pumpkin apple bread

Sweet treats are everywhere this time of year, and it's hard to keep saying no to your favorite foods. So if you are looking for a special treat during the holiday season but want to stay on plan, look no further. This pumpkin apple bread is just for you. It is simple, quick, and sure to satisfy those holiday cravings.

Step One:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients. You will need:

1 packet of medifast apple cinnamon oatmeal (or any instant oatmeal packet)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Capella Pumpkin flavor drops
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup of cold water

Step Two
Mix the all the ingredients together, adding the water last. Gently form dough using your fingers.

Step Three
Now, I don't have a mini loaf pan, so I made my own using foil. You can do the same or just use a mini loaf pan. Once you have decided on which on to use, spray your mini loaf pan or handmade one with non-stick cooking spray.

Step Four
And just to be extra safe, go ahead and add a piece of parchment paper. Once you have done that, add the thick dough and form into the mini loaf pan.

Step Five
Bake for about 10-12 minutes. After 10 minutes stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean, it is ready to eat!

Hope you stay strong during the holiday season and pray that you have a very merry and blessed Christmas!

xoxo,
Toni

day forty-one...thanksgiving road trip day one

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Can you believe it? This year has flown by. It seems like the older I get, the more quickly time moves. Weird, isn't it? I also posted a Thanksgiving recipe for a green bean casserole today...you can check it out here.

Anyways, my parents and I left on a road trip this afternoon to Bishop, CA. So I got up this morning and started my food preparations for the next couple of days. I started making my Thanksgiving dinner so I would have something "special" to eat tomorrow. As far as my other lean and green meals go, I figured I would find something along the way...even if it means I only get lettuce and a lean meat.

There were many temptations on the way to Bishop...I had to say no to chips, sandwiches, popcorn, fries, burgers, and worst of all, a cinnabon cinnamon roll. I won't lie, the smell of it was brutal. I actually had to chew a piece of gum just to keep my mouth moving and my mind occupied. It actually worked too...I made it through the day and stuck to my health plan. And as a bonus, the hotel we are staying at has a mini fridge and a microwave! So now I am able to cook and eat all my meals! The Lord is good!

Breakfast
I woke up this morning and made myself a strawberry shake while I planned out what I would need to pack for the next few days. I didn't sleep in too late today, so I got a somewhat early start on my eating for the day.

Morning Snack
As I was packing my clothes and food, I decided to take a break and bake a special Thanksgiving bread. I used an apple cinnamon oatmeal packet, added some baking powder and capella pumpkin drops, and baked it for about 20 minutes. It was delicious! How can you go wrong with mini pumpkin apple bread? I will post the recipe soon. :)

Lunch
I started making my Thanksgiving lean and green meal when I realized it was time to eat lunch. So I threw together a romaine salad and topped it with a pizza burger and light chipotle ranch dressing. PS...this dressing is divine!

Afternoon Snack
We were on the road by the time my afternoon snack came around. I brought some cups, so I just poured out my cheese pizza bites into the cup and attempted as best as I could to get a picture of it. I never realized how challenging it was to get a focused picture while in a moving car...it's challenging!

Dinner
My next meal was near the middle of our road trip and little after the cinnabon temptation. We were stuck in traffic, so it was a little bit easier to snap a focused picture. It was dark though, so it still came out all weird. Oh well...I guess you can kind of tell it is a lemon meringue crunch bar... ;)

Dessert
Still on the road, I ate my dessert. It was a good thing I pre-made my brownie in a cup because I wouldn't have been able to eat it otherwise. I remember this afternoon thinking, just cook it now, what can it hurt. I realize now that it was the Lord speaking to me. Thank you, Lord! By the way...I think because my brownie was at room temp rather than piping hot, it had a similar texture and taste to a piece of chocolate cake. It was really good actually! I will definitely be doing this more often! Excuse my poor excuse for a picture...this was the worst of them all.

