Pumpkin Kiss Loaf Muffins

Trying to figure out what to do with those left over Pumpkins? Try these delicious muffins, with the consistency and density of a loaf.

As you may have imagined, I had a can of pumpkin with a need to be used; as well as some Hershey Pumpkin Kisses that I did not want laying around my house! So I baked up a batch of muffins for my church, and voila! They turned out amazing! If you don't have Pumpkin Hershey Kisses don't worry! Just get creative and use your favorite topping, or don't use any at all! Some pecans or walnuts would be a great topping!

INGREDIENTS
* 1 Can Pumpkin (Or less if desired)
* 1/2 Cup Raw Coconut Sugar (or any desired sugar)
* 3/4 Cups Light or Brown Sugar
* 3 Eggs
* 1 Cup Coconut Oil (melt in a sauce pan or microwave)
* 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
* 1/2 Cup Almond Flour
* 1/4 Cup Oat Flour
-Tip: Remember! That if you do not have almond or oat flour use whole wheat. Check out my other recipes to make your very own and easy almond and oat flour!
* 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
* 1 Tablespoon Milled Flax Seeds
* Your favorite chocolate topping!

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven at 350F.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, and pumpkin.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, and whisk.
4. Fold in the flour, seeds, and baking soda.
5. Grease the muffin pans with coconut oil cooking spray and bake for about 20-30 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

These are Lisa's Fit 4 Life tips! Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram under "Fit 4 Life," "Lisa Clepper," or "LISASFFL."

"Changing the way we eat, one cookie at a time!"

Amazing & Easy Fudgey Brownies

This fudge brownie recipe is one of the best I have ever tried when attempting to make a brownie from scratch. Check out this recipe and let me know YOUR thoughts about it! It's really easy to make, and you will not regret it!

Remember that using good ingredients is the key to making a good tasting dessert, and at the same time, it's good food for your body. Let's fuel ourselves with the good stuff!

Serves: 15-20

INGREDIENTS

* 1 Cup Coconut Oil or Butter (I use the coconut oil.)
* 2 Cups Coconut Raw Sugar (Dark or Light Brown Sugar are optional)
* 1/4 Cups Light or Dark Brown Sugar (Any raw sugar would also work here!)
* 4 Large Eggs
* 1 1/4 Cups Dark Cocoa Powder (I like Trader Joe's Cocoa Powder)
* 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
* 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
* 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
* 1/2 Cup Almond Flour
* 1/2 Cup Oat Flour
-Tip: If you do not have almond or oat flour, just use the whole wheat. Feel free to experiment. Just remember to always use a little more of the wheat flour than the others in order to have the right consistency. Check out previous blogs on how to very quickly and easily make almond and oat flour in your own home!
* 1 Tablespoon Milled Flax Seeds
* 2 Cups Dark Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease a 9" x 13" pan with coconut cooking spray if you have it. Another option is if you have coconut oil, melt a little and spread it on the pan.
3. On the stove, set a saucepan over low heat.
4. In the saucepan melt the coconut oil, and remove from the heat once it has melted.
5. Add the sugar, and stir until combined.
6. Return to the low heat and stir until melted and hot, but not bubbling!
7. While the sugar is heating up, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, baking powder, and vanilla extract.
8. Add the butter and sugar mixture into the bowl and stir until smooth.
9. Add the flour, flax seeds, and chocolate chips to the mixture, and stir until smooth.
10. Spoon the batter into your favorite pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
11. Your brownies are ready when inserting a cake tester (or knife) into the center and it comes out clean. The brownies should be very moist! Let it cool, cut, and enjoy this delicious treat!

     

These are Lisa's Fit 4 Life tips! Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram under "Fit 4 Life," "Lisa Clepper," or "LISASFFL."

"Changing the way we eat, one cookie at a time!"

Balance is Key

When living a lifestyle with good habits, it is "healthy" to know that it's OK to have the amazing tasty foods life has to offer. As I mentioned on a previous blog, living a well-balanced life is important to your diet. To say that you will never have a piece of cake or bacon is extreme and unrealistic. When we learn to sacrifice some of the junk food we consume, our body will more naturally crave clean foods. If it was up to me, I'd eat turkey bacon for the rest of my life. However, I have a husband who loves his bacon, so I make it a Saturday treat to buy good bacon and have it for breakfast. This way it becomes a treat, not something we are consuming day by day. After you have learned the art of sacrificing the bad foods, when you do eat something "bad" your body will go into shock and you will quickly find out whether that is something that makes you feel "good," or something that you don't really care for. 

Below you will find the recipe for these amazing homemade pancakes.

