Happy Pumpkin Season

School is starting, which means one thing, summer is over.  Although that breaks everyone's heart, it means pumpkin everything is right around the corner.

Yesterday was the long awaited return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks, but instead of getting one I found a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Protein Overnight Oats, and nothing in life will every be the same.  First, this is one of the easiest recipes ever. Second, it tastes just like pumpkin pie, without causing you to gain 10 lbs when you eat it everyday.

Here it is, give it a try and let me know what you think (I'm pretty sure this will change your life!)

Ingredients:
(the recipe makes two serving, so I'm going to break it down for one serving for you :) )

1.5 TBS Pumpkin
1/4 C Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/8 C Plain Non Fat Greek Yogurt (recipe says low fat, just go for non fat)
1/8 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (this is delicious, but if you don't want to spend the money, it won't ruin the recipe)
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 C Old Fashioned Oats
1/8 C Protein Powder (I used Cellucor Cinnamon Swirl--- great choice, but any will work)
** The recipe calls for sweetener and salt, I skipped the salt and used 1 packet of stevia.

Also, optional is putting some WF Maple Syrup in it! Or nuts, or whatever you want!

Directions:

I made this easy, I put it in a jar, bowl, container (whatever works) and stirred it all together.  I put in the fridge before bed, woke up and ate it.  I warmed up half, and ate half of it cold to see which was better, but both ways are really good, so depends if you're craving hot or cold that day!!

And the credit goes to:
http://dashingdish.com/recipe/pumpkin-pie-overnight-protein-oatmeal/

Make this and let me know what you think, what you added, or took out!

Also, sorry there's no picture, I ate it too fast !

Homemade Hummus

Due to competition prep being over, I  am making way too many recipes and making everyone try my food. Needless to say, I am in heaven.

Many recipes I find are from Pinterest.  I love to eat and I love to cook, but let's be realistic, I want it to be simple.  I don't want to go out and buy 500 ingredients that I will use one tsp of every 6 months. With that said, I make homemade hummus yesterday.  I have to say it was pretty good for my first time, and made a ton!  I added way more garlic and lemon than the recipe said, because I think when making a recipes you can follow directions to a point, and then you add more ingredients to taste.

I decided to make classic hummus, but the website I went on (link at the bottom) has 13 different types of hummus.  I really wanted to make the beet one, but my mom didn't want that (boo mom, I hope you're reading).

So here it is:

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas (in case you didn't know these are also called Garbanzo Beans)
1/3 cup tahini (Personally, I would use a little less next time)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice (the recipe calls for 2 tbs, but I think 3 or more is better, but as I said use it to taste)
1 clove garlic (again, I used more)
***This will be very thick, I added 3-4 tbs water--1 tbs at a time to determine how thick you want the hummus

Directions:

Rinse beans and blend everything together (adding water).

And as always.. here's the link for you all:
http://www.skinnymom.com/2014/04/09/homemade-hummus-13-ways/

It's a great site for new recipes, and as you can see it's cheap and easy to make this!

Healthy Lasagna

I made this high protein lasagna and it tasted just like delicious, traditional, homemade lasagna should! Plus, it was easy!

Always comment with any questions, suggestions, or tell me how it is if you try it! 

What you Need:

•   1½ lbs of lean ground beef

•   6 oz. whole wheat lasanga noodles

•   2.5 cups Hunts traditional spaghetti sauce

•   2 cups fat free cottage cheese

•   9 oz. pkg. frozen spinach (cooked as directed and drain excess water)

•   8 egg whites

•   8 oz. mushrooms

•   1 cup fat free mozzarella cheese

      

 What to Do:

•   Cook ground beef until brown.

•   Boil noodles as directed by package.

•   Spray a 9”x13” pan with cooking spray and spread a few tablespoons of the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan.

•   Mix the rest of the ingredients, except for the fat free mozzarella cheese.

•   Lay down ½ of the noodles and top with half of the cottage cheese mixture.

•   Layer with the rest of the noodles and top with the other half of the mixture.

•   Lastly, put the fat free cheese on top.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

***The cool thing about recipes is that you can always put your own spin on them.  For this I used ground turkey instead of beef, and I didn't use mushrooms.  If you want any of the nutritional information for this or for my version comment!

Protein Cheesecake

Since I have been gone, I figure that I owe you all a recipe! I made this for my birthday (about a month ago) and it was better than any cake I've ever had!!

