Clean Eating Meatballs

I am making these tonight for us to have all week as lunches! They are delicious, healthy and easy to make. They are so quick and we will have them as a meatball sandwich or even as a side to a nice salad. I will put some low sodium tomato sauce and a tiny sprinkle of low fat mozzarella cheese with some lettuce all on a whole wheat pita or whole wheat bun!!!! I am always looking for quick and easy ways to serve my family meals and this one is a hit! I really encourage you to make them and I am pretty sure that everyone in the fam will gobble them up!! And, let's face it.. we all like a quick, tasty meal that is already cooked and ready to go!!

Clean Eating Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey or chicken.

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 egg lightly beaten

1 cup oat bran or ezekiel bread crumbs

2 tbsp fresh parsely, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh oregano finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl place egg and breadcrumbs or oat bran.  Add spices and mix well.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Using an ice cream scoop make meatballs and place on prepared cookie sheet.  Place in hot oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Week 1: Body Beast/ T25 Hybrid

Week 1: Body Beast/T25 Hybrid

I am so excited to be changing up the routine this week! I was planning to start Body Beast last Monday, but I hurt my back on Sunday morning, so that idea flew out the window! So, I have mended myself back to normal and I am so excited to get started!  So, I was going to just do Body Beast, but I decided that since we are going into the peak of the holiday season, I will do a hybrid so I can really focus on getting my lifting in and on those few days a week when time is of the essence, I will do a T25 workout! WIN WIN! I have never done Body Beast, so this is really exciting for me! I have a few friends who are in the second phase and they LOVE IT and are getting INSANE results! I can't wait to really pump my muscles. 

This week I am going to be focusing solely on perfect form and also staying spot on with my meal plan. It is the start of the holiday season and I refuse to put on any extra holiday fluff! That is not going to happen to this girl and I don't want it to happen to you either! This is a joyous time to spend with friends and family! To be thankful for everything and to know that we are all so blessed! With that being said, let's not allow this season to get the bets of us! Don't allow your season to revolve around FOOD! Food is not that special! I know, I know.. we all get excited about Grandma's special pumpkin pie and Aunt Sally's famous sugar cookies! That is perfectly okay!! BUT, what we don't want to do is focus so much on them that we end up eating the whole tray of cookies ourselves!

 I want to give you a suggestion. Set a number of cookies that you are going to allow yourself to have this holiday season. From now until January 1st, what is an acceptable number of treats you can give yourself that will make you feel satisfied, but not stuffed? Is that number 12? 15? 20? Choose your number and write it down! PUT IT IN YOUR PHONE!!! And after each sweet treat you eat, cross of a 1,2,3… etc! That will really make you be aware of what is going into your mouth!! AND I bet that you will find yourself being more mindful of which treat goes to your lips. Is it worth eating that walmart cooking when you know next weekend Grannie will have her homemade goodies?? NO! It's all about eating what you want in moderation and also paying attention to what you are eating :) Hope that little tip helps!

HERE IS MY SCHEDULE THIS WEEK!!!! November 25th- December 1st :) 

Body Beast Build Week / Focus T25

• Day 1: BB Build: Chest/Tris + Fit Club in the Evening- T25: Cardio
• Day 2: BB Build: Legs
• Day 3: BB Build: Back/Bis 
• Day 4: T25: Speed 2.0
• Day 5: BB: Build: Shoulders / T25: Lower Focus
• Day 6: BB Build: Chest/Tris + Ab Intervals
• Day 7: Rest OR T25: Stretch OR T25: Core Speed

Back to the meal planning. It is really important to me to make sure that I am fueling my body properly. I like how I feel when I am getting in all of my veggies and fruits, when I am drinking my Shakeology everyday and when I am exercising! My body thanks me! Shoot, I have abs I didn't know existed! I EAT and I DON'T FEEL DEPRIVED!! EVER!! I plan my cheat meals each week and I enjoy my life! 

