Buffalo Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

My oldest has always been such a picky eater.  To help him get over this, he's been doing a lot of cooking with me and helping me come up with things to cook that he would like to try.  I was SO EXCITED when he came to me the other night and actually asked to help me cook!!  I mean, he will be an official teenager in a month so most of his time is spent in his room.  I adore any time I get to spend one on one time with him.  Plus, I really enjoy cooking so its great that we can enjoy it together.

His favorite food is chicken wings and he likes them with a bit of spice so this recipe was right up his alley.  He's never been a fan of sweet potatoes but has started making them himself and eating them a little more so again, a good combination for us to cook together.  Before I give you the recipe, I will say this, while we enjoyed this recipe, my cooking was not perfect and I will need to adjust it the next time to make it even better.  I will give you the actual recipe but tell you what I am going to do differently next time.
*So, the only problem with cooking this all together in the oven was that my chicken got done before the sweet potatoes.  I ended up taking the chicken out of the mix and putting the sweet potatoes back in for longer.  When I served it, some of the sweet potatoes were still not done yet.  :(  But the ones that were,were delicious!  So, next time I think I will try cooking the sweet potatoes a bit before mixing all the ingredients together.  If you have another suggestion, please let me know!  Because, this really is a tasty and healthy meal.  :)  Oh yea, I also cut this recipe in half.

Buffalo Chicken and Sweet Potato

• 2 lb chicken breast cut into cubes
• 5 whole sweet potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 6 tbsp hot sauce (I actually used wing sauce)
  
  
• 12 slices turkey bacon cooked and cut into pieces
• 1 cup green onions sliced
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine together the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, hot sauce, and season with pepper to taste.
3. Add the sweet potatoes and chicken and stir to coat.
4. Empty the bowl into a casserole dish.
5. Bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
6. Add the green onions and bacon to the dish and place back in the oven for another 5 minutes to let all the flavors combine. Makes around 8 servings (1 cup each).

Fix Portions (per 1 serving): 1 red, 1.5 yellow, tsp oil

Baked Oatmeal Cups

We all have those days when we are rushing out the door in the morning before realizing we haven't eaten breakfast yet.  Well, you should definitely NOT skip breakfast, instead have something already prepared, that you can just grab and go.  And I don't mean a donut!  So, this week for my meal prepping, I baked oatmeal cups.  This is a nice clean, healthy breakfast to have on the run or even as a snack.  If you are going to be having this as breakfast, I recommend pairing it with a protein as well.  A good easy, on the go protein, would be a hard boiled egg.  I like to always have hard boiled eggs already prepared for the week so that I can grab them whenever I need some protein.

I have stored mine in the refrigerator, so that I can take one out and throw it the microwave for about 30 seconds and its ready to go.

Baked Oatmeal Cups

Ingredients
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla etract
1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/2 cup pumpkin (could also use 1 banana instead)
1/4 cup honey
2 cups Oats
2 TBSP Chia seeds
1 TBSP Ground Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup almond milk

Optional Toppings:  blueberries, dark chocolate chips, coconut, pecans, cranberries, raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix egg, vanilla, applesauce, pumpkin and honey together in a bowl.  Add oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.  Pour in milk and combine.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.  Divide mixture evenly into muffin tins cups.  Add toppings.

Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.

I didn't think about this until after I made these.  But you could totally add some chocolate Shakeology in the mix to add some protein and make it extra yummy!  I'm definitely going to do that next time!
Enjoy!!

Top 5 Mistakes People Make When it Comes to Health and Fitness

You know that health and fitness is my passion.  I am not an expert in the field, however, through research and lots of trial and error, there are things that I have learned that work really well and things that do not.  There are a lot of common mistakes that I see people make when it comes to trying to lose weight or even just trying to tone up.  Some of these mistakes are ones that I have made myself in the past.  So, I have decided to compose a list of what I think are the top mistakes people make when it comes to their health and fitness.

