Chicken Veggie Meatballs and Cauliflower

In a recent post for my Flourless Chocolate Muffin recipe, I shared with you that this scoop has never touched ice cream (not because I don't care for ice cream...I just have a different scoop for it).  No, this one helps me prepare muffins, cupcakes, mini meatloaves, and today, meatballs.  These meatballs are packed with nutrients and flavor.  

They're big, baked, lean, and green (in a good way).  I'm hiding a salad inside them that the kids will actually eat. 

Today I enlisted the help of another kitchen fave, my Ninja.  It makes food prep so easy, and is a great tool to help hide things in dishes.  All those fun colors you see in that meatball are veggies.  I packed spinach, carrots, mini portabello mushrooms, garlic, and scallions in these meatballs.  Once mixed, I used my scooper friend to make uniform meatballs ready to go into the oven. 

Yes, I could have gone with beef or pork.  But I like to change things up.  Using ground chicken cuts down on the fat and grease, without compromising flavor.  The end result is moist on the inside, while golden-crisp on the outside.  Perfect combination for any meatball.

  

Just because we're having meatballs doesn't mean we have to have pasta.  I love mash potatoes!  It's something I crave.  But white potatoes aren't really the best option when trying to pack in the nutrients.  Years ago, my husband decided to do a low-carb diet.  That meant me having to find new recipes because I didn't grow up eating anything low-carb.  One of my favorites was the use of cauliflower for replacing potatoes.  I had 2 heads of cauliflower on hand already, so I chopped them up, boiled them, and pureed them with my immersion blender.  I actually think they were ((dare I say it?)) better than potatoes. 

 

Look at how light and fluffy my cauliflower turned out.  I served up my dinner on a smaller plate, and I still feel like I over-ate.  But I couldn't help myself.  This was so delicious.  The kids and I literally scraped our plates clean.  

 

As always, when you try my recipe, I'd love to hear your feedback.  And get creative!  The ingredients that I used were what I had on hand.  If you want to add different veggies or use a different protein, go for it.  You won't mess these up.

Baked Chicken Veggie Meatballs

• 2 lbs lean ground chicken
• 1 cup bread crumbs or crushed crackers
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 worchestershire sauce 
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 1-1/2 cups carrots (I used baby carrots), or 3 large carrots
• 2 cups, packed, fresh baby spinach 
• 1 pint mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 scallions (green onions)
• salt and pepper 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  
2. In a large mixing bowl, add ground chicken, bread crumbs, eggs, worchestershire sauce, and tomato paste.
3. In a food processor, finely chop spinach, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and onions.  Do this in batches considering the size of your food processor.  Vegetables should be finely chopped.  Processing too long will make a paste/puree.  Add vegetables and salt & pepper to mixing bowl with other ingredients.
4. Thoroughly combine all ingredients.  (I used my hands).
5. Evenly scoop meat and place 2-inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  If you do not have a scoop, each ball is roughly 1/3 cup of mixture.  You may use a measuring cup to measure what you need, and shape into balls with your hands.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating after 15 minutes.  Meatballs will be golden brown and cooked through.

Yields roughly  20-24 meatballs depending on size.

What's really important to you?

What's really important to you? Do you want to spend more time with loved ones?  Do you want to look and feel better? Do you want to have more money in your checking account?  Most people do.  We are constantly comparing ourselves to others because some people seem to have what we want when we're struggling to get it. 

"I wish I looked like her."  
"I wish I had a new car."  
"I wish I had her energy."
"I wish I could afford a vacation."
"I wish I didn't have to go to work every day...I'd really like to stay home with my kids like she does."
"I wish ___________."

