Tomato Basil Spaghetti Squash Bake

This is one of those "don't knock it until you try it" recipes. After just typing that, I realize that sounds very negative and you may not want to try this recipe now, BUT keep reading. For real, this dish is one to try!

I found the recipe here, but as you may know if you have ever stumbled upon my blog before, I cook for TWO--hubs and me. So, whenever I see recipes that end in the word, "bake," that usually means it cooks in a 9"x13" baking dish, and we could eat on it for a week. So, I altered the portions a little to feed our little family of two. (Just don't tell Avery she wasn't included in that count.)

If you have never cooked spaghetti squash before, I also included directions on how I do it. Feel free to browse the web for other methods. I have heard you can use your microwave, but I would be terrified to try.

**Sidenote: I have always had a fear of something exploding in my microwave. Thankfully, it is NOT because of a past experience, just a fear. 

Tomato Basil Spaghetti Squash Bake
Ingredients:
-One spaghetti squash (on the smaller side)
-Olive oil
-Salt
-Ground black pepper
-Garlic Powder
-2 large tomatoes, sliced
-Onion Powder
-Dried Basil
-Dried Parsley
-3/4 cup of shredded Mexican cheese blend
-Fresh basil for garnish

Directions (for Spaghetti Squash only):
-The first thing you have to do is cook the spaghetti squash to get your "noodles" from it. The most difficult part of the whole thing, which happens to be the very first step, is cutting the darn thing in half, lengthwise. Be SO careful!! I've heard of people putting it in the microwave for fish minutes to help soften the squash a little bit.
-Once it is cut, with a spoon, scoop out the seeds from both halves.
-Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
-Brush each of the insides with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. I like to sprinkle a little garlic powder here, too, because we love garlic. Feel free to omit. You can't mess this part up.
-Place halves face down on parchment-paper lined baking sheet and roast in the oven anywhere from 30-50 minutes, depending on the size of your squash. You want a fork to puncture through the flesh of the squash easily, and then you know it's done.
-Remove squash from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes. I am usually too anxious and just handle the squash with oven kits anyway. Whatever your patience-level is here, I am not judging. :)
-With a fork, scrape out the insides/flesh of each half and set aside in a small bowl.

Directions:
-Once you have cooked and set aside the spaghetti squash, change your oven's temperature to 350 degrees.
-Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.
-Spread 1/3 of the spaghetti squash on the bottom of the baking dish.
-Top with a layer of sliced tomatoes.
-Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, and dried parsley.
-Top the spices with 1/3 of the cheese.
-Add another layer of each: spaghetti squash, sliced tomatoes, spices, and cheese.
-Top with a final layer of squash.
-Then top with the remaining cheese, and sprinkle spices one more time.
-Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
-Top with fresh basil before serving.

Enjoy!!

Summer Lately

Last week, our church participated in Houston 1:8, an inner-city mission trip. One day, I hope we have the opportunity to travel to another country on a mission trip, but so often we think that the only "unreached" people are outside of the United States, not true. There are unreached people on the other side of the state, in the neighborhood over, down the street, and even next door. It was such a blessing to get to serve a group of unreached people in our own city. Matt and I, along with one of Matt's closest friends, were Recreation Leaders for the week, so we got to love on and play games with (and sweat with, see below) over one hundred kids. Being a middle school teacher, I am around kids all the time, but I loved getting to see how Matt interacted with the little ones and how attached to him they were. I pray that these children's lives were touched by their VBS leaders last week and that if nothing else, they will begin to wonder and ask questions and seek answers about our awesome God. I pray that they know how very loved they are.

After a fabulous week serving the Lord, I knew I had a fabulous reunion weekend planned with my roommates from college. With life evolving, we do not get to see each other as much as any of us would want, but even being apart for so long, it was as if no time had passed. We didn't have anyone take a really good, posed picture of all of us, but we managed to capture a few of the highlights from the weekend.

   

   

    

Even after staying up WAY TOO late the first night, a few of the girls woke up and did 21-Day Fix Pilates Fix with me (above, left). We were all sore the rest of the day! But, above (right) is a picture of what we did the rest of the day, so the soreness obviously did not bother us too much. It was so fun getting to catch up and talk endlessly about everything.

   

Still on cloud nine from all the fun we had. I love these girls with all my heart and am already looking forward to the next reunion!


Matt started his second season of Summer Softball--double headers. Thankfully, my parents came to support for the first game, but the second game, which was WAY past my bedtime, it was just the pup and me. She found entertainment in a soccer ball we found, but every time Matt got up to bat, it was as if she knew. She would jump up and watch him, just like her mamma. Such a little human!


   
















Hope you are enjoying your summer, too!

4th of July

As always, another holiday weekend at the bay did not disappoint. While I have time in the summer off, most of my family does not get to enjoy that luxury. But, this weekend, we did. The whole gang was there by Thursday evening, and we enjoyed 3+ days of sweet summer together. 

