21 Days of Fitmas

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I take huge pride in picking out special things for the people I love and spending time enjoying special moments with my family and friends. It is a season where I am reminded why I do what I do.  I love giving of myself to people.  I love sharing my passion for health with others. I love helping others make their lives a little more healthy and a lot more enjoyable. But more than that, I love working on my overall health and longevity so that I can spend more time with my future kids, grandkids, great-grandkids...

This is also a season where people tend to throw caution to the wind and over-indulge. Heck I’ve done it. I’ve been guilty of “sampling” a few too many cookies AND sipping hot cocoa each afternoon AND cozying up instead of moving more. But not this year! Did you know the average American gains between 5-10 pounds during the Holidays. Ugh. When I think of erasing all of the hard work that I put in this year...

My friends, I will stay the course with some careful indulgences AND I wanna share the gift of fit with YOU! I have created an epic accountability group that will help you stick to your goals PLUS I will give fitness gifts EACH day- just for sticking to your goals!!! You can keep it for yourself or gift to someone else YOU love. << I LOVE giving gifts!!!! And I give you full permission to re-gift!  I am partnering with some  amazing brands like Bolder headbands, Limelight by Alcone, Kast Fitness, Whole Foods, Fitbit and more to bring you fitness-y gifts EVERY single day of our challenge. And they are so fabulous…I kinda wanna keep them all myself!

AND the big winner…Are you ready for this??? They will win a pair of NikeID that they get to customize!!! Custom kicks, just for sticking to your goals? What!?

Let’s avoid being average. Let’s be Holiday Extraordinary. I’ll hook you up with a solid nutrition and fitness program and then all you have to do is stick to it, post each day and you are eligible to win that day’s prize! Motivation and stick-to-it-ness all rolled into one!!!

AND because I believe in balance, we will also give you some tips on how to build in some treats of the season without falling victim to the average 5-10 pound weight gain during the holidays!!! Join me on my Merry Mission and you can not only stay true to your health and fitness goals but also have the chance to win all this good stuff!!! 

There are only 20 spots available, so let me know today if you are interested! Comment below with "Fitmas Fun" or find me on Facebook and I will get you more information!

Crapple Cookies- A Paleo Breakfast.

Since we've been doing this Paleo thing, breakfast has been a challenge.  I love having something "bready" with my coffee in the morning, and being grain free doesn't exactly work with that.  I have tried muffins, pancakes, and all sort of other paleo recipes online, and most of them have been way to eggy.  If I wanted an omelet, I'd make one, but I wouldn't put blueberries in it.

So instead, I have decided to try regular recipes with Cassava Flour, and modify them as needed.  Since oats are also out, I have swapped flaked coconut to get the same texture.  If you aren't Paleo, you can use regular flour, but you might not need the cashew milk.  You can also use oats instead of the coconut flakes, but I can't really say how they will turn out.

Ingredients:
1 apple, finely diced
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1 egg
1 cup Cassava flour*
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsps apple pie spice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup non dairy milk, like Cashew
1/2 chopped pecans
1/2 unsweetened cranberries.

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients through the sea salt.  Mix well, and add the milk a little at a time until the batter is smooth and moist.  You may need more or less milk depending on the brand of Cassava flour you use.  Stir in the pecans and cranberries.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15- 20 minutes until firm, but bouncy.

*The brand of Cassava flour you use will greatly effect the moisture content. This recipe was tested using Moon Rabbit brand. Otto's Natural is also good, but you may need to adjust the amount of milk you use.  If you use tapioca flour instead (they are both made from the Cassava root), it will not have the same cookie texture.  It will be more like a brownie.

Paleo Sweet Potato Pie

Let's talk Pie. Thanksgiving is coming, we are currently in the season of Pumpkin Everything, and you know it won't belong until there is pumpkin (or sweet potato) pie everywhere. Do you have to give up your holiday pie? No. Should you make the healthiest (and tastiest) pie you can, with the cleanest ingredients possible? Definitely. 
This pie can be made with pumpkin or sweet potato puree, depending on your preference. It is totally grain free, there is no shortening in the crust, no condensed milk, and no white sugar. It is still a treat (and a yellow on the 21 Day Fix ), but it isn't one I feel guilty about. 

