Buffalo Chicken Lean and Green dinner

Oven baked Buffalo Chicken 

Buffalo

Chicken Breast or chicken tenders (the tenders are easier to shred) 

Place in baking dish 

Place pats a butter over the chicken 

Cover in your favorite buffalo sauce 

Bake according to the direction on the package

Hot Sauce

butter and your favorite hot sauce in a microwave safe container 

melt the butter stir and pour hot sauce over the chicken once it is done and serve ! 

Add you favorite green veggie. 

We make extra chicken to use on a Buffalo chicken salad the next day for lunch.

What's your favorite hot sauce ? We love Crystal's & Franks Red Hot wing sauce.

500/600 Calorie lunch idea Buffalo Chicken ranch and bacon salad.

Buffalo Chicken salad 

Buffalo chicken salad with ranch & bacon ! 500/600 calorie lunch idea.

2 cups romaine
4 ounce chicken breast leftover from dinner
1 ounce Trader Joe's turkey bacon
1 boiled egg 
1/2 ounce shredded cheese
2 tbsp Newman's own organic ranch
6 grape tomatoes
& a nectarine for dessert

Buffalo sauce 2 tbsp butter add your favorite hot sauce then microwave until it's melted poor over chicken before adding to the salad.

This was a huge hit ! We have the buffalo chicken for dinner and make a little extra to have on our salad for lunch the next day. Less cooking is more around here. Hope you enjoy. What's your favorite salad ?
  

                    

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Costco grocery list

Costco 

Costco has lots of great deals and buying in bulk allows or family of 5 to eat healthy on a little less. 

This was one trip we don't buy everything every single week. One of the great things about buying in bulk is you can usually get two or three meals out of one bag of fish ,chicken etc.

So here is our list

Kirkland's organic beef  comes in a three pack we can get three meals or two if we have company over 

Rotisserie Chicken we always get at least one they are great for salads and lunch 

Aidelle's sausage these are great on the grill add a veggie for a lean and green dinner.

Organic Spinach great for salads ,omelet night or sauteed for a lean and green dinner
Andy's Romaine lettuce salads and dinner for our guinea pig "Penny" 

Tri Color Bell peppers great for dipping in hummus or guacamole instead of chips 

Baby Portabella mushrooms these are protein packed great addition to lunch or dinner 

Bag Avocados we eat these almost daily for lunch 

Bag organic Green beans 

Bag organic broccoli

Bagged frozen natural Chicken breast enough for 2 nights of meals and a few left over to have for lunch 

Frozen Tilapia one bag is enough for 2 meals with a few left over 

Frozen shrimp my crew will eat one entire bag for dinner ! 

Eggs we get the all natural ones boil them for snacks, we have omelets one night a week for dinner ,breakfast

Half n Half they have organic !
Butter
Quinoa for lunches 

Taco Seasoning

Worcestershire Sauce

Brad's organic peanut butter 

Kirkland's fancy unsalted mixed nuts (not sure what makes them fancy) for afternoon snacks
Unsweetened almond milk 

We tend not to buy fruit there because of the volume you have to buy it's going to go bad before we can eat it all ! If you have a healthy food finds at your favorite wholesale club that we can add to the list let me know I'd love some more ideas !

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Avocado Chicken Salad

500/600 Calorie Lunch Idea 

Avocado Chicken Salad 

2 Ripe avocados
1 5oz Lite Greek yogurt
1 cup Cherry tomatoes halved
4-6 ounces rotesirrie chicken (we use whatever is leftover from the ones we buy at Costco every week for our salads)
Lime Juice
Your favorite Seasoning for us it's "Slap Ya Mamma"

Mix avocados with yogurt if you want it creamier just add more yogurt. Stir in shredded chicken and tomatoes. Squeeze of fresh lime and your favorite seasoning to taste. Garlic powder, salt , pepper we love "Slap Ya Mamma" it's a little spicy which is just fine by us. You can find this a World Market here in town.

Use on top of salad or have a wrap in a LOW carb tortilla. Add fresh spinach if you are making a wrap, so YUMMY !

Using My Fitness Pal it came up to 192 calories per servings for 4 servings in this batch. If you add more yogurt you'll need to adjust for that.

