Grain-Free Pumpkin Brownies

Well hello! Are you excited about this grain-free dessert that I promised you. I almost wish I hadn’t  made a full batch of these brownies because every time I went into the kitchen yesterday, I had to sample a bite or two. I have been baking gluten-free desserts for four years now, but haven’t experimented much with grain-free baking. After seeing all of the delicious grain-free recipes over on Detoxinista’s and iheartwellness’ blogs, I was inspired to get started.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Brownies

Makes 16 brownies

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tablespoon vanilla

10 drops liquid vanilla stevia

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup semi-sweet, milk or white chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup toasted walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºf.

Place all of the wet ingredients in a blender and blend on medium speed. Once the wet ingredients are completely blended, add all of the dry ingredients besides the chocolate chips and walnuts. Blend on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and incorporate them into the batter with a spatula.

Spray an 8″x 8″ or 9″x 9″ metal baking pan with non-stick cooking spray (make sure it does not contain flour.) Pour and spread your batter evenly into the pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the pan comes out clean. Once the brownies are baked, allow them to cool for about two hours before slicing and removing them from the pan. I found them a little hard to get out of the pan I used, but I think if you slice them with a sharp knife and then use a spatula to remove them from the pan, they should stay together better than mine did.

Do not try to bake them in a special triangle pan like I did, because they will be a royal pain to get out!

I was curious to see the nutrition stats on this new brownie recipe, so I calculated it out online:

Not too bad for a brownie, right? However, don’t get carried away “testing” these brownies, because half the tray will be gone by the time you know it!

Look at the beautiful sunrise I woke up to this morning:

It snowed a little bit here last night. I was really surprised to see snow when I took Layla potty outside last night. That little sleepyhead is snoring on the couch as I type this. She usually likes to sleep until around 9 or 10 and then get up to start her day. Haha!

I’m going to go doing my treadmill workout at the gym, run some errands in town that I forgot to do yesterday (sometimes I get flustered and sidetracked when I’m running errands only to end  back up at the house with only half of my items completed!) and work on some client nutrition plans at Starbucks.

Have a great day today!!!

Much love,

Kilee

(source)

January Cleanse/Weight-Loss Week 4

Can you believe that we’re already 3/4 of the way through January? This month is flying by! Speaking of flying, I will be flying out to visit Blake in Reno, NV today. His helicopter is down for maintenance right now, so I get to go enjoy some time with him in “little Las Vegas.” My sister agreed to watch Layla for the weekend, so we will be doggie-free. I can’t wait to see what Reno is like. I guess we’re staying at a casino that has an “all-you-can-eat” sushi bar. Can you trust a sushi restaurant that’s not on the coast? We’ll see!

Did anyone try the Cleanse-Friendly Cookies I posted this week? I may have had one (or two) each day since I made them.

How are you feeling? Have you continued to eat vegan or have you reintroduced animal proteins back into your diet? Take some time to think about how you have felt over the past week and adjust your diet as needed. Some people feel great as vegetarians, some people prefer to eat fish while others thrive as full-fledge omnivores. Play around with your animal protein intake until it feels right for you.

This week, you have the option of adding dairy back into your diet. I recommend starting with a goat or sheep cheese or yogurt. Some people, like myself, have an easier time digesting pure sheep or goat’s milk products than cow dairy. If your stomach feels good enough with these two and you want to try adding cow’s dairy back into your diet, go ahead. Pay close attention to how you feel in the hours after you eat your dairy. Is your stomach cramping? Do you feel gassy? If you feel fine, you can choose to continue to eat dairy products. If you feel somewhat sick from it, keep it out of your diet.

Week 4 Daily Meal Guide:

Upon Rising: 16 ounces of water with 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Breakfast: Green Smoothie (see recipe)

Snack: LARABAR (store-bought of homemade) or 4-6 ounces plain greek yogurt with some fruit or gluten-free granola

Lunch: Salad (see recipes for weeks 2 & 3)

Snack: 1-2 cups fresh vegetables and 3 ounces deli meat or ¼ cup hummus or dip

Dinner: Any of the recipes from weeks 1-3 or try one of the linked recipes below.

Post-Dinner: Cup of herbal tea

Week 3 Dinner Recipe Ideas

Quinoa with Poached Egg, Spinach and Cucumber

Lentils and Brown Rice

Grilled Chicken Ratatouille

Mushroom Shichimi Rice Bowl

Detox Lasagna

Grilled Salmon with Apricot-Mustard Glaze

(source)

Lifestyle Tip of the Week:

Taking some time to do something special for yourself is very important. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in taking care of others and not focusing on your own needs. You are not a selfish person for choosing to do something that you enjoy each day. It has been proven that it is beneficial to you and you health to treat yourself to something you enjoy daily.

