Gear Up For the Cold and Black Friday Specials from BMOREtoned

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family. Now  you've eaten all of the turkey and pumpkin pie it's time to get out, shop and most importantly...SWEAT.

My friends over at BMOREtoned have given you a list of the best cold gear to make you weatherproof and Black Friday deals fitness style.


Black Friday Gym Specials:

Beachfit Baltimore: $59 monthly membership (offer valid Nov 27th - Dec 1st ONLY)

Merritt Athletic Clubs: Join now and you'll get the rest of 2015 for ONLY $1


Black Friday Workout Gear:

Fabletics: Buy one outfit, get one free BLACK FRIDAY ONLY! Plus 30% off Kate's holiday gift guide.

Charm City Run:  Fun run at 8:30am and FREE breakfast sponsored by Under Armour at all CCR locations  
- Buy 2 pieces of apparel and get 20% off
- 10% off your purchase if you show proof of another Local Business in the past 7 days
- Purchase shoes and get 25% off one piece of apparel, 
- Buy 3 get 1 all socks
- 30-70% off past season footwear and apparel 

Lululemon: Special edition reflective gear available online and in-stores

Athleta: Shop online and in-stores and receive 20% off your purchase Nov. 27th - Nov. 30th


View all of the discounts going on here.


Best Cold Gear:

I'm afraid that this fall isn't going to be around much longer. Take advantage of the Black Friday specials to stock up for the cold months ahead. Head over to BMOREtoned for the best gear to keep you nice and toasty all winter long. 

If you are looking for an extremely warm running coat, I highly recommended this one from Lululemon. The Down for a Run Pullover is perfect for cold-weather runs and will keep you extremely warm!!!

View all of our favorite cold gear here.

Remember...#OPTOUTSIDE today!!

What's your favorite cold gear?

Emily

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

There is one food that I always have on hand in my kitchen and it's sweet potatoes (aside from bananas of course). They are just the perfect food for any time of day. My favorite is obviously breakfast with a giant scoop of Nuttzo, but I've recently branched out and have been trying some new recipes that don't involve nut butter. 

My sister recently shared this recipe with me and OH MY is it good!!

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Eggs

This recipe was created by Linda Spiker of The Organic Kitchen. Head on over to her blog to view the entire recipe so you can pick up the ingredients for dinner tonight! She also has some other fall dishes that are the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving menu. 

What are some of your favorite sweet potato recipes?

Who's planning on working out before eating Turkey and Pumpkin Pie? Post your pics and tag @soulbodybarre on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Get up and sweat!

Be safe and enjoy time with friends and family!

Emily

Oh My...Mini Chicken Pot Pies

I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend and is ready for the busy week ahead. Is it me or does each month seem to go buy quicker and quicker?!?! 

Sticking to the fall theme, today's recipe was sent to me by one of the SB Body Barre instructors, Amanda. Trust me, this recipe will not disappoint, and is perfect for this time of year. You can head over to Amanda's blog, Short Legs Big Leaps, for more of her delicious recipes.  

This recipe was originally posted from Lauren Conrad and can also be found on the Tone It Up blog. This is an easier version and takes less time so perfect for those with busy schedules.

Mini Chicken Pot Pies 

(Easy Version)

For the dough:

 1 can of Pillsbury Reduced Fat Biscuits

For the filling: 

1 can diced carrots

1 can peas

1 cup diced green beans

1 cup diced onion

1/2 of a rotisserie chicken, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups low-sodium chicken or veggie broth (I personally use chicken!) 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Open up your can of biscuits. Take a few of the biscuits and roll them into a giant ball. Using a rolling pin, flatten out the ball of dough, until the dough is about a 1/2 cm thick (basically, just thick enough to not have any holes or rips!) Using a round drinking cup,  cut out 12 circles on the dough.

In a mixing bowl, combine filling ingredients together. I like to start with less broth and add more as needed. You don't want the mixture to be too liquidy, but you need some moisture so that it soaks into the dough and you get that fluffy goodness.

Place each of your dough circles into each hole in the muffin pan. You want the dough to form little cups inside each cup, so make sure it covers the bottoms and the sides. 

