Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These surprisingly healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with all natural peanut butter and decadent dark chocolate morsels.

 Course Dessert

 Prep Time 20 mins

 Cook Time 22 mins

 Total Time 47 mins

 Servings 24 cookies, 1 cookie per serving

 Calories 95 kcal

 Author Beachbody

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• ½ cup all-natural peanut butter
• 5 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan Salt)
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• ⅔ cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Lightly coat two large baking sheets with spray. Set aside.
3. Combine quinoa, peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, extract, and egg in a large bowl; mix well.
4. Fold in chocolate chips; gently mix until blended.
5. Drop by rounded Tbsp. onto prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until set.
7. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets; remove from sheets and cool completely on a wire rack (or on parchment paper).

Recipe Notes

The Nutrition Facts box below provides estimated nutritional information for this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)

Calories 95Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Cholesterol 8mg3%

Sodium 17mg1%

Total Carbohydrates 11g4%

Dietary Fiber 1g4%

Sugars 7g

Protein 2g4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

**Courtesy of Beachbodyblog.com

Wishes Turned To Goals!

Last week I shared about not having any GOALS written on a calendar.  I had a TON of WISHES!  I had sticky notes and notes written on papers and and a notebook full of just STUFF that I HOPED I would accomplish.  If you know me, I am NOT one that will drop $50-$75 on a planner.  I am super picky and I am the worst.  I get one, use it for a week, maybe and then I give up on it.  I shoot for perfection and not what the intent is for the planner.  This time I did some looking.  I can not begin to tell you how many I looked at.  It was at least 50 I am sure.  I looked from $5 to $30 and I was struggling with $30.  OF course, Amazon came to the rescue!!!!  I found something that I could work with and it had what I was in need of.  I was so DONE with the sticky notes, losing the sticky notes, the frustration of missing an event and wondering why I wasn’t reaching the WISHES that were in my head and in my heart.
Here is a peek inside the planner that I got.

This is EXACTLY what I needed.  I got it in the mail last Saturday and Sunday afternoon, I sat down with all of my sticky notes, my miscellaneous ideas and papers with dates for bowling and school and wrote them all in the planner.  I was then able to see the week planned and writing down all of the events that were on tap for the week.  Bo’s cardiac rehab and his bowling, Kaleb’s dental appt., Kaleb’s LEGO League at school, workouts, water intake, meetings etc.  It was a totally incredible feeling knowing that I was READY for the week.  The week was insanely busy crazy but even with that I was able to be prepared and ready for my week.  It was AMAZING!!!!!  

I think the most exciting part will be this weekend.  There is a page in the planner called the Monthly Vision page.  I have the awesome opportunity to sit down and REALLY consider what I want my goals to be for the month.  What do I want to accomplish with my family?  What are my goals for my workouts? What are my goals for my business?  Things that are normally just spoken about or written  on a miscellaneous sticky note somewhere.  NOW they are no longer WISHES!  

They are GOALS!!!!!!!!!

Do you have a planner?

What kind do you have?

Do you find you are more organized?

Wishes Vs Goals

                                                    A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish!!!

I have thought long an hard about this quote over the past week.  I have been trying really hard to make some decisions and some plans but I kept running into a problem.  NOTHING was on paper.  I was WISHING for a lot of things and nothing seemed to be happening and I was getting more frustrated.  Then the other morning, this quote popped up in the app that I use for my morning motivation post and hit me right between the eyes and dead center in the heart!  I have a hard time sharing and motivating people with quotes if I don’t “practice what I preach”.

What is the point Pam?
Ok so I will share with you what this said to me.  This does not JUST APPLY TO FITNESS!!!!  This can apply to ANYTHING!!!!!  So what better way to share what was in my head than to actually show you.

In my head it was a mess.  These are the things that were jumbled up in my brain!!!  Want to talk about OVERLOAD!!!!!  

-Kaleb adjusting to new schedule with school
-Kaleb trying to figure out where he fits in and what can we do to encourage him
-Kaleb adjusting to a totally different way of homework and reading assignments
-Bo and I placing new “Middle School Rules” in place and STICKING TO THEM!
-I need to blog!  I need to write because I LOVE IT and I WANT to share.
-Upcoming Races and where they are, when, and am I already registered or do I need to register.
-Upcoming programs that are coming out with my company
-Upcoming challenge group and some new ideas for more accountability and more fun and some really cool ideas
-Wanting more results from SHRED WEEK of LIIFT4
-Streamlining my eating and portion control.
-What will be my next program to jump on
-Pushing beyond my comfort zone and sharing my passion for what I do.

