Snow Day Sticky Note Workout

This day is soooooo snowy! Thankfully, we spent all yesterday outside doing leaves (again), putting up Christmas lights and creating some fun holiday pots for our front steps. So check that stuff off our list.

Since I don't feel like driving in the snow to the gym, I did this workout this morning and it was quick and sweaty and perfect for getting rid of some Turkey Day bloat. I did the list 5 times through with no breaks and it took me 22 minutes and 31 seconds. It wasn't easy, but it was simple and went fairly quick. My family joined me in doing it and the kids were super "helpful," riding our backs while we did push ups and going through our plank "tunnels." Quality family time in the works!

Snow Day Sticky Note Workout: (so good it took TWO sticky notes)

• 10 Jumping Jacks
• 10 Jump Squats
• 10 Lunges (each side)
• 10 Push Ups
• 10 Mountain Climbers (each side)
• 10 Sit Throughs
• 100 Bicycle Crunches
• 10 Single Leg Bridges (each side)
• 1 Minute Plank

Do the list 5 times (or more or less depending on time)

Enjoy!

Most delicious Brussels sprouts EVER

So normally, I only cook/bake the easiest, most lazy recipes, but this one is worth a little tiny bit of extra work. These are my three step perfect Brussels sprouts for any occasion...and what I'm bringing to both our Thanksgiving meals tomorrow. Not only are these delicious by themselves, but you can dress then up anyway you want. Bacon/maple, cherries/almonds, bacon/cranberries are some of my favorites.

What you need:

• fresh Brussels sprouts (the smaller the better and because I'm lazy, I like the ones you can buy that are pre-washed and trimmed)
• a carton of vegetable, chicken or turkey broth
• olive or avocado oil
• salt and pepper (and any other spices you like...i sprinkle some garlic and onion powder on when sauteing)

What you do:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Slice your washed and trimmed sprouts in half.
3. Boil them in your broth of choice for 1-2 minutes in a large skillet....you do NOT want them to cook fully
4. Drain sprouts and in same skillet, dump the sprouts back in with your oil
5. Saute the sprouts in oil until they start to brown and soften a bit (don't worry if some of the leaves come off...those will be the yummiest parts later!)
6. Drain sprouts again if there is any liquid in the pan.
7. Spread the sprouts on a lightly oiled cookie sheet in one even layer
8. Salt and pepper them
9. Roast those puppies for 20-30 minutes until they are brown and crispy. You'll have to toss them at least once during the roasting process.
10. SERVE!

Note: if you are dressing them up with extras, I like to throw the "extras" onto the pan while roasting about 5-10 minutes before they are finished.

Enjoy! 

Heart and Abs Sticky Note Workout

This is such a quick and simple workout...but it will burn a bit and get your heart rate up in less than 15 minutes. Enjoy!

10 jumping jacks

10 jump squats

10 reverse lunges (each side)

100 bicycle crunches

10 mountain climbers

10 v-ups (each side)

1 minute plank

REPEAT 3 TIMES (or more 🤗)

Ladder sticky-note workout

I saved this sticky note from my first class of the day to share because it was soooo good! And by good, I mean sweaty and a great workout in about 20-25 minutes depending on rest.

So here’s the deal: do each of the 6 exercises listed 10 times, the. 9 times, then 8...all the way to 1. Then go back up until you get to 10. Wew! I know, right!? 

Enjoy! 

I've got dinner covered for you...

Yesterday, it was cold. It was rainy. And my fridge? It was empty. I really really didn't want to the store to pick up dinner stuff, so I opened my freezer and realized I had a ton of half bags of frozen veggies, a pound of ground beef and in my cupboard, a can of tomatoes, an onion, some beef broth and a baking potato. All of that gave me a wonderful idea. I threw everything into my crockpot (after browning the meat and cutting up the onion and potato) and spiced it up In 5 hours (on low...you could speed up the process by cooking it on the stove in a stockpot for an hour or so) it was DELICIOUS. Here's what I had for the exact recipe, but I urge you to make your own out of your random stuff!

What I had:

• 1/2 bag frozen mixed veggies (Hodgepodge from Trader Joe's)
• 1/2 bag frozen corn
• 1/2 bag frozen roasted peppers and onions
• 1/2 bag frozen green beans
• 1/2 bag cauliflower rice
• 1 large baking potato (chopped with skin)
• 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
• 1 box of beef bone broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• oregano
• thyme
• salt
• pepper
• minced garlic
• Worcestershire sauce

Enjoy!

