Find your YES.

As adults, we often forfeit our time to daydream for time to "work" and we stop listening to our  inner most desires because we are too busy doing what we "have" to do. We don't entertain the ideas that breeze through our minds that give us a flutter of excitement because we figure we don't have the time to make those ideas become a reality. But those ideas, those dreams that make us smile with just the thought, are our destiny. The pictures we conjure up in our heads that make us think "If only..." are a snapshot of our future, if we would only make that future our priority. People have an undeniable ability to make things happen that they TRULY believe can happen, and this is because that dream becomes a priority. When you make something a priority, you focus your time, your energy and your passion into that idea or dream, and once those forces are combined and funneled into that one concept, that concept becomes a reality. Your reality.

As long as that burning desire for your dream remains within you, your actions and decisions will naturally bring you closer to your goal. You will find time because you will make time. You will see the benefit of choosing to use your energy towards your goals rather than towards others'. You will find that the decision to say "no" to some things in order to stay on track with your own dreams becomes easier and easier. But this only works if you have a DREAM. You will only recognize your dreams if you make the time to listen to your soul. And you will only hear what's in your heart if you believe your heart is worth listening to. And I can promise you, it is. This is your life and no one else's. No one else can tell you what you want.

Dreams and goals are the foundation of all business in the world. Each business was created with someone's vision in mind, and each business has a goal that all people associated with the business work towards. You can either spend your life working towards someone else's dream, or you can make your own dreams your priority. The choice is yours.  Find that burning "yes" in your heart, and the rest will fall into place.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette

This dish makes a great appetizer or side dish, and a fun finger food for kids! Serve with the lemon vinaigrette to fancy this up for adults. :)

Asparagus:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• coarse salt and fresh black pepper
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, just the yellow part not the pith
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends trimmed and last inch of stalk peeled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whip together eggs and milk in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together salt, pepper, cheese, breadcrumbs and lemon zest. Dip asparagus one stalk at a time into egg mixture, then bread crumb mixture, making sure to coat entire stalk. Lay dipped stalks on a lightly greased pan in a single layer. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. Serve alone of with the lemon vinaigrette below!

Lemon vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• coarse salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients well! 

This recipe was from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice. :)

Greek Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

This is going down for dinner tonight! Who doesn't love some pizza!? This recipe is from A Finn in the Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Few grinds of black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 handfuls of mixed greens or spinach
• 1/2 medium tomato, seeded and chopped 
• 1/2 cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles

Steam cauliflower until soft, then process in food processor until no large pieces remain. Squeeze any excess water out of the cauliflower by placing in a clean lint free tea towel or cheese cloth and squeezing until "dry." Place cauliflower in a bowl along with the egg, half the cheese, salt and pepper. Mix together well and spread into a circular shape on a pan prepped with parchment paper or baking mat. The thinner the crust, the crispier it will be and the less it will have to cook. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. At this point, sprinkle the garlic, olive oil and remaining cheese over the crust and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Toss the remaining ingredients together and place on cooked crust for a light, flavorful, clean pizza!

The Best Iced Coffee...EVER.

This is literally something I look forward to all year long. It's a labor of love that is absolutely worth every step. It's really quite simple, but it's not as easy as popping a K-Cup into the Keurig. But, I can PROMISE you, its WAY WAY WAY better!!! I am perpetually over caffeinated all summer because I can't stop drinking this. Seriously, it's that good. ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground coffee (the stronger and richer the coffee, the better)
• 2 gallons cold water

You will also need 2 buckets or containers that will hold at least 2 gallons and a few layers of cheese cloth.

First, dump the coffee into one of the clean buckets. Pour in the cold water, stir well, and let sit for 8 hours or longer (I always let it sit overnight on the counter). The next day, strain the coffee/water through the cheese cloth into the other bucket. Be patient, it will take a little while for the coffee to strain through, but MAN is it worth it! You can use the back of a large spoon to coax the coffee through a little faster. What you are left with is the richest, smoothest most DELICIOUS coffee you've ever had! The beautiful part is that the coffee is extra strong and intended to be poured over ice, so it won't be watered down! Fill your glass with ice and pour the coffee right over. Add what ever cream and sugar combo you enjoy and savor ever last sip!! (Promise me at least once you will use real cream or half and half, it's absolutely dreamy and worth the extra calories as a treat!) This recipe came from the Pioneer Woman.

What is Health Coaching??

