Granola Bars!!

So I love granola bars; they are a quick on the go snack. However, I have found MANY bars have sugar in them and obviously most are not gluten free (if they are they are way too expensive). So I have come up with a solution! I made my own! This recipe is SO easy, there is NO cooking involved! I love recipes like that, don't you? Let's get to it!

Granola Bars

1 cup Raisins (regular or golden are fine)
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Toasted Nuts (almonds or pecans work best but you can use a variety)
1 1/2 cup Oats

1. In a small bowl microwave the peanut butter and honey for 30 seconds and stir so it is mixed well.

2. In a food processor, puree the raisins until they become a paste (it will look like fig newton filling). 

3. In a large bowl combine ALL ingredients, mix well.

4. Press into an 8x8 pan lined with wax paper for easy removal.

5. Freeze the bar for about 40 minutes or until set firm, I like to wait until its nearly frozen solid.

6. Remove the bars from the pan and cut into desired sizes, I like to individually cut them, wrap them in plastic and keep them stored in the freezer; taking one out when I am on the run and letting it defrost a little before eating it nice and cold. 

VARIATIONS: 
You can use almost any dried fruit instead of raisins (figs, cranberries, etc.)
Choose the nuts you like and use those instead, I like to roast the nuts in the oven to bring out the flavor more.
Feel free to make these unhealthy by adding chocolate chips or M&Ms if you wish (that will make them NOT sugar free) 






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Fresh Strawberry Jam

I went strawberry picking a few weeks ago and I really got carried away with it. I ended up bringing home 8 pts of strawberries. There is NO way I was going to be able to eat all those and I did not want them to go to waste. 

Solution: Make Jam!!

I was excited about making my own jam. It cost a fraction of the price, it was easy AND it was sugar free! Awesome!!!

Fresh Strawberry Jam

5 cups Strawberries (washed & stems removed)
2 T Water
1 T Cornstarch
2 T Lemon juice

1. In a large pot combine the strawberries and lemon juice. Cook until heated and a little boiling action starts to happen.

2. In a small cup or bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until there are no cornstarch lumps left.

3. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the strawberries and cook until the strawberries thicken.

4. If the strawberries are too lumpy you can choose to cut them before cooking, however I use an immersion blender and puree the entire jam until it is smooth. 

5. Store jam in a tightly sealed container or jar and keep refrigerated. 

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My Story

Hello new friends! My name is Meghann Kirchner and I am 23 years old. I have struggled with my weight ever since I could remember. I used to steal cupcakes from our kitchen and hide in the bathroom to eat them, then I'd flush the wrappers when I was done. My relationship with food had never been good. I was addicted to sugar.

6th Grade

Around the age of 13 I started dieting... I have tried L.A. Weightloss, Weight Watchers, Adkins, Nutrisystem, Calorie counting, Liquid diets, Smoothies, All protein, All veggies, No carbs, starving myself, binge and purging... Nothing has worked for more than  a couple weeks or a couple months. This lead to lots of depression and anxiety issues for me. I was not comfortable in my own skin. I skipped out on lots of fun events other kids participated in. I vividly remember being chanted at in the halls of school when I was in 9th grade. None of this was how I envisioned my life to go. I eventually moved out of state for college in 2010. When I moved all of my support was gone, I was stripped bare and left to find my own friends and take care of myself like an 'adult'. I was not ready. In a series of poor choices I made I became very depressed and alone.

October 2014

My family missed me so much and I couldn't bare to tell them how horrible I was doing so I acted like everything was fine and I was having the time of my life. This lead up to me having a total meltdown, I'd say it was an anxiety attack but I walked off of my job in the middle of my shift and dropped out of school with 4 weeks left until graduation, packed all my stuff into a U-haul and moved 650 miles back home to be with my parents.

December 2013

This in itself made me feel like a quitter, I was so disappointing in myself, I wanted to blame the people I was surrounded with in college but it was nobody's fault but my own. I got a job and 6 months after moving back home I re-enrolled in college. I started doing pretty good, getting my life back on track. Then I turned 21 and starting going out and making poor decisions again, spending every penny I had. Somehow I graduated college.

