Salted Caramel Cafe Latte Shakeology

This is by far my favorite Shakeology recipe, and that is saying a lot because I LOVE a lot of Shakeo recipes. :)

What you need:

• 1 Cup Toasted Coconut Almond Milk (Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk can be substituted)
• 1/2 Cup Water
• Handful Ice Cubes
• 1/4 tsp caramel extract
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 Scoop Cafe Latte Shakeology

What to do:

1. Put all ingredients into blender.
2. Mix until well blended.
3. Enjoy!

Easy as 1-2-3!  Healthiest meal of the day, ready in less than a minute!  It's a beautiful, delicious thing!! :)

21 Day Fix Approved: Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Bake

I LOVE oatmeal!  I love hearty oats, fruity oats, baked oats, cooked oats, old-fashioned oats, steel cut oats, oats, oats, oats.  That yellow container just isn't big enough for me sometimes!  :)  On those mornings that I wake up wanting a sweet oats breakfast, this recipe always hits the spot!!  I love that the recipe can easily be changed up to fit whatever fruit I have in the house, too.  Plus it's easy and bakes while I get my morning workout done!  Give it a try...you won't be disappointed.

What you need:

• 1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 Cup Steel Cut Oats
• 2/3 Cup 100% Pure Maple Syrup*
• 1 Tbs cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 Cup berries (your choice...I made it with Strawberries today but have found it to be equally yummy with raspberries and blueberries...use whatever you like, and whatever you have available)
• 1 Cup chopped nuts (optional, I generally leave these out because I like to eat my nuts as a snack separately, but if you do not, throw them in)
• 1 banana, sliced**
• 1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 Cups milk (I used Toasted Coconut Almond milk today, but have used unsweetened vanilla almond milk in the past.  Whatever you have on hand will work.)

*The original recipe that I found used 3/4 cup of maple syrup.  I cut it back to 2/3 because it was quite sweet.  You can adjust it to your preference.  :)
**The banana looks pretty terrible after baking.  I like the taste of the banana in it, but you could easily replace the banana for additional berries if this bothers you or you don't like the baked banana flavor.

What to do:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Spray a 9x13 with oil spray.  I generally use my misto with olive oil in it.

3.  In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, syrup, cinnamon, baking powder, half of the nuts (if using), and 1/2 of your berries.

4.  In another small bowl, whisk the egg, vanilla and milk together until smooth.

5.  Spread the oatmeal mixture into the pan, pressing flat into the pan.  Try to make sure it is as even as you can.

6.  Pour the milk mixture onto the top of the oatmeal.

7.  Top with the remaining berries, nuts and sliced banana.

8.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed into the oats.  

9.  Enjoy!  It's great warmed up later as well!  :)

Fix Counts:
Measure your serving out using your yellow container...

1 yellow
1/2 purple
1 blue **If you include nuts**

It's Your Skin...It's Time to Love Every Inch of It!

Yesterday, I was shown the following video during a meeting at work.  I found it extremely powerful and have had it on my mind ever since I watched it.  We spend so many years in this short life that we have here on Earth feeling inadequate.  We fear being judged by others.  We long to change who we are.  We envy those around us.  We are constantly wanting what we don't have.

I have an intense passion for helping others to be the best version of themselves.  Not because I think there is anything wrong with being less than perfect, but because I know that when we take care of ourselves, it is a way to build our confidence and to get past that constant fear of what others are thinking.  I know what it is like to carry around this wishlist of things I would like to change about myself.  That is not fun.  I am not perfect.  I have more flaws than I would like to count.  But, for the first time, I am comfortable in my own skin.  I am proud of my accomplishments...and I feel STRONG.  There is something incredibly empowering about feeling strong from the inside out.

So, today I leave you with a challenge.  I was listening to a podcast by Chalene Johnson earlier today and she was talking about compliments.  She said that when someone gives you a compliment, it is their way of giving you a gift, a gift to brighten your day.  Many of us immediately shoot the compliment down, "Oh, this shirt...it's so old." "No, I haven't lost weight, my pants are stretched out." "You think my hair looks good?  I didn't even straighten it today."  When you immediately dismiss a compliment, it is the equivalent of throwing that gift away that you are being given.  It is hurtful to the person giving the compliment, who feels like you are dismissing their thoughts, and it is hurtful to your self-esteem.  I challenge you to accept the compliments, even with a simple, "Thank you."  Take the compliment, accept it, internalize it, believe it.  

