Apple Strawberry Fruit Roll Up

Kids love that sweet, sticky, chewy, candy-like snack well known as the fruit roll-up!  Unfortunately, this mama doesn't love those sugar laden, chemical roll ups! So I took matters into my own hands, and I did a lil' research. I ended up with these apple-strawberry fruit roll ups for my boys! It only took about 30 minutes of prep (maybe less, if you aren't interrupted 10 times by the kids wanting to know exactly what you are making- don't tell them because it takes awhile in the dehydrator, just say "A SURPRISE!") and then you just let it sit in the dehydrator- it really doesn't get any easier!

Ingredients:
4 Large Organic Apples (6 if Small)
1 Cup Organic Strawberries (I unthawed frozen ones)

Directions: Peel apples, and core with apple corer.
Toss them in a pot with a little water in the bottom, bring to a light boil. Once they are soft, mash them and stir or just dump in the blender with the strawberries. Blend until liquified.
Wipe a light coat of Extra virgin olive oil on the fruit roll up sheet that comes with your dehydrator.

Slowly pour onto the dehydrator's solid fruit roll sheet. Spread evenly. Turn on and let dry for around 12-15 hours. Test it to make sure it's done, peel it off and cut into serving sizes!

So why do I take the time to make these while they are already packaged and readily available?
I dislike buying products that are chalked full of preservatives, color dyes, and have no nutrients! The additives put into processed foods to make them look and taste better include unhealthy amounts of extra salt, fat, and sugar—and those are the ingredients you can pronounce.  They hurt our children and cause them to be addicted to sugar, just as it does to us! These additives and fake sugars hold a high price over you or your children's heads.  With increased food allergies, cancers, diseases, increased wasitlines, and decreased absorption of vitmains and minerals- mainly steming from what we eat, it is time to take a step back and look at what we are putting in our bodies!
Kids LOVE these kinds of snacks plus many  more! The sad thing is almost every snack product is FULL of these harmful substances and we have NO idea they are in there! I am doing my best to eliminate the junk from their DAILY meals!  Here is a list of ingredients to avoid when purchasing snacks for yourself or your  children!
- Saccharin (Sweet’N Low)- NutraSweet (Equal/Aspartame/Spoonful)
- Refined Sugar
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG )
- Artificial Colors
- Sodium Nitrate and Nitrite
- Olestra (Olean)- Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil- Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
If the list of ingredients on the package is long, there's probably a lot of chemical additives in the product, and it is best to steer clear because of the unknown health effects, especially of them combined together!

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Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips

Mommy and kid approved recipe!  Once you pop, you can't stop! ;)  I was craving something sweet today but I didn't want to blow my whole day of healthy eating. So what do I do on this rainy day? I make apple chips of course!

The preparation is simple and quick, but it takes awhile to bake- Low & Slow! Let me give you a warning, the aroma of baked apple pie was filling my house for hours and I wanted to snatch them out of the oven to scarf them down, haha!

                                   All you need is a few items to get started:                                  

Apples

Cinnamon

Sugar (Optional)

Mandolin

Silicone Baking Sheet Or Non Stick 

Directions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Cut the top of the apple off near the stem. Flip it over and use the mandolin to slice the thinnest apple slices possible. This way they aren't soggy, and they get crunchy when baking.  Lay the apple slices out on the pans in a single layer.  I mixed cinnamon and a pinch of sugar together, and sprinkle the apple slices.  Put them in the oven for one hour....

After the first hour, I flipped the chips and put them back in for an hour and a half. If you used a baking stone you could probably get away with not flipping them.  I took a little peak at this point- they looked good so I turned off the oven and let them sit in there for another hour.... Pulled them out and after about 2 minutes they were crunchy cinnamon sugar apple chips-A Delicious treat!  

ENJOY!  
~Amanda~

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Crock Pot Mexican Chicken Soup

I Love an easy, healthy crock pot dinner with flavors that taste like taco night! If you like a little more spice in your life, it is easy to doctor up, but I keep it on the mild side for the kids!
I like to call this little creation 'mexican soup' and Mmmmmm... I just ate this for dinner and my mouth is already watering for more!  Everyone in the family loves this fiesta in a bowl! Enjoy!!

Always use organic ingredients if they are available, and Double the batch if you are feeding more than 4.

