Fruit Pizza Bars- Food Friday!!

Ok, So I have compiled a few recipes to find {what I think is} the PERFECT recipe of Fruit Pizza Bars. I tried a lot of different recipes for the bar itself, and the topping. I can now finally say I have satisfied my OCD perfection of these Bars!! {finally...} However I am seriously the Lazy Chef, if I can cut a corner {or 5} I will do it! SO, I have two options for the Bar without the topping. There is the #1 Option I like to call: "The Lazy Chef Specialty" and then option #2 is for those who like to go above and beyond with their apron and spatula. I like to call it "The Show Off Edition." Ya, I said it.
So be that as it may, here is the recipe!

But can I just say, this is my go-to dessert. I make it for everything. It is EASY, delicious and you will be asked for the recipe many times! I didn't want to bring this up or anything, buuuuut, at a Ward auction for the Young Women it sold for $37.....soooo. Let that speak for itself. Oh, and it looks pretty. (;

Pinterest Fruit Pizza Bars

BARS: (2 options)

Ingredients #1- The Lazy Chef Specialty:

2 Sugar Cookie Mix bags- Betty Crocker

2 sticks of Butter, Softened (as per cookie instructions)

2 Eggs (as per cookie instructions)

Directions #1:

Prepare cookie bars as per instructions on package of cookie mix. Spray a cookie sheet pan. Place lump of dough on cookie sheet and spread evenly to all sides with your fist. Bake at 375 degrees, for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick can be taken out clean. Cool completely.

TOPPING:

Ingredients:

8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
8 oz Cool Whip
3 Cups of Fruit: (I use, a mixture of cut up fresh Strawberries, whole fresh blue berries, canned mandarin oranges and canned tidbit pineapple. Sometimes I add sliced fresh kiwi. Any fruit would work, peaches would be wonderful!)

Directions for Topping:

Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then add cool whip. Beat until smooth. Spread Topping over COOLED bars. (Tip: Cut bars into desired pieces BEFORE you add the fruit, it is easier than trying to dodge, or cut over the fruit.)  Add fruit in whatever design you choose, serve immediately. Don’t place the fruit on topping until you are ready to serve. I have also seen these decorated like an American Flag for the 4th of July:

Enjoy!! (below is the other option for the bars:)

If you are looking to be more domestic, here is a from scratch recipe of Sugar Cookies!:

Ingredients #2- The Show Off Edition:

1 cup unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

4 Eggs

2 tsp vanilla

5 cups flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

Directions #2:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Mix in vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased pan. (13X18X1) The dough will be heavy and sticky. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick can be taken out clean. Cool completely.

See above for Topping.



XOXO- Shanna

Workout Wednesday!- #BIKINISERIES & #100bysummer

Happy Workout Wednesday!! I am so excited about this post and can not wait to tell you about the 8 week challenge I am participating in. #BIKINISERIES & #100bysummer

I have three words for you:

TONE IT UP

 

I have had a few people express interest in these little challenges that I do. So I just decided to type it out and put it up for all to see in case anyone else is interested! I have also done so on my facebook page a while back. But since there is yet another challenge I am writing about it again! (:

Right now Tone It Up is in the 2nd week of the #BIKINISERIES. I have done it for 3 years in a row, and I love it! It gives me motivation to workout each day and eat a little bit healthier! It helped me drop all my pregnancy weight in 3 months and made me feel more confident!

Alright first of all go HERE and read this post first! Tone It Up can explain everything better than I can! It has everything you need to know about the challenge!! Don't worry, it's free. (: Then come back and read my little input! It is the first week's workout schedule, which was last week, but before the Monday-Sunday workout schedule it explains the details of the challenge!


Back?!


Ok here is my 2 cents: (;


I LOVE that they post a weekly workout schedule. I don't always follow it, because sometimes the videos are a bit cheesy or I want to workout my arms instead of abs that day! Either way it still motivates me to check the weekly schedule every Sunday, and then I make my own plan in a notebook, or white board. That way I know what to expect every day, and instead of my day running me, I RUN MY DAY! I love planning. (;

 

Here is my board: Ignore the scribbles. I have an AM and PM for each day, mostly what Tone It Up has on their schedule. then I check it off when it is complete. They also do PM challenges that aren't workouts, things like making a vision board (on Pinterest or the old fashioned way (;  ) To write your blessings in your journal, things like that. In the corner of each day in the section of PM I have boxes and a cloud looking thing. This is where I record my 1: Miles for the day, 2: Check-In with TIU on instagram, and 3: how many oz of water I drank that day! Oh, I also have been putting in parenthesis how many miles I anticipate I will go that day, and total. So sorry it isn't more readable. But it works for me! (; 

You read about their Booty Call. That is just basically to get up before you usually do and fit in some cardio! Some weeks I fit it in, some weeks I don't. But I still always try to fit in the workout sometime throughout the day!


