When in Doubt, Make Banana Pumpkin Pancakes!!

So I'm heading on vacation in a few days and I look on the kitchen counter and see a few bananas that are starting to get very ripe. Then i look in my fridge and I have canned pumpkin left that I didn't use up. So I'm one that hates to waste anything. I will use up as much of it as possible. So on tonight's agenda i decided to keep in the spirit of the fall season and make it all about the pumpkin. It was a super easy recipe with very few ingredients. Simple just how I like them. 

Something about this time of year that I just love. I love the changes of color in the leaves. I love that fresh crisp air that is just a tad bit cool where you just need a light sweater. Pulling out the fall decorations and letting the festivities of the holiday season gear up. Just feels me with warmth. 

Grab your children and have them make these pancakes with you. Anytime you can spend with your children take advantage of it. Life is to short and they grow up way to fast. 

RECIPE

1 cup oat flour

2 ripe bananas mashed

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1tsp nutmeg

1/4 unsweetened almond milk(optional)

In a large bowl mash up bananas, then add pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg. Mix well until everything is well blended. Then add oat flour to mixture and mix well. If the batter seems too thick then you can the almond milk. Heat up griddle and I like to spray the pan with cooking spray. Use 1/4cup batter for each pancake. Cook well on one side then flip to cook other side. Make sure you cook long enough for the inside to be fully cooked.  Put on plate and serve. If not eating all of them you can wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them in packages of 2. Then when I want them, I will pull a package out defrost and toss them in a toaster. I like that it gives them a bit of a crunch. 

This recipe makes approx, 12 pancakes. Serving size is 2 pancakes. Have fun and enjoy!

Nutrition FactsServings 6.0Amount Per Servingcalories 147% Daily Value *Total Fat 3 g5 %Saturated Fat 0 g2 %Monounsaturated Fat 1 gPolyunsaturated Fat 0 gTrans Fat 0 gCholesterol 62 mg21 %Sodium 30 mg1 %Potassium 179 mg5 %Total Carbohydrate 24 g8 %Dietary Fiber 4 g17 %Sugars 5 gProtein 6 g12 %Vitamin A27 %Vitamin C7 %Calcium5 %Iron5 %* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

If you would like to receive my monthly newsletter then click the picture at the top right and sign up for free. 

Are you Taking Accountability in your Life??

Do you take accountability in your life?? In your relationships? In your faith? I listened to a podcast the other day about this subject and it really made me think about how much accountability I really am responsible for in my life. I can tell you this some of the areas in my life that I struggle with are due to not being fully accountable. When you finally make the choice to stop and take accountability, man does your life change. I know it did for me. I'm still working on it in certain areas of my life but so far it's made me a better person. Really makes me stop and think when I say or do things in life from here on out..

You can make excuses all day long about how you didn't get this or that, why this happened why this didn't happen, but none of it matters til you become accountable to them and take responsibility. We can blame others all we won't be it really won't solve the bigger issue. And it all begins and starts with you. Nothing in life is really easy. You have to work hard to get what you want and when you take action and say to yourself, you know what this is my life and I am the only person that can change it to the way I want it. You have the power as to how you chose to live your life. I personally did this in my coaching business. Made excuses as to why I wasn't where I was. That attitude got me no where. When I made the switch to taking accountability that's when things started changing in my business. I sat back and made a plan of action of what I needed to do. Not what others said I needed to do. Did I listen to the advice and opinions  that they had, absolutely. But it all boiled down to what I needed to do for me and me alone. And that was take accountability for my own life. So for me it was time to have a good ole chat with myself. How did that go you ask?

Let's take my faith in God. My faith in God has grown immensely since being accountable. How so, for starters once I got back into my daily regimen with giving praise to my Lord, giving him thanks for everything that has come into my life. I have a stronger connection then ever before. And it's all because I took accountability for my actions. I made the decision that keeping faith in my life daily is a non-negotiable. First thing I do when I wake up in the morning  is listen to Charles Stanley via podcasts. It really sets the tone  for my day. I have also been listening to other inspirational podcasts before I head off to sleep. It's really made a difference in how I view my days these last few months.  I'm so thankful and blessed to have made these decisions in my life to get back into focus with God. 