1) DIETING- I actually get accused of dieting a lot.  People often ask me when they see me turning down cake or choosing something healthy to eat, "why are you on a diet? You don't need to lose weight."  The answer is always that I am NOT on a diet!  I do have sweets and french fries and pizza, just not everyday.  There are times when I will choose to turn it down and there are times when I will indulge.  I do not believe in giving up foods, and I honestly never have.  If I told myself that I could not eat pizza anymore, that is all i would want to eat!  Becoming healthy and/losing weight does not mean that you have to give up all of your favorite foods.  MODERATION is key!  I believe in the 80/20 rule, 80% of the time you choose healthy, clean foods to eat.  Then the 20% is left for your "cheat meals."  I also believe in making my favorite "unhealthy" foods, healthy.  All you have to do is get on Pinterest or follow my blog, for recipes on how to make things healthy.  You love pizza?  Try a pizza made with a whole wheat tortilla, some clean sauce and add your favorite veggies!  You love tacos? Easy!  Try it with chicken or ground turkey instead of beef.  Instead of adding sour cream, try plain Greek yogurt.  You love sweets?  Try one of my healthy sweets on my blog!  It's possible to lose weight without dieting.  Healthy is a way of life, not a diet.

2) NOT EATING ENOUGH FOOD-  People often think that the only way to lose weight is by decreasing the amount of food they eat.  Well, that's not always necessarily true.  It's also about what foods you are putting in your body.  Portion control is important and it's a great lesson learned from the 21 Day Fix. http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/ BCP21D160?referringRepId=582447

 Instead of skipping meals, you should eat several small meals a day.  This helps keep your body fueled and keep you from getting so hungry that you overeat.  Finally, not eating enough calories will actually slow down your metabolism, keeping you from being able to lose weight.

3)  NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER-  I think we often underestimate how important it is to drink enough water each day.  When your body is dehydrated, it can not burn fat.  It also helps give us the energy we need to get through the day and our workouts.  You should be drinking half of your body weight in ounce each day.

4) NOT SWITCHING UP YOUR EXERCISE ROUTINE-  This was my problem for a long time.  I was a runner and that is pretty much all I did besides the occasional squat, crunch, lunge, etc.  I kept wondering why I wasn't seeing the changes in my body that I wanted to see.  When we do the same exercise over and over, our bodies adapt which means we start to burn fewer calories.  Switching up your routine will also help build muscles to different parts of your body.  So change up your routine a bit!

5)  NOT HAVING AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER- I can not tell you enough how much of a difference it can make having someone else to help hold you accountable.  I was never so consistent with my workouts and clean eating before I became a coach and started doing the online challenge groups that I do.  That is a great way to have accountability but it's not the only way.  Find a friend, spouse, relative that will gently remind you get your workout in, maybe someone you can workout with.  You want someone who believes in you and will support you.  Find a group online to join.  Join  one of my challenge groups!  I am more than happy to be your coach and help keep you accountable! You can get a FREE Team Beachbody account and enlist me as your coach right here  https://www.teambeachbody.com/tbbsignup/-/tbbsignup/free?referringRepId=582447 and we can get you on the right path to reaching your goals.
It's a lot easier for us to disappoint ourselves than it is to let someone else down.

So, there you have my top 5 ways to sabotage your health and fitness progress.  If you have been struggling with losing weight or getting in shape, I hope that this information has been helpful.

Banana Apple Muffins

I just love to bake!  I don't get to very often, it's just not something I make time for.  But when I do get to bake, I really enjoy doing it with my kiddos.  My oldest son has been working on trying new foods since he super picky.  So, a great way for him to do this, is by helping to make the food.  So,he gets introduced to new foods, learns to bake/cook AND I get to spend one on one time with him!  That's a win all around!

Our latest creation, actually came from Autumn Calabrese (21 day fix trainer) recipe book FIXATE.  I absolutely LOVE this cook book!!  It has so many great recipes, lots of variety of food (even gluten free foods) and they are all 21 day fix approved (she even tells you how many containers for each meal).  This one is a quick and easy muffin recipe and tastes really good (especially when warmed).

Banana Apple Muffins

Ingredients
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium bananas)
1 TBSP organic grass-fed butter, melted
1 1/2 cups almond flour
3/4 tsp baking soda, gluten free
1 dash sea salt
1/2  cup chopped apple (about 3/4 medium apple)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees,  Prepare 9 muffin cups by lining with muffin tin liners.  Combine eggs, banana, and butter in a medium bowl; mix well.  Set aside.  Combine almond flour, baking soda and salt  in a medium bowl; mid well.  Add apple; mix until just blended.  Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups.  Bake 16-18 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Transfer muffins to rack; cool.  Enjoy!

