Halloween Candy DETOX

Halloween candy have you craving sugar and feeling guilty!? 

I know I have some major will power issues with not indulging a little too much when there is candy around. Those "snack" sized candy surely add up fast! 

If you are looking for a way to detox from all the sugar, kickstart your weight loss and feel better than you ever have before-- I have just the Challenge Group for you!!

Like, message or comment below to save your spot!

Trail Mix

Need a good homemade trail mix!? This one has 4 ingredients and is perfect for a quick easy snack! 

Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. 

Measure out 1/4 cup of the mixture and place in plastic bags for quick, easy to grab snack!

Serving size 1/4 cup (makes 6)--130 calories per serving!

Are your needs met?!

When I woke up this morning my plan was to read 15 minutes in my personal development book then workout. Needless to say, that didn't happen. I got so caught up in this new book that I just couldn't stop reading!

One of the things that stuck out to me in this book, Fearless & Fabulous by Cara Awill Leyba, was this notion of unfulfilled needs. I think this is totally true for everyone, especially moms. I know when my needs aren't fulfilled I am a mess. My mind is scattered an...d I'm not reacting to situations the way I should. When I do things that make me happy and bring me joy; I FEEL differently and everyone around me can tell.

As moms, it's so important to feed your soul things that make you happy so you can pass it on to your kids. Yes, we are here to taking care and nurture them but there is no reason why we shouldn't take care of ourselves too. Our health, mental and physical, is just has important as theirs.
Do yourself a favor and take 30 minutes a day to focus on YOU. Maybe it's before everyone wakes up in the morning or during nap time. Whenever it is, forget about the house chores, the kids, or the unpaid bills and focus on you. Read a book, workout, write in a journal. Something-- ANYTHING that makes you happy. You deserve it.

Portobello Mushroom Cap Pizzas

This whole thing started when I saw a post from one of my friends of the mushroom cap pizzas that they made. I am definitely a mushroom lovers so this was something I just had to try. After visiting my local grocery store TWICE, they finally had the BIG portobello mushroom caps I was looking for. I chose to make these on a night when I knew my husband wasn't going to be home since mushroom cap pizzas probably wouldn't be his cup of tea. The kiddos got some baked chicken and apple slices for dinner so I was FREE to pick something that I wanted! How awesome is that?! If your a mom/dad/care giver you totally understand what I'm talking about ;)

Anyways these are super easy to make and are pretty tasty because the pizza sauce has a very bold herb flavor.  As with any pizza these are so versatile. You could really add whatever you wanted for toppings! I just did a simple cheese and spinach one!

If you like this recipe, feel free to share, like and/or comment!

Ingredients:

- 2 large portobello mushroom caps

- 2 T homemade pizza sauce << check out my recipe :)

- Handful of baby spinach leaves

- 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese

--Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

--Take the gills and stems out of the mushroom caps. If you use a spoon to scrap the inside of the mushroom the gills come out very easy!

--Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet top down. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over each mushroom cap and place in oven for 10 minutes.

--After the ten minutes is up, take out the mushroom caps and soak up the water left inside the mushroom with a paper towel.

-- Assemble your pizza by first putting the sauce (1T per cap or to your liking). Next place a layer of spinach leaves. I like to add quite a few as they cook down. To finish off the pizza add a layer of cheese. You can put this on as heavy or light to suit your tastes.

--Place mushroom pizzas back into the oven for 10 additional minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.

ENJOY!!!

                



Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

My kids go nuts for those Chewy granola bars that you can buy in the store. Every single time we walk by them, they beg and plead to buy them. I knew they must be SO simple to make at home and that's when a good friend of mine showed me this recipe! I've tweaked it a little to our liking but its so versatile that you could do so many variations of it!

Here is what you will need...

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (I've used both quick oats and old fashioned)

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (you can use smooth peanut butter too OR almond butter!)

1/3 plus 1Tbsp cup local honey

1/8 cup butter
2  tbsp. coconut oil (I use Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil)

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened organic coconut

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

--In a medium bowl put the oats, shredded coconut, and dark chocolate chips. Set aside.

--Melt the peanut butter, honey, butter, and coconut oil in sauce pan on medium low heat. Keep stirring it so it will not burn! 

