Everyday Essentials

I have been on this healthy living journey for just about a year now however it wasn't until recently that I have perfected my weekly shopping trip. I tend to make the same things week in and week out. I have meals that I rotate in occasionally but I have found my favorites and they are usually the ones that are quite easy to make. Now even though you may not make the same meals as I do, I have found that the items I purchase are very versatile but all essential to have in my kitchen. I used to go shopping every two weeks or so, basically because I do not enjoy doing it what-so-ever, but I realized that food goes to waste and/or I run out of my fresh fruits and veggies and my week two of food is  not quite as good as week one. So now I shop about once a week, and I would like to share with you my key ingredients and tips that I have learned make everything just a little bit easier.

1. Plan out your meals for the week and make a grocery list for ONLY those items before you go to the store. This way you know if you need (4 peppers or 6 avocados); be specific so you don't have to run to the store again or get too much and let food go bad.

2. When you're at the store, all the items on your list should be found on the outside aisles. There are the occasional buys like Peanut Butter or Coffee or Quinoa that are the inner isles but if it isn't fresh or frozen you probably shouldn't be buying it.

3. Create a routine. Now this will obviously take a couple trips to figure out but if you grow accustom to going on the same "path" and buying the same food then you won't have to worry about straying down other isles buying cookies and chips.

4. NEVER EVER EVER EVER go shopping when you are hungry. Plan your shopping trip. Take your list. and if you have to eat a snack before you go. Impulsive buying is almost never a good thing.

5. If you are feeling extra motivated and focused [and this happens rarely for me] check to see the deals of the week at your local store. I shop at Kroger and have their app for my phone so occasionally I will remember to look for any good coupons HOWEVER, and this goes with the "don't go hungry rule," just because it is on sale does NOT mean you need to buy it :)

Here are items that once you buy them, they will last you for quite sometime! If you have the option of buying them from Costco or Sam's Club, they will be in larger quantity for a great price!
- Stevia/truvia
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Honey
- Quinoa
- Almonds/Walnuts/Cashews
- Naked Smoothies
- Bolthouse juices

And of course your seasonings like:
- sea salt
- cayenne pepper
- garlic seasoning
- onion seasoning
- Mrs. Dash

List of Items I Buy Weekly:
- bananas
- peppers
- avocados [especially when they are in season]
- tomatoes
- cucumber
- peaches [only in season]
- spinach/kale/mixed greens
- frozen veggies
- egg white
- eggs
- Greek yogurt [vanilla and plain]
- frozen fruit [good for smoothies or a snack]
- canned pineapple [so much easier than fresh & cheaper]
- mushrooms
- almond milk [Vanilla is featured but I now buy regular]
- sparkling water [great with frozen fruit & a TSP of stevia]
- peanut butter
- strawberries [usually only when they are in season though]
- grapefruit
- lemons [for water & seasoning & dressing on salads]
- asparagus
- frozen chicken
- ground turkey
- coconut water [Chocolate Zico is my absolute favorite but it is pricey so I settle for this brand & flavor]
- Cliff bars/Luna bars/Larabars/Quest bars

Trader Joe's is great for quality food at a good price. They only sell what is in season! If you noticed I noted which items I don't buy out of season. For one they are incredibly expensive out of season, two they don't taste as good, and three if they aren't in season then in order for them to be made they have to basically be grown in a laboratory.

Now that you have ALL this information, take it and apply it to your own life. Some things will work great for you and others won't. It is all about creating this a lifestyle that is healthy but not impossible. Please let me know if you have any questions about the foods I listed or the tips I suggested or anything at all.

Talk to you soon!

Love your food! Love your body! Love your life!

Cookie Monster

I love cookies. If I could have any dessert, ever, it would have to be chocolate chip oatmeal raisin cookie, which is not a common cookie, but they are super duper delicious! I have experimented with a few different recipes and now that I have changed my eating habits to cleaner foods, I have had to get creative in the kitchen. A lot of the healthy recipes include mashing up a banana but mine aren't ripe yet, so I took my favorite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe from Smitten Kitten and substituted in healthy alternatives. This is what I have created and if I do say so myself, it is quite delicious! My revision is not 100% clean but pretty close!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-natural applesauce
2/3 cup unpacked light-brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 rounded-scoops Perfect Fit Protein
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cups coconut flakes

First mix the applesauce, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract together. In a separate bowl combine, Perfect Fit, baking soda, and sea salt. Next mix the wet consistency with the dry. Last add-in oats, chocolate chips, and coconut flakes. Now pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and stick your cookie dough in the refrigerator until oven is hot. Spray the cookie sheet with non-stick spray and place the dough 2-inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool and then enjoy!

