21 day fix high protein chocolate peanut butter snack bars

21 day fix high protein chocolate peanut butter snack bars

So when I sat down to fill out a meal plan for this week the 21 day fix allows three "snack" of your choice to not be on the "regular list".  So I picked these bad boys to make this week.

Ingredients:
4 scoops-chocolate shakeology
2 cups quick old fashion rolled oats
1/3 cup of chopped raw peanuts
1/2 cup of raisins
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup all almond butter

Directions:
Combine shakeology, oats, peanuts, raisins, in a large bowl and mix well.  Add almond milk and almond butter and mix well.  Press mixture into 8x8 baking pan cover and refrigerate for 3 hours cut into 24 bars.

ENJOY!!!

21 day fix and what goes in the containers

21 day fix and what goes in the containers

So as I list these foods they are arranged on a list in hierarchical order from super great to still pretty great .  The higher up the list you choose, the more nutritionally beneficial the food, but that does not mean you should not have variety.  The more different foods that you eat the wider variety of nutrients your body will receive.

Green containers

• kale cooked or raw
• collard greens cooked or raw
• spinach
• Brussels sprouts chopped or 5 medium
• broccoli
• asparagus
• beets
• tomatoes
• squash summer
• winter squash
• string beans
• peppers sweet sliced
• carrots sliced or10 medium
• cauliflower
• artichoke
• eggplant
• okra
• jicama
• snow peas
• cabbage
• cucumbers
• celery
• lettuce
• mushrooms
• radishes
• onions chopped
• sprouts

Purple containers

• raspberries
• blueberries
• blackberries
• strawberries
• watermelon
• cantaloupe
• oranges 1 medium
• tangerine 2 small
• apple small
• apricots
• grapefruit
• cherries
• grapes
• kiwifruit
• mango
• peach
• nectarine
• pear
• pineapple
• banana
• papaya
• figs
• honeydew

Red containers

• Sardines fresh or canned in water 7 medium
• boneless skinless chicken or turkey breast
• lean ground chicken or turkey (93% lean)
• fish fresh water (catfish,tilapia, trout) cooked till it flakes
• game-buffalo (bison,ostrich, venison) cooked and diced
• Game-lean ground (95% lean) cooked and diced
• eggs, 2 large
• greek yogurt, plain 1%
• yogurt, plain, 2%
• shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster) cooked
• clams, canned, drained
• red meat, extra lean, cooked, diced
• lean ground red meat (95%) cooked
• shakeology 1scoop
• tempeh
• tofu, firm
• pork tenderloin, diced,cooked
• tuna, canned in water, drained
• turkey slices, low sodium, fat free, 6 slices
• ham slices, low sodium, fat free, 6 slices
• ricotta cheese, light
• cottage cheese, 2%
• protein powder (whey, hemp, rice, pea) 1 1/2 scoops
• veggie burger 1 medium patty
• turkey bacon (reduced fat) 4 slices

Yellow Containers

• sweet potatoes
• yams
• quinoa, cooked
• beans (kidney, black, garbanzo, white, lima, etc) cooked and drained
• lentils, cooked and drained
• edamame, shelled
• peas
• refried beans, nonfat
• brown rice, cooked
• wild rice, cooked
• potato, mashed or 1/2 of medium
• corn on the cob 1 ear
• amaranth, cooked
• millet, cooked
• buckwheat, cooked
• barley cooked
• bulgur, cooked
• oatmeal, steel cut, cooked
• oatmeal, rolled, cooked
• pasta, whole grain, cooked
• couscous, whole wheat, cooked
• crackers, whole grain, 8 small crackers
• cereal, whole grain, low sugar
• bread, whole-grain, 1 slice
• pita bread, whole wheat, 1 small
• waffles, whole grain, 1 waffle
• pancakes, whole grain, 1 small
• English muffin, whole-grain, 1/2 muffin
• bagel, whole grain, 1/2 small 3 inch
• tortilla, whole wheat, 1 small 6 inch
• tortilla, corn, 2 small 6 inch

Blue containers

• avocado, mashed or 1/4 medium
• 12 raw almonds
• 8 whole raw cashews
• 14 peanuts, whole raw
• 20 pistachios whole raw
• 10 pecan half raw
• 8 walnuts halves raw
• hummus
• coconut milk, canned
• feta cheese, crumble
• goat cheese crumble
• mozzarella low sodium shredded
• cheddar shredded
• provolone shredded
• Monterey jack shredded
• parmesan shredded

Orange containers

• pumpkin seeds raw
• sunflower seeds raw
• sesame seeds raw
• flaxseed ground
• olives, 10 medium
• peanuts
• coconut unsweetened shredded
• 21 day fix dressings

Teaspoons

• extra-virgin olive oil
• extra-virgin coconut oil
• flaxseed oil
• walnut oil
• pumpkin seed oil
• nut butters (peanut, almond, cashew, etc,)
• seed butters (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, tahini)

This is a great tally sheets to print out and mark off of each day.

