Melissa-Brooke-Macrina

OMG.....SOOOO DELISH!!!!! AND SO EASY TO MAKE!!!!! So, here's what you need to make these yummy little guys :) 1 1/4 cups canned chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons NATURAL (the kind with the oil that you actually have to mix) peanut butter 1/4 cup honey 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup gluten free, vegan chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients into a food processor (except the chocolate chips) and blend til smooth. Use a spatula to remove the mixture from the food processor into a mixing bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spray the cookie sheet or use parchment paper to line the cookie sheet.....great idea for one less pan to clean :) Roll the cookies into 1 inch balls and bake for 10 minutes. ***a little tip....keep your hands damp when rolling the cookies into balls to prevent the cookie dough from sticking to your hands. I think I'm going to add raisins ...

MAN!!!!! This hits home!!! This past January, I was standing in line at Target with just a few healthy items in my basket as I was on day 3 of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, but ohhhh Target...the smell of popcorn, the very lonnnnggggg candy aisle, the sales of the post Christmas holiday candy! TEMPTATIONS EVERYWHERE!!! I went back and forth over and over and OVER in my head, I'll get a bag of candy and have just one piece. It's JUST ONE, RIGHT? Oh, just ONE piece of candy...like ONE alcoholic drink for an alcoholic or ONE hit of cocaine for a drug addict. JUST ONE, RIGHT? JUST ONE???? WRONG!!!! This day was a HUGE eyeopener for me....I was battling my inner thoughts and desires of the oh so highly addictive SUGAR while my best friend was battling his addiction with drugs. I finally understood the battle in his head that he went through and to this day and every day from here on out will go through with the "It's JUST ONE." With any addictive substance, ONE leads t...

Well, I never, EVER, NEVER-EVER thought I'd EVER be saying this, but I absolutely LOVE KALE!!!! I've always associated it with cooked spinach....mushy, slimy and stinky....and for those who know me, cooked spinach and I have NEVER, EVER been friends, right mom? I remember one hot summer evening, way back when I was probably about 10 years old when my amazing mom insisted that I eat some spinach (from a can) for dinner...I mean come on....my brother and sister LOVED it!! What was wrong with me!? HMMM.....could it have been the smell? the texture?? Who knows exactly what it was. All that matters is that my mom was coming at my mouth with that fork full of spinach, trying to convince me to try it and all that happened was an awful chain reaction of me gagging for about 5 minutes...It WASN'T happening! To this day, cooked greens completely gross me out (spinach, Italian greens, Collard greens, etc...). I really think it's a texture thing. Until one day......what is that on...

So, this week really took hold of me leaving me with barely enough time to get a few hours of sleep! WOW! Here are my final results from the Beachbody 21 day Ultimate Reset: Down 9 lbs & lost a total of 12.3 inches!! I'm feeling pretty awesome! I feel much more lean, less "fluffy" as I like to call it and I actually feel TALLER!!!!! LOL! I'm not very tall and highly doubt I'm any taller, but I feel like the natural foods just gave me an overall more positive feeling and the little things that normally would stress me out and cause disastrous posture by the end of the day didn't really get to me! It's been pretty peaceful in my head :) I thoroughly enjoyed about 90% of the meals, even the tempeh, but won't ever be making that again as it did not at all agree with my stomach...it made me gassy and crampy and I slept horrible the night I had tempeh for dinner. My tempeh research is underway....tempeh: fermented cooked soybeans...hmmmmm fermented? so...

Boy, has it been quite a journey! I cannot believe 21 days went by so quickly!!! I'm going to have to say, I felt kind of sad Wednesday while mixing up my last Alkalinize....you know, the one that tastes like GRASS!!!!! I feel like I want to order more!!! OMG! I think I'm a weirdo! LOL! I have been feeling really great and know I can continue this clean/healthy eating since the food was so enjoyable (minus the beets and the way I felt after the tempeh). For the last year I have been drinking Shakeology for breakfast, but for the last 21 days, it has been (for probably 15/21 days) my afternoon snack which is AWESOME because I usually crave chocolate or cookies in the afternoon! So, all I'm saying is that I may have to change up my Shakeology routine and have fruit or oatmeal in the mornings and  continue ShakeO for my afternoon snack :) OR I may have to do it for breakfast AND snack because I somehow have an entire extra bag! OH NO....that just sounds terrible...NOT! M...

