I'm back! Beachbody Vegas Trip

Heyyyyy, I'm backkkk!!! It feels soooo awesome to get back and into my routine =) We had such an amazing time- I have to gather all of my pictures together and post them but I can already tell you that my favorite aspect of summit was being together with my team.

The energy and positivity was incredible- plus it was a lot of fun. I've never been to Vegas- it was larger than life. 

But oh my goodness- still being in Santa Monica I forgot that people still smoke! Eeeeekkkk!! Why is that still a thing? gross!

There really is something special about being a part of something bigger than yourself. Our mission with Beachbody is to end the trend of obesity and help people live healthy/fulfilling lives. 

When I really sit down and think about what that means...it's more to me than helping "people"  Sometimes the word "people" sounds so vague and impersonal. It's about helping Jennifer and Renee and Megan. It's about helping a person FEEL good about themselves and in their own skin. It's about helping someone reclaim their self confidence so they can free themselves from stressing about their body and allow them to clear that mental space so they can focus on their DREAMS.

One thing that really struck me this last week was people's judgement and perspectives. If you look at the picture above...someone who doesn't know us might assume we are snobs...or have always been fit. NOT TRUE! Every single one of these girls is sweet and would do ANYTHING to help others. They have struggled with food and weight and together we have CONQUERED those obstacles. This picture represents some much. To me it says "Together we are BETTER" it says "people helping people" it says "we are STRONG!"

If that is something You are passionate about- then maybe you should think about joining us. It's more than just "looking good" It's about living up to your highest potential and then paying it forward and helping others do the same. Email me if you feel me on this!

Here is an awesome example! I came home to see that Lindsey had posted her Brazil Butt Lift and Shakeology results from 5 weeks! She looks amazing!!! THIS is what it's all about! She was gorgeous before but the confidence from the first to last picture is unbelievable! That's what I love!

I'm about to start my next 4 week Brazil Butt Lift challenge group! So let me know if you want in on it! It's all about changing your eating habits and working those problem areas! 

I'm not going to lie...while in Vegas...I kinda ate my face off! There was amazing food everywhere I turned! So I thought...I'm going to enjoy myself =) 

But no worries...as soon as we got back I was right back to eating healthy. That's why I am sooo glad I became a coach. It's that constant accountability! I no longer feel depressed or upset when I get derailed because I KNOW I have a team of people who will help me back on the bandwagon when I get home.
We enjoyed an amazing Indian dinner- veggie soup (my fav) with brown rice, chicken and veggies. Sooooo satisfying AND I love eating healthy because you actually FEEL better after without that nasty heavy feeling.

More good news! I got furniture for my CA apartment! Living on the beach = my dream come true. Now I just need some area rugs, art and throw pillows and I'll be set. I'm thinking BRIGHT blues and greens. I need some COLOR up in here! Let me know if you ladies have any awesome sites I should check out for this- I've been stalking Overstock.com lol 

After the amazing soup we had, I was inspired to make my own. The cool thing about making soup is....#1 it's healthy and tastes awesome #2 it's easy #3 you have several meals for DAYS!

1 onion chopped 

2 Cups carrots, sliced 

1 Cup celery, including leaves 

3 garlic cloves, 

black pepper to taste

8 Cups Veggie broth

2 Cups chopped tomatoes (I used diced in the can! CHECK THE LABEL!! Look for a brand with JUST tomato!! Forget all of that crap they add!!)

2 Cups WHITE kidney beans 

2 Veggie Bullion cubes 

3 C baby spinach

Then I cooked some chicken separately and added it =)

 For another awesome soup recipe, check out Zesty Spinach Soup

One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

I am a FREAK for ice cream- I swear I have an unhealthy addiction to it. Every flavor is my favorite! It's that one food I can never pass up or say no to. I think I have a problem.... ;)


Today I had a craving so instead of adding my banana to my morning oatmeal, I thought I'd try something new! 
I've seen this Banana Ice cream recipe floating around on a few blogs here and there- I even posted about it once before but have never experienced the amazing-ness of it....until now....


