Apple Cider Margarita

I saw this today (at 8am, mind you) and really want one real bad…Cheers!  I’m buying the ingredients today!  Perfect for when trick or treaters come knocking at my door again, and again, and again…

Apple Cider Margartias

serves 1, is easily multiples

1 ounce Grand Marnier

1 ounce gold tequila

5-6 ounces sweet apple cider

orange segments and apple slices

cinnamon + cane sugar + coarse sugar for glass rimming

cinnamon sticks for garnish

Add a few spoonfuls of cane sugar, coarse sugar and cinnamon to a plate. Run an orange segment around the edge of the glass, then press into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat the rim. Add a few orange slices in the bottom of the glass, fill with ice, then add the Grand Marnier, tequila and apple cider and stir to mix. Garnish with apple slices and cinnamon sticks. Enjoy!

Black Bean Brownies (yum)

I made these yesterday and you would never ever be able to taste the black beans…wonderful and rich like real brownies!  This is packed with fiber and the agave won’t spike your blood sugar.  Taken from the latest issue of Women’s Running Magazine. 

15 oz can of blackbeans, rinsed and drained

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. espresso powder (I used instant coffee)

3/4 c egg substitute

2 Tbsp whole wheat flour

3/4 c agave nectar

1 TBSP butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 8 by 8 pan with cooking spray.  Combine beans, cocoa powder, espresso powder, egg sub., and flour in a food processor or blender.  Mix until smooth (2 min).  Add agave, butter and vanilla. Process again (1 min). 

Pour batter into the baking dish and smooth (I added chopped pecans on top).  Bake for 20 min, turning halfway through.  Then turn oven down to 300 and bake 8 more min.  (I had to cook another 20 or so in my oven).  You know how to tell when they are done right??

Let them cool, cut ino 12 servings (I did 9).  Refridgerate leftovers. 

NUTRITION INFO

110 cal, 1.5 fat, 24 carb, 3 fiber, 4 protein.  (for 12 serving size).  WW Points 3  (4 for 9 serving size)

New Breakfast Quiche a must try!

I got this out of the new Oxygen magazine and was hesitant to try…but you  have to-its soo delicious and I actually had made it for a dinner. 

In large bowl mix:

6 egg whites/2 eggs

2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 c wheat flour

a little salt and pepper

1 cup of your choice of cheese

In Skillet cook:

Peppers, onion, zucchini, and  mushrooms (or any other veggies)

Pour veggies into greased casserole dish.  Sprinkle basil on top and then pour egg mixture over and spread evenly.  Sprinkle one more cup of cheese over top. 

Bake uncovered 350 for 15 minutes.  Keep baking uncovered for 45 more minutes on 325. 

Makes 8 servings in a huge casserole dish-lots of protein and so delish!

Here’s to the nights we felt alive

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  This year, I have my own house to actually cook a dinner in…but I won’t be.  Instead, I’ll be hosting dessert and drinks!  I’m actually pretty stoked about this idea and can’t wait to have family over.  My mom, dad, sister, her bf, joey’s family, should make for a big crowd. 

I’ve decided to make the same pumpkin mousse I made last year with the layers of ginger snaps and then make two varieties of delicious drinks:

1) Cranberry Newt:

1 oz rum

Light OJ

Diet cranberry juice

Cranberry is very holidayish, this can be used all season!

2) Cinnamon Snap:

Rum

Diet ginger ale

Apple Cider

Dash of cinnamon

A little pumpkin puree and shake

Another all holidayer drink! 

Get inspired but stay healthy!  Here’s to your holiday nights!  CHEERS

Muffins and making the most

” I make the most of all that comes, and the least of all that goes.”  ~Sara Teasdale 1884-1933

What a way to start my day while drinking my tea!  I will make what comes of today.  Things are starting to go positive for me and I’m in a much better mood. 

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I felt like making something yesterday so I baked banana nut muffins…but with my own twists 😉  Here is the recipe!

Banana Nut Muffins

(I doubled everything and made alot b/c I passed them out to my clients)

1/3 C skim milk

1/4 c apple butter (instead of oil)

1 large egg

1 c all purpose flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1/2 splenda brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

dash of salt

1 c mashed bananas

Extra by me:

Splashes of fiber sure

cinnamon

chopped nuts

2 scoops banana creame pudding protein powder

1) Heat oven to 400 and grease muffins pans. 

2) Beat milk, apple butter and egg in large bowl.  Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt at once until just moistened.  Add mashed bananas and nuts and cinnamon.  Add protein powder last, to retain value.  Divide into muffin tins. 

3) Bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.  Let sit about 5 minutes before removing. 

These muffins will have extremely less fat, more protein and fiber than your average muffin.  And they taste AWESOME!  Let’s see what the verdict is via my clients huh? 

Just a pic from my sisters graduation dinner ceremony.

