Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

The spices in this baked oatmeal really stand out in the dish but not in an over powering way which is lovely. 

I made this breakfast dish on a weekend morning but it could be made ahead and taken on the go, eaten cold or reheated! Very versatile and makes for an excellent week day breakfast. 

I topped mine with a dollop of Greek yogurt but it's not needed at all. 

Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal 

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

3 large or 4 small apples, peeled and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

8 tablespoons coconut palm sugar divided

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup steel-cut oats

4 cups hot water

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350ºF; lightly grease a 2- to 3-quart casserole dish.

Mix cinnamon and ginger together and set aside. 

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the chopped apples, 1/2 teaspoon of the spice blend , 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar , and a large pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the apples have softened and begun to caramelize. Add the cranberries off the heat, stirring to coat with the spice-butter mixture (this will also help thaw frozen cranberries, if using them).

Meanwhile, add the steel-cut oats, water, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to a large bowl, cover, and allow to stand for 20 minutes, or until the oats have softened slightly.

Add the old-fashioned oats, salt, remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons of the spice blend, remaining 6 tablespoons coconut palm sugar, nutmeg, and about half of the chopped nuts to the steel-cut oats, mix well to incorporate.

Whisk together the milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla, and then fold it into the oat mixture.

Add about 3/4 of the fruit to the casserole dish; spread it out into an even layer and top with the oat mixture. Top with the remaining fruit and the second half of the nuts, and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until set in the center.

Allow to cool slightly and serve with a drizzle of milk or a dollop of plain yogurt, if desired.

Note: if you don't have steel cut oats you can use all old fashioned whole oats 4 cups. You can just skip the soaking step. 

Recipe modified from King Arthur Flour whole Grain Baking

Gingerbread Protein Pancakes topped with Brown Buttered Maple Cinnamon Apples

The title is a mouthful but I couldn't leave anything out! Lets just say the apples are pretty much the star of the show, although the pancakes are mighty tasty themselves!  I topped my pancakes with a big helping of the apples and a scoop of greek yogurt.  Talk about protein protein protein!  Greek Yogurt, Shakeology and Eggs are all packed into these tasty pancakes.  

These are an awesome healthy breakfast this week before Christmas!  Or do what we did last night and enjoy them as "Breakfast for Dinner"!  

Gingerbread Protein Pancakes topped with Brown Buttered Maple Cinnamon Apples

Total Time: 20 min.

Prep Time: 5 min.

Cooking Time: 15 min.

Yield: Makes 3 servings, 2 pancakes each

Ingredients:

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 pinch ground cloves

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 scoop whey protein powder, vanilla flavor, I used vanilla shakeology

⅓ cup reduced fat (1%) plain Greek yogurt

4 large egg whites (½ cup) or 2 eggs

¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 Tbsp. coconut flour

1 tsp. spice mix (see below)

½ tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. molasses (Blackstrap if possible)

Olive oil

2 apples 

Butter

Maple syrup 

Preparation:

1. To make spice mix, combine cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.

2. Combine protein powder, yogurt, egg whites, oats, coconut flour, 1 tsp. spice mix, baking powder, and molasses in a medium bowl; mix well.

3. Heat large nonstick skillet lightly coated with spray over medium heat.

4. Ladle about ¼ cup batter for each pancake; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles form on top. Flip. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

5. Repeat until all batter is used.

6. Serve two pancakes topped with cooked apples, if desired; serve immediately.

For apples

1. Melt 2 tsp butter in frying pan. 
2. Warm until butter starts to brown. 

See how it starts to brown up!  That's the flavour.

3. While butter Browns, Slice apples and add to heated pan. Cool for 2 minutes then add drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Stir and cover with a lid to soften. 

Check and stir apples every few minutes until soft. 

4. Serve apples on top of pancakes with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt. 

10 Best Printable Elf On The Shelf Ideas

Inspiration is the name of the game after 4 years of Elf on the Shelf!  We can't really re-do any of the Elf poses we did last year or even the year before because Asher's memory is like an elephant, he does not forget anything!  So every year I search Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration that will make it fun for the boys and easy for us!  Printables are awesome and I've used a few of these over the years so I though I would share a few here!

I love having everything in one spot so why not share some of the awesome printable creations by other bloggers for my friends here so that they could do some one stop shopping rather than search around on Pinterest!

