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Sunday, January 29, 2017

Seven on Sunday ~ Week 4


I'll be honest, this was probably the WORST week of taking pictures EVER! I was nose to the grindstone all week trying to hammer out MY NEW WEBSITE!! I am so, so excited about, but it's honestly a labor of love and the learning curve on all this "computer stuff" was almost too much for me! But I think I am over the hump! Hopefully it will be live in the next few weeks!!!

Day 1: Sunday ~ Wish it was really this glamorous but I spent most the day just working on the new website!


Day 2: Monday ~ It's always an exciting day when I I finish one of the 3 week fitness groups and get to report the results of the amazing women!!!


Day 3, 4, 5~ All I remember is that I had more Zucchini Noodles!!!! LOL!!


Day 6: Friday ~ I got to celebrate my good friend's bday at a paint studio! I haven't had girl time in awhile so it was so much fun!


 I am definitely no artist but this is close to the final product--i have to finish the twine thingy :) We painted on wood which was different!!


Day 7: Saturday ~ I received this this gorgeous card from the moms of one of my students! They came here directly from China and their daughter was placed in Will's 2nd grade class. The student is truly AMAZING and it's adjusting to life here better than I can imagine ANYONE adjust to such a change! I love this family!


Yep, that's it folks!!!! Super lame but I am vowing to be better this week (you've heard that before!) Have an awesome week!! XOXOX

Friday, January 27, 2017

Pork Chops with Apple & Green Beans


Eating healthy is not hard, or complicated. In fact--it's SUPER SIMPLE. This entire meal was ready in less than 15 min! Use thin cut pork chops for super fast cooking.

Ingredients

4 boneless pork loin chops (thin)
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 large apple, sliced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chicken stock or apple cider

Steam in the bag fresh green beans (optional)

Instructions


1. Salt and pepper pork chops and cook meat in a non stick skillet with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil until just cooked through--doesn't take long AT ALL for thin sliced chops!

2. Let meat rest on a plate, covered with foil for 10 minutes while you cook the apples and onions. Saute apples and onions until onions soften, about 3 minutes. Add dried herbs, garlic powder, and stock/cider. You will probably want to add a bit more salt and pepper as well. 

3. Bring to a boil and let cider reduce, about 2-3  minutes.

4. Add chops back to pan and turn to coat each side with cider sauce. Serve with steamed green beans, if you like! 

SOOO FAST!!!!


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Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Crockpot Chicken Taco Skillet



Here is one of my family's favorite EASY dinners!!! I serve it over brown rice but you can do tacos, burritos, burrito bowls or it's great just on it's own too! I always double it for leftovers :) 7 ingredients!!! #winning

Ingredients

1lb ground chicken
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
1 cup (or more) shredded cheddar cheese
Cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. Add diced vegetables and ground chicken to slow cooker with taco seasoning.

2. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, 2-3 hours on high.

3. When meat and vegetables are cooked, top with shredded cheddar cheese and cilantro and serve!

(adapted form Sweet C's)


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Monday, January 23, 2017

Crockpot Mongolian Beef


Healthy food can be fast food ! I just threw this into the crockpot - took me all of 10 minutes- in about 4-5 hours this delicious dinner will be served ! I usually cook some "steam in the bag" brown rice from Trader Joe's and some broccoli to serve with it. 

Definitely one of my fave crockpot meals! 


Adapted from The Recipe Critic

Ingredients


  • 1 ½ pounds Flank Steak
  • ¼ cups cornstarch
  • 3 cloves teaspoons minced garlic
  • ¾ cups low sodium soy sauce or Tamari cups 
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar (you can also use less sugar and add some honey)
  • 1-2 cup grated carrots (i buy them in the little bag and throw in the whole bag)
  • green onions, for garnish
Instructions
    1. Cut flank steak into thin strips and add to crockpot along with the carrots. 

