Fruit Salad with Cocoa Nibs

When I think of a fruit salad, I think of those boxed, overpriced salad bowls at the grocery store. How boring...and plus, you have no idea if they washed them, how they washed them or how long they've been soaking in their "fruit juices". Gross.

When I think of dark chocolate, I think of chocolate cupcakes and delicious frosting. Yum.

Unfortunately, neither of those are...healthy or fresh.

This fruit salad is rather exciting. It's refreshing and it definitely cures your desire for some chocolate. It's a really easy recipe and the best part is, you can eat this as a dessert or replace it with your side salad.

Fruit Salad with Cocoa Nibs

• 1 Cup Strawberries, sliced
• 2 Fresh Kiwis, sliced
• 1 Cup fresh Pineapple Chunks
• 1 Tbsp dark chocolate cocoa nibs (directions below)
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions

1. Throw all the fruits together in a bowl
2. Drizzle maple syrup over salad & toss in cocoa nibs

Cocoa Nibs Directions

1. Take the cocoa nibs and place them on a cutting board
2. With a sharp knife begin chopping the chocolate as if you are mincing an onion
3. Now you have cocoa nibs!

Enjoy, my little hungry hearts!

Love, Angel xo

Tropical Papaya Smoothie

As the summer months slowly come to an end, this is what I imagine in my head. However, since I'm from Texas, beaches such as this photo don't exist...so I'm trying really hard to pretend that that sunset is right outside my window. Hey, a girl can dream right?

I can only assume you're here right now because you either have the August workout calendar and are checking out the smoothie recipe or you really are interested in the things I write...I'll take either answer!

If you've been following the calendar (first 4 days!), congratulations! I hope you have a fun time while going through each day.

Let me know how you're doing and feeling about it. Also let me know if there's anything specific you might want to see so that I can put it onto the September Calendar!!

Tropical Papaya Smoothie

• 8 oz. Coconut Water 
• 1/2 cup Frozen Pineapple, cubed
• 1/2 cup Frozen Mango, cubed
• 1/2 cup Fresh Papaya, cubed
• 1 Fresh Banana
• 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed (optional, but so healthy!)

Directions:

1. Add in the Coconut Water
2. Add in all of your fruits, if using ground flaxseed, add this in at the same time
3. Blend and drink!

Enjoy, my little hungry hearts!

Love, Angel xo

Berry Mandarin Salad

This salad is so great and refreshing for a hot summer day! I've been using fruits in my salads a lot lately, it gives my usual salad a burst of flavor. It makes it more interesting and not to boring. I'm a big spinach and fruit lover so incorporating the two into a salad has recently become one of my favorite things to do & eat. I don't know why I've never thought of it before!

I have a lot of other salad recipes that I will definitely be posting as soon as I can!

Also, I will be working on workout videos very soon for yall! ;)

While you're reading, come say hi to me! You can easily talk to me through these two links:

INSTAGRAM (username: "angelyangxoxo" if you're searching on your phone)

FACEBOOK

Berry Mandarin Salad

• 4 Iceberg lettuce leaves
• 1 big handful of baby spinach leaves
• 4 whole strawberries, cut into fours
• 1 handful of grapes
• 6 mandarin oranges
• 1 small handful of raw almonds

Directions:

1. Mix everything together and use your desired salad dressing. (I used a light balsamic vinaigrette)

Enjoy, my little hungry hearts!

Love, Angel xo

Chocolate Nutella Sandwich

Did you hear about that woman who tried to sue Nutella because she was mislead by the company that Nutella was healthy??

Okay crazy lady! Who said an excessive amount of chocolate and hazelnut was healthy for you?? I'm sure that's why these companies put nutrition labels on their items...

I'd like to karate chop her. ;)

Anyways.

Chocolate Sprinkles + Nutella = BEST DESSERT/SNACK SANDWHICH EVER!!!

That's right, I said THE BEST.

I know right now, at this very moment, someone is eating a spoon full of Nutella. Even worse? That person probably just double dipped. I wont tell. Nutella seems to be the craze these days. Nutella for breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? I know some of you are guilty of that...I hate to say it but...you should stop that habit. Having it every once in a while is pretty darn awesome though!

So this isn't much of a recipe, it's more like a recipe that took steroids and enhanced itself.

With each bite, this sandwich has a touch of softness, creamy chocolate hazelnut cream, and a soft & delicate crunch.

Click "Read more" for the recipe!

PB&J Banana Roll

This recipe is perfect & easy for breakfast or even a snack on the go!

I personally like my banana's to be super fresh, in the sense that they are not very ripe. I'm very sensitive to sugar and too much of it makes me feel sick. This PB&J Banana Roll is a good balance for me and those of you who don't like too much sugar.

Let's get a few things straight with our nutrition facts:

Peanut Butter VS Almond Butter

• Both nuts are healthy for you.
• Natural and organic is the best way to go (so you don't get all the sugar and bad oils they put in the ever so popular and cheap brands)
• Neither one is better than the other. They both have their own health benefits.
• Almond butter yields a much milder taste with a tad of almond.

Sugar Free VS Sugar Filled Jams

• Smucker's sugar free is my favorite & it's sweetened with Splenda.
• Ton's of flavors & it's only 25 calories per tablespoon (I don't count calories)
• If and when you can, make your own homemade fruit jams/jellies. So much healthier and you know what is going into them + they're all natural.

Whole Wheat VS White

• Whole wheat has fiber (keeps you full people!) while white doesn't. PERIOD.
• So switch. Okay?

Click "Read more" for the recipe!

Berry Sweet Jello Cup + Social Networking

First off, let's talk Social Networking.

Most of those who read my blog are either from Pinterest or are my personal Facebook friends. 

