MIMM with Protein Pancake Recipe!

Good morning, friends! How was your weekend? Ours was busy but a lot of fun!

It started off Friday with My Hunter surprising us by working from home all day. And while he actually did work the entire day, it was nice to just have him here.

Friday night before our family movie night started, he and I snuck in a quick Insanity workout. I love having him to workout with when he is here. We got in another workout together on Sunday afternoon in between everything else we had going on. Felt so good!

And we ended both Saturday and Sunday night at friends' houses to enjoy supper. Truly a marvelous weekend!

One thing I wanted to share with you this morning is this recipe that our Saturday morning started off with. These pancakes were definitely marvelous, healthy, super yummy and *very* filling!

Protein Packed & Gluten Free Pancake Recipe
{Makes 1 G.F. Pancake}

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 medium, very ripe banana
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cinnamon to taste

Directions: 

1. Mash the banana up in a small bowl.
2. Add the two eggs and whisk together.
3. Add the flaxseed, vanilla extract and cinnamon and mix all together.
4. Pour the mixture in a greased 8-inch pan.
5. Let it sit for 10-minutes.
6. Flip and let sit for just another minute.

That's it! You are ready to enjoy a great breakfast. I topped mine with strawberries, but you could put any fruit on top. 

Comment below if you try them out.

Thanks Anne! So glad I came across this recipe, because it is one we will be eating again and again at our house.

And, thank you to Katie for hosting such a happy and encouraging weekly link-up. Always a joy to join in!

My Favorite Vanilla Shakeology Recipes

I am absolutely in LOVE with the new Vanilla Shakeology flavor, and I couldn't wait to share my favorite recipes with you!

If you try any of these out, let me know what you think by commenting below.

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My Hunter's "Vanilla P.B. Ice cream" Shakeology

1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology

1 cup Skim Milk

1 tbsp Natural Peanut Butter

5 Ice Cubes

3 oz. Water

Blend Well

There are so many recipes out there, and so many I have not tried yet. Here is a calendar full of even more, some that I have listed above, many that I don't. Try out some of the ones I haven't mentioned yet, and be sure to let me know your thoughts so I can add it to my list. ;)

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FREE 5-Day Clean Eating Group

New Month, New You! 

Monday, March 31st I'm starting a FREE 5-Day Clean Eating Group on Facebook. I will go over the basics for anyone that is interested in cleaning up their eating, as well as their pantry and refrigerator. 

Comment below or  shoot me an email if you are interested in being added to the group. 

Feel free to SHARE with a friend that you think this would help!

21 Day Fix // 3 Day Quick Fix

This 21 Day Fix is simply genius! I am loving every minute of it! The 30-minute workouts totally fit into my life, and the best part is they are giving me *results*! The portion controlled containers have really taught me correct sizing on the healthy foods I eat. I have truly never felt this good!

I am on the last week of round two. During this week there is an option to do a 3 day quick fix. Basically, it's just something to end your 21 days with a bang, making those "after" pictures even more of a WOW!

If you want to drop a few pounds for an upcoming wedding or other event, maybe you want to get beach ready, or you may just need a reboot to stop a few bad nutritional habits, then this is where the 3 Day Quick Fix comes in.

This is what Autumn Calabrese, the trainer for the 21 Day Fix, uses to prep for her bikini competitions and photo shoots. It is not something you want to do for any longer than three days, but if done occasionally, it's a great way to lose a little weight, fast. 

