Peach Frozen Yogurt

5-Minute Healthy Peach Frozen Yogurt

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients:

1 (16-oz.) bag frozen peaches or 4 cups fresh peaches, frozen solid
3 Tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup plain yogurt (great idea to use Greek yogurt which is packed with Protein)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Add the frozen peaches, agave nectar (or honey), yogurt and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor. Process until creamy, about 5 minutes.
Serve the frozen yogurt immediately or transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Recipe inspired by Eating Well.

Taken from: http://www.justataste.com/2013/08/healthy-easy-peach-frozen-yogurt-recipe/

Great Additions!

March Fitness Challenge "ARMS"

Last month a group of girls from the office did FAB AB FEBRUARY. This month we decided to work on our arms. Well, ok, I may have decided, but still. If you would like to join us, we would love to have you.  This will start on Saturday and it will end on the 30th.   Good Luck and Have Fun! Comment below if you are joining us, remember accountibility plays a big part in your story!

"Skinny" Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo

Ingredients

• 12 ounces linguine - DELETE - use a spaghetti squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup milk - SUBSTITUTE 1/2 cup unsweetened original Almond milk (only 30 calories)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream- SUBSTITUTE 1/2 cup half and half
• 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, chopped - I put in a food processor
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well. To cook spaghetti squash cut in half, remove seeds. Turn cut side down on a cookie sheet. Fill the bottom with water (just enough to cover). Bake at 375 until tender. Remove spaghetti with a fork.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in milk (almond milk), heavy cream (half and half), goat cheese and Parmesan until cheeses has melted, about 1-2 minutes. Add red peppers and puree with an immersion blender. Stir in pasta and gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan, if desired.

This was an easy dish to make on a weeknight, when I am running around doing 10 other things like laundry, herding dogs, working, and cleaning...I would suggest playing with some extra spices because my significant other and I both found it kind of bland. I ended up adding red pepper flakes, which is one of my favorite spices. I have recently discovered spaghetti squash and it is an absolute amazing substitute for pasta!

Enjoy!!

Original recipe:

http://damndelicious.net/2013/12/02/roasted-red-pepper-alfredo/

Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Breasts with Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
• Cooking spray 
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups shaved English cucumber
• 1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Preparation

1. 1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat 4 minutes or until slightly syrupy.
2. 2. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Grill chicken 6 minutes on each side or until done. Spoon raspberry mixture over chicken.
3. 3. Combine remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, cucumber, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; toss to combine.

 http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/raspberry-chipotle-chicken-breasts-50400000127506/

This recipe is SO yummy and SO easy! I made it for a dinner party and it was an absolute hit! I love the sweet and spicy combination of the raspberry/adobo chili sauce. And of course the salty/crisp flavor of the cucumber salad.

Galentine's Day Party

Saturday I hosted a "Galentine's Day" brunch at my house.  What is "Galentine's Day"? It's a day to celebrate your girlfriends (I had about six girls that were missing but next year its on). (Thank's Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope. If you have not seen that episode download and watch) 

Most of what we'll ever know about love, we'll learn from our girlfriends. My girlfriends are the best.  My message to each of you that hold a close place in heart is this, "You are so LOVED, so SPECIAL, so UNIQUE, and each of you bring so much not only to my life BUT to this world we live. I can't even put into words how thankful I am for each and every one of you. You have tagged my heart. We've traveled the world, in real life and our imagination (texas forever), we've laughed until our stomachs hurt, we have cried until our heads hurt, you've seen my best and my worst and vice versa. Each of you are so beautiful inside and out. Did you know they say if you are friends with someone for seven years it will last a lifetime...... most of us are there already and the rest of you well, we are on our way.   People can say you can tell a lot about a person by looking at who they surround themselves with, and I am PROUD and so BLESSED to say that Im glad you're part of my team"!!!