FOR THE CRUST:
1 cup Almond Flour
1 ½ cup Cassava Flour
½ tsp Real Salt
6 TBSP. Butter, cold
1 Egg

FOR THE FILLING:
2 ½ cup Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Puree (4 medium potatoes, baked)
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp Real Salt
1 tsp vanilla
⅔ cup natural sweetener ( I prefer a 50/50 split of honey and maple syrup)
3 TBSP Coconut Oil, melted
3 Eggs

Instructions

FOR THE CRUST:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the almond flour, cassava flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 4-5 times for a few seconds until blended.
Add the butter, 1 TBSP. at a time, processing for about 5 seconds with each addition until the butter resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the egg and process until the dough comes together. The dough will look dry, but it should stick together when pressed. Pat the dough into a 9” pie dish. It may take a little time, but press the dough into the bottom and sides, evening out and smoothing the dough with the back of a spoon. Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork to allow steam to escape.
Cover the pie crust with a sheet of tin foil. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, uncovered.
Remove from oven and let cool.

FOR THE FILLING:
Place the sweet potato puree in the bowl of a food processor. Add the pumpkin pie spice, salt, vanilla, honey, coconut oil, and eggs. Process until smooth and well blended. Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crust and tap on the counter to smooth and level. Bake at 350 degrees for 65-75 minutes, or until the filling is puffed and set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature.
Refrigerate until cold. Serves 12

Mango "Salsa"- AIP Recipe

I am on week 2 of the Auto Immune Protocol and I miss condiments.  Like seriously, what am I supposed to put on my food?  Later today I am going to attempt to make some "flat bread" and "bbq sauce" (I put those in quotes because they will be far from the real thing), but for now I am going to share this salsa recipe with you.  It's not exactly like salsa, but it is close enough for me, and it gives my food some flavor!

In a large bowl, add 1 diced red onion*, 5-7 diced radishes (these will give us a little peppery kick since we can't have real peppers), 2 diced mangos, the zest and juice of 2 limes, 1 clove of garlic minced, and a handful of chopped cilantro.  Mix to combine well, and then allow to chill in the fridge a few hours (or over night). Once it is chilled, taste and add a sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt (you won't need much) if needed.  I serve it on top of everything (like lettuce wrap tacos!), occasionally combined with avocado to make guacamole!

21 Day Fix Conversion- 1 purple

*note- this as a really strong onion flavor, especially once the radishes and onions sit in the lime juice over night. I like onions, but if you don't, you might want to use less to start with.

No-Mato Marinara Sauce

My family and I have decided to do a not so fun elimination diet to see if it helps clear up any of our issues.  We've known we needed to try it for awhile, but we've kind of been putting it off.  We got back last week from vacation, and with 2 months before the holidays really get going, we decided now was the time to buckle down and commit!

We will be following the Auto Immune Protocol Diet, which means no grains, dairy, seeds, nuts, sugar, alcohol, and nightshades.  Out of all of those, it's the nightshades I miss the most.  Enter, No-Mato Marinara Sauce.  For not having any tomatoes, it is pretty tomatoey.  I made mine on the thick side, so I can thin it out as need for different recipes.  I am also going to try to use it in place of tomato paste in beef stew (per my husband's request), but more on that later.

I started by sautéing a red onion in a small amount of olive oil.  Once they were soft I added a clove of minced garlic, 3 cups chopped carrots, and 1 chopped beets.  After stirring, I added 1 cup water and brought the mixture to a boil.

I reduced the heat to low, and allowed the veggies to simmer for 1 hour.  Once cooked, I transferred the ingredients to a blender with the juice of 1 lemon, a palm full of Italian herbs, and a tsp of himalayan sea salt.  I blended until smooth, adding more water as needed to keep the mixture going.  This batch made 12 servings. Adding more water, or liquid when cooking would increase the serving size.

