Food Friday- Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Food Friday 

and 

Happy Valentines Day!

Wild Orange Chocolate Torte

What a great day for a sweet treat. Who doesn't love a little bit of chocolate on Valentines Day.  This Wild Orange Chocolate Torte has been a hit this week. I made two and played around with the flavors but I have to say that mix of orange and chocolate is amazing!  Not only is this dessert gluten free and dairy free but it used some heart healthy 70% chocolate in it (of course always in moderation:)) and I thought I would try my hand at using some of the essential oils I use and try the Wild Orange added to the chocolate.  I wish you could taste it from here but it is super subtle put yet you that hint of orange is just the right amount.

Ingredients:
14 oz of 70% dark chocolate. I am definitely purchasing organic and not Hershey's:)
3/4 of a cup of melted Ghee (you can also use butter)
2/3 cup of sugar. I used coconut sugar
2/3 cup of almond flower
3/4 cup of coconut flower
4 eggs

The How:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
oil and dust with coconut or almond flour a dark tin cake pan (8")
Melt the ghee or butter and chocolate in a dbl boiler. I used a glass bowl over my pot filled with boiling water.

I added all the remaining ingredients to my mixer and poured in the ghee and chocolate once it was melted. I mixed it on high for 3 minutes.

Pour into pan and bake for 15 minutes.
Take it out immediately and flip it over to cool sprinkle with powdered sugar or cocoa powder and enjoy!

We didn't get very far post cooling before digging in.  This made an excellent treat for the Valentines week and holiday but really who couldn't use a little hit of sweet goodness every now and then.  Of course everything in small doses can be a good thing so enjoy!  I know I did!

Get Fit. Live Fit. Be Fit and Eat good desserts every now and then:) 

I have to point our my favorite glass bottle that made an appearance in my Valentines day photo. mybkr.com is a great site for picking up one of these trendy bottles that have been a favorite of mine and my athletes.  Check out their website or shoot me an e-mail and  you can purchase one through me. 

Happy "HEART' day everyone!

Workout Wednesday-Powerful Legs

Workout Wednesday

Powerful Legs!!!

It is cold and wet here today so what I took things indoors and made a fun little HIIT workout that anyone could do.   This 30 minute workout will leave your legs feeling strong and sculpted, but also feeling fresh and not like you spent for-EVer at the gym. 

 I met a client at the gym today and while I was waiting I had 40 minute to kill. I decided to get on the treadmill (Yes, I have a love hate with the treadmill, but I also figured why not) 

I warmed up for 10 minutes and that was about all I could handle of running in place. I jumped off and immediately went into the above workout targeting the legs. 

The workout:

A Round means you go through all 7 exercises one after the other without stopping. A rest is set after each round. 

•  Round #1- 30 seconds of each. After the 7th exercise, rest 1 minute. 
• Round #2- 45 seconds each. Rest 45 seconds.
• Round #3- 30 seconds of each, Rest 30 seconds. 
• Round #4- 45 seconds of each, rest 45 seconds. 
• Round #5- 30 seconds of each. Finish or Repeat!

You can repeat the 5 rounds again OR you could jump back on the treadmill or my favorite fixed piece, the StepMill (like a set of revolving stairs:) for 10 minutes and then repeat. 

You could even substitute the treadmill or stepmill for a jump rope, a quick jog/run around the block etc.  

You have all the means to get this done but the question is, will you? 

Give it a try! What do you have to lose!?

Get Fit. Live Fit. Be Fit. 

Get out and MOVE!

Workout Wednesday

Workout Wednesday

Simple and Strong. 

I am taking one of my favorite exercises today and giving you tons of variety mixed in with some cardio intervals and you will have yourself a little 20-30 minute blast of total body work. 

The Mountain Climber

Looking at the picture above and the position of the person climbing up, let's take a look at the basic mountain climber, its position and what you should be feeling first. 

How to start: 

Assume a push-up position with your arms straight and your body in a straight line from your head to your ankles. 

Without changing the posture of your lower back (it should be arched), raise your right knee toward your chest.

Pause, return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg. 

What are you feeling? 

A tight core, strong arms

triceps are tight, joints are not hyper-extended

back is not swaying

calves are feeling a stretch

neck is in neutral spine. 

There are plenty of ways to mess up this one basic exercise so check in to make sure you are on track with the above and let's get moving!

Mountain Climber Workout

(our climb to the top: workout))

Make sure you are nice and warm. 5-7 minutes of prep movement is key. 

