It's About Balance, Right?!

So, technically I would consider this a health and fitness blog, but a healthy lifestyle is all about balance, right? So alongside my kale and broccoli, I prefer to indulge in the following:

1. Oh, Chocolate Chip Pancakes... does it really get better than this...? I honestly don't think so. Especially when they're fresh buttermilk pancakes from Guglhupf in Durham.

2. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, a Christmas morning tradition, forever and always!! My favorite recipe is Overnight Buttermilk Soft and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls from AverieCooks.

3. Chocolate and Peanut Butter is always a winning combo... especially when it's in the form of Big Spoon's Peanut Cocoa spread.

4. If you haven't tried the combination of bacon+chocolate, you need to. ASAP. Whether I am dipping my own bacon into bowls of melted chocolate or indulging in one of Mo's Dark Bar by Vosges, it NEVER disappoints.

5. A hot, fresh donut is always a winner. Whether its an apple cider donut from Monuts Donuts, or a homemade baked donut, I'm a fan.

6. Sunflower Seed Butter. Yes. Just Yes.

7. And last, but very far from least, an Iced Chocolate Coffee from Bean Traders. If I'm ever missing, just call Bean Traders. Odds are, I'll be there :)

And that concludes my current list of favorite indulgences. Now back to studying biomechanics. Oh how I wish I could just continue daydreaming about food. (As I contemplate grabbing my jar of sunflower seed butter...)

Healthy Sweets

I made these "healthy" desserts a while back, but I haven't had time to put the pictures up. The cookies are the same protein cookies that I posted here, but this time I froze the batter into balls and just kept them in the freezer. That way when a craving hit I could just grab out one or two and bake them.

The next dessert I made was extremely delicious, and extremely high in fat :) Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups! That is the way I prefer my desserts: high in fat, but low in sugar. I prefer rich over sweet any day. I found the recipe on Pinterest, and it can be found here.

Because the recipe used coconut oil, the cups had to be stored in the fridge. Otherwise they would turn very oily as the coconut oil tried to separate out. They were super delish, but next time I want to use a sweetener other than honey. I think the honey taste is too strong.

Last night I found a healthy recipe for orange chicken. It was amazing!! I'll put the recipe up soon.

I am trying Pure Barre for the first time on Friday! I am a little nervous, but mostly excited. We'll see how it goes, considering I have absolutely no dancing skills. I am hoping it is primary core work and not actually ballet...

My Favorite Dessert in the World

If you know me well enough you would know that my absolute favorite dessert in the world is located in New Hampshire. It is definitely a good thing that I can't have it in North Carolina or else I would be about double the size I currently am.

Homemade Burdick's Chocolate Ice Cream topped with Melted Extra Dark Chocolate.

Yes, my cousin and I asked for a GIANT pitcher of chocolate sauce. Don't worry, we did not finish it...  I would have not been able to walk the mile back home.

I think I am going to allow myself to have this once a week while I am here? Three desserts in three weeks? I think that sounds reasonable :)

I started off my 4th of July with a very slowww 5 mile run. Then, Sarah and I went down to what she tells me is America's first canal... I have no idea how accurate that statement is, but regardless it was a really cool old building.

I feel like a really scary movie needs to be filmed here. I love the view of the bridge from this spot too. 

I am a freak.

My cousin Sarah is precious.

From there we headed to Homestead Farms to do a little blueberry picking. I love fresh blueberries so much!! I could have stood there stuffing my face all day!

MMM!!! So good!

My workout for today was:

4 burpees

10 tuck jumps

4 burpees

10 tuck jumps

4 burpees

10 dumbbell flys

4 burpees

10 dumbbell flys

4 burpees

10 dumbbell flys

4 burpees

10 tricep dips

4 burpees

10 tricep dips

4 burpees

10 tricep dips

4 burpees

15 sumo squat jumps

4 burpees

15 sumo squat jumps

4 burpees 

15 dumbbell lunges per leg

4 burpees 

15 dumbbell lunges per leg

Melty, Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies (that are healthy)

I have been eyeballing a recipe that I found on Pinterest for some time now. It is a healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe, similar to my favorite Brownie Batter recipe in that is uses chickpeas, but this one is sweetened with honey instead of dates. Also, it is cooked so they are actually cookies and not just the dough.

When I got to my first period class this morning I couldn't figure out why one other girl and I were the only two people there. We soon realized, thanks to the technology of an iPhone, that class had been cancelled. In celebration I decided to make this cookie recipe!

They were/are AMAZING. They didn't taste like "healthy" chocolate chip cookies at all. I got them from Texanerin Baking from this post here.

MMM... I want to go in the kitchen and grab one more right now :)

The Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 c. Canned, Drained Chickpeas
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 c. and 2 tbsp. Peanut Butter
1/4 c. Honey
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 c. Chocolate Chips (if they are grain-sweetened, then this recipe is "clean")

I put all the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in my food processor and processed till very smooth. Then I mixed in the chocolate chips and spooned them on to a non-stick baking pan. I cooked them for 10 minutes and then ate one fresh from the oven!

In order for them not to break, you'll need to let them cool before taking them off the tray.

The original creator of this recipe said that she didn't like them cold, but honestly I thought they were just as good cold. Maybe it is because I am used to "healthy" desserts, but my roommates agreed with me as well.

Melty, chocolately, gooey cookies. I think I succeeded in canceling out any cardio that I did this morning...

... But it was so worth it. :)

This morning's workout:

Incline Chest Press x12, 10, 8

Narrow Grip Bench Press 3x8

Barbell Shoulder Split Press 3x12

Dumbbell Row 3x8/arm

Reverse Pushup 3x10

Bicep Curl 3x10

Ab Leg Raises 3x20

2 minute incline walking, 2 minute hard run, 1 minute recovery (repeated 3 times total)

That's all for today. I look forward to going to dinner with my friend Kate :) Have a good Thursday!!

My Weekend and Brownie Batter!!

I had such a wonderful weekend at home! I had so much fun with my cousin Jenni and my precious mother. Although they spent most of the time talking about sconces, tile, and sinks for our new home... I still managed to have a good time :) And of course make some yummy desserts.

On Friday I went with Meagan to our high school where we celebrated the third graduating class. I tried to get a picture of them throwing their caps, but this was all I managed to get. You can see the caps, but not the graduates. Oh well...

The reception was nice, but the cake wasn't nearly as good as the cake from our high school graduation. Not even close. 

Being so busy this weekend prevented me from blogging, but I have been meaning to post pictures of this amazing, healthy dessert. It is DEFINITELY worth trying. Probably my favorite healthy dessert recipe I have ever made.

The recipe comes from Chocolate Covered Katie and it is her Cookie Dough Dip. Instead of chocolate chips I added 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to make it completely sugar free and so that's why I am calling it brownie batter. It's divine. 

My roommate made the Cookie Dough Dip from CCK that has sugar, and we both decided that the sugar free one was better. Now that is phenomenal. Dates beating brown sugar...

It is hard to believe that a chichpea-based dessert sweetened by dates could possibly taste good, much less amazing, but please trust me. It will take your taste buds to chocolate heaven. 

Happy Memorial Day!! And I hope all of you immediately start soaking your dates to make this dessert!