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Saturday 28 March 2015

Easter weekend Camping Meal Plan



We are going Camping Easter Long weekend!  I am busy making my lists this morning to pack the trailer and plan our meals.  I figured I would just share my meal plan for our trip here with you guys since you never know who else it might help!  Plus I love being able to refer back to my old Camping lists on the blog.  I seem to always lose them if I just save them in a document to my computer.  You can also check out my Camping with Kids post from last season!

Easter weekend Camping Meal Plan


Friday


Dinner Only

Veggie Dogs and Hot Dogs from Glenwood (no preservatives or fillers)



Saturday


Breakfast: 

Breakfast Sandwiches with Eggs and Bacon on  Ezekiel English muffins

Lunch: 

Grilled Cheese or other Sandwich 
Pesto Goat Cheese Veggie Wrap

Dinner: 


Appie Night

My Contribution will be One Pot Spinach Dip!  I made this last summer when we went camping to Salmon Point and it was easy to make in the trailer over the stove top and so creamy and yummy!  Totally not on the 21 Day fix however ;) 


Sunday



Breakfast

Easter Fruit Tray from Worth Pinning
Kids:  Cinnamon French Toast Bunnies and Breakfast Sausages
Adults: Eggs Benedict


Lunch 

Undetermined


Dinner

Easter Dinner
My Contribution: 1 Chicken, Dessert, Potato

I still need to decide what dessert I will be making!  Carrot Cake feels like a good Easter Dessert!


Monday

Breakfast

Greek Yogurt and Raspberries or Blueberries


Grocery List


Veggie Dogs
Hot Dogs
Whole Wheat Hot Dog Buns
Ezekiel English muffins
Eggs
Bacon
Cheese
Whole Wheat Bread
Cucumbers
Peppers
Goat Cheese
Pesto
Wraps
Spinach
Parmesan
Cream cheese
Milk
Butter
Artichokes
Cinnamon Bread from Cobbs
Fruit: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas
Chicken
Greek Yogurt
Potatoes

Monday 23 March 2015

Quick Pineapple Chicken Tacos


I didn't plan ahead tonight but I really wanted to do a pulled chicken taco type dinner.  I decided to poach the frozen chicken breasts in a water/pineapple juice mixture to add a little flavour to the chicken and then shred it since I didn't have a rotisserie Chicken on hand.  

Gord and I are doing the 21 Day fix and I'm on my last week!  We have been doing really well with using our Tally Sheets, they seem to keep both of us better organized while on the meal plan and holds us more accountable to getting all our containers in each day! You can check out the 21 Day Fix Tally Sheets we created on this blog post!

Now I don't know about you but I have never actually Poached a Chicken before... but it seemed like a smart idea being short on time tonight and needing shredded chicken for dinner in a hurry!

So I did a little research and this is what I did for mine...


Poaching Chicken Directions

The Chicken: 


I used frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts for my recipe. 


The Liquid: 

Drain pineapple juice into pan with chicken and add in about 6 cups of water, or just enough to cover the chicken. 

Cooking the Chicken: 

Place the chicken in a saucepan large enough to hold the chicken pieces comfortably. Add enough cooking liquid to cover the chicken. If desired, add any other ingredients for flavoring the liquid and chicken. Bring to boiling on medium-high heat; reduce the heat. Cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F).
  • Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts: cook about 30 minutes
  • Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves: cook 15 to 20 minutes
  • Skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 2-inch pieces: cook about 10 minutes

Drain and Use: 



When the chicken is done, remove the chicken from the pan. For torn or pulled chicken pieces, let the chicken breast cool until easy to handle. If the chicken has skin, pull it off with your fingers and discard. Using your fingers, tear off pieces of chicken. Or if you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer you can chop up the chicken roughly and put it into your mixing bowl.  Turn mixer onto medium until the chicken is nicely shredded.  So much easier doing it this way!  

Quick Pineapple Chicken Taco Recipe

Serves 3

Ingredients

3 Whole Wheat Wraps
2 Large Chicken Breasts Shredded Chicken (1/2 Cup each wrap)
1 Small Can Pineapple Chunks or Tidbits
1 cup Cooked Peppers
3 Tbsp Salsa
3 Tbsp Honey

Directions

Poach Chicken and Shred with stand mixer. 

To a frying pan add pineapple and peppers cook until peppers begin to soften.



Add in Salsa and honey stirring got combine



Add chicken into the mixture turning over to coat in pineapple mixture.  

Serve on whole wheat tortilla. 


21 Day Fix Portions: 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1/2 Green, 1/2 Purple


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Friday 20 March 2015

The thing about excuses....



