Feeling Burnt Out? Five Steps To Unleash Your Energy

1) Get Moving

The more that you sit in front of a computer, the less you will want to workout. At the end of your working day your body will tell you that it's tired and give you another excuse to skip your workout. But if you can motivate yourself to push through your tiredness, once you begin to move, you will be surprised to find that you feel energized. This is because movement and exercise unleash your body's energy. We are born to move. We are not born to sit down all day. The Shaolin Temple movements help us to bring our body and mind in harmony. It's only when our body and mind are working in harmony that we can feel truly energized and happy.

2) Use Your Shaolin Workout As A Refuge

We are so goal focused and driven in our work that I think it's good to take the pressure off when we do our workouts. Use this as a time to tune out of your daily life and tune into your body. Each of your workouts gives your body a different experience. There is the challenging anaerobic training from the Kung Fu Workouts, the aerobic training of running, and the internal balancing Qigong Workout. As you move through these different workouts try to be aware of the different energy-producing states and what effect they have on your mind and body. What do you feel when starting the workout? How do you feel when you've finished?

3) Become Your Best Friend

The Buddha said that it is our mind which makes the world. When I was young boy at the temple I had the arrogance to disagree with the Buddha and think he was wrong! But now I realize that he is exactly right. We can be in the most beautiful place in the world but if our minds are angry or depressed then we can't appreciate it. Our life is created by our thoughts. Thoughts can be trained just like muscles. Thoughts are energy so be aware of whether your thoughts are bringing you positive Qi or negative Qi. Tune into the positive and let go of the negative.

4) Wear Jade

If you spend most of your time in front of the computer then balance this out by going for a walk or doing some Qigong in the park. You can also wear Jade. Alongside Qigong, jade has been used for thousands of years in China as a powerful longevity tool. I know that the West doesn't have this tradition but the Chinese believe that jade is a living thing that can give us positive Qi. Not only the stone itself but also the carving. When I'm not training I wear a jade Guan Yin. I don't understand why people in the West wear jewellery made from man made material. I believe we should use every tool we have to increase our health and longevity.

5) Take One Step Today

These are four simple steps to increase your energy. I suggest you take one step a week and then by the end of the month you will have taken all of the steps. Remember, when you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur.

6 Week Transformation Challenge pictures

Woo hoo! I did it. Set some goals and achieved them. Man it feels good. I used to always take short cuts or quit and never really stick to things, hence me getting a wee excited about this!

The Fit Yummy Mummy transformation challenge has finally come to an end and I am pumped that I achieved the following goals:




1. Be consistent and workout 4 times per week


I am so pumped that I made a conscious effort to workout regardless of my situation let it be tired, couldn't be bothered or whatever excuses I typically can come up with  


2. Eat clean 90% of the time


This was amazing and really the main driver of my success, I couldn't have done it without it. Meal planner is paramount and journalling your food shows you exactly what is going in your body.


3. Do a 2 week no sugar challenge (at least 1 week)  


YAY!!! I did this and had such a great support network YOU. This is so doable and has become easier each and every time. Highly recommend it! If my 6,4,2 and 11 month old can do it, SO CAN YOU!!! They were my rock, I can't believe they wanted to participate in this challenge with me and stuck to it 100%!!!!


4. Support and connect with my FYM buddies and various social networks


My readers, FB fans, friends, family and FYM ladies really stood by me and gave me the motivation to keep going each and every day. I thank YOU ALL from the bottom of my heart.


5. Tone and strengthen my muscles


I successfully gained some muscle definition and strength (maybe not in my push ups!). My next challenge will be to increase my weights and build lean and strong muscles.


6. Lose the fluffy look 


This is still a work in progress, it's improved however I am aiming for that firm, toned look regardless of what light you're in  

My stats:

Height: 178cm (5'10")
Weight: 65kgs ~ 144lbs 64KGS ~ 141lb 
Waist (belly button): 80cm~31" 77CM ~ 30"
Hips (pubic bone) : 98cm~38" 92CM ~ 36"
Muffin top: 88cm~34.5" 84CM ~ 33"
Body Fat: 22% 17%

13CM's ~ 5.11" LOST & REDUCED MY BODY FAT BY 5 %!!!!


I'm really happy with my results as I managed to stay true to myself, journal everyday and my food was my main driver along with my workouts. It is possible to get leaner and tone with regular exercise and proper food. I did not want to lose any weight even though I did drop 1kg however hope to gain more muscle mass moving forward.



