Smoked Salmon

I LOVE Applebee’s savory smoked chicken, so I decided to make up my own copy cat recipe. It was still missing something- like perhaps a marinade? Nonetheless, it was still really good. I ways love an extra lemon wedge with my fish :)
I made my smoke chips “bowl” first. I soaked a hand full of hickory smoked wood chips and a cedar plank for 30 minutes. Using foil as my bowl, I folded them all up in the foil and poked holes for the smoke to escape.
For the salmon, I sprinkled garlic powder, salt and pepper on my filets then placed them diagonally on my cedar board. I put the salmon on the unlit side of the grill and the foil pack on the lit side. I grilled them, rotating half way through, for 30 minutes. It seemed as thought they took forever to cook.
Try it out! Smoked salmon is very very good!!

Meal Prep – Chicken Breasts, Leeks & Zucchini

I can’t express how important meal prep is in order to keep me an my family on track. It doesn’t take long, and makes my lunches or dinners a breeze. In case you haven’t noticed, when I meal prep I always keep everything BASIC and practically raw. That way I can easily change it up, all while keeping my meals healthy and tasty!

This week I prepped grilled chicken breasts with leeks and zucchini plus broccoli and hard boil eggs.

 

How much chicken do you need? Well I only wanted 5 meals and each meal needed 4 oz. That meant 20 oz was all I needed. I ended up grilling all the chicken I had and froze what what left over.

Grill the chicken – I drizzled a little extra virgin olive oil over all my chicken breasts. Then I lightly sprinkled some fresh cracked pepper, a little salt and some garlic powder on each breast then flipped them over and did the same thing. I grilled them on each side for about 6 minutes each side. My breasts were cut perfectly – not to thick or too thin. Make sure you cook your chicken all the way aka WELL DONE.

While the chicken was on the grill, I washed and cut up 3 leeks, and 5 small zucchini. I divided them up equally and put into tupperware containers. It was basically 1 cup of zucchini and 1 cup of leeks in each container. Then I weighed out 4 oz of chicken breasts for each container.

The snacks I wanted this week were so simple. Just a boiled egg and some raw chopped broccoli. I chopped three small heads of broccoli and divided them into 5 containers; roughly 1/2 cup of broccoli went into each container.

How to boil eggs – It’s so simple! Put your eggs in a pot. Fill the pot with water until the water completely covers the eggs but 1/2 an inch. Bring the pot of eggs and water to a boil. Once the pot comes to a rolling boil, turn the heat off and let it sit for 10-20 minutes. It makes perfect eggs every time!

Here are some of the meals I made with my basic meal prep this week:

Bacon & Mini Bell Pepper Saute

Cut up one piece of raw bacon into little bits. Cook in a saute pan on med-high heat until just crispy. Add one mini bell pepper, cook for a minute and then add your meal prep. After everything is reduced and almost done, add a slice of tomato or some small cherry tomatoes for juices. Heat for one minute then serve it hot. Enjoy!

Cheddar & Onions Fajitas

I was really craving a fajita with some sour cream! After I made my fajita, I went to grab the sour cream and it was GONE!  Oh, well.

Heat your skillet on medium-high. Slice a mini bell pepper and 1/4 of a yellow onion into strips. Add a teaspoon of canola oil to the pan and saute the onions and peppers for a couple minutes till translucent. Add your meal prep and a dash or two of cumin, coriander, and chili powder. Serve on whole wheat tortilla(s) and some extra sharp cheddar!

Side of Bacon Spinach

This side is so easy. If you aren’t wanting a salad try this side instead.

Cut up one piece of bacon into small bits. Fry in a pan until golden brown. Drain most of the fat. Add spinach and toss until wilted. In another pan saute your meal prep.

Garlic Parmesan Meal Prep

Saute your meal prep on medium/high heat. Add 1/2 tsp garlic powder and a handful of spinach. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese on top.

Turbofire Days 12-37 & The Benefits of Parsely!

Have you ever just craved a eggs & veggies so bad that you wake up, make them and think, “What so now you are a health nut?”

I do this all the time. When I was “dieting” in high school, my go to breakfast was one egg and two egg white scrambled with a piece of bacon and some vegetable stir-fried. To this day, I crave it!! Now instead of just cabbage, broccoli, peppers or onions, I use a variety of ingredients. I LOVE my honeymoon omelettes that consist of bacon, peppers, onions, & mushrooms, but I branch out from leeks, beets, turnips, bok choy, sweet potatoes, and any other unlikely combination you can think of. I usually cut cheese out of the equation and save it for my daughter (it’s her favorite food.)

This AM, I had scrambled eggs with on piece of bacon, some chopped leek, mini peppers, and zucchini!

For a couple weeks I am really going to do some CLEAN meals. For lunch I had 4 oz chicken breast and some broccolini with sauteed zucchini and cherry tomatoes.

