Jamie Eason Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Hey Guys,

Over the weekend I made some Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (well actually I used Chicken but that my taste preference) and they are so yummy and healthy that i had to share.

Personally I made a few changes but mostly just due to taste preference:

I used Chicken Mince instead of Turkey
I used red pepper instead of celery 
I added chopped jalapeno peppers for some spice.

Add more veges to these if you like. You are better having to much vege than not enough as the veges retain the moisture in the muffins.

You can also add different seasonings etc to change things up a bit.

They are so quick and easy. Bake a batch and freeze them or keep them in the fridge. If you are in a hurry or can't be bothered cooking just pop some in the microwave or oven and bam you are done.

Hope you all enjoy.

Original post and video can be found here

Louise Taylor xx

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Please note: the content of this blog is complied from my experience and opinion and not meant to be taken as medical advice.

New Year, New me? nope same me just better!!!

Happy New Year to everyone (sorry i know its a few weekly late...)

I hope you all had a safe and wonderful Christmas and New Years!!

Just thought I would start the year with a little update on my holidays and the first goal that I have set for 2014.

Christmas Tree 2013

We had a rather quiet Christmas with family (as we always do), we got up VERY early, ate way to much (i know i know) and had a fun time.

And with the festive season comes the not so festive clean up of the decorations, the gifts, the paper, food, mountains of chocolate etc, which is what i spent the next 3 days after Christmas doing!!

This little guy loves Christmas and did not want me to put
the decorations away. At least he didn't mope in the
corner this year when i took the tree down...

For us New Years was pretty quiet as well.  My other half had early work on New Years day so I hung out with the family again and played games and drunk some rather "interesting" cocktails that my brother and sister made up.

"Coconut Pineapple Vodkalada"

New Years day, "a fresh start" as some say, for me, nope i was up early and went for a hike up to the water tower where I sat looking at the view and ate my breakfast.

The following day I decided to go for a walk down the coastal track at Queen Elizabeth Park for breakfast.  The weather was not the best but it was still a beautiful walk.

Wet miserable day, but still beautiful

The same track last weekend, it was hot and sunny and gorgeous!!

Now that we are officially in the New Year, I have set a goal... or a challenge... or a death wish... I'm not really sure which yet.

April 27th 2014

Tough Mudder events are hardcore obstacle courses designed to test your all around strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie. With the most innovative courses, over one million inspiring participants worldwide to date, and more than $5 million raised for the Wounded Warrior Project, Tough Mudder is the premier adventure challenge series in the world. 

(taken from http://toughmudder.com/)
I have 15 weeks to build and train for this event, I am really looking forward to it, who doesn't like getting sore, wet, muddy, and electrocuted?

So keep an eye out for updates on my training and in early May i will do a post about the event (i might even try and get a helmet camera and do a video blog about it...)

"beauty may be skin deep... but fit is to the bone!!"

Louise Taylor xx

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Please note: the content of this blog is complied from my experience and opinion and not meant to be taken as medical advice.

Exercising with the lawn mower

Happy Monday guys, hope you all enjoyed the hot sunny weekend...

Today I am SORE!! and its not even the gyms fault this time.

I guess its due to spending 5 hours in the garden on the weekend.

We don't always think about it but incidental exercise can actually go a long way!!!

And this gardening has obviously gone a very long way because I am VERY sore.


Given the weather was so lovely and sunny over the weekend what better time to do the gardens? 
And there was a lot of garden to tend to.

BEFORE:  Our overgrown jungle

Mowing, pulling, lifting, digging, sweeping, pulling weeds (and some are stubborn and need brute strength to be removed) - all fantastic incidental exercise.

AFTER: Looks a little like we have a secret fairy garden

While in the garden I also washed the dishes - well some cups and saucers that double as bird baths in my garden.

Dirty Dishes

I even decided that since the weather was nice, I need a natural tan and since I am feeling more confident I would get out in the garden in some short shorts and a bikini.  Something daring for me and something I would not have done in the past... and better yet, I felt good enough to even share a snapshot.

Still some work to do, but I am happy with the progress

Hopefully all you lovely people are staying healthy and maybe getting in some of your own incidental exercise, what ever it may be.


"Its not easy but it is worth it - now repeat that every day"

Louise Taylor xx

FOLLOW BLOOMING FITNESS ON FACEBOOK - CLICK HERE

Please note: the content of this blog is complied from my experience and opinion and not meant to be taken as medical advice.

