Be Unstoppable!
How have I not published this??? I'm freaking out right now!!

 I legitimately thought that I had posted this recipe a LONG time ago, but without as many awesome pictures...only to realize that I have not! This is a food emergency right now, because you all need to try this recipe!!

 Okay, hold on...let me compose myself...

So, I pretty much gave you the run down of my vacation home in my last post, Home for the Holidays, where I emphasized the things that I did while I was home to ensure that I was at least maintaining my healthy habits! At the end of that post, I started talking about the fact that something you can do for your family while your home to help yourself stay healthy, help your family get introduced to your lifestyle, and also to take some of the workload off of your family in terms of making dinner! I kind of teased you about a recipe that I made for them...and now I'm going to lay it all out for you...

Introducing...one of my absolute favorite recipes that I've ever made...

I originally got this recipe from Pinch of Yum, and have since modified it by a) adding protein, and b) increased the amount of food with more squash and lots of tortillas!!

But here's the jist....

What you'll need...
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped, seeds and ribs removed
  • 2 bell peppers, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 small butternut squash, cubed
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder, or more if you prefer spicier
  • ½ teaspoon cumin, or more if you prefer spicier
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 chicken breasts, cubed
  • 16 ounces of fresh mushrooms, chopped
  • Corn tortillas, I used 2 10 tortilla packages of the small corn tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican mix cheese
  • Cilantro
  • 16 ounces Tomatillo sauce (The original recipe called for homemade tomatillo sauce, but I'm all about simplifying so I bought it at the store)
Directions...

 Squash Filling
The squash and pepper part of the filling is so beautiful! And - your house will probably smell good by this point! AT this time, aunts and uncle arrived and my Aunt Lesa was gushing about how good this all smelled
  • Over high heat, roast the peppers and jalapeño until just brown
  • Add the onions and saute until translucent
  • Add the squash, 1 T of butter, cumin, chili powder, and salt...and saute until the squash is tender by pricking with a knife. This may take a bit of time depending on the size of cubes you cut your squash into so plan accordingly with time.
  • Once the squash is cooked set this mixture aside
At this time you may want to start pre-heating your oven to 400 degrees.

Mushroom Filling
Chicken and Mushroom part of the filling 
  • Add a tablespoon of butter to the plan.
  • At this time, add the cubed chicken breast and cook chicken through until almost fully cooked.
  • Add the mushrooms and saute until softened and slightly brown
  • Season with salt and additional chili powder if desired
Assembly and Cooking
The prep takes longer than all the actual cooking - only approximately 15 minutes until DELICIOUSNESS!
  • Wrap the tortillas (about 5 or 6 at a time) in moist paper towels and zap in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. This is to make the tortillas soft and pliable so that they don't break during the assembly process. Seriously don't skip this step! Also be careful with the tortillas because they'll likely be hot when you handle them!
  • Combine the squash, mushroom & chicken mixes.
  • Fill the tortillas with the mixture and close, placing them seam side down in the pan.
  • Repeat until you've used all the tortillas. You may have some filling leftover. If you do, just sprinkle it over the top of the tortillas. For me, I was able to make two 9x13 dishes full of tortillas and I split the leftover filling between the two platters.
  • Top the dishes with tomatillo sauce and cheese, spreading evenly between the two dishes!
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly!
  • Top with cilantro and serve!
I had planned on making this recipe my very last night home for my holiday vacation. It was supposed to just be myself and my parents, but I knew it would be a LOT of food, so I invited my aunts and uncle, and my grandparents over! We even had a surprise visit from my family friend!  So, altogether, I was able to serve 9 people with very hearty appetites with this and had a little bit leftover! And let me tell you, it was a HIT! Can't you tell?
They busted into the first pan before I could even take a picture, and before I knew it BOTH pans were gone!
My grandma brought over a Chinese cabbage salad, which went surprisingly well with the enchiladas! Let me know if you want that recipe too! It's a family favorite!

