Cleaner Brownie Recipe

I always love to make brownies. It was something I sued to make for the girls about once a month as a special treat. My favorite recipe was from Hershey's. This recipe used a stick of butter and a cup of sugar. I decided that there had to be a better way to make these.

 So the first thing I wanted to replace was the butter. I recently bought some coconut oil from Sams Club. I decided that chocolate and coconut go well together. Instead of 1/2 cup of butter I swapped out 1/2 cup of coconut oil.

Then I wanted to substitute something for the sugar. I decided to use honey. I used 3/4 cup of honey instead of 1 cup of sugar.

Finally I substituted whole wheat flour for regular flour and omitted the baking powder and salt all together.

Here is the final recipe:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's special dark)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Place coconut oil in a small sauce pan and melt over low to medium heat until it is a liquid.
3. Mix oil, honey and vanilla
4. Cool a little and then add eggs. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.
5. Add cocoa powder and whole wheat flour and stir until well blended.
6. Spray an 8x8 glass baking dish
7. Pour batter into the baking dish
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

The kids absolutely loved these. I served them at a play date meeting yesterday morning and everyone loved them. I then made a second batch for A's preschool snack tomorrow.

If you are on the 21 Day Fix this would count for one of your treat yellows. You'd cut the pan into 9 pieces and one would be a yellow. They are so yummy and worth it to me as a treat.

I hope you enjoy these as much as my family did.

Coffee Rub

Tonight I really wanted to try something new and decided to make a coffee rub for our pork chops. I had found a store bought one that Weber makes but the first two ingredients were sugar and salt so I decided to try and modify it so that it was better for us.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Coffee (I used the Tim Hortons we had but I'm sure you can use any.)
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Sea Salt

Direction:
Mix together and rub on your favorite meat. Cook meat as directed and enjoy.

This is such a good rub. The girls love it. I hope you have a great day.

Tortilla Soup

I love making crock pot meal and trying new things. The other day I tried to clean up my Tortilla Soup recipe. I had enough that we put some in the freezer and I had it yesterday evening to help everyone get better.

Ingredients:
2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast cubed
2 cans Olives drained (make sure low sodium)
1 can Diced Tomatoes drained
1 can Diced Tomatoes
2 Sweet Peppers (I used an orange and a red)
2 Small Sweet Onions
1 Small Package Frozen Corn
4 cups Chicken Broth
1 small can green chilies
1Tbsp. Cumin
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Cilantro

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a large crock pot
2. Cook on low 6-8 hours

You can serve this with a small dollop of Greek Yogurt. You can also serve it with whole wheat tortillas. It is so yummy and definitely comfort food.

Beachbody on Demand

I'm so excited for Beachbody's newest workout program option to be launched on Monday. Are you the type who has workout ADD? It seems like you always want to do more than one program. Maybe on Monday you want to do the 21 Day Fix and then on Tuesday you think you want to do Piyo. On Wednesday you want to do P90X2. Now you can.

Starting Monday with the purchase of your club membership you will get access to Beachbody on Demand. This will allow you to stream workouts where ever you are right on your computer. Do you like taking your workout to the gym? Well no you can. Travel a lot? No problem all different types of workouts are available right at a few clicks of a button. Plus you'll get all the digital versions of the program guides and workout calendars so you can start seeing results today.


The best part bout it is that for the month of March you can get Beachbody on Demand and one month of Shakeology on sale as a Challenge Pack. This will allow you to jump start your fitness goals. This gives you access to the club membership tools and Beachbody on demand for three months. After three months you'd pay the quarterly fee to continue having access to these features.

With the Club membership you have access to a customizable meal planner. You also get access to trainer tips. videos, VIP chat rooms, recipes, nutrition tools and blogs. Now it will include Beachbody on Demand too. To keep it fresh the workouts will be updated monthly. You'll never run out of options.

