National Women's Health & Fitness Day + New Recipe!

Happy National Women’s Health & Fitness Day!

I love all of the National Days. I subscribe to the emails from National Day Calendar, and post them in my classroom for my kids. Sometimes I pull them in to my lesson plans, but mostly I just think they are fun and interesting. I was super excited to find out today is National WOmen’s Health and Fitness Day! Coincidentally, it is also one of my best friends' birthdays! Toady is her Golden Birthday - meaning she's 27 on the 27th! I didn't even know about Golden Birthdays were a thing until a couple of years ago. My Golden Birthday was 14 years ago - oh, well! :)

Additionally, I'm amping up my healthy eating (in preps for my wedding + it is just a necessity). With this, tonight's dinner was Chicken and Rice Soup.  It makes a huge batch! I'm pretty sure you could feed an army with it!

Chicken & Rice Soup

Ingredients

2/3 Rotisserie Chicken (diced)
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
2 cups brown rice, cooked
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
2-3 cups water
Sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions

Cook rice according to package instructions. Dice chicken and all veggies. Place in a 2+ quart pot with broth, water, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low medium, add rice, and cook until veggies are tender (usually 1-1.5 hours). Or throw all ingredients in your crockpot on low all day. Make sure to precook the rice, so it doesn't absorb all of the liquid. 

Product Review: Buff Bake

Buff Bake recently sent me a jar of one of their products - Buff Bake Snickerdoodle Almond Butter. I was very excited to try a Buff Bake almond butter, because they offer a protein-packed almond butter. The one I got touted chia and flax in the ingredients - so I was even more excited because those are some of my faves! Honestly,  I normally go for the offerings that have "almonds" as the only ingredient, this stuff was chalked full of "love your body" ingredients. Each product varies, so I will only point out the Snickerdoodle - which is what I got. Buff Bake Snickerdoodle lists Roasted Almonds, All Natural Whey Protein, Coconut Palm Sugar, cinnamon, Coconut Oil, Chia Seed, Flax Seed as the ingredients.  That is a pretty sweet powerhouse of ingredients! It's also a huge plus for me that it's gluten free!

I normally have to limit my almond butter consumption to with apple slices or with my oats - only for the fact that I could eat a jar for dinner. :) But, when I saw it was snickerdoodle (one of my favorite cookies) I knew my spoon had to make the plunge!

You know when you taste something so heavenly that your eyes roll back and you just have to savor it? Yup, that's totally what happened with Buff Bake Snickerdoodle Almond Butter. I was in HEAVEN! This stuff will be a staple in my pantry, and I can't wait to try the other flavors they have to offer!

Here is one of my favorite recipes using Buff Bake Snickerdoodle Almond Butter. It's a protein and fiber rich breakfast treat. I love how the warm apples, cinnamon, and Buff Bake's Snickerdoodle Almond Butter all melt together for an amazing breakfast. It reminds me of an apple pie - for breakfast and way healthier! :)

(Hmm, now I'm thinking about one of my favorite guilty pleasures and trying this almond butter with gluten free animal crackers. That's going on my grocery list!)

Okay, enough rambling... here's the recipe!

Good Morning Buff Bake Snickerdoodle Oats:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 organic apple, chopped in to bite-size chunks
• 1/2 tb Buff Bake Snickerdoodle Almond Butter
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Cook the oats according to the package directions - using the almond milk and water for the liquids. 
2. In a microwave safe bowl, add chopped apples. Sprinkle with some cinnamon and microwave for about a 1-1 1/2 minutes.
3. Top the oats with apples.
4. Top oats with Buff Bake's Snickerdoodle Almond Butter.

This would also be amazing with a sprinkling of dried cranberries. :)

ENJOY!! :)

Black Bean "Meatballs," Marinara, and Spaghetti Squash Goodness

As I mentioned before, we are leaving Alaska and heading back to Arkansas. If you have moved before, then you are familiar with the issue of groceries - not buying too much, using up what you have, etc. Well, yesterday I was trying to figure out how to make some meals out of what we have. I need to add that when I say meals, I mean they need to be kid-friendly/kid-palatable for my uber-picky munchkin. After trying to figure out what would work best, I decided to try to make some black bean meatballs. My kiddo LOVES spaghetti and meatballs, so I figured that I could probably disguise the actual ingredients. (I may totally trick my kid in to eating stuff. Don't judge me. If it were left up to him, he'd live off of grilled cheese and boxed mac and cheese.)

