I have 2 kids that are gluten and dairy intolerant. (I don't do very well with dairy either). These pancakes are an awesome alternative and something we can all eat at an affordable price. I grind my own quinoa into flour in my Vitamix. If you have a wheat grinder, you can also use that.
1 1/2 c. quinoa flour
1/4 c. packed brown sugar (I use Sucanat, pure maple syrup, or agave nectar)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. buttermilk or sour milk (I make my own buttermilk, using just shy of 1 c. rice, almond milk with 1 TB vinegar or lemon juice mixed in. Since the recipe calls for 1 3/4 c. buttermilk, I adjust my homemade buttermilk to make that much).
1 c. pumpkin puree
2 large eggs (I use chia seeds. 1 TB chia seeds to 3 TB water. Mix and let sit 15 minutes)
2 TB vegetable oil (I use unsweetened apple sauce)
maple syrup
1/2 c. toasted pecans (I haven't used these)
whipped cream (optional. I don't use this either)
Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt into a large bowl. Mix well.
Whisk together the milk, pumpkin, eggs, and oil in a medium bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.
Serve with maple syrup, pecans, and whipped cream.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Layered Tex-Mex Lasagna
If you haven't watched "Forks Over Knives," you should. It's on Netflix and SO worth your time! This recipe comes from the "Forks Over Knives" cookbook. My kids loved it and so did I!
Tomato Sauce
2- 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
3 c. water
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 TB chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 c. mashed cooked pinto beans
1 c. chopped green onions
1 1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed
1- 2 1/4 oz. can sliced black olives, drained, optional
1-2 TB chopped green chiles, optional
10-12 corn tortillas
salsa, optional
tofu sour cream, optional
1. To make the sauce: Put all ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan. Mix well with a whisk until well combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more chili powder if desired. Set aside.
2. To assemble casserole: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the beans, green onions, corn olives, and green chiles into a large bowl and mix gently until well combined.
3. Spread 1 1/2 c. of the sauce over the bottom of a nonstick baking dish (9x13). Place 3-4 corn tortillas in the bottom. Spread half of the bean mixture evenly over the tortillas. Place another 3 or 4 tortillas over bean mixture, then spread the remaining bean mixture on top. Cover with 3 or 4 more tortillas, and then pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Cover the baking dish with parchment paper, then cover with aluminum foil, crimping the edges over the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes.
Tomato Sauce
2- 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
3 c. water
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 TB chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 c. mashed cooked pinto beans
1 c. chopped green onions
1 1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed
1- 2 1/4 oz. can sliced black olives, drained, optional
1-2 TB chopped green chiles, optional
10-12 corn tortillas
salsa, optional
tofu sour cream, optional
1. To make the sauce: Put all ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan. Mix well with a whisk until well combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more chili powder if desired. Set aside.
2. To assemble casserole: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the beans, green onions, corn olives, and green chiles into a large bowl and mix gently until well combined.
3. Spread 1 1/2 c. of the sauce over the bottom of a nonstick baking dish (9x13). Place 3-4 corn tortillas in the bottom. Spread half of the bean mixture evenly over the tortillas. Place another 3 or 4 tortillas over bean mixture, then spread the remaining bean mixture on top. Cover with 3 or 4 more tortillas, and then pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Cover the baking dish with parchment paper, then cover with aluminum foil, crimping the edges over the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Southwestern EggRolls
These are AMAZING! They take A LONG time to prepare. So when we make these, we do a huge batch! That's why the recipe has such large quantities. It makes about 50 burritos. So if you don't want that many, divide everything up and make maybe 5. :) But it's just as much work to make 50 as it is 5. So we just go all out. And then we freeze them for meals for later. They do have chicken and cheese in them. But you can just omit it if you want. My kids are obsessed with these and they are so so nice to pop into the oven from the freezer for 30 minutes for an awesome dinner. This is a recipe from the restaurant "Chili's." They fry them. I like them better baked like I do with this recipe.
10 chicken breasts
10 T. oil
1 1/4 c minced red pepper
1 1/4 c. green onion
3 1/3 c. frozen corn
2 1/2 c. black beans (2 cans)
1 1/4 c. green chiles (1 lg can and 1 sm can)
5 TB minced fresh parsley
1 1/4 c. frozen, drained spinach
5 tsp. cumin
5 tsp. chili powder
2 1/2 tsp. salt
7 1/2 c. monterey jack cheese (I don't use nearly this much if I use the cheese)
50- 7 inch flour tortillas
BBQ chicken, brushed with oil and salted and peppered until cooked.
Saute green onion and red pepper in oil. Dice chicken and add to oil. Add everything except cheese and heat through. Stir in cheese and fill tortillas. Roll up and freeze on baking sheet.
Obviously if you don't use the chicken, you won't need NEARLY that much oil. Just enough to saute the green onions and peppers. I have never made them completely without the chicken AND cheese, but I want to try it soon. I think they would be so so good still! If you do omit the chicken , definitely add more black beans!! You'll have to experiment since there is a ton of chicken in them.
When ready to bake, put into oven frozen for 25-35 minutes on 350 degrees.
10 chicken breasts
10 T. oil
1 1/4 c minced red pepper
1 1/4 c. green onion
3 1/3 c. frozen corn
2 1/2 c. black beans (2 cans)
1 1/4 c. green chiles (1 lg can and 1 sm can)
5 TB minced fresh parsley
1 1/4 c. frozen, drained spinach
5 tsp. cumin
5 tsp. chili powder
2 1/2 tsp. salt
7 1/2 c. monterey jack cheese (I don't use nearly this much if I use the cheese)
50- 7 inch flour tortillas
BBQ chicken, brushed with oil and salted and peppered until cooked.
Saute green onion and red pepper in oil. Dice chicken and add to oil. Add everything except cheese and heat through. Stir in cheese and fill tortillas. Roll up and freeze on baking sheet.
Obviously if you don't use the chicken, you won't need NEARLY that much oil. Just enough to saute the green onions and peppers. I have never made them completely without the chicken AND cheese, but I want to try it soon. I think they would be so so good still! If you do omit the chicken , definitely add more black beans!! You'll have to experiment since there is a ton of chicken in them.
When ready to bake, put into oven frozen for 25-35 minutes on 350 degrees.
Tortilla Soup
I had this soup at a luncheon one time and fell in love. It's a little more complicated, but worth the trouble! Of course to make it Vegan, omit the chicken and use Veggie broth instead. I am famous for doing that with recipes.
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB olive oil
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1-2(14 oz) cans chicken broth/veggie broth
1 c. corn
1 small can green chiles
1 can white hominy
1 can black beans
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
Toppings: avocado, tortilla chips (leave those out to minimize calories), cheese (if you wish. this will add a significant amount of calories), green onion
In medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to boil and simmer 5-10 minutes.
Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer 10 minutes.
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB olive oil
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1-2(14 oz) cans chicken broth/veggie broth
1 c. corn
1 small can green chiles
1 can white hominy
1 can black beans
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
Toppings: avocado, tortilla chips (leave those out to minimize calories), cheese (if you wish. this will add a significant amount of calories), green onion
In medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to boil and simmer 5-10 minutes.
Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer 10 minutes.
Veggie Chili
My sister gave me this recipe and I loved it. My kids aren't huge Chili fans, but they still eat it. :) If your family likes Chili, you'll love this Vegan version.
1 c. onion
1 green pepper
2 tsp. garlic
2 cans black beans
1 can white beans
1 can kidney beans
1 28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
2 TB chili powder
2 TB oregano
1 tsp. coriander
2 tsp. cumin
4 c. veggie broth
Cook on low in a crock pot for 4-8 hours. At end, stir in 1/3 c. couscous to thicken.
Note: You can always use whatever beans you have on hand. It doesn't matter what kind. :)
1 c. onion
1 green pepper
2 tsp. garlic
2 cans black beans
1 can white beans
1 can kidney beans
1 28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
2 TB chili powder
2 TB oregano
1 tsp. coriander
2 tsp. cumin
4 c. veggie broth
Cook on low in a crock pot for 4-8 hours. At end, stir in 1/3 c. couscous to thicken.
Note: You can always use whatever beans you have on hand. It doesn't matter what kind. :)
Chicken (or non-chicken) Chowder
This is one of my kids favorite soups. I do sometimes do it with chicken or sometimes I will just leave it out. I modified the original recipe for a healthier, non-dairy version. :)
2-3 pieces chicken
1 qt. chicken or veggie broth
1 c. celery (diced)
1/2 c. onion (diced)
1 c. grated carrots
4 c. potatoes (diced small)
2 TB butter (I use Earth Balance brand)
cornstarch and water mixture for thickening (1/3 c. cornstarch with warm water mixed in to make it runny)
1 c. almond or plan rice milk
Boil chicken 15-20 minutes. In separate pan, cook all veggies in a broth. Bring to boil and then simmer 20 minutes. Add in cooked chicken once veggies are cooked through.
Add butter and almond milk. Stir in cornstarch mixture with wire whisk to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 10 minutes.
Note: If you don't use the chicken, you can ALWAYS add some more of the veggies. :)
2-3 pieces chicken
1 qt. chicken or veggie broth
1 c. celery (diced)
1/2 c. onion (diced)
1 c. grated carrots
4 c. potatoes (diced small)
2 TB butter (I use Earth Balance brand)
cornstarch and water mixture for thickening (1/3 c. cornstarch with warm water mixed in to make it runny)
1 c. almond or plan rice milk
Boil chicken 15-20 minutes. In separate pan, cook all veggies in a broth. Bring to boil and then simmer 20 minutes. Add in cooked chicken once veggies are cooked through.
