Busy Mom's Orange Chicken

The main ingredient of this Orange Chicken is, well, the chicken.  I understand that it probably is healthier for me to cut up my own chicken breasts, dip them in eggs and bread them with almond meal or something like that.  However, 355 days out of the year, I just don't have time for that.  So, the main ingredient for this meal is pictured below.

That's right!  Trader Joe's saves the day, once again!  These tenderloins are actually very tasty and are around $7 a bag.  Well worth it to me!  By the way---an extra bonus is that these chicken breast are very low in sodium for a frozen item!  Although the chicken is the main ingredient, it's all about the sauce, which is the homemade portion of this recipe, fresh squeezed OJ and all!

Busy Mom's Orange Chicken

(Originally posted on my other blog, Life, Among Other Things)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 bag of Trader Joe's Breaded Tenderloin Chicken Breasts

Homemade Orange Chicken Sauce (recipe below)

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 400*F.

2) Spread chicken across a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

3) Put Chicken in oven for 10 minutes. (While chicken is cooking, prepare sauce!)

4)  Turn chicken over and cook for another 8 minutes.  

5)  Pour half of sauce over chicken.  Turn chicken over to make sure it is coated in the sauce.  

6)  Bake chicken for 7 minutes.  Pour most of the remaining sauce over chicken.  Garnish with green onions.  Enjoy!

Homemade Orange Chicken Sauce

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tablespoons Orange Juice (fresh squeezed)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon orange zest  (Tip:  zest orange before juicing it.  A LOT easier!)
1 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 c honey
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (fresh)
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 Tablespoon white or rice vinegar
3 Tablespoon cornstarch or flour
1/4 cup water

Directions:
1)  In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except for the cornstarch and the 1/4 cup water.
2)  Turn on heat and bring to a boil.
3)  While the sauce in heating up, combine 3 T cornstarch with 1/4 cup water.
4)  Slowly mix cornstarch/flour into sauce until it thickens.
5)  Pour over Chicken.  (Follow instructions above.)

If you are wondering what we eat this delicious Orange Chicken with, we always pair it with this rice medley from Trader Joe's.  It takes 3 minutes in a microwave for steamed rice.  Nothing beats that!  I make sautéed veggies to have with it most of the time, but this time, I quartered Brussels Sprouts, put them in a 13 x 9 pan, sprinkled olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and fresh garlic and onions on it and put it in the oven with the chicken.  It took about 5 minutes more to bake than the chicken, but WOW!  It was worth it! 

If you use the whole bag of chicken, this meal feeds a good amount of people.  It tastes great the next day, so leftovers are always nice! 

Trader Joe's Bruschetta Lentil Dip

Where is the first place you go when you walk into a Trader Joe's?  For my family, it's right back to the sample counter.  We are usually greeted by kind faces with tasty treats.  A few years back, one of those samples changed my life.  This may sound like an exaggeration, but I assure you, it isn't.  After tasting that sample, I was able to put together a dish I can bring to potlucks, church lunches, and serve at parties in less than two minutes.  That's right.  Two minutes.

Wait.  It get's even better.  It's only three ingredients!  AND even better... you don't have to use it as a dip!  It's versatile!  Pick up a fork and use it as a salad!

Clearly, I can't hold you back from this life-changing recipe any longer!  I really do hope you enjoy it as much as my friends, church members, and family have enjoyed it!

Trader Joe's Bruschetta Lentil Dip

Ingredients.

4 oz (1/2 a package) of Trader Joe's Feta Cheese (block)
1 Box of Trader Joe's Seamed Lentils (ready-to-eat)
1 Tub of Trader Joe's Bruschetta Sauce

Method.

1.  Put Lentils in large bowl and break apart with fork.
2.  Add feta and break apart with fork.
3.  Add Bruschetta and stir until all ingredients are mixed evenly.
4.  Serve with crackers, chips, or on toasted baguette.

Vegan Breakfast Cookies

My oldest isn't a big breakfast eater.   He's happy with a bowl of Trader Joe's crispy rice cereal.  I, however, am not happy with that.  He needs more!  So, why not make him the next best thing:  cookies!  Yes.  Cookies for breakfast.  What could be better?

This is great for busy families, especially this time of year when everyone is getting used to starting school again.  I know the struggle of having to drag kids out of bed just to force feed them before school starts!  So, for those moms and dads out there that deal with that on a regular basis, you're welcome!

