Motivation Shaker, Ashley Tabb

Grocery shoppingt can be overwhelming if you have no idea what you need. Over the last four years as I've implemented a weekly meal plan into our family weekend routine, I also added some weekly chores. In order to determine what is needed, take time to throw out old food from the pantry and refrigerator each week. Make a note of foods that are expired and need to be replaced. Make a list and know exactly what you need so that grocery shopping is faster and easier. Plus with a list, you will spend less because you are only buying items you need and not just what looks good. Matt and I use an app called Anylist for our grocery list.   It stores items as you add and can be shared with others.  You can view all the items, scroll through and click what you need and then hide what you don’t need. I paid the extra fee to use the recipe feature, which makes copying, and pasting recipes online easy.  Simply copy and paste all ingredients and then the instructions and...

Several people asked for the egg casserole recipes that I made for my pre-workout meal this week. As I started timed nutrition I needed a veggie, protein, starch and teaspoon to meet all the container requirements. The egg casserole is a light dish that contains all of those. Ingredients: Veggie: 1 chopped green bell pepper and 1 red bell pepper Protein: 10 eggs Starch: 4 yellow containers of Sliced potatoes/hash browns Teaspoon: Olive oil or cooking spray Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degree. Crack and mix 10 eggs. Add chopped peppers and potatoes and stir. Spray or spread olive oil around a glass casserole dish. Pour in mixture. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Let cool and then cut into 6 pieces.

Growing up I remember summer nights watching baseball with my dad and having a bowl of cereal or ice cream...almost every single night. So when I was pregnant with the girls this craving came back but never went away. Yet I couldn't understand why I had hit a plateau with my weight since I was walking outside nightly and eating low fat ice cream and other snacks. However when I started meal planning and shifting my snacks from goldfish to veggies and stopped having ice cream I started seeing results. As I created my meal plan this week I wasn't sure how I'd get 5 servings of proteins in a day so I went to find ideas. I've been craving ice cream and desserts so I decided to go with this special Vanilla Cinnamon Yogurt with peaches!! Yummy!! And it's just as good as vanilla ice cream and peaches!! Healthy eating doesn't have to be plain and boring...it CAN be tasty!!! Ingredients:  Non Fat Greek Yogurt 1 Scoop Vanilla Shakeology 1 Tbsp Cinnamon Dire...

After posting several Shakeology recipes last night, I decided to shake it up before the online event actually starts to share my thoughts on the different recipes to help you decide which to try!! Today I started with Snickerdoodle, but I made a few changes.  We are low on milk and I prefer to have water to save my "containers" for other food throughout the day on my meal plan.  So I used 12-14 oz of water instead of 10-12 oz of milk. For the peanut butter, I used PB2 which is a powder peanut butter. Also, I prefer 1/2 banana in all of my shakes, so I added that in as well. The shake was good, but I wasn't sure how much peanut butter to use since it was powder and I think I used a little too much.  Sometimes it takes a few tries with these recipes to get your personal preference of flavor, but overall this recipe is a winner and I'll have it again!! Snickerdoodle (original recipe) 1 serving Vanilla Shakeology 10-12oz milk 2tsp cinnamon 1tsp natural p...

There’s a brand new Beachbody home fitness program that will launched on Monday, October 31!   The best part about the program is that the only equipment you need is YOU!   Core De Force is a 30 day total body transformation, MMA inspired program which includes 3 minute “rounds” that include boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai, knee-elbow combinations, bodyweight training and cardio spikes. The moves will help you lose belly fat and tone your body.   You’ll be so focused on hitting it hard for 3 minutes at a time that the workout will be over before you know it.  When I did the Core De Force sneak peeks… my heart rate was up and I was sweating within minutes of starting.  The next day I couldn’t believe the soreness I felt all over…the workout REALLY works your entire core to get your midsection defined, which most of us woman want…right?!?! So how do you get started and join my exclusive 30 day test group? Check out all the details below… What...

Oh...I was spooked when I realized I was out of Cafe Latte and had to switch to Chocolate Shakeology this morning!!! But no fear...I found this amazing chocolate superfoods recipe!! My breakfast was the healthiest meal l'll have all day AND it will scare away sugar craving s for the rest of the day!!! And yet I still get asked..."WHY do you drink Shakeology EVERY DAY?!?!" Well here are a few of the reasons... > It’s a WHOLE FOOD and contains no processed ingredients, chemicals, or artificial sugars > It has 8-9 servings of fruits and veggies in one scoop. > It curbs my cravings for candy and other treats.  >I don’t need to take a multivitamin because it has the vitamins and minerals I need daily. >It gives me energy without the jitters since it isn't a stimulant. >The probiotics and prebiotics help keep my digestive system on track  > I can make it in less than a minute.  >It is one meal a day I do...

