Do You Dream About Being a Stay-At-Home Mom??

I used to cry myself to sleep at night, praying and wishing there was a way for me to be able to be home with my kids. I dreaded leaving them in a stranger's care during the day, and felt like I was working, only to pay for Child Care. When my husband and I decided we just couldn't do it any more, and I left my career to stay home, we were so financially strapped living on one income that life was H A R D. We cut expenses in every single possible place to make it work.

I am thinking about all you MOMS out there who, like me, are wanting to earn an income -- BUT also be able to STAY HOME with your family. As soon as I became a mom, I didn't want to go back to work...but I couldn't afford not to. The 2 months we had our oldest in day care was the hardest 2 months up until that point. I felt trapped, depressed, and all I could think about was when 4:30 rolled around so I could go grab him and bring him home. After leaving my career, living on one income was H A R D. We depleted our entire savings, racked up credit card debt, and were in completely over our heads. 4 kids later, 7 years later, we knew we were done having kids, and it was time for me to start looking at earning an income again. I started searching for a way to make it happen where I could STILL be home with my young children and baby.  I prayed about it, talked it over with my husband, and we found a way!

He was friends with someone on FB who informed me about the coaching opportunity with Beachbody -- to be able to have a home-based business as an Online Health & Fitness Coach. The really crazy thing, is I was even looking for an opportunity to do this very same thing, but prior to this particular day, it didn't lead me to Beachbody. In God's perfect timing, this opportunity presented itself to us. I knew in my heart it was meant to be - THIS was our perfect solution. I quickly learned that not only was it EVERYTHING I had been searching & praying for -- but it encompassed the things I truly LOVED:::


~freedom
~helping others
~fitness & nutrition
~being my own boss
~working from home
~making my own hours
~dressing however I wanted
~earning an unlimited income
~being able to travel whenever I wanted
~making a positive DIFFERENCE in this world
~turning my passion for healthy living into a career


After learning more about it, I decided to go for it.  How could I NOT!? I had found my DREAM JOB. I am now comfortably fulfilling my dream as a stay at home mom to our 4 kids, living out in the rural part of WI, earning a significant income that allows us the lifestyle we only dreamt about.  It's been 2 yrs since I signed up as a coach. I work my home business 1-3 hrs / day, around my kid's busy schedules, online, and on my own schedule. It's helped me to get in the best shape & health of my life, while also allowing me to help motivate others to do the same. The physical, emotional, and financial transformations produced from the incredible people I am blessed to help thru this business is such an incredibly REWARDING part of my job. I get to be present every day for my kids - they grow up SO fast!!! To be able to be present every single day of their lives is PRICELESS. This business has given us financial freedom & the freedom to live our life by design. This company has been the biggest BLESSING I could ever imagine & has completely changed our lives.

I'm looking for positive, like-minded, driven women, ‪#‎mompreneurs‬ & ‪#‎GIRLBOSSES‬ who have big HEARTS, aren't afraid to DREAM BIG & have a deep desire to want to change THEIR LIVES & the lives of OTHERS to join my team.

If this is you -- APPLY HERE & I'll get back get back to you within 24 hours to reserve your spot in my next Online New Coach Training Academy!

Marsha Smrcka Fitness: Body Beast Week 2

So if you're anything like me, working out comes naturally and is priority in my day-to-day activities.  I've long established a habit and routine of running, pushing play to one of my favorite in-home workouts, and just trying lead an active lifestyle for my family.  So here's the confession...last week was somewhat of a BUST for me and my eating. The foods I use are generally healthy and "clean-eating", but I got lazy with tracking, and was not watching my portions or balancing out my food groups. Too much cheese, avocado, and carbs were causing me some setbacks. When I am not eating as I should, it really effects everything - how I feel, how I push myself (or don't) in my workouts, how I sleep...I was just not MENTALLY in the game! So I did some searching this weekend and have recommitted to myself, my workouts, and my meal plan. This week I am in it to win it! And I will be posting here weekly about my journey - both to inspire you as well as to hold myself accountable! I will walk you through my experience and progress of using a 12-week strength training program, Performance line of supplements to help me tone and build muscle, and my weekly meal plans. 

