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Is ACTION the First Step to Success?

June 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The path to success is to take massive, determined action.

Tony Robbins

Happy Wellness Wednesday!!

Yesterday I spent the day at a Get Motivated Seminar. Have you ever been to one? In my opinion, it is amazing. For only $1.95, you get a ticket to hear some of the most influential speakers and celebrities you can think of. A few that I had the privaledge of hearing yesterday were Bill Cosby, Steve Forbes, Joe Montana, and Steve Wozniak. Last year when I went, I heard Rudy Giuliani, General Colin Powell, Terry Bradshaw and Dick Vitale, (plus a few others) speak about their paths to success.

So, what was the common theme that I heard throughout the day? No matter what your goal is, you need to take ACTION to make it happen.

It is funny because when I got married, my initials changed to ACT. I have always believed that God has put me, just like all of you, on this Earth to do something wonderful and make a difference. So, with my initials now ACT, combined with a passion and a desire to motivate, educate and inspire others to be the best they can be and achieve their goals, I am finally understanding what my true calling is and I am taking ACTION to make that happen through my website, YouTube channel, etc….

 

A second way that I am taking ACTION was by attending a School Board of Education Meeting. The discussion was about the new, federally mandated changes to our school lunch programs that will be implemented on July 1st.  I really want to be a part of that change to make sure it is a positive one and help our kids eat healthier lunches. It is important to get them on the right nutritional track and make sure they have the food/feul to get through those long school days.

One interesting point that was made at the meeting was how the process of change will take a couple of years to complete. Lunches will come first (2012-2013) and breakfast will happen next year (2013-2014). So, one possible solution to help during the long process of change is to make sure the kids AND the parents are getting the education need to help them understand the new school lunch regulations as well as the basics of what is a healthy choice and what isn’t AND why. This education and knowledge can also be implemented by the parents in their homes, too, giving kids an even better chance at eating healthy meals all day.

A second solution is to do a complete overhall of the food program. Just watch an episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution show on TV and you will get an idea of what it takes to change a school lunch program and how it affects so many people in a positive way. I am sure that making the change isn’t easy but no one ever said change is easy right?

There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.

John F. Kennedy

SO…

What does it take?

ACTION!

To accomplish your goal of a 5k… it takes ACTION!

To start that business you have always wanted to start… it takes ACTION!

To stand up and fight for our kids health and nutrition…it takes ACTION!

Be that person who makes a change.

Be that person that takes ACTION for what you believe in and make a difference to someone else today.

And don’t forget to thank God for your blessings, talents and gifts :)

 

How have you taken ACTION in the past?

Are you motivated to take ACTION with something new today?

 

Filed Under: About me Blog, Blog, Front Page, Uncategorized, Vlog, Wellness Wednesday Tagged With: , , ,

5 Methods That Can Help You Stop the Childhood Obesity Monster from Invading Your Household

June 11, 2012 By 8 Comments

Hi guys! Happy Monday :)  I hope you all had a fantastic weekend like I did. My family and I spent time at our cottage on the lake. We cleaned, cleaned, mowed the lawn and cleaned some more getting it ready for summer. There are only 9 days left of school and the kids are beyond excited. Actually, I am really excited, too! It is going to be a fun filled summer!

Every summer, we spend a lot of time at our cottage. We wakeboard, we swim (the kids will play in the water from sun up to sun down. They literally LIVE in a bathing suit the entire summer) and we do get to relax. I love that my family and especially my kids, are active. Because, another common event that also happens at the cottage is…we eat out…a LOT!

My view at our cottage. It is Heaven on Earth!

This is me attempting my first try at Stand Up PaddleBoarding. I am HOOKED!

Usually on Saturday nights, we will take the boat to a restaurant for dinner. Then, on Sunday morning, we go to our favorite diner for breakfast. As you can imagine, this isn’t just hard on the wallet but, it’s hard on the calorie count!