It could be reading your favorite book, taking a walk to the park, getting a manicure, turning off your cell phone in the evening, taking a bubble bath, buying a scarf in your favorite color, looking at puppies at the pet store or pound or giving yourself a face mask. Whatever you like to do… do it! Unless it’s shoving handfuls of potato chips and chocolates into your mouth. We’re on a cleanse, remember!

This week, please remind yourself to treat yourself to something special each day. I promise that it will have a positive impact on your life.

I hope that you are feeling amazing! I’m off to finish my packing and hit the road. See you from Reno!

xoxo,

Kilee

(source)

Life Lessons from Stand Up Paddleboarding

Hi! I hope that you are having a fabulous day so far! I wanted to share some inspiring lessons that I’ve learned from stand up paddleboarding (SUP) over the past few years.

Suzie was recently featured in the July issue of Self magazine.

(source)

I was introduced to SUP by the lovely, Suzie Coney, of Suzie Trains Maui. She was my trainer when I lived on Maui and she taught free women’s SUP workshops on the weekends. All that you had to do was bring your board and paddle and she would instruct us on proper warm-up exercises and SUP techniques. I gained some major confidence and camaraderie with the other women out there on the water. I want to thank Suzie for introducing me to such an exciting and invigorating sport!

Life Lessons I’ve learned from Stand Up Paddleboarding

(source)

1. If you fall off your board, get back on

This is true at every point in your life. We are constantly “falling off our board,” whether it’s not getting the job we applied for, being dumped by our significant other or eating a bag of Oreos after we swore off of junk food. What’s important is that we pick ourselves up and get back on our “board.”

When I first started SUP, I was in the water half of the time that I was out there. Instead of calling it quits and swimming back to shore, I pulled myself out of the water and back onto my board. I continued to work on my balance and learn the best ways to maneuver my board in the choppy waters. The last time that I went SUP on my trip to Maui, I went out for about 30 minutes without falling once!

I know that we all have times when we’re feeling down or have gotten off track. My best advice is to stick with our goal, get back up, and keep working towards it. Our hard work will pay off!

2. Keep your eyes ahead, not beneath you

This one is especially important, both when your on the water and in life, when your striving towards large goals. I realized that when I looked at the ocean beneath my board, I was more likely to be wobbly and lose my balance than when I focused on a point in the distance. I liken this to staying focused on your overall life goals instead of worrying about the issues that arise on a daily basis. There will always be little problems that come up along the way, but if we work through them, everything will all work out.

Next time you find yourself panicked about a current “crisis” remind yourself that “this too shall pass” and that you will eventually achieve your goal.

(source)

3. Go with the flow

This is one that I am constantly working on! When you are out in the choppy ocean waters, your board is continually bobbing up and down with the waves of the ocean. If your legs are locked straight, you are more likely to get tossed off your board. However, if you slightly bend your legs and allow the board to rock beneath you with ease, you are less likely lose your balance.

In life, it is easy to get caught up in the day to day drama, but if you roll with the punches and don’t worry too much about the little things, it will all work out.

There you go. These are my life lessons learned through my experience with stand up paddleboarding. Readers, I have 2 challenges for you: apply one of these lessons to your week this week and if you have the opportunity to try SUP, do it!

Have a great day today!

Much love,

Kilee

Weekend Shower Fun

Today I wanted to feature my friend Laura’s bridal shower. Remember a few weeks ago when I was making mini quiches? Her shower was recently feature on the blog, Hostess with the Mostess. The amazing fête was planned by Lindsey, Laura’s twin sister and our friend, Jessica of Modern Moments Design designed the invitations and printed decorations. It was amazing to say the least. Lindsey and Laura need to start their own business because they are the most talented decorators/hostesses/interior designers I know! These photos speak for themselves.

Lindsey, the bride, Laura and I

Are you speechless of how beautiful it was? You can see more of the professional photos here. I’m thankful that I got to spend time with my friends and celebrate Laura’s upcoming wedding. I didn’t get to try my quiches (the crust had flour,) but some of the shower guests assured me that they tasted good. I advise anyone preparing mini quiches the day before an event to place a paper towel in the the container that they’re storing them in. This will help keep the quiches from absorbing moisture becoming soggy.

I did help myself to quite a few of the coconut french macarons. Such a delish gluten-free treat! What’s your favorite party treat to enjoy?

