Simple Snack Salads

I know how easy it is to reach for that bag of chips, some candy, some salty crackers, etc when you have had a long day and you just want something to eat.

STOP!!!!

I always tell  my clients and friends, it truly is so important to plan and prep. Now I am not necessarily saying that you have to be one of the folks that preps an entire weeks worth of chicken, rice, sweet potatoes all in one day just so you have ALL meals fixed. I personally dont do this...but I do sit down and figure out what meals I want to cook for the week, I figure out what snacks I want to have at my fingertips, and I buy fresh, organic weekly. This is what works for me. I buy what I need. I dont set myself up to go into the grocery store and buy 80 boxes of something in bulk to save money....because 1. you rarely need that much of one particular thing 2. it can very easily lend itself to overeating that particular food (and if its something you throw in the microwave, boxed, or processed...typically this is NOT a food you want to be overeating 3. it can take some of the fun out of having variety and change in your diet.

I personally cannot eat chicken, brown rice, and broccoli every meal. Neither does my husband want to nor is that a productive way of teaching my 19 month old about variety. I am all about eating healthy, eating organic, eating balanced....but I also like creativity. I like enjoying my food for more than just a macro number or because I may gain that 1 pound. I am not knocking what others do....I just know what works for me...learning how to cook various dishes, learning how to pair certain flavors, learning to turn on the music and have fun in the kitchen with my family....laughing and talking the whole time. I know that being too strict with my prepping and planning can also lead to feelings of boredom, bingeing, resentment towards others that arent eating like me, and can also make me feel super inadequate if I slip up. So I just dont do it. Instead, I do what I can. Plan my meals weekly. Buy my groceries fresh weekly. Make enough at dinner for lunch the next day (that is a great time saver and definitely keeps you away from the "lunchtime monster" that sneaks up and gets alot of folks). And I make "snacks" that are healthy, good for my WHOLE family (not just something I want), and can be made in bulk so that I have them for a few days.

So after some requests, I wanted to share the two "salads" I have posted above:

Rainbow Fruit Salad

I used peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and grapes for this particular salad. I usually have enough fruit left over from what I used in the salad to either eat by itself, use for another recipe, or to make another fruit salad.

Wash, clean, and cut up the fruit to the desired size. I sprinkle 1 tsp (just one tsp) of raw turbinado sugar over the fruit and then use about 1/8 cup of raspberry white balsamic vinegar to sprinkle over it.

Let sit overnight.

The vinegar (a tip given to me by a dear friend) really makes the flavors of the fruit pop! So delicious. I use my son's baby bowls (very small) as my portion for the salad when I eat it. I like to have a bowl before I work out (its my all natural pre workout) so that I can utilize the sugar in my workout. I also like to have it as a dessert, especially on those days when I have completed a long run and need the refuel.

And awesome thing is that if for some reason, you cannot eat the salad before it starts to get "soft"...juice it up! I am a big supporter of juicing.

Another tip for those eating this as a healthy fuel...you can sprinkle it with strawberry protein powder and/or green superfood powder to help give it an even bigger boost.


Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad

2 large cucumbers
1/2 container of grape tomatoes
1/4-1/2 red onion.

Clean and dice up the above ingredients. I peel the skin off the cucumber so it can soak up the vinegar better, cut the tomatoes in halves, and dice the onion.

Place all the ingredients in your bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of dill and 1 tsp celery flakes. I usually sprinkle a couple of pinches of sea salt over it. Pour a 1/2 cup mixture of red wine vinegar and white vinegar (about 1/4 c of each) over the veggies. I then use about 1-2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar...stir well and then pour a small amount of filtered water into the mix (until the veggies are ALMOST covered) stir well. cover and let sit for at least 4-6 hours before eating.

I store my salads in big tupperware type bowls. Easy to store. Easy to clean.

Happy snacking.

What is all the hype about The Running Buddy?

Okay...so I will be the first to admit....a "fanny pack" looking thing attached to my shorts while I run....hmmmmmm, maybe not! Just really not my thing. But I watched the video on the product and it was enough to spark my interest.

So I waited for my new running accessory to come in the mail....I figured I would probably try it once and be done with it....it may end up as a kind of cool toy for my 19 month old son.