This was me in September 2011, 2 months post baby no.4 approx. weighing 77gks AKA 170lbs. I typically gained over 30kgs ~ 70lbs in my other 3 pregnancies. This was my first (and last pregnancy) putting on half the weight 18kgs ~ 40lbs.

What changed?


I started to eat clean and exercise up until my pelvis instability disfunction kicked in at 32 weeks.  



A big thank you to you all, thanks for following me and reading my posts. You can get your body back after having a baby. I hope my blog has shown you it is possible, even after 11 months of having baby Zali. 


****Stay tuned*****


My next goal is to define my muscles and kinda get a six pack happening, this is a work in progress.....

A view from a hip lift tummy crunch *****6 pack COMING SOON*****

I hope you do come back again as I am pumped to be sharing this with you all. Can't you tell how PUMPED I AM????

Please leave me your comments and thoughts on the past 6 weeks and my blog in general.....XxDani

The road is now OPEN ~ running picture

Went running this morning.....awesome with a capital "A" until I hit about 3km as I got chatting with one of the ladies in our social running group. Yup! The dreaded stitch came back!!! For those that know me, yes I like to talk. Even when I was at school sitting an exam I would somehow make conversation!!!! So maybe that threw my breathing out, all in all I was pretty stoked as I ran 4.8km AKA 3 miles. We had a couple of stops after some hefty hills but other than that, we kept running....

  

Pre run
Apple puree

Post run
Protein vanilla drink

Breakfast
Salmon flakes, 2 sunny side eggs with salad and feta cheese
latte

Morning snack
Cottage cheese with pineapple and cherries

Lunch
left over chicken mushroom fried rice


Afternoon snack
Serbian style crepes served with walnuts, lemon & honey and strawberry jam
latte

Ingredients (especially for you Celeste)
500g wholemeal flour
1tsp vanilla paste (or use vanilla essence)
rind of one lemon
sprinkle of cinnamon
1tsp apple sauce (not required though)
pinch of salt
3 eggs
500ml milk/buttermilk (or until you get the right runny consistency)


We went for a playdate and catch up this afternoon, I managed to cook my Serbian traditional "clean"pancakes while the kids played and Celeste edited the fitness photos she took last week. She even managed to get a picture of me and my famous "flip" technique that my kids love!

Now I'm just showing off, huh? Nah! Just love playing around in the kitchen really. I have so much fun!!

Dinner
Left over chicken proscuitto feta and salad wraps

Workout completed (no interval training as I thought the running was enough cardio for one day) did my resistance training 50 seconds of 5 various circuit exercises with 10 seconds rest x 4 rounds. Love this workout as it really challenges me, I kinda give up and don't go as hard with all the reps but then I just pump myself and try to go harder the next round.


Post workout drink
Vanilla protein shake with water

Over and out for me today my beautiful people. I am typing this with one eye shut. A very late night last night, early start this morning with a massive run for me. I have never ran that far with limited stops EVER in my entire 38 years on this earth!!!

Hoping your weekend has been terrific and I look forward to sharing with you my last day of the 6 week Fit Yummy Mummy transformation challenge. I can't believe it ends tomorrow? Where has the time gone? XxDani

Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes

There are several scenic day hikes within Rocky Mountain National Park that can be done separately or combined to form much longer hikes. Popular destinations can be accessed from Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge (see map below) and from several locations outside of the park. Get a map and plan your trip according to your fitness level and personal desires.

Many great hikes originate from Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge

Bear Lake is a popular spot, accessible by all, young/old, strong/weak, while Dream and Emerald Lakes are located approximately 1.1 and 1.6 miles, respectively, from Bear Lake with moderate climbs along the way, but still accessible to most. Hiking to Fern Lake, which is ~5.5 miles from Bear Lake, is steep and rugged and a little more strenuous, but you will be rewarded with fantastic views and burning quads.

We hiked a huge (~12-mile loop) beginning at Bear Lake, passing several lakes, including Odessa and Fern, before reaching the beautiful Fern Falls (Note that it's quicker to access Fern Falls via the Fern Lake Trailhead, only a 2.7-mile hike). We passed several named and unnamed waterfalls before making a sharp southernly turn at the popular "Pool" and Cub Lake. Continuing on through Mill Creek Basin, we returned to Bear Lake nearly 7 hours later.