1 Purple 1 Blue

Just keep swimming

I know that a lot of people have started new exercise or health routines this month with it being a new year.  A new year always seems like a good place to start a new.  I totally get that!  Did you know that 70% of people who start a fitness program never finish!  That is a pretty high percentage!  I know that you do NOT want to be one of those 70%.  So how do you avoid it?

One way to keep from being in that group,

is it to take it one day at a time, one exercise at a time, one meal at a time.  Do something everyday, no matter how small, that will get you a little closer to your goal.  You must also be patient.  If you've never run before, don't be disappointed that you weren't able to run a mile on your first trip out.  Be proud that you tried.  You have to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run.  Every little step you take matters.  If you haven't read the book "The Compound Effect," then go out and get it right now!  Seriously!  It will change the way you look at things.  Every thing that you do whether good or bad has an effect on your life.

As long as your moving forward, you're headed in the right direction.

So, stay positive, and keep on swimming!

Berry Quinoa Parfait

I started my new health and fitness program, Hammer & Chisel, this week.  This means that I also started a my new meal plan to go with it.  It feels good to be back on track after kind of losing myself over Christmas break.  This program has already proven to be challenging, which means, I LOVE it!  I have muscles that are sore where I didn't even know I had muscles!

I know as part of doing this program, that if I really want to see some changes, I HAVE to follow this meal plan.  But if you know me, you know, i LOVE my sweets so I was super excited to find this healthy little sweet snack that I'm about to share with you, in my meal plan!  YAY ME!  Believe me when I say that eating healthy does NOT mean that you can't enjoy your food!  If your meal plan does not include food like this, then you need to come talk to me!  ;)

So, here she is:

Berry Quinoa Parfait

Ingredients
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
3 cups low-fat (I use non fat) plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp raw honey (or pure maple syrup)

Evenly layer quinoa, stra
wberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, yogurt, and honey in a tall glass.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.  Serve and enjoy!!

For my 21 day fixers or H & C, here is the container breakdown
1-purple 

1-red
1-yellow

Making new habits stick

Have you ever wondered why 95% of people who make New Year resolutions never follow through with them??  Are you part of the 95% or the 5%??  Well, I will be honest, I was always part of the 5% but I have learned a few things about setting goals and actually accomplishing them.  Of course, that doesn't mean that I accomplished everything that I set out to do in 2015??  NO, I did not.  But I did accomplish some of my goals that I made. As for the other ones, well, I had to sit down and really reflect on why I did not reach those goals.  They weren't unattainable goals and it wasn't that I gave up on them.  So, I ask myself, "What did I do last year that worked really well?  What did not work? and what do I need to do differently this year?"

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."
                                 -Henry Ford

Not following through on your goals and not attaining them are really separate issues.  If you worked towards your goals all year but just came short of reaching them then you followed through.  You just need to figure out what steps you need to take to make them work this time.

Not following through means that you failed to create or stick to a new habit.  The truth is that most people hate and avoid change.  Change is hard and we don't like hard.  We like easy.  Therefore when we set a goal and start to work towards it, we ultimately give up because it's too hard.  But the thing is, is that its only hard at first.  Once we create new habits and stick with them, it eventually becomes second nature to us.  It is said that it takes anywhere from 21-30 days to form a new habit.  So, if we decide that we want to start working out and give up after the first week because its too hard, there is no habit formed.  We then give up.  BUT, if you stuck with it, it would eventually become easier and after 30 days, would be a new healthy habit.  The hard part is only temporary!  Push through and do what's right instead of what's easy.  That is the only way to see results.

How do you stay focused and keep from wanting to give up?
Write down your goals, make them specific.
Write down your why.  Why are these goals important to you?
Write down the steps you need to take to reach those goals.  What habits do you need to create to get what you want.
Make the first thing that you do every morning, reading those goals, picture yourself reaching those goals.
Stick with a schedule.  If your goal is to workout everyday.  Try to do it at the same time every day.  Our bodies and minds like routine.

Most of these ideas I've shared with you are from my personal development that I've read over the past year that I have personally put into practice myself.  I am no expert but these things have worked for me and I continue to use them to work on my own personal goals.  I highly recommend you choose your own personal development to work on this year based on your goals.  This could be in the form of a book, audiobook, podcasts, seminars, etc.   What do you want to improve in the year 2016?