About Me

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Hi there! I'm a mom of 3 boys and happily married to my husband for the past 13 yrs! I work full time and try and take care of everything home related as well- basically I'm tired and loving life! I love to try new things- especially cooking! I love the outdoors, music, old movies, church, and my family!

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Dinner rush made easy

I tried this recipe a few weeks ago and the best part besides it being tasty, healthy, and easy... I already had everything at home in my kitchen! Best news ever, for any mom at dinner time and you don't know what to make.

Alyssa @ http://therecipecritic.com  helped me with this nice one pan (sweet not as many dishes) meal for my family the other night;  Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Zucchini.

What a perfect match- Chicken and zucchini! Two foods I love. Now I know what you're thinking... you got your boys to eat zucchini... no I did not. BUT, I did make it a little more of a kid friendly dinner. If you've read my blog... I tweak recipes all the time to fit my family and if you're new, WELCOME! and I tweak recipes all the time or I give you ideas on how to tweak them. So, on to my tweaking:

First: you can easily make this gluten free by using gluten free flour and you could always use panko crumbs instead of the bread crumbs. What's the difference you ask? Not much except for panko is made from white bread and bread crumbs are made from a variety of breads. The texture is also a different and panko has pretty much no taste so make sure you have Italian seasoning in your cupboard if you plan on making this. Panko also absorbs less oil than bread crumbs making it a little more crunchy and crispy.

Second, the zucchini: This is a side for most people because it is a veggie, but... it is a "good" carb. So if you are doing a cleaner eating than no worries about this next tweak, you've got your carbs covered for the night. My kids, don't eat much of the zucchini other than the 2 bites that is required of them. So this meal paired nicely with penne noodles tossed in a light Alfredo sauce (for me that night it, came out of a jar- nothing super fancy)

So far we have our entree, veggie side, and pasta. Pretty complete meal but it's always nice to serve an "Italian" dinner with garlic bread (from the freezer, because that's how I roll lol- get it? roll) anyway.....

If you're kids aren't big on the zucchini, add a salad or some cooked carrots, or a baked sweet potato. Any of those would go great with this meal.

Hope you all try this recipe and enjoy it!

For the full recipe please visit the link below the picture.


                                                 Photo credit: www.therecipecritic.com  
                   http://therecipecritic.com/2016/07/crispy-parmesan-garlic-chicken-zucchini/

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Newest Tries

Happy New Year! The holidays were crazy, fun, and over... I would like to thank my family for putting up with my mom crazy. There was lots of food, family, service, and new recipes to try- all my FAVORITE things.

Here are some that I recently tried and I WILL be making again!

The first one comes from a favorite of mine @Averiecoooks: I had bought a large carton of blueberries and was going to make muffins for the family but my husband said he couldn't eat them until the weekend for his "cheat day". So like anybody now a days, I went to Pinterest for some inspiration for "clean/skinny" muffin recipes. Averie saved me again! My family loved them! Husband wanted to take them to work and my oldest crazy ate 3 for breakfast!

http://www.averiecooks.com/2015/09/skinny-blueberry-muffins.html#

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk (Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk or another milk may be substituted)
  • 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil (liquid-state coconut oil may be substituted)
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used 0% fat but other Greek yogurt or sour cream may be substituted)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries tossed in 2 tablespoons flour (helps prevent sinking)
Alisha's tweaks: I don't think I would change a thing! why change a good thing.


My other choose new recipe comes from a women I feel as if we probably have a lot in common
@lifewith4boys- Kathleen.
Our church meetings got moved to late afternoon so it's crock pot Sundays this year. Did you know you could make BREAD in your slow cooker?! Kathleen nailed it! this yummy, easy, time efficient recipe is bread to my butter. lol get it ;)

http://www.lifewith4boys.com/2014/01/easy-crockpot-bread-recipe.html?m=1

No tweaks needed for this recipe either- when you find a good one you keep it! Plus it's only 6 ingredients! Now you could use wheat flour to make a nice honey wheat bread- I might just be trying that this weekend.

