I don’t know about you, but I love eating salads in the summer!

I have tried kale several times and not liked it.  I never realized I was missing a very important step and what a difference it made!!!

Did you know you should massage your kale???  That is right, you must massage your kale!

To do this you need to take the leafy part of the kale off the stalk. You can usually just pull the leaves off or you can cut them off. I just threw aways the stalks- but you can google some interesting ways to use them. Next chop or tear the leafy part into bites size pieces. Now massage away. You will notice that the kale becomes darker and will shrink up a bit. This will help with the crunchy textures and bitter taste!

I have also found that a tangy dressing like the one in this recipe also helps counter act the bitter taste of the kale.

I have made this salad 5 times already since trying it!  Now I LOVE Kale!  So here is the recipe:

For the Salad you will need:

3 large bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed banana)
1 cup milk of choice
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup gluten free quick oats or gluten free rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup of fresh blueberries (optional- This time of the year means tons of fresh organic blueberries!)

Enjoy!

One reason I love the 21 Day Fix is that it really is good nutrition simplified.  I have found amazing success and have seen it time and time again.  This program delivers on it’s promises!  There is no counting calories or carbs or macros.  If a food is on the list and fits in a container you can eat it!  This program also helps you get the right amounts and mix of food groups in such a simple to follow way.

Coming in about a week Autumn Calabrese, the creator of the 21 Day Fix, will be launching her new cook book!  I for one can not wait to see what is in this book!  She has promised 101 easy to follow, delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even some treat and cocktail recipes!

She has even given us a sneak peak into a few of the recipe from the book here.

Sign up to be the first to know when FIXATE is available to purchase!

I can’t wait to start cooking!

I love ice cream.  My stomach does not!

I have found the perfect compromise- Shakeology Ice Cream!

The recipe (you’re welcome):

1 frozen banana
1 scoop Vegan Chocolate Shakeology
2 tsp peanut butter
a splash of almond milk

Throw in your high speed blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Enjoy!

This would count as 1 red, 2 purple and 2 tsp for anyone on the 21 Day Fix.

Although I am in a pretty happy place in my life I have fought periods of depression and anxiety in the past and even now can find myself so down in the dumps that I have to fight to get back to a happy place in my life.  In the past I most definitely turned to food to ease my pain.  This of course does not work and can really only lead to more feelings of depression.

So yesterday I found myself having one of those days.  I just couldn’t shake the blues no matter what I tried.  It has been one of the rainiest springs and summers in history where I live and that does not help.  The boys were trapped inside…again and I really couldn’t find the energy to find something for us to do.  It was a very long day!

Today I woke up with a better mind set and planned on doing 2 things that have always helped me get out of a funky mood- exercise and bake.  I am fully aware that these 2 things pretty much counteract each other, but today I made sure to get up with my alarm and get a good work out in.  I picked one of my favorites the night before and I was actually looking forward to pushing play on some PiYo Buns as soon as I got up. I also took a nice long bike ride with Alex before lunch.

Then I was pretty excited to try a new recipe that a friend had sent me!  This came at the prefect time because I got to bake, enjoy a sweet treat and with less of the guilt because this recipe is clean and relatively good for you.  Luckily I had everything in the house to make them!

Using Chickpeas (or Garbanzo beans) instead of flour offers a gluten free option and is 220 calories for 1 cup vs roughly 400 for a cup of whole wheat flour.  Chickpeas are also a great form of fiber and plant based protein.

chickpea cookies

Here is the recipe:

• 1 1/4 C of chickpeas (rinsed, drained and dried with a paper towel)
• 1/2 C plus 2 T of natural peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 1/4 C honey
• 2 t vanilla
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 C chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life making these dairy free)

Put all the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a high speed blender or food processor.  Blend until creamy.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  I use a small ice cream scoop to make my cookies- about 1 1/2 inch balls.  You can flatten them if you want them to be more like normal cookies.  Bake on parchment paper for about 10 minute at 350.  They will store well in an airtight container for up to a week, if they make it that long!

This recipe made 14 balls for me.  I would have 1 as a treat swap if following the 21 Day Fix. They are only 13 carbs each making them a great treat for Jacob!

Depending on how experimental your family is with food you can tell them about the chickpeas or leave it your little secret.  I promise they will never know. 😉

What do you do to Bust a Bad Mood?

In my attempt to always try new things, especially vegetables, I picked up some broccoli slaw on my last grocery trip.  I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but I figured I would find some way to eat it!

After spending just a few minutes on Pinterest I realized there are actually a ton of things you can make with broccoli slaw!!  I picked a few recipes and went to work.

My first recipe was Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry and it was delicious!