Well, this is my second week as a Sista of Mamavation and this weeks topic is Childhood Obesity. As a fitness & nutrition enthusiast/blogger, a parent of two elementary school age children and a person that eats (as my husband says…) “too healthy” (if there is such a thing as TOO healthy??), this is a topic that I could spend HOURS talking and writing about. But, I have come up with five basic methods that I use to help my kids (and husband) make good, healthy food choices and help to keep the obesity monster out of our household:

  1. First and foremost, I educate my kids and family (and myself) about the different foods I am buying and we are eating. It is important for them to understand why they should or shouldn’t eat a particular food. So, if you are with your kids and on your drive home from the grocery store, start a conversation with them about the foods you have purchased. Don’t just say to them, “don’t eat sugar, it is bad for you.” As important as this is to tell them, it really doesn’t teach them WHY they shouldn’t eat sugar. Give them the reasons that it is bad for them and also, tell them about the bad things it can do to their bodies. When you (or your kids) are educated about the foods you/they are eating, you/they are able to make better decisions for life.
  2. In my family, we eat as many whole foods as possible throughout the day and with each meal. I stock up on foods from the perimeter of the grocery store and stay away from the processed junk in the middle aisles. Fruits and vegetables are a FREE meal/snack in our house and my kids can eat them whenever they want to. I always say, “Just grab, wash and eat.” We ALWAYS eat a vegetable or 2 with each meal and we try to eat a rainbow of colors, too. If we go out to eat, no matter what meal they choose to eat, we always start our meal with a salad. I have even taught them to dip their forks in the dressing instead of pouring it all over their salad. It is amazing how much LESS of it you will eat by dipping instead of pouring. My daughter has adopted this practice more than my son… well, as we say, he is a work in progress
  3. I live by example in front of my kids and family, as best as I can (I am human remember). I don’t just talk the talk… I walk the walk (eat the food), too. How can I expect my kids to eat healthy if I don’t eat healthy? They are watching… ALL THE TIME!! I will use the example of my husband, maple syrup and pancakes (sorry, Hun).  So, it is breakfast and I have made some delicious healthy pancakes to eat. I pour a little syrup onto my kids’ cakes and spread it around. As we are all watching, my husband is drowning his pancakes in a gallon of maple syrup!!! (And don’t give me the excuse that it is okay because it is REAL maple syrup either. LOL.) Now, the kids are asking for more syrup! Ugggg!!! If you expect them to do as you say, they need to see you do what you say, too.
  4. Using Moderation is key in our house. I remember when I had taken my son to his 4 year well visit with his pediatrician. She said to him, “What is your favorite food?” and he replied with a BIG smile, “Pizza!! But, only in Moderation!” Oh, such a happy and proud mommy moment. One trick I use to help me use moderation with food (for me, it’s popcorn) is to set limits before eating. So, using the VERY unhealthy example of pancakes and maple syrup in tip #3 above, I would tell myself that I will only have one serving size of maple syrup instead of half of the container on my pancakes. It does help; especially when you use it in conjunction with tip #5.
  5. Be mindful of what you are eating and how much you are eating. I know, if you are like me, sometimes you find yourself looking into the fridge and you don’t even remember how you got there and you are now snacking on something you don’t even really want to or need to eat. Or, you think you can’t taste the maple syrup on the pancakes unless they are swimming in it. Well, try the dipping fork thing again with the maple syrup. Dip your fork, take one bite of the pancake and really concentrate on how it tastes. Can you taste the syrup flavor? Chew slowly and really concentrate… be mindful.

Of course, staying physically active is just as important. The more you exercise, the better you feel and the less likely you are to eat junk.

If you can follow these 5 methods, you will be well on your way to having a healthy family and stopping the obesity monster from finding its way into your house.

What are some tips you have that have helped your kids eat healthy?

Are you mindful when you eat?