Add butter and almond milk. Stir in cornstarch mixture with wire whisk to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 10 minutes.
Note: If you don't use the chicken, you can ALWAYS add some more of the veggies. :)
Sunday, November 20, 2011
New Favorite Hummus
I combined two of my favorite hummus recipes and came up with this beauty. My kids devoured it and I had to stop myself from doing the same. Here goes.
This made A LOT of hummus! It filled up my 11 cup food processor. So if you don't want as much, just cut it in half.
Black Bean Hummus
2 cans black beans
2 cans garbanzo beans
1 clove garlic
1/4 c. tahini
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 c. olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
1/3 c. water
Blend in food processor and enjoy!
This made A LOT of hummus! It filled up my 11 cup food processor. So if you don't want as much, just cut it in half.
Black Bean Hummus
2 cans black beans
2 cans garbanzo beans
1 clove garlic
1/4 c. tahini
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 c. olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
1/3 c. water
Blend in food processor and enjoy!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Workout Group Challenge Update
Wanted to update you guys on my Workout Challenge Group plan:
I have a few awesome and committed ladies that are ready to change it up and dramatically change their bodies with an awesome exercise program and good nutrition (some will be using Shakeology, some are not).
One group is an exclusive, BeachBody Challenge group. www.beachbodycoach.com/tiffanydansie (See the Beach Body Challenge button on the right hand side of my BeachBody Page). They have committed to do P90x, drink Shakeology as a meal replacement for the 3 month duration of the program, and to become a BeachBody Club Member. An invsement? Yes! But those willing to actually invest in their health have a better change of actually changing their health and following through.
Our second group is also going to be a P90x group but without Shakeology or the BeachBody Club Membership. The people of that group will simply be doing P90x together. This group is just a flat fee of $35 per month, for the 3 month challenge. An investment? Yes! But more likely to see results, especially with me coaching everyone, every step of the way.
This is my plan. I will be creating private Facebook groups for these challenges. No one can see you are in it and what we talk about except for the few members in each group. We will each report daily, about our workout, about our nutrition, give and get advice, etc. I will be there to answer ANY questions via text, email, phone. I WANT these ladies to be highly successful! I am committed to being there, every step of the way to hold people accountable, give nutrition tips and advice, and give advice for the workouts so the people of the group are getting what they pay for in the program, meal replacements, and my personal help. These groups will have my name on them, and I want them to be successful. I cannot wait!
We start December 1st. If anyone is interested in joining one of these groups, please let me know, as you have to have time to get prepared to start up the program.
And for those interested at a later date, I plan to start up a few more groups on January 1st. It will be time for New Years Resolutions and instead of paying for a gym membership, going for 2 months, and then never going back, you'll have be right at your side (and the other people in the group) to help motivate and push you, like you've never pushed yourself before. Results do not come for free. I can promise you that! No one that is toned and in great shape doesn't have to work hard to get there.
If you are ever interested in joining a group, please let me know. I am willing to start up a group whenever anyone is ready and committed to changing their life. Just shoot me an email or leave a comment here, or message me on Facebook. tiffanydansie@gmail.com
Happy Holidays!
I have a few awesome and committed ladies that are ready to change it up and dramatically change their bodies with an awesome exercise program and good nutrition (some will be using Shakeology, some are not).
One group is an exclusive, BeachBody Challenge group. www.beachbodycoach.com/tiffanydansie (See the Beach Body Challenge button on the right hand side of my BeachBody Page). They have committed to do P90x, drink Shakeology as a meal replacement for the 3 month duration of the program, and to become a BeachBody Club Member. An invsement? Yes! But those willing to actually invest in their health have a better change of actually changing their health and following through.
Our second group is also going to be a P90x group but without Shakeology or the BeachBody Club Membership. The people of that group will simply be doing P90x together. This group is just a flat fee of $35 per month, for the 3 month challenge. An investment? Yes! But more likely to see results, especially with me coaching everyone, every step of the way.
This is my plan. I will be creating private Facebook groups for these challenges. No one can see you are in it and what we talk about except for the few members in each group. We will each report daily, about our workout, about our nutrition, give and get advice, etc. I will be there to answer ANY questions via text, email, phone. I WANT these ladies to be highly successful! I am committed to being there, every step of the way to hold people accountable, give nutrition tips and advice, and give advice for the workouts so the people of the group are getting what they pay for in the program, meal replacements, and my personal help. These groups will have my name on them, and I want them to be successful. I cannot wait!
We start December 1st. If anyone is interested in joining one of these groups, please let me know, as you have to have time to get prepared to start up the program.
And for those interested at a later date, I plan to start up a few more groups on January 1st. It will be time for New Years Resolutions and instead of paying for a gym membership, going for 2 months, and then never going back, you'll have be right at your side (and the other people in the group) to help motivate and push you, like you've never pushed yourself before. Results do not come for free. I can promise you that! No one that is toned and in great shape doesn't have to work hard to get there.
If you are ever interested in joining a group, please let me know. I am willing to start up a group whenever anyone is ready and committed to changing their life. Just shoot me an email or leave a comment here, or message me on Facebook. tiffanydansie@gmail.com
Happy Holidays!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Workout Challenge Groups
Hello everyone!
As many of you know, I have a passion for helping people on their fitness and wellness journey. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Health Science and am currently studying to become a Personal Trainer... something I have wanted to do for about 10 years now. I have been helping friends and family lose weight, get in shape, giving advice, feedback, tips, etc., for years. I have had some people succeed. But most people just aren't that committed. They can't do everything needed in order to be successful. Getting into shape is a long journey. Your body doesn't build muscle and lose weight over night. It is something that takes time and serious effort.
So, I have decided to run a new kind of challenge... This challenge group would only have 5 MEMBERS. There will be money invested into this. At first, I struggled with this thought. But the more I thought about it, when someone invests money into something, they are way more likely to stick to it, and truly want to change and be motivated. If I just let anyone into a group for free, I could get hundreds of people wanting help, but only a small percentage of them would truly be committed to succeed and work hard. That is the problem I have had when working with people over the past several years... commitment to do what it takes to really become fit and healthy. There are two ways you can invest. I'll talk about each way individually when I explain what each group consists of.
I am going to start with 2 groups (or possibly more). The rules for each group are as follows:
Group #1- Starts December 1st- P90X
This group will consist of up to 5 people who would all be doing P90X, starting on the same day. Everyone would be required to be replacing one meal a day with Shakeology (a meal replacement, protein shake, supplement). This would mean, you will have to invest in Shakeology. If I am going to invest my time working one on one with you, I need tho know you are willing to invest into your own health first, and that you are truly committed.
WHAT IS REQUIRED??
1. Purchase your Shakeology HD in a 30 serving Bulk Bag OR To-Go packets for the duration of the 90 days.
2. Purchase P90X through my site. www.beachbodycoach.com/tiffanydansie
3. Join Beachbody Club so that you have access to the meal plan during the challenge to help with your nutrition. ($2.99 a week! And includes a 10% discount on all of your purchases!)
Something to think about too... Beach Body just launched "Challenge Packs" where you get these three things at a discounted price, all in one bundle, for the purpose of these group challenges.
Something to think about too... Beach Body just launched "Challenge Packs" where you get these three things at a discounted price, all in one bundle, for the purpose of these group challenges.
-WHAT IS P90X??
www.beachbodycoach.com/tiffanydansie (you can look up any program under the shop button and then fitness programs link.
P90X is amazing for people that are exercise veterans. If you have been exercising, need a change in your routine, and have 5-20 lbs to lose, that's how I feel it fits the best. If you have large amounts of weight to lose, I may recommend a different workout program.
WHAT IS SHAKEOLOGY?
It's a nutritional protein shake that provides a wide spectrum of healthy nutrients in a low-calorie formula. Shakeology is an effective way to help you lose weight (if used appropriately as a meal replacement), increase your energy and feel better all around. Many people have had great success with Shakeology while also incorporating a healthy diet and a Beach Body program. Most people are missing the nutrition part when it comes to getting fit and healthy. Almost anyone can exercise and get that done. But nutrition is huge... for me, it's 90% of the battle. So with Shakeology, you are taking care of one meal and have tons of fruits and vegetables from it, you are on the right track for your nutrition. And it's only 150 calories, so when used as a meal replacement, you are well on your way to cutting out calories needed to lose weight. But it MUST be used appropriately. You cannot use it as an additive to your diet, or just like any other food or drink, you will not lose. Yes, it is an investment and a pretty big one. But cut the treats and other crap out of your diet and spend the money on something good for you! It comes down to about $4 per day. That's as much as getting your morning coffee or eating one fast food meal out. (Or getting your daily latte, or drinking your glass of wine). So cut that stuff out and replace it with something healthy! Here is a little more information about Shakeology... www.shakeology.com/tiffanydansie
-WHAT'S THE CHALLENGE?
It's simple...for 90 days you will be replacing ONE MEAL A DAY with Shakeology and using the P90X Fitness program to reach your goals!
If you order your Shakeology on Home Direct- you get FREE SHIPPING, 2 Workout DVDs and a Shakeology cup! And if you don't love it you can cancel your Home Direct after the first shipment and send back the empty bag for a full refund! What do you have to lose?? Remember that if you don't LOVE your new program or Shakeology then you can return it within 30 days!
