[Slow Cooker] Pork Carnitas

No doubt, this year has brought about a lot of changes. Some have been a breeze, and others have taken their sweet time. Matt and I love our new home. There are so many outdoorsy things that he loves doing that I get to tag along for--hunting, fishing, hiking, etc. My work/life balance, however, has been more like WORK/life. I knew coming to a new place and starting at a new school with new standards would be challenging, so I had told myself that now would be the time to devote as much time as was needed to my work. Matt would be working hard at school and we don't have children (don't tell Avery), so I could spend time making my lessons/classroom/teaching practices perfect. Perfect? Really? No matter how much preparation goes into any of it, these kiddos I teach are twelve and thirteen. There is no perfect, and in fact, imperfection gets us much further in our classroom.

Recently, I made a decision to alter my work/life to be better for me. I said that "I made a decision," when really, I know the Lord nudged me (or shook me) and reminded me to take care of myself. I am back to working out 5-6 days a week, cooking healthy meals that I am proud to share, and I still feel like I am devoting the time needed to my students and my classroom. And hopefully, all of this will show back up on the blog.

For now, I am going to stop talking about me and start talking about a fantastic new [slow cooker] recipe that is sure to have you going for seconds (or thirds if you're anything like my hubby). This weekend was the start of my Spring Break, so today was all about playing. We were in and out of the house all day. Many people feel that slow cooker recipes are best for days when you are at work for long hours, and I completely agree, however, I am all for those recipes even on the days you are home... like today. I LOVED being able to start dinner around 11am, and do nothing about it until it was time to eat dinner. I know you clicked on the link for the recipe, so I'll stop blabbing and get to it.

Pork Carnitas
For the Pork:
Ingredients:
-2 T chili powder
-2 t cumin
-1 t ground coriander
-1 t onion powder
-1 t garlic powder
-1 t sea salt
-1 t oregano
-Pork loin (about 3 pounds)
-1 1/2 cup water
-Bay leaf
Directions: 
Mix all of the spices (first seven ingredients) together in a bowl. Rub down the entire pork loin and place in the slow cooker. Pour in water and place bay leaf inside. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. When the pork is finished cooking, it should shred easily with two forks. I like to shred mine fully and then leave the meat in the juices for a little while longer before serving (just while I'm putting together the rest of the meal).

For the Avocado Cilantro Topping:
Ingredients:
-1/2 of an avocado
-1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
-1/2 cup water
-1 cup cilantro (leaves and stems)
-1 clove garlic
-1/2 t salt
-Juice from half a lime (or more)
Directions:
Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

For the Carnitas:
Ingredients:
-Corn tortillas
-1 can Black beans (drained and rinsed)
-Romain lettuce
-Roma tomato (diced)
-Avocado (diced)
-Cheddar cheese (shredded)
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray both sides of tortillas with cooking spray and place tortillas on a baking sheet. Cook for about 8 minutes, flipping them over at about 4 minutes. I usually heat up the black beans on the stove for a few minutes, but you can omit this if you want. The rest of the ingredients are just for toppings. Feel free to add or take away any ingredients.

This may seem like a lot of directions, but it really does not take long at all. You can make the dressing ahead of time or while your tortillas are heating up. Put them together for your family/guests or have everything spread out on the counter and serve buffet-style (my favorite)!

Enjoy! Let me know if you try it!

Anticipating Christmas

Christmas time starts early for us, but not too early. We give Thanksgiving the whole month of November, but come December 1st, it begins to look a lot like Christmas around our house. There is truly nothing like the Christmas season. I spent that first week of December changing out our fall and Thanksgiving decorations for our Christmas ones. My hubby was so proud of me for going up to the attic myself to get everything down. He met me at the bottom of the attic steps, though, just in case. Since I could only decorate for a short time in the evenings, it took a few days. Also, we were missing something kind of huge.. a Christmas tree. Our old tree was a beautiful, wide, and full 8-foot artificial tree that took up way too much storage space, so I sadly parted with it (but kept it in the family), and decided we could get a real one this year (being in North Carolina and all). The fact that we would be gone for two weeks and a real tree being in our house, unattended, began to get to me a little, and when my mom told me about a smaller 6-foot, PRE-LIT, tree from Target for FORTY EIGHT DOLLARS, I was on it.