Day 19, Monday Since today was a holiday and I was off, I did a lot of prepping for our final 3 days of the Reset :) Veggies cut and shredded, salads made and  a new list of groceries complete for our last few days (and remainder of the week). Prep day and grocery shopping time is always so colorful in my house and very fresh, so we like to make sure that we buy enough so that we can prep for at least 3-4 days at a time, but not too much that it goes bad. I hear so often that people don't buy fresh fruits and veggies because they go bad so fast, but here's the deal: If it goes bad, it's good for you. If it doesn't go bad, it's bad for you. Example: things that go bad quickly: fruits and veggies = GOOD FOR YOU!!! Things that don't go bad quickly = cookies, chips, sodas, Twinkies (shelf life of WHAT???) = BAD FOR YOU! Basically, what it comes down to is this: EAT FRESH PEOPLE :)  Not only will you feel better physically but emotionally as well. I defini...

WOW!!! It's been extremely difficult this weekend to stick to the Reset with my family in town, but I'm doing my best to make it work! Day 17, Saturday...Today was a  SUPER FUN DAY.... getting muddy in the Everglades!!! I had my delicious plate of fruit and my supplements before rolling out to the Everglades. I packed my salad, while everyone else packed their peanut butter, jelly, bread, burgers, chips, junk food and beer. I can't say that in my 11 years of living in FL that I have EVER brought a salad to munch on to the Glades. I also packed a bag of baby carrots, a few green apples to share, almonds and walnuts in anticipation of being gone for the day but home in time for dinner. Well, let me tell you, one thing led to another, one trip through the mud led to another, one awesome quad ride led to another, then another, then another, etc...By the time I realized, it was 8:00pm and we were just heading back to camp. Our group grew from about 10 people riding on buggies...

AAHHH!!! Day 17 of the Ultimate Reset!!!! Feeling super fab! Today should be interesting! I'm heading to the Everglades for some muddy fun with the family :) but FIRST heading downstairs to prep my meals for the day...can't say I've ever hada salad for lunch on our trips to the Everglades! It's all about PREPARATION :) Can't wait for a FUN-FILLED Muddy DAY! It may be raining, but that doesn't stop this family!!!

I cannot believe I'm already done with day 14 the final day of the release phase!!! WOW! No more Detox drink 3 times a day for me anymore, just my shot of "mowing the lawn with my face" Alkalinize once a day for the next 7 days, the RESTORE PHASE :) During the RESTORE PHASE, grains (rice & quinoa) and legumes (beans, lentils) will completely be eliminated and my diet will be based only on fruits and veggies...which I'm totally excited about! I absolutely LOVE fruits and veggies (minus beets and cooked spinach, but lucky me....they're NOT on the menu!!! WOOOHOO). For breakfast, I'll have no more than 3 servings of fruit. We did our shopping for this final phase last night and OH MAN did it look FRESH! We stuck to fruit that is lower on the glycemic level such as strawberries, kiwi and grapes, which all have a  Glycemic Index below 55.  Day 14 On the Menu: Breakfast: 2 cups fruit Lunch: Microgreen Salad Snack: Strawberry Vegan Shake Di...

WOW! Is time just flying by or what!!!! I have finished days 11, 12, & 13! Sunday (day 11) was just an amazing day! I was actually able to stop myself from thinking of all of the things I had to catch up on and had to get done before work on Monday and enjoy a few hours at the beach reading my new book: PUSH, by Chalene Johnson. If you feel like you never have the time, or just can't get yourself organized, on task and on schedule, you MUST pick up a copy of this book or join her online 30 Day PUSH Challenge!! It is totally awesome! She is so inspirational and her challenge and book help you break down your priorities and make sure those priorities and goals are where you are investing your time. Did you say WHAT TIME? Well, basically you have to MAKE time, SCHEDULE it. If you SCHEDULE it, it will get done, if you put it on your to-do list, it will get done. PUSH, by, Chalene Johnson...If you don't own it, GET IT! Anyway, off that mini-tangent for now :) SO, Sunday.....

Apparently I put my big girl panties on today! I decided to try the Detox with just cold water, mixing it up, not plugging my nose and just chugging away, followed by another nice cold glass of water. It really wasn't bad at all! I think I've got this HANDS DOWN :) Today was a fairly easy day. It all started with P90X Yoga, which felt absolutely AMAZING! My roommies and I pulled out our mats and towels and squeezed ourselves into the living room, kicking and bumping each other at times, but it was so worth it! Roommate bonding time <3 I wish I had a pic of this...I'll get one next time. Breakfast was again a plate of fresh fruit, which I'm totally loving by they way and wish I could eat fruit ALL DAY, but as some of you know that's just really not as healthy as others may think. Check out this link as to WHY :) Can You Eat Too Much Fruit In A DAY? Lunch consisted of a Roasted Red Pepper & Sweet Potato Soup and a Greek Salad, YUMMM, and even better be...

