Baby #2 and Chia Pudding!

So, it's official! As of June 14, 2015, I became a Momma to a healthy baby boy! We are over the moon in love with this little guy. A girl and now a boy, our family is complete.

With a husband that works away for 3 weeks at a time, I need to make sure that I am more organized than ever. Luckily, so far, I have been able to prep some things like usual.

I have been looking for any and all new healthy recipes, and I stumbled upon chia seed pudding. High protein, high fiber, full of super food goodness!

After scouring pinterest for the perfect recipe, I came across a chocolate chia pudding recipe, with peanut butter. Ummm, it's kind of a no-brainer right? Thanks to www.edibleperspective.com


Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Seed Pudding

2 cups unsweetened almond milk, or milk of choice

1/2 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, or cacao

6-8 medjool dates, pitted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

toppings options: goji berries, flaked coconut, chia seeds, almonds, peanut butter, granola, chocolate chips, banana, cinnamon, etc.

Whisk together the chia seeds and milk in a bowl. Add in the peanut butter, cocoa powder, dates, and vanilla and stir once or twice. The mixture will be blended after chilling so no need to fully combine them at this point. You just want everything fully chilled.  Place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.  Remove and pour/scrape contents into your blender.  Turn on and work up to high until fully smooth.  Add more milk if desired to thin out.  Add more dates and/or liquid sweetener for more sweetness.
Portion and serve immediately with desired toppings.  If not serving right away keep chilled in your fridge in a sealed container until ready to serve.
notes: If the consistency becomes too thin you can blend in 1-2 tablespoons more chia seeds and then refrigerate for 1-2 hours to thicken.  If you are unable to eat peanut butter I recommend using sunflower seed butter instead.  Any other nut butter would also work but would not impart as much flavor


I topped mine with raw walnuts, unsweetened coconut and carob chips.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Unite!

Ok...so chocolate and peanut butter. Who else thinks that this is THE best combo ever?

Currently, I'm 35 weeks pregnant and have to admit, my eating isn't as clean as it was prior to pregnancy, and sadly, my workouts have had to take a back seat due to inflammation in my hips and ribs and barely being able to walk across the room, let alone complete an intense workout.

I find that I'm continuously looking for something sweet in my kitchen cupboards, and I have even reduced myself to sneaking some of my 3 year old's Easter chocolates from time to time.

In hindsight, my eating and workout habits were more regimented than anyone I know. I had taken great pride in what I was accomplishing, for myself, for my family.

All of a sudden, that's seemed to have slipped. I still prep some meals, but not like I used to, and snacks have turned from homemade protein snacks and complex carbs into an oat fudge bar and coffee from a delicious coffee house. Those oat fudge bars by the way, I've discovered are over 400 cal each!

Which brings me to the current week. Vowing to get back to the lifestyle that led before, I thought about high protein, healthy snacks that I want to feed my family as well as myself. But also ones that would feel like I didn't need to search through the cupboards for leftover Easter treats.

Enter, black bean brownies. I've made them before and really enjoyed them. But it was never a staple in my house. Quick, healthy, and made with natural, clean ingredients, but still fudgy, indulgent and delicious! And what better than brownies? Adding peanut butter to the mix! Check these out, you won't be sorry!

Ingredients

• 14 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• 10 - 12 Medjool dates, pitted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, unsalted
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)
• Cooking spray (I use Coconut oil)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8 x 8 square baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Add all ingredients, except chocolate chips and peanut butter, to a powerful blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and level with spatula.
3. In a bowl, microwave peanut butter until melted and smooth. Drop spoonfuls on top of batter and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Using butter knife make deep swirls, "sinking" some peanut butter into the batter. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let brownies cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish. Holding onto the parchment paper flaps carefully transfer brownies to a cooling rack and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy warm or cold
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
 
Enjoy!

Freezer Meal Swap!!!!

Ok...So lately, slow cooker freezer meals have kinda become my "thing." I LOVE prepping foods for the week to make life simpler and convenient, but I don't want to skip on nutrition. I have already added many meals to my repertoire of freezer meals, but I'm looking to expand my list. We all like variety, it is of course, "the spice of life" :P

I want to add CLEAN meals to my weekly meal prep, that are flavourful, that are slow cooker friendly, and are FREEZEABLE prior to cooking.

Please share with me in the comments below what YOUR favorite slow cooker meals are. We'll all be able to take away some great new recipes!

.....AND GO!!!

Meal Prep Addition

So, I love Pinterest! Who doesn't right? I get a lot of my clean meal ideas from there for sure.

I have tried different breakfast quinoa recipes and haven't really been a fan....until now! I have to admit, as much as I truly want to be in love with this super food, I just cant even think about eating it alone as a side dish or the protein portion of a salad.