I was so very pleasantly surprised. Here is why I love not only the product...but also the company enough to have become a brand ambassador.

1. The product arrived in a very timely manner. They are on top of their game as far as pleasing customers...and in the running community..we aren't "customers"...we are family (and now Im completely hands free to I can wave even more to my family hitting the pavement)

2. IT DOES NOT BOUNCE OR MOVE. No joke. Not lying to you. I clipped it over my shorts and put my phone (for my music and emergencies) in the front pocket (it contains 2) and my car key, spf lip balm and energy beans in pouch...DID NOT MOVE. In fact, I really could barely tell it was even attached to my shorts. I would have probably forgotten except for the fact I had my headphones attached inside.

3. stylish...small...compact but roomy as the car commercials say. Dri fit material....which if anyone has seen how much this chick sweats....that is a very good thing.

4. No weird clasps, buckles, straps to worry about or break. Magnets keep it secure. BAM. Close it up and no worries of losing your belongings or a plastic/or metal clip getting hot and burning your skin or through the fabric (especially those that like to run in the hot sun like myself)

5. No tan lines from having to keep my music on my arm...no tangling up of my headphone wires around my arm. The tan line thing is a major plus...I tend to like to run alot in the sun....and I use spf...which can cause some of the arm bands to slip and slide or creates irritation on those long runs. Well, I dont have to worry about that anymore.

6. Safety...one I can carry my phone or pepper spray/mace without having it directly in my hands. I like being hands free when I am running. I can wave in a more friendly fashion...for those times I have been sort of clumsy...I can balance a fall or almost fall better without worrying about smashing an expensive phone and I can practice my self defense moves in a scary situation...(or avoid one because someone doesnt necessarily see the Iphone or new Ipod or any other items  you have...secure on your waistband...pull your tank or shirt over it...no flashing of the "goods" for all to see)


Okay...so I could probably tell you a million other reasons that I stand behind this product. And I will tell you NO I AM NOT GETTING PAID TO WRITE THIS. I own one. I love mine. I like supporting companies and products that I personally have tried and love. Why not share the good news.

Check them out on facebook and twitter @The Running Buddy or website www.therunningbuddy.com

It is quickly becoming the must have running, race, cycling, walking, hiking accessory (and for the moms out there...this was amazing when I walked to the park with my son....didnt have to worry about lugging a bag or wallet)

So....you know you want one. And the cool thing is that I can offer you a promo code to get 10% off and FREE shipping. So leave me a comment below....and I will hook you up. Don't be "that guy"...you know the one fumbling with all their stuff while running...or wishing they hadnt left something they needed at home while out for a run. You have a solution.

Much love from ColeSquared Fitness Training (find me on facebook) (twitter/instagram @passion2run)

The Sun Rises and Sets

Im sure we have all had those days where one minute...you are HERE....and the next minute...you are THERE.

Funny how things can shift truly in a mere second....and I guess not so funny that I tend to forget that in my day to day routines. Cooking, playing with my son, saying my prayers, training clients, laughing with my husband, shaving my legs....the usual day to day...begins to be just that "day to day" and then you get a little tap on your shoulder.

One of those God taps. That taps and kind of wakes you up a bit.

A friend calls and you are on the other end of the phone as they are in fear, crying, so upset because their (fill in the blank with a family member --in this case, my friends husband) has had a freak accident and is being airlifted to the hospital.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Wake up a bit more Nicole. Be more aware. Be more present. And don't ever, ever forget that I am God. He knows He needs to at times remind me of my role compared to His role...because I am one of those easy forgetters.

I cry as I hang up the phone. In fear for my friend. Putting myself in her shoes. Looking at my son, thinking...it can all change in a second. I pick my son up and blow monster kisses on his neck and hold him a bit tighter...whispering a very loving but strong "I love you" in his ear.

When God taps...I try to stop and just soak it all in. Listen. Pray and then listen some more. He always provides the answers in those moments of feeling frozen, dark...those moments when you feel like the sun is setting...darkness is going to take over.

But just like "day to day", the sun rises again....Its warm. Its inviting. Its bright. Its bold. And you move forward.

