Yummy Pasta Bake

This is one tasty and crazy easy dinner to make!  Nothing makes you feel cozier on a rainy spring evening than curling up with some yummy Italian food.  I always make this meal using some of my leftover spaghetti sauce that I have stashed away in the freezer...which makes it an extremely cheap dish to make too! :) Even with the sinful goodness of this dish it is a relatively clean meal especially if you keep your portion small and pair it with a garden salad.  Tim isn't always on board with my healthy meals so this is one that I can make for him and then he has leftovers to work on throughout the week.  Also the bechamel sauce adds the perfect amount of creamy goodness to the dish without the need for extra cheese or heavy cream.  And by using whole grain pasta it fills you up and keeps you full longer!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 1/2 Cups Spaghetti Sauce (check out my recipe here)

7oz Dried Whole Grain Pasta (I like to use Penne)

6oz Shredded Italian Cheese

Ingredients for Bechamel Sauce

2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

2 Tbsp Flour

1 Cup Milk (I use 1%)

Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg, and Cayenne

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  I use an 8x8x2 glass dish for baking but whatever you have handy should work.  In a large pot start boiling water for your pasta, once the water is boiling add pasta and boil for 10 minutes or until it is barely Al Dente (DO NOT overcook because the pasta will continue to cook once it's in the oven).  Once your pasta is done drain the water, rinse with cold water, and set aside.  While you're preparing the pasta place a small sauce pan over medium heat and melt your butter.  Once the butter is melted wisk in your flour until it becomes paste like (roux).  Slowly add your milk to the flour/butter mixture stirring constantly.  Add some salt and pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg and cayenne, allow mixture to come to a boil (turn up the heat if necessary) and continue stirring, once it starts boiling it will start to thicken quickly.  Once your sauce is thick enough to coat the back of your spoon remove from the heat and set aside.  Now let mix it all TOGETHER!! In bowl combine your cooked pasta, spaghetti sauce, and bechamel sauce. Pour half of your mixture in into your baking dish and sprinkle half of your cheese over it, pour in the rest of your mixture and top with the remaining cheese.  Slide your dish into the oven for 40-45 minutes.  Remove when the top is nice and bubbly and  starting to slightly brown on top.  Enjoy!!

Healthy Chicken Nuggets

Tonight I was struck with a mean craving for CHICKEN NUGGETS!!  LOL unfortunately for me McD's isn't allowed on the 21 Day Fix Extreme meal plan!?  Now I know that stuff is complete garbage and barely even food buuuuut sometimes a girl needs to be nostalgic.  So I found myself pondering the possibilities and looking around my kitchen in search of a way to solve this problem before diving head first into a bowl of Tim's goldfish!!  As luck would have it I was on my normal extreme eating day which I get to do after 2 days of the countdown to competition meal plan...and that means fruit and a few servings of carbs :) So here's what I came up with and not going to lie it was freaking DELISH!!  Bonus this would make a great dinner for your little ones instead of stuffing them with Mcd's or store bought "chicken" nuggets! This makes one serving and counts for 1 Red, 1 Yellow, and 1 Spoon.

Ingredients

1 Small Chicken Breast

1 Egg

1 Yellow Container of Uncooked Organic Oatmeal

1 Tsp Melted Coconut Oil

Directions

To start get a large skillet warming up over medium heat.  In a food processor or blender pulse all of the oatmeal until it is the consistency of rock salt (lol I know, but I couldn't think of another size comparison!). For me I did several quick pulses for about 30 seconds and then it was good to go!  Place your oatmeal in a bowl feel free to add some seasonings if you would like such as salt, pepper, garlic or onion powder.  In a separate beat your egg and set aside.  For the chicken, because I'm a weirdo, I like to flatten it out with a kitchen mallet.  I get it to where it is around 1/4 inch thick.  I then slice the chicken up into bite size pieces.  Add your melted coconut oil to your oatmeal and mix well to combine.  You are now ready to get cooking!! Take the chicken one piece at a time and coat with egg then dredge through your oatmeal until well coated place in the pan and repeat until all of your chicken is cooking!  I cook the chicken for about 10 minutes on each side, before removing from the heat make sure your chicken as an internal temp of 165!  I like to have mine with mustard because it's a 21 Day Fix freebie, but sauce yours up however you please!! Enjoy :)

Healthy Sloppy Joes!

