Buffalo Chicken - Clean Eating!

Hello and welcome to my blog!  Thanks for stopping by here!  Today I am so happy to share with you a recipe for Clean Eating Buffalo Chicken!  My husband is such a fan of Buffalo Chicken and I really am as well.  To me, saying that something "tastes like chicken" is NOT a good thing.  I tend to cook my chicken in a way that it does not taste like chicken.  It is just my style.  Side note - I utilize a fair amount of fresh lemon juice around here (although not in today's recipe!) and it totally helps chicken and salmon to taste better to me!  

And why is this buffalo chicken "clean eating"?  Traditional buffalo chicken recipes tend to be very high in fat content, particularly saturated fat.  It contains chemicals and preservatives due to the salad dressing.  Some recipes use canned chicken which (to me!) is just plain creepy and also adds in more sodium and preservatives. Clean eating avoids things like that.  For example - here is a traditional recipe that many people love.  FIRST, is this really going to feed 20 people???  Probably not!  10 people (or less!) could easily consume this dip and just LOOK at what all they would be taking in to their systems.  No thanks!  It may taste good at the time but the after-effects are just not worth it.  I do not want to clop up my arteries or wind up with my jeans too snug!

Relatively speaking, in my world, the recipe featured here in my entry today does have a fair amount of sodium due to the hot sauce.  You can look for a reduced-sodium sauce.  BUT, if you are eating a serving of this buffalo chicken recipe in the midst of a clean eating lifestyle, you are going to do just fine.  The rest of what we eat IS very low in sodium so something like this which is of a moderate level fits in okay here and there.     

For today's recipe, I took some photos to show you exactly how I like to prepare this dish.  You are going to need:

4 Medium Chicken Breasts + butter or oil for browning 

3-4 Tablespoons Hot Sauce (we like Frank's Buffalo Sauce)

3-4 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt 

2 Tablespoons Feta

2 Tablespoons Cubed or Shredded Cheese (Colby or Cheddar or whatever!)

** You can use a bit more or less of the hot sauce/Greek yogurt depending upon the quantity of your chicken breasts and how "saucy" you want your Buffalo Chicken to be!

First, heat oven to 375.  You will need the oven once the cook-top prep is complete!

1) I trim my chicken breasts very closely (personal preference) and I heat a bit of butter in a skillet or small pot.  My cook-top goes from low to 1-9 to high.  I warm the butter at 5 and turn it to 7 just as I am about to add the chicken.  I let that first side brown at 7 for 4-5 minutes and then flip to the other side.  I then allow the other side to brown the same amount of time without disturbing the chicken in the pan.  This sears both sides nicely and helps with flavor/texture.

2) I use my spatula to cut each breast (right in the pan) into 4 or so pieces.  I flip and toss them around a bit and then reduce heat to medium (5).

3) Next I add 3-4 tablespoons of hot sauce on top of the chicken.

4) I mix in that hot sauce and use the spatula again to cut the chicken into smaller pieces.  The burner temp continues to be at medium and I am working with the pot continuously to brown but not dry out/burn the chicken.  I am going to be using this chicken for wraps so I leave it in these medium-sized pieces.  You could continue to make them smaller if wanting to make Buffalo Chicken Dip.

5) I turn the heat down to medium-low (3 on my burner) and I add my Greek yogurt on top.  I mix everything well and grab the feta and cubed cheese.  I add them and stir to combine.  At this point I turn the heat back up to medium (5 for me) and bring the whole pot up to a simmer.  This takes a few minutes and I do return to stir it often.  Once at a simmer, I make sure that the cheese has all melted and is evenly distributed.  

*** If you are wanting to make this into a dip, you could transfer to a slow-cooker at this point rather than into the oven.  Or you can still make it into a dip in the oven if you are going to be serving it right away!

