Warm slices of baked apples covered with cinnamon brown sugar streusel topping are all that’s required to make this easy apple crisp recipe.

All by itself or topped with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream, apple crisp is one of our favorite desserts year-round. If you manage to have any leftovers the next day, this makes a spectacular breakfast too.

You could even include a crisp for a big weekend brunch, coupled with a pan of breakfast enchiladas, a cheesy bacon quiche, or a jalapeno popper breakfast casserole.

You’re probably not surprised to hear that my favorite way to eat this is with my morning coffee and a scoop of ice cream. It’s probably a good thing that I don’t usually have a fresh apple crisp waiting in the kitchen in the morning.

Easy Apple Crisp Recipes

As much as I love apple crisp, I don’t always love eating the soupy dish that sometimes masquerades as an “apple crisp.” This old fashioned recipe is not at all soupy, the tender apples are covered with the perfect amount of crunchy topping to balance it well.

Want a little more evidence of my love for easy apple crisp recipes? Tart cranberries and sweet apples are baked inside a brown sugar and oat crisp for a perfect not-to-sweet cranberry apple crisp.

Tart blackberries are paired with sweet apples in this brown sugar and oat fruit crisp. Apple Crisp Ice Cream is made with the creamiest of homemade vanilla ice creams, then completely loaded with bits of cinnamon sweet baked apples, and crunchy streusel topping.

Old Fashioned Recipe for Apple Crisp

This recipe is so easy to pull together and only takes a few minutes of prep time. The most labor-intensive part is slicing your apples. To save time, I don’t peel the apples for this recipe, though you certainly can.

You can use any kind of apples you like in an apple crisp and it will turn out deliciously each and every time. Granny Smith apples yield a little bit more tartness and pair nicely with the brown sugar and cinnamon.

My favorite combination is a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples.

Slicing the apples thinly and evenly is important for getting the perfect apple crisp texture. Apples tha

This podcast episode is sponsored by Nutrisense! I’ve been a huge fan of Nutrisense for over a year and recently wore another CGM during the holidays. If you’d like to join me and get insight to your habits, your body, and make some healthy changes, sign up here. Use this link and the promo code TFP (stands for The Fitnessista Podcast) to get $30 off and 1 month of free dietitian support. 

First podcast episode of the New Year is heeeeere! Today I’m sharing three things you can focus on in 2023 that have nothing to do with exercise or fitness. Share this episode with someone you love, and if it resonates with you, please let me know what you’ll be doing first over on Instagram!

Resources from this episode:

Woman Code 

Taking Charge of Your Fertility

The Rain Barrel Effect

Glucose Revolution

Why We Get Sick

Fertility Awareness Method and Getting Off Birth Control

Seed Cycling

Removing Environmental Toxins

How to eat for your menstrual cycle

Tips for New Years goals and resolutions

Check the quality of your tap water here

Have you been wanting to try Nutrisense? Now is your chance! I’ve been using this tool on and off for a year, after I found out that my fasting glucose was borderline high. It’s enabled me to make simple changes in my routine, and learn more about how my body responds to certain foods, stressors, and habits.

Your blood sugar levels can significantly impact how your body feels and functions, and Nutrisense helps you analyze in real-time how your body responds to  exercise, stress, and sleep.  It’s so empowering to be able to see how your body is responding, and

The new year brings reminders of new beginnings, but how can we navigate this when we are grieving?  

When we lose someone we love, the passing of time can feel make us feel like we are being forced forward and further away from all that is familiar and from the person we have lost. We may even have a fear that we will forget them, their scent, their touch, as we say goodbye to the year in which our loved one died, and we want to fight with every fibre of our being to press stop.

It is a hugely emotional transition. There are so many reminders of new beginnings at each new year that you can dread the midnight hour. The build-up can be intensely painful because it lasts so long and it isn’t that we feel the loss of our loved one more during this time of year, it just feels worse because there are reminders wherever we look. Everything has changed for us yet the world just carries on as normal as one year makes way for another.

So, how can we manage this transition into the new year without our loved ones?

Understand that it's OK to feel your pain

Grief hurts. A lot. If we didn’t care, it wouldn’t hurt. When we lose someone significant in our lives, we are often left with things we still want to say, need and do with them. Recognise this and sit down with yourself. Imagine you could have one more conversation with them. What would you ask them and what would you like to tell them? Write it down - try writing in the form of a letter.

Take your time and be honest - no one will read this unless you want to share it. Follow your instincts and trust the process but try not to keep your focus on the fact that they are no longer alive as this can cause a blockage. Identifying what it is we are scared of or need can help bring new awareness.