Anyways, my family really really really enjoyed this recipe and I hope yours does too! :-)

Happy cooking!
MORE FOOD!!!!!!!! I know you're just really upset about hearing about more delicious recipe awesome-ness, right? **wink wink**

Have you ever stumbled across a recipe on pinterest and you just started salivating immediately?!?! Ya...that happened to me last weekend when I found this one--Chicken, Mushroom, and Spinach Enchiladas from the Girl Who Ate Everything.  If you just take one peak at these pictures, I dare you to tell me these don't look delicious! These just looked delicious and whether or not they were really cheese heavy (ya they kind of are...why do you think I didn't 21 day fix approve them?)...I still had to try these! Because you know what, sometimes you deserve a cheesy treat!

So, for today's meal of the week...Spinach, Mushroom, and Chicken Stuffed Enchiladas! I know some people have strong opinions about mushrooms. So, if you're not a mushroom person, or eating spinach makes you feel like Popeye, than feel free to substitute!  

For mushroom substitution...You'll need another meaty vegetable! Cauliflower or eggplant would probably be sufficient for that. I do not have much experience cooking with eggplant, so I personally would suggest cauliflower, since I anticipate it would hold its shape better than eggplant would and would therefore make a more appetizing consistency for your filling.

For spinach subsitution...I would suggest chard or kale! I personally looooooooove kale, so that would be by personal suggestion!

 First things first, what do you need at the grocery store?

 Grocery List:
  • Sweet Onions - $0.45
  • Mushrooms - $3.99
  • Kroger Low Sodium Chicken Broth - $1.55
  • Fresh Baby Spinach - $4.99
  • Philadelphia Cream Cheese - $0.41
  • Chicken breasts - $10.49 (used approximately half for this recipe and half for Veggie & Chicken Crockpot Chili recipe)
  • Limes - $0.39
  • 8 ounces Daisy Low Fat Sour Cream - $1.39
  • Cilantro - $0.89
  • Kroger Flour Tortillas -$1.99
  • Kroger Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese - $0.69
Things I already had:
  • Butter
  • Garlic Powder
Total = $16.25 total for recipe

Directions...
Start by preheating that oven to 350 degrees and greasing your baking pan. I used a 9 x 13 glass Pyrex baking dish.

Then cook your chicken breast - about 1 1/2 chicken breasts if you haven't already. I kind of forgot this step (oops) so my filling was sitting around while I was cooking the chicken! After you're done, let it cool and then dice it. Once I realized I hadn't cooked my chicken yet, I personally let mine cook while I was preparing the rest of the filling.

For the filling...
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • Small Onion, minced
  • garlic powder
  • Mushrooms - 1lb approximatley, coarsely chopped
  • 10 ounces of coarsely chopped baby spinach
  • 1/4 C of low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 ounces of cream cheese - low fat
  • cooked and diced chicken

Melt the butter down in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat, add minced onions, garlic powder, and mushrooms until soft. About 5 minutes or so should do it.  

Remove half of the mushroom mixture and set aside.

Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth and cook for a couple more minutes.

Add the coarsely chopped spinach and cook down until soft. Then add in 4 ounces of the cream cheese (this was half of my block of cream cheese) until melted, mixing into the mixture as it melts.  Season with salt to taste, and also mix in chopped and cooked chicken.  

For the sauce...
  • Juice of one lime
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • Garlic powder - I didn't measure but 1-1.5 tablespoons should be good
  • Low Fat (or Fat Free) Sour cream - 8 oz
  • Cilantro, chopped

Combine juice of one lime, 1 cup of chicken broth, and garlic powder (about 1 tablespoon or more if you really like garlic).  Then add the reserved mushroom mixture, 8 ounces of low fat sour cream, and chopped cilantro. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assembly...
  • Filling
  • Sauce
  • 8 flour tortillas
  • 1.5 cups of Monterrey Jack cheese (This was about 6 of the 8 ounces of Monterrey Jack in the bag of shredded cheese)
Divide filling between the 8 tortillas, fill and roll with seam side down...seriously make sure the seam is down! Pour the sauce over the top of the enchiladas, and then top with the shredded cheese.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes!

