{Fresh Friday}

Good morning everyone!
Happy Friday and for me it's a real happy Friday since I am off work for Fall Break.....WOOHOO! Flickr
Who wouldn't want to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a good cup of joe there?!?!

Since giving up dairy and eggs, breakfast has been a bit challenging for me. I used to eat egg beaters every morning. I am not a big oatmeal person and personally prefer to eat something kind of light.

Welcome to the TOFU SCRAMBLE~
My new breakfast friend:)
I love this because you can add anything you want and even put it all in a wrap if you prefer.
Here's what I made this am~
I use vegetable broth in the pan instead of oil. I would rather eat a handful of almonds for my fat instead of get it from the oil!Anywho....this morning I had
purple potatoes
portobello mushroom
onion
kale (one of the ultimate super foods)
tofu

Just chop everything up and throw it in a pan with some garlic, sea salt and pepper.It cooks super quick and wala......you have a super healthy breakfast full of many colors in the rainbow~

Trust me the photos don't do it justice! There was no sun this am to take better photos! Sorry~
Oh and I always start my morning with a hot cup of joe and just a titch of Sugar in the Raw.
That's the thing about health....you have to do what works for you and makes you happy!
There are many authorities that think coffee and sugar may not be so great for you and there are just as many that think it is great for you.........so just do what works for you!!
By now you have been through quite a journey with me....bicycling, running, eating, cooking etc. in my quest to become more fit and healthy!
One thing I have really learned is that
Fitness and Health are a Journey and NOT a Destination.
It's the everyday way you chose to live your life that matters.
Did you move?!?!?
How do you feel about the things you ate?!?!
How do you feel about the activities you participated in for the day?!?!
Once you start answering these questions you can start making little changes that make you more fit, healthy and ultimately healthy!

After the ride I did...I decided to once again switch things up and try plyometrics once or twice a week.....in addition to the other things I do....WOW...it is by far the most challenging workout I have ever done!

I am hoping it will make me stronger and more powerful for the next riding season! Oh and in case you haven't noticed I post my workouts on the right-hand side of the blog! In case you are ever interested in what an average girl does to stay fit! And I think it helps motivate me:) It makes me accountable..

Here are a couple dorky photos of me doing a p90x plyometric workout~(don't look at that wall....I really need to do something with it....but nothing has inspired me)
I usually do plymetrics at the gym where my friend teaches it! Unfortunately her children were super sick this week and so she had to cancel class.

Now I could have just said.....oh good I get a break....but nope I popped in the dvd and away I went! It felt great....WHEN I WAS DONE:) Even if you can't get to a gym there are a million things you can do at home to get fit or stay fit!

Just look how sweaty I got!Really glamorous:)

Whatever your goals are....just remember to do something everyday to help chip away at them! For me fitness is not about being able to run the fasted marathon, or being the skinniest girl in the room, or participating in weightlifting contests.....it's simply about being healthy and happy!!!! I do what makes me feel good:) What are your health and fitness goals?!?!

Hope you have a super happy weekend!!!!!

"A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world." ~ Paul Dudley White

{Autumn Camping}

Happy Sunday to you:)
We just got back from camping at Turkey Run State Park with our great friends this weekend!! We had sooooo much fun!
The trees were absolutely beautiful~ Our campsite rocked~ We had twinkle lights....plenty of smut to keep us girls busy.....I enjoyed lots of vino from a plastic cup!! How classy is that:) We brought lots of chili!!Vegan chili for me and white chicken chili for everyone else~The dogs played all weekend and actually got tired...I couldn't resist taking some funny photos of Ruby...I was seriously cracking up b/c Ruby actually looked like she was passed out!

All the campsites were all decked out in Halloween decor! It was so festive:)

Michelle and I were in sheer bliss..
Nevermind that we're not wearing any make-up.....to me that's the best thing about camping...you don't have to worry about what you're wearing or what you look like! Even my hubby was happy~ We had lots of candy to pass out to the trick-or-treaters....
L.C. thought she would like to sample some {I didn't let her}
Someone....I won't say who...was eating it before it was even time to pass it out....Good thing we had some left for the trick-or-treaters....we had a lot of them! Just look how cute:)All in all it was a completely wonderful weekend!!!

How was your weekend?!?!

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.” anonymous

{Fresh Friday}

Hi there...
Well here it is Friday again!! Sometimes I feel like my life is speeding along with no way to stop it:) I think I have a slight problem of always cramming too many things into a week!
Anywho ..... it's time for another healthy and super yummy recipe/food idea!!
First I should say.....it's still autumn here in Indiana and we FINALLY had a sunny day to go out and enjoy the beautiful autumn colors! Here's a preview~

The bad thing is....no matter how gorgeous autumn can be....I am a total summer girl at heart! I really try hard to enjoy all that autumn has to offer but so often I find myself dreaming of the summer!

So for this Fresh Friday I thought I would go back to summer for a moment and share a little something summer inspired and oh so tasty to eat:)

Eggplant Caprese Salad

Oh and I should say that I made this before I decided to become vegan! But I am sure there are plenty of you out there that still enjoy a little dairy! And now I would just swap out the mozzarella for tofu......yum:)Grilled eggplant
Garden Fresh Tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella
Fresh Basil
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Sea salt & pepper
Just slice, layer it all together and then add however much balsamic and olive oil you like!!!
Super simple and yet so delicious~
And how can I resist a little photo with my toes happily in the sand~How many more months till summer?!?!?! :)
Ok now back to autumn in Indiana......
Just last Sunday the morning was absolutely beautiful and so I thought it would be nice to take the girls out for a little hike in the woods! Thankfully my husband obliged! It was kind of a little chaotic walking both of them on the trails....they were in total sensory overload with all the scents!Yet was just such a happy morning...
The colors were absolutely breathtaking!
Sometimes it really is about appreciating what you have and just being in the moment! At least for that moment:)

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." ~Elwyn Brooks White

{autumn party}

Friday night we had a festive (kid friendly) autumn party. I made a hot cocoa bar for the kids, complete with sprinkles, cookies and little party favors~

I finally got to enjoy some pumpkin beer! And trust me....I really needed it to keep me calm, with all the kids running around my house! My nephew didn't want to wait for the others to arrive before he made his hot cocoa~I love how it's the simple things that make kids so happy! But he wasn't too happy when Ruby thought she should try and sample his hot cocoa~Here we are enjoying our drinks~Thank goodness it was warm enough to be outside because we had lots of kids painting anything they could get their hands on .... including the pumpkins~There wasn't a clean coat to be found at the end of crafting:)
Good thing we had a roaring fire because it was COLD outside after the sun went down~ Plus I wanted to make some smores....sugar, sugar and more sugar! I bet their parents were super happy with me:) My nephew made a new friend~ How cute~
The next morning I drug myself to spinning and Uncle Jay stayed with the nephew and just look at the art project they did together~
I have to say.....I was impressed:)

How was your weekend?!?!

"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy." Guillaume Apollinaire