Today… “It is Good!”
Category: EATS
Easy Pumpkin Spice Muffins – 5 ingredients
It’s Pumpkin Spice Season, y’all! 😋.
This yummy recipe is super simple, it freezes beautifully & it smells oh so good! My girls ❤️ them for breakfast!
All you need:
- 1 box spice cake
- 1 cup solid pumpkin
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 eggs
- 6 ounces MINI chocolate chips
Mix it all up & divide into 24 sprayed muffin tins. Cook @ 350 for 15 minutes. That’s it. 😋
* notice that you only use 1/2 the pumpkin & 1/2 the chips… SO, it’s easy to make a second batch, just buy 2 boxes of cake mix, 2 more eggs & water! Doubling the recipe lets you freeze some and then your future self will thank you! 👌🏽
Happy Fall, y’all 🎃
3 Reasons to Cancel Your Gym Membership
As COVID-19 shut down our world just as the flowers were starting to bloom in the Spring of 2020, immediately friends were loosing their ability to workout “as usual”. Gyms closed down overnight, it seemed. Then, as we fast forward to the fall of 2020, yes, gyms opened back up again; however, many require masks & rigorous cleaning standards that limited members allowed inside & the availability of equipment! No argument that within this elusive virus floats of cloud of serious precautions; but, due to fears & inconveniences, many have made the choice not to return. I am here to offer help and a viable solution to this chaos on the fitness front as I have YOUR family’s (& mine) overall health & wellness in mind!
Let’s be honest, shall we? Many of us struggle with the priority of exercise regardless of COVID. If you fall into this saturated category, have no guilt! YOU ARE NOT ALONE! You are among many friends who struggle finding how to fit in the daily workout! Perhaps you’re like those of us who have a schedule that varies from day to day… again such a common situation! Shift work, retail professionals, medical personnel… all on the list of individuals challenged to nail down the “perfect” time to exercise due to an ever-changing daily routine!
3 REASONS YOU SHOULD DITCH YOUR GYM:
1. It will save YOU time!
Flexibility is key for me! Friends, I’m a homeschool mom, I’m a wife, and I work from home! Like all of you, my schedule is full, and having the ability to workout when it’s best for me makes life so much easier! I love it that I can still enjoy a “class”, but when I attend is up to ME – so I won’t ever be late & miss 1/2 of it! LOL 🙂 I save time by completely eliminating drive time to a gym and there’s no need to “get ready” … all I have to do is walk into my living-room, bedroom, backyard, or, when I’m traveling, stay right in the hotel room and PUSH PLAY! It’s that simple & saves me time… I love that!
THE solution = the “Netflix” app of Exercise ➙ BOD!
It’s a simple app called, BOD – Beachbody on Demand. It offers 1,000’s of workouts, all from your device. . . for less than $10/month for the whole family!
“I use it daily! It has revolutionize my fitness routine!” ~ Jennifer McMahan
2. It will save YOU money… a LOT of money!
I personally gave up the gym membership a decade ago! LOL 🎉 With that being said, I’m in the best shape of my life… I just turned 47 too. And all my workouts are #nogymneeded! Private club memberships vary widely; however, it is difficult to find a membership that doesn’t set you back at least $25-75 per month depending on the level of gym you choose & the number of individuals on your membership contract! With BOD, it comes to less than $10 per month! So, cancel that membership & bring your gym AND YOUR MONEY home!
3. It will keep YOU the healthiest! (fitness + nutrition)
I’m a wellness professional by education with certifications and experience in the field. So, discovering the top-notch programs led by elite trainers sealed the deal for me in letting the old gym go! I am so encouraged that every program is led by elite trainers who know what they’re doing. Every program has high-quality calendars to track your progress. Every program is well researched and balanced to offer both challenging and modified movements!
BONUS: along with the fitness side, there is also the Beachbody Nutrition component with two professionally designed nutrition programs (2BMindset & The Ultimate Portion Fix) to get your eating on point too! Gyms don’t do this! And it’s proven that Fitness + Nutrition is the only way to achieve real results. Beachbody has it all ⬅︎ Check out this video link!
Of course, the fact remains – the virus is still lurking. In addition to the risks of going to the gym & catching COVID/the flu/ Strep from all the heavy breathing and sharing of equipment, there is a BETTER CHOICE… and it’s a MASK-FREE option too!
The Total Solution = Fitness (BOD) + Nutrition + Support*
*If you sign up with me, I will be YOUR personal coach! I am here to get you started on a program that fits your needs! I am here to answer questions online & to help you achieve your wellness goals! Ultimately I want to help you achieve the best YOU ever!