It's FRIDAY!!!!! AND Day 2 of the Release Phase..... So, here is what happens during this phase: We continue with the same supplements  (Optimize) as well as the Alkalinize (the green grass tasting stuff), oxygenize and mineralize, but then add in the Detox drink (3 times per day). As much as I'm hoping the Detox gets a little easier to swallow I don't think it's going to happen! LOL! I make it with LOTS of ice and then take out the ice right before drinking. I try to make it small so I can get it all down in 2 swigs :) WHILE holding my nose and breath! After taking it all down, I make sure to hold my breath for a few extra seconds, slowly releasing my nose...it's pretty funny! Oh, and I have to swish more water in my mouth to make sure there isn't any of the gritty stuff left because that would just freak me out! I just don't know what it is about this drink. Maybe day 3 of this phase will be easier???? We'll have to wait and see! The Detox drink is des...

WOW! It's already DAY 8...the first day of the Release Phase! I'll give you more details on this phase in a post later this afternoon....running late this AM :) I felt absolutely amazing today! I thought I was going to feel a little hungry after eating oatmeal and eggs and toast for breakfast for pretty much the last 7 days, but surprisingly I didn't feel that hungry at all! WOOHOO!  Here is what today entailed: So, I'm not going to lie....the Detox mix above....the BROWN one w/ the stuff settling at the bottom is definitely NOT on my top 5 list of favorite things to drink, but it's manageable with very cold water and a large straw to quickly suck it down. I actually look forward to the green Alkalinize in the afternoon, you know, the one that tastes like grass. Yes, that one. It has actually become a very refreshing part of my day! LOL. I am actually going to hit up the Detox drink as soon as I finish this post and I'm not really looking forward to it! OH...

WOW! What a day! Well, I woke up this morning feeling pretty tired...most likely due to not getting to sleep early enough and then waking at 4:30 to get things done. I felt really great throughout the day, except my stomach felt a little "airy/gassy." I was full of energy and felt like I was back to my "old self." FULL OF LIFE & POSITIVITY <3 On my way to my tutoring job, I had my music blasting (Thank you for finally putting Taylor Swift's "Trouble" on the radio...LOVE IT, LOVE HER! This song get's me SO PUMPED and I just sing at the top of my lungs!!). Today was the last day of the RECLAIM Phase, so as of tomorrow, I'm completely vegan for 2 full weeks....which I don't mind at all! During the Release Phase in July/Aug, I felt wonderful and am hoping to feel the same this time around. Today's breakfast was absolutely DELISH! I had 1cup of cooked oatmeal with 1/2 cup chopped apple, 1 Tbsp ground flax, 1tsp ground cinnamon and...

This day has just been AWESOME! I'm feeling SO good! My positive, non-crying self is back! I actually slept very well last night which hasn't happened in a while, and I woke up extremely refreshed and ready to go this morning! I had a really good day with my students and still had a lot of energy when I headed off to my tutoring job where I work with ten more 2nd graders. Breakfast: We forgot to pick up more tempeh last night, so I made oatmeal for breakfast and added 1/2 of a green apple, 1Tbsp 100% pure maple syrup, and 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed...of course this is one of my favs :) Lunch: Microgreen Salad (on the left in the pic below) Snack: 1/2 green apple and 1 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter Dinner: (on the right in the pic below) Zucchini & Cashew Soup and Vegetable Root Medley (which was delicious...I couldn't do the beets....they kind of have the same effect on me as spinich). Today was just such a great day for me! I even had the energy to go on a 3 mile...

WOW! What a much better day! Today was my first day back at work after 2 weeks off. I felt very calm and surprisingly had a great deal of energy! I was very thankful the 1st time I did the Reset that it wasn't during the school year because I experienced headaches the first few days and thought I'd be starving throughout the school day. I did have a bit of a headache though; one of those that is a lingering constant pain in the back of the right side of my head, but it may have only lasted about an hour or two. Many times throughout my days, I feel very scatter brained...this was not the case today! During my planning period and lunch break I felt very much at ease, I wasn't starting 45 different projects at the same time and was able to start and complete a tasks without a problem :) Now THIS is what I remembered feeling like the 1st time! I was in very good spirits...no crying....LOL...and had a really good day with my students and at my 2nd job where I tutor! Today...

AHHHH, Sundays. I absolutely LOVE Sundays! Today I woke up at 7:00am feeling well rested. My one roommie and I threw on the P90X Yoga video for a little bit of stretching before breakfast and church. Breakfast was great this morning, light but also very filling: 1-2 cups of fruit, 1 slice gluten free toast and 1/2 cup yogurt. I skipped out on the yogurt because it really just doesn't agree with my stomach, but I was completely satisfied without it! Off to church we went, my one roommie and I....what a great message! I LOVE THAT HOUSE... Church By the GLADES <3 The way way each message is related to everyday life is absolutely incredible! My church crew and I always feel so wonderful after a good Sunday morning at CBG! It uplifts our spirits, minds and hearts! After getting our weekly dose of church, we took our 2nd dose of daily supplements and headed home for some lunch :) I was feeling pretty positive, not super hungry, but hungry  enough to want to eat lunch. Today's ...

