Overnight Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal with Bananas

I am always looking for new ways to get my kids to eat healthy food. I am especially looking for ways to make it simple!

My kids love eggs with toast and fruit, but busy school mornings do not always allow enough time for such elaborate breakfasts. Sometimes we need to be able to just grab something and go!

I tried these overnight oats from the Team Beachbody Blog last week and LOVED them!

 

Vanilla Peach Overnight Oats:

½ cup dry old fashioned rolled oats
1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
⅔ cup water
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 medium peach, chopped

Combine first 4 ingredients in a jar. Place in fridge overnight. Top with peaches and enjoy!

Since this was so delicious and simple to make, I decided to put a little spin on it and see if the kids would also enjoy overnight oats for breakfast!

I made 2 different versions: 1 for me and 1 for the kids! The kids version is on the left and my version is on the right.

Recipe for the kids:

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 scoop Chocolate Shakeology

2 tsp peanut butter

cover with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, about a 1/2 cup

Stir to combine and refrigerate overnight. 

Recipe for me:

1/3 cup rolled oats

1 scoop Chocolate Shakeology

1 tsp PB2

cover with water, about 1/2 a cup

Stir to combine and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, give them each a good stir. I divided the one for the kids into 2 bowls. Top with bananas and enjoy!

My kids are 5 and 3, so I started by giving  them each half.  Although, my 5 year old boy can out eat me most of the time, so since he LOVED it, I will be making him a full sized portion for tomorrow! :)

I love this breakfast for many reasons, but one of the most important to me is that is packed full of superfood nutrition and high quality protein! It's a great way to start my day, but even more so for my kids!

My son is starting kindergarten this year, but he is still a 5 year old boy. BUSY! He never stops moving. Ever. Lol! So, it's very important to me to help him get started out right! Having a breakfast high in protein and low in sugar is KEY! It helps him focus. It helps him control his busyness. :) Doesn't every parent want to give their kids the best advantage?   Skip the poptarts and breakfast breads and start the day with high protein breakfast!

By the way, that doesn't just apply to kids...it works for adults too! ;)

This super easy, super simple recipe is easily made by the kids and they can easily get their own breakfast in the morning! 

That's exactly what I was looking for! Quick, easy, healthy breakfast that the kids WANT to eat!  Goodness knows there are plenty of challenges with getting back into the school routine, I don't want breakfast to be one of them!

If you try this recipe drop  me a comment and let me know what you or the kiddos think! I'd love to hear from you!

Overnight Oats: Breakfast, Lunch or a Snack on the Run!

I love oatmeal!

Please do not confuse those pre-packaged instant oats, with real oatmeal. Blah!

They are not the same. They come with much more than oats and fruit, as indicated on the front of the box.  Turn that box over and read the ingredients.  Those extra things that you can't pronounce...well, the body can't "pronounce" them either. And the SUGAR...don't get me started!

BUT convenience doesn't have to come with a cost!

These Overnight Oats are not only simple, delicious, (and dare I say) MORE convenient than those packets.

Simply prep on the weekend or the night before and EAT!

That's it!

To make these tasty, quick Overnight Oats you will need 1 cup containers.  Gather up as many as you want to make!

Ingredients for 1 serving:

1/3 cup oats

1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any liquid: water, soy milk, cow's milk, rice milk, etc)

small handful of blueberries

1 tsp shredded unsweetened coconut

sprinkle of cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a jar or container, cover and refrigerate overnight!

The next day, stir and eat cold or heat in the microwave for 1 minute.

Enjoy!

There are lots of variations for Overnight Oats!

If blueberries and coconut isn't your jam, try any combo of these:

1 tsp cocoa powder

Berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries

Banana

Chocolate Chips

1 tsp peanut butter, almond butter or seed butter

Want some extra crunch and texture? Top off your oatmeal with some pecans, walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds just before eating! 

So many options!  This week I wanted to taste test them first, but next weekend I will be setting up an assembly line of topping options and letting my kids make their own. A quick and easy breakfast that will make itself overnight in the fridge!

Which combo will you try first?

Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks

My husband and I are HUGE Ohio State Football fans!

 

Saturdays in the fall, you know where to find us. ;)

 

Along with football, I love football food!

 

I love buffalo dips and wings in dip, and of course you can't forget the Buckeyes! Yum!

 

Not exactly going to allow me to stay on track if I am eating all of this every Saturday. Hehe!

 

Today I really wanted some wings, so I made a healthier version of the fried hot wings of the past and they were a huge hit!

 

Give them a try and drop me a comment to let me know what you think!

 

 

Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp crushed Rosemary, or 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
10-12 skinless chicken drumsticks

Preparation:

1. In a large Ziploc bag combine balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey, rosemary, and garlic powder. Seal the bag and shake to combine the ingredients. 

