Week 4 Results

LA Sparkettes - 1120
M & M 1110
cv + ppj = f.u.n. - 1109
the Untouchables - 1105
Blonde Bombshells - 1103
Me & Mi - 1092
Uber Fit & Hungry - 1087
NBC - 1082
Milk Maids - 1079
2 Hot Mama's - 1051

Week 5 Calendar Tasks

Last week! Here we go ladies; let's finish strong.
Remember to drink a minimum of 64 ounces daily, but try to ingest half your weight in ounces {start early in the day Coley & Mills, so as to avoid late night bathroom breaks and middle-of-the-night cursings of my name. haha!}.

* Get 7.5 hours of sleep
* Read a story to a child
* Take a nap! Or lie down and rest for at least 20 minutes
* Write someone a note {thank you, thinking of you, etc.} & give/mail it to them.
* Recycle, repurpose or dispose of 10 things you have but don't need or use
* Do your Visting Teaching {you can count it if you've already been this month}
* Pamper Yourself! Take a bath, soak your feet, get a massage, pedi, mani, facial, etc.

Week 4 Calendar Tasks

* Floss your teeth
* Read for 20 minutes
* Enjoy a cool drink {sno cone, smoothie, frozen lemonade, etc.}
* Do something outside for 30 minutes
* Celebrate the 24th of July!
* Workout for the full 60 minutes
* Drink all 64 ounces of water before 8 pm

Overall Results

Current rankings thus far . . .

LA Sparkettes - 3366

NBC - 3358

the Untouchables - 3344

M&M - 3333

cv + ppj = f.u.n. - 3306

Uber Fit & Hungry - 3293

Me & Mi - 3280

Blonde Bombshells - 3241

Milk Maids - 3200

2 Hot Mama's - 3182

Week 3 Results

LA Sparkettes - 1123
Blonde Bombshells - 1122
the Untouchables - 1114
M&M - 1113
NBC - 1110
CV + PPJ = f.u.n. - 1103
Uber Fit & Hungry - 1100
Me & Mi - 1092
Milk Maid's -  1089
2 Hot Mama's - 1036

Week 2 Results

M&M - 1118
cv + ppj = f.u.n. - 1114
the Untouchables - 1113
LA Sparkettes - 1112
NBC - 1110
Uber Fit & Hungry - 1096
Milk Maids - 1087
Me & Mi - 1078
2 Hot Mama's - 1069
the J Grandma's - 1068
Blonde Bombshells - 1054

Next week I'll post the overall standings as well as the weekly results. Good Job everyone!

Jane's Refreshing & Healthy Drink

Blend one apple, a handfull of spinach, 5 strawberries and 1/2 cup frozen blueberries with water. Refreshing and Yummy!

Water

A few thoughts on Water . . .

We all know that both the earth and our bodies are largely composed of water. It's essential for our survival. But so many of us don't get enough of this necessity. I've learned a few things about optimizing water intake & here are a few suggestions to help get in your daily H2O - especially now that we've upped it to 64 oz!

Try drinking 12 - 20 ounces first thing in the morning; it's a good way to get a portion of your water consumed early, and it gives your body a hydration jump-start.

They say it's healthier not to drink while eating. Instead, try drinking 8 -12 ounces 30 minutes before mealtime. 

Ironically, ice cold water is harder on your stomach than room temperature is. Although warm water isn't appealing to all, try having 8 - 12 ounces without ice.

Not happy with water? 

Many people don’t like to drink plain water. Like many healthy goals, it helps to make small changes.  To make your water more palatable, why not add a slice of fresh citrus to it. Or consider drinking the flavored and carbonated water that is now available at most grocery stores. Take care to make sure that the water has no additional sugar or artificial sweeteners. Mineral waters, carbonated or non-carbonated, also offer an appealing alternative. I like Vitamin Water Zero {which is sweetened with Stevia} & buy it in bulk at Sam's Club. 

Flavor your water - Make a pitcher of water with another ingredient to liven things up. Here are a few ideas: Lemon, Organges, Mint, Cucumber, Limes, etc. 

What’s wrong with soda or diet soda?


Scientists and health advocates blame soda for a wide variety of ailments ranging from tooth decay to diabetes, even cancer. The reason is simple: beyond high-fructose corn syrup, which is pure sugar, the remaining ingredients are chemicals. What about diet soda, you may ask; it doesn’t have any sugar. True, instead it has more chemicals and many scientists believe that these chemicals, and artificial sweeteners in particular, need to be studied more thoroughly. There is a general consensus among those in the medical industry that artificial sweeteners play some role in the epidemic of obesity in the world, amongst other health problems. 

Do you have a Water Tip to share? Post it in the comments!