So if you are not where you want to be in your life, step back and take a closer look as to why. I'm also a firm believer that where we are in life is where we are suppose to be. That we have lessons and life experiences that we need to learn before moving to the next phase. With that you also have to take responsibility and work on you while at those crossroads. This is where taking accountability comes into action. If you don't like where you're at then change it. Look deep inside to find out what is stopping you from moving forward when you feel like you keep hitting the same wall. I know for me when I finally did this I opened up a whole new world of wonders for myself. It's taken awhile for all this to happen and I'm still a work in process but I'm heading in a great direction and starting to make things happen because I finally stepped up and took accountability for my life. Best decision I ever made was renewing my faith with God. That's been the key to my success. It has opened doors for me, that I have only dreamed of.  If you would like to hear some of the podcasts that have made a shift in my thoughts here is the link. http://www.intouch.org/.  I love listening to Charles Stanley pretty much everyday. He has a way of delivering messages that just hit home for me. So I just wanted to share this with others. If there is someone that needs to see this then I hope it reaches them. 

Life is definitely going to be crazy at times. I don't claim to sit here saying it isn't. I have had my own share of craziness and I still do from time to time. But I can say that I get through it by the grace of God now. I now have the tools to be able to not flip out or worry myself so much I make myself sick. I now look at life and any issues that might arise with a clearer more calmer outlook. I'm just trying to live a simple, drama-free, clutter free life, the way God would want me to. So if you are looking to make some changes remember start with you 1st. Work on your own personal development. There is so much information out there in books, on audio and video. Also while your being accountable to yourself, you can also connect up with an accountability partner. Whether it be your spouse or friend. If there is someone you trust and you both have a good connection and relationship then help each other out. I have a few accountability partners. It's great to know we are both on the same wave length and we keep it real with each other. We both know we can share things and neither one of us judges the other. It starts with you. You just have to decide what you want to make as a priority in your life. 

I wish everyone a blessed day and wonderful adventures on your life journey!! Take the 1st step! 

Kale Soup Crockpot Style

So who loves using their crockpot during this time of the year. I know I do. I love throwing everything into one pot and going on with my day and coming home to some yummy goodness and the house smelling awesome, like I have been cooking all day long...haha that's a good one. I especially love my crockpot because this busy mom is limited on time. So here is one of my favorites for when I'm using the crockpot. So let me make this disclaimer now I am not the greatest cook but I can hold my own if i have to. So this recipe is what I use in my Kale Soup recipe. You are more then welcome to switch it up and add more veggies or switch out the chourico for chicken or whatever floats your boat. So have fun and get creative. Did I tell you how much i love just throwing everything into one pot, turning it on  and then go about my other business. 

So with that being said who's up for a 6 Day Crockpot Challenge Group?? It starts Monday October 5th. The focus is clean eating but YUMMY food! Getting healthy is all about adding healthy habits into your day. We will also be posting daily inspirational quotes for us to open our day with. Plus tips and tricks to help make our lives easier and little less hectic.

So whose in? I know I'm ready to kick it up a notch this fall season and get a jump on the holiday season that will be quickly approaching. If you would like to join just click on the link to the right that says Free 6 Day Crockpot Challenge. That's pretty much it and I can get you added to the group.(It's a private facebook group)

Today in life I'm all about keeping my life as simple and easy as can be. Why make more work if i don't have to for certain things. So I just love to share what works for me and maybe it will help someone else down the road. So here is my version of Kale Soup Crockpot Style.

Kale Soup Crockpot Style Recipe

~ 1 package of turkey chourico

~ 3-cups of raw kale 

~ 1 small onion cut in small slices

~ 1 cup of frozen or canned corn

~ 1 cup of dried macaroni ( I use whole grain macaroni)

~ 2 tbsp of spice mix. I make this in a container to have ready for other uses as well.

~ 1 -32 oz box of low sodium chicken broth

~ 3 cups of water

Set crockpot on high. Add box of chicken broth and water. For the water I add about 3 cups you kind of have to eyeball it and see how high it fills up in the crockpot. Usually fills it a little over half. Which is good. Next cut up the chourico into slices and slice the slices in half. Add to crockpot. Next break off Kale into smaller pieces and add to crockpot. Add corn and onions. Then add spice mix. Stir everything well and cover. If you are going to be cooking it all day then put crockpot on low. Otherwise leave it on high for a few hours til chourico is cooked. Once everything is cooked i then add the macaroni in to cook. If you put the macaroni in to early it tends to fall apart. You can also use about 4-5 small red bliss potatoes instead of macaroni. I just prefer macaroni. If using potatos you will put them in at the beginning with all the other ingredients. You can also add more vegatables to you liking. I like to keep it simple. That's pretty much it. 

