24 Day Challenge: Day 18 & 19

On Day 18, it hit me that in one week we'd be off the challenge and I'd finally get to have some wine, chocolate, cheese, & bread! Oh, my dear long lost friends, how I yearn to be in your presence again. Ok, to be honest, I don't really miss them all that much. That doesn't mean I'm not going to have each and every one of those delicious treats I've been avoiding for the last 18 days, but it does give me hope that maintaining my goals post challenge won't be as difficult as I'd imagined. I've committed to maintaining our healthy eating habits 80% on/ 20% off post challenge. That means that for 20% of the time, I get to eat all of those delicious things. And on day 25, I'm having each and every one of them!

For now, the only treat I've been having, besides all of the yummy recipes I've been making, is the daily AdvoCare Meal Replacement Shake. As depressing as that sounds, AdvoCare has really done a great job at making those things pretty satisfying. In high school, I tried SlimFast and not only were they not very filling, but they also weren't that tasty. The MRS from AdvoCare is a great addition to the plan, especially for someone with a sweet tooth. As mentioned before, I am more of a savory person, so I chose the vegetarian dark chocolate version, while Alice decided to go with the Milk Chocolate & Mocha flavor. She thought this would help her when she started missing her Starbucks espresso drinks, and I think they have done just that. The MC&M ones are a little too sweet for me, but the Dark Chocolate one has just the right amount of sweetness and dark intensity. Alice also ordered the Meal Replacement Bars so that she could switch her breakfast up every couple days. These only come in one flavor, Chocolate Peanut Butter, but they are surprisingly good. I actually don't really like meal/snack bars. Not really sure why, but I just prefer a drink to a bar. However, I did try one and although I would prefer to have the shakes, they are pretty good.  They are smooth and a little denser than nougat, and are only slightly sweeter than a candy bar. I'm probably going to go back to eggs and oatmeal post 24DC, but Alice has decided that this is the perfect breakfast for her busy school schedule.

























For dinner on day 18, I came up with a delicious use of the shrimp taco leftovers (mainly out of necessity, because I ran out of tortillas). As I ended up with more filling than filling holders, I decided to create something inspired by my favorite Chipotle dish...the bowl! I looked around the fridge and sure enough I had some leftover quinoa from my soup recipe, so I went to work.

Chili & Lime Roasted Cauliflower & Shrimp Quinoa Bowls

Makes ~ 4 servings

Ingredients

• 16 oz Chili Shrimp, cooked
• 1 Avocado, cubed
• 1 head Cauliflower, trimmed into florets
• 1 tbsp Chili Powder
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 Bunch Cilantro, chopped
• 2 Cups Quinoa, cooked
• 2 Limes, quartered

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Place the cauliflower, olive oil, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chili flakes, & salt (to taste) in a gallon ziplock bag. Toss the bag around to coat. Dump the contents onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast the cauliflower for about 30 mins, or until brown around the edges. When finished, squeeze lime over the top and sprinkle with cilantro.
2. Build your bowl by scooping 1/2 cup of Quinoa onto your plate, top w/ about 1 cup of roasted cauliflower, 4 oz of chili shrimp, 1/4 of an avocado, and extra cilantro & lime to taste.
3. Yum Yum Leftovers!

I also had a great talk with my two challenge coaches on day 18 to discuss what products I wanted to continue with post 24DC. These talks with your coach are so important on day 18 so that you can determine what your post 24DC goals are and so that you can place your order in time to make sure you're ready to go on day 25. I've been having these chats with them on and off through out the challenge to ask any questions and also report back my progress. It helps talk to someone who's been through the challenge before to get tips and encouragement. My coaches have been amazing, and I only hope that when I get to coach someone through for the first time, that I can be as helpful to them as Karen & Mike have been to me. More about what I'll continue with on day 25's post...

Finally the end of the week had come and I had some exciting plans! A friend of mine that I hadn't seen since high school was in town for work and we were not going to let this opportunity for a reunion get passed us. I LOVE when people take advantage of a good time. I knew seeing this guy would be such a great flashback and indeed it was, buy I also knew that the best way for us to get together would be to go out to dinner. And while on the challenge, that could prove to be difficult. However, I'd done it before at the House of Blues so I figured I could do it again. I found a restaurant on Yelp in Newport Beach  called Sol Grill that had lots of fresh seafood options that I knew would keep me on track. And I was right! 

We had some delicious seared ahi tuna and steamed mussels for appetizers and then I had a tender swordfish fillet with pineapple salsa, rice and sautéed veggies. So so yummy, and virtually guilt free! Even with wine, creamy pasta, and fresh bread with dipping oil within arm's reach, I resisted and still enjoyed Sarah & Jonathan's High School Reunion. After dinner, we went for a walk down the beach so my inland east coast friend could enjoy a little Pacific salt water air. While walking down the beach, we ran into a gelato shop that the group just couldn't resist. Usually, I'm not the one who requests desserts, however, if someone else indulges I do too. As I'm looking at all the flavors and imagining all the sugar held within each bite, I look up and saw that they also served fresh pressed juice!!! What a wonderful surprise that allowed me the satisfation of social "desserting", while not breaking my pledges for the challenge. Thank you Il Gelato, Newport Beach for offering that delightful "Red Cure". It was just what the Dr. ordered!

The rest of the weekend was pretty low key, but I was looking forward to planning the rest of the menu for our LAST week on the challenge!!! Stay tuned cause these will definitely be some of your favorites!

24 Day Challenge: Day 16 & 17

At work, we have full staff meetings every other Tuesday. I tell you this to tell you that every other Tuesday used to be my favorite day at work. That is, before I gave up gluten for the 24DC...Usually, each week I avoid the team meeting bagels for about...5 mins. Then I'm like, fuck it, I'm going to eat the bagel. Who cares. YOLO. Eat the bagel. And since I'm living by YOLO code, I'm going to eat the one with white flour, cheddar cheese baked on top, and smother it with cream cheese. However, this week is day 16, and I've been doing SO well that I ACTUALLY had the willpower to resist. I looked at those plates of bagels and knew that they definitely weren't worth wrecking all the good work I'd done for the last two weeks. It sounds really pathetic, but this was a huge accomplishment for me. Feels like the first day of eating to live to me. And that feels so damn good.

