Peanut Butter Cup Shakeology

Peanut Butter Goodness... A win for the Griffith's

My husband and starting to get into the groove of having Shakeology now with me every day. He's a huge fan of this recipe! It really tastes like a Reese Cup! 

Ingredients

10 ounces of water

4 ounces of vanilla almond milk 

1 scoop of chocolate Shakeology 

1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter

10 ounces of ice
1 ripe banana 

Directions 

Combine water, ice and almond milk in a shaker cup

Dump into the blender

Add in the banana, peanut butter and scoop of Shakeology 

Turn on and blend for one minute. 

Enjoy! 

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

YUP... I did it - totally turned a head of cauliflower into a pizza crust. Tricked everyone! 

About to conquer this bad boy! 

I have been wanting to try this all the rage trend for quite some time now and decided this was the week I would give it a shot. My mission was to trick my two boys (my hubby and my son) into thinking this was the real deal and that it was just a new kind of pizza. Much to my surprise it totally worked. I never would have guessed it because my husband and my son are not fans of cauliflower. I remember looking at the giant head of cauliflower thinking there is no way in hell this will taste like a pizza but I went for it anyways. Fooled me that's for sure! I will say this was way more work than using regular pizza dough. It took me about an hour from start to finish to make this meal and I totally made a mess of my kitchen! Check out the recipe and be brave and give it a try! You might just be able to trick your family too! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 head (Small Head) Cauliflower - the one I used was a little big and I did not use all of it.
• ¼ cups Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ cups Mozzarella Cheese
• ¼ teaspoons Pink Salt
• ½ teaspoons Dried Basil
• ½ teaspoons Dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 whole Egg - I like to use brown organic eggs.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

2. Wash cauliflower then trim the off the stems. I mostly just used the heads and left the stems.

3. Place into a food processor and pulse until it is fluffy like snow.

After I used the food processor this is what it looked like.

4. Place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 6 - 8 minutes depending on how hot your microwave gets.

5. Place the cauliflower into a dish towel and hold over the sink. Ring out the dish towel to remove all of the moisture from cauliflower. Be careful you need and oven mitt so you don't burn your hands. I know this step seems bizarre but I promise it works.

Removing out as much moisture as I could

6. Then place what’s left of the cauliflower into a bowl and mix with the egg, cheese, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano and dried basil. Mix together with your hands.

Ingredients You Will Need

7. Roll into a firm ball and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza dish. A baking stone would be best but I did not have one.

8. Gradually flatten out the ball into a circle that looks like a pizza. Bake for just a few minutes until it looks golden.

Ready to bake

9. Take it out and top it like a pizza. I kept it simple and did sauce and cheese. 

10. Put it back into the oven until the cheese is melted. Remove allow to cool and enjoy!

All baked and ready to eat! 

This won't be as firm as regular pizza is so you will want to plan to eat this one with a fork. Give it a few minutes to cool before cutting it. I was too excited to try it and cut it a bit too soon!

 

Even though he does not look all that amused gave it a thumb's up! 

Transformation Tuesday - Meet Lauren

21 Day Fix Extreme Challenger Results 

About two months ago I crossed paths with someone who was supposed to be in my life. I am sure of it. The irony of how we met and the relationship we now have created is for sure something that was meant to be. She will talk about how we bumped into each other out of fate in her story below. I remember our ride together as she test drove my car, she shared with me her excitement and interest in clean eating and her interest in well being. I remember thinking to myself, Sarah back off don't leap at her about Beachbody, this girl is interested in your car not your business. BUT let me just say if you know me, you know how much I love coaching and I can't not speak up about an opportunity. I will be completely honest and say that for a second I thought she was about to approach me with the same opportunity to be a Beachbody coach. I said to myself there is no way this girl is not a coach. I decided to go for it and mention the opportunity and much to my surprise she was not already a coach and was very interested in getting involved. After a bit of conversation back and forth not only was she one of my newest challengers but also a fantastic new coach on my team! Her story is awesome and really goes to show the power of change and how important it is to really be conscious abut the foods you are putting into your body. 

