Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Eating Clean is not say for people like me. The people who don't like to sit down and plan what they are going to eat. I understand the concept of meal planning, I do, but up until now i have never done it. 

Since deciding that one of my "realsolutions" was to cook dinner 3 times a week, I thought I should find some items that maybe all of us could eat. I had to do some research because most meatloaf recipes have some type of oat/oatmeal as a binder and we are still trying to eat mostly Paleoish when we can. Hubs really likes a red pepper and sweet potato soup so I knew that flavor combination would work together. 

I started by shredding my sweet potato and dicing my red pepper.

After the veggies were shredded and diced, I added them into my ground turkey.

Then I added in my eggs and almond meal

And then I added in my ketchup and barbecue sauce (i just used what we had in the house) and the spices.

I mixed all my ingredients together and then scooped them into 12 muffin tins that I sprayed with coconut oil spray. 

Place it in your 350 degree preheated oven and bake them for 40 minutes (or until they are brown and crispy on top. 

I let them sit for 5 minutes in the pan just to make sure they were cooked all the way through (you know I usually have things come out raw!) I used a knife to cut around the edges and out they all came- perfectly done!! 

They were a little crispy around the edges but I won't be taking anyone to the ER for salmonella so that is a major WIN!!! The flavor was actually really good which I was concerned about since I kinda made this up as I went (something will never change). 

Now I have a clean and healthy protein for my week. If you are doing the 21 day fix or 21 day fix extreme the ratio of one would be 1 red and 1/2 yellow per each meatloaf muffin. 

Enjoy!!!

Ingredients

2 1b lean ground turkey 

2 farm fresh egg

1 cup almond meal

1 sweet potato, peeled and grated

1/2 red bell pepper diced 

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup ketchup 

1/4 cup bbq sauce 

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your muffin tin.  You can also grease them with some coconut oil/animal fat of your choice.

Mix all your ingredients in a large bowl and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty! They’re the best mixing tools we have!

Divide meat mixture among 12muffin tin cups. Bake for 40 minutes (or until brown and a little bit crispy on top).

Insanely Grateful to the Max

I have been a sappy mess today! It's the same feeling I had after my first half marathon and after I completed the Dopey Challenge. It's that sense that I completed something that at one point in time I thought was impossible. 

The changes in my body are subtle compared to the changes to my mind and to my spirit. When I finished Dopey in January 2014, I was burned out! I had done something that few other people could say that had done and my body didn't want to do it again. I was depressed and I didn't know what I was going to do. I couldn't continue running crazy amounts of miles for crazy amounts of hours per week. My family needed my time and I felt guilty giving that time to myself. Beachbody and Shaun T literally saved me! That sound dramatic even to me but it is so true. I had never done an at home program (except for my treadmill ��) and I had never consistently cross trained. I had gotten a challenge pack with FocusT25 and it sat in that box for at least six months until that day when I just didn't want to run anymore but I needed to do something. I'm giving you a little of my backstory so please bear with me. 

FocusT25 gave me results that I had never seen before and muscles in my legs that I didn't even know I needed to help me run faster. It also showed me that there was another way. 

Fast forward to the release of Insanity Max:30. The name insanity scared the crap out of me! I had seen the original version and my mind said "oh no - NOT ME!" but this was a shorter version right? It was only 30 minutes and I was "allowed" to take breaks. I had learned focus and now I needed to gain my power. So, I ordered it and couldn't wait to get started. 

From Day 1, Shaun tells you that he believes in you and that you CAN do it and somewhere around day 10 you start believing that you just might be able to do this! You keep pushing play, you drink your Shakeology, and you SEE your body transforming. I told a friend of mine that I was extremely glad that I had the photos to see my transformation because that stupid scale DID NOT MOVE and for the first time in my life it doesn't matter. That number that I used to define myself by for so long, it's just that- a number. That number doesn't show how many push-ups I can do or how I am able to do tuck jumps, it doesn't show the confidence I have gained or the joy I have for sharing my story of hope with others. That number means nothing! 

I was able to finish month 1 feeling on top of the world and then I pushed play on month 2! To say that I felt a bit defeated can't even express my feelings enough. The entire time Shaun was beating my body down though he was lifting my spirit up. He kept telling me that I could do it and you know what... I DID! I might have "maxed out" but that was the whole point right? Learning to see your limits and trying to overcome them. 

I will probably never meet Shaun but I want to be him for someone. I want to be able to help people believe that even if it's hard, they can get through. He didn't just give me a six pack (which I won't be giving back) but he gave me peace. He gave me strength and the courage to step out of hiding in the background. I couldn't say thank you enough to him because as cheesy as it sounds, my life isn't the same anymore.

I think that we all are trying to live as best as we can and for those 30 minutes every day, I could just be me- Jama, not a mom or a wife, I could be the athlete that I always knew I could be but that I never knew I was.

If you are scared to fail... don't be. You will fail, it's a guarantee but through the failure you will see who you we always meant to be! So thank you Shaun for showing me who I could become and for always believing in me- even though we may never meet you have changed me and I am eternally grateful! 

Egg White Veggie Muffin Cups

Breakfast for me is always SHAKEOLOGY!!!

That  doesn't mean that it is for everyone else in the family! Hubs really likes to have his for lunch so I have been trying to find a good recipe for egg white muffins and I finally found one that worked for all of us. Hubs has been working hard with Les Mills Pump for the last 5 weeks, so I will do just about anything to help him stay on track, which includes cooking!

Here is the recipe for Egg White Muffins.


