What to eat while you’re traveling and Premier Protein Review

What to eat when you travel

I have been on the road for over 2 weeks and I realized the importance of bringing your own food or having some quick and easy snacks while you’re out and about.
Of course, whole foods are your best option, but sometimes those go bad or just aren’t available. I love to have a few protein bars on hand and Premier Protein in one brand that I like!
They asked me to do a review, and I gladly accepted, as I have been using their products for at least 6 years now.
So here’s how I use them and keep an eye out for a contest next week to WIN!!!

Premier Protein on Facebook

@PremierProtein

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

You will rarely find me EXCITED about cooking anything. HOWEVER, I love to eat yummy stuff and I especially love to eat yummy stuff that’s REALLY simple!!
Here is a quick recipe I found to make my sweet potatoes/yams a little different than just… say.. the microwave.
PS– Dairy free, gluten free, and meatless! Whoop!
PS this video was a sponsored vid

Easy Cranberries, Apple, Feta Chicken Salad

Danny-J in the Kitchen

If you’ve heard me talk, you know I don’t cook much or like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen…

Mostly, because I just eat as I go and I don’t like waiting for my food! Ha! I eat half the meal by picking before it gets cooked!!

Here is an almost “instant” meal that I make for dinner sometimes and its great this time of year!
Recipe:
1 bag of pre-made salad or spring mix
1/4 c. feta
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1 chopped apple (fuji, honeycrisp, or granny smith)

Mix and serve with leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken

Almond Coconut Oatmeal Bake (breakfast or dessert)

image from http://foodhero.wordpress.com/2008/11/01/baked-oatmeal/

Oatmeal Bake (breakfast or dessert)

(revised recipe from Anna Slotnick)

Sometimes the old egg whites and oatmeal breakfast gets a little boring. Maybe you just don’t have time! This Oatmeal Bake you can make the night before and just grab a bar in the morning!

(or sometimes I like to have a bar after dinner for a little something sweet, but not too naughty!)

There are 3 combos I made:

Almond Coconut

Banana Walnut

Apple Pecan

They are all freakin’ awesome and you can create your own combos too!

 

Ingredients:

2 c. old fashioned oats (not quick oats)

4 scoops vanilla whey (I’ve used Dymatize Elite XT and Muscle Pharm Combat, both worked great)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

lots of brisk shaking of cinnamon (2 itsp??)

4 egg whites (or 1/2 c liquid egg whites)

1.5 c cold water (or almond milk if you want)

3/4 c. Pumpkin (or you can use no sugar added applesauce)

Sweetener as desired—4-6 packets of splenda or truvia, 3-4 dropperfuls of lohan (or none)

 Then…. this is where the fun starts
OPTIONS–
Coconut & Almond (1/2 c. coconut, 1/4c. almonds chopped)
Apples & Pecans (1 whole apple chopped, 1/4 c. pecans chopped)
Bananas & Walnuts (1 whole banana sliced, 1/4 c. walnuts chopped)

 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix together wet ingredients – except fruit, nuts, or coconut

3. Mix together dry ingredients in separate bowl.

4. Spray pan with non-stick baking spray or grease with coconut oil (we used a cake pan– 8×13)

5. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients – make sure it is distributed evenly. Then add nuts, half of the coconut or fruit. **if doing a banana, line the pan with banana slices

6. Pour mixture into pan and top with extra shredded coconut or extra apple slices

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (make sure a knife/toothpick comes out clean in the center)

 

They taste amazing when still warm from the oven, but still are delicious when room temp or reheated;)

 

Cut into 1/4ths. (This makes 4 servings.)

Each serving has:

1/2 c. oats

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 egg white

little bit of: pumpkin, sweetener, spices, etc.

 

29 g carbs (less than 3g of sugar– from fruit and little bit of pumpkin), 33 g protein, 0.5-2g  g fat (depending on if using nuts or not)

image from http://foodhero.wordpress.com/2008/11/01/baked-oatmeal/






Steamer Veggies Review

Green Giant Seasoned Steamers


I’m often asked to review different products on this page; from gadgets & doo-dads, to different diet shakes & energy formulas, but when I was asked my Green Giant to review their Seasoned Steamers™ vegetables in October, I thought, What perfect timing! It’s the month of our JERF Challenge (Just Eat Real Food) and I am realizing how often it’s just inconvenient, to get real food prepped, cooked and seasoned to taste good!

