Vegan/Gluten Free Mac and Cheese (and it's REALLY tasty!)

Clean Apple Crisp

Y'all, I got all excited that it was getting into fall. Apple season, pumpkin season, spices...you get it.

In light of all this, I went to the kitchen last Saturday and made this deliciousness that is good for an after dinner treat or breakfast!

Ingredients

6 large apples, chopped
6 dates, pitted and chopped
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup gluten free flour (or almond flour)
1/2 cup gluten free oats
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsps coconut oil

3 tbsps honey

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat bottom and sides of 13 x 11 pan with coconut oil.
2. Combine first four ingredients, set aside
3. Combine next four ingredients, cut in cool coconut oil, set aside.
4. Spread apple mixture in pan, sprinkle flour mixture evenly over apple mixture. Drizzle remaining honey evenly over top.
5. Place on middle rack and bake 25 to 30 minutes.
6. Let cool, enjoy!

It was super quick and easy! Let me know how yours turned out!

Updated: Fridge Jam

Hey y'all!

I do have a recipe up, however, it has morphed for us and this recipe is amazing!

14 pitted dates
1 lb fresh strawberries, quartered (I've started adding a fresh peach or other fruit)
1/2 cup water
2 to 3 tbsps chia seeds

1. Bring dates, strawberries, and water to a low boil in a saucepan.
2. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes, cover and remove from heat.
3. After 10 minutes place everything in a blende, blend for 1 to 2 minutes, starting at low and gradually increasing to no more that low medium depending on desired consistency.
4. Pour into a jar, place in fridge for at least 2 hours to cool. Overnight is my preference. 😊

Have at it y'all! So tasty. Currently in my fridge Strawberry Peach.

Why the switch? 10 Day Shred or 30 Day Reset?

Hey y'all!

I know, it's been almost a month and now we have SO many post requests, I'm going to have to get my hiney in gear! The biggest question I keep getting asked, I will address here.

"M, I thought you were doing the Shred for the first 10 days then going to the 30 Day Reset after?"

Yes, dear ones, that was the plan. And if you know me, you know I love my plans, and I like them to stay the way I've...planned.

When I decided to get us back to intentional eating, I thought, "the 10 Day Shred will be a great jumping off point, and then I can be super strict with the guidelines of the 30 Day Reset for the rest of the time...the 10 Day Shred may be just too much at this point with everything I have going on." Um, hello excuses! I hate when I do that. LOL

However, something happened. I started prepping my food and only buying what we needed and would be Shred approved. It didn't break the bank...and it was EASY. Not just easy, but really simplified my shopping. I like simplified. I like it a lot! And if we're being completely honest, I've been doing the 30 Day Reset for the better part of a year, so what was going to really change?

THEN I did the first Shred. I started July 5th. It wasn't hard, it wasn't inconvenient. It was great! I felt amazing, I was being more active, eating better, the kids were happy. All was good. B left for a week on the 16th, and I thought, "now back to the 4 Simple Changes...it'll be easier when I'm by myself." And then I talked to B, "but, if you feel so much better, why would you stop?" Ok, true. And then I remembered how much easier it really was.

At the end of my second Shred I was down 12 pounds, one whole pant size, and I had much more stamina.

Yesterday I started  my 3rd Shred. And honestly, I don't think I'll ever stop. There are a couple days "off" between each one, but it's not a fest of crazy excess.

It takes 21 days (or times) to make something a habit. And these habits are awesome.

End of Day 6

Well, I'm still alive...and the 10 Day Shred isn't all that difficult. The hardest part for me is getting enough sleep each night. With two littles, a ramping up business, a hubby, other time commitments, and a home to keep...who has time?

I could be sleeping now, however, I thought I'd update here. 😊

The sleep I'm getting is amazing, my nails and hair are growing super strong, my skin is healthier, I have a lot more stamina and energy. Eating means I generally consume more than I think I need to, so I do have to keep a pretty close eye on amount of food. I'm seeing body changes as well. Others may not see them as mich, but I do.

My husband, son, and daughter are all asleep. 😊 I'm drinking just a bit more water then off to bed.

Jumping in with both feet!

An object in motion...workout plan!

Hey y'all hey!

So, we've been talking about this amazing #10DayShred I'm starting tomorrowm.

One of the main guidelines is activity every day. I like to have an idea of what will work in my daily life, so I'm letting y'all know what my activity plan is.

Morning
Stretching
7 Minutes circuit workout (it's a free app, go get it!)
Walk with the kiddo

Afternoon
Chase my son around and do chores around the house

Evening
2 to 3 miles on the treadmill
7 Minutes circuit workout

That should get me to at least 30 minutes a day and hit a good cardio target. I'll be tracking steps for at least 10k a day!

I'm also adding the plank challenge from last year into this activity. Probably in the afternoon while little miss sleeps. 😊

So, what are you planning to get yourself active this week?

What will I be eating during the 10 Day Shred?

