Baked Potato Breakfast

Baked potatoes. They are so versatile. You can have them plain. With sour cream and butter. With taco fillings. Chili. And even with… Eggs?! Surprisingly, yes. Eggs go well with baked potatoes! This hearty and healthy breakfast is so easy and delicious I’ve made it everyday for breakfast for two weeks. I can’t keep this new breakfast favorite a secret any longer. So here is The Baked Potato Breakfast:

Ingredients:

5 baked potatoes (either baked in the oven or microwave)

5 large eggs

1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup pico de Gallo

5 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Bake your potatoes. (I do mine in the microwave for 6 mins for each potato so for all five about 30 mins).
2. When the potatoes have about five minutes left of cooking, spray a non-stick skillet with no stick spray.
3. Scramble your eggs in a bowl.
4. Once the pan is hot, pour the eggs in. As the eggs begin to set, gently pull them across the pan with a rubber spatula creating large fluffy pieces. Keep doing this till they are no longer “wet looking”.
5. When they are done, remove from heat.
6. When the potatoes are done, slice them in half and top with 1/3 cup scrambled eggs, 1 tablespoon cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon pico de gallo, and one tablespoon of butter.***

***If you are food prepping, cook everything as directed and then place each potato in their respective containers and add all ingredients except for the butter and pico de gallo. Put those in a separate container. The butter comes across with more flavor if it’s put in right before you eat it (the potato is still too hot when you put it in the fridge and the butter will get absorbed and won’t create the moisture you want when reheating.) As for the pico, I enjoy the contrast of the cold tomatoes and onion with the hot eggs and potatoes.

Enjoy!!

Makes five breakfasts.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 337

Carbs: 39

Fat: 14

Protein: 14

Sodium: 435

Sugar: 3

Creamy Skinny Spinach Manicotti

I love stuffed shells. I’ve had them all kinds of ways: buffalo chicken shells, stuffed beef taco shells, clam and seafood shells, five cheese shells… There’s just something about pasta, cheese, and meat that calls to me. I wasn’t sure if this manicotti was going to hit the spot the same way that the stuffed shells I’m used to do. But man oh man… these babies were good! I paired them a light salad with a red pepper Italian dressing. I was eager to open the fridge at work every day to pop this in the microwave.

Ingredients:

1 box (8 oz) uncooked manicotti shells (14 shells)

2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (8 oz)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 container (15 oz) skim ricotta cheese

1 box (10 oz) frozen spinach (or fresh)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 jar (25.5 oz) pasta sauce (any flavor, I used Prego Light Smart Traditional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Cook manicotti as directed on box. Rinse with cool water; drain well.
2. In medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups of the Italian cheese blend, the red pepper, ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic and egg.
3. In bottom of ungreased 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce. Spoon ricotta mixture into manicotti; place over sauce in dish. Pour remaining sauce over manicotti.
4. Cover tightly with foil; bake about 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling. Uncover dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Italian cheese blend. Bake uncovered 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Tips: Make sure the pasta isn’t too soft. Definitely rinse it with the cold water, this stops the cooking process. When stuffing the shells, I placed a finger up one end and used a small fork to stuff the cheese and spinach mixture in until it was full. I am proud to say I only ripped one noodle! This really reheats well and is perfect for meal prep. Serve with a light salad and you’ve got the perfect meal!

Makes 7 servings

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 342

Carbs: 40

Protein: 20

Fat: 12

Sodium: 871

Sugar: 9

 

Biscuits and Gravy

I had biscuits and gravy for the first time when my Great Aunt Judy made it for me. I thought it was some magical concoction, some hard done feat that she created. She was a Yankee and I was raised in the south where biscuits and gravy were kind of a big deal. Ever since she made it for me I have tried it at various restaurants and no one could quite get it like hers. She passed away quite a few years ago so I never did get her recipe. When I saw this one, I was very sure that it was way too simple to come anywhere close to Great Aunt Judy’s. Besides the biscuits (which were a time saving cheat on my part) the sausage gravy was spot on. All these years… and it was so easy! 

