Clean Eating Adventures

With the wedding a short 32 days away and FCAT over, we decided to start hitting the gym harder and change our consumption habits. We are newbies at this, so errors will be made, we know that, but we're trying and it's a huge life change for us, so that's really what matters at this point. We're going to the gym for 45-60 minutes every morning at 5:15 or 5:30ish. I can't explain the relief I feel when I leave school in the afternoon and I don't feel the pressure of having to go to the gym or guilty if my day was too rough and I want to relax. I actually feel less tired getting up at 5 than when we sleep in until 6:30. It would be wonderful if that is something that sticks :)

Yesterday was day 1 and it was certainly a challenge. I didn't realize how much sugar I unconsciously consume throughout the day. A little candy here and there.. just one of the dangers of being a teacher! Yesterday, I managed to completely refrain, and it was rough. I was definitely having withdrawals and I was pretty cranky. I'm hoping day 2 is better.

Here's what's on the food agenda today:
I had a chocolate whey protein shake for breakfast, mixed with unsweetened almond milk (suggested by my very healthy friend, Katie). It was actually really good. We wanted to start moderately priced on the whey, so we got the Publix Greenwise and it's pretty good. We'll probably start exploring more options if the protein shakes stick.

I've realized a big part of eating clean is commitment and planning. "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!" This seems especially difficult for me considering I'm in a classroom all day with no refrigerator.. talk about challenging.. so I've have to plan ahead. Here is today's lunchbox...
Clockwise from L to R: nonfat greek yogurt with cut strawberries and honey; apples with 1 tsp of natural ground peanut butter; 1 tbl sun-dried tomato hummus with 1/4 cup organic carrot sticks; leftover chicken from last night's dinner.

I'm not sure in which order I'll consume or if I'll be able to even eat everything, but I like having options!

Also, I'm drinking Dr. Oz's Weight-orade, which is basically green tea with tangerine slices, instead of coffee this morning and water is the plan for the rest of the day. luckily I make the switch from Diet Coke to water in January.. Can you imagine, sugar and white starch withdrawal AND a Diet Coke withdrawal? Yikes!

Wish me luck!

Chicken and Potatoes

This was our dinner tonight.. just one of a million Pinterest inspirations.

The potatoes in the background were pinned from Pioneer Woman.. her recipes are no-fail and always delicious. That recipe can be found here.

The chicken began as an Pinspired recipe, but turned into something I made up. The recipe I was originally going to use was for a lemon chicken. Unfortunately, I started it a bit late and had no time for a 2 hour marinade as the recipe called for. Instead, I decided to experiment a little. Goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, and bacon has to be one of my favorite flavor combinations... also, includes artichokes when I have them; they would've been included tonight if I had 'em!

Here's what I did..

I mixed up about 3 ounces of crumbled goat cheese, 2 tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes, a tablespoon of crumbled bacon, the zest/juice of a medium lemon, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and 2 tablespoons of butter. I lifted the skin from the chicken leg quarters (3), and stuffed the chicken with the mixture. I then brushed on a coat of olive oil mixed with some lemon juice and a sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, and an Italian seasoning mixture. I popped it in the oven for about 25 minutes on 425˚. Then, I moved them to the bottom shelf and popped the potatoes in on the top. Finished off for 20 minutes at 450˚. I pulled them out and let them rest for about 5 minutes. We enjoyed with a nice fresh salad mix!

Perfect way to end President's Day!

Chicken Sausage and Brussels Sprouts over Orrechiette

I got this recipe inspiration from Pinterest.. surprise, surprise.

It's been a particularly stressful week at school and preparing this tonight was the perfect outlet for stress relief.

I used this recipe (click here), except I made a few changes..

1) I roasted the fresh brussels sprouts for about 15 minutes, while the chicken sausage cooked. Once the sausage was done, I removed it from the pan to rest and threw the brussels sprouts in the pan with the little bit of grease they produced and a small handful of bacon pieces.

2)I topped with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes instead of the parmesan. I felt it needed a bit of a tang!

This was really delicious and at the end of the day, pretty healthy!

If you need it, my pesto recipe is here!