Ohhhh mmmmm Geeee guys, Seriously. This is a MUST make. If you like whipped cream...you need to try this.


You only need ONE ingredient....BANANA!


Ok so here is the scoop:


Grab a banana (or two if you dont want to share!)
Peel
Slice
Freeze for 1-2 hours (or more)
Blend or throw in food processor (scrape sides when needed)
Keep blending! I did about 5 minutes


That's it!


I chose to add a dash of Almond milk and a pinch of PB2 
just because I wanted it creamy and a lil peanutty =) 
Add sliced almonds and sprinkle with chocolate shakeology for presentation and chocolaty goodness!

Keep blending! It goes from this...to total creaminess!

It has that soft ice cream consistency that I love- I always leave my ice cream out for 5-10 min before I eat it because I love when it's soft. Soupy is gross, but this is perfect.

Apple Crisp with Frosting

I daydreammmm about being able to eat without getting fat haha Wouldn't that be the life!?!? Luckily I've discovered how to make some delicious breakfast/desserts that FEEL like you're cheating but actually are healthy alternatives. Can I get an Aaaaa-men!

Seriously, I love breakfast so much that I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner....any time, any where. MMmmmmmm! French Toast Eggs, Protein Cinnamon Roll, and my recipe collection just got a little bigger with latest creation.... Apple Crisp with Cinnamon!

Let's talk about this for a moment....just imagine the cool, creaminess of cool whip paired with the sweet tartness of apple....as you bite in you taste the cinnamon and little pieces of almond mixed in the oatmeal. Mmmmmmm oatmeal ;) 

Ok so down to business....here's how you make this baby

 Ingredients:

• Old Fashioned Oats (I HATE quick oats- icky! they are chopped into a million lil bits and it tastes like gruel)
• Almonds (I like Slivered)
• Apples (any variety will work- I used Granny Smith because it got bruised in the trip home from the store)
• 0% Fat Greek Yogurt
• Vanilla
• Cinnamon
• Sweetener (I used Agave & Stevia but you can use Maple Syrup, honey, etc)

Ok so for starters, I cored the apple and cut into small pieces. Put in a pot on the stove, add cinnamon (use your discretion- I like A LOT). Add 1 tsp of agave, honey or syrup. Again, use what looks right. Turn on medium heat, stirring occasionally until it looks like apple sauce.

Note: I made this while I was cooking dinner so I'm not sure how long it took on the stove. You don't have to babysit it but keep an eye and maybe turn down to low heat after a little bit

Once you have your "apple sauce" mixture you can add it to your oatmeal. I used 3/4 cup. I like mine very "oatmealy" lol

Add almonds and more cinnamon- stir together

Now for the "frosting"

1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt + 1 packet of stevia + dash or two of vanilla. Stir. Voila! 

Top your apple crisp with the frosting! And enjoy!

For more recipes, check out my Recipe Page

Do you have a favorite recipes that feels like you're cheating?? Share in the comments below! 

Cauliflower Fried Rice

After the cauliflower pizza, I've begun to see cauliflower in a totally different light.

This has bacon, scrambled eggs, minced ginger, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, fish sauce, and coconut aminos. Feel free to change up this recipe by substituting whatever you have lying around. Try adding some leftover meat to make a complete, one-bowl meal.



1 small head of cauliflower, separated in florets
3 slices of uncured bacon, cut into small dice
2 large eggs
1-inch knob of ginger, grated with a microplane
1 small onion, minced
4 ounces of sliced mushrooms
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons of chopped basil
1 tablespoon of chopped mint
1-2 tablespoons of coconut aminos
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Splash of coconut vinegar (optional)
Splash of Red Boat Fish Sauce

How to make it:

First, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until the pieces arethe size of rice and chop the rest of the ingredients.




Toss the diced bacon into a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and fry until the bits are crispy.



While the bacon is cooking, whisk the two eggs in a small bowl with some salt and pepper to taste. When the bacon was done, remove and put on a  separate plate.


