January 17...Power Balls by request!

Power Balls!

These are always a hit, and I'm re-posting them as per your demanding requests!  I've made this recipe so many times because there are so many different combos you can create.  Use the base recipe below and add your favorites, like coconut or dried craberries.  Note to self...I only use 1/2 of Agave Nectar.  You can add more as needed and if you don't have whole wheat rice cakes use another 1/2 cup of Oats...play around with it. MOST IMPORTANT...you need a large food processor for this...I tried my blender, long story, and it all got stuck in the bottom and my mini processor, almost burnt out the motor!  Here's the recipe,

3/4 cup dried apricots
3/4 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup flaxseed
4 plain brown rice cakes 
1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup almond butter, slightly warmed

Mix dry ingredients first, one or two pulses, then pour out into bowl and set aside.  Then add the dried fruit, otherwise you will end up with big chuncks.
MIX altogether in LARGE food processor, scope out about tblsp size, roll into ball, then roll into sesame seeds.  I ended up with 27 balls.
Nutritional value per ball: 121 cal. / protein 3g / carbs 14g / fat 7g / fiber 3g.

Make a big batch and place in an air tight container and freeze...otherwise you'll eat them all!

January 16th...What the Sugar!!!

OK so I was out shopping yesterday and I saw this product on a shelf and people stopping to check it out.  I know they saw the "chocolate-like" bar and 100 calories on the box.  I watched them and neither bothered to read the back where the nutrition was listed.  I just wanted to scream NO O O O o o o...like you hear in the movies, in slow motion, and say, " don't do it!" because it will make you crave EVEN MORE sugar, after you eat it.

Here's the devil on your shoulder, Skinny Cow, saying mmm...don't I look sooo good, come on, I'm only 100 calories!

Here it is out of the package, 19g in total.  It was so small and skinny, I had to becareful opening the package so it wouldn't break into pieces.

And you know I couldn't resist telling you...cause someones got to tell the truth here, there is 7g of sugar in this one little bar...that's almost 2 tsp of the "white crack" I like to call sugar!  A calorie is not a calorie, and that explaination is a whole other blog.  Think of your body as a car, be any car you want.  Now, take it through the car wash, hand wax it.  Polish the tires, vacum the inside and wash the windows.  You do a regular oil change and follow the tune up program...you put alot of hard work into making it look good and run well.  NOW, you drive up to the gas station for FUEL...fuel is fuel in the sense your car will run on it, BUT fuel is NOT fuel, in the sense of HOW it's going to perform on it.  My point is, if you feed your body nutritious food, it's engine/metabloism, is going to run at optimal speed/function.  If you fill it with crap...putt, putt putt...your going to be tired, moody and end up with a muffin top or a big back bumper!

Here's my Chocolate Protein Cookies to the rescue!  You can have 2 of these, to equal the calories above 50 calories each, so 100 in total.  Mine, have 10g of protein in each so that's 20g total, the Skinny Cow has 1g in each.  I have 6 ingredients in my recipe...ALL OF WHICH YOU CAN PRONOUNCE.  The "wanna-be" chocolate bar has 17 ingredients, THE FIRST LISTED IS SUGAR!  The moral of the story, take responsibilty for your body and what you put in it.

January 15th...Day 2 what's for lunch...Shrimp Tacos!

Alright day 2 and we are underway!  I thought I'd share this recipe because I like to call it "a multi-tasker" kinda recipe.  What does that mean...well you have your base recipe, in this case a lettuce wrap taco, filled with veggies.  Then you choose your protein, and sauce.  So many different variations, you could eat this for weeks and not run out of ideas...maybe I'll try that.  Do a weekly lettuce wrap, send me your ideas for flavor combos!  Here's what we have below...Thai shrimp taco!

One head of Romaine lettuce, cucumber, green onions, red & yellow peppers, bean sprouts, cilantro and I forgot to add to the picture a carrot.  The dressing is Renee's Asian Sesame and I have 1 cup of shrimp.

                                   

 I used frozen pre-cooked shrimp, thawed it out and removed the tips.  In the pan saute shrimp on low with 1 tsp of dressing... 

...meanwhile cut the tips and end off your head of lettuce.  Place 3 leafs on a plate, you might have to break the spine a little to get the leafs to open up...

