Hi there! Happy Friday and Happy November! Today always kicks off the holiday season for me. I’m excited for Christmas music, decorations, delicious (but healthy!) food, The Grinch and other holiday movies and more!

Anyway, today I am linking up with Jill from Fitness, Health and Happiness again to bring you another version of Fit Friday! Today is a little bit different than the past few Fit Friday posts, however. (Check them out here: Fit Friday: Leg Circuit & Fit Friday: TRX Style.)

I have talked to you a few times about the importance of listening to your body when it comes to all things, but especially fitness, and for me, this was one of those weeks. After hitting the weights consistently for the past few months, I could tell my body needed a break and a week to recover and repair. Because of that, instead of lifting any weights this week, I have opted for yoga, sprints, distance runs and long walks.

You might remember me talking about MyYogaWorks a few months ago. MyYogaWorks is an online, at home yoga subscription that allows you to select the level, length and style of the class and plays it right on your computer screen, iPad or iPhone. Since Dustin and I are on the road so much, MyYogaWorks was the perfect solution to help me keep up with my yoga practice without being a member at a yoga studio. Since things are changing in my life and I will soon be a little bit more settled (as mentioned yesterday), I canceled my MyYogaWorks subscription with plans to join a yoga studio soon. To me there is nothing like a good, in-studio practice, but sometimes an at home, online class is just what I need!

Before I find the perfect studio for me, in the meantime, I did a little bit of research and found this incredible online class (for free might I add!), that I want to share with you today. Many of you have told me that you prefer doing yoga at home versus attending at a studio, so if that is you or if you are simply don’t feel like driving to your studio, here is another solution: Do Yoga WIth Me’s Foundations in Flow. 

I have taken this class multiple times in the past few weeks and love it every time. It is an intermediate class that is 48 minutes in length and is described on the website as the following:

This complete practice starts by warming the body, then progresses into a powerful flow, moving with the fluidity of your breath. The flow builds sequences from the earth up, while building core strength. The class ends by cooling the body with a deep relaxation.

Enjoy this class if you are looking for a challenging yet relaxing class at any time of the day! If you try it out, let me know how you like it!

Do you prefer taking yoga classes in a studio or gym or do you prefer to enjoy a class in the comfort of your own home? I enjoy a little bit of both!

Have a great Friday!

Good health!

The post Fit Friday: At Home Yoga appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi there! How are ya today!?

Before we get into today’s post I first have to share with you something that made me VERY happy.  If you are a new reader, let me first fill you in: for the past 3-4 months I have been working on and finally published my very own “Five Day Real Food Detox.”

I did this to answer the questions that I was receiving regarding my thoughts as a dietitian on starvation cleanses, fasts and detox programs. I created a no-starvation five day detox program using real, whole foods to help detoxify the body to help others realize that it is actually through food that the body can be healed, achieve weight loss, obtain improved energy, etc. You can learn more about it and get your copy here, but back to what made me so happy. I woke up with this message in my inbox:

I just wanted to reach out and tell you I successfully completed your 5 day detox last week and loved it. I was eager yet nervous to begin because I went in afraid of being able to stick it out. I am proud to say I made it through the entire plan without faltering at all. I went in hoping to feel better about what I was eating and jumpstart shedding a few lbs and got out of it something way more beneficial. I learned that eating clean is not only do-able but its enjoyable. I honestly loved every meal and opened my eyes up to things I had always assumed I didn’t like. It was so eye opening to enjoy eating without added salt, sugar, cheese etc. A self proclaimed cereal addict, I even started this morning with the raw oats, fruit and almond milk (post detox!). Turns out I love it just as much as cereal and it makes for a great alternative. Thank you so much for putting the time into the plan and sharing it. Hopefully I can continue to incorporate the tasty goodness of clean eating into my day to day routine.

I am sharing this by NO means to pat myself on the back, but rather to show you whoever you are, whatever your walk of life, whatever your current eating habits, you are not stuck in your ways nor unable to change. This reader did and so can you!

Anyway, enough motivating and on to today’s post.

Today is in continuation of yesterday’s post, recapping my experience at the Healthy Living Summit. In case you missed it yesterday, here is Part 1 of my Healthy Living Summit recap.

To pick up right were we left of yesterday…

Saturday was an early morning as well. I hit the streets for an early morning run to explore a little bit more of the city. What better way to see a city than on two feet?

And then it was Summit time. A day full of information, learning, connecting and oh yeah, a lot of tasty food!

