21 Day Fix: What I Ate-Week 4

At the end of week three, I was down 8 lbs and 9.5 inches! I was excited and ready to start another round of the Fix.

Monday
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs (Red) with Diced Ham (Red) and Kale (Green)
Snack: Sliced Peach (Purple)
Lunch: Lettuce Wrap-Romaine Leaves (Green) with Leftover Pork (Red) and Sunflower Seeds (Orange)
Snack: Triscuits (Yellow) with Peanut Butter (2 t)
Dinner: Asian Meatballs (Red) with Brown Rice (Yellow) and Cucumbers (Green)
Snack: Pineapple Whip (Purple and Blue) So yummy!

Tuesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal (Yellow) with Peanut Butter (2 t) and a drizzle of honey and Turkey Bacon (Red)
Snack: String Cheese (Blue)
Lunch: Brown Rice (Yellow) Topped with Leftover Pork (Red) and Baby Carrots (Green)
Snack: Sunflower Seeds (Orange) and Peanut Butter (2 t) It occurred to me after dinner that I had eaten the wrong breakfast which threw my counts of for today. Tuesday and Wednesday will balance each other.
Dinner: Slow-Cooker Mexican Chicken (Red, Yellow and Green)
Snack: Flat Belly Smoothie (Red, Purple, Green and a drizzle of honey)

Wednesday
Breakfast:Yogurt (Red) with Raspberries (Purple)
Snack: Carrots (Green)
Lunch: Sweet Potato (Yellow) with Ham (Red) and Cucumbers (Green)
Snack: Grapes (Purple)
Dinner: Leftover Night- Lettuce (Green) with Pork (Red), Cheese (Blue) and Sunflower Seeds (Orange)
Snack: Tropical Fruit Smoothie-Mixed Fruit (Purple) with Plain Yogurt (Red) with a drizzle of honey

Thursday
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs (Red) with Ham (Red) and Kale (Green)
Snack: Peach (Purple)
Lunch:Lettuce Wrap-Romaine Leaves (Green) with Pork (Red) and Sunflower Seeds (Orange)
Snack: Triscuits (Yellow) with Peanut Butter (2 t)
Dinner:Easy One Pot Pasta (Red, Yellow and Green)
Snack: Oranges and Grapes (Purple)

Friday and Saturday we had company visiting and I strayed from the eating plan. I tried to make good choices when I could but I wanted to enjoy the weekend. We made Beignets for my dad's birthday and I honestly felt like garbage after eating them. The deep fried goodness wasn't worth the misery. The Mexican food splurge was a different story. It's a good lesson to see what is worth splurging on and what is better left uneaten.

Sunday
Breakfast: Oatmeal (Yellow) with Smashed Banana (Purple)
Snack: Sunflower Seeds (Orange) with Peanut Butter (2 t)
Lunch: Steak Salad-Romaine Lettuce and Cherry Tomatoes (2 Green) with Cubed Steak (Red) drizzled with hot sauce
Snack: String Cheese (Blue)
Dinner: Pot Roast- Meat (2 Red), Carrots (Green) and Potatoes (Yellow)
Snack: Tropical Fruit Smoothie-Mixed Fruit (Purple) with Plain Yogurt (Red) with a drizzle of honey

It's time to make up for those two days with another great week!

21 Day Fix: What I Ate-Week 3

I love to cook and try new recipes all the time. I would go crazy if I had to eat the same thing everyday. That has been part of the adventure with the 21-Day Fix. I've had some delicious surprises and some disappointments. It's been cool being more conscious of the foods I eat and realizing all of the things I was mindlessly eating before I started the Fix. I am on Day 21 and am getting ready to take my measurements to see what I've accomplished during these 21 days.

Monday
Breakfast: 1/2 Piece of Toast (1/2 Yellow) with Peanut Butter (1 t) and Turkey Bacon (Red) The rest of my family had doughnuts for a First Day of School Treat. I cried a little on the inside.
Snack: Blueberries and Apple Slices (Purple)
Lunch: Salad- Assorted Veggies (1 1/2 Greens) with Pork (2 Red) and Creamy Herb Dressing (Orange)
Snack: Carrots (Green)
Dinner: Broccoli Mac and Cheese (1 1/2 Yellow, 1 Blue, 1/2 Green)
Snack: Banana Smoothie- Plain Yogurt (Red), Frozen Banana (Purple) with a drizzle of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon Plus Peanut Butter (1 t)