Serves: 2-3 People

INGREDIENTS

* 6 Ounces Original Greek Yogurt

* 1 Egg

* 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

* 1/4 Cup Oat or Almond Flour

* 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

* 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon (optional)

* 1 Tablespoon Honey

* 1 Tablespoon Milled or Whole Flax Seeds (optional, but recommended)

* 1 Tablespoon Milled or Whole Chia Seeds(optional, but recommended)

* 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

-Tip: I like to mash bananas and put them in the mix too! Add YOUR favorite fruit to the mix!

DIRECTIONS

1. Begin warming up the skillet or pancake griddle.

2. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. If the mix is too liquid, add small amounts of flour until thickened to your preference. 

3. Use coconut oil or coconut cooking spray on the warm skillet or griddle. If you don't have either, you can use butter.

4. Begin cooking your pancakes and enjoy! 

Remember that balance is key when living a healthy lifestyle. So go ahead, enjoy that piece of bacon, and make your calories be worth it!

These are Lisa's Fit 4 Life tips! Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram under "Fit 4 Life," "Lisa Clepper," or "LISASFFL."

"Changing the way we eat, one cookie at a time!"

Delicious & Easy Pumpkin Bars

I don't know about you, but I love pumpkin stuff in the fall, and even into winter. These bars are a delicious dessert that I prepared for Thanksgiving, however, can be prepared at any time of the year especially right after Thanksgiving with all those left over Pumpkins!

As I have previously mentioned, using the best ingredients for your baked goods are not only delicious, but better for you. Have you ever eaten a pie, cake, or cookie and felt heavy in your stomach right after? When we eat the right ingredients, our body doesn't reject them. Our body welcomes good hearty food that will process and make us feel better after we eat it, not worse. So enjoy this recipe and try it out!

Makes: 24 Servings

INGREDIENTS

* 4 Eggs

* 1 Cup Coconut Raw Sugar or Brown Sugar (Light or Dark)

* 2/3 Cups Brown or Organic Granulated Sugar 

* 1 Cup Coconut Oil

* 1 Can Pumpkin

* 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

* 1/2 Cup Oat Flour

* 1/2 Cup Almond Flour

    - Tip: Remember! If you do not have almond or oat flour, don't worry. Just use whole wheat flour, feel free to experiment with other types of flour. Also, I like to make my own oat flour, it's really simple! Just place old fashioned oats in a food processor or bullet and voila! The same can be done for the almond flour.

* 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

* 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

* 2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

* 1 Tablespoon Milled or Whole Flax Seeds (optional)

* 1 Tablespoon Milled or Whole Chia Seeds (optional)

Icing

* 3 Ounces Greek Cream Cheese  or Cream Cheese of your choice (softened)

* 2 Cups Confectioners' Sugar

   - Tip: I love Trader Joe's organic powdered sugar, or you can easily make your own! 

     * 1 Cup Corn Starch

     * 2 Cups Brown or Coconut Sugar

     * Place both ingredients in a food processor or bullet and voila!

* 1/4 Cup Softened Coconut Oil or Butter

* 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

* 2 Tablespoons Milk

* Your Favorite Nut

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven at 350F.

2. In a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until well blended.

3. On a separate bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and optional seeds. 

4. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients with the pumpkin mixture until well combined. 

5. Pour the mix into your favorite ungreased baking pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes. 

6. While the bars are in the oven, begin making the icing.

7. In a small bowl, beat your favorite cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, coconut oil or butter, vanilla, and milk. Place in the fridge until the bars have completely finished baking.

8. Once the bars have completely baked and cooled, spread the icing over the bars. Sprinkle your favorite nut on top and store in the fridge!

-Tip: Allow bars to be stored in the fridge a couple of hours, though I recommend overnight. The  longer it remains in the fridge the better they taste. Enjoy!  

These are Lisa's Fit 4 Life tips! Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram under "Fit 4 Life," "Lisa Clepper," or "LISASFFL."

"Changing the way we eat, one cookie at a time!"

The Proof is in the Pudding

As I promised, here is my blog on how my sister, Kareliz Nelson, lost weight while living with me for nine months. 

My sister was a high school athlete with poor eating habits. After graduating, the stresses of college and her inconsistent lifestyle quickly caught up with her, gaining 70 pounds over the course of five years; weighing her highest at 205 pounds. Through a series of events, she decided to move in with me, in order to get her lifestyle healthy and consistent. Kareliz submerged herself in my workout routines, and eating patterns. I was able to create a plan for her that rebooted her system, which then made her body crave clean food. Besides changing eating patterns, and habits; my sister and I worked out a minimum of three times a week with my Kick it! program (a mix of Latin dance, kickboxing, and light-weight training), as well as running. Every week, Kareliz was losing weight and inches off her body. Three months later, she reached her lowest weight in three years at 185 pounds! More importantly, she went down four pant sizes. 

