We obsess about a lot this time of year!

The perfect gift, the perfect table settings, the perfectly behaved kids, the perfectly decorated house…

Sometimes we get a little obsessed about the silliest things!

What about getting obsessed with your health?
What about getting obsessed with what you are fueling your body with?
What about getting obsessed with getting a workout in every day?

This is an obsession I can get behind!!
Want to join me?

 

I will be starting an exclusive group for anyone willing to work on their best versions of themselves with me for 80 days.

We will workout daily, share tips, recipes, motivation and learn from Super Trainer, Autumn Calabrese, on the best way to whip our butt’s into shape!

What can you expect from this group and this program?

• A brand new workout each day for 80 days!
• 45-60 minute workouts
• 6 days a week
• portion control meal plan
• recipes
• support
• tips
• fun

What you will need?

• A postive mindset
• Access to Beachbody On Demand
• Weights (light to heavy)
• Beachbody Strength Slides
• Beachbody Resistance Loops
• Portion Control System

Check out the packages!

Just one thing left at ask?
Are you ready to get obsessed with me?

I hope so!

Life is about to get crazy around here!  I am sure you can relate!

The next few weeks are full of a bunch of traveling for Steve, baseball and swim practices and meets, work, parties, and get togethers!  This on top of all the everyday stuff like homework, cleaning and taxi service has me feeling both overwhelmed and determined to make it out alive!  😉

Meal planning is a must!
A little meal prepping will help, too!

This week I am trying a few new recipes that if they pass the Gonzales boy’s taste testing will find their way to the blog in the next week or 2!

I have been craving the Vegetable Ramen and I always love the simple pleasure of avocado egg salad (literally just mash up 2 hard boiled eggs and 1/2 a small avocado with some salt and pepper!)

A few things I will have made and ready by the end of the day:

• I have a full weeks worth of French Toast and Protein Pancakes made for the boys for easy, quick breakfasts in the mornings!
• I will throw some eggs in the Instant Pot for Wednesday and Thursdays lunches
• I will have all fruit and veggies cleaned and cut so lunches and snacks are easy to make
• Tuesday’s dinner will have enough left over for Jacob for lunch the rest of the week
• I will make up my yogurt parfaits for easy breakfasts on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

It’s a little more work up front, but I am always glad when I take the time on Sunday to plan and prep!

Here’s to a great week ahead!

I love eggs, I really do, but some mornings I need a break from a veggie omelette.

This recipe was exactly what I was looking for!  It is a delicious mix of healthy fats, carbs and protein and it tastes like pumpkin pie in a cup!!!!

Breakfast Pumpkin Pudding:

• 2 eggs
• 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
• 1 15 oz can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 3 scoops/servings of your favorite vanilla protein powder.  I used Vegan Vanilla Shakeology
• 1.5 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350.
Add all ingredients to your high speed blender, food processor, mixer or bowl to beat by hand.  Blend or mix til even.  Evenly distribute into 10 ounce containers (I used mason jars) or a baking dish.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.

That’s it!  I was thinking of trying it with apple sauce instead of pumpkin, too!

The original recipes called for 1/3-1/4 cup of pure maple syrup.  My Vegan Vanilla Shakeology worked perfect, but if your vanilla protein powder is not as sweet you may want to experiment with adding some.

I am loving this for breakfast, but it could easily serve as a healthy snack or even a guilt free, late night fix to your sweet tooth!

Here is your nutritional info:

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!!!

 

November is National Diabetes Awareness month.  It is a time to try to educate others on our life with Type 1 Diabetes.  Education is so very important, not only for those on the outside, but for those of us living with this day in and day out.  It feels like I learn something every day.

Some of the most important lessons I have learned are from the mistakes I made as a mom dealing with this diagnosis.  There are so many things I would do differently.  So many things if I could I would go back and tell myself.  So today I am writing that person from 5 years ago a letter to let her know that it will be OK and to help her navigate through her life forever changed by Jacob’s diagnosis.

September 6, 2012

Dear Wendy,

Tomorrow is going to suck.
Tomorrow what seems like a silly hunch will become a reality.  Jacob does in fact have Type 1 diabetes.  It will all be confirmed with a simple blood test.  Tomorrow your life will change in ways you won’t understand until some time has passed.  I want to ask you a few favors…

Please remember this is not your fault! 