There comes a time when ENOUGH is ENOUGH and when you hit that time, NOTHING can stop you. You are laser-focused and ready to tackle any obstacle in your way. This week over on my Marsha Smrcka Fitness fan page I am going over some tips on how to combat emotional eating. I have found that I can fall into this bad habit really quite easily, as well as "avoidance eating" - instead of doing something I need to do, I eat to procrastinate. Do you do this?  It just dawned on me one day last month that this was really becoming a problem for me. So with recognizing I do this, I have been able to come up with some really effective solutions to combat this mindless eating.  Follow me as I share my strategies to help you overcome this issue. 

So....what do we do during those down times when everyone else in the family is napping, watching TV, surfing the web?! We #beastup and get our sweat on! 💪💪👊  When our goals mean more to us than anything else, we just do what it takes. Period. I'm 110% committed to getting the results I'm looking for, and sometimes it takes daily reminders. I have photos that are motivational to me posted so I see them every day. I track my weekly progress in measurements, weight, and weekly percent weight loss. I also track my intake daily. 

You can either be a couch potato, thinking about all the things you SHOULD do for yourself, or you can take action. I started to listen to those voices in my head...excuses and reasons why I should put it off. But the only person I'm cheating if I skip...is ME. So suck it up buttercup, and just do it.  👊. You'll thank yourself when you're done! 

I know to see good progress, I need to dial in my nutrition. Making a meal plan that I can stick to and want to follow takes some good forethought, but once it's done, I love that I can prep up all of my meals for the week and go into "auto-pilot". Week 1 was pretty much a bust because I really didn't have a posted plan that I was following. So I am learning from that mistake, and posting my week 2 plan on my fridge so I see it every time I enter the kitchen or go to the fridge. No excuses to NOT follow it! 

My measurements are taken, my "goodbye" pics are taken, my workouts are planned, and my intake for the week is all set and prepped. I am looking forward to some big gains this week!!!

Follow my daily journey and best fit tips at Marsha Smrcka Fitness. When you want to change more than you want to stay the same, you will find your inner motivation to do what it takes!

Coaching...at a Glance

Do you find yourself wishing there was a way for you to earn additional income for you and your family, from home, WHILE reaching your fitness goals?

View the full story HERE

When I first made the decision to try this whole online "coaching thing", I was a skeptic, to say the least. I wasn't using any social media at the time, and I didn't even have an active FB account. But we were broke. FLAT broke. I was a stay at home mommy to 4 young kids (all under the age of 7) and we were struggling to make ends meet. Any unexpected expense threw us off. We had to budget every penny we spent. It was a struggle to afford our children's education - let alone pay our monthly bills. I remember organizing our stack of bills in terms of priority, and placing the ones that could wait until "next month" deep at the bottom of the pile. Each month we watched what little savings we had vanish, while our credit card debt grew. The investment in my own health goals to get started coaching for free seemed like a no-brainer, and risk I had to take. I recognized that if I didn't do something, our situation wouldn't change. 

Coaching has not only allowed me to stay home and be a full-time mom to our four children, but it has also allowed us to retire my husband from his corporate career to work a job closer to home that he is also passionate about, has created a six figure income for our family in only 18 months, and given me a whole new PURPOSE in my life. It is no longer an issue to pay our monthly bills, and we are debt free, able to make additional payments on our mortgage (on track to have it paid off in 2016!!!). We travel freely with our family, and when unexpected emergencies come up, we don't need to use a credit card. 

I am looking for others who want a change. A change in their own situations. Those who want to work on their own fitness goals, while inspiring and inviting others to do the same. Those who want to earn additional income working flexible hours from home. Those who have a vision for themselves and are ready to go after their dreams!

DO YOU:
√ Genuinely WANT to help and encourage others as you work on your own journey?
√ KNOW you were meant for something greater?
√ WANT to create independence & freedom for you & your family?
√ Want to live by DESIGN: Be your own boss- work when you want, where you want doing what you LOVE?
√ Allow yourself to be COACHABLE and willing to spend a year making short-term sacrifices in order to spend the rest of your life enjoying long-term success!?