I’ve said this many times: I am not a cook. I have definitely been trying new recipes and new methods lately, but some days I still go to my old pal the microwave so I can heat up something quick and easy.

I’ve actually bought frozen veggies many times; they’re convenient and are always in season! The Green Giant® Seasoned Steamers™ however, had a nice– already seasoned flavor, so they were ready to eat. The ingredients were simple; a little but of sea salt, pepper and olive oil.

I don’t like to make complicated recipes, so throwing the bag in the microwave, some rice in the cooker and some turkey on the stove to brown (not pictured) and I had a simple tasty dinner. This is something that I can do anytime and I love that there are six different blends to choose from!

Seasoned Steamers™, a new line of Green Giant® vegetables, gives you unexpectedly delicious taste in every vegetable bite.  These chef-inspired, seasoned vegetables come in six new varieties ranging from smoky roasted cues to ethnic inspired flavors.  By roasting, seasoning and freezing individual pieces, our vegetables lock in flavor so delicious, your family will ask for more.  In less than 8 minutes, your family can enjoy new Seasoned to Delicious™ Seasoned Steamers™.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by General Mills via Glam Media. The
opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the
opinions or positions of General Mills.

Spicy Thai Coconut Peanut Chicken

Yummy~!

Spicy Thai Coconut Peanut Chicken Crock Pot Recipe

(This recipe was sent to me by my sister-in-law from www.bhg.com and modified by me)

If anyone has seen any of my interviews, you know, Thai food is my favorite cuisine! Anything with coconut, curry, and peanut sauces, I’m there! This one has it all!! Eat alone or over rice (brown, white or jasmine) It has a great dose of healthy fats and is so yummy on a cool fall evening.

Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 30 mins.

Cook: 5-6 hrs (low) 2-3 hrs (high)

Ingredients:

1 medium white onion chopped into wedges

1 cup julienned or quarted baby carrots

1 medium red pepper cut into bite-sized strips

3 lbs. chicken breast cut into chunks (approx. 4-6 breasts)

3/4 c. chicken broth (*I used low-sodium broth)

6 tbsp. natural peanut butter (I used chunky)

1/2 tsp. grates lime peel

2 tbsp. lime juice

2 tbsp. soy sauce (low-sodium) OR Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

2 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca

1 tsbp. grated fresh ginger

2-3 tsp. red curry paste

4 tsp. minced or chopped garlic

1/2 c. unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup frozen peas

For garnish:

chopped peanuts

snipped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Chop carrots, onion, red pepper and chicken—> throw in crock-pot

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together: chicken broth, curry paste, peanut butter, lime juice & peel, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and tapioca.

3. Dump mixture on top of veggies & chicken, coat and set heat to low for 5-6 hrs. or on high for 2-3 hours

4. When the chicken is done, add 1/2 c. coconut milk and  1 cup peas. Leave it covered for 5 more mins.

5. Scoop and serve over rice or with veggies— garnish with peanuts and cilantro

 

 

#JERF October Challenge

Example of #JERFChallange Breakfast


What is ‘REAL’ food? 

(this was a PERFECT Description from Domesticity Nouveau)

It’s food that has only itself as an ingredient:
Onion vs battered onion ring.  Roasted chicken vs chicken nugget.  Baked potato vs potato chip.

It’s food that you could grow or raise yourself:
You might not want to or have the space, but you could grow lettuce and you could raise a cow.
It is highly unlikely that you have access to a laboratory to synthesize instant cheese sauce.

It’s food that comes in its whole natural form:

A chunk of beef and fresh vegetables rather than a frozen dinner entrée of beef pot pie.  It’s chicken broth and cream instead of a can of cream of chicken soup.

THE CHALLENGE:

Make at least ONE REAL FOOD MEAL a day.

Take a picture.

Instagram or tweet the pic to @SweatyBetties #JERFChallenge

Get Creative! Look up Paleo Blogs & share recipes! This should be fun! 

Example of #JERFChallange Breakfast

#JERFChallenge Dinner Idea

 

PS. for the training challenge, I personally am starting over with my 12-week Program. Since my move, I got off track and had no gym for 2.5 months. I’m starting with week #1 this week! Feel free to join back in! I’m also going to be taking progress pictures AND measurements this time! Eeek!!

Gluten free banana yogurt oat muffins

Click Picture to see detail

So, I found this little recipe for banana muffins and wanted to make it healthier, well, I tried, but ended up with a dense mess, so I asked my friend Shanna Shad to help me figure out how to perfect it and she did!

