chocolate chip doughnut holes

Before starting the Take Shape for Life Program, I loved to eat doughnuts...like a lot. And the ones with the sprinkles on top were my absolute favorite. So...after playing around with some ingredients to make that perfect (or close to perfect) Medifast doughnut, I finally created a recipe worth sharing.

*Note: I used a Bella cake pop maker to make the doughnut holes. You can buy one right now at Target for only $16 or you can scoop the batter onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 5-8 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.

Step One
Gather your ingredients. You will need:

1 Medifast Pancake Mix (1 Medifast Meal)
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (1/2 condiment)
1/8 tsp. baking powder (1/4 condiment)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (1/4 condiment)
1/4 tsp. pumpkin capella drops (optional)
2 tbsp water (not pictured)

Step Two
Place all the ingredients into a small bowl and mix well.

Step Three
Fill the cake pop wells until the batter is just below the top. I poured too much in some of them and they poured over, so be careful.

Step Four
Bake for about 5 minutes and then turn off the machine and let it stand for about 1 minute. Then pop open the cover and take out your delicious doughnut holes. Mine stuck a little, but came out once they cooled more.

Step Five
Dip into sugar free syrup or Medifast syrup or eat them plain (like I did) and enjoy!

xoxo,
Toni

day fifty-two...doubt

Yesterday at my second Christmas party, our college pastor, Abraham deAlba spoke on doubt and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Me? Doubt? Never. But...I was wrong. I have been doubting God unknowingly, thinking certain things will just never come to pass. I am a doubter. Simply put.

I need to remember that the Lord has a plan. Sure, I may not know when it will come to pass, but He does and that is all that matters. Easier said than done, right? I want things to happen right now...today. However, I cannot doubt God. I just can't. There is no sound reason why I should. I mean, He is the God of the universe and knows every little detail about me, and I want to doubt Him? I am crazy!

So that is it...no more doubting. No more questioning God. I need to practice patience and rely fully upon the Lord and trust in His timing. He will make my desires come to pass if it is His will.

Now that we have that settled, let's move on to my eats for the day!

Breakfast
Had a lovely morning sleeping in today. Once I woke up, I made a mocha shake and drank it once again while curling my hair...I think I am going to make a habit out of this.

Lunch
After church I was hanging out with a friend at Portola Coffee Lab and while drinking an iced coffee I had a bag of cheese pizza bites. Honestly, not the best pairing, but still good when eaten by itself.

It was also my friend's first "hipster coffee" so I had to snap a picture of her taking a picture of her beautiful mocha...she's the cutest. Love you Kim!

Afternoon Snack
Once I got home from my coffee visit, I cleaned the kitchen and then had a chocolate crunch bar. I then started to put together and cook my dinner.

Dinner
I made a new lean and green meal for dinner! I am still testing it out, but I am hoping to master the recipe by Christmas. I made a turnip gratin. Not my favorite to be honest...it still needs a bit of tweaking. Keep a lookout for the recipe soon.

Dessert
I had a calorie burn cappuccino as soon as I got home from church. Don't know why, but I was just in the mood for a nice hot cup of coffee.

Dessert #2
I had some friends come over after church and while I made them some cookies, I also made myself some chocolate chip pancake cookies. They were really good...very similar to a doughnut hole. I will post the recipe soon.

That is all I have for today! Hope your day is blessed!

xoxo,
Toni

day thirty...the dancing queen

Today was so much fun. It was one of the best days I have had in a really long time. But I will get to that in a minutes...first, let's talk about the eats for the day.

Breakfast
I slept in until 9am and then made myself a strawberry shake. I don't know what I was thinking it would taste like, but it was rather good. It tasted a bit bland at first, but the flavor really kicked in by the second and third sip.

