Our Thoughts On: Blue Apron

We love to cook!! So naturally when we saw an advertisements for Blue Apron we knew we had to give it a try. They have a wide verity of delicious recipes that can be tailored to your food preference.
For those that don't know what Blue Apron is, it's a service that delivers to your home weekly 3 per-planned meals with each recipe and all of its fresh ingredients. All you have to do is prep the ingredients and cook them.

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These are only two of the nine wonderful recipes we tired from Blue Apron and we ADORED them!! Everything was fresh and fun to make. We hope you give them a try. The ordering process is fairly easy online, you just make an account and chose your preference of cuisine, which in our case is vegetarian, after that you simply choose the delivery date and pay for the 3 meals. The price without any kind of discount is $59.

Happy Cooking,

Erica and Emely

Current Hair Product Obsession

Hair products are a hard thing to talk about especially because everyone has their own taste in products according to their hair type. The faster you figure out how to manage your hair the easier it will be to find products you love. Let us talk a little bit about Emely and my hair. Emely has very thick wavy hair and I have thin/frizzy wavy hair. These products along with not shampooing everyday and eating healthy have honestly changed my hair.

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9
1. Leave-in Conditioner- As mentioned above my hair is super frizzy. In the past stylist have told me that this is due to a lack of moisture. So this leave-in conditioner does double duty for my hair. It helps control my frizz but also adds some moisture which is much needed.
2. Hair Ties- If you are really active then you will adore these hair ties. We use these all the time for workouts and they do not budge.
3. Curling Wand- I've been using these for a while now and I must say that it is a time saving device! The barrels range in sizes depending on the tightness and size of desired curls.
4. Batiste Dry Shampoo- As a young girl I always struggled with really oily roots especially on second day hair! This will save your life and make your hair looks and feel freshly washed.
5. Spin Pin- These little guys are wonderful for quick styling. We like doing cute buns when we are in a rush.
6.Its a Ten- I did not like this product at first, because I felt like it didn't do anything for my hair. Now I love it. It does so much for my hair. If you have tried this product before and didn't  like it, I would give it another try and use it with these other products. Some days I use it alone and it leaves my hair feeling so soft and healthy.
7. Wide Tooth Comb- Any wide tooth comb will work especially when you comb your hair while it is still wet. It helps prevent breakage and will not damage .
8. Oil Treatment- Emely and I have tried so many oil treatments, these just help give your hair the extra oomph it needs to help it look a little shinier and healthier.
9. Coconut Oil- We are over the moon in love with coconut oil. You can use it for pretty much any thing; cooking/baking, hair mask, sugar scrubs, cuticle softener, makeup remover ,and wound care.

Love,

Erica and Emely

Lets Get Started!

Yay its Sunday! We are so excited to start this workout series with you all! For those of you that are starting your workout today good luck and please let us know how you are doing during the month.

Lets talk a little bit about your nutation while doing "Get Fit for Love". It is very important that you eat/drink as clean as possible. Without clean eating all your hard work will be for nothing. Exercise  and clean eating go hand in hand. We know this can be a little difficult at time, but even if you just cut out sugary drinks for this whole month, lessen your greasy food intake and replace with fresh veggies you will notice a huge difference! If you need any reference or meal ideas be sure to check out our meal plan from the sweating for the summer series. We love you all and Good Luck!

 

P.S.For meal plan please check our Sweating for Summer post.

Love

 Erica and Emely

Get Fit for Love 2015

Good Morning Beautiful! Sorry for the delay in posting this. We are so happy to bring this years Get Fit for Love Series! Emely and I have worked really hard putting this series together and hope you all enjoy it.

Alright, we thought it would be best to give you all the option of when you would like to start this series. The series lasts 28 days and we advise that if you want to finish it on Valentine's day that you begin on or before the 18th of January. The other option is to do a whole month workout and begin the series on February 1st.
Workout Calendar
Kiss Cardio
Arm Candy
Be My Sweet-Heart
Forget-me-not Abs
With the start of a new year come new goals and aspirations which may seem a bit hard at first.
But we are hoping that with this workout series you can find the inspiration and encouragement you need to start this year of right and feel your absolute best!
Your thoughts and feedback are super important to us! Please feel free to share any and all questions or concerns on any of the workouts.

