Chicken Zucchini Fritters

I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything and I really need to get back into the routine of updating my food blog.  Life's been pretty hectic though and I miss cooking nice meals and being able to share them with people.  I also need to figure out a way to combine my two blogs, or at least share a link.  I've been better about posting to my fitness blog lately, which is LKNTraining.com

Now that I'm an ACSM certified personal trainer, and I'm almost through with my pregnancy, I really want to start focusing on the two things I love: how to eat healthy and workout.  I can't wait until my son Griffin is born, mostly because I really want to meet him, but also because I'm excited to challenge myself and see how long it takes to get back into the shape I was in Pre-pregnancy.  It's good to set goals for yourself!

One of those goals, is trying to stick to healthier decisions when it comes to food.  I won't say that I've been really bad lately, but I've definitely given into my sweet tooth a little more then I wanted to this pregnancy.  I'm trying to get back on track though, and the dinner I made last night was not only healthy, but absolutely delicious!  It didn't take too long to make either, so if you're short on time, this is a good recipe to keep on hand.  You can even prep it ahead of time, cover the meat mixture, and place it in the fridge until you're ready to cook it.

Chicken Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini's,  grated
Salt
1 lb. lean ground chicken or lean ground turkey
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 cup green onions, finely sliced
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. ricotta cheese (I use fat free)
Olive oil to sauté

Directions:
Place the grated zucchini into a colander and sprinkle with some salt.
Let sit for 10 minutes.

Once the 10 minutes is up, squeeze out the zucchini's.  (I find that it's helpful to use paper towel for this step.  You'll be amazed at just how much juice comes out of them.)
Now, place the drained zucchini into a large bowl

Next, add in the ground chicken or turkey, salt, pepper, green onions, egg, garlic, and the ricotta cheese.

Mix the ingredients together until well combined.  (You can do this with a spoon, but I find it easiest to use my clean hands)

After that, heat a large skillet over a medium heat and add in about 3-4 TBSP. of olive oil.
Take about a tablespoon of your mixture, or a little more, and place it into the palm of your hand until you form a little round patty about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
Place the patty into the prepared skillet and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until it looks done.

Add more oil as needed.

This recipe will make about 15-20 fritters.  They're absolutely delicious served with a little cheese and some plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  Enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from Natashas Kitchen

Garlic Chicken and Spinach Parmesean

Last night I was trying to come up with a quick, healthy, and easy dinner to make and just so happened to stumble across this particular recipe.  At the time, I didn't really think that my husband Jeff really for spinach, but I figured he could just pick around it.  Turns out he ended up eating it.  He then informed me that he likes spinach as long as its cooked, otherwise its too leafy, like lettuce, which he doesn't like.  I know, strange, right?

Anyway......a great thing about this recipe is that I already had the ingredients that it required, therefore I didn't have to go out and spend any money.  I even have enough ingredients left over that I could make it again this weekend, which I think I will.  Mostly because it was absolutely delicious!

Garlic Chicken and Spinach Parmesan

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Ingredients:

1-2 TBSP. butter

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 large chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

¼ - ½ cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups baby spinach

Directions:

In a large skillet, over a medium heat, saute the garlic for about a minute.  After that, add in the chicken pieces, salt, and a little pepper and cook until the chicken is done and no longer pink.  Once ready, sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, and stir around until all the chicken pieces are coated.  Lastly add it the spinach.  It may look like a lot, but once you stir it around and the leaves have wilted, you will have just the right amount.

Remove the skillet from the heat, and dish onto a plate.  You may serve as is, or over noodles or rice.  Whatever way you choose to enjoy it, I recommend sprinkling on a little more black pepper and cheese!

Source:

Slightly adapted from Simply Healthy Home

Zero Carb-Chocolate Protein Packed Waffle Sticks

Let me see.......I'm not even sure where to really begin this post.  I can't act like nothing happened, because I know that I disappeared for quite some time, and for that I'm very sorry.  Apparently I had a lot going on in my life in 2014; all of which seemed to take me away from posting my recipes. 