Whatever it is, you have dreams and wishes, too.  If you don't, then I wish I lived your perfect life.  I recently conducted a poll.  It was very brief, and the ladies that took my poll came from all walks of life:  SAHMs, nurses, teachers, health professionals, teen moms, single moms, unemployed, hair dressers, cashiers, college students, law enforcement, retired, etc.  I simply asked them to rate the following individually on a scale from 1-10 (10 being the highest priority):

• Personal Physical Appearance
• Overall Health
• Fitness
• Income
• Occupation (working your dream job)
• Time with Family
• Eating a Healthy Diet

The results really surprised me.  But spoke to me about how we often want something without putting in the effort needed to accomplish it.  Here are the results from the poll:

The #1 priority among the participants was Time with Family. Anyone can understand why that rated the highest.  In fact, the only reason it didn't end up being a perfect 10 is because of 1 participant.  We love our families.  We'd love to have the freedom and time to be with them more.  Because "time is money," you need a good source of income to allow the means to get to do what's most important to you.  That is probably why Income ranked as high as it did. The participants understand the importance of income, but don't really mind what occupation gets them what they need, even if it means not working their "dream job."  The one that is most interesting to me is Overall Health.  This is also a high priority, but the participants did not feel like eating a healthy diet or fitness were important.  Doesn't that seem odd?   Overall health is achieved through proper diet and exercise.  This isn't a new concept. You could put Physical Appearance into the same category.  I'm not talking about attractiveness, but appearance in terms of being fit and healthy.  Again, you can tie that back into proper diet and exercise to achieve your ideal appearance (minus genetics, of course).

So, why are Fitness and Eating a Healthy Diet not a high priority?  It's because they involve effort.  Work.  Planning.  Doing.  Who has time for that?  Most people would rather allow themselves time to watch a 2-hour-long show on TV (hello Biggest Loser) then go sweat for 30 minutes exercising (even though most workout machines at the gym are equipped with TVs now).  Everyone is busy and tired.  That's the reason most people pick up take-out or frozen meals than spend 30 minutes baking chicken and veggies for dinner.  If this is stepping on your toes a bit, don't feel like I'm picking on you because I was that person.  Until recently, you would have had to knock me unconscious and drag me through the doors to get me to enter a gym.  And I lied to myself all the time by thinking I was being good by ordering a salad with my greasy-fried entree for dinner.  I'm living proof that change is possible.  However, it wouldn't have happened in me had it not been a gradual change.

How did I start?  When I say gradual, I mean sluggishly gradual.  This began over 2 years ago.  Like most people, I had the desire to look better, but, like most people, I was lazy.  I was introduced to this crazy wrap thing via Facebook.  It gave toning and tightening results without the work.  Perfect for someone like myself.  I finally had my tummy back after 5 pregnancies without having to diet or exercise.  (Read about my experience HERE and check out my results)  

All is perfect in the world!  I had found what I thought could never exist.  Now that I looked better, I wanted to feel better.  And while I was at it, I wanted to make some money doing it.  Wouldn't it be great if I could make money showing people how to look and feel better?  That exists, too, and without having to become a Personal Trainer.  I joined It Works! to do that.  To feel better, I simply just started using the products.  The health supplements are natural, whole food, and high quality.  Since they grow the ingredients that go into their products, they're able to keep the cost affordable.   I've been using It Works! products for over 2 years.  My body is getting the nutrients that it was lacking due to poor diet.  I feel great.  Most people wake up tired, and are tired and dragging until they lay their head down at the end of the day.  Thankfully, that's no longer me, and I contribute that to the health supplements I use

I use the products; I tell people about the products. They know they work because of my personal testimony. When they try them, that's when I make money.  It's that simple.  I actually get to enjoy those things that are high on my priority list: Time with Family, Health, Income...and I can do it without making sacrifices.

Fast forward to this past July.  I wanted to clean up our diet.  Not just for me, but for my entire family.  Also, our budget was taking a huge hit from all the eating out (FYI: cooking at home saves time and money).  I slowly started ridding my kitchen of junk food and replacing it with healthier options.  This change led me to become more active, as well.  I'm now in the gym 5-6 times a week and seeing a personal trainer.  This decision to become active isn't for appearances only (I'd lie if I said that I don't LOVE that my legs are starting to show definition that I haven't seen since I was a teen).  This move to exercise was mainly driven my my desire to take my health to the next level.  Even with the best supplements, and a great diet (which mine still isn't 100% "great" yet), you need activity of some sort.  You don't have to go out and get a gym membership like I did.  Simply walking 4-5 days a week for 30 minutes at a time would be a start.  At least it's better than having your butt parked on a couch, right?  You have to start somewhere.  Like I said, my start was gradual...2 years worth of gradual and skating by on excuses.  But looking back, and knowing myself, I wouldn't have stuck with it if I wasn't ready.