That’s my job & I love helping people find success! 🙂
Ready to get started? Email me here ⬅︎
Join the thousands of others who use BOD – to save $ – to save time – to get healthy!
Your future self says, “Thank you!” 🙂
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Easy Crockpot Tortellini You Will Make Again
“I need an easy Crockpot Recipe to make for dinner!”
Crockpot meals make me so happy, y’all! Regardless if you are home during the day or away, it sure is nice to toss everything in the Crockpot hours before dinnertime! My Crockpot makes my entire day easier. Being a homeschool mom & online wellness coach, there are plenty of other things needing my attention. Spending too much time preparing our meals takes away teaching & work time. So, I use my Crockpot as often as possible! And, I can tell you, as long the food is delicious, everyone is happy! This Cheesy Tortellini with ground beef certainly did not disappoint my family one bit at the end of the day! So, if you’re like me and could really use a great meal with little effort, this is definitely one recipe you will want to add to your cookbook! Enjoy 🙂
Special Note: If you’re looking for a healthy Nutrition Program that doesn’t limit food groups and still allows you to enjoy the foods you LOVE, check out 2B Mindset! I personally follow this program and believe it to be a fantastic choice to healthy weight/ loss & management.
Super Simple: Here’s All You Need
Ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground beef (precooked*)
- 1-2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 2+ cloves garlic, minced
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 10 oz. can diced tomatoes & green chilis, undrained
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 19 oz. package frozen cheese tortellini
- 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
So Easy: Less Than 30 Minutes Prep Time
I make delicious, easy meals with my Crockpot slow cooker! ~Domestic Chick
Directions:
Put all ingredients except tortellini and cheese into the Crockpot. Cook on high 4 hours, or on low for 6 hours. Add tortellini 20-30 minutes before it’s done cooking. Top with shredded cheese as you plate this dish & add a beautiful green salad or side of steamed broccoli for a sure crowd pleaser!
* Precooking the beef makes this an incredibly easy meal to prepare. Tip: Buy meat on sale, precook and freeze in 1-pound bags to easily pull out and prepare a quick and delicious meal.
Your Plan Ahead Meal Solution
Planning Ahead Makes Lunch Easier & Healthier too!
Regardless if it’s your lunch, your spouse’s or the kids’… having a well planned out lunch system makes life so much happier! I came across these little treasures preparing for the meals ahead and can’t help but share them. Literally any food that is on the Beachbody Nutrition plans will go inside! A wrap fits nicely in the top compartment, but as you can see in the photo, salad works great too. PLUS, the little circle in the middle holds just the right amount of salad dressing (my personal preference is balsamic vinegar & a touch of olive oil) 🤩… and you can wait until & add it when you’re ready to eat, so your salad doesn’t get soggy!
Having handy containers is the first step to planning ahead for a healthy meal and avoiding the emergency drive-thru mentality! None of us can afford that 99 cent heart attack, y’all! Using either one of Beachbody’s Nutrition programs: The Ultimate Portion Fix or 2B Mindset, along with having purposeful containers will keep you following the plan and your nutrition on point, which is vital to achieving your overall wellness goals! Remember no workout plan can make up for a bad diet!
Sistema is what I have & here’s why I like it!
- They stay closed tightly with clips on each side!
- They are dishwasher safe!
- They have a variety of containers: soup, sandwich, breakfast…etc!
- They come in fun colors!
- They are great for anyone wanting to control portion sizes!
- Some items come with utensils that clip right inside!
- So easy to grab-n-go!
Revolutionize your meal prep process!
Free Printable! Easy Meal Planner
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Do you want to save time & perhaps a little money every single week? 😂 Of course you do! Who doesn’t, right?! We all could use a little extra of both at the end of the week!
When I don’t have dinner figured out, I know the clock is ticking down before the “hangry” people show up! Without a plan, we will just end up going out to eat or grabbing some fast food to get everyone fed. Sure eating out on occasion is nice, but consistently ignoring the need to make a dinner plan will #1 – quickly drain our cash AND #2 – result in my whole family eating less healthfully. I don’t wanna do that to our pocketbook OR our waistlines!
(Read more on reasons to eat at home in this article posted by DailyHealthPost.com on : Eating at Home Vs. Eating Out. 4 Compelling Reasons To Cook Your Own Meals)
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Life gets chaotic juggling it all! I had to learn quickly that I needed to ➙ MAKE A PLAN! Putting just a little bit of thought into things makes the whole week run more smoothly, doesn’t it? My simple realization applies to all areas of life, but today I’m sharing how to help with your meal planning. (For more great ideas on planning, check out The Happy Planner!)