Tuesday
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs (Red) with Diced Ham (Red) and Chopped Kale (Green) drizzled with hot sauce
Snack: Sunflower Seeds (Orange)
Lunch: Lettuce Wraps-Romaine (Green) topped with Grilled Chicken Strips (Red) and a touch of hot sauce
Snack: Peach (Purple)
Dinner:Mexican Lasagna (1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Blue I don't really like peppers and onions so I left them out, hence the no green.) with peas and carrots (Green)
Snack: PB and J Cookies (1 Yellow, 1 Purple and 2 t)

Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal (Yellow) with Blueberries (1/2 Purple) and a drizzle of vanilla
Snack: Applesauce (1/2 Purple)
Lunch: Grilled Chicken (2 Red) Topped with Tomatoes (Green), Cilantro and Hummus (Blue)
Snack: Carrots (Green)
Dinner: "Fried" Rice-Brown Rice (Yellow), Pea and Carrots (Green), Chicken (Red) and Scrambled Eggs (Red)
Snack: Sliced Apple (Purple) topped with Peanut Butter (2 t) and Coconut Flakes (Orange)

Thursday
Breakfast: Plain Yogurt (Red) with Raspberries (1/2 Purple) and vanilla
Snack: Chopped Walnuts (Orange)
Lunch: 2 Corn Tortilla (Yellow) with Sliced Turkey (Red) and Grapes (1/2 Purple)
Snack: Cucumbers (Green)
Dinner:Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet-Ground Turkey (Red), Sweet Potato (Yellow) with Cheddar and Parmesan Cheese (Blue) and a side of Sauteed Brussels Sprouts (Green) all using EVOO (2 t)
Snack: Flat Belly Smoothie-Greek Yogurt (Red), Kale (Green) Blueberries/Pineapple (Purple) Surprisingly delicious. I had my hubby taste it and he asked me to make a double batch next time.

Friday
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs (Red) with Kale (Green) and Ham (Red) drizzled with hot sauce
Snack: Sunflower Seeds (Orange)
Lunch: Lettuce Wrap-Romaine Leaves (Green) with Grilled Chicken (Red)
Snack: Tropical Fruit Smoothies-Tropical Fruit Medley (Purple) with Plain Yogurt (Red) and a drizzle of honey plus Peanut Butter (2 t)
Dinner: 2 Slices of Cheese Pizza (2 Yellow and 1 Blue) with Cucumbers and Carrots (Green) I was looking forward to this all week!
Snack: Grapes (Purple)

Saturday
Breakfast: Healthy Banana Pancakes (Yellow, Purple, Red) topped with Peanut Butter (2 t) and a drizzle of honey These were yummy. Much better than the pancakes I made in Week 1.
Snack: Sunflower Seeds (Orange)
Lunch: Lettuce Wraps-Romaine Leaves (Green) with Sliced Turkey (Red) and a drizzle of hot sauce
Snack: Raspberries (1/2 Purple)
Dinner: Chipotle Salad-Romaine and Pico (2 Green), Pork (Red), Rice/Bean (Yellow) and Cheese (Blue) I was supposed to go out to dinner with family for my nephew's birthday but I have a sick kiddo so I opted for this instead. It was a perfect meal to fill the spaces I had allotted for dinner at Sweet Tomatoes.
Snack: Plain Yogurt (Red) with Frozen Blueberries (1/2 Purple)

Sunday:
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs (Red) with Ham (Red) and Cheese (Blue)
Snack: I slept in and ate a late breakfast so I wasn't hungry.
Lunch: Sweet Potato (Yellow) topped with Ham (Red) and Carrots (Green)
Snack: Orange Slices (Purple)
Dinner: Pork Carnitas- Corn Tortillas (Yellow), Pork (Red), Lettuce/Tomatoes (2 Green)
Snack: Apples (Purple) with Peanut Butter (2 t) and Coconut (Orange)

I'm ready to start another 21 Days! For more recipe ideas, check out my Pinterest board. I'm always on the hunt for new things to try. Do you have a favorite healthy recipe?

21 Day Fix: What I Ate- Week 2

I finished week 2 of the 21 Day Fix and I'm really feeling great. I've decided to wait until the end of this round to weigh myself and I'm actually excited to step on the scale at the end of next week. I feel like I'm establishing good habits. I look forward to my workouts. I struggled a bit mentally with my nutrition, but I stayed strong and stuck with it. When I was having a hard time as a mom, I really wanted to self-medicate with a handful of chocolate chips. I know that's a habit I need to break if I want to reach my goals. It was also more challenging this week because I went to two restaurants and spent time at my parent's house. My parent's house is usually a place where I act like I'm a kid again and eat tons of snacks and treats. There will be a time in the future where I can indulge in the occasional treat but I know the more I stick to the nutrition plan now, the better results I will see.