Ingredients:

• 1 can large, Grands flaky biscuits
• ½ pound ground breakfast sausage
• 2 and ½ cups skim milk
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon white pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
2. Prepare a small casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. Open biscuits, and halve each biscuit then cut each piece into quarters.
4. Layer half of the quarters in prepared pan.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare gravy.
7. In a heavy skillet, brown the ground breakfast sausage over medium high heat until fully cooked.
8. Sprinkle the cooked sausage with 3 Tablespoons of flour.
9. Use a wooden spoon to stir flour into sausage until completely absorbed. It will look a little chalky.
10. Lower heat to medium, and cook flour/sausage mixture for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
11. Add milk, and stir to combine.
12. Add salt and both peppers.
13. Stir frequently until mixture comes to a slight boil.
14. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.
15. If the gravy is too thick, add a bit more milk. You want the gravy to be thickened but not too thick.  It should still be slightly runny.
16. Pour gravy over the cooked biscuits.
17. Layer the remaining uncooked, quartered biscuits over the gravy.
18. Place casserole dish on a baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. If they start to over-brown, you can cover with foil for the last 10 minutes or so.

Makes six hearty servings

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 395

Carbs: 42

Fat: 19

Protein: 14

Sodium: 726

Sugar: 11

Week 22 Meal Prep

This week I wanted something different. I brainstormed and looked back at recipes I’ve already done. I looked at what I liked, what didn’t quite work for me, and what flavor profiles I tend to gravitate towards. I think I’ve done just about all you can do with oatmeal. So that wasn’t an avenue I wanted to go down this week. I love my egg casseroles but I still wanted it to be new, fresh, different. I saw that most of my lunches were based on chicken and vegetables. So immediately I knew I wanted to do something with beef. After browsing the internet and tweaking ideas and flavors, here’s what I found. For breakfasts I made a Mexican inspired egg casserole with a hash brown topping. This turned out quite well! I have a coworker who has already snagged the recipe from me and is planning on making it for her family. For lunches I decided to do a simple Beef Stir Fry with Cauliflower rice. The cauliflower rice for my Fiesta Chicken with Cauliflower Mexi Rice absorbed flavors really well so I knew it wouldn’t be a problem to adapt that method here. So here’s what I ate in week 22!

Mexican Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons oil
• ½ sweet onion
• Red bell pepper
• Yellow bell pepper
• Green bell pepper
• 5 large eggs
• 5 large egg whites
• ⅓ cup milk
• ¼ cup hot sauce/buffalo sauce
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 (26-ounce bag) thawed shredded potatoes
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 cups Pico De Gallo

Directions:

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the 2 teaspoons of oil and sauté the onions and peppers for 2 minutes or until the onions turn translucent. Remove to a bowl and let it cool.

1. Generously spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, hot sauce/buffalo sauce, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Fold in the bell peppers, onions, green chilies, black beans, and cheese. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the shredded potatoes with the taco seasoning. Drizzle in the melted butter. Use a rubber spatula to mix until the potatoes are evenly coated with butter. Sprinkle the shredded potatoes over the prepared egg mixture.
4. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 55-65 minutes or until the hash browns brown on top and the casserole is set all the way through. Allow the casserole to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Top with Pico de Gallo and enjoy!

Notes:

I used shredded sharp cheddar for this. I feel like a combination of ½ sharp cheddar and ½ pepper jack would really take this casserole to the next level. I also used buffalo sauce, afraid that the chilies and the hot sauce would be too overpowering. This was not the case. I will use hot sauce next time.

 

Nutritional information:

Calories: 462

Carbs: 49

Fat: 17

Protein: 31

Sodium: 267

Sugar: 11

Asian Beef Stir fry with Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Lean stew meat, chopped in bite size pieces
• 2 tsps oil
• 21 oz of Asian Medley Vegetables (I used 2 bags of Lightly seasoned Asian Medley by Birds Eye)
• 24 oz cauliflower rice
• 2 tablespoons ginger
• ½ tablespoon Pepper
• ½ tablespoon Seasoning salt
• 2 tablespoons Garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon Onion powder
• ¼ cup Soy sauce

Directions:

1. Start by browning the stew meat in a large skillet with 2 tsps of oil.
2. When it is about half way cooked through and some juice is flowing, throw in 1 tablespoon of ginger, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, ½ tablespoon onion powder and ¼ cup soy sauce, salt and pepper.
3. When the meat is done cooking, add ½ cup of water to pan and add the Asian medley bags.
4. Cover and let it simmer for about 6 minutes, stirring often.
5. In a separate pot, cook the cauliflower rice per bag instructions, seasoning with the remaining spices of 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, ½ tablespoon onion, and ½ tablespoon seasoning salt.
6. Mix the rice in with the vegetables and beef and plate about 1 ¼ cups for each serving.