Here are a few of my Favs that I have found along the way...

Toilet Paper Olaf Printable

We did this one last year and the boys loved it!  

Elf on the Shelf Toilet Paper Snowmen-Olaf   |   Simple as that Blog

Printable Joke Cards

For those nights when you forget to move the elf or aren't feeling super inspired you can always prop him up someplace and stick a joke card under his arm.  Print off a sheet of these Jokes and your set!

Elf on the Shelf Printable Jokes | Over the Big Moon 

Free Christmas Count Down Cards

Asher will love this one so I've printed off a set as he asks every day how many days are left until Christmas!  Another good one for an elf with a boring pose!
Elf Countdown Cards | Who Arted?

Elf Rocket Ship

I have been meaning to do this one for a few years now!  Still 9 days left to fit it into the rotation!  

Elf Rocket Ship | Sweet Papertrail

Frozen Elf Photo Backdrops

These are too cute!  Fraser loves Frozen right now, particularly Olaf so I'll have to do this one for him. 

Frozen Elf Photo Shoot Backdrop | Over the Big Moon 

Starwars Elf Mask

Asher is Obsessed with Starwars everything right now so this printable was on the top of my list this year!  I just can't decide which mask I am going to use!

Starwars Elf Mask | Enzas Bargains

Minecraft Elf Printables

What 6 Year old Boy doesn't love Minecraft these days!?  Asher sure does so I know he will flip for this one!

Minecraft Elf Santa  |  A Little Moore blog

Get a Printable Steve from Minecraft too  |  Paper Pezzy

Niceness Alert Printable

Such a cute idea to have your elf bring a little niceness alert card for a check in.  I'd probably use this one after a night where the boys won't eat dinner etc just to remind them Alphie is watching!  

Niceness Alert and Other Elf Note Cards | Frugal Coupon Living

Elf Twister Printable Sheet

Get out some other toys and have your Elf play twister with them!  Super cute idea which I'll use another year when I know Fraser wont touch our elf and I can put it down lower for them to see. And also once Asher has played the game so he knows what it is :)  

Elf Twister | Frugal Coupon Living

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Well it's been a crazy couple of weeks for our family and I've been neglecting the blog mostly because I haven't been home to be in the kitchen making anything delicious lately. We have spent several nights in the hospital with our youngest son first for Pneumonia and then post surgery for more breathing issues following the intubation as it caused his esophagus to be irritated.  It's been pretty nuts to put it mildly but I'm hoping the worst is behind us and we can finally dive into the Christmas season.  

This week our oldest son's Pace (musical theatre) production started so we have late night rehearsals and shows going on almost every night!  Now that we are all under one roof again we were all craving home cooked meals.  The boys wanted stir fry the other night so using what I had I threw together some beef and broccoli with rice. Only problem was I had run out of Teriyaki sauce AKA Sticky Sauce!!!! What's a mom to do!  So I googled and found a few recipes and came up with my own version so they could enjoy their Sticky Sauce and rice for dinner!

It came together very quickly and made lots too!  The real test was all in the taste however and i think it was even better than the bottled version if I do say so myself!  They boys gobbled it right up. YAY!  and then off we went to Pace. 

Here is my Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 3/4 cup Coconut Palm Sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 3 Tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil or Olive oil

Mix all 6 ingredients together in a saucepan and then put over medium heat on the stove. 

Sitr until it starts to bubble and thicken, don't leave it and walk away.  Once it starts to thicken remove from the heat and wisk to make sure it's smooth.  

I let mine cool slightly and used it to marinate some strips of steak.  Then we simply cooked the steak and added broccoli to pan to cook and topped with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce on the top!  It was amazing!  

(The sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for one week.)

Support, Accountability, Motivation and Fitness for 2016

I'm about to launch my BEST NEW YEARS CHALLENGE GROUP OF ALL TIME!!!! I have been over here brainstorming new ways to provide support and accountability to my customers and keep people motivated through the Holidays OR at least have a plan for after the Holidays!