I am currently accepting applications, and looking to mentor 5 new coaches to join my team. This is an incredible opportunity for you, to learn from a Top 2014 Elite Coach!

If this sounds like an opportunity you would want to be a part of, message me or send me an email message to marshasmrcka@yahoo.com, and click on the link to apply: Team Fit4mation Coaching Application

I look forward to chatting with you soon!!!

Stream Your All-Time Favorite Beachbody Workouts With "On Demand"

So as of TODAY I'm 18 days out from a tropical vacation in Mexico...so I had the idea to start an online support group for abs ONLY. HOLY CATS is this amazing!!!!  I am so super excited that streaming Beachbody in-home workout videos just became possible, so I wanted to share with anyone who might be interested! There are currently 27 of us (and adding) streaming a different ab workout every day, with Sundays as our rest day, for a total of 20 days. Although we are only 3 days in, my core is feeling the BURN! But if you know me at all, you know I LOVE IT!!!!

This newest “stream” feature simply adds to the list of Team Beachbody Club membership benefits, allowing you complete instant access to the following programs from anywhere at anytime. All you need is a device with an Internet connection…how cool is that?!  So for me, I get bored really easily from doing the same program for too long. Having the variety of all these different programs and being able to use them when I'm traveling or on the go is so convenient!  

So what do you get as a Team Beachbody Club Member that you don’t get with the free membership?

Here is a list of the current programs being offered on Beachbody On Demand:

• Insanity (the original)
• P90X
• P90X One-on-One
• P90X2
• P90X3
• 10 Minute Trainer
• Brazil Butt Lift
• Hip Hop Abs
• Chalene Extreme
• Turbo Fire
• Insanity: the Asylum

Streaming Workouts and SO much more... you get EVERYTHING!

All of the materials that come with each of the individual programs listed above are available to download, view, and/or print from the Beachbody On Demand center. I spent FOREVER looking for my Ab Ripper X workout dvd the other day to no avail...but now I have it back for good, and SO many more tools than I had before!!!

COMMON QUESTIONS:

Team Beachbody On Demand: What is it?

What Do You Need to Make it Work?

You will need a device with an Internet connection & web browser, such as your smartphone or laptop, and you’re ready to go! So far, I’ve streamed workouts to my desktop & Smartphone, and have customers using their television via the Playstation 3 or connecting to their TV from their computer. I LOVED to be able to do Insanity while on vacation in my hotel room!!  Team Beachbody members automatically have unlimited access to stream these workouts. Once logged into TeamBeachbody.com, Club members will select the Start Streaming tab from the home page, choose any fitness program in the streaming library, and stream any workout from the program!

Here’s exactly what the requirements are:

1. You’ll need a broadband connection download speed of 3Mbps or better, which means you’ll need DSL, Cable Internet, 3G or faster.
2. A web browser. If you use the Internet, you should be fine: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari any modern browser should all be okay.
3. Adobe Flash player installed and enabled. This feature is pretty standard, and if you don’t have it, no worries – you’ll get a pop-up asking if you would like to allow it.

On Demand is a Club Upgrade

Like I mentioned above, Beachbody On Demand, while entirely new, is being added as a Team Beachbody Club membership benefit. The other benefits of Club membership include:

• Extra 10% off any Beachbody program
• Access to live trainer chats
• Meal plan customizer with recipes
• And more, but the above three are the goodies

Here is the link to review the full benefits if you’re interested in becoming a Team Beachbody Club member.

By Popular Demand!

The really great thing about On Demand, is that with it's release, customers are able to take advantage of the Club Membership and all of it's benefits in a discounted “Beachbody On Demand Challenge Pack“.  This is NOW AVAILABLE, and will give you unlimited access for an entire 3 months with your own 30 day supply of the nutrient dense Shakeology health shakes. 

Here is the link to subscribe to the Team Beachbody Club and get Shakeology HD for this month’s introductory rate of $140.

What is the Value?

