Healthy Spinach Lsagna Roll

I LOVE pasta!!! This one is a nice twist from just eating regular pasta...

Ingredients

• 9 lasagna noodles, cooked
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
• 1 (15 ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasonings
• salt and fresh pepper
• (optional) 1 chicken breast, cooked and diced
• 32 oz tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)
• 9 Tablespoons part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°. Make sure you drain the spinach well. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasonings, chicken, and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry by patting them with a paper towel.

 Take ⅓ cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over a noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 Tablespoon of mozzarella cheese. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts..

Makes 9 rolls.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fall is definitly in there up here in Ohio. We woke up to 44 degrees this morning!! When the weather gets cooler, definitly puts me in the mood for baking and pumpkin! I like to have a healthier cookie option around the house...and especially one that has chocolate in it.
I think I'll volunteer to bring the sweets to Thanksgiving and include these...they are that yummy!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups rolled quick oats
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup organic peanut butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup  chocolate chips (the chocolate chips pictured from Meijer are quickly becoming my favorite ones)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add in the wet ingredients in order

Use a wooden spoon or spatula and stir together until together, stirring for about 30 seconds so as to incorporate everything but not over mix. The batter should be sticky and thick.

Using a little less than 3 tablespoons for each cookie, form dough firmly into cookies, and place on baking mat. Leave a little space between each cookie (they won't spread out while baking but will puff up just a little bit). Be sure before you do this step to line the cookie sheet with either parchment paper or a mat.

Bake for 15 minutes on the top rack of your oven until tops are golden brown

Allow time to cool.Enjoy!

21 Day Fix Approved Chicken in Vodka Sauce

If Grey Goose can be a part of my dinner....and it's 21 Day Fix Approved...BRING IT ON!!!

LOL!!

I love pasta...but when you look at many of the pasta sauce nutrition labels...they can be scary. Luckily while making this sauce I was able to control what goes in the sauce!! And it was delicious! 

This is one that will definitely be made again!!!

Ingredients

• 4 slices turkey bacon (nitrate-free)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• sprinkle of red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup plus 1 T of vodka
• 4 T 2% plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and more for topping
• 1 T chopped fresh basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano flakes
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, grilled
• Pasta or Zoodles
  

1. Chop turkey bacon into bits and sautee until brown. Remove from pan.
2. Add olive oil to pan and diced onions. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften, then add garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook for another minute.
3. Add can of crushed tomatoes to the pan, as well salt, pepper and the herbs. Stir in bacon and vodka. Simmer for ten minutes on medium low heat.
4. Add in Greek yogurt and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and cook for a few more minutes. The sauce should turn a more pinkish color.
5. Plate your noodles or zoodles, add chicken, then top with sauce. Add a bit more Parmesan on top!
    
   I love this pasta..and it can be found at Aldi. I think it's a little over $2.00 a bag..but so worth it!!! Easy to cook...big on taste!!! You all have to go and look for it!!!
   
   
   
   Hope you enjoy this pasta as much as my family and I did!!!
   
    

Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies

Fall is here!!! The boys and I were pretty excited! On Saturday we decided to take an outing to a local fruit farm (Lynd) for some corn maze fun...pumpkin fun..and apple picking! We go through three 3 lb. bags in our house. So I knew that the boys would love this weekend activty.

They had fun picking them off the ground..off the trees..I had to make sure they understood the cookies had to get to our house. LOL!!!

I looked around and kind of combined some of the recipes that I found to best suit our families taste buds and healthy. And this combo was perfect!!!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup  instant oats (measured correctly & gluten-free if necessary)
• ¾ cup  whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp  coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup  pure maple syrup
• 1 cup finely diced red apple (medium)

1. Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the apple. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten slightly. Bake at 325°F for 13-15 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Bites

 Are you looking for an easy dish to bring to a pot luck? Looking for an easy dish to have on hand when friends come over? Look no further. I made this for dinner and it was super easy to prep...tasted good..and left us all full!!!