3 Chicken Breasts (Or 4 Boneless thighs)
1 Cup finely chopped onion
16 ounces fat free chicken broth
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes with mexican seasonings with green chiles (some brands have mild/hot)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Cup Corn
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
4 ounces chopped green chiles (for extra spice)

Toppings: Vegan Sour Cream, avocado, shredded cheese, cilantro, tortilla strips/homemade chips to dips.

Cook on HIGH for 3-4 Hours/LOW 6 Hours. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon, shred/chop chicken and return to slow cooker! Stir and then serve in bowls with toppings!

 ENJOY!
~Amanda~

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ChaLean Extreme Workout Review and My 90 Day Experience

Look no further, here I share the details, and give my personal honest review of my experience with ChaLean Extreme, 90 day home fitness program!

First off, this program was created by Chalene Johnson. It incorporates weight training and cardio in 3 different 30 day phases; Burn, Push and Lean.  Our bodies burn fat when we build muscle, then we push into strength and intense cardio, and last we lean out in the third phase melting off more fat and challenging our muscles in new ways.

Now don’t get scared away ladies, because I did say weight training, have NO WORRIES!!  Chalene has instructional videos and a guide book to ensure that you will master every movement all while offering detailed instructions during the videos.  I was VERY inexperienced with weight lifting before this video, and I had no trouble catching on.  If you feel you aren't ready for weights, there is also the instructional option of using a band for modified movements! 

Check out this quick video to get the down low on the basics of the program!


When I started this program I hadn't worked out in around two years.  I was sleep deprived half of the time from my youngest son, while running a household, so don't be discouraged if you feel you don't have the time or energy- YOU DO!  

I purchased the Challenge Pack which came with Shakeology, to help my muscles and body recover along with curbing my cravings and aid in many health benefits.
So this is what I received:

30 Day Supply of Shakeology
15 Workouts on 6 Dvd’s (Plus I scored a BONUS WORKOUT DVD):
·  01 Burn Basics and Band Basics

·  02 Phase 1: Burn

·  03 Phase 2: Push
·  04 Phase 3: Lean

·  05 Extreme Cardio

·  06 Core Power

Fat-Burning Food Guide. Learn what to eat in each phase to maximize fat burning.

Muscle Burns Fat Guidebook. Workout calendars show you which workout to do each day. You also get help deciding how much resistance to use.

Body Fat Tester. Measure your body fat at each stage to see how much you lose.

Healthy Eats and Kitchen Makeover DVDs. Chalene shares her personal recipes and nutrition tips to help your entire family eat healthfully.

Thigh Toner Band. Add extra resistance to your lower-body training.

Pro-Grade Resistance Band.*** Burn fat and tone muscle faster.

Extreme Motivation Audio CD. Chalene's personal message to help you get pumped for your workouts.

Online Support. Get access to fitness experts, peer support, and extra motivation.

The great thing about this program is you work out five days a week with two rest days!  The workouts range from 30-55 minutes, three days of weight training and two days of cardio, combined with an ab and stretch video you do NOT want to miss!

To be 100% honest, I started Week 1 with the resistance band and Week 2 is when I began with 3 lb, 5 lb, and 8 lb free weights.  At the end of each workout if the weights were too easy to lift when I reached my last rep I would simply up the weight at least 1.5 lbs for the next week. There were days I was sore, tired and felt like I couldn't make it but I pushed through and noticed the stonger I got, the easier my cardio was and better I felt all day long!
    
Nutrition plays a HUGE part in your results combined with the workouts.  The meal guide was not intimidating at all. It comes with the program and has very normal healthy meals to choose to prepare. Back then, I was NOT a clean eating foodie yet. I literally don't even think I knew what that meant!
Once I organized my meal plan they were very easy to prepare, eat and tasted delicious!  I combined those with chocolate Shakeology one time a day to beat my sweets cravings and I was full and satisfied every day.  

I have to warn you, my core had no stability at all, my balance was horrific, and I was weak when I started the Burn Phase. What kept me going was the feeling of empowerment I received from accomplishing the workouts and proving to myself I CAN do this!  An added bonus to losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle is the confidence and self respect you build for yourself seeing YOU excel and meet goals you really weren't sure would happen! Yes there were days I wanted to give up, but I kept motivational quotes in front of me, goal pictures, and the women in my online challenge group helped me stay motivated when self doubt tried to show it's ugly face!