Vegan Breakfast Cookies (Adapted from Diary of a Mad Crafter)

• 1 1/4 cups regular rolled oats
• 3/4 cup coconut flakes 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup of almond meal (I use Trader Joe’s)
• 2 tablespoons ground flax
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 3  very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Preheat oven to 350F. Grease or line cookie sheet with foil.

Get the wet ingredients together, and then dry. Mix together until it comes together.   Using a 1/4 cup scoop, I dropped the dough onto my pan, and flattened them out with my fingers. If you get stuck to the dough, just dip your fingers in some water before flattening them.

Bake them for 20-25 minutes, or once they’ve browned. Let them cool on the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then move them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

(Just to let you know, each cookie is about 215 calories, but high in healthy fats and protein!)

Pico de Gallo

Did you know that Pico de Gallo literally means "Rooster's Beak?"  There are many theories as to why it is named this from the way it used to be eaten with the thumb and the forefinger, as a rooster would peck to the colors being similar to the colors of a rooster, but nobody seems to know the certain origins of the salsa's name (Source).  In Mexico, it is also called "Salsa Fresca" and "Salsa Mexicana."

I have the privilege of living next to what we call "farms," but are really large fields with stands to sale what they grow.  This summer, my favorite thing to buy there is tomatoes, chiles, onions, and cilantro.  I then make pico de gallo out of it and put it on anything from eggs to salad to tacos.  This recipe is so easy to make you may never buy salsa again!

Pico de Gallo

1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
2-3 chilies (I use Anaheim chilies for a mild salsa, for medium use Serrano), chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced

Combine all ingredients.

Enjoy.

(Yes.  It's THAT easy!)

Pico de gallo goes great on a zucchini boat! 

Smoothie FAQ's & Recipe Round-up

For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links.

June 11, 2012 was a good day.  This was the day that after months (possibly years) of considering it, we went to Costco and bought a Vitamix.  We had gone through two other blenders and we needed something reliable to blend our smoothies.

Over three years later, we are still making a least one smoothie a day, if not two!  They make a wonderful, cold, easy dinner on hot summer evenings!  Read on for answers to my most frequently asked questions regarding smoothies and some pretty yummy smoothie recipes!

My husband has had great results with having a smoothie daily!

Smoothie FAQ's

Why Smoothies?

When we decided to drink smoothies, we were prompted by watching the documentary, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.  In this documentary, a man lived for a whole year on juice.  We were inspired by his health improvement by including more fruits and veggies in his diet, but we didn't want to juice.  We wanted the fiber so we could have a meal replacement.

The smoothie is the solution to this.  Of course, juice is more nutrient dense, but lacks the ability to keep you full.  Also, we add protein to our smoothies.  So, in the end, the smoothies we consume have fruits, veggies, and protein.  They are a very healthy meal replacement.

Also, kids love them!  They are a great way to fill your kids with fruits and veggies they may not otherwise eat!

Why a Vitamix?  

As I stated, we went through two blenders that didn't survive our daily smoothie making.  Kitchen Aid was one brand and Cuisinart was the other.  We had already decided that we wanted to drink a smoothie on a daily basis, so investing in a good blender was a necessity.  We read reviews and also had relatives who used a Vitamix.  We were able to sample the use of a Vitamix while on vacation as well.  There was no question that it was a wonderful product.

There is also a 7 year warranty, which we have used, and is excellent!  We have a family member that has a vintage Vitamix that is still going strong!  You can also use your Vitamix to make ice cream, but butters, dressings, dips, flours, and soups!

What if I can't afford one?

Save up.  We did just that.  That is why it took us so long to buy one!  But, it is WELL worth it!  You can also buy certified refurbished ones on Amazon (Click here for link).

Why do I need to include a vegetable?

It is easy to get quite a bit of servings of fruit in a smoothie.  Adding a vegetable evens things out and adds even more nutrition.

What vegetables do you recommend adding to smoothies?

Spinach and carrots are two wonderful options.  Spinach isn't as bitter as kale can be, and it is very nutritious.  You can add any citrus fruit, with a bit of the rind included to take away any bitterness.  I also recommend carrots!  Carrots are naturally sweet.  The kids enjoy the color the carrots add!

What protein do you use?

We use Jarrow Whey for our unflavored protein powder (Click here for link).  We use this if we want to make a fruity flavored smoothie and we want to just be able to taste the fruit, not any other added flavor.

