Recipes

Egg White Pizza tutorial

I make these 2 at a time so I can eat one fresh and have one to look forward to the next day.  When you love something this much and it’s dense nutrition, you don’t mind leftovers.  And that’s how I survive motherhood right now. #dontjudge

I make these 2 at a time so I can eat one fresh and have one to look forward to the next day. When you love something this much and it’s dense nutrition, you don’t mind leftovers. And that’s how I survive motherhood right now. #dontjudge

Step 1 (this is 6 egg whites, flipped once, 1 TBSP pizza sauce

Step 1 (this is 6 egg whites, flipped once, 1 TBSP pizza sauce

Step 2 - that’s 1 slice of ham in slivers

Step 2 - that’s 1 slice of ham in slivers

I found a rendition of this on Iliana Mulestein’s Instagram page and have played with this till I borderline perfected it (to me at least) and I have this at least 3 days a week for lunch or dinner. My kids have watched me eat it and inquired if they could “try it” (afraid to commit to a whole serving LOL) and now they love it too. See if it’s a crowd pleaser in your house!

The key is to use a small enough pan (6-8” at most) so it’s thick enough to hold a “slice” to eat. If the pan is too big it’ll fall apart, but if that happens, call an audible and make a delicious scramble instead. It’s not going to be a wasted meal!

I do 1 of 2 recipes… 1) 8 egg whites for vegetarian pizza, or 2) 6 egg whites with 1-2 slices of ham or prosciutto. 1 TBSP clean pizza sauce is plenty. Then chose whatever veggies you want to add. I like to put these on once I flip the pizza so they get warm, but not wilted or cooked too much. Did you know when you cook vegetables that you lose a lot of nutrients? And it’s not necessary. My go-to are arugula (aka Rocket in Australia), red peppers (healthiest choice of pepper and has the most calcium) and sometimes if I’m low on veggies for the day I’ll add mushrooms too (but I’ll cook those because raw is #yuck). Bust out those containers because cheese is hard to eye ball! Use 1 blue container of your preferred cheese 🧀 as long as you haven’t already enjoyed cheese or avocado 🥑 that day, as the very last step.
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This was my dinner while family had frozen bacon & cheese pizza from grocery store. I love pizza y’all but honestly, this was damn good, I was very full and I didn’t feel like I missed out at all. You should enjoy what you eat, but you also want to remember it’s food and food provides fuel for your body. A recent video with Shaun T really impacted me when he said “talk to your food and ask it, what are you going to do for me?” When you think of it like that, the brownie or white flour pizza, doesn’t look so appealing, amiright?

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Step 3 (from tutorial above) serve & slice into 4 pieces.

Step 3 (from tutorial above) serve & slice into 4 pieces.

"Mum, you're the best cook ever!"

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I never brag so keep reading … these were the words from my 9 yr old’s mouth as he bit into these muffins all nice and warm! And because of the banana, they’re perfectly sweet with just 2 TBSP of honey! Seriously, no added sugar otherwise.

Here’s my recipe ——>
-1/2 c quick oat (I prefer Quick Oats vs Old Fashioned Oats because they don’t get as dry)
-1/2 c almond flour
-2 TBSP honey (try to always buy local - it helps with allergies)
-1/3 c CLEAN peanut / almond butter (really any nut butter will do, but know that some nut butters are more overpowering than others so consider that, esp when serving these to kids) - do not buy nut butters with added sugar or oil… why do that to yourself? Remember, we have goals we are working towards!
-1 egg
-2 large bananas, RIPE
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-3 tsp cocoa
-1 c spinach (ok, hear me out on this…you’re going to have the cocoa above to mask any coloration so they won’t “see” it and you rarely ever taste spinach which is why it’s AH-MAZING to add to everything. Your kids are never the wiser and you’re just killing it softly in your kitchen! #MotherhoodIsNotForSissies
**I chose to add 6 dark chocolate chips to each muffin before they went in the oven bc…why not??!?

Yields 12 and takes 5 min to do all of this! Put all the ingredients in your blender in whatever order. Don’t you love how precise I am?!?!? haha If it' ain’t easy, AND DELICIOUS, I’m not making it. Enough said.

Put in pre-heated oven for 10 min at 375F or 10 min 175C. Next tip is crucial to your sanity. When they come out, set some aside for yourself. Or if you’re like me and omitted this step, I made 12 and when I turned around, i had 5 left so I divided them in half…literally and got 2 brekky’s out of them.

