Cafe Latte Shakeology Recipes!

A little over a year ago, I posted over 100 recipes for Shakeology.  It's one of my favorite posts-- I refer back to it all the time when I'm looking to try something new or looking to give suggestions to people trying Shakeology.  This past January, the newest Shakeology flavor, Cafe Latte, came out and it is AH-MAZING.  I've been drinking it all this time, yet I haven't added to my list of recipes!

So here you go, over 30 recipes JUST for Cafe Latte Shakeology!

Interested in trying it out?  The link is at the bottom!

Cafe Latte Shakeology

Cafe Latte is the newest Shakeology flavor.  Even just mixed with water, it has the light, creamy flavor of coffee ice cream, not the bitterness of black coffee.  Here are some great ways to make it (use one scoop or packet of Cafe Latte Shakeology):

1. Cafe Latte: 1 cup water, 1/2 cup of ice optional
2. Hazelnut Latte: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 tablespoons of chopped raw hazelnuts, 1 teaspoon pure hazelnut extract, 1/2 cup ice
3. Muddy Nutty Buddy: 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup water, 2 teaspoons of all-natural peanut butter, 1/4 large banana
4. Mocha Caramel Latte: 1 cup of unsweetened chocolate almond milk, 1 teaspoon pure caramel extract
5. Creamy Coconut Late: 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup canned lite coconut milk
6. Anise Latte: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 tsp. pure anise extract
7. Frozen Thai Ice Coffee: 1 cup strongly brewed cold coffee, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom, 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
8. Honey Peanutty Coffee: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 teaspoons all-natural peanut butter, 1 teaspoon raw honey
9. Black Forest Coffee: 1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk, 1/4 cup organic tart cherry juice
10. Peanut Butter Mocha: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup (or raw honey), 2 teaspoon all-natural peanut butter
11. Vanilla Sea Salt Latte: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan salt), 1/2 fresh vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise.
12. Greek Coffee: 1 cup strongly brewed cold coffee, 1/4 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon raw honey
13. Mocha Java: 1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
14. Coco-Latte: 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup coconut water beverage, 2 teaspoons unsweetened shredded coconut
15. Red Eye Coffee: 3/4 cup water, 1/4 cup brewed espresso
16. Cinnamon Dolce Latte: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
17. Pumpkin Spice Latte: 1 cup water, 1/2 canned pumpkin puree, 1/2 teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice
18. Flaxseed Banana Joe: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/4 large banana, 1 tablespoon flaxseed
19. Orange Mocha Latte: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel (orange zest)
20. Salty Caramel Latte: 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup low-fat milk, 1 dash sea salt, 1 teaspoon pure caramel extract
21. Iced Vanilla Latte: 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
22. Blueberry Brew: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
23. Spicy Latte: 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 2 teaspoons raw honey
24. Maple Coffee: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
25. Peppermint Mocha: 1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk, 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
26. Honey Nut Latte:  1 cup unsweetened soy milk, 2 teaspoons all-natural cashew butter, 1 teaspoon raw honey
27. Almond Latte:  1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 teaspoon pure almond extract, 2 tablespoons slice raw almonds
28. Banana Spice Latte:  1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 large banana, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
29. Tiramisu Latte:  1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons part-skim ricotta
30. Oatmeal Latte:  1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 tablespoons dry old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon raw honey
31. Mexican Spiced Coffee:  1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel (orange zest), 1 teaspoon raw honey

 Order Cafe Latte Shakeology Here

Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

The magic that is buffalo chicken.  I literally can't get enough.  Problem is, most places that make out-of-this-world buffalo wings deep fry them to within an inch of their life.

What you'll learn after trying this recipe:  Totally unnecessary.  These chicken wings are quick, easy, health, and BAKED.  The hardest part has been finding these cute little "wingettes" in the grocery store.  They never have them with any consistency!  Makes it hard to plan, but when they do have them, IT'S WING NIGHT!

Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Total time:  40 minutes
Yield:  4 servings per pound of chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken wings, "wingettes" or "drumettes" (my container was 1.75 lbs)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp baking powder
Buffalo sauce (I used about a half cup)
Butter (I used about 1 tbsp)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Combined all dry ingredients into a bowl and thoroughly coat the wings.  Arrange the wings on a well-greased (I use coconut oil spray) cookie sheet.  Cook wings for 15 minutes, flip, and cook for another 15 minutes.  Just before the wings are finished cooking, melt the butter into the wing sauce and stir to combine.  I used 1 Tbsp of butter in a 1/2 cup of sauce and it was still pretty spicy.  Add more butter to lessen the spice of the sauce.  When the wings are finished cooking, coat them in the sauce and serve!

If you're looking for a delicious, HEALTHIER alternative to blue cheese dressing, look no further than my homemade version!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

With January comes New Years Resolutions for a lot of people.  As you probably know though, my "resolutions" started on the day I turned 29 with my list of 30 Before 30.  This meant that January required that I try a new food!

Usually, I aim to try the new food in it's most unadulterated form.  That way, I really know how I feel about it before I start mixing it into things.  This time, though, I was inspired to try butternut squash during my search to find a healthier version of mac and cheese.

My friends on Facebook suggested the following recipe that is originally from the Team Beachbody Blog.

I got all ready to start, and realized I had no idea how to even CUT a butternut squash.  No worries, that's what google is for.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Prep Time:  15 minutes
Cook Time:  61 minutes
Total Time:  1 hour and 16 minutes
Yield:  10 servings, about 1.5 cups each

Ingredients:
1 lb. dry whole wheat macaroni (or any kind of pasta shape)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium red bell peppers, chopped
3 cups cubed butternut squash
1¾ cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
2 Tbsp. low-fat (1%) plain Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and set aside.  While the pasta is cooking, I cut up the squash and chopped up the onions and peppers.  Next, heat the olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and bell peppers.  It should take about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, for the onion to cook to translucence. Set aside.  Combine the squash, broth, and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; gently boil for 22 to 25 minutes, or until squash is tender.  The milk might curdle a little, but that's not a big deal.  Be careful not to let it overflow!

Once the squash is done cooking, place squash mixture in a blender or food processor; cover with lid and kitchen towel. Blend until smooth.  I actually blended it in three separate batches, just to make sure it didn't overflow from my food processor.

Combine all the ingredients (squash mixture, macaroni, onion mixture, yogurt, and cheeses) in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired; mix well.  Pour pasta mixture in a 13 x 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish that has been coated with spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling.

We decided to eat this macaroni concoction with our favorite Buffalo Chicken Burgers (baked, since we were decidedly snowed in from two feet of snow).  I didn't realize how... orange our meal was going to look.

I was definitely apprehensive, as I usually am when trying a new food...

Final thoughts:  I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it.  I felt the same as when I tried spaghetti squash... it didn't taste like the original.  Even though it was orange and had some cheese in it, it really didn't taste a whole lot like mac and cheese.  And frankly, it took forever to make.  Cutting that squash was no picnic either.  Dan loved it, so that's good, but I don't see myself making it again soon.

Spaghetti Squash Virgin

"What is that?!"  I said with weird disgust.

"It's a spaghetti quash."  Explained my roommate.

"Why? Does it have spaghetti inside?!"  Now I was getting excited.

"Well, no.  It's a squash.  But after you cook it, it looks like spaghetti."

"Oh.  That's gross."

That was the end of that conversation a mere five years ago... until two weeks ago, when on a whim, I purchased a spaghetti squash from the super market.  The scariest food purchase I've made, to date (I'm just not ready for beets yet).

What to do with this thing?  Can I made it taste like spaghetti?  Forget cooking it, how do I open it?!

My Facebook friends seemed to have a lot to say.

Some hate it, some love it.  Some swear it tastes like spaghetti, some told me if I expect it to taste like spaghetti, I'll be disappointed.  Some told me to bake it, some to microwave it, some to cut it first, some to cut it later.  I became very confused.  Then I became sick with a cold.

So the spaghetti squash sat patiently on the counter.  Until last night.

Armed with a lot of how-to pictures, I preheated my oven to 400 degrees,

carefully and somewhat awkwardly sliced my squash in half,

scooped out the centers (like a pumpkin!),

placed both halves facedown in a baking dish with some water, covered them with foil, and cooked them for 40 minutes.  

