Clean-Up That Diet! Week 2

Tomorrow marks another work week for most of you guys, and another week for me and Little Miss Kemp's 'cleaner' diet.

If you missed last Sunday's post, Tidying Up The Diet, then let me get you up to speed. Over the last few weeks, I had not been eating well-balanced daily meals. My gym, CrossFit SEO, started a 6-week Paleo challenge, so I decided to work on my diet on my own terms.

Week 1 went pretty well. Now, my hope to make the Double Chocolate Paleo Goey Cake was an utter fail! Not that I was unable to make the dish, but rather, that I consumed too much all of the main ingredient, chocolate chips, before even having the opportunity to prepare the dish! I can't handle chocolate chips in the house without eating them straight out of the bag or warmed with nut butter! I too had more chicken than I had originally planned, so I did not make the Paleo Taco Pie next week, it is slated for dinner tonight!

What's on the menu for this week?

Breakfast
HerbaLife Smoothie (Not Paleo or Gluten-free) 

Lunch

Scrambled Eggs with Applegate Breakfast Sausage

Roasted Veggies, Roasted Broccoli with Onion or Sautéed Mushrooms & Green Beans

1/2 Sweet Potato

Grapes

Snacks
GF Crackers, Carrots & Celery with Hummus
Cottage Cheese w/ Apple Sauce & GF Crackers
Apple w/ Nut Butter & Mixed Veggies

Dinner
Sunday & Monday: Paleo Taco Pie

Tuesday: Tilapia & Salad

Wednesday & Thursday: Sweet Potato & Sausage Soup

Friday: Coconut Crunch Chicken Strips & Salad

Saturday: Out to Dinner

Question of the Day: Do you meal plan for the week? 

Michelyn Cynthia

What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW): 3.3.14

Public Service Announcement: Toledo Basketball Edition

Congratulations to the University of Toledo Men's Basketball program for winning their final away game last night verse Central Michigan. We still have one last home game of the regular season on Saturday, but we have already surpassed a school-record with 25 wins! We have also clenched either the 1st or 2nd seed in the upcoming MAC tourney! More about this after Saturday's game!

Breakfast

No, there is nothing wrong with your screen! Indeed, my oatmeal is green because of the Swanson's Green Food that has been included. And, before you turn up your nose, give it a try. There really is no flavor, at least in the plain green food that we have on hand currently. They also carry flavored kinds that you can find in many health stores, I will et you know what I think of those when I decide to get adventurous.

Not only does my oatmeal have 1Tbsp of "greens" but also a scoop of protein powder, and 1/2 c organic frozen mixed berries. I purchased a huge bag of the organic berry mix at Costco's. Yes, the same kind that was recalled back in June 2013 for a hepatitis recall. Oh how comforting; NOT, yikes not the thing you want to learn when googling a food item that you've been consuming for a few weeks now!

Has anyone else tried this creamer? It was eh, in my opinion. I do not think I enjoyed the cinnamon flavor in my coffee. And somehow I forgot to buy more creamer at TFM and have been drinking my coffee with almond milk which is not that great either, major fail on my part!

Snack

I got really creative for my Snack #1, just kidding. This is 1/2 C greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp "greens," my favorite WOW sweetener, and 1/2 C mixed berries. I keep a small container of the frozen berries in my fridge for easy access to my breakfast dishes and snacks!

Lunch

After a quick "lunch-break" run, I ate this yummy Red Pepper Soup, recipe later. I made the base of the soup, and then simply added 4 oz boiled chicken and 2oz (dry) quinoa noodles. (I did cook the noodles before putting in my ready-prepared broth. ) I figured this was the simplest way to monitor the amount of protein and then I can add the quinoa pasta when I consume the soup after workouts.

Dinner
After work I got my nails and eyebrows did, and I was simply not feeling the whole cooking idea. I was contemplating making some tilapia, its in the fridge, but I was lazy so I headed to TFM and got some carb-free sushi.

California sushi minus the rice, score! Pretty sure the imitation crab is not high on the clean-eating diet, but whatevs!

Snack / Dessert

OMG! If you have not tried a Quest bar, then you are missing out, and especially the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar baked in the oven!!!

I cut the bar into fourths and placed on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes. I accidentally burnt the bottoms a tad, but this was pretty darn dreamy. I also had 1/2 C almond milk to complete the whole effect! Yums!!!

