As promised a cold weather recipe that was Delish. Creamy Asparagus Soup

Creamy Asparagus Soup

2 tablespoons of coconut or olive oil
1/4 cup of chopped shallots
1 pound of asparagus steamed (I used a package of frozen asparagus and sautéed them until tender)
Black pepper to taste
2 cups of chicken stock
I cup of full fat coconut milk (I used one can)

Easy directions:
Heat oil in a large sauce pan. Sauté the shallots for 5 minutes or until tender. Place the shallots and the steamed asparagus in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Season with black pepper.
Transfer the asparagus puree back to the sauce pan. Add the remaining ingredients and heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve.
Serves 4

I loved this soup, but I also love asparagus. I'm sure the soup would also be fantastic using broccoli or cauliflower instead of asparagus.....Ohhh loaded cauliflower soup with bacon and green onions sounds fantastic. I will come up with a recipe for that soon!

OMG its a Tuesday Blog....and its a Yummy One

Why hello there, it's been a little while. No hell hasn't frozen over and, well, I may have seen a pig fly earlier today across my yard trying to escape the sudden downpour of rain. (Yes I have a pig, no she is not for eating!!)

I have seriously just found the time to write a little something, and I've missed all of you and wanted to say hello. 

Anyway, here is a YUMMY recipe I stumbled upon on PaleOMG via Facebook. If you haven't liked their page yet, well go do it now! You will NOT be sorry!

https://www.facebook.com/PaleOMG?fref=ts

Here is the WONDERFUL recipe I made today:

OHHHH are you ready for some Sinful Paleo Goodness?????

PALEO CHOCOLATE CHIA PUDDING

Ohhhhhhh this stuff is to die for. Seriously I want to eat the WHOLE 8 servings I made.....but I have to be good and try to just eat one serving at a time. Yes, it's torture.

I made a few changes and I quadrupled the original recipe so that I could just use up the whole can of Coconut Milk.... and even if you are not a Coconut Milk fan....the chocolate and coffee flavors totally overpower any coconut taste at all.

What you will need........

1 Cup of brewed coffee (Chilled)

I full can of Full FAT Coconut Milk

4 heaping tablespoons of Almond Butter

3 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract (I used a little bit of butter extract and almond extract I was all out of vanilla)

Two scoops of Protein Powder (mine was banana smoothie by 

2 tablespoons of Agave or Maple Syrup (I skipped this and I just added a little agave as needed)

4 tablespoons of Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

1 cup of Chia Seeds

So all you do is combine all the ingredients above except the Chia Seeds in a blender and blend until smooth. Then in a big container (I used a big mason jar) put in the liquid chocolate mixture and the cup of Chia seeds and shake until combined. 

Refrigerate for 3 hours and enjoy!!!!!! It is so yummy, add a little bit more agave or sweetener of your choice, I like doing that just so I can control my sugar and I find adding Protein Powder usually sweetens things for me enough without adding more. 

I hope all of you enjoy this tasty little treat. Thank you, Paleo Gods!!

Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms...Oh Yum!

In the oven

Ok sooooo I found a recipe for Crab cakes and it looked really good but I thought to myself what if I stuffed some yummy mushrooms with this mixture and added Lobster (I actually cheated and used Imitation Lobster and seriously I couldn't tell the difference so that is a cheaper option) instead of Crab.....Yea it turned out amazing. I'm sure you can add any sea food meat of your choice to the base of this crab cake recipe and stuff any kind of Mushroom with it.
Here is the link to Allrecipes.com (thank you allrecipes for this amazing recipe)
 http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Paleo-Maryland-Crab-Cakes/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=paleo%20maryland%20crab%20cakes&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Use whatever cooked seafood your heart desires and Stuff some mushrooms. Place in a baking dish with some olive oil and bake at 350 for about an half hour or so.....Until the mushrooms are cooked and the filling is popping out of the top of the mushroom.
Make a side salad, I made a spinach salad with toasted sesame dressing and cranberries to accompany this yummy dish. I hope you guys enjoy this one

Finished yummy meal

My Starbucks Favorite Healthy Drink

Hi everyone :)

I apologize I have totally neglected my Tuesday blog here at MMM...but like Connie said we have been having some FUN this summer. So just a quick post for you all since I had one of these yummy drinks today visiting with some amazing friends at our local Starbucks...and yes you can order something healthy there....so here it is. Go get one and LOVE IT!

