Top 10 Thanksgiving Meal Tips

Okay, dear blog readers- here are my top 10 healthy tips for making it through the Thanksgiving meal. Let me know what you think and what your's are, too!  

 

I'll see you tomorrow with a recipe for raw pecan bars. :) 

Perfect Fit Protein Powder Winners + Pumpkin Spiced Latte Muffins

Hi, guys! It's a Monday and I hope you're having a fabulous work day! Aaah, can you believe Thanksgiving is THIS Thursday? How did that happen?! I'm so excited about it, though, and can hardly wait to spend the day with family and friends. :) 

Over the weekend, I had some sweet potatoes on hand from a local gardener and decided to make roasted sweet potatoes.

To make, all you need are a few sweet potatoes, olive oil, cinnamon, salt & pepper and a little honey to drizzle over. There are no measurements, just taste preference as your guide. :)  

Wash the potatoes, peel- slice & dice. Place your potatoes in a bowl and drizzle a little oil over, sprinkle several heavy shakes of cinnamon, crank in some fresh pepper and sprinkle a little salt. Mix everything together until thoroughly coated. 

Pop in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake until nice and crispy (about 30 minutes). If you want a little extra sweetener you can add a little honey. :) Enjoy! I'm planning to make these for Thanksgiving because they're so simple & nutritious!

I was starving by the time lunch rolled around today so I made a salad. This one had a few slices of organic tomato, mushrooms and cucumber. What did you have for lunch?

After a 40 minute workout this morning (2.25 mile + squats & lunges), I had juice and a few berries for breakfast. All I can say is fresh carrot & cabbage juice is not for the faint of heart! :P

Okay, so I'm doing my best to get in as much pumpkin as I can before Christmas rolls around next week!

Pumpkin Spiced Latte Streusel Muffins
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1.5 tbsp ground coffee
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/4 cup honey crystals
1/4 cup sucanat
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large eggs
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee/espresso @ room temperature

Cinnamon-Coffee Streusel: 
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbsp honey crystals
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp coffee powder
2 tbsp olive oil

Click here for directions and recipe inspiration credit: HealthFoodforLiving.com

These were delicious and I couldn't resist helping myself to one fresh out of the oven! 

And, the winners for the Perfect Fit Protein powder giveaway are . . . 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sami, Jordan and Amber - please e-mail me your mailing addresses. :) realfoodrunner@gmail.com

Fresh Fridays - Wk 2

It's wk 2 for Fresh Fridays! Last go around was a blast so I'm really excited to see what posts you all link-up with this week. :-) 

3 Things that Made my Week Fresh & Fantastic:

#1 - singing
#2 - fine dining with fine friends :)
#3 - fresh flowers

What top 3 things made the week fresh & fantastic for you? Link-up and tell me what's on your plate!

<center> <a href="http://therealfoodrunner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Real Food Runner" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOumQM2yF_FEHvETbs4XTEHe_qNEHWI1mGsUWTsV580PMsOBfqGdpBSrBOznR3ir6-9YstVfw_zvwfjdyaR5GOZuP7JDj7EuzjqxShomI-BWhHLUL1xxUps1d66_6glL01dhbbPPvBNg/s1600/fresh+fridays+6.jpg"/></a></center>

Last Night - Patriotic Celebration for the Veterans (1940s Style)

I had a blast last night taking a walk down memory lane with the generation of WWII.

On our way to the performance! My sister Allie with her hot lemon tea. Always a great choice to loosen up those vocal chords. :P That, plus bananas! Bananas are awesome for nerves because they have plenty of potassium which helps you to relax.

The dressing room! 

Warming up. There are always those last finishing touches!

Almost ready . . . and as the saying goes- break a leg!

Here are some clips from the night. :) It was a 1940s style program with favorite songs from WWII including, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer and We'll Meet Again.

Mingling and talking with a vet after the program. 

We're all done and pray that people were blessed. :) Any guesses where we're headed? 

Ha-ha! Yes, we are really happy!!! So, I want to know about you - do you sing/play or just have an awesome appreciation for music? Do tell! 

Perfect Fit Protein Powder Review and Giveaway

The Perfect Fit company (from the ToneIt Up! girls) is sponsoring this giveaway. They sent me a couple of samples to try and I just tried my first sip! Simply delicious!!!

There will be 3 winners! Each will receive 10 individual serving packets of the PerfectFit protein powder - over a $14 value.

Let's say thank-you to the PerfectFit people by linking their FB page. :) And, if you want to - you can like my FB page, too :P

Ingredients look good!

I made the ToneItUp berry vanilla smoothie with 1 of my 2 packets . This recipe was really sweet and great tasting!

What's not pictured here is the greens I added to the mix. :P It changes the color but you really can't taste the difference! Plus, the greens slow down the fruit sugar which is always good.

Perfect Fit Berry Vanilla Smoothie
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 banana
1 cup unsweetened AlmondMilk
2 drops vanilla extract
handful of ice cubes
1 packet Perfect Fit Protein

They have tons of other recipes and ideas to use the protein powder in: click here.

I planned ahead for yesterday's lunch and made this salad the night before. It makes mornings run smoother when all I have to do is pull it out of the frig and walk out the door!

I need some more ideas for creative salads! What are your favorite toppings?

After music practice for almost 3 hrs Monday afternoon I was definitely ready for supper! This homemade spaghetti sauce was part of the package. :) It's so fun to eat something you canned and to share it with others!

This morning I had my sights set on a 3 miles run but I didn't get up early enough to make that happen. Instead, I did a 30 min workout which included a 1.25 mile run and lots of squats and lunges. :P

Okay, so to enter the giveaway for the PerfectFit protein powder it's simple.  Just follow the below directions. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Supper :)

Announcing . . . Fresh Fridays!

I'm so excited to share the start of Fresh Friday's blog link-up! This is something I'm kicking off in hopes to keep us all more connected and inspired on a weekly basis with fresh reports of the fresh foods we've been eating throughout the week. :)

So, let's commence . . . ! I'll go first :P

3 Things that Made my Week Fresh & Fantastic:

#1 - a visit to Whole Foods
#2 - spinach salads
#3- first time voting in a presidential election!

Now, it's your turn! What top 3 things made it a fresh & fantastic week for you? Link-up and share!

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