Need some inspiration for your home? Check out this week’s project ideas. From painting furniture to painting the patio. Maybe one of these projects will inspire you. Be sure to check out this week’s features and the other awesome new posts from your hosts and fellow bloggers and have an awesome week ahead!
From the first time I heard of the All Saints movie I knew I wanted to see this film. Not only is this film based on an inspiring true story of a Tennessee pastor who was able to not only turn around a church and their congregation but an entire community of followers, it also stars one of my favorite actors, John Corbett. An actor whose career I’ve followed for decades.
Currently, there are so many dark, depressing films flooding the market. So much of today’s movie riddled with death, destruction, and dire circumstances that it’s nice to go into the season of thankfulness with a film that speaks to the need of forgiveness, generosity, and community outreach.
It’s a refreshing change of pace to know one is going to see a film filled with so much light and hope. I’m looking forward to taking my family to see this film for sure! I think it is vital in today’s consumer culture to let movie studios know that we want more feel-good movies in theatres each season, am I right?
I think it is vital in today’s culture to let movie studios, including Sony Pictures, the maker of the film, that we want more films like this. I’m all about a feel-good movie!
Be sure to visit the official site of the movie and consider buying tickets yourself. You can find all the necessary information prior to the films officially release date on August 25th on the All Saints Official Movie Website! Also be sure to check out the film’s official trailer too!
You can also check out these behind the scenes sneak peek of the film:
The Heart of the Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXv6h8avzFM
All Saints: John Corbett Decisions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecr5uwJbZjA
The Pastors of All Saints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDADYtgVWog
The Miracles of All Saints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDADYtgVWog
A little more about the film:
ALL SAINTS
-Genre: drama
-Rating: PG
-Run time: 1:48:00
-Recommended Ages: 10 and up
-Release date: 8/25/17
-Studio: Sony AFFIRM (Sony Pictures)
-About: ALL SAINTS is based on the inspiring true story of salesman-turned-pastor Michael Spurlock (John Corbett), the tiny church he was ordered to shut down, and a group of refugees from Southeast Asia. Together, they risked everything to plant seeds for a future that might just save them all.
For as long as I can remember it has been hard for me to lose weight. Which is why a year ago I began a journey to better health. Since that time I’ve lost over 80 pounds, hit several weight loss plateaus, and have to work steadily towards perfecting a workout routine, meal planning, and portion control strategies that could really work for me. Adding to this great success I’m proud to announce that this week, accomplishment, with the help of my Personal Trainer Food 28-day Food Plan, I’ve lost another four pounds! Putting my three-week total weight loss at 16 pounds!
I’m still over the moon that I was selected to try out Personal Trainer Foods, a 28-day weight loss program that focuses on providing continued weight loss success through the consumption of precooked, frozen, no-filler foods without hidden sugars or carbs. Just the type of food program I knew could help get me past my recent weight loss plateau. And so far that weight loss plateau is looking to be a thing of the past!
Why I’m still loving Personal Trainer Foods:
As I mentioned last week, I currently weigh 212 pounds; I am down 92 pounds from my highest weight of 304 pounds from this time a year ago. I am also a PCOS patient who must maintain a low-testosterone lifestyle. Which means I must maintain a low-sugar diet and a low-impact, low testosterone-inducing workout plan. To accomplish this, I workout from my home gym 4 days each week, for 30 minutes each session. I also walk my dogs twice a day for approximately 30 minutes each walk. I also speed walk each weekend with my husband and daughter for 1 hour at our local lake. This is my body’s current condition and health.
This past week I again allowed myself two cups of organic fair trade coffee each morning (Sumatran if you’re wondering) with one tablespoon of vegan non-dairy coconut creamer and indulged in a single portion of Spicy SunButter Noodles & Sauce while creating a recipe post this week for the blog. As I always say- Treat yourself. A little.
I’ve also increased the amount of walking I’ve put in by a mile a day, taking my total walking time per day to 3 miles each day, with 2.5 miles each morning and a small 0.5 mile walk each evening. To stay hydrated and somewhat more full, I’ve consumed my fair share of sparkling water and hot lemon water each morning and decaffeinated herbal tea each evening before bed.
In terms of portion control, as compared to my week 2 check-in, I’ve felt less hungry again, especially between lunch and dinner, but generally wake up hungry for breakfast. Especially after walks!