Ingredients:
1 package Lean Ground Chicken
1/4 cup Gluten Free Breadcrumbs
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
8oz Franks Red Hot Sauce

Directions:
1. PreHeat oven to 400 degrees
2. Stir together Lean Ground Chicken, Breadcrumbs, garlic powder, pepper and onion powder.
3. Roll into small 1 inch balls
4. Cook at 400 for 5 minutes or until brown.
5. Throw into crock pot with 8oz of Franks Red Hot Sauce on Low for 2 hours.
6. ENJOY!

I served ours with a side salad as well some risotto. Made for a great Monday meal!

A Pretty Healthy Chili

Football season...having friends over...a little bit of cooler weather...calls for some chili!!! Here's a delicious recipe that has a light taste...leaves you full..and no belly aching!

10-12 tomatoes diced
2 onions diced
2-3 peppers diced
Can add any other veggies such as zucchini, carrots, celery, whatever you fancy (I left out other veggie just so my middle one would eat it)
Can of  organic pizza sauce (I found one at a local store really low in sugar)
Can of  tomato sauce
Can of organic sweet corn
1-2lbs ground beef cooked
1-2 TBS garlic minced
Spices. I used chili spice, garlic salt, pepper and I spice until I like the flavor

What did I do with all those ingredients?
First I cooked up my ground beef. Cut up the tomatoes...cut up the onions...cut up peppers (I used only red ones..up to you what colors you want to do). Put the previously mentioned into my slow cooker...added the two sauces..corn...garlic and spices...and put the slow cooker on low and let it heat it up!!!

I made some corn bread muffins to go with it..topped with cheese...delicious!!

Chicken Faijitas Bowl

I had seen one of those foodie videos for this...and had to try it for our lunches. I made three for myself and three for Tom to take to work for lunches. Easy to prep and will keep us on track with a healthy meal. I was needing something new for lunches...so this was perfect.

You will need:
Chicken (as much as you want to portion out meals)
3 peppers (I used one orange and two red)
1 red onion
Brown rice (again as much as you think you want to portion out meals. I personally didnt want to add a lot to the bowls so I made 1 cup of the brown rice).
1 can of sweet corn
1 can of black beans
1 jar of salsa
1 pkg. of taco seasoning (or make your own)
cheese

What I did:
Preheat oven to 400. Line the cookie sheet with foil. Cut up the three peppers...and red onion. Place on sheet. Place chicken on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with the taco seasoning and top with salsa (I used almost the whole jar but saved some for the bowls). Cook at 400 for about 25 minutes.
Cook the brown rice according to package.
Get out your containers. Place rice on the bottom. I put one spoonful of the beans, corn, and salsa in the containers. I added some of the chicken and veggies to each. Topped with some cheese.
Bam!!! Lunches for three days!

Unstuffed Pepper Skillet

A quick, easy, and healthy dinner!! I made enough to have some for our dinner and as well as a left over lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• ¼ pound lean ground turkey or lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¾ teaspoon oregano
• ½ cup cooked brown rice (I used the quick cooking brown rice to make everything faster)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• Chopped cilantro for garnish!

Instructions

1. Add 1 teaspoon of your olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat
2. When the pan is hot, add your ground turkey/lean ground beef and season with salt and pepper
3. Let the turkey/lean ground beef brown in the pan, stirring occasionally until it is cooked through
4. Meanwhile, cook your brown rice
5. When your turkey/lean ground beeef is almost done, add ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ¼ teaspoon oregano. Stir to combine
6. Set the turkey/lean ground beeef aside on a plate and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil to your pan
7. Add your veggies (pepper, onion, garlic) and season with salt and pepper. Add your  tomato sauce in with the veggies after they have been cooking for a few minutes - stir to combine
8. Let the veggies cook until they have softened. If it gets too dry, add a splash of water and stir together
9. When the veggies are almost done, add the remaining spices (1/2 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon oregano)
10. Add the turkey/lean ground beef back into the veggies along with your ½ cup of cooked brown rice
11. Add your lime juice and stir everything together. Season to taste
12. Add your cheese - you can either stir it in or sprinkle it on top and melt under the broiler or in the microwave

Fresh Salsa

Eating healthy is not hard. It does not have to be time consuming either. Literally to make this fresh salsa, it took me five minutes!! And let me tell you, one of the best salsas I have ever had.

