Pumpkin Seeds: A Great Snack for Fall, or Any Time of Year!

Everyone's talking about pumpkin spice now that fall is here, but what about pumpkin seeds!? These are one of my favorite toppings for salads and also as a snack alone, and they are jam-packed little powerhouses! Some of the benefits are:

🎃Zinc for immune-system support

🎃Magnesium for heart-health ❤️

🎃Healthy omega-3 fats

🎃Anti-inflammatory benefits

They are so easy to make, too!  I love to make a pan in the oven on a high broil, stirring them frequently (they burn easy if you forget them!). It only takes about 5 minutes to make them, and you'll be filling your body with nutrition to boot! Bonus tip: Sprinkle them with a little Himalayan sea salt.  Mmm...yummy!

Here they are portioned out into 1/3 cup servings, ready for me to add to a wrap or salad for crunch, or just as a snack! 

As always, I'm here to help you on your fitness journey- just reach out! And if you try these yummy seeds, I'd love to hear about it! Live happy, live happy. Love, Amanda 

Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites!

If you didn't see my original post on these, you are lucky you came across this now! These amazing little treats are clean, easy, and totally fit into the portion controlled container system that I follow along with my at-home workouts- the same eating plan that has helped me lose 100 pounds, and keep it off! **If you missed my update on that, you can check out the original Facebook post I did celebrating my 3-year Health-iversary here.** It's been quite a journey!

So back to this amazing, nutrition-packed no-bake treat! If you are a lover of autumn or all things pumpkin, you MUST make these little bites. This recipe is pulled from the pages of the bestselling Fixate cookbook, tweaked a little to serve my purpose, and will make 32 Tablespoon sized balls. 

Here's what you'll need:

-A food processor (or some determination)

-2 cups pitted dates

-1 cup raw pecans

-2/3 cup pumpkin purée

-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

-2 tsp. pure maple extract (or substitute hazelnut)

-2 tsp. pure maple syrup

-4 tsp. Pumpkin Pie spice

-large pinch pink Himalayan sea salt

Step 1! Pit the dates if you haven't already! I bought mine with the pits in because they were a steal of a deal that way. It only took about 60 seconds to pit them myself. 

Immediately soak them in a bowl of warm water for about ten minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This will soften them up!

While they soak, put your pecans in your food processor and pulse until finely ground. 

Add all your remaining ingredients to the food processor, including the dates (with the water strained off). Save a little coconut aside for rolling later. 

Pulse until well mixed, and then refrigerate your mixture for at least a half an hour to firm it up.

Now, the messy fun part! This recipe should make 32 tablespoon sized balls, so feel free to scoop them out with the actual measuring spoon, like I did. 

Roll them between your palms until shaped, then dust with the remaining shredded coconut. I placed it on waxed paper and simply rolled them in it. :) But I love my coconut!

That's it! You have an amazing little snack that tastes every bit as good as pumpkin pie, without the guilt. And, this recipe is Gluten free, Vegan, and Paleo friendly. Win-win-win!

One serving of 2 balls will count as 1 purple and 1/2 a blue on the portion system (a la 21 day Fix). If you aren't following that plan, the breakdown for 2 balls is:

-6 Fat

-17 Carb

-3 Fiber

-1 Protein

-122 Calories

Like every good treat, enjoy it in moderation! Plan it into your menu and you can still enjoy it guilt free. Did you try this recipe? What did you think? Share it, pin it, subscribe and leave me a comment! I love hearing from you! 

If you need support or guidance on your fitness journey, I'm here! I have a group gearing up to start soon, taking us from Thanksgiving to Christmas and getting a healthy jump on the holidays- message me for details! As always, live healthy, live happy. Love, Amanda

Parmesean Zucchini Bake

A lot of things went wrong in my crazy house today, but one thing that went amazingly right was this side dish. It's simple, delicious, only takes a few ingredients, and my kids not only helped make it, but they gobbled it up! The only problem I had with this recipe is when I took it to work, my coworkers tentatively took tastes... And then ate almost all of my dish! Try this out next time you need to get some veggies in with dinner. You might be surprised who eats it!

