Nut Butter and Banana Bake

Most of you know how obsessed I am with breakfast of any kind. This particular dish is one of my all time favorites! It's really simple and super delicious! 

1/2 C dry oats
1/2 banana
1 Tbsp nut butter of your choice
1/2 C egg whites

Made best in a glass or ceramic bowl, but it does turn out in plastic if you need to be on the go ;)

Mix these ingredients together so the nut butter is mixed thoroughly. Place in microwave for 1 minute, then stir and replace for 1 more minute. Let it cool a bit and enjoy! Sometimes I may add a tiny bit of almond milk over the top to cool and soften it a little.

I am pretty sure it would taste great with peaches or apples as well!

Long Time Comin'...

It has been a while since I have updated this. I have recently had a lot of unfortunate time on my hands. Last Saturday I was able to partake in my first ambulance ride due to my first broken bone (clavicle) during the first half of my first 15's rugby game of the season. Needless to say...I will be the newest Charleston Hurricane cheerleader. Whoop! :-/

Now that is covered, let me rewind...

I moved to Charleston, SC in February and started a fire job with the Francis Marion National Forest. It was great to experience southern coastal fire fighting. The majority of it is prescribed fires, so we had lots of fun burning. What was not so fun was all the critters and animals they have in the forest out here. There was one day where I had 27 ticks on me and 3 of those were embedded. EWWW!

During my employment there I was able to rescue an adorable Staffie/mix dog that someone had abandoned. I wasn't going to get a dog this early, but she completely stole my heart that day we found her. I know why now, she is just like me an so many ways...we were meant to be. :)

I was laid off for the season from that job in July and unknown to me, even with a pretty diverse resume' it is hard to find a good job here. The gap between getting laid off and finding employment was harmful to my bank account and the employment I DID find wasn't much help. I probably applied to 37 job, give or take a few, and got 3 interviews at the same time and then another came shortly after. I at one point had 4 jobs and hardly any income believe it or not. I eventually dwindled that down to 2. I was able to pull doubles for weeks upon weeks to try and get caught up a little and then...we are back to where I started...broken and broke, forced to be a couch potato without insurance and no employment.

WELL PEOPLE....KEEPIN' THE FAITH IS REAL

Through much faith, prayer, and the help of an amazing support group the tides are turning. Things are slowly, but surely progressing in a positive way. I am a believer that things happen for a reason. I know that my creator has the map of my journey and knows when it will become a struggle. He waits anxiously like a parent watching those first steps or learning to ride a bike. No matter how bad he wants to jump in and catch me...I need to learn my own balance without his help and he'll be there to comfort me when I fall. After I fall he gives me that confidence to succeed, he carries my burdens with me, and  he gives me light.

Beauty in Everything

I’m climbing the mountain HE created for me,

On each route there is beauty in everything.

Amongst the weeds, flowers grow

Within the dirt, pure gems glow.

I am safe because I know

HE is always with me.

The journey is hard, I trip and fall

HE helps me up and I stand tall.

Without HIM I couldn’t go on,

HE carries me when I am not strong.

With faith I continue

HIS kingdom I pursue.

The sky is open and the sun is bright

The breeze is cool and my pack is light.

I give praise to HIM for all HE’s done

Glory, Glory how far I’ve come.

In the times when dead ends appear

I call to HIM, and have no fear.

HE has my map, HE’ll lead me out

I trust in him and have no doubt.

HE loves me so, this I believe,

Through HIM, I will succeed.

The sky is open and the sun is bright

The breeze is cool and my pack is light.

I give praise to HIM for all HE’s done

Glory, Glory how far I’ve come.

When I reach the unknown peak

And look down to what I see.

I take a deep breath of accomplishment,

Knowing it was worth every lost moment.

I climbed the mountain HE created for me,

On each route there was beauty in everything.

Kerri Rogers

9/13/13

Natural Olympia

When I started training for my first bodybuilding show in January of 2011, the thought didn't occur to me that I could make it to the stage of one of the largest natural bodybuilding shows in the world. I hardly knew anything about the sport at that time. All I knew is that I had a goal (New Years resolution) to be more fit and healthy and if I made it on stage great, but if not then I knew I would have made progress otherwise. As you know I made it on stage for my very 1st bodybuilding competition at the NGA Mountain States "The Show" on May 14, 2011.

5th place & Best Female Poser

After being on that stage and having the opportunity to present my hard work and dedication of being at the gym every morning at 6am for 5 months and eating a very strict diet of 1200 calories a day, I fell in love with the sport. Not because I want to show off, but because it is a way to motivate others and show them that it IS possible to go from point A to point B with diet and exercise. There isn't a magic pill, drink, or some other special way to look fit quick. It takes time and hard work, but in the end it means that much more to you and you learn a lifestyle change. Following through with that New Years resolution was by far THE BEST decision I have made. 