6) Place chicken in the oven at 375.  My pots can go from cook-top to oven but you may need to transfer into a separate dish if this is not the case for you!  Place (uncovered) on a medium rack and bake for 10-12 or even 15 minutes, until everything has browned up just a bit and the color becomes a bit more vibrant.  

7) Serve on a wrap or turn into a dip or whatever you would like!  We enjoy a nice side of fresh veggies and a whole grain wrap.  

I hope that your family likes this one as much as we do!  For more clean-eating, family-friendly recipes, check out the Recipes Page here on my blog!  Happy cooking!

Fixate Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hello!  Welcome to my blog!  Today I am so happy to be able to share with you an EXCELLENT clean eating chicken tortilla soup which we made here for the first time last night.  I really loved this recipe and I have to say that it is my favorite dinner that I have made in the past couple of months!  For real!  You have to give it a try!

This recipe comes from the cookbook called "Fixate".  Fixate is available through Team Beachbody.  After experiencing a significant transformation with my health, I became a Coach with Beachbody.  I would be glad to help you out with how to obtain a copy of Fixate!  This cookbook was created by Autumn Calabrese of the 21 Day Fix.  Even if you are not doing the 21 Day Fix fitness/nutrition program, this cookbook is still an excellent resource with 101 clean eating recipes!

To best suit our day here yesterday, I did a few things a little bit differently with the recipe and I will include those notes below.  I did still use the exact same ingredient list!  I just skipped the blender/food processor part and had all of this simmering for a couple of hours instead.  It was AMAZING!

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

                                        from Fixate

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 (6") tortillas, divided use
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cups celery, sliced (about 4 medium stalks)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
• 3 cups chopped and/or shredded rotisserie chicken, boneless/skinless
• 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots (about 3 medium)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
• ½ teaspoon pepper + more to taste
• optional garnish: chopped avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled Cotija (or Feta) cheese

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

  

2) Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.

3) Place tortillas on baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until toasted and crispy.  Remove from oven.  When cool, break into pieces.  Set aside.  

4) Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes and until veggies are soft. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes; cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes and until tomatoes are soft. Set aside.

5) Add onion mixture, 2 cups broth and half of the toasted tortilla pieces to high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

6) Transfer blended mixture back to saucepan and add remaining 4 cups broth, chicken, carrots and seasonings. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

7) Top each serving with preferred toppings such as avocado, cilantro, feta, and remaining tortilla chips.

Here is what I modified in making this recipe:  Steps 1-4 were exactly the same for me.  I did not place anything in a blender.  Once step 4 was complete I went ahead and added my chicken, carrots and seasonings.  I stirred everything well and then covered the pot.  I placed it in the oven at 275 and it remained there for 2 hours.  I then served the soup topped with the tortilla chips, avocado and feta.  There were no tortilla chips incorporated into the soup itself.  They were just on the top.  The entire thing was just so delicious.  Give it a try!

AND - we made some cookies for dessert last night and also to share with my daughter's teachers plus today's lunches for my husband and kids.  This cookie recipe was "new to me" and was created by a friend of mine.  I will include her blog link below!

 

These cookies are considered "clean eating", minus the M and M's that top some of them!  The cookies themselves do not contain any sugar and use honey as the sweetener.  We always work with raw honey here and it is really just fantastic!  

This kind of cookie would be my weakness!  They are clean eating but do contain a good amount of "healthy fat".  So we made 3/4's of a batch and that produced the 12 nicely-sized cookies that you see here.  The recipe calls for either coconut oil OR butter.  We used about 3/4 coconut oil and 1/4 butter to create our app. 1/3 cup total.  

Get the recipe here at my friend Brittney's blog!  We very much enjoyed these cookies and will for sure be making them again here in my home.  :)

 

Hammer and Chisel: Routine Lengths and Description + Performance Line

Hello!  Welcome!!  My name is Jeanette and lately I have been focusing on Beachbody's NEWEST program - "The Master's Hammer and Chisel"!  This program was released 12/1/15 and features Autumn Calabrese as the "Chisel" and Sagi Kalev as the "Hammer".  Autumn is the creator of the 21 Day Fix and Sagi is the guy of Body Beast fame.  They teamed up to work on Hammer and Chisel and it is going to one dynamic program!  This program is focused on lifting, agility and power!  For a Hammer and Chisel FAQ, check out this blog entry of mine.  

