Treadmill Cardio Blast

 

I did this Treadmill workout and man o man was my heart in my throat well before it was done. 

This is no joke high-interval work out and will get your blood pumpin' 

This is not a beginners workout. 

I don't care if you've been running for ages, 

if you are not used to interval training

--I am-- 

this will kick your bottom. 

HOWEVER, do not be discouraged if you are a beginner.

 Give it a go by cutting the time time in half...instead of 45 min try it for 22. It is repetitious. 

Now get up and give it a go! 

You'll feel ALIVE afterward. 

Trust me. 

Brought to us by Fitsugar.com

 Printable Version

 

Strawberry Bread

This is a wonderful sweet bead. 

Light & Fluffy & Fruity 

Great for Breakfast, a light afternoon snack, or even dessert!

Bake away!

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup agave

3 eggs (or 2 eggs + 1tbs ground flax seed and 3tbs water mixed until gummy)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cup diced strawberries (my husband likes to puree some into the batter...but this is optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. 

Mix flour, baking soda,baking powder,salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Mix greek yogurt,agave,coconut oil,eggs and vanilla.

Blend wet ingredients into dry ingredients bowl. Mix very well (If you have some puree add in now)

Gently fold in diced strawberries with a spatula.

Pour batter into 2 bread pans. 

Bake for 45-50 min or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Let cool for 20 min. 

ENJOY!!!!

***You CAN freeze a loaf***

Healthy Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Breakfast is my weak spot. I love all breakfast foods....

well except red or white patties I was given in Ireland....NO THANK YOU. 

(If you know what these are I hope you understand my displeasure, if you don't know what they are, be thankful.

I mean go you, person who likes clotted blood. Go, you.) 

As for the rest of it:

Eggs? Yes please

Fruits? Any!

Oats? All!

Dairy? Which form!

Coffee? Did you have to ask?

Breads? You mean that piece of heaven? OF COURSE!

Unfortunately my soft spot for breakfast foods can come at a high calorie price. 
With syrups, decadent pastries, and carb-o-liciousness it can be hard for a healthy foodie. 

BUT, when my eye fell upon Cinnamon Roll Pancakes I couldn't resist. 
So I made it my goal to find a way to make them healthy and delicious!

SUCCESS. 

What did I do?

I used my greek yogurt pancake recipe for the less carbs and made up a cinnamon swirl mixture for the filling for the less calories!
 But go ahead top them with the cream cheese glaze, we're all about a little fat here.

My husband, the Cinnamon Roll lover of my life, approved and it was a go.

I hope you enjoy them too!

Ingredients: 

Pancakes
1/2 cup flour (1/4 cup whole wheat, 1/4 cup all-purpose)
1 large egg
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tsp baking soda,
1 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon Swirl Mixture
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tsp honey
1/2 tbs cinnamon

Cream Cheese Glaze
2-3 oz softened cream cheese
2/3 cup powdered sugar
3 tbs milk (I used almond milk which made it have a little almond taste. I LOVED IT!)


Directions: 

Make the cinnamon swirl mixture first by whisking all ingredients in a small bowl and then transferring them into a plastic bag with a tip. Place bag in cup (you'll be using this as a storing place in between swirling to control mess) and set aside. 

Make cream cheese glaze next by heating up milk on medium heat in a small sauce pan, add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and let cool.
 *OPTIONAL. Let cool and then transfer into a small plastic bag with a tip for easier/less messy icing later. 

Heat large skillet or griddle on medium or even medium-low heat. (Less heat means more time, but less burn later)
Mix yogurt and egg first in a small bowl until mixture is a pale yellow, hardly any bumps. Add vanilla. 
Mix flour, baking soda together in a large bowl, then add wet mixture into dry. Stir with a spatula until well combined.

Scoop about 1/4 cup mixture into skillet or on griddle and smooth out to make a round pancake. 
I scooped with an ice cream scoop and used the back of it the help round/flatten the mixture in the pan. 

Let cook for 30-45 sec, or until you see bubbles beginning to form--NOT POPPING, JUST BEGINNING.

Take cinnamon swirl mixture and cut a tiny tip off the edge of bag. Gently squeeze mixture out of the clipped-tip end in a circular motion, from the inside out. 3 rounds should do it. Place bag back in cup.

Let sit for another 30-45 sec until bubbles have formed and mostly all popped. 

Gently wiggle spatula under pancake and flip quickly.

