Gingerbread Pancakes

We are a pancake family. I swear my kids could eat pancakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  While I do buy the whole wheat pancakes, there's nothing better than making them from scratch.  I was reading the new issue of my Clean Eating magazine and came across these Gingerbread Pancakes.  I immediately knew I wanted to give them a try this morning.  As I suspected, they were a hit, even with the boyfriend!  

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk  
• Grape Seed or Coconut Oil 
• Maple Syrup (if desired)
• Berries (if desired)

 

Directions: 

1. Combine all dry ingredients and mix well in a large mixing bowl. 
2. Add 2 cups of plain unsweetened almond milk; mix well.
3. In a large nonstick griddle (or skillet), heat 1/2 tsp of grape seed or coconut oil. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop pancakes onto griddle (or skillet).  Cook for about 2 minutes or until bubbles form in the batter then flip and cook for an additional minute or so until the pancake is golden brown.  
4. Repeat step 3 with remaining oil and batter. 
5. Serve pancakes with 1/2 tsp of maple syrup and top with berries of your choice! 

Gift Idea:  Mix together all of the dry ingredients and transfer them into an 8-oz glass mason jar. Get a cute card to attach and include the directions on how to make them! (No, that wasn't my idea. It also came from the Clean Eating Magazine!)  

Free 1 Day Sneak Peek of Core De Force - our Brand New Martial Arts Program - Try it TODAY for FREE

Ahhh a BRAND NEW Workout Program is coming on October 31st, and YOU can preview it for FREE (today only), AND you have a chance at winning $1,500 by submitting your photo to our social media contest and hashtagging #CoreDeForce or #Sweepstakes on Instagram or Twitter.

WHAT IS CORE DE FORCE?

Core De Force is an explosive martial arts-inspired TOTAL body workout designed to burn fat and tone your body in just 30 days without the need for equipment!  

I mean...check out these results from our recent Test Group - amazing!!!

Core De Force is instructed by our newest Super Trainers, Joel Freeman and Jericho McMatthews which hubby and I had the pleasure of meeting at during our business trip in Nashville a few months ago - they are FIERCE!  

This fitness and nutrition program features MMA moves and techniques from Muay Thai, kickboxing, and boxing that work your core in every angle.  

Check out this *TODAY ONLY* Sneak Peek available on Beachbody on Demand for Free.

MORE TEST GROUP PARTICIPANT RESULTS:

Pumpkin Chilli

When your 4 year old sits down to eat pumpkin chili with you for dinner you start to really take a step back. 

It's in those moments I begin to realize what a powerful life lesson I have taught to him over the last few years. 

He really does eat clean and the best part is that on most days he actually likes it too. 

Thankful he's going to grow up knowing healthy foods can taste great and be good for you too. 

Proud of my little foodie. I hope this recipe is one that your family loves as much as ours does.

 
Ingredients

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 lb of ground turkey
1 yellow onion chopped up
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can of chilli beans
1 15 oz can of black beans
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tablespoons of chilli powder
Shredded cheddar cheese for topping 

Directions

In a large sauce pan add in olive oil and brown your turkey.
Once turkey is browned season with salt and pepper

Add in chopped onions - cook until soft
Add in remaning ingredients and cook for 35 - 40 minutes on low heat
Top with cheddar cheese and enjoy! 

Clean Fall Granola Bars

CLEAN FALL GRANOLA BARS

3.5 cups oatmeal (rolled or regular – depending on how you like it)

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1/4 tsp. apple pie spice

1/4 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup organic coconut sugar

1/4 cup stevia

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup organic unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup LOCAL Raw honey

chocolate chips, nuts, raisins (or anything else you desire!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To ROLL THE OATS or NOT TO ROLL THE OATS!  That is up to you!  I can tell you that I made them both ways and you will see the difference in the picture.  Rolled oats is slightly blended, causing more of a flour like consistency.  Where as regular oats is thicker like a granola bar.  YOUR CHOICE!  I did my batch of ROLLED OATS in my single serve NINJA cup!

Mix together all of the above ingredients until VERY well coated.  You will need to keep folding and folding.

Rolled oat mixture – thinner!

Regular Oat mixture – thicker!

Parchment line your baking pan or spray with coconut oil spray.  

Press firmly into an 8×8 pan for thick brownie like bars or a 8×12 pan for thinner granola bars.

Bake for 30-35 minutes in 8×8 pan or 25-30 minutes in 8×12 pan.  Allow to cool before you cut them.
Store in airtight container in fridge or you can even freeze them!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

You said you want clean chocolate peanut butter cups, so here it is!!!

