Boy do I have a treat for you today!

You know I always love to share with you healthy recipes, today I have something even better. 

I have someone very special to introduce to you, its my friend Katie.  Actually, you can call her Chocolate Covered Katie.  She is a beautiful, smart, fit young woman who has mastered the way to make delicious desserts that taste amazing and are actually good for you.

I am very particular about who I work with and the people that I introduce to my peeps, and Katie is definitely one person I think will inspire you, teach you and show you how to enjoy life while staying fit.

Katie has an awesome philosophy on how to stay lean and fit while still indulging in her favorite food.......CHOCOLATE.  I just love her.........and I think you will too.

I totally agree with her and think that you don't need to feel deprived and that you can still enjoy the foods you like while being super fit.

So without further do here is an interview I did on Katie, I hope you enjoy it and learn from her and make sure to click on the links below and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and her blog, Chocolate Covered Katie. 

·How old are you & how long have you been cooking/baking for?

I am 25, and I've been baking since... as long as I can remember, although when I was little my main contribution was licking the beaters :).

·What made you decide to start cooking/baking & what made you start sharing it with the world?

I don't really like to cook... but I love to EAT! AndI love coming up with creative ideas for recipes. I figured there must be people in the world like me; people who love to eat but don't want to spend all day cooking in order to have a delicious meal. My recipes are almost all quick and easy, requiring very few ingredients and short prep work.

·Are you into health & fitness?

Yes, definitely. I've been athletic all my life, and I got into health after my mom made me do a lot of research before I was allowed to become a vegetarian (back at age 14).

·Do you workout?

Yes, I run and lift weights. I love to run... lifting weights, notsomuch!

·You look really great, what is your secret for being in shape while still loving and enjoying food?

Eat what your body REALLY craves. But really listen to what your body wants, not what external cues (society, the media, advertisements, emotions, etc) are telling you to eat. Never deprive yourself of a true craving.

·You have some amazing healthy recipes that look devilishly good & are super healthy, why did you decide on focusing on devilish treats that are good for you?

I eat dessert at least twice a day, and so I couldn't fathom it when my friends would say, "I'm on a diet. I can't eat dessert." No dessert for weeks on end???! Life is too short for such deprivation! I wanted to show people that you can eat dessert every single day and still be healthy at the same time.

·What is your favorite healthy dessert & will you share with us one of your favorites?

CHOCOLATE! (Sorry, that had to be in all caps.) One of my favorite desserts on the blog is my Magic Chocolate Bar Pie. Even people who claim to hate healthy foods love this one. I got an ex boyfriend to admit to liking tofu with this recipe!

Chocolate Bar Pie

(It’s gluten-free!)

• 1 (12.3-oz) package silken or firm tofu (such as Mori-Nu)
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 chocolate bars, in the flavor of your choice (3-oz bars) (or 1 and 1/3c chocolate chips)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 T nondairy milk
• scant 1/8 tsp salt
• 2-3 T agave or other sweetener (I omitted)

Break up the chocolate bars, and melt (either on the stove or in the microwave). Then throw everything into a food processor and blend until super-smooth. Pour into a pie crust if desired. (I hate pie crust and therefore usually keep it crustless.) Fridge until chilled. This gets firmer and firmer, the longer it sits. (It’s firmer if you use firm tofu and more like mousse pie if you use silken.)

·I assume that the name of your blog (Chocolate Covered Katie) is because you love chocolate?I LOVE chocolate too.Do you also like salty snacks and foods?

See above ;). I'm not really big on salty snacks like chips or pretzels, and I also don't really like sweets (candy, fruit-flavored desserts). But I love all things bitter and chocolate and creamy and melty!

·For all the chocolate lovers out there, what is a healthy chocolaty treat we can have or make without feeling bad about it?

Anything on my blog :). These sugar-free chocolate fudge bites are very popular. People say they taste like brownies:

German-Chocolate Fudge Bites

(Makes 10-14 balls)

These were inspired by this recipe.