Chicken chili

Chick Chili 

So I meant to take a picture ,but completely forgot about the picture until I was already halfway through my lunch, oh well. Hopefully I'll remember when I have the leftovers ! 

Got home from visiting my daughters school and working out, and I was not in the mood for salad. Needing  to use some left over chicken we had I threw this together really quick. You could easily make this ahead of time freeze and take for lunch later in the week.

Left over rotisserie chicken we had about 4 ounces left 

heaping teaspoon minced garlic 

1/2  medium onion chopped

1 can dark red kidney beans 

1 can black beans 

1 can tomato sauce 

2 tablespoon chili powder 

few dashes of cumin 

salt/pepper to taste 

Tbsp butter 

Add butter, chopped onion, garlic and chicken since it was leftover rotisserie it was already cooked saute until onions are cooked. Add all of the cans the tomato sauce, kidney beans, black beans I drained the black beans not the kidney beans. Add the chili powder and cumin stir heat to boiling reduce hit and let simmer for 30 minutes. Makes 4 cups each cup is 315 calories. 

Garnish with a Tbsp of plain Greek yogurt and a small bit of shredded cheese. Speaking of shredded cheese be sure and change out the pre shredded  kind for the block kind and shred your own. There are chemicals in the shredded bagged cheese to keep the cheese from clumping together those chemicals are not in the block cheese. 

A cup and a half of chili an ounce of cheese and a Tbsp of Greek yogurt is 602 calories. Keep in mind beans are higher in carbs so this is perfect for lunch, if you are trying to lose weight you need to stick with a lean meat and veggie for dinner ! Happy healthy eating ! 

Ignite 

Change

Change 

Most of us don't like the word change.

It can be scary overwhelming, but it can also be the best thing that ever happened to you. 

 4 months into our lifestyle change

In December we decided it was time for a lifestyle change
we were addicted to processed chemical laden foods. It was literally killing us ,but no matter how hard we tried changing our diet , exercising and doing the right thing we just could never stick with it. We might or might not restart the whole process every  Monday maybe lose a pound or two only to regain that weight the very following weekend. By Friday we were tired grouchy and WANTED  to EAT there was always a get together, Birthday party or something to celebrate with all manner of food so we did.

We were MISERABLE. Often exhausted , grouchy , achy , full to bursting. Slaves to junk food , and soda. Food was ALWAYS on our minds trying to stay away from  it, or feeling guilty when we couldn't. Or feeling hungry and deprived when we tried to be GOOD. So how did we overcome all that in a world that revolves around bad food with bodies that were addicted, exhausted  and sick ? We started our lifestyle change with a detox 8 day challenge using natural supplements designed to actually feed and support your body on a cellular level this support allowed us to transition through the  changes necessary for us to overcome our addictions while learning healthy habits. We were skeptical at first, could we do it ,would it work ? Happy to day those concerns did not last long.  It wasn't hard at all ,in fact it was the easiest thing we have ever done. By day 3 of the 8 day challenge we felt AMAZING.  By day 9 health food tasted good, our energy was through the roof , we were sleeping and feeling so much better  ! I had lost 8 pounds and my hubby 10 how was this even possible ? As my husband says he didn't realize how bad he felt until he started feeling good. We haven't looked back now we are celebrating our new lifestyle nearly 80 pounds lighter between the two of us. If you want to transform your health  and a healthy life from the inside out. We are here to tell you it is possible it is very doable and it is easier than you can imagine. So wherever you are know that you aren't alone we've been there and  we are here to tell you there is hope, pain relief ,healing ,and freedom. All you have to do is decide to just begin.
Ready for a change ? For more info go to 
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Grilled Fajita Steak & veggies

Grilled Fajita Steak & Veggies 

Clean and carb free fajita dinner 

Fajitas are a favorite around here ,but since giving up carbs after 2:00 around here we needed to come up with a carb free, cleaner version. The kids still have theirs with tortilla's sour cream and cheese. If you you trying to lose weight and eat healthier just skip all the extras. This was so tasty we didn't miss the extras nor did our waistlines. You can have  a little salsa if you like. So here is what you'll need to have a healthy leaner version of fajita night ! 

