The Fit Skool

by Kelly

June 17, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

WIAW: 21 Day Fix

I am excited to link up with the WIAW (What I ate Wednesday) crew and share my food journal with you today. I just started the 21 Day Fix program with a group of people and my meals are definitely shaping up a little different!

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Here is my food journal from yesterday:

BREAKFAST Mocha Chiller (1 scoop Shakeology, 1/2 cup coffee, 1/2 cup coconut milk) + a banana

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MID MORNING SNACK Egg Scramble 1 1/4 cup spinach, 1 cup egg whites, 1 egg, 1 slice whole grain toast, 1 tsp Olive oil

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LUNCH Salad2 cups spring mix, plus 1/2 cup zucchini & tomatoes, 1 piece grilled chicken, 1/4 cup avocado, 1 tbsp salad dressing

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SNACK PB & J Oatmeal: 1 Tsp Peanut Butter, 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup sliced strawberries

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DINNER 1 cup green beans, 1 piece grilled salmon, 1 sweet potato, 1 tsp Olive oil

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POST WORKOUT SNACK 1 Chocolate Protein Oat Bar

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plus 1/2 cup of grapes & a few roasted plantains!

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It was a delicious day of eats!

I am sure some of you aren’t familiar with how the 21 day fix works so I will share a post about that next week!

What’s something yummy you ate yesterday?

Is it hard for you to have portion control?

June 16, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

Chocolate Protein Oat Bars!

Apparently I am on a chocolate kick lately. It seems like whenever I create a new “protein” recipe it contains chocolate of some form! The last recipe I shared with you was my Fudgy Shakeology Bites. They are ridiculously good so if you liked those you will totally love this new recipe I have for you!

One of my clients had asked me which “Protein Bars” were healthy. While there are some out there that I do love, for example: Quest Bars, I do prefer to make my own because most protein bars have other unwanted ingredients. Some of those ingredients I don’t know much about so I try not to buy them.

I told her I was going to get in the kitchen and create my own Protein Bar Recipe and I did.

This recipe only took me 5 MINUTES TO MAKE! It’s probably the easiest thing to make.

With only 5 ingredients and no added sugar, this protein bar is Chocolatey, Satisfying & Filling!!

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INGREDIENTS:

1/4 Cup Peanut Butter

1/2 Cup Coconut Milk (**see note below**)

1 1/2 cups Quick Oats

1/2 tsp Cocoa Powder

2 Scoops Chocolate Shakeology

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Add in the milk and peanut butter, and mix until dough like. I used my hands and it gets messy but it mixes better! In an 8X8 pan place wax paper on the inside and let it hang off the sides.

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Spray with cooking spray and add protein mix. Spread the dough evenly and pop in the freezer for an hour. Cut into 12 bars.

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**Please note the “Coconut milk Beverage” that was used in this recipe is So Delicious Coconut Milk I love this beverage.**

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It is light, delicious, dairy free, gluten free, contains vitamins & healthy fats. 

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I have already made a couple batches of these bars and I love keeping them on hand for post workout snacks or even mid day when I am craving something chocolatey!

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What is your favorite brand of protein bars? 

Have you ever tried making your own? 

June 15, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Weekend Fun & A Bridal Shower

I’m loving the warm weather these days, and although its Monday already I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend.

Friday night was pretty low key. I cooked my Chicken Marsala Recipe for dinner and then Marc had a softball game.

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I stayed home because Ava was exhausted from being in the sun all day so she went to bed early. That meant I was asleep at 945pm, what a loser!

Saturday morning I woke up feeling refreshed and energized. We took a walk with Cooper to Dunkin Donuts to get some iced coffees and then I taught an Outdoor Boot Camp class at 9am. It was awesome and super sweaty, but I think we all got in a great workout. There’s something about exercising outdoors that’s so enjoyable, even though Burpees & Pushups are grueling.

After class my body was pretty spent so I refueled with a Chocolate Shakeology with Coconut Milk, it was delicious!!!

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Ava was pretty tired because Marc took her to the park while I had class. When we got home she had a snack and zonked out for a while. In the afternoon we headed to my parents to play in the pool, except Ava decided to play mostly in the sandbox.

When we got home, Marc put some Blackened Salmon on the grill and we decided to eat home and enjoy the night outside on the porch!

