Pan Seared Brussels with Cranberries and Pecans-- Recipe

I've been in a rut lately. My husband is gone a ton and it's affecting my mood, which is in turn affecting the way that I eat and workout. Instead of falling back into old habits I'm trying really hard to stay strong and move forward, one day at a time!

Debating starting a PiYo-T25 hybrid, doing a mix of the two workouts. Stay tuned ;)

Last night I decided to try something a little different for dinner. Do you ever just feel so sick of eating the same old food over and over?! I do. I really enjoy food, but hate cooking...so on the rare occasion I do actually feel like cooking something different, I run with it. Here is one of the sides we had last night.

isn't she beautiful?! Tasty, too!. I found the recipe here.

PAN-SEARED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CRANBERRIES & PECANS

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound brussels sprouts, de-stemed and halved

2/3 cup fresh cranberries

1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup pecans

1/2 cup barley

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

*I omitted the barley. Also, I think this would taste equally delicious with feta cheese if you're not a fan of gorgonzola!

Prepare barley according to package instructions. Heat brussels sprouts, cranberries, and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season with salt & pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, then add balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Stir to coat then remove from heat. Let brussels & cranberries cool for a few minutes, then toss in a large bowl with remaining ingredients.

And voila! Easy, tasty, and oh so pretty! Perfect for a healthy Thanksgiving side dish!!

yummy stew recipe!

good morning from California! the rest of you are experiencing fall-- colorful leaves, and crisp cool air, and maybe even frost on the ground. but here it's still sunny & warm (I'm not complaining), and doesn't feel like fall at all. so I decided to make a stew in hopes that it would make it sort of seem like fall was visiting so cal for a few days ;) the best part? my husband was out of town, so this stew lasted us for five days. that's right, we had this for dinner five nights in a row and loved it each time!

*Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chicken, & Quinoa Soup* via Chelsea's messy apron

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless & skinless 1 can black beans 1 can tomatoes, petite 1 tsp garlic 2 large sweet potatoes 5 cups chicken broth 1 cup quinoa 1 packet chili seasoning mix

Just throw everything into your crockpot and let it cook on low heat for about 3-4 hours! Super easy and super delicious!!

new Shakeology recipe, new Challenge Group!

Happy Monday! I hope all of you are having a fabulous start to your week!! It's fall...and we all know what that means...PUMPKIN! Everywhere! Instead of jumping on the Starbucks pumpkin latte craze and costing myself hundreds of calories and too many dollars, I decided to create a healthier pumpkin treat :) PUMPKIN SPICE CHAI 1 cup of cold chai splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk 3 tbs of pumpkin squirt of vanilla extract a dash of pumpkin spice 6 ice cubes **blend and ENJOY!**

I ALSO have a new Challenge Group starting November 3! I'm so excited about this! I LOVE helping my Challengers, and the support that I get from them is equally awesome. There are so many times I would have SKIPPED a workout if it weren't for them holding me accountable!

Have a beautiful night!!