Nutritional information:

Calories: 227

Carbs: 15

Fat: 6

Protein: 24

Sodium: 332

Sugar: 7

We are almost halfway to a year! Which means I’m starting to run out of ideas! If you have any recipes you think I might enjoy, please send them my way and I’ll be sure to give you a shout out! Thanks for reading, and please, remember to share!

❤

Week 21 Meal Prep

Everyone in my house and extended family has been sick AGAIN! I am so looking forward to warmer weather so we can open up our windows and air the sickness out of our house! In the meantime I have been cooking to try to get us feeling better. The Very Berry Blueberry Muffins for breakfasts this week was more of a mind treat: They look and taste so good but are so light on the thighs! The Stevia really kicks up the sinful sweetness without adding in the guilt. Basically, it feels like cheating. And you’re not! For lunches I needed something hot and steamy, something to get the soul warmed, the sinuses opened, and my body to relax. This Chicken Medley For the Soul did just the trick! Hearty and savory, the veggies, chicken, and couscous really come together in this dish, making it a definite repeater in my recipe book.

Very Berry Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup buttermilk (or 2/3 cup milk + 1 teaspoon vinegar, let it sit for 5 minutes)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 12 oz frozen blueberries
• ½ cup stevia

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add, the buttermilk, eggs, maple syrup, and vegetable oil and stir until just combined. Mixture will be slightly lumpy. Stir in blueberries carefully.
3. Fill muffin cups about 1/4 cup of batter per muffin liner. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs and the muffins are puffy and golden. Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or cold, plain or with butter and syrup or with stevia on top.

NOTES: Check your muffins after 15 minutes. If they aren’t quite done, keep adding five minutes until they are. If you use fresh blueberries they will require less time, more like 12-15 minutes. While the frozen berries take longer to bake, I found that they keep the freshness of the muffin longer. They stay “moister” longer, especially if you store them in an airtight container or zip lock bag.

These are also co-worker approved!

This recipe makes 12 muffins. I ate two for breakfast. The following information is for ONE muffin.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 144

Carbs: 19

Fat: 6

Protein: 3

Sodium: 299

Sugar: 8

Chicken Medley For the Soul

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 28 Oz frozen Vegetables for Soup (I got the Picsweet brand. It was perfect for this! Just make sure it has carrots, peas, celery, onion, potato, and corn. If you don’t want a mix, just get about 8 oz of each veggie and throw them in.)
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated turmeric (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme, stems removed
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup pearl or Israeli couscous

 Directions:

1. Place a large soup pot over medium high heat and add in oil. Once oil is hot, add in garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. Add the vegetables, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
3. Next add in the ginger and the turmeric. Saute for 30 seconds to let the spices cook a bit, then add in the chicken broth, chicken breast, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.
4. Bring soup to a boil, then stir in couscous. You’ll want the chicken to be covered by the broth so make sure you stir them down to the bottom. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
5. Once chicken is cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cutting board to shred with two forks, or use the mixing bowl method. Add chicken back to pot. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Makes five 1 and 1/4 cup servings

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 320

Carbs: 47

Fat: 4

Protein: 21

Sodium: 994

Sugar: 8

 

Thanks again for reading! As always, remember to share. And f you try any of the recipes, please let me know how they turned out for you! 

❤

Week 20 Meal Prep

This week I am doing things a little different. I am working on a new format so bear with me. However breakfast and lunch this week were AMAZING so I had to share it with you guys!