February. The Month of Loving Yourself.

     Girls. We are emotional, dramatic, catty, crazy, bubbly, critics, bitches, best friends, babies, tough, mean, happy, sad, strong, etc. basically every adjective ever created all wrap up into on beautiful body. And while we express all of our crazy,good and bad, onto and with others, we tend to only use the negative words on ourselves. Unfortunately, and I blame society for this, we as females will pick ourselves apart until there is nothing left. I'm sure even the goddesses like Jessica Biel and Jennifer Lawrence [girl crushes] will find something wrong with themselves and I think it is pretty stupid.
     With the Love Your Body challenge, we are of course working on health and fitness but also working on LOVING our bodies, which for some reason is so freaking hard to do. Now I worked hard on toning up my body in January, most days, and I do feel 10x better already, but there are days where I am just not feeling that hot. Last night as I was getting ready for a date with my boyfriend, I of course wanted to get a little dressed up. Its freezing outside so I chose leggings and a sweater dress. My make-up and hair were done and I was standing in the mirror looking at the finished product and all I was thinking is  "I look fat!" Now granted maybe the sweater dress wasn't as flattering as some other options but 10lbs ago I would have thought the same thing and that is just ridiculous. Because even though I am 10lbs lighter I saw the same thing and felt gross. Before I could get all upset and change my clothes, I stopped myself. I thought of Karena & Katrina, about Elle and her sticky notes, and about all the girls I am doing this challenge with. Those thoughts should NOT be crossing my mind, they should not be crossing any of our minds. I am taking care of myself and working out regularly and that alone should boost my confidence levels and besides I did look pretty! My hair was curled. My make-up was done. So I wore the dress. And even though I did not feel super confident at first, I pushed those thoughts away. Sam thought I looked great & I felt great [when I wasn't looking in a mirror] and that is all that mattered!
     It is sad that we have to make a conscious effort to push away those thoughts of negativity and compliment ourselves. I am not saying that you have to become this cocky, self-obsessed person, but no one should put themselves down, especially when we live in a world that will already happily do it for us. The fact of the matter is, we each have features that are unique and we should love them and embrace them.
At the beginning of this challenge, K&K wanted us to write down "5 Things You Love About Yourself" and if you are reading this now I encourage you to do the same. It can be anything! Body, Mind, or Soul. Make a conscious effort to notice those beautiful things about yourself! and after you make your list, check out one of my TIU sisters, Elle's video [HERE] about positive self-talk and her sticky-note challenge! Making that conscious effort to love on yourself will make the biggest difference in your life. Some days it may be harder than others but you are worth it and you are amazing and you are beautiful and it is about time YOU started realizing that!

Here is the 5 Things I Love About My Body that I posted on January 1st of this year!

 And this photo is at the bottom of the Love Your Workouts section in the ToneItUp! app. A beautiful reminder everyday!

Thanks for reading!

Reward System

Everyone knows what the reward system is. We go through elementary school getting stickers and stars and in one particular case, Dalmatian spots [Mrs. Twigg's class anyone ;)] for doing well. As we grow up, we don't always get that constant recognition and reward for doing well, it is simply just expected of us. Now I know anyone who has ever tried to lose weight and get fit has seen the quote, "Don't reward yourself with food, you're a not a dog." Well besides the fact that it is true, we are not dogs, most of us anyway ;), it also points out a valid fact that many of us treat ourselves with treats. Which doesn't make any sense really because we usually busted our butt to achieve whatever goal we had set out to achieve and then we go and ruin it with food that will only make us sleepy and fat. But the fact of the matter is, we like to be rewarded! Plain and simple, anyone who says they don't like to be recognized for their achievements is pretty much a liar pants. One thing that I have realized through this lifestyle change is that there are so many OTHER ways you can reward yourself.

