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Despite what some may say……Size DOES matter! 

Especially, when it comes to what we put in our mouths!   Avoid common portion pitfalls like the one seen in the picture below by being aware of what is the recommended portion size because let’s face it – All apples are not created equal!
With the holiday’s approaching, there will undoubtedly be times that everyone will be  faced with eating out more frequently, countless holiday parties, snack deliveries from thoughtful co-workers, and family cookie baking traditions.     Remember, we have control over what goes in our mouths!

One way to manage the upcoming season and keep your weight loss goals in check is to pay close attention to portion sizes.   Being mindful whether it’s a cookie or an apple will help to keep calories down, reduce overeating, and eliminate the typical holiday weight gain!

Few tips and reminders:

• Restaurant meals almost always contain 2 or more actual servings
• Plan your non-splurge meals
• Measure foods – Get to know what servings really look like
  Hint: A rotisserie chicken is not an individual meal!
  • 3oz of meat – size of a deck of cards
  • ½ cup of cooked rice – size of your palm
  • 1 tablespoon of nut butter – size of your thumb
  • Medium apple – size of your fist

With all the pumpkin craze out there… I modified a favorite recipe to be a pumpkin lovers dream!

Enjoy! xo Jen

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup ground flax seed

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Combine oats, chocolate chips, flax seed, pumpkin and peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract together in a bowl; form into balls using your hands. Arrange energy bites on a baking sheet and freeze until set, about 1 hour. Keep refrigerated.

With the cold weather here, its a perfect time for soup!  This is a great Butternut Squash recipe to warm up!

Enjoy! xo Jen

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

8 pounds of whole butternut squash, washed well
6 Tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
2 Tablespoons pure organic maple syrup
3 carrots, peeled and halved
1 large onion, thinly sliced
10 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock, preferably homemade or at least organic, divided
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons sea salt (double this if your stock is unsalted)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the squashes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
Place the squash halves cut side up in a roasting pan. Divide the coconut oil and maple syrup evenly amongst the squash cavities. Arrange the carrot and onions slices around the squash. Pour 2 cups of stock in the pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 2 hours.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool slightly or enough that you can handle them. Scoop the squash pulp from the skins and transfer to a large soup pot. Add the carrots, onions and cooking liquid from the pan.
Add the remaining 8 cups of chicken stock to the pot with cayenne and salt to taste (I usually add 1 Tablespoon when I use unsalted stock.) Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.
Puree the soup until smooth in the pot with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender

Vegetable Turkey Stew!

This was sooooo tasty! Enjoy ! xo jen

Ingredients

3 cups fresh baby carrots – chopped into smaller pieces if desired
3 cups cubed (1-inch) peeled sweet potatoes
6 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sliced onion
2 lb. boneless skinless turkey breast cut into cubes
Salt, pepper, garlic, basil, (I also added Goya Adobo)

3 cups water
Steps
1 Spray 4 to 5-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Layer all vegetables in slow cooker. Top with turkey. Pour water over turkey and spices.
2 Cover; cook on high setting for 4 hours or on low setting for 8 hours. Stir just before serving.

This may be one of my new favorites! I skipped the rice but the kiddos and my husband enjoyed it!

Xo jen

General Tso’s Cauliflower & Rice

INGREDIENTS

1 c. short grain white rice or jasmine rice
1/2 c. sweet chili sauce
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tsp. grated ginger
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. all-purpose organic wheat flour
kosher salt
1 head cauliflower, cut into floret
Sesame oil for frying
2 scallions, chopped
Toasted sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS

Prepare rice according to package instructions. In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat combine sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and cover with lid to keep warm.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together cornstarch, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons water. (It will make a thin batter.) Add cauliflower and mix until all pieces are coated in batter.
Preheat a large pot filled with about 4″ oil over medium-high heat, until oil reaches 350 degrees F. Working in batches, slowly add cauliflower pieces, shaking off excess batter before adding. Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer to paper-towel lined plate.
Meanwhile, reheat sauce until bubbling. Serve cauliflower over steamed white rice, drizzle with General Tso’s sauce and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Importance of Rest Day!!

What’s up guys!! Nothing feels better than absolutely CRUSHING a workout.  But, after a kickass workout, your body is sure to let you know the next day or two!  So, on top of your everyday workouts, I just wanted to write a quick tip this week on the importance of REST DAYS!!

Sleep is such an important part of the recovery process. During your deepest parts of sleep, this gives your muscles, nerves, bones, and connective tissue time to rebuild.  Not to mention, sleep is important for maintaining good health on many other levels as well.

If your goal is building muscle, but you’re not getting quality amounts of sleep on a regular basis, you will absolutely see negative  effects. Your body won’t have its chance to heal. You are increasing your chances in loss of muscle mass, muscle tissue damage, decreased daily energy, and increased chances of injury.

Work hard, but work smart!  Rest days are just as important for your muscles as they are for your mental health!

Plan your recovery days, and always come to the gym ready to bring it!!

Cheers guys!!

Coach Mike

Just in time for the Football season!!!

These are amazing!

Enjoy! xo Jen

3/4 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup Franks red hot
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 large egg white
1 pound lean ground turkey
Plain greek yogurt + ranch dressing dry packet (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1/3 cup hot sauce, celery and egg white. Add turkey; mix lightly but thoroughly.
Shape into twenty-four 1-in. balls. …
Toss meatballs with remaining hot sauce. If desired, drizzle with salad dressing just before serving.

Use “dressing” for dipping!

This may be my new favorite!!!

Enjoy ! xo Jen

Ingredients

1 scallion, minced
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon organic local honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 portions
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions

1. Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a zip lock bag
2. Add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.
3. Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
4. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

Lamar’s stuffed chicken

I use all white meat skinless chicken breasts, fat free feta cheese, sun dries tomatoes, and panko bread crumbs. I set the oven to 350 degrees. While heating, I cut a slit in the chicken and stuff with both feta and sundried tomatoes. I then close it up, sometimes using a toothpick to hold it together is helpful, then coat with panko crumbs. To finish, I spray the chicken with pam and put it into the oven for approximately 25 minutes. It is a super easy and quick recipe that fulfills your taste buds and makes you feel as if it is a cheat meal. Add brown rice and broccoli to complete a full meal and enjoy!

Lamar

One of my favorite gadgets these days is super inexpensive,  it’s a spiralizer (aka a spiral cutter), and it has been a star in the raw food world for some time because it has the ability to make basically any vegetable look like pasta.

This is so delicious!

Enjoy xo Jen

What You’ll Need:

1 large zucchini
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup tomato purée
Herbs for garnish
What to Do:

Slice zucchini into ribbons or spiral noodles. You can do this a few ways: a mandoline, a spiral peeler (aka spiralizer), or simply julienne cut the zucchini into noodle-like strips. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and leek. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the tomato purée to the saucepan and mix.
Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens to your liking.
Pour the leek marinara sauce over the zucchini and dig in! The warmth of the sauce will soften the zucchini.