Growing up it was tradition to go to our church soup kitchen on Friday’s during Lent. We’d feast on vegetarian soups and homemade bread, and I would flirt with boys visit with all of my friends.

When my niece Ali and I made this soup together last week, it totally reminded me of these gatherings. And, since the soup is vegetarian, it’s perfect for a healthy, Fitness & Spicy, Lenten meal. Ali found this recipe from Rachel Ray and we went to town, whipping up…

Indian Spiced Chickpea & Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

From the Kitchen of Rachel Ray

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, (2/3 palmful)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes (28-ounces)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• Warm pita, any flavor or variety, toasted

I’ve decided to put myself in obedience training this week.

I need to get some of my bad eating habits under control, STAT. I have a tendency to:

• Eat standing up
• Eat exceptionally fast
• Graze mindlessly throughout the day

I started reading The Beck Diet Solution by Judith Beck, Ph.D. over the weekend, a book all about techniques to get your head around sticking to a long-term healthy eating plan. It’s not a diet, in fact, Beck recommends you pick a healthy eating plan and use her techniques to help you stick with your selected program. Fair enough!

So, this week I’m going to put some of Beck’s techniques from the first 3 or 4 chapters into practice. Starting today, I’m going to train myself like I would a dog. Here’s how:

• SIT. I will sit down to eat. No more grabbing a handful of almonds out of the cabinet just because or drinking a protein shake standing by the blender. I have a table, it’s time to start using it every single time I eat. (By the way, this is Bella’s cousin, Charlie, demonstrating the art of sitting for us here.)
• STAY. I will stay focused on what I’m eating and slow the heck down. I have a tendency to multi-task when I eat, too. So I’m going to attempt to be a little less distracted.
• PRAISE. As silly as this sounds, I’m going to congratulate my bad self when I’m successful. A simple “good job” should do the trick. Last week I didn’t eat that extra handful of almonds and you would have thought I had a major breakthrough!

Now I really must go fetch myself a healthy meal and go sit at the table, otherwise I’ll end up in the dog house!

Yesterday was a balmy 35 degrees.

The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and I actually left my car window down after I ran through the Starbucks drive-thru while visions of swim suit season (GASP!) and really cute sandals danced in my head. I could almost taste Spring yesterday…in fact, I did! I made…

Protein Freeze Fudgsicles

1/3 cup Protein Freeze

1/3 – 1/2 cup Water

Blend. Pour into really cute popsicle molds (I found mine at Sur La Table). Freeze.

This tasty, guilt-free treat satisfied my sweet tooth, the kid in me, and gave me a healthy dose of protein.

Now I really must go alert the media, I found the cure for Spring Fever!

Apparently I am not the only one who thinks pistachios are wonderful! I want to thank all of you who gave us some wonderful ideas on how to use pistachios last week. You can bet I’m going to be topping salads with a few nuts and making pistachio ice cream this week (I’ll tell you all about the ice cream, I promise!)  I wonder what, Donna Bush, the winner of the case of Wonderful Pistachios will do with all of her pistachios?

For those of you were wondering why pistachios were once dyed red, I learned from April at Wonderful Pistachios that was, “Old school harvest practices. Pistachios used to fall on the ground and stain. Red dye hid the stains and looked pretty.”

Now they have fancy equipment so that’s no longer an issue. Take a look at how pistachios are harvested in this quick video…

Now I really must get crackin’ I’m dying to whip up a batch of protein pistachio ice cream…even if they no longer GO RED!

In celebration of World Pistachio Day I thought you might want to impress your friends with some fascinating facts about this delicious little nut.

7 Critical Things You Should Know About the Pistachio

• Pistachios contain only 3-4 calories per nut
• Pistachios are the lowest calorie, lowest fat nut
• Pistachios have more than 30 different vitamins, minerals, and beneficial phytonutrients
• Pistachios are HEART HEALTHY!

“Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.” – Food & Drug Administration

• California is the leading producer of pistachios worldwide
• In China, the pistachio is known as the “happy nut” because they look like they’re smiling
• I love pistachios and so does…

Want to WIN A CASE of Wonderful Pistachios? So do I! To enter the drawing tell us something you think is Wonderful about pistachios in the comment section. The winner will be announced on Sunday, February 28th.

Now I really must go crack myself up some more.

There are a dozen things I like to make with eggs:

• Frittata
• Egg salad
• Hard boiled eggs
• Scrambled eggs
• Omelets
• Quiche
• Crepes
• Egg bakes
• French toast
• Deviled eggs (ok, actually I prefer just to eat the ones my sister-in-law Dawn makes)
• Easter eggs
• Egg quesadillas

I can probably think of a dozen reasons why eggs are good for you, too. I’ll just hit a half dozen reasons I learned about Eggland’s Best Eggs nutritional profile really fast so we can all go grab some breakfast. Eggland’s Best Eggs now have more Vitamin D and more Omega-3. In addition, they also contain high levels of B12 and Vitamin E, and are a good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin B2. Oh, and they taste great, too. Look for Eggland’s Best Eggs at your supermarket, they get an extra large A in my book!

Want to WIN 6 Eggland’s Best coupons for a total of 6 dozen eggs, an egg poacher, and a spatula? Just tell us your favorite way to make eggs and you’ll be entered into the drawing. This contest will close at 11:59 P.M. on Thursday, February 18th and the winner will be announced on Friday.

Now I really must go grab a piece of quiche and say something egg-stra cheesy to wrap this up like…have an egg-cellent day!

I decided to take a tropical vacation to celebrate National Almond Day so I asked Angela, my amazing friend and creator of my beloved fitbook, to come by and tell you why she’s nuts for coconuts.

Now I really must go grab a pina colada while you give it up for Angela….

So my new-found recent obsession with coconut oil has just hit a new all-time high.  While coconut has been the new “it” food, I haven’t completely jumped on the coconut water bandwagon (really – I just drink plain ol’ water) but I must admit I’ve been fascinated to learn about all the benefits behind this tropical oil.  My reason for loving it is two-fold: because 1) I love coconut and 2) I heard that it was a natural thermogenic (i.e. fat burner) so of course I had to learn more.  Here are the facts behind coconut oil:

• Since coconut oil primarily consists of medium-chain fatty acids, your body easily digests and converts those triglycerides into energy which speeds up your metabolism.  In one study metabolism increased by an average of 48 percent – and the thermogenic effect can last up to 24 hours.
• Coconut oil slows the digestion of food, making you feel fuller, and also prevents blood sugar spikes by slowing the rate carbohydrates are broken down into blood glucose.
• This trans-fat and cholesterol free oil actually improves your HDL, or “good cholesterol” levels.
• Coconut oil acts as a detox, actually improves your immune system, and is even used for body moisturizer.  Check out this video from Underground Wellness to get more facts:

Ok sign me up!  So I’ve been adding 1 tablespoon of the extra-virgin coconutty miracle into my morning oatmeal which tastes fantastic by the way – so imagine my happiness when I was perusing the grocery aisles only to see that So Delicious makes a coconut milk creamer for my morning cup o’ joe!

Rewind: I’ve been on a never-ending search to find a good replacement for my half-and-half which clocks in at 40 calories per 2 tablespoons…and some days I have to admit we’re looking at upwards of 100 calories added when I’m really needing my coffee.  Coffeemate…soy creamer…the powdered “stuff”…you name it, I’ve tried it.

The So Delicious creamers come in Original (10 cal/tbsp), Hazelnut (20 cal/tbsp), and French Vanilla (20 cal/tbsp).  I grabbed the original and hazelnut to give them a try!  These soy-free, dairy-free, medium-chain-fatty-acid packed rockstars ROCKED my java world.  I must say the original was good, but not quite the half-and-half creaminess, but definitely the best alternative I’ve found.

