Pumpkin Pancakes and Greek Quinoa Recipes :)

It’s the weekend! And it’s fall! That means two things:

1. It is menu planning and meal prep time, and
2. Pumpkin flavored everything is everywhere... including my pancakes J

In terms of weekend food prep, I’ve got a pretty good Saturday routine down. Sleep in, eat, gym with my mom, eat, grocery shop, eat, food prep, and then, obviously, eat again. This weekend, however, I switched it up a bit and included a couple new recipes in my menu, so it required a little extra shopping time. I also had to prep all my food around a kitchen window renovation, so things were a little slower than usual. I had to leave a couple things until today, but finally have got it all prepped and packed, and done! Whoot whoot! All ready for the week.

This weekend I also made two different kinds of post-workout pumpkin pancakes. And both were yummy! Pumpkin puree just has a way of making baking rich, lush and delicious. And, even though it's available all year, it just seems to fit the best with fall.

The first was based on my basic Cinnamon Zucchini Protein Pancake with Vanilla Icing, but with a ¼ cup of canned pumpkin puree added to the batter, and a tablespoon of pumpkin added to the icing. The second creation was adding a ¼ cup of canned pumpkin puree to my Chocolate Zucchini Protein Pancake with Chocolate Icing. Mmmmm, the additional moisture added from the pumpkin made the pancake very dense, and in the absence of cinnamon, the pumpkin flavor really came out, and paired well with the peanut butter and bananas on top. What a delicious way to get in those post-workout carbs and protein!

After opening up a big can of pumpkin and only using ¼ cup at a time, it lasts awhile, so I have been trying it out in different things. Pumpkin works really well in yogurt with some oats, walnuts, bananas, cinnamon and maple syrup. Pretty much autumn in a bowl J This has been my new bedtime snack for the past week. I also tried it out in an oatmeal cookie. While the execution of baking the cookie went a little awry (I tried frying it like a pancake because I didn’t want to wait for it to bake in the oven), it still tasted really good- especially with some chunky peanut butter on top! I based this creation on this recipe from the Powercakes website, but I used a chopped up Brownie Questbar as chocolate chips instead. It all came together quite nicely.

 

I am always looking for new ways to use pumpkin in baking or recipes, so let me know if you have other ideas J

I have also been using the fall weekends to build and experiment with other recipes as well. One of my new go-tos for a weekday meal has been a spanakopita/ Greek inspired quinoa bake. I based this recipe off of a side dish my girlfriend Leanna used to make, but made a couple changes to make sure that it included the right amount of carbs and protein I needed for a mid-morning snack. I also started baking it as a casserole so I could easily slice and package up individual servings to heat and eat at work. It’s a pretty simple recipe with only a few ingredients, but is full of flavor and can be adapted to suit any macros or particular tastes. Enjoy!

Spanakopita Quinoa Bake

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

·         240g uncooked quinoa

·         1 bunch (about 6) green onions

·         3-4 cloves of raw garlic (or to taste- I like a little bit more)

·         300g raw spinach (about one of the big boxes)

·         ½ bunch of fresh dill

·         ½-1 lemon, juiced

·         1 ½ cups egg whites

·         To taste- black pepper and garlic powder

·         1 ½ cup dry cottage cheese

Instructions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
2. Dice up green onions and garlic. Sautee in a pan sprayed with Pam.
3. Once onions and green onions are soft, add in spinach to wilt. Remove from heat.
4. Stir fresh dill and lemon juice into onion, garlic and spinach mixture. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, mix egg whites, pepper, and garlic powder together.
6. Add cooked quinoa to egg mixture. Mix well.
7. Add spinach mixture to quinoa and egg mixture.
8. Pour into sprayed baking dish.
9. Sprinkle cottage cheese on top.
10. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes or until egg is set and cottage cheese is melted.
11. Remove from oven. Let cool. Slice and serve or slice and store for an easy, re-heatable meal later.

This dish turned out really good! The combo of the garlic, onions, fresh dill and lemon really gives it that Greek-inspired flavor, while the quinoa and cottage cheese provide the carbs and protein to make it a satisfying meal. Options to switch it up a bit include using feta with (or instead of) the cottage cheese, swapping the quinoa with another grain for variety (I’m sure rice would work well!), add different vegetables (like peppers or sundried tomatoes) or change the herb (maybe some oregano?). Endless clean possibilities. Try it out and lemme know what you come up with!