Why not mix it with peanut butter? Peanut butter makes everything better. I got this recipe from The Lean Green Bean and have to be honest, I WAS hesitant to try them. But, they were amazing and quite filling when paired with fresh fruit.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (or chickpea flour for gluten-free)
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 cups oats
• 2/3 cup nuts, chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 2/3 cups peanut butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

 

Instructions

1. Combine applesauce, vanilla, eggs, peanut butter and honey in a small bowl and mix well.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until just mixed.
3. Spoon into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 375 for 20 min or until golden brown.
4. Let cool and cut into bars.
5. Store in the refrigerator

 

Enjoy!!!

Clean Eating Sesame Chicken and Noodles

I have been asked to post by a few people the "recipe" for a meal that I posted on Facebook. I got this from a fellow coach of mine and did my own variation based on what I had available in my kitchen at the time. In Shanti's recipe, she uses Bragg's liquid aminos, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, zucchini and whole wheat pasta.

I didn't have, nor could I even find liquid aminos, so I just used low sodium soy sauce.

There's really no recipe to this one. I just basically threw whatever into a pan and that was it! The outcome, was great! I love the taste of sesame oil!

Ingredients:

Brown rice noodles
Boneless, skinless chicken breast
Sesame oil
Olive oil
Red pepper flakes
Red pepper (or whatever veggies you like)
Soy sauce
Dehydrated onion



Here's what I did:

I browned some cubed chicken breast with olive oil and dehydrated onion and sautéed red peppers with it. In a separate pot, boil brown rice noodles.

Once the chicken is browned, I added basically splashes of sesame oil and soy sauce, enough to coat everything evenly ( I used more sesame than soy) and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Add your pasta and mix everything together!

Super easy, super quick! Enjoy!

Clean Eating Shopping List

So what's in my clean eating kitchen??? I have had numerous people ask me to go grocery shopping with them and some people have even asked me to go for them to pick up eat eating meals. I get asked all of the time, what the things are that I consistently buy. I have some staples that I keep in my kitchen for sure. Having staples on hand all of the time help to stay on track when temptations arise!

So what are my staples??

~Chicken, whether it be ground or breast, I make sure to ALWAYS have it in the freezer
~Lentils, yes lentils. Makes for a quick and easy, AND healthy salad for work lunches, or in place of ground chicken in chili or pasta sauce. Green are my favorite.
~Spinach, for salads and to puree and freeze for shakes
~We go through A LOT of berries in our house, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries
~Grape tomatoes
~Oats
~Peanut butter
~Almond milk
~Greek yogurt
~Apples
~Almonds
~Peppers
~Honey
~Frozen veggies
~Sweet potatoes
~Bananas
~Ground flax seed


So what foods should you pair together? It's pretty simple really. Take a lean protein and pair with a complex carb every 3 hours to keep your metabolism high and your blood sugars stable.

It seems high maintenance initially and some even find it to be intimidating. But with some meal planning and prepping and a little knowledge, clean eating is quite easy!





No Meat? No Problem Spaghetti Sauce

Meatless Spaghetti Sauce
one large onion
two cloves garlic
150g  bag of dried red lentils
mushrooms, as many as you like
beef bouillon powder
 2 cans of diced tomatoes
cheese and basil (optional)

Gently saute the onions and garlic in a drop of olive oil. Add the lentils and saute gently until pale.

Add two cans of tomatoes, a teaspoon or two of bouillon. Stir well and simmer for half an hour.

If the sauce looks too thick, add water, during the cooking time.

Top over whole wheat or brown rice pasta

Clean Eating Prep Meets Slow Cooker Freezer Bags!

Sunday meal prep! As much as I dread the thoughts of going back to work after a wonderfully relaxing weekend, I absolutely love prepping my food for the week! I usually do up a meal plan and for the most part, just actually prep my lunches and snacks for work, but have a clear plan as to what supper meals will be.

For the most part, when Hubs is away, leaving work, picking up our daughter, and trying to get on the other side of the city enroute to home with a plan to cook isn't always appealing. Sometimes it leaves my daughter and I in a lets have eggs type of mood, just because supper's now going to be late!

I've been looking through Pinterest here and there looking for clean eating meals that I can prep and freeze. A lot of the freezer recipes that I've seen have had bottled sweet and sour sauce, or bottled teriyaki sauce, etc. I believe in living the 80/20 rule. Clean eating at least 80% of the time. But I'd much prefer to stay away from the high sugar sauces.

Today however, I found and even prepared some of my own clean eating freezer meals for the slow cooker! (Hear the harps playing?) I mean, the Holy Grail of meal prep!

Super productive day! I prepped 4 freezer meals and 2 meals of chicken balls.

