Thanksgiving Potato Recipe

This is a quick and easy potato recipe. It's perfect for any time of the year, but I think it would be an awesome addition to any holiday meal. If you try the recipe, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Ingredients

Potatoes (use 1/2 to 1 potato per person serving) 

Olive oil

Italian seasoning

Garlic

Sea salt

Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Wash and chop all potatoes. Put these in a large plastic container with a lid.

3. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and add the seasonings.

4. Put lid on container and shake potatoes so the oil and seasonings can cover all of the potatoes.

5. Remove the potatoes and place on baking sheets.

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the potatoes and bake for another 15 minutes.

7. Remove and enjoy!

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Vegan Mug Cakes - YUM!

I am not a fan of protein shakes - the consistency is not my favorite thing. I'd rather make my protein like a pudding and eat it. I think it keeps me satisfied longer and it also makes me feel like I'm eating a "sweet".

BUT! If I have the time, I like to experiment and make new protein "sweets". Tonight I made a yummy, delicious vegan mug cake. It wasn't too sweet, but it was definitely satisfying. I know it doesn't look the best - the cake fell apart on me!

The best thing is that I got a lot of these ingredients from the bulk food section, so it was super cheap to make!

Ingredients
3 tbsp protein powder
2 tbsp powdered peanut butter
2 tbsp oats
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 a banana (ripe works better)

Recipe
~ Mix all ingredients in a coffee mug, except for the banana.
~ Add water to the coffee mug, just a little at a time. Mix. Keep repeating until it's a liquidy pudding-like consistency. Put this to the side.
~ Take the banana and mash in a separate bowl.
~ Mix the banana mixture in the coffee mug. Add more water if needed.
~ Microwave for 2 minutes.
~ Let sit for 1 minute.

I hope you enjoy! I'm going to continue to experiment with different recipes. Like I said, I think it's just so much more fun to eat a protein "sweet" as opposed to drinking a shake.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Send me some emails at kelliraefit@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram at kelliraefit.

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Got a sweet tooth?

I see the question all of the time...do you have any healthy ideas for a sweet tooth? Oh yes!

I love making pudding! Protein pudding is delicious...but so is PB2 pudding! If you don't know, PB2 is a brand of powdered peanut butter. It's a delicious alternative without all of the fat. Plus, it helps with portion control. I absolutely love peanut butter, so having a jar of it in the house is so dangerous. But having powdered peanut butter means that I actually have to make something and it's not as easily available if I am starving!

This dessert will be very low in calories, making it a perfect treat for even late at night. All you have to do is take a small bowl and add a serving of PB2 to it. Slowly but surely, add a little bit of cold water and stir. Personally, I prefer a thicker pudding. So I take it extra slow.

Here is what it should look like in the end. ENJOY!

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Vegan "Parmesan Cheese"?

I absolutely love parmesan cheese. I am one of those people that likes to have some "cheese with their sauce". Heck, I've even consumed it straight from the jar before. This was years ago, but it still happened.

However, it is not vegan friendly and it's one of those foods that I have learned to go without. I still eat pasta, so what do I do instead? Is there even a good substitute?

YES!!! The answer for me has been nutritional yeast. I typically purchase it either at my local health food store or on Amazon. I just purchased a pretty big container for less than $20.

Here's a picture of my dinner from the other night...angel hair pasta with diced tomatoes and my "parmesan cheese". Dessert - strawberries. YUM!

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Daiya Cheese! YUM!

A recent change for me has been eating more vegan. I have been a vegetarian for about 21 years, meaning no meat or fish. More recently, and I couldn't even tell you the date, I have been avoiding eggs and dairy. It just makes me feel better, but it is huge because I do love my cheese and ice cream. However, I even went to Chicago last week and had some vegan pizza instead of regular pizza. YUM!

I am learning there are other alternatives that are just as tasty and won't leave me feeling ill. DAIYA CHEESE! For some people, it may taste a little different. But I think it's absolutely delicious. So if you're one of those people that feels a little bloated or sick after eating dairy, try some Daiya cheese. I see more and more restaurants offering it now, and I can also find it in my local grocery store.