Week 3 Calendar Tasks

* Give someone a hug
* Try a new water recipe
* Wish my favorite-little-sister, Amelia {of Me & Mi} a Happy Birthday {her bday is July 16th}! You can call, text, email or mail her a birthday greeting. :)
* In Amelia's honor, have a free dessert!
* Write in your journal {or your baby books, blog}
* Spend 20 minutes working on a project, painting, gift, etc.
* Enjoy a family activity - movie night, game night, family bike ride, swimming, etc.

Judy's Southwestern Tilapia Bake

Due to a communication error, I'm late getting Judy's recipe up. So here it is & it sounds yummy!

Southwestern Tilapia Bake

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. Chili powder

1 t. salt

½ t. black pepper

l/4 t. cayenne pepper

4 skinless tilapia filets

2 T olive oil

1 lime, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 450.  Mix spices and sprinkle evenly over both sides of tilapia.  Coat a baking sheet with 1 T of olive oil.  Arrange tilapia in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Drizzle the tilapia with the remaining tablespoon of oil & bake 7-9 min or until tilapia is a light golden brown and just begins to flake.  Garnish with lime wedges.

Week 1 Results

Here are the teams, in order of highest points . . .

NBC {Coley & Bri} - 1138
LA Sparkettes {Leslie & Andrea} - 1131
The Untouchables {Krista & Erin} - 1117
Me & Mi {Kristie & Amelia} - 1110
M&M {Melinda & Morgan} - 1102
Uber Fit & Hungry {Jana & Erica} - 1097
CV + PPJ = f.u.n. {Courtney & Jane} - 1089
2 Hot Mama's {Diane & Emily} - 1077
Blonde Bombshells {Denise & Niki} -1070
Milk Maids {Amy & Cassie} - 1024



All Points have been submitted and these are the Final Results for Week 1!

Week 2 Calendar Tasks

Hope everyone had a Fun-tabulous first week! Points are still trickling in, so be sure to check back this afternoon to see the team standings.

In no particular order, here are the tasks for week 2 -

* Do 100 crunches
* Be in bed by 10 p.m.
* Give a sincere compliment to someone
* Play a game with your kids, parents, husband, friend or other family member
* Try a healthy recipe from the posts last week, then leave a comment about how you liked it & what adjustments you made {if any}.
* Read an article from the Ensign, New Era or Friend {any issue, including conference ones & this can count towards your scripture reading time for the day}
* Complete an item you've been procrastinating; i.e. cleaning a room, finishing a project, finalizing something for work or church, planning your son's birthday party . . . you get the idea. :)

Enjoy your second week getting Fit while having Fun!

Niccole's Chicken & Artichokes

My favorite healthy meal is baked chicken and artichokes. 
Just bake chicken with a little seasoning on it. And boil an artichoke for about 45 minutes. I love to just eat artichokes plain and it is so good! 
Sorry my recipe isn't that great! I'm not used to cooking for a family! :) so thanks for the good ideas.

Kristie's Baked Chicken

Take 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast and cut it into strips. Dip it in milk then roll in crushed Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips with a little onion salt added. Put in any baking pan sprayed with Pam. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 mins. Take tin foil off and bake for an additional 10 mins. (1 serving recipe) 

Amelia's Tasty Sandwich

Take 2 pieces of bread. On one piece spread peanut butter. Cut up an
apple in slices and stick it on the bread with peanut butter. Put some
sprouts on top of the apple. On the other piece put some yogurt
(whatever flavor you desire) and put it on top of the sprouts to
complete your tasty sandwich. Enjoy!!

 

If you want to omit the bread then just cut the apple in slices and stick peanut butter on a slice and put some yogurt on top of the peanut butter then add the sprouts. Put another apple slice on top to complete.

Morgan's Grilled Zucchini

Because i am still a child at home and i dont do much of the cooking i thought I would share one i can do myself. Grilled zuchinni : slice zuchinni in long strips and lightly oil so they dont stick to the hot grill. Season with salt and pepper and grill for no more than three minutes.

Courtney's Stormy Black Bean Soup

This is a recipe I've made a couple times with my friend who is a vegan. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did!
You can find tons of great vegan recipes on this website: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/10/stormy-black-bean-soup.html

Stormy Black Bean Soup

Vary the amount of spices in this to suit your taste. I used the minimum amounts given, which put this right at the outer edge of my daughter’s spice tolerance.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cans (or 3 cups) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 1-2 tsp. chile powder
• generous grating of black pepper
• 1-2 tsp. minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 4-5 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (optional)
• lime wedges

Instructions

1. In a large pot, saute the onions, garlic, and bell pepper until the onions soften, about 3 minutes. Add the beans, seasonings, and tomatoes, and stir to combine. Add 3 cups vegetable broth or water. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, adding additional water or vegetable broth as needed to keep a soupy consistency. Just before serving, add the corn, if you like, and heat through. Serve in bowls with lime wedges. Makes 4-6 servings.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s) | Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 6

Emily's BBQ Chicken

My recipe is sooo easy.. Since it is Summer we love to BBQ. One of the easiest and yummy ways to marinade our chicken (we use chicken legs) is just soy sauce and garlic powder.. easy easy.. Just add however much you would like. BBQ and enjoy.. if possible it is best to marinade the chicken all day.