The sensation of being able to scrape the insides of the squash with a fork and have it come out like spaghetti was strangely satisfying.  Dan got half a squash and I got half.  Covered both with sauce and meatballs.  The moment of truth.

It was ok.  Yup, just ok.  I didn't love it, BUT I didn't hate it.  It didn't taste like spaghetti.  In fact, it didn't really taste like anything.  Dan and I were amused by it's tastelessness.  So instead of focusing on my tepid review of the taste, let's focus on the amazing things that happened last night:


-I tried something new and out of my comfort zone
-I found a VEGGIE that I would eat again
-I got Dan to try it with me

All wins in my book!  Tell me, how do you like to prepare and eat your spaghetti squash?!

Quick, Easy and Delicious Breakfasts!

I have always been a breakfast eater.  Another opportunity to eat?  Let's do it!  When I was in grade school, my breakfasts weren't always the healthiest... but we ate well-rounded homemade meals for the rest of the day, and the Cinnamon Toast Crunch and donuts and waffles we had  in the morning didn't seem to have much of a negative impact on our health.

Now, of course, I still eat breakfast, but it's usually my healthiest meal of the day.  Of course I'm talking about Shakeology!  But, if you like to drink your Shakeology at a different time of day, or you haven't hopped on board yet, here are some awesome breakfast options!

Eggs:

So many different ways to make them!  I actually prefer mine scrambled in the microwave.  I know that sounds weird, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!  Just crack a few eggs in a microwave-safe container, add a little almond milk if you’d like, and cook 30-60 seconds at a time, stirring in between heating.  Don’t overcook them though.  Wait until they start to balloon up in the microwave and there’s just a tiny bit of liquid left.  

Not only are eggs versatile because you can cook them a million different ways, but when you scramble them and make them into an omelet, you can add almost anything!  Tomatoes, spinach, peppers, ground meat, etc!  Check out this website for other basic ways to cook eggs.

Yogurt:

I love me some greek yogurt.  What I love even more is that I figured out an AMAZING way to eat plain, non-fat greek yogurt without it tasting like sour cream!  The other greek yogurts are fine, but the fruit and added flavors can have a lot of unnecessary sugar and unnecessary processing.  Try adding either a LITTLE BIT of honey, maple syrup or ONE stevia packet to your yogurt and then some cinnamon or even pumpkin spice!  Delicious!

Ezekiel Bread:

Amazing, especially the cinnamon raisin!  It’s made with sprouted grains, which is a lot healthier than white, or even whole wheat (check that out here:  http://authoritynutrition.com/ezekiel-bread/).  A little butter or even some avocado on top and you’re good to go.  Remember though, this is still a carb, so make sure you have some protein with it!

Oatmeal:

Delicious and easy.  Save yourself money AND added chemicals and sugar by buying a giant container of plain oatmeal and scooping from that whenever you want it.  You can always add the fruit and cinnamon later.

Another helpful tip:  the longer the oatmeal needs to cook, the more WHOLE it is.  The more WHOLE it is, the healthier and more nutritious it is and the less processing it had been through.  Therefore, steel-cut/irish oats are heartier than rolled oats which are heartier than instant oats.  For me, I find rolled oats to be a good middle ground.  They only take about 5 minutes.  Certainly more time than one minute, but I can get other stuff done while that’s cooking.  Again, this is also a carb, so add some protein!

Ground Meat:

Don’t shy away from ground meat in the morning!  Who said you have to eat it for lunch and dinner!  Add that stuff to your eggs or even to your oatmeal!  Why not!

Looking for different ways to season your meat?  Check out all of the seasonings on this blog post!

I found a lot of amazing make-ahead, quick-eat recipes on the following blog.  They are all clean and labeled with whether they are freezer friendly, vegan, gluten free, etc.  I am excited to try some of these!

http://ifoodreal.com/25-clean-eating-breakfasts-on-the-go/

I should also note that a lot of the recipes call for protein powder.  If you are a Shakeology drinker, just use your Shakeology!  Even though Shakeology isn’t a “protein powder”, it had enough protein in it to have the same effect in the recipes!

Vacation Plan-- How to workout and eat right even while you're on vacation!

