Fit Mom's Blog

If you knew how I really function in the kitchen, you’d probably never want to eat here! I rarely follow recipes, I never measure anything, I cook all the food before I wash the dishes, and I feed my kids everything I cook. They do not get special dishes prepared just for them! And, on most nights, it’s the same old boring stuff: Chicken and Veggies, Fish and Veggies, or Sausage and Veggies. Tonight, I had 2 Butternuts and lots of veggies but I wasn’t sure how I wanted to put it together, so, I simply entered butternut and coconut milk in the search engine and this is what turned up first. Of course, I didn’t really follow this recipe!!

Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry

Makes 6 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil coconut oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions. I added celery and peppers
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 cup canned vegetable chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño Anaheim chili
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup canned light unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
12 ounces dried futonaga udon noodles (oriental-style spaghetti) or linguine (this dish also goes beautifully with jasmine rice in place of noodles)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add squash; sauté 4 minutes. Add broth, jalapeño and garlic; bring to boil. Cover; cook until squash is almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, lime juice and curry paste. Simmer uncovered until squash is tender and liquid is slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain noodles. Return to pot. Add squash mixture and cilantro to noodles; toss to blend. Serve.

Recipe taken from Love and Olive Oil.

Delicious and Kid Friendly!!

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On How We Encourage Healthy Eating in Our Kids!

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This is going to seem weird, but, it’s true!

Our main focus at the moment is eating really clean foods {lean proteins, good fats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, eggs and fish}. At first, you might think, heck no! It’s not cheaper, but, when I took the time to think through what we used to eat as opposed to what we eat now, it really is cheaper.

For example, I was buying 10 protein bars per week for my husband who would go through 2 a day at a cost of $1.50 per bar. Fage Greek Yogurt costs $5 for two servings from Trader Joe’s and hubby and I were each eating one serving a day. Diet Soda’s in the can cost $6 for a dozen (+ or -). My families favorite cereals are Puffins, Shredded Wheat (cereals by Kashi) and they range for $3-5 per box and we’d go through 1-2 boxes per week. Jarred sauces with loads of sugar cost $3 bucks each and they’d only get me one or two meals per jar! Let’s talk about bread- one loaf of bread can be around $3 and our favorite were the Arnold’s Thins which runs around $4 per week. Then, there’s the coffee shop budget which used to be $4 for hubby’s drink and $3 for mine, and although, I still drink coffee there, nothing is exciting like Mocha’s or Latte’s or as expensive. Any of the processed carbs such as the veggie chips or the Multigrain chip (oh, I miss these) are $4 bucks a bag (that’d be one night’s dinner for us). And the cheeses…the string cheeses or the shredded cheeses are all extra that cost extra money.

The Paleo Solution diet can be as fancy and as tasty as you want! The more I research new recipes, the more recipes I want to try. One common mistake for me is that I will see a recipe, and then go make my own version of it…without consulting the recipe again. I’m a bit on the lazy side…

You might wonder, so what do we eat instead? And, as for the kids, well they are still on a non-paleo diet for the most part..this is not a mountain I am ready to hike yet! Mainly because they are not so enamored with my egg dishes for breakfast and they LOVE their Pb& J…dinners are always paleo for them, though.

Breakfasts are usually Frittatas or crust-less quiches
Lunches are leftovers (chicken, apples and nuts) are standard
Dinners are lots of veggies and proteins.
Desert…for me is 85% Dark Chocolate and/or Medjul Dates

What are you all planning in the way of food this week?

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Starting today, we are going back to a stricter Paleo diet for both my husband and myself.  For us, that will mean, no sugar (white, raw, agave, honey of any kind), no grains, oatmeal, rice or pasta, and no dairy.

Honestly, we eat in 6 days a week.  One night a week, we will eat out as a family, but, that leaves 6 other nights where we (I) am doing the cooking.  Over the years, I’ve learned how to cook and I have lots of go-to fast meals that I can crank out within 30 minutes.  Some of the easiest ones are the simple ones like spiced up chicken and sauteed veggies with garlic, spaghetti squash mixed with organic (sugar free) spaghetti sauce plus all the veggies + one protein in the house.  On nights when I’m “oh my gosh TOAST” we will eat either leftovers or eggs.

Some ingredients I always have in my kitchen or pantry include:

1. Fresh, delicious salsa

2.  Penzey’s spices (as much as possible!!)

3.  Spaghetti Squash

4.  Already prepped veggies

5.  Coconut Milk, Tomato Paste, Tomato sauce, Almond Butter, Chicken Stock, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil

6. Fresh Medjul Dates (These are so delicious and I can get them from a local source and I just can’t live without them! They are like my sugary desert.)

What is always fresh and ready to go in your kitchen? Do you have any 30 minute or less “go-to” meals that you always rely on?

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“So, Rachel, I get home from work and I just want to crack open the wine, sit back and relax!  I really should go swimming or go to the gym, but, I usually don’t want to.”

“Wow, you’ve lost 10 pounds over the break, how did you do it?  Stomach flu plus my mother in law’s cooking, ha ha ha….but, Rachel, I run everyday and can’t lose any weight.”

“What can I do to get rid of this ***demonstration of a flabby arm***?”

“So, Rachel, I’m getting married soon and I’d like to get toned up, what do you suggest?”