1 Flank Steak 

1 Lime

1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic 

Worcestershire sauce 

Salt/Pepper 

Red pepper flakes 

Bell pepper, green ,tri-color or both whatever you prefer 

1 Large onion 

1 Package Mushrooms 

The night before of the morning of this dinner take the steak put it in a roasting pan stab it with a fork front and back ,squeeze lime juice over the top, cover in Worcestershire sauce flipping the steak as you season so both sides get covered rub down with a tablespoon of minced garlic. Lastly season with salt/pepper and red pepper flakes. Cover place in the fridge 12/24 hours. The longer it marinates the better it tastes ! 

Grill over medium to high until it's to your preference of wellness let rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into strips.

Veggies cut into strips saute them in butter salt/pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

That's it, couldn't be any easier or delicious !

Noodleless Chicken Soup

Noodleless Chicken Soup 

Chemical and carb free this chicken soup is really good and good for you !

1-2 cups water  we like out soup a little thicker so we used a cup 

4 cups organic chicken broth (costco)

2 bay leaves 

2 cups cooked shredded chicken 

2 cups baby carrots 

2 cups celery chopped or 2 cups organic green beans chopped

1 onion chopped 

salt/pepper to taste 

feeds 5 

1 cup 210 calories 

Combine all ingredients bring to a boil reduce to simmer for 30-40 minutes until carrots are tender 

This recipe is great to use up any leftover chicken from your dinners, or just buy a rotisserie chicken. I use the breasts for salads and the leftovers for soup or chili. Feel free to have this for lunch or dinner because it is carb free ! And unlike the canned versions of chicken noodle soup this one is chemical free so save any leftovers in the freezer for a sick day and as always ENJOY ! 

                             

Confessions of a sugar addict

SUGAR !

Insert your child's  Easter basket in the center of this picture

Confession, I am a sugar addict... oh it send's my brain into a tail spin I LOVE IT, but not what it does to me. I lose self control the more I eat, the more I want, the more I want, the more I eat. My heart beats faster, my blood sugar spikes then I crash and want more. This roller coaster usually gives me a  headache, makes me cranky and after a day of splurging I can easily gain a pound or two overnight ! Truth is I'm carb sensitive and most of us are. If you have self control can eat a piece of candy and walk away oh how I wish I were you ,but I'm not. Now that I've lost 32 pounds this is the first Easter that I will not be giving into the "BASKET"the one that calls my name. Which meant changing up how I do things, just as any successful person that has recovered or is in recovery from an addiction needs to be proactive in making changes about tempting areas if they want to remain successful. So here's what I changed to set my husband and I up for success over the holiday weekend and I hope will help you too. 

Just a visual encouragement as we head into Easter weekend. Just pop your child's Easter basket filled with "goodies"in the middle of this chart. My children's baskets will have less in them this year, and instead of buying bags of candy that have to be opened and distributed among the baskets and ultimately my mouth ,because who can resist handling all that

candy and without having some ? NOT ME !  So I only purchased their personal favorites in a single serving size. This keeps ,me from having open bags of candy to deal with, and it's better for my kids. They get one and they are done ! It's also less expensive. My kids also love gum, beef jerky and chips. Since I no longer buy chips on a regular basis they are now a real treat.

Though I grew up celebrating the Easter bunny,candy and hunting for eggs more than the Resurrection of Jesus. In my short walk with Christ I have learned that we have a God that loves us so much that he sacrificed his own son to have a relationship with each and everyone of us ,yes even me and you. The good news is he is especially fond of the broken ones and boy did I qualify in that arena ! So when you see an Easter basket a bunny or candy ,just pause for a moment give thanks to Jesus for the amazing obedience to his father for going to to cross, to lay down his life for you. Taking on your sin so you could be free from it. Why would anyone do such a thing ! LOVE because he loves you. Then thank God for his willingness to sacrifice his only son, so he could have a relationship with you. Why would anyone sacrifice their own child to such a horrible death ? LOVE because God really does love you that much, and make no mistake no matter who you are he LOVES you. Love is a perfect gift it forgives, heals ,restoress and strengthens. How can it do all that, because his love is perfect ! My prayer is that all of us this Easter are reminded of that PERFECT LOVE and receive it to the fullest. Have a wonderful Easter everyone enjoy the day and the precious time with family and friends. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life  John 3:16

Gardinerignite

Cool Beans Salad

Cool Beans Salad 

 500/600 calorie lunch idea 

Made this salad yesterday morning to take the the Zoo ! 

