Fluffy Gluten Free Protein Pancakes

Fluffy Gluten Free Protein Pancakes Topped with Homemade Blueberry Jam
Ingredients(makes 10 big pancakes)
-6 tsp coconut flour
-2 scoops vanilla protein powder(Herbalife)http://www.GoHerbalife.com/topshelfnutrition/en-US
-1.2 cup egg whites
-1/4 cup oats
-1/2 cup oat bran
-1/2 cup coconut milk
-1/2 tsp baking powder
Homemade Jam
-1 cup frozen blueberries
-1 tsp stevia(sweet leaf)
-1 tsp chi seeds

-coconut oil spray
-sugar free syrup 365 Brand(whole foods)

1. place all ingredients for jam in ,microwave safe bowl, place in microwave for 2 minutes, mix well with fork. and set aside.
2. heat skillet, spray with coconut oil spray
3. mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another.
4. blend together and mix well.
5. cook pancakes on med heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on each side.
6. top with jam, and sugar free syrup

Lemon Poppyseed Protein Muffins

OMGGGGGG, so good! I will tell you i love to cook and bake and i'm always looking for clean recipes.  I was craving something lemon poppyseed.  I ran across this recipe and modified some of the things listed on the original recipe.  See details below:
Ingredients:
-2 cups oat flour
-2 scoops vanilla protein powder( I used Herbalife Vanilla Protein Drink Mix)
https://www.GoHerbalife.com/topshelfnutr...
-1tsp baking powder
-1/4 cup splenda
-1/2 cup egg whites
-1 cup unsweetened almond milk
-2 tsp poppy seeds
-1 pack of unsweetened apple sauce
-1/4 cup lemon juice
1. Pre heat oven to 350
2. mix all ingredient together in bowl
3. spray muffin pan with coconut oil
4. spread batter evenly, almost to the top
5. Bake for 15 min, i cooked mine for 17, you do not want to over cook or they will be dry.

A Few Things...

So, just wanted to share some of the amazing things I've been cooking lately! I'm not one of those that can eat the same thing every night.  Eating clean doesn't have to be boring nor tasteless.  I will say, "taking a week off from diet and training really kicked my butt!" My body has been fighting against me all week.  I'm hoping next week after the soreness and cravings are gone i'll be better.

I do want to say, don't let your excuses get in the way of your goals!! I hear it all the time that people want to reach their goals but they are too busy, don't want to eat healthy, cant make it to the gym, ect... It's a mindset guys!! If you think positive and push hard anything is possible.  Do you think everyone that has been successful at reaching their goals did it the easy way? No! So stay on track and keep it interesting for yourself.  You've got to obsess over your goals.

Quinoa Bake:

Ingredients:
-2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
(Note: 1 cup dry quinoa makes 3 cups cooked;))
-4 egg whites
-cinnamon(to your taste) I put a lot
If you want sweet**1/3 cup sugar free maple syrup
Directions:
1. set oven to 375
2. put parchment paper in pan, depending if you want thick or thin: choose your pan
3. mix eggs, cinnamon, and syrup(if included) stir
4. take cooked quinoa and mix well with wet mixture
5. top with cinnamon
6. place in pan and bake 20-30 min

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

-2 lbs turkey

-garlic

-salt

-pepper

-cumin

-light sodium worcestershire sauce

-tomato

-onion

-lemonaise(healthier mayonaise)

-Romaine lettuce(cleaned and dried)

Directions:

1. mix turkey and seasonings in a bowl

2. in a saute pan, cook on both sides until well done in middle.

3. arrange burger as usual, using lettuce as bun!

Turkey Patty Topped with Fried Egg, Tomato, Goat Cheese, Red Onion, and Mustard. 

(0h the convenience of having pre cooked food)

Leg day Mondays

Hack Squats(no weight)

Leg press(50lbs)

3 sets 30 reps

Leg curls on ball

3 sets 30 reps

Walking lunges(15lb each hand)

3 sets

Jumps squats

3 sets 1 min 

Pics from my last show! 