The first weekend of December was go time. We had a pretty fun weekend planned, actually. Some friends of Matt's from the Corps of Cadets were in town, and one even stayed with us a few nights. We love seeing people from home. It definitely does the heart good. They came over Friday night (pictured above), but then had plans for the rest of the weekend.

Our Saturday was booked with us having our Christmas card photo taken in the morning, and then... my hunting trip for our tree. Did I mention it was on sale for $48? I looked online to ensure that the Target closest to us had said tree, and the website claimed it did. However, this was not the case once there. No big deal, Target's awesome customer service called the next closest store (25 minutes away... I was determined) to have them put one on hold for me. This was me, fueled up with Spark after leaving the first Target on my way to Target #2.

And then this is me leaving Target #2 with only my tree my tree and lots of other things I needed that caught my eye. Oh good grief, you try going into Target during Christmas time at any time of the year! I found a new doormat I didn't need. Seriously, I already had one that looked like Santa Claus, but I couldn't pass up this poinsettia one. I LOVE poinsettias. I also got some new wrapping paper. I actually did need wrapping paper. I like to buy one roll (sometimes ends up being two) and wrap all presents in the same paper. To me, it makes family Christmases easier. Or maybe, it's my undiagnosed OCD. Honestly, I can't remember what was in the bag. I'm sure it was full of very non-important but Christmas-y (making them important) things! Okay, I admit... I have Target has a problem.

When I got home, I got to it. The tree went up, and it was just as sweet as the sale price! The tree was perfect, and I was so happy with how it turned out. And if I say so myself, the doormat was not a bad purchase either!

       

      
















Okay, and one more, because I added a filter and put my dog in a Christmas sweater... how cute is she?!

In the weeks leading up to Christmas break, Matt was recruiting for jobs, so he was traveling quite a bit, which left Aves and me at home, dreaming of Christmas and trying to stay focused on work. We watched a lot of Christmas movies. One good thing about grading papers is that it is very easy to multitask. Lifetime and Hallmark Channel, thank you for being here in December.

Seriously, we snuggled up on the couch in our buffalo-check patterned PJs a lot and watched Christmas movies. Who knew there were so many! (Christmas movies, not buffalo-check, but I guess that, too)

Since moving to North Carolina, work has taken up a lot of my time. Recently, though, I joined a Cookbook Club, in which each month, we meet at someone's house, having all cooked a dish from the same cookbook. It is somewhat of a potluck dinner, only all of the recipes come from the same book. I've loved it. We have only had two meetings, one in November and one in December, which I hosted. We cooked from one of my favorite cookbooks (one Matt gave me for Christmas in 2014) Skinny Taste.

I loved getting to host new friends and enjoy great food and great conversation around our dining room table. 

When the time did finally come for the holiday break, I was ready. Starting all of the Christmas-y stuff on the 1st definitely has its perks and definitely brings with it anticipation. On the last day of school before the break, we busted out our tacky Christmas sweaters and sent the kiddos off in style!

Summery Chicken Tostadas

Since this recipe was shared with me about a month ago, I have made this dinner twice. It is definitely a hubby-approved fave! A friend of mine over at Fit Foodie Fam blogged this recipe and shared it with one of our 21-Day Fix groups. And let me just tell you, SO yummy, SO colorful, and SO easy to put together. Here's the recipe:

Summery Chicken Tostadas
Ingredients:
-1-2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (my fave crockpot shredded chicken recipe below)
-1 teaspoon EVOO (or other oil of your choice)
-1 zucchini, diced
-1 red onion, diced
-4 whole wheat tortillas (my fave are the Mission Artisan brand)
-1 cup corn kernels (I use frozen, but fresh is fine!)
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-3-4 tablespoons salsa verde
-3/4 cup shredded cheese (I use Monterrey Jack if I have it, but anything is fine!)

Directions:
Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and red onion, stirring often. Continue to sauté these ingredients for about 8 minutes or until the onions are soft.

While the zucchini and onion are cooking, lightly spray both sides of your tortillas with cooking -spray, and lay on a baking sheet. Bake these in the oven for about 8 minutes or until they begin turning a golden color. (Be careful not to burn them.)

After the onion and zucchini are soft, add in the corn and stir. Let the corn heat all the way through, and then add in the spices and salsa. Stir all ingredients together. Then, add in the chicken to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine.

