What's your seasoning?

Life is all about the spice! At least that's what I like to believe. And that's how I like to cook as well. Whether is a new combination or just a new twist on an old staple, I love exploring spices!

Here's some fun facts about some spices I like to used frequently!

Cumin
This spice used frequently in Indian and Mexican cooking helps to improve circulation in your body and gives you energy!

Curry
Curry is a blend of spices most frequently used in Indian cooking and varies in flavor from mild to hot. I love using curry on my veggies to add an extra zip!

Cinnamon
This spice is more versatile than you think. This spice is a "warming" spice and works well for balancing blood sugar as well as easing the symptoms of a cold or flu.

Coriander
This spice comes from the seed of a cilantro plant. It's zesty and has a bit of an orange flavor. It's great for spicing up soups or Indian and Mexican dishes

Cayenne
This is another great "warming" spice that can help with circulation, metabolism, and even relieving an upset stomach. A little goes a long way!

Remember when looking for your spices that you make sure to always buy spices that are in their "natural" form - meaning don't buy mixes like seasoned salt, garlic salt, or any other derivatives out there. Why? Those spice blends generally tend to have extra additives that, while they may seem harmless, contribute to some of the poisons we consume.

And don't be afraid to spice things up in your kitchen!

Loaded Egg Scramble

Tired of the same old scrambled eggs? Me too! So I made a new recipe that adds a bunch of flavor and lots of healthiness!

Scrambled eggs:
2 eggs
1 tomato, diced
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt, pepper, and seasoning to taste

Combine all ingredients for scrambled eggs in small saucepan and cook over medium heat until eggs are thoroughly cooked, light and fluffy.

Spinach:
5 oz fresh baby spinach, steamed

While eggs are cooking, steam spinach. If you don't have a steamer, place spinach in microwave safe bowl, add about 3 tbsp water, and cook on high for about 4 minutes covered. Once the microwave beeps, drain any excess water from spinach and set aside.

Place warm spinach on a plate and top with scrambled eggs. For some extra flavor, add some shredded mozzarella cheese (optional). Enjoy!

Powerful Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a powerful food on its own, but add these ingredients and your oatmeal will pack a powerful, energetic punch to your morning!

1 serving old fashioned rolled oats cooked per directions on container
2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp slivered almonds
1 tbsp grade B maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground fennel seeds

Mix all ingredients together. Add milk if desired. Enjoy!

Rejuvenated!

Ever have one of those weeks?? One where you don't feel motivated at all? One where you think everything you're doing is pointless anyways? One where you don't believe in yourself?

That was my last week. 55 hours in at the day job and two conferences - one of which was an overnight conference. Phew! I'm glad that's over! Between work, pets, cooking, and keeping up on house work, last week was nuts for me and I was VERY stressed! I started wondering if I could do what set me out on this journey of being healthy... being a Beach Body Coach.

So, what got me through? My Beach Body Coach and other Beach Body Coaches! And that reminded me why I became a coach: I want to be just like them. I want to be for someone else what they are for me. I want to help people and keep them on track to achieve their goals for health and fitness!

As a result, even though it was a very busy week for me, I was able to avoid temptation and eat healthy all week! I even packed my own food for my overnight conference and stayed on track with my Shakeology for breakfast.

So, I got through it, and I'm now rejuvenated and ready to rock n' roll! My point is, that when you feel like everything is lost and your stressed and emotional, just remember that it will pass and find your motivation! Not sure where to look for motivation? I can help you with that! Follow me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/beachbodyheather.pekrulgulig), Twitter (twitter.com/BBheatherpg) or Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/lyric11780/boards/). Let me know how I can be YOUR motivation!

Shrimp with a Twist

Tired of the same old boring shrimp? So was I!! So, I did some digging and came up with this twist to a recipe I saw with pink grapefruit. It's citrusy and wonderful!

Shrimp:
1 pound cooked shrimp, rinsed
2 cups of water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice

Pink grapefruit sauce:
1 pink grapefruit peeled completely from rind
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak shrimp in mixture of two cups water, salt, and lemon juice for at least an hour.

While shrimp is soaking, peel grapefruit. Make sure to remove all rind and skin from grapefruit. You may want to cut the grapefruit in half and scoop out the fruit as this seems to go quicker. Once peeled, put aside.

Place 1/4 cup butter in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook butter until slightly brown in color. In a separate frying pan, heat shrimp on low heat making sure not to overheat.

Here's where it gets fun! While butter is boiling, add grapefruit, salt, and pepper. The grapefruit will flash boil brining out the flavor. Drain shrimp and place on serving dish. Drain some juice from the grapefruit sauce and then pour over shrimp. Top with some fresh grated Romano cheese. Enjoy!

Grown-up Spaghetti

This is a twist on spaghetti all the way around. Why? There's no tomato and no spaghetti! Instead, I used spaghetti squash and my own yummy blend of spinach, mushrooms, and spectacular sauce!

