Basil and Peach Pork Chops

I have a new found love for the combination of peaches and fresh basil. It started by subbing peaches for tomatoes in a caprese salad before all the peaches I had on my counter began to rot. It was truly one of the best things I've ever thrown together to see what might happen in the kitchen.  And now I don't want to eat anything peaches without some fresh basil.

We have been getting a lot of pork from our meat share at 1st Generation Farms and I am thrilled to have found a new summer goto recipe for them since my previous pork goto included a crock pot and sauerkraut and typically tasted best with a side of Sunday afternoon football. Add in the fact that I used the peaches and basil from my CSA and I feel like a true locavore, supporting local farms and eating fresh and in season. It makes my heart sing.

So I've done cooked down peaches over pork before and it's pretty complimentary. BUT this time I added some basil and it took it to the next level. Not to toot my own horn but *toot toot* this may have been one of the best dinners I ever made.  So far I've made it twice. Once with the bourbon butter sauce and once with some Paleo substitutions to make it compliant for my Whole 30.

The substitutions didn't really alter the awesomeness of this recipe, even if saying a bourbon butter sauce makes it sound so much tastier. (Because it does. I've gone over it in my head and will always want to choose the one with the bourbon and butter sauce.) Truth be told,  it wasn't as sweet (skipped adding a little maple syrup) and it didn't have quite the depth of flavor from the bourbon but it was still summery and glorious. I subbed ghee in for the butter so there was still a buttery sauce even if ghee doesn't sound quite as delicious and buttery as butter. But really WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE GLORIOUSNESS OF GHEE AS A COOKING FAT BEFORE NOW. Or why have I not paid attention. Because it rocks my socks.

I am going to post both variations below.


Happy Eats!


Peach & Basil Pork Chops

• 4 bone in pork chops (or whatever you have on hand)
• salt & pepper - to taste
• dried basil - to taste
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ghee (or other cooking fat)

• 1/2 small onion, diced*
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 fresh peaches, sliced
• 1/2 cup homemade chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup**
• a handful of fresh basil, cut into long thin strips (chiffonade)
• 2 TBS bourbon**
• 2 TBS grass fed butter (or ghee)

Sprinkle pork with salt, pepper and dried basil.

Add 1-2 teaspoons ghee to a large skillet. Add pork to skillet and cook until browned on both sides. About 3 minutes each side.

Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add onion and garlic. Saute until onion begins to become translucent. Add peaches and broth and maple syrup. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for another 3-5 minutes. I like to make sure the peaches are getting good and cooked down. Add bourbon, ghee and fresh basil. Cook for 5 minutes until sauce looks like it is beginning to thicken.

Pour on top of pork chops and garnish with more fresh basil if desired.

Enjoy and marvel at the healthy, fancy pants dinner you just made.

xoxo


*I think green onion or glamming it up with some shallots here would be amazing but I only had a small yellow onion on hand. It is what it is.

**skip for 21 Day Fix or Paleo/Whole 30 (trust me it's still good)
** sub apple cider vinegar for 21 Day Fix or Paleo/Whole 30

21 Day Fix Containers:
1 red
1 purple
2 Teaspoons

Grain Free Lamb Meatballs (with Greek Yogurt Tzatziki Sauce)

I kind of have a Greek food obsession. If I was going to move overseas I would want to head to Greece and just eat olives and feta and stuffed grape leaves all day long. I also look forward to all the summer food festivals that include gyro stands and the especially the festivals put on by the local Greek churches. I could go crazy. So this little gem of a recipe also helps fill that I need some Greek food now and can't possibly wait until summer craving. It is seriously handy in January.

So this is what I did:

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs ground meat (I used a mix of grass fed beef and lamb feel free to use all lamb)
Juice of half a lemon
1 1/2 TBS coconut oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 1/2 tsp fresh)
1/2 tsp dried oregano (or 1 1/2 tsp fresh)
1 tsp salt (I used Himalayan Salt)
1/4 tsp black pepper

For the tzatziki sauce:

3/4 cup greek yogurt*
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
Juice of 1/4 of a lemon (about 1 TBS)
1/2 tsp dried dill (or 1 1/2 tsp fresh)
1/3 tsp dried mint (or 1 tsp fresh)
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt


Grab a large bowl and mix together all of the meatball ingredients. (I use my hands. It works the best even if it does have an ewww factor.) You can let this marinade at room temp for 20-30 minutes or skip it if you don't have time. The flavor is better if you let it marinade but it's not a make it or break it factor for me.

Roll the meat into small meatballs (about 2"). Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle.

While baking, make the sauce by placing all ingredients in a bowl and whisking together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

I always serve this over Zoodle Salad.


*when I am avoiding dairy I sub with coconut milk yogurt



21 Day Fix Container Breakdown:

1 red (1/2 for sauce and 1/2 3 meatballs*)
2 green** (if adding zoodle pasta)

*varies based on what size you make your meatballs
** you can also measure out one green container here instead of two. I went for two because green is what I always tend to have left.

For more info on zoodles and why I am obsessed check this out.

Easy Breezy (and rock your world worthy) Homemade Mayo

I never liked mayonnaise much. It was super easy for me to leave it off of things because it totally grossed me out. I hated buying big jars of it for recipes to use a tablespoon here or half a cup there and then end up throwing out the entire thing. (Just because I don't like it doesn't mean I didn't feel bad about wasting it.)