I look at my life today, and I'm thankful and blessed.  I love that I'm becoming more and more passionate about my personal health, and my personal appearance is continuing to reflect this, too.  I love that I'm able to coach and help others get started making the same positive changes that I have made.  I love that I get to earn money while bettering the health of others, my family, and myself.  And I get to do this from the comfort of my home.

All 7 of those bullet points on my poll should be a "10" for everyone.  I know that if I'd taken that poll a few years ago, my answers would be similar to what the participants entered.  I'm proud to say that if I were to take it today, everything would be of utmost priority.  If you feel the same, or are ready to start moving in that direction, I'd like to invite you to watch this video.  And feel free to contact me HERE.

Quinoa "Rice" Pudding

I love rice pudding.  There's something about all those flavors and textures married together that create an explosion of happiness on my taste buds. Still in the spirit of taking comfort foods to the next level nutritionally, I thought I'd give the classic baked rice pudding recipe a make-over.

Quinoa is a grain that is now on my radar.  This super-food looks a lot like couscous, can be used in place of rice or pasta, and has a nutty, earthy flavor.  

Today, instead of preparing quinoa into a savory dish, I'm still listening to the call of my sweet tooth, and elevating a much-loved, traditional family fave.  But WHY QUINOA?  I could have replaced the typically used white rice in the rice pudding recipe with brown rice.  Brown rice is certainly a healthier option when compared to white rice.  Opening my cupboard, I had 2 packages of quinoa already on hand.  And I'd originally purchased them because I'd read a few places that it is a super food that is gaining in popularity.  Whether prepared sweet or savory, it's a great way to get added protein, fiber, zinc, and iron into your diet.   

Today I decided to prepare a family-sized portion of my Quinoa "Rice" Pudding.  But before that could happen, I needed to cook some quinoa.  It's very simple.  I followed the cooking directions on the package.  I used:

• 1-1/4 cup quinoa
• 2-1/2 cup water 

Add the water and quinoa to a pot, and turn the burner to HIGH.  Once it reaches a boil, turn the burner to LOW, and cover with a lid.  Set your timer for 10 minutes.  I didn't stir during cooking time.  After my timer went off, I removed the pot from the heat, and let the quinoa, still covered, rest for 5 minutes.  After that, just fluff with a fork and allow to cool.

Now that I had some cooked quinoa cooling, I was ready to get the rest of my ingredients put together.  The amounts listed above will give you just enough quinoa for my rice pudding recipe make-over.

This is what everything looked like just before baking.  Even at this point, it smelled heavenly.

Golden-brown goodness!  The house was filled with the smell of sweet cinnamon.  

 

Beautiful!  The texture is just like traditional rice pudding.  

I couldn't wait to try a bite. It's so delicious!  It has the perfect level of sweetness, too.

AND it won't break the bank calorie-wise.  

Another success! 

Chocolate Muffins! Flourless and Flavorful!

I've found my passion in the kitchen again.  I love to cook, and bake, and create yummy deliciousness.  I love food!  And now that I'm paying more attention to the nutrition my food can provide, I'm learning new ways to transform some of my favorite comfort foods and pleasures into something that is good for me, and tastes good at the same time.  Eating right doesn't mean your food has to taste like card board! 

Lately, I've been craving sweets!  I love chocolate, cakes, donuts, pies, etc.  But I haven't really consumed any desserts because my thought process has been, "No...that's bad for you."  Obviously, I'm allowed a "bad for you" food sometimes (and when I do have it, my Fat Fighter comes to the rescue).  However, I want to be able to give into my cravings without the guilt.  Pinterest is my friend, and has been a great place for me to find ideas on how to have my cake and eat it too. 

