21 Day Fix Approved Buffalo Pizza

The recipe calls for:

whole wheat pizza dough

2 chicken breasts

1 cup hot sauce 

chili powder

garlic powder 

oregano

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese

-- Heat oven to 400 degrees.

-- Season chicken with garlic powder  and chili powder. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

-- While the chicken is cooking, season the dough with some garlic powder and oregano. Add the sauce. 

-- When the chicken is done, cut into pieces and mix in hot sauce. Add the chicken to the pizza and top with cheese. 

-- Cook in the oven for about 8-10 more minutes. 

Feel free to add other toppings too like spinach or onion. The original recipe called for those two toppings but I didn't use them. 

Enjoy!

I Love Plating

Eating healthy isn't always expensive or difficult to make. I forgot to put out turkey burgers for dinner one day this week so I whipped this up real quick. Easy and delicious! 

Like the title says, I love plating food. It's like an art and matches well with my love of photography. Take pride in what you cook. Enjoy not just the food but the act of what you're making and the beauty of what you put on the plate for your family or yourself. I feel like I eat slower this way too. Cherishing every bite. Yum. 

Good vibes,

Jenn

Realization...

I am slowly realizing, it’s not all about the number on the scale.  I have always had that number define my entire day.  I am still one of those people who get on the scale every single morning and if I forget I get upset.  I am fully aware that the scale fluctuates, that not drinking enough water one day could affect it in a negative way or that you may just need to go to the bathroom.  But for some reason it has always made me either very happy or very sad.  Every.  Single.  Day.  For as long as I can remember that is what I did every morning.  Something I want to work on along with everything else I am working on is only getting on the scale once a week.  This will be a personal challenge of mine.  Doing something for years on end isn’t something easy to stop.  It’s a habit.  A bad habit though and one I will learn to break.

I have lost 11 pounds.  I want to lose more, gain more muscle and I have a ways to go but I won’t let that put down all I have done.  My mind, body and soul have truly changed and I know that means something.  That loss was SOMETHING.  I earned it.  I worked for it.  I am going to feel good about that instead of only concentrating on all the weight I have left to lose.

The number on the scale doesn’t change how I feel.  I need to tell myself that and keep on trucking along with my journey.  It’s been a great one.

This goes for sizes of clothes too.  If a shirt or pair of pants fit great on me, looked good, but were a certain size I couldn’t even purchase it.  My mother knows more than anybody that clothes shopping with me has never been fun.  I have always been insecure of my body even when there was no reason to be.  I don’t feel as insecure now than I used to.  That’s crazy to think about because now is when I weigh the most.  But again, that just shows that numbers don’t mean a thing.  It’s all about how you feel and loving yourself, however that may be. 

Now as a 30 year old woman I am realizing, “Why should I be insecure?” this is YOU.  Be proud of you.  You had a baby, you gained weight, you have stretch marks…who cares!  Just work on changing what you don’t like and be happy.  So that’s where I am at.  Being happy…

Whether it’s something as small as a number to negative people in your life, it’s all unnecessary.  Remove it!  It will be liberating.  Trust me.


Good vibes,

Jenn

Balance, Portions & Movement

It's near impossible to not treat yourself, go out to eat or have a piece of chocolate. Right?

It's all about balance. 

I used to have a cheat day. An entire day every week to eat whatever I wanted. That was my first mistake. It caused me to get off track, go overboard and in all honesty just feel like complete crap. I now let myself one cheat meal a week. Without this I know I would feel deprived and all of the above things would happen. Allowing myself one meal won't kill me, it won't ruin all my hard work the rest of the week or be terrible for me. The one meal could be a date night out, pizza night with my family or a day at a bbq. Even with having that one meal to cheat though doesn't mean I need to go crazy or even have to in order to enjoy what I am eating. So for example, last night was pizza night in my house. Instead of getting the typical pizzeria pizza we decided to get pizza to go at my husbands restaurant job. This pizza has less carbs because it's flat bread, they are smaller and I got the margarita pizza so less cheese/oil. I could've easily eaten the whole pie, like I said it wasn't very big. My husband finished his. Instead though I got a big side salad to fill me up. Got my vegetable portion in and ate less pizza. Win win! There isn't anything wrong with getting pizzeria pizza from time to time though. It's a must in most people's lives. It's delicious afterall. With that though I would again accompany it with a big salad and eat one slice but cut it into two so it feels like I'm eating more.

This is called balance. 

Now portions, the amount of pizza I ate was a good portion. Making a cheat meal a whole pie or having pizza and a bowl of ice cream isn't just one meal. Pick what you really crave that day, one or the other. 