 

XOXO

Jen

TBB Does Vegas!!

Last week I went on a trip of a lifetime! Yes, I’ve been to Vegas many times before (for my stagette, with the hubby, with my sister, etc), but this time was different. This I went with my coach and over 20 other beautiful TBB ladies! We came from everywhere! BC, Alberta, Ontario, Rhode Island, and Florida! Some came to compete at the WBFF Worlds show, some came for photo shoots and we all came to support each other. What an amazing team J I may have come home with one less pair of pants (I lost them somewhere out in the desert), one less curling iron, and a couple more pounds, but what a fun/ exciting/ nerve-wracking/ tiring/ once-in-a-lifetime trip! Here’s the breakdown...

 

Tuesday: Travel day

 

A week in Vegas requires a lot of prep. In the weeks leading up to the trip, I spent quite a bit of time not only planning out all my outfits (a couple for going out, some for photo shoots, something to wear (and sleep in) post-spray tan, workout gear, bathing suits, etc), but also putting together a meal plan that I could easily prep, execute and transport around Vegas. This meant figuring out what I could (and couldn’t pack) and what I would need to buy there. This also meant figuring out how to get everything into one suitcase. The verdict? Two suitcases. In any case, after paying more ridiculous “extra fees” on top of my “cheap” Allegiant flight, we were off!! I travelled down with two of my lovely teammate, Brandi and Ami J Once we got to Vegas and settled into the hotel room, we took a cab over to Whole Foods, which, conveniently, is just past the end of the strip, and picked up some fresh produce and protein for the week. Back in the room, we all did some food prep, went to the gym to get our cardio in, and then all passed out by 10. I know, crazy night in Vegas.

Tuesday: Travel day! Food is always the top priority!

Wednesday: Settling in

I pretty much had Wednesday to myself since, unlike many of the other ladies, I wasn’t doing any shoots that day. It was nice to sleep in a bit, hit the gym for some weights and cardio, prep more food, and then spend some time down at the pool. It gave me a chance just to slow down, rest up and prepare for a busy Thursday.

 

Wednesday- Settling in. Gym, food and sun-- everything I need in life :)

 

Thursday: What this has all been about

This was it! This is what I had been working toward. This was the ultimate goal! A shoot with Paul Buceta. Paul. Buceta. Open any issue of Oxygen magazine and you’ll see his name and pictures on every page. He is, without a doubt, one of the best fitness photographers in the world… and I got to shoot with him J

Thursday was a crazy day though! First, it was over to the Aria to get hair and makeup done by the fabulous ladies of 2 Chicks and Some Lipstick. Lori and Valeria were so much fun! It was such a pleasure just to meet them both, let alone get my hair and makeup done by them.

Then, it was out to the desert for a group shoot. Despite being to Vegas countless times, I realized I had never even been too far off the strip before. This was such a great opportunity to really get out there and see the desert. It was stunning. And, with storm clouds and lightening in the background (luckily we didn’t get rained on), the landscape was breath taking. After getting in a few different shots, it was time to load up and get back to the hotel for the shoot with Paul.

I didn’t know what to expect, but it all unfolded nicely J First off, he’s awesome. It was really easy to feel comfortable in front of the camera with him behind it. The time went by fast and I got some really great shots. I also definitely had the, Is this seriously my life right now?? Never in my wildest dream would I have thought I would have had this opportunity to shoot with Paul. It has inspired and motivated me to keep pushing, to keep at it, and to keep dreaming. I will shoot with him again, and next time I will come back bigger and better. I told him so.

Thursday: Photo shoot shots!

After the shoot, Ami and I celebrated by going out for a couple delectable little treats- champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and chocolate covered pretzels. Damn you, Jean Philippe Patisserie, you will be the end of me. I also celebrated with a protein pancake covered in an unmeasured amount of Nuttzo and bananas. Cray cray!!

Then, that night, all the ladies (who weren’t competing the next day) went out for a night out on the town! Whoo hoo hoo!

 

Thursday: Post-photo shoot treats :)

 

 

Friday:  Rest and recovery

With all the scheduled shoots out of the way, Friday was a bit of a rest and recovery day for me. Again, I spent it sleeping in, hitting the gym and then laying by the pool. In essence, the perfect vacation day for me.

