cassie

I hope you had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and that you enjoyed lots of delicious food and quality time with your family! I know I certainly did! I filled up on some delicious veggies like dijon brussel sprouts, gluten free stuffing and butternut squash with kale and apple. I even contributed some skinny sweets like vegan chocolate covered ‘caramels’ made from dates and almond butter as well as my vegan pumpkin oat balls! I ate reasonably but somehow still feel kinda yucky post-Thanksgiving and wanted to get myself back in line. I wanted to provide you guys with five easy tips to help you do the same because I know the holidays are a diet danger zone for most of us and it’s pretty impractical to do a full on detox or juice cleanse when you have holiday parties up the wazoo and family gatherings at every turn. So instead, just take these five, relatively simple steps seriously and put them into action. I guarantee you will start feeling better and looking better after just a few days!

FIVE TIPS FOR SLIMMING DOWN FOR YOUR HOLIDAY PARTIES

1. HYDRATE. I can’t stress how important drinking enough water is, especially this time of year! Drinking water is always crucial to helping you feel good, digest well and keeping your hunger at bay but with all the sugary concoctions tempting you at every corner this holiday season you need your H2O to stay strong. Drinking around 8 glasses a day will help your body de-bloat and flush out toxins, so not only will you look better, you’ll feel better! Who doesn’t want that?

2. ADD VEGGIES. Instead of focusing on what you shouldn’t be eating, why not focus on what you SHOULD be eating at every meal, veggies!! Want to feel better, have more energy and slim down? Well, it’s time to fall in love with veggies! I love to challenge my clients with eating 3 vegetables a day to get them in the habit of incorporating them into their routine but if you really want to kick it up a notch, challenge yourself to make half your plate veggies at EVERY meal. You’ll start filling up on the good stuff and be less tempted to mindlessly eat those christmas cookies hanging around the office.

3. SIP SOME TEA. Tea is a wonderful, wonderful thing. In my opinion, it’s nature’s medicine, you name an ailment, there’s probably a tea for it! I love peppermint tea for settling my stomach, ginger tea for improving digestion and oolong tea for digesting fats. It’s cold outside and we all love a nice, steaming hot beverage to warm our hands and tummy with but start choosing teas this season instead of that eggnog latte. You will feel SO MUCH better and your waistline will thank you.

4. SKIP SWEETS, MOST OF THE TIME. Don’t hate me for this one. I don’t like excluding anything, that’s why I say “most of the time” but if you want to get down to business and see an improvement in a minimal amount of time, sometimes you got to be a little stricter than normal. Processed food in general will keep that nice insulated layer around your middle but sweets, I feel, are particularly tempting culprits during the holidays. There’s chocolate, cookies, gingerbread houses, cupcakes, etc, everywhere you turn, which is why I say CHOOSE WISELY. I love sweets, obviously, but I’m very careful to make sure I’m getting the best bang for my calorie buck. I think a good rule of thumb is to pick one day a week where you allow yourself to indulge in a special decadent treat. Save it for those amazing cupcakes your girl friend makes ( wink, wink) or your mother’s bread pudding, something special and delicious. Don’t waste it on some store bought cake or overdone cookies from someone at work. Be smart with your sweets!

5. GET MOVING. I will be the first one to tell you that losing weight is 70% diet and 30% exercise. So why does ‘get moving’ even make my top five you ask? It’s for your own sanity! The holidays can be an incredibly stressful time and it is SO important to release some of that stress and anxious energy in physical activity. Take care of yourself! Working out will help keep your stress levels down, burn some calories and keep you on track for your happiest, healthiest body. It’s so easy to forget about taking care of ourselves in the season that’s all about giving to others, let exercise be your me time! Just remember that you are the best version of yourself for your loved ones when you are taking care of YOU! So make yourself, job one and don’t skimp on your exercise and self care.