 ...chop up 1/2 cup red and yellow pepper, and cucumber.  Shred 1/3 cup carrot and about 1 tbsp green onion.  I added 2 tbsp of chopped cilantro, use less or more as desired.  Then add 1 tbsp of dressing and mix together...

Now build your taco...divide veggie mix over 3 leaves, add desired amount of  bean sprouts...go crazy here, as there are no extra calories and they add a great crunch.  I got about six or seven shrimp on each, as my husband kept stealing them out of the pan!  Then sprinkle 1 tbsp of sliced almonds over all of the tacos...little extra crunch and protein.  
I ate two of these and was full, they are a bit messy but so refreshing and light, yet full of flavor. I made these for our own Alison Harle's birthday dinner and they were a hit!  Did you know that each shrimp is only about 7 calories and 1 gram of protein, so in one taco you have 7g of protein, plus a bit from the almonds.  Calorie wise the dressing has 45 cal per tbsp.  We divided that over 3 tacos so 15 cal. from dressing.  Over all these are about 80 calories each with 8g of protein each!  So dig in and enjoy!  Send me your recipe ideas to change up the flavor for this one, we could do a weekly "taco" flavor!

January 14th...Day 1...our journey has started!

Let our journey begin!  Today is day #1 of Mel's Resolution Boot Camp Contest.  The hardest part is actually already over, as your biggest step was joining this contest and coming to class.  For many of you, this is going to be an emotional roller-coaster ride.  You will find yourself laughing, crying and swearing under your breath at me. For some of you, standing on a scale and taking measurements, seems like a harsh reality so abruptly brought to your attention.  I will not sugar coat the truth, I will not feel sorry for you and I will not let you do anything less than your best...I will hug you when you need it, I will yell at you when you need it and I give you everything I have, in order to help you reach your goal!  Let's get-er done!

Your goal for this week is to choose 3 not so healthy food items and replace them with healthier choices i.e your daily double/double, go down to 1 cream,1 sugar.  Try no "white" anything i.e bread, rice or pasta and replace with brown carbs.  Watch out for hidden calories in your drinks...beer, wine, pop, juice and choco-a-lot-mochas!  You need to write everything down in your food dairy, THIS WILL BE YOUR MOST VALUABLE TOOL, as it will help keep you accountable.  At the top of the food diary page, it asks you your daily goal, this is where you will write it in.  At the end of the day you will write down if you reached this goal or not. Like anything, your food dairy has to be a priority.  The results you will get after this 9 week period, will be exactly equal to the effort you put forward.    

Above, is a quick outline of my meals for this week.  This should take no more than 5 mins. or so.  

#1 Choose a protein source for each day of the week.  

#2 choose a salad for each day of the week including a low fat dressing. 

#3 Side of vegetables like yams, cauliflower, squash OR 1/2 cup carbs like brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

PORTION SIZE:Protein 4-6 oz. fills up the palm of your hand.  Carbs 1/2 cup.  Fruit 2 pieces a day. Veggies unlimited.  Go light...MEASURE how much sauce/dressing you use, lots of hidden calories in olive oil, honey etc...

LEFT-OVERS!  Always make extra for next day lunches or freeze for dinner next week.  i.e. buy ground turkey...I can make turkey spaghetti sauce, curry veggies turkey meat balls, turkey burger, and turkey Shepard's Pie.  Point is be organised with a specific list when you go shopping.  And as far as your family goes, if you don't tell them whats in it, or for the kids sprinkle a little cheese on it, they won't even notice!  The point is be specific, know what you want, research what is required to get you there, then go after it!

January 11th...Chocolate Hummus...who knew!

Alright-y...for those of you who have been following me, you already know that sometimes I can be a bit "adventurous" in trying to come up with great tasting healthy recipes.  Some are total scores, that I eat all the time, and some, after the first bite, get flushed right away.  So I will continue my quest and here we are with Chocolate Hummus.  I've seen so many different versions of this recipe that I finally decided I would give it a go.  This is definitely the healthier version. Many recipes have up to 4 tsp of sugar, and 1-2 tbsp of honey...here's what I came up with...

You will need a food processor...a blender is not going to cut it, and you'll see why in a minute.  Here's what you need, 1 can chickpeas- just under 2 cups, drained and rinsed well. 4 tbsp unsweetened Cocoa powder. 1 tsp vanilla. 1 tbsp Almond butter and 2-3 tbsp of water...

 ...Pour all ingredients into food processor except water, add as needed...