When I started this whole clean eating journey and really started paying attention to labels and what was in all the food, I was appalled at the ingredient lists on condiments. Salad dressings, mayonnaise, sauces....they all seemed to have HUGE ingredient lists of stuff I couldn't pronounce. It totally shocked me. I expected it from things like poptarts and fritos but salad dressing is pretty much oil, vinegar and spices.....why did we need to have all that other stuff in there?

This lead me to start to figure out what I could make on my own and for things like salad dressing and mayonnaise....well it's easier, cheaper and tastes way better when you make your own. Who knew it was super easy to make mayo and it actually tasted good. It was completely different from the stuff on the grocery store shelves. Because mayonnaise is actually yellow, not white. And it can be flavored a billion different ways depending on your taste.

This is the recipe I use for basic mayonnaise. It is pretty good for when mayo is called for in other recipes. It doesn't have a crazy strong flavor that will alter what your dish is supposed to taste like. (Because no one wants bossy mayo that steals the show and takes over when it isn't supposed to!)

I also like to halve this recipe when I need just a little bit for something I am making (like my clean and easy crab dip).


2 egg yolks**
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 TBS dijon mustard (I use Annie's Horseradish mustard)
1 1/2 cups oil (I use cold pressed olive oil)
Salt to taste

Place the egg yolks in the food processor or immersion blender cup. Add the vinegar and mustard. Turn on the blending device you are using and slowly start to add the oil as you are blending. Once it starts to thicken you can be more liberal with how fast you are adding the oil. Salt to taste.



** This recipe contains raw eggs. Use caution when consuming raw eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness.  For more information on the risks and prevention and minimizing your risks click the links below:

http://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellaeggs/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/11/13/eggs-part-two.aspx

http://empoweredsustenance.com/raw-eggs-safe/

5 Tips for a Happy and Healthy Halloween

Halloween. Traditionally the night of candy comas in kids. Spooks and scares. Tricks and treats. It also seems to be the unofficial kick off to the holiday eating season. Start with lots of candy. Move onto turkey and then into Christmas cookies. No wonder the holidays are almost impossible to navigate without adding to your waistline!

So here are some tips I try to stick by to keep my Halloween in check and in turn, start my holiday season off right.


1. Workout and Stick to Your Routine

Start your Halloween off like any other day. Get your sweat on. Stick to your meal plan. Treat Halloween like any other day and you will be less likely to indulge all day.



2. You Don't Have to Pass out Candy

There are so many fun options that don't involve candy. Halloween tattoos and stickers. Glow sticks. Other fun little toys can be picked up on the cheap that allow kids to enjoy Halloween without all the extra sugar. Plus this allows kids with food allergies to enjoy Halloween too....(because it's bad enough to be the kid who can't toss down Reese's cups with all your friends. Not being able to have any Halloween treats has to be even worse.)

Check out the Teal Pumpkin Project for more info on food allergies, Halloween and candy alternatives.

I love passing out Angie's Boom Chicka Pop Popcorn . There are typically boxes of fall flavored popcorn like cinnamon sugar, kettle corn and even candy corn flavored popcorn. So not totally healthy but way better than a snickers
(and GMO free!)



3. Wait until the last minute to buy your treats

If you are more traditional and think Halloween is for candy and candy alone.....this may be a better option for you. Especially if you also have an issue with the Halloween candy taunting you from wherever you hid it. Wait to purchase your treats the day of or the night before. You won't have time to go out and get more, so getting into those Kit Kats on your table isn't an option.



4. Eat before you Trick or Treat

If you are full and satisfied, you are less likely to dig into the halloween bag of candy you are coerced into carrying for your kiddos. It was always a rule in my house growing up that we were not allowed to start eating candy until we got home (Mom wanted to check it....which she never really did but it did save us from totally OD'ing on candy before we even got home.

If chocolate is totally hard for you to avoid whether your belly is full or not (because there is always room for chocolate....who am I kidding.) Try using a sweet treat replacement. I keep chocolate Shakeology on hand for emergencies such as this and there are so many awesome recipes that totally shut down my chocolate monster.....like Mocha Mint, Peanut Butter Cup and more. (Click here for more get out of Halloween candy free shakeo recipes.)


5. Sort Your Kiddos Candy (with or without them) and be Picky About What you Keep

If we are being totally honest, there are always some candy duds in the post trick or treating haul. And instead of letting it sit around for months, after all the good stuff has been devoured, sort it into piles. We used to get a bag or a bowl and we could keep what fit. Everything else had to go. So we had some treats to pick from post Halloween (and my mom could use for bribery: Eat all your brussel sprouts and you can have a piece of candy. If your room is totally cleaned, dusted and vacuumed you can have some candy.)

My kiddo is still too young for that (although the eating your dinner all gone for a one piece choice does work well....) so I sort it without her. I keep a little bit and the rest is gone. I also only keep the choices that won't make me give into my inner sugar monster mid afternoon and gorge myself on Twix and Milky Way bars. Those go away. (She prefers things like lollipops anyway.)

So what do you do with all candy in the go away pile? If you feel guilty about throwing it away there are lots of options. The school where I taught always collected it for troops overseas. There are a few organizations that will collect Halloween candy including Operation Gratitude, Operation Stars and Stripes, and Operation Shoebox. Many dentists also participate in a candy buyback program and will donate the candy they receive to an organization like this. Other options include childrens hospitals, VA hospitals and veteran programs. There are always lots of organizations looking for donations. Do a quick google search and you will find lots of options in your area.

Have a happy and healthy Halloween!

.

