Motivational Quotes To Keep You Going!

I love motivational quotes and can't seem to get enough of them. Reading them often, keeps me motivated and helps put my goals in perspective. I hope these help motivate you too! :)

Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon with Quinoa Salad

Day 14 Recipe

Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon with Quinoa Salad

1/2 lb quinoa (cooked)

1/4 cup red onion (chopped)

1/4-1/2 cup fresh basil (chopped)

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

cherry tomatoes (chopped in half)

Mix above ingredients and add to cooked quinoa.

1 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp dijon mustard

2 Tbsp honey

Mix above ingredients in glass pyrex.  Place salmon fillets in pyrex and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Oven Roasted Veggies with Thyme and Sage

I know winter is coming to an end soon, so you better get those yummy winter veggies in before they're totally out of season.  This recipe is super simple and super healthy!  It's quick pre work and then you just stick it in the oven and you're ready to go:)

Day 13 Recipe
7 cups assorted root veggies (carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, etc...)
2 cups butternut squash
1 onion (sliced)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 sage leaves (chopped)
4 thyme springs
salt and pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut all veggies and squash into equal size pieces.  Except the beets; cut those thinner.  Put veggies, squash and onion in bowl.  Add olive oil, sage, thyme, salt and pepper.  Toss well so all veggies are coated.  Spread veggies on parchment paper linked baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until tender.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar to your liking.

Day 12 Recipe

I came across this Roasted Beets with Pasta and Pine nuts and decided to modify it just a bit. This recipe is very healthy, although it does take a little more time to prepare then I'm use to. It's worth it though! If you have little kidos who like to decorate themselves with the food they eat then make sure they're in clothes you don't care about or just in diapers:) The beets can stain:) What is your favorite recipe that takes a little more prep work then most? Please share! Thanks;)

Quinoa Noodles with Roasted Beets and Pine Nuts

1 box quinoa noodles
1 bunch beets with greens
3 Tbsp pine nuts
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (minced)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
goat cheese (optional)

How To Roast Beets:

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut greens off beets and save for later. Wash and trim beets, leaving a bit of the end attached.
- Place beets in shallow pie pan with 1/4 inch of water.
- Cover pan with aluminum foil.
- Bake 40-60 minutes, until a knife pieces the beets easily. Roasting time depends on the size of the beets.
- Remove beets from oven and let cool.
- Skin will peel off beets easily, either using a paring knife to gently scraper the skin off, or using your fingers.

Directions To Make Quinoa Noodles with Roasted Beets, Beet greens and Pine nuts:

- Cut roasted beets into wedges. Wash beet greens well, and cut into 1 inch pieces.
- Cook pasta until al dente, according to directions. Drain pasta, saving 1/2 cup noodles cooking liquid.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add onion and sauté on low to medium-low until soft and golden brown, about 18-20 min.
- Add garlic and stir 2 more minutes.
- Stir in beet greens along with balsamic vinegar. Cook for 2-3 minutes until tender.
- Toss cooked pasta with onion/beet greens and roasted beets. Add noodles cooking liquid to moisten if desired.
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Sprinkle with pine nuts.
- Serve with goat cheese, if desired.

Make it a great day! :)

Winner of the Valentine Giveaway!

The winner of the Valentines Giveaway is...

Jenn S.

Jenn S. , email me at Tiffany@staymotivatedwithme.com so I can get you your new SportsMixer BlenderBottle. Congratulations!

Thanks to everyone who entered into the Giveaways:)

Keep reading and giving me your input! 

I LOVE YOU ALL!  

XOXO

Cilantro Benefits

The more I research health benefits of several different foods, the more I want to make sure to eat a well balanced diet with a little bit of everything healthy. One of my favorite meals is the shredded chicken salad from Cafe Rio with corn tortillas, no cheese, black beans, and shredded lettuce. I usually tell them to hold the cilantro due to it's prominent flavor. After researching cilantro, I will never omit this amazing and health healing herb again. Bring on the cilantro! This also makes me want to make my own yummy salsa more often. Whats your favorite salsa recipe?

Cilantro was introduced to the American colonies in 1670 and has been a staple in the Americas ever since. One of the major health benefits of cilantro is it's effectiveness of removing heavy metals and other toxic agents found in the body. Crazy, right? Who knew? Below is a list of the rest of the amazing health benefits that cilantro has to offer.

