Negative-Calorie Holiday Workout and Caramelized Onion & Kale Sweet Potato-Parsnip Mash

Caramelized Onion & Kale Potato-Parsnip Mash

Ingredients:

• 3 small/medium sweet potatoes, quartered or cut into smaller equal-sized chunks (to cook evenly)
• 3 medium parsnips (about 1 pound), peeled, cut into smaller equal-sized chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil + 2 tbsp reserved
• 1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced in half and cut into rings (or roughly chop)
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and leaves removed and thoroughly washed, roughly chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place sweet potatoes and parsnips in a large pot, filling with water to cover vegetables. Boil until both sweet potatoes and parsnips are tender when pierced with a fork (about 15-20 minutes). Let drain in a colander and return to pot. Set aside.

In a sautee pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil. Add onion and cook until soft and starting to caramelize (more oil or water may need to be added during sauteeing).  Add crushed garlic and toss to just cook. Remove from heat and stir in chopped kale.

Mash the potatoes and parsnips with potato masher or fork until desired consistency- I love mine chunky. To the sweet potato/parsnip pot, add remaining coconut oil, almond milk, salt and pepper. Stir in the onions and kale until incorporated. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, as needed.

Reheat over low heat, if necessary.

Tasty Add-Ins (some, or all!):

• Goat cheese
• Green onions, thinly sliced
• Paprika, cumin, coriander
• Curry powder
• Oven roasted garlic pieces
• Roasted red peppers
• Bacon
• Leftover turkey, chopped
• Diced chicken sausage
• Replace sweet potatoes with butternut squash, kabocha squash, or other

The add-in possibilities are endless!

Negative-Calorie Holiday Workout

Directions: On scrap paper or index cards that can easily be cut, write out each exercise move separately, along with reps. Cut each move so it has it’s own paper (like playing cards or post its… you get it, right?). Shuffle “deck.”

Warm up first. (75 jumping jacks, 30 seconds run in place, 50 jumping jacks, 30 seconds run in place, 25 jumping jacks, 1 minute run in place. Repeat if needed)

Place your deck of individual moves in front of you, face down. Turn top card over. Perform workout move according to the number of reps indicated as fast as possible with perfect form. Repeat with remaining deck! KEY: Push yourself hard!

Repeat if necessary.

• Staggard hand push-ups 30 total (15 each with right hand staggard, 15 with left)
• Jump squat 20
• Jumping jacks 50
• High knees 30 total (15 each knee up)
• Staggard leg squat 20 each leg
• Mountain climber 30 each leg
• “30 second break”
• Dive bomber push-up 15 (or 15-20 regular push-ups/dive bombers are advanced)
• Jump lunge 20 each leg
• “Jump ropes” 30 pretend passes (using invisible jump rope)
• Forearm plank hold (count to 45… slowly)
• “Repeat last card”
• One leg tricep dips 30 total (15 each leg)
• Walking lunge 20 each leg
• Crab kicks 40 (20 each leg – “holding crab walk, kicking legs up and switching quickly)
• Power jumps/Tuck jump 12 (squat stance, jump up and hit knees with hands mid-air, land softly in squat)