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21 day fix snack ideas

21 day fix snack ideas

So the new beachbody program has been released and I so excited to be starting this new program along side my with my challengers in what I call challenge group.  So to insure we all get started on the right foot hear are some great snack ideas as we move forward and to get the gears in your mind turning on different ways to pair your foods together.

Snacks
purple-apple
teaspoon-almond butter

orange- pumpkin seeds
green-broccoli

purple- raspberries
red- plain Greek yogurt

blue- hummus
green-string beans

green-cauliflower
red- 2 hard boiled eggs

yellow-sweet potato
teaspoon-EVVO

blue-cheddar cheese
yellow- whole wheat crackers (8)

yellow- potato 1/2 of a medium
blue- cheddar cheese

green-winter squash
yellow-cooked quinoa

blue- 12 raw almonds
purple- peach

purple- pineapple
red-cottage cheese

red-canned tuna
yellow-wild rice

blue-coconut canned milk
red- turkey bacon 4 slices

red- ricotta
purple-mango

green-tomatoes
blue- avocado

orange- 21 day dressings
green- kale
yellow- Edamame beans

Now it's your turn be creative and start pairing together snack so that your able to keep fueling your body as the day goes on.  Treat it like a fire eating smaller portions every 2-3 hours as the day goes on and drinking half your body weight in oz.  For me I grab a large glass of water before each small meal so I know at the end of the day I for sure drank enough water to keep on going.  Water to your body is like oil to a car is you can go for awhile but things don't work as well and sooner or later it catches up with you and your body will not be happy that you did not add "oil" to your body.  Drink up while you eat every 2-3 hours a day.

If you would like more support and motivation while getting in shape I would love to talk more in detail on setting you up in a closed online facebook group.  Here is a application, after filling this out from that I will be able to help you out where your at http://goo.gl/J8b8q1



21 day fix salad dressings

21 Day fix salad dressings

It's here and how excided am I to share with you a few amazing recipes from the 21 day fix.  I can't wait for my first test group to get under way this coming Monday.  It has been the fastest selling beachbody program to hit the market what they projected in the first week for sales was achieved in the first 8 hours of this system being launched to the public.  So here are the recipes you can follow in the serving size of the orange container. All dressings make 12 servings which is about 6 tsp. each.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
6 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cups of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. of raw honey ( or pure maple syrup)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
6 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in a medium bowl, whisk to blend.
2. Stir in mustard and mix well
3. Slowly add oil while whisking and mix well

Tip store in covered container in the refrigerator.  If dressing thickens when cold hold at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Creamy Herb Dressing
1 medium avocado cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups of plain Greek yogurt
4 tbsp. of finely chopped hebs like tarragon, parsley, mint or cilantro
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 dash of ground white pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Place avocado, yogurt, herbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a blender cover and blend till smooth.
2. Continue blending avocado mixture, slowly adding oil until well blended.


Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
6 fresh tarragon sprigs
4 tsp. of sea salt
1/4 tsp. of ground pepper
6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1. combine lemon juice, shallots, tarragon, mustard, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend, slowly add oil while whisking and mix.

Dijon Vinaigrette
3 tbsp. of red wine vinegar
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. of Dijon mustard
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp of sea salt
14 tsp of ground pepper
6 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil

1. combine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Whisk to blend slowly add oil while whisking mix well.

Asian Citrus Vinaigrette
1/4 cup of 100% orange juice
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
2 tbs. of reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. of raw honey
1/2 inch of fresh ginger peeled, and finely grated
1/4 cup of sesame oil

1. Combine orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and ginger in a medium bowl, whisk to blend slowly add oil.

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Super Bowl Recipes

Super Bowl Recipes

I was not even sure I should write a blog on recipes for the "BIG" game.  We are so not football people but I'm sure for a lot of you this is a big day and parties are on the to-do list. We may watch it for the a little bit but I can't say it will be an all our party in our house.  Maybe when Clint get older this might be something he enjoys and we will watch more football and learn more about the game at that point in time.  For now it's clean eating and still having spicy fun foods while not killing the progress you had all week.

Clean Carmel popcorn:

Ingredients-

1/2 cup of popcorn kernels

 1/4 cup of raw honey

 3 tablespoons of almond butter

Directions:

First thing first I grab my 4 quart pan and put the heat at medium, next I added 2 tablespoons of olive oil, added 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, after about 4 minutes once the popping was less then 5 seconds apart I pulled it off the heat.  Next I took 1/4 cup of raw honey and 3 tablespoons of almond butter put it in the microwave for 20 seconds just so it was easy to poor over the warm popcorn. 