Hammer and Chisel includes 14 routine on 6 DVD's, starting with an introductory session.  You also receive a bonus routine when ordering through a Team Beachbody Coach (like me!).  The program runs on a 60 day calendar. 

Here is an idea of what to expect with the Hammer and Chisel routines!

Chisel Balance 41:05 ~ A total-body workout creating stabilization, muscular endurance, and core strength.

Iso Strength Chisel 36:39 ~ An intense resistance workout using isometric holds and flexibility to increase strength.

Chisel Endurance 36:55 ~ Increase muscular endurance and strength in this time-under-tension workout.

Chisel Cardio 39:00 ~ The cardiovascular resistance routine will increase heart rate, circulation, and burn an intense amount of calories.

Chisel Agility 38:29 ~ A challenging cardio workout that will help you move quickly, improve coordination, and create greater stabilization.

Total Body Chisel 36:04 ~ This full-body resistance workout focuses on creating lean muscle and strength. (detailed blog entry on this Total Body Chisel!)

Hammer Plyometrics 26:29 ~ This jump training workout will use your entire body to create force, speed, and power.

Iso Speed Hammer 24:11 ~ A tempo training workout that uses speed and isometric holds to create strength and grow muscle. (check out this blog entry for a full description!)

Total Body Hammer 43:48 ~ A hypertrophy workout focused on pyramid-style sets to maximize strength and muscle growth.

Max Hammer Strength 36:53 ~ Start with a pre-fatigued muscle, finish with a maximum lift. Increase strength, power, and muscular development.

Hammer Power 39:10 ~ This intense powerlifting-inspired workout will increase speed, reactive strength, and power.

Hammer Conditioning 30:42 ~ A workout based on compound movements that will improve stability, coordination, and strength.

10 Min Ab Chisel 10:56 ~ This core-crusher will transform your midsection, without ever getting on the floor.

10 Min Ab Hammer 12:29 ~ Carve definition into your core while strengthening your entire ab complex.

BONUS Routine - The Master's Cardio 17:38

As I prepare to fully begin this program and gear up to jump in while leading my TEST GROUP, I am going to add something new to my routine!  This past July, Beachbody released the Performance Line.  

This morning, I tried out samples of "Energize" and "Recover" and will be ordering more of each today to use during my Hammer and Chisel days...

"Energize" is a pre-workout boost. It is lemony and I like that! Two things I noticed today... I found myself looking at the countdown clock and was surprised that "this is all that is left of my workout??" AND these tricky "Pistol Squats" felt more doable today! Like I had unknowingly brought more of a "can-do" attitude to them. Nice! I will credit the Energize for this!

In fighting soreness as I push hard on these routines, I am adding the post-workout "Recover". Chocolate! I will give it a try! I am confident in the science that Beachbody puts into their products and I am curious to experience the results for myself!  
 

 Here is the official scoop on the Beachbody Performance Line:

The Science Behind Beachbody Performance

Rooted in cutting-edge sports science, exercise physiology, and nutrition research, Beachbody Performance supplements feature key ingredients that are supported by the latest peer-reviewed science, athlete input, and top players in the field of exercise physiology and nutrition. 

Each formula contains state-of-the-art ergogenic (performance-enhancing) ingredients and plant-based phytonutrients that are scientifically shown to improve energy, stamina, strength, focus, and recovery. These key ingredients are included in the formulas at their clinically established effective dosage levels. There are no fillers, artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives.

Order Beachbody Performance individually by formula, or all together in a stack.

