Well, it’s 4pm and I am exhausted. Just kidding, I have about 6 more hours left in me.

I got up pretty early this AM to down a protein shake and let it digest before heading off to hot yoga. I definitely wasn’t hydrated enough because I had to lay down on three occasions. There were 38 people in the class (pretty tight) and I was conveniently located between two men. SO. Either: a.) I reeked of stank, or b.) those men did. because DAYYY-UM

Anyways, I pushed myself pretty hard and held some postures a lot longer than I thought my energy levels would let me, so I’m pretty pleased with myself for today’s practice. Still have to head over to the gym for some lower body work and cardio.

Oh hey, SIDENOTE: In case you were wondering what my prep might be for the wedding, I am only following TWO rules (since I don’t believe in deprivation or extreme, crazy diet and exercise regimes)

1. Only have alcohol 1x a week
2. Don’t eat past 7pm

Not too hard to follow, but I definitely think it will contribute to my overall mental and physical health & wellness…especially with yoga which is a HUGE factor in my mental health!

I also headed down to the mall today and FINALLY found a dress for the wedding rehearsal.

I just really needed to find something that was light and airy since we will be on the east coast *HELLO HUMIDITY* and for some reason, all the dresses I had come across so far were lined with so much fabric, I would have been better off with a wet towel. Or they were too short. Or they were made for people who don’t have a figure.

Also, I’d like to point out that I spend approximately 1/2 my time acknowledging EVERY associate at EVERY store. I am one of those shoppers who doesn’t want to tell you hello and doesn’t want to tell you if there’s something in particular that I’m looking for. Just let me look!!

Then, since it is the first nice day in like forever, I took the puppies to the park. Now, on top of the house smelling like pee (when it rains, Reggie pees and poos by the front door), it also smells like wet muddy dog.

Now onto those recipes I promised.

Spinach Protein Pancakes

Yeah, they are REALLY good.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 egg whites
• 1 banana
• 1-2 handfuls raw spinach
• 1 scoop protein powder (I used chocolate because I love the flavor combination with the spinach)
• 1 cup almond flour

Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Blend the egg whites, banana, spinach and protein powder until smooth.

2. Pour mixture in a bowl, and add the almond flour. Mix until fully incorporated.

3. Pour batter (should make 8 small-medium sized pancakes) on hot, greased griddle. Flip when bubbles rise to the top of the batter.

4. Top with honey (like I did) or whatever you want.

These suckers kept me full for HOURS and I didn’t feel guilty since they were all good ingredients! No, I did not eat all 8.

******

Then, there’s the pumpkin chocolate-chip pancakes. These are my weekend pancakes because um….well, they just are.

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Pancakes

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 t baking powder
• dash salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 t pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 c canned pumpkin
• 1/2 T brown sugar
• 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp veg oil
• 1/2 t vanilla
• desired amount of chocolate chips

Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Mix all the wet ingredients in one bowl.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients in another bowl.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until fully combined.

4. Pour onto large, greased hot griddle (I use this to make 4 large pancakes). Sprinkle tops with chocolate chips. Once the cakes start to fluff and bubble, flip.

******

And because I had a HUGH JASS can of pumpkin, I then made Pumpkin Bread. Of course, I can’t just eat plain old pumpkin bread, so I sliced it while it was still warm, topped it with chocolate protein frosting (chocolate protein powder and almond milk stirred to desired consistency) and warmed fresh cherries. Seriously good flavor combination (because my computer is now in ‘Canada’ mode, it always puts a red squiggly line under flavor and neighbor and center and a whole bunch of other words. Canadians, please don’t feel the need to correct me just because I now reside in your country..I am used to spelling them this way, so that’s how I type!)

Pumpkin Bread

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 c canned pumpkin
• 1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 t baking soda
• 2 t pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• dash salt
• 2 T unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 t vanilla

Here’s what you’ll do:

1. preheat oven to 350. spray loaf pan (9×5)

2. In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.

3. In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients with a hand beater.

4. Add the dry mix to the wet mix and blend at a low speed until fully incorporated. Pour batter in loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. Allow to cool in pan before removing.

Gotta go, the puppies are yelling at me for dinner.