Skillet Pasta Primavera

WOW. I love this dish. So much that I have decided before eating it that I would be making it again. 

And it's only a two pot dish. Super quick and easy. I recommend having everything diced and prepped before turning the heat on the skillet (get your water boiling while chopping veggies.)

I chose to use Red Lentil Spiral pasta. I really liked it. You could make this dish vegetarian/vegan by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. I chose chicken broth because I had it available. 

 Skillet Pasta Primavera
4 servings
Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into ½” half moons
• ½ pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces
• 1 (8oz) pasta of choice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan, optional

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the zucchini and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a colander. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to the colander. Add the pasta and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add flour and stir until onions are coated. Add broth and stir until thickened. Add peas, tomatoes, cooked zucchini and asparagus, pasta, and Parmesan. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

I added chicken sausage to mine. I diced it up and threw it in the pot to cook. I would recommend grilling some sausages to go with this dish. I *love* the Sam's Club chicken sausages. My favorite is the Mozzarella & Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage. 

2 Weeks Post Ultimate Reset - Days 29-35

My plan is track my progress for three full weeks following the reset. I am also working out and will complete the 21 Day Fix Extreme. Week 1 went extremely well, workout wise. As previously mentioned I started slipping food wise at the end of the week.

I'm concentrating this week on staying on track. Which seems impossible after the busy weekend I had! I wasn't able to prep the way I needed too. Luckily I have some backup frozen items that help!

Day 29 - Monday. My lack of sleep (thanks to a 6-month old kiddo) can really affect my eating habits. On the way to work I wanted to hit every drive thru I could. Get caffeine and breakfast sandwiches. But I didn't. I drank my Shakeology. I had avocado toast as a snack, which was delicious but still too many blues. So then I started getting down on myself for eating more than a blue container worth of avocado. And if you don't know the Portion Control Container system, me talking about colors means nothing. I was tired all day. An afternoon apple perked me up!! It probably didn't help that I had pasta with my lunch. Dinner was a salad from Crushed Red. Husband and I met up with an old friend from college.

After we got home, it took forever to get Benjamin to bed. It was 8:30 when he was finally out. I did *not* want to work out. BUT, I looked at my Challenge Group and saw all these amazing women that pressed play today. I knew if they found time in their busy lives, I can take 30 minutes and still be in bed before 9:30. So I knocked out my workout and got to bed. Benjamin woke at 1am. Not cool. Was only up about 20 minutes. He hasn't been sleeping through the night lately. Growth spurt, some teeth are coming in. I am trying very hard to not fall into old habits like eating to stay awake. And I'm trying to avoid coffee as a pick me up (so far I've been without for over a month.)

Day 30 - Tuesday. I'm still trying to find time to meal prep and figure out how I'm going to get Benjamin to bed by 6pm. I had grand plans for this weeks meals -- Stuffed Peppers, Pasta Primavera, and Chicken Parmesan, I don't know what the hell I was thinking!!

I pulled out some 21 Day Fix Chili for lunch and that was perfect. We had veggie tacos for dinner. Benjamin is still struggling with bedtime, but he managed to be asleep by 7pm. While cleaning up dinner I made stuffed peppers for Wednesday's dinner. I got in my Upper Fix Extreme workout, burned over 300 calories. Finished cleaning up the kitchen, washed all the baby bottles, and got to bed.

Day 31 - Wednesday.  Today is the work potluck!! I made veggie tacos using the Southwest Veggie Taco recipe from the Ultimate Reset and some grilled veggies. We had an early Cinco de Mayo celebration, since most everyone went with a mexican theme. We also had fruit and veggies. And not too many sweets, which was perfect. I enjoyed my mexican meal, and stuffed peppers for dinner later. I am starting to enjoy most of the Pilates workout. I call it "fancy stretching" and it's a great recovery. It's not a calorie burner, so I walked on the treadmill to get to 300 calories. 

Day 32 - Thursday. To sum it up, I made good choices. I worked out. I'm tired though. Tired of writing. Tired of doing photo collages. I did make an amazing dinner. Pasta Primavera. I loved it and can't wait to make it again!  

I am NOT tired of working out. Or eating right. Or thinking ahead and meal planning. 

I know every choice I make today will affect my physical health later. And that keeps me motivated to keep going. 

  

Day 33 - Friday. YEA FRIDAY!!! I SURVIVED THE WEEK!!! And my reward? A very rainy weekend. Grrrrrr... However, I have no plans, except to stay on track this weekend. I have two new recipes to try - Asian Meatballs and a Clean Chicken Parmesan. I'll grab 1 or 2 freezer meals to get us through this week, add in some veggies, and the meal plan is done! Lots of fresh fruits and veggies too.

Today was a great day. I got in shakeology, a fruit/toast snack, stuffed pepper for lunch, skipped an afternoon snack but did drink some tea, and had more pasta primavera for dinner. Then I knocked out Cardio Core Remix and burned 500 calories.

Day 34 - Saturday. It won't stop raining. I had a really good day though. Jason and Liam helped with grocery shopping and I got the Asian Meatballs prepped. I was planning on working out while the neighbors were over for a play date, and then prepping a new Chicken Parmesan recipe, but we lost power from 3pm-5pm. Totally killed my plans! Not to self - when it's supposed to rain all day, get the workout done early!