If you buy this in the store, a word of caution. There are other brands out there, and I am not going to bash anything. However if you are looking for something vegan and Daiya is not available, read the ingredients. I have been in the organic section of my grocery store before, and I picked up a "dairy version" before, thinking it was beside the Daiya cheese and it would be the same thing. Not so much!

I hope you enjoy the alternative!

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ONWARD!

ONWARD! It's a new energy and health supplement produced by the awesome Dana Linn Bailey and her husband. Besides that, it doesn't have sucralose - of course I wanted to try it. The artificial sweetener is Ace-K.

The first time I tried it, I thought it was the most disgusting drink ever. It had a bad aftertaste, which wasn't something I enjoyed at all. I followed the directions on the back, mixing 1 full scoop with 16 ounces of water. It also has the option of mixing one scoop with a half gallon of water, but I wanted quicker energy.

-HOWEVER-

I decided to try it again, but this time I only used a half scoop with 16 ounces of water. Wow, that was a world of difference. It had a light berry flavor, but no aftertaste this time. I felt like it gave me good energy, but I am not sure how to judge the health part of it. I do not get sick much at all, but I'm still getting my seasonal allergies.

For me, this is a product that I can't take too late in the day. The package says to not take it 4 hours before bed. Yesterday, I had some extra work to do and I took a half scoop around 4pm and I normally go to bed around 10pm. I thought that would be okay - NO! I don't think I will ever do that again, unless I know I'll be up later than normal. Not the end of the world, but I just like being on a schedule.

That's about it on my thoughts. Since I only take 1/2 scoop at a time, it's definitely worth the price for me. Will I buy it again in the future? Probably.

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Do What Successful People Do

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-successful-people-do-the-hard-tasks-first-2013-12

I read the above article a few weeks ago, and I found it interesting.  I always like reading about what successful people do - it helps to learn and get better.

The hardest task for me to do during the day is work out.  It may seem a little bit weird because I do love to work out.  However, being self-employed, there are a million and one things to do during the day.  If I hold off working out for just a few hours, there will typically be a distraction.  It happened to me when I was starting up my Amazon FBA business.  I wanted to work as soon as I got up because I never wanted to go back to a 9-5 job.  I would tell myself that I'd work out later, but that never happened.

So I made an unofficial rule for myself - no touching the computer until I am back from my workout. I started this last week and it's made a huge difference.

I challenge you - what is the toughest task in your day?  Do that thing first and see what happens.

Have a wonderful week!

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Amazon FBA Business Links of Learning and Growth

Working from home is not easy, but it is extremely rewarding.  I started selling on eBay in 1999 (sorry to the people who I told earlier that I've been selling for 20 years - bad math!), but I barely list at all there anymore.  For now, I focus my time on Amazon FBA.  I have done it for about 10 months, and it has been very profitable.  

This has been a little trial and error, but I have definitely surrounded myself with some good people and trainings.  Here are some of the courses I took, YouTubers I follow and groups that I belong to today or am aware of.  I don't follow too many groups because it can get pretty overwhelming at times to keep up with everything.  I do follow several YouTubers because I do love learning and it's so easy to turn on a few videos while packing a box to Amazon.

Jessica Larrew's Amazon Boot Camp (ABC) - this is what I used to learn the basics.  I am a visual learner, and I like how there are videos and homework to do afterwards.  Once you join, there is also a Facebook group for support.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Facebook Groups
ScanPower Group - this is free, run by Chris Green.  There is also a paid service that he offers.
Sellers Helping Sellers - I used to be a member, but I was in too many groups.  Also free.

YouTube Channels
Raiken Profit - an awesome eBay-er, but other good content
Cody Hawk - love his content and how he makes things simple
Bonafide Hustler - I mainly watch for the Green Room hangouts
David Koziel - this one is new for me - excited to see how his journey progresses
Jason Bracht - also new for me - tons of content (especially Kindle)

Enjoy and I hope this is helpful!

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Quick Tip - Incline Treadmill Cardio

Walking on the treadmill at a high incline is a great form of cardio.  Earlier in the week, I went for 20 minutes at a 3.2 speed, 10.0 incline.  Felt great!