So, when you have this much “STUFF” running through your head, where in the world do you start and how in the world do you organize yourself to turn all THAT into GOALS and not just WISHES!?  It’s mentally overwhelming and can just blow your brain away with frustration and confusion and the infamous “I CAN’T DO IT ALL!!!” Then.............we QUIT!

All of this to say........I’M BACK!!!!!!  I’m READY!  LET’S DO THIS!!!!!!!  So over the next couple of post I am going to share with you what I am working on and you can see all of the ideas and plans actually fall into place and become REALITY and GOALS and no longer STRESS and FRUSTRATION!!!  My prayer is that this will help you and keep me ACCOUNTABLE!!!!!!

Beachbars???? Seriously???? ABSOLUTELY !!!!!!!!!

These are INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!
Order HERE for Chocolate Peanutbutter
Order HERE for Chocolate Cherry Almond

Life After A Miracle

Well....Friday May 11th was just like every other Friday.  We got up, worked out, and went about our day.  Kaleb went to school so excited because he was going to get to go to a best friends house for the night for a birthday party.  Bo and I went to work and we had planned on a “Date Night” because we NEVER do that.  We couldn’t wait.  Around 10:40am my office phone rang and Bo asked me to come to the ER and he was in room 510.  I have had these phone calls before and thought maybe it was someone we knew.  Well, I did know the patient.  It was Bo.  He thought he had pulled a muscle in his arm and it was hurting bad enough that he needed to go to the ER and it was obvious that he was uncomfortable.  The PA came in and did and exam and we were going to get some X-rays.  Bo happened to mention that maybe we get an EKG.
The Tech came in and did an EKG and left without saying much.  No sooner than he walked out, the PA returned followed by a ton of people in what I would like to call, Organized Chaos!  He very calmly said, Bo, you are having a heart attack!!!!  I heard “heart attack” and “STEMI”.  I knew what both of those things meant.  It was a totally surreal moment.  Bo was taken immediately to the Cath Lab and his Cardiologist just happened to be there, NOT A COINCIDENCE!.  They were able to place 2 stents and we were just amazed.
It was a normal day! It was beautiful outside! We had made plans! This was NOT on our radar! What just happened!?  If I asked myself that once, I asked myself a million times over!  There were so many emotions and so many questions.  It was clear that what had happened would have been vastly different had it been the weekend before in NYC.  What if it had happened on the weekend or at night and we would have had to wait on staff to be called in?  I quickly realized that I could not live in the “What if’s?”  That could not happen.
This all happened on Friday morning and we were home on Monday afternoon.  We are learning what we have called our “New Normal”.  It is so different!  Bo has LEARNED to rest.  We have also learned to revamp what we think is important.
We return to work-life next week.  It’s all about perspective and what is priority.  We have learned so much.  We are so truly grateful for so many people and so many prayers and encouragement!  It has been a humbling experience to see just how many people have reached out.  We are blessed beyond words!  We move forward with a new appreciation for those small things and each new sunrise.  Don’t take it for granted!!!

Pacer???

                                                                          This is Amy!!

So I have run my first half marathon in 10 YEARS!!!!

10 Years older but guess what????  I didn’t let that stop me!!!  It was absolutely amazing!!!!  I mentioned in my last post about a PACER.  I had seen people carrying signs with a time on them like 2:00 or 2:30 or 3:00 and so on.  I knew of them but I was not sure exactly what it meant or how it worked or what the point was.  Leading up to this race I was questioning EVERYTHING about how in the world was I going to do this.  I had a million “What If’s” running through my head!  

In a conversation in the hall at work one day, Amy walks by and casually mentions she is the Pacer for the Half Marathon.  My ears perked up.  I asked what was her time.  3 hours!!! My head was spinning and I was so excited!!!!!  I did the math and thought, “I can so do that!”  Then she said she was doing 2 and 2.  Ok, well, I do run/walk anyway so that should not be to complicated and I think I can handle that.

  Of course then the negative comes in......”What if the 2 minutes is more like a sprint and it takes me 2 minutes to recover?” “What if she REALLY means 2 miles running and 2 miles walking?”  Don’t deny it, you would have done the same thing!!!!!  

