To DIE for CLEAN Lemon Bites!

Well my lemon tree is in full production & I usually fill a 12 oz bottle with lemon juice, throw a few in the freezer to use for zesting & then keep a few around to put in my water.

Today I was like I need to find a yummy clean recipe for Lemon Bars & ohhhhhhh boy I found a DELICIOUS one!!!! I searched a few on google & skipped by ones that used ingredients I don't normally have or that looked to complicated.

I don't like to spend my entire day in the kitchen.

So when I came across this recipe I was pleased to see how simple it was & that I had everything needed! I obviously must give the credit to Lauren from www.oatmealwithafork.com.

I didn't have the correct size baking dish & was afraid if I made them in a bigger dish they would be way too thin. Clearly thicker is better! This is what it looked like out of the oven. 

And here they are cooled & cut. My pics sure aren't as pretty as Lauren's but the taste is phenomenal! You can dust these with some stevia if you like. 

Ok, enough suspense, here's the recipe: I made a few small adjustments, listed below. But if you'd like to see the original recipe click here.

Ingredients

• BASE:

• 1½ c. Gluten Free oats, measured then ground into flour 

• 1 T. Organic coconut sugar (or another natural granulated sugar)

• ¼ t. Pink Himalayan salt

• 2 T. Organic coconut oil (melted)

• 4 T. cold water

• FILLING:

• 4 eggs

• 1 T. lemon zest

• 6 T. lemon juice

• 5 T. Unfiltered raw honey

• pinch Pink Himalayan salt

• ½ c. Gluten Free oats, measured then ground into flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. BASE:
3. Mix together the ground oats, coconut sugar, and salt.
4. Mix the oil into the dry mix (it should look 'pebbly').
5. Mix in enough water to make a non-sticky dough.
6. In a WELL-OILED 9 inch pie dish, (I used the left over melted coconut oil) press the dough into the bottom of the dish (I like to break up the dough into smaller pieces and scatter them around the dish and then press them down).
7. Bake the base for 12 minutes.
8. Let cool while you make the filling.
9. FILLING:
10. Beat the eggs with the rest of the ingredients until a smooth batter is formed (it will be very runny, but don't fret!).
11. Pour the batter atop the cooled crust.
12. Bake for 20 minutes.
13. Cool completely, cut, and serve! I cut into small bites so the original nutrition facts weren't correct & my family ate half of it before I could count how many bites there were. 

Let me know what you think!

P.S. I am sure these are not 21 Day Fix approved but if you used your yellow swap out allowance I think you'd be safe counting 2 small bites as 1 Yellow container. Shhh, don't tell Autumn. :)

Chicken & Dumplings to warm the soul!

The first time I had Chicken & Dumplings I was in my 20's. I was like, "Whoa, where has this been all my life"?

I've searched high & low for cleaner healthier recipes that actually TASTE good. I have made several different ones & tweaked them to my preference each time. I finally found a really good recipe from The Gracious Pantry which you can find by clicking here & I made it. It was pretty darn tasty. The next time I made it I just adapted it to more my liking & here is what I came up with.

Ingredients for Stew
6 cups organic low sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
1 1/2 tsp dry oregano
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 1/2 cups (approx 16oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenders cut into bit size chunks
2 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 large organic yellow onion, chopped
2 cups organic carrots, chopped
2 cups organic celery, chopped

Dumplings
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond, but you can use any kind you like)

Directions for the Stew
1. Heat EVOO in crock pot on high or brown setting. Add onion, carrots, celery & seasonings. Sauté until onions are translucent.
2. Add broth & chicken.

Directions for the Dumplings
1. Combine flour, baking soda & salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir well.
2. Pour in oil & milk & mix with a wooden spoon.
3. Turn crock pot to low setting (broth should have been at a boil by this time).
4. Use a spoon to scoop up & round off your dumplings & drop them on top of the stew.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Until chicken & dumplings are cooked.


Since I currently use the 21 Day Fix portion control containers, I measure my servings out in those for my meal. Dumplings=Yellow, Chicken=Red, Veggies & Broth=Green.

It's getting cold outside!

