Heart Health Valentine's Day Treats!

Can you believe its February already! (Well almost!) Whenever I think of February, I think of chocolate, wine, cupcakes and pretty  much anything associated with Valentines Day. Over the last few months we have made a point to simply keep indulgences out of the house except for special occasions, but I LOVE chocolate. And I can't really get thru a week without it (or wine!). Here are a few recipes that are my favorite go to for celebrations and "treat day" when I need a little something sweet! The best part. They are heart healthy and perfect for Valentines Day!

Avocado Fudge Brownies

I wasn't quite sure about these but they turned out pretty darn good. The key is to not think of them as brownies (as the consistency is a little different) but dark chocolate gooey fudge. YUM! I popped them in the freezer so I wouldn't eat them all at once!

Recipe

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

I have made these for years now and they are always my go to treat. I use dried fruit from Trader Joes which tends to be the most reasonably priced. No one will ever know they are healthy! These are also very freezer friendly. (I pretty much put everything chocolate related in the outside fridge so I can control my will power!) 

Recipe

Heart Shaped Treats

I found a few things on Pinterest that sparked my idea to make heart shaped waffles. But then I thought, you can pretty much make heart shaped anything! All you need is a heart cookie cutter. The girls and I eat waffles every weekend! Here are a few ideas!

- Waffles

- PB and Jelly Sandwiches

- Apples (large slices in heart shapes layered with PB and optional toppings) 

- Cucumber slices (if you have a small heart shaped cookie cutter)

Heart Shaped Apple Recipe Idea

I get pretty excited about February, holidays and all things "heart shaped". I hope this gives you a little inspiration for the month. 

Busy Mom's Guide to Meal Planning

Eating healthy as a family of five can be challenging and time consuming. When I first started down this clean eating path I honestly didn't know how I was going to fit it into our schedule but knew that it would have a long term positive impact on both myself and our family . After a few months of trial and error, I think I finally have it figured out (at least in this category!!)

TIP #1 PLAN AHEAD
Plan your dinners a week at a time. I plan all of our dinners for the week on Thursday night and then we shop / prep Friday thru Sunday. I will admit on Thursday night its not my favorite activity but when paired with a glass of wine, its not too bad :) AND the benefit I get throughout the week is well worth it.

TIP #2 PREP ON THE WEEKEND
I work full time and take my lunch to work. I plan my lunches and snacks a week in advance as well. So on Thursday night when I am making my grocery list I think about what the needs for lunch as the family are for the week (i.e. if I have any meetings, lunches out etc.) Everything is packed and ready to go on Sunday so I don't have to think about it the night before.

TIP #3 SIMPLIFY
Simplify. I do NOT take extravagant lunches to work or make complicated dinners. Its repetitive but that cuts down on the prep time. :)  We use the crock pot ALOT!

MAKING PREP EASY

This specific plan follows Plan A of the Hammer and Chisel meal plan and can also be used with the 21 Day Fix plan. For those of you that aren't familiar with those programs its basically clean eating. Period. Its about 1300 - 1500 calories a day.

The prep of all of this food takes me about 90 minutes. It includes pre-packing the nuts/snacks. Measuring my fruit (where appropriate. I eat about 1 cup per serving), steaming the vegetables and baking the protein. I do not cook the sweet potato ahead of time and just pop it in the microwave at work for 2-3 minutes. While 90 minutes sounds like a lot, it would take me about 15-20 minutes every night so it does save time in the long run. I usually break it up over the weekend during naptime!

Protein
I bake all the protein with minimal seasoning at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes at the same time. It usually consists of a bit of olive oil, Mrs Dash season and a little bit of lemon juice. 1 serving is about the equivalent of 1 cup cooked.

Vegetables
I steam the vegetables with water and then once cooked add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with a little bit of salt and pepper. One serving is about 1 cup.

Snacks
Snacks include fruit, nuts and chopped raw veggies. I cut all the veggies ahead of time and put them in individual snack bags along with the fruit and nuts.

