Stuffed Cube Steak

This was amazing and super easy to make! I used goat cheese instead of cream cheese, which was delicious. I also didn't add the sun-dried tomato or vinegar. 

The salad is spinach with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a dash of Parmesan cheese. The sweet potato is cooked in the oven. I clean the sweet potato, rub with coconut oil, set on baking sheet and cook at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour. Finish with a little grass fed better on top. 

Stuffed Cube Steak

"For every Goliath there is a stone."

I saw this on a church bulletin and loved it! Even this can be applied to our health and fitness. Rememeber, no journey is supposed to be easy. Progress is still progress, no matter how small it is! :-)

I'm still here!

Hey everyone!

So sorry I've been MIA recently! But there is good news... my husband and I just moved back to his home town and my place of work! We are so thrilled and I am so proud of him.

We have been preparing, packing, and moving for the past 3 weeks! Blogging has been very difficult, especially since I had no internet until three days ago.

I promise there are many QBG's,  JAG's, recipes, inspiration, and more to come!

STAY TUNED!

Here is a little funny for your hump day:

Deliciousness

I had no idea what to make the other night. So I decided to throw these three items together: onion, zucchini, and Chicken meatballs. I have one word to describe this dish... AMAZING!! If any of you know me personally, you will know exactly how I say the word too. I love this word, AMAZING... it just feels so good and allows me to speak with such conviction:-)

This meal was cheap, simple, delicious, easy, and nutritious!

This was my first time making Zucchini noodles, and boy am I hooked on them. I used a mandolin and changed out the flat head for the cheese grater and shredded it down lengthwise to create a longer "noodle." There is a machine you can get to actually create a noodle out of veggies, but this worked just as well. They probably turn out thinner like this, but I'm not that picky.

I'm sure you are just itching to get the scoop on how I made this amazing meal, so here you go!

What you will need:
1 yellow or sweet onion (I love the sweet onions or Vidalia)
1 package aidells Chicken Meatball Caramelized Onion
1 TBS Kerygolds Butter (any grass fed butter)
2 large Zucchini
Pinch of salt
Parsley and Parmesan to taste

The steps you will need to make the meal:

• Peel and slice onion
• Melt butter in large saucepan and add onion
• Caramelize the onion
• While the onion is caramelizing, shred your two zucchini (make sure you wash it first)
• Place your shredded zucchini in a microwavable bowl with a little water and salt in the bottom of it
• Microwave Zucchini for about 3 minutes and drain once it's steamed all the way through*
• When the onions are almost caramelized, add the chicken meatballs
• Cook the meatballs in the onion for about 10 minutes, get them nice and caramelized to add tons of flavor to the chicken
• Put about 1 cup of zucchini in a bowl, add a couple meatballs with onion, top with parsley and Parmesan and consume!

* I don't endorse using the microwave, but it was my first time steaming the zucchini and this is how a friend told me to try it first. Next time I will not use the microwave and steam it properly to keep all the nutrition:-)

I hope all of you enjoy this meal as much as I did, even my husband loved it! Smile, eat well, and keep moving!

  

JAG - aka "Just A Goodie"

So I had a great work out yesterday! SO good that I busted some blood vessels on my ring finger from my wedding band;-) Some of you already call me crazy for all my work outs, but I love every second of it. It feels so good to challenge yourself and sweat it out a little.

This is called my JAG work out. JAG stands for Just A Goodie:-) JAG's are usually done in the gym and require equipment and about an hour or so. They also require a little more rest in between exercises because you are lifting heavier. There is a surprise at the end, ok I'll tell you... you end the work out with a butt whooping interval session that kills the core! Look up any exercises you don't know on google or ask me! 

Hope y'all enjoy and have a fantastic end of the week! Sweat hard and play hard:-)

April 2 JAG

20 min intervals on cardio equipment of your choice

4x10 - Hex Bar Deadlifts

4x your max # - Pull Ups (unassisted)

4x your max # - Dips (unassisted)

-Rotate through the next three exercises with no rest between-

15 Box Jumps - challenge the height!

10 R/L Plank Up Downs

15 Glider Roll Outs

Breathe and stretch because you are all done:-)

Dirty Plantain Samich

I recently found out that I freaking LOVE plantains... the first time I had them was about 6 months ago. The plantation my husband works for has some Cubans that come up from Tampa to help out with maintenance around the place every couple of months, and boy can they cook!!

