Have your Cake and Eat it Too!!!

I stand corrected... I wrote a post sometime last year about having a healthy, balanced life and diet. I was tired of seeing South Beach, Paleo, Gluten Free recipes and tips all over the internet, pinterest and FB. In my opinion, I thought a balance of whole grains, protein, veggies and fruits was enough. And it was... until I realized that eliminating gluten from our diet really made us feel good! 

I stopped having to sip on sprite after dinner due to an upset stomach or grab for tums from the medicine drawer... It took us a while to get used to eliminating dairy and gluten from our diet.. but now nearly 5 months later, we feel great, have a lot of energy and have even lost a few inches! Now, I'll be honest, we don't stick to paleo 100% of the time as we have a swarma every once a while or a latte to treat ourselves.. but we really have stuck pretty closely to this new lifestyle of eating.

Now on to the reason for this post... Paleo Cakeballs!!! What???

Yep, I think I finally came up with a "Paleo approved" dessert that is also "Randall approved". You see, my husband has really thrived eating Paleo and I have too, except for one thing... I have a sweet tooth!!! And when you eliminate white flour, sugar, and most dairy from your diet, its kindof hard to be Betty Crocker in the kitchen! 

So yesterday, I decided to try out this new Coconut Flour Brownie recipe. I liked the result, but Randall... not so much. Then today, I decided instead of me eating an entire pan of brownies to myself (even though they are paleo), I would turn them into a family favorite... Cake Balls!

I took the coconut flour brownies and crumbled them up in a bowl. Meanwhile, I mixed up 4 tablespoons of Coconut Milk and 2-3 Tablespoons of honey together. (this would normally be where you add icing to the crumbled cake mix). I then mixed the "icing" with the brownie crumbles and rolled them into balls.

I put the pan into the fridge to firm up the "soon to be" cake balls. 

Next, I took my Lindt 85% Cocoa and chopped it into pieces with about a 1.5 teaspoon of coconut oil in the microwave for about 45 seconds.

I then took my pan out of the fridge and poured the melted chocolate/coconut oil mix over the cake balls. After that, I put the pan in the freezer and within 5 minutes, the chocolate had hardened. The nice thing about adding coconut oil to chocolate is that it will harden and not melt again or soften if set out in room temperature.

 And there you have it... Paleo Cake Balls... 

I can have my Cake and Eat it too... and not feel guilty about it! :)

Even Kid Approved... and that's a Big Deal with these Two!!

Just as a side note... we do eat lots of other colored things in our house besides chocolate! :)

Please leave me a note and tell me what you think... and esp if you try it... let me know how they turned out!! :) 

CrossFit...Randall's Competition..

Some of you may know that Randall joined Cross-fit about 5 months ago and has really found his notch for exercise. Cross-fit has become extremely popular in The States and has slowly made its way to the Middle East too! 

This past weekend Randall competed in his first CF competition. He had 2 WODs (Workout of the Day) on Friday and 1 WOD on Saturday. He partnered with a friend and they competed as a team. 5 other pairs.. or teams from his gym (a.k.a. Box) competed as well.

The kids and I were there all weekend, cheering, videoing and taking pictures of all the amazing, talented athletes who competed. 

Morgan and Micah with their friends, cheering on their daddies!

Between Randall and his partner, they did 1000 meter row (x2)...

 And Lots of lifts...

Like I said.. LOTS of lifts and LOTS of testosterone in the GYM this weekend!! :) There were women teams too and we cheered on our friends! I was super encouraged and pumped to see so many women competing. Who knows... maybe I'll be posting CF pics of myself someday... :)

Throughout the competition I had my camera around my neck and took pictures and videos of our teams... and my friend compiled them and created this AMAZING video below. Check it out!

Be sure to leave a comment, telling Randall how proud you are of him! :)

Running the Race

Most who know me (Liz) know that I've been a runner for most of my life. Its something that I do not only to stay in shape, but to relieve stress and to think out things that are going on in my life (at the time)... which could be causing the stress. :) 

But over the years of growing up and maturing in my faith, running has served as a form of discipline as well as a time for praying and talking things out with God (in my head at least).  Since living overseas, I have ran in 9 different countries... and in all 9 countries, running has been different... (desert, cold weather, hills, flat, rain, beach, shorts, long pants.... normal for women to run outside & not normal for women to run outside) But the one constant is: the act of Discipline.

And then we moved to Jordan this past summer and I was asked by a friend if I wanted to run a 1/2 marathon with her...  It didn't take long for me to say YES because a 1/2 marathon was something I've wanted to do & accomplish for quite some time. I've even trained for a 1/2 marathon before but didn't actually run the race due to other circumstances... 

And so it began... Discipline at its Finest...

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get that prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that all not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." (1 Corinthians 9:24) NIV

Sunrise Runs...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, esp the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2a) NLT

Hill Runs...

3.5 months later of intense training... running 5-6 times a week anywhere from 2-11.5 miles... sometimes alone, sometimes with my friend... Race Day was upon us!

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it on my own. But one things I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14) ESV

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the good faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8) NIV

And just like that... the 13.1 Miles was done... I like to say 21K... it sounds so much further! :)

During the race, we were passed by faster runners, we saw people stop to walk (so we passed them), we saw those who were handicapped in some way racing among us, even 2 blind runners who had to have an assistant run with them, guiding them... trusting them (that was probably the most heart felt competitors for me)... and we all crossed the finished line at some point... enduring the miles, the heat, the last up-hill and the discipline of it all.

Training and Running in this 1/2 Marathon served as a picture of what this life is all about... Running the Race, enduring hardship, celebrating the joys and doing it all for the glory of God. 