The containers shown are from Amazon. There are tons of options. These were about $15 for 10. They are dishwasher safe and microwavable.

EXAMPLE DAY 

The meal plan below shows what I would eat in a normal day on this plan including the lunches prepped above. The containers are in reference to the programs mentioned above. 

Breakfast (1 red, 1 green)

- Egg Casserole (12 eggs, 1 cup mixed fresh veggies on hand, 1/4 cup skim milk, salt/pepper to taste. Bake at 350- for 25-30 minutes until done in the middle) Slice into 6 servings.

(If I don't eat eggs I will sometimes substitute in a greek yogurt and or steel cut oats w/ fruit)

Snack 1 (1 red, 1/2 green, 1 purple)

- Shakeology (protein shake) with 1/2 banana and 1 cup of spinach

Lunch (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange, 1 green)

- Grilled chicken, tilapia or chicken sausage

- 1/2 sweet potato (You could substitute quinoa, brown rice, couscous, 1/2 english muffin etc.)

- Steamed veggies (usually broccoli and cauliflower)

- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

Snack 2 (1 purple, 1 blue)

- Apple or 1 cup of berries

- 12 almonds

Dinner (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow)

- Protein 

- Vegetable

- Optional carb. (On this plan I get 2 carbs a day, so I modify this based on my above choices and if I want wine! lol) 

Snack 3 (1/2 green)

- Mixed raw veggies

I hope that helps for all of you looking for some clean eating inspiration! I LOVE going to my fridge on a weeknight and simply pulling out my lunch for the next day. It makes such a difference!

p.s. Check out my meal planning page for more dinner ideas!

Weekend Recap! (Photo Download!)

I thought it would be fun to do a little weekend recap (aka a download of pictures from my iPhone. Plus its Monday and that makes me think about the weekend! :) So here you go!

First lets chat about all that SNOW!! Well we didn't get any, maybe a couple of flurries and that is it. But don't get me wrong, its freaking cold here which means cabin fever. What do you do with two toddlers under two with cabin fever? GET CREATIVE!

Yes, that is a dust buster. The love to clean. :) So we clean everything and pretend to clean everything. 

Next up was cooking. I do a lot of planning and cooking on the weekends to prepare for the week. In addition to making this awesome soup, I made these heart shaped cornbread muffins. (Which I have to say took all my will power NOT to eat them!) But they are cute right? And everyone loved them. 

I also did a LOT of meal planning which I will be posting about later this week. 5 days of lunches all pre-packed and ready to go. I usually do it the night before and thought it was time to change it up. I am excited to not have to deal with packing for 6 more days! 

We decided on Sunday to take the girls swimming. A gym by our house was having an open house so we stopped in and used the pool for free :) Hey you can't blame us right? In addition to the swimming the best part was walking into the gym knowing that my workout was already done and I didn't have to stand in line for a class pass, wait in line for the treadmill or waste 15 -20 minutes driving there everyday. For once I wasn't jealous of everyone else being at the gym! :) 

My playroom workouts are much more fun! :) (AND efficient!) 

Last but not least, I organized my new tea collection. Which sounds ridiculous, but I am semi-obsessed with all my new teas and this little company called The Tea Spot. I arranged this so its sitting on our stove on a cute little tray. Its like my own little tea shop waiting for me every morning and every afternoon. My favorite so far is Chocolate Cherry Bomb and Chocolate Peppermint Patty (both black teas). Do you catch the theme? Calorie free chocolate. YES please!

So there you have it. A nice little recap of a cold, January weekend. Have a great week!

Easy Weeknight Salmon!

A gourmet meal on a busy weeknight? No problem! This is one of our family's go to recipes (I am talking like once a week) that is super easy and delicious.

