Make Your Own Granola Bars

There's a lot of these recipes floating around =)  But, they're fun to make, easy to customize and healthier for you- no preservatives or excess sweeteners!

If you pre- measure all the ingredients, it makes it easier to cook with your kids.

1 1/2 cups old- fashioned oats

3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or brown rice flour)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins 

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350*.  Mix together all the dry ingredients.  Add in the oil (make sure it's melted first!) and eggs.  Stir until combined.

Grease a 9x13 baking pan.  Press mixture into the bottom.  Bake 20-25 minutes until firm.  Cool completely, then cut into bars.

Go wild!  Find a mix you like and have fun!

Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder

One of my absolute favorite soups is Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder.  It goes together quick and always gets rave reviews (unless you don't like sweet potatoes or corn ;))

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 cups corn

1 cup water

2 ribs celery

1/2 red onion

1/4 cup diced shallots

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp thyme

3 cups veggie broth

1 bay leaf

1 baking potato

2 Tbsp parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425* Peel and chop sweet potatoes.  Toss in a bowl with 1 Tbsp oil, salt and pepper.  Roast until tender- about 15-25 minutes.

Puree 3 cups corn with 1 cup water.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a soup pot.  Saute onion, shallot and celery until tender.  Add tomato paste and thyme.  

Add veggie broth, pureed corn and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil.  Add diced baking potato and simmer until tender.

Remove bay leaf.

Add Sweet potatoes, remaining corn and parsley.  Cook until heated through.  Serve with your favorite, crusty bread =)

Kale and White Bean Soup

Kale has many health benefits.  It's full of antioxidants   It has anti- inflammatory properties. It provides healthy doses of Vitamins A, K and C.  Because of it's high fiber content, it can help lower your cholesterol.

To celebrate that- here's a quick and easy recipe that my kids love.

Saute until tender:

2 Tbsp butter

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 carrots, diced

salt and pepper to taste 

Add:

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup orzo pasta

1 bunch kale, washed and chopped

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

crushed red pepper flakes to taste

1 cup water

3 cups chicken stock

Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until pasta is tender.

Stir in:

juice from 1/2 a lemon

Top with:

Parmesan cheese 

a drizzle of olive oil

Serve with your favorite crusty French bread.

This is a great soup for cold winter days and gets thicker as it sits.

Spring Is in the Air

Okay, not really.  But it is time to start thinking about your garden for the year.  Well, that is if you live in the south =)

Time to start thinking about all the healthy vegetables you'll grow and how much your kids will eat because they helped grow them...  Or maybe how much money you might save by having all the vegetables and herbs in your backyard.

A friend sent me to SproutRobot and it has a lot of information on when you're suppose to start your plants inside and when to transplant...  Sounds like Gardening for Dummies- written just for me =)

So I'm taking a look and realizing I can start planting things inside next week!  That means I need to get my seeds and start getting things ready!

I have to confess though...  I really don't have a green thumb.  Most years I start with good intentions, but end up with pathetic looking plants.  This year I'm determined to do things differently.  Over the next few weeks, I'm going to start working on my raised beds- enriching the soil and getting them cleaned up.  I'll be planting seeds indoors and transplanting when ready.  AND!  I vow to keep the beds weeded and fertilized =)

So hopefully instead of my garden looking like this:

It will look like this:

A girl can dream, right?

What are your favorite herbs and vegetables to plant in your garden?

Resolutions vs. Goals

I know I'm a bit early with this.  After all, most people don't think about their resolutions until New Year's Eve.

But, I wanted to challenge you to think about them a bit early.  And not only think about them, but to form them into goals instead of resolutions.  See, resolutions are vague.  Goals are specific.  And the difference between them is that come December 31, 2013 you'll be able to look back on your goals and say you finished them, but your resolutions with still be, well, resolutions.

So how do you turn your resolutions into goals?  Easy.  It's all about making them SMART.

For example...

My resolution:  I want to run a marathon.

My goal:  I will run the Dallas Marathon by December 9, 2012.

See the difference?  No?  Let's go a bit further.

My resolution was vague.  It wasn't SPECIFIC.  It wasn't MEASURABLE.  It wasn't ATTAINABLE the way it was stated.  It had no RELEVANCE.  And, it wasn't TIME SENSITIVE.

How did my goal differ from my resolution?

It was SPECIFIC.  It was MEASURABLE.  It is ATTAINABLE.  It has RELEVANCE to me.  And it is TIME SENSITIVE.

Here's another example.

Resolution: I want to lose weight.

Goal: I will lose 10lbs by March 1st by eating healthy and exercising.

Are you beginning to grasp the difference in the two?  The difference in being able to check the goal off your list and feeling bad because it didn't just happen?

Starting December 1st, I'm going to be running a challenge group to help you turn your resolutions into goals.  All you need to do is say you'll join.  With the support of the group and my guidance, you'll be able to turn your resolutions from 2012 into concrete goals for 2013.  Goals that this time next year you will be able to say you accomplished.