What's neat about this recipe is that it's flourless.  And you'd never know it by the looks, taste, and texture of the finished product.  Let's make some "better for you" Chocolate Muffins. 

The base for this recipe is almond butter and eggs.  In my previous post, I show you how to make your own almond butter at home and for less than store bought. 

 And *BONUS* the recipe I share makes the exact amount you need for this recipe.

 

After you cream the almond butter and eggs together, the mixture ends up looking like, well, almond butter. If yours does, too, then you did something right.

 

Then we end up with mud...LOL. 

 

Say hello to my little friend!

Really.  This will make your life easier.  I use this scoop for baking.  It's never touched ice cream, ever.  Using a scoop will keep your muffins uniform in size, therefore, they'll bake at the same rate of time.  

And it's not just for muffins!  I use this for cupcakes, large meatballs, or measuring out my mini meatloaves...basically anything that I bake in a muffin tin.

See what I mean?  All my muffins will bake evenly and end up being the same size.

Yes!  Finally!  I can have a sweet treat without the guilt.

What a perfect paring.  Chocolate muffin and coffee.  

Get my MUG here.

 

Look at the texture.  Like I'd mentioned, if you were to make this and share it with someone, they'd have no clue that it didn't have flour in it.  The texture is perfect.  With some gluten free baked goods, the texture ends up being weird.  Gluten free baked goods are dense, crumbly, and aren't as tender and gluten baked items.  However, this muffin turned out soft and moist.  

 

This recipe makes a dozen muffins.  

I was very satisfied after one and a cup of coffee.  My kids, on the other hand, wanted more.  That should tell you something about how they taste.  I haven't let them go back for seconds, yet.  They'll have to wait until after dinner.  But this recipe will be a definite repeat in my house. I was very pleased and impressed with how much flavor they packed.  Maybe next time I make them, I'll add some dark chocolate chips.  

If you try them out, I'd love to hear what you think!

 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins

1-1/2 cup almond butter ((recipe found here))
5 eggs
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbs instant coffee granules
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the almond butter and eggs with an electric mixer.
3. To the bowl, add the remaining ingredients.  Mix until thoroughly incorporated.  Mixture will be thick and smooth.
4. Evenly divide mixture into 12 lined or greased cups in a muffin tin.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes.  Mine took 19 minutes in my oven (cooking time will vary depending on your oven).  They're ready when a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.  
6. After removing from the oven, allow to rest for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Yields 12 muffins.

Make your own Almond Butter at home and for less!

I've ventured away from using only peanut butter, and have started exploring other butters. The problem is A) I live in a small town, and while they have a vast variety of peanut butter brands and flavors, they don't have much to choose from when looking for alternative nut butters, and B) the alternatives tend to be very expensive. 

I've been trying new recipes that include nut butters as ingredients, and I'm finding that I'm quickly using up what I have on hand when I do splurge on these butters.  I decided today that I was just going to have to start making my own.  It can't be too hard, can it?  And plus, when doing so, I can control what does and doesn't go into it while making nut butter at home.  

The recipe I wanted to make today called for cashew butter.  I went to get a package of cashews, but all I could find at the store were salted cashews.  So, that butter will have to made another day.  But I was able to find raw, unsalted almonds.  My local HEB store carries 2 lbs, 4 oz of almonds for about $14.  Or, I could purchase 16 oz of prepared almond butter at the same store for around $10...you do the math on that one, and I'm pretty sure I'm coming out ahead by making it at home.  Also, the only brand of almond butter that HEB had in stock contained other ingredients...salt, sugar, palm oil, and sunflower lecithin.  I don't think I need those other ingredients, so again, I'd say I'm better off making it myself.  As always, lots of pictures for you because I'm a visual person.  Let's make some almond butter!

 

First, we have to roast the almonds.  

Just measure and place the almonds on a lined baking sheet. 

 

Don't they look yummy??? 

And, oh my goodness, my house smelled like Christmas from the aroma of almonds roasting in the oven.

 

Showing some love as they cool.

 

Here's where the magic begins.  

With my trusty sidekick (Ninja's are awesome!), it's about to get creamy up in here! 