List of Cilantro Benefits:

- Powerful anti-inflammatory capacities that may help symptoms of arthritis
- Protective agents against bacterial infection from Salmonella in food products
- Acts to increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind), and reduces LDL cholesterol (the bad kind)
- Relief for stomach gas, prevention of flatulence and an overall digestive aid
- Wards off urinary tract infections
- Helps reduce feelings of nausea
- Eases hormonal mood swings associated with menstruation
- Has been shown to reduce menstrual cramping.
- Adds fiber to the digestive tract
- A source of iron, magnesium, and is helpful in fighting anemia
- Gives relief for diarrhea, especially if caused by microbial or fungal infections
- Helps promote healthy liver function.
- Reduces minor swelling
- Strong general antioxidant properties
- Disinfects and helps detoxify the body
- Stimulates the endocrine glands
- Helps with insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar
- Acts as a natural anti-septic and anti-fungal agent for skin disorders like fungal infections and eczema
- Contains immune-boosting properties
- Acts as an expectorant
- Helps ease conjunctivitis, as well as eye-aging, macular degeneration, and other stressors on the eyes.
This list is from globalhealingcenter.com

You can still enter into this weeks Valentine Giveaway!
Have a great weekend! :)

Salmon Recipes

Apparently I'm on a salmon kick so here are a few of the recipes I've used with my family recently:)  Whats your favorite way to prepare salmon?

Also, don't forget to enter the Valentine Giveaway!  

Day 9 Recipe

Blackened Salmon Steaks W/ Roasted Butternut Squash

2 - Salmon Steaks 

2- 3 tsp Blackened Seasoning

2- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Drizzle oil in sauté pan over medium/high heat.  Season salmon steaks with blackened seasoning and place steaks in sauté pan and cook over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes on each side or until beginning to brown.

Butternut squash

1 medium sized butternut squash cut into 1/2 - 1 inch cubes

1- 2 Tbsp butter 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg 

Mix above ingredients in zip lock bag and mix well.  Heat oven to 425 degrees and then place butternut squash onto cookie sheet and bake in oven for about 25 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Day 10 Recipe

Gluten Free Pasta W/ Blackened Salmon and Broccoli

1 bag of gluten free pasta of your choice

leftover salmon from night before and if you don't have enough then just add 1 can of canned alaskan salmon

2 cups broccoli

1 sweet onion (chopped)

1 1/2 tsp garlic (minced)

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

blackened seasoning 

Heat olive oil in sauté pan over med heat.  Add in chopped onions and broccoli.  Sprinkle a little blackened seasoning over onions and broccoli.  Cook until onions are browned.  Add in leftover salmon and or canned salmon.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Day 11 Recipe

Mango Salmon

Salmon fillet

about 2 cups mango salsa

foil

Rinse salmon under water then pat dry with paper towel.  Place salmon on foil.  Make sure you have enough foil to completely wrap and cover the salmon filet.  Pour mango salsa over salmon.  Wrap filet and place onto cookie sheet then bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked to your liking:)  Enjoy!

Valentine Giveaway

This week I am giving away a pink SportsMixer BlenderBottle.  Considering tomorrow is Valentines Day I decided to save the pink SportsMixer for this week:)  I love the color pink, I love my family and friends, I love watching lightening storms, I love the sun and doing anything outdoors, I love when I follow or make up a recipe and it turns out, I love working out and eating healthy, I love new socks, I love soft fabrics, I love burts bees, I love raspberries, I love happy people, I love when our kids wake up at 4am and come down to snuggle in bed, I love the little things that make people smile and I love you!  These are just a few of the things that I love.  Let me know a some of the things you love and if you're the lucky person you'll get this cute pink BlenderBottle. XOXO

Entry Rules:

**MUST BE A FOLLOWER OF STAYMOTIVATEDWITHME

*Like Staymotivatedwithme on Facebook

*Join this site (here) and click on "follow this blog"

*Leave a comment and tell me what it is you love.

Good Luck!

Giveaway will close Sunday at midnight

 winner will be randomly selected and announced Monday.

Winner Of The Blue SportsMixer BlenderBottle Giveaway

The winner for the 2nd week of the SportsMixer BlenderBottle giveaway is...

Cait!!!

Cait, email me at Tiffany@staymotivatedwithme.com so I can get you your new SportsMixer BlenderBottle. Congratulations!

Dinner Day 7

Healthy Egg Señora

10 whole eggs ( I like to use organic, omega 3 eggs)

2 7 oz cans chopped green chills 

1/2 cup gluten free baking flour mix

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 pint low fat cottage cheese ( when I can buy organic I do!)

1/2 cup grated jack cheese

2 cups spinach or swiss chard 

Mix all ingredients together then pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees fro 20-30 minutes.  Sometimes I have to cook it even longer.  Just make sure it's golden brown on top:)

Enjoy!

Day 5 and 6 Recipes

Here are two more recipes for you to try.  Totally quick, easy and delish!