Fill each hole with your veggie & chicken mixture. Fill to the top, but don't overflow!

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until dough is golden brown and looks thoroughly cooked.

Enjoy! :)

That's all for today...keep an eye out tomorrow for some more yummy fall eats!

Emily

Happiness is Homemade Soup

As promised, a new recipe will be posted every day until Thanksgiving. Hopefully this will give you some ideas on what you can make for your Turkey dinner or how you can use some of your leftovers to plan some meals for the rest of the week. 

I seriously can never have too much pumpkin and love this time of year. I'm one of those people who refuses to switch to Christmas flavors (if there is such a thing) until after Thanksgiving. And honestly...who says you have to stop eating pumpkin come December!?!? I don't think it's a rule or anything so consume as much pumpkin as you want, whenever you want.

This next recipe is used in the SB Whole Foods Cleanse and is one of my favorite fall soups, not just because of the pumpkin, but it is loaded with flavor. 

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 small pumpkin (about 3 - 5 pounds)

2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 medium parsnips, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon chile powder

3 cups vegetable stock

Sea salt to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut pumpkin in half, removing the top stem and scooping out the seeds. Rub coconut oil on a baking sheet and lay cut side of pumpkin face-down. Roast for about 35 minutes, until pumpkin is tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.

Let pumpkin cool and then remove the flesh (about 3 cups). Discard the skin.

Meanwhile, add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, parsnips, carrots, garlic, and ginger and saute for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent and vegetables are starting to become tender.

Add the pumpkin flesh, thyme, sage, pumpkin pie spice, chile powder, and stock. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Blend the soup using an immersion blender or transferring it to a regular blender (I used my Vitamix). If using a regular blender, be very careful as the steam can sometimes cause the lid to blow off. I recommend allowing the soup to cool for a few minutes, and then blending in small batches on medium/high speed while holding the lid down.

Add salt to taste and serve. Garnish with fresh herbs, roasted pumpkin seeds, or a drizzle of coconut milk.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for another healthy, fall recipe!

Have an awesome weekend. Don't forget to take some time for yourself, relax, go to brunch, drink coffee with friends, sweat a little and most importantly enjoy this beautiful fall weather!

Emily

The Start of Something Good

Ready or not, holiday season is upon us. This time of year doesn't have to be stressful and you don't have to feel guilty about enjoying Thanksgiving dinner. Over the next few days I'm going to be sharing some of SoulBody's favorite holiday dishes that are perfect for your turkey dinner.  Check back every day for easy, delicious and healthy recipes that will get you through the holidays guilt-free!


The start of something good is kicking off with this recipe that was sent to me from SB instructor, Hillary Gras. She said this has become her new go-to side dish and is definitely a crowd pleaser!   

Butternut Squash Quinoa with Kale, Cranberries, Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Recipe: Jessica, owner of StuckonSweet

Ingredients

• 1 small/medium butternut squash, diced
• 1 large leaf of kale, stem removed
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups chicken stock
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare Quinoa according to package direction. Use chicken stock instead of water to add flavor. Cool completely

2. While Quinoa is cooking, add a few drizzles of olive oil to the a saute pan and place over medium heat. Add diced butternut squash and saute until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool. 

3. In the same saute pan add a little more olive oil and the kale. Wilt slightly, 1-2 minutes, you want the kale to still be slightly crunchy. Remove from pan and roughly chop. Set aside to also cool.

4. Again, in the same pan add walnuts, no olive oil is necessary. Toast for a few minutes on low heat - careful not to burn. Remove from pan and let cool.

5. Add all of the cooled ingredients along with the cranberries, goat cheese, a little salt and a little pepper, and gently mix.

Full recipe details here.

I'd love for you to send us your favorite recipes!

ENJOY!

He's Here!

I just wanted to take some time to congratulate SB Barre instructor, Amy Winemiller, and her husband, Patrick, on their new bundle of joy that arrived on November 14th. Their little turkey, Austin James Winemiller was born at 9:44 PM weighting 7lbs 7.8oz and measuring 20.5 inches long!

