Fall Treat from Once a Month Mom

• 6 Tablespoons pureed pumpkin
  

  Pumpkin puree, if you don't want to mess with the spices you can buy the pumpkin pie mix in the can!

• 1 teaspoon vanilla coffee creamer (I use sugar free)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (I use vanilla stevia to sweeten)
• 6 ounces milk
• 12 ounces strong coffee (I use Pero)

Directions:

Place all ingredients except coffee into a blender and blend until combined and smooth. Divide pumpkin base mixture among two coffee mugs (about six ounces for one serving). Heat in microwave for about one minute. Then add approximately six ounces of coffee to each mug and serve! You can add more coffee or more mixture to your liking and taste.

Freezing Directions:

Place all ingredients except coffee into a blender and blend until combined and smooth. Divide mixture among two pint freezer bags and freeze until ready to use. TO SERVE: Thaw in refrigerator or in microwave. Then add approximately six ounces of coffee to mixture and serve! You can add more coffee or more mixture to your liking and taste.

Servings: 2 – 12 ounce pumpkin treats

Check out Once a Month Mom for some awesome ideas!!

Banana Muffins

I am in LOVE with this recipe. I make them weekly and freeze them for my family for breakfast. Pop them in the microwave for 15 seconds and it's breakfast on the go. Super yummy. I have mine with egg whites and veggies or a protein shake if I am in a hurry.

Go here for more yummy recipes.

3 Large Ripe Bananas

3/4 cup Applesauce 2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup evaporated cane juice)

1/2 cup Truvia (or 30 packets)

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour 2 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

Directions: In a blender, mix eggs, applesauce and bananas until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until blended into a smooth batter. Fold in chocolate chips, carob chips or nuts if desired. Preheat oven to 325. Fill each opening of a sprayed muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. (I personally prefer foil liners.) Bake for 20 minutes or until light brown.

Makes 24 muffins. Each muffin (sans additions) is approximately 70 calories. They are just as good 1 – 2 days later!

Get to know me..

In honor of 9/11 I've been able to reflect on life and realize how truly blessed I am. Despite the trials that I have faced. I always seem to come out on top a little better then I was before.

For sometime now I have felt to share a story about the "real me". I learned today at church when you have impressions, you should follow through with them (as long as they are good :-)

In seventh grade I weighed a 175lb and wore my mom's fat clothes. Talk about depressing. When I turned 14 something clicked and I decided to start eating healthier and workout. I began to grow interest in health and wellness. I did my mom's Jane Fonda videos and later became a Billy Blanks fan. Over the past 15 years I have battled my weight issues like a roller coaster. I'm an emotional eater and I use to think that's ok, I'm a woman...it's what we do. I would gain weight and lose weight over and over. This past year I have had a lot of first for me. I lost some loved ones, spent nights in hospital, yearned for another baby, and working on eating better. Through all of this I realized I would ease my emotions, whatever they may be with comfort food and retail therapy occasionally. This would bring me up for a half hour maybe and then I would start beating myself up for making poor choices. Doesn't that sound like a vicious cycle (nod your head yes)?

We all have to hit that brick wall to realize where we are and where we want to go. I've had slips and falls, but I learned along time ago it's what we do when we get back up. I'm a big believer in keeping a journal about your life, food, workouts, and emotions. For me it is therapeutic to get it out there on the line (reason why I am telling you my life story). It helps you see how you can get over that hump. My family and my religion are huge saving grace as I overcome my weaknesses. A quote I love "The one thing you need to worry about is striving to be the best you can be. And how do you do that? You keep your eye on the goals that matter most in life, and you move towards them STEP BY STEP." - Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

Death By Numbers...

(the survivors)

Newport Style with my family.....

I got the idea from the Crossfit Death by Numbers. We had to improvise since we didn't have a deck of cards. I took 2 cups and in one cup I put the exercises and in the other cup I put the repetitions/time.

Exercises (write them down, cut them up, put them into the cup)

Squats

Burpees

Walking Lunges

Push-ups

Tricep Push-ups

Side Plank

Hoover (reg. plank)

Repetitions/time

10 reps/1 minute

15 reps/ 1 minute and 30 seconds

20 reps/ 2 minutes

We did 3 rounds of each exercise. On the repetition and time you can choose which one. For the Hoover and side plank use the time. If you want to finish it off for cardio for a nice run afterwards.

Do we let this annoying thing define you???

Today while I was swimming with my kids at a community pool. I was blessed to see a teenage boy that was paralyzed from the waist down. This sort of trial didn't stop him from enjoying the summer festivities at the swimming pool. He would get him self over to the deeper part of the pool, then over to go down the slide. It was amazing to watch him embrace his life and have a smile on his face. I loved watching the kids as they tried to help him, it was if time stood still and the world was at peace.

As I sat there I realized how blessed I am with my overall health. I'm able to use my whole body, I can run and play with my kids, I can keep up with my daily life. I have so much to be grateful for. I may not be a bikini model, or a marathon runner, but I am a mom who tries to inspire my children and the people I associate with. The number on the scale shouldn't tell us how great we are, it is just a number. Our overall health and wellness is far more important then the number on the scale. Embrace each breath and step you take. Life has so much to offer to us each every day.

P.S. It is my dream to take a sledge hammer to a scale one day...I realize it has a purpose, but I personally think it needs to go.

Why should we strength train???

Do you think it is important to strength train?? Well, it is very important to add strength training to our workout. It helps create longevity and it can help you become more powerful in your cardiovascular routines. I challenge you for 3 weeks to make time for strength training and see how it can improve your overall fitness.

Check out the 20 minute workout below.

20-Minute Strength Training Workout | Active.com

The power of Coconut

The Benefits of Coconut in All its Forms




Great tips from Tosca Reno. To sign up for her newsletter click here.

Coconut water is very low in fat, sugars and cholesterol, and high in potassium. Potassium helps restore electrolytes in the body, so coconut water is a great choice for rehydrating after a tough workout. Coconut water makes a great accompaniment to a post-workout Clean meal.
Try it: Drink coconut water as is, with a slice of lime on the side for tart flavor.

I love coconut water after a long or intense run. The potassium and electrolytes are just what my body needs after the workout.

Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, which acts as an antibacterial and antiviral agent, helping the body fight diseases such as influenza. Lauric acid is also a cardiovascular protector, helping prevent high cholesterol and blood pressure. Coconut oil aids weight loss since it is a medium-chain triglyceride and helps maintain a healthy thyroid. Coconut oil also offers nutrition for hair and skin, keeping them clean and moisturized, and its antioxidant properties help prevent premature aging.
Try it: Include coconut oil in a sweet tropical smoothie