As I am sitting here thinking about this group and the new year I am reminded that I always get an influx of people who join my January challenge groups.  Its just like those pictures of the gym in January! The gym is ridiculously packed for the first few weeks of the month and then by February 1st its back to the same as it was the rest of the year! WHY IS THAT???? Well everyone gets on their horse and wants to make a change in the new year, they flood the gym, they fill up the classes and they are all gung ho about their fitness.  But why do they fail?  Well if I think back to myself, I have been one of those  January Gym Goers or Runners!  I would start out strong, but then I wouldn't know what I was doing or if what I was doing was going to produce results.  I didn't get the concept of clean eating then and when I worked out for 1 week and didn't see results I got frustrated and did a little emotional eating to calm my frustrations! Quite honestly I was literally undoing everything I had done in the gym or on the pavement. I would meet with the personal trainer get my customized program or find a couch to 5k program to follow and then I was off on my own to do it!  But that personal trainer wasn't checking in on me to see if I was eating correctly or if my program needed tweaked. It was all up to me to motivate myself to go for that run I said I would do, or get to the gym and follow the plan. 

So, like most people, I threw in the towel and went back to my old ways swearing that I was meant to be out of shape forever and that my body was genetically predisposed to having a spare tire around my waste!  

I didn't realize that 80% of my results came from my nutrition and that eating real food not just low fat or low calorie was the only way to go!  

So here is what I've learned since that time and what I share with my customers...

1.  80% of your results come from your nutrition.  You can cardio yourself to death and see no change if you continue to have poor eating habits.

2.  SUPPORT is what made me succeed!  Having a community of support to check in daily with is what was the magic or secret sauce for me.  At any given time I could make a post in the private group regarding my daily struggles and someone would give me either a tip, suggestion, lift me up or love on me so that I didn't quit.  I felt a sense of peace knowing that I wasn't the only one struggling during certain weeks.  I wasn't the only one that didn't feel their body wasn't changing fast enough, it was nice to know that my food cravings and my daily struggles were normal!!!  I was not alone!  We were all in this together.  I made some of my best friends through my challenge groups and over time my mindset changed, my body changed and I finally was a success story!

3.  I need a system:  I am the type of person that needs a schedule to follow, a meal plan to duplicate and proven results for me to believe!  I am not the type of person that can make up my own program.  I want to know that if I do X,Y and Z I will get the results of those in the infomercial.  I love that every Beachbody Fitness Program comes with a nutrition guide to help me eat for the workout I am doing!  I love that Beachbody has the awesome food storage containers so that I am eating the right amount of food each day.  It truly takes the guesswork out of my nutrition. This is afterall the hardest thing to change and these programs do a killer job at tackling that with ease!

4.  Shakeology is not a protein shake or a weight loss shake or a temporary fix.  I will be honest, I was skeptic!  I had never drank a protein shake or meal replacement before Shakeology.  I didn't see the value or the investment in my health as necessary.   But I gave it 30 days and much to my surprise I had more energy, I didn't have my mid afternoon slump, I had less cravings for sweets and I was staying on track because it was 1 meal each day I didn't have to think about.  It was quick, convenient, easy to grab and go and I was having more success with my nutrition because if I was out and about instead of grabbing fast food I had my shake.  If I was running late in the morning instead of a coffee and muffin at the gas station it was Shakeology!  I was saving myself from all the little things that previously threw me off!

Plus it was nutrition that I wasn't getting before.  I was healthier, I performed better with my workouts and now it's my daily multivitamin. Truly my mindset has changed to a health shake and never a weight loss or protein shake!

5.  Lastly Challenge groups are my way to stay accountable. As a coach, I am just as accountable to myself as I am to my challengers.  As a coach I stay on track because I know I am leading by example.  I know that because I am out here leading the way I get to every single day inspire others to make a change in their lives.  I get to PAY IT FORWARD! When I started coaching, almost 2 years ago my goal was to help 1 person feel the same way I did when I achieved my results.  This is my WHY and driving force to continue leading the way with the very best fitness and nutrition programs I can offer!!!!

So here is the scoop!  I'm starting a 60 day fitness support and accountability group through my online Facebook private page.  

The requirements are this:

You make me your coach by going to my site and creating a free profile which makes me your COACH!  

You contact me by completing the application below to be considered for a spot in the group.

Together I will help you decide what fitness program will best meet your needs. You are required to do a Beachbody Fitness program{I will help you make the decision as to what fits you best} or you can dust off an old program you have at home. 

You are required to replace Shakeology with 1 meal each day for the very best results.  My goal is to teach you how to plan and prepare the other meals of the day so that you get the results you are looking for. At the end of the 60 days the choice is yours to continue with Shakeology or not!

