07 January 2024

Embrace New Ways

Its the never ending growth. Often over the last 5 years, I've thought about where I used to be in what felt like my prime of health and for so long I've been chasing that feeling never quite getting back to it. I tried doing the same workout program, implementing the same eating habits and so on, but it just never sticks. I did it before, so I know I can do it again. We've all had the same thought.

What I realize pondering tonight is the constant state of change and growth that I have been in for the last 5 years, going from one kid to 3, from bad relationship to single to married, career moves, covid life, and all the things. The simplicity of what life was 5 years ago is no more. What worked before won't work now because life is different now. For you its likely the same, doing something new is what you need because YOU ARE NEW.

Be open to the possibilities that are something new to give you the thrill of healthy and fit again. It could be a different program, different habits, different perspective. ❤️ It’s a good time to thrive again in a brand new way.

24 January 2021

Grilled Pineapple Chicken

 

What you need:

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup water
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
½ cup almond milk
¼ cup pineapple juice
1 cup pineapple slices

 

What you do:

1.  Combine soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, almond milk, and pineapple juice. Mix and then pour into a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken to bag. Seal and let marinade for 3-4 hours.

2.  Heath Grill to medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade and grill for 7-8 minutes on each side, until chicken is cooked through.

3.  Add pineapple slices to the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, enough to get grill marks and warm through.

4.  Serve and enjoy.

 

Notes: I usually serve with white rice. As noted in other recipes, cook the rice as the box tells you but instead of using water, cook with chicken broth and omit the butter. You’ll thank me later.


03 January 2021

Meal Planning for you & your Family

Sometimes it can be hard to meal plan while being engulfed in mom life. Where I’ve found success in meal planning is working my meal plan with my dinner plans for the week. We have all been through the back and forth of “Whats for dinner?” and the reality that happens when we don’t have something planned.

I keep our family dinner plan on our command center board in our kitchen, it keeps me ready/prepared and lets the hubby and kids know what the plan is.

In my meal plan, my breakfast, lunch and snacks are planned standalone. Some lunches will play off of the night before dinner, but I make the jest of my plan first.

Then when planning my dinners and the families I cross mingle them. For example, the family dinner for Monday is breakfast for dinner. I’ll make them bacon, pancakes and eggs. For myself I’ll have a veggie omelet. We all have breakfast for dinner, but I have a healthier option. I hear a lot of people that will say they don’t’ eat healthier because they don’t want to make two separate meals for the family and then one for them. But if you plan it out that isn’t the case.

Tuesday the family will have Fajitas, I’ll take the meat and veggies from the fajitas and put them on a salad.

Wednesday the family and I will have pork loin and sweet potatoes and another veggie.

Thursday, I will make stuffed peppers for myself and the hubby, but for the kids I take the pepper filling and will make them quesadillas with it.

There will be nights that I have something completely different than them, but I use leftovers and meal prep from other days so I’m not cooking me a full separate meal, I’m just warming something up.

It becomes pretty easy once you’ve done it a few times and start thinking outside the box of how you can use the ingredients you are cooking more than one way.

26 December 2020

Step by Step: Slow Cooker Pork Chops & Gravy

This is one of our family favorite COMFORT FOOD meals; really anything with gravy to me, is comfort food. From this recipe I found love for my gravy recipe that I also use in other recipes. This post is the step by step to making my Crock Pot Pork Chops, if you don't need step by step, click HERE and it will take you right to the recipe. 

To get started, What you need:

4-5 Pork Chops (thick cut w/ bone in)
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 can Cream o’ Mushroom
1 can Cream o’ Chicken
¾ cup beef broth (low sodium)
Salt, Pepper, garlic powder, Paprika

What you do:

Start by seasoning your meat and with the salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika. Season both sides and set aside. Heat the oil in a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. If you don't have cast iron any pan will do. 

While that is heat chop up the onion and put it in the bottom of your slow cooker. It doesn't need to be a perfect chop and not too small.


Chopping the onion gives enough time for the pan and oil to heat. Now you can brown the pork on each side (3-4 minutes each side). This is to sear the chops and lock in the juices. Anytime you use a slow cooker it adds a lot of water and I feel like can easily drain the flavors. 

Once done searing, put the pork chops in the crock pot on top of the onions. It’s okay if they are layered some.

Next in the cast iron pan; add the broth, mushroom & chicken soup. This mixture simmering will pick up the bits and flavors from cooking the porkchops in it. I use low sodium where I can because the mix of these can taste salty, I'd mix it and try it then decide if it needs more salt & pepper.

Wisk, while scraping the bottom. Let it come to a low simmer. The mixture will look weird to start, no other way to put it. 


It will go through a stage of weird; then clumpy and finally as it simmers and mixes together it will become smooth like gravy.

 

Finally, pour soup/gravy mixture over pork chops & onions. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. The cook time really depends on the thickness of the porkchops and your slow cooker. Check them around 5 hours, they should be falling off the bone, if not add more time. 
We usually serve with white rice or mashed potatoes, either is delicious. If serving with white rice, I make it how the box says but instead of boiling in water I use chicken broth. It makes the rice more flavorful so you don't have to drown it in gravy for it to be good. 

Enjoy and let me know what you think.