 

Now, I've looked at other recipes for making your own nut butter.  Most of them mention that it tasks a bit of time and patience to get that creamy consistency.  I think the longest time I've seen in a recipe was 15 minutes, and most average about 12 minutes of processing to get to the butter stage.  If you do not own a Ninja, get one.  In just 4-1/2 minutes, I had smooth, creamy, pure almond butter.  I felt like an excited little kid when I first noticed the grainy almonds start to become creamy.  I said, "Oh my gosh!  It's turning into butter!  LOOK!!!"  ((Get my Ninja HERE))

I don't think I'll ever purchase prepared almond butter again.  After I realized now easy it is to do this at home, my mind started going crazy..."What can I add to it? Honey? Cinnamon? Chocolate? (then I won't have to spend a small fortune on Nutella anymore.)" 

The kids were itching to give it a taste.  And of course, it was a hit!  You know you've got something good when it passes the "kid approval."

No-Bake Gluten Free Protein Bar Recipe

I'd mentioned in my previous post that I wanted to try my recipe with protein powder and make my own protein bars at home.  Well, I did, and they are awesome!

They went together fast and easy, and they taste great.  I did change my recipe a little bit to make more so I could send some bars with my hubby.

These bars will make a great treat after I finish my workouts.  Just like my other bars, these are packed with a bunch of super-foods that will offer a high level of nutrition.  Each bar has over 11 grams of protein. 

Before I share the recipe, I'd like to state that I do not have an intolerance to gluten.  But I know many people that do, and many that are trying to limit their consumption.  So, I figured that I'd tweak this recipe to accommodate that dietary need.  There are 2 ingredients that you need to make sure are labeled Gluten Free to have these bars be just that: Rice Cereal and Steel Cut Oats.  Rice cereal that is not labeled gluten free typically has barely malt in it, and that's the ingredient that contains gluten.  Steel cut oats are naturally gluten free, however if they are manufactured in a plant that also processes wheat, barely, and rye, they can become contaminated.  So, if you need to avoid gluten, make sure you get the gluten free option when purchasing the rice cereal and oats.  The other ingredients will not pose an issue. 

Dry Ingredients waiting to be stirred.

Pressed and set.

Packaged and ready to grab and go.

Today's PT session

I have a Personal Trainer (PT). Each session is challenging, but in a good way.  As of now, we haven't repeated anything. I have 2 sessions a week, and I just did my 7th session today. Each session I learn new exercises. But soon I'll be repeating what I've learned. I still have not learned (I should say retained) the names of these exercises, but I'll do my best to share and explain what I accomplished today. I am a visual learner, so expect lots of pictures as I share. My PT has to be patient with me and show me step by step what I need to do. I am in my 30s, but have never really exercised, and although I've been going to the gym for the past 6 weeks, the equipment still scares me. I don't want to make a fool of myself using it the wrong way, so I just stick to the machines I feel comfortable with. That will change as I continue to have my PT sessions. So, this is written by someone with practically 0 background in fitness. But I'm eager to change my personal health. If you're new to my blog, I am a mom of 5 children, a wife, and an entrepreneur in the health and wellness industry. This was my PT session today:

Each session I begin with my warm up. I complete 1/2 mile on my choice of either the treadmill or elliptical. I prefer the elliptical. Um, hello!?! I've seen way too many treadmill clips on YouTube of people getting launched from the treadmill.  Not happening to this girl! Anyway, in about 5 minutes, my heart is pumping, muscles are warm, and I've started to break a sweat. 

After my warm up, I'm ready to get my session going. Today we started out with this machine.  Insert name here ____________. LOL! Gym lingo might as well be Chinese. Like I said, I haven't retained all the info my PT has given me, but I do know what muscles I felt engaging. I felt it more in my back at first. But this exercise is for your pectoral muscles. An adjustment to my form and focus made all the difference. One foot is forward to stabilize yourself.  You lean forward with your chest up and out.  With elbows wide, you push the bands out in front of you.  That's one rep.  I completed 15 reps, and later came back and increased the weight and completed 12 more reps.