"His brightness is like the sunlight. Rays of light stream from his hand. That is where his power is hidden." Habakkuk 3:4

So when I can, in those moments of uncertainty, those moments when my prayers are so strong that I almost hurt saying them...I try to put my face up to the sun. And he answers me with love...making my face feel warm in the ray of light coming down. And if the sun is setting...and its dark and the light isnt shining on my face...I just remember that my prayers are heard, answers and direction will come.

He is faithful. He is love. He is All.

and then I go back inside....chase my son around, figure out what I can fix for dinner, make arrangements to see my friend, kiss a boo-boo, change a diaper....and the rising and setting begins again..."day after day".

My prayer is that as I continue to grow in my faith...I will not have to be "tapped" quite as often, that I wont allow myself to get so lost in the day to day, the rising and setting...that I forget that a second is a second is a second...and it can all change.

Much love to all.

Chicken Stir Fry

I am not very good at using EXACT measurements...I just kind of throw stuff in together as I cook so when people ask me for recipes...I do my best to put amounts and such, but just know that you may need to make some adjustments on the recipe depending on your taste and how many you are feeding.

This made stir fry for 4 people

1 pack organic chicken breast (the package I got had 2 large boneless breasts)

Using a meat tenderizer, I pound the meat thin and then cut into strips. In a marinating dish, I added the chicken strips, a couple of capfuls of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), garlic powder, all purpose seasoning, a few sprays of dr braggs amino acids....I would have added a bit of crushed red pepper also but my 19 month old was eating this so I refrained...but would add a nice kick to the sweetness of the sauce and veggies. I let the chicken marinate in the oil and seasonings all afternoon (probably about 6 hours)

In another container I mixed:

half a head of cabbage, sliced into thin strips
1 cup edamame
1 cup sweet corn
6 large mushrooms, cut into pieces
1 large tomato, cut into pieces
1/2 large green pepper cut into pieces
1/4 yellow onion, cut fine

added a capful of EVOO, 2 garlic cloves, minced, and all purpose seasoning. Mixed thoroughly and allowed to sit and marinate together for about 6 hours.

Prep took about 20 mins...So the cool thing is you can do this the night before or early morning so that when you get home from work, the cooking is super easy.

In one pan, began to cook the chicken strips (I like to spray the pan a bit with safflower oil to prevent sticking); in another pan, I started to sautee all the veggies..you can add a little extra olive oil but keep the heat to medium...do not cook in olive oil in very high temperatures or settings.

While those are cooking (just stir and toss around every once in awhile til desired consistency for veggies and meat)....Soak 1 box of rice noodles in HOT water for about 7-8 mins (by the time the rice noodles get soft in the water...the veggies and chicken should be finished) Drain the rice noodles as soon as they are softened so you can add them to the rest of the food.

In the largest pan, combine noodles, chicken, and veggies. Stir vigorously to mix all together. I then added an organic teriyaki sauce that I bought at Whole Foods...it only has 2 g of sugar per serving. Yummy. Add to taste...Add small amount at a time so you dont over do it...the rice noodles will really soak up any sauce that you use.

Stir until hot and simmering. Serve. Cooking time only took about 15-20 mins. Great to make in bulk so you can take it for lunch the next day. (my husband took some with him today for lunch!)

Rice noodles come in different widths and sizes so you can play around with what you may like. I use the ones that are used in pad thai. Also you can be very creative with sauces, meats, and veggies...you can use this simple recipe to make SEVERAL variations of stir fry dishes.

Enjoy. And remember to get the most health benefit, use as many organic ingredients as possible. ALL of the ingredients I used were organic...even the spices.

Start or Not Start a Blog.....

I have been toying with starting a blog for a bit now....

I am already busy with several groups on Facebook and my business page....and probably could go to 12 step meetings for Instagram :) But I like the idea of a blog...where maybe I can write in a bit more detail about life...an outlet for me. A tool to help keep me transparent, accountable, able to laugh at myself and continue to learn and grow.

So I may just have to give it a try. Not quite sure how it works or if it will be something that I will enjoy lots but I have always believed that you never know til you try...so I would love for you to follow me on my journey...laugh with me, help teach me, help me grow.

Now off to foam roll my hamstrings because they are killing me! A barefoot 5k last night....hammies are screaming today!