At the end of the event their will be a drawing from the contestants for a free gift! ONE PERSON WILL WIN A GIFT THAT CONSISTS OF A PERSONAL BLENDER FOR YOUR SHAKE AND A SET OF BEACHBODY PUSHUP STANDS!!! You must COMPLETE the challenge to qualify for the giveaway! LETS GO!!
Let me know if you have any questions!! And be sure to let me know if you want to be in this group. I only have 4 slots left, as I have already filled one. :)
Group #2- Starting December 1st-
This workout program is to be decided (based on your input). I'm thinking Insanity, Lindsay Brin's 60-day slimdown (for those from the Operation: Get your body back group on facebook), or any other Beach Body program.
This group will be up to 5 people with the same idea as the group above. But the investment you will be putting in is $35 per month to be part of the group. That will be the only requirement (other than your serious commitment to use your money wisely and work hard). This group will also have a drawing at the end of the program. The prize will depend on what workout program the group does. It may just be a cash prize.
Both of these groups will have unlimited access to me and my fitness and nutrition coaching via email, facebook, and you will also have my cell phone number. I will hold you accountable, motivate, encourage, give nutrition and workout advice, and be there for any problems of questions you may have along the workout program. I want to help people on a smaller scale to truly succeed. Giving random advice is great, but doesn't target the person specifically and get to know them on a one on one level so that together, we can help you succeed.
For those not interested in a group at this time, or if they fill up and you aren't able to participate, I plan on starting more groups in the very near future. If you are interested, please let me know. Also know that I am offering personal coaching (without the group support of others doing your same workout) exclusively from me for the same price as above. $35 per month for unlimited access to me via email, text, and phone. Let me know if you are interested in anything above or have questions. I would love to answer them and help in any way that I can.
Also, if you already have a program and don't need to buy one, that is fine for either group. Again, let me know if youvare interested as soon as possible and I can give you more information on how to register for both groups. Participants will be chosen on a first come, first serve basis. So commit to getting healthy and get started!! You can do it!
Also, if you do want to participate, I will need to know some more information about you to be sure the program we will be doing will suit your needs. I may recommend another program for you, based on your individual goals. But we can always start a group for that program also. :) Let me know as soon as possible!
Tiffany Dansie
To check out my Beach Body's website, go to www.beachbodycoach.com/tiffanydansie
You can order anything from there that you need. Keep in mind, Beach Body has a lifetime guarantee, where you can replace a DVD for a lifetime if it gets scratched or ruined, you can send it back 10 years from now and they will mail you a new DVD. A great reason to purchase from Beach Body.
Friday, October 28, 2011
my weight loss journey
so... this is going to be long winded. but i've actually wanted to put this on my blog for a while, and just haven't. as you can see, this blog (and my two others) have been completely neglected over the past few months. my sister has done way more posts than me. i'm vowing to change that.
some people don't know (unless you knew me in middle school) that i struggled with my weight all growing up. i wasn't way overweight necessarily. but i was more than chubby, not skinny, and was made fun of A LOT when i was little.
in high school, i started with tae bo. when i was about 14, my older sister (the other author of this blog) and i started doing tae bo after school sometimes. i don't remember when, but i started running a little bit on my parents treadmill not too long after that. i don't know where my motivation came from. but it was there and i sometimes used the treadmill. when i was around 16, i did the body for life program, and for the first time in my life, had some muscle tone. i lost some weight and looked better than i ever had. (still far from great shape). i also started eating healthier. i was raised on the standard american diet of meat, potatoes, cheese, chips, cookies, juice, creamy casseroles, etc. there wasn't a huge concern for health back then and eating well.
when i got to college, i pretty much had cut out all refined sugars and flours. i started running more and made it a daily habit. i would usually just run for 30 minutes or so every day. i was thin, but not toned or in great shape. i loved exercise and eating healthy and decided to get my bachelor's degree in health science, with an emphasis in health promotion and lifetime wellness. my goal was to become a personal trainer eventually. but getting married and having a family took priority and i never did it... until now.
when i got married at the ripe age of 19, i weighed about 115-120 lbs. (i'm 5' 1 1/2"). i got pregnant with our first baby 3 months after we got married (yes, i know. crazy :) ). i immediately (like, the day i found out i was pregnant), stopped running, too paranoid that i would hurt the baby. i started just walking. i walked every day for 30 minutes during my pregnancy. good, right? well, my eating went out the window. i had been so good to have no sugars, refined flours for the past few years. i used pregnancy as an excuse to eat ice cream when i wanted, snacked CONSTANTLY (afraid that i needed to eat more because i was pregnant... which i did, but i had no idea how much 300 calories actually was), and didn't stick to my healthy eating. 30-35 lbs later, (i am pretty sure my ending weight was 148 lbs), i had my first baby. i was swollen, chubby, broad shouldered, etc.
i went on a quest to lose that baby weight. i had vowed i was NEVER going to be "one of those moms" that never lost her baby weight in between babies and ended up 40 lbs heavier after 4 kids. no way. not me. boy, did i EAT MY WORDS. i spent 1 1/2-2 hours per day in the gym, 6 days per week. treadmill, elliptical. i even started using the weight machines in the gym. i did drop a few pounds (maybe 5). i tried doing the "sometimes" rule with treats. but i swear, there was always some occasion, church party, holiday, birthday party, something. ALWAYS! so i was stuck around 130 for a long time. i tried cutting out sugars (and failed miserably). i tried eating salads twice per day. i became highly frustrated and when my baby was 18 months, i got pregnant with baby #2, 10-15 lbs heavier than i was when i got pregnant with baby #1.
i decided during this pregnancy, i was NOT going to use it as an excuse to eat what i wanted. i was going to listen to my body, eat when i was hungry, stop when i was satisfied, and try to eat really healthy. i accomplished that goal, gaining only 16 lbs during my pregnancy (also ran until i was about 17 weeks pregnant) and even did some weight training (some bicep curls, squats, lunges, etc). my doctor was fine with the small weight gain since i already was overweight at the beginning of my pregnancy. i did cut out treats, sugars, and white flours for the most part during this pregnancy.
i had baby #2 and was on my same quest to lose this baby weight. this is when i met lindsay brin with moms into fitness. i won't bore you with the story, but i got a hold of lindsay's post natal bootcamp dvd. popped that baby in 3 days per week (dying, trying to do her 12 week program), and also ran 5 days per week for about 30 minutes with some friends. yes, i was exercising twice per day and EXHAUSTED! i did this all while breastfeeding. in fact, i breastfed my son until he was 13 months old. it took me 7 months, and i surpassed my wedding day weight, and got down to 106 lbs. i was beyond thrilled! i had muscles i had never had before. when i finished the 12 week program, i started mixing and matching the workouts on her dvd, still doing 3 intervals of cardio/toning and 2-3 core workouts on the dvd. i used heavier weights when i didn't feel as challenged. (i started with 5's and 8's, moved up to 5's and 10's, moved up again to 8's and 12's). when my son was just about a year old, i got pregnant with baby #3.
during my third pregnancy, i was determined to stay as fit as possible. lindsay was kind enough to send me her pregnancy dvd's. i did them throughout my 3rd pregnancy, ran until i was about 24 weeks along, and tried to eat really healthy. (although whole wheat bread with cinnamon sugar was about the only thing i could tolerate for the first 16 weeks). i did the best i could to listen to my body, eat when i was hungry and stop when i was satisfied, and eat the best food for the amount of calories. i gained about 25-27 lbs.
baby #3 was born and i was determined to do the same thing i did with baby #2, but FASTER this time! haha. did not happen. in fact, it was a month or two slower. why? i think i was too paranoid about losing weight, not eating enough to keep up my milk supply (which started drying up when my daughter was about 5 months old), and just plain being over-paranoid about losing weight while breastfeeding. my body hung onto it until i stopped breastfeeding because i wasn't eating enough for it to let go of the excess fat. it needed it to survive and help my body keep my milk supply up. so after baby #3, i ate very healthy (lots of fruits, vegetables, green smoothies (which are made from fruits and vegetables), whole grains, sprouted grains, very little meat (and when i did do meat, it was chicken or turkey), and very little dairy. it took about 7 or 8 months and i was back to 106 lbs. i did lindsay's bootcamps again, and her new dvd's that had come out. shed 5 fast, core metabolic jumpstart, her cfs method (which helped tremendously to heal my diastasis recti that i had for the 3rd time), both bootcamps, etc. she even wrote an outside workout for me when i plateau'd.
even though i had hit my pre-pregnancy weight, i still felt like i had a small layer of fat that i wanted to get rid of. i wasn't toned like i wanted to be. i consulted with lindsay about it and she suggested that i just might be too used to her dvd's and workouts. i had increased my weights up to 12's and 15's and still had stopped losing and seeing results after a few weeks. she suggested i change it up (which is when she wrote the outside workout for me). i saw some results for the first few weeks and quickly plateau'd again.
i had seen some p90x infomercials. it looked interesting and HARD! i decided to get it for my husband for a graduation present (he was just graduating from physical therapy school). i got it for him, but REALLY was planning on doing it also. :) i emailed lindsay and asked her what she thought of it. she said she had seen the infomercials and thought it looked GREAT and that she thought i would love it, since i like to push myself.