During the workout, it is so tempting and easy to hold onto the top of the treadmill.  This isn't wrong to do, but you aren't maximizing your time on the equipment.  According to this article, holding on can even hurt your back and it won't help you get any stronger.

So what did I do to avoid temptation?  I simply held my phone in my hands while watching some YouTube...and it worked.  I wasn't tempted to hold on at all and I had a great workout!  

Just a simple tip, but try it out and maybe it will help you too!

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The Virgin "Diet" - Not For Me

There are tons of diets out there.  I really believe that a diet is not the way to go, but you need to find something that works and is sustainable for the long term.

However, I did hear about the Virgin Diet through another fitness blog and I wanted to learn more. The basis is to eliminate 7 foods that seem healthy but may be hurting you, and then slowly re-introducing them later on to see their effects.  For example - gluten.  There is so much talk and information about how bad it is for you and all the side effects from it.  That's one of the 7 foods and I would be curious to see what would happen with me.

I was thinking about ordering this book from Amazon, but I didn't really want to spend the money on it.  For some reason, I didn't even think about my local library.  This morning, I was so excited to check out an electronic version of the book.  I read the first chapter, and I was still intrigued.  However, then I went to the last part of the book and realize that this "diet" is meant for meat eaters. (*thumbs down*)  She even recommends that a vegetarian consumes some lean animal protein.  I stopped right then and there.  I am definitely not dissing the diet because it has worked for many people.  However, it is not the one for me.

Someone may ask - why not just eliminate these foods and not worry about the "diet"?  I really don't have a good answer to that question.  I do like educating myself, seeing what's out there, and following a plan is kind of nice.

I just ordered a book on Whole 30 from the library.  I am on a waiting list, but I'm very excited to read it.  It's another book that I have been thinking about for a few weeks, but didn't want to spend the money to purchase it quite yet.  I will definitely give a review on it once I get it and maybe it will help someone else out.

Have a wonderful day everyone - cardio time for me!

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Healthy Vegas?

Last week I was in Vegas for a few days.  It was a well-needed vacation after a crazy, yet fun, Q4.

I had so much fun...seeing old friends, gambling, food and spending time with my husband.  Best time ever!

I am not a drinker, but I love food.  I enjoyed buffets, but I tried not to stuff myself at every single meal.  I used a little bit of creativity at times.  Here is one dish I had...mixed berries and sliced almonds.  It was so tasty, but the fruit and almonds were at different stations of the buffet.  I actually had two bowls of it.  :)  YUM!

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2 Vegan Meals

I haven't had any meat for over 20 years and I feel my best when I follow a vegan diet.  The biggest question I get from people is - where do you get your protein?  There are so many options - beans, tvp, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, green veggies and much more.

Here are two meals I've had in recent months that are vegan and pack tons of protein, taste delicious and aren't too difficult to prepare.

This first meal is some tempeh, sweet potatoes, green peppers and cucumbers.  I buy my tempeh from Sprouts and they keep it next to the tofu and dairy.  I have heard some people say tempeh has a wierd flavor.  However, I find it rather tasty.

This next meal is black bean pasta.  I bought it from Amazon.com for about 4 bucks.  It packs so much protein and it's just made from beans and water.  It's not the exact same taste as pasta, but I think it's a great alternative.  Here I added some mushrooms and tomatoes, and then I sprinkled some Nutritional Yeast flakes on top to act as the parmesan cheese.  So good!!!

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Making the Time for a Shoulder Workout

As a small business owner, there is always going to be something to do.  There have been times in the past where I have sacrificed a workout in the gym in order to get more work done.  I definitely do not recommend this.  Health is #1.

I am working hard to strike a balance, still get my workouts in and not waste time during the day.  It's not easy, but every day it gets better.

Today was definitely one of those days where I had work to do and I could have definitely skipped my workout to get it all done.  Instead, I spent about 45 minutes and got a killer shoulder and cardio routine in.  I felt great afterwards - much better than if I would have skipped the gym.

Here is what I did -

3x15 db front raise
3x15 db shoulder press
3x1 minute of intense stairmill @ level 15
-
3x15 db lateral raise/candlestick raise combo
3x15 db up and outs
3x1 minute of intense stairmill @ level 15
-
25 reps of seated shoulder press
stretch

Enjoy!