Here's what you need:

• 4 Zucchini quartered lengthwise
• Lemon (zest and wedges)
• 1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• Garlic, finely chopped (I used minced garlic)
• 1 T Olive Oil

 

First, preheat your oven to 350°.  Combine your cheese, lemon peel, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic in small bowl and mix well. You'll want to wash your zucchini and have it sliced lengthwise. Place it skin side down on large baking dish. Now, here was a great job for my 5 year old: I let her brush all the zucchini with olive oil and then sprinkle the cheese mixture on top. 

Pro tip: Make sure you supervise this step closely or you'll most likely have a giant pile of cheese in the middle of your pan! ;)

That's it! Now, you simply bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until they're nice and tender (poke with a fork), or a little longer if you want some crisp. You can garnish with lemon wedges, or like me, thin slice them right on top before baking for a little extra kick. My 3 year old son loved getting to have the "important job" of placing the lemon slices.

PROTIP: If you're a crazy busy mama like me, after brushing the zucchini with olive oil (you can mix a dab of lemon juice in instead of zest), grab your pre-blended Italian herb blend and sprinkle it on, then the cheese. It's just as good and twice as simple!

I truly hope you enjoyed this recipe. It's clean, simple, easy, and delicious- all my favorite things in one dish! For the 21 Day Fix (the clean eating nutrition plan I used to help myself lose 95 pounds and keep it off!), this entire dish serves four, with each serving counting as 2 greens, 1/2 a blue, and a teaspoon! If you want to learn more about that program, message me, email me here, or order it here!
 

Please share this recipe with your friends and loved ones who may enjoy it, and as always, love healthy, live happy! 

Love, Amanda

As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe, and let me know what you think

A Healthy Kicken' Chicken Salad

I really love the chicken salad wraps and sandwiches from Arby's, but although they brand them as healthy, they simply aren't. They are chock-full of mayo and unhealthy sugar and fat that you don't really need in your healthy diet. One thing that has helped be be successful with my clean-eating lifestyle, not only losing 95 pounds but KEEPING it off, is finding ways to make these favorite recipes in a way that actually is good for me and that y whole family enjoys. This way, I never feel like I'm missing out. This chicken salad is my own version, inspired by Autumn Calabrese' recipe from the Fixate cookbook. **If you haven't heard of that cookbook but want to get your hands on your own copy, you can find it here.**

I always start my week by prepping chicken breast in the oven. It saves me time and money throughout the week, and I can use it in various recipes.

Here's what you'll need to make my version of this delicious salad, with the 21 Day Fix Container equivalents also:

• 1 Cup Chopped Celery (1 Green)
• 1 Cup Chopped Red Seedless Grapes (1 Purple)
• 1 Cup Chopped Apple (1 Purple)
• 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Chicken Breast (Bake your own like I did or buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it to save time!)

For the dressing part, you'll need:

• 3 T Rice or Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 T Local Raw Honey
• 3 T Dijon or Stone Ground Mustard
• 1 1/2 Cups Plain Greek Yogurt (2 Reds)

Take a few minutes to prep your ingredients and chop them up.

I wait until I'm ready to use the chicken to chop it up. This prevents it from drying out in the fridge. :)

This is really so simple. First, mix your dressing base together in a bowl (yogurt, vinegar, honey, and mustard). You can add salt and pepper to taste.

Once you've done this, dump all your chopped ingredients on top!

Fold, or gently mix your ingredients together in the bowl. That's it! You now have your Creamy Chicken Salad!

If you divide this entire bowl into two portions, it will count as 1 Purple, 1 Green, 2 Reds, and 1/2 an orange on the 21 Day Fix Plan. Yes, that's a HUGE amount of salad! I personally broke it up over 2 meals at work. Questions? Just ask!