We wound up eating at Pasta House. I did well.... Oh, except I have no control when they put warm little loaves of bread in front of me. Those four loaves had no chance! I ate a small salad and small cannelloni. Delicious! I wasn't stuffed and didn't order dessert to go (like Old Me would).

I planned to work out when I got home but with getting the boys to bed, and overall exhaustion, I didn't. I headed to bed at 9pm.

Day 35 - Sunday. STOP RAINING. We've gotten over 5 inches these past few days. Made more plans with the neighbor kids. Seriously, they saved our weekend, and I'm pretty sure we saved theirs! After we knocked out early morning sweat sessions, we finished grocery shopping and had them over for a movie. We had pizza for lunch (not the best choice...) and I prepped my burrito bowls and a healthy Chicken Parmesan for dinner. 

I had a goal to be at 200 pounds by May 1st. Since completing the Ultimate Refresh, I've gained 1-2 pounds back. (Depends on the day/time I weigh myself.) And it kinda sucks, but I'm ok. I know that it's not supposed to be about the number on the scale. I tell myself that all the time, BUT I want to see that number go down. Especially when I work so hard. I do see a lot of changes in my body, so I will keep doing what I'm doing and the scale will eventually change.

And then I discovered HALO TOP ice cream. So I will probably never ever lose another pound again. Look it up, find it, buy it (the peanut butter is amazing), and you'll thank me. Or hate me. I hate myself just a weeeee bit right now. :)

My goals this week:

• 7 Workouts (Monday through Sunday)
• Burn 400+ calories for at least 5 of those workouts
• Stay within my "Yellows". (I overdid it a few days this past week.) 
• One cheat meal - Saturday night. 
• No cheese this week. None. Zero, Zilch. 

Post Ultimate Reset - Week 1, Days 22- 28

I plan to keep track the next three weeks while I work hard to eat right and exercise. I don't want to lose the momentum I built up after completing the Ultimate Refresh. 

Monday Day 22 - First day post reset! Everyone says to pick the *one* thing you have missed the most and eat that. And then get back on the wagon of eating right. Some people have steak and wine, or one guy in our group was all about Chicken Parmesan. (Which sounded and looked delicious!) Me, I had the cookie that had been in my pantry for two weeks and calling my name. And it tasted amazing. We planned easy meals for the week. 

• Breakfast is eggs with spinach, and toast. 
• Snack is 1 cup of fruit
• Lunch is a homemade burrito bowl consisting of chicken, cooked peppers/onions, quinoa, shredded lettuce, and avocado. (All measured to fit in the portion control plan.) 
• Afternoon snack is Vegan Chocolate Shakeology mixed only with water. 
• Dinner is a salad with deviled eggs and sweet potato. 
• I also have 1-2 cups of tea during the day. 
• Still no caffeine. 

I'm working out in the evenings, doing the 21 Day Fix Extreme these next three weeks. I want to earn the free t-shirt! :) Tonight was Power Strength. Holy moly guys! After not working out for a month I was done in after 5 minutes. But I continued on! And burned almost 400 calories.

Tuesday Day 23 - I'm a little tired. Benjamin has been waking at 3am to feed. He's been asleep by 6pm, so it's kinda ok. But I wish he would make it until 4am. He "sleep eats" and I wind up sleeping while feeding him. And when done I got back to bed until 5:30am. I'm also not going to bed early like I should be. Tonight I will change that. 

Today I was VERY VERY hungry. At lunch a coworker shared with me their leftover potatoes. Delicious. And fits in the plan better then the Wendy's Frosty I was thinking about. (Kidding, but now I'm thinking about it.) Actually my back up plan was avocado toast. I didn't eat enough yesterday and then had that 400-calorie workout. I need to fuel my body well in order to make sure I can sustain my workouts.

Instead of eating the planned salad and sweet potato for dinner I baked parmesan encrusted tilapia, cooked some broccoli, and still added devil eggs. I killed my upper body workout with another 400 calories.

Wednesday Day 24 - In order to try and get ahead of that hunger issue, I switched things up today. I had Shakeology for breakfast with 4 ounces of almond milk, cinnamon, and 2 tsps of peanut butter. I saved my fruit for a snack and was not starving for lunch. Whew! Crisis diverted today. For lunch I added black beans to my burrito bowl and that seemed to help. I wasn't hungry until around 4 and drank another Shakeology (with just water). Dinner was a salad (and I'm totally over salad now), broccoli, and tilapia. I worked out!! I usually skip the Pilates but am glad I completed it. I refer to it as "fancy stretching" and it felt good on my sore muscles.

I tested out the new Beachbody program, YOUv2, the new dance program coming to Beachbody On Demand in May. A sneak peak was available Wednesday for everyone who has the All Access pass. I CANNOT dance. At all. No coordination, can't figure out left from right and double toe taps or what I'm doing with my arms. However, for the 15 minutes I did it, it was fun. It reminded me a calmed down version of Cize.