It turned out great had the leftovers today and guess what it was even better the second day. 

Love this recipe because it requires zero cooking since it's served cold it's perfect to make on the weekends and have for lunch during the week.

Ingredients 

1/2 cup frozen corn 

1 can garbanzo beans 

1 can tri blend beans 

1 can diced tomatoes

1 bell pepper finely chopped

1/2 onion finely chopped 

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp chili powder 

1 tsp garlic salt 

2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Feta Cheese 

We use the Kroger Simple truth organic canned goods for all of our recipes they are clean and organic. Feel free to use whatever brand you prefer. Drain all the cans the put all the ingredients except for the cheese into the mixing bowl including the frozen corn (nope you don't need to cook it first) mix well cover and put in the fridge it'll be ready in a few hours the longer it sit's the yummier it gets. Add the cheese crumbles just before serving salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 4 cups one cup is about 264 calories, Add an apple and a light Greek yogurt  and you've got a perfect lunch !

500/600 Calorie lunch on the go !

Lunch on the Go !

500/600 calorie lunch on the go 

So I am little spoiled when it comes to lunch since I work from home. On occasion I am out all day for different reasons in which case I have to pack a lunch. This lunch came in at 528 calories I wish I had some Applegate lunch meat to add to this, but I didn't. So if you have some lunch meat add it ! Applegate or Boars head are the best lunch meat to eat they are actually meat without all the "extras" that aren't even food. The regular brands are mostly not meat so pass on those from now on. Also you'll need to weigh your ingredients I promise it doesn't take long and you'll see the pay off on you scale and waistline. 

2 cups romaine

1 boiled egg

3 oz grape tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper 

1 cup mushroom chopped 

1 ounce feta cheese 

1/2 avocado chopped 

2 tbs Balsamic vinegar (Trader Joe's is my favorite this isn't a dressing just plain balsamic vinegar most bottled dressings are nothing but bottles of chemicals, no thanks...)

1 container of Greek yogurt for dessert 

All this is 528 Calories ! 

Crock pot roast beast

Crock pot Roast Beast  

With onions & Green Beans 

no carb dinner idea

Not sure about you ,but I LOVE my crock pot I use it all the time I just throw stuff in and it does all the cooking while I work. I love this particular recipe because I can make two meals at once, but first let's make tonight's dinner Roast Beast.

What you'll need 

Roast (I always look for one on sale)

Beef broth you can use the cubes if you prefer ,but organic beef broth is better for you.

1 large onion 

salt/pepper 

Frozen green beans you can get a huge bag of organic ones at Costco for next to nothing & they are delicious ! 

minced garlic 

Coconut oil 

Place roast in the crock pot cover with broth or water and add the recommended number of cubes, the liquid does not need to completely cover the roast, but does need to come close. Add salt and pepper. Cut the onion up into wedges separate them and put them in the crock pot with the roast. I put this on in the morning around 7:00/8:00 cook on high all day, it'll be falling apart by dinner no knife needed ! Spoon some of the broth and onions from the crock pot  right onto your roast so yummy ! 

Garlic Green beans. Heat a spoonful of coconut oil in a saute pan add the beans follow the cooking time on the back of the bag about half way through add the minced garlic at least a teaspoon we make enough for 5 people so I use a tablespoon season with sea salt. 

You'll have to calculate your own calories depending on the cut of meat you use we had Angus roast (it happened to be on sale) This meal came in around 400 calories with 6 ounces of meat , the onion and 1 1/3 cup of green beans. 

Stay tuned before you clean up this dinner you can easily turn the left overs into tomorrows lunch, Beef Vegetable soup which I'll post tomorrow !

Pbjcreations

Sweet Heart Muffins

Sweet Heart Muffins 

Weekends are just made for baked goods. 

These are a healthier option that allow you to have a treat on the weekend without undoing all your healthy eating efforts during the week. They would also make a good snack during the week if you have no problem with portion control, things like muffins even healthy ones can call my name.

 Each muffin is only 66 calories ! 