Dirty rice, pulled pork, guava jelly, and the wondrous fried plantain! Now, the fried plantain isn't coated with any flour, it's just cut up into chunks and pan fried in oil, it's delicious and heaven in my mouth.

It's only until recently that I myself started playing around with cooking plantains. I made my own healthy version of the Cubans dish, aka minus the rice:-) Here is the recipe I followed Easy Shredded Pork over Caramelized Plantains and now I'm hooked on these yummy funny looking bananas.

Did you know plantains are actually very good for you? Some people call them a fruit, some a vegetable. Whatever the case, they are a great addition to those who follow a low carb diet or healthy lifestyle low in grains and potatoes. The possibilities are endless. They can be used in place of potatoes in stews, mashed up, or pan fried and sprinkled with a little honey and cinnamon making an amazing desert. OR you can make chips out of them! Which is exactly what I did today!

First things first, here are some of the health benefits of plantains:

• High Fiber
• Vitamin A
• Niacin
• Vitamin B
• Calcium 
• Potassium

I follow a fellow blogger and fitness advocate named Neghar Fonooni, I'm sure you've seen me re post some of her other recipes before. She was my inspiration to write this blog and make the plantain chips. But, I went one step further with making some homemade ice cream to stuff into the middle of the chips:-) First things first:

The Plantain Chip:

What you need:

• (makes about 2 servings)
• 1 green plantain
• 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
• Sea salt

What you gotta do:

•  Slice plantain very thinly (a mandolin is best for this)
•  Heat coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium to medium high heat
•  Add plantains to the skillet in a single layer, and flip with tongs after a minute or so
•  Once fried, place on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with sea salt
•  Serve as soon as possible as they do have a tendency to get soft

The Ice Cream:

1 over ripe and frozen banana

1/4 c Unsweetened Almond Milk

4 drops Liquid Stevia

2 TBS Unsweetened Cocoa

1 TBS Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

1 TBS Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

1 TBS Sunflower Butter

Put all the ingredients in your food processor/blender/ninja etc.. I used my NutriBullet, and blend! Transport the ice cream into a container and put in freezer for at least an hour. I honestly eye balled and made up this recipe, so be creative and create a flavor you will enjoy:-)

Dirty Plantain Samich:

Now take the ice cream out of the freezer, let it melt just slightly so it's easy to scoop. Take two plantain chips, and scoop a small amount of ice cream and smoosh it in between the two chips... CONSUME!!! Ok, how much do you love it?? 

I think I just ate ten chips.... amazing!! ENJOY!

March 29 QBG!

So if you are new to my work outs, I create them to be done on a time crunch. I like to call them my "Quickie But Goodie"or "QBG." They are usually done with little to no equipment and at home.

Remember, these are called a QBG because they don't take a lot of time, but more importantly they will get your heart rate soaring in no time, and keep it soaring. If the work out is too difficult, they are easy to modify. Here are a couple ways you can modify all the work outs:

• If the exercise calls for 3 sets of 15, do 3 sets of 10.
• If the exercise calls for 1 minute, do 30-45 seconds.
• If the work out calls for 4 rounds, do 3 rounds.
• Give yourself 30 second rest between exercises.

Google is a great resource for looking up modifications to any difficult exercise. Don't let now knowing an exercise or thinking it will be too difficult hold you back. No more excuses! The key is to get up and get moving. Any exercise is better than sitting on your booty all day long:-) I hope y'all enjoy this beautiful Saturday wherever you are, and keep that body in motion.

QBG

Equipment: 1 Fitball

Approx Time: 25 minutes

Jumping Jacks - 1 minute

Body Weight Squats (hold arms above your head) - 25

Burpies - 10

Plie Squat - 25

Fitball Push Ups - 15

Fitball Knee Picks - 15

Bicycles - 25 R/L

Russian Twists - 25 R/L

*Repeat 3X*

Stretch and drink water!

-SLR