Spicy crispy chicken southwest wraps

Ingredients:

-diced grilled chicken

-black beans

-cooked brown rice

-Greek yogurt plain

-eziekial while grain tortilla(found in frozen section of some grocery stores)

-cilantro 

-ciracha

1. Sauté chicken, beans, and rice until warm 

2. Heat up tortilla until crispy

3. Fill cooked tortilla with mixture and top with cilantro, Greek yogurt, and ciracha!

4. Enjoy

Healthier Chicken Florentine and Crispy Spicy Brown Mustard Chicken

So, I cooked dinner for Justin and his mom on Tuesday night.  Since i was already in the kitchen I decided to whip of two chicken dishes, so we could have extras already prepared.  I normally like to take pictures as I go but since i had two dishes going I didn't have much time.

Healthier Chicken Florentine:
Ingredients:
-4 chicken breast
-1 cup almond flour
-big bag fresh spinach
-1/2 cup dry white wine
-1/4 cup almond milk
-tsp gluten free thickening agent
-1/2 cup parmesan cheese
-3 tsp olive oil
-cumin
-paprika
-salt
-pepper
-onion and her seasoning
-garlic powder
-1/2 tsp fresh diced garlic(I buy it in the jar);)
-1/2 lemon squeezed
1. season chicken on both sides equally, coat chicken in almond flour
2. get pan hot with olive oil cooking.
3. sear both sides on high to get a good crisp, about 2 minutes(will not be cooked through) take out of pan and set aside.
4. deglaze pan with white wine and scrape all the bits and pieces off, add the spinach and fresh garlic and lemon juice, saute until wilted
5. sat chicken breast on top, top with parmesan cheese and pour in milk and thickening agent, cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes on low, or until chicken is done.

Sadly, I dont have a picture of the crispy honey mustard chicken but it was so good!

Ingredients:

-4 chicken breast

-1 cup gluten free panko crumbs

-spicy brown mustard

-salt 

-pepper

-1/4 cup coconut oil

-1/2 lemon squeezed

1.preheat oven to 350,  season chicken and spread mustard on both sides

2. coat with bread crumbs

3. place in greased pan(4/4 glass)(I use coconut oil spray)

4. mix coconut oil, melted and lemon juice together and pour on top of chicken

5. bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

ENJOY

Clean Chicken Enchilladas

So cudios to my roommate from college Bekah, for making these for me all the time.  Bad thing is they were NOT healthy, but tasted amazing and fresh.  I decided to tweak the recipe a bit, and Justin loved them;) BTW like i have said a million times always have your meats cooked in bulk, I had Justin grill a few chicken breast early in the week and i use it to make different meals.

Ingredients:
- 1 cooked chicken breast chopped into small pieces
-1/2 cup mixed cheese
-1 small can diced green chilies drained
-corn tortillas
-greek yogurt, plain
-salsa verde
-avocado
-tomato
-cilantro

1. in a medium sized bowl mix chopped chicken, cheese, and green chilies, mix well.
2. heat corn tortillas 4 at a time in a wet paper towel for 30 seconds in microwave.
3. stuff tortillas with chicken mixture and roll up, place opening on bottom of pan.
4. drizzle with olive oil and bake on 350 for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
5. in a separate bowel add greek yogurt and salsa verde, half and half until it makes a nice consistency.
6. once enchiladas are done and crispy, top with verde sauce and top with tomatoes, cilantro, and avocado.  

Sweet Potato Brownies

Okay, so i'm such a foodie and i'm always looking for CLEAN way to get my cravings in.  This was my most recent experiment, since this I have made 2 batches:/ haha.  Reminder**No sugar added, how amazing!

Ingredients:
-2 sweet potatoes
-2/3 melted coconut oil
-1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder(I like chocolate)
-2 eggs
-2 containers of unsweetened apple sauce
-2 tablespoons of coconut flour(i'm sure you could use almond flour here too)
-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. cover sweet potatoes and put in 400 degree over for about 30-40 minutes until soft, once cooked puree in bowl, without skin.
2. once pureed add wet ingredients and whisk
3. slowly add dry ingredients, mix well
4. will be thick!
5. add parchment paper to baking sheet.
6. spread mixture and bake 20-30 minutes until done.

Back Workout

Back Workout!
3 sets of 20 reps

one arm rows, make sure back is straight, start with light weight maybe 5lb and work your way up in sets. 