This simple Weekly Meal Planner is here to help you get started! 🆓🎉 Just scroll down & click the ‘Download’ button to get your copy and take the guessing out of meal time! Check out these handy containers too! Taking just a few minutes to toss your meal plans into these containers will be an enormous time-saver too! Your future self will thank you! 👌🏽
Give it a try! Stick it on the fridge or carry it with you. Along with meal planning, you will also have a grocery list close! See if at the end of the week… and then the month… you aren’t happier & smiling with a little extra green & maybe a little extra time on your hands too! 💵👌🏽
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EASY Oven Veggies: Even the kids ask for them!
🎉BONUS: These can marinate in the fridge a day or two if it helps your schedule! 😉
Here’s what you need:
– a few of your favorite fresh veggies
( purple cabbage, carrots, onion, brussel sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower…)
– extra virgin olive oil
– choice of seasonings
– plastic gallon storage bag
– shallow baking sheet (I use a jelly roll pan)
– foil
Directions:
- Cover a shallow baking sheet with foil, preheat the oven to 375.
- Select your veggies & chop into bite-sized pieces. For example: cut brussel sprouts in 1/2, small onion into about 8 chunks, and use baby carrots just the way they are!
- Throw it all into a gallon storage bag about 1/2 to 3/4ths full (depending on how many you are serving).
- In a measuring cup pour in 1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil (depending on how full you fill the bag.)
- Add approximately 2 Tablespoons seasonings into the oil & stir. (I often go with: Montreal Steak, garlic powder, pepper, salt … it’s hard to go wrong!) Pour this oil/ seasoning mixture into bag over the veggies.
- Seal the bag & turn it over & over to completely coat the veggies inside.
- Pour the mixture onto the foil-covered baking sheet and slide into the oven!
- Check on them & stir a time or two while they’re cooking.
- Cook until they are tender, with slightly crispy, caramelized edges… generally 30-40 minutes.
—> Our favorite veggies cooked this way are the brussel sprouts!! Hard to believe, but try ’em and see for yourself… please comment & share what your favorites are. 👍😋
3 KEYS to 6-pack ABS
Ok, y’all! I know abdominal work can seem a bit overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! I wanna share with you what I do to get toned ABS… now, I’m not on the cover of a Muscle magazine, but these 3 KEYS have helped me to achieve definition that lets me feel pretty toned (in my mid-40’s) 😎. So, listen y’all – if I can do this, trust me, you can too… 😉
Before we drop to the floor on a crunch mat, though, let’s get the facts. One massive, important thing I have learned over many years is that my DIET has a great deal to do with toning my ABS! Perhaps you have heard this too. I hope so… because IT’S TRUE! In my experience, when I focus on increasing certain foods while limiting others AND by getting serious about a few, simple core exercises… AMAZING THINGS HAVE HAPPENED 🎉
6-pack ABS are SOOOOOO related to your DIET! 😋
In my life before the addition of my sweet girls, I worked as a personal trainer having a degree in Kinesiology. In addition, I was certified with The Cooper Clinic as a Health Promotion Director, so with that along with the last 20 years of living the busy life with kiddos, I can tell you without question: OUR DIET MATTERS … A LOT! So, if your goal is to whittle your middle, consider these 3 KEYS to making a difference in how you feel around that midsection!
KEY #1
EAT COLORFUL FOODS! 🌈 This is honestly something I think about every single day! With colorful foods that are NOT boxed, bagged, or fried, you will be eating less fat, less sugar + more protein, fiber and vitamins. For mid-day & evening, look for ways to combine salad ingredients (kale, spinach & mixed greens) with proteins like beans, grilled chicken or salmon! Here are a few photos of my mid-day meals. Be creative & get colorful! 🙂
For snacks, I like to make up a few little baggies of good snack choices and have ’em in the fridge ready to go. Having these on hand during the day helps me avoid the regrettable high sugar, high fat moment of weakness… you know, that sneak up between 2-5pm?!😅Choose carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, fresh fruit or even deliciously crunchy, purple cabbage (my personal fav!)… fill up a few little “snack-sized” bags & you’re all set.
KEY #2
CARRY WATER WITH YOU!💧💦 Y’all, water is free…containing absolutely no calories or fat! When I focus on sipping water all day long, I tend to forgo the sugary drinks. By intentionally avoiding the drinks loaded with tons of sugar, I automatically feel less weighed down AND there’s no sugar crash later!
