Meal Plan Monday: March 28 - April 3

I hope you had a wonderful Easter.  The time has come.  Spring Break is ending and we are entering our Dance Competition Season!

Monday:  Hawaiian Pizza Sandwiches
Using leftover ham from Easter.  The "other" King's Hawaiian roll recipe, Funeral Sandwiches, are very popular.  We loved this pizza variation.  Really, can you go wrong with King's Hawaiian?  I want to try the cuban sliders too.
Recipe from Wonky Wonderful

Tuesday: Mexican Lasagna - 21 Day Fix Approved
New Recipe from Alicia Berger Fitness

Wednesday: Pesto Pasta
Our quick go to meal.

Thursday: Thai Basil Chicken
New Recipe from Skinnytaste

Friday: Cheeseburger Pie

Recipe from Recipe

Note: I'm using cheddar cheese instead of processed American cheese.

Saturday: Dinner Out
Competition Day 1

Sunday: Leftover Enchiladas 
Competition Day 2
Hubby made these last week and froze half the batch.

Meal Plan Monday: Happy Easter!

Whoops! Sorry I'm late.  I guess I got too excited for Spring Break.  But we still have to eat right?

Monday: Soy-Peanut Noodles
Recipe from The Comfort of Cooking

Tuesday:  Cheesesteak Hamburgers  
My Recipe
Who needs 5 guys?  I got one guy that grills a mean burger.

Wednesday: MNO and DNO w/Daughters

Thursday:  Chicken Cacciatore
Recipe from Turbofire Meal Plan

Friday:  Black Bean Enchiladas 
Recipe from Wegmans

Saturday: Chicken Lombardi 
Recipe from My Recipes.com


Sunday: Happy Easter - Ham, Mac and Cheese, Aspargus Bundles, Pineapple Bake and More

Meal Plan Monday: I'm back!

Hey guys!  I'm writing you from my new house!  We are loving it and unpacking is almost done.  Last week my husband meal planned for me as I stood in the kitchen overwhelmed at all the different locations I had to store everything.  I really tried to think about the work flow as I was storing things. It seems to be working.  My favorite moments have been sitting down to eat dinner.

This week I am starting the new Beachboy program 22 Min Hard Corps.  The meal plan is really challenging me to change my eating habits.  The "Ration" plan as they call it suggests eating carbs and veggies for breakfast.  The veggies are a little easier when you can throw them into an omelet but when you don't eat eggs its a little... different.  We'll see how it goes.  Dinners on this plan focus on meat and veggies so I planned meals where I could not have some components of the meal.

This is what we are having this week:

Monday: Baked Chicken Fajitas
Recipe from Budget Bytes

Tuesday:  Pancake Dinner at Church  
Our Shrove Tuesday dinner got snowed out

Wednesday: Crock-pot Beef and Broccoli
Recipe from Damn Delicious


Thursday:  Happy St. Patrick's Day! Shepherds Pie
Recipe from Skinnytaste

Friday:  Chicken and Asparagus 
Recipe from Skinnytaste
Gearing up for the first day of spring with asparagus.

Saturday: Broccoli Cheddar Chicken 
Recipe from Healthy Life with Valerie Woeste

Sunday: Greek Kababs w/ Tzatiziki Sauce
Recipe from Cooking Classy

Meal Plan Monday: February 22nd - 28th

It's closing week!  We close on our house this week so in preparation our meals are going to be super simple.  It will probably be more of the same next week as we will be moving.  So exciting!!

Monday: Angel Hair with Pesto

Tuesday: Ham, Peppers, Onions and Potato Hash Dinner
The original recipe called for kielbasa but we are going to use the leftover ham my mom brought this past weekend.
Recipe from The Two Bite Club

Wednesday: Breakfast Dinner
This is my mom's night out.  It wasn't last week so hubby is going to get it easy.

Thursday: White Pita Pizza
We have leftover naan in the freezer and left over ricotta from last week's lasagna soup so there you go.  Simple and almost free!
Recipe from Fit Foodie Life

Friday: Pesto Grilled Cheese
Recipe from Fit Foodie Life

Saturday: Dinner Out

Sunday:  Turkey Avocado Wraps

This is one of the meals included in my Clean Eating Challenge.  Contact me if you are interested in joining.

