Sweet Potato and Carrot pancakes

HELLOOOO!!!!! And Happy Easter Peeps!!!  Made these yesterday morning wanting to eat some clean and filling food, and take a break from the oatmeal.  Donuts sounded good, I made these instead :)  It makes about 6ish patties...so leftovers...excellent right!?!

 

1 medium sweet potato shredded (about 1 cup)
4 carrot sticks shredded (about 1 cup)
4 eggs
3-4 tea coconut flour (i used Bob Mills gluten free pancake mix)
2-3 tea cinnamon
1 tea nutmeg
dash of sea salt
you can add some ginger also

mix it all in a bowl.  form patties with hands or spoon onto skillet.  cook with coconut oil 2-3 min each side.  done.

JESUS IS ALIVE!!!  Eat some pancakes with the risen King...lol...idk :) 
Love & Blessings,

Emily

Need something quick for lunch?? try these!!

Hey there! 

I've been throwing these vege wraps together the past couple days.  Gotten some likes from my istagram photos of them so thought I would share (i still refuse to get sucked into ANOTHER social network so I just use it for picture taking purposes, mainly of my food :) 

Made with raw fresh vegetables.  Just Spread the wheat tortilla with avacado and add whatever you have.  I used:  red onion, spinach, tomato, shredded zuchinni, and mushrooms. 

 

 

Last night I took the same concept and instead of using avacado I sprinkled a little mozzarella cheese, added my vegetables, folded in half and cooked in a little bit of olive oil a couple mins each side.  Well I actually burned a couple, they don't take long!!  Seriously, these are gooooood!

 

 





Beats paying $10 at Jasons Deli for basically the same thing.  In my opinion these are better.  Add some fresh fruit for dessert and enjoy!!!
I decided to buy some fruit I haven't had in a while today.  When was the last time you had fresh mango?  Or a plum?  BTW my plum was pretty tasty!  The taste of a plum reminded me of my childhood.  Probably from my mom always telling me to eat some fruit when I wanted a snack.  I was always so mad she would never buy fruit rollups and pop tarts.  Non of the kids at school would trade with me either!!  I'm laughing at myself right now, its the simple things :) 

 

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

Emily

 

 

 

 



Skinny Spaghetti

We all LOVE Spaghetti Squash!!!

Find this football size yellow squash in the produce section at your local grocery store.

To prepare 4 simple steps:
- slice it in half, length wise
- core the mess in the middle out
- bake it face down @400 for about 30 min.
- fork the strands out, they just fall out basically making lots of awesome spaghetti!!!!

The awesome sauce:  Cherry Tomato
- Saute 1/2 yellow onion and 3-4 minced garlic cloves in olive oil about 4-5 mins
- add a couple handfuls of sliced cherry tomatoes,
mushrooms, and basil (fresh is best) 2-3 mins
- Sprinkle in Nutritional Yeast (toward the end) to pack in 8g protein/serving, 4g fiber/serving, and loads of nutrients specifically B-complex vitamins



Nutritional Yeast has a nutty flavor:  great cheese substitute



my Sloppy Joe Recipe

I have random blog drafts that I never posted.  So here they come...starting with the sloppy joe combos...

Just made the most amazing combo!  Too easy and yummy not to share!
Any way we can make Kale taste good...come on with that!!

Kale is a SUPER FOOD because it is so

nutrient dense! 

*Kale has more iron per calorie than beef

*Kale has more calcium per calorie than milk

*Kale is rich in fiber & protein!

*Kale is loaded with beta carotene, vitamin K, C, & A (immune-boosters)

*Kale contains omege3 fatty acids

*Kale can be stored in the fridge up to 3 weeks!

Recipe:
Ground turkey roll (seasoned with montreal steak seasoning and garlic powder)
1/2 can organic tomato sauce
1/2 white onion chopped
2 whole carrots sliced
2 whole Kale leaves stemmed and chopped
1 cup wild and whole grain brown rice

-Brown the turkey first
-add chopped onion, carrots and sauce stir and heat for min or so
-add kale stir and heat till withered, won't take long
-add cooked rice
-stir and serve

serves 4-6!

 

 

Here is another dish I made with: ground turkey, tomato sauce and plain whole grain brown rice.  (You could sub brown rice with white Quinoa to make it gluten free!)  Added chopped carrots, yellow onion, green bell pepper.  Seasoned while cooking with:  garlic, oregano, and basil. 

 

So easy to play with and make a fast meal.  Freeze the left overs as individual frozen meals!



Health issues IN CONNECTION to Vegetable intake

So why do we NEED to eat our vegetables?

Reason # 1.  Vitamins & Minerals.  Raw vegetables are a wonderful source of vitamins A, C and E, a well as B-complex vitamins, potassium and calcium

Reason #2.  Antioxidants. Raw vegetables are a rich source of antioxidants, or chemical compounds that help prevent or reverse cellular damage caused by free radicals

Reason #3.  Fiber. Raw vegetables are one of the best sources of dietary fiber.  Helps lower cholesterol. 

Reason #4.  Weight Loss. Raw vegetables' high water and fiber content makes them low-calorie, filling foods that can aid in weight loss by satiating hunger without significantly contributing to daily caloric intakes. Raw vegetables have a low glycemic index so it gradually raises blood sugar levels.  Foods that are processed are harder to digest with added sugar alcohols that spike blood sugar levels that leads to a rapid drop.  That causes fatigue and increased hunger.

