Why You Need to be Drinking Wheatgrass

Ever heard of wheatgrass?

Yeah I can't believe it took me this long to get some of this stuff!!!

A few years back { more like ten } I always heard about those healthy weirdos drinking wheatgrass shots and I'm all like ewwww get that away from me

Now, I f'in love it!!!!

You can take the tablets if you want, but I like the powder form best. It absorbs quicker into the body

yippie!

So you're thinking...."Ok why do I need this in my life"

A little about wheatgrass below and why it is so epic-ly RAWsome!

• First off it aids in alkalizing the body which is amazing anyway
• Supports overall health and wellness
• Gives you energy & boosts immune function
• Helps achieve 5+ daily servings of vegetables
• Excellent source of Beta-carotene, calcium, chlorophyll, fiber, iron, & vit K to name a few
• Contains ALL essential amino acids

So pretty much it's the shit.....in a green powder form ;)

Now how do I like to drink it?????

I love it mixed in my favorite cold pressed juice ^^^^ or this juice

It can be added to just plain 'ole water with ice or added to any of your daily smoothies!

It is so dang simple to incorporate into your diet and you all should be getting this right away

Like go....now

You'll thank me later


XX
E

Bomb Ass Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

So, I clearly love sweets and I love sharing my recipes and healthier versions with you all

Today I literally have one of the best, quickest, & healthiest versions of homemade ice cream evs

I have already made it multiple times and with this 90 deg weather, it really hits the spot


The only kitchen tool you will need is a blender

so easy peasy

What you'll need....

• A blender of your choice
• A large organic banana
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1/2 cup of organic whipping cream
• 12-16 oz. of organic frozen strawberries
• 1 TBSP of goji powder
• optional a splash of rum

 Directions:
Place the whipping cream, banana, and half the strawberries in the blender and start blending

Start slowly adding in the rest of the strawberries, the vanilla, and the goji powder until fully blended

{ OPT } this is the time you add in the splash of rum. The rum is going to help keep it creamy if you decide to freeze for longer than a couple hours

   

yum....yummy...... yum..... yum :D


Did I mention yum???

Haha tell me how you like this if you make it!!!!!!

XX
E

Sweet Swaps: Hot Chocolate

ummm....if you don't love hot chocolate

This post isn't for you

I LOVE me some warm, steamy hot chocolate but these pre packaged nasty chemical filled ones are not what I am talking about.

If you haven't ever tried making your own I suggest you try this recipe!!!!

The base of the hot chocolate is either the dark chocolate almond milk or you could just use regular. This is the only one I had at the time but if you used reg just add more organic cacao powder

More on cacao in another post. I have quit using cocoa powder all together!

I like my hot choc super duper chocolatey so I add a tablespoon per 12 oz. cup of hot choc

Here it is just stirred so all the cacao is dissolved

The next pictures are optional depending on if you truly want it dairy free or not

I just used some sugar free whipped cream and some 72% dark choc

YUM!

And here is the secret amazing ingredient!!!

A couple drops of dark chocolate stevia

I have never used flavored stevia before and it is actually pretty fantastic. I cannot wait to use it in baking recipes. I can't comment on other flavors since this is my first. Do any of you have any recs?

 

Enjoy your healthier hot choc y'all!!!!

xx

e

Recipe: Balsamic Glazed Chicken

 Hey y'all, I'm back with another healthy and quick dinner post. Completely clean but tastes as if it isn't. So the only time consuming part about this is marinating the chicken which you could do either overnight or before you go to work and will be ready for dinner when you get home. Whenever I want a quick dinner I always grill veggies and/or chicken because I make it a habit to have both on hand at all times.

Below, I will explain everything picture by picture

:)

Balsamic Glazed Chicken Recipe

I marinated this batch for a couple hours but its up to you of you want to marinate over night or for just a few hours.

So whats in the marinate??

