Beating the winter blues with colorful workout gear

This Chicago winter has been so cold and so long that I pretty much want to hibernate until summer.

Sticking to a workout regimen can be incredibly difficult in freezing temps and sloppy weather, but as cheesy as it sounds, having bright, colorful gear and workouts you can get excited about just might help you beat the winter blues and stick to your exercise goals.

Personal Training with Jackie | Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 | Nike shoes | Yoga mat | Dumbbells | Water bottle | Hair ties | Headband | Yoga towel 

A healthier carrot cake cupcake

As promised, I'm sharing my carrot cake recipe today! 

Carrot cake is James' favorite and my goal was to make a delicious (and somewhat healthy) cake for his birthday. I'm particularly proud that these cupcakes where such a bit hit because this was my first attempt and I made a lot of adjustments on the fly, referencing at least 4 other recipes. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Just a note: I added a tablespoon of lemon juice to the traditional cream cheese icing - it adds the perfect amount of tang to balance the icing's sweetness.

A healthier carrot cake

INGREDIENTS

For cake
• 2½ cups shredded carrot, washed and peeled
• ½ cup golden raisins

• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs

• ¼ cup milk

• ¼ cup honey

• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups whole wheat flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda 

• 2 tsp. cinnamon 

For icing

• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 2 tbsp. butter, softened

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 2 tsbp. agave nectar

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350° and prepare pan(s) by greasing or lining with baking cups.

2. In a medium bowl, combine carrot, raisins, applesauce, eggs, milk, honey, and vanilla.

3. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

4. Pour ingredients from medium bowl into large bowl and mix until combined.

5. Pour batter into pan(s) and bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

6. While cake is cooling, cream room temperature cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer.

7. Slowly add powdered sugar, with mixer on low setting. Blend until creamy.

8. Add agave, vanilla, and lemon juice and blend just until combined.

9. Let cake cool completely before icing. Enjoy!

Pasta-free Lasagna

As promised on Instagram, I am sharing a no-pasta lasagna recipe that I have shamelessly borrowed and adapted from here.

If you clicked over, let me preface this recipe by saying your lasagna will not look as beautiful and perfect as Whitney's promo photo. When I was disappointed mine didn't turn out as lovely, my husband pointed out that Whitney's is likely a staged shot and her lasagna has six layers of zucchini, while the recipe only calls for two. It looks incredible, don't get me wrong, but I want to set your expectations before you try this. That being said, this lasagna is delicious and is quickly becoming one of my favorite healthy recipes.

One tip: Make sure you thoroughly drain the zucchini and go light on the pasta sauce layers, otherwise you will end up with a very runny lasagna. Enjoy!

Pasta-free Lasagna

INGREDIENTS
• 2 large zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick length-wise

• 2½ cups spinach, roughly chopped

• 1 egg
• 16 oz. ricotta
• 2 cups mozzarella, shredded

• ½ tsp. dried basil

• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese

• 1 jar spaghetti sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. Slice zucchini lengthwise and lay flat on cutting board. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 10-15 minutes. 

2. Preheat oven to 400° and squeeze excess water from zucchini with cheese cloth or towel.

3. In medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, basil, and pepper.

4. Thinly cover bottom of 9x9 baking dish with spaghetti sauce, then layer, using roughly half of each ingredient,      with: zucchini laid side by side, spinach, sauce, ricotta mixture, mozzarella. Repeat.

5. Top with Parmesan and basil and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour, removing foil for last 15 minutes.

What is self-care and why is it important?

For some, the term "self-care" sounds uncomfortably close to "self-help," which carries a bevy of judgments with it. But I would argue that far from being only for busy moms or those who need serious help, self-care is something that everyone should practice.

But what is it?

via Roost

Self-care is anything that you do to take care of yourself and to cultivate a healthy body and mind. Maybe it's meditating or getting enough sleep. Or it might be eating clean. It could be implementing technology-free days, going for long walks, or journaling. It can be any combination of activities and habits that make you feel balanced, happy, and healthy.

But other than making you feel good, why is self-care important?

