Monday, February 29, 2016

Cucumber Avocado Roll-Ups

Turn an average gathering into a culinary extravaganza with these Cucumber Avocado Roll-ups. These vegan-friendly appetizers are filled with a blend of avocado, fresh basil, and tangy lime, and they’re deceptively simple to put together. A sprinkling of smoked paprika adds color and a gentle spiciness. Each roll has less than 35 calories, so you can enjoy a few without filling yourself up for the main course.

Tip: This recipe suggests making the avocado mixture in a blender, but if you’re whipping up a batch of these for yourself, a good mashing with a fork will do the job.
Total Time: 15 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 4 servings, 3 roll-ups each
Ingredients:
1 medium avocado, cut into chunks
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
Sea salt (or Himalayan salt) and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
2 large cucumbers
Toothpicks
Ground paprika (for garnish; optional)
Preparation:
1. Place avocado, basil, garlic, and lime juice in a food processor (or blender). Season with salt and pepper if desired; pulse until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
2. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off long, thin slices of cucumbers.
3. Spread avocado mixture evenly on each cucumber slice.
4. Pick up one end of the cucumber slice and roll cucumber loosely around the filling. End with the seam on bottom and secure with a toothpick.
5. Garnish with paprika if desired.

Cred: Beachbody

Score Fixate for FREE!


I'm Feeling a EXTRA Generous TODAY😀 This program changed my life and how I look at and treat food and my body! It has helped me loose 36+ lbs and my hubby 44+ lbs!! IT IS A Game Changer! For Real!!
So for those of you who have inquired, you're in luck!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
It's the last weekend of February, so I'm giving away FIXATE, The 21 Day Fix cookbook, to ANYONE who grabs a Challenge Pack TODAYONLY😀 (A challenge pack is a bundle pack that is offered at a discount!)
This month Beachbody is offering The 21 Day Fix, The 21 Day Fix Extreme or CIZE for a discounted price!
Did you know that if you purchase Shakeology you can get any of those programs for ONLY $10!
Crazy Good Deals!
Let me know if you are interested!




FIXATE is:

A DELICIOUS, SIMPLE WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT

Autumn Calabrese Presents Fixate—101 Personal Recipes to Use with the 21 Day Fix Portion-Control Program takes a unique approach to healthy eating by making it simple to eat just the right amount of your favorite foods.
21 Day Fix creator Autumn Calabrese applies her simple color-coded container system for measuring perfect portions to 101 of her personal recipes, so you can have the best of both worlds: the delicious foods you crave along with the nutrition you need to hit your fitness goals.

FIXATE includes:

Easy-to-follow recipes (each marked with their color-coded container equivalents) designed to work with 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix EXTREME®, and Portion Fix—or use the deliciously nutritious recipes to create balanced meals for any other Beachbody® program.


SIMPLE, TIME-SAVING,
AND DELICIOUS MEALS


Get Autumn's personal tips on preparing meals quickly and upgrading leftovers, so you can have delicious dishes even on your busiest days.

VEGETARIAN, VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE, AND PALEO RECIPES


Autumn knows we all make different food choices, so Fixate includes a variety of recipes fit for every nutritional need.
TASTY TREATS AND MOUTHWATERING DRINKS

Enjoy snacks, desserts, and the occasional cocktail—eating clean doesn't mean depriving yourself!

AN INSIDE LOOK AT AUTUMN'S PERSONAL JOURNEY


Follow Autumn's path to healthier eating and get firsthand advice on making the best food choices, organizing your kitchen, and creating your own lifelong healthy habits.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Spring into Fitness - March Meltdown 5 Day Clean Eating Challenge

Spring into Fitness -March Meltdown 

5 Day Clean Eating Challenge



Hey friends! It's almost that time again... Spring Break!! YAY!! Warm, sun, beaches, fun!!! Can you believe it? Are you Spring Break ready???  And with Spring fast approaching it is time to melt off some of those extra winter lbs we all tend to collect in the long cold winter months I know I need to buckle down on my nutrition to feel good in my cute summer clothes.... How about you? 