• 3/4 cup pitted dates (I like Sunmaid, because they are softer.) (120g)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/16 tsp salt
• 2 T cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder)
• 2 T shredded coconut
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup raw pecans
• optional: feel free to add some chocolate chips

Blend all ingredients together very well. (I recommend using a food processor.) Squish the dough together. (I transferred the dough to a plastic bag then smushed it together in the bag. It’s much less messy this way!) Roll into balls, cookie-cuttered shapes, or bars… or you can even use it for a pie crust!

·What is your advice for people who love sweets but want to lose weight and get fit?

Don't try to satisfy your sweets craving with something sub-par just because it's "low cal" or "low fat." If you don't think it's truly delicious, your cravings will still exist after you've finished eating the snack... which will lead you to eat more and more unsatisfying snacks. It's better to just eat something that tastes AMAZING in the first place. Eat slowly and relish every bite.

·Do you also like to cook other foods other than desserts?

I do, but I love blogging about desserts best because they are the most fun to photograph.

·If you could give us 2 tips that we could use to help us cook/bake healthier, what would it be?

1. Experiment with whole-grain flours. Start by replacing up to 1/2 the amount of flour called for in a recipe with ww pastry flour or spelt flour.

2. You can often add less sugar than a recipe calls for and not even notice a difference. 

·You have some really amazing recipes on your blog, will you be coming out with a book one day?

Yes! :)

I will make sure to let you all know when Katie has her book out!

Make sure to check Katie out at the links below and follow her and her passion for yummy food that is good for you and that you don't have to feel bad about eating.

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Chocolate-Covered-Diet/130816906930482

Twitter:https://twitter.com/ChocCoveredKt

Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/choccoveredkt/chocolate-covered-desserts/

Being a MOM, and understanding that life is busy, I am always trying to find ways to help you save some time.

The other day I was exhausted, but I couldn't skip out on cooking dinner even though I really wanted to.  I didn't because then I wouldn't have lunch leftover for the next day, so I didn't think about it so much and I just did it.

But UGH.... to chop and chop and chop!  So I pulled out a great gadget that I have that I don't use often but I need to use more.  I literally chopped 3 onions in seconds.  

This is great for you to use at the beginning of the week to chop up everything that you need to chop for the week.  But for this you need to have a plan so make sure you are taking few minutes a week to write up your weekly menu so that you can be prepared with healthy meals all week and you can do it in minutes.

Check it out:

Seriously, you can chop up all the veggies you will use for the week in seconds.

Here is a quick healthy recipe you can try using this awesome gadget:

Healthy Recipe:  Veggie Scramble:

Ingredients:

1 Zucchini

1 Squash

1 Onion

1 Red Pepper

1 Tomato

1 Bag Spinach

1/4 cup Basil, chopped

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions:

Chop these up with your cool gadget that I don't know what its called, but any target or bed bath and beyond should have it.  Sauté them in a little stock unit they are tender.  Add the balsamic vinegar and let it cook down for a few minutes and top with fresh basil.

I post healthy recipes, workouts, and all kinds of fitness and diet tips all the time on Facebook & Twitter so make sure to click on the links and connect with me:  Facebook & Twitter

If you want more healthy recipes, check this out:  Eat To Be Fit

And

If you want an entire step by step meal plan with the recipes, check this out:  Be Fit Moms

Happy Valentines Day Peeps!

I thought you may enjoy this amazing recipe from one of my Eat To Be Fit Healthy Cooking Classes.

Its a chocolaty and nutty healthy treat that is yummy and easy to make.  Its great for a healthy snack.

Enjoy and make sure to share it with your loved ones.

Healthy Recipe:  Peanut Butter Fudge Bars

Ingredients:

4 scoops chocolate protein powder
2/3 cup flax meal
4 tbsp natural peanut butter
¼ cup water, plus more
Agave Nectar to taste

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and stir. Add Agave as desired. If needed add more water until it becomes a sticky blob of dough. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and place in separate pieces of plastic wrap, shaping them into bars. Freeze them!

Need some help with  your Nutrition and Diet?

Check out this amazing Healthy Recipe Book.  People are buying it like crazy and loving all the healthy and delicious meals, check out the recipes now:  Eat To Be Fit

So I heard that Super Bowl is the second biggest "EATING DAY" of the year, next to Thanksgiving!  

Yikes!