Spaghetti Squash:
1 large spaghetti squash

I like to use the microwave for my spaghetti squash as it's a quick and easy way of cooking my squash. Cut spaghetti squash in half. Be careful while cutting ad these wonderful squash can be tough to get through. Once in half, drape a damp paper towel over the cut side of the squash. Place in microwave, cut side up. Cook on high for 10-14 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. Once one half is done, cook the other half in the same manner. Once both halves are cooked, scrape out the squash with a fork and serve.

Spinach and mushroom sauce:
6 oz fresh baby spinach
1 small package fresh mushrooms sliced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp grade B maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 fresh garlic clove finely chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted pine nuts

Combine extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, salt, pepper, mushrooms, and spinach in a medium skillet over medium/high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until spinach is cooked down. Once spinach is cooked, lower heat to simmer, add pine nuts, and simmer for an additional 3 minutes.

Spread spaghetti squash out in large casserole dish. Pour spinach, mushroom, and sauce evenly over the spaghetti squash. Top with fresh grated Romano cheese. Enjoy!

My style

So, you may have noticed that many of the recipes I post are vegan, vegetarian, or gluten free...

There's a reason for that! Had you asked me five and half weeks ago if I wanted to go out for pizza, chicken wings, or to eat at any local fast food restaurant, I would have said yes! Then I would have moaned and groaned as I got off the couch because my body was in pain. Yes, I'm overweight... still today as I sit here. But five and a half weeks ago, I weighed 13 pounds more and had a whole different outlook on life.

So, what changed? I took part in the Beach Body #UltimateReset. It's a non-starvation detox program that can teach you WORLDS about how to eat healthier and be healthier and treat food as it was meant to be treated: as fuel for your body, not as an indulgence! Through that program and then through beginning Beach Body's #Shakeology, I have dropped 13 pounds! That's incredible to me! And I'm still losing weight!

What's more?? I haven't really exercised in a couple of months because of bunion problems in both of my feet. I had surgery a little over a week ago on my left foot to correct the bunion, so, since then, I've just been sitting around recovering... and I'm still losing weight. Kinda shows a person just how much of a difference diet can make on your health and weight!

Some other benefits of the Ultimate Reset are my energy levels are through the roof now and I'm caffeine free (no soda period), my digestion is better than it's been since I can remember (even back to when I was a child) and my inflammation and tendinitis in my wrists is gone! At the rate I was going, I never thought I could feel this GOOD again. I honestly thought my fate was an early grave and it might have been if I hadn't turned it around by taking a leap of faith and purchasing the Ultimate Reset. That paired with Shakeology and I'm on top of the world!

So, just a little tip when following my recipes: if there's an ingredient in there that you don't like, by all means, feel free to omit it, or, if you'd like to substitute your regular version of ingredients (i.e. using a flour tortilla instead of a gluten free rice tortilla), that's absolutely allowed! I want these recipes to work for you! I've made sure to try all of my recipes before I post them to make sure that I'm sending good stuff out. These recipes are my gift to you and I hope they can help you get started down a healthier path of eating!

Enjoy!

Tangy Citrus Plum Yogurt

A slight deviation from my Banana Honey Yogurt, but just as yummy and low calorie!
3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp honey (preferably local honey)
1 ripe black plum, pitted and diced
Mix yogurt, orange juice, and honey together thoroughly. Place in bowl and top with plum. Enjoy!

Veggie Wrap

This one is great for summer, fall, winter, spring... Any time of year! The taste is light yet filling with a wonderful combination of tomato and fresh spinach.

Wrap:
1 medium soft tortilla shell (I found gluten free tortilla shells from the healthy section in my local grocery store.)
1 medium Roma tomato diced
1 handful of fresh baby spinach
1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite shredded cheese (I prefer using Go Veggie! cheese as it's healthy, low calorie, and fat free. I usually prefer mozzarella with this wrap, but cheddar is just as good.)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

On tortilla shell, spread a little of your favorite shredded cheese down the middle of the tortilla shell, making sure to leave more for the top layer. Then add fresh spinach followed by your tomato again in the middle. Spread remaining cheese over the tomato.

Now this is the tricky part... Carefully wrap each side of the tortilla up, being careful not to rip the shell. Secure the shell together with toothpicks to hold the wrap together while cooking. Heat extra virgin olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Carefully place wrap in skillet and heat for 3-4 minutes or until crispy. Gently remove one toothpick and grab wrap on bottom and top side with tongs to keep the wrap from coming undone. Carefully flip the wrap to cook the top side for an additional 3-4 minutes or until crispy.

Remove from heat, place wrap on plate and cut in half for artful presentation. Enjoy!

Tangy Cranberry Feta Salad

What's sweet and sassy and full of flavor? This salad! If you're looking for a break from the ordinary, look no further.

Salad:
5 oz baby greens
1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese
3 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp slivered almonds

Dressing:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp grade B maple syrup

Layer salad greens, Feta cheese, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds in a bowl. In separate bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup and mix well. Pour dressing over salad and lightly toss. Enjoy!

For some extra protein and vitamins, add 3 tbsp of cooked, toasted millet:

Toasted millet:
1 cup millet
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

Heat millet in saucepan over medium heat until it starts to make a popping sound. Add water and salt and bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil and cover. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. Remove from heat. Fluff with fork and serve.