Comfort food meal prep

This week's meal prep only took 1.5 hours. It was so simple and made a TON of servings. The best part, I spent $64.431 & that includes organic chicken breasts & produce. When you PLAN, you SAVE. :)


First, I threw everything into the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie 
Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3½ celery stalks, diced
• 2 (10.5-ounce) cans Campbell's® Healthy Request condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (12-ounce) can Pillsbury® Grands!® Jr. Golden Layers Flaky Biscuits

** instead of using Grands biscuits, I made dumplings :) **

Next, I started this skillet meal. It was actually very quick!

Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta 
Recipe HERE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups dried orecchiette pasta
• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (if you're sensitive to spice, you might want to start out with 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1 chicken breast, cubed
• 4 tablespoons basil pesto (homemade or store-bought) - see note below
• 1 cup broccoli, blanched
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

** Feel free to use whole grain or veggie noodles**

Lastly, I made this meal. While the meatloaf muffins were cooking, I used that time to clean up all my dishes. 

Turkey meatloaf muffins 

Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

• 1½ pounds lean ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• ½ cup onion, diced
• ½ cup green pepper, diced
• ½ cup carrot, grated
• ½ cup low sugar tomato ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

I paired mine with broccoli & red skinned mashed potatoes! 

Since I'm just cooking for my husband and I, these recipes made PLENTY to last the week. Snacks consist of side salads, apples, grape fruits, AdvoBars, mixed nuts, & Greek yogurt.

I'm so chilly here in Texas. Theses dishes will be the ultimate HEALTHY comfort foods. Happy Prepping!  

1 week meal prep for 2!

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
1	Meal Replacement	Zucchini Casserole  (6)	Turkey Meatloaf (6)
2	Meal Replacement	Turkey Meatloaf (6)	BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes (6)
3	Meal Replacement	Slow Cooker Enchiladas (6)	Zucchini Casserole  (6)
4	Meal Replacement	Slow Cooker Enchiladas (6)	BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes (6)
5	Meal Replacement	Zucchini Casserole  (6)	Slow Cooker Enchiladas (6)
6	Meal Replacement	BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes (6)	Turkey Meatloaf (6)
7	Meal Replacement	Out of town	Out of town

*We are going out of town, but find a meal with 4 servings and plug into 2 remaining slots!*

Cheesy Zucchini and Turkey Casserole

Recipe HERE

 Ingredients

•                     2 tablespoons olive oil

•                     1 lb ground turkey

•                     ½ cup diced onion

•                     2 cloves garlic, minced

•                     1½lbs of zucchini, diced

•                     2 cups prepared groats (or brown rice, quinoa, etc.)

•                     1 can diced tomatoes

•                     ½ teaspoon dried oregano

•                     ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

•                     ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil

•                     7 oz Kerrygold aged cheddar, shredded

** I used brown rice** 

Fool Proof Turkey Meatloaf

Recipe HERE

Ingredients

•                     1 pound extra-lean ground turkey breast

•                     ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup

•                     1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

•                     2 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)

•                     1 large egg

•                     1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

•                     2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

•                     1 teaspoon dried thyme

•                     1 teaspoon dried oregano

•                     ½ teaspoon salt

•                     ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes (6)

Recipe HERE

Ingredients

For The Barbecue Chicken:

• ·         2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• ·         ½ cup water or chicken broth
• ·         ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ·         ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ·         2 cups Smoky Spicy Barbecue Sauce from Get Sauced (you can also substitute the Sweet Barbecue Sauce if you prefer)

For the Sweet Potatoes:

• ·         6 medium sized sweet potatoes or yams

For the Garnish (optional):

• ·         Chopped red onion
• ·         Chopped cilantro
• ·         Avocado

Slow Cooker Enchiladas (6)

recipe HERE

Ingredients

• ·         2 half chicken breasts on the bone with skin (remove skin before adding to enchiladas)
• ·         1 (16 ounce) jar red enchilada sauce (no sugar added) (Quick & Easy Enchilada Sauce recipe)
• ·         1 (4 ounce) can green chile peppers
• ·         1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ·         1 teaspoon cumin
• ·         1 teaspoon chili powder
• ·         1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• ·         1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, reduced fat
• ·         1 (8 oz.) container sour cream, fat free
• ·         6 medium whole wheat tortillas, low sodium if possible (corn tortillas are not recommended as they tend to fall apart) Homemade Whole Grain Tortillas Recipe

More on meal prep!

Hello, Hello! :) 


I am impressed with the feedback from the meal prep post! I will be the first to admit that I am not a professional meal prepper [yet] - BUT I do have the goal in mind. I eventually want to be the person that creates the pins on Pinterest instead of searching and saving millions of pins.