You will want to blame yourself.  You will ask how this could happen and you will be reassured that there was nothing you could do to avoid it.  You will want to believe them but then they will tell you that autoimmune diseases can be passed down and they will ask if anyone in your family has one and you will tell them “Yes, I do.”  You will blame yourself for this.  PLEASE DON’T.  Knowing “why” will never bring you peace.  Acceptance, unconditional love and grace will.

Please take care of yourself!

For almost 2 years you will give and give and give.  You will give up sleep, meals, and your workouts.  You will focus on Jacob’s health and on Alex not getting lost in the shuffle.  You will be available to the school no matter what.  You will give up nights out with friends and dates with Steve.  You will give so much to the point where you have nothing left to give.  PLEASE DON’T!  Remember, it is not only OK for you to take time to take care of your physical needs of good food, sleep and exercise and your mental health needs of letting go and letting someone else take over from time to time, it is necessary!  You can not take care of your family if you are broken down and exhausted all the time.

Please don’t try to do this on your own!

People will want to help you.  They will want to teach you what they have learned.  This will completely overwhelm you at first.  They will be talking about basal and bolus doses, pumps and continuous glucose monitors, what to do when he is low or high or has ketones.  They may as well be speaking in a different language.  You will shut down because it is just too much.  Later you will feel like you have to do it on your own.  You will feel that admitting you need help makes you less of a parent.  PLEASE DON’T.  Eventually you will learn and get support from the most amazing people who will never make you feel less for having a bad day or for not knowing all the answers.

Please don’t be hurt by what others think and say.

People will want to share with you all they think they know about Type 1 Diabetes.  They will share opinions and pass on articles about all sorts of things.  Many of these thing will feel accusatory like articles about how having a C-Section or giving vaccinations or feeding babies cereal to soon can increase the chances of your child later developing Type 1.  Some will offer advice based on misconceptions.  Like how adding cinnamon to all your food or drinking some amazing pink drink will cure Jacob of his disease.  You will want to get mad.  PLEASE DON’T.  Remember that they are coming to you from a place of love.  The advise may not feel like it, but they wouldn’t bother sharing it if they didn’t care.

Please remember to find the good in everything.

This journey will be hard, but it will also create a bond with your family that will be nearly impossible to break.  This journey will show you just how strong you are.  It will lead you to some of the most amazing adventures, people and times.  Tomorrow you will feel hopeless.  PLEASE DON’T.  Learn to find the good in everything and teach Jacob to do the same.

Please share your story!

As you learn to deal with this disease you will also find your purpose.  You will slowly get back to being Wendy, not just Jacob’s mom.  You will learn to find a balance between the new responsibility and somehow not letting this disease take over your life.  You will fall more times than you can imagine.  You will be mad and you will cry and you will want to keep this all inside.  PLEASE DON’T.  Every time you get back up you will give hope to the person who needs it most, Jacob.  Sharing your journey will help you heal.  It will raise awareness.  It will help turn your struggle into triumph because you can’t go back in time and change how you did or did not deal with this diagnosis, but you can offer hope to other parents who are struggling and feeling alone.

You will be OK, Wendy.  Not right away, but soon.  Take it one day at a time.

5 years later I still have bad days.  I really do learn something new every day.  I fundraise and advocate for Jacob every opportunity I get.  We have reached a new rough point in this journey- teenager!!!  In another 5 years I will have a new set of lessons to pass on to the person writing this today.  I know that I can’t go back, but I can learn from the past and pay it forward.

Each of us has a struggle and a story.

Don’t be afraid to share it with the world!  You never know who may need to hear it.

Say what?

Over the past 5 months my husband and I have been working to limit our carbs.  I hate to label the way I eat with a name so I will not call this Keto or Whole 30 or Paleo.  Instead I am just always experimenting with different foods or the absense of different foods to learn what makes me feel my best.

Eliminating carbs was not something I went into believing in, but the more I limited my starchy carbs especially, the better I felt.

I did miss things like oatmeal though so when I realized you could use hemp hearts instead of oats to create a delicious breakfast I was all about giving it a try!

So for the record, these are vegan, gluten free, paleo-friendly, keto-friendly, low carb and of course oat free!

Sounds delicious, right!  😂

They actually are!

