3 Day Cleanse

So I decided to challenge myself and do my very first cleanse. I have always wanted to try one out, but a lot of the ones I saw were mainly liquids only and that is not for me. I love food and I need to EAT not just drink or it wouldn't work for me and in all honesty it's not healthy.

The one I chose to do is mainly a raw diet, plant based, no dairy, no meat, no bread, NO COFFEE. I was inspired by a friend and kind of winged it and went with what I wanted to challenge myself with and what I could handle at the same time.

Not having coffee originally I thought was going to be my biggest challenge, but as much as I missed it, it wasn't the hardest part. (or the taste at least) After all I didn't drink coffee for my whole pregnancy with my son. For me the hardest was feeling really tired, which I guess could be connected to the coffee. Day 1 was a breeze for the most part because I was so excited about starting the cleanse, had everything prepped and a plan in place. When nighttime hit Day 1 I noticed I was slightly weak so I made sure I grabbed some nuts and grapes. At this time I didn't think I was consuming enough calories, but the snacks helped and I made sure to add more calories to Day 2. To make matters worse BAM I got my period which partly explained how I was feeling too. I went to bed at 9pm and got a little over 8 hours of sleep, plenty you would think right? Nope.

Day 2 I woke up to losing 2 pounds within 24 hours, I was happy! I also felt like I haven't slept in days haha. I had my more energized moments, playing with my son, walking around Target, prepping dinner...but the down times I felt like a zombie. Staring at the computer screen at work was rough. At any moment I thought I would fall asleep. Day 2 I knew I needed more food of substance and protein so that's why I packed a good portion of quinoa with my lunch.

Day 3 I woke up losing about 3 more pounds. This is really working I thought. I was super motivated to finish this personal challenge.

Day 4 - In a total of 3 days I lost a total of 6.8 pounds! It was so worth it, not extremely hard and I felt great after. This was such an accomplishment for me and showing myself that I do have will power that sometimes I think I lack. After this cleanse I felt like I was on top of the world. I got a well deserved large coffee in the morning haha.

I would 100% do this again and WILL be.


My Food Plan

Day 1:

Breakfast - Banana Smoothie w/ unsweetened Almond Milk
Snack - Grapes
Lunch - Salad w/ mixed lettuce, baby spinach, raw cashews, quinoa, tomatoes, avocado
Snack - Apple
Dinner - Lettuce boat tacos w/ mushrooms, zucchini, red peppers
Snack - Unsalted Peanuts
Snack - Grapes
Water Intake - 60oz lemon water, 32oz regular water

Day 2:

Breakfast - Banana Smoothie w/ unsweetened Almond Milk
Snack - Grapes
Snack - Raw cashews
Lunch - Quinoa, baby spinach, mixed veggies, avocado, splash of avocado oil
Dinner - Zucchini noodles w/avocado sauce & a side of roasted veggies (brussel sprouts, sweet potato)
Snack - Strawberries
Water Intake - 30oz lemon water, 64oz regular water

Day 3:

Breakfast - Banana Smoothie w/ unsweetened Almond Milk
Snack - Grapes
Lunch - Quinoa & roasted veggies (brussel sprouts & sweet potato)
Snack - Raw cashews
Snack - Strawberries
Dinner - Avocado & tomato mash, corn on the cob & a baked potato w/ a splash of avocado oil & a little garlic
Water Intake - 90oz lemon water

 

 

 

Positive vibes,

 

Jenn

Easiest Mac & Cheese Ever!

So my toddler asked for mac & cheese tonight and we didn't have any in the cabinet. Panic set in and I was waiting for a meltdown to begin. I quickly started a pot of water and figured I would wing it.

I am shocked at how good this came out! Here is what I did...

-- Cook pasta on the stove. I used elbows that were leftover in a baggie because it's all we had and it was perfect for it.
-- Add some butter (regular, sunflower, coconut, etc.) and a little cream or milk (whole, almond, etc.). Whatever you prefer and have on had.
-- Mix in parmesan cheese and a little shredded cheddar until fully melted. Add more liquid as needed.

