BUSY MOM TIP: Find something that your kids enjoy and will keep them contained, so you can FOCUS. Whether its for 10 minutes, 20 minutes or gasp – a half hour! Happy, quiet kiddos results in a very produtive mama!!!
Ok so I know I’m busy, you’re busy, what mama out there isn’t “busy”?!?! The to-do list is never ending and we are always looking for a way to maximize our time and knock those items off our to-do list in the most effective way! One thing I’ve realized is it all comes down to balance. Balancing your priorities, your time, and where you need to be at each moment each day.
I had a fabulous weekend away cheering on my mom as she rocked out her first ever marathon in Baltimore but now its time to get back to the grind! The weekend away was fun, but there’s a giant pile of laundry to catch up on, things to get ready for the week ahead, grocery shopping that desperately needs taken care of and a workout that cannot be skipped…as with any fun family weekend this one as well resulted in a few extra calories ❤ All well worth it!!!
I admit, I did snooze…well I snoozed twice, but then I got up, downed my E&E and got my sweat one with a little P90! Starting my day with a workout is the best way to get up, wake up, and get on with my day!!!!
Regardless of how early I get up, I almost never get done what I need to do. Ok well, let me rephrase that. I always get done what I NEED to do but rarely everything I WANT to do! We basically came home last night and just left everything as is. So as a means to catch up around the house this morning I wanted to have something fun for the kiddos to do after breakfast that would keep them enterntained and allow me to get a few things done! Soooo…after my workout I prepped a little painting craft for the kids.
My daughter never turns down painting and let’s be honest, her little bro just wants to do whatever his big sis is doing! While I’m not quite ready to turn him lose with a paint brush and blank canvas I remembered seeing this idea on Pinterest where you put the paint in a ziplock bag and tape it down. Seemed easy enough yet I had never tried it! So while the little ones continued sleeping I got the paint brushes and paper out for Aubrie and and poured the paint into the bag. I had to prep this one before they got up because if I hadn’t I would have had two little monkeys climbing on my legs as I tried to get everything together and by the time I finished one of them would have certainly lost interest!!!
With a busy morning of gymnastics and a trip to the grocery store I knew I was limited to my freezer stock for tonight’s dinner! I pulled out one of my favorite crockpot meals – Black Bean and Corn Chicken Salsa. This is so easy…freezer to crockpot to dinner table – easy peezy!
We went on with our usual morning routine and when I offered out the paint brushes both kids were beyond excited!!! Aubrie was perfectly content for a solid 45 minutes only needing more brushes, a birdhouse and more paper to keep her satisfied! I’m not going to say it lasted quite as long as I had hoped for Colt but I got a good 15 minutes and well…15 mintutes of both kiddos content and contained meant I was able to unload the diswasher, switch over the laundry and even grab a quick call with one of my coaches – Pinterest craft = success!
I was even able to squeeze in a few more minutes of work while Colt worked hard to take every single item out of all the art table bins and Aubrie continued working on her masterpiece!
Things may have gotten a bit messy, but well, our house is usually messy! There are always toys on the floor, crumbs under the table and our toy bin is typically empty with the books spread across the floor. But secretly – I love it!!!! When Daddy walks in the door with the response” Wow, looks like you guys had fun today” you know it was a successful day! We had playtime, art time, story time, a successful trip to the grocery store (thank you Giant Eagle for inventing the Eagles Nest) and we all got done what NEEDed to get done! Finding that balance is an ongoing task but one I will continue to work towards perfection!
I’ve set a little challenge for myself – no milk or banana in my daily shakeo for two weeks! And no more greek yogurt! Why??? Well I used to be good with sticking to 1/2 cup of milk and 1/4 of a banana…but that 1/2 cup has been creeping its way up there…and the 1/4 of a banana has been more like a 1/2 and although I know these are both “healthy” foods…I feel best when I avoid all milk and I feel less bloated when I pass on the banana. Same goes with the yogurt…plus with blueberries out of season I’m struggling to find that perfect combo! With these little changes I decided to come up with a new shakeo recipe to fill the void:
Caramel PB Chocolate Cheesecake Shakeology
WHAT YOU NEED:
12 ounces of water
1 Scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1 TBS Fat free/sugar free cheesecake pudding mix
1 TBS PB2
1 tsp caramel extract
Lots of ice!!!
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Blend until you reach the consistency you like! I prefer to “crush ice” first followed by “blend” for about 30 seconds. Like most of my shakeos – I eat it with a spoon! Perfect post-workout breakfast!!! All this an clocking in at about 200 calories – I’ll take it!!!
