Some Recipes and Snacks to Keep Me Going...

I have found and experimented with SO many foods in the past month to help me break this retched plateau I am having! I have found some real keepers, and thought you might be interested in them. They are all relatively simple, and they are slowly becoming staples in my routine. I will say that my plateau is FINALLY broken and I am back on my way to a smaller me! I will do a weigh in this Friday with some tips on how I broke my plateau both mentally and physically!

Here are some recipes and snacks. I don't have photos for all of them but try them anyway...you will thank me!







Zucchini Chips

1-2 medium zucchini or squash
3 Tbsp oil of your choice
1/4 C grated fat free parmesan cheese
1/4 C breadcrumbs
1 Tsp garlic salt
1 Tsp black pepper

Cut zucchini up into thin rounds, or slice with a mandolin. Drizzle oil over cut up zucchini to coat. In a small bowl combine all other ingredients. Coat oiled zucchini in the parmesan mixture and place on a cookie sheet that has a rack placed on it. The rack will ensure that the chips crisp up. Bake @ 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until crisp and golden. Serve immediately.

 Baked Apple Chips

Apples of your choice
Cinnamon for topping (optional)

Wash apples and core them. Leave skin on for a little extra crunch. Slice them as thin as you can. At this point you may put them in a quick lemon juice bath so the won't turn brown, but I skipped that step and they turned out great! Place on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon at this point if you want to. Bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours or until crispy. Watch closely in the last few minutes so they won't crisp up too much. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Chocolate Peach Smoothie

2 peaches
1-2 scoops of chocolate protein powder
6 oz 0% Plain greek yogurt
1 c unsweetened almond milk (or water)
Ice cubes

Rinse and peel peaches. Throw everything into a blender and pulse until smooth. OH MY GOSH! This is my favorite smoothie, no contest! I also will use the Vanilla protein powder, but for some reason the chocolate with the peach is DIVINE!

Other food that keeps me satisfied:
- fruit
-Chobani greek yogurt. There are so many kinds and flavors!
- oatmeal sweetened with fruit and almond milk
- plain greek yogurt with a tablespoon of protein powder mixed in plus a little cinnamon... DELISH!
- veggies
- turkey patties (a new staple for me)
- eggs
- Special K cracker chips (30 in a serving!)
- popcorn


Give some of these a try and I know you won't be disappointed!

6 Month Recap

I can't believe that 6 months ago today I was getting a phone call from my doctor telling me the bad news! I remember looking through Pinterest and seeing this photo, which I saved and have had on my phone ever since to keep me motivated.

This quote seriously changed my perspective, and now that I have completed 6 months of my journey I can truly say that it has been more than worth it! It has been such an amazing experience and I have learned so much. I can't wait to see myself in 6 MORE months!

The first 30 pounds came off without much effort, and it has been discouraging at times to see the scale not move so quickly in the past month and a half. However, I have had so many other amazing victories, that I just don't even know where to begin to list them all! Some of them include:

- I put on a pair of size 20 pants yesterday and almost cried! I was in a 26 six months ago!
- I have been able to purchase some shirts/dresses in the regular size section of stores, which is just such an amazing feat in itself to me. It is so nice to have more options become available!
- I was able to get a new pair of work pants (on clearance for $7.50!!!) and have them glide right on last week. Fitting rooms are my worst enemy because nothing ever fits right, so that was a huge deal for this girl!
- I enjoy walking to work.
- I am constantly looking for produce on sale.
- I constantly have produce/lean meat/turkey/greek yogurt/clean food in my home.
- I am loving foods that I used to cringe at.
- My energy levels stay high and I am much less irritable (ask my husband hehe).
- Making leaner/healthier versions of my favorite recipes is becoming second nature to me.

These are just a few, but boy am I just in a better place!