Ok so when your order this is what you get:

Grande Green Tea Frappchino Non-fat

2 scoops of Chocolate Chips

2 Scoops of Protein Powder

2 Pumps of Mint

NO Whip (whip is very very bad lol)

Seriously you will have an amazing healthy antioxidant filled drink that tastes like mint chocolate chip ice cream...no need to thank me....just ENJOY 

Oh my yummy protein! Andrea's Shrimp Ceviche

Shrimp is AMAZING 

Packed with protein...without fat, hello what could be better than that? This is my favorite for the Summer months, I eat it straight from the bowl, like a salad...but it could of course be enjoyed with chips (if you wanna be BAD) So here is my recipe, I hope you enjoy it :) This makes a TON of Ceviche, so you could split the recipe in half, but I can eat on this for about a week.

• Two pounds of fresh shrimp meat, raw or cooked....I used the raw and let the lime juice cook it in the fridge overnight :) when it turns pink your good
• 8oz or so of lime Juice
• One large white onion 
• Two stalks of Celery
• Two huge jalapeño peppers, seeded or 4 small ones (I love jalapeño peppers) 
• 8 Roma tomatoes
• Garlic salt and pepper to taste 
• Cilantro as much as you like :)

Directions: I like to soak my shrimp overnight in the lime juice in the fridge. The shrimp will turn a pale pink. Be sure that the lime juice covers the top of the shrimp in a large bowl. Next all you do is dice up all the other ingredients, I use my salsa maker that chops it all perfectly. Add all your chopped ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some chopped cilantro and serve it over shredded cabbage for a yummy protein packed salad. I hope you love this cool summer dish as much as I do. 

Andrea's method of making Yummy Protein Bars

Soooo.... Melissa has talked about NEVER measuring things out before...yeah, well I'm totally guilty of this as well. So here is a recipe for all of you who don't like measuring cups, spoons or anything that takes thought.

I call this my Handful Protein Bar method.

So what does that mean you ask? I honestly grab all my ingredients that I want to make into a protein bar and throw them into a food processor to grind them down, stir them together and make some really-good-for-you stuff!

Today, we are making a protein bar for Blood Type O (I have been reading about the blood type diet which is really interesting...but more on this another day after I complete all my research.)

Ingredients:

One handful of each: prunes, dates, figs

Two handfuls of each: walnuts, pumpkin seeds

One handful of chia seeds

Three bananas 

And about one pound of almond butter (I like it already-made and I mix it with 3 bananas)

3 to 4 scoops of protein powder

So that's it--just use your hands and throw it together! Just put them in little by little, grind them up and transfer to a big mixing bowl, then stir until mixed. Line a baking dish with wax paper (this stuff is sticky), scoop it in, and press it to form the mold of whatever dish you use; a cookie sheet may work good as well. Freeze them so they harden and can be cut up and I keep mine frozen always because they are super gooey. 

That's it! Throw it, grind it, mix it, press it, and oh--I like to add dark chocolate chips pressed into the top! Yummy!!!!!!!

and here are the finished Bars! Yummy

I LOVE CABBAGE

Truth: I eat cabbage almost every day. Seriously.....I LOVE CABBAGE (and I'm not afraid to admit it.)
Here are some cabbage facts I found today and a little info on how good it is for you!  I have a couple  yummy recipes  using this amazing Super Food--one is even served at the famous and amazing Northwoods Inn restaurant!  So come on give cabbage a chance to make you feel alive from the inside out.

Health benefits of cabbage (Seriously EAT IT):

• Fiber: Cabbage is a stomach's best friend. Like its trendier cousins brussel sprouts, broccoli, and kale, cabbage is an amazing source of fiber. Raw cabbage has also been shown to help cure stomach ulcers.

• Antioxidants: Red cabbage is chock full of anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant commonly found in blue, purple, and red plants. Studies show antioxidants can reduce inflammation, provide cancer protection, and boost brain function.

• Lowers cholesterol: Look to this superfood for a natural and effective cholesterol reducer. Cabbage prevents bile from absorbing fat after a meal, which lowers the overall amount of cholesterol in the body.

• Glucosinolates: Cabbage contains sulfur-based compounds called glucosinolates that have anti-carcinogenic properties. In the body, glucosinolates become compounds called isothiocyanates, which some studies suggest inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

(info above courtesy of http://greatist.com/health/superfood-cabbage and there are more amazing recipes if you check out their site by following the link)

And of course when you consume cabbage raw the health benefits are the strongest. I do this--I EAT IT RAW most of the time. I love the angle hair shredded cabbage that you can find in the coleslaw area of your local grocery store, or you can shred it yourself (yes sometimes I'm super lazy and I buy it pre-shredded, that way I'm sure to eat it because its ready for me.)