Were you a previous Club Member, and felt the membership was lacking in value?  For me personally, the nutrition guides that accompany the workout programs are so comprehensive and complete, I didn't really use the meal planning tools with the Club. But now, I believe this membership is so innovative, user-friendly, offers the variety we all want, and the upgrade is almost a steal with this new inclusion!

Do you realize, if a person were to purchase ALL of the programs that are in the Beachbody On Demand streaming library, it would cost about $1500!?  A Team Beachbody Club membership costs just $2.99 a week, or $.43 per day, which is billed quarterly for a cost of $38.97 plus tax. The best part of all of this, is that If you try the Club membership and decide you don’t see the value, you can simply cancel your membership at any time within the first 30 days for a complete refund.  It's entirely risk free! 

You can join the Team Beachbody Club or upgrade your free Team Beachbody account through this link.

What if there is another workout program you wanted, AND all the benefits of On Demand?

Great news!  With the purchase of any Challenge Pack, you have unlimited FREE access to On Demand as a 30 day free trial along with your challenge pack purchase!  Upon the completion of your challenge pack order you will be sent an email from Beachbody with the instructions to activate your On Demand benefits and 30 day free trial. 

How I Have Been Using the New Feature

Like I mentioned, I am a runner primarily, and use the in-home workouts as cross training. I love being outdoors for my runs, and when I take my workouts inside, I tend to get easily bored with the repetitiveness of the trainer and workouts in one given program. Now instead of just having the workouts from the programs I am currently following or have purchased previously, I can just turn on Beachbody On Demand. For my 20 day online Ab Challenge this has made working my core SO MUCH FUN with all the variety! From there, it’s super easy… our group members can simply select the given ab routine for each day from On Demand.  From 10 minutes to 20 minutes, there are such a nice variety, and they are all so different, that I am able to work my abs every day to accelerate my results, because of using a different routine each day. 

Additional Features

So you're wondering, what about all of those workouts you've already purchased?  You're in luck!  This feature allows for every program you ordered in the past and present to be available in your On Demand library. 

Added Benefits to You

So you're ready to test this out and get started today? You're in luck! Because you have zero wait time for products to ship out to you in the mail, this is available to you immediately upon purchase! And you have me as your coach to keep you on track and feeling supported every step of the way. I run free and ongoing online support and accountability groups all done in a friendly, fun community of others all working on their health and fitness - from beginners to intermediate to advanced, there's a group that's right for YOU!  To find out when my next group is starting (I begin a new group every 2 weeks) find me here and send me a message letting me know you're ready to get started today!  

Have you tested out the new Team Beachbody Club member feature, Beachbody On Demand? What do you think? Please share in the comments!

Clean Eating Apple Pie Oatmeal

What if I told you that you could have apple pie for breakfast, no sugar, no guilt? That's exactly what I do most mornings, on one form or another! So simple, you can make this up in advance for your entire week, have it all ready to go for those busy rushed mornings!  

I like to make my steel cut oats up in advance in the slow cooker, 6 generous cups of water to 1 1/2 cup steel cut oats cooked on low for about 8 hours. Once they are cooled, I portion them out into containers, 6 servings. 

You then have your oats to do with what you wish! You can also use raw, old-fashioned oatmeal for this recipe if you prefer. 

CLEAN EATING APPLE PIE OATMEAL

(Makes 1 serving)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup uncooked, raw old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup chopped apples (approximately 1 small apple)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• Honey  or Pure maple syrup to taste
• 1/2 c. Cottage Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients the night before. Enjoy in the morning cold or warm - your choice!
2. Optional ingredients or variations of this meal are as follows:  *Caramel apple pie (add in caramel extract) *PB and banana soaked oats (in place of the apple, use a banana and 1T PB, omit the allspice) *Some prefer Plain Greek Yogurt in place of the cottage cheese for any of these variations, or you could use half cottage cheese, half yogurt! Be creative, the options are endless!

Note: You can double the spices if you like a strong flavor. Also, the syrup or honey really makes this dish. It’s what brings out the full apple pie flavor. however, you don’t need a lot if your apples are sweet.

About Me!

I'm just a small-town wife and mamma of 4 beautiful kids, ages 2-8, living in rural central WI. I am a runner and health & fitness enthusiast, and love surrounding myself with positivism, and those who lift me higher and push myself to be the best version of me I can be!