Now you may be wondering what workouts are included. At launch there will be:

• P90X base and deluxe kits
• P90X2 base and deluxe kits
• P90X3 Base and Deluxe Kids
• P90X one on one volume 1
• Insanity Base and Deluxe Kits
• Insanity:  The Asylum Volume 1
• Turbofire
• Brazil Butt Lift Base and Deluxe Kits
• ChaLean Extreme
• 10 Minute Trainer
• Hip Hop Abs

Also included is a one workout "sneak peak" from some of the newer programs:

• 21 Day Fix Total Body Cardio Fix
• 21 Day Fix Extreme Plyo Fix Extreme
• Piyo sweat
• Focus T25 Alpha Cardio
• Insanity Max 30 Sweat Intervals
• Body Beast Build Chest and Tris
• P90 Sculpt

Does this sound like something you may be interested in? I have a challenge group starting preseason on Monday March 2nd. We will start workouts on Monday March 9th. This would be a perfect option for this group. This will be a 30 day group. You pick the workout (I can help you with this). You commit to replacing one meal a day with Shakeology. I teach you portion control, give you meal plans, recipes, tips and help you in your journey. Together we can get your body ready for Spring and warmer weather clothes. Sounds awesome Right?

I'm looking forward to helping you reach you workout goals. Either send me an email pittdrum98@gmail.com or fill out the contact form on my blog and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Let's get started today!  

Roasted Carrots

This morning I decided to try something new for my MOPS meeting and decided to make Roasted Carrots. I usually roast broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts but have never tried carrots. I really needed something quick and easy as I didn't have much time. I also didn't have many options and we had two bags of carrots so I knew I needed to do something with them. The ladies at my table loved them.

Ingredients:
6 cups Baby Carrots
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Honey
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tsp. Parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Mix Olive Oil, Honey and spices together in a small bowl.
3. Coat the carrots in the oil, honey, spice mixture.
4. Place on a cookie sheet. Make sure there are none overlapping.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.

If you are on the 21 Day Fix and eat one cup of these they count for one green container and one tsp. I hope you enjoy these as much as my MOPS ladies did. Have a blessed day!

Sausage Spinach Soup Recipe

 I have been absolutely obsessed with my crock pot lately. I love how easy it is to throw everything in it, turn it on and walk away. Then come back in a few hours later and have a delicious nutritious meal to feed my family. I love leaving and then coming home to the smell of a home cooked meal. This was a new creation for me. I really was hungry for sausage and spinach turnovers but didn't want to ruin my clean eating with all the dough and cheese required to make them so I decided to make something up.

 Ingredients:

2 lbs. sausage
1 bunch leeks (about 3 good sized)
1 family pack peeled and cubed butternut squash
3 cloves garlic
2 small packages sliced mushroom
2 frozen bags of spinach (you could probably substitute kale here but I didn't have any in the fridge)
4 -8 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp. Poultry seasoning

Directions:

1. Brown sausage in a medium sauce pan with garlic and spices
2. Add leeks and mushrooms to the sausage and cook until leeks are translucent and mushrooms are cooked down
3. Put this mixture into the crock pot.
4. Add the frozen spinach and butternut squash.
5.  Add the chicken broth. Put enough to cover everything you have in the crock pot.
6. Cook 4-6 hours on low.
7. Enjoy!

This made enough that we had it for dinner one night and then I froze the rest for when the baby comes. I'm excited to defrost the leftovers and have it again. Hope everyone has a blessed day.

Party Time Suggestions

So with both of our birthdays and the Super Bowl coming up I thought a post about parties was about due. Most of us tend to overindulge at parties. It is so easy to do as many party foods aren't the healthiest (pizza, dips, wings, cake, ice cream, the list goes on and on). It is also easy to say to ourselves it is only one day and it won't hurt anything. But we need a plan before we walk into any party. We also need to remember that we want to be smart about our choices.

My first tip for navigating a party is to pre-eat. By pre-eating you won't be hungry enough to  eat the not so good choices. You will be full and then you can make choices based on hunger level and not just emotional cues. You are also less likely to snack as you just aren't hungry.

My second tip is to offer to being something healthy. Offer the hostess to bring a vegetable or fruit tray. Offer to bring a clean dessert. By doing this you are ensuring that one thing on the table you'll be able to eat.

 

Next stay away from the food table. Try to enjoy conversations. Try to stay away from the food table by standing in the other room and enjoying people rather than food. Most people will stand near the food table and unconsciously eat and eat and eat. Just say no and walk away.

 

Know how many calories are in things. Know someone is serving Papa Johns Supreme Pizza for the main course. Go to their website and look up how many calories are in one slice. Look on apps like My Fitness Pal or Lose It to see how much that handle full of chips is going to cost you. I'm not saying you shouldn't eat anything but be smart about it. Don’t eat your entire days' worth of calories in that one sitting.

