Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Crumble

Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Crumble

 

Fall is here!!  As a busy mom of three trying to create a healthy lifestyle of clean eating along with having little one's the need of wanting to bake this time of the year is just part of fall and watching all the leave change colors.  I will say this is SIMPLE and can be prepared in 10 minutes (including cutting the apples) and ready to slow cook. 

 

 

For the apples:

1/2 cup coconut sugar

7 large apples, peeled and cut into chunks

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

For the topping:

2/3 cup oats

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3-4 tablespoons  coconut oil (softened)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

   *Caramel to drizzle over the plate

   *Great served warmed or chilled 

 

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, apples, salt, and cinnamon. Spread onto bottom of slow cooker.
2. Mix your crumble topping ingredients until it comes together. Sprinkle it over top of the apples. Cook on low for 4 hours, or high for 2 hours.

If you're following the 21 day fix meal plan this will work for it as well.

 

Insanity Max 30 dinner recipe

Insanity Max 30 dinner recipe

Poached Basil and Garlic Salmon

Ingredients:
8 cups of water
4 (7 oz.) raw salmon fillets
1/2 cup of fresh basil (or 2 tsp. of died basil) divided
2 cloves of chopped garlic
Fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. 
2. Sprinkle salmon with 1/4 cup of basil: place in boiling water.  Cover immediately and remove from heat.  Poach salmon in hot water for 5 to 7 minutes or until salmon flakes easily when tested with a fork.
3. Sprinkle salmon with remaining basil and drizzle with lemon juice


Roasted Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients:
4 cups of cauliflower florets, washed, patted dry
4 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. of sea salt
1/4 tsp. of granulated garlic (optional)
2 tbsp. low-sodium organic veggie broth

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place cauliflower on large baking pan.
3. Drizzle with oil, toss gently t coat, season with salt and garlic (if desired)
4. Bake, stirring halfway through, for 40 to 45 minutes or until tender
5. Place in food processor, add veggie broth, pulse until smooth

Enjoy this meal is wonderful if you have little ones that are not big on eating their veggies.  These homemade cauliflower mash potatoes will help in that area. 

Max 30 Salad Dressing

Dijon Vinaigrette (Max 30 or 21 day fix)

Welcome to my blog I'm a mother of 3 and enjoy paying it forward and sharing tips I've used to lose the baby weight.  Both programs Insanity Max 30 and the 21 day fix are amazing at home fitness programs that help normal everyday people get in the best shape of their lives. 

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 6 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 packets of stevia
• 1 tsp. honey

Blend together and enjoy! If you are following the Insanity Max: 30 meal plan or the 21 Day Fix, this is counted as one orange!  Have a great day

Healthy snack for kids

Healthy snack for kids

 

Baked apple chips

 

Ingredients

• 3 small gala apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200º.
2. Core small gala apples using an apple corer and thinly slice.
3. Place apples on baking sheet with silicone mat or wax paper underneath for easy cleanup.
4. Mix sugar (I use coconut sugar) with cinnamon. Sprinkle the top of the apples with the cinnamon sugar mixture. (keep in mind you do not have to use all of it)
5. Bake fore 1 hour. Flip apples over.
6. Bake for an additional hour. Remove from oven and let rest. Serve when ready.

 

 

Take plan Greek yogurt and cover strawberries and freeze, easy to pull a few out at a time and kids enjoy this refreshing snack on a summer day.

Mom's how many of you love a good deal however when it comes to fresh produce its hard to take advantage other then what will keep in the fridge?  Grapes go on sale?  Purchase and freeze, making a great afternoon snack for the kiddo's

 

They say an apple a day keeps the dr. away well how about if we add a little flare to those apples?  Take a whole wheat wrap, spread tablespoon on wrap, add diced apples and you have a snack to share with your mini me.

 

 

I know as a mom flipping over any juice box for kids is always eye opening on the amount of sugar in the drink.  Here is a fun way to add flavor to the plan old H2O.  I know for our kids if I'm drinking something fun like this they want to follow.

 

 

Fun afternoon snack a hole banana, tablespoon of almond butter, and a whole wheat wrap.

 

 

 

Yes it's ok to play with your food, the more we make those wonderful vegetables look appealing the kids will want to join you in your health adventure. 

