Peanut Butter Bark

Ok, so who has tried that Christmas Crack? It's basically sugar, butter, saltines and chocolate. Sounds kinda gross to me. But it tastes heavenly and it's highly addictive, so I don't recommend it!

This is a great, healthy alternative. And it doesn't put you into a coma for 4 hours after you eat it! BONUS!

Ingredients:
1 cup of plain greek yogurt
1-2 tbsp of agave nectar or honey
3 tbsp of natural peanut butter
dark chocolate chocolate chips

Get out cookie sheet and cover it with parchment paper. NOT wax paper. Yes, I did that once. Not cool. Not the same thing. Don't make that mistake! HAHA! In a medium bowl, mix the first three ingredients, spread a thin layer on cookie sheet with parchment paper. Add a small amount of chocolate chips. I think I used about 4 orange containers worth. Pop in freezer for 3 hours, then break into large pieces. Store in freezer too, because it melts pretty fast. When making for my boys I crush up vanilla wafers or graham crackers on top too. SOOO good! I count each peice of bark as 1/2 yellow (because the chocolate chips are technically a treat, but each piece doesn't even contain 1/2 orange container, so I just count as a half. Also it's 1/4 red and 1 tsp.

Shrimp Wonton Appetizers

If I am going to a nice pot luck or a dinner party where you bring something to share, this is my go to! Heck, I even bring it to a football party. It's so versatile, but also delicious and you would never know it's not bad for you! In fact, it's kind of healthy! And super simple to make! This is perfect for that Christmas or New Years Eve party!

Ingredients:

• 24 wonton wrappers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Chili powder (we really like to use Ancho Chili Powder or Chipotle Chili Powder)
• 2 limes
• 1/2 cup baby arugula leaves
• 3 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
• Avocado slices 

1. Directions:
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Prepare wonton shells: Lightly brush wontons with 1 tablespoon of olive oil then arrange in 24 mini muffin/cupcake cups. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.Toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, 2 teaspoons of lime zest and chile powder. Bake shrimp until opaque throughout, 5 to 8 minutes. Fill each wonton cup with a few leaves of arugula, a small dollop of plain greek yogurt, one shrimp then top with a spritz of lime juice and avocado. 
4. I count 4 shrimp cups as 1 yellow, 1/2 blue, 1 red, green is minimal so I didn't even count it, but you can count it as a 1/4 cup if you so desire! 

Crockpot Cashew Chicken

Every now and again, I get a hankering for Chinese food. Kung Pao chicken is my favorite because of the peanuts, but you know it's covered in oil and MSG! Ugh! This is a MUCH healthier version! Soooo good, and 21 day fix approved! My kids even devoured it! Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders or chicken thigh tenders
1/4 cup whole wheat flour or almond flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp oil (EVOO)
1/4 cup soy sauce 
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (I like white wine vinegar)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp raw sugar (optional)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 sliced green pepper

1 sliced onion
1/2 cup cashews
Directions:
Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Throw in the sliced peppers and onions. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.top with your favorite herb. i used parsley

4 servings it wold be about 1  Red 1/2 Blue and a 1 Yellow 1/2 green served with brown rice. I measure this with my green container and eat 1 1/2 green container worth! 

Tortilla Soup

Tacos in soup form. I like tacos any way I can get them. In a shell, tortilla, nacho form. Soup form is great, because you can still add all the toppings you love, but it's typically healthier! So here is my favorite version! 


For the taco seasoning (if making your own):

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and reserve until needed.
For the soup:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 lbs. combined)
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 16-ounce jar salsa
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 fresh jalapenos, stems/seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 2-3 ears fresh corn, removed from the cob (or 1 bag of frozen) Honestly you can omit this if you are on the 21 day fix and saving your yellows! 
• 5 corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, tortilla strips (recipe to follow), yogurt/sour cream, lime wedges