OVERNIGHT BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST
Found recipe on: Real Mom Kitchen
Serves 8-10
(I'm sure you can make this healthier BUT for the party I did not)





French Toast:

12 slices bread, cut into cubes (french or Texas toast work well.  I prefer Texas Toast.)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut in cubes
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
12 large eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups milk

Syrup:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Tablespoon butter 


Arrange 1/2 of the bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13 pan.Sprinkle cream cheese cubes and blueberries evenly over the bread cubes.Top with remaining bread cubes. Mix together eggs, milk, and syrup.Pour over bread cubes and cover pan with foil. Let chill in refrigerator overnight.  Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until fluffy and golden. Top with sauce.  Sauce: Cook water, sugar, and cornstarch until thickened. Stir in blueberries and simmer for 10 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted. Serve over the french toast.

Enjoy!
 

Spicy Peanut Thai "Noodles"

So I am absolutely in love with this recipe. I found it on Pinterest of course but I have modified it to cut out the noodles. Broccoli slaw is super healthy and can be used as a substitute for pasta! Or if you are a vegetarian - cut out the chicken and add any yummy vegetables!

Original recipe:
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/asian-peanut-noodles-with-chicken.html

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 337.9 • Fat: 4.6 g • Carbs: 51.4 g • Fiber: 3.7 g • Protein: 21.1 g

Ingredients:

For the Peanut Sauce:

• 14.5 oz fat free chicken broth
• 5 tbsp better'n peanut butter - I use Whipped Peanut Butter with no high fructose
• 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce More if you like it HOT
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (use Tamari for gluten free)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

 For the chicken:

• 16 oz chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce (more or less to taste)
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (use Tamari for gluten free)
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 8 oz Udon noodles - I do not use any noodles

• 3/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups shredded carrots
• 1 1/4 cups cup shredded broccoli slaw I use a bag of broccoli slaw to substitute for the noodles
• 1 cup bean bean sprouts
• 2 tbsp chopped peanuts 
• 1 lime, sliced
• cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Combine 1 cup chicken broth, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, ginger, and 3 cloves crushed garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.

Boil water for the noodles cook pasta according to package instructions.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.

Heat a large skillet or wok until hot. Add oil and sauté chicken on high heat until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.

Add 2 cloves crushed garlic, scallions, carrots, broccoli slaw and/or bean sprouts and salt, sauté until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes. I saute longer to soften up the broccoli slaw so it mimics "pasta".

Drain noodles and toss with peanut sauce and additional chicken broth if needed to loosen the sauce. When chicken is cooked, toss with noodles.

Divide noodles and chicken between 6 bowls, top with sauteed vegetables, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts (or you can toss everything together to hide the vegetables so your family members don't push them aside!) and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges

*If the sauce is too thick - add more chicken broth and stir, especially if you have leftovers because the PB tends to thicken up*

Turning 30!

In a few months I will be turning the big 3-0. I have never really worried about getting old, birthdays or anything of that nature. It's all about being happy in the moment!!

This was sent to my email today:

30 Health Choices All Women Should Make By Age 30

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/healthy-lifestyle-over-30

Some highlights:

FIND A WORKOUT THAT YOU ACTUALLY ENJOY. That's what it should be about right? Whatever you pick, make sure it is something you love doing, for two reasons: one because just going will make you happy and  working out should be a positive experience!

DRINK ONLY IN MODERATION. I mean how hard is it to recover from a night of binge drinking the older you get?! It's annoying sure but it's your body telling you that you are putting it through something it isn't equipped to handle anymore.

LOVE YOUR BODY. It's yours after all, so love it. Learn to appreciate it. Instead of focusing on all the things you dislike about your shape, hair, teeth, eyes, voice, etc. - point out to yourself in the mirror things that you are GRATEFUL for!

SCHEDULE FRIEND DATES. I love this. I would be lost without my ladies. I find this especially true after moving to Miami and having no girlfriends! I miss the Thursday night dinners, the Sunday breakfasts, or the occasion evening where we dressed up and put on some heels! But it's the therapeutic talks that I miss the most, the part that is good for your soul - your emotional health!

