Peach Cobbler Overnight Oats

Peach Cobbler Overnight Oats 

(Single Serving) 

For real, this family LOVES oatmeal....like they guzzle the stuff! I am always looking for for ways to spice up my overnight oats and since we are in 'peach season' (HAPPY DANCE) I wanted to incorporate them this week! 

Totally didn't disappoint..it was the perfect about of thickness, sweetness, and of course a hint of spice! Not gonna lie it had me feeling all sunshiney (even though it's a miserable 110 here ;( )!

Anywho, here is the recipe, as always, let me know what you think ;)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup peaches
1 Tbsp Chia seeds
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/4 Cup Milk (whatever kind you drink)
1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt
1 tsp Vanilla
Sprinkle With Cinnamon


Directions:
1. Wash and cup up your peaches
2. Put all the ingredients in a jar or Tupperware
3. Shake and put in the refrigerator over night
4. In the morning mix and eat it cold or warm it up. I warm mine up for about 30 seconds
5. Enjoy!

Make it a great one,

Deanna :)

Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Muffins

Oh boy, oh boy, there is something about summer approaching and lemons! I'm currently on a mission to find healthier baking options. I love to bake and one thing about living by the 80/20 rule is that I need to moderate my backing. I have been to some really amazing raw food restaurants, especially in Bali, and I figured if they can make amazing treats that fit into my lifestyle, so can I! 

So these are so good, they almost have a cheesecake like quality about them :)

21 Day Fix friends: 2 muffins- 1 yellow, 1 red 

Ingredients:

1 Scoop Whey Protein (I recommend either Vanilla or Caffe Late Shakeology)

6 Tbsp. Unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

3 Tbsp. Lemon zest 

2 tsp. Stevia

1/4 Cup Plain greek (or vanilla) yogurt

1.5 Tbsp. Coconut oil melted

2/3 Cup Coconut flour

1 Tbsp. Baking powder 

1 Tbsp. Poppy Seeds

1/4 tsp. Baking soda

1/2 Cup Low fat cottage cheese

3 Tbsp. Lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. Blend yogurt, cottage cheese, lemon juice, egg, oil, and applesauce in the blender and set aside.

3. In a large bowl combine protein powder, coconut flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, stevia, and lemon zest until combined. 

4. Pour blended mixture into dry ingredients and mix well. 

5. Pour batter into 8 muffin cups

6. Bake for 25 minutes

7. Enjoy and let me know what you think ;)

Make it a great one,

Deanna

Shakeology Breakfast Bars

Good Morning Lovelies,


I don't know about you all but my boys LOVE bars (of any kind) and I struggle to find brands they like that aren't loaded with sugar and other additives.  For instance, they love Z-bars and it wasn't until recently that I realized they have quit a bit of sugar in them!

On a positive note, I actually really like making and trying out different bar recipes. I also feel like there great for little helpers because you usually just mix everything in one bowl....SCORE!

Anyway,  this morning I made Shakeology Breakfast Bars. If you don't have Shakeology, you can try a protein powder or maybe almond flour...if you do let me know how they turn out ;)

Ingredients (Makes 9 bars):
- 4 scoops Cafe Latte Shakeology
- 2 cups dry old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup (walnuts, almonds, seeds...whatever you like! We used pumpkin seeds this time)
- 1/2 cup raisins (or other dried fruit...I also added some Cocoa Nibs)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup (1 med. banana) mashed banana
- sprinkle of shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Combine Shakeology, oats, nuts, and dried fruit in a large mixing bowl; mix well
2. Add almond milk and banana; mix well
3. Press mixture into an 8x8 inch backing pan
4. Sprinkle with coconut, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
5. cut into 9 bars
6. ENJOY ;)

Have a great day Lovelies,

Deanna

February Valentines Day Sandwich Party

So today the dudes are not feeling well and their being a handful!!! But really keeping these two down resting...I would rather wrestle a lion. I was trying to come up with something fun that would keep them resting. We deiced on a sandwich party! They absolutely loved the idea. They helped me choose the toppings and get it all set up.  I made sure both incorporated some honey because it really helps with their cough ;)

You can use whatever ingrediants you want but here is what we did:

  

                                         

- Sourdough bread

- Jelly

- A variety of nut butters (we got it at our farmers market)

- Coconut

- Dark chocolate chips

- Cookie cutters (we ended up using hearts)

- Strawberries

- Honey (we used raw local honey from our farmers market)  

Once we had all our ingredients laid out I gave them each a butter knife and let them spread there toppings. Once they finished with their toppings they chose their cookie cutters and made shapes. This is really fun way to get your kids to try different types of sandwiches too or if they hate crust.

They were really proud!

We had a lot of fun eating them and the boys compared what they chose to put on theirs! 