1. Measure 1 tablespoon of your taco seasoning and set aside. Combine the remaining seasoning with the can of diced tomatoes, and pour into the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the 3 chicken breasts in a single layer over the tomato mixture, and top with the whole jar of salsa. Cover, turn on low, and cook for 8-11 hours (I did the full 11, because of my work schedule).
2. In the meantime, prepare your tortilla strips. Turn your oven on to broil. Cut the tortillas in half and then into slices. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and broil for 2-minutes (make sure you keep an eye on these, they will burn quickly! Remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use.
3. With the slow cooker still on low after 8-11 hours of cooking, shred the chicken using two forks until all of the large pieces are gone. This step should be very easy as the chicken should be nice and tender. Add the onion, jalapenos, black beans, chicken broth, and water; stir to combine. If you are pressed for time, saute the onion and jalapenos for a few minutes beforehand. Add the zucchini and corn and continue to cook on low for another hour.
4. Serve with suggested toppings above. Makes enough for 6-8 people.1 red, 1/4 purple, 1 1/2 yellow, 1/2 green. If you use homemade salsa, you can count it as a green instead of a purple! And don't forget to add a blue if you add avocado and cheese to the top! I measure this with my green container and eat 1 1/2 greens worth! 

Okay so my cranberry sauce turned out pretty good! And it couldn't have been easier! I put one bag of cranberries in the crock pot. Put about 3/4 of a cup of OJ, the fresh kind not from concentrate. A generous drizzle of honey and about 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. I tried to do without the sugar but it was too tart! I left it on high for about 5 hours and then mashed up the cranberries a bit with a fork. Done! Even tho there is still sugar in there it's way healthier than the canned stuff where the 2nd and 3rd ingredient is corn syrup. And that was for the entire batch, and I only used about 2 tablespoons on my sandwich! I put it on my turkey burger with some melted Brie and it was amazing!

Healthy Enchiladas

Can you tell Mexican is my FAVE! We have taco Tuesdays, We have Enchilada Fridays, We have tortilla soup Sundays in my house! I can't get enough. Mexican CAN be healthy too! I have made these with regular flour tortillas, corn, and wheat, and I actually like the wheat the best!

3 onions

2 cups of chicken cooked and shredded

1 can of low sodium black beans
Whole wheat tortillas
1 jar of roasted red peppers
2-3 heaping tablespoons of cream cheese ( if you really wanna be healthy try subbing this for plain greek yogurt.)
2 garlic cloves
2 jars of chopped green chilies
1 small jar of salsa (check sugar and sodium content. The less the better! I actually make my own. I put tomatoes, a jalapeno, cilantro, ½ onion, 2 garlic cloves, lime juice and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor.)
A pinch of salt and pepper. 1 T of oregano. 1 T of cumin.
4 blue (or 1 1/3 cups) containers of sharp cheddar cheese
Avocado and plain Greek yogurt to top.

Slice two onions and sauté in a drizzle of oil. Caramelize them until brown, probably will take about 15 minutes. Then add 2 cups of shredded chicken, I use rotisserie breast meat. Chop up the roasted red  peppers and add them. Add black beans. Take off the heat. Add cream cheese.  Mix up.

Meanwhile take the one left over onion, garlic, green chilies, spices and chop in food processor. Add to a separate sauce pan, and add 16 oz of low sodium chicken broth and salsa. Simmer while above mixture is cooking. It will thicken to a gravy consistency.

Add 1/3 of chili mixture to bottom of baking dish. Take a wheat tortilla and put a few heaping spoonful’s of the chicken mixture. Roll up and put seam side down in dish. Repeat until you are out of chicken mixture. Pour the rest of the chili mixture on top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

If following the 21 day fix, sub the greek yogurt for cream cheese, or omit all together. And either omit avocado on top or just use a couple slices. And it will end up being:

1 enchilada: 1 ¼ yellow, ½ purple (or if you use homemade salsa it’s a green), ½ green, 1 red, 1 blue.

Zucchini Soup with Lump Crab





 

 

 



I am always trying to get more veggies in my diet. But without eating a big bowl of salad every single night. Don't get me wrong, I love salad. And I could probably eat it several times a week and never grow tired. But sometimes my mouth wants something creamy and delicious and have it NOT taste like... well, salad. This hit the spot, I literally licked the bowl clean. No one was looking. And I just didn't want the yumminess to be over. You will understand when you make this, so don't judge. :)

 

1/2 small onion, quartered

2 cloves of garlic
3 medium zucchini, skin on and cut in large chunks
32 oz reduced sodium organic chicken broth (veggie is great, too!)
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt (or light sour cream if not following the 21 day fix)
Himalayan salt and black pepper to taste
Recommended add-ins:
fresh grated parmesan cheese or goat cheese(measure with your blue)
fresh herbs ( I used basil)
lemon!
Jumbo lump crab
olive oil

1. Combine chicken broth, onion, garlic, and zucchini in a large pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and purée with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender.  Add the yogurt, and herbs (if using) and purée again until smooth.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and adjust to taste.
4.  Squeeze in some lemon and add crab, parmesan cheese or goat cheese and drizzle with a delicious olive oil.  Or eat it plain.