Perfect Fit by Tone It Up has a new app where you can upload photos of yourself to track the progress you have made over your fitness journey. Part of the app is being able to check off whether you worked out and ate well that day. This is not an online thing, no one can see the results unless you post it, but I get pretty darn excited when I get to see that little apple (for meals) and runner (for exercise) pop up on the date. And I don't cheat myself. If I have 1 cookie, then I don't get the apple, and knowing that I am not going to reward myself unless I do well prevents me from having those slip-ups. For example, yesterday was Humps Day 2-a-days. I did two toning routines 3 times through each and then I did a cardio circuit with 10 minutes of toning at the end. I ate all my meals with no cheats and then after dinner [my weakest moments] I really wanted to put some break-n-bake cookies in the oven. I even thought to myself, I worked my butt off today, I burned close to 750 calories, I can totally have a few cookies, but then I stopped and realized what a waste that would be. I am working out to look better, to become more toned, and feel comfortable when bathing suit season rolls around! This is not a maintenance plan PLUS if I eat those cookies I don't get my apple sticker! and I EARNED those stickers today. So I made myself a cup of Sleepytime tea later to hold me over for the night and I was just as proud of resisting that temptation as I was of the work I had put in earlier that day.

In past years, I have tried to get in shape and eat "healthy" in order to look good on Spring Break but now that I have graduated college I don't know if I will be going anywhere when that week in March rolls around. Which stinks because I really want to show off the hard work I have been putting in and it would be the perfect reward to transition into my maintenance phase. But since a trip is not likely, I have instead decided to reward myself with a Maaji bathing suit. They are sexy and fun and honestly run in smaller sizes which is kind of a perfect temptation for me. I know that I can't quit or slack off because if I do I won't be able to order the bathing suit I want because I won't be able to fit into it lol.

The Love Your Body challenge is all about loving your body [shocking I know] but because we all have different body types, it is ridiculous to try and compare ourselves to others, which so many people do. Instead I am going to set my goals according to what my body can achieve. And if I don't quite get to that toned size I want, I will just find another perfect bathing suit to reward myself because lets face it, girls love pretty things, they love to wear those pretty things, and they love to look pretty wearing those pretty things. Boosting my confidence is a goal that I can achieve and that will be rewarded with something besides food that will just diminish my glow of confidence. 

Pushing Limits

Over the past few days I have set new personal records for myself. I have achieved goals that I thought would take me a few more weeks. I have pushed through the uncomfortable and raised the bar for myself.

Yesterday's Love Your Body challenge was Sunday Runday, complete a 5K. I first went on a hike because of the warm weather we were having and I logged 2 miles. The requirements of the TIU 5K are to get it done, anyway you can, so technically I only had to add on another mile to complete the challenge, but I wanted to do more. When we got back from hiking I knew that if I didn't go run right away I wouldn't do it! So I changed my shoes, grabbed my headphones, and headed to the gym. On Saturday I ran a mile and a half, so I told myself that I had to at least run that far, see how my body is feeling, and then push. I stretched for a minute, did a 2 and 1/2 minute walking warm-up [.15 miles] and then set my pace at a 6.0 jog. Sidenote: I have the Nike+ app which I love! One of the downfalls of treadmills is that even though it is set at a certain pace, it does not necessarily mean that is the pace of the runner. In my case, the treadmill had me at 10 minute mile when in reality I was running about a 9 minute mile. My iPhone was on shuffle and I started with "22" by Taylor Swift. I really like that song and I realized it is a good song for keeping pace so I listened to it 9 or 10 times in order to complete my run lol. I didn't want to stop and fix the playlist so every time the song was over I would open my phone and start it over =) I just kept running. I was pretty relaxed and actually enjoyed my run. My body wasn't hating me, it was just doing what it was supposed to do. Plus I had a TV on the treadmill that wasn't on and I could see my reflection which helped me keep my shoulders and head relaxed. It wasn't until I hit about 2.25 miles that I started feeling it and had to focus and motivate myself to get it done. The last 1/4 of a mile I kicked my pace up. Eventually I would like to be able to completely sprint that last part but I only sprinted the last .10 of my 3.1 miles. But I finished! No walking! It was such an empowering feeling and I was so proud of myself. I have never been able to just enjoy running and push through for that length of time. 

Today I am letting my legs recover because even though it was just a 5K it was a big distance for me, but I am excited for my next long run. Now only if I lived near the beach so I could run on the boardwalk with an ocean view instead of on Kennesaw sidewalks ;) My other PR that I set was a 2 minute plank on Friday. Setting new plank times is one of my goals for 2013 and honestly I haven't been working on it that much. One of my #TIUsisters Erin M. can do a 10 minute plank which is beyond amazing! Right now my goal is to get to a 5 minute one. I need to focus and get a bunch of 2 minutes under my belt, then start increasing, but I am excited to do it!