We also use Designer Whey's chocolate protein powder for our chocolate spinach smoothie (Click here for link.)  We vary the flavors of that smoothie by adding coconut milk and/or peanut butter.

Will I notice a difference?

ABSOLUTELY!  You will see improvement in your digestion (the FIBER), and, as you can see in the photos of my husband pictured above, eating a balanced diet (clean foods, limit processed foods, and a lot of produce), and adding a smoothie a day to your diet, may result in weight loss, and if you add protein, aid in building muscle.  My husband has lost weight and improved his cholesterol!

What about traveling?

This sounds crazy, but the Vitamix is wonderful to travel with.  Our Vitamix machine has traveled thousands of miles with us.  If your hotel doesn't have a healthy breakfast, no problem!  Staying with a relative?  No worries!  Just plug your Vitamix in, add the ingredients that you can bring or buy, and you are good to go!  Having regular smoothies while traveling definitely helps prevent tummy troubles that can come as an effect of traveling.

Packing protein and smoothie supplies for travel makes healthy eating easy while traveling!

What are some good Smoothie Recipes?

I am so glad you asked!

Our favorite recipe is simple!

Chocolate Spinach Smoothie

2 cups of coconut milk (no sugar added), 1 very ripe banana, 2 scoops of chocolate Designer Whey protein, 1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter*, 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach.  Blend well and enjoy! (Serves 2!)

*You can vary the recipe by omitting the peanut butter and adding mint leaves!

Here are some other recipes you may enjoy:

Coconut Lime Smoothie

PB&J Smoothie

Little Bit of Everything Smoothie

Green Pina Colada Smoothie

Pine-Berry-Orange-Kale Smoothie

Orange Pineapple Smoothie

For more yummy smoothie recipes, please follow me on Instagram and Facebook! 

9 AmaZING Zucchini Recipes

Have you been blessed with a copious amount of zucchini---a plethora of that delicious Italian Squash?  Perhaps you didn't spot that eight pound monstrosity growing in your garden until it was too late.  Maybe your neighbors keep sharing their plentiful harvest with you.  No worries!  I've got my favorite, tried and true zucchini recipes right here!

A majority of these recipes are gluten free.  The recipes that had all-purpose flour, I usually substitute a combination of coconut flour, oat flour, and whole-wheat flour.  For sugar, I usually substitute 1/2 Stevia in the Raw and 1/2 raw honey.

A medium zucchini contains only 33 calories, 2.4 grams of protein, and 6 grams of carbs.  It also contains a good amount of vitamin C.   Zucchini also boasts amounts of Lutein and Zeaxanthin, phytonutrients in the carotene family (good for your eyes!).  It also is high in Maganese, a mineral essential to heal wounds and needed in the development of new tissues.  (Source: Livestrong.com)  Zucchini is a great substitute for pasta or bread on a low-carb day.

Without further ado, here are some delicious recipes containing that common, but valuable Italian Squash:


Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins by Craving Chronicles and Table for Two


Avocado Pesto Zoodles by Witness my Fitness


Zucchini Fritter with Tzatziki by Alexandra Cooks


Chocolate Zucchini Muffins by Laurie Jesch-Kulseth @ Relishing It


Zucchini Brownies by MamaChanty @ Mamma Eats Clean


Zucchini Lasagna by Jo and Sue


Coconut Flour Zucchini Bread by Kayla @ Radiant Life

Zucchini Tots by Curious Country Cook


Grilled Zucchini Pizza by Kalyn's Kitchen


And, because I love zucchini so much, here is a bonus recipe:

EPIC Bacon and Egg Zucchini Boat

by Witness my Fitness

If you are wondering how to make an epic bacon and egg zucchini boats, here's how! 

Step 1: Grill or broil your zucchini half. 

Step 2: Top with egg. 

Step 3: Add bacon. 

Step 4: Add cheese. 

Step 5:  Top with fresh pico de gallo, avocado, and Greek yogurt.  Devour. 

Avocado Pesto Zoodles

(For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links.)

I love zucchini.  I love basil.  I love avocado.  Put those three together and, BAM!!! You've got yourself an amazing vegetarian meal full of all kinds of nutrients!  This recipe includes sunflower seeds in place of pine nuts, because, really, who has pine nuts in their kitchen on a regular basis?  The "Zoodles" are served raw and cool.  It is absolutely perfect for a hot Summer afternoon or evening!  