Now for the spice mix here is the recipe for that: 

Spice Mix

8 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons cayenne
5 tablespoons black pepper, freshly ground
6 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
6 tablespoons salt
2 1⁄2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 1⁄2 tablespoons dried thyme

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Blend well.

Can be stored in an airtight container in your spice cabinet for up to 3 months.

So by keeping things simple it gives you more time to spend with your family or friends. So remember to enjoy the quality time you get to spend with them. It's all about enjoying life with the ones you love!! 

Keeping it SIMPLE ~ Banana Oat Pancakes

If you are anything like me, then you have kids and are always consistently on the go with them and their activities. Now that school is back in session, I'm back to a schedule and can plan much better. Over the last few years i have learned that i just want to live a life a simple as possible. I honestly have gotten rid of things that just don't serve my my purpose. Less is more is really the perfect saying for how I chose to live my life now. Now don't get me wrong I have my splurges but they are not what defines me as a person and who I am today. They are simply more just treats here and there for myself. So with the theme of KEEPING IT SIMPLE, I am not the best cook out there. I do like to cook when I have time and it's definitely got to be something that interests me. I recently ran across a recipe that was super simple and yummy which is right up my alley. The one thing I like about this recipe is that I am able to make a batch and freeze them. Which for me convenient for when I'm on the go. All you need to do is pop them in the toaster and that's it. They still taste the same as the day I made them.

While keeping it simple I also want to keep it healthy. Over the last few years I have substituted quite a few things to a healthier version of it. I did the process slowly and now it's just a matter of habit. So for me these pancakes were a no brainer. I like to prep as many meals as I can for the week, like on Sunday. That way I have everything ready for the week to go and it keeps me on track.

BANANA OAT PANCAKES

Serves 8(2pancakes each) Prep Time 15min Cooking Time 16min
Container equivalents per serving: 1 yellow   ½ purple

• 1 cup          Unsweetened almond milk
• 2                Large eggs
• 1                Large ripe banana
• 1tsp           pure vanilla extract
• 1tsp           baking powder, gluten free
• 1/2tsp       ground cinnamon
• 1 dash       sea salt or Himalayan salt
• 2 cups       old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2tsp      extra-virgin organic coconut oil
• 3 cups       fresh mixed berries

1- Place almond milk, eggs, banana, extract, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and oats in blender, cover. Blend until smooth.

2- Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat.

3- Pour 1/4cup batter onto skillet, cook 2-3mins or until bubbles form around the edges of the pancake. Flip with spatula, cook for another 2-3mins.

4- Continue with remaining batter

5- Serve with fresh berries

TIPS:
Left over pancakes can be heated in toaster.
Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories 137

Total fat: 3g   Saturated Fat: 1g   Cholesterol: 47mg   Sodium: 139g   Carbohydrates: 22g  Fiber: 4g  Sugars: 5g  Protein: 5g

Would love to hear about any tips or tricks that you might do that have simplified your life. Please comment or post below. Also if you are looking for more yummy, healthy, simple recipes then post your email below or email me at purebalanceforlife@gmail.com Thanks for checking out my blog and DREAM BIG!!!

ENJOY WHAT THE JOURNEY HAS TO OFFER!

Can you still inspire others even when you yourself have not personally reached your goals that you have set up? ABSOLUTELY!!!  Life is a journey, it's not so much about point B or the final destination. It's more about the roads that you take on the journey and the experiences that happen while traveling to it.  I've learned this a bit more since starting my health and wellness journey back in 2005. It's been quite the ride over these last 10 years.  I truly believe that the experiences I have gone through, the good, the bad and the ugly were all part of the whole plan and were meant to happen to help me learn and grow into the person I am today. I can't tell you how many tears were shed but along with tears also came even more smiles in the process as well.

