Three Delicious & Healthy Crockpot Recipes

There is nothing that makes me happier than a cool fall day, a cozy sweater, football on TV...and the crockpot cooking up some deliciousness while I sip wine :) Can I get an "Amen?!"

In the past, crockpot meals have tended to involve dumping cans of soup and powdered mixtures in the pot, along with a protein and calling it a day. I think that can be the misconception with crockpot food--it's unhealthy. All of these recipes are healthy, "clean" (very few, if any processed ingredients) and most of all, DELISH!!!

Recipe 1: Fall Chili ~ This recipe was the highest rated recipe of the week. Everyone raved over the EASE of making it and a secret ingredient! (can you guess what it is??!) This chili turned many non-chili eaters into chili believers :) It's PACKED with veggies, protein and everything you need to get your comfort food fix!

RECIPE 1: Fall Chili

** Serves 6+; this recipe can be made vegetarian--just omit the turkey
21 Day Fix~ 1 ½ cups = 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green, 1 blue (if you use cheese)

1 lb lean ground turkey (93% lean or more)

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves minced garlic

1 green pepper, diced

1 15 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes, low sodium

1 28oz can of low sodium crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz. can chili beans

1 15 oz. can kidney beans

1 15 oz. can black beans

1 cup frozen corn

1 15 oz. can puréed pumpkin (not pie filling)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 tablespoon cumin

Salt to taste (don’t add salt until the very end...you may not even need any!)

Shredded cheese and scallions (optional)

1. In a large pan, brown ground turkey, breaking up meat as it cooks.
2. When the meat is cooked, place everything in crockpot and stir to combine.
3. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hrs.
4. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and scallions (optional).

Recipe 2: Crockpot Meat Sauce ~ Again another hit and SO EASY! This is my go-to dinner when I have company...there is never a drop left!! I buy Rao's or Gina Rispoli marinara sauce for this. Yes, it's a bit pricey but SO WORTH IT. I have also just used crushed tomatoes and that works well too.

RECIPE 2: Crock Pot Meat Sauce

**Serves 4-6
21 Day Fix ~ 1 cup of sauce & 1 cup pasta = 2 reds, 2 yellows

2 lbs. lean ground beef (turkey is great too!)

1 large carrot, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 large celery stalk, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes OR I prefer 2 jars ready-made marinara sauce (organic if possible. Raos or Gino Rispoli are my favorites. Look for one with VERY FEW ingredients and no added sugar.)

1 package whole wheat pasta (or any type of pasta)

1. In a large skillet, brown meat in 2 teaspoons olive oil. Transfer to crockpot.
2. Add in carrot, onion, garlic, celery tomatoes/marinara sauce to crockpot and stir to combine.
3. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours. Season with salt at the END of cooking, only if needed.
4. Serve over whole wheat pasta with mixed greens drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
5. 
   

Recipe 3: Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki ~ Do you know how EASY it is to make your own teriyaki sauce?? After this recipe you will!! Just make your sauce, throw it in with some chicken and 4 hours later you have a meal your whole family will love!

RECIPE 3: Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki

** Serves 4
 21 Day Fix ~ 1 chicken breast/sauce, ½ cup brown rice = 1 red, 1 yellow

2 lbs (or about 4) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce (use low-sodium)

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

½ teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup cold water

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Scallions, chopped (optional)

Brown rice for serving

1. Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of your slow cooker in a single layer.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic, onion, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, and black pepper until combined. Pour the mixture on top of the chicken breasts.
3. Cover slow cooker, and cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork (do not overcook, the chicken will dry out)
4. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl and shred it using two forks. Transfer the remaining teriyaki sauce from the slow cooker to a medium saucepan.
5. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved and no longer lumpy. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the teriyaki sauce mixture, and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and let it boil for about 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and pour the sauce on top of the shredded chicken. Toss to combine.
6. Top with scallions and serve over brown rice.

21 Day Fix ~ Q & A

Last week I posted my results of the 21 Day Fix HERE. I was so amazed by this program and believe it the portion control/exercise/work hard basis of this program so much, I became a Beachbody coach!! Since then, people have been asking me tons of questions about the program...and I don't blame you! It's SO INTERESTING!!

Healthy weight loss with results you can see quickly is ALWAYS interesting. I am doing my best today to answer some of the questions I have gotten about the 21 Day Fix over the past few weeks. If you have any additional questions, feel free to email me or comment! I am happy to help!

