What I've Been Eating Lately: Quicky Healthy Meals & Recipes

What I've Been Eating Lately: Quicky Healthy Meals & Recipes

I know you ladies love these quick easy healthy meal posts. If you are anything like me and are in a season where you feel you just don't have enough hours in the day to get everything done that you need to do..then these meals I post are for you! They are quick(er) than most and are still for the most part, healthy. I'll try to post these more often, maybe one every two weeks or once a week, we'll see!

Greek Salad & Lavash Bread: For the above photo I made a quick healthy lunch with this Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Lavash Bread, their pre packaged fresh greek salad, and a side of their organic hummus. Delicious and SOO EASY! This whole wheat lavash bread is seriously amazing, you can do so much with it as you will see below, i used it like pita bread for dipping in hummus (you could dip it in olive oil with herbs), I made wraps with it, and I used it for pizza crust! Its WAY healthier for you than bread, or normal pizza crust!

Healthy QUICK pizzas: These babies cook (Broil at 425 in the oven) in 5 minutes! I used the Lavash bread mentioned above so you don't have to wait for your crust to cook like normal pizza. You just slap on whatever toppings you're in the mood for.  I used Tj's precooked preservative free grilled chicken, their sun dried tomatos, organic spinach, low fat mozerella cheese, Tj's bruchetta and of course some basil tomato pizza sauce! 

 For this pizza I used basil tomato pizza sauce, then lined it with organic baby spinach, then low fat mozerella cheese on top, then layerd it with jalapenos,  onion, TJ's fauntina and roasted garlic chicken sausage with half the pizza drizzled with TJ's tapenade (and olive blend of green and black olives) that i had left over in the fridge. You can really put anything you want on these! They were so delicious, you just have to make sure you don't use too much tomato sauce since the lavash bread is thinner than normal crust. And make sure its crispy!

Serve with a side salad and this meal would take you less than 10-15 minutes including all the prep and slicing!

Quick Curry Chicken and Vegetable Bowl: I use Trader's Red Curry sauce (they also have a green we've tried and loved, and a yellow curry sauce i have yet to try). I could make curry from scratch and it would probably be even yummier but the goal of these meals is to help all of us mamas, or tired people who come home from work and want an easy healthy meal to whip up in less than 20-30 minutes. I used Tj's 3 minute brown rice, their frozen sliced bell peppers and 1 fresh green bell pepper i had left in the fridge, frozen broccoli (takes 6-7 minutes to cook on the stove), fresh chopped onion, 1 raw garlic clove, and organic raw chicken (grilled in olive oil and 1/4 cup or so of the red curry sauce). I layered the rice first on the plate, then the veggies, then the grilled and flavored chicken. I then quickly heated up some of the curry sauce and poured it over the entire bowl (use as much as you'd like). DELICIOUS!

Spinach Kale Turkey Pattys: I used Tj's 99% fat free ground turkey and mushed it up with some chopped organic spinach, 1 tspn garlic powder, a pinch of salt and pepper, and then added in some chopped frozen kale (tj's sells this in the frozen section). I muchsed it all together into 5 or 6 patties and threw them on the george forman grill. SO quick, took 10 minutes all together! This is a perfect example of eating healthy while still being able to enjoy a delicious meal. I threw these on some whole wheat buns with veggies, ketchup, and cheese. My hubs wanted beef so here we have a his and her's meal. 

I hope some of these meals find their way into your home! Enjoy!

I always welcome your ideas and recipes if you'd like to share in the comments below I LOVE that and will possibly even feature one of your recipes!

XO

7 Months Postparum: Thankfulness, Joy, & Loving Yourself!

7 Months Postpartum: Thankfulness, Joy, & Loving Yourself!

Weight lifting/Strength training 1-2 times a week. My favorite class 

 Walks with my little guy & my man are the best kind of work out though.

He gives me the greatest joy... i would have 1,000,000 kids if it were possible. Being his mama has made living so rewarding, so fulfilling, and so joy-filled!

