Sweet Oatmeal Bites!

These oatmeal bites are SERIOUSLY good! You will thank me later! Made from all clean ingredients, so you can satisfy your sweet tooth without sabotaging your "diet." Yes, I put that in quotes, because diets are lame. It's food, it's nutrition. This is sweet, but not bad for you! The only problem will be not eating the entire batch in one swoop! ENJOY! If you are following the 21 day fix, I would count them as a yellow swap treat because of the chocolate. You could break it down into blue, yellow, orange, yada yada, but for simplicity sake, it's a yellow!

Quinoa, do you like it sweet or savory?

Do you like your quinoa savory or sweet??? I like both but Loving it for breakfast these days!

Did you know quinoa has al 9 amino acids making it a complete protein? Did you know it's not a grain but a seed? It's related to the beet, spinach and Swiss chard family!

Blah blah blah. Whatever, it tastes good and it's good for you! That's all I care about!

Today I cooked it with lite coconut milk, and stirred in a tsp of honey and natural almond butter. Topped it with cinnamon and chopped apples! It's kind of like oatmeal in that it's a vehicle for deliciousness.

Seems like it shouldn't count as a yellow on the 21 day fix! Should be a GREEN or an orange? If you are vegan, it does count as a red actually, because they have more limited protein sources. Oh well, it's delicious, so it's worth using up one of my precious yellows! 

This was a tsp, a yellow, and 1/2 purple! Oh and a blue for the coconut milk, but would have been just as yummy with almond milk! 

Butternut squash mash!

This dish almost didn't happen! I actually meant to buy a spaghetti squash, and bought this one instead. Grocery shopping with 3 kids in tow, is kind of like riding a unicycle blindfolded while drinking a martini. And no, I never exaggerate! So anyway, I had planned on making spaghetti squash  with marinara and turkey meatballs. So when I cut into this to roast it, my plans changed! I sort of made up this recipe, but I was super pleasantly suprised at how delicious it was! This is going to be a new fall/winter side dish FAVE!!!

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

1 individual sized plain greek yogurt or 3/4 of a cup

1/4 of a cup of goat cheese

I baked the butternut squash fleshy (ew can't think of another word for that) side down. I baked it at 450 for 30 minutes until it was soft. Then I scraped it out of the skin, you know, the flesh, (ew) and mashed it up with 1 individual sized cup of plain Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup of goat cheese, salt and pepper to taste. I reserved a bit of the goat cheese for garnish! I only had the herbed flavor goat cheese on hand and it was great. Sliced up turkey meatballs on the side. Boom. Soooo delicious yall. If you are following the 21 day fix, that's 1 green, 1/2 blue, 1/2 red without the turkey meatballs. Add some more red if you have meatballs with it! Oh and of course a yellow for my VINO! 💚💚❤💙💛

Turkey and Quinoa and Cheese stuffed Acorn SQUASH

If you would have told me a year ago that my kids would eat quinoa stuffed in any kind of vegetable, I might just punch you. Why you ask? Because that's just cruel. Why would you get a mama's hopes up like that? My kids eat chicken nuggets and mac and cheese, and I had all but given up on them! There is no way they would eat quinoa unless I deep fried it and stuffed it in something carb-y! So how you gonna be so mean as to get my hopes up!? RUDE! 

But guess what guys, I didn't give up on them like I kind of had in the past. So I guess you could say, I started trying again. And it's working! I am finally seeing the fruits of my labor! I didn't think my kids would be thrilled with the acorn squash so I took the stuffing and scooped out some zucchinis and filled them and baked them too, just like I did the squash. No need to prebake the zucchini. My kids and husband devoured it! (Lila is a work in progress, she dined on water melon and brown rice, two of her staples, you know, two of the 4 things she actually eats!) And I had some stuffing left over... gonna get creative with that. I will let you know what I come up with later!

Ingredients:

3 acorn squash 

1 cup quinoa cooked as directed. I used red. 