2. Whisk together cornstarch, garlic, soy sauce, and brown sugar/honey.

3. Pour soy mixture over meat and carrots. 

4. Cook on high 3-4 hours or LOW 5-6 hours until meat is super tender and sauce thickens. 

5. Serve over brown rice and to with green onions.

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Sunday, January 22, 2017

Seven on Sunday ~ Week 3!


What a week! Brooke returned home from her Midwest Daddy/Daughter trip and Scott returned home Wednesday night--Praise the Lord!! It was a rough couple of weeks with sickness in this house but I am happy to report (knock on wood) everyone is healthy!!!

Day 1: Sunday ~ Cousin Time :) She loves him....you think???


Day 2: Monday ~ My fave pic of her Midwest trip! The frozen Lake Michigan is behind them...the last time she was there, we were all swimming in it!!!

I am so glad they had this Daddy/Daughter trip--she's getting older and the fact she still thought is was super cool to hang out with Dad for 4 days is awesome. She cried Monday night because she missed her dad (he was still travelling)--it was really sweet.


Day 3: Tuesday ~ Back to the grind....i was supposed to go to work but Sarah was not feeling well so I ended up picking her up from school at 9am!

 Stocked up on tummy stuff! Ugh!


Day 4: Wednesday ~ This poor kid slept practically the whole day!! If you know Sarah, you know that's not her at all!!


Day 5: Thursday ~ A fun surprise in the mail! My mom made all the kids slippers!! Will (of all people) just LOVED his!!


Day 6: Friday ~ Glad to have my girl back for our Friday night drive to acting class! She ended up getting the part of Anita in 101 Dalmatians! So she'll be playing someone NICE!!!! I think I need to watch the movie!!


Day 7: Saturday ~ Celebrated an awesome BB game for this kid with his favorite lunch!


Then met my dear friend Heidi for dinner at her gorgeous home--she recently moved back here from NYC and although she misses it, I am SO happy she's back!!!!


Also, lots of new recipes on the blog...i put an index under Healthy Recipes at the top. Check them out! Also, SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO super excited about what's to come for the bloggy blog! Stay tuned!!! Have a great week!!!!

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Friday, January 20, 2017

Simple Weekend Meal Prep


Here's just a simple 30 minute meal prep you can do this weekend to make next week run smoothly!!!

 I'm not a HUGE food prepper, but I take about 30 minutes on Sundays to prep a little to make sure I had something healthy to grab all week! It makes all the difference !!

1. Pico de Gallo- on top of eggs, taco salad 


2. Shredded chicken off a rotisserie chicken, skin removed 


3. Egg Cups - soooo easy for breakfast or snack. Recipe HERE


4. Cut up/washed pineapple and strawberries - my favorite snack is fruit, cottage cheese and a drizzle of honey

This 30 minutes makes the week go so much more smoothly ... well, food wise anyway !!



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Thursday, January 19, 2017

Moderation


Ever feel this way??!!! I LOOOOVE myself some nachos! Might be my favorite food EVER!! :) But I still work out and enjoy in MODERATION. That's the key isn't it?

Need help with that scary word "MODERATION??!" A year ago I sure did and totally changed the way I ate! Now I want to pay it forward! I run health and fitness challenge groups where you will get 100% support with your health and fitness goals! Maybe you need help with moderation...controlling cravings...meal planning..recipes....toning up.....losing weight...I would LOVE to help you!

I run groups every month and my next one starts January 30th! Let's chat about it!! Friend me on Facebook (link below) or send me an email at: cheerfully.fit.mama@gmail.com.

In the meantime, if you need a jump start, download my FREE 7 Day Clean Eating Meal Plan! Click on Meal Plans at the top of this page. I will be adding more soon!!! XOXO

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Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Orzo Soup - #yum!!!