To make the fresh salsa, you will need: (depending on how much you salsa you need)
6-8 Roma 🍅 diced
1 onion diced
Jalapeño diced (as much or as little)
Garlic diced (same ☝)
Cilantro diced
The juice of 1 lime
Sea salt
And done, stir in a bowl and enjoy!!!

You can serve your salsas with chips...on top of chicken...beef..eat it out of the bowl..LOL!

Steak Faijitas

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs Flank steak
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion
2-5 bell peppers (color of your choice)
100 percent whole wheat tortilla
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Shredded lettuce/spinach (optional)

Directions:
Combine chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Rub the spice mixture over the flank steak and place steak at the bottom of slow cooker.
Sprinkle the soy sauce on top of the steak.
Top with diced jalapeno and minced garlic.
To top it off, add the sliced bell peppers and onion.
Turn the slow cooker on HIGH and cook for 5 1/2-6 hours. Steak should be easily shredded.
Drain the meat and peppers well then serve on a 100% whole wheat tortilla with toppings of your choice.

Chocolate Chip Vanilla Shakeology Mug Cake

1 scoop of Vanilla Shakeolgoy
1 egg white
3 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. mini chocolate chips


Add all ingredients to the mug. Microwave for 90 seconds. (I topped mine with blueberries). Nice treat at the end of the day!

Sweet Potato Broccoli Chicken Bake

This is one meal that just SCREAMED fall to me!!! And it's right around the corner..so a perfect meal for the upcoming season!

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cubed
3 cups packed broccoli stems and florets, chopped
1 large sweet potato or yam, ¼ inch small cubes--small cutes are key (~1½ cups cubed)
½ cup red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp.raisins
2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts or nuts of choice
⅓ cup olive oil
1 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning, dried
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup soft goat or feta cheese, crumbles

1.  I cooked my chicken breast in the slow cooker during the day. You can either make the recipe as listed below (cooking chicken with the rest of the veggies) or slow cook it.
2. Preheat oven to 375 °F.
3. Grease a large casserole dish with olive oil.
4. Place cubed chicken on the bottom of casserole dish. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
5. In a bowl combine broccoli, sweet potatoes, red onion, garlic, raisins, chopped walnuts, olive oil and herbs. Toss to coat.
6. Top chicken with herb and vegetable mixture.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and sweet potatoes are soft. Top with optional cheese just before serving. I still cooked mine for the full 45 minutes (even though the chicken was done already).

Totally delicious!!! One of my new favorites!

 
 

Meal Planning~ Week of August 22

Sunday- we usually eat out..I try to ask for a box to cut my portions in half
Monday- a favorite- chicken sausage with veggie
Tuesday- sweet potato broccoli bake
Wednesday- my friend will be visiting- not for sure of our plans
Thursday- hamburger in a bowl
Friday- slow cooker steak fajitas

Beachbody Health Bet

Wanna get paid for working out?  Would you like a little extra cash just for building healthy habits?  If so, Beachbody’s Health Bet has you covered!

What is Beachbody’s Health Bet?

Beachbody is literally betting cold hard cash that you will fall in love with getting healthy!
During the Challenge Period, from September 5th – October 2nd, 2016, anyone who meets the requirements below will win an equal share of a $1 million dollar pot funded by Beachbody! As a BONUS – for every Challenge Pack sold from July 27th – August 31st, 2016, Beachbody will add $5 to the pot for up to a $3 million dollar pot!

Beachbody’s Health Bet focuses on building healthy habits.

I totally love that in the Health Bet you aren’t focused on the scale.  It’s not about weight loss or getting visible abs.
You are rewarded for creating healthy habits.
Workout three times per week and drink five Shakeology shakes.  That’s it.  No pressure to workout for hours.  No embarrassing weigh ins.  You workout, drink a shake, and post them in your Beachbody Challenge Tracker app.  Super simple.  No stress.

How much will you win?