Marinara Sauce 

So, I admit I've never actually made my own spaghetti sauce before. I knew I had some frozen tomatoes, and a can of crush tomatoes and spices. So, I just threw it all in the pot and let it simmer for about an hour.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 3 cups diced)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In one pot, add tomatoes (whole and canned), water, and olive oil. 
2. Add seasonings as desired. 
3. Allow to heat and cook until the the sauce is smooth to chunky. The sauce should be ready when the water cooks down and it is thicker in consistency. 

Spaghetti Squash 

Ingredients: 

• 1 Spaghetti squash
• 1 Cookie sheet with a shallow bit of water in it

Directions:

1. Halve the squash length-wise. 
2. Scoop out the seeds. 
3. Place the squash cut side down on a shallow baking sheet with about a cm of water in it. 
4. Bake it at 425 degrees farenheit for about 40 minutes. 
5. The squash should then be very tender. Use a fork to pull the flesh out of the squash. It should automatically come out in strings like spaghetti!

Black Bean Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 15 oz. Black Beans
• 1.5 cups gluten free oat flour
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tsp Onion powder

Directions:

1. If you are doing these while your squash cooks, you don't need to preheat the oven. If you aren't using the squash, then preheat your oven to 425. 
2. Add all of the ingredients in to a food processor. Process until well blended. Let them set for about 5 minutes to allow the mix to thicken.
3. Use a spoon to scoop out the mixture to make your meatballs.
4. Place on a well-greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake for about 8 minutes on each side in the 425 degree oven. 

You can serve it like I did for my son, topped with a bit of mozzarella. He loved it!

A KIND Review

Several years ago I fell in love with Kind bars. Since then, the company has launched new flavors and products. The company recently sent me some of their newer products to review. I have to admit, I was BLOWN AWAY! I also had to ration myself on how much I could eat in a day. Yes, they are THAT good.

I am used to thinking of Kind bars (and other snack bars) as being sweet and dessert-like. Kind decided to put a new twist on things and make a more savory line of bars. Their Kind Strong bars are flavor and nutritionally packed powerhouses. Between the Honey Smoked Barbecue, Honey Mustard, Roasted Jalapeno, Hickory Smoked, and Thai Sweet Chili bars, there are plenty of options for the savory lover out there. The flavors are honestly so intense, it's hard to even describe them. There was a perfect twist of slightly sweet, salty, and spice in each of the options. They are purely amazing. As far as nutrition goes, Kind put these in their Strong line. Strong bars from Kind are packed with 10g of protein and are made without whey, soy, gluten, or GMO's. They are "kind" to your body and your taste buds!

In true Kind fashion, they also sent some of their sweet options. My favorites include the Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds granola, and the Dark Chocolate Almond Mocha snack bar. The Dark Chocolate Almond Mocha snack bar made me completely melt. It felt like a guilty pleasure, especially paired with a large cup of black coffee.

How do you like to do Kind?

Here are some amazing options for changing up your routine with a little bit of Kind foods.

Maple-y Cluster Yogurt

Ingredients
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain
1/4 cup Kind Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds
1/4 cup berries (optional)

Directions
Scoop yogurt into a bowl. Top with Kind Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds, and other toppings as desired.

Dark Chocolate Almond Mocha Oats

Ingredients
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup of water
1 Kind Dark Chocolate Almond Mocha snack bar

Directions
Cook oats in almond milk and water, per package instructions. When the oats have cooked, allow them to cool for a few minutes (this will keep the chocolate from melting too much into the oats). Crunch up a Kind Dark Chocolate Almond Mocha bar, and sprinkle over top of the oats. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or espresso of your choosing.

Turbo Fire: Day 2

Today is day 2 with my Turbo Fire program. Before my work out, I had my morning weigh-in. Down 1.8 lb ALREADY! What? Yes, I'm sure. I weighed myself several times to make sure it wasn't a fluke and it wasn't my eyes playing tricks on me early in the morning. That was just the encouragement I needed for my workout today AND to follow through with clean eating.

Today's workout was HIIT 15, followed up with Stretch 10. HIIT 15 is a fast up and down workout. For 15 minutes, you give your all. It has your body burning fat at a higher rate than traditional aerobic workouts. The difference is when you push yourself in a HIIT workout, you're working at a higher intensity. When you give your all and push yourself, then your body is working at a anaerobic rate (as opposed to aerobic). After that, I was out of breath. WHOA! The 10 minutes of stretching was AMAZING for my body. It was such a treat.

My workout was followed up with my own speciality - a Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Frappucino. I have an insane love for Starbucks drinks. There is no Starbucks where I live, and it doesn't quite fit in to my healthy eating (aside from the occasional treat).

Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Frappucino

1 scoop vanilla protein shake mix
1 scoop chocolate protein shake mix
1 tb peanut butter
1 cup chilled coffee
1/2-1 cup unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
1/2-1 cup ice

Combine all of the ingredients in to your mixer. Blend. Pour. Enjoy.


Today's Workout
Turbo Fire: HIIT 15
Turbo Fire: Stretch 10

Today's Meals
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Frappucino
Snack: hardboiled eggs
Lunch: baked garlicky chicken and veggies
Dinner: Turkey Chili and a salad



Clearly, I am eating a lot of leftovers. :)

Black Bean Brownies

I came across a recipe for Black Bean Brownies a couple of weeks ago from Skinny Taste. I sent it on to my dad before I tried it. He's really got in to gluten free baking, and I thought he would enjoy them. He made them last week and they were AMAZING! The next day I made a batch to take to work. They are pretty easy to make. I don't have a regular blender, so I used the Magic Bullet. This was a bit harder to get out of the cup once it was all mixed.

I promise, these won't disappoint! No one could believe there were beans in it instead of flour - even the pickiest of eaters (the kiddo). These are completely gluten free and high in protein. Make these ASAP!

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 (14 oz) canned low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 3/4 cup sugar (I used Truvia Baking Blend instead)

• 1/2 teaspoon oil

• 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or dairy, skim)

• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground coffee or instant coffee (I just used regular grounds)

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Grease a nonstick 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
2. Blend the black beans, eggs, cocoa powder, sugar, oil, almond milk, balsamic, baking soda, baking powder and coffee in the blender until smooth and pour into a bowl. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips until combined.  Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly over the top of the brownies. 
3. Bake the brownies until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 to 32 minutes.  Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing them into squares.

Recipe from Skinny Taste.

Adventures in Bread Baking

My dad is probably one of the most precious human beings ever. I know I’m biased, but I am convinced it’s a fact. He’s makes a point to keep gluten free goodies in his house for us. Once he realized how expensive gluten free bread is, he made it a personal mission to try his hand at baking it himself. He now has magazines and cookbooks devoted to gluten free baking! He is not gluten free, but he’s worked hard to make gluten free versions of family recipes. Recently he handed me a bag full of assorted flours and my favorite gluten free bread recipes. As much as I love to bake, I've only made gluten free bread maybe a handful of times. Last night, I got the baking bug and decided to make a couple loaves. I also ended up making waffles, and more Blueberry Protein Muffins. Whew! Here are the 2 recipes from last night. Make sure you follow instructions (unlike me). J The corn-based loaf ended up being a bit denser than normal, because I didn’t add the ingredients in the proper order. It also cooked faster than I expected, so it’s darker than it should be.

Gluten Free Everyday Bread (corn-based)

Ingredients

•  ¼ cup applesauce, natural, unsweetened
• 1 TB Truvia Baking Blend
• 4 egg whites
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt, plain
• 2 cups corn starch (flour)
• 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp xanthan gum
• 1 TB apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil a medium-sized loaf pan.
2. Cream the applesauce and Truvia together in a bowl.
3. Add egg whites, beating until frothy.
4. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well.
5. Pour mixture into the loaf pan and baked for about 60 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown. You can check the doneness with a toothpick. It should come out clean. 

1

Gluten Free Everyday Bread (potato-based)

Ingredients

•  ¼ cup applesauce, natural, unsweetened
• 1 TB Truvia Baking Blend
• 4 egg whites
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt, plain
• 1 2/3 cups potato starch 
• 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 TB apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil a medium-sized loaf pan.
2. Cream the applesauce and Truvia together in a bowl.
3. Add egg whites, beating until frothy.
4. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well.
5. Pour mixture into the loaf pan and baked for about 60 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown. You can check the doneness with a toothpick. It should come out clean. 

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

I made this the other night and it just might feed an army! If you're not one that can eat leftovers for days, then you can freeze this for a quick meal later. I used what I had on hand, but you can improvise with fresh/cleaner ingredients by nixing the canned stuff.


Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cups, dry black beans
• 1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) corn, undrained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) tomatoes with peppers (Rotel or something similar)
• 1 package taco seasoning mix (I used McCormick's)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Suggested toppings: avocado, cheese, plain Greek yogurt, corn tortillas, hot sauce

Directions

1. Brown meat in a large sauce pan; rinse and drain.
2. Add meat and the remaining ingredients (except toppings) to a large slow cooker.
3. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, or on high heat for 3-4 hours.
4. Serve warm with any of the suggested toppings.

