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Letter To My 22 Year Old Self
I found a photo album the other day that was littered with pictures of my early twenties. I had to sit for a while and really look through it. Of course, I thumbed through slowly, laughed at a few things, remembered a few others, and reflected on some days where worries seemed few and late nights seemed many. A lot, I mean A LOT has changed in 10 years. I didn’t know the amazing man I would call my husband. I thought having kids was not for me- ever. I thought a good workout was a pub crawl on a Sunday afternoon, and the word responsible wasn’t something I would…
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Deer Season Chili
We live about 2 hours from my in-laws. When the weather gets cold we can count on heading that way at least one weekend each month. Hunting season starts. The men trudge out at 4:30 am and we sleep snugly under fuzzy blankets until the sun comes peeking in the windows. We emerge in slippers to a pot of coffee and a batch of pancakes off the griddle and spend the day doing crafts, playing with Playdough, and preparing a yummy dinner for when they return. One of my favorites is my mother-in-laws chili. There’s something about a big pot of chili on a Sunday afternoon to fill up…
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Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup
When I was little, my mom made this homemade chicken noodle soup that was to die for. Every time I was sick. I could count on this yummy, creamy, delicious soup. I couldn’t even tell you what she put in it (maybe I should ask her for the recipe) but it was delicious. So with some change-in-the-season coughs coming around, a runny nosed toddler, a croupy three year old, and a feverish 6 year old, it was time for some crockpot chicken noodle soup today. Every child needs that one soup memory. That warm your soul, heal me when I’m sick, best mommy remedy. This is that soup. …
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Meal Prep Madness
We are the epitome of busy. We have three girls ages 8, 5, and 3. My husband travels some for work. I am a nurse (not currently practicing). I run a business from my home helping people meet their fitness and nutritional goals. We workout daily. I grocery shop. I run monthly accountability groups for my clients. We prepare our meals fresh. We have even been known to do fitness competitions. My life is a constant whirlwind. I need a cleaning service. And a laundry service. Most days I don’t have time to prepare for what is thrown at me. But I’ve come to learn how important it is to…
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Superfood Maple Pumpkin Pancakes
We love pancakes almost as much as we love dressing up for Halloween! With three hungry girls (two of whom were wearing tutus) with a ton of energy starting bright and early at 0630 today, and an anticipated long night of trick or treating, we need a healthy superfoods breakfast to fuel our day! Anyone else have kids that get pancake syrup all over the kitchen? I’ve learned to bake it into the pancakes! Less mess, more flavor! I hope you enjoy these as much as we do! And a Happy Halloween to you and yours! Ingredients: 1.5 c brown rice flour 1/4 c flaxseed meal 1 scoop vanilla…
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Mummy Pizzas
Does anyone else love coming up with festive recipes for each holiday? Or trying things out from Pinterest? We went for it tonight! And they turned out great! My kiddos love English muffin and sandwich thin mini pizzas and we just had to make them into mummies for Halloween! Ingredients: Whole grain English Muffins or Sandwich Thins Organic tomato/basil pasta sauce or marinara sauce Sliced mozzarella cheese Sliced black olives Directions: Place thins on parchment paper lined sheet or foil (spray with cooking spray). Top with sauce and place cheese slices across. Top with black olive eyes. Bake at 400* for 10-13 minutes until cheese bubbles. Enjoy! …
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Black Bean Lentil Stew
On Sunday’s we crockpot. Football, crisp autumn air, crunching in the leaves, wearing scarves, eating soups and stews out of cold weather bowls and getting that warm, fuzzy feeling. This meal was created by total happenstance. I wanted a crockpot dinner but didn’t have a plan so I worked with what I had. And it worked. My husbands words: “Oh this is good. It’s not to tomatoey. I like it.” He’s weird about tomatoes. So it passed the test and now have another crockpot recipe to add to my collection. This made for a yummy one dish meal and I topped mine with a dollop of low fat…
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Macho Nachos!!!
Taco Tuesday alert! Ok. So it’s not exactly tacos. More like deconstructed tacos. Ok. Nachos. Nacho Tuesday! That’s a thing, you know. Well, after tonight’s dinner, it’s definitely going to be a thing in our house! Our 6 year old raves about the macho nachos she has at school. Chips, taco meat, and covered in cheese- that kind from the can. Yeah, I’m drooling. But being the Fit Mommy that I am, I wanted to create a healthier version that we can all enjoy, without the guilt! Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground turkey 1/2 cup fresh salsa 1/4 c chopped onion 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp cumin…
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Grocery Shopping on a Budget
One of the questions I am most frequently asked regarding eating clean and meal planning is “How do you do it on a budget?” It does take some planning but it is absolutely doable. We are a family of five, our kids are 7, 4 and 2, and believe me, they eat a lot. I stick to a $100/week max budget and what I have leftover we put away for splurges or Costco trips. Below are some tips and tricks to help you stay clean, stay healthy, and stay budget-friendly each week! Building your Pantry: The key to making a list and sticking to it is having a menu to…
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Luke and Ashley’s Body Beast Results
Find someone who shares your passion and do it together. My husband, Luke, really started pushing me to do more heavy lifting about a year ago. I was scared. Like a lot of women, I didn’t want to lift too much and have “dude” muscles! Ok first of all, if you’ve never really lifted before, it’s going to be pretty hard to get “dude” muscles. But it’s entirely possible to build some great definition, strength, and leanness while boosting your metabolism by increasing your muscle mass. This means that the more muscle you have the harder your body works. You burn more calories at rest! We took the plunge…