Have you ever wondered what exactly it is that I do as a Beachbody coach? Do you have an interest in fitness, nutrition, getting and staying healthy, making some extra money or helping others? Then this group is for you! For five days, we are hosting a FREE group for anyone interested in learning more about coaching. Some of the most successful health coaches on our team are going to share with you their stories while they explain what exactly coaching is all about. All that it requires of you is that you check into the private Facebook group once a day and watch a quick video from a coach. Its an open forum so you may ask any and all questions! There is no expectation, commitment or cost to you. It's no risk and all gain! If you like what you see and think coaching may be for you, we will talk more after! If not, hey, at least you found that out!! If you'd like to be added to the "What is Health Coaching" group, just message me at www.facebook.com/burgundy.mullen :) Hope to see you there!!

Update: First week of t25 and 21 Day Fix

Last week I (re)started the t25 program. I'm in a challenge group on Facebook of about 10 people completing t25 along side me and I am happy to report the week went awesome! I got in every workout and actually felt more energy than I have in awhile. Those workouts are intense, but they go by SO fast!! Of all the programs I've tried, this one definitely makes me sweat the most! Its just as effective as Insanity, but half the time. Just when I feel like I want to quit, I see there's only 6 minutes left so I keep pushing. It's the perfect fast and sweaty workout to start your day off right. :)

I also followed the 21 Day Fix meal plan last week. I am really loving this program because it allows for me to eat my favorite foods, but it helps me to make decisions as to what's "worth it" and what I can pass up so that I can eat more in the long run. I've had some really delicious meals and my family hasn't even noticed that I've been following this (minus the containers in the sink) because I still cook the same foods as I was before! Now I'm just aware of my portion size! This has been a real eye opener. I thought I was pretty good about getting in my veggies but I wasn't eating nearly enough! And holy carb overload! I was eating far too much sugar! Now I've got a real understanding of just how much of what I should be eating for healthy and consistent weight loss.

Overall, the week was awesome! I lost 2 lbs, and that was even after a binge-fest over Easter weekend! I was feeling so good all week and then let myself splurge far too much yesterday. Well, I woke up this morning at 5am riddled with guilt, so I hopped out of bed, did a double t25 workout and started my day with Shakeology. Now its time to move forward and make this another awesome week!!

Honey + Soy Baked Chicken

I found another great chicken recipe that can be thrown together in a pinch! This one is from She Wears Many Hats...

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 4 cloves of garlic; minced (or substitute ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 3 pounds chicken thighs (or preferred chicken meat, I used skinless boneless chicken breasts)
• salt and pepper to taste

Put the olive oil, soy sauce, honey, garlic and ground ginger into a large sealable plastic bag. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place whatever chicken you are using into the bag, shake the bag to coat well, and let rest in the fridge until ready to cook. Heat oven to 425 degrees, dump chicken and sauce into a baking dish and cook 25 minutes on one side, flip and cook for an additional 15 minutes on the other side, or until internal temp is 165 degrees.  This would probably be phenomenal grilled, too!

Artificial Sweeteners: Not So Sweet After All...

I get asked a lot about sweeteners. We all use them to enhance our food and for a very long time now, we've been substituting caloric sugars with artificial sweeteners. Although the intention of substituting sugar was a good one in respect to weight loss, these artificial sweeteners have been found to be more damaging than anyone could have imagined!!

Artificial sweeteners are man-made chemicals that have a sweet taste to them and are used in many diet foods we see on the grocery store shelves today.  The primary two used in the U.S. are aspartame and sucralose. We often see them branded as Equal, Splenda and Nutrasweet.

Aspartame: This has been around a little longer and has had many links to health issues. Some of the symptoms associated with aspartame consumption include headaches, dizziness, mood changes, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and cramps, change in vision, diarrhea, seizures, memory loss and fatigue. Along with these symptoms, there are links between aspartame and Fibromyalgia, unexplainable depression, anxiety, MS, and various cancers. There has been a very big concern about the validity of some of the research done to confirm the safety of aspartame. Come to find out, most of the studies done that the government uses to claim this chemical safe for consumption were completed using funds from the aspartame industry. Well, I think you can guess, these results are going to be biased!!

Sucralose: This is a newer sweetener and even though the claims are that it's very close to sugar in its natural state, its NOTHING like it! This sweetener was discovered when an insecticide was being created! Uhhhhh, THAT doesn't seem like a good start!! Sucralose contains chlorine, a well known carcinogen. This is thought to be the most dangerous part of the chemical and causes reactions such as itching, swelling, heart palpitations, anxiety, mood swings and depression. Sucralose was also found to inhibit the absorption of some medications. Not good.

