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.

Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad

I am loving the mangoes right now at the grocery store!!! They are so ripe and juicy!!! Best part thing of this meal is so much of it can be prepped ahead. And also let's face it..the weather is sooo HOT that it's nice not have the stove on for a long time.

Does this not look delicious?

It was super easy to make.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 chicken breast
1 can black beans
3 limes
1 onion (I forgot to grab a red onion at the store..but I used a sweet onion)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 mango
jalepenos (amount depends on your spicy likeness)
2 tsps cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Olive oil

Obviously some steps just depends on how you want to prepare it but this is what I did:
First I put my chicken in the slow cooker in the morning. I added the 1 tsp of chili powder and 1 of the tsps of cumin. I cooked for about 7 hours.
When it got closer to dinner I made my quinoa. I added the 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water, and the last tsp of cumin and cooked for the 15 minutes.
While it was simmering, I shredded my chicken and added to the big bowl. I also rinsed my beans,  cut my red pepper and onion, mango, and jalepeno and added to the bowl. Once the quinoa was done I added it to the bowl. I drizzled olive oil and squeezed the juice from the 3 limes. Toss to coat...and serve. It was soo good :)

Greek Chicken Pitas

I don't know about you all, but where I live (south Florida) it is super HOT!!! With my meal planning, I am trying to find things that are A). easy to cook B). Light C). and not hot (like soup hot...spicy hot I LOVE). This recipe meets all the requirements for my summer cooking!
I did my chicken in the slow cooker. It's just easier for me to throw my chicken breast in there. I am not a big fan of those chicken strips sold at stores in the Ziploc bags and I could get the chicken from the deli section...but I just prefer this method.

this meal was super easy to prep since the slow cooker took care of the cooking part. Just cut up some veggies...add some lemon and chives. Cut the pitas in half and you have yourself a fabulous dinner!

Each serving has 380 calories.

 

Total Time: 10 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
1 (6½-inch) whole wheat pita, cut in half to make pockets
3 oz cooked chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ medium tomato, chopped
¼ cup chopped cucumber
1 Tbsp. chopped red onion (optional)
¼ tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¼ cup shredded romaine lettuce
2 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese (about ½ oz)
Preparation:
1. Fill pita halves evenly with chicken, tomato, cucumber, onion (if desired), oregano, lemon juice, romaine, and cheese.

Avacado Chicken Salad

The boys and I had spent all of yesterday in the van. I will be the first to admit we didn't make the wisest food choices on the way home. We stopped at Mickey D's, had tortilla chips in the car, Zaxby's chicken..you get the point. We also are just coming off a week vacation in TN where we ate at Paula Deen's restaurant and a few other yummy places (although we did a good job on dinners with our crock pot). This is our first day home and I knew I wanted to make something light...and yummy!
What you are going to need:
2 cups shredded chicken
1 avocado
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp fresh cilantro
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt

Easy to make:

 Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes to let all those yummy flavors blend together.


Serve on your favorite bread, crackers, pita pocket or on a bed of lettuce.

Chocoate Peanut Butter Protein Balls

It's been awhile since I last blogged. My family and I spent a week in Gatlinburg. What a fun trip we all had. I will probably blog about our various adventures.
My post today is chocolate peanut butter protein balls. I had made a batch of these for our van ride up (we drove from FL to TN). I made these so we wouldn't have to stop a lot for snacks and also, I wanted to make sure we made wise choices on the road.
These are super simple to make. All you will need are:
1 cup oats
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (can be shakeology or whey powder)

Super simple to do:
Combine ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll into balls. Enjoy. Will last about 5 days refrigerated.

Clean Eating: Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies

Last night I was craving a sweet. I really wanted a DQ blizzard...but I am really trying to stay disciplined in my diet (and obviously that DQ blizzard isn't a part of it). So when I got up this morning I knew I was going to need something to curb those sweet attacks! Luckily we went to Costco and bought a big ol' container of raspberries so this fit the bill. They are light...full of flavor..and super easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 c instant (quick-cook) oats 

¾ c whole wheat flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ c honey

6 tbsp fresh raspberries, diced

Steps:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the honey until thoroughly incorporated. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the raspberries. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
3. Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops on the baking sheet. Bake at 325°F for 13-15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet.

Now let me tell they do not look at all appetizing when in the fridge chilling:

 

But once they are cooked and cooled they were beautiful delicious cookies!!!

My husband enjoyed as did our 15 month old!! This will more than likely become a summer time favorite sweet!