Another thing that is great for your body is smaller portions spread throughout the day. It speeds your metabolism up, keeps you full so your body doesn't starve and you cave and eat poorly. Eating throughout the day helps me also stay hydrated too and get my daily water amount in each day. This also helps me stay full longer.

The second mistake I used to make was skip breakfast and have just coffee. Not good. One, skipping breakfast is a big no no and two coffee will just dehydrate me so that solely as my breakfast isn't helping my body. I now have breakfast every single day. A good portion size breakfast, nothing crazy big, but something to get my metabolism going. Portions is important. And with smaller portions I get to eat more through out the day which makes me happy because I love food. Too big of portions of bad food puts you in a food coma. If you feel like your always in a food coma you're probably eating too much and too much of the wrong foods. I love quinoa, whole grains, etc. They fill me up and also fuels me for the day instead of being in a food coma. 

Pick good foods, with better portions. Doing this will change how you feel. Trust me. 

Lastly with no explanation needed just move MORE. Get off the couch and do more. Whether it be a short workout, a walk or running after your kids. Don't just sit on the side lines. You will miss out on having the body and life you want. I finally took control of my body after having my son and it's been great.

Good vibes,

Jenn

Why do we only eat pumpkin in the fall?

I get why pumpkin is huge in the fall, makes sense. But when baking canned pumpkin is usually always used and that may not be in your front display now but it's still sold in the baking aisle.

I LOVE pumpkin and decided I couldn't wait until fall. I found this recipe and it sure was a delicious breakfast. 

The recipe calls for:

1 cup pumpkin purée

2 1/4 cup oatmeal or steal cut oats***

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

4 tbsp coconut butter

1/2 cups + 2 tbs organic maple syrup

1 tbsp pure vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 

-- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-- Line or spray the muffin pan with baking oil. 

-- Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor or blender.

-- Fold in the chocolate chips or use them to top each muffin.

-- Fill the muffin tin 3/4 of the way.

-- Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes and let cool.

*** So I didn't use oatmeal because the recipe I found said "rolled oats" which I now know just means oatmeal. Instead I bought steel cut oats which I've never had before but knew they were very healthy for you. Because of this I'm sure my muffins are a different texture then the recipe I saw but I like it. Makes the muffins hearty and fills you. 

One batch I only topped the muffins with some chocolate chips and the second batch I mixed them in the batter. 

ENJOY!

Product of the Week

No explanation needed, just buy it! This can be found in your grocery store either in the organic aisle or by the peanut butter. 

I finally got this over the weekend and love it in my shakes now! I always hated getting the natural peanut butter stuck to the sides of the blender so there was always less peanut butter flavor in my shake but this doesn't stick to the sides. It mixes well just like shakeology or protein powder.

I can't wait to see what else I can do with it!

Quinoa Porridge

The recipe calls for:

quinoa

coconut milk

greek yogurt

nuts/mini chocolate chips

natural peanut butter 

-- Cook the quinoa with coconut milk instead of water.

-- Add all the toppings, mix and enjoy!

Some substitute options:

almond butter instead of peanut butter 

jelly instead of yogurt 

fruit instead of nuts and chocolate chips

almonds instead of peanuts/peacans

almond milk instead of coconut 

Start Each Day With Gratitude

5 things to think about each morning...

1.) Smile, because you're alive and living is what you are meant to do.

2.) Begin your routine. Routines aren't boring, they keep you organized and sane. Follow your morning routine daily. It will make all the difference in your week. It will make you feel productive, keep you on time and keep stress away. Everyone's routine is different but everyone needs that structure if you have a busy life or family. One thing I am trying to add to my routine is emptying the dish washer. It's helpful to have that done already when I get home from a long day. Have a night time routine too that you follow daily. Pick up the toys in the living room, prep lunches, pick out clothes for the next day, etc.  

3.) Keep the tv off. Tv is simply a distraction, unnecessary and will get you out of your routine in the morning. Instead turn on some tunes to get you moving! If you don't want to wake the kids, just enjoy the silence. Collect your thoughts. 

4.) Again, get moving! If your time is limited then dance to those tunes or better yet wake up a little earlier so exercise can happen. You may not think it but exercise gives you more energy. During that chug some water. It will awaken you! 

5.) Enjoy something every morning before starting your busy work day or hectic mom life at home. It could be a cup of coffee with an adult coloring book, putting smiles on your kids face by making a yummy breakfast for them or  listen to an old cd while reminiscing in traffic. Not everyone has a lot of time before heading out for the day so this enjoyment for YOU could also be done on your lunch break or during nap time.

Another week at work, for most of us, completed now it's time to enjoy the weekend. I was off the past two days with my sick son so needless to say I am exhausted. Looking forward to the next two days!

