Caprese Chicken

Caprese Chicken

I used the balsamic vinegar reduction from the link at the bottom. I accidentally reduced it a TAD too much, haha. But it still worked. I also waited a few minutes to take a photo, so the crisp fine lines of sauce had spread. But it tastes a lot better than it looks. And I think it looks pretty good!

This was amazing. I salt and peppered the chicken then seared each side, then baked it. I did the typical mozzarella and tomato topping and broiled them the last 3-5 minutes.  I kept it pretty simple, the only change I did from the traditional recipe is instead of fresh basil leaves, I used dried. I try to cut up our meals for our toddler and I thought it would be easier for him to eat and still get the taste. Anyways, it was great and will be on our meal rotation! I paired it with a simple tossed salad with Parmesan, no dressing. You're able to use the sauce from the chicken. I also toasted some cut bread with olive oil, dried oregano, dried basil, pepper, and garlic powder to serve sort of like a crouton.

Alana's Review

Ease: 4.5/5

Taste: 5/5

Comments: No changes needed! I can't wait to make this again!

http://damndelicious.net/2015/05/02/baked-caprese-chicken/?m

Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs

Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs

Recipe: https://lasvegasfoodadventures.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/pasta-with-garlic-breadcrumbs-pasta-con-pangrattato/

I'm always looking for new ways to eat pasta, it is my number one food group after all. I stumbled upon the recipe above and though, "Oh how fancy!" and had to give it a try. Pasta with toasted bread crumbs, parmesan, and garlic? Sounds like a match made in heaven! I substituted whole wheat pasta and whole wheat panko breadcrumbs, and also used only about a tablespoon of oil. 

I took the first bite: Mmm, delicious! I could taste the garlic, parmesan, and the toasty breadcrumbs. This recipe is getting a 5/5, for sure! Then I took the next bite: Alright still pretty good! And then I took a few more: Wow my mouth is getting awfully dry, I need some water with this. A couple more: So I'm not tasting much besides bread crumb anymore. And I'm so thirsty! Aaand a few last bites: Well, I had to drink a glass of water to get through it, and the bread crumbs started getting stuck in my throat while also flying everywhere as I ate....maybe 5/5 is a little generous.

So what I thought would be a winner turned out to be a dud. The first few bites are great, but then you should just stop because all of those bread crumbs really dry you out. It's quite messy as well, and I'm not a messy eater. As you twirl your fork, those bread crumbs really fly! I think it would be better to make another type of pasta and then sprinkle some of these bread crumbs on top. The texture was nice, there was just too much of it.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 2/5

Chocolate Chip Scones

Chocolate Chip Scones

Recipe: http://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2015/05/05/clean-chocolate-chip-scones

This morning I wanted a special treat for breakfast, so I decided to try my hand at making scones. Not just normal, fruity scones, CHOCOLATE CHIP scones. Can you tell I'm a chocoholic? I found a clean eating recipe on Pinterest and figured I'd give it a shot. They were pretty easy to make, although they were a bit smaller than I was imagining they'd turn out. The scone dough itself isn't a sweet one which provided a yummy contrast with the sweet milk chocolate. (I know, still not using dark, but I have to get rid of these chocolate chips on hand!) The only thing I'd recommend is baking these at 400 degrees instead of 425 like the recipe suggests. I baked them at 425 for 17 minutes (the shortest amount of time the recipe said) and they came out very browned and some of the chocolate chips on top had scorched. They still tasted good after I scraped off the burnt chocolate, but scones aren't meant to be as brown as they turned out so next time I'll turn down the temperature and watch them more closely. Otherwise, a tasty recipe to make!

Sarah's Review

Ease: 3/5

Taste: 4/5

Homemade Chocolate

Homemade Chocolate

Recipe: http://www.bakerita.com/paleo-chocolate-chunks/

I've done it. I have found the most amazing recipe ever. Nothing can ever trump this recipe. It's two wonderful words: chocolate. chunks. And not only is it delicious chocolate chunks, it's CLEAN chocolate chunks! Whaaat?? 

Yes, I was as shocked as you are when I found it. I always thought, "I guess I'll have to either give up chocolate altogether or cheat on my diet" (which of course I chose the latter.) But then I stumbled upon paleo chocolate chunks, and my life has been changed. Now, a disclaimer, I don't know if you can really cook with this recipe. The gal I got it from says she does, but the recipe she took inspiration from says not to (plus it being oil based is telling me not to). So, feel free to attempt it, but don't hate me if it doesn't work. I warned you! 

