Baked Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large Roma tomato, finely chopped

2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 lb. ground turkey

1 jar marinara sauce

1 tsp. each salt & pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

Steps:

brown meat over medium heat until no longer pink and then add the marinara sauce to it. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a large knife or a cleaver, slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise down the middle. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and center strings. Drizzle the two halves with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place the squash, open side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, check to see if the squash is soft and easily comes up with a fork into a spaghetti like texture. If it’s too hard to remove, cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, scrape and fluff the stringy squash with a fork. Leave the squash in the skin. Turn the oven up to broil. Add the meat sauce, tomatoes and fresh basil into the squash, stir and top with the mozzarella cheese. Place in the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving the squash.

SO GOOD!!! 

Stuffed Zucchini

INGREDIENTS:

•3 tsp olive oil, divided

•1 clove garlic, diced

•1 small yellow onion, diced

•8 oz mushrooms, diced

•1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

•3 tbsp whole-wheat bread crumbs

•2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

•2 zucchini, halved, seeds and pulp removed

You can also add ground turkey to this too! Tastes great when you add different things to it! Can't go wrong!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare stuffing: In a large sauté pan on medium-high, heat 1 tsp oil. Add garlic, onion and mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining 2 tsp oil, vinegar, bread crumbs and Parmesan. Mix thoroughly. 

2.Spoon an equal amount of stuffing into each zucchini half. Bake on a foil-lined cookie sheet for 10 minutes

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings

Okay- so I was a bit leery when I first made this. I mean, can it really taste good being classified as clean eating?!! Well, I decided to make it for dinner one night for my family. OH. MY. GOSH!!! Seriously, they ATE IT UP! Loved every single bite of it. And the best part was that there was enough for leftovers and I froze it for another night. Two dinners in one. YES PLEASE! 

So, on these cold days I encourage you to try this and I hope that you are as pleasantly surprised and satisfied as myself and my family!! Give it a go!! It's delicious!

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
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

Dumpling Ingredients:

2 1/4 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 currently 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)

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.

Roasted Chick Peas

Need a yummy, healthy snack idea? Here you go!! Roasted chick peas really are delicious and a great thing to munch on!!

2 cans (14 oz each) Chickpeas
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp spice mix (recipe below)

Spice Mix
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Drain and wash the chickpeas. Place the clean chickpeas on a layer of paper towels and gently rub the tops of them with another paper towels. Some of the skins will peel away.
You want to get the chickpeas as dry as possible.

While the chickpeas are air drying further, make the spice mix. Pour all of the spices into a bowl and mix well. 

*This recipe will not use all of the mix, so reserve the excess for later.

Place the clean and dry chickpeas in a bowl and toss them with the olive oil. Once coated with oil, sprinkle on the spice mix to taste.

Place the seasoned chickpeas on a lined cookie sheet and put the sheet in the oven for 40-60 minutes. Mix them around about half way through.

Carefully watch the chickpeas at the end as they can quickly burn. Once done, the chickpeas will be browned and crunchy. As the chickpeas cool they will become even crunchier...almost like a cornet.

No Bake Shakeology Cookies

NO BAKE COOKIES--- The healthy way!!

1 scoop chocolate (or chocolate vegan) SHAKEOLOGY
1 cup organic rolled oats (or quick cook oats)
1/2 cup PB2
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 TBS (or to taste) honey.

*Feel free to add additional applesauce if the mixture is too dry to adhere to itself.

Roll the “dough” between your hands into ping pong sized “balls” place each on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Freeze ‘em for a few hours and viola! Low cal, nutrient dense nuggets of deliciousness!