My mother in law used to make the best squash and truthfully, that’s how I got hooked on this little veggie…cooked in butter, with a few eggs and topped with cheese – Ahmazing – tasting!!!! Problem is – as delicious as it was it just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle anymore. I saw some delicious bright yellow squash at the farmers market over the weekend and couldn’t help but snag a few up! I’m getting pretty good at taking a healthy spin on things so with a few tweaks this old favorite is back in the weekly rotation – as a new, improved, 21-day fix approved side dish!!!
Sauteed Squash
WHAT YOU NEED:
Makes about 3-4 servings; 1 green container and 1 teaspoon on the 21-day fix meal plan (I don’t count the egg whites towards a red because there is so little!)
2-3 large squash, sliced
1 small onion
1 TBS olive oil
3 egg whites
Sea salt to taste
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Heat the oil over medium heat for about 2 minutes
Add the squash and onion and place the lid on the pan. Cook for about 20 minutes, continually stirring and chopping as the veggies cook. You’ll notice the squash really cook down!
I like to cook it until all the water evaporates, but if you don’t like it cooked as long you could always drain out some water once the squash is cooked to your liking
Move the squash to the side of the pan and add the egg whites – scramble the egg whites and combine with squash. Top with a little sea salt if desired and you’re ready to go!
I love to serve this side with Turkey meatloaf and a baked sweet potato. I also eat it by itself as a side with lunch – you can’t go wrong!
So…I picked up a pound of ground chicken last week at the grocery store in hopes to make some homemade chicken nuggets for my picky, carb loving, anti-protein-eating 3 year old but every recipe I found seemed too difficult or I was missing something here and there and to be honest, she probably wouldn’t have eaten them anyway! Time was ticking before the meat either needed cooked or frozen so I decided it was time to get creative…and the Smoked Mozzarella and Tomato chicken muffins were created!
Besides….my amazing, supportive husband “happily” ate turkey burgers for dinner 3-nights in a row so I really wanted to make him something tasty! (Hey – this fall weather has been too good to be anywhere but outside!!!)
WHAT YOU NEED:
(makes 12 muffins)
Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 35-40 minutes
1 pound ground chicken
2 eggs
1 TBS WILDTREE Smoked Mozzarella and Tomato seasoning
1 TBS Minced Garlic
1/2 Cup Low fat, shredded Mozzarella cheese (I prefer the Sargento but any brand will work!)
1/2 cup Rice Krispies
A few things to note: You could sub out the rice krispies for bread crumbs…I was just trying to keep it gluten free and my daughter liked dumping “her” cereal in the bowl so we went with it. Also, the seasoning is what makes this recipe. Wildtree makes organic, non-GMO all natural seasonings…I attended a home freezer meal workshop a while ago and found so many great seasonings that really fit our lifestyle!
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Spray pan with olive oil to prevent sticking (let’s just say learn from my mistakes!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix eggs, seasonings and garlic in a large mixing bowl
Add the ground chicken and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended.
Add the cheese and rice krispies and continue stirring until the mixture holds together well.
Using a large cookie scooper, scoop into a muffin pan. (You can also roll into 2″ balls…I just have an aversion to touching meat and avoid when possible!!) You should get about 12 muffins total.
Bake muffins for 35-40 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through
Enjoy!
For all my 21-day fixers: 3 muffins would equal 1 red serving and 1/2 a yellow.
I run challenge groups monthly where I share my tips for success to a healthier you – whether its clean eating ideas, encouragement to get started with an exercise routine or just all around support to live a happier lifestyle I can help! Fill out the application below and help me #endthetrend
Ok – so some of my close friends may remember the devastation I had when I had visited the Grove City Outlets a little over 3 years ago and saw a chocolate covered pretzel “blizzard of the month” at Dairy Queen and decided I’d get it when we got home – only to later find out that Grove City was one of 10 test locations in the US that had it and it was not available anywhere else. As a 8 month pregnant mama to be and avid ice cream lover – I was seriously DEVASTATED. I talked about it for weeks!!! Looking back, I’m totally blaming that one on the hormones 🙂
Well…fast forward 3 years and now shakeology has replaced my weekly blizzard (most weeks!) I have started getting a little creative and it hit me – I had done a chocolate covered pretzel shakeo – why not add some PB and Caramel!
