Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting!

Sometimes, you want to make cupcakes.  Maybe not the healthiest treat, but definitely a birthday necessity and I had a friend with a birthday!

  
I used a recipe from the Fixate cookbook (which I’m offering with any bundled pack this month…some which already have add ons and an extra discount!) which was for a cake.  But the secret about cupcakes?  You may guess it…instant portion control!

Have you done this? You take a piece of cake.  Reasonable serving size…nothing crazy.  But then you want a little more of a taste.  So you trim a sliver off the cake.  Then some more.  And some more.

And then you ate 3 pieces.

Cupcakes are perfect for this! So I divvied the batter up and cooked for a little less.

I thought they were delicious, but the texture was a bit gritty…totally my fault because I don’t know where our mixer is! I did the cake batter by hand and the frosting in a food processor! Next time I make it, I’ll use the right tools.

   

 

Fixate Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting
Serves 12 Prep Time 20 min.  Cooking Time 30 min.
Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray or cupcake liners

1 cup almond flour

½ cup coconut flour

2 tsp. baking powder, gluten-free

¼ tsp. sea salt

¾ cup unsalted organic grass-fed butter, divided use

1 cup raw honey (or maple syrup), divided use

4 large eggs

1/3 cup + 3 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk, divided use

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2/3 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Prepare cupcake tin with liners or spray.

3) Combine both flours, baking powder and salt and set aside.

4) Cream together ½ cup butter and ¾ cup honey in a medium bowl and beat at medium speed for 1 minute.

5) Add eggs one at a time and beat until blended.

6) Add ¼ cup almond milk and vanilla extract and beat until blended.

7) Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until creamy.

8) Pour batter into prepared pan.

9) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan.

10) Whip remaining ¼ cup butter in a medium bowl; beat on medium speed 1-2 minutes or until creamy.

11) Add remaining 3 Tbsp. almond milk and beat until well-blended.

12) Add cocoa powder and blend thoroughly; scraping bowl occasionally.

13) Slowly add remaining ¼ cup honey while beating on medium speed. Set aside.

14) Frost cupcakes once cool. Enjoy!

 

 

my friend’s son thought they should be pink!

If you’re counting containers, this is 2 yellows, a blue and a spoon. 

Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Yes, I put all of those awesome words together, made a snack from them, and then enjoyed the results!

But let’s go back!  I had plans to meet up with a local group of moms last night for a paint night…have you been?  You get together, drink a bit, snack a bit, chat a bit…and oh yeah, paint!  It was a great way to meet up with people for the first time (if you remember, I just moved to a new state!) since there was an activity and snacks!  I had a great time, and painted something that has in fact made it onto my fairly bare walls.

Starry Night Over Neon Charlotte

But I wasn’t too sure what to bring.  I like to bring healthy things to share so I know that I can stick with what I brought and stick to my goals, but I also like to bring delicious things!  I don’t want to be someone who brings stuff that tastes healthy to gatherings!  I want both healthy and tasty.  I had originally planned for zucchini chips and spiced nuts.  The spiced nuts from the Fixate cookbook came out amazing…I think I’ll be making these for my blue containers all the time.  I made them two ways and brought the savory ones, which had smoked paprika and chili powder on them.

But when it came time to make the zucchini chips, I knew they weren’t what I wanted. I was in the mood for chocolate!  So I figured I’d make something chocolaty, that I knew was good for me, and that would help me stay away from other foods!  It’s all about knowing yourself and planning. They came out so good that I don’t know if I can have the rest in my house!  

So, you want to make these yourself?  I know!  Here’s the recipe, which I adapted from the 21 Day Fix nutrition guide.  I made it more of what I liked, and as a bonus, I had all of the ingredients at home!

Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
makes 24 bars/servings, 1 Yellow treat on the 21 Day Fix

Ingredients –
– 4 scoops chocolate Shakeology
– 2 cups old fashioned oats
– 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
– 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
– 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (just peanuts as the ingredients…maybe a little salt)

Method –
– Combine Shakeology, oats, and walnuts in a large bowl and mix well
– Add almond milk and peanut butter and mix well
– Press into an 8×8 pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours
– Cut into 24 bars
– Enjoy!