 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bites

adapted from The Beachbody Blog

Ingredients:

coconut oil

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large ripe banana

1 cup of pure pumpkin puree

1 T raw honey

2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 T ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

toppings of your choice – berries, nuts, pure maple syrup, chocolate chips

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat muffin tin with coconut oil.

2.  Combine eggs, vanilla, bananas, pumpkin and honey in a large bowl. Mash bananas and mix well. Set aside.

3.  Combine oats, cinnamon and baking powder in a small bowl, stir well and combine with banana mixture

4.  Stir in almond milk and mix well.

5.  Divide oatmeal evenly between prepared muffin cups and add toppings of your choice!

6.  Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until brown

Let cool and serve or save for the week ahead!

Each muffin is 1/2 Yellow and 1/2 Purple.  If you add chips or nuts, be sure you factor that in .

If I wasn't on a fix, and wanted a little splurge, I would add a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar to them! I like them best served warm with hot coffee!!!  Oh and of the best parts.. It only took 6 minutes to prepare them for the oven, which equals 1 1/2 taylor swift videos, Lila's favorite way to pass time when Mom is cooking!

 

 

Peaches and Goat Cheese flat bread

Dinner or lunch in under 10 minutes! Uhhhh Yes please!

 Now I'm not gonna lie this dinner would not fly for paul. He's a meat guy. So I would need to add prosciutto or something! But this is perfect for me for dinner or for a quick but different lunch!
I know it's almost fall and it's all about squash and pumpkin. But please, we were In our bathing suits last weekend and it's 80 degrees. So it's still summer yall!

Cut up one peach and marinate it in balsamic vinegar. I don't use much because I use the really good kind that is nice and thick, and clings to the peaches. Throw a flat out pizza thin in the oven at 365 for four minutes after you Drizzle a little olive oil and Himalayan sea salt! Take it out, Spread about 2-3 tablespoons of goat cheese. Then place the peaches on, throw back in the oven for another 4 minutes. Take it out and throw on some chopped arugula, or basil and spinach which is all I had. Drizzle a little more balsamic if you fancy. Done! So good! If you are following the 21 day fix, this is 1 yellow, 1 purple, 1/2 blue and 1/3 green.
You can also switch out the goat cheese for Ricotta and it's a red! Anyway for me to save my blues... my precious, BELOVED blues!

Cizing it up

Exercise HAS got to be fun! OR you probably won't keep doing it! Here is a video of me and a few other super awesome amazing dancer/coaches on my team doing the new fitness program, CIZE by shaunt T. LOVE IT! Warning, not everyone can dance this good. So try not to compare yourself too much to us. We have had YEARS of training.


https://youtu.be/rNio9niseVk

Rule Number One, do not take yourself too seriously!

I know I am passionate about beachbody. Of course I am, it has changed my life and my family's life in so many ways! Some people think it's a bit much at times, I am sure! I totally get that. But I do not take myself too seriously. I know I can be a cheeseball at times! And so I just had to make a quick video poking fun of selfie taking, hashtag using self!


https://youtu.be/EDX7d-LL5E4

Cauliflower Biscuits

If you are like me and my family, sometimes getting in your daily dose of veggies can be a chore! So I am always looking for delicious ways to sneak them into my diet! And this recipe was a WINNER in my house! Evan and Lila devoured it. Drew didn't care for it, he likes cauliflower raw, but didn't care for the texture of this. But 2 out of 3, whoohoo! And even Paul gobbled them up! They don't remind me of biscuits however, more of a mini quiche that is crustless. But delicious nonetheless!

1 head of cauliflower

3 garlic cloves

1/3 cup of greek yogurt

2 eggs and 2 egg whites

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup of grated cheddar cheese

Steam the head of cauliflower (removed stem and leaves) in microwave safe dish with a little bit of water, cover, microwave for about 10 minutes or until very tender. Puree in food processor after done steaming, with the garlic. In a separate bowl, mix whole eggs (not egg whites), yogurt, cheese and salt and pepper. Dump in cauliflower mixture and stir. In another small bowl use a hand beater to whip egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into cauliflower mixture. Spray muffin tins with pam spray, fill with mixture about 2/3 way full. Bake at 400 degrees for appr 25 min or until edges start to get golden brown. Makes about 18!  Serving size is about 3 muffins, which would be not even ¼ blue, or a ¼, but probably almost 1 whole green. ENJOY!!!