 

Do you really want cake? If the answer is yes maybe you skip everything else and reward yourself with a small piece of cake. Pick the one cheat you feel you cannot live without that day and don't cheat anywhere else. Eat healthy and then treat yourself with the one must have item.

 

Exercise. Make sure on days you overindulge you get a workout in. Don't skip the workout. You'll feel better for having worked out and you will also be working off the extra calories consumed.

Always remember that weight loss is 80 % nutrition and 20 % exercise. You can exercise for hours and hours on end but without fueling your body properly you'll never be able to lose the weight or get the Abs you want. Abs are truly made in the kitchen.

I hope these party tips help you. I'm hoping to get some healthy snack recipes up here tomorrow before the Super Bowl and the baby arrive. Hope everyone has a blessed day.

21 Day Fix Extreme

I'm so excited to announce the newest program from Beachbody that is scheduled to be release on February 2nd. This program is called the 21 Day Fix Extreme. I'm so excited about this workout program. Autumn Calabrese is my favorite trainer. I love how she is motivating but isn't cloyingly sweet.

Autumn Calabrese's first Beachbody workout program was the 21 Day Fix. This was the first program I started with back in April of last year. I keep going back to it. I love T25, Piyo and the other programs I tried but I keep coming back to the 21 Day Fix because of the results I saw and how simple it is. I love that it is for anyone and the meal planning containers. I love that I don’t have to count calories or buy special food. I love that if it fits I can eat it.

I also love the simple format of the workouts. Each workout is 30 minutes. Each day you do a different workout so there is no getting bored. The workouts have enough variety each day that you don't get bored. They also have a great modifier if you are just starting out or if you are 38 weeks pregnant like I currently am! Some of the workouts use weights.

What is the 21 Day Fix Extreme?

The 21 Day Fix Extreme will not be an extension to the original 21 Day Fix. It will definitely be an entire new program. It uses the same meal planning containers from the original 21 Day Fix but the workouts are of a completely different intensity. One of the biggest differences is that the 21 Day Fix extreme allows for no treats and only CLEAN eating. IT is only 21 days and you will see results. It will allow you to get completely ripped in 21 Days. You won't be sorry you did this program. Here are the results from the test group:

 

Who is the 21 Day Fix Extreme for?

If you've done the 21 Day Fix or another Beachbody program than this program is for you. It is high intensity. If you are already active but have never done a Beachbody program and want to get totally ripped than this program will be for you.  It will give you a dramatic weight loss in a short amount of time if you have the dedication. You will get defined abs and get more toned.  

What is included?

In the Challenge Pack you will receive:
The seven color coded containers
25 oz Shakeology shaker cup
Shakeology in the choice of your flavor
6 high intensity 30 minute workouts
Start here trifold, featuring quickstart guide and workout calendar
21 Day Fix Extreme eating plan
Countdown to competition: Autumn's own competition nutrition plan for getting stage-ready and ripped in 21 days
A bonus workout Dirty 30 Extreme

Also if you order your 21 Day Fix Extreme workout from me you'll get The Fix Challenge workout as an added bonus.

 

When is the 21 Day Fix Extreme released?

The 21 Day Fix Extreme will be released on February 2nd. I'm purchasing this program so that I can preview the workouts but won't actually be completing the program until I am cleared by my doctor to work out after having the baby.

How can you Get into the 21 Day Fix Extreme Test group?

A 21 Day Fix Extreme Test Group is a private Facebook group where you get me as the coach.  It is a closed online accountability group in which everyone will submit their results to Team Beachbody for a chance to win the monthly and quarterly prizes plus you will have the opportunity to be one of the first people to complete the program and share your proof that transformation is possible if you follow the schedule, stay committed and are dedicated to your success.

A challenge group is a place where you can get support. It is a place where you can vent your frustration and get positive support. It is a place where you can discuss your failures and get a "me too." It is a place to ask questions and get them answered correctly. It is a place to share meal plans, recipes, and general clean eating strategies. A challenge group gives you the support to make the necessary changes easily and effectively.

Here is the promo video to get a feel for some of the exercises you will see in this program:

Contact me today and I'll get you started on your free teambeachbody.com account with me as your coach. Then I can add you to my team's countdown event group where you will receive product updates and then launch details. You will have until February 7th to purchase the Challenge Pack for my test group. The group itself will start February 9th. I look forward to hearing from you.

