I've been on an almond kick lately, so what better way to use almonds than making almond butter? We all know the less ingredients you have, the healthier it usually is right?? Also, knowing how to pronounce the words assures you its clean, and not full of chemicals and preservatives that cause bloating, cravings, and health issues. Im such a fan of saving money and making food on my own to not only get more bang for your buck, but making my own food for my family shows them how to live a healthy lifestyle and teaches clean eating young so they can one day lead by example! My kids helped me make this for the first time and my 2 yr old LOVED IT!! Facts about RAW ALMONDS:
Almonds are GLUTEN-FRE
Promotes heart health and normal blood pressure
Helps ,lower blood sugar
Lower bad cholesterol
Good source of Omega fatty acids
Nourish the nervous system
Alkalize the body
Good brain function
Almonds contain more magnesium than spinach and oatmeal
1 ounce of almonds has as much calcium than 1/4 cup milk
Also rich in minerals such as Iron, Copper, Zinc, and Potassium
Casein and Lactose free
Facts about Agave Nectar:
Low on the glycemic index (normalizes blood sugar)
100% natural from the agave plant
Non- GMO
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ALMOND BUTTER
Ingredients:
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 tsp Himalayan or Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Agave Nectar
Directions:
Add 1 cup raw almonds to food processor or blender (I recommend food processor or good blender)
Blend almonds for approximately 5 minutes or until smooth and no clumps. You may need to stop and scrape the almonds off the sides a few times.
Add salt and Agave nectar and blend for another minute.
1/4 cup Chocolate Protein Powder ( I use Shakeology)
2 tbsp Almond Flour
1 heaping tbsp Cashew, Almond, Hazelnut, or Natural Peanut Butter (depending on your preference)
1/8 cup Raw Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Coconut or Almond Milk
Coating Ingredients
3-4 squares of 100% Bakers Unsweetened Cocoa Chocolate Bar
1 square White Chocolate (optional, but great for
decoration)
Directions
Mix all of the filling ingredients in a big bowl. Make sure to add what addition you prefer for the batter.
If you like Nutella, for example, use hazelnut butter and a really chocolatey protein powder such as Shakeology.
Once you achieve the right texture, shape the batter into
eight balls and set them aside. Remember that if your batter is too sticky to
shape, you should add a bit more cocoa powder. If it's too dry or crumbly, add
a bit more milk.
Melt your dark chocolate by sticking it in the microwave or,
if you're feeling fancy, melt it in a glass bowl on
top of a pot of boiling water.
When your dark chocolate has melted, dunk the balls in them
and transfer them to a plate or chopping board that's covered in foil or baking
paper. This will help prevent the balls from sticking when you unmold them.
Finally, top your truffles with melted white chocolate,
chopped nuts, chocolate flakes, or coconut flakes!
ENJOY!!
Thanks for the amazing picture made by my friend and fellow coach Andrea Youngblood, diamond Beach body coach!
So I'm a spicy kinda girl and LOVE hot sauce on almost anything! So instead of eating one of my old favorites, buffalo wings, WHY NOT make a clean recipe out of it?!
Sometimes, its hard for me to get all my veggies in, well certain veggies that is.. I have a hard time with carrots, celery, and cauliflower.. I needed to find a way to get these in without taking the meaning of healthy away from it. Buffalo Cauliflower bites was the way to go!!
CLEAN BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER BITES
Ingredients:
1/2 head cauliflower, crumbled into bite size pieces
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup almond milk
2 tsp garlic powder
Himalayan salt and crushed black pepper to taste
1 cup Sriracha chili sauce (My favorite hot sauce EVER)
2 tbsp EVOO
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F
Whisk together flour, milk, garlic powder, 1/2 cup sriracha, salt and pepper until smooth (if its too clumpy, you may need to add a little more milk)
Dunk your cauliflower bites
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle EVOO on it
Use a spoon to place bites onto paper
Pour remaining of sauce on top and bake for 20 min
When cauliflower bites are done, take out and add the 1/2 cup sriracha and 2 tbsp EVOO to the top and bake for another 5 minutes.
