Day 10 Epic Life recap

Day 10 of the Epic Life Challenge and its deliciousness wrapping up food wise! Still heading off to gym shortly to get in my minimum 30 minutes of cardio!

Tried a new combo for my smoothie - with the Epicure baked apple fruit dip seasoning with Torani sugar free salted caramel and a pinch of extra cinnamon with the plain Greek yogurt, spinach and sliced beats! Nom nom! It was delicious! Love now the mix of spinach and beet creates a nice colour appeal to the smoothie! 

Had a craving for Egg Salad sandwich - swapped out the traditional mayo for Greek yogurt and seasoned it with Epicure Guacamole seasoning and relish!

Dinner was comfort food night -  nom nom! No need to forgo your body’s  cravings just remember your portion control to balance your plate.

I was joking with my Epic Life Challengers that I was so proud today because I totally had perfect form for 2 of the challenges and it felt amazing ... but must have been too early in the morning because my wittiness went over their head that it was the two rest days I was reference my skills at!

Fingers crossed that the weather man is wrong for tomorrow because I could really use the rain to hold off until the evening at least as I  want to take the crew to the park for the morning while my van is serviced!

Happy Hump Day 💕

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life 

Day 9 Epic Life Challenge

Day 9 Epic Life Challenge recap!

Torani sugar free syrups really do a bang up job of making variety of the morning smoothie! I call today’s combo my Caramilk Bar smoothie - so yummy! 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Smoothie  - or Caramilk Bar smoothie

 What You Need

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 cup spinach
• 2-3 slices of frozen beets
• 1 tbsp Cocoa Crunch
• 2 tbsp Salted Caramel 
• 5 ice cubes and adding water to consistency preference

What You Do

•  Blend in blender and serve over ice

Perfectly balance with a serving of grain, healthy fat and fruit - today I had pineapple and peanut butter toast

Leftovers for lunch - Pizza is one of the few leftover I actually look forward to! 

Dinner was gluten free Lasagna with a side salad ... I can never make my lasagna come out pretty like in magazines it always seems more like lasagna soup but it was very tasty despite the looks 🤣 

Gluten Free Lasagna - makes 4 servings

What You Need

• 6 pieces of oven ready Gluten Free lasagna noodles - my favorite is the Catelli brand
• 1 pound of ground meat - I used chicken
• 1/4 cup each onion, celery and sweet peppers
• 1 1/2 cups of low sodium pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tub of ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
• 2 tsp of Epicure SPG 
• 2 tbsp Epicure Marinara Seasoning
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella  

What You Do

•  In a saute pan brown the ground meat. Add in veggies and saute until onions are translucent
• Add in pasta sauce, water and marinara seasoning and let simmer on low
• In a prep bowl mix ricotta cheese, SPG seasoning and egg and stir until well mixed
• In a large square baking dish cover bottom with a scoop of sauce and than layer with 2 lasagna noodles - do NOT overlap just lay side by side. Top with more meat sauce, ricotta and sprinkle of cheese and repeat until 4 layers used up.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more to brown cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Cut in 4.

Perfectly balance with a side salad. 

Got my move more challenge done today - made use of a YouTube video on mastering pistol squats using a chair as a starting stage and that helped tremendously. 

One day I might master a real one but for now it’s gonna be modified! Once upon a time I could do a pistol squat while balanced on an eighth inch skate blade so hopefully “muscle memory” is a thing and eventually I can get that core strength back 💪🏻

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well. Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life

Day 8 Epic Life Challenge

Happy Monday - first day of a new week!

I just loved this Raspberry Coconut combo with my smoothie this morning with a wee bit of Tutti Fruity whole food sprinkle!

Quick plate lunch of devilled eggs seasoned with guacamole seasoning from Epicure was perfect for refuelling after a gorgeous sunny morning spent at the park. 

