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!!!
   
    

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

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!

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! 

Avocado Pasta

Creamy Avocado Pasta! I have been craving the avocados (okay mostly guacamole). I had seen a friend recommendation for avocado basil pasta. I thought why not. Got my ingredients and went to town. It was yummy!!!

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil 
• Crushed red pepper
•  
  Instructions
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
• To make the avocado sauce, combine avocados, basil, garlic and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside. 
• Mix in a large bowl with pasta. Sprinkle crushed red peppers as you like.
•  
• My favorite pasta now a days is the brown rice one from Aldi's. Cooks up nicely and tastes delicious!! I served with steak. Yummy! You can add veggies to your pasta if you want...but I decided not to.