I also have a much shorter commute every other Tuesday because of a meeting I go to in downtown LA. I tell you this not because it's at all interesting, but to explain how I got home in time to make this delicious smoothie for my afternoon snack. For this one, I started with 140g of frozen strawberries in the blender. Then I added 2 tbsp of PB2, 2 tbsp of cocoa powder, 3/4 tsp of Truvia, and 3/4 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. After it's blended, stir in 1 tbsp of chia seeds. I do this afterwards because once they rehydrate you end up having to pick each one off the side of the blender while cleaning it. It may sound strange, but it was like a Reese's PB Cup dipped strawberry. I mean, for someone who hasn't had sugar in 16 days it does.


As if bagel day wasn't bad enough, our kitchen often has some delicious homemade treat freshly baked on the counter in the morning. Wednesday was no exception. After a great session at the gym, I walked into work feeling pretty confident, and there they were. Warm, gooey s'mores bars. I don't know who made them or why, but there they were, staring me in face. Luckily, I came prepared with one of my favorite protein packed morning snacks...angel eggs!! These delicious savory treats have helped keep me on track so many times during these last 17 days. To be fair, I prefer savory to sweet, but if I hadn't had these with me, I would have definitely had a bite of these. Since eggs are full of protein, they also help keep me full, and from far away from temptation.

Although I've vowed to stop using food as a reward, I did decide to reward myself a little with a few extra carbs at dinner. Everything was still within the 24DC guidelines, but normally we try and have the majority of our carbs at breakfast/lunch instead of at dinner. Since I'd been to the gym this morning though, I had a little more wiggle room, so I treated myself. This meal would be a perfect addition to your #tacotuesday repertoire.

Chili Lime Shrimp Tacos w/ Sriracha Mayo

Makes ~4 servings
Ingredients

• 1 lb Peeled Shrimp
• 1 tbsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 small head Green Cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 bunch Cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado
• 2 tbsp Mayo
• 2 tsp Sriracha
• 16 Corn Tortillas, "slider" sized

1. Heat a cast iron (or nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat for 2 mins. While it's heating, dry the shrimp on some paper towels and add them to a gallon ziplock bag. Add the chili and garlic powders, and salt to taste to the bag, seal it, and toss them around to coat. 
2. Add the oil to the skillet, and then sauté the shrimp until cooked through, about 3-4 mins.  
3. Toast the tortillas in a hot nonstick pan until they start to get some color and become pliable. 
4. Mix together the mayo and Sriracha in a bowl. 
5. Build the tacos as follows: tortilla, shrimp, squeeze of lime, avocado, cilantro, cabbage, & spicy mayo. Enjoy!

As you can see, I also had a little chips and salsa and some mineral water to wash it all down. I like mineral water because it isn't as bubbly as seltzer/club soda, and it's also a nice break from the 96 oz of still water I've been trying to drink each day. Stick around for the next post because I've got some delicious plans for this shrimp for day 18...

24 Day Challenge: Day 14 & 15

Although Sunday is always a day of weekly planning and preparation in our home, since starting the 24DC, meal prep has become an even larger portion of the day. For some, this sounds hellish, but for me, it's a really relaxing way to be productive. There's something about getting to spend the day in the kitchen cooking that calms me. It reminds me of summer time at my grandparent's house and my grandmother constantly working on the next meal. Meal prep not only allows me to wax nostalgic, it also gives me more quality time during the week to spend with my wife, which in our household is more precious than gold since we get so little.

On that note, here is the plan for the week:

On day 14, I made 2 delicious recipes that I found on Pinterest and only slightly altered. Linked are the originals, but here are my alterations:

Lemony Chicken & Spring Veggie Soup
Makes ~ 10, 2 Cup servings
~213 Calories, 6g Fat, 14g Carbs, 3g Fiber, & 26g Protein

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Large Sweet Onion (Vidalia/Texas), chopped
• 4 Large Carrots, chopped
• 5 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas
• 4 Small Zucchini, chopped
• 2 tsp Lemon Zest
• 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Basil, chiffonade
• 1 tsp Marjoram, dried
• 1 tsp Rosemary, dried
• 1 tsp Thyme, dried
• 1 tsp Oregano, dried
• 8 Cups Chicken Broth
• 4 Cups Vegetable Broth
• 3 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Cooking Directions

1. Put a medium pot over medium-high heat and place the broths and chicken breasts in it. Bring the broth to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. About 15-20 mins. Once the chicken is finished, shred each breast with two forks.
2. While the chicken is cooking, place a large stockpot over medium heat and warm it up for about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil to the heated pan and then add the onion, carrots, & garlic. 
3. Sauté until tender or about 5 mins. Add salt & pepper to taste, and the herbs and stir to combine. 
4. Add the chicken and vegetable broths to the sautéed veggies, and simmer for about 10 mins, or until the carrots are soft. 
5. Turn off the heat and add the shredded chicken, peas, zucchini, lemon zest, & lemon juice and allow the peas to heat through for about 4 mins. 
6. To serve, add 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa to the bottom of a bowl and serve the soup overtop. Sprinkle the basil over top of the soup and enjoy. 

Kielbasa & Cabbage Skillet

Makes ~ 5 Servings

~319 Calories, 16g Fat, 22g Carbs, 4g Fiber, & 26g Protein

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Small Head Green Cabbage, chopped
• 1 Large Sweet Onion (Vidalia/Texas), chopped
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 tsp Course Ground Dijon Mustard
• 26 oz (2 pkgs) Hillshire Farm Turkey Kielbasa
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron (or nonstick) pan over medium-high and add kielbasa. Cook, without stirring for 1 minute. Then stir occasionally for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.
2. In the same pan with some of the rendered kielbasa fat, add the cabbage, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt & black pepper to taste. Stir to combine and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Mix in the vinegar and mustard; add the sausage back to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes to heat through.
4. Serve immediately.

On day 15, I started the morning with a GREAT Crossfit session. I've never really done a great job at keeping track of my progress, mainly because before January I wasn't that consistent in even attending, but recently I've been trying to be more aware of my PRs (personal records) so that I can make sure that I'm actually making progress. I really am not that in to competition with others, but there's nothing wrong with being in competition with myself. 

So any who, after a great session, and because the challenge has me feeling AMAZING, I decided that I just couldn't stand to sit at a desk all day long any more. However, since I can't just quit my job, I needed a solution. Thankfully, we had some standing desk set ups at work that most people had abandoned. Setting it up really helped keep me engaged more and instantly helped my posture that had been creating some discomfort in my neck and shoulders. 