After I got over my fear and had a few more conversations with her, my Hubby, Scott (my long legged co-worker) and other’s, I figured I could do this!  It was going to work because by now my determination was overtaking instead of the negative!!!!  

My reasoning turned to 

1- It’s been 10 years

2-I’m 10 years older

3- My last half marathons were 2:30 and 2;40’s

4-I CAN DO THIS!!!!!!

I found Amy the day of the race and I met a ton of women that I absolutely adore from a running group in town.  I had only commented and read post on Facebook and never REALLY met them in person with the exception of those that work at the hospital.  THEY ARE AMAZING!!!!!!  

We had an incredible time during the race.  We talked and laughed and sang!  It was wonderful.  

What did I love most about having a Pacer??

I didn’t have to think!  

I didn’t have to worry about.......

Was it time to run?

Was it time to walk?

Where is the next hill?

Will I be able to drink at the next water stop?

What mile am I on again?

Am I really going to make it?

Are we done yet?

I could trust that Amy had it all under control and I just needed to listen and HAVE A GREAT TIME!!!!!

All of that to say.....If you have ever questioned or even considered running with a PACER.......DO IT!!!  

You will NOT BE SORRY!!!!!!!!

First Half Marathon after 10 YEARS!!!!!!

IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!!!!!

I did it!!!!!!


I completed a Half-Marathon AGAIN!!!!!!

While most of you know that I LOVE to run and that running = therapy and running = my time, it doesn't seem like that is a big deal.

Well, if you go back almost 2 years now, I ran in a local 5k and that was the first race after Lynn-Marie had passed.  I literally was running, ugly crying mess that day.  I had cried getting ready, I cried before the race. I cried during the race. I was a MESS!!!!!  The story behind that is here. ( You can go and read if you would like.)

Last year I had signed up to run a race that I had run before called the Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half Marathon.  I had run it before (9 years ago!) and I was training all summer for it in the heat.  I was doing well and then realized it fell at a time of an older child leaving for a duty station and dates were not set in stone and vacation time was VERY limited. I gracefully bowed out BUT transferred my money to this year for 2018.  Already signed up and ready to go.  That was a done deal and I was ok with that......
UNTIL........


Our little city here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland decided to do a half marathon and a full marathon.  My first thought was, NOPE! I'm not ready. I haven't been training and it was COLD outside and I DO NOT LIKE THE TREADMILL especially for long runs.  (BORING!!)

So I wasn't sure what to do.  I did a 10 mile relay (I ran 5 and Donna ran 5) and that was as far as I had run and now I'm looking at 13.1......I HAVE LOST MY MIND!  With no mind left I signed up and thinking the entire time....."I can NOT do this!"

I have a co-worker who is running.  He is MUCH taller than I am and the LONGEST legs ever and is FAST.  He had signed up and we would talk and chat and we are both on the same running app and I would see his runs and that would motivate me to go.  Well, I did my 8 mile run a few weeks ago.  It was a lot hotter than I thought.  I did not prepare the night before.  I didn't sleep due to "life" and I was in TEARS!!!!!  I was texting my husband telling him I couldn't do it. I was texting 2 friends telling them I was crazy! It was probably THE WORST RUN EVER!!!!

Fast-forward to this past Saturday.

I ate pizza Friday night ( NO GUILT!!).

I went to bed at 8:30pm

I got up and ate. Drank my shake. Drank my Energize.

Got to the race and I had made a choice to run with a PACER.  Never have I done that before.  I'll write another post about PACER's later on.

I took pictures.  I met women I have only seen on social media. I spoke to people who knew me and didn't realize I knew them.  I met new people. It was amazing!!!!!

I ran with Amy (PACER) and a group of women whom I have NEVER met before and now I am running with them for the next 3 hours.  We sang! We laughed! We shed a few tears! We talked about running! It was amazing!!!!  It was an absolutely INCREDIBLE RACE! It's been 10 YEARS AND I STIL CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!

When I finished I realized I have a big PROBLEM!!!!!

I'm soooo ready to do another race.  I caught myself looking on line for more races and where and when and do I have anything planned!!!!

I had the MOST FUN EVER!!!!!  This was The Inaugural Race for our town.  I'm ready to put this on my calendar for NEXT YEAR!