 

Friday: Rest and recovery

 

Friday was also awesome because the hubby was coming down to join me J J Yay! I was so happy to see him. He support me so much and we have both been so crazy and busy with just everything that has been going on this summer that it was nice to have a little time out and spend some time together. Obviously this time together involved a couple of treats. Upon his arrival we had crab cakes, pizza, wine and, for be, a nice big bowl of frozen yogurt and candy J Hahaha, some things never change.

 

Saturday: Show day!

One of the original reasons behind the trip in the first place was the WBFF Worlds show. This is one of the biggest shows of its kind with competitors from all around the world! I was excited to not only cheer on my teammates competing, but also to see all of the other fitness models that I have been following in the magazines and online over the years. I watched the show in amazement. The guys (omg, the guys!) and the girls!! Wow. Just the dedication and hard work represented on that stage was inspiring. And this isn’t just any old show, this is one of the biggest and the best. There’s the glitziest of the glitzy bikinis, sparkly evening gowns and even theme wear. Wow! Everything over the top and spectacular. Watching the show made me start thinking about my own competition plans… Hmmm…

 

Saturday: Show day! Pics from the WBFF Worlds

I also got to meet Andreia Brazier. She has been one of my biggest fit-spirations over the year. And, there she was. She also placed first :)

 

 

 

Sunday: Pool party!

Sunday was spent poolside (and in the pool) at Wet Republic. After months of prepping, and food plans and training, it was time party it up VIP style! The afternoon was filled with a little drinking, some dancing and a lot of fun. I love these ladies!!

 

Sunday: Funday!! Me with the hubby, my coach, a big bottle of vodka and some teammates

 

More Sunday Funday! Me with Paul Buceta, and teammates Heather and Ami. I heart these ladies!!

After a nap and cleaning ourselves up a little, the hubby and I went out for a very nice dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s Steakhouse. That Gordon Ramsay, I’ll tell ya, he knows a thing or two about running a nice restaurant. He should think about getting his own show (or four). Seriously, I cannot say enough great things about the amazing experience we had at the restaurant. Every detail, every morsel of food, everything, was just divine! I even ordered off menu (I’m not a meat person), and had a “vegetarian wellington.” It was superb!

Sunday Dinner: Sooooo good!



 

Monday: Leaving Las Vegas

After stocking up on a couple more off-plan treats (in the form of candy) for the plane ride, Monday was spent traveling home. We ended the vacation with one more dinner out, sushi, and then got right back at it.

 

Up next!

Tuesday I fell right back into my routine, prepped all my meals and got back to the gym. Vegas was fun, but I am happy to be back at it.

Competition wise, I am still figuring it out. I’m probably, probably, done for this year. When I compete again, I was to come with something different. I want to come back with something bigger and better. I’m learning that this takes time. Time I’ve got. I am committed to keep at it and see where I end up.

Training and diet wise, I’m keeping up with that too. Some people have asked me if I’m “taking a break” or “easing up a bit.” Breaking from what? I love what I am doing and how it makes me feel. Yep, it can be a lot of work planning and preparing and sometimes it’s nice to have a break from all of that, but a break from training and eating clean?? No way! My body and my mind are craving it. Putting in this time and effort to properly fuel and condition my body is treating it. I want to keep at it. I need to keep at it.

Other plans? This summer has just been so busy. From moving, to Napa, to Chicago and then Vegas, the past couple of months have been a whirlwind! Moving into the fall things should start to calm down a bit more and I really want to focus on building a bigger and better me. What does that mean? Well, a couple different things, but nothing that I am ready to reveal yet. Something has started, and this is only the beginning. I can’t wait to see what’s up next! If anyone had told me what this past year was going to be like 12 months ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. That makes me excited to see what will happen next!!

XOXO

Jen

Flipping Pancakes and Packing Up

Hey-oh! It’s the weekend! Time for some rest and relaxation, the gym, and pancakes of course! For me, however, this weekend, I only get two out of those three things.

Next weekend I’m moving out of my condo, so this weekend has been spent making arrangements and packing. Ugh. Feels like a never ending process. In the span of a week, we went from spending our Saturday night living (and eating) the high life in the city to shopping at Walmart in Surrey. Ha. How things got real- fast. Oh moving, I hate you so much.
 