I feel so accomplished and I am really proud of everything I have achieved and everything I am setting out to achieve this year. I am no longer scared of what I cannot do, I am determined to prove to myself what I can do. I hope that next time you are thinking about quitting and slacking off, you think of how accomplished you will feel when you reach your goal! It is so worth every minute your muscles are aching and your lunges are gasping for air, because the next time it will be a little bit easier. Things only get easier because you get better!

"Change is uncomfortable" - Karena & Katrina

Thanks for reading and I hope that I sparked a fire and motivated you today! You are worth it!

Love your food, love your body, love your life!

Be a Loser! Love Your Body!

The Biggest Loser Season 14 premiered this week and while I have never really watched this show before I am currently addicted to it, which means going back and watching old seasons. I know so many people watch it and wish it could be them! The contestants work with some of the best trainers and nutritionists out there to achieve their goals of shedding so much weight in so little time. There are no secret pills or crash diets, they work hard to burn calories and learn how to make healthy choices. The amount of weight they lose is amazing however not realistic for Joe Smoe sitting on the couching wishing that was him. These people spend HOURS and HOURS just working out when in reality the average person does not have the entire day to spend in a gym. So far I have only watched almost halfway through season 13 and the 2 newest episodes of season 14. I really like how in last season, each week is given an "excuse" for why people don't lose weight; I don't have a gym membership, I don't have time, etc. By creating challenges geared to those excuses the people at home can hopefully retain the fact that even though they can't afford to go to a gym they can still make things happen at home. This season they brought in 3 kids to try and make an impact on childhood obesity. I think this is great! In fact, part of the reason I am going back to grad school is so that I can create a program to implement into middle and high schools [long-term goal for me], teaching kids how to make the right choices so that when they are sent out on their own they can hopefully continue/create a healthy routine in order to have a healthy lifestyle. One of the biggest problems is that obesity is a vicious cycle. The parents are in charge of the kids' food, so if they are eating poorly then the children will grow up with those bad habits and not knowing how to stop it continue to teach it to each generation. I really wish I could stress to every single person eating poorly, even the skinny ones [because their is a difference between being fit/healthy and skinny/fat] how important it is to feed your body good foods and to use it and exercise and burn calories. You don't have to run marathons you just have to MOVE! Knowledge is power!

At one point in my life I weighed close to 180 lbs and now I weigh 146 [but that story is for another day]. What I am trying to say is I have never been as overweight as all of these contestants  but I have been overweight and had to fight my way back to get to where I want to be; I am still fighting. The most important thing that I have learned is that you have to commit to a different lifestyle not just a quick fix.

Okay so I am done with my little rant for now =) Refocusing.....

Today is day 8 of the Tone It Up! Love Your Body challenge and yesterday they challenged us to complete a cardio work-out. When I saw the workout, I was legitimately terrified of doing it which is ridiculous because there was no one there watching me, I could push myself at whatever pace I felt was challenging, and it was just a workout. When I finally convinced myself that I needed to do it I only got halfway through before I had to go attend to my nanny duties. Now the old me would have said, you did 30 minutes it was pretty intense, you don't have to do the rest, but I wanted to! After I got over the fear of doing it and actually started, I wanted to complete it so badly! I didn't care about my mileage or speed, I just wanted to be able to say I finished it. No cheats. No excuses. And I did. It took an hour and I logged 5.5 miles doing it but I felt so accomplished and confident and proud to be able to say that I completed it!

I have talked about this before, but every week I have to plan out my meals to keep me accountable and simply to just make it easier when it comes to getting my food together. Now my plan is really more like a guideline but here is what I have put together for this week, for those who are curious.

Monday
M1: coffee & Larabar
M2: BC Buzz [smoothie]
W/O: Crush Cardio
M3: Chicken wrap
M4: broccoli & hummus
M5: pizza [cheat meal]
PM W/O: Long&Lean

Tuesday
M1: coffee, banana & Luna protein bar
Bombshell spell
M2: Green Tea Kombucha with veggies & hummus
M3: Gardein Chick on romain lettuce, cheese, and boiled egg
Hot Raspberry Tea
M4: BC Buzz
PM W/O: Love Your Body & Surfer Girl
M5: Spicy Chili

