21 Day Fix Peanut Butter Cups!

Ok, I love chocolate. And I love peanut butter. And when Easter rolls around and those dang Reese’s peanut butter cups shaped like eggs come out, I buy, like, no joke, 8 of them. And hide them in my freezer so my husband (and kids!) can’t find them. I sneak bites of them throughout the whole spring and feel incredibly guilty every time a bite turns into eating the whole dang egg. (Why do they make these things taste SOOO good? Are there drugs in them or something?)

But the calories and fat are, of course, off the charts. And since this mama loves peanut butter cups like a fat kid loves cake, I had to find a solution to be PB cup dilemma. Enter my superfood, go-to snack Shakeology. Not only is this stuff jam packed with 70 superfoods, it also boasts the very best probiotic on the market and digestive enzymes that enable your body to soak up all the amazing nutrients you’re fueling your body with when you’re clean eating!

So when I found this super simple recipe for chocolate peanut butter cups featuring Shakeology I was OVER.THE.MOON! YESSSS! And you know what? They taste REALLY fricken AWESOME! So now I’m not only satiating my serious craving for chocolate + PB. I’m also fueling my body with some amazing nutrients thanks to Shakeology! SCORE!

Here’s the recipe with the 21 Day Fix container breakdown, below! Enjoy!

Makes 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tsp. unrefined coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tbsp. powdered chocolate peanut butter (like PB2)
• 2 tsp. Chocolate Vegan Shakeology
• 2 Tbsp. water

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine oil and powdered peanut butter in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
2. Combine Shakeology and water in a small bowl; mix until it has a pudding-like consistency. Set aside.
3. Coat two foil muffin liners evenly with half of peanut butter mixture. Top evenly with Shakeology mixture and remaining peanut butter mixture.
4. Freeze for 30 minutes, or until firm.

21 Day Fix container breakdown per servings:

1 yellow

Transformation Tuesday!!

‪#‎TransformationTuesday‬ 💥💥OH-EM-GEEEE! 👍🏻🙌🏽 I need to give a major shout out to mom of two and one of the most awesome coaches on my team, Liz Flatken Conry! Liz, 41, used to work out hard ALL.THE.TIME and never get results! It wasn’t until she finally gave ‪#‎21DayFix‬ a try that this amazing athlete finally saw the belly fat MELT away and her entire body tone up! 💥💥All because of simple ‪#‎cleaneating‬ and portion control! I’m telling, you guys, this program WORKS!💥💥 Here’s what Liz has to say about her transformation:

“If you WANT something go after and get it!! I DID! I have no regrets doing the 21 DAY FIX! 5 months later, I’m lean, stronger then ever, lost 22 lbs., over 16 inches, down 5 pant sizes and keeping the weight off. I am in the best shape of my life at age 41! This summer has been so rewarding because I feel confident and happy! I’m not stopping here. I’m currently continuing my beachbody workouts while on vacation and building more muscle and those killer abs we all dream of having. I’m making this dream a reality!” Kudos, Liz! We are all SOOO proud of you and love having you on our team!! 👍🏻💪🏼🙌🏽

Do you want to get results like Liz? Then comment, below, or message me for details on my next 30-day challenge! 🙂

Jodi’s Amazing Transformation!

‪#‎TransformationThursday‬ Ok, I need to give a MAJOR shout out to my friend and one of my coaches, Jodi Redcay Price! This mom of two right here has completely CRUSHED her health and fitness goals losing mad inches doing ‪21 Day Fix‬ and getting in THE best shape of her life! In 2010 she was working out and eating “well.” So how did she go from the pic on the left to the one on the right? Eating the right foods in the proper portions!!

You, too, may be working out every day and not seeing results like Jodi 6 years ago. But IF you give 21 Day Fix a chance, you will be AMAZED by what feeding your body the right foods in the right amounts can do! No point counting! No calorie counting! No crazy juice cleanses! Just good old clean eating and portion control! Here’s Jodi’s story:

“Yesterday I realized I was wearing the same workout clothes that I wore to compete in a sprint triathlon 6 years ago, so took a pic to see the difference. Nutrition is the difference here!

2010 picture: I trained for months to be prepared to swim .62 mile, bike 15 miles and run a 5k.

2016 picture: not really training for anything! Coincidentally, I am in a sprint triathlon relay team this weekend – I am running 2 miles. So I have ran once a week + usual workouts 30 min a day.

For me, I was eating the wrong amounts of the wrong foods, and not enough of the right ones. A few changes made all the difference!”

Best Corn Salad Ever!

Summer is here and I love me some good ole summer salads. Black beans, avocado, CORN! Eat them hot or cold, summer salads are what grilling out is all about!

Years ago my good friend, Ashley over at Wee Wander, gave me this recipe. I’m not sure if she concocted it because she’s and former chef and all, but either way, it’s amazing. It’s super simple and yet the flavors are unlike any other veggie summer salad (or corn salad for that matter) that I’ve ever tried. The secret? Apple cider vinegar.

