We upgraded our video camera, the quality is 100% better and you can actually hear me. For my loyal readers you may remember this recipe, it is very popular and anytime I can help out a local farmer I am eager to do it. The people who run Central Coast Lavender are wonderful, I took my … Continue reading »
I love the combination of Peanut Butter, Bananas and Honey. When I was little my Mom would combine the three for me in a sandwich, so this combo is one of those nostalgic meals that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and bring me back to an easier time in my life. In my … Continue reading »
Double chocolate… need I say more? If you are not yet a fan of oatmeal remember, it boosts metabolism. Try this recipe out, it is done in a unique way that makes it so creamy and delicious you will want it again and again. Plus the almond milk you slowly cook it in is not … Continue reading »
I love dates, they are just like candy somewhere between a fruit and caramel and packed full of fiber, calcium, potassium and antioxidants. A popular date appetizer has been stuffing them with cheese and wrapping in bacon, which is amazing but way too high in calories to have whenever you want. These are sweet, salty, … Continue reading »
Oh boy, I love avocados!! They are on sale right now and I am in heaven, I won’t pay full price for any produce, so now is the time of avocado indulgence. Avocados are so good for you, they are full of fiber and potassium, they build a strong body and aid in hair and … Continue reading »
Talk about a Manly Meal, I made this for my husband on Father’s day and it was delicious. I made the chilli the night before for dinner and used the left overs for breakfast, saves time and money! Make this for the man in your life and he will fall in love with you all over … Continue reading »
My husband’s office was having a Luau Potluck the same day as my Daughter’s 3rd birthday, so it was an easy decision to go with cupcakes. I had enough to send with my husband to work and enough for my Daughter’s birthday too. I use almond milk and apple sauce to cut the calories and … Continue reading »
A reader recently asked me what a grocery list for my household might look like. What a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that? This one is for you Amanda K. I know you do have some dietary restrictions, if there’s something on this list you can’t have please comment below, I will work … Continue reading »
The time has come to start doing video demonstrations of cooking. I get tons of questions when it comes to baking a chicken, it sounds hard and is intimidating the first time you bake a whole chicken but once you have done it a few times it becomes the easiest meal ever. I shot this … Continue reading »
These are amazing, try them out for yourself and while you are digging in smile because you know they are good for you too. The Greek yogurt is full of protein and calcium, plus it boosts metabolism. Bananas and strawberries are full of potassium for strong muscles and calcium for strong bones. Makes 4 Pops- … Continue reading »
This fat burning recipe was written for the Workout Chapter of my first cookbook FRUIT INFUSION, a colorful cookbook full of metabolism boosting, fat burning drinks, teas, sodas and ice cubes. With over 40 recipes to choose from you and your taste buds will never be bored with water again! Also, check out my Mango Basil … Continue reading »
I had a cookie at (of all places) my Aveda hair salon and they have haunted me ever since. They were divine, cranberries and peaches with white chocolate and a hint of lemon… WOW! So I started working with that combo and came up with my Oatmeal with Peaches, Cranberries and White Chocolate recipe, and it.. … Continue reading »
My Apple Cinnamon Water is getting a lot of attention for its metabolism boosting properties, so I wanted to create more recipes that use those two ingredients. I added more metabolism boosting ingredients too to really gear up your metabolism first thing in the morning. The Almond Milk, Oatmeal, Apples, Apple Sauce and Cinnamon all Boost … Continue reading »
I love Greek Yogurt, so when I saw Greek Yogurt Ice Cream I grabbed a tub of vanilla and waited patiently until dinner was over to try a scoop. I didn’t like it, how devastating! Greek Yogurt naturally boosts metabolism and anything that boosts metabolism is a plus in my book. I decided I would … Continue reading »
This delicious salad is not only fast and easy, it also boosts your metabolism! Spinach and apples boost your metabolism, plus add a lot of fiber to your meal and fiber means fullness. Try out more metabolism boosting meals: Chilli with Homemade Chips for dinner, Apple Cinnamon Pancakes for breakfast or my Day Spa inspired Apple … Continue reading »
Prepare to die and go to heaven! I recently had a cookie with peaches, cranberries and white chocolate and it was divine. I figured it would be fun to try this combo in a few new recipes (keep your eyes out for scones) and didn’t want to wait so I modified my usual oatmeal breakfast … Continue reading »