Nutrition (per serving)
Makes 12 servings.
Calories: 168
Fat: 3
Carbs: 24
Protein: 14
Sugars: 6
Fiber: 5

The nutrition info doesn't include any toppings. I added sliced avocado and hot sauce to mine, but the kiddo isn't a soup fan; so he enjoyed having cheese and tortilla slices in his. Greek yogurt is also a great, high protein and low fat alternative to sour cream.

Warming Up with Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

 If you're like 97% of the nation (sorry, Hawaii), then you're probably doing what you can to stay warm. That includes getting some warm food in your bellies! We have a windchill of -8 here... whoa! That's not something us southerners are used to, but we do know the perfect foods to help out.

Last night I cooked chicken and shrimp jambalaya. For an Irish girl taking a stab at some Cajun cooking, I'm quite pleased with the outcome. It was a Weight Watchers recipe that I found, but I ended tweaking it some to make it cleaner and to go with what I already had on hand. Man, oh man, jambalaya recipes can have an ingredient list a mile long! I tend to get overwhelmed, so I tried making it as simple as possible! The end result was delish. (Ah, sorry for the slang. I couldn't help myself!) If you prefer milder foods, then this one is a good call. I prefer spicier dishes, so I may add some more Cajun seasoning next time. I ended up adding hot sauce to my bowl for the extra kick.

I added the nutrition info below. You'll see it's chocked-full of protein (24g for only 1 cup), with healthy carbs from the tomatoes, peppers, and brown rice. It was super easy to make, too. My kiddo isn't a fan of shrimp, but he loved having the chicken in there. You can also add sausage for more protein. I prefer chicken sausage, but Andouille is a good choice if you're going for the full Cajun experience.

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 1 15 ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth,
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice, uncooked
• 8 ounces cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp
• 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

 

 

Directions

1. In a medium or large crockpot, combine celery, onion, tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and Cajun seasoning. Stir in chicken.

 

2. Cover and cook on low-heat for 5 to 6 hours (or on high-heat for 2-1/2 to 3 hours).

 

3. While the chicken mixture is cooking, prepare the brown rice according to the package instructions.

 

4. Add the cooked rice, shrimp, and pepper and cook for the last 20 minutes in the crockpot.

 

Nutritional Info (per 1 cup serving, makes 6 servings):

 

Calories: 209

Carbs: 25g

Fat: 2g

Fiber: 3g

Protein: 24g

Sugar: 4g

 

 

 

 

 

 

Udi's Gluten Free and Chocolate Mounds Recipe

If you are familiar with the gluten free lifestyle, then you are sure to recognize the name "Udi's." Udi's products are natural, without artificial flavors, colorings, preservatives, or other synthetic additives. They also have a wide assortment of gluten free goodies that are sure to fill your belly and soul.

Udi's graciously sent me a ton (seriously, see for yourself) of products to review. It was like Christmas morning when I saw the package on my doorstep. My son was even jumping around the house, because he saw some of his favorites in the box! Of course we had to sample a few things right out of the box! YUM!

I've long been a long-time fan of their products, but they sent me new items that I had never tried before. Goodness - I can't even pick a favorite! I still love the snickerdoodles, but their granola bars are simply amazing and my son finished off the cinnamon rolls. As a parent, my favorite part of it all was that they weren't laden with sugar. It can be difficult to find granola, muffins, cinnamon rolls, etc without all of the excess sugar. Udi's succeeded in making tasty goodies, without sending us in to a sugar coma. I had no qualms about letting my child enjoy the cinnamon rolls at breakfast. We have also found a new lunchtime option. The Ancient Grain Chips will be a staple in our house. These little things come in a few flavors (we got cheese), and are made with quinoa, flax, and other nutrient-dense ingredients.

I talked to one of the teachers I work with, whom is gluten free, about Udi's. She noted how much she loves their products and the fact she has a healthy option with Udi's, as she is dairy and gluten free! Then she steered me towards their Lemon Streussel Muffins, one of her top picks!

After receiving all of this gluten free goodness, I decided to tackle some family recipes using Udi's products. One of my favorite family recipes is called Chocolate Mounds. My grandmother made it for my dad and his family growing up, and I remember my dad making it for us when I was young. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... peanut butter + chocolate = a gift from God. My dad gave me the Chocolate Mounds recipe a while back. I looked over it recently and saw some quick changes I could make to the recipe to make it gluten free and a cleaner treat for the holidays. My changes included using Udi's Coconut Peanut Butter cookies - hello!