Don't waste what precious time you have on this Earth with constant fear and worry about what others think of you.  Dream about those mermaid tails, the cheetah legs, and shark mouths.  Aspire to love your wrinkles and embrace that gray hair.  BeYOUtiful.

Asian Inspired: Spicy Ground Turkey "Stir Fry"

My husband and I love Chinese take-out, but I know that it is not the best option.  I have looked for a cleaned-up option for a long time.  After many failed attempts and disappointments, I think I've finally found the perfect recipe to satisfy that craving!  The original recipe came from this blog, but I have changed it a bit to cut down on the amount of "sauce" and added some extra ingredients that my husband and I like!  :)

A couple notes about some of the ingredients.  This isn't a 100% clean recipe.  The chili paste, teriyaki sauce and soy sauce are not completely "clean."  With that being said, you are getting a small amount per serving and sometimes small changes in the right direction make a big difference.  We try our best to eat as clean as possible, but I would never pretend that I am perfect in any way.  There are some great recipes for homemade teriyaki sauce, which would be great if you have the time, but in reality I often just opt for the low sodium version pictured above for time's sake.

What you need:

• 2 lbs. lean ground turkey or chicken (rule of thumb for ground turkey...always buy the leanest that your family can afford, preferably the lean or extra lean)

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 Tbs. minced onion (soaked in a dash of water before cooking) Note:  You could use 1/2-1 cup finely chopped onion if you prefer.  We don't love onion at our house so I opted for minced...totally up to you!

• 2 Tbs EVOO, make sure it is first cold-pressed

• 2/3 Cup Reduced Sodium Teriyaki Sauce

• 1/3 Cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

• 2 Tbs. Chili Paste

• 2 Cups Matchstick Carrots

• Baby Spinach (I used a whole bag)

• Can of Sliced Water Chestnuts

• Sriracha (Use as topping, as desired)

• Brown Rice

What to do:

1.  Start cooking your rice.  Depending on how much you make, this tends to take longer than the rest of the recipe takes to complete.  Follow directions on package.

2.  Heat the EVOO over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and onions.  Cook until they start to brown (if using thinly sliced onion, cook until translucent)

3.  Add the ground turkey, stirring and breaking it up as it cooks.  Cook until almost cooked through.

4.  Mix in teriyaki, soy sauce and chili paste.  Mix all together well.

5.  Add in matchstick carrots and sliced water chestnuts.  Cook until the carrots are tender (to your liking).

6.  Add in spinach and cook until it starts to wilt.

7.  Serve over brown rice and top with sriracha, if desired.  It will be spicy even without the sriracha so add with caution.  :)

If you are doing the 21 Day Fix, use the following servings:

Measure your brown rice out with yellow, and the turkey mixture with your red container.

1 red container

1 Yellow container

1 tsp oil

Meal Plan- 22 Minute Hard Corps: Week 3!

Have you ever wondered what a typical meal plan looks like if you're using The 21 Day Fix food plan?!?  If so, today is your lucky day!  I just finished my meal plan for week 3 of 22 Minute Hard Corps, and I'm going to share it with you!  The Fix food plan is actually used for 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, Hammer and Chisel, and 22 Minute Hard Corps.  Do you know why most of the new programs use the container system from The 21 Day Fix?  Because it's easy, convenient, and IT WORKS!  It is extremely effective and helps to truly turn clean eating into a lifestyle!

You will notice that I tend to have my Shakeology for breakfast during the week.  It is fast, easy, delicious and it keeps me from craving junk throughout the day.  I won't go without it.  On the weekends, however, I have more time for a bigger breakfast, so I tend to have my Shakeology either for my morning or afternoon snack (depending on what I'm doing that day).  Generally, I like to drink it as my morning snack on Saturday as I'm heading to get groceries.  It helps me to stick to my list while I'm grocery shopping and not throw unnecessary and unhealthy food in my cart.  (Let's face it, it's much easier to stick to the plan if you don't have junk sitting around your house calling for you to eat it!)

