time to get naked

Qdoba/Chipotle. I mean are there really people out there who don't love it? I don't like fast food, so this is always my go to when eating out somewhere quick and love the healthy options! I decided to try and copycat it. And not to toot my own horn, but it was pretty delicious and husband approved.

Naked Burrito

The Chicken

• 1 lb chicken prepared however you'd like (rotisserie, grilled or crock pot) I used the crock pot
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (if using the crock pot)
• seasonings (cayenne, chili, cumin, paprika, garlic, onion powder) all to taste

Place chicken in crock pot, pour broth over and then sprinkle seasonings. Low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours or until your chicken is cooked through. Shred/chop up and let cook just a little longer to absorb juices.

The Rice

• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1/2 a lime
• fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Pam butter spray

Cook rice according to instructions. Fluff the rice when done. This made about 1.5-2 cups for us. Spray with some Pam butter spray. Squeeze the juice from half a lime over the rice and mix in the finely chopped cilantro. 

The Pico

• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 a lime

Stir everything together in a bowl. Alter to taste if needed.

The Guac

• 1-2 avocados, mashed
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 1/2 a bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, chopped

Mix everything together in a bowl. Alter to taste/consistency if needed.

Other Toppings

• 1 can black beans, no/low sodium (I'm not a fan of beans but I made these for Shon)
• 1/2 can corn, no sodium (I'm not a fan of corn either, unless it's on the cob, but like above, made for Shon)
• 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• lettuce, chopped

Cook the corn & beans according to instructions. Make sure you rinse the beans well. 

I took the 2 bell peppers and jalapenos, sprayed with Pam butter spray and sauteed til slightly tender. 

Build the Burrito

1. Rice
2. Chicken
3. Veggies
4. Pico
5. Guac

the plague

I feel like I'm turning back into one of those every now and then bloggers. I don't want that, but hear me out, my reasoning is legit. Too legit to quit. On Thursday morning, I woke up at 6:15 to get ready for my day. I'd be making my once a week 45 minute commute to true adult socialization; see: work, also see: office. As I begin my morning routine, I realize I have a headache. Who wakes up with one? Not me and not to mention I have had ZERO since I started eating clean. And this wasn't just your average headache, this was the holy mother f'n grail of headaches. Awesome. I'm standing in the bathroom after showering, which in most cases is a cure-all for waking up feeling like shit. Nope. This is the part where the toilet and I became close friends for a minute. The only thing worse than being sick is being sick when you still have to be a grown up and the only worse than that is being sick when you still have to be a grown up AND a parent. I forced myself to finish getting ready, even if it meant throwing my hair in a pony tail with some mascara and lip gloss. I got the kids up and ready and out of the house on time. I start downing water like it's my job. I get to work, feeling crappy but slowly better. Lunch time rolls around and I'm able to force some food down. I skipped dinner and this brings us to about 3 am Friday morning. Insert my 6 year old screaming at the top of her lungs. Awesome. She has a headache, something she hasn't ever dealt with before. We cuddle up on the couch together after some meds and go back to sleep. Then we both wake up feeling terrible. Here. We. Go. I failed to mention that Shon has been sick with a fever, chills, cough the whole week up to this. So now we are 3/4 down for the count in the household. Tay has a fever, cough and headache. I have no fever, but a headache and cough, with a side of nausea. I'm going to try and speed this up because, really, who wants to listen to how sick one family can be. Saturday morning rolls around and Tris wakes up sick. Puking and fever. S had to work til about lunch time and as shitty as I was feeling, I had to be strong for my babies. Up I go. Water, coffee, meds, shower. Check, check, check and check! We vegged out all day and we've been on the mend since. It's been terrible and THAT is why I haven't blogged. The struggle was real.

Luckily Wednesday, prior to all the nastiness, I had made a gargantuan pot of soup, which came in handy since I couldn't didn't want to cook.

Skinny Chicken Tortilla Soup

• chicken (honestly forgot to measure out how much I used, but I would say about 1.5 lb, MAYBE 2)
• chicken broth (the lowest sodium you can find) I did 5 or 6 cups and 1 cup of water, I can't remember
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes NO SODIUM
• 1-2 small onion, chopped
• 1-2 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1 can of corn NO SODIUM or frozen corn will work too
• about 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• seasonings (oregano, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne)

optional: sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips

I sauteed the peppers, onions and garlic in a pan for just a minute or two, until soft. Then dumped it, along with everything else in a crock pot. Chicken can be raw or you can use cooked or rotisserie. As far as the seasonings, I did about 1 half a tbsp of oregano then did the other stuff to taste. You can also cut back on the broth if you want a thicker soup/stew. Cook on high for about 4 hrs or on low for 6-8.