Hikes w/ these two

Not sure if my uterus will ever be back to how it use to be, I definitely have to tighten my tummy to hold it in. I think thats just what might happen after babies though. My moms had 5 kids and she always talks about how it never went back. Its so worth wakling around looking 4 months prego though! (;

I thought it would be interesting to see a side by side of 4 weeks pregnant (basically prebaby) and of me 7 months postpartum. You can definitely tell im still exclusively breast feeding lol! My ribs are wider (i think) and I have a little more skin below my belly button. My belly button has changed its shape a tiny bit too! 

Heres what I had to say this month:

Hey ladies, I reached that 7 month postpartum mark last month and have been meaning to post but wasn't sure about what I wanted to write this month. I try to use these posts as a platform to talk about something important, not just share about fitness, or exercise, but to be really honest, to reach other woman who are right here on this journey with me.

This month I recieved a lot of emails from some of you. Most of the emails were about you guys struggling either currently or in the past with body image and your self worth.  My heart broke as I read every word you shared. I want to thank you again for your courage and for sharing a part of your story and your lives with me. You are so inspiring.  I hope its okay that i share just a piece of what one of you ladies sent me, i'll be sure to keep it annonymous..

One reader shared with me how my blog has reminded her of another blogger she use to read years ago..she shared with me how this blogger was simply thankful for life and how that helped her break free from the bondage of the shame she felt for her body. Heres what she said,

" to be thankful for all those small things that her life was filled with... Those pictures and articles made me want to be thankful, made me want to heal.

When I found your blog, it made me remember that girl. How without knowing it, she saved my life. Following your blog is like reminding me how far I came and most importantly how happy I am. 

......




Our live's are filled with miracle babies, wonderful life partners and precious moments. And the thing I realize is that you've got to love yourself if you want to be able to see all that!"







Her words inspired me so much. She pointed out the importance of how loving yourself can free you in so many ways. It helps open your eyes up to see the beauty in the world around us. If we have shame, hatred, or disgust for our bodies, we stop loving ourselves. We start bashing ourselves. We begin to look in the mirror and make agreements with all sorts of lies the enemy whispers to us.."you're ugly, you're fat, you aren't good enough, you'll always be like this, who will ever want you or love you, you have to be thin to be loved". The list goes on.  When that is your focus, when that becomes the way you see yourself how can you see clearly when you are believing lies about yourself?




If we develop an attitude of gratitude, if we  begin to "TRY" to just accept and love ourselve on the inside and outside.. our hearts change. We become thankful. And then we can fully appreciate all that God has given us. We can begin to really live this life abundantly as He calls us to. 




Choose Joy today. Choose to be thankful.






The Winner of the iphone Case giveaway with the Psalm 139 verse is "K-Photography", comment on here leaving your email so I can make sure to get your address for shipping. Congratulations love, and thanks to all who entered! 




What would you guys like to see offered for a giveway in the future? What do you think about this post?

Quick Healthy Soups: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Jalapeno Turkey Chili, and Tomato Vegetable Soup

Quick Healthy Soups: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Jalapeno Turkey Chili, and Tomato Vegetable Soup

Here in California we barely had a real Winter this past year so when it rained for 3 or 4 days straight last week I took full advantage (knowing Spring and Summer weather is here to stay for months on end).  So I decided to soak up the gray stormy weather and make some delicious warm hearty soups. I made Tortilla soup, a SPICY chili, and a Tomato Vegetable soup.  

Tortilla Soup: The base of this soup is Chicken broth and canned diced organic tomatoes.  Its really simple! My husaband rarely cooks but he actually threw this together for me while I went to a gym class.  I just left him a simple recipe to follow and he did a great job, I love having a warm meal ready for me after a tough late night work out (no one ever wants to pump one out but i have to take those rare opportunities during the week that i get).  