Quite simply, I believe that self-care allows for a fuller life. How can we find the motivation to get out and explore new opportunities and experiences when depression or anxiety is holding us back? How can we focus on the present if the pain of the past or the uncertainty of the future takes up too much space in our heads? How can we be better friends, spouses, parents when we don't take care of ourselves first? 

I'm not saying it's easy. It can be extremely difficult to recognize and change unhealthy habits, behaviors, and thoughts. Many of us rely on loved ones to get through difficult times and no doubt, it's great to have a support system and it can even be part of your self-care routine. But the truth is, no one can take better care of you than you. So even if you rely on your friends, a therapist, or your spouse for support, I would challenge you to be in the driver's seat of your own health. To seek out those activities and habits that make you feel like your best, healthiest you. To recognize that maintaining a healthy body and mind can help you live more fully.

But before I sound too preachy, I'd like to offer my own self-care experience.

It has definitely been a journey. I've realized, after much difficulty and unnecessary stress, that I am my healthiest me when I exercise and go to counseling regularly. There are other things, like writing and eating healthy that help, but counseling and exercise are the big ones for me.

When I'm practicing self-care, I feel like I can stay on top of my emotions instead of letting them control me. I feel strong, balanced, and connected. When things are going poorly, sure, it still sucks, but I'm able to keep them in perspective. I spend less time focused on what's running through my mind and more on just living my life. It's incredibly liberating.

And yet, it's still hard. I sometimes feel embarrassed about seeing a therapist and about needing to see one (even though I truly believe that everyone could benefit from talking to an unbiased third party at least once) and body image and exercise have long been a source of stress and anxiety for me. But I've found that by framing it as living healthy and taking care of myself, the focus shifts from what is "wrong" to what I can do about it, which is empowering. It's not fool-proof, of course, but I see enough of a difference in my personal happiness and in my relationships that I'm sold on the value of self-care.

But I want to know, what's your relationship with self-care? How do you cultivate your healthiest you?

Grain-free Lemon Blueberry Muffins

I am so excited to be sharing another healthy, wholesome recipe with you today. This one is a winner, y'all. 

The other weekend, we were craving something different from our traditional breakfast fare - something that felt decadent, but without the guilt. My husband loves lemon and I've been trying to incorporate more blueberries into our diets, so a muffin combining the two seemed like the perfect solution to our carb craving.

These muffins have dethroned my chocolate chip cookies as the best healthy recipe in my small, but growing repertoire. They are seriously delicious.

There is nothing more satisfying to me than making something that is truly tasty and wholesome to boot, so I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

INGREDIENTS
• 2 eggs

• 1/3 cup honey

• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. sea salt

• 2½ cups almond meal

• Zest from 2 lemons
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 cup blueberries

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325° and grease muffin pan with coconut oil or use pan liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients except almond meal and blueberries until combined.

3. With a spatula, fold in almond meal and blueberries.

4. Bake for 25 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

Adapted from this recipe

product review: tarte

if you've been reading ANC for a while, you probably know that i've been learning about and trying out non-toxic beauty products.

as i shared in my last product review, i've found some great new products and today, i'm sharing a few more. tarte is a well-established non-toxic line and i've really liked most of the products i've tried so far. three of the below have become a part of my daily routine...

amazonian clay mascara

- doesn't clump, doesn't flake

- wears well all day

smooth operator powder

- a little goes a long way

- can look chalky if you use too much
- wears best if you swirl brush head in small amount of powder, tap off excess, and press brush into skin, by rocking from one side to the other (instead of sweeping over top of skin)

lipsurgence lip luster

- i've already reviewed this product, but it's too good not to include again

- the colors are beautiful, but my fave is achiote

smooth operator tinted moisturizer

- i referenced this in my last product review, but i'm not a big fan

- feels a bit heavy and the texture is not as smooth as the korres alternative

product review: korres

as promised, i will be reviewing the non-toxic beauty products i recently purchased, and to start off with, i give you my new favorite line...

i had intially purchased the body butter and shower gel after hearing about the antiageing primer via victoria and kathy, but after immediately loving both, i decided to try the makeup line as well.

anthens-based korres makes natural skin-care products by blending science and homeopathy. you can read more about the company here, but my favorite products so far are the quercetin and oak antiageing foundation and primer, the body butter and shower gel.