3 cup Flour
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp or 1 packet Yeast
2 tbsp Sugar or Honey
2 tbsp Oil
1 cup warm (not hot!) Water



                   *my bread fell because I moved it to soon to check the bottom- so be careful of that.


Thanks for stopping by and feel free to drop me a line :)

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Where Summer ends and chaos begins

I don't know about you but my calendar is filling up fast and I'm trying not to pull all my hair out in the process. This can only mean one of two things... it's not the holidays yet so it must be BACK to SCHOOL!

I work full time so my kids don't really get a "summer" but we do try and take them to some places when we can and give us adults a little taste of vacation while we're at it. With that said, it's not a huge transition but man... just looking @ my calendar I'm tired.

My oldest is starting Junior High (that makes me feel old), middle one will be in 2nd grade, and the baby will be in pre-k! STOP GROWING- It means I'm getting old and I don't think that's possible. One of the things I LOVE about our amazing school district is that we can pre-order the school supplies so I didn't have that crazy shopping trip, thank you very much. My mom, oldest sister, and niece took my tween school shopping while he was visiting them so that was another check off my list without having to do anything either (this is making me look like I haven't had to do anything :/ ) But now the end is near and we started football, scouts, back to school/meet the teacher nights, schedule pick ups, and looking on Pinterest on how to survive packing lunches and which first day of school sign to print off.

I believe my husband's exact text to me this morning was," no more calendar updates, mercy please." HAHAHA, we've been married for 12 years.. he should know I show no mercy. ;)

My fellow mom,
   
              I feel your pain, hear your tender cries of help, and I see your SOS signal when you look at me in the store. This to shall pass.. and we will look back at these days and say, "I do not miss that." We will however miss the first day of school, how excited the kids were to meet the teachers and see who is in their class. What clothes they want to wear and making sure their hair is just right. How we secretly tear up in the car after we drop them off and they have grown to old to wave goodbye. The first game of the season and the last. It is hard to watch them stumble as they grow and learn to be "adults" but, I've never been more proud as I see them become who they are and figure out who/what they want to be. My children are people and as they grow older they demand the respect they give me. Life gets crazy and our hair gets thinner, but we wouldn't trade it for anything. God has given us the gift of love in our lives when he gave us children. We (I personally) need to find those little bits of love in everyday and cherish them, because this to shall pass and we will look back on that day and say, "I MISS THAT."

From my Chaos to yours-Happy Back to School everyone!




Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Tisket a Tasket filling those Easter baskets

Well it's almost Easter and by now if you're like me this week is filled with parties at school, church picnic's and WAY to many egg hunts. I LOVE chocolate just as much as almost every other women but all that Easter candy just adds up and by Sunday I'm not really feeling like the Easter bunny should be bringing my kids any in their baskets. I thought some of you might feel the same way so here are some quick, small, easy, and cheap non-candy Easter basket filler ideas.

younger kiddos:
play dough (DIY Carrot playdough-  http://www.thatswhatchesaid.net/2014/play-dough-recipe/)
bubbles
Annie's snacks- they are in the shape of bunnies!
stickers
small stuffed animals (I am personally not a fan)
little ponies or hot wheels
small dress up accessories
hair accessories
bow ties/ties
little gardening tools
coloring books and crayons
books
finger puppets (see link below for some DIY ideas)
little flashlights
DVD
legos/duplos

older kids:
trading cards
gift cards-Sonic (fast food place), iTunes, Google
make up
fingernail polish
jewelry
action figures/collectibles
books
cap
tie (boy) scarf (girls)
gum/mints
body spray
book light
DVD
legos

If you are feeling crafty and have a few mins to spare: A.tell me your secret and B. here are some easy FREE printables that would make a great basket filler.

First we have Egg coupons from U-createcrafts.com. These are super cute and easy... just print, cut, and fill your eggs! These will be in my kids eggs when they go hunting.