Sadly, I originally disappeared because my loving grandfather passed away.  At the time there was a lot of driving back and fourth between Michigan and North Carolina, and I didn't have my computer with me.  After things began to settle back down, I became extremely busy studying for my new career as a personal trainer.  Then of course there were vacations, family gatherings, weddings, and the holidays. 

Hopefully I'm back now and I'm thrilled to say that there hasn't been a better time for me to be sharing healthy recipes!  As most of you already know, I've always pretty much been a healthy eater, (or at least within the past 6 or 7 years) but right now it's extra important to eat healthy due to the fact that Jeff and I are expecting our first child this July!

Today actually marks the start of week 14 for me, which means I've officially made it into my second trimester!  All without being sick; and for that I owe someone a "thank you"!  Surprisingly, at least based on the looks I get from my doctors and nurses, I've actually felt like myself throughout this pregnancy. I've been a little tired at times, but have still been able to workout almost everyday and I've also been able to continue to run.  In fact I actually ran 4 miles yesterday and did 1.5 miles this afternoon.  A lot of how I have been feeling has to do with what I eat.  If I make some poor decisions, because let's face it, I'm human, and pregnant, I feel like crap and drag a little bit more than usual.  If I eat light and healthy though, I feel great!

With that being said, I'm excited to share today's recipe with you!  Not only is this recipe a healthy and delicious one, but it's also a breakfast food, and I absolutely love breakfast!  These waffles are incredibly quick and easy to make, and they're also high in protein and have zero carbs (except for whatever you put on top).

Zero Carb-Chocolate Protein Packed Waffle Sticks

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Ingredients:

1 Scoop chocolate protein powder (I use Whey Gold – Chocolate Malt)

1 Large Egg

1 Large Egg White

1 tsp. Baking Powder

2 TBSP. Water

¼ tsp. Vanilla

Dash of Cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together using a hand held mixer; or I always use my Nutribullet. 

After you heat up your waffle stick maker or a waffle iron spray it lightly with a non-stick cooking spray.  Next, pour in some of the batter and allow to cook until the waffle maker beeps at you or for 2-3 minutes.  Remove the prepared waffles and garnish with toppings or your choosing.  I always like to put a little sugar free maple syrup and fresh fruit on top of mine.

Coconut-Vanilla Granola

It's officially looking and feeling like springtime outside and I absolutely love it!  What a gorgeous day!  The sun's coming up, the sky's a wonderful shade of blue, leaves are beginning to appear on the trees, and my kitchen smells like the tropical aroma of coconuts.

Side note: I pretty much love the smell of anything relating to coconut.  (Coconut candles, coconut body wash, coconut lotion, etc.) 

However, my love for all things coconut is not why my kitchen smells of coconut today.  The reason it smells so wonderfully delicious, is because I'm currently baking a batch of coconut-vanilla granola.  I absolutely love making granola because it makes such a great topping to pretty much anything you can think of.  I personally put it on top of my Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, but it's also good as is, with just a little almond milk.  Yummy!

Coconut-Vanilla Granola

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Ingredients:

3 ½ cups old fashioned oats

¾ cup almonds

½ cup shredded sweetened coconut (optional)

2 TBSP. light brown sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

4 TBSP. coconut oil, melted

½ cup maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. coconut extract

1 vanilla bean, scraped out

Optional: 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, almonds, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground flaxseed.

In another bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and coconut extract, and the vanilla bean scrapping.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir around with a wooden spoon until everything is well coated.  Empty the contents of the bowl onto the prepared baking sheet and spread around to form an even layer.  Place the pan into the oven and let bake for 25-30 minutes.  Make sure to stir it around every 10 minutes or so, to allow even baking and to keep the granola from burning.

Once done, remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool.  The granola may be stored in an airtight container for about a week.  Enjoy!

Low-Carb Egg White Muffin

I know I mentioned yesterday that I don't typically eat a large breakfast, but rather enjoy having a little something small, just to get my day started.  With that being said, these little egg white muffins worked out perfectly!