I love adding dried fruit to my oatmeal, I drop it in at the very beginning and it plumps up and adds flavor to the oatmeal. Almond Milk adds creaminess and sweetness and for only 60 calories per cup it is a much better choice than 2% milk, which is 122 calories per cup. Blueberries … Continue reading »
Who doesn’t love pancakes? These are so easy and fast you will want to make them every weekend. Have left overs? Put in the toaster on low the next day and breakfast is served! Apple sauce, cinnamon and almond milk all boost your metabolism making this a smart choice for breakfast. Want to keep your … Continue reading »
You’ve just arrived home from work, you’re too exhausted to cook… what do you do? Whip this quick meal up and pour yourself a glass of wine! It takes 30 minutes, but only about 10 minutes hands on. So get it started when you walk in the door, then kick off your shoes and unwind … Continue reading »
I made this on a whim, sick of my usual baked potato lunch I wanted something new and found that this dish can be served many different ways. Make it as directed below for a lunch or side dish, add eggs for a breakfast scramble skillet or some left over chicken for a one skillet … Continue reading »
If you are a follower of my blog you already know I have an oatmeal obsession. It raises your metabolism, lowers cholesterol and fills you up. I use to get the little Quaker packets and truth be told, I ate them but didn’t really love them like I LOVE this recipe. Those little packets are … Continue reading »
Try it, you can’t say “Breakfast Cookies” without smiling. These are great for the family on the run, they travel well and you can prepare the night before and bake in the morning. I originally was going to make these into 30 little cookies last night, then my husband called and asked if we could … Continue reading »
Here is a snack you will love as much as your kids will. Bananas are full of potassium and the almond butter is lower in calories and sugar than peanut butter but still high in protein. I love almond butter, it has a chocolate taste and goes great with bananas and toast for breakfast. You … Continue reading »
Like most people I have about 50 or so recipes that have their turn in the weekly rotation depending on grocery sales, the season and my mood. I have published over 100 recipes so it’s about time I start tossing in a repeat once in a while. Homemade Margarita Pizza is my most popular recipe … Continue reading »
If I want something “naughty” I cut it in half, or in quarters and have just what I can “afford” calorie wise. In this case 1/2 of a grilled cheese sandwich. If you give up the things you love, you may give up on healthy living all together and might back slide. Learn to modify … Continue reading »
It’s that time again, Beverly Jo Noble has shared another amazing recipe with us. Check out her cookbook A Lifetime of Recipes. It’s all about cooking and baking with fresh fruit. Each fruit has its own chapter, say I have some extra Strawberries I need to use up I flip to the strawberry section … Continue reading »
I have been on an Oatmeal kick lately, and with all these yummy berries on sale at the grocery store and all over at the farmer’s market I wanted to go for a fun metabolism boosting antioxidant filled breakfast, and it was delicious! If you have frozen blueberries they will work well too, just defrost … Continue reading »
Hello friends and faithful readers, I have taken almost a week off unannounced. Some of you may know already about my one handed capabilities, others may know about my new temporary resident. Needless to say I haven been overwhelmed and rather than letting my family suffer I let my blog suffer… and my waistline. I … Continue reading »
A friend of mine helped me out with my before and after weight loss pictures, he pasted them together (yes that was too high-tech for me) and I was shocked at my own transformation. I posted it up on facebook and friends started e-mailing me asking me questions everyone was shocked… I figured I would … Continue reading »
This beats the pants off of any 100 calorie snack pack out there! Basil has anti-inflammatory properties and is also a natural antibiotic, the cheese has calcium for strong bones and the tomatoes have shown to prevent certain types of cancer and prevent wrinkles! So this not only fills you up, but it keeps you … Continue reading »
This is my favorite go to meal when I just don’t have time to make anything. I am eating it now for breakfast, but I have also made for lunch and dinner. I’m sure it would make a great appetizer for last minute guests, but I have never been willing to share this yummy meal … Continue reading »
I adapted this recipe from my favorite cookbook Pretty Delicious, I changed up some of the ingredients but kept the dressing which is amazing . It is not often that my husband does this, but he exclaimed after one bite of this “you need to put this in your blog” so this one is for … Continue reading »
As you may have seen in many of my posts, I am over the moon for foods that will boost my metabolism. This is a good one, the jalapeno, yogurt and beans all boost your metabolism for a sexy, lean new you… with a full belly too I wasn’t sure what to call this meal, … Continue reading »