This time of year I really get an itch to hang out in the kitchen. I do enjoy cooking & eating, I just don't enjoy spending countless hours in the kitchen when I could be doing way more awesome things.

I busted out my white binder full of recipes I have collected over time. I am one for finding a recipe & changing it up since I don't really like to follow them either. Ya, I know, seems silly. But really, if I come across a yummy recipe & it's full of ingredients I don't like or eat, then I just start subbing in the items I do like. So therefore I am creating my own recipes. Oh yeah, most of the time I don't really measure either. For example, if a recipe called for 1 cup of chopped carrots & I peeled 2 large carrots & chopped them up & it measured out to 1.5 cups, I don't care, I will use it all. You catch my drift!!

Anyway, it's getting cold outside & I like to eat warm comfy foods when it does. That doesn't always go along with my goals for health & fitness so I compromise. In this last week I have made this recipe twice & it was a hit in my house so I figure I better share!

This recipe started as a recipe from a magazine. I tore the page out & over time have altered it so much, it a whole new recipe.

I call it: Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage Minestrone Soup and it is AH~MAZING!!

Ingredients:
6 C. Organic reduced sodium vegetable stock
1 can (15.5oz) Organic Diced Tomatoes
2 Tbsp Organic, no salt added Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Organic Olive Oil
4 links, True Story Organic Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage, sliced in rounds
1.5 C. Organic yellow onion, chopped (about 1 small)
2 cloves Organic garlic, minced
1 C. Organic Celery, chopped
1 C. Organic Carrots, chopped
1 C. Dry Quinoa noodles
1 tsp dry oregano
1 can (15.5 oz) Organic Garbanzo beans or Kidney beans, rinsed
2 C. Organic Zucchini, chopped
2 C. Organic baby Spinach, fresh

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet on Medium heat. Add sausage & brown.
2. Add tomato paste, cook about 5 minutes until brown.
3. Add onions, celery, garlic, carrots & oregano. Cook about 5 minutes longer.
4. Pour vegetable stock, diced tomatoes & dry noodles into a large pot. About 4 quarts in size.
5. Add skillet contents to pot & turn to med heat. Let simmer for about 20 minutes or until carrots are soft.
6. Add zucchini, beans & spinach. Turn to high heat for about 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

Serve with optional items: fresh bread, parmesan cheese, dollop of pesto sauce.

Serving size is 1.5 cups.

21 Day Fix side notes: I measured out the veggies into a Green container, the sausage into a Red & the beans & pasta in half a yellow. You can measure out to your specific needs.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!! Leave a comment & let me know. Thanks for stopping by.

21 Day Fix-My results, experience & review of the program.

I am down 6 pounds & 9.5 inches. Considering the fact that we were traveling for 6 out of the 21 days, I think I did pretty well. 

Of course my nutrition COULD have been 100%, but honestly for me that isn't realistic. I am a pretty clean eater most of the time, but I have learned that I cannot restrict myself because I have issues with binge eating & I am totally an emotional eater. So ya, I had a burger, 3 slices of pizza (could have eaten WAY more), some cookies & beer. And a few nights a week I have 1-2 small squares of dark chocolate. 

Most of all, even having the above foods, this round has helped me get back into a portion control groove. I keep a note in my iPhone for my daily portion amounts in each category. I check them off as I eat. Using the "colored container" system is so much faster & funner than reading the packages, getting out measuring spoons or cups. I have all my containers sitting right on my counter & I just grab, fill & dump (on my plate). 

I KNOW that portion control & food prep is one of the biggest problems that people have when trying to lose weight & eat better. It comes sometimes from sheer laziness (I know because I battle it too) & from being uneducated in what is healthy & nutrition in general. The 21 Day Fix is truly the key to helping people be successful at all of the above. The workouts are only 30 minutes & completely modifiable. Heck, there is plenty that I modify & still get a great workout. You can easily use the containers with any other fitness routine that you may have too. Even when I am not following the 21 Day Fix workouts, I still use the containers DAILY! I actually feel weird not using them or checking them off my list. I have taken them to a restaurant & portioned out my food & took the rest home. 