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Saving Money on Food

I hear it all of the time...isn't it expensive to eat healthy?  It probably can be, but I don't think it has to be.  I know for a fact that you can definitely eat healthy on a budget, and it will be cheaper than eating processed junk.  It may take some planning, but here are some tips that I use to keep my grocery bill down:

-Shop in bulk.  My favorite stores that have this available are WinCo and Frys. There are tons of selections, but the foods that I buy regularly from these sections are beans, nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal, flax seed and popcorn.  For example, oatmeal is about 60 cents/pound in the bulk section, and it's about $1.50/pound if I bought it in the cereal aisle.

-Coupons!  I currently subscribe to the Sunday paper, but you can also buy them off many different websites.  A few of my favorites are eBay and Klip2Save.  EBay will typically have a larger number of coupons to buy at once, but Klip2Save will let you buy individual coupons.  I must say that the customer service at Klip2Save is absolutely stellar.  I'm not saying the service at eBay is bad, but it's typically different sellers in every sale.  In general, I'll spend about 8 cents plus a reasonable shipping amount to save 50 cents to a dollar.  I do enjoy couponing though and I understand that some people do not.

-Eat according to the seasons.  That is going to be the produce that is typically cheaper or on sale.

-Learn when the sales start in your grocery store.  Is there a day during the week where the sales overlap?  For example, Sprouts starts their ad on Wednesdays.  However if you shop on that day, you get the sales from the last ad and the current ad.  It really helps out.

-Farmers markets or co-ops (depending on your area).  I live in Phoenix, AZ, so there is tons of produce available at very cheap prices and also year-round.  There are two programs that I take advantage of called Market on the Move and POW-WOW.  For both programs, you can spend $10 to get up to 60 pounds of produce.  It has saved us a ton of money and sometimes the produce lasts us nearly 10 days.  I highly recommend doing research to see if you have anything similar.  Here's an example of a couple loads I picked up last year:

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Fitness Appointments - Getting it Done

I absolutely LOVE my job.  However, sometimes I may love it a little too much.  It may also be due to the fact that I want to keep my business and never slow down.  I remember the corporate America days, and I don't want to go back!

In the past, this has caused me to skip my workouts and focus on my business.  I know this isn't ideal or healthy at all.

What have I done to try and change it?  One of three things:

-Workout first thing in the morning before I do any work
-Schedule it as an appointment in my day
-A combination of both

I'm not perfect, but doing these things have really helped.  I feel much better and more productive when I don't miss workouts.  You don't even need to spend a ton of time in the gym.  I try to get at least 60 minutes, but a good 20-30 quality session will have amazing benefits as well.

Enjoy and I guarantee that making time for a workout will do wonders for your business!

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Mind Focused Cardio - YouTube and Apps!

Over the past several years, I have tried different things to keep my mind focused while doing cardio in the gym.  At first, I tried reading magazines and books.  It worked for a little bit, but I felt my intensity wasn't as high as it could be.  The faster or more intense I went, I'd only look at pictures, skim the articles or just get dizzy.

Music always helps too, but I feel like I stare off into space and then eventually just count the time on the cardio machine.  I much prefer keeping my music for my lifting sessions.  (Exception - running)

Lately I've been watching YouTube during my sweat sessions.  The possibilities are completely endless.  I love tennis, gymnastics and fitness, so I watch the Olympics and other competitions.  Or I'll watch personal YouTube channels about these topics.  If I feel like learning while sweating, I'll watch a video that will help me in my business.

Another thing I've been doing lately is downloading TV channel apps to my phone and watching recent episodes.  I LOVE the Amazing Race...and did you know that the Price is Right is available on the CBS app?  So cool!  The downside is commercials, but I typically use that time to change up the workout and do some sprinting or something else different.

Enjoy!

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Make Goals - Not New Years Resolutions

I love making goals, but I have never been a fan of new years resolutions.  Why not make goals and start working towards them tomorrow?  Why wait until a new year?