ENJOY!!

GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS? IT'S HUMMMPPPPP DAYYYY. WOO HOO. 

Or #WCW, if you are into that sort of thing. 

i'm in a funk

I'm in a funk this week. You know, one of those "I don't know what to blog about" funks. But here I am, it's hump day and this blog and I are going to try and make it work. Let me start from where I left off, Friday and work up to the present. This will probably be all over the place. Consider yourself warned.

Valentines Day was spent at home due to mother nature. So I picked up a heart shaped pizza and some dessert and called that dinner. If you know me, you know pizza is my weakness. Guess what? I slapped that pizza with rejection. I made my normal go-to meal, Ezekiel tortilla, artichokes & avocados. Yep, simple as that! Let me explain.

These, my friends, are my favorite thing. Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Tortillas. I get mine at my grocery in the organic section, in the freezer. I literally could eat them everyday and I pretty much do. I'm one of those people, when I find something I like, I dive 110% into it. Like the time I discovered Thai food and ate there pretty much everyday for a week or two or three. Or the time I made a sandwich from stuff I had in the fridge (bread, pesto, fresh mozzarella, tomato & red onion) and was so in love that I ate is everyday until I ran out of one or all of the ingredients. Then there was the time I went through a bagel kick, an everything bagel to be specific, toasted in the oven with turkey, cheese and finished with lettuce and tomato. Yeah you get the point now. But these bad boys and I have been having a love affair for over a month and I don't see it ending anytime soon. I will tell you later on in this post what I normally have with mine. Then on Sunday, I decided that I wanted a BLT, which I was going to make on a slice of bread from the same brand, Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Bread. But decided to do my tortilla and make "BLT nachos." Let's just say, HEAVEN.

Since I got completely side tracked about Valentines Day, I'll continue with that. Shon tells me that my gift is a pair of those pretty little Hunter boots I've been obsessing over. I'm not one of those people that EXPECT a gift, I always tell him a card will do, because it's the thought that counts. Back to the boots. The kick? They are freakin back ordered. EVERYWHERE. (Nordstrom, Von Maur, Saks, Urban Outfitters, Zappos, Piperlime, just to name a few) They have since been ordered from the actual Hunter website and should be here this week or early next week. AKA not soon enough.

Yesterday started a big thaw in the Midwest. Sun, something we rarely see these days and above freezing temps causing our plethora of snow to start melting. Where am I going with this you ask? Slush, puddles and more slush. Which has resulted in my feet being soaked through through my socks. Case in point, I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY HUNTERS. I feel we are going to have a long and healthy relationship and I can't wait to get it started.

The rest of our weekend was pretty low key. Did big kid things like get our taxes done. We went to the mall and out to dinner. I ended up not cheating that bad, I didn't eat anything until dinner and 5 of us split cheese fries. I got fajitas and didn't use the tortillas. I was pretty proud of myself. I spent my Sunday doing the norm, cleaning, laundry, crying over the Kimye proposal. Like I said, the norm. Don't be too jealous or judgmental.

Then comes Monday. I get a message from Shon that morning saying he wants to start eating clean with me. I will say, he will eat whatever I make, but he wanted to do it right and not snack on the crappy stuff or half-ass it. He will have his cheat days like I do. He is in his work vehicle all day for work and doesn't eat lunch, so I made sure to pick up lots of veggies, fruits and a jug of water to keep in his car.

Last night we took the kids to their first Pacer game. They really enjoyed it. Didn't make it through the whole thing, so we left after half-time. Part of us leaving early was because Shon and I were hangry. Not hungry. HANGRY. We decided to pick up some Qdoba to take home since there are healthy options. I ran in and after having to wait behind about 10 cops to order, it was my turn. "Two naked burritos, brown rice" I say. "We are out of brown rice, it's currently cooking and has about 15 minutes left" says the lady. "I'll wait" I say. So I take a seat and let him know it's going to be a while since he's stuck in the car with two tired kids. Finally the rice is ready, I order our food and the manager, after apologizing over and over, tells me our food is free. I told her that wasn't necessary but she insisted and I accepted. Thank you Qdoba. If it's at all possible, it made it taste even better.

