Come on over to Dani Stevens NEW website

Yes you! I'm missing you over at DaniStevens.com

There is so much going on and I don't want you to miss a beat. Like this amazing free Green Smoothie recipes ebook, so head over now and grab your copy.

See you there!

Much love and friendship,
xxDani 

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Barley and chia pudding recipe

This would have to be an old favorite of mine. As kids growing up my Mum used to make puddings from polenta, semolina, rice and barely. Today chia has been my modern twist to my Mums traditional puddings.

I hope you enjoy it!

Barley and chia pudding

Chia pudding

Ingredients 

1 packet of barely

1 cup of chia seeds (I used The Chia Co.)

1 cinnamon stick

1 vanilla pod

1ltr milk or more depending on the consistency you like (choose your preferred coconut, almond or full cream milk)

Method 

Cook barley as per packet instructions. I typically soak them the night before to quicken the cooking process. Add your milk, spices and milk and allow to bubble. Keep adding more milk until your desired consistency. 

We serve ours with maple syrup, honey or fresh fruit. Also a dollop of Greek yogurt is delish. 

What's one of your traditional childhood meals that you have fond memories of eating?

Much love & friendship,

XxDani  

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Sneh Roy Cook Republic "Tasty Express" signed book giveaway

A gentle reminder about our amazing giveaway this month! Make sure you enter for your exclusive signed copy of Tasty Express from the beautiful Sneh.

* * * 

I love Sneh. Since my early days of social media I have been following this beautiful woman. I love her cooking style and her food photography is to die for. Sneh is a Mother of 2 boys, a food stylist, designer and recently won Best Australian Blog of the Year 2013 for her blog Cook Republic. Bravo girl!

She's also the food columnist for one of my most fave magazines, Elle. Remember when I featured as one of the top 10 Instagram handles for serious fitness inspiration last year?

Sneh Roy - Cook Republic

Sneh takes 5 minutes to share with us her Fitness Food Style ethos;

1. What fitness activity do you schedule into your daily routine to keep healthy?

I like to run 5k about three times a week. I love doing weights at the gym, core exercises and a daily session of Surya Namaskar (Yoga) in the mornings. I also like to refer to my Pinterest Fitness and Pinterest Health-Happiness boards. 

2. Describe your dream meal - what could we expect to find on your plate?

Oh this is so hard. I love so many things. My dream plate would have a single tasting of some of my favourite things to eat. Sashimi, balsamic glazed mushrooms, a spicy chickpea and chicken curry, a textured quinoa and eggplant salad and some frozen coconut yoghurt.

3. Who’s your go to style icon - who have you always admired for their style, and why?

I have never been big on style or icons. But there are things I love and once in a while I will come across someone who ticks all the boxes style-wise. I love long wind tousled bohemian hair, brown boots, neutrals with a pop of colour like yellow, leather wrap bracelets and infinity scarves in crazy prints. (You can tell I love autumn huh?)

4. What’s a childhood habit or mannerism that has followed you into adulthood?

Twirling my hair and then twirling it some more till it always looks like it has been run through hot rollers.

5. Name three things you can’t leave the house without and why?

Phone, wallet, bottle of water. Connectivity, Buying power and Hydration. A girl’s best friends.

A little history behind Cook Republic by Sneh Roy.

Cook Republic came to be nearly 10 years ago when I was living in Singapore and started cooking for a recipe database I was working on. I started writing a blog based on my cooking adventures in the kitchen and quickly developed a network of like minded people who loved sharing recipes. Four years later after having two kids, in an attempt to get fit and healthy, I started eating mindfully and sharing those healthier, nutrient rich and wholesome recipes on the blog. I lost a total of 21 kilos over two years and felt fabulous. Being a mum is hard work, trying to work along with that is harder and I didn’t want to compromise the wholesome nourishment I could give my family. So I would cook and share my recipes on the blog. These recipes were super quick, super tasty and perfect for a hectic urban lifestyle of a busy mum who wanted to give her family adventurous and delicious healthy food. The concept for the cookbook “Tasty Express” came from that. Easy to make, easy to take. Recipes that went from breakfast to lunchbox to dinner in minutes. Fresh real food you could take to work, school, uni or share with family and friends over the weekend. Food as we eat now with a melting pot of flavours from all cultures.