Near Dream Lake

There are many other popular destinations on this side of the park including:

• Lake Haiyaha, ~2.1 miles from Bear Lake
• Alberta Falls, ~0.8 miles from Glacier Gorge Junction
• Mills Lake, ~2.5 miles from Glacier Gorge Junction
• Lake of Glass, ~4.2 miles from Glacier Gorge Junction

Plan ahead based on your own fitness level and personal desires. There are significan uphill/downhill portions that can be challenging if you're not in good physical condition. The elevations average about 10,000 feet, plenty high enough to get altitude sickness, especially if you're hiking hard and not staying properly hydrated. Furthermore, the weather can change quickly and afternoon thunderstorms are common during the summer so be prepared. When we hiked these trails, we were blessed by the sight of grouse, elk, deer, marmots, picas, chipmunks, squirrels, and jays.

There are a few places to filter water and fill up your water bottle along the way.

Trailheads are accessible by the National Park hiker shuttle, which quits running at 8:00pm at night. Due to construction in the park, car access is limited to before 9:00am and after 4:00pm. However, if you take the shuttle, not only is it more ecologically friendly, but you can also avoid the $20 park entrance fee.

There are several great trails that originate outside of the park that will also get you within the park boundaries; however, be prepared for a couple thousand feet of elevation change. Estes Cone, for example, is accessible starting outside of the national park at Lily Lake.

Sweaty self portrait at the top of Estes Cone

Estes Cone at 7:30pm at the conclusion
of our hike with thunderstorms surrounding us.

Be sure to carry plenty of food and water, a water filter, extra clothes, rain poncho, flashlight, and emergency supplies, including cell phone (there's intermittent service on the trails). The number of people on the trails decreases exponentially as you get further from the trailheads, a mixed blessing since there's no one around in case you run into problems.


~Lori Dotson, CPT, CPFT, PES, BA, MS
President, DotsoFit, LLC

Copyright © 2012

Shopping for your body shape

Today was an unreal day. I had such a great time shopping with Kelly. She's going out with the girls tomorrow night and asked if I could help her piece together some looks and refresh her wardrobe style.

So after my morning of household duties and fitting in a collage with the kids, we went shopping....

Mietta and Oscar designing their collage. Who knew contact would turn into artwork?

Breakfast
Home made muesli with banana, strawberries and walnuts
2 pieces of wholemeal toast with coconut butter

Morning snack
Protein balls
Mix almond meal with 180 Nutrition coconut protein powder, blend with dates and roll in desiccated coconut. Chill until set.
latte

Lunch
left over lasagna, in the car on my way......

TO GO SHOPPING!!!!

I LOVE to style people and bring back the confidence in them!!!

Now styling is all about your body shape, personality and what colours look good on you. Always keep in mind your body shape and how certain colours and designs can enhance your figure as well as compliment your contours but hide the muffin top at the same time. 

Trust me, I had all the "cover up" solutions for a muffin top; 

1. Grandma underwear that stretched up over my belly up to my bra 
2. Belly bands
3. Girdles that sucked me in that much I couldn't breath and 
4. Layers, layers and more layers to cover the bump or bulge from my underwear, jeans and where my top tucked in 

All this hard work just to "cover up" the unnecessary baggage I was holding onto. For what? That block of chocolate, packet of chips, fizzy drinks or the couch I sat on every night wondering why I was so unfit and not motivated to make a change etc... It was too hard!!! Being healthy and fit, is hard work. If it were easy we would all be sitting on the couch stuffing our faces with chocolate as we looked down upon our glorious 6 pack! :-)))) ha aha 

Back to shopping.....

It's also very important to dress for the occasion. Being over dressed makes you feel uncomfortable and under dressed awkward, so finding that in between place is always a safe way to start! So we basically started with the jeans, tops, jacket and then shoes. We decided to go bright, so bough a pair of coloured jeans (also a pair of classic black jeggins as a back up for another occasion). Throw in a bit of animal print and stripe tops, black leather jacket with some gorgeous ankle boots, we had this Mama looking funky!!! Added some accessories to finish off her look below.

I hope you have a great night out Kelly!!!

This look has been taken from one of my favourite online stores Birdsnest 

Afternoon snack
Yogurt with cherries

Dinner
Quick 5 mins pizza's on wholemeal wraps

No workout today ~ day of rest

I hope you had a fabulous Friday and see you tomorrow xxDani

3 Essential Ingredients For Powerful Kicks - Part 2

In last week's post I wrote about the 3 essential ingredients, here I show how to make these ingredients work for you. 

