I've become a big fish in a small pond...

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.— Francis of Assisi

When I started blogging, I never imagined that it would be possible that I would connect with so many people. Sure, I hoped that at least a handful of people out there, in this vast world wide interwebs, would be interested in what I had to say, but I truly never anticipated the absolute outpouring of positive support I’ve received from everyone. As such, its become necessary to move things over to a new format— hopefully, one that will be easier for both me and my readers! So… I am proud to introduce the new (and improved!) Muddy Melissa’s Musings blog, which will now be independently hosted at www.muddymelissa.com My hope is that through this new format I’ll be able to share and connect more with all of my readers, in a quicker and easier way! So enjoy the new home of my blog, and thank you all so much for your readership!

Surprise Pancakes! What's the Surprise? Find Out...

Some days, you just need something to give you a little pep in your step. Well, for those days, I recommend this super fun recipe--- surprise pancakes! Okay, okay... I know what you're thinking, "but Melissa, what's the surprise?" The twist on my classic protein pancake recipe is that each pancake is filled with a crispy slice of turkey bacon! So with each bite of pancake, you get some crunchy bacony goodness hidden inside. And, as always, this recipe is 100% clean. Try this recipe out the next time you need a little surprise to get you going in the morning!

Surprise Pancakes

Serves 2

1/2 cup Big Traib low carb pancake/waffle mix

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (I used About Time in Birthday Cake)

1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce

2 egg whites

1/2 cup water

4 slices turkey bacon

Microwave the turkey bacon on a plate for 1-2 minutes, or until crispy. Pat off the turkey bacon with a paper towel, then set aside. Whisk together the remaining ingredients. Over a very hot lightly oiled pan, spoon the pancake batter in a long oval shape. Place a slice of turkey bacon onto the pancake batter, then spoon some additional pancake batter to cover the turkey bacon slice. When the edges of the pancake become slightly browned, flip over to cook on the other side. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter and turkey bacon slices. Serve with some pure maple syrup or some vanilla yogurt sauce. Enjoy!

*** Please note that the unsweetened applesauce and the egg whites are used in this recipe as cleaner substitutions for the oil and the whole eggs the Big Train low carb pancake/waffle mix (the cleanest boxed pancake/ waffle mix I've found to date!) reccommends using.

My husband's face absolutely lit up when I served him this clean eats breakfast this morning. He had a look of pure delight overcome him as he exclaimed: "is that... bacon inside?" Needless to say his plate was cleaned in record time! His verdict? "Forget ambrosia... THIS is the food of the gods!" This is a delightfully fun yet surprisingly clean recipe that anyone is sure to enjoy! Yum!

Another Morning Workout--- 6 Miles & Abs!

Another day, another dollar, another morning workout. I only ran 6 miles this morning, which, to me, feels like next to nothing. This week is a running recovery week for me, so I'm keeping the mileage relatively low, but next week I'll be bumping it back up to my usual 50+ miles/per week. I am just the kind of person that finds it SO HARD to allow my body time to rest, recover, and recooperate--- but I know I need to! It's just a matter of forcing myself to do it. :)


After my morning run, I got in a good ab workout, and, no, I didn't do a single crunch (aka one of the most inefficient ways to work your abs!). I prefer exercises like weighted sit ups, weighted Russian twists, planks, and leg raises--- they're much more efficient and much less strenuous on the lower back! Anyway, I'm feeling great today (Survivor is on tonight... and I am a HUGE Survivor fan--- can I just tell you that it's totally my dream to be on Survivor?!), but check back later for another yummy clean eats recipe! I promise you guys won't be disappointed!

Mmm Mmm Good... Jalapeño Turkey Burger on a Portobello Bun!

Trying to come up with ways to rid yourself of your addiction to white bread? Well, this low carb jalapeño turkey burger is served sans bread--- with a scrumptiously grilled portobello "bun" instead! It's the perfect substitution so you can eat your burger to your heart's content, without all of the unnecessary carbs (don't get me wrong--- not all carbs are bad!) and the processed white bread! Try this recipe out the next time you're hankering for a delicious burger with a bit of spice to it!

Jalapeño Turkey Burger on a Portobello Bun

Serves 1

4 ounces 99% fat free extra lean ground turkey

1/2 egg white

1/2 jalapeño, diced

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 portobello mushroom caps

Optional: lettuce, tomato, pickles, guacamole, other burger toppings

Grill the portobello mushroom caps on both sides (since it's winter, I popped mine onto an indoor grill machine--- it cooked it on both sides in less than 5 minutes). Set aside to cook. Mix together the remaining ingredients. Form the mixture into a burger, then heat on a lightly oiled pan over high heat. Cook on both sides until the turkey meat is cooked thoroughly, about 5 minutes on each side. Using the portobello mushroom caps as a bun, place the jalapeno turkey burger on the bun, along with any additional desired toppings. Enjoy!

This recipe was a much-needed taste of summer! I certainly needed something to remind me that spring is just around the corner, and it won't be long before grilling season is in full swing! Not just grilling season... but hiking and running and camping and fishing and... oh, did I get distracted? Point is--- I'm sick of snow and this burger was delicious! Hehehe.

Quinoa Breakfast Bake... Yummylicious, Ya'll!

More often than not, I have a six egg white veggie frittata for breakfast, but today I was in the mood for something, I don't know, just a little bit different. So instead I came up with this clean concoction: quinoa breakfast bake! It's the perfect mix of basil, fresh veggies, turkey bacon, and egg whites with the surprise addition of some texture from the quinoa... and it was yummy in this girl's tummy! Try out this clean eats breakfast recipe for your next case of the morning munchies.