Here we go!

1. Why did you do this? You're already skinny!

Yes, I have gotten this question in more than one form.  "Skinny" to one person is not the same as "skinny" to another. Much of it has to do with heredity. Yes, I have never been super "overweight." However, like with most moms, I gained weight with the birth of each child and slowly but surely it creeps up on you...year and after..a few pounds here, a few pounds there..over time....and all of a sudden you are screaming at the dryer for shrinking your clothes!!! Yes, my arms were jiggly, my butt was wide and my love handles were...well, HANDLES! Stuff people might not notice on me, but that I noticed on myself.

Here's the deal--everyone has their "ideal" weight. For some people, that ideal weight may entail losing 5-10 lbs. For some people, it might be 50 lbs. It doesn't matter. We all have a weight goal that is going to make us feel good about ourselves. The goal of the 21 Day Fix is to make that happen. For some of us, one round will get us there. For others, it might take 10 or 20 rounds. It doesn't matter. The basis of this program is healthy, portion controlled eating, exercise and gradual weight loss. It's not a magic pill. It's not a "quick fix." But it works, no matter what your goals are.

2. So what did a typical day's food look like?

This was a great question and what I freaked out over the most before I started because I LOVE TO EAT. I totally thought I would be eating nuts and lettuce for 21 days. Nope. Here are a few of my "typical" meals:


Breakfast

1. Two eggs with salsa, 2 slices of turkey bacon (sorry, I ate one before the pic! love me some bacon!) and a banana.

2. Greek yogurt, berries, cinnamon or a drizzle of honey

Lunch

1. Chicken or Tuna Salad (made with greek yogurt and mixed with avocado), greens on whole wheat toast. I usually had fruit or carrots and dip to go along with this.

2. My other go-to was leftovers!! A big batch of chili, taco salad or stir fry made the best leftovers for lunch!!!

Dinner

1.One of my favorite dinners was taco salad. My family loves tacos so I would make a big batch of taco meat and my kids would have hard shell tacos and I would  have a salad with the taco meat, avocado, olives, tomatoes, salsa and greek yogurt (AKA : just like sour cream).

2. I also LOVED lettuce wraps!!! Ground turkey or pork stir fried with veggies and served with lettuce cups. YUUUM!!!! That's also a side of quinoa for some carbs at dinner.

Snacks
My favorite snacks were:

1. Shakeology: A sweet treat...SO GOOD! Blend vanilla Shakeology with a little pineapple and coconut extract..hello Pina Colada!!! Chocolate and peanut butter--OMG. Heaven.

2. Apples/Celery and Peanut Butter

3. Cheese and Crackers (i do one string cheese stick with 7-8 whole wheat crackers)

4. Carrots and Hummus

5. Veggies and Greek Yogurt Ranch (greek yogurt, mixed with a tiny bit of ranch mix and a tablespoon of lemon juice)

6. Banana and Almonds

3. What else did you eat? All nuts and kale or what?

I did eat almonds but no kale :) Listen, the 21 Day Fix is all about balanced eating. It really doesn't deprive you of many foods, but it changes the amount that you eat. Yes, you can have cheese--just less. Yes, you can have bread, just not an entire loaf. Yes, you can even have chocolate! Depriving yourself of carbs or sweets or any other "yummy" food is a good way to pi** a person off! Don't deprive your body. Just have less! That being said, I was never hungry on this program!!

4. But what about wine? What about coffee? 

You can have wine (not an entire bottle/night!). You can have coffee. My new favorite way to drink coffee is with almond milk and honey or Stevia vs. cream and sugar. It's really yummy!

5. I have an old injury and can only do low impact exercises. Can I do this program?
Absolutely. There is a modifier gal on the video that does all the exercises in low impact form. Many of the videos have pretty much all low impact exercises, especially the ones that target your upper and lower body. 

6. How did you have time for all of this?
There aren't enough hours in the day for me to accomplish everything I want. There are only enough hours to accomplish everything that I make a priority. I made this a priority and I stopped making excuses. I do my workouts in the morning when the house is quiet --it's only 30 MINUTES. I take about 15-30 minutes over the weekend to plan my meals and snacks. That's IT.

7. What do I need to complete the program?
You need to purchase the program, of course. After that, all you need is a pair about 3-5lbs weights and a strong desire to lose weight and get fit.

