Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf

As promised, another quinoa recipe for you.  Quinoa was the ingredient of the week this week.  First we had the Quinoa Protein Bars - a little something healthy but sweet for an after school or mid morning snack.  Now we have the quinoa turkey meatloaf, a savory, hearty dinner that is easy to make.  This is especially true if you prep your quinoa on your plan and prep day and keep it stored in the fridge until you are ready to make this meatloaf.  We really liked this recipe.  The quinoa gave it a great texture and seemed to make it more filling.  Even the boy who doesn't like meatloaf and loathes turkey meatloaf declared it "not bad".  I'll take that as a win.

It is hard to make meatloaf look good!  It tastes great though.

1/4 cup quinoa   
1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon BBQ sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce       

1egg

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon water

1.   Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3.   Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.

4.   Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf in an 8x8 baking dish. Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.

5.   Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

What is a Beachbody Coach?

I've had several people asking me what exactly a Beachbody coach is and what one does.  Rob and Suzanne, this is especially for you!  After searching around the internet and looking in a few dictionaries and other sources, what I found to be the most common definition for a coach is: someone who tutors or trains. This is part of what a Beachbody coach does.  A Beachbody coach is not really different than any other type of coach.  A sports coach doesn't go to school to get a degree in coaching.  There isn't a Bachelors of Football, a Masters in Baseball - actually, here in Kentucky there might be a PhD in Basketball..... Anyway, most every person that coaches a sport does so because they have experience with that sport, they love the sport, and they want to share their experience and knowledge with others.  Maybe they played the sport at one time, or maybe they were a team manager, or a stat keeper in the beginning.  Beachbody coaches are the same way, there isn't a "degree" in Beachbody coaching.  Sure, some coaches are nutritionists, personal trainers, or even nurses and doctors but what makes a Beachbody coach is their experience.  A Beachbody coach has either experienced their own success and personal transformation with Beachbody programs using P90X or Insanity or TurboFire, maybe the new T25, and drinking Shakeology; or they are in the process of making their success story.  A Beachbody coach understands health and fitness based on their own experience, and they in turn want to share that experience with you.

A good Beachbody coach wants to help you reach your health and fitness goals and will help you set realistic goals.
A good Beachbody coach provides help, support, encouragement and motivation on a daily basis.
A good Beachbody coach is an educator who will answer your questions to the best of their ability or find another coach who can give you the answer.
A good Beachbody coach understands that people are different in their fitness and health wants, needs, and abilities and will coach on your level.
A good Beachbody coach values your long-term health and success more than looking good as a coach and realizes your health and fitness journey is about YOU and your goals.
A good Beachbody coach has an unwavering commitment to what is best for you.
A good Beachbody coach encourages you, listens to and seeks information from you to better tap into your internal motivation.
A good Beachbody coach is internally motivated, follows the program and sets an example for you.
A good Beachbody coach feels an obligation to health and fitness, loves helping others reach their goals and shares that love with you.
A good Beachbody coach feels privileged to be in the position to help others reach their health and fitness goals.

Coaching means something a little different to each Beachbody coach.  We all have our own reasons why we chose Beachbody.  I became a Beachbody coach because I like the complete approach; fitness, nutrition, support and accountability. I was a Weight Watchers leader for 10 years and loved leading the meetings, but I was only in contact with my members at the meetings. With Beachbody you get my support 24/7 through closed Facebook accountability or health and fitness groups if you want it.  With Beachbody, I feel like I can get back to the basics of helping others lose weight any time of day any day of the year and help people reach their goals while I keep myself accountable too.

If you would like to have me as your free coach, you can sign up on my website:
 www.beachbodycoach.com/ASHLEYWROBBINS

Pizza Chicken

This recipe is popular with the boys, which is good because not only is it healthy - it is pretty easy too.  I was able to prep this on Sunday (my plan and prep day) and just pop it in the oven Monday night; even with soccer practice, football practice, and play practice going on.  The extra few hours I spend on Sunday getting stuff together for the week pays off every single time I don't have to stand in front of the open refrigerator wondering what in the world we are going to eat.  It decreases the stress level immensely!  I hope you can add this into your rotation and have one less thing to worry about when dinner time rolls around.  So without further ado, pizza chicken:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Can diced tomatoes
Dried Basil
Garlic Powder
1 Small Onion finely chopped
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese

Since there are so many of us and we like to take leftovers for lunch, I use the family pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts when I make this.  I am not quite sure of the pounds of chicken, but there are about 6 or so chicken breasts in the pack, and I split them each in half so I get 2 pieces of equal thickness for a total of 12+ pieces.