After already completing the 3 Day Quick Fix during my round 1, I have to share that this is not easy! The key to making the 3 days successful is to stay on track with your meals and drinking *plenty* of water! And by the end, let me tell you, I had never craved something other than chicken and fish as much as I had then! ;)

Here is what to expect:

• Space your meals about two hours apart. This is *key*! If you need to, set a reminder on your phone to alert you.
• Steamed veggie options recommended are broccoli, asparagus, green beans, zucchini, cucumbers, or bell peppers.
• Seasonings approved: lemon and lime juice, vinegars, and spices. NO SALT!
• Oatmeal can be flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, or one packet (1/2 teaspoon) of stevia.
• Drink at least one gallon of water a day. Spread it out as much as possible, starting with a glass when you first wake up. It'll help you feel full while it flushes toxins from your system.
• Drink the extra-virgin coconut oil with meals. To prepare it, place the desired amount in a microwave-safe bowl and zap it for 10 to 15 seconds.
• Coffee or tea is okay to drink, but avoid creamers and sweeteners, with the exception of stevia. 
• Keep with your regular workout schedule, no need to alter those. The 3 Day Quick Fix can be used anytime. It is also recommended during the last three days, and only three days, of the program for maximum results. 

Here is the plan: 

• Meal 1 - 1 Yellow: steel-cut cooked oatmeal, 1 Red: egg whites, 1 Spoon: extra virgin coconut oil (e.v.c.o.)
• Meal 2 - 1 Red: grilled chicken and 1 Yellow: steamed yams
• Meal 3 - 1 Red: steamed fish and 1 Green: steamed veggies
• Meal 4 - 1 Red: grilled chicken, 1 Green: steamed veggies and 1 Spoon: e.v.c.o.
• Meal 5 - 1 Red: steamed fish, 1 Green: steamed veggies and 1 Spoon: e.v.c.o.
• Meal 6 - 1 Red: ground extra-lean turkey, 1 Green: steamed veggies and 1 Spoon: e.v.c.o.

You repeat this plan for three days, making sure you drink a lot of water and have NO SALT!

Are you interested in joining my next 21 Day Fix Accountability Group? Comment below!

Meals & Workouts for the Week

I am on the final week of my round 2 plan with 21 Day Fix! This week includes a 3 Day Quick Fix, which I will be sharing more about in a post coming up in the next day or two.

As for workouts this week, there is an option to double up. This is for anyone looking for more dramatic results. The second workout is to be done at a different time of day. This will help rev metabolism, burn more calories, and just get you closer to reaching your goal. I do plan to do both workouts each day this week.

Here is a look at my plan:

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We had a great weekend over here; I hope you all did too. My Hunter ordered Insanity, which came last week, so we pulled that out and did workout one on Saturday

and workout two on Sunday.

There's a reason Shaun T called the program what he did! It is definitely not for the faint of heart! ;)

Have a great start to your week, and thanks to Jill and Laura for the link-up. :-)

High Five for Friday

It's Friday; this picture {that is SO cute} pretty much sums up exactly how I feel about Fridays!

I thought I would share some highlights on this Friday.

1. First up, we are going to have some *pretty* excited girls tonight when they find out we are now the proud owners of the Frozen DVD! My Hunter took the girls to see this in theaters when it came out, but I still have not seen it so I am super pumped for 7:00 pm to get here!
   
2. I go through phases on Pinterest where I am never on there, and then I will go on a couple nights and find a ton of stuff I end up pinning. Last night I did this and found this extremely adorable spring outfit
   
   and these cute workout tanks that I can now not decide which one I want the most! {Which one do you like? HELP! ;) }
   
3. The girls and I made these muffins again this week, and YUMMY! {That's all I have to say!}
   
4. Excited for dinner at our friends' Saturday night! I am ready to get out, eat a great meal, and have some adult conversation! :-)
5. My Hunter's Insanity program came Monday, and he asked if I was going to do some workouts with him. After watching him do the fit test this morning, I am wondering if I could make it through one of these INSANE workouts! I may just stick to my 21 Day Fix!
   

Hope you all have an amazing Friday! Comment below with a highlight from your week or with something you have planned for the weekend. I would love to hear. :-)

Thanks for hosting the link-up, Lauren!

Staying Healthy on Vacation

Spring break is around the corner. It's already next week for us, and with spring break brings vacation.

One of my challengers is leaving for her vacation at the end of the month, {Can I squeeze in her bag?! A vacation sounds glorious!} and she asked me the other day to help her so she didn't lose all the way she had come.