For those that do love dancing, the moves are basic and easy to follow. The gradual building of moves wasn't overwhelming. It was fun and full of good energy. The women in the video looked like me, not super thin or super fit. I can relate to those women.

Thursday Day 25 - Another day!! I enjoyed my Shakeology in the morning. I have perfected my recipe:

• 4 ounces Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 12 ounces water
• 1 scoop Vegan Chocolate
• Shake of Cinnamon
• 2 tsp Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
• 1/3 Shaker Cup of Ice
• Blend until smooth

I think the added peanut butter helps me stay full. Makes it a little smoother too. I used to add a banana, but halfway through my last pregnancy I couldn't tolerate bananas anymore. Except in banana bread. :)

I had fruit and toast as a morning snack, burrito bowl for lunch, an apple for snack (I really do not eat enough fruit!), and for dinner had a stuffed chicken with plain pasta and broccoli. The pizza in the picture is Liam's. I got some Flat Out Pizza Crust, add a little marinara, and sprinkle of mozzarella. Liam loves them and I know it's healthy. I enjoyed once small piece and felt satisfied. And I didn't eat a handful of cheese while making it. That's a win!

Friday Day 26 - Today was a cheat meal. And a donut. For breakfast I had three eggs, to get ready for a donut. :) I worked from home which is great for my work productivity but horrible for my diet. I always try to find something to eat. And we don't even have JUNK food in this house. My choices include fruit or more fruit. Jason and I had planned to go out to lunch (he took the day off and did a bunch of organizing). I chose MOD Pizza, hoping it would satisfy his pizza craving. I got a mini pizza and side salad. It was good.

Benjamin had his 6-month check up and his weight in back in line (he's in the 10-11%) and he slept after getting his shots.

For dinner we had leftover burrito bowls. I added two tortillas. I overdid it on carbs/yellows for the day. I had NO desire to work out Friday night. None, and it was late when I finally started my workout. But as much as I didn't want to work out, I didn't want to *not* workout more. I have goals, big ones, and I can't meet them by skipping workouts. So I pressed play. And then got to bed.

Saturday Day 27 - Today... eek!! I tried my best today, and could have done better. And the New Me did a LOT better than Old Me would have.

My best friend is having a baby!!! My mom and I traveled to Overland Park, Kansas (there and back) for her baby shower. I drank my ShakeO in the morning, and we took sandwiches to eat on the way there. They did have snacks at the shower and I had two little chicken salad sandwiches and a cupcake. Old Me would have have had 2 cupcakes. And more sandwiches.

On the way back we had Chic Fil A. Which is fast food (but the only fast food place I'll eat at). I even got a soda! I haven't had a soda since March 10. I made it 43 days. And I don't have a desire to drink more soda. It tasted sweet (even though it was diet.) Mom offered me the rest of her fries. I did not partake. I told her Old Me would have supersized my meal and gotten a milkshake. New Me ate a chicken sandwich, regular size fries, and drank half her diet soda.

Today wasn't a loss, but it wasn't a complete win either.

Sunday Day 28 -  I stepped on the scale today. I know it's not possible to gain 3 pounds in 2 days unless I would have eaten an extra 7,000 calories. The soda, some of the carbs, probably just holding onto some extra water weight. Or so I'll tell myself. Today is a new day. I started with Shakeology. I had *another* Shakeology on the way to Red Bud to celebrate my dad's birthday.

And then I ate *everything* I saw. Oh, look, Old Me is back. I found her, hanging out at my parent's house. Awesome. I didn't eat cake though. But I don't like chocolate cake, so that was easy. I did have chips & gauc, bagna cauda, a cheeseburger, potato salad, mac 'n cheese, baked beans, and two deviled eggs. So in summary, a million yellows, a dozen blues, way too many teaspoons, and like 2 reds. I'm not sure I ate any vegetables on Sunday. Like at all. Or fruit. And this is the *exact* reason you should always make sure you have a plan on the weekends!!

So this week's plan? Don't f- it up. :)

• 6 workouts
• No cheats except for the Wednesday Work Potluck (allow myself one dessert too)
• Drink Shakeology twice a day if I have to curb cravings, or make sure to drink Chocolate Recover after working out.
• Track track and track!! 

21 Day Fix Burrito Bowls

A few months ago this video kept popping up on my Facebook feed. (It's safe to click, really, I'm not rick roll-ing you.) The recipe looked simple enough (click here for it); and it looked delicious and clean. I figured I'd give it a chance. 

It has now become my favorite lunch item. It is super easy to prep, and you can pre-prep and freeze extra peppers/onions mixture and the chicken. I used the portion control containers and measured it the first couple of times, but then learned that if I make the right amount of rice, it's easy to split it into four containers. I no longer use cheese and use avocado instead. 