Serve with Clean Ranch Dressingand celery if you wish!!
ENJOY!!
If you would like more recipes, tips on weight loss or reaching your fitness goals, consider a spot in my next challenge group! This is a closed group on face book where you get 1:1 support and motivation by me as your health and fitness coach! You no longer need to spend hundreds of dollars on a personal trainer 3 X a week, I am here for you 24/7 for your entire 30, 60, or 90 day challenge!
My next challenge group is starting Feb 10th and is the 21 DAY FIX! This is a brand spanking new program that focuses on portion control, along with exercise. What a great way to either jump start your body or get off of a plateau! Im not kidding you, people have lost 10-15 lbs in just 21 days.. all because you are using the correct portions and exercising 30 min a day! Everyone can make time for 30 min a day right?!? We make time for what is important! The great part about this is you even get your own containers in this package, along with a nutrition guide! You will be all set for your new healthy lifestyle!
If you would like a spot in my Feb 10th Challenge group, please fill out the application below and I will contact you for more information!
Ingredients: 1 cup egg whites 1 cup almond chocolate milk ¼ cup raw cacao powder ¼ cup pb2 powdered peanut butter ¼ cup pure maple syrup 2 medium bananas mashed 2 cups oats Directions: Mix well and fill greased or lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Store in refrigerator. What an easy recipe that helps those peanut butter and chocolate cravings!! This can be a breakfast, snack, or dessert!
Hey ya'll! So I know starting a new fitness journey can be somewhat discouraging, especially if you are not familiar with clean eating and nutrition. But don't worry.. I promise there is help for you out there! As a health and fitness coach, I am here to provide support, guidance, and lots of great tips to help you reach your goals!
I will say from experience, I had such a hard time reaching my fitness goals on my own.. I needed support, and someone to keep me accountable so I didn't fall off track so easily. After having my second child, I ended up joining a Beachbody Challenge group where I received 1:1 mentoring from a coach like myself, and absolutely LOVED the results I got! Not only physically, but learning so much about food was the best thing that I gained! I lost 40 lbs, but had this huge gain of knowledge to take with me and share with others on how to eat clean and live a healthy lifestyle for you and your family. I gained confidence, and will power I never though I would ever have!
Now it is time to give back. After getting my results, I became a health and fitness coach and have helped over 50 people reach their health and fitness goals. I run challenge groups to give you 1:1 support and mentoring to help reach any goal you may have. I have seen so many lifestyle changes that are so incredible and touching. People have quit smoking, got off medications for Crohn's disease, Hypothyroid, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Migraines. A huge factor that had helped my challengers with their weight loss and health goals is incorporating our health shake meal replacement Shakeology. This is not a weight loss shake, nor just a protein shake. You get a daily dose of dense nutrition along with your multi vitamin all in one shake.
Pretty awesome huh?? Literally it is like a miracle in a bag!! I along with my challengers were seeing amazing results in as little as 2 weeks.. what is nice about it is the shakes are ALL NATURAL and by eating all these natural ingredients, superfoods, digestive enzymes, pre and pro biotics, your body is finally getting what it needs and will crave more healthy food! You will notice an increase in energy and decrease in cravings. Your body gets addicted to what you give it. So for instance, you drink diet soda, chocolate, coffee, etc, your body will need more.. believe it or not, when you feed it veggies, fruits, and lean proteins, your body will want more! It's all about how you take care of your body and what you fuel it with!
So one of the things I do for my challengers is make weekly meal plans.. It is how I got my results and stayed accountable, so now I give them a guide to use.
This is what my plan looks like this week. I am currently doing P90X3 challenge, so you will notice I have a workout in 6 days a week.
Meal planning has been my life saver. I can not stress it enough how important it is to prepare yourself each week. Having my food prepared gives me hope every day that I cannot make excuses because everything is already right in front of me! Im definitely a NO EXCUSES kinda girl. I feel if you want something bad enough, you will do what it takes!