Lunch
By the time lunch came around (it was too late for a morning snack) I was out and about buying groceries for a little get together I was having with my friends later in the evening. Instead of buying some groceries to make a new recipe or a salad, I decided to just go out and buy a salad from Chipotle. I have been on Medifast for a month, so I thought it was a good test for me. So, I walked into Chipotle, ordered a salad with chicken, a tiny scoop of fajita veggies, and topped it all off with pico de gallo. It was delicious! And you can't beat it for only $6.75. The next time you find yourself on the road, don't cave into the fast food restaurants. Instead, look for a Chipotle and grab a salad from there...you won't regret it.

Afternoon Snack #1
After lunch I threw the pork in the crockpot (I made bbq pulled pork sandwiches), and prepped the apple pie. Before I moved on to cleaning the house, I ate my first snack of the afternoon...nacho chili puffs. My goodness...these are so good! As you remember, I am not a fan of the parmesan puffs, but these are a different story. For some reason the flavor of these reminded me of eating a bean burrito from Taco Bell. Pro or con? I don't know...you can decide for yourself.

Afternoon Snack #2
After finishing my first snack, I got right back to work and started cleaning up the house. The owners of the home I am housesitting are returning tomorrow, so I wanted the house to be all clean for them. No one likes to come home from a trip to a dirty house. So after cleaning for a couple hours, I made my second snack and started to get ready for a wedding reception taking place in only an hour. I had to eat quickly, get ready, and head off. In my hurried state, I made some mini pancake cakes. Basically a pancake mug muffin cut into four pieces. Delish!

Dinner
I wasn't able to snap a picture of my dinner, because I had to eat it during the reception. It was good though! I was able to talk to the people at my table about the Medifast program. As usual people seem skeptical (hey, I was at first), but once I explain it, they understand and some are even interested. Oh! And in case you were wondering, I had the lemon meringue crunch bar. This is basically a dessert in a bar. So good!

Dessert
After coming home from the reception, it was time for my friends to start arriving! I finished up dinner and got everything prepared. While they ate, I heated up some water in a kettle and made a calorie burn cappuccino. I knew it would be a long night, so I figured the caffeine was perfect. Plus, it kept me full for the remainder of the time I was awake.

Now you may be wondering why I titled this post "The Dancing Queen (or King)"...well, one of the couples who came over brought over this dancing game using the xbox connect. It was so stinkin' fun! You are jumping around trying to mirror the dance moves...and the best part of all, you are burning calories. My friend Kiera snapped a few shots of me (on the left) in action with Summer. Summer was the dancing queen and her husband was probably the dancing king...they were pros. Sorry for the blurry pictures, but we were moving and dancing the night away! Literally though...we played this game and another game after that for a good 2-3 hours.

I hope your Saturday was as fun as mine!

xoxo,
Toni

day sixteen...running the race

taken after the race

 Today I ran a race...both physically and spiritually. Let's start with the physical race.

Well, I woke up this morning, got ready, and headed out with my parents to run a 5k color run. Now, before I began Medifast, I would run about 3-4 miles three times a week with no problem. Yes, I would get tired, but I would always push through it. Today however was a different situation...totally different. My health coach told me to take it easy with my running for the first two weeks of the program—which I did.

I am in week three now, so I thought I could just breeze through the run like I have in the past. But I was wrong...like way wrong. I pretty much struggled the entire time. The first mile went pretty good, not too much pain, but soon after I was hurting. I definitely had to listen to my body—it was screaming for me to stop and walk. It was humbling, but I did. My mom was also with me the entire time and did not leave me in the (color) dust...she's a keeper. ;) After walking for a few minutes, we would pick the pace up again and begin running...only for me to call a break and start walking once again. We did this for the rest of the run, but it worked. We ran the majority of the run, so that is an accomplishment. But I can honestly say that I did the best I could.

taken before the race

Moral of the story...listen to your body and know that you will not be able to do all you could do before the Medifast program. I am going to begin a workout plan beginning Monday, but it will mainly consist of toning exercises. I will probably add some cardio as well, but just try to shoot for 1 mile of running rather than 3. Some things will have to be adjusted because I am not feeding my body all the calories and energy I used to. My body is still adjusting to the low calorie diet. I'm just taking it little by little.