I eat so much cabbage I have totally replaced lettuce in my diet with it. 

I use it in taco salads. I add it to chili, soups, any kind of cooked chicken! Almost anything I eat, I add cabbage to. It's super crunchy and just soooooo yummy, and it fills you up so you eat less.

HELLOOOOOO! High nutritional value and it helps you eat less?! no wonder its a SUPER FOOD.

Alright, so everyone is adding cabbage to their diets right? Ok good, you wont be sorry. Here is a recipe I totally made up inspired by my Chicken Jalapeno Poppers:

3 to 4 chicken breasts, ground up ( I use my food processor)
about 10 jalapenos, seeded and chopped up (again you can use a food processor)

One package of turkey bacon chopped

4 wedges (maybe more taste as you blend it up I believe I used four and made a ton of this stuff)  of Laughing Cow Cheese flavor of your choice I like the garlic herb one.

A few cloves of garlic chopped up

Olive oil

1 whole head of cabbage shredded or a bag or two of the Angel hair shredded cabbage

Directions:

Coat the bottom of a sauce pan with olive oil and cook the chicken with the garlic thoroughly. When cooked add the jalapenos and bacon cook them until the peppers are somewhat soft

Next add the laughing cow cheese and stir until mixed thoroughly over low heat.

When it's all mixed together turn off heat and add cabbage and stir. 

Cover pot and let cabbage soften a bit, maybe 15 mins. 

That's it! It looks a bit like a goolash but it is super tasty! I don't measure things so just add and subtract and taste as you go :) a small bowl of this stuff is super tasty and filling :)

Another recipe is for red cabbage, is tasty as well, and eaten raw. 

North woods Inn inspired Red cabbage recipe can be found here:

http://www.food.com/recipe/northwoods-inn-red-cabbage-salad-400656



As with other recipes, I substitute the sugar either with a little raw sugar, or agave...and use very little season salt and light olive oil. It's super yummy and packed with nutrients from the Red cabbage! Yummy! 

I hope you try some cabbage soon! Let me know when you do!

Juice Please!

Recently I have been obsessed with juicing. I even bought a new Breville juicer, and I already owned a juicer (it defiantly was not as nice or easy as the Breville so I HAD to upgrade..and I had a coupon.) I have juiced for years but haven't been consistent with it. Well that has changed and I'm seriously feeling the benefits of the nutrients I am getting. Yay juice

So some may say "juicing takes all the fiber out of these fruits and veggies, what a waste." But honestly that couldn't be further from the truth. Yes there is fibrous waste from juicing, but you can use some of this in recipies, in a compost, or my favorite thing to do with it...it's a yummy treat for my animals.
After watching the documentary "Fat, sick and Nearly Dead" (it's a fantastic information packed documentary) I got on the juice wagon. One quote from the movie really struck home with me. I'm not sure if I'm quoting this exact, but well you will get the point. "We are all eating so much junk and processed foods our bodies are lacking proper nutrients, and in turn this makes us even more hungry and even though we are consuming thousands of calories our bodies are still starving. This is where juicing comes in. When you juice the cells get those nutrients faster and more of them...it's like a turbo charge of vitamins."
That made so much since to me. Starving cells = hungry bodies looking for nutrients. How could that not make since? Most people don't sit down and eat 6 raw carrots, a bunch of kale, a whole cucumber and a beet and an apple in one sitting...let alone over the course of the day. I down all that in one juice sitting. Even better it is ALL RAW so you are getting every bit of amazing energizing nutrients that fruit or veggie has to offer. So for me Juicing just makes since. I'm gonna share a few of my favorite juices, the first one my Mom made up and it tastes just like an Orange Julius. I am obsessed with it for breakfast, and with the added protein you are getting a double dose of goodness!

Orange Julius Protein Juice
2 or 3 oranges, peeled
2 large carrots
1 banana
One scoop of vanilla protein powder of your choice ( or banana..my new favorite powder is made by ProFight Supplements and its a banana smoothie flavored pure protein sweetened with stevia...I will include a pic at the end of this post)

Ok so all you do is juice the above, stir in the protein or you can blend it all together with a little ice and your DONE! It's fantastic!