Next one I found is geared towards younger kids but if my older one gets board enough at church he'll play with them too. Easter Lacing Cards from Everydaydishes.com. Again, easy peasy and I'm going to laminate mine so they last longer.


If you are feeling REALLY crafty this website has a list of 8 different finger puppets you can choose from ranging from quick and kid friendly to I hope you've got more than a few mins. to spare. All cute and great!

Hope you all have a blessed and safe Easter. 

* I was not given any monetary means to promote or suggest these websites/items. 

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Time saving ideas-straight from other moms

As a "Resident Mom" for Skinnymom.com I get wonderful opportunities to share my ideas, but what I love the most about it is the wonderful community of other women who share their thoughts, idea, recipes, and encouragement a long the way. This past "Blurb of the Week" was all about time saving tips... love it!! I got to include my two cents and also got to read some other really great ideas from some of the other ladies. I don't care if you stay at home, work away from home, or in your home...dinner time is a little crazy and with 3 boys stating the are "starving!" I have got to have a plan.

I do A LOT of food prep in my "spare time." I find it really does save time during the week as far as dinners go and also to help keep me on my healthy eating track. Making a weekly menu plan, going through my cupboards checking off items I don't need at the store and checking my coupons before I go shopping really helps me keep on budget and not get over whelmed and buy a lot of things I don't need. Then when I get home I look at my recipes and see which items go with what dinner and try and keep them all together so I don't have to go searching for an ingredient when I'm about to burn something. My husband helps a lot with this as well. We work together in the kitchen to cut up the fruits and veggies (that won't go bad) so they are more accessible and I don't spend as much time cutting things during the dinner rush.
 

Last night My husband and I prepped 40 lbs. of chicken we got from Zaycon Farms  zayconfresh.com/refer/zf452682. It was a ton of chicken, but at $1.69 a pound I couldn't pass up the deal. Together with my trusty FoodSaver, my husband and I bagged 5-2 lb bags of cubed chicken, 5 bags of 5 thin sliced breast, 1 gallon bag of breast ready for ground chicken meat that I'll do tonight and 3 ready to go chicken freezer meals. I don't so this much prep on a daily basis but doing every once in awhile helps my grocery bill down and my freezer stocked.
Food Prep

Here are more time saver ideas from other moms just like you: http://www.skinnymom.com/resident-moms-reveal-our-time-saving-secrets/

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

If you Instagram-

I'm on Instagram as @aliher78640.

Spaghetti Alternative

My kids were beyond excited for spaghetti and meatballs last night until that is they saw it wasn't the usual spaghetti that I make. First of all... I never make meatballs for our spaghetti and secondly these meatballs weren't beef!!! As my husband and I go through our clean eating lifestyle change our kids aren't always as eager to try new recipes but I will give them credit... they did all eat at least one "vegetarian meatball" (that's what they called it because it was made from chicken and turkey instead of beef.) The recipe was very fast, easy, and great for week nights. I served it with regular noddles for the kids and my husband and I had ours served over steamed spaghetti squash (harder than you would think to cook.) I was also able to make the meatballs the night before in my mini muffin tins so I'll I had to do is throw them in the over when I got home from work! Easy peasy... on to the recipe!

This comes from Skinnymom.com (love it!) and I only made a few minor changes. Very yummy and we will be making this again in my house for sure...I think I'll just crumble up some of the meatballs and hide them in the sauce so the kids won't be so picky next time.

http://www.skinnymom.com/recipe-chicken-parmesan-meatloaf-muffins/

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground chicken breasts
1 egg
½ cup Italian style bread crumbs (use gluten free panko)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ onion, diced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¾ cup reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup marinara sauce
¾ cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350° F and spray a 12-count muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
  1. In a large mixing bowl, with clean hands combine the chicken, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, red bell pepper, onion, Italian seasoning, and grated Parmesan cheese.
  2. Evenly spoon about ¼ cup of the meatloaf mixture into each muffin tin.
  3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the marinara sauce on each meatloaf muffin and bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is done.
  4. Remove from the oven, top each meatloaf muffin with 1 tablespoon of mozzarella cheese and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  5. Allow the meatloaf muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tins before carefully removing them.
  6. Garnish with the fresh basil, and serve 2 per person.
Alisha's Tweeks- First of all I doubled the recipe but used chicken and turkey (1 lb of each.) I also used Italian Panko instead of bread crumbs and omitted the red pepper (not big fans in our house.)


Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Protein packed breakfast

I have been having trouble with finding yummy breakfast foods that have protein in them besides eggs, sausage, and smoothies with protein powder. Today I made these very yummy Pumpkin Protein Pancakes. I found them on http://cleanfoodcrush.com/best-pumpkin-protein-pancakes/
These were so delish! She has some really good recipes on her site, check it out and give some a try.
As always I would love to hear reviews and what you think. And yes, I was using one of my kids plates.
 

Life style changes

Everyone has resolutions and we all hope we keep them. People say you should make your resolutions achievable... well I believe I did that. I wanted a healthier life for not only myself but my family. I started out slow and gained a lot of momentum when I start the 21 Day Shred through Skinnymom.com.
It was contagious... my husband joined me on my healthy eating and workout program and now my 11 yr. old son has taken an interest into eating better and using his Wii Fit program (to him, it's still getting in his video games.) We have all come to the conclusion that not only do our bodies feel better but our minds as well. We have more of what I call, " Happy Energy!" Less fighting and yelling and more helping and saying "yes" the first time asked. Now I not saying it's all because of healthier/cleaner eating but I do believe it has helped. As parents, my husband and I are less stressed due to working out and our energy levels aren't crashed from eating poorly during the day, making coming home in the evening a lot easier to deal with hungry kids and homework. It has had a big impact on our marriage. Don't get me wrong, our marriage wasn't bad before but, working out together, looking over new healthy recipes, and food prepping together has brought us closer and we now have a new found interest we both enjoy.

Finding the time is hard and I am not perfect! There are great days, good & bad ones, and then really bad ones. Do I always feel like going to the gym or working out at home? NO! but once I do it, I feel a lot better. Do I still like chocolate and sugar? YES!!! I don't completely deprive my body of those things... I just don't eat them very often or I find healthier ways to curb my cravings.

Life get's in the way and that is OKAY because it's life and it's always changing, we don't have any control over that. So the next time you feel like you've failed and falling off the the resolution rocker... get back up and try it again! What's the worst thing that could happen? You might fail again? or you might succeed! Don't give up, you're worth it. Whatever it is you're wanting... loose weight, start your own business, start a blog, stop yelling at your kids as much, organize your pantry, you name it and you can do it... you just have to be willing to do the work.

All right... I'm off my soap box. Now go have fun and I'll post a yummy Pumpkin Protein Pancake recipe I found later (I eat it with dark chocolate, shhh)



Wednesday, December 23, 2015

No Stress last min. success

Being a mom there are a lot of stress and pressures put on us during the holidays. Parties, treats, gifts, food, shopping, pictures, relatives, shipping, wrapping... well you get the picture (you're living it) Some years you're Wonder Women of the holidays... all the gifts were bought and wrapped by Dec. 1st, the teachers gifts are all planned and ready, you've got the menus all figured out and then there's years where you are scrambling to solve all the last min. issues that just keep popping up like that stupid gopher game with the mallet. Today I have some VERY simple, Very easy, and budget friendly last min. gift ideas that I got ready last night in maybe 30 mins (with the print help of the local UPS store-dang printer doesn't have any ink) I did use my laminate machine but you don't have to, card stock would work great too.