Okay, so here is the spiritual side of the story...after the run and me realizing just how weak I was, the Lord gave me a verse that spoke wonders to me. Now, I have heard this verse more times than I can count, but in this particular moment, it was just what I needed to hear. Taken from Hebrews 12:1, it says,

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." 

How great is that! I may not have broken any records running today, but I did endure and finish the race! Even with my new health program. It is helping me lay aside the sin of overeating and turning my focus to the Lord rather than my flesh. Keep running your race. You may have just begun (like me), but the finish line is there, we just need to keep enduring and we will eventually see it.

my mom and me right after we crossed the finish line

Anyways, I hope that this encourages some of you today who may be struggling with endurance. Keep going! It may hurt physically, but you will win greatly spiritually.


Breakfast
I had to make a quick breakfast to eat on the go to the race. So I made a pancake muffin in a mug. I then cut it in half and stuck it in a toaster. Delish!

Morning Snack
I had my morning snack a little after I finished the race. I wasn't too hungry after that difficult run, but I ate it anyways. I chose something small and easy to eat (because I was in the car). Also, I came prepared and pack multiple snacks. You just never know what will happen and you don't want to be without your meals! And yes, those are my running pants...covered in color!

Lunch
Lunch was a little late for me today, so I ate a simple meatball salad. It is quick and easy to make and tastes delicious too!

Afternoon Snack
At this point, I was just relaxing, so it was nice to eat a crunchy snack while doing my nails. It was easy to eat too so I didn't mess up my freshly painted fingers.

Dinner
After my fingers dried, I decided to try out a little recipe. I took the brown sugar oatmeal and made granola out of it. But I will get to that next. For dinner I made a dark chocolate shake. I was going to a friend's house and this was a perfect meal to make and take with me to drink on the drive over.

Dessert
I made granola, and it wasn't half bad. I baked it in advance because I had to take it with me to eat at my friend's house—didn't want to be unprepared and tempted. While they were eating pizza, dr. pepper, and brownies, I munched on my oatmeal granola. And you know what? I didn't feel left out! No one even mentioned or asked why I wasn't eating pizza too. They all understood! Love my friends! Just make sure that you have supportive friends who won't drag you down.

So that's it! Quite a busy day, but it was a good one. I hope your Sunday is a fun one!

xoxo,
Toni

day fourteen...tricks and treats

Okay, so there were no tricks today...only treats—healthy treats (for me at least). Now, in the past this time of year, I would eat every piece of chocolate I could find. And since my family usually bought the giant bag of mixed chocolate from Costco, I helped myself to countless chocolates. This year, however, no candy was bought for our house. Instead we went to my grandparents house and passed out candy there. It was perfect for me—I had no urge to eat the candy and I wasn't tempted after the night was over by all the leftovers. And the best part was, I didn't feel left out at all! God is good. :)


Breakfast
I started out the day with a chilly pineapple mango smoothie. For some reason I cannot get past this strange taste that this smoothie has, so I did not add it to my next Medifast order. It's not bad, it's just not my favorite. Oh, just fyi, since it is Halloween, I created all the pictures to have a cute Halloween theme.

Morning Snack
It's blueberry muffin time again! I wasn't too thrilled about these at first, but now I am liking them more and more. It's funny, because when I cook these at work, the kitchen ends up smelling like blueberries for a couple hours. Oops! Oh well, at least it's a good smell.

I also added a tad more water than I should have, and the muffin poured over the sides. But it all worked out...still tasted the same.

I am think I am having more fun than I should with the Halloween themed photos. :)

Lunch
I couldn't wait to show you what I created for lunch! I made stuffed Jack O' Lantern Peppers! I basically chopped a pizza flavored burger (you can used ground turkey) and mixed it with cabbage and sauteed them together until the cabbage was soft. I then cut the top off of the pepper and scooped out the seeds and stuffed it with the cabbage mix. So good! Confession...I actually didn't eat the whole pepper, but ate enough so I could round out my green portion of the meal.