SO easy, way more flavor then boxed and without those extra unneeded preservatives. Obviously powdered cheese can't be healthy for you, that's a no brainer.

The amount of time it took to make this was the same as microwaving an easy mac and letting it sit and cool so why not do this?! This isn't something I would do when making mac & cheese for the family or a party, etc. but it's definitely a great alternative when in a bind or when only cooking for the kids.

Next time your toddler wants mac & cheese, remember this!

 

Positive vibes,

 

Jenn

Meal Delivery Services

So I know these meal deliveries companies have been around for awhile. Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, Purple Carrot, etc. but we never tried them before. They are a bit pricey and out of our weekly budget for the regular price of the service, but with coupons they are very affordable. I always seem to see $30 off coupons, but after doing some googling I was able to find $40 off coupons. By using this coupon, 3 meals for 2 people each is only $20. This is so much cheaper than if all the supplies were purchased at a grocery store. The regular price is completely worth it also for the convenience and quality of food, but it's just not something we can afford. Finding a way around paying full price has been great because we are really enjoying the meals.

 

We have tried one week of Hello Fresh and one week of Blue Apron so far and are pleasantly surprised with the meals. My husband also loves cooking the meals and learning new recipes we can use in the future and small things you wouldn't think to do or mix together but works and tastes delicious. Plus it's a win win for me because I don't have to cook. Another plus is having my husband see that healthier options can taste good too and to broaden the types of food he eats. Who knew he liked radishes and cabbage?! :)

 

The meals only take about 30 minutes with prep and cooking which is not bad at all. They are full of flavor, there's a good variety of meals to choose from each week and are good portions. Portion size is one thing my husband was worried about. When we received the first box and saw all the supplies it didn't seem like enough for us, but once the meals were cooked and plated it was plenty. The only downfall is there isn't enough for leftovers for lunch the next day. We like leftovers but at the same time they seem to go to waste a lot too.

 

I have heard Hello Fresh is better than Blue Apron but from our experience they are equally as good.  We are excited to try more companies and more meals. Here are a few of our meals we've made so far, we as in my husband haha:

 

 

If anyone is thinking about trying one of these services I highly recommend it. If you need help finding a coupon to use let me know!

Postive vibes,
Jenn

Baked Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a high protein and fiber food that is healthy while also filling at the same time. Great for vegans and vegetarians or just not huge meat eaters like myself. They are easy to incorporate into your meals, like in different salads and casseroles. These baked chickpeas are great just on their own as a snack too.

 

Yesterday I baked some in the oven with paprika, garlic powders and parsley sprinkled on them. Bake on 350 for about 20 minutes. Simple, easy, quick and something different than I normally eat.

 

 

I decided to put them into a whole wheat pita and added some lettuce, tomato and greek yogurt sauce. I had the yogurt sauce leftover from falafel I made a week or so ago. I love using what I have on hand instead of food going to waste, saves money and cleans out the fridge/cabinets at the same time.

 

This really was so simple yet satifiying. I had one for dinner last night with a lettuce wedge salad and brought another one for lunch today to work. A can of chickpeas is really cheap too so a bargain meal as well.

Quinoa Cakes

 

You know me and quinoa, I love it and it's a great source of protein and a healthy food that fills you up. I ate these for dinner last week and really enjoyed them.

 

The recipe calls for:

 

2 cups quinoa, cooked

2/3 cup fontina cheese, grated

3 tbs flour

1 egg

2 tbs olive oil

2-3 chives

salt & pepper to taste

 

-- Add the olive oil to a pan and heat on medium.

-- Mix the remaining ingredients. Form patties, I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup.

-- Add the patties to the heated pan. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes.

 

I made an aioli to dip them in which came out great and paired well with the patties. I used minced garlic, a little mayo (light if you have it), a couple drops of lemon juice and a chipotle spice we had on hand. You can use any spice you prefer and can also substitute a different cheese if you wanted.