Alright y'all, we're 7 days out and I'm getting these things prepped for both you and me! Remember, there's no dairy or gluten during the 10 Day Shred.

5th
Breakfast - Eggs and Avocado, whole apple, Complete Shake
Lunch - spinach salad, Complete shake
Dinner - Zucchini Pizza, purple cabbage slaw

6th
Breakfast - Smoothie
Lunch -Spinach roll with avocado hummus
Dinner - Tomato Basil Soup, Complete shake

7th
Breakfast - Oatmeal
Lunch - Tuna, carrot and zucchini spears, Complete Shake
Dinner - Tacos, Complete Shake

8th
Breakfast - Smoothie
Lunch - Avocado and Egg salad
Dinner - Veggie Strata, Complete Shake

9th
Breakfast - One Eyed Texan in sprouted GF bread
Lunch - Smoothie
Dinner - Taco Salad

10th
Breakfast - Omelet, Complete shake
Lunch - Open
Dinner - Leftovers, Complete shake

11th
Breakfast - Smoothie
Lunch - Roasted veggies, Complete shake
Dinner - Veggie Quinoa

12th
Breakfast - Oatmeal, Complete shake
Lunch - Spinach salad, Complete shake
Dinner - Black Bean Soup

13th
Breakfast - Smoothie
Lunch - Tuna, veggies
Dinner - Veggie Glop, Complete shake

14th
Breakfast - Eggs and Avocado, Complete shake
Lunch - spinach roll, avocado hummus
Dinner - Margherita Pizza, Complete shake

15th
Breakfast - Smoothie
Lunch - Peanut Butter Roll, small salad
Dinner - Roasted Chicken and Veggies

Snacks - Complete Bar, roasted nuts, whole fruits and veggies, granola

I'll take pictures and post at the end of every day so you can see in more detail. I'll also be keeping pretty close to this for the remaining 20 days of the Reset. 😊

The closer I get, the more excited I get!

Tools I'll be using during my 30 Day Reset and 10 Day Shred

Hey y'all!

So, I'm getting quite a few questions and I do try to answer them directly, however, I have to teeny kids, so sometimes I can't get to them until late and...I like my sleep. :)

I thought I'd put my list of tools all in one place so I can link to it and go into a little more detail. :)

In no particular order:

JuicePlus+ Trio Capsules and Complete shakes - These are pretty much the back bone of a lot of the changes I've made over the past year. Whole fruits and veggies, a bunch of protein, and good fiber. :) Whole food nutrition, without the mess of juicing.

FitBit and FitBit App - I used my phone for a good portion of time, I've had the FitBit for about 6 months now. I use the App to track my steps as well as my food and water intake, and my sleep. Sleep can be a bit elusive with a teeny baby around, but the FitBit helps me know if I'm meeting my own needs in that area as well.

*****HUGE STARRED AREA IMAGINE THIS IS NEON YELLOW HIGHLIGHTER**** I do NOT count calories as a way of losing weight. Nope nope nope. I do enter my food into my tracker for a few reasons. 1) Shopping is easier when you know the trend of what you're eating. 2) Making sure I'm eating a good variety is easier when it's written down. 3) I need to make sure I'm eating enough. When I made the switch to whole food/fruit and veggie/rainbowtarian (yes, I made up a word) eating, I thought I was eating tons, however, what was really happening was me eating, but not having enough calories. I realized this when I first became pregnant with Abby. So, all this to say, please don't count calories as a way to lose weight. Eat good, real, whole food. 100 calories of sugar is still 100 calories, but what's it doing for your body?

Ok, back to the tools I use :)

Edited to add: 7 Minute App - it's a circuit workout that takes 7 Minutes and can be done anywhere! I'll be doing this twice a day.

A Calendar - I've mentioned before that I meal plan. I don't have a fancy app or website that I use. Just a 99 cent calendar. I'm serious. I hand write my food options and then go from there. I have about 27 dinner options, 5 weekday lunches, 3 weekday breakfasts, and 4 weekend breakfasts that all rotate. Once you get in the habit, it's actually really easy to write 6 months out at a single sitting. Helps for buying food and planning for visitors. :)

Instagram and Facebook - Ok, hear me out. Accountability is the easiest way to get yourself motivated. What better way than to hashtag and tag your posts so that friends and family can throw some encouragement your way?! Exactly. I post a lot of my stuff through Instagram. :)

My Paper Brain (it's a day planner) - For being so tech savy, I have to admit, I love a good day planner. Oh the empty pages just waiting to be filled. It's also been proven that when you write something down, you're more likely to do it. The same can't be said for typing/swyping it out. :) I write everything down in my day planner. How does this help with my Reset? I have a schedule and know how I need to pack snacks for the day so I don't slip up. Slipping up can mentally hinder you from setting new healthy habits into the long term. Knowing what I'm doing and having another place to write down/keep track of what I'm eating is insurance. :)

Photos - Taking a before photo and an after photo helps me stay motivated by the results. I want to be stronger. I want to be able to keep up with both my kids running around. For the first time, last year around this time, I could race back and forth with my son. He was almost 2 and a half and quicker than I could have ever imagined. But...I kept running back and forth and kept up with him. I didn't feel winded. I want to keep those kinds of things at the front of my mind. :)

Ok, I think there might be other things, but it's 11pm and...I like my sleep. Tomorrow I'll write about the specifics of the 10 Day Shred and the 30 Day Reset! I'll also be writing about how I beat Gestational Diabetes this time around. I refuse to let my family history define my family future! :)

Until tomorrow y'all, be good to each other and know that I'm rooting for you!
M :)

And another one!