I have helped several people start with this program since it's release in February & I have seen people make changes & accomplish goals that they never though possible. It's like this program has opened a door to an entirely new world for them. The simplicity of this program makes people HAPPY too!!! I'll be honest, there are some programs that are just complicated for people to follow & it is very frustrating (I know because I have been there too!) & that is why some give up so easily. They think that being healthy is just too hard. It really isn't. The hardest part is getting started, and that's why there are people like me out there willing to put in the time & effort to help others. 

Back in 2010 when I first ordered P90X, I never even knew about Team Beachbody Coaches. Man, I WISH I WOULD HAVE!!! When we got our package we picked the schedule, did all our measurements, pics & fit test, but I looked at the nutrition guide & laughed! I thought they (Tony Horton & Beachbody) were crazy for wanting me to eat all that food. I just knew that if I ate the same as I was it would be fine! Well when we took our 60 day progress pics & there was ZERO change I just knew that program was a joke. Only "Fit" people could get results. I truly had no idea that my nutrition was the problem. I wish I had a coach then to help me because at that point we just quit doing the program. It wasn't until 2 years later that I picked it back up with the help of a coach & learned exactly why the nutrition was so important. Alas, I got actual results!!

If you think that the 21 Day Fix could be the answer for you, don't hesitate to ask about it. Give it a try. What do you have to lose? Honestly, EVERYONE NEEDS this program in their life!!

Confessions of a Beachbody Coach

Yesterday Tom & I committed 110% to a second round of the 21 Day Fix. We did a round when it first came out in preparation for our Cruise to Cozmel & Grand Caymen, but I will be honest we were NOT 110% with our nutrition. Why? Because we are HUMAN! My husband started his 5 week vacation & we literally went into "Vacation Mode" until, well... yesterday!

In my 25 months as a Beachbody Coach I have given my all to more than 1 program, hence the fact that I have lost 40+ pounds & built lean muscle & definition. But I will admit that I get side tracked, bored, discouraged, stressed & tempted. It's everywhere! I am a firm believer in taking baby steps in order to be successful over time. Nothing is guaranteed in life but we do hold the power to make the decisions. I help people everyday with these same issues.

I knew that I had gained some weight from the cruise just due to salty foods & lots of beer. I don't really weigh myself much anymore so I didn't have an exact number but I could feel a difference in my body. Anyway, fast forward to yesterday. I got up in the morning & went straight to the bathroom to get on the scale for my "before" stats. I wrote the number into my notepad on my phone & carried on with my morning routine. After waking up hubby we did our pics & measurements, then headed to the garage for Day 1. I had not really worked out in about 2 weeks. We had been training for a Half Marathon & that was part of what threw off our routine & eating too. Anyway, I felt GOOD, I told Tom I was going to push myself 110% & I did! Finished up the 30 minute workout & felt amazing! That evening I sat down at the computer to enter my stats into the goal tracker that is included with a FREE membership to Team Beachbody. I saw that I hadn't even entered stats since the end of January which is when we completed round 2 of the Ultimate Reset. I wanted to cry when I read them compared to what I was entering in. I was 17 pounds heavier. Gained 2 inches in each thigh, 3 inches in my hips & 4 in my waist! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!? F*CK was all I could say!

So there it is. My biggest obstacle in my journey so far. I will over come it! I AM 110% dedicated to the 21 Day Fix. It has changed so many lives & it will change mine! Take a peek at some of these amazing results from my customers, friends & coaches.

Crazzzzzzzzy right?!?!?!?!

I have 1 exception already planned, my daughters Bday I will eat 1 cupcake. That is all.

If you are interested in the 21 Day Fix & need help, support, motivation or accountability please don't hesitate to reach out to me. We can do this, together.  You can find me on Facebook or shoot me an email at macksmamma@gmail.com. I would love to have you join me!

Make the Commitment, Reap the 21 Day Fix results.

Hi! I just wanted to give an update on the results from my first Test group for the 21 Day Fix.