When I'm not helping others with their health, fitness, or business goals, I love to read, crochet, garden, RUN (of course!), spend time with extended family, and travel! We love to take day or weekend trips to the water parks or hike the state parks in the area.

Before Health Coaching, I had a career working in Management, coordinating services for people with Developmental Disabilities. Although my career was extremely rewarding, my heart wasn't in it once we had our first child. I left my career behind to raise our growing family. Our little family of 3 soon became 6, and living on one income was H A R D!  Everything in me wanted to help contribute to our family's income. So we grew a ton of our own food during the summer months and I learned how to do home food preservation (freezing, canning, and dehydrating). But the money we saved on groceries wasn't enough to grow our savings or pay off our accumulated debt. We were on ONE tight budget! And not only that, my husband was working a job with a one-hour commute each way, every day. Although it was a good job, he sacrificed SO much. I was basically a single parent. The kids and I NEVER sat down to a family dinner together. He left work early in the morning, and didn't return home until well-after we were in bed. We couldn't afford even the smallest of splurges. The kids would ask for a particular fruit or other food item at the store - and often times I would have to tell them "no" or put it back on the shelf because I was concerned we didn't have enough funds in our account to cover it.  The holidays stressed us out entirely, having to pick and choose who we would be able to buy a gift for...often resorting to hand-made gifts.

So when I first was informed about Online Health Coaching, I was extremely skeptical. It really sounded too good to be true!

I took a leap, knowing very little about what I would be doing, and learned as I went. I was blessed to have joined the TOP team in the network, and from my mentors, I was taught their systems to success - which I share with my own team of coaches!  In just 17 months from starting, I was able to grow a successful 6-figure business from my kitchen home office, while being present for my kids and family.

My goals for 2015 include helping a minimum of 7 coaches on my team earn $1000+ weekly, by ensuring they duplicate my own proven systems of helping people succeed with their goals. When my team succeeds, we all succeed!  I am so excited for this year!  Do you relate to this story? What are you waiting for! Your only regret will be that you didn't start sooner <3

Online Health Coaching Opportunity

How does a small-town farm girl from Central WI go from ZERO social media knowledge or experience, no network of friends, no big dreams or ambitions, stay at home mamma to 4 little ones, to a TOP COACH...5-Star ELITE Online Health Coach, in just 17 months into the business? If I could teach you how I got started, how I continue to grow my successful business by helping others achieve their goals, working from HOME part-time, around my family's schedule, would you be interested? Was I skeptical at first? YOU BET! But once I realized that I had nothing to lose by trying, I went ALL IN, and I am SO glad I did!

What would the extra income do for you? For my family, it has meant SO much! In my first month as coach, I earned $300. In my second month, my income increased to $800. By the 3rd month, I was making a significant contribution to our family's income goals. Now, we are living without the stress of wondering how we will pay our bills, how we will afford our kid's school tuition, or how we will pay that heating bill. I don't have to put food back on the shelf because of not having enough money in our checking account to cover the cost. We didn't have to stress over picking and choosing who we would be able to buy Christmas presents for this year. We are paying off our debt one, by one, by one - and seeing that bright light at the end of the tunnel!

I do NOT have a "recruiting" quota to meet, or pressure to run my business a certain way. I share this opportunity with people because I BELIEVE in it! I know how fulfilling it is to help other people succeed. I know how this has changed my life, and the others who are on our growing team. We finished the year ranked 157 out of over 220,000 teams, as one of the 199 Elite teams in the network. What does that mean? It means I am successfully leading my team to success. My processes to grow a business are duplicatable, and I want nothing more than to see our team grow and continue the positive impact toward helping others to live healthy, confident, and fit!  

For me, a small-town momma of 4, I now have a career that I am passionate about, relieved some of the financial burden from my husband, earning income from home around my family's schedule. I am my own #girlboss, and love the feeling of helping others succeed. Our team is positive, genuine, driven, goal-oriented, and welcoming to any others who feel the same about helping others. If you are waiting for an official invitation, this is it!

