Baked Spaghetti Squash (SOOO DELICIOUS)

I get asked all the time for my spaghetti squash recipe so here it is! :)

I first start by cutting the spaghetti squash in half (long ways) and then clean out the insides much like a pumpkin (Be sure to get all the seeds out) . Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

While the squash is cooking go ahead and brown 1 lb of turkey meat and drain it.

Once you've cooked the spaghetti squash take a fork and "rake" the squash to make noodles. Mix in the noodles with the meat and your favorite spaghetti sauce (My personal favorite is the Prego Meat Flavored Sauce). Use enough sauce to coat everything evenly.

After you've mixed your ingredients together grab a 9x13 baking dish and pour 1/2 of the mixture into it. Cover that layer with shredded Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Pour the other 1/2 of the mixture on top and then top with more Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted and starts to brown.

Enjoy! :)

Baked Sweet Potato Chunks

These baked sweet potato chunks were SOO delicious that I just have to share the recipe with you! We will be adding these to our weekly meal guide in my house. 

Tasted just like dessert for dinner!

Ingredients: 

2 medium Sweet Potatoes cut into chunks (you can peel them or leave the skin on)

1/4 cup melted butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Arrange sweet potato chunks on the baking sheet. Brush with 1/2 the butter. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle 1/2 over the potatoes.

3. Bake 15 minutes in the oven. Turn, brush with remaining butter, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and sugar. Continue baking 15 minutes, or until tender.

Enjoy!

Day 2 of the 3 Day Refresh

Where to even begin with my day 2 review...let's just say that it was a WHOLE lot harder than day 1. I found myself very hungry in between meals unlike how I felt the first day. One thing about me that you should know is that I'm a creature of habit, so as far as my routine and food selections go, they were JUST like the first day with the exception of the salad I ate for dinner (picture and recipe coming) so this blog won't be as long.

I woke up and drank water just like I did the day before and weighed myself. To my surprise I did not loose any additional weight from the previous day's weight but I am still down .6 lbs from day one. This doesn't bother me too much because I did work out last night and I am not doing the refresh to loose a bunch of weight but only to kick start some healthier eating and clean out the junk I've put in recently. I imagine that people who don't eat clean normally would see a much greater weight loss number on the scale.

I then made my breakfast Shakeology shake the exact same way I did on day 1. By 8:30ish I was hungry. Fast forward about an hour and I became a little HANGRY! I was able to push through it and drank the Fiber Sweep around 10:30 again. It was still just as disgusting but I didn't have as much trouble getting it down. Come lunch time I was starving and NOT for a shake and veggies but for some "REAL" food. I wanted some chocolate and peanuts and fried fats. (You can imagine that I became a little more angry when I drank my shake and ate my hummus and carrots).

I ate my cucumbers drizzled in olive oil for my afternoon snack and was so ready to get home to eat my salad that I almost ate dinner at 4:30. I was VERY disappointed when I found out that my husband was going to feed himself and my 2 year old a $5 Hot and Ready from Little Cesar's with those delicious, greasy, bread sticks and I was just going to eat a salad. (Insert MAD face).

I would be lying if I said that I resisted the delicious pizza after I had those cravings ALL day so I have to admit that I ate a piece. I felt like a complete failure afterwards and was mad at myself so I finished my salad and drank my Vanilla Refresh shake.

Spinach Salad

Ingredients: 2 cups baby spinach, 1/2 medium cucumber, 1/2 medium bell pepper, 1/2 medium tomato, 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Directions: Combine greens, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, olive oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl; toss gently to blend.

This salad was REALLY good and I will be adding it to my regular menu after the Refresh is over.

I finished the rest of the night strong and slept GREAT again. I woke up this morning feeling really good and refreshed so that's a plus in my book!

Day 1 of the 3-Day Refresh

I was MORE than ready for this day to come! Since the July 4th holiday I have not eaten my healthiest and had way more cheat days than I should have. I don't know if I'm the only one that does this but I've been planning this Refresh for 2 weeks so up to that point I almost felt like I was in competition with myself to see how unhealthy I could eat (my before pictures attest to this). For example, on Sunday, I decided since I was going to have to follow a 3 day STRICT clean eating deit, I would make a Zaxby's run and eat the delicious Nibbler meal WITH fries and some fried cheddar bites even though I knew it would make me feel sick (I'm human and actually enjoy eating this food so please don't judge.) I felt pretty blah later that day and decided that I was ready to start on Monday.