Skinny Jeans Are Coming....whether I am ready or not

No matter how hard I try, I can't run away from my retail roots. As soon as August hits, my thoughts are filled with denim, denim walls and wondering what denim will be on sale. Because if we are being honest here.....Fall means honey crisp apples, pumpkin flavored everything, boots and denim. LOTS of denim.

As a former pusher of denim, I was super curious about what exactly the trends were going to be this year and one of the big ones....high rise denim. I grabbed a pair of these to check them out and oh my word is the waist TINY. Maybe I am used to looking at jeans cut to fit around the hips but I immediately sucked in and tried to figure out if I would even be able to button them.  It was at that moment that I knew I NEEDED to do another fall denim challenge group.

So what I am dishing up for August....A 30 day Skinny Jeans Challenge

How would it work?

For 30 days I would put you in a closed Facebook group with others trying to achieve the same goal (including me! yay!) We will break our goals down into weekly goals. We will talk about clean eating, meal preparation, meal planning and everything you need to get set up for success. We will measure progress by not just using the scale but by measurements and photos (I know. Super scary but when you think you aren't making any progress it is amazing to see what you actually done in the photos. Believe me. I've been there!) We will do this on Day 1, Day 14 and Day 30.

We will post daily in the group and rate our day on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best and 1 being the worst. We will rate our diet and our exercise (basically how hard you brought it!) and whether or not we had our Shakeology.

We will commit to trying out Shakeology for 30 days. I know once I did it, I fell in love with the energy I had and how great I felt from getting all the nutrients I need. (*Side note* my nails look awesome. Better than when I was on prenatal vitamins. It is my current obsession since I have struggled with weak and peeling nails forever! One of the perks I didn't know I was going to get.) So Shakeology is going to fuel your body (keyword fuel) with the vitamins and nutrients you need throughout the day. And there is a 30 day guarantee on Shakeology so if it isn't working for you, we'll talk (and you get your money back.) --For more on my experience Shakeology read this.

We will eat clean. (For more info on what that means read this.) But basically just strive to eat real, whole food. No chemicals and no processed food. I will provide you with recipe ideas, meal planning and all the tools that have worked so far for me on this journey.

We will also commit to working out 5-6 days a week. I don't care if you run, walk or lift. Just get that body moving! If you already workout regularly think about stepping up your game. Adding some weight training to your cardio. If you don't have an exercise regimen we can talk about options. If you are interested in trying a Beachbody program, we can talk about that too and get you set up with something that totally works for you. There are so many options outside of P90x and Insanity (which I feel gets all the love) so if hard core intensity isn't for you, we can totally find something that is. I am currently doing a PiYO and Les Mills Pump hybrid. I have found success with the at home programs from BeachBody because they are a killer workout and they all come with a schedule. So I can wake up, get my kiddo some breakfast and toss in a movie, look at the schedule, pop in a DVD and press play. I don't have to worry about getting her ready to go to the gym with me or what series of exercises I am going to do that day. I know me and I need that schedule. I get really freaked out if I am going to miss a day and "mess up" the schedule or the order. But whatever works for you, we will make it happen.

Plus I will give you daily motivation, tips and tricks and share all the research I have accrued over the last few months.

Need even more incentive? 

For the FIRST time I am SO EXCITED to offer a challenge group grand prize! I am partnering with a few coaches to make this happen. The goal here is to get you into a new, smaller pair of jeans. So what better prize than a gift card to your favorite store to make that happen?*  

Our official start date is August 25.


Want to join us? Fill out the application below

*amount will vary based on the number of participants signed up for the challenge. To be eligible for the grand prize participants must have purchased a challenge pack during the month of  August  2014. 

Fill out my online form.

Use Wufoo templates to make your own HTML forms.

Four BIG things I learned from doing the 3 Day Refresh

I have been putting off talking about this. But the time has come where I HAVE to talk about it. I have put it off long enough and need to share what I think are the whys of why it didn't work for me.

I am talking about the 3 Day Refresh.

I am a HUGE fan of the shakeology cleanse. I loved it. I had great results and talked about it openly all the time. (For more info on the shakeology cleanse click here. To read about my experience with it click here.) So I was kind of dismayed when Isabelle Daikeler (co-creator of shakeology) talked about how it wasn't designed for a cleanse. There wasn't the right balance of protein and fiber or calories for optimal results. But since the cleanse was so popular she set out to design one that would incorporate those things, and the 3 Day Refresh was born.

So I eagerly ordered mine as soon as I could. I had a cross-country move coming up, followed by a holiday week at home that would be filled with friends, family, food and booze. I know how I feel after those weeks. And being on vacation at home with my husband means eating at all our favorite restaurants before he heads West again. (Because out there they are desperately lacking in all things pizza and Italian food. So when back home in Pittsburgh, he eats his fill.)

It sat on top of my fridge as I anxiously waited for the right time to start it (like the day after my hubby left.) I tore into it with wild abandon and read all the details. I made a plan. I shopped. I tried to incorporate all the leftover veggie tray veggies from the Fourth of July party into my meals (hello moroccan carrot salad.) I was excited and prepared. I was going to rock this.

Except I didn't.

The first day was okay. I was hungry but nothing I wasn't expecting. I drank a lot of water. Forced down the Fiber Sweep shake. (It's not bad but the chia and flax in it get clumpy if it sits and the texture gets really gross. Seriously, shake and chug. It's better for everyone that way.) I made it through the Vanilla Fresh shakes with no major issues. They were okay. Not terrible but not amazing either. I used my allotment of frozen fruit in my shakes so they had a thicker texture. I drank my water. I went to bed. I didn't feel headachy or anything like that which was a plus.