Do you know someone who could benefit from learning more about this opportunity? TAG and SHARE this post! To apply, complete the application today! This may be the best decision of your life. Take the leap towards living your life by design! If your'e not happy with your current situation, take the necessary steps to change it!

For consideration, please apply here:

https://marshasmrcka.wufoo.com/forms/coach-apprenticeship-application-copy/

Double Chocolate Snack Cake

I LOVE baking. I learned from the BEST. My mom was one of 18 children, born into a strong faith-centered Catholic family, who knew what it meant to live off of the land. Dairy farmers and gardeners, they made EVERYTHING from scratch. So passed on from generation to generation, I learned at an early age how to cook and bake. So that's a good thing, and a bad thing! But what I love the most is finding recipes that I can adapt and modify to fit our clean eating lifestyle.  Take this snack cake, for instance. The original recipe calls for white flour, sugar, and canola oil. I was curious to see how this would turn out with making a few simple substitutions, and I am pleasantly surprised!

When you're in a pinch, wanting a quick easy dessert, this does the trick!

So here's how:

INGREDIENTS

1 2/3 C. whole wheat flour

3/4 C. honey or agave nectar

1/4 C. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. water

1 C. ground flax meal

1 tsp. vinegar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. Semisweet chocolate chips or cocoa nibs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in an ungreased 8X8 square baking pan. Stir in remaining ingredients until well moistened, except chocolate chips. Sprinkle chips on top. 

Bake 35-40 minutes or until center comes clean with a toothpick. Cool on wire rack, makes 9 servings. Enjoy!!

Health Coaching Job Opportunity

Instead of filling your head with negativity and self doubt, instead think "what if"? 

What if I could meet the CEO of Beachbody, Carl Daikeler? What if I could earn a full-time income working from home? What if I could earn and save enough $ to pay cash for family vacations and that new car we need (had the fortune to do JUST that on Sunday!!)? What if I weren't afraid to have big dreams, and even bigger goals? What if instead of DREADING going back to work on Monday morning, you looked forward to your job? What if instead of needing to report to a boss, you were your OWN boss? What if you were entirely and COMPLETELY fulfilled, in every way, by your job, knowing you were making a positive impact and difference in someone's life? What if...you could be part of the #1 TEAM in ALL of Beachbody?

I'm opening a door for you to do just that...TAKE IT! I'm currently accepting applications for my next Health Coach apprenticeship training. Find out how YOU can duplicate my success with this business, in as little as one year achieving 4-Star Qualifying Diamond Coach rank in my organization well on my way towards FINANCIAL FREEDOM - something I certainly wouldn't have even DREAMED would be possible. Complete the application below if you are self-motivated, compassionate, caring, and have a strong desire to make a positive impact on the lives of others. #fitmomof4 #healthcoach #timetosucceed #earnfromhome #workfromhome #fitspiration #dreambig #achievebig #fitforlife #DreamTeam 

https://marshasmrcka.wufoo.com/forms/coach-apprenticeship-application-copy/

Clean-Eating Baked Chicken Drumsticks

My old go-to recipe for baked drumsticks called for the not-so-clean eating baking mix, so I was on a quest for a much healthier version of our beloved dark meat treat, with all the flavor but without the baking mix. This is what I came up with, and I have to say I don't miss our previous recipe ONE BIT! You can either leave the skins on, or remove them prior to baking. I do find that my family's preference is with the skin on, and removing it just before eating seems to keep the meat moist and juicy.

Clean-Eating Baked Chicken Drumsticks (serves 4-6)

Ingredients
6 chicken drumsticks 
EVOO
Smoked Paprika
garlic powder
salt (I love sea salt)
fresh ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Place drumsticks in a 9x13 baking dish, and rub the drumsticks with enough olive oil to lightly coat them on all sides.  Combine desired amounts of seasoning blend in a small bowl, and sprinkle the drumsticks to lightly coat.
3. Bake drumsticks at 375 degrees for 22 minutes.
4. Flip the drumsticks, sprinkle them again with seasoning blend, and bake at 375 degrees for an additional 23 minutes (so they are in the oven for 45 minutes total) until the skin is golden brown and the juices run clear.

