Baking and Early Morning Workout!

Good Morning!!

This is going to be a two post day! This weekend was absolutely amazing and filled with great friends and amazing times!  It was one of my best friend's, Sara, wedding to a fantastic guy, Jim.  The wedding was gorgeous and centered around a beautiful couple.  I don't mean to gush so much but seriously I felt like I was at the royal wedding they just looked so classic and elegant.  Needless to say, she was the first of my good friends to get married and set the bar really, really high for the rest of us :) **Post to come on the wedding weekend!

For right now, I would like to start by saying that I have been up since 5:30 AM! I am a morning girl, but that means about a 7 am morning girl...not an hour and half earlier than that morning girl.  Today, I got my booty out of bed and headed to the gym.  Ali got a month membership to Gold's Gym and has been intensely going to the gym to use the free membership...this morning she was determined to wake up and go to the 5:45 bodypump class and I was not so determined, but after seeing her rise and shine I decided to throw on my work out clothes and get my butt out of bed!

I missed the bodypump class (which Ali did- she left 10 minutes or so before my slow self), but decided to do an interval run, legs, arms and a little bit of abs.  All and all it was a great start of my day.  I honestly think that I was still asleep when I was doing my interval run and at minute 20 when I was supposed to be on 9.8 for 30 seconds...my body and mind woke up (not soo cool) but I was practically done so it was a great run and stayed on track.  I wonder if that really is true- that I was half asleep that it took a while for my body to understand what I was doing and when it did I was already more than half way done?!!? Either way--works for me!!

I was very proud that I ended up getting out of bed and actually going to the gym so early :) A little of the motivation came from understanding and realizing how much I consumed this weekend--it was a celebration with lots of delicious food and sweets---and not much time (at all) to work out or run! I live life with allowing myself to consume food and let my body relax every once and a while without guilt.  With that being said- I understand that I can take steps to minimize the gain after a great week of eating--work out, sleep and eat healthier.  Simple steps to keep me sane :)

Healthy Breakfast Morning- Sausage and Egg Whites

As for the sweets, I did contribute to the array of options.  I searched blogs and websites as well as a few of my cook books and picked two unique cookies to bake for the bachelorette party (part 2)!! Might I add how much I love having a real kitchen again :) I baked a fluffer-nutter cookie (yes the old tradition of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff together) and a coconut white chocolate chip cookie!! Both turned out great, but the winner by far was the coconut cookie!  The fluffer-nutter didn't look as appetizing because of the heat and traveling where the fluff expanded and spread a little too much :/ but they were still delicious to eat (just close your eyes and imagine they look good too haha)! As for the coconut cookie, it turned out awesome- fluffy, sweet, chewy and soft.

Baking Station

Peanut Butter Cookies

White Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

Fluffer-Nutter Cookies (prior to the spread)

The recipe called for jello pudding pack- I originally thought that was so weird to add pudding to cookies, but trust me it is amazing.  I was first introduced to it this winter when my sister made some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted where she used a pudding pack!! It sounds crazy- but seriously if you haven't tried it go to the kitchen and bake with pudding because it is life changing :)

As for today, it is the official start of my Chicago Marathon Training and the last day of spring (though it is supposed to be over 100 degrees today)!! Hope everyone has a Happy Monday :)