Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
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Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry oats
1 cup water
1/8 t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 cup cooked pumpkin
2 T. liquid egg whites (you can omit this but it changes nutritional content)
2 T. DaVinci sugar-free Dulce de Leche syrup
sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
sprinkle of cinnamon
1 T. fat-free cream cheese (you can omit this as well)
1 T. mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix the above in a sprayed oven-proof bowl. Cut cream cheese (slices) directly into bowl along with oatmeal. Sprinkle on chocolate chips. Mix in to disperse cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Calories: 307
Carbs: 46 grams
Fat: 9 grams
Protein: 16

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup

**adapted from Allrecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-carrot-apple-and-red-lentil-soup/detail.aspx

Ingredients:
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1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons curry powder
4 cups vegetable broth

Directions

Add olive oil to a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.

Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, curry powder and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.

Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. **(I used my immersion blender).

Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. **(I left mine thick...I liked it better that way).

Makes 6 servings.
Per serving:
Calories: 136.7
Fat: 1.4 g
Carbs: 28.6 g
Protein: 3.1 g

SEPTEMBER ABS CHALLENGE

PLEASE READ EVERYTHING IN ITS ENTIRETY BEFORE ASKING QUESTIONS. ALSO DO NOT POST YOUR DAILY TOTALS ON HERE OR THEY WILL NOT BE COUNTED.

So...the elusive Abs quest brings us to this: The I See Fit People September Challenge....ABS!!!!

Oh, and I am not apologizing for my love of Marky Mark. ;-) (W)

GET FAMILIAR WITH ALL MOVES BEFORE STARTING IN ON THE CHALLENGE!!


This is the guideline for the challenge:
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I SEE FIT PEOPLE SEPTEMBER ABS CHALLENGE

This will be posted every second day. The segments are 1 minute & 15 seconds. You will need an interval timer...AKA: Gymboss or similar.

1. Medicine Ball Toe Touches. How to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ4azL4gMrE. (I am using a 10 lb Medicine Ball)
2. 15 seconds rest.
3. Ab Choppers. How to: Go to 3:59 in this workout: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/05/28/600-rep-fat-burner-workout/.
4. 15 seconds rest.
5. Push Ups: Any style.
6. . 15 seconds rest.
7. Crazy Ivans. (30 seconds left side, 30 seconds right side). How to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_KJoVZdkl4. (I am using a 10 lb Medicine Ball).
8. 15 seconds rest.
9. Sumo Twists How to: Go to 3:41 of this workout: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/05/28/600-rep-fat-burner-workout/.
10. 15 seconds rest.
11. Push Ups: Any style.
12. 15 seconds rest
13. Sandbag Sit Ups. How to: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/01/09/exercise-challenge-sandbag-sit-ups-and-hell-week/. (I am using a 26 lb sandbag).
14. 15 seconds rest
15. Walking Plank. How to: http://vimeo.com/5263984.
16. 15 seconds rest
17. Push Ups: Any style.
18. 15 seconds rest.
19. Russian Twists. How to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of9_4EQIFlQ&feature=relmfu (I am using a 10 lb Medicine Ball).
20. 15 seconds rest.
21. Crab Toe Touches. How to: Go to 3:22 of this workout: http://www.bodyrock.tv/2011/04/14/hot-in-here-workout/
22. Push Ups: Any style.

COMPLETION!!!

And a little something to keep the men happy too. :-)

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So I have given this a few go arounds. I have been testing it out this week and I think it is something that everyone can do. You can modify the moves to use no weights, or different weights. Like dumbbells instead of medicine balls and so on. Don't feel limited to the what is used in the move.

If you want to participate (and you are NOT already a member of our Facebook page) and want to track your days, join us by clicking "like" over here at our I SEE Fit People page.

There, as usual, will be a Daily Tracker on our ISFP Facebook page. PLEASE use it. Don't post your totals here on the blog, or in a random posting on the ISFP Facebook page wall. There WILL BE a Daily tracker dated to that SPECIFIC day. Please get cozy with it.

We feel it is not necessary to work our abs every single day, so we have chosen to do this every second day instead. For anyone new to ab work...you will now LOVE us for giving you the day off. It is likely going to hurt, as all good things do. But be patient and the pain does go away.