One of the highlights for me was definitely getting to spend some time working on a project with Matt. My parents had brought an old gate from their old house down to the bay a long time ago with the intention to use it in some way. But, almost two years later, and it was out by the trash, waiting to be picked up. I moved it from the trash and into their garage a few weeks ago, only to find that it was back by the trash. Thankfully, it still had not been picked up, so this was the weekend something had to be done, or it would be a goner. 

When the rest of the family went on an afternoon fishing trip, we stayed behind and got to work. In true 4th of July fashion, an American Flag. 

I had painted the entire fence white the day before, so that we had a blank canvas. First thing we did was use measuring tape to decide how thick the stripes should be. I wanted the stripes to be as authentic-looking as possible, since I knew the stars would be... less than authentic-looking. Once we decided on a thickness, we began placing painters' tape in place of where the white stripes would be. 

Above is a picture of what the flag looked like after it had been completely taped. Then, I started spray painting the red stripes. Once I was about three-fourths of the way finished, Matt sweetly asked if he could finish the red stripes. I had gotten so in my zone that I had forgotten that he was there to help. :) So, he finished up the red stripes.

Once we removed all of the tape (see above), we re-taped/covered what we needed to be covered in order to paint the blue section.

I wish I had taken a picture of this next step, but I got too excited and forgot. But, I took an Exacto knife and cut out a star shape in a piece of cardboard. Then, we used that as a stencil, and sprayed white paint into the stencil to create stars in various spots of the blue section. And then after letting it dry....

It makes me so happy to DIY with my sweet hubby. He is very creative and enjoys a good project, too. 

So, what else did we do this past weekend? Well, we hung out in the canal- floating, kayaking, paddle-boarding, AND Avery got a new life-jacket. Yes, she can swim, and actually maybe a little TOO much. Since my parents' house is on the canal, there is always a chance she could go in purposefully or accidentally and no one is right there to pull her out. Therefore, the life-vest. It calms my nerves, and she looks adorable in it! 

Don't you just want to hug her?

My mom always overdoes herself on food. She made this red (and blue) velvet cake. It was delicious! And look how pretty it was!

              

     

This is one of the reasons I am currently hosting a 5-Day Clean Eating Challenge group right now. I have over 20 people who have committed to eating clean this week, and today is just Day 1. Just look at all of those bright colors?

Don't worry if you missed this 5-Day Clean-Eating Challenge. I'll be doing it again in August. But if you are really interested in getting healthy and making a positive change for you and your family, 21-Day Fix is where it's at! Commit to 21 days with me!

Fitness + Nutrition + Accountability = Success.

We can do it together! Comment below or send me a message if you are interested in knowing more!

I just finished my first round of 21-Day Fix and drinking Shakeology and am LOVING how I feel. Today, I am still doing it, but I'm looking for people who want to join me in this journey!

I will leave you with one last picture from the weekend with my family.

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July, as well! 

Happy Monday!

Quinoa Chicken Parmesan

I am always on the hunt for new recipes. I ran across one that seemed very simple and that I already had all of the ingredients for, Quinoa Chicken Parmesan, so we tried it a couple of nights ago. It may sound a little strange, but the recipe is so easy and this dinner was really good! I found the recipe here.

Quinoa Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup marinara sauce (I used Prego)

Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Cook quinoa according to package, and then stir in Italian seasoning.
- Take each chicken breast and cover completely with flour, dip into the eggs, then cover completely with quinoa, making sure the entire chicken breast is coated.
- Repeat with each chicken breast and place each onto the baking sheet.
- Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove chicken and top with cheeses and marinara.
- Then bake for another few minutes until cheese has melted.

Let me know if you get a chance to try it! I'd love to know how you liked it!

For the past couple of months, I have been working through a combination of BeachBody programs, P90X and 21-Day Fix. I am on Day 15 of 21-Day Fix, and I still think it is awesome! I am a big proponent of planning out your meals and staying away from last minute (usually unhealthy) decisions about what to eat. I have also loved having the little containers to help me with portions. But most of all, I have LOVED the workouts. Even Matt has gotten into them, and always says, "Okay, so which one are we doing today?" Yes, WE! It is fun being able to work out at home, but it makes it even more fun that he wants to do it with me!

Here we are sweating it out during Pilates Fix (which he found out is not just "light stretching"). 

Here is what I did the last two weeks:

Day 38: Upper Fix

Day 39: Lower Fix

Day 40: Pilates Fix

Day 41: Cardio Fix

Day 42: Dirty 30

Day 43: Yoga Fix

Day 44: Total Body Cardio Fix & Pilates Fix

Day 45: Upper Fix & Cardio Fix

Day 46: Lower Fix & 10 Min Abs

Day 47: Pilates Fix & Total Body Cardio Fix

Day 48: Rest

Day 49: Dirty 30

Day 50: Yoga Fix

Day 51: Total Body Cardio Fix

Friday was not intended to be a rest day, but we were both exhausted. I had been doing double day workouts for a few days, so my body just needed to rest. So, we propped up our feet and relaxed for the night... all three of us :)

Hope you have a happy Monday and a great rest of the week!