What I like about the program this past week:
As with last week, I was also little weary of the fact that I was going to be eating pre-cooked, microwaved frozen food. Again I’m still amazed as to how fresh each meal has been. These meals are nothing like the usual microwaveable tv dinners we all know. The beef tips and broccoli, for example, are well prepared. You’d think they might even be from takeout! Still another favorite this week? The breakfast maple sausage patties, western omelets, and a dash of Sriracha sauce! Just amazing!
Something else to consider, your food intake. While normally a big eater, a true foodie, with the Personal Trainer Food Meal Plan, I haven’t felt deprived. I feel comfortably full after each meal. Now have I dreaded hitting the scale nor the need to count calories. With Personal Trainer Foods, that’s all done for me and it’s a huge relief for me!
What I’ve eaten this week from Persona Trainer Foods this week:
So you can get a better idea of the meal quality with this plan, I’ve captured photos of each meal. Here’s what I’ve had this week.
Friday:
Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Angus Beef Patty and Norway Blend Vegetables Medley
Dinner: Homestyle Meatloaf and Summer Medley
Saturday:
Breakfast: Western Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Chicken Breast Fajita Strips and Succotash Medley
Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken Breast and Summer Vegetable Medley
Sunday:
Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Chicken Breast Patty and Cauliflower
Dinner: Cranberry Cognac Sausage and Broccoli
Monday:
Breakfast: Western Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Angus Beef Patty with Cauliflower
Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken Breast with Lima Beans
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Buttery Chicken Breast with Succotash
Dinner: Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sticks and Summer Vegetable Medley
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Poached Egg and two Maple Sausage Patties
Lunch: Angus Beef Patty with PTF Veggie Medley
Dinner: Turkey Meatballs, Sriracha Butter Sauce, and Veggie Medley
Thursday:
Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Frittata and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Two BBQ Riblettes with Scandinavian Vegetable Medley
Dinner: Meatball Trio with Onions and Key West Vegetable Medley
Overall thoughts for the week 3 check-in:
This past week there have been two heroes when it comes to my success with Personal Trainer Food and that is their online resources. I have been loving the Personal Trainer Food Facebook Support Page. While I’ve been using it since I found out I would be getting this opportunity, I’ve really gleaned a lot of great information this past week especially.
From various in-group discussions on meal planning, meal prep, and portion control tips, to receiving amazing amounts of encouragement from other group members, I’ve been able to glean tons of useful tips this week from fellow Personal Trainer Food users. With this plan, you never feel like your alone in this crazy journey they call weight loss!
Another great resource offered by Personal Trainer Food offers is their blog. A site that offers amazing recipes, meal planning ideas, food prep strategies, and advice from trained dieticians. It gave me a lot of insight into the amount of planning and foresight that goes into recipe formulation for this plan. Making the price of Personal Trainer Food all the more worth it in my opinion!
I also wanted to share an observation I’ve made since starting this program. When I first started Personal Trainer Foods, I was given a days worth of Nutrisystem foods to try out and compare to the Personal Trainer Plan. While I enjoyed the taste of the Nutrisystem meal (as well as another Tortillini pouch and lemon blueberry breakfast bar, both of which are not shown).
I found that the food just didn’t have the same craving-fighting my current meal plan from Personal Trainer Food has. I felt that the Nutrisystem portion sizes were more akin to something you would have for lunch, not for any withstandable length of time. It goes without saying that I’ve enjoyed my current plan!
As you can see everyone, Personal Trainer Food has been amazing so far. I’ve lost an additional 4 pounds, haven’t had to count calories, and have taken my meal prep time to zero. Amazing, right?
I’m happy with my personal progress and can’t wait to see what is to come the next 3 weeks. I’ll be checking in next Friday with you to share with you how I’m doing with this meal plan on my week 3 check-in. Also, follow me on Instagram as I’ll be sharing my meals daily for the rest of my 28-day program on IG Stories to see how I’m feeling each evening throughout the week.
And if you want to give this program a try, click here and use the Code MOMBLOGGER to save $150.00 off a 28-day program! So folks, now I have to ask, what are your initial impressions of Personal Trainer Foods? I’d love to hear about it below!