To serve, I combined the sauce with ground beef (pre cooked, from my freezer stash), additional seasonings (because the meat was unseasoned), and 1/4 cup pork stock (made from cooking down a ham bone, and straining off most of the fat).  I heated the ingredients until well combined, and then served the meat sauce over roasted spaghetti squash.  If you are following the 21 Day Fix (which I am not currently on, but I try to keep the balance on the containers in the back of my mind), the plain sauce counts as 1 green.  With the ground meat, it would be 1 green and 1 red.

3 Day Jump Start

We all have those weeks/months/seasons where we don't eat like we should or are a little more lax in our diet than usual.  When this happens to me, and I realize it's time for a change, I find the easiest way is to jump in feet first.  I spend 3 days really cleaning out my pantry, and only eating super clean, low carb and low sugar to really got my body prepared and used to this healthier way of eating.  

During the 3 days I focus on tons of water, vegetables, fruits, clean proteins, and food that give me the most nutritional bang for my buck.  My calorie intake is slightly lower than usual these days, but it is certainly not a starvation diet.  It is just enough to bump my metabolism and kick start my body.

After the 3 days I am super ready to get back into the clean and healthy lifestyle.  Not only have I prepared myself emotionally, but my body is primed for all the good nutritious food, and I've broken through the sugar and carb addiction.  If you like more information on my 3 Day Jump Start, please contact me or message me on Facebook!

Breakfast Deviled Eggs

I have only recently learned to eat hard boiled eggs.  My mother hates eggs, and she only ever made me scrambled eggs as a child. Lately I have lamented the fact that I don't like hard boiled eggs, and how much easier breakfast would be if I did.  So I decided to start with deviled eggs.  I just kept trying them, and finally yesterday I liked them.  This gave me hope, so this morning when my niece said she'd like a hard boiled egg white,  I attempted a breakfast deviled egg for myself.

While I enjoyed a regular deviled egg at dinner, I didn't think mustard and mayo were going to be appetizing for breakfast.  I also wanted a recipe that was 21 Day Fix friendly.  So, I swapped the mayo and mustard for ricotta cheese.  I used about 1/2 TBSP per egg (roughly equal parts yolk to ricotta).  I mashed it together with a fork and add a small amount of salt and pepper.

I then topped each egg white shell with the yolk and ricotta mixture.  There was a little more filling than the usual deviled egg, but it felt like the perfect yolk to white ratio to me! I count 3 halves as 1 red container 21 Day Fix container (since 2 whole eggs equal 1 red, or 3/4 cup ricotta). If you'd like more information about the 21 Day Fix, please feel free to contact me!

"Apple of My Eye" Sauce

I will never buy store bought applesauce again.  As it is, I only bought unsweetened apple sauce for baking purposes, but now I don't even need to do that any more.  This morning I was taking stock of my pantry, and I realized I was out of apple sauce cups.  I like the cups because they 1/4 cup and are perfect for substituting oil in a double batch of homemade waffles.  I also like to substitute applesauce for oil in things like brownies and corn bread.  What I did have were 6 lunch box sized apples that had been rolling around in the fruit bin for way too long.

Does this happen to anyone else?  The family says they want apples when you ask what kind of fruit to buy, but the no one ever eats them so they just sit there, getting bruise and mealy? Well if it does, now you can use them to make the best all natural, clean apple sauce.  This recipe could not be easier, and it tastes so much better than store bought!

Ingredients:
6 lunch box sized apples (small to medium sized), any variety
1 cup water

Directions:
Combine the water and the apples in a medium sauce pot.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce, and simmer approximately one hour until the apples can be mashed with the back of a spoon.  Turn off the heat, and allow to cool.  Puree in a blender or food processor until you achieve your desired consistency.

