People ask me how I stay so motivated, that it's so hard to find
motivation. And it's very true. But once you find the proper
motivation there is nothing that can stop you. For me it's these 3. First my husband. He's my best friend. And in the whole entire world there
is no one else that gets me like he does. We have been married now for a
little over 10 years. And I have cherished every day by his side.
When we got married it was till death do us part. And I don't want that
parting to come too soon. I want to spend as much time as I have on
this earth with him. For that we both have to be healthy. I want the
rest of our lives together to be as good as we can possible make them. Second my daughters. I have 3. The two older ones are my step daughters and
we only have one daughter together. I want to show them how to be as
healthy as they can. I was starting to watch my baby girl, who is 10
now, make the same poor choices I was making. I was being a horrible
example for her and she was learning my awful eating habits. I mean
there were days where I would eat a bag of Cheetos for lunch. Sometimes
with hot melty cheese. I didn't want her to one day wake up a couple
years from 40 and weigh 280 pounds. Now is the time to show her how to
be healthy and active. Actually it was probably many years ago, but
I'm doing it now.
Third my parents. They took care of me when I was young. And they took care
of my grandparents when they got older. My mom could have easily put
them into the nursing home. But she felt that had she made that
decision they would not have lasted very long. So she took care of them
right up to the end. I want to be able to do the same for my mom and
my dad. They deserve to always be surround by love and family. And
when the time comes I can't take very good care of them if I don't take
care of myself. I know most everyone says that we have to do it for ourselves, for me
it's not true. If I was going to get my life on track for myself, I
would have done it years ago. I had to find my motivation outside of
myself. And every time I feel like I just don't want to. I think about
them and it gets me up and dressed and to the gym. The best thing about my motivation is that there is nothing like hearing them tell me that they are very proud of me.
Saturday: Chicken Tostadas. Today my sister, my friend Teresa, and I participated in a fundraising obstacle zombie run...Zombie Fest 2015! We had so much fun. So for dinner I needed something quick and simple. This is my usual leftover dinner for Wednesday nights but honestly I could eat chicken tostadas almost every night of the week.
You can have chicken tacos if you want but it's so much better in
tostadas. And your filling won't fall out the back when you are eating
them. For this dinner I also use my toaster oven. Preheat it to 375.
Line the baking pan with foil, and spray it with Pam. Warm up two corn
tortillas in the microwave. Place them flat on the baking sheet and
then spray the tops with Pam. Bake for about 10 minutes turning once
until light brown and toasty. Keep on eye on them because they will go
from being perfect to burnt in a blink of an eye. I know, it's happened
to me. Once they are done. I split one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese
between the two corn tostadas. Then spread black beans, divide 6 ounces
of diced warmed chicken and pile it on top, add salsa, sour cream, and
devour. You can add any kind of salsa and guacamole as wel1!
Sunday: Out of town. My sister needed to make a quick trip to Odessa to get her phone fixed and we went with her to keep her company. We decided to have lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. And I chose a Cuban style sandwich. It was really good and really filling. Seeing as how we kinda had a late lunch I was not even hungry for dinner so that's why there is no dinner menu for today. Instead here is a picture of us at the Zombie Fest! And there we go!
Monday: Shepard's Pie, black beans, and broccoli. My family loves Shepard's Pie. It's a pretty simple dish and you can either cook it in a slow cooker or in the oven.
Shepherd's Pie
1 lb. 93/7 lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 (15.25 oz) can sweet whole kernel corn (no salt added),
drained
1 (14.5 oz) can no salt added cut green beans,
drained
2 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp basil
Spray a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker with Pam.
In a separate bowl, combine beef, tomato
soup, corn beans and basil. Pour mixture into the slow cooker.
Spread mashed potatoes on top.
Cover
and cook on low heat 5-6 hours. The
last hour of cooking sprinkle cheese on top of potatoes. *To make this
dish in the oven. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with
Pam. Follow the same directions to putting the food in the baking
dish. BUT then cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil
and sprinkle with cheese and bake for 5 more minutes.
I always have black beans in my fridge. It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken. I buy a
can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones. Rinse
them in a
colander. I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.
Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans. Then I
season them with garlic
powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin,
hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt. Stir it all up and then
mash them. You can add more water if you want them to be bit more
runny. And all the seasonings are to taste. Just depends on your taste
buds. I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low. This is actually one
of the foods that I prep on Sundays. And then after they have cooled
down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a
side.
For the broccoli, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Tuesday: Alfredo Chicken Pot Pie, black beans, and green beans. Such a nice twist to a traditional chicken pot pie. The Alfredo sauce gives it a delicious Italian flavor.
Chicken Alfredo Pot Pie
1 (8oz) tube crescent rolls
1 (15 oz) jar Classico Light Creamy Alfredo sauce
1/4 cup milk
1 (16 oz) bag California style vegetable mix, thawed
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cubed
2 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Preheat oven to 375. In a sauce pan, mix pasta sauce, milk, thawed mixed vegetables, and cooked chicken. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Spoon into ungreased 9x13 inch baking pan. Place crescent rolls over contents of the baking pan, and carefully stretch to cover. Sprinkle top of dough with cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake uncovered 15-18 minutes or until crescents are fully cooked and golden brown.
I always have black beans in my fridge. It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken. I buy a
can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones. Rinse
them in a
colander. I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.
Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans. Then I
season them with garlic
powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin,
hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt. Stir it all up and then
mash them. You can add more water if you want them to be bit more
runny. And all the seasonings are to taste. Just depends on your taste
buds. I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low. This is actually one
of the foods that I prep on Sundays. And then after they have cooled
down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a
side.
For the green beans, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Wednesday: Dined out. I really should make my own Chinese food. I have lots of recipes, but some days I just can't help myself. I love Chinese food and I love our local Chinese food place. The problem with dining out at the Dragon Buffet or any Chinese place is the amount of sodium in the food. SO much sodium. And I retain water like a sponge. After eating there my fitbit is too tight from all the water. The next day I have to drink a lot of water to flush out my system. One thing you can try is fiber powder. It works for some people and it works for me. I didn't take a picture of my dinner so here you can enjoy another picture from the Zombie Fest! Haha zombie we got away!
Thursday: Hamburger Rice Skillet, black beans, and mixed veggies. A yummy all in one skillet dinner with fresh vegetables, brown rice, and lean ground beef.
Hamburger Rice Skillet
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 cups water
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 stalk medium celery, chopped
1 envelope Onion soup & dip mix
2 cups instant brown rice
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in water, carrots, celery, and soup mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Return to boil; add rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. Cover; let stand 5 minutes or until rice is tender.
I always have black beans in my fridge. It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken. I buy a
can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones. Rinse
them in a
colander. I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.
Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans. Then I
season them with garlic
powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin,
hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt. Stir it all up and then
mash them. You can add more water if you want them to be bit more
runny. And all the seasonings are to taste. Just depends on your taste
buds. I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low. This is actually one
of the foods that I prep on Sundays. And then after they have cooled
down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a
side.
For the mixed vegetables, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Friday: Oven Baked Sriracha Chicken, brown rice, and Asian veggies. Baking the chicken keeps it moist and yummy especially if you cover the baking dish with foil.
Oven Baked Sriracha Chicken
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tsp. sriracha sauce
1/4 tsp. Chinese five spice blend
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp. fresh ginger, minced or grated
4 stalks green onions (greens: thinly sliced and whites:minced),
separated
Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with Pam and
set aside. In a large bowl, whisk
together the minced whites of the green onions, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic,
lime juice, sriracha, and seasoning.
Working with one piece at a time, place chicken breast in the bowl and
coat with sauce (the sauce is pretty thick). Place chicken breast in baking
dish and repeat with remaining chicken. Pour any of the remaining sauce over
the chicken. Cover baking dish with foil.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Place chicken on a
serving dish and if desired top with green onion greens and toasted sesame seeds.
Brown rice is a boil in the bag kind. Just make it according to package
directions. I like to toss a cube of chicken broth into the water to
flavor the rice. When it's done, I season the rice with Mrs. Dash, a
splash of less sodium soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp. Land O'Lakes Light Butter
with Canola.
For the Asian mixed veggies, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
And unfortunately my sister and I got infected during the Zombie Fest...oh well better luck next time.
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