Past posts in series:
Happy Monday, everyone! This week is starting off to a sunny, humid, and unseasonably warm start to the back-to-school season here in Dixie! What better way to start the school year off right than a zero-waste meal plan I can’t wait to share with you all what we will be having this week!
This week’s menu will again reflect a little bit of a change. For the past six months, we have made a point of eating our freezers down to zero. Now we will be switching gears and making a priority out of eating down our home pantry stockpile. As with last week’s plan, this week’s menu will seek to utilize excessive pantry staples to feed our family of three for one week. Mind you, I will be continuing on with my Personal Trainer Foods 28-Day meal plan, so leftovers will be rolled into additional meals as needed.
Here’s how I make them:
Layer 1: Add 1/8 cup of your favorite dressing.
Layer 2: Add 1/2 cup of your favorite Summer veggies. Think tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, asparagus, celery, peppers, carrots; these veggies act as a sog-proof barrier between your dressing and your other ingredients.
Layer 3: Add 1/4 cup beans, lentils, peas, or corn.
Layer 4: Add 1/8 cup boiled eggs, cheese, or nuts and tofu.
Layer 5: Add 1/8 cup rice, pasta, quinoa, or couscous.
Layer 6: Add 1/2 cup greens; cabbage, lettuce, spinach, kale, or arugula.
A few quick tip:
Here’s what we will be having this week:
Monday
Breakfast: Pecan Cinnamon Muffins with almond milk and grapes.
Lunch: Olive spread, with crackers, grapes, and almond milk.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Peach Tomato Basil Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, stevia, and almond milk smoothies.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Avocado, Banana, and Almond Milk Smoothies.
Lunch: Olive spread, with crackers, grapes, and almond milk.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Mexican Jar Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Pecan Cinnamon Muffins with almond milk and grapes.
Lunch: Grilled cheese sliders, grapes, and ice water.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Deconstructed Sushi Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, stevia, banana, and almond milk smoothies.
Thursday
Breakfast: Avocado, Banana, and Almond Milk Smoothies.
Lunch: Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, steamed broccoli, and ice water.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Cruciferous Jar Salad with Asian Sesame dressing and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Friday
Breakfast: Pecan Cinnamon Muffins with almond milk and grapes.
Lunch: Grilled cheese sliders with grapes and almond milk.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Rainbow Mason Jar Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Saturday
Breakfast: Granola Cereal with Blueberries and Almond milk.
Lunch: Grilled cheese and almond milk.
Snacks: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Asian Noodle Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
Sunday
Breakfast: Banana pancakes, strawberries, and almond milk.
Lunch: Baked Spaghetti, green beans, and ice water.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Italian Orzo Salad and Stevia Lemonade.
Dessert: Strawberry, organic cocoa, and almond milk smoothies.
And, are you looking for a great back-to-school cookie recipe that can be eaten for breakfast, snack, or dessert? Then you’ve got to try my Knock-Your-socks-Off Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies! They are the softest peanut butter cookies I’ve ever tasted. They contain organic coconut sugar gives them a warm caramel layer to their base that’s so good. They are vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free yet every bit as decadent as their traditional counterparts! And pair amazingly with, you guessed it, a tall, cold glass of plant-based milk. Check them out here!
So, folks, that’s this week’s Monday Meal Planning session. Simple, basic food options. And again this week I wanted to mention that since the holiday’s I have been using my new favorite menu planning resource, Plan to Eat. I really think you all might benefit from it as well. You can click on the photo below for more information. So now I have to ask, what’s on your menu plan for this week? I’d love to hear about it below!
Welcome back to this week’s Happiness is Homemade Link Party 183!
It’s August and this week’s party is all about trying to stay cool with all of these refreshing ideas. You might choose popsicles or ice cream or a refreshing frozen coffee drink to make. Be sure to check out this week’s features and the other awesome new posts from your hosts and fellow bloggers and have an awesome week ahead!
It can be hard to lose weight. Especially when you are a woman. Which is why a year ago I began a journey to better health this time last year and have thus far lost over 80 pounds in the process. While this has been a great accomplishment, and for which I am proud to report that this week, with the help of my Personal Trainer Food 28-day Food Plan, I’ve lost another five pounds this week! Putting my two week total for pounds lost, 12 pounds!
I’m still jazzed that I was selected to try out Personal Trainer Foods, a 28-day weight loss program that focuses on providing continued weight loss success through the consumption of precooked, frozen, no-filler foods without hidden sugars or carbs. Just the type of food program and meal plan strategy I knew I needed to try out to get me past my recent weight loss plateau. So far that weight loss plateau is looking to more and more a thing of the past!
Why I’m still loving Personal Trainer Foods:
As I mentioned last week, I currently weigh 216 pounds; I am down 88 pounds from my highest weight of 304 pounds from this time a year ago. I am also a PCOS patient who must maintain a low-testosterone lifestyle. Which means I must maintain a low-sugar diet and a low-impact, low testosterone-inducing workout plan. To accomplish this, I workout from my home gym 4 days each week, for 30 minutes each session. I also walk my dogs twice a day for approximately 30 minutes each walk. I also speed walk each weekend with my husband and daughter for 1 hour at our local lake. This is my body’s current condition and health.
One of the warnings you’ll read in your introduction packet, in regards to your 28-day program, is how your body adjusts to the lack of your sugar intake in this diet. As the sugar intake in this diet is almost non-existent, no sweets, low on a number of starchy vegetables you’ll consume, and the like. So you’ll need to adjust your activity accordingly.
This past week I allowed myself two cups of organic fair trade coffee each morning (Sumatran if you’re wondering) with one tablespoon of vegan non-dairy coconut creamer per serving and indulged in two knock your socks off vegan cookies while creating a recipe post this week for the blog. I’d say it was to ensure my energy-producing needs, but the truth of the matter is that I wanted them. So yeah, treat yo self. A little.
This past week I’ve also increased the amount of walking I’ve put in by a mile a day. To stay hydrated and somewhat more full, I’ve consumed my fair share of sparkling water, herbal tea, and hot lemon water each morning. Also this week, compared to my week 1 check-in, I’ve felt less hungry, especially between lunch and dinner. In fact, some days I’ve looked at the clock and realized that I needed to eat as opposed to counting down the hours until I could eat. Which was a surprising and noticeable change for this foodie!
What I like about the program this past week:
As with last week, I was also little weary of the fact that I was going to be eating pre-cooked, microwaved frozen food. Again I’ve become surprised as to how fresh each meal has been and the usual microwave, plastic yuck taste was non-existent. The chicken fillet, for example, is well prepared, and if you didn’t know any better you’d think it was fast food from Chick-fil-A! I have also enjoyed the ample amounts of vegetables you receive. A favorite this week? The breakfast maple sausage patties with a dash of Sriracha sauce! Amazing!
Something else to consider, your food intake. I’m normally a big eater, a true foodie. But this week with the Personal Trainer Food Meal Plan, I haven’t felt deprived, haven’t dreaded hitting the scale, and haven’t felt the need to count a single calorie in my meal planning journal. I’ve really been loving this plan!
What I’ve enjoyed from Persona Trainer Foods this week:
So you can get a better idea of the meal quality with this plan, I’ve captured photos of each meal. Here’s what I’ve had this week.
Friday:
Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Teriyaki Chicken Breast and Summer Vegetable Medley
Dinner: Beef Tips and Brocolli & Cauliflower Medley
Saturday:
Breakfast: Western Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Chicken Breast Fajita Strips and Succotash Medley
Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken Breast and Summer Vegetable Medley
Sunday:
Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Chicken Breast Patty and Cauliflower
Dinner: Cranberry Cognac Sausage and Broccoli
Monday:
Breakfast: Western Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Chicken Breast Patty with Cauliflower and Italian Green Beans
Dinner: Beef Tips with Broccoli and Cauliflower
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Buttery Chicken Breast with Succotash
Dinner: Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sticks and Summer Vegetable Medley
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Western Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Grilled Chicken Breast with Green Beans
Dinner: Zesty Chicken Sticks and Green Bean Medley
Thursday:
Breakfast: Cheddar Cheese Omelette and Maple Sausage Patty
Lunch: Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sticks with Scandinavian Vegetable Medley
Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken Breast and Summer Vegetable Medley
Overall thoughts for the week 2 check-in:
As you can see everyone, Personal Trainer Food has been amazing so far. I’ve lost an additional 5 pounds, haven’t had to count calories, and have taken my meal prep time to zero. Amazing, right? I’m happy with my personal progress and can’t wait to see what is to come the next 3 weeks. I’ll be checking in next Friday with you to share with you how I’m doing with this meal plan on my week 3 check-in. Also, follow me on Instagram as I’ll be sharing my meals daily for the rest of my 28-day program on IG Stories to see how I’m feeling each evening throughout the week.
And if you want to give this program a try, click here and use the Code MOMBLOGGER to save $150.00 off a 28-day program! So folks, now I have to ask, what are your initial impressions of Personal Trainer Foods? I’d love to hear about it below!
Past posts in series:
Last week was a whirlwind for me. From prepping for the back-to-school season, getting ahead on blog posts, and trying to find ways to carve out more time for self-care at home, it’s been a mess. Despite all the work I’ve put in this past week, I’ve had a real nagging feeling in the back of my mind. A hankering for peanut butter cookies. A strange choice considering we didn’t have normally keep peanut butter cookies on hand, the fact that baking in the middle of the summer is nuts, and that I’m currently on a 28-day Personal Trainer food meal plan. As is life.
To satiate my cookie craving I quickly concocted a plan to maintain my current meal plan and my sweet tooth alike. I’d bake cookies, eat just one (maybe two), and then freeze the rest of the batch for my family this fall. The best part? I had everything I needed on hand to make cookies! You have to love a well-stocked pantry, am I right?
The only hitch? I wanted to make sure these cookies were somewhat healthy in nature. Because over the last several weeks, I’ve been trying to make at least the majority of my weekday meals vegan. I’ve noticed that I feel more clear-headed and full of energy when I do, so I’ve worked to make it a liveable habit.
Luckily, peanut butter cookies are a cinch to make vegan. With a few tweaks, mind you. I subbed oat flour for white flour to make sure my cookies were vegan and gluten-free. While with any baking, vegan or otherwise, the bottom line is taste. To that end, I promise you these cookies will knock the socks off even the pickiest of peanut butter lovers. Like socks on the floor, cookie crumbs galore, and you could care less about cleaning those crumbs up kind of good. I’ll let you savor that image for a moment.
These cookies are the softest and most tender peanut butter cookies I’ve ever tasted. The use of organic coconut sugar gives them a warm caramel layer to their base that’s so good. These vegan and gluten-free cookies are every bit as decadent as their traditional counterparts! Just without yucky things like processed flour and GMO-laden junk. These vegan cookies have a melt-in-your-mouth goodness, and pair amazingly with, you guessed it, a tall, cold glass of plant-based milk.
Did I also mention that these cookies are nut-free peanut butter cookies? Yup, you read that correctly. I used No-Nut Butter by The Sneaky Chef in my mix! While we are not a nut-free family, my husband teaches many students who are. When I send baked goods to school I like the idea that all students could share in the cookie eating happiness so I try to use The Sneaky Chef products whenever I can.
Something else that’s great about The Sneaky Chef No-Nut Butters, they are soy-free (great for gals like me with PCOS) and are made of golden peas- a variety of garden peas that are sweet, naturally nutty tasting and packed with vegetable nutrition. I’ve also found that my family loves the taste of The Sneaky Chef No-Nut Butter. The Sneaky Chef No-nut butter comes in a traditional peanut butter flavor, chocolate flavor, individual to-go cups, and a new line of fruit spread in fun flavors, including Cherry Vanilla Pop, Blue Razz Berry, Caramel Apple, Watermelon Slice, and everyone’s favorite, classic grape. All perfect for back-to-school lunches this year!
I also love that The Sneaky Chef products are 100% peanut and tree nut-free, produced in a nut-free facility, all natural, soy-free, don’t contain gluten, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or flavors, and come in BPA-free jars! Making them perfect for nut-free schools and co-ops! And if you’d like to check out more about The Sneaky Chef click here and to find a store locator in your area click here! You can also follow The Sneaky Chef on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest too!
Folks, I’ve said all that to say this, the next time you find yourself craving peanut butter cookies, think vegan, gluten-free, no-nut butter cookies. Go healthy or go home!
And this fall when you’re getting your bake on, think outside the box when it comes to your favorite baking recipes. Consider all the super simple ways you can change things up for the better while baking this coming holiday season! Now I have to ask, do you love peanut butter cookies? Or have you tried The Sneaky Chef products before? If so, I’d love to hear about it below!
Ingredients
Instructions
