21 Day Fix - Day 18

I am discovering the joy of snacks and some quick easy meals. I tend to get caught up in the day and get busy with the kids and forget to feed myself. The fix has been so good for me because it has really helped deal with that.

Our fridge is well stocked with fresh produce. Our five year old daughter loves to go to the fridge for a healthy snack.

Here are some of our favorite 21 day fix snacks and easy meals:

👉 Cottage cheese (Equals 1 red). We have also discovered that our five year old LOVES cottage cheese. 

👉 Greek yogurt with strawberries (Equals 1 red, 1 Purple)

👉 Peanut Butter Apple: spread 2 tsp natural peanut butter on a sliced small apple. (Equals 1 purple, 1 tsp)

👉 Fancy Oats:  Steel cut oats topped with unsweetened shredded coconut. (Equals 1 yellow, 1 orange)

👉 Egg Sandwich: Place two hard-boiled eggs, halved and on a piece of whole wheat toast, folded in half. (Equals 1 red, 1 yellow)

👉 Banana Creamiscle: Blend one half of a banana with unsweetened almond milk. Put the mixture in the freezer for an hour prior to chill.  (Equals 1 purple, 1 yellow)

👉 Tuna and Hot Sauce: Drain one can of tuna fish and top with Tobasco sauce to taste. (Equals 1 red)

👉 Kale Chips: I LOVE these! De-stem and tear kale into bite size pieces, 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, 1 tsp)

👉 Mixed Nuts: Nuts are a great source of healthy fats, and they travel well. What I like to do is buy a bag of almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and mix them together on my own. Unsalted nuts only! (Equals 1 blue)

👉 Banana and Peanut Butter on Toast: Spread 1 tsp of peanut butter on whole wheat toast and top with a half of a banana, sliced. (Equals 1 yellow, 1 purple, 1 tsp)

👉 Baked Apple: This is a favourite from my childhood!! 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 slighty tender. (Equals 1 purple)

Feel free to add your favorited below!!!

21 Day Fix - Day 8

Here we are at the start of week two. We have both had success and it feels good. Having said that, life sure tries to get in the way of good intentions. Do you ever find that?

I have been watching my oldest daughter have issues at school. She is a strong minded, spirited child, yet she allows one girl to boss her around at school. While watching her play for a bit after school, there was yet another in issue. It's just starting to wear me down. I am tapping out. Obviously I will keep working on this, but man, it's a real esteem deflater. We talked about the issue for the entire drive home. It was exhausting and by the time we arrived home I just wanted a glass of wine! haha! One yellow....The wine is worth one yellow. I still had it to substitute. I made the choice and went for it. Just one.

Next came time to make dinner. I was quickly running out of time. I ended up taking yesterday's soup and giving it a quick puree for a fresh look for tonight's dinner. One red, 2 greens and one yellow.

Then while the kids were getting ready for bed it was time to make lunches. Three of them! That was a lot of chopping! But its done, and there are three healthy, balanced lunches and snacks that will be heading out the door tomorrow. Now I can relax;-)

I have realized that its actually hard to make lunches without absentmindedly snacking while you prepare! Honestly, I didn't even really realize that I do it. I love a system that actually draws my attention to my weaknesses. Makes it so much easier to be aware and make changes. 

Today was challenging but also exciting.

The exciting part about today was that my challenge group officially started. I have these amazing ladies that are joining me for accountability while they do the 21 day fix with me. It's amazing. They are all off to a great start and I love the meal sharing that has started to happen already.

I am so proud of each of them.

Change is hard.

Not making excuses is hard.

Starting is hard.

Taking the first few steps to a lifestyle change is amazing!

21 Days = New habits

I can't wait to see what the next three weeks bring!!

21 Day Fix - Day 6

I was super curious about the wine that I drank last night. I kind of figured that it would have put a pound back on me, or just plateaued me a little. So this morning, I decided to do a weigh in. Down a total of 5 pounds! What a great way to start the day.

I am seeing my energy increase now too. It's very encouraging!

I am finding it easier every day to figure out the colours and portions. I can look at a plate and see it in containers now. It's super funny....and helpful! Lol

Most of all I love that this is not a restrictive diet. I am eating real food. I AM NOT getting results by following some unrealistic plan that will sees my results disappear the second I start eating real food again. I do not believe in those diets. I don't even like the word diet.

Dinner tonight was simple. 1 red of shrimp, 1 orange of oil and balsamic dressing and 2 greens of lettuce and mixed raw veggies.

One of the amazing ladies in my challenge group shared a soup recipe with me today that I can't wait to try!!! It might even be tomorrow!

21 Day Fix - Day 4

Today was a bit of a struggle. Nothing major, just a bad Mom day. The baby was up a couple times last night. My five year old was up four times with bad dreams and just to not feel left out, our dog even got me up once!

Fast forward to this morning and I was feeling.....ROUGH! 

All I wanted was a comfort coffee. Morning coffee with.....gunk! Sigh. Settled for honey In My coffee instead and was pleasantly surprised with the taste. Ok, I CAN do this. First hurdle dodged.

I wasn't done there. We ended up running errands unexpectedly and I found myself quite a distance from home, starving and unprepared. As I stared at McDonalds, and even went inside to change the babies diaper I realized the best solution was to go into the grocery store. 

One large banana, one Greek yogurt and a water = 2 purple and 1 red. Golden!