My experience with round 1 was great! My total weight loss was 4lbs & I lost 4 inches all over. To some, that may not seem like much, but keep in mind that we are all on our own journey. We do not all have the same amount of weight to lose nor do we have the same goals. As for the nutrition, I realized I was eating too many portions of fruit a day, not enough vegetables & too much healthy fats. My nutrition has been a journey in itself! I have done so many "diets" & "ways of eating" but once starting with Beachbody & doing my OWN research with Clean eating & healthier alternatives I have been able to cut out a lot of bad shit. Not to say I don't ever indulge but it's just not as often. So to say that my nutrition is spot on about 85-90% of the time is perfect. Clearly it shows in the results I have obtained over 2 years but now I am looking for that next level of results & the 21 Day Fix is my answer!!! Being able to just fill a colored container with a certain food group & dump it on my plate has been so easy & it has helped me to combine food groups in my meals so that I am getting a little bit of everything & not ending up at dinner with all vegetable portions to eat, lol. 

I am currently on round 2 with my husband. He lost about 6lbs in round 1. 

Check out what the other challengers in our group are experiencing:

Nikki C:  I'm in day 11 of the first round.

I have only lost around 2 lbs
I've lost 1.25 off my waist and a little more than .75 off my hips. 
My "muffin top" is almost completely gone. My shirts skim my tummy. They no longer cling to it
I learned that I was eating healthy but my portion sizes were way off
Like always I love shakeo but I was mixing it with 12 oz almond milk which I didn't know counted as carbs. Now I drink it with water and it's STILL good!

Rhonda: Just hopped on the scale and another 3 pounds gone! So excited!

Shawn: Today is day 10! I haven't posted an update just because its been a bad week. Not with the program, just with life.. lots of stress. Anyhow... 

I am loving the 21 day fix! The containers are great, they are really helping with my portions. Also I am not used to eating during the day so it has helped to have a guide to choosing the right things, now I don't even have to think about it. Getting easier everyday. 
The workouts are awesome! I have to say my favs are the Upper Fix, Dirty 30 & Yoga. The others are not so easy, but I have done them all and am loving the results. I didn't want to weigh in because I was afraid to be disappointed, but I gave in and I have lost 6 lbs so far

Nichole: Today I put on some clothes I haven't been able to wear in at least a year! Feeling a little emotional!

Julie:  Awesome! As of Monday I'm 9 lbs down. Not going to take my measurements again until the last day though. I'm already excited for round 2!

Rhonda: I'm going to share my experience with 21 Day Fix! 

I started by reading all the pamphlets and looking at the containers. Figured out how many calories I can consume and so on. This took me a few days to get it together and have somewhat of a routine. 
The DVD workouts where fun but a workout! I liked the fact that they had a women do the less impact workout. Which I followed most if the time. 
What I learned in this program was portions and mixing greens, proteins and so on. Even though I was eating salads for dinner, I had a huge salad. Didn't even consider portion before because it was a salad.
So, now that I've completed this, im going for round 2! (4lb loss first round)

Jason: It was cool. I am doing another round! I haven't measured my inch loss but I lost a total of 23 lbs. I'm at 220 now! I got the flu on wed and part of thurs so I only did double days mon and tues. Skipped the rest of the week. Today I feel great and will start double days again. My goal is 5 lbs per week for a total of 15 lbs at the end of this round. Let's do this!

If you don't know anything about the 21 Day Fix, check out this video with Trainer Autumn Calabrese.

This program has been a complete game changer for those who have completed at least one round. If you have more interest in my challenge group please don't hesitate to contact me via Facebook, here.

I'll be updating this blog post as the next round of challengers reveals their results. Check back soon. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. 

How becoming a Beachbody Coach has changed my life!

I became a Beachbody coach on April 20th, 2012. I signed up just for the discount on Shakeology, since my husband & I would both be drinking it. I had purchased one bag to try & within 10 days of drinking it for breakfast everyday, I asked my husband what his take was on it. Of course, like most men, he said he didn't really notice a difference. When I asked him if he was craving a cheeseburger, he said "No". This was very unusual for him, as he could eat a cheeseburger at any given time. They were his favorite food. I instantly noticed my sugar cravings were just about gone. I mean not 100% because I still want & enjoy sweets but prior to trying Shakeology I would just hear someone say chocolate & I would run to the store & get some brownies or chocolate ice cream. I also noticed that my IBS symptoms were reduced. I had been seeing my doctor for about 3 years regarding my IBS issues & she always recommended I go buy expensive OTC Pro-biotics & add in a fiber laxative. Well that didn't help me either & frankly I was really tired of dealing with it. I became "regular" & this helped me tremendously. I also noticed I was starting to have more energy. I don't mean that I spent all day cleaning because I had so much energy, I mean I wasn't dragging ass in the afternoons. I was keeping up with the kiddos all day & sleeping better at night. I am sure that this can also be attributed to my efforts in daily exercise & eating cleaner. It's a combination of efforts that gave me the result.