There WILL, in fact be a great prize going to one lucky participant. We have a SPIbelt which has been generously donated by the company. For every day you list your totals, you will get an entry. Simple math. Thank you SPIbelt!! It is a lovely neutral color called Anthracite, which will be great for either guys or girls. Check it out: http://store.spibelt.com/Spibelt-p/spibeltparent1.htm. The prize is the WAIST version, NOT the arm band!

I am also going to do a bit of a review here as well for an armband SPIbelt sent me. I have been running with it on my shorter runs, and it rocks! It doesn't move or slide around and is perfect to stick things like lip balm, kleenex, cash and even sports nutrition in! I have tried a few other brands in the past & none worked as well as SPIbelt. So all in all: 2 Thumbs up! It's a keeper and we send our thanks to SPIbelt for their generosity! If you are a runner you are going to be thrilled to win this prize!!!

Challenge start date: Monday Sept.12th
Challenge end date: Monday Sept 26th

Cheers,
Wendy & Matt

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
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1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon red curry paste

Directions
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Heat oil over medium heat in a 6-quart stockpot. Add onions and saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes more. Add squash, broth, curry powder, curry paste and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until squash is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in honey, and puree with a mixer or in batches in a blender until smooth

Ladle into serving bowls and top with dollop of fat free sour cream! MMmmm!!


Nutrition facts per serving:

Servings Per Recipe: 5 servings (servings are generous!)

Calories221
Total Fat (g)6
Saturated Fat (g)2
Carbohydrate (g)39
Fiber (g)5
Protein (g)8

**THE EXTREME BEAN MILEAGE CHALLENGE, THE TRILOGY**

It is fall...prime running time for most of us. LOTS of races to do and lots of miles/km's being racked up! So we are bringing TEBMC back for round THREE!! We LOVE the participation levels & love how excited you all get when it comes to tracking.

The challenge is a little different this time: it is RUNNING only! IN the past I have added in other forms of mileage, but we are doing runners ONLY!

We would like you to track your mileage in a notebook and send us a total, VIA THE EMAIL ACCOUNT BELOW, once a week, which ideally, will make it easier for us to track. Then our email account would be a bit more manageable, especially if we get a lot of people participating. Sunday would be the best day for tracking totals. You can just give me one number: total miles for that week. It does not need to be broken down.

Also if you are not a member of our facebook page, you can join by clicking on the Facebook app which is to the left of this post or click here.

Send ALL emails to: iseefitpeople@gmail.com

NO ONE but Matt & I (and of course yourself) will know your total. It is about competing with yourself and no one else. After all, isn't that what running is about...your own personal best?

The start date is TODAY, Sept. 5th
The end date is Oct. 3rd

The WINNER will receive a SWEET Sports Bean prize from Jelly Belly!! Jelly Belly pulls through for us every time, so they deserve props! I think the winner will love a Sports Fuel prize pack! The prize goes to the runner who has the MOST miles/kms at the end of the challenge.

Matt & I are both training for Vegas. Matt is about to start, and I am already underway for a 1/2 Marathon, Melissa's Road Race, on Sept. 24th! I will go right from one training into Vegas training. We will be running right along with you all!!

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!

Cheers,
Wendy & Matt

Protein Pancakes

Protein Pancakes
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Ingredients

1/2 Cup oats
1/2 Cup 1% Cottage Cheese
2 Egg Whites
Stevia (to taste)
Cinnamon (to taste)

Optional Add In's (these will change the nutritional value)
1/4 Cup of Libby's Canned Pumpkin
1 Small Banana
1/4 Cup of Fresh Blueberries



Directions
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. This will become a "batter". You may have to add more oats or more cottage cheese, depending on the consistancy of the batter (you don't want it too thin or too thick).
Cook on hot skillet until light brown. Serve with Smuckers Sugar-Free Syrup or just top with fresh berries!
As mentioned you can make these pumpkin pancakes, banana pancakes, etc...the great thing is you can personalize this recipe!

Number of Servings: 1

Nutritional Info

* Servings Per Recipe: 1
* Amount Per Serving
* Calories: 267.4

* Total Fat: 4.2 g
* Cholesterol: 4.5 mg
* Sodium: 458.8 mg
* Total Carbs: 31.7 g
* Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
* Protein: 25.0 g