 I hope you enjoy this special treat! It is sure to be a holiday hit!

Chocolate Mounds

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup dates, chopped
• 1 tsp xylitol (only add if you prefer this to be sweeter)
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup Udi's Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies, crumbled
• 2 tb orange juice (or more as needed)
• 1 6-oz package chocolate chips (60% cacao chocolate is the best option)
• 1 tb coconut oil

Directions

1. Combine peanut butter, dates, xylitol, walnuts, Udi's Peanut Butter Coconut Cookies, and orange juice. 
2. Shape into walnut-size pieces. Tip: Roll between hands to shape.
3. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
4. In a double-boiler, melt 1 6-oz package of chocolate chips. Add coconut oil and melt.
5. Use a spoon and roll each cookie mixture in melted chocolate.
6. Place on wax paper to harden.
7. Enjoy!

Visit Udi's Gluten Free, find them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter!

The world of teacherdom

Teacherdom? Yes, I said "teacherdom." Is this really a word? I think not, but it works for me! Besides, it sounds less haute than saying, "academia." Who wants to read a blog post called, "The world of academia?"

Moving on...

When I became a teacher, there were a few surprises that just knocked me over the head. 

1. This is one of the hardest jobs I have ever done. Now, I wouldn't trade it for anything! I LOVE what I do and I love my kids. I was just stunned at how exhausted I was - especially in the beginning. 
2. I get along GREAT with 12-year-olds. I'm not quite sure what that one says about me... But I definitely find them quite entertaining, and I make them laugh... a lot. :)
3. Apparently there's a lot of gift-giving that goes on at Christmas. I was shocked when little gifts from my students started showing up on my desk. "Gift-giving" is one of my love languages, so this instantly filled my heart! To me, gift-giving doesn't have to be something big or ornate. I love cooking for people to show them I care. Sometimes just leaving someone a kind note, or letting them know you are thinking about them and praying for them can be an amazing gift to a person.

I'm going to share one of the gifts I received the other day from a family. I got the MOST amazing treat, and it was accompanied by a recipe! SCORE! These little things are INSANELY good! They definitely hit that sweet spot with the rich chocolate and almond butter. Oh, yeah. They are 100% clean, too. :)

Almond Power Bars

• 2 cups raw almonds
• 1/2 cup flax seed meal
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 scoops flavored whey protein powder
• 1/2 cup raw almond butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• Stevia or xylitol to taste
• 1 TB pure vanilla extract
• 8 squares Ghirardelli chocolate

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a food processor and pulse for about ten seconds.
2. Melt coconut oil, and add Xylitol and vanilla. Pour into the food processor while it is blending. 
3. Blend the mixture in to a course paste. 
4. Press mixture into an 8x8 in glass pan. Chill for one hour.
5. Melt chocolate and xylitol in a double boiler. 
6. Spread over the chilled almond mixture.
7. Cut into bars before placing the pan back into the refrigerator to chill.

Tips:

• Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
• Keep refrigerated.

Gluten Free, Clean Snickerdoodle Cookies

One of my favorite holiday treats is the Snickerdoodle cookie. It doesn't even have any peanut butter in it, but goodness gracious I love them! Maybe it's the cinnamon and subtle sweetness? I'm not sure, but the snickerdoodle is a bit of amazingness baked up in a delicious cookie. Enough said. :) We've been snowed in with the "winter storms" that are moving across the country. Suddenly, I got a craving for snickerdoodles. My son is a huge fan of the cookie, so I had my sous chef at my side! 

Gluten Free, Clean Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients

Cookie:

• 1⅓ cup oat flour
• 5 tsp truvia baking blend
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp  baking powder
• 2 tb coconut oil
• 1 tsp  vanilla
• 4-5 tb unsweetened vanilla almond milk 

Cinnamon/Sugar Coating:

• 4 tsp truvia or coconut sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together (oat flour, truvia, salt, and baking powder).
3. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, adding milk only as needed (I added about 4 tb). The batter should be moist, but not sticky.
4. Let the dough sit for a few minutes to allow the oats to absorb some of the moisture.
5. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together on a plate.
6. Spoon the dough and form each piece into a ball. There will be about 10 total.
7. Roll each ball in the cinnamon/sugar mix until lightly coated on all sides.
8. Place each ball on a cookie sheet. Use a spoon to flatten into a cookie shape.
9. Bake for 10 minutes and cool for five minutes on the baking sheet.