Fall Fast Challenge: Lose weight, gain energy, detox the body, eat good food

Are you ready to gain some more energy, not feel starving all the time, plus, detox your body before the Holidays start? This 21-Day challenge does it all. And don't worry, you eat food (and lots of it) every single day; don't let the word "FAST" freak you out. During the challenge, we will eat during specific hours of the day...which can be flexible to fit all schedules.

Intermittent fasting, or simply eating all of your food during a specified window during a 24 hour period, has been shown to have the following benefits:

1. Weight loss
2. Improve muscle strength and workouts 
3. Normalizes insulin sensitivity
4. Decreases hunger
5. Lower triglyceride levels
6. Help slow the aging process

The challenge starts Monday, October 29 and ends Sunday, November 18 and includes:

• 21 days of clean eating in specific blocks of time
• Grocery lists
• Sample meals (make at home, on the go, out to eat)
• Recipes that are simple but tasty
• Quickie workouts
• Accountability and encouragement with access to an ACE certified wellness professional
• Access to a small group of people doing the exact same thing you are, who have the same questions and struggles and we will all work through them together
• Most importantly, NO supplements-just real food and an easy to follow schedule, PLUS, you don't have to come to any special classes or appointments, it's all online via private Facebook page just for our little group.
• All for just $29*

Don't wait until after the Holidays to get your wellness groove on. Get ready for the parties and treats and feasts by training your body to burn fat fast-this is something you can take into the Holidays to maintain or even get closer to your goals!

Simply e-mail erin@ehfitness.com to sign up or ask questions!

*I will invoice you via PayPal and add you to the group as soon as I get confirmation of payment :) 

Sticky note workout for your booty

It doesn’t get much simpler than this. Do each exercise for 1minute...then repeat it 3 times. Enjoy! 

The perfect protein ball

When I asked my three-year-old what she wanted to make for a snack with her friend today, she said "protein balls, please." So we did...in 10 minutes flat...and they are rock-star protein balls! PLUS, you can make them with all sorts of stuff. You could add flax, chia seeds, chocolate, fruit, etc

What you need:

• Parchment paper lined cookie sheet
• 1 cup nut butter (we used raw salted creamy natural peanut butter but almond butter or sunflower butter would be great too)
• 1/2 cup sweetener (we used raw organic honey but agave or maple syrup or brown rice syrup will do)
• 54 grams of protein powder (we used 2 1/2 scoops IsaPro vanilla...just make sure it's unsweetened and just protein powder)
• 1 cup oatmeal (we used gluten free quick oats)
• 22 chocolate chips

What you do: 

1. On medium-low heat, combine peanut butter and honey and stir until smooth (be careful, it can burn!)
2. Remove pan from burner and let cool for a minute stirring continuously.
3. Mix in protein powder and oatmeal in (you get a bit of an arm workout since it gets pretty thick)
4. Make into tablespoon sized balls (or use a cookie dough scoop if you're lazy...er resourceful... like me).
5. Top with a chocolate chip (totally optional :) ) 
6. Refrigerate for around an hour and eat 'em!

Nutrition stats:
(per ball...recipe makes 22)
115 calories, 6 grams fat, 11 grams carbs, 6 grams sugar, 1.5 grams fiber, 5.5 grams protein

EDIT: I made another batch using half the sweetener and added 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk and they were perfection, plus you shave off 15 calories and 3 grams sugar :)

Make in a blender perfect autumn soup

Always the lazy cook, I've come up with the easiest and cleanest and tastiest Butternut Squash Soup that is perfect for the fall, winter or even cold in the summer. Plus, butternut squash is super high in vitamin A (you’ll get over 100% of your daily recommended intake). Vitamin A is required for the development of eyes, skin, and immune system. So it’s important. AND it has the super spice turmeric which is believed to aid in digestion, prevent Alzheimer’s disease, heal wounds, ward off cancer, control diabetes, relieve arthritis and a bunch of other awesome things. Makes you kind of want to just eat a whole canister of it, right? Don’t, that would be gross. But DO eat this soup!

 To make this the easiest thing ever, I recommend cooking your butternut squash in a crockpot. I often will just do this move and then keep the perfectly done squash in my fridge if I'm not read y to make the soup-yay! Check out this recipe in all of it's glory.