 

UPDATE: We have a winner of the Chobani Greek Yogurt

Giveaway! Congrats, Laurel. You will be emailed the

details and Chobani will be in touch! Enjoy!

Thank you to EVERYONE who entered! Check back soon

foranother great giveaway!

 

Filed Under: About me Blog, Blog, Front Page, Kids, Mamavation Monday, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Three Essential Elements to Finding a Healthy Balance

June 6, 2012 By 3 Comments

 

Do you remember being 5? 8? 10? 15? And there was only 2 weeks left of school? Yup…  “summeritis” has hit my family and my kids are going crazy. They are so excited to go on field trips, have field days and end of the year parties, not to mention that in a couple weeks there won’t be any more homework,  it has been hard to contain their excitement and get them to go to bed at night.

Well, this past week has been eye opening for me. This is the first year that I am making a calendar for our summer events, etc…. I started making this calendar last week and it is CRAZY! As my kids are getting older, I find we are SO stinking busy! Summer camps, our cottage, OBX vacation and of course, my triathlon and Dirty Girl run, too! It is all good stuff so I am excited!

But, life shouldn’t be about schedules and putting appointments on a calendar, right? It is about finding (a healthy) balance for everyone involved.

Hmmm….. Balance??

BAL·ANCE

Noun, verb, bal·anced, bal·anc·ing.

Noun

1. A state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.

2. Something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise.

3. Mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.

4. A state of bodily equilibrium: He lost his balance and fell down the stairs.

5. An instrument for determining weight, typically by the equilibrium of a bar with a fulcrum at the center, from each end of which is suspended a scale or pan, one holding an object of known weight, and the other holding the object to be weighed.

 

So, if finding balance is so important, how can you find it as a kid, as an adult, as a parent and as a fitness professional?

Well, there are 3 common elements to finding a healthy balance.

  1. Staying physically active
  2. Eating healthy and nutritious meals/food
  3. Getting good quality sleep each night

 

As a Kid:

Being a kid is tough work.  Just think about it. You have to communicate with adults, make new friends almost every day, and of course, always remember to carry your light saber so you are prepared when you have to fight the Galactic Empire! LOL

Most importantly, to find a healthy balance as a kid;

  • Kids need to play, to be physically active, and to use their imaginations. Aka… they need a chance to just BE KIDS! Let them play in the mud (that is a hard one for me) and let them run in the sprinkler on a hot day.
  • They need healthy nutrition to have the energy to play. Kids can be picky but they will only eat what they know. Make healthy food fun and your kids will enjoy that broccoli and spinach ;)
  • And, they need good quality sleep at night so they can get up and do it all again the next day.

 

As an adult:

I don’t know about you but when I was a kid, I just really wanted to be an adult. I wanted to be “free” of homework and chores, to own a house and to make my own rules. Well, as we “adults” all know, that is NOT what happens when you become an adult.

No, you end up having MORE responsibilities like getting a job (= more homework), owning a house can drain your bank account and now I have to do ALL the chores, and, there is ALWAYS someone else making rules you have to live by.

BUT… a few ways we can find a healthy balance as an adult is:

  • “Do what you love, love what you do” I am not sure who said that quote first but it is one of my favorites. Find something that you love doing and make a go at trying to do it for a living.
  • Find a way to be remain physically active. Being physically active makes your brain happy and your body, too! Join a fitness class, take a walk with a co-worker at lunchtime, join a softball team or make a goal to run a 5k at the end of summer and train each day to accomplish that goal.
  • Eat a well balance, healthy and nutritious food at every meal. Be mindful (conscious) of what you are putting into your mouth. What you put in will determine how you feel soon after. Junk in gives you junk out. Eat a rainbow and you will feel like you found the pot of gold
  • Get lots of good, quality sleep every night. This is a hard one for me. See, I am BOTH a morning person AND a night owl. It can be tough to pull myself away and go to bed but once I am there, I always think, why didn’t I get here sooner? But, getting good quality sleep is essential to being alert and functional the next day, not to mention it gives me the energy to keep physically active.
  • Oh yeah, and if you can find a job that pays you well, you can always pay someone else to do those tedious chores around the house ;)

 

As a Parent:

Wow. .. If you are a parent, you know what I am going to say, right? Being a parent is such a blessing and yet, THE HARDEST JOB you will ever LOVE!!!

