Holiday Cookies

It's almost Cookie Month! That's what we're calling December these days, right???

My FAVORITE holiday cookie and everything sweet recipes are inside my e-cookbook, Smart Cookie. There are 84 recipes in there this year, to be exact. It has something for EVERYone like pumpkin, gingerbread, cranberry, apple, so much chocolate, hazelnut, mint ...



Pies, cake, fat bombs / freezer fudge, no bake, bake, stovetop, slow cooker ... and of course lots of cookies.



But just in case it's not in the cards for you to grab that cookbook this year, I wanted to share these 3 cookie recipes that didn't make it into my book. Hope you enjoyyyyy!



Cookie Recipes



XO,
Tara

Holiday Indulgences

Holiday indulgences should exist without guilt or interference with health / body goals, if you ask me.

But it can be a slippery slope!



One thing I have never heard anyone else talking about that really blows my mind is that we tend to align our indulgence frequency with our social calendar. In other words, you might use other strategies like "this or that" (more on that HERE) to cut back on the total amount of sweets or alcohol, but most people are still having at least 1 indulgence for every special occasion on their calendar (or doing the opposite and restricting all the time!). Every birthday for a partner, kid, sibling, parent, niece or nephew, coworker ... every day of vacation ... every holiday and holiday party ... maybe even everyday that starts with an "S"?



But what if the level of health you're after and / or your body goals require a different frequency of indulging? Wouldn't it make sense that those goals aren't always 100% in alignment with your social life? Isn't it kinda weird that most of us have just assumed that they would be all of these years? It can't just be me!



Watch (or listen like a podcast) to this 21-minute free workshop all about this topic. I think you'll come away with your jaw dropped and some extra empowerment and tips. We can achieve our goals, feel incredible, AND keep indulgences in.



XO,
Tara




P.S. Speaking of indulgences, have you grabbed your copy of Smart Cookie yet? It's my healthified holiday desserts e-cookbook with 84 better-for-you recipes full of taste and nostalgia. And if dessert isn't your thang, hope you're loving these free holiday apps + sides. ;-)



P.P.S. If you are frustrated and not feeling your best with fat loss, muscle-building, or "toning up" goals, make sure you're on the waitlist for TRANSFORM: Body + Mind. The next round is in January but I will be opening the cart briefly THIS month for those who want to have full access to the course and all the materials (optional meal plans, goal-focused recipes, workouts with demos, resources, and life-changing video lessons) ahead of time. You can start before the rest of the group or simply take the extra time to just check it all out and be better prepared for January. Waitlist peeps will have their spot reserved and get a discount code as well.

Freebies!

There's a link for that. ;-)

November is here and that usually means there are millions of people who are simultaneously giving up on their bodies and health for the rest of the year and also on the hunt for the new thing to try starting in January.


But this doesn't have to be you. With 2 months -- 1/6 -- left of the year, there's lots of opportunity still to make progress and feel great before we bid adieu to 2022. And also, when we have more of an understanding of our bodies and start to get comfortable with the fact that cravings are usually our own doing and willpower is NEVER the issue, we can enter the 'candy holiday followed by the pie holiday followed by the cookie month followed by the alcohol holiday' shenanigans feeling empowered rather than deprived or out of control.


So as I decided to chat with you about that today, I kept remembering all of these free resources I have 'out there' that you may not have seen or may have forgotten about. No better time than now to share some of these with you!


My backstory and a bunch of tips on this podcast I was interviewed on.

My PCOS diagnosis in this event I had the honor of co-speaking alongside an OBGYN with (mine is the second half).

Asthma, infertility, and my journey to accidentally discovering the power of breathwork in this interview.

This webinar I hosted about mending your metabolism.

This free 3-day fat loss meal plan.

This free holiday apps + sides collection -- from last week's newsletter, but worth sharing again ;-)

Break up with the restrict - binge - restrict cycle


Save this email, forward to a friend, and utilize whatever tools you need. The holidays are an interesting time for health goals, but they do not have to look like they have in the past.



Ok, and now a fun teaser ;-) ... For those of you who have been wanting to do the next round of TRANSFORM: Body + Mind, my 28-day metabolism-boosting course, you may already know that you have to wait until January for that. But what if you could get access to the whole course and all the materials in advance so you could get a head-start if you wanted to before the rest of the group joins us for the live course in January? There will be a way. It involves Black Friday. Stay tuned and make sure you are ON THE WAITLIST if you're interested!