Next I did knee raises while using a box. I couldn't find an image that showed everything. This image shows a step. The box is at least, if not more, double the height of this step pictured. But you get the point. I started out stepping up on the box with my right leg, while holding a 10 lb weight in my left hand. As I stepped up and straightened my right leg, I raised my left leg up to a 90 degree angle, then I brought my left foot back down to the floor while keeping my right foot on the box. That counted as 1 rep. I completed 20 reps, switched legs, and completed 20 reps leading with the left leg. My core was engaged, and I definitely felt my legs burning with this one. When I came back to do more reps, I added another 10 lb weight to my other hand (so now I was holding a 10 lb weight in each hand) and then completed 15 reps on each side. 

Next exercise: Pectoral Fly. Yes, I did feel this in my chest. And OMG, I didn't think I'd be able to finish my reps, but I did. Basically, you grab hold of the handles, and you want to bring them in, while your elbows are slightly bent, almost like you're clapping. Think open palms together. What I'm learning is that the smallest adjustment to any exercise makes a big difference. When I started this one, I had my fists formed tightly around the grips. My PT had me release my gripped fists, and do this more open-handed. Before I made the adjustment, I first felt the muscles in my lower arm engaging. But when I opened my fist, I noticed my chest muscles doing the work. Proper form is so important. He had me complete 12 reps of these.

If you've ever read anything about exercising or fitness at all, you know what this next move is: Lunges. They hurt...so good. And by the last couple reps, I was really feeling the burn, but that's just proof that things are happening. My PT placed a sandbag on the floor for me. This would be where I'd drop my knee. From standing position, take a large step out with your left foot. Drop your right knee to the floor. For proper form, your left knee should not pass your toe (you want your leg to be at 90 degrees). Position is important, too. Slightly leaning your shoulders back, while core is engaged and you're dropping your knee, will make your quads scream (but in a good way). Think about how sexy your legs will be because of these lunges. I completed 20 reps on each side, and later came back and completed another 20 reps on each side. And then breathing hard, and sweating, I said, "Yeah...I'm gonna feel that tomorrow."

Forgive this image...I actually had to create this one (YAY for photo editing apps!). This exercise is for your abs. You need 2 medicine balls (we used the larger padded ones, and they weighed 4 and 6 lbs), a partner, and a place to lay down (unlike my image, I was on a pad on the floor). So, start out by laying down and bringing your legs up to a 90 degree angle. Point your toes up to the ceiling. One medicine ball is rested on your legs. You are holding the second medicine ball above your head, with it resting on the floor. Your partner is standing at your feet...time to play a fun game of catch.  You're the pitcher, your partner is the catcher. Here we go! You're going to throw that ball that your holding in your hands. To do this, you're going to raise your head and shoulders off the ground (you're basically doing a crunch). Throw the ball to your partner, and then grab the ball that's resting on your legs. Lay back down and touch the ball to the ground above your head. That's one rep. As you take one ball, your partner is replacing it on your legs with the ball they just caught. Do 25 reps of these, go do a different exercise and come back and repeat until you've completed a total of 100 reps. If I can do it, you can. My PT calls it Fun Hundred. And when you accomplish 100 reps of anything, you feel freaking awesome!!!

On the days that I don't have my PT sessions, I'm in the gym focusing on cardio. I devote 30 minutes combined on the elliptical and exercise bike. As I continue to learn new things from my PT, I'll be adding other things into my solo days at the gym. For now, I'm still taking those baby steps. Most importantly, I've been consistent in showing up and sweating each day, and taking 1 rest day a week.  

Fit Tip:
Find your reason WHY it's necessary for you to change.

For me, it started with me.  I want to be healthy.  I want to live longer.  I don't want to ever get sick.  I am a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, a friend.  I want to be around as long as possible for the ones that I love most in my life.  And by me making these changes for myself and my family, my husband and children will also reap their own benefits.
The changes I'm making have nothing to do with weight loss or physical appearance.  If you die from cardiovascular disease or cancer, who really cares if you were sexy or skinny?  Think about it.