Here is Lauren's Story 

So first, let me give a little background story about myself. About a year and a half ago I was constantly fighting skin rashes, abdominal pain, severe bloating, nausea every time I ate, and just plain exhaustion. I was constantly sick with bronchitis, common colds, mono, and pneumonia. My head was constantly congested and I was just TIRED OF BEING TIRED all of the time! I finally went to see a naturopathic doctor who ran a blood test that scanned for food sensitivities. I was almost certain that there was no way food was causing me to have all of these problems but sure enough my results came back and revealed that I had large amounts of Candida ( intestinal yeast) and….. A GLUTEN ALLERGY. When I was about 10 years old my mom was diagnosed with celiac disease and has lived a gluten free lifestyle since. I was in denial that that could possibly be my case but again my momma was right! Last year (2014) I started a gluten free diet, which was a struggle at first, but I adjusted. In addition, I began paying attention to food labels and the ingredients. I began cutting sugar from my diet because its fuel for the Candida. A few months later I started eating healthier by incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet and omitting all of the processed CRAP including gluten free products because they aren't as healthy as you may think. I then began working out regularly and just becoming more self aware of my health. Now, 15 months later the bloating, skin rashes and abdominal pain have disappeared. My energy levels have never felt better! Better yet, I am no longer spending my winter months fighting infections and taking antibiotics. I couldn't believe that food was causing all of my problems! Diet and nutrition have become quite a hobby of mine and I am always looking for healthy recipes and ways to improve my overall wellness. I now tell myself If the food doesn't have any nutrients my body needs then I shouldn't be eating it because thats why we eat right? Low and behold I have dropped a few pant sizes and I feel comfortable with my body. These changes have not only changed my physical appearance but it has increased my daily performance, energy levels, motivation, mood, self esteem…the list goes on and on! I no longer feel the need to sit and watch television and find myself being constantly busy. 

About a month ago I began searching for a new vehicle. I knew exactly what I wanted but I just couldn’t find it close to my location. A couple weeks later, I was traveling to a friends and right outside of Indiana there was the car I had been searching for…FOR SALE! I whipped my car into the driveway and began to check it out. Within a couple of minutes, the owner of the car pulled in. She was just getting home from work—What were the chances? I decided to take the car for a test drive but oddly enough I found that the talk between Sarah Griffith and I wasn't about the car; it was about health and nutrition. Sarah and I just clicked! I started telling her about health and nutrition and how it has became quite a hobby of mine. Sarah, a Beachbody coach, began to tell me about the business and proposed the idea of me becoming a coach. I began to think, could this be fate? I went home later that night and continued to think about the idea of being a health and fitness coach and continued to think about it for the next couple of days. I was already slightly knowledgeable about diet and nutrition and I always love sharing what I know with other people. I know how much diet and nutrition has changed my life and I would love to share that information to help people change theirs. I decided to follow through and become a PART OF THE TEAM! I decided to challenge myself and do the 21 day fix EXTREME countdown to competition plan and plan to share my journey with others and help them succeed with their own health and wellness goals. 

Lauren didn't mess around, she went ALL in and was 100% committed - She drank her Shakeology every single day, she didn't cheat, she did her workouts and she showed up everyday in our challenge group. She got results because she refused to settle. 

If you are ready to get results like Lauren did, please fill out the application below to be considered for a spot in my upcoming challenge group. Imagine how great you could feel if you too refused to settle. Maybe it's your time. 

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Fresh Summer Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing

Fresh & Fruity Summer Salad

This has been the LONGEST winter ever! We basically skipped spring here in Happy Valley! Yesterday it was even snowing! I have been craving fresh summer foods for months now so I decided to whip up a salad that would remind me of the warm sunny days ahead of me. I also wanted to get creative and make up a new dressing. I used Pinterest and decided to make a spin off of some that I came across so here is what I came up with. 