Bent over rows: knees slightly bent and back straight, feeling focus on pulling shoulder blades together.

under bar pull ups.  The closer your knees are to you the easier it is.  Bring chest all the way to the bar.

seated bent over lateral raises.

Step Up with Reverse Lunge

Get it right get it tight ladies, I love this workout!
20X on each leg
3 sets
*Can hold a pair of  dumbbells for more of a challenge.

crispy baked chicken and lemon meringue cupcakes

Yummy, one of my clients bought me this amazing clean eating cookbook, here are the first few things I made. I made some substitutions to the recipes that you will see below.  

This is the recipe I got the inspiration from:) my crispy baked chicken
With a few substitutions;)
-no mushrooms
-I use gluten free bread crumbs(found at whole
Foods)
-2 egg whites
-I used 1/2 cup almond milk
-instead of whole chicken, I used breast
-no anchovies;)
1.Preheat oven to 350
2. Season chicken
3. In one bowl add milk and egg whites.
4. Second bowl mix cheese and bread crumbs
5. Dip in bread mixture and then egg mixture and one more time in bread crumb mixture.
6. Bake for 50 min on a oiled baking sheet.
I put it on broil for the last 5 min.

-used oat flour instead of spelt
-instead of cane sugar I used agave nectar

-instead of safflower oil I used coconut oil
-instead of skim milk I used almond milk
-for topping I used agave nectar instead of cane sugar

Pasta is whats for Lunch

Doesn't happen very often but this is what's for lunch! All ingredients are below:
-2grams of sugar in pasta sauce
-flourless pasta
-pre cooked grass fed ground beef
-sautéed mushrooms
Amazing!! And I made this in less than 10 minutes!!!

AB Curcuit

Hey guys, so I will stress that abs are made in the kitchen and it took me a long time of focusing on my diet to get where I am at today.  Abs are one of the hardest thing to get, but if you stay determined anything is possible.  i get asked all the time what workouts I do and how often i work out my core.  Well the truth is I only do an ab circuit once a week for 30 minutes.  I'm a true testament that you just need to make sure you're putting the right nutrients into your body to get the results you want.  Also, alcohol is your enemy.  Since i've been on my fitness kick I have really limited myself when it come to beverages and when I do have a drink it usually just vodka water with extra lemon:)  NO Carbs at night is a true trick to help you get those rock hard abs;) It seems we have this mis conception that we need carbs not make our meals complete and to feel full, this is not the case.  Our bodies fill up not nutrients and not calories, so keep this in mind when you're planing you nightly meals.

Workout: 4 sets
-low plank 30 seconds
-side plank(both sides) 30 seconds

-high plank 30 seconds
-frog crunches 30 seconds
-bicycles 30 seconds
-lift up to leg lift 30 seconds

Me in July 2012

                         

This is me today

                 

Chewy Oat Bars!!!

Made these amazing chewy oat bars last night!! Super easy and a great way to get in a sweet snack without any extra additives.  Warning they are amazing and it was so hard not to eat them last night when they were done, but I waited patiently for breakfast.   

Ingredients:

-1 cup oat bran

-2 cups oats

-1 cup raisins

-1 cup water

-1 diced apple, I used honey crsip, my favorite

-1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1. cook raisins in water for about 2-3 minutes

2. add apple, continue to cook for 1-2 minutes

3. add chopped almonds

3. throw in oats and oat bran

4. pour in coconut oil and stir

4. on a greased cookie sheet spread mixture best as you can. It will be thick, I used bread loaf pans, but would be much better with a thin cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. 

Chocolate Protein Mug Cake

Are you ever looking for a harmless dessert idea? Well, try my guiltless Chocolate Protein Mug Cake.  The great thing is you can change up the ingredients and it will be just as good!

Ingredients:
1. 3 scoops of vanilla protein drink mix(Herbalife), can use whatever flavor you want
2. 2 tsps of almond milk
3. 4 tsp of egg whites( or 2 egg whites)
4. 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, or carab powder, for more sweetness
5. 1 packet of stevia
6. 1 tsp of unsweetened greek yogurt
7. sugar free syrup
8. pb2
9.1/4 tsp baking powder

1. mix together in a coffee mug until consistency is that of cake batter, may have to play with wet and dry ingredients to get it just right
2. place in microwave for 2 1/2 3 minutes
3. turn over on to plate
4. top with pb2 and sugar free syrup!!