My "Nachos"

1 Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Tortilla

Pam butter spray

seasonings (I used garlic powder & cayenne)

toppings, my fav is artichoke hearts (the ones in water, NOT oil!) & avocados. sometimes some onion, tomato, lettuce. just depends on my mood.

 

Preheat oven to 350. Spray tortilla on one side with the spray and sprinkle your seasonings on it. Bake for about 12 minutes or until tortilla is crispy. Break apart into "chips." I cut up 2-3 artichoke hearts and about half of an avocado. 

BLT "Nachos"

• 1 Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Tortilla
• Pam butter spray
• seasonings (same as above)
• 2-3 pieces of turkey bacon
• lettuce chopped
• 2 roma tomatoes chopped
• 2 tbsp guacamole

That's all I've got today! 

heart shaped holiday

Valentines Day, Schmalentines Day. No fancy plans for this one but as long as I don't receive a giant teddy bear, I'm good with however it goes down. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here you go: Teddy Bear Commercial ... Yes that is real life. A hundred dollars real life. Buy me a handbag, a pair of shoes or anything besides a stuffed bear for that matter.

I do love a good holiday. A reason to be cheesy, decorate and make everything my favorite color.. PINK. My house decor isn't festive for today but you bet your ass that Tay has a heart shaped PB&J in her lunch box. Or that their milk this morning is pink, pancakes are heart shaped and strawberries are too. When I was a kid each holiday was made special/fun somehow for me. A little gift, everything themed for that day (ie: heart shaped everything). It's something that I now do for my kids and I hope they always remember it.

This year they got candy (heart shapes chocolates, what else?) and The Jungle Book. The excitement I feel when any movie is released from the Disney Vault that we don't already have might not be normal. And with Valentines Day, it made for a perfect gift. When showing Shon what "we" got the kids, I also learned that this is his favorite Disney movie. Which knocked my socks off because to my knowledge he didn't know what Disney was. Boy was I wrong. A present the whole family can enjoy and I feel a movie night soon.

For my other half, instead of giving it to him after work, I decided to set it out by our Keurig so he would see it when he made his morning coffee. He leaves at the ass crack of dawn so believe me when I say I wasn't awake to personally give it to him. And who doesn't love an unexpected surprise? But it's this romantic card (also see: sarcasm), Godiva Chocolate Truffles, that I like to think he will share with me and Pacer tickets. I'm kind of a keeper and what that really means is I IZ a keeper. 

How do you make Valentines Day special for your Valentines? (kids & significant others) 

Last night I made zoodles for the first time. For those of you that don't know, that is zucchini in noodle form. I've done the spaghetti squash thing which is great but this one takes the cake. Mmmm, did I just say cake?? 

Zoodles

• Julienne tool (click here for the one I have)
• Zucchini (I used 4)
• Turkey Italian Sausage (casing removed and cut into small chunk and I used 3 links but only had about 1 for myself.) 
• Minced garlic (about 2 cloves) 
• Sweet peppers 
• Onion
• Low sodium tomato sauce or make your own (I actually didn't use any but put some on Shons)

I load up on the veggies so just do however much you want.

Stick a fork in the end of a zucchini to help hold down. Take julienne tool (mine is very sharp so be careful!) and just go to work, shredding errr julienning (?) away. In a large skillet on about medium heat toss in sausage, garlic, onion & peppers. Cook until sausage is done and adjust heat if needed so you don't over cook veggies. Toss in all your zoodles and cook for about 2 minutes or until they are heated through. Last step would be to mix in the tomato sauce if you'd like. 

Another meal in the books without the guilt!

Linking up with Whitney (I Wore Yoga Pants) for #backthatazzup Friday!

 

the 90s is my morning cure

Today is day two of the in the works new routine. I said we are usually out of the house at 8:15. I decided to set my first (of three) alarms for 6:15, the next for 6:30 and the last for 6:45. I always make my daughters lunch the night before, but I thought 'what else can I do?' So I packed up as much as I could before going to bed, put what I could put in my car, made sure my kids had clothes laid out and as for me, it's just which pair of yoga pants to throw on with what top. I have to MAKE myself go to bed, so why is it that the second my first alarm goes off, I suddenly melt into the mattress and decide there is nowhere else I'd rather be? I wasn't going to tell myself that I would lay there just a little lot longer. Or that my hair will look ok if I throw it up in a messy bun. So I grabbed my phone, shut off all the alarms and starting doing my morning phone routine. You know, weather, email, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I did it one time through and said 'Ok, time to get up.' I grabbed my iPad, turned on Pandora (90s Pop if you want to know) and the rest is history. Yep, music did it for me. It's amazing what some good tunes can do for the soul, especially when it should be illegal to be awake. Oh and also reminding myself that a shower when kids are sleeping is a glorious thing. So that's just what I did and these two mornings have been spectacular. Thanks Britney, Christina, NSYNC, Sugar Ray & Matchbox 20.