1 cup plain greek yogurt 

2 1/2 cups plain oats uncooked 

2 eggs 

1/2 cup Stevia 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon Lemon Juice 

1 cup strawberries cut up into small pieces 

1/3 cup chocolate chips 

Put everything in the food processor except for the strawberries and chocolate chips mix until it looks like batter, ours was still a little course. Fold the chocolate chips and strawberries into the mixture. Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil well. Fill cups halfway bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes check with a knife to make sure they are ready. If it comes out clean they are done. They did stick a little despite the coconut oil. If you use cupcake liners let me know how it works for you ! 

Pbjcreations

Beans and Rice or Rice and Beans

Beans and Rice or Rice and Beans 

Vegetarian lunch idea 

This was super quick ,affordable and easy to make.
It has lot's of protein, and fiber it would travel well for lunch just make a batch ahead of time to take to work .

 You could also freeze the leftovers to take the following week. 

What you'll need 

coconut oil 

1 can  garbanzo beans

1 can  black beans 

1 can corn

1/2 onion chopped

2 cups spinach

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic salt

pepper to taste

brown minute rice 

Cook rice in the microwave as directed we made 2 servings of rice 

saute chopped onion in coconut oil in a pot 

drain the Garbanzo beans 

add the both can of beans and corn into the pot, I did not drain the black beans or the corn. 

add the spices and spinach stir bring to a boil reduce to simmer

stir occasional cook for 10/15 minutes serve over rice

2/3 cup of cooked rice and a cup & 1/2 of the beans stew comes to 514 calories which is a lot of food !

If you are trying to lose weight this is a great lunch idea, until you reach your goal weight you'll want to stick to a lean meat and veggie for dinner. 

Breakfast cookies !

Chocolate chip breakfast cookies.

Saw a version of these on  pinterest and had to try them. I didn't have all the ingredients 

so I made my own version and they turned out great ! So here is my version. After tasting one you could easily use this as a base for oatmeal raisin cookies or cranberry almond cookies pretty much anything. They are not SWEET like regular cookies so some of the kids liked them some didn't ,but at least everyone tried them and overall they were a hit.

What you'll need 

2 Ripe Bananas 

1/3 Cups Creamy or Chunky peanut butter 

2/3 cups Unsweetened applesauce

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract 

1 1/2 Cups Oatmeal uncooked 

1/4 Vanilla protein powder

1/4 Chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350

Mash bananas and peanut butter together until completely combined. Add applesauce stir until creamy. Add the vanilla ,protein powder ,and oatmeal stir until mixed. Fold in chocolate chips.

Grease cookie sheet with coconut oil drop mixture in rounded spoonfuls on the sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. I like soft cookies if you want them crispy cook them longer. This made 24 cookies each cookie is 70 calories no flour ,no added sugar and lots of protein ! Not to mention I think they are yummy enough for dessert ! 

Fish & shrimp Bowl

Fish & shrimp bowl 

500/600 calorie lunch idea

Instant brown rice
Tilapia
4 ounces of shrimp
coconut oil
"Slap ya mama" or other spicy seasoning
soy sauce
Edamame
broccoli
1 egg


You can make a batch of this at home and take it into the office.

Get a couple of pots of water going one for the rice and one for the Edamame
Wipe the bottom of  glass baking dish with coconut oil I use a paper towel
add fish and shrimp sprinkle with the Slap Ya Mama or any other spicy seasoning you might have. Bake fish and shrimp as directed on the packaging.
Cook the rice according to the directions ,use brown rice it is better for you !
Same for the Edamame , I love the steam fresh microwave bags of broccoli so get that going also.
When the rice is done add it to a hot skillet with a teaspoon of melted coconut oil  leaving a hole in the center of the rice add the egg and scramble with the rice and a tablespoon of soy sauce.

Once all the components are complete add each serving together in your bowl.
By measuring each component separately you'll know exactly how many calories you are getting mine came to about 548 delicious calories !

If you are trying to lose weight stick with this for lunch you don't want to have the carbs (brown rice) at dinner.

Garlic lemon grilled pork chops

Garlic lemon grilled pork chops 

Top loin cut pork chop with sauteed spinach

We are on a budget so I'm always looking for a deal ,and today I found some pork chops on sale so I snagged them up.
I knew I wanted to grill them ,but also knew I needed to marinate them. Since we have given up those oh so tasty and convenient bottles of chemical laden marinades I came up with a new one with fresh ingredients we already had.