I'm wondering, how did you eat?

I have spoken to a few clients who cooked some healthy food for their party and I also spoke to some clients who were just going to splurge.

Of course, I would rather have you eat the healthy stuff, but as long as your splurge was in MODERATION, it will be all good.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A SPLURGE?

Usually after a splurge one of two things can happen:

1.  You say "screw it", I already messed up "my diet", I'll just keep eating poorly because I feel bad about myself and I already "screwed it up", and you just can't get it together.

2.  You feel so bad about what you did yesterday, that you are going to eat perfectly.

My hope is that you choose to have a PERFECT eating day and get right back on it and don't dwell on what you did yesterday but rather FOCUS on what you can do today to make it better.

So, in case that you don't feel like thinking or don't know where to start, here is a good SAMPLE MENU for today.  I am going to make it a FIRE MEALS DAY, in case you over indulged yesterday.  And I am also giving you a recipe.

So, HAPPY DAY AFTER SUPER BOWL!

SAMPLE HEALHY MENU

Breakfast:  Egg white Omelet with spinach, onions and mushrooms with sliced avocado.

Mid-morning snack:  Celery and/or Carrots with Almond Butter

Lunch:  Tuna over Arugula and Spinach with Red onions, celery, scallions, toasted sliced almonds, Dijon Mustard and Balsamic vinegar. (YUM)

Mid-Afternoon snack:  Protein Shake or Egg White and Veggie Frittata

Dinner:  Mushroom Chicken Burger & Lemon Asparagus & Green Beans

Healthy Recipes:

Lemon Asparagus & Green Beans (4 Servings)

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus, trimmed
1 lb green beans, trimmed
Dressing:
1 cup low fat cottage cheese, whipped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 shallot, minced
2 tbsp basil, chopped
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
S&p to taste

Instructions:
In a large skillet, cook the veggies in a little bit of boiling water, for about 4 minutes. Drain and cool. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients, mix well and pour over veggies.

Mushroom Turkey Burger (4 Servings)

Ingredients:
1lb Portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
1lb ground turkey breast
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup red wine
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 Portobello mushroom caps
Grill seasoning

Instructions:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a little broth and cook the mushrooms until softened, season with s&p. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl, then add the turkey, grill seasoning to taste and form into 4 patties. In the same skillet, add more broth and cook the burgers until done. Remove the burgers and add a little more broth and cook the onions until translucent for about 10 minutes. In a small sauce pan, bring to a boil the 1 cup of broth, red wine and tomato paste until reduced to about ½ cup. Cook the mushroom caps either in the oven or on a grill, when done place each one on a plate gill side up. Top with onions and wine sauce.

Want more healthy recipes like this?  Click here to get them:  Eat To Be Fit

If you eat foods that you enjoy even when you are "DIETING", you will get MUCH BETTER results.  You can still eat exceptionally healthy but tasty.  You just need some great recipes, ideas and strategies.  

Click on the following link to get a ton of HEALTHY RECIPES that taste AMAZING and are easy to make:  Eat To Be Fit

Check out what people are saying about my yummy healthy recipes:

I love it, you opened this because you really thought this 1 thing can make you skinny.  

Well, I sort of tricked you, not really, I mean, if you include this in your diet and you follow an optimal nutrition plan, it can definitely make you skinny and fabulous!  But I really wanted you to get this one because its a great food to add to your diet, its ridiculously easy to make and its really yummy and versatile.  

So here it goes:

Here is the recipe for the quinoa:

Healthy Recipe:  Quinoa & Zucchini Salad (4 Servings)

Ingredients:
3 small zucchini, diced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 large red onion, diced
11/4 cup quinoa
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp grated orange zest
2 tbsp fresh orange juice

Optional:  3 tbsp goat cheese or feta cheese crumbles

Instructions:
In a large skillet add stock and sauté the zucchini and onion. Add the cumin, sugar, cinnamon and s&p to taste. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa as directed in package. Fluff the quinoa, add the veggies and fold in the cilantro, zest and orange juice.  Fold in the cheese (optional).

Get more recipes like this:  Click here:  Healthy Recipes

So, I'm sure you have heard that fat loss depends mostly on diet and nutrition.