I do want you guys to focus on eating at least every 3 hours! It is so important to your body that you are eating because that is what gets your metabolism up and up!! Are you someone who says "I'm never hungry?" Well, that is probably because you are eating too many calories at one sitting and also your metabolism is not as fast as it could or possibly should be! Check out my meal plan to see how I plan my days of meals :) 

So, I will be checking in with you all on my progress this week! I can't wait to start getting my muscles really pumping and see what a difference I can make in my body! I like change and I can't wait to share this with you! Stay tuned!!  And I have made a lot of progress so far!! I can't wait to go further!! :) 

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

This was always a staple around our house as a kid. I think that my mom made this dish at least every other week!! It is a great way to get a ton of vitamins and nutrients without going way overboard on calories. This is a 'hearty' dish without giving you a hearty waistline!!  My family eats it up and it is perfect for a cold winter night!!

Clean Eating Chicken And Dumplings

(Makes approximately 5 quarts)

Stew Ingredients:

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (no sugar/dextrose added)

1 tablespoon marjoram

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut into small chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion – peeled and diced

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced

4 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced

1 cup peas, frozen works fine

1/2 cup corn, frozen is what I use

Dumpling Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup milk (any milk you typically use is fine. I use unsweetened almond milk.

Stew Directions:

Pour the broth into your crock pot (or into a large soup pot if cooking on a stove top).

Add the marjoram and garlic powder to the broth and turn the crock pot to high (stove top, bring to a slow boil)

In a pan, combine the olive oil, onion, carrots and celery. Saute until the onions are translucent.

Add the veggies and cut up chicken to the crock pot (or soup pot).

Dumpling Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk to blend well.

Pour in the oil and milk and mix with a wooden spoon.

(Be sure the broth is hot before adding the dumplings to the pot) Using two teaspoons, scoop up and round off your dumplings and scrap into your pot. (Just like making drop cookies)

Stove Top Directions:

Boil until the dumplings and chicken are cooked.

Slow Cooker Directions:

Cook this on high for about 3-1/2 hours. But if you need to cook it longer because you are leaving for the day (or cooking overnight), turn the slow cooker to low and cook until the dumplings and chicken are cooked through. (My guess is about 6 hours). It’s important to know how your slow cooker cooks here. Every slow cooker is slightly different.

Also, the dumplings will look a little odd after they have been cooking at the top of the stew all day. They create a sort of “crust-like” cover. Just break them up with a wooden spoon and stir them into the stew to finish cooking. Simply break one open to be sure it’s cooked all the way through.

Eat. Drink. Be FIT and HEALTHY This Holiday Season!

Eat. Drink. Be FIT and HEALTHY This Holiday Season!

Are you already stressing about the holidays? Are you thinking.. "Oh my GOSH, it is already November 23rd and I have NOTHING ready for Christmas?"  Well, I have totally been that person in the past! The one who literally stresses for six weeks leading up to Christmas and then stresses after Christmas wondering how in the world we are going to pay off what we spent for Christmas! YIKES!!!

I can honestly say at this point that I have overcome that feeling of craziness and this year I am already planned, prepped and ready to go!! My calendar is set. I have my gift guide written out with exact items on it for each person I have to buy for! I have some things bought and some are ALREADY WRAPPED! That is huge for me! I am usually the mom sitting on the living room floor at midnight on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day trying to finish wrapping presents to get them under the tree and get to bed! NOT THIS YEAR! I am so happy that I literally do not have an ounce of stress!! 

I get all of my shopping DONE by December 5th. That is just the date that I set on my calendar and I will stick to it! I get all of my shopping done in the stores before black Friday because I am NOT A BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPER!  

I don't venture out in the crowds!! I like the behind the scenes action, so I swear by online shopping! It's stress free, I can sit in my yoga pants and hoodie with no makeup and shop for my fam! Then, the best part.. My packages are delivered straight to my doorstep! WOHOOO!! Can't beat that kind of service! Oh, and I'm a huge discount shopper, so I google coupon codes for everything and ALWAYS use a discount code! Works great!

SO, anyways!! MY POINT!!! Along with the stress of the holidays can come the stress of holiday eating! Eating can become mindless and with that will come extra weight. And who wants to start the new year overweight? NOT ME! And I'm sure NOT YOU! So, have you thought about how you are going to overcome the extra pounds this year? You don't want to be hiding behind a bulky sweater! You don't want to have to stress about hiding your muffin top and using the rubber band trick! (You know what I'm talking about.. where you have to literally use a rubber band to put through the button hole of your jeans and wrap it around the button to get your pants to 'fit'!!!) Been there, done that and WON'T GO THERE AGAIN! 