Let sit for 30-45 more sec. 

NOW this is the tricky part, at least it was for me. 
I attempted to re-flip it onto a plate with the spatula and this caused everything to mush together, so I gently edged around the pancake with the spatula,to loosen the cake, and then picked up the pan and dumped the cake onto a plate, it came off with ease with swirl side up perfection. 

Use a damp paper towel or washcloth and wipe off any left over cinnamon swirl mixture on the pan/griddle and repeat the process until mixture is gone!

Drizzle cream cheese glaze onto the pancakes or top with your favorite fruit or syrup. 

ENJOY!!!!

Chili Verde Enchiladas

Growing up, my mama, who learned all of her cooking from my very Hispanic grandmother, used to make this relatively easy, traditional Hispanic dish for us. 
On those days the world was a little better of-a place.
If you've read my other posts you'll have noticed I love spicy food.
I thank my mother for this.
If I can add had a zing here or there for some kick in the bite, I will do it.

So naturally this was a favorite dish of mine. 

However, as much as I love love love  my mom's full fat, deliciously cheesy and creamy dish I adjusted her recipe for this healthy-conscience foodie.

****The recipe calls for a cream of chicken, and rather than buy the processed can stuff I made my own thanks to milehimama homemade version****

Cream of Chicken:
Creates about 1 cup
2 tbs butter (I used Parkay)
2 tbs all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 cup chicken broth (I quartered a bullion cube and melted it with boiling water)

Melt butter in a pan on Medium heat, then whisk in flour, 1 tbs at a time until paste. Slowly whisk in milk, then broth. Keep whisking and heating until desired thickness--the more you heat the thicker it gets.

Ingredients for Enchiladas:

12 corn tortillas
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked (I used 3 large)
1 can green chilies (4 oz)
1 can green enchilada sauce
1/4 cup green onion (I omitted because my husband doesn't like onion very much)
1-2 jalapeno peppers
prepared cream of chicken
salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Mexican cheese mix 
sliced Olives (optional)

Directions: 
Bring chilies, enchilada sauce, and cream of chicken to boil.
 
Meanwhile, shredded chicken with a fork or fingers

When sauce is boiling, add salt, pepper, green onion, and jalapeno. Boil for 1 min.
Turn heat to low.


Dip out 1/2-3/4 cup sauce and put aside. 


Add shredded chicken to remaining sauce and simmer 10-15min.

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Dip one side of tortilla in chicken sauce mix, lay sauce side down in a 9x13 pan. Fill non-sauce side with 2-3 spoon fools of mixture, pinch of cheese, olives--if you're having them,  and roll tortilla, seam side down. Repeat until pan is full.

Take the 1/2-34 sauce and drizzle over the top of rolled tortillas and then sprinkle with shredded cheese and extra olives if you have them.

Bake 20 min, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with some Spanish rice and top with plain Greek yogurt!

Enjoy!!!!

Stuffing Bread Cakes

Alright,

The big Turkey-Day passed us by and hopefully it was wonderful and full of joy and good memories with those whom you love. Mine sure was.

My contribution to the thanksgiving feast was the stuffing, or dressing--what they call it if it is not "stuffed" in the turkey, I didn't know this.
So when it was wasn't all devoured...I MADE A LOT...I had to take home the extras.

 
They also sent me home some turkey and, of course, what do you make with left over turkey from Thanksgiving? Make sandwiches!!!

So I decided to use my extra stuffing and create a "slice" of bread out of it. It came out more like a bread cakes but...

THEY WERE SOOOO GOOD!

Add some turkey and any other left overs and enjoy your mini feast.

Ingredients:

Leftover stuffing
Cooking spray (I used my misto which is filled with water and olive oil)

1tbs flax seed, ground + 3tbs water (You can use an egg too)

Directions:

Mix your flax seed with the 3tbs water. Let sit for 5 min.
Now heat small pan to medium  heat.
Grab a handful of the stuffing and place a plate or cutting board--any working space will do.
Spoon a few scoops of the flax seed mixture onto the stuffing. Get it wet!
Grab the bread and smush it together. It will get gooey, that is okay. Mold it into a "slice" of bread.
Since it is mushy it should mold easy, if not add more of the flax seed mixture.

Spray one side of the "slice" with cooking spray and  place that side down in the pan.
Let cook for 4-5 min.
Before you flip, spray the top side with cooking spray, then FLIP!
Cook for 4-5 more min.