I made sure I did ALL of the prep work for the 3 days ahead of time so I would minimize any chance that I'd fall off the wagon. I spent over an hour prepping the salads and salad dressings, cutting up my fruit, and making my veggie cups. I packed up my single serving blender to take to work so I could sit in my office, alone, and away from any temptation. I'm making my husband cook dinner for the next 3 nights for him and Carter so I won't be tempted to eat any! I took my before and after pictures on Sunday night along with my measurements and placed the required 8 oz of water in the bathroom to drink as soon as I got up! I'm all prepped and ready!

Day 1: I woke up at 5:00 AM and drank the water I placed in the bathroom over a 15 minute period and to my surprise it curbed my appetite for breakfast. I weighed myself on an empty stomach so I could get an accurate weight. My starting weight was 123.8.

My weight the morning of Day 1!

 Around 5:45 I ate breakfast; I drank my usual strawberry Shakeology mixed with 10 oz of water and 1/2 a banana. It was actually pretty good (I usually add lemonade in with it).

Sorry, I drank most of it before I remembered to take a picture!!

I felt full and wasn't starving by the time I was supposed to drink the Fiber Sweep for my mid morning "snack". I was able to get this down around 10:30. This was NOT very pleasant to drink and I had a hard time forcing it down. The taste wasn't too bad and had a lemony kind of flavor. The thick, grainy texture is what did me in. I'm just glad I only have to drink one of these bad boys per day!!

Mix the packet with 8 oz of COLD water.

I wouldn't say that the Fiber Sweep filled me up but at 12:30 when it was time for lunch, I still wasn't starving. I know you're looking at what I've eaten today and thinking there is NO way, and that you would have already died of starvation but I promise it didn't make me feel like that. I'm not sure if it was the water before breakfast or what but I honestly was not dying! For lunch I made the Vanilla Refresh shake mixed with about 8 strawberries and 10 oz of water. I also ate 5 baby carrots and 2 TBSP of classic Hummus.

The Vanilla Refresh shake was MUCH better than the Fiber Sweep shake but not as good as my regular Shakeology. :) I ate and drank slower than usual so I could savor the food since I wasn't getting a whole lot for lunch. I did really good up until after lunch. That's when I usually struggle because I get hit with that "after lunch, ready to go home" feeling. I was good and stayed away from the vending machines and instead ate my PLANNED afternoon snack around 3:00 PM. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, I finished my recommended water intake by lunch time! I usually struggle with drinking enough water but I've made sure to drink PLENTY of it so I know this is playing a part in feeling full longer.

1/2 medium cucumber drizzled with Olive Oil

I drank more water which held me over pretty well until dinner time. I ate my premade tomato and cucumber salad for dinner around 6:30 PM. I can't lie, it was really tough to not mow down the steaks that my husband made for dinner. I did cheat and have 2 TINY pieces just to taste it. I wasn't hungry but I'm an emotional/stress eater and have been under stress lately so I just wanted to eat something, I didn't care what it was really... I'm proud that it was just two tiny pieces and not the whole thing so something has to be said about that!

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Ingredients: 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 medium cucumber, 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (halved), 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves, 1 dash Himalayan salt. 

Directions: 1. Combine red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and oil in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside. 2. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, basil, and salt in a large bowl; mix well. 3. Drizzle dressing over cucumber mixture; toss gently to blend.

I went to bed without eating anything else. I wasn't starving by any means but I had this urge to eat. I'm thinking it was because I was bored and just wanted to stress eat. I stayed strong though so I'm giving myself a little pat on the back this morning!

My weight the morning of Day 2!

Overall: The good, the bad, and the ugly!
-Felt satisfied all day
-HATED the Fiber Sweep
-Had to tinkle A LOT
-Didn't feel bloated
-Slept AMAZING (compared to the night before)
-Lost 1.4 lbs

All in all Day 1 of the Refresh was a SUCCESS!

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken..YUMMY...21 Day Fix APPROVED!!

Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Chicken

With my 21 Day Fix accountability challenge group starting on July 21st, I wanted to share with you how easy and delicious it can be to follow the 21 Day Fix meal guide. This chicken was seriously some of the best chicken I've eaten and it was FIX approved.

During the 21 days you will learn how much you should be eating by using the color coded containers to portion out your food. You will also learn what to eat by following the detailed meal guide. It's so easy to do and paired with the 30 minute workouts you can loose 10-15 pounds in the 21 days if followed correctly. I promise, you won't starve yourself doing it either!