The apple sauce has no added sweater to it, but if you are looking for more of a sweet treat, you could drizzle with raw honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.  This would be great as a topping for waffles, pork chops, oatmeal, yogurt.  I plan on using mine in baking, so I will be freezing it in small containers.  Otherwise, store in the refrigerator for about a week.  Makes 2 cups, 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp equals 1 Purple 21 Day Fix container.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

I was raised with the mantra of "If it's not chocolate, why bother?" If you ask me what flavor ice cream I want, it's always chocolate.  If you offer me a slice of cake, I'll want it to be chocolate.  Brownies are one of my favorite foods.  However, due to food intolerances and a family history of diabetes and high cholesterol, I don't eat these foods a lot.  Until now.  I have been playing around with minimally processed ingredients, heart healthy fats, and cleaner sugar substitutes.  This has all led me to Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake.

I'll admit, this wasn't 100% my idea.  I had some leftover sweet potatoes, and I new I could bake with other forms of squash, so it seemed like it might work.  I also felt like the natural sugars from the sweet potato would cut down on the amount of added sugar I needed.  But, since I was using cocoa, I knew I needed some sugar.  So I turned to the internet.  I wanted to use coconut sugar has my other sugar (because I had some on hand) and because I knew it worked in a 1:1 ratio of regular sugar.

After comparing what other bakers and bloggers had done, I finally settled on a plan.  My last hurdle was the flour.  I knew I could replace the dairy in a regular cake with cashew milk, the sugar with coconut sugar, and I had figured out how much sweet potato to use, but the gluten free flour was still a mystery to me.  If you've ever tried to bake with gluten free flour, it's always a gamble.  I decided on using a gluten free flour blend, and converting the measurement to grams.  So, if you are not gluten free, then just use the same weight of regular flour.

Ingredients:
2 eggs (This is one of the few foods I don't have an issue with so I refuse to abandon them.  If you can't tolerate eggs, you could try flax or mashed banana)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup cashew milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup mashed sweet potato (about 1 sweet potato)

1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cocoa powder
156 grams flour

Directions:
Combine the eggs, coconut oil and sugar in a blender and blend until well combined and the sugar is dissolved. Add the cashew milk, vanilla and sweet potato and blend until smooth.  In a mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix gently to incorporate. Pour into a greased baking dish or round cake pan.  Bake for 20-30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Refrigerate for up to a week.  Reheat individual servings for 15 seconds in the microwave for optimum texture.

Tip: I used a 2 inch biscuit cutter to cut mini cakes that perfectly fit into a yellow 21 day fix container.

Fabulous Fruit Punch

My Husband has developed a fruit punch addiction.  It started when he got sick after Easter.  Nothing tasted right, he was trying to drink plenty of fluids, and the only thing he wanted was fruit punch.  He started drinking Hawaiian Punch, but I really wanted something healthier for him.  I managed to switch him to Juicy Juice, but I still felt like we could do better.  So I made my own!

This punch was really easy to make, and I used ingredients I already had on hand.  It made about half a gallon, although I suspect it will go a little further if he mixes it with sparkling water.  The juice is made from a mix of fruits, veggies, water and some raw honey for sweetness.

Ingredients:

1 beet, peeled
8 baby carrots
1 lemon, peeled
1 lime peeled
1 apple
1 cup mixed berries
4-6 cups of water
1/4-1/2 cup raw honey

Directions:

Chop the fruits and vegetables into small pieces and place in a zip top bag.  Place the bag in the freezer over night.  This step is optional, but you may end up with more pulp if you don't freeze the produce.

Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup honey and the fruit in a blender.  Blend until smooth, adding more water as necessary (I used 4 cups). Using a fine mesh strainer to catch any pulp, pour the blended ingredients into another pitcher.   Set the pulp aside for another use (Refreshing Fruit Popsicles!)

Once you have strained the juice, add additional water until you reach your desired consistency.  I used 6 cups of water total, but next time I may use less to make a juice concentrate.