Easy Lunch Burrito Bowls

Ingredients: 

• 1 medium or half large red onion
• 3 Bell Peppers (I prefer one red, one yellow, one orange)
• 16 ounces chicken breasts (for 4 Red containers. Double if you want 2 Reds at lunch)
• 1 can black bean
• 2 cups prepared brown rice
• 1/2-1 cup Salsa
• Taco Seasoning
• Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F/200˚C.
2. Line one 8x8 glass dish with foil & spray; and spray a 9x13 glass dish with nonstick spray. 
3. Cut the peppers and onions into strips and toss with 1 tbsp of oil and 2-3 tbsp of taco seasoning. 
4. Place the peppers and onions in the 9x13 glass pan. 
5. Place the chicken in the 8x8 glass dish and sprinkle taco seasoning over both sides of the chicken. Top  each chicken breast with a generous pour of salsa.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. 
7. Rest chicken for 10 minutes, before slicing into strips or dicing into cubes. 
8. Add a 1/2 cup of brown rice to 4 food storage containers. Add 1/2 cup black beans, cooked peppers and onions, and chicken. Garnish with fresh cilantro, cheese (optional), and a lime wedge. 
9. Store in the refrigerator (and enjoy any extras immediately). Can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days. Heat up the bowl, then serve with optional avocado. 

Notes: 

The video and instructions show everything being put on a baking sheet. I did that the first time and didn't like how it turned out. My peppers and onions stuck to the foil, the chicken seemed dry (maybe I overcooked it?) So the next time I used glass baking dishes. One for the veggies and a foil lined one for the chicken. This worked better. I could also monitor if one finished first and take that one out so I didn't overcook either ingredient.

21 Day Fix Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff has always been one of my favorite dishes. Beef, noodles, sour cream, what is not to love? Oh, the calories, that's right! So when I stumbled across this recipe on the Beachbody website, I had to check it out.

Note - I was super excited when I found out this is a ONE POT dish. You don't have to boil the noodles separate. They cook in the beef broth - and they are EVEN better that way! The creaminess isn't as prevalent since you aren't using a gallon of sour cream (well, that's what I used to use), but the flavor is there and the fact that I can eat and make this on the Portion Control Plan makes this recipe a must have for my kitchen!

21 Day Fix Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients

• 3 tsp. olive oil, divided use
• 1½ lbs. extra lean beef sirloin, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 3 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
• 4 cups low sodium organic beef broth
• ¾ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 3 oz. dry whole wheat egg noodles
• ½ cup reduced fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tsp. oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat.
2. Add beef; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until browned. Remove from skillet. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tsp. oil in same skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until most liquid is absorbed.
6. Add remaining 1 tsp. oil; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.
7. Add flour; cook, stirring frequently, until onion mixture is evenly coated.
8. Add broth slowly, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes.
9. Add egg noodles. Mix well and cover with liquid; cover. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until noodles are soft. Remove from heat.
10. Add yogurt; mix well.
11. Serve garnished with parsley.

Portion Fix Containers
½ Green
1 Yellow
1 Red
½ tsp.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars

I stumbled across this recipe a few months ago and even bought dates (at Sam's Club). But I didn't make it until this weekend. I've been having a lot of cravings for sweets and needed to find something clean to satisfy my sweet tooth. I thought these would be great to snack on while I was home on maternity leave, but never got around to making them. First tip - dates have pits. I kinda remembered this as I started making them, read it somewhere or something. So I used scissors and cut each date open to remove the pit. I must have missed one though, because it was stuck to the food processor blade when I got done. 

The 8x8 produces 16 bars. And each one is around 80 calories depending on the ingredients used. They have the same sweetness a cookie offers without the calories and bad for you ingredients that a cookie contains. The oatmeal also "keeps on giving". They do remind me of those chocolate drop no-bake cookies I made as a kid. 

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER OAT BARS

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 3 Tbsp raw honey, or maple syrup
• 10 medjool dates, pitted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Line a 8x8 or 9x9-inch baking pan with wax paper, leaving an inch or so hanging over the edges.
2. In a food processor, add ¾ of the peanut butter, coconut oil, honey, dates, and vanilla, pulsing until smooth. Add in the oats and pulse until well-combined. The mixture will be crumbly, but it should hold it's shape when pressed into a ball.
3. Press ¾ of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
4. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter, stirring until smooth. Pour the chocolate onto the crust layer and spread evenly with a rubber spatula or spoon.
5. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate, gently pressing it in.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Once firm, remove from the pan by lifting the wax paper by the edges. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

My notes: 

These were really easy and quick to make. Liam doesn't like them so they are ALL MINE.

Make sure you really press the base down. My base was a little crumbly, until I chilled it overnight. So also - chill it overnight. 

21 Day Fix Stuffed Peppers - Revisited

This is probably the fourth or fifth time I've redone my Stuffed Pepper recipe. My version 11 months ago included ground beef and I had estimated the Portion Control. This time I measured every ingredient in order to have the proper container count. I actually double this recipe so I can have 5 sets of 4 peppers - I freeze them in groups of four to defrost and bake later. They are delicious, but a little time consuming to make. If I can make a big batch over a weekend than I have meals ready to go. 

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

Note - when making stuffed peppers - you *must* boil the peppers to soften them up. Otherwise the peppers don't cook thoroughly and still have a little crunch to them.

