New Year, Best Year Ever

With the year winding down, I have been thinking how I can make myself BETTER in 2014.  Goals, I have goals. I am MOTIVATED!  But I decided I have to DO MORE than just setting GOALS.  I realized that I can set goals until I am blue in the face, that isn’t going to do anything to get me where I want to be...I realized that I have to HOLD MYSELF ACCOUNTABLE.  I realized that one of the things that has been holding me back is my fear of being vulnerable, but if I don’t make myself vulnerable...put myself out there, then I am not doing anything any differently than I have always done.  

The only way to change is to do things differently than I have always done them.  I have to TAKE RISKS.  Nothing monumental, but I have to step OUTSIDE of my comfort zone.   So in 2014, I am going to put myself out there more than I ever have before...get ready!  And my hope is that my risks will help MOTIVATE others, will help motivate YOU, to do the same.  To step outside of your comfort zone and make changes to make your life better!

I will be posting my Beachbody progress photos on my blog.  I am starting P90X3 on January 6th and I am going to ROCK that program!  I know it is going to take a LOT of hard work and dedication and I KNOW that my challenge group is going to keep me motivated and on track.  Check in here or on my facebook page www.facebook.com/coachcourtneybowes for updates!!!  

Healthy & Sweet Banana Bread

So last night was another Banana Bread baking night...are you noticing a trend in my house? We NEVER get through a bunch of bananas before they turn brown! I really liked the recipe last week but it was more bread-like as opposed to cake-like. And I gotta tell you, I like the cake-y kind! So I tried this recipe that is still HEALTHY but had the TASTE I was looking for. 

HEALTHY & SWEET BANANA BREAD

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup applesauce
4 large ripe to overripe mashed bananas
2 eggs
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup of chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, baking soda, nuts and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix brown sugar and applesauce until completely blended. Add 2 eggs, vanilla, and bananas to the sugar and mix well. Add wet ingredients into the dry and fold until all ingredients are wet. Pour into a greased 9X5 bread pan and bake for 60-75 minutes until a toothpick comes clean.

Amazing Chicken Stir Fry

I don’t know about your household, but every night at dinner is a STRUGGLE in ours...getting the girls to eat what is put in front of them normally takes great amounts of bribery OR a plate full of junk (chicken fingers anyone?).  I am constantly trying to balance meals that TASTE good and are healthy.

Well I am proud to say that last night, I hit it out of the park!  MY CHILDREN ASKED FOR MORE BROCCOLI!  It was a hit with everyone!  I am eating the leftovers for lunch today and my mouth is watering just thinking about it!  The recipe wasn’t really measured, it was a bit of this and a bit of that (my favorite way to cook) and as FAST.  I present….Amazing Chicken Stir Fry!!!

***Update 12/4/13***  I just made this again tonight and realized I left out one very important ingredient from the recipe!  Be sure you add the maple syrup or honey to the sauce!  It was a bit tart without it!  So sorry everyone!!!

AMAZING CHICKEN STIR FRY

½ cup Chicken Broth

⅔ cup Soy Sauce

⅓ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup real maple syrup or honey

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

4 cloves garlic- pressed

1 tbsp grated ginger (I use that tube that they sell in the produce department...it last for a few months in the fridge and is so much easier than grating)

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 chicken breast - cut up in chunks

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 red pepper - sliced

3 green onions, coarsely chopped

1 bag of the broccoli stir fry mix (in the produce section by the bagged broccoli)

Mix all of the wet ingredients together.  Drizzle a bit of it over the chicken and set both aside.  Let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes (you can chop the veggies while it marinates).  Turn a large pan on high heat, spray with Pam and add a drizzle of sesame oil.  Add the chicken with the marinade and the mushrooms.  Cook, stirring until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms are soft and most of the liquid has cooked off.  Add the rest of the veggies and the sauce.  Cook, stirring about 2 minutes (until the broccoli starts to soften but is still crunchy). 

