Sheina Fernandes

5-minute Healthy Banana Mug Cake

Published on 10/13/2017 by Sheina Fernandes2 Comments

Happy friday everyone!

I know I know, it’s been a while… but life has been a little busy lately and I haven’t had time to blog as much. My house is under construction (which is driving me C R A Z Y), and my MBA classes are consuming almost all my free time. But better later than never, right? Now I’m back and I promise to come here more often.

If you follow me on Instagram you probably know I haven’t been able to cook as much and because of it, microwave as become my best friend. So today I decided to share with you this quick and healthy recipe that only takes few ingredients and a microwave!

5-minute Healthy Banana Mug Cake

INGREDIENTS:

1 smashed banana
1 egg
2 tbsp oats
1 tbsp almond milk (or preferred milk)
1/4 tsp baking powder
Cinnamon to taste

INSTRUCTIONS: In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, and mix until well blended. Transfer the mixture to a mug, place it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Pick your (healhty) toppings and ENJOY!

PS: My favorite toppings are peanut butter, honey and cinnamon, and dark chocolate chips!

Easy right? Please let me know what you think whenever you make it. And if you share an pic on Instagram, don’t forget to tag me so I can see it (@sheinafernandes).

Stay tuned for my next blog post about my favorite healthy spots to go eat in KC.

Have a good weekend you’ll!

Healthy Sweet Potato Fudge Brownie

Published on 09/14/2017 by Sheina Fernandes1 Comment

Hello loves!

How is everybody’s week going? My week is going great: working, spending hours on my projects for my MBA class, and of course trying new healthy recipes in my spare time!

Now it is time to talk about some yummy food. Are you ready to learn how to make the best (and easiest) healthy brownie EVER??? Continue reading “Healthy Sweet Potato Fudge Brownie” →

Healthy Avocado Banana Muffins

Published on 09/07/2017 by Sheina FernandesLeave a comment

Happy Thursday everyone!

Hope you’re having a great week so far… I have been crazy busy with my MBA and even though I only go to class on Tuesday’s night, it feels like I’m always working on different assignments and projects! Like NEVER ENDING… But I guess being busy in grad school is a good thing, right?!

Anyway, I didn’t come here just to talk about my classes. I came here to share a super YUMMY recipe that I’m sure you will LOVE (specially if you’re an avocado lover like me)!

Are you ready for this?

Healthy Avocado Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
1 avocado
1/2 brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup almond milk

Directions: Beat the ripe banana, avocado, sugar, and honey with mixer until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Sift in the wheat flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; beat until combined. Add almond milk and beat again until smooth. Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until they pass the “toothpick test”.

Sheina’s tip: Cool the muffins for a few minutes in the pan, then serve them warm along with a freshly brewed coffee… It s the perfect combo FOR REAL!

I hope you enjoyed.Stay tuned for more healthy and yummy recipes!

Love,

Sheina Fernandes

“Banana Bred” Americano Versão Saudável

Published on 08/16/2017 by Sheina FernandesLeave a comment

Olá amores, tudo bem?

Como andam as coisas ai no Brasil? Aqui está tudo ótimo.. Meu MBA começou ontem novamente e eu nem acredito que já estamos quase em Setembro! Sério, o tempo está V-O-A-N-D-O!!!

Mas então, vamos falar de comida? Eu sempre gostei de bolo de banana ou o famoso “banana bread” aqui dos EUA, mas esse especialmente ficou TOP! Eu usei o mix do Kodiak Cakes com sabor de aveia e canela ao invés da farina integral. Com certeza deu um toque especial na receita e deixou o “banana bread” super macio e com sabor extra de canela que eu AMO!