You must check in daily to the closed online group to rate your day, be accountable and engage in the group discussion of the day.

That's it!  You get to workout in your own home but be connected to me 24/7 for support, fitness, recipes, nutrition and tips!

I am committed to helping you get the very best results possible!  Are you ready to rock it?!?!  

Complete the application below to be considered for our January 4th start date!

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Do you currently have a Beachbody Coach?

How did you hear about this Challenge Group?

• Facebook Event
• Crystal P Fitness & Food Blog
• Pinterest
• Email
• Other

Which Program Are You Interested in? *

• 21 Day Fix
• Cize
• Hammer and Chisel
• Piyo
• Not Sure. Please help me decide what would work best for me.

What are your current health and fitness goals? *

What is a typical day of eating like for you?

Why do you want to be a part of this group? *

Do you currently own a Beachbody Fitness Program?

• P90X, Insanity, Turbofire
• Chalean Extreme, Brazil Butt Lift
• None
• Other

What is the best way to contact you?

Banana Walnut Breakfast Bowl

Another Breakfast bowl?

Yes!!!  I think I'm hooked on eating oatmeal this way!  I've never really enjoyed oatmeal much but making it this way and topping it with fresh fruit and PEANUT BUTTER is amazing!  I really enjoy it!  

I made this Banana walnut oatmeal bowl and topped it with a peanut butter drizzle for my Monday morning breakfast! I prepped everything on sunday night so that it was ready to go in the morning and I almost forgot I was planning to make it until I saw the supplies sitting there in the morning!  Yay! 

I cooked the oatmeal plain this time (last time I added Chia seeds) with a dash of sea salt and then topped it with sliced bananas and walnut halves.  Instead of brown sugar or maple syrup I mixed peanut butter with a little maple syrup and warmed it in the microwave for 30 seconds to make a peanut butter sauce, this really made the bowl come together!  I drizzled the peanut butter mixture over the top of it all and dug in!  

This was such a warm and filling way to start the day.  

21 Day Fix Container Portions

1 yellow oatmeal
1 purple banana
1 blue walnut halves
2 spoons peanut butter

Very filling breakfast to start the day! 😋

Healthy Oatmeal Chia Breakfast Bowl

This Breakfast Bowl is a healthy alternative to your usual breakfast... a 
flavourful dish you're sure to love! It's filled with super foods that will 
keep you feeling satisfied and energized and can be topped with 
your personal favorites!

Sunday mornings are for cuddles is the Facebook post I put up 
this morning and it was true.  We all snuggled in bed this morning 
until about 9am and then of course we paid for it by needing to rush
 around later.  Gord was heading to his parents place to put the 
cover on our trailer for winter so I had to make the boys breakfast
 (they were pretty hungry by then).  I made them both scrambled 
eggs, and easy favourite for them.  But for myself I don't care for 
eggs too much so I decided to throw together an oatmeal breakfast
 bowl.  I gathered ingredients that I had in the kitchen and threw
 together a combination of Raspberries, banana, almonds and 
peanut butter!  I wasn't sure how it would all turn out but seriously
 it was so good!  

Healthy Oatmeal Chia Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients

1/4 cup Whole Oats

1 1/2 Tsp chia seeds

3/4 Cup Water

½ tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp honey

½ cup rinsed raspberries

1/2 banana, sliced

3 tbsp slivered almonds

2 tbsp melted homemade peanut butter 
(or other nut butter)

1 tbsp maple syrup

*Other optional toppings // sliced strawberries, blueberries,
 blackberries, kiwi, peaches, coconut shavings, goji berries,
 pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, nut butters, cacao nibs,
 or homemade granola

Instructions

1.    Add Oats, chia seeds and water into a small sauce pan.
  Cook on medium high until bubbling. 

2.    Add in honey and vanilla, stir and cook until oats are
 tender and mixture starts to thicken. 

3.    Rinse and slice fresh fruit.

4.    Combine peanut butter and maple in a saucepan or 
microwave-safe dish. Heat until warm and thin enough to
 drizzle.  Add more maple syrup if consistency is too thick. 

5.    Top with fruit, slivered almonds and a drizzle of 
the peanut butter/maple syrup mixture.

6.    Serve and enjoy immediately.

Notes

This breakfast bowl could be made as overnight 
oats if desired.