As a teacher, vacation has somewhat of a different meaning to me.  It's true that I don't have to go to work for a solid three months out of the year, but for me, having an entire day to my self means I'm cleaning the house, running errands, getting caught up on business stuff, and the list goes on.  If you really want to talk vacation with me, it means I'm not in my own house and most likely, also have a wonky internet connection.  Those two things for me = vacation.  Those two things also mean it's going to be hard for me to a) stick to my meal plan and b) workout.

But for me, I LOVE eating well because it makes me feel good and healthy.  I LOVE working out because it energizes me and gives me an outlet for my stress.  And so for me, when I take a vacation, a real vacation, I don't actually want to stop doing those two things!  But none the less, as I said before, taking a vacation does make those things difficult.  So, I wanted to talk about my tips and tricks to eating, working out and work your business even while you're on vacation!

Food is Fuel.

Everybody's vacations look different.  Some people are with their families and young kids, some are with friends, some are laying by the beach and pool all day napping and reading, some are walking around theme parks (me!), some are on amazing adventures like hiking and biking and rock climbing!  Whatever the case is, vacations almost always involve... RESTAURANTS.  People love not having to cook for themselves.  Seriously, if I didn't have to cook for the rest of my life, I would be a happy woman.  It's not that I don't like the actual cooking per say, but everything that goes along with it:  the meal planning, the shopping, the prep, the clean up.  Check please!

So what are some DOs and DON'Ts of restaurant dining if you're trying to stay on track?

DO eat all the fruits and veggies that come with your meal.  All of them.
DON'T eat the bread that comes before the meal!  Even though it is delicious.
DO save half of your meal as leftovers.  Restaurants almost always give inappropriate serving sizes.
DON'T order alcohol (or, order only one, and NOT the super sugary ones with the umbrellas in them!)
DO drink as much water as you can!
DON'T order meat and bread heavy options at every meal if you are eating out for multiple meals of the day.
DO skip dessert.

Everyone deserves a treat.  It will not be a treat if you are away for 10 days and eat whatever you want.  Trust me.  #allthepoop


Some other helpful tips for eating right while on vacation:

• Keep some easy to keep and carry fruits and veggies in your hotel room/vacation space.  You can easily pack a banana, apple, or some baby carrots to munch on while your on the boat or taking a break from Space Mountain (woohoo!)
• Don't go out for breakfast.  Instead, buy a box of cereal and eat it in your hotel room!  You can even keep little cartons of milk in the hotel fridge!
• Remember that most places will sell you bottled water, but they will fill up a cup of water for free.  If you're not nervous about where the water is coming from, take advantage of that!
• Did you know that with just 8 oz of water, you can shake up a serving of Shakeology and know that you are getting almost all of your necessarily vitamins and minerals for the day?  And covering a snack or meal?  And doing it for less than $4.66 a serving.  That's less than a water bottle at most vacation spots!

Wake Up and Work Out.

Getting motivated to workout during vacation is hard.  I get it!  The allure of sleeping in and cuddling with your significant other/kids/pillow is strong when it is a rarity on days when you have to go to work.  But instead of thinking of exercise as something that cuts in to or takes away from your vacation, think of it as something that adds to and enhances your vacation!



Take advantage of where you are and turn your surroundings into exercise.  Do yoga on the beach or take a bike ride on the boardwalk.  Do laps in the bay.  Jog through the woods or even through the city!   If it's a rainy day, grab a partner and head to the hotel gym or pool.  Vacations should also be about spending time with people that you... love to spend time with!  Imagine that!  So spend some time working up a good sweat and talking about what you're going to do that day or even how much fun you had the night before!

Regardless, just get up and move around.  If you spend all day walking around an amusement park, don't feel guilty about counting that as your exercise for the day.  But, if you're going to nap and drink mojitos all day long, a sunrise, exploratory jog might be just the ticket!


Are you looking for some accountability during your upcoming August vacation?  Or are you just looking for the motivation to get up and get moving?  What about daily posts and reminders to make good food choices?  How about the advantage of having ONE totally and completely healthy and guilt-free delicious meal that you can make at home or take on the go?

My Operation Vacation Challenge Group is starting on August 16, just three days before I leave on my own vacation to Disney World... and I would LOVE to have you join me (in the group... although if you want to come to Disney World with me, let's do it!)!   Just fill out the form below to apply!