Have a plan and get things in the diary

Sometimes we have to force ourselves to stay in the mainstream of living but the more you do, the more you can. Don’t let others railroad you into things that you really don’t want to do or even to be with people you don’t want to be with. Taking regular walks in nature can be a wonderful way to clear your head. Focus on the rhythm of your feet as they walk the earth. This can be incredibly therapeutic on its own.

By making a commitment to things, you are respecting yourself and the memory of your loved one. If you allow your sadness to prevent you from being able to share all of the joy that they brought to your life, the legacy of that love becomes lost, not only to others but to you too. You have a duty to them and to those you love to continue.

Reach out to family and friends

Tell them how you are feeling and have a go-to person you can talk to when you're struggling.

Create a remembrance garden  

Plant some bulbs, a flower, or a shrub and create a special area in your garden. Take care of your little plot and watch it grow. You can add to this over time - look for stones and pebbles to adorn it with. This will give you a good focus. I’ve recently learned that there are micro-organisms in the soil that react with our skin and release endorphins into our body. Endorphins reduce stress and improve our sense of wellbeing. Surviving in our grief isn’t just emotional, it's physical too.

Potatoes, red and green bell peppers, and yellow onions are combined in a colorful and flavorful skillet that is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Breakfast Potatoes Skillet

I love having potatoes with breakfast in the morning. Well, technically, I would enjoy having potatoes with most of my meals. Potatoes, peppers, and onions add up to a terrific meal that comes together quickly any time of day.

By taking the time to prep them in advance, I simply heat as many as we need when we are ready to eat them. These potatoes are great as a dinner side dish, as a simple lunch, or tossed into scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast.

Breakfast Potatoes with Peppers and Onions

I get why some people don’t like to pre-chop their potatoes because they discolor and turn brown. For breakfast potatoes, I typically dice them the night before and store them in the refrigerator submerged in water.

Wondering how to make crispy breakfast potatoes? In the morning, drain the water and pat the diced potatoes to dry. Drying the potatoes well is the key to getting the best crispy potato edges.

The peppers and onions can be chopped and just stored in containers or in simple zip-close bags until you’re ready to cook them.

Potatoes with Peppers and Onions

You’ll need just a few ingredients to make this recipe.

• olive oil
• yellow onion
• potatoes
• bell pepper
• kosher salt 
• freshly ground black pepper

Read more

Whether you have an unexplored passion, or want to upskill in order to cultivate new career options, learning can be a lifelong pursuit, and one that opens doors to endless possibilities…

Whether it’s signing up for a short adult education course, or enrolling for a degree, many of us return to education after taking some time away. It can be a hugely positive experience – a chance to learn new skills, develop our career, form new friendships, and immerse ourselves in an interest. But as exciting as it can be, it also brings anxieties around how to adjust, and whether it’s the right move for us.

For me, returning to university after time away was a big change. It took a while to see myself as a student, and get used to new routines. I’m so glad that I made the move though – it’s given me a chance to dedicate time to my passion, meet like-minded people, and to grow in new ways.

The benefits of lifelong learning

To find out more about returning to education, I spoke to life coach Chantal Dempsey. There are, she says, a myriad of benefits to lifelong learning.

“One of the greatest benefits of lifelong education is empowerment,” says Chantal. “Returning to learning not only offers the tools to change career paths, facilitate a promotion, or start a side hustle, it boosts your mindset to unlock ability and confidence. It validates a ‘can do’ attitude that empowers you to believe that anything is possible.” It can also widen your perspectives and understanding of the world, which can be great assets.

You’re likely to have things in common with people on your course. I’ve valued the connections I’ve made with others who share my interest – creative writing – as an adult. It’s lovely to meet like-minded people, as well as the added joy that can come with making new friends.

Our mental health and wellbeing can benefit, too. “As the confidence bucket gets filled by your successes, and your upgrade in skills and knowledge, your subconscious mind takes in the message that you can achieve and you are good enough,” says Chantal. “Confidence and self-esteem are the building blocks of mental health. Increasing them will achieve wonders for your wellbeing.”

Lifelong learning is also good for our overall health. “Research shows a link between learning and the reduction of some illnesses, such as dementia and coronary heart disease,” Chantal explains. “Neuroplasticity, which is basically the functional and structural reshaping of the brain, can happen throughout life to adapt to new information, experiences, and environments. Sustained adult learning simulates the creation and development of new neural pathways, boosting your brain health and power remarkably.”

Finding the right path for you

There are clearly lots of reasons to return to education. But how can we find the path that works for us?

Chan