Happy Tuesday!!  How are you all doing, party people?? Everything has been good over here - had a nice relaxing weekend. I babysat, we've been watching a cutie husky, got into trouble at Lululemon on Friday, worked Saturday, taught spin on Sunday...the usual! 

Yesterday at work was also one of the best Mondays I've had in a while. We had an awesome team meeting at work and discussed the difference between motivation and inspiration.

Motivation

Motivation is what motivates you from the outside and compels you to take action...it could be money, shoes, fitting into your favorite dress, the summer coming up, etc. For me, I am motivated highly by three main things right now. Money. I mean, I gotta pay the rent and I have a few vacations coming up that I need to save for! Plus I like to treat myself sometimes with unnecessary overpriced Lululemon crops. It happens. I'm motivated by being able to turn my clients' days around when they come to train and it's the last thing they want to do. And then they leave with a smile and that feeling is the best one ever. Lastly, I'm motivated hugely by doing something I enjoy every day. It doesn't feel like work. Before I left my job in advertising I was a total energy vampire. I was miserable and I let it show. Now I feel like it's quite the opposite. What motivates you?

Inspiration

Inspiration is something from within that you connect with. It's a feeling that drives you to be more passionate and excited about something. I'm inspired by a lot of things. I remember when I was searching for a new job and complaining about my current situation, my both my parents and Michael told me "Rach, you either stop complaining, or find a way to make yourself happy..." I remember being so inspired by this idea that I literally had complete control over the changes I wanted to make. And then I did it because they all believed in me. I've always been inspired by my hardworking parents. I also am inspired every time I work with my clients and they reach a new goal. It just reassures me every time why I love what I do so much. And I'm only getting started! Are you inspired yet? What inspires you?

And now I don't mean to switch gears to abruptly but...

Spiced Carrot Muffins 

I love anything with a little spice to it. I used cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves in these muffins for a delicious blend of fall spiciness. Even though it's totally spring. 

These muffins are super hearty with raisins, sunflower seed and chocolate chips, because, well, can't bake without chocolate chips. 

[yumprint-recipe id='24'] I hope you enjoy!! 

Now I'm off to eat lunch before I head into work for another awesome, busy day.

XO- Rach

Let's chat...

What are you motivated by?

What are you inspired by?

Are you so incredibly excited for summer?

Warm, dense, spicy and sweet...these Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins are the perfect treat on a chilly morning or a wonderful snack when you need a boost of wholesome energy!

These muffins are so delicious. They're not too sweet and they each contain only 150 calories, 3 grams of protein and 3 grams of filling fiber. I made them to have on hand for snacks this week, but lets be real, I've been eating them with my breakfast.

I used a mixture of whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and coconut flour, which gave this recipe a real hearty and dense texture. Don't get me wrong, I love a light and fluffy muffin, but I wanted a little more substance here with the whole grains and coconut flour! 

I used a Macintosh apple because they tend to be a bit softer, but any apple would work! Just chop it up real small - you could even grate it. I'm just not fancy like that. But I did use fancy caster sugar, thanks to Michael's mom who got it for me for a gift! Caster sugar is a finer sugar, so it dissolves more evenly. It's wonderful for iced teas or meringues. Or these muffins! ;)

Serve these puppies with a schmear of buttaaa! You're livin'.

[yumprint-recipe id='20']XO- Rach

What's your favorite muffin combo?

Who else feels like it's Friday? 

Happy Monday! I'm especially chipper this morning. I taught my 6 a.m. spin class this morning and I'm off to work (for a very long day) but this is my last full week of work before I get to go home to Florida for a much needed little break. I cannot wait to get back to the sunny 85 degree weather (although this weekend in Philly was warm!!) and spend a lot of time with the family. 

This past weekend was great - I didn't get home until around 7:30 on Friday night and had zero energy to do anything, but I woke up refreshed on Saturday morning. I taught a great Super Circuits class at Sweat Fitness, ran some errands, baked and relaxed. My ideal Saturday. Saturday night Michael and I went to a Christmas party with a lot of his Men's Health co-workers. A little too much alcohol, pizza and chips called for a very lazy Sunday, which I had no problem with :)

So Rachel from athleticavocado.com put together an Epic Roundup of Healthy Gingerbread Recipes where I found this amazing Pear Gingerbread recipe made by Lindsay from theleangreenbean.com! I just had to make it. I used Lindsay's recipe as a guide, but I did have to adapt it because I do not have a loaf pan in my new apartment yet, I didn't have any white whole wheat flour on hand (aka Lindsay's recipe is a tad healthier) and I didn't have any pears. SO, I worked with what I had to create these Apple Gingerbread Muffins. They came out incredible, so I bet that Lindsay's Pear Gingerbread recipe is out of this world. 

[yumprint-recipe id='10'] I LOVE these. I've never been one to use ginger a whole lot in my baking  and cooking, but it adds SO much flavor. It will definitely become a staple from now on! This recipe is very easy to throw together, and the yogurt icing is so delicious! I used plain greek yogurt, some powdered sugar and some vanilla extract. 

Have a wonderful day! Thank you, Lindsay for the awesome recipe inspiration!

XO- Rach