Strawberry and Blueberry Trifle

Have you started planning your holiday menu? More importantly, are you trying to plan your holiday menu while also trying to "watch what you eat" at the same time? Hey, it happens. I have you covered for dessert. 

For the Fourth of July last year, we made this festive, light, but oh so delicious dessert. Best part was how easy it was! The hardest part (which was really just time-consuming, not difficult) was slicing the strawberries the way I wanted them to look. But really, I was just being a diva...nothing new. With ingredients so pretty, you can't mess it up! You also don't have to feel too guilty about indulging in a small somewhat oversized bowl of this yummy goodness. I found the recipe here.

Strawberry and Blueberry [God Bless the USA] Trifle

Ingredients:

- Angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes

- 2 pints strawberries, sliced to your liking :)

- 2 pints blueberries

- 6 tablespoons fat-free sweetened condensed milk

- 1 1/2 cups cold water

- 1 package sugar-free white chocolate instant pudding mix

- 12 ounces fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preparation:

- Bake angel food cake according to instructions, and set aside to cool, then cut into 1-inch cubes
Note: I did not use any of the "crust" of the cake, only the insides. And, if the cubes are more like crumbles, perfect :)
-Wash your fruit and slice your strawberries.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk and cold water.
- A little at a time, whisk in the pudding mix (until mixed well), and let sit for about 2 minutes, or until soft-set.
- Fold in the thawed whipped topping.
- Arrange half of your cake at the bottom of a 14-cup trifle dish.
- Sprinkle the cake layer evenly with a layer of blueberries.*
- Spread half of the cream mixture over the blueberries. *
- Top the cream with a layer of strawberries*
- Then repeat with layers of the remaining cake, then the blueberries, and the cream.*
- To finish off the top, arrange your strawberries and blueberries in a pattern (or not) :)
- Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.**

* When spreading each layer, be mindful as to how your cake looks on the edges. It's the most important part, aside from the top :)
**Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

The last step... and most importantly, ENJOY!

Enjoy the dessert and enjoy your holiday!

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

The 4th of July is one of my very favorite holidays. Beach, fireworks, family,  and celebrating this great country the Lord blessed us with. Are you ready for the fourth? 

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave by hnbormann

RED SINGLET | RED STRAPPY SINGLET | H&M CHIFFON TOP | THIN STRIPE SHORTS | THICK STRIPE SHORTS | FLAG SHORTS | VALEXTRA BLUE BRACELET | KENDRA SCOTT-RED | KENDRA SCOTT-BLUE | C WONDER RED BRACELET | MARC BY MARC JACOBS STUDS | KATE SPADE BLUE STUDS | BLUE AVIATORS | FEDORA WITH BLUE | WHITE & BLUE SUNGLASSES | FEDORA WITH BLACK

Do you have any fun plans for the fourth?

21-Day Fix | P90X Days 27-37

I have found quite a bit of inspiration from this quote. Making a change requires a change. As you may know, I have been working through P90X for a little over a month now. When I first started, I used it as an excuse to eat what I wanted, or what was easy. Silly me. What I realized was that in order to see change, I need to make a change. 

I had been waiting for 21-Day Fix to come in the mail, and when it finally did, I could not wait to start! I am still going to continue working through P90X, but throwing some other workouts in the mix or even doubling up on some days. If you have a full-time job outside of your house, you may think I'm crazy to say that. But, I'm a teacher with summers [mostly] off. Do you remember your summers as a kid? How many times did you say "I'm bored" in the summertime. I don't want to be bored. Instead, I want to create and fuel good habits. Enter 21-Day Fix. No counting, no guessing, just an easy-to-follow portion control (with fun color-coded containers) and one [30 minute] work out a day. 

Look at my yummy breakfast and lunch and convince me that your mouth isn't watering...

Portion-ing

Breakfast is served!

Portion-ing

Lunch is served!

P90X Update

Here is what I did on Days 27-37:

Day 27: Kenpo X

Day 28: Ab Ripper X

Day 29: Core Synergistics

Day 30: Stretch X

Day 31: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps

Day 32: Run 2 miles outside

Day 33: Rest

Day 34: Ab Ripper X

Day 35: Back and Biceps, Run 3 miles outside

Day 36: Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X

Day 37: Total Body Cardio Fix (21-Day Fix Work Out)

I have found that there are a few keys to making new habits. The first one is MAKE GOALS-big and small, short term and long term, daily and weekly. If you don't make goals, how do you define success? The second one is PLANNING. Plan your day, plan your meals, plan your workouts, plan your to-do lists. Make a plan. The third one is MOTIVATION. What is it that motivates you? This may be a person, this may be a thing, this may be a job, this may be a vacation, and this might be something very personal, but whatever it is, find it, and use it to your advantage.

What habits are you making?