I’d love to see you serve 2.5 muffins with 2 eggs, or 8 egg whites, or 1 egg and 3 slices of lean turkey / ham rolled up, or 3/4 plain greek yogurt. That’s a pretty balanced brekky and you’ll be full till morning tea.

Enjoy and let me know how you go!

Power Muffins - prep ahead ;)

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I’ve written about these before, but they’ve been so popular amongst my challengers, that I was to share about them again. And there are so many ways to modify these Superfood / Power muffins, that I don’t want you to limit yourself to the recipe I shared HERE. Try adding 1 packet / scoop Vegan Vanilla Shakeology, or chopped apples / pears . When I made these this time I used liners to save on dishes and it made 14 instead of 12, so I’ll change the serving to 4.5 muffins for 3 days with an extra .5 muffin on a hungry day or later for snack.

These are great for any day, but I esp love them for 80-Day Obsession, LIIFT4 and Transform 20 where I find containers more helpful to follow. As written it’s 1R, 1G, 1Y and whether or not you use liners, the oil spray would be negligible so don’t count a tsp. If you add 1 fruit add .5P to each serving, or if you add Shakeology, add .5 R (rounding). I love warming them and adding 1 tsp peanut butter across the top. YUMMMM ;)

Let me know what you think! Here’s the batch I made today while on the phone…talk about multi-tasking! And it prevented me from tossing veggies we wouldn’t be able to eat before they were over due! #winning

NOTE - If you’re following 2B Mindset nutrition this would be a great breakfast with your FFCs and protein being equal and veggies for extra credit. Remember to drink 16 oz water first. :) #2bunnies

This North Carolinian #nailedit - 1st slaw attempt!

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4 skinless organic chicken thighs. sliced in 1/2 long way so thin and long (won’t fall out of bread as easily)

4 skinless organic chicken thighs. sliced in 1/2 long way so thin and long (won’t fall out of bread as easily)

I know I’m NO FOOD BLOGGER and these pictures are messy, but my sense of pride is 🤗🤗🤗. I made my first slaw and it was good!!! If you’re from North Carolina, making good slaw is A. BIG. DEAL. 💁🏼‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️ And something you must get right. You now are very aware that I like to eat clean. I feel better and my body responds better so I didn’t want a super creamy, mayonnaise based slaw because I’d feel bad afterwards and what’s the fun in that??

This is also 100% 2B Mindset approved and I used the “plate it” methodology. That means you don’t measure and that means FREEDOM! I didn’t measure the slaw or the chicken or worry about any points, calories, containers, etc. Winning for sure!!!

Prep time: 5 minutes if you buy the slaw per-made ;)

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 TBSP honey
- 1 TBSP plain mustard (I tried the first batch with grainy mustard as recipe said and didn’t find it rich in flavor). you could opt for honey mustard and forgo adding a full TBSP of honey above (I found it to be too much anyways
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tsp celery seed, optional (I didn’t have any and it was fine without)

DIRECTIONS:
1) add all wet ingredients and stir well, then stir into slaw a little at a time. I didn’t need all the marinade so I saved some of it for my salad at lunch the next day (with the leftover chicken). Total win in my book to cook once and eat 2-3 meals from it!
2) Cook chicken breasts, chicken thighs, pulled pork, or whatever you fancy and add BBQ sauce.

For my husband I served these on burger rolls, but for the kid I used Orowheat “Thins” so they could finish it all. To make mine 2B Mindset approved I served the chicken over slaw and it was delightful!! I don’t eat carbs with my dinner because I’m winding down my day and not looks for carbs for more energy. That will be first thing tomorrow morning.

marinade - didn’t need this much for the amt of slaw I used

marinade - didn’t need this much for the amt of slaw I used

pre-made slaw with dressing on top. Serves 4.

pre-made slaw with dressing on top. Serves 4.

Meatloaf Florentine

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STRAIGHT FROM THE OVEN - YUMMM!

STRAIGHT FROM THE OVEN - YUMMM!