Line two 9x13 baking dishes with aluminum foil.  Place chicken breasts on the foil.  Sprinkle with basil (or you could use Italian seasonings or Oregano) to coat.  Sprinkle with garlic powder (I actually use the garlic that comes already diced in a jar and just spread about a teaspoon on each piece of chicken.)  Sprinkle chopped onion and diced tomatoes over all the chicken.  I only use 1 can of tomatoes because that is probably the boys' least favorite part of the dish but you can use a can for each baking dish if you like.  You could also use the flavored diced tomatoes too.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Cover the dishes with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until cooked through.  I serve this with a side of whole wheat penne pasta and some broccoli.

Quin.....what? Quinoa - Healthy Super Food

Maybe you have heard of quinoa already and maybe you know about all the great health benefits and recipes you can make with quinoa.  If you are like me, maybe you had heard of it but never tried it - or maybe you haven't even heard of it.  I am going to give you a little bit of information about quinoa, some benefits of using it, and give you a recipe or two so you can try it out yourself.

Quinoa looks similar to couscous and can be used like rice.  It is a seed rather than a grain, packed with protein and has a rich slightly nutty flavor.  It is gluten free and not known to be an allergenic food.  Quinoa has a bitter coating and must be soaked to remove the coating before using it.  You can find ready to cook, pre-soaked quinoa (it is a little more expensive) so be sure to check the package and soak it if needed.  You can find quinoa at whole foods or health foods stores but you can also find it at Kroger or Walmart in the organic/natural food sections.

What are the benefits of Quinoa?      
                                     
1) Considered a complete protein full of essential amino acids.

2) Contains twice the fiber of other grains.

3) Contains Iron and Lysine.

4) Rich in Magnesium and high in Riboflavin.

5) Versatile enough for any meal of the day.




Recipes using Quinoa:

  Quinoa Protein Bars (as taken from my coach, melaniemitro.blogspot.com)

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
3 Tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1 banana mashed
1 egg                                                 1/2 cup chocolate chunks (I used Hershey's Special Dark chips)                                                             1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut (I omitted the coconut)                                                       Mix first 4 ingredients well. Add next five ingredients, spread out on parchment paper lined pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

The Quinoa was still warm when I mixed in the peanut butter and honey so that made the mixing really easy. It was also still warm when I mixed in the chocolate, so I got some full chips but I also got quite a bit of melted chocolate too.  That is why the tops of the bars look so dark.  These aren't like granola bars, they aren't crunchy and I don't know if they would get crunchy even if you cooked them longer.  They were good though, so good I will have to limit myself on how many I eat.  I ended up with about 15 bars cut from a 9x11 pan.  They were about 160 calories per bar; due in large part to the peanut butter and chocolate chips.  I may try these with some different ingredients to see if I can get the calorie count down without sacrificing taste and nutrition.  Ultimately, these bars will be great for snacking or even a breakfast on the go, and they will make a good addition to the cooler for wrestling tournaments.

I will add another recipe using quinoa soon.  Originally I had plans to use a recipe that I have tried before but don't have a picture of the finished product.  Instead, I found something different I want to try and I will have a picture of that.  Ohhhh, the family is in for a treat!  Stay tuned.....

It has begun.....

Well, school has started for all the boys now.  I think they were ready to get back to some kind of a routine. We have 2 in high school, 1 starting middle school, and 1 in college.  He hasn't actually started yet but will be this week.  Back to school... do you love it or dread it?  It signifies the end of the summer although really there are still several weeks left of the season.  No more lazy days with no homework, science projects, book reports, and speeches.  For this reason alone, I dread the start of school.  When you finish school and get out into the "real" world and have a job you think (thankfully) ahhh my days of homework are over!  I have found this absolutely to NOT be the case since I have children.  Sometimes I feel like I am back in school myself and it causes me stress!  I know, I know.... I shouldn't be doing the homework too but the Type A controlling side of me MUST CHECK THE HOMEWORK......  I am trying to be better and let this go.  Even though I threaten the boys that I will move in with them at college if I have to (much to their horror) I know they will be responsible for taking care of their studies when they get there.  The sooner I learn to let go the better we will all be for it.
It also seems that with the start of school the activity level ramps up and everyone has to be somewhere different at a different time.  Sometimes the logistics of this are a nightmare.  This past weekend we had a football game, a soccer game, play auditions, and a wedding all on the same day.  We ended up having to split the responsibilities of the day up to get everything covered which wasn't necessarily our original plan but we got everything done.
During these times it is so important for me to have a plan in place.  A schedule to follow of who has to be where when, and also a meal plan.  Without some kind of meal plan and a cooler I would be hitting the drive thru, the convenience store, and every taco stand in town.  A little prep work really does go a long way on days like that.  Here is an example of a meal plan that I use, this just happens to  be for this week.

