Thursday Day Dates

Every Thursday we take Audrina to a daycare that she absolutely loves and my hubby and I will have a day date. This is a great way to have alone time with Jake and be ourselves without having to parent. Some may feel this seems selfish, but Audrina is at daycare for 4-5 hours and this is a great way to have a moment where we can focus on one another and not have to worry about every move our child is making. I believe this helps my relationship with my husband also, because we can enjoy outdoor activities, sometimes we even just stay home and just clean the house and hang out. Our Thursdays have been very similiar lately though, we drop Audrina off, work out at the gym for an hours, go home, shower, then go out to lunch. We either play frisbee golf or watch a movie after lunch. I noticed that when I spend my one on one time with my hubby I focus more on him and we laugh like we are little teenagers again. When you have a child you take a lot of focus off your significant other because you have someone that you are devoting every little moment to, so the significant other will sometimes come second. The dates help spark a little flame in your relationship and you can enjoy your love and appreciate them more. I always tell my mama friends how great these dates are and I believe it keeps my relationship with my hubby romantic. I am looking forward to summer time when the weather is nicer so we can go golfing, swimming and have outdoor picnics. I always think of different ways we can enjoy our time together. I suggest to all the parents out there to have day date or evening dates at least once a month. Have a friend or sitter take care of your little one and go on dates, I'm sure your significant other would have a deeper relationship if you do this :) Now I can't wait for this Thursday!

Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

I am not a vegan and I don't think I could be one just because I love cheese a lot. Most of my breakfast and lunches are vegetarian and I will have meat for dinner. I was looking up some vegan recipes because I love experimenting in the kitchen new recipes that will challenge the way I eat. I came across this vegan cookie recipe online on a blog called Hell if I Gnaw. I made it because it is 1. good for you and 2. sugar and egg free. Every ingredient in it is something I already had in my cabinets which is an added plus. So here it is;

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Banana Cookies (Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free, and Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup raw peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 and 1/2 cups rolled oats or quick cooking oatmeal
• dash of cinnamon (optional)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Preparation Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth.
• Add peanut butter, non-dairy milk, vanilla, and maple syrup and mix well.
• Add oats, flour, and cinnamon and stir until well combined.
• Drop spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until done.

The end result came cookies that were tasteful. They are not at all sweet so if you are looking for something sweeter then you will have to find a different recipe. These cookies are packed with nutrients and this was my first time baking without eggs. Audrina liked them a lot. She doesn't have a sweet tooth, which is awesome for me because I have cut a lot of sugar out of my diet. Whats funny is that its true, if you don't eat it you won't crave it. I love candy and I use to eat a lot of it, but I can't tell you the last time I had a piece of candy.  I never deprive myself from food or sweets, I just learned that most the foods that you eat should be something that will nourish it. I've been working out 5-6 days a week and I'm loving it. I have a routine with Audrina and the gym and I have been feeling so much better about myself and my body. I can't wait for Summer!

Green Smoothie

I'm loving the green monster smoothies. I usually like to blend all my greens with almond milk, flax seed and wheat germ. Basically I like to take anything I find in my refrigerator, which I usually stock up on fruits like grapes, kiwis, apples, pineapple, bananas, frozen or fresh and I just throw whatever I have in the blender with spinach. Today I made a smoothie with a kiwi, green grapes, spinach, avocado, water and ice and of course flax seed and wheat germ. I just blended it all together and it was delish. Perfect breakfast or snack. I have been bugging the hubby to get me a Vitamix. I want to start juicing the heck out of fruits and veggies. A purchase I hope will be made soon. Now what's your favorite healthy smoothie?