Fill out my online form.

Use Wufoo templates to make your own HTML forms.

FIXate: French Toast Review from a French Toast Expert

If you know me at all you know that there is only one thing I EVER order when I go out for breakfast:

FRENCH TOAST.

Only one time in my entire life did I order something different.  October 4, 2014.  And that was because I had already tried the french toast at the restaurant we were eating at... and it was disgusting (#amiright? #lauraandjendoyoureadthis?).

I can't say I'm as good at making french toast as I am at ordering and eating it.  Although there was this one time I made a Paula Deen Overnight French Toast recipe.  I don't want to tell you how much butter was in that thing.  But my god it was amazing.

Enter FIXate, Autumn Calabrese's new cookbook.  It's perfectly aligned not only with her 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme nutrition programs, but it also lists other information for each recipe, such as calories, fat, protein and carbs.  When I saw there was a healthy french toast recipe in it, I about nearly died.

So this morning, I made it.

It DID NOT disappoint!

Healthy French Toast from FIXate

Prep time:  10 minutes

Cook time:  6 minutes

Total time:  16 minutes

Yield:  2 servings (I ate them both!)

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk

2 tsp. pure maple syrup, divided

1/2 tsp. group cinnamon

2 slices low-sodium sprouted whole-grain bread (I used Ezekiel Cinnamon-Raisin bread)

1 tsp. extra-virgin organic coconut oil (I used Pam coconut oil cooking spray)

1 cup fresh sliced strawberries

Instructions:

Combine eggs, almond milk, 1 tsp. maple syrup, and cinnamon in a shallow pan; whisk to blend.  Soak each slice of bread in egg mixture for 5 minutes, turning halfway.  Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat (know your stove, mine had to be a little hotter than medium, but it's good to start lower).  Add bread; cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  Top with remaining 1 tsp. maple syrup.  Serve strawberries on top or on the side!

Crazy Delicious!!

21 Day Fix/Extreme (per serving!!):  1 yellow, 1/2 Purple, 1/2 Red, 1/2 tsp.

Calories (per serving!!):  219

Total Fat:  8 g

Saturated Fat:  4 g

Cholesterol:  186 mg

Sodium:  84 mg

Carbs:  27 g

Fiber:  5g

Sugars:  8 g

Protein:  11 g

Chicken and Fish and Turkey, Oh My!

I am so excited to announce my very first free clean eating challenge group, targeted at eating clean while on vacation!  Even when I became a coach, I was really resistant to clean eating, or at least labeling myself as a clean eater!  It seemed too difficult and there were a lot of things I didn't want to give up!

But soon enough, without even realizing it, I started slowly incorporating and substituting clean foods into my daily routine.  Like I said, it was a slow, gradual change.  But with the change in my diet, I started to see a change in my body as well.  It was pretty incredible and I became a believer.

You can make some amazing clean meals, but it's important to start with the staples.  Here are three, very basic meat recipes.  You can season these three forms of protein with any fresh or dried spices, or a combination of spices.  You can all add these to salads, stir fry, casseroles, tortillas, anything!  If you ever need suggestions, hit me up!

BAKED CHICKEN BREAST (from the Portion Fix Eating Plan)
(Makes 1 serving)

4 oz raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless
1 tsp. olive oil
All-Purpose Seasoning or Seasoning of choice (to taste, optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2.  Place chicken in ovenproof dish.
3.  Drizzle with oil.  Season with seasoning of choice (if desired).
4.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear.

Cooking Tip!
Cooking times may vary depending on the thickness and weight of the chicken breasts.  Cook chicken breast for the following times:
3 to 6 oz: 15 to 20 min
7 to 12 oz:  18 to 25 min
13 to 16 oz:  20 to 30 min
You can also season chicken with lemon or lime juice!


