It's been awhile!!!

Well, it's been about a month since I last posted.  My goal is to update my blog about once a week but with summer and getting ready for Kindergarten for my oldest (Alyson), I let this slip...oops!!

But I haven't been slipping on my clean eating!  I haven't been perfect...not nearly...but I have been making better choices and some of the recipes (Baked Ziti and Chicken Nuggets) I have down now!!! 

With school starting this week, I am hopeful I can get back on track-trying a few new recipes each week.  I want to work exercise into my daily life again and I think with more schedule in my life, I'll be able to do this.  Yay!  I have a grocery list going tonight and plan to shop tomorrow. 

This dish I made the other night...the Ahi Tuna steaks were marinated and I bought them from Trader Joe's....I LOVE these...yummmm!  I made with it smashed sweet potatoes and sweet carrots, little butter, pinch salt, pinch or two of ginger and cinnamon....YUM YUM!! 

My staple that I've carried with me these past few weeks is the peanut butter and banana wrap...filling, yummy and oh so good for you.  :)

Till next time!
Angel :)

Weekend Madness!

It's been a few days since posting last.  Over the weekend, we went to the California State Fair and that just spelled trouble!!!  Although I didn't do as badly as I could have (let me tell you-I love FRIED FOOD), I do think if I would have planned better I could have stayed on track.  But, I never said I would be perfect and this is my 1st week of changing our whole eating style-so I'm giving myself a break.  Saturday morning, I made egg white burrito with Spinach, mushrooms, little salsa and low-fat mozzarella cheese.  I have to say that I was afraid since I've never tried egg white eggs before.  They were DELICIOUS!!!  And they fluff up a lot during the cooking process and it actually looks like more food for the one serving I made :)

All day at the fair, I ate a Works baked potato (bacon, butter and sour cream), egg roll on a stick, frozen yogurt (shared with family), and for dinner we ended up going to Red Lobster where I had a cup of clam chowder, cheese bisquits and jumbo coconut prawns.  So NOT Clean eating...but oh so yummy!!  Sunday, I got back on track :) 
I did grocery shopping at Trader Joe's.  I've been wanting to make Baked Ziti (Eat-Clean Diet Recharged book-Family and Kids) and it turned out amazing!!!  My girls ate it up!  And so many leftovers...it's so good it's hard not to have more than one serving :) 

I am finding that cooking is actually fun and rewarding.  And, I don't feel deprived-like i'm missing out on something better.  This is as good as it gets!  Whole nutritious good for you food...no junk and added salt or preservatives.  Fresh ingredients, simple and easy recipes.  I LOVE IT!  :)  I feel so much better already and I know with continued success eating this way, I will just keep feeling better and better. 

Angel :)

I love Cooking!

I have discovered that I really do enjoy cooking-when I have the time to do it!  And, these past few days...I'm making the time.  It's important not only for me, but my family as well.  I suppose I'm just at a good place now...being able to stay at home with the kids-not rushing to work and back and all is allowing me some freedom to cook a little and explore! 

Breakfast was Ezekiel toast with sun butter and strawberries and some coffee w/almond milk & stevia...nothing fancy...lunch we had out (yikes)!!  At trader joes....Alyson wanted a turkey and cheese sandwich...I found a turkey and bacon with lettuce and tomato wrap (whole wheat) premade and since we lost track of time this morning on some errands, I thought it was the healthiest choice I could have made considering.  Snack was a low fat string cheese and cherry tomatoes...then came dinner!!! 

Homemade Chicken Nuggets and Sweet Potato Fries

Made by....ME!

Eat Clean Diet-Recharged Family and Kids Book has the recipes and I was dying to try them!  My girls LOVE Chicken Nuggets (McDonalds..Chick Fil A, Burger King...wherever) so I was interested to see if they would take to these....oh they did!!!  As you can see in the picture, we had the chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries and left over beet/carrots from last night...and yes, that is ranch dip.  That's the one thing in the dinner tonight that wasn't clean....I realized (bad planning) that I didn't have all the ingredients to make either the homemade ketchup or honey dijon dip.....so I gave the girls a little ranch and I had a couple dips...but with the sweet potato fries and the nuggets...found that I really didn't need it.  The taste was so yummy to me, it was good on its own!

After dinner...I exercised!!!  I had to or I knew that after I put the girls to bed, I would get on this computer and that would be the end of my day.  So, I loaded up the 20 minute Jillian Michaels 30 day shred (Day #2 for me) and just did it!!  I do feel more sore (actually, earlier today I felt it in my butt walking up the stairs and when I went to sit down on the floor with my girls, I literally fell over when my bootie hit the ground because it hurt so bad..lol :) But, being Sore means I am moving parts of my body I'm not used to moving and doing great things for myself!!!  