You know you’re at a healthy living conference when tofu is served right along side the chicken!

Almonds for daysssss, raw are still my favorite!

There were so many awesome sessions on very relevant topics like blog growth and transition, using your blog to land a job, embracing the camera/video posts, and using your blog as a platform to promote your philanthropy.

After a day of sitting and cramming information into my brain my body craved nothing more than a little bit of movement. And it received movement alright!

I was so lucky to have found a fellow yogi on Friday night. Katie from Honey Stuck is a Charlotte based yoga instructor. When she mentioned to me that she was hoping to find a yoga class to take on Saturday afternoon, I quickly told her that I would love to join in!

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Following the conference we headed straight to CorePower Yoga where I experienced my first hot yoga class. I’m not sure why I’ve never taken a hot class before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this 75 minute, and surprisingly not too hot (Katie noted that her studio keeps the room much warmer) class. It was certainly a challenging class but I always enjoy pushing myself and expanding my practice.

I could definitely tell that I have been neglecting my practice here lately as the balancing poses weren’t coming as naturally to me. Remember during the July Yoga Challenge when I had firefly (almost), forearm headstand, and crane  down? No so much anymore. This weekend taught me that in order to maintain a higher level of practice, you have to practice. Oh yeah, where’s my mat?

After leaving the studio dripping in sweat, a breezy walk back to the hotel felt incredible. I showered up and headed back out the door, this time completely unrelated to HLS13. A dear friend and sorority big-sis (you have hard me talk about her before) just happened to be in town for her cousin’s wedding… and she forced me to meet her there. Yep. Wedding Crasher I was.

Now, she claims the bride was completely accepting of this idea, however, that did not take one ounce away from the awkwardness I felt explaining to folks that, no I wasn’t here for the bride, nor was I here for the groom, but instead… the cousin. Oh the things you’ll do to see a dear friend. The awkwardness was well worth the time spent with such a great friend.

Sunday was an early morning as well, starting with a 5k turned ~3k run/walk.

We snapped some photos in the Sculpture Garden of the Spoonbridge and Cherry and returned back to the hotel for massages, breakfast, closing remarks, goodbyes and the announcement of the 2014 HLS location in Madison, Wisconsin.

Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad topped with the Housemade Veggie Burger 

Lunch at Mason’s and many goodbyes later, I found myself back right where I started on the Light Rail headed to the airport for a fairly short flight home.

A wonderful weekend, lots of new “blends” (blogger friends), and more than enough information to keep me busy for quite some time, HLS13 was certainly a success!

Have you ever been to a blogger conference? If so, which one has been your favorite? This was my first, but certainly not my last!

Have a great day!

Good health!

The post I’m Excited + Healthy Living Summit Recap: Part 2 appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi there and happy Monday! How was your weekend!?

We took a quick trip to Alabama. While the hub did his baseball thing, I was able to get a lot done on the work front. Notice anything different around here yet? Well if you don’t, I’ll point it out. If you look across the Tabs at the top of the screen, you now see a tab for the Grocery Store Tours that I told you about last week, as well as a new tab for Meal Plans. 

I am excited to announce that for only $5 bucks a week (0r however often as you like!), you can now purchase a six night dinner menu with recipes and a grocery list included. Currently I have two plans, a generally healthy plan (no dietary restrictions), as well as a general healthy + gluten free (an overall healthy plan that does not included any gluten in the recipes), but coming soon are a vegan + gluten-free dinner menu plan, a vegan plan, a five day quick lunches meal plan, as well as my own five day detox plan so stay tuned – I will update you as they are posted too!

The plans are designed to serve four people but can be easily increased/decreased to better meet the needs of your family. Whether you are looking to lose weight, increase your energy, eat healthier, eat at home more, or simply to start cooking more, through these plans I hope to help you meet your goals! They are designed with taste, health and your time in mind! I will be updating and adding new plans every weekend so that you can plan and prep before the week begins. Check out the Meal Plans tab for more information.

In other news, thanks for all of your participation in the July Yoga Challenge these past four weeks! It’s hard to believe that July is almost over! We bended, bowed, stood upside down, and balanced in poses such as forearm headstand, crane, firefly and this past week camel pose.We were challenged, stretched and pushed beyond our preconceived limits all month long.

Thank you so much for all of your participation! I hope you continue to push and challenge your body, always accomplishing and setting new goals often!