Avocado Pesto Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles)

Serves 2

Kitchen Supplies

Spiralizer or Mandolin Slicer
Food Processor or  Blender (Vitamix)
Large bowl
Pasta tongs

Ingredients

1 Avocado
2-3 Zucchini (depending on size)
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
6-8 basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Water, as needed

Optional for garnish:
Tomato
Parmesan Cheese

Method

1. Cut zucchini into noodles with spiralizer or manodlin slicer. I use the Paderno Vegetable Slicer.

2.  In blender or food processor, add avocado, lemon juice, sunflower seeds, basil leaves, garlic cloves, salt and pepper.  Pulse until blended, added water as needed for desired consistency.

3.  Add zucchini noodles (ZOODLES!) to large, pretty serving bowl.

4.  Pour pesto mixture over Zoodles and either get your hands in there and mix it all around or toss with tongs until Zoodles are coated with sauce.

5.  Enjoy!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins

These are soooo yummy hot out of the oven.  This has now become my favorite muffin recipe!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup oat flour (ground up rolled oats)
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani)
   ----or----
    1 tsp coconut extract + 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut (for topping)
Coconut oil cooking spray

1.  Preheat oven to 425*F.   Spray muffin pan with coconut oil spray (I used a mini silicone muffin pan).
2.  In large bowl, mix flours, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3.  In bowl of mixer, mix egg with honey.  Add yogurt and beat until combined.  Add vanilla and combine.
4.  Add flour mixture and coconut milk to sugar mixture, alternating between the two until combined.
5.  Gently fold in chocolate chips.
6. Add mixture to muffin tin, almost filling each cup.
7. Sprinkle with coconut.
8.  For mini-muffins, bake for 14 minutes or until lightly browned.  For regular muffins, bake 16-20 minutes.

Enjoy!!! I know I did!



 

Coconut Cashew Butter

I am sharing this recipe with you the day after I tried it.  This rarely happens, as I usually don't get around to posting the recipe until enough people ask for it or I have some extra time.  Extra time?  Ha!  What is that?  However, this recipe was so very delicious, I had to share right away!  I recommend serving warm and fresh on a piece of toast.  I tried mine on Ezekiel raisin toast.  What a treat!  Enjoy, friends!

(adapted from The Suburban Soapbox and Vitamix Whole Foods Cookbook)

Coconut Cashew Butter

2 cups raw cashews
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes/chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325*F.
2.  Place parchment paper on baking sheet and cover with a thin layer of coconut and cashews.
3.  Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until light to golden brown.
4.  Let cool completely.
5.  Put in Vitamix or other high-powered blender.
6.  (On Vitamix)  Select Variable 1, then turn on machine and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High, using tamper to press ingredients down towards blade.
7. Blend for 1 minute until you hear a high-pitched chugging sound.  Butter will flow freely through blades and resemble peanut butter texture.  Stop machine.
8.  Store in an airtight container for up to three weeks in fridge.

For mason jars to store the butter in (affiliate link): 

Coconut Lime Smoothie

For those of you with Instagram, follow me!  Click the button on the side of my blog to follow me @witnessmyfitnessdotorg.  I post a plethora of recipes, meal ideas, and workout ideas!  This recipe is one of the many.  I will be posting more to my blog as well.  This smoothie has a great balance of creamy, sweet, and tangy!  I loved it!


Coconut Lime Smoothie 

1 cup light coconut milk 
1/2 cup water
2 scoops unflavored whey protein 
2 Tbsp Chia Seed or Flax Seed
1 very ripe banana
2 Tbsp lime juice 
1 1/2 tsp lime zest
2 cups frozen spinach
Ice- as needed

Place in blender in order listed. Blend until smooth. Serves 2. Enjoy!

Chicken Vegetable Soup

It's a good day for soup!  Here is a yummy recipe that I came up with a few weeks ago.  Simple and delicious!  

Chicken Vegetable Soup

(All vegetables need to be chopped)

Serves 6-8

4 cups chicken broth or stock 

6 small red potatoes 

3 large carrots 

1 sweet onion 

4 celery stalks 

1 cup of frozen or fresh corn 

1 head of broccoli 

2 red peppers 

1-2 zucchini or yellow squash 

Salt  

Pepper 

Trader Joe's "21 Season Salute" (or other salt-free seasoning) 

1 1/2 - 2 cups cut up or shredded cooked chicken 

Method:  

1. Add broth to large pot or crockpot. 

2. Add potatoes, onion, carrots, and celery. Simmer. 

3. After simmering for 10 minutes, add all other ingredients. Add salt and seasoning to taste. 

4. Simmer covered until veggies are tender. If using a crockpot, simmer on low until veggies are tender, then turn to warm.