Chili Recipe

A few people asked me about my chili recipe. I make a pretty basic recipe. I don't add a lot  of extras and usually use what I have in my pantry. The kids love it. They each ate two helpings yesterday. It is a great meal for a cold winter's day.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef, chicken or turkey
2 sweet peppers ( I use whatever color I have on hand. Yesterday I used a yellow and a green)
2 medium onions
6 14.5 ounces can organic diced tomatoes (Make sure they have no salt added)
2 16 ounces cans kidney beans (rinsed and drained. Again make sure they have no salt added)
2 16 ounces cans chili beans ( I used wegmans organic kind as they have no added sugar or salt. Do not rinse or drain)
5 cloves garlic
Chili powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or more if you like spicy

Directions:
1. Place onions, garlic and peppers into the bottom of a large stock pot.
2. Caramelize for about 10 minutes. The onions should be translucent
3. Add the ground meat, paprika, cumin and Italian seasoning.  Cover the meat with chili powder.
4. Brown the meat while mixing with the vegetables already in the pot.
5. Depending on the meat you use you may need to drain. I didn't have to as I use extra lean ground beef.
6. Cover the meat again with chili powder
7. Add tomatoes and beans.
8. Bring to a boil.
9.  Turn down the pot to simmer and cover.
10. Simmer for at least three hours.

I sometimes serve this with whole wheat tortillas or dumplings.

For the dumplings:
Ingredients:

 1 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour

 1/4 t sea salt

 3/4 t baking soda

 3/4 C milk

Directions:

1. Bring chili to a boil
2. Mix all dry ingredients
3. Add milk and mix thoroughly
4. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture on top of the chili
5. Cook ten minutes covered
6. Flip the dumplings with a spoon
7. Cook ten minutes uncovered.

For the whole wheat tortilla recipe check out my blog post here.

If I need an extra blue container (21 Day Fix) for the day I may add cheese to this.

If you are on the 21 Day Fix eating plan one serving is 2 1/4 cups and will cover one red, one green and one yellow. If you add the tortilla or dumplings you'll be using another yellow. If you add the cheese then you use a blue.

I hope you enjoy this as much as our family did. Hope you have a blessed day.

Chicken Curry with Potatoes

Yesterday I was really hungry for Indian food. I decided to try and make Chicken Curry with Potatoes in the crock pot. I had a head of cauliflower so I roasted that to go with it. It was a huge hit.

The girls all had three helpings. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
3 pounds chicken (I used boneless skinless thighs this time but have also used boneless skinless chicken breasts in the past)
1 large onion diced
1 can low sodium diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
6 large potatoes diced

Directions:
1. Place diced potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Cover with diced onions.
3. Mix all the spices in a bowl.
4. Rub spice mixture on raw chicken.
5. Pour chicken and spice mixture over potatoes/onions in the crock pot.
6. Pour the chicken broth over everything.
7. Pour the can of diced tomatoes juice and all in.



8. Cook on low for 6 hours

 

I served this by itself but I am sure you could serve over brown rice if you wanted. I like the sauciness of it. Also it you are short some protein for the day you can always add some Low Fat Greek Yogurt to give it some creaminess and some extra protein.

 

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did. Have a blessed day. 

Smooties as Snacks

So I absolutely love my morning Shakeology. I love how full it makes me and knowing that I'm giving me and my baby all the nutrients we need. I love having this as my breakfast as I'm full for about three hours afterwards.

However lately I've been feeling like I've been eating the same old same old for snack. One of my challengers had also asked me how to get more veggies into her diet as she wasn't eating all her green fix containers.

Here are a few smoothies I came up with this week to combat this problem.

Pear, Pumpkin and Spinach Yogurt Smoothie
1 Small Pear
1/2 cup Pureed Pumpkin
1 cup Spinach (I used frozen)
3/4 Cup Low Fat Greek Yogurt
1 cup water

Blend in blender until smooth.
Enjoy

Blueberry and Broccoli Yogurt Smoothie
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup broccoli
3/4 cup Low Fat Greek Yogurt
1 cup water

Blend until smooth
Enjoy

Both of these recipes count as 1 green, 1 purple and 1 red if you are on the fix eating plan. They don't keep me as full as long as my Shakeology but serve as a nice snack to tide me over until lunch time. Hope you have a blessed day. 