Round 1:

30 seconds of Mountain climbers

10 seconds of rest 

Use the count of 1 hold-2-3-4-and then back as your guide for this round. 

Repeat the above 5 times.

Stand up and jump rope for 1 minute. Tight arms and core. 

Round 2: 

Reptile knee Mountain Climbers for 30 seconds, rest 10 seconds

Your knee will be going to the elbow vs. the center line. Alternate sides

Use the 1:1 count for this round. 1 up, 1 back and switch. 

Repeat 5 times. 

Jump rope or high knees for 1 minute

Round 3: 

Cross the mountain climbers-30 seconds, rest 10 seconds

Opposite knee to opposite elbow. 

(right knee, left elbow/left knee, right elbow) 

Use the 1:4 count from round 1.

Repeat 5 times. 

1 min of jump rope, high knees or jogging in place. 

Round 4:

Mountain pulses for 30 seconds, rest 10 seconds

Right knee hold with a pulse. 

2 pulses center, 2 pulses to reptile return to plank and switch. 

alternate sides

Repeat 5 times. 

1 minute of jumping jacks

Round 5:

Bosu Mountain Climbers  

(place your hands on the black side, blue side down)

You can also do this on a foam roller if you don't have a bosu. 

Basic mountain climbers

30 seconds on, 10 seconds off

1 minute: finish this off with your choice of jog, high knees, jacks or rope. 

If you have a TRX at home and want to take it up a notch you can perform this with a little more work load using a tight core and TRX. 

There you have it!  

Have fun and let me know what you think. 

Get out and Move and remember, do it with purpose!

 

Food Friday!

Food Friday! 

Winter Salads to help keep you fueled and fresh this winter!

This yummy recipe came from my go to Sport Nutrition company, Vega Nutrition! Thanks Vega for all the support and for providing such a great community of recipes and articles to help us reach our goals. 

Vega Nutrition is a plant based protein that I use daily to help me add an additional source of protein to my daily intake.  If you want to learn more e-mail me or visit their website at www.vegasport.com


You can find more amazing recipes online at:
Vega Recipe Center

Courtesy of Vega Recipe Center

Squash, Pomegranate, & Kale Salad

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash – peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp. poppy seeds
• 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Seeds of one pomegranate
• 1 head of kale – washed and torn into bite-sized pieces ½ red onion – sliced
• 
  

Dressing Ingredients:

• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup rice wine vinegar
• Juice of one orange
• ½ cup Vega Antioxidant Omega Oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 °F
2. Coat sliced squash with olive oil and poppy seeds, bake for 30 minutes or until soft. Allow to cool to room temperature
3. Combine kale, cooled squash, pomegranate seeds, and red onion in a large salad bowl.
4. Wisk together maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, orange juice, and Vega Antioxidant Omega Oil.
5. Dress salad immediately before serving.

Fuel the machine....Get out and MOVE!

Food Friday!

Smoothie Friday

aka: Food Friday. 

Today I thought it would be fun to set up a little smoothie tasting post workout for my 6am class.  I am planning on rotating these around my classes so stay tuned to my other classes if you are reading this:) 

I always get asked about new ideas and flavors for smoothies, what protein I use and what is the best to use.  There are so many protein powders on the market and I have a new love for Vega Nutrition. Vega nutrition offers pure protein from plant based sources. It does not have additives or artificial sweeteners in it and having since moved away from meat it is a true source of plant based protein.  I will often use Egg White Protein on occasion but Vega Nutrition has been my main source and go-to product.  I will give you a breakdown of my other favorites from Vega next week but for today here are three new smoothie recipes you have to try! 

(left) Pumpkin Pie (center) Berry Bliss (right) Chocolate Fun

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1 Serving of Vega All-in-One Vanilla flavored

1 Scoop of Pumpkin spice flavored greens

1 frozen banana

1 handful of strawberries

1 serving of chia seeds

Pumpkin pie spice

2 cups of water 

Blend away and enjoy! 

Berry Bliss

1 Serving of Vega All-in-one Berry flavored

1 serving of Chia seeds 

1 cup of frozen strawberries

1 frozen banana

2 cups of water

Blend and enjoy!

Chocolate Friday Fun

1 serving of Vega Nutrition Chocolate Performance Protein 

1 frozen banana

1 serving of Chia seeds

2 Tbls of sunflower butter

2 Cups of water

Caco Nibs added at the end for a little crunch and fun. 

Blend and enjoy! 