--Once the peanut butter mixture is well combined, pour it into the bowl with the oats. Stir immediately until the chocolate chips are melted and it is blended well. The warmth of the peanut butter mixture will melt the chocolate chips!

--Line an 8x8 casserole dish with plastic wrap and dump the oats mixture in. Smooth it out and place in the refrigerator for an hour so it can harden. 

-- After an hour, take out the dish and lift out the mixture by pulling up the ends of the plastic wrap. Place on a plate and cut into 16 squares. Keep in the refrigerator in a air tight container!     

Variations:

Add 2 tbsp. of wheat germ, ground flax OR chia seeds. You would add it into the oats mixture before pouring in the hot peanut butter sauce!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Make Your Own... Pizza Sauce!

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:

-1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste, no sugar added (I used organic tomato paste that I found at my local grocery store!)

- 1 cup water

-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

-1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

-1 tbsp. garlic powder

-1 tbsp. onion powder

-1 tbsp. dried parsley

-1 tbsp. dried basil

-1 tsp. cumin

-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Put all ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk together until blended. Use immediately or store in a container for up to 1 week.

                 

*SHAKEOLOGY SPOTLIGHT* --Kamut Grass

**Kamut Grass**

Kamut is a type of grain that is known for its sweet and nutty flavor. This grain has been around for centuries and used to be called “King Tuts Wheat”.  Although Kamut is closely related to wheat, it is far superior. Kamut is FULL of protein, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, lipids and complex carbohydrates making the nutritional value very high compared to other grains. Another major plus to this grain is that it is cholesterol FREE!!

One of the main health benefits of Kamut is that it is an excellent source of four minerals that greatly improve body function. Selenium and Manganese both function as antioxidants that protect against genetic mutations and cell membrane damage caused by free radicals. They also contribute to balancing your body’s hormones.  The last two minerals found in considerable amounts are Magnesium and Zinc. Meganesium strengths bone tissue and activates certain enzymes that your cells need to function. Zinc promotes healthy thyroid function as well as boosts your immune system. 

Perhaps one of the best parts of Kamut Grass is that studies have shown it to be less allergenic than wheat. Generally people who suffer from a wheat allergy do just fine with Kamut making it a healthier and safer grain! Isn’t that AWESOME!!

Kamut grass has so many health benefits that it’s no wonder it is a part of Shakeology’s line up!!

Chicken Fajitas

I love chicken fajitas but hate using those seasoning packets. Yes they taste great but I would rather not eat all the extra salt and whatever else that is in there. My struggle has been to find a recipe where there was a bold flavor. This recipe definitely helped me reach that bold flavor without all the extra yucky ingredients. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves (about 1 pound total) cut into ½ inch strips

1 medium bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided use!

1 lime (quartered) 

Whole wheat or 8 small corn tortillas 

½ avocado, thinly sliced

Fresh Salsa (for garnish, optional)

The first thing I did was get out 2- 1 gallon plastic bags. You could use containers that have lids or whatever but you need to be able to mix the ingredients and put it into the refrigerator. In the first bag, I put the sliced bell pepper and the sliced onion. In the second bag, I put the chicken. 

Into each bag I put:

1/4 heaping teaspoon of chili powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 heaping teaspoon of cumin

1/4 heaping teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of olive oil

A squirt of lime juice from a fresh lime

Then I sealed the bags and gentle shook and massaged the seasonings around until evenly coated  

                               

Put both bags into the refrigerate for 15 minutes or until you are ready to start dinner! I left mine in there for about 30 minutes. 

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Empty the contents of the veggie bag into skillet and cook, stirring frequently for 3 or so minutes. I like mine cooked longer so this is why I add mine before the chicken. 

Once the veggies have softened a bit, add in the chicken and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink on the inside. 

Remove from heat. Serve on warm tortillas and top with avocados and salsa.

**This recipe could be EASILY adapted for different proteins! Try beef sirloin or shrimp! You can also use ground chipolte chili powder instead of regular chili powder! **

Sorry I totally didn't take a picture of the finished product! We were starving so it was gone in a flash!