So here we are... I am opening a FREE clean eating group 7 days long to get you started in the right direction. I started this last month and had amazing results! We had over 100 challengers in it, and I want to share just a few challenger's results:
Challenger 1 -9 lbs
Challenger 2 -7 lbs
Challenger 3 - 5 lbs
Challenger 4 -3 lbs
Challenger 5 -1.3 lbs (pregnant and wanting to get healthy!)
Some reports from this group:
"I am already feeling more energy in only 1 week!"
"I feel like when I am eating healthy, my cravings are going away!"
"I am so thankful to pass this on to my family!"
So now this next challenge is going to be awesome! Lots of motivated people already joining! I am now accepting challengers and seats will be open until Jan 12th at midnight. This is a great opportunity to learn how to live that healthy lifestyle or even just gain some extra tips!
I am soooo in love with breakfast food its not even funny! Not only is it so good for you to jump start your metabolism for the day, but I just love how breakfast foods can be eaten any time of the day and still fulfill your cravings!! So I know some breakfast foods that taste really good need lots of time to prepare, BUT not today!! My son and I had a BLAST cooking these together!!
It's a simple recipe that is quick and literally 3 ingredients to make! So here it is!
3 Ingredient Oat Flour Crepes
Ingredients:
1 egg
1/2 cup rolled oats (ground into oat flour)
1/2 cup almond milk or any dairy/non-dairy milk
Use a food processor ( I used a magic bullet), and add the oats in to blend into flour.
Then add in the egg and almond milk and blend for about 20 seconds.
Use a frying pan to cook the crepe... I spray a little olive oil on so it does not stick.
Pour a thin layer onto the pan and cook on medium for 4 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for an additional 4 min.
Remove and set on plate... Time to make the filling and toppings! So for the filling, I just used what I had laying around.. So used 4 TBSP of plain Greek Yogurt, 1 TBSP Almond Butter, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon!
Mix together and put on crepe!
I cut up 1 banana and put half of the banana inside the crepe with the filling, and left just a couple for the topping!
Time to wrap up those bad boys and top off with some bananas!
and then my son took it upon himself to create our crepes into CARS!!!
This is creativity right here from an almost 3 yr old!! I just LOVE their imagination!!! It gets even better.. He asked me so nicely to put candles on to make it a birthday cake since his birthday is coming soon!! I couldn't resist!!!
His CARS CREPE EARLY BIRTHDAY CAKE!! Haha Oh I love him to pieces!!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! I hope everyone enjoyed their day with family and friends and gave thanks to everything you were blessed with! I had an amazing day with my hubby and kids!
Our breakfast was awesome... I made my famous Pumpkin Protein Pancakes and the boys ate them all up!
I did not get my workout in this morning, but while the boys were napping, I was done prepping our turkey dinner, so I got my workout in and had my SHAKEOLOGY for my lunch!!
We of course watched the Macy's Day Parade, and cooked an awesome turkey dinner! I skipped on the mashed potatoes ( my hubby can't go without), and I made stuffing without butter, and used whole wheat bread and turned out really good!! For dessert I made an awesome PECAN PIE and did have some skinny wine with our friends!
I must say, this was the first Thanksgiving EVER that I did not have a second plate! I am very proud of myself!! ;)
So on another note, let's talk about what is amazing going on right now with Beach Body!! We have our Black Friday Sales, just like everyone else! What a perfect way to stay healthy over the holidays, or helping family and friends stay healthy by giving them a workout or their favorite supplements as a gift!!
Take a look at how amazing these sales are!!
Keep in mind, these are only until Monday, and while supplies last!! Stock up!!
If you do not have a Beach Body account and would like me to be your FREE coach, visit www.beachbodycoach.com/deidrap8 and I will help you get started! Once you sign up as a Beach Body customer, you will have the opportunity to get into all our sales!!