This is definitely a recipe that I've been wanting to try for awhile now, mostly because they seemed like they'd be a great, make ahead, grab and go dish.  So, what finally inspired me to break down and give them a try?  That's easy.  My best friend for the past 29 years, Christina, is visiting us this weekend and I really wanted to make something that was not only healthy, but would also be a breakfast that we could enjoy whenever.

Overall, I'd have to say that it was a success!  These mini muffins are quick, easy, and reheat incredibly well.  I also love the fact that they're only around 60 calories a piece!

Low-Carb Egg White Muffins

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(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

8 whites

1 egg

¼ cup fat-free cottage cheese (or less)

¼ cup chopped baby spinach

4 TBSP. chopped onion

¼ cup (or less) chopped green pepper

¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

4 TBSP. Feta cheese

3-5 TBSP. mini ham cubes

2 turkey sausage patties, chopped into pieces

2-4 TBSP. bacon bits

Dash of: chili powder, black pepper, and garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and generously spray a muffin/cupcake pan with a nonstick cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, combine the egg, and the egg whites and then whisk together until well combined.  Set aside.

Heat a skillet, with about 2-3 tsp. of olive oil, over a medium to high heat.  Next, add in the green peppers and let sauté until they begin to look a little tender.  This should take about 3-5 minutes.  You don’t want to let them cook fully, because you still have other ingredients to add.  After the peppers have cooked some, add in the chopped up onion.  Once the onion appears soft and translucent, add in the spinach leaves and continue to cook until the leaves begin to wilt.

In the bowl with the egg mixture, add in all the remaining ingredients, including the warm veggies.  Whisk, or stir together, until everything is well blended.  Pour the mixture into the muffin tin, filling each well about 1/2 full.  Once ready, I sprinkled on a little extra mozzarella cheese (that’s optional, but delicious)

Next, place the pan into the oven and let bake for 25-30 minutes.  Once complete, remove the pan from the oven and let cool for around 5 minutes.  After that, pop the muffins out of the pan and enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Eat. Drink. Love.

Rise and Shine Protein Smoothie

Unless I'm on vacation, or it's a special occasion, I've never been much of a breakfast person; which seems weird, at least to me, because I'm one who absolutely LOVES breakfast foods!  I'd have to say that it's definitely my all-time favorite category of food, which I know I've mentioned before!  So why don't I usually eat it then?  I'm just never really that hungry so early in the morning (I get up at 4:20).  

I don't skip that meal entirely, I do eat, it's just typically something small like a few hard boiled eggs, or lately, when I get home from the gym, it's been something like this delicious protein shake!  Not only does this shake contain a great amount of protein, which I like to have a lot of first thing in the morning, but it also contains lots of good vitamins and minerals to help get me started for the day.

Tip *Please feel free to substitute Orange Juice in place of water, I just like to cut down calories wherever possible.* 

Rise and Shine Protein Smoothie

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Ingredients:

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 cup water (or orange juice)

½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I use Almond Breeze)

½ - ¾ banana

½ grapefruit (I ended up just squeezing the juice from the half of the grapefruit, instead of tossing it all in the blender; which ended up giving me more liquid, and no pulp!  It’s up to you.)

(If you want your smoothie a little bit thicker, you could always add in ¼ cup Greek yogurt)

Directions:

Toss all your ingredients into a blender, or in my case, a Nutribullet, and blend until everything is well combined.

Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Protein Packed Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes (Low Carb)

Can you say YUMMY!!!!

So far, living my healthier lifestyle is going well.  It's been just over a week since I gave up sweets and other unhealthy foods, and I'm feeling great!  Just because I took this step though, doesn't necessarily mean I have to sacrifice the flavors I enjoy, and I definitely proved that while I was experimenting with my basic protein packed pancake recipe.

I just so happened to be purging my pantry this weekend, of some food that I no longer wanted in the house, when I stumbled across a few unopened packages of Sugar Free Jello Cheesecake Pudding.  That's when the idea struck me!  Strawberry cheesecake pancakes!  I just so happened to have some fresh strawberries, which I love, in the refrigerator, and was planning to make protein pancakes for lunch anyway, so why not give it a try?

