Homemade Reese Cups

October 12, 2014October 12, 2014Leave a comment

Ok..ok…ok…so I workout daily…

AND I strive to eat as clean as possible…I eat less CRAP:

But you know what?!?! I absolutely LOVE chocolate. And I LOVE peanut butter. And oh my put them together and WATCH OUT!

Thing is…I also like to be fit and healthy. When I eat clean I feel good. And when I feel good I am more confident. When I am confident I am happier all around so…how do I manage to stay on track?! I sweat daily and absolutely love finding ways to satisfy MY sweet tooth cravings and not undoing all the hard work I put in!

As my hubby and I sat around Saturday night we were looking for a sweet treat. Something new, something different, and preferably something that combines chocolate and peanut butter!! So many of the recipes we found were loaded with sugar and that’s just not our style!

Kyle came across this recipe and I knew we had to give it a try.

Inside Out Shakeology Peanut Butter Cups:

(makes 2 servings)

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 tsp Chocolate Shakeology
2 tsp unrefined coconut oil, melted
2 TBS PB2
2 TBS water

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

1. Combine oil and PB2 in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.

2. Combine Shakeology and water in a small bowl; mix until it has a pudding like consistency. Set aside

3. Coat two foil muffin liners evenly with half of the peanut butter mixture. Top evenly with Shakeology mixture

4. Freeze for 30 minutes or until firm

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 64

Total Fat: 5g

Saturated Fat: 4g

Protein: 3g

Recipe obtained from http://www.shakeology.com

My personal take on these: They don't "taste" like a traditional, artificial ingredient filled candy bar...but they are delicious! You can definitely taste a int of coconut from the oil and I think they would be more peanut buttery if you used all natural peanut butter rather than PB2...however for a 64 calorie treat, these can't be beat!

You can get your own 30 day Shakeology supply HERE

Not sure what flavor you’d like – but still want to give Shakeology a try? Try this flavor sampler pack to figure what which is your favorite!

As a beachbody coach I run health and fitness challenge groups to help other people begin and/or continue their health and fitness journey and turn it into a LIFESTYLE! If you’re interested in more information about ways to enjoy clean eating and/or would like to be part of my upcoming challenge group, fill out the form below! Together we can end the trend of obesity!

<a href="https://coachapplication.wufoo.com/forms/m1siks6702daeqc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fill out my Wufoo form!</a>

Peanut Butter Banana Quesadilla

October 8, 2014October 8, 20142 Comments

Ok ok…this perhaps shouldn’t be a nightly treat, but my goodness it sure is a treat!!!!

Peanut Butter Banana Quesadilla

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 Whole Wheat or corn tortilla
1/2 banana
1 TBS all natural peanut butter, almond butter or your favorite nut butter
Optional – 1 TBS of chocolate chips

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

There are two ways you can do this – 1) Heated in a skillet as a quesadilla -OR- 2) Colt, rolled up as a “wrap”

1) – Spread the peanut butter on half the quesadilla, add sliced banana and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Fold in half and warm in skillet 2-3 minutes each side

2) Follow same steps as in 1 above but rather than heating in a skillet simply roll up and ENJOY!

My kids love this, my husband loves this, and I love this!!!

How to drink more water

October 3, 2014October 8, 20142 Comments

Water, water, water! Drink lots of water! Sure you hear it all the time – but do you still struggle to get in the recommended daily amount? One of the most common things I hear about in my challenge groups is that people are struggling to drink the recommended daily amount of water! You should drink at least half of your body weight in ounces…So if you weigh 150 pounds you should drink at least 75 ounces EVERY DAY!!!

Still wondering When? Or Why? Or How????

WHEN:

Drinking water at the correct time maximizes its effectiveness on the human body!

Drinking two glasses after waking up helps activiate internal organs
1 glass 30 minute before a meal helps with digestion
1 glass before taking a bath helps lower blood pressure
1 glass before going to bed lowers your risk for stroke and heart atttack

Don’t mistake thirst for hunger! If you think you may be hungry but its not quite “time to eat”. Try drinking 10-12 ounches of water first and then see if you’re still “hungry”! Sometimes a glass of water will help curb those cravings!