Meal Plan Monday: February 15th - February 21st

I'm so happy that I can finally share our good news.  We are buying a house!  We close in two weeks. These last few weeks have been so busy.  Every spare moment has gone into purging and packing.  It has caused the blog to go out late and for that I apologize.

This week I'm trying to recipes from Hello Fresh.  There a ton of box meal subscriptions now but Hello Fresh has always peeked my interest.  I couldn't justify the extra expense when we already go to the grocery store every week.  And really if I meal prep its essentially the same as having all the food shipped to me prepped and ready to go.  Long story short is I as happy to see that they will give you their recipes on the website, some are from Jamie Oliver, and they offer family friendly recipes.

We are super excited for this weekend.  My daughter's are dancing in the Dance Company Showcase. It's going to be a busy weekend for sure but I'm excited to see their dances on stage.  They have been working on them since August.  This is also a big year for my oldest as this will be her first solo.  I'll probably be a wreck.

Monday - Jamie's Cool Mexican Bean Wraps with Bell Peppers, Tomatoes and Chili
Recipe from Hello Fresh by Jamie Oliver

Tuesday - Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Rosemary-Grape Salsa, Sweet Potatoes, and Roasted Broccolini Dinner

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Wednesday - Skinny Chicken and Rice 

Recipe from Yummy Healthy Easy

Thursday - Lettuce Wraps

Recipe from Damn Delicious

Friday - Ham Dinner
My mom is bringing us dinner since the weekend is packed with rehearsals before the showcase.

Saturday - Dinner out

Sunday - Baked Ziti

Bonus Lunch Recipe: Lasagna Soup

We are going to make this soup and serve it with salad on Saturday before heading out for the show.
Recipe Yummy Healthy Easy

I am not an affiliate with Hello Fresh but I am with Google.

Beachbody on Demand is Blowing Up!

Even though I have purchased the DVDs for my programs, I'm starting to use Beachbody on Demand more and more because of all the benefits it is starting to offer. 

1. When you play the DVDs you have to wait for the required warnings to play. With BoD, it's a button click and I'm on my way. This busy mom needs all the time I can get.
2. It keeps track of where I am in my workout so I can be sure I stick to the program as designed and I don't have to worry keeping track on the paper calendar. That may seem small but at 4:30 am it's very helpful. 
3. You get bonus workouts like Cize with Chilli from TLC. 
4. You get to preview workouts before purchasing.
5. I can stream it through my Apple TV to get it on a big screen. 

Best yet! It now has digital unlocks.  Beachbody On Demand subscribers can unlock a full Purchased Program without ordering the DVD kit. When you pay to unlock a Beachbody Purchased Program, you get unlimited access to stream it as long as you are a Premium Team Beachbody member. You will also receive access to the online downloads of the nutritional program guides and workout calendars. No shipping costs or waiting for delivery. In addition to the unlocks, you can also sample these workouts and others, such as PiYo. This is in addition to the workout of the day that allows you to get a sneak peak at workouts as well. 

 
I have a sneaking suspicion that Beachbody on Demand is about to blow up. 

Try it FREE by signing up here

Healthified 7 Layer Dip

The only bad thing about this dip is how difficult it is to not eat the whole thing. You will definitely want to grab a plate and step away. Perfect for parties or pot lucks.

1 can Fat Free Refried Beans

Romaine Lettuce, shredded

2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped

Colby Jack or Cheddar, shredded

Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream

Salsa

Guacamole

Home taco seasoning or homemade

1. Mix Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream with Taco Seasoning

2. Layer in this order:

    Beans - warm the beans so they are easier to spread

    Greek yogurt mixture

    Salsa

    Guacamole

    Cheese

    Lettuce

    Tomatoes

Serve with multigrain tortilla chips 

Meal Plan Monday: February 8th - February 14th

The Super Bowl is over.  I hope everyone is fairing well and not too sleepy from staying up watching the commercials game.  I'm excited for this week's meal plan because I feel like I actually get to cook this week instead of throwing something together.  We still didn't get the final word on my big news so I'm not sharing yet.  It all started on Christmas Eve so hopefully we will be able to celebrate on Valentine's Day!  Speaking of which, I have barely thought about Valentine's Day except to know we are going to have our traditional heart shaped pizza.  Do you have plans?