By this time I was still making poor food choices. I got a job working at a bakery again, eating lots of donuts nearly every day. I had lots of cravings, barely any energy, I felt sick and weighed down and none of my clothes would fit. I was 22 years old by this point, wearing size 20 pants and weighed 252 pounds. I was utterly disgusted with myself. I KNEW what good nutrition was, I have a culinary degree, I know what I should be doing for myself but I wasn't doing it.

September 2014

September 2014

April 2015

On July 29th 2014, something clicked. I finally joined that gym I kept driving past. I stopped eating those donuts. Slowly each change I was making, I knew would pay off. My goal was to lose 82 pounds, nobody thought I could do it. I went to the gym at 11 pm so nobody would see me working out.  I started to feel better, very slowly. I struggled a lot, but I didn't quit. It was important for me to see this through because I had already been a quitter so many times and I was really sick of starting over. I was convinced this was a lifestyle change, not a diet. Soon after I quit smoking cigarettes and had surgery in August.  This set me back a little bit but I didn't want it to be an excuse.
Fast forward to November 2014 and I had done research on sugar, the effects in the body, the amounts recommended to be consumed and the actual amounts being consumed. I was shocked and December 15th 2014, right before everything delicious during Christmas time, I quit eating sugar. I weighed 137 pounds at this point. I had been doing my fitness alone, and not every day. It was hard to be motivated on my own sometimes. I started to plateau and feel stuck.

May 2015

An old friend from high school reached out to me on Facebook because she had noticed my weight loss. She shared with me her job as a health and fitness coach and I was very intrigued. After a few weeks of talking she got me to join in this incredible journey with her. April 26th 2015, I joined Beachbody. At this point I weighed 203 pounds. I was so enthused to have a support team. I was accepted with such love, I had gained a large group of friends (who are now like family to me) in a matter of days. They all wanted to see me succeed and support me. I was drinking Shakeology and doing the 21 Day Fix program.

June 2015

July 2015, The Fearless Empire

I felt on top of the world, like I had purpose. Other people started noticing my success and wanted to join me. God's plan was finally showing, I started to attend church on a regular basis and work on ways to be a better version of myself. I smile, run, laugh, cook and share great information with friends and meet new people as often as I can. Now as I write this, I reflect how much Beachbody has done for me. I am so thankful to be a part of something so wonderful, it is such a blessing in my life and has the bonus of helping me financially. I used to envy the girl that runs for fun, the one who wears fitness clothes all the time and bright Nike shoes, now I AM that girl and it feels just as great as it looks, if not better. To date I have lost a total of 60 pounds and have 22 more until I reach my final goal. Each day I am taking strides forward to reach my goals.The most rewarding part is being able to help others through this same journey. To watch someone morph into a greater being is incredible and I can never be grateful enough to Beachbody for giving me all these opportunities. I can not wait what the future has in store for me! I can honestly say this is the happiest I have been in my entire life!

Part of my LOVELY team, The Fearless Empire

Sweet Potato Fries

Alright guys, I have found a DELICIOUS substitute for plain old fries. Sweet potatoes!! They are super good and really easy to make! Unlike regular potatoes they have more nutritional value and are not as moisture prone, so the fries are crispy when baked and not soggy.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 Sweet potatoes
1 T Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to season

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. It is optional to peel the sweet potatoes, but I always do. Cut the potatoes into matchsticks as thick or thin as you like.

3. Toss the matchsticks of sweet potato with oil, salt and pepper.

4. Spray your pan with non stick spray or grease with coconut oil.

5. Lay out your potato matchsticks on the pan and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how thick or thin your potatoes were cut. Check them so they don't burn! Once they are golden brown they are ready to go!

6. I tossed a little more salt on mine once they were out of the oven and ate them plain! Yummy!

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Pineapple Strawberry Sorbet

This recipe has been a to me delight on a hot day. Refreshing and easy to make, this sugar free frozen treat is awesome in the summer. What could possibly be easier than tossing frozen fruit and a few other ingredients into the food processor? Let's jump right into this frozen treat!

