MugsByMorgan

Long time no post! It is crazy how life gets going and flies by in the blink of an eye. I have been so busy in my career as a Pediatric Nurse, but that hasn't stopped me from embarking on my next idea: 

MugsByMorgan! 

I always loved designing mugs for my friends and family as gifts. I've made engagement mugs, bridesmaid mugs, nickname mugs for my boyfriend, and thought it would be so fun to offer my hobby to others! 

I'm happy to make "custom" mugs, creating whatever you design you prefer. Sidenote: my handwriting is muchhhh better than my drawing skills. Here are some of the mugs I recently created:

Coffee/Wine Mug (LINK HERE)

 

"Nickname Mugs"

Love You / Good Morning

Nickname / His & Hers Mugs

Snowman Mug- other side below

Snowman Mug

More Mugs to come! Check out my site MugsByMorgan and order your own customized mug!

Have the best day :)

Morgan

Mexi-Quinoa Lime Salad

Ahhhh, finally I feel like spring is springing! Which means it is time for new, not-so-hearty, healthy recipes! I LOVE SPRING. And I also love Mexican food. The yummy protein-packed-quinoa combined with a lime-olive oil dressing is refreshing and nutritious. So this recipe is a winner in my book!

Mexi-Quinoa Lime Salad

This recipe is not only delicious, but ridiculously simple to make. Here is what you'll need.

Ingredients:

 -2 c. uncooked quinoa (~4 c. cooked quinoa)

-1 red pepper, diced

-1 jalapeno (or any spicy) pepper, diced

-1 can corn, rinsed

-1 can black beans, rinsed

-1 bunch scallions (~6-7) chopped

-1/2 bunch cilantro (1/4 c.) finely chopped

-Juice from 4 limes

-2/3c. olive oil

-salt, pepper, cumin to taste

Instructions:

First, RINSE your quinoa thoroughly with water. If you have ever omitted this step... you most likely suffered the side effect of having a terrible stomach ache after eating... yes this happened to me. So begin by rinsing! I have yet to find a better way to do this because quinoa falls through the strainer, so I used the cover to my pot and tried not to let all the quinoa fall out.

Look at the nasty bubbles that form (now imagine if you didn't rinse it)

If you are using 2 cups uncooked quinoa, add 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil. When it reaches boiling, turn the burner down to "low", cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes until all of the water has evaporated.

While you are waiting, dice up all of your vegetables (as pictured above) and drain and rinse the cans of corn and black beans. I tossed this all into a big bowl. When the quinoa is done, allow it to cool before adding it to the mixture! You can begin preparing the dressing.

Squeeze the juice of 4 limes and it should be ~1/3 cup. Add salt and pepper, and about 2/3c. of olive oil! You can add cumin (2 t.) but I didn't have any and my recipe tasted fine! I did add some ground white pepper "in place" just because I found it in the cabinet.

The simple final product: your dressing!

Cover the salad with the dressing, stir, and that is it! You are done!

There is nothing unhealthy about this recipe so I love it. You can serve it hot or cold, as a side-salad OR try adding some shredded chicken into the mix for a more filling entree! Wouldn't it be delicious to add shredded chicken covered in some taco seasoning? This provides about 8 one-cup servings.

ENJOY! And stay healthy my friends!

Swimsuit season is JUST around the corner (finally)!

Morgan

Buffalo Cauliflower

With the Super Bowl last weekend (and trying to stay on track and be healthy) I decided to finally try Buffalo Cauliflower. I do admit it was a good way to get that spicy craving in without all of the calories and fat from fried buffalo wings!

Buffalo Cauliflower

But just to forewarn you: if you are a whimp with spicy stuff (like I am), I might suggest finding an alternative to Ranch Dressing to "cool off" the flavor. I chose not to buy any dressing, as I said I am trying to be healthy and ranch is potentially as unhealthy as it gets with those empty calories and fat......... but when I found myself sweating my brains out, taking off my sweatshirt and socks, and chugging 3 glasses of water later... I sure wish I had some ranch dressing. Guess that will need to be my next blog topic! (And if you really can't stand spice- try this alternative found here: Coriander Cauliflower)

But ANYWAY. First off, I need to thank you, whoever you are, for reading my blog! I've surpassed 755,000 viewers and I never even dreamed this would happen! Next stop: more healthy readers and 200,000 viewers. Love it.

So lets get started!

Ingredients:

- Head of Cauliflower

- Bottle of Buffalo Sauce

- 1 T. Olive Oil

- Pepper

Begin by preheating your oven to 400 degrees, washing the cauliflower, cutting off the base, and then chopping the cauliflower in any strategy you want to get it into bite size pieces like this:

Next, toss all of your cauli (such a cuter name) into a large ziplock bag, add the 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and pepper and shake the bag until the cauli is evenly coated.

