Shredded Beef Tacos

I love Mexican food, all kinds really, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos - I don't discriminate! So while on the 21 Day Fix program I needed to create an approved recipe to add to my meal plan.
This is the recipe I came up with for the beef, it can me used in tacos like I did here, or any other sort of Mexican dish! Feel free to modify to suit your taste, I don't do spicy so this is a mild version.

Ingredients:

2 lb Beef Chuck Roast
1 Can Beef Broth
2 Packets Taco Seasoning (or home made)
1 Tsp Olive Oil
1/4 Chopped Sweet Onion
1 Can Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (or hot chilies to your taste)

For me the easiest thing to do is use my Crock Pot and put everything in before I leave for work and come home to a perfectly cooked meal! (who doesn't love that?)

First add the teaspoon of Olive Oil to the bottom of the crock pot, then add a handful of finely chopped onion. Then to the beef! I trimmed the large chunks of fat off and separated the large two pound roast into 4 more manageable chunks. Then rub one packet of taco seasoning on all side of each chunk to fully coat and place all the meat in the crock pot. Cover beef with the can of beef broth and let it go to work! I left mine on low for 10 hours while I was at work.

After the 10 hours remove the beef from Crock Pot and shred with a fork removing any fat chunks that remain. Drain all but approx 3/4 cup of liquid and return the shredded beef to the Crock Pot. Top with the can of diced tomatoes and green chilies along with 1/2 of to the full second taco seasoning packet. Mix thoroughly and continue cooking on low for 30 minutes, and voila!

I then measured out my toppings and assembled my tacos with corn tortillas and topped with lettuce, cheese, and guacamole with a side of fat free re-fried beans.

For the 21 Day Fix I made two tacos, and a yellow container of beans this meal equals:

2 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Green, and 1 Blue Containers.

I used the left over shredded beef for nachos and taco bowls during the rest of the week, how did you use your left overs?

Want to know more about the 21 Day Fix? Follow the link on my home page to my Beachbody website!

Pumpkin Patch Perfection

For me Fall means crisp weather, cute sweaters, chai tea lattes, and Pumpkins! Though the crisp weather is still evading us in Southern California, it didn't stop our adventure to a pumpkin patch to select a perfect pumpkin!

In the past I always went to small local stands that pop up or my local grocery store to get pumpkins but I recently heard that a local college, Cal Poly Pomona, has an annual pumpkin festival and I knew I had to go!

Rows and rows of pumpkins is clearly an understatement!

Though it was over 85 degrees it didn't stop the hundreds of people who showed up to enjoy the food, vendors, and pumpkins.

This kick-started the Fall Season for me and I couldn't imagine a better way to do so! I encourage everyone to check out local Fall festivals and events, you never know what could be going in right in your home town.

Happy Harvest Season!

I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it.

~Lee Maynard

Overnight Oats

My mornings are always rushed between getting ready and packing my meals for the day, so a quick breakfast I can prep the night before makes a world of difference! While searching around on Instagram I came across a page for @sammybfit, which lead me to her amazing blog with hundreds of recipes. Her recipe for overnight oats can be found here, which is what I used as a base and modified to fit my taste.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Oats
1/4 Cup Almond Milk
1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tbs Flax Meal
1/2 Tsp Honey
3 Drops Liquid Stevia
1/2-1 Cup Fruit of Choice (I used 1/2 a Nectarine)

1 Mason Jar


Begin by mixing all ingredients  except fruit, together in a small bowl. Layer sliced fruit on bottom of mason jar.

Then add half the oatmeal mixture, a second layer of fruit, followed by the remaining oatmeal mixture, then finish with a few fruit pieces.

Cap the mason jar and put in the fridge over night. The next morning top with granola (check out my homemade granola recipe) or more honey and enjoy! This is a great summer alternative to the typical hot breakfast oatmeal.

Enjoy!

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days" 

Psalm 90:14 

Homemade Granola

I originally came across this recipe on Pinterest which led me to an amazing blog, With Peanut Butter on Top, which is where this delicious recipe for homemade granola originated. (Check out her blog, it's amazing!)

I modified the recipe slightly to fit my taste preferences, and it turned out wonderful, so here is my version:

Recipe:

Bake at 275 F

4 Cups Oats (quick oats can also be used)
3/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1/2 Cup Sunflower Kernels
1 1/2 Tbs Cinnamon
1 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
1 Cup No Sugar Added Applesauce
1/3 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl, mix all wet ingredients together separately. Slowly add wet to dry ingredients and mix very well. Spread mixture out in a large rimmed baking pan lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray.