The classes loved them all and we even ended the week with a little Friday Fashion as we had local fashion connoisseur Jill Hansen in class showcasing her fun and functional threads!  It was a great way to kick of a Friday Funday! 

Want to learn more about Vega Nutrition. Visit their website at myvega.com or shoot me a comment here and I can help.  Also check out their other fun recipes on the Vega online Recipe Center.

Happy Weekend everyone!

A little late to my Food Friday post!

Cinco de Mayo!

Better late than never. This past week turned out to be a little busier than normal so my poor little blog seem to take a backseat.  I was sad as this is a place I love to come and share my week.  I figured better late than never so here is my Food Friday post. 

With Cinco de Mayo coming up and with one of my favorite foods being on the menu, I wanted to pass over some healthy tips and recipes for keeping it low cal, full of flavor and still have some fun.
This is what we will be having on Sunday!  

Chicken Fajitas                               
saute chicken breasts into skillet with chicken broth and or stock, you can add in your favorite seasoning. I usually add  fresh ground chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, and some chopped tomatoes.  Add fresh peppers and onions if you like them.  Serve over steamed corn tortillas or flour but limit the flower to 2 and the corn to 3 tortillas. Top with salsa and non-fat plain yogurt. You could even add a sliver or two of avocado.  

Mexican Salad                    

Fresh greens, super greens or romaine are my favorites.  Chop some jicama (this has been a staple around our house lateley) copped tomatoes, chopped beets (fresh) and sprinkle a little cotija cheese or goat cheese if dairy does not suit you. You can even sprinkle with some baked corn tortillas. ( I bake these at 350 degrees until crisp) 

Honey Lime Dressing

1/4 to 1/2 of avocado (amazing flavor and amazing healthy fat) 

1/2 cup lime juice

1/4 cup or less of raw honey

s+p

a dash of chili powder

you could also juice one orange for a little added citrus flavor.  

I use our magic bullet for salad dressings ALL the time. You can also store in your fridge and re-use up to 3-5 days. 

New-Refried Beans (from my friend Shanti at Sweat Play Live) Thanks Shanti!!

1 lb. beans boiled till soft, w/ garlic and 1/2 onion (about 2 hours). Put in blender till smooth. Heat 3-4T Coconut oil in pan, add puréed beans and stir till incorporated. Salt. If too stiff..add water till smooth.

Cinnamon Baked Chips 

This is a favorite dessert in our house and they are so easy to make. As I mentioned above in the salad recipe, I use corn tortillas and spray with a little coconut oil and sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar that I make (cinnamon and raw sugar blend) You can also bake the non cinnamon chips along side them and then you have a really fun small sweet dessert to finish off your Mexican fiesta. No guilt! 

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

Food Friday

 Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

from Swiss Paleo

This week I cam across this recipe from the Swiss Paleo website. I do not follow a pure Paleo diet although when trying to add in more whole foods into my family's foods I am always looking for healthy, cleaner and whole food recipes to try. This one was a winner in our house. My girls loved it as did our dinner guests so I wanted to pass over to all my readers.  

First off, I decided to make individual crisps. I figured having proper portions would be good since there have been times one more bite turns into 3 more, 5 more and then......Yikes!  

Ingredients for the filling:

• 3 cups of rhubarb, diced (this was about 5 long stalks)
• 3 cups strawberries, diced
• zest from one orange
• 4-6 Tablespoons honey (I ended up using 6 Tablespoons of organic raw honey)
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 1 serving of Chia seeds (Mila brand is what I use) 

I diced the rhubarb and strawberries and placed into a big bowl. I then added the remaining ingredients for the filling and set aside.

                                 

For the Crisp, I modified the original recipe a bit and used the following. You mix all into a bowl. When you add the butter I found a fork worked great to cut it into the mix.

• 1/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped
• 1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 3/4 cups almond flour
• 2 Tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 Tablespoons butter or coconut oil (The recipe called for 4, I cut it down by 1 and I feel I could even go down to 2Tbls for less crumble, although that is the best part:))

I placed the filling mix into the souffle cups/ramekins that I had sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  I sprinkled the above crisp mix on top of the filling. I baked at 350 degrees for 18 minutes. You could also put it into a pie dish or 8x8 baking dish.  We didn't serve anything on top although it would be delish with one dollop of light whip cream.

YUM!!!  

Prep time was short and easy so gift it a try. It will be worth it....I promise!

Thanks to the Swiss Paleo. Visit their site for me delicious recipe ideas.