Recipes Galore!

So, Thursday's I never quite know just what to post so I figured I have quite a few recipes I wanted to share so what better day than today?! Hopefully you'll see something that you want to try!!

Sweet Green Smoothie

Makes one generous single serving

8 oz unsweetened almond milk

1 Fuji apple (cored & chopped)

1/2 a banana (preferably frozen)

one large handful of spinach (I take fresh spinach & freeze it as soon as I bring it home from the store & it's been washed & dried)

1 Tablespoon Flaxmeal

Combine all in blender & blend on high until combined. If you want it thicker feel free to add some ice although it may water it down. I blended mine for roughly 3 minutes, I have just a regular old, less than $100 blender...nothing fancy ;)

Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal Smoothie

Makes one generous single serving

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt

1/3 Cup Raw Regular Oats

1 Cup of Strawberries preferably with tops*

1 Tablespoon Flaxmeal

I packet Stevia

1 teaspoon Vanilla

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

*My strawberries I washed and froze with tops on as soon as I got home from the grocery store. I've recently learned the tops are very high in fiber so I use them as much as possible.

Now, combine all ingredients in blender. Blend for 3-5 minutes. Enjoy this super thick delicious shake!

Decadent Fruit Dip

Makes one snack size portion

1 Tablespoon Nutella

1 Tablespoon Almond butter

Various fruits

Chop fruits you want to use and arrange on plate. In a small bowl combine nutella and almond butter. Enjoy!

Variation: Combine with mini marshmallows for a "s'mores" dip.

Variation: To make a larger size of this dip for a party just combine nutella and almond butter in a 1:1 ration. Other nut butters could be subbed, but I haven't tried them.

Protein Packed Fruit Dip

Yields two single serving dips

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (divided)

4 Tablespoons almond butter (divided)

1 Granny Smith Apple

2 teaspoons maple syrup (divided)

*Note I don't really know how much protein this has in it but it has high protein Greek yogurt & high protein almond butter so I'd assume it's a decent amount.

First, chop apple into small slivers so a little goes a long way. Divide among two small containers. Next place  1/4 cup of yogurt into two small dipping containers similar to those pictured above. Then, place two tablespoons of almond butter over quarter cup of yogurt & top each with a teaspoon of maple syrup. You can go ahead & mix them together or do it when you go to eat it. I do it when I eat it so I can lick the spoon. :P

Popcorn

Feeds two adults

1/3 cup of plain bulk popcorn kernels

Olive oil or melted coconut oil

Nature's Seasons (or your favorite seasoning)

Fresh Grated Mozzarella Cheese

Paper bag & scotch tape

Ok, take the paper bag, open it & dump in 1/3 cup of the popcorn kernels (or if you want a single serving 2 tablespoons). Then, fold the bag over twice & tape down with the scotch tape. Pop as you would regular convenience popcorn in a bag carefully listening for when its done so you don't burn it. When done pour into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil or coconut oil. Top with your favorite seasoning & some shredded mozzarella. Then, stir it up & drizzle with a big more olive or coconut oil and sprinkle with some more seasoning and cheese. Stir it up again and eat!

Variations: There are countless variations here & I can't wait to try different combos. Try adding some chopped pepperoni/bacon or both for a "pizza" effect, some cinnamon sugar for a kettle corn flavor, some chocolate chips or m&ms & peanuts for a trail mix idea.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my recipes! I hope you decide to give them a try!!!

(Especially the smoothies & popcorn...amazing!)

Meal & Fitness Planning

So, I've already talked to everyone about monthly meal planning. This is key to fitness, I think. Since after all abs are made in the kitchen! So, here is my monthly meal plan for April:

So, in my house my husband is a very, very, very picky eater! So, I often have to cook the same meal but a "regular" version for hubby and a "healthy" version for me and our daughter. I'll break that down a bit more on Sunday when I do my weekly meal plan with recipes.

Now, meal planning isn't the only important planning you should do for a month. It is important to plan your workouts. Whether you do it for a week at a time or a month at a time you should have a plan! I learned this when doing P90X and Insanity. Here is my workout schedule for the month of April:

Now, it just so happens I am actually restarting Insanity this week along with training for a half marathon. A workout schedule this rigorous is not for everyone. Please consult a physician before starting any sort of workout regimen. I have one down day during the week where I will be doing cardio recovery (which is a yoga-ish workout, not very intense) and running a fast hill run by our house. Sunday's are my off day. I can choose to do nothing on this day but, I typically don't because I usually need a good stretch after six days of hardcore workouts. So, Sunday's I will either go to the local Lulu Lemon to take them up on their free yoga offerings or I will get out the P90X stretch DVD and stretch my little heart out. There are also a lot of stretching video's on YouTube, just remember to stretch to keep your joints limber!

How to fit in a workout? Do you often find yourself saying you can't workout because you don't have time? Well, it is time to put the excuses to bed. Think about how many hours you spend watching TV a night, how many hours do you spend reading a night, how many hours do you spend having your evening wine? Well, if you took just one of those hours you could get in a workout. Or how many hours do you wake up before having to go to school/work/get the kids ready for the day and just whittle the time away drinking coffee and talking on the phone??? That is the time you could fit in a workout. The bottom line is if it means a lot to you you will figure out how to fit it in. For me it is extremely important. I took this last week off and I have been exhausted and not feeling well. But, when I do workout I have tons of energy, I get more done during the day, and am overall much more alert. 

So, what is your favorite workout? Mine is a run on a hot, hot day!!! 

Farewell...

Farewell. Yes, farewell. Farewell to junk. I figure while I am getting rid of junk in my house and making it the wonderful, glorious home we want I figure I will get rid of the junk in my fridge and pantry too! So, years ago we cut out processed foods and started eating a healthier diet. At the beginning of 2012, when hubby was finally on board we cut out the junk of eating out too. We literally almost didn't eat out at all unless we could go somewhere that had local, healthy options. Well, when we moved in July of 2012 somehow we lost track of what we wanted in our health and have been trying lots of new, delicious restaurants near us and have been late night snacking on our favorite desserts! Not good people, not good. Five nights a week of oat fudge bars, nanaimo bars, the best Belgian hot chocolate you will ever drink, poutine, etc., is not good for us. So, after gaining some unnecessary weight we just finished up all the junk in the house (yes, I know most people would toss it but I cannot waste food, I just can't), and are ready to start back on our delicious food journey.

When we first went on our food journey we cut out all sugar and sugar substitutes and we are doing the same again. Normally we only use stevia, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, raw honey, and agave. However, for the next 30 days we won't be eating any extra sugar aside from that which comes in fruit and veggies. This is very, very hard to do but it can be done (and should) be done for your health. 

So, over the next 30 days my family will be following a high protein, low sugar diet. Now what can we eat you ask yourself??? LOTS of things! Tomorrow I will post my April dinner meal plan. Thirty days of clean, dinners. 

Our goal for the month is to concentrate on fueling our bodies to get us through the day, not eat to just eat to eat. 

(Img credit: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/food%20is%20fuel)

Remember fueling is good, junk is bad! I will see you all tomorrow with an amazing dinner menu!!! 

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nurse, dietician, etc I am just an everyday person looking to get healthy and share my ideas with the world. Before changing your diet make sure to consult with your doctor first to make sure you find the right eating plan for you!!!