i did the 90 days of p90x. i didn't follow their diet guide, as i don't really do a lot of animal products and after one day of doing it, felt so sick and yucky. again, i emailed lindsay about it and she suggested i not do the diet guide. i even tried drinking some protein shake, but noticed i was gaining weight. lindsay suggested not doing that either. i just decided to eat how i normally do (pretty clean to begin with), and just do the workouts. i was AMAZED with my results. the layer of fat was gone, i was at 102 lbs, my abs looked like lindsay's, i felt amazing, had muscles showing that i didn't even know i had, etc. i was in shock because most of the program is weight training. it didn't get my heart rate up nearly as much as lindsay's videos or other cardio exercises, like running. not at all. but i was more than sore every day and in phenomenal shape when i finished the 90 days. i was stunned. i had always been a cardio girl. cardio, cardio, cardio was my middle name. and i had gotten into the best shape of my life, and the lowest weight i could ever remember being, by simply doing push ups, pulls ups, and weight training. (there is a little bit of cardio involved, but nothing like i was used to doing).
i started a second round of p90x just in time to find out i was pregnant with #4! holy smokes! i tried continuing the program but felt it wasn't a good idea while i was pregnant. it was working me way too hard and i was exhausted, trying to finish the workouts. so i went back to lindsay's bootcamps, other dvd's and running. when i felt like those became too strenuous, i decreased my weights. when that became too strenuous, i started doing her pregnancy dvd's (probably about 20-25 weeks). i ran until i was 30 weeks, and my varicose veins were just bugging me way too much. so i stopped and went just to her pregnancy dvd's. i also kept my eating as clean as possible. i gained about 27 lbs with pregnancy #4 also.
baby #4 arrived and again, i was determined to lose the weight faster. again, it did not happen. :) it took longer. some because i was too paranoid about eating while breastfeeding, when i should have just focused on eating healthy, but not focused on how much i was eating. i was basically eating perfectly and dieting... when i shouldn't have been dieting at all. my milk dried up again when my baby was 5 months. :( i had been doing lindsay's bootcamps again, her other dvd's, and her downloads had come out soon after i had the baby. so i started doing those also. i also started using the Insanity program from beach body for cardio. i basically did her dvd's and downloads and when my baby was around 6 months, started doing p90x again. it took me 9 months to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight of around 106 lbs but not to my "best weight" of 102. my baby just turned 11 months and i am sitting at around 103-104 lbs. i am on my second round of p90x. it has taken longer this time around because my "no treats" rule sort of went out the window. even though i still don't eat refined sugars, i still use natural sugars and was eating treats with natural sugars. my body just doesn't do sugar. when i'm eating it, i don't lose weight and can't be in my best shape. so recently, i've made the pledge again to cut it out for a few months.
so that's how i have done it. i've been sharing about lindsay's dvd's for years. when i finally found something that truly WORKED for me, i was elated to help other mom's around me that i knew were struggling with the very same thing!! i hated being overweight and not feeling good about myself. shopping was a nightmare and completely depressing. i avoided it. i avoided the camera (which is also why i don't have many "before" pics). i avoided being in a bathing suit. ever! getting my body into the best shape i've been in has been amazing and a huge accomplishment for me. i am all about sharing with others what works for me.
i have been helping friends and family members (most recently my mother, who has lost more than 20 lbs with my help) for YEARS with advice, tips, help about losing weight. i finally decided to order my personal training books (i've been wanting to do this since college) a few months ago and am currently studying to take my certification test. i have also been approached by friends and family members who have mentioned to me i should do some consulting of sorts on the side to make some extra money. so i am looking into doing something like that. it is something i am passionate about... helping others to achieve their goals, that took me years to achieve. i also recently signed up to be a beach body coach. so if you need or want any of their programs or want to know more about them, or order anything from beach body, i would love to help. as your coach, i can help give you advice, tips, and keep you motivated to reach your goals. i have always been doing these things with friends and family. now i'm ready to try to make a business out of it. email me at tiffanydansie@gmail.com or you can message me on facebook as well. when i get my beach body website up and running, i'll also let you know.
this takes guts for me. but i'm posting my before and after pictures. :) the first picture is when my oldest was about 8 months old. the after pictures are from my first round of p90x, after baby #3 (2 1/2 years ago), and also just a few days ago, 11 months after baby #4. :)
some people don't know (unless you knew me in middle school) that i struggled with my weight all growing up. i wasn't way overweight necessarily. but i was more than chubby, not skinny, and was made fun of A LOT when i was little.
in high school, i started with tae bo. when i was about 14, my older sister (the other author of this blog) and i started doing tae bo after school sometimes. i don't remember when, but i started running a little bit on my parents treadmill not too long after that. i don't know where my motivation came from. but it was there and i sometimes used the treadmill. when i was around 16, i did the body for life program, and for the first time in my life, had some muscle tone. i lost some weight and looked better than i ever had. (still far from great shape). i also started eating healthier. i was raised on the standard american diet of meat, potatoes, cheese, chips, cookies, juice, creamy casseroles, etc. there wasn't a huge concern for health back then and eating well.
when i got to college, i pretty much had cut out all refined sugars and flours. i started running more and made it a daily habit. i would usually just run for 30 minutes or so every day. i was thin, but not toned or in great shape. i loved exercise and eating healthy and decided to get my bachelor's degree in health science, with an emphasis in health promotion and lifetime wellness. my goal was to become a personal trainer eventually. but getting married and having a family took priority and i never did it... until now.
when i got married at the ripe age of 19, i weighed about 115-120 lbs. (i'm 5' 1 1/2"). i got pregnant with our first baby 3 months after we got married (yes, i know. crazy :) ). i immediately (like, the day i found out i was pregnant), stopped running, too paranoid that i would hurt the baby. i started just walking. i walked every day for 30 minutes during my pregnancy. good, right? well, my eating went out the window. i had been so good to have no sugars, refined flours for the past few years. i used pregnancy as an excuse to eat ice cream when i wanted, snacked CONSTANTLY (afraid that i needed to eat more because i was pregnant... which i did, but i had no idea how much 300 calories actually was), and didn't stick to my healthy eating. 30-35 lbs later, (i am pretty sure my ending weight was 148 lbs), i had my first baby. i was swollen, chubby, broad shouldered, etc.
i went on a quest to lose that baby weight. i had vowed i was NEVER going to be "one of those moms" that never lost her baby weight in between babies and ended up 40 lbs heavier after 4 kids. no way. not me. boy, did i EAT MY WORDS. i spent 1 1/2-2 hours per day in the gym, 6 days per week. treadmill, elliptical. i even started using the weight machines in the gym. i did drop a few pounds (maybe 5). i tried doing the "sometimes" rule with treats. but i swear, there was always some occasion, church party, holiday, birthday party, something. ALWAYS! so i was stuck around 130 for a long time. i tried cutting out sugars (and failed miserably). i tried eating salads twice per day. i became highly frustrated and when my baby was 18 months, i got pregnant with baby #2, 10-15 lbs heavier than i was when i got pregnant with baby #1.
i decided during this pregnancy, i was NOT going to use it as an excuse to eat what i wanted. i was going to listen to my body, eat when i was hungry, stop when i was satisfied, and try to eat really healthy. i accomplished that goal, gaining only 16 lbs during my pregnancy (also ran until i was about 17 weeks pregnant) and even did some weight training (some bicep curls, squats, lunges, etc). my doctor was fine with the small weight gain since i already was overweight at the beginning of my pregnancy. i did cut out treats, sugars, and white flours for the most part during this pregnancy.
i had baby #2 and was on my same quest to lose this baby weight. this is when i met lindsay brin with moms into fitness. i won't bore you with the story, but i got a hold of lindsay's post natal bootcamp dvd. popped that baby in 3 days per week (dying, trying to do her 12 week program), and also ran 5 days per week for about 30 minutes with some friends. yes, i was exercising twice per day and EXHAUSTED! i did this all while breastfeeding. in fact, i breastfed my son until he was 13 months old. it took me 7 months, and i surpassed my wedding day weight, and got down to 106 lbs. i was beyond thrilled! i had muscles i had never had before. when i finished the 12 week program, i started mixing and matching the workouts on her dvd, still doing 3 intervals of cardio/toning and 2-3 core workouts on the dvd. i used heavier weights when i didn't feel as challenged. (i started with 5's and 8's, moved up to 5's and 10's, moved up again to 8's and 12's). when my son was just about a year old, i got pregnant with baby #3.
during my third pregnancy, i was determined to stay as fit as possible. lindsay was kind enough to send me her pregnancy dvd's. i did them throughout my 3rd pregnancy, ran until i was about 24 weeks along, and tried to eat really healthy. (although whole wheat bread with cinnamon sugar was about the only thing i could tolerate for the first 16 weeks). i did the best i could to listen to my body, eat when i was hungry and stop when i was satisfied, and eat the best food for the amount of calories. i gained about 25-27 lbs.