We love you all,
Erica and Emely


P.s Just a quick suggestion, take a before pic and be sure to compare at the end of the series. We would love to see them!, share with us on Instagram #getfitforlove2015 or #BTIL
**PLEASE NOTE: We are not professional trainers nor are we certified in fitness, we are simply sharing with you all our personal workouts that we have used in the past and that continue to work for us. You should consult your doctor before beginning any type of daily workout. Thank you!



Get Fit for Love Series 2015

Good morning Loves and Happy 2015!

We wanted to let you all know that we will be doing our "Get Fit for Love Series" again this year.  We are super excited to share our new and improved 2015 version of this amazing series! We will be providing a full 4 week workout schedule including cardio and strength training. With this we hope you can get the encouragement you need to start the year off right. The schedule will be posted Wednesday, January 14, along with printable version of all the workouts.
We hope you enjoy "Getting Fit for Love", weather that be for the love of yourself/body, husband/ boyfriend, kids, family, etc.

Love,
Erica and Emely

Healthy Thanksgiving Sides

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. cauliflower cut into 1" florets
• 10 garlic cloves
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. earth balance "Butter"
• 2 Tbsp. Plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. salt
• extra salt and pepper to taste

Boil salted water in a large pot add cauliflower cook until tender enough to prick through with a fork about 15-20 min. DO NOT over cook. In the meantime preheat oven to 400. Place the garlic and olive oil into a ramekin or oven safe bowl and cover with aluminum, place into oven and remove after 15 minutes or when garlic is translucent and somewhat golden. Remove garlic cloves from oil(reserve garlic oil) and add into a small bowl with the "butter" and salt, mash with a fork and set aside. Drain cauliflower well, and return to pot, mash with a potato masher to desired texture.( I used an immersion blender to make it smooth) Add garlic mixture, yogurt, any extra salt and pepper to taste, mix well and enjoy!
Note: If you would like a bit more garlic flavor add a teaspoon of the garlic oil made earlier.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 lbs. frozen green beans
• 2 Tbsp. "Butter"
• 1 onion diced
• 8 oz. mushrooms diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp. GF flour
• 1 C. Vegetable broth
• 1 C. unsweetened almond milk
• 2/3 cup part-skim mozzarella
• salt and pepper to taste

Crispy shallots

• 2 shallots cut into thin slices
• 1/2 C. GF flour
• 1tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Wash and drain green beans set aside. Heat a large pot over medium heat add "butter", once melted add diced onions and mushrooms, cook until translucent and soft, add in the minced garlic and cook for a minute. Add flour and cook for and additional 1 minute, pour in broth and milk, stir until thickened. Add mozzarella and stir in salt and pepper to taste. Add the drained green beans and mix well cook until green beans are warmed through well. For the Crispy shallot topping, preheat oven to 350 then line a baking sheet with aluminum and spray with nonstick spray ( I used a coconut oil one).
In a large bowl add GF flour, salt, and pepper mix well with a fork, add thinly sliced shallots and toss well until they are all coated, pour into a large sift and shake off excess flour. Put shallots on lined baking sheet in a single layer and spray the top with nonstick spray for added crispiness. Place sheet into preheated oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes tossing shallots every few minutes. In a large casserole dish add green bean mixture and top with crispy shallots. Return to oven for an addition 5 minutes and serve hot!
Note: Some Shallots will be darker than others due to size difference. You may also bake at a lower temperature for a longer period of time if desired.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Hello our beautiful friends!! We are so excited to be share this amazing recipe with you all! This recipe is seriously like magic! The first time I (Emely) made them, I really didn't think they would turn out this amazing! They're super easy to make and only require 3 ingredients!! YES! ONLY 3! These delicious treats are gluten-free and full of protein! Here's what you will need

• 1 cup of natural peanut butter
• 1 cup of sugar (I used coconut palm sugar)
• 1 egg



*Note: I added a nice big pinch of sea salt to balance out a bit of the sweetness.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Once ingredients are all combined and smooth.



Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto your palm and roll into a ball. Line the balls of cookie dough on  cookie sheet. Leave about an inch between them. Next with a fork score the top of each ball flattening it down. 

Put into the oven for about 10-12 minutes. Once the cookies are baked allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Lastly, enjoy! these "guilt free" cookies are amazing we hope you give them a try!

