Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

I love cabbage. It's probably one of my favorite vegetables. Lately I've been trying it in new recipes just to find more ways to fit it in!

So when I found this recipe, it was a no brainier that I would give it a try.

These "unstuffed" cabbage rolls are so good! You could serve it over brown rice or quinoa, and even top it with cheese.

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey (or beef)
2. 1 large onion, chopped
3. 1/2 large or 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
4. 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
5. 1 tsp pepper
6. 1/2 tsp sea salt
7. 1 tsp oregano
8. 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
9. 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
10. 2 cloves garlic, minced
11. Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

Directions:

1. In a 12" skillet, brown beef on medium high heat. Stir in chopped onions and cook until onions are translucent and beef is cooked through. Drain and discard grease. Add cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for 30 minutes. Simmer until cabbage is tender.
2. Top with cheese (if desired). 

21 Day Fix Counts
1 Red, 1 Green for 1 1/2 cups + 1 blue for cheese (depending on how much you use)
Optional - 1 yellow for brown rice or quinoa

~M

 

Healthy Halloween Party Snack

We attended a family friendly Halloween party this past weekend and everyone was tasked with bringing a side dish, dessert or snack.

I decided to make Jack-o'-Lantern Fruit Cups!

I had planned to make a whole tray of them, but once I started carving out the oranges, I realized they took longer than I thought they would!

To make them:

Cut the top off of the orange, scoop out the inside (I used a grapefruit spoon), cut out the facial features with a sharp paring knife and then fill with berries.

A delicious and healthy snack that kids and adults alike will enjoy!

~M

Preparing Your Summer Body for Fall

We work all summer to achieve "beach bodies" and make working out and eating healthy a priority.  But once summer fades and fall arrives, we find it difficult to stay committed to our health and make the time to workout.  We get busy shopping, traveling for the holidays, eating lots of good (and unhealthy) foods... I'm guilty of all of these myself!


This year, I want to be intentional about taking care of myself through the holidays. So I have made some "Winter Resolutions":

1. There's no reason I can't wake up early to get in a 30 minute workout before starting my day. Luckily I enjoy working out at home and have the space to do so.  If you are used to going for a run or walk outside and the colder weather is your excuse not to do it, now is the perfect time to try out yoga or take a fitness class at a local gym.  Get your friends involved so you can hold each other accountable!

2. I will continue to meal prep each week to make sure my family has healthy choices available (and to avoid the "What are we going to eat?" and "Let's just pick something up." lines).  Meal prepping is a life saver when it comes to making good decisions in the kitchen.

3. I will make sure to drink my Shakeology every day, whether for breakfast on the busier days or as a meal when we travel.  Besides the fact that it improved my health in a hundred ways, it tastes like a treat!

4. I will remember to enjoy the holiday meals and desserts IN MODERATION. Yes, I will have pumpkin pie, or pecan pie, or sweet potato soufflé.  BUT only small servings and not every day.  I am stronger than the pull of the sweet tooth craving.  I have a figure to keep! ;) You don't have to deny yourself, just reign it in. I try to follow the 80/20 rule: healthy choices 80% of the time and indulgences 20% of the time.  It helps keep me sane and then I do not feel deprived. 


Will you join me in taking care of yourself over the holidays?
Do you need motivation, encouragement or accountability to do so?
If so, this group will be for you!  I would love to support you on your journey and have you hold me accountable as well!

~M

Feature Photo Friday

We had our fall family pictures taken recently by one of my friends, Kaci. She does such a good job and is great with children!  If you're in my area, you should check her out: Kaci Danielle Photography.

~M

Egg Muffins

These little guys are my favorite.

They are easy to make and perfect for a grab and go breakfast or snack.

They are versatile too!  You can mix in any kind of veggies you like. I've used onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli.  You could add in a little cheese or sausage.

How about wrapping them in bacon?

Egg muffins have become a staple in my weekend meal prepping.  I make enough to last us from Monday through Saturday, and they keep just fine in the fridge during that week.

Here's the recipe:

PLAIN EGG MUFFINS:
Grease a muffin tin, crack an egg in each cup (or whisk in a bowl first), Bake at 375 degrees for about 18-20 minutes (ovens vary). If you prefer a softer yolk, decrease your cooking time by about 3-5 minutes.

VEGGIE EGG MUFFINS:
Same steps as above.  You can either whisk some chopped veggies into your eggs before pouring into the muffin tin, or sprinkle them on top of the cracked eggs and give a small stir right in the cup.

BACON WRAPPED EGG MUFFINS:
I like to use the pre-cooked turkey bacon for these to save time. Line two pieces of bacon around the perimeter of each cup, then follow the same steps as the above recipes. If you do not use pre-cooked bacon, you will need to partially cook them first, just until the fat begins to render.


xo,
M

Feature Photo Friday

My Feature Photo today is this sweet little girl who is growing up way too fast!

Meal Prepping Tips

I love meal prepping.
I spend two to three hours on Sunday afternoons in my kitchen preparing all of our meals and snacks for the week. It's a sacrifice of time on the weekend, but makes my week a breeze when it comes to choosing healthy options to eat and saving me time.

I know meal prep sounds overwhelming, and you may wonder where to start, so I wanted to give you some easy tips and tricks!

1. Prepare: Make a list of meals you want on your menu that week. Take a look and see what supplies you may already have in your pantry, then make your grocery list.

2. Prep: Once I have all my supplies, I like to separate them into groups on the counter; all of the veggies together, fruit together, meats together. This makes it easier for me to chop and/or season everything at the same time.

• First, I like to go ahead and get my meats in the oven baking since they take the longest.  For chicken, I just place the breasts in a glass dish, sprinkle with seasonings and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. (TIP: Did you know you can bake chicken breasts frozen?)
• Second, If I'm preparing quinoa or rice that week, I like to go ahead and get that cooking on the stove. Quinoa is my favorite grain to eat during the week because it's one of the healthiest foods on the planet and full of protein (google it!).
• Next, I go ahead and chop all my veggies (or use a tool to make veggie noodles) and depending on their purpose (steaming, baking, snacking..) separate them into their containers. Most of my veggies I steam in the microwave since it's much quicker than baking, but that's personal preference! 
• Once all my meat and veggies are cooked, I bake my egg muffins. These are super easy and great to for a quick breakfast in the mornings! I like to just crack the eggs in a greased muffin tin, but you can mix in any veggies you want!
• My last step, is preparing our snacks. We normally have greek yogurt with fruit for a mid-morning snack, and the afternoons rotate between salads, turkey roll-ups and boiled eggs.

3. Practice: The more often you meal prep, the easier it becomes. If you're just getting starting with meal prepping, start small! Plan out just your lunches or snacks that first week and see how much time you save.  I promise it gets easier and becomes second nature.

I'm a creature of habit, so it doesn't bother me to eat the same things each day. It's also easier to me to cook a lot of one type of meat at one time, than multiple different options. It's also good to have a little protein with every meal.  Hence, I always have boiled eggs on hand!

 

 

If you have any questions, would like some help meal planning, or want to get in on my next free meal prepping group on FB, email me!

Have a wonderful day!
xo