I hope you find these tips helpful! I promise if you really put them in to action they will absolutely help you get through the holiday season feeling great and looking slim. I do still have a couple coaching slots available, so if you’re serious about getting into gear and need a partner to help you achieve your happiest, healthiest body – take action! Reach out, email me at gosweetandskinny@gmail.com (or just reply to this email) and let’s schedule a 30 minutes skype breakthrough session to help us get to know each other and see what goals we can accomplish together.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

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A yummy nut milk can be a saving grace while juicing. I know that’s how I first fell in love with cashew milk! I made my first batch a couple years ago during a made at home juice fast to quell my late night stomach grumbles and fell quickly in love with this easy recipe and delicious ‘milk’!
Cashews are nature’s Prozac, they increase your feel good hormones and in my own opinion, make you feel all warm and fuzzy aside. So you can imagine what a delicious and soothing drink this can be. It’s also loaded with protein and is great post work out as a healthier substitute for a protein shake.

Cashew Milk
1 cup of cashews
2 cups water
Tsp of vanilla extract
Optional – agave, unsweetened cocoa powder or spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves)

Soak your cashews in one cup of water overnight or for at least 4-6 hours. Drain nuts and add them to a blender with one cup of (new) water. Add vanilla extract and whatever other flavorings you desire. I love to use some unsweetened cocoa powder for a decadent but healthy treat – it’s almost like a chocolate milk shake! Although, I have been a huge fan of adding cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves during the holidays because it gives it more of an eggnog like flavor. Have fun, be creative and enjoy!

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My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is really all the gratitude that goes around. Nothing is better than getting texts from your friends about how grateful they are to have you in their life. But why should we wait for just one day a year to share all we’re grateful for?! I say write a list of your top 10 things your grateful for and read it over every morning. Can you think of a more wonderful way to start off your day? Give it a whirl, here’s my list!

1. YOU! Where would I be with out my lovely Go Sweet and Skinny readers?! Many of you have been with me for years watching the growth and evolution of the site (and me!) and for that I’m eternally grateful. It’s so inspiring to see how many people read the blog and to hear from you guys trying out all my recipes! It makes my heart smile everyday just thinking about you!

2. My family! I am so blessed to have a wonderful, caring and supportive family. They always have my back and I couldn’t ask for a better bunch of people to be related to. Their loving guidance is never more than a phone call away and their doors are always open.

3. My friends! I have always been so lucky when it comes to surrounding myself with wonderful, supportive and loving people. My old friends have been with me through thick and thin, I’m so grateful for their continuous love and support regardless of how crazy out lives have been! This year I’ve had the pleasure of making a TON of new friends through business endeavors and experiences and it has been nothing short of spectacular having these peeps in my life. You guys all know who you are and I love you all oodles!

4. My boyfriend! I’ve only known my boyfriend a few months but I’m incredibly grateful to have him in my life. He is such a loving, caring and supportive presence and it’s priceless having a partner who makes you smile day in and day out. Our stress free loving relationship is the best gift a girl could ask for.

5. Charlie! This little guy ( my westie puppy) lives with my parents and I can not wait to receive all his licks and cuddles when I’m home for the holidays!

6. My health coaching clients! I have the best clients in the world. They inspire me everyday with their hard work and determination to take care of themselves and their bodies. I truly feel most alive when I’m working with you guys! You make my heart smile!

7. My gurus! Gabby Bernstein, Kris Carr, Marie Forleo, Lynan Saperstein, Danielle LaPorte, Marianne Williamson and beyond. These kick ass, trailblazing women blow my mind day after day and inspire me to follow my heart and live my dreams. I have an amazing life doing what I love and I truly have these amazing role models to thank for keeping me on track and inspired day after day!

8. My healthy body! Virgil had it right when he said,” the greatest wealth is health”. I’m very grateful for my healthy body and strong immune system. It’s something we all to often take for granted till it leaves us.

9. Meditation and yoga!
 I’ve always had a love affair with yoga but I truly got married to meditation this year and it has completely changed my life. Meditation has given me relief and piece of mind that I never thought possible. It truly empowers me to live my best life and I’m grateful the universe brought it into my life this year.