2. Open the bag and add the chicken. Seal and coat chicken with the marinade.  Allow chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight. 

3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place chicken on a foil lined baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes.

4. While the chicken is baking, pour the marinade in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.

5. After the chicken is done baking, baste one more time with the marinade for extra flavor.

Enjoy! :)

Are you sick and tired of feeling sick and tired?

Are you ready to make a change?

 

Are you ready to take control of your health, have more energy and feel BETTER!

 

Wouldn't it be amazing if you could lose weight while you are making healthy changes?

 

Do you want to lose 20 pounds by Christmas?

 

Do you want to look and feel fabulous for that Holiday Party and rock your SKINNY jeans for New Year's?

 

YOU CAN!

It’s possible!

 

Believe it! Believe in YOURSELF and you can do it!

 

Maybe you have more to lose, or maybe you have less, but the point is-->It’s possible!

 

I don’t normally focus on weight loss. The GOAL is to be healthy, and when you are striving to be healthier, the weight will fall off. I am proof of that! ^^ So, let’s all rock the best version of ourselves over the holidays this year!

How?

*Shakeology (daily nutrition-in the form of the easiest, healthiest meal of the day)
*30 minute workouts
*Healthy eating
*Support
*ACCOUNTABILITY

This Challenge Group starts October 5th for 3 weeks!

Day 1 of the New, Improved YOU!

I will share with you meal plans, tips, motivation and inspiration! And of course ACCOUNTABILITY!

 Message me  HERE for more details! **Spots are limited!**

Almond Crusted Pork Chops with Honey Dijon Glaze

Who loves spending a fortune at the grocery store? Not me!

I do my best to base my meals around what is in the weekly ad, and to stock up if it's an amazing sale and something we eat often.

 

Pork has been on sale a lot recently and a few times it was so cheap, I could not help myself... I stocked the freezer!

 

So, what does one do with all these pork chops?!?!?

 

I had a recipe that we loved, but it was not that healthy: it involved pretzels and mayo and frying them... Although tasty, that recipe should be saved for a treat day but not for everyday.  Certainly not for a freezer full of pork chops. Lol!

 

I decided to give that same recipe a different twist to make it healthier, but still taste AWESOME!  I couldn't be happier about the results! This recipe has earned a place on our weekly menu!

 

 

It's been a while since it's happened, but my husband and I actually bickered over who would get the leftovers! LOL! That's how good it was and it was just as good the next day! Next time I will double the recipe. ;)

 

Would you believe me if I told you that this recipe is not only tasty, but that it only takes 30 minutes to prepare from the moment you walk in the kitchen, til the moment you sit down to eat!

 

This dressing used as a glaze on the pork chops, is like icing on the cake! The pork chops are delicious on their own, but add this and it takes it to a whole new level!

 

 

Ingredients:

 

4 boneless pork chops (1/2 inch thick)

3/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 egg whites

1 TBSP olive oil

Preparation:

1.  Chop almonds and place in a shallow dish (If making a double batch I recommend using a pie plate). Stir in salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Beat egg white in a small bowl.  

2.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.

3.  Dip pork chops in egg whites and then dredge in the almond mixture.  Add pork chops to the skillet. 

4. Cook 5-6 minutes on each side (I did 5 minutes on each side).

5. While the pork chops are cooking, whip up some homemade honey Dijon dressing.  I used the recipe from the Fixate cookbook, but any homemade honey Dijon dressing will do. (Comment or email me if you would like to order the Fixate cookbook)

6. Remove pork chops from pan and serve with a side of sautéed zucchini topped with fresh grated parmesan and top pork chops with a drizzle of the Honey Dijon glaze. 

Enjoy!

***If you try this recipe I would love to hear what you think! Please feel free to share and comment below! :)***

Thai Chicken w/ Peanut Sauce in the Slow Cooker

Over the summer when I received my kids school calendar, I was putting the dates in my phone and I started to panic...summer was almost over! 

I don't know where the time went, but school was starting in just a couple weeks.  This made me think about all the hectic, rushed mornings and busy evenings filled with practices and early bedtimes for school the next day. This year, I will be prepared! Before school even started, I wanted to have my freezer full of grab-and-go healthy meals.  One of my favorite grab-and-go meals is a meal already prepped, in a freezer bag that I can just dump in the slow cooker in the morning and not touch until it's time for dinner!

I have a few of these recipes already, but I wanted more variety in our dinners, so I gave this one a try.  

Can we all say--> WINNER!

Before I commit to making this for my freezer dinners stash, I wanted to give a try first.  I had seen several versions of this on my favorite recipe search spot, Pinterest, but I couldn't find one that included enough veggies or was healthy, most of them included adding sugar. So, I decided to take the best of the ideas I had found and create my own version!

