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Recipes

pumpkin pie tart

Pumpkin season is still upon us and it’s time to try a fresh take on an old classic…that right, pumpkin pie in mini form. These pumpkin pie tarts are surprisingly light and very bright, the flavors are pronounced and very fresh.

raw vegan pumpkin pie tart

Pumpkin Pie Tart

(makes about 6 tarts or 1 9′ pumpkin pie)

 

Crust:

1/4 C Raw Sunflower Seeds

1 3/4 C Pumpkin Seeds, dehydrated

1/2 t. Sea Salt

1 C Medjol Dates

 

Process the sunflower seeds into a fine powder.

Add the pumpkin seeds, and salt until a meal forms. Add the dates slowly and process until the mix comes together.

If using tart shells – *make sure to line the tart shells with plastic wrap first, this will help to pop them out later with ease.

Freeze shells while you are making the filling.

 

Filling:

1 Can of Organic Pumpkin

2 t Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 t Cinnamon

Handful Raw Cashews (thickens the filling up)

2 – 3 Medjol Date Paste (agave nectar and grade b maple syrup will also work, but                  the filling will be more loose)

 

To make date paste: process dates until they form a paste (yes, it’s that easy)

 

Blend pumpkin, spices, and cashews together. Add the date paste and blend until the mix is thicker.

For less sweet, only add 1 or 2 dates.

Pour the filling in the shells and refrigerate about 1 hour.

 

Garnish with shredded coconut & enjoy!

 

 

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Recipes

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

It’s still that time, pumpkin everything. So how about a little breakfast/snack treat? yum-o! The great thing about these muffins is that you can sub protein powder for ap flour to add a little protein boost. Also, you can add chocolate chips or a strudel topping if you want to go all fancy.

 

vegan pumpkin muffins

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

(recipe adapted from Eat Drink Better)
1 can of pumpkin
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C all-purpose flour*
1/4 C corn starch
1 C sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

 

1/2 C olive oil
1/3 C water
2 T flax meal
6 T water (for mixing with the flax meal)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
In a medium bowl, mix the flax meal and six tablespoons of water (warmed), and set it to the side for five minutes. Next, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Set that aside.
In a different bowl, mix together the baking soda, spices, salt, corn starch, whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour. Set that aside as well. Retrieve the bowl with the warm water and flax seed and add oil and sugar. Whisk it until well blended. Add one-third cup water and the pumpkin to that, and whisk again.
Start adding in your dry ingredients and blend gently, avoiding over-mixing. Folding or stirring is definitely the way to go. Scoop into muffin tin.
Bake for 25 minutes. Check to make sure they are done.
Let cool for 15 minutes. (If you can wait that long)
Enjoy!
*If you want more protein in these muffins, sub the ap flour with protein powder.
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Good to Know, Nutrition

Protein: Complete + Incomplete

Protein – a basic macro nutrient made up of amino acids. There are 9 essential amino acids and 11 non-essential amino acids.

Complete + Incomplete Proteins

Complete Proteins contain a complete set of amino acids (20) along with some non-essential amino acids.

Incomplete Proteins are usually missing one or more of the essential amino acids. Incomplete proteins can be complimented with other protein sources to create a complete protein.

 

Example Sources of Protein

Complete:

Meat, Dairy, Soy, Cheese, Eggs

Skinless Chicken,  3 oz – 25g

Lean Meat, 3 oz – 25g

Fish, 3 oz – 21g

Egg, 1 – 6g

Egg White, 1 – 3.5g

Cottage Cheese, low fat, 1/5 C – 14g

Cheese,1.5oz – 10.5g

Milk, whole, 1 C – 8g

Soybeans, 1 C – 29g

Tofu, firm, 3 oz – 8g

 

Incomplete: 

Grains, Nuts, Legumes, Vegetables

PB, 2T – 8g

Bread, Whole Wheat, 1 slice – 3g

Cereal, whole grain, 1 C – 2.5g

Lentils, 1 C – 18g

Beans (Black, Kidney, Garbanzo), 1 C – 13g

Green Peas, 1 C – 9g

Black-Eyed Peas, 1 C – 13g

Artichokes, 1 C – 6g

 

When two complementary proteins are combined they create a complete protein in a meal.