what i wasn't such a big fan of was tarte's tinted moisturizer, which has been reformulated into a BB cream, and now contains a primer. it felt heavy on my skin and i wasn't a fan of the texture. i tried korres antiageing foundation as an alternative and i love it! which is something because other than performances, i have never used foundation. i have always used a tinted moisturizer, finding foundations to be too heavy for everyday wear.

below are my thoughts on each of the products and would love to hear if you have tried any of the korres line!

korres antiageing primer
- lightweight
- does not make my skin feel tight after applying, like other primers
- noticeably smoother application with both korres foundation and my current laura mercier tinted moisturizer

korres antiageing foundation
- lightweight, buildable color
- does not look caked on, but provides more coverage than typical tinted moisturizer
- skin feels smooth and supple after application
- wears well all day

korres body butter
- texture is somewhere between a lotion and cream
- takes a bit more muscle to rub it in for full absorption
- skin feels soft all day without being greasy
- favorite scents are yogurt and basil lemon

korres showergel
- lathers well
- a little goes a long way
- favorite scent is basil lemon

tarte bb tinted moisturizer
- felt heavy and a bit sticky on application
- did not blend as easily as i'd like

non-toxic beauty products

in effort to live a little healthier, i have been taking a look at the ingredients and chemicals in my beauty products, thanks to the environmental working group's cosmetics database. and it's been pretty scary - one product i had been using for years has formaldehyde in it, which is known human carcinogen. nasty.

if you're interested, check out the EWG - it's non-profit environmental health research and advocacy organization. it's the same organization that publishes the "dirty dozen" annually, a list of foods with the highest levels of pesticide residue.

so, i've decided to start trying non-toxic products (note: not the same as "natural") and came up with the initial list below.

sunscreen | body scrub | finishing powder | mascara | shower gel | shave gel | tinted moisturizer | hair spray | body butter

i'll do a review of these products after i've had a chance to really test them out, but i can tell you i'm already loving the korres shower gel and body butter!

i've been stalking the beauty palette for product reviews, but i want to know: do you have any non-toxic beauty products you love?

a healthier french silk pie

i am so excited to share this recipe with you today! it was a total experiment and totally exceeded my expectations.

have you ever had french silk pie? i apparently was living under a rock and hadn't tried it until recently, at first slice cafe. they have the most amazing pie and one bite from their french silk and i was hooked. knowing that an oreo crust, a decadent filling, and whipped cream couldn't be all that healthy, i looked online for alternatives.

i adapted this crust recipe and this filling and topping recipe and the result is a crunchy crust and a healthier, but still dreamy filling.

james roy photography

a few tips for you:

watch the chocolate! chocolate can burn easily and you'll have to throw it out if it does burn. if you don't have a double boiler to heat the chocolate, you can create a makeshift one by filling a large pot partially with water and resting a smaller pot inside. place the chocolate in the smaller pot and stir frequently.

although i try to substitute sugar for agave nectar or honey, for this recipe, i would recommend using a powder sweetener, like splenda, for light and fluffy texture.

the coconut oil leaves a bit of an aftertaste, which shouldn't be a problem if you're a fan, but since i'm not, next time i'm going to change up the ratio of butter-to-coconut oil.

for a dairy-free topping, substitute cream for 1 egg white and 1 ripe banana. whip with hand mixer and add splenda to taste.

a healthier french silk pie

INGREDIENTS
for crust
• ½ almond meal (or flour)
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

for filling
• 3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 6 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup splenda
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extra
• 3 eggs

for topping
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 ½ tbsp. splenda


DIRECTIONS
1. for crust. preheat oven to 350°. in a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients. in a smaller bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. pour wet mixture into dry and stir well. form dough into a ball and press into 9-inch pie pan. bake for 15 minutes, until crust begins to brow. set aside to cool.

2. for filling. melt chocolate using double-boiler or filling large pot ¼ full of water. place chocolate squares inside a smaller pot and rest inside larger. melt chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently. remove from heat when mostly melted and stir to melt remainder. Set aside to cool.

coddle eggs by bringing water in small saucepan to boil and dipping eggs in for 20 seconds. remove eggs immediately and place in cold water to prevent continued cooking.

in a large mixing bowl, cream butter with hand mixer on low. add in coconut oil and mix until combined. pour in chocolate and vanilla and mix until combined. add splenda and mix on medium. add one egg and mix 5 minutes on medium. repeat for remaining eggs. pour into cooled crust and smooth with spatula. let cool for 4 hours.