This week I'm going to cover 3 recipes that were pretty great Kroger deals! (links to recipes)
1. Baja Shrimp Salad
2. Roasted pork with butternut squash and apples
3. Amish cabbage skillet 

Baja Shrimp Salad

Shopping list:
- SeaPak popcorn shrimp (SALE $5.99 with $0.55 coupon = $5.44. $3.55 in savings!!)
DISCLAIMER: I understand that popcorn shrimp isn't the healthiest alternative, but I am not a fan of plain shrimp. Its like eating erasers.. yuck! 

-Simple Truth Power Pack lettuce ($3.99 with $1.00 coupon = $2.99 
More money saving tips: Get the large head of green leafy lettuce for $0.99, wash, cut, and dry! I was under time constraint so I spent the extra $2.00

- Red Onion $1.21

-Green Pepper $0.59

-Bolthouse Mango Chipotle Dressing 
I had this on hand, but its $3.48. Check out the ingredients! and only 40 calories a serving. DRESSING (and other condiments) are always hidden with crazy ingredients and tons of calories. Check labels!

- Black beans
I had them on hand, but I get the bag and make them myself. You can get a big bag of raw black beans for $1.00.

-Frozen corn
$1.00 with $0.40 coupon!

$17.35 Total - makes 10 salads total, so that's $1.75 a salad! 



In hindsight, due to the sodium content of the popcorn shrimp, I think I need to just get over the texture of shrimp. I'm never perfect.. I'm doing my best though!

Roasted Pork with butternut squash and apples

I didn't take pictures of this beauty, and I wish I would've! It tasted and smelled so delicious. Definitely a fall meal! Click the link at the beginning of the blog to see this picture! You won't regret it.

Shopping list:

- Pork Loin (SALE $1.49/lb! So I got 5 pounds for $7.09. Saving $12.00 on this meat! You better believed I got another one and put it in the freezer!)

- Brown Sugar ($2.49 with $0.75 off coupon = $1.74

-Butternut Squash (SALE $0.99/lb = $3.60 total)

- 3 Granny smith apples $2.61

- Onion $0.66

-I substituted chicken stock for my Wildree Chicken Bouillon. I also had cinnamon, olive oil, pepper, & flour on hand )

$15.70 Total - makes 10-12 meals, but we will just say 10 for mathematical purposes. :) $1.57/meal folks! 

Amish Cabbage Skillet 

This is another one that I didn't a picture of. It must have tasted wonderful, as my hubs accidentally took every single dish to the fire station with him. He said it tasted great! 

(Side note: there is nothing quite like Clint telling me he enjoys my home cooked meals, or thanking me for my hard meal prepping work. I have a very traditional view when it comes to marriage, and when he is happy and fed, that makes me happy! Don't get me wrong, he definitely does his fair share of cooking. He lets me sleep in and he cooks breakfast. I. LOVE. That. Marriage is a beautiful thing. I'm so grateful for this man in my life. OK - sorry for that rant. I guess food is a way to my heart, too!) 

Shopping list: 

- Cabbage $0.82 for a whole head, but only used half!

- Onion $0.66

- Diced Tomatoes $0.65

-Tomato Sauce $0.65

-Beef $3.99

$6.77 total!!! Made 3-4 meals. For math, we will say 3. $2.26 a meal! 


I think that next time I will add some brown rice and the whole head of cabbage so it makes 5-6 meals total.

Well there you have it! :) What holds YOU back from meal prepping? Or at least planning ahead and not necessarily preparing ahead? Look forward to hearing from you!!


In good health,

Jessie

How bad do you want it?

I haven't been on here in a while - my apologies! I have been incredibly busy with school. Finals are approaching and then I have an entire month OFF. Yay! :)

Today I wanted to reach out and not only write for you, but write for me too. Sometimes writing is my form of therapy. If you know anything about PA School, you know we need all the therapy we can get!

A few years ago, I made the decision to change my life. I decided to stop drinking alcohol because it added no benefit to my life. I decided to eat healthier because little by little, I was killing myself with junk food. I stopped drinking pop (or soda as you may call it..) I eliminated some toxic "friends" that didn't support my change. I started working out.

These changes did not occur over time. I had cheat days, and I still do. After months of slowly transforming into the new ME - I realized something. I realized I was investing in my health, and my future, and by making these decisions, it added so much purpose and VALUE to my life. I know that might sounds crazy to you, but I dare you to try it. This is all you need to do.

1. Give up junk. Junk Food. Junk TV. Junk Friends. Slowly but surely, your junk attitude will go with it.
2. Replace it with HEALTHY food. Start being active! Go read a book, see a play, listen to new music, travel, pick up a Bible, GROW as a person. Surround yourself with new, like-minded, supportive people (unless you already have them. Then keep those ones close!) Change your cant's to CANS. Allow your life to change.