Butternut Squash Soup:

What you need: 

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1/2 TBSP minced ginger
• 1 heaping TSP tumeric
• 1 TSP curry powder
• 3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken bone broth or stock)
• 1 cup light unsweetened coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

1. Cook the butternut squash (whole) in a crockpot for 3-4 hours on low, let cool a bit and then scoop out the insides (toss the seeds). You can totally do this part a couple days in advance and keep the perfectly cooked squash in the fridge.
2. Saute the onions in a bit of the chicken broth until they are soft (about 10 minutes), add all the spices and rest of the broth. Set aside and let cool a bit.
3. Dump everything into a blender...you might have to do this in batches. If the broth and onion deal is still hot, make sure to only fill the blender halfway as you could end up covered in the delicious soup
4. Blend until smooth, add the coconut milk, blend again and you are done!

enjoy!

Quickie Ab HIIT Workout for Busy Days

High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, has been all over the news, in magazines and praised by trainers everywhere as a way to increase muscle, burn fat and save time even more so than regular, moderate exercise. Sounds good to me! And pair that with some awesome ab movements, you've got yourself a 30 minute workout that will keep burning fat for up to 9 hours as well as tone and train your core. 

HIIT plus ABS Workout

Here's the deal: do each exercise for 35 seconds with a 5 second transition between moves. Repeat list for a total of 4 rounds and ta-da, you're finished in less than 30 minutes!

1. Jumping Jacks

2. Bicycle Crunches

3. Leg Lowers

4. Flutter Kicks

5. Mountain Climbers

6. Butt Kicks

7. Right Side Plank 

8. Left Side Plank

9. Plank

10. Jump Squats

Wew! Enjoy!

Clean and simple meals for high or low carb days

Carb cycling or just trying to eat cleaner and at home more? I've got you covered with the following list of super clean, super simple meals. Most of them are easy to make ahead or to double, triple or quadruple to freeze for easy and quick access to good REAL food.


Lower carb day favorites:

Tuna on "toast"

Chicken and pesto spaghetti squash

Chicken Soup

30 minute salmon and sides

Eggs on a pile of veggies

Chicken fried cauliflower rice

Burrito Bowl (leave out the beans if on a low carb day)

Perfectly easy pork tenderloin

Chicken Sausage with veggies


                                          Higher carb day favorites:

Super Salad

Breakfast-lunch-dinner-snack casserole

Butternut squash soup (in a blender)

Simple chili (great over a potato-sweet or plain!)

Short ribs with carrots

Quinoa muffins

Autumn quinoa salad

My favorite super fast “fried rice”

This meal is just perfection in my book. It's a way lower carb, way higher veggie version of fried rice with tons of yummy protein and it's so fast and so yummy.I just get this amazing cauliflower fried rice at Trader Joe's, some extra cauliflower rice, broccoli, chicken an egg and coconut aminos (tastes like soy sauce but with health benefits). The chicken is the "hardest" part....but not if you use leftovers from grilling or baking, or, in a pinch, a rotisserie chicken from sprouts (super clean) does the trick.








What you need:

• 1 tsp coconut or avocado oil
• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Cauliflower Rice
• Broccoli (I'm lazy...or efficient...and get the steam in the bag kind)
• 1 tsp coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup chicken
• 1 egg

What you do:

1. Heat oil in a skillet
2. Add all ingredients except egg and sautee until heated through
3. Push your "fried rice" to the side of the skillet and scramble the egg on the other side
4. Mix everything together 
5. EAT IT!

Throwback playlist for your next workout

Fall Wellness Challenge is here!

The summer is wrapping up, school is starting, vacations are winding down and it's the perfect time for a wellness challenge to look and feel your best. This challenge is going to be simple, supported and without any supplements. If you are ready to take steps to improve metabolism, fit better into your clothes, have more energy and approach food as it is meant to be-for energetic life, then join me in a 21 day wellness challenge. The challenge begins right after Labor Day on Tuesday, September 4 and ends Sepbember 24 and is just $29 flat*. The program includes:

• 21 days of clean eating carb-cycling style. Get excited! It's super simple and totally tasty. Plus, I'll be doing it right along with you. 
• Food lists 
• Sample meal plans as well as suggestions for when you eat out . 
• 21 days of quickie workout options (no more than 30 minutes a day)
• 21 days of accountability and encouragement and access to a ACE Certified personal trainer and wellness coach.
• 21 days of a small community of people doing the exact same thing you are, who have the same questions and struggles and we will work through it all together!
• Most importantly, NO supplements-just real food for real people living real lives.