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Sunday was a day to shower my best friend Lauren who’s getting married in October!

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I always love Bridal showers and spending time with my best friends. This one was extra special because Lauren and I have known each other since we were born so it was an honor to be a part of her big day.

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We played a few cute Bridal Games and enjoyed yummy food.

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Lauren’s mom and sister put their hearts into the shower and every detail came together perfectly.

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The Watermelon & Mint Spa Water was one of my favorites!

It was such a beautiful day and the Bride got to celebrate with her family & closest friends.

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The picture below is of the bridal party!

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Once I got home we just relaxed and I got ready for another work week. It was an awesome weekend!

What’s something fun you did this weekend?

Do you have a lot of weddings planned this year?

June 12, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

This heat is draining & Full Body Workout

Staying energized & hydrated during the high temps is rather difficult if you ask me. I usually have great energy during the week but I feel a little off my game. It’s okay every once in a while right?

Now that I think about it, the energy in our house has been all around not normal.  I really think the weather is to blame.

(Isn’t this picture cute? She’s been laying on him and hugging him more and more)

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Ava’s also been taking longer naps and having a few lazy spurts here and there (I have no complaints about the naps!) and Cooper’s been lazy as well!

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Every time we have walked Cooper this week he would lay down randomly. He did it quite a few times until I realized he’s not feeling the heat. So I shortened the walk duration and kept him in the Air Conditioner.

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He does have a fur coat too so that could be the issue!

Yesterday it was 90 degrees. It seemed like every time I stepped outside or got in my car I felt the need to chug a glass of water. I was thirsty all day long. Does that ever happen to you?? I kept asking myself if I slept enough, if I needed a little more caffeine, but I just kept pushing through the day.

To Keep Hydrated & Energized: I took a multivitamin, drank at least 8 glasses of water plus some coconut water, smoothies 

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I ate fruits & veggies high in water like watermelon, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, & apples. 

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FINALLY, after Boot camp last night I actually got a big energy boost (thank you endorphins)!

When I got home from class I did a little extra stretching followed by a personal training session with Marc. He wanted to work out but didn’t want to do T-25 or Insanity.  Those DVD’s tend to have a lot of jumping and Ava was asleep so he didn’t want to wake her up. Our house is kinda old too so when you jump the floor creeks in certain spots.

I decided to have him test out part of my Outdoor Boot Camp Workout. This circuit had no jumping so it was perfect! Before we started Marc warmed up for about 5 minutes.

Here’s a sneak peak at one of the circuits I have planned for Saturday’s class:

QUICK FULL BODY BLAST 

INCHWORM

WALKING PLANK

PLANK DIPS

STEP UPS (with weight overhead)

REPEAT 3X

PERFORM EACH EXERCISE FOR 1 MINUTE BEFORE MOVING TO THE NEXT EXERCISE

It looks like today is going to be another hot one! I hope you all stay cool & hydrated. HAPPY FRIDAY!

Do you sometimes feel less energized during really hot days? 

What do you do to keep your energy level up?

**Although I am a Certified Personal Trainer you should always consult your Doctor or Physician before beginning a new workout program**

June 11, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

5K Hope in Motion Walk/Run

On Sunday I participated in a 5k Hope In Motion walk in Stamford, CT with some friends from town.  I meant to post about this earlier in the week but I had so many other posts I wanted to complete!

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The 5K was packed with TON of people and there were so many fun things to do before the race. Ava wanted to wander around and explore all the fun tents, but after getting stepped on by a guy that was at least 6 foot 5, I learned there were too many people for me to let her run loose!

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Instead to entertain the kids, they had a mini petting zoo that had Baby Goats, Baby Chicks, and a Baby Swan. Ava pet the swan but for some reason she was hesitant to pet the little chicks.

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Once the 5k began we were all walking at a turtle’s pace until everyone started to spread out. Through this walk tons of people were able to bring hope and healing to those who are impacted by cancer. It is truly inspiring to see such a large number of people out to support the community.

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About 5 minutes into the walk Ava fell asleep and stayed asleep for about 20 minutes. I was surprised she was able to sleep through all the noise, music, and DJ.

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Once she woke up she wanted to run around.

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It was SOOO funny to see her running and trying to keep up with the group. She definitely slowed us down a bit but seeing her have fun made it worth it.

