Turkey and Mushroom Chili

Who doesn't love Chili on those cold winter nights? This is a very simple and hearty chili with plenty of flavor. It's ALWAYS better the second day! You can serve this with cheese or Greek yogurt. It's also delicious with crackers!

For the 21 Day Fixers--Each Serving accounts for 1 Red, 1 and 1/2 Green and 1/2 Yellow (If you add cheese it would be also 1 Blue, and if you add Greek Yogurt it would be an additional 1/4 Red!)

Turkey and Mushroom Chili:
8 Servings; 185 calories each

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 tsp olive oil
1lb ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
1 (28oz) can low sodium crushed tomatoes
1 (16oz) can kidney beans
1 package mushrooms (optional)
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. 

2. Place turkey in the pot, and cook until evenly brown. 

3. Chop up and stir in onion/mushrooms and cook until tender.

4. Pour water into the pot. 

5. Mix in tomatoes, kidney beans, and garlic. 

6. Add all seasonings.

7. Bring to a boil. 

8. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

ALL DONE! 

If you want you can serve this with cheese on top or Greek yogurt! YUM! :)

Let me know what you think!

21 Day Fix Extreme: Day 3!

Day 3 in the BAG!

Today was Pilates Fix Extreme--and apparently I thought this workout would be easy for some reason? Wayyyy---WRONG! I actually had a tough time getting through the workout. I wanted to give up a BUNCH of times.

We used the resistance band 100% of the time with this workout. What's the trick with that thing? I had such a hard time getting it in the right place--it always felt like I was doing it wrong. It cant be just me?! HAHA!

We worked EVERY part of our bodies. My legs were still SUPER tight from Monday's workout--and now they feel great! I'm not going to say that this was my fav--but I have a new found respect for Pilates. Definitely looking forward to tomorrow's workout--and its LEG day!

I LOVE leg day. Probably because I have some BEASTLY legs!

Check out the preview of Pilates Fix Extreme here!

Progress so far:

-4 lbs!

SAYYYY WHATT?!

A little short on time today, so i'll get back on track with posting about my meals tomorrow!

Be sure to check out my Day 4 review tomorrow!

Balsamic Baked Asparagus with Parmesan

Are you ready for asparagus season? This has to be one of the easiest ways to cook asparagus. Just trim the ends, lay out on a foil lined baking sheet, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, Parmesan, and whatever else you might want on them. I eat them like French  Arrange the asparagus spears on a foil-lined baking sheet. Addictive? Yes.

They’re a perfect side to pretty much ANY protein!

I took a normal Baked Asparagus recipe and REALLY jazzed it up! So DELICIOUS! A MUST try!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup loosely packed Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. Break or cut off the woody ends of the asparagus spears. For an added touch, if you want you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the skins off the base of the asparagus spears for a more elegant presentation.
3.  Arrange the asparagus spears on a foil-lined baking sheet
4. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste and lastly 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake until cheese begins to brown. Usually 8-15 minutes.

All done!

If you're following the 21 Day Fix meal plan, each serving accounts for 1 Green, 1 Blue and 1 Teaspoon.

Crockpot Basalmic Chicken

Before this recipe I had NEVER cooked ANYTHING in the crock-pot before--but now it is my NEW best friend! So simple and very little involvement--just add ingredients--turn it on and DONE! Throwing something in the crock-pot on a Sunday and having it for the week makes life a lot easier. I knew I wanted a protein for the week, something I could eat on its own or toss on a salad or in a wrap. So I decided to make THIS!

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. of minced garlic
1/2 tsp. of dried rosemary
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
pinch of kosher salt
1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper

I only used 1 pound of chicken, but you can always reduce or increase the recipe depending on what suits your needs!