Another sign of progress that I noticed on day 15 was the way my favorite outfit was fitting. Everything about it made me look as though I was a little kid swimming in my older sibling's hand me downs. Kind of hard to notice in this picture, but trust me, it used to cling MUCH more! This is one of my outfits that I usually have to wait until the end of the day to be comfortable in, but this morning might be the last time this outfit has the pleasure of draping itself around me! It feels absolutely incredible to be seeing such change in just two weeks. Seeing this progress was exactly what I needed to keep me from feeling bummed that I was missing out on so many April temptations: Easter candy, National Beer Month, & Grilled Cheese Month!

Something else I've been thinking of is how to resist gorging on these kind of holidays in the future that are so centered around unhealthy food/drink. Any time I find myself in front of a table of goodies, I tend to not be able to control myself for some kind of irrational fear that I may never get to have these things again. I'm not entirely sure why this is, but it happens nonetheless. I once read in a magazine that some super model reported that the only way she could enjoy having dessert, without it affecting her waist line, was to only indulge in ONE bite. At first I thought this was crazy, but a coworker of mine and I were discussing it and she felt like this could make sense if you thought about it this way: any FIRST bite of something is definitely the best bite of the item because it's the first time you're tasting it. Now that doesn't necessarily mean that if you ate a whole piece of say chocolate cake then only the first bite would taste good, but all the subsequent bites couldn't possibly taste AS GOOD as the first time you tasted it. Kind of like when you hear a drug addict use the term "Chasing the Dragon". Food can be as addictive for some as narcotics. Certainly the results of those addictions are very different, but it's still not a good addition to have. So, I've decided that from here on out I will apply restraint by indulging only in the "Dragon bite". I have to learn how to eat to live not live to eat. 

24 Day Challenge: Day 12 & 13

So, I'm starting to fall behind in these blogs, and I'm sure you're sick of ready each and every one of my steps so in an effort to catch up, I'm going to cut the narrative and just give you the cliff notes version:

Friday night:
Went to a social event at Alice's school with yummy looking mini sandwiches, and we resisted!! Wore an old dress that fit better than ever and felt amazing and confident! Resisted the urge to binge on junk food there and on the way home, and had some leftover tilapia & zucchini that kept me on track.

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Saturday:
Had lunch in LA and found a delicious seared tuna salad that kept me on course, skipped my run, but played mini golf in the hot hot sun for 2 hours so that counts a little as exercise right? Ended the night with a "framily dinner" that was not only delicious, but also 24DC approved!! It is quite possibly my favorite one thus far, so get your shopping lists out because you're gonna wanna make this!!

Grilled Fish Tacos w/ Mexican Fruit Salad

2 lbs of Swai or Tilapia

1 Naval Orange
1 Lemon
3 Limes
1 Bunch of Cilantro
6 Garlic Cloves
Mini Corn Tortillas
Head of Green Cabbage
5 Roma Tomatoes
2 Green Onions
1/2 White Onion
2 Serrano Peppers
1 Avocado
Tortilla Chips
Sriracha Mayo
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1/2 Small Seedless Watermelon
1/2 Large Jicama
2 Naval Oranges
2 Limes
1 Mango
1 Large Cucumber
Tajin Seasoning to taste

1. Marinate the fish in the juice of the orange, lemon, 1 lime, 3 garlic cloves, & 1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro for no more than 1 hour.
2. Grill the fish for about 4 mins on each side on/in a grill pan on the grill.
3. Chop up the avocado, cabbage, and remaining cilantro.
4. To make the salsa, chop the onions, tomatoes, remaining garlic, & peppers and throw into a deep bowl. Pulse the salsa with an immersion blender until you reach your desired consistency. I like NO chunks. Add 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, juice from 1 lime, and some salt.
5. Warm the tortillas on the grill or on a flat pan on the stove. Always have a few extra in case you're like me and inevitably burn a few.
6. To make the fruit salad, chop up all of the fruit/veggies into equal size pieces and throw into a bowl. For the oranges, peel them, and then run your knife on either side of the edge of the segments to remove each segment. (Here's a video for the visual.) Squeeze the juice from the remaining orange pulp and the juice from 1 lime over the salad. Sprinkle tajin seasoning to taste on your portion of salad.

And that is it!! Build the tacos as you like, but remember not to fill them too full! This made 4 portions of tacos and about 8 portions of fruit salad. This fruit salad was the brain child of our friend Jeannie, and is BEYOND delicious. It's light, refreshing, and best of all 24DC approved. I even love how it has veggies in it! It will definitely be a summer time favorite of mine from now on! Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

24 Day Challenge: Day 10 & 11

Day 10 marks the last day of the Cleanse Phase, and the last day of the fiber drinks. Although they didn't really bother me at all, I will be glad to be move on to the dark chocolate meal replacement shake. Today we just had leftovers for dinner, so since I slept through Crossfit this morning, I made up my run. However, since I knew my run would take about 30 mins, thank you C25K app, I did throw a few sweet potatoes in the oven to have as a back up side for later in the week. To make the sweet potato, I turned the oven on 450°, pierced the potatoes a few times with a fork, placed them in foil, and before I sealed up the foil I topped each one with a tablespoon of coconut oil. I put these in the oven, set the timer for one hour, and took off on my run.

Although this was the last run of the week, it still didn't seem much easier. Hopefully as the weeks go on, the intervals will help build up my endurance. Cardio has always been my weakness when it comes to fitness. When I finally made it back to the house, I organized all of our products to get ready for the MAX PHASE!!!

I also made a call to one of my coaches to check in and see if I needed to make any changes to my schedule for the new phase. During my conversation with her, she asked if it'd be weighing myself the next morning. If you remember from day 1, I decided to put the scale away and only weigh myself on day 1 and 24. I thought that the surprise of the full results would be most exciting. However, my coach suggested that since this was my first challenge, I might want to see which phase produced the most progress for me. Since I was ÜBER curious to know if I'd lost any weight, I agreed with her sound logic and got the scale out for the next morning.