Questions of the Day: What Quest recipes have you tried? Did you know you could "cook" them?

Michelyn

Everything But the Kitchen Sink - Turkey Mishmash

Happy Thursday! As promised from yesterday's post I would like to share my Turkey Mishmash recipe, which is super duper easy and can be altered in so many ways. And, I will share some of the ways to mix this dish up as well.

I should first explain why I entitled this post, "Everything But the Kitchen Sink"... Well, my health-conscious aunt, who is the epitome of hostess with the mostess regularly makes a breakfast dish with organic turkey sausage, and an array of organic vegetables. My father dearingly calls it, "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" because you never know what combination of veggies and spices will be found within it, but you are never disappointed.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

INGREDIENTS

• Fresh Spinach
• 2lbs Ground, Organic Turkey
• White Onion, Diced
• 1/2 Zucchini, Diced 
• 1/2 Yellow Squash, Diced
• 1/2 Bell Pepper (I used a combination of yellow, red, and orange) 
• Mushrooms (one carton)
• Steak Tomatoes
• Parlsey
• Cilantro
• 1/2 C. low-sodium, organic tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp. Coconut oil
• Bragg's Liquid Amino's 

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, place 2 tbsp. of coconut oil in pan, and allow to coat entire pan on medium heat.

2. Saute 1/2 onion, zucchini, yellow squash, and peppers until softened.

3. Add the ground turkey.

4. In another saute pan, place a small amount of water in pan and allow to get hot on medium heat. Once hot, place 1/4 white onion and sliced mushrooms (I bought the pre-washed and sliced ones).

5. Once the turkey has cooked, then pour the 1/2 cup tomato sauce over and coat well. I simply placed enough tomato sauce to have a light coat over meat and vegetables. 

6. While the onion and mushroom mixture is cooking, place fresh cilantro and parsley into the pan, and allow to saute. 

7. To serve, place a handful or two of fresh spinach in bowl/plate, then add meat mixture, followed by mushrooms. Spray 1-2 pumps of Bragg's on top, and then adorn with 1/2 steak tomato! 

8. Eat!

In the past I have also added squash, mushrooms, green beans, and corn to my turkey mishmash. If you have someone in your family who doesn't like ground turkey, then use lean beef or pork. Honestly, the options are endless. 

Also, don't like spinach! Try sautéing green cabbage instead. Super easy, directions below:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 medium head green cabbage, Shredded
• 1/2 C low-sodium organic chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, sear the cabbage until it starts to brown
2. Toss and add a small amount of chicken broth, enough to "wet" the pan
3. Saute until the cabbage is very soft

Michelyn

What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW): 2.18.14

Breakfast

I ended up working out after-work, so I did not consume my pre-workout BCAA's as I did last week.  So, to break my fast, I had three Applegate breakfast sausages, sauteed spinach, and blueberries. I highly recommend the Applegate brand as it is GMO-free and organic . I have only tried the Chicken and Apple Breakfast Sausage, but many at my gym also rave over the bacon! I will pick this up at The Fresh Market this weekend! I have included the recipe for the sauteed spinach below. It is super easy and free of all oils!

Sauteed Spinach Recipe

Ingredients:

• Handful fresh spinach
• Organic Minced Garlic
• 1/4 c Organic Tomato Sauce

1. Place organic tomato sauce in pan, with a "squeeze" of minced garlic. Allow pan to get hot.

2. Place fresh spinach in pan, stir frequently and allow to wilt

3. Serve and enjoy!

Snack #1

On our 7 week challenge we are encouraged to eat plan 2% Greek yogurt. Chobani is my favorite brand, and can be purchased in the larger containers at most grocery stores and/or Costo/Sam's. This is a new-to-me concoction of 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 2-3 drops of Cinnamon Vanilla NOW Better Stevia liquid sweetener (so yum), and a sliced banana. I then added two small yellow tomatoes to get some veggies in as well.

Lunch

Last week I discussed my desires to decrease my oil intake, and one of my childhood friends, Chris (Hall) Curtis who blogs at Curtis Family, shared with me that she and her health-conscious husband sautee using water! What! So, of course I had to give it a try. I used water to saute the onion and mushroom mixture, and it was delicious! I will share the recipe for this dish tomorrow, so stay tuned. I also used Bragg's Liquid Amino's instead of salt. I know, I said I was not going to fret over my salt consumption, but I lied and I think it is for the good!