Thanksgiving Recipes

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Mine went relatively smooth. However, I did wake up panicked on Thursday morning because I realized I had forgot to set the turkey out to finish thawing. Thankfully (no pun intended), the turkey was able to thaw out in a few hours in cool water in the sink. If you recall, I had planned my "clean" Thanksgiving meal. I am excited to say it all turned out GREAT! Thanks to some other bloggers and my mom, I was able to provide an amazing dinner. Below are the recipes I used with my tweaks.

Clean Sweet Potato Casserole

Adapted from He and She Eat Clean

Ingredients:

• 5 large baked sweet potatoes
• 2/3 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/5 cup pecans

Directions:

To help with cooking time on Thanksgiving day, I did this part the night before.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash sweet potatoes and place on a cookie sheet ( I used a pyrex )

2. Once oven is heated, place sweet potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until sweet potatoes are soft. 

3. Remove sweet potatoes and baking sheet from the oven. Let cool and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Thanksgiving Day:

4. Remove the sweet potatoes from the refrigerator and let them warm to room temperature. If you are in a rush, then you can microwave them for about 1 minute.

5. Place the sweet potatoes in an electric mixer (I used my Kitchenaid Stand mixer). Add milk, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg to bowl. 

6. Mix for about 3-5 minutes, until all ingredients are combined and potatoes are fluffy.

7. Place the sweet potato mixture in a shallow ceramic dish (I used a Pyrex). Top with pecans.

8. Bake at 350 degrees farenheit for 10 - 15minutes, or until it is golden brown on top.

Clean Green Bean Casserole

Adapted from The Gracious Pantry 

Ingredients

Topping

• 2 slices clean, toasted bread (I used homemade gluten free)
• 1/4 cup roasted almonds (no sugar added)
• 1 tablespoon onion powder

Casserole

• 28 oz (2 bags) frozen green beans
• 2 cups Clean Eating Cream Of Mushroom Soup, warmed and thickened with: 2 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch

Directions 

 

1. Prepare Clean Eating Cream of Mushroom soup. (see below)
2. Cut bread in to manageable chunks.
3. Place bread, almonds and onion powder in to a food processor (I used the Magic Bullet).
4. Process (with Pulse) until the ingredients are mixed and have a rough crumb-like texture.
5. Set aside 
6. Place the frozen green beans in a large casserole dish and pour the soup on top. 
7. Sprinkle topping over the green beans. 
8. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the topping is golden. 
9. Cool and serve.

Clean Eating Cream of Mushroom Soup 

From the Gracious Pantry.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth 
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup gluten free, all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups unsweetened original almond milk

Directions:

1. Saute the mushrooms in the oil. Stir frequently.
2. When the liquid comes out of the mushrooms, add the balsamic vinegar. Then, add the flour,
3. Add the chicken broth to a pot. Add mushrooms to the pot and combine with the broth.
4. Add milk.
5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.
6. Allow to cool in the pot.

Clean Cranberry Sauce

Recipe adapted from The Gracious Pantry.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• Zest of one large orange
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a pot at medium high heat.
2. Cook for 30-45 minutes. When much of the liquid has gone, turn the head down to low. 
3. Stir frequently.
4. Serve and enjoy! 

Mom's Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Ingredients

• 3 stalks chopped celery
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter (the recipe called for a 1/2 cup, but I used less. I bet you could get away with 2 TB. I didn't want to change it too much for my dad. :) )
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 12 cups dry bread cubes (I used gluten free homemade bread)
• 2 cups chicken broth (if you like a drier stuffing, then you can use 1-1 1/4 cup)

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the butter. Cook the celery and onion in the melted butter until they are tender.
2. Remove the mixture from heat and stir in seasoning and pepper.
3. Add the bread cubes to a large bowl. Add the onion mixture to the bowl.
4. Drizzle chicken broth over the bread until it is moistened as desired. Toss lightly to coat.
5. Use this mixture to stuff the turkey and place any leftovers in a casserole for baking. Bake the unstuffed portion at 325 for 30-45 minutes. 

Mashed Potatoes

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Ingredients

• 3 large potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tb butter
• 1/4 cup skim milk or unsweetened, original almond milk

Directions

1. Cut potatoes in to quarters and place in a pot of water. Add salt and boil for 20-25 minutes, or until tender.
2. Place cooked potatoes in a bowl and mash with a potato masher or whip with an electric mixture. Add butter and milk.
3. Continue beating until potatoes are light and fluffy. Serve.

Tofu Chili with Sweet Potatoes

Today, I decided to put on a big pot of chili. I love chili. It's so great for when it's cold outside, it's quick to put together, and it's something we can eat on for days. Since I had a block of extra firm tofu in the fridge, I decided to make tofu chili. I loosely follow this recipe. Here is my version.