Ultimate Meal Prep

When it comes to meal prep, simplicity is the key.  The less steps you have to take to get a meal on the table, the better.  I have complied a list of my favorite recipes that can either be prepared in advance, in bulk (and frozen), or made on a Sunday night to feed you the rest of the week.

I have a few rules when meal prepping that make things go faster, as well as saving you time and money.
1.  Make meals with like ingredients.  
If I am prepping one chicken meal, I am preparing many chicken meals.  If I grill chicken for dinner, I will also grill extra chicken for salads, sandwiches or to keep in the freezer.  The same goes for ground meat.  It is just has easy to brown 2 pounds of ground meat as it is to brown 1 package.  Additionally, buying large quantities is often cheaper.  You can either freeze the unused portion to grill later, or divide it among different meals.  This also works great when buying produce.  I will get giant bags of onions, potatoes, peppers, green, carrots, etc from Costco, and then use them to make all my freezer meals.
2. Chop Once
If you have to chop onions for one meal, you might as well chop the onions you need for all your meals.  If I am making slow cooker meals, I will line up all my gallon zip top bags and drop the ingredients as I chop.  This is a great job for any kitchen helpers too!  Just set things out assembly line style and chop away!
3. Measure out your serving sizes
The easiest way to to know how much food you have on hand, is to know how many servings you can have.  I like to portion my meals into 3 servings (3 people in our family) so that I don't have to worry about leftovers or worrying if I am eating too many servings. I also know that if I am feeding more than 3 people, I will need to pull more food out of the freezer.
4. Keep the freezer and pantry stocked for emergency meals
Keep items you regularly use in the freezer and pantry.  Meat, eggs (out of the shell), milk, cheese (if you plan on grating), bread, flours, sugar, onions, peppers, tomatoes and other produce (except greens) all freeze well.  Even if it comes out a little mushy, once you cook it you won't be able to tell. I also always double any meal I am making, and freeze one for later.  Just defrost over night, and you've got dinner.  My personal goal is to only buy fresh produce and milk every week because my pantry and freezer is so well organized and stocks.
5. Shop the sales
Base your meals around what is on sale.  Most items run on a 6 week sale cycle so buy 6 weeks worth.  Meat has been on sale lately, which is awesome.  This also means that my freezer is over flowing.  Every week, I buy a few packs of whatever I use often and toss it in the freezer or make it into a meal I can freeze for later.

Soups/Stews:

Vegetable Soup

15 Bean Soup

Tomato Basil Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Breakfasts:

Baked Oatmeal

Balanced Breakfast

Slowcooker Oatmeal

Oatcakes

Steak and Eggs

One Pot Meals:

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

Roasted Red Pepper Baked Ziti

Sausage and Kale Stew

Slowcooker:

Chicken Burrito Bowls

Pulled Pork

Chicken Chili

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Cincinnati Chili

21 Day Fix Friendly Sweet Potato Fries

Who doesn't love french fries? I rarely meet a potato I don't like, and sweet potatoes and french fries are at the top of my potato love affair list.  That means sweet potato fries are basically a match made in heaven.  Unfortunately for me, deep frying a sweet potato is along the lines of calling strawberry ice cream a serving of fruit.  That is why my recipe for Baked Sweet Potato Fries is so awesome!  

You will need roughly 2 medium sweet potatoes for 4 people.  You'll want to eat the whole batch yourself, but we are trying to be healthy here, so let's call it 4 servings.  Each serving of this recipe is 1 Yellow 21 Day fix container and 1 tsp.  

Start by slicing the sweet potatoes into a fry like shape (whatever that means to you as long as they are uniform).  Put your potato pieces in a bowl of ice water and soak for one hour.  

Drain and rinse the potatoes, pat dry and place in a gallon sized zip top bag with 1 TBSP Corn Starch and 1 TBSP All Purpose Seasoning.  Shake until the potatoes are well coated by the corn starch mixtures.

Toss the Corn Starch coated potatoes with 4 tsp melted coconut oil.  Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Try to keep them from touching each other for the crispiest of fries.  Clearly my baking sheet was too small...