By this time, your tortillas should be done. Take them out of the oven, and top each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the chicken/veggie mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top and return to oven to allow cheese to melt.

Serve with desired toppings, such as avocado, cilantro, or more salsa verde.
Let me know if you try this recipe! Would love to know how you like it!


Also, here's the shredded chicken recipe I use...

SkinnyTaste Convenient Slow-Cooker Shredded Chicken
Ingredients:
-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all fat (about 1.5 pounds)
-3 cups Swanson 33% less sodium chicken broth
-1 onion, quartered (optional)
-1 celery stalk (optional)
-1 sprig of fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:
Combine chicken breasts, just enough broth to cover the chicken and onion, celery and parsley (if using) into the slow-cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Discard the remaining liquid and veggies. You can use the shredded chicken in any recipe that calls for it, or refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Life Lately

Since we live in Houston and I am a teacher, I pretty much split the year into four main seasons: Fall, Christmas, Spring, and Summer. And maybe I'm the only one who feels like this, but Fall is always so busy with getting back into the routine of school and football season, so I always look forward to Spring with the intent of it being a much slower season, but it NEVER is. Somehow, spring time gets full, too. This year is no different.

I have some fun recipes to post this week that have been shared with me by a fellow BeachBody coach. She's wonderful, and we have been co-hosting a 21-Day Fix group for the last couple of weeks. So be looking for those recipes soon, but for now, here's what's been going on lately...

What I've Been Eating/Drinking LATELY:

[one]

I have recently changed my Shakeology flavor. I had been switching between Chocolate and Strawberry, but I decided to try the Vegan Chocolate, and I L-O-V-E my new flavor! No, I am not vegan, but sometimes it's just good to give your body a break from animal proteins. So yummy!

[two]

I made some Chicken Tostadas that just might make my "Top 5 Favorite Dishes I've Made" list. And, definitely hubby approved! Recipe coming soon!

[three]

We had this Sweet Potato Hash at my parents' house for a family dinner, and YUM! This recipe will also be hitting the blog very soon!

What I've Been Reading LATELY:

[one] 

My family started a book club in 2015. I dropped the ball on the first book of the year. I started reading it, and I just never got into it. However, I very quickly got into the second book that was chosen. The first Harry Potter book. I never read the series when I was a kid. I guess I really wasn't much of a reader at the time. But, after seeing all of the movies when they came out, it has been so fun going back to read the books. I really enjoyed the first one, and I am now onto the second. I also love that my students also have read/are even currently reading them. They are so excited that I am reading them and love talking to me about the books. 

[two]

I have been following a blog called SheReadsTruth and going through the last few of their studies: the book of John and then Esther. This blog is written by some wonderful ladies who very clearly love the Lord and who, I can guarantee, are blessing lots of women every day. 

What I've Been Doing LATELY:

[one] 

                                                 

Hubby and I celebrated another wonderful Valentine's Day together. When I was in high school, I always painted my fingernails black on Valentine's Day being a "rebel" for whatever reason. Well, those days are very over, and I love having this day to celebrate love. We enjoyed a delicious brunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Brennan's. And then spent the day with our sweet puppy (who I am finally coming to realize that at three years old, she's really not a puppy).

[two]

It is spring in our house! As stated earlier, I don't really consider winter a season in Houston. I like to go from Christmas to springtime :) Of course, I decorated for Valentine's Day, but I've now decorated our table for Easter, one of my very favorite holidays! I can't help but smile whenever I walk by the table. 

[three]

It was plane rides, Ubers, and a fabulous wedding for me this weekend. I just got home today from Richmond, Virginia where one of my sweet college roommates got married. Richmond was perfectly covered in a blanket of wintery white, and just look how beautiful that bride is?! And her sweet new hubby photo-bombing. 

Lots of other things have been happening around here, and some fun posts are lined up for the next few weeks, as well as some yummy recipes to share! 

Hope you all have a great week!

{Clean} Chicken Salad

I have about eight drafts of blog posts just sitting, half-written, waiting to be finished and posted. We are well into Fall now, in the middle of November as a matter of fact. And that is pretty incredible to think about. When I look back to a year ago on the blog, there was also a month-ish where there were no new posts. Why? I've been trying to figure that out myself. School, maybe? But, that's neither here nor there.