Serve with brown rice or quinoa.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup a la Ina Garten

With the weather here in sunny Florida finally starting to cool off, my gears have shifted from grilling to comfort food!  I have never been lead down the wrong path by Ina Garten and she has done it again! But this time, it was HEALTHY!  What is that you say?  Ina Garten has a healthy recipe?  Yes, its true!  Feast your tastebuds on Butternut Squash and Apple Soup!  

It was a bit of a labor of love, but SOOO worth it!  I made it on Sunday and stuck it in the fridge to reheat for dinner on Monday.  The leftovers freeze great because there is no cream, so no worries about separation.  Bon appetit!

Ina Garten’s Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons good olive oil

4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large)

2 tablespoons mild curry powder

5 pounds butternut squash (2 large)

1 1/2 pounds sweet apples, such as McIntosh (4 apples)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups water

2 cups good apple cider or juice

Directions

Warm the butter, olive oil, onions, and curry powder in a large stockpot uncovered over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

Add the squash, apples, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Process the soup through a food mill fitted with a large blade, or puree it coarsely in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the apple cider or juice and enough water to make the soup the consistency you like; it should be slightly sweet and quite thick. Check the salt and pepper and serve hot.

Another Self-Proclaimed Chalene Junkie!

Check out Amber's AMAZING story!  From one Chalene junkie to another, I had to share!  These programs really do work!

I used to be in great shape, but after I became pregnant, I gained 75 pounds and developed hypertension and toxemia. I felt like I had gained so much that I would never be able to get back in shape. So I kind of gave up. It was hopeless to even try. I felt like I was trapped in a body that was not mine.

When my son was admitted to the ICU, my life was turned upside down. Seeing him fight for his life made me realize that life can change in a split second. Once I knew that he was going to be okay, I knew it was time to focus on my health. I was determined to drop weight and my blood pressure.

For me, the road back began with Turbo Jam. Chalene made me realize that I was capable of so much more than I gave myself credit for. She taught me to adopt the mindset that I CAN and WILL do whatever I put my mind to. She would always emphasize that you get back what you put into something, so I pushed myself every day.

And it worked—I felt myself getting stronger and stronger and the weight just started dropping off. Once I was comfortable with Turbo Jam, I knew it was time to start giving my workouts an extra boost. That’s when I graduated to TurboFire and then Chalene Extreme (I admit it, I’m a Chalene junkie!). That got me into even better shape and it gave me the confidence to tackle something I was always too intimidated to try: P90X!

I didn’t think it was possible to sweat that much, but now look at me. I have lost 74 pounds and almost 60 inches!!! Can you believe that? I am actually proud of myself now. Even better—to hear my 9-year-old say, “Mom I am so proud of you!”—there’s nothing better than that.

Now I look at old pictures of myself, and I am like, “who is that person and why didn’t I help her sooner!” I guess it just took me that long to find Beachbody. Thank you Beachbody. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Healthy Banana Bread

I had a bunch of OVERRIPE bananas that were just begging to be transformed into Banana Bread!  I searched for a healthy recipe and found this from Honey We're Healthy.   The girls rolled up their sleeves and helped me get to work.

I was a bit skeptical about the end result.  I have never attempted a healthy banana bread and my favorite naughty banana bread is from Paula Dean...buttery, moist and tastes more like a cake than a bread.  I am happy to say this recipe exceeded my expectations.  Not as sweet or moist as Paula but still DELICIOUS!  Happy Baking!

Healthy Banana Bread

2 cups whole-wheat self-raising flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

3 bananas (very ripe)

¼ cup honey

2 eggs

¼ cup yogurt- lowfat Greek

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
• In a separate, mash the three bananas and stir in the rest of the wet ingredients. With a mixer, mix until well combined and the banana is smooth.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together, but don't over mix.
• Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for about 30 minutes.  
• The bread is done when a toothpick comes out clean.