Honey-Garlic-Marinated Salmon With Oven Roasted Asparagus

One of the dinners Darrell and I both love to have, when we can find a score on reasonably priced salmon, is this oven baked salmon with a honey garlic marinade.






It's so easy and simple, and you can make a balanced meal with some whole grain quinoa, wild rice, or a sweet potato on the side. Easy, quick, and delicious- and you all know those are my three favorite things!

Here's how you start: gather your salmon portions, for how many servings you need, about 6 ounces each. In a large ziplock bag, mix the following (for two servings, double for four) and marinate for a minimum of 20 minutes in the fridge:
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 tsp. sea salt
-1 tsp. cracked pepper
-2 T. Local raw honey
-1 T. Bragg's liquid Aminos
-1 T. Olive or Sesame Oil






Place in your preheated oven at 400 degrees (I like to use a foil-lined pan sprayed lightly with olive oil), and cook for 20-25 minutes. It doesn't get much easier than this, guys!






I prefer to check it after 20 minutes, breaking the salmon in the middle of the largest piece with a fork. It should flake apart lightly and easily in a clean fashion- then you'll know it's done!






You can serve it with your choice of sides, as I mentioned before. I prefer asparagus and maybe a portion of wild rice or sweet potato, putting this 21 Day Fix approved meal at one red❤️, two greens 💚💚, one yellow💛 and one tsp🔸. Enjoy!

Please like, share, comment, etc! I love hearing from you guys! Thanks again, Amanda

Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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Solution: Avocado Deviled Eggs

These simple little eggs are super delicious. Olivia had a great time making them with me, and I even let her garnish hers with a little piece of turkey bacon, calling them “Green Eggs & Ham” a la Dr. Seuss. I have no doubts that Sam-I-Am himself would have approved of these delicious treats.


Basically, a lot of my recipes stem from the idea of taking foods I already know I love, and giving them more of a healthy spin. I often find myself wondering, at Thanksgiving or Christmas, “Why don’t we make these more often?” and vowing to do so. But then I remember…”Oh, yeah… mayonnaise. I can’t eat these year round!” Well, now I can, thanks to adding a dose of healthy fat to the recipe instead of a dollop of good old mayo.


Super Simple, and it’s my Monday, so we’re going to keep it really basic for everyone involved. Start with 8 hard boiled eggs.


Peel them, and then halve them, scooping the yolks out to the side. I chose to use only 2 yolks of the 8


Here’s a tip for doing this—Use a plastic knife to slice them, wiping it clean and dry on a paper towel between each slice. This way, you won’t get the egg yolk all over the white. It doesn’t really matter, but it makes for a nice presentation. If you have trouble getting the yolks out easily, I recommend giving them a gentle squeeze, nudging the yolk right out the middle. If all else fails, grab a spoon and start digging! Don’t waste time getting the insides perfectly clean- remember, you’re piping filling over this anyway!


Next, you’re going to add an avocado. My favorite way to slice this fruit is in a circular fashion, from the top all the way around the pit in circumference. Then you can take one hand on either side, twist, and separate. If you need to slice them neatly, you can repeat this into quarters, but for our purposes, you are mashing it anyway, so feel free to dig away.


Add the avocado the egg yolk, in a small bowl.


Next, employ your four year old to get to mashing! I have her wash her hands, sit at the table with a fork, and mash away. Not only does it keep her happy, but out of trouble.


After that, add one cup of greek yogurt (I use plain, nonfat greek yogurt, like Fage). Add your sea salt and pepper to taste, along with a little spicy brown mustard for kick, or a dash of vinegar for acid. The best thing about this is tasting as you go- make it taste delicious to you!


Now, we aren’t professional pastry chefs around here, so we slam it all in a small ziplock sandwich bag, and snip off the end. I recommend making this a big kid or grown-up job- it gets messy, even when I do it!





Fill your eggs- I tend to do half first to make sure they all get covered, then repeat my way around the circle for the top off. I always seem to have more than enough, but I can’t help but do it this way just in case!


If you are following the 21 day fix plan, you’re looking at being able to eat six of these bad boys (halves, of course) to count as one red and one blue. Amazing, tasty, healthy, a good appetizer, and fun to make. And don’t forget that piece of turkey bacon if you’re going for green eggs and ham!


Please like, share, comment, pin, and +1 for more great family friendly, health driven recipes like this! Have a fabulous day!

Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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It's time for your Friday Fit Tip! Today's tip is to Get it done EARLY!

Ever hear all these crazy people who workout or go on runs in the morning talk about how they get up 1/2 hour before everyone else in the house to get their workout done? Well, there's a couple reasons for that.

1. You are way more likely to get it done if you don't put it off until later in the day. I know firsthand that even on my days off, when I have the most "spare" time (what's' that, right!?), if I even think about doing my workout in the afternoon, something will crop up to prevent me from getting it done, whether it be screaming children, a kid that naps every day all of a sudden deciding a nap might kill her, or someone's diaper exploding right when you're about to push play. Don't wait if you can help it!