Despite all the packing, the organizing, the cleaning and doing everything else that goes into moving, I’m still making it to the gym, and even started a brand new training program this today (which, as a side note, was insane! During my leg work out I was seriously sweating through my eyeballs and am pretty sure I will not be able to walk tomorrow… or even tonight.  I can already feel the soreness/ stiffness coming on- which I love. I know I did something right). Whoot whoot! #makingithappen Operation Bigger, Better, Stronger is now into full effect. The countdown is on. I have 65 days (9 weeks) until Vegas and I will be using each and every one of those days, hours, and minutes building my body so I can bring my best.

Every second, minute, hour, bigger, better, stronger, power! #thatpower



 

Repping it out at (well, resting between sets when I took the picture)

on the Smith machine

Yes, I am now following the creed of Will.I.Am and Justin Bieber... not sure if that’s better or worse that Enrique. You tell me.

As of last night (after a final trip to Menchies), I am back into competition prep mode. No, I’m not training for a show, but am preparing for a photo shoot and the look I want to create will take my complete focus and dedication over the next two months. But that’s okay, I do well in crunch times. I will confess, I will be taking two breaks or ‘off times’ during this prep. The first break will be when I go to Napa at the end of month for my dear friend Katherine’s stagette. While I can keep up with my training and eat (fairly) clean while away, I simply cannot go to Napa and not do a wine tour, right? I am pretty sure I’d be banned from ever returning if I didn’t drink at least some wine while there J And then the second break will be when the hubs and I hit Chicago in the middle of July (one month out from Vegas). Again, I can’t go to Chicago and not eat pizza. I’d be run out of the town for sure!! Plus, we have already bought tickets for a pizza and cocktails tour which will undoubtedly be amazing!! I heart Chicago. It’s really one of the best cities. Here’s a pic from our last trip there.

Our reflection in the Bean

 

 

Other than that though, no excuses. I’ve already scoped out post-move gym options in the new ‘hood, I’ll be prepping all of my meals for the weekend of the move, and I will do what it takes to keep up with my training schedule. I’m making it happen.

Somehow within all the chaos going on because of the move, I created and tried out a new pancake recipe yesterday morning. After being phased out of my competition prep food plan in March, bananas are (temporarily) back on the menu. And, in homage to the Chunky Monkey cupcake I inhaled/ ate last weekend, I wanted to try to make a banana pancake. It turned out yummy. Here’s the recipe:

Chunky Monkey Banana Pancakes

Ingredients (for 1 serving)
 
Pancake:

• 1/3 cup/ 30g oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 17g vanilla protein powder (I used a whey based powder, but you can use whatever you like. Be aware, however, each powder and brand had different absorption so you may need to adjust the amount)
• 50g/ half a banana
• ¼ egg whites

Vanilla Icing:

• 2 TBSP non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 TBSP/ 7g vanilla casein

Directions

1. Mix the three dry pancake ingredients today until well blended.
2. Mush the banana into the egg whites (you can keep the banana chunky or puree it right in- your preference).
3. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4. Pour batter into a pre-heated sprayed pan.
5. Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side. Flip. Cook 2-3 minutes on the other side.
6. While the pancake in cooking, make the icing by mixing the yogurt and casein together.
7. Once the pancake is cooked through, top with the icing while still warm.

 

I also added some chunky peanut butter (which I just rediscovered- OMG, amazing!) on the top of mine with the icing. While it was a little dry (next time I might add a couple of tablespoons of milk to the batter), it was still really yummy with the peanut butter and bananas- one of my favorite combos.

I also want to try it with a little chocolate next time. I thought about it for this recipe (and seriously spent way too long debating whether or not to add it in), but in the end wanted the vanilla flavoring more. If I were to add in the chocolate, I would either add a tablespoon of cocoa to the batter or make chocolate icing instead of the vanilla. Or, if your diet permits it, you could also add in a couple chocolate chips, or make a chocolate sauce. The possibilities are endless. See, I told you I thought about it for a long time).

 

Okay, enough about pancakes and back to the packing. Ugh. Seriously, how do I have so much junk??

XOXO

Jen

WIAW... With a Weekend Hangover :(

It’s WIAW! Here’s what I ate today:

 

 

M1: Zucchini cake porridge with coconut oil and cottage cheese

M2: Yam, oat and egg bake topped with coconut oil

M3: Chicken chili with melted cottage cheese

M4: Broccoli salad with tuna, avocado and cucumber and some (okay, a lot of) sriracha (I like it hot!) 