I also try and pre-prep some items for snacks and lunch to get me going.  Any salads that I plan to have for the week I put together on Sunday with everything except the dressing.  This keeps them from getting soggy and in the morning before work I just add the dressing, throw it in my cooler and go.  I also make yogurts for the week.  I get a big tub of plain nonfat or Greek yogurt, portion it out into half cup servings and add my own fruit and maybe a little honey.  Not only is this better for me, but it is easier on the wallet.  I keep sliced and whole almonds in my desk at work to add to the yogurt or eat with my apples.  I also peel, slice, and chop any veggies for the week that I will use as a snack with hummus.  This big tupperware container of veggies goes with me to work too.  I keep a jar of natural peanut butter at work and a few natural "bars" like Lara bars there as well.  For the crazy weekends I always make sure I have some almonds at home (sometimes I just keep packs in my car too) as well as fruit that is portable and easy to eat.  When we are on the go, yogurt and hummus aren't always an option, but whole fruits, nuts, string cheese, and the bars are always with us.  

Once wrestling season starts this will be especially important.  I don't know if you are familiar with how wrestling competitions work, but they are all day affairs.  We are talking from sun up to sun down, and the concession stands are full of tempting foods all day long.  Pancakes and donuts in the morning and pizza, BBQ sandwiches, and usually a lot of home baked goodies from the afternoon until the evening.  I know, nothing like donuts, pizza, and brownies to fuel your wrestler!  I plan to pack my cooler full of healthy choices for all the boys and for me - it is a $5 charge to bring in a cooler, but I think it is worth it to have the foods I want.  Besides, $5 doesn't go a long way at the concession stand anyway!  I'm planning on having my prep work down to a science by the time the season rolls around and we will be like a well oiled machine when it comes to packing for these tournaments.

Do you have games, sporting events, or other weekend plans that you would benefit from having a meal plan or snack plan in place?  What types of go to snacks do you or your kids like?  Can any of them be made convenient and/or portable for travel?

Turkey Meatballs

We had whole wheat spaghetti and turkey meatballs for dinner tonight.  Since there are several sporting events going on tomorrow I thought it would be good to get some carbohydrates and protein in those bodies.  Spaghetti and meatballs isn't a regular dish around here so it was a treat for the boys and they loved it.  Whole wheat spaghetti has been the norm here for several years so they probably don't even remember what regular spaghetti tastes like.  I like the texture of whole wheat pasta better myself, it is a bit of an acquired taste but it was probably one of the easiest switches we made as far as eating healthier.  The turkey meatballs were new.  In the past we would use a combination of lean ground beef and Italian sausage for our meat sauce.  Today I did the turkey meatballs and I threw in a few sausage meatballs for old time's sake.  Just in case the turkey meatballs caused some kind of mutiny.  Overall I would say it was a success.  Two out of three boys agree turkey meatballs are good.  The third boy, not so much.  The fourth boy lives on his own now and will eat anything so I know if he were here he would have liked them too.  They are definitely more dense than a regular meatball and have a drier texture but these will be added to the rotation.  So here is the recipe (as taken from The Gracious Pantry website).

1.5 Pounds lean, ground turkey

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1.5 Cups Clean tomato sauce (I used Muir Glen Organic Tomato Basil - this isn't necessarily a clean sauce)

1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese (I didn't use this in the recipe, but the boys sprinkled it on their servings)

In a large mixing bowl, knead the turkey together with the spices.  Roll meat into 22, walnut sized meatballs and place in a single layer in your crockpot.  Pour the tomato sauce over the top, being sure to cover the meatballs evenly.  Sprinkle the cheese across the top and set the slow cooker to low heat for 4 hours. 

Nutritional Content (for 2 meatballs as per The Gracious Pantry website)

Calories: 117

Total Fat: 6 g

Carbohydrates: 4 g

Dietary Fiber: 1 g

Sugars: 2 g

Protein: 12 g

Zucchini Fritters

I found this recipe in Family Circle magazine and tried it out Sunday night.  I was really pleased with the results.  This recipe does include flour, and the fritters are fried in oil.  I followed the recipe in the magazine, but I am sure you could sub another type of flour and maybe try baking them.  Let me know how they turn out if you try them with modifications.