I have decided that I am going to only weigh myself every other week. Sometimes the scale can sabotage you if you get on it too much, and I believe that is part of my plateau. I am getting sick of the numbers fluctuating, yet I am getting on the scale every day. This behavior isn't serving me well. I am moving my scale into my spare bedroom and only getting it out when I want to really weigh. I feel that having it in the bathroom makes me want to jump on it first thing every morning...so out of sight, out of mind!

I will be posting some of my favorite new recipes I've found in the next day or two. I made Apple Turkey Meatballs yesterday that were to die for! Check back soon! 

And as always, thank you all for your support and love! I couldn't do it without each and every one of your kind words and comments!

Just remember...we can ABSOLUTELY do hard things!

Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe

So, let's be honest.Some healthy recipes that are substitutes for the real deal aren't always appetizing. I have seen so many recipes that call for off the wall ingredients that I just can't imagine eating. However, there are those rare gems that creep out of the woodwork, and then I obsess about it until I make them. Riced cauliflower is one of those gems. I wanted to try it out first in a meal that would be full of flavor to see if I could tell the difference. I rummaged around on Pinterest, and found a recipe to adapt to my liking, and boy was I surprised! OH MY WORD. I took one bite and called my mom, exclaiming that I will never ever buy fried rice from a Chinese restaurant again, as long as I can make this amazingly flavorful and HEALTHY substitute.

This recipe is gluten free, and fits low carb, diabetic, paleo, and whole30 diets. Whatever you do this week, PLEASE go buy a head of cauliflower and make this awesome dish! You can add more protein to it and make it a complete meal, if you wish!

Cauliflower Fried Rice

- 1 Tbsp oil of your choice ( I used EVOO)
- 1 Tbsp garlic
- 1/4 c chopped onion
- 1 1/2 c cauliflower
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 egg, beaten
- green onions for garnish (optional)

In your food processor, or on the largest wholes of a box grater, pulse the cauliflower until it becomes the size of rice.  In a medium sized pan, saute onions and garlic in oil until tender and aromatic. Add riced cauliflower and stir fry for about 4-5 minutes. Don't overcook. Add soy sauce and mix well.. Push cauliflower mixture to the side of the pan, and pour the egg in the empty space. Gently scramble the egg. When egg is done, incorporate it into the cauliflower. Mix well, garnish with a few green onions, and DIG IN!

Sugar Free Zucchini Muffins

Last week I was given two GIANT zucchinis. I am talking 4 cups shredded, each! So I decided to do what any good neighbor should and make some zucchini bread. Since I was making it for a family friend, I didn't want to experiment too much with artificial sweeteners, so I found a delicious sounding recipe on Pinterest. Let me tell you something...that was the best zucchini bread I have ever eaten. It made two loaves, so I naturally had to keep one and taste it. Within 3 days I had eaten the entire loaf. I think Eli ate one piece, but he isn't into sweet treats. 

I didn't realize at the time what happens to you when you go off of the sugar and then decide to dabble a little...especially as a diabetic. That loaf had one whole cup of sugar and another cup of oil in it. Needless to say, I got sick. Not sick in a normal way; sick in a disgusting, bloated, grumpy, negative, pile-of-garbage way. It was about the worst week I've had since my first week off the sugar back in March. I was miserable and mean and short-tempered and nauseous and just horrid!

Long story short, the next giant zucchini was going to go bad today. So this time, I adapted my recipe and tweaked it and managed to get some delicious muffins without the guilt!

Zucchini Muffins

3 cups zucchini, finely grated
3 cups wheat flour or white flour
2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 cup oil ( to keep the muffins light and fluffy)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Truvia for Baking*
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch of salt
Walnuts or Pecans (optional)

 Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. No need to use a mixer. Liberally spray a muffin tin with canola oil. Fill each cup to the top and bake the muffins @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

This recipe should make between 15-20 muffins,depending on the size of your cups.

*You can substitute Truvia for 1 1/3 cup Splenda for Baking if you wish.

I hope you love these as much as I do! They ring in at 3 WW points each, which isn't bad for how hearty and large they are! :