Happy Tuesday,
Tara



P.S. Don't forget to grab your copy of Smart Cookie if you need 84 healthified holiday dessert recipes for this year. :-)

High Protein Breakfast Recipes

Do you get at least 20-30g of protein with each meal?

Many people have told me that breakfast (or their first meal of the day) seems to be the hardest to get in that amount. And yet, you could argue that it's the MOST important because it sets the tone for day, influences cravings or lack of cravings later in the day, and helps boost your metabolism and keep you satiated.



I put together this recipe collection in case you need some ideas. All of the recipes have at least 30g of protein (!) and are gluten-free. Some are omnivore and some are plant-based.



Hope you enjoy!



XO,
Tara

Can you build breasts or a butt from exercise?

"Tara, can I build breasts and / or a butt from exercising?"

As soon as I received this question last week, I knew I needed to address it in a video as it's a big topic.



What's in our power? And what, exactly, can we do?



What's not in our power? And how do we make peace with that?



CHECK OUT MY ANSWER HERE.



XO,
Tara



P.S. I can't believe it's December 22nd already! If you haven't grabbed my copy of Smart Cookie: Healthified Holiday Desserts e-cookbook and would like to do some gluten-free, dairy-free baking and dessert-making between now and the New Year, GRAB IT NOW. It's only available for just over a week longer! Makes for a great last-minute gift idea, too. ;-)

Are you eating enough protein at breakfast?

Protein needs at breakfast... are you hitting the target?

Check out this video from last week where I talk about exactly how much protein most of us need as a threshold to help build muscle, keep hunger and cravings at bay, and have sustained energy throughout the day.



This video was done live on Instagram the morning after the election here in the U.S., hence the pep talk up front. Regardless of where things are at when this email lands in your inbox (I pre-schedule these), please understand it's a principle that applies all of life. When we feel empowered by focusing on that which we CAN do, the things we don't have control over don't have strangle-hold. Do these other things (like an election) matter? OF COURSE they do! That's not what this is about. This is about moving forward with your life, your love, your purpose... no matter what.



XO,
Tara




P.S. Did you grab your copy of Smart Cookie: Healthified Holiday Dessert cookbook yet? It just came out on Friday and people are already making and loving the recipes! In case this is the first you're hearing about it, it's an e-cookbook (instant download) filled with 42 holiday dessert recipes ... all free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Want to hear a little more about it? COME CHECK IT OUT.

Strawberry Chia Jam

Strawberry Chia Jam

Ingredients:

2 cups of strawberries

1 T raw honey

2 T chia seeds

Directions:

1. Trim the stems from the strawberries and cut in half. Place strawberries, honey and chia seeds in a blender or food processor and pulse until it reaches your preferred jam-consistency.

2. Transfer jam into a saucepan and place on the stove over medium heat. Stir until it begins to bubble. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until jam begins to thicken.

3. Remove from heat and pour into a mason jar. Let cool and then store in the fridge for up to 7 days. Freeze if using down the road. Enjoy!

Let the countdown begin!

THIS Friday, November 6th....

My healthy holiday dessert e-cookbook, Smart Cookie, will be released and I am sooooo excited to fill your homes with the smells and tastes and beauty of these festive treats!



What's unique about my cookbook?

• It is FULL of only dessert recipes (42 in total)

• All recipes are free of: gluten, dairy, and refined sugar

• It's an instant download which means within minutes of when you purchase it, you can pick which dessert you want to try first -- no waiting for shipping!

• You'll get 2 versions -- a pretty, picture-filled one and a more printer-friendly version with no pictures. Either one will print well, but you choose whether you wanna tear through your color ink for this book or not. ;-)

• You'll find ALL the festive tastes in this one book: chocolate, hazelnut, gingerbread, apple, pumpkin, cranberry, etc.

• Plenty of items to bake, but also stovetop, slow cooker, and no bake options!

What to do now? Hop on my email list and get excited. When this e-cookbook is available (on Friday), you'll receive another email from me with the direct link to purchase.



What's your favorite holiday dessert? Leave a comment here to let me know and I'll enter you into my drawing to win a free copy. Email responses will be pooled with social media responses and I will announce a winner on Friday (and contact you via email if you win)!


