Healthier Pumpkin Bread

So all three of the boys (husband included) in my house woke up wanting mommy's "yummy pumpkin bread"! Now the pumpkin bread they speak of is full of all sorts of sugar, oil, and unbleached flour. So I decided to try a healthier version that was still a "treat"! It is not perfectly clean but it is better!!!

All the boys loved it and it was very delicious with my coffee this morning :)

Ingredients

-2 cups whole wheat flour

-3/4 tsp. baking soda

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 cup organic cane sugar (I substituted 1/2 cup for honey because I just could't put all that sugar in:)) 

- 1/4 cup coconut oil

-2 eggs

- 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 

-1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

-1 tsp. vanilla

-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and mix with a whisk.

3. Place coconut oil and sugar in a large bowl. Blend 

4. Add eggs, pumpkin, yogurt, and vanilla

5. Add flour mixture; mix until blended.

6. fold in chocolate chips. 

6. Place batter evenly between  2 loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray.

7. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes (Mine was done at 50 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Enjoy,

Deanna

Get Fit & Be Thankful Before you Feast

Annual Get Fit & Be Thankful Before you Feast Challenge

All alright ladies and gentlemen it's officially, "that time of year" again! Think holiday parties, baked goods up the wazoo, the kids are off from school more, and stress levels tend to rise. Now this time of year is my JAM. This is no joke, my inner 4 year old comes out from now until Jan. 2nd and I LOVE it! 


However, did you know that the Average american gains 5-10 pounds during the last couple months of the year (SAY WHAT)...yep it;s the truth.Now I did some master-minding and ask the question, "how can I help people not loose their progress, stay on track, and jump start their January resolutions...all while being able to eat there pumpkin pies??????

First off I am re-committing hard core to my 80/20 rule! What is that you may ask... My game plan is to keep my eating healthy and clean 80% of the time and allow myself treats and goodies 20% of the time. A healthy lifestyle is all about balance and this rule helps me remember that! Also it's import to think about when your treat meals are going to be! For instance, if you're going on a date, it will probably be a cheat meal. If it's Thanksgiving, you will probably have a cheat meal ;) You get the idea, if I know when my cheat meal will be then it helps hold me accountable the rest of the week!Now HOW can I help you and hold me accountable as well during this Busy time of year?Launch a Get Fit & Be Thankful Challenge group of course!!! 

Fitness Plan:It is 30 minute workouts, 6 days a week, all of them well rounded moderate exercise you can do from home.  The workouts are simple moves (anyone can do them), but still challenging and all you will need is a DVD player and a set of dumbbells.  It comes with a full calendar to follow. The 8 DVDs you will get are as follows:*Upper Fix, Lower Fix (Weight workouts)*Total Body Cardio Fix, Cardio Fix (Cardio workouts)*Pilates*Yoga (Optional for Sunday/Rest Day)*10 Minute Abs*Bonus DVD for ordering through a coach: Plyo Fix (Cardio)

Nutrition Plan:The nutrition plan comes with a portion control container system you use throughout the 21 days.  This portion control system is where a lot of people get the results! It helps you calculate exactly what portion sizes to eat, as well as maintain a healthy balance between proteins, fruits, vegetables, complex carbs, and healthy fats. It's very simple to use, and very effective! You will essentially get 8 different color-coded containers.  It will tell you how many of each of those colors (food groups) to eat each day. For example, eat 4 reds (protein container), 3 greens (vegetables), 2 yellows (complex carbs), etc.  You then use the containers to measure out the portion. It may sound difficult, but I promise it is very easy. Below are a few videos you can watch for more information.  Once you own the program, you can continue to do as many rounds as you want of the 21 Days to get the results you want and maintain them! ** Want more information and to see my transformation with the 21 Day Fix, check out this post!

Special THIS month:

• Be entered to win an entire program FREE: So as a little extra motivation I will enter your name into a drawing to win the 21 Day Fix Extreme for FREE, when you sign up before Thanksgiving day. 

• Share what we are Thankful for to keep us motivated and positive all month: I feel like it's important to remember whats important to us and to think each day about why it was a good day. By consciously thinking about the positive things that happen we will become more positive!

