Jambalaya- 21 Day Fix Approved

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 white onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, cored and diced
1 small green bell pepper, cored and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 lb. turkey sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
3 cups chicken stock
1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups uncooked white or brown rice
2 Tbsp. Cajun or Creole seasoning (more/less to taste)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. 

2. Add celery, onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and mostly cooked. 

3.Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, chicken and sausage, and stir to combine. Continue sauteing for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and mostly cooked.

6. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, rice, Cajun spice, bay leaf, thyme, and cayenne, and stir to combine. 

7. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally. (Don't forget to stir, or the rice may burn on the bottom of the pan.)

8. Once the rice is tender, add in the shrimp and stir to combine. Let the mixture continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked and pink. 

9. Remove bay leaf and season the jambalaya with salt and pepper and hot sauce and additional Cajun/Creole. Dish in a bowl and enjoy!

For 21 Day Fix containers, serve up as 1 purple.  

21 Day Fix Containers: 1 Red, 1 Yellow and 1 Green.

Are you kidding me?! Size 4???

Size 4?!?!? I CANNOT believe it.  Never in my WILDEST dreams did I ever believe I would fit into a size 4 pants.

2 years ago, I was in this exact dressing room CRINGING while trying on jeans.  Olivia was just born a few weeks ago and I needed some post-pregnancy clothes.  And as I pulled on size 12 pants that were too tight, I would tear up, get frustrated & mad with myself, and throw them aside and walk out with nothing. This went on every time I went to try on pants throughout that summer.  

Fast Forward 2 years and now I am in the best shape in YEARS!  I cannot believe my transformation my body feels or how healthy I am.

How did I do it? It took daily steps and actions to get here:

*Completing a 30 minute workout 

*Drinking Shakeology

*Eating proper portion sizes

Yes - I am busy as a wife, mother, teacher, friend but I had to carve out 30 minutes for ME so that the next time I went into the dressing room to try on jeans, I wouldn’t cringe & cry.  I would walk away proud and happy of my progress!

If I can do it- YOU CAN DO IT!  Let me be there to help support and guide you.  I want you to feel the way I felt while trying on those size 4 jeans!!

Believe

You are worth it.  You are amazing.  You can achieve anything.  Believe in yourself.

Tell yourself these affirmations because you ARE capable of what you BELIEVE.  

3 Day Refresh Results

Results are in and the magic # is 2 - 2 lbs lost and 2 inches down!

I am happy with my results and proud that I stuck to the program.  There were times I wanted to cave and give into those treats, but knew flavor would only last a minute & the regret would last longer. It was tough (I was hangry at times), but worth the results.

Now, I feel like my body is back to being healthy and helped me kick some bad habits.  Definitely need to do this every couple months to restart my body.

Tips for next time’s 3 Day Refresh:

*Liked doing it during the work week - wasn’t tempted to cave into temptation

*Don’t do the Refresh when home project going on - the stress of the bathroom trying to get done alone was tricky to not stress eat

*Have the hubby prepare meals- I had to prepare all the meals and it was hard making others food that I couldn’t eat.  

*Do more research for meal ideas - I kind of prepped the same thing and it got boring.

I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to:

*lose those ‘pesky pounds’ that won’t go away

*kickstart healthy eating habits

*have a vacation coming up

*need to fit into the dress for a wedding or reunion

*want to get back on track with eating.

If you want more deets on the 3 Day Refresh, just send me a message! Summer is just around the corner and this is a great way to kick start your fitness journey to get you swimsuit ready!

Mini Egg Sandwiches

These are a great quick option for breakfast!!

Ingredients:

eggs
turkey bacon
shredded cheese
Optional: tomatoes, peppers, spinach

Directions:  

1.  Spray muffin tin.
2.  Wrap each cup with a slice of turkey bacon.
3.  Crack an egg inside each.
4.  Sprinkle sea salt and pepper (bacon can be salty, salt is optional) 
5.  Add a pinch of cheese. 

6. Bake at 425 for 25 min.

7. Enjoy!

*For crisper bacon, I put the pieces in the microwave for 50 seconds. Then placed them in the tins. This made the BACON CRISPY!! 

21 Day Fix Containers: 1/2 red, 1/4 blue, 1/4 green (depending on veggies you added)

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

This meal is quick, easy, & gives you a good crunch! Tasted just like the lettuce wraps from a local restaurant. 

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. raw 93% lean ground turkey breast
½ medium red onion, chopped
½ medium red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 green onion, chopped
⅔ cup chopped water chestnuts
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 large head of lettuce (I used romaine), separated into leaves

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add turkey, onion, and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until turkey is cooked through and onion is translucent.

3. Add garlic, green onion, water chestnuts, soy sauce, and vinegar; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Add cilantro; mix well. Remove from heat.
5. Evenly spoon mixture onto lettuce leaves; wrap the leaves around mixture, and eat!

21 Day Fix Containers: 1 Green, 1/2 Red