Over this past summer I committed myself to doing the Body Beast program all the way through. I started in June with this particular adventure. Also knowing that the summer season was approaching and that the party season and summer living was about to start up. First off let me start out by telling you how empowering it was to do Body Beast and incorporating weight lifting into my life. It gave me such a feeling of "YES I CAN DO THIS!!" As the weeks progressed i could feel my upper body strength becoming stronger. What a great feeling. I followed the meal plan as closely as possible using the 21 Day Fix portion control plan. Which for me is easy to follow. So now this is where I won't lie to you, did I have few cocktails while doing the program. YES!! I'm human and enjoy indulging on a sweet tasting martini. But for the most part I stayed on track Monday-Friday. Usually having a cheat meal or drink on the weekend if I  knew I was heading somewhere. Honestly I'm at a point in my life where I want to be able to enjoy life. Everything in moderation is what they say and I'm a firm believer in that. If I enjoy eating something that isn't the best for me why take it of the table and out of my life. I now will have a small piece of it, enjoy it and move along.

I finished up Body Beast at the end of August. I wasn't anywhere near what my ideal goal was but you know what, that's ok. I stuck to the program and completed it. I dropped 10lbs and 12" from it. For me that was awesome. I have for the last year kind of been at a plateau and it seemed liked no matter what I was doing I just couldn't drop anything. Will say clothes that we snug on me at the beginning of the summer now fit better and more comfortable on my. YAY!!  As I was saying I want to live my life in moderation. I also don't want to be a slave to working out 2 hrs a day to maintain results that are just impossible to maintain on an ordinary basis. I want to be able to have a dessert and enjoy and not feel guilty later on for it. So with the meal plan that I now follow I am able to do just that. It's a plan that works if your willing to do the work to follow it. It's not always easy but it definitely is worth it in the long run. Posted below are my before and after pics from this summer.

With that being said it doesn't matter part of the journey you are. If you are moving forward and working on you, that inspires others whether you believe it or not. People might not say anything to you but they are watching what you say or do. Even people that you think have it all put together have there own inner struggles.  So don't worry about what others are thinking, just do it for you. If you are doing it with an open heart and for the right intentions then life as you know it will become that much more meaningful to you.  I will continue on my journey and take what comes and goes as a blessing and be grateful for all that I get to experience. And if while I'm on my journey I just inspire one person then I know it was all worth it!!

If you are on your journey I would love to connect up with you and hear about it. Please share. If you don't know where to start then let's chat I would love to help you start your journey. You won't believe the amazing adventure it will be. Email me at purebalanceforlife@gmail.com.

LIFE'S AN ADVENTURE, GO OUT AND THERE AND LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST!!

Sometimes you just need that one GAME CHANGER!!

In today's world there is so much bad stuff going on. I personally do not watch very much news because of it. It's so depressing. And who needs that.  I chose to look for the good and focus on that and spreading it around. One thing is you have to start with you 1st. If you are not happy with who you are then how can you even begin to see the beauty in other things or people when you don't see it in yourself. I can attest to that because that is how I felt like growing up and into my 20's and beginning of my 30's. It wasn't really until I started my health and fitness journey that I started to love myself even more. I started working on me and on the person I wanted to be. It started off slow. When I was growing up I was never very confident in the things I did. I was one to shy away from meeting new people and definitely didn't want to be the center of attention, that's for sure! As I got older, got married, had kids I was getting better on being more vocal and opening up more.

So now as I started my health and fitness journey around 2005 things start to slowly change. As I started taking care of me, I started to become more confident. I was definitely feeling better as far as my fitness was going. I think my key to my success was the new people that I was now meeting through the fitness program that I was following. When you hang out with like minded people you are more apt to be more successful. Slowly but surely changes were happening. As I continued on I learned that personal development was another key player in adding to my overall happiness. I will tell you the book that did it for me was The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. It was my stepping stone that has gotten me to where I am today in my life. Since reading that book I have gone on to reading so many other self help or personal development books over the years and I continue to make it part of my daily activity to read 15-30 mins a day with personal development, being a book or audio or video. It'as a definite must in my life!!

About 7 years ago my life took a change in the opposite direction. It was something that I would never have imagined. I got divorced. I truly thought I was in it for life and that would be it. But life has a way of changing in the blink of an eye. It certainly did for me. Was I sad, YES, just not something people want to experience, but it happened. Do I have any regrets?? Absolutely NOT!!  I'm a firm believer that I personally had to go through what I did to get me to where I am today. I've learned so much about myself and one of the biggest take away's for me is not to judge others. That everyone one is living their own unique story. Even though we might be experiencing somewhat of the same situation no one will ever truly know what feelings or emotions the other person is actually feeling. My divorce made me more compassionate and  less judge mental. Because really who am I to judge someone else. That is not my job to do.