I'm so glad I did too.  These pancakes turned out absolutely delicious!  Not only that, but they are incredibly healthy and filled with protein, which I love!

Protein Packed Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes

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Ingredients:

3 egg whites

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Whey Gold French Vanilla Crème)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 ½ - 2 TBSP water

1 tsp. sugar free Jello cheesecake pudding mix

1 tsp. old fashion or instant oats

Fresh strawberries

Directions:

In a Nutribullet, magic bullet, or something similar; combine all the ingredients until well blended.

Next, heat a skillet, on the stove, over a medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  (I always use Organic Olive Oil Pam)  Pour in some of the batter and let cook.  You will know it’s time to flip the pancakes over once they start to puff up and bubble a little.  Repeat this process until all the batter has been used.

Top with some fresh strawberries and some sugar free maple syrup!  Delicious.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (recipe makes 1 serving):
Calories: 195
Carbs: 8 grams
Protein: 35 grams

Snickerdoodle Protein Shake

A healthy sweet?  Now that's what I call an oxymoron.

I've had it!  This post officially marks a change in my lifestyle.  I've decided that I need to do something different.  I'm like a drug addict; except for the fact that my drug is sugar; which studies have shown can actually be just as addictive as cocaine.  I know that I've blogged about eating healthy, which I do, but if I'm 100% honest, I've caved to my sweets cravings numerous times since the beginning of the year.  This is never a huge deal for me though, because I work out a lot, but I'm finally sick and tired of it.

It's for this reason that I tried giving up sweets (mostly chocolate) for lent, but honestly, that lasted all of 3 or 4 days; which to me is absolutely pathetic!  I personally know that I have more will power than that, but for some reason its been lacking lately and I'm over it.  I've finally come to the realization that I just need to cut out sugar all together.  I can't fool myself any longer and say that I can have only one little bite of something sweet; that's just not true (at least for me).  It'd be like giving a drug addict one little dose of crack and saying that they'll be fine.  It can't be done.  So, to give you an idea about how bad my addiction can sometimes be, let me just say that I can easily eat an entire package of Oreo cookies in one sitting and I'm not even joking.  It's shameful!

In addition to this, the really sad part is that I workout like crazy.  I'm talking 3-4 times a day, for an hour or more.  If I'd just eat clean in addition to exercising, I know I'd show better results.  I seem to go through spurts though.  I've been on and off the bandwagon so many times, (as you can probably tell from previous posts), but this time I'm really going to make it work.

One of the main reasons I'm so dedicated to focusing on nutrition is because back in October, after 9 years of teaching, I finally decided to leave the profession and now I've figured out will be next.  I'm going to become a personal trainer; which I guess is kind of like a teacher, only you don't have to deal with all the politics.  I've been fortunate enough, through my husband's job, to work with personal trainers for the past 3 years and have really been into physical fitness for the past 5-6.  I'm what some might call a fitness fanatic and have lost around a total of 40 pounds; although depending on my food consumption, that number can sometimes change, which is why I'm determined to be healthy in all areas of my life.  

Therefore, I've decided that I need to focus on dedicating my life to practicing what I preach.  I know what sugary and non-healthy foods can do to ones body, especially my own.  It doesn't take long either for all that sugar to change my physical appearance and vice versa.

1 Month Transformation after eating right and exercising

The picture on the left is the beginning of the month, the center photo is the middle of the month, and the right photo is day 30.

You can definitely see the weight loss in the face, arms, legs, hips, and thighs.

I often use this photo as my reminder of what sugar and unhealthy habits do to my body (It was taken last June).  Due to this, I'm currently on day 6 of no sugar or sweets and I'm once again feeling great!  In fact, other than an occasional protein bar (I love Questbars), or a Greek yogurt, I've had no packaged foods.  Day 2 was especially difficult though and here's why: I had little to no energy, ended up crashing in the afternoon, and almost ended up caving, mostly because I knew that something with sugar would give me the temporary rush I needed.  It was difficult, but I'm happy to announce that I stayed strong, making it over the hump and through the withdrawals, and now I plan to continue going.  