Here’s the thing about excuses….

When Beachbody puts out new fitness programs, they are generally addressing “Excuses” that they see as getting in the way of someone starting or staying consistent with their fitness or weight loss goals.

Focus T25 – Less time, easier to follow.

21 Day Fix – Efficient workouts, short results horizon, simple portion control

PiYo Workout – Low/No impact, efficient combo of yoga, pilates, and cardio

And the great excuse-buster P90 - A very simple approach to fitness and eating which is no-nonsense, and won’t make you feel like you’re starting a race from the back of the pack.

But here’s the real thing about excuses…in particular the pattern of having your fitness derailed by the excuses of time, mood, energy, or convenience; ONLY YOU can break the pattern of allowing excuses to undermine your goals.

Not your program. Not your partner. Not me as your coach. You have to find some way, through logic, force, or mind-over-habit, to get the workout done no matter what time of day, and to watch your nutrition, so your diet supports your goals.

BE THE WAY THROUGH, OVER, OR AROUND, the excuses which tell you “tomorrow is just as good as today.” Don’t believe it for a second. There’s NOTHING as valuable or as important as TODAY. 

Check out my blog post on how to get back into the Groove for my top 3 tips to get out of a Health and Fitness Rut!  

My personal go to motivational trigger is music.  If I get a fun upbeat song playing and change into my workout clothes I find myself with so much more energy and I'm much more ready to press play on my workout when the music has me moving!

What is your biggest excuse?  How do you over come it?




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Tuesday 17 March 2015

How to get back into the Groove






It happens to the best of us. A few great days (or even weeks) of following your fitness and nutrition plan and then—BANG—life happens. A late night out with friends, a last-minute Day trip, a sick child at home, or something as simple as a bad mood can force you off track. Maybe you’ve missed your fitness session. Maybe you simply don’t have the energy (or desire) to prepare a healthy meal. Regardless, you’ve hit a wall. You’re having an “off” day.
Sometimes an off day is just that: one day off track. You wake up the next morning back to being motivated and focused on your goals. Other times, it can take several days to regain your fitness mojo. At these moments, off days can be vicious—but they can also be stopped.

I've got a few tips for finding your Mojo again... 

# 1 Change the internal conversation

Undervalue the bad times and overvalue the good ones.

We have been conditioned to harp on our mistakes and gloss over our successes. It’s time to change the internal conversation and pay more attention to the things that bring us confidence so that we can continue to live a fun, healthy, and energetic life.
In sports, professional athletes and coaches often say that the person who wins is usually the person who can best recover from errors. Top athletes have learned to identify their mistakes, but instead of dwelling on them, they quickly learn from them and move on. They also take the time to pat themselves on the back for all of their achievements, both big and small.

I win that gets rewarded gets repeated.  So reward yourself for the little wins and stop focusing on all the little set backs. 
When life gets in the way of sticking to your training or nutrition plan, take one minute for positive personal reflection. Identify the key things you could do better next time to prevent this off day. Then, focus on at least one achievement you have already made that day (or perhaps yesterday). Use your past achievement to give you the confidence and energy you need to make your very next meal or training session a positive one.

# 2 Change the environment

Having an off day can cost us the motivation to exercise and eat healthy. Instead, we crave instant gratification in an unhealthy, overflowing bowl—or carton—of ice cream or an extra hour on the couch. Fortunately, there is a quick fix to this problem.
Research continues to prove that motivation and productivity increase with a change in environment. In fact, a commonly used phrase in sport psychology is: “A change is as good as a rest.”
Any type of change, such as stepping outside for some fresh air, turning on motivational music, or finding a new healthy recipe, can spark some motivation to move forward toward achieving your goals.
Whenever you feel a lack of energy and inspiration, change up at least one aspect of your environment and experience what it’s like to have your batteries recharged and motivation restored!

If I'm having a "Grouchy Day" I will often turn on the music and crank it up.  I can't help but dance around the house a little and very quickly after I'm in a much happier and positive place!  

#3 Use the five-minute just move rule

Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is get up and start to move. However, once you start moving, it releases feel good, motivating hormones like dopamine and endorphins. When this happens, you’ll find it much easier to keep going.
During off days, make a deal with yourself to commit to five minutes of fitness. Most often, five minutes is all it will take to get the heart pumping and the energy flowing, inspiring you to stay for the entire training session. Also, it’s okay if you don’t have 100 percent effort to give that day. If you only have 50 percent, do your best to exert all of it. I guarantee you’ll be proud of yourself and your off day will be long gone.
For nutrition, if you don’t feel like spending 20 minutes in the kitchen preparing a healthy meal, commit to grabbing something simple to eat, such as a glass of Shakeology, that’s satisfying yet still healthy.
Off days do not have to completely throw you sideways. With these three tools, you can quickly recover from an off day and keep moving forward with the confidence and excitement you need to live the life you want.




