Peaches and Cream Smoothie

My sister brought a giant crate of fresh peaches home from the grocery store this week, so it’s only appropriate that I make a skinny Peaches and Cream Smoothie! This smoothie has just the right amount of sweetness and is completely vegan. I added vanilla protein powder to make it a little more filling, but if you aren’t a fan of protein powder, it’s still great without it! Try adding a quarter cup of oats to make this delicious summer smoothie even more hearty!

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Peaches and Cream Smoothie
Serves 1

1 peach
1 cup almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup ice

Remove pit from peach and add all contents into a high powered blender. Blend until smooth.

How To Clean Your Cycling Shoes

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If you have any type of white athletic shoes, you know how hard they are to keep clean. Before you go out and buy new ones, save yourself some money and try washing them in the dishwasher.  Yes, the dishwasher.

Back in the day (because I’m oh so old, right?) I used to throw my dirty shoes in the washing machine. You name it: Uggs, Vans, Converse, Nikes, I threw them in the washing machine. The only problem with cleaning shoes in the washing machine is that they start deteriorating pretty quickly after that. Putting your shoes in a washing machine filled with water and spinning them around at high speeds on the spin cycle isn’t exactly the best way to keep your shoes in good condition. It bangs them around and weakens the glue that hold them together.

I’m sharing my step-by-step tips for getting your shoes bright and sparkly, odor-free, and in overall tip-top shape!

Before you venture into washing your cycling shoes or other workout shoes, please know that they need about 24 hours or a day in the sun to completely dry. You will want to wash these on a day or two where you don’t need to wear them!

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You will notice that my prized Mavic Giova Women’s Cycling Shoes are a bit brown around the ankle area and tongue. They’re survived one year of spray tans and sweat, but they’re definitely looking a little grimy and not smelling that fab.

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The fronts and sides are completely scuffed up from my spastic walking skills and running into stationary objects, ha ha ha.

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Above is another angle showing the brown fabric tongue before washing.

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Before washing, you will want to take out any removable soles inside of your shoes.
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You will also need to remove your “clips” and any metal hardware from your cycling shoes (these will not be washed).

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Once you have removed your clips and hardware, it’s time for some pre-scrubbing.

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Check your shoes for any areas that need to be pre-scrubbed such as the soles or stained areas. I used a Clorox Gel Bleach Pen and an old toothbrush to get most of the deep stains and discoloration removed. Of course, if you have dark or colored shoes you won’t want to use bleach, but I would recommend using a little bit of dishwasher detergent on the toothbrush bristles to help remove stains and scrub.

Note: Do not use any type of foaming soap or detergent unless it is made for a dishwasher! Tide to Go is also a great option to remove stains from colored shoes.

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You can also use dishwasher detergent and a toothbrush to clean scuffs off of the leather areas of your shoes. My other secret weapon for removing scuff marks is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. They really are magical! I use Magic Erasers on everything from shoes, to walls, and laptops!

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Once you have spot treated any visible stains, it’s time to put those babies in the dishwasher and watch some serious magic happen. Place your shoes on the bottom rack of the dishwasher, upside down and the removable soles in the racks next to them. Set your dishwasher to delicate and turn off heated drying cycle. Heated drying can shrink your shoes, as well as damage and weaken the faux leather or vinyl areas of your fancy shmancy kicks.

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My favorite dishwasher detergent is Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day in Geranium. I love Mrs. Meyer’s products because they use mainly naturally derived ingredients, minimal chemicals (only for efficiency of cleanliness), and smell absolutely delightful! Read more about Mrs. Meyer’s Product philosophy here! If you haven’t tried their Basil Hand Soap, you must. I get most of my Mrs. Meyer’s products at Target and Whole Foods.

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Once you remove your shoes from the dishwasher, lay them out in the sun to dry for the rest of the day, or until completely dry! You will be left with sparkly clean shoes that look brand spanking new and smell flowery fresh! I mean… check out how clean and white they are now!

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I hope that you found this useful for cleaning any types of workout shoes, or shoes in general! Of course, always read and inspect your shoes to make sure they are safe to put in water beforehand. Most will be just fine, but you won’t want to put your leather Top Siders in the dishwasher. Ha!