• 4 c. chicken broth
• 3-4. whole chicken breasts
• 1 large can of diced tomatos (i used 1 and a half of trader joe's organic diced tomatos 14.5 ounce cans)
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 2 Celery Stalks chopped (optional for added veggies and crunch.)
• 1 Jalapeno' , finely diced (optional for flavor)
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 lime
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (more to taste)
• avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips ( I used trader joe's Veggie Flaxseed Tortilla chips, cilantro (didnt have any but it would be a great topping.
• 
  
• 1)Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic,onions, jalapeno and celery and cook, stirring, until onions begin to become translucent. 
• 2) Grill up some chicken breast in Olive oil, when fully cooked then slice or shred (whichever you prefer).
• 3)Add chicken to pot of onion/garlic. Add in crushed tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and juice of 1/2 lime. Bring to a boil, stir constantly so it doesnt burn. 
• 4)Then add in your chicken broth, reduce the heat to low, simmer soup for 15 minutes.
• 5) Top with toppings (avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, chips).
• 
  

*You can add black beans and corn to this recipe if you'd like!

• 
  

Spicy Chili: My girlfriend Tori gave me this recipe, and it is soooo yummy! I made it for our couples bible study we host at our home and everyone loved it! The recipe calls for Pumpkin puree' but Tori said because its not in season to sub it out for Trader Joe's Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup. Thats the only way i've made this soup so far and I think its perfect! 

Serves 6-8

Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1/2 Cup Water

2 Jalepenos

1 Can of Red Kidney Beans (15 oz) rinse first

1 Can of diced tomatoes w/ liquid (again I used TJ's organic diced tomatoes 14.5 oz can)

1 lb of ground turkey

1 yellow onion chopped

1 green bell, seeded and cored, then chopped

2 garlic cloves diced

1 tbspn EVOO

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tspn salt

1 tbspn chili powder

pepper to taste

1)Heat oil in a large pan. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, and jalapenos. Stir frequently, cook until tender.  

2)Add turkey, cook until browned.

3) Add tomatoes, the red pepper soup mix (i used about 1/2 of the box), water, chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper and bring to boil.

4) Reduce heat to medium and add beans. Cover and simmer for 30 mins stirring occasionally.

Serve!

Its even better the next day!!

Tomato Vegetable Soup: My girlfriend Chelsea had tried Tori's chili recipe and made a quick version but instead of doing chili she just made it into a simple soup. Its healthy, hearty and really yummy! We ate ours with a side of cheese bread (you gotta balance the healthy out with some gooey cheesey bread, right?!? lol). 

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 yellow bell pepper seeded, cored, chopped

3 celery stalks chopped

salt & pepper to taste

1 tbspn EVOO

I also added oregeno, cumin, basil to taste (probably 1/2 tspn for each)

1 lb ground turkey (i used TJ's kosher turkey, it has so much additional flavor!)

1 box of Tj's Organic Tomato And Roasted Red Pepper Soup (see bove)

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce organic traders can, see below)

1)Throw all of your veggies in a pan with EVOO and garlic, cook until tender.

2) Cook turkey in pan until browned.

3) Mix in all spices and add in tomatos and soup mix.

4) Heat until boiling, then simmer for 10 minutes or longer , stirring occasionally.

Serve.

Enjoy!! 

Tell me in the comments what you would like to see more of? What would you like me to cook? Or what are your favorite topics that I write about, ill try to encorporate more. I just want to hear from you! 



All submissions for the Iphone Case GIVEAWAY end tonight at 5pm Pacific time. Winner will be announced this weekend! Thanks all for your participation.  (Instructions to enter HERE if you havent already)

XO

Healthy Recipes & Ideas: What I've Been Eating Lately

Healthy Recipes & Ideas: What I've Been Eating Lately

Here are some healthy, delicious, and quick (for the most part) meals & recipes i've been making lately. I love love love to cook so I'm in the kitchen 5-6 nights a week making dinner after my little one goes to bed. There really is nothing better than filling my families tummies with delicious and nutritious meals, sharing laughs and talking for hours. Life around the table is truly where its at.  Around the table is where my husband and I are able to look eye to eye at one another and share our day, our dreams, our needs, and enjoy a moment with no other distractions.  

Dinner: I grilled up some chicken breast with Trader Joe's Garlic Cooking sauce (its the best!!! Super delicious and easy).  I through those teeny potatoes in the oven with some olive oil, fresh rosemary, and seasoned them.  I sautéed Brussels sprouts in coconut oil with a couple minced up pieces of TJ's nitrate free Turkey bacon (season with seat salt and black pepper).  I added a side salad of spinach, gorgonzola cheese, and pecans with a homemade vinaigrette dressing (1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp agave nectar or honey, salt and pepper. Sometimes i add a little fresh garlic or berry jam). 