Another one of my favorite juices (not as yummy at all but so good for you) is Wheat Grass Juice. I actually grow my own wheat grass and its so easy, just plant some Wheat Berries (found online or at your local health food store) and cut it and juice it yourself.
This juice you basically do as a 1oz or 2oz shot. Shoot it and try and have a chaser because this stuff is awful...but just two ounces of wheatgrass juice packs in 4 Servings of VEGGIES in terms of nutritional value! 4 whole servings. That is just amazing to me.

But there really is no rhyme or reason to juicing...throw some veggies together and drink them down...tomorrow I am going to try making a salsa inspired tomato juice. I will let ya all know how it turns out!
Happy Juicing

The Protein I am IN LOVE WITH

Amazing...All that goodness in one glass of juice

Today's Juice was beet, carrot, apple kiwi, lemon and a whole bunch of kale....and it was yummy 

Shhhh it's a secret

Ok, so since Spring is here and it's time to start wearing dresses and shorts (yay!!), I thought I would share one of my favorite summer secrets with all of our readers. This is my favorite thing I have ever come up with. It makes my skin look AMAZING and I can even make my own BB (body bronzer) cream out of it, as well. Plus, it's so easy a two-year-old could do it.  So, here is my Get-Ready-for-Summer-MUST-MAKE-Make-Beauty-Recipes :) (And if any of you make them I expect to hear a full report about how much you LOVE them...and how smart I am...ha ha)

Here is what you need to make your own Skin Perfecting Body Bronzer:

• Lotion of your choice. I LOVE the Hemp Lotions sold at Walmart...usually I use the gradual bronzing one, but I got this yummy Mojito scented one and it smells amazing.
• Joan Rivers The Right To Bear Legs leg makeup in TAN (I know Joan Rivers makes it, but trust me its good stuff when used like this!)

Directions (Super simple, brace yourself):
-Mix the two together; I usually do an 80% lotion, 20% leg makeup ratio. Just be sure its mixed well...I shake the heck out of mine (Bonus arm work out that's cheaper than a Shake Weight!) :) You can use less or more leg makeup depending on how dark you want it. It works and it's amazing for when you don't have a tan or if you are trying to even out tan lines.

You can even make your own BB cream for your face by adjusting how much of the leg makeup you mix with your normal facemoisturizer or sunscreen. I LOVE making a tinted sunscreen in the summer. Its so easy and your skin is always protected. I hope you love this little secret of mine. The next time you see me and think I look tan...well, I'm probably faking it.

Top left: Ingredients I use to make my body Bronzer
Top Right: Body Bronzer
Bottom Left: My left leg has the Bronzer on....I wanted to show a before and after so you can see how natural it is
Bottom Right: Pretty smooth Bronze Legs :)

Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference

Today I have been actually procrastinating about EVERYTHING. My husband stayed home from work not feeling well and after I got the kids off to school I joined him in bed, basically for the remainder of the day (so nice.) Our lazy day of rest is now going to affect my lazy blog post, but here ya go.......

Below is one of my favorite little uplifting stories. It's a tale I reference often when I'm feeling down or discouraged in life and in others. Sometimes we feel like we never do things BIG enough to make a difference, but in actuality it's the small things that could touch just one person or living thing that can make all the difference. Sometimes we just need to remember that. I hope you enjoy this little tale and it inspires you to do an act of kindness that may make a difference, no matter how little it may seem.

Photo courtesy of Mary Oliver
www.panhala.net

The Starfish Story
By City Year
A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,

“Well, I made a difference to that one!”

The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and said. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved. - adapted from the Star Thrower by Loren C. Eiseley

Live like a Dog

Today's post is more of a share, a story that I love. A reminder of how we should embrace life, enjoy the moments that matter, forget the things that don't and just LOVE not only who you are, but all those around you. I think we can learn a lot from Man's Best Friend. Here's the story and some things I think we all need to embrace while living our hectic human lives.

Belle my Boston Terrier just enjoying LIFE

Life According to Dogs

A Dog's Purpose — (From a 6-year-old)
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try to live.
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?"
The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Life According to Dogs
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
• Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
• Take naps.
• Stretch before rising.
• Run, romp, and play daily.
• Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
• When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
• Be loyal.
• Never pretend to be something you're not.
• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Story courtesy of
http://www.johncappello.com/articles/life-dogs.html

A Very Big Surprise

Wow

 After the weekend Mrs. Stefanie Bushore (formerly Lauer, our very own Monday blogger) and I have had, this post is gonna be short and sweet and very very sentimental.

I had the most wonderful weekend planning my best friend's SURPRISE WEDDING.  I REPEAT,  she had NO IDEA she was getting married.  