Recipe: (rough guess sorry! I don't measure)

- juice of 1 lemon

- small spoonful of dijon mustard 

-1 clove of fresh garlic { this garlic press }

-enough olive oil/balsamic vinegar to completely coat the chicken

usually a little more oil than vinegar

Once done marinating, I heat up a non-stick pan and put some of my favorite coconut oil to grill them in. I continually add in some of the marinate as well to really make a nice coating for the chicken

Once done with the chicken, I throw in an entire chopped yellow pepper. NOTE: I use all colors of peppers this happened to be the one I had at the time. The more colorful, the better ;)

The final product is a delicious and quick meal you can prepare on the fly. Simple ingredients always make the best dinners. I mean, am I right?!

Tell me if you all try this and of course if you have any other recipes please leave them in the comments! I am always looking for new ones!

xx
e

Quick & Easy HEALTHY Dinner 2

Hey y'all, I am back with another super quick healthy dinner!

Because let's face it, nobody has time for a long prep. Am I right?!?

SIDE BAR- before I forget, I made an Instagram specifically for my blog!
Its-----> naturallyemblog
and my personal is--> emmamason3

The pictures may intersect every once in a while but check them out! Lots of fun Crossfit, Lululemon, and food goodies :)

 Now, ADD moment over, back to the healthy dinner

So, using the left over chicken from my last healthy dinner post, all I did was add it to a salad with some veggies.

Super simple, right?

For dressing I made a healthy concoction....

Ingreds:

-half a lemon squeezed

-Braggs Organic Sprinkle

- Bob's ground flax

-Ground chia

 

Y'all have seen this so many times in previous food posts

It is a legit staple in my kitchen

 

And per usual, I add ground chia and ground flax for added omegas and nutrients

Though the dressing seems simple, its so easy and the less ingreds the better.

What are some of your easy meal recipes? I am dying for more!

xx

e

 

Lulu Lust List

Ever since starting Crossfit, and actually even before that, I have been obsessed with Lululemon. If you have never tried on or worn their workout clothes I suggest you try them!!! Their fabrics are soft, form fitting, perfect for an athletes body. Plus they are super cute and oh so cozy.

I am going to start doing Lululemon lust lists every couple weeks to showcase their new arrivals and new products. I mean, am I the only one who wants to look cute while sweating up a storm??

Not only is their clothing adorable, but also very functional in workouts. I have found most of their products to be made to withstand a lot and last a very long time. The quality is definitely there. And when I workout, I need to know my shorts/pants wont ride up or my shirt to fall down.

 

1. Post Practice Cardi

I would literally wear this anywhere!! And how adorable is this color? Perfect for spring

 

2.  Run Swiftly LS Stripe

I have this in gray and I LOVE it. The stripe version is so cute I definitely want to get my hands on it!

 

 3. Run: Speed Short

These are my new obsession. I recently got them in black and they are easily the most comfortable shorts ever. Like ever, ever. They are perfect for WOD's and everything in between. I can easily squat and run in them. And I am a hard one to please...

I look forward to more Lulu posts :)

XX
E

Quick & Easy HEALTHY Dinner 1

Who doesn't love an easy, fast dinner????

And no, I am not talking about FAsT food!!!!!

Today, I am going to show you a super easy and quick dinner I made that was satisfying and healthy in under ten minutes.

I hate long, drawn out recipes that take all day to make. Plus I am starving after my WOD and will literally grab at anything I see. Tsk Tsk that's a bad habit so I've been playing around with fast meals.

This IS a meatless meal but you can always add a lean grilled or steamed chicken or meat to the plate as well I just didn't have any on hand.

 

I used coconut oil to satay the onions until very soft.

I added the kale and some pepper to taste. After the kale softened I squeezed fresh lemon juice on it and continued to cook for 2-3 more minutes.

 

Along with the kale I baked a sweet potato! YUM!!!

I could eat one of those with everything and plus they are so good for you. 