 Guacamole Eggs

What You Need

• 2 hard boiled eggs, shells removed
• 1 tbsp relish
• 2 tbsp plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 tsp Guacamole seasoning

What You Do

•  Slice eggs in half and remove yolk to dish
• Add in relish, yogurt and seasoning and mash well with fork until well mixed
• Scoop back in to eggs.
• Can eat immediately but they taste better if you let flavor meld - I made mine at breakfast and popped back in fridge until lunch time.

Balance with a serving of veggies and grain - I choose Tostitos 

For dinner we enjoyed a nice 4 oz Montreal seasoned steak with angry onions (saute onions in Red Hots Sauce), sweet potato fries and broccoli.

 

  

A huge hats off to Paul for BBQ a perfect medium steak. I like just a wee bit of hint of pink still left but not so medium rare that there’s bloody jus all over the plate. But not so dry that it’s like chewing leather ... nom nom perfect steak is just Devine!

The move more challenge is picking up pace - still having to modify the evil Pistol squat but managing all the others.Finishing the evening with a trip to the pool for an aqua fit class!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4 life

Day 5 Epic Life

TGIF! 5 days in and going strong with the move more challenge and sticking to the Epic Life plan - no snacking in between my meals and drinking up all my water! 


Breakfast - Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Smoothie

What You Need

• 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 cup spinach
• 2 slices of beet (you cannot taste it but it covers the green of spinach)
• 1 tbsp Cocoa Crunch Whole Food Sprinkle
• 2 tbsp Torani Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Syrup
• 5 ice cubes and cold water to consistency you like

What You Do

Balanced with a sliced apple and a gluten free bagel that comes in under 150 calories for the whole bagel - you need to watch your bagel servings cause sometimes the serving size is actually a half bagel and not a full one for that same calorie load! If you'd like to control what's in your bagels Epicure has an amazing perfect portion bagel maker!

 

Lunch - quick Nacho plate

What You Need Dip
1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup of Salsa
2 tablespoons of Guacamole - I make my own using avocado and Epicure Guacamole mix

What You Do

• Layer Dip in a bowl and serve with veggie sticks and a 1/2 serving of low sodium Tostitos

Dinner - Beef Satay

What You Need - Sauce - makes 4 servings

• 1 tbsp Epicure Satay seasoing
• 2 tbsp Peanut butter 
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• 1 tsp lime juice
  

What You Do

• Mix together and set aside until needed

What You Need Stir Fry

• Fast Fry beef strips
• 1 tsp olive or coconut oil
• 2 gloves garlic crushed
• Pepper - couple grind twists worth
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 1 cup sliced sweet pepper
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1 cup broccoli  
•  3 cups of shredded red and white cabbage or buy the ready made coleslaw mix
• 4 cups of cooked whole grain rice

What You Do

•  Saute the beef strips in oil and garlic and pepper for 5-7 minutes. Take out of pan set aside 
• Add in veggies and saute until el dente. 
• Add back in cooked beef and satay seasoning. Toss until heated through.
• Serve over 1/2 cup of whole grain rice

I did cave and eat the Evil cupcake for dessert today - and Paul did not lie it was a total mouth orgasm of deliciousness. My hats off to his co worker and her gluten free baking skills! It did however try to slip me into a sugar coma of sleep after supper. I had to get myself up off the couch and move around the house to help regulate my sugar a bit!

Did compete my 3rd day of the May move more challenge! 

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life

Getting Creative with Cravings

When you’re craving Haagan Dazs for breakfast but that’s not on plan Torani sugar free syrups to the rescue!

What You Need

2 cups spinach 

1 cup plain Greek yogurt or scoop protein powder or half serving each

2-3 slices of frozen beets

1 Oz Torani Sugar Free White Chocolate syrup 

1 Oz Torani Sugar Free Raspberry syrup 

What You Do

Place all ingredients into your blender
Blend until smooth.

Add Cold water as needed to consistency you like.

Perfect knock off with just on 100 calories and packed with protein and low carb and you can balance your plate with slice of toast with a healthy fat and piece of fruit!

Have a great day!

Margaret 

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Be Totallyawake4-life