Imagine my dismay when I woke up on Day Two and gained 3 pounds. Crazy. So I googled. This was what I found:

"Improved regularity is a possible benefit of the program. However many users may not be accustomed to the higher levels of fiber in their diet, and this can lead to temporary gas, bloating or constipation. If users get a little gas or bloating, this is a sign that they need to up their fiber levels in general." (Source) 

But I eat vegetables. ALL the time. I get TONS of fiber. I knew that was not my issue. But maybe it was water weight or something like that. It would just go away. No big deal. So I pressed on. 

Day Two continued on much like Day One, except I learned these little tricks. Choose lettuce for lunch. Seriously, 3 cups is a serving. That's a major win compared to 12 green beans. 
      
And on Day Three I woke up having gained another 2 pounds. (So a total of five pounds.) For someone who was hoping to lose the five happy good times travel pounds she put on the previous week this was not an ideal situation. Also by this point in the cleanse the Vanilla Fresh shakes were starting to really hurt my stomach. I didn't even use the last one. 

So I was done. And crabby about the whole thing. 

The final verdict. I gained 5 pounds. From a cleanse. And I felt terrible. That was a really hard thing to wrap my head around. 

But I am a glass half full kind of girl so I refused to see this as a major setback. I knew there were takeaways from this I could use to move forward in my journey. So what did I learn from this situation.... a few things. 

1. I most definitely have some type of food intolerance happening. 

Doing an elimination diet and figuring that out to get my health to the next level has been moved WAY up on the priority list. 

2. Starting the day drinking 8-12 oz of water is awesome. 

This is something that is recommended on the Refresh and I am going to implement daily. No coffee until that water is down the hatch. 

3. Beachbody has a pretty awesome return policy.

 I was able to return the completely EMPTY box the refresh came in for a full refund. No questions asked. (Just remember to keep your tracking number!) *

4. Not everything works for everyone. 

This is true for workouts, foods, diets and apparently cleanses. Our bodies are all different. Our lifestyles are all different. There is not a one size fits all solution. Luckily when it comes to workouts and nutrition there are TONS of different options to find the one that works. A year and a half later I am still trying to nail down the nutrition side of it but I am getting closer every day. 

Despite all of this...was I disappointed? Yes. Was I frustrated? Extremely. But there was nothing I could do to go back and fix it at that point besides get right back on track with my workouts and my meal plan. 

What was even more frustrating....to see all of my friends and teammates having killer results with the 3 Day Refresh. 

Michelle lost 6 lbs. SIX POUNDS in three days. That is crazy. (You can read more about her experience here.)

AND Amber lost 8 lbs. EIGHT pounds and TWO inches. (Are you starting to feel my frustration now?) (You can read about her story here.)

There are tons of stories I could share with you to illustrate awesome successes in three days. (Or you can just google 3 Day Refresh Results.) But I wanted to mention these two ladies because they are on my team. I know them. I work with them. For me that seems WAY more credible that an image straight from google. 

So what does this mean? 

I will not be jumping on the Refresh bandwagon anytime soon. There is something in there that just does not agree with me. But I am in the minority by far. (Still angry.) 

And if you too happen to fall in that minority, you have the 30 day guarantee to fall back on. Money back. Empty Box. No questions asked. 

Should you try it?

I would take a look at your health, your history, the ingredients and determine if it is something that can work for you. If you have questions take them to your doctor. But I am a firm believer in giving everything a shot....so if you are on the fence I say go for it. What do you have to lose?

For more information on the Refresh click here. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me. 

The 3 Day Refresh - The What, Whys and Hows....

The last two weeks in my life has been a crazy whirlwind of packing, moving, unpacking, cleaning, doing yard work and more recently celebrating a number of things with my friends and family. My first week home is pretty much like a vacation with A LOT of hard work (and spiders!) I don't get to grocery shop until I have already eaten out a bunch of times and pretty much completely messed up my system.

I have learned over the past year that I don't do well on dairy. I had some great success trying out an elimination diet for two weeks last month but I really overestimated being able to move across the country and maintain that kind of rigor in my diet. (But this is something I am really looking forward to trying when I can really commit. I know there are other things that are messing with my system besides dairy but that is an entirely different post.)

So 2, 169 miles, 9 suitcases, three people, two dogs all got home to a house full of dust, spiders and
weeds that were of prehistoric proportions.

It needed handled.

A truckload of mulch, 5 hydrangeas, two flats of flowers and a day later. The outside of my house was getting close to handled.

But I also had 3 cheerleading practices, a hair appointment, a party to throw for 60 plus people and 3 dinners on separate nights with friends who wanted to say hey, but couldn't make it on Friday.

The way I was eating went out the window and was taken over by convenience and all the at the places my husband wanted to eat before he packed back up and went out of town again.

Needless to say I am kind of a mess right now. We had beer, pizza, German food (amazing!), birthday cake, brownies, hotdogs, hamburgers, and all sorts of different and yummy sides. Not to mention seafood, the best risotto I have ever had, more beer, sangria, caipirinhas, creme brulee, fish tacos, guac and chips.....I mean I could keep going and going and going.

So I am more than eager to get all of this sugar (among other things) out of my system by trying the new 3 day Refresh starting tomorrow.



What is the 3 Day Refresh? 3-Day Refresh is a straightforward 3-Day program to lose weight, get a clean break from bad nutrition habits and feel immediately cleaner, lighter and more healthy…without starving! (There is real food called for on this program which is kind of awesome.)