Yesterday, Derek Jeter announced his retirement after this season and a part of me died. I was really hoping to find the picture with him from my trip to New York, and by him I mean his wax figure at Madame Tussauds. It's practically the same thing. Then I did what any normal person would do when hearing big news like this, hurried online and looked at the Yankees schedule. Maybe they'd play somewhere near us and we could make a game. since I'm sure the tickets would be affordable. If you didn't catch the sarcasm, there was a hint of it there.

 

What are your Valentines Day plans??

hashtag rise n grind

Routine is key, something I have a very firm belief in, especially with kids. I need a solid morning routine. I'd like to think that I have one, but it just isn't cuttin' it. I find myself waking up at different times each morning, sometimes later than I'd like or sometimes just so cold lazy I don't want to move from under the covers where I'm indulging in social media. With a sassy ants girl to get up and ready for school, a boy who loves his sleep up and ready for grandmas house, myself (which I often neglect) and two animals to take care of, I need to find something that works better. I make sure 95% of the time we are out of the house by 8:15, which is great, but if the morning didn't go smooth (ie: rushed, hectic, neglected myself), that sets the mood for the day. What is your morning routine like?

Clean eating is something I have become passionate about. I'm always looking for new recipes to try. I saw this next recipe on Pinterest a while ago and finally gave it a shot last night. I made some changes to the ones I found, didn't use any oil or flour, etc. So go ahead and add this to my pin there, done that list. True life: I have an unhealthy addiction to Pinterest.


Buffalo Cauliflower

• cauliflower
• seasonings (I used garlic powder, paprika, cayenne & black pepper)
• favorite buffalo/hot sauce

Preheat oven to 425. I took a half of a cauliflower head and chopped into small florets. Toss in a bowl and spray with Pam and desired seasonings. I took a foiled lined baking sheet and spread the cauliflower out flat. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until desired crispiness. Drizzle buffalo/hot sauce. Serve with celery. 

Success!

With the midwest in this polar vortex, comfort food is a must. So after Whitney posted her recipe for chili, I started craving it and decided to make over my recipe into a skinny/healthy one. 

Skinny Chili

• 1 lb ground turkey
• minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatos - no sodium
• 14 oz can of petite diced tomatos - no sodium
• 3 tbsp tomato paste - no sodium
• half can (or a whole) of kidney beans - you guessed it, no sodium
• seasonings (I used black pepper, oregano, cayenne, chili powder) - to taste
• couple dashes of hot sauce
• chopped onion
• optional: jalapenos, bell peppers, cheese

Brown the turkey in a large pot, I used the minced garlic during this step. Drain any excess liquid. Dump all the remaining ingredients in the pot minus the chopped onion unless you want them cooked. For the seasonings, I just did it to taste, so just mess around with it until it's to your liking/spiciness. Cook for about an hour on medium-low, stirring occasionally. I made this Monday night, because Tuesdays are the one day I work AT the office (I work from home as most of your know.) I like to have a crock pot meal or easy meal since I get home later. This was perfect. I sprinkled the top of mine with the chopped onions. No cheese for me, womp womp. 

We loved it. I would of liked it a little more soupy, it was a thicker chili. 

But the flavor was great and we have leftovers. Score.

One last thing, Jennifer Aniston is 45 today. fourty-f'n-five.

Oh and Justin Timberlake will be on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Friday February 21st! Make note.. now!

sleep is overrated

Friday, I'm so happy you are here and coffee, you will be my savior today. I stayed up entirely too late. You know, because American Idol, the Olympics, Jay Leno's farewell and then Jimmy Fallon's second to last show. Priorities are key. Those were mine. I think I last looked at the clock, aka my phone, at 2:15 am. By the way, does anyone still have a "real" clock?

Let's touch on Idol for a minute. I have watched this show since the first season. It's a guilty pleasure and I think Harry Connick Jr. is the best thing that has happened to it. He's funny, critical/harsh and let's be honest, easy on the eyes. Agree? Ok good. Moving on.