When I first got prego, I worried that everything would go okay and the baby would be fine. I stayed active, watched what I ate and of course, I read all the books to tell me what should be happening and when. And then, the baby arrived. Oh My….

It became MUCH harder to keep him safe and protected. And that is why the quote below is SO true.

 

Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous

It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.

Elizabeth Stone

 

 

The really fun part about being a parent is seeing the world through their eyes. You get to live vicariously through them and share some common experiences.

I remember the first day my son went to kindergarten and I thought, I remember kindergarten. I began to realize that he is going to remember many of his experiences just like I do. It has been fun to travel down memory lane again… even if my memory was sucked out of me when I delivered my kids ;) LOL!

So, finding a healthy balance as a parent means that I need to make sure everyone in our house is happy and getting what they need to function on a daily basis.  Many moms forget that this SHOULD include them. As the saying goes (and my husband just said it last night)

“If mama ain’t happy, NO one is happy”

A few ideas of how to find a healthy balance as a parent:

  • Understand that your kids are little people. They have a brain and they are SMART! Teach them to make the right decisions, to be polite and to treat others as they would like to be treated. Always remember that they will imitate what you do.
  • Keep physically active, in FRONT of your kids. Take them to the park. Don’t sit on the bench and just watch them. Slide down the slides, bring a soccer ball and kick it around with them. Play baseball or freeze tag in the yard, or go out and jump on the trampoline with them. Not only will you have fun and get great exercise, but you will make LOTS of fun memories at the same time.
  • Eat healthy and nutritious meals together. Pack their lunches with healthy and nutritious food. School lunches today are horrific! (That is a different post so I won’t even get started on that) Make a fun dinner together that is healthy and again, use a rainbow of colors. One of my blogging friends (blends ;) has a lot of wonderful recipes that are filled with “power”, color and nutrition. Go to Powercakes website to check it out.
  • Sleep is probably the hardest thing to accomplish as a parent. But, quality sleep is essential to your body functioning at its proper level. My son is 8 and last night he was up around 3 am with leg/growing pains. So, in the end, neither of us had good quality sleep. But you just keep on keepin’ on, right? Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Make the room dark and don’t watch TV before bed. Do something to relax you, like read a book and get your mind ready to sleep. Being rested = a happy and healthy person.

As a Fitness/Wellness Professional:

As fitness professionals, we are supposed to be the ones that find a healthy balance for not only ourselves but for our clients, too. For me, that means that I am always researching the best way to stay physically fit, eat a healthy and nutritious diet and be happy.

So, how should help our clients find a healthy balance in their lives?

  • Give them the tools to stay physically active and achieve their goals. Figure out what kind of speed bumps they may have in their day/week and help them to find a way around them so they can keep on their plan and ultimately, accomplish their goals.
  • Educate them to make healthy and nutritious meals. There is a LOT of miss-information out there about what to eat and what not to eat. As fitness/wellness professionals, we are the ones that are researching and understanding the correct answers to these questions. When a person is educated, they can then make an educated decision. And at the end of the day, our clients will feel they have made a correct decision based on that educated decision.
  • When our clients are physically active, it is essential for them to get good quality sleep and rest so their body can recover and repair. This is a great blog about how sleep is probably more important than exercise and nutrition and how it can affect weight loss and gain. Therefore, teaching our clients that yes, you can get up at 5 am to workout but make sure you get to bed by 9-10 pm to get in at least 7-8 hours of good quality sleep the night before.