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There’s something bout seeing a Finish Line sign that always feels great. It’s always nice to finish anything that you start but when you see it in front of you it makes you feel awesome! To be honest I wish I had participated in the run portion of the 5k, but it was so enjoyable to just be outside and all the positive energy we were surrounded by!

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I loved all the  yummy goodies & snacks we received after we finished!

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It was a beautiful day for a walk and even better to help raise money for cancer.

Do you like to do 5k runs/walks?

How many have you done?

June 10, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
8 Comments

WIAW: Fueled by Clean Eats

woohoo it’s hump day!

Today I am linking up with the WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday) Crew to share my food journal with you from Monday.

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It’s very rare that I wake up super sleepy but on Monday I woke up a few minutes before my alarm and I didn’t want to get out of bed. I’m not sure if my active weekend caught up with me but my first thought was how am I going to teach 2 classes today and chase a toddler! After a tall glass of water and 1/2 cup of coffee I started to feel a little more normal.

My breakfast was 2 eggs, 2 egg whites, sauteed spinach and toast. Plus I ate some of Ava’s bacon. yummyyy.

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After Group Power class I refueled with a Vanilla Protein Shake + a small banana

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Plus… 1 tbsp of Peanut Butter & a small bowl of oatmeal with coconut milk. It’s a pretty delicious post workout snack!

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I headed back to the YMCA around 10am to teach my Senior fitness class. We are running out of space for that class because so many people have joined over the last two weeks. It is very exciting to have a big group!

At lunch time I was craving red meat and we had some leftover hamburgers that we cooked over the weekend so I quickly made a salad with tomato, cucumber, yellow bell peppers and topped it with my burger and some dijon vinaigrette! After I finished the salad I realized I wasn’t full so I had mashed sweet potato with butter. Perfect.

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Through out the day I was very mindful of fueling my body with healthy eats to keep my energy level up!

After computer & blog work in the afternoon my stomach started rumbling to no surprise. My snack was a golden delicious apple plus some cucumber slices topped with avocado! It was pretty random but I liked it. I have noticed that when I have my healthy fats in the afternoon I’m more satisfied until dinner time.

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For dinner we had Pesto Grilled Chicken, Green beans w/ sliced almonds, and a baked potato! It was so perfect and delicious. You can check out the recipe for the green beans in my post from yesterday.

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After dinner we took Mr. Cooper for a walk and then put Ava to bed. I did some more computer work and snacked on a Chocolate Protein Oat Bar with some strawberries :)

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I will share the recipe this week!

Do you like my food journal posts?

What is your favorite afternoon snack?

June 9, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Green Beans with Slivered Almonds Recipe

This Green Beans With Sliced Almonds Recipe was developed exclusively for nuts.com

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I have always been a good veggie eater and so has Ava but lately she has been choosing fruits over veggies.

I decided to create a recipe using one of her favorite veggies – green beans.

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It’s so important for toddlers to eat a balanced diet and more importantly to eat healthy fats so their bodies can develop properly. By choosing to include almonds in this recipe I knew she would be getting heart healthy fats and antioxidants into her diet!

Raising a healthy child is my number one goal, so I’m always mindful of using healthy ingredients whenever I cook for our family.

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Did you know:

“A single serving of sliced almonds provides 6 grams of protein to help your body maintain and build muscle.” Almonds also contain a ton of vitamins: vitamin E, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium!

We all know kids can be picky eaters, but they are also adventurous. That is why it’s so important to try out new foods when they are young. Ava is a big fan of crunchy snacks so adding some tasty almonds gave this side dish a CRUNCH that I knew she would approve of!!

As an added bonus this recipe only contains 4 ingredients and it took me approximately 5 minutes to make ;)

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GREEN BEANS WITH SLICED ALMONDS

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Green Beans

1/4 Cup of Almonds (slivered)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Directions:

Fill a large pot with about an inch of water and boil on high heat. Add green beans & cover pot. Let the green beans cook about 5-6 minutes, drain them and return them to the pot.  Add oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Mix well and then top with slivered almonds! Enjoy :)

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We all loved this side dish, including Ava. She actually ate all the almonds before she touched her green beans!

Head on over to Nuts.com for more information and healthy tips plus some yummy products! 

What’s your favorite way to enjoy almonds?

Are your kids picky eaters?

