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Whatcha Eatin’ Wednesday

FREE Salad (& Dressing ) Recipes!

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Oh. Em. Gee! This dressing is MONEY! I’m looking all over my house for things to put it on! Celery, carrots, spoons, bowls! I don’t buy dressing of any kind anymore, I just find it so much easier and healthier to make my own. Not to mention the artistic freedom I have, creating works of salad-topping art! Typically, I work in oils and vinegars…until my latest discovery…

Creamy Avocado “Ranch” Dressing!

avocado_ranch

*This recipe was inspired by a dressing recipe from “The 21 Day Fix”. I just had to tweak a few amounts and ingredients for my taste!
 
 

WHAT IS THE 21 DAY FIX?!

 Ingredients

  • 1 medium avocado (cut into chunks)
  • 1 C. non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 4 T. finely chopped herbs (I used dill, chives and parsley)
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 C. low-fat buttermilk (more to adjust consistency if desired)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (lots of pepper for me!)
  • 1/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Place avocado, yogurt, herbs, lemon juice, buttermilk, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender; cover (duh!). Blend until smooth.
  2. Continue blending avocado mixture, slowly adding oil until well-blended. *Use more buttermilk if you prefer a thinner consistency.
  3. Store in the frig, tightly covered, until ready for use. I filled a pint Ball jar to the top!

*This is tasty on salads, but also a great dip for raw veggies – and spoons! 😉

Best News: There are only 34 calories in 1 Tablespoon of this dressing…so go ahead and have 2!

Bestest News!: All of the ingredients are SUPER clean and healthy. I bet you can pronounce EVERY one of them! Well…”herbs” can be a little tricky. The “H” is silent! 😉

Unlike THIS chemical ____ storm ingredient list! YIKES! What the heck is disodium inosinate? My spell-checker doesn’t even recognize those as words, let alone FOOD! Blech!

HVR_OrgLht_8oz_71100-00576

EAT REAL FOOD!!! 

What’s on SALE this month?!

 

 

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Time for a GIVEAWAY!

Giveaway

Who doesn’t love a giveaway? I’m excited to share 3 flavor samples: (chocolate, strawberry and vanilla)

plus a handy shaker cup with 2 lucky winners!

Just enter below to win!

You have until midnight on Sunday to enter. Winners will be announced on Tuesday.

*Offer not available to coaches, or anyone working with another coach.

So, IF you’re not a coach, and don’t currently have a coach, you’re eligible to win! 🙂

Just click the link below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Yes YOU!

21 Days, COMPLETE fitness and nutrition plan, AMAZING results!

*UPDATE: Limited Supply! Base kits have sold out until the end of March! Challenge Packs still available…read below!

Now there’s a program that makes losing weight so simple and easy to follow, you’ll never have to diet again! Counting calories and points can be a PAIN! You won’t need to do any counting with this program! And the workouts are just 30 minutes/day! Everyone can find 30 minutes!

Watch this video:

What about results?

21Results-Collage

Order HERE!

 

What is the 21-Day Fix?

A total body reset with ‘normal foods’! 🙂 The 21 Day Fix was designed to be tough and effective. But it’s also a program that takes the guesswork out of weight loss. It’s a unique portion-control system combined with easy-to-follow workouts that fit into anyone’s busy schedule.

The program’s trainer, Autumn Calabrese, has designed a plan that is the key focal point in this 21  day program. As you may know already, the Beachbody Ultimate Reset is a power 21-day total body cleanse that will give you insane results! However, the menu and foods can be quite intense and over-whelming. Well…good news. Autumn took the 21-Day Reset philosophy and broke it down using more traditional foods and meal planning. Also, unlike the Ultimate Reset, you are still able to workout with the 21 Day Fix! YAY!

The Meal Plan

When you purchase the 21 Day Fix, you will get portion-controlled containers to measure all of your food. Furthermore, Autumn outlines everything so you don’t have to do any kind of counting. If it fits into the container, you can eat it! Just fix, go and eat! What I like about the program is that she realizes that the ideals behind the program are not short-term. This has to work in real life! So she allows you to have things like chocolate and wine! You will develop behaviors during the 21 days that will become habits that will turn into a healthy lifestyle! Anyone can do this program! And you can do it again and again. As long as you want results, or whenever you need a short re-boot, this is your go-to program!