DITCH THE FOOD GUILT. Enough said. Don't make food a punishment or a reward.

DISCONNECT REGULARLY. Funny because here I am sitting at a restaurant waiting for someone, and blogging on my iPad, with my wireless Jetpack, and my iPhone. Sad I know. But devoting time to enjoying people and not devices is so important.

So digest all that for a bit. I am going to disconnect and enjoy my company since they finally have arrived for dinner.

Snack the Right Way

People always are afraid to snack during the day, but the truth is - YOU WANT to snack to keep your metabolism going - BUT it is easy to snack on the not so good things like chips, candy, buttery popcorn, or crackers. But those are not the best choices because they are empty calories that won't keep you full.

So here is a great little chart to help with picking better snacks. I LOVE apples and peanut butter (or almond butter is a healthy choice). Carrots and hummus are another great choice. I even find myself munching on sweet cherry tomatoes sometimes!

Remember skipping meals does not help you lose weight or get healthy - it slows down your metabolism and causes your body to store more fat to have an energy reserve.

So start snacking!!

All About Frances

July 2013 to January 2014

Hello world, I’m Frances. I am a 36 year old daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, aunt to many cuties (real and adopted, love my girls), love God, caretaker, friend, helper, words of affirmation is my love language (so I love to encourage), a weight watcher's girl, a girl who loves to laugh and make others laugh, make up lover, Netflix addict, Meryl Streep (enough said), thrift stores extraordinaire,  Julia Child/Rachel Ray/Pioneer Woman wanna be with my own twist, writing to you from Indianapolis, Indiana while sharing a blog with a girl (Lyndsey) from Miami, Flordia.

A love a cooking and finding recipes that are fun, creative and challenging have been a major part of my story with A LOT of self discovery.  Being overweight has been such a roller coaster ride for me all my life. I was the girl who never felt pretty enough or good enough, and it didn't help being told that all my life either.  BUT here's the thing, I have recently discovered that my journey is my own and no one else. I have the choice to rise above or continue to stay where I am at.  I can finally say although I have not arrived, I have lost a total of 60 pounds this last year.I am an emotional eater and I defiantly am know for eating my feelings. I always wished I was the other way, you know those people who are like 'I'm so sad, I just don't have an appetite".  Nope, that's not me. I think I finally got my head in the game. (don't worry, I still have my bad days, which leads me to my next point). Accountability!!! It is HUGE and  has also played such a huge role in my journey.    Its about finding that right person (s) (iron sharpens iron) (I have had mine for about 8 months). This person will be someone who loves you no matter, challenges you to grow not just physically but mentally, encourages you when you need it, give you that push you need to make it through a bad day, slap you back into reality and say it's ok, regroup and try again,  and to just pause and listen without judgement. Whoever your person is, choose wisely, and be open to learn from them and never take offense. (Thanks Elby XOXO!)

Here are some resources that have helped me along the way : Books: Reshaping it all by Candance Cameron Bure and Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst, Websites: dashingdish.com, eat-yourself-skinny.com,  skinnytaste and who can forget PINTERST.

This is my 2014 "PASSION" and "Goal" board

So while continuing on my journey of self discovery and truly loving myself which in return will me love others better, I'm definitely heading in the right direction and I hope you join us (Lyndsey and I) while we concoct some fabulous recipes, share some tips and mix it with some encouragement and love. Remember you are not alone!

Roasted Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole

I am falling in LOVE with Butternut Squash, so naturally I have been trying to find many recipes. Recently I came across this one, made it and loved.

