Quick and Simple Pesto Recipe

Hi Everyone! Today I wanted to share a very simple recipe that is delicious and full of flavor! How many of you loooove pesto?  I love it on pizza, sandwiches, caprese salads, and so much more.  The funny thing is that I've never actually made it myself, but have always heard it's so easy.  Well this week I decided to give it a shot and I was so pleased with how it turned out. 

All you need is some oil, nuts, and fresh herbs.  You can use any combination you would like, but I went with olive oil, basil, and pine nuts. I was thinking a parsley version would be good with cashews, so I might try that next.  I didn't measure anything, but if you start with the herbs and nuts first you can add oil as you go for different consistency levels.  Mine ended up more thick, but it was perfect for a spread.  Next all you do is mix everything up in a food processor or blender and voila you have delicious homemade pesto! 

My new favorite breakfast is a slice of toast smeared with pesto and an over easy egg on top...it may look/sound strange, but I promise it is so delicious!

What is your favorite pesto combination? 

Thanks for stopping by!

My Ultimate Reset Results

Hi Everyone!

So over the past 21 days I did a cleanse/detox program called the Ultimate Reset. It's a Beachbody program and it is seriously life changing! This is not your average cleanse or detox where you drink weird juices, lose ten pounds in 3 days, and the gain it all back the next week. This program is about changing your relationship with food. You eat real food (see below for some examples), take some all natural supplements (different herbs and spices that I could actually pronounce), eat at certain times during the day, and it teaches you to see food as fuel and to really be conscious about everything you eat. 

Overall I lost 12 pounds over the course of the 3 weeks and I feel AMAZING!!  I'm 1 week post and I've learned so much about what my body needs and it has been very easy to continue with the same principles. This is the beginning of a lifestyle change and this program was incredibly eye opening. I wanted to list out some pros and cons for those of you who may have some questions. 

Pros: 

• Helps you bust through plateaus. I lost 12 pounds overall from 168 to 156 and have not been this weight in 2 years! 
• Helps you conquer binge and emotional eating
• You never feel hungry because you are eating lots of real food
• Helps curb/eliminate junk food and sweet cravings
• Resets your metabolism so you burn fat faster
• Easy to follow meal plan lets you know exactly what to eat 
• The cellulite on my thighs and butt is completely gone! 
• My skin has never felt clearer
• My skin is more moisturized and hydrated than it ever has been during the winter
• Those annoying red bumps on my arms are almost completely cleared up
• You don't have to work out at all, in fact they recommend not to
• The intent of the program is all about loving your body and overall health not just losing weight
• Helps make you regular
• Hair and nails grow much faster
• Boosts your confidence

Cons:

• The alkalinize supplement was a weird taste to get used to. It's green and has wheat grass, kamut grass, etc. but I got over it pretty quickly...just don't mix it with 8 oz. of water like I did the first day lol.  It should be a shot of 1-2 oz of water mixed in. 
• I travel every week for work, so it was hard to meal prep while being on planes at different times and staying in different hotel rooms. The program has just enough flexibility though and I found meals that would work for my lifestyle. It involved a lot of planning and making trips to Whole Foods and other grocery stores when I landed, but it was all worth it! If you are at home all week with this program you will have no problems.

This would be such a great program to start for the new year to start you off on the right foot.  I plan on doing it at least once a year to ensure my body is performing at it's best.  I mean I did this over the holiday season and lost weight lol....who does that!?! Overall I would recommend this program wholeheartedly to anyone and everyone. If you have any questions, or are interested in this program please don't hesitate to comment below or shoot me an email. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Holiday Baking with Sprinkles Cupcakes

 

Hi Everyone! I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!  I wanted to share some holiday baking that I did with some delicious Sprinkles baking mix. Sprinkles cupcakes are some of my favorite, so I was really excited to try out this red velvet cupcake mix. All I did was add some yummy homemade cream cheese frosting and top them with the signature dots (included) and some Naturebox Chocolate Peppermint Pretzel Pops. 

Have you had Sprinkles cupcakes? What is your favorite flavor?

Thanks for stopping by!

Fall in Love with Fitness

Hi Everyone!

We are finishing up the clean eating challenge I just hosted and people are seeing some amazing results! One lady has already lost 3 lbs.! It's amazing what a little commitment and eating whole foods will do for your body.