Also, for those of you who have yet to get started on HERBALIFE, I'm sending free samples out today! Message me your address, I want to share the love and show you how great the products are! PLus i bake with the protein drink mix everyday!! Great product to have on hand! 

getfitwithhope@gmail.com

UPDATE!!!! OVERLOAD

Okay,
It's been a while since I've updated the good ol' blog but I'm back.  I really need to start documenting what I'm doing everyday meal/workout wise.  I'm 4 weeks out from the Phil Heath show so things are getting pretty serious.  Of course, I enjoyed myself on a few special occasions;) I wanted to share one of my favorite no pain indulgences. PROTEIN PANCAKES, I have posted about them before, but I'm just now getting them just right!

Peanut Butter Banana Protein Pancakes
Double up ingredients if you're making for 2
Ingredients:
-1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
-1 cup egg whites
-1 scoop vanilla protein(Herbalife Protein Drink Mix)
-1 banana
-1/4 cup blueberries(frozen) I added this to the blueberry banana pancakes
-PB2(powdered peanut butter), to your taste
-1 tsp baking powder
-3/4 cups oat flour(blended oatmeal)
-1 tsp coconut oil

1. blend in blender( when adding frozen blueberries do not mix, just mix)
2. make sure pan is in high heat before cooking, add coconut oil
3. cook until bubbles show and flip!
4. covered with PB2, sugar free syrup, and pieces of fruit

One of my favorite exercises is Dead lifts:
Deadlifts will allow you to build muscle in your upper and lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/dumbbell-straight-leg-deadlift<------- Check out for a how to explanation:)

Action Shot

So, in the past few weeks, I have also attempted to make the infamous Spaghetti Squash, surprisingly, I'm in LOVE with it! I could probably eat it every night.  The squash has a very mild taste but it keeps it's crunch, so I honestly felt like I was eating actual spaghetti.  Below I just threw on some low sugar pasta sauce mixed with lean ground turkey and it was amazing!!!

Ingredients

-1 large spaghetti squash

-1 pound lean ground turkey

-low sugar pasta sauce(always read the label, you would be surprised at how much sugar they add to these, the one I found was only 3 grams)

1. cut spaghetti squash in half, place facing down on pan and cook at 350 for 40 minutes, or until it easily shreds.

2. once done, take out and let cool.  Take a fork and shred long ways until you extract all squash.

3. cook lean ground beef,I seasoned mine with oregano, garlic. salt, pepper.

4. add pasta sauce and cook.

5. only add sauce right before serving(I have read that it will cause squash to become soggy)

***This made a huge portion, even after Justin and I ate, we had leftovers. They were just as good the next day:)

Here it is!!!! My suit for the Phil Health show in Houston. Thank to the Amazing Ravish Sands, for this handcrafted beautiful suit:)  I'm 4 weeks out eeeeekkkk super excited to get back on the stage though.  I have taken some progress pics and i'm way ahead of the game, well way better than I was last year at this point.  Stay tuned!!!

One last thing! Owning a business is very time consuming, and typically I like to grocery shop on Sundays so we have food for the week but, there was one Monday that we didn't have time to cook, nor did we have food, but you can still grab food and eat healthy.  One of our favorite places is Pei Wei.  Ask for Stock Velveted(Boiled instead of fried) and sauce on the side, brown rice, and  we always ask for extra veggies too! 

Motivation Monday

Motivation Monday

Healthy Chicken Fried Rice

 This weekend was great.  Friday night I was contemplating on what to eat, so I started looking around my fridge and cabinets and decided to make this healthy version of a fried rice.  It very fast and simple. Like i've said before, we always have food cooked in bulk so we have NO excuses.   I had 2 pre cooked chicken breast and a bowl full of cooked brown rice. I could have easily just eaten the two together like I normally do but when you start eating the same thing over and over you get creative. 

Ingredients:

-1 large chicken breast, seasoned, cooked, and diced.

