Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

Lazy Sundays are great, but Super Productive Sundays are better. Yesterday was insane. I don't know where I got the energy or the time, but I got so much done! In addition to watching the dog, deep cleaning the living room, dinning room, & bathroom, cleaning our master bedroom, organizing my closet, going through clothes for donations, I also baked!

Craving the flavors of fall, I wanted something with pumpkin AND I wanted something to display in my cake stand (if you know me, you know I'm ridiculous enough to plan my food around my home décor) I decided pumpkin bread or a pumpkin muffin would be a nice treat. The Hubbs had my car for the day, so I walked over to the grocery store for some pumpkin. I really just started playing, dumping things together and the end result was craze amaze. Try them!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

1c. Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (not instant oats peeps!)
1c. Almond Milk
1c. Pumpkin Puree
1/2c. Unsweetned Apple Sauce
2 Tbs. Maple Syrup (You can sub in honey here, or really any other sweetener. I just thought that the maple plays well with pumpkin)
2 Egg Whites
2 TBS Ground Flax Seed
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 c. Wheat Germ
1/2 c. Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
Pumpkin Seeds to Garnish

-In a bowl soak the oatmeal in the almond milk. Soak for about 30 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed and you are left with soggy, unappetizing looking oats. (Trust me, it turns out delish...this is just an ugly phase, about like me at age 8)

-In a medium mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, apple sauce, maple syrup, egg whites, and flax seed. Add in the oatmeal mix.

-In a separate bowl combine pumpkin pie spice, wheat germ, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a whisk to break up any lumps.

-Mix together the wet and dry ingredients.

-Fill prepared muffin tins (I use silicone cupcake liners) and sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top. bake at 400 for about 22 minutes.

The Skinny Per Muffin

Total Fat: 0.9g Calories: 59 Carbs: 10g Protein: 2.5g

Coconut Key Lime Bars

What do you do with a hoard of leftover limes? This was my dilemma. I had several leftover from our championship salsa, and just didn't know what to do with them. On Saturday evening I just decided to start tinkering around in the kitchen. I knew that I wanted a dessert. I really love lime/lemon squares, but they are definitely not clean. Most are loaded with sugar, sweetened condensed milk, flour, graham cracker crusts etc...probably the only clean ingredient is the lime juice!

I pulled this recipe together and crossed my fingers as it was baking. They turned out perfect! Tart, sweet, crunchy crust, hint of coconut...everything they should be!

Coconut Key Lime Bars

Crust-
2 Wasa Crackers
1/2c. Unsweetened Coconut
1/2c. Almonds
2 Tbs. Coconut Oil

Filling-
1 Can Coconut Milk
1/2c. Raw Honey
3 Egg Yolks
2 Tbs Lime Zest
2 Tbs Brown Rice Flour (any whole grain flour will work. I used what I had!)
1/2c. Lime Juice
1 tsp. Vanilla

To make the crust-
Pulse wasa crackers in food processor until broken into chunks. Add coconut & almonds. Pulse until it is finely ground. Add in coconut oil and pulse until combined. Press into the bottom of a prepared 8x8 cake pan OR press into silicone baking cups. Bake the crusts at 350 degrees for about 10mins. Let cool.

For the flilling-
To make sweetened condensed milk add the coconut milk to a pot on the stove set at medium-high heat. Add in the honey and reduce until it will coat the back of a spoon. About 30 minutes. Cool.

In a bowl whisk the egg yolks, lime zest, lime juice, vanilla & flour together. Add in the cooled sweetened condensed coconut milk.

If using an 8x8 pan pour the filling over the cooled crust. If using the cupcake liners, spoon 2 Tbs of filling onto each crust. Bake for about 10 minutes until the filling is set. (If you touch the top it should feel about like Jell-O, springy with a little give).

Let cool completely.

Makes 1 dozen

The Skinny per Serving-
Total Fat- 9.6g Calories- 137 Carbs- 11.6g Protein- 2.4g

The Color Run

Do you ever come up with grand ideas but far enough into the future that you think something will change by then? I do. Often. So several months ago, I think sometime around May, I thought it would be a FANTASTIC idea to participate in The Color Run, because I'm *SUCH* a runner. And I mean, it was May, The Color Run took place in September, I for sure would lose 100lbs by then and be able to run a mile in 3 minutes right?!? Right.

Well... The months passed by, and while I have been working on my fitness, I haven't been working on running. I did attempt to run the Sunday before TCR. I thought about it strategically. I would not do a weekday, there would be too many people in the gym. I would do it on a weekend, and when would the best time be? Duh. When the Seahawks are playing the 49ers.  I left the Hubbs at home to watch the game, and I ventured off to my death *cue ominous movie soundtrack* When I arrived at the gym it was empty! SCORE! I carefully chose a treadmill on the back row, farthest against the wall. This is perfect. I can stumble, fumble, and fall and no one will see me! Yay! After figuring out the million buttons on this super fancy treadmill, I started walking. With Drake laying it down in my ears, I was feeling like a champ. I started increasing the speed, really walking with a purpose. My confidence was gaining. I was really going to do this! And then...it happened. Dude gets on the treadmill right next to me! There were at least 20 open around me! And worse, he starts running like he's getting chased by a jaguar in the African tundra! It was all I could do to not push his emergency stop button and ask him what gives. All confidence was sucked out of me. I went and did an hour on the elliptical instead.

Fast forward to September 21st. We had to get up at 5, to make it to Tacoma in time. I didn't want to be up. I didn't want to go run. I don't run! I'm not a runner! This body, is not a running body! And not with a sea of people! UGH! What did I get myself into?!? My only saving grace was the Hubbs was doing it with me, our 13th anniversary celebrated by killing ourselves (...is that some sort of metaphor for our marriage? Doing something you don't want to do that nearly kills you?!?) We arrived at the race, and I of course had to get a pair of pink color run sunglasses. If I am going to die, its going to be in pink. OK?