Here is the super easy recipe:

• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of Liquid Aminos
• 1 cup of broccoli slaw
• 1/2 a chopped red bell pepper
• 1 yellow container of frozen edamame
• 1 red container of baby shrimp

Saute’ the garlic for about 1 minute.  Add the broccoli slaw, peppers, edamame and shrimp.  Stir occasionally and cook until shrimp are no longer pink.  Add Liquid Amino and continue to cook until until veggies are soft.

Enjoy!

I was scrolling Pinterest a while back and saw a recipe for fried rice made with cauliflower instead of rice.  I had tried the cauliflower pizza a while back and it was not a Pinterest success for me so I hadn’t tried the fried rice yet.  I had a head of cauliflower in the house that needed to be used so I decided to give it a shot.  I am so glad I did- it was a-maz-ing!!!

As I normally do I looked up a handful of recipes and created one that I would like and with ingredients I had in the house.  Here is what I came up with:

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups of finely chopped cauliflower
• 1 chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup of edamame
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell peppers
• 2 tsp liquid amino
• 2 eggs, beaten
• pepper, to taste

To chop your cauliflower you can use a veggie chopper, food processor or blender.  Chop until it is rice-like.

Warm your pan, then add coconut oil.  Sauté the garlic for 1 minute.  Add the chopped cauliflower, carrot, edamame, bell pepper and liquid amino.  On medium heat, stir for about 5-7 minute until the cauliflower is soft.  Make a round opening in the middle of the pan and add the 2 beaten eggs.  Stir and scramble the eggs into the veggies.  Add some pepper to taste.

This makes 2 servings and counts as 1 1/2 green, 1/2 yellow, 1/2 red per serving for those following the 21 Day Fix.

Enjoy!

So, are  you ready for swimsuit season?

There is still time to get fit by the 4th!  Join me!

Starting June 15th we will work together using a proven equation that has helped me not only lose 18 pounds and over 20 inches, but keep it off for almost a year!

Clean Eating + Exercise + Motivation + Accountability = SUCCESS

In this 21 day challenge we will focus on good nutrition, share delicious summer recipes, and share tips to fit in exercise no matter how busy you are in a group with other like minded individuals.  No matter what the people around you are up to, you will have a group of virtual Fit-Friends who have your back!

And to make it even more fun- there is a chance to make some $$$$.

Everyone in the group will put $10 in and the person with the best results along with best participation wins the pot.  Want to win the pot, but not put in $10???  I will pay your entry fee if you purchase a Challenge Pack.  Lucky for you, the June 21 Day Fix Packs are amazing!

So, are you ready for the 4th?  Get more information on how you can be HERE

As a Biology major in college I loved all my lab classes!  I loved the idea of a good experiment.

A true scientific experiment has certain steps you need to take:

• Ask a Question
• Do Background Research
• Construct a Hypothesis
• Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
• Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
• Communicate Your Results

So first we must ask a questions:  How will drinking Shakeology for 6 days effect my over all health?

My research shows that due to the amazing ingredients in this product you can expect to see some pretty amazing results.  Therefore, my hypothesis is that one can expect to have more energy and feel better in general after drinking Shakeology for 6 days.

So are you up for a little experiment?  Do you want to have more energy, fewer cravings and have a general feeling of better health?  If so, join me for the experiment starting Monday, June 1st.

We will put this hypothesis to the test and analyze our results together!

To join simple sign up HERE.

You can purchase your experiment pack HERE.

Can we all just agree on something?  Wether you are a working mom or an at home mom or somewhere in between, MOMS ARE BUSY.

I know this to be true, because I have done it all.  I have worked full time, part time and had the opportunity to be a full time at home mom, too.  No matter what stage in my mommy career I have been in, I was busy and often times overwhelmed.

So, what can we do?  I say it is time for Busy Mom Bootcamp!

It is high time to dedicate some part of our day to get a few things done that will make our lives a little easier.

For 21 days we will discuss and focus on:

• exercising 30 minutes a day for a minimum of 5 days a week- NO EXCUSES
• ways to make proper nutrition a part of every day- not just for us, but for our families
• weekly meal planning and prepping
• sharing easy, healthy recipes
• sharing ways to organize our crazy schedule to fit it all in!
• ways to lead by example for our kids by being healthy and happy

Will we be perfect every day?  Probably not, but we will work together and support one another so that we can feel happier and more satisfied at the end of each day!

So, if this sound like something you need in your life you can choose from a few options:

For more information and to reserve your spot sign up here:  Busy Mom Bootcamp

The deadline to join the next bootcamp is Saturday, May 2nd.  We will start our bootcamp bright and early Monday, May 11th!

I look forward to helping you whip your life into shape!