1 lb of Turkey

1 small yellow onion diced

3 garlic cloves diced

1 apple diced

1/2 cup panko or whole wheat bread crumbs

1/2 cup parmasean cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Oregano

1/2 cup of mozzerella for sprinkling

Cut acorn squash in half, take out seeds, drizzle EVOO on top with a little pink Himalayan salt. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degreees for 40 minutes. 

Meanwhile Cook the ground Turkey with the onion and garlic until cooked all the way through. Add apples, bread crumbs and parm. cheese, and seasonings. Add Quinoa. Scoop into cooked acorn squash. Sprinkle with mozzerella cheese. Bake uncovered for another 20 minutes at 350, or until cheese starts to bubble and brown. 

Serves 6

If you are following the 21 day fix that would be appr. 

1 green, 1/2 yellow, not even enough purple to count 1/6, 1/2 blue, 1 red. 

Favorite Healthy Costco Finds!

I really should be a part share holder in Costco, as much as we shop there! From food, to wine, paper goods and toiletries, to furniture, my VITAMIX, to sporting goods. We are obsessed! 

I hear from so many people who are hesitant to eat healthier, isn't it more expensive to eat clean? I really don't think it is! You can shop Costco, shop farmers markets, and shop BOGO sales and really find some great deals. In fact I am probably saving money by not eating out as much. In fact I know we do! Here are a few of my favorite Costco finds! Enjoy! 

1. Shredded Rotisserie Chicken Breast: This was a game changer for me! It's already cooked and taken off the bone, it's super tender and juicy! I put it in everything and anything! Tortilla soup, white chili, shredded chicken tacos, Mac and cheese with chicken and broccoli! The possibilities are ENDLESS! I also like the Purdue 10 lb frozen chicken breasts that you can pop into the crock pot frozen! SOOO easy!

2. Kirklands Almond Butter: So good and you don't have to stir each time! It's very creamy and smooth!

3. Sargento balanced breaks: These are perfectly balanced snacks that consist of cheese, nuts and a few dried cranberries!
And if you are following the 21 day fix, it measures out exactly to be one blue!

4. Kirkland Peanut Butter: The only ingredient is Peanuts! So good!

5. Ancient Grains Granola: Sooo good to add to yogurt with berries!

6. Fage Plain Greek Yogurt: So easy to portion out and add some berries and honey, and so much less expensive than the individual packs!

7. Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk: comes in packs of 3!! I go through one of these every three days!

8. Produce: My favorites are the big bins of cherry tomatoes, english cucumbers, sweet peppers, spinach, kale salad mix, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, apples, avocados, bananas...SOOO much cheaper here! I can get three english cucumbers for what I pay for one at Publix!

9. Ground chicken/turkey: Great for my white chili, Quinoa
Taco bake!

10. Hummus: They have the big bins and the little individual size snack ones!

11. Individual chicken salad: This is great because it's all natural ingredients and the creamy base is greek yogurt! SOO good!

12. Kirklands Egg Whites: I like whole eggs, but I also love making egg whites with tons of veggies and cheese! I love this brand because there are no additives!

13. Whole grain tortillas: I use these for wraps for lunch and for quesadillas for me and the kids for dinner!

14. Lacroix and bottled water: I love sparkling water! Much cheaper to buy in bulk at Costco than the small 8-12 packs at the grocery store! This is what truly helped me kick my diet coke habit! 

15. Food should taste good multigrain tortilla chips: great for entertaining, for salsa and black bean salsa or guac! And a healthy chip option!

16. Terra no salt added sweet potato chips: Because sometimes you need a little crunch. If you are a carb-a-holic then stay away, you just may eat this whole bag!

17. Cello Wisps: One ingredient, Parmesan cheese! Tastes like a chip! Can you tell I love chips?!

Fixate Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli!

Who doesn't like Comfort FOOD?! I mean really, especially on a chilly night! A glass of wine! A bowl of healthy mac and cheese, a fire in the fireplace! YES PLEASE! Then you MUST try this! IT's delish AND kid friendly AND it's 21 day fix approved! 