Piyo Week 3 Recap

I'm excited to share what week 3 brought me. I had an awesome week. I gained another pound bringing my total up to 12 pounds in 27 weeks of pregnancy. My OB is still shocked at how great I look. I'm so excited at how well this pregnancy is going. I'm also excited of how great I feel. I still have so much energy.

Day 1: Define: Upper Body: I started with Define: Lower Body as I didn't leave the house all day. A was off from school. We did projects all day. It felt so good to stretch my legs. It also felt good to do the warriors series. Then I did Define: Upper Body. I love rolling like a ball. It is fun especially stopping in the V sit position. I'm getting stronger every day.

Day 2: Buns: Let me first say I started my day way off my game. I had my blood glucose screen for pregnancy this morning and I had to drink that orange drink. You know the one? This one:

I hadn't eaten anything in the previous 12 hours before drinking it. I was so hungry by the end of my appointment. AS I knew we had to do grocery shopping I was glad I had packed everything to make my Shakeology.

This may be my new go to non-bender recipe. I has 1 cup pumpkin puree, 15 ounces water, 7 ice cubes, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 tsp allspice and 1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology. I put into my shaker cup and shook vigorously.  IT was so yummy and it definitively filled me up.

 

So onto Piyo Buns. This workout was hard. It is 28 minutes long. I wore shoes for this workout as you didn't use a mat. I could have used the mat towards the end as there was a section on all fours and my knee hurt even though I put my t-shirt underneath them. This workout was tough! It had a ton of squatting. There was also a section at the end where you were on all fours. It was killer especially the elbow plank leg lifts. My legs felt like jello by the end of the workout and the side of my butt hurt. I cannot wait to see how this workout defines my butt and helps my pants fit in that area.

Day 3: Core: I so wanted to get this workout in today. I even did it while the girls were awake. The had so much energy that I thought let's let them do it with me. They also didn't want to nap without mom. The reason I became a coach was to add a little extra income to our house to pay off all the medical bill debt and be able to spend time with my kids when they needed me so I went for it.

C is by far the best at the yoga poses. This surprises me as she I the one that had the toughest time learning to walk and run. She was also the one that had a small stroke while in the NICU. At one point we were told she may never walk and if she did it wouldn't be great.  As we know God is good and she walks, runs and plays and no one would have any clue. It was a long road with lots of physical therapy from our wonder therapist from the Achievement Center but now she is doing yoga with me and seems to be able to do every move.

Core kicked my butt today. I was so sore by the end I was glad to lay down with the girls. I pushed myself hard as I love these exercises. I love this workout as it isn't all on your back doing crunches. It has lots of variety. It is just perfect for this pregnant lady who doesn't want to be on her back for long. I'm so excited to see what the rest of this week brings.

Day 4 : Define: Lower Body: Today I lacked motivation to workout. I tried ever excuse in the book. I even procrastinated by spending time in my challenge group pages and answering emails. I knew I needed it because of the lackadaisical attitude.

Finally I just pushed myself through it and I was so glad I did. I even added Define: Upper Body. I really needed to get out of my funk and that was just what I needed. 40 minutes of uninterrupted Piyo. I felt so much better after my workout. I was also more focused and ready to face the rest of the day even when the girls woke up early from nap and were full of energy and Brian still wasn't home from work.

Day 5: Rest:   I love that Friday's are rest day. Usually by Fridays I am a little frazzled from the week. This week was especially crazy as Brian worked many later days and then my mother in law decided to come pick A up today for a princess weekend.  She picked A up at lunch time. I decided to take a snuggle nap with B and C to start off their princess weekend.

I truly took a rest today. It has been a long time since I took as rest day like this and my body felt so glorious after it. I definitely needed it. Friday night is pizza and movie night in our house. I make a healthy version of pizza with a whole wheat pizza crust. See my recipe Here

Day 6: Sweat: Since A was a meem and papa's and we had just B and C they got to choose where they wanted to go out to lunch. They choose Steak and Shake. I counted this as my cheat meal for the week. We had fun and I didn't go over board as it would have been easy to do.

I definitely needed the Sweat when I came home. It felt so good to work out. I love feeling the sweat. I also love how limber I feel afterwards.