Benefits include:

1. High in vitamin B6

2. Good source of vitamin C and D

3. They contain iron and magnesium which are good for the immune system, heart, muscle, and nerve function

4. High in beta-carotene which helps fight against cancer

5. You can cook them several ways so you don't get bored

Naturally, I don't add butter but I did find a yummy alternative at Kroger and it is this...

It's obviously not the healthiest thing in the WORLD, but its a better alternative. It doesn't taste like coconut either it is very light. Also, I do not add any of that nasty sweet stuff people tend to add to sweet potatoes. I just use plain ole' pepper and pink Himalayan salt.

Sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet so why add brown sugar???

Let me know if any of you try this!!!! More on kale in another post! Can you say super food???

XX
e

Recipe: Healthy French Toast

{{ How yummy ^^^ }}

Why hello again! I enjoy eating the things that I love, but putting a healthier twist on them. One of my favorite brunch items, usually saved for Sundays, is French Toast. I have loved it forever and since my journey of eating clean started at least three years ago, I have found better ways to tweak some of my favorite foods!!

The best way to make French toast is to use stale, older bread. Obvi not moldy though. So I used my 100% whole wheat few days old bread and it was perfect. So here's what you'll need...

Ingredients:
- 1Tbsp. of coconut oil for the pan
- 3 eggs
- 1 heaping Tbsp. of cinnamon
- Splash of almond milk

So the mixture to coat the bread is just eggs, cinnamon, and almond milk. How easy is that?? It literally took 10-15 mins. Super easy and with minimal ingredients.

My favie coconut oil. Or try this one

Penzey's spices are SO good

I always get the unsweetened original flavor via Silk or Blue Diamond

I also added sliced bananas in between the layers. Also add a tablespoon or so of 100% pure organic maple syrup! If you keep your portion size small, you can still eat what you want. That is how I live my life and still get to enjoy what I loveeeee!!!

So let me know if you all try this and what you think.

xx
e

Recipe: Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

{{ Um, how amazeballs do those look??? ^^^ }}

heyyy yo. I am back with a delish and super simple healthy cookie recipe. So, since I no longer do processed foods/cookies { very rare } I like to find simple, healthy, small ingredient recipes that will satisfy my cravings. So here is a recipe I found on Instagram: @paigehathaway. She is a fitness freak like me who I get inspired by and follow!

So here's the recipe:

• 1 cup of PB
• I scoop of protein powder ( I used my About Time vegan chocolate flavor )
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Dark Chocolate Topping ( Optional )

• 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp Hershey cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp chocolate protein

- Mix all ingredients in bowl or blender/VitaMix
- Bake for 10-15 minutes at 350
- Mine took a little longer though so just watch them

So here's how mine turned out! They don't look as delicious but they are still tasty!! I plan on freezing them and taking them out as needed. I didn't make the topping yet, I probably will as I take them out or just eat it with my frozen greek yogurt. If you make them tell me what you think!

xx
E

What the F is CHIA???

Ok so one of my favorite super ingredients to add to pretty much everything is CHIA!!
Now what is chia exactly..?

It is an ancient Aztec seed that is high in ALA { Alpha-Linolenic Acid } which is an Omega-3 essential fatty acid. Our diets are so saturated with Omega-6 that sometimes we forget about the 3! I like to make a chia 'water' before and after I work out because of the protein chia delivers and they can hold their weight like 1,000 times in water so they are also super hydrating for people who train like me.

Other good chia benefits include:
- Feeling fuller faster (aiding in weight loss)
- Known to lower cholesterol
- Lowering blood pressure
- Easily digested
- Good natural protein content
- Amazing fiber source

I meaaaaaan I add chia to literally everything, from my morning smoothie to soups to drinks, protein cookies, breakfast you name it! I also just started using ground chia which is the same as chia seeds but instead of having to soak the seeds in something liquid, it's finely ground so its easier to add to my staple items! I also use ground flax everyday too but thats a whole other post!

