Recipe Makeover - Pecan Crusted Salmon

I love salmon, unfortunately about a year and a half ago, I caught food poisoning from some delicious salmon I ate out at a restaurant. This led to my food aversion of salmon for quite some time and now I am still very particular on where I consume salmon. I prefer cooking it myself now, but it is at the top of my list for healthy and delicious dinners! I saw a recipe for pecan crusted salmon in a southern living magazine, and knew I had to figure out a healthier alternative to this recipe, because it was absolutely delicious! So...check out this awesome recipe makeover! By simply replacing the large amount of butter used with coconut oil/butter cuts the calories greatly and makes a crispy crust.

Ingredients:
1 large salmon fillet or 4 per portioned fillets
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp dill
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp coconut oil (the thick texture similar to butter is necessary)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Pulse pecans, dill, garlic, and oil, making a paste like texture
3. Season salmon with salt and pepper, top heavily with thick mixture in the center of each fillet. 
4. Bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through, flakes with a fork. 
5. Serve immediately, I prefer serving with asparagus and wild rice.

The paste can be made in advance to top salmon and pop in the oven approx 30 minutes before serving dinner. 

I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as my family does! 

Christmas Eve~Traditions...

Yes it is that time of year, 

Christmas is almost here!

Scream and shout

You might even jump about,

Knowing he soon will be here. :)

This time of year I still find myself giddily with anticipation of Christmas morning! My reasoning behind my giddiness has greatly changed over the years however, from once giddy to see what had arrived for me, to now giddy to see the exictement on others face's. Waking up early to spend those precious moments with my family by the tree opening presents. Seeing the eyes of the youngest of the crowd grow bigger with excitement as they unwrap their presents! These are all moments we should hold near to our hearts and treasure! 

What is your favorite part of the holiday seasons?

Some might say: "the presents", "the food", "the music", or even "the movies", but for me I must say, "the moments with my family!" These other things are great, but the memories we make with our loved ones greatly outweigh all these small details.

Traditions...

Traditions often are the glue to a family's holidays, and each family has their own traditions. Our family has a couple different traditions and they might slightly vary by the year, but the basis is the same. I have traditions with my parents and sister that we have done since I was small, I now carry on my own traditions with my children as well. Keep these traditions alive as these are a way a family carries through the generation! 

As I type this I am partaking in a small aspect of our Christmas tradition already, my own family and I are on our way to my parents to make sure we are there for Christmas morning! 

Well, make sure those kiddos are in bed early, as I am sure the elves will be doing a lot of last minute running around! Merry Christmas to you all, and don't forget the true importance of the holiday season! ❄️⛄️🎄🎁🎅🎉

Christmas Eve~Traditions...

Yes it is that time of year, 

Christmas is almost here!

Scream and shout

You might even jump about,

Knowing he soon will be here. :)

This time of year I still find myself giddily with anticipation of Christmas morning! My reasoning behind my giddiness has greatly changed over the years however, from once giddy to see what had arrived for me, to now giddy to see the exictement on others face's. Waking up early to spend those precious moments with my family by the tree opening presents. Seeing the eyes of the youngest of the crowd grow bigger with excitement as they unwrap their presents! These are all moments we should hold near to our hearts and treasure! 

What is your favorite part of the holiday seasons?

Some might say: "the presents", "the food", "the music", or even "the movies", but for me I must say, "the moments with my family!" These other things are great, but the memories we make with our loved ones greatly outweigh all these small details.

Traditions...

Traditions often are the glue to a family's holidays, and each family has their own traditions. Our family has a couple different traditions and they might slightly vary by the year, but the basis is the same. I have traditions with my parents and sister that we have done since I was small, I now carry on my own traditions with my children as well. Keep these traditions alive as these are a way a family carries through the generation! 

As I type this I am partaking in a small aspect of our Christmas tradition already, my own family and I are on our way to my parents to make sure we are there for Christmas morning! 

Well, make sure those kiddos are in bed early, as I am sure the elves will be doing a lot of last minute running around! Merry Christmas to you all, and don't forget the true importance of the holiday season! ❄️⛄️🎄🎁🎅🎉

Mediterranean Roasted Cornish Hens

Sunday I spent the day with one of my best friends, staying warm inside. After multiple cups of coffee, we decided it was time for some good eats. She surprised my husband and I with this amazing delicious and healthy recipe! Check it out!