Examples:

Grains + Legumes

Nuts + Legumes

Grains + Dairy

Dairy + Seeds

Legumes + Seeds

 

Where do you get your protein? + What are your favorite protein combinations? 

 

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Recipes, Sarah

A Day of Discovery

Today was a day of discovery. The first thing I discovered is that I do not like group fitness classes. A friend invited me to a body sculpting class that started with 30 minutes of abs and then a combination of cardio with weights. Don’t get me wrong the instructor was awesome (she was super in shape and kept running around to everyone making comments on how they were making up their own moves and how we need to burn that holiday candy off – that part was entertaining ). However it may have been that I only have been doing cardio for 2 days now or that I just hate being told what to do, I just do not enjoy fitness classes like I used to. Maybe one day I will change my mind, but for now i’ll stick with my own workouts.

Do you prefer to workout with a friend or solo?

The second thing I discovered was this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheesecake Protein Bread

(Disclaimer: Sometimes my taste buds are a little wacky because of the “normal” food I eat, regardless this bread is delish!)

Makes 1 Loaf

 

2 C Oat Flour

1/2 C Vanilla Whey Protein Powder* + 1 Scoop Gold Standard Vanilla Creme Whey Protein*

5 T Flax Meal

1 t Mesquite Powder

1 T Salt

 

2 C Warm Water (110 degrees)

1/2  C Honey

1/4 C Olive Oil

1 Pkg Active Yeast

 

1. Wisk all the wet ingredients together and let sit in warm place 3 – 5 minutes while the yeast activates.

2. Add the dry ingredients and mix for 10 minutes (This is a batter bread, so the dough will be liquidish)

3. Pour in a greased bread pan, cover and let rise in a warm place for about an hour.

4. Bake 350 degrees 40-45 minutes.

 

*Can be made vegan if substituted whey protein for a plant-based vanilla protein.

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Fitness, Recipes, Sarah

Start of Phase 2

Thats all folks, Phase 1 is officially in the past. Before I move on to Phase 2 I would like to reflect on a couple of things that Phase 1 has taught me.

Things I’ve learned from Phase 1:

Patience – Building muscle takes time and a lot of hard work! I know that I have to gain muscle to lose weight.

Perseverance - Building muscle is not a one time event. When i’m tired and I don’t think I can go any longer I think about what my goals and what I want my body to achieve. I know that muscle is not built overnight.

It’s ok to admit weakness – I’m not perfect and never will be. There are things that are harder for me and that will challenge me, but its ok to fail. If I fail, I fail, but at least I tried.

 

Ok, on to Phase 2 -

This weeks workouts:

Monday – Back + Cardio

Tuesday - Chest/Abs + Cardio

Wednesday – Legs

Thursday – Arms/Abs + Cardio

Friday – Shoulders + Cardio

Saturday – Legs

Sunday – Rest (Thank Jesus!)

 

I have to admit today (Tuesday) is the first day that I actually did not want to go to the gym, it took all of me to power through my workout.

What do you do for motivation?

 

 

Current Obsession:

pumpkin protein pancakes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

(adapted from here)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Oat Flour
2 tbsp Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
4 Egg Whites
1/2 cup Raw Pumpkin
1 1/2 cups unsweetened Almond Breeze
Directions:
Preheat griddle to medium heat.
Mix oat flour, Splenda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a bowl.
Wisk egg whites and pumpkin. Mix in Almond Breeze.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
Spray griddle with non-stick butter spray.
Scoop batter with a 1/4 cup measuring cup onto griddle. Cook 3-5 minutes on a side.
Makes 10 pancakes.

 

 

 

 

 

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Fitness, Motivation

Fitness Motivation: The Fitness Artist

The Fitness Artist

Personal Fitness Trainer / Sports Nutritionist and Legal Assistant (fellow Livefitter & blogger)

fitness artist main pic

What does your diet consists of? Oatmeal, berries, apples, egg whites, spinach, chicken, turkey, salmon, tilapia, whole grain bread (rarely), red meat, chili, cottage cheese, asparagus, kale, pumpkin, cucumbers, nuts, chia seeds, flax oil, fish oils, lettuce, tuna, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, dark or red veggies, green tea, desserts gum to help calm my sweet tooth!