Slow Cooker Clean Eating Honey Sesame Chicken

Slow Cooker Clean Eating Chicken Taco Chili

Slow Cooker Clean Eating Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

Slow Cooker Clean Eating Santa Fe Chicken

Clean Eating Spinach and Feta Chicken Balls

Clean Eating Spinach and Feta Chicken Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 3 Tbsp finely chopped spinach
• ¾ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• ¾ tsp fennel seeds
• ¼ cup feta cheese crumbles

Instructions:

 

Bake for 1 hour on 350F

Slow Cooker Clean Eating Santa Fe Chicken

Ingredients:

Freeze:

1 1/2 lb chicken, 8 oz frozen corn, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 t salt and pepper, 3 green onions chopped

Add:

1 can 14.4 oz diced tomatoes with mild green chiles, 1 15 oz. can black beans, 1 box chicken broth

Cook:

 Put all contents in slow cooker and place chicken breasts on top- season with salt. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.

Slow Cooker Clean Eating Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

Freeze:

4 large carrots, chopped, 4 stalks celery, chopped, 1 onion, diced, 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed, 1.5 cups chopped green beans, 2 cups green lentils, 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp dried oregano, dash of garlic powder, 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste), 1/2 tsp pepper


Add:

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, 1 Box chicken broth

Cook:

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Turn heat on low and cook for 10 hours, adding a little more broth at the end if soup seems too thick.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili

Ingredients:

Freeze:

1 onion chopped, 10 oz. frozen corn kernels, 1 taco seasoning packet, 1 T cumin, 1 T chili powder, 3-4 chicken breasts

Add:

1 can black beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce, 2 cans diced tomatoes with chilies


Cook:

Put all contents in slow cooker and place chicken breasts on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.

Slow Cooker Clean Eating Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

Freeze:

3-4 chicken breasts;  In a small separate bag: combine 1/2 cup honey, 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce, 1/2 onion, diced, 2 1/2 Tbsp organic ketchup, 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle of garlic powder, 

Cook:

Put chicken into crock pot.  Pour contents of small bag over chicken.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.

Add:

green beans in last 30 minutes.
Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Whisk 2 T cornstarch into liquid in the crock pot.
Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.
Shred chicken or cut into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve chicken over rice, garnish with  1 T sesame seeds

Clean Eating Meal Plan

I have no idea how disorganized in this busy life I would be without meal planning and prepping. It gives me comfort knowing that there's not a huge amount of time and energy that has to go into supper when I get home from work.

Here's my plan for this week! If you would like any of the recipes that may not be on the blog, feel free to leave me a message!

Happy planning!

Homemade Almond Butter

Sooo, my favorite almond butter was recalled! I know right? I've been thinking about making my own almond butter for some time now, but to be honest, was kind of intimidated!

Yesterday, I decided that today was the day! I headed out to the bulk food store to buy a million and one almonds! Homemade is so much cheaper than the store bought brands by the way.

This was it! I was prepared to spend an eternity in the kitchen slaving over this almond butter! Just call me Martha Stewart!

I added my almonds to my mini food processor, but didn't get too far with it. The mini version just didn't do much, I'd probably still be trying to make it!

Instead, I just transferred them into the magic bullet. I had to use a spatula every now and then to push the mixture away from the blade, but VOILA!! Almond butter!!! Just. Like. That. It took me about a half an hour or so and that was it!! And the best part? It was absolutely delicious! I added a smidge of raw cocoa powder to it as well. I love that I know how this was handled, that it used organic almonds and that it only has 2 ingredients in it! I will certainly continue to make homemade almond butter a staple in my house! Love it!

Not much to the recipe:

I used 2 cups of organic, roasted almonds
1/2 tsp of raw cocoa powder

Blend in a food processor of high speed blender until smooth and creamy! Enjoy!

Clean Eating Chicken Stroganoff!...Finally!!!

I LOVE chicken stroganoff!! It used to be one of our staples before clean eating. I have been searching for a recipe that would be easy to "clean" up but wouldn't be lacking in taste. It's been hard to find something that has been compliant with my lifestyle that I liked the taste of....until, NOW!!!

The holy grail of clean eating chicken stroganoff!!!! In my opinion anyway. And the best part....no sour cream, no milk, no condensed soups (yuck!), just simple, clean ingredients. But how does it get it's creamy goodness in the sauce? Cashews!!! Yep, that's right, soaked and then pureed raw cashews!

I was a little scared that it may have a slight nutty flavour, but not at all. To be honest, it kinda tasted like roast chicken chips hahaha. Sounds ridiculous I know, but what an unbelievable flavour! It will definitely be a staple in our house.