• I will post Thanksgiving recipes: Some healthier options for the big day :)

So what is a Challenge group?A challenge group is a small & intimate group of people who have committed to getting healthy by participating in a Beachbody workout program. Through fitness, nutrition, peer support, and accountability, a Challenge group plays a key role in helping you reach your health and fitness goals.  I can NOT wait for you to join me on November 9th!So who's with me?? Let's feel confident, stay thankful, and reach our goals together in November :) I will only be accepting 10 people into this group, please feel free to fill out the application below with your email address and contact information, and I will send you more details about the group specifics!

I can't wait to chat,

Deanna 

Why PiYo Could be Your Next Workout

I have completed the PiYo program twice now and it really is a favorite of mine! Why? Because of the dynamic movements. I have always been a lover of yoga but I hate missing out on the true cardio piece of my workout so when PiYo came out a couple years back I was ecstatic! It really is a well rounded Yoga + Cardio + Pilates workout.  

PiYO OVERVIEW: Use Your Body to Shape Your Body

PiYo is an eight-week long, complete at-home workout program designed by Chalene Johnson for Beachbody to totally transform your body in just 60 days without any weights, jumps, or strain on your body.

It was designed to increase flexibility and strength, accomplishing this by utilizing a unique combination of Pilates and Yoga-based moves to get you long, lean toned muscle all while keeping the pace quick enough to help you burn unwanted fat. You get the muscle-defining moves of Pilates with the flexibility of Yoga to get you the body you’ve always wanted – WITHOUT USING ANY WEIGHTS!!!

Here is a list of the PiYo workouts:

Sneak Peeks into PiYo:

Example meal plan while doing the program

Why you Should Try PiYo:

1. It's all about the stretch and strengthen! It's a great way to restore and bring life back to your body! Trust me when I tell you, PiYo made me feel muscles I didn't even know I had. Especially in my back and arms. 

2. This program really is for EVERYONE. I have been using this program since it's release and every time my husband does it with me he wakes up the next morning and makes the same comment, "wow PiYo makes me sore overtime" (and he lifts). My sons (2&4) love picking up on the moves and I catch them in various poses, the most popular being 'down dog'! 

3. PiYo comes with a complete nutrition guide. This is great because it helps take the guess work out of getting on the right plan to reach your goals. I am here as your coach if you decide to commit to the program to help you through this planning stage and will provide meal plans, tips, tricks, encouragement, and motivation! 

4. You are literally using your body to sculpt your body. Meaning there is no equipment. PiYo is just a fun, flowing, “sped up” Pilates-yoga workout that burns a ton of calories, tones your body, makes you stronger, and gives you that lean, fit look that everyone admires (can I get a heck yes!!)

5. This is a low impact workout. So the amount of stress on your joints is minimal. You still work and sweat (trust me) but you will not be doing a lot of jumping, and no holding poses for excruciatingly long times. 

6. By doing a workout program from your home you end up saving yourself money in gym fees. 

I don't know about you but I see my best results and have the most fun when I workout with friends, family members, or in a supportive group. Please contact me if your interested in joining this group through a private Facebook page or if you would like to give PiYo a try. You will get the support, motivation, and accountability from not only me but from everyone else that is working on a similar goal just like you! Are you ready?

Hope you learned a little more,

Deanna O'Halloran

What is Ghee and How do I Make it?

I have been hearing all of these good things about Ghee, so I decided to do some research and make it for myself, to see what all the hype was about. Not going to lie it was actually a lot of fun to make! It's a longer processes (thats why I love that I did it in the crockpot ;)) but the house smelled amazing and the boys loved watching all the different stages it went through!

What Is Ghee?

It’s a type of clarified butter that is used in the dishes, medicines and traditional religious rituals in many parts of Southeast Asia. Most people that are allergic or intolerant to dairy can consume ghee with no negative reactions because the milk solids have been removed!

