The Best 10 Minute Workout DVD’s by Layla of Wish Fulfillment Everyday
PIN IT!Layla, what do I say about Layla? Besides the fact that she is the most inspirational, strong and amazing person I know! She’s hilarious, sassy and not afraid to say what she thinks, which is why we are such good friends. I’m so happy I “met” her through Twitter because she makes my days infinitely better! Thank you Layla for guest posting while I’m getting ready for my honeymoon!
Hi y’all! I’m Layla from Wish Fulfillment Every Day, and I was thrilled when Claire asked me to write a guest post for her while she’s off in weddingland! I met Claire through my favorite thing ever, Twitter, and we became fast friends. I’ve followed along on her wedding planning journey with great impatience – I know it’s going to be a beautiful wedding. I’m so excited for her and Elliot and I can’t wait to see photos! (I may or may not have threatened to crash her wedding….and I totally would have if I were able.)
I wanted to tell you guys about some fitness DVD’s that have been a total lifesaver for me. If you’ve ever had an injury or just fell off the workout wagon before, you know how difficult it is to get back on. Your stamina is just not the same, and exercises that were simple before aren’t so simple now. You may have been able to workout for an hour straight before, but are having a hard time making it through 20 minutes now. I totally get it, because I’ve been there. It’s frustrating, but it takes time.
Well, I found some DVD’s that are awesome for easing you back into it. The 10 Minute Solution DVD’s have been a godsend for me. They have a huge selection with everything from yoga, pilates, weight lifting, aerobics, etc. The best part? Each exercise is 10 minutes long. You can handle anything for 10 minutes! And each DVD has five different exercises on it, so you can do all of them if you want, just one, or you can create your own workout by combing several of them together.
Belly, Butt & Thigh Blasters was the first 10 Minute Solutions DVD I bought, and it’s definitely my favorite. It comes with the band you see in the photo; they call it a “sculpting loop.” The band adds a bit of tension during the exercises, which consist of squats, lunges, and planks. The instructor is upbeat but not annoying, and you can add several of the 10-minute exercises together to create a custom feel. The only complaint I have: since the exercises are only 10 minutes long, there isn’t much time for instruction. This is also something I love, because when you’re doing the exercises for the 50th time, you don’t want to sit through the instructions again. However, this also means that some of the moves can be a little difficult to understand and by the time you’ve figured out what you’re doing, she’s moved on. I can feel and see a difference in my butt and thighs (my trouble zones) after one week of using this DVD consistently.
Next is Slim & Sculpt Pilates. I’m not a limber person at all, but this DVD definitely helps me get a good stretch in. It also comes with a pilates band, and I feel it makes all of the difference. You use the band for tension, but you also use the band to help you keep form and to assist with stretches. Some of the exercises are best for just stretching, I don’t feel or see any real results afterward. But some of them, such as the upper body workout, WORK. Just using that band, no weights, gave me one of the best arm workouts I’ve ever had. The instructor is soothing and calm, moves in and out of moves with ease, and does a good job of explaining how to do the moves and how to hold the band.
And finally, Ultimate Boot Camp. This one is killer…I’m not kidding. I bought this while I was working out consistently and was in pretty good shape, and I struggled through it. It’s definitely a challenge (kudos to you if you can do all five of the workouts on this DVD in sequence!) but I can definitely say that it works. Not being able to fork over the funds for an outdoor boot camp in my area, I researched DVD’s that had similar exercises and found this one. You are constantly moving, jumping, running, lunging, squatting, zigging, zagging….it’s exhausting. It’s also pretty fun!
One thing to note about Belly, Butt & Thigh Blasters and Ultimate Boot camp is that there isn’t a lot of stretching at the end. I like a good stretch after a tough workout, and the one or two little stretches they throw in at the end of each 10-minute segment just won’t cut it for me. But overall, I love these DVD’s. I’m able to ease into workouts in 10-minute increments in the privacy of my own home, and no extra equipment (weights, etc) is needed! I bought all of my DVD’s at Target, and they were cheaper than they are on Amazon (hint, hint). Thanks for reading!
Decadent Brownie Yogurt Pie by Cake Duchess
Lora from cake duchess is a life saver!! She stepped in at the last minute to provide me with this amazing guest post. Lora always has the most delicious recipes on her site, including the most decadent desserts you have ever seen. On top of being an amazing baker, she is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Thank you, Lora!
Hi all, it’s Lora from Cake Duchess! Thank you Claire for having me as a guest poster! It has been so nice getting to know you and your wonderful blog. I’m so excited for you and your upcoming wedding! I made this Decadent Yogurt Pie with Chobani Yogurt. You can make this pie with any Greek yogurt. It is a rich and delicious chocolate dessert. It was a big hit with our family and I think it will be with yours too! You could even make just the filling and not the pie shell and it would be like a brownie;) Enjoy this Decadent Brownie Yogurt Pie!