I want to help you survive the holidays! I want to teach you how you can overcome the pressure of eating nonstop! I want to teach you how to plan your meals and still indulge, but just in moderation instead of gorging yourself to the point of being sick!! I want to keep you accountable to your workouts!! Don't have a workout program? I'm your girl! 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week.. We all have time for that! And we all FEEL BETTER after getting a workout done! So, why stress for the holidays? You DON'T HAVE TO!! I'm here to get you through! I'm here to help you focus on YOU!! 

Are you wondering what my Holiday Fitness, Clean Eating and Shakeology Challenge is?

Well it is a 30 day group in which I am going to teach you basic strategies for how to plan out your meals, give you recipes, tips and all the tricks that have helped me be successful in my weight loss journey.   Last year at this time I was surviving a deployment. My husband was deployed to Africa, I was holding down the fort with two small girls and just trying to keep afloat. We had just moved into a brand new house 5 months prior. we were in the process of selling our previous home in Pennsylvania, I was 1200 miles away from my family and I still managed to make it through with little stress and I stayed on track with my health and fitness. I wasn't perfect, sometimes I messed up and I indulged in a few sweets.  

But what I did was take everything in moderation, found a way to work my workouts in and still stay focused on the goal I had for myself.  Looking back, I was FINE! I wasn't deprived, I enjoyed the holidays with my babies, we spent a few days with my in-laws and had a BLAST!!!  I wasn't bloated, sluggish or tired.  I felt confident going shopping the day after Christmas to buy some cute new clothes and I wasn't looking at a big 'spare tire' around my waist from overdoing it!!   I was proud of my decisions and my body.  This has been how I have almost always lived my life. I just want to show you all how to do it for yourselves! I am so confident that you will love this program and see how planning your days will WORK in more ways than one!! You will not gain the dreaded holiday weight and I will be your biggest fan!! I want to teach you my 'tricks' and help you set and meet goals! Let's do this.. TOGETHER!

Are you wondering how in the heck I am going to do this? Well I am taking on a 30 day fitness and Shakeology support/ accountability group.  It is all done via Facebook. I create a closed group so no one can see what is posted but the people in the group.  Each day you will get a post from me.  It will be a tip, motivation, recipe or meal plan.  Each day you are required to just check in and rate your day.  My goal is to teach you how to make smart choices, how to create a happy, healthy lifestyle and not do a 'diet'.  This is a positive change and not one that you will be calling a fad diet! NO WAY!  We will learn how to have balance over the holidays, handle eating out, parties, social events, cravings and more!  I have lots of tricks up my sleeves and I will share them all with you! I seriously just can't wait to share with you how I do this and how you can do it too!

Soooo, what are the REQUIREMENTS?! 

You must commit to being an active participant in the group.  This is NOT HARD! I mean it is literally less than 5 minutes a day! This is the best part because you get to chat with the others in the group and stay on track!

You must commit to a Beachbody workout program and replacing one meal a day with Shakeology.  Why?  Because Shakeology is by far the easiest and healthiest meal of the day.  Lets face it, especially now more than ever we are busy, on the go and pulled in a million different directions.  Sometimes we just don't have time or energy left to cook. 80% of your results come from the food you put into your mouth! I was so against a 'meal replacement shake' when I first started.

It literally took me over a month to commit because I was like "NO WAY!! I'm NOT doing that!!' I didn't want to be dependent on a meal replacement to help them lose weight and I certainly didn't want to pay money for it!!  But trust me, this is unlike anything else out there!  I fell in love with it and I literally have used it EVERY SINGLE DAY for 7 months!! LOVE IT! This is 1 meal a day and then my goal is to teach you how to eat the other meals of the day!  When the group is over you can choose to continue with Shakeology or not!  So Shakeology becomes that 1 meal a day that you do not have to worry about.  You know it has the right combination of protein and carbs to keep you full for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  Plus it will help to decrease your cravings for sweets, give you natural energy and help you lose weight! Trust me, it's worth every penny!  Give it a try, what do you have to lose???