• 10 bell peppers of your color choice
• 20 ounces pound lean ground turkey or beef 
• 1 onion (about a 1 cup diced)
• 1/2 diced pepper
• 1.5 cups of brown rice, cooked just shy of done
• 1 (15 ounce) can of Black Beans, drained/rinsed
• 1-2 cups of Corn, drained/rinsed if canned, I prefer frozen
• 1 (15 ounce) can of petite diced tomatoes 
• 1 (15 ounce) can of tomato sauce 
• 1.5 cups of your favorite shredded cheese
• Spices - Chili Powder, Paprika, Cumin, Garlic, Salt, Pepper, ect.  

Directions

1. Cut the caps of the peppers and clean out. Pre-cook the peppers by placing in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. 
2. Cook brown rice, or quinoa according to directions, just shy of done because the rice will continue cooking when the stuffed pepper is cooked. 
3. Brown ground meat and season with chili powder (1 tbsp), and 1 tsp each: paprika, cumin, and garlic. Set aside to cool.
4. Drain and rinse black beans. If using canned corn, drain and rinse also. Drain the tomatoes. 
5. Combine in large bowl: meat, tomatoes, corn, rice/quinoa, beans, sauce, and cheese. Season as needed. 
6. Stuff peppers with filling. (About 1-cup per pepper). 
7. Bake at 375 Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes. 
8. If frozen - defrost 24 hours. 

Each Pepper counts as 1.5 Greens, 1/2 Red, 1 Yellow, and 1/2 Blue.

For lunch, this is perfect. For dinner it's a little light. However, we've been eating egg sandwiches before bed in order to get in extra Red & Yellows and fuel our body before sleep.

Crockpot Zucchini Chicken Parmesan

During the Holiday season, I try to cook as little as possible. I want to leave all my kitchen time for making cookies. That I might not make this year. It's hard for me to avoid eating the cookies. And everyone loved the rainbow sprinkle cookie and I need to find like 7 pounds of sprinkles.

So a new crockpot dish I recently discovered is this one. And it's delicious. It came out a little more like a soup, but it works really well in the crockpot, sans the cooking of the noodles in a separate pot. It's also 21 Day Fix Friendly! 

Crockpot Zucchini Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds (about 4) chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 large zucchini, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoon oregano seasoning
• 15 ounces cups pasta or pizza sauce (or tomato sauce)

For after cooking:

• 24-30 ounces marinara sauce
• 16-ounce box of pasta (I used Mezzi Rigatoni), cooked to al dente
• 1 cup low fat shredded cheese (mozzarella or Parmesan)

Instructions:

1. Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray. Line your crockpot with a crockpot liner. Combine first 10 ingredients and stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook on high for about 3-4 hours or low for about 6-8 (or until chicken is cooked through). 
3. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add cooked pasta, marinara sauce, cheese and stir well.
4. Split into 6 servings. I added some extra cheese.

21 Day Fix Count: 1 Red, 2 Green, 1.5 Yellows, and 0.5 Blue

Notes: 

Get crockpot liners. They are lifesavers. They are made with a special heat resistant material that holds in even the heartiest ingredients without breaking or puncturing. -Reynolds. And they aren't kidding. And when you are done, you throw away the liner. And then your crockpot requires a quick scrub, no overnight or two-day soaking. They are perfect for potlucks. Tip - I still spray the inside of my crockpot with non-stick spray before putting down the liner. Just in case. 

Use whole wheat noodles instead of white. Any type of pasta would work. I liked the larger noodles. You won't be able to tell the noodle color once the pasta cooks in. 

Add extra veggies if you want. Mushrooms are great, or another pepper. Adjust the 21DF count accordingly. 

Turkey Meatloaf - 21 Day Fix - Revisited

Updated 11/4 - I first made this in January and it has turned into one of my favorite recipes. I even started making it in the crockpot. I added a few new steps in order to keep it from falling apart. 
This is also one of my most viewed recipes - so welcome to my page! I hope you enjoy this quick healthy recipe as much as I do. 

I originally got this recipe from the Team Beachbody website. Each recipe tells you how they "count" for each program you might be doing. This recipe for Turkey Meatloaf is loaded full of veggies and uses ground turkey instead of ground beef. And it is delicious. Even though it looks suspicious AND the first one fell apart. But, it is good and I would recommend it.

Turkey Meatloaf 

Yield: 10 servings
21 Day Fix - 1 Red, 1 Green

Ingredients: 

• 2.5 lbs. raw 93% lean ground turkey breast 
• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten 
• 1 medium onion, chopped in food processor
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped in food processor
• 1 medium green (or any color) bell pepper, chopped in food processor
• 1 cup old­fashioned rolled oats 
• 1 (14.5­oz.) can petite diced tomatoes (drained)
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper 
• dashes of other spices - garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, oregeno
• 1 cup all­ natural marinara sauce, no sugar added 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. (or see Crockpot instructions note below)
2. Chop everything really fine. In the picture above, things are not chopped with a food processor, and the meat loaf fell apart. I now use the food processor in order to chop everything into the smallest pieces possibly. However, this could result in extra "juice", so squeeze out the juice before adding the ingredient to the meatloaf mixture. 
3. Combine turkey, eggs, onion, celery, pepper, oats, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and spices in a large bowl; mix well with clean hands or a rubber spatula. 
4. Line two 9x5 inch loaf pans with parchment paper. Spray the paper lightly with non-stick spray. Divide the meatloaf mixture between the two pans.  Bake for 45 minutes; spread marinara sauce evenly on top of both loaves. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Crockpot Directions:

1. Spray a large crockpot with non-stick spray. 
2. Line the crockpot with foil and spray with non-stick spray. 
3. Place the meatloaf mixture inside the foil. 
4. Turn crockpot on. Walk away. 
5. Come back! About 1-hour before done, spread the marinara sauce over the meatloaf. 
6. When done, cooked to an internal appropriate temperature, dish out. I haven't perfected how to *get* the entire meatloaf out of the crockpot. Expect another update when I do! 
7. It turned out super moist and very favorful. 