Pineapple Mango Salsa

This is SUMMER in a bowl!!! I love this stuff! I top it on my fish or shrimp tacos with a dollop of plain greek yogurt! I top it on grilled chicken or tilapia! I actually would put it on a bed of greens and add a little grilled chicken or shrimp! It's so fresh and colorful, sweet and a little spicy! I hope you enjoy!

Ginger Garlic Flank Steak with Shirataki Noodles

So this dish doesn't photograph particularly well, but it was DELISH!

Flank steak
Seasoning: garlic powder, onion powder, pink Himalayan salt, cumin.
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bulb of garlic, diced
1-2 teaspoon of fresh garlic minced
1 bag of broccoli slaw
1 bag of frozen edamame, shelled
2 bags of Shiraki noodles
low sodium soy sauce

I season the flank steak with seasonings mentioned above, and then drizzle a little soy sauce on it, making sure to season each side generously. Then I grill it for 4-5 minutes on each side, to desired doneness. I let it sit for about 10 minutes then I cut AGAINST the grain! This will make sure that your meat is nice and tender!

Meanwhile, I saute up some onion, garlic, and ginger in a little bit of EVOO on low heat. And I try desperately not to burn my garlic which I tend to do way more often than I like to admit!  After they are all nice and golden brown and softened up, I add a bag of frozen edamame, and a bag of brocolli slaw. I saute them until they are nice and soft. I rinse the shiratki noodles in hot water, no need to cook them. These are made from a root veggie and actually found in the produce section of the store, usually! I turn off the heat, and throw in the noodles and the steak... BOOM. Done.

I always like to say how I make a meal kid friendly. Most of my meals my kids will eat as is. I try and NOT make a habit of being a short order chef. But sometimes, it is unavoidable! My kids won't eat this dish, well at least 2 out of 3 of them. So I just whip up some brown rice, and serve it with the flank steak. I also put aside of the edamame, before throwing it all in the pan and cook that up and serve it along side the rice and steak!

Give it a try! Would also be good with Zoodles! Or brown rice, actually! The original recipe I pinned from pinterest called for Ramen noodles.... But I like these shiraki noodles much better, and they are sooo much healthier anyway!

BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA

Ingredients:
1 medium yellow onion
EVOO
Shredded cooked chicken breast (rotisserie is great, or you can slow cook some chicken in a crock pot and shred) I used about 2-3 breasts worth
Texas Pete 1 tablespoon and then more for drizzling on top
1/2 can of low sodium black beans
1 whole grain pizza flat out
1 red container of plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)
Crumbled blue cheese, 1/2 blue container
1 bunch of cilantro chopped
4 stalks of celery chopped


Sauté some onions in a dollop oil. Add shredded chicken breast. I get the kind at Costco that is already shredded, rotisserie, just white meat! But you can shred up a rotisserie chicken! Then I add a half a can of black beans (low sodium) and a tablespoon or so of Texas Pete. Meanwhile I bake a whole grain pizza flat out at 375 for 3-4 min. Then I add mozzarella (3/4 blue container for each flat out if u r following the fix), then add chicken mixture and bake at 375 for another 5 min. Meanwhile I mix a red container of plain Greek yogurt with half of a container of blue cheese. I chop up some cilantro and celery really fine. When the pizzas are done I drizzle with the yogurt mixture, top with celery and cilantro, and drizzle a tiny bit more Texas Pete. OMG! So good! One serving is one flat out pizza!

21 day fix Lasagna

1.5 lbs of ground turkey, chicken or lean 93% ground beef

1 tablespoon of EVOO

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles

1 yellow onion

2-3 garlic cloves

1 24 oz jar of Marinara sauce (just make sure the ingredeints are all recognizable and the sodium and sugar added is minimal

1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes

I usually add 1 16 oz can of tomato sauce too and a couple spoonfuls of tomato paste, just to up the tomato-ey taste!

Pink Himalayan salt, pepper to taste

½ tbsp. of Oregano

16 oz Cottage cheese (or you can do skim milk ricotta cheese)

1 egg (optional, I add an egg to my cottage cheese to boost the flavor and make it a nice texture, but it’s not really necessary, I have done it without too and it’s totally good!)