I was afraid while I was making it that it would have a weird, possibly oily taste. Well, thankfully it does not. It just tastes like delicious dark chocolate! The recipe also couldn't be easier, all you do is melt the coconut oil in a sauce pan, whisk in all of the other ingredients, and chill in a mold in the fridge (I used a small baking pan lined with wax paper.) 

I have many plans for these yummy delights (some of which I'll post soon), but they're fabulous just on their own. I portioned some in small plastic cups to pop in my lunch bag for a delicious, perfectly portioned snack to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 5/5
Taste: 5/5

Product Review: Back to Nature Chocolate Delight Granola

Alana's Product Review: Back to Nature Chocolate Delight Granola

After all the fruit I stuck in my yogurt last week, I was looking for a change. Enter the above granola. Now... I'm not going to lie, I chose this one because it was on sale, but I'm glad I did.  It was delicious. Serving size is half a cup, but I used 1/4 cup and it was perfect. I put this in nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt. Not too sweet which is what I was afraid of; I'm not a huge fan of chocolate for breakfast (weirdo, I know). But it pretty delicious, I kind of want to eat some more!

Bottom Line: Yummy, I recommend.


The content of this post is the opinion of the blogger and no compensation was received for this review.

Chopped Cajun Chicken with Cheddar Corn Quinoa

Chopped Cajun Chicken with Cheddar Corn Quinoa

Ok, so this was kind of a cheat. Before I had fully committed to clean eating I purchased this meat.  Kroger had a super sale on meat, and there was a huge package of pre-seasoned Cajun Chicken, seriously it was like 4 bucks! I know this had more seasoning and other things I wouldn't have put on it, but I didn't want to keep it frozen forever! So I cooked it ahead of time and tasted it. It was, as I expected, super sodium packed. So to diffuse the situation, I decided to pull all the meat off and chopped it up.

I paired it with some "plain" sides. I cooked quinoa (aka my new favorite thing) in chicken broth and water. I cooked frozen corn, and then mixed the corn, quinoa, and chopped cheddar from a block together, then placed everything on some remaining romaine hearts I had. It may not look pretty, but everything tasted really good together.

I guess the moral of the story is, even though there was part of the meal that was not the best you can take actions to lessen the blow to your diet or program. Again remember, this isn't a hit or miss challenge, this is your life, it's a journey. We're slowing progressing to our goal of a healthier lifestyle and I'm pretty happy with this meal. 

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 3.5/5

Comments: The side was perfect, the chicken was too salty, next time, I'll do my own seasoning! 

Breakfast Repeat

Many times when we don't post, we're either remaking a simple meal or we are eating leftovers that are exactly the same with no add-ons.  This morning that is the case for me. I made the eggs described in this post: http://sofresheatclean.blogspot.com/2016/02/cinnamon-fried-bananas-with-almonds.html?m=1

In the previously posted recipe I only used olive oil,  spinach, egg whites, and salsa (no milk, no butter). Today I did the same thing, but this time I knew I'd be sharing with my son so I did 7 eggs, 2 of which the yolks were used also, my son likes the yolks. Anyways it looked exactly the same as the one in the old post (old pic also posted below), but you could definitely taste the yolk. My son LOVED it. Me, not so much. I much prefer only the egg white, but seeing as how he loves breakfast time and I don't really care for breakfast (don't ask me why!) I'd rather make something he'd enjoy! 

Anyways, that was my morning meal! Now I need an embarrassing amount of coffee. Being the mom of two kids under the age of 2.5yrs (one who is under 2 months old!), there's no hope of sleeping past 6:30am. Today, they decided 6am was better, but boy does that extra 30 min make a difference! *yawn!* I think mana will be joining in on naptime today!

Alana's Review

Ease:5/5

Taste: 3.5/5 // toddler's review: 5/5

Comments: egg whites only please! 

Water, water, water!

Whenever you are trying to be healthier, trying to lose weight, or even just trying to exist, water is essential! That is one thing both Sarah and I struggle with. We just always seem to forget about drinking enough water. So, in effort to make water more appealing, we spiced up our water today.