Pour the whisked eggs into the hot bacon grease and fry a thin egg omelet. Take the egg out of the pan, slice it thinly, and set it aside.

I always keep a large knob of ginger on hand in my freezer. It keeps really well. When I need to use it, I take it out of the freezer, peel off the skin with my vegetable peeler, and microplane it. It’s almost like making ginger-flavored shaved ice.


The microplane is the best tool for grating ginger — no stringiness and the ginger blends in really well into your dish. If you don’t have one, stop reading this post andget one immediately.)

I cranked up the heat for my cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and added the chopped onions (along with a dash of salt and pepper). Once the onion softened, I tossed in the sliced mushrooms (along with yet another sprinkle of S&P) and stir-fried everything until the mushrooms were browned.



After adding the ginger and stirring it around for 30 seconds, I threw in the cauliflower and even more salt and pepper.



I put a lid on the skillet and lowered the heat to low and cooked it covered for about 5 minutes. When the cauliflower was tender (but not too mushy), I added the coconut aminos, the herbs, and the sliced egg omelet. You can also add a little coconut vinegar to add a tiny bit of tang to the dish. And splash on some fish sauce for good measure!

Before serving, I tossed on the reserved crispy bacon bits. Voila!

Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwich

I am always drawn to things that will make my life a little bit easier and I think I found the mother of all easy/delicious breakfast options! Prep on Sunday or before you start your week and you have something nutritious to grab for almost 2 whole weeks!
This WONDERFUL recipe came from http://www.macheesmo.com/ 

Spinach and Egg Breakfast Sandwiches

Yield: 12 sandwiches

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

12 eggs, scrambled
2 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons butter
6-8 ounces cheese, grated
12 whole wheat English muffins

Helpful Equipment:
Muffin tins

Cooking the Eggs

Artsy.

Scramble the eggs before cooking them which makes sure that they cook evenly.

I like to add a few tablespoons of water to my 12 eggs and then I just lightly scramble them with a fork.

New technique!

A number of commenters said that the eggs were sticking in their muffin tins when they made these.

There’s only one way to avoid this consistently: butter. If you use nonstick spray or whatever, don’t come yelling at me if it doesn’t work. I use butter and it works like a charm.

You just need a light layer of it coating the whole muffin tin.

Butter is better.

While you can just do the eggs, I’ve started adding in things to my eggs while they cook.

I generally don’t eat a lot of meat in the mornings, but you could definitely add some crumbled sausage or ham to the tins. I went with spinach though on this occasion.

Almost anything that you could put in an omelet would work here.

Just a few leaves.

Then just evenly divide the eggs in the tins. Obviously it should be about an egg per tin and the tins will be about 3/4 full.

Evenly divided...

Baking the Eggs

Bake these guys at 350 degrees for about 20-22 minutes and they should be perfectly cooked. Be sure to check them to make sure the very centers are cooked through. If they aren’t, then cook them for a few extra minutes.

Once they cool for a few minutes, the egg cups should easily slide out of the tins.

Awesome.

Making/storing the Sandwiches

There are basically three ways to deal with storing these bad boys.

Eat them immediately

You just made some delicious sandwiches so plan on eating one or two of them right away. I like to toast my muffin and then add some cheese to it. Then I just toss on one of the egg cups and press it down a bit so the egg squashes out to the edges of the muffin.

Then I bake it for a few minutes to melt the cheese and eat it. Delicious!

Whole wheat muffins.

Make the Sandwiches – Freeze the Sandwiches

This is my preferred method of storing the sandwiches. I just cut a muffin in half, add some cheese to it, and toss on the egg cup.

Then I wrap the whole thing in foil and store all the individually wrapped sandwiches in a large freezer-safe bag.

Once they are frozen they keep fine for months.

Making and wrapping.

Freeze Just the Eggs

A number of commenters mentioned that this is their preferred way to store these and it works great.

Basically, once you pop all the egg cups out, let them cool briefly and then wrap each egg cup in plastic wrap (or foil) and store the individually wrapped eggs in a freezer safe bag.