With the holidays literally around the corner, I wanted to share some of my favorite CLEAN recipes, because I know many of us will be enjoying some not-so-clean ones very soon and may be looking to offset the overeating by some clean eating. One thing I love to do is to take recipes and meals that I enjoy eating and changing a few things to make them (1) still edible and (2) cleaner. I grew up eating chicken salad. My mom made the BEST chicken salad. Hubby also LOVES chicken salad, but unfortunately, just because something has chicken in it doesn't make it healthy. However, I want to share a SIMPLE, and guilt-free, chicken salad recipe with you.

{Clean} Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded with fork

1 cup plain greek yogurt

½ cup grapes, halved

2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash’s Original Seasoning (or other seasoning)

Dash of salt

¼ cup walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, and serve over a bed of lettuce or on whole grain bread with a side of fruit.

Enjoy!

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!!

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!

Edamame Quinoa Salad

Before we get to the recipe...

This past weekend was the first weekend of summer, and I got some much needed R&R. Matt was traveling through South America for work, so Avery and I had a date on Friday with the vet. We had been wanting to get her microchipped, even though she is an inside dog. But, inside dogs get out, too-- you really never know what could happen. And as you can probably tell from reading any one of my posts, Avery is a very important part of our little family of three. Anyway, since it was time for another round of shots/check-up for her, I added 'getting microchipped' to the list of things that we wanted to have done at that appointment. We have been to the vet's office a lot--I mean, as much as any other two and half year-old dog needs to have been to the vet, and every time, she has loved it! Except for this time. For some reason, she hated it! At one point, she literally jumped on my chair and tried to hide behind me. Poor thing!

         

         

Finally, though, she was microchipped. Officially! Now, if anything were to ever happen to her and she is lost/found by someone else, any vet's office or shelter will be able to contact us. Money VERY well spent if you ask me! She was still pretty apprehensive about the whole scenario, however. She hid and barked the whole time until we were out the door. 

Once all of that was over, I decided to pack up with Aves and head to the bay. It was the perfect recover-from-the-last-week-of-middle-school-before-summer weekend and the perfect start to summer. Saturday night was Galveston's monthly "Art Walk," where various galleries feature artists and stay open to the public later than normal. There were a few restaurants with live entertainment and some other fun things going on. We had never been, so we decided to check out a local restaurant (called Press Box) that we had never been to and then explored the Art Walk.

On our way back to Houston, my mom and I decided we wanted to try some new recipes that we had seen in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine, one of the many read while laying on the beach. Edamame Quinoa Salad. Is your mouth watering yet? It is the perfect mixture of a light side dish, but that is filling at the same time. It also screams summer because of the lime juice. Definitely a must-try! Here is the original recipe that I altered only slightly. I actually do not like cilantro. I realized it when I was in high school and ordered the BBQ Chicken Salad from CPK, which is delicious, but had a strange after taste that I could not stand... cilantro. So, there ya have it. Therefore, I opted out when making mine...

Edamame Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 T EVOO
- About 1/4 tsp Salt (or to taste)
- About 1/4 tsp Pepper (or to taste)
*Optional- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions:
-Cook quinoa according to package, and set aside.
-In a large bowl, combine edamame, corn, and tomatoes.
-Add in the cooled quinoa.
- Mix in lime juice and olive oil.
-Season to taste with salt and pepper.

**The only reason we used red quinoa was because they were out of white. While maybe not quite as easy on the eyes, it still tasted delicious!

Let me know if you have a chance to try it and what you think! 

Avocado Basil Pasta

Summer is close. I mean REALLY close! I can taste it. Well, maybe I can't really taste it, but I have a recipe for you that really does taste like summer. There are plenty of delicious, but heavy, pasta dishes for the winter-time that make you feel all warm and fuzzy. This is not one of those pasta dishes. This one is really a taste of summer. The best part? It is so easy! It is a quick weeknight meal or a great dish to take to a BBQ. I made this on Monday night, and there was plenty leftover for lunches on Tuesday! This is the recipe altered from here...
Avocado Basil Pasta
Ingredients:
- 14.5 oz dried bow tie pasta
- 2 medium/large avocados, halved,  
  seeded, peeled, and chopped
- 2 medium ripened tomatoes,
  chopped
- 6-8 slices of turkey bacon, cooked
  until crispy, crumbled
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions:
- Cook the pasta according to the
  package instructions.
- While you are letting the
  pasta cook, chop everything that needs chopping, and cook your bacon.
- When pasta is cooked, rinse and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine avocados, tomatoes, bacon, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic,
  pepper, and salt. Then, add the pasta and toss to combine.
- Pour the mixture into a serving bowl and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy warm or cold after refrigerating!