The first one comes to you from http://lastingthumbprints.com/christmas-coupons-kids-free-printable/
These FREE printable coupons for the kids stockings are great! She even provides a blank sheet if you would like to add some of your own ideas or perhaps make a set for "Santa" with a little more personal touch ;)


The second one is brought to you by http://www.myloveforwords.com/christmas-guessing-game-printables/#_a5y_p=3067296
Also FREE printable Christmas "Headbands" type game. This is a great gift not only for the kids but also friends, neighbors, teachers, or the family gift exchange. Add box of popcorn, some homemade goodies and BAM! you have a great gift for less than $10.00

I almost forgot- you might need an envelop to put these in. Here's the link that I used for mine:
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/creativepaper/ss/Blank_Envelope_Template.htm


I hope you all enjoy your time together during this Holiday season. I look forward to my time off of work to spend with my family and enjoy the light and happiness Christmas brings.
Merry Christmas to all my readers and I hope the New years bring you happiness, love, and peace.

*I'm not given any monetary mean in exchange for mentioning UPS or the other links I've shared.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Look out deals- here I come!

I love finding deals! It's an addiction I have but I also love sharing those deals so I guess it's a good addiction is there's such a thing. Today I have a GOOD deal for everyone.

Northern friends or anyone else that actually has to worry about snow and getting cold toes (I live in central Texas so we don't worry to much about that.) Lands End is having a some great deals today-50% snow boots/footwear, bogo sweaters, and 30% off everything else, and if you pay with a Visa you get 2 day FREE shipping!!! Whats better than getting great deals- getting some of you money back!!! I recently join Ebates.com and I LOVE IT! I earned $23.00 back doing my Christmas shopping through my Ebates account. Right now if you join Ebates,  you can earn 6% of your Lands End purchase back! I know that doesn't sound like much but hey, every little bit helps. Besides, you (or your spouse) earned that money why not get a little bit back? Anyway, I'm off my Ebates.com soapbox. If you want to look into Ebates.com, here's a link:
 http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=nZUBtcJZDuBT5qmGAKBHSg%3D%3D&eeid=28187



http://www.landsend.com/




If you sign up, come back and drop me a line about what you think about it- good or bad. Just remember, if you sign up, make sure when you do online shopping log in to your Ebates.com account first and see what that store has to offer YOU. Ebates.com will also show you what deals the store has going on as well as promo codes and coupons.

Have fun saving money while you shop!!!

* I'm not being compensated in any way by Ebates.com, Lands End, or Visa to promote them.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Christmas is coming! Are you ready?

Now is the time of year where everyone is frantically thinking about what to get for everyone on their list and if it will hold a candle to what they gave last year. I'm totally guilty of trying to figure out the best gifts EVER! but I'm also usually prepared 2 months in advance. This year... not so much. I'm drawing a BIG FAT BLANK!! Although, it has made me think about what I'm teaching not only my kids but myself about Christmas... what is the message I'm sending? So I have found two things, yes two that are going to help me and my family (mostly myself and the boys-hubby is good) have a more Christ centered Christmas.

1st: 25 Days of Christmas: http://25daysofchrist.com/

This kit comes with 25 unfinished ornaments, a book to help reference the different objects, and a bag to keep your ornaments in when you're done.
When I saw this I thought it was a great way to help us think of Christmas everyday of the month in December, have a reminder on the tree, and a fun craft to do during the Thanksgiving Holiday (because I have nothing else to do,said no women ever) I'll make sure to write a post when I get mine in the mail and finish!




2nd: 12 Days of Christmas Nativity countdown: http://overthebigmoon.com/12-days-of-christmas-nativity-countdown-printables/

This mom is amazing and had just made this one so easy for the rest of us. Shout out to Pam Dana for this great idea and the FREE printables that are on her website (listed above.) The name pretty much says it all, but what Pam has done is made it possible for the kids to interact in putting up the nativity and giving each object a reference and meaning to the kids. So as they put up the Nativity together piece by piece 12 days before Christmas, they have a better understanding of how important each symbol of the set is and what their role was in being apart of of Saviors birth.
Pam also includes a link to a "kid friendly" Nativity Set, so that way if you're like me and super protective of your Nativity set (like if you touch you die) than it's easy to just order one that goes with her awesome printables and it's not crazy expensive.

I hope you have fun getting ready for the Holidays and make sure to take time and enjoy your family and what the Holidays are really about.