So What Comes with the 3 Day Refresh?

• 3 shakes a day
•  a fiber drink
• plenty of filtered water,
• plus 3 small meals and fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day to keep your energy and metabolism going. 

Why would I want to Refresh?

Maybe you had a weekend (or a week or two) like mine and you just want to get back on track and back to feeling full of energy and generally awesome. Maybe you have a big event coming up and you want to rock it. Maybe you are looking to break a plateau or kick off a new program by hitting the ground running. There are a ton of reasons to give this a shot. 

How Do I Refresh?

1.  Start your day off with Shakeology- Packed with potent superfoods, Shakeology starts each of your days on the Refresh with Your Daily Dose of Dense Nutrition^® to help improve and support all your body's vital functions, while also helping to maximize energy and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
2. Vanilla Fresh Shakes FOR LUNCH AND DINNER This patent-pending, delicious, and protein-rich formula helps curb your hunger with more than 20 grams of wholesome plant-based protein, 22 essential vitamins and minerals, probiotics for digestive health, and a patented potato protein extract clinically tested to satisfy your appetite.*
3. FIBER SWEEP DRINK-Gently and naturally eliminates waste from your digestive system with its patent-pending blend of whole ground flax, chia, and psyllium seed husks. As part of a healthy diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, Fiber Sweep can help lower cholesterol, support healthy blood sugar levels, and may even reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.* 
4. PLUS 9 HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS RECIPES 9 easy-to-fix, healthy, and delicious recipes for lunch and dinner, each one packed with rich flavor that even veggie-haters will love. Then treat yourself to Refresh-friendly snacks to add a little tasty variety to every day.

I look forward to sharing my experience on the refresh with you. I am also eager to get back on track. I mean this week was totally fun but I would be lying through my teeth if I told you I felt better than poo right now. If you want to experience the refresh for yourself give me a shout. (And in the month of July ONLY there is a way to get your refresh on for only $10. Crazy talk.)

Mocha Mint Shakeology

Somehow when my hubby and I are living in the same house and sharing our shakeology....we can't quite seem to figure it out. At first it seems like we have a TON and are on shakeology overload. So I play with the shipping dates. Then the next thing I know, we are running really low so I panic and play with the shipping dates again.

And we are left with mornings like this one.....

Not even a scoop left in the bag and tracking the next shipment.

I pretty much always have packets laying around for occasions such as this (and they make traveling really easy.) But all that I have left at the moment is the vegan chocolate. And I kind of hate the vegan chocolate.

I mean it's okay. I needs some doctoring in my opinion. It is kind of gritty and chalky (**Beachbody has actually reformulated the vegan flavors to make them less gritty. I have yet to get my hands on the new formula. So I will update once I get to sample those.) But this is nothing that can't be fixed with a half a banana or a tablespoon of nut butter. It smooths it right out and makes it taste all chocolatey and delicious.

I came up with this little recipe this morning to make my chocolate vegan shakeology taste like a super yummy treat. And I had some mint leaves in the fridge that needed to be used up. Chocolate and mint together is awesomeness. Throw in some coffee and who needs Starbucks?

Is Winter Over yet? (and The 60 day Sizzling for Summer Challenge)

Summer is 80 days away. With the snow this weekend and the way the temps have been in general, this seems really hard to believe. But I am holding out hope that summer will actually get here. (Sunshine and 60 degrees yesterday helped. But if it snows or gets below freezing again I might actually cry.)

So I am choosing to focus on the sun and awesomeness that is bound to get here sooner or later. And with that comes super cute dresses, flirty skirts, and tank tops (and the need to get some killer arms for those tank tops and sleeveless dresses.) To make this happen and hold myself accountable (even while driving across the country with a 3 year old and 2 overly excited dogs) I am gearing up for another 60 day challenge, this one appropriately named the Sizzling for Summer challenge.

We are going to get started on April 14th and from there on out we will be checking into a closed Facebook group AND have each other to lean on for support, accountability and the occasional kick in the pants (if needed.)

So here is my challenge for you:

60 days. A closed Facebook group dedicated to working hard. Committed to each other through all of it. Even what I like to call the middle of the program slump-- where the excitement that propels you forward at the beginning has worn off and the end still seems so far away. (This is where I struggle the most and what I think is the hardest part!) We will break our goals down into 30 day and 60 day goals. We will talk about clean eating, meal preparation, meal planning and everything you need to get set up for success. We will measure progress by not just using the scale but by measurements and photos (I know. Super scary but when you think you aren't making any progress it is amazing to see what you actually done in the photos. Believe me. I've been there!) We will do this on Day 1, Day 30 and Day 60.

We will commit to trying out Shakeology for 60 days. I know once I did it, I fell in love with the energy I had and how great I felt from getting all the nutrients I need. (*Side note* my nails look awesome. Better than when I was on prenatal vitamins. It is my current obsession since I have struggled with weak and peeling nails forever! One of the perks I didn't know I was going to get.) So Shakeology is going to fuel your body (key word fuel) with the vitamins and nutrients you need throughout the day. And there is a 30 day guarantee on Shakeology so if it isn't working for you, we'll talk (and you get your money back.) --For more on my experience Shakeology read this.