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey (you can play with this, in the picture I used 2/3 lbs ground lamb and 2/3 lbs 97% fat free ground pork, but you could also use ground chicken, ground beef, or my favorite is to combine a fattier meat with a lean meat so it will stick together, but be more healthy)
- 1 cup of your favorite clean spaghetti sauce (you could also opt for tomato paste or pizza sauce, which is my personal favorite and a little richer, less liquidy)
- 1/2 cup of quick oats
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs, beaten (for lower fat – 1 egg & 2 egg whites)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 TBSP Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (this is optional and I didn’t use it because only my husband is a fan)
- 1 cup low fat shredded cheese, mozzarella (or what you have on hand. In the pic, I used colby, but I’ve made this with cheddar too and equally as delicious)
- 2 cups spinach (I used 3 cups for the next batch and put it in a food processor with the 3/4 of the cheese and pureed it just slightly so it would shrink and it was delicious! I’m a firm believer, the more veggies you can sneak in, the better!

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a meatloaf pan with olive oil or line with foil, but I prefer the pans that have the fat drip below so they’re a little leaner, but equally as flavorful!

1) In mixing bowl, combine turkey with 1/4 cup of sauce, quick oats, onion, garlic, eggs, Worcestershire Sauce, seasonings, parm cheese and optional fennel. Mix well.
2) Press half the meat mixture above in the pan.
3) With the back of a spoon, press a 1 inch deep indentations down the center, leaving a inch border on all sides.
4) In a separate bowl, toss the spinach and 3/4 cup of the cheese of choice. Spoon the spinach mixture down the indentation.
5) Spread the remaining meat mixture over the top, sealing edges along the side of pan. Put remaining sauce over the meat mixture and put in oven for 35 minutes.
6) Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until meat is cooked through and sauce is bubbling. (Check this)
7) Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. If you try and serve right away, it may fall apart, since it needs time to set.

Preparation time: 10 minutes 
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Yields 6 with kids eating, or adults

DINNER 1 NIGHT - ONE DISH WONDER!

DINNER 1 NIGHT - ONE DISH WONDER!

LEFTOVERS - 2ND NIGHT - VEGGIES MOST!

LEFTOVERS - 2ND NIGHT - VEGGIES MOST!

How do determine if food is clean or processed

NOT CLEAN!

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My favorite starches to buy.  Flatazza is great for so many things and vacuum sealed so they last a long time. 

If you want to sweeten coffee use Stevia or this creamer, drink it black or with cream, regular milk, almond milk, or half and half.

If you want to sweeten coffee use Stevia or this creamer, drink it black or with cream, regular milk, almond milk, or half and half.

I love talking about this topic because it's an easy concept, but hard to grasp because manufactures want to trick us!!  Just kidding, sort of.  To attract MOST shoppers, the key words to use are "low fat," "light," "reduced fat," "low sugar," "low sodium," "natural," and "sugar free." It used to work for me y'all! COMPLETELY!  And that's why I had awful sleep and the afternoon slump from 2-4pm.  The only thing that would got me through was grazing on whatever was ready for quick consumption.  This is where processed food creaps in before we notice it and our plans are derailed AGAIN.  This is a never ending cycle unless we take charge and change it.  Watch this video to understand the most common items I buy (yogurt, milk, peanut butter, etc) and how to know if it's clean or processed. 

Look how tricky this is..."The Good Nut" and "never oily"  When I looked at the back of the jar it read... SUGAR, CANOLA OIL, PEANUTS, SALT.  Sugar and added oils are what you want to RUN from!  I prefer to buy Peanut Butter, Almond Butter and Sunflower Butter (best for school allergies) at Costco because they are clean and a super deal.  I will let you down easy...Nutella and Trader Joe's Cookie Butter ARE NOT CLEAN. Google how Nutella is made... you won't want it again, but here's an overview :) 

So, I bet you're thinking, "I'm not a stay at home mom Stephanie, how do I have food ready and available when these hunger fits come on?"  My answer is...MEAL PREP!  When I first started this journey, I rolled my eyes too, go ahead, but now I'm a firm believer that 1-2 hours of focused time in the kitchen on Sunday makes me week much easier and I don't get in a jam anymore and grab chips, goldfish or pretzels.  I can grab sliced cucumbers / carrots / peppers, boiled egg, fresh fruit, string cheese, pumpkin muffins, oatmeals balls, etc or I have cooked pork chops, chicken breasts or leftovers in the fridge so I can make a quick salad.  Boiled eggs are easy to use in anything.  Everything I listed keeps me on track with my goals and what I worked for all week and not cause me to throw in the towel and start the sleepless, low energy, cycle again.