M5: Chicken with rice, veggies and Bragg's soy seasoning (it's like soy sauce without all the added junk)

M6: Apple with almond butter and yogurt mixed with casein

 

All good, and all easy to pull together. I had the porridge from last weekend's batch, meals 2 and 3 came from the freezer, and I had prepped and portioned out everything for meals 4 and 5 at the beginning of the week. Everyday it's just grab and go. #noexcuses

 

This Wednesday comes after what can only be described as a weekend "food bender." In the same way a drug addict relapses, for a 24 hour period over the weekend I went a little (okay, a lot) off the rails- all the while knowing what I was doing wasn’t right, but not being able to do anything about it.

 

It all started out innocently enough. The hubby and I had planned a little weekend “away” in the city to celebrate some recent (and not so recent) milestones. First, since my birthday falls on the shortest day of the year (December 21), he had planned a summer birthday weekend for me on the longest day of the year (June 21). But, after unexpectedly and suddenly selling our condo and having to be out within a couple weeks, we bumped up our weekend away, and combined it with his birthday dinner since we didn't celebrate it too much back in May while I was in between competitions (and dinners out were out of the question). Anyway, lots to celebrate!! Yay! Plans included a night in a downtown hotel and a dinner at Gotham, one of Vancouver's best (if not the best) steakhouses. After starting with a bottle of wine at the hotel, all (food) bets were off.

Enjoying a glass (cup?) of wine 36 floors above the city

Enjoying a rather cloudy view

By the time we got to the restaurant, we were in full on indulgence mode. No extravagance was spared... and it was all worth it. It was martini (after martini), savoury appetizers, saucy entrees and cheesy sides. All so delicious, but way too much.  

 

The whole dining experience was everything that I miss while in competition prep and a great way to take some time out and celebrate with the hubby. Life is good :)

On Sunday, with slight food hangovers, we woke up ready to explore the city. Coffees in hand, we ignored the rain and took a walk around Coal Harbour. Such a beautiful part of the city, even on a dull, dark morning. We ended up at a café for a yummy brunch, then headed down to English Bay once the sun came out. Before reaching the beach, however, we made one more stop- at the Cupcake store- and this is when things really started to go sideways. Even with the intention to go in a just buy one little treat to share, we (actually, I will take full responsibility), walked out with SIX (6!!) cupcakes. Once down at the beach, while sitting in the sun, we got our cupcake on... and when I say we, I mean, Bryan took a bite of one, and I ate two others. Ugh. So out of control. And so delicious.

After eating two cupcakes, I didn't think I would be able to eat another ever again, but obviously I ate a third later that afternoon :( But that was it. The rest went to the in-laws for dessert.

Monday morning, in a pool of self-loathing and suffering from severe sugar withdrawal, I did what I had to do and got my @$$ back into the gym at 6am to sweat out all the excess and indulgence.

The good news is I am back on track and focused. In between work, going to showings (that's right, we're moving out of our place in two weeks and still haven't bought anything), and packing, I've been making to the gym and keeping up with my training schedule. Sometimes that means getting up at 5:30 to get it in before work, sometimes that means hitting the gym before and after work to get it all in, and sometimes that means going to showings with my hair slicked back in a sweaty bun (great first impression, I know). My food for the week has been planned, prepped and portioned and I'm sticking with it. I feel like I hit my rock bottom and am now back on top. I have some really amazing opportunities coming up and nothing, nothing, not even a cupcake, will get in my way of me bringing my best. There'll be a couple planned treats (like a wine tour in Napa in June and a pizza tour in Chicago in July), but my eyes are on the prize. What's the prize?? Ha, that's a secret for now, but watch out, BIG dreams are coming true!!

XOXO
Jen
 

It’s a new dawn, a new day and a new week!! For a Monday (and for a morning for that matter), I was feeling unusually good!



Sunrise on the way to work this morning!
Hopefully a sign of things to come this week
#shinebrightlikeadiamond today!

After feeling a little crazy/ overwhelmed last week, I am starting to feel back in control and excited for what the next two weeks will bring. Things are starting to fall into place.