***Mine did crumble a bit on the edges during the flip so I spooned a little bit of the flax seed mixture into the crack of the break and then pressed together the bread with the spatula. Worked like a charm***

Remove from heat and top with whatever leftover dressings you want!

ENJOY!!!!

Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce Chicken

Sun dried tomatoes are a luxury food for me. 

I love them on anything and everything 

(Well maybe not cereal). 

Most Italian restaurants have some dish with sun dried tomatoes and I usually go for that dish.

So when I found this recipe from Gabbi's Kitchen for a cream sauce chicken that had sun dried tomatoes I said "MAKING" and added the ingredients to my grocery list. 

Of course I adapted the recipe to fit this healthy foodies lifestyle by dropping the heavy cream and using plain greek yogurt 1:1.

Turned out wonderful!

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts, 
1 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbs butter (I used Parkay) 
2 tbs flour
1/2 cup onion, chopped (I used half of a small onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (I used sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, worked just fine!)
1 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
Whole wheat pasta

Directions: 

Heat skillet with 1 tbs olive oil
Rinse and pat dry chicken. Pound breast flat and then rub with salt and pepper as desired. 
Place chicken breast, ugly side down (you'll know) in heated oil and saute for 5 min on both sides, until chicken is NO LONGER PINK, COOK THROUGH. 
Remove from heat and place to the side, covered. 

Chop onion, and mince garlic. 
Melt butter in large sauce pan, then add onion and garlic. Cooke until soft. 
Add sun-dried tomatoes. Blend
Add 2 tbs flour and with whisk in hand slowly add chicken broth. Constantly whisk to remove lumps. 
Whisk in Greek yogurt. Stir for 3-4 min.
Take off heat and stir every once in awhile while it continues to thicken. 
Make Pasta. 

Serve chicken over pasta. 

ENJOY!!!!

Healthy Easy Stuffing

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

This my first married thanksgiving, and although we are nowhere near our families I am so thankful to be able to share this holiday with my amazing husband and new friends!

I was asked to make the stuffing...

Have I ever made stuffing?

 No.

Of course I have to make it from scratch.

And it needs to be healthier than the boxed alternative.

Also have no meat....other recipes I looked at called for some sort of sausage....WHAT?  

Who stuffs a turkey with another meat? That sounds so ODD and probably against some animal right policy 

(even though I, personally, am not stuffing the turkey with this as it is being brought as a side...still people. Sausage?)

ANYWAYS, this is what I came up with, and it was DELICIOUS!

Easy, healthy and flavorful.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of Oroweat whole wheat Premium Stuffing-Herb Seasoning--a mouthful I know. (you can also just get a loaf of whole wheat bread and let it sit out in the open air for ~2 days til it drys out and cut the loaf into cubes then season with desired herbs)

• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, plain (Optional--just added a little more umph to the mix)

• 1 tbs olive oil

• 1 tbs butter (I used parkay)

• 3 chopped celery stalks

• 1 large carrot peeled and chopped

• 1/2 onion, minced

• 3/4 cup dried cranberries 

• 3 cup chicken broth (or veggie broth) 

• 2 large eggs

• 1tsp parsley

• 1/2 salt

• 1/4 tsp oregano

• 1/2 tsp rosemary

Directions:

Heat a large skillet on medium high with 1 tbs olive oil and 1tbs butter
Peel and chop carrots, chop celery, and mince onion. Place in skillet and saute for 2-3 min. 
Add parsley, salt, oregano, and rosemary. Stir for 1 min
Stir in dried cranberries for 1 min. 
Remove from heat

Preheat oven 400 degrees 

Pour bread cubes and bread crumbs into a large bowl. 
Whisk eggs and pour over bread mixture.
Dump veggie mix from skillet into bread mixture and mix very well. (BE CAREFUL VEGGIE MIXTURE WILL BE HOT)

Spread evenly into a large baking pan. Evenly pour 3 cups of broth over mixture. Cover mixture with foil and bake for 25 min. 

Remove foil, stir stuffing, and bake for ~10 min, or until top of mixture is golden and crispy. (LESS TIME IF YOU LIKE IT MORE MOIST)

Serve while warm with some Turkey.

ENJOY!!!!

Iced Whipped Cream Sandwiches

Love ice cream sandwiches? 

Hate the calories that come with the decadent dessert?

