Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

Summer time equals grilling time at our house. We would (and sometimes do) grill every night of the week. Have you ever tried grilled pizza? Do it! You won't regret it!

If you love your grill as much as we do, this kabob recipe is a perfect recipe for you! It's super simple and delicious.

Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients

• 1lb boneless, skinless chicken Breast
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or reduced sodium soy sauce) 
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 fresh pineapple, chopped into chunks (you can replace fresh with 1 8oz can of chunked pineapple) 
• 2 medium bell peppers
• 1 large red onion

Special Equipment

• Skewers (If using wooden skewers make sure to soak in water for 30 minutes before prepping)

Instructions

• Place chicken breast in a resealable gallon bag. Add in coconut aminos, garlic, and ginger. Place in the refrigerator. Allow chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes (we usually let it marinate in the fridge for a few hours) 
• Chop chicken, pineapple, onion, and bell pepper
• Preheat grill to high heat
• Place a piece of chicken, pineapple, pepper, and onion onto a skewer and repeat until full 
• Grill skewers on covered grill for 4-5 minutes per side, or until chicken is no longer pink. 
• Serve immediately

We love to have our skewers over brown rice, but you can definitely have them as is, or with another favorite grain! If you love the recipe, let me know!

Christmas Traditions: Spritz Cookie Recipe

'Tis the season to eat cookies.... fa la la la la la la la la!

Most of you know that we try to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. This is actually the case throughout the holidays as well. However, there are some things that are worth the extra calories for me. One of those things are these butter spritz cookies.

These cookies hold a special place in my heart. They are my Great-Grandma Rica's recipe. She would make a special tin just for me every Christmas for as long as I can remember. She was one of the most giving, kind, and magical people I have ever had the chance to know. Plus she could bake and cook like nobody’s business!

I'm excited that I have this recipe to share with my family, friends, and now you!

I will definitely say these do NOT fall in the category of healthy recipes, they are definitely a treat. Could I have tried to find a way to make them a bit healthier? Sure. But I'm not messing with GG's recipe.

So if you're ready to be merry and enjoy these melt-in-your-mouth cookies, read on!

Ingredients

• 1 lb butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure almond extract
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
• 4.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325*F 
• In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar 
• Add in egg and extracts until combined 
• In a separate bowl mix together the flour and baking powder to combine 
• Slowly add in flour 1 cup at a time (dough will be heavy, I use our stand mixer to ensure that everything is mixed properly) 
• Place desired disc in your cookie press* (we love the christmas trees, snowflakes, and wreaths) 
• Place dough into the cookie press and press them onto an ungreased cookie sheet
• Decorate with your favorite color of sugar sprinkles
• Place into the oven for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown (with our oven we usually bake for 14 minutes) 

This recipe will make 6+ cookie sheet pans full of cookies. We love sharing them with our family members, for holiday parties at school, or as gifts for colleagues. They also freeze well! So feel free to make a big batch for you and your family and take them out of the freezer when you want to enjoy them. They're yummy with milk, hot chocolate, or coffee! They're a favorite of santa's too! ;)

*The cookie press I've linked is the one that Nate got me for Christmas a few years ago. It's held up well and I love that the steel discs come in a carrying case. You do NOT need a cookie press to make this recipe. You can roll the dough into small balls and press them down with a fork (making a criss cross pattern), and they will be just as delicious!

Enjoy! I wish you peace and love this holiday season!

Barre Blend

Barre Blend is a new low-impact, high-intensity, and high-energy workout program from our very own barre expert, professional dancer, and Three Week Yoga Retreat co-creator, Elise Joan.

Barre Blend has been created as the perfect combination of ballet barre, Pilates, and cardio interval training to help you effectively burn fat and create a lean, toned physique.

The workouts are 30-40 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 6o days. Elise leads you through the workouts in real time, which means a unique workout every single day. It is like going to a new Barre Class in the comfort of your own home. You'll also have a super-supportive virtual community to plug into.

What's included in Barre Blend?