Then we lined up. They were releasing people in groups. It took forever. People were tossing their color packets all around. Music was blasting. Classic rock...If I'm going to die, its not going to be to classic rock. Just sayin'. Finally it was our turn to start. It was a slow takeoff. We had a nice jogging pace. It wasn't so bad. We were going strong, and then, WHAT.IS.THAT...a freaking steep hill! It was awful. That hill absorbed any and all of my energy. My calves were burning, my side hurt, but alas we could see the first color, Blue. The first K was down. 4 more to go. It wasn't so bad! For the remainder of the race we did intervals of walking and jogging. It was entertaining to people watch while going along. There was a woman being pushed in a wheelchair while smoking a cigarette. She was my favorite. There was a guy running with boxing gloves, I imagine his soundtrack was straight from Rocky. There were serious runners who were definitely gunning for a great time, and there were dedicated walkers. After a few more hills, we finished. It felt good to be done. We did the celebration ceremony and tossed our color packets into the air creating a beautiful cloud of rainbow dust. The only thing that could have made it better is if it was rainbow glitter dust.

Takeaways from The Color Run:
1.) I am not the fattest girl to have completed a 5k
2.) I did not die. I may have wanted to, but I didn't die.
3.) I didn't stop. We jogged/walked without stopping.
4.) The sense of accomplishment could become addicting. I see why these fools sprint through the damn thing.
5.) If you are a really big girl, you shouldn't wear a tutu. It makes you look huge. tutus are fun, they are cute, they are lots of things, but they should not be plus-size.
6.) The color gets everywhere. While it looks fun, the OCD in me didn't have fun getting it off. It was in my ears, stained my toes, and clogged my pores with blue. Not fun.
7.) If I am going to do something that may kill me, I want to do it with my Hubbs.

I already have decided my next 5k. The Ugly Sweater Run. Its in December...just far enough away for me to get stupid enough to do it.

Drunken Chipotle-Peach Salsa with Salted-Lime Chips

 

 

The Hubbs works for a fantastic company that really value their employees and they do all sorts of fun and different activities. This week he emailed me saying that for Thirsty Thursday they were going to have Sangria and a salsa contest. I love me some booze for sure, but competition is the key to my heart! I responded to his email with a simple "In it, to win it!" and then immediately got started dreaming up what I would make.

 

To me, a great salsa is spicy, sweet, salty, acidic & chunky. That was my starting point for deciding where to go with this. I knew I didn't want to do a traditional salsa. I wanted to stand really far apart. My first thought was a blueberry salsa, which I could fit into all of my categories except for chunky. I just didn't think that the texture would be salsa-like. I make a pretty decent mango salsa, so I started gravitating in that direction and ended up with peach salsa and of course since it was for Thirsty Thursday, I felt I *had* to make a boozy salsa.

 

The end result was a fantastic sweet, smoky, spicy, tart, boozy, & most importantly WINNING salsa.

 

Yes, that's right.

 

We won!

 

And since I am *obsessed* with Chipotle's chips, I had to make my own baked version!

 

Drunken Chipotle-Peach Salsa

 6 medium peaches

1 small red onion, diced
1 jalepeno, seeded & finely diced
1 7oz can chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce*
3oz Tequila**
2 limes, Juiced
3 Tbs. honey
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2c. chopped cilantro
Salt

 -Peel & dice the peaches into a small dice.

(The best way to peel a peach is to bring a large pot of water to boil. With a sharp knife score an "X" into the bottom of the peach. Drop into the water, wait 2 minutes, then transfer the peach to a bowl of ice water. Once the peach is cooled, the skin will easily peel off.)

-In a large bowl, mix together the onion, jalepeno, chipotle, tequila, lime jice, honey, & garlic. Mix until the honey has dissolved.
-Gently add the peaches & cilantro into the chipotle mixture.
-Season with salt to taste

*Squeeze out the liquid from the peppers and just use the liquid if you want a less-spicy salsa. For more spice, puree the peppers and add them as well

 **I used 1.5oz Local Choice Lake Chelan Lime Tequila (silver) and 1.5oz of a Resposado Tequila. The silver has a strong flavor while the resposado has a more subtle, caramel-like flavor. The blend is great, but you could absolutely use just 1 tequila.

 

Salted-Lime Tortilla Chips

 

10 flour tortillas or 24 corn tortillas

(use whole wheat tortillas to make this truly clean eats!)

4 limes, juiced
3 tsp. salt
Oil
(olive oil or coconut oil are best)
Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Brush or Spray oil onto both sides of the tortilla
-Slice tortillas into wedges. If using flour, cut into 1/8ths if using corn, cut into 1/4ths.
-Mix salt into lime juice. Stir until dissolved.
-Dip each wedge into the salted-lime juice and place onto baking sheet. Do not crowd the pan.
-Sprinkle coarse sea salt over the top of each chip, if using.
-Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the chips are golden brown.

Pulse Check

Ready For Fall! 18lbs, 6 inches and 1 dress size down.

So I kind of thought I would try to do a weekly update/weigh in/pulse check type post instead of always just talking about food (even though I really love food...)

Today is my weigh-in day. Not really sure why I chose Thursdays, but that's what day it is. Kind of odd. But anyhoo.... The scale was my friend today! I am down another 2lbs this week, which puts me at a total of 18lbs down. I also did measurements today and I am down a total of 6 inches! I knew I would be down inches because I could tell in my clothing. So exciting!

This is really the first time I have truly combined eating right and working out together. Always before I mostly focused on my diet, with maybe a little exercise thrown in there to say I did it. I kind of came to the realization though that it is a dual effort. You really have to eat less and move more. It isn't a new concept, but it is a new realization to me. I think I have been able to consistently lose 2lbs a week because when I work out like I do if I am not perfect with my eating, the exercise makes up for it and creates steady weight-loss. I don't workout every day. Some days I go for only 30mins, some days I do an hour and a half. I am just learning to make it work for my lifestyle and to create a lasting habit.

I am excited about my progress. I am happy to share it with the Hubbs and with all of you (the 3 people that read this thing).