I love to use this on whole grain wraps, but you can also place it on whole grain bread to make a sandwich, or even put it on crispy lettuce bibs to avoid the carbs!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and your family loves it as much as I do. Please comment on this post if you have any questions, and share this recipe with those you think will want to try it! As always, I'm here for you if you need help and support on your fitness journey. Live healthy, live happy! Love, Amanda

Sweet Treat Solution: Vanilla Energy Bites

Part of being successful is knowing your weaknesses and being prepared for them. As I tell my challengers, "Fail to plan, plan to fail." This week I am planning ahead for my sweet tooth with these healthy Vanilla Energy Bites!

•1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
•1 cup rolled oats
•1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter, today I used Pb2)
•1/3 cup raw honey
•1 cup coconut flakes
•1/2 cup ground flaxseed
•1 tsp vanilla
**Add extra vanilla and some water as needed to make it stickier**

 
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and use a small ice cream scoop or a spoon to portion. Roll them up and place onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Freeze and Enjoy! Store extra in the freezer or fridge no longer than 2 weeks.

For the Fix nutrition: 2 bites = 1 orange container. Now that's a great swap!

Id love to hear what you think! And please share this recipe with anyone who may want to try them out-- especially busy moms, because I know my kids LOVE THEM! For more info about Shakeology and its super dense nutrition, feel free to contact me anytime. As always, live healthy, live happy! Love, Amanda


Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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Healthy Veggie and Egg Breakfast Muffins: 21 Day Fix Approved!

I love these little muffins for so many reasons.
*They are perfectly portioned to help me stay on track.
*They are easy and convenient to grab and go when I'm short on time!
*They are chock-full of veggies and protein.
*They freeze well for later!
*My kids love them, too (who doesn't like a muffin?)!

This recipe makes 12 egg cups and you can eat 2 muffins per serving, so this is enough for 6 servings. I personally doubled this recipe in order to make a full tray of a dozen muffins. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:

* One dozen large eggs
* 12 ounces Baby Spinach, finely chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
* 1/2 a red onion, finely diced
* Sea Salt and fresh cracked pepper (to taste)



Here's what you do:



1. Preheat your oven to 375° F.



2. Lightly coat your muffin tin with a nonstick coating (I use coconut oil, but a nonstick olive oil spray will work too). I do not feel cupcake liners work well for this recipe.



3. Place eggs in a large bowl and whisk/beat until scrambled well. Although I often substitute egg whites in recipes, I feel the healthy fat from the yolk of the egg is necessary here, not only for them to rise well but also to release from the pan.



4. Add in your chopped veggies and seasonings and whisk away again.



5. Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup and start distributing between the muffin tin, one scoop at a time per muffin. This way, you will have everything evenly split between cups, as the veggies have a tendency to sink to the bottom. Continue until all are evenly filled.


6. Bake for approx. 15-20 minutes at 375° or until toothpick inserted into the center of cups comes out clean.



7. Here is where a I think people fail on this one. The first thing to do is be patient, and let them cool about 5 minutes. As soon as they are set, I use a plastic fork or knife (not metal, you'll ruin your nonstick pan!) to peel them away from the edges in a circular stroke. After that, the fork can pop them up from the bottom pretty easily!



You can store these in the refrigerator and heat them up in a microwave when you are ready to eat, or freeze them and reheat them (but trust me, with my kids eating them too, they don't last that long!). You can easily have 4 of these muffins (and count it as 2 reds and 2 greens) to start your day right!

Remember, you can eat 2 muffins per serving! Each serving is 1 green and 1 red container on the BeachBody portion controlled container system, most popularly known as the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan. I am currently following this same plan with the all new workout, The Masters: Hammer and Chisel, and it has been a HUGE component of maintaining my 95 pound weight loss.