 

The Workouts

The program consists of 7 different workouts. Each workout lasts just 30 minutes and they are mixed up over the 3 weeks. The workouts can be done anywhere with very little equipment. Many of the moves are done with just body-weight. You’ll want a couple of hand-weights, and that’s about it. You’ll do a little of everything: yoga, pilates, strength-training, plyometrics, etc! The workouts are basic enough for beginners and challenging enough for more advanced users.

 

Test Groups

Initial test group participants, with people who stuck with the program, lost up to 10-15 pounds! And the weight loss won’t come from starving or depriving yourself! You’ll eat healthy, balanced meals, with plenty of calories. This is Beachbody’s first program to place equal emphasis on the nutrition AND fitness components…together!

I have a test group slated to start February 17! There’s still time to get your program and join the group for support, accountability and motivation! As of yesterday, base kits have sold out and are expected to begin shipping again at the end of March. BUT, challenge packs (with Shakeology) are ON SALE in February only, and still available for $140, which is like getting the program for $11! And you can order yours HERE!

To sign up for the Test Group, please provide your information below.

 

 

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Let the Cleaning Begin!

I’ve got some cleaning to do! Wrapping paper, boxes, and my belly!

If you’re like me, you had a great holiday with your family and loved ones. And maybe that included eating some foods that you don’t normally eat…or more of them than you normally do. Either way, you may have that bloated, full of regret feeling today. I know my husband is regretting the 3 1/2 cinnamon rolls, box of chocolates and the countless cookies and other goodies he enjoyed yesterday, and is moaning about today!

He wasn’t alone, I did my share of tasting this week too! 🙂 I can avoid sweets and treats pretty well, cause I don’t really like them much. But the french bread, pasta and various dips and snacks sure tasted good!

So today is a new day, and I am definitely feeling it!

So, I started the day with a good old-fashioned detox smoothie! Detox_smoothie

Ingredients

  • kale
  • spinach
  • green apple
  • blue berries
  • strawberries
  • pineapple
  • 1 C. water
  • 1/2 C. ice

BLEND! (I have a Blendtec, so I keep the peels on the apples and throw the kale in – stems and all!)

You might find this surprising, but it was actually quite tasty! Plus, it just tastes clean and healthy! It was JUST what I needed this morning. I’m sure I’ll be enjoying this several more times this week, and whenever I’ve had a little TOO much fun.

 

Of course nutrition is KEY! But add daily workouts, support and accountability and you have the perfect recipe for SUCCESS!

Check out my upcoming groups if you have some health & fitness goals, and you’d like some help and support to reach them.

CURRENT GROUPS

What’s on SALE this month?

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win, win, WIN!

holidayTis the season, eh! Already?! Seriously I swear it was JUST summer! But last night we had our first snow of the season! And you know what’s coming right? FOOD! Tis the season for sweets, treats and stuffing ourselves for the holidays!

Most people will gain weight over the holidays, and what’s worse is that MOST of those people will never lose the weight they gained over the next 2 months. The pounds will just keep adding up. You can promise yourself that you’ll lose it after the New Year; that’s what resolutions are for, right? But most people don’t follow through with their resolutions, and those extra pounds will be yours to keep. Bummer right?!

Well it doesn’t have to be that way. The best way to ensure that you don’t put extra weight on over the holidays is to get on track NOW and stay there! That doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the holidays and the occasional treats that come with them. But you don’t need to go on a 2 month, over-eating BENDER to enjoy yourself! The holidays can quickly turn into the season of regrets if you don’t make up your mind to do it differently this year.

Make this a season of giving, and include yourself! Give yourself the gift of health and happiness; of satisfaction and pride! Invest in yourself, and make this a holiday season you’ll feel GREAT about! My next challenge group starts the Monday after Thanksgiving. We’ll be working out, focusing on good, clean nutrition and keeping each other accountable during this challenging time of year.