Observation:  I have had many people tell me they don't eat breakfast because they are not hungry.  Then when they do eat breakfast they are more hungry right after.  Maybe you are eating stuff that spikes your blood sugars.

You will get a lot more out of your vegetables if you consume them raw. Cooking them reduces the amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. If you cook them steaming is the best way to retain the most. After reading I'm almost convinced to start seeking out local farmers markets because by the time they hit the grocery store they are so lacking in nutrients.

Lets consider the variety of health issues many suffer on a daily basis.  Such as: sickness, sleeping problems, digestion issues, fatigue and so on...it makes me wonder.  Since the nutrients aid in ALL your natural bodily functions enabling everything to operate properly there must be some kind of connection between the two.  According to CDC (center for disease control) under 25% of the u.s. adult population consume veges 2-3/day.  So the question is:  If you have a health concern, what does your daily vegetable intake look like? 

Lets be real here
A piece of lettuce and a slice of tomato on a sandwich DOES NOT count as a serving of veges. (although it something! better than mayo and other junk!)

French fries DOES NOT count as a serving of veges.

Vegetable juice you buy on the shelf most likely DOES NOT count as a serving of veges.

However, fresh juice made with real raw veges from a juicer is GREAT! It's easier to digest and absorbed almost instantly compared to eating them whole.
 

Check out my favorite GREEN SMOOTHIE (click)

 
YOU SHOULD BE EATING NO LESS THAN 2-3 servings(cups)/DAY!!!

WHATS YOUR SCORE???

My cut up Raw Veges for a couple days.  Green and Yellow Zuchinni Squash and carrots.  I don't typically use ranch but it is 'natural' cowgirl ranch ;)
 



Much better option then Ranch.  Hummus!

Video Blog: Hardcourt Champs

Front page of the Sports in Tylers Saturday paper
10/20/12
 

Hello!  Set up the cam to share some thoughts about the tennis tournament last month.  Cool experience and so grateful for support from sweet friends who came out to watch and encourage me.  Thanks to Sherif for being there and getting all those awesome money shots!  Most of all to my sweet mama who is always there to listen to me and believe in me. 



From 0 to 13 with Deanea McWaters

I first began working out with Emily about 2 years ago. Working out with a personal trainer has really given me the motivation and encouragement I need to avoid getting into a workout "rut". About a year and a half ago, I decided to set a goal for myself to run a 5K....I had enjoyed walking the Komen Race for the Cure 5K for several years and had always toyed with the idea of actually trying to run the entire race. May of last year I challenged myself to do just that! I shared my goal with Emily and she not only encouraged me, but gave me guidance and direction on how to gradually increase my runs each week. I basically went from not even being able to run one minute to running over 30 minutes without stopping! After meeting that goal and running the Komen 5K, I then went on to train for and run my first 10K at Tyler Azalea Run this spring. After that I was ready for an even bigger challenge and signed up for my first half marathon! I met that goal on Oct. 7th when I ran the half in the Tyler Rose Marathon! With each race, Emily not only continued to give me helpful advice on how to gradually increase my mileage but also helped me with our weekly workouts to strengthen my core and also work those muscles that I tended to not use as much when I ran. She also showed me some helpful stretches that I did not only during our workouts but also after my runs. Although I have had many of the usual aches and pains that most new runners experience, I believe the workouts Emily has had me do have gone a long way towards allowing me to train for my races and avoid injury. As much as I have come to love running, I also understand that strength training is just as important as my runs are in helping me to be stronger, better runner. I truly think the time spent in my training sessions with her have contributed to my success every bit as much as all those hours out pounding the pavement! Thanks, Emily! :-)

-Deanea McWaters

From Emily

Deanea is so fun to train!  What I admire most about Deanea is her ability to balance life with training.  She trains hard with variety and knows when to listen to her body and rest.  In the past 6 months we have also seen some awesome strength gains including being able to do real push ups!  Rock on, sister! 

Berry Dressing

I have been playing around with making fresh home-made dressings.  After a few fails this one is def a success!!  Whoop!  and it's oil-free!

Just put these ingredients in a blender. Blend and store in a sealed glass jar:

• 8 strawberries
• 1/4 cup raspberries (i used more)
• 1 tbsp avocado
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tea lemon zest (this is the skin of a lemon)
• 2 fresh basil leaves (i didn't have any so used basil from spice jar)

Would be great with: spinach, grilled chicken, strawberry, pecan, feta salad.

Sweet Potato Kale turkey Burgers

So much fun with Kale! I'm done with the Kale kick for a bit after this one, maybe ;)

OMG YUM



chopped green onion, kale, cubed sweet potatoes

3 green onions
1/2 sweet potato
2 1/2 cup Kale
2 ib ground turkey
2 Tea Dijon mustard
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 eggs

-cook in cococut oil
     greet onion 3-5 min
     cubed sweet potatoes 4-5 min
     kale 2-3 mins

- Mash Turkey
   yeah use your hands

-add salt, garlic, eggs, flour, mustard, to turkey mix

-add sweet potato mix

-mash together and store *4 hours* at least

-make patty

-cook 6-7min each side


Recipe from:  Multiply Delicious
I did change it a bit.  Love love love this site for recipes!!!

Video Blog: Zucchini Spaghetti with Fresh Marinara

I am going to publish this cooking video I made this summer.  Great and light recipe.  Love this for lunch time.  They are getting better as I go, more to come..