Don't ever give up, it's all about determination and willpower!

With that in mind, let's get to today's recipe.  I've been really into making protein shakes lately and not only was this particular one delicious, but it's healthy and is a great energy booster.  Enjoy!  There will definitely be more to come soon!

Snickerdoodle Protein Shake

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Ingredients:

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I use almond breeze, 40 calories per cup)

¼ cup water

1 tsp. sugar free Vanilla Caramel Coffee Mate Creamer

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

6-8 ice cubes

*Optional – 1 tsp. Just Great Stuff (Organic powdered peanut butter; 45 calories a serving, which is 2 TBSP, compared to the traditional 190 calories a serving for 2 TBSP)

Directions:

Add all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until the ice has been pureed.  Pour into a glass and garnish with a little extra cinnamon.  Enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from Maybe I Will

Cinnamon-Vanilla Protein Packed Pancakes

I feel like I've died and gone to heaven!!!!

One of my all-time favorite foods, has always been, and will always be, pancakes!  I absolutely LOVE pancakes!  So much so, that a friend of mine actually had to pay for my breakfast once because he bet me that there was no way I could eat the huge stack of pancakes that came with my morning meal.  Sadly, he underestimated my love.

My love of pancakes started when I was young.  Growing up I can remember staying the night with my grandparents and in the morning my grandpa would make us all pancakes!  To this day, I still have never had a pancake that even comes close in comparison to his.  They're definitely my all time favorite and I miss them a ton.  Actually, I miss pancakes in general; or at least I did, until yesterday.  You see, once I started really watching what I ate, I kind of decided to give them up.  To me, pancakes just have too many empty carbs. (even though they're delicious).

However, I'm always on the lookout for a lower carb. version and the other day I just so happened to stumble across one that looked interesting; mostly because it contained no flour.  I decided right away to give it a try, and oh my gosh, I am absolutely addicted!  I already plan to make them for lunch again today!  Looking at the recipe, you might think, "how is it possible that it will form pancakes?", but I promise you, it does.

Nutrition:  The recipes makes 1 serving, which equals about 10 pancakes, depending on the size you make them.  Each serving is around 170 calories (depending on your protein powder choice), 34 grams of protein, and 3 grams of carbs.

I topped mine with a tiny bit of Log Cabin sugar free maple syrup; which only added about another 10 calories.  Absolutely delicious, and very filling!

Cinnamon-Vanilla Protein Packed Pancakes

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Ingredients:

3 egg whites

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Whey Gold Vanilla Crème)

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

1 ½ - 2 TBSP. water

Directions:

In a Nutribullet, magic bullet, or something similar, combine all the ingredients.

Heat a skillet, on the stove, over a medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  (I always use Organic Olive Oil Pam)  Pour in some of the batter and let cook.  You will know it’s time to flip them over once the pancakes start to puff up and bubble a little.  Repeat this process until all the batter has been used.

Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Muscle and Fitness Magazine

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili

I can't believe how fast the weekend went by and that it's already Wednesday again!  In fact, the whole second part of last week and even this week just seemed to disappear in a flash.  Last week, it was mostly due to the weather, but  this week it's just because I've been busy.  Believe it or not, it actually snowed here in North Carolina, and everything (I mean EVERYTHING) closed down.

Being from Michigan, I usually laugh when the meteorologists forecast snow.  Although I have to admit, at least for this time around, there was good reason for the panic.  However, I still find humor in the situation.  The storm that went through brought the most snow I've seen in the 9 years that we've been down here and the city doesn't have a good way to clear off the roads.  Due to this, people just abandon their cars on the side of the road and no one goes out.  After a day or so, when I finally decided myself that it was time to leave the house, my car actually slid backwards a little down the driveway due to the ice (and I'm someone who knows how to drive in the snow).  The only good thing about the snowstorm was due to the fact that everything was closed, I got  to spend an afternoon or two, relaxing with Jeff.  It was nice!

Now, before I get to today's post, I believe I promised that I'd share the last of my Valentine's Day surprise gifts, so here they are....