Meal Planning and P90X3

I can hardly believe that I am heading into week 8 of P90X3 as of TOMORROW!  It is crazy to me how much strength I am gaining from this program! I have done almost all of the Beachbody programs and I love them ALL in different ways! I will be honest, on the first day of each of the workouts it took me almost the whole 30 minutes to figure out the moves. That is TOTALLY normal. Don't give up when you don't get something on the first try.. or even the second or third try! It is like the saying goes. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!! The strength and flexibility I have gained over the past 8 weeks is crazy to me! I am able to do 4 unassisted pull ups at this point. I can do 8 unassisted chin ups and I am going up in my dumbbell weight each week. I actually just told my husband that I really 'NEED' the select tech weights because I am going to surpass 30 pound dumbbells before I know it!! ;) He didn't seem as enthusiastic about it as I do!! Dumbbell point aside... this workout is amazing and it TRULY IS FOR ANYONE AT ANY FITNESS LEVEL. There is a modifier and there are things that you won't be able to do the first time. PERIOD. There are things you will have to work towards for awhile before you master it.. BUT, that's just it... we are ALL a work in progress. RIGHT?! Yes. So, get something that challenges you and you get to work for something every single day. Isn't that what life is all about? Striving for progress and not perfection? That's my thoughts at least.

I do know one thing about working out (well, honestly.. I know more than one thing, but I will say one thing right now)... You have to make it a habit. I get up every single day between 5:15 and 5:30 am to get my workout done. The BEAUTY of P90X3 is that it is 30 minutes from start to finish. So, I know that I will be done by 6:00 am and then I put my mommy hat on and get the kiddos breakfast, dressed and out the door for school. That is just how my morning goes. I have a plan and a schedule every day and it works for me. NOW, you do not HAVE to workout everyday before the sun comes up. It really is whatever time works best for you and your schedule. I will say that if you are someone who will fret about your workout until it is done and not looming over your head, then you SHOULD TRY to get yourself in the HABIT of working out before you start your day. It amps up your energy for the day, you feel great because you know you already got your sweat on and you don't have to plan around the rest of your day to 'fit it in.' You should never have to fit in your workout, your YOU time. It should be a priority. You don't cancel on your boss do you? Well, don't cancel on yourself! Make YOU the best you there can be. Take care of your body. 

The more you workout, the more you eat healthy, the better you'll feel. It's simple science. And you will begin to get results! I don't care who you are.... I promise that you will and do feel better the more you workout and eat clean. Fueling your body properly sets your days, weeks, months and years up for SUCCESS!! 

I am a prime example of how meal planning will get you results. Eating clean is a passion of mine. I started my clean eating journey last March, so it's been 11 months now and I have never looked back. I was always someone who could run through a drive thru 3 times a week, drink a soda a day and be 'fine.' (OR SO I THOUGH).. The first picture was taken last March. I was 130 pounds and really felt bloated and icky all the time. I was a size 4 and just didn't feel comfortable in my own skin anymore. YES, I know some of you are thinking... "OH POOR YOU... A SIZE 4!!!"... I never did nor will I ever complain about being a size 4! However; again it does not matter what SIZE you are or how much you WEIGH.. it is how you feel that should matter! I was feeling tired, grumpy, lazy, bloated and just plain miserable most days. I could FEEL the sugar/wheat/gluten take over my insides when I would eat it. NOT A GOOD FEELING!! 

So, I started researching clean eating and embraced it. My family and I eat the same things each day. We LOVE what we eat and don't miss Taco Bell or McDonalds... that's for sure!! Now, another important factor in this.. WE ARE

REAL PEOPLE. We cheat at least one meal, sometimes two meals a week. We plan it out and decide what we want. Most days we go out to eat after church on Sundays. Some days it is pizza, others it is pasta, hamburgers, ice cream, whatever!! 80% of the time we eat clean and 20% of the time we splurge and eat what we are craving. I will ALWAYS tell everyone that MODERATION is the key. If there is a night where I just WANT a beer, guess what.. I'm going to have a beer. I just ALWAYS ACCOUNT FOR IT. That is another key factor. You should count calories if you don't really know what you are eating and WRITE EVERYTHING YOU PUT INTO YOUR MOUTH DOWN ON PAPER. It may be a reality check for some of you! It sure was for me! SO this is what I started to do... I started to make a weekly meal plan. Wrote out EVERYTHING I was going to eat.. And guess what? IT HELPED! I would print out a copy and hang it on my fridge, I would print a copy for my car and I would give a copy to my husband who would pack his meals and take them to work with him. We started to lose weight and feel better!!! So, now.. 11 months later I weigh in at 120-122, depending on the day and I just FEEL BETTER. I love this lifestyle, I know that we are doing our bodies so much more justice than before and the biggest reward is knowing that my kids are being properly nourished. We all LOVE shakeology each day and that is our 'treat' for the day. We LOVE our life!

