3 Day Refresh Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Results!

The month May in teacher-land goes a little like this: treats in the lounge, teacher appreciation week treats, treats because we're tired, "Yes a latte sounds great," happy hours to celebrate the end of the year, luncheons to celebrate the end of the year, another happy hour to celebrate the last day...you get the idea. So with summer finally upon us and daily bathing suit wearing in my plans (pool in backyard = daily entertainment for toddler. Mom win!), I felt a little "fluffier" than I wanted to. Additionally, I had noticed myself giving in to cravings without being able to drum up an ounce of will power.

Enter the 3 Day Refresh.

I've done one round of 3 Day Refresh before. That was more of a "I want to know what this is all about" adventure." This time was "I need a reset like yesterday."

Day One meals! Fiber Sweep and yummy afternoon snack
not pictured :)

The Good:
-There's real food, y'all. Yes, the food is only in the form of vegetables and fruit, but this isn't juice cleanse or something radical.
-My days started with Vegan Chocolate Shakeology. You can't go wrong there.
-Fell in love with coconut sparkling water all over again. Perfect summertime drink!
-Forgot how much I really enjoy hot tea--was a relaxing way to end each day, and has wayyyyy fewer calories than the glass of red wine I had been sipping nightly before this Refresh.
-Dinner each night was followed with Vanilla Fresh (a protein packed vegan shake), so it was sort of like having dessert :)

The Bad:
-10AM Fiber Sweep drink. I will admit that this is 100% better than other fiber drinks I've gulped while doing things like a 10 day cleanse (why on earth did I ever do something like this for ten days when it can be done in three??????)
-Little hasn't been sleeping super great lately, so I really missed coffee on Day Two. Toughed it out and made it through the day thanks to some accountability from the husband and some friends!

The Results:
-Down four pounds
-Feel less "fluffy"...the perpetual teacher's lounge bloat is gone.
-Didn't go for coffee first thing this AM! I eventually had some because I love it, but I actually had enough energy to get my workout in first thing this morning.
-Got the slap in the face I needed. I do not need to eat every scrap that Little leaves on her plate. I will enjoy veggies with hummus as much as I would pretzels or pita chips.

I feel ready to dig in and cross some goals off my list now. It's almost like I needed this little wake up call to remind myself of why maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important to me. In fact, my lunch today was almost identical to the lunch I had yesterday on Day Three because that was what sounded good to me.

I needed this reminder!!

Check my facebook page (fb.com/fitfoodiefam) soon to see my hot husband's results! He's been such a trooper. I'm super impressed with how well he has stuck to the plan despite it being a really low calorie cleanse. He didn't even bat an eyelash when I reminded him we would be "refreshing" on our 8th wedding anniversary. Our toast to many more years just featured sparkling coconut water instead of prosecco this year :)

Interested in trying 3 Day Refresh? Follow this link, or comment below and I'll send you the deets and help you get back on track!

Hello Fresh Review!

If you've hung out on this blog long enough, you probably have a pretty good idea about how much I love to cook. I love preparing new dishes, I love making old favorites, I love sharing food with family and friends...I even love meal planning! Ha!

A friend recently shared her experience with the company, Hello Fresh, and I was intrigued. I'm not the best a bargain grocery shopping--but I can tell you that the cost of $69 for three meals that serve two people didn't feel like a steal. But...throw in a $40 discount on your first box with ZERO obligation to order another box? That felt just frivolous enough to hook me.

Individually wrapped, perfectly portioned dinners deliver to
to my door step? Yes, please.

Here's the premise: once a week, you log into your account and select three of the meals offered for the next delivery. So far, each week they have had a chicken dish, a pork option, a beef entree, and some sort of seafood to choose from. They deliver it the following week in a ridiculously well insulated box (with like a crazy layer of wool and MULTIPLE ice packs) sometime between 8a-8p. Each week our boxes have actually arrived after 8pm, but weather has been so nuts in Texas the past few weeks that I'm sure UPS is running like mad trying to stay on top of things.

First Hello Fresh meal: Pork al Mojo! Hubby's fave!

Week one we enjoyed:
-Pan-seared Chicken with Tomato-Barley Hash & Charred Broccoli
-Argentine-Spiced Steak with Couscous Salad and Cilantro-Scallion Chimchurri
-Pork al Mojo with Cuban Rice and Beans (hubby's fave of all the meals we've sampled so far!)

Mmmmm...the chimichurri was SO good.

Week two we've sampled:
-Cuban-Style Beef Picadillo
-Old Bay Spiced Salmon and Sweet Potato Cakes with Tomato and Arugula Salad (my fave--but I added some much needed heat with smoked paprika and cayenne)
-Tarragon Chicken and Wheat Berry Salad
***I actually forgot to select me preferred meals for this week, so I was on pins and needles waiting to see what we'd be sent!