OOOOOHHH SATURDAY....DAY 3.....I ALMOST BROKE!!!! I felt amazing upon waking this morning! I made it through the morning routine of distilled water and supplements and then on to repeat the scrambled egg, toast and kale breakfast from day 1 :) Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed this meal and was completely satisfied! I was in a GREAT MOOD...NO CRYING, on my way to get my hair done with my AMAZING hair dresser, Michelle (if you live near me, you should check her out!) It was a  wonderful 3 hour "therapy" session with her! Once I was finished up there, I threw down my supplements in the car, so I could eat as soon as I got home and then run some errands. Thank goodness I was off Thursday and Friday and was able to prepare some of the meals in advance. I have NO idea how next week will pan out. I was on summer vacation during my first Reset experience and will be heading back to work this coming Monday which will be Day 5 for me! Sunday is sounding like another day of grocery sh...

Friday, Friday, Friday!!!! I usually love Fridays, but today???? Man, oh, man....I was on an emotional roller coaster! At first I thought it was due to the fact that I had just gotten back home to FL after spending about 1 1/2 weeks with my favorite people in the world; my family, but then I remembered comments from others, who did the reset while I was doing it the first time, saying that they felt a bit emotional during the first few days. My guess is that my body was having some serious cookie or chocolate withdrawals and was crying for some of sugar...EEEK!!! So, here is a recap of my day: Supplements and distilled water around 7:30. The 30 minute wait for breakfast was killing me! I wanted to eat it so bad because I'm a breakfast lover and was a bit hungry. (throw in about 5 minutes of crying here) I held out for 40 minutes by busying myself with some house cleaning :) Breakfast consisted of oatmeal with blueberries and organic plain yogurt sweetened with  a drop of 1...

Well, I'm still trying to figure out this whole blog thing.... getting my blog started has been on my mind for a long time now and was one of my end of the year goals. I had every intention on doing it during my three "free" days in Minneapolis when my brother would be working, but life took an unexpected turn and I spent those three days in New York with family. So, in order to stay on top of my Reset Journey, I have been a bit old fashion over the last couple days and used pen and paper to track my progress and adventure....yes, I said it, that good old pen and paper...actually a couple of days I used PENCIL :) In order to prepare for Day 1, my roommates and I sat down Wednesday evening to review our kits, discuss the meals for week 1 (the Reclaim Phase) and write out our grocery list. As far as meals and supplements, this is what week 1 consists of: A diligently planned schedule of 3 meals, 1 snack and supplements (Alkalinize, Oxygenize, Mineralize and Optimize...

Here I go....ROUND 2 of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset! I felt SO amazing after doing this 21 day detox in July 2012, that I decided this would be the perfect time to do it again...after my 2 week vacation where I was able to visit my brother in Minneapolis and also spend a few days with my family in New York. There is NO better time than NOW. I know I said I wouldn't let the holidays get to me this year, but let me tell you, it is very difficult going home and saying "NO" to everything. Many of the foods I ate while in New York are kind of like "must haves" when I go home, but being that I don't normally eat these foods because    They just don't taste the same in FL or   You just can't find them in FL, my belly was a mess and CRYING for help! OK, OK, and some of the foods can be found in FL and probably do taste the same, but my tummy clearly doesn't like them...for example anything with dairy. Well, it is that time again to clean it all ou...

DAY 1...WHAT AN EXCITING DAY!!!!  I set my alarm for 6:00am. My cat must have also been excited because about 15 minutes before my alarm went off, he was walking along my dresser and desk knocking things off! The best was when I opened my eyes and saw him with his paw on my cute, little, glass IKEA lamp, staring me in the face, looking like "chic, if you don't get our of bed and get your reset on right now, this little glass thing is going down!" I couldn't resist. I grabbed my phone, snapped his picture, sprayed him in the face with the water bottle and flew out of bed with excitement; knowing that today was going to be a BIG DAY! And here is the picture of my little DEVIL! So, onto DAY 1 of the Ultimate Reset.... First things first, I drank my distilled water with the Oxygenize and Mineralize and took 2 of the Optimize supplements. Thirty minutes later, I cooked up my first Reset meal: 2eggs, 2 slices gluten free toast and kale with lemon juice and pine nuts....