A little job hunt topped with chocolate :)

The job hunt is still going strong.  I heard from the job in Charlotte, and unfortunately they have hired someone for the position.  I was a little bummed to hear that, but clearly that is not where God intended me to work.  I've decided to broaden my job search and begin looking further out of state.  Previously I have been looking for positions within a 5 hour driving range from home.  I've decided now that maybe my comfort zone is not where God wants me.  I've begun applying for places further away like Georgia & Texas.  I've always wanted to go to both of these areas, and figured why not give it a shot!  I've found a few entry-level positions to apply for in both areas.  My fingers are crossed, and prayers are going up that I'll hear from them soon.  Moving that far away is a little intimidating but not out of the question.  I'm at the point in my life where I can go anywhere, and do anything with no regrets.  I'm embracing this freedom and pushing my comfort zone to expand my horizons.  Maybe I'll become a Texan? Ha we shall see!  Please keep me in your prayers.

For another delicious and guilt-free treat check out this recipe:  Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes!

My aunt made these a few months ago and wouldn't tell us what the ingredients were until we tried them and made an attempt to guess what the two ingredients were.  They were the most moist and delicious chocolate cupcakes I'd ever had.  I'm not a huge chocolate cake fan, so I was surprised when these quickly became one of my favorite treats.  All that was needed was a chocolate cake mix and a can of pumpkin.

I know, I know, it seems like this wouldn't work, but it does!  Simply mix the pumpkin into the dry cake mix (do not add any other ingredient!).  Mix the two together until the dry mix becomes moist.  It will be thicker than normal cake mix, but not to worry that's how it's supposed to be!  Scoop the mixture into the cupcake pan.  If you fill it to a level that you would with normal cake mix, you'll get 24 small cupcakes as the mixture does not rise very much.  I filled my pretty high and got 12 normal size cupcakes.

Bake at whatever temperature and time the box mix calls for and enjoy!  They are absolutely delicious and completely guilt free.  Each cupcake is around 100 calories as opposed to a traditional cupcake which is 160 plus whatever icing you add to it.  These are so moist and delicious that no icing is necessary!  Plus they're practically fat free and you get a fruit serving! I'm telling you they're delicious!

Guilt Free Deliciousness

After being on this exercise journey for a few weeks, and finally getting back into a routine, I decided it was time to start getting back on track with how I eat as well.  At school my favorite dinner was stir-fry at the Cafe.  I love that I could get a large portion of vegetables and protein in such a healthy meal.  Tonight I decided to make my own and it was oh so delicious!

I started by cutting up my favorite stir-fry vegetables:  onions, bean sprouts, corn, carrots, peas, zucchini, and mushrooms.  Sautéed them in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and added some chicken.

I then added a bag of brown multi-grain rice (after I drained it) to the mixture.  I used the boil-in-a-bag rice because it's the only way I can get brown rice to cook properly.  I then let that mixture saute for a few minutes so that the rice would not become soggy when the sauce was added.

Once some of the wetness cooked out of the rice, I added 2 tablespoons of sesame sauce to the mixture for flavor.

Let it cook for a few more minutes until everything was warm all the way through. Then simply serve and enjoy!

A healthy, vegetable, and protein filled meal, with a fruit serving for right around 400 calories.  It's delicious and oh so filling!