It depends on how large the final pot will be (minimum of  $1 million and maximum of $3 million) and how many people participate.  So it could be $5, $15, $50 or more.   Beachbody will announce the total pot amount in early September.
But the good news is this… whether you get a big check, or just enough to buy a Green Tea Frappuccino, you will be a winner in that you have created the healthy habits of moving your body and drinking a health shake!  You will be a stronger, more fit, more vibrant person at the end of the month than you were when you started.

Want to join me?

I will run a special Health Bet challenge group for the entire contest period.  We start September 5th and run through October 2nd.  So you will not only earn the Beachbody Health Bet payout, but you’ll also get the support of me and a group of other ladies on the same journey to become the healthiest version of ourselves as possible.  Oh, and some cash too

What do you need to join?

1. I need to be your official Beachbody coach.  If you don’t have a coach, sign up here for a free Team Beachbody membership…beachbodycoach.com/swawerek   (If you are already working with a coach please reach out to him or or to see if they are offering challenge groups for the contest period.  Or, if you are not working closely with a coach, I would love to support you on my team)
2. A Challenge Pack which is your workout program bundled with Shakeology.  
3. A smart phone to access the My Challenge Tracker app.  (Works on iPhones and Android – I’ll send  you the link to download the app.)

Ready to get paid to get fit?  Let’s do this together!

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

kinny Chunky Monkey Cookies ----> YUM! These are a perfect little snack for school lunches, work, after school snacks, or that killer craving time of the month, and with only 47 calories, you get a healthy little treat with less guilt! ~ Be sure to tag a friend that needs these too ~

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
2 cups old-fashioned oats
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mash bananas in a large bowl, then stir in remaining ingredients. Let batter stand for approximately 20 minutes, then drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Makes 30 'cookies'

Freezing Directions:
Cool completely, then place cookies in a freezer bag. Seal, label, and freeze.

Nutritional Information (per cookie):
47 calories; 7.5 g carbs; 1.6 g fat; 1.5 g protein; 1.3 g fiber;

Egg Muffins (paleo...clean eating...whole 30)

I was in the mood to try something new for breakfast...and expand my taste buds to include eggs. These are great..makes a lot...quick and easy for breakfast.

Ingredients

• 8 oz. Pork Breakfast Sausage
• 1 T. Olive Oil
• 1/2 Sweet Onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 C. Bell Peppers, chopped or thinly sliced(any color)
• 1 `1/2 C. Spinach(packed)
• 1 t. fresh Oregano, chopped or 1/2 t. dry oregano
• 9 Eggs
• Dash of Pepper
• 3/4 t. Real Salt
• 1/4 C. Coconut Milk or Almond Milk

 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin.
2. Place the ground sausage in a sauté pan and heat on medium high. Break up the pork into crumbles with a spatula as it cooks.
3. When the pork is half way cooked, add 1 T. of olive oil, onions, peppers, and oregano to the pan. Saute until the onion is translucent. Add the spinach to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook for 30 seconds, remove the lid and toss the ingredients. Spinach should be wilted but still bright green. Remove from heat.
4. Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl along with the pepper, salt, and milk. Whisk together until eggs are well beaten.
5. Add the sausage and vegetables to the egg mixture and mix in until well distributed.
6. Divide the mixture between the greased muffin tins(12 total), making sure that each tin has a somewhat equal ratio of eggs/fillings.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and remove from tins, loosening the edges first with a knife.

21 Day Fix Snack Ideas

So...I had every intention of running this as a FREE challenge group...But summer is going by so quickly that I just figured that I would make it a blog post. We have been busy every weekend up here in Pickerington...kids busy playing all day..if I had a penny for each time I hear mommy I'd be rich..LOL!!! So I asked a few friends to also contribute to this blog post with some of their favorites. These are all 21 day fix approved...all clean eating (something that seems so hard.but it's really not).
So without anymore chit chat here are 10 easy peasy snacks to keep your health/nutrition goals in check!