Did you know that there are only 13 weeks left in 2015? Imagine if you lost only 2 lbs. each week...that's 26 lbs. by the end of the year! I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty awesome!  Even 1 lb. a week would make a huge difference!

This holiday season is going to be different for me.  I'm going to stay on track. I'm not going to let baggy fall clothes and layers mask my insecurities. I'm going to lose weight. If you're tired of the vicious cycle also and want some accountability and support, then I'd love for you to join me for my fall challenge. It's going to be 21 days of clean eating and working out starting on Monday 10/5. If you are interested then leave a comment with your email below. I'd love to chat more and hear about your story!

Who's in??

My 2nd NatureBox and What I Think So Far...

Hi Everyone! I hope you are having a fantastic day so far! You may remember that I signed up for a Naturebox subscription and you can read more about my first box here.  I received my second box and I wanted to let you all know what I think of the snacks I received.

1) Ranch Kale Chips

Ok so if I am being honest, I could not stand these! There were crunchy, but instead of a chip like consistency they are rather crumbly.  Most of the "chips" in the bag weren't even whole leaves.  I really didn't like the flavor and seasoning either.  I actually contacted Naturebox to let them know I did not like the snack.  They refunded the amount I paid since it was a premium snack and I did not have to mail it back or anything.
Overall Rating: 1 star

2) Fuji Apples

These were actually pretty good.  I have had baked apple chips before, but these are dried so they are a fluffy/chewy consistency. I would definitely get these again! The only drawback was there were less snacks in the bag than what the overall serving size said.

Overall Rating: 4 stars

3) Chocolate Banana Chips

I actually didn't like these very much.  Chocolate and banana are one of my favorite flavor combinations, so I expected them to be banana chips dusted in cocoa powder or something.  They were more like banana chips dusted in cinnamon sugar instead.  They were still ok, but I don't know that I would order them again.

Overall Rating: 2 stars

4) Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites

These were so scrumptious and delicious! They are the consistency of a chips ahoy or famous amos cookie.  They are loaded with chocolate chips, crunchy, just the right amount of sweet, and don't taste any different even though they are whole wheat.  These are definitely a favorite of mine for sure!

Overall Rating: 5 stars

5) Kung Pao Pretzels

These were really good! Spicy and salty with a delicious seasoning on a classic pretzel.  These will definitely be a repeat in my pantry as well.

Overall Rating: 5 stars

6) Garlic Parmesan Pop Pops

I really enjoyed these! They are the consistency of a corn nut and are basically half popped popcorn.  The seasoning had just the right amount of garlic flavoring and the crunch was delicious. I loved how they came in individual packages because that is really convenient for me when traveling. It's weird though because these actually got sent to me again in my next box even though they weren't in my pantry, but the second time they came in one large package and I'm not sure why.

Overall Rating: 4 stars

Alright, so there you have it. I hope this review was helpful in determining whether or not you want to join Naturebox or already have and are not sure what snacks to pick.  If you want to join check out the link here.

What snacks sounded good to you? What other healthy snacks do you like?

Thanks for stopping by!

Eat Pretty

Hi Everyone! It's time for another FREE clean eating challenge starting 9/28.  Eating can be the hardest part of your journey to health and wellness, so I want to help you by providing some meal plan ideas, grocery lists, and even eating out tips (yes you can still eat healthy while eating at restaurants).

Our focus for this challenge will be "eating clean by eating pretty."  What does it mean to eat pretty you ask?  Let me explain...it dawned on me one day when we were out for one of our regular fast food runs and I ordered a chicken strip meal.  I was so hungry and I looked down at my meal and couldn't help but realize that it was ugly! The chicken was brown, the fries were yellow, the gravy was a weird gloppy consistency and the toast had "toasted marks," but it was soggy.  Needless to say I ate it, but I was no where near satisfied and I felt like crap afterwards.  If you eat crap you are going to feel like crap end of story!

Enter my epiphany...I decided that I wanted to start eating "pretty."  This means eating food that is vibrant, colorful, well balanced, put together with care and precision, not thrown together on an assembly line. When you eat pretty you start to feel pretty too! How many of you have had a junk food binge and you just feel awful afterwards? Raise your hands...I know I'm not the only one :)  You feel bloated afterwards, fatter than before, and the first thing you want to do is put on a pair of baggy sweats to feel comfortable. 