First, a few tips for making a buying salmon.
--> To save money, buy the salmon frozen. We get it from Whole Foods but not in the fresh department. In the frozen department where its flash frozen (and exactly the same fish as in the fresh area). The bonus? Its $19.99 for 6 fillets. A pretty decent price when you are feeding a family of 4 or 5.

--> I always put foil or parchment paper in the baking dish that I am using. Its not necessary but it makes clean up EASY.

--> Prep the fish the night before (and prepare in the baking dish) so the night of, you just have to pop it in the oven!

--> If you are roasting vegetables as a side, you can roast them at the same temperature, it just will take about 40 minutes. (And don't waste all that olive oil on your veggies! Take on tablespoon, add it to a giant plastic bag with your veggies, season, shake and you are set. This way they are equally coated!)

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Ingredients: 

1lb salmon fillets (about 4 ounces per person)
salt/pepper to taste
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange salmon in a baking dish, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt/pepper to taste.

Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until blended.

Pour mixture over salmon fillets.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until middle is light pink and flaky. 

Serve immediately. 

8 Tips for a Healthy Weekend!

Happy Weekend! (Well almost!) We all know the biggest challenge on the weekends is staying on track especially when you are eating out. Here are few tips that I have discovered that help me manage temptations and continue to reach my goals!

1. Check the menu before hand and try to look up the calories if you can.
2. Stick to protein and vegetables. Avoid the carbs and sugar and especially dressings and “empty” calories. If you need dressing, ask for olive oil and count it as a fat.
3. Plan your alcohol. Know what you are allowed. If you think you might have more than one glass of wine, then cut back on the carbs earlier in the day. Use the rule of 3. 3 carbs per day. Each sugar (i.e. treat or wine) counts as a carb. Know how many you have to use for the day. (I allow 3 glasses of wine a week).
4. If you aren’t sure about what the restaurant has you can drink a 2nd serving of Shakeology before hand and then have your “snack” as lunch/dinner. (i.e. plain salad, baked potato etc.)
5. Drink out of fun glasses. I know this sounds funny, but the nights when I know I have already had my “treats”, I put sparkling water or LaCroix in a wine glass. Its at least a little more exciting.
6. Invite your friends/family to your house or a healthier restaurant. :) Tell them about your adventure in healthy eating and your passion around it!
7. Remember why started. Eating that bread on the table isn’t going to feel as good as when you accomplish your goals.
8. If you aren’t going to a restaurant and are just trying to stay on track for the weekend, stay busy. If you need a distraction, pin some good recipes on Pinterest. Listen to an upbeat song. Go for a walk. Or better yet, get that workout in!

I hope that helps. Have an amazing weekend!

Easy Peasy Chicken Salad!

I am on a quest to liven up my recipe list (and lunches). I found this chicken salad recipe as part of my current fitness program I am following and it couldn't be easier. I made this this weekend and now am enjoying it the rest of the week.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. low-fat (1%) Greek Yogurt

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (or lemon)

1 tsp. ground chili powder

1 tsp. raw honey

3 cups chopped, grilled chicken breast (boneless/skinless) 

- I baked this at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes instead of grilling. Season with salt/ pepper and chili powder as desired. 

1/2 medium red onion (diced)

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds)

8 large Boston (or Bibb) lettuce leaves

2 cups fresh spinach

(Optional 1/4 cup of grapes and 1/4 cup diced tomatoes)

Directions:

1. If you haven't already cook and dice the chicken. 

2. Combine yogurt, lime juice, chili, powder and honey in a small bowl. This is the salad dressing.

3. Combine chicken, onion, spinach, pumpkin seeds and dressing. Toss gently until blended throughout. (Toss in optional grapes / tomatoes to preference). 

4. Serve on top of bibb lettuce. Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!

p.s For those of you on the 21 Day Fix, it counts as 1 green, 1 red and 1 orange container. (Without the grapes and tomatoes). 

Kickstart your Morning Routine!