September 22, 2012 I made it to the stage for the 2nd time at the INBA/PNBA Team USA's National competition in Las Vegas, NV. Competing nationally for my 2nd show was a bit overwhelming, especially because all my training and dieting was done through fire season. I couldn't believe the mass I was able to put on and how lean I got while having an unplanned schedule, doing workouts on the fire line, and only eating things I was able to carry in my pack. It was super hard and my crew members thought I was crazy when I would grab nozzles out of the engine to do lateral raises! haha Well...my shoulders have never been so striated! :) 

Making it to the Natural Olympia for my 3rd bodybuilding competition is a huge accomplishment in itself whether placing or not. I was really excited to be there and be competing against some of the best physiques in the world. Sad to say that I wasn't feeling my best when the pre-judging show came around Friday morning. I was quite bloated with lack of spunk. When I stepped on stage I knew this, but gave it my all. After the pre-judging was over my trainer and I decided to test something out with my intake of carbs and water...lo and behold...it worked! I felt brand new and my abs popped again and I was more vascular than ever! It is a shame we didn't catch that before I was judged that morning, but at least we can say we know what to do for the next competition! So, needless to say I didn't look my best on stage. In my eyes, I still came out a winner at the competition. I made new friendships, gained an amazing family within the BE team, and created memories I will never forget. 

November 9, 2012

Thank you to all who have supported and encouraged me in one way or another, whether you know it or not. You are my motivation to keep pushing and become better everyday. 

Rice Pudding and a cookie tip

I had leftover brown rice in the fridge and was thinking of how I could use it besides as a side for my carb meals. Just as I always do, I went to bed last night creating this morning's breakfast in my head. I decided to try something with the rice, and this is what was made...Vanilla rice pudding with blueberries. It was SO easy and super delicious.

1/2 C brown rice
1 scoop vanilla BE whey protein
handful of blueberries
Unsweetened almond milk to a creamy consistency. (start with maybe 1/8C) I forgot to measure. As you stir it gets creamier, so don't over do the milk.

Mix well and eat!

Cookie tip:
I made cookies the other day (I don't do often) and when I pulled them out of the oven as directed, they looked gooey still so I put them back in for a couple minutes. Yeah, bad idea...the cookies ended up being a little more on the done side than preferred. I was thinking of a possible remedy to soften overdone cookies, and I thought, if you can put a piece of bread in brown sugar to keep it moist maybe I could try it with cookies. I did and it worked! The cookies were resurrected to a soft and delicious state :)

Abs!

2 years in the making! I finally have abs that popped. The Natural Olympia is in a couple of weeks and I am so excited! I get the chance to compete against some of the best physiques from various countries of the world. I feel so honored and accomplished to be able to step on stage at the largest natural bodybuilding competition as only my 3rd personal competition. It was such a rewarding experience to place 3rd at a national level during the Team USA INBA/PNBA competition a few weeks ago. I can't wait to see what the Natural Olympia has to offer! The moments I have had being a part of Team Body Evolution has been amazing and I can't thank everyone enough for all their help and support. To be part of a team where every member is working hard to become their personal best and willing to help their teammates along the way is so great. I have the best trainer ever! If it weren't for David Edgell I wouldn't have come as far as I have. The Body Evolution supplements are one of a kind! The whey protein and meal replacement make 3 meals out of each day feel more like dessert, and Boom gives me the extra pep I need in my workouts each day.
I would recommend them to anyone. :)

Again, thank you to all who have supported me in this difficult, but amazing journey! Through dedication, motivation, and focus towards your goal with a positive attitude results will come! I know this from experience. It isn't easy, but it is DEFINITELY worth it!

Oriental Chicken and Zucchini

Yesterday I barbecued chicken in various marinades. One of them was Newman's Light Sesame Ginger Dressing. I wanted to make a meal tonight that included the chicken, so I threw some things together and here we have it!

Noodled zucchini, chopped carrots and celery sautéed in a little vinegar, garlic powder, and pepper. I added the chicken that was marinated in oriental salad dressing and then added sliced avocado and grape tomatoes. For the dressing I mixed Greek yogurt and the oriental dressing.

This plate full came out to be only about 250 calories! :)

Pumpkin Cookies

I was craving a cookie of some sort and was thinking of the ingredients I had...I searched online for ideas and I found one that would work! I had to improvise on a couple things, but they turned out excellent!

1 C pumpkin puree
1/4 C non fat vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Nutella
2 C oats

Preheat oven to 300*. Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well mixed. Scoop a golf ball size onto a greased cookie sheet and press it down. Bake for about 15-17 minutes. I am experimenting on which turns out best...keeping them refrigerated or storing at room temp. This recipe would also be great adding raisins, nuts, mini chocolate chips. Super easy and delicious!