61 Days (Jennie)

Tick-tock, tick-tock... officially less than 2 months til the big day! I was proud of this morning's workout, I've been able to knock out pushups pretty well lately. It sounds cheesy, but I had a pushup epiphany in a way. I used to push up, then lock my elbows and hold for a second, then go again. I'm now pushing up, but not locking my elbows and immediately going down again. This has really allowed me to do a lot more, which is awesome. I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner. It's amazing what a difference a small form change can make!

Food for the day
Breakfast: protein shake with 2 cups spinach, a banana, vanilla protein powder and unsweetened almond milk
Morning snack: coffee and a handful of almonds
Lunch: salad with grilled chicken breast and ranch dressing
Afternoon snack: granola bar and a few more almonds
Dinner: I splurged a bit on a burger. BUT, on the bright side, I was able to bypass the fries, except stealing a few from the kiddos, which I counted!
Dessert: I made granola for the hubby and sampled a bit while it was baking (quality control purposes!)


My hubby loves granola with his yogurt for breakfast. I forgot to pick it up at the store one day and felt bad, so I figured I'd try to make it myself. I looked up a few recipes online and pulled together a quick little recipe that he loves. He actually won't buy the store kind any longer. Darn, what did I get myself into? :)

Bad photo... but good granola!

Homemade Granola with Fruit

2 c. old fashioned oats (these will yield a better texture than the quick cook kind)
1 c. sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 c. almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 c. walnuts, roughly chopped
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 c. oil (any neutral oil should work- I used canola tonight, but may try coconut next time)
1/3 c. honey
1 c. dried cranberries, rehydrated in boiling water for a few minutes

Preheat oven to 275F.

Combine oats, coconut, almonds, walnuts and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk together oil and honey, add to oat mixture. I will sometimes add a small amount of brown sugar for some added sweetness. Spread on to a baking sheet or shallow casserole dish, bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. I wait to add the cranberries in the last 15 minutes of cooking so they aren't too dried out.

The beauty of this recipe is that it's very forgiving and easy to tailor to your taste. Add additional spices, remove the cinnamon if it's not to your liking. Add different fruit (fresh blueberries work well), different nuts (pecans?), even chocolate if you're really looking for a tasty treat! Hubby likes the granola a little sweeter, so I will add a little extra brown sugar (1 T or so). For dried fruit, I recommend rehydrating first, to avoid the fruit drying out to little fruit pebbles. Place fruit in a bowl, cover with water and microwave for 5 minutes, then I add about 15 minutes before the granola is done. Enjoy!

Total calories in: 1725
Calories burned: 2350
Workout: P90X Chest and Back