Also, something else I am very excited to share with you today – my cousin, fellow dancer and yogi, Suzanne, is starting her yoga teacher training this fall. Many of you might not know but yoga teacher training is pretty pricy. She has applied to win a $3,000 scholarship to cover the cost of tuition, as she is a student right now, working on her masters in speech pathology.

If you will, she and I both would greatly appreciate it you could help her obtain this scholarship by:

1. ‘Like’ Amara Yoga & Arts on Facebook 

2. Find her (Suzanne Nanney) video on their page (It’s on the right hand side under “Recent Posts by Others on Amara Yoga & Arts”). *Side note: her video is INCREDIBLE. It is moving, inspiring and defines exactly the person that she is. You will be glad you did, I promise!

3. If you “Like” her video, she gets 1 point. If you “Share” her video she gets 3 points! Please do both!

**Likes and shares MUST be from her video on Amara’s page.**

Both she and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Help her make her mark on this world!

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I hope you have an amazing Monday!

Good health!

The post Meal Plans + July Yoga Challenge Wrap Up + Yoga Scholarship appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Why hello Monday! We meet again. How was your weekend?!

Ours was pretty good! Friday night, I enjoyed dinner al fresco with my brother and sis-in-law (SIL). I forgot to take a picture of everything together but we enjoyed crunchy veggie quinoa, roasted balsamic Brussels, watermelon, grilled Thai chicken for the others and these guys…

Remember, the picture of the HUGE zucchini from a friend’s garden that I shared with you last week? It made it perfect rounds for our zucchini pizza rounds (I used this similar recipe with the addition of fresh basil compliments of my SIL’s green thumb and we grilled them instead of baked.).

Saturday morning, the hub and I walked around downtown Greenville, explored the farmers market, made a stop into Lululemon for some new speed shorts (I could seriously wear these everyday) and enjoyed a tasty lunch at Green Lettuce. He made a beeline straight for the coffee.

Yesterday morning, we met my brother for brunch at Tupelo Honey Cafe, to say our goodbyes as our time in Greenville has come to an end. This is an award winning Asheville restaurant that has just recently opened a location in Greenville. I had the Oatmeal topped with toasted coconut, dried peaches, cranberries, golden raisins, dried apples, dried blueberries, and bananas. It was pretty tasty to say the least!

Anyway, today marks the fourth and final Monday in the July Yoga Challenge. After practicing firefly all last week, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are just some poses that are going to take a little more time to work on. While both mine and my SIL’s firefly improved, I know I could still use a little more time to perfect it. I’ll keep trying.

We fireflied…

And fireflied…

And fireflied… (How awesome is my SIL’s picture with the Washington Monument in the background!?)

And fireflied…

… until we couldn’t firefly any more. Getting better but still a ways to go!

In order to pull us all back together for the final week, we chose a pose this week that is more user friendly and inviting than mean ol’ firefly.

If you have missed the July Yoga Challenge, you can see the rules and the first three weeks here: forearm headstand, crane and firefly.

Week four and the final week’s pose is: King Pigeon. Pretty easy, right?!

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Just kiddingggggg!! I hope you stayed with me! But for real, the final week’s pose is: Camel Pose (but if your feeling up to it, give King Pigeon at try!).

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We chose this pose because this is a very opening, yet vulnerable pose, symbolic to both mine and my SIL’s life right now. We are both opening our lives up to change – vulnerable yet welcoming the change. As I embark on the next chapter of my life (like I shared with you last week), my SIL is as well. In just a few short weeks, she is embarking on a new journey and returning to school to become a Nurse Practitioner. This pose allows us to fully welcome this change and embrace the rewards and challenges that lie ahead.

So how do you get into this pose?

That should tell ya!

We really want everyone to join in this week, any and all yogis and non-yogis alike. It feels good to open your heart, stretch your chest, and strengthen your back through this symbolic  pose.

Text, email (ashleyharperevans at gmail dot com), tag (@aharpe on Instagram and Twitter), upload it to the GYH Facebook page, Vine it and tag (The Gypsy Dietitian), whatever ya gotta do, just send me your pictures. We want the July Yoga Challenge to go out with a bang!

I hope you’re having a great Monday!

Good health!

The post Greenville Weekend + July Yoga Challenge: Week 4 appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Good morning! Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! We made the long ride home from the beach on Saturday. The weather was gray and overcast so it wasn’t too terribly hard to leave this year.