Girls day out with Raechelle Chase

Happy Wednesday everyone, I hope your week is going well and that you are all fit, healthy and happy!!


I had a very exciting weekend that I have been waiting to share with everyone until I had the


On Saturday November 16th Kapiti was blessed enough to have the one and only Raechelle Chase come and visit us.


I have talked about Raechelle on this blog before but for those who don't know, Raechelle is a New Zealand Figure athlete and was the 1st New Zealand woman to compete at the prestigious Figure Olympia in Las Vegas in 2011. She is a fitness model, mother of three, business owner (clothes, gym gear, supplements, training, nutrition, DVD) , runs her own gym in Auckland and is an all round amazing woman.

Raechelle Chase - IFBB Figure Pro

As a teenage girl I always wanted to be "skinny"! I wanted to look like the woman on the front of Cosmo or gossip magazines.

Then after meeting my partner I was introduced to a whole new way of thinking about my body and what I wanted to look like.

I no longer wanted to be "skinny", I wanted to be conditioned and lean.

Raechelle quickly became my inspiration and role model. While at this point I have no intentions to compete, her appearance, attitude, career, everything about her inspires and motivates me to push harder and do my best.

In October I finally got to meet my idol and even had her train me. DREAM COME TRUE!!

Girls Day Out 

So on Saturday 16th November Raechelle was in town and needless to say I was SUPER excited. 

So 20ish girls including myself filed up to Waikanae to Justin Rys's house where the event was being held.

Raechelle took 4 hours out of her day to talk to us about training, nutrition, modelling, photo shoots, on season diets, off season diets, she even did a photo shoot with all the girls in Justin's back yard and at the beach.

Tania Prince (NZIFBB Bikini athlete) the aeroplane 
click here to follow on facebook 

Raechelle and I at the beach 

Some pointers from the event

When you are in shape, hire a photographer and have a photo shoot - you look incredible, why not document it, especially if you want to do fitness modeling.


Always have a goal you are working towards, an event such as your birthday, summer, a competition etc. This way you are always moving towards something.


Listen to your body, if it is telling you you need something it is generally for a reason.


Find your good side - we all have one - and use it when taking photos.

Thank you...

I would like to take a second in this public forum to thank everyone who made the girls day out possible.


Justin Rhys - IFBB Pro / Director at Mass Nutrition Kapiti for organising the event, rounding up all us ladies and allowing us all into his lovely home for the afternoon.


Cindy Heels - for showing us all your lovely shoes


Flo Foxworthy Costumier - for showing us all the skimpy sparkly bikinis that you make for the shows. (FYI - these bikinis are AMAZING!! I want one even though I am not competing)


Dollface Mineral Make Up - for talking about the make up, tanning, nails and hair services you offer. AND for my amazing tan, it turned our great, LOVE the colour!!


Sammi Valcheva - for taking all the lovely photos!


And of course the one, the only, my idol...


Raechelle Chase - for coming all the way down to little old Kapiti and sharing your knowledge with us. You are amazing and one of the nicest people I have met!



To all you lovely people, stay healthy, stay fit, and keep up the good work

Louise Taylor xx

FOLLOW BLOOMING FITNESS ON FACEBOOK - CLICK HERE

Please note: the content of this blog is complied from my experience and opinion and not meant to be taken as medical advice.

Ghee wizz this is good butter

Hi Guys,


After promising this post yesterday, I tried with all my might to get it online for everyone but it just wouldn't upload!!!


Anyway here it is.

What is Ghee

Ghee is a type of clarified butter that is often used in South Asian cuisine - think Indian , Bangladeshi, Napali, Sri Lankan and Pakistani.

Ghee does not need to be keep in the refrigerator and will set (dependent on the heat inside your pantry) on its own.

It is made from heating butter slowly to separate the fat and the milk solids. The water evaporates, the milk solids brown and harden and the fat can be rendered off to make Ghee.

Ghee has a delicious nutty caramel flavor.

Ghee has a very high smoking point making it excellent for frying and cooking

It has essential nutrients such as amino acids, linoleic acid (antioxidant), vitamin A, E, and K and it also contrains calcium and potassium.

Ghee is a saturated fat so it should be consumed in moderation the same way you would consume butter. (eg don't start eating it by the spoonful please) but it does not contain hydrogenated oils!!