Monday

Breakfast: Plain Yogurt (Red) with Frozen Blueberries (Purple) and a touch of vanilla

Snack: Sliced Apples and Pears (Purple)

Lunch: Lettuce Wraps-Romaine Leaves (Green) with leftover pork (Red), cilantro and hot sauce Pictured above.

Snack: Baby Carrots (Green) and Sunflower Seeds (Orange)

Dinner: Whole Grain Spaghetti (1 1/2 Yellows) With Turkey Meatballs (1 Red and 1/2 Yellow) topped with Parmesan Cheese (Blue) Served with Cucumbers (Green) Pictured above. These meatballs are yummy! In fact, after dinner, I realized I forgot to meal plan one of my reds so I ate two extra meatballs for good measure.

Snack: Peanut Butter (2 t)

Tuesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal (Yellow) topped with Chopped Walnuts (Orange) with a drizzle of honey and vanilla

Snack: Grapes (Purple)

Lunch: Cucumber sliced lengthwise (Green) topped with Hummus (Blue) and Sliced Turkey (Red)

Snack: 2 Hard boiled Eggs (Red) drizzled with hot sauce

Dinner: Rice Bowl- Brown Rice (Yellow) topped with Romaine and Tomatoes (Green) and leftover Pork (Red) and drizzled with hot sauce with Brussels Sprouts (Green) topped with Turkey Bacon (Red) on the side

Snack: Sliced Apple (Purple) with Peanut Butter (2 t)

Wednesday
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs (Red) with Diced Ham (Red) and Spinach (1/2 Green)
Snack: Sunflower Seeds (Orange) This was a hard one because I was at the movies and I LOVE movie theater popcorn.
Lunch: Quesadillas: 2 Corn Tortillas (Yellow) topped with Cheddar Cheese (Blue) and more of that Leftover Pork (Red) I'm not always a big fan of leftovers but that meat has been serving us well.
Snack: Carrots (Green)
Dinner: Hamburger Patty (Red) served on Romaine Lettuce with Tomatoes (1 1/2 Green) and Watermelon (2 Purple)
Snack: Peanut Butter (2 t) I had meal-planned to have my peanut butter on a piece of toast but I forgot until I was in bed. :(

Thursday
Breakfast: Plain Yogurt (Red) with Frozen Blueberries (Purple) and Turkey Bacon (Red)
Snack: Carrots (Green)
Lunch: Salad (2 Green) topped with Diced Ham (Red) and Creamy Herb Dressing (Orange) I was at Chuck E. Cheese's with my kids and brought along my dressing and containers. Go me!
Snack: 2 Hard Boiled Eggs (Red) drizzled with hot sauce
Dinner: 1/2 a Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Yellow and 1/2 Blue) with Sliced Avocados (1/2 Blue) and Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes (Yellow)
Snack: Watermelon (Purple)

Friday
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal (2 t-Peanut Butter) (Yellow-Oatmeal) (Purple-Banana)
Snack: Walnuts (Blue)
Lunch: Grilled Chicken (Red-I was supposed to have two but I forgot to pack them both) and Cucumbers (Green)
Snack: Sunflower Seeds (Orange)
Dinner: Kneaders Chicken Chop Salad: (2 Green of Veggies) (2 Red-Meat There wasn't quite enough.) drizzled with hot sauce and a Slice of Whole Wheat Bread (Yellow) Sadly, the rest of the salad went in the trash.
Snack: Cherries (Purple)

Saturday
Breakfast: 2 Scrambled Eggs (Red) with Cheddar Cheese (Blue) and a Pancake (Yellow) topped with Peanut Butter (2 t)
Snack: Watermelon (Purple)
Lunch: Lettuce Wrap-Romaine (Green) and Sliced Turkey (Red)
Snack: Pumpkin Seeds
Dinner:Mini Meatloaves (2 Red, 1 Yellow, 1/2 Green) and Green Beans (1 1/2 Green)
Snack: Grapes (Purple)

Sunday
Breakfast: Yogurt Parfait-Plain Yogurt (Red) layered with Blueberries and Strawberries (Purple) and topped with Granola (Yellow) Pictured Below.
Snack: I had planned on carrots but I was in the car so I had them with lunch.
Lunch: Quesadillas-2 Corn Tortilla (Yellow) topped with Cheddar Cheese (Blue) and Pork (Red) with Carrots (Green)
Snack: I was at church and didn't pack anything so I added it to my dinner.
Dinner: Chef's Salad- Assorted Veggies (2 Green) with Sliced Turkey (Red) and 2 Hard-boiled Eggs (Red) topped with Creamy Herb Dressing (Orange)
Snack: Grapes (Purple)

Bring on Week 3! I'm ready for you!