 ...as you can see I tried to use my mini mixer, nope...not gonna happen.  You will need a food processor with some serious power.  I mixed for 1 minute, moved hummus around, and repeated at least 4 times to get thoroughly blended...basically hiding the chickpeas so the kids won't see them! 

 ...I ended up adding 3 tbsp's of water to get a smooth consistency  then the first taste test...

 ...OK it looks more chocolaty than it tastes...so made the usual phone call to Mom, and picked her brain for ideas...if you are an almond lover, I'd suggest adding Almond extract for a punch of flavor without the calories.  In a separate bowl, place a drop or two of extract with some hummus.  Just a reminder, a little goes a long way!  I preferred adding 1 tbsp and a pinch more of Cinnamon and that was good for me...

 ...this could be great to dip fruits in such as apples or bananas.  One suggestion, as this recipe yields just over a cup, you might want to cut the recipe in half and play around with some added flavors.  Nutritional info per 1/2 cup portion: 8g Protein, 16g Carbs, 2.5g fat and 125 cal.

I found this recipe to be "good".  I was happy having 2 tbsp's with an apple and that was enough for me.  I could not bring myself to add sugar to give this recipe the edge it needs.  Above, is a picture of the nutritional info for 1 tbsp of Almond butter.  This with an apple is my "go to" favorite snack and all I need to kick my sweet tooth is 1 tbsp.  So, even though I can have more of the Chocolate Hummus, I think I'd rather spend my calories on the Almond butter!  I'd love to hear your ideas on how to "flavor up" this recipe!

January 9th...Asparagus soup...really?

I'm always looking for something good to warm me up on a cold wet day...like this entire week so far!  I found in the bottom of my fridge some asparagus and thought...what could I do with this, soup I said!  Did you know, Asparagus has been revered by ancient Greek and Romans as a prized delicacy. One of the oldest recorded vegetables; it is thought to have originated along the coastal regions of eastern Mediterranean and Asia.  
Whats so great about Asaragus...it's super low in calories, one bunch is equal to 20 calories and super high in fiber...cause we all need our fiber, don't we!  Fresh asparagus spears are a good source of anti-oxidants, which help prevent disease.  They are high in Folates( Folic Acid), which help DNA synthesis inside the cell.  The shoots are also rich in B-complex which help with metabolic functions.  And a good source of Vitamin K, which has potential role for bone health. 

 Here's what you need, Chicken stock, one bunch of Asparagus, Olive oil, fresh garlic and Sea salt...

 ...break stems off asparagus, I used 12 stems.  Lightly drizzle olive oil over them and add a pinch of salt and 1 crushed clove of garlic.  NOTE TO SELF...a little garlic goes a long way.  I used one little clove and found it to be very over powering.  Set your oven to 400 degrees and bake for 10mins.

 ...add two cups of chicken stock and asparagus to your food processor and chop til fine.  You could use a blender as well...

 ...pour into a pan, bring to a slight boil and serve!

OK...so not everything I make is geniuses lol!  I had really high hopes for this soup, it was good and tasty but I found the garlic too over-powering.  I think if your in the same boat as me, green onions might work with some Greek seasoning to give it some kick...I will try to add some Almond milk to make it creamier and see if that cuts the garlic...keep you posted!

January 7th...Were gonna kick "FEAR" to the curb!

Here's my take on fear...JUST DO IT!  You may tremble, you may cry and you may even call out for your Mom-ma  but there is nothing more amazing or nothing that will make you feel more alive, than conquering your fear.  When fear sets in, you have less than a second to decide.  Will you let it eat you alive or will you blast through it?  We fear failure so much that it can stop us from living a life that we can only dream about.  Who cares if you fail, stumble or fall, as long as you get back up...you are STILL MOVING FORWARD!  I had a client last week, who had a defining moment in the gym.  She was giving it her all.  Her mind was pushing and cheering her on, but her body was not co-operating.  I could see the tears of frustration welling up in her eyes.  I told her to keep moving and go for a run down the street...why did I do that?  Because, in that "moment" she had to decide whether, she was going to quit or finish the work out.  And like a true fighter, she sucked it up and finished with a smile on her face.  The moment I'm talking about is THE CHOICE YOU MAKE, the path YOU CHOOSE...what is it going to be!  That moment, was mind over matter, plain and simple.  You have to want this bad enough, in order to kick fear to the curb, and smash it to a pulp!  WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE?