New Website Anouncement!

Hi all, I have some great news! I will be switching my blog over to a Tumblr stream and it can be viewed through my brand new web site!!!

Please visit: foodieforfitness.com

This is my new website which has a direct link to my blog on Tumblr: http://foodieforfitness.tumblr.com/

Now everything is all in one place!

 One other exciting announcement is that I recently was awarded Best Fitness Instructor in my local weekly paper The Good Times! I am so honored and grateful for the support of my community while I pursue the passions in my life!

So, please visit my new sight and keep an eye out for new great recipes and workouts!

Wheat Free Blueberry Protein Muffins!

Super quick and easy! 

Only 4 ingredients!

- 1 carton egg whites (a little over 2 cups)

- 1 cup oats

- 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (mine is whey protein)

- 1/2 pint of blueberries

(Makes about 10 muffins)

Mix all ingredients into one mixing bowl:

Then pour (or scoop) batter into muffin tins:

I used a spoon to make sure I scooped out all the yummy oats that settled to the bottom of the bowl.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 15 - 20 minutes. I cooked mine for 20, which I think was a little over. You can always use a toothpick to test the middle of the muffins and see where they're at.

There you have it! Super quick and easy!

These little guys are packed with protein and can be used as a quick breakfast item or a mid-day snack! 

Add different types of fruit or protein powder to try different flavors! 

Upper Body and Core Workout!

I chose to skip my Sunday Runday today since my quads and hamms are still sore from my workout on Friday! 

So, I decided to do an at home upper body and core workout!

Equipment I used: (1) 15lb dumbell

Here's the workout:

-20 push ups

-15 triceps dips on coffee table

- 20 bridge dumbell chest press (engage that core!)

- 20 dumbell bicep curls

- 20 crunches

Rest, Repeat 5 - 7 times! 

I did 7 rounds in a quick amount of time and my arms are jello!

This workout can easily be done while watching tv, before heading into work, or even at the gym! Go get that upper body burning!

Crock Pot: Ground Turkey "Gumbo"

I absolutely love my Turkey Chili recipe as one of my go-to's for weekly meal prep, but I wanted to mix it up a little this time!

Introducing...Ground Turkey "Gumbo"! 

I used my crock pot along with these main ingredients:

-1 lb lean ground turkey

- 2 bell peppers

- 5(ish) radishes

- 3 large carrots

- 3(ish) celery stalks 

- 1 can black beans (or beans of choice)

- 1 carton vegetable broth (could use chicken or beef)

- 2 cups brown rice

- salt and pepper to taste

I chopped up all my veggies and put them in my crock pot (on high) with the 1 lb of ground turkey and 1 can of black beans:

To get the cooking started I added 2 cups of the vegetable broth and the salt and pepper. I let all of this cook for a couple hours because I didn't want to over cook my rice. 

So at about the 2 hour mark I added 2 cups of brown rice along with two more cups of vegetable broth:

I let this all cook for another couple hours so that all of the broth could be soaked up by the rice.

And there's the Ground Turkey "Gumbo"! 

It's a nice alternative to the chili since it adds a little grains in there and I was glad I added the radishes for a new twist! It's fun to experiment with winter time veggies :)

Super simple and easily modified for whatever you'd like to add! 

Make it vegetarian style with more brown rice and beans!

Add tons of your favorite veggies and it's a great way to pack them into your diet!

Rainy Day Full Body Workout!

Wow! Its raining!! With California in a major drought, this is some seriously awesome rain!

But, how do I get my Sunday Runday in?!

Instead of running in the cold rain today, I did a Full Body workout in the privacy of my comfy, dry living room!

Here's the breakdown:

-20 Jumping Jacks
-20 Body Weight Squats
-20 Push ups
-20 Side Lunges (10 each side)
-20 Crunches

REPEAT 5 - 7 times!

I performed 7 rounds, with an 8th round cut in half (so just 10 of everything)...that way I got in 150 of each exercise!

All in all, this took about 20 minutes! Great way to start the day and begin prepping for Super Bowl!

Don't forget to check out my Super Bowl Fitness Game to keep the calories burning all day long!