On the morning of day 11, I jumped out of bed and ran to the scale like a little kid on Christmas morning running to her stocking. Ok, I stopped to pee first, cause you know every little bit helps. I knew that something had happened because I could tell in the way my clothes were starting to feel, but I wasn't totally sure. Moment of truth. I stepped on the scale, and held my breath...then immediately blew it out because that might add a little weight. Five pounds down!!! Five pounds in 10 days. 1/2 a pound a day (approx). Even though I'd seen others reporting a bigger weight loss, I was really pleased with this progress. I know that I didn't put this weight on overnight, or even over the course of one year, so it's going to be a long journey to where I want to be. So, to lose 5 lbs over 10 days was super satisfying for me.

So after an encouraging trip to the scale, I ran off to Crossfit where I saw even more progress! Today we worked on finding our personal record for front squats. Although to be fair I haven't been really good at keeping track of my progress in Crossfit, the last thing I'd had recorded was 155lb. Well I don't know if it was my natural high from my weight loss progress, or it it's the Catalyst working, but I hit 190lb for my front squat and could have probably done more. What a great first day of the Max Phase! If today is any indication of how the rest of the phase is going to go: I CAN HARDLY WAIT!

Tonight for dinner, I kept it nice and simple with some grilled tilapia and zucchini. Here's the recipe:

Red Thai Curry Tilapia & Grilled Zucchini

1 lb. of Tilapia

Pampered Chef Red Thai Curry Seasoning

4 Medium Zucchini, sliced into long strips

Cooking Spray

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Heat your grill up to medium high heat and get out your grill pan. Once the grill is ready, put the grill pan on the grill and spray it with cooking spray. Sprinkle the RTC seasoning on the tilapia and the LP seasoning on the zucchini. Grill the tilapia and the fish for about 3-4 mins on each side. You don't want any of it to char, but you want it to get some nice color. Remove the fish and the zucchini and enjoy immediately. This makes about 3 servings. 

24 Day Challenge: Day 8 & 9

Day 8 was my first night away from home since I started the challenge. Every Monday, I work later hours so I spend the night with my cousin to avoid an even LONGER commute, and to get in some quality time with him. These 2 man kiki's are a big stress reliever for me, and usually a night off for trying to eat healthy. Since I don't spend much time in LA, other than driving through it to get to work and back home, I really enjoying going out to restaurants that I've been dying to try on Monday nights. I usually justify this as a treat night, although I'd then go home and make not so healthy meals for the rest of the week too. But this week was different.

I've really been feeling very confident and dedicated to making it through this challenge as best as I can. So, I packed my home prepped meals, and prepared myself for temptation. But, the strange this is, it never came! My cousin made himself some DELICIOUS looking pasta w/ vodka sauce & fresh shredded parmesan, and believe you me, it looked and smelled amazing. But I wasn't tempted. I'm not sure if its my determination, the fact that we started the fiber drink back up again today, or a combination of both, but I saw the pasta and I didn't feel that longing that I normally do when I see food I know I shouldn't eat, but usually end up caving in to anyway.

Also, as I was watching him cook, I noticed his box of baking soda in the cabinet, and suddenly realized that since I began the challenge, I'd not ONCE experienced any heartburn! I usually get heartburn about 4-5 times a week, and this week NOTHING! Even though I'd been eating peppers and tomatoes, I hadn't felt even a twinge of discomfort. When I brought this up with my cousin, he pointed out to me, that it is because I'd cut out gluten. I didn't even realize that gluten had been the culprit this whole time! I knew I'd probably lose some weight on this challenge, but I didn't know I'd also be dropping the one thing that keeps me popping Tums like they're M&Ms! Thank you 24DC for all your residual benefits!

I also learned today that when it comes time to do our next challenge, the Cleanse Phase will be a little bit easier to follow. Like I mentioned earlier, we're back on the Fiber drinks today after a few days off. The supplements we're taking have changed a little bit too. I'll let this video do most of the work for me, but in a nut shell, the new Cleanse Phase will offer an unflavored fiber drink (some people have issues with the peaches & cream and/or citrus flavor in combination with the drink's texture, although I find it nice), and you'll take all supplements and drinks each day instead of the skipping around.

Along with the lack of heartburn, day 9 also brought on a surprise. Now, if you can't handle talking about bodily systems, you might want to tune out now. Although this might be a little TMI, I'll keep the graphic nature to a minimum. Ok, so my "friend" usually makes her monthly visit on a very consistently regular schedule. I usually host her company every 32 days, which is a little longer than the normal 28 days, but since it's really consistent, my doctor doesn't seem to think it's a problem.

However, on the morning of day 9, my "friend" decided to show up on my doorstep unannounced 5 days early! I'm not exactly sure what this means, other than since I started the challenge, my cycle only took 26 days this time instead of 32! Could it be because of my diet? The supplements? The combo of both? I'm wondering if anyone else has ever experienced this? At this point, I'm not worried at all just interested to see if I go back to the old cycle after the challenge, or if this change is permanent? 

I was able to identify this change because of a really cool app I use to track my friend's visits. I know you're not at all surprised that I track something with an app, but if you aren't using this app, you should be! It's called "Clue" and it is great for tracking your cycle and for knowing when your ovulation cycles are as well. Although this isn't something I really need at this point, I'm sure it will come in handy once we decide to start trying to expand our family. It's also really great to be able to notice your body's patterns and report any changes to your doctor.

So again with the poorly placed segues, but now for the reason you all really came. On Tuesday night when I finally got back home, I spent the evening doing a little more food prep to get us through the week. Alice and I both really enjoy stir-fry. They are so easy and versatile. I'm not talking one that is covered in that sticky, sweet, thick sauce like you see at the Chinese restaurant. I'm speaking of the kind that has nice fresh vegetables, tender meat, and served over chewy wild rice. Yum! You can vary these ingredients until the cows come home, but here's how I did mine.

Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry

2 tbsp(s), Oil - Olive
1tbsp, Oil - Sesame
1tbsp(s), Cornstarch
319g(s), Onions (one large)
3 clove(s), Garlic
118.00 g(s), Carrots (2 large)
15oz(s), Steamed Sugar Snap Peas (from a bag)
613g(s), Bok Choy (1 bunch)
0.25 cup(s), Soy sauce
2 tbsp(s), Chili Garlic Sauce
1 tsp(s), Ginger, ground
740g(s), Broccoli- Steamed (about 2 small crowns)
774g(s), Chicken - Breast, meat only, raw

1. Heat up your pan for 2 mins on medium, and then add 1 tbsp ea. of Olive & Sesame Oil. Brown the chunked chicken breast until cooked through & then remove it from pan.
2. Chop and add the onions, garlic, & carrots to the pan and cook until tender.
3. Steam the broccoli & snap peas ahead of time for about 5 mins each. Add the steamed veggies, chicken, & chopped bok choy to the carrot mixture.
4. Top with Chili Garlic Sauce, Ginger, & Soy Sauce, and toss to combine. If you desire, add the 1 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with water to the sauce to thicken it.
5. Heat through and serve over wild rice. Easy peasy! I hope you enjoy this recipe and find many different variations of your own!