Now, like I said before it has become a lifestyle change. BUT, it did not happen overnight! It is baby steps!! I don't expect you to throw everything away in your pantry unless if you are an all or nothing type of person. It is the gradual little changes that happen. Do you think that I LOVE to get up at 5:15 every single morning?? NOPE! BUT, I love the rewarding feeling I have after my workout is over, so that is worth it for me. I am like the rest of you. I want to stay in my warm bed and hit the snooze over and over, but I MAKE myself get up and head out to my freezing cold garage by 5:30 am. It works. Some mornings I want to cry! HAHAH!!! Other mornings I'm fired up and ready to go! (Those are usually the mornings that I have some new workout clothes to wear!! ;) ) But, this is just the real me. Sometimes I will have a Pepsi on a day that isn't a scheduled cheat mea (NOT OFTEN, I PROMISE YOU THAT) but sometimes... I do. It's all about accounting for it and making up for it in other ways. Maybe and extra workout session or a few cut calories for another meal. All in all.. Enjoy your life, but be HEALTHY! We only get one body! TREAT IT WELL!!! And yes, this is me in front of my space heater waiting for my P90X3 workout to START!! YOU CAN DO IT! You have to WANT IT :) 

Do You Count Your Blessings? -- The Awesomeness of a Beachbody Coach

Can you believe that it is February already? I mean seriously, it feels like I was just getting ready for Christmas! Time really does fly and that is why it is so important to really be in control of your days instead of letting the days control you. I preach this, but trust me... I seriously can have big issues with it when it comes to my own life.  If I let myself go I find myself scrolling aimlessly through Facebook, checking emails every 5 minutes and really not focusing on what is important. This is one reason why I work from my TO DO LIST! Everyday I sit down in the morning with my cup of coffee and I jot down what I NEED to do for the day. After I write everything down then I put them in order of what is the MOST important to the least important. This can really help me to focus on 'eating that frog' (doing the most important things FIRST to make sure they get done) and just putting my foot on the gas to GO. 

But, this morning I sit here with a blank piece of paper staring at me and my coffee is getting cold. I am reflecting on my week. I can't move on just yet. I am just in awe of the achievements that I am blessed to be a part of with my team and my fitness/nutrition challengers. I am not even kidding when I just say WOW... WHAT A WEEK. And then I will go even further to say WOW... WHAT AN 8 MONTHS!!!

So on Tuesday it was a 30 day mark for one of my challenge groups.  It was the first 30 days that my clients had done a workout program/Shakeology/eat clean for 30 days. It was time to weigh in, measure and take photos. I am not kidding AT ALL when I tell you that these days are like CHRISTMAS for me. I get so excited to see the results of my peeps!! I am literally all ansey when I wake up and race to my computer to see who the first one is to check in. Well, this week was EPIC!! 
I have two couples in my group that are ROCKSTARS! It's so cool to see husbands and wives taking fitness and nutrition on together!! One couple combined lost 12 pounds together and 21 inches!!! IN 30 DAYS! And YES, this is the HEALTHY WAY! This is the way that you do it to KEEP IT OFF and FEEL BETTER! Another couple lost a total of 20 pounds and tons of inches too!! Then I got a text from a girl who had lost 4 pounds and her clothes were nearly falling off of her!! Another one.. get ready for this... She lost 9 pounds in 30 days!!! YES, again... the healthy way!! This is just what happens when you eat clean, properly fuel your body and workout. It's SCIENCE! Those are just a few of the successes that I got on Tuesday and I am THRILLED and SO HAPPY for them. 