 

 

Enjoy!



PB&J Sushi

 

I am a huge sushi lover, but this isn't something I am afford very often because it is a bit pricey.  I love the whole experience of sushi - eating with chop sticks, trying different kinds of rolls, exploring different places and savoring each bite.

Well peanut butter and jelly sushi isn't the perfect substitute but it's still delicious and it's a fun spin on the normal sandwich. This is a creative way to switch up your lunch box as well as your kids.

When I used the chop sticks eating this yesterday for lunch I tended to eat slower than when I have a sandwich. That's a plus because it's not good to eat your meals quickly and in a rush. Doing so doesn't give your stomach enough time to get full and this can cause over eating.

Hmmmm...what else can I turn into sushi? ;-)

Honey Garlic Shrimp

 

The recipe calls for:

 

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 tbs garlic, minced

1 lb shrimp, uncooked, peeled & deveined

2 tsp olive oil

red pepper flakes

 

 

-- Combine the honey, soy sauce and garlic in a large baggie. Add the shrimp and mix it up so it is covered with the marinade. Let sit for however long you want/can. For me, I whipped this up quickly without much prep so it didn't marinate long, but you can marinate it during the day before dinner so more flavor is absorbed.

-- Heat olive oil in a pan on medium. Once heated, add the shrimp. Heat the shrimp until they are fully cooked through, make sure to mix it a little or flip the shrimp. Sprinkle some red pepper flakes on the shrimp while it's cooking.

 

I didn't get to go grocery shopping this weekend because I was away but next time I would add some sort of veggies. I think broccoli or edamame would go great with this. This time I just cooked a little quinoa and poured the shrimp over it.  7 pieces of shrimp was only 80 calories so I had 14 pieces.

 

This recipe takes only 10 minutes for prep and cooking. Can't beat that!

 

Enjoy!

Salsa Chicken Quinoa Casserole

I am starting to finally use my crock pot more. My goal is once a week. It really makes for an easy after work meal with no stress and rushing around. I walk in the house after getting my son at school and it smells amazing, all my worries about what's for dinner are gone and I can concentrate on quality family time. 

This healthy recipe didn't disappoint. I look forward to eating leftovers for lunch today. :)

The recipe calls for:

3 chicken breasts

8 oz quinoa

2 cups salsa

1 can black beans

1 can corn

2 cups water

8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 can green chiles

5 ounces queso fresco

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Optional toppings:

avocado, tomatoes, greek yogurt, olives, extra salsa or cheese

In my opinion next time I think I will skip the queso inside the crockpot and only have my husband use it as a topping. There's so many other flavors that to me it was just added calories to the mixture. 

-- Put the chicken in the crock pot. I used frozen chicken because it was easier but you can use thawed.

-- Rinse and drain the beans and drain the corn. Keep the liquid from the green chiles. 

-- Add all ingredients to the crock pot except water and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Once all other ingredients are added, top the mixture with the water and remainder of the cheese. You can also use chicke broth instead of water. 

-- Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

-- Serve with toppings of your choice. 

Frozen Greek Yogurt

Three things!

1.) I LOVE ice cream. It's one food I could eat daily if it wasn't a million calories in each pint.

2.) I HATE wasting food. It's like throwing money in the garbage. And I am a penny pincher! 

3.) It's getting warmer out!!! 

Those three things inspired THIS:

Last night my son had a greek yogurt with his dinner. He liked it but ate all his pasta first so he was full and didn't finish the yogurt. I didn't want to throw out the rest and covering it with foil is pointless because it usually just ends up in the trash anyways. I've wanted to freeze greek yogurt for awhile now to enjoy like I would ice cream so what better time. 

I put the rest in two cupcake liners, topped with some dark chocolate chips because my "ice cream" flavors always need some sort of chocolate in them and put them in a baggie in the freezer. 

When we got home from school/work I took them out and they looked great! The liners came off fine and they smelled amazing, I used coconut yogurt. I let them sit in a bowl for a little so they weren't as hard. 