WHITE FISH (from the Portion Fix Eating Plan)
(Makes 1 serving)

4 oz raw white fish (such as cod, tilapia, halibut, etc.)
1 tsp. olive oil
All-Purpose Seasoning or Seasoning of choice (to taste, optional)

1.  Preheat broiler to high.
2.  Drizzle with oil.  Season with seasoning of choice (if desired).
3.  Broil fish for about 3 to 4 minute on each side or until fish is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Cooking Tip!
Cooking ties may vary depending on the thickness and weigh of the fish.  Cook fish for the following times:
4 to 6 oz:  5 to 7 minutes on each side
7 to 12 oz:  6 to 9 minutes on each side
13 to 16 oz:  7 to 10 minutes on each side
You can also season fish with lemon or lime juice!


GROUND TURKEY
(Makes 4 servings)

1 lb raw ground turkey
All-Purpose Seasoning or Seasoning of choice (to taste, I use 1 TB)

1.  Saute ground turkey in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a spatula or spoon.
2.  Season with seasoning of choice (if desired).
3.  The turkey is finished when there is no pink left.
4.  Drain excess fat by pouring it off into a disposable container and dispose of (do not pour fat down your drain!  It will solidify when it cools).

Greek Yogurt: Jack of All Seasonings

When I was little, I didn't eat things that looked gross.  And if I tried something and it WAS gross, you can be sure I didn't eat that thing again (voluntarily.  My parents were able to get me to eat my veggies by force-feeding me or threatening to take away my dessert).

So basically, I was like every child on earth.

I have grown in significant leaps and bounds since then (whether my parents want to admit it or not). I am very willing to try new things (on my own terms), and sometimes, even after some initial grossness (it's a word), I will try things a second, or even a third time.  Some food, like some people, deserve a second chance.

Enter greek yogurt.

I have been eating yogurt pretty much every day since I started college.  That's 10 years of yogurts.  3500 yogurts.  I single-handedly keep the yogurt industry in business.  Before college, though, I was eating yogurts maybe once or twice a week.  Always strawberry.  When I was little, I used to dip Doritos in it (try it, you won't regret it).  I lost a tooth in one of my yogurts in kindergarten.  When I got to college, I graduated to putting some Grape Nuts in for some extra crunch.  When I started working after college and thinking a little bit more about the food I was putting into my mouth (a little bit more... I was still eating buttered noodles every night for dinner), I decided to give greek yogurt a try.  It was trendy, and had more protein which I'd learned would keep me fuller long.

It was gross.

I really skeeved the texture.  It was not for me.  I immediately went back to my Dannon Light and Fit.  Only 80 calories!

Then I started nannying, and like any good "mother" I started eating the same food as the kids:  chicken nuggets, gold fish, and fruit snacks (made with real fruit!?).  I decided to make another feeble attempt to "get healthy" and told myself that even though greek yogurt was gross, and more calories, it had less sugar and was better for me.

All of a sudden, greek yogurt became the thing I was missing in my life.  I was even craving the taste and texture.  I was glad I had given Chobani another chance.

Fast forward to this past summer.  I was really dialing in on my eating habits, learning more about how food is fuel, and I was seeing a lot of positive changes in my body, so I was motivated to keep trying new things.  I decided to try two things:  vanilla greek yogurt and plain greek yogurt, both with added fresh strawberries.  This would significantly reduce my sugar intake.

Both gross.

I posted about it on my Facebook page and people were very quick to give their suggestions of ways to make the plain yogurt taste less like a bowl of sour cream.  But I just wasn't interested.  I wasn't ready.

Two days ago, I was ready.

A coworker of mine had tried the greek yogurt recipe in the 21 Day Fix Extreme recipe book and loved it.  One red, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and half a banana.  I had already had a banana that day, but I remembered someone had suggested months before to add a smidgen of honey.

Hello lover.

All of a sudden, I had new-found respect for plain greek yogurt.  I started conspiring... what if, instead of dipping my afternoon cauliflower in hummus (one blue), I started dipping it in greek yogurt and spices?  That would be one green AND a protein and I could save my blue for cheese with dinner!  I need to tell the whole world!

And so here we are.  First is the recipe for a sweeter greek yogurt treat.  I head you can put it in the freezer for a few minutes and it turns into frozen yogurt!  The rest are spice mixes that you can add to one red of greek yogurt.  I usually add one teaspoon. It's amazing how a few spices really cut the tartness.

