up with fluids.

Water is necessary for everything in your body

It's been stupidly hot here for a really long time, and what makes it worse is the humidity. Making sure your body has enough water in it could not be more important right now! Ms. Secretary was drinking during her run, and she thought she was drinking enough during the day but it wasn't enough! Before school started, I bought a 32oz plastic travel bottle and have been filling it every morning and filling it again during my lunch. I make sure I finish off two bottles worth before I even leave work and then drink during any workout I do.
You need to replace the water lost from perspiration as well as the electrolytes! (aka: salt) So get to drinking!!

Drink up, my friends!

Motivation Monday- #2

HAPPY SCHOOL YEAR!!

What's your school year resolution?

It's the first day of school for my district and many around me. For parents as well as teachers and staff it's exciting and also a little nerve wracking- it never feels like we have enough time to prepare!


Like I said in the last MM post, a new school year brings us back to basics- I got all my information emailed to me about the Brown Bag Challenge so now I'm really excited for September 1st to get here! I've been planning a bunch a great lunchy recipes to post! Stay tuned!


For today's Motivation Monday, I wanted to share with you some images on my Motivation/Inspiration Pinboard. Every now and then I take a good look at these and remind myself of my goals. Hopefully you will be motivated to create a visual aide for yourself to stay on track as well!?

When your mojo is lacking,
have a T-Rex chase you!

For my race in November! FOCUS!

It's about me- and no one else.

Just keep running, just keep running...

Happy Monday! 

follow me on pinterest

Blog Swappin-time!

It's Blog-swappin day! Today's post is written by Lauren, of Lauren's Thoughts, and my post is on her blog! I've enjoyed swapping with her, hope y'all enjoy it too!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The end of summer is near. We can all get out our tissues and cry about the last few days filled with sunshine, pools, and summer romance or we can keep it alive for a few more weeks until the leaves begin to change. Whether you've been in a relationship for what seems like forever or just found a new summer love, you want to keep the romance alive for the rest of the summer. Here are some tips to squeeze the last few lovely drops of lazy summer days and have a ton of fun with your sweetie!

1. Grab your bikes or rent some and go exploring. Make a map of where you'd like to go on your adventure. You can choose a bike trail to head through a few cities, visit the beach or park, or ride around a downtown area. Be sure to stop somewhere new for lunch, take cute photos, and steal a few kisses between long rides.

2. Pick one of the last hot days of summer and head to the beach. Stick your toes in the sand and splash around in the water. You just can't escape summer without heading to the beach at least once, so don't miss out!

3. Another hot day and you want to stay cool in the A/C? Go to your local movie theater and pick out a flick to see....then jump around and see a few more. Spending the day cuddling in the dark glow of a fabulous movie with the one you love and keeping cool from the summer heat at the same time? Win, win, win.

4. Instead of bar hopping, try garage sale hopping. This is a great idea if you're planning to move in together, but regardless it is fun to scour neighborhoods for the best deals. Buy each other something for under $5. It is a cheap date that is sure to bring a lot of laughs because the crazier the present, the better.

5. Lastly, take advantage of all the outdoor concerts the summer has to offer. Whether you see a famous band you love or just head to a local park to see free music, it is something you both can enjoy. Swaying in the breeze and holding hands while you watch a fun band may just be the thing to ignite that spark.

Enjoy the summer with your loved ones! Even if you're not in a relationship, you can easily adapt to plan these "dates" with a friend or family member.

I've really enjoyed blog swapping with Susan here at "Adventures in my Kitchen". If you'd like to read more from me, please visit me at Lauren's Thoughts. I'd love to have you! xo

Motivation Monday

It's Monday! Monday! Gotta get down on Monday!

:-)

Today is my first post for Motivation Monday! Monday's always get a bad rap; the weekends are always too short and the work week is always too long! But this Monday I wanted to get you pumped up for the week ahead!

It's back to school time! This week all of the teachers are back for my district and then we see all of our little cherub's faces next Monday!

Back to school time always makes me think of going back to basics. We make New Year's Resolutions, so why can't we make School Year Resolutions!? This school year, I encourage all of you to get on track with your eating habits and your exercise/workout routines. Even though the start of school means summer is over, doesnt mean that you can't being a healthy transformation NOW!

You Can Do It!