Directions:


1. First things first, I coated the boated of the crock-pot with coconut oil (21 Day Fix friendly!).
2. Lay the chicken breasts on the bottom.
3. Sprinkled in 1/2 tsp. of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp. of dried rosemary, a pinch of kosher salt and a 1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper.
4. Then add 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar.
5. Turn the crock-pot on high and cook for about 2 and a half hours.  
6. Flip the chicken about an hour to an hour & a half in!
7. After about 2 and a half hours, turn the crock-pot down to low and shred the chicken (it was so tender, it took about 2 minutes!).  
8. Let the shredded chicken sit in the vinegar mixture on low for another half hour.  I also added about 2 tbsp. more of the balsamic vinegar.

And that's it!  
If you're following the 21 Day Fix Meal Plan--just fill a red container up and this would be considered 1 Red and 1 Teaspoon!

21 Day Fix Extreme: Day 2!

Today was #UpperFixExtreme, and boy did I work EVERY.SINGLE.MUSCLE in my upper body. The thing I love about the #21DayFix (Regular and Extreme) workouts is that Autumn has a way of kickin' your BOOTY without you really even realizing it until the end of the workout---FACEDOWN--on the floor--in the fetal position--crying! :P

I was DRENCHED in sweat after this workout and didn't even realize it. That's MY KIND of workout! Loved every minute of it and I cant wait for tomorrow's workout! This workout requires you to use light weights, heavy weights and a resistance band--and it really shakes things up a bit--so you are constantly working and constantly moving!

Here's a little preview of the Upper Fix Extreme!

I survived ALL 6 meals yesterday. I've ALWAYS had a hard time getting in all the food that I'm realistically suppose to be eating. The meal plan makes things a lot more IDIOT proof--but lets face it--there is a LOT of food in this meal plan. Going strong today so far. I did ALMOST give in when I passed McDonald's on the way home from Target today. Seriously LOVE Target! I went to get HEAVIER weights! After yesterday's workout, I realized I sometimes needed a little bit more of a challenge! Any who...2 hours later I come out with weights and MANY more items that I don't need. Target ALWAYS does that to me :P

Meal break down for today so far:

Breakfast: Vegan Chocolate Shakeology (with almond milk)

1 Red, 1 Yellow

Snack: Carrots and Hummus (my GO-TO snack!)

1 Green, 1/2 Blue

Lunch: Crockpot Basalmic Chicken and Balsamic Baked Asparagus with Parmesan

1 Red, 2 Green, 1/2 Blue, 1 Teaspoon

Snack: Oatmeal, Pineapple, Raspberries and Edamame with Almond Milk

1 Yellow, 2 Purple, 1 Orange

I have 2 more meals to go! If you need help with any recipe ideas, check out my clean eating page!

Check back tomorrow for my Day 3 Review of the 21 Day Fix Extreme!

Strawberry Shortcake Shakeology

I honestly was never a big fan of strawberry shortcake--until I fell IN LOVE with this recipe! It is definitely now one of my go to's! Super easy too! If you're following the 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme Meal Plan, this accounts for 1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Green and 1 Purple!

Ingredients:

1. 1 scoop Vanilla OR strawberry Shakeology

2. 1 cup of Strawberries

3. 1 cup of greens (I use spinach! Strawberries mask the taste)

4. 8-16 ounces Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (depending on your thickness preference)

5. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

6. Ice (optional)

21 Day Fix Extreme: Day 1

Having just completed Insanity Max:30, I honestly thought that 21 Day Fix Extreme would be no big deal. Well boy was I wrong. I'm only on Day 1, and I can already tell that this will be a NEW level of Extreme for me.

Today was Plyo Fix Extreme, aka LOTS of jumping. I've never really been a big fan of jumping but to get things you've never had, you have to do things you've never done. Every single part of my lower body is ON FIRE. I was out of breath VERY early on during this workout. I am SUPER stoked about using weights again! I didnt realize how much I missed using weights. New FAV? Severely underestimated this program, and I guess I'm going to have to pay the price. It will TOTALLY be worth it if I get even a FRACTION of the results I got with Insanity Max:30!

Here is a little preview of Plyo Fix Extreme! 

