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!!

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

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!

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!

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! 

Beef & Broccoli with Sweet Potato Noodles

I realized while looking through my blog...I enjoy two types of food: Mexican and sweet potatoes! LOL!!!! This one sounded interesting to me just based on the fact that the noodles were made of sweet potatoes!! I was ready for the challenge of making noodles with a potato!! I'm really trying to get out of my comfort zone while in the kitchen and trying new things like this once a week!!
Here is how you can enjoy this yummy meal:

Marinade:

• 12-16 Ounces lean stir-fry beef slices
• ⅓ Cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1 Clove garlic, crushed
• 1 Teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• ½ Teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ Teaspoon sea salt

Noodles:

• 1 Large sweet potato, peeled and spiralized
• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil (or cooking fat of choice)
• Salt and pepper

Sauce:

• ⅔ Cup coconut aminos
• 2 Tablespoon sunflower seed butter
• 2 Teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 Clove garlic, minced

Other:

• 1 Small head of broccoli, chopped.
• 2 Tablespoons avocado oil (or cooking fat of choice)
• Sliced scallions to garnish

Instructions

1. Place the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag, seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and no more than 60 minutes.
2. While the meat marinates, make the sweet potato noodles. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spiralize the sweet potato with the attachment with the smallest triangles. Lay the sweet potato noodles on a parchment lined baking sheet and toss with oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the noodles are tender. Set the noodles aside.
3. Place a pan over medium-high heat, add the broccoli, fill the bottom with water and cover with a lid. Steam the broccoli for 2-3 minutes, drain the water and transfer to a separate bowl.
4. Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.
5. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat (or Wok if you have one). While the pan heats, whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat the sauce over medium-low heat until it begins to simmer, then reduce to low.
6. Place the oil on the large pan, and add the beef in a single layer. Toss for 2-3 minutes, add the broccoli to the pan and cook an additional minute.
7. Remove from the heat and toss with the sweet potato noodles and sauce.
8. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Cilantro chicken

I am always looking for healthy ways to jazz up chicken!! This one is def. a keeper for sure!!

I always cook my chicken in my slow cooker...just super easy for me and I love how the chicken comes out. I do not add anything..just throw in some breasts.

After it was done I shredded the chicken...cooked some brown rice (one yellow container for both my husband and myself).

For the green sauce I add the following to my blender:
The whole bunch of cilantro
Fresh lemon juice (I used two lemons)
Minced garlic (I love garlic so it's a spoonful of it)
olive oil (I didnt measure out...just poured for a quick second).
Cumin and red pepper flakes (again didnt measure...just add as much as you please.)

I pulsed it for a bit...made sure it was all well blended and chopped. Taste and see if you need to add more any of the ingredients.

Delicious and all fixed approved!

21 Day Fix approved Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato

Let me tell you...I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious this was. I was again looking for new recipes and thought..oh what the heck. I will admit, I got nervous cooking this. More steps than I am used to..LOL! Never cooked spinach before...just totally out of my comfort zone. But we survived..and it was so good!

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 3/4 pound (about 2 small) cooked shredded boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/4 cups olive oil
• 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon Flavor God's Chiplote seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• couple shakes of  hymalayain salt and pink pepper
• 2 (half a 10oz bag) cups spinach
• 5 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash your sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until fork tender.
3. When the sweet potatoes are done, cut them in half and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
4. In a medium size bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle seasoning, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
5. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and wilt the spinach (this can also be done in the microwave). Toss the spinach and shredded chicken together, set aside and keep warm.
6. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Scrape the sweet potato out of the peel, leaving a medium size layer of flesh inside with the peel so that it can stand up on its own (reserve the remaining flesh for another use later) and place in a baking dish. Brush the skins with a little of the chipotle sauce and bake for 5-10 minutes, until nice and crisp.
7. While the skins bake, mix the spinach, chicken and chipotle sauce together. Remove skins from the oven and stuff with the chicken mixture. Top with shredded cheese.
8. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the skins are hot and crisp

21 Day Fix Approved Chicken Marinade

One of the easiest meals I have made. I was on the look out for another way to make my chicken...still be healthy...and of course pack the punch with flavor...

I cooked my chicken in the slow cooker along with the following ingredients:
~ a bit of Olive Oil...really didnt measure but there wasnt a ton..and not a little either..LOL!
~ 2/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
~ A few shakes of the Webber Chicago steak seasoning
Let it cook on low for a few hours and bam...had dinner.

I served with brown rice and my roasted broccoli/red onions that I love.
Super simple to make those two:
Put as much broccoli and red onion in a gallon sized bag. Add the juice of two lemons. Garlic (your preference). And a few twists of pink Himalayan salt. Cook on 400 for about 20 minutes!! The best and easy side.

Sweet Potato Bites

Undoubtedly this has become one of my favorite side dishes. And believe it or not...this is all 21 day fix approved. Just watch and think about your container portions...and bam...you have a delicious meal.
This particular meal is flank steak...side salad...and the sweet potato bites.
No more chit chat...here's the recipe:
1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/4" rounds, about 8 potato rounds
2 tsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
1/2 blue container shredded cheddar cheese

Rub both sides of sweet potato with olive oil, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake at 425 for 25 minutes. When potatoes are done, remove from oven, lightly sprinkle with cheese and place back in the oven until cheese in melted. When cheese is melted, remove from oven and top with:

2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 avocado mixed with:
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tbsp plain greek yogurt
1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp Mrs. Dash jalapeño seasoning

21 Day Fix Approved Enchilada Soup

I've been making a new soup each week. This one was right up my alley as I love anything with a Mexican twist. This can be served over a quinoa or brown rice if you would like...I'm sure that would make it just as tasty!


What You Need –
4 Large Chicken Breast
1 Green Bell Pepper diced
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
2 Tablespoons Mrs Dash Fiesta Lime Salt Free seasoning
1/2 Cup Salsa (no sugar added)
3 cups Organic low sodium Chicken broth
14 oz Diced Tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce (no sugar added )
1 cup of spinach
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons chopped oregano leaves
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
shredded cheese sprinkled on top
plain greek yogurt, or avacado you could add to top of soup
Instructions –
Add all ingredients to Crock Pot
cook on low for 4-6 hours

Meal Planning~ week of January 24th

Good afternoon from a sunny Columbus! There's a little snow on the ground...but nothing too exciting as the rest of the country is getting a TON of snow!!!
Still sticking to my goals with the hammer and chisel nutrition plan! This week we have planned:
Sunday~ grilled chicken, roasted broccoli, and sweet potato
Monday~ Greek chicken in whole wheat pitas
Tuesday~ Taco Tuesday
Wednesday~ carne asade
Thursday~ 21 day fix chicken enchilada soup over quinoa
Friday~ Flat out pizzas

Just some ideas for you all as you are setting up your menu plans!
Have a great one!Stay warm!