Leftover meatloaf is even better than the first day! I either heat it in the toaster oven or a skillet in order to give it a little more "crust". Every once in a while, I add an over-medium egg because I need more protein. 

Meatloaf Royale

21 Day Fix Turkey Chili

Just in time for fall weather, chili!! I already have a great turkey chili recipe but decided to try the one listed in the FixAte cookbook, which is full of 21 Day Fix approved recipes. I love the recipes, they are all pretty basic and easy to make, and the container values are listed. I added a few extra things and doubled the recipe. This is one of my new favorite chili recipes! 

21 Day Fix Turkey Chili
Ingredients & Directions (because it's Chili, it's *not* that hard)

• 2-3 lb cooked 93% lean ground turkey breast (or lean grass-fed ground beef)
• (I add chili powder, cumin, and paprika to my turkey while it's cooking.) 

Saute the following ingredients ~10 minutes: 

• 2 tsp extra virgin organic coconut oil, melted
• 1 large or 2 small onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (optional)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed

Then add:

• 4 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans (or pinto beans) drained, rinsed
• 4 can (15 oz) fire roasted tomatoes, no salt added if available
• 2 cups red wine (I choose red cooking wine)
• 1 Tbsp ground chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground paprika
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper
• Cooked ground turkey

Bring it to a boil and let simmer around 30 minutes on low.
2 cups of this chili counts as 1 green, 1 red, and 1 yellow.


It is very filling, and my version is very spicy. If you can't handle the spice, cut out the jalapeno and cut back on the cumin.

My favorite is to serve it over 1/2 a baked potato.
My son loves to eat the pinto beans with cheese and elbow macaroni.

The FixAte cookbook has been one of my favorite new tools to help me sustain the 21 Day Fix lifestyle. Autumn Calabrese has created some amazing recipes that you will actually want to make! Just like the rest of the 21 Day Fix plan, preparation is the number one key to succeeding with this plan. 

Autumn gives us her 4 ingredients to maintaining a healthy lifestyle:

1. Enjoy the foods you eat, 
2. Have a fitness routing you can commit to, 
3. Eat foods that are highly nutritious, and
4. Know how much of it to eat. 

These four easy steps is how I've managed to lose the weight I have. And it's why I keep making some of the same recipes over and over again, I love the foods I love.

Turkey Tacos - 21 Day Fix Approved

This comes a little late for Cinco de Mayo, and we actually had them the week before that. I am pretty apathetic for most "holidays" that revolve around food. We actually had leftover steak & salmon, sweet potatoes, and green veggies on the 5th. We had spent the week before eating tacos, so eh, why again? 

Other holidays I don't care about making it all about the meal - Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, New Year Eve, Memorial/4th of July/Labor Day BBQs, I can take them or leave them. 

Holidays that should be about the meal - Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, my Birthday. 

I found this recipe for Turkey Taco's from Skinny Taste. The website has been around for a couple years and she has some amazing recipes. I really like this taco recipe because it calls for tomato sauce to help thicken the meat a little. I edited the recipe a little. I buy ground Turkey in bulk at Sam's Club and it comes in a 2-pack of 2.5 pounds each. 

Also, we bought the "made from TV" Taco Bowl makers. It seems silly, but it actually works well. It's not the crispy fried ones we get at the Mexican recipe, but it works well and satisfies the craving for Tacos and taco salads and the tortilla. There are other ways to dress these -- using lettuce is a big one to avoid the carb of a shell. You can use corn tortillas too. Or just skip both and make a Taco Salad. 

Turkey Tacos

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs 99% lean ground turkey
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 small bell pepper, minced
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• water - 1/2 cup - optional

Directions:

1. Brown turkey in a large skillet breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. When no longer pink, drain, and place back on heat. 
2. Add the minced onion, pepper, and dry seasonings. Cook additional 10 minutes. 
3. Add the tomato sauce and let simmer. If it's too thick, add some water, up to 1/2 cup. 

Measure out a red container to count as 1 protein. We (measured and) added refried beans, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and either sour cream or greek yogurt to top them. I can't wait to have these on the menu again! 

Banana-Strawberry "Ice Cream" (21 Day Fix Approved)

Have I mentioned yet this week how much I love my food processor? If I had more counter space it would be a permanent fixture. I use it for so much! Everyone should get one. Getting married? Put it on the registry. Having a baby? Put it on the registry (you'll use it to make baby food, so it's a need.) Birthday coming up? Ask for this. I have the 14-cup Cuisinart. My mom and grandma gave it to me at my Bridal Shower. (I remember things like that.) 