All you need is a Love Sandwich

I hope you have just as much fun as we did! Comment below with pictures or toppings you used and/or the shapes you made :)

Remember to show up in all you do today,

Deanna

FREE Soup and Squat Challenge

I am home from my amazing trip to Pittsburgh feeling on fire about life and what I do! It was soooo cold there so I have been craving soup all week! That got me thinking about hosting a free group. So this month I am hosting a FREE soup and squat challenge group.

I am always getting asked about what someone can do to build a bootay. If you follow my journey, you know that is one of my fitness goals this year. So let's DROP it to get HOT together! Then we can go make delicious soups for our family... if we can still walk ;)

What's included you may be wondering:
- At least a soup recipe each day
- Daily squat challenges
- Interaction with others who may post fun ideas and encouragement


So here's to a fun week of building that bootay and keeping warm with some delicious soups!

Want in? Fill out my contact form below or email me HERE!

Remember to show up in all you do today,

Deanna

Avocado Pasta Sauce

The boys in this house are pretty much obsessed with pasta...like seriously they ask for it for Breakfast! I like finding new sauces and making my own! Here is the newest sauce and it was really good. It's creamy with hints of  basil and zestyness!

Ingredients:
- 15oz Pasta (I used whole wheat Penne from Costco but any kind works)
- 2 avocados (pitted and peeled)
- 2 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 roma tomatoes  (chopped)
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. While pasta is cooking combine avocado, basil, garlic,  lemon juice, and oil in a food processor or blender until smooth.
3. Stir tomatoes, salt, and pepper into the sauce.
4. Drain noodles and combine with sauce.
5. ENJOY :)

Remember to show up in all you do today,

Deanna

Three Days of Salads: Day 3

Todays salad is a Tuna Salad! I love tuna and decided the other night, "why night just toss it in"? It ended up being my favorite of the three days. 

Ingredients 

• 1 can tuna
• 1 Tbs. oilve oil
• 1 Sautéed onion 
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries 
• 1 cup Sautéed kale 
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• Shredded cheddar for sprinkling on top
• Organic vinaigrette of your choosing
• Trader Joes Giotto's (optional: not the best but they are so yummy in the salad!)

Direction

1. Add olive oil to a pan

2. Chop and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the kale and blanch for 3 minutes. 

3. Toss tuna, onion, cranberries, kale, slivered almonds, and lettuce in bowl

4. Mix in dressing

5. Top with cheese and Giotto's

6. Enjoy :)

Remember to show up in all you do today,

Deanna

Three Days of Salads: Day 2

I made this salad to go with our Christmas dinner! So for an intensive purposes I will just call it Christmas Salad :) I really liked the addition of pomegranate seeds, super tasty.

Ingredients
- 2  romaine lettuce chopped- 1 cup blanched kale- 1 red apple, thinly sliced- 1/4 cup walnuts- 1/4 cup thinly sliced celery- ¼ cup dried cranberries- 1/4 cup pomagranite seeds
-1/4 cup feta cheese- Vinaigrette dressing 


DirectionsIn large bowl, toss together all ingredients and top with your favorite organic dressing.

Three Days of Salads: Day 1

This girl has been "treating" her self PLENTY lately! So as I try to get myself back on track for the New Year I have been testing out new salad recipes. So why not share them with you all ;)

So day one of my three days of salads is: Taco Salad (minus the chips..I know, I know...party pooper)

Ingredients 

Cilantro- lime dressing:

- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

- Fresh squeezed lime juice

- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped

- 1/4 cup nonfat Plain Greek yogurt

- 1 teaspoon honey

- salt to taste

Salad:

-1 cucumber, diced

-1 can black beans

- 2 roma tomato, diced

- 1/4 cup corn

- 1/4 cup red pepper, diced

- 3 cups chopped romane lettuce 

- 1 avocado cut up

- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

- 2 cups hamburger (I used vegetarian substitute) 

DIRECTIONS

1. Blend the ingredients for the salad dressing with a fork or whisk until smooth.

2. Mix salad ingredients together and pour the dressing over top.

3. Store in the fridge for up to five days.

4. ENJOY ;)

Remember to show up in all you do today,

Deanna

Berry Quinoa Parfait

Okay so, I was not sure about testing this recipe out from the Master's Hammer and Chisel nutrition guide. However, my oldest son hates quinoa (he doesn't like the texture), so I thought I would try and go all stealth mommy on him and sneak it in this way. Honestly, I failed miserably and he didn't like it BUT my 2 year old, husband, and myself liked it. So I am 3 out of 4, i'll take it.

