Workout Wednesday: Must Have Exercise Equipment…

Hey my friends 👋🏼

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite exercise equipments that is a must have.

Before the pandemic, my siblings and myself were attending the gym on a regular basis. One of my favorite parts about the gym was attending the ballet barre classes every Saturday morning. Ballet barre definitely tones and strengthens the body.

Low and behold for almost an entire year the gym was shutdown and we did not have access to a lot of the equipments. Sure you could attend classes via zoom. But how could I possibly do my ballet barre workout without the actual barre? Sure you can use a dining room chair or the edge of a table, but it’s just not the same.

So I decided to go on Amazon (because they sell just about everything you need) and purchased a ballet barre.

Let me tell you, this was a great purchase. Not only is it a sturdy barre, but it’s portable…mind blown!

I definitely recommend anyone looking to tone their bodies to purchase a ballet barre. It’s also perfect for ballet dancers to practice at home.

Here’s the link if you’re interested in getting one of your own.

https://www.amazon.com/shop/nawaterman

Meatless Mondays: Vegan Jambalaya

Hey my friends 👋🏼

For those of you that know me, you know that I don’t eat rice.  I actually despise it.  I always get asked the question, “How can you be an island girl and don’t eat rice?”

Well let me say this, I might not eat rice, but one of my popular vegan dishes is the jambalaya.  I personally can’t brag to you about how delicious it is, but my guests can definitely attest to it.

As we know, traditional jambalaya includes sausage, chicken and shrimp.  Obviously for the vegan version, we technically will not include the traditional meats.  Technically??? Just follow along…

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Beyond hot sausage
  • 3/4 cup of onions diced
  • 3/4 cup peppers diced
  • 1 cup of long grain rice
  • 1/2 Firm tofu cut into cubes
  • 1 packet of Creole seasoning or 2 tbsp of old bay seasoning
  • 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups of vegetable broth

Slice all of the sausage. Turn on your frying pan to medium and add a little extra virgin olive oil. Put half of the sausage in the pan with 1/4 cup of the diced onion and 1/4 cup of the pepper. Sauté…

While the sausage is cooking, fill the pot with the vegetable broth and the extra virgin olive oil. Add the rice, the remaining sausage, peppers and onions. Now add the sliced tofu and seasoning. Mix the ingredients, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20-25 mins or until the liquid is absorbed. Make sure you stir occasionally so the rice doesn’t begin to stick.

Once you plate the jambalaya, top it off with the sausage, onion and peppers that you sautéed. Enjoy 😋

Happy National Donut 🍩 Day!!!

Hey my friends!

In honor of National Donut Day, I wanted to share my coconut vegan donut recipe with you all.  The best part…it’s an easy recipe.

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Almond extract
  • 1/2 cup Coconut milk
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • Pure coconut oil melted
  • Coconut flakes
  • 1 tbsp Vegan butter melted (preferably almond)
  • 1 tbsp Apple sauce

     Glaze

  • 2 tsp coconut milk
  • Confectioner sugar
  • 1 tsp Almond extract

Let’s get started…

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray donut pan with coconut spray or canola oil spray, then set aside.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients… coconut milk, applesauce, almond extract and melted butter.

Start mixing in the dry mixture into the wet mixture

Pour the batter into the donut pan

Bake in the oven for 8-10 mins. 

While baking, let’s make the glaze.  Pour one cup of confectioner sugar in a bowl, then add the tsp of almond extract and tsp of coconut milk. Mix until all blended together. You’ll need to add the second tsp of coconut milk because you want a syrupy consistency.

So now you have two options with your donuts:  you can leave the donut baked and begin to dip it in the glaze while still warm, then dip into the coconut flakes…

Or you can place the donut in a heated coconut oil.  This option gives you more of a traditional tasting donut.  Once removed, follow the same directions as above for topping.

Enjoy 😋