Prep It and Make It….

We’re at the end of week two of the “Fitness Challenge” and I’d have to say we’ve had a really good week.  So far, the biggest challenge for me is what seems to be an endless amount of prepping food and logging every meal we eat.  There’s no question that I love to cook, but having to prepare three healthy meals a day for the family is not easy!!  I got kind of used to the hubs pouring him and the girls a bowl full of cereal or defrosting an oatmeal bake from the freezer most mornings, leaving me the opportunity to get other household chores done.  This week nothing seemed to happen that “quick and easy!”   It’s okay, though, because our family is trying new foods and we’re feeling healthy…this is a CHALLENGE, right?!

Here are a few meals on our menu this last week that I felt were “quick and easy” enough to keep our day running smooth!  Starting with breakfast…

Overnight Banana-Cinnamon Pudding

(yields 1 serving)

Ingredients:

I ripe banana, mashed

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 Tbsp flax seed meal

1 Tbsp Sunflower butter (or sub in your favorite nut butter)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Optional Add Ins:  chopped apple pieces, raisins, chopped pecans, etc…

Directions:

Combine all ingredients together and mix well.  Place in a sealed container in the fridge overnight and enjoy in the morning!  May be served cold or warm (heat in the microwave for about 35 seconds).  Top with additional toppings if desired.

This is by far one of the hubs’ favorite breakfasts last week!  I think he’s requested it more than twice (think it’s time he learns how to make it!), saying “it’s like eating dessert for breakfast,” and not to mention it is quite filling.

So, for a little variety I made one with a little less banana and more berries along with some coconut to change up the flavor.

 Overnight Coconut-Berry Chia Pudding

(yields 1 serving)

Ingredients:

1/2 ripe banana, mashed

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp unsweetened, shredded coconut

2 Tbsp chia seeds

1 handful mixed frozen berries

Optional Toppings: seeds, nuts, “paleo” granola, etc…

Directions:

Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Place in a sealed container in the fridge overnight and enjoy in the morning!  May be served cold or warm (heat in the microwave for about 35 seconds).  Top with additional toppings if desired.

This “pudding” has a lot more texture, but the same great “staying” power as the first.  The chia seeds definitely do their job in keeping you full for quite some time!

Our favorite quick lunch last week (with requests to have it on the menu again this week!)…

 Avocado Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

juice from 1/2 a lime

3 slices cooked bacon, chopped

3 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast

butter lettuce, washed and dried

sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, mash avocado.  Add lime juice, sea salt and pepper and mix until well combined. 

Add chicken and chopped bacon to avocado mixture and stir to combine, making sure chicken is well coated.

Scoop 1/4 cup of chicken salad onto lettuce leaf.  Wrap and serve!

 These are best eaten the same day (the avocado will begin to turn brown), but we had a couple left over so I stuck them in the hubs’ lunch the next day.  He didn’t seem to mind his slightly “browned” chicken wrap!

It was a bit cold last week, so I brought out the crock-pot on more than one occasion to make some soup for dinner.

Ham and Greens Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups baby spinach

3 cups rainbow swiss chard

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups fully cooked ham steak, chopped

1/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

2 cups organic chicken broth (make sure it’s gluten free if you don’t make your own!)

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, carrots and garlic to pan; cook 5-6 minutes or until beginning to brown.

Transfer onion mixture to a crock-pot.  Add in ham, salt, pepper and broth.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  Stir in spinach and swiss chard; cook an additional hour.

Our family loves us some soup and this one was definitely a keeper.  Even though it has very few ingredients it packs a punch in the flavor department!  I know I’ve made something good when my little Cailyn asks for seconds…YEAH!!

The weeks seem to be rolling one into another with no breaks in between, so “hi-ho, hi-ho it’s off to prep and plan I go!”  This week we’ll continue to log our meals and daily routine, keep up on our “homework” and complete three mandatory WODS for CrossFit.    Speaking of WODS and CrossFit, I was super excited to PR in several of the benchmark WODS last week!  Here’s a look at how I did…

800 M run – 4:08

5 Rounds of “Cindy” – 5:49

5 pull-ups

10 push-ups

15 squats

CrossFit Total - 205

Back Squat – 80lbs (PR!)

Shoulder Press – 40lbs (PR!)

Deadlift – 85lbs (PR!)

Fight Gone Bad (1 Round; 1 minute each station) – 78

Wall Ball – 26

SDHP – 25lbs; 12

Push Press – 25lbs; 10

Box Jump – 22

Row (for calories) – 8

For the busy week ahead I pray for clarity of mind so as to remember…

And my prayer for you my friends…”Lord, do something supernaturally wonderful in someone’s life this week!”  Amen.

Blessings,

J’lene

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Waffles…

I finally did it, I broke out the waffle iron I’ve had sitting in the cupboard collecting dust since our wedding!  I’ve always been a bit afraid of cooking waffles and I think it’s just because the process seems so daunting.  Well, those daunting days are over and I am now in love with making waffles! 

You see, I had been following the “10 Days of Gluten Free” bloggers and was absolutely loving the tips on lunchboxes and snacks from Tessa the Domestic Diva when I came across this post  she wrote that completely won me over in the waffle department.  Could I really serve waffles for breakfast, lunch and dinner?  I gave it a whirl!

 

Buckwheat and Coconut Flour Waffles (3 ways!)

Yields 4 large waffles (depends on the size of your waffle iron) – double the recipe and put the extra in the freezer for quick and easy meals!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic buckwheat flour

1/2 cup organic coconut flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp raw coconut crystals

3 large organic eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

2 cups non-dairy milk (I tried both almond and coconut milk and they both had great results)

2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat waffle iron

Mix the non-dairy milk and lemon juice together.  Set aside for about 5 minutes (this will be your “buttermilk”).

Mix all ingredients  in a medium mixing bowl just until combined.  Ladle onto hot waffle iron.  Cook until golden brown.

For Cinnamon Waffles (these have been the biggest hit for breakfast and snacks!):

Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the ingredients in your mixing bowl.

For Cinnamon Apple Waffles:

Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/2 an apple peeled and chopped to the ingredients in your mixing bowl.

 For breakfast:  Cinnamon Buckwheat Waffles topped with fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup (we’re missing the syrup on these guys because this was my second batch for the freezer…the others were long gone right after I made them!).

It was a unanimous vote for mom to make these again.  And the great thing was, the hubs could so easily pop these right out of the freezer and into the toaster oven with little or no instructions!

 For my dinner: Buckwheat Waffles topped with leftover “Veggie Sloppy Joes” and a bit of cheese.  The waffles came right out of the freezer, then were topped with some yummy toppings and popped in the toaster over for about 10 minutes.  I don’t think it could get any easier than that!

Not to mention that it tasted so amazing! 

Since my first trial run of waffle making, the princesses have been enjoying fun, creative and healthy breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners! 

For snacks/lunches (I break the waffle into 4 sections and pull out 1 or 2 sections to toast):

• top with nut butters and fruit (our favorite is almond butter, banana and raisins)
• top with cream cheese and strawberries or blueberries
• top with a bit of cheese and melt in the toaster
• use 2 halves of the waffle as a replacement for bread and make your favorite sandwich (we’ve tried almond butter and jelly, lunch meat with cheese and hummus, and scrambled egg with spinach)

For dinner:

• leftovers make great toppings!
• break the waffle into small pieces and toast up for “croutons” on your favorite salad

The possibilities seem endless!  How do you like your waffles?  I’d love to hear more ideas!!

Blessings,

J’lene