This recipe made about 8 servings and ran in at around 250 calories w/out the rice.

24 Day Challenge: Day 7

"It's been 1 week since we ate cheese, poured some beer in our mouth to start chugging!" Ok, yea, I was a Barenaked Ladies fan. Have your laugh. Are you done? Ok. One more? Alright. Can we move on now? Great. So Sundays in our house are our #choreday. Since we have only 3 hours each weeknight awake together, we really like make as much of that time together quality time. So Sunday is our get-ready-for-the-rest-of-the-week-by-doing-chores-meal prep-and-relaxing day.

I really took that last part a little too seriously this week, and skipped my run that was scheduled for the day. Hey, nobody's perfect. Trust me I gave myself enough grief over it I don't need to hear it from you too. Really though, I'm not going to beat myself up about it, I'll just make it up later. So along with chores and binge watching a little too much United States of Tara, I did make a delicious pot of chili big enough to feed our whole complex! I've never really been too impressed by the chili recipes I've tried, and to be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to like this one either, but man oh man was I wrong!

So, to tell you how to make this delicious pot of peppery goodness, we'll have to go back to Friday night. I knew that I was going to make Chili this Sunday, thanks to my handy dandy menu planner:

To prepare for my own personal chili-fest, I started on Friday night with the beans. You can use canned beans (1 can each) for this, however, if you're trying to watch your sodium intake then making them from dry is MUCH better for you, AND if you prefer your beans to have a little more texture to them then most definitely you'll need to make them from dry. I find canned beans to be really mushy and really bland. So, start with 1/2 lb. (1/2 a bag in most cases) each of dry black beans, kidney beans, and red (aka chili/adzuki) beans. Place them in a crockpot and cover them with a few inches of water. You're going to let these soak overnight to rehydrate them. If you really want your beans to retain their distinct colors, then soak the two red beans separate from the black. The black on black beans is water soluble, which means that when you soak them, a lot of the color is lost in the water, and in turn, can transfer to the other beans. I soaked them all together because hey, it's going into a pot of chili anyway so who cares, but I just thought I'd let you know.

The next morning, you can either dump the cooking water and replace it with fresh, or just go ahead and cook the beans in their bath water. The difference you ask? Well you see, when you rehydrate beans, the process also breaks down the gasses in the beans and releases those gasses into the bath water. If you prefer your beans to be a little less "musical" in your digestive system, then change the water before you cook them. If you enjoy a good concert in the key of F#, or are trying to save on your household's water consumption, then just go ahead and cook them. To cook the beans, put your crockpot on low for 4 hours, and walk away. Once the beans are cooked, drain the water and dump them into a container to wait for your chili prep.

Chili con Carne y Frijoles

Prep time: 15-20 mins
Cook time: 1-2 Hours
Total time: 2:30 Hours
Yield: 25.5 Cups = 17 Servings

Calories per serving: 242
Fat per serving: 5

Ingredients

• 320 g(s) Onions, chopped (1 large)
• 22 g(s) Garlic, minced (5 cloves)
• 275g(s) Peppers (I used 1 Anaheim, 1 Pasillo, 1 Serrano, & 2 Jalapeños, but you could use bell peppers to lower the spice level)
• 2 tbsp(s) Oil - Olive
• 1 lb(s) 93% Lean Ground Beef
• 0.25 cup(s) Chili Powder
• 2 tsp(s) Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp(s) Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp(s) Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp(s) Ground Coriander
• 533 g(s) Black Beans, cooked from 1/2 dry bag (or 1 can, drained & rinsed) 
• 533 g(s) Kidney Beans, cooked from 1/2 dry bag (or 1 can, drained & rinsed)
• 533 g(s) Adzuki Beans, cooked from 1/2 dry bag (or 1 can, drained & rinsed)
• 56 oz(s) Tomatoes - Crushed, canned (2 large cans) 
• 30 oz(s) Tomato products - Canned, sauce (2 regular cans)
• 32 oz(s) Water (+ more to thin)
• Salt (to taste- I used 2 tsp)
• Cilantro (optional)
• Avocado (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Heat an 8 qt stock pot over medium heat for about 2 mins. Chop onions, garlic, & peppers. Add olive oil to the hot pan (this will prevent your veggies from sticking) and add the veggies. Cook until tender (about 5 mins)
2. Remove the veggies from the pan into a bowl or plate, and add the ground beef. Cook until almost done, and then add all the spices and 1/4 cup of water. Simmer the beef in the spices for about 2 mins.
3. Add the cooked veggies, beans, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, 32 oz of water, & salt to the pot and stir to mix.
4. Cover & let simmer for 1-2 hours (the longer the better). Add water as needed to reach desired consistency.
5. Serve in 1.5 Cup portions w/ chopped cilantro & 1/4 an avocado.

So there is a lot of measuring and weighing that went into this recipe. You don't have to be so exact, but also know that if you follow this one, then you don't have to do all that work, because I already did it for you! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did both in taste, and in the amount of work it eliminates for you through out the week in preparing food! MMMM leftovers! 

24 Day Challenge: Day 6

It's the weekend!!! Day 6 and our first weekend on the Challenge is here. Since I knew we'd be going to celebrate our newly engaged friends at Downtown Disney for dinner at the House of Blues, I made it a point to make sure I got a run in this morning. I took Binki (our Beagle) with us this time, but we had a little leash malfunction so I dropped her off around halfway through. This run seemed a little easier than the first one, and I was very sore from Crossfit on Friday, so it really helped relax my sore muscles. Nothing helps stiff muscles more than moving them.

We're down to the bottom of the barrel for left overs, which is really exciting for me and you because that means Day 7 brings NEW RECIPES!!!!

The menu Day 5:

I also wasn't really sure how my willpower would stand up at the restaurant so I skipped my AM & PM snacks to save a little room for extra calories. Thinking back on this now, I probably should have HAD those snack because it would have helped keep me filled so that I wouldn't binge. Luckily, I'd researched the menu ahead of time, and we both found great choices to keep us on track.