For breakfasts I made this Sweet Potato, Turkey, and Egg Bake. I’ve had this before and it came out just as good this time, if not better! At 29 grams of protein this dish is very filling, nutritious, and tastes delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb Ground Turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 12 Large Eggs
• 1 small Sweet Potato (peeled and sliced thin)
• 1 cup Baby Spinach
• Salt & Pepper for Seasoning
• 4 Tbsp pico de gallo

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9 baking dish with olive oil as well as heat the 1 tablespoon in a medium sized skillet set to medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated through add in the Ground Turkey and season with the Chili Powder, and Salt and Pepper. Continue to cook the meat until it begins to brown.
2. While the turkey is cooking peel and slice your Sweet Potato. Make sure your slices are fairly thin because if they’re too thick they won’t be as tender. Line the bottom of the greased baking dish with the sliced potatoes. In a medium bowl beat the Eggs with a whisk and season with salt and pepper.
3. Top the potatoes with the turkey and then pour the eggs on top. Layer the Spinach on top of the eggs as well the Pico de Gallo
4. Place the dish in the oven and cook for 35 to 40 minutes or until the edges of the egg begin to brown and dish is firm throughout. Check the dish with about 5 minutes to go to see if you need to add any time.

This recipe makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 313

Carbs: 7

Fat: 19

Protein: 29

Sodium: 103

Sugar: 2

For lunches I made Pan Fried Chicken with Lemon Garlic Pasta with Artichokes and Asparagus. This was my first time eating asparagus. I found that it tasted a lot like broccoli and it was very gratifying. The pasta, artichoke, and chicken combo was inspired by a dish I had last weekend when I went out to eat with my family. That was my first time eating artichokes too! They have a stronger flavor, more… tart, almost briny. But with everything together it really was a quite enjoyable dish that I look forward to making again.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast, butterfly cut all the way through ( so you’ll end up with 4 pieces)
• Weber’s Garlic and Herb Seasoning
• 20 oz asparagus, washed and trimmed
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 8 ounce fettuccine, whole grain
• 1 tablespoon light butter
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (14 ounce) can chopped artichoke hearts
• Juice from one lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet until it shimmers.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and the Weber’s seasoning on both sides and pan sear over medium heat.
3. Let each side cook for about 7 minutes without moving the chicken. It should lift easily. If it doesn’t, let it cook a bit more until it comes away easily. Make sure that it is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of at least 165*F
4. Remove the chicken from the pan, cut into bite size pieces and set aside
5. Preheat oven to 350*
6. Toss the asparagus spears in the oil, and place on a baking sheet.
7. Sprinkle with salt and pepper the Weber’s seasoning and place the baking sheet in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until they are semi soft. Cut the spears into thirds.
8. Meanwhile, cook the pasta as directed on the package, leaving aside 1 cup of the pasta water
9. Melt the butter in the same pan you cooked the chicken in over medium heat, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
10. Add the cream cheese and let it melt before mixing in the parmesan, 1 cup pasta water and artichokes and cooking until all of the cheese has melted.
11. Mix in the pasta, lemon juice, and asparagus, and chicken and then season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

** You can use something other than Weber’s Garlic and Herb Seasoning. I just really enjoy the caramelization that happens with this seasoning and the way it transforms the chicken with just a few dashes.

This makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 522

Carbs: 48

Fat: 21

Protein: 42

Sodium: 242

Sugar: 2

Thanks for reading and look for the new format in the coming weeks!

❤

Week 19 Meal Prep

Cold and flu season is here! That means I have been drinking copious amounts of green and melaleuca tea, going through Kleenex like my toddler goes through mood swings, and basically just bemoaning my existence to anyone who will listen (namely my mom and my Dustin). My guy and I have been down for the count for almost two weeks now. Luckily, the little seems to have avoided it so far, so fingers crossed that good luck continues.

With Feeling so lousy, I really wanted some meals to help put my immune system back on track by loading it with natural vitamins and nutrients. I almost thought of doing a juice cleanse but with my fruit sensitivity it wasn’t a plausible solution. With some digging, I was able to come up with a breakfast and lunch that made me feel a bit better while I was eating it but also made me feel good because I knew I was putting something so wholesome into my body.

For breakfasts, I did a Sweet Potato and Greens Breakfast Bowl. It doesn’t really sound like breakfast or like all the foods “go together” but it really was quite tasty and very filling. I was fully expecting this to turn into a failed recipe but was pleasantly surprised that the textures and the tastes came out so well.