Stay happy & healthy,

Herb Marinated Shrimp & Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

No lies, I was dreaming about this dinner for a week. After my dad had sent me an email with a recipe for orzo pasta with lemon juice & feta. I knew I did not want to do pasta, and I thought quinoa would make a perfect partner for it. I played around in the kitchen and the end result is a fabulous Mediterranean quinoa salad that has quickly made it into my favorites list. I want to serve it with grilled shrimp, but our grill was out of propane, so I needed to come up with something else. After mixing a few things together I came up with an amazing marinade, that I literally wanted to drink. It tasted almost like a mojito without the mint, which was bomb.com in my book. This marinade would work great on nearly any protein, so if you aren't a shrimp lover try it on chicken! I will be making this again soon!!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

-1c. Cooked Quinoa
-1/2 red onion, diced
-2 ounces feta, crumbled
-1/4c. fresh dill, chopped (Don't substitute dried dill for this)
-1/4c. fresh parsley, chopped (If you don't already have this on hand, don't buy it just for this. It doesn't make or break the recipe, but I had some so its nice to add that earthy flavor if you have it)
-1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and diced
-1 can of artichoke hearts packed in water, drained and quartered
-1/2c. grape tomatoes, halved

Dressing-
1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS lemon juice
1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced

-In a bowl combine all of the salad ingredients.

-In a separate bowl mix together the dressing and then toss the dressing with the salad.

-Chill & Serve

Serving Size 1c.
The Skinny Per Serving-
Total Fat- 7.3 Calories- 209.6 Carbs- 27.6 Protein- 7.2

Herb Marinated Shrimp

-12 medium peeled & deveined shrimp
-3 Cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
-1/2c. fresh dill (dried can be used here, but I would only use 1-2 tbs.)
-1/4c. fresh basil
-2 TBS Dijon or whole grain mustard
-Juice of 1 lemon
-2 tsp olive oil
-1 tsp honey
Salt & Pepper to taste

-In a food processor, blend all ingredients until they are emulsified. The herbs will still be in small pieces, that is ok.

-Place marinade over your protein of choice. If marinating fish or shrimp, keep it to around an hour as the acid will start breaking down the proteins (ceviche anyone?!?)

-Broil shrimp until pink & cooked through. About 5 mins.

Serves 2
Serving Size 6 Shrimp

The Skinny per serving
Total- 7.4g Calories 121 Carbs- 0.7g Protein- 8.8g

Chicken "Tortilla" Soup

Sunday the Hubbs was feeling under the weather so I decided to whip up a tasty soup to make him feel better. It couldn't be more simple, but it was really tasty. You can pretty much put anything in it that you have on hand. I think my cooking worked because come Monday he felt fine!

The tortilla is in quotations because I didn't use any tortillas. Traditional tortilla soup uses corn tortillas to thicken the soup. You can absolutely do this, just add 4 corn tortillas (chopped) to the onion/bell peppers when they are sautéing. I did not because I try to not use much corn products, I used brown rice instead and it was fabulous. Try it both ways, no way, whatever way you like!

Chicken "Tortilla" Soup

Ok, here is the break down. You can either make your soup base from scratch or you can use a quickie version. I like Pacific Naturals Tortilla Soup Base in a pinch. If you use the prepared soup base, skip the instructions on making the base.  
Soup Base-
4c. Chicken Stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Soup Ingredients-
1 Onion, diced
1 Red Bell pepper, Diced
1 Can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 c. Cooked Brown Rice (great use for leftovers!)
6 oz Chicken, in chunks (I used pre-cooked from my sunday prep, but it can be raw)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Garnish-
Fresh cilantro
Tortilla Chips
Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Green Onion
Cilantro-Lime Yogurt
Avocado
Lime Juice
Salsa

-In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion and bell pepper until just translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in the prepared soup base or the soup base ingredients & chicken. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once the liquid has come to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer about 15mins. Add in the brown rice & black beans. Let heat through about another 3mins.

-After the black beans & brown rice have been heated through, serve the soup and top with garnish. I used fresh cilantro, green onion and cilantro-lime yogurt, but its totally up to you!

Serves 4
Serving Size 1.5c

The Skinny
Total Fat- 2.6g Calories- 258 Carbs- 37.3 Protein- 18.7

Coconut & Cashew Crusted Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa

When the Hubbs was in college I worked at an amazing Peruvian restaurant. It was a life changing experience. I had always thought I wanted to work in the food industry, and I found out pretty quickly there that there was no way in hell I wanted that to be my career. BUT! I did learn great things there and ate amazing food. Thinking about that food, I remembered we did a coconut and macadamia nut crusted halibut (I remember this recipe well because I messed it up one time and got called out for it!). That version contained sugar in the crust mix so that when it was pan seared it created a beautiful golden brown crust. Sugar, is not in my recipe as it is unnecessary. I also bake mine to eliminate the excess oil. Give it a try. I promise, it's amazeballs.

Coconut & Cashew Crusted Mahi Mahi

Crust-
-1/2c. Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
-1/2c. Raw Cashews
-1/2tsp Cumin
-Salt & Pepper

Dredge-
-1 egg white beaten
-1/2c. Flour (whatever kind you want. I used Garbanzo flour because that's what I had)
-The blended crust mix

-4 4oz Mahi Mahi Fillets

-In a food processor add all of the crust ingredients and pulse until it becomes a fine granular mix. Don't over mix this or you will end up with cashew butter! (I know, I've done it!) Add the finished crust mix to a shallow dish (a pie pan works great for this)

-add the beaten egg white to a shallow dish and the flour to a separate shallow dish.

-Take your fish fillet and first dredge it completely in the flour (don't skip this step! The flour takes away the surface moisture of the fish so that the egg will stick, and your crust wont adhere to the fish without the egg!) then immediately dredge the fillet in the egg and then crust it with the coconut/cashew mix. Press the crust into the fillet so that it sticks. Repeat with the rest of the fillets.