Bake in 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Flip/stir/shake around and then return to the oven for another 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and shove a few in your mouth when no one is looking.

Let me know if you try these!  I'd love to hear how you liked them and if you sprinkled them with anything other than All Purpose Seasoning (a little cinnamon and sugar perhaps?). These are also great leftover smashed in a quesadilla with a little chicken and black beans!

I served mine along side Crockpot Pulled Pork and a simple cole slaw salad.  

Rattlesnake Pasta- The First Meal I Cooked For My Husband

When my husband and I were first dating, we used to go out to eat a lot.  I would get out of school, change out of my scrubs, shower off the anatomy smell, and then he'd come over, pick me up and we'd go eat somewhere.  This went on for a few weeks, until I finally decided it was time to take our relationship to the next level.  I was going to cook for him.  He'd eaten food I'd made for parties, but I'd never just cooked a meal for the two of us.  I wanted it to be really good, I wanted it to be something easy, and I wanted it to be spicy since he loves spicy food.  So I made Rattlesnake Pasta.  

  

Rattlesnake pasta, has no snake, it's made with spicy Italian sausage, tomatoes, green chillies, and bell peppers.  It's not smooth like a traditional marinara sauce, because it's full of different textures and flavors.  Because I am always on the look out for ways to make things healthier, I like to use Hot Turkey Italian Sausage.  I use one link per person, because I like leftovers...and sometimes seconds.

Ingredients:
1 package Hot Italian Sausage
1-3 cups Tri Color Bell Peppers (the more peppers you use, the less pasta you need)
1 onion
1 can tomatoes and green chilies
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic
Pasta of your choice

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to package directions, minus 2 minutes.  Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Brown the sausage in a skillet, and set aside to cool.  In the same pan, add the pepper and onions.  Cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the canned tomatoes, garlic and Italian Seasoning to the peppers and stir to combine.  Slice the sausage into bite size pieces, and add to the pan.  Bring to a bubble, and then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until thickened.  Once slightly thickened, add the pasta and pasta water if the sauce seems dry.

Taste the sauce and add Salt and Pepper if desired.  Garnish with parmesan cheese and try not to eat it all in one sitting!

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta- 21 Day Fix Recipe

Oh my gosh, this pasta is good.  It came out of a need to fill a macaroni and cheese craving while still limiting my dairy.  I can have a little bit of dairy, but full blown macaroni and cheese with a pound of cheese, cream and butter is way to much.  Butternut squash to the rescue!  This recipe isn't dairy free, but they dairy has definitely been cut back a lot.  It also has a secret serving of veggies which is always great.

Ingredients:
1 box pasta (I used Gluten free penne with 6 servings per box)
1 package Italian sausage links (4 servings)
12 oz Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
8 oz Gruyere Cheese, grated
16 oz Butternut Squash, cubed
2 tsp all purpose seasoning.
Unsalted Vegetable Broth

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and distribute between baking dishes.  Grill the sausage links, allow to cool, slice and add to the pasta in the baking dishes.

Meanwhile, steam the butternut squash and transfer to a blender with the ricotta cheese and all purpose seasoning.  Blend until smooth, adding vegetable broth as necessary.  Add half the gruyere cheese, and blend until incorporated.  Taste, and add more seasoning if necessary.  You should end up with a nacho cheese consistency.  

Stir the cheese sauce into the pasta and sausage mixture until well combined.  Sneak a taste and get super excited by the cheesy goodness.

Top with the remaining gruyere cheese, and wrap in aluminum foil to freeze.  Alternatively, pop in a 350 degree oven until bubbly or about 30 minutes.

There you go!  Macaroni and cheese you can feel good about.  The whole recipe serves 6, or 3 servings per pan.  If you are serving a larger crowd, you can just make one pan.

with mushrooms sautéed in olive oil with garlic and parsley

21 Day Fix Conversion: 1 red, 1 yellow, 1/2 blue, 1/3 green.