The drumsticks are literally that easy.  I just eyeballed the amount of spices to use...just a light sprinkle of each is enough.  You'll just want to make sure that each drumstick gets a sprinkle of each spice.  I left the skins on because they brown beautifully and add extra flavor to the chicken.  My kids love to pick up their own drumstick and go to town!

I served the chicken legs with a simple spinach souffle (and apple slices for the kids), but you could also slice sweet (or russet) potatoes into wedges and add them to the baking dish at the beginning for a one-dish meal.  Just coat the baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil (and you can line your baking dish with foil for easier clean up) and make sure to stir/flip the potato wedges when you flip the drumsticks halfway through the baking time.  Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. This is SO amazing... enjoy!

After School/ On-the-go Healthy Snacks

Perhaps one of the biggest things we all struggle with is finding healthy protein-packed snacks that we can take with us on the go or have handy in case we are away from home for longer than we planned!  When you PLAN ahead, you really can set yourself up to succeed. I often times hear that it costs SO much to eat healthy or "clean". WELL>>>> today, I put that theory to the test. And you know what?! What I discovered is quite the opposite! You pay for convenience, regardless if what you're eating is healthy or not. I even splurged on a few items that I don't usually purchase for my little snack experiment.
So what I bought:
*Dried Cranberries
*Semi-sweet chocolate chips
*Cashews
*Chocolate covered plums
*Cocoa Almonds
*Organic unsweetened coconut flakes

My total came to $26.24. I combined all the ingredients together in a large bowl (it was cheaper to purchase a large bag of the dried cranberries, but I only used about half of the bag) and portioned into 1/2 c. servings, put them in snack-size baggies, and WALLAH! 33 servings, all ready to go! I'm set for awhile. So this came to around $0.80 per serving. I don't normally buy the organic coconut flakes (they were $2.58) or Plum Sweets ($3.28), so when calculated without those 2 items, my cost per serving came down to around $0.68 per serving, and I would also have fewer servings.  Comparable to most other pre-packaged serving size snack items in the stores, but WAY more healthy! A little planning and prep is all it took to have healthy nutritious snacks for me and my family. Perfect for school lunch packs or after school snacks!

21 Day Fix Egg White Muffins

21 Day Fix-approved>>> This is on my meal plan this week, and I'm doing my prep, making them up for the week so I thought I would share!!! 

Servings: Makes 12 full size muffins

Ingredients:
· 2 regular cartons 100% pure liquid egg whites or 1 large carton
· Vegetables of your choice- Suggest spinach, multi-colored bell peppers, mushrooms, and/or onions
· Pepper
· Garlic and/or Onion Powder, a few drops of Hot Sauce (tabasco)

Method:
1. Grease a muffin tin with olive oil spray
2. Fill each muffin compartment with chopped vegetables
3. Sprinkle with pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder
4. Fill each compartment to the top with egg whites
5. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

Remember:

· These can be eaten by themselves or you can put them on a whole wheat English muffin, or my fave Ezekiel Bread!

· If you want to jazz it up more, top with some additional Tabasco or feta over top (Not TOO MUCH!)

· Store 2 muffins in each Ziploc bag. Stays fresh for 7 days in the fridge.

I love lists and checking things off:

Fix Portions used:
· 2 egg white muffins = 1 red, 1 green
· 2 egg white muffins + ww english muffin = 1 red, 1 green, 2 yellows
· 2 egg white muffins + cheese = 1 red, 1 green, 1 blue

Tuna Recipe

Who says eating healthy has to be boring, bland, or complex? I whipped this beautiful combo for lunch today for the kiddos, and it was SO delicious! Easy, fast, delicious and nutritious! Serve in romaine leaves for a fun spin. Enjoy!!!

No-Bake Energy Balls

This is one of my most REQUESTED recipes, by FAR. And for good reason; they're just THAT GOOD! Healthy, easy to whip up, they freeze well ( I have to hide them in the freezer just so we don't eat them all right away, but they are also dangerously good frozen, too!)and they make the perfect snack for the little ones. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Oatmeal Pancakes; 21-Day FIX Meal Plan

21-Day Fix breakfast!  I LOVE this meal, and it only uses one yellow and one red, 1 gray tsp.