Makes great leftovers!

Tonight, I made another one of my favorite dinners--Asian Lettuce Wraps. I shared the recipe back in January here. Man, these are good! This is another recipe that makes lots, so there are lots leftover!

What do you have cooking this week?

P.S.  6 more school days until summer... just in case anyone else is counting!

Cinco de Mayo | Chicken Enchiladas

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo has always been a special day to me, and while I care quite a bit about the Battle of Puebla, it actually has nothing to do with why I love Cinco de Mayo. My mom's birthday is on Cinco de Mayo!! Yes, every year. And I love my mom a whole lot.

Another thing I love about this holiday is tex-mex. I mean, who doesn't love tex-mex? I wish I could say that we went out for some amazing Houston tex-mex or that I whipped up some incredible meal, but I actually wasn't feeling well, so neither of those things happened. However, last weekend was our Anniversary, and I made Matt's favorite meal, which happens to be chicken enchiladas that I feel ready to share with the world now. So, if you are looking for a new recipe to try that makes a whole lot, here is the recipe for you...

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up/shredded

-10 (or more) tortillas

-16 oz. sour cream

-1 sm. can mild green chiles

-1 can cream of chicken soup

-1 lg. package shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

-1 [optional] onion

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients and fill tortillas (leave some cheese for topping.) Place in 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Serve with some yummy tex-mex side dishes! 

Let me know if you try this dish! Hope you love it as much as we do! 

And Happy birthday, Mom! I love you!

[Baked] Zucchini Chips

The Family Fitness Challenge officially ended Tuesday night. I have not posted about my final thoughts, yet, because "Closing Ceremonies" (as my mom is calling them) are on Sunday night. So, more to come on the challenge in a couple of days.

For now, a recipe. If you are in desperate need of amping up your side dishes, try making these zucchini chips. My mom made them a couple of weeks ago, and they were so easy and delicious, I had to make them, too. If you ask me, zucchini can be a little non-exciting. I'm more of a squash-girl, and as I type that, I wonder why it seems that zucchini and squash are almost always paired together. Maybe its their shape? Or maybe it isn't true at all, and I have just always paired them together? But if we are being honest here, whenever I cook both together, I always tend to pick out the squash. Regardless, here is a recipe that makes zucchini so much better. Also, the smell of them cooking is delightful! Here is the recipe:

[Baked] Zucchini Chips:
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized zucchini, sliced
- 2 T olive oil (or grape seed oil--that's what I had)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded
- 1/4 cup dry, plain bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste (it doesn't need much)

Instructions:
- Place zucchini slices in a sealable bag, and then pour in the oil. Shake the bag until slices are covered. Then, mix in all other ingredients and shake until all zucchini slices are covered with "the goods". Then place in a single layer on a cookie sheet (with cooking spray). Bake at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Fitness Challenge || Weeks 3 & 4 Review

Even though I did not post a Week 3 Review, hopefully you saw what did happen in Week 3 here!

This has all been a really great experience and one that I would definitely recommend to anyone who is wanting to start a healthier lifestyle. It teaches you how to be more conscious about what you are putting into your body. Regardless of your weight loss, you feel better, your clothes fit better, and you hopefully will have a slew of new and healthier recipes that will hopefully take the place of some of your old ones.

With only one week left in our Family Fitness Challenge, there are still three of us that have full points,  with everyone else very close behind. I think it is safe to say that we have all won something with this challenge, even if it is feeling great about the changes that are made and will continue to be made.

Today is another "Snow" Day here in Texas. It is a whopping 32 degrees outside, and not snowing or sleeting or anything as of now. With all these days off of work, I have found more time to search for new recipes, and now that we are no longer cleansing, it is easier to find good ones that are still healthy. Here is one that I found, but then adapted a little for us last night. The best thing… lots of leftovers!