Mission accomplished. Now evenly spread the cauliflower on a cookie sheet which does not need to be greased. 

Toss it in the oven for about 20 minutes or until soft enough to bite and crispy to your liking. While you're waiting, stir it so the edge pieces don't burn. Once it is complete, put your cauli in a bowl!

While warm, add the goodness- buffalo sauce. I only did enough to make 1-2 servings and put the other cooked cauliflower in the fridge for leftovers.

Toss the cauli around and YAY YOURE DONE!

Enjoy your appetizer or snack, try your best not to give into that ranch craving, but remember that regardless, you have already made a super healthy choice by using CAULI instead of fried wings to satisfy your craving (okay, I'll stop saying cauli now).

Enjoy :)

 GET HEALTHY <3 Morgan

Snow Day Home Workout!

Ohhhhh the good old winter. With all of this lovely snow that has been falling in Boston (okay, I'm from Minnesota so I realllllllly should not be complaining...) we have received so many snow days! And with a snow day usually comes laziness. The first thing I said last night when I heard that my gym would be closed today was "well crap, now I can't get my workout in!"

Although with my "no excuses" motto, I found an easy way to fight the winter blues and got a nice sweaty workout done in the comfort of my own room. Yes, the woman who lives downstairs probably hated every minute of that hour while I jumped on our old wood floor with my jump-squats and burpees.... but did I care? Not really :) It felt great!

So snap out of your winter-time lazy mood, blast some jams, and start sweating! Here is a simple workout that is sure to torch calories and boost your mood:

First, start off with a warm up! I used 1-2 songs to stretch out, did a bunch of high knees, butt kicks, and jumping jacks until I felt warm.

Next, accomplish the "10-1" Workout. This consists of doing each of the 5 exercises, starting with 10 reps of each: jump squats, push ups, lying leg raises (lay on your back and use your abs to bring your legs down to hover the floor, and back up), plank jacks (like jumping jacks but in a plank position on the floor), and burpees. Once you finish that first set, move onto doing 9 reps of each exercise. Continue this by doing 8 reps, 7 reps, 6 reps, until you have completed the "10-1" workout! This will get your heart pouding. Try to do this with as few breaks as possible, don't hesitate to grab some water between each set, but keep that heart-rate up!

After completing that, pat yourself on the back and move on to doing 3 planks. Do them each as long as you can! To give you a target, I did 45 seconds, 45 seconds, 40 seconds.

Then, work those abs with 4 rounds of 10 each of crunches, leg raises or V-ups, mountain climbers, and bicycles! This round shouldn't feel nearly as difficult as the 10-1 ladder, and you should really concentrate on your abs- NOT pulling your neck up!

If you still have the motivation after rocking out those abdominal exercises, raise that heart rate one more time with some high knees and oblique tilts to each side!

With that, YOU DID IT!!! Feel proud that you did more than the average person did on your snow day, give yourself a good stretch, and of course- DRINK PROTEIN :)

And if you are feeling super ambitious, try on your old Miss Boston evening gown and see if it still fits....

.... Then breathe a sigh of relief when you can still zip it up. Hey, who cares if it is a little (or a lot) tighter now? It gave me the exact motivation I needed to work hard again tomorrow, whether I'm at the gym or in my own room again :)

Stay healthy!

Morgan

Pina Colada Protein Shake

I cannot believe the cold winter weather is already upon us! (If you live in a tropical, warm location- I ENVY YOU). This girl is not ready for the snow! Which must be the reason that I was daydreaming about tropical islands... and Pina Coladas! They are my favorite summer treat, but why not enjoy them in the winter too?

When I realized I had the perfect ingredients for a "Pina Colada" protein shake (coconut, banana, and pineapple), I raced to the gym, killed a workout, and sprinted right back home to make this. And let me tell you: H.E.A.V.E.N. A legit pina colada. But healthy :)

Pina Colada Protein Shake

The super simple ingredients:

2 ice cubes

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 c. frozen pineapple

1 T. unsweetened coconut

1 serving nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

1 packet stevia

unsweetened almond milk

Add the ingredients in that order into your blender and "ice crush" on the highest setting until everything is blended. I add just enough almond milk to make it thick and creamy. You may need to stop the blender a few times to stir it, and try adding another splash of almond milk!

If you've seen my earlier fruit&protein shake post, you will know that I freeze my bananas AFTER peeling them and dicing them into 6 slices. I put them on a piece of wax paper and put them in the freezer, as pictured above. 3 slices= half a banana. It helps to make the most delicious milkshake-ish consistency in your protein shake. I found my frozen pineapple in the freezer section, and the unsweetened coconut in the organic section.

Am I on an island? ... or in my 40 degree apartment?