 

yields: about 21 cookies

 

Enjoy,

Erica and Emely

Broccli and Cheese Quinoa

Here is a quick and easy go-to recipe for those night where you just don't have enough time, but still want to eat clean and healthy. Although this recipe does have cheese it is not much. If you are a vegan or just don't want to eat cheese, we suggest trying this with cauliflower sauce.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rinsed organic quinoa

1/2 cup broccoli

1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth or water

1/4-1/2 grated sharp cheddar

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan combine the quinoa and broccoli. Then add your liquid to the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Let them cook for about 12-14 minutes or until quinoa and broccoli are tender. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, it will melts with the warmth of the quinoa. Last add a little salt and pepper to taste.
So simple yet delicious!

Enjoy,
Erica and Emely 

Save or Splurge: Water Bottle

Time for another "save or splurge". We have been seeing these BKR bottle all over the place. In fitness magazines, on blogs, celebs carrying them, etc.. They are super cute! The only problem is that the bottles are made of glass (making them heavy) and cost almost $40. Crazy right?
Shopping at Target one day I (Erica) came across the Contigo Tranquil bottle and thought it looks a lot like the BKR bottle.

Contigo / BKR 

The Contigo bottle is BPA- free and carries 20oz of water. It also has two removable lids, making it really easy to clean and add ice. The BKR bottle comes is two sizes 1 liter and 500 ml, which is nice to carry more water. Both bottles come in a lot of great colors (target store carries more colors then online). Which one do you prefer? They are both really good bottles!

 

Hope this helps!

Erica and Emely

 



Life via the Camera

We have to admit that we have been really bad at putting up post on a regular basis. And figured this would be a really good way to post more and also share with you what we have been up to...

 

This is our favorite belly flattening detox water! Super easy just sliced cucumber, lemon, fresh mint leaves and ginger. No need for a super expensive bottle this one was no more than $6 at Walmart!

 

We don't drink coffee much but when we do this creamer! It taste so good and is all-natural which is a big plus for us.

 

Can not say enough good things about this granola its simple and delicious. Low in sugar and comes
 in a lot of yummy flavors! We have been eating this for breakfast with almond milk or as a snack.



 

A super great way to end a workout. Berry protein smoothie! Small handful frozen strawberries, small handful of blueberries, 1 scoop protein powder and 8oz of water. Put all in a blender and enjoy!

 

 

We love laying out by the pool getting some sun, of course with sun protection which is very important!

 

 

Oh my! We have been obsessed with coconut drinks for the longest, but a lot of companies have been coming out with some really good stuff recently. This one is excellent! We love to have this as a mid morning pick-me-up.

 



 

Visiting a local strawberry field on a nice summer day. So much fun!

 

 

The best way to enjoy a caprese sandwich is with no bread. That way you can taste all the wonderful flavors. I (Erica) made this one evening for dinner: 1 tomato sliced, light mozzarella, basil leaves or pesto, and balsamic reduction. Perfection!  

 

 

These cookies are so good and pretty low I calories. All thought we try to say away for the sweet something you need to satisfy that craving so you don't crazy later.

 

We hope you enjoyed these photos of our lives' recently, also try finding some of these thing in you area.

 

Love,

Erica and Emely

July Check Up

Hello Beautiful! So we just wanted to stop by and check up on you ladies. To see how you all enjoyed our "Sweating for Summer" series!.. We would love to hear back from anyone who tried out some workouts or meals and see what you thought! We're sharing some of our journey pics and one of Emely's favorite workout outfits!

First pic Erica made a delicious garlic chicken salad. Next Emely made some meatless meatballs with wild rice and steamed asparagus. Under that is our mouthwatering black bean quinoa burger. Last some muscles action(of course) and Emely's favorite runner app by Nike.

Ok so this is currently one of my favorite outfits to workout in. Not only is it super cute and comfy but its also not very expensive at all!.. The razor back and leggings are both from Victoria secret (on sale now buy 2 for $32 and you can mix and match tops and bottoms). The white nike sports bra is from marshalls(super bargain!), the water bottle was a gift from Erica, and last I cannot forget my nike revolutions, I've had these for a while and can't imagine a run or workout without them.

Please feel free to leave us a comment and let us know what you thought about the Sweating for Summer Series. We would really appreciate it. 

Love,

Erica and Emely

Asian Quinoa Salad with Tofu

We love making this salad all the time it is super easy and very tasty as well. This is todays dinner

on our "Sweating for Summer Meal Plan".