Generally it can be consumed by people who are lactose intolerant. After being clarified and passing thorough the process I am going to detail below, it is free from milk solids. (obviously I would recommend talking to your doctor or a medical professional)

How do you make it?

Step One:

In a sauce pan, add block of butter.
You can add more or less than a full block dependent on how much
Ghee you want to make ( i only did 100g at this is all I had in the house)

Step Two:

Put pan on a medium head and leave to melt - stir occasionally

Step Three:

Once all Butter is melted, allow to cook longer, 
you will notice that it will appear to split. 

Meanwhile:

Gather the other equipment you will need:
funnel, paper towels,
 container big enough to hold your Ghee
(this will get hot liquid put in it so try get one that won't melt!!)

Step Four:

put single paper towel into funnel,
i find folding one end around the side of the funnel to make
it easier to hold fit in better.

Step Five:

Pour a small amount of the melted butter into the paper towel
wait for it to slowly filter through.
Once it has drained, fold sides of the paper towel in
and press lightly to get the last bits out of the towel.

Discard paper towel.

Repeat:

Using a new clean paper towel repeat the process until 
all the melted butter has been strained. 

Result:

A container of Ghee or clarified butter. Put in pantry or fridge to set
and enjoy in cooking, baking or on toast.

What got left in the pot:

Darkened milk solids

What got left on the paper towel:

More darkened milk solids, if you taste a tiny bit
of this you will find that it is extremely salty 

I Hope you enjoy!!!

Louise Taylor xx

FOLLOW BLOOMING FITNESS ON FACEBOOK - CLICK HERE

Please note:  the content of this blog is complied from my experience and opinion and not meant to be taken as medical advice.

Personal Train Me and Kombucha

Hi everyone.

I hope you all had a magical weekend and are rested and ready for another week.

Over the weekend I took a trip to meet up with a friend that I haven't seen in a long time to discuss some "natural remedies" that she loves.

Let me introduce Personal Train me

In this day and age a lot of us are "to busy" to get to the gym and don't want to/ can't afford to pay a bucket load to have a one on one training session with a personal trainer.

Personal Train Me allows personal training to be done online so that you can do it at a time and place that suits you and at a fraction of the cost of a one on one training session.

Personal Train Me offers peronsalised exercise programs, nutrition support, your own online training platform, 24/7 email support from Anna directly, flexibility to fit your schedule, personalised to your needs, membership bonuses, support group access and the comfort that you will be treated as an individual.

You will get the results you desire, you will get the support you need!!

Personal Train Me want to encourage a healthy lifestyle and help teach people how to make informed and healthy decisions so that they can live their lives to the fullest and get the most out of what they put in.

Anna Mabey (owner of Personal Train Me) is a fantastic, real and down to earth personal trainer who is offering this amazing online service as well as some one on one training from her small home gym and Nga Purapura Gym in Otaki.

Anna has years of experience in personal training and worked as the fitness manager at City Fitness Paraparaumu where she managed the personal training services.

Visit the Personal Train Me Website - Click here

If you join up with Anna, reference "bloom" to let her know that I sent you :)

Anna's Natural Recipes

After the birth of her son Anna struggled to regain the strength that she had prior to getting pregnant. She tried different cleanses and tried going back to the basics of meat veges and good fats, and while her husband thrived, she felt AWFUL!!!

It wasn't long after this that she discovered that she wasn't digesting proteins any more and has basically just starved herself for two weeks.

Anna was given some pills and some enzymes which she had to take to enable her body to digest the proteins that it needed to function properly, adding up to nearly $100 per month.

Anna decided that she didn't want to have to pay this for the rest of her life and looked for an alternate solution - she found Kombucha and she swears that it is doing exactly the same thing that the pills and enzymes were doing.

Kombuca

Kombucha is fermented tea (sounds lovely I know haha) that has a huge range of health benefits.

These include:

Increased energy

Increased healing

Lowers blood pressure

helps relieve chicken pox

Reduces acne

Thickens hair and helps people who are balding

Strengthens finger nails

Psoriasis and skin conditions

Helps with allergies

Aging

Asthma

Migraine relief

digestive issues

To name merely a quarter of the benefits. For a full list of benefits click here

Kombucha is easy to make and pleasant to drink (tastes a bit like apple juice).

How Do You Make It?

