Weekend Recap

This weekend was amazing.
Here's the breakdown.

Friday:

Bailey and Kenzie came up and we food prepped for the post-Tri lunch, watched Say yes to the dress, and went to a fun college party.  I always have to give Kenzie a taste of CSB/SJU nightlife.  Then it was off to bed for an early pre-race sleep.

Saturday:

TRIATHLON! I cut 20 minutes off my time from last year.  How is that even possible?  I have absolutely no idea.  I went into the race with no fear or anxiety since I was the only girl I knew participating I was completely relaxed and obviously that helped.

Post tri lunch.  Everyone came to our apartment for a taco lunch.

Pines.  Nico and Vinz came to play a concert here on campus and that was a blast.  Lots of selfies were being taken :)

After the concert we went to Kyle's (Bailey's BF) apartment and I took a nap.  19 miles plus all of this excitement made for an exhausted CB. 

Paint Dance.  I had paint in places I didn't know paint could travel.

Sunday:

Annie and I taught our last Sunday school class.

It was a really relaxing day filled with homework and getting stuff ready to pack.

I can't believe I am moving home on Saturday.  Where did this year go?


As sad as I am to have it all come to an end I can't wait to get home and into a summer routine and of course be reunited with Katie!


C

Protein Cheesecake

Tomorrow is the day of the Triathlon!!! Ahh where'd the time go? 

So I decided to not only do the triathlon, but also host a lunch for 12 people afterwards...gulp...

With Kenzie and Bailey here I put their hands to use with prep. Most of the stuff is healthy which is also a plus. 

On the menu:

Chicken tacos (chicken breast and salsa in a crockpot. Easiest meal prep ever) 

Veggie tray

Fruit assortment 

Asian Broccoli Slaw

Salsa variety and chips

Protein cheesecake 

Birthday cake (for my old roommate Beth who turns the big 2-1 on Sunday!) 

Snicker salad (courtesy of Brooke) 

So I made the protein cheesecake today and it smells and tastes delicious and it was super easy. 

I adjusted this recipe to fill an entire 9x13 pan. 

3 sticks of cream cheese (low fat) 

15 ounces plain greek yogurt

3 eggs

3 T stevia in the raw

2/3 c skim or almond milk

2t vanilla 

Salt

Mix everything until it's smooth and creamy. 

Bake 35 minutes at 325, then 45 minutes at 200.

There will be lots of photos to document the weekend, so prepare yourself for a hearty weekend recap come Sunday. 

Much love, 

C

Trader Joes

Over the weekend Bailey asked me to tag along to a Trumi nutrition at Trader Joe's and who can say no to a little grocery shopping fun?  Not me!

Here are some of the things that Sara mentioned during her grocery store tour.  Most of this is super useful for anyone, not just those of us looking to eat clean.

425 degree oven to roast any veggies

Use kale or kale sprouts as a base for burgers or tacos

Good dessert- plain greek yogurt with grapes and a 1/4 tsp Brown Sugar

Meat- look for hormone free and grass fed

Anything that is sold at Trader Joe's must be: non-GMO, no MSG, no preservatives, and no artificial colors.

Avoid caragenin in milk and coffee creamers

If you use fat free Greek yogurt you need to add your own fat with nuts or nut butters

Good option for kiddo snacks- Squisher yogurt tubes. Very similar to go-gurts but with less sugar.

If you are going to choose bread choose Ezekiel, sourdough, pumpernickel, or rye, because it is made with sour (fermented) dough.

When buying coffee or tea make sure that it is not chemically decaffeinated

As a pure sugar substitute use pure maple syrup, agave nectar, stevia

Kind bars are your best bet for a granola bar because they have the fewest ingredients

Look for whey proteins and stay aware from soy because they may cause a hormone imbalance in women.

Power crunch bars are a great healthy alternative for a treat and they taste like nutter butters!

Add chia seeds to frozen berries and let them thaw in the fridge INSTANT JAM

Always shoot for cold pressed oil,

Oils to use during cooking-
Coconut oil 350 degrees
Use Grapeseed oil, clarified butter, sunflower oil for anything over 425 degrees

Freeze dried fruit has higher nutrient content than dried fruit.