Clean Eating Chicken Stroganoff

*Fresh Mushrooms
*Onion, chopped
*Chicken breast, chopped
*garlic powder, dash
*cooking spray
*3 cups chicken broth
*1 cup raw cashews
*1/2 cup water
*dash of ground thyme
*1 tsp dried rosemary
*1 tsp dried oregano

1.Place cashews and half a cup of water in a blender or food processor and leave to soak.
2. Spray large pot with cooking spray, cook chicken, sauté the mushrooms, onion and garlic powder
3.Reduce heat to medium low and add chicken broth. Cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
4.Blend cashews until smooth and creamy.
5.Add the cashew cream and herbs to the pot, stirring well to combine. Allow to simmer for another 20 minutes. If the stew looks too thick, add a little water

I put on a bed of brown rice noodles and paired it with steamed broccoli. Hope that you enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

What was on your table this morning??? Do you eat the same breakfast everyday or do you like to mix things up? I tend to do the exact same breakfast every morning during the week, but then on the weekends, have a full on egg, fruit and toast breakfast.

With my Husband working away for 3 weeks at a time, and with me working full time and trying to get my little one out the door to day care, mornings can be a little hectic! While I would love to be able to sit with my girl at the table every morning for breakfast, sometimes it just isn't happening. She sits close by as I get things ready to head out.

Do I start my day with no breakfast? Definitely not! To be honest, I eat the equivalent of 5 salads and then some, in a shake form that is!
                   Is it good for me? of course!
                   Is it delicious? Absolutely!
                   Is it filling? Definitely!

Here's my recipe for my "healthiest meal of the day", the one meal that is a complete no-brainer:

Ingredients

• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 frozen banana
• 2 Tbsp. raw cacao
• 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter (or other nut butter of your choice)
• 1 tsp. raw honey
• 1 cup coconut milk (almond milk, or other nut milk of your choice)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2-3 ice cubes
• tiny pinch of sea salt
• 1 scoop of Chocolate Shakeology

Put all ingredients into a blender, blend and enjoy immediately.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls

So what's better than chocolate? Chocolate and PEANUT BUTTER!!! Two of my favorite things! When I'm looking for a sweet treat in the afternoon, I reach for two of these babies and some fruit, and it satisfies the sweet tooth.
My daughter likes them, and even my Husband thought that they were good! Super easy to make, no baking, no fuss! All that it takes is about 5 minutes!Ingredients:

1/3 cup (or a slight bit more) natural peanut butter
1/4 cup raw honey
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
3 tablespoons of Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology (or protein powder of choice)
A handful of oats (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Roll into 10 balls (about one heaping tablespoon per serving).
2. Refrigerate to firm up balls, overnight for best results. Enjoy!

Clean Eating Road Trip Cooler Ideas

So, with Summer comes travelling and road trips, trips to the beach and to the park. We all know what that means...summer BBQ's, evenings of restaurant dining, and going off track of the meal plan. I try to stay diligent to my health and fitness goals, but I will admit, I do go off track from time to time. I'd say that I eat clean about 85% of the time.

So, my plan consists of packing up a cooler and taking what I can with us to stay on track. Plus, I prefer not to feed my toddler takeout night after night.

So, what would I pack in my cooler for the on the road times when many of us are more inclined to stop at a gas station on the highway??

1. Fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)

2. Shakeology peanut butter balls

3. Low fat mozza cheese strings

4. Apples

5. Bananas

6. Raw almonds

7. Canned/packaged tuna

8. Homemade granola

9. Hummus

10. Bell peppers

11. Grapes

12. Almond milk

13. LOT'S of water

14.  Lentils (probably a lentil lime salad)

15. Some pre-made salads with spinach, feta, grape tomatoes, cucumber, peppers ( would pair it with the packaged tuna or have pre-grilled chicken ahead of time)

16. Natural peanut butter or almond butter for apple dipping

17. Shakeology

18. Overnight oats with fresh berries

19. Homemade Pumpkin Chocolate Granola Bars

20. greek yogurt

Would I pack ALL of this for one road trip? Probably not depending how long we're in the car. But it's just an idea of what I would take. Make sure to pair a lean protein source with a complex carb and be sure to eat every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism revved! Happy Summer!!!

Chocolate Pumpkin Granola Bars

Umm, ok....these are absolutely delicious! Easy to satisfy your sweet tooth WITHOUT the guilt! Great paired with fruit!


Ingredients:

• 3 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup 85% dark chocolate
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 by 8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Chop your dark chocolate into small pieces.
• In a large bowl, combine oats, spices and salt together.  Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth.  Pour over the oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist.  Stir in the dark chocolate and almonds.
• Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan.  Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown.  The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set-you don't want them to be under baked.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
• Using a sharp knife, cut into bars.  Remove from pan and let cool completely.
• Makes 10-12 granola bars.