After returning home, Dustin and I had a dinner date with my youngest sister on Saturday night, practiced a little sisterly yoga following dinner and then crashed.

Yesterday, we spent most of the day hanging with my dad, which we both always enjoy.  Homemade waffles, an afternoon run, front porch sitting, a visit to the garden and a late dinner with my parents and sister ended our weekend perfectly.

If you’ve been following along for the past month you know what today is. It’s Week 3 of the July Yoga Challenge! Together we’ve worked through both forearm headstand and crane in the past two weeks. Lots of you have been bending and bowing and I’m so excited that so many of you have joined in. I know my crane certainly improved over time!

If you haven’t joined us yet, today is the day! If Granny can do it, so can you!

Haha! My sister sent me this picture this weekend and I absolutely love it. I have no idea where she got it from in order to give Grandma credit but none the less she’s awesome!

Before I share week 3’s pose, let me first remind you of how the challenge works.

July Yoga Challenge

1. Every Monday during the month of July, I will be giving you a new pose to work on for one week straight.
2. Work on the pose everyday for seven days, spending however much time you want – five minutes or 30 minutes it doesn’t matter, just as long as your working on it.
3. Have someone take a picture of you on Monday attempting the pose.
4. Have someone take a picture of you at the end of the week on Sunday showing your progress.
5. Do a side-by-side comparison picture and upload it to the Guard Your Heart Facebook Page or tag me (@aharpe) on Instagram or tweet it (@aharpe) if you want to share your progress (and if you will hashtag all your photos to #julyyogachallenge)! Or simply let us know in the comments section below that you are  participating and working on it!

Alright, so on to today’s pose. Let me first preface. This pose is very challenging but it’s fun to attempt and work through. This pose combines some of the skills that we have worked on in the other poses, such as core strength and balance. I do not expect you (or me!) to be able to do it perfectly – it’s all about challenging your body and moving/bending it in ways that it might not be used to. It’s just a fun one to try! So what is it? Week 3’s pose is Firefly.

If you’re doing it correctly, and happen to be a Yoga Journal featured yogi (that is the photo source too) it looks like this.

If it’s day one of the yoga challenge, it looks like this. Note: follow the first picture, not us!

You can see how challenging, but fun it is! Straightening your legs is the hardest part!

And also, if you have any wrist, elbow or shoulder issues this pose might bother those areas. Do not push your body further than feels comfortable. That’s the great thing about yoga, you can modify everything to meet your specific needs.

Okay, so how do you do it?

That should tell ya!

Don’t forget to keep me posted on your progress, on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! (#julyyogachallenge) (@aharpe)

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Wow! So much bending in that post! Time to quit typing and start practicing I guess! Well, maybe later. Today, were headed down to visit my grandfather in the hospital so please send your prayers his way. I really appreciate it. I hope you all have a great Monday.

Good health!

The post Weekend Review + July Yoga Challenge – Week Three appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi friends! Happy Friday! I know that’s great for you but it’s sad for me. That means only one more day at the beach. The weather is looking pretty crumby here but maybe we will be able to catch a few hours of sunshine this afternoon.

Thank you for the awesome feedback on yesterdays post on the importance of being quiet and listening to God’s plan for you rather than forcing your own. It seems like this is something we all have to work at doing. It can certainly sometimes be challenging to wait for God’s plans to unfold but I have learned that it is always worth the wait. Thank you again for all of you that reached out to me and let me know that I’m not in this alone. Once again, you guys rock.

Yesterday we didn’t end up coming in from the beach until around 9pm. We’re trying to soak up every last beach minute which means happy pups and of course, more time for some yoga on the beach as I continue to work on the July Yoga Challenge.

They are so happy he is here!

Even if he buries them in the sand! Don’t worry, this didn’t last for long. The second I got up to go get in the ocean, so did Boss!

I hope you are still working on either forearm headstand from the first week or crane from this week. If you are, don’t forget to hashtag #julyyogachallenge and tag @aharpe on Twitter or Instagram or upload your pictures to the GYH Facebook Page. Week three starts on Monday so be sure to check back for the third pose and joins us if you haven’t yet!

Anyways, as I mentioned yesterday, today’s post is a ‘Fit Friday’ first, either to be done today, as a part of your ‘Fit Weekend’ or whenever you’re in the need for a good sweat.