Super Bowl Fitness Game!

Join me in a little Fun Fitness game this Super Bowl Sunday!!

Whether you reach for that second handful of chips, third scoop of baked ziti, or countless number of sweets this will be a fun way to keep burning calories all evening long!

You can modify this Fitness Game to whatever you'd like...and I encourage you to incorporate commercials as well! 

Say every beer commercial gets 10 jump squats or every fast food commercial gets 10 triceps dips on the coffee table or counter!

You can totally get creative and get your fellow Super Bowlers in on it with you!

So, let yourself indulge a little and add some fitness into your Super Bowl party this year!

I'll be doing it with my guests! 

Post a snap shot of your fitness game to my Facebook page or my Instagram: @1_fit_foodie and I'll share some of mine!

Have fun with it :) look forward to seeing some good pics!

Tahini Bites!

These Tahini Bites are perfect for a quick, healthy snack! They will fill you up and keep you fuled! And they are so simple to make!

Mine had four ingredients:

-1 jar of tahini

- milk powder (I used condensed  low fat milk for this trial)

- dark chocolate chips

- shaved coconut

I used the entire jar of tahini, 1/4 cup of the condensed milk, chocolate chips and shaved coconut as desired!

Mix all ingredients into one bowl:

You want to create the consistency of cookie dough. 

You can create ball-shaped (like cookies) or I decided to do "brownie style" by putting the mix into a flat tray:

Pop this in the freezer for about 30 minutes, and then refrigerate after that. 

Once it hardened, I cut mine into Tahini Bites:

Keep these in the fridge as a great fast, filling snack! 

I love these because they give you the feeling that you are eating straight up peanut butter and the dark chocolate adds a great crunch! 

You can vary this recipe by adding dried fruit, nuts, or plain!

For my next batch I will use the milk powder because it will help maintain better structure for the tahini. This batch will last me a while, but I will re-post when I use the powder! 

Prep these for your busy schedule or even use them as a savory dessert!

Buffalo-Style Cauliflower!

If you know me, I love me some hot wings!! Unfortunately, it's not appropriate to eat them everyday, so here's a fun way to spice up your next meal, Buffalo-Style!

Start with one head of cauliflower, chop up into desired size, and then put into an oven safe dish:

Next, drizzle with your choice of hot wing sauce:

I tried this Ashanti brand sauce and it was really yummy and vinegar based, so no fattening butter! 

I used the entire bottle:

I added a little cracked black pepper and mixed everything in together to make it nice an even. Then put it in the oven at 350:

It doesn't take too long to cook! However, it will be up to you as to how well-done you want the cauliflower to be. Mine was in for maybe 20 minutes.

While it was baking I made some zucchini "noodles" and sautéed them up with some olive oil, chili flakes, and chicken sausages:

I went super mellow on the sauce/topping for this part because I knew the wing sauce would be pretty powerful, so it's a good way to balance out flavors.

This funny little combo turned out great!

The spice and the crunch of the cauliflower make for a seemingly hearty side, but leaves you satisfied and not over stuffed and by using the zucchini for "noodles" this is a great way to pack in lots of veggies in one meal!

I had left over cauliflower so I cooked it with my eggs this morning! So good!

How do you add spice to your meals?

Chicken and Quinoa Noodle Soup

I finally got the chance to break into my new Crock Pot! 

First recipe attempt: Chicken and Quinoa Noodle Soup packed with veggies! 

For this batch I used:

-1 package of all natural white meat chicken breast tenders

-2 cartons of organic chicken broth 

-5 celery stalks

-4 large carrots

-2 bell boppers (one red, one green)

-1 box quinoa pasta 

- chopped cilantro

- diced green chills

-salt and pepper to taste 

First step was prepping and chopping all the veggies!

Then added in some chopped cilantro and diced green chilis (about half a can):

I chose to use chicken breast tenders because they are easy to cut up into nice sized pieces:

Do not fill the crock pot all the way with goodies before adding whatever liquid you are using! 

So, once I had everything prepared I added in the organic chicken broth:

Since one carton wasn't enough to get a good broth going I decided to add my second one, then it was crock time!