You will also probably notice that I don't generally have a huge variety of food throughout the week.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  First of all, at first I tried to switch things up everyday, eat different foods all of the time, and what I found is that we were wasting a ton of food.  That is not feasible, nor affordable.  I also found that I was spending entirely too much time preparing all of that food.  So now, we make three main meals (often doubling the recipe) and we eat them as leftovers throughout the week.  Obviously if you aren't a fan of leftovers this may not be the best option for you.  Luckily, this works for my family, saves me money, and keeps me from spending so much time in the kitchen.

I plan to get the recipes on this meal plan posted this week and throughout next weekend, so stay tuned for those as well...they are some of my favorite recipes!

Feel free to send me questions if you have any.  As always, I'm here to help you reach those goals!

Happy meal planning!

21 Day Fix Approved: Slow Cooker Creamy Taco Chicken

This is a new twist on a family favorite!  We love all Mexican food around here!  We have several favorite recipes that are part of our normal rotation, but I was very excited to find this one, which was similar to several others, but switched up just enough to feel like a new meal!

I just made this today and it was so easy, delicious and family approved!!

If you like Mexican food, definitely give this one a try!  I think you will be very happy you did!  Let me know how you and your family liked it!

What you need:

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 7 oz. can chopped green chiles
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 bell peppers (I used red, orange, yellow...green would work too)
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (if you want to spice it up add diced tomatoes with chiles)
• 1 Tbs chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 red container greek yogurt
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish

What to do:

1.  Clean and trim your chicken, then add it to your slow cooker.

2.  Top with remaining ingredients, except for the greek yogurt and cilantro (those will be added in later)

3.  Cook on low for 8 hours, or until chicken pulls apart easily.

4.  Remove chicken and shred.  Then add back into the slow cooker with your veggies.  Add the greek yogurt, mix it all together and continue to cook on low for about 30 minutes.

5.  Stir everything well, then top with fresh cilantro.

6.  Eat it as is, with a tortilla shell, or on top of brown rice or quinoa!  Add avocado or cheese to your liking!

Fix Counts- 

Makes 6 servings

• 1 red
• 1-2 yellow (depending if you use tortilla, rice or quinoa)
• 1 blue (depending if you use cheese or avocado)

Granola Energy Bites!

It's always so exciting when I can find a recipe that the whole family loves!  My boys are granola bar addicts, so I was so excited when I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest!  There are so many ways that you can change it up to try different flavors...such a versatile and yummy "clean" recipe!

I make a triple batch every time I make these because they go so fast around here!  I hope you will find that your family enjoys them as much as mine does!!  A special thanks to Gimme Some Oven for the original recipe!

Now, for the important details...how to make these delicious little guys!

What you need:

• 1 Cup (dry) old-fashioned oats (or other oats of your choosing)
• 2/3 Cup toasted Coconut Flakes
• 1/2 Cup natural Peanut Butter (or other nut butter)
• 1/2 Cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 Cup dark chocolate chips (or you can mix it up with white chocolate chips for a different flavor...not quite as healthy of a choice, though...)
• 1/3 Cup honey
• 1 Tbs chia seeds (optional but seriously...these are my favorite part)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (have also made with caramel extract for a different flavor)

What to do:

1.  Start by toasting your coconut until it is golden brown.  I tend to do this on the stovetop, but it can also be done on a baking sheet in the oven.  Just be careful because it tends to toast quickly!

2.  Stir all ingredients together until mixed well.  I personal like to mix all dry ingredients up well first, then add the peanut butter, honey and vanilla, but that's just me.  Cover, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  I prefer to let them refrigerate for a couple of hours, I tend to find that they are then easier to roll into balls.  

3.  Once they are chilled, I use a cookie scoop to scoop them out, then roll them into balls.  You can make them whatever size you want (mine are usually about 1" in diameter)...but it truly doesn't matter...sometimes we eat it by spoonfuls!  :)

4.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!!