 

Ingredients

• 2 packet chili seasoning (I used Williams Original Chili Seasoning, No Salt Added. It's gluten free)
• 1 package extra firm tofu, patted dry (I used Kroger's Simple Truth brand)
• 1 tsp Olive Oil (I used olive oil in my Misto)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 8 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
• 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. In a bowl, add chili seasoning. Crumble tofu into bowl and stir until coated. Set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. 
3. Sauté garlic, onion, and carrot for five minutes. 
4. Add pepper and sweet potato and sauté for five minutes. 
5. Add the tofu and cook for five minutes.
6. Add tomato sauce and paste, and beans. 
7. Bring  mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low for 45 minutes. Season to taste.

Serves 8

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories: 158

Carbs: 22

Fat: 4

Protein: 11

Fiber: 6

Sugar: 8

My Holiday POA (Plan of Action)

I must admit it. I love Christmas. I love Christmas SO much that my tree trees (ok yes, I have 2) were up the weekend after Halloween. My family thinks I'm nuts, but I just love it so much! But what I don't love about Christmas (and Thanksgiving) is knowing I have to battle so many temptations. I'm talking to YOU pumpkin fudge! Yes, I know a lot of these treats aren't clean foods but if you recall I stick by the 80/20 rule. Eat clean 80% of the time. I don't believe in setting yourself up for failure thinking you can eating "perfectly" 100% of the time. It's like pulling a rubber band back as far as it can go and finally you catapult yourself back. All of the emotions of "failure" come with it. If you're like me, then the emotions fuel your food choices.

All of that being said, I've been looking ahead at my plan of action (POA) for the holidays. Last year I successfully cooked a gluten free, healthy Thanksgiving meal. This year I plan to tackle the sweets and treats (especially at school). I'm SO excited that Shakeology not only has recipes for shakes, but also for legit treats and desserts. HEALTHY desserts. Here's one that I'm excited to try:

Gooey Shakeology Oatmeal Bar

4 servings Chocolate Shakeology
3 cups dry oatmeal
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 dash cinnamon
1 cup nonfat milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond)
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup natural peanut butter

Mix all dry ingredients together, then add nonfat milk and vanilla to blend flavors. Add peanut butter and mix together really well with hands. After it's all mixed, put mixture in an 8" x 8" pan. Place plastic wrap or wax paper on top of mixture and push evenly into pan to flatten. Refrigerate for 3 hours, then cut into squares. (Makes 9 bars.)Calories: 264

I know nothing beats eating whole foods, but we can't possibly get the mounds of nutrition our body needs by eating the foods. Aside from the amount of food with the right nutrients to fuel our bodies, we also have to take in to account the cost. I love organic foods and I love knowing I'm not putting my liver into overdrive by adding chemicals to my body. But, my wallet may not always agree. I love grocery shopping - I could easily empty my bank account at Whole Foods. Sad, but true. For info on my shopping on a budget tips, read my Living It Up: Coupon Cutter Style post.

What foods can you eat to match Shakeology's nutrient dense shake?

(USDA recommended 5-9 servings of fruit and veggies a day)

To get the nutrtional value of 1 serving of Shakeology, you would need to eat the following:

• 1 bowl of exotic fruit (like goji berries and acai)
• 4 cups raw broccoli
• 7 whole carrots
• 10 cups raw cauliflower
• 3 cups romaine lettuce
• 4 cups uncooked mushrooms
• 3 raw onions
• 4 red radishes
• 1 cup of peas
• 4 cups nonfat yogurt
• 1 shot wheat grass

Wow! If you're interested in trying Shakeology, or would like help getting your own POA ready to tackle the holidays then don't hesitate to contact me! Visit my Team Beach Body Coach page to sign up for a free membership. This makes me your official coach, and you'll have access to loads of information and tools.

Weekend Top 10

This weekend has FLOWN by, but it was a great one.

1. On friday, I ordered a new coffee maker. My Keurig was leaking all over the counter. So enter the Tassimo T20. I don't have it yet, but I'm excited!

2. I went for an oil change on Saturday. Once it was done the lady said, "no charge today." What, what!? Apparently since it was my first oil change (yes, I got my car in May - tsk tsk) it was free.

3. A Whole Foods trip = freshly ground almond butter! No explanation needed on this one. :)

4. I just about made my son's whole year with sharing a post from He and She Eat Clean. His favorite candies are sour gummies. They just posted a recipe for CLEAN candy. We will be making the "Sweet but Tart Gummies" soon!