Wednesday [Humps Day]
M1: BC Buzz
W/O: Secret Admirer
M2: Bombshell Spell, Grapefruit, & 1 slice Whole Wheat PB toast
M3: Boca Burger Spicy Chicken w/ lettuce, tomato avocado [no bun]
W/O: Malibooty
M4: hummus & veggies
M5: Mahi Mahi, Aspargus, lentils

Thursday [arms]
M1: oatmeal cookie smoothie
M2: apple w/ PB
M3: quinoa & chicken wrap
Hot Raspberry Tea
PM W/O: Bikini Strap & Summer Arms
M4: Larabar & Green Tea Kombucha
M5: Chicken, veggies, quinoa


Friday [abs]
M1: Luna Protein bar
W/O: Cupids Cardio
M2: Bombshell Spell, Banana Protein Pancake
M3: PBJ wrap
PM W/O: Sunkissed Abs, Bikini Abs
M4: Smoothie
M5: Chicken & Hearty Medley


Being healthy is about what you put in your body and how you use your body! Plan for success! Thanks for reading! Hope I inspired you even just a little bit!

Love your food, love your body, love your life!

Love Your Body

     First off, if you haven't heard me talk about TIU yet, you must not be paying attention ;) but if you have and are wondering what the heck, then here is a quick little infomercial! Tone It Up! was created by Karena & Katrina who are certified and stunning! Their program is a 2-part program that combines eating lean, clean, & green with cardio & toning moves. TIU is not a quick fix diet scheme, it is a lifestyle change. Check out their website www.toneitup.com to learn more about their nutrition plan, fitness routines, the community, and more.
     Today is Day 3 of the Tone It Up Love Your Body challenge! I have been anxiously awaiting this challenge for weeks now. Love Your Body is a 6-week challenge from 01/01 to 02/14. I am also starting the new year off with the 5-day Slim Down [all part of TIU]. Today is the first day that I feel fully committed and re-energized. Tuesday I got my workout in & part of my 5DSD but then I got sick so my eating was off and then yesterday my stomach was still being weird; I stayed on track with my meals but not exercise. Today however I set my alarm and got up early before work to do my cardio. I usually like to do my toning and cardio together but ran out of time [I am super slow moving in the AM]. I feel good though knowing that part of my workout is already done!
     Here is a little break-down of my morning so far and how the rest of the day will unfold. Got out of bed at 7:30, brushed my teeth & made a slice of PB toast. I only ate half so I would have a little something on my stomach and then headed to the gym at my apt complex. I knocked out 16 minutes on the treadmill & then 16 minutes on the elliptical as part of the Secret Admirer cardio. Went back to my apt hopped in the shower [one day I will have enough time to shave my legs -___- #wintergirlproblems] got dressed ate the rest of my toast & made a protein shake with Perfect Fit protein, water, & chocolate almond milk. Drove to work =) I have to plan out my meals for the week in order to help me stay on track plus it makes it easier so I don't have to think about what I have to make. I always vary from what I wrote down but I like having a guideline everyday. So the plan for today is...
M1: toast w/ PB & protein shake
M2: Larabar & orange
Tankini: fresh lemon/lime water
M3: Chicken wrap w/ wasabi & romaine lettuce
Tankini: fresh lemon/lime water
M4: Green Smoothie
M5: Quinoa, mushroom, & turkey stuffed peppers
Sleepytime Green Tea before bed

I just filmed my first check-in video and it is up on YouTube. Check it out HERE! Trying to stay accountable in every way possible! If you would like to follow me:

Instagram: ashleynicole08
Twitter: ashley34_TIU [for TIU purposes only]
TIU Community: Ashley Lamb
Blog: www.ashleynicolelife.blogspot.com
YouTube

Thanks for reading! Talk to you soon!

Love your food, love your body, love your life!