We will also commit to working out 5-6 days a week. I don't care if you run, walk or lift. Just get that body moving! If you already workout regularly think about stepping up your game. Adding some weight training to your cardio. If you don't have an exercise regimen we can talk about options. If you are interested in trying a Beachbody program, we can talk about that too and get you set up with something that totally works for you. There are so many options outside of P90x and Insanity (which I feel gets all the love) so if hard core intensity isn't for you, we can totally find something that is. I am in LOVE with Chalene Johnson and her workouts. Turbofire makes me so happy. It really gives my inner cheerleader some much needed attention. I have also saw some awesome results with her other program, Chalean Extreme as well which offers low impact options and heavy lifting. I have found success with the at home programs from BeachBody because they are a killer workout and they all come with a schedule. So I can wake up, get my kiddo some breakfast and toss in a movie, look at the schedule, pop in a DVD and press play. I don't have to worry about getting her ready to go to the gym with me or what series of exercises I am going to do that day. I know me and I need that schedule. I get really freaked out if I am going to miss a day and "mess up" the schedule or the order. But whatever works for you, we will make it happen. 

For this challenge, I am going to be rocking some Les Mills Pump (and am really excited to get started with this program! New programs always get me super geeked to get going and see what they are all about.) I will also be incorporating some type of cardio to go with this - probably jumping back and forth between Turbo Fire and running outside. (Weather is a huge factor for me. I am not hard core enough -yet - to run outside if it is cold or raining or anything else that makes it remotely miserable. I need sunshine and chirping birds.)

We are going to check every day and post three things. If you had your shake, how your clean eating is going by rating it from 1-5 for the day and how much you brought it in your workout - also by rating it on a 1-5 scale. There will be ups and downs. There will be super awesome days and some cheat days. There will always be support, encouragement and tips on how to do it better tomorrow.

Plus I will give you daily motivation, tips and tricks and share all the research I have accrued over the last few months.

So the challenge starts with pre-season April 14th and the official kick off date of April 21st. For more info or to sign up for the challenge please complete the application here.

To sign up for a FREE Beachbody account click here. You will find message boards, articles and other motivational tools for you to use. (The goal tracker is my favorite!)

Starting Round 2 of the 21 Day Fix (with a twist)

In my head I had it all planned out. I had 3 weeks before I went to a conference with my husband. I was going to rock the 3 weeks of the 21 Day Fix without skipping a workout or having a cheat meal (except for maybe a glass of wine---WHICH IS ALLOWED so technically it's not cheating!) I was going to take pics and measurments and get some killer results.

And week one and week two were awesome.

Then I got sick. And then my kiddo got sick. And then I went to Texas to attend a work conference
with my husband (which is kind of code for dressing up, drinking a lot and talking buisness. And then drinking more. There was also a lot of Mexican food late at night since conferences just serve appetizer things that I never feel the need to eat. So we left all the events STARVING -- and yes it is clean eating 101 not to skip meals but friend empeniadas wouldn't have made the cut anyway. There was also a part of the mom in me that wanted to go out to eat at 11 because we could....without having to orchestrate an entire plan of attack for who was going to care for, feed and put our child to bed. So there was that whole novelty idea of freedom. But much like when my poor lab/chow gets loose, I quickly learned that all of that freedom is for someone FAR younger than me and I gladly returned home and spent my final child-less Friday night cleaning out closets and watching my backlogged DVR.)

I am well aware of the excuse trap I fell into the last week of the Fix. Being stronger than our excuses is a huge step in moving any health and wellness journey forward. I can come up with an excuse to allow myself to skip my workouts and eat junk on the spot....and I gave that up a long time ago. But I did let the I can't breathe and breathing when you do cardio is important excuse and the I was up all night cathcing my kid's puke in bucket excuse take me out for a spin.

You live. You learn. You keep going.

So today I began the Fix again. And if there was anything I learned from the first round it was that I don't love lifting semi-heavy wieghts for a minute doing as many reps as I could. I really missed the lift super heavy, max out at 12 (or 8) reps that Chalean Extreme gave me in the fall. I also know that my body responds well to lifting that way. It makes me feel powerful and strong. It motivates the hell out of me.

I spend a few minutes thinking about how I wanted to do the Fix, finish P90X3 and then maybe I could get another round of Chalean Extreme in....and then I remembered in two weeks I am heading across the country again. There is nothing quite as demotivating as moving a bunch of your stuff and jet lag. So I decided that one of the best ways to ensure I was going to keep going was to mix in my favorite strength videos. And if you are working out it should be something you absolutely love doing. While I am getting readjusted to Pacific time, leaving my girls and my youth behind, and rearanging my life once again....I NEED 45 minutes of something I love doing every day. And adding some Chalean Extreme is better than coping with choclate. Or popcorn (I have an addiction.)

Here is what I am doing this week:

I am starting a new 21 Day Fix challenge group the 24th and a general 60 day support group April 7th. 

If you would like to join me in either of these challenges please message me or fill out the application here.

I would love to have you!

Making my Grandma's Meatloaf 21 Day Fix approved!

I don't eat a lot of meat. And I refuse to eat the soy substitutes that offer themselves up willingly as meat alternatives. It is just not my thing. After being on the 21 Day Fix for two weeks, I have found myself eating more meat than I typically do. (That and a ton of eggs.) Like so many things, there is an emphasis on protein and veggies. And despite the fact that there is protein in beans and quinoa....those things still fall into the category of complex carb. So I am left with trying to fill my red container with things I like eating (so not chicken.)