Banana pancakes

Pancakes = 1R, 1P, 1TspSweet pot !Y, Rocket 1G (you can combine all these ingredients into pancakes as well and you don't notice the carbs or veggie, but use spinach not rocket...it's too strong in flavor).

Pancakes = 1R, 1P, 1Tsp
Sweet pot !Y, Rocket 1G (you can combine all these ingredients into pancakes as well and you don't notice the carbs or veggie, but use spinach not rocket...it's too strong in flavor).

I know I have a few versions of pancakes on my blog...banana pancakes, sweet potato pancakes, green pancakes, etc but y'all...I LOVE PANCAKES.  Like, LOVE!  My favorite are lemon pancakes my hubby makes, but they are not clean and it will cause all kinds of drool on my computer, so for now, I'm not blogging about them.  Mother's Day is coming up, it might be on my list.  Seriously though, I'm so obsessed with sweet potatoes, not sure I can leave them out of my breakfast every again as long as I live.  haha

Ok, super easy.  Grab a Ninja / Magic Bullet blender, doesn't need to be fancy and throw all these ingredients together. 

Ingredients:
-1/2 banana
-2 eggs

Directions: blend, pour in pan sprayed with Olive Oil and cook.  Enjoy!  1 serving size and 1R & 1P.  Top with 1 tsp PB if you wish (it's still delish without it) for 1Tsp if you need / want more containers. 

I feel silly even blogging about this because it's so stinking easy.  But, after I made this I thought about sweet potatoes and spinach...they both are 2 ingredients that can do undetected in most foods (yes, spinach might change the color, but not the taste).  So, I tried it again adding in 1G of Spinach and 3 slices of previously cooked sweet potatoes (1Y) and I got the perfect post workout meal in just pancakes.  Feel free to top with PB if your containers / plan allows.  

My kids like these with just bananas and eggs, but you could throw in sliced bananas also for texture, or chocolate chips for a treat! 

These last in the fridge a few days so I usually make 2-4 days worth at a time if I have 2 over rip bananas.   Let me know what you think! 

The easiest way to make an ice cream cake!

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I've never made an ice cake before, but my son really really wanted a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream cake and I didn't feel like paying $69.95 for it, so I decided to make it.  All in, the ice cream cost me $16 and the cake mix $4, candles $3, and icing ingredients (because my hubby CANNOT buy store bought ice cream - whatevs) $5.  So $28, vs $70 and my son was so proud because we "made it".  We will take that win to the bank any day :)  

For the record, I believe some things are better from a box.  This isn't clean eating so buying a cake mix causes me no guilt or uncomfortable feelings, I secretly do a jump in the grocery aisle thinking (1) it will turn out and (2) I'm glad I'm not THAT MOM that has to make homemade cakes from scratch because see #1 above.  It won't turn out, I. Just. Know. It.  I digress.  

Here's what I did and the beauty of this is you can do it days ahead, it actually turns out better so no stressing the day of the party (as long as you have a freezer handy. if not, stress away and think of Plan B). 

Step 1: Chose your favorite ice cream and partially defrost it.  Line the pan you chose to use (I'd stick with brownie plan 8x8 or 9x9, or a round pan like this, similar size).  Line with parchment paper or seran wrap so you can easily pull it out without cracking or breaking the layer.  I had 2 pans so I made both ice cream layers at the same time.  As you're spooning the ice cream into the pan and pressing it down, it will smooth out and fill in all the holes. If it still seems lumpy, maybe you have too much and need to eat some.  I kid.  Not.  When finished, put in the freezer and let re-freeze for a day

Step 2: Make your cake.  I wanted to do 2 layers ice cream and 2 layers cake, but that would have just been too much cake and we'd have it leftover for months, so I stuck with 3 layers total.  the top looks thicker because of the vanilla frosting.  Once you make your cake as instructed, let it cool completely and put it in the freezer.  I lined the pan with aluminum foil so I could take it out easily and it could go in the oven.  Parchment paper would work too, but I find it crinkles in the oven sometimes and I wanted my cake smooth. Once completely cook, put in freezer for a few hours, or up to one day.