Ingredients:

• 1large sweet potato roasted
• 1tablespoon olive oil
• 3cloves garlic minced
• 2ounces collard greens (or any greens, kale or even more spinach would be good too!)
• 5ounces baby spinach
• 4to 8 eggs (fried scrambled, or poached)
• 1large avocado sliced
• Salt and cracked pepper to taste:
• Salsa
• Avacado

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and pat dry the sweet potato. Poke holes in it using a fork (like you would for a baked potato), wrap it in foil, and bake in the oven for 60 to to 70 minutes until very soft.
3. Remove the potato from the oven and allow it to cool before removing the foil. Slice it into thick slices and set aside
4. In a large skillet, add the oil and heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute. Add the chopped greens and spinach and cover the skillet with a lid. Allow greens to cook until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Divide greens between 4 bowls. Add sweet potato slices, avocado, and eggs made your way**.
6. Serve with salsa and avocado and enjoy!

**If you are meal prepping: go ahead and place the sweet potato and the greens in the same container. I took a half carton of eggs with me to work since I have a microwave there and was able to both poach my eggs in the microwave and make them scrambled. You can scramble them first at home if you want, just leave them a little runny, that way when you do nuke them they wont dry out and will finish cooking then. But if you like poached eggs I learned a new trick! You can put a mug half filled with water, break the egg into the water, season how you like (salt and pepper for me), place a plate on top of the mug and microwave about 1 ½ minutes. Remove from the egg from the water either with a slotted spoon or carefully with a fork and voila! Perfectly poached egg! I also added my salsa cold too because I don’t like warm salsa.

Nutrition information reflects the use of one large egg, with 1/4 of the greens, 1/4 of the sweet potato, 1/4 of an avocado, and 2 tablespoons of salsa.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 369