I am not a big new year's resolution person, but one of the big changes I want to make is adding a little more efficiency to my morning routine :) I read a quote recently that the best leaders in the world get up early, so now I can't get that out of my head. I want to be my best! (Doesn't everyone?!?!) I was already getting up early (hello two toddlers...) So am getting up extra earlier, being efficient with my early morning time and setting a few goals. Here are a few ways I have kick started my mornings this week!

Goal #1 - Wake Up without Distractions
- I wake up early (i.e. between 4:30 and 5:00am) so that I can workout and work on some of my business goals. My mind is the freshest when I first wake up. This means no checking phone, email, etc. until post workout! No distractions! Once I turn my phone on its like my mind goes in 1,00 directions.

Goal #2 - Be Efficient with your AM Activities
- Be efficient. Along with #1 (i.e. no checking phone or messages), I lay all my clothes out and pack my lunch the night before. This includes my workout clothes and planning my workout. (I actually plan them by the week). My focus in the mornings is me (before everyone else gets up) and then the family. I also take it a step further and lay all the girls clothes out and at night cook dinner for the next night. That way we are ensured there is a healthy meal waiting and in the morning I am for the most part insured a few minutes to get things done.

Goal #3 Drink Lemon Water Everyday
- Lemon water. I have mentioned this before, but I have read over and over again that drinking a hot glass of lemon water when you first wake-up has tremendous health benefits. SO, I workout, drink water and then post workout, drink my hot lemon water.

Directions:
- Heat 8oz of water to boiling
- Add 1/4 to 1/2 lemon slice (with juice)
- Enjoy!

p.s. When I am done I stick the lemon down my disposal and then the whole sink smells amazing!

Goal #4 Make Room for Improvement
- Continuous improvement. :) I always wish I had more time to read and for some reason it always falls off the list. I am still working on that but I have learned that podcasts and e-readers are a great way to "listen" to books while working out or getting ready. So 3-4 days a week, I listen to my favorite advice givers and sometimes a fun book or two.  Up next on my list? Anyone that can create a show like Scandal definitely has my attention!

That makes for a pretty good morning right? And all before 7:00am! :) Try it and let me know what you think!

Easy Paleo Friendly Kale Chips!

One of the to-do's on my holiday vacation list was to make kale chips. I know, I know, I need to find something more exciting to do, but this was exciting to me. :) I have always wanted to try them and never took the plunge. This recipe is so easy, and SUPER healthy and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 bag dry kale leaves (do not get the chopped kind, while it works, its much harder to eat!)

Sea Salt

Olive Oil

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees

Lay kale flat on baking sheet

Drizzle with olive oil and season salt

If you have a few extra minutes I would add the kale to a large plastic bag prior to placing on the baking sheet. Add the olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) and salt and shake in the back. This ensures it all gets coated with the olive oil. For some optional seasoning you can also add garlic powder. 

Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool. Eat! Thats it. I told you it was easy! I bet they won't last long!

And in case you still aren't sold, here are all the benefits of eating kale! :) 

New Years --> Good Luck Traditions

They say that you should eat cabbage of some sort on New Year's Day to bring good luck the rest of the year. Full disclosure, I am not a big believer in New Years resolutions, BUT if I can eat some cabbage to get some good luck, I will do it!  (And don't worry, I don't completely give up on goal setting, I just do it monthly or weekly, because the chances of me actually achieving it is much higher!)

SO, to bring good luck this year, our family made brussels sprouts! Brussels sprouts au gratin. They are mini cabbages right? At least in the same family? The cheese sauce is just a bonus!

We made this recipe but I modified a little bit and used 1 cup of skim milk. You can also use almond milk.  I wasn't sure the sauce was going to be enough, but once you baked it it turned out amazing!

All together it took about 15 minutes to make and about 30 minutes to cook. The end result was delicious and the whole family ate it (or at least tried it). Even those that don't like brussels sprouts! Make a point to try new recipes this year and new vegetables. Cabbage is a winter vegetable and so good for you!

Happy New Year!