I think most people associate Slow Cooker with WINTER, however I challenge you to think outside the box. I LOVE using my slow cooker in the summer (and all year round) because it uses less energy than the stove or oven, and does not heat up the house like using the stove or oven! 

Simple. Healthy. And keeps the house cool!

Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
2 cups carrots, cut in medium sized pieces
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (preferably homemade)
2 TBSP rice vinegar
3 TBSP fish sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic
2-3 TBSP peanut butter
Garnish optional: chopped peanuts

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients, except peanut butter, into a gallon sized resealable bag.  Freeze.

When ready to cook:

Remove from freezer the night before to thaw in the fridge overnight. Dump into the slow cooker and and cook on low 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken and stir in peanut butter. Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with chopped peanuts.

OR

Remove from freezer. Run bag under warm water until it releases from the sides of the bag.  Dump into the slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours. Shred chicken and stir in peanut butter.  Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with chopped peanuts.

Enjoy!

My Journey through P90X3- Part 1

I'm Baaaaaaaaaccckkkk!

I took a little summer hiatus from the Blog.  We spent a lot of time traveling, visiting family and overall just having a great time! Unfortunately, this left me with very little time to Blog, or do anything with Wi-Fi.  BUT, the kids are back in school, routine has returned to our lives and I am ready to catch up!

First, I'd like to catch up on my fitness journey.  Over the summer, since we were traveling I did continue to work out for the most part (everyone needs a little break once in a while).  I mostly used Beachbody On Demand, and tried many new programs that I had not done before; Turbofire is one I fell in love with! Then, after Beachbody Coach Summit, (more on this later) and the release of CIZE, I found THE program that was going to get my booty back in gear. 

CIZE, by my favorite trainer Shaun T, is a super fun Dance workout.  Shaun T teaches you a dance routine to a song, step by step, and then at the end you put it all together and DANCE IT OUT! I am definitely NOT a good dancer (check out the video below for evidence), BUT I love to dance! It's so much fun and in the privacy of my own living room I was able to let go and just MOVE.  CIZE was perfect for getting me back into the workout routine that had been all over the place during the summer.  I got my routine back and I had a daily source of happiness and stress relief.  It feels so good to just let loose and dance.  Even when I couldn't master the routines, I still had fun and just danced my heart out!

I'm Not a Dancer: my CIZE video 

If I'm being really honest here, I would admit that the summer was STRESSFUL! Don't get me wrong. I had a BLAST and LOVED  traveling and visiting family, but doing that with kids is stressful too. No routine. Seeing lots of new people (read: new people to test limits and boundaries) and general lack of sleep from time changes and busyness.  We were all, kids included, ready to get back to normal.  After returning home from about 8 weeks of traveling here and there, having visitors stay with us and being out of routine, we were back home.  There were a couple days of enjoying the peacefulness that comes with just being the 4 of us, and then the kids settled back into being kids.  You know, the popular phrases in our house became, "I'm just using the bathroom. I don't need an audience." and "When does school start?" Lol! Other moms can relate! I loved all the time we had together, but the kids and me, were ready for our normal routine! Don't get me wrong, I am definitely not complaining! We are so blessed to have had the opportunity to do so much this summer. Beachbody blessed us financially and with many travel opportunities!  I am so grateful that we were able to take advantage of it! I am simply setting the scene for the chaos that is a mom's daily life. Haha!

Enter CIZE! CIZE provided a daily dose of happy endorphins, stress relief, a little "me" time and the return of my normal workout routine.  I wasn't crazy sore or pushing my limits with weights each day, but my dancer muscles were sore and I worked out a great sweat each day.  This was the perfect program for what I was looking for--> FUN!

I'm Not a Dancer but I love CIZE Part 2

Once I finished CIZE, I wanted to challenge myself a little more.  I had eased back into my routine with CIZE and now I am ready to step it up. My birthday is coming up and I want to be rid of the summer vacation pounds by then.  I chose to try a new program, P90X3. About 7 years ago, my husband and I attempted to do P90X together.  We made it about 3 weeks before we started slipping up, cheating on our food, and by week 4 we had basically quit.  P90X3 is the 30 minute version of P90X.  Tony Horton is a genius and delivers all of P90X in only 30 minutes, instead of an hour to an hour and a half.

I am already seeing the benefits! I am almost done with Week 2 and I am done 3.4 lbs, feel so much better, and my pants feel a little looser in the waist thanks to less bloating! The picture on the left is my before picture from Day 1 of starting P90X3 and the picture on the right was taken on Day 11.  I can't wait to see where this program will take me!

There is no better gift than feeling HEALTHY on a day when I am "supposed" to feel older. Bring on 33! :)