*Freezes great for prepped meals!

Speaking of soup, are you in need of new soup bowls?  I sure am!  These are cute! 

(Affiliate link)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mug Cake

I experimented in the kitchen the other day, trying to create a healthier version of this recipe.  I am so very pleased with the yumminess I created via the microwave!  Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip

Cake:
1 Egg
7 Tbsp Oatmeal Flour (Ground Oatmeal)
1/4 c Pumpkin Puree
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 Tbsp Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1 tsp Stevia in the Raw
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/8 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Powder

Spray oversized mug with cooking oil spray (I used coconut).  In mug, mix all ingredients except chocolate chips until blended well.  Add chocolate chips and stir. Cook in microwave on high for 1:15.  Check for doneness and cook for 15 second intervals until make "springs" back when you press on it with your finger.  Turn mug upside down onto plate and gently tap the mug until cake comes out.

"Frosting"
1/4 c Plain Greek Yogurt (Fage works great!)
2 tsp Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Stevia in the Raw

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.  Pour on top of hot mug cake and sprinkle with a little more pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.  Share with someone special or enjoy all to yourself!  I shared it with my daughter! :)

PB&J Smoothie

I made this smoothie yesterday and it was delicious!  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Makes 2 20oz servings

1/2 cup coconut milk (or milk of your choice)

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 bananas, frozen

2 scoops/servings of unflavored whey protein

1 1/2 Tbsp natural peanut butter 

3 cups frozen spinach (or fresh w/ a handful of ice.

1 cup frozen berries 

Put all ingredients in blender, with liquid on the bottom.  Blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Pinterest Fitness Day 14: Waking Up to Exercise & Protein Poppers

The sound of crickets chirping from my iPhone alarm is not my favorite sound.  The crickets chirp is probably to best sound to wake up to, but it still isn't fun.  It is very hard to push myself to get up at 5:30 in the morning, but I must in order to get my workout in.  I found a post on Pinterest the other day that had some really good tips on how to make getting up early to exercise a bit easier.  (Find that post HERE).  One problem I have is trying to get breakfast down before a morning run.  The blogger even covered that!  She recommended Protein Poppers, which are basically balls of oatmeal peanut butter goodness!  I made them today and they are super easy!   (The recipe is included in the link above).  I will have to be disciplined and save them for my pre-workout meal because each ball is 100 calories.  They are small, quick, and packed with protein, which is perfect for a quick bit of nutrition my body needs in the morning.

Early morning yummy-ness  awaits!

Another favorite tip of the blogger is to sleep in your workout clothes.  This works wonderfully.  If I am in my comfy PJs, I am less likely to get up and exercise!  I hope you find these tips as helpful as I did!

PS:  I got 3 1/2 hours of dental work done today.  This was unexpected.  Needless to say, I just did an ab workout.  Here is one of my favorites!

Pinterest Fitness Day 10: Little Bit of Everything Smoothie

Little Bit of Everything Smoothie
Yeild:  About 3 22oz servings.

Ingredients:

8 oz Lime Mineral Water (Optional)*
8 oz Water
2 Servings of Protein, Unflavored (I use Whey)
2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed
1 Banana, peeled
1 Orange, peeled
1/2 an Apple, cored
1 cup Strawberries
3-4 Carrots, cut into several pieces
3 cups Spinach (1/2 of the Trader Joe's bag)
3/4 cup Pineapple (1/3 of the Trader Joe's bag)
Handful of Ice

Directions:

1) Add everything to your Vitamix in the order listed.  (If you don't have a Vitamix, you may have to cut the fruit and veggies into smaller pieces and/or your smoothie may have carrot chunks in it.)

2)  Blend on Variable, from 1 to 10 quickly.  Switch to high and blend until smooth.

3)  Enjoy!

*If you have no mineral water, add just water and you may need to add a dash of Stevia as well.

PS-  This post isn't from Pinterest, but I'm adding it to Pinterest!  :)

Pinterest Fitness Day 8: Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers

I love tacos.  I love stuffed bell peppers.  Why not put them together?  A blogger over at Skinny Mom was brilliant enough to make a healthier version of just that.  I found the recipe through Pinterest a few weeks ago.  You can find the recipe at SkinnyMom.com.

