Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

I am walking through my living room and out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of a commercial on tv. BOOM. There it is. A yummy Reece's Peanut Butter cup... and what are they doing? Making the suggestion you put the chocolate goodness in the refrigerator. HOW did they know? That is one of my FAVORITE treats for myself. I am weird like that. I like almost all of my treats cold. Peanut butter cups, cake, brownies, etc. The colder the better.

Now the dilemma. I have this HUGE craving for a peanut butter cup and none in sight. Well played commercial you have done your job.  I don't keep things like that in the house for moments just like this. If I had a package of those I would have devoured the entire package before the next commercial came on. Then it hit me. I have all of the ingredients to make some! Even better, they are going to be healthy! WIN WIN!

Within 45 minutes I have a delicious snack that kept me on track and not feeling like this...

So if you have these 3 ingredients and a little bit of extra time you can whip up this quick dessert and not have to worry about the feeling of regret afterwards!

Ingredients

8 tbsp. Vegan Chocolate Shakeology, divided (you can use regular but the texture may be a little different)
4 tbsp. Coconut Oil (divided)
4 tsp. Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (divided)

First, take 2 tbsp of coconut oil and melt it in a small bowl (about 30 seconds in the microwave). Once melted, add 4 tbsp of Shakeology and mix well. Divide the mixture evenly into the bottom of your mini muffin tin or the mini papers (shown below). Put in freezer for 5 mins.

Remove from freezer and add 1/2 tsp of creamy natural peanut butter to the top of each cup.

In your small bowl heat the other 2 tbsp of coconut oil in the microwave. Add the other 4 tbsp of Chocolate Shakeology and mix well. Divide evenly and pour over the top of the peanut butter and chocolate you have already in the cups.

Put them back in the freezer for another 30 mins. Remove after 30 mins and ENJOY!

Ginger Soy Flank Steak

Next time you are looking for a good recipe for a lean cut of steak give this one a try! I first tried this recipe a few years ago and loved it. It got stashed away and I completely forgot about it. The other day I was trying to think of something different to fix and it came to mind so I dug the recipe out of my drawer and decided to fix it for dinner tonight. Enjoy!

Ginger Soy Flank Steak

• 2 inch slice fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp raw honey
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (I use Bragg's Aminos)
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil
• 1 1/2 lb flank steak (or tenderized round steak)

Preparation:

1. Combine ginger, garlic, red pepper, lime juice, honey, soy sauce, and oil in a small bowl; whisk to blend.
2. Place steak in a shallow dish. Pour mixture over steak; marinate, covered, turning once, for 1 hour in the refrigerator. 
3. Preheat grill or broiler on high.
4. Grill or broil steak for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches desired temperature on your meat thermometer. Remove from heat; let steak rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. 
5. Slice steak thinly against the grain. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 206

Cholesterol: 74 mg

Fat: 9g

Sodium: 415mg

Protein: 25g

Carbs: 6g

Are You Up For the Challenge?

Where are my busy moms at? I am looking for 10 women who are looking to lose 5-15 lbs in February! 

For the last 4 years I have been helping others and showing them it is completely possible to reach those fitness goals. I am a busy mom with a full time job, running my business in the evenings and a 3 year old daughter. Amid all of that chaos I still make sure I find time for ME. It is important to me that I take care of myself so I can be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, and all around better person. Now it is YOUR turn! It is time to see that you ARE worth it and you CAN do it! 

We will be following a meal plan and a workout plan for 21 days. That is it! Of course, once you finish the 21 days you won't want to just stop there. This is a complete lifestyle change. You will be feeling so good you won't want to stop! We will have color coded containers with foods outlined for each container - which takes all of the guesswork out of it (and if you are like me nobody has time to figure all of that out - counting calories can be time consuming)! 

Oh, and the workouts - only 30 mins a day! They are extremely effective and FUN! 

I will have a private Facebook group for everyone so we can all hold each other accountable. It is all done from the comfort of your own home - no worrying about child care, the weather, commuting to the gym... none of that. 

If you would like to join us I would love for you to come see how much your life can change in 21 days. Drop me an email HERE

I have personally done this program and can tell you it is the REAL DEAL! I now use the eating plan with the other fitness programs I do. It is so easy to incorporate into daily life! 

Here are my personal results after just ONE round:

 So drop me an email and we can get started on writing YOUR transformation story! As an added bonus to REALLY get you started on the right foot I will be doing a drawing for a FREE 3 Day Refresh kit for anyone who purchases the 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack by January 31st. This package will come with everything you need for success - you will get the food guide, color coded containers, 7 workouts, 30 day trial club membership and 30 day supply of the Healthiest Meal of the Day - Shakeology. It is also on special this month so you will save even more! 

I look forward to working with you! 

Eggplant Pizza!

Are you a HUGE fan of pizza like I am but hate how horrible it is for you? Next time you are craving pizza why not try this healthy alternative using eggplant instead of regular crust to help make it a little healthier?

I found this recipe while browsing around on the web looking for different ways to make pizza healthier. Here is the recipe - try it out and tell me what you think!

Original main course recipe by Darla Leal, Stay Healthy Fitness 2013

Ingredients

1 eggplant, sliced
1/2 cup organic jarred marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese or reduced fat Italian cheese blend
1/2 tsp each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp olive oil for brushing

Sliced nitrate free pepperoni (or use your favorite toppings. We also used black olives, artichoke hearts, pesto instead of red sauce, etc)

Preparation

Slice the eggplant and sprinkle with salt on each side. Set aside on large baking sheet for thirty minutes, rinse and pat dry.  This removes the bitterness from the eggplant.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Brush or rub each side of the eggplant slices with olive oil.  Sprinkle both sides 1/2 tsp each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place eggplants slices on a cooling rack that’s on a baking sheet, and bake until they are softened and a little brown, approximately six minutes. Remove from oven.

Spoon the marinara sauce on the eggplant slices, add the cheese and nitrate free pepperoni.  Go crazy with adding your favorite toppings!

Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another five minutes, until the cheese is melted.  For an extra crisp topping, broil for a few minutes until browned. Enjoy!