What you'll need
Pork chops top loin cut shown here
(any kind you like would work)
Olive oil
Lemon juice or a lemon
Mined Garlic
salt/pepper
Oregano

Put the chops in a storage bag drizzle with olive oil ,add two tablespoons lemon juice or cut up a fresh lemon into fourths squeeze the juice into the bag toss the lemon wedges in also add a tablespoon minced garlic, salt/pepper and a good bit of oregano. Close the bag and mix everything together make sure all the chops are covered with everything. Let the bag sit in the fridge I did it 30 minutes before they hit the grill and they tasted great ,but I bet if you let it sit in the fridge all day it'll be even better !

Then grill. We had really thick chops that took forever to cook, next time I'd cut them in half.
I wiped the grate down with coconut oil so they wouldn't stick. These took 30 minutes on medium high ,adjust your cooking time to suit your chops.

Sauteed spinach is a perfect side just wash and drain, saute in coconut oil with minced garlic.

Another no carb dinner !

Quinoa lunch bowl with shrimp and bacon

Quinoa lunch bowl 

It's been 70 days of clean eating and like everyone else we like variety 

and there are only so many ways to make a salad exciting. So we decided to try and make Quinoa bowl out of things we already had on hand and it turned out great ! We'll definitely be having this again.

What you'll need 

4 cups spinach 

1 portabella mushroom (large)

1/2 onion chopped

 tsp minced garlic 

2 pieces of turkey bacon Applegate brand or uncured Trader Joe's is clean 

1 ounce of shrimp 

1/2 Quinoa 

1 cup chicken broth 

1 avacado 

Cook the Quinoa in the chicken broth as directed on the package

 I ended up having to add a little more broth.

Saute the onions and spinach in coconut oil add the onions first when those are nearly ready add the shrimp,  spinach, mushrooms and garlic. Add the cooked Quinoa to the sauteed veggies season with sea salt.

Measure out equal servings into two bowls.

Cook the turkey bacon in the microwave. 

Half the avocado and cube.

Each bowl gets one slice of crumbled bacon and one half of the avocado give them a good stir.

ENJOY !

Believe it or not this big bowl of yumminess only came up to around 440 calories 

My husband added an apple and I added 1/2 grapefruit to get this lunch up to the 500 calorie mark.

You can find the Quinoa, organic chicken broth, and precooked shrimp at Costco.

Smokey Joe Grilled Shrimp Kabobs

Grilled shrimp Kabobs

This is the perfect low calorie high nutrition dinner !

My family loves shrimp ,and the kids loved 

making their own kabobs. 

You'll need

2 pounds shrimp we bought the precooked tail off shrimp from Costco 

this fed 7 of us.

Your favorite veggies we used

 mushrooms, onions, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper 

a couple limes 

salt/pepper 

garlic 

chili powder 

African smoke seasoning (Trader Joe's)

The shrimp needs to be thawed, follow the package directions 

place in a bowl drain any excess water

Drizzle with Olive oil &

squeeze the lime juice over the shrimp

give them a stir to coat 

add a tablespoon minced garlic 

2 teaspoon chili powder 

salt and pepper to taste

top with a good amount of African Smoke Seasoning 

stir the shrimp again so they are all covered 

chop the onion and bell pepper into pieces large enough to be skewered

Put them on the on the skewers if you are using the bamboo ones, soak them in water first so they don't catch fire ! (This is so something I would do) 

Grill just long enough for the vegetables to be roasted and  the shrimp to be heated up and ENJOY ! We had some left over shrimp we used with our salads the next day.

Transformation U

Clean Tacos

Clean Tacos 

1 pound of your favorite ground meat 

Trader Joe's Taco mix it's clean 

Romaine lettuce leaves 

Feta cheese (instead of shredded cheese)

Avocado 

Lime 

We have Taco's every week around here ,but in the journey to eat healthier we needed to change a few things. We use organic meat now instead of regular cooked with Trader Joe's taco mix (no chemicals) instead of the store brand pouch we used to use, traded the fried taco shells out for romaine lettuce leaves. Most refried beans I've found are clean just check the label to be sure. We use them as a small side. If you are trying to lose weight skip the beans and have an extra taco.