The recipes in the book are mainly plant based (vegetarian), adventurous with fun twists, incredibly easy and super tasty. There are occasional naughty treats too. My most favourite recipe in the book is the cover recipe for raw Zucchini Noodles With Thai Pesto. I also love the Eggplant Lasagna Steaks (Yum!), Brown Rice Biryani Salad, Nut Crumble Rye Cake, Chickpea Pancakes With Bombay Potatoes, Supergreen Chutney (I am addicted to this green goodness and smear it on everything!) and Burnt Butter Caramel Slice (I dare you to stop at one!).

* * *

Thank you so much Sneh for sharing a piece of your life with us. So good to have you here and we look forward to seeing you again.

G I V E A W A Y

Who would like a signed copy of Sneh's Tasty Express cookbook? Keep scrolling.

Tell me if you like what you see . . . .

Brown rice salad

Chicken curry

Chickpea pancakes

Chocolate cake

You are absolutely going to LOVE this book so leave your comments below.....

Terms & Conditions

• Entries will close on 24th May 2014, and a winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

• Tell me why Sneh's cookbook would look great sitting up on your kitchen bench include your IG and/or FB name beside your comment

• The winner’s answer will be judged on most creative response.

• Please ensure you have subscribed to my blog, as the winner will be notified by email. If the prize remains unclaimed for 72 hours, a new winner will be selected.

• Only one entry per person. 

Are you ready for some Tasty Express meals?

Much love and friendship,
xxDani

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Come join our special Mothers Day giveaway

Click here to enter 

Moretea Mothers Day giveaway

I wish all Mothers and Special Women around the world a Happy Mothers Day on Sunday.

Here is my Mum and I a couple of years ago. I will miss her this year as she is away in Serbia for 6 months. 

However I look forward to spending the day with our amazing 4 children. 

How blessed am I???

Good luck with the MoreTea giveaway and I look forward to reading all your inspiring responses about how your Mum inspires you?

Click here to enter. 

Much love & friendship,

XxDani 

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An old Serbian traditional dish revamped

I was going through some old posts when I stumbled across this one. Can you believe it? It will be 2 years next month since I opened this blogger account. Thanks so much for being a part of my world. So glad you have been on my ride. Can't wait to share the next part, a new website which I am totally excited about and would love your feedback. I will post shortly to get some input so we can create an amazing place we can hang out.  

It was my Mum's 66th Birthday yesterday and I spoke to her while she has been in Serbia looking after my Baba AKA Grandmother. So the below Serbian traditional beauty is back on my chalkboard menu :-)

I hope you enjoy it!!!  

10th June 2012

We had a great today, I did my 15 minutes Fit Yummy Mummy resistance training and a quick tabata workout as we had to get out the door quick smart! Of course after my very long sleep in 10AM!!!! Thank you to my darling husband Adrian for giving me a sleep in. I love you.

It was such a gorgeous winters day today and I managed to capture that beauty on my new instagram account, oh how I love thee!!! Loving all those filters.

Lake Wendouree Ballarat

Here is our youngest daughter Zali and I, having some photos together at home on her 10 month birthday today!!!! ;-)

Now....getting back to some food. After my workout this morning I had a post workout shake. It's always important to fuel your body with supportive foods.