This workout can be done at home, requires no weights/equipment and can be modified to fit your specific needs. Just to note, I am not a certified personal trainer, only a fitness junkie movin’ and groovin’ and trying to inspire you to do the same. My hub comes up will almost all of the workouts that I post on here and if your inclined to do so you can check out his fitness philosophy here. Like I mention in every fitness post, remember that proper form trumps reps/more weights ALWAYS. If something is too hard, do fewer reps/lower weight and work on it each week and over time, you will be able to do more. If not, not only is the exercise less effective but you could also end up hurt. And as always, consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. On to that workout!

If our workout space looked like this…

…you can see that this workout can be done anywhere.

Also, below the workout are photos of how to do each exercise with proper form.

1a.

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1b.

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2a.

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2b.

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3a.

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3b.

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4a.

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4b.

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Do you workout on vacation or do you tend to take the week off? As you can see, I like to mix things up. I still workout but my workouts just look a little different than if I were at home. I like to stay out of the gym but still get some sort of workout in, whether it be bodyweight exercises, TRX, yoga, beach sprints, etc.

Anyways, I’m off to get a workout in myself and then to hopefully enjoy our last day on the beach! Have a great weekend!

Good health!

The post Fit Friday – At Home Cardio + Leg Workout appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Good morning friends! Happy Monday from the beach!

No, I absolutely do not use props to make my pups seem like they are looking at the camera Oops! Busted. 

A green smoothie, a cup of green tea and a run with the pups to start this day of right!

How’s it going? How was your weekend? All good over here – especially after our arrival to Cape San Blas Saturday afternoon. We stocked up on lots of good eats and have already had a few delicious meals, including these tasty Spring Rolls last night.

Anyways, on to today’s business – Week Two of the July Yoga Challenge! Last weeks participation in the Forearm Headstand was awesome – I am so happy so many of you joined in. I finished out strong yesterday, practicing a little on the beach.

So did my sister-in-law (SIL from now on) and right hand man on this challenge!

As always, life is still good upside down.

So on to week two! If you didn’t join in last week, no worries! Today is the perfect day to join in! Here are the July Yoga Challenge details.

July Yoga Challenge

1. Every Monday during the month of July I will be giving you a new pose to work on for one week straight.
2. Work on the pose everyday for seven days, spending however much time you want – five minutes or 30 minutes it doesn’t matter, just as long as your working on it.
3. Have someone take a picture of you on Monday attempting the pose.
4. Have someone take a picture of you at the end of the week on Sunday showing your progress.
5. Do a side-by-side comparison picture and upload it to the Guard Your Heart Facebook Page or tag me (@aharpe) on Instagram or tweet it (@aharpe) if you want to share your progress (and if you will hashtag all your photos to #julyyogachallenge)! Or simply let us know in the comments section below that you are  participating and working on it!

The pose for this week is crane. Crane is an arm balancing pose, working both the arms and the core. From me and my SIL, here’s a little crane action shoreside.

And just to note, something like this…

…is very likely to happen so be sure to practice in a well cushioned area. Lucky for me, it was just a crash into a wave.

And there you have it my friends, a day in the life of a yogi. Practice. Fall. Get up. Practice. Fall Again. Succeed!

From Yoga Journal, this is what crane is supposed to look like. So you can see, I still have some work to do too!

In order to help you succeed too, here is step-by-step on how you can successfully get into crane.

This is definitely a challenging pose and will probably take longer than a week to perfect, but over time it gets easier and easier so stick with it and don’t give up! Practice makes perfect my friends.

Also, don’t forget to keep me posted on your progress, on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!

I hope you have an awesome Monday!

Good health!

The post July Yoga Challenge – Week Two appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Happy JULY! July?? Wow! Already half way through the year! It feels like it was just our quietest New Years Eve ever.

Anyways, thank you all so much for the awesome feedback and kind words I received on Friday’s “What Is Beauty? And Who Defined It For You?” post. It seems as though that is a topic so many of us can relate to. You guys are so awesome. It’s days like those that inspire me to keep doin’ what I’m doin’. I cannot thank you enough.

So, how was your last weekend of June? Ours was pretty good! Although were a few states away from home right now and many states away from Chicago, we sent happy birthday wishes to two very special girls in my life.

My now 15 year-old baby sister? What?

And a dear friend, who may be far away distance wise but still very close to my heart.

Also, a special friend came HOME from Afghanistan. Thank you, L.T. Bell for your bravery, service and selflessness. All smiles from his family early Saturday morning!

So that was the weekend states away from us, but here, things were pretty low key. Baseball, pool and a pretty delicious dinner find last night.