Sarah's water: navel orange slices

Alana's water: lemon, cucumber, and apple

 

Also, just to solidify the obvious importance of water, here's an infograph from: http://www.lifeadvancer.com/why-dehydration-is-making-you-fat-and-sick-infographic

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs

So, while scrolling through Twitter last night, I scrolled past a picture of Swedish Meatballs. I scrolled past but couldn't get them out of my head, so I tried to find the tweet to give credit today but I couldn't find it. I had never made swedish meatballs before so I did a bunch of research, threw out my other dinner plan, and put together my own recipe, I also tried to make it clean.  So, here you go! 

Meatballs (measurements are approx.)

1lb Extra Lean Ground Turkey

1 Cup Plain panko bread crumbs with crushed saltine crackers (1. Bc I like to use them & 2. I ran out of panko)

3/4 cup Chopped spinach

1 Tsp Garlic powder

Pinch Salt&pepper

1 tsp Dried rosemary

1 tsp Dried basil 

One small chopped finely onion (I usually use the use the mini chopper, but the babies were sleeping in the other room)

2 Splashes of Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs

Make them into meatballs, and spread them out on a non stick sprayed baking dish

Baked @ 350 for 35 minutes

Sauce

3 cups organic free range chicken broth

1 cup water

1/2 cup soy milk

1&1/2 Tsp rosemary

2 dashes of soy sauce

1&1/2 tsp honey

Salt&pepper

3 heaping tablespoons (the kind you eat with) flour

Mix it up

Put the baked meatballs into a pot, pour the sauce over it. I simmered it for about an hour and a half, but you can adjust to your preference and needs. 

The side was nothing crazy, baked potatoes and green beans coated in olive oil topped with salt, pepper,  and Parmesan

Alana's Review

Ease: 2.5/5

Taste: 4/5

Comment: Use wheat flour instead of white for the sauce, I didn't have any on hand (I know... shame on me) just to make it more clean. Also, while I think the honey did add something special,  I kind of want to try maple syrup, worse case scenario I have to redo the sauce. But I think it turned it really well considering I've never made it before  (and actually only have eaten it once, maybe twice? But for some reason I just HAD to have it). It was a great first attempt and my toddler kept asking for more, so it must have been pretty good! 

Leftover Gnocchi with Leftover Meat Sauce

Leftover Gnocchi with Leftover Meat Sauce

Sarah's Review

Ease: 5/5. 

Taste: 5/5. 

Comments: I'm surprised by how well the Gnocchi reheats, they're great to make in large batches and then just throw them and a sauce in a bowl for lunch. Easy and delicious!

Lemon Butter Chicken w/ Parmesan Zucchini and Green Beans

Lemon Butter Chicken w/ Parmesan Zucchini and Green Beans

http://www.fivehearthome.com/2014/06/21/baked-parmesan-zucchini-rounds/

http://wonkywonderful.com/lemon-butter-chicken-thigh-recipe/

If you know me, you know I love butter. I put an embarrassing amount on my baked potatoes, butter and parmesan pasta is my favorite go-to meal...I just can't get enough. So I got just a little excited when I saw the above recipe for lemon butter chicken thighs. Pro #1: I already had all of the ingredients on hand. Pro #2: It involves butter. Sounds like a winner to me! It was pretty easy to make and had a nice garlicy lemon flavor. But here comes the twist in the story: it wasn't the star of the dish for me. No, not the buttery braised,  moist chicken, but the parmesan zucchini! That stuff was delish. That cheesy, crispy bite was flavor heaven. And only two ingredients? Winner winner zucchini dinner.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 3/5

Taste: chicken 4/5. Zucchini: 5&5

Comments: I'd recommend lightly spraying whatever you bake the zucchini on, they like to stick. Also, I used skin-on chicken thighs, but I'd recommend skinless as the skin gets very soggy in the braising.

Leftover Veggie Sauté over Quinoa

Leftover Veggie Sauté over Quinoa

So, I had some leftover veggie sauté from last night and my husband was working late so I was just cooking for me tonight (I had planned something else for my toddler). I decided to put this sauté over quinoa. The sauté kind of tasted like a stew and I like to put stews over white rice. Since I'm trying to limit my intake of white rice I decided to cook some quinoa in some chicken broth with ginger, salt, and pepper. I like to infuse my rice with powdered ginger so I just did that with the quinoa and it turned out pretty good!

