Green Veggie Alt-Grain Bowl with an Egg on Top

Breakfast will never be boring again if you’ve got some basics on hand to make a beautiful bowl of goodness to fuel you through the morning. My Green Veggie Alt-Grain Bowl is loaded with nutritious, delicious ingredients and only takes a few egg-prepping minutes to make in the morning, noon or night.Avocado Lovers Quinoa Bowl

Read on to get all the deets and the healthy alt-grain bowl recipe. Continue reading

Upside-Down Cranberry Cornmeal Coffee Cake ( Gluten Free )

Wow, it’s December 1st, time for my (Gluten Free) Upside Down Cranberry Cornmeal Coffee Cake. Keeping it super simple and sweet today as  I have a 26.2 mile road race on Sunday and a chore list that’s even longer than the marathon!Upside Down Cranberry Cornmeal Coffee Cake

Read on the get this yummy breakfast, brunch or dessert recipe and a great tip on storing fresh cranberries: Continue reading

Apple Cider Super Quinoa Oats with Cranberries

I like a hot breakfast before the crack of dawn, but am usually not in any mental condition to do scratch cooking until a couple hours (of coffee) later. But, I know my body NEEDS nourishing food, so I do a little meal prep work the night before so that I can have my “super” quinoa oats ready ASAP in the AM. Apple Cider Super Oats with Cranberry Sauce is one of my favorite flavor combos this time of year. Apple Cider Super Oats with Cranberries makes a hearty, healthy busy holiday season breakfast.

Read on to get the make-ahead recipe and find out how this combo of oats, quinoa and protein powder fills me up for a run, workout and ridiculously long list of holiday errands all before lunch. Continue reading

Chocolate Peanut Butter Power Oats with Life Time Protein

Keeping my nutrition in check with my busy family, work and training schedule can sometimes seem like one of the hardest tasks at hand. If I don’t put a priority on properly fueling first thing in the morning before my workouts, and then afterward, I definitely notice an increase in my recovery time, dip in my overall energy and concentration levels, and a reduction in performance the next day. Day after day, this can become a downward spiral. For example, if the stress starts getting to me, I’m prone to lose weight and stop sleeping and that’s no good for an athlete trying to maintain and/or grow muscle mass.Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Power Oats

Thankfully, I plan ahead more these days with simple solutions for success, like putting up portions of leftover steak in the freezer for future salads, meal prepping a week’s worth of whole grains like quinoa or oatmeal, and placing my scoops of protein powders and recovery drinks into single-serve baggies for a grab-and-go before the gym. Read on to get the recipes for my easy make-ahead Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Power Oats and learn about some of the sports nutrition products I rely on from Life Time Fitness. Continue reading

Chai Tea Spiced Apple Muffins (Vegan)

One of the most requested foods my oldest son asks me to bake when he comes home from college to visit is a big batch of muffins. From pumpkin muffins to blueberry muffins to banana chocolate chip muffins, I’m always happy to oblige my son!  With limited cooking skills, he’s very grateful – at least I think that’s him saying “thank you” with his mouth stuffed full of my newest muffin Vegan Chai Tea Spiced Apple MuffinsVegan Chai Apple Muffins

These are perfect to make ahead for quick breakfasts and snacks, plus they freeze fabulously – so of course extra were made to send back to college. Read on to get the full recipe and the cookbook that inspired these easy vegan muffins.  Continue reading