Carrot and Raisin Morning Muffins

I admit that I'm pretty lucky as far as being successful when trying out new recipes.  Not the case with this one!  The first time I made them, they weren't awful, but man were they dry!  And when something like that happens, I see it as a challenge...I had to get them right! 

I adapted these from a Martha Stewart recipe, which called for white flour and brown sugar.  But I forgot that when substituting whole wheat flour, it's drier so you need to add more moisture.  A little extra milk and some unsweetened applesauce did the trick!

The second batch was awesome!!  Not dry AT ALL and packed with lots of goodies - carrots, raisins, and oats.  Good and good for you - and your kiddos!  These make a perfect after school snack.

Makes 12 muffins

Carrot and Raisin Morning Muffins

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup raisins

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large egg

1/2 cup skim milk

1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 

1 1/4 cup shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix until there are no lumps.  Mix in the oats and raisins.  Add oil, egg, milk, honey, applesauce and carrots and mix until blended.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.  Serve warm or room temperature.  Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.  

(Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart)       

Meal Plan: January 25, 2015

I have a confession to make...as much as I preach about meal planning and prepping and how important it is, I didn't make the time to get it done last weekend.  I pretty much flew by the seat of my pants until Wednesday when I thought, this is crazy!  So I took a mid-week trip to the grocery store and got my act together.  This week was a different story - meal plan and grocery list was completed before 9 am Sunday morning!

Yesterday I also came to a realization that if I still struggle with planning out my week occasionally, I know there are people out there that could use a little help too.  So starting this week, I will be adding a new post every Sunday with our plan for the week.  Hey - it will keep me accountable too!

{Click the picture to download or print this meal plan and to view the highlighted recipes.}  

 

My husband and I are in week 3 of Insanity Max:30 and LOVING it!  Let me know if you have any questions about this program (use the form below).  Such a game-changer.  I am getting stronger and my muscles are getting more defined by the day.  Crazy!  

Ok - back to the food part of this...I try to stick to between 1800-2000 calories right now.  I am pretty active, working out 30-40 minutes, 5 or 6 days a week.  Plus staying at home with 3 kids under the age of 5... :) This calorie bracket will help me maintain my weight, which is exactly what I'm trying to do right now.

I included links to recipes when I had them.  Hopefully you will all find this helpful and even if you don't follow it completely, you get a few healthy ideas.  If you are struggling to make better food choices or exercising, I can help.  I've been a Beachbody coach for 10 months, and have helped so many family members and friends start their own fitness journey with amazing results.  I would love to hear from you!  

Yes, I'm ready to start feeling better and want more information!

Name:

Email *

Message *

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

This salad could not be more simple - or pretty!  I love all the colors in it!  Even my husband, who was less than thrilled when I told him we were having a salad for dinner, loved this.    

I started by dicing some chicken and cooking it in a pan with a little olive oil and a spicy grill seasoning.  You could make this even easier by using a rotisserie chicken!  I also used a bag of coleslaw mix, which was perfect because it already had the shredded carrots and purple cabbage.

I just happened to have an orange bell pepper, but you can use any color you like.  The cilantro gave this salad such a fresh flavor and everything paired so well together.  The dressing is crazy good!!  To me, sesame oil is such a strong flavor that I only put a teeny tiny bit in.  Feel free to add more to your taste.    

 Serves 4

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

1 (16 oz) bag of coleslaw mix
1 cup cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
1/2 cup cooked edamame
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the dressing
1 tablespoon creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon olive oil

To make the dressing, add the peanut butter to a microwave-safe measuring cup.  Microwave for 15 seconds.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the melted peanut butter and whisk until everything is combined.  Set aside.

Dump the bag of coleslaw into a large bowl.  Top with the chicken, bell pepper, edamame, and chopped fresh cilantro.  Pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat.  Add more as needed and store the leftover dressing in the fridge.
 

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Such a yummy (and healthy!) snack!  And well, truth be told, addicting is what they really are...

Teeny tiny bites with HUGE flavor!  Spicy but not too spicy.  If you don't have ancho chili powder, regular would be just fine.  Also, mine weren't all completely crispy - so don't worry, they won't get as hard as say, a nut.  They will toast and become golden and be absolutely delicious.

