My First Time Using a Recipe vs. A Microwave

Cooking, cleaning, and caring never came easy to me. I decided at young age that I was going to be rich and famous so I would of course have a cook, maid, chauffeur, masseuse, etc. That's still the plan but in the meantime I think I'd like a more serene living space. And it might be okay if I'm able to feed my children...

I've been having a great time keeping up with Paleo, Fitness, and Healthy Lifestyle Blogs. This week I tried out two recipes. That's two more than I've ever attempted before. 

Both recipes are Grain, Dairy and Sugar Free.

First I made Coconut Flour "Oatmeal" from Katie Did's blog. (She is an awesome Paleo Eater, Crossfit Monster and Sweet Photographer.)

The only variation I made was to add ground flax seed and honey as a topping and I omitted the peaches. I've been having the toughest time avoiding sugar but this was a sweet treat and I even felt like I was eating carbs again. I don't miss them but it was a nice texture. 

That was so much fun that I decided to try something a bit more ambitious. Protein Thin Mint Cookies from the awesome sisters of Purely Twins. I used Variation #5 No Carob. I struggled with this creation a bit. I decided to buy new measuring cups because I rely heavily on them! The cookies didn't turn out that great since I kept screwing with the amounts of ingredients. Instead of throwing in the towel I got creative and turned the runny mint chocolate soup into balls by adding Crunchy Flax Cereal, Flax Seed and Shredded Coconut. Voila! Delicious!

Making treats in the kitchen turned out to be a fun, calming, enlightening experience for me! For the first time I was able to hear both my husband and mom say, "Wow Blaze, that actually tastes good!" Maybe one day I'll be so good that they'll take out the "actually"... 

Do you enjoy cooking? Where do you find your favorite recipes?

It burns so good! Work it, Sweet Thing!

This week's workouts have felt so GOOD! My legs are so sore today that I can't stop smiling.

In 2010 I was pregnant with my son, Lyric. To stay in shape I did Denise Austin's Fit & Firm Pregnancy DVD. It had separate  workouts for each trimester and had a cardio workout I did for the whole nine+ months. Plus she had this weird gravely voice that didn't match her perky peroxide persona. I felt like I was being coached by a retired cheerleader who smoked 2 packs a day. Amusing.

In 2011 I was pregnant with my daughter, Jazz. To stay in shape I took care of Lyric and...well that's about it. Throughout both pregnancies I gigged quite a bit so those counted as a workout since I was on my feet singing and dancing for hours.

Now it's 2012 and my uterus is baby free, people! I can move like a foxy little minx again! I can ride roller coasters and sleep on my tummy without endangering any lives. Best of all I can break a sweat EXERCISING!

This week's workouts are:

1. Body For Life Weight Training.

Years back I joined a friend in the BFL diet/exercise program. I half assed the diet but still saw almost immediate results from the workouts. I feel that my cardio is good right now from chasing my 1.5 year old around all day. My upper body is getting toned by the second since I'm lifting and bouncing 25 and 12.5 pound weights all day long! (My kids) So I'm focusing on the lower body workout. It's so helpful for me to go to the gym knowing exactly what I'll be doing. Here's a look at the sheet to follow.

2. Purely Twins Plank Workout

Purely Twins is an awesome blog I follow. They are super fit twin sisters that blog about fitness and food. Mostly vegan/gluten free recipes. They recently posted a video they made of a plank workout. It looked easy until I tried it and after about 15 seconds I was sweating shaking and had to stop. Wow. For now I'm modifying the workout to 10-15 second intervals until I'm stronger. It's great. Try it!

3. Zumba

This week I'll be going to my first Zumba class! Thank you Groupon. Dance and Exercise are on the Top 5 of the "Things That Make Blaze SUPER EFFING HAPPY" list so I'm sure I'll instantly love it. I'll let you guys know next week when I post about new workouts.

What are doing to keep in shape? Have you tried Zumba? Was it fun or silly?