And just in time for the holidays, Beachbody is giving back! When you purchase a Challenge Pack – a new fitness program PLUS Shakeology (at a discounted bundled price) – you will receive a $20 coupon! Additionally, Beachbody will make a $20 donation to Feeding America, a hunger-relief charity, on your behalf! Just $1 donated equals 9 meals for families, individuals and children who go hungry this time of year. So there you have it…win, win, WIN! You get $20, families in need get real help, and you get FIT and healthy for holidays!

So, if you’re ready to start now, instead of waiting until you’ve put on even more unwanted pounds, then fill out this APPLICATION so that I can help you get started!

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Friday Frittata!

frittataThis has turned into a recipe blog! I’ve been doing lots of cooking lately, and luckily…most of it…I LIKE! 🙂 I can never stick to any one recipe, which is how I come up with many of my own. I usually combine things I like from multiple recipes, and just hope for the best.

Today I was in the mood for eggs. But not just eggs…FANCY eggs! It seemed like a good day for a frittata! I have LOTS of different farm veggies and I’m always looking for new and different ways to use them. I’ve been thinking all week that I needed to something with all of these potatoes that I have in my pantry right now! I’m not usually a big potato eater these days…but everything in moderation. AND waste not want not, and all that!

For this recipe though, you surely wouldn’t HAVE to use potatoes…you could use anything! Broccoli would be good, or peppers, asparagus, etc…all maybe all of the above? What’s in your fridge/pantry? Get creative! 🙂 And the great thing about a frittata is that you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner…whatever! You can eat it cold, warm it up…whatever! You can add meat, keep it vegetarian…whatever! *I should have called this the Friday Whatever Frittata! Enjoy!

Spinach & Potato Frittata

4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 3 smallish potatoes (red, white, whatever!) quartered and thinly sliced.
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1 roma tomato – diced
    Super excited, Costco carries these now!
    Super excited, Costco carries these now!

    frittata_stuff (3)

  • 2 T. onion- diced (whatever variety you like)
  • 1 clove garlic – minced
  • 1 t. basil (dried is fine)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 egg-whites (or the equivalent)
  • 1/3 C. milk

Directions

    1. Heat olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes in the skillet and cook about 7-10 minutes, until tender but firm. Mix in spinach, onions, tomatoes basil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted.
    2. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, whites and milk. Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until eggs are firm. *You can tilt the pan every so often to make sure that the eggs on top are getting cooked-through.frittata_stuff (2)

 

Nutritional Information

per serving

Calories: 202

Protein: 12 grams

Carbohydrates: 22 grams

 

 

 

 

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Pumpkin Turkey Chili

My kids looked into the pot and declared: “Mom…it looks like dog poop!” But I assure you, it tasted delicious! So fall-y and pumpkin-y…perfect for a chilly weekend, or anytime you want your kids to compliment your culinary skills! :/

Pumpkin Turkey Chilipumpkin_turkey_chili

Ingredients:

  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 onion – diced
  • 2 bell peppers – chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves – minced
  • 1-1.25 pounds lean ground turkey
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz. cans)
  • 1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz.)
  • 1 1/2 C. broth (veggie or chicken) – separated
  • 1 can black beans
  • 3 T. chili powder
  • 1 t. paprika
  • 3/4 t. cumin
  • 1/4 t. chipotle chili powder (or cayenne)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot/dutch oven. Add onions, garlic and peppers. Cook until onions become translucent (about 4-5 minutes), add ground turkey and cook until evenly browned. Drain excess fat (if any). Add tomatoes, pumpkin and 1 C. of the broth (reserve the rest to adjust the consistency as desired).  Add spices, salt and pepper. Simmer over low-medium heat for apx. 20 minutes using the extra broth as needed.

Nutrition Facts

Calories – 176, Protein – 17 g., Carbohydrates – 16 g.