If you ever want to learn more about this system, I adore it and am happy to answer any of your questions. Simply shoot me an email at amandanoddings@me.com or hit me up on Facebook!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and share it with your fit friends and family as you get closer to your own health and fitness goals. Be sure to subscribe to the blog to be notified every time I post a recipe! Or check out my videos on YouTube.com and see my gorgeous face in person. ;) And as always, live healthy, live happy. Love, Amanda




Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
Www.facebook.com/TeamDrivenFitness
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Perfect Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

It's fall, an pumpkin spice is every where! Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin doughnuts... But what about something you can make at home, that the whole family will enjoy? That fresh baked pumpkin smell fills the house when you grill up these homemade pumpkin pancakes. And the bonus? They'll get your day off to a healthy start packed with the protein and carbs you need to be at your best.  

Here's what you're looking at for ingredients:

Wet: 

 -3/4 c. Pumpkin Purée

 -6 Egg Whites 

 -1/8 c. Unsweetened Cashew Milk 

 -1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract

Dry ingredients: 

 -2/3 c. Oat Flour 

 -1 Scoop Vanilla Shakeology

 -1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

 - 1 tsp. Cinnamon

 -1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

This recipe calls for Oat Flour. I didn't have any on hand, but what I did have were these organic quick-cook steel cut oats I love by Bob's Red Mill. I took one cup of oats and pulsed it in my Vitamix until it had the powdery consistency of flour. Whalah! Oat flour. Why would I use this instead of regular flour? For starters, it's gluten free, if you're into that. But also, oats are a heart healthy whole grain, with fiber to move you along. ;)

The way to make these is so simple, my 5 year old daughter helped me throw them together. I preheated my stove to a little below medium (a 4 out of 10), and lightly sprayed my pan with nonstick olive oil. Grab your nearest spoon, fork, or child, and stir the dry ingredients together. Next, mix the wet. Then combine. That's it! I told you these were simple! 

Next, pour the batter! After about 2 minutes (the key is to wait until you see the edges begin to "lift" from the pan), you flip and wait 2 more minutes. Then repeat. 

We decided to have a little fun at Olivia's request, and drizzle some dark chocolate on top of our stack of pancakes. You could do the same, add some walnuts, or even a tablespoon of maple syrup to add a little sweetness. If you really love that pumpkin flavor, go ahead and add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the mix to kick the pumpkin up a notch. 

Will you try these out? Share with a friend! Don't forget to subscribe to never miss a recipe, or Pin it for later! Who doesn't need a great healthy whole grain breakfast for the whole family this fall?

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings

Www.facebook.com/TeamDrivenFitness

Www.facebook.com/FitMomAmanda

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Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
Www.facebook.com/TeamDrivenFitness
Www.facebook.com/FitMomAmanda

Frozen Coconut Peanut Butter Bark

So, first off I have to say this: no, you aren't allowed to eat the whole plate in one sitting. It will be tempting- trust me, I know! This recipe was actually inspired by my husband, Darrell. As a plumber, he's a natural problem solver. I was hell-bent on making my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, my usual go-to for a sweet craving, only to find that we were out of cupcake liners. Well, that wouldn't do at all!

So Darrell notices my frustration, and sees the gleam in my eye that I'm about to make a poor choice that I'll kick myself for later (we've been married over 5 years now-- he probably recognizes the pattern!), and he mentions that last time I made the peanut butter cups, the liquid spilled onto the paper plate and froze there. It popped off easily, causing him to remark that it looked like peanut brittle. Whalah! The idea for this recipe was born.

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:
-Chocolate or Vegan Chocolate Shakeology
-PB2 or another powdered Peanut Butter
-Coconut Oil
-Toppings of your choice, or none at all! I used shredded coconut and almond slivers.


Also, you'll want two small microwave safe bowls. In the first one, you are going to melt 1/3 cup of coconut oil. When that's done, add 1 cup of PB2 and pour it into your plate. It should spread easily as it is fairly runny at this ratio.