As someone who cooks often and tweaks recipes instinctively, I found myself modifying the recipes a bit to adjust to our tastes, but overall each meal was delicious. I loved that we were eating things that while the recipes would have intrigued me when I read them, I doubt I really would have added them to the meal plan. The flavor profiles have been far out of my comfort zone, but have all been super yummy. The clean up has been a cinch each meal, too (HUGE plus!). Biggest downside has been that we don't have much on hand for leftovers after these dinners, and I am a BIG fan of leftovers for lunch (both hubby and I have no problem eating the same thing for a few days, haha!).

Overall thoughts? I think I'll keep Hello Fresh in my back pocket for weeks that look I don't want to think about what we're eating and can't get my act together enough to grocery shop. It's definitely a splurge, but thanks to my little Beachbody income, it's one I can justify every now and then :) I love that by helping others meet health and fitness goals, I can have some "fun" money to spend!!

So...if you've stuck it out this far, here's a referral code you can use to earn $40 off your first Hello Fresh box! Can't wait to hear what you think!!

http://www.hellofresh.com/?c=KSBELW

Spicy BBQ Pulled Pork and Green Apple Coleslaw

As the temps climb, it's funny how quickly my food cravings change. Out goes the soups and stews; in comes the BBQ, cold crisp slaw, and fresh summer veggies. This recipe has been shared a few times on my facebook page, but a recent request for it caused me to dig it out again. It's proof that A) BBQ doesn't necessarily have to mean stretchy pants for days and B) that your crockpot isn't only good at serving up deliciousness when it's cold out! And when you crave some BBQ deliciousness on a holiday weekend like this one, but the rain keeps your grill out of commission, this is a PERFECT solution!

Want to serve it up a little healthier? Skip the bun and serve the pulled pork either in lettuce cups or over half of a baked sweet potato (sounds weird, but the spicy-sweet combo is delish!)

And...y'all. Don't skip the slaw. I have dreams about this coleslaw. It is THAT good.

Perfect Memorial Day meal!

Crockpot Spicy Pulled Pork

(adapted slightly from Pioneer Woman)

1 onion, cut into wedges

1 pork roast (mine was about 3.75lbs)

Salt and pepper

1 can (11 oz) chipotles in adobe

1 20oz bottle Dr. Pepper

2 tbpn brown sugar

Line crockpot with a slow cooker bag, or generously spray with cooking spray. Drop onion wedges in bottom of pot. Add pork—generously salt and pepper whole roast. Pour chipotles (and the sauce—that stuff is money!) and Dr. Pepper over roast. Sprinkle brown sugar over everything, place lid on, and cook on LOW for 6-7 hrs (pork should be falling apart at end of cooking).

Then I removed the meat, and used a slotted spoon to remove onions and peppers from the cooking liquid. I returned the pork to the crock pot and shredded with forks. There is a lot of excess juice—to serve, I used the slotted spoon to remove the shredded pork, and served on a whole wheat bun, topped with BBQ sauce (I love Stubb’s—no high-fructose corn syrup!) and coleslaw (see yesterday’s post!!)

Leftovers are AWESOME—pork enchiladas, tostadas, nachos…you get the idea! Or freeze the leftovers and enjoy sometime in the next three months!

Even the coleslaw leftovers are delish!!

Green Apple Coleslaw with Poppyseed Dressing

(adapted from Foodnetwork.com)

¼ apple cider vinegar

¼ cup mayo (I know, I know…)

¼ cup Greek yogurt (now I’m back!)

1-2 tbsp Dijon mustard

¼ cup raw honey

1 tspn salt

½ tspn ground black pepper

2 tbsp poppy seeds

1 bag coleslaw mix

1 bunch scallions, diced

1 large green apple, cored and julienned

In a large bowl, whisk together apple cider through poppy seeds. I poured about ½ a cup of the dressing into a small container to set aside leaving about ½ cup of liquid in the bowl—you’ll want to dress the coleslaw to taste. Toss in coleslaw mix, apple, and scallion. Cover bowl with saran wrap and let rest in refrigerator for 1 hour.

21 Day Fix Approved: Baked Chicken Fajitas

I have a GREAT group of ladies in the middle of their 21 Day Fix journey right now. I'm always inspired by my challengers, but something about this group and their tenacity, dedication, and positivity has me pretty overwhelmed. Add in that each of them has a list a mile long (don't we all???) of reasons to NOT be taking care of themselves ("I have a small baby at home," "I work full time," "I HATE cooking."....I could go on and on!), and I'm even more inspired by their successes. After just ten days, here are a few of the victories (scale and non-scale!!) they shared with me...