The Olympics. In Sochi, Russia! I. love. them. And real quick, if you aren't following @SochiProblems on Twitter, please do so now, you won't be sorry. So, Mogul Skiing. Makes my knees hurt just watching that. And that fall. Holy hell, ouch. Does anyone else feel the same about figure skating as I do? That the women are great, but I just can't bring myself to watch the men. It's the same for gymnastics. Oh but then there is couples figure skating, something that will never be viewed the same after Blades Of Glory. Yes, that terrible but laughable movie that Ricky Bobby and Napoleon Dynamite teamed up for. Some people see a beautiful routine, ok the Russian couple that scored an 83.something was pretty damn good, but I still see this:

Jay Leno. I've never been a huge fan, but I don't dislike him either. It's an end of era and watching last night was a must. He got emotional, then I got emotional. It's just the way it goes. Garth Brooks was amazing, but please tell me how people did not know the words to Friends In Low Places. Ok and on with the next host.. Jimmy Fallon! Be still my heart.

Thanks for 22 years, Jay!

And for anyone that watched Jimmy Fallon last night, I will leave you with this..

GUESS WHAT TIME IT IS...

Time to #backthatazzup, I haven't for a hot minute, excited to do so with Whitney Pants.

Because I love Macklemore.

cabin fever causes this

After blogging yesterday, I went through my "reading list" and "bookmarks" of my favorite blogs. I got rid of some that I didn't read anymore or blogs that aren't updated anymore, added a few new ones to the list, etc. Then I went through and made sure I was following them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, because that's important right? I follow quite a few, but always looking for more. If you have any recommendations - send them my way!

After I did that, I started browsing the web. I blame it on cabin fever, what else am I supposed to do? We have snow on snow on snow. I have been lusting over a pair of Hunter boots for a while now. I'm still convinced I need them in my life. I WILL have them in my life.

I've also been eyeing this beaut for some time. Well a Mac in general since my high school days. Who remembers these? I remember thinking they were the coolest and after I saw Elle Woods buy one in Legally Blonde, all theories were confirmed.

But they grew up.... 

Meet Macbook Air

I need it. I want it. It would make all my work and blogging dreams come true. And I have a Best Buy credit card that is screaming to be used. Yep. I can add it to my little Apple family and they can all live happily ever after.

Snowy ass winters also equal lots of DVR and reading, at the same time usually. Multi-tasking at its finest. I'm excited to start this one, well I already have but I'm only 5% in. Book club anyone? 

It's time to finish my wine and watch American Idol and the Olympics.... and probably read. 

i made no promises..

Well here we are, 1 month and 4 days after my last blog post. There are people that can blog on a regular basis and then there is me. This year has been a ride already. A snowy one at that. Woke up this morning to more on top of what we already had. And a couple more coming this afternoon. I love the snow, but I'm ready for my black vehicle to not constantly be dirty. I'm ready to not have to wipe my dogs paws every. single. time. he goes outside. Or bundling my kids up in layers. Oh but just wait. When we get to the miserable hotness of the summer, I'll be bitchin then too.

This past month has also been full of clean eats. Follow me on Instagram? Yeah, you probably know then. I give myself 1 cheat day a week normally, that I go balls to the wall on and then wake up the next day with a terrible food hangover. But it's worth it. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

Here is one of my new favorite recipes.

Faux Fried Rice

• cauliflower
• braggs liquid aminos (taste just like soy sauce)
• whatever veggies (chopped) you like in your rice, I did carrots, onions and green onions
• minced garlic
• egg beaten
• pam spray

I don't have measurements for this because I did everything to taste, minus the eggs. I used 2 for my huge batch of "rice" or  you can just eliminate the eggs if you prefer.

I took a whole cauliflower and grated it, I would say it was about half of the head, maybe more. Beware: I love cauliflower, but my entire house smelled funky from this. In a wok or skillet, heat pam to cover bottom of pan. Fry minced garlic and white part of green onions for approximately 1 minute. Add grated cauliflower and fry for approximately 5 minutes stirring constantly. Add your veggies and cook for another minute. Add braggs (or soy sauce) to taste and green onion tops, stir until mixed. Push mixture to side of pan. Add more pam if necessary, and scramble eggs in empty side of pan until done but still moist - I hate that word. Stir eggs into "rice" and remove from heat. You can also add meat if you'd like. I had shrimp on the side.

Delicious, without the guilt! Enjoy!!