How do you cook with quinoa? Usually I make it with half water and half veggie broth. Then toss in some veggies, so this was a change up for me!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa

• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries

• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

• 3 cups plain Greek Yogurt

• 1 Tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Evenly layer quinoa, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, yogurt, and honey in a tall glass. 
2. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days
3. Enjoy

Remember to show up in all you do today,

Deanna

Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Okay so Bryan and I are in Week 1 of the New Master's Hammer and Chisel fitness program! So far we are loving it, sore, but loving it. I guess you could say it hurts so good ;) Anyway, one thing we are both working on is ramping up our calories because we are no longer loosing weight. I am toning and he is gaining muscle. It has been a bit of a transition to eat all that food!!!! I guess I can't complain but still, it hasn't been easy for us because we have been looking weight for a couple years and now we are changing it up! It's kind of fun to watch us mack the transition together now.

Least night we tested out on of the recipes from the meal guide and we were all obsessed!! The boys wanted a whole other potato! I definitely think they will be requesting these again soon!

*We replaced the chicken with a vegetarian option (Seitan from whole foods)

Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups roasted vegetarian chicken strips
• 2 small sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 dash sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Bake sweet potatoes for 35-45 minutes or until tender. Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise.
3. While sweet potatoes are baking, combine chicken, beans, oil, and spices in a small saucepan; cook, over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes, or until hot.
4. Top sweet potatoes evenly with chicken mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cilantro.  
5. Enjoy!

Remember to Show Up in all you do today,

Deanna

Week 1 Hammer and Chisel Menu

Spent my morning on a date with my Peppermint coffee in my penguin cup and meal prepping for my first week of The Master's Hammer and Chisel program. I am seriously so excited about this program!

Bryan and I went through and figured out our calorie needs for maintaining our weights while getting hammered and chiseled for the next 60 days :) I love that this program has 3 different levels depending on what your goals are.

There are some great new recipes in the nutrition guide that I am excited to try! Below is a sample of what we will be eating next week WITH the recipes to go with! These are based off of my calorie goals of 1,500-1,799 calories a day. Bryan will just add extra or where he needs more than me. On the bottom you will notice where it says containers. This is how many of each color container we get a day. The first number is Bryan's and the second is mine.If you want to learn more about the containers click HERE. 

Recipes:

1. Mixed Veggie Soup: 

Ingredients: 

• 4 cups hot filtered water
• 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1 1/2 in pieces 
• 4 oz. green beans ends trimmed, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
• 3 cups fresh kale
• 3 medium celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 3 Tbsp reduce sodium soy sauce  
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, warm

Directions:

1. Boil water in steamer or large sauce pan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high. Place carrots in steamer basket, cook 3-4 minutes or until tender-crisp
2. Add green beans, cabbage, kale, and celery; cook 5-8 minutes, or until soft. reserve water.
3. Place steamed veggies, reserved water, soy sauce, and almond milk into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

2. Tomato Eggplant Zucchini Bake with Garlic and Parmesan: http://www.wellplated.com/tomato-egglant-zucchini-bake/

3. Eggplant and Zoodles

Ingredients

– 1 large eggplant

– 2 eggs

– Homemade breadcrumbs (2 slices of wheat bread, toasted then crumbled)

– 1 cup of plain tomato sauce

– 1/4 shredded mozzarella cheese

– Salt-free Italian seasoning

– Pepper for seasoning

Directions:

1. Using a spiralizer or peeler create zucchini spaghetti (always read the directions for your spiral slicer as they vary by brand

2. Heat one tablespoon of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add zucchini noodles and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until zucchini noodles are tender but still retain some crunch.

3. Let the noodles rest for about 3 minutes so that they can release all of the moisture. Transfer noodles to a colander and drain the excess water from the pan.

4. Slice up your eggplant. Dip it in eggs and place it on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Top with your seasoned breadcrumbs. Bake for about 15-20 minutes depending how thick your slices are. Take it out the oven and use a spatula to move the baked eggplant from the baking sheet to your casserole dish. Pour your sauce over the eggplant. Top it with your cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Serve over a bed of steamed Zoodles.

4. Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 

Ingredients:

-2 small sweet potatoes

• 1 1/2 cups roasted vegetarian chicken strips
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 dash sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Bake sweet potatoes for 35-45 minutes or until tender. Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise.
3. While sweet potatoes are baking, combine chicken, beans, oil, and spices in a small saucepan; cook, over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes, or until hot.
4. Top sweet potatoes evenly with chicken mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cilantro.  

5. Berry Quinoa Parfait

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 3 cups plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 Tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Evenly layer quinoa, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, yogurt, and honey in a tall glass 
2. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

6. Cucumber Tomato Salad: http://www.livewildlivefree.com/2015/12/cucumber-yogurt-salad.html

Bryan and I are starting the program TOMORROW!!! Our challenge group will be starting Monday December, 14th and there are still a couple spots left. To see if the program is right for you or to sign up for my challenge group CLICK HERE. I can't wait for you to join us. 