“Banana-Nut Bred” Americano na Versão Saudável

Ingredientes

2 ovos
½ xic. de óleo de coco
⅓ xic. de mel
¼ xic. de iogurte grego
1 col. de chá de essência de baunilha
1 xic. de banana madura (2-3 bananas médias)
1¾ xic. “PROTEIN PACKED – Cinnamon Oat” Kodiak Cakes mix ( pode usar farinha integral ou farinha de preferência)
Canela a gosto
1 col. de chá de fermento em pó
½ col. de chá de sal
½ xic. de nozes picadas
Chips de chocolate amargo

Modo de preparo:

Pré-aqueça o forno a 180 graus.
Misture a farinha, canela, ferment em pó, sal, e reserve.
Em outra tigela misture bem os ovos, óleo, mel, iogurte, e essência de baunilha. Adicione as bananas, a mistura seca, e as nozes picadas.
Transfira a massa para uma forma de pão já untada e cubra a massa com chips de chocolate amargo e mais nozes picadas.
Leve ao forno por mais ou menos 55 minutos ou até passar no “teste do palito”. Espere esfriar por uns 10 minutos e sirva com um bom café passado!

Dica da Sheina: Eu gosto de colocar fatias de “banana bread” na tostadeira e depois colocar pasta de amendoim por cima… Fica DEMAIS!

Uma ótima semana!

Beijos,

Sheina Fernandes

HEALTHY Banana-Nut Bread

Published on 08/16/201708/18/2017 by Sheina FernandesLeave a comment

Good morning!

How is your week going so far? I’m really excited for the Fall… My MBA classes started back yesterday and I still can’t believe how fast summer went by!

Anyway, lets talk about food? I love Banana Bread but this recipe specially is to die for! I used the Kodiak Cakes “PROTEIN PACKED – Cinnamon Oat” mix instead of regular wheat flour, and it definitely HIT THE SPOT! The banana bread turned out super moist and tasty!

HEALTHY Banana-Nut Bread

Ingredients

2 eggs
½ cup melted coconut oil
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 medium bananas)
1¾ cups “PROTEIN PACKED – Cinnamon Oat” Kodiak Cakes mix
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
Dark chocolate chips to sprinkle

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 325F.
Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
In a different bowl, beat eggs, coconut oil, honey, greek yogurt and vanilla extract until well blended. Stir in the smashed bananas, Kodiak Cakes mix and chopped walnuts.
Pour batter into 9×5 inch greased loaf pan, sprinkle with some dark chocolate chips and some chopped walnuts. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until it passes the “toothpick test”. Cool for 10 minutes, slice and ENJOY with a cup of coffee!

Sheina’s tip: I like putting my banana bread slices in the toaster and then topping it with PB. Simply THE BEST!!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Love,

Sheina Fernandes

4 Tips For You to Start Working Out in the Morning

Published on 08/10/201708/10/2017 by Sheina FernandesLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

How is your week going so far? Mine has been pretty good, very busy! I don’t know about you, but I still can’t believe it is already August!

As you know, I LOVE getting my exercise done in the morning before work (between 5:00/6:00 am). In my opinion it is the best way to start the day! However, a lot people think I’m crazy and I often hear “how do you do it?” or ” Oh, I wish I could wake up in the morning too”.

So today I decided to share a few personal tips that really work for me when comes to morning workouts!

4 Tips For You To Start Working Out in the Morning

1- Plan your day: I try as much as possible to organize my day the night before… I mean lunch bag/snacks (meal prep MODE ON) ready, workout clothes and work outfit picked out, and anything that can help your morning routine before hitting the gym ( specially if you go to work right after). If you struggle in the getting stuff done in the morning, this is definitely one tip that will make your life MUCH EASIER.

2- Give yourself enough time to wake up: I personally like to set my alarm o’clock for at least 30 mim before I plan to start my workout. So for example, when I start at 6:00, I set up my alarm for 5:25-5:30 ish. That gives me enough time to change, get ready, eat a quick pre-workout snack (which most the times I eat a banana or few dates), and drive to the gym (which takes less than 10 minutes). Then by the time I start my warm-up, I AM ACTUALLY AWAKE and ready to roll!!!

3- Find a “gym buddy”: This is a game changer. Since mornings workouts are more challeging, having someone to hold you accountable is a huge motivation!