I, however, don't really like ground turkey that much, so I used organic grass fed ground beef and quinoa.  The quinoa has a very similar texture to ground beef, so when mixed all in, you can hardly tell the difference. It really is delicious!  It also reduces the calories.

Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Red Quinoa
6 oz beef Broth (Low Sodium)
Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning
1/2 Onion, chopped
2 Green Bell Peppers
12 oz Ground Beef (Preferably Organic!)
1/2 Cup Light Shredded Cheese
1/2 Cup Salsa
Canola oil cooking spray
Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1)  Add quinoa, broth, and 1 Tbsp taco seasoning to pot. Bring to a boil and cook according to instructions on quinoa package (usually covered on low for 20-25 minutes).
2)  Cut peppers in half length-wise and clear out seeds.  Put them in a pot covered with water.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove from pot carefully.
3)  Spray skillet with cooking oil and sauté onions until transparent.
4)  Add ground beef, 1/4 cup salsa, and 1-2 Tbsp taco seasoning (to taste).  Brown beef.  Turn off heat.
5)  Add quinoa and another 1/4 cup salsa to skillet and mix well.
6)  Turn on broiler in oven.
7)  Fill pepper halves with beef and quinoa mixture.  Top with 1/2 of the cheese.
8)  Put in broiler until cheese is slightly brown.
9)  Top with remaining cheese and a dollop of Greet yogurt.  Enjoy!

How to Lose Weight: Eat Your Veggies!

I know, I know.  That probably isn't what you want to hear.  I probably sound like the mother of a five-year-old.  I am.  Never-the-less, my kids eat their veggies, and we all want our kids to eat their veggies, so why not eat them ourselves?

My son's favorite snack is veggies!  They cab be a tasty treat anytime of the day! 

Do you find at times that you feed your kids better than you feed yourself?  Kids really do follow by example, and if they see you eating that nice plate of raw, fresh broccoli, carrots, and snap peas (a favorite combo in our household), they may just want to taste of that goodness.

Learn from the bunnies!  I recently visited a bunch of bunnies who preferred veggies over biscuits!    True story.  Someone had tossed a bunch of biscuits in their cage and they were untouched.  However, there were scraps of eaten vegetables everywhere.  This bunny was munching on some sweet romaine!

"But what if I don't like vegetables?" you may ask.  Start to.  Some vegetables may be an acquired taste, but I encourage you to try to eat your veggies, and even raw if possible.  Buy your veggies from local growers, which are more likely to be pesticide-free.  Our local grower even showed us how he keeps those pesky bugs away without pesticide when we inquired about it.  He showed us rows of onions surrounding each row of produce growing.  Soap-water works great too.  Either way, its a win-win.  You support local growers, and you get pesticide-free produce for cheap.  When you purchase that broccoli that was just picked that morning, bring it home, cut it up, and eat it, you may be surprised to find how sweet it is!  Fresh picked produce is leagues above the early-picked grocery store produce any day!

Our local grower's strawberry fields are surrounded
by onions, garlic, and other veggies and herbs
 to ward off insects naturally.

You can't find these beauties in a typical
grocery store!

Find ways to include more vegetables in your diet, even if that means cooking them.  Include vegetables in stir-fry, make your own lettuce wraps (recipe here), or stuffed bell-peppers (recipe here).  Use a nice big romaine leaf to wrap your burger instead of a bun.  Add spinach, onions, and bell peppers to your eggs.  There are plenty of ways to include veggies in every meal!

Experience salads again.  I'm not talking about the iceberg lettuce sprinkled with red cabbage and shredded carrots kind of salad.  I'm talking about making salads into masterpieces that you eat.  If you like fruit, add a few berries to your salad.  Berries go really well with spinach, broccoli, walnuts, and feta.  Of course, when adding ingredients to your "masterpiece," please do measure!  And do not use salad dressings with preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, or a lot of fat and calories.  Look in the refrigerated produce section in your grocery store for salad dressing.  You can find the healthy, tasty stuff there!

So, what do you do if you try that freshly-picked pesticide free broccoli yumminess and you still don't like it?  You can drink your veggies.  I recommend doing this via a smoothie because, unlike most juicing, you get all the fiber.  I have a few good recipes for smoothies on my blog.  You can find them HERE.  They all include a serving of vegetables and taste delicious!  My husband and I and two of my children drink a veggie-fruit smoothie every morning.  My son who doesn't care for the smoothies (because he has refused to try them) eats vegetables ALL THE TIME, so I'm not worried about him.