Well, I am currently writing this in my hotel room—praise the Lord they have excellent wifi—and can't wait to tell you all about my adventures tomorrow! I pray you have a blessed night!

xoxo,
Toni

oatmeal cookies

If you are on the Medifast program you either like the oatmeal or you don't. And if you are like me, you are most definitely not a fan of it. Well, I have a solution...make cookies! Even if you are not on the Medifast program, I am sure you can use any packet of instant oatmeal mix out there...but, I have not tried it, so don't take my word on it.

Step One 
Gather and measure out your ingredients...

You will need:
1 packet of Medifast Oatmeal (I used the brown sugar one) or any packet of instant oatmeal
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup of water
1/8 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Step Two
Next mix all your dry ingredients together and then add the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is moist. Then allow the batter to sit for about 5 minutes so it can become a more thicker consistency.

Step Three
Spoon batter and place onto a greased cookie sheet. I also put down parchment paper just in case.

Step Four
Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Cookies will be fairly soft, so you can leave them in a little longer to harden if you like. Then allow them to cool before you eat them...well, at least try to wait.

Step Five
Enjoy!!! Also, all of the cookies you make count as only 1 Medifast meal!

xoxo,
Toni

day thirteen...when cravings attack

The day I dreaded finally came...the day I crave food all day long. Even after I finished a Medifast meal or a lean and green meal, I felt like I needed to chew on something else. Thankfully, I had some sugar-free gum. I was able to quench those cravings with a prayer to the Lord while chewing on a stick of gum.

At one point I thought to myself, why am I really doing this program? I can eat a juicy burger right now. Why don't I? It took me a while to truthfully answer my own thought, but then I realized that this is a lifestyle change. Eating well and frequently is not just a 6 month plan, but it is my life from now on. I am sure in the future I can splurge every once in a while, but right now, I just can't. There is no need for a mental debate. I simply cannot have that food because I am changing my life for the better and this will only take me back three steps.

Before I put something in my mouth, I need to ask myself: Will this benefit me? Will this help me further my healthy lifestyle or pull me back into the depths of my past sin? It is either going to be one or the other, and I hope—with the Lord's help—that I choose to further benefit my health.

Oh, and I made it through the whole day without caving into my temptations and stuck to my Medifast plan...in case you were wondering. It makes me so happy to know I stood my ground and said no to those harmful foods—gives me hope for the future. :)


Breakfast

This mornings breakfast is one of my all-time favorites: a dark chocolate shake. You know what it reminds me of? A Starbucks Frappuccino. And I would be lying if I said I didn't miss those. But this is a great substitute. Maybe I will add a shot of espresso to it one day and make it a mocha "frappuccino".

Morning Snack

Two words: oatmeal cookies. These are so good! I am not a fan of the oatmeal by itself, but when you mix it with a little bit of baking soda and cinnamon and bake for about 15 minutes, they are delicious. Click here for the recipe.

Lunch

I had my go-to lunch today. A simple salad with meatballs and light Italian dressing. Can't go wrong with this combo. Delish!

Afternoon Snack

This is when the trouble started. Well, it really began after I ate my salad for lunch. It wasn't that I was hungry, but I felt that I needed to chew on something. I was going a little crazy by the time my snack time came around. This is another reason why I love this plan so much...I get to eat every 2-3 hours. It's perfect! I usually do not like the Parmesan puffs, but they weren't all that bad. I think they were the ideal crunchy snack I needed at the moment, and satisfied my craving to chew something.

Dinner

Dinner was my favorite meal of the day by far. I am pretty sure the s'mores bar is my favorite Medifast food option. I savor each bite. Love it! I will be so bummed if they ever discontinue it.

Dessert

After dinner I went to church and was satisfied for the 2 hours I was there. However, I was definitly ready for something sweet when I got home. So I whipped up a mocha milkshake. It totally hit the spot. Perfect ending to a rough day.