Alice had blackened Salmon and I had Citrus Grilled Mahi Mahi. We both had sautéed sugar snap peas & asparagus with sweet potatoes on the side. Now, while your mouth is watering, I unfortunately don't have a picture, but it was beautiful. Probably the best Mahi Mahi I've ever had. The only noticeable problem when the dish was served was the portion size of the sweet potato fries. There were SOOOO many!! I mean, I could have built a railroad with all those ties! As everyone around us was clinking their drinks and eating their jalapeño cheddar cornbread with maple whipped butter, I was having a small panic attack about if I were going to be able to resist eating every single one of those little deep friend, bright orange railroad ties. Well, I am here to proudly tell you that I resisted!! And here's how I did.

We had to immediately tell our friends about the Challenge, because the first step of celebrating at a restaurant is.....ordering drinks. Alice spent about 15 mins smelling everyone's drinks as they passed them around for her olfactory pleasure. There were lots of "oh you can have just one" and "tonight doesn't count" going around, but we stayed strong. I mean, if you're only going to have one, what's the freakin point right? I was so proud of us both for resisting. Even Alice was like "no way man, we're like 25% through this thing and I'm not giving up now!" But I did have to promise that we'd recreate some of the drinks for our Day 25 celebration. Alice has already decided for Day 25 she wants my homemade Chicken Tikka Masala w/ Naan & Raspberry Margaritas!

Telling our friends about the challenge helped keep us accountable to ourselves when they were tempting us with those sweet and spicy concoctions. If we hadn't told them about it, I may have just given in, but I didn't want them to see us as quitters. And I also didn't want to throw away our progress. I realize this could get harder, but right now, I'm on top of the world, and I KNOW we can do this.

Come back for Day 7 recipes. They are going to be delicious!!

24 Day Challenge: Day 4 & 5

Day 4 & 5 were pretty much uneventful. It makes sense that some of the challenge days are going to be normal days. On top of that, we're getting to the end of the week, so a lot of our meals are becoming repeats of leftovers. In terms of the products, this Day 4 is the first day off the fiber drink and on the ProBiotic Restore™ ULTRA:. Neither Alice nor I feel any different, but we feel good. Still chugging along. Since nothing new is really happening, I'll get right to the recipe.

Here's the menu:

Day 4:

For Breakfast I made one of the taco bowls but I left out the rice and added one hard boiled egg. It would have been fine to have the rice, but I generally don't eat as big of a meal for breakfast so I cut it out. For lunch I used some of our leftover Tuscan chicken and steamed broccoli to build a delicious
Chicken Quinoa Kale Salad. I found this recipe on Pinterest for Lemon Quinoa Salad with Pistachios & Sun-Dried Tomatoes that looked delicious, so I added that to the salad for some carb energy. I did alter the recipe slightly so here's the recipe.

Quinoa Salad w/ Pistachios & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1 cup quinoa
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup shelled & chopped pistachios
1/2 bunch chopped flat-leaf parsley

Lemon Dijon Basil Vinaigrette

A few years ago I found this method for cooking quinoa which changed my life. Place the quinoa in a microwave bowl that either has a lid, or that you can tightly wrap with saran wrap. Cover the quinoa with 2 1/4 cups of water and then cover the bowl. Microwave the quinoa for about 13 mins or until you notice that all of the water is gone. Let it rest for 2 mins before you take off the lid. It will turn out nice and fluffy everytime!!

After the quinoa is done, add the tomatoes, pistachios, & parsley and mix. Since I added this quinoa to a salad, I left off the dressing until I made the salad. But if you wanted to eat the quinoa salad as a side dish with some chicken or salmon then just drizzle a little dressing on then.

Chicken Quinoa Kale Salad 

Lemon Dijon Basil Vinaigrette
4 oz Tuscan Chicken
1/2 Cup of the Quinoa Salad
3 oz of Steamed Broccoli
~2 Cups of Massaged Kale
I decided to assemble the salads using the mason jar method that is all over Pinterest right now. I'll say that I do like it, but you have to have bowl to pour it into, otherwise it'd be really hard to get all the flavors in one bite, which is pretty much my goal for everything I eat.

Start with the dressing on the bottom, then add the Tuscan chicken, the quinoa salad,  steamed broccoli, and fill the rest of the jar with massaged kale. What's massaged kale you ask? Pull the kale leaves off the stem and tear them into bite sized pieces. Then literally just massage the kale. Put it in a bowl and squeeze handfuls of it over and over until the kale turns a darker color. Massaging the kale turns this tough, bitter leaf into a nice soft, easily chewed addition to any salad.

Lemon Dijon Basil Vinaigrette

1/4 Cup of Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 Cup of Water

Juice from 1 Lemon
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 Cup of Basil
2 Tbsp of Parsley
1/4 Cup of Olive oil

Put all the ingredients, except the oil, in the blender and puree. With the blender on, pour the oil in slowly. I use 1/4 cup of this dressing for the Kale Salad because it's so much lower in calories. When using it for the Quinoa Salad 1-2 tbsp would be enough.

I was home on Day 4 so I decided to prepare a smoothie for my PM snack instead of veggies, which are more of an on the go snack. I bought some powdered peanut butter before we started the challenge, and I was really looking for to using it. I really love PB & J and since I'm cutting out wheat for the challenge I thought I'd try and recreate my favorite childhood snack in the smoothie. 

PB & J Smoothie

2 Tbsp PB2

140 g of Frozen Strawberries

3/4 Cup of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1/2 tsp of Truvia

Weigh the strawberries using your kitchen scale. Place those berries in your blender. Add two tablespoons of PB2, trivia, and the Almond Milk. Blend until smooth and enjoy as much as I did. 

Also on Day 4, I completed Week 1 Day 1 the Couch to 5k program I mentioned in Day 3 . Its an easy program to get beginners from couch potatoes to 5K distance runners in 8 weeks. I'd tried it before but weren't as committed. I did like it, and for someone who has never been good at running, it really does help ease you into it. They have a great app that you use that directs you through each session. I even took Bentley with me (our Yorkie) on the run as he too needs to lose a pound (hey it's a lot when you only weigh 11lbs!). Our vet advised me to ease him into exercise just like I would myself, so we did it together and we were both champs.