-"I didn't skip a single workout!"
-"I...realized how much water I was not drinking. I'm carrying a water bottle now."
-"I think I'm more flexible."
-"I zipped a pair of shorts I haven't worn in two years, and my waist is down a 1/2 an inch!"
-"I'm just proud of myself for not giving up...I'm only down a few pounds, but I love how Autumn reminds me it is one pound at a time."

Y'all. That's the reason I do this. It isn't about a quick fix. And even though this program is only three weeks long and usually has pretty ridiculous results (one of my challengers is down 18 lbs after two rounds of 21 Day Fix!!!), it's not about the "get fit quick" scheme. You aren't ingesting anything that isn't whole food based and good for you. There aren't weird supplements or creams. If quick results are all you are after, you need to find a different blog to read because I'm more impressed with the little victories like the ones I shared. These women have committed to making LIFE STYLE changes. Is it always easy? No. Are there days that are harder than others? Yes. But are we making small changes that over time will have a lasting effect for the health and well being of both ourselves and those we live with and love? Absolutely.

OK. Stepping down from my soap box :)

Last night I asked my gals what had been their favorite meal so far. The first vote was for this quick and easy Baked Chicken Fajita dish...that I coincidentally was making as the comment was posted to facebook, lol! I LOVE that in the time that it takes for my oven to preheat, I have the whole dish ready to go. Heat up some tortillas and slice an avocado while the fajitas are baking, and dinner is served!

Warning...your home will smell like a fiesta!

Baked Chicken Fajitas
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 tsp chili powder (I usually opt for 1/2 chipotle chili powder and 1/2 regular...I like heat!)
2 tsp tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small green bell pepper, cut into strips

Sliced avocado (optional)

Salsa (optional)

Corn tortillas

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt.
Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat. Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are done. Top corn tortillas with chicken, vegetables, avocado, and salsa.

Clean Eating Sriracha Chicken Tacos with Asian Slaw

Don't call it a comeback...but dang is this recipe worth coming back to y'all! And with a new domain! Man, oh man. Feelin' all sorts of fancy now ;)

This recipe was originally shared with me by a good friend. A few little tweaks to make it "my own" and WOW is really the only accurate description. This was such a fun recipe to add to the meal plan for my clean eating challengers this week--the group really stepped it up a notch by committing to eat clean for five days...AND workout utilizing Beachbody OnDemand. It was so fun to mix up the workout schedule a bit and try a different program by a different trainer every day. It's so nuts that seriously THOUSANDS of dollars worth of programming is available on Beachbody OnDemand for the teensy fee of about $12.99 a month. Oh...and the nutrition guides are uploaded too! Good grief!
If you'd like to be a part of my next challenge, be sure to follow my Fit Foodie Fam facebook page to hear when we're gearing up for the next challenge!

This is the face of a girl super stoked about
leftovers for lunch....at 8pm the night before.

Sriracha Chicken Tacos with Asian Slaw
(serves 4-5)

Ingredients:

For the chicken

2 cups chicken breast, cooked, shredded (I love to cook shredded chicken in the crockpot!)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced

2 tbsp Sriracha

3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon paprika

For the slaw: 

1/2 cup carrots, shredded

1 bag "fiesta" coleslaw (I found it at HEB; it has cabbage, carrots, and some broccoli, too! You could sub any bagged coleslaw mix.)

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 poblano, thinly sliced

3 tbsn low-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsn honey

1 tbsn sesame oil

1 tbsn rice wine vinegar

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1/2 tspn black pepper

For serving: 
Whole wheat tortillas

Sriracha

Preparation: 
To make the slaw: In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce through black pepper. Toss in all remaining ingredients till combined. Let marinate for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours in the fridge.

To make the chicken: In a small bowl, whisk together sriracha through paprika. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and stir for about 30 seconds (until fragrant). Stir in chicken and cook for 1 minute. Add sriracha mixture, and cook till warmed through. If it seems a little dry, add a tablespoon or two of water to loosen the mixture.

To assemble the tacos: Fill tortilla with chicken and slaw. Top with sriracha, if desired. Enjoy!

21 Day Fix Approved Pizza ... or "Pit-za"

Not sure I can count this as a recipe or if anyone will ever be able to recreate the delisciousness. Some times the best dinners are born out of an unexpected change of plans and a picky toddler ;)

Our girl has ALWAYS been a hearty eater. We’ve only had a few items be met with objections, and her favorites for a long time cracked me up—a kid who squeals at the sight of broccoli? You’re kidding, right? Somewhere in the beginnings of the (premature) “terrible twos” though, she’s developed a few new teeth and some seriously strong opinions. Two weekends ago, for example, homegirl subsided on nothing but Trader Joe’s cereal bars and mandarin oranges. This past weekend, if you wanted to serve her a banana, don’t you dare give it to her sliced, or it will be fed to the dog. But offer it whole? Devoured. Oye.