 

For the photo shoot on Saturday, I have my hair, makeup, nail, threading and tanning appointments all booked. And, for the show next, next weekend, I have my hair, makeup, waxing and tanning appointments all booked as well. Yes, it actually takes that much work, and that many people to make me look presentable. In the weeks leading up to a show, things aren’t pretty (again, my poor husband). Preparing for a show is like planning a wedding! There are so many details to coordinate! I still need to figure out the timelines/ schedules for the days of the event, transportation, food options/ menu planning, purchase tickets for the show, pick out outfits and pack up my bag. Seriously, I didn’t put this much time or energy into my own wedding! But, while it is a lot to do (and a lot of expense!), it is all worth it. This is when it starts to all come together. This is when you start to see all the hard work, sacrifice and time and energy invested manifest into what you have been envisioning for months every time you pumped out one more set, or said no to a dinner invite, or passed out on the couch before 10pm. This is the fun part :)

 

A quick weekend wrap up: Sleep ins, protein pancakes, workouts, dinner with (both sets) of parents (and when I say dinner, I mean, I brought my own Tupperware filled with clean eats- which I eat out of off my grandma’s china), Sunday food prep and quality time with the hubby. What more can a girl ask for?

 

I tried a new protein pancake recipe this weekend. Out of zucchini, I subbed in shredded beets to make a chocolate beet pancake. Here’s the recipe:

  

Chocolate Beet Protein Pancake with Vanilla Icing

 

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):

 

Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 TBSP cocoa (or to taste)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 50g shredded beets (zapped in the microwave for 45 secs)
• 2 TBSP skim milk
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 7g vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil

 

Directions:

1. Mix the oats, protein powder and cocoa together.
2. Add in egg whites and milk. Mix well. Add in beets and walnuts.
3. Pour into a pre-heated, frying pan coated with a non-stick spray. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 3 minutes (or until done).
4. To make the icing, stir together yogurt, protein powder, and coconut oil.
5. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

 

It was good! A little less sweet, and more “earthy” if you will, than the zucchini pancake, but still delicious- especially with a little prune chia jam on top. It is also carb and protein packed which I needed after a tough shoulder and tri workout!

 

Only 18 days out! The countdown is on!!

XOXO
J

Bustin' a Move Three (3!!) Weeks Out and Weekend Wrap Up

Whoa! What a weekend! While I usually use the weekends to focus on fitness, getting in a couple really good workouts, this weekend was on a totally different level. On Saturday I participated in the BC Bust a Move for Breast Health- a fundraiser I have been raising money for over the past year. I started fundraising for events like these a few years ago after a very close friend, Leanna, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Together Leanna and I raised money to do the Walk to End Women’s Cancer in 2010 and 2011. The Walk was a 60K course around Vancouver over 2 days (with a night camping out in tents in between- not my usual style ;)). The first time we did it, Leanna was literally in the middle of chemeo. We walked all day Saturday and Sunday, and she went in for treatment Monday. I spent most of the time telling her to slow down and take a break because I couldn’t keep up. To say that her strength and determination was inspiring is an understatement. In 2011, we raised even more money, and were signed up to participate again. Unfortunately, a couple weeks before the Walk, Leanna was hospitalized due to complications with her treatment. In the end, she was unable to participate. While I knew she was in rough shape, I really didn’t know or believe how bad she really was. During the Walk (which I completed with her friends and family keeping me company throughout the different parts of the course), Leanna got worse, and eventually passed away the next evening. That weekend was such a physical and emotional drain. After the 2011 Walk, they discontinued the Walk and introduced the Bust a Move event, which I signed up for, alone, as a way to keep Leanna’s fight alive. While I was excited for this new event, I also knew it’d be filled with a lot of memories and emotion- and it was! But not like I expected.

In January I approached my training team and coach about participating in this event, I thought maybe, since this was a fitness event, a couple of the ladies were already signed up and we could go together. Never, ever, did I expected six of them to sign up and take on the fundraising themselves! And, never, ever, did I expect other members of our team to be so generous with their support and their hearts!! Sharing this event, and this aspect of my life with those ladies, meant so much to me. Instead of being sad about loss, I was motivated by strength and support. I can never thank them enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Even better, together we raised over $7000 and the Blessed Bodies team had a blast while bustin’ some moves and kickin’ some ass. Donning blonde wigs and white wings, we got our exercise on doing Zumba, pilates and yoga, hip hop, tabata, Bollywood, and, the highlight- Tommy Europe’s SHRED bootcamp! It. Was. Awesome!