baby #3 was born and i was determined to do the same thing i did with baby #2, but FASTER this time! haha. did not happen. in fact, it was a month or two slower. why? i think i was too paranoid about losing weight, not eating enough to keep up my milk supply (which started drying up when my daughter was about 5 months old), and just plain being over-paranoid about losing weight while breastfeeding. my body hung onto it until i stopped breastfeeding because i wasn't eating enough for it to let go of the excess fat. it needed it to survive and help my body keep my milk supply up. so after baby #3, i ate very healthy (lots of fruits, vegetables, green smoothies (which are made from fruits and vegetables), whole grains, sprouted grains, very little meat (and when i did do meat, it was chicken or turkey), and very little dairy. it took about 7 or 8 months and i was back to 106 lbs. i did lindsay's bootcamps again, and her new dvd's that had come out. shed 5 fast, core metabolic jumpstart, her cfs method (which helped tremendously to heal my diastasis recti that i had for the 3rd time), both bootcamps, etc. she even wrote an outside workout for me when i plateau'd.
even though i had hit my pre-pregnancy weight, i still felt like i had a small layer of fat that i wanted to get rid of. i wasn't toned like i wanted to be. i consulted with lindsay about it and she suggested that i just might be too used to her dvd's and workouts. i had increased my weights up to 12's and 15's and still had stopped losing and seeing results after a few weeks. she suggested i change it up (which is when she wrote the outside workout for me). i saw some results for the first few weeks and quickly plateau'd again.
i had seen some p90x infomercials. it looked interesting and HARD! i decided to get it for my husband for a graduation present (he was just graduating from physical therapy school). i got it for him, but REALLY was planning on doing it also. :) i emailed lindsay and asked her what she thought of it. she said she had seen the infomercials and thought it looked GREAT and that she thought i would love it, since i like to push myself.
i did the 90 days of p90x. i didn't follow their diet guide, as i don't really do a lot of animal products and after one day of doing it, felt so sick and yucky. again, i emailed lindsay about it and she suggested i not do the diet guide. i even tried drinking some protein shake, but noticed i was gaining weight. lindsay suggested not doing that either. i just decided to eat how i normally do (pretty clean to begin with), and just do the workouts. i was AMAZED with my results. the layer of fat was gone, i was at 102 lbs, my abs looked like lindsay's, i felt amazing, had muscles showing that i didn't even know i had, etc. i was in shock because most of the program is weight training. it didn't get my heart rate up nearly as much as lindsay's videos or other cardio exercises, like running. not at all. but i was more than sore every day and in phenomenal shape when i finished the 90 days. i was stunned. i had always been a cardio girl. cardio, cardio, cardio was my middle name. and i had gotten into the best shape of my life, and the lowest weight i could ever remember being, by simply doing push ups, pulls ups, and weight training. (there is a little bit of cardio involved, but nothing like i was used to doing).
i started a second round of p90x just in time to find out i was pregnant with #4! holy smokes! i tried continuing the program but felt it wasn't a good idea while i was pregnant. it was working me way too hard and i was exhausted, trying to finish the workouts. so i went back to lindsay's bootcamps, other dvd's and running. when i felt like those became too strenuous, i decreased my weights. when that became too strenuous, i started doing her pregnancy dvd's (probably about 20-25 weeks). i ran until i was 30 weeks, and my varicose veins were just bugging me way too much. so i stopped and went just to her pregnancy dvd's. i also kept my eating as clean as possible. i gained about 27 lbs with pregnancy #4 also.
baby #4 arrived and again, i was determined to lose the weight faster. again, it did not happen. :) it took longer. some because i was too paranoid about eating while breastfeeding, when i should have just focused on eating healthy, but not focused on how much i was eating. i was basically eating perfectly and dieting... when i shouldn't have been dieting at all. my milk dried up again when my baby was 5 months. :( i had been doing lindsay's bootcamps again, her other dvd's, and her downloads had come out soon after i had the baby. so i started doing those also. i also started using the Insanity program from beach body for cardio. i basically did her dvd's and downloads and when my baby was around 6 months, started doing p90x again. it took me 9 months to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight of around 106 lbs but not to my "best weight" of 102. my baby just turned 11 months and i am sitting at around 103-104 lbs. i am on my second round of p90x. it has taken longer this time around because my "no treats" rule sort of went out the window. even though i still don't eat refined sugars, i still use natural sugars and was eating treats with natural sugars. my body just doesn't do sugar. when i'm eating it, i don't lose weight and can't be in my best shape. so recently, i've made the pledge again to cut it out for a few months.
so that's how i have done it. i've been sharing about lindsay's dvd's for years. when i finally found something that truly WORKED for me, i was elated to help other mom's around me that i knew were struggling with the very same thing!! i hated being overweight and not feeling good about myself. shopping was a nightmare and completely depressing. i avoided it. i avoided the camera (which is also why i don't have many "before" pics). i avoided being in a bathing suit. ever! getting my body into the best shape i've been in has been amazing and a huge accomplishment for me. i am all about sharing with others what works for me.
i have been helping friends and family members (most recently my mother, who has lost more than 20 lbs with my help) for YEARS with advice, tips, help about losing weight. i finally decided to order my personal training books (i've been wanting to do this since college) a few months ago and am currently studying to take my certification test. i have also been approached by friends and family members who have mentioned to me i should do some consulting of sorts on the side to make some extra money. so i am looking into doing something like that. it is something i am passionate about... helping others to achieve their goals, that took me years to achieve. i also recently signed up to be a beach body coach. so if you need or want any of their programs or want to know more about them, or order anything from beach body, i would love to help. as your coach, i can help give you advice, tips, and keep you motivated to reach your goals. i have always been doing these things with friends and family. now i'm ready to try to make a business out of it. email me at tiffanydansie@gmail.com or you can message me on facebook as well. when i get my beach body website up and running, i'll also let you know.
this takes guts for me. but i'm posting my before and after pictures. :) the first picture is when my oldest was about 8 months old. the after pictures are from my first round of p90x, after baby #3 (2 1/2 years ago), and also just a few days ago, 11 months after baby #4. :)
so embarrassing. very few people have seen these. lindsay, my sister, and my husband
this is after my first round of p90x, about 18 months ago (after baby #3)
i actually weighed about 105 right here. this was a few weeks after i finished the program and hadn't been working quite as hard.
a few photos taken just a few days ago, after a morning workout
weighing in at 103 lbs at 5' 1 1'2"
starting weight was about 130 (where i was stuck after baby #1 for 18 months)
so there you have it.
my plans for the future?
eating well.
finishing this round of p90x
p90x plus
p90x 2 (coming in december)
and lindsay's downloads in between
:)
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Almond milk ice cream
I love ice cream, but haven't had it in a very long time. I have a few health conscious reasons but the main one is that I don't tolerate dairy, at all. If you've shopped alternative milk ice cream, you know that it's not cheap and most of the time, not tasty. For my birthday, my husband bought me an ice cream maker and we've been making our own ice cream creations a few times per week. I thought I'd share the recipe that we've created using a few different recipes we've found. Let me know if you have an exciting flavor--we're always up for new ideas.
Almond Milk Ice Cream
3/4 cup coconut milk (we buy lite)
1 1/4 cup soy creamer *
1 cup almond milk (can also substitute other alternative milks)
1/3 cup agave
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp guar gum **
pinch of salt
* You can make it without the soy creamer, it just isn't as rich.
** I buy Bobs Red Mill brand. Again, you can do without this. It makes it creamy in texture and guar gum is in almost all ice cream sold at the grocery store.
If I am going to enjoy some ice cream, I might as well make it as healthy as I can!
Almond Milk Ice Cream
3/4 cup coconut milk (we buy lite)
1 1/4 cup soy creamer *
1 cup almond milk (can also substitute other alternative milks)
1/3 cup agave
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp guar gum **
pinch of salt
* You can make it without the soy creamer, it just isn't as rich.
** I buy Bobs Red Mill brand. Again, you can do without this. It makes it creamy in texture and guar gum is in almost all ice cream sold at the grocery store.
If I am going to enjoy some ice cream, I might as well make it as healthy as I can!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
P90X
I thought I'd give you an update on what I've been up to. You may have heard of this home workout DVD set. Tiffany did P90X before she had her last baby and had fantastic results. After finishing my half marathon in May, I borrowed a friend's DVD set and have loved it! I am currently finishing week 12. I completely love it. I needed something to switch up my workouts and to allow me the flexibility to workout at home during my kid's naptime. The things I love the most:
1. It's convenient and you don't need a lot of equipment.
2. I have loved building muscle tone.
3. I love pushing myself to do hard workouts...and some are really tough!
4. Fast results. I could tell a difference in the mirror in the first 2 weeks.
I cannot say that I have the fabulous results I hoped for, but I have come to recognize that my snacks (even on the healthy options I choose) add up to more calories than I am burning. I've made some changes and have seen better results. I plan to do it again in November or so. I am going to train for my second half marathon in October while we are living in Hawaii.
1. It's convenient and you don't need a lot of equipment.
2. I have loved building muscle tone.
3. I love pushing myself to do hard workouts...and some are really tough!
4. Fast results. I could tell a difference in the mirror in the first 2 weeks.
I cannot say that I have the fabulous results I hoped for, but I have come to recognize that my snacks (even on the healthy options I choose) add up to more calories than I am burning. I've made some changes and have seen better results. I plan to do it again in November or so. I am going to train for my second half marathon in October while we are living in Hawaii.
Lemon Chicken with Rice Pilaf
I had a request to post this recipe. It is a favorite at our house. My husband picked it to have the night before his marathon a week ago. So, I think it's safe to say it's husband-approved.