The little cardio challenges are lots of fun! #100bysummer, #100byhalloween and #100byvday. I have done them all. The cardio challenge is from day 1 to the first day of summer. June 21st! If you are just wanting to start, no Biggie! Just calculate how many miles each day till then to make it work! I don't workout on Sunday's, so I have to calculate that in, and run more in the week! Some times I give myself a cushion day because Saturday's are always crazy.  Here is a blog post that Tone It Up has put up to explain and answer questions of the #100bysummer challenge! CLICK HERE.

Remember though, It is NOT just running. You can walk, run, jog, hike, bike(biking counts for 1/3, so bike 9 miles and it counts for 3), swimming, it counts for 3X!! Elliptical, and my FAVORITE; cardio videos actually count toward your mileage!! They say 10 mins= 1 mile. Make sure they are CARDIO videos, not just toning. Like a HIIT Workout. (High Intensity Interval Training.) So you do a Jillian Video for 20 mins and you did 2 miles. (if you have ever done a Jillian Michael's workout, it works me out way more that running 2 miles!!) If you do Insanity, it counts for mileage, (it's worse than Jillian!) If you take a Zumba class, it counts! That way you don't get sick of running! I love it. For me, I have to have some variety, so I try to fit in some hiking and biking in there sometimes!
This program is FREE, however they do have a Nutrition Plan available for those that are interested. I do not have it. I do know a bit about it though. From what I have seen and heard it is amazing. Pretty strict, and it is a lifetime membership and updates. One time fee of $150. (Not bad at all) It comes with a downloadable document (a lot of people print it out into a book) and if gives you tips, and guides you how to live a healthier lifestyle. Complete with TONS of recipes. Like I said, anytime they update their Plan, you get the update for free, FOR LIFE. Pretty sweet, If I had the money, I might think about it. They have a few different plans, Vegan, Vegetarian, Regular, Gluten Free, and Pescatarian. (< who knows what that is?!)


If you go to the link I shared at the top, you can scroll down and sign up for their news letter. It is handy in case you forget to check their site, and it will send you an email when they update the blog on weekly schedules and what not.


They encourage you to check in through FB, Instagram and Twitter and all these other social media sites for prizes. Sporadically I will check in, but I am not at all hardcore about it. I just check in with my sis, and my workout partner! (accountability is KEY for me)


Lastly, they have an APP (TONE IT UP) and I believe it's like $1.99 or so. It is handy, but not necessary. I have it, and I love it. I can check their blog, and it sends me messages about weekly schedules, you can schedule your own Booty call, it gives your Daily workout(so you don't have to search the blog and scroll down to the certain day you are on). And it has a place to upload pictures for your check in on FB, Twitter or Instagram. Even weekly Motivation Success stories! (also on the blog) Check it out. (:


They do not just do 8 week challenges, I follow them all year round. They update every week, and then throw in these 8 week challenges to help get motivated. So it doesn't have to be sporadic, it can be a lifestyle if you wish!


Hope you like it! Let me know what you think, and if there are any questions. (:

Click HERE for this week's schedule!

Here are my favorite workouts from last week and this week!! A Cardio Routine, and my Favorite Toning Vid pick of the week!:

 

Monday's Cardio Routine: This is KILLER. You can do this on a treadmill, bike, or we just did it outside! 6 rounds of this was hard! We found that we are our own worst enemy, and it was harder to convince our MINDS to keep going then our bodies, but we did it! And felt amazing. Try it. (:

 

 

Then last week they had this beaut. A killer arm routine, just three moves, but it burns! Need hand weights. Enjoy! (:



3 Moves for a Sexy Upper Back

So far I am at 13 Miles for #100bysummer!

 

XOXO- Shanna