Planking it out during Bootcamp



Refueling competition prep style in between classes



Team Blessed Bodies wigs and wings costume :)

We even got a team pic with Tommy himself… and then I got one with him on my own :)

 

 

 

What a hottie, right? He’s not too bad either :)

Sharing this day with such an amazing group of ladies was so special to me. Team Blessed Bodies has already signed up for next year, so watch out!!

 

That was Saturday. Sunday was more like usual- full of a morning workout, protein pancake(s) (yes, I ate two in one day... I missed my Saturday pancake), and food prep for the week.

Overall, things are starting to get more intense. With only 20 more days until the show (and 13 to my first photo shoot!), there is a lot to do. I need to book and confirm times for hair, makeup, tanning and nail appointments for both the shoot and the show, to start planning the day-of-show timeline (the show starts at 9am- so early!) and keep up with my full training schedule (on top of working full time). My training program for the month just got switched up as well, which is great, but means new routines/ moves to learn and get used to. I’m excited though! Big changes ahead- I know it!

XOXO
J

Interested in learning more about Bust a Move and breast health? Check out their site here.

Weekend Wrap Up and Protein Pancake Recipes

After a crazy busy long weekend last weekend (including a friend’s birthday dinner downtown, a bikini appointment, a massage therapy session, two Easter dinners, posing practice and a full day of food prep- on top on my regular training schedule), I was really looking forward to this weekend full of no plans J No plans = dreamy. No plans means I can sleep in, take my time at the gym, make my food when I want, and spend some time with the hubby.

Saturday went like this: Sleep in, eat, gym time (interspersed with eating), eat, Homeland marathon (interspersed with eating), bed.

Sunday went like this: Sleep in, eat, gym time (interspersed with eating), eat, Homeland, food prep, eat, final Homeland, bed.  

See a theme?

My weekend in pictures:

Vanilla and chocolate protein pancakes

At the gym refueling between workouts

My adorable husband- isn't he cute?

 

All my #favouritethings in life!

Both mornings (as all weekend mornings do) started with protein pancakes. I love me some protein pancakes, and this weekend both recipes were both soooo delicious. Each started with the same base (oats, protein powder, and egg whites), but different flavours, add-ins and toppings were used. There are soooo many protein pancake recipes out there, but these are the ones I have created to fit my nutritional requirements.

Zucchini Protein Pancake with Vanilla Icing

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):
Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 46g shredded zucchini
• 2 TBSP skim milk
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 5g vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil

 

Directions:

1. Mix the oats, protein powder and cinnamon together.
2. Add in egg whites and milk. Mix well. Add in zucchini and walnuts.
3. Pour into a pre-heated, sprayed frying pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 3 minutes (or until done).
4. To make the icing, stir together yogurt, coconut oil and protein powder.
5. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

Per serving: 386 cals; 11g fat; 34g carb; 38g protein

Super simple, but utterly delicious! This was sooo good. The yogurt based vanilla icing was almost like cream cheese icing and it even started melting into the warm pancake. In addition to the icing, I also topped with a spoonful of homemade chia jam. It was like eating cake... without the guilt.

That was Saturday morning. Sunday morning, I made something similar, but chocolate-ed it up!

 

Chocolate Zucchini Protein Pancake with Chocolate Icing

Ingredients (for 1 large pancake):
Pancake:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 20g chocolate whey protein powder
• 2 tsp cocoa (or to taste)
• ¼ cup egg whites
• 46g shredded zucchini
• 2 TBSP skim milk
• 5g walnut pieces

Icing:

• 2 TBSP fat free Greek yogurt
• 5g chocolate protein powder
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp cocoa 

Directions:

1. Mix the oats, protein powder and cocoa together.
2. Add in egg whites and milk. Mix well. Add in zucchini and walnuts.
3. Pour into a pre-heated, sprayed frying pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and cook other side for 3 minutes (or until done).
4. To make the icing, stir together yogurt, protein powder, coconut oil and cocoa.
5. Ice the protein pancake with the icing and serve warm.

Per serving: 386 cals; 12g fat; 39.5g carb; 32.5 protein

Again, I ate this with chia jam on top (just to get in those chia seeds), but the icing mixes up so smooth and fudgy that it would be delicious without the jam.

I'm always looking for new ideas. Have any tried and true #proteinpancake recipes? What do you top your pancakes with? Please share!

XOXO
J