I happen to have some tips for her, and I wanted share here too because I know she is not alone. I know for me, I can sometimes tell myself, "It's vacation; I'm going to eat anything and everything because we don't do trips like this everyday!" And while it's fine to enjoy yourself, you don't want to throw away all that time you spent sweating, pushing yourself, saying no to that cookie, etc.

• Pack Your Own Snacks - For the road trip or plane ride, be sure to have healthy snack options in your bag so you are not grabbing something at a gas station or only left with the option of having cookies or chips on the plane. Apples, pears, unsalted raw almonds, raw veggies with individual hummus cups are all great options.

• Fill Up on Healthy Foods - When eating from the breakfast or lunch buffet, make sure to choose fruits, veggies, oatmeal, etc. That way if later in the day you are left with a less healthier option, at least you got in a couple servings of your fiber and produce.

• Ask Server How Meals are Prepared - When eating out, don't be afraid to ask this or make special requests. Modify the meal by asking for baked or boiled instead of fried. Have them make it using less oil or butter. Ask them to not add addition butter. Choose the low-cal or low-fat options. 

• Share Your Meal - The serving sizes at restaurants can be ridiculous! Consider ordering a half-order or an appetizer as your meal. If you are with a group, share your meal with one of your friends. Before you even start eating, ask the server for a box and put half of your meal in there. 

• Water is Your Best Friend! - Drink a glass of water before every meal and snack. Keep water with you at all times and continue drinking it throughout the day. You are supposed to drink half of your body weight in ounces, so be sure you are still getting that in while relaxing. 

• Focus on the Company - Vacation isn't just about food and splurging! It's time to enjoy the people you are with! Focus on them. Engage, laugh and have fun! Find activities that you can do to fill your day.

21 Day Fix! Why Didn't Someone Think of This Sooner?

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have seen that I am currently doing something called the 21 Day Fix. Maybe you have wondered what this is, and with the incredible popularity of this program, I wanted to share more.

Beachbody's one-of-a-kind fitness and nutrition program that just came out last month, is designed to help you lose weight fast. It makes weight loss so simple, people are losing up to 15 pounds in just 21 days.

The way 21 Day Fix works is simple—it's a combination of easy portion control and 30-minute workouts. That's it! What makes it different is that there's no guesswork involved. Everything is laid out for you so you don't have to count calories or points.

What I love about this program is that you can lose weight without ever feeling deprived or cutting out your favorite foods. There's room for everything in this plan!

And the workouts are easy to follow, so no matter what your fitness level is, you can keep up and see amazing weight-loss results.

If you get 21 Day Fix through me, I can get you a FREE workout DVD called Plyo Fix that burns a ton of calories in only 30 minutes. Plus, you get me the accountability and support of me as your coach!

I am currently working with an exclusive test group that is just starting week number two, and already they are noticing changes. 

Want to grab your own fix? I am here to help! To start, you can create a free account on my site which makes me your Beachbody Coach. After your account is set-up, just stop by my website here and follow the 21 Day Fix banner. Or contact me directly and I'll tell you more about it!

I will be hosting another Exclusive Test Group starting in April for individuals who would like continued support, motivation, accountability, and guidance to complete this program from beginning to end! 

Would you be interested in being a member of this test group? If your answer is yes, comment below with your email and I will send you the application to be considered for a spot in my group. I keep this group small for better accountability and support. I also only accept those people who are totally committed to this, because I know that when you commit, you see RESULTS! I am here to help you every step of the way, walking you through the nutrition plan, teaching you how to plan it out, how to fit it in your busy lifestyle and to hold you accountable. This group is all done online via Facebook in a secret group, where no one but the members of the group will see the posts. 