Salad Ingredients
Fresh lettuce (I love Romaine but any kind would do, baby spinach would taste great too!)
Feta Cheese
Pecans or Walnuts
Grapes
Blueberries

Chicken Ingredients 
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Coconut oil 
Herb de provence seasoning 
Pink sea salt and black pepper 

Dressing Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons  organic cashew butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

• 3 tablespoons water

• 1 tablespoon stoneground mustard

• ½ tablespoon raw honey

• ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste

• ½ teaspoon garlic

Combine salad ingredients in the bowl and set aside.  Cut chicken breast into bite size pieces. On the stove top -  pan cook the chicken. I like to cook mine in coconut oil for a nice tropical taste. Season the chicken and cook until its browned. Add to salad when you are finished cooking it.

To prepare the dressing combine ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy. Enjoy!
Tastes great as a dipping sauce too! My son is not a salad fan so he used the dressing as a dip for his chicken.

Snickers Shakeology

Some Days You Just Want A Candy Bar...

Somedays you just feel like eating candy! Well I had one of those days but since we don't keep candy in the house, I was out of luck. Decided to get creative and make up a shake that would curb my sweet tooth. Shakeology has been so helpful for me to cut out sweets! It tastes like a cheat but is the healthiest thing I have all day! I was so reluctant of Shakeology when I started but I can honestly say I swear by it, every single day!

Here is how I made this tasty one!
Ingredients 
10 ounces of ice
10 ounces of water
4 ounces of vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 scoop of chocolate Shakeology
1 teaspoon of caramel extract

Blend for one minute and enjoy!

You're Made For A God Sized Dream

A Recap On How I Followed My Heart And The Road It Lead Me Down This Year

If you follow me on social media, you know that I have spent the last week in the beautiful Cancun, Mexico. Most know that this trip is because I earned it thru the business opportunity I have had over the last year with Beachbody, but for those who don't know, I am going to take this time to tell you about the ride I have been on for the last year. 

Last March I signed up as a Beachbody coach and I wasn't sure how "all in" I was planning to go. I was busy and really didn't think I had what it took to be a coach. But in the process of being trained and getting involved, I quickly decided I wanted to be all in. The business teacher in me saw what an opportunity that had fallen into my lap and I knew I had to pursue it. My Beachbody business became my new baby. I have spent the last year pouring my heart into making a difference in peoples lives in a way that is different that I do as a teacher. I have spent countless hours up late at night inviting people to join me on their own personal fitness journey as well as their own journey to become coach themselves. I traded in tv time and lazy evenings on the couch because I was able to see the bigger picture. I knew what I was doing was leading to more. It required a trade off of my time and a little bit of my privacy. Lots of public posts on social media and truly letting the world see me and my family and our journey from being not so healthy to the whole other end of the spectrum. It required courage and some months I questioned what I was doing, but I went hard for the last year anyways. I worked harder than I though I could and accomplished more than I thought I would. I made myself proud this year. 

Beachbody is a company that is all about not just helping others but also helping and rewarding their coaches not just financially but also with exciting trips and events. The success club trip is something that you have to earn and because of my work I put in this year, I qualified for the all inclusive trip for not just me, but my husband as well. A free vacation to Mexico? You have got to be kidding me I thought. But it was not a joke. They rolled out the red carpet and treated us like kings and queens all week. We had lavish parties, live workouts with celebrity trainers, a Shakeology bar on site and even workshops and trainings to help us better our business. I was on cloud nine all week.

Pulling into the resort - they even had special welcome banners for us! 

Getting Ready To Attend The Welcome Reception

Some of my favorite women- proud to call them my mentors and friends! 

There was something so powerful to be surrounded by thousands of others who "get it" like so many in our lives don't. From the outside looking in Beachbody coaches look like we belong to a Shakeology loving cult. I get it- I have heard it all but from the inside looking out I can honestly say you all are the ones missing out. The company is like no other. I have never been so positive or felt like I was making a difference than I have in the last year. So this week, I decided to take a step back, reflect on what a ride it has been and celebrate what one person can accomplish in a year. But I also took this week as an opportunity to say thank you to my better half. My husband has been so understanding and supportive  of this and deserved the trip as much as I did. I remember standing underneath the fireworks they were shooting off our first night whispering into his ear that "this is exactly where we are supposed to be."