 They keep for a while - up to 2 weeks, but I highly doubt they will last that long!  Easily doubled if you are having company or a party.

Serves 4

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, oil and seasoning until well coated.  Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are golden and slightly crispy.  Let cool completely and store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.  

Blueberry and Almond Baked Oatmeal

I've been meaning to try a baked oatmeal dish for sometime now and had the perfect excuse this weekend - brunch!  A group of Beachbody coaches in the area were getting together for a quarterly event called Super Saturday and we decided to make it pot luck.

I found a basic recipe and went from there, using ingredients that I had on hand.  In this case, it was a bag of frozen blueberries, almonds and dark chocolate chips.  You could so easily substitute other berries or a different nut in this.

Oh man is this good!!  I doubled this recipe (so just know you can do that and it turns out great!) so I had some for the brunch and some for at home this week.  We ate it cold, but I bet it would be fantastic warmed up with a drizzle of maple syrup.

That touch of dark chocolate chips is ridiculous in this!  There's not much, and feel free to leave out if you like, but getting that extra hint of sweetness just makes this dish.  SO good!!

Serves 8-10 

Blueberry and Almond Baked Oatmeal

2 cups old fashion oats
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking pan (or pie dish) with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the oats, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, half of the almonds, half of the chocolate chips and half of the blueberries.

In another bowl, mix the milk, egg, honey and vanilla extract.  Add the oat mixture to the baking dish and pour the milk mixture over the whole thing.  Add the remaining almonds, chocolate chips and berries in a single layer on top.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the milk has set.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

If you struggle to get your kids to eat their veggies, these are a must try!  They are crisp and salty and so flavorful...they will never know they are getting something that's good for them.  

It is nearly impossible to stop eating these.  This recipe SHOULD serve 4, unless you realize they are so good that you and your husband just gooble them up right off the sheet tray after they come out of the oven!  Seriously, I didn't even get to serve them.  

Next time you are looking for a quick and easy veggie side dish, try these!  And report back - I would love to hear if your kiddos enjoyed them!

Serves 4

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

2 medium-size zucchinis

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1/4 whole wheat italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray 2 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray.  Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds and in a medium bowl, toss with the the olive oil.  

In a wide bowl, combine the parmesan, bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste.  Dip the zucchini rounds into the mixture, coating both sides, pressing to stick.  Arrange evenly on the baking sheets.  

Sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture evenly over the zucchini.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.  

(Source:  adapted from Blackjack Bake House)   

Join Us For a Beachbody Coaching Expo!

I've been a Beachbody coach for almost 8 months.  This morning, MY Beachbody coach, and friend Jamie, sent me a text saying that she was looking over her numbers and noticed something pretty cool.  A year and 4 months ago, she was making exactly what I am making as a coach.  And now...wait for it...

~~SHE is now an 5-Star Diamond coach making a SIX figure income.~~  

Blown away by this realization is an understatement.  Thinking about what that kind of income could do for my family literally gives me goose bumps.  Did you ever set a goal for yourself so BIG that it almost makes you a little nauseous?  Because that's what I did this morning...and I have a feeling 2015 is going to be amazing.

This is me!  I achieved Diamond Rank in just over 7 months.  My team is on fire!  When I first decided to become a coach, it was to lose the pregnancy weight I gained with baby #3.  I never imagined it would becomes something I was so incredibly passionate about.

I have an overwhelming need to share this opportunity with others.  If I can grow my team as fast as I did over the past 8 months, doing this PART TIME as a stay-at-home mom of 3, anyone can!!!  We are holding a Coach Expo on January 5th - no fluff, no mushy stuff.  Only the business side of it, specifically how we earn and the potential for growth with this company.

I wanted to get the word out before this week became so hectic for everyone.  Let me know if you want to join us (it's a Facebook group - super easy to get all the info you'll need) by simply filling out the form below.  Our click HERE to message me on Facebook!

~~ AND! We will have an amazing prize for the person with the most participation! (A 2-week supply of Shakeology or a 3-Day Refresh!)  I mean, why not, right??


Yes!  I want more info about the expo or coaching in general!

Name:

Email *

Message *