Here’s the recipe and 21 Day Fix container breakdown, below!

INGREDIENTS

• 5 ears of corn, shucked
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. EVOO
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. basil (dried) or 1 Tbsp. chopped (fresh)

DIRECTIONS

Boil corn for 3 minutes. Remove and plunge into ice water to stop the corn from cooking. Remove kernels and toss all ingredients (except fresh basil) together in a bowl. Allow to marinate for several hours or overnight. Toss with fresh basil before serving.

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

1/2 cup = yellow

Chicken Enchiladas!

I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t like Mexican food. I mean, you may not like every taco, burrito, or taquito that comes your way, BUT there’s always something you’ll eat even if it’s a dang cheese quesadilla or some guac and chips.

That being said, I love Mexican food. I love the cheesiness. I love the crunchy chips. I LOVE me some guacamole. And let’s not forget about the margaritas! Nom nom nom. But, really, how can we afford all those dang calories that come from that yummy goodness? The answer: well, we can. Sort of. Everything in moderation.

The even better news is that these here chicken enchiladas, pictured, taste just as naughty as the ones you’d get at your local Mexican joint, but with a TON less calories and guilt. I can’t take credit for creating this delicious recipe, though. Celebrity Food Network chef Tyler Florence designed the recipe and, man, that guy knows what he’s doing! The flavors are just so stinken good!

Now, I will say, this is not the quickest meal to make so if you’re looking for something fast and easy, this is not it. BUT, I did make these and freeze half of the filling to make more enchiladas and they were just as good having been frozen! So you can totally make it ahead of time.

Here’s the recipe, below, plus how I count it on the 21 Day Fix meal plan! Enjoy!

8 servings, 16 enchiladas total

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
  Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 16 corn tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
• Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

1. Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
2. Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.
3. Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.
4. Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce.
5. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
6. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

1 red, 1 yellow, 1/2 blue

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence and the Food Network.

 

Brown Sugar & Mustard-Glazed Salmon

You’re not going to believe this, but for years, I never tried salmon. Like, wouldn’t even take a bite of it. I hated the smell (too fishy) and I swore up and down that if it smelled like that then it clearly could not taste anything but, well, fishy.

But as I matured in my old age (LOL), I began to try just about everything you would put in front of me. You see, besides writing about health and fitness and nutrition topics for major magazines like Prevention, Family Circle, SELF, among many others, I also am a travel writer. Which also means I get to go on some pretty ridunkulous trips to places that you would, well, read about in magazines. And on these trips I get to eat some of THE most amazing food. Caviar. Escargot. Octopus. Literally, the best foods in the world.

So it really was only a matter of time before I gave into trying salmon. And thank goodness I did. Because now I am officially addicted. And to date, this is the only recipe I ever make with it at home. (I’ll try it all kinds of ways while out at a restaurant, but this is my tried and true recipe.) Why? Because it’s that good. And it’s from Bobby Flay. The guy is a restaurant icon. And he knows his stuff. Clearly, from the flavors in this recipe he knows his stuff.

Bonus: This can totally be counted as a 21 Day Fix recipe! Wahoo! Container counts, below.

So here is the most amazing, kick-a** salmon recipe (great for both salmon filets and salmon steaks) you will EVER eat! Enjoy!

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each

DIRECTIONS

On the side burner, melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let cool.
Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush salmon with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Coat the flesh of the salmon fillets with the brown sugar mixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes to medium doneness, turning once after 5 to 6 minutes.

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

1 red, 1/2 yellow, 1 orange, 2 tsp.

Recipe courtesy of Food Network

Transformation Tuesday! It’s AMAZING!

#TransformationTuesday I am SOOO proud of this lady right here! Carrie Colliton Marko is one of my team’s newest coaches and she has completely CRUSHED it losing 28 lbs. AND 18 INCHES in 3.5 months with #21DayFix + #Shakeology! But it’s about SO much more than losing the weight. For Carrie, this has been life changing. Here’s her story:

 

“The best thing is that I have finally lost the baby weight from my youngest daughter. Now onto my next challenge. My oldest daughter has been ill for the last 7 years and was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in 2014. I put my health on the back burner as I put all my energy into getting her better and I gained a lot of weight. Stress levels are high and sleep is often not a priority during the long nights with her. I became a carb addict since it was easier. The great thing is that this plan helps control the carb cravings and is super easy.”

 

Kudos, Carrie! I’m so proud to have you on my team!!

Chicken Caprese!

So the common theme on this here blog is twofold: clean eating and easy. Listen, the minute I had a child I lost about 23 hours of my day, it seemed, to diaper changes, feedings, and now constant worrying about where both kiddos are in the house and why is it sooo quiet. (Note: quiet almost always = trouble.)