LEMON CHICKEN
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 fresh lemons
2 T olive oil, divided use
4 chicken thighs (I use chicken breasts)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 tsp of tumeric
1/2 pound Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes), peeled (I use quartered potatoes in the off season and it's yummy)
10 garlic cloves, peeled and halved (You can use less if you want)
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/8 cup pine nuts
I turned this recipe into a crock pot dish because it's easier and keeps my house cooler. I put it on high for a few hours and then turn it down to low for 4 hours more or so. When chicken and sunchokes (potatoes) are tender, stir in thyme leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning, if need be. Then cook an additional 10 minutes. Sprinkle with pine nuts to garnish (or use pine nuts in the rice recipe below). Serve on top of rice pilaf (below).
RICE PILAF
(from Lion House Cookbook)
¼ cup celery
¼ cup onion
1 cup rice
2 TBSP butter (I use olive oil)
2 cans chicken broth
1 T. dried parsley
¼ cup slivered almonds or pine nuts
Combine butter, onion, celery and rice in a deep frying pan. Cook until onion is translucent and rice is starting to brown. Add in Chicken broth and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat or until liquid is gone & rice is done. Stir in Parsley and nuts.
LEMON CHICKEN
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 fresh lemons
2 T olive oil, divided use
4 chicken thighs (I use chicken breasts)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 tsp of tumeric
1/2 pound Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes), peeled (I use quartered potatoes in the off season and it's yummy)
10 garlic cloves, peeled and halved (You can use less if you want)
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/8 cup pine nuts
I turned this recipe into a crock pot dish because it's easier and keeps my house cooler. I put it on high for a few hours and then turn it down to low for 4 hours more or so. When chicken and sunchokes (potatoes) are tender, stir in thyme leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning, if need be. Then cook an additional 10 minutes. Sprinkle with pine nuts to garnish (or use pine nuts in the rice recipe below). Serve on top of rice pilaf (below).
RICE PILAF
(from Lion House Cookbook)
¼ cup celery
¼ cup onion
1 cup rice
2 TBSP butter (I use olive oil)
2 cans chicken broth
1 T. dried parsley
¼ cup slivered almonds or pine nuts
Combine butter, onion, celery and rice in a deep frying pan. Cook until onion is translucent and rice is starting to brown. Add in Chicken broth and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat or until liquid is gone & rice is done. Stir in Parsley and nuts.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Winners
Sorry this is two days late. Life has been a little crazy and it involved my entire family and the flu...yuck.
The winners are:
Jodee Luke
Johnson Family
Devin & Christine
Please email me your address at findyourbestself at gmail dot com so I can send you your prize!
The winners are:
Jodee Luke
Johnson Family
Devin & Christine
Congratulations!
Please email me your address at findyourbestself at gmail dot com so I can send you your prize!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Spring Cleaning Giveaway
It's that time of year again! I love Spring cleaning--mostly because it's when warm weather returns but also because it's a fresh start. Peter Walsh, of Oprah and Friends, has some excellent tools to help you de-clutter your life and we are giving away THREE BOOKS ON CD to three lucky winners!
From the back cover:
"Peter Walsh, the organizational guru from TLC's hit show Clean Sweep, shares his proven system for letting go of your emotional and physical clutter so that you can create a happier, more stress-free home and life."
From the back cover:
"Using his expert techniques honed from years as a clutter expert and organizational consultant, Peter demonstrates how the clutter in your home is directly related to the clutter on your body, and how clutter negatively affects your ability to lead a full and healthy life. This plan shows you how to clean up not just the spaces where you eat, but the routines around them: from planning meals and shopping to dinnertime rituals."
From the back cover:
"Peter examines the six key areas of your life-Family, Relationships, Work, Health, Money, and Spirituality--and shows how these unique parts are so interrelated that if just one is cluttered, that clutter will creep into other areas and throw your life off balance."
To enter:
1. You must be a follower of this blog--this allows for more giveaways in the future!
2. Leave a comment to enter. Let us know which CD you would like if you win.
3. For extra entries:
Post this giveaway on Facebook--tell us in your comment = 2 additional entries
Do a post on your blog about this giveaway = 3 additional entries
You must check back next Tuesday, April 5th to see if you won!
We are not collecting email addresses, so we may not be able to contact you.
"Peter Walsh, the organizational guru from TLC's hit show Clean Sweep, shares his proven system for letting go of your emotional and physical clutter so that you can create a happier, more stress-free home and life."
"Using his expert techniques honed from years as a clutter expert and organizational consultant, Peter demonstrates how the clutter in your home is directly related to the clutter on your body, and how clutter negatively affects your ability to lead a full and healthy life. This plan shows you how to clean up not just the spaces where you eat, but the routines around them: from planning meals and shopping to dinnertime rituals."
From the back cover:
"Peter examines the six key areas of your life-Family, Relationships, Work, Health, Money, and Spirituality--and shows how these unique parts are so interrelated that if just one is cluttered, that clutter will creep into other areas and throw your life off balance."
Peter Walsh has personally offered one of each book on CD for our readers!
To enter:
1. You must be a follower of this blog--this allows for more giveaways in the future!
2. Leave a comment to enter. Let us know which CD you would like if you win.
3. For extra entries:
Post this giveaway on Facebook--tell us in your comment = 2 additional entries
Do a post on your blog about this giveaway = 3 additional entries
You must check back next Tuesday, April 5th to see if you won!
We are not collecting email addresses, so we may not be able to contact you.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Recipe: Chicken Satay Noodle Salad
**Stay tuned: more great giveaways coming your way.**
My friend, Alicia, posted this recipe on her blog sometime last year and it's been one of our favorites. I thought I'd already shared this gem, but I guess not. It is husband approved as well--probably on his top ten.
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad
1lb whole wheat spaghetti
1/3 cup peanut butter, softened
2 Tbsp honey
¼ cup tamari (dark soy sauce)
juice of 2 limes (lemons work too)
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
2 cups skinned and sliced rotisserie chicken (optional--I just cube 2 chicken breasts and grill them with our favorite seasonings and olive oil)
1 cup packed fresh spinach, thinly sliced
1/3 cup shredded carrots
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
¼ cup chopped peanuts
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain; rinse under cold water and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey and ¼ cup warm water. Whisk in the tamari, lime juice, hot pepper sauce and garlic. Pour in the oil in a steady stream, whisking to combine. Add the reserved noodles and toss to coat.
Place the noodles in 4 shallow bowls and top with the chicken, spinach, carrots, scallions, peanuts, and cilantro.
My friend, Alicia, posted this recipe on her blog sometime last year and it's been one of our favorites. I thought I'd already shared this gem, but I guess not. It is husband approved as well--probably on his top ten.
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad
1lb whole wheat spaghetti
1/3 cup peanut butter, softened
2 Tbsp honey
¼ cup tamari (dark soy sauce)
juice of 2 limes (lemons work too)
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
2 cups skinned and sliced rotisserie chicken (optional--I just cube 2 chicken breasts and grill them with our favorite seasonings and olive oil)
1 cup packed fresh spinach, thinly sliced
1/3 cup shredded carrots
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
¼ cup chopped peanuts
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain; rinse under cold water and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey and ¼ cup warm water. Whisk in the tamari, lime juice, hot pepper sauce and garlic. Pour in the oil in a steady stream, whisking to combine. Add the reserved noodles and toss to coat.
Place the noodles in 4 shallow bowls and top with the chicken, spinach, carrots, scallions, peanuts, and cilantro.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Giveaway Winners
For those of you that entered the drawing, you had great odds of winning. Congratulations to our winners:
Erin
Shane, Kayla, and Brynlee
Elizabeth
EMJ
Becky
Please email us with your mailing address. Your prize will come from Fit. Congratulations!
For those of you who love our giveaways, email us suggestions. What have you wanted to try, but haven't yet? We'll see what we can do to get a giveaway together.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Going Organic? + Giveaway
You're in the produce section at the store staring at an organic apple next to a conventional one. They look the same (although organic are sometimes not as pretty) and the organic is much more expensive.
What is all the fuss about organic and what does it mean?
As defined by the Mayo Clinic:
The USDA Organic seal can be used if the item is made with 95% or more organic ingredients as well. "All Natural", "Free-Range", and "Hormone-Free" are required to be truthful, but it does not mean organic.
The item can say 100% Organic if it is completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
Are conventionally grown foods harmful?
"Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive researched linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Now, the EPA considers 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides, and 30% of all insecticides as potentially cancer-causing. A 1987 National Academy of Sciences report estimated that pesticides might cause an extra 1.4 million cancer cases among Americans over their lifetimes. In California, 5 of the top 9 pesticides used on cotton are cancer-causing chemicals, according to the Pesticide Action Network North America." **
Is there a nutritional difference? *
There have been a mix of results in different studies about whether or not organic means higher nutrients. A study at Rutgers University found that organic produce contained an average of 83% more nutrients. A few examples of organic produce vs commercially-grown:
Tomatoes-5x more calcium, 12x more magnesium, 3x more potassium, 68x more manganese, 1900x more iron
Spinach-2x more calcium, 5.5x more magnesium, 3x more potassium, 117x more manganese, 83x more iron
Lettuce-3.5 x more calcium, 3 x more magnesium, 3x more potassium, 169x more manganese, 57x more iron
Although organic foods cost more, mineral for mineral they may be worth the price! Many claim that organic foods taste better as well without the waxes and chemicals, which often taste bitter, and with high mineral content. Because this may vary from soil to soil, it is recommended to eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes to help obtain the nutrients.
Go Organic?