Kiddo approved cous-cous with
Italian seasoned ground beef, carrots, and spinach

I made our favorite, go-to chicken dinner Friday night, and discovered our girl LOVED it the next day when I cautiously attempted to serve it to her for lunch. Same thing happened the following day, so when I got home Monday evening I was intent on quickly throwing together a couscous dish that would sneak some protein and veggies in unbeknownst to the Boss Lady. So below is the “recipe” (if you can even call it that!) for C’s dinner…which then morphed into the most delicious thing I’ve made since I started 21 Day Fix again last month.

The last two rounds of 21 Day Fix have been WONDERFUL. The support of REAL women with REALLY busy lives. Delicious meals focused on portion control instead of calorie counting (ain’t NOBODY got time for that). An easy, go to super food shake to help meal prep be easy breezy and to really curb cravings throughout the day. And…fantastic FAST workouts—seriously finished in 30 minutes—that eliminate the jiggley bits and make you feel STRONG.

We’ve had so much fun and the results have been SO amazing that I’m gearing up to start a new group with new challengers on 3/16—leave a comment below with your email, reach out to me on facebook, or send me an email at fitfoodiefamATgmailDOTcom. You get accountability, support, and I share my meal plan and grocery list with you for all 21 days!

You could totally commit to a program that lets you eat this, right????

Saved a "yellow" container for some vino!!

OK—y’all forgive me on this recipe. It was the most off-the-cuff thing I’ve done in a while, but it worked so beautifully. I’m attempting to recreate the steps in my head (but you have to remember my brain works at about 97.56 MPH 24/7!). 21 Day Fixers: I counted one “pit-za” as one yellow, one red, one green, and a generous blue container. I wouldn’t have this every night while “fixing”, but it’s a great treat meal!

21 Day Fix Approved “Pit-za”

(Yields: 2 servings)

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp EVOO, divided

1 lb lean, organic ground beef

¼ cup shredded carrots

1 can petite diced tomatoes (divided)

1 ½  tspn garlic powder (divided)

1 tspn Italian seasoning

1 tspn oregano (divided)

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup tomato sauce (add more if needed)

2 whole wheat pitas

Assorted veggies for topping (I used red and green bell peppers and sliced mushrooms)

½ cup mozzarella cheese

¼ cup feta cheese (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat on the stove, and add 2 tbsp of EVOO to pan to heat. Add ground beef and cook till brown and crumbly. Drain excess oil. Add carrots, 1 tspn garlic powder, 1 tspn Italian seasoning, ½ tspn of oregano, and half of the can of diced tomatoes to pan and stir to combine. ***At this point, I removed half of the beef mixture and stirred into a package of prepared whole wheat couscous with some finely chopped frozen spinach. This was the “toddler” version of dinner because for some unknown reason, my kid doesn’t like pizza. Go figure.***

Brush the remaining tbsp of EVOO on the pita bread and pop in the oven on a baking sheet or pizza pan to begin toasting up a bit. Keep an eye on them, so they don’t burn. I recommend 5-7 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, using my magic bullet, I puréed the remaining diced tomatoes with the remaining spices (1/2 tspn of oregano, ½ tspn of garlic powder, and pinch of red pepper flakes)—this was mostly because I didn’t want “chunky” tomatoes on my pizza. You could skip this step—but at your own risk ;)

Pull pitas out of the oven. Top each with a “red” container (for my 21 day fixers!) of the meat mixture. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on both pitas. Top with desired veggies, then sprinkle with feta cheese if using. Pop “pit-zas” back in the oven for a few minutes to allow veggies to cook and cheeses to get melty (probably 5-10 minutes)

Crock-Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

You know those work days where the LAST thing you want to do is prepare a meal for your family? This is my go-to when I glance at my calendar and know that by the time the little one and I get home we will both be beat. I adore that A) this tastes delish topped with avocado B) that I usually have most of the ingredients around and C) that it makes enough that I don't have to cook dinner the next day either ;)

The recipe that inspired this can be found here, but I made a few modifications to match our family's taste preferences.

Enjoy!

Crock-Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:
~1 lb chicken breasts (I throw these in FROZEN!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
5-6 cups chicken stock
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp chile powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tspn chipotle chile powder
1 tspn garlic powder
1/2 tspn onion powder
1/4 (+ 1 tbsp) cup cilantro, chopped
Avocado, diced (for topping)

Preparation:
Add all ingredients through onion powder to crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-7 hours. After cooking, remove chicken breasts and dice or shred; return to pot. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Serve generously sprinkled with cilantro and topped with avocado. Yum!!