I can't wait until my workout is over tomorrow so I can enjoy this goodness again. Heck, you could even make it as a dessert! Check out the nutrition facts below!

Nutrition:

326 calories

5g fat

32g carbs

21g sugar

39g protein

Luckily, all of the sugar/carb content is from real fruit, so I'm okay with it! These are the perfect macros to fuel you after a good workout. So please, ENJOY, and let me know what you think!

<3 Morgan

Clean Pumpkin Protein Muffins

Tis the season! The fall season that is. After making my mom's delicious pumpkin bread recipe (which includes 3 CUPS of sugar...) I decided I needed to find a healthy alternative for my fall-ish pumpkin cravings! Hence, my Clean Pumpkin Protein Muffins! I mean, not only are these muffins made with clean ingredients, but they have PROTEIN. Morgan's favorite thing. 

These muffins took a total of 30 minutes to make, I had ALL of the ingredients lying around my house, and they are sure to satisfy your pumpkin sweet tooth without the added calories, fat, or sugar.

Try 'em out before winter sneaks up on us! Your house will smell amazing (and your roomates will thank you). 

Clean Pumpkin Protein Muffins

Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin puree 

1/2 c. egg whites

1/2 c. unsweetened apple sauce

1 serving plain nonfat Greek yogurt

2 T. all-natural peanut butter

1 t. vanilla

4 packets stevia

1 c. oat flour

2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. cinnamon

olive oil cooking spray

muffin tin

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix together the pumpkin, egg whites, apple sauce, yogurt, peanut butter, stevia, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electronic mixer. Add in the oat flour, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, and spices and mix until well-combined.

 Prep your muffin tins with a coat of olive oil cooking spray and you don't even need to use muffin liners!

Spoon your muffin mixture evenly into each muffin tin (makes 15 muffins)

Now bake them for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees! You will know they are done when a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Allow the finished muffins to sit in the tin for about 5 minutes before removing them..... Then indulge :)

The pumpkin puree can be found on any grocer's shelves. Make sure its pure pumpkin with no added sugars. In my first batch of these muffins, I only used 2 packets of stevia and thought they tasted a little bland (oops, this girl has a sweet tooth problem) so I thought 4 packets would add the perfect amount of sweetness. Oat flour can be found in the organic section of your grocery store (this is also what I use in my Homemade Protein Bars so you can get multiple uses out of it)!

Nutrition:

83 calories

1.8g fat

9g carbs

1.3g fiber

2.3g sugar

7g protein

Now I'd call that a clean muffin!

So much deliciousness, I can't handle it. Store your muffins in tupperware and go ahead and freeze a few to keep them fresh for next week! They will still taste great.

Enjoy! and LETS GET HEALTHY!

Morgan

Spartan Race 2013!

Well, its about time I write a "wrap-up" for the Spartan Race 5K that I did in August! What a fun event. I mean, who doesn't love an excuse to roll around in mud? I ran the Boston Spartan Race and it was a blast.

To be honest, the obstacles were cool, but they were more of a "break" from running up and down the mountain. It is only a 5k (3.1 miles) but it was a tiring race! If you're training for an upcoming Spartan Race: TRAIN ON HILLS. While I love to run, I don't train on hills as often as I should so I would highly suggest this! Then again, running the Spartan Race is more fun to me than a competition for how fast I can run it... so enjoy yourself!

before........

... and after :)

Throughout the run, there were about 20 obstacles that you had to complete. They had separate sections of the obstacles for girls (which kind of made me feel stupid... until the end of the race when I was tired!) and if you couldn't complete the obstacle, you faced a series of burpees. Who doesn't love burpees?! ;) Some of the obstacles were climbing across monkey bars, carrying sandbags up and down the mountain, dragging cinder blocks, climbing/jumping over walls, sliding down muddy hills, jumping over fire:

weeeeeeeeee

and the ever-exhasuting crawling under barbed wire through mud.. and 4 billion sharp rocks. While this was a blast, it was also the longest, most painful obstacle, and after swimming under a muddy wall, I saw that there was another entire stretch of barbed wire to struggle under. My face says is all:

"... more barbed wire???"

struggle fest

trying a new strategy to get through it!

While this race was awesome, and definitely something you can't do every day, I thought the price was a little insane. I paid close to $120 and because of that, I'm not sure I would do it again! I suggest getting a big group of friends to motivate you through it; make a day out of it. As I always say, it is good to sign up for a race or event so that you have a goal to work towards! That is what keeps me going and helps me to continue training.

all smiles at the finish line!

Don't forget to bring a change of clothes and enjoy the entertainment afterwards! Stay tuned for my post on the Electric Run, which I paid $45 for and it was worth every penny!!!

Stay healthy!

Morgan