Day 5 meals were pretty much a repeat except that Alice and I got sucked into some Shrimp Ceviche when we went to the Baja Ranch Market. The deli counter guy told me the only ingredients were shrimp, cucumbers, red onion, and green salsa. It seemed safe, so we ate it. We also had it with a proper portion of tortilla chips. Normally we don't have carbs for dinner, but hey, it was Friday and we weren't having any Corona with our ceviche so we indulged a little.

We also had to go to the brewery where Alice interns to pick up her monthly employee gratis & discounted beer since we're stocking up for the wedding reception in June. Talk about incredibly difficult. Nothing like having 5 cases of your favorite beers in your trunk and not being able to drink any of it!! I'm actually really proud of us though. Although we really wanted it, we both are so committed to the challenge and our results that we aren't letting the temptations get us down. It feels so great to want something so bad that the temptations...don't really feel like temptations. It's a new feeling, but it feels oh so good. Day 6 will be a real testament of our will power though, as we venture into our first restaurant experience on the challenge. Tune in to see how we do. 

24 Day Challenge: Day 3

Day 3 of the challenge, and there's been a big breakthrough!! Well more like a blow out. Ok, yes, this is the point when you're going to hear about something we ALL do, so get over it for just a minute, and I promise I'll sugar coat it for you.

Apparently Day 3/4 is about the time when all that healthy eating and fiber drinks catch up with you. Well, more specifically Alice. I on the other hand have just been full of hot air! To ensure that I'm not talking behind her back (cause really, I wouldn't want to be caught dead back there right now), see exhibit A below (her post on our 24 DC Facebook group):

Per the comments that followed, this is apparently EVERYONE's favorite time in the cleanse. The fiber drinks take a break on day 3 and then come back in on days 8 through 10. When the fiber drinks stop, you start with the ProBiotic Restore™ ULTRA: supplements, which continue through to the end of the cleanse phase (day 10). I won't go into great detail here, but if you click on the link above, you can read more about how the probiotics work to help keep you, uh, regular. Ok, enough toilet talk.

In perhaps the worst segue in blog history, now it's time for the recipeeeeeees!!!!

Day 3's Menu: 

I snapped this shot of my breakfast this morning, because it just looked, and tasted, so damn good! Seriously though, look at that pic! Thank you filters! I really thought that plain oatmeal would be so boring, but when I added the fruit it's really satisfying. Also, since eggs are a great source of protein, easily transportable in their hard boiled form, and usually consumed at breakfast, they have and will continue to be a part of my breakfast repertoire. You'll notice that on top of the eggs, I've squeezed a little mustard, aka Keeney gravy, on top as well as sprinkled them with celery salt. Basically, it's a deviled egg, without the devil (aka mayo)! ANGEL EGGS! 

The salmon salad was just as delicious as Day 2's dinner. If you missed that one, just check out the picture here.  Also, you'll see that my PM snack was veggies w/ Cilantro Dressing. For the veggies, I cut up two persian (mini) cucumbers, and three baby (mini) bell peppers. I'm not sure if it's because their mini or what but I really prefer them to their full sized cousins. Maybe I just follow the grocery store fads, but either way those mini veggies stole my heart. The dressing is a variation of one I found on Pinterest. You can play around with it to suite your tastes, and I did so to make it a little less fattening.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing

1/2 a bunch of cilantro (the other half of the bunch you used for the Homemade Chipotle Bowls)
1 avocado
1 lime
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt


Puree all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. The serving size for this is anywhere from 2-4 Tbsp depending on what you're having. For a big salad I use 3. For the veggie snack I only use 1. My Fitness Pal says that 2 Tbsp of this is approx 70 calories.

Dinner tonight was really simple but delicious. On Sunday, I decided to bake some chicken breasts because I knew that I'd need them through out the week for dinner/salads. I'm kind of the queen of condiments and/or spices so I hadn't really worried too much before hand of what I was going to season them with. Luckily, when my cousin moved out, he left behind something called Tuscan Seasoning. To this day I'm really not entirely sure how it's different than say Italian Seasoning, but I'm just too lazy right now to go compare the labels.

I've never been a fan of steamed broccoli, but Alice says I've been roasting it waaaay too often, so I honored her request to steam it. One thing I've tried to be conscious of during this is to involve Alice in the menu planning. Normally, I just find recipes that I think I know she'll like, and make them with my fingers crossed. Most of the time I'm right, but there have certainly been times when I "nailed it".  However, I knew that she was really only doing this challenge to appease me, so I wanted to make sure that she had buy in with the meals we'd be eating. And so far, it's worked! Effective Communication strikes again people!!! So even though it's pretty simple, and I never aim to insult your intelligence, here is the recipe.

Tuscan Chicken & Steamed Broccoli

5 Chicken Breasts

Tuscan Seasoning

Soy sauce

3 crowns of Broccoli (What's the difference between a head and a crown? Basically, the grocery store just removes the bulk of the stem from the head, and made them fancy. In any case, either will work)

Preheat your oven to 425. Place the chicken on a stone baking sheet (this results in not having to use oil to prevent sticking), or a metal baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle on the Tuscan Seasoning according to your taste. I am a heavy seasoner, but you know yourself and your tastes best.  This is mainly herbs so it's kind of hard to go over board. Bake for about 25 mins or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees. Refrain from cutting the chicken to check if its done, because this will release all the moisture that helps keep it yummy for many days to come. Since you can't really choose how much the breast will weigh, I just cooked them all and then served us 5oz portions. 

For the broccoli, boil about an inch or two of water in a large pot and place your steamer basket in. I have a pampered chef one, us Navy wives had to support each other's business ventures, but you can get one on Amazon pretty cheap. Once the water is boiling, place the broccoli, cut into long strips, in the basket and cover with a lid. Steam them for about 5 minutes, but make sure to remove them before they lose their bright green color. I served about 140g of broccoli as our side since we didn't have any carbs to help fill us up.

Finally, I shook a little soy sauce over the broccoli, and on the chicken since I didn't season it with any salt, and called it dinner. The reason I had you make so much of the broccoli and chicken is because I have a wonderful salad for Day 4 that needed both these things. 

Since I spoke of Alice's BIG accomplishment earlier, I thought I should mention mine as well. Don't worry I'm not going back to the dumps, I'm talking fitness now. I've only briefly referenced it thus far, but since today was such a good day, fitness wise, I'll share my plan with you now. 