Strength
People sometimes think if you want to make your shin and feet strong you need to kick hard things all the time but this is  wrong. If you want to make your leg hard then the first thing you need to do is have good stamina, if you don’t have stamina it’s not possible for your leg to be strong as you won’t have energy. It’s like a car without petrol, it simply can’t move, you won’t be able to lift your leg up or kick therefore you have lost everything.

This is the reason why stamina is so important. After you have gained stamina you then work on your flexibility and then you can work on your speed and power and then you can start on the conditioning training for your leg.

Iron Leg
The best way to warm up is to do the Si Bi Quan form from my Workout One DVD. This form consists of two ingredients: stamp and punch, the more power you can use with the stamp, the more you will build the power of your leg muscles and bone.  This movement is simple and useful. After doing this form you can then start to do bag work.

Kick Bags
It’s best to kick different bags, some hard and some soft so that your body can get used to kicking different weights. Soft bags eat energy and if you have a powerful kick then you have to hold your power otherwise you may get an injury. This is all part of the training.  When you go in the ring, people’s bodies are different, people move differently so it’s best to be as adaptable as you can when you train. Keep changing your combinations and the bags that you work on.

Kick Bamboo
After we have kicked bags we then kick bamboo. Bamboo is better than wood because it is both soft and hard at the same time. If you have ever been into a bamboo forest, then you will have seen the trees bending with the direction of the wind and this is why  they are  incredibly strong.

When you embark on kicking bamboo you have to be careful. Never try this alone but always train under a qualified teacher. You need to have a good understanding of your body, take the training step by step and keep listening to your body.

Qigong
When we do this hard training we also practice Qigong to look after our bodies and our legs. One of our Qigongs is called Bone Marrow Cleansing Qigong because it literally cleans our bone marrow. We use an Instant Health Massage brush to massage ourselves. This is the first step to body conditioning and it is a powerful way to open our meridian channels.

After we have finished our body conditioning we then use traditional medicine. I make my medicine every two years. It comes from a traditional recipe from the Shaolin Temple but there may be slight variations depending on the Shaolin Master's  personal experience and the type of body conditioning that they do. It is very different from fight oil that many fighters use. Fight oil only penetrates the skin where as the body conditioning tincture goes right into the bones and helps to strengthen the bones, helps the blood to flow and protects the skin.

How To Use
All of these ingredients make your leg into a weapon but this doesn’t mean that you know how to use this weapon or that you are a good fighter, it just means that you have a sharp weapon. So the first thing you need to do is link your punch and kick together and learn how to trick people so that you can get through their defenses. How do you fight with different people? Some people have good kicks, others good knee, other good elbows. At the Shaolin Temple we usually choose one good traditional technique and combine that with our fighting punches and kicks. We then spar against many different opponents to test ourselves and hone our skill.


Mind Control
When we fight in the ring, the judge says start and no one knows what will happen. This is why we practice our fighting kicks over and over again and we imagine many different opponents so that we can be ready for anything and even though we have no control of the outcome, in our mind all of our training gives us an inner confidence and this gives us the control.

Fore more information visit: http://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/

Pretty excited today!!!!

What started off as a pretty average nights sleep, ended up being a day full of high energy! Well this is me showing you how pumped I was this morning!!!

Baby Zali had an unsettled sleep. Waking up at 2am, then at 3am and before I knew it, I was feeding her Vita Brits at 3:45am with one eye shut. WTH? Cut a long story short, I was super tired this morning. I thought the motto "once an excuse queen, always an excuse queen" was going to kick in but no. I just got up and did my workout. Got the blood pumping and it navigated my entire day with excitement!!! Seriously, I must have some happy gas leaking in my house somewhere?? I just want to explain to you how it makes me feel, so if you ever have those down days and couldn't be bothered (which tends to set your mood for the rest of the day) IT CAN be different,  you're the one THAT CAN make that change.

Pre & post workout meal/drink
Apple puree
Vanilla protein powder with water

Workout completed 50/10 circuit this has been such a challenging workout for me that I am really noticing my muscle definition. I don't have massive weights only 4.5kgs as I am easing back into my exercises. Due to my severe pelvis instability, I have been advised not to do high impact exercises or over exert myself hence just taking things slow.

Breakfast was kinda morning snack (had a sleep in)
Breakfast protein bar
Apple
latte on the go!

You guys are gonna kill me as I just put all these ingredients together without measuring. If you are interested in this recipe, I will make every effort next time I make these to give you approx. measurements. Off memory when I looked up protein bar recipes online a few years ago, they count as 300 calories per bar. My mix made approx. 8 bars (I made them last night and they set in the fridge).