I also want to challenge you to pack a sack lunch every work day for a whole month. I am taking part in this challenge, created by the Food Network's Healthy Eats Blog it's called the Brown Bag Challenge. I have committed myself to this challenge and will be blogging about what I am taking for lunch and why I feel good about it. It starts in September, so there's still plenty of time to stock your fridge and pantry with figure friendly foods!

Are you pumped, yet!? I encourage you to clock out this afternoon and get your body moving! Go for a run, walk your dogs, try a new class at your gym or hop on your bike! Then cook up a slim and trim dinner of chicken breast or salmon and lots of fresh veggies and have some fresh fruit for dessert! Remember, what we put in our bodies is what we get out of our bodies- what better day to being than today!?

Breakfast Cobbler

This creation came about from a strong craving for peach cobbler and me not having the ingredients or the time to make one. I am not sure where this peach cobbler craving came from, but I was at work one day, you know, working, at it hit me. I HAD to have peach cobbler, like, that day.- weird, right?

I went home for my lunch break and made myself something that in no way resembled peach cobbler for lunch, but when I was finished the craving remained. It was getting a little ridiculous...

You just realized that I called this a breakfast cobbler, right?
Yes, I did.
And it is....at least when I want it to be. Because, you know, I do what I want. :-) Maybe I should call this the "Anytime Cobbler" because I cannot think of a time of day where this dish would not be delicious and the making/eating of it could not be justified.
Maybe I should just give you the recipe and then you'll understand.
(BTW: this is a one serving recipe! make your own adjustments according your own serving needs. I can't do everything for you, after all!)

Ingredients:

1.5-2 tbs butter or margarine

Cinnamon- as much as you want, it's very good for you, remember?

1 packet Splenda (or a tsp sugar)

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

Fruit of your choice- as much as you'd like-

I like frozen Peaches & Blueberries. Strawberries & Rhubarb works well too.

Directions:

If using frozen fruit, place in a microwavable container and zap for about 40 seconds. This wont thaw it all the way, but enough to not take forever in the oven.
Preheat oven/toaster oven to 400*

(Place fruit in an Oven-Safe bowl!)

Place your butter/margarine, sugar, cinnamon and oats together in a separate bowl. With a fork, combine all ingredients- it will start to look crumbly.

sugar, butter, cinnamon

Delicious crumbly goodness

Place your crumbly topping over your fruit. Throw it in your preheated oven for about 15mins. The more you make the longer it will take to get nice and juicy so watch it!

Before the oven-lovin. See the blueberries hiding under the peaches?

After the oven-lovin. This picture does not even do it justice.
When I figure out how to blog smells, I will repost this one.
Makes the whole kitchen smell scrumptious!

Remember, you need at least 2 servings of fruit a day!!
*wink, wink* *nudge nudge*

Spice Up Your Life!

I have now gone back to work and was immediately hit with a giant todo list. I am really missing my quiet computer time where I could Facebook stalk, blog stalk and peruse Pinterest all the live long day. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to go back, because I was getting a little stir-crazy (on top of my normal crazy, that is) but I am finding it terribly difficult to keep up with blogs and Pinterest with all this working, you know?

I am blog-swapping, though! Which I am very excited about. I don't know who my partner is just yet, but will very soon!! YAY!

So to make this short and sweet- much like yours truly, I wanted to share with you yet another Tip of the Week from My Fit Foods
(If you would like to recieve the weekly newsletter from My Fit Foods, go to their website and signup at the bottom of the page, only your email is required!)

This one is on one of my FAVS- Cinnamon! It's a spice for all seasons!!
I love cinnamon and everything that cinnamon is found in. It just says warmth and coziness, right?- I know, like Texas needs any more warmth right now (we'll take some rain, though!!!!) however, when I say warmth I kind of mean like someone is hugging you from the inside. :-) and I love hugs!
Here it is:

The Power Of Cinnamon
My Fit Foods "Tip of the Week"

When I began hearing the benefits of cinnamon years ago, all I could think about was the delicious cinnamon toast that my mother used to make for us and the way the aroma filled the house making our mouths water.  Of course, this was on white bread with sugar and butter!  Now years later, the research on cinnamon and it's endless health benefits just keep piling up.  And nowadays instead of having French toast, I'm adding cinnamon to everything from smoothies to sweet potatoes.  I also take 1,000 mg a day in capsule form, which is equal to approximately ¼ to ½ of a teaspoon.