Ingredients:
- 4 oz. whole wheat macaroni (I used bow ties!)
- 4 tsp. organic grass fed butter or organic coconut oil
- 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
- 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 1/4 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese ( I like to grate it freshly!)
- 3 cups cooked and chopped chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
- 4 cups chopped broccoli florets, steamed
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

- cook macaroni according to package directions
- melt butter or coconut oil in large sauce pan over medium heat
- add flour; stirring constantly for 1 minute or until brown (don't let it burn)
- slowly stir in almond milk; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture thickens and there are no lumps
- Reduce heat to low. Add in the cheese; stirring constantly until cheese is melted
- Add chicken, broccoli, noodles, salt, and pepper. 
*Stir until heated all the way through and serve!

Ahhh! I fell off the wagon!

It's the weekend, you are out with friends, you indulge in a few tasty treats that you would not typically eat.  After a few drinks, your will power goes down and the good choices go down the tubes.  BEEN THERE DONE THAT for SURE!!!  

It happens and we are human.
So what can you do to rebound with some damage control?

1.  Plan your day:  So if your breakfast consists of a morning meeting or brunch with family or friends and you know its going to be muffins, donuts, croissants and mimosas that is OK! The good news is that you have the rest of the day to eat better.  Lunch and dinner should be a healthy protein with a big serving of vegetables and lighter on the carbs and starches.  You may even find that you are less hungry during the day after that bigger than usual meal.  If you are faced with all those sweets and treats try balancing out your plate with some egg whites, turkey bacon and a muffin as your treat. And drink a BIG glass of water (or two) right before that cheat meal, you will eat WAY less! 
2.  Make your last meal the healthiest:  It's dinner time and you realize you have skipped breakfast, you ate out for lunch and you randomly snacked through the day.  Make sure that your last meal of the day is a great one that is well balanced with a lean protein, a healthy whole grain carb {quinoa, brown rice, sweet potato} and some steamed veggies.  End the day on a positive note.  Make sure to have your last meal at least 3 hours before bed.

3.  Drink your water:  If all else fails you want to hydrate and keep your bodies metabolism going!  It will help flush and digest the bad choices.

4.  No Excuses, Get Moving:  I know that exercise isn't always the thing you want to do after you have made bad decisions with food because you feel sluggish, you lack energy and you just would rather not workout.  You may feel like its a lost cause.  But it truly isn't.  Get up and get your mind in the right place by doing a killer cardio sweat session!  Try out BOD or Beachbody On Demand and stream some T25, 21 Day Fix, or Insanity Max30 right to your home TV or mobile device and get a sweat on no matter where you are!   The psychological effects of exercise are sometimes more important than the physical ones. It's an instant mood booster and will set the tone for the week! 

5.  Curb your morning carbs:  If you binged the night before, try eliminating your carbs at breakfast. This gives your body some time to use up what it has stored rather than overloading your system with more. Stick with eggs, veggies and healthy fats like avocado and skip the cereal!!!  

6.  Don't give in:  I know that binging can become a vicious habit and it takes some will power to overcome those emotional moments where you want to eat.  But just because you had a bad meal or a bad day doesn't mean that YOU are a lost cause.  You just pick yourself back up, you look at the positive, you learn from the situation and you keep moving forward. That is the best that you can do!!  

Listen to your body after eating bad food. How does it feel?  Do you want to feel like that or would you rather feel empowered, excited, confidence because you know you are making the right choices?

If you are interested in staying accountable this January I'm hosting a Love Yourself Challenge group! We will follow the 21 day fix together! We will set goals AND support each other while we reach them! We will focus on how to love ourselves! How to make taking care of ourselves a priority in our life! 


https://cleareyeshealthyheart.wufoo.com/for…/mh66p0x1yizlme/

My non pasta, pasta review!