Oats, coconut, walnuts, peanuts, cranberries, vanilla protein, chia seeds & milk. Sprinkle cocoa powder.

It was great to catch up with Kelly today, she made us a lovely salad lunch and apple cinnamon bfast cookies by my fav chef Teresa Cutter. They were so delicious (sugar free) and I will definitely be making them!


Lunch
Super vegetable salad
1 cookie and coffee

Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives, capers, avocado, feta cheese, stuffed olives & cucumbers

Afternoon snack
Banana and nuts

I also made a special surprise pop in at CAKE today with the kids after school, remember the macaroon "special treat" visit with Celeste last week? Well.... our kids have been so super with their less sugar foods that I surprised them by a little treat AKA baby chino and muffin. They were over the moon!!!!

None for me, slowly learning self control. Although I did have a little sample of Mietta's :-)

Dinner
Super quick chicken & veg fried rice (not really fried, rice was just tossed through)

Zali's was just pureed for my convenience as I wanted her to eat and not play and eat :-)

I originally planned lamb cutlets but my butcher didn't have them so I just settled for chicken that I already had in the fridge. Also the ingredients I had at home.

1. Ingredients 2. Brown chicken 3. Sautee onions, bacon & mushrooms. Squeeze some mustard 4. Add stock

Ingredients
Chicken tenderloins (add S&P)
Chicken stock
Mushrooms
Bacon
Onion
Sour cream
Corn flour
Dijon mustard
Frozen peas

Method
In a frypan heat olive oil and brown the chicken, set aside. Add onions & bacon then mushrooms, sauté until mushrooms soften. Add mustard and sprinkle some corn flour. Stir well, add chicken stock and chicken. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add peas and allow to simmer for another 10mins.
I used my brown rice cheat microwave pack and threw that in the mix at the end and chopped up some herbs with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt (whichever you prefer).

Really quick and ready in 15 minutes or so.

Okay, off to tidy this place as I left this morning for a mental health "home duties" day off! Sometimes it's ok not to leave your home beautiful and just enjoy life outside for a change!!!!

Hope you're all well. Sending you loads of xx'oo's Dani

SATISFACTION

Watermelons are BACK!!! YEAH

What a fabulous word…YES…I would have to say that I am content with a lot of things.  I do not have to look for approval or contentment outside of myself, worrying about the whole “I am not good enough” thing.  Maybe, when I was younger and not older and wiser like today, I would run around trying to please everyone, and put my own feelings aside and even to a non boundary fault…YUCK YUCK…and OH did I say YUCK.  This journey I call life has blessed me with many discoveries of positive growth and has opened my eyes to seeing all that I have gone through as part of that process.  If you have read my bio, you can understand a bit of what I am talking about.

I want to really dig deeper into my satisfaction though as it relates to my fitness and maintaining ME at 48.  YES…I am serious about my health, maintain a good quality of life, and the outer shell benefits of that…of course…LOVE it.   I would not be truthful with you if I did not admit that.  The point I am trying to make is that I am content…I do not need to look further , to look better, to be thinner, to be leaner, to be more muscular…I am truly content with my work and maintenance feels over the top satisfying .  I can and do get satisfaction each day as I live being the BEST me with all my limitations…I am GOOD.

I have been around the block to hear and see so many people who are not happy even when they reach their goals and even living their goals…meaning a healthy lifestyle…it is still not enough.   It saddens me because that is a deeper issue…the one that haunts within, the one that may creep in from the past or be caused by the past or even the present.  Let me tell you being a positive advocate for counseling, therapy, and woman of strong faith …this would be the time to visit that part of life…to see what the heck is going on to cause such unhappiness and nonacceptance of self.  Been there, done that, and greatly appreciative of all that I have learned and having God on my side through the process…HIP HIP HOORAY, HEALED, and Happily Ever After Content!

Daughters are Fabulous

I look at myself and NO…no longer that 20 something that I see in both my daughter and stepdaughter…absolute peaches and cream skin beauties they are…WOW…I marvel in that for them.  But that is how it is supposed to be…48 comes with love lines, and battle scars that I have earned from my journey of life, having children,  surgeries, and the overall aging process…I mean really…am I supposed to look 20 something... A BIG NO…I am being real here…seriously…and I will not undergo any process on my face to take away the privilege and honor of being ME.  Will I do my BEST to be my BEST…of course…I am trendy, not frumpy, and love to feel sexy.  Being healthy satisfies all those things for me and that is who I want to be…ME. 

