Delicious Veggie Lasagna

Last week,  I made this Veggie lasagna for the hubs and I! It was really filling (flyboy didn't even miss his meat) and we had leftovers for days!

If you want to make the recipe, check it out here at recipe.com.
I did make a few changes to recipe, which are:

• I used premade red sauce, instead of making white. 
•        (My favorite brand is Muir Glen Organic in either Cabarnet Marinara or Tomato Basil)
• I couldn't find any mushrooms, so I doubled the carrots.
• Instead of cutting the carrots, buy a bag of matchstick carrots, they work perfectly
• Also, since I had premade sauce, I used no boil lasagna noodles and made sure to have enough sauce to get the noodles nice and moist.

This was a fantastic recipe, with a surprisingly small amount of cheese (perfect for those of us trying to eat healthy)!!

Enjoy! I'm headed back to make some Green Lemonade and get ready for my day!

Making a Manifesto with Tone It Up

Last week, Tone It Up encouraged the TIU community to design their own manifesto. This manifesto is supposed to help set an intention for daily achievement. It's a reminder to be purposeful.

I'm remembering to look to the future with hope!

Do you have a manifesto or a thought that helps you start your day?

Ch-ch-ch-ch-CHIA!

Since I got back in town, I decided to try out a new fitness craze - chia seeds. Every so often a food comes along (i.e. kale, quinoa, flax seeds, pomegranate juice, sweet potatoes) and is reintroduced and celebrated for its remarkable nutrition. Chia seeds are the new flax and boy are they fantastic!!

I got mine from  Trader Joe's

photo courtesy of the TJ's blog

According to the Tone It Up website Chia seeds have a lot going for them:

"Omega 3 fatty acids - Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids, meaning that you need to get from food sources because your body cannot produce them itself. Omega 3′s reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. They’re also said to help with weight reduction related to their regulation of blood sugar levels and insulin.

• Plant-based protein - Protein is an essential macronutrient needed for many functions in the body, including muscle building.
• Antioxidants - Antioxidants help rid our body of free radicals, which have been linked to cancer and heart disease.

• Fiber – Helps with weight loss by keeping you feeling full, prevents constipation and enhances regularity.
• Magnesium and Potassium – Two minerals needed for good health"

To read more go here.

Tone It Up suggests Chia Breakfast Pudding and Chia Fresca (a chilled drink). You can get both of those recipes here.

They tasted even better than they look! You should try out some Chia seeds!

Green Lemonade For Breakfast

When I ran the Color Run (to see sweet pics from that, go here) I got a free Competitor magazine. Inside along with awesome running advice and a piece on Olympic runner, Allyson Felix, there were some interesting recipes I wanted to try.

My first adventure was the Green Lemonade. I had to change a few things since I did not have Amazing Grass Berry Green Super Food, but I thought my newest breakfast addition turned out great.

Green Lemonade
Ingredients:
12 oz lemonade ( I didn't have lemonade, so I mixed a lot of lemon juice in with 12 oz of water and then added some trivia to the whole thing after blending)
1/2 c. frozen strawberries
1/2 c. frozen mangos
1 large handful fresh spinach
truvia to taste
*1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
*1 tsp green tea powder

Method:
Blend all the ingredients in a blender and drink while still cool!

Enjoy!!!

Pre Blending

Post blending - it tastes good, I promise!!!!

*my substitute for the Amazing Grass stuff - if you have it, feel no need to add these

Tropical Baked Oatmeal

So the other day I mentioned I had been craving a few random ingredients. I changed up a recipe I used to make all the time at a Cafe I worked at and it turned out great. I thought this was a great food to infuse some tropical flavor in those last dark days of winter/early spring!

Enjoy this HEALTHY breakfast that you can reheat and eat all week!

Tropical Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:
2 c. non fat milk
4 c. water
3 c. oats (maybe a little extra depending on how thick/thin you like your oatmeal)
2 bananas - peeled and sliced into small rounds
5 or 6 oz coconut shavings
1/4 c. dried cranberries
Spices of your choice - I used:
cardamom
ginger
cloves
Sweetener of your choice - I used:
3 tbsp brown sugar
drizzled agave nectar

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use non stick cooking and spray and spray an oven safe 8x8 baking dish.

Bring water and milk to boil in a large pot on the stove (all the oatmeal is going in here, so make sure there's enough space).