Hey there!

So, today, 6 and a half weeks after her birth, I'm posting. :)

Miss Abigail Jane was born April 3rd and we enjoyed a month with my Mom in Love, and have been trying to navigate what normal is going to look like with 2 kiddos. :) So, now, I get to get back to posting and hopefully getting on Periscope so y'all have some videos.

I have a few recipes that'll go up over the next few weeks and some posts about my pregnancy and health journey. You'll probably see the times be super random. :)

What have you been up to the last 6 weeks?

Tasty Tuesday: Rainbow Bowls

Second Tuesday of the year, and we're getting back into Tasty Tuesday! Today, I'm posting about something I've been doing, and craving more and more through this pregnancy. Rainbow bowls, or Rainbow ingredients. We all have a lot going on, we have things that are begging for our time, so dinners that are nutritious tend to go out the window. Ease is key. Are you ready for this? Our dinner last night was  ready in less than 30 minutes, contained a rainbow of colors (meaning a diverse cross section of nutrients as well), and filled us all up.

Easy. Here are the ingredients:

4 tbsp coconut oil
1 large red pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 crown broccoli, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cup red cabbage, sliced
2 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 pinches chili powder
3 tsp liquid aminos (or coconut aminos)

1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/1 cup peas
pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups rice noodles (use the stuff you have)
3 cups hot water

Here's the secret. Add things in the order that they're listed. Peppers, onions, garlic, and carrots needs more time to cook, so put them in first. Then add the broccoli. Then cabbage. The time it takes to cut these things is all it takes to cook the previous items. No timing, no worrying, no pre-chopping. Add the noodles after you've mixed everything together, then cover with the water, bring to a boil and cook until the noodles are tender. Done.

You can add quinoa, rice, or even make biscuits to eat this with. These rainbow ingredients really go well with anything and keep your family healthier.

Have questions about the recipes I post? Send me a note or leave a comment. I'll get back to you as soon as possible. :)

When You're Stumbling into the New Year Empty and Drained - Alicia Bruxvoort

"Three days later, they all went to celebrate a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee … While they were celebrating, the wine ran out … [And Jesus said] ‘Fill each water pot with water until it’s ready to spill over the top.’" John 2:1a, 3a, 7b

Every person I've ever met has had the feelings that Alicia writes about in her devotion for us today. She was at the end of a year, looking at a new one and her hope was replaced by emptyness. She wanted to look forward and rattle off the goals she had...but she just simply couldn't.

She was empty. 

But, the scripture above reminds us that Jesus LOVES to fill us. Not just a little, not jut halfway, but usually right to brim. Many times we over flow with him. He loves our broken and empty places, because he can come in and fill up all the gaps and really truly give us what we need. When we feel the lowest, when we're hearing those lies being whispered in our ears, stopping to turn and ask to be filled with nothing but that sweet, never ending, never giving up love of Jesus makes all the difference.

Jen Hatmaker posted earlier today about responding to people asking for your time. It's a fun post, you should go read it, she makes a very good point, however about how we tend to feel guilty and that's why we say yes. We end up filling up our lives and days with SO much that we can't possibly hear that small voice, or have time to fill ourselves up. And we need to.

So, here's one of the promises I'm making to myself. More time to stop and ask, "I need you, I can't do this all on my own." Just like I told my 5th and 6th graders to do yesterday. :)

What are you doing this year to make a difference in your life?
M :)

Happy New Year!

It's been a couple months. I'm sorry for that. Many things happen in the months leading up to the New Year. :)

So much going on as we start the new year, I don't even know where to start!

I am launching a whole new way to get healthy, complete with online support and printable tools! The Healthy Living Rules are super simple guidelines that help you make changes to affect your whole life. Looking to help every community I belong to get real health, not a diet, but real health that's simple to maintain. :)

I'll be going back to Tasty Tuesdays, starting next week! Something tasty and healthy every week to inspire you!

April, our little girl is due, so I may be taking some time off, never fear, I'm hoping to stack some posts so you won't miss me too much. 😊

I'll be back to my Daily Dose reading, though I may only do a few a week depending on how work is going.

We have a lot planned and some awesome goals to meet, can't wait to take you on the journey with me. :)

M