Day 12: I love the "WAY" you love me!

Day 13: I can't "PICTURE" my life without you!

Day 14: You make my heart "BUBBLE" over with happiness!

I hope that these little ideas help spark your own creative side.  The gifts don't just have to be for Valentine's Day either; you could always run with the idea and countdown, or up, to other things.

Let's move on though, and get to today's recipe which is for chicken taco chili, and yes, it tastes just as good as it sounds.  Plus, the meal is incredibly easy to make and will have your whole home smelling delicious!

I'm one who always loves and appreciates a good slow cooker meal, and this is definitely a keeper!  It's a perfect combination of flavors, and you can make it as hot or mild tasting as you like, depending on what degree of ingredients you choose to add.  Plus, this chili is also healthy!

It's not spring quite yet, so sit back, grab a spoon, and enjoy!  

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili

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Ingredients:

3-4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

½ an onion, chopped

1 16 oz. can black beans, drained

1 16 oz. can kidney beans

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

14 oz. of corn

2 14.5 oz. cans of Rotel tomatoes with chilies (I used HOT, and pureed it in a Nutribullet to give it more of a salsa like texture)

1 packet taco seasoning (Once again, I use HOT)

1 TBSP. cumin

1 TBSP. chili powder

Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Chili peppers, chopped (optional)

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

In your slow cooker, sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray, add in the onion, black beans, kidney beans, tomato sauce, corn, Rotel, taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and chili peppers (If you are including them).  Stir the ingredients around with a spoon until well combined.  Place your chicken breasts on top of the mixture and cook on HIGH for 6 hours, or LOW for 10.  About an hour before done, remove the chicken and shred it.  Once the chicken has been shredded, place it back into the slow cooker and stir around.  Make sure that all the pieces have been coated with the chili and let finish cooking.

Garnish with Fritos, tortilla chips, rice, or cheese.  The possibilities are endless!

Source: Skinny Taste

Sriracha Chicken Thighs

Jeff's a big fan of anything spicy and I know how much he likes sriracha sauce, so the other night for dinner, I decided to make him some sriracha chicken thighs.  Personally, I can't tell you what it tasted like, because it isn't my type of meal (for one thing, I'm not a big fan of chicken thighs, and for another, I don't really care for sriracha sauce), but Jeff tells me that the thighs turned out fantastic.  Therefore, I'm going to take his word and share the recipe.

Here it is!

Sriracha Chicken Thighs

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Ingredients:

10 chicken thighs, skin on

Juice of 1 ½ - 2 oranges

1-2 TBSP. Sriracha sauce, depending on how hot you like it (I added a little more)

1 tsp. honey

3-4 TBSP. red onion, finely chopper

Dash of salt

Chopped parsley

Sesame seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.

In a small bowl stir together the orange juice, sriracha sauce, honey, onion, and salt.  Taste to see if it’s too hot, or not hot enough.  If you want it hotter, add more sauce.  If it’s too hot, add a little more honey. (I just had to guess and hope it wasn’t too hot, because I’m not a fan of sriracha sauce)

Place the chicken thighs in a large ziplock bag and add in half the prepared sauce.  Seal the bag and toss around until the chicken pieces are coated.  Put the bag in the refrigerator and allow it to marinate for 30-40 minutes.

Once the chicken is ready, remove the thighs from the bag and place onto the prepared baking sheet.  DO NOT discard the marinade; you’ll be using it in a minute.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and allow the chicken to cook for 20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the glaze.  In a small sauce pan, over a medium-high heat, add in the leftover marinade with about 4-5 TBSP. of water.  This way, it can boil longer.  Once the marinade has appeared to reduce in size, add in the remainder of the original marinade and reduce in size again.  This will take a few minutes, so be patient and don’t give up.  By the time that it’s done, it will no longer be runny, but shouldn’t be quite as thick as jam.

When the chicken is done cooking, flip the thighs over and cook again for about another 15 minutes.  The skin should appear nice and brown.  When the additional 15 minutes are up, remove the chicken, spread on the glaze, and then place the chicken back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

After that, remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle on the sesame seeds and chopped parsley, then serve.