-Bake the fillets on a parchment (or silpat) lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 15mins (give or take depending on the thickness of your fish). Top with Mango Salsa & Serve.

Servings 4
Serving Size 1 4oz Fish Fillet

The Skinny
Total Fat- 10g Calories- 330 Carbs- 4g Protein- 25g

Mango Salsa

-1 Mango, peeled & diced
-1/2 red onion diced
-1/4c. Cilantro, chopped
-1/2 Jalepeno, seeded & diced
-Juice of 1 lime, squeezed

-Mix all ingredients together

Servings 4
Serving Size 1/4c

The Skinny
Total Fat- 0.5g Calories- 86 Carb-s 22g Protein- 1g

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ok. So if you are a pinterest addict like I am, then you have seen the recipes for Cauliflower Pizza Crust. I was totally skeptical. I mean, I love me some cauliflower, but how would it hold up? would it actually be like a crust? how would it taste? So many questions!

Then the other day, Hill text me saying that the pizza place outside of his office smelled really good. I knew then, that I had to make pizza soon.

I looked over several recipes for this cauliflower crust. Some of them included almond meal, cheese, microwaving the cauliflower, various other ingredients. Some reviews of the recipes said they were awful and they wouldn't ever try them again.

I got scared.

So I decided to look at it like I do with any recipes I create. I think about the components. 1.) It has to stick together 2.) It has to taste good 3.) It has to get crispy 4.) It has to be clean.

The end result was a crust that tasted really good! It wasn't completely free of cauliflower taste, but it wasn't all up in yo face either. It held together well, especially after it cooled. And it took less time to make than the regular pizza dough that I made for my parents who were having dinner with us that night!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
1 medium cauliflower
1 whole egg and 1 egg white
1/3c. mozzarella cheese (this is for flavor, and the slight fat content created a crispy edge)
2 TBS fresh parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

-Coarsely chop the cauliflower into chunks. Pulse in a food processor until it has the texture of sand
-Put the ground cauliflower into a pan, with a lid and steam the cauliflower until it is cooked. This was about 5mins for me on medium heat
-After the cauliflower is cooked, put it into a tea towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out all of the water. I think I got about a cup of water out of my cauliflower.
-Return the cauliflower back to the food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.

-Preheat oven to 450. Preheat your pizza stone. If you don't have a pizza stone, you can use a cookie sheet.
-On a piece of parchment paper, place your cauliflower dough. With your hands, pat it out into a circle. You don't want it to be too thick or too thin. Mine was probably about an 1/4" thick. Maybe slightly less.
-Place the parchment into your preheated oven on the pizza stone.
-Cook for about 10mins, until it is just starting to brown.
-Remove from the oven, add your toppings, and then return to the oven until it is GBD (golden, brown, delicious) and everything is melty.
-Let the pizza rest for about 2 mins after it comes out of the oven, or it wont hold like a slice of pizza (no lies, I couldn't wait, and just ate mine with a fork!)

Makes 1 Pizza
Serving size 1 slice (1/4 pizza)
The skinny Per Serving-
Total Fat- 4.5g Carbs- 3.0g Protein- 6.8g Calories- 76.6

The pizza I made was an Artichoke-Basil Pesto with Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onions, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives & Balsamic Drizzle

Artichoke-Basil Pesto
1c. Fresh Basil Leaves
1 can of Artichoke Hearts packed in Water
2 TBS olive oil

-Put all ingredients into a food processor. Blend until smooth. Season with salt & pepper.

Makes about 3 1/4c. Servings
The Skinny per Serving
Total Fat- 4.5g Carbs- 2.1g Calories- 51.6 Protein .8g

Sweet 16

So just an update on my progress.

Since July 24th (when I started really counting my calories & gymin' it up) I've lost 16lbs. That's averaging a little over 2lbs a week.

This is pretty big for me considering I had my birthday smack dab in the middle, a wine party, traveling for work, and plenty of stress to boot. So I am super happy with my results so far.

Things that I am doing to prepare myself for success:
-Prepping meals ahead.
-Keeping track of my calories with the My Fitness Pal App (Even on my birthday, when I had the most fabulous dinner & drinks out with my family, I still recorded everything)
-Making a promise to myself to workout and keeping it.
-Eating clean
-Finding the fun in it. For me, that's creating new interesting recipes for dinner.
-Keeping my music selection new and fun for working out
-Downloading TV shows that I never have time to watch for long cardio sessions at the gym. (I'm currently hooked on Scandal!)

We follow these simple rules for working out:
-Never miss a Monday
-Never go more than 3 days without working out

That is really it. I wish it was something special or amazing, its just old fashioned work. But when I plan ahead, it is really so easy to follow.

Salmon & Lentils

I am always looking for new ways to have salmon as it is our favorite. The Hubbs was out for a soccer game so it gave me some time to experiment in the kitchen without the pressure of getting dinner on the table in a hurry.

I knew I wanted to use lentils and dill as I had them readily available and they sounded good. So I made this super delicious lentil salad. It has a tartness from the Dijon and lemon juice, a sweetness from the carrots and dill, and a nice play on textures.

I wanted to Salmon to work with the salad as a cohesive dish, so I thought bringing out a spicy/smokey quality would play off of the tart/sweet lentil salad. The salmon literally could not be easier. Pan seared with a dusting of cayenne pepper and finished with a smoked salt.

The end result was the 2 things I look for most in a dish:1.) Super Delicious 2.) Quick & Easy

Lentil Salad

1 TBS Dijon or Whole Grain Mustard
3 TBS Red Wine Vinegar
2 TBS Olive Oil
1 Small Garlic Clove, pressed or minced
3c. Cooked Lentils (I used the pre-cooked ones from Trader Joes. Take the help where you can get it!)
1c. Chopped Carrots
1c. Chopped Cucumber
1/2c. Diced Red Onion
1/4c. Diced Red Bell Pepper
1/4c. Chopped Fresh Dill
Salt & Pepper to Taste

-In a bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, olive oil & garlic. Add in remaining ingredients.