So even if this giant list of medical issues doesn't persuade you to put down the artificial sweeteners, maybe this little fact will. THEY INCREASE HUNGER!! I'm guessing most of us never used these sweeteners because they just taste so darn good, but rather because we were trying to save calories. But it has been found in multiple studies that these poisons actually make you more hungry and increase your cravings because although your brain in getting tricked into thinking you are eating sugar, your body isn't receiving the same message and its confused! Between water retention and decreased insulin sensitivity, your body becomes unnaturally out of whack and the pounds begin to creep on. Increased hunger + weight gain + increased risk of cancer!!?? NO THANK YOU. I think I will stick to the real deal!!  AND SO SHOULD YOU!!

Ditch the artificial sweeteners and opt for natural sweeteners such as organic cane sugar, agave nectar,  coconut sugar, sucanat, maple sugar flakes, rapadura sugar, date sugar, raw honey and natural stevia (plant-derived, non-processed). Life CAN be sweet, just stick with nature's natural sweeteners!

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken

This is the easiest recipe!! You can use this chicken for wraps, salads, pizza, dips...what ever you'd like to add a boost of protein and spice too!! This is from Natalie Hudson!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1 16oz can of chicken broth
• water
• 1/2 C Franks hot sauce

Put the chicken (I threw it in frozen and it came out perfect), garlic, broth and enough water to submerge the chicken in a crockpot and cook on high 3-4 hours until the chicken is cooked. Pour out all but 1/2 C of the broth, shred the chicken, and add the hot sauce to the crockpot. Cook for another half an hour. This leaves you with you with super moist and flavorful chicken! A perfect substitute for a chicken wing craving!!

Above I made a chicken wing dip with this recipe! I combined the chicken with an equal amount of nonfat plain greek yogurt. I added salt and pepper to taste, and if you have calories to spare, it would be AWESOME with a little blue cheese sprinkled in!!!

4 Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cookies

I love a quick cookie recipe! In a house with a 3 year old with a wicked sweet tooth and a stressed and busy mommy who loves to treat herself, these easy and fast recipes are always welcome! This recipe comes from My Whole Food Life...check out her blog, she has some great recipes! :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond butter (or any other nut butter)
• 1/4 cup + 1 T maple syrup
• 1 T cocao powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Optional add ins: sea salt, chocolate chips, shredded coconut

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. Stir in any additional ingredients you want to add. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool completely before removing from the pan and store in an airtight bag in the fridge.

No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites

It's that time of year where carrots are all the rage...and these just might come in handy in order to avoid raiding the Easter baskets! Recipe from Cookin Canuck.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cups unroasted pecans, chopped
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 3 tbsp agave nectar or honey
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup (packed) grated carrot
• 1/3 cup raisins

Combine the dry ingredients and then add almond butter, honey and cinnamon. Finally stir in the carrots and raisins. Roll into tablespoon sized balls and refrigerate one hour before serving. Keep in the fridge to store!

Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing

Since I'm on a strawberry kick, I thought I'd share my favorite salad dressing of all time. It's especially good over spinach, onions, strawberries, orange segments, sunflower seeds and feta. YUMMMM!!! This recipe is from Tried and Tasty.

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1/8 slice of a small purple onion
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1/4 c fresh strawberries, raspberries (or 2 T. raspberry jam)
• 1/3 c white vinegar
• 1/2 c extra light olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds

Blend together all ingredients except the poppy seeds. Add the poppy seeds, you can store in the fridge for 48 hours. :)

The 21 Day Fix

Yesterday I started a new venture! I am following the 21 Day Fix meal plan for the next 3 weeks! If you haven't heard about the Fix, it's a new program by Beachbody that focuses on portion control and well rounded eating. It comes with colored containers that measure out the appropriate amount for each different food group.

Based on your caloric needs, you get "x" number of each color container a day. For example, I get 3 green, 2 purple, 4 red, 1 blue, 1 orange and 2 tsp of oils or nut butters. I was so surprised at how much I ate yesterday!! I even got to have wine with dinner!! Can't be all that bad, huh!?

I have another 21 Day Challenge Group starting April 14th!! Contact me via the link below if you are interested in joining us!!

21 Day Fix Application

Have a wonderful day!!

Strawberry Mango Salsa

I am so excited to start eating fresh foods again! This is going on my menu soon, I think it will be delicious over grilled chicken!! This recipe is from McConkin Menu.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c chopped strawberries
• 3/4 c chopped mango
• 1/4 c finely chopped red onions
• 6 basil leaves finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt + pepper to taste

Toss all the ingredients together and let sit for an hour before serving.

I will buy shorts again.