4 Ingredient "Ice Cream"

Ingredients

• 2 bananas, cut into 1-inch slices(frozen)
• ½ cup frozen strawberries, sliced
• 2 Tbsp Almond Milk
• ½ tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Place banana slices on a plate, separating each slice. Place slices in freezer for 2 hours (overnight is best!).

2. Remove strawberries and bananas from freezer and place in food processor, blend until they are the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

3. Add almond milk(more or less for desired texture)and vanilla and blend until smooth and well-mixed.

4. Transfer ice cream to a freezer container and freeze until solid. (You don't have to wait if fruit is frozen, it is like soft serve ice cream)

5. Scoop with ice cream scoop and serve.

One CUP of this counts as a purple container on the 21 Day Fix! 

You can really use any frozen fruit to make this. I might add some cocoa powder next time and peanut butter to make Chocolate PB. And brownie pieces. (Just kidding!) My husband doesn't like bananas, but I bet I could get him to eat some of this ice cream. 

Greek Turkey Burgers

This is one of my favorite recipes. I haven't made them recently and I plan to make them again soon! I served them up on Pita bread with the homemade Tzatziki sauce. They are delicious!!!

Greek Turkey Burgers
Ingredients

• 1 package (.7 oz.) Italian dressing mix
• 1 1/4 pound ground turkey (93% lean)
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg , lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese

• Pita Bread
• Optional Topping: Dice up 2 Roma Tomatoes and 1/2 a cucumber, more feta cheese

Directions

1. Mix the burger ingredients together. Measure out 1/2 cup portions and form into patties (should form 5 patties.
2. Grill up the hamburgers 
3. Shove in a pita (I had to cut them in half!) with Tzatziki sauce and the tom/cuc mixture. ENJOY!

If you're counting this on the 21 Day Fix, I'd count it as 1 Red, 1/2 Yellow, and 1/2 Blue (if you add more cheese.) 

Zucchini Cakes (21 Day Fix)

Did you ever eat potato pancakes growing up? I sure miss those!! I found a kinda similar, not really at all, recipe in the form of Zucchini Cakes! They were very good and very filling. 

Ingredients

• 3 medium zucchini
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smushed/pressed
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup almond flour (or any flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• coconut oil

Directions

1. Grate your zucchini. I used the food processor. EASY. 
2. Place zucchini in a bowl with the 1 tsp salt and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Then, extract all the water from the zucchini. You can place it in a cheese cloth and squeeze. You can also place it in a colander and press the water out. You want to remove as much water as possible so the cakes form and stick together. 
3. In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini and remaining ingredients (except the coconut oil)
4. Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large pan.
5. Use a 1/4 cup to scoop out the zucchini mixture. Place in pan and "press" down to form a small cake. 
6. Cook 3-4 minutes, flip over and cook another 3-4 minutes. Cakes should have a golden brown crust. 

You can eat 4 of these to count as 1 Green and 1/4 Yellow (the flour -- if you are being super serious.) You've also got some Teaspoons in there from the Oil. 

Zucchini Cakes & Spaghetti Squash

Beef and Broccoli (21 Day Fix)

How delicious is Chinese food? And how BAD is it? Very. Very very very bad. I found this recipe on Team Beachbody and decided to change it up a little bit. I find the hardest part of making a good beef and broccoli recipe is the chosen beef. I think it's not so much which type of beef you use - but how you marinate it. It's usually recommended to use Flank Steak - and I agree. However, in "Use what you have", I chose a sirloins steak for this dish. I like this recipe because it incorporates peppers, and I added some extra veggies. It is very filling too!

Healthier Beef and Broccoli
Note - You must marinate the steak 4+ hours. Prepare wisely!
Ingredients

• 1 pound flank steak, cut into strips
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 3 medium bell peppers, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups snap peas (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp (dry) Ginger

Marinade Ingredients

• ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 
• 2 TBSP Rice Vinegar
• 1 tsp Seseme Oil
• 2 TBSP Honey
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 tsp (dry) Ginger or 1 tsp Fresh Grated Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 
• 8 TBSP Water
• 2 TBSP Corn Starch
• 2 TBSP Honey
• 1 garlic clove

Directions

1. Combine the Marinade Ingredients in a ziplock bag. Add the sliced steak to the marinade and place in fridge for 4+ hours. 
2. Combine the Sauce Ingredients and set aside.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add beef; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from skillet, keep warm.
5. Add broccoli, bell pepper, snap peas, garlic, and ginger to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove broccoli mixture from heat. 
6. Add Sauce mixture to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 30 seconds, or until thickened.
7. Return beef and broccoli mixture to skillet; cook, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well mixed and heated. 

Measure out the meat - 1 red container worth, and two cups of broccoli & peppers, and 1/2 cup of snap peas for 1 yellow. The soy sauce mixture counts as 1/2 yellow. Serve with 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice. 

Total count: 2 Greens, 1 Red, 2.5 Yellows. This dish was VERY filling. I was able to get 4 servings out of it. 