5. I also made Jamie Eason's Chocolate Protein Bars. YUM! They are just like brownies, but clean :)

Jamie Eason's Chocolate Protein Bars

 

Ingredients
1 cup oat flour

4 egg whites

2 scoops of vanilla protein powder

1/3 cup (or less) Stevia in the Raw

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz berry flavored baby food

3 tbsp baking cocoa

4 oz water

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the following together in a large bowl:

- Oat Flour

- Protein Powder

- Baking Soda

- Salt

- Baking Cocoa

3. Mix the following together in a small bowl:

- Egg Whites

- Stevia in the Raw

- Baby Food

- Water

4. Combine the ingredients from the small bowl into the large bowl and mix together.

5. Spray 8X8 dish with non-stick spray & add batter to the dish.

6. Bake for 20-30 minutes in oven.

Thanks to He And She Eat Clean and Jamie Eason for the recipe!

6. I don't ussually dress up for halloween, because of the limited number of costumes for women that doesn't involve one of the 3 B's from hanging out. But, I found the CUTEST DIY scarecrow costume on Pinterest the other day. 

7. It's official - as soon as Halloween is over, the Christmas decorations are going up. That's just how we roll.

8. I have a slight interest in fitness modeling/competitions. I don't want to be big or anything, but I've pretty much decided Jamie Eason's is my fit-spiration.

9. My Vegan Chocolate Shakeology came in yesterday, and I'm probably the happiest girl in the world. Gluten free, vegan, and the healthiest meal of my day. Click on the link above or the picture below to get yours directly from me.



 

 

10. Sunday night is "Once Upon a Time" night. If you haven't caught this show - you need to! I love it because it's great (of course), but also its a primetime show that the WHOLE family can watch together. 

Life Lessons

As I was perusing Pinterest, I saw this..

 

It really resonated with me this week. Weary, I am. Rest, I need and crave! You know how I was complaining about being so tired? Well, apparently I was getting sick. (Can I blame the time change for that, too?) Yesterday, I was barely able to drag my butt out of bed for a shower, let alone to work out! So, last night I decided I would get my fitness on! TurboFire - Fire 60, sounds like a good place, right? HOLY MOLY! I officially decided that Chalene Johnson is a former dancer (I don't know her background at all). At one point I was thinking, "I was cheerleader. Pssh... I've got this!" Wrong, Erin. You're oh so wrong.

Legs were flailing, arms were flying (waving them in the air like I just don't care) Sorry, I had to say that. :) After 40 minutes, I decided to stop. I was so tired, I simply didn't have it in me to keep up. My hair was soaking wet, which was good and I was satisfied with that! 

Life Lesson #1: I have to remind myself, rest days are just important to my health as my workout days. This is even MORE true when you are sick. 

Life Lesson #2 (totally unrelated to the above topic): Denial is never a good thing. Don't test your limits to see what you can get away with. Sounds dangerous, right? Well, I guess it was if you consider a nice warm bowl of oat goodness to be dangerous! When I was doing our grocery shopping over the weekend, my inner bargain shopper overtook my gluten free senses.

 $1.24 for old fashioned oats vs. $5 (and some change) for a bag of gluten free rolled oats

You're right, the $1.24 bag won this round. "Oats are gluten free," I told myself. "What are the chances they are contaminated," I asked myself in a deniable fashion. "Do I really need to spend $4 more for oats to be gluten free? It will be just fine." I was wrong on each and every level. The aforementioned $1.24 oats have now been bequeathed to a friend. Enough said. So, I imagine I will feast on breakfast quinoa until I have gluten free oats back in my cupboard.

 

TurboFire - Core 20

Again, I woke up late. I was just barely able to get a 20 minute workout in. But let me tell you, this workout packs a HUGE punch. You better believe if they are making a 20-30 minute workout, they will make each and every move count. "I think I can, I think I can." And I did, for the most part.

Breakfast

Chunky Monkey Peanut Buttery Oatmeal

1/2 Cup of Oatmeal, topped with the following
1 TB Peanut Butter, natural
1/2 Banana
1/2 TB 60% Cacao chips
1 TB Ground flax seed

 

 Hot, black coffee to sip on (YEAH!)

Lunch

Arbonne Chocolate Protein Shake 

Mixed with

Arbonne Fiber Boost

2TB PB2

Dinner

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie from PB Fingers ( I have to try this sucker out!)

Snack

Arbonne Fruit Nutrition Snack Bar

 

Don't forget the Zevia giveaway!