Antioxidant Power: 

Cinnamon has an ORAC value of 267,536.  That is higher than blueberries, turmeric, and the popular Acai berry.  That means there is some heavy duty free radical fighting going on protecting our cells and repairing damage.  Not to mention that when we up our antioxidants, we lower overall inflammation which helps everything including weight loss.

Blood Sugar Power:

A now almost famous study was conducted by researchers from the US Department of Agriculture in 2003 that showed that 60 people with Type 2 diabetes who ate 1 gram of cinnamon each day over a period of 40 days, experienced a significant decrease in their blood sugar levels, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides.  As everyone knows who has ever been through our 21 Day Challenge, controlling blood sugar is the key to burning fat and increasing energy.

Nutrient Packed:

Would you believe that a mere teaspoon of cinnamon contains 28 mg of calcium, almost 1 mg of iron, over a gram of fiber, and quite a lot of vitamins C, K, and manganese? It's true. It also contains about half a gram of "usable" (non-fiber) carbohydrate.

Other Benefits:

Cinnamon is also known for its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-clotting, and anti-inflammatory properties.  Just an overall anti-sickness, anti-aging food!

A few years back I was listening to a lecture from a well respected doctor in the field of nutrition and it was right after lunch.   The choices at lunch had been limited and many of us had the pasta salad and were experiencing a serious after lunch slump.  She stopped the seminar and made each one of us take a blood sugar supplement composed of mostly cinnamon.  I will never forget how within fifteen minutes I felt more alert and felt very focused for another four more hours!  That made me realize yet again the power of blood sugar but the power of cinnamon as well.

To Your Health,

Meg McCall B.S., M.S. Candidate

Corporate Nutritionist

My Fit Foods  

Wakey Wakey Eggs n Bakey!

Yesterday I decided to try something that I had seen from a cooking show host on the Cooking Channel. (Kelsey Nixon)

They, of course, looked delicious when she did it and it was SO simple and easy I was kind of irritated with myself that I never thought of doing this!!

I think they turned out pretty well, it's probably a better dish for a brunch or something, not just me and the dogs :-P

Cook the bacon on medium heat
until brown-not crispy!

Here is it: Bacon & Egg Cups

You will need eggs & bacon- duh
& a preheated oven- 400*

  

After bacon has cooled,
line muffin tins- place
small piece on the bottom

This bacon is too crispy,
I will have to just eat it- darn.

Fill each bacon cup with one egg-
just crack it right in there

Bake- 400* for 15mins

Eat!

*A few suggestions: Spray your muffin tin with some non-stick spray, I thought the bacon was greasy enough to not stick, but some of them still stuck pretty good. Add in whatever you like! Cheese, herbs, pepper, whatever! For me these were pretty salty- thank you, bacon- so serve them with something sweet like buttermilk biscuits and fresh berries, mmmmmm.

(Sorry about the wonky pictures, I'm not really sure how they got messed up and I can't seem to fix them!)

Headaches & Migraines

One of my most favoritest things in the whole wide world is waking up in the morning with a giant headache. You know, the kind that feels like one side of your head is stuck in a suction cup and you can barely open your eye? 

It's awesome.

best. feeling. ever.

As you can tell, I wrote that entire thing in my first language- Sarcasm.

This morning, when Maddy decided it was time to wake-up (because since I am not back at work yet, she is my alarm clock) I was woken to not only a weener dog kiss(s), but also the left side of my head screaming at me. So I started going down the list of things that sometimes work to rid myself of the headache- clearly ripping off the left side of my face was a thought, but not really a viable option....

1. go back to sleep- which I did, much to weenie's confusion

2. caffeine!- made coffee, drank coffee

3. sit still, close eyes, & will the headache away by telling it how much I hate it and it's not wanted.

(did all these and within about 30mins it was gone enough for me to function, aka: check fb)

Other things I try are- 

ice or heat- depending on what kind of headache it is. I used to have HeadOn, and it kind of relieved some pain, but not enough to keep a stock pile of it.
Massage- and by this I mean smashing and pinching my sinus' until my face is red cuz it feels so good

and my last resort is to take some meds- specifically Excedrin or my prescription (Immetrex-which is stupidly expensive even with insurance)

WHY is taking meds your last resort?- you are asking. That's normally the first thing people do.