I became a member of my local Crossfit gym in July of 2014. When I started, my only goal was to get to the point where I loved going and hated leaving, since when I started, the reverse was true. After 5 months of really dragging my feet, I finally found my place there, and I now religiously use all of my 3 passes each week. Why Crossfit you ask? Well, again it could be the same as the mini veggies that I'm just O.B.sessed with fads, but honestly there are a few more reasons than that. When I was a freshman in high school I joined the track team to get in shape. I was never good at running, and that was identified very quickly by the coaches, but I was strong, so they put me on the disc and the shot put. I didn't win any medals or set any records, but I held my own for that one year I was on the team. Weightlifting was always my favorite part of practice because I secretly enjoyed impressing people with my leg strength (hey, if they're going to be all big and in your face, I might as well put them to good use). I also have a really inspiring friend of mine that started doing it and blogging about it, and because I once watched a Crossfit competition at with my brother-in-law and thought to myself, "you know, this would be the perfect way to obtain the skills one would need to survive in Zombie Apocalypse!" So, I decided to give it a shot. And it turns out, I drank the koolaid. I am by NO means suggesting that Crossfit is the right thing for everyone, but I do really enjoy it finally. 

So, for the challenge, and hopefully beyond, my fitness plan is as follows: 

Monday- Crossfit

Tuesday- Rest

Wednesday- Crossfit (& possibly Yoga)

Thursday- Couch to 5k Plan (C25k)

Friday- Crossfit

Saturday- C25k

Sunday- C25k

So far so good this week, but I have to tell you that it took me 8 MONTHS to actually build the habit of getting out there and doing something active. I hated it, I loathed it, I slept in most days and blamed my long commute for not wanting to get up and exercise. But, just like practice makes perfect, I stuck with Crossfit because I do actually enjoy the workouts, and eventually I didn't mind getting up to go anymore. A body in motion does truly stay in motion. So, here's my chance to brag a little. Today, I went to Crossfit and burned 735 calories, AND I participated in our Yoga class held on Wednesdays at work and burned another 469 calories! Although subconsciously we all know that working out is good for you, something that really helps drive that message home is getting a good heart rate monitor and SEEING what you've done. I use the Map My Fitness app on my phone to connect wirelessly to my heart rate monitor and by measuring my HR, I can see approx how many calories I've burned. This has really helped me stay engaged and interested in exercising. The weight I'm trying to lose didn't come on overnight, and I know that it's going to take equally as long to come off, so it can be discouraging when change happens so slowly. But to be able to SEE the results of your actions here on your screen is sometimes the little victory you need to keep going. 

So now that I've simultaneously grossed you out and made you hungry and then hopefully inspired you a little, I must go off to bed and get ready for Day 4. Hope to see you then!

24 Day Challenge: Day 2

Day 2 and so far we're feeling good. AdvoCare claims that when you start, "you'll feel the difference in 24 minutes, you'll see the difference in 24 hours and you'll know the difference in 24 days." I didn't really believe that at first, but so far it does hold true. After 24 minutes, Alice and I both found that SPARK, their vitamin & amino acid supplement drink, really does a great job at replacing your coffee and/or pre-workout energy powder drink. Plus it's sugar free and tastes surprisingly good! Alice even commented today that even though she likes coffee and doesn't want to give it up permanently, she does want to replace it with SPARK during the hot summer months when hot coffee just isn't that appealing.

Since we've now made it past the first 24 hours, we've also seen the difference. Well, more like felt, but there is a difference. Part of the cleanse phase is the Herbal Cleanse system. I won't go into too much gruesome detail, but it doesn't take long for those products to start doing their job. It is a very gentle cleanse, so it's definitely a satisfying feeling vs. one that leaves you miserable, and unable to leave the immediate vicinity of the bathroom. :)

Although, while we're on the bathroom, another part of the challenge that was a BIG change for me, was the water consumption. AdvoCare recommends dividing your weight by 2 and then drinking that many ounces in water each day. I've NEVER been one to drink much. I've even gone days where the only liquid I have is a cup of coffee in the morning. I've never liked feeling like my stomach is full of water, but SPOILER ALERT, if your stomach is full of water, you have less rumblies in your tumblies! HUH! I wish someone would have convinced me of this earlier, but it is true. I've been less hungry since I started drinking water, which has made staying on track so much easier. 

So for Day 2, we had a repeat of breakfast and lunch, which is fine by both of us and makes meal prep easier, but we tried something new for dinner. 

Baked Salmon w/ Cold Asian Style Green Beans

The cooking method I found for this Salmon will be your NEW BEST FRIEND. I found it on the Pioneer Woman's website, and it is literally no fail. If the green beans aren't my original recipe then I blame independent invention. The Asian dressing is from a recipe on my Pampered Chef Salad Dressing Dispenser with a few modifications. For the Salmon, you can't always decide how big your filet is going to be when you buy it, so I say cook the whole thing and then portion it out in 4-6oz portions cooked.

1 Large Salmon Filet
1/2 Cup of Asian Dressing*
1 lb. Fresh Green Beans, trimmed on the ends
3 cloves of Garlic
2 tbsp of Sesame Oil
1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp of Truvia/Splenda

*Asian Dressing
Mix the following in a blender bottle or glass jar.

6 Tbsp (1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp) Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce (light if you can stand it)
1 tsp of Truvia/Splenda
1/4 tsp of Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp of Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp of Sesame Oil

For the salmon, put the filet in a bag with the asian dressing and let marinade for 30 mins or so in the fridge, flipping it once. Then, put the filet on a baking sheet in a COLD oven. Thats right. Don't preheat it. Once it's in the oven, turn it on 400 degrees and set the timer for 25 mins. When the timer goes off, it will be perfect.

Boil enough water in a large pot to cover the green beans, but do not put them in the water until it is boiling. Blanche the beans by leaving them in the boiling water for 2-3 mins. Immediately remove them from the boiling water and place them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once they've cooled, place them in a container and add the garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sweetner. Put them in the fridge and serve cold when ready.

This simple yet delicious meal will definitely be on repeat at our house. Alice said this is the BEST way she's ever had green beans. She flatters me sometimes, but this was genuine. We also saved the leftovers and paired them with some salad greens and 1/2 cup of wild rice, along with 3 TBSP of the dressing for Salads for Day 3's lunch. More about this tomorrow. GOOOOOOD Night!