3. for topping. in a chilled mixing bowl, whip cream with hand mixer until peaks form. stir in splenda. spread on chilled pie with spatula. top with chocolate shavings.

click here for a printable recipe!

herb cauliflower mash

i'm still learning my way around the kitchen, so like many of my recipes, today's recipe originated from a blog i admire. it was roost blog that initially inspired me to start trying healthy eating recipes, but really the blog is so much more. and the photographs - just gorgeous! i pinned coco's truffled cauliflower mash a while back, but finally tried it on superbowl sunday. 

while truffle oil sounds delightful, i didn't have any on hand, so i adjusted the recipe a bit. the original recipe calls for thyme, but fresh rosemary is one of my favorites, so i had to add it. and the chives give it a bit of a kick.

one other change you might notice: my recipe below calls for yellow onion. i used red this past weekend and while it works, i think yellow onion will be a better complement to the chives. if you try it out, let me know!

herb cauliflower mash

INGREDIENTS
• 24 oz. cauliflower, cut into florets
• ½ yellow onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, cut in half
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp. fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp. chives, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. preheat oven to 375°. in a large bowl, toss florets, sliced onion, and garlic with olive oil.

2. arrange veggies on a foil-lined baking sheet and top with salt and pepper.

3. roast for 45 minutes, until florets begin to brown.

4. remove from oven and pour veggies into food processor. add thyme, rosemary, and chives and blend until smooth. add salt and pepper to taste.

click here for a printable recipe card!

paleo fruit and nut bars

i've been meaning to share this healthy recipe with you for a while - it's easy and makes for a great snack. it's a slightly altered version of the protein bars on multiply delicious, which is one of my favorite sites for healthy recipes.

totally cracked my spatula spreading pressing the mix into the pan

i typically take a granola bar to work to get me through mid-morning, but it's difficult to find bars with limited, healthy ingredients. i'm a big fan of larabar, kind, and two moms in the raw bars, but not a fan of the prices. the fruit and nut bars i'm sharing today are a great grain-free alternative to granola bars and easier on your wallet than packaged bars.

like many of the healthy recipes i have posted, you can substitute ingredients based on your tastes and/or allergies. unfortunately, if you're allergic to nuts, this recipe is not for you - nuts are a central ingredient. i use the golden berry blend from trader joe's, but any dried fruit will work.

a few tips for you:

the bars keep best in the fridge. eat them within one week or freeze for later.

you can substitute almond meal for flax meal, as well as the nuts listed for any others.

try adding 1 tbsp. of chia seeds or wheat germ for extra nutrition. or 1/3 cup chocolate chips; just make sure you add the chocolate chips after processing the rest of the ingredients.

james roy photography

fruit and nut bars

INGREDIENTS
• 1 ½ cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• ½ cup dried fruit
• ¾ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• ½ tbsp. honey
• 4 tbsp. water

DIRECTIONS
1. place almonds, walnuts, almond meal, dried fruit, cinnamon, and vanilla in food processor and process until combined.

2. pulse in honey and water until ball begins to form.

3. remove from processor and spread into 8x8” pan and refrigerate for 1 hour. cut into 2x4” bars and serve.
makes 8 bars.

click here for a printable recipe card!

hot yoga essentials

as part of my new year's intention to create more balance in my life, i have been seeking out more "me" time. it's wonderful to unplug and enjoy time with friends and family, but i've realized that i need more time to myself. time to read, write, reflect, exercise. sometimes i find it hard to focus when i'm always surrounded by others and there is a certain clarity i gain when i'm alone. 

in my quest for more restorative "me" time, i have rediscovered hot yoga and i'm hooked! i was really into yoga for a year or so in college, but i fell out of the practice. i find it hard to quiet my mind, but there is something about a room cranked up to 100+ degrees and the quiet focus of vinyasas that just melts everything away. 