P.S. make sure you check back with me as I will probably be trying so new holiday recipes and you know you don't want to miss out on that!

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Two thumbs up

So I tried more recipes over the weekend and yesterday and loved them both! Of course I did some tweaking because that's what I do and everyone has different taste. One comes from a FAVORITE site of mine http://www.averiecooks.com and everything I have tried on her page is great! The other is from http://sweetcsdesigns.com/ and I do believe I will be going back to visit her page again. So on to the recipes!!!


http://sweetcsdesigns.com/low-carb-paleo-shrimp-scampi/#more-11223
LOW CARB PALEO SHRIMP SCAMPI

INGREDIENTS
4 zucchini, tops and bottoms cut off
1 lb RAW shrimp- peeled and deveined
3 tbsp to ½ cup butter or ghee, preferably grass-fed; coconut oil can be substituted
1 medium head of garlic- about 10-15 cloves, diced
pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pan, melt butter and add garlic on medium heat.
When butter is melted, add zucchini and shrimp and turn heat to high.
Toss zucchini and shrimp often, until shrimp has turned pink.
Top with parmesan cheese to taste, serve hot!
Please note butter is a subjective- If you'd like more of a sauce, add a little more butter. Sometimes you'll have a zucchini that doesnt release as much liquid and you'll need more butter. Add it slowly as you cook so you can gauge how the recipe is coming together to get a texture you like.


Alisha's notes and tweaks- So I was only cooking for my husband and I and I didn't think my hubby was going to really like it so I only used 1 zucchini and 1/2 of shrimp. That was enough for the both of us as an appetizer so if you're making as the entree go for the full amounts. I also bought pre-cooked shrimp to cut down on prep time and mess. I used olive oil and added about a half a TBS. butter at the end. When I was heating the oil I added the garlic and some onion as well as just a dash of cayenne pepper. Turned out delish and the hubby LOVED it too! If you're wondering what or where to get a zoodle maker, I found mine on Amazon (not getting paid to mention this) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J19AR7W?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

http://www.averiecooks.com/2015/10/easy-30-minute-homemade-white-chicken-chili.html
EASY 30-MINUTE HOMEMADE WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
YIELD: about 8 to 10 cups PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 20 minutes TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil
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3 cups sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 2 medium/large onions)
1 large jalapeno pepper (about 4 to 5 inches long), diced very small (the seeds are where the heat is concentrated; included or discard them based on preference)
7 to 8 ounces canned green chilis, don't drain (I used mild heat)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (use about 1 whole storebought rotisserie chicken to save time; or roast or cook your own chicken in a skillet)
two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (see step 4 below about blending 1 cup of the beans with a splash of chicken broth or water)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced
tortilla strips, chips, crackers, diced avocado, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream; all are optional for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:
To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
Add the onion, jalapeno, green chilis, and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir intermittently.
Add the chicken broth, chicken, cannellini beans including whole beans and blended bean mixture (take 1 cup of the beans, add to a food processor or blender, add a splash of chicken broth or water and blend until smooth; mixture should be thick. Add the blended bean mixture along with the whole beans to pot), lime juice, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, optional cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil. Allow mixture to boil gently for about 7 to 10 minutes. It's unlikely, but if at any point the overall liquid level looks low or you prefer your chili to be thinner, add 1 cup of water or as desired; you'll adjust the salt and seasoning levels at the end. For thicker chili, allow mixture to boil longer and reduce until desired thickness is reached.
Add the cilantro and boil 1 minute.
Taste chili and add salt to taste. This will vary based on how salty the chicken broth, beans, and rotisserie chicken are, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, lime juice, etc.).
Ladle chili into bowls, and optionally garnish with tortilla strips, chips, crackers, avocado, cheese and/or sour cream; serve immediately. Chili will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Alisha's notes and tweaks-I didn't tweak much on this at all. I did a little less onion, didn't add the red pepper flakes, and for being a Texas gal we don't do spicy at our house (even my husband) so the next time I make it I will omit the jalapeno.