21 Day Fix: What I Ate-Week 1

This week, I started the 21 Day Fix. If you haven't heard about the program, it is a combination on 30-minute workouts and portioned, color-coded meals. The workouts are great! I've been sore in different parts of my body all week! The eating plan is pretty great too, though it definitely takes some planning. I am coming to the end of my first week and wanted to share my meal plan.

I printed off these meal planner calendars. They're awesome. As you are planning out your meals, you can check off the colors at the top to make sure you're getting everything in.

As I was filling in my meals, I found that I had the hardest time getting in my "reds" (protein) so I would usually try to fit those in and then plan my meals around it. I also wanted my meals to be things my family would enjoy. I didn't want to be making multiple dinners everyday. I usually just wrote "fruit" or "veggie" because I hadn't been shopping yet and wanted to buy what was on sale.

So, here is what I ate in week one:

Monday

Breakfast: Plain Yogurt (Red) with Sliced Cherries (Purple)and vanilla (free)

Snack: Celery (Green) with Peanut Butter (2 t)

Lunch: 2 Corn Tortilla (Yellow) with Sliced Turkey (Red) and Broccoli (Green)

Snack: Olives (Orange)

Dinner: Thai Beef with Basil over Coconut Rice (Red-I took my meat out before adding the brown sugar and soy sauce for my family) (Yellow-switch to brown rice) and (Blue-Coconut Milk in the Rice)  served with Cucumbers (Green)

Snack: Watermelon Smoothie:Greek Yogurt (Red), Watermelon (Purple), ice, and vanilla 

This was not my favorite. I know some people love Greek Yogurt but it's not my favorite.

After day one, I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn't starving like I typically am when I start counting calories.

Tuesday

Breakfast: 1/2 Whole Wheat Bagel Thin (Yellow) with 2 scrambled eggs (Red) and Turkey Bacon ( Red)

Snack: Baby Carrots (Green)

Lunch: Baked Sweet Potato (Yellow) topped with Sliced Ham (Red) with Cucumber (Green)

Snack: Watermelon (Purple)

Dinner: Chicken Taco Bowl-Baked, Seasoned Chicken(Red), Romaine Lettuce and Tomatoes(Green), Cheddar Cheese(Blue) and Olives (Orange)

My family kids had theirs in tortillas with some tortilla chips on the side.

Snack: Sliced Apple (Purple) with Peanut Butter (2 t)

Wednesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal (Yellow) with Blueberries (Purple)

Snack: 2 Hard-Boiled Eggs (Red) with Hot Sauce (The hot sauce freebie has been my best friend!)

Lunch: Leftover Seasoned Chicken (1 1/2 Red) mixed with Black Beans (Yellow) and more hot sauce

Snack: Carrots (Green) with Hummus (Blue)

Dinner: Chef Salad-Assorted Veggies (2 Greens), Sliced Turkey (Red), Turkey Bacon (1/2 Red), Creamy Herb Dressing (Orange)

Snack: Sliced Apple (Purple) with Peanut Butter (2 t)

Thursday 

Breakfast: Two Scrambled Eggs (Red) mixed with Diced Ham (Red) and Spinach (Green)

Snack: Sunflower Seed (Orange)

Lunch: Leftover Thai Beef and Rice (Red and Yellow)

Snack: Snow Peas

Dinner: English Muffin Pizzas-Whole Wheat English Muffin (Yellow) topped with Pizza Sauce (a bit of purple) and Mozzarella (Blue) with Cajun Brussels Sprouts (Green, plus 2 t evoo for cooking) and Grapes (Purple)

Snack: Banana Shake- Banana (Purple), Plain Yogurt (Red), ice, vanilla and cinnamon

This was yummy. It felt like a real treat!

Friday

Breakfast: Plain Yogurt (Red) mixed with Sliced Cherries (Purple) and Vanilla And, accidentally, WAY too much cinnamon.