The beginning of January will be here before we know it, and the gym is going to be packed!  Don't get me wrong, I am all for people wanting to change their life and get into better shape.  I absolutely LOVE weight loss stories.  They inspire me.  It happens year after year though....gym is packed in January.  By February or March, there are less and less people.

Why is this?  I am sure there are many different reasons, but here are some that I thought of and some tips that may help out.

1 - If you haven't worked out in awhile, start slow.  It is too easy to go extremely intense on the first day, but then this can lead to soreness, burnout and you're back at square one after maybe just a few weeks.

2 - Have a plan.  It will help you stay focused and possibly even get your workout done that much faster.  If you need assistance on this, there are so many programs online.  Plus, there are group classes with many gym memberships.

3 - Remember that weight loss isn't easy and there is no magic pill.  There are programs out there that may help jump start your goals, but it's still all about a healthy lifestyle.

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Healthy Peanut Butter/Chocolate Snack

Here is a small, yet rich sweet healthy snack I've been enjoying lately.  You'll need PB2 (or another powdered peanut butter) and some chocolate protein powder.

Put 2 tbsp of PB2 in a small bowl.
Add 2 tbsp of water in the bowl.
Add a tsp of chocolate protein powder and mix.  If it's too watery for your liking, continue to add another tsp until it's to your desired consistency.

Last night, I tried freezing this for about 10 minutes.  Mmmmmm....it was tasty!  It turned into a mousse-like consistency.

Enjoy!

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Frozen Bananas...Yummy Snack!

One of my favorite snacks is frozen bananas.  Yep, just plain.  YUM!  It's so easy to "make" and can be really cheap too.  I've even purchased the very ripe bananas that are discounted at this store just for this purpose.

All you need to have is a banana (or more if you're hungry), a knife and a plate you don't mind freezing.  Unpeel it, slice it, put it in the freezer and BAM...wait for the yumminess.  

Here are some pictures:

I like to slice the bananas really thin so they are ready faster.

Just another view...I prefer using plastic containers as it seems like the bananas come off easier to eat.  I don't want anything left behind.








ENJOY!

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The Europa and Supplement Thoughts...

Last weekend I had a choice: go to Phat Camp in Vegas or go to the Europa Expo here in Phoenix.  I chose the Europa because it was close to town and I have been to A LOT of Phat Camps.  *sidenote: check out About Phat Camps if you would like more information about what these are.

I had so much fun over the 2 day event.  I loved spending time with my husband, but I also loved going around to all of the booths, seeing all of the supplements and clothing lines, as well as watching the American Strongman competition.

I still have TONS of supplements left, but here are some of my favorites that I have tried so far.

NLA for Her pre-workout "Uplift" - not bad.  I'm typically not a fan of "the tingles", but I felt like I could lift a ton.  I really liked that part.  Flavor isn't too bad either, but I suggest following the directions for the amount of water to use.  The first day, I used much more and it didn't taste quite as tasty as day two.

Would I buy these?  Maybe to mix up my workouts.  Just not a huge fan of spending money on something that makes me tingly.  Very interested in trying other supplements in their line.

Optimum Nutrition Pro BCAA - DELICIOUS!!! I know it comes in a few flavors, but this was the lemonade.  I added the full amount of water and then some.  Loved how it made me feel and once again, loved the taste.

Will I buy these in the future?  ABSOLUTELY!!!

 Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy.  I believe this may be a new flavor, strawberry lime.  I briefly looked for these on the ON website, and couldn't find the flavor.  Once again, LOVE the taste and I love the energy and focus it gives me in my workouts.  I personally took both servings at once and felt great!

Will I buy these in the future?  Probably, but not at the expense of my BCAAs.  :)

GAT Nitraflex - hard core supplement!  STRONG!  Taste was alright.  I felt a slight strangeness to the flavor.  But man was it intense!  Tingles - oh yes.  And just after my 5 minute warm up on the treadmill, I was already sweating.

Will I buy this?  Probably not.  Just too strong for me.












That's pretty much all that I tried last week.  I am trying to stick with one brand before moving onto the next, and I have multiple samples of some things.  I will review more in the future.

Until next time, have a wonderful week!

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