Apple Streusel Crisp

I don't know about you, but I LOVE apple pie.  Our 4th of July tradition has always involved apple pie.  However, that isn't exactly going to help me stay on track.  Instead, I decided to try out these Baked Apples with Oatmeal Streusel from over at Cooking Outside the Box.  We had a cookout with friends, so I adapted the recipe into an apple crisp!

1.  Use an apple wedger to core and slice the apple.  (If you don't have one, just do it with a knife).  Use a knife to cut the pieces in thirds.  You can cut the apple chunks smaller based on your preference.  

2.  Sprinkle the sliced apples with apple pie spice.  Spray a pie pan or 8x8 glass pan with nonstick cooking spray and place the apples inside.  

3. Combine 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted), 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar (or honey mixed with a bit of molasses), 1 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of ground ginger, and a pinch of salt.

4.  Sprinkle the streusel mix overtop the apples.  

5.  Bake on 350 for 30 minutes.  Serve warm! 

My friend Mallory bought me this casserole dish carrier for my wedding and I finally got to use it!

My mom says it needs a scoop of fat-free vanilla ice cream on top. (She says that for just about all my recipes!)

YUM!

You can also try the original Baked Apples with Oatmeal Streusel from Cooking Outside the Box.

1. Slice 4 apples in 1/2 and scoop out all the seeds and stem with a spoon.

2. Make the streusel the same as above: Combine 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted), 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar (or honey mixed with a bit of molasses), 1 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of ground ginger, and a pinch of salt. 

3. Fill and top the apple halves with the streusel mix.

4.  Bake at 350 until the apples swell - approximately 30 minutes.  I did not notice much of a difference in the streusel, so don't go by that. 

5. ENJOY!

NatureBox Giveaway!

I recently did a review of NatureBox, and they have been gracious enough to provide a NatureBox for my giveaway!  If you haven't heard of NatureBox, you should definitely check them out.  They are a company devoted to providing healthy snacks - no artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, trans fat, artificial colors, artificial flavors, or partially hydrogenated oils!

They also partnered with WhyHunger to help provide nutritious food to millions of Americans who go hungry.  To try out your FREE  NatureBox, submit your entry below! 

Note: You won't be signed up for any kind of subscription, you will simply receive 1 NatureBox to try for FREE!  You must reside in the U.S. to win! 

The winner of the NatureBox giveaway is Amy C.!
Congratulations!

Confessions of a Yo-Yo Dieter

Up and down, up and down!  I've been on a roller coaster of weight loss for quite some time now.   I lose it, then I gain it all back.  Before Hawaii, I worked really hard and lost 15 pounds!  It felt great - I went to buy beach clothes and actually had everything I took into the fitting room fit me.  That is the best feeling!  Of course, I took a break from healthy eating while I was in Hawaii - it was my honeymoon, after all.  My problem?  Taking a break for me = a downhill spiral.  I struggle to get back on track after a splurge or a vacation.  

So here I am - AGAIN.  Unfortunately, I found that 15 pounds I lost.  This time I"m determined to shed the pounds and KEEP THEM OFF!  "I'm not losing weight, I'm getting RID of it!"  I'm getting of the yo-yo coaster and I'm adopting this health lifestyle permanently.  I'm counting calories - keeping clean eating in mind!  If you're looking for a great resource on clean eating, try The Gracious Pantry.  I am trying to limit my processed foods and really amp up the fruits, veggies, healthy fats, and lean protein.   I feel like counting calories gives me the freedom to explore new recipes and sometimes have something I really want in moderation.  I also go to bootcamp Mondays & Thursdays.  Then I try to workout at least 3 other times during the week - sometimes I even do some extra cardio on bootcamp days. 

I'm learning tackling my challenges!  The other day we went to the movie theater with friends.  Instead of chowing down on 900-calorie-clog-your-arteries popcorn, I packed my snacks!  

The ingredient lists on these snack foods are ones I can actually read!

On Father's Day, we took a day trip to West Virginia.  Usually that would mean I'm done for = but not this time!  I ate breakfast at home, packed lunch & snacks, and planned ahead my dinner out.  

Guest Blogger: Ashley from Whole Foods New Body

I have a fantastic guest for you today! Ashley from Whole Foods New Body is joining us today to share a new clean eating recipe! I found Ashley's blog and was thrilled to learn about her journey toward health - without eating all the fake junk!  Make sure you visit her site and check out some of her amazing recipes (like a Skinny Chick-fil-a Peach Milkshake or Skinny Triple Chocolate Dessert Pizza).  Here's one she has for you today...

 Hey guys!! Let me introduce myself!! My name is Ashley and I blog over at Whole Foods New Body. Allison was kind enough to ask me to guest blog on Allison's Skinny Jeans! We both have a love for REAL food. I can always appreciate a girl that likes to cook with real ingredients and avoid artificial sweeteners!

 I eat mainly a "clean"diet. What that means is that I try to eat unprocessed whole foods the majority of the time. There is a little wiggle room when I allow myself to have a treat or a splurge!! Everyone needs those every now and then! I also love to share my favorite workouts and fitness tips!!