1. Greek yogurt with grapes- Mix Greek yogurt and  grapes. For a cooler treat freeze the grapes. 1 red, 1 purple

2. Cucumbers with hummus - I really like English cucumbers because there is no need to peel them. Equals  1 green, 1 blue

3. Carrots and guacamole - Grab the carrot chips and the single portioned out guacamole.Equals  1 green, 1 blue

4. Almond butter and whole grain waffle- Heres a yummy snack that will curb that sweet tooth and keep you full. Equals 1 yellow, 1 blue

5. 2 Hard boiled eggs- I slather on the hot sauce and some spicy mustard and they are delish! Equals 1 red

6. Banana Ice Cream- Freeze a banana and blend in the blender with a bit of almond milk. Freeze in the freezer...so yummy! Equals 1 purple

7. Kale Chips- Another one of my faves…the healthiest green potato chip you will ever eat. De-stem and tear kale into bite size pieces, then add a tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Lay pieces flat on a cookie sheet sprinkle with your favorite spices. I like cayenne pepper. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Equals  1 green

8. Pop Corn- Love this one! Add yummy toppings to fresh popped pop corn like cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Equals  3 cups = 1 yellow

9. Tuna and hot sauce- I know it sounds weird but the hot sauce takes all the fishiness away! Equals 1 red

10. Baked apple- Core and then cut your apple in half, dust with cinnamon. Place on baking sheet center side up at 400°  for 15 minutes or until the apple becomes slightly tender. Equals 1 purple

Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potato

Ah! I was so happy to find a recipe that combined my two loves~ Mexican food (I seriously could eat Mexican each night) and sweet potato. I knew this recipe and myself would be a match made in foodie heaven :)

Ingredients

1. • 3-4 medium sweet potatoes
2. • 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
3. • 1 small onion, diced
4. • 5 garlic cloves, minced
5. • 1 lb ground beef (or chicken)
6. • ¼ cup chili powder
7. • 1 tbsp cumin
8. • 1 tsp salt
9. • 2 cups tomato sauce (or a 15oz can)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Scrub your sweet potatoes and pierce the skin a few times with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until they’re easily pierced with a fork.
2. While the potatoes are baking, let’s make the sauce! Heat the ghee or coconut oil in a medium sized pan over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the beef to the pan and sauté until cooked through. Drain the fat if needed/desired. Add the garlic and sauté until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chili powder, cumin and salt to the pan and stir it like you mean it! Add the tomato sauce to the pan and stir again like you mean it! Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven once they’re cooked through, cut open in the middle and stuff with the enchilada filling. These are extra delicious topped with chives, chopped onion, and avocado!

Mexican Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed off and diced into 2" chunks
• 2 bell peppers
• 1½ cups broccoli florets
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• optional: ½ tsp chili powder
•  
• Instructions:
• Heat a large pan on medium high heat.
• Add oil and heat until shimmery, about 20 seconds.
• Add diced chicken, stir occasionally until lightly browned on all sides- about 5 minutes.
• Add peppers and broccoli and continue to cook until veggies are slightly browned and softened- about 10 minutes.
• Add spices and a little water to help coat the stir fry with the spices (about 2 tbsp- adjust as needed).
• Cook until water is completely absorbed.
• Remove and enjoy!

Tip: I cheated when it came to  cooking my chicken. I put mine in the slow cooker and then shredded it! Busy mom didnt have time to cook on stove top...LOL!

•  

Protein Pancakes

While I am not one to keep up the Kardashians...I saw this recipe from Kourtney and just had to try it out for something different for breakfast.

Super easy and mighty tasty too!
Recipe
6 egg whites
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4th tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour into A non stick griddle, and cook until golden brown. Flip and cook and the other side.
Top with your favorite fruits and a drizzle of maple syrup!

Peach Kabobs

 Yummy grilling season is upon us.I was trying to think of new combinations to grill this season (and of course thinking of healthy). Super simple and packs a lot of taste of as well.

Ingredients:
~ a package of pork chops (I then cut them into cubes)
~ 2 peaches
~ 1 red onion
~ soy sauce
~ garlic
~ skewers

The night before I was going to grill, I cut the pork chops and red onion. I marinated it in some soy sauce and garlic. The next day I was ready to assemble the kabobs. Cut the peaches thick enough so that they'll string through the skewer. Make whatever combo you want on the skewer. I made 6 kabobs with what we had. Basically each skewer had 3 pieces of pork...2 peach pieces..and 2 onion slices. Tom put them out on the grill and there you go a nice dinner under 20 minutes.