The cost is just that of the challenge program, which includes everything you need to make this a success: 7 color-coded portion-controled containers, Shakeology shaker cup, 6 workouts plus one bonus workout on 2 DVDs, 21 Day Fix Start Here Guide, 21 Day Fix Eating Plan, 3-Day Quick Fix, FREE shipping, and me as your coach to support, guide and hold you accountable! I realize this is an investment, so when you invest, I invest to make sure I do my part to help you succeed.

I've seen the results first hand after I completed this 21-day program, and although I didn't have weight to really lose, I still lost 5 inches and a little more than 5 pounds, which lets you know it really works. 

If you are ready, let's do this! The time is now! You will look amazing by the end and be ready and confident at the pool this summer! Let's make you the next success story!

A Couple Green Recipes

How was your weekend? Ours was pretty marvelous! We had our normal Friday night movie night, a relaxing Saturday, and yesterday involved some meal prep on my part while My Hunter took the girls out to enjoy the gorgeous 60 degree weather we were having.

In honor of St. Pat's Day today, I thought I would share a couple of green recipes with all of you; both involve avocado.

The first one is our guacamole recipe. I didn't have it added in when I took this picture, but we threw in some of my mom's homemade salsa with and it makes it that much better! Try it!

Guacamole Dip
Ingredients:

2 ripe Avocados, peeled and pitted (I ended up using 5 avocados and just added more of everything else.)
Juice of 1 Lime
1/4 Cup minced Red Onion (Probably my favorite ingredient, and to think I was going to leave it out! I am famous for that, if I don't have something, I am kinda like, uh, oh well, it'll be fine w/o it! Drives MH NUTS!)
2 Tablespoons minced Cilantro 
1 small clove Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt or 1/2 teaspoon Table Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 Tablespoon minced Jalapeño 

Directions:

Halve the avocado and remove the pit. Remove the avocado from the skin by scooping it out with a spoon. Place the avocado in a bowl and mash it gently with a fork. Mix in the remaining ingredients.

Serve immediately. The recipe also says you can cover and chill for up to 3 hours, but I would just leave everything prepared and put it together in the last minute.

Makes 3-4 servings, but it will go so fast you should double it!. 

This second recipe is for all you egg salad lovers. Adding avocado to it not only has some health benefits, but it makes it that much tastier!

Avocado Egg Salad 

*adapted from Skinnytaste

Ingredients:

• 8 large hard-boiled eggs (You will use 4 whole and then 4 of the whites only.)
• 1 medium avocado
• 1 tbsp light mayo
• 1 tbsp Greek yogurt (You can use plain, and that's actually what her recipe called for, but we only had greek here, so I used it.)
• Celery 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash of pepper (We love pepper, so I put more on.)

Directions:

1. Chop up your 4 eggs and 4 egg whites.
2. Cut your avocado into small pieces.
3. Slice up your celery stalks.
4. Combine all ingredients. Add more salt and pepper as needed. 

Serves: 6

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Calories: ~155 

I would love to hear if you try these out! Hope your St. Patrick's Day is filled with luck and lots of Irish blessings! Have a marvelous Monday!

Thanks, Katie, for the link-up!

Meals & Workouts for the Week

I have gotten back in to a regular routine of planning and prepping my meal plans {and hello!} it just makes life so much easier! I need to stop falling off that wagon. ;)

I am in the midst of prepping now, but I wanted to take a quick break to pop over and share what I have planned for eats this week.

You will see that I am a pretty repetitive person. It works for me. I cook up a bunch of a few things and just re-eat them all week.

For those who are not aware, I am on round two of the 21-Day Fix, so that is why all my food groups are color-coded.

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Thanks for hosting this link-up, Laura and Jill! It's always fun to see what others are eating.

Almond Crusted Chicken

I am working on getting my "Eat Clean Recipes" tab to be up and running so that eventually you can go right there to find all the recipes I share. Until then, I will just post them here.

This is a clean one that we love at our house. I love a little crunch to my chicken, which is just what this almond mixture gives. This breading is easy and delicious! You could also put it on your fish; it's great on tilapia!