How often do you eat? I eat every 3-4hrs (approx. 6 small meals a day)

fitness artist pic 2

Pre workout meal?  Banana, water, almonds
Post workout meal? Whey protein shake

Food cannot go without? oatmeal!

fitness artist pic 3

What is a typical day for you? Wake up, breakfast, work, workout, yoga and rest.

What do you do when you workout? I workout 6x a week focusing on different muscle groups each day (ex: Chest/Triceps, Back/Biceps, Legs, Abs/Shoulders, etc). I use drop sets 3-4 sets rep range 12-10-8-4. I do cardio 3x a week at the moment.

Tips?  Eat often (smaller portions), have protein in each meal to keep you feeling full, drink LOTS of water throughout the day, enjoy life and push your limits! (I have a blog: TheFitnessArtist.weebly.com Facebook Group for Women: No Chocolate , Instagram: Fitness Artist a.k.a. Kreatistyk)

fitness artist pic 4

What is the most challenging thing you deal with when it comes to staying in shape? DIET! I workout hard and being a Personal Trainer I’ve got that down pretty easy. My diet however, even knowing what I should/shouldn’t eat somedays, I know sometimes I give in to temptations (sweets & refined carbs mostly) and then have to start over again the next day.

Motivational tip? DO YOUR BEST EVERYDAY. Remind yourself constantly of the journey you are on and vizualize the outcome you want then GO FOR IT! FIGHT!

fitness artist pic 5

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Fitness, Sarah

Week 4/ Day 1

This is the last week of Phase 1. I am excited to finally be done with this whole bulking process. I’ve gained 4 pounds so far, which is not a lot and hopefully all muscle. It’s just hard feeling like going out in public or interacting with people when you are above your comfortable weight.

Patience is key. This state is not permanent and I need to earn my new body, but in the meantime it’s hard not to feel inadequate when I see people way more advanced than I. It’s all a head game. “Do not give in, push through” – this is what I tell myself.

 

This week workout as follows, (last week without cardio):

Monday – Legs

Tuesday – Back/Biceps

Wednesday – Chest/Triceps

Thursday – Legs

Friday – Shoulders/Abs

 

Current Workout Favorites:

Gangam Style – PSY

Dont Wake Me Up – Chris Brwn

Cockiness (Love It) (Remix) – Rihanna

Work Hard, Play Hard – Wiz Khalifa

Headlines – Drake

ShockOne – Reija Lee

Neez In The Trap – Niki Manaj

Mercy – Kanye West

Go Get It – T.I.

Sweet Talk EP – Kito + Reija Lee

 

What songs keep you moving at the gym?

Stay sweaty my friends!

 

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Fitness, Sarah

Path to Transformation and Phase 1

I want to change. I am not satisfied and I strive for better things.

I started getting into working out about a year ago. At that time it was mainly just cardio about 3 – 4 days a week and a few weights here and there. I didn’t really understand how the body worked, lean muscle mass, or post + pre workout importance. As I got more involved, I started reading a lot and experimenting with various routines and diets. I remember one of my good friends, Natasha, and I were at spin class and we were talking about fitness and I was sharing my struggles. Her advice resonated with me, she told me that I have to want it, I have to want to be in shape and I have to want to take care of myself more than I want anything else. From then on I never looked back – I became hungry. From there I contacted my younger sister, Stephanie, and began picking her and her husbands brain (they are both in fantastic shape and her husband has been lifting and working out for 10+ years).

One of the milestones for my fitness career was joining a gym. I began weight weight training in the morning and cardio in the evening. This was a lot and I never thought that it was possible to overtrain your body. I was sore all the time, which I saw gains, but not like I wanted. I was a strict raw/vegan at the time and I saw very little gains in my muscle and strength. After about a month of this, I sat down with a personal trainer and mapped out a plan that would be best for my goals. This was like a huge eye-opener; basically because I had lost a significant amount of weight, my muscle were very weak because I wasn’t really training them correctly or consistently, and I had been overtraining. The trainer really helped me understand that 5 pounds of lean muscle mass burns up to 500 calories a day. For the next two months I concentrated on building my strength and taking my nutrition one step at a time (I was still raw/vegan). One of my friends, Amy Jo Beaver, really turned me on to lifting. She is a former fitness competitor that has mad strength! She is the main one who taught me form in the lifting arena and she taught me how to sculpt my glutes ;) .

