Healthy Recipes: Mom's Mini Phyllo Berry Pastries

My mom made a yummy celebration dinner to celebrate my new teaching job (a.k.a why I have not posted in FOREVER.) Sorry about that, friends.

Anyways, to make up for it, I will be sharing the best part of her dinner (which was hard to nail down to be honest, it was delicious).  My sweet tooth decided on sharing the dessert portion with you.  Suprise, surprise, I know.

Filled with one blueberry, one raspberry, and one blackberry
(:

All you need are frozen mini phyllo pastries, whipped topping, and berries. 

Follow the phyllo pastry directions (depending on your brand), then in the middle of the already baked pastries, put in the berries of your choice.  Top with a teensy bit of whipped cream, and voila!  You must serve these immediately, though, or else they will get soggy.

Again, the nutritional information depends on what brands you use in terms of whipped topping or phyllo dough, but they should each be a bit less than 100 calories per pastry.  They are low sugar compared to regular pastries filled with fruit glazes, and are seriously adorable!  These would be absolutely perfect for a party.  They're light, flavorful, and cute.  What more could you ask for in a dessert?

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!  Thanks, Mom(:

Music Motivation: My Weekly Top Ten #2

I just finished the show Empire, and *WARNING* this playlist will consist of a lot of those songs.  I am obsessed, to say the least.  I hope you all are enjoying the spring weather and jamming to these right now(:

Weekly Top Ten #2

1. Gotta Have It by Jay-Z and Kanye
2. To U by Skrillex and Diplo
3. Failure by Breaking Benjamin
4. Can't Truss Em by the Empire Cast
5. No Apologies by the Empire Cast
6. Keep It Movin' by the Empire Cast
7. Keep Your Money by the Empire Cast
8. Problem by Natalia Kills
9. Run by Allison Wonderland
10. Friction by Imagine Dragons

Keep sweating you guys! Enjoy(:

Fitness Fashion: Review of BBands

One of my spin class attendees, Bianca, is really inspiring to me.  She took the things that she was gifted with, being an artist, and used it to create her own brand: BBands by B.  She really has an eye for patterns and colors, and you will definitely see that once I introduce her products to you.  She founded this company, which is so successful so far.  She currently is a college student, and I think this is an admirable accomplishment for someone of any age.  She's the sweetest, too!  I hope you enjoy this post as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Here is Bianca rocking a BBand herself.  Isn't she as cute as a button?

She has created a great product.  These headbands are one of the few that will stay on my head, even during a workout.  I have not really found a headband brand (and I've tried them all) that stays on my big ol' noggin, so I was impressed when I purchased my first one.  These headbands are cute, unique, and handmade (which is truly something to appreciate!). 



From what I can gather from knowing her, exploring her website, and using her headbands, BBands is all about expressing yourself and everything that you are.  The way I dress, even when it comes to my workout clothes, is my way of expressing myself, as it is for a lot of people. 

Left to Right: Sassy, Rose, Brave, Positive

As I "model" these headbands, I want you to keep in mind I took these photos without makeup PREPARE YOURSELF- just kidding(;  I had cover-up under my eyes in some, but that is the extent to my primping for these photos.  That is my way of celebrating what is truly "me".  Rocking the "bare" look is my way of carrying on the message that I received from BBands. I feel that my personality is what shines when I wear these, and that is what makes me beautiful as a person. Also, selfies are awkward.  So...forgive me for that.


 Her headbands are about celebrating what makes you you.  That is what I love about them.  There are certain parts of your personality that shine more than others, depending on the day, and that is how I chose my headband before I workout.

 For instance...

In the first picture, I woke up feeling confident, ready to run and listen to Beyonce.  I was definitey embodying the name of this headband (Sassy). 

In the second, I had just finished some cardio and boxing at the gym.  I was definitely feeling extremely fierce and determined that day, as you can tell by my goofy picture.

 

BBand: Sassy

BBand: Brave

In the third picture, I woke up feeling refreshed and happy.  I was about to go on a long run (the longest I have done since the marathon), and I wanted to exude confidence and positivity the whole time.

In the last picture, I am wearing limited edition Rose.  I love this one because I have worn it working out, but I think this one shows that it is a great accessory for lounging or going out.  I was relaxing after a workout, drinking tea, and wanted something to wear that made me feel chill while having a pretty accessory to go along with that. 

BBand: Positive

BBand: Rose

Thank you, Bianca, for letting me review your product! 