Here’s what you need:

1 serving of Chocolate Shakeology

4 tablespoons Coconut Oil

2 tablespoons Natural Peanut Butter

Simple Steps:

Melt 2 tbsp of coconut oil in microwave for 15 seconds.

Pour in half servings of Chocolate Shakeology.

 Pour into 4-6 muffin pans evenly distributed.

Freeze for 5 minutes then spread even layer of PB on each one.

 Melt other 2 tbsp of coconut oil and mix with other half of chocolate shakeology.

Pour over the top of the peanut butter until covered completely and freeze for 15 minutes.

 Remove from the muffin pan and ENJOY!!!!

And be sure to have people over to share them because you WILL want to eat them all!

Kid Approved APPLE BANANA MUFFINS and they are GLUTEN FREE and VEGAN too!

This recipe makes 9 muffins! And yes, they are as good as they look!  Kid Approved too!

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup mashed RIPE banana

1 Tbsp. Organic butter

1 1/2 cups almond flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda (GLUTEN FREE)

1 dash sea salt (i love the PINK HIMALAYAN)

1/2 cup chopped apple (the smaller the better)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare the NINE muffin cups with CUPCAKE liners or coat with spray.
3. Combine the wet ingredients. (Banana, eggs, butter) in a medium bowl, mix well and set aside.
4. Comine the dry ingredients. (flour, baking soda, salt) in a different bowl.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until blended.
6. Add apple, and mix until just blended.
7. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin pan.  We used an ice cream scooper to help!
8. Bake 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack!
10. This recipe makes 9 muffins! And yes, they are as good as they look!  Kid Approved too!

My Littles' loved these so much!!

And they last for a whole week for an easy, quick breakfast before school!

Shakeology Smoothie Bowl

Have you Tried a SHAKEOLOGY SMOOTHIE BOWL YET?

If you haven’t, you are missing out!  It’s so much fun to create a work of art!
Just blend your Shakeology as normal, but add more ice!  Make it really thick. It works best if you add a 1/2 frozen banana!

Then pour in a pretty bowl, and have fun decorating!

Some things you can use:

cut up fruit

shredded coconut

chopped nuts

clean granola

the list goes on…….

Stay tuned for more that I will create!  And send me your creations!

🎃Peanut Butter Pumpkin Muffins that are Vegan and GLUTEN FREE🎃

Ok, so pretty much 2 of my all time favorite things are in these muffins!

PEANUT BUTTER and PUMPKIN!!!  I created this recipe to make a CLEAN alternative for my kids, as well as to accommodate their GLUTEN FREE friends and my VEGAN challengers.  I think I nailed it here!

Before you begin, preheat the oven to 375.

Line the muffin tin with cupcake holders and spray with coconut oil spray.

#1 – Sift each Dry ingredient into a Separate Medium sized BOWL:

1 1/2 cups Gluten-free, vegan, all purpose flour (be sure it’s VEGAN as all Gluten free flours may not be)

1/2 cup almond flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

#2 – Mix together all of the dry ingredients together.

#3 – In blender, place all Wet ingredients:

1 cup organic pumpkin purée

1/4 cup extra-virgin organic coconut oil

3/4 cup pure, maple syrup

2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter

2 teaspoons ground flaxseed (acts as a binding agent, may sub for 1 egg, but it won’t be vegan)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 very ripe, mashed banana

#4 – Blend all wet together. Pour wet into bowl with dry. Mix together with spatula.

#5 – Fill the lined or sprayed muffin pan 3/4 of the way full. Top with a few pumpkin seeds.

#6 – Top the muffins with a few pumpkin seeds each if you desire.

#7 – Bake at 375 for 16 to 18 minutes. Test with a toothpick.

Makes 8 muffins.

For my 21 day fix challengers and followers:
1/2 purple – banana & pumpkin  (pumpkin is a vegetable/green container, but when it’s in the puree form, it’s actually counted as a purple because the density changes the macros.

1 yellow – gluten free flour

1/2 blue – almond flour and pecans

1 1/2 tsp – coconut oil and flax and PB

My kids love them and so do I!!!

I hope you enjoy them too!

Let me know what you think!

Grilled Chicken Peach Caprese

This was the absolute best time of year to be making this dish. We love peach season in our house and I love getting creative with how we will use it. I have been a caprese junkie this summer with tomatoes but wanted to change it up with peaches instead.

This was extremely easy to make and one of my new favorite dinner ideas. We served it over brown rice but you could pick any side to make with it in addition.