Step 3: Remove all layers from their respective pans and stack together.  You need to use freezer-friendly icing which is really hard to find in here, so we made whipped cream frosting and it was perfect!  Ice it VERY QUICKLY, remember you're dealing with ice cream here and it's no longer in the mold and will lose shape and form fast!!  Put in freezer once you're done and let it all come together.  The icing can fill in any defects so no pressure to have each layer perfect. You could ice between the layers, but for my first cake, I didn't want to risk timing and the ice cream melt on me.  That experiment is for cake #2 :) 

Step 4: Add any toppings and store in freezer till ready to serve.  At this point, I'd put it on your fancy cake platter and be ready to serve it.  We have 3 of these and have moved them from CA, to TX, to Australia and used them NEVER!  NOT ONE SINGLE TIME. We forget and this happens and we are screwed!  Thus, remember to transfer before the party starts. You're welcome :) 

This served 8 boys and we 12 pieces still leftover!  It makes a lot!!! To store leftovers, slice it completely and put in freezer-safe tupperware and you could enjoy for weeks to come. My family will eat this in 4 nights (3 people * 4 nts = 12 pcs) GONE!  

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Flourless Banana Bread Muffins

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Anyone else get caught up in the great deals at Costco and buy way. too. much. freaking. stuff?  I just did that with bananas and got like 15 GREEN bananas.  I thought I could use a few in smoothies till the rest were completely ripe and get through the batch.  W-R-O-N-G.  We left our blinds up overnight (which is a no-no in our house, the morning sun just bakes our fruit basket and there's no where for it to hide) so I woke up the next day to 15 BROWN...like no yellow to be found, bananas and tons of fruit flies.  

My family loves bananas and I have a lot of healthy repines pinned on Pinterest, but I wanted to mix it up a bit, so I searched 21 day fix recipes + banana bread and found this.  Now, I want to caution you on this...Beachbody does not publish these recipes so you're at the mercy of whoever writes these and hoping that they understand 21 day fix and aren't just trying to get hashtag search results.  A lot of the recipes I've clicked on aren't even key ingredients y'all.  It's a little humorous, but mostly sad. 

I modified this recipe quite a bit because I wanted more protein, a few more carbs (yeah, I said that) and less sugar.  I know, eye roll, but y'all, I got plans and sugar gets me 110% derailed.  One taste and I'm addicted all over again!

Here's what I used in mine:
2 eggs
3/4 c quick oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 bananas, the browner the better
1 TBSP honey
1/4 c creamy nut butter (any will do) 
2 TBSP ground flaxseed
1/4 c almond flour / meal

Portion out evenly to fill 8 pre-sprayed muffin tins. If you want to add nuts or chocolate chips, go for it, but my container counts are for only the ingredients above. You could throw all this in a blender and just pour, super easily, but I already had the bananas in the bowl when I thought of that :/ Bake 375 for about 10 minutes, but watch since all ovens are different. I made these in Australia using celsius so this is my best guess for American oven conversion :) 

Yields 8 muffins, 2 muffins / serving.  21-day fix container counts are 1P, 1Y, .5R, 4 tsp

2 Ingredient Ice Cream

Ice cream can be a treat, and be delicious and be on the plan.  It is possible and add to that list, it can trick your kids.  By that I mean...this ice cream which is bananas and peanut butter is a favorite in my household.  And my household consists of two boys that HATE bananas, but they will eat this in 30 seconds flat and take down a Shakeology with banana blended in it like NOBODY'S BUSINESS.  Try it.  And feel free to laugh at overheating my blender.  Since I made this video, I slice my bananas up before freezing them so this hasn't happened again. But, my Au Pair and I got a great laugh from the video :) 

Dirt & Worm Bars

You guys...MAKE THESE!!!  This is all the things we don't encourage on 21 Day Fix, but they are all the things kids want...oreos and marshmellows and gummy worms.  What's not to love?!?!  And the best part is that these ingredients don't tempt me AT ALL so I can make these and own that I have no willpower and still not get derailed!  YES!!!  

The ingredients are in the picture below.  These literally take 5 minutes to make, from start to finish.  Dump all your Oreos in a gallon ziplock bag and SEAL!  Do not forget this step or you will hate me when you have Oreos all over your kitchen!  Hand the bag off to your kids and put them to work ;)  We use a meat pounder and play hot potato, but you can do whatever.  Then melt the butter and marshmellows in the microwave for 30 second intervals so they don't burn over blow up.  Another direction to follow because believe me, that is messy as heck to clean up! 

Combine your melted butter, marshmellows and Oreos together and pour into a greased 8x8 pan and put in the fridge.  Once they're cooled and you can easily cut, slice into 16-24 depending on portion sizes you want and put a gummy worm on top!  ENJOY!!!  