Day 7: Strength Intervals: This workout is 22 minutes long. you don't need a may but they all wear shoes for it. I have very flat feet so I have my running shoes with a good arch that I used for this workout. It may seem like a short workout but it makes you sweat! i had to stop once during this workout as my heart rate was too high. I did the entire workout without any modifiers but stopped once. It has a good variety of stretch mixed in with high bouts of cardio. I think this may be my new favorite workout in the bunch.

Here is my schedule for week 4:

I'm going to use the same meal plan as last week. I'm not much of a variety person and I need easy this week as I have a busy week. I also need simple at this stage of the game of my pregnancy. I hope everyone has a blessed week.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Last week I had posted on my Facebook page that I was hungry for Pumpkin Pancakes. Today I had some time since A was off of school to try and make them. They turned out so delicious.

My 21 Day Fix approved lunch (1 yellow, 1 green, 1 blue, 1 orange, and 1 red)

Ingredients:

2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp. Agave Nectar

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Ginger

1/2 tsp. Allspice

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

2 cups Vanilla Flavored Almond Milk 

1 cup Pumpkin Puree

1 Egg

1 tbsp. Vanilla Extract

 

Directions:

1. Place Milk, Pumpkin, Egg and Vanilla in your stand mixer.

2. Beat on medium for a few minutes until well mixed.

3. While the mixer is on slowly add Agave Nectar, Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice, and Nutmeg

4. Beat on medium until well mixed.

5. In a separate bowl mix Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt

6. While the mixer is on add this dry ingredient mixture from step 5 to the wet ingredients.

7. The batter will be thick

8. Heat griddle pan to medium heat. If it is too hot you'll burn the outside and the middle will still be runny. If it is too low the pancakes won't fluff up and cook.
9. Use a small amount of butter, nonstick cooking spray or oil on the pan.
10. Use a 1/4 cup to spoon pancakes onto your griddle.

11. Cook on the first side until the top side starts to bubble.

12. Flip and cook an additional few minutes on the other side until cooked all the way through.

13. Serve with 1tsp. pure maple syrup, frozen fruit defrosted in its juices or plain. I ate my plain.

14. Enjoy

 

The girls scarfed these down. They each ate three. This recipe yielded 16 small pancakes. I hope your family enjoys these as much as mine did.

 

Apple Broccoli Slaw

One of my favorite parts about fall is picking apples. I love heading to the apple farm and picking. We went a few weeks ago and ended up picking 52 pounds of apples. 

You may wonder what we did with all those apples. I made three batches of crockpot applesauce. I simply filled the crockpot up with diced apples, added some cinnamon and nutmeg, and a cup of water and then cooked for 6 hours on low. Then I put it in containers to freeze in the deep freezer. I love being able to pull this out in the middle of winter.

I also made an apple pie for A's fifth birthday. She didn't want cake. She wanted that instead. I made two batches of apple bread. We also made a batch of apple pie ice cream.

But one of the favorite things I made with all the apples is an Apple Broccoli Slaw. It is yummy as it has tartness from the vinegar, sweetness from the apples, and crispness from both the apples and slaw.

Apple Broccoli Slaw Recipe
Ingredients:
2 10 ounces bags Broccoli Slaw mix
2 medium Apples Diced finely
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Spicy Brown Mustard
1/2 tsp. Freshly Ground Pepper
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

Directions:
1. Mix vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Mix broccoli slaw bags with apples.
3. Add mixture from step one to mixture in step 2. Stir until thoroughly coated.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes prior to serving.

For those that are on the 21 Day Fix 1 cup of this counts for approximately 1 green, 1/4 purple, and 1 orange.

I made this three times and each time the girls eat it all gone. Hope you have a blessed day.

Pumpkin Yogurt

So today A had snack day at PreK. This week they are learning all about pumpkins. So I decided to stick with the theme and make pumpkin yogurt and then made homemade pretzels in the shape of pumpkins. I even died the bread dough orange.

She has such a cool teacher. Today they got to become junior scientists and explore pumpkins. Her teacher cut a pumpkin open and had them touch the seeds.

 

They did an experiment to see if a pumpkin floats or sinks. Do you know? More on this in a minute. They got to estimate the number of seeds in a pumpkin. Miss Julie even took home the seeds and is going to roast them so they can have them tomorrow.

 

I will always remember Brian and I's first Underwater Haunted Quarry with Splash Water Sports Inc. For the pumpkin carving contest you had to take a pumpkin underwater to 20-60 feet and carve it. The pumpkin couldn't have any prior markings or be punctured before you got to depth. Those pumpkins are buoyant! It took so much weight to get it to sink. It also reminds me how much I miss diving and miss my Splash family!