10. ABC! This year I was blessed with the tremendous opportunity of appearing on abc’s The Taste. In my audition, not only did I get to make my famous vegan cupcakes on network TV but I had the honor of watching such famous foodies like Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Marcus Samuelson and Ludo Lefebvre eat them! Words can’t express my gratitude or the love I have for all of the amazing people I met while out in LA. They will truly be in my life forever – love you guys!!

I don’t know about you but I’m glowing just thinking about all these wonderful blessings I have in my life! Do yourself a favor and take a moment to do this yourself. It’s a lovely way to start each day and a great tool for turning a frown upside down.

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Cauliflower purée is one of my absolute favorite comfort foods! It’s one of my very first veggie indulgences and it’s super easy to make vegan! Obviously it’s still very good if your personal preference is to add in the butter but trust me, this is delicious just as it is!

vegan cauliflower purée
head of cauliflower
3 cups of almond milk
2 garlic cloves (or ten peeled garlic)
2 tbsp of earth balance soy free “butter”
1 chopped white onion
A sprig of rosemary

Pour almond milk into saucepan and add your head of cauliflower (broken into smaller pieces), peeled garlic cloves, onion and rosemary. Let it boil and then simmer till the cauliflower is thoroughly cooked. Remove the rosemary and drain the rest of the contents, keeping the almond milk on the side. Place cauliflower, onion and garlic into a food processor or blender and purée. Add almond milk little by little till you have a nice, smooth and creamy texture. Now add some cold vegan butter and stir it in. Salt and add remaining butter to taste. Let cool and enjoy!

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There is absolutely NOTHING I love more than fall flavors but recently, after a trip to L.A., I started falling hard for Indian food! Dare I say I crave it endlessly?!! So naturally when I was in the kitchen thinking of some healthy, delicious thanksgiving sides I couldn’t help but put a little Indian spin on an old favorite! Easy to make and absolutely delicious, I highly recommend trying this recipe out!

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Indian Style Butternut Squash
1 butternut squash
2 tbsp of coconut oil
2 tsp of tumeric
2 tsp of curry powder
2 tsp of gram marsala
1 can of light coconut milk
A handful of unsweetened coconut flakes for garnish

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, skin and chop your squash into manageable pieces. Place the squash pieces in a glass baking dish(Pyrex) and drizzle coconut oil (also can use olive oil) evenly across the pieces. Sprinkle your tumeric, curry and gram Marsala seasonings to your discretion and put in the oven for 45 minutes. Once they are finished baking, either place them in a blender/food processor or just place them in a bowl to be mashed by hand. Slowly add in 1/4 cup of coconut milk and mash. Continue adding another 1/4 cup till you reach your desired consistency! Scoop out and serve with a sprinkle of coconut shreds on top!

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I don’t know about you but as soon as the NYC winter starts coming, so do my intense cravings for hot cocoa! Ever since I was a kid I’ve absolutely LOVED hot chocolate! Never was a big fan of chocolate milk or sugary beverages but once the temperature got low, I craved that sweet, body warming goodness all too frequently!

Of course, I needed to come up with a healthier alternative and a dairy free one to boot! So once the NYC winter temps started rearing their ugly heads earlier this week, I got to experimenting! Oh, such hard work I had to do, drinking all that dairy free hot cocoa! Here’s my favorite concoction – the picture does not do it justice! Sadly my whipped coconut cream and sprinkles of vegan, gluten free chocolate chips melted and sunk to the bottom before I could grab the camera. However, I’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot more of these beauties on Instagram this winter!