Carbs: 24

Fat: 24

Protein: 17

Sodium: 498

Sugar: 7

~~~~~~~

For lunches I made Pure Veggie Soup. This is LOADED with all different flavors and textures. It also contains no meat or animal products. I’m not vegan or vegetarian by any means but it’s nice to know that I now have a recipe that I can give or make for a friend who is! Best of all, it tastes amazing! It makes you feel like how chicken noodle soup makes you feel when you are sick. Comforted, warm, relaxed, cared for. I’m definitely keeping this in my recipe box!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium leeks, cut in half, cleaned well, and cut into small pieces
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 carrots, cut into rough chunks (leave the skins on for extra nutrients and texture)
• 4 celery stalks, cut into rough chunks
• 3 small rutabagas, peeled and cut into medium dice
• 2 small zucchini, diced
• 8 oz frozen corn
• 8 cups water
• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 cups pinto beans (I used canned, drained and rinsed)
• 2 bunches of kale, thinly sliced
• Juice from ½ a lemon

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the leeks, garlic, and serranos.
3. cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add carrots, celery and the rutabagas. Cook for about 3 minutes.
5. Add the water, tomatoes and pinto beans, simmer over low heat for at least 45 minutes.
6. The longer, the better the flavor is.
7. Stir in the kale, zucchini, and frozen corn
8. Stir in lemon juice.
9. Let it simmer for another ten minutes, really letting that flavor build
10. Done!

Leeks are not a staple in a lot households. That’s why I included some pictures of how I cut it. Leeks have a lot of sand and dirt in them. I cut mine in half lengthwise, and then peel them apart, and rinse thoroughly. Then I basically reassembled it like the top right picture and chopped it that way. That was the easiest way for me.

You’ll notice there are literally no seasonings in this recipe. I went to put salt and pepper in and it almost ruined it! Without the salt and pepper it has a light and fresh taste that I’ve never had from a soup before. I am thoroughly impressed with this soup. This is good with bread and butter or even some crumbled tortilla chips for some added crunch!

The following nutritional information reflects for 2 cups of soup, making it a healthy and hearty meal!

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 186

Carbs: 36

Fat: 1

Protein: 8

Sodium: 132

Sugar: 10

Well folks, that’s another week wrapped up! I hope you all stay well and enjoy these recipes. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please ask or leave a comment here or on one of my linked socials! See you next week! 

❤

Week 18 Meal Prep and Discussion

I feel like very overweight people have two social mental states that we exist in: the need to be completely invisible and the want to feel seen.

Let me explain.

The need to be completely invisible may stem from feelings of inadequacy (I’m not pretty enough to be noticed) or the need to not stand out, to blend in, to feel like you’re not being looked at just because of your size. At the gym I always looks at the floor. If I must look up to see where I am going, I look at peoples shoulders. I refuse to make eye contact. I am afraid that if I do I will see pity, confusion, or judgement. I don’t want to look at them and see the question in their eyes ,”Why is that fat girl here?” “She won’t last long.” “She’ll quit before the month is out.” No one has said anything to my face but I feel it in the stares. Sometimes I wonder if the stares I’m afraid of are even there or if I’m just projecting my own fears on some poor, innocent bystanders.

But even with my need to be completely invisible I still want to feel seen as a person. I want to feel normal. That’s probably my hearts deepest desire right there. I want to be able to walk into a room and not feel like 20 pairs of eyes are looking at me and hoping I’m not going to sit next to them at the table because then they will end up squished. I want to be able to go to a hockey game and not hear a nasty comment, “I didn’t realize we were in the fat section” (yes, this really happened). I don’t want to feel self conscious when I order food at a restaurant and wonder if the waiter is going to joke with his friends that I ordered a diet root beer but got a cheeseburger and fries, even though he has no idea how hard I worked out that week to be able to indulge like that.

I realize a lot of this has to do with my own personal self esteem issues. But I cant help but feel like I’m not the only one going through this. But there is something that’s been nagging me. I’m terrified of people judging me based on what I look like, yet here I am, doing the same to them because they are smaller. I still want to be normal. To not shop in plus size stores, to feel comfortable in my skin. But I think in order to get there not only do we need to eat better and exercise more but we need to be kind to ourselves.

My best friend Danni is always on me about this. She is the best body positive person I know. I know I need to work on my outer health but my inner health needs some work too. So I’m going to try something new. I’m going to be kind to myself. If I wouldn’t say it my best friend, I’m not going to say it myself. Let’s work on being kind to our inner selves. Instead of thinking negatively (The waiter is going to make fun of my diet soda), turn it into something positive (I’m so proud of myself for not wasting empty calories on a soda so I can fully enjoy this burger!). I encourage you to join me.

This weeks meal prep is going to include some Egg White, Spinach, and Pico Cups for breakfast along with my Filling, Crispy, Veggie Quesadilla for lunch.

Egg White, Spinach, and Pico Cups

Ingredients:

• 8 large egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• 1 cup baby spinach, torn or chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 cup pico de gallo
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together all ingredients except the cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray.