The more research I was doing the more I thought about incorporating egg whites and whey protein into my diet. I knew that they animal proteins would help me make more hard gains, and they were light enough for my system to digest. I slowly started seeing little gains, but I wanted more. Thats when I found Jamie Eason’s 12-Week LiveFit Trainer. Basically I would be Bulking – eating clean and weight training (phase 1), Shredding - incorporating cardio, cutting carbs, and fat burning (phase 2), and Maintaining – carb cycling  HIIT (high intensity interval training), and super-setting (phase 3). I would be eating every 2-3 hours very controlled portions. Basically I had nothing to lose, so I took a leap of faith.

So that brings me to now, currently today I am in Week 3/Day 6. I have been bulking for 20 days. I feel fat, bloated, and retaining water most of the time, but I know it will be worth it when I start phase 2. I have seen massive strength gains.

Workouts: For the first 2 weeks of phase 1 I was working out 4 days a week, but now I have increased to 5 days a week. I am resting 60 secs in between sets to give my muscles time to breathe. I am lifting at 60% max effort. I have one more week of phase 1, then on to phase 2 (finally!). I will break down phase 2 diets further along in the blog…

 

Diet: eating 5 – 6x a day.

Meal 1 (within 1 hour of waking): 5x egg whites, 1 starch, unlimited veggies (and berries if I want)

Meal 2: 4 homemade protein bars, 2 turkey muffins, or a small meal (e.g. 1/2 starch + 4oz lean protein)

Meal 3: 6-8 oz lean protein, 1 starch, unlimited veggies

Meal 4: 4 homemade protein bars, 2 turkey muffins, or a small meal (e.g. 1/2 starch + 4oz lean protein)

Meal 5: 6-8o z lean protein, 1 starch, unlimited veggies (No starch/carbs at least 3 hours before bed)

Meal 6 (often eaten pre-bed, or close to bedtime): 5 egg whites and veggies or a protein shake

 

What i’ve made:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Protein Bars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon Protein Bars

 

3-Bean Turkey Chili

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey Muffins

 

 

 

Supplements:

Omega-3 Fish Oil

Womens Multi-vitamin

BCAAs

Calcium

Pre-workout C4 (only on days I workout)

 

Progress Pics, (so far): I am terrible at taking progress pictures, but I have some:

 

Phase 1. Week 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can’t wait to share the rest from week to week!

 

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Raw Food Creations, Recipes

Fresh Fruit Tart for Two

This is definitely more of a summer favorite, but it’s a nice change of pace from pumpkin everything. This easily makes enough for two people (aww) or one person if you are selfish and very hungry.

 

Fresh Fruit Tart for Two

Start with a 3 5/8” ring mold.

Crust:

1/2 C Almonds

Pinch of Salt

3 Medjool Dates

Start by processing the almonds into a fine crumb, add the salt and the dates and process until the mixture comes together. Take the mixture and form into a ball, making sure everything is mixed together. Press the dough ball into the ring mold and shape.

Refrigerate or freeze while the filling is being made.

Filling:

1 C Young Coconut Meat

3/4 C Raw Cashews, Soaked

1/4 C Coconut Oil, Melted

1 Vanilla Bean, scraped

1/2 T. Lemon Juice

¼ C Raw Honey

Blend all of the ingredients together. If the mixture becomes unwilling to blend, start by adding 1 T of water at a time until a custard texture is formed.

Pour the filling into the shell.

Freeze for 45 minutes.

Top with fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

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Recipes

Vegan Pumpkin Soup

It’s fall, which means time for comfort food and lots and lots of pumpkin!!

This creamy soup is a little bit sweet and pairs perfectly with fresh bread and salad.

Vegan pumpkin soup

 

 

Vegan Pumpkin Soup

(serves 2 – 3)

 

2/3 whole pumpkin

1/2 sweet potato

2 carrots

3 1/4 cup water

1 onion

1 C coconut milk, more if you want thinner/less if you want thicker

1.5 T maple syrup

1 T olive oil

1/4 t salt

pumpkin pie spice, to taste

extra cinnamon, to taste

 

1. Chop pumpkin, carrots, and sweet potato into cubes and boil, with salt, in the 3 cups of water until soft.

2. Chop and saute onions in the oil and 1/4 C water, about 5 minutes.

3. Combine everything, minus the maple syrup, in the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Return to pot, add maple syrup, and heat until hot.

5. Enjoy!

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