1 banana
180 Nutrition protein powder
1tbs frozen raspberries
250ml of water/milk

NB: get your exclusive 10% discount off all 180 Nutrition products. Use promo code 264464 at check out 

Breakfast rather brunch (remember I had a sleep in)

I typically poach our eggs but fried these in olive oil 
Served with cheese, tomatoes, spinach and corn thins 



This presentation of an egg monster face was for the kids :)

Afternoon snack
Fruit salad with a sprinkle of walnuts
1 blackcurrant tea
2 peanut butter cookies

Dinner
Chicken paprika
served with golden puree, dollop of natural yogurt, lemon rind and chives

Now this brings me to the title of this post. I remember trying to get a piece of the "cooking" action in the kitchen when I was a little girl but the only action I would get from Mum was a wave of the "Drvena kašika" wooden spoon! :-))) ha ha (sorry Mum). Let's just say kids in the kitchen wasn't a favourite activity with my Serbian Mum. Nevertheless the cooking was always something I remember and here is my version of a classic Serbian meal we used to have growing up as kids.

Mum typically served this with either white rice or mash potato and of course with a BIG dollop of sour cream :-)))) YUMMO but I have placed my healthier twist on this type of meal and hope you enjoy it.

My revamp version:

Dust 600g sliced or diced chicken with GF or sometimes I use rice flour
Season with salt and pepper
Shake in a zip lock bag and dust off any excess flour
Heat some olive oil in a fry pan and cook the chicken
Once browned, add a diced onion, 1tbs paprika and water to allow these juices to absorb and cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring regularly  and add water if the mixture becomes too dry.

I typically stir natural yogurt through the chicken mix and serve with a sweet potato and carrot puree.

Growing up what was your favourite food?

Much love and friendship,
xxDani 

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Cookies and Cream - healthy style

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;

They sit no more at familiar tables of home;

They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;

They sleep beyond England's foam.
Lest we forget

The boys visit their Great Grandfathers memorial - Anzac Day 2014

Cookies and cream. When I was younger I used to love dipping my cookies in full cream milk. You know the days when the milkman would leave milk on your front doorstep and that cream on top of the glass bottle! Yum….. 

Oh how those days have changed. 

Now it's these beauties gluten free and no added sugar biscuits with almond milk. I just had to reminisce after making a huge batch for the kids lunches this week.

LSAnzac biscuits

LSAnzac biscuits

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup LSA mix (linseed, sunflower, almond meal)
5tbs macadamia oil
4 tbs honey (or maple syrup, agave etc...)
2tsp vanilla extract
1ts chia seeds
2tbs water

Method
Place all the dry ingredients in a blender

Whizz in your blender until combined

Add the oil, honey and vanilla. Gradually add the water which will combine the mixture.

Roll and flatten your cookies. Bake until golden brown in a 150-170C oven. Depending on the size of the balls you roll and flatten, this mixture makes approx. 35 cookies.

Real ingredients

What are some traditional meals you've grown up with and now have put a healthy spin on it?

Happy Sunday!
XxDani

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Supercharge your health and eat fresh

When Fitness First told me I had $250 to spend this month to super charge our health and fitness, what better way than to get a couple of spiralizers AKA 3 in 1 slicer apparatus. I want to encourage my Mum to kick start her #standfullyraw challenge too, she's back from Serbia in a couple of months.

The kids had a ball creating spiral apple spagetti. They simply couldn't get enough. 

 

Mietta shares her spiral apple ring. 

We have also super charged ourselves to revamp our very own veggie patch. Currently we have parsley, rosemary and various other greens in wine barrels but seriously need to make more space and start from scratch. 

So we went seed shopping....

We have a few ideas with our new veggie garden design but this one totally caught my eye at the Fitness Expo a couple of weeks ago. 

What do you think??? An internal fruit box/salad and veggie wall patch display.  

Pretty cool huh???

Up close....

Let's just say I have written a list of all the materials for Adrian to go down to our local Bunnings Warehouse and start this mini wall project. 

Do you prefer an indoor or outdoor veggie garden?

Which reminds me. Here are just a few snippets of my time at the Fitness Expo in Melbourne. I was a little chuffed seeing myself on a huge poster at the Lorna Jane stand and meeting CEO Bill Clarkson, green juice star extraordinaire Zac, marketing manager from Fitness First and Body Science Founder Nathan. 