21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme Hybrid

When I finished Body Beast, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to get into next.  I knew I wanted 21 Day Fix eating, but I wasn’t sure what workouts to do.

I saw a schedule with a hybrid of the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme workouts that looked good, but didn’t completely work for me, so I created my own.  It’s super simple, taking the structure of the Extreme schedule and alternating days between the programs.  This will take me to when I wanted to do a round of the Extreme program, so it’s perfect for what I was looking for.

 

So this is what I’m working through now!  I’ve fully committed to the 21 Day Fix eating for the next 3 weeks and really want to get it done.  It can be frustrating when you realize that you have so many tools to reach your fitness goals and aren’t using them to their potential!

Are you using your tools to their potential?  What are you waiting for?

21 Day Fix Extreme – What Equipment do I Need?

Day 3 of the 21 Day Fix Extreme and I’m feeling fine! Better than fine!  I am adjusting to my lower bracket…actually, I’ve barely noticed the change.  I feel good, I feel satisfied, and I guess I had nothing to worry about!

A lot of people ask about the equipment needed for the workouts, so I made that the topic for today’s video…

 

21 Day Fix Extreme Day 2! What’s Going On

I did a video most days on my first round through the original 21 Day Fix, so I figured I would continue with the Extreme version as well!  Here we go with what differences I’ll need to incorporate and how I feel about that…enjoy!

A (Food) Day in the Life

So, my day to day life isn’t some super exciting, interesting story that I think you’d want to read.  But I know that one of the things so many people ask me about the 21 Day Fix plan is “what do you eat?”  Well, here is a fairly typical day for me.

I’ve actually moved some things around on the list for a more helpful view in.  I have been practicing with moving around my meals and testing some things out, but the food is the same!  I’m also leaving off amounts since there are several calorie levels on the 21 Day Fix.  But this is a peek in on what my meals look like.

Post Workout – Shakeology
Breakfast (a few hours later) – Steel cut oats with almond butter and 1/2 banana, 2 hard boiled eggs
Lunch – Ground turkey with quinoa, either kale chips, Brussels sprouts leaves or spinach and fruit
Afternoon snack – carrots and hummus, sweet potatoes, and fruit
Dinner – Salad with chicken or fish
Dessert – peanut butter 🙂

Sometimes, I’ll skip a protein earlier in the day and have a protein shake for dessert.  You can see that I keep it pretty simple, not really using recipes but instead just combining items when I eat them.  This works well for me so that I can mix and match things.  Some days you want a change!  I also use a lot of the 21 Day Fix spice blends to change it up.  I love that this plan keeps it simple with giving a lot of options for variety!

I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I first unboxed the 21 Day Fix program and got started.  It has been such a welcome change to my eating!  I plan to get the 21 Day Fix Extreme when it comes out next month…I can’t wait to check out the next level.  If you want to check out the original, join in for my next group on 1/26…a great way to kick up those healthy workout and nutrition habits before the January motivation fades!

Post-holiday Fixing

Well, I tried and tried, and did a lot better than could be said of other years, but I still gained about 4lbs over the holidays.  I know, it’s just a few pounds.  But I felt blahhhh.  I didn’t want to!

I was wishing that I had thought ahead and got a 3-Day Refresh kit as I loved it the last time, but I couldn’t go back!  Then I remembered that the 21 Day Fix came with a 3-Day Quick Fix that was for after the 21 days.  It had a lot of steamed vegetables on it (four times a day!), which wasn’t something I was too keen on, but it promised that not only would I drop weight, but I could keep up my usual workouts.

Keep up my usual workouts.  Said it twice!  This isn’t a cleanse.  This didn’t leave me hungry, in the bathroom, or like it was time for 3 days of yoga.  I don’t exactly feel cleansed either, but I don’t feel that blahhh feeling anymore.

