My WHY

One of the main reasons that I started this journey was to be a better example for my girls. I want them to grow up with a positive role model and I couldn't just talk the talk about being healthy and having a positive body image. I had to walk the walk...and I am. We don't use the words "fat" or "skinny" or "diet" in our house. We say "strong" and "healthy". I am proud to say that the girls see being healthy and strong as beautiful. I hope that they will grow up with confidence and look at exercise and eating healthy as a life style, not just something to do before a vacation. I KNOW that this journey is worth it one-hundred times over, for me and most importantly for my girls.

Basic Clean Eating

I have been getting a lot of questions about clean eating and how to do it. I found this great basic guide so you can get yourself started the next time you head to the grocery store. Basically, you will shop from the perimeter of the grocery store. Skip the cookies, crackers and chips. You will fill your cart with fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, oatmeal, whole grains, lean meats, eggs, hummus...you will be shocked at what you CAN eat. The internet will FULL of resources to help you make the shift. There are a TON of great recipes for dinner, snacks and dessert! You don't have to do a complete overhaul of your pantry at one time (although you can...I'm not going to stop you). Start with little changes and incorporate them into your family's regular rotation. Over the course of a few weeks, if you stop buying all of the junk and replace it with healthy CLEAN alternatives during each trip, your fridge and pantry will be significantly healthier and you have made some positive changes for your lifestyle. I challenge you to give it a try!

The 21 Day Fix

Do you struggle on portion control? What to eat and how much to eat? They say abs are made in the kitchen, right? Well someone was paying attention to what MOST of us struggle with….

The 21 Day Fix is set to be released on February 3rd!!! This is THE program to help you lose weight in 21 days and help you get a handle on portion control, which is an area that a lot of people struggle with (including me). The SIMPLE eating program uses color coded specifically portioned food storage containers that eliminate the guesswork - no weighing, measuring, or counting calories, carbs or points. If it fits in the container, you can eat it. How easy is that?! The program also comes with a workout program by celebrity fitness trainer Autumn Calabrese...and the best party...30-minute workouts!!!!

This is THE program to jump-start your weight loss and get ready for summer! To be considered for the test group, message me.

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.