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 4/5

Comments: This was very tasty but very hearty, maybe a little too much so.  So I ate an apple after,  but I think a cool and light salad would go nice and would help break up the heaviness. 

Non-Fancy Sandwich

Sandwich

I'm going to just post what I ate today, even though there's nothing too special about it. I was trying to make lunch while trying to get my toddler fed. And it just so happened that my baby woke up about 10 minutes too early! I would have just skipped it, but I had already skipped breakfast because, well, you know... baby stuff. Just an fyi, health-wise, that is a super big no-no! So I had to eat something! Anyways...

It's super important to have healthy food staples on hand for times like this where you're in a pinch. While this isn't what I would consider ideal clean food, it was better than grabbing a burger. 

100% Whole Wheat Bread (to be honest, I am not a fan of whole wheat bread, but maybe eventually I will be)

Ham

Gouda Cheese Slices

Cherry Tomatoes

Alana's Review:

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 2/5

Comments: It was eh - If I had more time, I'd have put on some lettuce, tomato, and other toppings. I also need to pick up some less processed deli meat. 

Homemade Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Walnut Pesto

Homemade Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Walnut Pesto

While I was searching the internet for clean recipes to try, I came across the one listed 

above and was so excited. It looked and sounded amazing and I couldn't wait to try it, it looked so easy! Boil some pre-made gnocchi, blend some simple ingredients, saute all together, and presto: a delicious dinner. I instantly ran to the grocery store to get all of the ingredients, but my heart sank when I picked up that package of gnocchi: there were quite a few ingredients that I had no idea what they were. I couldn't use the gnocchi if I wanted to make this meal a clean eating one, and I REALLY wanted to make this meal. What's a gal to do in a situation like this? Put on her chef hat and make her own gnocchi, of course! So there in the grocery store I scoured the internet in search of gnocchi recipes and came up with one that seemed to use the best aspects of all of the recipes I looked at. I won't lie, I was very nervous while making these gnocchis as I had no clue how the dough should look, how long I should knead the dough, or pretty much how the heck one was to make gnocchis, period. But i persevered on. I made the dough, cut them into (not so pretty) pieces, threw them in the water, and said a prayer or two. Once they rose to the top of the pot, I tried one and couldn't believe my taste buds. They tasted like gnocchi! Didn't look so much like them, but I can get over that. I was surprised by how easy it actually turned out to be, and that's coming from someone who didn't know how to make gnocchi at all yesterday. It's a messy task, but well worth it to know what all exactly is in your gnocchi and get delicious, and clean eating, yummy little dumplings.

Here's how to make the gnocchi: peel and slice one big russet potato, and boil until they're easily pierced with a fork. Drain really well, then put in a bowl and mash with a fork until there's no lumps. Take 1 cup of this and mix with 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 egg. Once the dough starts looking really lumpy, dump onto a well floured surface and start kneading until the dough comes together. It'll be a little sticky, but if it's too sticky just keep kneading in flour until it's the right consistency. Then take a small chunk and start rolling into a log on a lightly floured surface. Roll until it's about 3/4 inch in diameter, then cut into half inch pieces (if you want prettier gnocchis, roll on a flour fork to get the pretty grooves.) Then toss in salted boiling water and wait for the gnocchis to float (this takes about 2-3 minutes), then drain. I did my gnocchis in small batches, make sure to not overcrowd the pot. And that's it, you now have beautiful, homemade gnocchis you can brag to your friends about! (Feel free to tell them it was a laborious process, they sure do taste like it 

Sarah's Review

Ease: 3/5 

Taste 5/5 

Comments: next time I'd like to try using whole wheat flour and flavoring the Gnocchi dough with spices

Baked Chicken w/ Sweet Potato Asparagus Saute

Baked Chicken w/ Sweet Potato Asparagus Saute

I had a pack of chicken thighs left over from a big freezer meal prep session, so I thought I'd use it. I lightly salted the chicken and and baked it in the oven. During which I mixed together a little sauce I basted the chicken a couple times and then poured the remainder all over for the last 5 minutes. The veggies, I sauteed onion with some extra virgin olive oil, then threw in the sweet potatoes and asparagus. I hit it with some balsamic vinegar then let covered it and let it cook on medium heat. I then put in the roma tomatoes, put another dash of balsamic vinegar and topped with some honey and pepper. This was to mimic the mixture for the chicken. 