Here are some of my must haves- 

-Cookie butter

-Crab stuffed tilapia

-Zucchini Fries

-Reduced Sugar Jam

-Sweet italian sausage

-Chicken apple sausage

-Sausage with spinach and fontina cheese

-Puff corn (White cheddar is my favorite) 

-Country potatoes with  mushrooms

-Sushi (Tempura shrimp rolls are always a fun and easy dinner) 

-Mini pizzas (may or may not be my favorite food after a night out) 

-Taco mix (SUPER spicy which I LOVE)

I hope this helps you as much as it did me!


C

Tri-Apple-on

If you follow my Instagram you know the news.  I decided to do the tri-athlon again at St. John's in just two short weeks. 

Last year was hard, but I am not one to give up easily.  Here I go again! 

I have been kicking butt on my runs....although they aren't fast I have been feeling confident in keeping about an 11:30 mile and after three months off I'd say that's a good place to start. 

Yesterday, I killed my workouts.  I started my day at 5:30am with a leg workout in the gym, then swam a little over a mile, and ended my day with a 3 mile run.  It was glorious. 

There are no words to describe how it felt to be back in the water.  The last time I actually swam laps was during the triathlon of last year, so it was way overdue. 

I can't wait to keep you posted as the week goes on! 

Plus,  Bailey will be here ALL weekend so prepare yourselves for a million workout selfies of our beautiful faces. 

Love much, 

C

#womancrushwednesday

Only one word comes to mind when I think about the amazingly beautiful Dana Linn Bailey and that is dedication. 

Some know her as the first Miss Olympia Physique, but I see her as my inspiration. 

Her and her husband post daily videos and they make my day every time I watch. I feel like I am part of their family.  They capture all of their trials and tribulations and help me to remember that everyone...even the best of the best have off days. 

I am the kind of person who needs to be constantly reminded about why I am doing all these crazy races and lifting day after day. These two do just that. I can always count on them to get my butt ready to the gym. 

Dana was an athlete throughout high school and college and after she met her now husband Rob they started a clothing line called Flag nor Fail. This small investment has now grown exponentially with a full line for Flag Nor Fail, a new supplement called Onward, speed warhouse, warhouse gym, Robs music career, and of course Dana who is a bodybuilder. Sounds like a crazy adventure doesn't it?  I don't know how they find time to breathe let alone travel and keep their relationship on point. 

Have I mentioned she's stunning?! 

Now to her relationship with the lovely Rob Bailey. He worships the ground she walks on and would give anything to see her succeed. I LOVE it! 

And now to end with an even better note. 

How's that for motivation? 

Much love, 

C

My Workout Faves

This time of year the running selfies of all my blogger friends re constantly blowing up my feed and with them come totally adorable new outfits.  

Needless to say I am seeing a lot of Lulu and Athleta, but are those really the best options?

I am not going to lie that I could blow boku money at both of those stores, but for me they only work as "cute" workout outfits.  To me that means workout clothes that I can wear to class. 

So I wanted to give you a snip of all of my favorites. 

Spoiler alert...my all time favorite workout clothes come from no other location than the all encompassing WALMART.  Yes, you did read that correctly.  

As a college student on an incredibly tight budget these options help me afford to buy new fun things to wear anytime. 

These shirts are wonderful and are only $5! 

Zip ups come out in new colors every season and usually start around $10!

These pants...I may own them in every single color every time they release a new line, but it is because they are the only pants that stay up when I run.  I have a very distinct hour glass shape and if pants fit my thighs they often don't fit me anywhere else.  But these are the best and they stay up no problem.  (They are $14.95)

I hope that these ideas sparked some interest for you to check out the workout sections at ALL different types of stores because you never know what kind of deals you can find. I cam often find all of these items on clearance.  For example, today I got three pull overs on clearance for $3 a piece.  You can never have too many sweaty options :) 

Much love, 

C

Remember, it's not about the brand it's about how you feel in the clothes. 

Pre-Easter Motivation WE WILL STAY ON TRACK

As I pack my bags to head home for the big Easter weekend I realized that my main goal is to stay clean...no, no drugs for me (unless you consider pre-workout or running).

I have been killing it in the gym and am beginning to see my endurance come back as I have hit the trails this week.  Thank the lord in heaven for that one.  More muscles= a major running struggle.

So every time you want to reach for the jelly beans or peeps think of me or how pissed the dumb bells will be on Monday when you can't lift them.

Much love, 

C

P.S. I actually laughed out loud for this gem.  I may or may not have been lifting heavy today to impress some boys in the gym and my triceps have been dying ever since.