Source: Boh Logging

Spinach, Feta, and Egg Frittata

Before I get to today's recipe I just need to take a moment and express how much I absolutely love the phases of determination that I go through.  I just wish that I could pin down exactly why I'm so motivated at certain times, and not at others.  So far this month, I've been doing really well and sticking to all the challenges that I set for myself.

At the start of the new year, I created some goals and told you that they'd most likely change a little on a monthly basis; which they have.  I still plan to stick to the ones that I originally came up with back in January, but this month I've also decided to add a little more to my workout and eating calendar.  And when I say I added a little more, that's in addition to the calendar that I posted at the end of last month.  I'm definitely seeing changes too, especially in my inches.  It always amazes me the difference that a few pounds can make.

So here are my additions.....This month, I once again decided to take part in the "No junk food challenge".  I've done this challenge once in the past and absolutely loved how I felt after it was over.  The challenge basically just outlines specific foods that you are not allowed to consume for 21 days, but seeing that February is a short month, I'm going for 28.

Honestly though, I don't find this to be too difficult of a challenge, or at least not for me; mostly because I don't really eat what's on the list anyway, except for peanut butter.  I LOVE peanut butter!  And Chips.  Not potato chips, but I have to admit that I love those mutli-grain scoops, so I'm making them count in place of regular chips.  This is going to take a lot of will power, because we always have 2 bags in our pantry due to Jeff loving them too.  So far so good.  Overall though, I think this is a great challenge because it holds me accountable, which is why I decided to do it again.

In addition to the food challenge, I've also added a 30 day beach body challenge to my normal workout routine.  It's nothing that's incredibly time consuming, just 2 workout activities a day, that are high reps.  For example, today's 2 activities were 100 knee highs and 75 Russian twists.  That's much better than the other day though, when I had to do 50 burpees and 50 drop down crunches, or leg lifts.  Anyone who has ever done a burpee feels my pain and knows exactly how much they suck.

Ok, enough rambling for now; let's move on to today's recipe.

I've kind of been eating a lot of eggs lately, well eggs and chicken, mostly for the additional protein that they add to my diet.  Whenever I go to the store I have to laugh at myself, and wonder what the cashier must think.  This is mostly because I always have at least 4 cartons of 18 eggs, if not more, in my basket whenever I go to check out.  With all these eggs I'm buying, I'm always trying to think of new or different things to make with them.  This time I decided to make a frittata.  I've actually heard of them numerous times before now, but never attempted to make one.  It was much easier than I thought it would be and quick too.  The thing I like best is the idea that not only is it a healthy and high protein meal, but there are also so many different ingredients that you could add and subtract.  Even the leftovers are delicious!  I even went out to the store and bought some bell peppers today, so that I could make another one for later this week.

Spinach, Feta, and Egg Frittata

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Ingredients:

2 whole eggs

8 large egg whites

2 ½ links of Al Fresco Country Style Chicken Sausage (cooked and broken into pieces)

Dash of garlic powder (optional)

Dash of cayenne red pepper (optional)

1 tsp. olive oil

3-4 TBSP. red onion, chopped

2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped (measure before chopping)

2 oz. crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg whites.  Add in the garlic powder, cayenne pepper, baby spinach, chicken sausage, feta, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Mix together until combined.

In a medium size skillet, set over a medium heat, add the olive oil.  Allow the skillet to heat for about a minute and then add in the chopped onion.  Cook the onion until soft, about 3-4 minutes.  When done, add the onion to the egg mixture.

Spray the skillet with a little non-stick cooking spray and pour the egg mixture into the prepared skillet.  Allow the egg mixture to cook for around 5 minutes.  Here’s where it gets a little tricky….Hold a plate directly over the pan, so that it’s touching it, and flip the frittata onto the plate.  After that, slide the frittata back into the pan, so that the other side can cook.  This side might not take as long to cook, so just keep an eye on it.  Serve immediately.

Inspired by and adapted from Skinny Taste