The basic recipe is a good place to start, but you can experiment with a bunch of different flavors!
Oat-Free Overnight Oats:

• ⅔ cup dairy free milk (I used a mix of almond milk and canned coconut milk)
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• 1 tablespoon chia seed
• 3 to 4 drops of liquid stevia (I prefer Sweet Leaf)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Add all ingredients to a container with a lid. I used a wide mouth mason jar and lid.  Stir or give a good shake until combined. Cover and set in the fridge overnight, for at least 8 hours.

A few of my favorite things to add or top with:

• cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 scoop Vegan Chocolate or Vanilla Shakeology
• powdered peanut butter
• berries
• shredded unsweetened coconut
• pecans or walnuts
• cocoa powder
• dried fruit

The possibilities are endless!

My current favorite combo is Pumpkin:

• ⅔ cup dairy free milk (I used a mix of almond milk and coconut milk)
• 1/4 cup help hearts
• 1 tablespoon chia seed
• 3 to 4 drops of liquid stevia (I prefer Sweet Leaf)
• pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

Your nutritional information for 1 serving of the basic recipe (does not include add ins):

* the Portion Fix info is based on my best guess using the Vegan Meal Plan

For all my vegan, Whole 30, Paleo, Keto, dairy free, gluten free friends- I hope you give this a try!

Heck, I hope anyone who wants to try a new, healthy twist on overnight oats gives this new recipe a shot!

Enjoy!

New, new, new!

One thing I have learned along the way is that the best way to keep myself motivated on this journey is to not be afraid to try new things.

I have completed over 15 different programs in the past 3 1/2 years.
I have mixed up my nutrition with new recipes, added Intermittent Fasting, and lowered my carb intake.
I focus on new personal development and challenges almost every month with my group.

You have to keep in new!
Your body will thank you for it with continued change.  If you keep doing the same thing and eating the same thing and even eat the same way you will plateau!

This week I am trying out a few new recipes from our newest program that I am super excited about.

I will be running an exclusive group with 10 people looking to get started on this journey with me.

These 10 lucky people will get:

• an easy to follow meal plan
• delicious recipes made with simple ingredients
• tips on meal prepping for busy lives
• a shopping guide
• 1 week of workouts
• a meal replacement shake that will make 1 meal each day super easy!
• daily support, motivation and tips in an exclusive group just for us!

Are you ready for something new?
Are you needing step-by-step instruction on how to get started and stay motivated?

This is your group! 

I can’t wait to hear from you!

I got these brown rice ramen noodles at Costco a while back and we love them in our chicken noodle soup, but I really wanted to try a different recipe using them.

While searching Pinterest a recipe for vegetable ramen came up.  I was intrigued and a little bit intimidated.

I am a simple recipe kinda girl and the recipe I saw had a lot of ingredients I did not have  on hand and have never used.  It looked really good though and I am always looking for new vegan/vegetarian options so I went for it with a few changes to the original recipe.

Vegetable Ramen

• 2 squares of ramen noodles
• 1.5 tablespoon Liquid Amino (or low sodium soy sauce)
• ½ teaspoon coconut sugar
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• Fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 5 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 1 ½ cups shredded cabbage
• 1 tablespoon cooking wine
• 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 45 seconds to a minute, using a fork to stir occasionally. You want to just rehydrate the ramen until it breaks up from its square form. It’s important not to cook the ramen fully in this step! Once the ramen is rehydrated, immediately drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and get rid of the excess starch.

Combine Liquid Amino, sugar, sesame oil, and  pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Heat your pan (or wok if you have one) over high heat, and add oil and garlic.  Immediately add the peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage, and stir fry for 1 minute.

Next, add the cooking wine and stir-fry for another 15 seconds.

Next, add in the cooked noodles, pulling them apart if they are stuck together. Pour the soy sauce mixture evenly over the noodles. Stir-fry for about 20 seconds using a scooping motion until the sauce is well distributed.

Finally add bean sprouts. Mix well for another minute and serve!

This made 3 nice lunch servings or 4 if serving as a side.

Here is your nutritional information:

It was almost better the next day and to be completely honest I ate it cold and it was super delish!  😉

Enjoy!

Our nights seem to get busier and busier so quick and easy dinners are a must!

After getting Jacob to conditioning, doing homework then sitting at the 100 degree pool last night I was tired, hot and so very glad this dinner was waiting for me in my Instant Pot when we got home!