Quinoa Breakfast Bake

Serves 1

4 egg whites

1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 slice of turkey bacon

1/4 cup cooked quinoa

1/4 cup sliced bell pepper

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon garlic red wine vinegar

Optional: 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

*** To pre-cook the quinoa, simply simmer 2 tablespoons of quinoa in 1/4 cup of water. The quinoa will be cooked when the majority of the liquid has evaporated, and there is a translucent ring around the edge of the quinoa.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Microwave the turkey bacon for 60 seconds, or until crispy. Remove from the microwave to cool, then crumble up the turkey bacon once cooled. In a lightly oiled pan over high heat, sauté the bell pepper until tender. Next, add in the tomatoes, basil, and garlic red wine vinegar. Sauté until fragrant--- about 2-3 minutes. Add in the cooked quinoa and crumbled turkey bacon, and mix together until well combined. Place the mixture into a prepared ramekin (or an oven safe baking dish). In another bowl, whisk together the egg whites, almond milk, and sea salt. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared ramekin as well, and bake for 10-15 minutes. At this point, you can sprinkle the quinoa breakfast bake with the parmesan cheese if desired, then return to the oven for another 5 minutes. The quinoa breakfast bake will be done when the egg is thoroughly cooked through and the parmesan cheese on top has become brown.

This clean eats breakfast recipe really hit the spot this morning! The mixture of basil, tomato, red bell peppers, and garlic red wine vinegar was an absolutely fantastic addition to the quinoa, eggs, and turkey bacon. This is definitely a clean eats breakfast recipe that's sure to please! Enjoy guys!

Miss Me, Miss Me, Now You Wanna Kiss Me? Blueberry Stuffed Waffles!

Today's clean eats breakfast is one that will most assuredly have you scraping your plate clean! Of course, with a clean eats recipe like this, that's not necessarily a bad thing! So what do I have for you all today?! Blueberry stuffed waffles! Oh yes, my mouth is watering as I type...

Okay, Melissa--- Tell Me More!

Blueberry Stuffed Waffles

(Serves 2)

Protein Waffles:

1 Cup whole wheat flour

1 Scoop vanilla whey protein powder (I used About Time/SDC Nutrition in Birthday Cake)

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon baking soda

2 Egg whites

1 Cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

4 Truvia/Stevia packets

2 Tablespoons flaxmeal

1 Teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 Cup fresh blueberries

Greek Yogurt Filling:

1/2 Cup Greek vanilla yogurt

1/2 Scoop vanilla whey protein powder (I used About Time/SDC Nutrition in Birthday Cake)

1/4 Cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 Truvia/Stevia packets

Blueberry Compote:

2 Cups fresh blueberries

1/2 Cup water

4 Truvia/Stevia packets

1 Tablespoon whole wheat flour

In a bowl, whisk together all of the waffle ingredients except for the blueberries thoroughly. Gently fold in the blueberries last, being careful not to crush them while mixing. Meanwhile, heat a waffle iron to high heat. Once heated completely, pour the batter onto the waffle iron, and cook according to your waffle iron's directions. For me, half of the batter fills up my waffle iron, so this recipe makes 2 large protein waffles. While the waffles are cooking, combine the Greek yogurt filling ingredients. Set aside. Additionally, heat the blueberries and water over medium heat. After about 5 minutes, the blueberries should become tender. At this point, add in the stevia and the whole wheat flour (to thicken), and continue cooking the blueberry compote until it thickens, about another 5 minutes. Once both waffles are done, cut the waffles apart, and fill the waffles with the Greek yogurt filling. My waffle iron makes round 4-part waffles, so I cut the waffle into 4 sections, and use the Greek filling to form 2 "waffle sandwiches." Top with the blueberry compote just before serving, and enjoy your delicious clean eats breakfast!

Can I just say how scrumptious this clean eats breakfast was? If you want to eat clean, but you're concerned about calories, maple syrup might not always be the best option. Yes, it's clean, but it's still very high in calories. This recipe gets its moistness from the delicious blueberry compote, so you can enjoy your waffles with a bit of sweetness that you won't feel guilty for! Not to mention that this recipe is packed with protein so you can start your day off right! Enjoy this recipe guys!

Day 18: February "Mile for a Like" Challenge... 212 Miles DONE!

The Challenge: 212 Miles

Towards the end of January, I invited all of you to challenge me to help motivate me as I train for my upcoming marathon; I agreed to run a mile for every like on Google +, Facebook, and Instagram. I never imagined that I'd receive a whopping 212 likes, so I certainly didn't expect to be tasked with running 212 miles during February... but that's exactly what happened! 

Challenge Accepted!

I was more than a bit apprehensive when I began this challenge, because I didn't anticipate having to do 212 miles! I wanted to be pushed to help me train for my marathon--- but not pushed over the freakin' edge! I am so used to being in charge of my own run training and my own mileage, and I tend to listen to my body then adjust my mileage accordingly. So 212 miles in one month? Seemed like a huge task!

But with each day that passed, I found myself nearing closer and closer to my goal--- my short term goal of 212 miles in February and my long term goal of training for my upcoming marathon. There's nothing better than seeing positive results for your hard work, and with each set of miles that I deducted from my overall goal, it only fueled me further, faster, and harder! 

Finished... Over a Week Early!

It astonishes even me to say that I've finished my challenge OVER a week early, and completed the entire 212 miles in less than 3 weeks. Not to mention that I decided to undertake this challenge while still finishing up the tail end of physical therapy for my hip (under doctor supervision, of course). I've surprised even myself--- pushing myself, challenge myself, and surpassing my own expectations. I couldn't have done this without all of you guys, so thank you to all of you out there for your likes, your support, and your encouragement!

February "Mile for a Like" Challenge... DONE in only 18 days! :)

Day 18: 21-21=0!