• 2 Prep Workouts: 20 minute Classic Full Body Blend and 20 minute Cardio Blend will introduce you to the program so you can get started right away!
• 40 Unique Workouts: The program is broken down into 4 phases with 5 workouts each week. Elise changes up the moves and increases the level of difficulty every 2 weeks so you keep seeing results. 
• 5 bonus "10-min Enhancement" Workouts: Target specific parts of your body for extra toning--like core, upper body, lower body, and booty--by adding a 10-min enhancement at the end of any workout. (There's also a 10-min cardio enhancement workout.) 
• 3 Recovery Workouts: Elise created 10 and 15-min Yoga Blend workouts anda  Roll & Replenish workout to help you stretch out, release tension, and increase mobility. 
• "I AM" Daily Motivation Cards: To promote a positive mindset and sense of gratitude, Elise chooses a Daily Motivation Card before every workout. Choose your own card daily to receive a powerful affirmation that will set you up for your best day and keep you motivated throughout the program. 
• "Get Started with Barre Blend" video: Learn what to expect over the 60 days of the program. From the steps to get you started, overview of the workouts, a brief introduction to the nutrition plan, and much more 
• 4 "Barre Basics" Videos: Elise wants you to be able to jump right in. That's why she filmed these 4 introductory videos--to demonstrate the moves and terminology you'll see throughout the program. 
• Barre Blend Introduction to Nutrition video: Elise walks you through the nutritional tools and solution recommended with this program to help you achieve your best results.
• Beachbody Guide to Nutrition: Nutrition is key to getting your best results, and this guide helps you upgrade your eating habits with delicious recipes and useful tips to optimize your performance and fuel your body. 
• Getting Started Guide + Workout Calendar: A quick overview of Barre Blend, so you know what to expect and which workouts to do each day. 

Pricing

 

Limited Time Offer--$20 off Challenge and Completion packs in the month of December

Challenge pack options will be available for sale beginning December 16th for customers, December 3rd for coaches. Those who are signed up as a coach--either to work the business or simply for the discount--have access to an exclusive coach-only group that will be run by Elise Joan herself. Please reach out to me if you want to be a part of this!

Barre Blend Transformations

  

Here are some real-life transformations of those who participated in the test group. Remember, results ALWAYS come from consistency, proper nutrition, and hard work.

Ready to Join Us?!
Think this program is for you? We would love to include you in our community. I will be hosting a challenge group for those wishing to complete Barre Blend from start to finish early in the new year! Please fill out this application so that I can learn more about you and what interests you in this program. I will be in touch soon!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

This Italian girl has gotta have her pasta every once in a while. This recipe includes fresh basil, grape tomatoes, and pine nuts. These ingredients are light and fresh and allow you to have your pasta without feeling weight down.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

Ingredients

• One box of whole wheat fusilli pasta
• 1/4 c pine nuts 
• 1/4 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4-1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
• Red pepper flakes, to taste 
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste 
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes for garnish

Instructions

• In a bowl mix together olive oil, pine nuts, parmesan, basil and red pepper flakes 
• Cover bowl with saran wrap and let stand 
• Cook pasta according to package instructions 
• Toss cooked pasta in the bowl with the olive oil mixture
• Garnish with cherry tomatoes, use salt and pepper to taste 

We don't make this recipe often, but when we do it's a special treat. I love adding extra tomatoes, or chicken for protein if we're in the mood for a bit of a heartier dinner. You could always add cooked shrimp too!

September Date Night In: Love at Ease

Who else has a hard time taking it easy? Resting when you need to? Nate and I both struggle with this. We're both full-time teachers, Gabe keeps us on our toes, and we both have other jobs that we love (I'm an virtual health and wellness coach, and Nate directs two local community choirs). This leaves little time for relaxing, especially since we like to make the most of our weekends, and keep our house (somewhat) clean and orderly. There are many days that we hit the ground running and go, go, go until our heads hit pillow at night.

I know we aren't the only ones.

This is one of the many reasons why we LOVE our Date Night In Boxes each month. It gives us the chance to plug into each other, to take a time out, and enjoy ourselves. This month's theme was all about taking it easy. Nate and I both appreciated it so much. We purposely scheduled this date night at the end of a particularly busy week.

We started the night by making a yummy pancake recipe. All of the recipes we've tried so far have been a hit in our household and have gone into our family cookbook for safe keeping. Plus, who doesn't love breakfast for dinner every once in a while?! During dinner we talked about what prevents us from feeling like we can take a break, and how we can better support each other when we do need a rest.

After dinner we plugged into the game they provided for us in our kit! It was a game of chance, and it was a lot of fun! I'm such a nervous nelly when it comes to betting on things, but I killed it.. (I'm noticing a theme with these games...) As we played this game, and completed our crossword puzzle (also provided in the box) we used our new brew buddy to brew the herbal bedtime tea, and ate our salted caramel and chocolate biscotti. They were both DELISH. I'm a sucker for a good cup of tea at night to help me unwind.