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Monday 16 March 2015

Pesto goat cheese veggie wrap



I had one Yellow, one Green and one blue containers for lunch today! Everything else was accounted for, so I decided I would make a veggie wrap using whatever I had in the fridge. 


Pesto Goat Cheese veggie Wrap

Ingredients: 

Goat cheese
Pesto
Cucumber
Grated carrot
Tomatoes
Whole wheat wrap

Directions: 

Spread one blue containers worth of goat cheese on your wrap as well as a 1/2 table spoon of pesto. 


Lay cut tomato and cucumber on top of the cheese and pesto. 


Then the grated carrot next. 


Wrap it up and enjoy! 



Sunday 15 March 2015

Mock Mushroom Eggs Benny



This 21 Day fix approved breakfast recipe is full of flavour and super satisfying too!  

This morning I went to go make my asparagus with Poached eggs and garlic Dijon sauce but the asparagus was going soggy and wasn't good to eat any longer!  So I switched it up and used mushrooms!  Why didn't I think of this before????  

My Favourite way to have Eggs Benedict has always been with Bacon and mushrooms so this was sure to be fabulous!  

I recently started poaching eggs in lemon water!  Surprisingly good!! 

I pan fried about a cup of mushrooms in olive oil, poached my eggs and wished the sauce and in about 10 minutes I had breakfast!  Easy. 




Garlic Dijon Sauce Recipe

2 TBSP Dijon Mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions


Wisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.  

Lay a bed of the mushrooms down on your plate, top with two poached eggs and top with Garlic Dijon sauce. 


21 Day Fix Portions: 1 Red 1 Green 1 Orange


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Wednesday 11 March 2015

21 Day Fix Daily Tally Sheet



Gord and I are back on the 21 Day fix!  He started today and I felt like we needed an easier method of tracking our containers and meal plan for each day!  

We currently use a 21 Day Tally App which I find helpful but I also need a place to write down the meals we are planning for each day!  In the past I have used an excel spreadsheet or white board but it' not as easy on the go if I don't have those with me.  We were making lunches tonight and I decided we needed a printable sheet we could do it all on!  So I quickly created this document and thought I would share it here too!

The photo above is for someone in the 1800-2099 caloric range but I have created one for each Calorie Range! Just click the link below to take you to your sheet and print it off for each day!  

1200 - 1499 Calorie Range Daily Tally Sheet
1500-1799 Calorie Range Daily Tally Sheet
1800-2099 Calorie Range Daily Tally Sheet
2100-2300 Calorie Range Daily Tally Sheet

If this is something you find helpful please leave a comment below and let me know!

AND don't for get to PIN IT!


3 Day Refresh Results



After 3 Days on the Refresh I not only lost a few extra pounds I gad packed on with indulging a little more than normal, but I feel great! My energy level is at an all time high and I'm feeling totally motivated to continue to tone up and stay on track! 

On Sunday morning while the boys had cinnamon French toast and bacon I made myself a egg and veggie scramble instead! I totally thought I would be indulging the day after the 3 Day refresh was over but I'm not having any cravings smile emoticon 

Well on my way to my summer body! On Monday Morning I started the 21 Day fix and have been sticking to it!  Gord came back from Vegas last night and will be doing the 21 Day fix with me!!  


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Sunday 8 March 2015

Dark Chocolate Gluten free Muffins



Dark Chocolate Muffins with pumpkin seeds  (Soy/Dairy/Gluten/Refined Sugar Free)

Sweet and moist with super chocolate punch, no one will ever know there isn't a DROP of flour in these tasty muffins. Super simple to make and already measured out for your 21 Day Fix. Don't miss saving this recipe to use as your secret weapon when you just NEED a chocolate treat! 


I'm starting the 21 Day fix as of tomorrow morning so doing a little prep work tonight! The results of my 3 Day refresh will be up tomorrow! If you didn't check out my previous posts about the Refresh you can find the first one here.