Super cool people!

To find out what's been happening with Fitness First this month come visit their website. They have totally embraced the world of health and fitness and helping you achieve your personal goals. 

Thanks again Fitness First for partnering with Fitness Food And Style. 

Much love & friendship,

XxDani

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180 Nutrition Protein choc banana & strawberry smoothie

Kick start your day with this powerhouse choc banana and strawberry smoothie. It's so important to start your day with the right types of whole foods. Especially with our #standfullyraw challenge I am loving all the fresh food we are eating. 

Here are some health benefits of the ingredients I used for this smoothie. 

Cacao beans

Cacao beans contain natural chemicals called flavonoids, a type of antioxidant compound that promotes general health and might lower your risk of several diseases. One type of flavonoid, called anthocyanidin, is especially high in cacao beans, along with other compounds called epicatechins. These compounds are powerful antioxidants and, according to a study in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" published in 2003, are especially concentrated in cocoa, a product of cacao beans. In that study, researchers compared the antioxidant capacity of black tea, green tea, red wine and cocoa, concluding that cocoa has the highest antioxidant activity among the four products and the greatest potential for health benefits.

Strawberries

Today there are over 600 varieties of strawberries. The sweet, slightly tart berries rank among the top 10 fruits and vegetables in antioxidant capacity. Their deep, rich hue supplies their high flavonoid content, a topic of research in many studies supporting the health benefits attained by consuming strawberries on a regular basis.

Bananas

Having a banana at breakfast every day adds a nutrient to your body to support normal heart function. Bananas are rich in a mineral electrolyte called potassium. When potassium enters your body, it absorbs directly into your bloodstream through intestinal walls. Potassium travels around to cells all over your body and dissolves in fluid inside of cells. It travels across cell membranes if needed to keep fluid balanced in and around cells. This process keeps electricity flowing throughout your system, which is required to make your heart beat. In cases of severe potassium deficiency, your heart rhythm may become irregular, which can be deadly. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, you need 4,700 milligrams of potassium on a daily basis. Bananas provide more than 360 milligrams per 6-inch piece of fruit.

Chia Seeds

Ch-ch-ch-chia! Oh how I love these superfood seeds! They are such a great source of healthy omega-3 fats and fibre, and fortunately it's an easy food to add to your diet. The little seed — which comes in either white or a dark brown and black colour — also has a huge nutritional profile. It contains calcium, manganese, and phosphorus, and is a great source of healthy omega-3 fats. As an added benefit, chia seeds can be eaten whole or milled, while flax seeds have to be ground before consumption in order to access their health benefits for example.Simply add to your smoothies, cereal or baking. 

So make sure you add these ingredients in your daily diet. 

Chocolate Banana and Strawberry smoothie

What you will need;

2 bananas
1 punnet of strawberries
1tsp cacao powder
1 scoop of 180 Nutrition coconut powder
handful of walnuts
1tsp chia seeds
1/2tsp organic vanilla extract
Milk (I use almond milk and pour enough until I get the right consistency I want)

Blend all these amazing ingredients together and enjoy!!!!

180 Nutrition

I love the fact that 180 Nutrition protein supplement contains only pure ingredients. They aren't filled with any nasties like fillers, thickeners, sugars and preservatives. This awesome protein powder contains essential micro nutrients, antioxidants and fibre to assist metabolic rates and keep your digestive system functioning at optimum levels. It is a protein powder that is actually healthy for you!

So next time you grab yours please use our special 180 Nutrition promo code 264464 for your exclusive FFS 10% discount.

Happy Monday!
xxDani 

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Fitness Friday with Womens Basketball extraordinaire Alice Kunek

Today's Friday Fitness #danistars is the amazing Alice Kunek. We share the same Croatian heritage background so hence her height and becoming a professional basketball player. She plays for the Women's National Basketball League for the Dandenong Rangers.