"Ghee" comes from the Sanskrit word meaning "sprinkled," and it basically means that the milk fat is rendered from the butter to separate the milk solids and water. It’s made by melting butter and skimming the fat off of the top. You’ll be left with a yellow liquid (liquid gold) when it’s hot and a creamy looking solid one when the ghee cools down.  

Not only is this easy to make but ghee also has a number of benefits. 

Health Benefits of Ghee: 

1. Ghee is considered a power and healing food in many cultures. It’s extremely high in nutrients. It’s rich in vitamins A, D, E, K2. It’s one of the highest natural sources of CLA. 

2. Ghee is rich in medium chain fatty acids, which means it’s used immediately as energy and not easily stored as fat. 

3. Ghee is excellent for digestion as it stimulates the digestive fires. It’s rich in butyrate which suppresses inflammation in the gut and other tissues.

How to Make Crockpot Ghee

Ingredients: 

- Butter: Any amount you want to make. I used 4 blocks (8-ounces each) of organic Horizon salted butter, totaling 32 ounces. You can use salted or unsalted butter. I know most ghee recipes tell you to use unsalted butter, but I actually like using salted butter a bit better. The majority of the salt ends up in the milk solids, leaving the ghee very, very lightly salted. It’s perfect!

-Crockpot 

-Cheese cloth (I got mine on the gadget isle of Safeway)

-Glass jar or jars (I used 32oz Mason Jar) 

Directions:

1. Place the butter in your crockpot. 

2. Set your crockpot to high and keep it uncovered. 

3. The pictures below show the changes you will see as the butter is cooking. The first picture is about 15 minutes after I added the butter. on the left is after about an hour. The butter is starting to completely melt. About 2 hours or so later, you’ll start to see foam gathering on the top. Then you’ll notice the foam start to turn brown. As it turns brown, it will start giving off a very pleasant, almost nutty aroma.

4.  After the foam on top starts to turn brown and develops a crust, turn off the crockpot. This can take anywhere from 3 hours to 7+ hours, depending on your crockpot. 

5. Strain the the liquid into your jar or jars using a double folded cheesecloth. If any milk sold make it through, they will float to the top so they will be easy to spot.  You can skim them off with a spoon or you can strain the ghee a second time.

6. Set out to cool. The Ghee will lighten up as shown in the picture at the top of the page. You do not have to refrigerate. I did overnight to firm it up!

7. Enjoy :) The boys love it on their toast the next morning. 

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

In our house we LOVE pancakes on Sunday mornings! They are definitely a household staple and we are always trying fun and healthier alternatives. These turned out really good. So they have an egg texture so if you are not a fan, then this recipe is not for you! The boys and the hubs both loved them and literally ate like 2-3 each! I hope you enjoy them just as much!

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cup pure pumpkin 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon agave

Directions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together.

2. Spray non stick pan with coconut oil.

3. Heat pan over medium heat.

4. Pour batter to desired pancake size and cook until pancake begins to bubble.

5. Flip and cook until golden.

Topping:

mix together nut butter (1 teaspoon) and honey (1 teaspoon) in a microwave safe dish. Microwave for 15 seconds and drizzle over pancakes!

Enjoy,

Deanna 

Apple Snack Attack

Okay so this girl has been CRAVING sweets!!! It doesn't help that the hubs has been getting dessert lately! So I have been trying to get creative with some yummy and healthier alternatives! I am all for a good cheat meal however, I don't work my bootay off to undo it all on dessert every night!

So my go to snack lately has been apples and peanut butter! This week I decided to spice it up a bit (I mean why not?). My sons literally ate an entire plate so their most certainly kid tested!So here is what I have been up to! What creative ideas do you have for apples?

Ingredients:

- 1 Apple sliced

- Tablespoon of peanut butter (I used natural creamy)

- Handfull of dark chocolate chips

- Handful of coconut flakes

Directions:

1. Warm up peanut butter in a microwave safe dish for 15-30 seconds.

2.  Drizzle peanut butter over the top of the apple slices. 

3. Sprinkle chocolate chips and coconut flakes.

4. Enjoy!

Did this help with your craving? I feel like it is the perfect combination of sour and sweet ;)

-D