The Trader Joe's taco mix is spicier than the mild seasonings we were using so you don't need as much. We use maybe a tbsp. Which means one pouch lasts us a month ! We also use it in our Mexican crock pot soup. 

Guacamole my favorite part of taco night, that and no one is going to complain about dinner !

Smash the avocado up with some sea salt a squeeze of fresh lime and some garlic. Makes a great healthy topping for tacos. Kroger has organic salsa which is great and not much more than the regular brands.

If you want to make your own taco seasoning my friend Deb sent me this recipe to try,

  thank you for sharing !

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING

I try to buy ALL organic

1/4 c. Plus 1 Tbl. Chili powder

1 1/4 tsp. Garlic powder, Onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes and dried Oregano.

2 1/2 tsp. Paprika

2 Tbls. Plus 1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin

1 Tbls. Plus 2 tsp. Sea Salt

1 Tbls. Plus 2 tsp. Black Pepper (optional)

Salsa chicken chili

Salsa chicken chili 

We don't like to throw any food away 

 around here and I love letting my crock pot cook for me.

So I love this recipe not only is it yummy
  it uses last night dinner to make tomorrows lunch with my crock pot. 

Ingredients 

Left over chicken from "The Best Chicken I ever made"

1 15 ounce jar of salsa 

2 cups chicken broth (we use organic from costco)

1 Bay leaf 

1 onion chopped 

2 cans northern beans 

salt/pepper
1 tsp garlic 

Pull off the remaining chicken from last night's dinner shredding any large hunks as you go 

Chop the onion 

put everything together in the crock pot cook on high for 1 hour 

then low for at least 5 or more hours 

since we are trying to lose weight and not having any carbs after 2 we have this for lunch only. I've estimated one cup of this chili around 400 calories give or take.

You can garnish with cheese and sour cream or Greek yogurt ,but if you are trying to lose weight skip the extras ! Extra's on your food means extra's on you !

Crock Pot Mexican Soup

 We made this all the time before going clean so whether you are eating clean or not this is a great recipe. The only thing that makes it clean was reading the labels and buying the same items without the chemical ingredients. 

1 pound ground turkey brown or whatever you prefer 
1 tbsp Trader Joe's taco mix I add this to the meat and give it a stir 
Then put in crock pot 
Add 1 can each 
diced tomato 
chicken broth
corn
black beans
one medium onion chopped 
We used Kroger organic brand canned beans. I added a chopped onion too.
If you like more liquid then add more broth. 

Cooks for 5 hours more or less. Enjoy with tortilla chips if you like. Those are usually clean and gluten free just check your labels & watch your portion size if you are trying to lose weight. 

If you are not having Carbs after 2 you'll want to omit the corn and tortilla chips or just have this for lunch. 

The best Chicken I've ever made !

The Best Chicken I've ever made !

Chili Lime Chicken 

You'll need one roasting chicken 

One medium or large onion 

Chicken broth we use organic 

Chili Powder 

Salt/Pepper

Slap Ya Mama

South African Smoke Seasoning Blend (Trader Joe's)

2 Limes 

Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350

Using a paper towel I rubbed coconut oil on the bottom of the roasting pan 

Chop onion into big pieces spread on the bottom of the pan 

Place Chicken on top of the onions 

Coat the chicken in olive oil 

Cute one lime in half squeeze juice onto chicken places the halves in the chicken cavity

Slice the other lime up into thin pieces arranged on top of chicken  

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, slap ya mama,chili powder & the South African Smoke Seasoning 

Add 1/2 cup broth to the bottom of the pan

Cover with foil ,tent the foil so it doesn't touch the top of the chicken 

Bake at 350 for 2 hours 

I pulled the foil off during the last 10 minutes of cooking 

Let it rest 5 minutes before serving 

We spooned the broth and cooked onions over the top of our chicken and it was amazing ! 

We had this along side a serving of fresh spinach sauteed in coconut oil with garlic and sea salt.

Slap Ya Mama Salmon

Salmon Quinoa and Broccoli 

Baked salmon seasoned with salt and pepper and a little "slap ya mama" it's a New Orleans thing.