Enchiladas should be bubbling and golden brown!

Then, enjoy!

 Seriously, these enchiladas are AMAZING! I totally look forward to them at the end of a long day! To offset the heaviness of these, I'll usually pair them with a large salad. And purely to offset that they are a little on the high-fat side, I have not been having them back-to-back days for dinner! I usually alternate between these and my veggie-heavy chili or a large salad with some grilled chicken or hard boiled egg for dinner! But seriously you should check them out! SO DELICIOUS!!

 Happy Eating! 
I love love LOVE crock pot recipes during the winter & fall! I mean--I love these recipes all year round, really but they're especially perfect for warming you up on colder days. And they're even better for us busy busy people because they're just SO easy.  You just toss a bunch of stuff in a pot and leave! What's better than that?

I actually really get irritated by and try to avoid any crockpot recipe that asks you to sautee something before you put it into the pot. It kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think?

Well, anyways, of all the crockpot recipes I've posted, I think the majority of them have been chili recipes! What can I say? I love chili! I promise I'll mix it up with the crock pot recipes eventually, but I have just been craving some chili lately since it's been a while since I've made it.

 So today's recipe is a very simple, very delicious Veggie & Chicken Crockpot Chili!  A very hearty, healthy meal with very basic staple ingredients that are cheap and make preparation a breeze!



Something I LOVE about chili in terms of a hearty dinner is that it's so simple and so few ingredients to prepare. You just need some protein, beans, tomatoes, and veggies! You can pretty much tweak it whatever way you want! 

This way has become my favorite--chicken broth base with lots of tomatoes, veggies, and beans and some protein. I add tons of seasonings as you'll see! Especially lots of chili pepper...

First let's start with what you'll need!

 Grocery List:
  • Kroger Low Sodium Chicken Broth - $1.55
  • Kroger Canned Black Beans - $0.49
  • Kroger Canned Kidney Beans - $0.49
  • Kroger Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes - $0.79
  • Hunts Tomato Paste - $0.89
  • Frozen Veggie Mix (Soup Mix--contained some potatoes, carrots, beans, peppers, onions, etc.) - $1
  • Chicken Breasts - $10.00 for a 2lb package
  • Shredded Mexican Cheddar Cheese - $2.99
Total = $18.20

Other items you will need (that I already had...):

  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Chili Powder
  • Cumin
  • Black Papper
  • Salt
Cut up 2 large chicken breasts (about 1lb of chicken) into 1" pieces. I didn't use all of the chicken breasts in the package I bought. I used the rest in an another recipe.

Combine your cut up chicken breasts in the crockpot with 1.5 cups of chicken broth, the two cans of beans, roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, and the bag of frozen veggies (about 2 C of mixed veggies I would say). 

Then add all your seasonings! I don't really measure these. I pretty much judge by the flavors I like, and add things in "shakes."  But I'll do my best to estimate what I added here.
  • 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons of onion powder
  • 2-3 Tablespoons of chili powder**
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon of cumin**
  • Salt and pepper to taste
**I usually add more of both of these because I REALLY like the smoky, spicy flavors in my chili!

Then mix everything together.

Leave on low for 6-8 hours. I usually let them go closer to 8 hours because a) that works out better for timing with when I like to eat dinner, and b) all the flavors really melt together that way!

Top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and enjoy!

 This is a super simple MOTW, but it's hearty, healthy, and so delicious! And who doesn't like coming back from a day out running around doing errands to something as delicious smelling as this?

For my 21 day fix friends: I can't really give you specific measurements because it kind of depends upon what you put in your chili! But my chili came out to about 1 red, 1 yellow, 1.5-2 greens, and 1 blue per serving! I'm not sure how to count the chicken broth, but if you are concerned about that, you could substitute the chicken broth for water and olive oil. Then, the chicken broth would count as 1 orange!

Happy crock-potting!
 Today I want to emphasize the The Importance of Meal Prep! If you want to maintain and promote your own healthy lifestyle, you MUST prepare yourself in every way possible!