I am also requiring a workout program for this challenge. I am recommending the T25 program during this time of year because there will be much less excuse about finding time! This program is literally 25 minutes a day! EVERYONE HAS 25 MINUTES!! You can literally get up a little earlier, go to bed a little later, or squeeze in some time during your day! I have a challenger who literally takes her program to work with her and does it in her office on her lunch break!!! She's a little sweaty, but says she just cleans up a little in the bathroom and she's back in action!! Dedication is key!! And exercise will HELP YOU FEEL BETTER!! So, It takes 21 days to create a habit. Let's go a full 30 to make it stick!!  And the best part!! You will make new friends and who knows where that will take you!! When you want to make a change you have to surround yourself with like minded people! We are YOUR PEOPLE!! 

  I must be your assigned coach! We can work together to get everything set up!! 

We are starting on DECEMBER 2nd!!! Email me at valbozzo15@gmail.com or find me on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/val.bozzo. You can also find me on instagram @ valbfitness!!! 

Let's DO THIS TOGETHER!!

Clean Eating Sloppy Joes

I have been a lover of sloppy joes since I was a kid! But, my mom's recipe is definitely not the 'cleanest' and I have cut out added sugars in my family's food :) So, this is the best sloppy joe recipe I have found and I don't miss all of the other add ins!!

Clean Eating Sloppy Joe’s

These make about 8 sloppy Joes :) 

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil

1-1/2 lbs. lean ground turkey meat 

1 (15 oz.) can organic tomato sauce, no sugar added

1/2 cup clean ketchup (I use simply heinz)

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

2 tsp. raw honey

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 medium green bell pepper

1 medium red bell pepper

Directions

Step 1 – Put your olive oil in a large pan, add the turkey meat and cook over medium heat.

Step 2 – Once the meat is cooked, add everything else. Stir until well blended and heated through.

Step 3 – Scoop however much you want onto a clean hamburger bun or ezekiel english muffin!!

Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole

My family and I love to have breakfast for dinner. LOVE IT! Most mornings we are so busy that we truly only have time for eggs and oatmeal. (It takes me literally 5 minutes flat to make breakfast in the mornings!!) Dippy eggs, old fashioned oatmeal and it is DONE! So, to hang out for an hour in the mornings for breakfast is a no go! We are a busy family, so our delicious breakfasts are usually done at dinnertime!! This is a HIT at my house. The blueberries in it really sweeten the dish to make it taste like it is full of 'bad stuff!' In reality, it is a healthy dish that you can have either all by itself or you can even add some homemade turkey breakfast sausage to go along side of it!!! 

Try it out and let me know how you like it! I am obsessed! My kids love to pick out the blueberries and eat them separately! Enjoy!

Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole

(Makes about 12 servings)

Ingredients

6 cups cubed, whole grain bread

8 egg whites

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. almond extract

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions

Step 1 – In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, almond milk, honey, extracts and cinnamon. Whisk well.

Step 2 – Oil a baking dish (about 9 x 13), and fill it with the bread.

Step 3 – Pour the liquid mixture over the bread and allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes, mixing once or twice to be sure all parts of the bread are moistened.

Step 4 – Mix in the blueberries.

Step 5 – Bake the casserole at 350 F. for about 45 minutes or until there is no longer any liquid between the bread.

Step 6 – Allow to cool a bit and serve.

Eat and Enjoy!

Greek Feta Chicken

I am a little bit obsessed with this recipe. It is so good! I decided to try it a few months ago and it was a hit. You will find that I will only post recipes on my blog that are tried, true and delicious. I am a mom of two small kiddos and I also have a 'picky' husband. I cook very clean meals, but I like those clean eating meals to taste like they are cheat meals! Who says that clean eating doesn't taste good? I will definitely prove them wrong! So, here you go! Make this one and I bet that you'll love it and your family will too!

Greek Feta Chicken

Marinade: 

8 oz. plain nonfat yogurt

4 tsp. garlic, minced

1/3 bunch fresh oregano, chopped

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Topping: 

6 oz. feta cheese

1 roma tomato, chopped

1/2 cup artichoke hearts, canned

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, blanched and chopped

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

In a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken, turn to coat and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Preheat the grill and set the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the topping ingredients in a large bowl. Grill the chicken, basting with marinade, 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink. Arrange the chicken on a sheet pan coated with nonstick spray and place 1 rounded tablespoon of topping on each breast. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese is softened. 

Makes 8 servings.