-2 cups of cooked brown rice

-1-2 bags of frozen mixed veggies(**I buy frozen veggies because they last longer and are easy to cook, I would love to use more fresh veggies, it's just not realistic for me and time schedule, I stray from canned anything;) I bought the one with carrots, peas, and green beans

-1 tsp of crushed garlic

-2 tsp of sesame oil

-3 egg whites

-3 tsp of Bragg's Liquid Aminos ( I put this on everything:), can be found at any Health food store, Whole foods, Central Market, or online at http://www.thenaturalonline.com/bragg-liquid-aminos-32-oz-liquid.html?gclid=CNPEs7_Ai7UCFbSLPAodjzQAxg

 

1. Place pan on high heat and add oil and garlic.

2. Throw in cooked rice and eggs, saute until eggs are cooked

3. The bags of veggies I bought just steam in the microwave, throw those in the pan after steamed.

4. Add chicken last, saute and add Liquid Aminos

5. Saute for a good 5-10 minutes until done.

CRAVINGS!!!

Do you ever look in your fridge and cabinets over and over again hoping to find something truly satisfying? You don't see it so you keep searching, hoping that something is going to magically appear? Well I do this all the time! Don't keep anything in there that you know is temping or bad for you, you're just setting yourself up for disaster.  I love the feeling of freaking out, thinking i'm going to go crazy if I don't get a chips and salsa right now!! After, I settle for what I have on hand, rice cake, hummus, piece of fruit ect.  I suddenly feel more satisfied than ever.  I just want you all to know it's NORMAL, we're humans.  It's okay to cheat, just do it once a week and go somewhere and do it, don't leave the excess behind for you to do it the next day.  For those of you out there that have started a health and fitness journey, the best thing you can do is clean out your pantries and fridge, because when you are limited, (I promise you will go on a search just like I do).  Throw the pasta, mayonnaise, sugar, cheese crackers, ect...AWAY!!!

Have a Great Weekend!

Grocery List

Latest grocery store run, below is majority of what we have in stock at the apartment at all times.  I'm 6 1/2 weeks away from my competition and I'm more excited than ever.  I love knowing that everyday is going to be a challenge, and seeing my body progress is so exciting.  It's amazing what proper nutrition and weights can do for your body.  For those of you who are afraid to bulk up, I promise this won;t happen.  If anything, I have more curves than I've had before! 

   

1.     Grocery List:

2.     Almond milk unsweetened

3.     Greek Yogurt(Unflavored)

4.     Coconut Milk

5.     Almond Flour

6.     Coconut Flour

7.     Unsweetened Coconut flakes

8.     Unsweetened applesauce

9.     Frozen Fruits

10.  Almond butter

11.  Rice cakes (brown rice)

12.  Unsweetened preserves

13.  Honey (local)

14.  Flax seeds

15.  Chia seeds

16.  Almonds

17.  Pumpkin seeds

18.  Dried cherries

19.  Bananas

20.  Apples

21.  Egg whites/eggs

22.  Cauliflower

23.  Mushrooms

24.  Tomatoes

25.  Onions

26.  Sweet potatoes

27.  Spinach

28.  Kale

29.  Red bell pepper

30.  Dark chocolate/carob chips *Snack

31.  Steel cut oats

32.  Chicken

33.  Turkey

34.  White fish

35.  Mrs. dash seasonings/no salt

36.  Ezekiel bread (frozen section-made without flower)

37.  Quinoa

38.  Sugar free drink mix (mix with tea)

39.  PB2(powder peanut butter)

40.  Fat free sugar free pudding mix

41.  Flavored extracts

42.  Spaghetti squash

43.  Truvia (artificial sweetener)

44.  Celery

45.  Carrots

46.  Broccoli

47.  Whole wheat brown rice

48.  Low sodium tuna packets (Trader Joes)*

49.  Lentil chips

50.  Hummus

51.  Tilapia

52.  Salmon

53.  Avocado

54.  Pears

55.  Garlic

56.  Coconut Oil

57.  Blueberries

58.  Strawberries

59.  Extra virgin olive oil

60.  Squash

61.  Zucchini

62.  Asparagus (good for water weight loss)

63.  Cucumber

64.  Romaine

65.  Lemons

66. Low sugar pasta sauce

67. Liquid Aminos

7