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Ingredients:
1 pound bag of raw unsalted almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons (or up to 1 tbsp depending on your taste) paprika

2 large egg whites

Dash of salt
Dash of black pepper

Garlic to taste
Onion to taste

4-6 chicken breasts

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except for egg whites in a food processor until very fine and soft, almost flour-like. In a separate shallow dish, whisk the egg whites.

Trim off fat from chicken breasts and cut into individual portion sizes. Place each breast between plastic wrap and pound until thin. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg, letting the excess drip back into the dish. Press both sides of the chicken breast in the almond breading. Place on a baking sheet, cover and put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to let the breading set.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake chicken for 20 minutes. Half way through this baking time, take out the chicken and flip each piece over so the underside doesn't get soggy. With about 4-5 minutes remaining, turn on the broiler and let chicken get nice and golden brown on top.

Whenever I make breading, I am always left with extra. You can just put it in the refrigerator and use next time.

Enjoy! And, as always, I would love for you to comment below and let me know if you try it out! :-)

Oil Pulling?

Okay, I am sure you have all been hearing about oil pulling around the news and social media sites. I had never heard of it until last week. My guess is it's one of those fads that people totally get into and before we know it, something else will be taking it's spot in the top news.

But, I, of course, had to look into it, especially since that very week I was on my 3-day fix where I had to drink one teaspoon of coconut oil four times each of those days. I was curious if what I was doing was this "oil pulling" thing.

Turns out it wasn't, but I thought I would share with all of you what I learned about this new sensation. Ready? ;)

Apparently this isn't a new thing. Oil pulling has been around for years.

So what is it? 

It's an age-old remedy used to detoxify and clean teeth and gums using natural substances. You take the oil and swish it around in your mouth anywhere from 5 minutes minimum to 20 minutes maximum, without swallowing it. {I don't know about you, but I definitely don't have time to swish around something in my mouth for 20 minutes, not to mention I about gag at the thought of having something in my mouth that long!} Because of the "stickiness" of the oil, the supposed purpose is to get the bacteria from your mouth stuck in the oil and then dissolve it. "They" say when you spit it out, if it's yellow, it worked.

And why would you consider doing it?

Besides the fact that this would actually be quite inexpensive, I found there were actually many pros to this new fad. This picture has many of them listed here and it's much more eye-appealing than me listing each of them one-by-one, so I thought I would just share it.

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After going through so many sources, I can't remember where I saw this, but I do remember reading that oil pulling can help reduce the chances of dementia. I thought that was interesting. Whether or not that's true, I don't know. Extensive research has not been done on oil pulling but there have been a handful of studies.

What are the negatives?

I guess I can't imagine there would be anything negative about swishing coconut oil (or if you prefer olive, sunflower or organic sesame oil) around in your mouth, other than the fact that 20 minutes seems like an extremely long time if you chose to do the max., but coconut oil isn't harmful so you could always try. ;)

If you do, or if you have, I would love for you to comment below and share your experience.

If you haven't, what do you think… would you try this?

Learn to LOVE Vegetables

Recently I got asked the question from one of the ladies in my challenge group how you can get yourself to start eating vegetables. I love this question! I love it, because I have been there. A couple years ago, I was in this same boat. I never ate vegetables, and I mean never. It was a great day if I got two servings in! I would eat a lot of pasta, prepackaged snack foods, any type of dessert/chocolate I could get my hands on, and seriously, eating a salad for supper actually felt like torture!

My taste for food has dramatically changed. It just slowly seemed to happen. As I started making better choices, my taste buds started to actually crave these healthier options.