Snack: Sunflower Seeds (Orange)

Lunch: Sliced Turkey (Red) wrapped around 2 Sliced Hard-boiled Eggs (Red) topped with hot sauce and Baby Carrots (Green)

Snack: Cherries and Grapes (Purple)

Dinner: Taco Salad-Seasoned Ground Beef (Red) Lettuce and Tomatoes (2 Greens) Cheddar Cheese (Blue), Brown Rice with Cilantro and Lime (Yellow) and Red Beans (Yellow) topped with hot sauce

There was also olives, chips and  guacamole for the rest of the family.

Snack: Peanut Butter (2 t)

Saturday

Breakfast: 2 Scrambled Eggs (Red) with Diced Ham (Red) and Spinach (Green)

Snack: Cucumbers (Green)

Lunch: Salad-Spinach and Tomatoes (Green), Grilled Chicken (Red), Cheddar Cheese (Blue), Brown Rice (Yellow) and Creamy Herb Dressing (Orange)

Snack: Sliced Apple (Purple) and Peanut Butter (2 t)

Dinner: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (Red-I skipped the vinegar/mustard sauce and it was still delicious.) with Smashed Sweet Potato (Yellow) and Mixed Vegetable (Green)

Snack: Peach (Purple)

Sunday

Breakfast: Flourless Pumpkin Pancakes (Green and Red) with Peanut Butter (2 t)

These were not my favorite. Though, I didn't totally follow the recipe so they might have been better.

Snack: Sunflower Seed

Lunch: 1/2 a Whole Wheat Bagel (Yellow) with Sliced turkey (Red) and Hummus (Blue) with Snow Peas (Green) dipped in the rest of the hummus

Snack: Strawberries

Dinner: Slow Cooker Beef Roast with Carrots (Red, Green, Yellow)

I added potatoes (for yellow) and garlic (because I love garlic). My family will have French Bread.

Snack: Banana Shake- Banana (Purple), Plain Yogurt (Red), ice, vanilla and cinnamon

So, that's my first week on the 21 Day Fix! There has been more preparation and dishes to do but I think my whole family had a week of healthier food choices. Bring on Week 2!

Clara Turns Four

My sweet Clara Lynn turned 4! It breaks my heart that she's so grown up.

On her real birthday, we had a party with cousins. I was planning to make some cool candy ice for her cake but I left the kitchen for two minutes and burnt it so the cake wasn't as fancy as I envisioned it. However, I'm starting to realize that Clara doesn't really like cake. She went with a few helpings of ice cream instead.

On the Saturday after her birthday, we had a party with friends. Clara was a bit of a diva and cried several times when things didn't go her way. I guess she's a firm believer in the "it's my party and I'll cry if I want to" mentality.

The girls played pin the kiss on the frog.

They decorated their own crowns.

They went on a princess treasure hunt.

The popped balloons with prizes inside.

The decorated their own cupcakes.

And, they made candy/cereal/pretzel necklaces.

It was a fun party! Hopefully next year Clara will be a slightly more gracious birthday girl.

Valentine's Day 2015

While the big kids were at school, we hosted a Valentines potluck and card exchange for the little ones.

I set up a photobooth for the kiddos to take pictures.

When Abby got home, the kiddos had a mini-photo shoot.

Christmas Festivities 2014

This was our first time having a full-size tree. The kids loved decorating it and Grant only spent the first few days redecorating/throwing ornaments.

We had a great ward Christmas party. Abby, as usual, wasn't interested in visiting Santa.

We were asked to be the nativity family.

Clara was the crowd favorite as the little lamb.

As you can see, Grace thoroughly enjoyed her first Christmas.

Grant got all things vehicle related. We had a hard time getting him to stop playing with the first toy he opened to see the other things.

The girls had such a great Christmas, despite Clara being in a cast. That probably deserves its own post but I don't know if I'll get around to it.

Grace's Blessing

While my family was here for Thanksgiving, we had Grace's blessing. This wasn't the best photo shoot but such is life trying to take pictures of four kids.

She was as sweet as can be wearing the dress both of her sisters wore and Sam gave her a beautiful blessing.

Thanksgiving 2014

For Thanksgiving, my family gathered at our home for a weekend of fun. I guess I never got the pictures Merrick took on the big day. She's better at remembering to take pictures than I am but I'll use the excuse that I was busy in the kitchen.

While they were here, we figured we better take them to the ostrich farm. It was a warm, gorgeous day and everyone had a blast feeding the animals.

We also took family pictures while everyone was here so I thought I'd throw this in for good measure.