This was not an easy feat especially after sending out almost 200 invitations and having 180 guests there, I am SHOCKED and totally proud that WE ALL pulled it off. She had no clue...NONE. She went to crossfit only a few hours before her proposal...yea not a clue.

Oh man--her face seeing us there was priceless...and then when she found out it was her wedding day in that moment of confusion, enlightenment and pure joy I saw how much her heart filled and I know she felt how important and special she is to all of us who love her.

The day couldn't have been more perfect. Every moment was amazing...every tear...every kiss...every fill of the wine glass from the amazing winery where it was held. I am told I was a major part in this day (yes I am very humble and I always think I could have done so much more), helping with all the little details, pouring my heart into making my best friends day perfect and special and EXACTLY what she would have ever wanted as if she planned it all herself...and guess what that's exactly what I did with the help of some pretty amazing people.
You know who you are.


What I've learned during this journey is that if you put your heart into anything and everything you do, it becomes extraordinary moments you enjoy.  And when those moments are paired with someone you love more than words, that love will come back to you tenfold. Throughout these years (we've known each other since we were just little girls!), Stefanie and I have become more than friends--we have become two people who love and support each other through every mountain valley, hill, and plateau. I could have never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would have such an amazing best friend. Shoot, I never in a million years thought this was possible...... sometimes dreams do come true and I am so glad it happened to such a beautiful soul who deserves it more than she knows.
(yes Stefanie you deserve every bit of it)

Tonight my cup runnith over, and my best friend became a wife to the man she's always loved. If that isn't a love story, I don't know what is! Congratulations Ryan and Stefanie Bushore, I love you guys <3

Chicken, Bacon and Jalapeños...need I say more?

Because I wanted Jalapeño Poppers, here is a wonderful recipe I made up this weekend and I NEEDED them to be healthy.  You're welcome.

Here is what you will need to make 8 poppers:

• 2 Chicken breasts marinated in your choice of marinade (I let mine sit in Italian dressing overnight.) 
• 8 Jalapeños washed and seeded (I cut the tops off and cut in half on one side leaving the other side attached so they are easy to stuff.) 
• 1 package of Bacon of your choice (I use maple smoked bacon yummy!! Center cut is a healthier option.) 
• Garlic powder 
• 4 triangles of Laughing Cow Original Cheese spread (Optional, but really makes it so good. You can also mix it with some goat cheese to give the poppers some creamy faux-cream cheese.)

Directions:
After the chicken was done marinating, I ground it up in my food processor. I fully cooked the chicken in a pan, adding the garlic powder for seasoning.  You can add other spices as well, but you do not have to add salt; the bacon makes this recipe salty enough! Next, I cleaned and seeded my jalapeños and used half a triangle of the Laughing Cow Cheese (yes...I realize that is not paleo lol, but I wanted a little but of a treat!) and spread the cheese on one side of the jalapeño. Then, I filled up the remaining space in the jalapeño with my cooked ground chicken and wrapped them in bacon.  Because I used huge jalapeños,  I wrapped them with two bacon slices each and secured the bacon with toothpicks.  I cooked these in a tray on my Rotisserie which is my FAVORITE thing in the world, but you can also cook these in the oven at 375 to 400 until the bacon is done. Or even smoke them....oh yum! And that's it! Amazing Jalapeño poppers with tons of protein! So yummy and easy, Enjoy, friends!

Pictured: The poppers in my Rotisserie, then the poppers when finished!

What did you eat tonight?

Hi it's me again...since it's Tuesday and it's MY blog day I want to share what I ate tonight :) Recipe will be posted soon as soon as I have accurate measurements of ingredients...yes I kinda just throw stuff together. :)
So tonight I ate Cashew Nut Chicken and Raw Cabbage..yummmmm! So good!

Lemon Cranberry Paleo Bread

This recipe is Amazing from Against All Grain.....Below are a few changes I made. Enjoy

Ingredients
2½ cups blanched almond flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup honey
1/3 cup palm shortening, or unsalted butter – room temperature
4 large eggs – room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen

Glaze
¼ cup raw cashews
4 teaspoons coconut milk
3 teaspoons expeller pressed coconut oil, melted
3 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons honey, liquid
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly coat an 8×4 loaf pan with coconut oil, then line with parchment paper.
Place all of the loaf ingredients, except the cranberries, in a blender. Blend on low for 20 seconds to get things moving, then increase the power to high and blend for 30 seconds, until very smooth.
*Tip: place the liquids on the bottom to help the blade move easily.