Click here to check out BBands facebook page or shop online for a BBand.  I hope you love them as much as I do!

Music Motivation: My Weekly Top Ten #1

I'm done student teaching and gave myself a few days to decompress.  Therefore, I am back on my blogging game.  You can all sigh in relief now; I know you've been waiting on the edge of your seats for my next post (insert sarcastic hair flip here).

In all honesty, though, I am very excited to be able to post regularly again! I miss blogging, and I plan on making up for lost time through lots of tips and recipes.

I wanted to try something new out, which I call my Music Weekly Top Ten.  Being a spin instructor, I use music to drive the workouts in classes.  Naturally, I rely on music to push me a little bit further in my other workouts, whether it be running, cross-training, lifting, or kickboxing.

I do post all of my spin class playlists if you are interested.  My Facebook page is called Just Keep Spinning with Jordan Miroballi. This is where I screenshot and date all of my spin class playlists; they're organized by month.  I do themes, too, so check them out!


But, since there are a lot of playlists to choose from on that site, I thought that a weekly top ten for the blog would be fun and a lot more specific.  I hope you all enjoy them!

 My top ten songs for this week (in no specific order):
1. Mind - Skrillex and Diplo
2. Truffle Butter - Nicki Minaj
3. Poppin' Bottles - TI
4. I'm So Sorry - Imagine Dragons
5. What Kind of Man- Florence and the Machine
6. Run- Allison Wonderland
7. Primadonna - Marina and the Diamonds
8. Failure- Breaking Benjamin
9. Worth It- Fifth Harmony feat. Kid Ink
10. Lean On - Major Lazer



If you have any song suggestions for me, please leave them as a comment! Never stop; keep sweating!

Product Reviews: Siggi's Yogurt

Hi all!  I became an ambassador for Siggi's Icelandic Yogurt, as many of you who attend my spin classes know, and I personally sought to be apart of this program.  I love this brand, and I know that sometimes, healthy eating can be pricey.  This brand, usually on sale at Mariano's or Whole Foods (and other times Jewel), is organic, full of protein, natural sugar/flavors, and seriously delicious. 

Photo credit: http://siggisdairy.com/products/detail/skyr/strawberry/10/#sthash.b2ZXdYeH.dpbs

That being said, this yogurt is worth every penny. 

I wanted my spin class attendees to all to get a chance to try it by handing out coupons last week, as I announced beforehand on my facebook page (click here if you're interested).  If you attended last week and got a chance to try to yogurt, I would love your feedback!  Comment below on what you thought of Siggi's.  It would be greatly appreciated!

I wanted to give you my feedback on all of the flavors I have tried.  So far, they are all fantastic.  The thing that is consistent that I like about these yogurts is that they are high in protein and have creative flavors.  They are pretty yummy but do not overdo it with the sugar.  They are creamy but not too sweet.

• raspberry 
• This is a great flavor with a light sense of raspberry and vanilla.  I mixed this one with blueberries, banana, and strawberries.
• strawberry
• I liked this one a lot.  It is a simple flavor that pretty much every yogurt brand has down, but this has been the best strawberry flavored yogurt I have had so far.  Not overly sweet, but still delicious mixed with bananas.
• peach
• I usually do not like peach yogurt because it is too fake with the flavor.  It was natural and went great with just blueberries.
• mixed berries & acai
• This one was AWESOME with bananas and almonds!
• blueberry
• Again, a great flavor mixed with other berries.  I thought putting blueberries in it also would be overkill, but it was still good!
• orange & ginger
• This is one of my favorites because it is unique.  It has an equal balance of both orange and ginger flavor.  I was hesitant to try it because I am not a huge ginger fan, but it ended up being one of my favorites.  Blueberries were my go-to for this one.
• pomegranate & passion fruit
• This is my all-time favorite flavor for this brand.  I love this unique flavor.  It goes great with all types of berries and bananas as a topping.  
• pumpkin and spice
• This is a nice change of pace from regular yogurt flavors.  Sometimes, pumpkin flavored things are fake tasting and overly sweet, but this one was a slight pumpkin flavor with some cinnamon.  I enjoyed this one alone and with blueberries.
• vanilla
• It is hard to mess up vanilla, but it is even harder to make vanilla stand out.  I really, really liked it because it tasted like natural vanilla bean.  I topped it with all types of berries as well as bananas and almonds. YUM.

