Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa, Black Beans and Avocado

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped raw onion
• 1 red or yellow pepper (washed, seeded, and diced)
• ½ can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup quinoa (dry and cooked according to package)
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 avocado, diced
• Frank’s Red Hot (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• Salt (to taste)
• Bibb lettuce

Directions

1. Cook quinoa according to directions on package.
2. Prepare onion and red pepper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients above (except for lettuce leafs).
4. Once the mixture is combined, spread ¼ cup of the mixture onto each lettuce leaf and wrap/fold over like a taco shell

     YUM!!

Brazil Butt Lift

Yay! If you are here, that means you are thinking about doing Brazil Butt Lift or wondering what the heck it's all about. I have a love/hate relationship with working out (sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it but I ALWAYS love the results!)...I always love doing Brazil Butt Lift. Something about it that is just FUN. 

Because life gets in the way, I missed workouts here and there. But I would switch my rest day or try to make them up.  Many workouts I would end laying on the floor...panting and sweating....saying I would never make it through another, But the sense of accomplishment kept me coming back for more. As hard as the workout is, you ALWAYS feel amazing after. You NEVER regret working out....you can regret NOT working out! 

These pictures are 3 weeks apart and like I said I took days off here and there while I was out of town or something, but I can see results!! I am excited to see where I am in SIX weeks! I am half way there!  So far I have lost 3.5 inches and 2 pounds.  BUT I feel like I am toning! It's a great feeling. 

If you are READY for a BEACHBODY then email me! LindseyCrafton@gmail.com.  Summer will be here before you know it! I would LOVE to help you get fit :)

I will post my pictures again in 3 weeks...STAY TUNED!   

Banana Bread with Avocado and Flaxseeds

Ingredients

• 1 mashed medium size avocado
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups mashed, ripe bananas
• 2/3 cups nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup hempmilk (you can use any type of milk)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup honey (this depends on how sweet you want your bread)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• Flaxseeds for topping (optional)

Directions

Beat eggs and add in rest of wet ingredients. Beat with a whisk until you get a pureed consistency.

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients.

Mix all ingredients together and pour into greased baking pan. Sprinkle with flaxseeds.

Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Angry Bird Fruit Faces

My son Tyler is OBSESSED with Angry Birds. His addiction was slowly fading away until they came out Angry Bird Star Wars--those marketing people sure know what they are doing.  Tyler has been having a hard time with his sight word tests, so we gave him the incentive that every sight word test he passes, we will get him a Angry Bird Star Wars stuffed animal.
In the meantime, he will have to deal with the Angry Bird fruit faces:) ENJOY!

Angry Birds Fruit Faces
1 watermelon, sliced into circular sections
1 pineapple, sliced into circular sections
fresh coconut slices
licorice whips
1 orange, pulled into sections

Cut the watermelon and pineapple slices into the shape of the red bird and the yellow bird. Cut the coconut into the shape of eyes and the white feathered areas of the birds. Cut the orange into the shape of the beak. Use the licorice whips for pupils, eyebrows, and feathers.

Carne Asada and Avocado Salad

Tonight for dinner we had Carne Asada Tacos and Avocado Salad--yum!
For the meat, I just bought some pre-marinated at the store. I tried keeping it easy since today was a crazy day! With the meat, we used corn tortillas, cheese, greek yogurt, avocado and lettuce.

Avocado Salad Recipe--

One pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2 inch diced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeño peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (Himalayan Salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2 inch diced

Directions:
Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl.
Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.
Just before you are ready to serve the salad fold in the avocados. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.


I didn't really measure as I cut the vegetables. I just threw everything together and cut the vegetables with my Vidalia Chop Wizard (which I LOVE! you can get one at Bed, Bath and Beyond). As you can see in the pictures, my 2 year old LOVES to help with the Chopper! It takes longer to cook, but I love her helping me and she eats the food better when she does. Nothing is better than that:)

I have a problem with not measuring as I go, so I am trying to measure so it will be easier to post recipes....

Tonight I didn't use lime zest or ground cayenne pepper and I used red pepper instead of yellow.

Love Tony Horton--always funny!

Watch this-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwgaeGBvm4c


Questions about Shakeology?? Email me! LindseyCrafton@gmail.com

Healthier Valentine Treats

Raspberries + Dark Chocolate Chips= AMAZING!

Heart Sugar cookies decorated with fruit!

Sugar Cookie Recipe-
3/4 cup spelt flour or ww pastry or all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (just under level)
1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup white sugar, or sucanat, coconut sugar, or evaporated cane juice, or xylitol for a sugar-free version
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 tablespoons milk of choice
1/4 cup vegan butter sub, such as Earth Balance (you can use coconut oil, but I haven’t tried it.)
Cook at 325F preheated oven for 9 minutes

Frosting Recipe-
1 c. sugar, 1 lg. pkg. cream cheese, 1 tsp. vanilla blended together

Dark chocolate covered strawberries
I use dark chocolate melting wafers found in a craft store, but you could use dark chocolate chips

1 cantaloupe
1 honeydew melon
1/2 watermelon
6 ounces plain nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon honey or Agave
Directions:


Cut fruit into 1 inch thick slices.