Chicken basting mixture (just an fyi I do everything to taste and hardly measure anything):

olive oil

balsamic vinegar (just a splash)

honey (a tbsp or two)

pepper

salt

chicken broth (about 1/4 cup)

Alana's Review:

Ease: 4/5
Taste: 3.5/5
Comment: So I definitely enjoyed this one, I liked the chicken, and I liked the veg. mix, but I think I would add maybe another vegetable to the mix, and the chicken I think  I would use a couple more spices. It was good, very traditional, and I prefer it to be a little zestier!

Faux Spaghetti aka Faux-s'ghetti

Faux Spaghetti aka Faux-s'ghetti

I LOVE pasta. Italian food is my favorite food, I could eat it every day (and there have been plenty of periods in my life where I have). I always buy whole wheat pasta because it has way more nutrition than normal pasta, but I still want a healthier choice. Cue the spaghetti squash: the fun to eat, nutritious, perfect spaghetti alternative. If you're unfamiliar with it, which you should change ASAP because it's delicious, it's a type of squash that shreds into thin spaghetti-like strings when cooked. Usually I eat it as a side dish with butter and parsley, but I wanted to make it the star of my meal so I decided to treat it like real spaghetti and fill it with meat sauce. Wowza. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it came out fantastic! The squash has a nice little crunch and an oh-so-slightly sweet flavor that tastes delicious with the meat sauce. Dare I say, it was even better than the real stuff! (Sounds crazy, I know, but I'm totally serious.)  Here's how I made it: I cut the squash in half and put the flesh side down in a glass baking dish, filled the dish with 1 inch of water, and microwaved for 18 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the size of your squash,  mine was small). It's done when a fork easily pierces the flesh. While that's going,  I browned about 1/4 pound ground beef, drained, then added about 2 cups of pasta sauce (I used an all natural kind from a jar, but I'll use homemade next time.) Let the sauce heat through then spoon into the squash half, and done! Seriously, it's that easy. And seriously delicious.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 5/5

Comments: Sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese and parsley at the end to finish it off. For an even healthier version, sub ground turkey for the ground beef.

Orange Garlic Salad w/ Steak and Croutons // Leftovers & Fruit Salad

Leftovers: Balsamic Chicken & Cheddar Broccoli Quinoa //  Fruit Salad, lunch

I'm posting mine first because it's super boring (but still amazingly delicious) and I don't want to follow the tough act below. =). I set aside some of last night's dinner for lunch today. I ate that with the pictured fruit. It looks like a lot, but I had planned to eat half at lunch, half later. But the raspberries were a little on the wrong side of ripe, so I had to throw those out.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 5/5

Comment: Leftovers are the best!

Orange Garlic Salad w/ Steak and Croutons 

There are only two types of salad I like: Caesar salad and dry salad. I've never been a sauce gal, I hate condiments, dressings, and everything of the like. Recently though I've been trying hard to branch out and try new sauces, like the lemon garlic aioli I made with the fish tacos. Well today I made a salad dressing. And not just any dressing, I made a vinaigrette!  (I HATE vinegar with a passion, can't stand the taste). With that in mind, this vinaigrette is lighter on the vinegar so you may need to add more than I did. 

Description: romaine salad with steak bites, croutons, and orange garlic vinaigrette. Recipe: 1/4 cup orange juice (I used fresh squeezed ), 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 tsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp orange zest, 2 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp garlic powder, pinch of salt and pepper. 

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 5/5

I thought the vinaigrette came out fantastic,  it had a light orange taste with a hint of garlic and a nice bite from the vinegar.  And you can never go wrong with steak, mine was a ribeye from my boyfriend's uncle's cattle farm, can't get fresher than that!

Successes & Failures

Some days it's easy to cook and eat healthy and then some days it's a real challenge. The best thing that we did while preparing to take on clean eating is deciding that this isn't a diet but a lifestyle change.

So, the fact that we both totally stunk it up for breakfast isn't a discouragement for the rest of the day or for tomorrow, it's just a reason to try harder on the next meal. We're still learning and are still human. Sometimes our failures are on accident and then some are delicious decisions.

However, personally, since eating clean, whenever I eat poorly I pay for it right after and feel sick until I drink a couple glasses of water. That tells me that 1. The new eating habits are making a difference & 2. That the old food MUST be pretty bad for your body!