From this year's Underwater Haunted Quarry (Picture credits Jeffrey Massetti Owner/Master Instructor of Splash Water Sports Inc. ) 

So now that I've went on a tangent I will give you the recipe.
Pumpkin Yogurt

Ingredients:
2 cups Pure Pumpkin Puree (make sure it has no added sugar or salt)
1.5 cups Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
2 tsp honey

Directions:
Mix together in a bowl until well blended
Chill for one hour
Enjoy.

1 and 3/4 cup of this counts for 1 purple, 1 red, and 1 tsp on the 21 Day Fix eating plan.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as the kids did. It must have been a huge hit as A came back with the bowl almost clean and ABC finished it off at lunch time. Hope everyone has a blessed day.



I'm back

After a crazy month I am back to blogging. Between MOPS starting up which I'm the co-coordinator of our local group, starting a new play group called Mommy Connection, taking over the nursery on Sunday mornings at church, A starting school and AWANA, teaching B and C their letters and just general house and pregnancy stuff it has been busy here to say the least.

I figure I'd start with an update to my progress. I am still doing the 21 Day Fix. I'm loving it. Now that my belly is growing a little bigger some of the moves are getting a little difficult but I am doing almost all the moves without modification. I am still using 8 and 10 pound weights. I am still following the eating plan. I'm still drinking my Shakeology every morning. I do "cheat" every once in awhile but still try to make healthy choice when I do. For example last night when I was hungry I went for an extra serving of nuts instead of chocolate.

I have gained 10 pounds so far this pregnancy.  By this point in pregnancy number one I had gained 28 pounds and in pregnancy number 2 I had gained 35 pounds. I am proud of myself as I never thought I could continue to exercise while pregnant. It has helped me keep my energy level up. It has helped me keep my hormones in check. Even with taking extra progesterone each week (a precaution as B&C were born at 27 weeks and there is a 52% chance I would deliver early again) my mood has been much more even this time.

I am excited that over the next few days I can share some fun things with you. I have a new broccoli slaw recipe to share with you that uses apples. I have some posts that I want to share with you on some of the letter things I have been doing with B&C.

I'm not quitting. I'm going to keep going as long as my OB says I can. I'm excited to continue sharing this journey with you all. Hope you all have a blessed day.

Zucchini Bread

I have had an excess in zucchini so I decided to make zucchini bread. I had no clue how I was going to make it healthy. Most breads I know use white flour and sugar. I figured I could try to substitute some ingredients to make it healthier. Here was my final product.

 

Ingredients:

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 eggs

2.5 cups zucchini shredded (about 2 medium zucchinis)

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

2 tsp. real vanilla

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Mix Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt, and Cinnamon in a Medium Mixing Bowl.

3. Add Eggs, Apple Sauce and Vanilla to your stand mixer bowl.

4. Beat until mixed

5. Slowly add mixed dried ingredients.

6. Once adequately mixed, slowly add the zucchini until thoroughly incorporated

7. Grease a loaf pan

8. Add mixture to the greased loaf pan

9. Bake 40-50 minutes until a knife comes out clean.

10. Let cool for about 15 minutes and then flip pan over to remove loaf.

 

I hope you enjoy this zucchini bread as much as our family did. I made two loaves and wrapped one in foil and froze it for a later date. This is a great morning snack. Hope you a have blessed day.



Ribs

This pass weekend I made ribs on Sunday. They were so yummy. I got the ribs from SAMS club on sale.

 

For the Sauce

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can Tomato Sauce

1 6 oz can Tomato Paste

1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

 1 teaspoon molasses
2 tsp Hickory liquid smoke
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Put all ingredients in a medium sauce pan
2. Bring to a boil stirring frequently
3. Simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes until thick

Ribs
Ingredients:
Sauce
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Onion Powder
2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
Ribs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 150.
2. Mix the Garlic Powder, Onion Powder and Coconut Sugar together in a small bowl.
3.  Line a baking sheet with foil. Make sure the foil is long enough to complete encompass the ribs.
4. Rub both sides of the ribs with the dry rub.
5. Put sauce on both sides of the ribs
6. Place ribs in the foil and add the rest of the sauce
7. Fold foil completely around the ribs. Make sure the pack in entirely sealed and there are no holes.
8. Place cookie sheet with foil packed ribs in the oven for 3.5 hours
9. Remove from oven
10. Transfer foil packet to a grill heated to medium high heat
11. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes
12. Remove from heat
13. Open up packet gently as there will be steam
14. Cut ribs and enjoy.