She is very passionate about good food, healthy living and of course fashion. She says; 

"I believe that as a basketball player in Australia, young girls are always looking up to us as role models and it is our job to always be a positive influence in these young girls lives. 

When Alice is not training she loves creating healthy sweet treats and trying different recipes. She shares one of her favourite Tahini protein ball recipes which are super delicious and perfect for an "on the go" snack, or a sweet treat after dinner. "I believe putting the right foods into your body is vital to get the best out of training and keeping a positive mindset." She says. 

Alice takes 5 minutes to share with us her Fitness Food And Style ethos;

1. What fitness activity do you schedule into your daily routine to keep healthy?

I love interval training as well as anything that works up a sweat and gets my heart racing. In season I do a lot of weight training as well as on court sessions. In the off season, I love practicing Hot Yoga. It clears my mind and find it very refreshing. Stretching is so important for our bodies, and is a great complimentary exercise to all the weight training we do as basketballer's. 

2. Describe your dream meal - what could we expect to find on your plate?

 Anything with avocado!! It is my go to food and without a doubt I have it everyday. I also love a sneaky block of loving earth chocolate:) Gluten, Dairy and sugar free and tastes delicious!

3. Who’s your go to style icon - who have you always admired for their style, and why?

 I love Lindy Klim and Elle Ferguson's style. I'm not one to wear a whole lot of colour. I love simple elegant classic pieces and especially leather and leopard! 

4. What’s a childhood habit or mannerism that has followed you into adulthood?

  I'm not sure if its a habit or not but I love spending time with my grandparents, they have so much knowledge and beautiful stories to tell.

5. Name three things you can’t leave the house without and why?

My Alexander Wang handbag- it has absolutely everything in there, it's like a Mary Poppins Bag!

A Bottle of water- staying hydrated throughout the day is so important for everyone and especially athletes. You'll sometimes see me carrying a water bottle with green liquid; love drinking my daily dose of chlorophyll.

My phone; unfortunately like most of us it is constantly on me!

* * * 

Tahini protein balls

*2 tablespoons  chopped almonds

* 2 Tablespoons of Tahini

* 3 tablespoons of coconut oil

* A handful of Goji Berries

* Shredded coconut

* 1/2 a cup of LSA

* 2 Tablespoons Organic Honey

* 2 tablespoons of cacao- 

* 1 Tablespoon of Macca powder 

Picture source: wanderingspice.com

Now the fun part...making them!

- Blend the Almonds into a blender until the are finely chopped

- Spoon the tahini into a bowel, add the nuts, coconut oil, LSA, Macca,cacao powder, goji berries, shredded coconut and stir really well until the consistency is sticky. 

- Roll mixture into golf ball size balls

- If you like you can mix coat them in either shredded coconut (loving earth is my favourite brand), chia seeds or goji berries!

- Put them in the fridge for about 45 minutes and then enjoy:)

* * * 

Here's gorgeous Alice all dressed up and looking glam! Thanks again Alice for sharing your fit and healthy life with us. 

If you too have a Fitness Friday story to share, please email me dani@fitnessfoodandstyle.com.au as I would love love to feature you!

Happy Friday!

xxDani 

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Win a Wellness Pack from The Healthy Chef

Hello everyone! What an amazing weekend we had. From attending the Melbourne Australian Fitness and Health expo to the Kids Adventure Festival in Mt Baw Baw (post COMING SOON) we are just so thrilled to be able to attend such wonderful events that promote health and fitness. That's what our family is all about. Awesome experiences that I can't wait to share with you.

Today I have the absolute pleasure offering one of my amazing Fitness Food And Style readers a Wellness Pack from The (gorgeous) Healthy Chef Teresa Cutter.

Read our interview from last week here.

The Healthy Chef Teresa Cutter and I 

Here's our little orange juggling act at the show!!

It's not everyday you get to meet the person in real life that has inspires you to live, eat and make healthy food for your family. Teresa Cutter is one of those people. She is so personable, vibrant and such a fountain of knowledge! Oh did I mention she's the best squeeze ever! Such a great cuddly friend!

