Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Tonight's meal.... Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Meatballs! Sometimes making a meal a little more fat burning friendly can really help the waist line. Each time I make this meal, I add or change a little bit of something. I generally try to use what is in my pantry and go from there.
Hope you enjoy this spin on a traditional Italian meal!

Spaghetti & Sauce:
4 diced tomatoes
2 diced peppers (this time I used a yellow and a red pepper)
1 small can tomato paste
1 quartered spaghetti squash

Put all ingredients into a Crock Pot and cook on high for 3 hours, or until you are able to scrape spaghetti squash off of outer shell. Once you are able to scrape it off, cook to your liking. If you prefer it more crunchy you will cook for less than 3 hours.

Meatballs:
1 lb meat (I do ground turkey. You can do whatever your heart desires)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I use Italian, but just use what you have)
1 dash of salt
1 dash of pepper
1/4 cup of milk (I use almond milk because that is what we have in the house)
1 tsp basil
2 tbsp onion
1 tsp chili powder
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients together. Roll meatballs into 1 inch balls. Place each on baking sheet. We generally get just under 3 dozen.
Bake meatballs for 15 minutes, and then turn them over. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

If you would like everything to mingle add the meatballs to the crock pot for the last 30 minutes.

The meatballs are generally gone at the end of dinner for us. I think the next time I make it I will double the meatball portion. Isaac eats the meatballs plain, and has about a half a dozen to himself.
I forgot to put mushrooms in this time of round, but generally put them into the sauce. Jason is a major meatball fan, so he doesn't mind this alternative! Husband and kiddo approved! Mission accomplished.

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats!

Yummo! On the left is one of my absolute favorites. Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats. I put it in a small Pyrex container and take it to work. I generally make this at a minimum once a week. It is so easy and delicious that it is hard not to!
I have become an avid Crock Pot user. When you have two children under two you find every way possible to make your life easy. When I can just throw ingredients in a heating source I am all for it.
I originally found the recipe on Pinterest, but it came out wayyy to soupy. I prefer it to be less soupy. If you are a soupy fan, then just add more water or milk. This is the most recent recipe I have used:
3 Peeled and Cubed Apples (choose whichever kind suits your fancy)
1 1/2 Cups Steel Cut Oats
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Cinnamon
3 Cups Almond Milk (You can use whatever kind of milk your heart desires)
1 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Raisins (Optional)

You literally put everything in the Crocker and let it cook overnight on low. Now... Here's the problem with that.. The first batch stuck to the sides, and we literally had to soak it for days to get everything off. If you so choose to cook this overnight, just get a bag. If you happen to be around the house when you cook it, cook it on high for 3 hours. Scrape the sides when you are one hour into it. After that first hour, scrape the sides every 30 minutes. Not only will this prevent everything from sticking, but it will keep the oats cooking evenly.

As you can see I used a small Crocker to make them. Next round I am going to do a double batch in the big pot. The nice thing about reducing the liquids is that I will heat them up, and add a little milk. I also added some walnuts after I heated them as well.

This is the perfect winter breakfast! This is kiddo tested and husband approved. Isaac devours these, and Jason is not shy about taking a large container to work.

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Whats cookin' good lookin'? In my kitchen you will find some hot off the press White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. Are they totally diet approved? No. No, they are not. I live by the 80-20 rule. 20% of the time I am a little naughty. I am only human. If somone was 100% all the time they would go nuts. These bad boys are a guilty pleasure. They have oatmeal and cranberries. Were good! 
I changed the original recipe I found on Pinterest as I didn't have everything it called for. I was craving sweet fruit and the cookie goodness. These are Isaac approved. Jason is hunting so he will get to try them if there are any left!!

So, I used the following recipe:

1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract 
1 egg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats 
3/4 cups dried cranberries 
1 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine the sugar, brown sugar, and butter with the paddle attachment. 
2. Add the egg and almond extract and mix well.
3. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and flour. 
4. Fold in the oatmeal, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips. 
5. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Place them on a parchment lined or greased baking sheet 2 inches apart. 
6. Bake 10-15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. 
7. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet. 
8. Enjoy every, last, one!! 

Footprints on the Moon

You can do anything you set your mind to. I am here to help! Lets talk about what your fitness goals are, what your currently doing, and how we can get you to your goals! 

There is no limit to what you can do when you put your mind to it!

How it all began.

My fitness journey began after I had two children, and had a wedding in a couple of months. Looking at my wedding dress, and dreading my wedding pictures was not what I wanted. I knew that I had to make a change to love what I saw in the mirror.
Lets be honest, I hadn't worked out consistently since swimming class in college. Before that, sophomore year of high school when I played 3 sports. Crazy to think about it that way! In college I packed on the pounds. I partied, ate, slept, and went to class. Working out??? Nahhhh. I had a social life to attend to. I was very conscious about wearing loose clothes, and things that would hide my love handles, thunder thighs, etc.. The only reason I didn't gain more weight is because I walked to and from class everyday. I tended to power walk to write that off as working out.
When I graduated I entered the professional setting. My clothes slowly got more and more tight. I would just retire them and buy new ones. I was doing laundry at least once a week because I only had a couple pairs of pants that I fit in! Did that get my butt in gear?? Nooooo.
When I found out I was pregnant with my first child Isaac, I immediately went out and bought maternity pants. They fit a little tight, but I told myself I could squeeze into them. As the months progressed, and the pants got more snug, I wore sundresses... Once I had Isaac, I lost most of the baby weight from breast feeding. I got lucky..
When I found out I was pregnant with our second baby, Henry, I knew I had to be a little more tame on the eating out, and greasy food. I didn't gain as much weight during pregnancy, but my clothes still were tight.
After I had Henry, our wedding was only a couple months away. My sister had just completed the 21 Day Fix, and I decided to give it a go. What did I have to lose?! I have to be honest, when I saw the price I got nervous. So Jason and I decided to take it one month at a time. We decided as a couple to do the program. If we did not get results, we would stop the Shakeology, and move on. It was an investment in ourselves, and we knew we had to start somewhere.
With the help of the online Challenge Group, we got a great start. We stuck to the workouts, followed the diet plan, and listened to our coach. We have now done the 21 Day Fix 3 times. Jason has lost 30 pounds, and I have lost 25.
I must say doing the program as a couple truly helped us both excel. We were able to eat the same things, and make it work for us.
This is where my fitness journey began. Here's to a lifetime of making it work!
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