Ingredients:

Coconut Oil Spray (i used olive oil Pam, I find that the coconut oil one doesn't work as well)
24 egg whites
12 spears asparagus
1 cup spinach trimmed
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper (to taste)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven 350.
2. Spray Muffin Tin with spray (of your choice)
3. Whisk egg whites together with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
4. Pour into prepared muffin tin evenly. (make sure you have equal amounts per tin or they will not each come out right)
5. Add Asparagus to each egg white muffin.
6. Add Spinach to each egg white muffin.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes or until egg whites are set.
8. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
9. Serve warm or save in the fridge for a quick and easy grab and go meal.

These exceeded my expectations!! You can use any vegetables that you want but we always need more green veggies so that is what I chose to do this time. I think next time I would cut the spinach up before placing it in the egg white mixture so that there weren't just huge piles of spinach (although it does look pretty in the photos :))

Citrus Bison Meatballs

SO I HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN TRYING TO THINK OUTSIDE OF MY BOX WHEN IN THE KITCHEN. CONSIDERING I AM NOT THE BEST COOK (AT ALL) I HAVE BEEN RELYING HEAVILY ON BEING TEACHABLE AND FOLLOWING RECIPES TO A TEE! 

ONE OF THE INGREDIENTS THAT I HAVE BEEN SUPER SURPRISED THAT I LIKE IS BISON. I HAVE NEVER BEEN A HUGE MEAT EATER BUT THE FLAVOR AND LOW FAT CONTENT HAS REALLY GOT ME HOOKED. I WAS DEFINITELY UNSURE ABOUT THE FLAVOR COMINATION IN THIS RECIPE BUT THE SAUCE WAS AMAZING!!!! IT WAS NOT OVERWHELMINGLY ORANGE BUT THE AMINOS AND GINGER ALL WORKED (WHO KNEW? CHEFS...CHEFS KNOW!)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• ½ yellow onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 2 pounds ground bison 
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 orange, juiced (about ½ cup)
• ¼ cup liquid aminos
• INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat half of the coconut oil in the bottom of a skillet on medium heat. When the oil is melted and the pan is hot, add the onion, and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for a minute, just until fragrant. Remove from heat and place onion mixture into a bowl. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

  
  

  

  When the onion mixture has cooled, add it to a large bowl with the ground bison, thyme, and salt. Gently mix with your hands until everything is well incorporated. Form into 1-1/2" meatballs (about 20 total).

  

  Place the rest of the coconut oil in the bottom of the skillet you used for the onions on medium heat. When the oil is melted and the pan is hot, add the meatballs. Brown for three minutes on one side, flip, and add the orange juice and liquid aminos. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until cooked throughout. Remove from pan and set aside.

  

  Leave the remaining juices in the pan and turn up to medium-high heat. Let the sauce reduce about ½, about 5-10 minutes

  

  Serve and enjoy!!

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  1. Heat half of the coconut oil in the bottom of a skillet on medium heat. When the oil is melted and the pan is hot, add the onion, and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for a minute, just until fragrant. Remove from heat and place onion mixture into a bowl. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
  2. When the onion mixture has cooled, add it to a large bowl with the ground bison, thyme, and salt. Gently mix with your hands until everything is well incorporated. Form into 1-1/2" meatballs (about 20 total).
  3. Place the rest of the coconut oil in the bottom of the skillet you used for the onions on medium heat. When the fat is melted and the pan is hot, add the meatballs. Brown for three minutes on one side, flip, and add the orange juice and liquid aminos. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until cooked throughout. Remove from pan and set aside.
  4. Leave the remaining juices in the pan and turn up to medium-high heat. Let the sauce reduce about ½, about 5-10 minutes.
  5. Serve and ENJOY!!!

Best Paleo Sweet Potatoes EVER!!!!

As an athlete, I know that my body NEEDS carbohydrates to fuel my workouts. In th past, I would have reached for anything available but since we decided to eat paleo I haven't been fueling my workouts properly and I have been feeling it! Even though I am eating lots of veggies (green ones) my body needs FUEL so today I decided I would prep some mashed sweet potatoes and went in search of a good recipe.

I found one that I liked that had ingredients I never would have thought to put together.
The outcome was AMAZING and I couldn't be happier.

If you have been following me for any length of time, you know that I am not the best in the kitchen. I have been known to ruin dozen of eggs with improper boiling and I have burned more meals than I would like to count but this recipe is super simple with limited ingredient and it tastes fabulous. 

I started by cutting up my sweet potatoes

I placed them in the pot to boil and let them go about 20 minutes

When they were done, I drained them and set them aside to cool.

I added about a quarter cup of coconut butter and let it melt. I added my sliced banana and let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring ever so often. 

Next I added the juice of 2 Halo oranges and let it cook about a minute.

I added the sweet potatoes back into the pot with 1/3 cup organic honey 1/4 cup vegetable stock and cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. 

I mashed it all up until it was nice and smooth - let it cool a little bit and then portioned it out in my yellow containers so I didn't eat the entire pot! 

Healthy doesn't have to be bland!

3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/4 cup coconut butter

1 banana, sliced

2 halo orange juiced

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/3 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Salt and pepper

DirectionsBoil potatoes until tender, drain and reserve. Return the pot to the stove top over medium heat. Add butter and bananas to the pot. Cook bananas 5 minutes and add the juice of 2 orange to the pot,  Allow the juice to cook out, 1 minute. Add potatoes to the pot and the stock and honey. Mash potatoes, banana, stock and honey together until well combined. Season with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to your taste. Mash to combine spices and serve.