4th of July Menu

Happy 4th of July Weekend! I hope that you are having a fabulous weekend so far. I started off my Friday with a 6 mile run after work and then headed to my friend, McKenzie’s house for a delicious gluten-free dinner. She made gluten-free pasta with grape tomatoes, broccoli and chicken sausage and served it with a spinach salad and some yummy wine. To top it all off, she baked strawberry shortcake with Pamela’s baking mix, fresh strawberries from the farm near her house and homemade whipped cream. It was an amazing, relaxing, fun and much-needed girlie evening. Love you Kenze!

This 4th of July, I will not be cooking or baking anything, but I have a little menu planned for what I would have made if I were to be hosting a party. Here’s what my party menu would include:

Spinach and Strawberry Salad by Whole Foods

Caramelized Onion Stuffed Turkey Burger with Guacamole, Fresh Spinach & Feta by Broke & Healthy

My Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Vegetarian Maple Baked Beans by GF-zing

Summer Berry Trifle by Unconventional Kitchen

Don’t all of these recipes sound delicious? I have a nice, fun-filled weekend planned. After I finish up with work tomorrow, I’m dropping Layla off at the doggie hotel and headed home to Gearhart, OR for the 4th. I’ll be following some of my tips while celebrating this patriotic holiday. I hope that you have a happy & safe 4th of July.

Reader: What are your plans for the weekend?

Wednesday Meals

Hi! How is your day going so far? Mine has been wonderful; partly because I realized we were already half way through the week. Gotta love Monday holidays! I thought that it might be fun to show you my meals today because I just happen to have my camera sitting on the kitchen table all day. These are all one-dish meals that I threw together in 15 minutes or less.

Breakfast: Breakfast Burrito Scramble

I cooked organic scrambled eggs, cut-up brown rice tortilla, veggies with Mexican blend Mrs. Dash and topped it with some pico de gallo. A very healthy and filling way to start my day!

Lunch: Salad

Arugula and mixed greens with chickpeas and my new tahini-lemon dressing recipe.

Dinner: Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

Organic chicken breast with veggies and a little oriental orange sauce that I mixed up.

I spent a total of less than an hour in the kitchen today and enjoyed three homemade meals. As you can see, eating healthy, gluten-free meals can be easy, quick and oh so good!

Tonight I want to feature some of my favorite websites that inspire me to be my best each day. I think that I’ve mentioned some of these in the past, but they are each so fabulous, that I want to remind everyone to check them out!

The Daily Love

I subscribe to their daily newsletter and it truly is one of the best parts of my day. Mastin Kipp writes amazing and inspirational advice and I love the quotes section of the newsletter. This is one to check out a.s.a.p. and sign up for the daily newseltter. I promise that it will add joy and happiness to your day!

Tone It Up

These are my favorite celebrity trainers! I wish that I could work out with them everyday. Karena and Katrina are so positive and fun to listen to. They have awesome workout videos that are set on the California beach. One day, I’m going to go visit their studio and work out with the ToneItUp team!

I Heart Wellness

Kris Britton has a lovely blog dedicated to allergy-free recipes and inspiration to follow your passion. She is always coming up with new yummy, allergy-free recipes. She also offers a lot of advice for following your passion and living your dream. And, she sells her gluten-free cookies on Etsy. She is one busy girl!

What are some of your favorite websites? I’d love to hear what ones you check out regularly. I’m off to clean up the house for a little get-together that we’re hosting tomorrow night. Have a great evening!

How to Not Feel Like You Have to Accomplish a Life’s Worth of Goals This Instant

Hi! I hope that you are having a fabulous Friday so far!  Here’s a pic of my cute little wheat grass pot in my kitchen. I juiced some the other day and cannot believe how much instant energy it gave me :)

I have spent the last few days re-prioritizing my goals and how I spend my time.  As I reflected over the past year, I started to realize that I have been putting so much energy into *making things happen* that I haven’t stopped to smell the roses along the way.  My goals that I plan to achieve are grande in size and I have spent the past few years in the mindset that I have to work non-stop, spend all of my free time building my business and go-go-go to accomplish these goals.  After taking a few weeks off from this mindset, I have realized that it’s unhealthy to always be in this mode.  My mind was constantly thinking of what I should be doing or how much I need to accomplish to create the life that I want.  I was striving to be be a super-human.

Then it hit me.  I’m never going to be super-human.  None of us are.  Even Martha Stewart, one of my long-time idols, is not super-human.  She built an awe-inspiring media empire, but was not super-human enough to avoid jail-time.