PS - these are not just for kids.  Grown ups love them and I've found dad's devour them!

Power Muffins!

I don't know if you're like me, but if you shop at Costco, then chances are, you might be. Lots of times I have a veggie for dinner in mind and then I change my mind because there's zucchini, spinach or some veggie that 'needs to be eaten stat'. There are multiple ways to make these so feel free to use that veggie that just needs to go ;)  When I made these I did zucchini and carrots, but I've seen broccoli, spinach, carrots, zucchini, and every combination in between.  As long as you're measuring your veggies with your green container, you're staying on track. 

INGREDIENTS:
-¾ C quick oats
-1 large zucchini and 3 medium carrots (use a cheese grater or food processor to grind them up)
-6 eggs
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all together and spoon into a muffin tin.  Makes 12 and 4 are a serving so yields 3 portions.  Bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Another variation is to add Shakeology to them.  If you do this, cut the eggs by 2 for every scoop / packet of Shakeology you use. I personally wouldn't add more than one because you lose some of the nutrition in Shakeology when it's heated over 175 degrees so no need to waste it.  But the flavor of vanilla Shakeology is delicious in these.  let me know what you try!!

These are an excellent pre or post workout meal.  If using as "pre-workout meal" then just top with creamy peanut butter or coconut oil and you're good to go.  If you're eating them as a "post-workout meal" then add peanut butter and a fruit on the side.  How easy is this?  And it makes 3 servings so the next two days you can relax knowing you just wake, heat, and eat.  30-90 minutes later you are ready to exercise.  

21 Day Fix & 80 Day Obsession containers: 1R, 1G, 1Y, 1tsp (with nut butter or oil on top)

Flourless Carrot Breakfast Cake

Ingredients
2 C gluten free oat flour (gluten free oats ground into a flour)
1/2 C granulated sweetener of choice (Stevia pref)
1 TBSP baking powder
pinch sea salt
1 small carrot, grated finely
1 C dairy free milk (Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk pref)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 T nut butter, melted (I used almond butter)

For the protein frosting
3 scoops Vanilla Shakeology
1-2 TBSP granulated sweetener of choice (opt)
1-2 TBSP nut butter of choice (optional)
Dairy free milk to form batter
For the coconut butter frosting
4-6 T coconut butter, melted
2 T granulated sweetener of choice
Dairy free milk to thin out

Instructions can be found HERE.  This breakfast cake is best kept in the fridge, and is freezer friendly too.

Sweet potato waffles

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how easy is this?  took 3 minutes :) 

how easy is this?  took 3 minutes :) 

Would you believe that at one point in my life (that happened to last for 37 yrs) I did not like sweet potatoes?  I mean, I borderline hated them and would have rather starved than eat them.  First world problems right?  Not super proud, but keeping it real.  Insert 21-Day Ultimate Reset where you eat a lot of sweet potatoes and other foods I disliked like jicama, olives, sunflower seeds.  But when you're hungry and following a plan to a T, you. will. eat. it.  And now, I feel like most of my recipes incorporate sweet potatoes somehow. And I LOVE THEM!  

So, try this new one... 4 ingredients plus any extras you want to throw in for flavor

Ingredients:
-2 eggs
-1/2 c (or a yellow container) mashed sweet potatoes, skin off
-1 c (or a green container) spinach, or you can combine green onions, spinach, arugula, zucchini however you want so that it all equals 1 green container
-1 tsp olive oil for cooking
-salt & pepper to taste (or any seasoning you like as long as it doesn't have sugar)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and pour into heated, greased, waffle iron. If you don't have that, feel free to make pancakes instead ;)  This makes exactly one waffle as pictured and the 21-day fix containers are 1 R, 1 Y, 1 G, 1 tsp.  This is an ideal pre-workout breakfast so make it the night before or in the morning, it's super fast, and then press play 30 min later and be prepared to work it!  You've properly fueled your body so now let it do the work!

These freeze well too if you want to triple or quadruple the recipe.  Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Donut Holes

It's hard to look at these and think "clean" but they are and you'd never know.  You can make this recipe as doughnuts, muffins, or bread.  