 We know your SOUL BODY will be back in no time!

He's absolutely precious!! Congratulations!!

Feature Friday with Kristy Soltesz

Happy FriYAYYYYY. I know you all are jumping for joy right now. We've had an exciting week and could not be more excited about the energy that SB Barre and Body Barre have been generating over the past few months. If you haven't already, head over to our newly designed website. 

Also, SB Body Barre is NOW officially launched at Merritt Fort Avenue and Canton as well as White Marsh. I am teaching Tuesday nights 5pm at Merritt Canton. Be there and bring friends because this newest choreography is a great way to shred before the holidays!!

We also have an upcoming SB Barre training this weekend. More details here.

November 14 & 15

10am - 4pm

1020 Hull Street

Baltimore, MD 21230

Now...for the fun stuff...Instructor Spotlight.

Kristy Soltesz

SB Barre Instructor

Where do you teach and when?

I teach SB Barre: 

6am Tuesday at Merritt Towson, 

7:45am Wednesday & 6pm Thursday at Meadow Mill

9am Saturdays at Embody Pilates & Wellness.  

I also teach a sculpt class: 7am Thursdays at Meadow Mill & a kid fitness class named Born To Move: Mondays at 6pm at Merritt Towson.

Sunrise or Sunset for your workouts?

I like BOTH.  Sunrise, to feel strong & to walk tall for the rest of the day. Sunset, because I am already loose and warm.

A tip for staying motivated during the holidays.

During the holidays when time is crunched, there are plenty of ways to incorporate SB Barre & Body Barre moves whenever and wherever you are.  Why not plie, tuck & squeeze while trussing your turkey?!

As an instructor, what is your favorite part about teaching?

My favorite part about teaching is having conversations with my students before & after class.  Most of my students do SB Barre exercises to help heal back &/or joint problems (recommended by doctors).  Everyone has an interesting story to tell. They all believe that SB Barre is helping them feel & move better in their daily lives.

Favorite holiday meal.

Roasted root vegetables for the main part.  & of course, pie.

Pre-workout meal/snack: 

An apple.  There are so many different kinds!

Favorite recovery meal/snack:. 

Eggs & Greens

You never leave home without_______: 

A snack.  For when hunger strikes... usually some raw nuts.

What’s in your gym bag?

Extra active wear, I might be able to sub a class at last moment.  Water bottle & some beauty accessories so that I "appear" to look a lil more fresh as I aim to deliver a challenging class.

Favorite workout gear, water bottle, etc

Sweaty Betty & Liquido active wear.

Favorite barre move:

My favorite Barre moves are the moves that challenge me the most in The Hip/Seat track.  It is the most difficult for me to get through (& we do it TWICE!).  Typically, the exercises that we hate doing the most, are what our bodies need the most.

Favorite Quote:
"For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business." T.S. Eliot 

When you’re not at the barre, where may we find you?

You'll find me with my husband & 7yr old son hunkering down with family time.  I have a full time job aside from teaching.  Luckily, my son likes practicing SB Barre and Born To Move choreography with me.

Kristy in Iceland. Barre on Ice!

Share something fun/interesting about yourself:  

I take group fitness classes whenever I travel. My husband and I have been around the USA & to 14 countries (with our son, to 6). My most memorable classes: Ashtanga yoga held in a tree-house in the Australian rain-forest & a spin class in Massachusetts where we powered the electricity of the studio with bikes fitted with Pedal-Powered Generators.




Well....that's a wrap for this week's spotlight with Kristy. Keep sharing your positive energy!!

Emily

It's Hard to Top the Egg

Back to food chat for a bit and this time we are talking about EGGS. I love breakfast food all day long and eggs are my absolute fav. I stumbled across an egg recipe in my Performance Paleo Cookbook and have been making it on a regular basis, so I figured it would be selfish of me not to share with all of you. 

Why Eggs? Well because...

DID YOU KNOW?