Again, those will happen over time. It helps having a supportive group of friends throughout this process as well. After I made the decision to change my life, I was introduced to a company that allowed me to be surrounded by amazing people. I do not for a minute think that this was by chance. I think it was a divine plan and the grace of God that I was introduced to these people. Every day they supported me to be a better me. I still, to this day, think that AdvoCare is a personal growth company disguised as a nutritional company. It makes helping others and reaching out so much more rewarding.

Maybe your journey doesn't involve PA School, or traveling. Maybe it doesn't involve AdvoCare, or working out. REGARDLESS of your journey in life, I hope to share a piece of information that can help. Whatever your goals, whether fitness related, school related, life related, WHATEVER, -

Success is determined by how bad you want it.

This is an important concept that I really need you to understand. I'm sure you've seen the YouTube video about wanting success as bad as you want to breathe, but do you get it? REALLY get it. It's a concept that even I have to remind myself.

In PA School, I have to force myself to study for hours and hours, regardless of how exhausted I am. In a class FULL of brilliant students, I constantly feel dumb, and for whatever reason, settled with the fact I wasn't as smart as some. Then it hit me. I got into this program for a reason. Now, in order to pass, I just have to want it. Work the over time until I get there.

Fitness wise, I had to push myself to the limits to change my body. Nutritionally, I had to give up everything I knew and start over. I had to read books on what to eat. Learn exercises that would transform my body. Hang out with people that would support me, and exercise WITH me. ANd most importantly- I had to shut up the little voice in my head that told me I couldn't do it.

Changing is a terrifying thing sometimes, but you have to WANT it. I think too many people are in the pre-contemplation stage.

Yeah, being a healthy weight would be nice, but you cannot give up the food you're all to accustomed to.

Having abs and strong arms is the definition of your dream body- but you dont have time to work out because you are watching a show to see which housewife is desperate.

Getting A's in school and doing well would be ideal, but for some reason you feel dumb, and feel like you don't deserve better than what you've been doing.

Getting a promotion at your job? EARNING what you are WORTH? That thought sounds like a DREAM. Well guess what, it's true. You can have those things because many of my friends do now. You just may be in the wrong area.

What I'm getting at is this: too many people think they want it, but they don't want to put in the work for it. And if they don't want it, it's typically because their negative thoughts or negative friends/family are holding them back.

Please - let go. It all starts with a decision.

 

 

After making those changes, I have learned so much about myself.

 

I'm a fighter. I'm resilient.

And I refuse to let anyone else get in the way of my happiness. 

 

The Importance of Stretching

We've all thought the same thing at some point in time, "I didn't work out today so why do I need to stretch?".  Every personal trainer, coach, gym owner, fitness guru, and even parents, will tell you to stretch.  Most people I've encountered make an all-too-common mistake but never realize the mistake until it's too late.  That simple, often overlooked mistake, is stretching AFTER your workout.

Whether you have a daily exercise routine or not, stretching is always beneficial.  Let's discuss a few important reasons why.

1.) Stretching increases flexibility.
Having limited mobility, whether you're young or older, can negatively affect your daily routine.  Tasks as small as putting food on the top shelf of the pantry runs a risk of pulling a muscle in your back.  It only takes one, small twist in the wrong way to put you down for days.  By increasing flexibility, muscle soreness will decrease and recovery time can be shortened.

2.) Stretching helps prevent postural problems.
This is a big one for those that work in an office-type setting where you sit for most of your day.  Aches, pains, moans and groans don't have to be part of your day.  A few simple stretches in the morning can alleviate pain and improve posture.

3.) It helps prevent over-extension injuries.
Stretching lengthens the muscles and helps increase circulation in the human body.  Many injuries nowadays are caused from individuals pushing their muscles past their limits and causing tears.

4.) Stretching allows for an active lifestyle later in life.
If you're anything like me, you love playing with the kiddos.  They can be a handful and want you to do some things that might have been out of the question last year, but a good stretching routine can help keep you in the game.  Many people have mentioned how young they feel just by staying active, but they wouldn't have that energy level and be able to keep up with the young ones if it weren't for loose muscles.

So, what can you do to stretch out your muscles?  I've always been a fan of dynamic stretching for one main reason: it gets the blood pumping and preps you for any activity.  There are several different stretches you can do anywhere, anytime, that will give you the mobility you desire. (Click HERE for a list).

Before I go, I want to share one last thing I've recently implemented that's helped me during my firefighter training.  I've struggled with sleeping ever since I deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and twice since then.  I've discovered that stretching before bed is VERY beneficial and helps you get a good night's sleep.  Fitness Magazine has a great article on this issue.

I hope you can benefit from this.  If you have anything to add, please feel free to let me know.  Happy Hump Day!