8. Is there a monthly fee?
No. No monthly fees. Once you have the program, you have it for life. You also have my coaching and support for life! That will always be free :) The only reoccurring cost would be Shakeology, if you continue it past the first month. I was skeptical at first, but I am so addicted now!!!

9. How to I sign up?
Sign up through me! I will hook you up :) Send me an email: alittlebitofcheer01@gmail.com. I will answer any other questions you have and get you started on the path to a lifetime of being healthy and fit!

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21 Day Fix Review and BIG NEWS!

As I type this I am still blown away by the last 3 weeks .....

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago HERE that I started Beachbody's 21-Day Fix. I am assuming you have heard about it, but if you haven't, here it is in a nutshell: eat right, exercise (a lot). Got it? Pretty simple, isn't it??!

People that haven't heard about the 21 Day Fix asked me if it was some sort of "diet" I was on. The answer was yes and no. Yes, it's 21 days of eating and working out in a way most of us have never done. But at the end of the 21 days, it's not about giving up and reverting to your old ways. This is truly a program with principles you can (and should!) stick with for the rest of your life. You might not be able to maintain the discipline or intensity of the actual 21-Day Fix every single day. However, you can apply what you have learned every single day. And you will learn a lot, believe me!!

Here are the principles of the 21-Day Fix, in my own words. All of these are just so obvious!! Yet when we actually get around to trying to apply them, we often fail. This is why I loved this program because it was a fool proof, step-by-step guide on how to get fit and lose pounds and INCHES!

1. Eat right and exercise ~ Isn't this the ONE thing doctors have been telling us since...well...FOREVER??! If you want to be healthy, the very best thing we can do is make good food choices and get movin'!!! This is a principle that will NEVER CHANGE. The 21 Day Fix centers around this completely obvious concept! But frankly, this is way easier said than done, am I right? Sometimes we need a little assistance in this area and The Fix spells it out for you which is the reason why I love it so much. No guessing games. Do what they tell you. You WILL see the results...there is no way you couldn't see results if you stick with the program.

2. Hard work pays off ~ Generally, in life the harder you work, the more benefits you reap. Another "DUH!" right??!  No pain, no gain. And let me tell you, it IS painful. After the first two days of work outs, I swear every part of my body hurt. Parts hurt that I didn't even know existed. I think my HAIR hurt! But it was temporary and I'll tell you--it hurt SO GOOD!!

3. "Eat your veggies!!!" ~ If you're a mom, I'm sure you've muttered (shouted?) this line before. I am like a little kid when it comes to veggies. Before I did this program, I KNEW I wasn't eating enough veggies unless you counted In and Out fries. Actually, it's one of the reasons this program appealed to me. I knew it would force me to balance my diet and eat more of the right foods.

4. Drink 8 glasses of water a day ~ Pretty much every doctor or health/fitness/beauty person will tell you this. And as crazy as it sounds, the more water you drink, the less you retain!

Ok, so you're probably wondering what my results were. Here they are:

Lbs Lost: 5.5
Total Inches Lost:7.5 (in my waist, hips, arms and thighs)

It's been 21 Days, and these  numbers are HUGE for me! I've lost weight and inches in a steady, HEALTHY way. This wasn't crash dieting. This wasn't a magic pill. It was eating right and HARD WORK! Yes, I worked my butt off. I made it a priority. I did not miss a workout. But you know what happened? It's a habit now. I'm still doing it even though the 21 Days is "over."

 I can also say my core has not been this strong and my abs this toned in maybe 12 years! #truth #lifebeforekids. I thought I'd be SO EXHAUSTED working out every single day, but I can say I have had more energy than I've had in years! Also, in the past, I have had horrible, horrible back issues--so much so, that in the morning, I couldn't bend to put on my socks. Every day I would wake up with awful back pain. That has been virtually eliminated since I started the Fix.

And...the BIG NEWS--I believe in this program so much, I made the leap of faith and decided I wanted to help others, too! Sooo...I'm officially a Beachbody Coach! I would LOVE to help others achieve the same results as I have!  I never, ever thought I'd do anything like this until I tried this program...that says a lot!

If you have any questions about the 21-Day Fix, feel free to ask them in the comments or send me a message at: alittlebitofcheer01@gmail.com. I already have some questions from people, so I'll follow up with a Q&A post next week! Cheers to good health, lovely ladies!! XO


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