Dark Chocolate Muffins

Yield:12 servings, 1 cupcake each

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
3 large eggs
½ cup pure maple syrup (You can sub this out for honey)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp himilyan sea salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (we use Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks to make these GF/DF/SF)


Top with unsalted pumpkin seeds (I did half with and half without just in case someone was picky!)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Prepare 12 muffin cups by lining with muffin papers or silicon liners; set aside. (You can use a dab of coconut oil in each muffin cup instead of using spray)
3. Place chickpeas, eggs, maple syrup, cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt , coconut oil, and extract in blender or food processor; cover. Blend until smooth.
4. Divide batter among 12 prepared muffin cups.
5. Top each muffin with about four chocolate chips; push into batter. Then sprinkle with pumpkin seeds. 
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.7. Cool completely and enjoy!

21 Day Fix Portions: 1 Yellow 1/2 Blue 1/2 Orange

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Friday 6 March 2015

Day 2 - 3 Day Refresh

Day 2 of the 3 Day Refresh and today was a lot easier!  I knew what to expect and no coffee headache!  YES!

Breakfast was a breeze, but I used a fresh banana instead of frozen and I didn't have any ice so it wasn't as cold as I typically like my shakeology.  So tonight I froze the other half of the banana and will use that tomorrow in my shake!  

Fibre Sweep went down just fine, I shake and chug it.  I've been warned by many not to let it sit for even a minute or else it will thicken!  

Lunch was the Vanilla fresh, Red Peppers and an apple with almond butter.  I was so stuffed!!!  This feels like a whole lot of food at lunch time.  

Unfortunatly, I got really busy at work this afternoon and wasn't able to eat my afternoon snack which was cucumbers and hummus but I did manage to eat the cucumbers on the way home.  

Dinner was the same as yesterday, Vanilla fresh shake with the Coconut Steamed veggies!  I like to keep things simple and when something tastes as good as those recipes do I tend not to want to stray from what's already yummy!  




I posted this photo of Fraser on Facebook tonight; I had given him and Asher Pizza for dinner as well as some of the coconut steamed veggies I made for myself.  He gobbled up all his veggies before I gave him the pizza but when he saw my bowl of veggies he asked for more!  He loves them!  

This is going to have to be the way I make veggies from now on!!  


Coconut Steamed Veggies

1/2 Cup water
1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli or green beans
1/2 cup sliced fresh carrot
1/2 cup chopped fresh cauliflower
1/2 tsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt

Directions

1. Add water to medium saucepan; bring to a boil
2. Add broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower to saucepan; cover and cook 4-5 minutes or until tender-crisp. 
3. To serve,place vegetables in serving bowl. Add coconut oil and sea salt; toss gently to coat. 

So easy and so so good.  

Right now I have a cup of peppermint tea sitting in front of me.... I don't seem to be craving anything but it will help me not snack on anything anyways!  

If you missed my post from Day 1 of the 3 Day Refresh you can find it here.


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Thursday 5 March 2015

Day 1 of the 3 Day Refresh

Well it arrived on my porch yesterday evening (The 3 Day Refresh!) and I couldn't help but get started with it today!  


Gord left for Vegas on Tuesday so I figured it was the perfect time to do the Refresh, that way I could make the kids some easier dinners and just make my refresh dinner and shake.  

I started with Chocolate Shakeology which of course is delicious and I had no problem there!  But I knew what was coming up.... the Fibre Sweep.  I have heard not so great things about this shake but I also have heard that you need to shake it and drink it right away!  So I did just that and I actually was surprised that I didn't mind it one bit! I packed all my snacks for work and headed out the door.  



The Vanilla Fresh was a little sweet for me, but it was tolerable and drinkable too.  Phew.  I was seriously worried that I wouldn't do very well with the shakes.  

Now I am a serious coffee lover.  I only have 1-2 cups a day but I LOVE my coffee.  And there isn't anywhere on the meal plan that says coffee so I bravely avoided my keurig this morning and stuck with water.  By about 2pm I was really surprised that I didn't yet have a coffee headache, I even daringly posted something about it on Facebook, thinking it must be related to the refresh... well I was wrong. And by 2:30 it started :(  

I was feeling pretty crappy by the time I got home, but I was able to get everyone dinner including making my Coconut Steamed veggies (YUM by the way) and get everyone into bed.  

I Chose the Coconut Steamed Veggies from the Dinner Recipes for my dinner which is basically just broccoli, cauliflower and Carrots with coconut oil and Himalayan Sea salt!  It was so so good. I was so full after that and my Vanilla Fresh Shake, that I was having a hard time finishing.  I had a few veggies left in my bowl when Fraser asked for some of what I had.  He gobbled back more veggies that I have ever seen him eat.... and he likes veggies!  

I think I'll be making our veggies that way from now on!

The hard part for me is right around now... Evening snack time.  I think all I can have is a cup of herbal tea.... maybe I'll just go to bed instead!  

Night all!

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