To end our date night, we stretched and relaxed even more with some couples yoga. As most of you know our family loves health and wellness and we often work out together. This gave us a new challenge of attempting yoga poses that relied on each other. It made us laugh and stretched out our sore muscles at the same time.

We continue to enjoy our date night in boxes each month. If you ever find yourself needing a little extra time for you and your significant other--check them out! 

Pumpkin Muffins

Fall is here!! Well... almost. For me, as soon as September hits, I am ready for all things fall: cooler weather, pumpkin spice, apple cinnamon, soups, crunchy leaves, football, ALL THE THINGS.

Baking is my love and hobby all year round. I especially get the itch during fall and winter. Making my house smell like cinnamon, apple, and pumpkin takes me back to my childhood when my grandmas and mom would make all of the yummy desserts for the holidays. 

These pumpkin muffins were the first fall recipe of the season for me, and they were a hit in our family! They are made with oat flour and flax, and they include blueberries for a kick of vitamin c. 

Pumpkin Muffins (serves 12) 

Ingredients

• 1/4 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 c pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tbsp canola oil 
• 1/4 c pure maple syrup 
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
• 2 c rolled oats (ground finely in a food processor or blender to make oat flour) 
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 c frozen blueberries (optional) 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Generously spray a muffin tin with cooking spray of choice
• Ground rolled oats in a blender or food processor until fine 
• In a medium bowl mix together the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, pumpkin puree, canola oil, syrup and extracts until the oil is well combined with the other ingredients
• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oat flour, ground flax, baking soda, baking powder, salt, salt and cinnamon 
• Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix only until combined
• Gently fold in the frozen blueberries
• Scoop mixture into greased muffin tin until 3/4 of the way full 
• Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. After the first 20 minutes lower the temperature to 350 and continue to bake for 15-20 more minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes

If you would like, you can forego adding the blueberries to keep this strictly a pumpkin recipe. We love them both ways! 

Island Adventure: August Date Night In

Date Night In Box knocked it out of the park this month with their island adventure theme. A tropical menu and fun games made it one of our favorite boxes yet!  (And you better believe I dressed up for the occasion in my tropical shirt.) 

We made dinner and cocktails and enjoyed the table talk portion of the date night outside (we want to make sure to soak up as many evenings outside as we can before the weather gets chilly!). I always think this part of the date is fun, because the table talk guide gives us questions and topics that we normally wouldn't talk about on any other date.

After the dinner we made our own seashell candle. DNI provided the seashell, the wick, and the wax to melt. It was super easy and a lot of fun. Plus now we have a little memento of this date night.

Next we played all the Island Games: think Olympics, but Date Night In style. Nate and I are both just a LIIIIITTTLE competitive. The games were categorized by a matter of the body, a matter of the mind, and a matter of relationship. First up, matter of the body. We took our empty date night in box, used the golf tees and ping pong balls provided, filled our little squirt guns, set our timer and tried to knock the ping pong balls off the top with the water. It was hilarious, and I may or may not have squirted Nate more than once. Overall, tons of fun--and I was the winner.

A matter of the mind was next. We received word challenge cards, which included an assortment of letters and we had to come up with as many words as possible using those letters within the allotted time. I love games like this. Scattergories, Scrabble.... anything with words and letters, and I'm in!

After the word challenge, we played a game similar to the newlywed game. We were given a set of questions that we had to answer AND write what we thought our partner would say. It was pretty funny. Although, we did well with our answers. Nate and I are usually on the same page, so it was nice to see that if we ever have to do a game like this in public, we'd be okay.

Last but not least, we played an island version of battleship. Who doesn't love a good game of battleship? It takes me back to elementary school. I loved that game! I guess I'm a sucker for a good strategic game. Nate won this one... I guess we're even. ;)

To end our night we wrote a message in a bottle. We described ourselves and wrote a note of encouragement for the finder. We're not quite sure where we're going to leave the bottle yet (obviously we will not be, nor does DNI condone us throwing this in the water). If you have any ideas let us know! Where would be a fun location to leave a message in a bottle? Maybe a local park?

This DNI box was so full of activities that it kept us busy and having fun. My favorite part may have been the ping pong ball game though. Also--Congratulations to Kara, who won our giveaway!