Pumpkin protein breakfast cake

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Yummy breakfast shake

Today I felt like shaking it up a little and having a protein shake for breakfast. Haven't done that in a while. Rather than just protein powder + milk, I wanted a little more substance. I ended up blending 1/2 frozen banana, 1 tablespoon ground flax seed, 1 cup low-fat milk, and a scoop of chocolate protein powder with 2 ice cubes. It turned out perfectly! Sweet, but not overpowering, cold and creamy with a little bit of oomph from the flax.

I grew a pair.

We're visiting my parents again--seems like we're here more than home, lately--and this time I decided I wasn't going to leave feeling guilty and unhealthy. So I decided to man up and bring my own clean foods. I packed a container of whey protein powder, since I don't care for the flavor of the soy they use, some homemade granola, 72% dark chocolate, raw almonds, rice pasta, and an arsenal of fruits and veggies.

Dinner last night was marinated pork that Mom had already thawed thinking it was chicken, and I made the Italian Pasta Salad from Tosca Reno's Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids. I did indulge in two small brownies (!) after dinner, but don't feel too badly about that because they were gluten-free, I used some mashed banana in place of 3/4 of the oil, and they were monstrously delicious.

Breakfast today was a green monster smoothie (milk, spinach, chocolate protein powder, and a frozen banana from Mom's freezer) and my AM snack is Bob's Red Mill 7-grain cereal with blueberries, honey, milk, and a cup of coffee. I am going to toss in a handful of raw almonds to round it out.

We're planning a trip to Trader Joe's later, which is usually detrimental to my bank account, but I have a small list for a change so hopefully it won't be too bad.