This is just ONE of the MANY perks of my job!! Getting those calls from people telling me that they are wearing jeans that they haven't fit into in YEARS, that they feel better than ever and I really love it when they adapt to clean eating and tell me that you can eat TASTY foods and lose weight!! Yep, we don't eat bland, plain, gross food. No way! It is good, whole foods and I TEACH my clients how to meal plan, meal prep and set themselves up for success. I LOVE the feeling that I get everyday when I check in online with these people and they are HAPPIER, HEALTHIER and MORE ENERGETIC than they have ever been in their lives. I can't believe how blessed I am that I get to do this job all while staying at home with my babes and being present in their lives. It astounds me that THIS. IS. MY. LIFE. And guess what-- anyone can do this job. I can teach you, train you and give you the 'secret sauce' of the whole thing. The rewards I get everyday from talking to people are wonderful and I believe whole heartedly that this is my calling in life! I LOVE to help people! And I have a PASSION for helping END THE TREND OF OBESITY in the United States.

Okay, so now... as the week progressed my own team of coaches were contacting me and telling me about how many people they have been helping this week!!! That they are crazy busy with emails and phone calls too because they people are flocking to them from their amazing transformations, their will and drive to help others and their amazing hearts of gold that people can just sense! My team is amazing. I honestly am just SO BLESSED all around. How many of you get to say that you work with your BEST FRIENDS??? That's me!

 I get to CHOOSE who I work with. I get to CHOOSE how I spend my days!! I get to CHOOSE which days I work and on those days.... again, I get to hang out with my FRIENDS! No fakeness, no drama... just real people and real friends. Usually, we are on zoom chat (video conference online) in our yoga pants, hair in a messy bun with no makeup while our kids are playing at our feet. THAT'S THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD, RIGHT?!!!!

So, then Thursday rolled along. Thursdays are the beginning of the 'work week' for us and Thursdays are also recognition days! We get paid on Thursdays, we see who has rank advanced and we see who has rocked out success over the past week. WELL, let ME tell YOU... this Thursday was OFF THE CHAIN! My team did BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE with their businesses! I had my coaches calling me in tears telling me that they had received their biggest paychecks to date, I got to recognize coaches for hitting goals that they set and they are CRUSHING them. We are GROWING and the JOY that brings me is unexplainable. To know that we as a team are changing lives is incredible to me. We all get to do this together. To grow as a family because we are so close and to watch new coach after new coach blossom into something amazing. We all get to dream our own dreams. We all set our own goals. Some of us want to rise to the top of the leaderboards. Others want to just make a few hundred dollars extra a week for spending cash. That's OKAY! Everyone has a different vision and I HELP EACH ONE WITH THAT!! 

I'm not saying that this has been an easy road. I'm not saying that there aren't things that I sacrifice each day to make my own dreams happen. I'm not saying that I don't have my days and moments where I question everything I do, BUT I will say that it is ALL WORTH IT! 

I have never had a day where I want to quit. I have never had a day where I am a negative nancy about my business. I have my moments where I need to take a step back and reevaluate, but that is all. BECAUSE I KNOW that this is growing into something even bigger then I can imagine. I KNOW that this team is revving up and gaining momentum each day. And I KNOW that we are going to be together one day on a tropical vacation thinking WOW... IS THIS REALLY OUR LIFE??!! We are helping people get healthy and we get paid to do it??!! This is reality for us!!

Are you reading this thinking "I want to do this?" "I could do this!" "I want to know more about what this is?!" 

Never Give Up

Are you ready?  Are you interested in joining the Dream XTREME!?!  We are growing FAST and this team is ON FIRE!!! The energy that emerges from our team calls, our private team page are just mind blowing!  We keep you on track with your health and fitness and with you finances to!  Its go time!!!

Dreams

What does this mean to you?!?!  If you have ever considered becoming a Beachbody Coach then NOW is the TIME!!!  I am going to be kicking off my Accelerated Coach Apprenticeship Program followed by my Emerald to Diamond Push Group and I am looking for 5 people to join my team!

I am not looking for just any 5 people.  But 5 motivated, driven, passionate, committed people that are willing to take that leap of faith and put their trust in me!  5 people that will know from the bottom of their heart that I have your best interest at heart and that I wouldn't lead you astray!  I will teach you everything that I have done to build a successful team beachbody business in 2 years, as a stay at home mom, in the comfort of my own home. 

It's not another day another $$ anymore.  It's another day another LIFE I can HELP CHANGE!!!!  But it starts with a decision, a decision to trust and follow the process!!!! 

Coaches Change Lives

APPLY below to be considered for 1 of 5 spots available on the Dream Xtreme. 

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