-Chill for 30 minutes.

The Skinny
Serving Size 1/2c
Total Fat- 5.5g Carbs- 25.5g Protein- 9.8g Calories- 196.8

Cayenne Pepper & Smoked Salt Salmon

-Cayenne Pepper, to taste people! I like things spicy, you might not.
-Smoked Salt, if you've never tried smoked salt. I recommend it. So good. This I the one I use: http://www.saltworks.us/alderwood-smoked-salt-salish.html#.UjIa3ZDn_VI

-Take a paper towel and dab off the excess moisture. Lightly sprinkle the surface with cayenne pepper.

-In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, cook the salmon skin side down. Typically about 4mins depending on the thickness of your salmon. Turn your salmon over onto the flesh side and finish cooking through, About 3mins.

-When the salmon is done, sprinkle the top with the smoked salt.

Busy B / Traveling B



So sorry for not posting lately. I have been one Busy B! It is a safe bet that I will never update this blog during end of the month. I work crazy hours(more-so than usual, if you can believe that) and I am under tons of stress. Add to end of the month traveling out of state for work and I just haven't had time to think! So my apologies. I will try to be better!

So, since I just got back from traveling my friend Cindy had the idea for me to do a post about clean eating on the go.

The only true way to eat clean while on the go or traveling is to plan ahead. While planning ahead is not always the most convenient it will save you from hunting through the airport looking for something decent to eat and then choosing the least evil (that lets face it, isn't a good choice either).

For my trip to California I had to get up at 3am to be ready and at the airport by 5am. My flight left at 6:40 and we got into Cali around 8. Our meeting went from 10am-2pm and then we were back at the airport by 4 to catch the plane back home. It was a long crazy day, but I made it through and ate clean!

This is what I packed in my carry-on cooler for my short trip:

• Apples & Peanut Butter
• Vegetables & Hummus (Costco sells hummus in individual cups, but I just portioned out 2 TBS in a little container)
• Protein Shake Mix w/ an Empty Blender Bottle (You can get water anywhere!)

Love these individual packets of Justin's Nut Butter

I was so glad that I had planned ahead and brought food, because the lunch served to us was anything but clean. So I skipped the lunch and ate my apples & PB and veg w/ hummus. That filled me up enough to get through the meetings, and then I had my protein shake while waiting for my flight back.

My on-the-go tips:

• Plan ahead.
• Think about your options once you get to where you are going and fill in the gaps with your own clean eats.
• Pack a cooler! Get a small cooler with reusable ice packs it will keep your food cool all day!

I use a cooler like this from Fit Fresh. It comes with the ice packs, so just freeze & jet set!

Travel Friendly Foods:

• Oatmeal- Just take your portioned out dry oatmeal and get a cup of hot water. Even Starbucks will sell you a cup of hot water! Add in a scoop of protein powder or peanut butter/almond butter for protein and you have a complete portable meal!
• Yogurt- Yogurt will stay cold in a cooler for several hours. Pack a container with fruit and/or granola to go with your yogurt and you are good to go!
• Apples & Peanut Butter- The love of my life, Apples & PB! I love the packs of individually cut & packaged apples from Costco. They make life so easy! Either get packets of PB or portion it out. This is a complete snack. Complex Carb &  Protein!
• Veggies  & Hummus- Baby carrots are amaze for travel! Just keep them cool and you are good to go. Hummus is also a great travel buddy. (For some added zip, toss your baby carrots in Mrs. Dash, then dip them in the hummus!)
• Protein Shake- I am not a huge protein shake fan. I would much rather eat my calories than drink them, but for portability factor alone, protein shake is king! It requires no refrigeration, no prep, only water!  I like the Advocare Chocolate Mocha. They are individually packaged and they have an equal amount of protein and carbs to keep you satisfied. (is it the cleanest protein powder? no. But you can't win every battle)
• Quinoa Salad- This bad boy will stay fresh in a cooler and with protein from the quinoa and complex carbs, it will keep you satisfied!
• Fruit & Nuts- Almonds are  a great on-the-go protein source. Couple them with a fruit such as  a banana and you have a complete clean snack. Trader Joe's sells almonds pre-portioned if you don't trust yourself to not over-indulge :)
• Lara Bars- If you haven't tried these, I HIGHLY suggest it. They are made with like 3 simple ingredients: Nuts, Dried Fruit & Salt. Their Peanut Butter Cookie & Peanut Butter & Jelly bar are my fav.
• Hard Boiled Eggs- A perfect on-the-go protein source! Peel them before if you know you won't have access to a sink to prep them. Eat with a complex carb and you have a complete mini meal/snack
• Mediterranean Veggie Wrap- This bad boy will hold up well in a cooler and with protein & carbs its a complete meal!
• Mini Quiche- These hold up really well in a cooler. When the Hubbs went away on business, I packed these for him and he loved them.

Don't go so long without eating that you are starved and make poor choices! If you fail to plan, all hope isn't lost. Just be smart. I always look up calories in the app My Fitness Pal BEFORE I make a choice to make sure its the right one. My usual go-to options if I forget to plan is either a Mediterranean Breakfast Wrap (yes, I eat them whenever not just at breakfast!) and Zesty Chicken & Black Bean Salad from Starbucks. They are calorie friendly, complete meals, and you can find a Starbucks ALMOST anywhere!

 

That's it loves! The secret is there is no secret. Just plan ahead and set yourself up for success!



