Avocado Obsession Continues: Avocado Basil Pasta

Avocado Obsession Continues: Avocado Basil Pasta

Yes, here I go with my avocado obsession again! I wanted to share another go-to recipe that is healthy and super easy to make and this one just kept coming back to my mind.  Stella loves pasta and so does Adam.  I was looking for a summer pasta recipe when I came across this one at my friend Barbara’s barbecue. It is easy to make and so incredibly delicious!

Photo courtesy of Dairy Made Easy

You will need:

8 ounces bow-tie pasta or quinoa penne pasta

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 medium avocados, diced  2 tbsp olive oil

2/3 cup loosely packed basil leaves, chopped      
2 garlic cloves, crushed                            
¼ Tbsp kosher salt & pinch coarse black pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil and cook pasta as directed on the package

2. In a large bowl, combine avocado, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic s&p.

3. Add hot pasta to bowl, stir to combine;

4. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve right away or at room temperature

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!!!!

Avocado Toast, My New Obsession

Photo courtesy of seedsnsmiles.com

Avocado has become my best friend in the last few months.  Adam and I started incorporating it into a variety of dishes, especially at breakfast.  It has many health benefits including healthy, natural fats and antioxidants and I have fallen in love with it.  One of our favorite recipes is avocado toast in the morning!!!

I love having a piece of toast in the morning.  I used to put a little butter on it or add olive oil, but when Stella and Luiza were born I had to give up dairy because they both had trouble digesting the protein in dairy products.  So when I saw this recipe for avocado toast I decided to give it a try and I totally fell in love with it!!!

Here is how I make my avocado toast:

1/2 an avocado

1 piece of toast

Pinch of salt

1/8 of a lemon juiced

Olive oil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

I toast my bread and drizzle olive oil on top of it. Then, I take half the avocado and mash it in a small bowl.  I squeeze the lemon into the avocado and mash it a little more, adding the salt.  Then, spread the mashed avocado onto your toast and sprinkle with some red pepper flakes. If you don’t like spicy food you can leave the red pepper flakes out.

It is so delicious and this has become one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast with my eggs or if I am hungry mid afternoon.  There are also a lot of other ways you can make avocado toast.  Would love to hear how you make yours!!!

Post-Baby Body

When I decided to start playing again I knew that one of the first things I had to do was to get back in shape. I have had two C-sections and I am much older than when I started playing. I knew my body had changed, but I still had to be in shape to be able to swing the way I used to and, to be honest, I just felt bad being in my post-baby body.

When I became pregnant with my first daughter, Stella, I promised myself I would take care of my body. I ate well and I worked out about three to four times a week. I lifted weights and did cardio all the way to the end.  I remember so vividly lifting weights the day I went into labor with Stella. I gained only 23 lbs and, after six weeks, I was back to my pre-baby weight. I was that woman every girl hates.

With Luiza the story did not repeat itself.  I started working out 2 months after having Luiza.  I did not have the time or the energy to work out as much as I did with Stella. I did not gain that much more weight, only 25 lbs when all was said and done, but boy oh boy was I up for a rude awakening! At the beginning it did not matter what I did - it was like my body had frozen. It was just stuck at a certain weight.  Two months after I started working out I had not lost a single pound.

There were so many times I just wanted to give up, but I kept at it and now I am so happy I did. With a combination of working out and eating better the weight is SLOWLY going down. Luiza is 7 months old and I am still not at my pre-baby weight, but I am getting there.

Below are some of the things that have really helped me:

1. Working out first thing in the morning. If I don't do my workout in the morning the day gets away from me and I find way too many excuses.

2. Keeping it fresh: I used to lift weights and do cardio -that was it. Now I do a little bit of everything and I feel like it keeps me going. I run, spin, do bar classes, build my own work out and do some workout videos. This keeps my muscles guessing and working in many different ways which I believe has helped me to lose the weight.

3. Taking days off. I need at least two days off a week. My body just needs it.

4. Doing a workout even if I only have 20 min. I am much easier on myself because time is just limited. If I sweat for 20 minutes or so it is worth it and I just feel better.

5. I refused to buy clothes to fit the bigger me. This really kept me motivated because every time I tried something on and it did not fit I would get so mad!

6. Most of my workouts combine strength training and cardio to maximize the time I put into them.

I will post more specific workouts in the futures....oh I forgot to add that I still have 5 lbs to go. Not there yet but almost!!!!!  What are your stay-fit secrets?