I personally have a “gym buddy” and I love it. Sometimes we text each other at before going to bed with messages like “see you tomorrow” and in the mornings with a simple “good morning” just to make sure we are both awake. Knowing that someone will be at the gym with to encourage you is definitely a great motivation to get out the bed!

4- Set up goals and don’t give up: I know, I know… getting up at 5:30 in the morning is not always fun and exciting. I struggle sometimes too and I would be lying if I said it is always easy to leave my comfy warm bed. However, like everything in life, we need to set up our goals, be persistent, and allow our body to adapt to the new routine! It won’t be easy and the you might want to give up on the first week of waking up early, but I PROMISE you that after you get used to exercising early you will never want to go back to late evenings workout!

Hope you enjoyed my tips!

Love,

Sheina Fernandes

HIGH-PROTEIN PANCAKES

Published on 08/03/2017 by Sheina FernandesLeave a comment

Happy Thursday everyone!

How is your week going so far?

Today I want to share with you a quick, easy, and delicious recipe that helps me A LOT when I am craving something sweet!

This HIGH-PROTEIN pancake is a great option for breakfast or even a afternoon snack and can be topped with almost anything… fruits, nuts butter, honey, dark chocolate chips, and so on.

HIGH-PROTEIN PANCAKES

Ingredients:

3 egg whites
10g GLUTEN FREE oats
1 scoop (16g) vanilla protein powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Coconut oil
Natural peanut butter (optional)
Strawberries or preferred fruit

Directions: In a mixer or mixing bowl, mix the egg whites, oats, cinnamon, and protein powder. Heat a frying pan on low heat with coconut oil and once it get extremely hot, pour your pancake batter onto it. When you start to see bubbles, remove cover, flip the pancakes, and cover again for approximately 1 minute until both sides are golden brown!

Let your creativity go wild when choosing your toppings.. For this one I used strawberries, natural peanut butter, and honey . Soooo good!

Xoxo,

Sheina Fernandes

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Published on 07/20/2017 by Sheina FernandesLeave a comment

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Hope you’re having a great week and are enjoying the summer so far!

Lately, I have been getting lots of fresh zucchinis from my friends (which I love by the way) so I had to start coming up with different recipes to use them all! I did zucchini noodles, roasted zucchini, and so on. But my favorite one so far was the “Chocolate Zucchini Bread” I did last weekend! It was super moist, tasted just like a traditional chocolate cake, and much healthier.

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

Ingredients:

4 cups grated zucchini
2 1/2 cups Whole wheat flour
1 scoop @furtherfood
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and set aside. In a different bowl eat sugar and eggs, add melted butter, instant coffee granules, almond and vanilla extract. Stir zucchini into sugar egg mixture, and add it into the flour mixture. Divide batter into 2 pans and bake for 40 minutes at 350°F.

Tip: Warm the bread for a few seconds and add PB on it. Sooo good!

Hope you enjoyed it! Tag on Instagram if you ever make it 🙂

Love,

Sheina

Relaxing and Romantic Getaway at Cedar Crest Lodge.

Published on 06/16/2017 by Sheina Fernandes1 Comment

Hello everyone! Hope you had wonderful week… Mine was kinda busy, but very productive!

Anyway, few days ago Thiago and I went off for a romantic weekend gateway at Cedar Crest Lodge located in in Pleasanton, KS (which is only 80 mi from the city), and that was the best weekend we’ve had in a long time!

First of all the drive is so worth! As soon as started to drive into the the Lodge, we could already feel the breeze and the peaceful vibes of the place. To star off, we’re warmly welcome by Matt Cunningham, the owner, in the CUTEST “rustic-chiq” check-in area with our names written on the chalkboard, which had the sunrise and sunset times as well. Then he kindly showed us around and directed us to our room.

The room

We stayed at “The Country Meadow” Luxury Room, and it couldn’t be more perfect (they even had a “S’mores Kit” waiting for us). The suit is located in the main Lodge and has a stunning view just outside the door at the front porch. Besides the lovely Rustic Chic decor, it has everything you need. Corner soaking tub, heated floors, towel warmer, coffee maker, black towels for makeup removals, and so on. It so comfy that we literally didn’t want to leave the room! View all rooms here.