Snack #2

Prior to getting my sweat on at Renegade, I decided to make a quick protein shake. The base of this shake is HerbaLife, since Jason and I are distributors, contact me if interested. Are you wondering if your computer screen is ok, it is! I also added a serving of Swanson's Green Food which made the shake green, like The Hulk. I also added a frozen 1/2 banana, water, and natural/organic peanut butter.  It was so darn good!

Dinner

Dinner was oh so delicious! My husband is half-way on this healthy-eating bandwagon, but last night's dinner may have made him a converter. This is flank steak from The Fresh Market which we allowed to marinate for 2 days. I also had a small side salad with a super easy dressing of Red Wine Vinegar + 1 Stevia packet. I actually made enough for two salads with that recipe, and I was surprised that I enjoyed my salad much better! Jason also threw in a little feta cheese, which never hurt nobody!

I too purchased a food scale, or two, to be exact last Sunday. In the picture, below, you can see that I first bought a super cheap-o one. When I opened it to use, I learned that it was broken! Now this thing only cost $5.99, so I should not have been surprised. Lesson learned that sometimes, ok most times, it is worth paying a little extra for an item that is more durable and last-longing. I then went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and purchased the Biggest Loser 6.6 lb Digital Kitchen Scale. This only cost $19.99 and then I was able to use a 20% coupon, major score!

Do you use a kitchen scale? What brand?

What flavors of NOW Better Stevia have you tried?

What do you enjoy in your smoothie?

Michelyn

Portion Sizes & Citrus Tilapia Recipe

Now that I am really cognizant of every food item I place in my mouth, I have really been monitoring my portion sizes, especially for those things that can easily sabotage one's diet. I've got to be honest, I am one of those cooks that approximates when it comes to measuring. I follow recipes, and prefer to have a recipe than developing an entire dish from scratch, but I am not great, overall, at measuring things like salt, oils, and my condiments.

On the top is a great example of my "heavy" hand with fresh-ground nut butter, which is growing on me, then compared to 1 tbsp., bottom picture, that was measured out.

Welp, there you have it! I officially diagnosed myself as a "heavy hander," and have relegated myself to measuring everything. I am even on the quest to purchase a food scale, as I am somewhat frightened to learn about my potion sizes when it comes to my meats/fish. At our first session, they shared the "palm" tip, but I don't even trust myself with that one.

Sticking to this topic, I typically saute my vegetables in EVOO which is good, right? Well yes, but again portion sizes. I figured it was time to change it up a few notches so this morning I used organic tomato sauce to sauté some spinach, about 2 full handfuls. I also added some fresh oregano, a sprigs worth, paired this with my 2 eggs, and it was absolutely delicious.

At this point, I am monitoring my oil intake and portion sizes with proteins. In another few weeks I will begin to analyze my salt intake. At this time, trying to monitor everything may drive this woman batty!

On Wednesday, I promised the citrus tilapia recipe. Well, at that time I did not read the dispersal disclaimer on our 7-week manual. So, I searched the web for another great looking recipe.

Sweet & Spicy Citrus Tilapia

 Michelyn

What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW) : 2.11.14

Welcome to my first installment of What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW), and as you can tell by the date I am actually referring to what I ate on Tuesday but posting on Weds! I know us bloggers love a good title.

I am personally on Day #3 of the 7-week challenge, and all I really yearn for is a glass (or two) of wine and blue cheese dressing for my salad. Am I asking for so much? Yes, stay with the plan Michelyn. Ok, so without further ado, here is my menu:

Pre-Workout Fuel:

It is obvious that I need to purchase a new Blender cup; this one is about one year old and has been through the ringer, but inside I have 1 scoop of Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA). This is the Scivation XTEND  Raspberry Blue flavor. This was my first time drinking this pre-workout concoction, and overall it was pretty good. I am a water drinker and had to get acclimated to the sweetness of the beverage. I am an odd duck (says my husband), I really do not enjoy juices, and am always "watering down" any fruit beverage. I much prefer water or a diet soda, which are truly not good for you anyways.   I am thinking I may also enjoy their Strawberry Kiwi and Watermelon Madness flavors as well, I will let you know my thoughts on those two flavors as well.