Preparation Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Pappy's Stew

Oh my goodness. This is a GREAT recipe for some YUMMY SOUP!! So, there is a story behind the name! My dad makes the best cabbage soup ever! Well, none of us would ever try it when we were kids because #1- the name! (who wants to eat cabbage, right!??) and #2- because of the smell of it cooking!!! Cabbage has an 'odor' while it cooks, enough said! LOL!  But, as I got older and braved up the courage to taste it, I fell in love! It is AWESOME! So much flavor and great on a cold day! So, when my dad made it one day when we were at my parent's house visiting I knew that I didn't want to tell my kids it was "cabbage soup" so we told them that it was Pappy's Stew. They were all excited about that one!! So, they tried it and loved it! Ate the whole bowl and asked for more. They request Pappy's Stew weekly and that is no exaggeration! I am actually planning to make it for dinner tonight!! It is filling, so healthy and doesn't make you feel guilty after eating it! Give it a try!! It is worth it all the way!!


Pappy's Stew

1/2 Head of cabbage, chopped

1/2 bag of baby carrots

1 onion, sliced thin

3-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2-3 cups of water (until soupy!)

1-2 cups cubed ham

1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)

2 cups chicken broth (maybe more, add for flavor)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Put everything in a big pot together and let simmer on the stove until ready to eat! It's soup, so the longer it sits together, the better it tastes!

You can really put anything in it you would like!! It is just a great base for a yummy soup! 

TURKEY BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

This is the best, CLEANEST breakfast sausage I've ever had! It tastes delicious and you won't even miss the extra fat and crap in it!!! Try this recipe and you will be glad you did!

1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce (I make my own!)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp group black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper if you want spicy (or just omit)
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 lb ground turkey
2 tsp olive oil

Directions:

In large bowl mix applesauce, salt, pepper, cayenne, sage, red pepper flakes, coriander, garlic powder and onion powder.  


Once mixed, add in ground turkey.  Mix until turkey is completely saturated and coated in mixture. 

Then you can press into patties and cook on the stove, or you can cook as ground meat to add into your favorite eggs, wraps or egg casserole!  Just cook it until it is no longer pink!

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

Cream of Mushroom Soup - cleaned up and homemade!



Makes approximately 1 cup, equivalent to one can.


3 Tbs of olive oil
3 Tbs whole grain flour (you can use rice flower if you need gluten free)
1/2 cup organic milk (almond milk)
1/2 cup organic or homemade broth 
Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms (or more)

Heat the oil in a pot over medium to high heat.  when warmed and very thin, whisk in flower and let cook for 1 minute.  
Poor in liquids while still whisking.
Add salt and mushrooms (in this step you could add in anything you wanted to make a cream of... ____ soup. For example, broccoli, chicken, garlic, onions, ground mustard, cheese, nutmeg... ect)
Whisk until sauce comes to a boil, then turn off the heat.  

Sausage and Egg Casserole

I recently went on a leadership retreat with some my amazing team of Beachbody coaches! It was the time of my life!! Made some amazing friends, learned a ton and also got to eat a lot of awesome CLEAN food!! So, with that I have a ton of new recipes to add! YUM!!

This was one egg bake that I will be making regularly! It was delicious and it is already on my menu for Christmas brunch! YES, I think THAT FAR AHEAD! hahaha!! I wanted to share it with all of you! It is Friday and a lot of us have a 'big breakfast' on the weekends! So, try this clean version of sausage and egg casserole. It will not disappoint!

EGG AND SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

2 cups cheddar cheese - grated

1 cup of homemade cream of mushroom soup

1 dozen eggs

1 lb. of  ground turkey breakfast sausage 

  

Brown sausage and drain well

Grate cheese 

Beat eggs

Mix all together with soup in bowl and pour into a 9x13 inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when tested.

Can be reheated later.

(Can also eat with hot sauce on top ) 

Enjoy! 

Mexican Lasagna

This is one of my all time recipes! (Okay, so I think that I say that about every single recipe!! But, they are all so good!)  My family loves this and that is always the kicker, right? All of you ladies out there know that it is a hit ONLY WHEN we can please EVERYONE at the dinner table!! I also take pride in knowing that I am creating clean, healthy food for my family to enjoy. No eating out every night for us, this momma cooks!! So, here it is. One of the best mexican dishes around!