Well there you have it, another day complete! I have almost completed 2 weeks already! Time has flown by...I feel like I just began this plan. And the best part is, is that I am not tired of the food whatsoever. I actually find myself looking forward to my next Medifast meal. I definitely prefer them over my lean and green meal. Go figure. :)

But before I leave you, let me tell you a funny story that happened tonight. After church, when I was making my milkshake, my parents and I caught our cat trying to sneak outside. We do let him outside at times, but he is mainly an indoor cat. But he sees what door my dad opens for him to get out and how he opens the door (via the handle). So we turn around and he is standing on his back legs trying to open the door with his paws! It was the cutest thing! Sadly he was unsuccessful (shocker), but it made for a good laugh. Here is a picture...

I hope you all have a blessed day!

xoxo,
Toni

day ten...we will overcome

photo cred: Kathy Gilbert via instagram

I learned a lesson tonight. And I learned it through a song—God can work in any way He likes, and tonight He used Jeremy Camp to teach me that lesson. I went to the tribute tonight honoring Pastor Chuck Smith and being taught a lesson was the last thing on my mind. I figured it would be a time of remembering and just enjoying the speakers and music. But oh no...the Lord likes to work all the time...even at a tribute.

So anyways, Jeremy Camp was singing this song called "Overcome". And in the song he sings "every victory is Yours". Every victory that I experience is only done because of the Lord. He is the reason I have victory in those tough moments. He is the reason I was able to say no to fast food when my whole family was eating it after the tribute. I just sat there drinking water. And you know what? It wasn't hard at all! All glory to the Lord alone. Jeremy Camp then goes on to sing, "We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimony, everyone overcome". This is just an encouragement for me concerning the future. I will overcome my addiction. I will overcome my destructive sin habits. But it's not because I am so wonderful and great, but rather because Jesus died on the cross for me and had victory over sin. Since He already paid the price, I too can have victory through Jesus Christ.

I hope that encourages you as much as it did me. You can listen to the full song by going here.

Okay, now onto the eats for today. My meal times were a bit off because I slept in this morning, but I still got my 5 medifast and 1 lean and green meal in.

Breakfast: Pineapple Mango Smoothie

Wonderful start to the chilly morning. I am loving this weather by the way. I absolutely just love the cold...and rain! We are supposed to be getting rain for the next two days! Bring on the warm chunky sweaters and boots!

Morning Snack: Meatball Casserole

So technically this is my lunch, not morning snack. I made a comfort food lean and green meal. So delicious! It is a meatless meatball casserole. Basically it is just mashed cauliflower on the bottom, meatless meatballs on the top and then a little bit of marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese on top. I know it looks like a lot, but it was a small, shallow pyrex dish—perfect portion size for one. Kept me pretty full for the rest of the day!

Click here for the recipe!

Medifast Lean and Green Breakdown:
Lean: Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs (6), 1/4 cup of light mozzarella cheese
Green: 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower, 1/4 cup of Trader Joe's marinara sauce
Healthy Fat: 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil

Lunch: Cinnamon Pretzel Sticks

I didn't grab a picture of these because I was eating them in the middle of the tribute. Note to self: Don't bring an extremely crunchy snack when you know it is going to be silent all around you. ;)

Afternoon Snack: Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies

I ate these at the tribute as well. I was able to snap a picture of these because I made them before I left. I will post the recipe for these soon as well...SO GOOD!

Dinner: Cinnamon Roll Crunch Bar

Yeah...didn't get a shot of this either. At this point we were driving in the car and it was too dark.

Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookie Soft Bake

Do you notice the background? It's my blog post! I was actually eating dessert while writing this post. I also added a tad more water then the directions called for, and it turned out great! Usually it is pretty hard and crumbly, but tonight it was soft and chewy. Loved it!

It's getting late, so I am off to bed! But I pray you all have a blessed week!

xoxo,
Toni