 

 

I would use almond butter to create your animal. 

 

 

 

Carrot snacks

 

Ingredients

2 large carrots (or 3 medium)
1/2 teaspoon olive oil (or melted coconut oil)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Wash and peel the carrots. Using a mandoline slicer or a knife, tilt the carrot, and thinly slice diagonally to make oval-shaped pieces — if they're too thick, they'll be soft instead of crunchy.
3. Place the carrot slices in a bowl, and toss with olive oil and salt.
4. Lay the carrots in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the carrots are dry and crisp. Watch them carefully toward the end, as they can burn quickly.

Tips on how to create a routine with your fitness

Tips on how to create a routine with your fitness

It feels like forever!!  To even think about my own personal day one of my own fitness journey after giving birth to our new addition Henry.  This morning I woke up to feed Henry at 4:35am and the thought of creating a routine of waking up again at 5:00am every morning kind of gave me hesitations.  I thought oh man I’m going to be tired!!  I will be sore, there will be mornings like today I will feed the baby and then press play.  In that moment I knew at the core of my being how others feel. It’s almost easier to stay the same then to make the changes needed to achieve the goals you want. 

 

So in my own self talk of mentally preparing myself for Day one I wanted to share tips that worked for me in the past and also steps I will be using starting March 23^rd.

 

First I will be starting with a program called the 21 day fix!!  I’ve done the program in the past and did the workouts until 36 weeks pregnant.  For me I know just getting back on a system I will need something that is effective yet not I can control how intense I want to go based on the weights I use.  Also the plan keeps nutrition as simple as it gets!! Hurry as a busy mom of three I need a system with the lines drawn out from dot to dot or in this case from container to container.

Next way to create a habit with fitness is to plan ahead, I will lay out my workout clothes for the entire week in the basement AKA my gym!!  This will ensure I can walk into the basement without talking myself out of hitting play because my clothes and shoes are ready.  My husband was wonderful and hung a rack in the basement with 6 hocks on it which I can just hang my six outfits from.  As a busy mom with a husband gone a large % of the week being able to work out from home just works.  I would never be able to stay consistent if finding a sitter and driving to a class or gym where involved.  I might show up 30% of the time and that would leave me with 30% results.

I'm not going to wait for motivation...I would be waiting a long time.  Motivation is not going to strike you like lightning and motivation is not something that someone else-nurse, doctor, family member can force on you. The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation. JUST DO IT! Do it without motivation and then guess what happens? After you start doing the “thing”, that’s when the motivation comes and makes it easy for you to keep doing it.  Motivation is like love and happiness. It’s a by-product. When you’re actively engaged in doing something, it sneaks up and zaps you when you least expect it.  You’re more likely to act yourself into feeling than feel yourself into action.

 

Next my motivation will be to take those before pictures and measurements relying on the scale will only hold me back from progress seeing those before pictures and progress 30 days in will keep this girl motivated to stay on track with those 5:00am workouts.  PLEASE take your before pictures because when week two comes or the first night the kids are up because their sick you will give up on yourself and your goals.  Those pictures will push you to push play!

 

Next to stay on track I will be setting an alarm on my phone to remind me to go to bed a half hour sooner at night!!  Ladies since when did we feel the need to be superwoman without investing time into ourselves?  It’s crazy!!  IF you want more energy than half hour ME time is needed.  It’s like setting an appointment with your boss, if the kids were sick you would find a way to still show up on time.  If setting that time aside each day doesn’t happen like setting a date with a girlfriend excuses will pop up.  You’re worth it!!  Make it happen it’s you against you!  Set your alarm and put your fake smile, press play before your body can talk you out of it.

 

I promise I’m just like you the same fears of failing, the fears of investing in a workout I won’t finished, worried about drinking shakeology and not seeing results, worried about not staying on track with nutrition.  But what I do know is, together we are stronger!!  The thought of losing weight without accountability seems impossible but I know challenge groups work and showing up with goals in mind, action steps to take to meet those goals, putting a date on it, and sharing it with others is key.  We start together and finish together.  I want to help all moms wanting to lose the baby inches and gain more energy and confidence.  My entire goal has been to create a system where others succeed.  We start March 23 with limited space to be considered fill out the application below

 

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