Battle Against My Own Body

After a weekend of battling with the horrible, awful ENDO (ugh) I am reminded of why I have given up those oh so delicious carbohydrates! Sometimes I would love to eat a nice warm, crunchy baguette with my soup...but then as I battle the waves of nausea as I look at my breakfast getting cold on the plate...I am reminded of WHY I do not eat those carbohydrates. There is nothing worse for me than being hungry in the morning and fighting the nausea just to get food into my stomach. I know I need to eat, but my gut and my stomach are not playing nicely. So just when I tell myself, one little piece of bread will not hurt you - unfortunately for me I pay the price for the next several days. So here's a tribute to my clean eating - and a kiss my *** ENDO. I will NOT let you ruin my love for food!!

http://fitmommydiaries.blogspot.com/2013/12/clean-eating-dos-donts.html

Peach Frozen Yogurt

5-Minute Healthy Peach Frozen Yogurt

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients:

1 (16-oz.) bag frozen peaches or 4 cups fresh peaches, frozen solid
3 Tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup plain yogurt (great idea to use Greek yogurt which is packed with Protein)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Add the frozen peaches, agave nectar (or honey), yogurt and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor. Process until creamy, about 5 minutes.
Serve the frozen yogurt immediately or transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Recipe inspired by Eating Well.

Taken from: http://www.justataste.com/2013/08/healthy-easy-peach-frozen-yogurt-recipe/

Great Additions!

March Fitness Challenge "ARMS"

Last month a group of girls from the office did FAB AB FEBRUARY. This month we decided to work on our arms. Well, ok, I may have decided, but still. If you would like to join us, we would love to have you.  This will start on Saturday and it will end on the 30th.   Good Luck and Have Fun! Comment below if you are joining us, remember accountibility plays a big part in your story!

"Skinny" Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo

Ingredients

• 12 ounces linguine - DELETE - use a spaghetti squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup milk - SUBSTITUTE 1/2 cup unsweetened original Almond milk (only 30 calories)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream- SUBSTITUTE 1/2 cup half and half
• 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, chopped - I put in a food processor
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well. To cook spaghetti squash cut in half, remove seeds. Turn cut side down on a cookie sheet. Fill the bottom with water (just enough to cover). Bake at 375 until tender. Remove spaghetti with a fork.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in milk (almond milk), heavy cream (half and half), goat cheese and Parmesan until cheeses has melted, about 1-2 minutes. Add red peppers and puree with an immersion blender. Stir in pasta and gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan, if desired.

This was an easy dish to make on a weeknight, when I am running around doing 10 other things like laundry, herding dogs, working, and cleaning...I would suggest playing with some extra spices because my significant other and I both found it kind of bland. I ended up adding red pepper flakes, which is one of my favorite spices. I have recently discovered spaghetti squash and it is an absolute amazing substitute for pasta!

Enjoy!!

Original recipe:

http://damndelicious.net/2013/12/02/roasted-red-pepper-alfredo/

Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Breasts with Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
• Cooking spray 
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups shaved English cucumber
• 1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Preparation

1. 1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat 4 minutes or until slightly syrupy.
2. 2. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Grill chicken 6 minutes on each side or until done. Spoon raspberry mixture over chicken.
3. 3. Combine remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, cucumber, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; toss to combine.

 http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/raspberry-chipotle-chicken-breasts-50400000127506/

This recipe is SO yummy and SO easy! I made it for a dinner party and it was an absolute hit! I love the sweet and spicy combination of the raspberry/adobo chili sauce. And of course the salty/crisp flavor of the cucumber salad.

Galentine's Day Party

Saturday I hosted a "Galentine's Day" brunch at my house.  What is "Galentine's Day"? It's a day to celebrate your girlfriends (I had about six girls that were missing but next year its on). (Thank's Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope. If you have not seen that episode download and watch) 

Most of what we'll ever know about love, we'll learn from our girlfriends. My girlfriends are the best.  My message to each of you that hold a close place in heart is this, "You are so LOVED, so SPECIAL, so UNIQUE, and each of you bring so much not only to my life BUT to this world we live. I can't even put into words how thankful I am for each and every one of you. You have tagged my heart. We've traveled the world, in real life and our imagination (texas forever), we've laughed until our stomachs hurt, we have cried until our heads hurt, you've seen my best and my worst and vice versa. Each of you are so beautiful inside and out. Did you know they say if you are friends with someone for seven years it will last a lifetime...... most of us are there already and the rest of you well, we are on our way.   People can say you can tell a lot about a person by looking at who they surround themselves with, and I am PROUD and so BLESSED to say that Im glad you're part of my team"!!!



OVERNIGHT BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST
Found recipe on: Real Mom Kitchen
Serves 8-10
(I'm sure you can make this healthier BUT for the party I did not)





French Toast:

12 slices bread, cut into cubes (french or Texas toast work well.  I prefer Texas Toast.)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut in cubes
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
12 large eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups milk

Syrup:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Tablespoon butter 


Arrange 1/2 of the bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13 pan.Sprinkle cream cheese cubes and blueberries evenly over the bread cubes.Top with remaining bread cubes. Mix together eggs, milk, and syrup.Pour over bread cubes and cover pan with foil. Let chill in refrigerator overnight.  Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until fluffy and golden. Top with sauce.  Sauce: Cook water, sugar, and cornstarch until thickened. Stir in blueberries and simmer for 10 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted. Serve over the french toast.

Enjoy!