When it comes to a boil, add oatmeal and cook like you would normal oatmeal. I added a little more oats because I didn't' want my baked oatmeal to be too liquidy. When the oatmeal is almost done, add spices, sweetener, coconut, and cranberries. Stir until mixed well. Taste to make sure it is seasoned and sweetened to your liking.

Pour half of the oatmeal mix into the 8x8 pan, then make a layer using all the sliced bananas. Cover bananas with other half of the oatmeal mix.

I topped my oatmeal with a little extra coconut and some sliced almonds.

Bake 25-30 minutes until oatmeal doesn't wiggle all over if you jiggle the pyrex from side to side.

Serve warm with a little milk over the top.

Also, feel free to substitute your favorite oatmeal ingredients for the coconut, banana, cranberries, and spices. Just bake it up and it will taste great!

Top 10 Workout Must Haves

Life has sure been busy with school, home, and life. I'm so happy I've gotten into a workout routine where I am working out everyday! It gives me so much energy and it makes me feel really great. Since I spend a decent amount of time working out and in workout gear, I thought I'd share My Top 10 Workout Must Have's:

1. ON Women's Active Sports Bra   2. Tall Running Tights  3. Saucony Women's ProGrid Omni 9 Running Shoe

4. Aveeno Face Continuous Protection Sunscreen  5. A Music Playing Device w/Arm Band  6. Yoga Mat

7. Handweights   8. Workout Capris & Trusty Baseball Cap  9. Sweet Workout Tunes  10.  Workout Resources 


These are what I use on a daily basis. I run, get some other cardio in, and do a lot of strength training.

My favorite product out of all of these are my AMAZING running shoes. I get plantar fasciitis, which is basically when the muscles under your heel get too stressed and have little rips that are really painful. So, to counter this, I need tons of heel padding and support. I have not had a reoccurrence since I switched to my Saucony's!

Tone It Up is definitely right behind my shoes. The awesome ladies over there put out great workouts, know how to motivate people, and provide a great community to get workout support from. It's free and if you're looking for a new kind of working out to get you motivated, TIU is a great place to get started. Go here to check it out.

What are your workout must haves????

Cobbler - The Healthy Way

Since I began my quest to eat healthy, I have been LOVING my Rocco DiSpirito, "Now Eat This" cook book. All of the dinner, lunch, breakfast, and snack recipes have been amazing! So filling and so healthy. The desserts have been hit or miss for me. The cobbler, with a few tweaks is now a favorite. I thought I'd share it with you guys!

Healthy Cobbler
Ingredients:
5 Golden delicious apples - peeled, cored, and cut into large slices
1 lemon
1 tbsp cornstarch
1" Ginger root
2 tbsp Cinnamon
1/4 c Dried cranberries
1/4 c Agave nectar
3/4 c Whole Wheat baking mix
1/4 c Fat Free milk
2 tbsp turbinado sugar

Method:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a bowl, mix apples, juice of one lemon, cornstarch, 1 tbsp cinnamon, cranberries, and agave. Also grate, using a zester, the 1/2" of ginger into the bowl. Put mixture in pre greased baking sheet.

Using the same bowl (which is now empty), combine baking mix, as much of the remaining ginger (zested) as you'd like, 1 tbsp cinnamon, and milk. Stir until the mixture is well mixed. It should be the consistency of biscuit dough.  Add more milk if necessary. Drop spoonfuls of dough evenly over the fruit. Sprinkle sugar over the dough.

Bake the cobbler until the fruit is tender and the biscuit topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let the cobbler rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Health Facts per serving:
165 calories
1 g fat,
0 mg cholesterol
126 mg sodium
40 g carbohydrate
2 g fiber
1 g protein

For my Weight Watcher friends, 1 serving is 5 points :D

This should serve 8 people. If you'd like to save an additional 23 calories a serving, omit the cranberries and turbinado sugar.

Yum!

Also, if you are looking for an awesome workout, you should check out the Tone It Up Fall Challenge. It's a great way to keep up the motivation! I am loving it and so is Allie over at Teaspoon of Life!

Remember, now that fall is approaching and it's cooling down out there, our furry children love to stay healthy, too! So make sure they're getting outdoor time and exercise (Mack wanted to make sure to get that plug in since our outdoor running has started again).