Perfect snack for me and my son. They are toddler approved! Can't wait to make different kinds as the weather gets warmer and warmer. My new ice cream substitute! Yum. 

I think I will get small containers for the freezer and make this in bigger batches. :)

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

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!

Black Bean Hummus Wrap

 

HUMMUS

 

The recipe calls for:

2 cans of black beans, rinsed

2 garlic cloves or a spoonful of already minced garlic

2 jalapenos

1 tbs honey

salt & pepper to taste

 

-- Put all the ingredients into a food processor and you have hummus! Super easy! :)

 

I actually didn't add salt to mine, but the recipe says to and also I used the seeds to the jalapenos so it was extra spicy. I love spicy food, plus it helps me drink more water.

 

I am using the hummus for wraps this week for my lunches. The wrap is only 100 calories, it has flax seed in it. I just cooked up some zucchini and red peppers in a pan. I am going to switch it up each day, one day all veggies, one day maybe add cheese or just some lunch meat and hummus.

 

My brother has made this a few times as a dip with healthy dipping options. So delicious!

Healthy Chocolate Cake, Is There Such A Thing?

There sure is!

 

My mom's birthday was last month and my whole family is really trying to be healthy, but I still wanted to make something special for her. There is even a 90 day challenge going on with myself, my husband and brother to prep for our vacation in June. Even though we are trying to have a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean we can't have dessert. I wanted to make a cake for my mom because what is a birthday without a birthday cake. I was browsing online and found one that looked awesome. I had a few of the ingredients so I decided to try it out.

 

The recipe calls for:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of sea salt

 

-- Preheat the oven to 320 degrees.

-- Combine all the dry ingredients. (cocoa, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder and sea salt) Mix together.

-- Add the eggs, honey, coconut oil, vanilla. Mix together.

-- Pour mixture into a greased round regular cake pan. I just sprayed the pan with some coconut oil.

-- Bake for 25 minutes.

-- Top with shredded coconut. You could also make an icing as well or some powdered sugar. I went the healthiest route I could think of and it paired well with the coconut flour in the cake.

 

 

 

This cake was delicious and very moist! It's definitely worth trying out. I am now obsessed with coconut flour. It smells so good and is a great substitute for regular white flour. We have since made pancakes with the coconut flour.

 

ENJOY & HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY WAS A GREAT ONE MOM!

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

This smoothie is more my style!

The recipe calls for:
1 cup coffee
1 cup fat-free vanilla greek yogurt
1 tbs flax & chia seed blend
4 tbs natural peanut butter
1 frozen banana

-- Blend all the ingredients together and ENJOY! This recipe is two servings.

I used natural chunky peanut butter because it's all I had. If you only have regular greek yogurt just add a little vanilla extract for flavor. Also, if you don't want to use coffee, you can add ice or fat-free milk instead.


UPDATE: I kept half of this for the next morning and it was a little thick I guess from sitting overnight. So I just added a little milk and shaked my smoothie cup.

Quinoa Pizza Crust...Genius!

I was skeptical and worried about this recipe. I thought the crust would be soft and not crisp up, but I was wrong. This recipe is pretty much genius. It is such a good source of protein without having to add meat and you save so many calories than if you ordered pizza or even got a premade crust at the grocery store.  The crust had flavor and was crispy, especially along the edges. It definitely satisfied my craving and in a healthy way. The prep didn't take long at all, very easy.

This recipe was a huge success and one I will be using over and over! :)

The recipe calls for:
1/2 cup quinoa (I used rainbow)
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
dried basil, few dashes
dried oregano, few dashes
garlic powder, few dashes
1 egg, beaten
spray oil

-- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-- In a pan, bring the water and quinoa to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
-- Add the basil, oregano, garlic powder and mozzarella cheese. Mix it all together then add the egg and mix again.
-- Put foil on a baking pan and spray with oil.
-- Create a ball with the quinoa mixture and place on the foil. Spread out the "dough" so it is even.
-- Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and let it cool for a minute.
-- Add any toppings of your choice! I used a little pizza sauce we had on hand, some dabbles of part skim ricotta cheese and sliced black olives.
-- Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

The original recipe used shredded parmesan cheese and italian seasoning, any cheese or herbs you like would work though.