Do you see it? We are all nervous in this picture!! Arms are crossed, there are no TRUE smiles, even mine is only a half smile because I was scared. I didn't know anyone and I didn't know what to expect.  I was second guessing myself and although I knew it was something I wanted to do, I didn't know how I was going to do it and still don't. But you know what, those feelings are TOTALLY normal and felt by everyone in the room. And you may feel something similar yourself.  Be honest, if I sent you a personal message right now asking you to try a cardio dance fitness workout program for the next 30 days...how would you feel? Do you have confidence that you could start and finish the 30 days?  Could you even open the box and turn on the TV to push play to the 1st DVD?  We all have confidence in ourselves but can benefit from having more.  Confidence improves our relationships, parenting and how we behave in social settings.  It helps us b...

I received this recipe from a friend and wanted to share it with those in my current challenge group and other looking for healthy summer recipes. I haven't tried it myself but will likely include it on my meal plan next week!! What about you...will you try this one?!? Ingredients 20 ounces Ground Turkey Burger (I buy 99% Fat Free) 6 Large Peppers – makes 12 servings (some might eat 2 halves) Pint of Cherry tomatoes Pint of fresh mushrooms Half a jar of tomato sauce or jar of salsa Corn – optional Black Beans- Optional Spinach – chopped and cooked in with burger *Use whatever you have fresh in the fridge and pantry. Cooking Instructions: While Turkey Burger is cooking on stove top in skillet, prep the rest... 3 large Green Peppers 3 mix red, yellow and orange peppers (1 of each) *Cut them in half and clean out. So they are like small bowls. Heat in microwave 2 bags of 90 second Uncle Ben’s Brown rice. Slice Cherry tomatoes in half Chopped container of mushr...

This is a great summer recipe and was enjoyed by our entire family...including my 8 year old and 3 year old daughters!!  It's a recipe adjusted slightly from the cookbook, A Man, A Can and A Grill.  I gave my husband this cookbook 12 years ago when we were dating and we still use it regularly!! Ingredients: 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 15 oz can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained 14 oz can diced tomatoes Italian style 8 oz can pineapple chunks in juice, drained 8 oz can Italian-style tomato sauce 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper How to Make it: Mix the tomato sauce and chili powder in a big zip lock bag.  Drop in the chicken. Seal the bag and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.  In a big bowl, mix the oranges, tomatoes, pineapple and pepper.  Let it sit for 30 minutes.  Fire up your grill to medium.  Once grill is ready, debag the chicken and grill, turning and basting with marinade a few times ...

It’s been a crazy winter but now spring is here and there are 57 days until Memorial Day….and only 3-4 weeks until summer break If you are a college student!!  I’m thinking beautiful, warm sunny days and evenings at the park and weekends at the pool are in the near future!! That means all the bad choices from tailgates, the holidays and winter will be uncovered.  No more hiding behind sweaters and coats…it’s almost time for sundresses, tanks and swimsuits. So I’m on a mission to help busy, working moms of young kids transform their body and nutrition to increase confidence, improve body image and gain energy to keep up with all the summer activities. And with so many workouts available to do at home in under 30 minutes, there is no more “I’m am too busy” excuse!!!  Plus they include easy portion control meal plans with foods choices even your family will enjoy!! When I started these programs 2 years ago… *I went from 1 hour cardio workouts at the gym once ...

Who's ready for a tasty, rich snack?   This recipe is from t he FIXATE cookbook written by Autumn Calabrese, the creator of the 21 Day Fix and the 21 Day Fix Extreme workout programs . These programs include a portion controlled clean eating meal plan which is included within the nutrition guide that is included in the Challenge Pack. The nutrition guide also contains some other great recipe combos that won’t leave you missing old comfort foods! Autumn has included everything from Vegan to Gluten Free to Paleo and Vegetarian broken down by breakfasts, main dishes, sides, snacks, shakeology and of course deserts in the FIXATE cookbook. It is available in the UK and Canada and is available in English and Spanish.  smile emoticon ————————————————————————————— INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups all natural smooth peanut butter 1/2 cup raw honey (or pure maple syrup) 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs (at room temperature) 1/2 tsp baking soda, gluten free...

It was Easter Sunday 2 years ago... I remember feeling like I needed something. My youngest daughter had just turned 2. I had limited energy to chase her and play outside. My nails broke every time I buckled her into the car seat.   I was moody and just wanted my pre-baby body and "me" time back!   While I had a gym membership, I only saw the inside of the gym MAYBE once or twice a month.   During the week, I was too tired from working all day to workout at night.   On Saturday morning when the gym daycare was open, there was a Mommy and me dance class.   And there was no daycare on Saturday afternoon or Sunday at the gym.    So I walked and ran outside, but was unable to keep a consistent pace or routine.   I had no  clothes  to wear to work...EVERYTHING was tight and uncomfortable....except for the maternity shirts and pants.   My hair was dull and short and yet so hard to tackle each morning.   Fast forwa...