Ingredients:

1/2 block tofu cubed

1/8 cup soy sauce
1 serving of quinoa cooked according to box/bag directions

1/2 cup chopped shredded cabbage

1/4 cup lettuce

2 scallions chopped

1 carrot sliced

small handful snow peas halfed

sesame dressing

sesame seed for garnish

 

How to make:

First in a small bowl pour soy sauce over tofu then set aside.

Mean while cut up all your veggies and put them in a medium salad bowl.

Cook quinoa according to direction.

After in a medium sauté pan cook tofu mixture until toasted.

To finish assemble salad on plate, veggies, quinoa, tofu, dressing and sesame seeds in that order.

Enjoy!

Erica and Emely

Sweating for Summer Meal Plan

We apologize on the delay with the meal plan. Erica and I just wanted to make sure it was perfect. Also, one thing that we forgot to tell you girls on our last post, is that we recommend you get an interval time watch, to help with the interval cardio. These can be a bit pricey, so if you can't buy one set your stop clock round 1:6 min 40 sec, round 2:6 min 45, round 3:12 minutes . That does not include rest time. We hope you are enjoying the workouts and please fell free to ask us any questions.

Meal Plan

NOTE: This meal plan is full of clean eating so we recommend that you only drink water throughout the days, with the exception of rest day (you can choose your rest day)

Happy Friday!

Erica & Emely  

Sweating for Summer Workout Series!

Hello Beautiful Ladies, Summer is just a few weeks away and the first official day is June 21. Summer is our favorite time of the year, and what better way to show this then with a new workout series. This series will be a little different than our last one, because it includes a full month meal plan. We know that deciding on what to eat can be very difficult, especially when on a workout plan. So we hope this meal plan will make it a little easier that way you can look forward to cooking and eating some really delicious/healthy meals. For the workout part of the series we decided to try an interval cardio plan and a workout plan together not only will you lose tons of fat but also tone up and look great in your summer bikini.

 

Sweating for Summer Cardio
Sweating for summer strength training
Workout calendar
 Meal plan 

Note: Although this series is very specific we know that not everyone's body is the same, therefore, do only what your body will allow. If you are not seeing any results try increasing amount of weights when doing the strength training exercises or adding ankle weights during the cardio workouts.
Also we are not dietitians, or nutritionist so these meals are based strictly on the amounts listed on the food pyramid. Please consult with you doctor before starting any daily workout plans or diets.

Happy Sweating,

Erica and Emely

Our Summer Essentials

School is finally over for both Emely and I (yay!). We are so excited to be starting our summer and lounging by the pool. So we want to kick off our summer vacay with sharing some "essentials" that will improve the summer.

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These are just a few items that Emely and I can't be without this summer. You don't have to go out and buy this exact products, there are so many other things we could have added. 1: These short are perfect for Emely and I since we are short, and these don't go to far down the leg, but are not booty shorts either. 2: Leave in conditioner is defiantly an essential if you are going to be at the pool or beach, this one keeps your hair feeling super soft. 3: We adore this water bottle it has two opening (a larger and smaller) so you can add ice to it. 4: Dresses are staples for us during the summer and this one is light, airy and the most beautiful orange color. 5: its hard to find a good sports bar for the summer, but like the dress its light and still gives you good shape. 6: We love having really cute nail colors throughout the year but when it comes to summer time the right nail polish color can complete your look, we love using neon's and brighter colors in the summer time.7:If you live near the beach, we so envy you! both Emely and I have to drive a while in order to go to the beach, but when it's that time we have to carry a cute beach bag that is spacious enough to fit all our essentials like sun screen, beach towel etc. 8:find the perfect pare of sunnies that match your needs and face, we love the color of these, again so summery. 9:Emely and I try to drink a good protein shake after our summer workouts and this one comes in so many good flavors(summer flavors). 10:Sandle are totally personal preference but these just give any outfit a little pop of style 11:Okay so we can say enough good thing about this sun screen. Since its for "babies" its more protective and more delicate for our sensitive skin. Perfect if you are doing a workout outside. 12: This one is crucial! we hate having to find a sports bra that will match the shirt on top, but with this workout shirt that is no problem since they both come included and match perfectly!