Dairy Free Hot Cocoa
ingredients per single serving
1 cup of almond milk
3 tbsps of unsweetened cocoa powder (my favorite is Valrhona Cacao powder!)
1 can of coconut milk
Handful of mini chocolate chips

Easy as pie to make! First, pour your can of coconut milk into your mixer, place a towel over the head and keep it whipping at medium speed. This will whip your coconut milk while you heat your hot chocolate. If your coconut isn’t getting thick you can add a tsp of xantham gum to help it along. Next, heat your almond milk on the stove in a small saucepan and stir in your cocoa till it’s your favorite temp and chocolatey-ness. When your hot cocoa is done, place it in a mug, dollop some of your whipped coconut milk and sprinkle some mini vegan chocolate chips! Perfect! You have a delicious, sweet winter treat with out all the bad stuff, so you can enjoy it all season long guilt free!

In honor of GoSweetandSkinny.com’s Fall of Fitness, I’ve called in women’s weight lifting guru and certified personal trainer (and one of my lovely girlfriends!), Kaitlin Holiday to answer a few questions about working out for us less than savvy gym goers! Stay tuned for the whole series, this particular video is about WHY WOMEN SHOULD WEIGHT LIFT 🙂

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“Everything we do is infused with the energy we do it with” – wise words from one of my spiritual gurus, Miss Marianne Williamson! Hit all too close to home this morning when I overslept my alarm and woke up when I was supposed to be on my way to set for the day. Absolutely worst way to wake up, right?! Despite having set at least five alarms, my body obviously didn’t feel like cooperating this AM. Naturally, I’m frantic, trying to remedy the situation and completely beating myself up but as soon as I caught my breath and was on my way I had to have a mini intervention. First, I serendipitously saw this quote and secondly, I knew that there was nothing my self-loathing was helping at the moment. So I put my big girl panties on, took a few deep breathes and allowed myself to be human. In that minute I made the choice to continue the rest of my day in peace instead of letting that frantic energy resonate with everything I did for the rest of the day. I hope this can inspire and move you to face your Mondays (and any other days) with love and peace. Maybe you can do one better than me and make that choice for peace before you get too far into that negative spiral! Our days will go as positively as our mindset allows, so let’s all have Marvelous Monday!

Peace, Love and Cupcakes,

Cassandra

I LOVE pumpkin and these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are sooo easy to make and delicious, they are truly a “no-brainer”. In this brainless baking segment, I show you how to vamp up your old chocolate chip cookie mix and create something not only healthier and lower in fat than traditional cookies but a treat that tastes even better too!


Another YUMMY, healthy and VEGAN Halloween treat! Check out these easy to make and adorable make parfaits as well as my “hummus pumpkin patch” video for fun, festive and HEALTHY Halloween ideas! Be sure to subscribe to my youtube channel while your there!

Watch me make this EASY, healthy and VEGAN Halloween treat! Your friends, your kids, everyone at your Halloween is going to fall in love with this adorable, good for you treat!

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This whole meal was inspired by a Japanese eggplant that was given to me by a friend I work with! I love eggplant and I couldn’t wait to make something delicious with it. It turned out surprisingly delicious considering I mostly just used whatever I had laying around in the kitchen and lucky for me I had enough left over to eat it again for lunch! Give a whirl yourself..

JAPANESE EGGPLANT OVER QUINOA

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water/veggie broth
place in a saucepan and stir while boiling till all the liquid has evaporated. Season as needed and set aside.

1 Japanese eggplant
1 bundle of asparagus
1 package of edamame
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped ginger
2 or 3 tbsp of ginger infused olive oil

2 cups red table wine
1 cup plum sauce
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 tbsp of olive oil

First, thinly slice your eggplant and lay it out on paper towels to help absorb some of it’s natural water. Chop asparagus and add to a large frying pan with ginger infused olive oil, half your garlic and half your ginger. Add in the shelled edamame and finally your eggplant slices. Keep the veggies moving around and the heat on low-medium while you work on the sauce.

For the sauce, in a separate sauce pan, put your chopped shallots, the leftover ginger and garlic, and olive oil and sautée. After they have cooked for a bit, add in your plum sauce and red wine and let it reduce on medium to low heat. Sauce is ready when it has a medium thickness.

Assemble your dish by placing quinoa on the plate first, then veggies and top of with a drizzle of your red wine sauce! Enjoy!