From the website, Table 100 is “turn-of-the-century New Orleans, featuring a piano bar with craft cocktails, euro-american bistro fare and hospitality second to none.” The menu was very vegetarian/vegan friendly featuring local, gluten-free and healthy options.

We tried the Local Farmers Hummus to start.

And I had the Seasonal Vegetable Plate with Wilted Kale, Herb Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans and a Salad. I had originally ordered the Zipper Peas but our server came back and informed me that they were cooked with bacon so I changed my order. I was very happy that he took the time to let me know this – most places don’t and then I end up with one less side to enjoy.

So anyways, enough about the weekend and on to today’s business!

My sis-in-law and I are starting a July Yoga Challenge for the next four weeks (the month of July) and we want you to join in! We’re inviting any and all yogis to participate since each pose can be modified to your skill level. The thing I love most about yoga is that if you work on a pose even for just a week you will see instant improvements and progress. I remember when I first started yoga thinking there would be no way my body could ever do certain poses and now they seem easy to me. If you never try, you will never know!

So how does it work?

July Yoga Challenge

1. For the next four Mondays (starting today) I will be giving you a new pose (and modifications) to work on for one week straight.
2. Work on the pose everyday for seven days, spending however much time you want – five minutes or 30 minutes it doesn’t matter, just as long as your working on it.
3. Have someone take a picture of you on Monday attempting the pose.
4. Have someone take a picture of you at the end of the week on Sunday showing your progress.
5. Do a side-by-side comparison picture and upload it to the Guard Your Heart Facebook Page or tag me (AHARPE) on Instagram or tweet it (@aharpe) if you want to share your progress(oh and if you will hashtag all your photos to #julyyogachallenge)! Or simply let us know in the comments section below that you are  participating and working on it!

Read this tweet and you will know why inversions like headstands are so awesome. Coming from a friend/former coworker/yogi and former boss when I taught yoga…

Give it a try will ya!? And check back next Monday for Week 2s Pose! Keep me posted on your progress, on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!

Have a great Monday! Let’s make July great!

Good health!

The post Weekend Review + July Yoga Challenge appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hello Monday and hello friends! How was your weekend? Mine was full of relaxation and family so no complaints here!

Friday I went to lunch with my mom and her two dear friends at Alpine Bakery instead of Roux, which was the original plan. If you live in the Alpharetta area, I highly recommend you check this place out. The food was delicious and the company was even better.

The past few weeks, my father-in-law has been collecting old window frames for me, so Friday night my mom and I assembled another picture frame hanging window. I can’t share with you the final product because I haven’t given it to our friends yet, but I can say that it turned out great and I think they will really love it!

Saturday I spent the day with my grandfather at a “cookout” hosted by his residence and then my dad and I then ventured over to the mall to do some last minute Father’s Day shopping (I was able to purchase his gift without him even knowing! Well, at least one of them.)

Saturday night, it was an empty house so I spent some quite time writing, reading, practicing some yoga and even working on one of my summer goals of being able to do a back handspring again – I was successful! My parents were pretty surprised when they returned home and asked what I had been doing and I showed them a video of me doing back handsprings in the front yard again!

Sunday, we started the morning in the house of the Lord with a great sermon and then returned home to prepare a Father’s Day feast.

Lots of great food was cooked and I’m even going to share another recipe that we made later this week, but today I want to cut straight to the chase aka the dessert. (And just to note, I’m sorry for the autocorrect errors on my FB/IG picture yesterday. My iPhone made flourless flour less and dessert desert. What’s one to do!?)

So on to that cake!

Like most of us, my dad loves a little something sweet. But there’s nothing worse than something like a sweet cake makes you feel. Bloated, tired, and overstuffed. But not this one! I found this recipe from This Rawsome Vegan Life on Pinterest and decided to follow it, mostly. It is a two layer, raw, vegan cake. The first layer is white, the second layer is blue and it is topped with blueberries and edged with strawberries. It is delicious!

Red, White and Blue Ice Cream Cake

Recipe adapted from This Rawsome Vegan Life

• ~10 strawberries for outside, cut in half

Vanilla ice cream cake layer:

• 2 cups raw cashews (Publix sells them in their produce section, just incase you are having trouble finding them)
• 2 bananas
• 1 cup pitted dates (make sure you buy them pitted)
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk

Berry layer:

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup vanilla almond milk, use as needed
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (to thicken – the original recipe doesn’t call for this but I found that the berry layer was a little too watery without them)
  

To make the first layer – place the halved strawberries around the edge of a spring form pan. Set aside. Now blend all the vanilla ice cream cake ingredients together until smooth, adding almond milk as needed. Spread into the bottom of the pan,which should press the strawberries to the outer edge. Place in the freezer.