This is the celery-pineapple-spinach smoothie I made this morning.  YUM!  Recipe to come!

Why does eating your vegetables help you loose weight?  

Last year, my oldest son kept asking for his Easter candy.  All day long.  I decided it was a good opportunity to give him an example of calorie dense food. 1 cup of broccoli- 25 calories, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein, 60% dv (daily value) of Vitamin C, 10% Vitamin A, 2% iron and 2% calcium. 1 Trader Joe's Easter gummy- 28 calories, 0g fiber, protein, and everything else.  Wow!  What an amazing difference.  Now, which of those 25-ish calories will fill you up more and provide you with more nutrition?  The answer is pretty obvious.  This is the main reason why vegetables help you loose weight.  Also, when you replace unnecessary carbs with veggies, i.e. romaine lettuce leaf instead of a hamburger bun, you save calories.

One last thing.  When eating a meal, your plate shouldn't be filled mostly with proteins and carbs.  The biggest portion on your plate should be vegetables.  

The diagram above is a great example of how our plates should look.  Notice that the biggest portion on the plate is vegetables.  This a good picture to remember each time we assemble our plates!

Pile the veggies on!!!

Green Pina Colada Smoothie

Green Piña Colada Smoothie
Yields 2 Smoothies at about 225 calories each

3/4 c. Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 scoop of unflavored whey protein 
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 cups frozen spinach 
1 VERY* ripe banana 
1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple 
Handful of Ice

Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth. Aloha and Enjoy! 

*Remember:  The browner the banana, the sweeter it is and the more antioxidants it contains!

Smoothies!!!!

I've had several people ask what Troy and I put in our smoothies that we drink every morning. Sometimes I like to switch it up, but during Navel Orange Season, I love to pick up a 10-lb bag of sweet, juicy Riverside Navel Oranges at the local grower and make that the theme of our smoothies.  Here is a list of ingredients of our typical January morning smoothies and their purposes:

Riverside Orange Pineapple Smoothie
(Serves 2 at about 270 calories per smoothie)
8oz Water
1-2 Scoops of Unflavored Whey Protein* (Promotes muscle growth/health and keeps you full, without added unneeded flavors...ick!)
2-3 small to medium oranges (Vitamin C and a whole lot more...Read my post about oranges here!)
1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple (promotes sinus health, and believe me, I have experienced improvement in this area!)
2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed (This stuff is just so good--- you need to read my post about it here)
2 cups frozen spinach (ever watched Popeye?)

1 Frozen banana, cut into fourths (Potassium! Antioxidants!  Hint:  The browner the banana, the more antioxidants it has, so get 'em really brown before peeling and freezing them.)

And that is it!  Blend well!  Enjoy!  If you have one of these every morning, you are bound to notice a difference in your overall health, and perhaps your weight!




Stay tuned!  There are more smoothie recipes to come!

*You can find the Unflavored Whey Protein on Amazon! Click here for link!

Healthy Zuppa Toscana

I forgot to get the "heavy cream" when I was trying to make some Zuppa Toscana a few months ago.  I discovered you can replace heavy cream with lowfat milk and lowfat cream cheese!  So, here is the Zuppa Toscana Recipe, a healthier way!

Healthy Zuppa Toscana
Yield: 8-10 servings (Good for freezing!)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Sweet Onion, chopped
2 pounds of potatoes, cut in half, then sliced to 1/4 inch thick slices (russet or gold work best, but any potato will work!)
2 cups fresh or frozen Kale, washed, drained, chopped
5 Chicken Sausages (Italian, Basil, or Spicy Italian work best), chopped
32 oz Low Sodium Chicken Broth (Organic is best!)
16 oz Regular Chicken Broth
8oz Low Fat Milk
3 Tbsp Low Cream Cheese, room temperature
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1.   Heat pan with olive oil.
2.  Add chopped onion to oil and saute until onions are translucent.
3.  Add chooped potatoes and chicken broth.  Simmer until potatoes are tender.
4. While potatoes are cooking, put milk in a mug and whisk in cream cheese.  Set aside.
5.  When potatoes are tender, whisk milk mixture one more time, then mix in gently into broth.
6.  Add kale and sausage.  Season with salt and pepper.
7. Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, or until kale is tender.  Enjoy!