Looking back on different times in my life I started to see a theme.  I wish that I would not have worried so much and just gone out and had fun.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had lots of fun, but there has always been a part of me that worried that I wasn’t doing enough to work towards accomplishing my goals. What am I going to do about this? I’m going to change my mindset. Instead of continuing my theme of worrying and always feeling like I need to be doing more, I’m giving myself permission to go relax a little and enjoy life.  Even the most accomplished individuals have some fun now and then, right?

The reason why I wanted to share this with you is because leading a fulfilling, healthy lifestyle involves balance.  Work and play, healthy, alkalizing foods and indulgent treats, working hard to accomplish your dreams and relaxing.  I pledge to keep a more balanced mindset when it comes to achieving my goals.  I trust that the universe has an even greater plan for me than the one that I strive for.

Because I just spent the past year working my buns off and am now realizing that it’s beneficial to slow down and enjoy the moment you’re in, I want to share with you my tips on easing off of over-drive.  If you are on the other end of the spectrum and feel that all you want to do is lay back and not set any goals, wake up and use these tips to get motivated!

1. Identify your top three goals.  Write them down in a notepad or on a dry erase board.

2. Remind yourself that you will accomplish these goals at the right time for you and your journey through life.

3. Trust that the universe has an even better life in store for you than the one you have planned.

4. Create an action plan of how you are going to achieve these goals. Do not become fixated on achieving them a.s.a.p. but instead recognize that you will accomplish your goals when the timing is right.  Remember my favorite life quote that I’m sure my friends are sick of hearing from me, “Everything happens for a reason.”  If something doesn’t happen exactly when you want it to, trust that there is something greater that is meant to happen.

5. Make time to relax, hang out with friends and family, have fun, treat yourself.  Life is too short to only focus on your goals and not enjoy the wealth that you already have: health, loved ones & purpose.

So, I just wanted to remind myself that I’m not super-human.  Even though I would LOVE to write a new blog post everyday, at this point in my life, I cannot accomplish that goal.  It doesn’t mean that it won’t happen someday, just not today.

Please remember not to be too hard on yourself and realize that your goals will come true if you progressively work towards them.  Take some time to have fun and be with the ones you care about.

And, for daily inspiration delivered right to your inbox, check at http://thedailylove.com.  I always feel so inspired and enlightened when I read Mastin’s daily email newsletter!

Goal Setting Site: 101in365.com

Hi!  Happy almost Friday!  I wanted to share with you a great website to help you make, track and accomplish your goals this year.  Sometimes it can be difficult to make goals because you might feel that they need to be these huge, life-changing goals.  This is so not true.  My sister let me know about the website http://101in365.com.  The premise is to lock in 101 goals that you want to accomplish within one year.  They can be big or small, fun or serious.  The point is to get you thinking about what you want in life and what you can do now to make those things happen.  You can also view other people’s goals for inspiration.  Start thinking about what you want on your list.

Check out the website here!

Happy goal-setting :)

Whole Nutrition Words of Advice

I’m in the process of building “Whole Nutrition” to be my vehicle for sharing information about how to lead a healthier and happier life.  Therefore, I will be doing quite a bit of updating and adjusting to this site in the coming months.  I have spent hours upon hours of learning, listening to and reading about health. I continue to explore how our foods, activity and mindset affect our health and happiness.  My goal is to help others feel their best each day so that they can achieve their dreams and goals.

Here is “Whole Nutrition’s” manifesto:

I will be sharing with you ways to cook healthy meals, properly fuel our bodies and how to create the life that you want to live.  In the mean time, here are some things that I am loving right now:

This is an inspiring email newsletter, blog and twitter account dedicated to spreading love and encouragement to all.  Creator, Mastin Kipp along with guest writers offer a daily shot of inspiration.  Be sure to sign up for their newsletter at http://thedailylove.com.

Mountain Rose Herb is an online retailer who provides the highest quality organic herbs, healthy foods and natural care products. They are based in Eugene, Oregon and have an amazing selection of products in varying sizes. I like to purchase my bee pollen, extra-virgin coconut oil and Himalyan sea salt from http://mountainroseherbs.com.

Throughout college, I used black Moleskin journals to jot down notes in and out of class.  Their new “Passions” series is a line of journals dedicated to particular subjects. You can use them to jot down your ideas or paste clippings from magazines.  I bought the “Recipe” and “Wellness” journals, but they come in other subjects ranging from “Travel” to “Gardening.”  Whatever you passion is, pick up one of these journals to keep track of your thoughts and inspirations.  Moleskin Passions Journal

Let me know what you think of the manifesto and suggestions.  Take care,

Kilee