Eat Cleaner and Greener

We are one week down, two to go.

My ideas about food are changing, wether I want them to or not.

My insides just don't lie.

Eating healthier makes you feel healthier.

I still miss my coffee, 

but I am finding that getting out of bed in the morning is so much easier.

And while there are some juices and smoothies that I hope never to encounter again,

I really was getting used to it.

I feel good about what I am putting into my body

and am reaping the benefits of the added energy and weight loss.

Down to 160 lbs.

That feels very good.

Although we have fallen into routine with our 

smoothies and juices for breakfast,

a solid food was welcomed with a smile this morning.

MMMMMMmmmmm. Banana Oat Pancakes.

You can find the recipe here!

These gluten free vegan pancakes were to die for.

They will definitely replace the old 'bisquick' kind.

I was a little thrown off by how filling they were, 

but after a week of feeling like I was on the verge of starvation,

I am not complaining.

We are looking forward to all the tasty 

meals and full bellies to come this week! 

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. oh man, i am just in love with my new red floral skirt that i found at family vintage. and i am kinda in love with family vintage it self...just found out they will be having another yard sale coming up in september! can't wait.

2. ballet just keeps getting better and better....or maybe it's me that's getting better at ballet. i am not sure how i went for some many years without structured dancing in my life. don't get me wrong....i shake my booty all the time, but the discipline and control that ballet takes is a different story.

3. i can see changes happening in my body. besides the weight loss, i physically look stronger. i am long and lean, and i feel more poised and far more flexible. it's kind of an amazing thing.

4. all this talk about how fantastic i look and feel made me hungry for some deadly gooey chocolate cookies! check out these delicious gluten free lava cookies.

5. i finally got my na fianna cd in the mail. me and the boy can't stop listening/dancing/singing to it. i won a contest a while ago (yes can you believe it....i never win anything) that they were holding to help promote their american/canadian tour. na fianna is a great traditional folk and ballad band from ireland...and you know how i am a sucker for irish music. make sure you check out their album and show some support to the band!

6. i finished my pencil skirt the other day and got to take it out for girls night test drive. it's kind of amazing. and there is something about that skirts color pallet with turquoise shoes that makes me feel complete.

7. i bought my plane tickets for north carolina. the boy and i can't wait to be there! the trip went from being and nice quite family vacation to what sounds like a giant reunion-ish family party. can't wait to see everyone. i have plans to take lots of pictures and maybe spend some time getting lost in the woods.

8. the hubs and i went on a great date night, it's not something that we do often, but when we do it's always amazing. we ate dinner at a place downtown that we always over look...god knows why because it might be the best restaurant we have down there. then we cruised over to our local pub for some drinks with some friends. we ended the night down by the water watching shooting stars.

9. i finally started working on a restoration project that i have been sitting on for a while. my great grandmother gave me a necklace that my father helped make when he was a kid. i have had the necklace for a while and have worn it in the past, but due to the necklaces delicate condition it's been out of the rotation for a quite some time. so i took it apart and started to put it back together again....with a little re-fashioning. can't wait until it's done so i can share it with you!

10. we took the boy for his first movie theater experience. it was awesome! he was so excited when we got there, the look on his face was priceless as he took it all in. we got our popcorn and candy and settled in to our seats to watch the smurfs 3D. not only did he love the movie, but he was so good. he sat in my lap (mostly because his seat kept folding up on him - which was hilarious) with one had in the popcorn and his little 3D glasses on. as soon as we left he wanted to go back.

lava cookies

these are hands down the best cookies i have ever had/made! they are super easy and gluten free (got to love that)!

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips (about 90z.), divided

3 large eggs whites, room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350℉. spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray.

2. melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. cool slightly.

3. using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a large bowl to soft peaks. gradually beat in 1 cup of sugar. continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme.

4. in a separate bowl whisk together 1 cup of sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt.

5. on a low speed, blend the dry ingredient mixture into the meringue.

6. stir in melted chocolate and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. the dough will become very stiff.

7. place 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. roll 1 rounded tbsp of dough into a ball, then roll in sugar, coating thickly. place on prepared sheet spacing about 2 inches apart.

8. bake about 10 minutes, cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

makes about 20 cookies.

this recipe was adapted from divine baking. enjoy!

Last Nights Dinner...

...Was like WHOA!!!!

I love that I amaze myself on a regular basis in the kitchen! When hubs and I first met, I could not cook! Like burnt toast couldn't cook! But over the years I have learned a few things and taken some risks. I have really embraced the art of cooking with whole ingredients and we eat a lot of protein and veggies. Well last night I tried to mix it up a little...


Hubs doesn't eat any cheese that isn't yellow, so I topped his chicken and mushrooms with cheddar, and mine with feta.

Delicious!