 
The system consists of five powder drinks that are formulated with key ingredients scientifically shown to be effective:

Beachbody Performance Energize 40 Serving Tub

Blast through your toughest workouts with a surge of energy! Take Energize before every workout to help sharpen your focus, push harder, and last longer—because every ounce of extra energy means better results. Energize contains key ingredients scientifically shown to buffer lactic acid buildup and delay exercise-induced muscle fatigue, improve performance, and help you push with maximum intensity. Beachbody Performance Hydrate 40 Serving Tub Boost hydration during your workouts for outstanding performance. Typical sports drinks have too much sugar and artificial ingredients that can actually dehydrate you. And water alone doesn't effectively hydrate during exercise or replace what you lose through sweat. Hydrate is specially formulated for all-out performance with an optimal balance of carbohydrates, electrolytes, and water that quickly replaces what's lost and improves endurance, so you can work out longer and feel better. Beachbody Performance Recover 20 Serving Tub Help combat exercise-induced muscle soreness and jump-start recovery so you can hit every workout with strength and intensity. Recover takes advantage of the critical post-workout window with the ideal combination of time-released proteins and phytonutrients to help facilitate muscle recovery while helping to reduce muscle breakdown. Take Recover after every workout to help combat exercise-induced muscle soreness, speed muscle recovery, support muscle growth, and restore your strength. Beachbody Performance Recharge 20 Serving Tub Support your body's recovery overnight with Recharge. It's specially formulated to help accelerate overnight recovery, combat exercise-induced muscle soreness, and promote muscle growth when your body is primed to accept it—while you sleep! Slow-release protein, amino acids, and powerful phytonutrients help reduce muscle breakdown, promote lean-muscle synthesis, and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Beachbody Performance Creatine 20 Serving Tub Blast through high-intensity exercises and turn your last rep into the second or third last rep. Creatine helps you get extra strength so you can push that much harder in every workout, for ultimate performance and quicker results. Creatine monohydrate is the purest, safest, and most effective form in the world—it's scientifically shown to help boost strength and power, improve high-intensity performance, and enhance the effects of resistance training. For those already drinking or interested in drinking the Shakeology supplement, it is perfectly fine to use Beachbody Performance supplements in addition to a daily regimen of Shakeology. However, for best results, do not mix Shakeology with any of the Performance formulas. Leading the development of Beachbody Performance is Nima Alamdari, PhD, a Harvard-trained exercise physiology/nutrition scientist and Beachbody's Director of Scientific Affairs. The team's work was rigorously reviewed by key members of Beachbody's Scientific Advisory Board, including Dr. Marcus Elliott, MD, a Harvard-trained physician and founder of the world's leading athlete performance training center Peak Performance Project (P3), and Dr. Francis Stephens, PhD, a world-leader in exercise physiology and performance nutrition research. Beachbody's Scientific Advisory Board comprises top international authorities in fitness, nutrition, botanical science, herbal integrated medicine, and product safety.   Contact me if you would be interested in trying our Beachbody Performance Sampler Kit! What's holding you back from the results you want?  Are you tired and sore? Hitting a wall too soon? Can't recover fast enough? Get ready to perform better, last longer, and recover sooner with Beachbody Performance—a balanced supplement system designed to give your body what it needs to break through obstacles and take your fitness to the next level. No more struggling through workouts for average results.  It's time to unleash your most extreme body transformation—the right way. Beachbody Performance products are formulated with key ingredients, scientifically shown to help you have: More energy and endurance Better focus to push harder Less exercise-induced muscle soreness Faster recovery times Your Beachbody Performance Sampler Kit includes: One single-serve packet of each Beachbody Performance formula Energize Pre-Workout Formula Find more energy, motivation, and focus to power through your toughest workouts with enhanced endurance. Start strong so you can finish stronger. Hydrate During-Workout Formula Boost hydration for better performance! Hydrate helps improve performance and endurance, and replaces lost electrolytes better than just water or sugary sports drinks. Recover Post-Workout Formula Faster recovery helps you get faster results! Get the proper protein and nutrients to help speed muscle recovery and reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness so you can hit tomorrow's workout just as hard. Recharge Nighttime Recovery Formula Support muscle recovery while you sleep. Now you can help boost your body's ability to fight off delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) while promoting lean-muscle growth. Creatine Push the limits of your strength and power to hammer out even more reps, boost lean-muscle gains, and accelerate high-intensity performance.