A few of the fireworks we got to stand underneath 

While in Mexico I read the book "You are made for a God Sized Dream." by Holley Gerth. After reading the book I took a few steps back and realized that I am made for more. God put this coaching opportunity in my life so that I could help people in a different way than I already do. He gave me the strengths and talents that I have so that I could do something like this. You see, I just thought I wanted to be a coach and that I DECIDED TO BE A COACH, but in reality I think that God called me to do this and I am just following thru with the God sized plan he has for me. The book spoke to me in so many ways. It truly is my new favorite read. For those of you working at a BIG DREAM you need to get your hands on this one.

My New Favorite Book!

So you might be wondering what did we do all week without our three year old? The answer is simple we had fun, laughed and even fell a little more in love. We stayed out past bed time, we slept in, worked out together, ate too much, laid out in the sunshine and took life at a slower pace.  I love being a mom but I often forget how much I missed the days of it just being "us." Wouldn't trade the family of three we have now for the world but it sure was nice to visit the old days for a few but it sure felt good to be home too! 

Some of the Dream Team Coaches after we got our butt handed to us doing Insanity Max 30 

Lindsay Matway - This years number 2 coach in the entire company and last years number 1 coach. Happened to be in the bathroom right when she was. It was just the two of us so I had to be shameless and ask for a picture! If only I had make - up on and not just worked out! She's stunning! 

Tony Horton Live Workout

21 Day Fix Extreme Live Workout

Enjoying the Skytop Bar overlooking some stunning blue water! Blissful! 

Enjoying a late night out past our usual bath time and bedtime stories

Airport Selfie - 3:00 am in the Cancun airport - excited to get home to our little man! 

If you have gotten this far in my post it's either for two reasons or a combo of both: 

1. You are a family member or friend who just wanted to know how Mexico was :) 

2. You might be reading this thinking - WHY NOT ME? Maybe I could do this too. If that thought is running thru your mind, I want you to jump on it. I felt the same way when I started. I was curious but fearful of what others might think or if I could do it. I decided to ignore the fears and do it anyways and I cannot begin to explain how much my life has changed not just emotionally and spiritually but also financially. I had it good before I stared, but now life is even better. You might be busy or are thinking it's not the right time but I am here to tell you, it's never the right time. Just go for it now while you still can.

Next week I am going to offer a sneak peak into coaching on my team. It's no pressure and no commitment is required. If after the week you think it could be for you then we can talk more and I can train you on how to grow your own business. You can't lose on this one - I am a business teacher and also almost finished with my masters in leadership. I feel like I have the perfect training to help teach others how to be successful at this. Decide to try - you have nothing to lose. If your up for it fill out the application below and I will be in touch soon!

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Fun Snack Alert - Meet PipCorn

New Favorite Find 

Can't stop eating this entire bag of yummy goodness!

Before I get into details about my new snack find,  I should tell you the little story behind it all first. For those of you who know me, you know that I teach Business Education to high school students. On a rare occasion when I know they have worked  really hard, I will reward them with watching an episode of the show Shark Tank together as a class. It's a perfect teaching tool and the students really enjoy hearing about the new business ideas and the percentage of stake the "sharks' want in the company. Well a few weeks back, I had let me Exploring Business class watch Shark Tank for the first time all year. They were hooked and loved it. During that episode the company Pipcorn came on and pitched this mini popcorn idea. Not only are they a special breed of corn kernels that don't get stuck in your teeth but are also easy on the digestive system, they are also made with fantastic clean ingredients. As I watched the episode I was really into their business idea and wanted to try the product. 

Back of the bag - ingredient list approved by my 5 ingredients or less rule! All simple and clean! 

As a class we checked out their website and the kids were really into this product too. They wanted me to buy some and bring it into class so I caved an bought the "Shark Tank" special which came with four bags in the following flavors - sea salt, rosemary, truffle, and kettle corn. While I have not opened the other flavors yet because I wanted to save it for them I have to say I LOVE the sea salt one. One thing that struck me was how much was in the bag. Most bags are full of air but this one was packed full to the top with popcorn. 

A Few Of The Other Flavors

From what I understand you can get this in some Whole Foods stores but since I don't have any near me I ordered it from their website. The shipping was pretty quick, I had it in about 5 days. It was a little expensive after shipping. I think I paid about $32.00 or so. 