Decadent Brownie Yogurt Pie
Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
- 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup ice water
- Cooking spray
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons Nutella
- 6 ounces low-fat Chobani Greek Yogurt (or any other Greek yogurt)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Dash of salt
- To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
- Combine 4.5 ounces flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until blended. Add shortening and chilled butter; pulse 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly pour ice water through food chute, processing just until blended (do not allow dough to form a ball); remove from bowl.
- Gently press mixture into a 4-inch circle; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Unwrap and place chilled dough on plastic wrap. Lightly sprinkle dough with flour; roll to a 10-inch circle. Fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a 7-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray and parchment paper. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Fold edges under, and flute.
- To prepare filling, place 3 tablespoons butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds or until butter and chocolate melt, stirring well to combine. Fold the Nutella into the chocolate mixture.
- Place vanilla and egg whites in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until foamy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar; beat until soft peaks form (about 2 minutes). Gently fold melted chocolate mixture into egg white mixture. Gently fold in the Chobani Greek Yogurt
- Lightly spoon the 1 cup flour and 1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and dash of salt in a small bowl. Fold flour mixture into egg white mixture. Pour mixture into prepared crust.
- Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean (because the topping becomes so hard, it is difficult inserting a toothpick into the top to see if it is done. I baked mine for about 40-42 minutes). Cool on a wire rack.
Mango Honey Sorbet by Amanda of Baking Without A Box
I’m pumped to feature Amanda from Baking Without a Box for a few reasons. For one, she is the cutest little Southern woman I have ever “met.” She always says the sweetest things and knows how to make you feel good about yourself and like you belong. She was one of my first foodie friends and I’m so thankful for her kindness while I’m away prepping for this crazy wedding of mine!
Hi y’all. I’m Amanda from over at Baking Without A Box. I’m usually whipping up decadent treats from scratch or even baking with booze over at my site, but for Claire and Real Nutrition, I took a departure to bring you a fool-proof easy dessert that’s healthy and fast. I can’t even rightfully call it a full recipe, it’s so quick.
I was thrilled to be asked to be one of the guest posts for Claire while she’s on her honeymoon. She’s just the sweetest, and she reminds sweet tooths like me to indulge in moderation. Plus I always enjoy her wedding and fashion updates. So here’s a sweet, healthy dessert for Claire.
I actually stole and modified this concoction from one of my many fitness magazines years ago. My husband and I are runners. We live in Southern California now where the weather is always lovely, but I started running when we met in Louisiana. Beautiful culture and people and food, but lousy hot humid weather in the 100+ degree heat of summers. My favorite post-race treat has always been a popsicle. Hands-down. Leave the protein shake and banana for later. Bring on the icy goodness on a stick. So with spring having sprung and summer (bikini season) around the corner, here’s a fast and easy dessert for you to indulge while staying true to your body.
The easiest fruit sorbet ever is throwing your favorite fruit juice in an ice cream maker and following the manufacturer’s freezing instructions. Passion fruit sorbet. Best stuff ever. But what if you don’t have an ice cream maker? This is a blender sorbet.
Mango Honey Sorbet (makes enough for 2 servings)
- 2 cups frozen mango chunks
- 1/2 c water
- 2 T honey
- 1 T lime juice (you can use lemon if you like the tart contrast)
Throw all of the above ingredients in a blender and pulse away, scraping the frozen mango off the blades and down to the center as needed to keep the mixture actually chopping. Blend to desired consistency. That’s it. Seriously. In less than 10 minutes, you’ve got a sorbet to serve after a hard training or in case unexpected company shows up.
But wait, I said fool proof. What if your mixture turns out too chunky? Call it a fruit ice. Guests won’t know the difference. What if it’s a tiny bit too runny and starting into smoothie territory? Add more mango, then put it in the freezer through preparing dinner. You can’t mess this up. It’s like a wedding. 😉 Even if something doesn’t go according to plan, it’s still absolutely fun and delicious.
Best wishes to Claire and her honey for a long life of love and laughter. Thanks for having me y’all.
Moo-less Chocolate Pie by Katie of Ruffles and Truffles
Ah, what do I say about Katie? She has become one of my closest friends and she pretty much saves my day by chatting with me on gchat every morning! Katie makes me laugh when I want to cry and helps me take my mind off the 1,000 going on. I’m so thankful to have Mrs. Compton in my life and thank you again for posting while I’M GETTING MARRIED!