Pineapple Strawberry Sorbet

1 cup Pineapple chunks, frozen
1 cup Strawberries, frozen
1/2 cup Plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp Honey

1. Toss all those goodies in the food processor and blend on high, about 5 minutes, until all is blended smooth. You may need to scrape the sides down once or twice but just give it time and it will blend together nicely. You can enjoy all of this now or save some in Popsicle molds or just in Tupperware in the freezer for later.

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Plantain Chips

So this recipe is VERY easy and a great alternative to potato chips. Plantains look like giant bananas and are originated from Southeast Asia but can commonly be found in Central American and Latin cooking. They are similar to a banana but are less sweet and contain a starchy component. Plantains should not be consumed raw, unlike bananas and can be steamed, baked, fried, boiled or grilled. They are ripe when the skin is all yellow and starting to turn brown in spots. 

Plantain Chips

2 Plantains
3 T Olive Oil
Cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 of a Lime

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Peel the plantain and slice into pieces a little thicker than a quarter. 

3. Toss the slices in olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne if you wish for them to be a bit spicy.

4. Line the plantains on a greased cookie sheet. ( I coat mine in coconut oil )

5. Bake for 10-14 minutes, watch them closely because if you sliced them thinner they will cook faster. 

6. I found it unnecessary to flip my plantains half way through baking because they crisped up nice. 

7. Transfer to a bowl after they have cooled. Squeeze the lime over the plantain chips and toss with more salt if you wish. I use Pink Himalayan salt. 



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Flour-less Banana Bread

So if you've been reading my other posts you have noticed that I LOVE baking with oats. Why? Because not only are they inexpensive but they make a great flour substitute as well as adding delicious fiber into your baked goods. In my  Healthy Oat Pancakes recipe, I explained the difference between rolled and steel cut oats. For this recipe I recommend using rolled oats. You can buy them from the huge bins at the grocery store by weight much cheaper than buying pre-packaged brands but they are essentially the exact same. We are going to do something fun with our oats in this recipe-- we are going to put them in the blender to make oat flour! So lets get started!



Flour-less Banana Bread

3 cups Rolled Oats (after blending it should be 2 cups oat flour)
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
3 Bananas, very ripe
1 tbsp Coconut Oil
1/3 cup Honey
1/3 cup Maple syrup
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
3 tbsp Rolled Oats (for on top)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon (optional, I did not add to mine)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get your loaf pan ready. You can either use cooking oil to coat the pan or line it with parchment paper. 

2. In a blender or food processor, put in the 3 cups of rolled oats and blend on high for 1-2 minutes. You might need to stop it and stir it a little to mix in the oats until they are all blended and it looks like flour. 


3. In a large bowl mix together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and optional cinnamon. 

4. Now in the blender you want to puree your bananas, money, maple syrup, and vanilla. Blend this for a minute or so until it is smooth. 

5. Pour the banana puree mixture into your dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add your choice of nuts (chocolate chips also work if you want to make it sweeter) and stir in. 

6. Scoop your batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top a little. Add the additional rolled oats on top that we not blended into flour. 

7. Place bread in oven for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown. 

8. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then remove from pan and let cool for the remaining time on the cooking rack. (I skipped this step and cut right into it to taste it.) 

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Healthy Oat Pancakes

So there has been questions while shopping for oats. Steel Cut or Rolled? What are the differences? I had no idea at first either, I thought one took longer to cook and the other was under a minute. Are the health benefits the same? Lets find out! 

Steel Cut oats are whole oats that are just coarsely chopped. Rolled oats only take a minute to cook but that is because they are processed much more than steel cut oats. Rolled oats are steamed, rolled, steamed again, and toasted. Steel cut oats are a bit lower in calories but when it comes to protein, carbs, fiber, fat, calcium and iron the two oats are equal. Rolled oats do tend to be higher in sugar but steel cut oats sit lower in the glycemic index. So in many opinions the 'healthier' way to go is with steel cut oats just because they are less processed.  

In this recipe feel free to use rolled oats instead of steel cut, I am choosing to use steel cut because they are less processed and I LOVE foods that are closest to their natural state. 


Healthy Oat Pancakes

2 Eggs
1 Banana
1/2 cup Steel cut oats
1/4 cup Unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Okay guys, this one is EASY. Put all the ingredients in the blender and puree.