“What can I do in fifteen minutes?”

“Or, Rachel, I’d like some definition in my arms, but I don’t like that muscle bulging at the top of your shoulder (pointing to mine)?!?!?”

“I’m getting an elliptical for my birthday present, what should I do with it?”

“Or, I am going to the Y and usually spend 30-40 minutes on the treadmill, isn’t that enough?”

Readers, I need your help here!  I am getting stopped every single day with fitness questions!  And, I am not walking up to them, saying “how’s your fitness plan going”?  I am flattered, truly, because I think I am finally at least modeling a really healthy model for being physically fit.  (I am far from perfect on the food plan, people, but for the MOST part, I follow a health, clean  eating plan).  If I wasn’t already working six hours a day teaching physical fitness, I’d go work with every person individually to help them!

So, here are my “GO TO” rules of quick and easy fitness and food:

1.  When in doubt on what to do on aerobic machine, do less.  Complete a total of 20 minutes on the treadmill going as hard as you can for 30 seconds, then rest.  Repeat.

2.  Lift Heavy Dumbbells & learn new movements utilizing them.  There are thousands!

3.  Eat chicken, eggs, sausage, or bacon for breakfast and put DOWN that bagel.

4.  Carry bagged chicken or protein powder daily.

5.  Wear comfortable clothes daily, so that you can drop down and do “Death By Push-ups” with your kids!

6.  Have the healthy fruit snacks prepped and ready!

7.  If eating out is a must and it’s not your cheat meal or day, order grilled meat and veggies!

8.  Read more about health, nutrition and food!

Please  feel free to add your tips, comments and suggestions!

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called “Planning Ahead: Weeknight Dinners” is now live!

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If you’ve followed this blog long, you know that lately, I’ve stuck to a fairly rigid paleo diet.  What is a Paleo Diet- you might wonder?? Well, it’s basically about getting your calories from protein, fruit, seeds, nuts, vegetables and eggs rather than from grains, dairy, sugar or alcohol. Admittedly, during the holidays, we (hubby and I) indulged in the good stuff a little too much…however, on looking back, I still cooked and served most of our meals using the paleo style of cooking.

The difference between the Zone diet and the Paleo diet is – what you can eat.  On the Zone, everything is allowable (in moderation) while on the Paleo diet certain foods are off limits- such as sugar, rice, pasta, bread, beans, and cheeses.  This is the good thing about the ZONE diet- PORTION control.   The trick to following the ZONE diet successfully is knowing how much you can eat.  For example, six egg whites is equivalent to the amount of protein I can eat at breakfast.  Along with 1 apple, 1/2 cup of salsa and 1/2 an avocado.  For a snack, I can eat 2 boiled eggs (minus the yolks + 1 tablespoon of hummus).  For lunch a gigantic salad with chicken and dinner could be fish + 2 vegetables.  This is plenty of food, readers!  And, it never felt like I was cheating myself.  1 glass of wine with dinner is the same as one serving of vegetables.  1 square of 85% dark chocolate is the same as one serving of vegetables.  2 raw sugars in my coffee is the same as one apple.  1 cup of Greek yogurt is the same as eating 3 ounces of chicken breast.

Knowing the ZONE diet can greatly benefit YOU when/if you decide to follow the paleo diet.  If you want to know why, please follow these links, then, utilize the portion sizes from the Zone and apply it to the Paleo Diet.  Because, when first starting on the paleo diet, I could easily overeat on the protein and the vegetables- particularly on the ones I like- sweet potatoes and dates.

What’s the plan for January for this Fit Mom family? Rigid Paleo Monday -through Friday with allowances for a glass of wine on the weekends and I especially appreciate the 85% dark chocolate as being allowable on Rob Wolf’s plan (although, I’m sure you’re not supposed to eat it everyday, ha ha ha).

If this post is confusing, please leave a comment, I’d be glad to answer any questions!

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Yes, it’s time to buckle down and STOP eating all those yummy foods. The holiday is over and it’s time to get back on the full time paleo diet. I have one thing that has always helped me eat lots of chicken- spices. Good ones. I’m sure there are blends at the grocery store you can buy, but, nothing has ever compared to the ones I’ve gotten from Penzey’s Spices.



I buy a big bags of non-sugar spice blends and bake my chicken- 30 minutes at 350. My favorite blend is the BBQ 3000 or the Fajita Seasoning blend. Spices make me want to eat my chicken breasts for breakfast- they just taste good!

You can buy Penzey’s spices online.

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This is my kinda meal! Simple, easy to prepare and only a few ingredients. Makes cooking “paleo” supremely easy.

Check out the recipe here.

What do you cook on a time crunch night?

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Image Credit: Craftzine.

For the first time in my married life, I will be cooking a turkey on Thanksgiving!  Wish me luck, people, cause I am intimidated, ha ha ha!  Anyhoo, I just found some amazing looking recipes on Craftzine.com that I can’t wait to try next week!  Shallots in Red Wine, Butternut Squash Soup, Stuffed Portobellos, YUMMM…Can’t wait to get cooking!

Here’s the link.

What’s cooking for you this holiday season? You’ve got gluten-free, paleo recipes to try? Post links in the comments sections.

Update: Day 18= No sugar, no dairy, no grains, and no alcohol! And, I am getting leaner. Not sure any leaner is a good thing, though!

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