3. Evenly divide the egg mixture between the cups making sure each cup is about ¾ full.
4. Sprinkle cheese evenly over each muffin cup.
5. Bake 20 minutes or until eggs puff and are almost set in the center. (once they cool they will “puff down” but that’s ok!)
6. To reheat just microwave and then enjoy

This makes 8 muffin cups. Two are a serving. The following nutritional information reflects for TWO cups.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 81

Carbs: 2

Fat: 3

Protein: 11

Sodium: 82

Sugar: 1

Filling, Crispy, Veggie Quesadilla

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz.can black beans
• 12 oz package of frozen corn kernels
• 1 cup pico de gallo
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 10 taco sized tortillas

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse the can of beans Place the beans in a large bowl along with the corn (no need to thaw).
2. Mince the garlic. Add the pico de gallo, garlic, taco seasoning, and shredded cheese to the bowl with the beans and corn. Stir everything until evenly mixed.
3. Place a half cup of the filling on one side of each tortilla and fold over. Cook in a skillet or on a griddle on both sides over medium heat until brown and crispy and the cheesy filling has melted.
4. To reheat, I placed in a toaster oven at 425 for about 5 minutes and it tasted divine because I still got the crispiness but for a softer quesadilla you can microwave it too. Or if you are home you can cook it in a skillet on low heat (make sure to use low heat so that the filling has time to thaw and melt before the outside burns).

Makes ten crispy, cheesy, hearty, delicious quesadillas. Goes well dipped in plain Greek yogurt!

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 305

Carbs: 38

Fat: 12

Protien: 13

Sodium: 64

Sugar: 3

Week 17 Meal Prep

I love food. Pretty much all of it. I can count on one hand which foods I can’t stand, and I won’t tell you what they are ;). I love trying new foods, new combinations, new flavors. With this journey I’ve really taken a new approach with how I view and eat my food. I want it to look good, both so perhaps you would like to make it yourself and so that I may actually find it appetizing as well. When I’m eating it, I am constantly asking myself, “How does this taste?” and “Could it taste better if I did X, Y, or Z?”. I want to be able to describe what I’m eating, so that in turn makes me eat slower. Concentrating on each bite and flavor really makes me appreciate the goodness I know I’m putting in my body.

This week’s breakfast and lunch… Phew… I blew myself away. I feel so energized, so empowered to eke more positivity out of my day. Good food always makes me happy. But good, wholesome, healthy food makes me feel fabulous.

For breakfasts this week I made some Peaches and Cream Overnight Oatmeal. It was so very delicious. It was warm and sweet, the chunks of peaches giving it that extra bit of pizzazz that you just don’t get from the dehydrated packets from the store. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

• 2 cups skim milk
• 4 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 dash salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cans No Sugar Added sliced peaches
• 4 Tbsp fat free half-n-half

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Scoop out one cup servings into individual bowls. Eat throughout the week. Makes 4 servings.

Calories: 317

Carbs: 62

Fat: 4

Protein: 12

Sodium: 404

Sugar: 22

Easy, yummy, hearty. What’s not to love?

For lunches I wanted to branch out and try something totally new. Usually I am a one pot/pan type of gal. I HATE doing dishes. But this meal is good for lunch or dinner and I would eat it for both! This week I made Pan Fried Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Cream Cheese with a side of Oven Roasted Parmesan Broccoli Cuts. I felt so fancy eating this. And the amount of veggies that are in this meal made me feel very good about myself.

Oven Roasted Parmesan Broccoli Cuts

Ingredients

• 8 cups of frozen broccoli cuts
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons parmesan
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Slightly grease a baking sheet with non stick spray.
3. Add sliced broccoli to large bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and olive oil, then toss gently.
4. Lay it all out on the baking sheet and put it in the oven.
5. Roast for 10 minutes, add the sliced garlic to the pan, and return to the oven.
6. Bake 6 more minutes, then sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 2 more minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Calories: 182

Carbs: 9

Fat: 14

Protein: 6

Sodium: 326

Sugar: 1

Pan Fried Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Cream Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• (1) 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup 1/3 less fat cream cheese at room temp
• 1/4 cup of Parmesan  cheese
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Place plastic wrap on top of each chicken breast and using a meat mallet, pound them slightly thinner. ( they will fry up faster if you do this step.)
2. Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet.
3. Fry the chicken breast in the frying pan on medium heat, approximately 7 minutes a side, until they start to get golden brown and crispy on the outside and reach a temperature of 165°F. You want to be sure they are cooked before you stuff them!
4. Once they are cooked, butterfly cut the chicken. To butterfly your chicken breasts, lay them flat on sturdy surface. Place one hand on top to hold it in place and then slice 3/4 of the way through the chicken breast. Do not slice all the way through! I used a couple paper towels to ensure I didn’t burn myself but after tenderizing the meat it was very difficult to butterfly them prior to cooking them. That’s why I recommend cutting them after they are cooked.
5. Combine the spinach, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and garlic in a bowl and microwave to take the chill off. Make sure it’s nice and warm.