Medifast Lean and Green Breakdown:
lean: pizza burger
green: 1/2 cup of orange pepper, 1 cup of cabbage
healthy fat: 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Afternoon Snack
Lunch kept me quite full until my afternoon snack, which is a first. The portion size on the pretzels are smaller than the other Medifast meals, so it was perfect.

Dinner
It was then time for dinner...and also the time for candy to be passed out...but...I had no desire to eat it! I mean, it was right in front of me in a giant bowl, and I was not tempted whatsoever! Instead I ate a cinnamon roll crunch bar. So much better than a tiny piece of chocolate...which, if I were to be honest, would have easily turned into ten pieces, if not more.

Dessert
Take two with the pancake muffin...drumroll please...they came out delicious! Way better than the normal prepare method. I actually ended up cutting the two halves in half again, making 4 mini "biscuits". I also put one of them in the toaster for a bit, and oh my goodness, so stinkin' good! I will be making these again for sure.

So yeah, that was my day and my first Halloween not binging on candy! Woo-hoo! I am so ready for week three. Bring it!

xoxo,
Toni

day twelve...take every thought captive

"...bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
When you are having a tempting thought, immedietly take it captive and release it to the Lord. Trust me, He will get rid of it for you—but only if you are willing. I have found that singing a song of worship when a tempting thought comes into my mind helps me to switch my thoughts from sin to praise. Next time you are struggling, stop and pray. Sing a song. Begin reading the Bible. There are so many options. But it is up to you to make that step to stop and do what pleases the Lord.   

Breakfast: calorie burn cappuccino

Have I mentioned before how much I enjoy these? Well, I do...a lot. It not only wakes me up a bit but the taste is delicious and it keeps my stomach full all morning. I wasn't hungry whatsoever when it was time for morning snack.

Morning Snack: blueberry soft bake

Yes, I know this looks unappetizing, but it is quite the opposite. It was soft, chewy and and bursting with blueberries (which seem to hide within the soft bake). Perfect meal after a wonderfully hot cappuccino.

Lunch: chicken salad

Lunch was amazing. I sauteed some chopped chicken with a few pieces of purple onion and it turned out perfectly moist and packed full of flavor. So simple, yet so delicious.

Medifast Lean and Green Breakdown:
Lean: 6 ounces of chicken (breast)
Green: 2 3/4 cup of romaine lettuce, 2 tablespoons of purple onion
Healthy Fat: 2 tablespoons of light Italian dressing

Afternoon Snack: cheese pizza bites

This crunchy snack is so good! Highly recommend it to anyone looking for something to crunch on. My only suggestion is to have some water with you because they are kind of dry. ;)

Dinner: attempted pancake muffin turned into giant pancake

So I attempted to make a pancake muffin in a mug, but...I accidentally put twice the amount of water the recipe called for, therefore, it did not work...like not at all. In my attempt to salvage my gooey mess, I decided to pour the half-cooked batter into a pan and fry it up like I would a normal pancake. It worked to an extent, but obviously it looks hideous. I almost didn't post this picture, but then I thought, hey, we all make mistakes...why not just post it. We can all learn from our mistakes. The next time I try and make a muffin out of pancake mix, I will think twice before I add the water.




Dessert: caramel crunch bar

I actually had to eat this in the middle of church tonight. I thought it would be okay because the bar is soft, but I was wrong...it still had some crunch to it. I began eating very slowly so I would not annoy the people around me, but it still had a loud crunch at every bite. Oh well, you do what you gotta do.

Overall, today was a fantastic day. I was able to put my focus on the Lord when my mind began thinking fleshly thoughts. I thank the Lord that I made it through yet another day—to God be the glory!

xoxo,
Toni