Greek Pasta Salad

This is PERFECT for summer and SOOO yummy.  I made this for a second time last night to eat with some grilled chicken.  Make it and use it all week or bring to a party, everyone will love you. 

 

6 oz. uncooked orzo pasta (rice shaped)

3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/3 c lemon juice

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

4 tsp honey

1 medium cucumber, seeded, chopped

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2 c red onion, chopped -i used white

12 medium pitted ripe olives, halved or just used a jar of sliced

1/4 c crumbled low fat feta cheese

1) Cook orzo to desired doneness, rinse with cold water, drain and set in large bowl

2) In small bowl combine lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, and honey and beat with wire wisk, set aside as dressing

3) Combine orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives together and pour dressing over top and mix well.  Sprinkle with feta cheese

I hope you enjoy this!  I will be posting a high protein banana bread later this week after I cook it myself.  Stay healthy and be happy!

Eating clean is no easy feat!

In my line of work, and with my experience in training and competeting, I find it a pleasure to help people with their diet and nutrition plans.  After all, the way you eat greatly affects the way you look, even more so then exercising.  Look at it this way, you will more likely see those abs if you choose to eat oatmeal and eggs for breakfast than a muffin (which, coincidentally, might give you a muffin top, lol-please I’ve had 5 hours of sleep and just got a venti skinny latte, waiting to kick in).  But I run into trouble when trying to help my male clients.  Do I give them just larger portions of what my females eat?  How much MORE protein do they really need?  How much fat?  Do they eat 8 times a day? 

Those questions are always on my mind, although I fair pretty well when giving men diets, I have a male client who has lost 20 pounds since December!  Tosca Reno has helped millions of women already with her best selling book, The eat-clean diet for women.  I bought this book as soon as it came out in 2007 and read it cover to cover and it does change you!  I let someone borrow it and alas, they lost it, so if anyone feels the urge to buy me one feel free!  Tosca explains in details about the protein, carb, and fat needs of women.  It’s basically a bible on how you should eat every day of your life. 

This month, with the collaboration of her husband, Robert Kennedy, editor of Oxygen magazine, they came out with the Eat clean diet for men!  Yeah!  I just purchased it off ebay this morning and can’t wait to rip into it.  Not only will it help with my male clients, but my confidence will increase in that area as well as my knowledge to provide fat loss and muscle gain for men (including joey).  With 60 recipes to boot, I’m sure it can help any male looking to just eat healthier and lead a better lifestyle. 

A couple of other books I hope to get this year too are Tosca’s Eat clean Diet cookbook:

 

And her book about eating clean with family and raising healthy kids:

 

All are VERY useful books I recommend to EVERYONE!  Just keep taking what you eat one day at a time and try to eat clean, whole foods, no processed.  I find it help to keep a food journal to be held more accountable.  I love for my clients to keep one for me to check on them.  Maybe you would think twice about eating that bowl of ice cream if I had to see it huh?

Mexican Chili Relish

Upon hearing about a Cinco de Mayo BBQ Joey and I were invited to this past weekend, I had to ponder the thought of what to bring.   I immediately said “watermelon” b/c I love juicy fruit on a hot summer day  (summer is here already in AZ, in full swing!).  Apparently, Joey says ” We are not watermelon people” so I had to think of something else.  My mom’s good ole’ recipe for her salsa stands strong to this day!  Was a hit!

( I doubled this recipe and used a ton of tomatoes to stretch it out, actually, I probably do not measure anything)

1 small can chopped olives-do not drain

1 small can diced green chilis-do not drain

2 tomatoes chopped

4 green onions, chopped, including tips

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

3 Tbsp oil (not olive-I dont use any at all)

salt and pepper to taste

Red pepper and seasoned salt to taste

Cilantro chopped, and garlic salt to taste

Chill before serving and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips!

Healthier Summer Cocktails

Some of my favs leaned out!

1) Pina Colada

2-4 oz rum (coconut rum-use half calorie if you can find some)

1 Tbsp crushed pineapple

1/2c low fat/low sugar ice cream

1/4c sugar free coconut syrup

1 packet Splenda

Ice and blend until smooth-serves 2 at 100 calories each

2) Margarita

2 oz tequila

1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice

Diet Sprite

Pour over ice or blend in blender-if so add any fruit you desire

3) Summer Beer

2-4 oz vodka

1 c lemonade -I use Crystal Light

1 Bud light -or other light beer

Stir and Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate smoothie

Made this today, got to try it!!  Drinking as I type, its amazing.

FYI: I changed 3 lightbulbs in lamps I commonly use to energy efficient ones today! 

1 scoop chocolate whey protein

1 c fat free milk

1/2c pumpkin from a can

cinnamon, splenda, and nutmeg to taste

Blend with 5 ice cubes and enjoy!