2. Actual excuses creep in when you wait. What seemed like a good idea at 7am all of a sudden falls down the priority list, as you somehow manage to have clothes that absolutely need folding this very second, and dishes that can't possibly get washed any other time. Knocking it out early will show those obstacles for what they are: EXCUSES! We all know those dishes will still be there a half hour from now.



3. The most overlooked benefits of exercise, and in my opinion the most valuable, are of the greatest benefit to you early in the day. What are they? Mood-boosting endorphins. Metabolism fuel. And help staying on track.

When you work out, it creates positive endorphins that flow through your body, which can enhance your mood for the day and give you a more energized pep in your step. And who can't benefit from a little of that? Also, when you are firing your body up first thing, you are telling it you are alive, awake, and going to make it work today. Your body has no choice but to turn "all-systems-go," and fire up that metabolism. And that means it's going to be going all day long.



So try it out today- see if you can't get in a brisk walk, some yoga, or one of MY favorite 1/2 hour workouts. You'll be glad you did. :) have a gorgeous day!

Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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Location:Friday Fit Tip #7: Workout Early!

Blow Your Mind With Banana Blender Cake

My friend Gwen came over for coffee the other day, and I whipped this “cake” together for our morning treat…but the best part was, it wasn’t a treat OR a cheat! It was a healthy morning snack or breakfast! Being able to quickly whip something like this together for a visit from a friend is seriously one of the best parts about cooking and baking. Nothing says love like warm homemade goodness straight from the oven!

And I haven’t even told you the best part… like all my favorite recipes, it is easy, delicious, healthy, and…wait for it… made by the “dump it all in a blender” method. YES!


So, what’s all in this cake, you ask? Well, sheer deliciousness, that’s what. Hahaha. Here’s what you need: a large blender, an oven preheated to 350 degrees, a non-stick or pre-greased pan (I used a 9” round), and the following ingredients:

🌟🌟🌟In this order, wet on bottom dry on top!🌟🌟🌟

1 ½ cups of oats
1/3 cup ground flax seed
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ T cinnamon
2 T. Local Raw Honey
1 Tablespoon real vanilla extract        
3 ripe bananas
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
3 egg whites

After blending, simply pour it in!

You have the option to fold in mixers, and decorate the top. I chose to fold in ½ cup chopped walnuts and ½ cup all natural dark chocolate chips. I decorated the top with a few spare chips and a few slices of an extra banana, which a split with my one year old, Eli.

You’ll need to bake this about 25 minutes (at 350, remember?), then check the doneness, like all good bakers, with a toothpick to the center.

If the center looks wet, wiggles when you jiggle the pan, or the toothpick doesn’t come out clean, give it a few more minutes, then check it again. Always remember to make quick work of opening and closing the oven door, to keep your baking temperature even. Remember, baking is a science- temperature and measurements matter. But as far as experiments go, it doesn’t get any easier than this! Cover with a towel and flip it over to release the cake, edging the sides with a plastic knife if needed. Place on a cooling rack for about ten minutes before slicing.

This is the nutritional info with NO add-on toppings, per serving, cut into pretty decent sized slices, 8 per recipe:

I hope you’ll like, share, comment, +1, and pin it all around! Stay tuned for more amazing easy recipes like this. You never know- you might impress somebody with this one! As always, live healthy, live happy, love Amanda.

Solution: Sinless Chocolate Pudding

Its Valentine’s Day, and you’re on a fitness journey to get yourself to a healthier life. So what do you do? Don’t. Eat. Any. Chocolate. Ever. Again.



YOU KNOW I’M NOT SERIOUS, RIGHT!? I would never say such a thing. We all deserve a treat now and then—the key is to not use food to reward yourself, or to link your emotion to food, but that’s a whole ‘nother story for another day. In the meantime, seriously, what do you do while you’re on that journey to enjoy Valentine’s indulgence without sabotaging your hard work and eliminate your progress? Well, you indulge smarter, that’s all.



This amazing Chocolate Shakeology Pudding has only FIVE ingredients, takes only 5 minutes to make, and is to die for. Its easily made Vegan (like I did) simply by making it with Vegan Chocolate Shakeology. And although most of my recipes are Amanda Originals, I can’t take credit for this one (as this was one of the recipes sent to me with my first bag of Shakeology from Beachbody). If you want a dessert you can eat guilt free, whip these ingredients together in a blender. It serves 4, so you can make it up and share it with your kids. Or, to be romantic, you can pour it in one bowl and have a romantic dessert to eat with your sweetheart.