Every day we are bombarded by “do this and do that” messages. Especially in the age of information and the internet, it can get really confusing. As you have read above and probably know already, staying physically active, eating a healthy and nutritious diet and getting good quality sleep are a couple of KEY pieces to finding a healthy balance in life.

 

How do you find a healthy balance in your life?

Do you get enough quality sleep at night?

Only 4 more days to enter my Chobani giveaway. They will send you a box of their flavored Greek Yogurt!! Yummy!!

Giveaway will end at 11:59 pm on June 10th and the winner will be announced on June 11th.

Open to US and Canadian residents only.
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Filed Under: About me Blog, Blog, Daily Positivity, Front Page, Happiness, Kids, Uncategorized, Wellness Wednesday Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

What do kids, boxing and eating carrot cake have in common?

June 4, 2012 By 16 Comments

 

 

Yup… we are building an ark. LOL. It has rained here for the past 3 days. And it has been so dark that we have had to use the lights in our house ALL day. Crazy, I know! Man, I hope it stops soon.

But, at least the flowers have water, right??? (That is my lame attempt at a silver lining… Ha! Please, sunshine… come back!!)

Well, today I am writing my first post as a Mamavation Sista & Cheerleader! I am SO excited!! I look forward to being part of this community as a source of fitness and healthy eating tips for moms that are trying to lose weight and get their family living a healthy lifestyle. So, for more information, check out Mamavation and see what the Sistahood is all about.

Okay, so here goes. My name is Amy and I am a 39 years old. Holy Poop. Did I just say that out loud? When did I turn 39? No, really, my age doesn’t bother me. It is just a number right? It isn’t how I FEEL. Heck, I feel better now than I did when I was 25. (That is probably mostly due to going to bed before 4 am ;)   )

I have been married for (almost) 10 years to G. He is a very handsome, patient, funny, smart, loving (okay, yes, I am buttering him up a little. I really want a nice anniversary gift… HA!) But seriously, he is the best husband a wife could ask for.  And the thing is… I KNEW it the MOMENT I saw him. Yup, love at first sight.

We have 3 kids. Our son is 8 (we call him Squirrel) and our daughter (we call her bugga) will turn 6 next month. They are the LOVES of my life.

My son is a bright, funny, dramatic, challenging (at times), super cuddler with a super imagination. He is a kid that will make you crazy one minute and make you laugh the next. He LOVES History. He will watch, listen to or read ANYTHING about the Civil War. He wants to be a soldier and then an archeologist. Maybe he will be a History teacher? It is fun to predict, right?

My daughter is super smart (already reading and doing 2nd grade work and she is only in Kindergarten), a fast runner (and super cuddler, too) that loves reading, math and writing notes, but she especially loves to make people laugh and feel special. She has a raspy little voice and she loves to sing and perform. She also LOVES animals. She wants to be a Marine Biologist and train dolphins. We predict either that or she will be a veterinarian.

In between our son and daughter, I delivered a stillborn son. Our little Angel in Heaven, Chickpea, was born premature at 7 ½ months gestation. It was undoubtedly the saddest and most awful day of my life. But, it was also the most spiritual day of my life, too. In that moment of delivery, the only people I saw in the room were my husband to my left and Jesus, accepting him into his arms and holding him just like the picture below. It was SO powerful.  A moment and vision I will NEVER forget. We miss Chickpea everyday but know that we will see him in Heaven again someday.

Keatonprints.com

Okay, so, besides being a wife and mother, what exactly do I do? Well, first off I am a Radiation Therapist (RTT). A Radiation Therapist is someone who treats cancer patients with Radiation. After starting and stopping and starting RTT school in the early 90’s, I finally figured out that being an RTT was the right thing to do and I finally graduated in 1998. Being an RTT has taken me in so many different directions. I have worked in many different hospitals/clinics all over the Northeast both full time and as a temp staffer (Locum). After that, I started my own temp (Locum) agency, doing that for 4 years. Then, I worked for a major Oncology company traveling all over the US, training other Therapists how to use their new equipment. And, I was lucky enough to continue working for this company from home for over 5 years after I had my kids. I promised (myself and) my kids that I would always be here when they need me and do my darndest to work from home. And, I have been truly blessed to be able to do that.