However, the hazelnut had a nice kick of flavor without being too sweet – and while the calories are the same as half-and-half, the health benefits make it a no-brainer.  I’ve always said life was too short to give up wine, chocolate or cream in my coffee….well now, I’ve found a way to still “indulge” and even get a little after-burn effect from my hot cup of morning coffee. Bonus: I get to check off a (healthy) fat box in my fitbook!

~live life fit (and So Delicious!)

Today might be Presidents Day but did you know tomorrow is National Almond Day?

I haven’t done my research to uncover the origins of this very special day, but I suspect a very clever marketer was behind the scenes of this joyous celebration.

By the way, I plan on launching a National Fitness & Spice Day this year. We’ll all have a day off from work or school, there will be sales galore, and probably a parade. Don’t even get me started about the number of Hallmark cards that will be sold in honor of Fitness & Spice Day. More on that later, I don’t want to take away from (cue the confetti) National Almond Day.

Registered dietitian and James-Beard award-winning healthy recipe developer Cheryl Forberg recommends almonds for more than just a satisfying snack. She says,

“Not only are they linked to heart health, but they’re a perfect complement to chocolate and berries.”

Who am I to argue with an award-winning RD? In case you plan on whooping it up in celebration of National Almond Day you might want to add this recipe from Clean Eating Magazine to your dessert tray…

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted almond butter, stirred well
• 3/4 cup Sucanat (I didn’t have any of whatever that is so I used NuNaturals Stevia Baking Blend instead)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3 oz dark chocolate (70% or greater) broken into small pieces

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together first 5 ingredients until blended. Stir in chocolate. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

I’m not going to lie, these cookies are fabulous and fabulously-simple! And for all of you that are dairy-free, gluten-free, and/or guilt-free, you’re welcome!

Now I really must go make the guest list for the party tomorrow…I’m inviting a bunch of nuts!

I have a very healthy sweet tooth.

In fact, dessert is my favorite food group, but I rarely order dessert when I’m at a restaurant…I’m the one at the table that takes a bite or two off of everyone’s plate just to satisfy my sweet cravings. And besides, those calories don’t count do they?

If you were my Valentine I would love you forever if you made me a guilt-free dessert. In fact, if you made me a healthy dessert like this it would easy plus you would score major…

Brownie Points

• 1/3 cup Vanilla or Chocolate Protein Freeze
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 T natural nut butter (I love Justin(s))

Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe dish. Microwave for about 30 seconds. Garnish with more nut butter, fruit, or a dollop of Protein Freeze ice cream. Eat right away if not sooner.

I wish I could take credit for this little bundle of joy, but I found this simple recipe in a Protein Freeze cookbook.

Some of you might be wondering if you can make this recipe without the nut butter. Probably! Just be sure to let me know how it turns out!

What do you make when you want to score some brownie points with the one you love?

Now I really must go hit the gym and get ready for my second date with Justin…it’s going to be nuts!

I’m one of those people that watch the Super Bowl for the commercials.

Sure, I’ve been known to tackle a little nacho dip, kick back some adult beverages, and get caught holding a handful of party mix. But, what I really love about the Super Bowl is the commercials.

In celebration of Super Bowl Sunday I’d like to call a time out and invite you to enter the Super Bowl of Protein Freeze Ice Cream Contest! All you have to do is help design a Super Bowl commercial for Protein Freeze and you could WIN one of FOUR containers of Protein Freeze.

Protein Freeze is a delicious protein powder that makes the most amazing protein-packed shakes, ice cream, brownies, and more!

To enter the SUPER BOWL OF PROTEIN FREEZE ICE CREAM commercial contest here’s the scoop:

On the Protein Freeze Facebook Fan Page wall create a Super Bowl commercial for Protein Freeze by simply filling in the blanks of this paragraph:

Now I really must go to the gym, work on my tight end, and get ready for a Super Bowl Sundae!