I paired it with an old favorite of ours: http://sarahwawerek.blogspot.com/2015/06/clean-eating-spicy-lime-black-beans.html
I did substitute the quinoa with orzo since we had a box of it in the pantry.
Pork could also be substituted with chicken or steak and I'm sure it would still be delicious!

June three day refresh

So I decided I needed a good cleanse/detox! I had been sleeping pretty bad lately...hard falling asleep...waking up for odd hours during the night...so thought what the heck...let's try this again!!! I waited until I was done with the my Body Beast/Insanity hybrid. I finished that on June 4th (a Saturday)...started the refresh June 5th and ended today June 7th!!
So what is it?

What's included in the package:
〰 3 days worth of shakeology, fiber sweep, and a vanilla refresh!
〰 program guide
〰 guide to maintain once done
〰 me as your coach supporting you (while doing it at the same time).

Detox yourself...cleanse yourself...feel refreshed...lose weight....all while enjoying superfoods and real food...

 

So I started my day with water...

I would make sure to have this as soon as I woke up and walked down the stairs...

I then would have my Shakeology. I went with vegan chocolate for my refresh. Now here is a tip to share..I decided to mix my one fruit in the shake. I went with 1/2 of a medium banana. Now tip one..you will not have anything to eat until lunch. It was hard for me not to have anything to eat until about Noon...the last time I ate something was around 5 pm the previous nights. So if you think you are going to miss "eating" something...don't mix the fruit in your shake! I did it for all three days...mixing the fruit with shake..but just wanted to share :)

Next up was the optional cup of green tea. I did this all three days in the am only. By the time the afternoon and evening optional ones came around...in all honesty I wasnt in the mood for the cup of tea. So totally up to you if you do it!

Next up is the fun part..the fiber sweep!!! One time I put it in a bottle and shook it!! Not as good!! Do not do this!! LOL! I had to because we were out on Sunday but wanted to gag...and it's bad tasting enough on it's own. LOL!! I recommend putting it in your blender with your water...pour it in a cup and chug as fast as you can!!!! Really the worst part of the whole deal if you ask me!!! Not sugar coating it...hahaha!! But just chug and get it done!

Lunch time!!! I made mine the same for all three days!! I had red pepper and hummus!! So delicious.

Now with your lunch also comes the vanilla refresh! For some reason I didn't take a picture of it at lunch time. Now for lunch you are allowed a fruit..at dinner you are not! 

You will notice that there are two different plates for lunch. The first day I put my fruit (strawberries) into the shake. I personally did not like the consistency of the shake with the fruit in it. So I switched it up and had the blueberries on the side for my lunch the last two days.  It was so yummy to get to the food by this point of the day!!!

Snack time!! Yes I got five baby carrots and hummus!! I kept the snack the same for the past three days! Simple and yummy!




You can also throw in a tea between snack and dinner...I was not in the mood for it on the last two days. I just drank a lot of water.

Next up was dinner...

Love this salad. The recipe for it is in the program guide. Ate this all three days. The best part of doing the refresh during the summer...the produce and fruit is so yummy this time of year!
You also get a vanilla shake during dinner. You cannot add fruit to it. I added cinnamon to my lunch and dinner shake. I also put it in the blender to get it the consistency that I enjoy! 

Again you get a tea..but I just drank more water!

That's a wrap:

 
Let me tell you..keep your self busy while doing the refresh! On sunday we had a family fun day...shopping at three different stores...the boys were at lunch (torture)...more shopping..hanging up new pictures we just bought!! Busy was our word of the day. I was so busy that I got off track for the time suggestions in the program guide. Now Monday was a LLOOONNNGGG day!!! I was miserable! I was so hungry all day long and only thought of food..haahah!! I knew today (Tuesday) I wanted to be strong...so I kept myself busy with the kids...cleaned out their closets..organized..cleaned the floors. I felt so much better all day long. So something to think about is keep yourself busy!
Definitely feeling less of a bloat...sleep was awesome the past few day...I dont have a scale at home so not for sure if I lost any weight..but I'll try to find something to go by! Hahah!!! I'll share my after pictures tomorrow!! I think that this is something that I'll do about every other month...something similar just to detox myself. I notice the difference!! 
Hope that this helps and if you have any questions let me know!