   

I really enjoyed this program! Chalene is very encouraging but not wasting any time during the workouts and you can modify every move!  If you commit and stick to this program I guarantee you will see results! I lost 10 pounds in my FIRST 30 Days! Go to my "Transformations Page" to see my results!

If you have any quesetions Post Below or find me on Facebook! ~Amanda~

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Delicious Chicken Fajitas & Guacamole

 I LOVE "mexican food" and flavors and I can NOT live without it, so I had to find ways to make it healthy! NO more crazy cravings and over indulgences here...this is my favorite recipe for fajitas and guacamole. Before I dish out the goods, let's talk toppings first...

Rules I follow: Nix the sour cream, just a sprinkle of cheese, lots of veggies, lettuce, guacamole for creaminess, home made salsa or hot sauce, and an organic corn tortilla or high fiber tortilla. Layer on the rest and you are in heaven.

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Chopped Cilantro
2 medium garlic cloves, pressed or chopped
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

Juice of 1 medium Lime (About 2 Tblspns)
3 Tblspns olive oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)

Kosher salt
Ground Pepper
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
Onion
Mushrooms (Optional)
Romaine Lettuce, Chopped

Directions:
Place the cilantro, garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, lime juice, and 2 Tblspns of the the oil in a shallow baking dish and whisk to combine. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the marinade. Marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 24 hours (refrigerate).
Heat a large skillet on Med-High and add chicken until fully cooked.

Slice peppers, onion and mushrooms and drizzle the remaining olive oil on them and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sautee in a separate skillet over medium heat until you reach desired tenderness.

Guacamole - My weakness! Has a lil' kick to it!

3 Avocados

1 Lime, Juiced (2 Tblspns)

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper                            

1/2 medium onion                                                                                                           

2 Tblspns chopped cilantro
1 Clove Garlic

1 Roma Tomato, diced (optional)
Jalapeno, diced (optional)

I put guac in my taco, but if you want to dip,
here's a healthy alternative to fried chips!

Brush your tortilla's lightly with olive oil,sprinkle with kosher salt. Stack on a cutting board and cut into triangles.Bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 min, or until desired crispiness. 

ENJOY!
~Amanda~

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5 Steps to Get Started with a Healthy Lifestyle!

             I thought I’d start with some basics since this is my first post! 

As I mentioned in "My Story” tab, I used to be a chip-aholic/junk food junkie, in my not too distant past… Using sugar as energy, which was causing me to gain weight and lack REAL energy! So here are 5 principles I do not waiver on and neither should you!

1.  Drink Water instead of Soda or Sugary Drinks!
      Our bodies depend on water and every cell, tissue and organ depends upon water to operate efficiently. Adding lemons, limes or other fruits is a great way to add some flavor!

2.  Replace sweets with fruits! When I eat berries instead it helps to satisfy my sweet tooth! Take a smaller step, try to replace sweets all week except 1-2 times with berries.

3.  Eat a handful of unsalted peanuts or raw almonds in place of chips!                                                                                 
This will help to satisfy that crunch! I love having almonds as
my afternoon snack, especially with some strawberries!

4.  Eat 3 nutritious meals a day, although I prefer 5 to 6 small meals!
 I tend to eat healthier when I do this because my blood sugar levels don’t plunge and give me crazy cravings. Eat WHOLE foods! Lean protein, beans and legumes, lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts, healthy oils and some whole grains.

5.  ELIMINATE Processed Foods!  “If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it!” 
Avoid these foods/preservatives/ingredients at all costs: High Fructose Corn Syrup,Trans Fats, Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet’N Low), sucralose (Splenda), acesulfame-K (Sunette, Sweet-n-Safe, Sweet One). Also artificial colors and sugar laden foods! 
      
      It can be such an overwhelming process to think you have to give up everything you are used to eating or drinking all at once!  I would like to pretend that I eat perfectly healthy, out of my fairy tale garden all of the time but that just isn’t so.  I aim to eat as healthy as possible following the “eat clean” standards, with a balance of normal every day foods that my whole family can enjoy! 

I didn't start eating clean right away, I started with small changes and learned to make every day food choices healthier first! You can do it just get started! Check back in for some of my favorite recipes I will be posting very soon!
 
**If you feel like you can’t apply all five of these suggestions at once, try one a week and keep adding a new tip every week after!  

Eating Healthy & Exercising is a LIFESTYLE, not a temporary thing! 

If you have any questions- Post Below or Connect with me on Facebook!  

~Amanda~

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