After I sat down to eat, I looked at my meals and thought, “Hey, let’s jazz this up.” I chopped up some fresh parsley and VOILA!

Just two tablespoons of parsley has over 130% of your DRI of Vitamin K! It’s saturated with Vitamin A & C, as well as folate and iron. It has plenty of antioxidants too! It’s a bitter flavored plant so it enhances savory flavors of meats. I add parsley to everything. It also extracts toxins, metals, and radicals out of your system sort of like a cleanse. When you are at the grocery store, grab a bunch – or better yet, plant some in your garden this year! I know I will be!

When I am at my computer, I sit for hours going through my social medias and writing on my blog. So, on day 12 I decided that I needed a break from sitting and more ACTIVITY! I thought about vlogging but I don’t know if I am ready or even technically capable of doing so lol! Instead, I’m going to take chunks at time a week to detail my weeks rather than days. Instead of listing my foods and all that on my blog, I show everything on my instagram and myfitnesspal.

One week ago I shared my 4 week progress! Time has gone by so quickly I am shocked at how my progress my body is showing! I am NOT losing pounds but I AM losing inches and I LOVE IT!

My weekends are always the busiest. I do all of my Shopping & Meal Prep on Saturday & Sunday. I love the weekends because my husband is home to help with the kids, but also because they are the days I enjoy the most.

Mondays are my check in days. I weigh and measure then make sure I post and update and record everything. We also usually Spaghetti for dinner with a salad and sometimes garlic bread.

Tuesday are my cleaning days. When I clean I workout! SQUATS and LUNGES into each room! After I complete a task I do 20 push ups, jumping jacks or just what ever I feel like! My daughter and I have been blasting FROZEN soundtrack and dancing all over the place!

Wednesday is Hump Day – Seafood and Water day!

Thursdays are my kids’ activity days. They have dance and swim lessons, plus we go to the park and run around.

Fridays are Flex Fridays!

Then the weekend starts it all over again!

Last week was a tad bit of a set back for me. My sister went into labor so our endorphins were really flying! I didn’t have time to work out some of the days, plus with all the family time I either over ate on peanut butter, missed my Shakeology, or didn’t watch my proportions. I haven’t gained weight, but the set back has left me with indigestion and NO energy. I spoke with my coach about whether I should back track and redo a week to fix the problem. But she gave me the best advise I could have given my self  – and this is why I believe EVERYONE needs someone’s help.

“I want you to keep moving forward. Never look back and NEVER have regrets. They won’t make you happy. In the end if you feel like you need to add an extra week go for it.”

I LOVE HER! Seriously, you can’t get much more positive and still progress. No matter what I choose, this isn’t a diet – it’s my life style!

I have family coming into town tonight, so instead of thinking,

“Oh, man, I’m going to be eating out and being around unhealthy eating patterns, so screw it.”

I am thinking,

“Hey I can use this opportunity to really shine and show how healthy I can be and maybe – just maybe – my example will rub off on my family.”

Four Ingredient Banana, Peanut Butter, and Protein Pancakes

Valentines Day is full of sweets and if we aren’t careful, thousands of calories! Instead of splurging this year, I have a great solution for all of us! Skinny protein pancakes that use only four ingredients and literally take seconds to make.

These pancakes are peanut butter packed goodness and loaded with a lot of protein. They are very sweet so you might not even want syrup.

First, gather your ingredients: banana, pb2, vanilla protein powder, and egg whites. That’s right only four ingredients are necessary! Additionally, you will want maple syrup for eating and some cooking spray or grapeseed oil for cooking.

In a bowl, add your protein powder.

Then add your banana – in slices so that mixing and mashing is easier.

Separate your egg whites from the yolk & add to your bananas and protein powder.

PB2 is one of my favorite foods out there, or rather flavors out there. I add it to everything to smoothies, yogurt, pancakes, cream cheese, etc. It is amazing stuff. It has 80% less fat than regular peanut butter!

Mash and mix the four ingredients together. There! It was that easy.

Heat up a pan with 1/2 tablespoon grapeseed oil or other oil/cooking spray on Low/Medium heat. I got this heart pancake cast iron skillet at Target last on clearance after Valentine’s Day passed. It is a very simple way to turn ordinary pancakes into special love pancakes.

Scoop about two tablespoons of batter for one pancake. As like all pancakes, they burn quickly & easily, so always cook on low temperatures. Flip after a minute.

Serve with maple syrup or sweetener of your choice.

Valentines Day Heart Pancakes

Four Ingredient Pancakes
439 calories
Maple syrup and cooking oil included in calorie count
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
1 serving vanilla protein powder, I used Herbalife French Vanilla for these
2 egg whites
1 serving pb2, 12 grams

1/2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1/8 cup organic maple syrup

Double the recipe for two <3
Mash your banana, mix in the egg white, protein powder, & pb2. Heat a pan on medium heat. Fry your pancakes in a teaspoon of grapeseed oil or use nonstick cooking spray. To measure the batter, I used about two tablespoons for each heart. Flip after one minute. Serve hot with maple syrup, agave, or any other sweetener you prefer.
I did not double my recipe and it made seven heart pancakes.