Dinner: Sirloin steak (grilled with steak seasoning and garlic), sweet potato with coconut oil, TJ's spicy wasabi edamame pre made salad (SO delicious, spicy and sweet!).

Quick 3 minute Dessert: Pumpkin Mug Cake- I have to admit this was my first mug cake. It was really simple to make, I had all of the ingredients in my pantry and was craving something sweet. I used left over dark chocolate covered raisons just to give it a chocolately flavor.  Chocolate chips or nutella would've been way better!  

1 egg (i used two egg whites)
2 tablespoons almond milk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
7 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar (or a substitute)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt

 Mix all together, add in the chocolate chips. Pour into a medium sized mug. Cook in microwave for 1 1/2 mins. Make sure there is no overflow and then cook an additional 1 1/2 minutes if it needs it.

Garnish with Whipped Cream (well, of course!)

Dinner:  Grilled Almond and Hazlenut Crusted Salmon with quinoa. Trader Joe's sells this crusted salmon, i grilled it in 1-2 tbspn of coconut oil and a little maple syrup (yep, so sweet and savory!).  

Mix together Feta cheese, white Corn (cooked), Organic black beans, and lemon juice.

Add in cooked Quinoa and chop up some avocado. Salt and pepper to taste. You can put in a tiny bit of cayenne pepper for a kick if you're into spicy (i always am!).  

This is seriously SOOOO good by itself but we decided to top it off with a bed of lettuce underneath and TJ's Pineapple mango Salsa! YUM!!

Im drooling over this meal! And it takes 20 mins tops!

Dinner: Grilled Chicken Breast in Tj's Garlic Sauce (show above), Tj's Garlic Naan (it comes frozen, you pop it in the oven for 5 mins and its done! Its so worth it, easy and so yummy), Steamed broccoli with steak seasoning, and a side of quinoa with butter or olive oil and sea salt (you can also do a little lemon). 

Breakfast: Paleo, gluten free pancakes! 3 ingredients: 1 Banana,  a pinch of cinnamon, and 1 egg! Stir together and grill on the stove with 1 tbspn of coconut oil. Makes 3 little pancakes.

I would love to hear from you what your favorite healthy mess are..i would even love for you to share the recipe!  Also, let me know if you try anything from this little blog of mine. 

I hope you ladies enjoy!!

xo

6 Months Postpartum: Body After Baby

6 Months Postpartum:  Body After Baby

It's an interesting thing being six months postpartum. I feel like that number has a lot of weight to it, as though society has attached a underlying message of pressure for women to get their bodies back after 6 months of having your baby. The way I see it today is that i've had 6 months, JUST 6 months, of spending time with this sweet little life, learning how to be his mommy, figuring out the in's and outs of having a child, a child who grows and changes so often that each time I learn about the stage he's in, he manages to switch things up on me all over again.  Just 6 months of learning how to balance marriage, work, chores, family time, social life, cooking, time with God, and giving enough of myself to my son. … throw in fitness and living a healthy lifestyle and thats A LOT for anyone to handle.  Out of my list of priorities, fitness and strength are really important to me but are not my TOP priority in life. Being a new mom I had to learn how to juggle all of these different roles, obligations, things I enjoy, and people I love. 

I believe I have now learned how to balance everything that is a part of my life right now in a healthy way. Some weeks I am blessed to be able to make it to the gym 4-5 times and other weeks in the past couple of months I've been blessed with greater opportunities and priorities that take up my time and have caused me to choose to skip out on the gym for several weeks at a time. Both are healthy, both make me happy, and both are a blessing that I thank God for. I went on 2 vacations over the past 2 months, spent a wonderful holiday break with family and friends, worked hard with the clients God has blessed me with, was privileged enough to take time off work to stay home with my son through two cold virus' and care for him, had much needed days of rest and relaxation, and certain days I simply chose to put God and family over a work out.  I can say that exercise is helpful in keeping my sanity, helping me sleep better at night, building confidence in what my body is capable of, giving me strength to feel empowered and healthy, and is a HUGE stress reducer and outlet for me to blow steam. I am a big advocate for living a healthy life- mind, body, and spirit.. and that is why sometimes you just need to take a break and do what needs to be done: whether it be a vacation, rest, family time, social life, alone time with God, being under the weather, healing, feeling fatigued, needing a break from routine, etc.   A healthy LIFE isn't just about what you eat and staying active.. it includes your mind, your soul, and your body.  