Welcoming the New Year

     Every year on December 31st, we all gather together with friends or family to celebrate the coming of a new year. There are drinks and snacks and games and hats. We all make our annual resolutions to be a better person, a healthier person, a more accomplished person. Every year we get the chance to start new. The irony, for lack of a better word, is that it really is just another day. Yes we now have to write 2013 instead of 2012 and we have to wait a whole year for Christmas to come again, but really it is no different than the 3rd turning into the 4th or August turning into September. And even though it is just another day, it is a new start for so many of us. The idea that we get a clean slate, a brand new year, to make the best of, is very liberating; it is as if what we did last year no longer matters. However last year brought us to the place we are now, whether good or bad, it led us to this moment where we make our resolutions based on what 2012 gave us, it is now our benchmark for improvement or achievement.
     This upcoming year will probably be the hardest, most terrifying, most exciting, most everything year for me. This spring I will find out whether or not I am accepted into the University of Georgia or the University of North Carolina so I can pursue my masters degree in Public Health. If I get into at least one school that means I am moving there over the summer. Moving by myself to a brand new place after I have spent the last 5 years in Kennesaw with school, friends, jobs, and my boyfriend. Sam and I will have lived together for close to 2 years and we were only 30 minutes away before that. I could be moving anywhere from an hour and a half to 6 hours away from him. And on top of that, he does not know where he will be next fall either so it could be even farther. I am excited to take the next steps in my career, but it is incredibly terrifying knowing that I will not have my best friend to come home to every night. Long distance relationships suck, for me at least, but I know that God would not challenge me with anything I could not handle.
     With that being said, one of my New Year's Resolutions, really an every day resolution but for the purpose of this story, I want to continue to grow my relationship with Jesus Christ my Savior. It is really hard for me to rely on anyone because I am so independent so this is especially hard for me to completely let go and not be in control. I know that if I don't work extra hard on that this year however, it will be an incredible struggle for me to survive it.
     Another goal of mine is to be healthy and tone up my body. With the help of Tone It Up and their community, I have already made progress eating better and losing some extra fat on my body, but I don't want to just be skinny I want to look good naked!! Today I am starting their Love Your Body series and since it is a new year, I took pictures and measurements to track my progress. After the series is over, I will post my before and after pictures and measurements to hold myself accountable and so I can see how much I have improved.
     My final goal, for now, is to blog at least once a week. I want to post my Love Your Body progress along with meals I have been making and projects I have been working on. I am really bad at remembering to write everything down, but I want to make sure I am held accountable. I also want to be able to look back, remember, and enjoy this year. Pictures and words will always last!
     I have learned so much in this past year. There have been MANY ups and downs but just like any year it only lasts for 365 days and then we get a new one to completely mess up all over again. I know there is a lot of babble in this post but I just felt like talking. Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and happy new year!

Love your food, love your body, love your life!

Ashley

Spicy Homemade Hummus

First let me start by saying that I love hummus. I used think it was weird and then one day I tried it and WOWZA! However, I am very cheap when it comes to buying my food. For the most part I buy good, clean, healthy food but my store of choice is Kroger and occasionally Publix depending on their deals. One day I hope to have enough money to shop at Whole Foods on the reg but until that day I will continue with my bargain shopping. Now with that being said, hummus is relatively pricey to me especially considering a little tub won't even last me a week. I did a little googling and decided that I will just make my own hummus since I can get chick peas for something like 3 for $2 at Kroger. So here is what I have just thrown together. I will add that I don't use exact measurements in my cooking. Once I learn how to make something, I basically just add until it is satisfactory.

Ingredients:
1 16oz can of chickpeas
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP Red Pepper Seasoning
1 TBSP chili powder 
1 lemon squeezed
1/4 cup water or juice from chickpeas
1 TBSP of All-Natural Peanut Butter or tahini 
Tabasco sauce (roughly 10 to 12 shakes to your liking)

Note: You can substitute the garlic powder, red pepper seasoning, and chili powder for the real thing, I just didn't have any on hand, plus this is quicker. Also if you have tahini great, I never buy it and I've found that Peanut Butter does just as great and you can't really taste it.

Directions:

First, drain the chick peas. You can either keep the juice or dump it and substitute water later. Add them into a food processor. Add your juice or water. Depending on the size of your food processor, you can add the rest of the ingredients now or wait and just hand stir them in. I had a small food processor available so I did it in 2 parts. Blend the chick peas until they are in a paste-y  consistency. Now add the seasonings, saving the peanut butter and Tabasco for last. I like to save them so the seasonings are well-blended first. Add the peanut butter or tahini, make sure you mix it in well, you don't want to find a chunk folded up somewhere. Lastly add as much Tabasco as you would like, making sure to stir it and check half-way through to make sure it isn't too spicy for you!

Obviously I chose to make a spicy hummus, but you can make whatever variety you want. Just make sure to keep the core ingredients: chick peas, lemon juice, PB/tahini, sea salt, and ground pepper.

I hope you enjoy and thanks for checking out my blog! Please let me know how you make your hummus and if I should try anything different!