Mexican Shredded Beef

• 3-4 lb. chuck roast cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 6 garlic cloves diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• 1 cup beef broth

In a bowl, combine cubed meat with chili powder and salt. Toss to coat.
Press the “Saute” button on the Instant Pot and add the olive oil.
Add in tomato paste, garlic, cumin and Mexican oregano. Stir for about a minute.
Add in seasoned meat.
Pour in beef broth
Cover and lock the lid.
Press the “Meat/Stew” button to switch it to the pressure cooking mode. Set cook time to 35 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally.
Unlock lid and remove meat. Shred with two forks.

Serve on corn, flour or our new favorite almond flour tortillas with your favorite taco toppings!

Enjoy!

We live in a world of go-go-go!
We live in a world of one upping each other with our tales of busy.
We say YES when we are screaming NO.

After transforming my life 3 1/2 years ago, I slowly found myself right back where I started in a way.

Overwhelmed.  Over tired.  Over it!

Many of the habits I have worked so hard to create are still serving me well.
My workouts help me with my stress and anxiety and keep me fit, strong and feeling good!
My nutrition is still on point for my goals at a healthy 80/20 ratio. 80% great, 20% not so great.  😉

Somehow I got way off track on the inside though.
Somehow I let my life get ahead of me and am running after it exhausted from the race.

With the help of some pretty amazing people and personal development I have found a path out.

I have been working on creating some new habits from the inside out and I am so very excited to share what I am learning!!!

Starting October 9th I will be offering my first ever Balance From the Inside Out Challenge.

Balance From the Inside Out

What exactly does that mean?

We will create goals.  We will define our priorities.  We will take back our time.

What you will get when you join

• daily tips on being present over perfect
• a workbook with daily activities
• customized daily workouts
• weekly meal plans and recipes
• a Superfood meal replacement
• one-on-one support from me
• peer support from others working on similar goals
• personal development suggestions (a book of your choice with any Challenge Pack purchase!)

What you can expect

• A physical transformation!
  With daily workouts and clean eating you can expect to look and feel different at the end of the challenge.  Shakeology will help to heal your gut and increase your energy.  Challengers in the past have lost as much as 10-15 pounds in 21 days.
• An inner transformation!
  Learning to carve out time for you.  Learning to live based on your priorities and less on outside influences.  Being truly present with your loved ones.  Creating and inner calm that will start to show on the outside!

Like any transformation this will take time and may require some difficult changes.

If you have found yourself overwhelmed and ready for a change this group may be just what you need.

The universe wants us to be happy and will provide us a path if we slow down long enough to listen.

I am listening and I am excited to share what I am learning!

After a week away and then a week getting back into the swing of things I actually couldn’t wait to sit down and make this meal plan.

We have a pretty busy week ahead of us. 2 nights of conditioning for Jacob, Alex’s first swim meet on Wednesday, travel for Steve and of course the big JDRF One Walk on Sunday.  I am pretty sure I will be running around like a chicken with out a head, so I know this little extra work will pay off.

By the end of today I will have the following things prepped and ready to go!

• 4 Yogurt Parfaits for me
• 4 Yogurt Parfaits for the boys (great for breakfast or after school)
• French Toast for quick breakfasts for the boys
• Bags of pineapple and mango in the freezer for my Pina Colada Shakeology
• Egg Roll in a Bowl

I am also trying a few new recipes!!!

• Vegetable Ramen
• Instant Pot Shredded Beef Tacos
• Low Carb Chicken Tenders
• Instant Pot Beef and Barley Stew

If they are a hit I will be sure to share the recipes!!!

Thursday Night’s Shrimp and Sausage Skillet is one of our favorite ridiculously easy dinners!!

• 1 Turkey Kielbasa
• 1 lb of medium or large shrimp
• 2-3 cups of your favorite veggies (we like broccoli and cauliflower)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 Tbsp Olive or Coconut Oil
• 1/4 cup Chicken Stock

Season Shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning.
Heat skillet, add oil.
Cook shrimp for about 3-4 minutes, remove and set aside.
Cook veggies.
Add sausage, cook for about 2 minutes.
Add back in shrimp along with garlic, salt and pepper. Cook together for about 1 minute.
Add stock and mix to moisten everything.

Serve.  Enjoy!

I am feeling pretty good about our week ahead!
I am excited to try some new recipes, too!

Cheers to a good week!