6 blue containers (or 2 cups) of grated mozzarella cheese            

1 bag of fresh spinach, frozen would be fine too just drain all the moisture out

Freshly grated parmesan cheese, and little more oregano to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, lightly spray a large 13 x 9 baking dish with non stick spray

Start by browning some onions and garlic in some olive oil over low heat. DON’T burn the garlic, I always do that! Once they are nice and carmelized, I add in the meat and brown that. Once it’s cook all the way through, I drain the fat. Meanwhile I boil the whole wheat lasagna noodles, per box directions. Then I drain and lay out on foil so they don’t stick to each other. I add the marinara, tomatoes, tomato sauce and or tomato paste, depending on how thick or thin you like your meat sauce, to the meat and onion mixture. I add salt and pepper to taste, and oregano. I let it simmer for a while, usually 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl I mix together 16 oz of cottage cheese, with 1 egg and a dash of oregano to make it pretty! Then I start layering everything together!

I start with a layer of meat sauce, then I place three noodles, the ones I got were so long they covered the whole length of my baking dish! Then I spread on some of the cottage cheese mixture, lay a layer of spinach, add two containers of the mozzarella, then spread some more meat sauce. And then add another layer of noodles and repeat above! I usually can fit in 3 layers. End with cheese! I sprinkle on a just a tad of parmesan and oregano! I swish around a little water in the bottom of the marinara sauce, Sorry, go fetch it out of the recycle bin if you already tossed it! Then I pour that in the corners of the baking dish. This will keep it all super moist and keep it from drying out! Then I bake covered with foil for 15 minutes, the last 10 minutes I take off the foil. Boom, dinner is done! Add a salad and you are ready to go!

21 day fix containers are just approximate! I did the best I could measuring them out!

This will serve ATLEAST 8, probably 10!

I count each serving as 3/4 blue, 1 yellow, 3/4 purple, 1 red and 1/2 green.  If you aren’t sure how big of a portion to put on your plate, I always fill one and a half green containers (the biggest container of course!) I sometimes find I can’t eat that much, so if you just do one green container, just adjust the container count accordingly! 

White Chili

I stole this recipe from my brother years ago. And believe it or not, I have adapted it to make it EASIER! Now, I know any recipe when you dirty more than two pans is kind of a pain in the rear. But this one is worth it! I promise!

- 1.5 lbs of ground turkey (or chicken)
- 2 containers of mushrooms, I like the fancy shitake ones, but you can get any kind you fancy
- two cans of white canellini
- two little cans of mild green chiles
- one big yellow onion
- half a bulb of garlic (or more)
- 2 fresh serrano chiles
-  16 oz. (half a big box) of chicken or turkey stock...  I like kitchen 
basics...  just check and make sure the sodium content is low.
- a big glass (8-12 oz) of water
- olive oil
- monteray jack cheese
- a big bunch or two of cilantro

-plain greek yogurt

Spices: 2 tablespoons of cumin, sounds like a lot, but it’s a lot of meat! ½ tablespoon of ground coriander, 1-2 teaspoons of oregano, and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (if you love garlic like I do)


I get both my dutch oven and another pan good and hot...  medium high heat...  
I put some olive oil in both...  break up the turkey into one...  put the 
mushrooms (cut into thirds) in the other...  turn down the one with the 
mushrooms a bit....  drizzle a little more olive oil over both...  salt and 
pepper both as I'm cooking I let the mushrooms cook down.

Once both are cooked, I turn the heat on the turkey down and dump the mushrooms in the dutch oven with the meat. Then I add in the turkey stock and get the empty pan hot again, add a little 
olive oil and saute the onion for a couple minutes.   Then add the garlic and chopped up serano peppers and saute a couple more minutes. Then I add the water to pan to get the delicious stuff off the bottom and then dump the whole thing into the pot.  Then I rinse the beans and add them, add the chopped green chilis,  add the oregano, cumin, minced garlic and ground coriander,  cover it and let is simmer for an hour or so, stirring occasionally. Then I serve it up, stir in a handful of chopped cilantro, and sprinkle a little 
monteray jack cheese and a dollop of plain greek yogurt, and sometimes some sliced avocado.  It's awesome!

