Best Guacamole ever (I am not kidding)

My husband found this recipe online a few years back.  It is hands down the best I have ever had, and I love me some Mexican Food.  He made it Sunday when we were watching the Colts win a nail biter.  

Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 Tbsp of fresh lime juice or lemon juice
2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup of minced red onion or thinly sliced green onion
1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro (leaves and tender stems), finely chopped
A dash of freshly grated black pepper
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Serve with tortilla chips. We used organic Blue Chips

1 Cut the avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl. (I find it easiest to score the inside of the avocado with a blunt knife and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. 
2 Using a fork, roughly mash the avocado. (Don't overdo it! The guacamole should be a little chunky.) Sprinkle with salt and lime (or lemon) juice. The acid in the lime juice will help delay the avocados from turning brown. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, black pepper, and chiles. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness. Be careful handling the peppers; wash your hands thoroughly after handling and do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several hours.

Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste.

3 Place plastic wrap on the surface of the guacamole cover it and to prevent air reaching it. (The oxygen in the air causes oxidation which will turn the guacamole brown.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.

4 Chilling tomatoes hurts their flavor, so if you want to add chopped tomato to your guacamole, add it just before serving.

Please let me know if you make it!

Fall is upon us! 

It might still be 90 degrees in Texas, but it is autumn.  I think of pumpkins, pumpkin spice, pumpkin everything!  This is a recipe from the Fixate cookbook, part of the 21 Day Fix.  Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites.  I have had intentions of trying this for some time, and finally decided no better time than now!
This is where I have to keep it real.  I am not Betty Crocker.  I am messy, it never looks the way it is supposed to, I am not the best at presentation, but to me, as long as it tastes the same, I am OK with it!
Please let me know if you make them and what you thought!  Thank you!

Ingredients:
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup raw pecans
1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (reserve small amount for garnish)
1 tsp. pure hazelnut extract (or pure maple extract)
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch sea, or Himalayan salt

1. Place dates in a medium bowl; cover with water.  Let soak for 10 minutes, drain, set aside.  
2. Place pecans in food processor; pulse until finely ground.
3. Add dates, pumpkin, coconut, extract, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; pulse until well mixed.  Place in a medium bowl.  Refrigerate, covered for 30 minutes.
4. Using clean hands, roll into tablespoon sized ball; roll in reserved coconut if desired.
5. Store refrigerated in air tight container.

Serving: approx 16  Cal. 61  Total Fat 3g  Saturated Fat 1g  Cholesterol 0 Sodium 10  Carbs 9 g.  Fiber 2 g  Sugars 7 g  Protein 1 g   Containers: 1 yellow 1/2 tsp 

BBQ Pulled Pork

We had week two of the NFL and watched the Colts get pounced last night by the Jets.  That hurt.   0-2.  =(  Sunday by husband made his yummy pulled pork.  This is an oldie but a goodie.  Always tastes delicious!

4 pounds pork shoulder
5 to 6 cloves
3 TBSP Liquid Smoke
2 red onions, thinly sliced
2 cups water
16 oz BBQ sauce (we have been using Stubbs)

Directions:

Stud the roast with cloves and add liquid smoke on pork and rub in.  Place in a crock pot or slow cooker and top with onions.  Cover roast with water and cook 8-10 hours.  Remove pork, discard cloves and layer of fat, as well as any water and grease remaining in the pot.  When pork is cool enough to handle, use a fork or your hands to shred and pull the meat apart.  Return the meat to the crock pot along with the BBQ sauce.  Heat for one to two hours.

You can serve with: whole wheat buns, tortillas, or alone.  A lot of people like slaw.  To make a healthier version, use a Mayo made with avocado oil.

Let me know what you think!!!

Gratitude Bank

One thing that was suggested to me this week was creating a gratitude bank for our home, and each night, put something in for which we are grateful.  How awesome is that?  Society has shifted us to focus on the negative.  Get those thoughts out of your head!  This is a great perspective and makes you truly think of something as the simplest blessing to something big.  Please let me know if you try it and what you think!  Have a great weekend!

Beachbody Coaching Perspective

I don't like/want to get defensive, but a lot of times Beachbody Coaches get a bad wrap.  This is before anyone knows anything about it.  There is just this assumption.  I say, look into it before you assume.  Like with anything, right?  It sure doesn't hurt!

It started for me a life change.  I lost some weight, learned about nutrition and the impact it had on my entire life.  I learned to love myself and earned some self respect.  I decided it was for me  THEN, I realized it was a legit business.  I mean, smart.  My goal now is to help others create their own online health and fitness business.  It is do-able for the stay at home mom, or the mom that wants to be able to be with her kids more. To have the flexibility, freedom, and better quality of life!  Yes, MANY full time incomes are replaced; and at a growth faster than any other job you would have in corporate America.  I heard yesterday, why would do stay broke for 40 years doing a job you hate, rather than work hard for a few years to build your own business for something greater?  

