SOUR PATCH GRAPES

So it's no surprise... i love candy!

I'm always looking for healthy alternatives to my favorite candies. Pinterest has become my very best friend when it comes to sharing recipes! 

So today, when I was at the Wilco gas station, I probably stood there for five minutes trying to rationalize buying and eating a box of sour patch kids. I tried everything way possible to talk myself into it. "You have earned it, You are 10lbs below what your goal weight was go for it, Your gonna workout when you get home anyway you'll burn it off". 

Fast forward 2hrs. later, I did get my workout in but I'm still craving those little sour beasts! The biggest thing I have learned in this weight loss journey is you CANNOT out work a bad diet. This realization was a hard pill to swallow but I know it to be true! 

THANK THE GOOD LORD ABOVE FOR PINTEREST! 

So now I'm aimlessly plugging in to Pinterest when BAM! I find the coolest recipe in the whole world! It was exactly what I needed so I definitely wanted to share it with everyone! THIS IS GENIUS! 

CANDIED GRAPES

PRINT

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box melon fusion jello
• Grapes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Remove grapes from stem and rinse with water thoroughly.
2. Strain in a colander.
3. Spread gelatin onto a plate or shallow bowl.
4. Coat grapes in gelatin.
5. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow gelatin to set.

LEMON AND BERRY ICE CUBES

     HERE IS ANOTHER YUMMY TWIST TO PLAIN WATER THAT WILL HAVE YOU AND YOUR KIDS WANTING TO DRINK MORE WATER AS WELL! THIS SIMPLE RECIPE WILL HAVE YOU  DRINKING MORE WATER IN A HURRY! REMEMBER YOUR TOTAL AMOUNT OF WATER  CONSUMPTION DAILY SHOULD BE EQUAL TO HALF YOUR BODY WEIGHT. 

     YOUR WEIGHT DIVIDED BY 2 IS THE NUMBER OF OUNCES YOUR BODY NEEDS DAILY!

Makes 30 Lemon and Berry Fruit Infused Ice Cubes.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 2 lemons
• 2 cups of frozen berry medley (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry or your choice)
• 2 silicone ice cube trays

Get started:

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the rind of one lemon. Try to only get the bright yellow part and not the white. Bring lemon peel and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Set aside to cool.

Slice the other lemon thinly into rings, then into 8 triangles like when cutting a pie.

Add berries and lemon triangles to the ice cube trays.  Get creative and artistic, arranging the fruit so that it’s most colorful on the outside. Fill the trays ¼ through, then place in the freezer for 1 hour. This will ensure that the fruit does not float to the top.

Remove the Lemon and Berry Fruit Infused Ice Cubes tray from the freezer and fill to the top with water. Place the tray back into the freezer until the cubes frozen all the way through. You can move the cubes to a freezer bag and start over if you are throwing a large party.

Store in the freezer until you are ready to use. The cubes will keep for up to 2 weeks.

A FEW SIMPLE WAYS TO START EATING "CLEAN"!

1-Drink half your weight in water ounces each day! For example, I weight 130lbs and I drink a minimum of 65oz. If your not a fan of plain water, add fruit! My fav is cucumbers and lemon!

2-Get ride of fake foods! Rule of thumb here is... If its made in a plant DONT eat it and if it comes from a plant EAT IT! A way to start gradually is replace your refined breads and pasta thats made with white flour with ones made from whole grains.

3-Trick your tastebuds! when your used to using salt, & other additives for your food, it can be hard to adjust to the new subtle flavors of whole foods. So mix the Old with the New. For instance, from brown rice to white rice, mix the two and gradually decrease to amount of whit rice each time you make it until your eating only brown rice:)

4-More fruits and veggies! Add a piece of fruit with breakfast and lunch and add a portion of veggies to lunch and dinner!

5-MEAT and Protein! Start out by simply buying lean meat that was grass fed. Eggs need to be free range or pasture raised.

6-Organic fruits and veggies! 

7-Shopping! Most of the whole natural foods are found on the outside aisles of the store.

8-Lables are bad! Avoid hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors & colors, preservatives, high amounts of fat, sodium and added sugar. 

***IF IT HAS A LABEL-BAD***

***NO LABEL- GOOD***

*Last but not least- COOK AT HOME SO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE PUTTING IN YOUR BODY!

Click HERE if you would like more information on clean eating and fitness motivation!

TACO SOUP

***Ingredients***

1 lb extra lean ground turkey, grass-fed beef, or ground chicken breast

1 onion, chopped

1 pkg ranch dressing mix 

1 pkg taco seasoning mix 

1 can (16 oz) pinto beans, drained

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained

1 can (16 oz) whole kernel corn

1 can (8 oz) rotel-style tomatoes

1 can (8 oz) diced tomatoes

***Directions***

1. Brown meat & onions, drain

2. Mix ranch & taco seasonings into meat

3. Add the rest of the ingredients into mixture (you may also need to add a little bit of water)

4. Simmer for at least 1 hour (we let ours simmer in the crock pot but you could also cook in a large pan)

*** We usually double this recipe so we have leftovers for lunch during the week***

QUINOA AND ROASTED VEGGIE SALAD

Ever tried quinoa? (pronounced: KEEN-waaaah)

If not, you’re missing out. This highly nutritious side dish provides a complete source of protein, and is loaded with

magnesium as well as all 9 essential amino acids.

***Salad recipe***

• Prepare 1⁄4 cup of quinoa according to package directions. (This is about 1 cup of cooked quinoa).

• Roast whatever vegetables you have on hand. Typical choices are broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, onions, carrots, and asparagus. Just chop them into similar-sized pieces, drizzle with olive oil and a little salt, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and roast in a 400-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

• Chop a handful of flat-leaf parsley (about 1⁄4 cup).

• Drizzle with dressing: Whisk 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

OH SO YUMMY CHICKEN BAKE

This is one of my favorite finds on pinterest!

***Ingredients***

-Skinless chicken breasts chopped into 2 inch cubes

-1/2 cup chicken broth

-1 lb red potatoes chopped into 2 inch cubes

-1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces.

-Red and yellow peppers sliced into 1 inch pieces.

-1 onion sliced

-1/3 cup fresh basil

-4 garlic cloves sliced thin

-1.5 tbsp olive oil

-1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary

-Ground pepper to taste

***Directions***

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and add chicken, potatoes, veggies, basil, garlic, chicken broth and olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary add pepper if desired. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender! ENJOY!

***Clean Eating Roasted Shrimp and Green Beans***

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

***Ingredients***

For the beans:

1 lb. green beans trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

For the shrimp:

1 lb. medium-large raw shrimp (thawed if frozen), peeled

1 tbsp olive oil (plus a little extra to brush on roasting pan)

zest from one lemon (save the lemon and cut into fourths)

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

***Directions***

Preheat oven to 425.

Once the shrimp has been peeled and cleaned, rinse it under cold water. Be sure to pat the shrimp really dry (if the shrimp is not dry it will steam rather than roast!).

Place the trimmed and cut beans in a bowl and toss with extra virgin olive oil, ground coriander, ground cumin, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and Cayenne pepper.

Place shrimp in another bowl with the extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and fresh ground black pepper.

Brush roasting pan with olive oil or use a non-stick spray, then arrange beans on pan in a single layer (as much as possible). Roast beans 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, toss the beans and arrange shrimp on top and roast 8-10 minutes more or until shrimp are just done.

Squeeze the four lemon quarters over the shrimp and beans and serve immediately.

Makes 2-4 servings.