Get Skinny South of the Border

I love ethnic food. Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Greek but Mexican flavors take the cake for me. Salty, spicy, melty cheese its all just so good! And when the Hubbs had a craving for enchiladas I felt a challenge coming on. Sure, I could absolutely use a corn tortilla but just eliminate the cheese. However, I try to limit my corn because its high in carbs and also corn is GMO and I try my best to avoid that whenever possible (I don't avoid it like the plague). I could do a whole wheat tortilla, but to me it is just plain wrong to use a flour tortilla for enchiladas! So, what's the best part about an enchilada? The filling and the cheese. Am I right or am I right?!? So I decided to make a tasty filling with red onion, black beans & spinach. Then the vessel....hmm. I got it. The round Zucchini that I had leftover from the Yakima Farmer's Market is the same diameter as my individual ramekins. So I sliced the zucchini super thin and layered the filling and cotija cheese. Instead of sour cream I topped it with a clinatro-lime yogurt & served it up with leftover Quinoa Black Bean Salad The end result was a guilt free, incredibly flavorful enchilada.

Individual Spinach & Black Bean Enchiladas

-1 pkg Frontera Red Chili Enchilada Sauce (You can totally make your own, but time was of the essence for me. This sauce is super good, and it isn't full of crap.)
-1 Round Zucchini, thinly sliced (If you don't have a round or 8-ball zucchini you can use regular zucchini sliced thin, or no zucchini and just make the filling & top with cheese)
-1/2 Red Onion, diced
-1 can Black Beans, drained & rinsed
-2 C. Spinach, chopped
-1 garlic clove, minced
-4 oz Cotija cheese (or queso fresco, or any other cheese you want. I had this leftover from the quinoa salad I made earlier this week) Divide into 4 equal portions.
-1 tsp Olive Oil

-Preheat Oven to 375.

-Add the olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat, once the oil is hot add the onion. Saute' until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add in black beans, spinach & garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Cook another 2 minutes.

-To the ramekin, add a little enchilada sauce to the bottom. Then start layering zucchini, filling, cheese. Repeat until the ramekin is full. Top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.

-Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until the sauce begins to bubble.

-Top with Cilantro-Lime Yogurt & Serve.

Makes 4 Servings

Serving Size 1

The Skinny per Serving:
Total Fat: 9.5g Calories: 244 Carbs: 26.9g Protein: 13.4g


Cilantro-Lime Yogurt

-3 TBS Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
-2 TBS Chopped Cilantro
-1 small garlic clove, minced
-1/2 of a lime zested
-Squeeze of lemon juice

-Mix all ingredients together. Let the flavors meld while the enchiladas bake.

Makes 4 servings

The Skinny:
Total Fat: 0g Calories: 11.5 Carbs: 0.3g Protein: 1.5g

My (not so) typical day....

I think there is a misconception that you have to have a surplus of time to eat healthy and exercise. I used to think that too, but I can assure you I don't have a surplus of time. I wish I did! It truly is about finding a balance, creating a system and making the deal with yourself that you are worth it. I have struggled with this for years. I am dedicated to my job, I am dedicated to my husband, I have an active social life and I never want to miss a happy hour! I always had this guilt of leaving my husband to fend for himself while I go and work out, or "forcing" him to eat healthy. Realistically though, I am a better wife to him when I take care of myself (and homeboy can handle eating healthy too.)

This is a very typical Monday-Friday day for me.

4:55am - Wakeup

5:15am - Off to the Gym

6:00am - Home from gym start breakfast & pack lunches/snacks

6:30am - Hubbs & I eat breakfast together
               -Typical breakfast is: Hot oatmeal w/ mini quiche, omelet w/ fresh fruit, overnight oatmeal

7:00am - Send the Hubbs off to work, time for me to get ready for work.

8:30am - Leave for work & Starbucks stop!

9:00am - Welcome to the insane asylum...aka WORK.

10:00am - Snack time. *Maybe, kind of sort of. If I am not too busy to remember. Even though I have alarms set on my phone and fit bit, I often forget this one*
               - Typical snack: Rice cake w/ 1 TBS Peanut Butter, 1/2c. Greek Yogurt w/ 1c. fresh berries,
                 2 TBS hummus w/ cut up veggies.
1:00pm - Lunch.
             - Typical lunch: 4oz chicken, 1/2c. brown rice & Salsa, 2c. salad greens w/ black bean patty,
                Starbucks zesty chicken & black bean salad or salad from Whole Foods
                *aka Whole Paycheck* if I forgot my lunch (which happens more often than I'd like)

4:00pm - Snack *if I have time, if I remember. Sometimes I forget this one too*

7:00pm - Quitting time! Off Work! Woohoo!!!

7:30pm - Home. Time to start dinner OR if we didn't hit the gym in the morning, we go now.

8:00pm - Hubbs & I have dinner together
             - Typical dinner 4oz salmon, brown rice & veggie, tofu stir fry, curry, big salad.

8:30pm- Laundry/Meal Prep/Cleaning/TV Watching/Nails/Hair etc. Basically anything that I need to
               do to be ready for the next day needs to be done between 8:30-10pm.

10:00pm - Late Snack. *Only if I am feeling snacky or if my sweet tooth is nagging. Typically I'll
                 have 1 rice cake with 1 TBS peanut butter and 1 tsp of raw honey.*

11:00pm - Pop a melatonin and lights out.

Hubbs and I work 50-60 hours a week each. I work every other Saturday and even longer hours at the end of the month. Hubbs has soccer 1-2 nights a week, I do girls night usually 1 night a week. We have a very busy life with struggles and challenges, but we are making it work as best as we can. I am tired. I hate 5am. I hate spending 2 hours Sunday prepping meals, but I feel better. I'm happier not eating crap. I am actually getting in MORE time with the hubbs because we workout together and have breakfast together.

 It *can* be done. You *can* be busy and eat well! You *can* be busy and workout!

Make a deal with yourself that you DESERVE to LOOK and FEEL your BEST!!!

Is it possible? Can I actually like working out?!?!

I'm still in the dying phase...

It is crazy how you can adjust to any routine when it becomes, well,  a routine. When I first started getting up at 5am to workout it was awful. I was cranky, I was getting headaches, I just had the hardest time getting moving. That was the end of July. It is now August 19th and I nearly spring out of bed when the alarm goes off (after that little thought of how nice it would be to sleep for another hour or so...hey! I'm not perfect. I still love my sleep!). I have a much more productive workout and generally feel really good. Today I increased the resistance by 2 and was able to power through without that "ugh! I want to stop!" feeling.