I believe in the word “enough”, and when it comes to my fitness…it is good enough.  Satisfaction applies to so many things in my life…the contentment of being healthy is just a part of Darla…I do not believe that the grass is greener on the other side, wanting to outdo the “Jones’” , and that more is better.  I do believe in the saying “I may not have the best of everything but I make the BEST of everything I have”, that less is more, enjoying the simple things, in not sweating the small stuff, and in daily miracles.  It is important for me to feel satisfaction, contentment, and value every moment...If I did not do that…I do not think that life would make sense.  You may see Darla, the fitness expert, but let me introduce you to Darla, the satisfied person.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS

 

 

 

 

 

GREAT MOTIVATION TO MOVE IDEA

 

 

 

 

 

Stay Healthy Quinoa Chicken with Sun dried Tomato & Fresh Basil

 

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

 

Have a Fabulous Week!

 

Stay Healthy!

Darla:)

 

My push up video for a laugh :-)

Hello everyone, I hope this post finds you well. We had a great day today. I hope you get a bit of a laugh with my x2 push up attempts. Yes, embarrassingly enough I have a very weak upper body. Go figure??? I will persevere and vlog another push up attempt.

Breakfast
Porridge pear with cinnamon

Morning snack
Cottage cheese and fruit parfait
latte

I placed a tablespoon of cottage cheese, then 4 slices of kiwi fruit, sprinkled some granola AKA toasted muesli followed by some more cottage cheese, chopped fruit and sprinkled some walnuts. Super easy and very fun to do with Mietta.

We toasted our home made muesli under the griller for approx. 5 minutes for added crunch!

Here's the birds eye view.....

Oh yes my new favourite cinnamon flavoured latte!!! Yummo!!!

Latte (full cream) with sprinkle of cinnamon

Mietta and I also managed to do some painting this morning, here she is with her little master piece!

We went over to Celeste's house for a play and of course to get my footage on my 2 push up goal for this week. So drum roll please.........don't hold your breath, I didn't achieve my goal. So I'll post my next vlog doing them in a row without collapsing on my knees!!! Any tips out there, I'd love to hear from you!!!!!

She also took some fitness shots which I'll share in some later posts as well. Man! I take my hat off to all those blue steel models out there, it's a tough gig posing in front of a camera.


Lunch
Salmon salad on the go

If there is something I have learned with this clean eating, it's preparation!!! Of course if I haven't got time and heading straight out the door of course I will order take away but typically try a healthy version these days. I can't remember the last time I had a Drive Thru cheese burger from McDonalds or Hungry Jacks AKA Burger King. Although we do call that our extreme emergency food when we are travelling late and our far road trips eg: 2hrs and we don't get home on time to cook, eat dinner before lights out!

Afternoon snack
Handful of almonds and x1 banana
3 sugar free cookies


Dinner
15min super quick vegetable and beef lasagne

As you know I made a huge batch of bolognese sauce last week and I manage to put carrots and zucchini in the mix. I also thought I'd add more veggies to this meal by grilling the eggplant and using it as one of the layers. The mushrooms I quickly sauteed and added in the mince mixture.

Frozen bolognese sauce, eggplant, parmesan cheese, mountain "corn" bread wraps, ricotta & mushrooms

For a super quick dinner, I used the Mountain Bread Oats as my lasagne sheets. I don't feel too bloated in my belly, even though they still have some wheat in there (so it's not 100% GF) however a good option when you don't want to have a real heavy meal. My pasta sauce as you know from last week was one of my freezer batches. It typically includes other vegetables grated like carrot and zucchini but I bumped up a bit more veggies in the lasagne dish this evening with grilled eggplants and sauteed mushrooms.

Another quick béchamel sauce I do is ricotta (entire 375g tub) with an egg and parmesan cheese. I also sprinkle some nutmeg. I slice the eggplant length ways as its quicker for grilling purposes, then squeeze lemon juice over them. Then lightly spray my casserole dish, layer the mountain bread, eggplant, bolognese sauce, white sauce and then repeat the process. It literally takes 10-15mins on 200C degrees as everything is pretty much cooked except for the egg in the ricotta.

I hope you all had a great day and please let me know if I am over loading you with pictures, as I tend to document my life with my Iphone daily!!! As you may be aware, I am a very visual kinda girl.

Okay, it's date night tonight so we're watching Super 8 and I think I'll indulge in one of those chocolate banana with vanilla protein smoothies :-))) for dessert.

Over and out xx Dani