Let me tell you about this DELICIOUS bread I made the other day! WOW! So good!! I grew up eating my Grandmother's Blackberry Cobbler. It was my favorite dessert growing up! I haven't had it in years but I remember the taste for sure! I wanted to make a healthier version that I could enjoy everyday without feeling guilty! This bread is great for breakfast, snack or dessert!! I even like to smear a little all natural peanut butter on it! So good!!

Wanna slice??

Clean Eating Blackberry Cobbler Bread

• 2 cups oat flour (place 2 cups of oats in processor and pulse until flour consistency)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup of maple syrup
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blackberries (slightly smashed)

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Place in loaf pan sprayed with olive oil or coconut oil spray. 

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean!

**This is great cold or warm! Store in the refrigerator in airtight container.**

If you don't like blackberries or just love this and want to try another version....Try my Clean Eating Strawberry Banana Bread. It is equally as delicious!

ENJOY!!

Barbeque Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Looking for a really easy dinner fix that's healthy, too?   Then the recipe for you!
Ingredients Boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used a pack of 3 - it fed my husband and me, plus we had leftovers) Head of lettuce Barbeque sauce of your choice  4 Cheese Mexican Blend (Reduced fat)
Bring water to a boil in a large pot.  Once the water is boiling, carefully drop in your chicken breast.  Let the boil for 25-30 minutes.  It's okay to cut into them to check them because you'll be shredding the chicken.  

While the chicken is boiling, wash the head of lettuce.  Pull off the leaves - try to keep them as big as you can without ripping them.  

Once the chicken is done, it will easily pull apart.  You can wait for it to cool and shred it with your fingers, or you can use two forks to pull it apart while it's still hot.  I cut each chicken breast in thirds to make it easier to shred.  

Place the chicken in a saucepan.  Add the barbeque sauce of your choice - it did not take a whole bottle.  I just poured enough in until the chicken was coated.  Heat for just a few minutes over medium heat. 

Spoon some of the barbeque chicken onto a large leaf of lettuce.  (I used 1/2 a leaf of lettuce for each wrap.)  Top with the 4 cheese mexican blend.  Roll up the wrap like a taco and enjoy!

Serve with a side of corn and dinner is served!  This would also be great like a regular taco with seasoned ground beef or shrimp.

Nutrition: 3 lettuce wraps (4 oz meat, lettuce, 1/4 cup reduced fat 4 cheese mexican blend) and 1/2 cup of whole kernel sweet corn was a total of about 360 calories!

Lost - Part 2

My husband and I loved our honeymoon to Hawaii!  We are both huge LOST fans and really enjoyed going on Lost Virtual Tours.  This is the 2nd part of the touring.  I posted the 1st part earlier.   The large pictures are the ones we took - the small ones are pictures from the show found on the virtual tour website.  It rained A LOT on the island, so this was a great thing to do on rainy days.  It also brought us to some pretty amazing homes and areas on the island. 

Jack's Childhood Home
Jack sees a vision of his childhood home in the episode in season 6 called "Lighthouse."

Sacred Heart

This church is used in the last 2 seasons.  Ben brings Sun &.Jack to the church in the end and they meet Desmond there.  In the last episode, Hurley comes out on the balcony and talks to Ben who is sitting in the courtyard.  We had to get pictures through the fence because it's a school for girls - so you can't go in.  Any shots of the inside of the church are actually from the church next door - St. Patrick's Church.

Hurley's Mom's House

This is the house Hurley buys for his mom after he wins the lottery.  It's the one that catches on fire in the show.  The people who own the house were home, so they probably thought we were creepers.  We met other LOSTees on our tours, so I wonder if they are used to it by now. 

 Anthony Cooper's House

This is one of the houses they used for Anthony Cooper's house - John Locke's dad who steals his kidney.  This is where Helen makes John choose between her or his father. 

 

 Hurley's Mansion

Hurley's house.  It plays a big role when Hurley brings Sayid here when he's in trouble. 

 Fisherman's Wharf

Ana Lucia drops Christian off at a bar where he meets Sawyer.  The inside of the bar scene is actually from the Harbor Pub down the street.  

The Searcher

This is Penny's boat.

Hawaii Prince

Jae falls to his death on a car in the valet next to Jin.

Ala Wai Harbor

Boone goes to Australia to get Shannon. Desmond & Penny get their picture here.  Desmond & Charlie drive a car into the harbor.  This area was used for a lot of stuff.  It's also where the Waikiki Yacht club is - used for Ben gathering the Oceanic 6 and Ben shoots Desmond.

We reenacted the Desmond & Penny picture!

Hawaii Convention Center

This was actually used as the airport throughout the show.  Jack tries to get his dad's body on the plane, Sun decides not to leave Jin, Hurley runs for the plane - basically any airport scene.  Also, they used the escalators a lot.  There was no where to park around here and they are very picky about people getting in, so we just took pictures driving by. 

Waikiki Landmark

Locke gets pushed out of a building by his dad.  Jacob touches Locke.   

Royal Garden Hotel

Jin works as a hotel doorman.

We had so much fun in Hawaii!  Thanks for letting me share our journey with you!