So month 5 & 6 of being postpartum I had taken 7 weeks off from lifting weights and for 3-4 weeks only did one or two days of cardio. That doesn't mean I didn't move around and stay active while dancing at my best friend wedding or walking around Aspen and Big Bear with our families, or playing with my son at the park.  I just didn't do the whole gym thing.  Now that things have slowed down I have incorporated more activity and healthy eating back into my routine, it feels good to build back some of the muscle that I lost, and to feel strong again.  It feels good to get in a good sweat and know that Im treating my body the way it deserves.  So I missed it but definitely enjoyed some time off.  

This is the life I choose to live. A healthy one. Its my life, and I won't spend it fixated on the pressure that the world places on me to meet a goal of body weight or the way I'm told I'm supposed to look by "MONTH 6 after having a baby"… i WILL however enjoy being a first time mom, being a parent with my husband, watching my son play with his uncles, aunts, grandparents, friends and cousins, and figure out the whole balancing life being a parent thing.. & in the middle of all of that FUN,  i am dedicated to staying healthy the way I feel is best for me, myself, & I. 

I aim for 4-5 days  a week of exercise/activity which usually includes, 1-2 strength training classes and 4 days of cardio. I also make sure to get my little guy outside every day for short walks on days that I don't work. My husband and I will go on a longer walk or two on the weekends, sometimes we'll even go for a hike. 

Heres my 6 months postpartum body that the good Lord gave me! Thank you Jesus for a healthy strong body that I get to do so much l i f e with.  

Just me, no tricks, no makeup, lots of good sweat, and loving it.. pretty sure you can also see where I lost my hair (4 mnths pp) after having cash (hormones do that to ya) its finally growing back in and i have all this cute little baby hair lol! 

Theres nothing better than venturing out with my boys

Baby wearing for some good old outdoor hikes

Heres my little guy in his big boy stroller, enjoying the scenery!

I want to hear from you ladies. What pressure have you faced? How do you encourage yourself to love yourself? How do you see yourself after having a baby? 

You can read more about my postpartum journey in my posts here: 1 Month Postpartum, 2 Months Postpartum, 3 Months Postpartum, 4 Months Postpartum


xo

What I've Been Eating Lately: Butternut Squash & Granny Smith Apple Soup

What I've Been Eating Lately: Butternut Squash And Tangy Granny Smith Apple Soup

This recipe is absolutely delicious!!! It also happens to be healthy and leaves your home spelling wonderful.  I don't know how I was missing out on Butternut Squash soup but I hadn't tried it until this year when my mother in law brought it over and I instantly fell in love. I made this over the holidays a bunch (sorry, im just now getting around to sharing it but we have plenty of time to enjoy more soup..at least through February right?!). You'll have plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day ..this is edible liquid gold!(:

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash (peeled, seeded, and chopped)

1 medium onion, diced

1 tbspn unsalted butter

2 Granny Smith green apples chopped to puree inside the soup, 1 green apple chopped for topping

2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock (i used vegetable stock)

2 1/2 cups water

[[you can also add in  Pinches of nutmeg & cinnamon if you'd like]]

Recipe:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, stock, and the water (just enough to cover). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.

Puree (you can use a food processor or blender) in vitamix until smooth, and return to saucepan. Heat over low, thinning with more water if necessary. 

Pour into bowls and top with sliced of green apple. I made a side Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Sour Dough bread topped with cheddar cheese. SO YUMMY!

Once its cooked for a while I start to smoosh the squash with the ladle a bit. 

Puree in the vitamix

Serve with apples on top and a side of cheese bread (YES PLEASE!)

What have you been making lately that you love? Share below

xo