This method cuts down on the freezer space you’ll need and some people think that the egg by itself reheats better than the whole sandwich.

Reheating the Sandwiches

If you just froze the eggs, reheating is very easy. Just unwrap the egg and microwave it on high for about 90-120 seconds. Then toast the muffin and add some cheese if you want.

Sandwich done!

If you froze the whole sandwiches, which is my preferred method, you can also unwrap them and heat them in the microwave.

The best way to reheat them though is in the oven. Just toss the frozen sandwich (still wrapped in foil) in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and the finished sandwich will be as good as on day one.

30 minutes? You’re crazy!

About 20% of the hundreds of comments on the original post say that my reheating method doesn’t make sense. After all, it takes 30 minutes for the sandwich to cook!

Here’s the thing though… when it comes to prep time in the morning, there is no active time needed for the oven method. You don’t need to stand over your oven while the sandwich reheats.

The idea is that you wake up, toss the sandwich in the oven, take a shower, get ready to go, and then as you are leaving… BAM… your sandwich is done.

I don’t know anyone who gets out of the door faster than 30 minutes after waking up so you just let the sandwich cook while you are doing other stuff.

It works like a charm and you’re left with a really delicious breakfast any day of the week.

Pretty hard to beat!

I still make these sandwiches pretty regularly and they are a great way to start the day.

Healthy Meals and Snacks

Can you guys tell....I LOVE FOOD!! I love posting about it! and finding new recipes! Today in my travels, I was checking out a fellow coach and her tips! These food ideas are from Jenelle Summers (Chalene Johnson's bab sis!) so you KNOW they are awesome!! Plus she always gives a lot of information about WHY you should eat a certain way! I love love love it!!

I am soooo obsessed with Turbo Fire and Chalean Extreme right now!  

 

Great pre-cardio snack..especially with some Energy & Endurance drink! This is my favorite HEALTHY bread - Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel bread! 100% sprouted whole grains. Look for it in your FREEZER section; sometimes near frozen health/organic/vegan frozen foods. It's low on the glycemic index, so it's a great little carb if you only have 30-60min before your workout (studies have shown eating something low on the glycemic index pre-workout will help you burn more fat). Shakeology of course is low glycemic index too & gives you energy, but I usually like my Shakeology in the evening. This has light Smart Balance w/Flax spread here, but i also love it with Chocolate PB2!! (i know, probably sounds like a weird combo w/Cin Raisin!) If you need more calories because you're caloric needs are higher or it's 2-3 hrs before your workout, then do 2 pieces or add natural Peanut Butter.. and/or Banana slices! Thumbs up on this one??

 

Chocolate Shakeology with PB2 and Banana! whipped cream for presentation purposes ;)

 

LUNCH!! It's ~250-300 calories depending on how much hummus, feta & sun-dried tomatoes you use. I used the new 100-calorie whole grain pita pockets they sell now (at least by us), reduced fat feta, sun dried tomatoes, Hummus, cucumbers, red & yellow pepper slices, spinach & spring mix! If you skip the sun-dried tomatoes, you could do two halves for a total of 400 calories and lots of good nutrition! But i just love ♥ sun-dried tomatoes! Easy enough, right!?!? 

 

Packing snacks for my trip!! This will be plenty of snacks for the flights today and the next couple of days... btw, those are Wasa whole grain crackers; they look like cinnamon GRAHAM crackers in the pic (which would be heavenly compared to these, lol)! This is actually just like an EMERGENCY stash seeing how Chalene will have PLENTY of fruit, snacks, Shakeology Balls on hand when i get there! I just HATE to be hungry! What do you pack when you travel? 

