Ready for a Pumpkin Party?

Ah! 'Tis the season of pumpkin everything. From the lattes at Starbucks to Trader Joes' overabundance of pumpkin products, you really can't escape America's favorite squash.  While it’s plenty easy to find pumpkin recipes that are doused in butter, sugar and cream, I got the itch to whip up some clean, healthy pumpkin delights. 

Creamy Pumpkin Smoothie:  

INGREDIENTS

1 banana

1/2 cup pumpkin

3/4 cup vanilla almond milk

3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tbsp vanilla protein powder (optional) 

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1.5- 2 handfuls of ice

Toss it all in a blender, and you should get a nice and creamy texture. It's basically pumpkin pie in smoothie form - amazing! And the best part is, it's actually good for you!  Pumpkins are similar to carrots in that they are extremely high in vitamin A (essential for eye health) as well as vitamin K and fiber. It's a win-win!

Pumpkin Spice Gingerbread {serves 2}

DRY INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup of oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

scant 1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp salt

WET INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup of pumpkin puree

1 tbsp molasses

1 large banana, mashed

2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry and mix. Then scoop the batter into a greased 9X5 inch loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. 

I definitely inhaled one slice immediately hot out of the oven. The next day, I ate the rest cold topped with Greek yogurt.  Let me know how your pumpkin creations turn out! 

Healthy Crepes

It’s a lot easier to enjoy a guilt-free crepe than you probably would assume. When it comes to the classic desserts, it’s all about the substitutions. Here is a list of some standard swaps I always go by:

• Applesauce instead of butter
• Agave, stevia, or honey instead of white refined sugar
• Oat or coconut flour instead of white flour
• Plain Greek yogurt instead of cream

 

I ate these delicious crepes in the morning, but they would be a great post work out snack because of the additional protein!

 Recipe:

½ cup liquid egg whites

1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I used vanilla hemp protein)

1 tbs of applesauce

1 tbs of baking stevia

½ tsp of baking powder

½ tbs of coconut flour

1 tsp of cacao or cocoa powder

Sprinkle of cinnamon

 

Mix all the ingredients together and pour desired size onto a heated pan. Since they are so thin, it’s only necessary to cook on one side.

Ingredients for filling:

I mixed a tablespoon of raw creamy peanut butter with 1 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt and some chia seeds. I spread that on my warm crepe, drizzled some more agave, and then rolled it up!  Enjoy!

Superfood Breakfast Smoothie

This Superfood Breakfast Smoothie has been my latest obsession! I absolutely love starting my day knowing I'm getting something that's chock-full of nutrients first thing in the morning. It also doesn't hurt that it tastes amazing and satisfies any and all chocolate cravings!

 

The Basics: Almond milk, frozen banana, and vanilla extract or stevia


The Superfoods: Cacao, Maca, Avocado, Sunwarrior Chocolate Protein Powder


Ingredients Breakdown:


Cacao - South American cultures have been cultivating the cacao plant for thousands of years. It's chocolate in its purest form and is well known for its healthful and invigorating properties. As well as diminishing your appetite and enhancing your mood, cacao has many cardiovascular benefits and is rich in antioxidants.


Maca - a root that grows in the Andes mountains of Peru and has been used as a stress-fighting adaptogen to increase energy, stamina and even balance hormones. Oh, and since it boosts your libido, it's been dubbed "Nature's Viagra".


Avocado - I love adding this tasty fruit to my smoothies to not only give it an extra creamy texture, but to boost it with fiber, potassium, and vitamins C, E, K to name a few.


Protein Powder - Sunwarrior Chocolate Warrior Blend. This amazing plant based protein powder is raw, gluten free, soy free, and contains all the essential amino acids. Can it get any better?


The Recipe:


FYI, I like to eyeball the measurements for all the ingredients, so feel free to play around to your personal taste.


Start by pouring about a 1/2 cup of almond milk into your blender. Then add 1 frozen banana and 1/2 of an avocado. Blend for 30 seconds to the get the mixture going, but it doesn't have to be completely blended. I prefer doing it this way in order to have my creamy base made and all that's left to do is add the powders. Next, add 1 heaping tablespoon of raw cacao powder, 1 teaspoon of maca powder, and 2 scoops of Sunwarrior protein powder. Lastly, pour 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or stevia and continue blending until you have a smooth, chocolatey goodness ready to be devoured!


