Beef & Butternut Squash Stew - 21 day fix extreme

It’s not only delicious but also super simple to make! We double up and cook it in the crockpot and have it for 2 nights dinner! 

Makes 6 servings, approximately 1 1/4 cups each
Container counts: 1 Green & 1 Red per serving

1 tsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 lbs lean beef cut into cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat
2- Add beef; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until beef is brown.
3- Add onion and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
4- Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
5- Add tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium- low; cool, covered, for 40 minutes.
6- Add squash; cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 12 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and beef is fork-tender.
7- Remove bay leaf; serve topped with parsley.

6 ways to stay committed to your health & fitness goals

Here are 5 ways to help you stay committed to achieving your goals that can help you stay strong when you’re struggling:

1. Post your goals on your bathroom mirror.
Posting your short-term daily goals in a place where you automatically see them each day will help you to stay focused, motivated, and committed to staying on task. Your bathroom mirror is the perfect place because you’ll see your goals first thing in the morning and right before you go to sleep at night. For greater results, also post your primary purpose for setting your goals (e.g., wanting to have more energy to play with your kids, to go on an adventure trip, to live longer, to feel more confident, etc.). POST it notes work great! 

2. Prepare daily for “what-ifs.” Get rid of excuses.
Before your day begins, ask yourself if there are any challenges that may interfere with your daily goals. For example, what if you get called in to a last-minute lunch meeting? What if your child asks you to play during the time you blocked off for training? What if you’re going out to celebrate a friend’s birthday? For each what-if make a plan to cope with the challenge while still staying committed to your fitness and nutrition. Of course, there are plenty of uncontrollable distractions, but strategizing on how to cope with your most common challenges will set you up to deal with anything that happens during you day. While you work to create habits don't let anything get in the way! 

3. Hang that tight outfit you took your before pictures in somewhere you will see it everyday.

4. Mark off each day on the calendar and be prepared NOT to skip a day. Do what you have to do to get that X on the calendar.

5. Try something new each week- like a new recipe or new food! 

6. Journal your daily effort.
There is no doubt that tracking your nutrition and fitness improves your chances of achieving your goals. But I recommend also keeping a diary in which you answer the following question each day: Did I exert every ounce of effort to achieving my goals today? If your answer is yes, great! If your answer is no, write down one thing you can do tomorrow to be better than you were today.

When you follow these five tips, your level of commitment for fitness and nutrition will skyrocket, giving you the best shot at achieving your goals and feeling ultimate satisfaction. Better yet, when these three tips become part of your daily ritual, not only will you achieve your goals, but get results that will last!

What are your tips and tricks to staying committed to reaching your goals?

What is Cize?

So many questions about WHERE and WHEN people can purchase CIZE!!!!  I know everyone is so excited but I'm even more excited to tell you that we are 5 days away from the launch of Beachbody's newest fitness program CIZE!!  I am the worst dancer and not coordinated enough even for Zumba- But I took the CIZE challenge and surprisingly I succeeded! I had so much fun with the sneak peek I felt like one of Shaun T's back up dancers! 

Shaun T's NEW dance workout called CIZE. It's called the "End to ExerCIZE" because it's not about doing push ups and getting all crazy extreme, CIZE is about having fun while getting in shape. Shaun T says that we were all born to dance - I didn't completely believe that till I tried the program for myself! I got no "Moves" but was able to follow along and have SO MUCH FUN! Thank you Shaun T for helping me find my rhythm! This workout is simple and can help anyone get their rhythm back and start getting in shape the fun and easy way.