Well make these instead!

Ingredients:

2 graham cracker sheets

6 tbs cool whip

Directions:

Break the graham crackers sheets into 4 squares

Dollop 3 tbs on 2 of the squares and place the remaining two on top. 

Freeze for 20-30 min. 

ENJOY!!!!

Roasted Tomato Spinach and Quinoa Bowl

Feta is my favorite cheese. 

Praise the Lord it is often too expensive for me to buy....

except right now, 

at Aldi's, 

where it is on sale for $1.49 for 8oz 

I bought 3 

SO now I am using it in everything:

Salads, wraps, breakfast, and now this quinoa dish. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry Quinoa, rinsed very well!
5-8 cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8-1/4 cup onion, minced (I used dried minced onion I had in my spice rack ~1 tbs)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, just adds spice)
1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 tbs olive oil
Handful of spinach
salt and pepper to taste.
3-5 tbs crumbled feta cheese

 **Feel free to double/triple this recipe to serve more people. I ate the whole thing and was REALLY FULL but REALLY SATISFIED ***
Directions:

Heat a small pot with the 1tbs olive oil on Medium-High. 
Add sliced cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper to your liking, and saute until wilted.
Add onion and cook through. Add minced garlic cloves and mix all  for 1 min (Not cooked through) 
Add 1 cup chicken or veggie broth, red pepper flakes, quinoa, and salt and pepper to your liking. Bring to a boil for 1-2 min. 
Lower heat and simmer for 15 min. 
Blend in handful of spinach and simmer for 5 more min. 
Remove from heat and fold in feta cheese. 

ENJOY!!!!

Apple Vinaigrette Dressing

I like salad dressing but not the heavy stuff, with the exception of the ranch dressing at mine and my husband's favorite steak house in California; there is just something special in that.....

Anyways, we usually only have one jar of Wishbone Fat Free Italian dressing in our fridge, which usually does the trick. 
Light and Tangy. 

However, I was needing a little kick to my salad and thought of a vinaigrette. After looking at the store dressings and turning down every jar because of the UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF SODIUM and preservatives, I thought "Hey, I can make my own."

So this recipe is adapted from foodpluswords.com. 
She has some great recipes that are simple and healthy. 

Her dressing is an apple cider vinaigrette, however, I didn't have apple cider so I used apple juice--no sugar added. 

WHAT A TREAT!

After tasting this vinaigrette I vowed to try--key workd here--making my own dressings. 

WAY cheaper, and WAY WAY WAY healthier. 

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup apple juice (or apple cider)
1/4 pure olive oil
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs agave (or honey)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
ground pepper to taste


Directions:

Mix everything, but the olive oil in a small bowl or Jar. ( I just used the jar so I didn't dirty another dish). Then slowly add in 1 tbs at a time olive oil and whisk/swirl the mixture constantly around until it thickens.

DONE! 

You now have a lightly sweet, tangy, perfect kick-of-a dressing. 
~ 8oz  
Store in the fridge and it may settle and separate so just give it a good shake before each use.

ENJOY!!!!

Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These are my husband's favorite kind of cookies. Ever since I turned healthy foodie I have tried many different recipes for these loved cookies, and of course some yummy hits and some major misses. 

These ones are adapted from Nick Malgieri's cookies and are one of my favorite. 

Chewy, soft, and healthy. Need I say more?

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbs butter (I used parkay)
1 large egg
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup oats
1/2 cup raisins, packed

Directions:
Preheat oven 375 degrees
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

Option 1
Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt in a small bowl

In large bull cream butter and sugar together then add egg, vanilla, and applesauce. 

Blend dry into wet ingredients and blend in oats and raisins. 

Option 2 (I did this one) 
In a stand mixer cream butter an sugar. Then add egg, vanilla and applesauce and blend well. 
Add in 1/2 cup white flour. Blend well. Add 1/2 cup wheat flour, baking soda and powder, and salt. Blend well. 

With a spatula fold in oats and raisins.

Spoon our cookie dough 2 inch apart from each other. gently press down with a fork.

Bake for 10-12 min. Lightly golden. 

Cool then enjoy!!!!

 Nutrition Information:

Making 22 cookies; serving size: 1 cookie

70 cals * 15 carb * 0 sat fat * 2 g protein * 1 g fiber

300 Ultimate Abs

 

"OUCH!" 

is what I exclaimed breathlessly after completing this ab work out. 