 

Grilled chicken, strawberries, blackberries & Light Raspberry Vin dressing : 

 

Ok, this is risky to post (because some will be quick to judge).. But i'll take it because i think childhood obesity is a huge issue & i'd love to bring more AWARENESS to our responsibility as parents. Even if there's no overweight/underweight problem, healthy eating habits are ALWAYS needed..they may just be delayed as to when it affects their body, growth & ability to build muscle. They'll thank you when they're older if you approach it the right way, subtly and gradually & are NOT referring to "dieting" or looking a certain way! So this is Tyler's lunch i packed the other morning plus 2 snacks..i'm NOT saying this is the "model" school lunch. I'm not a nutritionist, I'm not perfect, & tyler's certainly a normal kid loving sweets & pizza - we just limit it. My theory is just be conscious/responsible for what & HOW MUCH/OFTEN they're eating, educate & work towards improvement..plus every kid's wants/needs are different. This is NOT a perfect lunch, but it's what he'll eat. The sandwich in foil is a PB& J and no, the bread is not WHOLE grain.. pick your battles-you win some,you lose some! Still working on that one! The PB is natural PB though:) Forcing things won't work because they'll just throw it away at school. So it's a PB&J, grapes, greek yogurt, trail mix, water, and you probably can't see the dark chocolate square. And the snacks are edamame w/salt (still hot as you can see) and Turkey jerky. He loves apples & bananas but won't eat at school for some reason ..? I am NOT that impressed with the sugar content in this greek yogurt ..but this is what we had this day. He usually will do carrots & hummus too. I try to avoid too many empty carbs -ALOT of snack foods at the grocery store for kids are just that. What are YOU packing? 

 

I stopped buying this stuff LONG ago!!! Sure, some of it says "reduced/low fat" or "good source of whole grains" or "no trans fat" and you're thinking "how bad could it really be?".. well i'm NOT a nutritionist & i'm not perfect, but I know we don't need this. I personally go OFF TRACK when i have any of this in the house. Do you know what ONE serving looks like? For 150cal snack, you'd be SO much better off with an apple + PB2. With healthy foods, you get all the "good carbs" you need, this stuff just goes STRAIGHT to excess calories stored as FAT ..for me anyway. I admit we buy some of the pre-portioned 100-calorie pack crap to have on hand for tyler or when we have kids over, but we continue to work towards improvement for that too, finding new HEALTHIER kid-friendly foods. At the very least we can control portions & frequency, and work towards educating & developing a taste for healthier stuff. I think TRANSITIONING your family & kids in a way that they hardly notice is KEY! Can you hide, or throw it away, if you have any of this?? 

Cheez-Its = BAD SNACK OPTIONS
You probably can't fully see, but this pocket is PACKED with grilled chicken (made really quickly in my Foreman grill!! Love it!), Spring Mix, reduced fat Sharp Cheddar cheese, with ~2T Fage 0% Plain Greek Yogurt (like sour cream to me!), and salsa on the side that I spoon in as i eat! I don't put the salsa IN the pocket b/c there's NOTHING worse than soggy bread! You could do this sandwich with a WRAP too, but again, i wouldn't put the salsa IN it ;) This was ~300 calories. I eat CONSTANTLY & i like to have something sweet after each meal, so 300 calorie meals work for me.. you have to figure YOUR nutritional & caloric needs and eat what YOU like..these are just ideas/inspiration. You like 
 

 Our Tropical Vegan Strawberry FINALLY arrived! This is what I put in it and it was DELISHHHH ..not gritty at all ..at least the way i made it! ~1 Cup Ice, 1 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, ~1Cup Water, 1 Cup frozen Raspberries, 2 Tablespoons Chocolate PB2, and 1/2 Banana! Btw, I've always heard FROZEN fruit is actually more nutritious than fresh.. true? 

 

Is this getting weird that you know everything i eat?? Idk, but i'm having fun with it :) This was SUPER easy, QUICK,healthy & very good! I put each salmon filet in foil that was sprayed with non-stick spray WITH the asparagus and fresh squeezed lemon on top of it all. Folded up the foil, leaving plenty of room for the asparagus to steam and put it in the oven at 450 on a cookie sheet, for 15minutes. VOILA! I'm estimating this to be ~300 calories, maybe 350. I of course will eat something else b/w now & bed.. you have to eat based on YOUR caloric/nutrition needs. p.s. Matt loved this too! 

