Fast Food

As I mentioned in my Fast Style post I have been pretty busy. I haven't really made any interesting food lately and have actually been eating insane amounts of stir fry.

Stir fry has pretty much become my go to meal on busy days. I usually just buy sliced meat (either steak, pork, or chicken) so I don't have to cut it myself. Then I throw in whatever frozen stir fry blend I have in the freezer as I always have some sort of stir fry blend. I then put in whatever seasonings I am in the mood for and a low calorie sauce (usually chili garlic sauce or ginger dressing...yum).

I like doing this because I usually have to make multiple meals all at once so it is really easy this way because I can just make a HUGE batch.


Also you can make it different every time to keep it interesting. If you can find sauces made by Walden Farms they are really great for this. Oh, and shrimp and tofu stir fry are great too!!

Workout Song of the Week!!

Haven't posed a song in a few weeks but I haven't really been listening to anything new. I do love this song by Dev that I recently downloaded but I love Dev in general. Anyhow, since sharing is caring here go's....

 

Fast Style

So I have been crazy busy lately. I recently started a new job and will be transferring to a different university in the fall (majoring in nutrition). Hence, I have been away from the blog for a bit. I thought I would share my favorite quick hair/makeup for those of you that are busy bee's like me.

Usually when I don't have time to do a lot of makeup I just choose like three things to focus on (not including foundation). Lately it has been just liner, lipstick, and lashes. It's simple and fast so it works for me.

With my hair I usually sleep with it in bantu knots then do some sort of quick style (usually involving tons of pins). Above I basically just pinned up one side all the way to the opposite ear. So pretty much just the front of one side is left out.

I am not really big on braid-outs just because they take too much time to take out so I never really do them. I do my bantu knots without doing two strand twists first since I know some people do theirs that way. That is also too time consuming for me and I like them just fine without doing the two strand twists.

I had used Pravana Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner beforehand and I used Jane Carter Nourish & Shine wen I did the bantu knots.

What do you (naturals) prefer? Bantu knots, braid outs, or twist outs?

Alternative: Pasta!

So....I like pasta. Way more then I probably should so I try not to really eat it too often because I can get a bit out of control. Whenever I crave pasta I usually turn to one of these alternatives. Unless I have been good that day, then I just go ahead and eat the pasta but sometimes I will have half a serving of pasta mixed in with one of these alternative choices.

Broccoli Slaw (pictured above)
Tofu Noodles (shirataki)
Zucchini or Yellow Squash sliced thin using a vegetable peeler (pictured below)
Spaghetti Squash (my favorite, yum!)

The great thing about these alternatives is you can sneak in some extra veggies. If you aren't a huge veggie fan I would suggest a mixture of whole wheat or brown rice spaghetti with baked spaghetti squash and of course delicious toppings, as always.

Avocado Shake

YUMM! I used to make these constantly but I didn't for a long time. Mainly because I go through these food obsessions then I forget all about them for a while. I had completely forgotten how creamy and yummy avocado shakes were. I don't use ice but you can if you like, I hate ice :-|


Ingredients:
1/2 an avocado
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
sweetener (optional)
ice (optional)

Directions:
Chop the avocado in small pieces. Put all ingredients into the blender and blend until creamy.

Stats: 280 calories, 18g fat, 15g carbs, 18g protein, 4.5g sugar

All gone :(

Fun with BSN

 Got samples of a few BSN Products I have been wanting to try. I got Amino X, Syntha-6, and two different flavors of N.O-Xplode 2.0. I will write a review most likely only for the N.O-Xplode. This is just because with BCAA's I probably wouldn't be able to give a good opinion on Amino X until I had been using it for awhile. I did use that sample already and what I can say about it is that I definitely noticed a difference as far as strength and endurance when I used it. It also tasted really good although I didn't notice much of the effervescence for some reason.   

Also, I would write a full review for the Syntha-6 but I already used that sample to make this yummyness.
<< Frosted Sweet Potato Pancake :)
I found this recipe here on the Oxygen website.
The Syntha-6 tasted really good in this recipe. The sample I had was Vanilla Ice Cream.



Anyhow, just thought I would share. I should be trying the N.O-Xplode sometime this week but it may be later.







Do you use/like pre-workout supplements?
If so, which ones?

Workout Songs of the Week!

I usually post the workout song for the week on the weekend but I am so obsessed with this song I couldn't wait! My sis also made an awesome suggestion and she knows how much I love LMFAO so I included that also. So extra musical goodies :) ENJOY!

Better Brownies

YES...I am very obsessed with protein brownies! A few days ago I decided to tweak the brownie recipe that I posted here a while back and this is what I came up with. This brownie was more moist then the last one and has frosting!! In my book frosting > no frosting...always.

 

Ingredients

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 egg white

3 tbsp almond milk (or any milk you like to use)

1-2 packets stevia or other sweetener

pinch of baking powder

splash of vanilla

Directions

Put 3/4 of the protein powder in the blender along with all other ingredients and blend. Pour mixture into a square container and microwave for about 2 minutes on high (or until middle is set). Meanwhile, put remaining 1/4 scoop of protein powder in a small container. Add a small amount of water and stir. Continue adding water until you get a consistency similar to frosting. When brownie is cooked top with frosting!! Yum

Stats: 340 calories, 35g protein, 36g carbs, 6g fat, 5g sugar

The stats may seem high but the brownie is HUGE. You could always cut it in half or adjust the recipe if you wish.

Fall Facial

This is my first SPA:D.I.Y post and I wanted to just share a super simple pumpkin facial recipe that is great on it's own or as a base that you can add to.

You only need one thing...
Pumpkin Puree!!

Pumpkin is high in vitamins A, C, Zinc, and Beta-carotene all of which are great for the skin.

This facial is also suitable for all skin types.

I usually do a quick steam facial before applying any sort of mask as it helps to open up the pores.








Directions: Wash face or wash then do a steam facial. Apply pumpkin to the skin. Leave on for at least 10 minutes then rinse off.

Additional Add-ins (optional)
Moisturizing: mashed banana, olive oil, or honey
Exfoliating: green tea leaves, ground oats, or ground almonds

Workout Song of the Week!

So I promised you a song for weight training. This was a bit difficult for me as I don't really like music while weight training. I can't get through cardio without a good playlist though. Anyhow, this song is off the most recent Disturbed album and is good for any workout that requires more intensity, like weight training. I tend to like more intense type music for weight training because is makes me feel like a beast. Although I am far from it haha. Enjoy!