But it was well worth it. 

This is not just your average sit up 1000000bagillion times workout and not your "only working your front- abdominal-area" workout 

This is a full CORE work out. 

11 workouts
1 set of 25 reps each

Have 15 min? 

Want to brag that you just did 300 abdominal exercise? 

Than check this chicka's blog out:KayciesAntics 

She has Pictures to go a long with every move 

 (They are not of her...) 

but still, a Healthy foodie's dream. 

So get your gear on and bust it out! 

Here is a List of what we are doing:

1.  In-N-outs
2. Bicycles
3. Reverse Bicycles (concentrate on these)
4. Crunchy Fog (these are the easiest for me...ODD)
5. Cross Leg/Wide Leg sit up
6. Scissors
7. Hip Butt ups (really work your lower abs)
8. Heals to Heaven
9. Roll up/V-Up (THE HARDEST ONE!!! GAHHH) 
10. Leg Climbers (I like this one, never heard of it)
11.  Kayakers (row, row, row!)

   

  

Let me know how you feel afterward!

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Quinoa Chili

I have wanted to buy and make something out quinoa (Keen-wah) since I learned about it MONTHS ago!!!! Seriously, Months! So finally, when a dear new friend of mine offered to let me join her for a Costco trip (the glorious bulk store of the world in my opinion) I knew I was going to splurge. 

Go BIG or go home. 

So after reading around on the inter-web and being chilled to bones recently with the cold weather brewing I went for a easy to make chili.

Gluten Free, protein enriched, and fiber-full this seed from the Andes is a blessing to us health foodies who want a full stomach.

Follow the first 5 steps to get plain quinoa that you can make any recipe with, follow the rest for the chili.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion flakes
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
chopped chili pepper (only if you want some more spicy)
1/3 cup black beans
1/4 cup diced tomatoes + some juice
1/3 cup corn

Making Quinoa

1. Measure out 1/3 cup Quinoa seed and rinse VERY VERY VERY VERY WELL. 2 min Min under constant, handled seed, cool water. Doing this step helps get rid of bitter taste many find when they cook it straight out the bag.
2. Drain 
3. Heat 1 tsp olive oil on medium-high and add rinsed quinoa. Cook for a minute or so, till water is evaporated and Quinoa is toasted.
4. Add the 1 cup of water and bring to a rapid boil for 5-8 min
5. Either add flavoring (chicken broth, sat, etc) or simply reduce heat to medium low 10 min.
6. At 5 min of that simmer, add beans and spices. 
7. At 8 min of that simmer add dices tomatoes
8. At 10 min at corn and pepper and turn heat to medium-high
9. Cook for 1-2 min for rest of water to evaporate. NOT ALL THE WAY, just enough to keep everything moist not runny. 
10. Reduce heat to low while serving.

Top chili with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and shredded cheese. 

Enjoy!!!!

Funny short story: 

This pepper:

  was the hottest pepper I have ever eaten. 

My mouth burned for 1+ hours afterward.   

Turkey Bacon Ranch Wrap

I know what you're thinking.....

Ranch?

Bacon???

Tortilla????

HEALTHY?????  

YES I SAY. YES. If you make it like this:

 

Ingredients:

1 medium-large tortilla, big enough for wrapping (I used my homemade tortillas)
2 slices of cooked bacon
1 1/2 slice of deli sliced turkey
2 tbs shredded cheese (I used colby-jack...but you can use any flavor)
1 tsp ranch mix
1/4 cup ranch (the dip mix, NOT the salad dressing mix)
1 tbs milk (any...your choice)
handful of greens (spinach, romaine, leafy green...etc.)
3-4 cherry tomatoes

Directions:
- Mix ranch mix, milk, and Greek yogurt to make your Ranch. (You will have plenty of extra...use on a salad its awesome and WAY healthier)
- Lay tortilla flat and top with 1 tbs-ish ranch mix, then shredded cheese.
- Put in the microwave for about 20-30 sec to melt cheese
- Then add greens, cooked bacon, and turkey--I Microwaved the turkey for 15-20 just to warm since everything else was. 
- Top with tomatoes. 
- Roll tortilla into a burrito. 
- Cut in half to see your awesome layered creation. 

EAT!

ENJOY!!!!!

 Nutrition Information: 

~255 Cal * 24 carbs * 4 Sat Fat * 16 g Protien * 3 g Fiber