Broccoli Casserole

This was very easy to make & the whole family enjoyed it! 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

4 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable stock, or water

2 tbsp pesto sauce

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cornstarch

2 cups fresh organic spinach

12 oz skim mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

12 oz fresh broccoli florets

3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400F.

2) In a 9x13 baking rectangular dish place the quinoa and green onions. 

3) In a large mixing bowl, with a wire whisk, mix the vegetable stock, pesto, corn starch and salt. Heat mixture until boil. 

4) Add the vegetable stock to the quinoa followed by the spinach, parmesan and 3/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

5) While baking, place the broccoli in a large bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. 

6) Take the casserole out of the oven and mix in the broccoli. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the quinoa and broccoli and place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 

Overcoming obstacles and loving your body for what it can do

Over the weekend while at dinner, my brother-in-law turned to me and said, "You're a runner, right?" I had to reply "No, I used to be, but not anymore."

Ever since high school, running was something I loved to do.  I enjoyed going on a nice, long run and working through any problems I might have had.  It made me happy and it challenged me.  A complication after having my son left me unable to run.  For me this was, and still is, absolutely devastating.  I spent weeks crying about it, thinking how it wasn't fair and searching message boards for answers.  I started physical therapy and was frustrated with what my body could not do.

After a couple of months of physical therapy I was given the all clear to work out.  I decided to go back to my favorite Beachbody program:  p90x.  At first it was very frustrating.  Not only was I still carrying around a ton of baby weight, but I there was so much I could not do.  I couldn't jump or work my abs.  It was difficult and humbling to realize that my body could not do everything.

As the weeks went by with p90x, I became stronger and I started to appreciate my body for what it could do instead of being angry about what it could not do.  No, I couldn't run or do what I did before, but I could slowly make progress in other areas.  My weights got heavier.  I could do a few more pushups or do a yoga pose that I struggled with before.

To this day I still modify every workout I do.  I still wish I could run.  But I learned that things could always be worse.  I appreciate my body now.  This challenge has totally shifted my mindset about my body.  I am no longer interested in being super skinny and fitting into tiny jeans.  Instead, I want to be strong.  Now, after 16 months of doing the various p90x programs (including x2 & x3), I am stronger than I have ever been in my life!  Even though I am not who I was before, I think I am a better version of myself.  In all areas.

It's not about being a certain size.  It's about being strong, healthy and appreciative of your body.  That was a hard lesson for me to learn, but I am so glad that I did.

Finding motivation

Recently, I've received a few messages asking me how I find the motivation to work out 6 times per week.  I think a lot of times just getting started is the hardest part.  This is true with anything in life, not just fitness and nutrition.

When I was first starting out on my post baby fitness journey, my motivation was simply to fit into my clothes again!  Just feeling so uncomfortable in my own skin and with so many extra pounds was enough to light a fire under my butt to get started.  It's said that it takes 21 days to form a habit.  Once you make fitness a habit, it will become part of your routine like brushing your teeth. Now this doesn't mean that you will feel like working out every single day.  But if you only did it on the days you felt like it, you'd rarely get it done!  Trust me, some days I just want to snuggle on the sofa with my boy, but those days I just force myself to get my workout in.

Tips for finding motivation: 

1)  Find a reason you want to get in shape.  Is it fitting into smaller clothing?  Setting a good example for your children?  Improving your health?  Looking good in that bikini on an upcoming vacation?  Focus on that goal and hold on to it with a laser like precision.

2) Take photos and measurements.  Seeing changes in your body will encourage you to keep going.  The scale isn't always the most reliable way to determine your progress, so don't let that dictate how you feel about yourself.  As you see your body changing, you will naturally get more motivated to work hard to make even more changes and reach your goal.

3) Find the time of day when you will stick to your workout.  I am not a morning person.  So I know if I scheduled my workouts early in the morning there would be a good chance that I would hit the snooze button and skip them.  For me, the best time is early afternoon.  If I wait until evening, I just want to sit on the sofa with my tea and zone out.  When I worked, I got in my workouts as soon as I walked in the door after work.

4) Put on those workout clothes.  When I am in my workout clothes, I am less likely to skip my workout.  If I'm already wearing my workout clothes, I feel like I might as well just do the workout.  I put on my workout clothes as soon as I wake up.  If you work and are not a morning workout person, change into your workout gear at work so you can get it done as soon as you get home (or so you will be more likely to head to the gym).

5)  Just do it!!  Get the workout started.  Sure you might not feel like it, but once you get your body moving you will feel better.  Before you know it, the workout will be over and you can pat yourself on the back for digging deep and getting it done.

Now stop making excuses and just get started!  Think of how you will look a month, three months, a year from now if you start making changes today.

Taco Tuesday!!

I found (and shared) this recipe on my Facebook page and though I would try it tonight for Taco Tuesday. We are huge fans of Mexican food at my house and often do our own taco nights (ground beef for the guys, tofurkey for me) so I was nervous about making veggie tacos for the family. 

No need to worry though because they were awesome! 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

8 corn tortillas

1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced

Directions:

1) Heat quinoa and 1 cup water in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes; uncover and fluff with a fork.