Turkey and Quinoa Enchilada Bake

Ingredients
-1 cup cooked qunioa
-1 package extra lean ground turkey
-1 green pepper, chopped
-1 onion, chopped (I like to use
  pre-chopped frozen onions because
  one of my least favorite things is
  chopping an onion)
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-2 (15oz) cans black beans, rinsed    
  and drained
-1 (16oz) salsa (I used black bean and
  corn)
-1 (15oz) can enchilada sauce
-1 (14.5oz) mexican stewed tomatoes
-1 teaspoon onion powder
-1 teaspoon garlic powder (or more)
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-8 corn tortillas (I used blue corn/flax
  seed tortillas, Artisan brand)
-2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
-1 avocado, diced or sliced

Preparation
-Cook quinoa according to package instructions. While quinoa is cooking, spray large saucepan with cooking spray. Cook turkey, green pepper, and onion over medium heat until turkey is browned. Add garlic, and cook for another minute. Depending on the meat you use, you may need to drain any grease. (If using extra lean turkey, you should not have this problem.) Then, stir in the black beans, salsa, enchilada sauce, stewed tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes. When qunioa is cooked, stir into the simmering meat sauce.
-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9in. x 13in. baking dish with cooking spray. Pour about a third of the meat sauce into the baking dish and spread over the bottom. Top with half of your tortillas. Spread another third (half of the  remaining) of the meat sauce over the tortillas, and spread. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Top with remaining tortillas and then remaining meat sauce.
-Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese. Put back in the oven for about 10 more minutes or until you see the cheese bubbling on top. Serve topped with avocado (or sour cream if that is what you choose).

Fitness Challenge || Week 2 Review

Two down, and three to go! …weeks, that is. It feels like this challenge has been going on forever, but it has only been 14 days. Oh well, I am feeling really great. I haven't been able to tell if that is a direct reflection of what I am putting into my body or if I am subconsciously feeling great because I know that everything I am putting into my body is super healthy. I may have just confused myself. Regardless, I haven't felt like I have been cleansing, which is the best way to cleanse. Amiright??

At this point in our challenge, we are able to add certain foods back into our diet. We are able to add small amounts of cheese and bread and other foods in moderation, but we actually have only had a little shredded cheese on one meal--Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers last night. I came to the realization that while I will eat bell peppers, I am definitely not in love with them. I was, however, in love with all the fixings inside of them. See the recipe here.

I also wanted to share two of my favorite recipes- one being my go-to green smoothie and the other, my favorite dinner recipe from this week.

Green Smoothie
-1 sliced banana (frozen)
-1/3 cup sliced strawberries (frozen)
-1/4 cup blueberries (frozen)
(I pre-package fresh fruit at the beginning of the week in freezer baggies.
That way, all I have to do is grab one from the freezer, and it is ready to go!)
-1 cup unsweetened almond milk
-1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt
-1 tablespoon almond butter
(especially if I am drinking this as a meal- it helps me stay full)
-2 cups spinach leaves
(or however much it takes to fill the blender)

Asian Lettuce Wraps

1 cup quinoa (cook according to package--about 4 cups)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 (1.25 lb) package extra lean ground turkey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1 bag broccoli slaw

1/2 can drained and chopped water chestnuts

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (the healthiest you can find)

1 package edamame (cooked according to package)

lettuce leaves for serving

Cooking Instructions

Pour olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add ground turkey, salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Cook until turkey is browned and cooked through. Once it is cooked, add broccoli slaw, water chestnuts and teriyaki sauce. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Add in cooked quinoa and edamame, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve. Serve on lettuce leaves. (I had not added the quinoa when I first served my meal, but I quickly realized it would be even better mixed in with the other ingredients. Therefore, I did.)

Honestly, the hardest part of this week was being back at work. After full days of being on my feet teaching and then coaching and then after all the other extracurricular activities, and after cooking some "elaborate dinner", it is hard to be motivated to work out or run. Thankfully, hubs helps me out in that area. I never want to go run in the dark by myself, so he takes on the role of my protector/he makes me run faster. He's wonderful. Also, my dinners are really not elaborate.

I hope this update finds you in the middle of your own fitness challenge. I hope you are doing well and feeling great. I hope you are finding what motivates you. For now, I hope this motivates you…

"Be STRONG and COURAGEOUS. 

Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you;

He will never leave you or forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6