MEXICAN LASAGNA

Ingredients:

• 1lb lean ground turkey
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (low fat)
• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 1 cup of clean salsa
• 1/2 cup of black beans
• 1 small/medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning
• 4 low carb whole wheat tortillas, cut into strips (I like the santa fe wraps from costco)

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees.
2. In a skillet pan sprayed with nonstick spray, cook the ground turkey and onion until brown.  Once cooked turn to low and add salsa, black beans and taco seasoning and mix together.  Set aside
3. In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese and the cup of cottage cheese.
4. In a baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray, line the pan with 1/2 of the tortilla strips.  Scoop 1/2 of the meat mixture on top and spread out, covering the tortillas.  Then add 1/2 of the cheese mix on top of the meat and spread.  Repeat the layers again with remaining strips, meat, and cottage cheese.  Top with remaining cheese.
5. Cover and bake for 40 minutes and enjoy!  Makes 4 servings at 350 calories each.

Zucchini Lasagna

Okay!! So, last night it was so cold and icky outside that I knew that we needed a warm, yummy, hearty meal!!! BUT, I also like to know that it isn't going to break all of the hard work that I do with my workouts and also with my clean eating for myself and my family! I have had this once before and it was yummy, but it has been awhile! So, I changed up last night's dinner plans and decided to make the Zucchini Lasagna again for my family!  SUCCESS!! I mean it was so delicious! I forgot how good it really is! I mean, after ONE BITE my four year old was telling my husband and I how YUMMY it was for her tummy and she wanted it for breakfast the next morning!! That is definitely music to any momma's ears! Healthy food can taste great! Just make it right!!  My husband loved it and my six year old (who gave me grief BEFORE trying it) ended up loving it too! WIN WIN!!
So, on to the recipe!!!

Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 lb of lean ground turkey
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
•  4 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise
• 24 oz of low fat cottage cheese 
• 1 jar of no sugar added spaghetti sauce (I use whatever I find that is organic)
•  1 cup low fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
• Combine onion, ground turkey, salt, pepper, garlic powder in a skillet and brown turkey until no longer pink.
• Layer Zucchini in the bottom of your pan, then spread a layer of cottage cheese, then a little bit of mozzarella cheese, follow that with a layer of ground turkey mixture, spread a layer of sauce on top.
• Repeat this over again.  Then layer one final row of zucchini on top and cover with sauce and a little sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.

• Cover with foil and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour.
• Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 more minutes then remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Yes it will be a little bit runny due to the water in the zucchini, sauce and the cottage cheese.  I used a slotted spoon to scoop out the lasagna which allows the liquids to stay in the dish. 

It is honestly amazing!  I hope you enjoy it!!!

I know we will be having this as a weekly meal!! It is THAT GOOD!!! 

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Okay- this recipe is so good. I was a little 'leery' at first because my family can be picky at times, but that doesn't stop me from making a new recipes and trying new things!! So, I whipped this one up and MAN!! It is SO GOOD! My kids loved it, my hubby loved it and it has become a staple on our meal plans!! It is a perfect recipe for a cold fall/winter day and everyone will love it!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey

1-1 1/2 tablespoons oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small cabbage, chopped (I slice it up pretty thin and kind of chop it finely)

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.

Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

I like to add some cooked brown rice to this too :) Yummy!!

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Breaking Through the Weight Loss Plateau

Have you hit that dreaded weight loss plateau?

First thing is first… don't give up! It happens to everyone! It really does. It means that you have been working extremely hard and all of a sudden, boom… you've hit a wall.  Now, the bigger question is this.  Have you hit a plateau OR have you just had a really bad week?  There is a difference. Whichever the reason, you need to understand that no matter what, you will overcome it.  We all have our ups and downs.  This is life and it is inevitable.  I just need you to focus on learning how to deal with it physically and mentally so that you don't get frustrated and throw in the towel.  Make sure that you tell yourself that failure is not an option, ever.  Sometimes we just have to regroup and make a new strategy.  We need to jump over the obstacles and become better!
This has always been a struggle for me too. I am an 80/20 kind of girl. 80% of my week I eat clean and healthy and then 20% of the time.. LOOK OUT.  I am going to be cheating, hard core.  I LOVE the way that my body feels when I am spot on, so that is why I am so disciplined.  BUT, I am also human and I know that when we deprive ourself of something then we want it even more.  When we do finally give into the temptations we usually go overboard and binge.  Don't binge!  Just eat everything in moderation!  It is so much better that way!