There are so many other types of products and flavors that I still need to try by them (like coconut or mango & jalepeno), but I can't say I have been disappointed yet.  This has been my favorite pre-workout or post-workout treat with chopped fruit and/or nuts.  I also love this snack to hold me over before dinner; it keeps me full until then!

If you want to check their website out, here is the link for Siggi's Yogurt.  You'll learn more about how the yogurt is made and the few ingredients they use (remember: less is more!). I hope you give them a chance; you won't be disappointed!

Healthy Recipes: Homemade Cereal Bars

As I meal prep for the week, sometimes grab and go snacks are the best option.  I remember buying cereal bars as a kid with the "milk" center, chocked full of sugar.  As if cereal these days wasn't sugary enough, they made those.

But.  They were SO GOOD.  I'll be the first to admit it.

Peanut Butter Cereal Base with a Dark Chocolate Drizzle!

I found this recipe on chocolatecoveredkatie.com and adapted it to the ingredients I had in my kitchen.  It was a great idea for one of those on-the-go type weeks in which you need to have breakfast or a snack ready for you as you fly out the door.  This is a nice adaptation because it has wholesome ingredients, no preservatives, and you can customize it to your taste.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Click here for Katie's Recipe, which is more like the milk and cereal type of bar I was describing earlier.  I gravitated towards a peanut butter-chocolate combination.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of peanut butter cereal (whole grain pb panda puffs brand is what I chose)
• 1/2 cup of oat flour (which you can make on our own by blending oats or using a food processor on them)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbs of peanut butter
• 5 tbs of honey
• Later, you will need another 1/3 cup of the cereal used earlier

Directions:

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a bowl.  
2. Combine the pb and honey in another bowl.  Microwaving the wet ingredients may help.  
3. Then, combine both mixtures.
4. Top with the last 1/3 cup of cereal
5. Place ingredients in a pan to combine and dry.

I added melted chocolate to the top of my cereal bars.  I hope these help you get through the week and that you enjoy them as much as I did!

Meal Prep: Ideas for Busy Fit Freaks

Hey all!

I know I have been truly slacking on the posts.  I have been extremely busy, and I thought a great way to take advantage of it is to share some of my meal prep ideas for those of you who need to pack meals and don't want to derail from your healthy lifestyle.  I will give you some of my ideas so far.  The idea is to prepare these things on Sunday before the week begins, after you've refreshed your fridge by grocery shopping.  Wash and chop your veggies and fruits ahead of time so you can grab and go.  Cook things like chicken, quinoa, or pasta ahead of time.  You put these all in tupperware, and then you are set to grab it each day of the week or throw things together quickly.

Breakfast

• overnight oats
• combine 1/2 cup of oats with milk.  Put in tupperware overnight.  Add yogurt or protein powder, and then toppings.  I like berries, nuts, or cacao nibs.
•  wraps/sandwiches (they can be for breakfast too!)
• Example: 1 whole wheat tortilla, banana/jelly/berries, peanut butter/almond butter
•  yogurt parfait
• Have greek yogurt ready in a container, then put toppings like granola, berries, nuts, cereal, bananas, etc in another tupperware.  Top when you're ready to eat your breakfast!

Quinoa

• cook 1 cup with 2 cups of water, then use it as a base for you dinners, salads, etc.  They're even great in wraps too!
• Example: Quinoa salad 
• Spinach, goat cheese, carrots, peppers, cucumber, hummus or dressing (on the side), lemon juice, avocado, chicken

Soup

• Combine lentils or brown rice with chicken or veggie broth to cook.  Then, add veggies and beans.  Chicken would be great for this, too!

Pasta salads

• cook pasta, put in chopped veggies (peppers, zucchini, cucumber, broccoli, carrots), throw in some beans, toss with olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice, top with a little bit of feta before you take it to work.

 Snacks

• pb energy balls
• Combine oats, honey, peanut butter, and chocolate chips into a food processor.  Blend, and then roll into two-bite balls for a quick snack
• Cut and wash your fruit or veggies ahead of time.  Then, take a small tuppeware container with hummus or peanut butter for a healthy quick snack.  Have pretzels or baked multi-grain crackers, too.
• hard boiled eggs 
• These are on of my favorite make-ahead ideas for the week because you can eat them alone, throw them in a salad, and so on.  

All meal prep takes is some planning, and you are ready for the week(:  It makes those busy nights where you don't want to cook or make a lunch for the next day a lot more bearable. 

What is your favorite make-ahead meal?