Now, after being laid off in January from an Oncology Sales Management position that I was in for almost 2 years, I am “doing what I love and love what I am doing.”

BLOGGING!!! :)

See, my true lifelong passion has always been fitness and wellness. Yes, my education and career is in cancer care, but I believe that by Investing in Yourself and living a balanced life – mentally, spiritually, and physically – you will truly LIVE your BEST life and you can prevent many life changing illnesses.

I remember being a teenager and getting up in the morning, throwing in a Jane Fonda workout video and getting my workout in before school… legwarmers and all.

It was always a dream of mine to own a fitness center, too. So, being the entrepreneur that I am, I looked at what was being offered locally, thought about what might be a good fit for a small town like the one I live in, and so I started a Cardio-boxing fitness center. Yup… Cardio-boxing.

                                                                          My kids LOVED coming to the studio to play Ninja!

Now, if you haven’t ever taken a cardio-boxing class, well, you are missing out. It is SUCH a great, total body workout! You use muscles that you didn’t even know you had. And, you burn LOTS of calories per class. AND, we had bags to hit. Hitting something = less stress!!

It was an instant hit (ok… pun intended). All of my classes filled up quickly and people really enjoyed the workout. The problem ended up being that because people can usually only take a class before or after work, the hours for a mom of two small kids was rough. My kids would just get home from school at 4, I would help with homework and play for a few minutes and then I would have to leave to start teaching classes from 5-8. I would get home in time to help get them into bed. It began to put a lot of stress on my family… stress that was NOT helped by hitting a bag.

So, in April I decided to close the boxing center and take my fitness passion online at spotonwellness.com. Now, I can truly say I have my cake and I eat it, too! (A gluten free, stevia sweetened, healthy carrot cake that is ;)

I am also part of the FitFluential community where I have pledged to help others live healthier lives. So, my plan to be FitFluential is this:

Each week/day, you can come to my blog and read about many different topics and even do a Tabata boxing workout with me.

Mamavation Monday. What is it like being a mom that is addicted to working out and training for a triathlon? Oh, there are some exciting topics coming up, so stay tuned.

Tabata Tuesday – Boxing workout (only 4 minutes long)

Wellness Wednesday –Learn how to stay balanced with my Spot on Wellness Triangle

Tabata Thursday – Boxing workout (only 4 minutes long)

Favorites Friday – Anything from music, fashion, recipes, kids stuff, books or a giveaway. You name it, it may be on the list.

Speaking of Giveaways… Enter below for a Chobani Greek Yogurt Giveaway. You have until June 7th to enter!

I am also training for my first Triathlon (it is on August 11th). I am very excited and I think it will be a LOT of fun.

So, tune into my YouTube channel, SpotonwellnessTV, to see more videos on my training or to join me in my Tabata boxing workout. Just beware: I LOVE to Vlog so… you have been warned ;)

I am truly excited to be a part of the Mamavation sistahood. I look forward to reading all of your blogs and can’t wait to meet some of you at an upcoming conference.

Feel free to contact me anytime at Amy (at) Spotonwellness (dot) com.

Or follow me on

Twitter @Spotonwellness

YouTube – SpotonwellnessTV

Facebook – www.Facebook.com/Spotonwellness

Instagram – Spotonwellness

Pinterest – Spotonwellness

And, don’t forget to check back in next week to see a new and exciting addition to Spotonwellness!! Ooooo… I am SO excited!!

What topics would you like to read more about?

What is your favorite flavor of Chobani Greek Yogurt?

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Filed Under: About me Blog, Blog, Front Page, Kids, Mamavation Monday, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Favorites Friday: Phillip Phillips, Frozen Yogurt Bites and a Chobani Giveaway!