To make the berry layer – blend all berry layer ingredients until smooth. Carefully spread over top of the vanilla ice cream cake layer and put in the freezer for about 2 or 3 hours or until it’s set. Once cake is set, top with blueberries, cut and serve!

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I hope you all enjoy this summertime treat as much as my family and I did! The hubby flew back late last night so I’m off to spend the day with him! Have a great Monday!

Good health!

The post Have Your Cake and Eat It Too appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Good morning friends! Tuesday already!? Sorry for my absenteeism yesterday – I spent the day with a few very special people instead of on my computer. I started the morning with a dear friend who flew in town just for the night from San Antonio and I then spent the afternoon with my grandfather, who spent some time in the hospital this past weekend. Thankfully, he is home and recovering and back on the up!

Unfortunately, my grandfather and I didn’t get a picture together yesterday so this picture is from last year. Yesterday, I did however, share with him a lot of pictures from my computer and he loved seeing everyone and everything that has been going on in my life these past few months. I just love him.

Speaking of weekend, it was an awesome one besides my grandfathers hospital scare. Saturday started with green smoothies for all followed by a beautiful engagement party and ended with homemade pizza (more on that in the Tip of the Week later!).

Sunday too was an awesome day. I worked on backbends/wheel pose early in the day and then took my mom and two great friends through a yoga class in the afternoon. I was exactly what the four of us needed – stretching, breathing and peace.

Yoga was followed up by an awesome dinner prepared by my personal chef aka mom – like always, it was delicious!

Black Bean and Rice Stuffed Mushroom Caps, Corn Salad, Marinated Cukes and Onions, Grilled Basil Tomatoes, Roasted Whole Onions, Roasted Rutabagas and Potatoes, and Fresh Fruit – Quite a delicious spread! 

After dinner, the night somehow rolled on until 4 am, as we sat on the front porch, catching up and sharing good laughs!

So on to that pizza! Rewind to Saturday.

After returning home Saturday evening, while the hubby was working and my parents were still at the hospital – I decided that it was time that I too be useful. I opened up a gluten-free, vegan cookbook by blogger Allyson Kramer over at Manifest Vegan that my mom had recently purchased and picked out a way to put myself to use!

I found a delicious-looking homemade pizza and decided it was time to get dirty in the kitchen. You might remember that I have had some pretty rough experiences when trying to make my own gluten-free pizza crust, but the recipe that I am going to share today is very simple, minimal on the ingredient side and light and crispy. I used and recommend using a Hefty (or any brand) 12 inch EZ foil pizza pan for the crust. It worked best because the crust starts out pretty thin and the lips of this pan help create a perfectly round pizza.

Farinata Pizza

Adapted from Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats

We doubled the recipe and made two!

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 2 cups garbanzo bean flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp water

For the Toppings (you can really do any toppings you want, this is just what we chose)

• 3/4 cup homemade or purchased pizza sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, sliced very thin
• 1/2 cup green or red pepper, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 large portobello or 6 small portobello mushrooms, sliced into strips
• 1 medium tomato, cut into round slices and halved
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese
• Italian herbs to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 385.
2. Heavily spray round baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl (or blender), whisk together all crust ingredients until smooth.
4. Pour the batter evenly into the round sheet.
5. Bake the crust for 13 minutes.
6. Saute the olive oil, garlic, onion and bell peppers over medium-high heat until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar.
7. Remove the crust from the oven and increase the temperature to 450.
8. Spread a layer of sauce onto the crust and then add the sautéed and raw toppings – adding the cheese last will help hold the toppings in place. Sprinkle the herbs on top.
9. Bake the pizza for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the toppings are browned.
10. Watch carefully to ensure that the pizza doesn’t burn.
11. Let the pizza cool briefly and then slice a serve.

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It may seem like a lot of steps but really this pizza took about 20 minutes to prepare and about 30 minutes total to cook – it really was easy! And delicious too!

We’re off to the gym and to run some errands. I hope you have a great Tuesday!

Good health

The post TOTW Tuesday: Make Your Own Pizza Crust appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.