The girls eat these up. The five of us ate the entire rack above except for one rib. I cannot wait to make these again. Have a great day everyone.
 



Turkey Meatballs

I was hungry for some good old fashioned meatballs the other day. I didn't know how to go about making them clean so here was my attempt at it. I usually used a ton of Italian seasoned bread crumbs. These were one of the first things to leave my pantry as they had a ton of salt and some ingredients I couldn't even pronounce. Here was the finished product:

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground turkey
2 eggs
2 coves garlic
2 Tbsp. minced onion
2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
2-4 slices Ezekiel bread

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Toast the slices of Ezekiel bread
3. Put the toasted bread in the food processor and make the bread crumbs
4. Mix all the ingredients together
5. Roll into whatever size ball you want
6. Place a wire rack on top of a standard sized cookie pan
7. Spray rack with cooking spray
8. Place meatballs on the rack
9. Bake for 30 minutes

One night we made meatball sandwiches with these. We used Ezekiel English Muffins as the bread. We used my homemade pizza sauce as the sauce. Then we added onions and peppers as the vegetable. I added a little cheese to the top and put in the oven on broil for a few minutes to melt.

The second night I served these with whole wheat spaghetti noodles and homemade spaghetti sauce.

I hope you enjoy these as much as my family did.

Pantry Items for Clean Eating

I often get asked what is in my pantry for clean eating. What are some of my go to items? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Steel Cut Oats: You can eat these with berries for breakfast. You can mix them with yogurt for snack. You can use them on chicken or pork as a crust for dinner. There are very versatile and can be used in a variety of ways.

2. Nuts: Nuts are high in protein and make a great snack. You need to be careful on the portion control with these though. If I purchase nuts I bag them in individual portion sizes and then I can only pull out one bag a day. If I don't I'd eat the entire container in one day.

3. Quinoa: This is actually a seed. It is easy to cook and very versatile. You can add chicken and some type of greens to it (ie. cooked kale) and add some spices and have a hearty dinner. You can eat it stand alone to.

4. Beans: I always have black beans, pinto beans, canelli beans, kidney beans, and Garbanzo beans in the pantry. These can be added to brown rice or corn for a Mexican meal. I can mix all the beans together and make my Mexican bean and corn salad (see the clean eating recipes page on my blog for the recipe). You can eat them alone.

5. Tea: I love a cup of tea in the morning. I also love to have a ice tea in the evening. I use mostly herbal teas. I do however have a decaf cup of tea every once in awhile. One of my favorite decaf teas is the decaf chai from Wegmans. My favorite herbals are all from Tazo.

6. Condiments: Ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, and vinegars are the next thing in my pantry. I use Wegmans organic Ketchup, Wegmans Organic Yellow Mustard and Wegmans Organic Spicy Brown Mustard. I love all three to add a small amount of flavor without a ton of calories, salt or sugar. I use these to enhance dressings too. I usually have balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and white vinegar in my pantry. Besides using these in dressing I use these to enhance the flavors of noodles or rice.

7. Oils: I love keeping both Olive Oil and Coconut Oil. I use a little bit of olive oil in cooking chicken or to make quinoa a little creamy. I use coconut oil in baking. I also love using sesame oil when making Chinese or thai food.

8. Whole Wheat Flour: Whole wheat flour is awesome to use for baking. I used it this week to make whole wheat tortillas, whole wheat pizza crust and zucchini bread.

9. Diced Tomatoes: These are great to make a simple sauce. They are also good to help steam any vegetable. Make sure if you are purchasing these in a can though that you purchase the low sodium type. I's excited for my garden to ripen so that I can can a lot of the fresh ones.

10. Dried Fruit: These are great to add to oatmeal or salads. One word of caution is that they are more compact so make sure to watch you portion! Also they can contain a lot of sugar. So make sure when purchasing you get the varieties that have no added sugar.

 This is my top ten. What are other things that are in your pantry for clean eating that you consider must haves? This by all means isn't a comprehensive list. Hope you have a great weekend.