1 container (6 oz) 2% Greek yogurt (I used 0% because I couldn't find the 2%)
2 Tsp lime juice
1 Tsp lime zest
1/4 Tsp salt
In a small bowl mix yogurt, lime juice, lime zest and salt until smooth.  Set aside, this is your "dip/dressing."
I really liked this and feel like it definitely added to the fritters.  In fact, I like it so much I might try using it as a marinade for chicken breasts later this week.

1.5 pounds zucchini, shredded
2/3 Cup sliced scallions
1/2 Cup cilantro, chopped
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/3 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Tsp pepper
1 Tsp salt
1/4 Cup canola oil (I used olive oil)

Heat oven to 200 degrees.

Squeeze shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel until most of the moisture is absorbed. (I think you might need 2 kitchen towels, the zucchini was very wet and probably could have used more squeezing than I did). In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, scallions, cilantro, egg, flour, salt, and pepper.

Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat in a large pan.  When shimmering, add zucchini mixture in four 1/4 cup portions.  Flatten with a spatula until they are 3 inches in diameter.  Cook fritters 3 minutes until browned, then flip and cook another 3 minutes.  Transfer fritters to a baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.  Continue cooking fritters, adding 1 more Tbsp oil each time.  Serve with lime yogurt dip/dressing.

Supposedly the recipe makes 12 fritters, I only got 10 total.  My husband tried them and said he thought they would be better if they were crispier.  Not sure how to make that happen unless maybe squeezing more water out would help.

Here is the nutrition information per fritter:
79 Calories
5 g Fat
3 g Protein
6 g Carb
1 g Fiber
254 mg Sodium
18 mg Cholesterol

Punt, Pass, Kick, Cake, Pancakes, and Paper Pants

This has been a whirlwind week.  We had a birthday, 2 football fundraisers, a kid decide he wanted to play soccer after all, and a minor procedure.  We'll start with the birthday...  Benjamin turned 15 this week, hard to believe that in less than 365 days we will have a teenage driver on our hands.  Actually we will have TWO teenage drivers on our hands as Josh will be 16 in 10 short months.

We celebrated Benjamin's birthday with some cake, some of the neighbor boys, and of course no birthday is complete without making everyone do birthday pushups.  What?  You mean you haven't heard of that?

Birthday Pushups

Even though we are trying to get fit and eat healthy, we still have to enjoy life too!  Cake is one of my weaknesses.  I love cake, especially with buttercream icing!  The cake was great but I am glad it is gone.

CAKE!!!

 So if the cake wasn't enough, we also had a pancake breakfast fundraiser to attend for the Woodlawn Colts football team.  I was hopeful they would have some fruit or some yogurt or something healthy there but just to be safe I drank my peanut butter banana Shakeology before I left.  Good thing I did, the only "fruit" to be found were cans of orange juice.  I had some coffee and let the boys enjoy the pancakes.

Pancake Breakfast

      Do you ever find things work out that way?  You are trying to eat healthy, work on fitness, and maybe lose weight and you get bombarded with two of things you love most in the same week??  Oh, did I forget to mention I also love pancakes?  That's not to say you can't have both cake and pancakes if you really want to - maybe do an extra workout on those days or make really healthy choices in your food for the other meals.  I just know for me that sometimes when I have several indulgences like that in a row, I have a tendency to want to continue that pattern long after I should.  So this time I chose to have cake but not the pancakes.  I saw a great recipe online for "healthy" pancakes.  I will be putting those on my list for the near future!  

After the breakfast we went to the second fundraiser of the day - the Punt Pass and Kick.  I don't know if you are familiar with these but the kids all line up and get a shot at punting, passing, and kicking the football.  The total yards the football travels for each is added up and then people can either sponsor by the yard or just give a flat donation.  It was a lot of fun, a great sunny day for it and the field was right next to the farmers market.  So, we walked over and picked up some fresh vegetables for dinner.  This trip reminded me of a recipe I had been wanting to try - zucchini fritters.  I made them tonight and they turned out great if I do say so myself.  I will be posting that recipe for you later this week.

So now we have one playing football and one playing soccer.  He originally decided he wanted to just focus on wrestling this year but I think he missed playing soccer, especially after he went to one of the scrimmages and had to sit on the sidelines while all his buddies were on the field.  Now that is some positive peer pressure right there.  The third is still hanging in there with the T25 and waiting for wrestling season to start.  I have a feeling we are about to get really busy!