June 1, 2012 By 27 Comments

 

Hi Guys,

Happy June 1st AND Happy Friday! I am SO looking forward to this weekend… especially after I was sick last week, my son was sick earlier this week and my husband is sick now. Uggg! It has been a rough 2 weeks!

Any-who!

Today is FAVORITES FRIDAY!!

MUSIC

First and foremost, did you watch this seasons American Idol? Well, last week I watched one of the MOST talented young singers I have ever heard win the title of American Idol. At least since Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. This guy is the ENTIRE package.  The unique voice, the charm, the smile, the GOOD looks, etc., etc., etc…..

Well, in-case you missed it, take a look for yourself.

I will be buying his album ASAP. :)

Okay, so NEXT!

FOOD

Well, sometimes while I am reading fellow bloggers posts or tweets or searching pinterest, etc…. (the list goes on and on ;) ) I come across a recipe that sounds like it will be a homerun for my family.

For a recipe to be a homerun in my family, it has to have 4 parts (get it, like 4 bases (including home plate) in baseball…)

  1. Be nutritious - the ingredients must be as close to clean and whole foods as possible
  2. Be quick and easy to make (I don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, nor do I really want to)
  3. The ingredients list must be SHORT. If a recipe has TOO many ingredients, I (usually) don’t bother even trying to make it. I have probably missed out on some great recipes because of this but….
  4. The kids have to like it. If you are a parent, you know that this is usually the HARDEST part of making a new recipe. Kids are notorious for sticking to their favorites, not liking a food because of its stupid color (green) or sometimes, they are just downright… picky.

Well, about a month ago, I came across a recipe by Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean  (@Leangrnbeanblog) for………..

CHOCOLATE DIPPED FROZEN YOGURT BITES!!

Yeah, that title screamed HOMERUN to me, too! :)

Since that day, I have tried to make a couple of different versions of this recipe. FINALLY, I have created one that my kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE and even tell their friends about ;)

Main Ingredients

1 cup of Plain non-fat Chobani Greek yogurt

(I use plain yogurt so the bites don’t have a lot of sugar but you could use a flavored one of your choice)

1 cup of chopped up fresh strawberries

1 scoop of strawberry protein powder

1 cup of granola (I use gluten free granola (ie… Kind granola or Go Raw)

Liquid stevia (sweeten to taste)

Note: If you use a flavored yogurt, you don’t need the stevia

Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl and spoon into either…

Lindsay (@theleangrnbean) suggests using ice cub trays (great idea, but I don’t have any since our freezer has an ice cub maker) so I put mine in a mini-muffin tray but beware… they are really hard to get out (just let them defrost for a few minutes)

Chocolate Topping

1 teaspoon of bakers coco powder (you don’t need very much, it is potent stuff ;)

1 scoop of Vanilla protein powder

Liquid stevia (sweeten to taste)

Mix together using a little water to make it smooth but not super runny

Spoon on top of each of the yogurt bites in the tray

Place tray into the freezer and…

wait :)

As I said, my kids (actually, my entire family, husband included) LOVE these. I give them to the kids for a snack when they get home from school or as dessert, instead of ice cream.

It is always fun to try making something new.

If you do end up trying this recipe, let me know what you think about them.

Okay, so now for the

GIVEAWAY!!

My friends at Chobani have agreed to send one winner a box of Chobani yogurt. It will include 12 different flavors!

Now, I have to tell you. I was SO excited the day that I received my box of yogurt. If you read my post about being a newbie blogger , that was one of my first “goals” to make me feel like I had become an official blogger.

So, if you are interested in receiveing a FREE box of Chobani yogurt too, enter below.

The contest will run until 12:01 am on June 11th. The winner will be announced on June 12th. After a winner is chosen, Chobani will contact the winner and send them their FREE box of yogurt.

Open to US and Canadian residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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