I am also having a 14 Day Shakeology Shakeoff to get the month of December going right! This is a 14 day challenge where you replace one meal a day with our health shake full of dense nutrition that gives you everything you need in a daily dose and your multi vitamin!! You also can chose any workout program of your choice from beach body to help maximize your results. If you need help choosing a program, I can help find one that is perfect for you! This group is held in a closed group on face book, so if you are across the country, don't worry... you are still invited!! This is the perfect way to keep you accountable and motivated during the holiday season! I will coach you and give health/nutrition tips, recipes, and help with meal plans so you can be your own coach one day!!
No paying for gym memberships, personal trainers, or spending gas money traveling back and forth!
If you are interested in joining my next challenge, message me for details!
I am so excited to announce my next challenge coming Dec 9th, my 14 day Shakeology Shakeoff!! Nothing like a good 14 day strict challenge to give you that boost you need to lost the last few pounds, or to give you that jump start from the holidays! 14 days is just enough to take away the bloating, give you energy, and regulate your body!
We all know that over the holidays, its like gaining the freshman 15 when starting college.. People lose self control and act like they are never going to have food again!!
Let's change the trend of gaining that 5-15 lbs over the holidays! Despite traveling, or family visits, lets face it.. those are just excuses and there are ways around anything if you want it bad enough!
What is a 14 Day Shakeology Shakeoff?
This is a 14 day challenge in a closed group on facebook that I make that I coach you 1:1 to give you awesome recipes, nutrition/fitness tips, meal plans, motivation, and accountability to help you reach your health and fitness goals! Requirements:
Use Shakeology once daily for the duration of the challenge. If you get on
Shakeology Home Direct (HD = get yourself free shipping). FREE stuff, yeah! Also, there is a 30 day
money back guarantee. So if for any
reason you do not like Shakeology or it doesn’t work for you then return for a
full refund! But what do you have to
lose?!?!
OR
Purchase a 14-day supply of Shakeology in either Greenberry,
Chocolate, Tropical Strawberry, Vanilla or combination of the 3 by creating a
free account at www.teambeachbody.com/deidrap8 and sending $75 to deidra.penrose@yahoo.com via paypal.
Then, I will put your 14-day Shakeology Package in the mail and you can
begin the challenge.
Commit to
replacing just ONE meal a day with your favorite Shakeology and recipe. (Check
out the 30 Day calendar).
Press play at
least 4 to 6 x’s a week and CHALLENGE yourself!
Don’t just go through the motions.
If it’s your first time doing T25 or second round with Turbofire up the
weight, do 2 more reps or SLOOOOOW down your repetitions. If you are new to fitness I challenge you to
do some form of physical activity at least 3-4 times per week religiously or
continue with the fitness routine that you are currently doing and up the
intensity. If you need help getting
started I can help you with that as well.
Either at kick off
or end of the 14-day program, do the 3-Day Shakeology Cleanse. For me, it will come at the end. (this is optional and you do not have to do
this).
Check into the group page as often as you can. I’m not going to set any daily requirements,
but by posting AT LEAST, 3 x’s a week, may just enter you into winning some end
of challenge prizes!
As a participant AND my customer in the 14-Days of Christmas
Shakeology Shake Off, I will assure your success in feeling better about your
nutrition selections and helping you establish realistic expectations and a
strategy to get there (success will only come with YOUR commitment to change
bad habits). I will also share with you
how and what I eat to keep my energy up and sustain my weight through tools
available as a Team Beachbody community member (free member and club member).
It’s not rocket science or a deprivation of foods and taste,
but more of learning to make smart choices, with which, in my opinion, really
clicked as I had Shakeology as my staple in my diet.
Ok, so you saw PRIZES and said, “pick me, pick me”!! Now, on to the FUN PART!
You stay within the 14 Day Challenge period (but it doesn’t’
end there, right?), there’s some prizes in store for the remaining
participants! Here’s how staying
motivated can win you some loot:
When the challenge begins, check in as often as you
can. I’m not going to set any daily
requirements, but at a minimum, check in and post on the Group Page, 3 x’s
during the 14-day challenge.