Roasted Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 9

Ingredients

1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 large sweet potato

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 green pepper, cored and sliced

1 red pepper, cored and sliced

2 jalapenos, cored and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil (I did use spray)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

salt & pepper

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped ( did use a little more)

1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves (optional)

2 cups salsa (used Pioneer Woman Salsa Recipe)

6 large corn tortillas; quartered

1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese* ( Used the reduced fat)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Place the diced butternut squash, sliced onion, jalapeno and  pepper in a 9 x 13” baking dish and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle with cumin and salt & pepper (to taste) then mix until evenly distributed. Roast vegetables in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes, until the squash is tender. Remove from oven then lower temperature to 350°F.
3. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl along with 1 cup salsa, drained and rinsed black beans and chopped cilantro. Using the same baking dish that you roasted the veggies in, prepare the casserole by spreading 1/3 cup of the salsa along the bottom, then cover with a layer of two tortillas. Top the tortillas with 1/3 of the roasted vegetable mixture then 1/2 cup cheese.
4. Layer two more tortillas on top of the vegetables followed by the 1 cup of baby spinach leaves. Top with 1/3 cup of the salsa and another 1/3 of the roasted vegetables then 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
5. Lastly, layer two more tortillas, the last 1/3 cup salsa and the last 1/3 vegetables on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
6. Allow to cool for five minutes then cut into squares and serve. Garnish with avocado and/or plain Greek yogurt.

WEIGHT WATCHER POINTS:  2 if making 9 servings. 4 if making 6 servings.

**Frances

Asparagus, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

I love love love asparagus! I found this recipe on Pinterest - but I changed it a little.

1 lbs asparagus
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 package of cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp of Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup of Olive Oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 packet Truvia
Dash of Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Whisk Dijon mustard, olive oil, honey, Truvia, and red wine vinegar in small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Snap ends of asparagus. Fill skillet with water, enough to cover the bottom. Bring to a boil. Add asparagus, turn to low heat, and cover for about 3 minutes or until tender. Blanch in cold water.

In a large bowl, mix asparagus, tomatoes, and diced avocado. Drizzle dressing on top and mix. Serve warm or cold.

Stuffed Southwest Red Peppers

1 cup cooked quinoa (I cook it in low sodium chicken broth for extra flavor)
1 can low sodium black beans
1 small can low sodium corn
Chopped jalapenos (according to taste)
1 jar of salsa
2 red peppers, seeded and cut in half
1 1lbs ground turkey or bison
1 Tbsp chopped garlic

Cook quinoa according to directions.

Brown turkey/bison in skillet with 1 Tbsp garlic.

Preheat oven to 350.

Bring a pot of water to boiling. Add red peppers and cook for about 6 minutes, or until slightly tender. Drain and set peppers aside.

In a large bowl, mix cooked quinoa, turkey/bison, black beans, corn, jalapenos, and salsa.

Place peppers in a oven safe dish. Fill each half with quinoa mixture. Bake for about 10 minutes, until warmed.

All About Lyndsey

My name is Lyndsey, I live in Southern Florida and I am absolutely in love with cooking! I happen to be a nurse and a health nut, so I enjoy tweaking recipes to make them healthy and YUMMY!

One of the reasons that I wanted to share my stories with everyone is to show others that it can be exciting to eat healthy! All of my life I have struggled with Stage IV endometriosis. I have altered my diet to be a mix of gluten-free, paleo, low carb, anti-inflammatory, and all those other diets in order to help alleviate some of my symptoms. Endometriosis tends to cause a lot of nausea and other unpleasant GI symptoms which I am sure no one needs to hear about today! So cutting out breads and pasta has been a life saver - and does wonders on the waist line!

I do not eat breads, pastas, or any other type of bread like carbohydrates. I also stay away from processed sugars and limit myself to natural sweeteners such as honey or Truvia. I eat plenty of chicken, fish, pork, beef, and bison. Veggies are a MUST and fruit is my natural sweet treat! Quinoa is a great alternative to rice, and packed full of protein.

We (Frances and I) love trying new recipes, especially since Pinterest came around. So follow our recipe adventures and we will let you know which ones are keepers and which ones are epic fails! Just to warn you I am not a big fan of measuring - so keep in mind I may just generalize when I give a measuring unit!