2. Over medium heat grease your pan (I use coconut oil) then pour some batter on the pan. Wait for bubbles to appear just like you would be cooking 'regular' pancakes.

3. Flip pancake and cook until done, probably about only 2 minutes per side. 

4. This recipe makes 4 pancakes, perfect for a quick breakfast for yourself or the kids. Serve with all natural maple syrup, fresh fruit, peanut butter or whatever you like with your pancakes.

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Garden Fresh Pesto

Gardening season means I planted my basil plants and I get to make lots of fresh pesto all summer long!! 

Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. In general, it is added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavor. The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water. The dried herb also loses most of its flavor, and what little flavor remains tastes very different, with a weak coumarin flavor, like hay.

Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. Pesto can be used in MANY different ways. Great in pastas, eggs, sandwich spreads, pizza sauces, basically you should put this sh*t on everything because its a delicious way to eat fresh herbs. 

I won't go too in depth because I know you are all just here for the recipe. So for this one you'll just need a food processor, you can do it in the blender if you want but I'm not too sure that will chop everything up as nicely as a food processor. Also, most recipes for pesto include pine nuts, I do not use pine nuts because they are usually more expensive, they spoil and turn rancid much quicker than most nuts and many people have allergies to pine nuts. If you would like to make this recipe vegan feel free to leave out the Parmesan but just know that you are leaving out some awesome flavor if you do that. 

Garden Fresh Pesto

1/2 cup Cashews (soaked in water for 1-4 hours)
2 Scallions, green parts only
1 Tbs Garlic
2 cups Basil leaves
3 Tbs Olive oil
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
4 Tbs Parmesan, grated
Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Make sure the cashews have been soaking in water for at least 1 hour. Drain them and put them in the food processor.

2. Put all of the remaining ingredients in the food processor.

3. Blend it all up until it gets a nice pasty consistency with no large chunks of cashews or basil leaves (if you want it thinner just add more oil).

4. Use right away with basically any meal or store in a tight sealing jar. If you are storing in a jar make sure there is a layer of olive oil on top so the pesto doesn't spoil or turn brown. 

Easy right? This recipe yields about 12 oz.



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Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups

In the mornings I've usually been in a hurry or running out the door to get to work on time, leaving little time to make breakfast. So having these bad boys ready to grab and go are simple a treat! This is probably the easiest recipe I've made all week. I came home from work the other day and had a sweet tooth craving that would NOT leave me alone. I had been eating lots of berries that day so I wanted to mix it up.

Thank the skies above for APPLES! Apples that come in big bags! Crisp and tart when consumed raw, soft and sweet when baked. 

Apples are grown everywhere and are easy to find year round in nearly every store that carries fresh produce. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples, resulting in a range of desired characteristics. Different cultivars are bred for various tastes and uses, including cooking, eating raw and cider production. 

About 69 million tons of apples were grown worldwide in 2010, and China produced almost half of this total. The United States is the second-leading producer, with more than 6% of world production. Turkey is third, followed by Italy, India and Poland. Apples are often eaten raw, but can also be found in many prepared foods (especially desserts) and drinks. Many beneficial health effects are thought to result from eating apples. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a typical apple serving weighs 242 grams and contains 126 calories with significant dietary fiber and modest vitamin C content, with otherwise a generally low content of essential nutrients.

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups

2 cups Oats (I use Gluten Free Rolled Oats)

1 tsp Baking powder (also Gluten Free)

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 cup Milk (I used unsweetened almond milk but you can use soy, rice or diary)

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1 Egg

1 1/2 Bananas, mashed

1 Apple, cored & diced (I used Ambrosia but you can use any variety)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. In a bowl mix the oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. 

3. Add the milk, vanilla and egg to another bowl and whisk.

4. In the oats bowl, mix in the banana and the liquid milk mixture.

5. Lastly, fold in the apples. 

6. Spray or line muffin pan and fill each muffin with 1/4 cup of the batter (This should make 12) and bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown. 

7. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to completely cool. (This is when I usually sample one)

Other Variations: 

-Adding nuts or dried fruits

-Using green apples for a more tart taste

-Adding honey for a sweeter muffin taste.

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