Salmon was Kroger brand frozen in the bag just followed the directions on the bag.
Frozen Broccoli steamed in the microwave then added butter and garlic gave it a stir.
Quinoa cooked with chicken stock one small onion a teaspoon fresh garlic a handful of baby spinach and 5 baby portabella mushroom sliced. Add the onion at the beginning of cooking add the other vegetables at the end so they don't get mushy.

The kids loved the Quinoa, well everyone but Natalie . We'll get there eventually.

This came in around 400 calories. Which means you can have some flavored Greek Yogurt for dessert !

Lemon roasted chicken with rosemary

Lemon roasted chicken with rosemary 

You'll need 1 whole chicken 

2 lemons

one onion 

olive oil 

chicken broth 

sea salt/pepper

few sprigs of fresh rosemary

chicken broth 

1 whole chicken (I found one at Kroger already cut up all natural and hormone free on sale for 5.84 !)

grease dish with coconut oil 

add layer of chopped onion to the bottom of the dish 

arrange chicken over the top of the onion

pour chicken broth into the bottom of the pan just enough to cover the bottom and then some 

rub chicken with olive oil 

squeeze one lemon over chicken put that lemon in the cavity

salt and pepper to taste

slice one lemon arrange over chicken

chop a few sprigs of fresh rosemary remove stems sprinkle over chicken and lemon slices 

add 1/2 cup chicken broth to the bottom of the pan

cover with foil

bake at 350 for 2 hours

let rest for 5 minutes before serving

serve with a side of your favorite veggies or two.

If you are using a whole chicken sprinkle with sea salt and pepper ,cover with lemon slices ,sprinkle with chopped rosemary. Then stuff the chicken with any left over lemons and a couple of sprigs of rosemary.

 Same cooking time and temperature.

We use the left over the following day in a crock pot recipe for salsa chicken chili. 

  

Enough is Enough

December 2nd 2012 just after polishing off Little Ceasers followed up by a good helping of the left over M&M's from Saturday night family movie night. Washing it all down with my personal favorite "Coke Zero" We all climbed on the couch and I had to unbutton my pants...then I thought I'm going to have to go buy bigger pants...I don't want to go buy bigger pants. This internal dialogue began it's the same dialogue I had a lot. The sane me grilling the crazy food addicted me. Why do we always end up here on the couch with our pants unbuttoned feeling GROSS ,you said you weren't going to do this anymore yet here we are again ! You have no self control no will power what is wrong with you ? Anyone else constantly  having this conversation with themselves or is it just me ? Please tell me I'm not alone here.

 Going to bed every night saying tomorrow will be the day I'll get it right tomorrow and depending on the day I had a 50/50 chance of either doing great or failing miserably because once I gave in I would just run with it.

That very next morning as we got ready I told Gerald we needed to do something something drastic this making little changes here and there was clearly not working for us, but I had no idea where to start. As I went up to work in my studio I pulled up Netflix and it suggested I watch the movie "Hungry for Change" I love to listen to documentaries while I paint so I took the suggestion and watched the movie. If you haven't seen it you must watch this movie. It changed my life. Before I had even finished it I had emailed Gerald the link and said watch this NOW ! It explained everything we had been struggling with for years. For the first time I realized it wasn't my fault that I was addicted to food , because the food I was eating was made to keep me addicted to it. Just like the extra ingredients the cigarettes companies put in their products to keep the client coming back for more, well the food companies are doing the exact same thing except no one really questions it. I mean we all grew up eating it so it must be OK right ? All you have to do is walk out your door or perhaps look into your own mirror to see what these companies and food like products are doing to us. For the first time I thought "I can do something about this". I had quit smoking 14 years ago. Yes I needed help and support to quit ,but I did it. If I could do that then I could take back my life and health from the unhealthy food I was eating. By the end of the movie I had decided we were going to start eating clean. Even though I had no idea what that would look like or where to begin. Even if you don't want to eat clean I'm hoping we can all come together in 2013 and figure out what works for each of us an individuals get healthy and stay that way.

 I found this blog "The Gracious Pantry"  and it has been very helpful in getting us started. So began our journey. Our goal feed our bodies and not our mouths, get healthy and know that we are doing everything we can to be around for our children and grandchildren and help teach them to live and eat well.

I'll be sharing the recipes I've started making and tips I've learned along the way here and I hope you'll add to them !

So what brought you here what are your goals ? Let's do it together !