I use this most days, as it fills me up and offers that boost of carbs and protein that I need first thing in the morning!  This is my version of the eggs and oats from the 3-day Quick Start, but is SO good that I use it almost daily!

So what I do is make up a batch of steel cut oats on my meal prep days (usually Sundays).  I use steel cut oats because I am TOTALLY in LOVE with the firmer texture, and they are the least "processed" oats you can get.  And it's just so easy to make them!  Add water and cook on the stovetop for about 30 minutes.  If you want them a bit softer, you can add more liquid (water).  Then I portion my oats in 6 containers along with cinnamon to taste and 3-4 egg whites, and sweetener of choice (optional).  {{I love to top with a bit of honey right before serving.}}  Whisk this mixture up, and stack up your containers in the fridge until that morning.  Get out your frying pan, melt 1 tsp. coconut oil, and FRY your pancake until lightly browned and set.  Flip, and cook an additional 1-2 minutes on med. heat.  Plate it and ENJOY!!! And yes, you can enjoy FRIED foods on the 21-Day Fix Meal plan!!!

Oatmeal Pancake

Ingredients:
1/2 c. (prepared) steel cut oats
3-4 egg whites
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. coconut oil

Method:
Combine prepared oats and egg whites with cinnamon and sweetener (optional).  Melt coconut oil in a pan.
Fry your oatmeal pancake in the oil until lightly browned and set.  Flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Top with fruit (purple container) if you wish.  ENJOY!  

Black Bean Chili

There's NOTHING like a hot cup of soup on a cold, winter day!  My favorite thing is to have it simmering in the crock pot, releasing the delicious aroma as it cooks.  This Black Bean Chili is so wonderful, and you can add in some diced or stewed tomatoes if you like it a little more "soupy".

Total Time: 29 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 19 min.
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 cups low-sodium organic chicken ( or vegetable) broth
4 oz. all-natural tomato paste
1 (4-oz.) can diced green chiles (with liquid)
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. chile powder
1 (16-oz.) can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 (16-oz.) can cannellini (white) beans, drained, rinsed

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender.
3. Add broth, tomato paste, chiles, cumin, chili powder, black beans, and cannellini beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook at a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
4. Ladle evenly into six serving bowls.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 175

Fat: 3 g

Saturated Fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 507 mg

Carbohydrate: 30 g

Fiber: 9 g

Sugar: 5 g

Protein: 9 g

Paleo Muffins

Are you looking for a good, all-around basic gf muffin recipe to use? Feel GREAT about making these for your family's snack, breakfast, or next brunch get-together. Naturally sweetened with honey, and grain-free! 










Paleo (almond flour) Muffins

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 170.7
Fat: 16.2g
Carbohydrates: 5.5g
Protein: 3.9g

Ingredients:
2 C almond flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 C coconut oil, melted
3 T honey
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
(optional ingredients--> nuts, fresh or dried fruit)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix together melted coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla. Mix well and add apples. Combine dry and liquid ingredients until dry mixture is incorporated. Spoon into paper-lined muffin cups (recommended over greased pan). Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly golden.

Serving Size: Makes 28 mini muffins or 14 standard size muffins

Number of Servings: 14

Clean-eating Overnight Soaked Oats

I'm not going to try to hide it.  I LOVE my breakfast, and look forward to this each and every day, in one form or another.  On meal-prep days, I make up 7 containers of this so I have one for each day that I can grab-and-go.  Whether it be with pomegranate as in the photo, or chocolate with nut butter and sliced bananas, or yogurt with blueberries and raspberries.  You're sure to find just the right combination that you'll love!  Many are reluctant to try this, as it does seem a bit strange to eat uncooked oats...but they soften as they rest in the refrigerator overnight, and have a really great texture when combined with the cottage cheese and fruit.  So trust me, and take my word for it!  This recipe is the BOMB; at about 300 calories per serving, it's sure to keep you feeling full all morning long!