Bake at 275 degrees for 1hr - 1hr 15mins, mixing every 15 mins. After 45 mins granola made with quick oats will be done, it will take longer for regular oats. Allow granola to cool completely on baking pan then store in air tight container.

Leave a comment below with your go-to granola recipe, I'm always looking to try new variations!

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances"

1Thessaionians 5:16-18

Healthy Chicken Bake

In an effort to get a bit healthier with my eating I have begun cooking more, and so far so good! I made up this recipe with left over ingredients that I had to use up and it turned out great! Feel free to tweak the recipe to fit your family's preferences or what you have on hand.

Start with chicken breasts, washed and fat removed, I use frozen ones which I thaw over night in the refrigerator. Place the chicken breasts in a baking pan and season to taste, this time I use Mrs. Dash, and preheat the oven to 350F.

Begin prepping the veggies, I prefer green and yellow squash, mushrooms and diced tomatoes. Chop the squash into bite size pieces. I use pre-sliced mushrooms that only have to be washed, super easy! You can use fresh tomatoes however canned has extra liquid that helps cook the chicken and veggies.

Pour 1 can of diced tomatoes, slightly drained, over all of the chicken.  Next mix the squash with the sliced mushrooms and layer over chicken and tomatoes.

Bake in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes, then cover with foil and continue cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes. Once done, cut into the chicken to verify it is thoroughly cooked, or check it's internal temperature.

And voila! Easy and quick meal with dinner on the table in less than 45 minutes.

Check back for a future blog post on Shredded Chicken Burritos, I use all the left-overs from this meal to make dinner the next night!

Ingredients:
6-8 Chicken Breasts
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
2-3 Large Yellow Squash
2-3 Large Green Squash
1 Package Sliced Mushrooms

Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins

I love potato skins, but I know how unhealthy they typically are...until now!

I found the inspiration for the recipe on Pinterest, on this blog, but modified mine to fit the tastes of my family.

Begin with large sweet potatoes, cook them as you normally do. I put mine in the microwave for about 9 mins instead of baking in the oven because I was on a time constraint, but either method would work great. Then cut in half length wise and scoop out some of the centers, leaving a generous amount of sweet potato but creating a place to hold the stuffing. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking pan and bake at 400 Degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.

In the mean time bake or grill and season 2 chicken breasts and shred the meat. I BBQ-ed the day before and made extra for this meal so all I had to do we reheat them, in the microwave or toaster oven, and shred it. Super quick and easy! At the same time prepare the spinach, wilt the spinach just before it would be done. Once again I did this in the microwave and it only took about 1 min. It can also be done on the stove though.

Mix the shredded chicken and spinach evenly and mix in about a tablespoon of olive oil and salt/pepper to taste. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and begin filling the halves with the stuffing and top with your favorite shredded cheese. I used a multi-pack of cheddar, jack and mozzarella.

Bake the stuffed sweet potatoes for an additional 10 minutes or till the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. It was a big hit with my family, who are definitely not the healthiest of eaters, so that was a win for me!
Hope you enjoy it too!

     Recipe:
     Bake at 400*F ; total of 18-20 minutes
     4 Large Sweet Potatoes
     2 Large Chicken Breasts
     1 Bushel of Fresh Spinach
     1 Tbs Olive Oil
     1-2 Cups Shredded Cheese

Pizza Cravings

Lately I have started putting more effort into eating better and less processed foods. In doing so I have come across tons of awesome (and delicious) ideas and recipes! Pizza is delicious - I love anything with melted cheese - but all the dough is not helping. I saw this idea on Pinterest and couldn't help but try it!

You begin by preheating oven to 400*F. Wash and dry portobello mushroom caps and removing their steams. (Note: wash them about a day or a few hours before so they have time to fully dry, I washed mine right before making them and they ended up more watery then I preferred . I have also tried scraping out the fuzzy under-side and there was much less liquid after, but both ways were delicious, it just depends on how much prep time you have. Next put mushroom caps on a lined baking pan with a lip (this will catch the liquid and juices that come out while cooking).

I topped with a light layer of pasta sauce, part skim mozzarella  and olives. I have also made these with spinach, crushed tomatoes and olives, and they were wonderful! That is what's great about these, you can customize them depending on each persons individual taste!

Then bake in oven on middle rack for 20-25 mins, or till the cheese is melted and browning.


I paired mine with a salad and whole grain rice; it was a vegetarian dinner that was so delicious and filling, and really quenched my pizza craving! Enjoy!