                                 Left- May 2012     

                                 Middle- December 2012  

                                 Right- October 2013

Through Lisa's positive reinforcement and guidance, I was able to change my patterns for life. Now, in another state, I still implement what I learned through Fit 4 Life and have been able to lose more weight on my own and enjoy working out again. 

- Kareliz Nelson

Having a good, consistent eating pattern does not mean that you can't eat the things you love. At times, it may take some sacrifices, however, I'd first encourage you to start cutting one thing and replacing another one from your daily eating habits. For example, cut out soda from your diet, and replace it with a sparkling flavored soda (it tastes just like Sprite!). Drink soda as a treat on the weekends, and see how that itself begins to change your whole lifestyle. Another recommendation I have is to begin changing your white carbs for whole wheat. This is a relatively easy change, but effective. White carbs in bread, rice or pasta are the same thing as whole wheat/grain in bread, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta but without the nutrients. So you're eating the same things, but cheating yourself of nutrients. Remember that it's about changing patterns for life, not just a diet. Small changes today can begin to make an impact on the rest of your life! 

These are Lisa's Fit 4 Life tips, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram under "Fit 4 Life," "Lisa Clepper," or "LISASFFL."

"Changing the way we eat, one cookie at a time!"

Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Like most of us, a good cinnamon roll is hard to come by. We settle for the store bought junk that's full of preservatives. Instead, we should be enjoying the benefits of cooking at home, both for our health and taste. If we're going to cheat on something bad...                                                        

MAKE IT WORTH YOUR CALORIES! 

Previous to this experience, I had never tried making cinnamon rolls because it seemed way to complicated. This recipe need's some time for the yeast to rise, but everything else is rather simple. What I have done is tried a regular cinnamon roll recipe, and simply replaced the ingredients with what I wanted. Feel free to experiment, and don't be afraid to fail! I know I've made a good cinnamon roll when my husband goes back for more, without me having to ask him. :)

Roll Ingredients

* 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

* 1 Cup Almond Flour

* 3/4 Cups Oat Flour 

     - Tip: If you do not have almond or oat flour, don't worry. Just use whole wheat flour, feel free to experiment with other types of flour. Also, I like to make my own oat flour, it's really simple! Just place old fashioned oats in a food processor or bullet and voila!

* 1 Tablespoon Flax Seeds (Milled or Whole) 

* 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds (optional)

* 3 Tablespoons Brown or Raw Coconut Sugar

* 2 and 1/4 Teaspoons  Yeast (1 Package of Yeast)

* 1/2 Cup Water

* 1/4 Cup Milk (any type, try Almond milk!)

* 1 Tablespoon Butter

* 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil/Butter

* 1 Large Egg

Filling

* 3 Tablespoons Softened Coconut Oil or Butter (try half of each)

* 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons GroundCinnamon (add more as needed)

* 1/4 Cup Brown or Coconut Sugar (again, try half of each)

Glaze

* 1 Cup Confectioners/Powdered Sugar

      - Tip: I like Trader Joe's organic powdered sugar or making your own is easy too! See below for further instructions on this.

* 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

* 2 Tablespoons Milk

Powdered Sugar

* 1 Cup Corn Starch

* 2 Cups Brown or Coconut Sugar

* Place both ingredients in a food processor or bullet and voila!

Directions:

1. Make the dough: First set aside 1/2 Cup Wheat Flour. In a large bowl, toss the rest of the flour, sugar, flax seeds, chia seeds (optional), and yeast together until evenly dispersed.  Set aside. 

2. In a saucepan, heat the water, milk, and butter/coconut oil until melted and hot to the touch. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg, and gradually stir in the remaining 1/2 Cup Wheat Flour, until a soft dough is formed (all of the flour may not be necessary). The dough should pull from the sides of the bowl easily, and have an elastic consistency. 

3. Lightly flour the surface of your counter and knead the dough for about 4 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl (spray coconut oil/ walnut oil/ anything you'd like to use) for 10 minutes. 

4. After 10 minutes, turn your oven on at 200F degrees. Roll the dough out into a rectangular shape and spread the softened coconut oil (or butter) on top. Mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle it over the dough. Use more as needed or desired. Roll up the dough, nice and tight and cut into about 12 pieces. Place the pieces in a round greased pan (again I like to use spray coconut oil), and loosely cover with foil. Place the rolls in the 200F degrees oven for 60 minutes until they rise and double in size. 

5. After 60 minutes, and after they have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. I like mine nice and soft, if you want them less gooey, keep in the over for 30 minutes.

6. While the rolls are in the oven, make the glaze. Mix the powered sugar, vanilla, and milk together until smooth and drizzle over rolls once they are done. 

*Tip: Rolls are best when served immediately. However, can be stored in the fridge for a day or two. Warm them up again in the microwave for fresh flavor. 

* Also, for the picture shown above, I only made half of the recipe. This recipe will make up to 12 cinnamon rolls. 