Here is the result and she said her 2 year old ate nearly all of them!

Yield 18 muffins
Prep time 10 min
Baking time 16-18 min
Total time (includes cooling) 35-40 min
Ingredients:
1 c. oat flour
1/3 c. flax meal
2/3 c. almond flour
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
6 packets of stevia
Pinch sea salt
2 cups mashed overripe banana – usually 4 large ones
1 whole egg and 2 egg whites, room temp and lightly whisked
½ c. plain fat free Greek yogurt, room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ c melted coconut oil
½ c unsweetened almond milk, room temp

Optional ingredients:
½ C chopped walnuts
**you can add raw honey or extra stevia to taste for added sweetness

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Prep muffins pans – spray lightly with cooking oil spray
  • Whisk together dry ingredients thoroughly (Oat flour through sea salt) in a big bowl and set aside
  • Mash bananas with a fork, mix in the rest of the wet ingredients until well combined. It takes a little bit to get the coconut oil fully mixed in.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix slowly with a spatula till just combined. Fold in the walnuts if you choose to add them in. Don’t over mix
  • Full muffin tin ¾ full each cup.
  • Bake 16-18 min or until the top bounces back when lightly pressed
  • Cool in pan 5 min then cool on a wire cooling rack, at least 10 min, so you don’t burn your mouth. Enjoy!

Click Picture to see detail

 

MACROS:
Makes 18 servings– 1 muffin per serving
Calories: 135
Fat: 7g
Carb: 12g
Protein: 7g






 

Inspiration & Perspiration TICKETS

Inspiration (2)

INSPIRATION & PERSPIRATION WORKSHOP

So excited to meet you all to educate, motivate, inspire and have fun!!!

Do you ever feel soooo tired of dieting? 

Do you want to just have balance and not think about food ALL. THE. TIME?

Does it seems like some people can eat whatever they want and you can’t? 

Have you wondered how you can find balance in your life?

Do you want to be successful but you feel “blocked”?

This workshop will be for you! Our intended audience is someone who has done the extreme diets in the past or who is brand new to fitness and wants to make sure they “do it right.” You don’t have to be an expert or a newbie, we will approach topics in a way to get you thinking healthy and have success in ALL parts of your life. 

You will leave this weekend with

-a renewed sense of self-confidence and self-love

-ways to deal/cope with stress and anxiety

– knowing how to balance work, family, life AND fitness

-knowing how and what kind of food to prep

-what diets are complete CRAP

-why calorie counting is complete BS

…and some great affirmations, meditations and yoga poses for healing.

WARNING This workshop is NOT for you if:

  • You are offended by f-bombs, in your face truth and learning that what you have always believed may not be true
  • You think happiness comes from a number on a scale or a clothing size
  • You are looking for someone or something outside of you to tell you what, when and how much to eat
  • You are not ready to dig deep and look at the root cause of your issues with food and body image
  • You don’t enjoy the company of AMAZING women who want you to succeed and will show you how
  • You make excuses for why you can’t afford anything, do anything or BE anything

We will have 2 workouts on Sunday, so be prepared! We will also cater lunch both days and breakfast is complimentary at the host hotel.

Amazing guest speakers including: Angie Gooding- Body Image Specialist and Rebekah “BEX” Borucki of BexLife.com!!

Angie Gooding

Rebekah “Bex” Borucki

Prizes from Sponsors, prize for whoever travels the farthest! Shuttle to strip in Vegas, meet new girl friends! Get away for a great weekend in Vegas!

You will leave this weekend with new friends, new hope, and a new love for yourself. 

Here are the details:

Dates: Sat. Oct. 20th & Sun. Oct. 21st

Time: Fri. 5-7pm meet & greet social (not required) Sat.10-6pm, Sun. 9-4pm

Cost: $225 per person if paid before Sept. 5th ($240 with Early Bird Payments)

**$275 if paid Between Sept. 5th and Oct. 5th and $299 after October 5th.

Where: Courtyard Marriott Las Vegas South in Las Vegas (mins from the strip)

HOTEL DISCOUNT CODE: SWEC or call 1-702-895-7519

— Group Rate: $109/night. We’ll have a FB Group in Sept for those who want to split rooms/cost–

BREAKFAST & LUNCH provided. FREE Wi-Fi. Airport Shuttle. Shuttle to Las Vegas Strip & Shopping.