I need you to always remember something- when it get's tough, when life gets hard or things get in the way, it's not time to give up!  It is time to throw yourself in fully and RUN towards your goals.  You want to change.  You want to be a better version of you.  You CAN do ANYTHING that you put your mind towards doing.  And a lot of times when you hit that plateau, it just means that you need to switch up your workout routine and clean up your eating a little bit. Then, you will be seeing results in no time. And another thing. Just because you may hit a stand still doesn't mean that you just CAN'T LOSE  IT?? COME ON!! Yes, you can. And yes, you will. As long as you don't allow yourself to give up. There are no excuses. No pity parties. You can do anything that you put your mind to. It is all in how consistent you are with it. I change my routines all the time. I can feel it when I start to hit a stand still!! It doesn't matter what shape or size you are, everyone goes through it! So, when it happens I break out a new program, change my eating a little bit and BOOM, back on track!! It's a no brainer! We can all do it!!

Why do fat loss plateaus happen?  Fat loss plateaus happen because our bodies are designed to adapt quickly to a new routine. So, let's say for example you are going to start running. Well, the first week of running you are feeling great, motivated, your body is sore and you can feel yourself getting stronger doing it each day.  Well, then by week 4 or 5 your body has pretty much gotten used to the same routine of running each day, so there is not going to be much more happening until you switch up your routine a little bit. So, now you have to throw in a little weight training, or you need to train a little harder with some hills and speed intervals, etc. Our bodies are machines. Machines get used to the new thing quickly, so they have to be tuned up often!

The same goes with food! Let's say that you decide that you want to lose 1 pound a week. Well, that means that you have to take in 3,500 calories less in that week than you did the week before. That is 500 calories a day that you are either eating less of or exercising more to burn an extra 500 calories in a day. Got it? So, let's say that you do that for 4 weeks and you lose 4 pounds! Great!! Well, your body will get used to that amount of calories being burned or eaten less of and it will start to adapt to that change. You may have to switch it up again! It is all dependent on the individual.There is only one thing that a weight loss plateau means- YOU WERE IN A CALORIE DEFICIT, BUT YOU NO LONGER ARE IN A CALORIE DEFICIT!  So there are lots of things you can do to change this.  Here we go!!!

The number one reason why we hit a weight loss plateau is because our metabolic rate slows down. This is so common because so many people think this way.. "Well, I will just not eat much at all today and I will lose weight… " NOT TRUE! This may work for the first week if you have a significant weight to lose, but then.. WALL. Your body kicks into starvation mode and it will hold onto all of your fat stores in order to fuel your body. This is why you HAVE TO EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT! Now, eating the proper food and proper portions are vital to this process. Do you need to figure out how to calculate calories to see how many you should be eating each day to lose weight? It is so simple. Just make sure that when you are on teambeachbody that you use the eat smart tab.  This tool can help you tremendously in figuring out approximately how many calories you should be intaking each day.  You also need to track your food! You can do this in different ways!  Most of us have an iPhone or some kind of smart phone! There are a million apps to download, you can use your notes in your phone or you can do it the 'old fashioned way' and write it down on paper! My favorite way to keep track is with myfitnesspal. It is perfect and it takes the guess work out of my food. I am a creature of habit, so I tend to eat a lot of the same things.  This app is great because it will save the foods that I input, so I can quickly add them to my favorites :) Win win!

- A HUGE factor that I have found that is one of the main parts of why people 'can't' lose the weight is because they aren't recording what they are eating/drinking. It is vital! Because you know what?? We forget about that handful of pretzels we had between lunch and our afternoon snack.  We forget about the 1/2 donut we ate in the break room at work.. we are human and we forget! So, it is vital that we write it all down! Those few 'mess ups' can determine whether we succeed at our weight loss goal for the week or total fail!

-Larger people eat more calories and larger people burn more calories. Smaller people need less calories and burn less calories during a workout. It isn't rocket science, it is fact! The bigger you are, the more calories you are eating! The smaller you are means that you are eating less calories! I can repeat it 100 times and it will always be the same! So, if you want to lose weight, you have to EAT LESS CALORIES! If  you want to gain weight, pack on the calories! GET IT?! So, as you lose the weight, you have to continue to eat those fewer calories, otherwise you will get bigger!