Egg Stuffed Peppers

During the week, I am lucky if I have time to throw together a smoothie for me! If it takes more than about 3 minutes, it's not happening! But these are delicious for a weekend breakfast, for mornings when you may have company visiting! Or when you have breakfast for dinner and have a little more time. It's actually super easy, it just takes a bit to bake. But well worth the time if you have it!

Accountability Post!

Yes, I am still with the program! So every month or so I take pictures to keep myself accountable! I have officially lost 16 lbs and over 16 inches with simple portion control and 30 minute work out videos. But the secret to my success, is SHAKEOLOGY! And staying in an accountability group! Motivation only lasts for so long! You gotta stay accountable! It's the small things we do every single day that add up to be the huge successes. These things are easy to do! But also easy not to do!

Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

These were pretty good! I was skeptical, I must say! I LOVE me some pancakes, waffles and french toast. But these definitely satisfied my sweet tooth this morning! I paired it with an egg for a little extra protein. Next time I am going to try blueberries!! Two of my three children approved it! Lila approves very little, and to be fair, she didn't even put a single bite in her mouth before she protested and threw it on the floor.

No cook refrigerator over night steel cut oats

So I admit, I was skeptical! But they were good, healthy, quick and easy, so therefore, shareworthy!!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shakeology

This is my every day, go to shakeology recipe. I drink it as a meal replacement for lunch sometimes, or as a mid morning or afternoon snack! It tastes like a Wendy's frosty to me, but it's the healthiest meal of the day!

Pumpkin Pie Shakeology

Ok, so maybe I am a tad too excited about Fall. And maybe it's still like 3 months away. But a girl can dream right?!

1 scoop of chocolate shakeo
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 cup of almond milk
blend and enjoy!

Strawberry Mojito Shakeology

I firmly believe, that shakeology has helped me get to my goal weight and maintain it. But more importantly, it's given me energy and that extra mmmph I needed to get my but off the couch and get moving! I used to be a napper. When Lila would nap, I would nap. Which is fine. But wow, did I get almost NOTHING done each day. Lila is a lot of work, so when she sleeps, that's basically my only time to clean, cook, work, and play with my boys! I don't wanna waste it sleeping! I started drinking shakeo daily March 17th, and I am proud to say I have napped ONCE since then! Even when I take calls all night for work, I don't even feel like I need to sleep the next day! And there is no added caffiene, no stimulants! So that's pretty amazing!

Here is a yummy summertime recipe that I love!

1 scoop of strawberry shakeo

1 1/4 cup
Of water or coconut water
2 tbsp of lime juiceMint chopped or muddled1tsp of honey Ice

Blend!

Fixated on Fitness

We all deserve to be happy, healthy and energetic.
YES- You Deserve That! So stop telling yourself that this is IT, for you. That this is the hand you were dealt. YOU have the power to change, but you Have to Want it and You have to Decide you want it bad enough.
No one can make that decision for you. No one can make the sacrifices for you. No one else can get over the excuses for you. If this is something you are READY for, hit me up!

This challenge group is going to be the BEST ever, because we will giving a way a cookbook or TWO! Autumn Calabrese is making meal planning on the 21 day fix even easier!!!  I am so excited! 

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

I am not a huge fan of the traditional stuffed peppers, with onions, rice and ground beef. So I was hesitant to make stuffed peppers the other night. So I searched Pinterest, and found a recipe that sparked my interest. Basically it's a taco in a pepper. And since I could eat tacos every single night for the rest of my life, I was sold! Here is the recipe, I tweaked it a bit from Pinterest.

1 lb of ground turkey, lean ground beef, or ground chicken.
3/4 cup of frozen corn
1 can of black beans, rinsed
1 medium yellow onion
1/2 can of diced tomatoes, unseasoned
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of chili powder
2 tsp of cumin
Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
4 large green peppers
Chicken broth, low sodium
6 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
Greek yogurt
1 avocado

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Saute the ground meat until it's no longer pink. Add in chopped onions and garlic and seasonings, saute for another 5-8 minute until onion is soft. Add corn, black beans and diced tomatoes.
Chop off top of green peppers and clean out seeds and white pulp. Stuff with ground meat mixture. Place in a deep baking dish, fill bottom of dish with about an inch or so of chicken broth. Cover or place foil on top. Bake for 35 minutes. Take out and add cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes. Garnish with a dollop of plain greek yogurt (or sour cream) and a few slices of avocado. ENJOY!