I do love my grandma's meatloaf recipe and despite it's tastiness, it is not the healthiest thing you can eat (which probably explains a lot.) But we are Pennsylvania Dutch in descent and I was raised with grandparents that believe in eating meat and dairy and fresh produce from the garden. And really, that isn't that bad of a belief system. If it is all about eating real food then this totally qualifies. I usually save making her meatloaf for a holiday or other special occasion. So as this was cooking it really smelled like something special....like Christmas. It made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

All warm and fuzzy feelings aside, I knew in order to have it fit into my ratio (which is kind of how the fix is set up....) I had to make it over a little bit. So I painstakingly cut the ketchup (except for a teeny tiny squirt on top) and cut back on the cheese. I also cooked it in muffin tins so it was immediate portion control. (And let me tell you I squealed with delight when two of my little meatloaf muffins fit in that container!)

So here is what I did:

2 lbs lean grass fed beef
1 cup cheese cubed* (I used sharp cheddar)
2 eggs- beaten
1 small onion diced
1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ground mustard
coconut oil
Ketchup (preferably Heinz and organic)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tins well. (I used coconut oil)

Take a teaspoon of coconut oil and heat in a large skillet. Add diced onions and mushrooms (and any other veggie you would like to add - like peppers) saute for a few minutes and remove from heat. Allow to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.

In a large bowl mix together the beef, eggs, cheese cubes and sauteed veggies. (Just suck it up and use your hands. Gross but it works so much better.) Once well mixed add the tomato paste mixture and keep mixing until well combined.

Spoon into muffin tins.
.

Squirt a teeny tiny squiggle of ketchup on top (or completely skip this step, but seriously the cooked ketchup on top is worth a little cheat.)

Cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

And dinner is on the table.

I love that it only takes these little guys a fraction of time to cook as the big meatloaf in the bread pan (which takes an hour and half to cook.) And of course they are way cuter. Eating tiny size food is super fun (and my preschooler loves it as well. She is so much more likely to eat mini anything.)

21 Day Fix Container Conversion:

1 Red 
1 Blue
1/2 Green
1 teaspoon (oil)
_________________________________________________________________________________

*Do not cheat this and use shredded cheese. So not as good. Not even worth having cheese in it at that point!

21 Day Fix Week 2 Meal Plan and Week 1 Review

Oh do I hate when I am wrong.

I went into this 21 Day Fix with thinking that it was going to be easy. I mean Autumn is cute, bubbly and adorable....what was she going to do to me? I spent January working out with Tony Horton (and P90X3) I spent last spring with Shaun T (Insanity) and this fall and winter lifting heavy with Chalene (Chalean Extreme) so a little 30 minute total body workout. I got this. I may even need to do doubles from the start because I am so-o-o above this. Ha!

Let me tell you that I haven't been able to walk all week. (And I did not start with doubles.) I am seriously hurting....in the best way possible. (That's what I get for thinking I was in shape and totally ready for this program!) I did push it when I could and there were some times I had to drop to the modifier too. My abs are no where near as strong as say my shoulders or legs (and I have some problems with my wrists so a lot of plank work and I am toast!)

As for the containers....I will tell you the first few days I was starving. I was all...no wonder people lost a ton of weight on this program. They starved it off. (So I drank a lot of tea in the mid-afternoon those first few days!)

But after Day 2, I was good. Good to the point where I was kind of forcing myself eat my containers. And I haven't been perfect about getting all of my containers in each day. As I sit here and write this I still have a purple and half a green container I can nosh on if I want. (Which the fact that I could still have a snack right now is very reassuring. It makes me want one less. Go figure.) So the containers are kind of awesome. They hold a lot of food....seriously. I had a mini-freak out when I got them and saw how small they were but once I filled them and dumped them onto a plate. I was amazed.

And I do love the fact that I get to bust out my favorite sharpie highlighters and color code my meal plan. (I have a highlighter/color coding addiction.) So the whole planning thing is right up my alley. It actually makes me WANT to meal plan (which for me is huge. Sitting down and making the meal plan is where I really struggle.)

I am really looking forward to week 2. The workouts are good. I won't say they are my favorite (I am still partial to Chalene Johnson and my Chalean Extreme and TurboFire hybrid.) I like lifting heavier weights and not doing as many reps as I can in a minute, but struggling to get to 8 or 10. But I do know it is good for me to mix it up. Muscle confusion is a good thing. And this is a great program for that. 30 minutes and done. (And I am loving the pilates that is thrown
in there.)

Here is my meal plan for week 2 (which making it this week was so much easier than last week!)

I do eat A LOT of eggs. The red container is my struggle. I try to avoid meat. It just isn't my thing. I also don't do soy. And since beans and quinoa (my go to sources for protein) are considered yellow containers, I just keep putting eggs in the red container. (I am either going to turn into an egg after these 21 days or start to hate them.) I think on this program there is going to be one container that is a struggle for everyone. It may be blue (if you love cheese!) or yellow (which I am so shocked that I am not in carb withdrawal!) I have learned that I do tend to eat mostly fruit and complex carbs (like beans and quinoa). I also learned that I thought I ate a lot of veggies but in reality, I was not eating near as many as I should. The containers really make me focus on my food groups, which I love. As of right now, I this is something I can adopt for a lifetime. And I can't wait!

If you would like to join me in this challenge or any other one, please message me or comment below.
I would love to have you!

21 Day Fix Week One Meal Plan (and why I put P90X3 on hold for now)

Week 3 of P90X3 was a major challenge for me. I got sick so I didn't meal plan. And then we were getting ready to a conference so I didn't meal plan and just ended up eating what we had so we didn't come home to a fridge full of gross. And I diligently packed my X3 DVDs. And they sat on the dresser in the hotel room for an entire week.