Hi everyone! I’m Katie, and you can usually find me over at She Likes Ruffles, He Likes Truffles. However, I’m making a slight detour today! Typically, I like to talk about my daily fashion endeavors, my slightly neurotic tendencies, and food!
We’re going to talk about food today. Specifically: a recipe that I KNOW Claire will never make, because she claims to dislike the main ingredient. *Evil laugh…*
I’m talking about a moo-less chocolate pie. Alton Brown supplies the recipe, and how can you go wrong with Alton? Seriously.
To start: chocolate. You can use chocolate chips, but I managed to score a bag of dark chocolate Hershey’s Kisses on the day after Valentine’s Day for 75% off, so I chopped them up for this pie.
Then, I added some Kahlua and melted it all in the microwave. Mmmm.
Next: you prepare the “meat” of this pie: tofu. Yep. You heard me right. For this pie, I suggest silken tofu (aka soft tofu). It looks like this:
Make sure you open the package over the sink, because tofu is packed in liquid, and it will get all over your counter if you are dumb like me and don’t remember this fact. Anyway, throw the tofu in a processor with the melted chocolate and Kahlua…as well as honey.
Spread the mixture into a graham cracker or wafer crust. You can pick up a pre-made one, or simply throw about 5-6 graham crackers into a processor to create crumbs, pour into a pie plate, then add about 2 tablespoons of melted butter to bind the crumbs in the plate.
After the pie has been properly refrigerated, slice it up, add a dollop of whipped cream, and some chocolate shavings (if you’re feeling fancy). It is rich in chocolate flavor, but low on the guilt (and hey – you’re eating a serving of protein thanks to the tofu: score!!!)!
Moo-Less Chocolate Pie
Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate chips
1/3 cup coffee liqueur (I use Kahlua)
1 block silken tofu
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey
1 prepared chocolate wafer crust (or graham cracker)
Instructions:
1. Melt chocolate and coffee liqueur in a microwave safe bowl. Stir in vanilla extract.
2. Combine tofu, chocolate mixture, and honey in a processor. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour mixture into crust and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until filling is set.
4. Serve with whipped cream and shaved chocolate curls.
Orange Curd Mini Pies by Kate of Diethood
I am so happy to feature Kate of Diethood as a guest poster! Kate is, easily, the cutest person I’ve ever met, and you’ll see that soon with her adorable post. She is always posting the most delicious AND healthy recipes on her site and I’m always so excited to check out what she has in store next! Thank you Kate, your kindness means the world to me!
Ta Dam Dam Dam! Ta Dam Dam Dam! I hear wedding bells!
Hello Nutrition For Us readers! I am Katerina (Kate) Petrovska, author of Diethood.com.
When I read Claire’s email about doing a guest post for her, I was over the moon! I was so excited that she had thought of me to do a guest post for her during this special time in her life.
Thank you, Claire, for the honor – it means a lot to me.
The day after I received her invite, I began to think about what I was going to prepare for my guest post. I was going through all these recipes in my head and I could not choose which one I wanted to do. Then I noticed a pattern on Nutrition For Us; Claire likes sweets!
Hello cupcakes, muffins, French toasts and more cupcakes! 🙂
Thus I began to play around and I finally came up with something that’s going to knock the veil off her head; Orange Curd Mini Pies!
These are extremely easy to make because a) the orange curd is done within 10 minutes, and b) you don’t have to make your own pie crusts; Keebler took care of that! I used Keebler’s Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crusts to keep things a bit simpler.
Orange Curd Mini Pies
(Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, from Emeril’s Farm to Fork)
You will need:
- 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 to 4 oranges)
- 6 large egg yolks
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 4 tablespoons cold margarine, cut into pieces (you can also use unsalted butter)
- 6 Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crusts
Directions:
- Pour the freshly squeezed orange juice in a small saucepan and set it over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the orange juice to 1/2 cup. Use a measuring cup intermittently to check your volume.
- Set aside to cool slightly.
- Fill a small pot one-third of the way with water and bring to a boil.
- In a medium sauce pan, whisk together the yolks, sugar and orange zest.
- Slowly add in the reduced orange juice while whisking continuously until completely incorporated.
- Set the sauce pan over the pot of simmering water. Reduce the heat to medium low.
- Whisk constantly for 8 to 10 minutes, or until curd thickens.
- Remove the curd from the heat and stir in the margarine.
- Strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a metal bowl or pan set over a bowl of ice water. Stir the curd occasionally until cool; this will take about five minutes.
- Spoon the curd into the mini pie crusts.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Before serving, garnish with powdered sugar.
- Use within one week.
ENJOY!
And, Congratulations to Claire & Her Mister! Cheers!