The last and final bit of excitement I will share from the week has to do with a minor "procedure" I had to have done.  The only reason I am even talking about this is to hopefully make those of you that may have to experience this one day feel a little better.  I will make this quick, I learned two things from this procedure.  1) I will most likely NOT be a good patient if I ever have to be confined to a hospital bed for any extended period of time.  Just ask my husband - the whining alone was enough to drive him mad.  I'm sorry, but it was cold in there!  This brings me to #2) I don't care who you are - Angelina Jolie, Michael Phelps, Heidi Klum, Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson - no one, and I mean NOBODY can possibly be self confident in a pair of paper hospital pants!!  Oh the shock on my face when they brought those things in to me..... "What do you mean I need to put these on..... are you sure about that..... can you go double check....."  I feel like I would have been a much better patient had I been prepared ahead of time for exactly what would transpire.  So now you know, no matter how minor a procedure you think you are having done - you may have to suffer the paper pants!  And maybe in the back of your mind you will remember this post and chuckle to yourself thinking.... yes, she told me so.   

Pork Chop with Apple and Sweet Potato

This recipe actually came from the P90X nutrition guide.  I made this for dinner the other night and everyone liked it.  It reminds me of fall and comfort food, so this will go in the rotation when the weather turns a little cooler.  Do you have certain recipes you only use during a particular time of year?

The recipe in the nutrition guide is only for one serving.  I used more pork and divided up the apples and sweet potatoes so it would serve the entire family.

6 ounces lean boneless pork loin (I used a family pack size of boneless chops)
1 medium sweet potato (I used 2 large)
1 medium apple (I used 2)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the sweet potatoes thinly.  Quarter core and slice the apples into 8 pieces.  On a large piece of foil, layer sweet potato slices, pork chop, and then apple slices.  If desired sprinkle with cinnamon, salt, and pepper.  Wrap well and bake for 40 minutes.  I used 5 or 6 pieces of sweet potato, 2 pieces of pork, and 3 or so pieces of apple on each piece of foil.
 

Focus T25

We are entering the third week of Focus T25 for the boys and I.  Even the boys in the neighborhood have come down to do a few workouts as well. 

They went back and told their mom about the program so she came down early one morning (5:30 - now that is dedication) to try it with me.  She is currently doing P90X and was wanting to see what all the fuss was about.  While we were working out she was asking about the program, how many weeks, how many DVD's etc.  So I thought I would give some details on the program itself.  I will give a review of each of the workouts in the Alpha phase after we complete it (2.5 more weeks). 
　

What is Focus T25

FOCUS T25 is a 10-week program split into 2 cycles—ALPHA and BETA—which each last 5 weeks. Each workout is only 25 minutes a day.  There are 5 different workouts you do in a different order each week.  Friday is a double day, so that is really T50 - but you have the option of splitting your double and doing 1 Friday and 1 Saturday.  Shaun T is the creator of the program.  Basically he pulled out all the rest/break time, so you get everything you need, and nothing you don’t. He consistently reminds you during each workout to FOCUS, and the name implies the intent: If you focus your intensity for 25 minutes, and you do it 5 days a week, you WILL get a great workout.



How can 25 minutes be effective?　

Major studies have shown that 30 minutes of exercise can be just as effective at burning fat and even more efficient than 60 minutes of exercise. These fast-paced FOCUS T25 workouts are jam-packed with dynamic, high-intensity moves designed for maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Every minute counts!  I definitely feel like I have gotten a serious work out done in only 25 minutes.  Not that sweat is necessarily an indicator of how hard you are working, but I sweat more in this 25 minutes than I used to in an hour at the gym.

What is included?

10 workouts plus 1 bonus workout all on 9 DVD's.  A 5 day fast track guide with specific workouts and a meal plan for those 5 days.  A nutrition guide with 5 meals a day that take only 5 ingredients each and a 5 minute prep time.  A workout calendar for each phase that outlines exactly what workout needs to be done each day.  A 15 pound resitance band.  Everything you need is included.  So far in the alpha phase we have only used our body weight for resistance.  As for space requirements, you just need enough room to move up, back, and side to side. 

Is T25 for me?

If you want to work out in less time but still get great results T25 is for you.

If you enjoy a high intensity, no-nonsense program T25 is for you.

If you can find 25 minutes in your day to workout T25 is for you.  (How long did it take you to read this post and scroll around on the internet?  Right, you have 25 minutes to work out!)

*Note: Although Shaun T also created Insanity, this program is not like Insanity.  You can stick with Shaun and really push yourself, but there is always a modifier on screen that does only low impact moves. 

Does T25 sound like a good fit for your life and your health and fitness goals?  You can always leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer all your questions! 