I believe I provide the best answers I can to the best questions out there.  I am happy to address any hesitations or concerns.  I LOVE what I do.  I BELIEVE in it.  I don't apologize for it.  I want everyone to know about this?  Why would I not share something I love?

If ever ever ever anyone wants to know anything, just ask me. 

Football Recipes - Boneless Wings

Football season is upon us, so that means we are happy campers.  We are Colts fans, yes, back before they were good.  They did not look pretty yesterday, but it was only game one.  My husband likes to cook, unlike me.  We decided it would be fun to share a recipe a week with everyone during the football season.  I will try and get the next one out before Sunday so you can try as well.

This is for buffalo chicken wings.  We like boneless, so use what you prefer.  It is from Anchor Bar in Buffalo (gee, that is funny, we played Buffalo yesterday.)  It was just a recipe he found online and has been making them for a few years now.

- 36 wings (again we just chicken tenders, diced)
- 1 TBSP vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour (for a healthier version we used almond flour)
- 1 1/2 TBSP white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 TBSP hot sauce (we use Frank's)
- 6 TBSP unsalted butter or margarine
- type of dressing you want to dip (we use Blue Cheese and need to work on a "cleaner" version)

preheat over to 425

1. toss chicken in a bowl with oil and salt.  Place into a large plastic bag (ziplock) and add flour to shake and coat.  Remove from bag and spread out evenly on an (oiled -foiled lined baking pan) you can line with olive oil or some type of similar spray.  Do not crowd.  Bake for about 20 minutes, turn the wings over, and cook for another 20 - until browned.

2.  While the wings are baking, mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a pan.  Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and then turn off.

3.  After the wings are cooked, transfer to a large mixing bowl.  Pour sauce over wings and toss until completely covered!

We saved some nuggets for my son to eat plain.  And truth be told, we ate all of them before I realized I never took a pic!  Let me know if you make them and what you think!

I am on a Mission!

I watched a training video last night.  It rocked my world.  Guess what I am BOLD.  And I am on fire.
If you told me 6 months ago I would be getting up at the butt crack of dawn to do a challenge I would have laughed in your face. If you were doing it, I would probably have called you a dork. I found personal development valuable, but these past couple of months has been an entire new level for me. Knowledge, personal growth, and yes doubting myself. Going back to "what will others think?" Here is the deal. If I have a strong conviction, the support of my husband and confidence in myself - I am doing it. I have realized you won't make everyone happy. But you do hope to have respect.
I have also realized that you really can visualize something that is not a reality at the moment. Maybe for someone it is losing 60 pounds. Not happening tomorrow but you can visualize it. And with consistent actions, you can get there. This applies to anything.
We can lose momentum at times, this is when a lot of
people give up. Don't. Man I do it, but I would not have an office if I had given up. (It is still weird). This is just a step to my story. Helping more people. Being more driven. Showing them they can be driven too. Never apologize for doing something good and believing in it.

Are you?

Just Breathe

So here is the deal.  I have insomnia.  I am bipolar.  Any one of them can sneak up on me at anytime. One might trigger the other.  I get crabby.  I get manic.  I have not slept for 4 nights.  Why?  I don't know.  Man I wish I did.  I am tired.  I want to cry.  I try and stay as positive as possible.  I am so transparent that you can tell when I am down.  I won't pretend not to be. It took SO long to get here, I don't want it to go back to where it was.  It is daunting.

BUT,  how it used to be is different than how it is now.  See, before, I never saw the "it would be better".  I just stayed in despair.  I would hide in bed, EAT, feel sorry for myself.  Oh, don't worry, I feel a little sorry for myself, cause I want to sleep.  Sleep is vital to our health and VERY vital to me. I want to feel like I did 5 days ago.  Now though, I try to use tools to help me get better.  1. call my dr and find out what the heck is going on, again.  2. I exercise, better than medicine.  I don't care how tired I am.  3.  I pray and read something to lift me up.  3.  I acknowledge and own it.  4.  I realize I need to take a step back and take care of me before I can take care of others.  5.  I. breathe because it will be OK.

It is what it is.  Do the best you can.  You are not alone.  XO

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

A friend posted this recipe last week.  Then I saw someone else post it.  I figured I better check it out.

Overnight Steel Cut Oats 

Serving size 1
Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of dry steel cut oats
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• ¾ cup of low-fat, plain greek yogurt
• 1 cup of any fruit of your choice
Directions

1. Mix together.
2. Put in a pint jar or other small container with a lid.
3. Store in the refrigerator overnight with the lid on. The next morning stir and add a sprinkle of cinnamon. I added stevia as well)
Feel free to warm yours in the microwave for about 1 minute.