Yummy Raw Carrot Cake

 My taste tester gave this healthy carrot cake a thumbs up, and I'm feeling pretty good about feeding it to him. Carrots, dates, walnuts, unsweetened coconut flakes, and spices make up the "cake," and coconut milk, honey, and spices are in the glaze. With my trusty food processor and Magic Bullet making it was a snap, and I would certainly suggest it as a fun food project to do with kids. The topping was a little bit runnier than I would have liked, but I probably blended it too long in the Magic Bullet. It hardens back up when you put it in the fridge.

I found the complete recipe at http://paleogrubs.com/gluten-free-carrot-cake-bites.

The New Comfort Food

The Crockpot is my friend. This morning I filled it with 1 package chicken breast, 1 jar salsa, 1 cup quinoa, and 2 cups chicken broth. So easy, yet so yummy and filling. The chicken cooks slow and tender, so it falls apart with the touch of a fork, and the quinoa soaks up all the flavor of the salsa. When dinner time came I just steamed some broccoli, and dinner was served:)

PiYO Drench

Yikes! This one was a doozy! I love that there's so much room for me to grow in this program, but it's still doable. My legs and arms were shaking, and I was huffing and puffing. I'm kind of spoiled by Shaun T and his 25 minute workouts, but feeling really accomplished after this workout. Something inside me always makes me want to try the more advanced moves, even if my form isn't perfect or I'm really not quite strong enough yet. I think I can. I think I can... :)

Vacation temptations

If you came into the kitchen in the morning to find a tub of cookie dough and a spoon sitting on the counter would you be grossed out or tempted? Looks like my nephew didn't clean up after his late night snack. This is like an ultimate temptation for me, especially since no one was there but Trevor and me. Later, my sister came downstairs and told me about my niece's discovery of "heaven"- leftover chocolate almond cake icing on the chocolate hazelnut cookies my dad brought back from Italy. OMG! These temptations were no match for my willpower, especially since I had my chocolate Shakeology for breakfast. Timing is everything, and I haven't been perfect. I do admit to enjoying a few extra cheats during this trip. The trick is finding balance and not giving in to every temptation that comes my way, especially when I'm out of my home element and faced with the yummy goodness that goes along with a house containing hungry teens. One more day of family fun and maybe some pizza for lunch, then we are back to our summer schedule at home:)

Beach Snack

Something about the fresh air and the salt water makes me hungry! I just can't go a day at the beach without a good snack, and this girl loves her pb&j. My answer today was natural peanut butter on whole grain bread with blueberries. Yup! Just plain fresh blueberries instead of sugar filled jelly. A friend suggested this one to me, and I just might be hooked. Maybe some fresh peach slices next time? Could be good:)

 

Happy place when traveling? No problem!

People often leave their workouts at home when they travel, but I love the challenge of finding a new place for doing my workouts. All I need is a space big enough to spread my wings and my computer to play my DVD. Sometimes my travel workout spaces are even better than my space at home. My parent's deck is a good example of that:)

Want to be my accountability partner? It's free!

I got myself a new mentor:)
One big part of my success as a Beachbody coach is taking on a new level of personal development. It would be hard for me to fit in more time reading books, since I spend little time sitting still these days unless I am on the computer. My solution- listen to books on tape while I'm driving my car, especially on my commute to school during the year. So far I have listened to at least 10 books on tape, and it has really helped me to improve my mind set and create a more positive perspective on life in general, not just business or coaching.

The book that I have enjoyed most and I believe has made the biggest impact so far is The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy. I have actually listened to it more than once, so when he offered to become my on-line mentor it was a no brainer! He's got a new program called Success260, and starting Monday I will receive an email from him every morning for 260 days with some type of tips or suggestions for success and/or growth. It's supposed to be something I can consume in three minutes or less and act on in two. So here I am making my intention public for my own accountability that I will do my best to stick with his program and see where it takes me.

Did I mention that this is free? And you can do it too! I am looking for an accountability partner or two who will join me in playing along. It would be helpful and fun to have someone to compare notes and play along with me. Here's the link in case you want to check it out for yourself. http://www.SUCCESS260.com/

Please let me know if you'd like to join so that we can help each other to improve our lives:)