I have often heard fitness gurus or people who have lost a lot of weight before saying that you'll learn to love it. I seriously don't know about that (I still think they might be eating some low-cal pot brownies) but I am starting to believe a little bit more that I could actually *like* working out (love is too strong of a word to even contemplate when it comes to working out).

So, I guess the challenge begins. Workout until I learn to love it.
Something tells me this is going to be a loooooong challenge. But the end result is worth it.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

The Hubbs has a meeting with one of the professional organizations he belongs to tomorrow night and he needs a side dish to take with him. Ever the loving wife, I told him of course I would make something for him to take. The question was just WHAT? The side dish needs to be able to be made the day before because I wont see him after the gym in the morning. It has to be able to stand up with little refrigeration because its a potluck style dinner. It needs to be clean eats. So a lettuce based salad is  a no-go. A pasta salad? eh. I got it! A quinoa salad. It meets all of the criteria and it tastes amazing!

This recipe feeds a crowd. But definitely cut the recipe down to work for your needs.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

-4c. Cooked Quinoa
-1 25oz can Black Beans (try to find cans that are BPA free)
-2c. Frozen Roasted Corn, thawed. (If you can't find roasted corn, you can roast it yourself in a pan on the stove. Turn the pan on high add the frozen corn and sear it. voila! roasted corn!)
-5oz. Cotija Cheese, crumbled
-1/4c. Cilantro, chopped
-1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
-1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
-1/2 of a Red Onion, chopped (about 1 cup. Chop it and then soak it in water to draw out that strong onion taste. Drain off the water after 10ish minutes)
-1/2c. Avocado Tomatillo Salsa (recipe follows)
-3 limes juiced

-Drain the black beans and rinse. Place them in a large bowl. Add in the thawed corn, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and cilantro. Toss together.

-Add in the avocado tomatillo salsa. Stir.

-Mix in the quinoa, then gently fold in the cheese and lime juice.

-Season with salt & pepper

Makes 20 servings

Serving size 1/2c.

The skinny (per serving)
Total Fat: 4.6g Calories: 197 Carbs: 18.6 Protein: 5.6g

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa

-2c. Tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed & chopped
-2 Serrano chiles, chopped
-2 Avocados, peeled
-1/2c. Cilantro
-Juice of 1 lime
-1/4 tsp Cumin

-Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth

Makes about 2 1/2 c.

Serving Size 2TBS

The Skinny (per serving)
Total Fat: 2.7g Calories: 21.3 Carbs: 2.3g Protein: 0g

Sweet & Spicy Salmon

I absolutely LOVE the mix of sweet and spicy anything. So when I was dreaming up dinner tonight I knew I wanted to do a sweet & spicy salmon. This is INCREDIBLY easy, its clean eats, and it comes together fast. Oh, yeah, and its freaking delicious!

Side note: I really wanted to grill these, but we ran out of propane right before I was set to cook, so I did them inside. You can do either.

Get prepared for some magically deliciousness.

Sweet & Spicy Salmon

-1/4c. Raw Honey
-1/4c. Siracha
-1 Garlic Clove, minced
-1/2tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
-4 5oz Salmon Filets

-Pre-heat broiler

-In a bowl mix together honey, siracha, garlic and ginger. (This glaze is so spicy, so if you don't like things really hot stick with the 1/4c honey, but lower the siracha down to 2TBS.)

-In a sauté pan over medium heat, place the salmon flesh side down. Sear the salmon for about 3 minutes. Flip over and spoon a little bit of the glaze on top. Continue cooking the salmon skin side down until it is almost completely cooked through, about another 5-7mins.

-Spoon more glaze over the top of the salmon and transfer the pan under the broiler. The glaze will get thick and start to bubble.

-Pull out and serve.

Makes 4 servings

The skinny (per serving)
Total Fat: 12.8g Calories: 311 Carbs: 21.5g Protein: 30g

Spice Spice Baby...

Sunday brunch with the Hubbs is probably my favorite weekend tradition. We get to sleep in, he makes the coffee, I make the food and we just have a slow start to our day. Today, I started out with the usual onion/mushroom/bell pepper sauté that most of my egg scramble/omelets start with, but then I started craving something spicy. Spicy, eggs, veggies...hmm...breakfast burrito? Yummy, but not really feeling it. Salsa omelet? eh...love them, but nah. Then it hit me, a spicy veggie breakfast hash. I grabbed a sweet potato, diced it and threw it in the mix (I really should have pre-thought about this, as the onion and mushroom were pretty well cooked and I tossed raw potato in. Not my brightest moment, but I put a lid on it and it steamed nicely) The end result was smoky, spicy, slightly sweet, just a perfect brunch meal before starting our Sunday errands. Change the veggies and spices to your liking, but definitely give this dish a try!

Spicy Veggie Hash with Scrambled Eggies

-1 yellow onion, diced
-1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
-1c. Sliced Mushrooms
-1 Zucchini, chopped
-1 Small Sweet Potato, diced
-2c. Spinach
-1/2 tsp Salt
-1/2 tsp Cumin
-1/2 tsp Chili Powder
-1/4 tsp Pepper
-1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
-4 Egg Whites
-2 Whole Eggs
-2 Green Onions, chopped
-2 TBS Cilantro, chopped & divided in half
-1 1/2 tsp Olive Oil, divided

-In a non-stick skilled over medium heat, add 1 tsp olive oil. Once pan has gotten to temp, add in the diced sweet potato. Cook until the potato starts to get tender, about 5 mins. Add in the onion, bell pepper & mushrooms. Cook until the veggies are tender, about another 5-7 minutes. Add in zucchini.

-To the veggie mixture, add in the seasonings (side note, I never measure my spices, I dump a little and taste as I go. This is my best guess as to what I use. Taste as you go and adjust to your liking), stir.