So, just a note for those working on eating healthy: though the title suggests breakfast was a failure... it's really not, it's okay to mess up! Expecting perfection immediately is a great way to sabotage yourself!! That meal is over, on to the next!!

See you at lunch time!
Alana

Balsamic Chicken with Cheddar Broccoli Quinoa

Balsamic Chicken with Cheddar Broccoli Quinoa, dinner

I had saved some balsamic chicken from the other night and froze it. I ended up using it sooner than I expected. I let it thaw in the fridge then shredded it and threw it in a skillet with chicken stock and vegetable stock. I threw in a splash of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of pepper and salt. I tasted it after it had cooked and it was a little too "zesty" for me, so I put in about a tbsp of honey and that made it perfect. The Cheddar Broccoli Quinoa was exactly that, quinoa (cooked with the two stocks mentioned above), cheddar, and broccoli.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 5/5

Comment: AMAZING. I had never tried quinoa before and I am always very skeptical of new foods, but this was such a great surprise. Even my husband commented that it was good. We were not healthy eaters (previously) so this was definitely a win. No suggested changes!

Banana Pancakes

Banana Pancakes, breakfast

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20334/banana-pancakes-i/

This morning I made banana pancakes according to the above recipe....sort of. It was early morning, I hadn't had my coffee yet, and instead of reading the directions which say to mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, I just dumped everything into the bowl and whisked it all together before I read that part. So mine may or may not have come out differently than they were supposed to,  I'll let you know next time I make them. 

Now, I usually make my pancakes by melting butter in the pan and pouring the batter on top of that.  Do NOT do that with this recipe or you'll end up with the accordion-like beauties below.  Definitely spray your pan before you pour the batter in,  I used olive oil spray.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 4/5

Comments: On their own these pancakes aren't super flavorful, so I would highly recommend adding additional flavors on top or in the batter. A dash of cinnamon, a mixing of walnuts, or a topping of chocolate chips like I did. Dark chocolate chips would have been delicious, but I only had milk chocolate on hand. I would also add a dash of vanilla extract to the batter next time to give it a little more flavor.

Yogurt 2.0

Yogurt 2.0

Lite Vanilla Greek Yogurt, 1 tbsp of Honey, half an orange, 1 kiwi 

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Yum: 3/5

Notes: At first I thought my yogurt from the first post needed more fruit, but I wasn't too impressed with this. It tasted good, but it was a little unsatisfying and a little "unfilling". I think I might have put too much honey, it was a little too sweet and next time I am going to use some granola. 

Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos

Flounder dipped in milk then in a mixture of panko, garlic powder, paprika, and s&p. Baked at 375 for about 10 minutes,  then placed in corn tortillas and topped with fresh cabbage and a lemon garlic aioli. (Aioli recipe: 1/2 cup all natural mayo, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and s&p to taste)

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4/5

Yum: 5/5

Notes: I'm a plain eater so the cabbage and aioli was delicious enough for me, but these can be topped with any veggies you like. A homemade salsa would also be delicious.

Stuffed Bell Pepper

I am all about using left overs and excess ingredients, so be prepared to see a lot of that in this blog! So this is a meal of left overs/excess!

Stuffed Bell Pepper, lunch

Ground turkey (from dinner last night), corn, cheddar cheese, stuffed in the green bell pepper (half of one because that's what I had on hand), topped with salsa with a side of cucumber. 

I originally was going to bake this but I had exactly 20minutes to cook and eat before I had to head out the door again (while feeding two kiddos). So I just microwaved the left over meat and corn.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Yum: 5/5

Suggestion:Use homemade salsa (again) but other than that, it was amazing.

Ground Turkey Shell-less Tacos

Ground Turkey Shell-less Tacos

Incl: Ground turkey (cooked with 1/4 cup salsa, pinch of pepper, 1 tsp chilli powder), shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green bell peppers topped with extra salsa (store bought) over a romaine heart leaf. Plain corn on the side. 

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Yum: 5/5

Suggestion: This was delicious, I was concerned because I hadn't had ground turkey before, but adding the salsa while cooking kept it moist and gave the meat a lot of flavor. I loved this meal, my only change would be using homemade salsa.

