Pineapple Truffle Bread

Over the holidays, we somehow ended up with two containers of crushed pineapple in the fridge. I put it in my oatmeal nearly daily (with almond butter, coconut and craisins), but I still had a bit left. Decided that I would try and recreate one of my favorite See's candies, the pineapple truffle.

With the boy needing more snacks that are wheat and corn free, I knew what needed to be done first. I went back to my quick bread ratio for a starting place. Made sure I had lots of chocolate (he says there isn't enough). The only thing missing, in my opinion, is some coconut sugar, And maybe more pineapple.

Pineapple Truffle Bread

8 ounces crushed pineapple with juice

4 ounces melted coconut oil

2 eggs

4 ounces teff flour

2 ounces dark chocolate cocoa powder

2 ounces all purpose gluten free flour

4 ounces sugar

1 tsp baking soda

Handful dark chocolate chips

Handful chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium size bowl, combine pineapple, cooled coconut oil, and eggs. Set aside. In a smallish bowl, stir together flours, cocoa powder, baking soda and sugar. Pour slowly into egg mixture and stir until combined. Add chocolate chips (the boy says add more than called for) and pecans/almonds if you want. Grease four small loaf pans, and fill with batter. Bake for roughly 40 minutes or until a testing tool comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Note: I would add maybe another ounce of pineapple to the batter and/or make a glaze (powdered sugar and pineapple juice) to pour over the top to increase the pineapple flavor.

Summit summary

I just got back from an amazing trip to the annual Team Beachbody Summit in Nashville, TN. I drove myself both there and back. It was really a rough journey for me physically. I had worked myself into a pretty bad migraine that kind of stuck with me through the whole event. Makes travel difficult on the best of days.

That said, I had a fantastic workout on Thursday with a few hundred people and Chalene Johnson. On only two hours of sleep and little nutrients.

The opening session was filled with motivation and new product announcements. I am particularly jazzed about Core de Force, a new mixed martial arts program, and the Beachbody Health Bet. The latter I love, because Beachbody is putting forward up to three million dollars to encourage people to workout and drink shakeology in September. That is basically all there is to it. However, connect with your coach to get details. If you don't have a coach, get one!!  

See that skirt? My new obsession of Lula Roe azure skirt in a size medium!! Somebody tell me why my skirts are 8-10's, but my pants are 14's? 😛

Back to Summit, the trainings, the celebration, and the general sessions all provided me with a renewed sense of purpose, and the knowledge that I will be a part of this company for life. The heart of the company is to help people through its products, and through charity work. Nothing dearer to my heart.

Two last things. First if you are ever in Nashville, catch the Grand Ole Opry radio show (checked off my bucket list). It was totally worth the money, and I got lucky enough to see both Diamond Rio and the Oak Ridge Boys. The second thing is that if you love dancing, then you totally need to get the new workout from Autumn Calebrese. Join me in cardio dancing our way to healthier people!

Cize Challenge Week 5

I have had a rough couple of weeks. I don't share publicly often, but I suffer from severe PMS fatigue for about a week every month. Takes every ounce of energy I have to just make it through a normal day. Working out helps, but sometimes there just isn't that energy there. Add to that some sort of creeping crud/cold/allergy thing going around our house, and somehow I have been very out of it.

That said, week 5 went pretty well. I got in three work outs with Go for it, and two with Livin' in the 8's. That latter is dang hard. Gah!!

Go for it

 

Livin' in the 8's

Cize Challenge Week 4

Week 4 was hard for me. I had just injured myself, and the first time through it got worse. I ended up taking off four days to recover, and by Saturday I was able to make this video. I felt better.

I had another issue though. Getting enough calories became an issue, and I had slightly less than 1000 most days. It is feeing like high school all over again. I am not hungry, and feel guilty for not eating. Week five in this area wasn't much better. This journey is frustrating.

 

Week 2 ad 3 Cize Challenge

So week 2 was an interesting one. I ended up doing four You Got This routines. Then I added in the Jericho McMatthews work out in Beachody on Demand, and some country line dancing with my Wii to round out my workouts. Can I tell you that I loved the Jericho workout? Made me love yoga again. It was a good week. I didn't have any sweets so that is a win!

Week 3 didn't go as well unless you count the fact that I started actually hopping during trips, and then jumping on the other moves. It was exciting! Then I hurt my knee. Again, I got in four of the Full Out workouts. I added in an ab rouitne from Hip Hop Abs and a 20 minute TurboFire workout to round out my week. I ended up doing over 23, 000 steps on Saturday, which is just over 9 miles. Didn't help my knee much. Rest day on Sunday ended up with meeting my step goal, and I thought m kee was better. Wrong. I am now sporting a fantastic knee brace. Go me!

National Reading Month Challenge

A group of friends and I have gotten together to sponsor a fun Facebook activity for the month of March in honor of National Reading Month. If you are interested in joining us, let me know and I can add you. :)

I couldn't decide what to do, and then I hit on a solid idea. I am in countdown mode for a new book coming out in April. So I am doing a re-read of the series. You are getting at least three mini-reviews during this month. Please hold me to it, okay?

I am a huge fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon specifically, and supernatural romantic fiction in general. So when she came out with a YA book based on a character from the Dark Hunter series, I was super excited. I love when I find a good YA series, and this one has not failed me yet.

I finished book one this past Saturday. I realized that I read it just last year in prep for the launch of the last book. I mention this because I have read it three times in less than 2 years. Might be the sign of a great series, right?

The main character is Nick Gautier. A street smart, smart talking, teenager who has no idea that he is a supernatural being until one day his school starts being overrun by living zombies. Cool, right? The story follows our unexpected hero as he fights zombies, meets a girl,  and finds friends and support in unexpected people. 

This is definitely a teen read, in my opinion. Dark humor and content make it unsuitable for tweens, or at least mine. 

Day 13 Cize Challenge

 

 

Day 13 here, and I am feeling pretty good. By the end of today, I will be 11/12 in workouts, and doing better than I thought I would be in food. I say this as I sit here with a bag of chips to accompany my turkey, spinach, pepper and Havarti sandwich. It is all about the 80/20 rule, and I have been all over that.

 

That said, I am struggling with getting enough calories some days, and not feeling like I am going to fall apart on others. When I would normally turn to sweets, I am standing strong on my Lenten challenge to forgo sweets until Easter. It is super hard. Guess that is why the call it a fast, right?