Let’s all show a little honesty here. Particularly you early morning exercisers. I’m talking to YOU! Do you really have boundless energy to knock out fantastic workouts in the wee hours of the morning? Do you really? I can tell if you lie. *stare down*

Okay, I believe you…but I know I’m not one of y’all to have early am energy! My weekly workout schedule I organized has me completing a DVD workout at home on Fridays. I much prefer doing my workouts without the worry of roundhouse kicking my daughter or watching my 5 month’s old eyes bug out at the television. So that means I must wake at the butt-crack of dawn to complete my workout before those little eyes awaken. I usually get up at the butt-crack of dawn regardless, but like to ease into my mornings. Feeling a fire in my tush and abs via Physique 57 then jabbing my little heart out with 20 minutes of Turbo Jam I do not classify as easing into my morning.

But I did it. And it felt good to get it out of the way and on with my day. I’ll just need some extra joe in my life on Friday mornings.

Isn’t joe handsome???? We rendezvous every morning and its glorious. Ahem.

Now for that serious dilemma. You should know that when tired, I also tend to exaggerate. I can’t help that all reason leaves me. I also can’t help that I deem dessert a very, very, very important issue. Very. Serious dilemma = what dessert to make and bring to our little shindig get-together with our friends this Sunday?

Typically for the 4th I like to do a traditional fruit sugar cookie cake -

Oh thank goodness my photography has improved. Still not stellar, but better at least!

Buuuutttt….Oreo truffles sound so good to me right now.

They are pretty much one of my favorite desserts, but I fear making them in the heat. I don’t know if they would hold up well. I have only made them during the holiday season, hence the peppermint in the photo.

Peter begs me to make Jess’ triple layer cookies & cream bars again.

So good! But I just brought these to one of our pot lucks. I prefer trying and bringing  new things. New things like Chelsey’s cheesecake bites.

image courtesy of the gorgeous lady herself

Yet I have a feeling a dessert made of cashews and dates would not go over entirely well. Plus, I’m in the mood for sweet that makes your teeth hurt myself. It’s a good pain. Just like lunges and eyebrow waxing.

Yes. I have a serious dilemma on my hands. Because not only does fatigue make me exaggerate…it also make me want to eat them all. 😉

• What sweet treat would you choose? either one here or another you love
• Of Possible Interest: I was the featured mommy today over at mommy blogger Valencia’s site!

I anticipate a fair share of you have heard of Jenn’s “What I Ate Wednesday” phenomenon where bloggers share…well, what they ate in a post that publishes on a Wednesday.

The posts always intrigue me because, you know, I love food. I don’t often share my food, but I have a recipe too good to keep to myself and figure a “What I Ate Tuesday, but you can eat today aka Wednesday” post fits perfectly. Say “aloha” to my food. <—It makes sense later, I promise.

My morning started per any regular Tuesday morning with a mad rush getting the kids all situated and fed before heading out the door to the gym. I do the quick and easy route of munching an apple for some pre-workout fuel. I have to get something in my belly, but since I end up eating so close to my workout that means something light and simple to digest. Hooray for fruit!

Do you want to hear about yesterday’s workout? I think you do. Trust me. A little piece of me died and went to heaven in pure “I owned that workout” bliss.

First up, intervals on the elliptical using a workout from Fitness Magazine. Like this:

*For minutes 8-29, repeat the moderate to fast to easy combo. Each round increase your time spent at the fast pace by a minute: 3 minutes the second time through, then 4 minutes, then end with 5 minutes as the last round.
**For minutes 31-43, continue alternating one minute each at the moderate pace and challenging sprint for a total of 6 more intervals.

I followed that sweaty session up with a full body workout. I love completing circuits and super sets to help me get through my workout faster. I switched it up today and worked my entire body going through 3 mini circuits in 30 minutes.

Any guesses how I refueled? You will likely only need one.

You’re so smart! I simply adore my strawberry, raisins, and peanut butter oats combo these days. It helps that I have a plethora of Skippy Natural Honey PB at my disposal.

Thank you Amazon for giving me this much peanut butter for about $1.60 per jar! I promise to share the deal with you when it comes around again. I know at least two gals who will want in on that action.

Ay! We’re only at breakfast? Someone *cough cough* is feeling rather chatty this morning. Let’s progress to lunch shall we?

I thought of creating a fun, inventive, more exciting lunch to share with you – but I don’t pressure myself to eat things just for the sake of the blog. My belly wanted my sandwich, fruit, and veggie combo so that’s what my belly got.

Ham sandwich with avocado, spinach, tomato, mustard, and laughing cow swiss cheese (because I’m obsessed with its creamy, flavorful spreadability). Plus grapes that were like candy. Plus carrots all by their sad lonesome with no hummus dippage. Hummus = one of the items axed at the end of the month, lower on the budget grocery trip. Money scores again in our never ceasing battle. 😉

We shall now whizz right on by my snack because I have a recipe to get to!

I wasn’t in the mood for anything particular or a one-bowl-wonder yogurt concoction…so a happy face mix of sliced sharp cheddar, a ginger snap larabar, and a banana. Making happy faces with my food? Can you tell I’m a mother?

And now we say ALOHA! Thank you for sticking with me. I promise this recipe will be the Hawaiian vacation your taste buds hope for after the previous 689 words. Yes, I used the handy word count tool counted.

Hawaiian Tofu

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 jar pineapple tidbits in juice
• soy sauce
• grated ginger
• minced garlic

Press the water out of your tofu per normal preparation. Cut the tofu into even 1 to 2 inch slices/cubes. Place in a large ziploc bag. Strain the juice from the pineapple can into a bowl. Add soy sauce, grated ginger, and minced garlic to taste. I used about 2 or 3 tablespoons soy sauce, a bit over a teaspoon of ginger, and a tablespoon of minced garlic. Pour the marinade into the ziploc bag with the tofu.

Let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Remove tofu and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

We used our Hawaiian tofu atop romaine, pineapple tidbits, onion, cucumber, and feta cheese with a sesame ginger dressings. Sweet and tangy. An interesting twist on the traditional ‘fu. Deee-licious! And with those 862 words – I’m out!

• Do you enjoy tofu? What’s your favorite way? I love my BBQ tofu wraps!
• Do you ever use workout ideas from magazines?