Farm-to-table Gourmet Dinning

At Cedar Crest Lodge they offer a 3-course dinner and a 2-course breakfast (included in any stay), and most of the vegetables and fruits served are from their own garden. Dinner starts with a fresh organic salad and homemade rolls, followed by chosen meat plus sides, and finishes with dessert and coffee.

Now if you are breakfast lover like I am, Cedar Crest Lodge 2-course breakfast is a MUST! Thiago and I chose to seat outside and let me tell you, the view is breathtaking. They started by bringing a delicious “banana split” parfait with fresh strawberries, banana, yogurt and homemade granola and fresh baked blubbery muffins. Then we had a egg Benedict quiche with fruits and bacon, which I gave all to Thiago of course. It was so perfect and relaxing. The fresh food, service, and the environment were just impeccable. More dinning info here.

External activities

After I came back from Cedar Crest Lodge, one of my friends asked me “but what did you do there? Didn’t you get bored?”. The answer is: DEFINITELY NOT! If you want to do more than just enjoy the beautiful view and relax, Cedar Crest Lodge offers several outside activities such as walking trail, fishing pounds, pool, fire pit, horse shoe pits, and bocce ball court . In additional, they also have a day spa on site that guests can use through advanced appointment only (Spa Services). I promise you there is no way to get bored at Cedar Crest Lodge and you won’t want to leave that place!

Thiago and I really enjoyed our weekend and it was the perfect getaway without having to travel for hours. It is peaceful, offers delicious food, the service is outstanding, and it has a very romantic atmosphere with flowers everywhere around the Lodge (which they plant themselves). Not only the innkeepers, but the entire staff went above and beyond to make sure we had the best time during our stay!

We SUPER RECOMMEND Cedar Crest Lodge and I am already finding an excuse to go back 🙂

Have a AWESOME weekend!

Love,

Sheina Fernandes

FOOD and FARMING at GBS Influence Event!

Published on 06/09/201706/09/2017 by Sheina FernandesLeave a comment

HAPPY FRIDAY everyone!

Today’s post is about food and farming! I am going to share with you a little bit about the 1st 2017 influencer event “Fun, Fearless, Food” by GBS Influence in partnership with CommomGround and Shining Stars Catering.

PS: be ready for some delicious food pics!

First, we were welcomed with fresh appetizzers by Shining Stars Catering, which by the way had the most gorgeous vegetable platter i’ve ever seen! Then we enjoyed a delicious “farm to table” dinner. The food was incredibly tasty. We had grilled chicken with cranberry-walnut salad and mini quiches. I was amazed with the quality and freshness of everything. I would highly recommend their services to anyone!

Besides all the amazing food, Shining Stars Catering is also passionate about sustainability and have the “green” mindset for their business. They use 100% recyclable and biodegradable eco plating and flatware for the Drop Offs, recycle 100% of their packing, paper, and plastics, they grow their own herbs, purchase from local growers as much as possible, and so much more!

Deborah Williams, Executive Chef and owner of Shining Stars Catering.

After the food blast, we had a awesome conversation about farming and food with two representatives from CommomGround. For those who don’t know, CommomGround is a volunteer group funded by moms and farmers from the corn and soybean checkoff programs. Their main goal is to educate people about the food they grow, how they are produced, and mostly important, they teach/encourage the consumers to make fearless and smarter food choices before bringing food to their houses. Isn’t that awesome?!

Skype conference call with one of the CommomGround farmers.

During our conversation, they shared personal experiences, talked about their daily activities at the farm, and answered lots of questions. They also gave us two real life scenarios with questions like “what features do you look for as indications or quality or nutrition?”, or ” what qualities are you seeking out in the meats you choose?” and I though it was great because I never really took time to think about these little details when grocery shopping.

I learned so much during our conversation. These women love what they do and more importantly, they do it with passion (they even got teary eyed when talking about their family and farm life).

Thank you GBS Influence for hosting such a great event!

Love,

Sheina Fernandes