I love me some pasta. Angel hair, lasagna noodles, spiral or macaroni. I never met a pasta I didn't like! I used to eat the Dreamfields Pasta. Because they said it's better for you. I don't know who "they" are really. But it must be true right? Low glycemic index. Pretty much like eating Kale I suppose? I preferred to stay in denial. Because denial is nice, cozy and warm and filled with things like pasta. And other things that say "no trans fats" and "low in sugar". It makes you feel like you are doing something right, even though you really aren't!!

 But finally I got sick of feeling tired all of the time, so I started eating "clean." What the heck is that? It's basically just wholesome, natural unprocessed foods. I still eat red meat and chocolate. But just in moderation. And I try to stay away from pasta, even Dreamfield low glycemic index pasta! Also, don't be fooled by "hidden veggie" pasta. If you really read the ingredients, it's mostly made from corn. And you have to eat two servings to get that full serving of veggies that they talk about. And really there are a ton of healthier alternatives.  I have officially tried them all! So here is my review of them. While none of them taste like REAL pasta, they are all pretty good. Now I save my real pasta for when I am at a true Italian restaurant with homemade pasta. Then it's balls to the wall, cheat meal time! But for every day stuff, here is what I stick to.

1. Whole wheat pasta: This is probably my favorite. It's firmer than white pasta, but it's basically a vehicle for whatever yumminess you put on top of it! Sweet! Sounds good to me! They have whole wheat lasanga, angel hair, anything you can get that is white pasta, you can surely find whole wheat.

2. Spaghetti squash:I really do like this, since I figured out how to prepare it correctly! Put some marinara and parmeasean shavings, YUM! Turkey Meatsauce or Meatballs! Even better! A little ricotta or some parm cheese! To die for! Here is how I learned to make this and have it actually taste good! https://youtu.be/inlaY-3qfOs

3.  Shiritake: This is made from root veggies, and you will probably find them in your produce section. You need to rinse in hot water for a good minute or two, they have an earthy smell. I love these. They are especially great as a sub for rice noodles, they seem to have that kind of vibe. But I also love them in Italian dishes!

4. Zoodles: These are made from zucchini and shaved into a spiral noodle shape with a zoodle maker! What else?! I got mine off amazon. It's super easy to make them. You can eat raw. Or sautee, the only downside is you can't cook too long or they release a lot of water and they get soggy. But they are good. Especially with shrimp and in a shrimp scampi type meal!

5. Edamame pasta: This was surprisingly good! Not much flavor, but again, vehicle for yumminess! Just like regular pasta really! But a bit firmer, and a bit dry. Nothing a little EVOO can't fix!

What is your favorite pasta substitute? Are they are others out there worth trying?

My Hammer and Chisel Journey: Before pics

I have been doing the 21 day fix and 21 day fix extreme since March. And while I LOVE LOVE LOVE them, they are my soul mate work outs, I needed to change it up! Keeping it fresh and to be honest, I was in a bit of a slump over Christmas. I still worked out but my nutrition was lacking, and I wasn't looking forward to my work outs like I had been in the past. I wanted to push myself, challenge myself. That's when your body changes! And while I don't want to lose weight necessarily...I really want to tone up! So I bought the Hammer and Chisel the day it came out and started my journey officially two weeks ago! Here are my before pics. I think it's soooo important to have before pictures and measurements. 1. Because that dreaded scale lies! And your weight may not go down, it may even go up! But your body may be changing, and measurements and pictures don't lie! 2. It adds a level of accountability. You are basically saying, I am ALL IN! So here they are! This is my body after gaining about 6 lbs over the holidays and losing lots of definition I built last spring and summer. But it's ON LIKE DONKEY KONG. I am in this! 

Here is a little about the Hammer and Chisel. My favorite part is that it follows the 21 day fix nutrition plan. And you can cater it to your needs. If you want to lose weight, there is a different plan, then if you want to bulk up with muscle or tone up! My goal is to TONE TONE TONE! If you want to join me in the Hammer and Chisel, drop me a line! We have our first ever Hammer and Chisel test group going on now! 

https://youtu.be/2nczTuL7BtE