About 30 days after I started drinking Shakeology & doing P90X, my coach told me to be sure & take my pics & measurement so I could compare & see my progress. Well, I had a very noticeable change so I posted them on Facebook. I got a lot of responses, praise & questions to what I was doing. I had NO intentions of "Working the Business", mind you. I started just telling people what I was doing & answering questions & it dawned on me that there really was something to be had with this coaching stuff. So I started to ask questions & do my research & learn. Slowly but surely I began Coaching. It started with my friends & some family at first. I got the hang of how to help others just by showing them what I was doing. In all my attempts in life to lose weight, I never had the motivational support as this has provided me. As I carried on & spent all my extra time trying to learn everything I could, I came to realize that I had started to grow as a person myself. I had heard the recommendation of reading Personal Development books a few times & honestly I thought, "I don't need that. That is for people who are not like me". Um, boy was I WRONG!! I started reading & it dawned on me that you are never too old or young or smart or educated to keep learning. I was starting to really get that Beachbody wants people to be successful. They stand true to the motto of helping others live happy & fulfilling lives. No matter if you are a coach or a customer.

To now reflect on what I accomplished as a person & coach in 2013 just blows me away. My marriage has truly become stronger. I feel more confident as a mother & wife & woman. Not just because of my physical transformation, but because I have grown on the inside as well. My husband & I worked very hard to eliminate a hindering credit card debt that had been following us for 6 years. When I signed up to be a coach, we could NOT afford it. We had one income, a brand new baby & a lot of debt. When I made that final payment in October of 2013, I was in tears. It was as if a chapter of our lives was over. The struggles we had that lead us to that point were gone. No longer present in our lives. Just a distant memory. I built a solid foundation to my team. I went to my first Summit & walked on stage in front of 3,000+ coaches as a 1 Start Diamond Coach. That was AMAZING!!! I got to meet other Top Coaches & Beachbody Challenge winners. I got to meet coaches from my team that I had gotten to know over the previous year via Facebook. It was the most surreal feeling. Having my husband by my side topped it off. I have continued on the path of helping people lose weight, get in shape, eliminate debt, earn extra income for many reasons & it has to be the most rewarding thing I have every experienced.

There are days that I wake up so excited & anxious to log into my challenge groups to see what is going on. Who ate what, who needs help, who crushed a goal. I want people to experience the same things that I did when I started. Nobody should have to do it alone. It took me time to really get fitness embedded into my day, my head, my life. I was never athletic so the thought of working out EVERYDAY was not an easy pill for me to swallow. I still get lazy, I still try to get out of a workout but a key factor for me is finding the workouts that I enjoy. Then I look forward to it & I feel on top of the world when I am done. And YES, I still splurge on my eating, I am human & female after all.

At this point in my Coaching career, if that is what you want to call it, which is 21 months, I have created an income that has allowed us to not only pay off debt but it has allowed me to stay home. Although I was a SAHM prior to Beachbody, I was to the point where I was looking for work, just before I had my daughter, to line up for after her birth. I was scouring the want ads & applying for jobs I new I would hate. I even ventured into looking at Direct Sales, but to be completely honest, I did not want to work the hours that were convenient for OTHER people, the people hosting the parties. I did not want to be selling the same make up, jewelry, candles or kitchen ware to my friends & family over & over again. I knew that wasn't a good road for me to go down. So to say that I am now in Direct Sales is funny to me, because it sure as hell doesn't feel like it. Stumbling upon this opportunity has been a complete blessing. It has changed the course of my life in so many ways. I cannot be more thankful for this opportunity. If it's knockin', you should probably open the damn door!