Monday: Penne and Chicken Tenderloins with Tomato Sauce
Recipe from Cooking Light

Tuesday: Pancake Dinner at Church for Shrove Tuesday

Wednesday: Taco Tuesday on Wednesday
Recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning.  This recipe is all over Pinterest but Family Fresh Meals.com tells you how to cook with it as well.

Thursday: Beef Negimaki (Steak and Scallions) Dinner
I'm turning one of our favorite appetizers into an entree.  We used to always order this appetizer when we order sushi in.  Loved it and we have not had it since we moved.  I am going to use a flank steak cooked with the scallions and asparagus because I have seen that used in some recipes as well.  I need to nail down the marinade.

Friday: Take out at home: Chicken with Mixed Vegetables aka Stir Fry

Saturday:  Left-overs

Sunday: Happy Valentine's Day - Heart Shaped Pizza from Papa Murphy's.

Visit my Facebook page to see how I prepped for this week's Meal Plan. Prepping definelty saved me yesterday.  Our Super Bowl guests left around 9 and I still needed to pack lunch.  Thanks to my meal prep I was able to throw lunch together, which will save me time in the morning and save my wallet from having to buy lunch.

February Beachbody Promotions

• 21 Day Fix and Shakeology Challenge Pack: $140 USD (regularly $160)
• 21 Day Fix Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack: $180 USD (regularly $205)
• 21 Day Fix Extreme and Shakeology Challenge Pack: $140 USD (regularly $160)
• 21 Day Fix Extreme Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack: $180 USD (regularly $205)

• CIZE and Shakeology Challenge Pack: $140 USD (regularly $160) *launches by end of day 1/31
• CIZE Kickstart and Shakeology Challenge Pack: $180 USD (regularly $205) *launches by end of day 1/31

• 3 Day Refresh and Shakeology Challenge Pack: $140 USD (regularly $160)

In honor of National Wear Red Day and National Heart Month I will donate $5 to the American Heart Association for every Challenge Pack purchased in February.

Meal Plan Monday: February 1st - February 7th

Happy February!  This month is starting off to busy and promises to stay that way.  I hope to be able to share some exciting news soon but have to wait for other parties to finalize somethings before I do.  This month is full of dress rehearsals and my daughters' Company Showcase.  We are gearing up for the competition season.  I'm pretty excited about this year.  My oldest will be doing her first solo.  Thinking about it makes me excited, teary and feeling like I could get sick.  She will do great!  We have lots of meeting this week which means early morning workouts and quick dinners.

Here is what we are having this week:


Monday: Tuna Melt with Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday: Broccoli Cheddar Chicken with Wild Rice
Recipe from Healthy Life with Valerie Woeste

Wednesday: Chicken Enchilada Soup
Recipe from Paleo Grubs.com

Thursday: Thai Peanut Noodles
This is a request of my husbands.  We used to eat this a lot before we had kids.  This meal is the Thai equivalent to buying jarred pasta sauce and boiling noodles as we just buy the Thai sauce from the grocery store.   A word of precaution, some companies make their sauces spicier than others.  One time we had one so spicy we found ourselves shoveling it in just to be done.  

Friday: Dinner Out
This is a late night dress rehearsal night and my hubby will be there with us helping with props.  We plan on getting take-out from a popular Mexican restaurant right down the street.  This is the kindof place you would see on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

Friday is National Wear Red Day.  Please consider wearing red to help raise awareness for Women's Heart Health.

Saturday: Daddy Daughter Dance and GNO
I hate to do takeout two nights in a row but that may be the case and I do have a Subway giftcard.  My oldest has a dress rehearsal that ends an hour and a half before the dance.  So I will have to get her changed, make-up removed, fed and to her father.