WHY:

There are so many benefits to drinking water…but here is my top 10 list:

Water…

Promotes healthy skin and a healthy heart
Fights infection
Gets rid of Body Toxins
Boosts your metabolism
Prevents headaches, join pain and arthritis
Boosts energy levels
Prevents constipation
Reduces the risk of cancer
Improves Productivity
Aids in weight loss

HOW:

Figuring out how to get that water in is up to you! I’ve found these tips to be most useful:

Go to bed with a full glass next to your bed…Wake up – and chug!
Use an insulated straw cup. I tend to drink more at a time when I’m using a straw!
Always have plenty of water with you. If you’re going to be out for the day take additional water with you. I like to keep my straw cup and then a larger bottle in my car to refill later. The one thing I hate spending money on is bottled water – but I also don’t like to go thirsty – so staying prepared is key!!!
If plain water isn’t quite your thing, try infusing it! Lemons, orange slices, mint, cucumber, or any other fruit! The flavor lasts through several refills and adds a bit of flavor without the added sugar.
Set goals throughout the day, i.e. – 10 ounces every hour or 40 ounces by lunch and 40 more by dinner time, or whatever works for you! You certainly don’t want to be up all night going to the bathroom and its best to get the water in throughout the day rather than all at once!

Water consumption is just one of the many things we discuss in my health and fitness accountability groups! If you’re interested in learning more fill out my challenge group application below!

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Chocolate shakeology recipe, dairy free shakeology recipe, low calorie shakeology recipe, healthiest meal of the day

Caramel PB Chocolate Cheesecake Shakeo

October 1, 2014October 2, 2014Leave a comment

I’ve set a little challenge for myself – no milk or banana in my daily shakeo for two weeks! And no more greek yogurt! Why??? Well I used to be good with sticking to 1/2 cup of milk and 1/4 of a banana…but that 1/2 cup has been creeping its way up there…and the 1/4 of a banana has been more like a 1/2 and although I know these are both “healthy” foods…I feel best when I avoid all milk and I feel less bloated when I pass on the banana. Same goes with the yogurt…plus with blueberries out of season I’m struggling to find that perfect combo! With these little changes I decided to come up with a new shakeo recipe to fill the void:

Caramel PB Chocolate Cheesecake Shakeology

WHAT YOU NEED:

12 ounces of water

1 Scoop Chocolate Shakeology

1 TBS Fat free/sugar free cheesecake pudding mix

1 TBS PB2

1 tsp caramel extract

Lots of ice!!!

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Blend until you reach the consistency you like! I prefer to “crush ice” first followed by “blend” for about 30 seconds. Like most of my shakeos – I eat it with a spoon! Perfect post-workout breakfast!!! All this an clocking in at about 200 calories – I’ll take it!!!

21 day fix success story, 21-day fix transformation, transformation tuesday, shakeology success, home DVD workout program

21-day fix Success Story_Ann

September 30, 2014Leave a comment

I’m so excited to share my friend and fellow coach’s story with you! Ann and I went to high school together. She had commented on one of my facebook posts about doing the 21-day fix and after chatting a bit and I found out she hadn’t been working with a coach at all. So we hooked up, I sent her some Shakeology samples to try and she joined my challenge group and totally ROCKED it! The results of her hard work are shown below but words cannot express how proud of her I am!!! Way to go girl – this is the beginning of an amazing transformation!!!

21-day fix Success

Meet Ann.