What's my mission?

• Interact with all of my readers
• Inspire & Motivate those who need it most (I know I needed it  most when I first began and didn't know where to look AT ALL!
• Provide my secrets on losing weight the healthy way

Official Facebook page

Official Pinterest profile

I have so many exciting things coming up so I am hoping that Facebook and Pinterest will expand my blog a bit and start gaining more people who are looking for some help with losing weight!

All of you are truly who inspire me to keep moving and doing what I do. I work hard to stay healthy so that I can be a role model for yall. Please don't ever stop reading or interacting with me! :) Please?

For those of you who have been reading my blog- whether it is one person or merely 100 people. Thank you, from the bottom of my healthy heart.

Finally...lets move on shall we?

I love fruit; fresh fruit. There's something...fresh about fresh fruit. DUH. Maybe because there's no artificial flavors or corn syrup in it. None of that nasty stuff that kids (Adults too!) tend to love.

I'm a texture kind of girl.

Uh what?

First things first, presentation is (to me) the most important factor when it comes to food/dessert/drinks. If it looks pretty/edible/not weird, sure I'll try it.

Second, texture is what really gets me. My dad's actually the same way, which is where I believe I got it from because my mom just thinks we are flat out weird.

Smoothies? Super icy & chunky please!

Ice Cream? Not too sweet with bits of "ice" please!

Jello?

I suppose I could tell you how I like my jello since this is a jello recipe...Nice and firm please! And please...don't make me Jello that is full of juice overload.

Okay...I must admit that although I do love my sweets/desserts to be sweet, I prefer things that are rather "bland & plain" as some of my friends put it. I'm not much of a lots o' sugar kind of girl. I like...more subtle sweets over...syrup/fruit juice sweets.

Anyways, I like my jello to be very very firm. Much different from American jello. Asian stores have a lot of desserts that use Agar Agar powder. Google it, you'll get all these valuable info on it...or you can just take my word for it. I love the texture that Agar powder gives, it's a bit "tougher" and "harder" but not hard...still edible! That makes no sense but...take my word for it.

Agar powder is also popular because of their quick process of becoming "Jello". It sets up much faster than regular Jello. So when working with this, you'll have to be just a tad bit more quick than when working with regular Jello.

Click  "Read more" for the recipe!

The Insanity Workout + Snack Recipe

As I am writing this, I just got back from my usual run at the park. It felt wonderful. The Texas weather is so beautiful lately that I have been wanting to workout outside instead of at home on the treadmill.

That might change when the hot summer heat comes.

I've been gone for a while. A very long while. In that time, I still worked out. Blah blah blah who cares right?

I picked up the insanity from my sister who never used it. She said the "Fit Test" was killer. I didn't really believe her. I began the insanity and holy smokes, she was right. 

Imagine someone just walking up to you and then pushing you off a cliff, getting bruised and cut up hardcore then trying to make your way back to the top!! Okay first of all, you need new friends if they do that to you. Second, I can honestly say that I had never hated working out as much as I did that night.

However, I stuck to it. I'm not done with the 60 day session yet. I took a front view and side view of my body before the insanity so that I can show yall the end results. I am not sure if I should post pictures yet.

The day after my first Fit Test, I was so sore I wanted to roll everywhere.

Roll to school.

Roll downstairs.

Roll to my car.

.....ROLL EVERYWHERE!

So I did.

Just kidding.

I sucked it up like a big girl and came home the next night to do the next video.

For those of you who don't know how the Insanity works, there is a calendar you follow and everyday there is a specific DVD you have to pop in and follow Shaun T. (The big muscular man who created the Insanity...Oh it's insane alright!!)

I noticed that after the first few videos, I wasn't sore anymore and I was able to get through the workouts easier because my muscles were getting....stronger. Insane. I used to be one of those people who didn't really think DVD's like these could help out but they DO!! I can already see my stomach forming abs and my arms getting more toned along with my entire body. It is really worth it!! And no I am not getting paid to say this. I am not popular enough yet. Lol!

I'm proud of myself though and I have already told myself (and unfortunately everyone else. Now I HAVE to follow through with it) that when I am done with the Insanity, I'm going to tackle the P90X. 

I mean...why not? 

Okay just kidding, I can give a million reasons why NOT to do the P90X but you know what? I can also give you a million reasons why I SHOULD do it.

During the Insanity, I would take pictures of the things I ate. I try to do that on a daily basis though so I can feed all you little hungry hearts the things I am eating/drinking/snacking on. 

Click "Read more" below to see a recipe for a super easy snack :)!! Stay tuned because I have SO MUCH MORE to share with yall.

Chicken Spring Rolls

I have to admit to you that the day I started working out, I never once counted calories. And I still don't.

I don't expect you to not to but then again, I don't expect you to either. To me, when you start counting calories, you start limiting yourself. I'm sorry but I'd like to have my freedom. After all, I already AM eating healthy and working out, why should I also have to write down what I shove in my mouth? 

It's all about moderation and proportion!!

Yes. I look at calories per serving because just looking at the nutrition label will either make or break it for you. I'll post up a blog about what you need to look for and look OUT for when eating. Also, try to do your own grocery shopping. IF you can't, ask the person who buys it if they mind you coming along and making healthier decisions for everyone.

So, I believe that if I lost 31 pounds and never once counted calories, you can too. Sometimes I'll provide the calories per servings with my recipes, sometimes I wont. Because sometimes I'll go the extra million mile to figure all the nutritional information for you and sometimes I won't. 

Trust me, these are the foods I eat!!

Who knows, maybe one day I'll start counting calories. Until then, I'm gonna continue to do what I do, eat healthy & work out! If you really want to know how many calories are in my recipes, let me know and I will be so kind and write it all down for you. :)