At the end of the 14-Day Challenge period, for anyone still
active and successful (you’ve been on Shakeology HD, posted in the group page,
pushed play, etc.), I will select 2 winners, AT RANDOM, to receive another
special gift.
Who’s with me??
If you have questions, feel free to email me at
Deidra.penrose@yahoo.com
Find me on facebook at facebook.com/deidra.penrose
So I have been feeling like I need to make something with chicken that is a little different from the usual that I make... I kept thinking and coconut shrimp came to mind.. Yes, NOT chicken though lol .. Ok so since my hubby refuses to eat anything from the ocean, I decided to change it up a little with some coconut chicken!
I just made it, so he has not tried it yet, but I did a taste test and I'm sure he will be pleasantly surprised with it!
Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips
½ cup egg whites or egg substitute
¾ cup Whole Wheat Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp crushed red pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degress F.
In one bowl, combine Whole wheat Panko, coconut, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.
In another bowel, add the egg white or substitute.
Cut chicken breast into strips (easier to eat and cooks through better)!
Dip strips into egg and then into breading mixture. Layer the strips so they are not overlapping each other.
Cook at 400 for 30 min or until crispy.
WALAH!!
I also just made this new clean Honey Mustard that is pretty kick butt!! Great dipping sauce with the Coconut Chicken!!
4 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons of raw honey. Directions: Combine ingredients Use as a dipping sauce with home made chicken strips!
I know how much people love spaghetti, so what better way than to replace your noodles with veggies?!? Yes, no need to have the heavy carbs in the evening.. you can now make spaghetti squash as a replacement and its SO easy!!
Get ready for a simple, healthy recipe that the family can all enjoy together!
Spaghetti Squash- I had no idea what it looked like, so here it is for when you want to purchase at the grocery store! Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
1 12 oz can diced tomatoes
1 12 oz can organic tomato sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Pepper and salt to taste
*4 oz piece of baked chicken for protein to complete meal
Directions:
Cut Spaghetti squash in half length ways and place upside down in microwave on a paper towel and cook on high for 10 min.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Once Squash is done, take out and let cool for 5 min and then fork out into a dish
Drain tomatoes and pour on top of spaghetti squash in dish
Pour sauce over top
Sprinkle Pepper and salt to taste
Mix ingredients in dish slightly with fork
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top
Put in oven uncovered for 15 min
Take out and let cool before serving
* To add some protein, add a 4 oz piece of baked chicken on top!
·2 cloves garlic, minced, more if you like garlic:)
·2 tbsp whole wheat flour
·1 1/3 c. fat free milk
·1 c grated fresh parmasaen cheese
·3 tbsp. fat free or 1/3 less fat cream cheese
·1/2 tsp. sea salt
·1 spaghetti squash
·parsley, cracked black pepper for garnish
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high
heat.
Add chicken (season it with a little Mrs. dash garlic
and herb, sea salt, and pepper)
Cook chicken till done, browning just a bit. Remove
from pan.
Put a little more olive oil in pan and turn heat down
to med.
Add onions and fry til mostly done, then add garlic.
Do not burn (gets bitter)
Stir in flour and cook for a little bit. Dont burn!
Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. It will
clump if you add it all at the same time
Cook 6 min. or until mixture thickens.
while cooking, cut spaghetti squash in half length
wise and cook upside down in microwave for 14 min.. let cool
Add 3/4 cup. PARMESAN cheese, cream cheese, and sea
salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt.
Taste and add whatever you think it needs (sea salt
and pepper)
take spaghetti squash out with a fork…(it will look
exactly like SPAGHETTI)
add chicken and sauce on top of spaghetti squash
garnish with parsley and cracked pepper.
this is a great replacement for alfredo and the whole family will love it!
if you are looking to learn more about nutrition and how to cook healthy for the whole family? Join my next fitness challenge and learn how to make meal plans, get fitness and nutrition tips, and learn to be healthy for you and your entire family!
