Girls!!!! we're all wayyyy to hard on ourselves!!!

My AMAZING friend Sarah Hattenburg sent me this YOUTUBE VIDEO today and I LOVE IT!!!

One of the things many of us struggle with is just plane old.... BEING WAYYYYY TO HARD ON OURSELVES!!!!!

Lets all try and spend a little more time focusing on all the amazing things about ourselves rather then picking ourselves apart!

"Approach health and fitness from a place of loving your body.  Making healthy choices isn't about eating things you don't like or forcing yourself to do things you hate.  It's about having fun experimenting with new foods and finding satisfying healthy options that support a feeling of well being.  When you love your body, you'll want to nourish it with foods that make you feel good!"

- Karena & Katrina from Tone it Up

Think of all your body does for you!!!!!

Don't miss out on life because you're waiting for everything to be perfect!... your body, your hair, your life.... etc

Now, don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean you can't strive to be better, but enjoy what you're got while you do!   And, just maybe..... you aren't seeing just how beautiful, amazing, fit, smart..... and on and on.... you are! :)

NFL Hero Battling ALS Creates Video Journal for Son

Had the privilege of attending the Steve Gleason Golf Classic on Sunday and Monday.  Steve's story is one of my constant motivations to be better in life!!!!  Here is a little more about his story!!!!



BE BETTER TODAY THAN YOU WERE YESTERDAY!  Live your life, Don't wish away the days for something better!!!! Find purpose!  See the beauty, and live the life you want to live!  You have NO EXCUSES!

XOXO

-e

Meal Plan Monday- Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini

 Craving ENCHILADA'S?!!!!???  try these... You'll be hooked!

Servings: makes 4 servings

 Ingredients

4 medium zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise

1 tablespoon oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground

1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder or to taste

1 cup cooked and shredded chicken

1/2 cup corn

1 teaspoon oregano

1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (see below)

1 handful cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded (optional)

Directions

Place the zucchini halves in boiling water for a minute, remove and let cool.

Hollow out the zucchini halves with a small spoon reserving the removed flesh.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin and chili powder and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

Add the reserved zucchini flesh, chicken, corn, oregano, 1/2 cup of enchiladas sauce and cilantro, cook for a few minutes and remove from heat.

Spread 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish, place the zucchini in the dish, stuff them with the filling and top with the remaining enchilada sauce and the cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the zucchini is nice and tender and the cheese has melted, about 30-40 minutes.

Enchilada Sauce

A quick and easy homemade enchilada sauce.

Servings: makes 4 cups

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 small onions, diced

1 clove garlic, grated

1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground

1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes

1-2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic and cumin and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

Puree the onions and garlic along with the chilies and tomatoes in a food processor and return to pan.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, simmer for a few minutes and season with salt and pepper.

If you're on an em meal plan, A serving of this without the cheese is AWESOME for any meal!

With the cheese is great too, but keep in mind that the cheese counts as a healthy fat. So keep that in mind when eating these with the cheese on.  This meal will count as one of your healthy fats for the day! :)

Printable workout for MONDAY!!!

I will be gone Monday June 23rd so there will be NO CLASS!!!! Don't worry though, I've got your back!  Below is a printable Cardio interval workout that is AWESOME!!!!  You can do it on any peace of cardio equipment you want, or even running/walking outside or biking!!!!

Repeat the workout below for a total of 55 minutes on Monday, and I'll see you all in class again TUESDAY MORNING!!!!!!

XOXO!

Meal plan Monday Protein Waffles & Waffle sandwiches!!!!

Protein Waffles

I LOVE this recipe!!! Make a ton of waffles and freeze them so you always have a healthy snack! 

You can have these waffles 2 ways, sweet or savory!!!!

To have them sweet, just top them with 1/2 cup of fresh fruit, or 2 TBS of nut butter or PB2

To use them as the bread for a healthy sandwitch (shown above) Make them savory and then just fill them with veggies and meat of your choice. Yellow mustard is a great clean condiment to use as well.

**** REMEMBER 1 WAFFLE IS A SERVING SO IF YOU MAKE A SANDWICH, CUT THE WAFFLE IN HALF AND USE ONE HALF FOR THE TOP, AND 1 FOR THE BOTTOM!


Use the sweet waffles to make a PB Sandwich, and use the plain waffles to make a meat and veggie sandwich. Use whatever lunch meat you like, but get it fresh from the deli counter. Load up on the veggies, and use just yellow mustard as the condiment.