Mix in the chopped cranberries by hand, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Place the loaf in the oven, then immediately reduce the oven temperature to 325. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf. Let the loaf cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then gently loosen the sides and remove it from the pan. Continue to cool until it has reached room temperature.

Meanwhile, make the lemon glaze. Add all of the ingredients to a small blender or food processor and process until smooth. Stop to scrape the sides if necessary to get all of the little bits of cashews.

*If you only have a large blender, you may need to double the glaze recipe so it fills it enough for the blade to work and doesn't just spread up the sides. You can store the extra glaze in the freezer for 2 months for later use.

*If you’re allergic to cashews, you can use the glaze from this iced pumpkin cookie recipe and add a little lemon to it instead of the vanilla beans and cinnamon.

Once the loaf has cooled completely, drizzle the icing over the top. You can also evenly spread a thin layer on top.

Store the leftover loaf tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.

** I made a few changes to the recipe and it was AMAZING. First off I LOVE lemon so I added the juice from one whole lemon as well as grated lemon peel off of a frozen lemon. I also added in 1/4 c. of unsweetened shredded coconut. This recipe turned out fantastic, even my Husband loved it. I made these into muffins and it made about 12 traditional sized muffins.

*** Oh yea I didn't blanch this, blend this or anything else...I mixed the dry ingredients and then blended the wet ingredients.....why make it difficult? It came out perfect so make it easy and throw it together :)

SWEAT…..My Guilty Pleasure

When I was fat, miserable, and completely unhealthy, I used to sweat just walking, and I didn’t walk enough. I despised sweat. It was so GROSS, ewwwww. Today, though I have a new guilty pleasure: I desire sweat. Sweat and I have fallen in love…..and this is how I got there.

When I first started to work out at almost 250 pounds after my second child was born, I was my own worst enemy. I would work out and eat well one day and then have a bad day (eat some pizza rolls and ice cream) and let the ONE bad day turn into BAD YEARS. At about 26 years old I was told that if I didn't lose the weight I would be diabetic by thirty.

This is where the MAGIC happened. 

I committed myself to working out and eating healthier. I didn't want the quick fix anymore, I didn't cry when I exercised. I became a machine, I became strong, I became patient, and I lost 100 pounds. It only took me FIVE long years, (yup no Biggest Loser fast fixes in the real world folks) but I did it!

I didn't give up. I didn't let one bad day turn into shame, guilt and fat in which made me HATE myself. Sure I still have bad days, I’m not perfect. I recently gained back a few pounds, I hope its muscle but I’m sure it was the blue cheese fries and bread I recently indulged on in San Diego. The biggest difference is NOW when I have those days of imperfection, whether it is in my nutrition, physical triumphs or fails, or life in general I know anything worth while has to involve SWEAT. I sweat often, and I sweat proud.

Work Hard Ladies and Gentlemen, make every minute of your exercise count. Become a sweat machine. 

(Image courtesy of Fitness World on Facebook.)

 

Here are a few benefits of sweating it OUT:

1. Sweat is your body's natural way of removing toxins- Sweating helps remove toxins and disease from the system. Up to 30% of the body's waste is removed through sweat. In many countries, at the first sign of illness, a dry sauna is often the first step towards avoiding or reducing symptoms... a good sweat has the power to stop a cold in its tracks.

2. Sweating can improve cardiovascular health- When your body heats up and starts to sweat, you breathe faster and the heart works harder to improve circulation in order to return your body to a normal temperature. Regularly working up a good sweat can have long-term benefits for these reasons; your heart is a muscle, so you know it's getting a workout when you sweat.

3. Sweating helps you lose weight faster- Exercise is a key component in weight loss. Aside from all the physical benefits, as the body heats up through exercise, water-soluble fat leaves the body in the form of sweat. We've all heard people talk about "burning calories" and"melting off pounds"... little do they realize that really is what's taking place!

4. Sweating can beautify your skin- As sweat moves out of the body through the skin, it unclogs pores, and this in turn can help clear up acne and other skin conditions. Heavy sweating, when done regularly, can help to slow down the early signs of skin damage and aging.

5. Sweating helps to relieve stress- Endorphins are chemicals that are released by the body in certain situations such as stress, fear or pain. When you sweat from exercise, endorphins are released. This helps to not only give you that "second wind" or “runners high” to power through your workout, but it also helps to brighten your mood and lower stress levels. Passive sweating (such as from sitting in a steam room) can also be very therapeutic and has been associated with reduced levels of stress.