As far as the meal plan goes.....phewwww! There is so much food I don't even know what to do with it all. I will be following the regular meal plan until the last 3 days where I will be utilizing the countdown to competition meal plan. Planning it out--I'm going to have to consume 9-10 protein servings on those days. Lots of food x15! Not sure if I can handle that much food! We will surely see!

This is what I've had to eat so far today:

Breakfast: Spinach eggs, Strawberries/Pineapple with Turkey Sausage

2 Red, 1& 1/2 Green, 1 Purple, 1 Teaspoon

Snack: Carrots and Hummus

1 Blue, 1 Green

Lunch: Strawberry Shortcake Shakeology

1 Red, 1 Purple, 1 yellow, 1 Green

I have 2-3 more meals to go still! If you need help with any recipe ideas, check out my clean eating page!

Check back tomorrow for my Day 2 Review of the 21 Day Fix Extreme!

Results and Review of Insanity Max:30

I am OFFICIALLY done with the 60 Day #InsanityMax30 program created by Shaun T! Woot!

The MAIN thing I learned from this program is that my body is literally capable of ANYTHING. Completing this ENTIRE program was probably one of the HARDEST things I've completed in my life SO FAR! It was also one of the most REWARDING! There were SO MANY times I wanted to throw in the towel and find some reason to quit {{and some days I did, especially in the last 30 days}} but I DUG deep and remembered why I started! I came out the other side a better ME! Being able to PULL through and find the INNER strength to get through this entire program showed me a little something about myself that I didn't know was there! This program pushes you and your body farther than you've ever thought possible--and I am THANKFUL for even my bad days within the last 60 days!

While the program is only 30 minutes and requires NO equipment(love that!), it will be the hardest 30 minutes of your LIFE. The concept of this program is to go as hard as you possibly can for as long as you possibly can before you take a break. That time when you stop to take a break is considered your "max out" time. The goal is to at least double your max out time between the first workout and the last workout. I went from barely making it 7 minutes to almost 20 minutes without taking a break. Being able to make it that far is a MAJOR feat in my book.

Month 1:

This is more about getting your body prepared for month 2, because the REAL battle starts in month 2.
I LOVED month 1. I had so much fun with the workouts. I never really feel like I've worked out unless I can't breathe afterwards, so this workout was PERFECT for that!

Month 2:

Month 2 is where you will really want to quit. Your body is ready and willing to do the work but it's your mind you have to convince. You think working through the burn is the hardest thing to push through...you're wrong. The real fight is in your mind. You won't truly understand until you've been through it. 

I literally HATED the second month. I won't lie to you, I was thinking about every excuse possible to not complete this program. Apparently cardio isn't as much "my thing" as I had thought--at least not this kind of cardio. I felt like I was dying on more than one occasion. I'm all for pushing my limits but this was CRAZY. Maybe I'll try the second month over again when I'm closer to my goal weight. 

NOTE:

For those of you that are considerably overweight--don't let the intensity of this workout scare you off. I'm 200+ pounds and still able to jump around with the best of them. No shame in having to modify either. I modified for MOST of this program. Being able to say that I did this workout everyday was a HUGE accomplishment for me--it will be for you too!

Here are the before and after shots!

Results:

Weight: -27lbs
BMI: -3% Body Fat
Total inches loss: -18.5 inches

Breakdown of Inches:
Chest: -3.5inches
Waist: -5inches
Hips: -3inches
Thighs: L -1.5inches R -2 inches
Triceps: L -1inch R -.75inches
Calves: L -1.25inches R -.5inches

Clean and Creamy Sausage and Spinach Pasta

If you're anything like me, you like your COMFORT foods. My typical comfort foods are FULL of pasta and CHEESE! Two things that when combined together in excess can be both delicious and terribly sinful. So I've been on the hunt for a recipe that will satisfy my comfort food craving without COMPLETELY derailing all my hard work. 

Here is what I made, and its #21dayfixapproved! It was ABSOLUTELY delicious!