So, how did it go?  I didn’t take pictures, but I lost 5.2lbs over the 3 days.  Yay!  Lower than before holidays hit!  My stomach looked better than I’ve ever seen it.  I was incredibly bored with the steaming though!  I almost quit after 2 days just to eat something different.  The plan is very rigid.  No salt, fruit, dairy, or anything not listed.  No cooking in oil (though you do drink coconut oil!) and all the vegetables are steamed.  So are the yams.  And (gasp!) no Shakeology!

Here is one of my days…I left one of the shots of coconut oil out of the pics…sorry!  We have egg whites and steel cut oats (plus coconut oil), grilled chicken and steamed yams, steamed fish and vegetables,  grilled chicken and steamed vegetables (plus coconut oil), steamed fish and vegetables (plus coconut oil), and ground turkey and steamed vegetables (plus coconut oil).

Fun right?

Today, I was ready for my Shakeology ( I had chocolate, first thing I ate today!).  I kept up my Insanity Max 30 workouts with no issues and wasn’t hungry ever.  Like, I almost skipped the last meal all 3 days not hungry.  I would do this again if I needed a quick fix after a rough patch or before a big event.  I love that it came as part of a program I love alone…total bonus!

How are you getting rid of any holiday gaining?

Some quick news!

Watch the video for some quick product news on 21 Day Fix, P90, Shaun T’s new Insanity Max 30 and 21 Day Fix Extreme (link will work starting 10/8/2014)!

October Challenge!

We’re nearing October!  So to wrap up September, here is the October challenge I have planned!

I run these Facebook-based monthly groups to give you a mini-workout to fit in quick, repetitive exercises that will have you feeling confident and stronger by the end of the month if you play along. They take just a few minutes, and I post at least daily to keep you going.  Let me know if you’d like to join in for October!

Also to clean up September, the 21 Day Fix challenge pack is discounted until the end of the month!  Get a great deal and set yourself up for success with this program plus an accountability group to keep you motivated!  You can join my group for information here.  If you don’t know much about the program, it’s portion controlled eating plus daily workouts to get you quick results and set up a habit of fitness.

Okay…that’s it for now, but stay tuned for some more program news and information!  Lots of exciting things coming up!

Need a Fix?

I’ve moved my Shakeology!  Where did it go?  To the afternoon!   This opens up my time to try out some new things.  When I have it early, I’m still in a bit of a haze and just go for the water and ice.  Afternoon, I am up and more adventurous!  So I’ve been playing a little with cookie-esque recipes and am loving this one.  If you like the chocolate and mint combo, this is a must try!

Just be careful with the mint…it gets overpowering quick!  This fits into the 21 Day Fix as a red and a yellow if you’re wondering.

I have been using the 21 Day Fix (link to my wrap up of the first round) meal plan since it’s release in February.  I have done the nutrition plan with and without the workouts and it is my favorite all-around plan…everything you need to build healthy habits.

This month, it is discounted…in both English and Spanish. If you know me, you know I don’t stop talking about how much I love the 21 Day Fix plan. The nutrition plan has completely changed the way I eat and (re)taught me the portions I need of each type of food. I find it so easy to follow! I’ve been even using the nutrition side with my Body Beast workouts.

The workouts are solid also, which was the biggest surprise to me. You get 7 workouts (one for each day!), 30 minutes each, that are simple yet effective. Autumn is a great motivator and you’ll find yourself quoting her quickly! Love it!

FYI – The 21 Day Fix en Español is dubbed, not subtitled. So no need to read the screen!

The discounted pack comes with the nutrition plan, containers for measuring (and packing into…they come with tops!), the workouts, and starts off Shakeology (can be changed or canceled any time). You also get an extra workout for ordering through me, plus the money back guarantee as always!  And me to give you motivation along the way!

If you’re looking for some all around health and fitness help, you can’t ask for much more! Talk to me about getting discounts on those future months of Shakeology too. We are almost up to two years of daily Shakeology and can’t go without it!