Blueberry Protein Cookies

Today is carb re-feed day so I made these high protein blueberry cookies as a treat.

 

4 egg whites
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
Cinnamon
1/2 cup oats (gluten free)
1 cup blueberries

Mix together eggs, protein, cinnamon and oats. Fold in berries. Spoon on cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. (makes 10 cookies)

 

Enjoy!

Paleo Slow Cooker Lean Ground Turkey Breast Chilli

I tried this recipe yesterday--it's so easy and tastes great!

Basically you can use any veggies you want but being that it's Paleo, there are no legumes (beans, etc).

Ingredients:
2pkgs lean ground turkey breast (brown on stove first)
garlic
chilli powder
chillis
basil
1 onion
4 whole tomatoes
3 carrots
mushrooms
2 peppers (i used red and orange)
1 zucchini

Instructions:
Brown ground beef, add to slow cooker. Toss in remaining ingredients and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Finding Balance

Happy Saturday everybody! I hope your weekend is going great!

Today I feel like I have been run over by a truck....lol; every muscle from calves to shoulders hurts in a really good way but in a way where there is no way I could complete a workout. 

I have decided to take the weekend off and get back at it on Monday. I'll obviously be sticking to clean eating for the next few days but my body is going to get some well deserved rest.

It was my husbands birthday yesterday and last night I cooked a nice steak dinner (steak, asparagus and mushrooms) and he allowed himself a little piece of store bought cheese cake, of which I had a bite, of course. We went to a movie as well which was a nice night out.

So It seems that as of late, I am once again struggling to find my balance. Balancing work, home, life and gym time was the hardest part of my competition prep and I tend to have difficulty with everything if I am not organized and prepared.

So how did this start for me this time round?

Well as you all know I work 11 hour days for 9 days straight. A typical day has my alarm going off at 4:30am; I am at work by 6ish (dependent on traffic) and leaving work by 5pm. From there, I am heading straight to the gym for my hour (hour and a half sometimes) workout (usually arriving at 6pm) and then home for a quick bite to eat before doing it all over again.

These days from the moment I place my feet on the floor at 4:30am, I am non-stop and I feel like I haven't a chance to catch my breath, leaving me feeling exhausted.

I think I have started to feel like this again because with going out of town last weekend and not getting home until late, I had no time to complete meal prep before going back to work. therefore, before you know it, your week is in full swing and you are prepping things every night. No good, no good at all because it left nights where I wasn't getting to bed before 11pm. 

11pm when you get up at 4:30am is not enough sleep especially with the intense workouts I have been doing. Cooking isn't the only struggle this week; there is also laundry to do and cleaning house and uggggg so much.

Needless to say I know what has worked for me and I have to continue to do it the way I have always done. Sunday's are always meal prep days as well as training rest day, and on my working weekend, I sometimes leave work early to get home and get the meals started. I will get myself back on track tomorrow. 

We are going out of town again next weekend but as long as we get home early enough, I shouldn't be stuck in this rut again next shift. Fingers crossed. 

So how to do you find your balance and do you prepare all your food for the week ahead of time?

Grilled Tex Mex Chicken

Another great meal recipe with Chicken

Grilled Tex Mex Chicken

4 chicken breast
1 cup salsa
1/3 cup low fat cheddar cheese (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, chili powder, basil and oregano
1 diced green and red pepper
1 tsp lime juice
salt and pepper

1. mix salsa, olive oil, spices and lime juice together
2. Cut up chicken and peppers; place in salsa mixture
3. Cover and marinate overnight
4. Place in foil, create a foil pocket, add some marinate and cook for approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. sprinkle with cheese (optional) and serve

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Coconut Cups

Happy Friday Everyone!

Last night I tried a couple of new recipes that I will be sharing with you today.

This one is a nice coconut and chocolate treat plus it's gluten free and follows the paleo diet.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Treats

Makes 12 cups

Coconut filling:
2 1/2 cups unsweetened finely shredded coconut
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup (could also use honey, coconut nectar, etc)

Chocolate topping:
6 ounces 100% unsweetened organic dark chocolate (bakers chocolate)
1 tbso coconut oil
1/3 cup maple syrup (could also use honey, coconut nectar, etc)

In mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the coconut filling and mix together until combined. Evenly divide into a muffin pan, pressing tightly. Place in freezer and freeze until hard about 30 minutes.

While the coconut filling cools, melt dark chcolate with coconut oil. Either in a double boiler on the stove or in the microwave. After it is melted together and combined, remove from heat and add in maple syrup. Stir well.

Remove your muffin pan from the freezer and divde chocolate mixture over the each coconut cup. Place back into the freezer and freeze until chocolate is frozen and set about 30 minutes.

To remove from pan just slide a knife around the outside of the treat and it will easily pop out.

Store them in the freezer or in the fridge depending on your preference.

**Note: for me, a 1/4 cup maple syrup in the coconut filling made them too sweet, I would try a smaller amount first and add more if necessary**

Enjoy! Hope you have a great weekend!