Ingredients:
1 RED container - Chicken Breast
1 BLUE container - Cheddar cheese
1 GREEN container - Frozen broccoli
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Paprika

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Defrost the broccoli and chop it up into tiny pieces. Put it aside for later.
3. Butterfly the chicken breast and hit with mallet so that the chicken is thin for even cooking.
4. Cover your chicken with the different seasonings that you want.
5. Add a layer of cheese (save some of the blue container for the top of the chicken) and then add a layer of broccoli (you may not use the full green container of broccoli. Don't put too much or you won't be able to roll it up.
6. Roll the chicken breast up and tuck in any of the sides as you go.
7. Once it's rolled, turn it upside down and placed it in the casserole dish. (Be sure to spray with cooking spray so it doesn't stick)
8. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is done. Take the chicken out and add the extra cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes.
9. ENJOY!

You can pair the chicken with a small salad (green container) and some Vinaigrette dressing (orange container) and you've got the perfect meal! Easy right?

If you want to join this upcoming 21 Day Fix challenge group and get support from me and more recipes then click the "Join my Challenge" link and I'll be in touch so we can chat about your goals and I'll let you know how to order the program! Get ready to have some FUN!

A little about ME and my VISION!

Where to even begin.....

My husband and I have traveled over the last 3 years and lived in 4 different cities!! It's been a crazy ride and we've learned quite a few life lessons a long the way but more importantly we have found ourselves. Our son, Carter, was born in a city that was unfamiliar to us where we had no family around to help out. It was very challenging but I think it made me a better mother and together, we became better parents. 

On our first move (down to New Orleans, LA), I was pregnant and decided that I wasn't going to try to find a job. I became EXTREMELY lazy and with Andy working 60-70 hours per week it didn't take long to become a little (OK, a lot) depressed. Now, fast forward 7 months, we've added postpartum hormones, the baby blues and a gross body to go along with it (Carter weighed 9.11 lbs so you can imagine how I looked!) I feel like I held myself together pretty well but was dying on the inside. On the outside it looked like I had everything; a brand new, healthy baby, a loving husband, and a new car. But on the inside, things were different. My husband and I fought a lot because he worked so much and I was home alone all day with a baby that kept crying; I was tired of watching TV all day and taking naps, we HATED where we lived, and to top it all off I had this body that just felt gross. Something had to change and quick!

Here is my precious baby Carter...

In April 2013, Andy accepted a job that would bring us back MUCH closer to our family so we were thrilled! Things started to look up for us but I still couldn't shake that feeling that there is more to life than this. I looked for a job for 3 months and during that time tried to do a lot of soul searching. I contemplated going back to school, getting my real estate license, being a teacher, becoming a nurse, and the list goes on and on. Those things weren't my calling so I never went through with any of them. I finally found a job and was excited even though it didn't pay much and the benefits were awful. It was in my business background so I took it! I still kept thinking, this can't be all there is to life. Everyday I would tell me husband we need to meet people or go to church or do SOMETHING because there is more to life than coming home, eating dinner, watching TV, and going to bed. 

I had no idea my life was about to change in August of 2013. My sweet friend (from back home) posted on Facebook about this online accountability challenge group. I sent her a message as soon as I read it and asked what she was doing. She didn't say much but that it was fitness, nutrition, and accountability and it was going to be fun. I was sold. I bought a challenge pack and even signed up to be a coach after telling my husband this could be "IT" for me! He was not excited because I had been down that road before with Mary Kay and I always had these "get rich quick" ideas and he also used to watch me watch TV beside the treadmill at the gym. I think he wanted to believe in me but it was a little difficult for him to "drink the Kool Aid".

T25 and chocolate Shakeology arrived at my door the next week and I was so excited that I couldn't wait for her group to start. I started telling everyone I knew about T25 and inviting everyone to join my first challenge group. I had NO idea what I was doing and word vomited to a TON of people. It's kind of funny looking back now. :) 

Before Baby and Post Baby

I know you're wondering how my life has changed because I dropped 15 pounds, right? Well it's MUCH more than loosing weight and eating right that has changed my life. I am now part of a group of God fearing women who inspire and motivate me EVERY DAY to be a better person. I surround myself with people who love each other and just shed light on everyone they come in contact with. I found this passion to help other people loose weight and it makes me proud and happy to see them reach their goals. I wish I was introduced to this opportunity during the time that I was battling with depression because I know it could have saved me much sooner. I had no idea that THIS is what I always wanted to do!! I now run a thriving team and our main goal is to help as many people as possible by running these online accountability challenge groups. I'm so lucky that this is my job and I get to wake up every day and do it!

For those that don't believe in dreams, I'm here to tell you that they CAN come true as long as you're willing to believe in them! My life will be forever changed because of that "silly, little challenge group"

I want to share with you MY dream board that I have saved as my desktop and on my phone so I can constantly remind myself WHY I am doing what I do now...

If you're interested in being a part of my team I would LOVE to chat with you and see if it's a good fit for YOU and your life!