Ingredients balls:

1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 cup of cooked shredded chicken
1/4 cup of low fat feta
1/4 cup of low fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of hot sauce(give or take on on what you desire for spice)
1 egg white
2 Tablespoons of whole wheat
1/4 cup of panko

Dressing-
1 cup of Greek yogurt
1/4 cup of blue cheese crumbles
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of dill
1/2 teaspoon of parsley
dash of salt and pepper

Spicy Cheddar Cheese Balls
Directions-
preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all ingredients together for balls except panko, forming into one inch size balls.  Then roll in panko until cover well, place on baking dish and spray lightly with olive oil.  Cook for 20 minutes flipping after 10 minutes.

To make the dressing simply mix all ingredients together and place in a small serving bowl.
This recipes is taste the best if you serve it warm.

Greek yogurt
Ingredients:

1 cup of Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon of almond butter

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips

Directions: Mix yogurt, almond butter, and honey then top with chocolate chips.  My son loves this recipe and so do I.  Enjoy!!

 Enjoy the game and have fun!!

Josie's first birthday

Josie's first birthday

Wow as I sit her and write this blog post I'm holding baby Josie as she sleeps in my arms.  It's early Sunday morning and she slept ok last night but neither of the kids have been 100% themselves this week.  After my husband getting the flu and being down and out for 4 days the kids got a mild dose of it.  They have been extra sleepy this week and wanted to be held extra.  As a stay at home mom extra time holding them is ok with me I just wish they felt totally 100% better.

Wow what a good year it has been and I love having a daughter she reminds me daily to set the bar for myself to be the best example I can be to her.  I pray she has a strong faith, is independent, and never settles for anything in life.  I'm so glad those are things that I was raised with and I want to pass that onto our kids as well.  My time with them is very short some days might seem long but time really does fly.

I'm blessed to be able to work at home and not have to miss out on any mile stone as the kids grow up.  I loved that my mom was able to stay at home with us as kids and I always wanted to do the same for our kids. 

Anyone that know me knows I'm not big into pink and if you would of told me last year at this time my little girls first birthday would have pink I would of told you yeah right.  Every baby outfit I got that was pink last year at this time I took back.  But after about 8 months the color pink grew on me and some where in their I decided I wanted pink at the party.

After cleaning for the last 9 months the thought of making a cake I'm not sure I was up to the task I think I forgot how to bake!!  So I left it up to the local bakery and they did a great job!!  LOTS of water for me today!!  The tort was raspberry lemonade and red velvet cake!!

But at the same time I wanted to still have some healthy snacks on hand.  The Greek hummus dip was a hit.

Ingredients:
24 oz plain hummus
3 tablespoons of fresh dill
1 1/2 cups of plain Greek yogurt
1 cup of crumble feta cheese
4 oz of black olives
1 cucumber peeled and diced
1/2 cup of red onions chopped

Directions:
Mix hummus, dill, & Greek yogurt in a small bowl and then layer your serving dish with it and then top with remaining toppings.  I put a little extra fresh dill on top for looks.

A little fruit rainbow to brighten the day!!

I love the backdrop my grandmother made, I'm sure that will be a take away memory from Josie's first birthday a trip to the scary store JoAnne fabrics with two little ones to purchase the material. 

When I went to put together a few pictures from the past year it was hard to pick just a few because what great memories goes with each one of them.  So here is to another fun year of being a mom of two wonderful kids 17 months apart.  Date nights are a must!!





Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad

I know it's the middle of winter but I came across this summery recipe and decided to make it to feel more summer like in our cold pa home this week.  What a simple, tasty, and quick recipe, three of my favorite words when it comes to recipes.

*Add grilled chicken, fish, or other lean healthy protein to make this meal complete.

Ingredients:
12 oz. of multi-grain corkscrew pasta
1 15 oz. can of reduced-sodium garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
10 cups mixed baby peppers, seeded and thinly sliced into 2 inch pieces
1 bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cucumber chopped
2 scallions, thinly chopped
1/2 cup of pitted olives chopped
2 cups of cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup of feta crumbled cheese
1/4 cup of fresh chopped basil
2 tablespoon fresh oregano
grated zest of one large lemon
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper

Directions:
Bring large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package.  Drain well and place in large mixing bowl.  Add garbanzo beans, baby greens, red and green bell peppers, cucumbers, scallions, olives, tomatoes, feta, basil, and oregano.

In a small bowl whisk together lemon zest and juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Pour over pasta and toss to combine.