  

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Grocery Shopping: List, 4 Day Meal Plan, Clean Eating Recipes

Hello!  My name is Jeanette.  I am a mom with two kids who are currently ages 6 and 8.  I have been married for 10 years now.  We live in Erie, PA.  In September 2013 I began to learn about clean eating and discovered the key to drastically change my health.  Since then we have continued to implement these principles in our household and it truly has become our lifestyle.  I became a Team Beachbody coach in March 2014 in order to share with others about home fitness and clean eating.  I lead FB-based "Challenge Groups" with daily coach posts, accountability, fitness and nutrition support and lots of fun and encouragement!  

For a quick "Clean Eating 101" - check out this blog entry of mine!  There are MANY different ways to approach clean eating in order to find out how to make it work for your lifestyle!  Today's blog entry is a look at what is working for us here!  This is by no means absolute or all-inclusive.  :)

Today in one of my groups we are taking a close look at nutrition.  Here is what I had posted myself in that group today:

Day 12: Nutrition FOCUS today!

Good morning to everyone! I have been messaging quite a bit with many of my challengers here in the group and there is for sure a common theme!

We are not all eating enough of the right foods. Too much time is passing between snacks and meals due to life circumstances and busy schedules.

This will be a longer post! So I wanted to give a little assignment here at the top! COMMENT BELOW with which nutrition category is coming more easily to you and also where you are finding yourself lacking more often than not.

We are going to brainstorm here today and come up with some helpful tips and encourage each other on how to make this work!

When I first began making my own healthy changes in September 2013, I had just started a new job and I was teaching riding lessons at a barn outside of Erie. Within a matter of weeks, I was to a point of teaching back-to-back-to-back for a LOT of lessons in a row. In between actively instructing beginner/intermediate riders who were mounted in the arena, I was in the barn aisle-way talking with them and their parents as we tacked and untacked their ponies.

Ummm..... this was NOT your usual sort of "ideal dining experience".

I did wind up losing 30 pounds my first 90 days and it was not just because of my home workouts. It was through making good nutrition a non-negotiable that just had to happen for me no matter what!

SO - if we are results-oriented here AND want to feel our best by being well-fueled throughout our days, we can make it happen!

First, toss out your old ideas of where you need to be/what you need to do/what it should look like before you are "ready to eat something".

We are going to be on the move most days and that is okay!

Set aside the idea of eating "one good meal". We are going to be grabbing smaller things along the way. You can still for sure still sit down to a nice meal a couple of times a day! But if your days are not allowing that, NO WORRIES!

Snacking well is the key to success.

When I would pack things to be out of the house for 10 hours on a Saturday with a 30-40 minute drive each way, teaching back-to-back and maybe riding a green horse or two within the mix, I had to be prepared with my clean eating foods.

Here are some of the things that I would bring:

Greek Yogurt with Berries (just pack a spoon and eat it somewhere in there!)

Hard Boiled Eggs (I would strategically open these so that the scent was not too much for anyone nearby!)

Wrap with PB/Banana/Chia Seeds (easy to eat while walking)

Wrap with Turkey and Avocado (also portable!)

Fresh Fruit

Fresh Veggies

Nuts

Extra Serving Shakeology in a Shaker Cup (I do love it blended at home but sometimes you have to just shake it up!)

LOTS of WATER!