 

 I like salads!! Can you tell? I needed a small meal/snack this afternoon and this was it.. and it was sooo good & super quick to pull together! Grilled chicken (we grill a bunch of chicken a couple times a week & put it in stuff), a little reduced-fat cheese, tomatoes, Salad seasoning sprinkled on, and Chick Peas/Garbonzo Beans! Some salads can look VERY similar but be 700+calories due to candied nuts, full-fat dressings & cheese... if at a restaurant, don't be fooled! And that's not even counting the bacon bits, croutons, side of bread and glass of wine! I don't care if it's whole grain bread and the glass of wine is good for you..you're still at 1000-calorie meal AT LEAST & most metabolisms aren't built up enough to metabolize all of that in 1 sitting. Don't make the FOOD the source of your fun. Yes of course splurge once in awhile..PLEASE, but only when it's worth it! :)

 

Wheat tortilla filled w/ grilled chicken, Gouda cheese (YUMM!), Avocado & tomatoes! This has LOTS of protein, naturally low in sugar & carbs and ~350 calories including the orange! VERY filling. You might want to spoon on some salsa too! 

 

Quick snack! This is greek yogurt under the strawberries with a packet of Stevia to sweeten! It's 20g protein and DELISH. Blueberries have more nutritional benefits, but i just like Strawberries better. When i post things, please know i'm not eating these things because i think they're the HEALTHIEST.. i'm obviously not a nutritionist & their are alot of people more fit & leaner than me. I eat things i LIKE, that happen to have nutritional value and I make sure i'm getting enough calories & protein & the nutrients i need. It's the things i'm NOT eating (like fast food, crackers, chips, alcohol & restaurant food), coupled with workouts, that help SUBSTANTIALLY. So you have to LIKE what you eat, or you'll feel deprived & get "off" easily! Unless you're competing for a figure competition (where your nutrition has to be SPOT ON), don't force yourself to eat things you dread. Find what you like that is healthy & keep looking to improve everything else. Does that make sense? 

 

You don't need to eat perfectly.. you just need to eat in a way that lines up with YOUR goals and be honest with yourself so that you're not constantly ON & OFF. If you are constantly mad at yourself for what you eat/drink on a weekend, make a decision NOW to do things differently. Just promise me you won't start skipping meals. SHORT-TERM that may work to make the scale move (due to lost water weight and lost muscle) but it will backfire on you! You NEED to keep and feed that muscle.. we all lose muscle as we age unless you're doing things to KEEP IT and build more. Ok, so back to the salad.. you like? Trying this dressing w/it! 

 

Really felt like a sandwich but we needed to use the salmon today so I made salmon sandwiches! It was great but it needed something else, like a condiment..what works w/salmon & feta? I just love feta :) 

 

Turkey burger w/avocado & honey mustard! The turkey burger ended up being too small so I ended up having LF cottage cheese too bc this was only roughly 250 calories by itself - not enough for me. I estimate calories to make sure I'm getting what I NEED so I don't lose muscle or slow my metabolism. I just had a big bowl of egg whites a cpl hrs ago too. Know YOUR body's needs. BUILD MUSCLE and your body will need and use more! U know that, right? 

 

Egg whites (5 servings, shown here of 100% liquid egg whites=25g protein), spinach, feta &cherry tomatoes on a BROWN RICE tortilla - way different texture than a white flour tortilla, but it's growing on me! :) Total this small meal is ~33g protein, 0 sugar (naturally sugar free foods), & 330 calories.. but add avocado if u need more calories :) And I have nothing against eating an entire egg, yolk and all.. i just PERSONALLY prefer egg whites bc with 5servings you get 25g of protein for only 125 calories..that leaves me room to add the wrap, cheese, toast.. whatever grains or other things i want to add & still have all the nutrition and taste i want within my calorie range for a small meal.. do what works for YOU. i'm gonna go have some dark chocolate now :)