• The yolk is the source for 100% of the Iron, Choline, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, and Zinc found in the egg. 
• Eggs cost approximately 17 cents per serving
• The color of an egg yolk is determined by a hen’s diet
• There are 7 to 17 thousand tiny pores on the shell surface
• The average American eats 250 eggs per year

Ever wonder what the different labels mean? 

Cage-free — These hens are free from the confines of a cage, but this doesn’t mean they are outside. They are free to roam a barn or warehouse.

Natural — This actually means nothing. Anyone can use the term “natural”.

Free-range — Hens are free to roam outdoors

Certified Organic — Hens have access to outdoors and are fed an organic vegetarian diet 

Now to the good stuff...

Smoked Salmon Egg Bake

From The Performance Paleo Cookbook

Written by Steph Gaudreau, Holisitic Nutritionist and owner of Stupid Easy Paleo

Full recipe here.

Don't be shy, tell us why you eat eggs!!

Instructor Spotlight Returns with Hillary Gras

Before getting to our spotlight for this week, I would like to encourage all of you to take the time to get to know your instructors. Find them on social media, introduce yourself before or after class and when you see them outside of barre say hi. I try and keep you all up to date on fitness activities going on in Charm City, so don't hesitate to reach out to see which ones we are attending. I love interacting during class and would love to see more of you in other group fitness classes at Merritt or at various events in the city. Let's make this a goal for the rest of this year and for 2016!

Instructor Spotlight Returns

This week we are chatting with SB Barre instructor:

Hillary Gras

Where do you teach and when? 

SB Barre Merritt Canton Monday at 7:10pm, Wednesday at 6:00pm

Merritt Towson Wednesday at 6:00am

Alternate Sunday 10:45 am at Merritt Fort Avenue

Sunrise or Sunset for your workouts? 

Sunrise! I love having the quiet time for myself, before everyone else is awake, before social media starts interrupting the day and before the work emails come flooding in. 

A tip for staying motivated during the holidays. 

Get your friends and family involved! Sign up the family for a turkey trot, gift a few classes to your favorite studio to your friends versus presents they might not need. But above all, be flexible. Your schedule will likely change due to travel, holiday parties, etc. Take it as an opportunity to mix things up!

 As an instructor, what is your favorite part about teaching? 

I try to make my classes fun and light. (light-hearted, not the lightest weights!) My favorite part is just laughing with the ladies. Seeing them loosen up, forget about the stresses of life and just ENJOY the time makes teaching so special. Working out can feel like such a burden for a lot of people and knowing that I can change that - even for an hour? It’s incredibly rewarding.  

Favorite holiday meal: 

This strawberry spinach salad with coconut dressing that my mom has been making since I was a little girl. Also – do red and green peanut butter M&Ms from the Christmas candy dish count? 

Pre-workout meal/snack: 

I usually work out in the mornings, so it’s usually something light/portable. Half a quinoa bar or a piece of wheat toast with a little peanut butter.

Favorite recovery meal/snack:. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Quest Bar!

You never leave home without___:

My iPhone (original right?),  a functioning Waze app (I have a terrible sense of direction), water bottle, sneakers (we take walking meetings at my job!) and hair ties.

 What’s in your gym bag? 

Water Bottle, Spibelt, IPad, Heat-protectant hairspray, coconut water hairspray (smell alone is heavenly), barre socks, regular socks, bobby pins and hair ties, hairbrush, ShowerPill body wipes, Bars, headband, iPhone charger and of course, deodorant!

Favorite workout gear, water bottle, etc.: 

SPIbelt for running. It’s the only thing that stays in one place!

Favorite barre move: 

Attitude hip leg lifts. You feel the burn in both 

your glutes!

Favorite quote:  

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” 

“Be someone you want to meet”

When you’re not at the barre, where may we find you? 

Exploring Baltimore and surrounding areas, volunteering with my sorority alumnae chapter, running, or in my kitchen for a marathon cooking session.

Share something fun/interesting about yourself: 

When I was 15, I left my home state of Vermont to go to boarding school and have slowly been moving south ever since – New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and now Maryland!

Thank you Hillary. We know that you will continue to be such an inspiration to not only the SB Team but to every one that you teach!