(Makes 12 waffles)

Ingredients:

2 cups oat flour (just grind up oatmeal in your blender) You can also use coconut flower OR quinoa flower but it will change the nutritional content below slightly)​
2 cups ​almond or coconut milk​
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
3 egg whites
1 whole egg

​OK, HERE'S WHERE IT GETS FUN. If YOU WANT THEM SWEET, ADD CINNAMON, VANILLA, STEVIA, THEN YOU CAN USE THEM FOR BREAKFAST AND FOR A pb sandwich as a snack. Also make some that are just plain to use as the "bread" for a meat or egg sandwich.
Directions:

Mix all ingredients into a mixing bowl using a whisk.

Cook in your waffle maker and serve.


Nutritional Content:

1 serving = 1 waffle


Calories: 141

Total Fat: 4 gm

Saturated Fats: 1 gm

Trans Fats: 0 gm

Cholesterol: 25 mg

Sodium: 220 mg

Carbohydrates: 14 gm

Dietary fiber: 3 gm

Sugars: 2 gm

Protein: 12 gm

Estimated Glycemic Load: 8

*** If you are on an em meal plan, this recipe is best eaten for meal #1 or #3

Peanut butter Oatmeal Cookie Dough!!!! O M GGGGGGGGGG!

This is a special gift from me to you this week.  Don’t doubt me, TRY THIS!!!! YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE!!!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Dough: 

 (serves 6)

Dry:

  1 cup Rolled Oats

  1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder (This is optional, but the consistency of the dough will be a little more sticky if you don't add it in... however, you'll save on a few calories!)

  (3 tbs Stevia, about 6 packets

  1/8 tsp Salt

Wet:

  one 15oz can Garbanzo Beans (rinsed and drained;  measured 1.5 cups)

  1/4 cup Almond or coconut Milk (unsweetened)

  1/4 cup Natural Peanut Butter or PB2 (no sugar/salt/oil added)

  1/4 tsp Hazelnut Extract (or vanilla)

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, add the dry ingredient, mix and set aside

2.  In a blender, puree the wet ingredients.  Scoop over the dry ingredients and mix... and that's it.  Top with chocolate chips, raisins, or add some chopped peanuts if you like.

Serving size

½ cup:  220 calories

8 g fat

25 g  carbs

THIS IS AN AMAZING TREAT FOR WHEN YOU HAVE A SWEET TOOTH, BUT IF YOU ARE ON An EM MEAL PLAN, IT SHOULD BE JUST THAT, A TREAT!  Replace ANY of your meals with it when you're craving something sweet, but Only have it about 3 times a week, not every day. :)))))  

MOTIVATE ME!

LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT!

AMEN!

UM.... THIS IS JUST FUNNY

DON'T THINK, JUST DO

YES! BE REAL!

JUST DO IT!

YOU WON'T FEEL LIKE IT AT FIRST, BUT SOON YOU'LL CRAVE IT!!!

Don't get de-railed over the weekend!!!!!

Meal plan Monday! Slow cooker Jambalaya!

SLOW COOKER JAMBALAYA

I love Slow Cooker Recipes!! I am always on the search for a good one :) I prepped all the ingredients the night before in my Slow Cooker pot and left it in the refrigerator, so in the morning right before I left the house, all I had to do was take it out of the refrigerator, place it my Slow Cooker and turn it on low for 8 hrs, and when I came home Dinner was ready and waiting!!!  I like to serve my Jambalaya over Quinoa or just steamed veggies!

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes

1/2 lb. turkey andouille sausage 

1 - 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. Cajun seasoning

1 tsp. hot sauce

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 lb. thawed cooked shrimp

Instructions

1. In a slow cooker; combine chicken, turkey sausage, diced tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper, celery and chicken broth. Stir in oregano, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, bay leaves and thyme.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. 
3. Stir in thawed shrimp, cover and cook until the shrimp is heated through, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves and spoon mixture over ½ cup cooked quinoa.

YIELD: 6 servings, so remember, divide the entire pot into 6 servings right off the bat, so you know how much to eat. J   You’ve got 6 meals right there!!!!!

Note:  If you're an an EM Meal plan this is great for meals 1,4, or 6 when you serve it over veggies.   If you serve it over Quinoa, have it for meal 3 or 5! :)