I could not be more excited about this recipe and I think you would be too. Try it out!

 

Making homemade pizza is all about fun and can be a great way to cook together as a family, kids and all. My son can't help just yet but babywearing helped keep him involved. He was very interested in everything I was doing. Kids would love adding the toppings and they can make it their own. You could easily make this into two separate crusts too so their creativity can come out. This is a good way to make healthy eating fun for them.

Some Healthy Food/Recipes

I don't get to do food shopping often because I can't bring my son Parker into stores yet, but on Friday I had a chance to go. I love food shopping. I wish I had more advance notice that I was able to go, I would've had a better list put together, but I got a lot of healthy food and organic food for my son.

 

flax/chia seed blend, ground chicken, organic quinoa, frozen veggies/steamables, organic bananas, organic green beans, frozen fruit, greek yogurts, organic apples, mushrooms, black bean organic pasta, zucchini & weight watchers string cheese

 

 

Here are some QUICK & healthy meals I made this week:

 



whole wheat penne with an avocado sauce I made which
was avocado, a little parm cheese, olive oil & pepper.

mushroom/spinach omelette with one ww string cheese
inspiration by a readers dinner the other night.







Another recipe was something my mom made in the crock pot. I wasn't feeeling well on Saturday and my parents came over so they brought dinner. It is a 3 point Weight Watcher chicken recipe.

See link for recipe!

This was breakfast this morning. A blueberry, strawberry smoothie. It was a bit sweet for my taste, but it was still good. I am going to try another kind tomorrow!

 

 

The recipe calls for:

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 tbs chia/flax seed blend
1/2 cup 1% milk
5.3oz fat-free blueberry greek yogurt

Total: 290 calories

Next time I am not going to use a flavored yogurt and try water, not milk. This should help make it less sweet and not as thick. To cut more calories use fat-free milk instead. I would've but I didn't have it on hand. The non-flavored greek yogurt is also less calories. Banana smoothie is next!

Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Pasta

This was the first time I have ever cooked shrimp and it was a huge success. So delicous and low in carbs/calories. A good source of protein and a great vegetable to go along with it. This is such a different recipe than I normally make, but it is one I will for sure be making again. The shrimp was on sale so I splurged a little. It was also my first time using the Veggetti that I received as a Christmas gift from my brother this year. So easy to use!

 

 

The recipe calls for:

frozen, peeled, de-tailed shrimp (20)

2 medium-large zucchini

1/4 cup white wine

4 garlic cloves, minced

crushed red pepper

2 tbs olive oil

parmesan cheese

 

-- Use a veggie pasta maker and turn the whole zucchini into pasta. Pat with a paper towel to get rid of some of the excess water.

-- In a large pan heat the olive oil for about a minute then add the garlic and crushed red pepper. Heat this for about 2 minutes while constantly stirring so the ingredients don't burn.

-- Add the frozen shrimp to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until the shrimp is fully pink.

-- Remove the shrimp, add the white wine and cook for about a minute then add the zucchini. Cook a little while then add the shrimp in again. Cook for a minute or so while mixing the ingredients. I drained some of the liquid out of the pan to save some on some calories.

-- Serve with a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top and a glass of white wine. (optional)

Turkey Salad

The recipe calls for:

half of an avocado

white turkey meat

olive oil

-- Shred the turkey, splash a dash of olive oil and mash the avocado.  Mix together!

Simple and only 3 ingredients!  I had a side of cut up tomatoes with a little part-skim shredded mozzarella on top.

Post Workout Meal

Leftover quinoa with a scrambled egg as my post workout breakfast/lunch. SO DELICIOUS! 

Say goodbye to the holiday food!

Get motivated!

Be healthier!
Healthy can taste good too!