What I also love about it is that the kernels are less of a choking hazard. My little guy is three so I still get nervous letting him have popcorn but this seems a little bit safer for him. He could't get enough when we tried it together the other day! The only downside is that this brand is made in a factory that also processes peanuts and tree nuts so if you or your child has an allergy this brand is off the table. 

Feel free to post some of your other favorite snack brands in the comments section below - I love trying new brands! 

Cheers To A Year!

Cheers To One Year of Hard Work! 

Breakfast at the Waffle Shop to celebrate our one year! 

In March it marked the one year anniversary of my business, which was cool but not as cool as today's one year anniversary. Today marks the day that I ran my first challenge group - It was called April 14th Slim for Summer Group. While I have been blessed to work with MANY over the last year, I have three that have not left my side since day 1. They all signed up with as clients shortly after I became a coach and went all in with me even though I know they were skeptical about Shakeology and the programs and just the whole idea of it. In fact two out of three of them have degrees that are directly related to health and wellness. This who idea was something that I am sure made them raise their eye brows. Surely, it was just like all those other weight loss scams.... I am sure it crossed their minds, BUT they went all in and because of it all three are in a very different place than they were last year at this time. 

I still remember the emails right before with the dreaded before pictures and the anticipation of what was to come. I remember the first few weeks of them being super sore and some days hungry as they learned to adapt to their new lifestyle. In the beginning it would have been easy to quit but they just kept coming back for more round after round because little by little a little became a lot. 

If I told you their journey was easy I would be lying because it has not been. It took an entire year of support from the group and each other. It took learning how to withstand and break thru weight loss plateaus and it took patience in the process with lots of love and a desire in their hearts to want more for themselves. 

So many look at these ladies now and wonder how they did it, whats the magic pill they took, what's the secret? The truth is there is no secret - they exercised almost every single day for 30+ minutes a day, they drank Shakeology almost every single day which helped them to curb cravings for all the junk foods they used to love and they simply showed up every single day even when they didn't feel like it anymore. They didn't quit. The leaned on each other for support because thats the funny thing about losing lots of weight, not everyone gets the journey you are on. When you are in a group everyone gets it, they are going thru the same struggles and are excited when you have milestone accomplishments. These ladies were in it for the long haul and today they get to celebrate what not giving up feels like! 

Below you will see pictures of their before and afters. A year ago if I had asked them to put those pictures out to the public on my blog I couldn't have paid them enough money in the world to say yes to that. Today they gladly said yes and were proud to share what a year of really hard work looks like. These are real women - no photoshop, no magic pill just THE REAL DEAL in all their beauty!

Traci 

Kim

Jenn

If you feel like the time is right for you to get started on your own journey, please fill out the application below and I will be in touch shorty! 

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Fresh White Pizza

Fresh Homemade Pizza 

I used to love ordering pizza in for our family on the weekends but I have since learned that take out pizza is expensive and really not so good for you. I prefer to make it homemade. Not only does it become a fun family activity but we also have a better idea of where the ingredients are coming from. That matters to me now more than it used it. While some of the ingredients in the recipe are processed foods there are less additives and uncontrollables when you make it yourself. 

My son has so much fun helping to me this with me. I prefer white pizza to red sauce so we tend to stick with that but today we used the red sauce. 

Ingredients

Fresh or frozen whole wheat pizza dough. I like to get mine at Trader Joes. 

1 large ball of fresh mozzarella 

1 clam shell of fresh basil 

Kalamata Olives

Parmesan Cheese 

Organic Cherry Tomatoes 

Pizza Sauce  (I try to look for ones with low sugar and 5 or less ingredients)

Olive Oil 

Assemble the pizza according to the dough instructions and top it as you like! Enjoy and be proud of yourself for cooking in instead of picking take out! 

A Little Push For Spring...