Remember to Show Up in all you do today,

Deanna

Cucumber-Yogurt Salad

Bryan and the boys went to this awesome vegetable stand they do at high schools a couple times a month! They literally have boxes or organic seasonal veggies. They boys were excited to help pick out a box of vegetables  

The boys had the best time and donated a box of veggies to the food bank. I really loved hearing them tell me all about the process and why they "left some veggies for other people"! It's these parenting moments that I really do love. Like those real world, real life teachable moments.

Anyway, picture 8 VERY large cucumbers to put to good use. So I am coming up with some fun recipes! Here's what I made for lunch! Any other cucumber go to's?

Remember to Show Up in all you do today :)

Deanna

Pomegranate Spritzer

Now I may not drink anymore (Read more here if interested) but I still want to help ya all out! Those alcoholic drinks are jam packed with sugar and empty calories! Causing you to eat more food because you feel hungry and those calories add up fast!! Try halving the alcohol and adding some sparking water/soda! Here is one my friends recommend:

Pomegranate Vodka 

Ingredients:

2 cups pomegranate juice, low to no added sugar
1 1/2 cups lemon-flavored sparkling water
1/2 cup berry-flavored vodka or plain vodka
Lemon rind strips (optional)

Preparation:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a pitcher. Pour 1/2 cup into each of 8 ice-filled glasses. Garnish with lemon rind strips, if desired.

Enjoy Responsibly,

Deanna

Healthier Pumpkin Pie

With cinnamon, nutmeg, and pure pumpkin puree, this pumpkin pie is sure to become a Thanksgiving favorite, we made our last night! The boys had sooooo much fun helping in the kitchen :)

PUMPKIN Pie with Whole Wheat Crust

Total Time: 1 hr. 25 min.Prep Time: 15 min.Cooking Time: 1 hr. 10 min.Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients for Pie Crust:

1 cup quick-cooking old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup ground raw almonds
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (or raw honey)
¼ tsp. sea salt3 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. water

Ingredients for Pumpkin Pie:

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ cup maple syrup (or raw honey)
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. sea salt
⅔ cup evaporated nonfat milk

For Pie Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. Combine oats, flour, almonds, maple syrup, and salt in a medium mixing bowl; mix well.
3. Add oil to oat mixture; mix well. If needed, add water to hold mixture together.
4. Press into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until light brown.

For Pie:

1. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F.
2. Combine pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup in a medium bowl; mix well.
3. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and milk; mix until just blended.
4. Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared pie crust. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy,

Deanna

Kale, Smoked Salmon, and Egg Salad

We went to Trader Jo's today and that always spells a cart full of delish goodies for the week. One of my top picks definitely being smoked salmon! Have you had it before? 

I decided to invent a fun salad with all of our left over veggies for the week and it did NOT disappoint! Hope you enjoy :)

Kale, Smoked Salmon, and Egg Salad

Ingredients

- Smoked Salmon ( 6 oz )

- Kale ( 2 cups)

- Tomatoes  ( I used 2)

- Avocado (I used 1)

- Hard boiled eggs (I used 2)

- Coconut oil (for sautéing the Kale)

Directions

1.  Tear up smoked salmon and place in salad bowl.

2.  Saute Kale with coconut oil and 2 Tbs. of water. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes (you don't want it too   limp).

3.  Cut up tomatoes and avocados into chunks and add to a salad bowl.

4.  Crack, peel, and cut up hard boiled eggs

5.  Add all remaining ingredients to the salad bowl and mix together. 

* I did not add dressing but you could add a vinaigrette or another dressing of your choosing!

* For anyone doing the 21 Day Fix this would be (Green, Red, teaspoon, and orange if you added dressing)!

Enjoy,

Deanna :)

Homemade Granola

I love granola!!! I like to add it to my yogurt or simply by itself with some skim milk!!! One thing I noticed on my journey to eat clean was that a lot of the granola you buy from the store is packed full of sugar!!!! I was actually pretty surprised. So I try and make my own most weeks, or I like to pick some up from the bulk section of Sprouts. 

Here is a nummy one to try out!! You can add in whatever delicious things you would like (dark chocolate chips, cranberries, bananas, any kind of nut or seed)!!

Ingredients:

- 4 cups rolled oats (I love Trader Jo's Brand, comes in a big blue bag)

- 1/3 cup honey

- 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

- pinch of salt

- tsp vanilla 

- 1 egg white, beaten until frothy

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F

2. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets

3. Mix honey, oil, salt, and vanilla in a medium pot until combined.

4. Stir in oats and mix until the oats are all coated.

5. Spread out on baking sheets

6. Bake for 20-30 minutes watching for granola is golden, crunchy, and not to sticky when you touch it. 

7. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container. Store at room temperature!! 

Enjoy,

Deanna