5 Minute Clean Eat Desert!

My husband loves to have a bowl of ice cream in the evening for desert.  This fun little habit has been instilled in my boys as well.  So with our new healthier lifestyle, I have been searching for EASY recipes that will nourish our bodies as well as our souls. :)  I came upon this new tasty desert.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

1 Avocado
1 TBS Lemon Juice
1 TBS Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 TSP Honey

***Place all ingredients in a food processor, blend until smooth, refrigerate for coolness.  enjoy!

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

Yummy Coconut Chicken Bites

I came across these Coconut Chicken Bites and just had to share with you all. :)

Recipe and Photo compliments of http://fitwomenforlife.com/coconut-chicken-bites/

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken, chopped
• ½ cup coconut flour
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ½ cup coconut oil, for frying

Steps to crEATe:

1.)    Combine all dry ingredients and spices in large shallow bowl or plate. Mix up. Set aside.

2.)    Whisk egg in large bowl. Add chopped chicken to egg.

3.)    Heat coconut oil in large frying pan.

4.)    Coat egg covered chicken with dry ingredients, making sure to coat entire piece of chicken, add to the frying pan. Repeat for as many pieces will fit in pan.

5.)    Fry until golden brown, flipping and turning chicken until cooked.

*Enjoy with organic ketchup or healthy condiment of choice

God Dream or Expectation?

Dreams move us,  compel us they can even consume us. Many of the dreams on our hearts are God given dreams, they are part of our ultimate purpose and we are to live them out.  But sometimes, those dreams are expectations we have either put on ourselves or others have put on us and they cause great stress and pressure in our daily lives.  We follow those kind of dreams because we fear that others will not accept us, so we go after someone else's dream and not our own.

I have fallen victim to this chase...pretty sure you have too.  It was not intentional, but feeling accepted felt good and the idea of what was presented to me seemed like a good idea.  The real problems came when I began comparing myself to others.  That is when a new demon named
Self Doubt stepped in and the great dream then became a burden.

If this is you, STOP!  There is an amazing calling on your life, your life has purpose, you have a future filled with hope and promise.  You have gifts, talents and abilities that the world needs because you have been empowered to use them.

Pay attention to that dream in your heart, but I encourage you to pray on it and seek God.  A God given dream may not be "comfortable", but it will always be followed by peace.

Simplify your Life Day 1, 10 Tips for Being On Time

If you are a multi-tasker, you may be like me and struggle with with being "on time".  In my September Accountability Group, Busy Women Get FIT, we are focusing on how we can simplify our lives and not only be more productive but take control of our busy lives so we can actually LIVE our lives and do the work God has called us to do.

10 Tips for Being on Time

1.  Keep your purse and car keys on a hook or shelf by the House Entrance.

2.  Check and fill your gas tank regularly, such as every Thursday evening before gas prices increase.

3.  Put Personal Development CD's or Books on CD in the car to listen too so that you get your "Soul Food" in for the day.

4.  Write out your "To Do" List every Sunday evening, everything that you possibly need to do for the week.  Include kid, personal, family, work, spiritual, etc.  Dump your Mind of everything

5.  Prioritize your To Do list with your Top 6 "Must Do"'s for each day then work from your list after you have completed your top 6.

6.  Set a timer a half hour before you have to leave to end all current activities.

7.  Choose your clothing and lay it out the night before, make sure everything is ironed and don't forget to lay out under garments as well.

8.  Pre-cook meats, veggies and hot cereals every Sunday for the entire week and package in single servings either in baggies or small containers.  Make sure your food is grab and go.  If you Meal Prep, you will save yourself from making poor choices.

9.  Set your clocks 10 minutes ahead of schedule, believe it or not, this works! 

10.  Set alerts on your phone to go off 1 hour and again 15 minutes before scheduled apts or leave times.  

5 Ways You Can BOOST Your Slowing Metabolism

The older we get, the slower our "furnace" burns.  Here are 5  ways to get your metabolism fired up and burning!

photo by womenslifestyle.com

1.  Water - Drink at least HALF your body weight in water.  Initially, I was a BIG Fountain Diet Coke drinker, learning to drink water was a challenge for me.  Because fountain drinks were my favorite, I purchased 4 large water bottles with a straw and I prepared them every evening, placed them in the refrigerator and my goal was to get through all 4 bottles by the end of the day, thus drinking my recommend water ounces.

2.  Lean Protein - Chicken, Ground Turkey, Tuna, Poultry, Fish, Bison, Elk, Egg White, Greek or Plain Yogurt and Cottage Cheese just to name a few.  Protein helps you to stay satisfied longer and is less likely to store in your body as fat.  It's important to eat 1 protein serving with every meal.

3.  Fiber - Ok, if your a Carb Junkie like I was, then I know your not getting enough fiber!  Fiber keeps you feeling fuller longer as well as assists in cleaning out your "plumbing".  Healthy Complex Carbohydrates are things like Oatmeal, wheat germ, bran, flaxseed.  Also Vegetables and Fruit are full of healthy fiber!  Just an FYI, if you love oatmeal, best time to have it is in the morning.  Sprinkle with slivered almonds  and blueberries to get your side of protein and fruit in as well. I also like to sweeten mine with a tsp of Agave and Cinnamon.

4.  Green Tea/Black Coffee - I know, you would rather hit the Starbuck's line...me too!  But the truth is, you need to save that for "treat" moments.  Our favorite Latte's are full of calories, sugar and imitation products.  Try your next cup of coffee black (on occasion or if needed, sweeten with almond milk creamer and stevia) and get easy to go Green Tea Packets.

5.  Hot Spices - Cayenne, Jalepeno and Habanero are considered "thermogenic", meaning they rev up and fuel your "furnace"...your metabolism.