Let's end the vicious cycle and start treating our bodies better! Think of your food as works of art like the pic above.  Have fun with new recipes, get some ideas from Pinterest, get out of your rut and join me in my challenge.  Let's help each other be better and start eating pretty!

Who's in? 

Comment below with your email and I'll send over some details.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Clean Eating Challenge

Hi Everyone! For those of you that have followed along for a while, you know that I've been focusing on making a lifestyle change this year to improve my overall health and lose some weight. Eating healthy has been one of the most difficult parts of my journey, but it is so CRITICAL for sustainable results. 

I've decided to sign up as a Beachbody Coach in an attempt to help others learn from some of my mistakes and get RESULTS!! I'm kicking it off with a FREE 7 Day Clean Eating Challenge. I realize this journey is different for everyone, so I'll be providing meal plans, grocery lists, and eating out tips for those on the go. We'll be starting on 9/21, so if you are ready for a change and need some group support I'd love for you to join me! All you need to do is comment below with your email and I'll send you more info and get you added to the group! Let's rock this!! I'm so excited and hope that'll you'll join along! :)

Don't forget to follow me on instagram for daily details of my fitness journey.

Thanks for stopping by! 

What I think of my Naturebox Subscription

                                     

Hi Everyone! I recently decided to join a subscription box, but not just any...it's a food one! Maybe it's just me, but the idea of yummy snacks getting delivered to my door every other week sounded AMAZING! :)  So it's called Naturebox and they send you a box of snacks either monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly and you have the option to choose 3 or 5 per box.  I naturally chose 5 every other week. 

The cool thing about it is all there snacks are healthy, natural, and made with no artificial ingredients or preservatives. You get to add snacks to your "pantry" which is basically like your shopping bag/wish list or you can let them surprise you.  I was pleasantly surprised that there were so many to choose from and I guess they add new snacks pretty regularly.  Also if you don't like a snack they claim to replace it for free in your next box.  I haven't experienced this yet, so I'll keep you posted along the way.  Oh, and did I mention your first box is free!

Here is a review of my first box, so you get an idea of the portion sizes and flavor of the ones I selected. 

1) Mango Orange Fruit Chews:

These were actually quite tasty.  If you have ever had other natural fruit leathers or gummies, they are pretty comparable.  Not too sweet and very moist and chewy...just like a gummy should be.  They came individually packaged, which I loved because they are easy to take with me while traveling.  Overall Rating: 4 stars

2) Guacamole Bites:

These were actually really good as well.  They sort of have the consistency of a Frito, but they are not as greasy.  I don't know that I would describe their taste as guacamole, but they have a salty/smoky flavor that I liked.  On that note they were a bit salty, but I didn't mind and would consider adding these to my pantry again.

Overall Rating: 3.5 stars

3) Jalapeno White Cheddar Popcorn:

So this was really good! The kernels are big and fluffy and are just the right consistency between crunchy and soft/fluffy.  The flavor is spot on as well.  It actually had a little bit of a kick to it and coming from a New Mexico native that is saying something :)  It tasted like real jalapeno flavoring and not artificial, so that was a plus.

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars

4) Coconut Cashews:

These were a pretty decent snack as well.  They are dusted with coconut flakes and are more sweet than salty.  The consistency was not what I expected because they were kind of soft and chewy rather than crunchy like a normal cashew, but I didn't mind. 

Overall Rating: 4 stars

5) Sriracha Roasted Cashews:

So I kinda saved the best for last...these were incredible and by far my favorite! They were sweet, salty, crunchy, soft, and spicy all at the same time and the flavor was delicious! For those of you that know me, I am kind of obsessed with Baked Hot Cheetos, which were recently discontinued (saddest day ever!), and these are seriously the only thing that has satisfied my spicy snack craving and filled that void. Yes I said void...I take my snacks very seriously lol. The first picture is kind of blurry, but by the time I realized I had seriously eaten the rest already!

Overall Rating: 5++++++ Stars

I have been really pleased with Naturebox so far and would recommend them to others.  My only issue so far is the serving per bag seem to be off.  I have literally measured and counted each one since I am tracking my calories (more on that in a future post) and a couple fell short of the promised amount. I have already received my second box though, so I'll start munching away and let you know how the other snacks taste and if I experience the same issue with the portions.  If you are interested in signing up check them out here 

Have you ever tried Naturebox? Would you consider it? What are some healthy snacks you like to eat?

Thanks for stopping by!