 

Happy Summer,

Erica and Emely

Post workout breakfast

Good morning! It is such a beautiful morning outside for us and I can't think of a better way to start of this morning than with a great workout and a super filling and healthy post workout meal! This is a meal that I prepare often, one because its super easy and two because it is so yummy and healthy! It's the perfect pic me up meal after an intense workout!

Here's What you will need.

• 1 Whole grain waffle( I use Kashi 7 grain)
• 1 tbsp. your favorite Hummus
• 1/4 c. spinach leaves
• A few slices of tomatoe
• 1 organic egg
• A few slices of Avocado
• Salt and pepper to taste

What you will need to do is get a small pan, coat with non-stick spray, crack your egg  and cover until it's perfectly cooked(I like mine with runny yolk). While the egg is cooking up toast your waffle and top with the hummus, spinach and tomato. Once the egg is ready place it over the tomato and top with the avocado, sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste. DELICIOUS!!

We hope you try this recipe out and love it as much as we do, and have a beautiful Monday!

 

Love,

Erica And Emely

 

 

A Cold Day

 



Good afternoon lovely's!.....Lately it has been super cold all over the States. Sometimes cold weather can really get people down. Rumor has it that there is a depression people can get during the colder months called "SAD"=Seasonal affective disorder. There is not a lot of information on this disorder but it is real. Before you get caught with this silly disorder we have put together some thing that inspire us on cold days. It is always nice to cuddle up under a blanket, watch a good movie or read a good book, and drink a nice warming drink.

Source
 Where we are from it does not snow too often, so when it does it really inspires us. We know its nice to stay inside where its warm, but if you do you will be missing out on exploring these wonderful little creations. Snowflakes come in so many shapes and sizes. Taking pictures is one of our hobbies, so taking pictures of them can be very fascinating.

Caramel Hot Chocolate

Oh! hot chocolate. I mean really, this screams cold day. This is the perfect time to try a new hot chocolate recipe. This one is from "Cooking Classy" and taste amazing!

Entwined

Erica has been loving this book. Its full of adventure and mystery which is great for taking your mind off of the gloomy weather.

Another one of our past times in the cold is exercise!!... Trust me this will indeed keep you not warm but HOT! If you don't have a gym available for use, you can always workout in the comfort of your home. This will help pass by time in a healthy and fun way.



 

 Stay Warm

Erica and Emely







Get Fit for Love Series Week 3

 



We are so sorry it has take so long to get week three up of the Get fit for Love Series! We know it can get a bit boring doing the same workouts over and over. So we decided to change things up.

Printable Version



**PLEASE NOTE: We are not professional trainers nor are we certified in fitness, we are simply sharing with you all our personal workouts that we have used in the past and that continue to work for us. You should consult your doctor before beginning any type of daily workout. Thank you!



Ultimate Green Smoothie

Good Morning!!.. Today we are sharing with you all one of our favorite healthy smoothies! If you have never tried a green smoothie before, I promise you it is not gross like your thinking, actually this is seriously one of the most amazing tasting smoothies EVER!! Hence the name, "Ultimate", that and it's super easy and quick to make as well.  Here's what you'll need.

• 1/2 Frozen ripe banana
• 1/3 C. Frozen berries
• 2 tbsp. Non-fat greek yogurt
• 1 big handful fresh spinach (two handfuls if you have small hands)
• 1/2 C. Orange juice

**Note: If your banana isn't ripe or sweet enough you can add any type of sweetener like agave or equal, try to stay away from sugar.

 

Now just pop everything into your blender and blend away until smooth.





Too easy right?!... and that is it for this delicious and healthy smoothie. We personally love drinking this one after a hard workout or just as a refreshing snack throughout the day. You can also make ahead and refrigerate for an "on the go" breakfast. We really hope you give this a try, seriously you will be utterly surprised at how good it taste!

 

 Drink up and Enjoy!!

 

Love,

Emely and Erica

 

 

Get Fit for Love Series!

 

 

Good morning Beautiful!... Sooo guess what is exactly one month away?? Yes! Valentines Day!! Today begins our Get Fit for Love workout series and meal tips!! It's time to get fit for that special day with that special someone!. For us it's our wonderful hubby's, if you do not have a special person this year then this is the perfect opportunity to get your body fit for no one but yourself, after all that should be the most important person. Week one consists of a total body workout calendar to help you Get fit for love!

 

Printable Version