Time to Push A Little Harder 

This month I am going to host a challenge group for those who need a little push to get to where they want to be with their fitness and nutrition. Those people who say they want to get rid of those last 10 or 20 lbs they have been carrying around or even those who want to become more defined in their muscles. April is really a great time to get started because you really do still have "time" before summer hits. I saw so many women jump on the fitness wagon on January and many fell off and decided summer was far enough away it didn't matter. Well I hate to break it to you but the clock is ticking. If you are not feeling ready for shorts and tank tops or a swim suit it is time to step up to the plate and get some support. The group will provide you with a safe place and encouragement as well as tips and recipes for healthy eating. My job will be to not let you quit and teach you how to make yourself proud of what you are capable of accomplishing.

I have decided that for this group we will be doing Insanity Max 30. While I am still happy to have anyone who prefers to do this with a different program, I really want you to consider doing Insanity Max 30. The reason why is because I have done oodles of Beachbody programs and really do love many of them but none as much as I loved Insanity Max 30. I did it over the winter and found it put me in the best shape I have ever been in and really challenged me but within reasonable limits. I looked forward to crossing off each day I accomplished and found it was what got me in tip top shape. The program is 30 minutes a day for 60 days. There are also 10 minutes worth of ab routines you can include in if you have the time. I remember being so nervous when I started it in December because I was intimidated that I couldn't hack it, but boy was I ever proud on Day 60 when I proved myself wrong!

This is one of my before and after pictures. While the results are not all that drastic, please keep in mind I really did not have much weight to lose nor did I want to lose any, I wanted to get leaner and more defined in my muscles. I have had many challengers who have lost 10+ lbs with this one though.

I was very public with my journey thru Insanity Max 30, if you missed those posts you may want to check them out as they include what my meal plans looked like and thoughts about what each week was like. I was very candid and I think it might help you in making your decision if you are up for the challenge.

Week 1 - 
Week 2 -
Week 3 -
Week 4 - 
Week 5 - 
Week 6 - 
Week 7 -
Week 8 -



 We will start on April 27th and finish on June 19th. While that might seem like a long time -before you blink the program will be over. While the program is not really for beginners there is a modifier for each move that is easy to do for many. If you are currently exercising, this would be something you should be fine doing. I hope you will consider being a part of the final push group. Come June when you are sitting on a beach chair near the ocean you will smile and say man am I ever glad I decided to go for this and try a challenge group. Please fill out the application below and I will be in touch to get you all signed up.

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Where You Been Girl....

Catching Up On Life....

"The things you take for granted, someone else is praying for."

I know I know I know..... I have been missing in action on my blogging lately. Maybe you have started to wonder where I have been or if I decided to toss in the towel. If you thought that then you would be wrong. You see I have been trying to keep my head above water and I feel like that little fish on Finding Nemo. Trying to just keep swimming, just keep swimming! Life has been crazy busy and has left little time for blogging.

I suppose I should take time to catch you up on something that I have been dealing with since fall and something that my husband and I have spent the winter trying to conquer. In the process of trying to conquer this, I have learned that I can plan as much as I want to but the plans really are not in my hands, they are in Gods.

This past fall you may have remembered my post about my health issues that I discovered. We had been trying for another little one and the testing that was done on me this fall, lead us to learn I was dealing with some serious thyroid issues and possibly polycystic ovarian syndrome. Two huge reasons why after months and month of trying and getting let down we still had no baby number 2. At first they told me lets just worry about getting your thyroid regulated and we can work on the infertility after that so thats the route we took. Luckily, my thyroid was quick to regulate with medications and I was able to get my numbers to a level that would be conducive for pregnancy. That fall, I had made an appointment for late January with the infertility doctors and tried to tell myself we wouldn't need that appointment and that things would work out. Well, it turned out we did need that appointment and  after going there I sort of fell to a level of sadness I had not been to before. 

I got bitter about new babies and baby showers and even simple things like blankets and clothes and anything baby.I found myself distancing myself from anything that had to do with pregnancy. It would bring me to tears that I only let Kevin see. He held me while I cried so many times about it this past winter and truly was my rock. It has never been my journey it has been "our" journey together.  You see having our first was simple - no wishing or waiting just like that we were expecting our first and the pregnancy was perfect so I assumed there would be more down the road and it would be as simple as the first. When that was not what God had in store for us, it began to be a hard pill to swallow. I tried so hard to not let the emotions get the best of me but it really had me down and honestly bitter and sad for our little family. Carter asks for a brother and sister almost daily. After awhile it gets hard to hear and so does the famous line of "when are you having another?"