Are you ready to rock some cute summer clothes?? SoooOo to jump start my Beach Ready Bod I am running another clean eating group for extra accountibility and support and I am extending an invitation to you all to join me! It is a FREE 5 Day Clean Eating Challenge and get ready for Spring Break!  These groups are so much fun and great for anyone who loves clean eating, is new to clean eating, wants to jump start their health and nutrition goals, is looking for a life style change is maybe just was some extra support/ motivation/accountability!

I will provide you with a FREE:
Grocery List
Daily Menus
Support
Accountability
Coaching
and MORE!!

To join----> Just click this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/848788525229684/ or reach out below :) 

I'd love for you to join my next 5 day group so we can work together to reach our goals! 

Friday, January 29, 2016

Power Protein Egg Cups

Mornings can be tough. Especially as a busy family, There are a hundred things to do to before rushing out the door, and often my breakfast is an afterthought. It’s tempting to reach for a breakfast bar, grab a “healthy” muffin at the coffee counter (it has blueberries in it, so it counts, right?), or worse, skip breakfast altogether.
That’s where these protein-packed egg cups come in. The simple recipes for these grab-and-go mini-omelets make enough for a week’s worth of breakfasts. Trust me they are super easy and delish! Perfect for us busy momma who are wanting a healthy breakfast while on the go! Got extra? Store them in the fridge and reheat them in the microwave.

Power Protein Egg Cups
Start your morning off strong with this low-fat, high-protein egg cup recipe with turkey bacon, shredded chicken, and sweet onions and peppers.

Total Time: 35 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min.
Yield: Makes 6 servings, 2 egg cups each
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
16 large egg whites (2 cups)
Sea salt (or Himalayan salt) and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
2 slices cooked turkey bacon, chopped
3 oz. cooked shredded chicken breast
2 cups chopped red bell peppers
1 cup chopped onion
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Prepare twelve muffin cups by coating with spray. Set aside.
3. Combine almond milk and egg whites in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired; whisk to blend. Set aside.
4. Evenly divide turkey bacon, chicken, bell peppers, and onion between prepared muffin cups.
5. Evenly pour egg white mixture over turkey bacon mixture.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of egg cups comes out clean, and eggs are set.
For My Fixers this recipe is 1 Red and 1 Green Container
Recipe Courtesy of beachbody.com



Wednesday, January 20, 2016

My Transformation Inside and Out


This is my favorite #transformationtuesday story so far!! Why is it my favorite? Well because it is ours heart emoticon. Mine and my husbands. We have been together for almost 14 years and through out all those years we have been on an amazing journey called life.... It wasn't always fun, easy or full of grace and believe me there have been lots of trials, hardships, and learning experiences but we have gotten through them all TOGETHER. We are better together!
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The picture on the left was us- 4 years ago. The picture of the right is us a couple months ago, CELEBRATING life!
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Can you you see the difference between us from then to now? Some are really obvious, some are on the surface and yet others are extremely skin deep. I am sure you see the weight loss, maybe the better skin and whiter/ straighter teeth, changes in our hair smile emoticon Well Mine at least! lol! but what you can't see in the old us is how we were struggling, suffering from extreme exhaustion, fear, unhappiness. How we felt like we were just surviving day to day.
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Two years ago I hit a breaking point with my own personal reflection in the mirror and my own unhappiness. That low time led to me to seek to change for the first time in what seemed like forever. That is how I found Beachbody, Since then I have learned to take better care of me, to make healthier foods for my family and for us to eat proper portions, Drinks less wine frown emoticon and even Exercise. It is amazing how much better I feel!! Those changes flowed over to my husband and my children. I love that we are teaching our children to be healthy all by example!
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Of course we we still have rough days and life is still busy with 3 little blessings to chase after BUT now we are now stronger, healthier, happier and it is not just on the surface but Mentally, Emotionally, Physically, Financially, and Spiritually!
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Are all wonderful improvements results of a shake called Shakeology? or even an at home workout? No, of course not. BUT It was that leap of faith which led me to take a chance on myself, step out of comfort zone and join Beachbody. I can not share all of the wonderful opportunities our family now has nor care I share how deeply wonderful it feels to help other amazing women get better , stronger, and healthier ...
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Oh and Shakeology and those effective at home workouts are life changing TOOLS that I use to help change me from the inside out. Yep! Better skin, a smaller waistline and a lower number on the scale are a few of the perks BUT what is most important for you to see here in our #transformationstory is the deeper changes!! Personal growth, Passion, CONFIDENCE, HAPPINESS, JOY, LIVING life rather than just Surviving it!