I have since also discovered Quest Bars and they are another handy option to have while on the go! Some are a bit higher in saturated fat, depending upon the variety. So be on the lookout for that. But they are VERY LOW in sugar (1 gram or less!) and are filling and are made with quality ingredients. This is a nice boost of protein while on the run!

I keep a nutrition tracker printed and make sure to hit my categories most days. This is truly at the heart of our success with our life change efforts! It also makes all the difference in feeling our best!

There is a lot of great energy and support here in this group. None of us are going to be able to "do this perfectly". But we can for sure give it our best shot! That is going to require getting creative. We need to find new ways of thinking. Take action even when it means pushing to develop a new habit. WE ARE WORTH IT!

Once I had the kids off to school here today, it was time for me to head to the grocery store.  We have some things this weekend where I need to bring food to share.  My 6 year old on had requested this morning that we make our homemade granola tomorrow and he asked me to buy the ingredients today.  So cute!  Plus we are heading into the weekend.  If I don't have foods ready to go here, we will wind up going out to eat.  We do eat out a couple of times a month.  But we just ordered pizza one night this week, I was out at the MOPS Steering Team Christmas party last night AND with a neighborhood Christmas party tomorrow night, my preference is to do the rest of our meal here at home working with my own ingredients!  After you have been eating clean for a while, it is not that you finding yourself "wanting extra cheat meals".  You truly want to stick with your routine nutrition because you have found that this is how you feel your best!

I decided that today I would do something that I have not done in the past!  I would snap photos of the contents of my grocery cart as I shopped each department at our local Wegmans (Peach Street location) and then I would come home and blog the list, my perspective on all of this, 4 day meal plan and recipes.  So here we are!

First - what will meals/snacks look like over the weekend?  I will detail that now and will then get into the shopping and recipes. 

A general nutrition game plan for myself involves 1+ gallon of water each day, 4 protein servings, 4-5 veggie servings, 3 fruit servings, 2-3 grain servings and a couple of healthy fats.  I follow the guidelines that I learned through the 21 Day Fix and PiYo nutrition plans.  I do drink coffee (black) and enjoy an average of 2 cups per day.  I always have my first in the morning and then my 2nd later in the day.  I also add in tea whenever desired in the evenings.

Friday

5:15 AM - 16 Ounces of Water

5:30 AM - Coffee and Ezekiel Toast with PB

8 AM - Fresh Green Beans

While Shopping - MY FAVORITE SPROUTED ALMONDS! and Coffee

10:30 AM - Vegan Chocolate Shakeology with 1/2 a Banana

12:30 PM - Celery and Apple with PB

  ** Do Workout!

2:30 PM - Quest Bar and Green Beans

4:30 PM - 2 Scrambled Eggs w/Peppers, Ezekiel Toast, Avocado

6:30 PM - Vegan Chocolate Shakeology with 1/2 a Banana

                  * Drink while on the way to school activity!

Saturday

6:15 AM - 16 Ounces of Water

6:30 AM - Coffee and Ezekiel Toast with PB

  ** Do Workout!

8:00 AM - Vegan Chocolate Shakeology with 1/2 a Banana

10 AM - Celery and Green Beans

12:00 PM - Chili and Spinach Salad

3:00 PM - Greek Yogurt with Raspberries and Granola

5:00 PM - Neighborhood Party!  Take Hummus w/Veggies & Pita Chips

                 * Plan to eat as "clean" as possible with minimal "extras"!