Using a small heart shaped cookie cutter, cut hearts from melon slices.

Thread fruit hearts onto pop sickle sticks.

Stir together yogurt, orange juice concentrate, and honey and chill for about an hour.

Serve dip with fruit hearts.

Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffin

Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffin Knock-Offs of Whole Food’s 6 Dollar per 4 Chocolate Chunk VitaTop Muffins

Ingredients:
1 3/4 c oats
3 egg whites
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain low fat yogurt)
1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or 1-1/2 Tbsp. vinegar)
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup hot water
3/4 cup sugar substitute
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or use white chocolate, peanut butter chips or dark chocolate chips!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with foil cupcake liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a blender, (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.
Place mixture in a bowl and gently stir in 1/2 of the chocolate chips (set the rest aside). Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans.
Place muffins tins in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove muffins from the oven (but don’t shut oven off), and distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin.

Place the muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. *Note, you could skip this step by putting all of the chips in the batter, and baking the muffins for 12-15 min straight, but this method gives the muffins the traditional ‘VitaTop Muffin’ look with the chocolate chips on top!Cool muffins before removing from pan. ENJOY!!!

Servings: 12 Big Muffins or 24 Smaller Muffins
Calories: 116 Calories Per Muffin or 58 Calories Per Muffin

I need a new swimsuit!

I need a new swimsuit for the summer! Which one is your favorite?? I am a girly, girl and love lace and flowers so I am torn between these swimsuits. Maybe I need ALL 3? :):)

And I found them all on www.EverythingButWater.com

If you are wanting a bikini body by the summer, let me help! Summer bodies are made in the winter:)
Email me at LindseyCrafton@gmail.com OR LIKE my Facebook page-- http://www.facebook.com/VegasFitnessAndNutrition?ref=hl

Pina Colada Smoothie

It's almost summertime and how GOOD does this look!! YUM


Ingredients
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 banana
1/4 cup ice cubes
2 teaspoons honey, optional
pineapple wedges, for garnish

Directions
In a blender, combine the pineapple chunks, coconut milk, banana, ice and, if desired, honey. Puree until smooth. Pour into 2 large glasses. Garnish each serving with a pineapple wedge.

Balsamic Chicken and Asparagus

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
1 bunch asparagus
1 pint grape tomatoes
4 oz mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup plus 2 Tb balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 t olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions
1. Combine 1/2 balsamic, 1/4 olive oil, garlic powder and pepper into a ziploc bag. Add in raw chicken breasts and marinate from 30 minutes to overnight. After marinating, grill chicken.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the end of asparagus (bend asparagus until it breaks, this is where you should be cutting off the ends). Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil. Line asparagus on the cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Place on top rack of oven for 8-10 minutes until tender (until you can easily pierce with a fork).
3. In a frying pan, place sliced grape tomatoes in 1 teaspoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Cook for a few minutes until tomatoes start to get soft (where you can squish them with a fork).
4. Place chicken and asparagus on a serving dish, top with tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle with extra balsamic mixture from tomatoes.

Motivation!

This is so cool! Go to this website and put in your information and then your goal.
http://www.modelmydiet.com/

Tips for Eating Out

Tips for Eating Healthy When Eating out

*As a beverage choice, ask for water or order fat-free or low-fat milk, unsweetened tea, or other drinks without added sugars.
*Ask for whole-wheat bread for sandwiches.
*In a restaurant, start your meal with a salad packed with veggies, to help control hunger and feel satisfied sooner.
*Ask for salad dressing to be served on the side. Then use only as much as you want.
*Choose main dishes that include vegetables, such as stir fries, kebobs, or pasta with a tomato sauce.
*Order steamed, grilled, or broiled dishes instead of those that are fried or sautéed.
*Choose a small" or "medium" portion. This includes main dishes, side dishes, and beverages.
*Order an item from the menu instead heading for the "all-you-can-eat" buffet.
*If main portions at a restaurant are larger than you want, try one of these strategies to keep from overeating:
*Order an appetizer-sized portion or a side dish instead of an entrée.
*Share a main dish with a friend.
*If you can chill the extra food right away, take leftovers home in a "doggy bag."
*When your food is delivered, set aside or pack half of it to go immediately.
*Resign from the "clean your plate club" - when you've eaten enough, leave the rest.
*To keep your meal moderate in calories, fat, and sugars:
*Ask for salad dressing to be served "on the side" so you can add only as much as you want.
Order foods that do not have creamy sauces or gravies
*Add little or no butter to your food.
*Choose fruits for dessert most often.
*On long commutes or shopping trips, pack some fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables, low-fat string cheese sticks, or a handful of unsalted nuts to help you avoid stopping for sweet or fatty snacks.