-Place the spinach on top of the veggie mix, but don't stir in. Put a lid on it and turn the heat off. This will allow the spinach to gently steam, and remain a beautiful green color.

-In a separate non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, add the remaining 1/2 tsp of oil. While the pan is heating up, in a small bowl, beat the whole eggs and egg whites. Add to the pan. Season lightly with salt. Scramble the eggies & add in about 1/2 of the chopped green onion. Cook until the eggs are set.

-Uncover the veggie mix and stir to combine the spinach.

-Serve up the veggie hash, then top with the scrambled eggies & sprinkle with remaining green onion & cilantro.

You can serve this with some sliced avocado, fresh salsa, sprinkled with a little cheese, whatever floats your boat.

Makes 2 big servings

The skinny (per serving)
Total Fat: 9.2g Calories: 276.3 Carbs: 34.1 Protein: 18.6

Bananarama

I love sweets specifically ice cream. There is just something so good about sugar and cream whirled together into delectable frozen awesomeness. Unfortunately ice cream is neither clean eats nor figure friendly. So what is a recovering fatty to do when the late night sweet tooth starts nagging?!? I present to you Banana Ice Cream

Banana Ice Cream

-3 Bananas, frozen

-Allow the bananas to slightly thaw at room temp for just a few minutes. Peel the bananas and chop them into large chunks.

-Pulse in the food processor until it starts to look like sand. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then puree until smooth.

Voila! Banana Ice Cream!

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition per serving:

Total Fat: 0g Calories: 135g Carbs: 34.5g Protein: 1.4g

That's a wrap!

My dad sent me an email the other day with a recipe for grilled veggie wraps with hummus. It looked so good and I am always trying to find new ideas to keep lunch interesting.

I knew I had everything to make them, so this is my easy, clean version.

Mediterranean Veggie Wraps

-1 Portobello Mushroom, cut into long slender pieces
-1 Red Bell Pepper, cut lengthwise into 1/4" pieces
-1 Zucchini, cut into long, slender pieces
-Balsamic Vinegar

-Whole Wheat Tortilla
-1/4c. Hummus
-1/4c. Chopped Spinach
-1 oz. Feta Cheese
-Fresh Basil

-Turn the oven on to broil

-On a cookie sheet lay out your sliced veggies. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. The veggies don't have to be coated in the vinegar, just a light sprinkle will do.

-Broil the veggies until they are tender and the edges just slightly char. Allow to cool completely.

-Heat the tortilla gently just until it is pliable. If you try to roll it while it is cold it can split and crack.

-Spread the hummus out over the surface of the tortilla. Top with the chopped spinach, and the cooled veggies. Add on top the feta cheese and basil. Roll up and cut in half.

-Makes 1 serving

Nutrition facts per serving:
Total Fat: 19g Calories: 452 Carbs: 56g Protein: 18g

Dine & Dash

Anyone that knows me knows that my life is anything but slow and boring. The hubbs and I both work a lot of hours every week, fit in the gym, and a very active social life. So sometimes we are eating as we are running out the door...literally. This is my favorite quick and easy clean meal. It takes less than 5 minutes to throw together (unless you are my husband, then it takes you at least 30) it is filling and really tasty.

I used to rely on Chipotle when I had a Mexi craving, as I know their ingredients are real, and I love their philosophy. However, at $8 bucks the cost is just to high for a daily meal and at over 600 calories a pop, its just too much!

 The real key is making sure you have the ingredients ready on hand. I always have brown rice pre-cooked and ready to go in the fridge. I also always have a protein at the ready. These days it is usually pre-grilled chicken breasts, but some days it is tofu or albacore tuna. I also buy a pre-made, quality salsa from our health food store's deli. I could of course make it from scratch, but this is my time saving meal!

Super Quick, Super Easy Rice Bowl

-1/2 c. Pre-Cooked Brown Rice (check out my previous blog post on how to make *perfect* brown rice)
-4 oz Cooked chicken
-2oz Salsa
-1/2 of an avocado

-Measure ingredients out (yes, I weigh and measure EVERYTHING) and layer in a bowl.

-Top with anything additional you would like: black beans, Mrs. Dash (I super love their Fiesta Lime & Chipotle blends), fresh squeezed lime juice, fresh cilantro etc.

Makes 1 serving

Nutrition facts per serving:
Total Fat: 17g Calories:  353g Carbs: 36g Protein: 30g

Stacked like a girl with Double D's.

I was cruising through the Yakima Farmer's Market with my family and came across these round zucchini and knew immediately that I wanted to do some sort of stacked zucchini dish. It all came together while dreaming up flavors and textures. I decided to stack zucchini, eggplant, Portobello mushroom and buffalo mozzarella with pesto and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Eggplant Zucchini & Portobello Mushroom Stacks

-1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2" rounds
-2 round zucchini, sliced into 1/2" rounds
-2 protobello mushrooms, stems removed & cleaned
-6 ounces of buffalo mozzarella, cut into 6 slices
-2 tsp olive oil
-4 tsp pesto (either a prepared pesto, or homemade pesto - my recipe below)
-Balsamic Vinegar
-Coarse sea salt & pepper

-Lay out all sliced vegetables and brush with olive oil. Season with salt & pepper

-Grill on a grill, grill pan, or broil in the oven until tender and edges slightly charred

-Stack the vegetables. However you like, I chose to do mine eggplant/1 tsp pesto/zucchini/mozzarella/mushroom/1tsp pesto/zucchini/mozzarella you get the idea!

-Sprinkle salt over the top and drizzle with balsamic vinegar

Makes 2 Servings

Nutrition facts per serving:
Total Fat: 15.2g Calories: 246.2 Carbs: 11.9 Protein: 14.4g

Pesto

-1c fresh basil leaves
-1/4c parmesan cheese
-1 clove garlic
-1 TBS olive oil

-combine all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.

Serving Size 2 teaspoons

Makes about 2 servings

Nutrition facts per serving:
Total Fat: 12.9g Calories: 135 Carbs: 0.7 Protein: 4.3g