 

 

Clean Grillin' summer

Is anyone as excited as I am that summer is right around the corner? While I do live in Florida, we are getting super close to the end of the school..which totally symbolizes SUMMER for this kindergarten teacher.
As a beachbody coach I always try to think of fun and exciting ways to keep my friends engaged and wanted to extend this to you all. I have started a Facebook group that will feature various recipes to make sure you keep on track nutrition wise while grillin' out.
Here is a link to my summer grillin' clean group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1471286679828517/members/

Hope to see you there!! Starts on May 23rd!
If you are having any problems contact me directly!

Shakeology Cleanse

This past Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I completed the Shaekology cleanse. I felt like I needed to get over a hump I had hit with my goals. It wasn't as bad as I had imagined. the only day that was really rough was day one. The other three day I seemed fine.
Basic run down:
Started my morning with one cup of green tea
Had a shake(ology) for breakfast. This one I would put one purple container of fruit (no bananas though).
Had another cup of tea mid morning with my snack which was usually an orange.
Then at lunch again I'd have another shake...this time though with NO fruit.
Dinner was my favorite part of the day...LOL! I ate a salad (romaine lettuce, onion, and tomato) with chicken.
Then I'd have another shake (again with no fruit).
I felt like I had good results on the shakeology cleanse. I lost about 4 lbs on this and thus far have maintained it. I also noticed more definition in the abs and was really happy when a pair of short I put on fit better (I bought them as a motivation...fit but just fit prior to this...LOL).
I'd recommend this to someone looking to break a time period where you feel like you have lost little to no weight.
I still did insanity max 30 while on the cleanse.
Before the cleanse:

After the cleanse:

My liquid diet :):

I want to try shakeology......but am scared? The price is high......what if I don't like it? I get it....

Summer is coming quicker than I can imagine!! Am I excited? Heck ya! Two months of my boys (which yes can be exhausting), no real schedules (other than a few playdates), and visiting new places (this year Gatlinburg and Tybee Island). Right now I am in the zone....focusing on keeping my goals and getting summer ready!! Well, more than just summer..but having bikini season here helps me stay focused. LOL!

Are you in the zone of getting ready for summer? Do you need the motivation to make life changes?

Well that is why I am here to help out!! I know it's not easy. I spent 4 months after Camden (the youngest of my 3) complaining about how I looked and how I felt (both mentally and physically). I was definitely at the lowest point image wise. I was exhausted and instead of getting back into my skinny jeans I was the proud of way too many maxi skirts.

I would see post of the 21 Day Fix and replacing a meal with shake. Was I skeptical? Heck yes. But a chance brought me to where I am today. I have lost over 30 lbs. I have a healthier cleaner diet. I try to eat as clean as I can. We hardly have any carbs in our house. Pasta was a main staple in our house. Now we fuel our bodies with greens!

Our change in diets also meant a huge change for me. Including a shake...a protein drink into my diet. I had never done anything like that before. I was always a Special K cereal kind of girl. Now I had to drink a meal.

At first the price tag scared me...I knew I would never find it Bogo at our local Publix (LOL). But I was willing to find out if it would work for me or not.

Now here I am 10 months later...and cant stop smiling!

So what has shakeology done for ME?
~ I know it one meal taken care of for the day. And a healthy one at that. I know when you fist start eating healthy it's hard enough to change. This is one meal taken care of and totally healthy.
~ I have noticed my energy levels have improved. I can get so much more accomplished a day b/c I no longer feel sluggish!
~ It keeps me full for 2 1/2 to 3 hours!
~ It actually tastes really good (and I can get creative with my mixings and really feel like I am having a treat!)
~I found that I haven't been sick, which I attribute to the boost of nutrients and vitamins that my body was lacking previously.
~ It helped to curb my sweet tooth and kept me on track with my goals.
~ The convenience is the best! I can throw this in the blender while finishing dinner. Put it in the fridge and it's ready for the morning.
~ I have stronger hair and nails.
~ My complexion has cleared up.

So what does this all mean for you? I know you want to see what this can do for you...but the question of cost comes into your mind....the doubt.
I get it but Beachbody is here to help you through all that doubt.
They currently are offering a sampler pack.You can get 6 flavors all for $29.95. That's totally doable!

So what do you have to do? You must have me as your assigned coach on teambeachbody. I will help you determine which meal you should replace with your shakeology. I do breakfast because the mornings are just so crazy here. I can grab and go. I will also provide you with a 7 day clean eating menu to help you get the most of your shakeology days!