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

8oz of fresh mozzarella

Olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

3 ripe peaches

Fresh basil chopped - I like to cut mine making it into "ribbons"

Balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

Trim fat from the chicken breasts and cut breast in half

Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook on the grill until golden brown.

While grilling warm 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small pot on the stove

Once chicken is finished grilling melt the mozzarella cheese over the chicken while still on the grill.

Remove chicken from the grill

Top with sliced peaches (I tried to do two pieces per chicken breast.)

Finally drizzle balsamic over the chicken and top with the basil ribbons.

Enjoy! It will easily become a family favorite.

Easy Chocolate Protein Pancakes

How could you not love a healthy alternative to a pancake!?

INGREDIENTS:
-2 eggs
-1 banana
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tbsp hemp seed
-1/3-1/2 scoop chocolate Shakeology (or cacao/chocoalte protein source) pow pow
(enough until you get desired consistency)

*Blend all ingredients together in blender. Coat medium frying pan with coconut oil and pour onto pan once heated (medium/low) in desired size. I made them roughly 2″ round. Flip after the cake starts to bubble. Cook both sides evenly. (or burnt if you like that kind of thing)

I made about 12 mini 2″ round cakes.

PRO TIP: By making “more” I feel like I’m getting more of a treat. But really I’m just stretching out my portion. WIN. It’s a positive mindf*ck.You could double this recipe to make more for friends or make bigger cakes for yourself if desired. They’re also good frozen to have on hand as grab and go snacks/treats. You can pretty much add anything into this recipe such as oats or nuts.. Topped with fresh berries would even be good.

–>Additional noms:
silk unsweetened cashew milk (for drinking, I used a teensy glass – 1 yellow worth)
justins almond butter (1/2 packet) for topping – don’t get crazy
kirkland organic pure maple (for topping) – same here don’t get crazy LOL

Back-To-School Life Hacks For Everyone

It’s almost that time — you’ve got your summer tan, your new summer hammock is well worn in, and you’ve set a new record for “most epic belly flop.” With Labor Day fast approaching and the 4th of July seeming like a distant memory, it’s time to face the music: it’s back-to-school time. Before cluttered calendars, busy mornings, and the sound of your alarm clock get the best of you, take a deep breath and relax. Getting yourself from the dog days of summer to the hustle and bustle of school life doesn’t have to be an awful experience. There are plenty of shortcuts and tips to help save time, money, and sanity. We’ve already got you covered with a list of our “go-to” back-to- school life hacks right here, so check them out and remember: deep breaths.

---

KEEP ‘EM MOVING WITH A TIMER

Want mornings to move like clockwork? Make it fun for the kiddos by setting a timer (your oven, microwave, or smartphone will do), and giving them 5 minutes to get their stuff gathered and out the door.

A PICTURE’S WORTH 1,000… MINUTES SAVED
Encourage your kids to pack their own bags, tidy their own rooms, and even make their own breakfasts. Easier said than done? Not if you photograph their best pack job, clean room, or Pinterest-worthy bowl of cereal. Hang the photos somewhere they can see and challenge them to “match the picture” every morning.

---

A NEW TWIST ON THE LUNCHBOX ICEPACK

Create your own ice pack with a frozen juice box. By the time they eat lunch, the juice will be thawed, their food will be fresh, and there won’t be a drippy ice pack for you to deal with when they get home.

---

USE THE FREEZER

Lots of things can go into the freezer for the week ahead, so give yourself some dedicated hours on a weekend to prepare breakfasts and lunches for the whole family and store them in the freezer. Some freezer-friendly items include:

• Pancake batter (just pour in a plastic bag and leave some room for when it expands as it freezes)
• PB&J sandwiches
• Snap peas
• Smoothies/Shakeology (make a bulk batch and freeze each serving in a bag)

---

COLOR-CODE EVERYTHING

Whether it’s different sets of keys, your kids’ notebooks, or your meal Tupperware, it’s going to be faster to grab-and-go if you can find it more easily. Use colored nail polish or colored stickers to mark your stuff. Grab-and-go will have a whole new meaning.

---

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR “ME” TIME

It’s obviously important to get everything on your to-do list done, especially during this time of year, when the lists seem to never end. However, you also have to take a few minutes for yourself every day as well. Just like you would schedule in an appointment or meeting in your calendar, schedule time for yourself. If it’s actually in your calendar, you’re more likely to keep to your schedule and force yourself to a few minutes of relaxation.

It’s amazing how a few quick tricks can help you make the transition into fall. Sure, the family is crazed with adjusting to the new routine, but that doesn’t mean you have to be too. With these few hacks, you can manage (once again) to be the coolest head in the house.