Simple: I hate taking pills. I do. I have had these headache's/migraines since like 8th grade and shoving a pill down my throat has always been the answer and not always the solution. PLUS, the more pills you take, the more you have to take...get it? I dont want to build up my tolerance to pain meds so much that I need to eventually swallow an entire bottle to feel any kind of relief, thank you.

I especially hate when I tell the doctor about the headache and she says "well, take some tylenol/ibuprofen/etc" GAH!

So, what's the difference between a migraine and a regular old headache?
well, what I had this morning (thank the Lord!) was just a headache. Could have been from sleeping wrong, lack of caffeine (which is why the coffee killed it) or dehydration (in this case, coffee would have made it worse) you get the picture. Basically I know it was just a regular old headache because I was able to kill it fairly quickly.
A migraine, however, does not go down without more of a fight. MUCH more of a fight. Migraine's hang on for a l-o-n-g time.

According to WebMD "Migraines: The exact causes of migraines are unknown, although they are related to blood vessel contractions and other changes in the brain as well as inherited abnormalities in certain areas of the brain. Migraine pain is moderate to severe, often described as pounding, throbbing pain. They can last from four hours to three days and usually occur one to four times per month. Migraines are associated with symptoms such as sensitivity to light, noise, or odors; nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and stomach upset or abdominal pain."

See, I told you, FUN times. Thankfully I have never had one that has lasted for 3 days (knock on wood!!) But I do get Sinus headache's, which are tons-o-fun too.

"Sinus headaches: Sinus headaches are associated with a deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead, or bridge of the nose. The pain usually intensifies with sudden head movement or straining and usually occurs with other sinus symptoms, such as nasal discharge, feeling of fullness in the ears, fever, and facial swelling."

Do you have any headache remedies that work wonders? I'd love to hear what works for you!!

Homemade Coconut Donuts

This just in! Donuts are healthy for you!! Especially Coconut Donuts! Because Coconut is a.......fruit?

okay....it's not.
and here's more bad news.....
donuts are not exactly healthy for you....(crap!)
maybe I'm just excited about this recipe and I want to make them all the time and hide them all from them boyfriend because he devoured the first (and only) batch?! OKAY!?

This recipe was found on one of my favorite blogs, Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. And she got it from Sprinkle Bakes. We share cuz we care....sharing, stealing, same diff. :-)

In true Susan-fashion, I read it, drooled over it, bought (most of) the materials to make them, and then didn't actually make them. For a few weeks. So this past weekend when I got an itch to create masterpieces in my kitchen I dug up the directions, then discovered that I indeed did not have every specific ingredient on the original list and then proceeded to figure out how to still make them without taking a trip to the grocery store.
In this adventure, I must confess, I had very little faith that they would even turn out....so I took one, and only one picture. :-/ lo siento

However, they turned out very nice indeed (after boyfriend tweaked them, credit is due cuz he did good) so I decided to share them so that you, too, can steal the recipe. Is it stealing if I am giving you permission?

My Kitchen Assistant. Always ready to help!

Homemade Coconut Mini Donuts

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teasp baking powder

1 teasp salt

3/4 cup buttermilk (no, I don't keep this in my fridge, I made it. yea, I'm fancy)

2 beaten eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter
         2 teaspoons coconut extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*
Spray mini donut pan(s) with non-stick spray
In one bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Combine well. Add buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, & extract. Beat with mixer on medium until well combined. Fill donut cups about 1/2 full- i suggest piping them with a pastry bag or ziplock with the a corner cut.

Bake for 5-10mins or until puffed up and tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove to a wire cooling rack- once donuts have cooled make the glaze.

Glaze & Topping
1.5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teasp salt
1/4 teasp coconut extract
1/4 cup coconut water
A cup or so of Unsweetened shredded coconut (the glaze is sweet enough!)

Mix all ingredients except the shredded coconut until combined. Let sit for a few mins to thicken up a little bit. Place shredded coconut on a plate for dipping.

After donuts have cooled, dip the entire donut in the glaze (Dave's delicious discovery) and then roll completely in the shredded coconut.

yummmmmm

After you emerge from your coconut coma, you can thank me. :-)