6. Carefully spoon a quarter of cheese mixture into the middle of the cooked chicken breasts.
7. Turn the heat to low and put a lid on the frying pan. Heat for another 5-7 minutes, until the cream cheese mixture has heated through.
8. Remove and you’re done!

Calories: 413

Carbs: 7

Fat: 16

Protein: 51

Sodium: 654

Sugar: 3

These two dishes really complemented each other with the garlic and parmesan. The searing flavor on the chicken really came out and the creaminess of the spinach… YUM! It all went so well with the crunch and slight spice of the broccoli.

 

Thank you again for reading for another week! If you head on over to the progress report you will see more progress! I am excited to announce I am officially 29 pounds down! Thanks for the encouragement! If you like the blog, remember to share! ❤

Week 16 Meal Prep and Discussion

I am so excited to finally get back into going to the gym! I will be getting a membership today or tomorrow, thanks to my lovely parents! I haven’t been feeling like myself and I keep yo-yoing on the scale. I think a lot of this is contributed to the holidays (an excuse) but also to the fact that I didn’t track. I didn’t track my caloric intake during the holidays because frankly, I didn’t want to know. I wanted to eat what I wanted and how much I wanted. There was so much good food! From pickle rolls, to chicken paprikash, to ham, and so many mashed potatoes… It’s enough to make a button pop! I tried making better choices, like using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, but that only goes so far when you are blindly eating everything in sight. It does get annoying, whipping out your phone and checking to see if that chocolate covered strawberry is worth it, especially when you know you’re going to eat cheesecake later. But tracking everything you eat helps to keep you accountable. Even if you aren’t counting calories, just the simple fact of recording what you are eating helps you see trends in your diet. To see what is working and what may not be. I tend not to track when I know that the day will say I ate way over my goal. It’s hard to see that staring at you in the face. I don’t like putting blank days on the progress report. That just means I probably ate bad that day, and lately, there’s been a lot of blank days.  So! In the essence of the New Year I have some new recipes to get us back on track.

For breakfasts this week I wanted something healthy, comforting, and a bit on the sweet side. I love the instant oatmeal packs at the store and I always eat the apple cinnamon ones first so I decided to give a try at homemade! Plus, it totally gave me a chance to use my new apple corer! So here is my take on Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal:

 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups apple, chopped (about 5 small apples)
• 1 ½cups fat-free milk
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons butter
• 1 ½ tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt

 

Directions:

1. Coat inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. (Don’t forget or you’ll basically have to throw the slow cooker out! Trust me!)
2. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker.
3. Stir, cover, and cook on low for approx. 7 hours (slow cooker times can vary).
4. Spoon oatmeal into bowls (1 cup per serving); add optional toppings, if desired.
5. To reheat, add ½ cup skim milk and heat on high for 1 minute.

These came out with the perfect blend of sweet and gooey. The oats really cooked nicely. And the apples with the cinnamon! The only thing I would change is to maybe add a bit of nutmeg. You can also add different garnishes if you’re feeling fancy. Some good ones are chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter.

For lunches this week I wanted stay with the same theme of healthy, and comforting but I wanted to do something spicy! This particular recipe is touted as a Detox or Cleanse soup. I added even more veggies in mine so maybe that makes it better? I am not sure, but I do know that it was excellent! I give you: Southwest Chicken Detox Soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 – 4.5 ounce cans Old El Paso Chopped Green Chiles
• 5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 quarts chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoons turmeric
• 2 ½ cups sliced carrots
• 4 cups chopped cabbage
• 4 cups small broccoli florets
• 4 cups small cauliflower florets
• 2 avocados, peeled and diced
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Set a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, minced onions, and garlic. Sauté for about 4 minutes. Add the chicken breasts, Old El Paso Chopped Green Chiles, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, all spices, carrots, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
2. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20+ minutes, until the chicken breasts are cooked through. Then remove the chicken with tongs and set aside.
3. Add the chopped cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower to the pot. Continue to simmer to soften the broccoli. Meanwhile, shred the chicken breasts and stir it back into the soup. Once the broccoli is tender, taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm with a generous amount of diced avocado on top!

**The original recipe for this can be found on A Spicy Perspective. I added more vegetables and didn’t use as many green chilies.

Shredding the chicken using a stand mixer! Once you do this, you’ll never shred by hand again!

I was expecting this to be unbearably hot. But it was actually quite enjoyable! The avocado really tempered the heat nicely and gave it a smooth finish. It was a sweet taste at first and then heats up, just what we need on these cold January days!

If you ever want to chat or have questions or even advice for me, please feel free to leave a comment or send a message on one of my social profiles I have linked.

Love you to you all and please remember to share ❤