Who doesn't enjoy a tasty sloppy joe?! LOL sloppy joes were a dinner table staple growing up...unfortunately Manwich isn't the healthiest thing out there.  I'll even go so far as to say it's not healthy at all, nor does it taste as good as my childhood memories lead me to believe!  In light of that revelation I decided to get busy in the kitchen and create my own healthy version of this American classic.  So yes this recipe is clean eating and 21 Day Fix approved!  Now if you've tried any of my other recipes on here you know that I'm a fan of spicy food!  So if you want to cut the heat I would recommend removing all of the seeds from the jalapeno as well as reducing or omitting the crushed red pepper flakes :)  These sloppy joes are a great way to sneak in veggies for those kiddos or spouses who tend to avoid them!  These can also be turned into a vegan dish by taking out the ground turkey and replacing it with either textured veggie protein or chopped up mushrooms (I personally prefer the shrooms!)  I also like to freeze half of the sauce for a quick and easy dinner down the road.  For the 21 Day Fix the container count is for 1 1/3 cup of sauce and equals 1 green, 1 red, and 1/2 purple...the 1 yellow accounts for the whole wheat bun (I like the sandwich thins) however if you're on a low carb journey this would be great as a lettuce wrap too! Enjoy!! :)

Ingredients

20oz Cooked Ground Turkey

5 Celery Stalks Diced

1 Sweet Onion Diced

1/2 Red Bell Pepper Diced

1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper Diced

1/2 Orange Bell Pepper Diced

1 Jalapeno Minced

2 Garlic Cloves Minced

1 28oz Can Tomato Sauce (low sodium if available)

1 6oz Can Tomato Paste (low sodium if avaliable)

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1/2 Tsp Cumin

1/4 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 Tsp Worcestershire

1 Tsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)

2 Tsp Olive Oil
Whole Wheat Buns
Plain Greek Yogurt

Directions

Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and toss in your onions.  Saute for about 7 minutes or until the onions start to sweat.  Add in your jalapenos and saute for an additional 3 minutes.  Add the rest of your veggies to the skillet (celery and peppers) reduce heat to low, cover with lid, and allow to cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.  Once your veggies have softened slightly add in your cooked ground turkey mix well so everything is combined.  Add your tomato sauce and tomato paste to the mixture and stir very well...it can take a little work to mix in the tomato paste.  Add in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, worcestershire and Bragg liquid aminos and mix well.  Cover and allow sauce to simmer for about 20 minutes so all of the flavors can combine.  Serve on top of toasted whole wheat buns or lettuce cups and top with a dollop of plain greek yogurt if you like to! :)

21 Day Fix Round 2!!!

Sooooo these were my round 1 results with the 21 Day Fix! I can't lie I'm pretty proud of them...the after pic was about 3 months postpartum.  Unfortunately once I completed the program I felt that I had earned a break so to speak.  All that earned me was landing myself right back at ground zero plus an additional 2 lbs.  Today is day 6 of my second round of this program, and boy am I fired up about this!!  We all mess up here and there what's important is realizing what happened and having the strength to pick yourself up and get back in the game.  Lesson learned I need the challenge groups that I host to hold myself accountable!!  I need the the motivation and support that the groups offer, changing your whole lifestyle isn't easy!! Having others to go through the transformation (mentally and physically) with gives you an extra reason to show up each day and make the very most of this journey. :)  I love the portion control aspect of the 21 Day Fix and I've been having a blast coming up recipes that fit with the nutrition plan!  Make sure you look through this blog for yummy 21 Day Fix Approved recipes!  I also really like the workouts they're only 30 minutes long and perfect for me to do during Paige's nap time.  Bonus they're not too challenging and they have a modifier if you're just starting your journey.  For this round I've decided to bump up my weights LOL take things to the next level if you will!  I can honestly say that quitting and then starting back up again was painful...not just on the waistline.  I have been so sore these past few of days, thankfully it's starting to fade.  Today is going to be the Dirty 30!  It's challenging don't get me wrong but I love the feeling of accomplishment when I'm done!  Tomorrow I will be doing the Yoga Fix and then week 1 is complete...it's so crazy to believe and super exciting!! I'll keep updating this journey and post some progress pics as soon as I have some more to share!! :)  If you feel like this program is something that would fit with your goals and lifestyle fill out the form below and I'll get in touch with you, I love having new people in our accountability groups!! Cheers :)

 

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I started working out...WHY am I gaining weight?!

I ADORE Chalene Johnson!! If you're not familiar with this amazing woman you need to check out her website here!  Also make sure you listen to her podcast it is full of great advise that you didn't even know you needed LOL!! Not going to lie I listen to her daily :)  The following article is from www.sparkpeople.com and it is a great one!  Chalene discusses why so many of us experience some weight gain when we begin a new fitness program...believe it or not it happens all the time you can't let it stop you!!  Keep on pushing towards your goals and enjoy Chalene's WORDS OF WISDOM!! :)

By Chalene Johnson

Probably the most common question I get when I release a new exercise program is, "Help! I'm gaining weight! Am I doing something wrong?" This is a common phenomenon with any new exercise program.

The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight. However, what most personal trainers know--and most at-home exercisers do not--is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn't say weight gain! I'll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.

The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to "protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens, the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen due to fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated, become discouraged and quit!