GIVEAWAY

WELLNESS PACK, featuring 2 x proteins of your choice, 1 x Organic Superfood, 1 x Natural Immune Support PLUS A FREE blender bottle and the best selling 101 ways book.  A full months supply of goodness.

Terms & Conditions

• Entries will close on 30th May 2014, and a winner will be announced shortly thereafter.
• Tell me what motivates you to make positive health and wellness changes in your life & include your IG and/or FB name beside your comment below. 
• You must be an Australian resident to win.
• The winner’s answer will be judged on most creative response.
• Please ensure you have subscribed to my blog, as the winner will be notified by email. If the prize remains unclaimed for 72 hours, a new winner will be selected.
• Only one entry per person.

I look forward to reading your comments. In the meantime stay fit and healthy!

Much love and friendship,

XxDani 

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Working out for a week and eating like Bake Bike Blog

I always love a challenge and this month Fitness First has got us exchanging workouts with the other bloggers for the #changeforthebest campaign. So when I got super fit and healthy Lisa's Bake Bike Blogs' workout session this week and her fave healthy recipes, I was over the moon.

It's always good to mix things up and to see what other people are cooking in the kitchen and how they lead a healthy lifestyle.

So here goes my 1 week working out and eating like …..

Bake Bike Blog

I love the fact that Lisa makes her workouts quick and snappy. It's how I roll as I do not work out for more than 15 minutes per day or 30 minutes every second day. 

Yes there is always a smile on my face when there is a quick workout ahead….

Fitness Food And Style running workout

So basically Lisa runs 5km on Monday……..

Wednesday and Friday (sometimes before work, mostly outside - but she also uses her treadmill if she can't make it outside) and then a bike ride over the weekend. So what did I do????? I just ran…..

So this was just perfect for me. I love the outdoors and with my recent Ride To Conquer Cancer bike event it was great being back on the bike too. 

Lisa also shares her favourite healthy recipes with us. Her favourite “go to” salad is a Maple Tahini Lentil salad. Lovely for lunch, or served as a side salad with dinner - it is vegetarian, gluten free and packed with flavour. It's also perfect for our #fullyraw challenge this month.

Maple-tahini lentil salad

• 1.5 cups cooked lentils
• 6 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 1 cob corn, kernels only
• handful fresh parsley, chopped
• handful fresh mint, chopped
• 2 tbs tahini
• 1 tbs maple syrup
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 4 tbs water

Method

1. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
2. To make the dressing, whisk together the tahini, maple syrup and dijon mustard. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well to combine and until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Drizzle a generous portion of the dressing over the salad to serve.

How about these healthy muffins Lisa baked?

Apple Chai Muffins

Apple Chai Muffins (makes 8 large)

• 220g self raising flour
•  2 tbs chai powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup greek / natural yoghurt
• 1 apple grated (+ an extra half sliced thinly)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C, and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and chai powder.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining wet ingredients.
4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined (don’t over-mix).
5. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cases to about 2/3 full.
6. Finish by pressing a couple apple slices into the centre of each muffin.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked.
8. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack.

What's happening at Fitness First?

Fitness First Corporate Triathlon – is on over the next two months.

EVENT DATES

Melbourne - 2nd March 2014 - Elwood, VIC

Perth - 9th March 2014 - Langley Park, WA

Adelaide - 23rd March 2014 - West Lakes, SA

Sydney - 13th April 2014 - Royal Botanical Gardens, NSW

Gold Coast - 3rd May 2014 - Douglas Jennings Reserve, QLD

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FitnessFirstAustralia

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FitnessFirstAU

#changeforthebest

So who likes to switch things up in their life and change their health and fitness routine a little? I had a fab week doing Lisa's!!! Thanks again Lisa for sharing your workout and meals with me.

Much love and friendship,
XxDani 

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