Shrimp, Spice, and Everything Nice!

I was SOOO excited to find that I had finished my peanut butter jar yesterday because that meant I could make my favorite Overnight Oats!  I tweaked the recipe since I was out of cottage cheese and used greek yogurt instead.  I was pleasantly surprised to find there was no sour taste from the yogurt and it was REAL thick and creamy, using only about 1/4 cup yogurt (or less!).  Perhaps the flavor depends on the brand of yogurt?  I used plain low-fat chobani.  Anyway, best batch yet!

Today, I bought more peanut butter to replace my last jar, and realized I bought Honey Roasted peanut butter!!! UGH!  I am a firm believer that added sugar in the diet is a detriment to everyone's health and is a main contributer in health and heart issues.  Having extra sugar in my PB stinks, but I decided I will use it in my homemade granola and take out most of the sugar in the recipe.  Normally, I use a store brand of natural PB, which only uses nuts and oil.  

After a tough boot camp and spin class combo today, I was hungry!  I always drink some protein after my hard workouts, and then I made myself a serving of shrimp and left-over delicata squash from last night's dindin!  Yum!  I chose to sprinkle the shrimp in my favorite spice blend from Savory Spice Shop, Red Cloud Peak seasoning.  I swear by more expensive and creative blends in spices!  It makes EVERYTHING taste so much better, and this one was shrimp-tastic!

** (cherry tomatoes on the side not shown)

Tomorrow I hope to talk about one of my favorite fitness authors, Timothy Ferriss.  His book 4 Hour Body, is a great HUGE book on everything you need to know to be fit and healthy with the least amount of effort or money spent.  To be continued...

Happy Tuesday!

Another Day Another Climb

Happy Sunday!

Today was a fun climb up Mt. Bierstadt with two gym buddies!  I love hiking with people, let me know if you ever want to join.  The offer will stand indefinitely.

We started VERY early, which made for some beautiful early morning colors on the surrounding mountains:

Here, we made it to the top and someone brought up a homemade sign!  

I was rushed in the morning (which is not my style), so it was a good thing I pre-made yogurt, strawberries, granola, and cinnamon.  Good protein and fat for staying power, and strawberries help the body recover and produce quick energy.  I munched and drove.

We had a great time and the weather was relatively warm for such a late-season hike, although there was some wind at the top...to be expected!  Unfortunately, the views weren't fantastic because of the fires (in Idaho and Washington?)...but still sooo worth it!

I snacked/ate quite a bit this afternoon because I ate some food, but it didn't stay with me long!  Among the list--an apple, protein bar, yogurt, granola, and a great salad with roasted delicata squash.

Sorry about the lighting!  You can see I made it with romaine, beet greans, fried kale, shaved parmesan, walnuts, and delicata bits with balsamic vinegar on top.  A very interesting mixture, but very satisfying.  Then I ate a cookie my roommate baked.  What a tasty end!

About delicata squash...here are some great reasons to like this squash.  By roasting it in the oven at 400 with olive oil (until soft), you can create a sweet, soft squash AND eat the skin as well!  I love squash but HATE peeling the hard exterior.  But not with this squash!  It is so tasty and you can make it with so many different flavors.

As I sit here, I may still be hungry...even though I had greek yogurt for breakfast and 2 protein bars, perhaps I didn't eat enough.  Usually protein and fat help me stay full much longer!