So, I want to share some ways that you can get those vegetables in to your day and maybe {Hopefully!} start to love them like I do now! ;)

•  Put vegetables you like into meals you already love! Put some onions,peppers, tomatoes or mushrooms in with your eggs to make a delicious omelet or pile it all with a scrambled egg and put that on your favorite toast or bagel. Add some spinach into your soup, chop up some carrots to add to your brown rice or quinoa. This is a great way to introduce them because the flavors of the other foods will help them taste better and be less noticeable. We love chili at our house, and that is one meal I can add a ton of vegetables… tons of beans, chopped celery, diced tomatoes, etc.! Double the amount of veggies your recipe calls for. Since you are already going to the work of chopping, why not add to your veggie intake?
• Add flavor! Raw veggies can be boring. Adding some seasoning (Garlic is a fav. at our house!) and spices or eating with dip, a favorite dressing or hummus will make them much more appetizing! Hummus or dressings are perfect for dipping carrots, celery, sliced peppers, cucumbers and more! When cooking vegetables, it’s all about the seasoning! Pick-up some Mrs. Dash seasoning (There’s no salt in these!) and sprinkle that on there. It changes the whole taste! I just picked up a lemon pepper one (A little goes a long way with this one.) and that added lemon flavor makes the veggies so much fun! You could also sprinkle some pepper or garlic on your veggies. Roast them in heart-healthy olive oil or herbs. You could also add some cheese (not a ton). Cheese makes everything better, right?! (Or is that just the WI-girl coming out?) 
• Learn how to cook! This can be a trial and error thing. I still pick up the phone often and call my mom or another cooking friend to ask them how to make a certain vegetable. I am searching Google or pulling out cookbooks. Pretty soon you will get this cooking thing down and make them taste {and even look} good.
• New Cookbook! Along with learning how to cook, I wanted to let you know there are some great cookbooks out there that have many recipes where hiding vegetables is their main purpose. I have tried out are Deceptively Delicious and then a friend suggested The Sneaky Chef. I use this to sneak more nutrition into my kids' plates. They don't know what hit them! ;)
• Follow the Season! Seasonal foods are better tasting, healthier, and fresher. You will find that right now, in the winter, strawberries for example just aren’t the same. You are still going to find them in the grocery store, but they don’t taste as good as they do in the summer. Find out what the best options are for each season just by researching a bit. Start going to farmer’s markets when those start-up this year and talk to your local growers. They will tell you what’s good, and they can tell you how to eat it too.

Hope this helps get you on the path of loving your veggies! Please comment below if you have other ideas. I would love to hear! 

TurboFire Chili

We eat a lot of chili in the winter at our house. Personally, my hubby makes my favorite ;), so I will have to share, but this one is pretty amazing too! 

When I started out on my Beachbody journey, my first workout was TurboFire. That's where this recipe came from, and the program comes with many other great recipes too. You can check it out here if you are interested.

Okay, go try this recipe. I promise you will love it! Easy. Healthy. Delicious.

Turbo Fire Chili Recipe
1 lb lean ground turkey (We use venison because that is all we have around here and it's super lean.)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
8 oz whole kernel corn, canned
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
8 oz black beans, canned
8 oz pinto, chili, or kidney beans, canned
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 pkg Lawry's Chili seasoning
4 oz low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)


Brown meat. Drain and discard any fat. Place all ingredients except cheese into a slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours on low, or 2 hours on high. Top with 1 oz. cheese, if desired.

Vegetarians!
It's extremely easy to modify this recipe! Just leave out the turkey and add extra beans! The more veggies, the better, in my opinion... tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, corn... it's pretty hard to mess up.

Let me know if you try it out and what you think.

Skinny Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I don't know about you, but I am always on the hunt for clean recipes that my kids will love too. On Saturday I found one that fits just that, so I wanted to share with all of you.

Skinny Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

SERVES 12 BIG MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS
For the MUFFINS:
2 large, ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1 large egg
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or regular milk)
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

**And, of course we added in chocolate chips!  **

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the bananas, honey, brown sugar, yogurt, egg, and milk together until combined. Whisk in peanut butter and vanilla extract until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips together. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

Fill the muffin cups almost all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees. Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 12 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you choose, you can drizzle muffins with melted peanut butter. 

Thanks, Sally's Baking Addiction!

If you try this out, let me know what you think!