Hope you all enjoy!!!


Thursday, November 5, 2015

Tried it and loved it!

So I'm eating clean and doing a pretty good job at keeping it but.... I NEED CHOCOLATE!!! I have tons of recipes "pinned" so I thought I would put one to the test. Well it passed!!! thanks to  Monique  @  http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/ I have a yummy clean snack to curb my sweet tooth and not feel the quilt or the calories later. So without further ado here's the recipe and my little tweaks:

Healthy Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Oat Breakfast Bars:


INGREDIENTS
  • 2 1/4 cups gluten free oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 medium ripe bananas
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (gluten free, if desired)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup honey (agave nectar if vegan)
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips (vegan, if desired)
  • For chocolate drizzle:
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate chips (vegan, if desired)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9x9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. To make oat flour: Place oats into blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour. You may need to stop blender and stir oats a couple of times to ensure that all oats have been blended. Transfer oat flour medium bowl; whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
  3. Place bananas, vanilla, applesauce, and honey into blender; blend 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add to oat flour mixture and mix until just combined.
  4. Gently fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly with rubber spatula. Bake for 15 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cool 10-15 minutes on wire rack.
  5. Prepare drizzle by adding 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips and coconut oil in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high 30 seconds; stir well to combine then drizzle over the top of bars. Cut bars into 16 squares and enjoy!


My personal note: I used agave nectar and I didn't have any coconut oil on hand so I just mixed a little almond milk to the chocolate chips and it worked great!

Monique has some great tips so go see her site and what wonderful things she has to offer! http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2014/02/healthy-banana-bread-chocolate-chip-oat-breakfast-bars-vegan-gluten-free/

Enjoy and as always I would love to hear for you!



Monday, November 2, 2015

On to Thanksgiving!!!

Halloween was fun but now it's over and the candy remains....forever! But I'm excited because I LOVE FALL! I live in Texas so I don't have a ton of beautiful big leaves all different colors and cold fall days but nevertheless I decorate like crazy, burn the pumpkin spice candles, and spend more time outside.

As stated in the last post I am participating in Skinnymom.com "30 Day of Thanks" challenge and will be posting on Instagram, Facebook, and here what I have to be grateful for.

Nov. 1st Day 1: Yesterday just happened to be my 12 yr. anniversary with my husband so of course I am grateful for him and the amazing life we have built together.

Day 2: My 3 amazing boys! They test me and teach me new things everyday.


Let's remember to be grateful this upcoming holiday season and start by taking the 30 day challenge. I look forward to seeing all my fellow Resident Moms on Instagram and all their blessings.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Remember to "Give Thanks"

I'm a "resident mom" for Skinnymom.com and the creator Brooke Griffin has a challenge for everyone- "30 Days of Thanks."
Everyday starting Sunday, November 1st post on Instagram what you are thankful for. So let the flood gates of  Thanks open and help fill Instagram with thankful hearts and see what joy we can bring to ourselves and others. For more info about hashtags and tags go to http://www.skinnymom.com/november-challenge-30-days-of-thanks/
You can follow me on Instagram @aliher78640 to see what I'm thankful for. Leave a comment with your Instagram, I would love to see what my readers are giving thanks for this season!



Tuesday, October 27, 2015

New recipe- Sweet potato Salmon Cakes

Clean eating this week and getting in the groove of being more healthy!!! with that I had to get some new recipes to try, because healthy or not I LOVE new recipes. I'm a foodie, I can't help it. So I found a recipe on Pinterest (what did we ever do without it?) and I played with it and this is what I turned it into:

Sweet Potato salmon cakes:
makes about 6 cakes

1 med sweet potato (I “baked” mine in the microwave in wax paper to cut down on the time)
10 oz Fresh Salmon (cook in some olive oil and season with pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.)
Egg-1
½ Lemon
Flour-1 tbsp plus extra for dusting
Parsley-just eye ball it (it’s not a lot)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste
Olive oil (whatever oil you use)
For the sauce (optional)
Greek yogurt, plain- 1/2 cup
Chives, chopped
Garlic, pressed- ½  clove
Lemon juice-  (I just squeezed some in)