There's noting to lose, except maybe some inches and a few pounds. There's a lot to gain: body confidence, strength, good digestion, energy and a different way to eating. 

If you're interested, simply e-mail me here and let me know to put you on the list. I will add you to our closed Facebook group where the food lists will be so you can be prepared for day one: Tuesday, September 4. Also, please feel free to e-mail me with any questions about the challenge-I would love to answer them (erin@ehfitness.com)

*I will invoice you via PayPal and add you to the group as soon as I get confirmation of payment :) 

Chocolate Banana Zucchini Bread-clean and soooo yummy

Today, my husband and kids suggested going to an amazing vegan bakery for a little snack...my favorite because they also bake the most delicious gluten free treats too! Much to my disappointment, they had sold all of the gluten free offerings that day...so sad. So when I got home, I decided to make my own treat with some bananas that were totally overripe and a huge zucchini from my in-laws garden. This is soooo easy, soooo yummy and full of fruit and veggies!

What you need:
2 cups oats, pulsed in blender until "flour"

• 2 very ripe bananas smashed
• 2.5 cups of shredded zucchini (I spiralize and run a knife through mine)
• 100 calories worth of plain, vegan protein powder. I like the pea protein from Trader Joe's
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 TBSP oil of choice (loving my avocado oil)
• 1 1/2 TBSP apple cider vinager
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• Dash of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips 

What you do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a 8x8 pan
3. Combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and then fold in the chocolate
4. Pour into the pan and bake on middle rack for 40-45 minutes 

EAT it!

Nutrition for one giant piece...1/9 of the pan

235 calories

8 grams fat

36 carbs

4 grams fiber

6 grams protein

Clean and simple egg casserole that is anything but just for breakfast!

Earlier this week, I made a breakfast casserole for a friend who just had a baby and eats mostly paleo. The recipe looked good, so I doubled it and made one for myself...and oh my it was GOOD! But true to form, I thought that I could definitely get some more veggies in and do less processed meat. So, here is what I came up with and it delivers. I made it a bit spicy so if that's not  your thing, use less pepper flakes :)

What you need:

• 1 tbsp avocado, coconut, olive oil, butter, ghee...your choice...I like avocado oil best :) 
• 1 lb ground turkey (I like the 93% lean)
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed (if you're lazy like me, Trader Joe's sells sweet potatoes already cubed)
• 1 package (3 cups) cooked cauliflower rice (I get it at Trader Joe's in the frozen section and microwave for 3 minutes)
• 3 cups fresh, shopped spinach
• 1/2 large yellow onion diced
• 12 eggs, beaten
• 3  tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp sage
• 3/4 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp marjoram

What you do:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Toss sweet potatoes in oil and place them on baking sheet. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until soft
3. While sweet potatoes are roasting, brown the ground turkey with onions until finished (no pink)
4. Add pepper, 2 tsp salt, sage and thyme to meat and mix well
5. Add cooked cauliflower rice and sweet potatoes to meat mixture and combine
6. Whip the garlic powder and remaining salt into the eggs
7. Grease a 9x13 pan and pour all ingredients together, including eggs
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until eggs are set
9. This lasts for about a week in the fridge...enjoy!

Cinco de Mayo...clean and tasty!

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo and we are having people over to celebrate my husbands 40th birthday with a taco bar and such..yay! But that doesn't mean that I can't eat clean. Here is what I plan to do to stay on track and keep feeling amazing. 

I'm going to fill a bowl with the following:

• cooked cauliflower rice (super easy with Trader Joe's frozen kind) or regular rice (super easy with steam-in-bag rice
• shredded taco chicken (so easy, throw chicken breasts in the crockpot with a jar of salsa...all day on low, 4 hours on high), or pork shoulder or ground turkey (we are having it all :) ). I use this super simple home-made taco seasoning. 
• black beans (I'm in love with Trader Joe's Cuban style black beans)
• shredded lettuce or cabbage
• diced onion (you can grab some at the salad bar in your grocery store if you don't want to chop)
• salsa
• and definitely guacamole!

Yummy!

Favorite taco seasoning

Taco seasoning is kinda tricky when buying it at the store...there are some additives and sugar in most of them. So just make your own! 

This is my go-to recipe that I double or triple to last a while.

Homemade taco seasoning: 

1 TBSP chili powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika 

1/4 tsp oregano

Combine and enjoy!! 🤗

Summer Shape-up 2018!

