Healthy Habits: Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans!

Everyone here at DumBell Fitness is a HUGE fan of spaghetti squash. It's such a wonderful and delicious alternative to pasta! We were thrilled when trainer Alicia Palmer shared this recipe with us--it's a nice alternative to serving it with a marinara sauce. The best part is that this is made with ingredients most of us have in our house all the time. We hope you'll try it and love it, too!

Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans 

Half an onion, chopped

Half a jalapeno, finely chopped

One red pepper, chopped

1/2 spaghetti squash, shredded

One cup or so of black beans, drained

Half a large tomato, chopped

Handful of cilantro, chopped

Cheese, to taste 

Dash of salt

Sauté onion, jalapeno and red pepper until soft, add black beans and squash (shredded so it looks like spaghetti), and sauté until hot. Add salt (I added salt because I used homemade black beans that didn't have much in them already, may not have if they were canned). Take off heat, then add in chopped cilantro and tomato. Add cheese to the top!

Thanks Alicia for a tasty new spin on spaghetti squash! 

Clean Eating: Laurie's Favorite Recipes!

Today's post features DumBell Trainer Laurie Weber's favorite clean-eating recipes! We can't wait to try them out! 

The first recipe I want to share with you is my Gazpacho recipe. Laurie LOVES Gazpacho! I make it differently every time, but here's my "base" recipe. It makes a HUGE batch! 


Gazpacho: 

4 containers grape tomatoes (I personally find these the most flavorful) 

1 cucumber, peeled and diced 

1/2 of a red pepper, seeded and chopped 

1/2 of a small red onion, peeled and chopped 

1/2 of a zucchini, chopped 

2 large garlic cloves, chopped 

1/4 bunch fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh basil 

1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
1/4 cup EVOO
Sea salt and pepper to taste


Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend. Store in airtight container and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. 

Here's where my husband thinks I get a little crazy with my Gazpacho obsession. I use this wonderful soup for a variety of snacks. Sometimes, I...

--Use it as a snack with pita chips

--Put it in a toasted whole wheat pita with feta or hummus on top

--Serve it over pre-grilled chicken chunks (that I make in advance and keep in the fridge for the week)

--Scoop over quinoa, whole wheat pasta, or brown rice

--Top with black olives and/or Fage Greek yogurt and eat with pita chips

--Take Triscuit and Kashi chips, spread with cream cheese, then dip in Gazpacho for an appetizer! 

Did I mention that Laurie loves Gazpacho? :-) 

Another staple in my house is this Quinoa salad. It's packed with protein and veggies, and has been adapted from a Clean Eating recipe. This recipe is very versatile. Use whatever ingredients you have on hand, or that sound good at the time!

Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa (cooked with 50% water and 50% vegetable broth) 

1/2 cup edamame

2 handfuls of halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped 

1/4 cup crumbled feta 

2 tablespoons EVOO

Seasoned white rice vinegar (I use the Star brand) 

Squirt of lime juice 

Chopped fresh parsley 

Healthy Habits: Clean Eating Recipes

My family has re-committed to living a clean lifestyle. We recently cleaned out all of our cabinets, ridding ourselves of all processed food. This transition inspired us to try out some new recipes: Waldorf Salad with Homemade Mayo, Chocolate Cranberry Pie, and Cookie Sandwiches with Coconut Whipped Cream. My family loved them! Try them out this weekend and let us know what you think!

Waldorf Salad with Homemade Mayo

Chocolate Cranberry Pie (Note: we used extra coconut oil in the crust)

Waldorf Salad

Homemade Mayonnaise
Grain-free Chocolate Chips Cookies
Coconut Whipped Cream 

Assembling the cookie ingredients

Cookie sandwich complete! 

Trinity enjoying the finished product! See, kids can enjoy healthy treats and love them, too!