Health & Happiness
xo Catherine

Red, White, & Blueberry Popsicles

Happy 4th of July!
Celebrate with an ultra hydrating, super healthy snack to cool you down after a fun day in the sun!

These super simple popsicles are made with hydrating coconut water and antioxidant filled berries. The best part? There is minimal prep in making these adorable little patriotic pops and only 3 easy to find ingredients!

Oh wait, even better… they’re vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and fat free! Go on, eat a few!

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Red, White, & Blueberry Popsicles
Serves 4

2 cups coconut water
1/2 cup blueberries
4 strawberries

Rince berries. Slice strawberries. Start by placing 4-6 blueberries in the bottom of each popsicle mold. Pour coconut water to the top of each mold. Add slices strawberries and cover with popsicles ends. Freeze overnight and and enjoy on 4th of July!

Have a fun and safe 4th of July!
xo catherine

Rainbow Veggie Kebabs

Hi bunnies!

I’m finally back from San Francisco and Orlando, so I am back to the grind of spinning and cooking up new recipes for you guys!

I wanted to share a fun healthy recipe for the 4th of July!

Colorful dishes are the healthiest. The more colorful, the better… and no, I’m not talking about Froot Loops. Vividly colored fruits and vegetables are filled with flavonoids and polyphenols; powerful antioxidants that will support your retina, mitochondria, brain cells, and aid the removal of toxins. You can get your daily dose from vibrant veggies such as beats, carrots, peppers, and red cabbage, as well as brightly colored berries, and fruits like peaches, oranges, etc.

To achieve optimal health, aim for 3 different colors of fruits and veggies everyday!

Not only are these kebabs filled with important vitamins and minerals, but they also tally up to a total of 4 different veggies (tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes, and onion) of 5 different colors! Feed your brain, not just your tummy!

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Rainbow Veggie kebabs
Serves 4

4 cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 mini white potatoes
2 mini purple potatoes
1 red onion

Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar

Wash and shop veggies. Place veggies in a container or large ziplock bag with olive oil and vinegar (enough to coat the veggies). Let the vegetables marinate for at least 2 hours. Place veggies on each skewer in rainbow order. Place each skewer directly on the barbecue and grill for 6-8 minutes per side or until veggies are tender.

Crunchy Chia Energy Bites

Congratulations to the winner of my Butter London Giveaway, Margaret! I cannot wait for you to get your Butter Box 🙂

I am off to one of my sister’s bazillion bridal showers this morning and after that I’m flying straight to San Francisco for 24 hours, and then leaving for Florida for a conference on Tuesday morning! The next month leading up to my sister’s wedding (July 19th) is going to be a serious whirlwind.

I picked up the new EMRF neon summer tanks, but I won’t be able to list them in my store until I get back from all of my crazy travels next week. Most of you already know, that this blog and store is run by me, myself, and I, so I didn’t want to post the new shirts and be unable to ship them for a week. I hope you guys understand! New shirts will be available soon though!

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Today’s recipe is for Crunchy Chia Energy Bites! I took double back-to-back classes at Full Psycle the other day and wanted to share my secret pre and in-between workout snack. When you do a really intense cardio session like cycling/spinning, you don’t want to eat something heavy before because you will feel absolutely terribly during class, and you don’t want to go starving because you will be terribly weak. It can be really hard to find a snack suitable for you and your chosen workout, but this is what I love!

These energy bites are filled with natural sugars and carbohydrates from Medjool dates, a little dose of protein and healthy fats from cashews, and omega 3 fatty acid from chia seeds. They’re light enough that you can have one or two a half hour before class and one in-between grueling workouts! They also make a great afternoon snack for adults and kiddos!

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Crunchy Chia Energy Bites
Makes about 8

1/2 cup cashews
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2+ Tbsps chia seeds

In a food processor, pulse the cashews and salt until they are broken into tiny pieces (do not pulse for too long, as it will turn into powder). Pit the dates and add them along with vanilla extract to the food processor. Blend the dates and cashews together until dough is formed. The mixture should stick together and be pliable. Remove the mixture and form into 1 Tablespoon sized balls. Roll each ball in a bowl of chia seeds. Store in refrigerator for snacking!

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