” I was at my heaviest weight ever even after losing my baby weight. I had no energy, I was exhausted, I was completely unhappy and my family relationships and friendships were taking the brunt of it. I saw my now coach’s amazing 21 day Fix transformation results and thought maybe that program could work for me. I had tried other weight loss programs, counted calories, worked out, but nothing clicked and I always gave up. So, I ordered the 21 day fix, committed the time to making myself better and saw a 10 lb weight loss and 10 inch loss in the first 21 days! Then I joined up with my coach and a challenge group, started drinking Shakeology, and lost another 10lbs! I’m so happy, confident, and I feel like ME again. My family says it all when they tell me the old me is back. I love Beachbody so much that I’m now starting on the coaching journey. My coach and support groups were a key to my success.”

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

September 29, 2014Leave a comment

Lately my daughter and I have been following the same afternoon routine…Little bro goes down for a nap and the girls head to the kitchen! Its usually some Almond Butter Rice Krispy treats (as in approximately every other day because I can’t seem to keep my hands out of the pan), but she had a new request for an old favorite – Chocolate Chip cookies! I have the best recipe from Hubby’s grandmother but its been so long since I baked that when I went to pull out the ingredients I realized I only had whole wheat flour. Now, I’m sure they still would have been good…but they would not have been “MeMaw’s cookies” so I had to come up with a new plan. I found a can of pumpkin leftover from last fall-but-it hadn’t expired…enter – Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies!

I didn’t have a recipe of my own so I went to google and found this one from Sally’s Banking Addiction. Again, since I was so unprepared I made a few alterations but followed her main directions and swapped out some things here and there to make them my own. All in all they turned out great, my daughter enjoyed them, and my husband was even happier to come home to cookies after work! From a girl who used to bake weekly…homemade sweets are rare these days and most certainly treasured when around!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

(makes 36 small cookies)

WHAT YOU NEED:

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin pie filling
1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour if you prefer)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
1 cup milk chocolate chips

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft. Fold in 1 cup milk chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough. Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line a large baking sheets with parchment paper

Using a cookie scooper (I like the pampered chef small cookie scoop) scoop the dough balls (or roll the dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoons of dough each).

Bake the cookies for about 9 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked. Keeping them in the oven for longer may dry them out. Remove from the oven and press a few more chocolate chips onto the tops, if desired. If you find that your cookies didn’t spread much at all, flatten them out when you take them out of the oven.

Sauteed Squash

September 25, 2014Leave a comment

My mother in law used to make the best squash and truthfully, that’s how I got hooked on this little veggie…cooked in butter, with a few eggs and topped with cheese – Ahmazing – tasting!!!! Problem is – as delicious as it was it just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle anymore. I saw some delicious bright yellow squash at the farmers market over the weekend and couldn’t help but snag a few up! I’m getting pretty good at taking a healthy spin on things so with a few tweaks this old favorite is back in the weekly rotation – as a new, improved, 21-day fix approved side dish!!!

Sauteed Squash

WHAT YOU NEED:

Makes about 3-4 servings; 1 green container and 1 teaspoon on the 21-day fix meal plan (I don’t count the egg whites towards a red because there is so little!)

2-3 large squash, sliced
1 small onion
1 TBS olive oil
3 egg whites
Sea salt to taste

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Heat the oil over medium heat for about 2 minutes

Add the squash and onion and place the lid on the pan. Cook for about 20 minutes, continually stirring and chopping as the veggies cook. You’ll notice the squash really cook down!

I like to cook it until all the water evaporates, but if you don’t like it cooked as long you could always drain out some water once the squash is cooked to your liking

Move the squash to the side of the pan and add the egg whites – scramble the egg whites and combine with squash. Top with a little sea salt if desired and you’re ready to go!

I love to serve this side with Turkey meatloaf and a baked sweet potato. I also eat it by itself as a side with lunch – you can’t go wrong!

Shakeology bars, 21-day fix approved snack, High Protein Chocolate Peanut butter bars, homemade peanut butter chocolate bars

High Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Bars

September 24, 20145 Comments

This has been me lately…my meals are spot on, largely in part because I make my meal plan each week, grocery shop, prep and stick to it! So that’s not the problem…the little treats on the other hand haven’t been so little! I don’t know what it is but my sweet tooth is out of control! I think I use my daughter’s simple request to bake something as an excuse just so I can have some myself too!! I swear, I am totally fine when its not in my house but when its sitting on the counter – its like I lose all sense of self-control!