the heat and humidity in the room gives it the cleansing feeling of a sauna and the practice itself encourages you to be fully present in the moment. and what i love most about it is the noncompetitive atmosphere. i have a tendency to push myself too hard, so i really try to focus on doing what feels good for my body and not compare myself to others. 

if you're new to hot yoga, i've listed a few items below that will get you started. just keep in mind that the rooms are steamy and it will take a few classes to acclimate your body, so don't push yourself too hard. and hydrate before, during, and after! by no means do you have to spend a lot of money to practice yoga, but i've opted to invest in a mid-priced, high-quality mat that is thick enough to give my knobby knees a little relief. you will sweat like crazy - literally sweat pouring off your body - so a towel to wipe it away or a towel placed on top of your mat will help prevent slippage. 

so tell me, are there any "me" time practices that leave you feeling refreshed and renewed?

    mat | towel | bottoms | bottle | top

getting fit with friends

a focus on fitness isn't technically one of my intentions for 2013, but i do have a renewed energy about working out since the start of the new year. there are so many times that i mean to work out, but don't actually make it to the gym and even though i have a gym in my office building, i haven't been going very often.

after talking with some friends at work who felt the same way, i decided to create a "peer pressure work out club" or what i've dubbed PWOC. our PWOC includes people of all fitness levels, but we've committed to meeting at the same time every wednesday to head to the gym together. by blocking time in our calendars ahead of time, we can plan around the gym time, and by committing to the "club" together, we can encourage each other to go and to motivate one another once we're there.  

if you want to jumpstart your workout routine, consider working out with a friend. there is strength in numbers! you'll be less likely to cancel on a friend and you can motivate each other once you're out on the trail or groovin' during zumba. hopefully it will be something you look forward to!

your PWOC can be a pal you meet with for yoga or a more formal group like a running club. it can even be a long distance friend that you e-mail/text/tweet with to keep each other on track. choose whatever works best for you, but set a time and date each week to work out. put it on the calendar and make it a priority.

as my mother says, "a priority is what gets done." now get 'er done! 

via

healthy thanksgiving recipes

it's hard to believe thanksgiving this this week! this year, my husband and his oldest siblings (all sisters!) have planned to have thanksgiving together and i couldn't be more excited! they're all busy, working in different cities and don't get a chance to get together at the same time that often.

i've volunteered us to make a few sides and have been researching healthy recipes. i feel particularly challenged to find recipes that will be tasty, filling, and reminiscent of the comfort foods we all know and love, but still relatively healthy. i don't want to impose my eating preferences on anyone, but i'm hoping if i can makes a healthier version of the traditional thanksgiving fare and it tastes great, no one will mind.

                   recipes: mash | casserole | pie

plus, i'd rather not feel like this all day:

"todd! are you not aware that i get farty and bloated with a foamy latte?"

flourless brownie recipe

I have a healthy recipe for you today that tastes anything but healthy! These brownies are rich and decadent and perfect with a glass of milk. I made some slight modifications to this recipe and I can see why they are dubbed "fudgy"- the texture and taste is reminiscent of fudge, but not quite as dense.

A few tips:

Use a heaping ⅓ cup of chocolate chips - i always err on the side of too many!

As i've mentioned before, you can substitute sugar for agave nectar or honey. If you're not quite ready to make the switch to alternative all-natural sweeteners, try turbinado sugar.

You can substitute peanut butter for almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter.

The recipe calls for coconut milk, but if you don't have any or you aren't a fan, you can use soy milk or non-fat milk instead. If you are using non-fat milk, you will want to thicken it by heating it over low heat. Gradually increase the heat, while stirring constantly, until the milk begins to get creamy. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before mixing in with other ingredients.

images by james roy photography 

Flourless brownies

INGREDIENTS

·       1 cup peanut butter

·       2 eggs

·       2 tsp. vanilla

·       ½ cup coconut milk

·       ¼ tsp. sea salt

·       ⅓ cup cocoa powder

·       ¼ cup agave nectar

·       ⅓ cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°. grease 8x8 pan and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, beat peanut butter, eggs, coconut milk, vanilla, and salt with electric mixer until thoroughly mixed.

3. Add cocoa powder and agave nectar to bowl and continue to beat until combined.  

4. Stir in chocolate chips and transfer to pan. bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!