Body Beast/Insanity Hybrid Results

So early March I completed Master's Hammer and Chisel  (I think around March 7th). I was going to Florida at the end of the month...so I didn't want to start 22 minute Hard Corp. So, Tom suggested that I do the Insanity Beast hybrid that he had done. I was a little hesitant only because I knew a lot of weights would be involved. I even went into this program thinking that I would do it until my FL trip and come back and start 22 minute. But guess what? I really enjoyed it. Each week was a variety of Body Beast programs and Insanity programs. The first month was longer and then the second month were the shorter programs. The last phase was a mix match of the programs and also included legs. Tom would tell you that out of all the programs that I have completed, he has seen the most results with this one. I loved the variety of cardio one day and then weights mixed in. I also love Shaun T and the original insanity. He has such great energy in that program. I would def. recommend doing these programs as a hybrid. I've done the whole Insanity program (back in 2012...my first ever Beachbody program), but loved having it mixed in with some weights! I dont know how much I weighed prior to the program or my stats. I can tell you that based on my clothing they are looser again! These two programs came out prior to the 21 day fix containers. But I still loosely followed it while completing the program. I should probably pay a little more attention to the yellow container...but did really well keeping my nutrtion on point. I sitll have my cheat meal on the weekend..but really tried hard and I think it showed.
Here the final results.

The top two were taken after completing Hammer and Chisel.
The bottom two were taken yesterday after I finished my least beast program.
I have now started my three journey with the 3 day refresh, so I'll keep you posted on how that goes and what I ate during my journey!

21 Day Fix Approved stuffed Shells

I LOVE pasta!!!! I wanted to find a meal that could be a little more than just the regular brown rice pasta I've been having. This uses ricotta cheese over a bunch of mozzarella cheese. It is sooo delicious!!! Saved some for my lunch tomorrow!! Looking forward to eating it again. LOL!

Ingredients

• 25 Jumbo Shells (whole wheat if you can find them!)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook shells until el dante and set aside (TIP: I cooked mine earlier in the morning so it would cool down and be a little easier to work with).
2. Heat oil over skillet and add garlic and saute for a few min.  Add ground meat and onions and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until meat is no longer pink. Set aside to cool.
3. Heat some more oil and cook the spinach (if you want to or omit this step..I cooked mine ahead of time).
4. Mix ricotta cheese, spinach and eggs in bowl.
5. Once meat mixture is cooled, add to ricotta mixture.
6. Pour 1/2 cup of pasta sauce in bottom of 9×13 dish.
7. Stuff 25 pasta shells with roughly 2 tablespoons of mixture and place in baking dish. Pour remaining 1 1/2 cups of sauce over the shells and top with mozzarella cheese.
8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven at 400 for 30-35 minutes.

**21 Day Fix Containers (per 5 shells): 1 Yellow, 1 Red, 0.5 Purple, 0.5 Green, 1 Blue ***

Lemon chicken pita with spicy garlic sauce

I had pinned a recipe on Pinterest...but didn't have the time to grill it. So I kind of took the basis of the recipe but put my own spin on it!!! It was delicious and a very light tasting dinner!!

Ingredients:
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch or two black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 4 middle eastern-style flatbreads (you can use pita bread, as well)
•  greens
• Sliced tomatoes
• Spicy Garlic Sauce (recipe below)

Place the  chicken into a slow cooker, and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil; add in the garlic, plus the remainder of the ingredients up to and including the paprika, and using your hands, toss all of the seasonings/spices very well to coat the chicken. I cook mine on low for about 6 hours.
Cook time will depend on your slow cooker.

To make the spicy garlic sauce:
  ½ cup sour cream or full-fat, plain Greek yogurt
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 2-3 teaspoons sriracha (I used a lot more since I like mine spicy, so use your own judgement!)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch black pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper (again, you can use more, if you like it spicier)
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice 
Place into a mixing bowl and blend.

After the chicken was done, I put the sauce on one side of the pita bread, added lettuce, tomato, and I decided the last minute some onion. Add chicken!!
Enjoy!