I will say some days have not been easy but I have gotten through it with by the grace of God! He showed me what I needed to see. I now live my life through him and know that he guides me along each and everyday. I've gotten rid of the negative and drama from my life. I have no time for it and it does nothing to help feed my soul. Of course every now and then stuff pops up but now I do not feed into it. . I'm all set with that, serves me no purpose to. Let me tell you what a great feeling it is to live like that now. I've learned to stop and smell the roses and take in what is out there surrounding me.  So many signs are being shown to you, it's whether or not you chose to pay attention or just cruise through life with blinders on. I chose to pay attention now and boy I'm glad I am!

So if you are looking to live life to the fullest then start with you and work from there. Surround yourself with people that are like minded and looking to feel the same way and live their life like you want to live. You have the power to do it!! If I can, you most certainly can too!! Be who you are meant to be, you will be happy you did. Dig deep and make it happen.

If you would like a list of books that might help be a stepping stone for you or just want to add to your collection. Leave a message and I would be happy to share some of my favorites. :)

Training like a BEAST but looking like a BEAUTY ~ Week 1 Journey

ACCOUNTABILITY??? How key is that in your success? For me it's vital! I know I would have not maintained my weight and fitness without the help of my numerous success buddies throughout the last 5 years. With that i thank you very much buddies for sticking by me and pushing me when I needed the push. In the last 6 months i have struggled with my health and fitness. Dealing with lower back issues has put a damper on my working out and attitude in general. I also just had my Mirena removed and felt that was also part of my weight gain. I've read numerous other reviews about it and others having the same issue. Dr's say that it doesn't happen but I know my body and there was a good 10-15lbs that just doesn't want to budge. I will see how it goes now that it has been removed. Plus the fact that I no longer wanted that foreign object in my body, as I want to go all natural routes as much as possible.  But being real and knowing part of it was I just didn't want to workout and my nutrition was not up to par. It was a big fat EXCUSE  for me as far as i am concerned. I didn't hit my workouts like I should have been and pretty much told myself every excuse in the book as to why I didn't need to get up and get it done. Well those excuses have finally taken a toll and my clothes are definitely feeling it and screaming at me to get my butt back in gear. Also not making the best of food choices haven't helped with how I feel in general, sluggish and blah! Not how I want to continue to live. I do know we all go through ruts and have our days and for me the longer I stay of the track the harder it is to get back on. So after having a good talking with myself its time to do what i need to do. 

Here's my game plan...... Body Beast! Sounds scary and intimidating for some that just might be starting out, but not at all. You go at it one day at a time. June 1st was my start date. So in preparation of starting it I went through the whole program book for it again. Went shopping and got the food that I needed for the week and prepped as much of it as I could on Sunday evening. Here's how my 1st week went.

Week 1 of Body Beast Check In! Had a great week. Stayed on track with nutrition and got all my workouts done! Huge part of my success for the week was meal prep. Firm believer that if you take an hour or two on Sunday to prep your food for the week it's key for your success. Upper body is definitely feeling it. Let's just say blow drying my hair was not the easiest task to do this last week.I had to stop a few times to put my arms down due to my muscles being on fiyaaaa!!! I am also starting off low on my weights and will slowly move up as I go along. Dealing,with some lower back issues so I modify where I need to or do another move that doesn't put strain on my back but yet is just as effective. So all in all I am happy with the 1st week. I've decided to do my measurements weekly so I stay focused and on track. So for week one I am down 5.5lbs and 2.5inches overall. Very happy with this and moving forward onto week 2. Will take my photo's every two weeks also. Will also post some of the yummy recipes that I am making as I go along. I like to keep it as simple as possible and will tend to eat the same thing all week and then change it up the next week. You basically just need to do what you like and enjoy. 

 I'm looking forward to this beast journey for the next 3 months. Oh and as far as women thinking that they will get all bulked up, it ain't so. I'm doing the lean version of the program and I have seen some amazing results. My goal is to drop some weight( which is something I try not to focus on the number on the scale but more on how my clothes fit and I feel), lean out, tone up and become more defined. plus more more muscle helps burn more calories even after the workout is done! 

Do you currently have a program that you are doing or have you been wanting to start something but just don't know where to start? Would love to hear from you. Post below what you are currently doing. Also if you would like to get started, let's chat and find a program that will be right for you. 

Have a great week and make it the BEST!!!