All Crock Pots are probably different, but I set mine on high for the entire cook time.

I didn't add the noodles in to the pot till about half way through the cooking time because I didn't want them to get way over done:

You can always add more broth at this time as well, or along the way if it seems to be getting absorbed by all the goods.

The soup cooked for about 4 - 5 hours, and it was so nice to be able to set it and forget it!

This came out great!

Filling and packed with veggies!

Also stays great in the fridge for the week, or frozen to keep for longer! 

This recipe can totally be switched up and tweaked anyway you'd like! Different veggies, you could do a beef stew version, regular noodles, or none at all! Let me know how you make yours!

Easy Appetizer: Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus!

Here is an easy appetizer that I made a few times over the Holidays! 

It's quick and great to bring to dinners or parties!

Start with a bunch of Asparagus and chop off the ends:

Spread the asparagus out in a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil:

Salt and cracked pepper to taste:

Pop them in the oven at about 350, they won't take super long, maybe 15 or 20 minutes or until the ends are brown and crisp:

Once they have cooled down, wrap one slice of prosciutto around two pieces of asparagus. The prosciutto is flexible and tends to stick to itself so you won't need to use toothpicks to hold them together or anything!

These can be served immediately or store in the fridge for later! 

These were a popular appetizer wherever I brought them this season, and I think they would be good all year round :)

Baked Turkey & Spaghetti Squash Casserole!

Nothing says cooler weather like I nice, warm, hearty casserole! 

Try my Turkey & Spaghetti Squash Casserole: easy, healthy and filling!

First, start with your spaghetti squash and cook it in the oven at 400 for about 20 or 30 minutes:

After it has cooked a little, take it out of the oven and slice it in half. 

Let cool for a bit and start stringing out the squash into your bakeware.

Once the squash has been used up, add a can of diced tomatoes:

Then add in two cut up zucchinis and ground turkey meat:

You can put these both in un-cooked and they will cook up just fine while it's baking.

Mix all ingredients together and then sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese on top:

Pop it in the oven (I left it at 400) and bake for about 30 or 40 minutes. About when the edges start to brown. 

I think this is a great winter time dish and can last in the fridge all week! Or it's a nice addition to any Holiday dinner party!

It sneaks in lots of veggies and is still very filling!

You can mix up the types of veggies or omit the turkey for a vegetarian option :)

What's your favorite casserole recipe?!

Full Body Circuit!

This is what I did on Sunday! I didn't really feel like going for a run, so I did an at home circuit in the yard!

All you need for this workout:

Here's your workout!

Sunday's Full Body Circuit:

- 100 rope skips

- 20 alternating weighted side lunges

- 20 bicep curls

- 100 rope skips

- 20 weighted squats

- 20 bent over rows

- 100 rope skips

- 20 weighted forward lunges

- 20 standing crunches (weighted/alternating)

- Rest

- Repeat x 3!

 

Doesn't take all day and can sure get the heart pumping! 

Easy Last Minute Thanksgiving Appetizer: Bacon Wrapped Scallops!

Can you say yuuuuuum?!

I mean, basically anything wrapped in bacon is delicious in my book! 

This appetizer really doesn't take much effort and basically only has two ingredients:

 For a batch of 12

- 1 package of all-natural bacon

- 12 large sea scallops

- salt and pepper

For each scallop I wrapped one piece of bacon completely around it and fastened with a tooth pick. There were a couple of smaller scallops so I decided to just use half a strip on bacon for those and maximize the outcome!

Once they were all wrapped up I sprinkled them with some cracked black pepper and sea salt:

Next, I sprayed a baking sheet with some non-stick spray and popped them in the oven at 350:

These took about 40 minutes in the oven and I flipped them once towards the end to try and get the bacon a little more crispy on each side. 

So good!

I didn't make a sauce or anything (skipping out on extra calories) and I really don't think they needed them! The scallops stayed juicy and the bacon had plenty of flavor to satisfy! 

Like I said, easy! And I bet these items will still be available at the grocery store! 

You can't beat bacon!

Are you making any apps for Thanksgiving this year?!