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 Scoop Chocolate Shakeology
1/2 Cup almond milk
6 oz water
1 TBS PB2 or All natural PB
8 small pretzel rods/sticks
1/2 tsp caramel extract
lots of ice
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Mix all ingredients together in your blender – Crush ice and/or Blend (I always “crush ice” first for about 10 seconds, then blend for about 30 seconds to get it really smooth) and pour into a nice big cup and eat it with a spoon! Just as good – if not better than – a blizzard and something that is actually good for you! Warning – this shakeo may become addicting 🙂
It seriously does taste like ice cream…the trick is all in the blending!!! And it is packed in right around 300 calories!!! Now that’s a healthy treat!!! Let me know if you give it a try!
Want to give Shakeology a try? Try this flavor sampler pack to figure what which is your favorite! I like them all and LOVE the chocolate!!!
Did you know Chambersburg is known for its peaches?!? Well, I for one I had NO IDEA! However my amazing Coach, Deidra, just so happens live in Chambersburg and just so happens to be from the town I currently live in. Lucky for me she was visiting her family this weekend and brought home a bunch of peaches and shared with me!!! We got a little visit in and I got some fresh peaches – win win!!!
I’ve ate fresh peaches before, liked them, made them into baby food when my youngest was just starting out on fruits but to be honest I grew up on the canned stuff. The fuzz on an actual peach kind of scared me and I never quite knew how to cut around that pit?! Every time I tried I butchered the peach! Turns out…I just don’t think I ever had the right/ripe peach! This was easy peezy – slice all the way around and pull apart! DONE!
These peaches Deidra gave me are AHMAZING! They’re so juicy and have the perfect sweetness.
So now, what to do with my peach???
What to do with my peaches?
I typically start my day the same exact way everyday. Wake up, drink my E&E, do my workout, have my Shakeology and get started with my day…but I’ve decided to switch things up – insert – Peaches-n-cream crunchy oatmeal for breakfast! And no, not the artificial prepackaged stuff either!
WHAT YOU NEED:
(I’ve added the coordinating 21-day fix containers for quick reference)
1/2 Cup of rolled quick oats (or your favorite oats) – 1 YELLOW
1/2 a Peach, diced – 1/2 PURPLE
4 Halved Walnuts – 1/2 Blue
Optional:
1/4 – 1/2 Scoop Vanialla Protein Powder – This would count towards your reds…One serving of Whey Protein powder is considered to be 1.5 scoops – so depending on how much you put in would determine how to count it for your containers. I used about 1/4 and it was plenty!
tsp Honey
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
Cook the oats according to package directions (I combined 1/2 cup oats with enough water to cover the oats completely and microwaved for 1 minute)
Add your protein powder and/or honey, walnut pieces and diced peach – mix and enjoy!
Perhaps the best part was – my toddler loved it! I left the walnuts out and didn’t use any sweetener but rather cooked his oats in almond milk and topped with the peaches…after the fact I thought cinnamon would have been a great add too – perhaps tomorrow!
Quick, easy, delicious dinner the whole family can enjoy!
I love quesadillas and I absolutely LOVE eating out at Mexican restauarants but truth be told – I cannot control myself with the chips and salsa!!! This dish brings a little mexican back to home without all those added calories! You can easily adapt the ingredients to fit your family’s preferences but these were a big hit for us!
BUFFALO CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
Ingredients:
(serves 2)
2 cups spinach
6 oz shredded chicken**
2 whole wheat or 4 corn tortillas
1/2 of an avocado, mashed
Buffalo chicken quesadilla prep
Directions:
Heat skillet over medium/high heat – spray lightly with olive oil
Next, sautee the spinach, flipping continuously
Then, remove spinach, and in the same pan, cook chicken with 1 TBS of red hot
Remove from pan.
Spread the mashed avocado on half the quesadilla, top with cooked spinach and chicken.
cook 3-4 minutes on each side
And there you have it! One quick easy healthy filling lunch quesadilla!
21-DAY FIX CONTAINERS: 1 RED (CHICKEN) 1 BLUE (AVOCADO) 1 YELLOW (TORTILLAS) 1 GREEN (SPINACH)
**I like to use a rotisserie chicken or I’ll cook a bunch in the crockpot with some lemon juice, sea salt and water for 8 hours on low and then shred and freeze in individual portions. Makes for a quick additIon to any meal!!
Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information fill out the form below to join one of my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support groups! Together we can end the trend of obesity!