For those following the 21 day fix, just measure out 1/2 blue container for the cheese. And measure out that dollop of greek yogurt to be about 1/2 red. If you eat one large stuffed pepper it would be: 1 yellow, 1 1/2 red, 1 1/2 green, 1 blue.

80/20

I am NOT one of those people who likes to work out. I do HATE it less now though, and that's a good thing? Right? So, when I learned losing weight is 70-80% nutrition, I was thrilled! Exercise, is just plain good for you though. I know that, so I do push myself to do it about 5 days a week, at least 30 minutes per day. That's my goal anyway! Sometimes, I have these pesky excuses however, that rear their ugly heads back into my life. And it's so hard to decipher an actual excuse, from a reason, like I am legitimately tired and need a rest day! Tuesday, I really could tell it was an excuse, because it was "I don't feel like washing my hair again." Yeah, lame. That's where my accountability group comes in. These ladies check in on me daily, and I check in on them. 5 days a week, we push each other to fight through our excuses, dig deep if we need to, and "push play." For some reason, if that still doesn't work, a pep talk the next day may be in order! We never try to miss more than a day or two, because once you lose that momentum, it's hard to start back. Accountability was the missing piece to my puzzle. It's one of the main reasons I never stuck with any new lifestyle change, I was trying to incorporate into my life. I see these ladies staying motivated every single day, no matter how busy they are with their daily life, and it inspires me to do the same. If you aren't a part of an accountability group, I encourage you to get one! A buddy is great, but an entire group is even better!!

NOM NOM

Spaghetti squash is one of my favorite side dishes. Sometimes, however, it's hard to get it to come out right. The strings are all short and choppy! So this time I followed a recipe I stumbled upon on Pinterest and it yielded much better results! I cut the squash, instead of lengthwise, into rings. And then I baked them for about 30-40 minutes on 400 degrees. Then the squash just felt right out, into long stringy, pasta like pieces! I paired it with lean hamburger meat, 93% lean and roasted sweet potatoes for the buns. I sometimes have to modify the meal for my kids, so they got some buns, and some real pasta for their side, along with snap peas. So good!

pump up your yogurt!

Oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods to lower your cholesterol!  But since it's 100 degrees right now, that's really low on the list of things I want to eat in the morning. However,  I just add a half a cup or so to my plain greek yogurt, and then I add some blueberries/blackberries/raspberries and a drizzle of honey. It keeps me full all morning, and tastes delicious!

Cowboy Caviar

Cowboy Caviar:
One of my favorite summer time recipes!! I put this on my eggs in the morning, serve it with grilled chicken or white fish, or put on a bed of lettuce and just add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt! If I bring to a party I will bring it with some tortilla chips! 
Cowboy caviar:
1 15 oz can of black beans
1 cup of frozen corn, thawed
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes chopped
1 bunch of green onions chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped
1 avocado diced
Pepper and a pinch of Himalayan salt
2 tspn of cumin
And a drizzle of balsamic vingegar (optional, sometimes I do lime juice instead.)
Mix all together, actually tastes better after about 6 hours sitting in fridge because all the flavors really come together. Keeps for a few days in the fridge!
For those following the 21 day fix with me, if you eat 1/8 of this (it does make a lot!) it's 1/2💙 1/4-1/2 💚 1/2 💛.
‪#‎21dfx‬
It's SOOO delicious!!!

Baked Ziti

So anyone who knows my kids, knows they aren't the best eaters in the world. But this dish, was AMAZING! Doesn't taste healthy, tastes like a cheat meal! Evan had 3 helpings, Drew had 3 helpings and Lila had 2! Paired it with some spinach for my littles, and sweet peppers for me. Now I love me some garlic bread with pasta, but this time I roasted portobello mushrooms, put a little garlic powder and pink Himalayan salt and dash of EVOO. SOO good. Didn't even miss the garlic bread.

Ingredients

• 1/2 box Whole Wheat Pasta
• 1 red container Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
• 1 jar natural/clean Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 lb Lean Ground Turkey
• 1/2 c Italian Cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1 tbsp each: Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Seasoning, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, and Black Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the noodles until al-dente. While pasta is cooking, brown the ground turkey. Drain turkey of excess fat renderings after cooking. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, pasta sauce, honey, seasonings, cooked ground turkey, and the cooked and drained noodles. Stir until well combined.

Pour mixture into a 13×9 pan. Sprinkle Italian cheese and parsley on top.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and bubbly.

1 red, 1 yellow, 1 purple, 1 blue for my 21 day fixers