XO,
Tara



P.S. This HIIT and Core workout I shared recently on instagram ended up being my most 'popular' post to date. I figured I'd share it with you here in case you missed it. Make sure you read the caption about breath work while you're there.

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

Hey there,

Where are my pumpkin-all-year-round fans?

Not too sweet but definitely delicious, this muffin-y breakfast cookies hit the spot. You might as well make a huge batch to freeze for those hectic mornings or afternoon snack attack!

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
(Makes 10-12 large cookies)

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats (or oat flour)
⅓ cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
½ cup your favorite nut butter
⅓ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
½ cup pecans (or your choice of nuts/seeds)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a blender or food processor, grind the rolled oats until they become like flour. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, add the pumpkin, nut butter, honey and vanilla and blend until combined. Add the oat flour, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda and mix well. Stir in the cranberries and pecans.

4. Place cookie-sized scoops of the batter on the baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. After removing from the oven, let cool a couple minutes on the baking sheet before putting on a cooling rack.

***Swap the nut butter for seed butter and leave out the pecans if you have nut allergies in your house (or the kids' school).



Health + Happiness,
Tara

Trail Mix Granola

Is this trail mix or is this granola? Either way, it’s DELICIOUS.


Your home is going to smell AMAZING while this is in the oven. Warning: it’s addicting. Be sure to exercise portion control with this healthy snack.

Trail Mix Granola

Ingredients:

1 cup raw mixed nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts)
1 cup raw slivered almonds
½ cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup dried cherries, blueberries or cranberries
¼ tsp sea salt
(optional: 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice)


Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line 1 or 2 baking sheets (depending on their size) with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix the nuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Pour over the nuts and mix well. Add the optional pumpkin pie spice and mix again, till everything is evenly coated.

4. Spread the nuts on the baking sheet(s) and sprinkle salt over the top of the mixture. Bake for 15 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and stir the nuts to make sure they toast evenly. Bake for another 15 minutes and remove from the oven. Stir again, adding the coconut flakes. Bake for another 10 minutes to toast the coconut.

6. Remove from the oven for a final time, and let cool. Mix in the berries and serve.

Enjoy!

In good health,

Tara

Easy Apple Dippers

Hey guys,

Ready for a fun & tasty new snack or dessert idea?

These are great for parties and perfect if you need something that doubles as an activity AND food source for your kiddos. :-)

Easy Apple Dippers

(serves 2) 

Ingredients: 


💚1 apple 

💚Dips (such as peanut butter, almond butter, melted dark chocolate, coconut yogurt, mejool date "caramel" 

💚Toppings (such as crushed nuts, seeds, dark chocolate chips, coconut) 


Directions: 

1. Using a melon baller, scoop out "balls" of the apple until you reach the core. 

2. Pierce each apple "ball" with a popsicle stick. 

3. Coat each apple ball with dip of choice and then into topping(s) of choice and place on wax paper. 

4. Place in freezer for at least 30 minutes. 

5. Enjoy!! 



In good health,
Tara

P.S. If you are always looking for new and fun (+ healthy) recipes for yourself and your family, grab my FREE 3-Day Meal Plan for Losing Body Fat. This thing is not only an awesome tool to spark momentum and results, but its’s chock full of delicious new meals and snacks to try! Grab your copy right here, right now. Hope you enjoy!

Deliciously Stuffed Sweet Mini-Peppers

Ready for a delicious Summer appetizer / snack / side dish??

Deliciously Stuffed Sweet Mini-Peppers

Ingredients:

• Mini Sweet Peppers (1-2 packages), washed
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup of cilantro
• 1 cup of red onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 mango
• 2 roma tomatoes

Dressing:

• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of 1 orange
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 T honey
• 1 T cayenne pepper
• Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to broil.  Once the oven is warm, using tongs, place the peppers directly on the oven rack.  Cook the peppers for about 10 minutes.  When peppers start shriveling, remove them from the oven.
2. Cut mango and avocado into cubes, mince the garlic, chop the cilantro, red onion, and tomato. Combine into a mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the orange and lime juice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and cayenne pepper together.
4. Pour the dressing over the avocado and mango mixture and gently toss to combine.
5. Take your roasted mini sweet peppers, cut the in half (lengthwise), and de-seed them.
6. Stuff with the mixture and ENJOY!

YUM!


Will you be trying this?? Leave me a comment and let me know!

In good health,

Tara