{{Clean and Creamy Sausage and Spinach Pasta}}

Makes 4-6 servings
21 Day Fix portions: 1 yellow, 1 green, 1/2 red, 1/3 blue

Ingredients:

• ½ box whole wheat or whole grain pasta (I recommend a thicker noodle)
• 2 links lean turkey or chicken sausage (I prefer hot, but you can use sweet sausage too. I recommend Target "Simply Balanced" brand hot Italian chicken sausage)
• 1½ green containers baby portobella mushrooms
• ½ green container sun-dried tomatoes (tip: buy the ones that come in the zipper bag, not the kind in a jar soaking in oil...I found these in the produce section)
• 1½  green containers kale
• 1½ green container spinach leaves
• ½ cup shredded Italian blend cheese (I used sargento; kraft has a nice one too; or you could grate your own Parmesan and mozzarella alternatively)
• 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup organic milk

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions (Important: right before draining the noodles, save a ladel-full of hot, starchy cooking water-you will need that later for the sauce!)
2. In a skillet, saute all vegetables. Season with pepper, garlic and onion powder, and italian seasoning. Once tender, remove from pan, and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Remove the sausage from its casings and brown the meat in the skillet. Once cooked, remove from pan and drain any excess grease from the meat
4. In the same skillet, add the flour to the pan drippings and whisk to form a roux. (Note: you may need to add a teaspoon or so of EVOO depending on how much pan drippings you have.)
5. Gradually stir in milk and followed by the reserved starchy cooking water
6. Reduce heat, stirring slowly, and allow sauce to thicken.
7. Stir in shredded cheese using a figure-8 motion until the cheese dissolves into the sauce
8. Adjust sauce seasonings to taste, adding in garlic and onion powder and pepper to taste. Also, if the sauce gets too thick and pasty, add more milk or cooking water- you want this to have an nice creamy consistency
9. Add the noodles, sausage, and vegetables to the sauce and stir to coat evenly.
10. Use your green container (or 1 cup measuring cup) to portion out each serving. Enjoy!

BONUS:

• If you’re not a fan of sausage, try this with diced chicken breast or even lean ground turkey (seasoned with garlic and onion powder, Italian seasoning, and a little red pepper flake)

The Coaching Opportunity!

NO one likes to talk about $$$$$

But lets be REAL---We could ALL use more of it right?

Becoming a Beachbody Coach has helped me turn my life around in SO many ways--emotionally, physically and financially. I'll forever be grateful for the opportunity--BUT I'm sure you're ALL wondering if this opportunity is even LEGIT.

I had my doubts at first--like EVERYONE else. I watched people claim to pay this off or that off and was skeptical--could they really be making that much of a difference financially?

YESSSSSS!!!!

Here's the breakdown of what I've been able to do with my income from Beachbody SO FAR in just a FEW months:

*Covered cost of #shakeology each month
*Paid off debt totaling $1500.00
*Paid car insurance 2x
*Paid car payment 2x
*Paid phone bill 2x
*Bought recognition/achievement gifts for challengers & coaches

That's a LOT of $$$$$ that I didn't have laying around before.

Why am I telling you all this? Because you can do this TOO!

I'm looking for 5 people who want to change their LIVES! Want to stop living paycheck to paycheck--want to stop ignoring those debt collectors calls--want to eventually get out of the RED entirely--and want to start LIVING the lives they were MEANT to live!

My Team is offering a 5 Day Sneak Peek into Coaching next Monday {{February 9th}} to go over what we do as coaches and how so many people have been able to change their financial {{&& emotional/physical well being}} circumstances! 

I want you to be there! You've got NOTHING to lose because its 100% FREE, and 100% NO OBLIGATIONS! It's for information purposes ONLY!

Message me or comment below if you want in!

#lifebydesign #girlboss #entrepreneur #whynotyou #itsnottoolate #whodoesntwanttobedebtfreee #debtfree #financiallystable #hatedebtcollectors #letsdothis #coacheschangelives #coach #boldandbeautifulfitness