If you give it your all, you might even find yourself down a pant size in a week!!!

Who is ready to give it a try?

Listed below are the ingredients:

Mexican chicken

Yes another Mexican dinner....but this time chicken style. Sorry we love Mexican here. It just tastes so fresh to me and I don't feel bad for eating it!
This is one of my husband's favorite meals. I found it on Pinterest and must be served at a restaurant as it was called Qudoba chicken.

 

Ingredients start off simple: Package of chicken, a can of broth, and a package of taco seasoning.
Take these three ingredients and place into your slow cooker. I cooked mine at low for 8 hours.
Smells so good when you walk in the door after work.

Now you can get creative. I get a circular serving dish and first layer down lettuce. I had a cup of jasmine rice. On top of that I put cheese, onions, black beans, the chicken from the slow cooker, a little bit of tomato, and some spicy guacamole.

Took the pic after I start devouring it. LOL!!
One of our favorites and on our menu at least once a month!!

Mexican: Carne Asade

Seriously I could eat Mexican every night of the week!! There is just something so fresh about Mexican food!!!! Soo good!!

You will need:
1 small onion
6 limes (squeeze juice into the crock pot)
Cumin
Chili powder
Jalapeño (the amount you put in just totally depends on your taste buds. I have a jar of sliced ones in our fridge, I added about 10).
Beef bottom roast

Add all of the above ingredients to your crock pot. I cook mine for 12 hours.
Add whatever toppings you wish: cheese, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, tortilla, etc.

Enjoy!

Honey Sriracha Chicken

If you have read enough of my posts, you know I go for simple. One day I was looing in the pantry and fridge to make a new combo for chicken. We eat chicken at least once a week over here. So variation of it is key to not get bored!! I have no measurements on what I used. I just kind of kept mixing it until the spice was just right.
I used:
~ honey
~ soy sauce
~ minced garlic
~ sriracha sauce
~ red pepper flakes
~ package of chicken

I mixed the first five ingredients until I liked the taste. Threw the chicken in the crock pot...poured the mixture over it. Cooked it on low for about 8 hours. I served over jasmine rice. It was yummy!

I

Banana Split Shakeology

Today I am going to share a new shakeology recipe that I tried out this morning and I loved it!!

I used:

~ one packet of chocolate shakeology

~ 2 slices of pineapple

~ 2 strawberries

~ 1/2 banana

~ 8 oz. water

~ I blended in the blender. Poured in my shaker cup...and enjoyed!!!

Definitely a yummy shake! One that will have to go into my rotation!



Garlic Lemon Chicken

This was such a delicious smell in my house (esp. after working with 19 5/6 year olds...and a car ride with three boys..LOL).

Again simple ingredients....simple prep...simple execution to the table!! Win Win.

Ingredients:

~ 4 lemons

~ 1/2 cup of chicken broth

~ 1 envelope of Italian seasoning

~ Garlic to your tasting

~ 1 packet of chicken breasts

Throw it all in the slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours. Shred the chicken breasts.

Serve with whatever sides you like (I just did a salad).



Red Wine Pork

I probably say this a lot, but this meal was delicious. I loved it at dinner...and just as much the next day for lunch leftovers. Camden was in love with this meal as well and ate it for a couple of days. LOL!

I have no idea what the real name of this one is called...but try it...it's yummy :)

 

You will need:

Pork Boneless roast (I usually get the pork over at Walmart from Smithfield. I find it cooks great in my slow cooker)

~ one envelope of the onion soup mix (You can make your own but I had one of these in pantry I wanted to use up, I'll post the make your own version down below the pic).

1/2 cup red cooking wine
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

 

Now what to do with this all:

Place your pork in the slow cooker.

Add all of your liquids.

Rub half of the onion mix on the pork. The rest place in the water mixture.

Rub the garlic and black pepper on the pork.

I cook mine on slow for 12 hours and it is soo moist and easy to shred.

 

Make your own onion mix:

1⁄4 cup dried onion flakes
2 tablespoons low-sodium beef bouillon granules
1⁄4 teaspoon onion powder
1⁄4 teaspoon parsley flakes
1⁄8 teaspoon celery seed
1⁄8 teaspoon paprika
1⁄8 teaspoon pepper



Soy Sauce Beef

Confession....another meal I just make on the whim. The night before I cooked this meal I felt like I wanted an Asian dish the next day. So I looked around the pantry/fridge to see what ingredients I had in the house. Again add the ingredients to your liking. I honestly paid no attention to how much I was really adding.