My Beachbody coach loves to say all the time....

FAIL TO PREPARE AND YOU PREPARE TO FAIL!

 Of course, this is super applicable to life, but my favorite way to apply that statement is to your nutrition! So today, I want to focus on meal prep! Last Sunday and again this weekend, I will be doing some serious meal prep, because it's just the ONLY way to really guarantee myself success in my nutrition by making all my snacks, meals, etc. accessible, easy, and a of course healthy! This is especially true when I'm doing 21 day fix! If you're going to be successful on this program - you NEED TO PLAN AHEAD!!!

 So here's an idea of what my meal prep looks like!

Saturday - Recipe selection and grocery shopping. I will usually go on pinterest or online and hunt for recipes, OR I will go to my already absurd amount of collected recipes and choose from some of my favorites, like Paleo Phad Thai and these other 21 Day Fix Approved options.
Sunday - MEAL PREP DAY! Last weekend was a great example! Instead of vegging out all day watching football, which is how I wanted to spend my Sunday, I multi-tasked! I put football on in the background and got all my meal prepping and house work done in the meantime!

 But now you might be asking - okay I understand planning ahead but what exactly do you do to prepare yourself?

 Basically - I prepare absolutely everything I can ahead of time! So, first things first, I CHOP EVERYTHING UP!!!!

 One of the ways I get my greens in during 21 day fix is by eating cucumbers (which I LOVE) and celery with hummus as snacks!  So, to make it as easy as possible for me to do this (which after all is the point of meal-prepping), I chop and bag EVERYTHING ahead of time!  I cut cucumbers up and celery up into small pieces and measure them out using the 21 day fix green container. Once I fill the green container, I dumb those pre-cut, pre-portioned cucumbers or celery into a ziploc bag and continue until I have cut up all the celery and cucumbers! What I'm left with is a tupperware full of pre-portioned, ready snacks that I can just GRAB in the morning to take with me to work.

This same strategy is used in my preparation of my fruit and greens! For example here, I had a cantaloupe that I wanted to use for my 21 day fix purples! So I chopped it up and kept it ready in a tupperware for the week! I could have pre-portioned these out just like I did for the cucumbers/celery but I ran out of ziploc bags! So, I just left these in the larger tupperware and filled a purple 21 day fix container before I left to go to work in the morning.

For my greens, I love to have a salad for lunch! I get creative with my salads! Kale with sweet potato and hard boiled egg/chicken with a lemon olive oil dressing, kale with grapes and almonds and lemon olive oil vinaigrette or balsamic vinegar or lemon! Yum! But the biggest reason I can do that is there's no need for me to rip up greens in the morning because I've already done that on Sunday! I rip up and throw all of my kale into a very larger tupperware container! I then throw a larger handful into a tupperware for lunch that day and top it with whatever ingredients I'm feeling for that days salads!

 I also prepare all my protein ahead of time! I hard boil all my eggs (as shown below) and cook all my protein! This week it was chicken! I cooked about a pound and a half of chicken breast tenders (which I love because about 2 of them are equivalent to one 21 day fix red container), which I seasoned with whatever seasoning I was feeling that day! Coffee BBQ seasoning, cajun, italian seasonings, etc. It kind of depends on what I'm going to put the chicken in that week! This week was taco salads and taco bowls, so I seasoning them with a chili powder, Mexican blend!  That way your protein is ready to just throw into your meal or eat as a snack, with NO PREP NEEDED!!!

 Also not pictured - I prepped and baked sweet potatoes as one of my starches for the week and also soaked and cooked a bunch of beans as my other starch, both of which I threw onto salads or into taco bowls during the week!

And that's it! It was a tedious task, but you know what? If you take a couple hours on a Sunday morning/afternoon while you're watching football or doing house chores, etc. you will save yourself SO MUCH TIME during the week and make eating health SO MUCH EASIER!!

 I highly recommend meal prepping and I hope that some of these tips helped you with your own meal prepping adventures!!!

Until next time, stay healthy my busy friends! ;-)



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