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

A recipe has been floating around on Facebook called "Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies".  The picture that goes with the recipe looks a lot like No Bake Cookies which are my husband's favorite.  So, he shared the recipe with me and requested that I try it out - for a "healthy" alternative.  The recipe is simple and we already had all the ingredients on hand.  As you can see from the picture above, in reality these cookies look nothing like No Bake Cookies.  And sadly for my husband, they taste nothing like them either.  The cookies are kind of spongy and not sweet in the least.  Really you could only taste bananas and cocoa powder.  I wouldn't go so far as to call them cookies.  The boys ate them, but I think that is just because we haven't had anything in the house the even resembles a cookie in months.  The way the calories compared between the skinny and the no bake were about 2 to 1.  My husband said he would rather have 1 no bake than 2 skinny. The only problem with that is a lot of the ingredients in the no bake are not healthy in the least.  I think if you go into eating this cookie understanding it is not sweet and better for you than a regular no bake cookie it would be just fine.  I think you could trade out the cocoa powder for some chocolate Shakeology for a quick and easy breakfast on the go that would travel well in the car (you just couldn't bake them, they would need to be refrigerated).  Or trade the cocoa for some chocolate protein powder and these would make great snacks to take to sporting events for kids at half-time or to eat between matches.  As always, remember to let people know they contain peanut butter.  Here is the recipe:

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

3 Ripe Bananas
2 Cups Oats
1/4 Cup Peanut Butter (I used natural creamy peanut butter)
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/3 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash bananas then add the rest of the ingredients and stir.  Let sit for 20 minutes.  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  
Makes 30 cookies.
*Note, the cookies will stick, it helps to loosen them with a spatula a few minutes after they have come out of the oven.

The Compound Effect

     Right now I am reading The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.  It has been a very interesting and eye opening book.  My simple summary of the book so far is that little changes over time can add up to eventual big results.  Maybe you are thinking "well, tell me something I didn't already know" because that is kind of what I was thinking while reading this book the first day.  Sometimes just because we know something intuitively doesn't mean we really KNOW it, or that we pay attention to it and actually apply it to our lives. What I have noticed is that the book is making me really think about and notice the little changes I have made over the past few days.  Or rather, the choices I am making at any given moment.  I am actually thinking about the choices I am making and not just going through the motions.  Just as an example, we went to Lowe's last night to pick up some parts for a project my husband is working on (I'll have to tell you all about that some other time).  Well, wouldn't you know the Lowe's is pretty close to the Dairy Queen.  In the past we would have stopped by the Dairy Queen for an ice cream treat, even if we weren't really hungry - I mean, its Dairy Queen RIGHT??  It was just what we did, without even thinking about it.  A habit really.  As we were leaving Loews last night I was thinking about Dairy Queen.....but we didn't go.  It was just a small choice I made - one of the probably hundreds of choices I made throughout the day.  I chose to stick with my meal plan for the week, my meal plan that didn't include Dairy Queen.  And you know what, I didn't miss it (or the accompanying stomachache that I sometimes get when I have that ice cream treat.)  Then I started thinking more about that small choice, and how the fact that I made a meal plan for the week was also a small choice.  Had I not chosen to make the meal plan, I would have had nothing to guide me or stick to for the week, I would have most likely ended up at Dairy Queen.  This lead to thoughts of the choice I made to start creating meal plans each week to help with the budget, the last minute dinner panic, and ultimately my weight loss.  Next came the thoughts of the choice I made to join a Beachbody Challenge group in January of this year, where I really learned about how to create a meal plan and what I should be eating to fuel my body.  Ultimately it lead to the thoughts of the many small choices I made throughout 2012. Small choices that compounded over time (in this case, a year - 365 days) left me feeling unhappy and several pounds heavier than I was in 2011.  Choices that prompted me to make 2013 the year I wanted to get my yo-yo health and fitness habits under control.  Small choices/changes over time that lead to big results.  The Compound Effect.

The Compound Effect can be applied to anything in your life.  Daily practice of an instrument, a language, or a sport will eventually lead to success in a concert solo, fluency, or a maybe a state championship.  Small seemingly inconsequential steps now can lead to amazing transformations later.  Sure, some people are naturally gifted or talented (or naturally thin and well built)- but for the majority of us we need to work to be successful.  The high school wrestler standing at the top of the podium at the state championship didn't just show up and wrestle that day.  No, he or she worked day in and day out perfecting their shot, drilling until their muscles ached, participating in tournaments during the off season that others wouldn't go to.  Yet, we have a tendency to look at that person and say "Wow, what an amazing accomplishment that they did what they did".  As though what they did happened overnight.

