All posts by R.C. Liley

I'm an ex-mutual fund accountant who left the cubicle world to be a stay-at-home dad to my beautiful little girl, Avery, who entered our life on 11/15/13 and handsome little boy, Wes, who joined our family on 11/19/17. Also happily married to my wife, Kelley, as of 8/17/07. Sorry ladies... :) Fitness and nutrition is of the utmost importance in our family and we strive to reflect this in our daily life. I always prepare our meals at home and only go out if it's a special occasion, and even then I tend to not get much. Food should be fun and a joy to eat, not something quickly consumed from a fast food chain or scarf down before the next meeting. I have come from strictly logging high miles to train for the next marathon to keeping exercise varied and focusing more on strength. I still enjoy going for a run when I can, but nothing crazy, and I prefer hill sprints while pushing my daughter, Avery in the stroller. She loves it and I get a great workout! I want to show the world how to appreciate their body and feed it real, wholesome food while moving more throughout the day. In doing so, everyone would be healthier, happier, and we'd all live in a better place as a result. I blog mainly about my life as a stay-at-home dad and frequently include reviews, participate in campaigns, and share my thoughts on fitness and nutrition. If you ever have any questions or thoughts to share, please reach out as I'm always open to listening or helping others however possible. That is, when I have free time since Avery is and my wife are the number one priorities!

Avery Talk, Life

Our Toddler’s Presidents’ Day Photo Shoot

02/15/2016 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

This is a post from Presidents’ Day last year. I love looking back to see how much our little girl has changed, so I figured I’d share.

Happy Presidents’ Day! I’ve never done much for the holiday, but having a day off from school and work (for some) meant I never had a problem when it rolled around. So, happy birthday, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln!

As a stay-at-home dad, I obviously don’t have “off” in the work and school sense, but I do get to have Going Mom home with me for an extra day. Our beautiful Texas weather has subsided temporarily so going outdoors is not that appealing, but hopefully we’ll have a good time together with Avery.

Ever since she won the Metroplex Baby and Kids weekly photo contest, Avery seems a little more confident when we take her picture. And recently, she struck several poses in one photo shoot that I’m going to share with you now. You’re welcome.

I’m not so sure I’m ready to do this photo shoot.

Okay, starting to feel a little better in my ability to exude ultimate cuteness.

Hey, wanna see something cool?

It’s my tongue! Ahhhhhhh! Cool, huh?

Oh geez, I just froze up again! Where did my confidence go?!

Oh, oh, I know what I can try. Ready, annnnnndddddd……

IIIIIIIIIII ammmmmm theeeee youngggg-est opppperrrrrraaaa singerrrrrrr alive!

No? Not good? Yeah, I wasn’t feeling it either, forget that happened. I need a prop.

This will be perfect. Back to the couch for background. But first, how’s this “catching me off-guard” pose?

Ooooo, look, lights! Oh yeah, to the couch….

Hey look! I’m half baby, half ball! I can see this going somewhere. Like across the kitchen, that is.

Here goes nothing, lets get “rolling”. Ha ha, pun very intended. Proud, dad?

Whoo hooo, I’m having a “ball”! And I’m 2 for 2 with puns, must be the atmo-“shpere”. Boom, again!

Back to business, moving this ball across the floor for no apparent reason other than I can.

Accomplished! And now, for the final act that will have companies fighting for me to make an appearance. I’m going to pounce on the ball!

Wait, doesn’t count, my foot slipped! Redo!!

Happy Birthday to all presidents, dead or alive, thanks for all that you do…..kinda.

Going Healthy

Avocado Goat Cheese Cookies

02/13/2016 R.C. Liley 4 Comments

Avocado alone is awesome. Goat cheese alone is awesome. With this logic, it only makes sense to combine the two and make a cookie, right? Oh, and these might make a perfect surprise for your Valentine’s Day sweetheart. 😉

avocado goat cheese cookies, healthy recipe

I’m not sure what made me think of turning these two awesome ingredients into cookies, but my belly sure is happy!

Even if you don’t like one or both of these, you might be surprised at how delicious they are and their versatility. Great served in place of flatbread along with a meal, or as an after dinner treat with a drizzle of honey and more goat cheese smeared on top.

Take a little time this weekend (hopefully you have an extra day from President’s Day) and make these to go along with your next meal or for a quick and healthy snack.

Avocado Goat Cheese Cookies

by RC Liley

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 20 – 30 min

Keywords: bake appetizer dessert snack gluten-free low-carb

Ingredients (12 medium cookies)

1 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats; or just use more oat flour
1/2 cup Stevia-based Baking Blend, 12 drops liquid stevia, or 4 stevia packets; you can use 1/2 cup honey, agave, or sugar instead (add more sweetener if you want a sweeter cookie)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon rosemary
4 ounces goat cheese; I used the creamy kind in log form
1/4 of a soft avocado
2 eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a food processor, stand, or hand mixer, blend avocado, stevia or sweetener of choice, goat cheese, and egg until well combined.

Sift all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Add dry to wet and process or blend into a wonderfully fragrant cookie batter.

Use a tablespoon to scoop batter and plop onto parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes and flip over halfway through. Each oven varies, so just watch (and smell) these cookies while baking.

Remove and let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Eat and enjoy; sharing is up to you!

Making cookies can be a fun experience as there are so many variables you can change to make it your own. Sure, you could throw some butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and chocolate chips together for a classic cookie, but that’s not unique at all, and definitely not the best as far as health is concerned. I know having them in moderation is perfectly fine, but c’mon, moderation is easily thrown out the window on any given day. I know from experience.

Hope you enjoy the day and these cookies with friends and family!

Parenting

I Made the Top Dad Blog List on RankedBlogs.com

02/10/2016 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

I’m not sure how I made it amongst the ranks of other great dads who blog, but I’m there, currently #19 out of 26!

There are many dad blogs I recognize, and some of the dads I even had the pleasure of meeting in person at The National At-Home Dad Convention last September.

I now have the badge you see above proudly displayed on the sidebar to the left. If you feel like it, please give it a click and vote for my blog. I promise nothing in return besides my continued blogging and gratitude. Well, I guess that is something, so hopefully it’s enough to motivate you for a vote. 🙂

Some days are easier than others when it comes to blogging, and since I’ve reduced the number of days I write a post, I feel less stressed and get to use the extra time with my daughter during the day. Blogging is a wonderful hobby for me, but family comes first…ALWAYS!

If you played a part in helping Going Dad make it on the Top Dad Blog list, thank you. If not, you can vote now or do nothing, no hard feelings either way. Just the fact that you’re here reading this is good enough to me, so thank you for the support to anyone who visits!

Hopefully I offer more helpful reviews, healthy living tips, and fun workouts for any level to keep you coming back. Have a wonderful day and see you again soon!

An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.