Remember that diet alone can cause you to gain or loose unwanted lbs.  So, if you're super pressed for time and just can't seem to get your workouts in (like me recently:( ) then at least keep your diet super good and clean!  Don't not eat because that will just mess up your metabolism.  I always try to eat something at least every 2-3 hours.

Oh, and don't forget to enter for the giveaway this week!  Details below.  Giveaway closes Thursday at midnight; mountain standard time.

Make it a great day!

Day 7 Recipe
Salmon Patties With a Green Salad
1 can alaskan salmon
1 egg
1/2 small onion (chopped)
1 tsp garlic (crushed)
2 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
1 piece of whole wheat toast (crumbled) or you could use about 1/2 cup almond meal

Mix salmon, egg, onions, garlic and crumbled toast together.  Make patties about 3x3.  Heat olive oil in skillet then place patties and cook on both sides until golden brown.  Place on bed of lettuce and enjoy!  If you feel like you want more flavor add a vinaigrette dressing.


Day 8 Recipe
Quinoa Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard

1 bunch swiss chard
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 shallots (thinly sliced)
2 tsp garlic (minced)
1 Tbsp capers (rinse and drain)
1/2 pound quinoa noodles cooked al dente
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Trim tough ends of swiss chard.  Slice stems and leaves into thin strips.
Heat olive oil in sauté pan and add sliced swiss chard stems and shallots.
Saute until shallots are softened (2-3 min)
Add garlic and capers, sauté for another min.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss cooked pasta with sautéed swiss chard and a little extra virgin olive oil to loosen up noodles.
Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!

2nd Week Of The SportsMixer BlenderBottle Giveaway!

Enter for a second chance to win a SportsMixer BlenderBottle!

Entry Rules:

**MUST BE A FOLLOWER OF STAYMOTIVATEDWITHME

To become a "follower" you need to "join this site" by clicking (Join this site).

*Like StayMotivatedWithMe on facebook

*Post the link to this giveaway on your facebook/blog

Good Luck!

Giveaway will close Thursday February 9 2012 at midnight.

 Winner will be randomly selected and announced Friday February 10th 2012.

o The BlenderBottle® Classic revolutionized the portable mixer category when it was first introduced and quickly became the best-selling portable mixer.
o As the only portable mixer that contains the BlenderBall® - a surgical-grade stainless steel mixing ball - BlenderBottle ensures smooth, great tasting drinks by a unique mixing method for the thickest of ingredients.
o The BlenderBottle is available in two different products: the BlenderBottle Classic and the water bottle that can also be used as a portable mixer- the BlenderBottle SportMixer™. Both products are available in the full 28-ounce size and the 20-ounce mini size, are dishwasher safe, have always been BPA and Phthalate free and are available in a variety of colors.
o BlenderBottle encourages healthy lifestyles by making it easier for people to mix smoother, better tasting healthy drinks and meal replacements.

Check out their site… Here for more info!

Day 6 Recipe
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Submitted by BlenderBottle

This fresh and mild salsa is great served with blue tortilla chips. Also makes a great stand alone salad.

Prep Time
10 minutes

Servings
8

Ingredients
1/3 c fresh lime juice
1/2 c olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 t ground cayenne pepper
1 t salt

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c frozen corn kernels
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Directions:
1) In a BlenderBottle, combine first five ingredients and shake until mixed.
2) In a salad bowl, combine remaining ingredients.
3) Pour BlenderBottle contents into bowl and toss until everything is well coated.
Serve with corn chips or as a salad.

Nutritional Information
(per serving: 564 cal., 19.1 g total fat (2.8g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 303 mg sodium, 278.4 g carbo., 5.2 g sugars, 24.9 g protein)

Winner of BlenderBottle SportMixer Giveaway

The winner of this weeks BlenderBottle SportsMixer giveaway is...

Drumroll please...

**JacVa7!!!**

email me at: Tiffany@staymotivatedwithme.com

Thanks for reading my blog! The more people who read my blog, the more giveaways! So, keep reading,  become a follower by "joining the site" and like me on Facebook! :)

...

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Last Wednesday I hosted a book club and made some yummy Quinoa Zucchini Cookies.  They were totally healthy, very moist and had excellent flavor!  The only thing I would try differently next time is switching out honey in place of the sugars.  Let me know if you modify and how you did it.  Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!  

Day 5 Recipe
Zucchini Quinoa Cookies

11/2 cups gluten free flour mix

1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

1 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 whole zucchini (shredded)

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 bag of dark chocolate chips (make sure the ingredients are pure! No hydrogenated oils!)

optional 1/2 cup chopped nuts of your choice

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all dry ingredients then add in wet ingredients and mix well.  Scoop out with ice cream scooper onto parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 17-18 minutes.  Enjoy!