The baby is five months old. She had an off day today;-( dinner was going to be a challenge. I could just tell. So I decided to pull out the slow cooker and see what I could manage to throw in there. 

All I had was a beef tenderloin. I wouldn't use a beef roast next time while doing the fix BUT when you have a crabby baby you do the best you can with what you have.

I threw onions, celery, sweet potatoes and garlic in the button of the slow cooker. Lightly seasoned the roast, seared it to lock in the flavors. Added it to the crock pot (frozen!) and added some water for moisture. At dinner I topped it with onions, cut up some fresh raw peppers and boom, one red, one green, one yellow. Not bad for a hard day.

I am proud that even when things are out of my hands, as today was, I now know that I can still make this work. It's a lifestyle and it's completely doable!!

21 Day Fix - Day 3

The hardest part of this challenge has been giving up my one bad food item. I absolutly love the international coffee creamer.  I know, I know. Can we say chemical s&@t storm!? But it tastes so good and I enjoy one cup of coffee each morning with this "creamer" that we affectionately call gunk. We have given it up for this as clearly it is one of the few items that is listed on the absolutly not list!

I am learning to appreciate coffee with a splash of almond milk. It's honestly not too bad.

Other then my coffee, the rest of the day was great!

Especially dinner. Buffalo style stuffed yam. I thought it was a super bizarre combination of ingredients. I'm not usually overly creative but I am really enjoying playing around with the different food combinations.

It was delicious! Jeff loved it and M ate it too, minues the hot sauce!

1.5 red, 1 yellow, 1 spoon serving and 1 green! I'm getting the hang of this container system!

(Baked chicken, baked yam, plain Greek yogurt and hot sauce with a side of grilled zucchini).

Chicken Curry

Red curry paste and coconut milk give chicken tons of flavor in this belly-warming dish.

Total Time:​ 25 min.
Prep Time:​​​ 10 min.
Cooking Time:​ 15 min.
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 tsp. coconut oil
1  medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-inch slice fresh ginger, peeled, chopped
1  tsp. red curry paste
1 Tbsp. tomato paste, no sugar added
1 lb.​​​​ raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup lite canned coconut milk
½ cup water
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 tsp. Thai fish sauce (optional)
¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro (optional)
1½ tsp. palm sugar

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
3. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
4. Add curry paste and tomato paste; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
5. Add chicken; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until it’s coated in paste.
6. Add coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; gently boil, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
7. Add tomato, fish sauce (if desired), cilantro (if desired), and sugar; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Tip: Thai fish sauce is called nam pla. It can be purchased online or in an Asian market.

After the Holidays = Reality Time

I love the holidays. I love being together with family and friends. Visiting, late nights, great food and of course some wine....but now that January has arrived so has the honest assessment.

Let me be clear about something. Leading into the holidays I was no where near being in great shape. I was working on it BUT I had a 4 month old baby and was recovering from my second csection. I still had a long way to go. I was ok with that. I still am. What I didn't expect was how far back the holidays would set me. I expected no progress but I literally went backwards.

While I have moments of being disappointed, I am also oddly ok with it. I had a fantastic time. It was one of my most memorable Christmases. We got to share and experience so much with our girls.

Now I have a plan:

I have a 21 day fix group starting next week that I am pumped about.

There are some amazing ladies in this group that will be joining me in hitting our exercise and clean eating goals. I am looking forward, with excitement to supporting each other through the next 21 days. 

I plan to share my journey with you. The good, the bad and the ugly. I know I will have some bad days but I am so ready to get things back on track and start to really feel good. I love the increased energy that comes from exercising. I can't wait to share that extra energy with my family.

Bring on the New Year and this new challenge. For me, I know this will lead to more enjoyment in my life.

New Year, New You

I have been having a hard time getting my fitness in lately and that has got me already thinking about my New Years resolution.

Did you know that if you have a plan and a well defined start date along with support you will be much more successful?

Having said that I wanted to share my plan with you and invite you to join me;-)

I have a 30 day challenge planned that will begin on Monday, January 12th. The plan with provide you with 30 days of clean eating meals, recipes, grocery lists, complete fitness program and the healthiest protein shake out there.

Are you interested in more details?

Email me or comment below for more details.

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa

Ingredients:

•  1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

 Instructions:

1.  Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.
2. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
4. Add chicken thighs, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
6. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower heat to medium. Add olive oil.
7. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Add minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
9. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.
10. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
11. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
12. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.
13. Stir in parsley and serve.

Asian Stuffed Napa Cabbage Rolls

These Asian style cabbage rolls are a great twist on stuffed cabbage. They are light and healthy, yet still a filling “one-pot” meal perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons Nakano rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili or chili-garlic sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste
• leaves from 1 large head of Napa cabbage
• 
  

 Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare your filling by gently combining uncooked beef (or turkey), shredded carrots, cooked rice (or quinoa), garlic, ginger, onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili sauce and a pinch of salt and black pepper in a large mixing bowl.

To make your leaves easy to roll, use a rolling pin to flatten to make leaves more pliable. If you find that your leaves are on the smaller side, use two to roll, overlapping both ends to make one big leaf.

Spoon your filling to each leaf. Carefully roll each leaf tightly and place side by side in a large baking dish. Pour 1 cup of water over stuffed cabbage rolls and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until completely cooked through.

Serve with juices from baking dish and additional chili sauce.