Sunday

6:15 AM - 16 Ounces of Water

6:30 AM - Coffee and Ezekiel Toast with PB

  ** Do Workout!

8:00 AM - Vegan Chocolate Shakeology with a Full Banana

10 AM - Fresh Green Beans on the Way to Church

12:45 - Chili and Spinach Salad

3:00 PM - Greek Yogurt with Raspberries and Granola

5:30 PM - Portobello Chicken with Red Potatoes and Broccoli

7:30 PM - Celery and Cucumber

Monday

5:15 AM - 16 Ounces of Water

5:30 AM - Coffee and Ezekiel Toast with PB

  ** Do Workout!

7:00 AM - Fresh Green Beans while Packing Lunches

8 AM - Vegan Chocolate Shakeology with 1/2 a Banana

10 AM - Celery and Cucumber

12:30 PM - 2 Scrambled Eggs w/Peppers, Avocado

3:00 PM - Quest Bar and Apple between Hair Appt. and School Pick-Up

5:30 PM - Chicken Fajita Bowl and Spinach Salad

Okay!  Now we are off to the grocery store!  I visited my favorite spot today... Wegmans on Peach Street here in Erie, PA.  First stop was to grab some coffee while I gathered my thoughts and jotted down a bit of a list on a piece of paper that I had found in my purse!  I knew that three of the recipes I wanted to make were accessible through my own blog and another could be found in my recent "Clean Eating Crock-Pot Group" so I looked them up while sitting there in the Cafe.  I knew that other staple grocery items would just come to mind as I went through my usual departments.

Produce (we do a combination of organic and non-organic here):
Carrots, Bell Peppers, Apples, Green Beans, Seedless Cucumbers, Baby Spinach, Celery, Bananas, Red Potatoes, Portobello Mushrooms, Vidalia Onions

Bakery/Deli:
I am planning to make breakfast sandwiches for my husband and kids for our early dinner tonight. These are a family favorite!  I picked up two bakery bagels (one for my husband and one for the kids to split) and I will have a slice of Ezekiel toast myself.  I also bought some deli "ham off the bone" and "cooper cheese" as my family think that these elements make for the best breakfast sandwiches.  Though not considered "clean eating" we do buy this sort of thing in moderation and it still fits into an 80/20 approach with the idea of eating 100% clean 80% of the time.  For myself today?  Given that I was out last night at a Christmas party and tomorrow night is another Christmas party, I will stick to my eggs/bell pepper scramble tonight along with my Ezekiel toast and sliced avocado.  Other times I will have a slice of ham and cheese with my eggs.

Nature's Marketplace (organic grocery area):
Annie's Bunny Crackers (single serve packets for the kids as they typically have one per day), Pita Chips and Boom Chicka Pop Holiday Popcorn (to take to neighborhood party), Quest Bars (I prefer the Cinnamon myself and the kids like the cookie types and they will split a bar), Raw Honey (for the granola recipe and this is also what my son eats daily with his PB on a sandwich!), Tomatoes, Dried Beans, Veggie Broth, Refried Beans for the Chili Recipe, and MY FAVORITE thing to eat which I only buy a tiny amount of on grocery day ---- Sprouted Almonds from the Bulk Organic at Peach Wegmans (West doesn't carry them).  They are just so delicious and I love them!  But at $14.50 a pound and the fact that I could eat waaaaayyyyyy to many of them, I just buy around $2.60 worth and enjoy them all that day. 

Meat Cooler (not currently buying organic as it is not yet in the budget!):
Club Pack of Chicken Breast and Smaller Pack of 90/10 Beef - I would have bought the bigger pack of beef to save $ per pound but it was only dated through tomorrow and when I am freezing it I do prefer to have things dated out farther, given that I am going to thaw it and cook with it and probably eat that day and the next.  Tomorrow I will make a double batch of chili but the beef will be browned and mixed in with the portion that we are eating tomorrow.  The rest will stand as a vegetarian chili for Sunday's lunch and my husband's lunch on Monday!

Dairy Area Cooler (mixture of organic and non-organic):
Eggs (we all just prefer the organic eggs so they are worth the slightly higher cost), Hummus, Plain Organic Greek Yogurt (the organic has a much better taste and texture to me! I don't eat tons of dairy but will incorporate plain Greek yogurt twice or so each week), Flavored Single Serve Greek Yogurts (my husband and kids prefer this to the plain and we buy the big box of 12 cups - still had some here at home so I just picked up a few of their favorite flavors to supplement our supply!) 

