Easy Steel Cut Oats

I love steel cut oats, I know they're good for me but really, who's got time for them? Maybe it's just me, but they take forever to cook, and in the end what do you get? A pot of weird slime and crunchy things and a messy stove because the pot inevitably always boils over no matter how closely I watch it!

UNTIL NOW!!! :)

On your prep night; bring water to a boil in a pot, add the steel cut oats, stir, let boil for a few minutes, place the lid on, remove from heat and let them sit out over night. BAM! THEY TURN OUT PERFECTLY!

The next day you can portion them out, pop them in the fridge and each morning add in what you like, stir and heat! Yup, it's as easy as that!

This morning I added to mine, 1 tsp of melted coconut oil, 4 tsp of chia seeds, 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 a mashed banana! It was so delicious! Well, what I got to eat of them was, because Trains kept asking for more bites! :)

>> I did 4 cups of water to 1 cup of oats. This made me about 6 servings, so I'm set for the week :) <<

Fear not!

"Fear Paralyzes. It is a wet blanket that smothers the fiery passion God deposited in your heart when he formed you. Fear freezes us into inaction. Frozen ideas, frozen souls, frozen bodies can't move, can't dream, can't risk, can't love, and can't live." (Stasi Eldredge) Isn't that so sad, that fear, something so cruel has so much power over us?

Fear pretends it is protecting you when the reality is it only steals from you, chains you and makes you miss out on the very best of life. I have let it steal too much from me.

I have learned that if I wait to do something until I no longer FEEL fearful about it I will absolutely never do it! I must FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY! 

The greatest things I have experienced in life had the most fear attached to them, isn't that always the way?! Don't let fear rob you of your hopes, dreams and plans for your life. What ever it is you're thinking about doing, DO IT! No seriously, like right now, go do it!!!

Rainbow Frittata

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop up:
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
3 green onions

They call it Rainbow Frittata for a reason!!!

Add a drizzle of EVOO to a large skillet, add veggies and 1 cup of corn and saute on medium-high heat until veggies are tender.

Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of dried basil and mix well.

Add 4 large handfuls of baby spinach and stir until wilted.

In a large bowl whisk 8-10 eggs and pour over veggies.

Cook until eggs are almost set, then place skillet in oven and bake until eggs are fully cooked, 15-20 minutes (depending on the thickness.) 

*** If your skillet has a plastic handle tightly wrap it in tin foil so it doesn't melt :) 

Optional: When frittata is cooked through, add grated cheddar cheese to the top and return to oven until cheese is melted.

Serve with Ezekiel toast, oh and a coffee of course! 

FIXATE Mac & Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Chicken (From the Fixate Cookbook)

Serves 8 (2 cups each)
1 GREEN, 1 YELLOW, 1/2 RED, 1/2 BLUE

4 oz. dry whole wheat macaroni (or 3 cups cooked)
4 tsp. organic grass-fed butter (or organic coconut oil)
2 tbsp. unbleached whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 1/4 cups freshly grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups cooked chopped chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
     * I seasoned chicken with Mrs. Dash Original Blend while cooking (herb and garlic would be good too!)
6 cups chopped broccoli florets, steamed
1 tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions (Do not use salt or oil if suggested.) Set aside.

2 Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

3. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until brown (don't let it burn.)

4. Slowly whisk in almond milk; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until mixture thickens and there are no lumps.

5. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese; cook, whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until melted.

6. Add chicken, broccoli, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until heated through.

7. Serve immediately.

8. Optional: Top each portion with 1/2 Blue container of grated cheddar. This would bring the count up to 1 BLUE per serving.

>Nutrition and Supplements > FIXATE

THE BEST Black Bean Burgers!

These are hands down the best bean burgers ever! The recipe is from The Eat Clean Diet Recharged.

 
Paradise  Island Bean Burgers

Ingredients

1 cup black beans, rinsed, drained and mashed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 clove garlic chopped
2 Tbs leeks whites only, chopped (I usually just use onions.)
2 Tbs pumpkin (canned) or sweet potato mashed (I've only ever used sweet potatoes.)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs EVOO

4 Toasted thins, whole grain buns, wraps etc. Anything you like :)
Toppings of your choice. 

* TIP: I use spinach instead of lettuce, just for a little extra oomph in the health department! I don't notice the difference, so why not?! It's all about the smart little changes :)

Directions
* Mix all ingredients except EVOO and buns in a large bowl. Coat clean hands with olive oil to mix.
* Divide mixture into equal fourths, shape into patties.
* Heat grill pan over medium flame and coat lightly with oil.
* Add patties and cook 5 minutes per side or until patties are "golden" and crispy.
* Serve on toasted burger buns.
* Top with your favorites!

Number of Servings: 4

One time I made these and after I had started realized I didn't have the mashed sweet potatoes. I thought "Oh, it's just 2 tablespoons, I'm sure it won't make a difference." Uh yes, it makes a huge difference! Don't skip it, you've been warned! :)

The end of an era

So Piyo is complete, (it's the end of an era) and I have to say that I was really surprised with how much I loved it! I am moving on to the 21 Day Fix Extreme again now and after those 21 days are complete I think I will revisit Piyo again and keep it in the mix of my regular workouts. {{ The Buns video was AMAZING and it may just be my fave from the whole program! }}


So what have I noticed from my Piyo experience?

1. A huge increase in my upper body strength. All those planks and tricep pushups are no joke! My arms feel super tight and toned.

2. My legs look longer to me because they definitely leaned out more. (This program really took care of that saddle bag area that I HATE but always seems to return!)

3. I gained A LOT of flexibility. I'm not really a fan of stretching and although I work out pretty much everyday, flexibiity is certainly in a whole other bracket of it's own - a bracket I am not in! I am really amazed to see that I can stretch a lot further than before.

It was so nice to try something so new and different!

The secret is, there is no secret!

Do you suffer from all-or-nothing disease? I am a chronic sufferer and may have even been born with it and it has effected every aspect of my life. Good news though for you fellow sufferers, I found the cure! It's The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy and it is SO AMAZINGLY good.

The principals of this book certainly apply to EVERY aspect of life and this all-or-nothing girl is working hard to apply what I am learning. SMALL, SMART CHOICES + CONSISTENCY + TIME = RADICAL DIFFERENCE.

Our world screams at us that instant life changing results are possible with no work and no waiting and it is simply not true. It is a thinking that is hard to let go of but if you are willing to change your thinking you can truly change your life!