We not only went to Danville but we also went to Pittsburgh to learn more about our options. I had oodles of blood tests done, ultrasounds, scans, and even a procedure to check to see if my tubes were blocked. It turned out the one side was. We also had to have some serious conversations with the fertility doctors about whats next for us and how we wanted to go forward.

It is seeming like we may have to get help if we want the second. As you know that costs money and lots of it. Before we take that step our doctor wanted us to consider a common fertility drug Clomid. We had debated this powerhouse fertility drug for months and finally after one too many let downs we made the decision to give it a try. We were warned that Clomid is a beast and a powerful one at that. It's side effects are brutal and your chances of multiples are much higher. We sat on the decision and prayed about it and went for it. I started it this week and all I can say is that it is been a very very long week. It's taken its toll on my body big time - I was hot, moody, nauseous, exhausted beyond belief and my head was killing me. All some of the brutal side effects from this. Fingers crossed something happens in the coming months. We are allowed to do 3 rounds of this then we have to go the other route if we want to pursue it. Our fate is in Gods hands but the waiting is what tests you.

Clomid - The tiny pill that has the potential to change our lives in a big way

Moral of the story is that I have not given up on my wellness along this way. When life knocks you down its easy to say forget this - skip the exercise, fall victim to emotional eating, and throw in the towel on all the things I am trying to balance but I didn't. I still have worked out almost every single day, I am still eating clean and I am still juggling a full time teaching job, a masters class, motherhood and marriage, as well as doing Beachbody full time on the side. I made it a priority and refuse to let my health and wellness go because life got hard on me. 

Keep us in your prayers. Carter would love a sibling(s) in the near future and mom and dad would too!

xoxoxo
-Sarah

Some Recipes You Just Don't Mess With Trying To Make Clean...

Fresh Easter Coffee Cake
4 Generations Strong

Like most families tend to do, my family has several special foods that we serve only for a particular holiday. My absolute favorite holiday food is our families traditional coffee cake that we only serve at Easter time. The recipe came from my Great Grandma Virgina Sisson's church. My mom has told me that the week of Easter all of the ladies would get together and make this coffee cake for after the Easter service. It is hands down my favorite treat! My grandma learned the recipe from my great grandma, she made it for years then when we were small my mom started making it for our family. I have made it a few times since I have been married just to be sure that I could carry on the tradition! I have it down now too!

This year my mom is out of the country vacationing so I decided to step up to the plate. I am hosting Easter this year at our house. (A first in all 7 years that we have been married). I could not host Easter without having our traditional dessert so today my little man and I put our aprons on and got down to it. While most of my recipes are healthy and clean this one isn't and I won't bother trying to make it clean. Some things need to be left well enough alone. I eat healthy mot days out of the year, a treat here and there won't kill me. 

Making it together so he learns too! 

Why yes he is wearing Christmas pajamas while we make Easter food! Gotta love him! 

Fresh from the oven!

If you are looking for a special recipe to make Easter dessert time a little sweeter this year give our families coffee cake a try! It won't disappoint!

*Make filling first - before making the cake
*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
*Grease and spring form pan ( I didn't have one so I use this one and end up having to flip it when it's done)

Filling 
6 tablespoons of flour
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup of chopped walnuts ( I buy halves and use the food processor to chop them)
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix at room temperature butter, flour, and cinnamon with a fork. Then add in vanilla, brown sugar and nuts. Mix all together with fingers.

Cake Mix

1/2 cup of butter + 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 cup and 2 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 level tsp of baking soda
1 rounded tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 pint of sour cream

Cream butter and sugar together first
Add in vanilla & eggs beat until smooth
Add in dry ingredients alternating with sour cream. Beat until smooth
Pour a little over 1/4 of the batter into a greased spring form pan
Add 3/4 of the filling and spread around
Top with the remainder of the batter then the rest of the filling.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes.

I wrap ours up in cling wrap then aluminum foil to store!