When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it... the women! I'm happy to report absolutely for every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than two weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

If you follow a multi-phase exercise plan, such as ChaLEAN Extreme, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be "in shock" again. Don't be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

My own personal example of this is running 10Ks. I don't do it very often, maybe once or twice a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race, you push much harder. It's natural for me to be insanely sore the next day. It’s also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it's still a bummer. We're all human and hard work should mean results. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting ourselves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break. Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!

When to be concerned:
If you experience a significant weight gain (exceeding 5 pounds) that does not begin to decrease rapidly after the second week, guess what it is? I'll give you one hint... you put it in your mouth and chew it. You know it! Your food (or calorie-laden beverages). News flash, friends… exercise doesn't make you gain weight. Consuming more food than you burn makes you gain weight!

So if after two weeks you are not losing weight and have gained weight that's not coming off, it's time to take a close and honest look at your food intake.

Moral of the story:
Be patient young grass hopper. You'll be lean and mean in no time!

Amazing Turkey Chili

There are few things better than a delicious bowl of chili...so warm and comforting, not to mention easy and healthy!  This is my go to recipe for chili and it's a hit with all ages :) I like to let mine come together in a slow cooker on low heat, if you don't have one however a large pot on the stove will do the trick!  As you already know I'm a fan of spicy food!  LOL if you are not please feel free to omit or decrease the amount jalapenos and cayenne pepper.  This chili really is crowd pleaser and perfect for get togethers...it's been a great addition to our Football Sundays!  One extra thing that I love is that it freezes beautifully, just put your leftovers in a freezer bag pop in the freezer and you have an easy and healthy dinner ready to go when you're short on time!!  Alright so with no further ado I give you...my AMAZING turkey chili recipe!! :)

Amazing Turkey Chili

Ingredients

20oz Cooked Ground Turkey

3 Cups Butternut Squash (chopped)

1 Sweet Onion (diced)

3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

2 Bell Peppers (chopped)...I like red and yellow for this recipe :)

2 Jalapenos (diced)

1-16oz Can Kidney Beans (low sodium drained & rinsed)

1-16oz Can Black Beans (low sodium drained & rinsed)

1-28oz Can of Diced Tomatoes (low sodium if available)

1-14oz Can of Tomato Sauce (low sodium if available)

1-6oz Can of Tomato Paste (low sodium if available)

4 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*Optional plain greek yogurt and chopped green onion for garnish

Directions

Turn heat on slow cooker to low add sweet onion and cover.  Once your onions begin to sweat add your bell peppers and squash and cover once more.  While your ingriedients are beginning to heat up start cooking your ground turkey on the stove.  When your turkey is cooked all the way through and crumbled add to slow cooker and mix well with chili powder and cayenne pepper.  Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker stir to combine everything and reduce heat to low.  Allow to simmer for 4 hours before serving.  Dish up chili and top with a dollop of plain greek yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped green onion if you would like :)  Serving size for the 21 Day Fix is 1 1/2 cups and counts as 1/2 Red, 1 Green, 1 Purple and 1 Yellow... ENJOY!!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

There's nothing better than a tasty homemade sauce.  And this one never fails to impress company :)  It's extremely versitail too!! Not only is it a great spaghetti sauce...it is awesome for pasta bakes (check out my pasta bake recipe here!) and amazing as a pizza sauce!  I love tossing this lovey sauce on top of some zucchini noodles.  You'll notice that the recipe calls for 16 oz of Italian turkey sausage, I've also used Italian chicken sausage and it turned out great...just go with whatever is available to you.  I like to make this in the slow cooker, it makes the house smell wonderful and lets the flavors really come together.  This makes quite a bit I always freeze most of the leftovers that way we can have a quick, healthy, and tasty meal ready at the drop of a hat!  Serving size for 21 Day Fix is 3/4 cup and counts as 1/2 Purple, 1/2 Red, and 1/2 Green. ENJOY!! :)

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

20oz Ground Turkey 

16oz Ground Italian Turkey

1 Large Sweet Onion Diced

16oz Mushrooms Chopped

3 Cloves of Garlic Minced

2-28oz Can Crushed Tomatoes (low sodium and organic if available)

1-14oz Can Tomato Sauce (low sodium and organic if available)

2 Tbsp Dried Oregano

1 Tbsp Dried Basil

1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

 Go ahead and get your slow cooker set up and put the temp on high.  Pour your olive oil over the bottom, toss in your diced onions, and cover with the lid so the onions can sweat and soften.  Stir the onions every 5 minutes or so to prevent sticking.  Once the onions start to soften add in the chopped mushrooms and garlic.  Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium heat saute all of the ground turkey until it is cooked all the way through.  Drain the meat and add to your slow cooker.  Add in all of your spices and stir until well mixed.  Slowly pour in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce stirring in between each can.  Cover and leave on high heat for about 1 hour until sauce is heated all the way through, taste sauce and add more spice if you'd like (if you like heat add in some cayenne).  Reduce heat to low until you are ready to serve...ENJOY!! :)