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Pumpkin Granola

pumpkin granola

I was busy in my kitchen yesterday! Sometimes, I just get in the mood to put on an apron and go to town! I made whole wheat grandmas_apronpizza dough for family pizza night and while the dough was rising, I decided to make some homemade pumpkin granola. It turned out REALLY well, and even the kids give it a thumbs up! You can just pour a little milk on it and eat it like you would cereal, or you can sprinkle some on top of your Greek yogurt, maybe add some fresh fruit? I enjoyed popping it into my mouth by the handful – just making sure it was edible…you know! It’s just part of the job. 🙂

Pumpkin Granola

makes 25 servings

Ingredients:

  • 5 C. old-fashioned oats
  • 3/4 C. quinoa
  • 1 t. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 t. cinnamon
  • 1/4 t. nutmeg
  • 3/4 t. sea salt
  • 1/4 C. honey
  • 1/2 C. pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 C. applesauce
  • 1/2 C. 100% pure maple syrup
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 3/4 C. dried cranberries (or any combo of dried fruits)
  • 1/2 C. pepitas (or any combo of chopped nuts/seeds)

Directions:granola_pan

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine oats, quinoa, spices and salt. Mix well.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, pumpkin, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and toss together until evenly coated. Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan and stir the mixture. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven. Stir in the cranberries and pepitas. Let the mixture cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

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Nutrition

Per 1/3 C. serving

140 calories, 4 g. protein, 26 g. carbs

 

 

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Stuffed Pepper Soup

3-peppersI’m still getting a zillion peppers from our CSA farm and trying to come up with different ways to use them ALL!

Step 1 – Share some with my neighbor!

Step 2 – Search the internet for recipes to start with and then change to match the contents of my fridge and pantry! Which brings us to last week’s creation:

Stuffed Pepper Soup – with lean ground turkey and quinoa (or brown rice)

Ingredients:stuffed_pepper_soup
  • 3 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 – 1.25 pounds of lean ground turkey
  • 3 bell peppers (any color will do!) – chopped
  • 1 med. onion – diced
  • 3 cloves garlic – minced
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz.)
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 2-3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 T. chili powder
  • 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 t. marjoram
  • salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions:

In a large pot, over medium heat, add olive oil, onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent (about 2-3 minutes). Add turkey and cook through. Drain fat, if any. Add peppers and cook about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, 2 cups of chicken broth, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, marjoram, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, adjusting consistency with reserved 1 C. of broth as needed.  Serve with 1/2 cup of quinoa or brown rice.

Makes about 8 servings

Nutritional Information:
  • WITH quinoa/rice – 241 calories, 17 g. protein, 32 g. carbs
  • without quinoa – 131 calories, 13 g. protein, 12 g. carbs

21 Day Fix containers: 1 red 1 yellow 1 green

 

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It’s All About TIME!

News from Beachbody today! Two new programs are on the horizon! The theme is time! We have less and less time these days, and the number 1 reason people give for not getting in shape is “no TIME!”. Well that excuse is no longer valid!

First up is my old boyfriend Tony Horton with P90X3!!!

P90X3 is billed as the Accelerated Workout. That means you will get maximum results in the minimum time. The original P90X is incredibly effective and has worked for 1000′s of people, including ME, but there has been a lot of research and studies done in the last ten years which have resulted in new, refined training techniques that are more effective at getting the results you are looking for in the shortest amount of time. The program will consist of TWENTY different workouts, 30 minutes each! Expected to be available December 10!

Check out this video for a preview of what you can expect!

P90X3-play

Want to be among the first to find out the minute it is available to order? P90X3 will be only be available through Beachbody Coaches like me for the first phase of the launch. It’s likely going to be in HIGH demand! I’ll alert you the moment the new X is ready for us to order if you provide your name and email address below!

 

Next up! There is a brand new trainer coming to Beachbody!

Introducing AUTUMN CALABRESE! – Celebrity fitness trainer and national-level bikini competitor.

21-day-fix

What is 21 Day Fix?

The 21 Day Fix program takes the guesswork out of weight loss. It’s a unique portion-control system combined with easy-to-follow workouts that fit into anyone’s busy schedule. Trainer Autumn Calabrese shares her passion for food and fitness as she shows you how to make simple choices that add up to life-changing results. Test group results were AMAZING!  Expected to be available in February 2014, just in time work on your New Year’s Resolutions!

As I mentioned above, coaches and their customers will be the first to be able to order! So provide email below, and I’ll let you know the SECOND you can order! 🙂

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I’m super excited about BOTH of these! 🙂 Add them to Shaun T’s Focus T25, which is already getting people fitter than they’ve ever been in a lot LESS time, and Beachbody is ending the trend of obesity…. quicker than ever! 🙂

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