Instructions
In a large mixing bowl combine mashed potatoes and salmon (while making sure no skin or bones end up in there- after I got done cooking mine I “chopped” the salmon up tossed it back into the pan to make sure it was fully cooked)  and break an egg into it.
Add the lemon zest to the mixture, juice the lemon and pour it in as well along with chopped parsley and flour. Mix everything well, add seasonings to taste.
Scoop the mixture with an ice cream scoop to get even-sized cakes and roll them in the flour on your flour dusted board or plate, flatten them slightly to form a patty. Fry salmon cakes in hot oil until golden and crunchy on the outside.
For the sauce mix yogurt, lemon juice, chopped chives and minced garlic in a small bowl.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes before serving for the flavors to blend.

Here is the original recipe if you would like to try it as well (must give credit- without this recipe I wouldn't have come up with my own!)

 



Monday, October 26, 2015

Starting over- AGAIN!

So I've gone on healthy living kicks through out the years and have done great and then what happens- LIFE! Life get's in the way, or at least that is the excuse I make. I don't live a super unhealthy life style... I grew up eating healthy and my mom made pretty much all our meals from scratch. I took a lot of that with me and applied it to my family. Do we eat sweets - yes! Do we drink soda- every once in awhile but it's not a staple in my fridge. Could I be better? YES!! but isn't that the point?! Can't we all strive to do or be better in almost every aspect of our lives? So, in supporting my best friend who also just happened to end up marring my bro-in-law (which is awesome to have a best friend as a sister-in-law) start her new healthy living journey... my eating habits are clean this week and my working out is back in full force. I might be dead and really wanting a piece of cake by Friday but that's okay because I'm becoming better. So, "Thanks Laura! for getting my booty back in gear after life hit the fan!"

All I want for myself is to be HAPPY! I find that when I work out and eat right I feel better about myself and that my friends is contagious. It's true, laughter is contagious and so is happiness (see link below, not now...when you're done reading.) When you smile at someone do they not smile back? Most of the time that's true,but you get what I'm saying. Find that smile in the mirror and go after it. Find out what makes the facial muscles work and do that every day. It's not going to be just one thing... variety is the spice of life and it's always changing. I'm not saying go start a clean diet and wear yoga pants all day long and work out like crazy (unless that's what makes you smile, then by all means- yoga pants on) but find your smile and keep it going. Your family,friends, neighbors, and yourself will thank you!


"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy." ~Thich Nhat Hanh

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201206/there-s-magic-in-your-smile
                                           

Friday, October 23, 2015

Unwaivering faith- Do I have it?

I'm going deep today... maybe it's the rain we're getting here in Texas, but the following story is close to home- literally.

As most people know Central Texas had devastating floods this year over the Memorial Day weekend. Jonathan McCombs was among the many who suffered loss but how he's handling it is a testimony of God and faith. I have never had to experience loss on a large level and I am grateful to God that I haven't but I know the day will come where I will have to deal with losing someone that I believe I can't live without. I can only hope and pray that I have the courage and faith to handle it with as much love and dignity as this man. After reading the article (which you will need tissues) it made me realize how much most of us take for granted and how each day needs to be lived in happiness. To focus on even the smallest and simplest joys in every moment we have and not just with the ones we love but to give service and reach out to others. I have been trying to do this more in my life even before reading the article but now it just resonates even more. Here's to a new day everyday and trying to find joy one day at a time. 

Monday, October 5, 2015

How are your buns?

So it's rest day on my Better Booty Challenge and I'm starting to feel a little burn, anyone else? While I rested my buns from the challenge exercises I opted to start my week off right at the gym to get back in my groove. Tomorrow I'll be back working my buns and I'll check back in a week or so. It's not to late to join the challenge!
#BetterBootyChallenge #skinnymom