EARLY BIRD AND GROUP DISCOUNTS (click on star for pricing)

Crock Pot Meals for a month– Under $75

Crock Pot Meals for a Month and under $75... yes please!

If you have followed any of my posts from “back-when” you will know that I do not cook. I just don’t. I don’t have many recipe ideas, nor do I care if I eat the same thing (chicken and veggies) every day for the rest of my life. However, my husband cares and since we are moving soon and he is now working out of the home, I thought it would be nice to have some meals ready when he comes in… annnnnnd I’ll be honest, I’m kind of getting bored of the same thing (just too lazy to do anything about it)
Well, my sister-in-law is living on one income with two kids to feed, so she’s always looking for budget-friendly meals AND of course, being a mom keeps her busy, so she doesn’t always want to cook.
She found these recipes on pinterest, did this last month and loved it, so she invited me on the grocery “tour”. I bought more food in one trip than I EVER have in my entire shopping life. I told her that my bill was going to be $120-130.
She said “No, I bet its only $80″… well… beat that! It was only $76 (and that was because I had a few extra things in there)
Total cost for these meals: $68!!** HOLY CRAP! I sure hope I like them, because I love the price.
They are all in the freezer and ready to go, so the first two weeks after moving, while I’m unpacking and have other things to do, we don’t have to spend more money eating out! I can’t wait!! I hope you all enjoy and please share some more crockpot recipes if you have them!!

** Depending on your grocery store and location or “on hand” ingredients, you may spend slightly more or less

Crock Pot Meals for a Month and under $75… yes please!

 

I am going to add Notations of MY modifications 😉

We created a big shopping list– bought EVERYTHING for less than $75 and this should last at least 18 meals for 2 people. I have a feeling there will be leftovers in many of the meals.

Not all of them I would consider “the healthiest” but you can make substitutions and change as you wish.

These recipes were taken from Pinterest and ringaroundtherosies.net

We also did not follow the recipes as they were written– Basically–

PUT INGREDIENTS IN BAGS— FREEZE. DONE.

PS Most of these are gluten-free and paleo (if you don’t add the pasta/rice)

 BBQ Pineapple Pulled Pork – prep/no cooking, freeze

Ingredients:

– one 4 – 6 pound pork shoulder (I bought a pork roast, I’m not sure the difference, but it looked good/less fatty– I’d never bought pork before, so we’ll see how this one works!)

– all purpose seasoning 

– one bottle of barbecue sauce (you can buy low-sugar BBQ or just use half the bottle to lessen the sugar)

– one 15 ounce can of diced pineapples, undrained

Directions:

– Rub pork shoulder all over with all purpose seasoning and place in slow cooker.

– Dump can of pineapples (undrained) over pork.

– Pour bottle of barbecue sauce over pork.

– Lift pork a little to let the sauce get underneath.

– Cook on high for six (6) hours or low for ten (10) hours.

– Shred in the pot and mix with the juice.

Strain & serve!

(We took ALL of the ingredients– dumped in a gallon bag and threw in the freezer– I plan on defrosting for a day and just dumping into the crock pot— serve with brown rice?)

 

Lemon Garlic Chicken – prep/no cooking, freeze (this one we portioned into TWO bags)

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 lb. in each bag)

2 T. butter (1 tbsp. in each bag)

1/4 c. water

3 T. fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley (I didn’t have fresh parsley, so I just used dried and  it worked  perfectly)

1 package cream cheese (you can use 1/3 less fat or fat free)

1. In a bowl, mix the oregano, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture into chicken. Melt the butter in  a skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken in butter for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Place  chicken in a slow cooker.

2. In the same skillet, mix the water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon. Bring the mixture to boil.  Pour over the chicken in the slow cooker.

3. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 hours. Add the parsley to the slow cooker  15 to 30 minutes before the end of the cook time.

4. About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, remove the chicken and place on a serving  platter. Add the cream to cheese to the juice in the crockpot, and whisk until smooth. 

Ladle the sauce over rice or pasta, then place your chicken on top!

(Again— dumped everything into two gallon bags and into the freezer– I think it will workout just fine)


Chicken & Spinach – prep/no cook, freeze (split recipe in half between two bags)
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 jar Classico Pasta Sauce (or any marinara– 3 cheese, mushroom, etc.)

Onions, bellpeppers, etc.

Cajun seasoning to taste

Sliced zucchini & squash (the yellow ones that look like cucumbers) (optional)

mushrooms sliced (fresh or can)

Bag or container of fresh spinach (i break off the larger stems)

Pasta of your choice (bow-tie, spaghetti, etc.)

