My PB + J

Trop50 True Resolutions

the end of the month is drawing near, you only have one more day to score from the Trop50 True Resolutions  page where you can earn yourself a $1 off coupon plus 50¢ off coupon for up to fifty of your friends. When you’re there make sure to enter for your chance at one of four $1,000 gift cards they are giving away. make your true resolution by january 31st! this is a high value coupon and it’s a fun way to keep your resolution real! 
to see my post on Trop50 go here

I received the product mentioned above free of charge for editorial consideration, and I’m also eligible for additional incentives. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own.

stuffed zucchini

i stumbled upon the recipe for stuffed zucchini from good ‘ole pinterest. all the ingredients fell right into the 17-day diet guidelines so i whipped it up for an easy weekend meal. i was so giddy while eating the first bite, it was so damn good. i actually took the filling out and mixed it into my rice and it was to.die.for.  thank you kayotic kitchen for this yummy recipe!
ingredients:
1 TB fat-free sour cream
1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp curry powder
10 grape tomatoes finely diced 
1 tsp italian seasoning 
2 zucchini 
1 onion 
cheese 
pepper 
directions:
preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 
rinse your zucchini. slice in half length-ways. spoon out the guts until you have an empty boat. 
dice your zucchini pulp, tomatoes and onions. 
in a skillet saute the onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter until translucent. add in curry and mix for 30 seconds. spoon onions into the bowl with zucchini and tomato. add in seasonings and sour cream. mix until combined. 

take your zucchini boat and spoon filling in. top with your cheese of choice. i used reduced fat parmesan and a sprinkle of cheddar. 

bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. turn the broiler on and cook for another 5 minutes until the cheese starts to get brown and bubbly.

i served the stuffed zucchini with a 1/4 cup of brown rice. next time i make this i plan on adding quinoa into the filling mix. DELISH!

love

               ugh.
i love this kid.
i love his smile.
i love his now chubby cheeks.
i love his side smile when he looks at me.
i love the glimmer in his eyes when he sees me staring at him.
i love the way he stretches after a long sleep.
i love the way he kicks me while eating.
i love his long eyelashes.
i love his chunky thighs.
but.
i love his giggle more.
it fills my heart with even more love.

It’s a weekly thang {weigh-in wednesday}

i am posting this a day late. i was at the hospital all day yesterday to watch two of our best friends give birth to their first child. it was magical. more on that later!

this past week wasn’t too bad. i am finally feeling a little lighter, clothes are feeling a little less snug and i can see the fat me going away. thank god. and like my friend janelle said this morning, you’re not looking as wide anymore. thanks! i knew the numbers from this past week were going to be off. spin is helping in other ways not with the numbers dropping. i started my happy girly time yesterday which is the first since giving birth so there’s some water retention. i am hoping for better numbers next week. i actually dipped out of the 160’s but gained the few ounces back and have sat at 160 for the last few days.  the plan is clearly working and a little plateau isn’t that bad considering it’s only week three.

my starting weight: 170 
today’s weight: 160
total weight loss for week one: 6 pounds
total weight loss for week two: 3 pounds
total weight loss for week three: 1 pound
pounds away from goal #1: 20
pounds away from goal #2: 30

i can’t say that i am sad about only losing ten pounds in three weeks, i just want it to keep coming off. ha!  i have five months to hit goal #1, totally possible! 

how’s your goal going? staying on track?

chicken “taco” lettuce wraps

another recipe i made up for the 17-day diet. it really curbed my craving for mexican and i was full after two wraps. i had roasted a chicken one day and used the shredded meat for two recipes. honestly, it was the perfect amount for three wraps each and a little chicken, olives, avo and cheese for payton.

ingredients:

1/2 of a roasted chicken, shredded
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 can sliced black olives
10 grape tomatoes, sliced
1/2 avocado (again not on cycles 1 or 2 but we splurged for some healthy fat)
6-8 pieces of boston lettuce
2TB  fat-free cheddar cheese
2 TB fat-free sour cream + 1/2 tsp tapatio

directions:

combine hot water and taco seasoning in a small bowl. mix until combined. in a skillet, add in shredded chicken and taco seasoning, bring to simmer and reduce heat until most of the liquid is gone. remember, you’re just reheating the chicken and letting the flavors soak into the chicken.

to assemble: lay lettuce on plates, add chicken and remaining ingredients. top with sour cream/hot sauce mixture. enjoy!

super easy and fast weeknight meal. you won’t even notice the taco shell is missing. . .promise! serve with black beans if you wish. 🙂