Gardening with Ms. Jillian

Every week I get to teach garden-based education to 120 wonderful students that come from all walks of life. What exactly is garden-based education you ask? In short, a seed-to-table garden program teaches kids standard-based lessons utilizing the garden as an outdoor classroom where they can actively engage with their environment. The curriculum covers all subjects from literacy to life science to math and everything in between. Learning beyond the four walls of a classroom teaches

children through personal discovery in natural settings, ecological principles that govern all life, as well as develop a sense of connection with the land. The countless benefits range from health and sustainability awareness, personal growth and development, and an instilled sense of community. 

Dried out sunflower seeds make for a tasty snack!

I witness first-hand how effective and invaluable this program is for the kids. Seeing a child wide-eyed and curious while learning about a plant's lifecycle, or sampling a fruit they've never tried before plucked directly off the tree is truly amazing.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the year and excited to share more of my garden classroom experiences! 

The kids going bonkers for blueberries!

    

How to Workout on a Budget

Gyms aren’t the only places you can get in shape. In today’s modern world, there are plenty of cheap and even FREE ways to burn those calories.  Yes, gyms can be simple: you pay your monthly dues; you have all your fancy machines; you get in you get out. But if you’re on a tight budget or you’re an exercise novice and haven’t a clue on how to work the equipment, the gym might not be the best fit for you.

I, personally, have not belonged to a gym in over 4 years and have managed to stay in shape, and most importantly enjoy working out!  Here are my top 3 favorite free workouts:

YOGA 

Yoga is a wonderful way to tone your entire body, increase flexibility, and calm your mind.  Most cities have free community classes (try just searching Google or inquiring at your local yoga studio), or you can try yoga from the comfort of your own home with YogaGlo’s awesome 15-day trial.   

POP PILATES

One of my favorite ways to work out is watching YouTube videos.  YouTube Fitness Guru, Cassey Ho, creates fun and quirky videos that are sure to kick your butt. Her bubbly and gregarious personality coupled with the latest pop music makes the grueling workouts entertaining rather than a chore. Be sure to try the “Muffin Top Massacre” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqXmgy5GTzI) and “Abs on Fire” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ogDIqyGmCM

Calisthenics

To put it simply, calisthenics is a form of exercise where you use the weight of your own body to build muscle.  These are things like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and sit-ups. The best part of calisthenics is that you can pretty much do it ANYWHERE. I encourage you to go outside – get a dose of vitamin D, run some stairs, and get your calisthenics on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L1_lXA5EoE

As you can see, gym or no gym, there really is no excuse to not get in shape and feel great!

       

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!