So when I came across this easy and clean chicken recipe from my girl crush Autumn Calabrese’s cookbook, FixAte, featuring 101 clean eating recipes, I was ALL.OVER.IT. What’s not to love? Chicken. Check. Tomatoes. Check. Basil. Check. And CHEESE. CHECK.CHECK.CHECK.

So here it is! I served it alongside this awesome Sesame Broccoli that’s also 21 Day Fix-approved. (If you haven’t tried this broccoli recipe, you are totally missing out! BEST.BROCCOLI.RECIPE.EVER.) It was delish! Let me know what you think!

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

•  1 (4 oz.) chicken breast, boneless, skinless
• 1 dash of black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 thick tomato slices
• 4 fresh basil leaves (I ended up using a sprinkle of the spice)
• 1 slice of fresh mozzarella (1oz)
• 1 dash sea salt
• 4 tsp. of balsamic vinegar, divided use

DIRECTIONS

1. Season both sides of chicken with pepper.
2. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.  
3. Add chicken and top with 2 tsp of balsamic vinegar; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink.
4. Top the chicken with tomato slices and basil followed by the mozzarella slice.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and tomatoes are softened.
6. Serve with a sprinkle of basil on top!

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

1 red, 1/4 green, 1 blue

Gumbo!

It’s that time of year when farm stands open up again and the access to really fresh fruits and veggies feels unlimited. Which is exactly why the hubs and I love to make this clean version of gumbo in the spring before it gets too hot to eat a bowl. *I’m not sure about you, but I can’t really get in the mood for a piping hot bowl of gumbo when it’s piping hot outside.)

This recipe is courtesy of my mother in law, who passed it down to us years ago. We absolutely love it because 1) it’s healthy and 2) because in spite of the laborious chopping and dicing involved, it yields a boatload of leftovers, which we always freeze in big batches and pull out during the fall and winter months when veggies like fresh, local okra are hard to come by.

I’ve also included what I think are the 21 Day Fix container breakdowns, below. Warning: don’t hold me to this precise measurement. The Beachbody nutritionist gods have not given their blessing on this breakdown so fair warning, it may not be 100% accurate but it is what I go by.

Here’s the awesome recipe for, y’all! Let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup EVOO
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 chopped green pepper
• 20 okra, sliced
• 1 chopped white onion
• 3 large zuchinni, chopped
• 2 14-oz. cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 14-0z. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 lb. low-sodium turkey sausage, sliced and halved
• 2 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried sage
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 lb. frozen raw, shelled, deveined shrimp (optional)
• Brown rice

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat EVOO on medium in a heavy-bottomed put or cast-iron pot (like this one here). Heat until warm. Gradually stir in flour. Stir constantly for about 20 minutes until a rue is formed and mixture is very dark brown.
2. Add all veggies and cook until tender.
3. Gradually stir in chicken broth then add water.
4. Add in seasonings and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
5. Simmer on low, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
6. Last 5 minutes, add in shrimp and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Serve over brown rice.
8. Add hot sauce, Sriracha, etc. Enjoy!

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

1 serving = 2 cups gumbo over 1/2 cup brown rice

1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 tsp.

 

Honey Mustard-Glazed Chicken Bake!

Ok, there’s a recurring theme on my blog here: easy, clean, and kid friendly. That about covers it. (Even bigger bonus if it’s 21 Day Fix approved, too! Luckily, I’d say 99.9% of the recipes I pots on here are, in fact, Fix approved! Yay!)

So it would make perfect sense that this here honey mustard-glazed chicken bake is also easy, clean, and kid friendly. Oh, and is it ever delish, too!

I pulled this recipe out of the February issue of Good Housekeeping since I am always on the lookout for recipes that are either a) clean or b) I can make clean. This is one of them. The original recipe calls for chicken thighs and drumsticks but I don’t like eating meat off a bone (I know, it’s a weird little idiosyncrasy I have) and dark meat, while it’s more moist in recipes like this, has more calories and isn’t as “clean.” Plus, those other two cuts of chicken have skin, which is where the big time calories (and not-so-clean factor) come into play.

So I switched things up a bit and used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and I gotta say, I was shocked at just how awesome this turned out! The bonus is that it’s a) 21 Day Fix approved! And b) it was kid friendly! My four year old couldn’t stop eating the parsnips and my 17 month old was hoovering the carrots! Score for Mom!

Here’s the recipe!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. parsnips, sliced on an angle
• 1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• 1/2 lb. carrots, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 2″ pieces
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch long tenderloins
• 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. whole-grain mustard
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In large roasting pan, toss parsnips, potatoes, carrots, onion, oil, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast 15 minutes.
2. Place chicken in single layer over vegetables. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast 15 minutes.
3. In medium bowl, whisk Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, honey and brown sugar. Drizzle all over chicken and vegetables. Roast 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked (165 degrees F) and vegetables are tender. Serve chicken with vegetables.

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

3 pieces of chicken = 1 red; 1 yellow; 1/2 green (I actually measure out each one by separating the carrots (green) from the parsnips and potatoes (both yellow)