The night before I cooked I let it marinate in a Ziploc bag.

Place your bottom roast in a bag and add:

~ soy sauce (I used about half a bottle)

~ minced garlic

~ ginger

~ red pepper flakes

The next morning add to the crock pot....set it on low....and cook for about 12 hours.

I served it over a salad with my favorite dressing...makato ginger!!!



Buffalo Chicken

This was one of my go to dishes while I was completing the 21 day fix. Easy to make and not a lot of ingredients. Those are two of my requirements for most of the food I make.

I do not have exact measurements for this one...as it all really depends on your taste buds.

To make you will need:

~ Frank's Red Hot Sauce

~ 1 envelope of ranch dressing mix

~ chicken breast

~ fixings (such as cheese, lettuce, tomato, tortilla, etc)

For me, I simply added the chicken breast into the slow cooker. I then added the Frank's hot sauce. I put about half a bottle in. Lastly, add the envelope of ranch dressing mix in and stir. Put the lid on it and let it cook (time depends on your slow cooker). I usually do about 7  hours on ours.

When done, make a wrap.  My picture shows it all portioned out in my fix cups.

Enjoy!!



21 Day Fix approved Carnitas

Like any busy Mommy, I love my crock pot. This recipe provides left over for lunches. Make at the beginning of the week and you can spread your left over the course of the week; which is great. This was so yummy my 1 year old totally approved!!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs of Pork Loin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cup of water

To make the rub combine:

• 2 tbsp of chili powder
• 2 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp oregano

Directions:

Mix all spices together except the bay leaf in a bowl.
Rub down the entire pork loin with the spices and place in your slow cooker.
Add the bay leaf and water and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Keep an eye on the pork just to make sure the water doesn't absorb and it dries out.  If you have to add more liquid please do.
Your pork should pull apart easily so you can shred it.

Once you it is able to be shredded take it from the crock pot, shred and then place back into the crock pot.  Stir the meat to coat with the juices.

Cilantro Lime Dressing:

Greek yogurt

1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice

1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro Chopped

1 lime cut into wedges for garnish

Combine these ingredients in a bowl for the dressing and set aside.

Add what you want to your carnitas:
~ black beans
~ lettuce
~tomato
~ cheese

Enjoy!

Sweets: Banana Oatmeal Cookies (aka Sinless Cookies)

 

 

 

Are you all ready for a treat that is so simple to make that even a mom juggling a 1 year old and helping out a 4 and 7 year old all at the same time can make?

During the break my 1 year old has really taken to food. I've been introducing him to so many new things that I still want to make sure I keep him eating healthy. I saw this recipe and knew for sure I'd have to make it for all of us.

What do you need?

~ 2 ripe bananas

~ 1 cup quick oats

~ 1/2 dark chocolate chips

~ 1 heaping tbsp. of natural peanut butter

 

Now what do you do with all of those things?

 

~ preheat your oven to 350. While waiting for it to warm mix all the ingredients. Plop a spoonful of the dough onto a cookie sheet. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes.

 

And of course...ENJOY :)

 

To really maximize your taste buds, put them in the fridge. We cooked these on our way out the door so we first tasted them warm. By the time we came home from the park, they were soo cool and it really brought out all the tastes of the ingredients. YUMMY!

 

 

 

Dinner Time: Garlic and Herb Beef

 

I was so excited for this recipe. I'm a sucker for pot roasts in my slow cooker...and garlic!! It's great to find beef recipes that are both clean and healthy for my family.

Obviously since it went in the slow cooker it's super easy to make from the prep time to serving.

Ingredients:

3 lb chuck roast, cut into 2 pieces

8 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup beef broth, low sodium preferred

 

Directions:

Place the chuck roast into the slow cooker. Rub with the garlic, parsley, chives, thyme, and  salt & pepper. Add the broth. Cover the slow cooker and let it cook. I set mine for about 10 hours. Yes 10 hours...I like to cook mine nice and slow. When I went to shred it, the beef feel apart like butter.

 

 

I served mine with a little bit of mashed potatoes and a side salad (tomato, cucumber, red onion, and red wine vinegar).

 

It was a delicious meal...and I am happy to report that 2/3 of the boys enjoyed their meal (the other one is too picky and just wanted a waffle!)

 

 

Enjoy!