I love starting my day out with a metabolism boosting breakfast, so my go to is oatmeal. Oatmeal is so incredibly good for you, it raises your metabolism, lowers your cholesterol and protects against diabetes and heart disease. I know it gets a bad wrap on texture and flavor, that’s why I implore you to … Continue reading »
Wow! I am shocked and honored, a little over 3 months ago I started my blog. My goal: to reach people who wanted to lose weight. I wanted to share my story and show them how I dropped 150 lbs by eating real foods and all without any fancy diet plans or gimmicks. This morning … Continue reading »
I have been running through the list of Ouaker Oatmeal Packets, and this one use to be my favorite. I want to remind you all that the little packets have preservatives and thickening agents plus 13 grams of sugar vs. this recipe only 7 grams of sugar, not the best choice in food if you … Continue reading »
We are lucky enough to get two posts from Beverly Jo Noble and her amazing cookbook this month… everyone say thank you Beverly. I am allergic to Raspberries, so sad but that doesn’t mean you all can’t enjoy the wonderful berry. I hope you all enjoy this wonderful recipe, and be sure to check out … Continue reading »
Some of you may notice this recipe is similar to my Green and Yellow Salad, it is. I just love this salad so much I keep adding to it and changing it. This blog was created to share what I eat and how I lost 150 lbs and how I keep off the weight all … Continue reading »
This recipe was written for the Remedies Chapter of my first cookbook FRUIT INFUSION, a colorful cookbook full of metabolism boosting, fat burning drinks, teas, sodas and ice cubes. With over 40 recipes to choose from you and your taste buds will never be bored with water again! I love Basil and use it in … Continue reading »
I had a dozen hard-boiled eggs come Easter afternoon so I made some yummy low calorie deviled eggs. This only takes about 5 minutes if you already have the eggs hard-boiled. I swapped out the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt and no one could tell the difference! If you usually use Miracle Whip in your Deviled … Continue reading »
Here is another great recipe from Beverly Jo Noble, check out this and more great recipes in her Cookbook A Lifetime of Recipes pick up a copy soon, they are going fast. Once a month Beverly sends me a recipe to share in my blog, always using seasonal fruits and veggies. Thank you again Beverly … Continue reading »
This is one of those fast pantry meals where I pull out a couple of items and toss everything together. This meal is light and delicious, use the best extra virgin olive oil you can find you want the wonderful peppery flavor on your pasta. This also makes a great side dish! Did you know … Continue reading »
These are my new favorite scones, not only does my house smell like the french countryside but they are so good my daughter gobbled up two! Lavender soothes an upset tummy, calms nerves and helps with depression and anxiety. I am lucky enough to live in an area that produces lavender, I can get it … Continue reading »
Did you know that Oatmeal, Yogurt and Cinnamon all boost your metabolism? I use to love the little Quaker Oatmeal packets, but they are full of sugar, preservatives and thickening agents, not a smart choice! So I made my favorite flavor and added Greek yogurt to make it creamy and cinnamon just because I love … Continue reading »
Baked potatoes are one of my favorite lunches. They are cheep, easy and fast, plus the topping choices are endless. I had some left over chicken for this recipe, if you don’t just read below for my favorite pulled chicken recipe. These make a great side dish for dinner and are so low in calories … Continue reading »
I have fond memories of Entenmanns Cakes, when I was a child my Mother loved their New York Crumb Cake so much that she would pick at the crumb topping when no one was looking. I will not buy Entenmanns anymore, with all the preservatives and sugar it is not a good choice. So I … Continue reading »
These are great for an on-the-run lunch, they are easy to eat while on the road and the kids really love them. Use whatever hot dogs you prefer but please try to go organic or at the very least nitrate free, you are worth a few extra bucks to have a healthier version! This is … Continue reading »
Can you think about anything better than chocolate for breakfast? I have a jar of Homemade Fat Free Chocolate Syrup in the fridge calling my name, so I tossed this together for a protein packed, filling, chocolatey breakfast. You can also split this into 4 servings and serve it as dessert. Keep this in mind when … Continue reading »
My daughter loves Chicken Nuggets, there is a reason that there are bags of chicken nuggets shaped like zoo animals in the freezer section of the grocery store. It’s not just that kids love them, it’s because they make it easy for an overwhelmed parent to toss something on the table for the kiddos. We … Continue reading »
Everyone loves Mac and Cheese, here is a casserole you can toss together for dinner tonight and will feed you for lunch tomorrow too! I recommend using left over chicken to make it quick, but if you don’t have any see below for my favorite shredded chicken recipe. I know the jalapeno is an odd … Continue reading »