YOU too Can experience this transformation! If you don't jump out of bed on Monday morning excited about the possibilities and the opportunities the new week will bring you and your family, lets's chat!
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I can help you design a life that allows you to be excited about Monday vs counting down the days til Friday!!! Don't limit yourself...Opportunity is knocking but will you answer!?!

Thursday, January 14, 2016

21 Day Fix Fixate Stuffed Peppers


As a busy family easy to prep on a weeknight is super important in our house and this tasty 21 Day Fix  Approved Stuffed Pepper recipe delivers! (especially so if you brown the turkey and veggies the night before as I did), delicious and totally easy to reheat the next day at work! 
Ingredients: 
4 bell peppers ( Get big ones!) 1 lbs package 93% lean ground turkey breast or ground chicken 1 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes - no salt added2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and chopped
5 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp each of each, cumin, garlic powder, 
1/4- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (to add heat if desired)
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 cup tomato sauce (look for lower sugar/salt option if possible) 



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. 
2.Cook quinoa according to package instructions (if using brown rice I use the Trader Joe's packets of frozen brown rice and LOVE it! Super convenient and especially so if the family isn't converted to brown rice as is true of mine!)
3. Dice the onion and garlic. Cut the peppers in half, remove seeds, set aside for later use.  
4. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onion and garlic until tender. Add ground turkey and seasonings, cook until no longer pink.
5. Add in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, quinoa, beans, corn, cilantro and lime juice. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook; stirring occasionally until heated through (about 3-5 minutes)

6. Fill each pepper half with 1/2 cup of the mixture. Once filled place into baking dish. Lightly cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until tender; remove foil and top each pepper with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bale for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

7. Serve sprinkled with cilantro and hot sauce if desired.

Each pepper 1/2 is one serving. 
Colored container equivalents per serving are : 1 Green/1 Yellow/1 Red/ 1/2 Blue





Thursday, January 7, 2016

21 Day Fix Turkey Chili

My family LOVES Chili...pretty much all types of the hearty stuff! Something about it warms you from the inside out. It is comfort food and it taste great!  I could even eat it in the summer months when it's not so cool outside!  So when Autumn Calabrese released her brand new Fixate cookbook and I saw that there was a chili recipe in it we had to try it out! I love the chance to try out any new chili recipe and this one was no different! AND... it is a GREAT one and plus it's 21 Day Fix Approved!!!  SooOo It is Even better! 

My family loved this so much that we had NO leftovers...I was kinda thinking I would have some for lunch the next day but well my family scarfed it all up and cleaned out the pot! Lesson learned, Next time I'll be making a double batch!! 


Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 medium onion
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste; optional)
2 (15 oz) cans black beans (or pinto beans) drained, rinsed
1 (15 oz) can all-natural diced tomatoes, no sugar added
12 fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped (for garnish; optional)

Directions:
  1. Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat
  2. Add turkey, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink
  3. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute
  4. Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid). Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low; gently bio, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened.
  5. Serve warm, sprinkle with cilantro.
Container Equivalents:
1 Green
1 Red
1 Yellow
This recipe is perfect to use in CROCKPOTS...or you can make ahead of time and place in a freezer ziplock bag (gallon size after it's cooled) and freeze for later...great for meal prep!!

(recipe from the 21 Day Fix Extreme Nutrition Guide)
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