^^ my ground chia

Do any of you use Chia?! And if so, don't you just f'in love it????
:)

xx
E

Homemade Almond Butter Recipe

Homemade snickers!!! SOOO much better than the nasties you buy at the store! I got the recipe here! Just added more peanuts :)

My Homemade Cinnamon Vanilla Almond Butter

Recipe:

- 2 cups of organic raw almonds ( I roasted them on 350 for 10 mins to get a better flavor)

- 1 tbsp. of cinnamon

- 1/2 tbsp. of vanilla extract

- optional a sweetener of your choice ( I did not add one)

Let me just say that making your own almond butter is SO SO easy peasy. Organic almond butter is like $7 a jar at the store! As you can see it made a regular canning Mason jar size full of it { and then some } It is sooooooo good I can't even tell you! I used the Vitamix to make it but of course if you don't have this magical machine then you can use a food processor!! Would you guys want to see more recipes? Let me know, I have been bitten by the domesticated bug this week haha.

xx

e

InstyEm

Our yummy Oscar spread!

I could eat this everyday

xx

e

Healthy Recipe: Naan Pizza

As you remember in this post where I showed you a healthier version of pizza with pita bread, today I am going to do something similar with naan bread! Also a healthier alternative to traditional pizza, naan is a flatbread and much simpler than rolling out dough etc. I used the garlic and olive oil flavor. I usually use a whole wheat dough or bread but for simplicity sake I am showing you this.

In that last post I didn't really show you the steps I took when creating the sauce and adding the veggies etc. so this post will have all of that :D

1. Starting out with the bread on the pan to stick into our toaster oven, I put the plain, salt free, tomato sauce on the bread. I then added some herbs { oregano, basil, chia seeds, and sesame seeds }

2. Then on top of the herbs and sauce, I added my veggies which were: onions, zucchini, yellow squash, and green peppers. Pretty much everything I had on hand at the time!

3. Add fresh Parmesan Reggiano, and stick into your oven or toaster oven on about 375 for 10-15 mins or until cheese is melted and crust is toasted. 

4. Take it out when its done to your liking and cut!!

So this is super easy peasy and quick! Hope you all are having a wonderful week, I can't believe its almost MARCH!!! Warm weather better be coming soon.

xx

e

InstyEm

@naturallyem

So, you're thinking "Ohhhh that looks fattening!" right??? Well you're wrong peeps! This is a healthy and clean take on one of my favorite candies: the Reese's Cup! I got this recipe from @skinnyminime_xoxo 's Instagram! She has some great clean recipes and posts some great fitspo too! So you need to check this recipe stat and make some of these! You will be pleasantly surprised.

Her website: www.staysharpbestrong.com

xx babes

e

Super Bowl Sunday-Food

 I literally did not care who won the Super Bowl. I'm just there for the commercials! We had a bit of a shindig yesterday and I found myself with tons of options to eat healthy. My sister brought homemade guac which was spectacular so I pretty much ate that the whole time. Plus I have flu-like symptoms again { yipppeeeeee....not } so I didn't have much of an appetite anyway. Do any of you find it difficult eating at parties? I mean there usually is a healthy dip and veggies around, not just nasty, greasy chips and fatty dips! Luckily I had some leeway to add more veggies and pick what was put out since we were hosting ;)

As for the commercials, I can think of about 4 that really stood out to me and were my faves: Audi
{ duh }, Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd for Samsung, the Clydesdale one, the Doritos goat one...did I miss any???
OH and that GoDaddy one with Bar was just...gross like I couldn't watch it haha the sound made me cringe.

{ My mom makes the best snickerdoodles and oatmeal raisin cookies }

{ I ate practically all of those veggies with the guac haha }

{ Southern thang }

{ Yum! Homemade guac = the bomb }

I forgot to mention the half time show haha. I am not the biggest fan of Beyonce but it was one of the best half time shows I have seen to date. It wasn't horrible like Madonna or super over the top. Plus I love Destinys Child.
How was your Super Bowl Sunday???

xx
e