 

Southwestern Chicken Meal Prep

Fail to plan – plan to fail!

I live by that phrase.
When I don’t’ meal prep, my family just grabs food and gobbles it down. Order and structure is a must in my home. One of my favorite meal prep solutions is to cook a huge batch of chicken. Each week I prep a different flavor chicken or other meat.
This week my chicken is southwestern chicken bites.

Southwest Chicken
3 lb chicken
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
2 tbsp chili powder
Salt/Pepper optional
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper
2 jalapeños, seeds included

I take 3 lbs of raw chicken breasts and dice them into little 1″x1″ cubes. I put them in a bowl, add cumin, coriander, and chili powder then toss it all coating well.
In a sauté pan, I heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium/high heat then sauté onion, bell peppers, and jalapeños until half way cooked. When half way cooked, I add the chicken and cook 5-7 minutes until chicken is cooked completely. Make sure you cook your chicken all the way!
Let the chicken and veggies cool, then refrigerate!
Toss on salads, make a cheesy southwestern pasta bake, or just eat it with some steamed veggies and rice! The possibilities are endless!

Peanut Butter Jar Oatmeal

What is the best part about an empty peanut butter jar?

There is not one?

OH BUT LOOK!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal!

1/2 cup quick oats

1 tsp brown sugar

empty pb jar

1+ cup boiling water

I never waste anything ;)

Fennel Sicilian Salad

Ever see a fennel bulb and think, oh my what the heck is that?

I had never seen on until recently. I knew of its flavor – but that was it, in fact I only knew vaguely of the flavor.
So, when I received one in my Bountiful Basket, I thought, “Hey, this is going to be the first thing I use.”

Now a traditional Sicilian Salad obviously changes from cook to cook. In its most basic form, it consists of blood oranges, fennel, extra virgin olive oil and some sea salt. My version includes some salty kalamata olives to pair with the extra sweet blood orange, along with some freshly cracked pepper. This side dish is a perfect palate cleanser when paired with a heavy red meat. It is also a tasty salad served at brunch. It will always impress.

There are only four ingredients, but never skimp on their quality. This simple recipe takes only minutes to prepare.

Blood oranges are my obsession at the moment. They are a little bit sweeter than a regular orange, and also have more of a berry flavor. Like any orange, cut away the bitter skin and slice into segments. The red juice of dark red oranges will stain so be careful to wear an apron.

Fennel like most other vegetables should be firm, stiff and crisp. The feathery fronds ought to be bright green and soft. Fat bulbs are sweeter, tastier and much more fibrous that skinny bulbs.

Use excellent olives, as they are a 1/3 of the salad’s flavor.

With cooking, I always choose a rich, fragrant extra virgin olive oil. They can be pricey, so buy small bottles until you find your perfect match. Remember EVOO can go rancid, so you never want to buy too large of a bottle at one time.

This salad is a great lunch meal too. Eating both servings puts you at around 300 calories! Add a piece of grilled chicken and you have a meal!

Fennel and Blood Orange Salad

Serves 2; 148 calories each serving

• 1 fennel bulb, sliced thinnly
• 1 & 1/2 blood oranges, peeled & sliced thinly
• kalamata olives, cut in half
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• Freshly cracked black pepper and salt

Combine fennel, EVOO, the juice of 1/2 a blood orange juice, salt and pepper and olives.

Toss coating well. Place on a serving tray, top with oranges and a few feathery fronds. Enjoy!

Egg in a Hole

Egg in a hole – sounds like a children’s story book, doesn’t it? It’s not though – instead it is one of the best breakfasts ever invented. I grew up on it! I remember watching Mary Jane’s Pa as a kid and thinking what the heck, now I must have one when Guy Kibbee makes it. Even both Fraiser and Friends sitcoms feature egg in a hole being prepared. It’s gotta be popular if it’s been on Friends right?

If you have never had egg in a hole, I don’t think we can be friends.

Get off my site and go make one right now!

Toad in a hole, egg in a hole, egg in a basket, frog in a hole, bird’s nest egg, blind eyes, private eyes, egg toast, chicken in a basket, seriously I don’t care what you want to call it! All that matters is it is so good you have to at least try it. It’s one of my go to breakfasts because of its simplicity and you can whip them out in a snap.