June 8, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Playgrounds & Massage Therapy

Here we are again on a Monday morning and back to are weekly routine of work. While some weekends fly by, this one actually felt like a full weekend and we filled it with plenty of fun activities as well as productive things around the house. It was a great balance.

After work Friday, Ava was quite fussy for me. I never know if it’s her teeth or she’s not feeling well but since she had her fingers shoved in her mouth most of the day I’m guessing it was her teeth. Anyways, she was pretty unhappy most of the day!

Thank goodness for playgrounds.

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Ava was smiling from ear to ear and it was the perfect late afternoon distraction! I had some fun myself too. I swear one of these days I am going to get stuck going down the kiddie slides.

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At 6:15pm we went to Marc’s softball game at Bruce Park. I was able to see Marc make some pretty awesome catches in the outfield before Ava started getting fussy again and was ready for bed. I was ready for some relaxation myself so I was totally cool with her getting to bed at a normal bed time ;)

Saturday morning I got up at my usual 6am. There’s no sleeping in anymore in our house! We made a delicious breakfast of eggs & toast and then I decided to do a quick stretching Pulse dvd from the Insanity Max 30 program.

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It felt good to get some stretching in because my legs were pretty tight from all my workouts last week.

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Ava pretty much got in the way of my workout so I used her as my equipment to keep her occupied!

After I finished I showered and headed to the YMCA for a Massage from our Massage Therapist Susan Horstman! If you have never had a massage before I highly recommend it. Not only did my muscles thank me but I felt so relaxed and rejuvenated after I left that I decided I need to make Massage therapy part of my wellness routine.

I am so highly active that sometimes stretching doesn’t seem to do the job. With previous hip & shoulder injuries, my muscles tighten up in those areas a lot quicker then the rest of my body. The massage relieved my soreness as well as my minor aching that I had been feeling over the past few weeks.

Susan was so informative and really educated in massage. I’m not sure if you are supposed to talk during your session but I was asking millions of questions. I felt like Susan’s knowledge about massage helped me learn more about my muscles and why certain areas were more tight then others.

I will definitely be back for another one in the near future!

Now its time for me to get to work, have a great day :)

Do you ever find it challenging to workout at home?

What’s a highlight from your weekend?

June 5, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

A Year & A Half

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

What a fast week :) Even though it was quick, I’m still ready for the weekend and I’m hoping the sun will pop out for us so we can get to the beach. Wouldn’t that be nice!?

It’s been a while since I have done an “Ava Update” but I felt the need to share some of the amazing things that she has learned and how much fun she is to be around! Also it gives us all a break from healthy talk, recipes, workouts and lets you see a little of what’s going on in my life!

18 MONTH AVA UPDATE

It’s hard to believe a year & a half has gone by since Ava was born. I now understand why people say before you know it Ava will be off to school, because the time passes quicker and quicker.

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I really do wish I could freeze time.

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I enjoy every day with her, and I guess now that I think about it, I don’t want her to get any older right now.

NEW THINGS:

  • Ava loves to run. If she’s not holding my hand and we are out at the store or a field she takes off like she’s in a race.

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  • Ava can say water “wawa”, Up, Doggie, Ma or Mama, Dada, Mimi (her grandma), Papa, Gaga (grandma), Grapa (grandpa), cheese, milk, moo, baba, Rock, beach, pool
  • She knows how to go up and down stairs and she’s quick

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  • She likest to climb anything and everything. Most of the time its stuff she shouldn’t be climbing on!!
  • She loves food (this isn’t new) but the girl likes to eat!!
  • Ava loves water. I am talking pools, oceans, bath tubs, Cooper’s water dish… if she can find water she’s splashing in it.

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  • She likes to walk on her tippy toes. Maybe she will be a ballerina one day.
  • She likes to go down slides and be pushed in her toy car

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  • If you say Slide she says “WEEEEEEE”
  • She likes to open and close doors and especially likes to climb on the couch and play with the deadbolt on the front door.
  • She now also climbs into the rocker we got when she was just an infant and use it as her “own” relaxing/recliner chair.
  • She loves sharing her snacks and feeding cooper and even grandpa!

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  • She doesn’t like to nap but once she does she sleeps like a champ
  • She has mastered the high five and laughs every time.