Ingredients:
-3 ripe bananas
-2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
-2 large eggs
-1/2 cup pure maple syrup
-1 tsp baking powder
-2 tsps vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp kosher salt
-1/4 cup cocoa powder  
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (mini or regular are fine, but try to chose semi-sweet if you can't find dark)

Directions:
-Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or use non-stick spray, silicone liners, or muffin liners
-Combine bananas, oats, eggs, maple syrup, baking soda, vanilla, cocoa powder, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend/process until you have a smooth batter, about 1 minute. (If using walnuts or chocolate chips, fold into the batter once well blended.)
-Pour into prepared pan of choice. If making a bread it looks pretty topped with banana slices.
-Bake until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. About 25 minutes for bread, or 15 min for muffins or doughnuts (if using a doughnut pan).
-Let cool in pan, invert loaf onto cooling rack to cool completely or take out muffins using a buttered knife to go around the edges. Place on cooling rack.
-ENJOY!!!

21 Day Fix containers: 1 Y, .5 P

EASY homemade Bagels!

First attempt, it gets prettier with practice. I made 1 everything, 2 cinnamon & sugar and 1 pumpkin spice. Everyone can season them the way they want and chose wether to add eggs and bacon or not.

Y'all I love bagels and I haven't eaten them in FOREVER because one bagel can make me sleep for hours.  When I did a road trip from Houston, TX to Maplewood, NJ, I had to watch my carbs if I was driving because 30 min after I'd eat something heavy I'd be like a newborn baby and ready to crash for 1-2 hours.  True story.  Ha! These however, are different, and I'm so thankful for this!  If I could be any food on this earth...I'd be a grain.  Bread probably.  (The Italian in me runs very deep) 

This homemade bagel recipe is easy (who would have thought that was possible - making bread just stresses me out) and only five ingredients – flour, Greek yogurt, egg whites (or eggs), baking powder and salt!  No yeast, no boiling, no mixer. Bake them in the oven or if you're fancy and own one, use your air-fryer! (I think this and an insta-pot are on my Christmas list)

INGREDIENTS: (yieleds 4)

Before the oven (25 min)

After :) One child snuck his before I could take a photo. Both boys wanted seconds! I'd say this was a win!

  • 1 c (5 oz) unbleached all purpose flour (if you want them to be clean, use whole wheat) or gluten-free mix*

  • 2 tsp baking powder (make sure it’s not expired or it won’t rise)

  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt (use less if using table salt)

  • 1 c non-fat Greek yogurt (not regular yogurt, it will be too sticky)

  • 1 egg white, beaten (whole egg ok too, just to use as wash over bagel)

    Variations:
    Everything bagel: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic flakes, dried onion flakes (shake amt desired for ea)

    Cinnamon & Sugar: 1 tsp cinnamon & 2 tsp sugar. Mix and spread evenly.

    Chocolate Chip bagel: yummmm...choclate chips. this could probably work for blueberries too, but I didn't have any on hand to try. Let me know if you do!

    Pumpkin Spice bagel: 1.5 TBSP ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cloves. Mis and spread over top evenly.

    ** in my house everyone gets to make their own for two reasons... 1) no complaining, you get what you get and you don't cause a fit :) and 2) it gets them involved in cooking and the sooner this happens, the better. Put them on the parchment paper and let everyone add the seasoning they want.

Directions and GF instructions can be found HERE . They freeze well too so this is a win for the whole week!

80 Day Obsession and 21-day fix container counts are: 1Y, ⅓ R

Vanilla Fresh shake recipes

Vanilla Fresh is one of our most popular shakes and is completely vegan, so it works for everyone.  Sadly, it's not avail for purchase by itself, but it's a vital part to the 3 Day Refresh.   I love it with just water and shaken very well, but some prefer drinking it with their fruit serving from lunch, or add extra 'free' seasonings.  Check these out to add some variety to your day! Let me know which is your favorite!

Sweet potato pancakes!

As the recipe is written :)  Thanks Rebecca Ray, fellow Beachbody Coach

As the recipe is written :)  Thanks Rebecca Ray, fellow Beachbody Coach

Me modifying a recipe I'd never made before and doubling spinach.  Tasted fine, but you might not always want green food :) 

Too easy, just pour in the pan and there you go! 4 breakfasts ready for the week!

Too easy, just pour in the pan and there you go! 4 breakfasts ready for the week!