If you need less yellows, leave out the snap peas and reduce the rice. You can throw in some shredded carrots to bulk the dish up a little more. 

Greek Marinated Chicken

We wanted to get back to basics this week.... reboot our diet after a rough weekend with amazing food and the Super Bowl snacking. 

This recipe isn't the *healthiest* because of the yogurt. But by using greek yogurt, it can be healthier. You can use plain yogurt - but I don't know how that will turn out. You can serve it with some Tzatini sauce. Mine didn't turn out like this picture (that I swapped from Pinterest.) 

Greek Marinated Chicken  
Ingredients

• 1 cup greek yogurt 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano 
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 medium lemon zest juice from 1/2 lemon 
• 1 tsp salt 
• freshly cracked pepper 
• 3 to 4 lbs chicken pieces (I used boneless skinless, the picture used skinned and boned. Maybe that's where I went wrong?)

Directions

1. Combine marinade. 
2. Place pieces in marinade in gallon ziplock for 3-5 hours. 
3. Bake 375 45-60 minutes or grill.

Hearty Beef Stew - 21 Day Fix

I went searching through the Team Beachbody website and found a recipe for beef stew. I figured I'd give it a try. The only downside to this is the prep + cook time is almost 90 minutes. It takes an hour to cook after you get all your vegetables and meat chopped. Plan accordingly! I prepped it and then worked out while it cooked. 

It's very delicious and feels like a cheat meal! You wouldn't know you are "dieting" when you eat this.

Ingredients:

• 1½ lb. raw lean beef stew meat, boneless
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
• 1 (14 oz) can of low-sodium beef broth (or vegetable broth)
• 14-oz of water (use the beef broth can)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ medium green bell pepper, chopped
• ½ medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 4 large red potatoes, cubed
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place beef, onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, hot sauce, 1/2 cup broth, and bay leaf in large stock pot.

2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, for 60 minutes, adding additional broth as needed.

Yield: 6-8 servings

A two-cup serving counts as 1.5 Green, 1 Yellow, and 1 Red. 

You can serve it with quinoa, but take the serving/container into consideration.

Homemade Hummus

I love hummus. I can eat it with a ton of veggies, lots of pita chips, those little bagel chips.... more pita chips. Since it's ok on the 21 Day Fix, I thought I'd make my own. I found a basic hummus recipe and plan to dress it up with either a roasted pepper or avocado. Or extra garlic. 

Tahini is hard to find. My Walmart doesn't carry it, but Schnucks carried *one* brand in the Ethnic aisle. Luckily it's not too expensive and goes a long way. One $7 jar will make 5-7 hummus recipes. You can make your own and I found a recipe here. 

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), reserve liquid
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup tahini (sesame butter)
• Sea salt & Pepper (to taste; optional)

Optional Extras:

• Roasted Red Pepper
• Avocado
• Extra Garlic

Directions:

1. Place chickpeas, lemon juice, oil, and garlic in food processor or blender and pulse until chickpeas are mashed.
2. Optional: Add in the "extra" item you might want to flavor it with. I added one avocado this time. 
3. Add tahini; pulse for 1 minute. If hummus is too thick, add some of the reserved chickpea liquid. Add salt if desired.

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas - 21 Day Fix

I found this recipe somewhere -- and it's not a difficult recipe to follow. Unless you're doubling it. And you double it, and you get to the end of the recipe and it says "Divide among 2 bags.". UGH! I doubled an already doubled recipe? Crud. So lots of leftovers.

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients

1.5 – 2 lbs. Chicken Breasts, boneless and skinless 

1/2 medium – large white onion, sliced vertically 

3-4 Bell Peppers, any color, sliced into strips 

2 cans (10 oz.) Rotel diced tomatoes, undrained (I used “Mild”) 

2 cloves garlic, diced or pressed

2 tsp. chili powder 

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. paprika

*Divide all ingredients into 2 large freezer bags

Directions
Cut things up. Put in crockpot for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

Dish out 1 cup of veggies and 3/4 cup of chicken for 1 green and 1 red.
Add some whole grain torillas (yellow), and lettuce and homemade salsa (green).

Here's what mine looked like. They were SUPER filling. It counted as 1 Red, 2 Green, 2 Yellow, and 1 Blue (Cheese). I can't wait to eat them again!!!

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup - 21 Day Fix

I made this last week and it doesn't even feel like a "diet". You can add cheese and greek yogurt to it. Eat it with a salad for a very filling dinner or by itself as a nice lunch. If you're not on a diet, indulge with some tortilla chips! 

Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (or broth)
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
• greek yogurt or sour cream (optional)
• crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours (can we say Super Bowl!).
2. Once it's done cooking, pull out the chicken and shred. I used the Mix 'n Chop to do it. Add the shredded chicken back to the crockpot and let cook another 15-minutes. 
3. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of greek yogurt (or sour cream), and crushed tortilla chips, if desired. 

Approx 6-7 1-cup servings. 

Measure 1.5 cups and count as  1 Green, 1 Red, 1 Yellow 

Make sure if you add greek yogurt and cheese you count those in addition!