Our Sad Salads

Tossed Salad with Orange Wedges

Incl: Romaine hearts, cucumbers, spinach, carrots, cherry tomatoes. (Left over salad from last night), and half an orange.
I also used Catalina dressing... this is not on my personal allowed list.. but the fact that Wendy's had burgers for 69cents today and I still ate a salad, we're going to just throw this into the win column and move on.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Yum: 2/5

Suggestion:  This was plain, boring, dull, so next time I need to spice it up and include a protein. 

Sarah said she thought I would be hungry again 30min after I ate this.. and she was right.. Whomp whomp...

Tossed Salad with Cheese & Crackers

Incl: Romaine and spinach salad with chia seed, garlic croutons, and 2tsp Caesar dressing.
Cheddar cheese and whole wheat crackers.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 5/5

Yum: 5/5

Suggestion:  Use homemade croutons and homemade dressing next time.

Iced Caramel Latte

Isn't this the most beautiful sight you've ever seen!? Well, it is almost fully healthy/clean!

When we were researching which diet/eating program we wanted to attempt, we went through quite a few until we found one that allowed us coffee (read as: as much coffee as we wanted). We are not counting calories, so it does give us a little more freedom in the amount of coffee we drink a day. But from the research I've done so far, espresso is A-OK!

Iced Caramel Latte

Incl: 2 shots of Espresso,  1cup unsweetened almond milk, caramel syrup, and absolutely no added/additional sugar #winning, all over ice.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Yum: 5/5

Suggestion:The caramel syrup was definitely not on my "allowed" list, but I'm looking into substitutes. So this is a work in progress!

Side note... I gave this a 5/5 on taste, it is as about as delicious as a healthy cup of coffee can get.. BUT it's still not the decadent White Chocolate Vanilla Mocha (with extra vanilla), I usually get from Starbucks. However, it is a good sub, and it's much cheaper since I can make this at home!

I should also mention that I definitely dislike almond milk and soymilk as a beverage by themselves, but I have used both in coffee, and to be completely honest, I actually prefer it over the creamers and regular (2% milk).

Cinnamon Fried Bananas with Almonds // Spinach & Egg White Scramble with Salsa

 Cinnamon Fried Bananas with Almonds

(Bananas from: http://www.dizzybusyandhungry.com/pan-fried-cinnamon-bananas/)
Cinnamon fried bananas from the link, with half a tbsp chopped unsalted almonds with 2% milk.
While not exactly super "healthy", it is clean! Only 1/3 of the sugar/cinnamon mixture was used, and sugar in the raw was subbed in.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4.5/5

Yum: 4.5/5

Suggestion:Use skim milk in place of 2% to take it up a healthy notch.

Spinach & Egg White Scramble with Salsa

Chopped fresh spinach, 1/4 tbsp olive oil, egg whites, store bought salsa

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Yum: 5/5

Suggestion:Use homemade salsa instead*

*While the store bought salsa qualified as clean eating (all ingredients are 'pronounceable'), it of course would be even better with home made

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that my toddler wanted a taste of this and as he walked away chewing it, he was "Mmmmm"ing all the way back to his play area, then promptly returned for 2nds, 3rds, and so on. 2/17/16

Honey Balsamic Chicken Salad // Fruit Salad

Alana here! Lunch was a struggle, I ended up eating left overs (a semi healthy meal, but still...). I spent so much time trying to plan for breakfasts and dinners, I forgot about lunch! Anyways it'll be better tomorrow!

Honey Balsamic Chicken Salad, Dinner

Half a chicken breast baked with marinade (1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp honey, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, garlic powder... I accidentally threw it in out of habit instead of mincing fresh garlic) on top of a tossed salad. I used romaine hearts, spinach, carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, dusted with 1/4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese.

Alana's Review

Ease: 3.5/5

Yum: 4.5/5

Suggestion: Next time I will set some marinade aside to sprinkle on the salad so it's not too dry.

Fruit Salad, Dessert
Incl: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi
Side note, the dessert I really wanted as a fudge sundae.. but I resisted, go me!

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Yum: 5/5

Suggestion: None! It was fresh and delicious.

Yogurt // Omelette

 Lite Vanilla Greek Yogurt, 1/2 tsp of Honey, half an orange.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Yum: 3.5/5

Suggestion: Higher orange to yogurt ratio

Spinach and Portobello Mushrooms on Egg White
Omelette (with salt, pepper, parsley, garlic, olive oil spray) 

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4/5

Yum: 4/5

Suggestion: Add more flavor to the spinach and mushroom