-CONSISTENCY IS KEY!! Being consistent with your workouts and being consistent with your eating is what will make you successful. If you are eating great Monday through Thursday and then Friday rolls along and you go have drinks with friends, then you are starting to slip. And then on Saturday you want to go and have breakfast at IHop with your family and you get the pancakes and eggs.  Then Saturday night your hubby wants an impromptu date night and he is taking you to your favorite restaurant where you just have to get your favorite 'cheat' meal along with a few beers and dessert! Then, after church on Sunday  you are asked to go to lunch at the pizza place up the street, so of course you don't want to miss out on that! Well, you weigh in on Monday and see that you haven't lost a single pound. WELL, do you see WHY you haven't lost anything? It's because you weren't consistent with your eating habits! NOW, I am NOT SAYING that you shouldn't enjoy yourself! You absolutely should be enjoying life, enjoying friends and family, etc; however, you should be SCHEDULING your ONE cheat meal a week and anything other than that… you should be eating within your caloric range for your goal weight! You can still go out to eat if that is what you want to do! Make sure that you are getting a grilled chicken salad with balsamic/EVOO on the side as your dressing! (That's just an example)… food should not consume your life!! Have you ever heard EAT TO LIVE, DON'T LIVE TO EAT?!! Well, live by this! It is the truth :) 

Always remember that hurdles are a part of life. We need them to make us work harder and push further.  If everything in life were easy, then it wouldn't be real! And the things that we work the hardest for are usually the things that we cherish the most!! Remember that on your journey! Remember that you didn't put the weight on overnight! It's not going to come off overnight! It is a journey and you should embrace it! Each day is a new beginning! If you fall off the horse one day, OH WELL! GET BACK ON THE NEXT!!! We are all human! We are all going to have 'bad days' and we will all have great days!! It's okay to cheat sometimes! Admit it and move on! Stay accountable, stay motivated and you are WORTH IT!

Like this article? Please like my page and stay tuned to my blog! It is a work in progress, but I will continue to grow everyday :) 

2 Week Coach Apprenticeship Trial!!

DREAM TEAM 2 WEEK TRIAL OF COACHING

Have you EVER CONSIDERED becoming a Beachbody Coach??? Do you even know what a Beachbody Coach is or what a coach does? Are you afraid of joining and then just being overwhelmed? Are you afraid of failure? Are you afraid of change? Are you someone who has to know what they are doing before they jump in with both feet? Well, here is your chance to give it a 'test run' before you jump all in! 

Now you can try out coaching before you become a coach.  Starting Monday November 11th, 2013, YES, that is TOMORROW!!! I am accepting 5 individuals who are seriously, I mean SERIOUSLY are considering becoming a coach. You will be accepted into a 2 week trial of my coach apprenticeship program.  I will teach you the basics of coaching and give you a snapshot of what you can expect to learn and implement as a coach on the Dream Team.  You will be added to our online accountability group and I will mentor you 1:1 and in a group setting for the next 14 days.  Then at that point you can decide if Beachbody Coaching is for you.

So the two weeks will include:

Access to my closed facebook support group.

Daily suggested activities to help you start and grow your business.

Access to team trainings, webinars, teaching tools, documents and more.

1:1 contact with me as your coach and 2 weekly group calls.

Setting goals and prioritizing your day.

Setting up your Beachbody Power Hour

How to Start a Challenge Group

How to Earn

How to get enrolled:

Complete the Dream Team Coach Application: FILL OUT MY FORM

Go to my site and create a customer account, this will assign me as your coach. Assign ME as your coach
(You cannot have a coach that you currently work with or you cannot already be a coach).
Send me a Facebook Friend Request to Facebook.

We currently have the 2nd fastest growing team in the company and we continue to be power houses in leading by example. As a team or focus is truly helping other people reach their goals but doing so in a way that respects family life, home work life balance and fun.

My goal is to help give interested individuals who are passionate about helping others achieve their health and fitness goals a way to solidify your decision as to whether or not this is right for you!! 

I wouldn't wait long, I expect this to fill up fast!!!