FREE DAY

There's only been one vote in regards to Free Days & eating after 9. With the 4th of July Holiday drawing near, I'm going to make the decision.

Drumroll, please . . .

On your Free Days {July 4th, 24th & floater} you can eat after 9 & still give yourself the after 9 points for that day.

Enjoy!

Jana's Healthy Rice Krispie Treats

I Loooove a rice krispie treat! I have been known to eat the majority of a pan in one evening. So, I have been acquiring healthier ways to eat similar things. I found a lady's blog who had an idea for one and this is what she suggests.

1 cup peanut butter (natural of course)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups Crispy Rice Cereal-brown rice option of course!

 {she found a brand called  Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal}

Diane's Mango Quinoa Salad

Here’s my healthy recipe my family loves.

Mango Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature, or chilled. ( can be cooked in chicken or vegetable broth for more flavor.)

1-14oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium mango, peeled and diced

1 red pepper, diced

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1 handful chopped cilantro (about ½ cup)

4 Tab. Red wine vinegar

3 Tab. Extra virgin olive oil

1-2 Tab. Fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked pepper

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro. In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to  combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

This salad is very tasty and healthy.

Enjoy!!!

Cassie's Tropical Stir-Fry

Tropical Stir-Fry

-2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts ( chopped into cubes )

-3 cups broccoli florets- chopped

-2 medium carrots- thinly sliced

-2 stalks of celery-chopped

-1/4th of a fresh pineapple-chopped

-2T coconut oil

-4T Lite Soy Sauce

- hot brown rice

Chop up the chicken and let it marinate in the soy sauce while you chop up the veggies.

In a large skillet, stir fry the veggies in 1T of coconut oil.

After 2-3 minutes, add the pineapple.

Cook them until desired doneness- usually 4-10minutes.

Place veggies/fruit in a bowl & cover.

In the same skillet add remaining oil, cook your chicken until no longer pink.

Add veggies/fruit back to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve over brown rice.

** there are obviously so many veggies that you can add. 

Anything you have on hand, other ideas:

frozen peas, pea pods, bean sprouts, water chestnuts**

Erica's Favorite Baked Banana Bread Oatmeal

This is a delicious baked Banana Bread Oatmeal recipe that I tried from my new favorite food blog {Budget Bytes} the other week and LOVED! This recipe calls for Brown Sugar, but you could omit that and add an extra banana, or throw in a few tablespoons of Evap. Cane Juice to sweeten it {if you need it}. You bake this, then can portion it out to enjoy through the week {or bake in muffin tins}. The secret is to reheat each serving, smoosh it up and add some milk; just like you would oatmeal. Delish! If you try to eat it like Banana Bread, you'll probably be disappointed. Beth also has a few other variations that I haven't tried yet, including a lemon raspberry, pumpkin pie and chocolate banana {that might fulfill a chocolate craving - if you've got one}.

Enjoy!

Andrea's Healthy Stroganoff

My favorite recipe right now is healthy stroganoff. 

I take 1 large pkg mushrooms(cosco size or 1 to 1 1/2 store size) and chop them up and put them in a skillet with 1 to 2 T olive oil.

Don't salt at this point because it will take the mushrooms longer to cook down. When they are browned I put them in a bowl and set aside. 

In the same skillet I put 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb ground turkey (you can use ground beef or chicken if you want) and 1 med onion, chopped fine, and brown. Then when the meat and onions are cooked I add back in the mushrooms and then salt and pepper to taste. Then add 16 to 24 oz PLAIN Greek yogurt. I also add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup sour cream to help with the taste a little (but my kids and hubby didn't know that I had replaced their sour cream with something healthy). Thin down as need with milk (I use skim).  Then mix in your favorite whole grain or wheat pasta that you have cooked.  Serve and enjoy. (Winco dose sell a whole wheat egg noodle in their bulk section).

This feeds my family of five with leftovers for lunch the next day. Hope you enjoy this!

Aunt Leslie's Favorite Popcorn

My recipe is  just a snack I like to make. I air pop  a couple of batches of air pop corn and then put it on a couple of cookies sheets. I spray it with water that I have in a sprayer that does a light mist of water. Then I put the dry butter flavor stuff on it or sea salt, then spray it again with water so it sticks & then I put the cookie sheet in the oven on broil for like 30 secs.  Watch it close cause it burns fast. {I put it on the bottom rack of the oven}. That dries out the water and makes the popcorn more crisp. I love it!  You could even try other dry flavors on it.  Enjoy!