While away, we indulged. A lot. But we were also crazy busy and walking everywhere (which really helps.) I came home pretty much on par with where I was when I left. Except when I came home I had something waiting for me. Yep....The 21 Day Fix.

Now this program is huge. It sold out in 3 days. I didn't want to be the person who couldn't answer my challengers' questions. I wanted to be able to give my honest opinion and struggle through figuring out a brand new program with them. (And I was geeked about the idea of color coded containers. My self diagnosed OCD kicked in and I started making color coded meal plans immediately.) So I am afraid that my poor P90X3 dvd's will continue to collect dust. At least for the next 21 days.

Here is my meal plan for week one of the 21 Day Fix. Now I struggled with this quite a bit. I try to eat a mostly plant based diet (with local eggs from happy chickens and occasionally some fish) but if you are not happy eating soy based vegan protein then this will be a challenge. The red container is now my nemesis. But since my husband was home for most of the week, I made his carnivorous appetite happy and made some things with local grass fed meats.

Now this week wasn't perfect. I was missing some red containers for sure. And I know I need to work on variety...but variety is hard when you are cooking for one and a half! So that is something I am going to work on in the upcoming weeks.

Patience with Joy (and stepping WAY outside my comfort zone!)

I do a Bible study each week with Community Bible Study and I am a children's teacher so that means I do my study on Wednesdays and on Thursdays I spend my morning with the youth. As part of our Wednesday mornings, everyone is asked to sign up for a week and prepare a devotional around a specific theme.  This year our theme was prayer. We were to read through some prayers in the Bible and prepare something to share.

I have spent quite a few years in this study (not this specific class but with CBS in general) and in the past I always avoided giving my devotion. I would "forget" to sign up or sign up for a day I knew a conflict would arise. I was terrified to share a teeny tiny 3-5 minute devotion when I had no problem getting in front of a group of kids and speaking. I didn't want the grown ups to judge me.

Since this year has been about forcing myself out of my comfort zone. I did it. And it was great. Or my group of 30 some women loved it and told me it was great (yay God for giving me the right words to speak...because I literally threw it together the morning I read it.) And then a month later I was approached about sharing this in an opening on a Thursday morning potentially in front of hundreds of women. Ummm....excuse me?

Luckily, leading up to today, we were traveling and crazy busy. I had no time to get nervous. I was even okay this morning, until I was walking up the steps to the podium (taking deep cleansing breaths on the way.) But,  I did it. Slightly awkwardly towards the end as my voice got a little shaky, I lost my place and kind of just ended.  What are you going to do? It is what it is. So here is what I shared this morning.

Colossians 1: 9-12

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹ May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹² giving thanks^[a] to the Father, who has qualified you^[b] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

For endurance and patience with joy.

And God loves to test my patience.

I shared with the teens over the course of studying Esther that I am not a patient person. I actually had to take a personality assessment when I worked for American Eagle (on the retail side) and scored lowest in patience….which for them was great. I had a high sense of urgency. I would get things done now because waiting around for stuff made me (and still makes me) a little bit (okay a whole lot of) crazy.

 Now I don’t work retail anymore and haven’t for some years but that high sense of urgency hasn’t left me. I want things to happen now. I want to make a plan and carry it out…no time to waste. How productive can I be….how much can I squeeze into a day? If it was feasible I would schedule every hour so that efficiency was maximized. I feel the need to accomplish the things on my to do list and add more to my plate all the time. I need to be important. I need to be needed. I need everyone to know they can count on me to get it done. (And that's a whole other work in progress.)

But God wants me to be patient. And not just patient….patient with joy.

And the irony here is that I married a man whose job is pretty dependent on the weather and what is available. John works for a company that paints bridges. And bridges don’t move. You have to go to them. And we never know where the next job will be…or what state will vote to have it’s funds distributed so that bridge repair and maintenance gets a cut of it. (hint Pennsylvania doesn’t do this often…..) And then we talk about what is available. (and I don’t get to make a plan yet…at least out loud.) And then there are pre-bid meetings. (and no…I don’t get to make a plan yet.) And then there is the bidding process (no plan) and then there is the matter of awarding the job to someone. And even if we don’t get the job, I don’t get to make a plan yet. Because contractors default all the time. Or challenge the bidding process. So a lot of times it gets awarded to the second or third bidder…..it’s a waiting game.

 Patient with joy.

And then….even when we get the job and seems like we are ready to figure out a plan for my life and how we are going to juggle this (moving, staying – some sort of schedule for the year) They go into contract negotiations with the state and the start date gets pushed back.

I usually don’t get to make a plan until a week or two before (and that’s if I am lucky….) because his job often depends on the weather as well.

And even once we have the job, I never really know when he is coming home for the “winter off season” and when he is leaving again because of the weather. He came home exceptionally late this year and just left again (typically he doesn’t leave until mid-March) because unlike here, the weather there is unseasonably warm.

And we are entering the season of bidding new jobs and trying to figure out what may happen in the next year or two.

God still wants me to be patient and patient with joy.

So even though I do not know what the next few months will bring….in reality none of us do. Things happen all the time that can uproot us…jobs are lost, family members are lost, we have to move, or start over in something….change happens. It is an inevitable part of growth and life.

I just have the a little sneak peek over the next hill…the knowledge that it’s definitely coming for us sooner than it does for many others and anticipation that comes with it. And with that anticipation I have to remember to be patient with joy. Enjoy the moments we have in the place that we are. Live in that moment because I don’t know where we will be going next.