Grocery Bulk and ONE Grocery Aisle:
Pecans and Almonds from Bulk and Old-Fashioned Oats from Grocery for the Granola!

Frozen Foods:
When berries are not in season, I just buy frozen instead.  The organic raspberries are only 50 cents more per pound than the regular frozen raspberries and the flavor is DECADENT!  Raspberries are my own favorite berry and I just love these!

The organic broccoli package is FAR SUPERIOR to the regular frozen broccoli package!  The organic broccoli is "Broccoli Florets" and they are beautiful and so flavorful and the bag really is like 90% florets.  The regular frozen broccoli is called "Broccoli Cuts" and with that you are looking at like maybe 25% florets and a bunch of stem and no one in my family ever liked those much at all.  We will never go back!  Why not serve veggies that everyone is more likely to enjoy??  

So this was my $167 trip to the grocery store today!  I also included a 3-pack of chewing gum!  There were a few staple item already on hand here in my freezer, fridge and pantry.  I will include those photos below!  I didn't think to pull out butter, coconut oil, pink sea salt, cinnamon and other assorted spices.  But we do cook with them!

These are some cereals that my husband and kids enjoy. I am not really a cereal person myself!  I enjoy my Shakeology for breakfast daily and sometimes at a 2nd point during the day!

Frozen Foods - the kids like these organic frozen waffles.  I eat Ezekiel bread toasted each day as one of my grain servings.  We also keep assorted frozen veggies on hand!

From the Fridge and Counter - a seasonal fruit, almond milk, PB and Jam, Lemons, Avocado, our FAVORITE Marinade plus we have a handful of Condiments in there.

And FINALLY - a few recipes from this meal plan!

Honey Pecan Granola

Chicken Fajita Bowl 

My "Portobello Chicken with Red Potatoes and Broccoli" is simply cooking up some sliced chicken breast in a skillet and then setting is aside.  Saute your mushrooms and then mix your chicken back into the skillet. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over everything and toss to coat.  Top with feta cheese if desired.  Bake, boil, roast or mash your red potatoes and steam or roast your broccoli and dinner is served!  

A Chili Recipe that we have been LOVING came from a coach on my team!  This post was initially shared by Amy within our "Clean Eating Crock-Pot" recipe group.  I will include her words and recipe below!

Amy's Vegetarian Chili

I'm a vegetarian and my husband is not. When I make this, I have meat sautéed on the side that my husband can add to his. I just made this the other day and it was so easy because most of the ingredients can just be stock piled in your pantry. The main ingredients are dried beans which are very economical. I was able to throw this together on a day that was super chaotic and it was so rewarding to have a hearty and healthy home cooked dinner ready when we were.

There is a small amount of prep to get it going. You could soak your beans overnight or if you are like me and forget, then just boil them for about 45 minutes in the morning just to get them started.

Ingredients:
1 cup dried lentils (I simmered these in 2 cups water until the water was absorbed, about 15 minutes)
1 cup dried kidney beans
1 cup dried white beans
3 cups canned chopped tomatoes (I used one box of the Pomi tomatoes) include liquid
4 cups vegetable stock
1 onion diced
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
3 tsp cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp shed red pepper (depending on how spicy you'd like it)
*2 Tbsp masa harina (corn flour) added near end to thicken the chili
*1/2 can organic vegetarian refried beans (I used Amy's brand) this is optional, but adds more creaminess flavor
Shredded cheddar and Greek yogurt for garnish

Directions:
Prepare lentils by simmering and beans by boiling or soaking overnight. Sauté onions and garlic in a little oil. Drain and rinse beans. Add all ingredients to crockpot except for corn flour and refried beans. Cook on low setting for 5 hours. Stir in corn flour and refried beans. Cook for another 15-30 minutes. Serve garnished with shredded cheddar and Greek yogurt. Enjoy!