Mediterranean Roasted Cornish Hens-Candace Metcalf

Ingredients:
2 cornish hens, split
1 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
1 cup artichoke hearts, sliced
1 cup onion, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 cup green olives, not just green but immature green olives
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place olive oil in bottom of baking dish, split Cornish hens and rub in olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tbsp italian seasoning, add 1/2 in water to bottom of dish, and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.
3. Mix remaining ingredients
4. Remove birds from oven, add vegetable mixture, sprinkle with remaining italian seasoning and bake an additional 30-45 minutes 
5. Let dish rest for 5 minutes before serving locking in juices and flavor!

My friend served it beautifully on a bed of rice, making sure to place plenty of the juicy delicious broth over the dish before serving! 

I know you are all jealous right! ;) 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did, it was great!  This is a great recipe to make for the large groups of family coming in around the holidays, easy to throw together and have baking upon their arrival. 

Cold Weather Workout!!!

That time of year is upon us, the cold has swept in with many places under ice warnings. Where I live  in Florida however, it is a rainy, dreary day. Point being I will not be able to workout outside today for sure. What to do when you can't get outside to get your physical activity?

I myself enjoy running, biking, walking, hiking, tennis, and well about any activity that can take place outside. I do however have some awesome indoor workouts too though! In the past I did not enjoy workout movies or any workout keeping me inside. Then I found a workout program that is right for me, that I really enjoy, and actually want to do everyday!

This is the important part, to find a workout you actually WANT to do, this way you will stick with it!  I absolutely love TURBOFIRE, it is a fun, dancy type workout to awesome music! I also love Turbo Jam and Brazillian Butt Lift. These are all great inside workouts using your own body to gain muscle and lift those saggy areas.

It is important for you to find what works for you, if you need help finding a great workout, I am here to help! If you are limited on space and equipment a workout video is always a great go to! If you are one of the privileged few, you may have an in home gym, take advantage of your equipment on these cold days. I have attached a couple more inside workouts!

*If you are interested in finding a great workout video, you can check out mine at www.healthierhappieru4life.com or contact me at

www.facebook.com/healthierhappieru4life 

What Are You Really Eating?

Do you truly stop and think about every bite you put into your mouth?

Each small bite/sip can contain gobs of calories, and unfortunately can be consumed very easily. Mindlessly we pop chip after chip, piece after piece into our mouths. Then there are those calories we drink, chug chug chug, every drop easily going down. These are the areas where, to often, we do not keep track of what we are truly eating, which leads to keeping that muffin top or extra baggage.

One thing I have found to be crucial to my healthy eating and staying focused is food tracking, journaling, counting, whatever you might call it. There are many tools to help us do this these days. It is important to find what works for you in your situation. What are you more likely to follow through with completing every day! Keeping a spiral notebook or pad and pen with you and writing down what you eat may work best for you. There are now many options using technology, including using your phone as a tracking device either through simply taking notes on it or downloading an app that can go above and beyond to tell you what your truly eating. There is also the aspect of knowing subconsciously that since I am going to have to write it down I am more likely to not eat certain junk items.



I myself have found using an app, is what works for me! I personally love myfitnesspal, it is a great app that helps me keep track of not only what I am putting into my body (food and water), but also keep track of my physical activity, and show me a breakdown of my daily intake per nutritional value.

 It is hard to get into the routine, especially when you are busy at work and being a mom, but well worth it in the end.  If you can be determined to track just one months worth of eating, you will at this point be into a routine and should be able to stick with it. The payoff can be worth more than the time in the long run.

So...is it worth it for you?

Recipe Makeover- Egg Nog Frappuccino

The day after thanksgiving while visiting a SB with one of my best friends and sister I was introduced to the Egg Nog Frappuccino. Yes, it didn't sound the greatest at first to me, especially since I can't drink milk, but after taking a wee little sip, I knew I had to make it over! 

I literally wait for this time of year to enjoy my favorite holiday drinks at Starbucks, however unfortunately most often they break my calorie bank. So came the challenge of making a non-dairy, low calorie, yet still delicious holiday drink. When I made this amazing concoction last night, I knew it was a winner!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup silk eggnog
• 1 scoop of your favorite vanilla protein shake (I used vanilla Shakeology, it was amazing)
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• Lots of Ice

Directions:

Place all these yummy ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth! Serve immediately, garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg if you like! 

I enjoyed mine by the christmas tree while watching the lighting on TV last night! 

Have a favorite holiday drink you challenge me to makeover?