P.S. running in the distance races is in my blood now... hope to train for another race in the near future :)

Project 365 is Back... Finally! (week 26)

Oh Wow... I'm officially embarrassed that I've let this blog go over 3 weeks without updates. So, thank you in advance for those of you stopping by and reading up!

Where to start? 

• We have traveled already in the month of May
• Hit the 100 degree temps during the day
• Celebrated my 32nd b-day 
• Trying to stay well... as 3 out of 4 of us have been feeling "under the weather" recently. 

About a month ago, we were blessed with a fun Saturday spent with friends! And our 2 kiddos were pumped to see their best bud, Lucy. I don't think they left each other's side! We "explored" Old Dubai and even rode a little boat, which of course was super exciting for the kids!

 Day 177: Cuties

Day 178: Boat ride.. anyone? (yes, this is the kind of boat we rode)

Day 179: Souk (Arabic word for market or shop)

*this was definitely a "touristy" souk but thankful for its cleanliness

 Day 180: Lanterns and Shoes

Day 181: Old Dubai

And as a continuation of my "Its All About a Balance" post awhile back... here are a few more healthy and tasty recipes... 

Day 182: Carrot Cake Balls (thank you pinterest!) 

http://www.cookincanuck.com/2013/03/no-bake-carrot-cake-granola-bites-recipe/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+CookinCanuck+(Cookin'+Canuck) 

 Day 183: Chicken Salad (Mayo-Free)

I mixed plain yogurt and feta cheese instead of mayo or cream cheese (a lot less calories)

 Homemade Pizza with a thin, whole-wheat crust

 http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-homemade-thin-crust-pizza-recipes-from-the-kitchn-45499 

 Breakfast of Champions!

Plain yogurt with homemade granola, tsp of flaxseed and fresh mango

(the mangos this time of the year are amazing!)

http://www.trueaimeducation.com/easy-healthy-homemade-granola-recipe/  

If you try out any of these recipes, I'd love to hear your feedback! Or if you have a different recipe that you like, please share it! 

Have a great week! And Happy Mother's Day! 

All About a Balance...

Clean Eating.. Paleo... Gluten Free... Atkins... South Beach...

Sound Familiar? Look Familiar?

It should. WHY? Because these diets or "way of eating" is EVERYWHERE! 

It seems like all I see advertised on Facebook, Pinterest, Google, TV, etc is how to get skinny, how to loose weight, what to eat, what not to eat... I'm not saying that being healthy is a negative thing because I'm certainly into my health and the health of my family. But when it gets to the point that one can't enjoy eating or even cuts out entire food groups just to "get to that ideal weight or body shape"... then for me, I have to draw a line.

But here's the thing, I've tried a lot of the above mentioned diets and have been on a rollar-coaster with my eating habits over my adult years and I'm only 31, almost 32 y/o! And the thing that I've concluded is that it is all about a BALANCE.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Because we live overseas, I have learned to cook with mostly fresh ingredients and have really ruled out a lot of processed foods. Mostly because we can't get them here or they are ridiculously expensive!

 For example, I don't buy canned beans, I buy dried ones, soak them, boil them and use them in whatever recipe I need them for. I don't buy canned tomatoes for my salsa, soups, spaghetti sauce, etc.. I buy fresh ones and use my food processor if I need them chopped or pureed... I don't buy peanut butter anymore, I buy plain, unsalted peanuts and roast them myself and add my oil and control the salt amount and make my own natural peanut butter in the food processor. These are just a few examples.

The point is, eating healthy takes time. And although I appreciate the ready-made meals and foods that are out there... because they do save time. I would rather know what I'm putting in my body and feeding my kids... and skip all the additives and preservatives that keep those foods on the shelf "life long". Most of the food I buy goes bad within a week... All that to say, I'm not the "Queen" of "Perfect Eating" or even have the "Perfect Body" but I am healthy, active, can certainly keep up with my busy 5 & 7 year old and Love the Lord.

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 

(1 Corinthians 6: 19-20)

Here you go my friends... I started meal planning and sticking to this balanced way of eating... and we definitely are not starving from it and are not cutting out entire food groups... we even have the occasional cookie or ice cream... just not every day! (keep in mind, that I don't always stick to the exact food that is on this plan, but I do try and make sure each meal/snack has a balance with food types)

Here are a few samples of some of the food we eat:

Quinoa Fried Rice... YES Please!

http://damndelicious.net/2012/10/19/quinoa-veggie-fried-rice-and-a-giveaway/  

Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta Cheese & Light Vinaigrette  

Rolled Oats (Oatmeal) with homemade PB & a Banana and Egg White Omelet

(I think I always skip the morning snack when I eat this... it makes me so full! But they say its good to eat your calories in the morning!)

Baked Homemade Chicken Strips... almond powder as the crust, Broccoli & Couscous

 Turkey Sandwich... nothing too exciting here, but still balanced and one of my favorites!

Leftovers: Brocoli, Boiled Egg, Mushrooms & Couscous... my own made-up "fried rice" 

Mexican Pizza on a Homemade Wheat Tortilla

http://www.food.com/recipe/mexican-quinoa-casserole-447266  

http://www.theleangreenbean.com/?s=whole+wheat+tortillas 

Strawberry, Banana Protein Shake (no sugar)

And of course... EXERCISE... weights, running, walking, insanity, P90X, yoga

I usually exercise 5 days a week 45-60 mins per time

Again, I can't stress the importance of a BALANCE... God made food to enjoy it... so that's exactly what we do.. with portion-control in mind! Please feel free to leave a message or share some of your favorite recipes. I'm always looking for new ideas!  Or email me: mcqueenliz@gmail.com if you want any of the recipes or tips on finding the right balance for you. 

Thanks for stopping by!