Lettuce Wraps

Tonight for dinner I made lettuce wraps--one of my family's favorites!
I chopped up broccoli, carrots and onion in my Ninja while I was cooking chicken on the stove. I started cooking the vegetables in coconut oil on the stove and added the cooked shredded chicken to it. When it was about done, I added ginger, garlic, soy sauce, himalayan salt and pepper. When it was about done, I added quinoa that was pre-made from yesterday.

For the sauce I combined soy sauce, water, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and onion salt.

On the side we had edamame that was frozen from Costco.

I had iceberg lettuce, which I don't normally buy, but had for some reason--usually I use a more nutrient lettuce!

Simple, but a healthy meal!

Monday Night Dinner

So my presentation is not great, but this dinner was good! It was Salmon (cooked with coconut oil, himalayan salt, ground pepper and spice blend) with spaghetti squash (cooked 45 minutes at 375, then sauteed on the stove with olive oil, spice blend, himalayan salt, ground peppercorn). On the side we had ham and cheese quinoa bites. My kids LOVED them, probably because they helped make them! You can find the recipe here- http://vegasfitnessandnutrition.blogspot.com/2013/01/ham-and-cheese-quinoa-bites.html

I'm used to having so much green on my plate, but this was still still full of vitamins and nutrients!

3 Day Cleanse

During Thanksgiving week I gained 5 pounds! I wasn't working out and my family was in town so we ate out a lot and had late night snacks...not a good combination! It was a GREAT week with my family, but I paid for it.... I was disappointed because I had worked so hard to lose weight and was mad that I had let myself gain 5 lbs. SO I decided to do the Shakeology cleanse! It is drinking 3 shakes per day, water, green tea and a salad with white protein. It was actually not hard to do! I made sure I did it on weekdays because the weekends would be hard since my husband would be home and he wasn't doing the cleanse. The part that was hard for me was I was used to snacking every 2-3 hours. It's not like I needed the food, but just a habit. I had to keep myself busy. The first day I had the salad for dinner and I wasn't even hungry! I only ate half of it. The second and third day, I had the salad for lunch to make sure I ate it all and that was better. I suffer from chronic migraines so I thought I would get a migraine, but I didn't! I think this cleanse sets apart other cleanses because I am getting ALL my vitamins and nutrients in Shakeology. Before I discovered Shakeology, I tried the lemon and cayenne pepper cleanse but I could NOT do it. My body was not getting all the needed nutrients...it wasn't healthy. The best part of the Shakeology is that I lost over 5 pounds--I lost more than I had gained Thanksgiving week! I'm sure I will doing the Shakeology cleanse after every major holiday:)

Beachbody does not sell the cleanse through their website. If the cleanse is something you want to do, I can send you the instructions and 9 packets of Shakeology so you can do the cleanse. Email me at LindseyCrafton@gmail.com

Caprese Quinoa

Caprese Quinoa


1 cup uncooked quinoa

16 oz container of grape tomatoes, quartered

3/4 cup fresh mozzarella pearls (or just buy a fresh mozzarella ball and cut it into chunks)

10 large basil leaves, cut into ribbons

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Prepare quinoa according to directions. Depending on whether you want your quinoa hot or cold (it’s great both ways) either let it cool completely or immediately add in the tomatoes, cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Drizzle about 2-3 tablespoons of basil oil over top and serve!



Homemade Basil Oil

1 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Blend oil and basil leaves in a blender or food processor for 30-60 seconds, just until the two are mix. Pour mixture into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, just until bubbles appear around the edges. Heat for about 5 minutes, the remove from heat and let cool completely. Once cool, pour through a fine mesh strainer and press on the basil leaves to release all the oil.

Greek Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
Pinch of salt
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To make the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:
1. Make quinoa according to package directions.

2. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, red onion, and feta cheese.

3. To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano in a small bowl. Pour dressing over the salad and stir until mixed well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ham and Cheese Quinoa Bites

Ingredients
2 cups cooked quinoa
3 eggs
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup diced ham
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 small onion, diced {about 1/4 cup}
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Olive oil for the pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine. Spray 2 mini muffin tins with olive oil and scoop 1 tablespoon into each cup. Bake qunioa bites for 18 minutes, or until the edges of the quinoa bites are a nice golden brown.

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Mac And Cheese

1 1/4 cups quinoa
1 cup cubed chicken (about 1 medium chicken breast)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese


Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a small casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly (if you don't, it'll be bitter!) then cook according to the package directions.

Melt the butter, then add the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Gradually add the milk to the pan, continuing to whisk so you don't wind up with lumps. Increase the heat to medium, and cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens.

Remove the pan from the heat then add the cheddar cheese and buffalo sauce. Whisk until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Add the cooked quinoa and chicken and stir until incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Top with the crumbled blue cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles around the edges of the dish.