The same can be said for weight loss transformations.  Sure some of them happen in 90 days (which believe me doesn't seem like overnight if you are at day 50) but some take years.  Even if you achieve the success you were hoping to in 90 days, you still have to make those small choices each and every day that will help you continue to be successful.  What would cutting 1 can of soda a day do for your weight loss goals?  What would cutting out that daily latte do for your budget?  What about adding in 10 minutes of walking or adding 1 push up each day to your fitness routine?  Doesn't seem like much, but in a month you will have shaved off 4500 calories which is greater than a pound of weight loss.  You will have saved $120, burned 1,200 calories walking, and done 30 push ups.  Now multiply those numbers by 12, 24, 36 - do you see how these small changes lead to big results over time?  Who wouldn't want to be able to lose 46 pounds just by cutting 1 can of soda from their diet, or have over $4,000 in their savings account because they chose to drink coffee at home?   Me, me, pick me!  I want that!  I will remember my choice to bypass Dairy Queen as one of the small steps I made on the road to my big results.

What choices are you making that are shaping your days, your journey, your results?

Meatless Mediterranean Pasta with Zucchini

On the left side is the sauce; on the right is after the pasta is added

Do you ever try and have "meatless Mondays" at your house?  Or meatless any day?  With a house full of "men", I am constantly reminded that "men eat meat".  So honestly, I can't think of one dinner we have had in the last 3 years that didn't include meat.  Even when we were eating breakfast for dinner, there was meat.  I would really like to institute a meat free dinner at least one night a week.  It would be easier on the budget and definitely good for us.  However I am not prepared for mutiny just yet.  Give me a few more months of T25 workouts and I just might be strong enough to fend off the mutiny!  Here is the recipe from my previous post about planning and prepping on Sundays.  It is meatless, and I took it for my lunch because - well "men eat meat!"

8 ounces whole wheat penne or ziti pasta, uncooked
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained
1 zucchini sliced
2 T sliced ripe olives

Cook pasta according to package directions omitting salt and butter/oil.  While pasta cooks, combine tomatoes and remaining 3 ingredients in a large skillet; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.  Spoon tomato mixture over drained pasta.  Serves 4 (2 cup servings)

You can get away with less pasta if you don't want the carbs.  Also, you could omit the pasta all together and use the sauce over chicken or fish if you must have the meat!

Corn & Bean Salad

This recipe came from one of my challenge group participants.

1 can of corn, drained
1 can of black beans, rinsed (you can use kidney or pinto if you prefer)
1 diced medium-size red onion
1 diced avocado
 ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (or if you don’t like cilantro, use fresh parsley)
1 cup diced bell peppers - I used a combination of red, orange, and yellow
You can also throw in chopped scallions and tomatoes if you like

Dressing:
Juice of one lime
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar (if you don't like the taste of vinegar you can leave this out or use less - I have heard Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar is very mild but have not tried it myself)
salt and pepper to taste
If you want the dressing a little sweet, you can add sweetener of your choice (to taste).
It's the lime that makes it, so if you alter everything else, just make sure you keep the lime juice in there. Throw it all together and stir it up.  Depending on how many days this lasts you, the avocado will begin to break down and the juicy dressing will get creamier.  This goes with so many things.  I've eaten it with eggs at breakfast, sandwiches, in taco salads, with burritos, and just about any dinner entree I can think of.

Sunday - a day of REST??

Ahhh the weekend, over so quickly.  It always seems to go by in a whirlwind.  Kind of like the kids growing up.  So Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest.  Do you get to rest on Sunday?  Is there ever really a day of rest when you have a household to run, kids involved in activities, laundry stacked to the ceiling - or in our case the sock bucket that runneth over?

Oftentimes I find Sunday is the catch up day and/or the plan and prep day.  Sometimes it is both.  Lately I've been trying to find more time during the week to deal with "Sock Mountain" so Sunday can really be a rest day and a plan and prep day.  I find if I have time to plan and prep for the week on Sunday, things go so much more smoothly during the week - sock mountain becomes sock hill.  We avoid the "oh my gosh what's for dinner - are you cooking or am I?  Who has to be where when??  Oh let's just go out to eat......."  Not only is that tough on the budget, but it is tough on the waistline.