For example – we went to Bob Evans after church Sunday. And they just so happen to place those little boxes of cookies right at kid eye level. Naturally, my daughter reaches for a box of the M&M cookies – typical – but rather than just getting her what she asks for I grab the apple oatmeal ones, in my mind justifying because they have oats so they have to be the healthier choice and you got a “deal” if you bought two. Well after quickly inhaling not one, but two full cookies after lunch I turned the box over to see each one had 380 calories – not a typo – 380 CALORIES PER COOKIE – and I ate two! That’s just gross! I was so disgusted with myself yet repeated this the following day! At this point I told my hsuband to eat them or get them out of the house 🙂 Why does he seem to have such better self control when it comes to this stuff?!?!

So long story short – I needed to come up with a healthier, 21-day fix approved snack. I’ve made the shakeology nutty no bakes and LOVED them but wanted something different – so I snagged this out of the 21-day fix eating plan guide.

High Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Bars

Total Servings – 24, 1 bar each

One serving – one bar, counts as 1 yellow on the 21-day fix meal plan

WHAT YOU NEED:

4 scoops Chocolate Shakeology
2 cups quick-cooking old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup chopped raw peanuts
1/2 cup golden raisins (I used a craisin and raisin mix bc that’s what I had)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup all natural creamy peanut butter

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Combine Shakeology, oats, peanuts and raisins in a large mixing bowl, and mix well

Shakeology Bars

Add almond milk and peanut butter; mix well

High Protein bars mixed – this can take some time and muscle but its worth it!

Press mixture into 8×8-inch baking pan, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

All ready to set in the fridge!!

Cut into 24 bars – enjoy!

Healthier pancakes, kid friendly pancakes, freezer friendly pancakes, busy mom tip

Busy mom tip freezer friendly pancakes

September 21, 2014September 21, 2014Leave a comment

How many times do your kids ask for pancakes on a morning that you just don’t have time to make them?

How many times do you pull a pack of the pre-made pancakes from the freezer and toss them in the toaster and think – is there any nutritional value in those?

Well I’ve learned quickly – pancakes FREEZE and THAW so easily!!!! Take advantage of the (extra) time you (may) have over the weekend, whip up a batch and freeze for the week!

I’ll start by saying I’ve tried feeding my kids the pancakes with oats, and honey and greek yogurt and whole wheat flour and egg whites and while my husband and I love them and my 1 year old who “eats anything you place in front of him” doesn’t bat an eye, I can’t seem to make those fly with my 3-year old no matter how many chocolate chips I add or how much syrup is drizzled on top! I decided I needed to take a step away from the “healthy and clean pancakes” for now and I’m focusing on trying to make the ones she does like healthIER than they used to be!

I’m not going to say that these pancakes are exactly “clean” but there is some nutritional value here, you can make them fun with different add ins and they’re so convenient especially for those busy mornings!!!!

Meet: Hot Pink sprinkled healthIER pancakes!!

WHAT YOU NEED:

*2 cups of a Complete pancake mix (that only requires the addition of water)

* 1 Cup plain greek yogurt

*1 Cup applesauce

* 1 TBS ground flax seeds

*2-4 TBS of water to get the desired consistency (you don’t want them too thick or runny!)

*Your favorite sprinkles – but from my daughter’s stand point, hot pink sprinkles make everything taste better!

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Heat a greased griddle at medium heat (You don’t want this too high because they will burn. The griddle is ready when you drop a small amount of batter and it sizzles)

Mix the first four ingredients together with a wooden spoon until well blended

Add the water until you reach the desired consistency (I like them thick but not so much like a cookie dough…it should pour out)

Add the sprinkles but be careful not to overmix or the colors will start to spread a lot! (We had to add our pink sprinkles a second time because my daughter couldn’t “see” them anymore! You could also add in chocolate chips. Some other addins we’ve tried were chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, bananas and blueberries – all delicious!