Start with a piece of bread. using a jar, cup, cookie or biscuit cutter, whatever you have on hand as I do not even own a circle cookie or biscuit cutter (shapes would be fun for holidays or children’s breakfast!) simply remove the center of your bread. I love while wheat bread with grains – flax, seeds, oats, anything to make it hearty. I’m very practical. I likehomemade bread, but it goes so quick! You can use any kind of bread. I grew up on potato bread! White, sour dough, brioche, or honey whole wheat works just fine. (Your taste in bread says nothing about your financial status.)

In a skillet, melt 1/2 a tablespoon of butter on MED/LOW heat. Butter is good for you I don’t care what anyone tells you. Chart to open your eyes:

Chart is from Roman Fitness Systems
http://www.romanfitnesssystems.com/assets/images/userPics/tinymce/fatchart.jpg

Red bars are saturated fats… Saturated fats (aka solid fats at room temperature) are DIRECTLY related to bad cholesterol levels. It’s basic science. Mono and  poly unsaturated fats (aka the oils that are liquid even when cold) too take part in cholesterol levels, I’m talking about both LDL’s and HDL’s. Mono is good – it helps remove the cholesterol build up in your arteries, takes it back to your liver for bile use. Bile is what emulsifies fat you eat so it can actually be broken down into glucose, and metabolized for energy. See the circle of life? Now, although saturated fats are directly related to bad cholesterol levels, they get a bad reputation. Any study can be swayed to a desired result. In the study that was done to show sat. fats were bad, none of the subjects were healthy. they were probably over eating everything – healthy or bad foods. As for cholesterol levels, the good cholesterol’s (healthy fats and oils) remove the toxins and bad fats in your blood. You also need cholesterol to produce certain hormones like estrogen and testosterone because they are direct derivatives from it! Obviously too much of a good thing is a bad things so limit saturated fats, but don’t be afraid of them. You need them for your body to function properly.

Back to your toad. Place your bread in the center and crack your egg right down in the hole. Add salt and pepper if you like. Let the egg set for 20-40 seconds, then swirl the toast around to soak up all of the browned butter. Don’t work, the butter shouldn’t burn at that low of temperature. Your egg should only be brown from your brown butter, not from overcooking it. Flip after a minute when the whites are half way set. Swirl again, then remove from your skillet when your whites are completely cooked, but the yolk is still soft and gooey.

Serve immediately!

Have an amazing day!

Finishing Week 2 of Turbofire

I’ve slammed the door on week two! Today was my last workout day for week two!

I feel amazing! Words cannot express how I feel. I’m in the groove of eating on my body’s cues for which nutrients it needs. I feel satiated quicker, and never starved. I’m eating more calories than I ever have on any workout or weight loss regime. My children enjoy the same fresh fruits and vegetables as I do.

I’ve been addicted to the combo of blood oranges & berries. It’s packed full of fiber and carbohydrates to get me going at the start of each day. I bought a big bag full of the oranges at the market, not knowing they were blood oranges. To be honest, the darker skin made me think they were on sale to sell quick – but I just got lucky I guess!

Blood oranges have a stronger flavor. I think they are sweeter and less acidic. Sometimes oranges or orange juice creates a phlegmy feeling in my throat, but blood oranges do not do that to me. Blood oranges do have a red pigment which from an antioxidant called anthocyanin. Did you know that different colored fruits and veggies have different antioxidents based on their color? On top of that, a medium sized blood orange is an excellent source of vitamin C to stay sick free, calcium for your bones and heart, folate for cell reproduction, B1 aka thiamine to convert carbohydrates to energy through glucose metabolism, and they provides around 30% of your daily fiber intake. Throw the peel down the garbage disposal and you have a natural deodorizer!

On top of those succulent oranges, I purchased a few organic bountiful baskets. I urge everyone to look up bountiful baskets to see if an organization is set up near you. It’s such a great deal. For the low amount I paid, I have so much food I had to give some away. I buy produce weekly because 1) We go through it so quickly, and 2) Fresh IS best. Plus, you are more likely to find your favorites on sale when you shop often.

Today, my body was CRAVING deep fried foods. I obviously don’t NEED them, but I really wanted deep fried jalapeno poppers, or cheese sticks. So I thought of something healthy to replace the bad and satiate the craving. Egg in a hole.

Egg in a hole, or toad in a hole, or blind eye, or whatever you want to call it – it’s a healthy choice for your crunchy, fatty craving.

FLEX FRIDAY! Day 11

It’s FLEX FRIDAY!

So to start my day off, I  did an amazing Turbofire HIIT workout. My kids loved the change up, since I usually work out at night when they fall asleep.

Welcome to my gym! It doesn’t matter where you are active, but as long as you are doing something to teach yourself discipline, you will conquer!

I truly have no clue how to flex like the fitness models do.

For breakfast I was craving an omelette.

How do your meal plates look like? 1/2 veggies, 1/4 carbs, and 1/4 protein?

I turned around for a split second and something was missing…

Found the culprit!

Have a good day you guys! BE GOOD!

xo