Don't worry about look silly, it's in the comfort of your own home! Get your kids, teenagers and spouse to Join you! The REAL Fun happens when you Participate in a CIZE Test Group, or what we Coaches call it... a CIZE Online Challenge Group. Here are the details:

CIZE Program Details:
- Length of full program, 4 Weeks 8 Workouts
- Workout length, 35 - 40 minutes
- Programs is for all fitness levels beginners and those who can't dance (like me)
- CIZE Certification is available (contact me if you would like to be a CIZE Certified Instructor)

What Do I Get with the CIZE Challenge Pack?
- 4 Week CIZE Fitness Program complete with fitness and nutrition guides (8 Workouts)
- 30 Day Supply of Shakeology Nutrition
- Option for a Free Trial of Beachbody on Demand which includes $3,000 worth of online Beachbody Workouts. You can stream workouts anytime, anywhere!
- Free 24/7 Online Coach
- Exclusive INVITATION to our Online CIZE Challenge Group to get the best results and meet other CIZE Challengers.
- Free motivation and accountability from your Coach and other Challengers!



I'm ready!! How Do I Get Started?
I will post the DIRECT CHALLENGE PACK link here as soon as the program launches. Please make me your Free Beachbody Coach HERE and get in on the test group list for the CIZE Official Test Group Launch! This will ensure that you have a spot in the group!

FREE CIZE Sneak Peek

Get a FREE 30 Day Trial of Beachbody on Demand, and preview CIZE for FREE

Click here 

Ultimate Reset Zucchini-Cashew Soup

This soup is AMAZING hot or cold and super simple to make right in your vitamix! Its filling, creamy and easy to take on the go in a ball jar.

Makes 1 serving

1 oz raw cashews (about 17)
1 1/2 cups of water, divided use
1 1/2 medium zucchinis, cut into chunks (skins on)
Himalayan Salt  to taste
squirt of Bragg Aminos
Herbal seasoning blend (or fresh herbs like basil or dill) to taste

Soak raw cashews for 1 hour in 1/2 cup water. While cashews are soaking bring 1 cup of water to boil over med heat. Add zucchini; cook for 4-5 minutes. drain and set aside.

Blend all ingredients (cashews and the water its soaking in) in a blender until smooth. heat or serve cold.

For my 21 day fixers this would be 1 green 1 blue

Ultimate Reset Creamy Garlic Dressing

This dressing is SO good. Very refreshing after using the same homemade 21 day fix dressing for over a year now. ITs got the perfect blend of lemon, garlic and fresh herbs.

Makes 10 servings about 2 Tbsp. each

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)


Place oil, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, salt, mustard and honey in a blender or food processor; cover it with a lid. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate dressing if not using immediately. If dressing solidifies when cold, hold at room temperature for 30 mins. Stir or shake before serving.

21 day fix Shakeology Brownies!

SHAKEOLOGY BROWNIES:

I Love dessert and treats!! This is one of my favorite go to recipes from the 21 day fix extreme book! 

WHAT YOU NEED:

4 Scoops      Chocolate Shakeology

2 Cups         Old-fashioned quick- cooking oats

1/2 Cup        Chopped raw walnuts

1/2 Cup        Rasins

1 Cup           Unsweetened almond milk

1/2 Cup        all natural peanut butter

                     non-stick cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.   Combine Sakeology, oats, walnuts, and raisins in a large bowl; mix well.

2.   Add almond milk and peanut butter; mix well with a spatula or by hand.

3.   Place in an 8 by 8-inch pan that is lightly covered with spray. Press down to flatten into pan. Refrigerate for 3 hours

4.   cut into 12 bars, and Enjoy!!

Toddler Ball Jar Finger Foods

I feel like my kids ask for snacks all day long
They snack-> and before I even get done cleaning up from 3 messy kids they are asking for another snack. OR we just pull in the driveway from going out to eat and they ask for a snack!! WHAT??!!! You JUST ate I say- frustrated.

I've been making these awesome time saving ball jar salads for myself and husband each week that have been an amazing time saver! Why not make them filled with finger foods for my toddlers? They make things so much easier when we go out and I found I've been saving a ton of money not going thru the drive thru at Chick- fila!

What they like this week:

Edamame (frozen)
Blueberries
Tofu/ or chicken
Noodles
Strawberries
Kidney beans