So I've been on a roll trying new recipes in the past month and it's paying off! I honestly thought this "timed nutrition" thing was going to be super hard and I don't love too much structure. Oh you bet I'm a rule followers, you can tell me how much to eat, but to tell me when to eat, and how to group it together, I thought Autumn Calabrese was over stepping her boundaries at first.  But now I'm down 3.5 lbs and multiple inches (lost my tape measure, but I can see and feel a difference, so it's legit) and I feel like I get to eat ALL DAY!  Ha!  This foodie is in heaven and I'm even eating more than any Beachbody program I've done before.  
Rebecca Ray shared this recipe with me and I'm always trying to sneak more greens in, so I took it upon MYSELF to question her .5G count and double the greens so I get my full 1G portion in one meal.  Don't. There's a reason you follow directions :) So here is the recipe as it's written and how it will turn out.  

Ingredients:
-2 roasted sweet potatoes, skinned (skin before you cook, much easier)
-8 eggs
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/8 c almond flour (it's impossible to find in Australia so I make my own - just grind almonds!)
-2 greens Spinach (read that 2, not 4, like I did the 1st time)  
-Vanilla & cinnamon to taste

Mix with hand mixer if you want texture, or a blender if you don't care and want it fast and smooth.  Cook on griddle or frying pan (I spray with olive oil).  Makes 4 servings so divide evenly as you're cooking it.  Mine were larger so I had 4 each servings.  Rebecca's were silver dollar size so she had 8-10 per serving. 

80 Day Obsession containers: 1R, 1Y, .5G, 1tsp.  Wait at least 30 min, or up to 1.5 hours, to workout. (assuming this is your pre-workout meal) .

Carrot bread! You have to try it!!!

Not only did this taste good, and was healthy, but it smelled amazing as it cooked.  That's always very important, right?  Ha!  

If you make multiple servings, like I did, store it in the fridge so it doesn't go bad, and then warm it up slightly when you're ready to eat it.  Top with your choice of nut butter (for pre-workout meal) or save your nut butter for your fruit serving if you're enjoying this post-workout. The portion feels rather large, which I'm thankful for, so enjoy it!  

Here's the recipe, shared by a fellow coach in the 80 day Obsession Exclusive Coach Test Group.  Love that we are all accountable to each other for sharing knowledge and encouraging one another.  80 days is long, but it's going to pass either way, so might as well have something to show for it, right?!? And I'm honestly having a TON OF FUN!!  

Ingredients:
1/2 c Quick Oats
2 eggs
1 scoop regular Vanilla Shakeology (I like having whey in this even though I'm lactose intolerant, it didn't bother me maybe because I cooked it?)
2 c shredded carrots
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
Nut butter, optional

Mix all together by hand (you don't need a mixer for this, but if you wanted it more cake like, then put in your blender).  Pour into a greased loaf pan (I use olive oil spray) and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  You could do this in an air fryer as well if you have one.  Top with 2 tsp nut butter and ENJOY!  This is TWO SERVINGS. 

80 day Obsession containers per serving: 1R, 1Y, 1G, 1tsp  Wait at least 30 min, or up to 1.5 hours, to workout. (assuming this is your pre-workout meal)  

**you can also cook this in muffin tins, but shorten cooking time as it will cook much faster

Green pancakes & kid-friendly!

This is our Ninja Food processor.  Super easy to do and the kids can do all of it, but the stove work.

These are delicious and I'm not just saying that because they are clean!  My hubby wanted some, but I only made one portion because... well... they're green and I wasn't sure they'd be any good!  ha!  But they were so they will go in my 80 Day Obsession rotation for sure!  

Here's the recipe that one of the coaches shared in our Exclusive Coach Test Group. It's such an honor to be included in this and since I don't love to cook and am in no way, shape or form, creative, I love that others like to play around with recipes and share it when it's perfected! Thanks friends!

Ingredients:
-1 green container Spinach (portion fix)
-1 egg white (or whole egg, I used whole egg in mine)
-⅓ c cottage cheese (don't be afraid of fat, but look at the ingredients. you want it to be clean!)
-¼ c oats
-1 tsp clean nut butter (when serving)

Blend together if you want smooth and less texture, or put in a food processor (like I did) to have more texture and variation.  Same taste, just preference. I always say, do what's easier and less mess to clean up.  Serve warm and double if you want more than 1 serving.

This is 1R, 1G, 1Y, 1tsp.  Wait at least 30 min, or up to 1.5 hours, to workout. (assuming this is your pre-workout meal)