1. In a large metal pot heat 4 liters of filtered water and 1 cup sugar
2. once all sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and add 4 black tea bags
3. allow to cool to room temperature
4. pour into a glass jar that holds slightly more than your 4 liters
5. pour in a half a cup of a pre made Kombucha
6. carfully add the "scoby" (the bug that ferments it)
7. cover with a paper towel secured by a rubber band and put in a warm (not to sunny) spot for 8 - 12 days
8. Once tea is fermented pour into seal-able bottles (you can add vanilla, herbal teas etc at this point to flavour) and put in the cupboard. Slight fermentation at this point will make the Kombucha fizzy.

The pre made Kombucha and scoby can be stolen from someone else who makes Kombucha as every batch creates a new scoby.

My first pot of Kombuca Tea - counting down the days until it is ready

Ghee

I promised on Facebook yesterday that I would make a post about Ghee. This post is coming, and will be online later on this evening, I
Until i see you again this evening, remember - don't be afraid to try something different.

Louise Taylor xx

FOLLOW BLOOMING FITNESS ON FACEBOOK - CLICK HERE

FOLLOW PERSONAL TRAIN ME ON FACEBOOK - CLICK HERE

Please note: the content of this blog is complied from my experience and opinion and not meant to be taken as medical advice.

Failing to plan is planning to fail...

For the past two weeks I have been focusing on making smaller changes but haven't had a game plan.

Succeeding at something is easier when you have a plan as you know where you are heading and what you need to do.

A lot of people feel like a plan means a diet and being restricted, in fact this is not the case.

Like any goals in life you need to know the steps you are going to take to achieve them. This applied to short term goals such as losing weight and long term goals such as maintaining your weight loss.

Steps to making a plan

There are some things we need to consider when making our plans.

1. how long is your plan valid for?  I try to make my plans no more than a month long. This allows me to change my plan on a monthly basis to keep things fresh. I can evaluate the last month and see what went well and what failed, if I need to do more exercise or change my eating plan.
2. what exercise are you going to do? cardio, weight, yoga, classes etc. know what you are going to do and what days you are going to do it. Don't try and do everything on the same day. For example: Tuesdays are only cardio, Wednesdays are only weights etc...
3. what day is going to be your rest day? pick a day a week where you don't work out at all.
4. What are you going to eat? know your calorie allowance for the day, know what you are going to eat. It doesn't mean you have to eat broccoli and chicken for every meal. you can basically have anything - so long as it fits in with your calorie allowance.
5. Set your goals. What do you want to achieve and by when? make them achievable but something you have to work for and something you can measure/ know when it has been accomplished  Your goals don't have to be weight related, they could be something like fitting into your old jeans or going to the beach in a bikini this summer.
6. know if you want to keep track of your weight. if you do remember that it is not the be all and end all of everything!! Weight will fluctuate depending on what you have eaten, water retention, whether or not you have "used the bathroom" or not today.
7. keep track!! jot down what you ate each day - and yes, this means everything eaten or drunk!! It is harder to lie to yourself and pull the wool over your eyes when you are writing things down.
8. keep track!! know where you have come from and how far you have come. Take weekly.monthly pictures in your underwear or bikini, this gives a good indication of how your body has changed.  

What is my plan

Length: 1 month -  November

Exercise and rest:   

Monday - Weights 

Tuesday - Cardio

Wednesday - Weights

Thursday - Cardio and Yoga

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Cardio and weights

Sunday - Yoga

Food:

Monday - 1500 calories

Tuesday - 1500 calories

Wednesday - 1500 calories

Thursday - 1500 calories

Friday - 1500 calories

Saturday - 2000 - 2500 calories

Sunday - 1500 calories

I am choosing not to have a set eating plan but rather know my calorie allowances, that way I can choose what I am going to eat on a day to day basis.

Goals for November:

Weigh 55kg

Fit my Roxy mint green mini skirt

Rock the short shorts

Weight:

I decided that I do wish to track my weight.

Keep Track:

I use an app called "Fat Secret NZ" which allows me to track my calories and exercise each day. Its easy to use and being on your phone makes it convenient.

Keep Track:

I take regular pictures to track my progress as well as using a spreadsheet to keep track of my weight against my goal weight.

So time to start making a plan for yourself, it doesn't matter if you fall off track once of twice, having a plan to come back to makes things easier.

Louise Taylor xox

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