The only answer to a cold, rainy day ?? SOUP! Sharing one of my favorite soup recipes from Damn Delicious today

 This was sooo yummy! I used chicken breast and random pasta vs orzo because it's all I had

From: Damn Delicious
http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/25/lemon-chicken-orzo-soup/



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Sunday, January 15, 2017

Lunchtime Chicken Salad


Although I'd like to, I don't prep all of my meals ahead for the week. However, I do make sure my fridge is stocked with healthy, ready to eat small meals and snacks -- cut up fruit, cleaned/washed/cut veggies, hard boiled eggs....and this chicken salad!!

One rotisserie chicken makes about 5 hearty servings that will keep in the fridge for 5 days. You can store it in a big airtight container and dish it out when you want OR you can portion in out like in the pic above and have grab and go lunches all week long!!

Lunchtime Chicken Salad
Makes about 5 servings

Ingredients

1 rotiserrie chicken, skin removed, meat taken off and shredded/chopped
⅔ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt (i like the Fage brand)
½ cup celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-2 scallions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste 


For Serving

- Chopped lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Whole wheat pitas (cut in half)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until combined well. 

2. To serve, scoop 1/2 cup of the chicken salad until a pita pocket, add lettuce and tomatoes and lunch is served!



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Peanut Butter Overnight Oats


Have you ever tried overnight oats?? They are the bomb.com...and I will admit, I am not even a huge oatmeal fan!! 2 minutes of prep before you go to bed and breakfast is served in the morning! Quick and easy!

There are tons of variations but since I love peanut butter...

Peanut Butter Overnight Oats


Ingredients


- 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 rolled/old fashioned or steel cut oats (not the quick cooking kind)
- Banana, strawberries or berries for topping (optional)


Instructions


1. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a small bowl or mason jar.
2. Cover bowl/jar tightly and refrigerate overnight (or 4-6 hours if you're in a hurry!)
3. Stir and top with fresh fruit, if you like! ENJOY!!



**You can also heat the oats for about 30 seconds in the microwave if you want a hot breakfast






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Easy Egg Cups



Here's an idea for a healthy breakfast or snack... whip up a batch whenever you want--they keep up to 5 days in the fridge! It's SO EASY and you can add whatever ingredients you like!

Egg Cups (makes 12)

Ingredients:

7 large eggs
1/4 cup of milk
Salt/pepper
Whatever "fillings" you like--red pepper, Canadian bacon, onion, tomatoes..cheese, etc.

Instructions:

1. Mix together eggs, milk, salt/pepper.
2. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and fill half full.
3. Drop in a small handful of whatever chopped fillers you want (peppers, chopped tomatoes, chopped ham, etc), top with cheese and bake about 20 min on 375 or until set!!

** They keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days. Heat them up in the microwave for about 20 seconds and ENJOY!! :)






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3 Ingredient Protein Pancakes


Pancakes that are loaded with protein, that are low carb, easy and will fill you up for hours?? YES PLEASE!!!!

It doesn't get much easier than this, and I am telling you, these pancakes FILL YOU UP!!! The above picture shows ONE serving! Drizzle with a little honey or pure maple syrup and have some fruit on the side and you are setting yourself up for success all day long! Try it!!

Ingredients
(makes one serving but you can easily double, triple, etc!)

1 ripe banana (the riper the better!)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)
Pinch of salt (optional)



Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mash banana well (i use a potato masher).

2. Add in eggs and and whisk together until a thin batter forms (it OK if there are a few lumps).

3. Spray a non stick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and cook pancakes until golden brown (about 2 minutes or less per side).

Cheers to a healthy breakfast!!



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Simple Noodle Pasta


Who wants a SUPER EASY meal that you can make in 10 minutes and only has three ingredients...AND...is HEALTHY??!! ME! It doesn't get much easier than this!!!

Ingredients
(makes one serving but you can easily double, triple, etc!)

1 spiralized zucchini
3/4 cup chicken apple sausage (i just used one link)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (my FAVE is Gina Rispoli)
Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes (optional)



Directions
1. Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a non stick pan. Add sausage and cook until in has a little color (about 2-3 minutes).