Breakfast

For breakfast I had two whole eggs, cauliflower hash browns, and blueberries. This was my first attempt at cauliflower hash browns and although it tasted alright, I am not sure if my execution was on point. My trainer, Jen, said you simply saute shredded cauliflower in EVOO with garlic. Well, that is what I did... I had it again today, Wednesday, and let it sit a little longer. It still does not resemble some of the pictures I see from Google, but I am also not adding any cheese. Overall, it is pretty tasty, so whatever!

Snack #1
Snacks = Protein + Fruit + Veggie!

In my early morning snack, I devoured steamed broccoli and carrots from dinner the previous night with some organic salsa, two Sargento 2% cheese sticks, and a mandarin orange.

Lunch

Lunch is a "Pinterest Find," Paleo Chicken Stuffed Peppers (recipe altered a little - no tomatoes or coconut butter). The recipe can be found  at This Mom's Sweet Life After Babies. Jason too had this for lunch and raved about it! I consider this a double score, he even ate it cold! I did add a little hot sauce for some jazz! Overall, it was very tasty and full of veggies, which I love!

Snack #2
Remember, snack consists of protein, raw nut butter; fruit, half a medium apple; and vegetable, steamed broccoli and carrots.

Dinner

For dinner I made Citrus Tilapia, recipe to be shared tomorrow, and a small salad. It is also suggested that we have another serving of vegetables, but I am currently struggling to eat all of this food, so I nixed the side vegetable and only had a salad. For the dressing, I missed EVOO, balsamic vinegar, and Penzeys Italian Seasoning.

Overall, I am feeling quite full all day. I used to love salads, but was not so thrilled with my salad from last night. I guess it's not the vegetables that I enjoy most, but the salad dressing!! One of the other members shared another salad dressing recipe that I will try soon, I am hoping that will re-ignite my love for salads...

Michelyn

Day of Rest & Detox

Well hello from Starbucks! 

Coach Kemp has begun his July recruiting schedule a tad bit early with a little "teaser" trip to Indianapolis. He left early this morning and is planning to return home in time for dinner! His four-day trips will commence this Wednesday! Since he left, I decided to take it easy today. Ha, you see that "to-do" list in the corner. That actually was not on purpose, but after looking at the photo, I figured it was quite fitting. Do you write to-do lists? I am notorious for them. I have about three on our fridge right now, two of items to purchase at Home Depot and Bed, Bath, and Beyond; while, the second is my general to-do list with things like change address for things such as my credit card, car payment, etc. I know iPhones have the list app, but I have an affinity for actually marking or crossing items off the list! (I can't believe I'm sharing how truly nutty I am). Now, my lists are never in sequential order as my next line of business is to browse and enjoy our area mall. The mall close to our house is a Westfield Corporation, similar to the two in Madison.  Jason was ecstatic during his interview stay to report that the mall would be to my standards. Think I should go walk around so I will know the lay of the land. 

Yesterday's update post alluded to my progress, but I neglected you all of pictures.... Well,here is the progress from a room full of boxes to the mess now sprawled out in our two-car garage. 

This is right after the movers left.... Not too bad, right?

Around 5:00pm when I thought this would never end....

The garage aftermath! I promise this is a two-car garage, but the boxes have completely taken over! 

The heavens opened last night while opening an un-identified box that was upstairs in our master suite. It was around 11:00pm, Jason was laboring over some new outdoor furniture and I decided that my unpacking of boxes upstairs could wait. I had a very enjoyable Lush bubble bath!! 

Detox Update:

Coach and I recently joined a boot camp style gym here in Toledo, frequented by many of the UT athletic department employees.  Well, they provided their members with an optional 21-day Detox Challenge. I figure since I have many new things going on in my life, why not start out this whole experience from a different prospective. I have never done a detox of any sorts and SUCK at diets... So as you can see, my past experiences indicate that this will be a huge failure. I got to thinking, many of the bloggers that I follow document their work-outs and/or diet plans to keep themselves accountable, maybe I should give this thing a whirl. So, for the next 21 days I will document my food intake in hopes of sticking to the plan. 

The Plan:

Vegetables (no white potatoes)

Fruit

Fat

Quality protein

Water

Basically, the plan consists of very, very, clean eating for those of you familiar with the "clean eating" philosophy. 

I will get more specific tomorrow about the Detox as well as my food intake for Day 1. 

Michelyn