Considering the above information, why wouldn't we all eat organic foods? The biggest reason is price. Like many of you, I am on a tight budget every month, but I want to eat healthy. These are the things I do:
1. Buy organic when it's a decent price.
Costco sells organic greens in 1 lb containers for under $4! I think I buy one per week.
2. Stick to the short list.
Foods with thick skin or peels have a natural barrier from the pesticides. Although it would be great to buy everything organic, the budget doesn't always allow. Here is a list for your reference in order of highest to lowest pesticide load:
Fruits: Peaches, Apples, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Grapes, Pears, Raspberries, Plums, Oranges, Tangerine, Cantaloupe, Lemon, Honeydew, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Blueberries
Vegetables: Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Lettuce, Spinach, Potatoes, Carrots, Green Beans, Hot Peppers, Cucumbers, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Winter Squash, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes
Dairy: Organic milk is free of antibiotics, added hormones, and human growth hormones (GMO).
Meat: Also free of antibiotics, added hormones, and human growth hormones (GMO). These animals are raised more ethically and humanely, meaning they are allowed to range freely--this allows for less disease and therefore, no need for antibiotics. The land that they eat from and live on uses no or less chemicals as well.
That being said, I stick to organic celery, greens (spinach or lettuces), organic dairy (milk, eggs, and yogurt), and organic meat. If I find a good sale, I buy organic!
3. Wash it!
If you buy conventional, wash your produce well. In fact, I've used Fit Fruit and Veggie wash and loved it!
Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash is 100% Natural and removes 98% more pesticides, waxes, people-handling residues, and other contaminants vs washing with water alone. It is the only fruit & vegetable wash certified kosher and vegan. It rinses away completely leaving no aftertaste or smell. The bowl and strainer, pictured here is great for soaking produce. I have also used my sink many times when I wash my strawberries. I love this wash--it's the next best thing to buying organic produce.
Fit has offered this kit to 5 lucky winners! 1 (12 oz) spray, 2 (32 oz) soaker, 1 bowl with 1 strainer
To enter:
1. You must be a follower of this blog--this allows for more giveaways in the future!
2. Leave a comment to enter.
3. For extra entries:
Post this giveaway on Facebook--tell us in your comment = 2 additional entries
Do a post on your blog about this giveaway = 3 additional entries
Check back next Wednesday, March 2nd to see if you won!
Sources:
*Conscious Eating by Gabriel Cousens, MD
** Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, Siegfried Gursche, MH with Zoltan Rona, MD, MSc
What is all the fuss about organic and what does it mean?
As defined by the Mayo Clinic:
The item can say 100% Organic if it is completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
Are conventionally grown foods harmful?
"Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive researched linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Now, the EPA considers 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides, and 30% of all insecticides as potentially cancer-causing. A 1987 National Academy of Sciences report estimated that pesticides might cause an extra 1.4 million cancer cases among Americans over their lifetimes. In California, 5 of the top 9 pesticides used on cotton are cancer-causing chemicals, according to the Pesticide Action Network North America." **
Is there a nutritional difference? *
There have been a mix of results in different studies about whether or not organic means higher nutrients. A study at Rutgers University found that organic produce contained an average of 83% more nutrients. A few examples of organic produce vs commercially-grown:
Tomatoes-5x more calcium, 12x more magnesium, 3x more potassium, 68x more manganese, 1900x more iron
Spinach-2x more calcium, 5.5x more magnesium, 3x more potassium, 117x more manganese, 83x more iron
Lettuce-3.5 x more calcium, 3 x more magnesium, 3x more potassium, 169x more manganese, 57x more iron
Although organic foods cost more, mineral for mineral they may be worth the price! Many claim that organic foods taste better as well without the waxes and chemicals, which often taste bitter, and with high mineral content. Because this may vary from soil to soil, it is recommended to eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes to help obtain the nutrients.
Go Organic?
Considering the above information, why wouldn't we all eat organic foods? The biggest reason is price. Like many of you, I am on a tight budget every month, but I want to eat healthy. These are the things I do:
1. Buy organic when it's a decent price.
Costco sells organic greens in 1 lb containers for under $4! I think I buy one per week.
2. Stick to the short list.
Foods with thick skin or peels have a natural barrier from the pesticides. Although it would be great to buy everything organic, the budget doesn't always allow. Here is a list for your reference in order of highest to lowest pesticide load:
Fruits: Peaches, Apples, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Grapes, Pears, Raspberries, Plums, Oranges, Tangerine, Cantaloupe, Lemon, Honeydew, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Blueberries
Vegetables: Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Lettuce, Spinach, Potatoes, Carrots, Green Beans, Hot Peppers, Cucumbers, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Winter Squash, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes
Dairy: Organic milk is free of antibiotics, added hormones, and human growth hormones (GMO).
Meat: Also free of antibiotics, added hormones, and human growth hormones (GMO). These animals are raised more ethically and humanely, meaning they are allowed to range freely--this allows for less disease and therefore, no need for antibiotics. The land that they eat from and live on uses no or less chemicals as well.
That being said, I stick to organic celery, greens (spinach or lettuces), organic dairy (milk, eggs, and yogurt), and organic meat. If I find a good sale, I buy organic!
3. Wash it!
Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash is 100% Natural and removes 98% more pesticides, waxes, people-handling residues, and other contaminants vs washing with water alone. It is the only fruit & vegetable wash certified kosher and vegan. It rinses away completely leaving no aftertaste or smell. The bowl and strainer, pictured here is great for soaking produce. I have also used my sink many times when I wash my strawberries. I love this wash--it's the next best thing to buying organic produce.
Fit has offered this kit to 5 lucky winners! 1 (12 oz) spray, 2 (32 oz) soaker, 1 bowl with 1 strainer
To enter:
1. You must be a follower of this blog--this allows for more giveaways in the future!
2. Leave a comment to enter.
3. For extra entries:
Post this giveaway on Facebook--tell us in your comment = 2 additional entries
Do a post on your blog about this giveaway = 3 additional entries
Check back next Wednesday, March 2nd to see if you won!
Sources:
*Conscious Eating by Gabriel Cousens, MD
** Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, Siegfried Gursche, MH with Zoltan Rona, MD, MSc
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
the results are in...
i am too lazy to try and figure out how to display the results so i can prove i didn't cheat. i promise i didn't. it's a little funny though. a few people won exactly what they wanted to. and actually, a few people won more than one dvd (or the same dvd twice). but since we said, we were going to have 12 winners, for 12 dvd's, we let the random number generator choose another number. for some, i had to hit the "generate" button several times!
so here are the winners! if you can, email us. it will be easier for us that way. if we don't hear from you within a few days with your address, we will email you.
the four winners of post-natal bootcamp:
The Jeffries
The Haucks
Courtney B
JSD
the four winners of bootcamp 2:
The Oylers
Hannah
The Bartschi’s
Anna
the two winners of shed 5 fast:
Ryan, Tiffany, Rosten, Wood
Johnson Family
the two winners of core metabolic jumpstart:
Luke and Katie
Natalie
Congratulations!!! Please email us at findyourbestself@gmail.com and let us know where to send your free dvd!!! if you already own the dvd that you won, let us know. we will do our best to switch things around to get you a different one (if it's possible).
Also, some other exciting news... just a reminder about the promo codes Lindsay gave our readers. Check them out here for great savings on her downloads and dvd's.
Also, for those of you who have tried or own her pregnancy dvd's. She is offering a great deal for you. All you have to do is go to amazon.com, do a review of her pregnancy dvd's, and she will mail you a free dvd of hers... your choice!!! If you do this, email us at findyourbestself@gmail.com and let us know which dvd you would like. after verifying you have done the review, we will contact lindsay with your request and you will get your dvd shortly. great deal! only takes a few minutes of your time and you get a free workout video!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
All-Star Hummus
Don't forget to enter the DVD Giveaway!
We'll draw the winners names on Wednesday at noon.
I have been on the lookout for a good hummus recipe for a few years now. I am not easily satisfied and have spent hundreds of dollars on hummus in the last 5 years. This is probably my favorite snack. It's high in protein (and calories) which makes it more filling than some other options. I'm not one to count calories, but I know that if I splurge too much on my hummus consumption, then it can add a few pounds to the scale. Just eat in moderation. I throw this on a wrap with some black beans, brown rice, spinach, salsa, and avocado or just grab my sprouted wheat tortillas (love Food for Life brand) and tear a few pieces off to use in place of tortilla chips. Delicious. I've had a few people ask me for this recipe recently, so I thought I'd share.
Hummus (courtesy of my Cuisinart food processor cookbook)
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 cloves garlic (I use 1)
4 cans (15.5 oz each) garbanzo bean (or chickpeas)
1/4 cup tahini (puchased at most health food stores--it's ground sesame seeds)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup water (I used 2/3 cup this time to make it a little less dry)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Combine parsley, lemon zest, salt, and garlic together in food processor (or blender) and process about 6 seconds and then scrape the sides and repeat again. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl and process again to incorporate all ingredients.
Nutrtional Information (2 Tblsp)
Calories 55, Carb 5g, protein 2 g, fat 3 g, fiber 1 g, calcium 13 mg
We'll draw the winners names on Wednesday at noon.