Good vibes,

Jenn

Winged it, Balsamic Chicken

Pesto chicken was on the menu for dinner tonight but silly me forgot my son hasn't had pine nuts yet and can't try them until he's two so I had to quickly think of something else. I had leftover balsamic yogurt dressing from salads we had recently and also some leftover part skim ricotta cheese from a 21 day fix recipe I made. I hate wasting food so I used what I had and made this recipe up. I think it came out good! Only a few ingredients needed, healthy and easy to make. 

The recipe calls for:

balsamic yogurt dressing 

chicken breasts

part skim ricotta cheese

balsamic vinegar (optional)

-- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

-- Spray baking dish with coconut oil or whatever you use. Add the chicken to the dish. Marinate the chicken in the balsamic yogurt dressing. 

-- Put chicken in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. It would be longer if you used regular chicken breasts as opposed to the tenders I used.

-- Add a couple small spoonfuls of the ricotta cheese on top of the chicken breasts. Put back in the oven for a couple more minutes to melt the cheese.

-- Once the chicken was done I added a splash of balsamic vinegar but it's not necessary. There is plenty of flavor without it. 

The yogurt dressings are found by the bagged lettuce mixture, the refrigerated area in produce. It's the only kind of dressing I buy anymore. There are a variety of flavors to pick from, some grocery stores have different kinds so look around for your favorite. Marinating chicken in any of the flavors would be delicious I think too, just maybe different toppings to go with that specific flavor.

Enjoy! 

Protein Coffee

I am in HEAVEN! 

The recipe calls for:

ground coffee

chocolate protein powder

water

coconut milk or milk/cream of your choice

-- This is so simple! Add coffee to the filter in your coffee pot like every morning and add one tablespoon of protein powder per two tablespoons of coffee. 

-- BREW and await the deliciousness!

-- Pour in your favorite mug, add milk/cream of your choice and ENJOY!

Each sip keeps getting better and better...CHEERS! ☕️

Who loves pizza night?

Wow! Brown rice pizza crust, who would've thought to do this? I just saw the recipe on the box of brown rice and had to try it! Perfect for our pizza night! This officially has beaten my quinoa pizza crust. I'm in foodie love! This is going to be my go to pizza crust from now on. Can't wait to use different toppings next time and maybe even add some more spices to the crust!

The recipe calls for:

1 bag of brown rice (boil in a bag, 10 minute kind or approximately 2 cups)

1 cup mix of shredded part skim mozzarella cheese/parmasean cheese 

oregano

2 eggs, beaten

-- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking pan. 

-- Mix all ingredients above in a bowl and spread onto the baking pan. 

-- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings. I just used a chunky mariana sauce, some shredded cheese and sprinkled some dry basil. 

-- Bake for an additional 10 minutes. 

Enjoy!!! Seriously so good!

Wake up call

I feel so tired this morning and I got more sleep than normal. How could this be possible?

Surprisingly I feel more awake after a good workout. Did I workout this morning? No. Did I last night? No. That is why I'm so tired. I plan to tonight but just missing yesterday got me like 😔💤

That is my wake up call, no slacking because this feeling right now sucks. I don't want to feel tired at 8am. I have work to do, a toddler to run after, dinner to make, bath to give and prep for the next day. There's no time to be tired. 

Drank my shake this morning and plan to chug some water when I get into work. I have to wake this body up!

I need to remember this!

Good vibes,

Jenn

#happymonday

Monday is here, attack it instead of dreading it. Start the week/month off on a good note, with a good sweat sesh. I promise you it will be worth it! I had a friend message me yesterday saying "I admire your determination for getting fit." That motivated me even more to keep going. 

cardio workout ✅

shakeology ✅

I used to always get so bummed Sunday afternoon like most people because the work week was coming yet again BUT we don't JUST live for the weekends. We have to make every day matter. For me, I start to look forward to being an organized mom. It may seem small to some but it's something I've dreamed about forever. Getting the menu set for the week, prepping cute lunches for my son and clothes that go with the theme or color at school that week. I also try to make each work day extra special in some way. Whether it be my guilty pleasure of Bachelor Monday, playing with new blocks Santa brought that we haven't opened yet or a new craft with my son. I want the time I am home with my family during the week to count. I don't want to just sit around waiting for the weekend again. It's good to look forward to stuff but don't lose site on the now. 

Yesterday was rest day workout wise. My son and I went on an adventure outside. We played in the snow, sled down hills, went for a mini hike exploring our woods backyard while listening to the birds sing and we sang back to them. It was a beautiful day. We weren't out there long but I did get a tiny workout in pulling him around in the sled. Memories like that though make my week bearable. 

Now I'm going to blast some Taylor Swift because that's what this basic bitch likes and have a good day. I hope you do too. ✌🏻️

Good vibes,

Jenn