To sign up, visit my facebook page.  Leave me a message and I'll help get you started on the right path to making 2013 your best year yet!

   

Monday Recap: September Rewind

Another month has flown by and we're one month closer to the end of the year.  Are you one month closer to reaching the goals you set for yourself back in January?  

Looking back at the goals I wrote down in January, I am closer on a lot of them, but some of them I've had to modify or eliminate all together.

Like my pull up goal.  I realized that I need to work on my upper body strength (a lot) to even be close to starting that one.  So, I'm working on a strength training program that will help lay the foundation so next year I can tackle that goal.

Even if I'm not able to check off every single goal I wrote down, I won't be upset.  Why?  Because I know I've pushed myself to reach those goals and I will continue to push myself, to challenge myself to be better.

So, looking back over September, I saw a lot of improvements over August, but also areas that I know I need to improve in.

Overall I am happy with what I accomplished in September.  I may not have hit every goal I set (I always set the bar high to challenge myself), but I am better than I was on September 1st.

In September I ran 89 miles.  I completed a virtual 100k ( total miles, not all at once) to help raise funds for Autism Awareness.  

I finished the first 4 weeks of marathon training and the first 3 weeks of my P90X/ marathon training hybrid program.  

I reached out and started my second challenge group, which is going strong.  I wrapped up my first challenge group and the members had great success on getting started on their journey to a healthier lifestyle.

And now, what about October?  What do I want to accomplish this month?

First, I'm running this relay:

With this crazy team:

I plan on one 15 mile run and one 20 mile run in preparation for my marathon.

I'm going to continue one with my P90X/ marathon training hybrid (weeks 4-7).

I'm going to be a lot better about drinking my Shakeology, especially since I can feel a huge difference in how I feel on the days I miss it.  And with that, I plan on trying and posting 31 different recipes (keep an eye on my facebook page for that!)

I am going to be a lot better about drinking my water during the day.  And I'm going to be a lot better on cutting down on the snacking.

I will be starting my third challenge group on October 15.  This one will focus simply on nutrition.  Daily posts, motivation and accountability from the group will help you lay the foundation to healthy eating.  And will give you a jump start on getting through the holidays without gaining weight =)  Details are posted on my facebook page, or you can send me a note if you are interested in joining.

There you have it.  My plans for the next month.

What are your goals for October?  What can I do to help you get there?

Tasteful Tuesday: Multi- Purpose Meal

My local grocery store has the best marinated chicken for fajitas.  Every couple weeks they run a special on it and I stock up.  

Yesterday afternoon I pulled out a pack and threw it in the crockpot on high.  Five hours later, I pulled it out and started shredding it.  The chicken will now make at least two meals plus leftovers.

The first dish I made was Chicken Fajita Soup.

To the juices that were left in the crock pot I added: 

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can Bush's Black Bean Fiesta (one of the Grillin' Beans varieties)

2 cups frozen corn

1 cup chicken broth

I added back in about 2 cups of the shredded chicken.

Heat through, serve topped with Goldfish crackers, tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream...

The kids gobbled this up last night.

Tonight I'll take the rest of the chicken and make it into fajitas with all the fixin's.

sauteed peppers and onions

tortillas

pico de gallo 

sour cream

guacamole

cheese

Mmmm...  I can hardly wait for supper =)

What's your favorite multi- purpose meal?

Food For Thought Friday: Coconut Oil

Late post tonight, but I'm lucky...  I'm actually posting over here today.

So, go, click the link and find out all about the wonders of coconut oil =)

http://modernalternativehealth.com/2012/09/21/the-wonders-of-coconut-oil/ 

Tasteful Tuesday: Skillet White Beans

Yes I realize it's been a week or so since I last posted.  But, life has been moving at break neck speed.  Sigh.  It's going to slow down one of these days, right? =)

Tonight's dinner is Skillet White Beans over Linguine.  Fast, simple and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (do not drain)

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 package fresh spinach

6 cups cooked linguine

grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in a 6 quart pan.  Add noodles and cook to al dente.

Heat oil in a skillet.  Add garlic and saute for about a minute.

Add tomatoes and beans and bring to a boil.

Cover with spinach, top with a lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Spoon tomato mixture over a serving of linguine and sprinkle with cheese.

This makes six servings of 1 cup pasta with 1 cup sauce.

************************************************************************

This was so fast and easy to make, that it's definitely going in the normal rotation.  And the added bonus is the kids gobbled it up =)

Tasteful Tuesday: Black Bean and Corn Soup

Last night I made chicken and rice with fajita spices.  Since I have a bit of it left over, I'm going to re-purpose my leftovers into another meal =)

For this soup, I do have a recipe.  And sometimes I actually follow it.

Here's what you need:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

a mix of peppers- I use bell peppers because the kids don't like spice

2 large carrots, sliced

2 tsp ground cumin

Saute the above in the olive oil until soft.

Add:

4 cups veggie or chicken stock

2 cups cooked black beans (with the cooking water)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano

Simmer 20 minutes.