I am on a mission to wear less clothing this summer! No more sweating in jeans at bar-b-cues or tripping over maxi dresses just to cover my body (alright, maybe I will still wear those, they are pretty cute). I WILL BUY SHORTS AGAIN! I've got a plan and I want to invite ANYONE who wants to get summer-body ready to join me!

I am going to commit to the T25 program from beginning to end. Ok, I have a confession. I had started T25 when it first came out, but I didn't have any accountability, I was winging it day by day, and I just sort of stopped doing it. I was super successful when I joined a challenge group and completed the entire 90 days of ChaLean Extreme and I watch my challengers get results every day because they have the support of a challenge group and the accountability to make sure they push play every day. So I am starting a group just for T25ers to make sure we FINISH what we begin and it will all end just in time for summer!

I am going to keep the group small because I want to provide 1:1 coaching for everyone that joins me. We will work on a weekly meal plan for you, I will teach you about clean eating, we will set up a call once a week to talk about your progress and we will check in daily with each other on Facebook to keep each other accountable for our workouts and nutrition. I really want nothing but 100% success in this group, so please only apply if you are SERIOUS about getting fit in the next 60 days!!

Why did I choose T25 to get in shape for summer? Because it's SHORT, SIMPLE, and EFFECTIVE!! I don't have a lot of time each day to dedicate to fitness, but its REALLY hard to argue that you can't find 25 minutes a day! And it's only 5 days a week, which is perfect because if I squeeze in a workout on the weekend, I like it to be a run, and this way I won't feel bad if I don't get one in. And the program is only 60 days. 60 days to results like these...

YES, PLEASE. That is serious motivation to push the play button for 2 months. 

If you have an interest in the program, this is a great time to join me because it's on sale this month through me as your Beachbody coach. But even if you have the program already, lets talk because I would like to give you the chance to dust it off and join the group. If you are interested, please fill out the application below and lets get the ball rolling!! We are going to have something to brag about in a few short months! The group starts April 14th!

Focus T25 Challenge Group Application

Vegetable Lentil Loaf

Growing up vegetarian, I have a special place in my heart for a good lentil loaf! Meat-free and filling, it is a great comfort food to make on a cold night! Pair with mashed potatoes and your belly will thank you. :) This recipe is from Maison Cote.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry lentils
• 2 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds)
• 1/3 cup water (6 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for sauteing, or steam saute using 1/4 cup water
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 small bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced or grated
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 3/4 cup oats (you can sub GF oats if you'd like!)
• 1/2 cup oat flour or finely ground oats (GF for gluten free)
• 1 heaping teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 heaping teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder & onion powder
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, if you'd like a little heat
• cracked pepper & sea salt to taste

For the glaze:

• 3 heaping Tbsp organic ketchup
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Rinse lentils. In large pot add 2 1/2 cups water with lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. It's ok if they get mushy, we are going to roughly puree 3/4 of the mixture when cooled. Once done, remove lid and set aside to cool. they will thicken upon standing, about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small bowl combine flaxseed meal and 1/3 cup water, set aside for at least 10 minutes, preferably in the refrigerator. This will act as a binder and will thicken nicely upon sitting.

Prepare vegetables. In saute pan heat oil or water over medium heat. Saute garlic, onion, bell pepper, carrots and celery for about 5 minutes. Add spices mixing well to incorporate. Set aside to cool.

Using a submersion blender or food processor, blend 3/4 of the lentil mixture. Combine sauteed vegetables with the lentils, oats, oat flour and flaxseed meal, mix well. Taste, adding pepper and salt as needed. Place mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper, pressing it all the way to the edges of the pan.

Make the glaze by combining all ingredients in a small bowl, mix until incorporated. Spread over top of loaf and bake in oven for about 45 - 50 minutes. Let cool a bit before slicing.

New Look, New Energy!!!

It's been awhile since I've posted anything on here. I had the intention to post a bunch of recipes and write a couple quick nutrition posts, but when it came down to it, I just didn't feel inspired. Then I realized its because I just didn't feel connected to my blog!! It wasn't "me" and I didn't feel like it was a representation of my style. I didn't feel passion for it when I would look at it and I think that just translated into apathy for the entire blog writing process. But SAY NO MORE....Chelsea at Bella Lulu Ink saved the day!!! I freaking LOVE this blog template and all of the personalized pieces of it!! So FUNK OVER....I'm coming at this like I've always wanted to! I'm going to promise lots more recipes, fun fit tips, clean eating principles and a daily dose of the life of an RN, living fit!  :) Heeeeeeerrrrreee we go!!!!