Sweet Potato Fries-ready to go in the oven...Easy!  Olive oil, dried oregeno, sea salt, garlic, pepper (and supposed to have fresh rosemary which I didn't have)

Chicken Bites - YUMMO!!!  Link to recipe:

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/food_and_recipes/clean_recipe/crispy_chicken_bites.aspx

Going out challenge....easier than I expected :)

Breakfast started off with Oatmeal, cinnamon, flaxseed and a little sprinkly of raw sugar...then we were out of the house!  I had errands to run and was nervous about being out and driving by fast food and such...temptation?  NOPE!  I looked at those places totally different driving by....so I think my mind is catching up to what I should be eating and feeding to my girls :) 
For snack, I brought some almonds and grapes....for Lunch, since we were so far from home, I planned to go to Whole Foods in Roseville and I got a very healthy salad (made at the salad bar) with balsamic vinaigrette...although the dressing looked creamier..so i'm wondering what kind it was (bottle was white and had nothing on it except a label that said what dressing)....it was probably the super fatty one...great!  I didn't notice the consistency until I had poured it on my salad....oh well-again, I tried!
Came home and put girls for naps and popped in Jillian Michaels 30 day shred DVD...Day 1.  Alyson came out when I was starting it and as I was doing the cardio circuits...she would run around me and say, "Go MAMA, GO MAMA!"...cute :) That 20 min routine kicked my bootie (in a good way of course), but I do find it hard to do the jumping jacks since I live in an upstairs apartment.
For dinner (pictured above), I shredded chicken and mixed it with salsa...put on those thin whole wheat buns with some spinach and fresh tomatoes...I also diced up fresh beets (thank you Beth!) and laid those and baby carrots on foil lined baking sheet and spread a bit of balsamic dressing...baking was a bit tricky for me...but after about 45 min (at 350 and stirring around every 5-10 min) they were about done....the girls LOVED the Beets!!  I did, too....they taste like candy...so sweet!  As for the chicken sandwich...I loved it...Molly tolerated it (taking a few good bites upon my insisting) and Alyson didn't touch it...I told her she had to at least try one bite and if she didn't like it, then she and I would know and I would try something different next time..she tried a bite...guess what??  SHE LIKED IT!!  Had 3 more good bites....yay :) 
I'm amazed at Alyson actually....she LOVES McDonalds...and not once has she asked me to stop there when we drove around today...we even talked about it and she said it's not good for our bodies and I told her that's right...once in awhile we can have little treats...but day to day-we should be making the best choices that we can! 
Angel :)

1st Day...DONE! :)

Just a quick post to say that my first day was thoroughly enjoyable!  Felt great all day, emotionally (knowing I was doing good things for my body as well as my family) and physically-didn't feel as bloated as I normally have been feeling.  :)  For dinner, I made the couscous salad (with leeks....love leeks now!  First time using them and it was easy and wonderful!)...couscous seemed to need something....my 1st thought was some butter and salt....uh-oh....bad bad thinking....i left without any added (other than a sprinkle of parmesean) and it was still good with my chicken and raw zucchini :)  Alyson and Molly ate up the Zucchini (I gave them just a dab of ranch dressing) first and then finished off the rest of the food, too!! 

I didn't get in exercise....don't know why actually-i could have done it (instead of writing this blog)...will work on that tomorrow!  

I'm proud of myself...for facing my fears of cooking and making great choices.  I know it's only been one day...but who cares?  Celebrate the small achievements I say! 

Oh...and Alyson asked me today-"mom, can you make homemade lollipops?"....lol :)

A Good Start :)

Small baby steps!  I started the day off right with a slice of Ezekiel toast with sun butter and cut up banana (yum and filling) and 2 cups of coffee with almond milk and packets (used 2 in each) of Stevia.  For snack, I had a handful of almonds. 
For lunch, I decided to make tuna salad roll ups....I used a low carb whole wheat tortilla wrap, spread a little red pepper hummus, laid some baby spinach.  For the tuna mixture I used one can of albacore tuna (in spring water) mixed with shredded carrots, mushrooms and light dose of balsamic vinagrette dressing..mix up in a bowl....then i laid about a third of that mixture in each tortilla (makes 3 possibly 4) on the tortilla, top with sprinkle of ground flax seed and sliced tomatoes....roll up and it is YUMMO!  (To me anyway).  I served with 1/2 pink lady apple....I'm FULL!  And, that was totally healthy and yummy...I'm very happy with myself so far today :)

Dinner will be something with the chicken that is almost done in the crockpot...maybe with some couscous salad :)  And, I have to work in some exercise today...maybe try out Jillian Michael's 30 day shred!  I'm drinking water, too!!
Angel :)

1st Grocery Shopping Trip....

My 1st grocery shopping trip was very time consuming!!!  But, I expected it to be since a lot of the items I was getting I didn't even know what they looked like!!  Leeks?  I had to ask the produce lady....Wheat Germ?   Got out of the bulk section....it was quite an experience with two young ones in tow....

Anyhow...I found most of my list at Bel Air...total $128.10 (but that includes a brand new bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegrette, storage bags, steamer bags and a big bag of frozen chicken breasts-which was the most expensive thing I purchased). I also had to get some seasonings that I didn't have in the cupboard...ground white pepper, Mrs. Dash...Apple Cider Vinegar...so I expect that my next "big" trip won't be as much since I will have some of the staples now.  :)  I did go over to Whole Foods across the street to pick up bread, tuna, hummus, zucchini, yogurt and some strawberries...so that adds another $20. 

My plan is to start tomorrow and plan as I go along...I still need to pick up Bee Pollen and there was a recipe (Golden CousCous) I wanted to make that called for Saffron Threads...HOLY MOLY!  $19.99 for a very small bag....won't be doing that....I can replace with something called Termaric, so I'll be doing that!

Angel :)