Well.............  It's true!

Most people eat well all week and then screw it up so badly on the weekends that it basically cancels out all the hard work and "dieting" you did all week.

So that you can see it a bit more clearly, check this out.  

Say you ate so good all week that by Friday you are in a deficit of 3,500 calories of fat, which equals 1 pound of FAT.  So while you may be losing a pound of fat by Friday (wooohooo), here comes the weekend and you splurge (over the top) and easy 3,500 calories over the weekend........ and guess what happens then?

Yup, you got it, NOTHING! No fat loss, no fat gain (if you are lucky).  And then people get frustrated because they feel STUCK.

I really feel that this is the MAIN reason why people don't get results.  They screw it up on the weekends too badly.

Well, my dear friend, I am here to tell you how you can prevent this from happening.

Here is the #1 thing you should do for FAT LOSS:

Cook at the end of the week.

I know, you where waiting for some scientific and crazy answer, but NOPE, this is really it..............COOK AT THE END OF THE WEEK.

Here is where most people fail.  After cooking all week, you are tired of cooking and you just want to eat out.  And you have been "dieting" all week so you are ready to splurge.  Big mistake! 

A lot of times by thursday's I have plenty of left overs that I don't really need to cook but I do anyways so that I have plenty of food and snacks for the weekend.  If you have food prepared and ready in the fridge you are less likely to eat poorly and more likely to not skip meals (which causes cravings for "bad" food).

I can't tell you what a huge difference this will make in your diet and in your results.  I always have my clients plan and prepare meals at the end of the week to have ready for the weekend.  And this helps them eat a heck of a lot cleaner during the weekends.

Here are a few scenarios on how this could help:

• You've been running around all day at the mall and birthday parties and there are no good food options anywhere you are at. 

If you have food prepared at home, you can take a small meal or snack with you in your purse which will hold you over until you get somewhere you can make a moderate and healthy choice.

• You are running out of the house and you are starving, no time to cook, no time to stop anywhere........... yikes

No worries, just grab some leftovers from the fridge, it can be protein muffins or protein cookies, or turkey meatballs, or meatloaf, or salad, whatever!  I've even grabbed some food and eaten it in the car while Danny drives us to wherever we are late for LOL.

• You get home late at night and you are starving, no time or energy to cook.  Its either eat the kids pizza, stop at a drive thru, or starve.

If you have leftovers, all you have to do is heat it up and enjoy!

Seriously ladies, this can make a HUGE difference in  your results.  So get to cooking at the end of the week.

Any ideas on what to make at the end of the week that is easy and quick?  Please SHARE your ideas.

I have tons of healthy recipes for snacks and easy meals that will help you on the weekends.  Click on the following link to get them:  Eat To Be Fit

Check out what people are saying about my BeFit Mom & Eat To Be Fit Recipes:

Wheat Belly...........  Doesn't sound like something I want to have.  What about you?

I saw this video and I had to share it with you.

Check out how you can LOSE THE BELLY, with one easy and quick change in your diet.

So many people are misled and think that by eating everything whole-wheat or whole-grain, that they are going to lose weight and get fit.

Think again America.  

It's not your fault!  Its all the misinformation we are fed throughout the years.

Watch this video and make the change and see how you will lose weight INSTANTLY and how amazing your digestion will feel.

Wheat causes inflammation in the gut, so it is a great idea to substitute all your wheat products for other foods like, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lentils, quinoa, millet, gluten-free oatmeal,  brown rice pasta, brown rice bread, etc.  

Most of the foods I mentioned above are delicious and if eaten, will make a significant difference in your BELLY FAT.  I promise, take the wheat out of your diet and you will feel DE-BLOATED almost instantly.

You can't miss watching Dr.William Davis talk about wheat and the WHEAT BELLY.

If you need ideas on how to make the foods I mentioned above taste great so that you can implement them in your diet, click here:  EAT TO BE FIT

Check out what people are saying about Eat To Be Fit:

For more info on JP Montanari, His book or if you are in the Aventura Area, click here:  Fat Loss Strategies

If you click on the following link right now, you can download JP's book for FREE:  FAT LOSS