I have been on the lookout for a good hummus recipe for a few years now. I am not easily satisfied and have spent hundreds of dollars on hummus in the last 5 years. This is probably my favorite snack. It's high in protein (and calories) which makes it more filling than some other options. I'm not one to count calories, but I know that if I splurge too much on my hummus consumption, then it can add a few pounds to the scale. Just eat in moderation. I throw this on a wrap with some black beans, brown rice, spinach, salsa, and avocado or just grab my sprouted wheat tortillas (love Food for Life brand) and tear a few pieces off to use in place of tortilla chips. Delicious. I've had a few people ask me for this recipe recently, so I thought I'd share.
Hummus (courtesy of my Cuisinart food processor cookbook)
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp sea salt
1-2 cloves garlic (I use 1)
4 cans (15.5 oz each) garbanzo bean (or chickpeas)
1/4 cup tahini (puchased at most health food stores--it's ground sesame seeds)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup water (I used 2/3 cup this time to make it a little less dry)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Combine parsley, lemon zest, salt, and garlic together in food processor (or blender) and process about 6 seconds and then scrape the sides and repeat again. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl and process again to incorporate all ingredients.
Nutrtional Information (2 Tblsp)
Calories 55, Carb 5g, protein 2 g, fat 3 g, fiber 1 g, calcium 13 mg
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Huge DVD Giveaway
Just in time to participate in the Shed 5 Fast Contest sponsored by Mom's into Fitness...
We are giving away 12 DVDs
to 12 lucky winners!
A little of my history about these DVDs. A few years ago, I did a spot on a weekly internet radio show. I was asked to review some workout DVDs from a company called Moms Into Fitness. At the time, I was hoping to be a mom someday (and the future didn't look bright). I popped in a Boot Camp DVD (for mom's who are trying to 'get their body back' and have been a fan ever since. These aren't just for moms--but they are designed to be a fast, but challenging workout.
I was embarassed how sore I was the next morning (yes, my co-workers could tell by my slight limp from my sore legs) because it was a 'mom' video. The interval training combined with toning exercises make it one of the hardest DVDs I have done before. Since then, Lindsay Brin and Moms into Fitness have come out with many more excellent DVDs. Lindsay Brin herself sent these DVDs to us because we have shared them with friends and family for the past few years--simply because they're great. Now you get the benefits!
Enter to win 1 of the following:
(4 available)
Post-Natal Boot Camp 2
(4 available)
Shed 5 Fast
(2 available)
Core Metabolic Jumpstart
(2 available)
Here's how to enter:
1. You must be a follower of our blog.
2. For one entry, leave a comment with:
a. your first name
b. your email address so we can contact our winners (forgot that last time...oops!)
3. For 2 additional entries, post this giveaway on Facebook--tell us in your comment.
4. For 3 additional entries, do a post on your blog about this giveaway and just to be fair, give us the link to your blog.
We'll pick a winner on Wednesday, Feb 2nd!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A Prize-Winning Recipe
I discovered a great blog with healthy recipes. Some require some specialty ingredients that would involve a trip to the health-food store. This is such a recipe. My mom took these to a work party last week and won the prize for the best healthy food (even if the prize was a candy bar--lame).
We will be posting the next big giveaway tomorrow, so stay tuned.
Don't pass on making the frosting, it's what makes these brownies especially delicious.
Base:
1 cup raw almonds (see note)
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1 3/4 cups (packed) pitted medjool dates (see note)
1/4 cup dried organic pitted cherries (OR more dates, ie can use 2 cups dates in whole - omit almond extract if not using cherries)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 vanilla bean (Or 1 – 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
Frosting:
1/2 cup coconut butter (not coconut oil; I use Artisana coconut butter)
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
2 tbsp raw cocoa powder (or regular if you prefer)
pinch sea salt
In a food processor, first add almonds and cashews and process until very fine (the almonds are the hardest, and need to be worked until crumbly). Then add walnuts, dates and cherries and pulse/process until mixture is quite crumbly, but not yet coming together. Then, add cocoa powder, salt, and almond extract, and pulse through. With a sharp tip knife, slice the vanilla bean down the outer side to open up the bean. Using a blunt (butter) knife, scrape out all the tiny seeds from the bean on both sides, and add them to the processor (or add vanilla extract). Process again, along with the almond extract if using. Process until the mixture starts to come together but do not overmix so that the nuts release their oils (see note). Then remove the mixture and press into a brownie pan (8” x 8”) lined with parchment paper.
For the frosting, in a mini-food processor, first combine the coconut butter and agave nectar until smooth. Then add the cocoa powder and salt, and pulse through again until just combined. Do not overprocess or the frosting will begin to separate with the heat of the churning and become oily. (If you don’t have a mini-processor, you can follow the same steps stirring by hand in a bowl). Smooth frosting over base, and refrigerate for an hour or more until set. Cut into squares and serve! You can also freeze the squares after cutting, and enjoy them out of the freezer!
Note: A combination of ¾ cup almonds and ½ cup cashews also works well.
Note: If your dates are on the dry side, you can add 1-2 tbsp of water to the mixture to help assist the pureeing and the mixture easily coming together.
Note: If you process the mixture too long, the heat generated by the food processor will bring the oils out of the nuts. If this happens, the brownies won’t be ruined necessarily, but they will have an oily appearance and be oily to the touch. So, process minimally to begin, rather than over processing the nuts at the outset.
We will be posting the next big giveaway tomorrow, so stay tuned.
Dreena's Frosted B-raw-nies!
Don't pass on making the frosting, it's what makes these brownies especially delicious.
Base:
1 cup raw almonds (see note)
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1 3/4 cups (packed) pitted medjool dates (see note)
1/4 cup dried organic pitted cherries (OR more dates, ie can use 2 cups dates in whole - omit almond extract if not using cherries)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 vanilla bean (Or 1 – 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
Frosting:
1/2 cup coconut butter (not coconut oil; I use Artisana coconut butter)
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
2 tbsp raw cocoa powder (or regular if you prefer)
pinch sea salt
In a food processor, first add almonds and cashews and process until very fine (the almonds are the hardest, and need to be worked until crumbly). Then add walnuts, dates and cherries and pulse/process until mixture is quite crumbly, but not yet coming together. Then, add cocoa powder, salt, and almond extract, and pulse through. With a sharp tip knife, slice the vanilla bean down the outer side to open up the bean. Using a blunt (butter) knife, scrape out all the tiny seeds from the bean on both sides, and add them to the processor (or add vanilla extract). Process again, along with the almond extract if using. Process until the mixture starts to come together but do not overmix so that the nuts release their oils (see note). Then remove the mixture and press into a brownie pan (8” x 8”) lined with parchment paper.
For the frosting, in a mini-food processor, first combine the coconut butter and agave nectar until smooth. Then add the cocoa powder and salt, and pulse through again until just combined. Do not overprocess or the frosting will begin to separate with the heat of the churning and become oily. (If you don’t have a mini-processor, you can follow the same steps stirring by hand in a bowl). Smooth frosting over base, and refrigerate for an hour or more until set. Cut into squares and serve! You can also freeze the squares after cutting, and enjoy them out of the freezer!
Note: A combination of ¾ cup almonds and ½ cup cashews also works well.
Note: If your dates are on the dry side, you can add 1-2 tbsp of water to the mixture to help assist the pureeing and the mixture easily coming together.
Note: If you process the mixture too long, the heat generated by the food processor will bring the oils out of the nuts. If this happens, the brownies won’t be ruined necessarily, but they will have an oily appearance and be oily to the touch. So, process minimally to begin, rather than over processing the nuts at the outset.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
another HUGE giveaway (a day late)
i know we said we'd post our giveaway yesterday. with heather having twins that are approaching their first birthday, and me with four kids under the age of 6 (all of which are home with me all day), we just didn't get around to it.
but we have great news (a day late)!
to our followers and readers, lindsay has offered two AWESOME promotional codes for you!
*for 30% off her 60-day slim down program ($15 savings), use promo code:
60daydvd30
(this normally sells for $49.99 and you can get it for just $34.99)
*for $6 off her already "special price" right now (her first 4 downloads for $20- already an $8 savings), use promo code:
60daydvd30
(that's her first 4 downloads for $14 total- $3.50 per download- JUMP ON THAT!)
*for $3 off a single download (normally $7), use promo code:
download3
thanks to miss lindsay for being so generous! seriously ladies. jump on these deals! go to:
stay tuned for another awesome giveaway this week...
some of lindsay's dvd's and more than one copy of each.
post-natal bootcamp
bootcamp 2
shed 5 fast
core metabolic jumpstart
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Four Lucky Winners
Many of you took advantage of our extra entries and it came down to 174 entries! Thanks for sharing the link with others. More followers allows for more giveaways in the future. Now for our winners...drum roll please...
With 4 entries, Ann Marie (entry 95):
With all 6 possible entries, Danila (entry 84):
Also with all 6 entries, Ash (entry 52):
With all 6 entries, Creel Family (entry 22):
Winners, please send your name and mailing address to FindYourBestSelf@gmail.com so we can get them in the mail for you.
We will be announcing another GREAT giveaway tomorrow, so stay tuned. We haven't finished with Lindsay Brin's videos and many of you will still win these great workout DVDs.
With 4 entries, Ann Marie (entry 95):
With all 6 possible entries, Danila (entry 84):
Also with all 6 entries, Ash (entry 52):
With all 6 entries, Creel Family (entry 22):
We will be announcing another GREAT giveaway tomorrow, so stay tuned. We haven't finished with Lindsay Brin's videos and many of you will still win these great workout DVDs.
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