Ok, lets get down to brass tacks. Here’s what you need:
-1 ½ Scoops Chocolate (or Vegan Chocolate) Shakeology
-1 Ripe Avocado
-1 Ripe Banana
-1 c. Unsweetened Almond Milk (or Substitute regular milk if that’s your preference, but it will change the nutritional content)
-1 tsp. Lemon Juice



THAT’S IT! Count ‘em, FIVE ingredients! Blend them up, divide into four portions, and you’re done. You can easily doctor this up with a little mint extract, coconut, or caramel extract, but I’m telling you it’s amazing the way it is. You cannot really taste the banana, but the avocado lends such a rich, smooth texture to this pudding that I love it more than “actual” pudding. I guess I’ve never really been a pudding type of gal- til now.



The most amazing thing in the world is when you can find that magical combination of delicious, easy, and healthy, all in one recipe without sacrificing any of the three. To me, this is one of those recipes. Let me know what you think! Please like, share, +1, subscribe, or message me for more information on living your healthiest life ever, and more tips and recipes like these! Have a gorgeous day! Amanda



Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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Solution: Bold Balsamic Steak Salad

I often have cravings for red meat (yes, I'm one of those!), but I tend to eat the same types of foods (my husband and I love to grill steak on Sunday nights, so that's usually my big red meat night). This week, however, I scored a great deal on steaks, buy two get two free (I love a bargain). Does this mean we ate four steaks? NO! What it means is I had two steaks left over. But what do you do with leftover steaks?






Well, here's a tasty solution that won't ruin your nutrition, is versatile enough to use up leftovers, and will ultimately hit that red meat craving but in a lighter way. Here's what you'll need:

-2 lean steaks (5-6 ounces, flank, extra-lean tenderloin or sirloin)
-4 cups mixed salad greens
-1 cup sliced red onion (or 1/2 an onion)
-1 cup diced or chopped tomato (or halved cherry tomatoes)
-1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar






I used extra steak from Sunday, so mine was already cooked. I love a simple mixture of fresh cracked pepper, minced garlic, and Himalayan sea salt as my rub. If you need help cooking your steak, let me know and I'd be happy to help. Assuming you're ready like me or already have a favorite seasoning blend, move on to the first step.






Pour your balsamic vinegar into a nonstick saucepan set to about medium. You're actually going to bring it to a boil, but to me, this sweet vinegar is one that seems to be doing nothing but sit there, yet the minute you look away its boiling over- so don't go too far or start it off too high. It WILL burn if you let it!




In the meantime, you can chop your tomatoes, prep your salad mix (I prefer to add spinach as well), and slice up that onion. I also like to add a little chopped radish or red pepper for crunch and sweetness- feel free to get creative... But don't forget to keep an eye on that vinegar!



Once it starts boiling, immediately lower it to a simmer-- that gentle yet steady bubbling. This is "reducing" the vinegar down to a thicker consistency, more like a glaze. After about 3-5 minutes (and yes, you'll want to stir it frequently- I prefer a nonstick rubber spatula for this), you'll see the glaze has formed into a thicker texture. This is what you want.






Go ahead and remove it from the heat and drizzle it across your two salads, with the steak of course artfully arranged on top. Whalah! An easy, ten minute dinner that will satisfy a health-conscious and hungry person, all in one!






Your 21 Day Fix equivalent for this dish is 2💚Green and 1❤️Red. Please, let me know in the comments what you think of this, or any of my other recipes. And feel free to LIKE this blog, SHARE this post, or +1 this recipe! Thanks and have a gorgeous dinner!

Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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Warm Edamame Quinoa Salad

Here's a salad that packs a punch, and is far from boring! It's got lots of ways to change it up, and you can add in or leave out things as needed, but I found this combination awesome in flavor and beautiful to serve! Great for someone working on a healthy lifestyle or wanting to change up the same old salad. Give it a try!

Please "like," SHARE, and let a friend know about this page if you feel they could use some recipes like these or positive motivation. :)

Recipe as follows⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️


1 cup red quinoa
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups (10 oz.) frozen shelled edamame
2 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped (2 tsp. dried)
1 Tbsp. lemon zest, freshly grated
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pkg. (5 oz.) baby spinach
1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
In large strainer, rinse quinoa well.

In large pot over medium heat, toast quinoa until it starts to crackle, about 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 12 minutes. Add edamame on top of quinoa. Do not stir or disturb quinoa. Cover again and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until edamame is tender. Carefully drain any remaining liquid. Set aside and let stand for 15 minutes.

In large mixing bowl, add tarragon, zest, olive oil and juice. Gently stir to combine. Reserve 2 tablespoons. Add red peppers and quinoa mixture and toss to combine well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In another large mixing bowl, gently toss spinach with reserved dressing.

Evenly divide spinach among four plates and top with quinoa mixture. Garnish salad with walnuts and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional values per serving: 270 calories, 14 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 30 g carbohydrate,
10 g protein, 6 g dietary fiber, 150 mg sodium.

Reprinted on January 13, 2015, courtesy of the American institute for Cancer Research, for more information visit aicr.org.





Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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