Enjoy :)



Xoxo,


Jill

Snack Time!

This is one of the easiest, best tasting snacks you’ll ever make.  All you do is slice one banana into a bowl, throw ½ cup of raspberries (any other sweet fruit would work here as well), and squeeze some lemon juice over it. Then, sprinkle my favorite go-to superfood, aka chia seeds, on top.  Pop it in the freezer for a couple hours and bam – you got yourself a tangy, delicious frozen treat!  The sourness from the lemon juice plus the sweetness from the fruit gives it that sorbet taste with half the sugar. Perfect to cool you down during a hot day!

This is one of those snacks that you can seriously munch on any hour of the day!  Breakfast, pre-workout, post-workout, or even that midnight snack you just can't resist.  I use the Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread, which contains no flour and instead made entirely from grains and beans.  It's a complete protein and includes all 9 essential amino acids.  Toast that baby up, spread your favorite nut butter on it (recently I've been into cashew butter), top it with your sliced bananas, drizzle a little agave, a dash of cinnamon and devour!     

Energy Balls

These no bake coconut and date macaroons, aka “energy balls”, are my latest obsession. They really hit the spot while completely satisfying my sweet tooth craving. The best part is the sweetness comes naturally from the dates so there is NO other sugar needed.  Guilt-free AND amazing! Can you say hallelujah? 

I call them energy balls because they’re that perfect afternoon snack to quickly pop in your mouth and keep your energy going until dinner. The almonds contain your protein, coconut is packed full of the good fats, and dates are a great source of fiber and carbs that your body can easily access for energy.  

Ingredients:

Almonds, Dates, Shredded Coconut, Coconut Oil, Cacao Powder

Step 1 – In a food processor, pulse 1 cup of almonds until it becomes almost flour consistency, but make sure to leave some chunks.  You don't want it completely smooth.

Step 2 – Remove the pits from about 15 dates. Try to buy the honey dates because they're sweeter,  but the medjools are fine too. Add them to the almonds and blend until it’s dough-like.

Step 3 – Add 2 tbsp of cacao powder and 3 tbsp of coconut oil and blend.

Step 4 – Take your heavenly dough and starting rolling them into balls.

WARNING: Restricting yourself from eating spoonfuls of the dough at this point is extremely challenging.

Step 5 – Take your balls and roll them into a bowl of shredded coconut coating them evenly.

Step 6 – Place them on a sheet parchment paper and set in the fridge for 2 hours.

Step 7 – Enjoy!

Optional: I added some hazelnuts and cashews with the almonds to give it a little more of a creamy texture as well as enhance the flavor. Feel free to experiment with other kinds of nuts!

   

Fitness + Fashion with pv. Body

It’s plain and simple - when you don’t feel your best, the last thing on your mind is working out. Personally, I have found that when I put a little extra effort into my appearance before venturing into a 60-minute sweat sesh, it gives me that oomph to really power through.  I get that relentless motivation to push past the burn and focus on the results I want to achieve whether it is a tighter butt, flatter tummy or simply to not huff and puff walking up a flight of stairs.  We all know the saying -  When you look good, you feel good.

With that being said, I'd like to introduce you to an incredible line of active wear called pv. Body!

pv. Body is a company that caters to each individual’s personal style. They are devoted to bringing you high quality, super modern active wear at a reasonable price.

How It Works

First, you take a super quick style quiz to determine your specific needs.  The survey asks you questions about your favorite sport, which celebrity best matches your style, favorite brands, colors and sizes.  Are you a Wellness Warrior?  Epic Athlete? Cardio Queen? Or a Fit Fashionista?

pv. Body works with brands large and small, old and new.  After you have taken their style survey, their stylists handpick pieces that are right for you and your personal style.  (Check out this video showing how it works.) The outfit contains a cute top and bottom.  You will receive a package each month with two amazing pieces.  Shipped to you for free.

Why I Like pv. Body

·      Great quality fitness pieces created just for me.

·      Shipped directly to me (no mall craziness!)

·      Only $49.95 for a brand new outfit every month.

You can cancel anytime too. There is no contract, no quota. You can even do month-to-month to see how you like it. If you are a frugal fashionista like myself, you can sign up through the facebook link (here) and get 20% off… and a free shirt!

Check out the royal blue leggings and neon pink long sleeve I just got!