Then stir in:

2 cups shredded chicken

2 cups corn kernels (can be frozen)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat through.  Serve with a variety of toppings.  We like cheese, sour cream, avocados, black olives...

This recipe can easily be made into a vegetarian dish.  Just use veggie broth, leave out the chicken and add half a kombu strip broken up =)

What's your favorite way to re- purpose leftovers?

Tasteful Tuesday: Refrigerator Stew

This really isn't so much a recipe as it is a post about keeping your pantry stocked =)

Last night I was going through the refrigerator and realized I had some veggies that were starting to look a little sad.  I knew I had to use them up.  The easiest way, for me, to use lots of veggies is to make a stew with them.  But a stew needs other things besides just veggies.

After lunch, I put some beans (black, kidney, pinto, navy) and lentils on to boil and then simmer until they were soft.  Once those were getting close to being done, I chopped up the carrots, celery and an onion.  Sauteed those veggies with a bit of coconut oil until soft and then added some minced garlic (add your garlic at the end of your sauteing to avoid that *burnt* taste).  Added to that 4 cups of chicken broth, 1 can of tomato paste and 1 can of tomato sauce.  Added the beans with the cooking water, Italian seasoning, half a head of cabbage and then let the whole thing simmer until supper.

If my pantry hadn't been well stocked, I wouldn't have been able to pull this together.  So, what was in my pantry?

dried beans

lentils

coconut oil

chicken broth

tomato sauce

tomato paste

Italian seasoning

minced garlic

Even with out the veggies, this would have still been a nutritious and economical meal.

What are your favorite ways to use up the sad looking veggies?  What do you keep stocked in your pantry?

Tasteful Tuesday: Breakfast Cookies

This is what the kids woke up to for breakfast.

And they're actually healthy =)

I found the recipe here.

But if you're to lazy to click over, here's the recipe.

Giant Breakfast Cookies (via Heavenly Homemaker)

1 cup butter, melted

¾ cup honey

2 eggs

1 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

1 t. vanilla

½ cup buttermilk

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups whole rolled oats

1 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Mix butter, honey, eggs, salt, cinnamon, soda, vanilla and buttermilk. Stir in flour and oats. Fold in raisins or chocolate chips. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Allow cookies to cool 3-4 minutes on cookie sheet before removing cookies to cool on a wire rack.

I think the next time I make these I might throw in some raisins...  Or chopped apples. 

Food for Thought Friday: Obesity Trends

According to the CDC, 35.7% (more than 73 million adults) of the US population is considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30).  In 2000, there weren't any states that had an obesity prevalence (percentage of the population) of  30%.  Today, twelve states have an obesity prevalence of greater than 30%, twenty- five states have an obesity prevalence between 25 and 29%.  No state in the nation was able to meet the Healthy People 2010 goal of 15%.

The statistics are even more grim for children.  Approximately 17% (12.5 million) children age 2-19 are obese.  This number has tripled since 1980. 

Obesity is a contributing factor in many health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some forms of cancer.  Obesity can also cause sleep apnea, breathing problems and can cause problems during pregnancy.  Many women find it difficult, if not impossible to get pregnant if they are obese.

The US Department of Labor reports that $1.5 trillion dollars of medical care is preventable and reversible without medical intervention. That's a lot of sickness and suffering - $1.5 trillion of it - which we have the tools to solve!

What are these tools?  

Very simply, the tools are education- about nutrition and physical activity- and then sharing and motivating others to take charge and change their lives.  

Need ideas on where to start?  How about switching out your daily soda for water?  Or getting up 30 minutes earlier to get out for a 20 minute walk?  It doesn't have to be huge.  Little steps add up to big gains!

Need even more ideas or motivation?  That's why I'm here.  I want to help you achieve your goals and enjoy a healthy, fulfilling life.  It's easier than you think.  All you have to do is take that first step.

What are you going to do to END THE TREND?

Tasteful Tuesday: No Bake Chocolate Cookies

And these are actually healthy for you =)  The kids don't realize they're getting fruits and veggies in their *dessert*

1 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter

1 cup quick cooking oats
½ cup honey
1 cup Chocolate Shakeology

Mix ingredients, roll into balls, and flatten with the bottom of a glass (or just keep them round). You can also roll them in crushed graham cracker, crushed cereal, coconut, cinnamon or chopped nuts. YUM.

Welcome!

Welcome!

My name is Lynette and I am 35 years old. I've been married for 12 years and have four children ages 7 and under (7, 6,4, and 14 months).

I've always been active.  I ran cross country and track all the way through high school and college.  I stayed fairly active after college- running, walking...  But I didn't have the *whole package* of nutrition and fitness, so the pounds slowly added up.  It wasn't until my husband deployed that I realized I needed to change how I looked at staying in shape and being healthy.  What followed was a transformation of both my body and my mind.

Over the years I've learned more about fitness and nutrition.  And now I want to share that with you.  I'm here to take what I've learned about nutrition and fitness and help you transform your life.  It's not about a fad diet or pill or exercise program.  It's about changing your mindset on food and exercise and helping you reach your goals.