Enjoy! 

These are Lisa's Fit 4 Life tips, follow me on Twitter & Facebook under "Fit 4 Life" or simply under my name "Lisa Clepper."

"Changing the way we eat, one cookie at a time!"

Why this blog?

As a new wife and High School educator for five years now, staying fit in a consistent basis has been something I've had to work towards. For the last several years, Fit 4 Life has been my lifestyle motto. Whether it comes to exercising, or eating the right foods, I've been learning through trial and error how to live a life consistently of good eating habits, and a good exercise routine.

I don't know about you, but I love baked goods. I've never considered myself a baker, but in my frustration of finding something that both tastes good, and is good for you, I began my baking journey. As I became more knowledgeable about food and how it processes, I quickly began to wonder why is it that we don't use better ingredients to make cookies, brownies, pies, etc. It's such a good satisfaction when you eat something that you know will definitely process, AND make you feel better too! This is why I started baking all kinds of goodies using whole wheat flour, almond flour, and oat flour. As well as replacing white sugars for brown or raw coconut sugar, replacing some oils and butter with coconut oil, and more.

In this blog, you will not only get tips on fitness, but you will also have access to recipes I have learned through trial and error and that are truly amazing! Though I'm not a nutritionist, the things I have learned have been from personal experience and research. My goal is that you find this blog to be a good resource for fitness, tips for every day healthy lifestyles, and get some amazing recipes too!

 So sit back and enjoy!

These are Lisa's Fit 4 Life tips, follow me on Twitter & Facebook under "Fit 4 Life" or simply under my name "Lisa Clepper."

"Changing the way we eat, one cookie at a time!"

This is me!

Hello! My name is Lisa, and I am so excited to start this new blog where we can learn how to be consistent in our every day life eating habits. After many years of bad eating habits, I have finally found a way of eating the things I love, in a realistic way. Not only have I personally benefitted from this lifestyle, but some of my closest friends and family have also lost weight and kept it off, eating the same way. Of course, a good exercise routine is extremely important to your every day health care; however, it all starts in the things that we eat.

Growing up in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, eating healthy was not even in the vocabulary, let alone culture. With delicious fried foods, rice, and beans; the only good food I can think of was the fresh fruits all over the island. Nevertheless, let's not forget the amazing pastry's, and homemade bread where eating fresh bead from the bakery, covered in butter with a cup of hot chocolate was a common night snack before bed. It's not until now that I realize that those were some of the worst things to eat as a late night snack: carbs, sugar, and fat.

At the age of thirteen, my parents decided to move to Houston, TX where I was first introduced to playing sports with a team. I began falling in love with playing sports, and hanging out with my closest friends. As any other high schooler, eating good foods were not on my agenda. I was known as the junky, and I loved it! Since I played sports, and was so young, watching what I ate was never in question. I ate whatever I wanted, at any time, and was still burning off the calories.  After high school, I continued to work out and eat whatever I wanted, soon finding out that it was no longer an option to do both. For my love of food, I tried working out double time, so that I could eat anything I wanted; however that got tiring and it was unrealistic for my every day lifestyle. To make a long story  short, getting into my 20's, I realized that in order to look and feel the way I've always wanted, I had to make a change in my eating habits. As a goal minded person, and thinking ahead, I knew that the way I was currently working out and eating fit my style at the present time, but it did not cater to a long term goal of being healthy and whole. This is one of my biggest concerns with diets. Diets cater to a specific time period, but what happens after? We usually go back to our patterns and habits of eating. That is why I began replacing and getting rid of certain foods from my diet for a period of time, until I could control those bad habits. For a period of time (3 months), I cut my carbs in half. If I'd usually eat a sandwich with two pieces of bread, I'd use one piece of bread, and replace the remainder of the meal to fill me up with a fruit, vegetable, or oatmeal bar of some sort. I wanted to learn how to control the in-take of carbs because many times I'd have an egg sandwich for breakfast, maybe a sandwich or burger for lunch, and some type of carbs for dinner. That's way too many carbs for me , and if I wanted to keep a consistent way of eating that was not it! I also cut dairy in-take by half, and replaced cookies for oatmeal chocolate chip bars, and ice cream for frozen yogurt. After a period of time, this became a way of life, and has allowed me to be consistent with my eating habits. Now , do I have a donut from time to time..... ? Of course! It'd be silly not too! :) But , I have the ability to eat one, versus the three I'd eat at one give time. It's all about being able to live a life consistent, in order to be healthy and feel great long term.

Stick around for my next blog on how my sister Kareliz learned to eat well consistently, and loose weight eating good foods, and exercising. 

These are Lisa's Fit 4 Life tips, follow me on Twitter & Facebook under "Fit 4 Life" or simply under my name "Lisa Clepper."

"Changing the way we eat, one cookie at a time!"