Cinnamon Yogurt

One Red Nonfat plain greek yogurt

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp honey

Optional additions: 1 tsp nut butter, fresh fruit

Mexican Seasoning

Equal parts ground Cumin, Garlic powder, Chili powder, Onion powder

(if a recipe calls for one packet of Mexican Seasoning, use 1 tablespoon of each of these spices)

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Southwest Seasoning

1 Tbsp Chili powder

2 tsp ground Cumin

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 smoked paprika

1 tsp sea salt

Mediterranean Seasoning

4 Tbsp dried parsley, crushed

4 tsp dried onion flakes

2 tsp dried basil, crushed

1 tsp ground oregano

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

All-Purpose Seasoning

4 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp mustard powder

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp salt

Ranch Seasoning

1 Tbsp dill

1 Tbsp parsley flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dry minced onion

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

What do you like to add to your plain greek yogurt?

Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Nuggets with Baked Parmesan Zucchini

 I'll be honest... I'm not really a breaded-chicken kind of a girl.  I find that usually, the bread coating comes right off when I'm trying to eat my chicken, so in the end I have a pile of flavorless chicken, and a pile of really flavorful bread crumbs.  The only breading that I have ever found to stay on is the breading on fast-food and frozen chicken nuggets.  Is it the deep frying?  Is there a magic chicken-breading chemical that keeps the two adhered to each other?  Clean eaters may never know.

I have a few moms in my March challenge group who expressed to me that the biggest challenge they felt they would face as they tried to plan their meals to align with the clean eating standards of the 21 Day Fix was cooking for their families and children as well.  They didn't want to make separate meals, and they needed to make sure what they were cooking was still something their kids would eat.

Kids... so demanding ;)

So off I set to find a chicken nugget recipe.  Because kids and chicken nuggets is a huge DUH.  And what I found I am sure will delight the young and young at heart (and super trendy).  I present to you, Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Nuggets!  Easy! Crispy!  Tender!  Full of flavor!  And my favorite part-- the quinoa stayed firmly attached to the nuggets during the whole meal.

Sorry there aren't a lot of pictures today... technology wasn't cooperating!

Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Nuggets

Prep time:  15 minutes

Cook time:  15 minutes

Total time:  30 minutes

Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients:
3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1.5 lbs)
2/3 cup of flour
3 eggs
1 Tbsp water
2 cups cooked quinoa
Spices of your choosing

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a cookie sheet with some cooking spray (coconut oil for us).  Cut the chicken into small, "nugget-sized" pieces.  It really doesn't matter what size they are, as long as you try to keep them the same size, so they all cook evenly.  In a small bowl, whisk flour, and some spices of your choice.  Salt?  Pepper?  Rosemary? Garlic powder? Mexican seasoning?  Get interesting!  Just not too much... we didn't say get crazy!

In a second bowl, whisk eggs and water.  An assembly line works best for this next part, especially if there are children you can involve.  I don't have any of those on hand, so Rachel had to step in.  Dredge the chicken pieces first in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the quinoa.  Place the coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet.  There doesn't need to be too much space between the nuggets, since they won't spread or get bigger (hopefully.  If they do, you've done something terribly wrong... or terribly right? GIANT CHICKEN NUGGETS!).

Spray chicken nuggets generously with the cooking spray, which helps them get nice and crispy in the oven (who knew?!) and bake them for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Always looking to improve ourselves, Rachel and I decided to try another baked zucchini recipe.  This time, instead of slicing the zucchini like chips, we sliced them like fries.  I would say Rachel found them more enjoyable than I did.  Most likely this is because of my general distaste for veggies.  BUT I did eat one, and the flavoring of the parmesan coating was delicious.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini

Prep time:  10 minutes

Cook time:  20 minutes

Total time:  30 minutes

Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients:

4 zucchini, quartered length-wise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley leaves

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a cooling with some cooking spray (coconut oil for us) and place on top of a cookie sheet.  This is so that the zucchini doesn't get soggy sitting in it's our juices and olive oil.  In a small bowl, combine the spices.  Lay zucchini on the cooling rack, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with spices.  Bake until tender, about 15 minutes, and then for fun, broil for about 3 minutes until crisp an golden.  If you like parsley, throw a little on there for garnish.

Ta-da!  A meal for champions!