 Layer:Chicken breasts, onions, bell peppers, etc., seasoning, other veggies and top with  spinach.   I cook it about 6 hour (Dumped everything in two bags— freeze)


Beef/Turkey Taco Soup – make day of, freeze leftovers

2 cans of kidney beans (I only used one)

2 cans of pinto beans (I only used one)

2 cans of corn (I only used one)

1 large can of diced tomatoes —1 can tomatoes and chiles

1 packet taco seasoning

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1 lb browned ground turkey or hamburger

shredded cheese and sour cream for embellishment

1 package of tortilla chips or bake corn tortillas 

 Directions:

brown meat if you are going to use it

drain fat and add to crockpot stoneware insert (the meat. not the fat.)

sprinkle seasoning packets on top of meat

drain and rinse the beans and add

add the ENTIRE contents of the corn and tomato cans

stir.

  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. I think the longer you cook soup, the  better, so if you have the time, opt for cooking on low. About 20 minutes before serving, add  desired amount of crushed chips into the crockpot. Then,stir well, and serve with a handful of  shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. (I cooked the meat ahead of time and then just threw all the ingredients in two bags– I may or may not add the cheese and sour cream when the time comes to eat. Will probably make with a salad on the side) 

Crock Pot Pizza Soup – prep/no cooking, freeze in zip lock bag (split recipe in half between two bags)

–1 jar (14 oz) of pizza sauce

–3 empty jars full of water

–1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

–1/2 red onion, chopped

–1 cup sliced mushrooms

–1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)

–2 cooked Italian sausage (I used chicken Italian sausage)

–1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters (Hormel turkey pepperoni is labeled gluten free)

–8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1/2 T dried)

–1 T dried oregano

–1/2 to 1/3 cup of dried pasta (if your pasta is tiny, use 1/3 cup. if it’s big, do 1/2. I used 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s brown rice penne) (I didn’t add any pasta to this one, it might actually be great with garlic bread… mmmm!)

–shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later)

The Directions.

Use a 5 or 6 quart crockpot for this recipe. Serves 4 hungry adults, or 2 hungry adults and 2 kids with enough leftovers to feed them all again.

Wash and prepare veggies. Dump them into the crockpot. Cut up the sausage into small pieces–I sliced, then cut the pieces in fourths. Add to crockpot. Cut up the pepperoni, add it, too. Add basil and oregano. Pour in the pizza sauce, and follow with three empty jars of water.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. Everything in this is already cooked, so you are really only heating through and allowing the flavors to meld.

Thirty minutes before serving, add the dry pasta, and turn to high. My pasta only took 20 minutes to soften quite nicely.

Garnish/top with shredded mozzarella cheese

(I didn’t make this yet, just threw all ingredients in two bags and freeze)

Slow Cooker San Francisco Pork Chops – prep/no cooking, freeze (I totally didn’t make this recipe at all, my sister did. I personally don’t care for pork chops, ever.)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick

Salt and pepper for seasoning

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

Mashed Potatoes or Hot Cooked Rice (for serving)

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened. If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the pork and heat through.

 

Chicken Curry (this one we put into two bags)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I didn’t do this step)
4 tablespoons curry powder (2 tbsp in each bag)
2 teaspoons ground cumin (1 tsp each bag)
1.5-2 pounds chicken thighs, or breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces. (I just put entire breasts in the bags)
2 cups chopped peeled sweet potatoes. (I didn’t add these, but I will chop them fresh, so I marked on the bag to chop potatoes later)
2 cups baby carrots.
1 coarsely chopped mango
1 cup chopped onion (used a white onion)
1 zucchini chopped, about one cup
2 cloves garlic, minced (used 2 tsp. chopped garlic in a jar)
2 chicken bouillon, one per bag (used a half cup of chicken broth from a can)
.5 cup raisins (for garnish) (raisins are nasty!! Did not use! LOL)

.5 cup peanuts or cashews (for garnish) (didn’t use any nuts either)

Savory Chicken (split this recipe between two bags)

(we used a bag of frozen broccoli, threw all the ingredients in a bag and froze.)

Lazy Day Stew

(I didn’t use stewing beef, I used ground turkey on this one and I even added another can of corn and NO lima beans, I used kidney beans instead. We also did not use the tapioca– it was probably just for texture anyway. Dumped everything into two bags and froze)