Sunday:  Super Bowl!
I almost forgot about the 50th Super Bowl and no, it's not because my team is not playing.  I'm putting together a list of healthified Super Bowl foods.  Check back this week to see my favorites.

Meal Plan Monday: January 18th - 24th

Dang January has been cray cray crazy!  We celebrated hubby's birthday on Friday and a Patriots win on Saturday.  Too much fun over here.  It was over way to fast.  But this coming weekend promises to be just as fun unless it snows.  Or should that say because it's going to snow?  I guess that is like a glass half full/half empty thing.  Are you team Yay Snow or team Boo Snow or somewhere in between?

Monday: Chili
Recipe from Ortega

Tuesday: Baked Chicken Fajitas
Recipe from budgetbytes.com

Wednesday: Cheddar Baked Potato Soup with Broccoli and crusty bread
Recipe from From Forks to Fitness

Thursday: Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce
Recipe from Food Network

Friday: Panera Bread
Competition season is beginning.  First dress rehearsal!

Saturday: State Dinner at Church
I am representing Virginia with Ham Biscuits and Brunswick Stew.  Hubby is representing Connecticut with his famous clam chowdah.

Sunday: Cheesy Party Burgers and Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Burger Recipe from Kevin and Amanda.com
Cauliflower Bites from Fixate

Monday Meal Plan: January 11th - January 17th

What a fun and busy weekend!  Hubby and I had a quick over night get away to celebrate a dear friend's 40th birthday.  His wife can throw one heck of a party!  And I learned that I can not bounce back from a late night like I used to when I was younger.  I really wanted to Christmas down and completely forgot until I was heading to finally sit down Sunday afternoon.  I turned and saw the tree and tackled taking down Christmas at 5:30 in the afternoon.  I know you guys understand that sometimes you just have to sacrifice something you want to do for something you have to do.  My girls and I had a fun time though!  As a thankful for being so understanding that this blog post is being delivered to you late, I have added in two lunch ideas.

Here is what we are having for dinner this week:


Monday: Ham Steaks, Green Beans/Aspragus and Sweet Potatoes
Tonight I am tasting how good and fast frozen vegetables can be.

Tuesday: Sloppy Joes
Recipe from Fixate
I will be having leftovers on a microwave sweet potato for lunch.

Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan Meatball Casserole
Recipe from Buns In My Oven


Thursday: Date Night In: Gnocchi with Spinach and Pine Nuts 
Recipe from Cooking Light
I'm using walnuts because they are better on the budget; even thought I LOVE pine nuts.

Friday: Happy Birthday Hubby!!  Take out  Made at Home: Fried Rice
This is my recipe.  One of my husband's favorites.  Warning: Not 21 Day Fix Approved but with a few tweaks it easily could be.

Saturday: Pats are in the Playoffs.  Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the game and celebrate hubby's birthday.

Sunday: Cuban Pork and Black Bean Melts
Recipe from Better Homes and Garden

Bonus Lunch Ideas:

Slower Cooker Chicken and Black Beans taco filling on a salad.  I made just the chicken portion of this recipe to change up my salad protein topper this week.

Stuffed Ranchero Sweet Potatoes

Meal Plan Monday: January 4th - January 10th

Happy New Year!  I'm so excited for this year.  It is going to be good things, I can feel it.  There are things that I wanted to accomplish last year that I have already tackled, such a creating a 5 minute workout for anyone looking to add exercise to their day.  Please comment if you would like a copy.  I started the Hammer and Chisel workout program this morning.  This program, once again, uses the containers that we were first introduced to with the 21 Day Fix.  It's nice to continue to try new Beachbody workouts but have a little comfort in knowing the meal plan.

Here is what we are having this week:

Monday:  Slow Cooker Kielbasa and White Bean Cassoulet
Recipe from Real Simple

Tuesday: Cheeseburgers

Wednesday: Cashew Chicken
Recipe from Wegmans

Thursday:  Pesto Pasta

Friday: Dinner Out

Saturday:  Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
Recipe from Lisahov Health & Fitness.com

Sunday:  Chicken Lombardy
Recipe from My Recipes.com