Love you food, love your body, love your life!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Hello hello,

I know it has been awhile, but I really wanted to share this recipe that I found and revised for a healthier, happier belly. I have been making lots of banana breads in the past couple months trying to figure out which one I like the best, while eliminating the bad for you ingredients. This is what I have stumbled upon. First off, I used Rachel Ray's Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe as a guideline. If you make her version with no revisions, it is delicious as well!

Here is what you are going to need to make my banana bread.

1/2 to 3/4 cup of all-natural applesauce [until desired consistency]
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of oats
1 scoop Perfect Fit Protein [any rice protein]
1/2 cup of Stevia [OR 1/4 cup Stevia & 2 TBSP organic honey]
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten [OR 1/3 cup egg whites]
3 bananas, mashed (1 cup of mashed bananas)
1 cup of dark chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Grease a 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan (or use baking spray)

In a large bowl whisk flour, oats, protein powder, Stevia, baking soda, and salt together. Mix in the applesauce, bananas, and eggs. Stir in the chocolate chips (do not overmix) and pour into the prepared pan. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the loaf for 10 to 15 minutes, then flip it out of the pan, and cool completely, right side up! Viola!

Please note that I did use flour and chocolate chips which obviously are not "healthy" choices but dark chocolate is good for you in moderation and you are welcome to use any oat flour or flour substitute if you desire. Also I am not an "exact-ingredient-chef" I just use guidelines and then go as I please. I hope you enjoy and share this recipe.

Thank you for reading and I hope to have more over the holidays!

Love your food, love your body, love your life!

DIY: Laundry Bag

I may be the only woman with this problem but my boyfriend will RUIN my clothes. Of course it is not intentional, he really is trying to help, but the poor man only knows one way to wash clothes. Granted the majority of his clothes are shorts, boxers, and t-shirts but even his few nice shirts he just throws in with everything. Unfortunately, I have had to learn the hard way; some of my dresses have now become shirts and a few sweaters have made the ultimate sacrifice. I know even pointing out specifically what needs to be washed separately will not make a difference so instead of multiple fatalities in my closet, I have simply started making a separate pile for these specific clothing items. I have recently been investing in my closet, which means more items that I have to guard closely so I have decided to create a special "hamper" for them. Instead of going out and buying a basket that will just take up more space or a laundry bag that is too big and overpriced, I decided to make one on my own. Seriously took me 5 minutes!! I know we all have random pillow cases laying around so go grab one that you will not miss using along with:

a pair of scissors
medium sized yarn or cord
a safety pin

That's it!

Okay first, you will need to cut 4 holes roughly the size of a dime. The hole size is not crucial. You just need to be able to get your safety pin and yarn in. The holes should be located on the top part of your pillow case on the inner piece of fabric. Make sure that you don't cut through both layers. There will be a hole on each side of the seam, (they will mirror each other). [This picture was taken after the yarn had been threaded.]

Next, tie the loose end of your yard or cord to the closed safety pin. The bigger the safety pin the easier it will be to thread through.

Now we will thread the yarn. This is the hardest part. Stick your safety pin and yarn as far into the hole as you can. Then hold the safety pin and scrunch up the material. Once you have a few inches scrunched together, re-grab the safety pin and pull the scrunched material to the other side of the pin. Continue to do this all the way around the pillow case. Keep in mind that your pin will come out of one of the holes and you will have to move it across the seam into the next hole.

Once you have made a complete circle, untie the yarn from the safety pin and then cut the end attached to the ball of yarn at the desired length. I made mine longer so I could carry it easier if I wanted but if you want your bag to cinch automatically, cut the string so that both ends are barely showing out of the holes. Then tie a double-knot so it won't come undone. Now you can hang those delicates on a hook or shelf out of harm's reach a.k.a boyfriend's destructive but good intentioned actions =)

Yes, that is a pillow pet sitting on my shelf. No judging! His name is Pegasus and he is my travel buddy!

This bag can be used for anything! As long as you chose a pillow case with durable fabric you can put anything from clothes to toys to books in there! This project is kid friendly as well so kids can each make their own just for "their stuff."

Let me know how your project turns out! Any other requests? Just let me know in the comments below and I will be sure to help out!

Hope you enjoy!