2. Add zucchini noodles and marinara sauce, toss until noodles are coated with the sauce. Cook about 2-3 minutes until everything is heated through but the zucchini is NOT mushy!

3. Remove from heat and top with Parm and red pepper flakes if you like! DONE!


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4 Ingredient Zucchini Noodles

If you follow me on Facebook, you might know I recently got a spirializer....and I am kinda of obsessed!! I've had it for a week and so far, I have made three DELICIOUS, super simple meals! So far, this one has been my fave--and it only took NINE minutes from start to finish...including snapping these pics! Who can argue with a healthy NINE minute meal?? #winning!!



Here are your FOUR ingredients ~

- 1 Spiralized Zucchini
- 1 tablespoon store bought pesto (mine is from Trader Joes)
- 1 cup cherry 1omatoes
- Parmesan Cheese


Directions

1. In a a non stick skillet, throw in the cherry tomatoes and pesto and cook until heated through and until the tomatoes cook just a bit (about 1-2 minutes).

2. Add in zucchini and toss to coat with the pesto (add more pesto if you like). Cook about 2-3 minutes until zucchini is heated through, but NOT mushy (no one likes mushy zucchini!).

3. Turn off the heat, stir in Parmesan cheese. Top with red pepper flakes if you like,  pour yourself a glass of wine and ENJOY!!




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Seven on Sunday ~ Week 2


Well, it's Sunday and I have to tell you that I am truly ready to say BUH-BYE to this week!!!! Scott and Brookey left for the Midwest, Sarah and Will have been sick, it's been cold and we've been holed up in the house way too long! Onward and upward to a new, healthy week!!

Day 1: Sunday ~ I always start my morning with my superfood Shakey-Shake! I added Chia seeeds this time...are you on the chia seeds bandwagon yet?? Apparently they're good for you but more research needed--stay tuned :)



Day 2: Monday ~ All was fine and good in the Rooney house...until around 8pm when two crazy things happened--1) Will broke out into a 102 fever out of nowhere and 2) THE BACHELOR!! It's gonna be a crazy ride this season!! LOL!


Day 3: Tuesday ~ My spiralizer arrived!! I have been wanting one of these forever because I LOVE noodles..i just hadn't gotten around to ordering one. I am SO glad I did! This things has already paid for itself--i think I made 5 spiral meals last week!

If you are interested, here is the one I got and I am happy with it!
http://tinyurl.com/hw96ohe



Day 4: Wednesday ~ Stayed home today and watched after this little guy--he had a high fever and just slept and rested. Always thankful when I can be home for my babies when they're sick!


I also took Brooke to her latest audition for 101 Dalmatians. She says she didn't think she did well at all--it was bad timing...she was SOOOO excited about her Midwest trip, I don't think much more was on her mind! She'll find out her role on Friday!


Day 5: Thursday ~ Brookey and Scott left at 3:30am to head to the Midwest for some Cousin Time!!! She was sooooo excited all week (well, for the past FIVE MONTHS!) for this trip! From what I  hear she is having a blast with her cousins and family and her baby cousin Benji....I am pretty sure it was love at first sight :)




Day 6: Friday ~ Since Will still wasn't feeling 100% better, he stayed home again....but he was feeling well enough to go to In and Out!!


Later that night...Sarah went down with a fever!!!! Really!?



Day 7: Saturday ~ Everyone was feeling better on Saturday--Sarah made a quick recovery somehow--so we left the house and got a few groceries, then stopped into Toys R Us because they want to spend some of their Christmas money.

I loved Will's pick....so old school! He said he's "over Pokeman cards" is now collecting baseball cards!


Cheers to a HEALTHY WEEK!!! XOXO



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Quick and Easy Meal Prep for Breakfast + Lunch + Snacks!

Ready for a SUPER quick and easy meal prep?! No joke, it took me longer to find all the lids to these containers than it did it prep my b...