{clean eating} peanut butter oatmeal

i love breakfast foods. i could eat them all day. everyday. it is my most favorite meal ever. i will always be up for having breakfast even if i'm not hungry. i just want to give breakfast a huge hug. anyone with me? ever since this whole clean eating lifestyle has been going on, my breakfasts no longer consist of bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, pancakes, hash browns, muffins, french toast, etc. not to say that there aren't clean(er) version of these foods. however, in an effort to sort of simplify my morning routine, i committed to egg whites with random veggie's on the side and of course, either some sprouted ezekiel bread or tortillas to jump start my day. 

but can we keep it real for just a second? 

egg whites give me the WORST GAS. EVER. 

nothing like working out at the gym and watching the most muscular built men pass out because of ME. okay that doesn't really happen (the passing out) but the passing the toxic gasses out happens all the time. everywhere. anytime; any place. it's hilarious, but at times so super embarrassing. thankfully everyone at the gym thinks its my boyfriend... ha! it wasn't until a few weeks ago that i actually discovered the cause for such a fragrance and in order to save face, i've given those nuggets of protein a rest for now. the quest to find alternative breakfast foods that weren't loaded with sugar, yet gave me a good source of protein, carbs and quick to fix in the morning before work was something i thought i would never find. that was, until i found this recipe {found on pinterest, duh!}

it is the perfect fall time breakfast. so delicious AND filling. so perfect and easy to make. i've been eating it every morning for the past two weeks, and have yet to grow tired of it. so i thought it would be a good little recipe to share so you could add it to your morning routine. 

{photo courtesy of thegraciouspantry.com}

Clean Eating Peanut Butter Oatmeal

(makes 2 servings) 

Ingredients: 

1-1/2 cups cooked oats (definitely have only tried this with almond milk vs. water) 

2 tbsp. clean peanut butter (PB2 would probably be perfect)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. honey 

 **i also dded a 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein

Directions: 

(these are really complicated, so pay attention)

Step 1: heat up oatmeal (usually 1 minute works) 

Step 2: Combine rest of ingredients in a small bowl/mason jar/dish of your choice and mix until everything is combined. 

Step 3: eat

Step 4: take a deep breath

Step 5: enjoy! 

Step 6: reflect on how tomorrow you can sleep in if you want to since this recipe takes about 3 minutes max to put together. 

nutritional content can be found on thegraciouspantry.com  

Thanks, Tiffany for such a delicious and simple recipe and all of the other delicious CLEAN recipes  i can't wait to try! 

today = in love.

i would love to cuddle up in a big warm blanket 

on a rainy day 

with some coffee

 and read an entire book of his poetry. 

i'm captivated; 

smitten.

{source}

lunch perfection

..::::::..

fell in love with lunch today.

really glad i re-pinned this recipe. 

 i have missed pasta. 

i have missed cheesy goodness in my mouth.

LOVE traditional dishes turned skinny. 

thank you to whoever decided to dream up this recipe,

you made this Wednesday awesome! 

and special thanks to my dear Miguel who spent extra time making sure this dish turned out perfect. 

you did awesome, babe!

..::::::..

comfort.

I've currently been enjoying this book on my lunch breaks over the past couple of months. i am thankful that when i have picked it up, it is exactly what i needed to hear that day or week. i was encouraged by the truth of what i think my problem has been lately. if you've been on here, you might have seen little venting sessions of my frustrations. i've been struggling a lot lately, trying to really pin point the root of my issues... then this word spoke straight to my heart and called me out... 

"...we spend too much time meditating on ourselves, our work, our growth. We have little hope for change because our hope is grounded in ourselves, in ho we're doing, in whether God is proving his love by granting us every trifling desire or delivering us from heartbreaking trial. We've been deceived into believing that his love is passe, something we've already comprehended. It bores us." 

I've been doing a weight training program and am currently halfway through. while it's been a process, i've seen results which push me to keep on persevering. earlier this year, i basically gave my life to clean eating and again, the results have shown the benefits of such a lifestyle. discipline and self-control have been the name of the game for me in 2012. while i'm definitely not perfect, i have for the most part, learned how to really be good at it. yet, when it comes to my relationship with Christ, i have had the tendency to treat it as such. a program. a step by step formula of exercises (going to church), and eating a healthy diet (random verses of the day, motivational christian type quotes, etc.).  i end up leaving my 'quiet time' frustrated and restless. umm hello, this is not at all how relationships work! love is not a formula. but for some reason, i continue to treat it as such. and i have been reminded how much my mentality continues to rearrange the Gospel.

like i said before, i need reminders of the most simplest truths constantly. this all might be obvious for a lot of you. and there's no doubt that i too know such things, but as a list maker, box checker, and full blown planner of my days, i've grown into this habit of pretty much depending so much on myself to change; to grow. my life has been in my hands, and my hands alone; i have been in control instead of letting Christ pursue me and lead me into a relationship that changes me. i hope, if you are like me, that you can find comfort in the truths of these words; let go of the control, the planning, and the formulas.

let Love change you.

my weekend in pics (via Instagram)

an evening well spent at the drive-in watching cartoon movies in 3D like kids. 

an outfit matching at the gym; which happens quite frequently

an act of fall obsession ...

a fall obsession manifested into a late night pumpkin decor party

a new found favorite treat yo self cup of perfection

i had such an enjoyable, relaxing, and surprisingly productive weekend. spent a lot of time actually resting. lesson learned for the weekend: DON'T STRESS OUT! amazing what happens when you don't try to plan out every second of your life in fear that you won't get things done. because somehow this weekend, everything got done. all of it. i even napped on sunday...which NEVER happens. it was glorious! i'm trying to be more mindful of giving myself a break every once in a while, treating myself to the little things in life, and relaxing. not easy for me naturally, but so worth it. thankful for breakdowns that lead me to positive truths. 

happy monday, 

tina

it's here!!

the season most dearest to my soul: FALL! shouldn't this be a national holiday? well in my heart it is, so i  celebrated with a little pumpkin spice latte at work since it's probably a little lame to try to take today off. however, my celebrations will have to wait until tonight's pumpkin decorating party. just wishing  this Texas weather would cooperate and realize it's no longer summer! so excited for this season and making memories. i leave you with my favorite quote from my favorite book. i think i'm going to treat myself to a weekend of re-reading this book & enjoying some fresh hazelnut coffee...

happy fall season! 

christina elyse

thoughts & a quote...

after that last post, i definitely feel so much better. there's something so relieving after getting all the junk out that's been stuck inside of you. sort of like throwing up...yay? i'm feeling much better now even though my situation is the same. i still wake up at the butt crack of dawn and work my butt off 6 days a week, but there's something that i think i was missing before...i failed to keep in mind how proud of myself i should be. sometimes life will be tough, but that's not always going to be the case. sometimes the hardest things are worth all the fight we put into it.  as obvious as this truth might be, sometimes i need a little bit of a pep talk to get my head back on straight. so a big shout out and thank you to my sweet man who sent me these words of encouragement:

"I know this is hard but trust me, 

it will feel great when we finish because we followed through on our commitment 

and didn't quit when it got difficult, 

but instead rose up, dug deep, and persevered. 

And that builds character. 
I couldn't be more happy or proud that we are doing this together.

 Thank you for inspiring and encouraging me to do great things!"

so despite myself and my negative attitude monday, i want to encourage you in whatever you might be facing today. that whatever situation you are going through, no matter how ugly and dark it might be, you are not alone. sometimes the most beautiful things in life come from the hardest moments we have ever had to face. so keep your chin up and press on to finish this race. i saw this quote floating around and thought i'd share in light of everything...be strong!