National Coffee Day

Apparently I did not pick the best time to start a blog, because as soon as I made that decision, literally the same day as my first post, my life got a little crazy. I decided to pursue a Master's Degree in Public Health with a focus in Health Behavior & Education. AND the baby that I currently nanny started teething and I just got super stressed out. SOOOO I am trying to refocus by making time for myself, this blog, and to just enjoy life! I take the GRE on Thursday and after that my application process begins. I really really want to go to the University of North Carolina, I don't have a back-up school, so I am really freaking out about that. I realized this whole process consists of a lot of waiting. I have to take my GRE and then wait for the scores. I have to apply to the Public Health program and then wait to apply to UNC and then wait for their answer and wait and wait. Ahhhh, you see why I am stressed. Plus last night I wanted to do a little baking to relieve some of that stress so I chose to make a Pumpkin Bread from my ToneItUp! sister @KristynJoRuns. Well because I was so exhausted I added baking powder instead of baking soda! Ugh! My bread looks like mushy meatloaf now instead of a perfectly rising bread. So depressing. I will try for round 2 later in the week.

But for today, I just finished filming my first vlog ever! I did a Fall Haul video, which I will post the YouTube link later. Today is National Coffee Day which I consider a close runner-up to Christmas for the best day of the year. The best way I can think to celebrate is drinking coffee ALL DAY! I already had my Tone It Up! Perfect Fit Mocha Latte this morning and I plan on making a Starbucks run later for a Salted Caramel latte. All the more motivation to study right??  Besides my video and studying that will occur later today, I wanted to continue on my baking spree of venting and relaxing.

I chose to make/use for inspiration Baked Oatmeal Banana Bites from SarahFit. As I started making these delicious snacks, I realized that she used a mini-muffin pan and I only had a regular which meant I would have half as much and because I like to make as much as possible at a time, I made 4 of Sarah's version and then the other 8 are my concoction. IF you want to mix and match follow Sarah's recipe exactly! Make sure you do that first, then scoop out 4 servings into your muffin tin. I used muffin liners because my tin is older and not trustworthy. Remember to only fill them around half way so they don't get too crazy! Now with the mix that you have left in your bowl add:

1/2 unsweetened natural applesauce
1/4 tsp of vanilla extra
1/4 cup of oats [I used quick oats]
1 scoop Perfect Fit Protein powder [optional or any protein powder]
1 tsp cocoa powder
2 TBSP slivered almonds [use 1 TBSP to start & add the 2nd to my section]
splash of chocolate almond milk [literally just enough to make it not so thick]

                                                            Here are all my ingredients!

     

Bake at 375 for 13 - 15 minutes and voila! A little breakfast, midafternoon, or after dinner delicious treat! And best of all they are healthy! All natural ingredients makes a body happy!

                                                       

                                                                 Finished product!

I love finding great, good-for-you recipes and adding my own spin to it! Make sure you check out SarahFit's  other delicious food ideas HERE as I am sure I will referencing her a ton! Next time I will most definitely be adding some pumpkin puree, perfect for this Fall season!

Goodbye for now. Happy Saturday and make sure you enjoy AT LEAST one delicious cup of coffee today!

A New Chapter of My LIFE

Hey Everyone!

For awhile now I have wanted to created my own blog but I always made an excuses [I am not interesting enough. I am not an excellent writer. I don't have enough energy and focus. etc.] but I realized as much as I want you to read this and enjoy it and reach out to other people, I really just want a place where I can be held accountable and where I can essentially talk to myself as much as I want =) So here is a quick speal about me: I am 21 years old, soon to be 22 in October. I have a boyfriend, Sam, who I have been with for 2 years today and a cute Pitador/Labrabull [whichever you prefer] name Slider who is about a year and a half. I graduated from Kennesaw State University in July with a BA in Marketing and I currently nanny an almost 5 month old little girl name Claudia. I don't really have any idea what I want to do with my life just yet; there are a lot of ideas floating around in my head.

I am a Christian. I love to read and I love crafts, which will also become main edition on my page. I wish I had the elegance and style of Princess Kate [she is amazing]. I wish I was a fantastic runner/health food nut/yoga master but I am learning through an amazing program that is a huge, incredibly important lifestyle change that I am embarking on. I have recently joined the Tone It Up! Community and we just started day 1 of #BeachWeek. Most of my blog will be about TIU, how it changed/changes my life and what my daily routines are! Also I will be including some secret cheats for TIU girls. We have a great community and the best trainers who are quite stunning and motivational.

That is all for now but my goal is to have at least one post a day! I hope you enjoy my sparatic ramblings!

Ashley