Looking for something clean, healthy and full of flavor to take to your next picnic or family gathering?!? Look no further! This dish is your winner! Its loaded with black beans and quinoa to get you protein, mango for some sweetness and a little cilantro and some spices to jazz things up. And besides – it looks very pretty!
My family reunion is today and I wanted to make sure I took something that not only my own family would enjoy but everyone there and I wanted it to be a clean dish. A challenger of mine had shared her version of this recipe in one of my health and fitness accountability groups over Memorial Day weekend and I had been waiting for a good reason to make try it for myself! Quinoa is a common side dish in my house but quite honestly, this one had a lot of chopping involved so I wanted to save it for a special occassion!
I’ll admit it wasn’t one of those “quick and easy throw together in 10 minutes” dishes but it was worth every minute in the kitchen. And thanks to my amazing hubby it really didn’t take too long with us tag teaming it!
So here goes:
Ingredients:
15-ounce can black beans (rinsed very well and drained)
1 cup cooked quinoa (according to package directions)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mango (approximately 1 mango)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
juice from 1 medium lemon
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
Directions:
Start by cooking the quinoa first (This could also be cooked in advance and refrigerated). While the quinoa was cooking, rinse the black beans, cook the frozen corn, chop the red and jalopeno peppers, chop the mango and cilantro and dice the onion. (I like to save the onion for last because I struggle so bad with my eyes!!)
Add all items – the beans, quinoa, corn, bell pepper, mango, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño in a large mixing bowl.
Next, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and turmeric in a small bowl and drizzle it over the mixture and stir well.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
(NOTE: This is best when mixed the night before so the flavors have the time to marinate!)
I’ll admit – despite wrapping this up around 11:00pm I had to taste it – it just smelled so good – and it tasted as good as I expected! Hoping the family enjoys it as well!
Southwestern Quinoa Salad
And to top it all off – this flavor packed side dish is both PiYO and 21-day fix approved. (I would count this as 1 yellow and 1 tsp – olive oil – even though there’s a bit of purple, green, red!!!)
If you are interested in these or any other workout program and would like to get 1:1 coaching and support along with motivation and accountability, please fill out my challenge and accountability application below! I will share tips and recipes and I will help you with the one thing I always found so difficult – MEAL PLANNING! Remember – your health and fitness success is 80% nutrition. You can get all the results and support you need right in your own home – and you don’t have to do it alone!
I’ve been on a bit of a quinoa kick however after making a double recipe of my quinoa salad a few weeks ago – which lasted over a week – I knew it was time to switch things up! I was inspired by the recipe on the back of my quinoa bag from SAMs club and made a few tweeks to make it my own – and it turned out delicious!!!
I love when I can do an entire dish in one pot! And this is no exception.
I started by toasting 1/2 cup slivered almonds over medium heat until golden.
Step 1: Toast the almonds until golden brown
Next I added 1 cup of quinoa and roasted about 5 minutes. While this was roasting I boiled 1 1/2 cups of water in the microwave
Step 2: Toast almonds and quinoa
Toasted almonds and quinoa
Once the quinoa and almonds are toasted add the boiling water along with 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, a dash of sea salt and 1 tsp of cinnamon
Step 3: Add boiling water and remaining ingredients
Toasted almond and cranberry quinoa
Bring all contents to a boil and simmer covered until all water is absorbed, about 10-12 minutes
Step 4: Cook until all liquid is absorbed
Serve alongside your favorite meals – my pick – grilled chicken tenders and grilled summer vegetables (squash, zucchini and onions)
This smelled amazing while cooking and tasted even better! Excited for the leftovers!!!
***UPDATE***
These leftovers were great cold added to some salmon and grilled veggies and as a topping on a salad.
21-day fix approved! Talk about a loaded salad…spinach, grilled chicken, grape tomatoes, snap peas, peppers, avocado and blueberries to avoid a dressing with some leftover toasted almond and cranberry quinoa salad for a little twist! Best part was everything was all prepped in my fridge so it took about 3 minutes to pull together!! 2 Greens, 1 red, 1/3 purple, 1/3 yellow, 1 blue
Ingredients: (4-6 servings)
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups boiling water
Dash of sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
Over medium heat, stir and toast the slivered almonds until golden. Add the quinoa and toast a few more minutes until quinoa begins to darken. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, covered, then reduce heat to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve!
NOTE: We enjoyed the leftovers the next day and left them cold – I may have actually liked that better!!!
If you’re interested in learning more about clean eating, join one of my upcoming accountability and support groups!!
Maegan Blinka 