: Pancake batter with pink sprinkles

Using a cookie scooper or 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop 4 pancakes onto the grill. Make sure you allow some additional room for the pancakes to spread while cooking

Cook approximately 1 minute each side. You’ll know when they’re ready to flip when the edges start forming and the bubbles are gone

Flip and cook an additional 45-60 seconds

Let cool on a paper towel

Once completely cool, wrap the remaining pancakes in saran wrap

Place each pancake into a freezer ziplock bag

To cook after frozen: pull from freezer the night before and microwave in the morning for 8-10 seconds – or – defrost in the microwave for approximately 2 minutes (I usually enter “.2 pounds” on my microwave) – and you’re all set!

I hope you find this helpful and delicious at the same time!!!

21-day fix Extreme, new 21-day fix program, Autumn Calabrese

New Beachbody programs coming soon!

September 19, 2014September 19, 20142 Comments

What could they come up with next??? Well let me tell you….

Oh my oh my!!! There are so many new program launches coming out!!! I pretty much have my workouts routines laid out for me from now until March!!! And what better way to get ripped, toned and in the best shape of my life than with some of America’s hottest trainers!!!!

Are you a fan of Tony Horton and the P90X programs? Did you get addicted to the little containers with Autumn Calabrese and the 21-day fix? Or do you love taking it to the extreme with Shaun T? Well regardless if you have one favorite or you like to switch it up with all 3 – there are some big changes coming to your Beachbody Home workout DVD library!!

p90, Tony Horton, new home workout program

P90 Coming SOON!

First is the release of P90 in October – Tony Horton has taken it back to the basics and focuses on fundamentals with 25 minute workouts and killer results! You can find more details about this program release HERE.

INSANITY MAX: 30

Coming December 2014

Next will be Shaun T’s Insanity MAX 30 releasing in December!!! You may have dabbled in the original Insanity but found it all out insane and a bit long. Well he hit the nail on the head when he released T25 in 2013 offering 25 minute workout programs that will get you Ahmazing results but allowing anyone at anyone fitness level to adapt with a full inclusion of modifications at every move all packed into 25 minutes a day!

Well he’s at it again with the latest sweat-inducing, cardio fest!! INSANITY MAX:30 is coming this December 2014 and it will be the hardest 30 minutes of your day. You’ll be challenged to push harder than ever before, and you’ll see the best results of your life. Over 150 new moves and sequences feature killer cardio and tabata strength workouts. There’s no equipment needed and a modifier in every workout so anyone can push to their MAX.

How does it work?

It’s time to max out your workouts! What does that mean? To “MAX OUT” means to stop or fail for the first time in the workout. In INSANITY MAX:30, it’s not about getting through all 30 minutes, it’s about going as hard as you can for as long as you can, until you MAX OUT. When you start INSANITY MAX:30, you might only get through the first 5 minutes before you MAX OUT. Just record your MAX OUT time, catch your breath, and continue for as long as you can. Track your MAX OUT times over the course of the program. As long as you MAX OUT, you’ll get MAX RESULTS in 60 days guaranteed!

21 DAY FIX EXTREME

Coming February 2015

And finally, for all my 21-day fixers out there…the 21-DAY FIX EXTREME will be coming in February 2015! 21 Day Fix EXTREME is the next program in the Fix product line. It builds off the basics of 21 Day Fix and takes it to the next level. Combining no-nonsense portion control with steady state aerobics, resistance training, and explosive power moves, 21 Day Fix Extreme is a complete functional fitness program that targets every muscle in the body to help you will torch calories while creating a leaner, stronger and more functional physique.

Do you want to be the first to know about these product launches? The latest development? Or the nitty gritty details? Just create your FREE account with teambeachbody HERE and I can assure you, you will be able to get your hands on these products weeks before the general public – but you have to be signed up with me as your coach first!!!