2) Stir in diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic and onion powder, paprika and cayenne pepper; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

3) Stir in beans and corn until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

4) To serve, spoon quinoa mixture into the center of each tortilla. Top with avocado and sour cream, if desired.

We skipped the sour cream (I would have used plain greek yogurt anyway) and the guys topped theirs with some salsa. 

Vegetarian gumbo

This is another vegetarian recipe that my carnivore husband loves. It's toddler approved as well! 

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups vegetable broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. white mushrooms, quartered

1 small zucchini, cut into thick half moons

1 cup frozen sliced okra

2 tablespoons vegetarian worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon cajun seasoning

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper, to taste

Hot sauce and cooked rice, for serving

Directions:

1) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook until softened and just beginning to brown, 8-10 minutes. Transfer veggies to a 4-6 quart slow cooker.

3) Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over the stove. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until it's golden brown, about 4 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil; once the broth has come to a boil, transfer it to the slow cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker except the hot sauce and cooked rice.

4) Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Once the gumbo has finished cooking, remove the bay leaf and add more salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve over rice with hot sauce.

Super easy breakfast sandwiches

I saw this idea online somewhere last year and like to make it from time to time to switch things up. They are so easy!

 

Just crack eggs into a muffin tin, add salt, pepper and whatever else you desire (cheese, veggies, meat.) Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. 

Stick them in a container in the fridge and then microwave each patty for 30 seconds. Quick & easy morning breakfast. I like mine with a toasted English  muffin and hot sauce. 

Scale Obsession

The other day I emailed somebody who had contacted me via my Beachbody page.  He was asking my advice on p90x & weight loss a few weeks ago.  I emailed him this week to check in to see how he was doing with the program.  His response?  He did p90x for 2 weeks but quit when he stepped on the scale and saw he had gained 5 pounds.  My first response was to send him this article that was similar to one that I found helpful when I started my first post baby round of p90x and had about 40+ pounds to lose:

http://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/fitness/ask-the-expert-why-do-you-gain-weight-when-you-start-working-out

Basically, the article says that initial weight gain when starting a program is due to water weight caused by inflammation.  I also asked this person whether he was taking his measurements and before photos.

Measurements and photos are so important when trying to get in shape.  I can't emphasize this enough!  You can weight 120lbs and be "skinny fat" and be a larger size than somebody who weighs more but lifts weights and has muscle.  The scale doesn't always tell you how much progress you have made.  Yes, it is a useful tool to measure progress, but it is not your only tool.  Your weight can fluctuate so much in a day.  Women especially can find a major fluctuation during their periods.  I was 5lbs heavier when I weighed myself during my last period.  I quickly learned to avoid the scale that week!

People are so obsessed with the scale and judge progress only by what the scale tells them.  It's the worst when you wake up feeling lean and then step on the scale to see you're up a pound or two!  It changes your whole mindset about your body.  I tend to weigh myself every week or two.  I'm more likely to go to my measuring tape and quickly check my stomach, hips & thighs than I am to step on the scale.  My phone is also full of progress photos.  There is nothing more satisfying than comparing a before/after weight loss photo of yourself!

The next time you feel like the scale is ruling your life, put it in the closet, get out your phone & measuring tape, snap a few photos & take your measurements.  Repeat that step again in 30 days.  If you have been working hard and making good food choices, in 30 days you should discover that you are making progress, whether the scale agrees with you or not.

Recipe of the day - Squash & Chickpea Curry

To quote my carnivore husband: "It was pretty good, especially considering how scary it looks." If that's not a rave review, I don't know what is!!  This meal is super easy to make, really good, and  makes a ton so you'll have lots of leftovers.  This meal is also toddler approved.

INGREDIENTS

• • 2 1/2 cups diced butternut squash
  • 1 1/2 cups dried organic chick peas
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can 13.5 ounce light organic coconut milk 
  • 1 bunch of fresh spinach or kale, rinsed and roughly chopped (I used kale)
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly shelled peas (I used frozen)
  • 1 to 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • 3 cups vegetable broth or water
  • 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder 
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (save some for serving)
  • Rice

• INSTRUCTIONS

  • 1. Rinse and sort through the dry chickpeas. Cut the skin off the squash, remove seeds and cut into 1 inch square cubes. Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker besides the peas and spinach. Cook on high for 6 hours. About 20-30 minutes before serving add in the fresh peas and spinach/kale, and give it a stir. 
    2. Serve over brown basmati or jasmine rice topped with fresh cilantro, mint or basil and maybe even some shredded coconut.

Recipe of the day - Super Bowl!

7 Layer Dip 

Ingredients:

2 medium ripe avocados

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

1 dash ground black pepper

16 oz low-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 packet taco seasoning

1 (15-oz) can nonfat refried beans

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 pepper, chopped

1 bunch green onions, ends trimmed, sliced thin

2 Tbsp. shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Mash avocados in a medium bowl.

2. Add lime juice, salt, and pepper; mix well. Set aside.

3. Combine yogurt and taco seasoning in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.

4. Top serving platter with beans, avocado mixture, yogurt mixture, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and cheese.

5. Serve with tortilla chips.