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  • Ava loves her “baby” she practically can’t go anywhere without it (the one on the left was an attempt to get her to use a new clean “baby” but she knew it wasn’t hers! She’s a smart cookie)

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  • She also ADORES her doggie Cooper. She pets him, hugs him, gives him kisses, rides him like he’s a horse, and also pulls his tail occasionally but we are working on that one :)

While there are LOTS of smiles & happy times, these last few months have also been extremely challenging. There’s no PERFECT child out there. With that said here is some of the  “bad” stuff so you know we have a normal child ;)

Not everything is fine & dandy all the time. Ava has learned how to manipulate Marc and I with her cries and tantrums so we are learning the appropriate way to handle them, and I’m not gonna lie, sometimes its easy to give in and give her what she wants.

Ava knows what she wants at all times but is still having a hard time communicating what she wants to us. So at times she throws herself on the ground and screams or cries. Sometimes while we are at home I will walk away and she stops crying OR if we are in public I ask her to stop, ask her whats wrong or I remove her from the situation.

Truthfully, the first time she did this I panicked. I was questioning why she was all of a sudden such a “problem child”, but realized that it is normal and she was just testing the waters with Marc & I.

On a happier note, Ava loves the outdoors… she’s clearly my daughter!

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She gets excited when she sees her stroller to go for a walk, or when I say we are going to the playground. She usually sits right down and waits for her shoes to be put on with a big smile on her face!

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She’s such an independent little girl and a fast learner. If you show her how to do something she can usually figure out how to do it herself with only a few tries.

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From that point on she usually doesn’t want any help with whatever she has just learned. I love being the one to teach her new things each day and I her reaction to her own success is what really puts a smile on my face.

As much as I want Ava to be independent, I still love that she wants to picked up and held, and cuddled with when she is tired. I know those days won’t be around forever, so I’m taking full advantage when the time arises!!

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She truly is a happy little girl and each morning that I wake up and pick her out of her crib I know its going to be a good day.

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No matter what time it is and what type of mood she wakes up in, as soon as she sees me turn the corner she smiles SO BIG!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

If you have or had kids, what did you do to deal with tantrums? 

What is something fun you are doing this weekend?

June 4, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Chicken Marsala Recipe

Last night we had a girls night + babies. It’s always fun to hang out with my friends, chat, eat some good food, and now watch the kids play and run around.

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It’s much easier to get together with my friends at someone’s house instead of a restaurant because they kids are able to entertain each other and they aren’t forced to sit in a chair for more then an hour! It works out for all of us.

A few weeks ago I had mentioned that I love Chicken Marsala. Actually I love when my mom makes it and I get the leftovers, because clearly moms make the best dinners!

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I attempted to make my own using Rice Flour, I’m not Gluten Free but ironically that’s the only type of flour we had in our house at the time, so I went with it. I’m not against white or wheat flour, I actually enjoy all different types of flour but in moderation.

If you want to replace the Rice Flour with your choice of flour I think the recipe would still turn out healthy & tasty!

CHICKEN MARSALA RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

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2 Boneless Chicken Breasts (about 1 lb)

1/2 cup Rice Flour

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 tbsp Whipped Butter

1/2 Cup Marsala Wine

1/4 Cup White Wine

1/4 Chicken Stock

2 tbsp Whole Milk (mixed with 1 tbsp Rice Flour)

1 teaspoon dried Parsley or 1 Tbsp chopped Fresh Parsley

Salt & Pepper

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DIRECTIONS:

  • Cut Chicken breast into 4 pieces. Place plastic wrap over them and pound each one to about an inch thick.
  • Place Flour on a plate and dredge each piece of chicken in it. Sprinkle with salt, pepper & parsley.
  • Heat Oil over medium heat and once oil is hot, fry each piece of chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side (until golden brown). Remove chicken and place them on a plate.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add butter & mushrooms.
  • Salute for 4-5 minutes. Add both wines, milk, & chicken stock. Let cook for 4 more minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Mix all the ingredients well.
  • Serve with potatoes, broccoli or salad!

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I love the fact that I was able to put a healthier twist on the chicken marsala recipe without sacrificing flavors.

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You don’t need a ton of cream, milk, butter, oil to make a recipe taste good, but I do believe that you need some!

Have you ever tried cooking with Rice Flour? Did you notice a difference in taste?