I got the recipe from http://www.builtlean.com/2013/01/23/protein-cheesecake-recipe/ (thanks guys!)

What you need:

• 12oz Fat Free Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 10oz Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 Whole Eggs
• 1-2 Tbsp Stevia
• ¼ Cup Milk
• 1.5 Scoops Whey Protein
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract
• Dash Salt

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 325°
2. Soften cream cheese in a large mixing bowl by pressing down with a spoon.
3. Add eggs and stevia and mix using an electric mixer.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue mixing for 2-3min.
5. Pour in baking pan (6” pan works best) lined with parchment paper for best results.
6. Bake at 325° for 25min then turn down the oven to 200° and continue baking for an additional hour.
7. Let cool in fridge for 4-5 hours, add topping and destroy!

If you have any questions about the recipe, visit the link provided, or comment comment comment!!!

9 Months Later..

This title probably sounds like I had a baby, but no, I just forgot my sign on for this blog.

I wrote a blog update in April, but couldn't post it, so here it is:

I haven’t blogged in a long time.  Well, more than a long time.  Okay, I basically started a blog and quit right away.  But, I had a good reason.  Kentucky.  What that means, is that I made this blog to update people on all the adventures and fun times Kentucky and graduate school was going to bring, but that didn’t really happen.  I didn’t exactly want to sit down and write about how I was working two jobs, writing papers until I had arthritis, and reading thousands of pages of boring books, all while in the polar vortex, so I stopped writing.  I know, I was being a baby. I’m sorry that I abandoned my few blog readers because there were a lot of great things that happened in the last 5 months. First and foremost, I learned a lot about myself.  I learned who I was, what I stand for, and what makes me happy.  Most importantly, I gained confidence in who I am.  But besides that big philosophical answer, I also started training for a NPC Bikini competition and dropped 7% body fat (competition is this Saturday 4/19) I met some amazing people and made great friends, and I finished (almost) my first year of graduate school (about a week left).

So why am I talking about this journey in Kentucky like it’s over?  Well, because it is.  Around Christmas break I decided I wasn’t happy, and life is too short to sit around and be unhappy for 5 years.  I applied to a doctorate program in San Diego, got in, and am moving back there at the end of May.  Whew, a lot going on and a lot that happened.  I guess there actually was a lot to blog about.

The point of this blog is to announce (YAY!) I am finally moving back to San Diego and making it my home for a few years.  I am also continuing graduate school, just at a new school (same type of degree).  I plan to seek adventures that I didn’t quite get in Kentucky, especially now that I know myself a little bit better.  I really did enjoy it in Kentucky though.  I learned manners (how to use my ma’ms and sirs), how delicious dark beer actually is, and a whole new world of fitness competing.  I also learned how to meet new people, be on my own without a team supporting me, and to take risks and have fun.  I learned how to be true to myself.  Kentucky will always hold a very special place in my heart, as will everyone I met here, but I’m exciting for my next new adventure.  We’ll see how long I can stay in one place J

I will try to start writing more, as I have lots of fun recipes, stories, and adventures to share.  Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this and support me J

K

__________________________________________________________________

So, three months after I wrote this, I finally figured out my password.  And.. I am back in San Diego!!

A little update on what I posed there, I did my first competition, and I placed 2nd in Novice and 6th in Open.  I also finished my first semester of graduate school with a 4.0.  Now I am prepping for my second competition (it's in 3 weeks!) and having a very laid back summer.

Although I am very happy to be back in San Diego, it is still a transition.  There are times I don't do much, I find myself bored, and am trying to find my place being in the World's Finest City.  Now that I have written my password down, I promise to post more, as I always continually promise... so we'll see how this goes.  I start school and practicum in about month, so stay tuned for my new journey!

Until Next Time,

K

It's Posted!

Hey Everyone,
I have so much to catch you all up on! But currently I am running to class. I wanted to share some exciting news really quick. In July I submitted my transformation story to bodybuilding.com and someone told me today that it was posted! I will post more about it later, but here is the link and a little insight to my fitness journey

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/body-transformstion-kaila-smith-burnt-fat-to-the-ground.html

I'll catch up soon, most likely after this hectic week of work and midterms!

Under Construction

Hey Guys!
I'm trying to makes pages for you guys to review specific things, for example recipes, but I'm not sure blogger does that so be patient with me while I'm trying to fix a few things here and there. Be sure to check in because a lot of things are coming up!