In the second bowl, mix 1/3 cup Vegan (or regular) Chocolate Shakeology and one cup of water. Mix it thoroughly until it is also fairly runny, adding water if needed. You are going to pour this directly on top of the PB2 mixture. If you want, you can drizzle it around as I did (pictured below) to make it beautiful. After all, we eat with the eyes first!

The last step is simply to sprinkle any toppings you want on top. I chose to divide the plate in thirds, doing some with each topping and some plain. I let my daughter help with this step- she loves to sprinkle! And to be involved. :)


Now you simply place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. If you want this for a late night munchies, throw it in before dinner and it'll be perfect! Lastly, all you have to do is break it up! I chose to break each section separate and put them in small ziplocks in the freezer.


Because the melting point of coconut oil is so close to room temperature, you're only going to want to take these out a piece or two at a time as pure ready to enjoy them. Here's how the plain ones looked:


For extra crunch and texture, I added almond slivers to the top of these ones:


And the piece de resistance, the shredded coconut. It tastes amazing with the coconut-oil-based peanut butter on the bottom. Delish!


If you know someone who would like this recipe, please share it! And if you're looking for more support on your fitness journey and think you'd like to learn more, please email me at amandanoddings@automaticceo.com and we'll chat!

As always, live healthy, live happy! Love, Amanda

Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
Www.facebook.com/TeamDrivenFitness
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Toasted Coconut Banana Bread

It's my husband's birthday! Of course, I wanted to make him an amazing delicious cake, but I also had a few ripe bananas set aside for banana bread (one of his favorites). Well, you know how I love to experiment in the kitchen. The result was this amazingly moist and delicious cake (bread), topped with a few white chocolate chips and shreds of yummy coconut.

To start, you'll need a few ingredients, but only one bowl! This entire treat gets mixed by hand in about 5 minutes in one bowl! Less dishes = Happy mama! Don't forget to preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and use a 4x8-inch loaf pan. I gave mine an extra spray of olive oil for non-stickiness. Here's what you need:

-4 very ripe bananas, peeled
-1/3 cup melted butter
-1 cup of sugar equivalent (can easily use 3/4 cup, or drop it down to 1/2 cup if you want it less sweet, use 1/3 cup honey, etc.)
-2 eggs, beaten
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-Pinch of salt
-1 cup organic coconut flour
-1/3 cup of all-purpose wheat flour (optional)

In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt on the top and gently mix it in. Next, stir in the sugar (or Splenda, stevia, honey, etc of your choice), beaten eggs, and vanilla extract. The reason this is more liquid than my normal banana bread base is because with coconut flour, you need more liquid as the coconut meat absorbs more-- otherwise you will have dry and crumbly bread!). Lastly, gently fold in the coconut flour.



I love to have my daughter help me with the baking- she especially liked being a part of daddy's "love cake." Just don't stress! Flour can get swept up and chocolate chips get spilled. Have fun with it! This is also the point where you would add in any optional mix-ins, such as chopped pecans or walnuts, or in this case we used 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips. It was a birthday cake, after all. :)

Bake for about 25 minutes at 350°F, and then remove from oven and sprinkle shredded coconut on the top. If you put it on in the beginning, it will burn- you want it to have that nice toasted look. Put it back into the oven about 10-15 more minutes---until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Mmm... Doesn't it smell so good!?

So, now that your toothpick is clean, you want to remove it from oven and cool it on a wire rack. This prevents it from continuing to bake and get dry- don't leave it on a hot stovetop!



The next part can get a little tricky... Remove the coconut banana bread from the pan. I like to do this by placing a clean kitchen towel over the top and turning it over, giving it a little shake 'til it falls out of the pan onto your towel. Then I use the towel to place it right side up back on the rack to cool some more. Slice and serve warm! Mmm! Goes great with your #morningcoffee too!



Here is the nutrition content for the base bread, without the mixins.



If you enjoyed this recipe, please subscribe to my blog so you'll get notified of new posts, and share this recipe with someone you love! As always, live healthy, live happy! Love, Amanda

Star Diamond Coach Amanda Noddings
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