The last freeze (might) be over and summer is just around the corner. If you're ready for a wellness challenge that is simple, supported and without any supplements, I've got one for you. If your goals include increased metabolism, fitting better into your clothes, having more energy and approaching food as it is meant to be-for energetic life, then join me in a 21 day wellness challenge. The challenge begins Monday, April 23 and ends Sunday, May 13-just in time for school to be out, pools to open and bright sunshiny days to be the new norm. The program is just $29* and includes:

• 21 days of clean eating. Get excited! It's super simple and totally tasty. Plus, I'll be doing it right along with you. 
• Sample meal plans as well as suggestions for when you eat out.
• Grocery lists 
• 21 days of quickie workout options (no more than 30 minutes a day)
• 21 days of accountability and encouragement and access to a ACE Certified personal trainer and wellness coach.
• 21 days of a small community of people doing the exact same thing you are, who have the same questions and struggles and we will work through it all together!
• Most importantly, NO supplements-just real food for real people living real lives.

There's noting to lose, except maybe some inches and a few pounds. There's a lot to gain: body confidence, strength, good digestion, better sleep, energy and a different way to eating. 

If you're interested, simply e-mail me here (erin@ehfitness.com) and let me know to put you on the list or feel free to ask any questions! When you sign up, I will add you to our closed Facebook group where the food lists will be so you can be prepared for day one: Monday, April 23.

*I will invoice you via PayPal and add you to the group as soon as I get confirmation of payment :) 

Super Salad

I have always felt that salads that other people make, whether it's restaurants or friends/family, always taste better. I hate the prep and I can never get the salad dressing right. Until now. You guys, this salad has EVERYTHING in it: tons of veggies, protein, fiber, good fats and overall deliciousness. My husband raved about it and so I've been making it a lot. And now, I have it prepped and ready to go at any moment. This salad is a meal all by itself and I've been eating it three or four days a week..it's that good and totally versatile. I'm also in love with the dressing I use-it takes like 30 seconds to make.

Here's what I put in it:

• Mixed greens and spinach (chopped)
• Chopped, roasted sweet potatoes
• Cauliflower rice
• Zucchini
• Chickpeas (roasted are amazing but rinsed from the can work just as well)
• Walnuts
• Carrots
• Roasted turkey breast
• Red onion
• Avocado
• Snap peas
• Dried unsweetened cherries if I'm feeling crazy (I have found these at Trader Joe’s)

What I top it with (dressing recipe):
(don't use it all...I use a table spoon or two and save the rest in the fridge in a mason jar)

• 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar (I like the white balsamic for this one but normal would be fine too)
• Salt to taste (I give it a couple shakes)
• Pepper (I like a bunch of grinds of fresh)
• 1/4 tsp ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• honey is optional if you want a bit o' sweetness...especially if you are using olive oil as the base

Two ingredient chocolate cake brownies....yep...that's right!

Two ingredient brownies that are dairy and gluten free are having some of you saying...well...yuck. But, believe me, these are not "yucky." They are chocolaty and in general, the perfect treat for someone trying to stay on track and eat a bit cleaner. Yes there is sugar in them, so if that's what you are avoiding, skip these for the time being. Otherwise, here is how to dig in (it took me less than 15 minutes to get them in the oven...get excited!)

What you need:

• 1 1/4  cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy-free is the way to go-you can find them in the health food section of your grocery store or just buy the ones at Trader Joe's)
• 4 large eggs (yolk and white separated)

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
2. Grease a 8x8 pan with something (I like to do it with coconut oil)
3. Beat the egg whites on medium high in a mixer until soft peaks form (this is when you take away the whisk and the whites stay up and curl forward and maintain a bit of shape)
4. While you are beating the eggs, melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave
5. Stir in one egg yolk at a time into the melted chocolate
6. Add about 1/4 of the egg whites into the yolk/chocolate mixture and gently fold in until you have used all of them
7. Spread mixture in greased pan and top with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips
8. . Bake for 25 minutes

I also like to add a sprinkle of sea salt to my cake brownies before I bake them, but then that would be 3 ingredients....so if that feels like too much, skip it.

These are great served with berries or just by themselves. Refrigerate leftovers. 

Enjoy!

Check out the nutrition facts for one GIANT brownie (1/9 of the pan)!

200 calories
5 grams protein 
22 carbs
2 fiber
11 fat
17 sugar