Yesterday really was a plan and prep day - no catching up this week.  I made my meal plan for the week which in turn helps with the grocery list which in turn cuts down on time at the grocery (not to mention the cost and the random items that show up in my cart when there isn't a list) which ultimately leaves more time to prep for the week once I get home from the grocery.  I love going to the grocery - really I do.  I find it very relaxing for some reason.  I guess I would consider my grocery time rest time.  My mom and grandmother were the same way.... maybe it is hereditary.  What I don't really enjoy is the prep work after I get home.  I always love the end result but hate it while I'm doing it - funny, sometimes I feel the same way about working out.  I spent about 3 hours from start (putting away the groceries) to finish (loading the dishwasher) which seems like a lot of time to spend in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon when there isn't a turkey or ham involved.  The end result was worth it though.  My lunches and snacks were done for the week, one dinner was ready to go for the next night and two side dishes were made.  As with anything, I know the more I do this the more it becomes a habit, the better I will get and the less time it will take.  Then maybe Sunday will really be a day of rest!

Corn/Bean Salad & Fruit Salad

Some of the fruits (and vegetables) of my labor:
Recipes will be up soon in a separate post.

Meatless Mediterranean Pasta with Zucchini

Healthy Cookie Dough Dip

I went to a party today at the home of one of my good friends.  I LOVE parties.  All kinds of parties.  One of my favorites was an "Anti-versary" party I had last year.  But that is another post for another day. 

I think weekends are usually a source of temptation to stray from your health and fitness goals, and then you throw a party on top of it??  How does one resist such temptation?  I suppose you could just not go.  Lock yourself at home surrounded by workout DVDs and celery sticks.  This just doesn't work for me as evidenced by the above paragraph..... I love parties! 

Honestly I wasn't too worried about this party because my friend hosting the party is also a member of one of my challenge groups and is working on her health and fitness goals too.  I knew there would be some healthy choices there.  I wanted to go, have fun, and support my friend as well so I offered to bring a healthy dessert.  I found a recipe for "Healthy Cookie Dough Dip" from this website: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/23/want-to-eat-an-entire-bowl-of-cookie-dough/ 

I have to warn you though, every time I go to that website I just want to eat chocolate, lots of chocolate.  I actually made the "No Sugar" version of the dip: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/09/27/new-recipe-sugar-free-cookie-dough-dip/

This is what I used:

• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas/garbanzo beans (1 can, drained and rinsed really well)
• heaping 1/8 tsp salt
• tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 and 1/4 cups pitted dates (I used SunMaid, in the red bag)
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp oats

In a bowl, cover the dates with 1/2 cup water. Let this sit for at least 8 hours. Then add all ingredients (including the dates’ soaking liquid), except chocolate chips, to a food processor (for best results, not a blender) and process until very smooth.

A few things I noticed while making this recipe - you really do want to use a food processor.  The blender just doesn't cut it.  It took FOREVER to blend.  Also, the cookie dough has a slight peanut butter taste and don't forget to let people know there is peanut butter in the dip before they try it.  The recipe makes about 2 cups and it is very rich.

I took sliced apples (several different varieties) to use for dipping.  There were also pretzel crisps available, these were great if you like a little salty with your sweet.  I told people it was a healthy dip.  Some of the comments were: "there is no way that is healthy" and "you have to give me this recipe".  I think it was a hit!  Everyone was surprised by the ingredients - especially my mother who wouldn't have even helped me carry it in the house if she knew there were chickpeas in there. 

Usually nutrition information is included with the recipes from that website, but I couldn't find it for this recipe.  Nutrition information includes a lot more than just a calorie count, but  since there was nothing on the website and I was curious, I did a quick calculation based on calories only.  I just added all the calories of each item together and divided it by the number of servings (I made a serving 2 TBSPs).  I did this for both the "no sugar" version and the "regular" version.  The results were very interesting:

No Sugar Cookie Dough Dip: 100 cal/ 2TB
Regular Cookie Dough Dip: 80 cal/ 2TB

What?? How can the no sugar dip be higher calorie?  The difference is the dates.  There are twice as many calories in the amount of dates as there are in the amount of brown sugar.  Remember though, sugar is empty calories, it won't fill you up and usually leaves you craving more.  So what nutritional value do you get from those extra calories in the dates?  You get fiber, protein, potassium, iron, and calcium.  Often we are very focused on the calorie count when trying to lose weight and forget that there is more to healthy eating, good nutrition, and weight loss than just calories.  I chose to take the dip made with the dates, I felt it was a better choice for me nutritionally - and you know what, I didn't miss the sugar at all. 

So what do you think?  Which dip would you choose and why?

The Boy's & Week 1 of T25

Week 1 of T25 is in the books! The boys hung in there and did great. I think they are actually starting to like it. I took a poll and we decided that the hardest workouts were the Cardio and The Total Body Circuit. I for one am not looking forward to that one next week. Well, off to the party. I hope to have a recipe to share with you later.