KEY #3
MOVE 6 DAYS/ WEEK! 💪🏽🏃🏽♀️
- #1 Cardio – (I don’t even have a gym membership 😳) – I am passionate about walking! If the weather permits, I hit the streets, but if not, I have a Nordic Track T6.5 treadmill at the house. My personal goal is to get in 8,000 WORKOUT STEPS each day. I make it a point to say “workout steps” because during that time, I’m hustling! My heart-rate is up and I’m rocking a nice sweat. I’ve tried the 10,000 step goal too, but for my schedule, it seems to work best shooting for 8,000 leaving me a little extra time to focus on weights and resistance training. I can typically fit in a GREAT workout within an hour to 75 min. I also rotate through different videos to surprise my body & spice things up … but I always come back to Crunch Fitness: Belly, Butt & Thighs BOOT CAMP with Teri Ann Krefting!
Consistent cardio trims the fat to chisel those ABS! 
Outdoors or inside – find a place to walk!
- #2 Body Weight Moves – I am a strong believer in basic moves that use your own body weight to exercise. A few of the moves I do weekly include walking lunges, plank, push ups and bridge. With each of these, I do 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. More recently, I have also started incorporating quick PiYo videos! Trainer, Charlene Johnson, really knows how to motivate and guide you through the workout! I’m LOVING how I feel doing her Beachbody PiYo program! Do I use actual weights at all? The answer is yes, definitely. With a degree in kinesiology and working as a personal trainer, I will always try to incorporate free weights – especially for arms & upper body. I’ll share about that in another post! 😉
Plank works everything – try it for a minute & then increase your time! 
All body weight moves – love this! 
The bridge in incredible for ABS, butt &legs – squeeze it!
- #3 Focused ABS exercise – I have a few favorite AB moves that I want to share here, BUT, I want to re-emphasize that I believe food & cardio are really critical to great ABS! With that being said, here are my go-to AB exercises. I try to do these 3-4 times every week. When I do it consistently, I like the results!👌🏽🥰
Side lying crunch – rocks the obliques! 
Cross crunch knee to opposite elbow – don’t strain your neck. Work comes from the tummy!
Ok, y’all… I hope this post is helpful to you! I enjoy sharing, so please follow my blog for more content coming soon. Also, see the links to my other social media! 🙂
Out-the-door Breakfast Burritos for Back-to-School
Ok, friends, BACK-to-SCHOOL season has made it’s arrival & across the country we’re all scrambling to check off those infamous lists… Backpack – check; Binders, folders, pens, calculator – check; Vans, Converse, etc. – check; Distressed jeans (with holes) check 🙄
✅ 😅 Yay, praise the Lord in Heaven… it’s all purchased, packed and ready to go.
But WAIT . . . WHAT. ABOUT. BREAKFAST??
We all welcome extra ideas in this department, I think, SO I’m sharing one of my girls’ favorites here! These delicious burritos warm up super well AND they pack a good amount of protein to jump start their brains for the school day.
Make 2 dozen at a time & your future self will thank you!
Here’s all you need…
- 24 foil squares (about 1 foot square)
- 2 bags of flour tortillas (12 count each)
- 2 pounds of breakfast sausage
- shredded cheese (we like cheddar jack, but feel free to be creative!)
- 18 eggs soft scrambled
- 1 pound bag of frozen potatoes
- large foil pan or gallon zip bags for freezer storage
Directions: These are super simple!
- I take a few tortillas, wrap in a towel and warm in the microwave 20 seconds to begin. (This helps them be more flexible for rolling with everything inside.)
- Lay a warm tortilla on a square of foil and spoon in the ingredients. (If they crack or are a little stiff to roll, it’s ok! Just keep them together and wrap tightly in the foil.
- Layer all burritos in a foil pan, like you see in the video.
- Freeze & forget until you’re ready to grab & go in the morning!
TO WARM UP: They are easy to pull out one at a time! Remember to REMOVE FOIL, then wrap in a paper towel and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds to start. Some microwaves cook quicker than others. You will probably need 45 seconds to 1 min 30 seconds… start less and check before over cooking!
VARIATION: If you need to feed a crowd, you can also warm up the entire pan on a LOW setting in the oven for 40 minutes or so. It has worked for us at 250 degrees. Also a yummy idea for a Sunday morning – out the door for church – breakfast too! 😉👌🏽
In just a couple of minutes your kiddos, hubby, you… are all out the door with a DELICIOUS start to the day. Y’all enjoy! 😋💙
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