Day 58, February 27th, 2012 Spiced Chipotle Chicken

I finally made this recipe where it wasn't so spicy we couldn't even eat it.  Tonight the spice level was perfect.  I only used about a tablespoon of minced chipotle chili.  I also used butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes.

Spiced Chipotle Chicken

Day 57, February 26th, 2012 Fried Pork Chops

We had dinner at Poppy and GiGi's tonight.  They prepared fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans with sausage, and fried okra!  It was all very tasty and obviously not that healthy!  :)  Thank you P&G for dinner.

Day 56, February 25, 2012 Chicken Enchiladas

We had dinner at some friend's house tonight and she made us her yummy! chicken enchiladas!  Thank you Cale & April!  We also had some spanish rice and a spinach salad.

Here is my favorite recipe for chicken enchiladas:

Creamy Chicken Chiladas

1 cup sour cream

½ cup cilantro finely chopped

1 (16oz) green chili salsa (I use salsa verde)

1 (4oz) chopped green chilies

2 cups chicken shredded

1 yellow onion

12 (6 inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream mixture:  cilantro, sour cream, and salsa

Chicken mixture:  sauté onion in 1 tbsp oil ~2 min.  Combine chicken, onion, and green chilies. 

Heat tortillas until soft.  Pour part of sour cream mix in bottom 9x12 baking dish.  Place chicken mix in each tortilla.  Place seam side down in dish.  Pour remaining sour cream mix on top.  Top with cheddar cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 min.

Day 55, February 24, 2012 Spaghetti (cooked a different way)

This time I put raw ground turkey in the crock pot with a jar of spaghetti sauce and some extra seasonings.  I let it cook for 4 hours and then turned it to low the rest of the day.  We put it on spaghetti.  It turned into a chili like consistency.  I don't think I will do that again.

Day 54, February 23, 2012 Home-made pizza

J had a men's conference to attend tonight so E and I decided to have pizza.  I made the crust from scratch this time using a package of pizza yeast.  I followed the recipe on the back of the package using wheat flour and adding a little honey to the dough.  It turned out pretty good.  I also cooked up some italian flavored ground turkey to put on the pizza.

Day 53, February 22, 2012 Creamy Rice, Chicken, and Spinach Dish

I used to get a free Kraft recipe magazine in the mail every couple of months and this recipe is one of the keepers I found.  I've made this many times and our family really likes it.

Creamy Rice, Chicken, and Spinach Dinner - Kraft Recipe
I follow the recipe exactly.  I have a tip that ensures the rice comes out cooked through.  After you simmer the rice on medium heat for 5 minutes.  Take the pan off the burner and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before you move to the next step.  Also, if you don't have fresh tomatoes you can used some canned diced tomatoes.

Day 52, February 21, 2012 Chicken Tacos

Life group day so I put 4 chicken breasts in the crock pot and poured Costco salsa over the top.  I cooked it for 5 hours and it fell apart.  I had 1 taco before I rushed out the door.

Day 51, February 20th, 2012 Chicken Asparagus Pasta

We had left over rotisserie chicken and some asparagus I needed to use up.  Pasta just sounded good tonight.

Chicken Asparagus Pasta

This was my inspiration but of course I didn't follow the recipe at all.  I added spinach, a few sun dried tomatoes, and a little nonfat half and half too.  I used multigrain pasta not 100% whole wheat.  

It was really really good!

 

Day 50, February 19th, 2012 Habitation Night - Rotisserie Chicken

We needed something quick and easy for dinner because we had to be at church early and all evening.  We got a Rotisserie chicken from Costco.  I ate a few bites of it before we rushed out the door.  My real dinner was a bowl of cereal when I got home.  Peanut butter multigrain cheerios!

Day 49, February 18th, 2012 Meal with Friends

Thank you to Nathan and Rezarta!  They had us over for dinner and Rez cooked us some authentic Mediterranean food.  It was absolutely delicious!  We had a chicken dish, shrimp dish, grain dish, roasted vegetable dish, salad, and bread!  They also had Italian gelato for dessert!  They have some awesome testimonies and we are blessed to have them as our friends!

Day 48, February 17th, 2012 Cola Chicken

I can't believe I haven't already made Cola Chicken since the new year!  It has been a staple in our home for a few years now.  It isn't quick but it is easy, low fat, and delicious.  We also had a low fat corn casserole, and pan fried green beans.  

Cola Chicken

                                         2-4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1 c. ketchup

12 oz. can diet cola

Put chicken in non - stick skillet. Pour catsup and diet cola over top. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and cook for 45 minutes. Uncover, turn up heat and continue to cook until sauce thickens and sticks to chicken.

Corn Casserole

I double the amount of regular corn.  I still use one can cream of corn.  I use the jiffy mix.  I use low fat sour cream (I would use fat free too).  *I add an egg which the recipe doesn't call for.*  I use 1/4 cup butter (and this time I used a combo of healthy choice butter, low fat butter, and regular butter.  I had to use up some scraps.)  And I sprinkle the top with a little low fat cheese.  I bake the same.  It is so good!

E ate chicken and some corn casserole and some left over mac and cheese.

Day 47, February 16th, 2012 White Bean Chicken Chili

White Bean Chicken Chili

I adapted this recipe to use in the crockpot.  I put the chicken in first and covered it with a jar of salsa verde and let it cook for 4 hours.  Then I poured in some chicken broth, a can of fire roasted tomatoes, 2 cans of white beans, and the seasonings called for in the recipe.  I also shredded the chicken at this point.  Before I served it I added about 1/3 cup of fat free half and half to make it more of a creamy consistency.  Because I added too much chicken broth (because I don't like to measure) it was more like a soup.  

E ate white beans with chicken and cheese.  And then a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  And then a banana cut up into slices with peanut butter on each slice.  Oh yea, and a bowl a popcorn!

Day 46, February 15th, 2012 Caramelized Chipotle Chicken

It's good to be back cooking!  We had this chicken and it was tasty.  I also made some roasted brussels and cauliflower with balsamic vinegar.

Caramelized Chipotle Chicken

I followed the recipe and grilled the chicken on the stovetop.

Day 45, February 14th, 2012 Joe T. Garcia's

Happy Love Day!
We have a tradition of going to my favorite mexican food restaurant, Joe T. Garcia's.  If you've never made the trek to Cow Town for some awesome mexican food you truly are missing out!

Day 44, February 13th, 2012 Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Repeat of Day 27 except we had pan fried green beans.  I made this so we would have left overs for Poppy and GiGi the next day!

Day 43, February 12th, 2012 Chicken Tacos

We had a dinner meeting at someone's house tonight and so we had a surprise meal.  It was a mexican themed spread.  I ate a salad and one chicken taco.  It was yummy and I'm so thankful for another meal provided for us!  :)

Day 42, February 11th, 2012 Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

This meal was so easy and delicious.  I will be keeping this recipe for sure.  It would be easy to make for a dinner party or play date.  

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

I liked this recipe because it didn't use Ro-Tel but instead used a can of diced tomatoes and a can of chopped green chilies.  I followed the recipe except I used canola oil instead of vegetable oil.

Everett ate a chicken cheese quesadilla.  

Day 41, February 10th, 2012 Home-made Pizza

We had a marriage conference to go to tonight...Jimmy Evans, Marriage on The Rock.

I made a home-made pizza using italian flavored ground turkey.  It was really good. 

Day 40, February 9th, 2012 Grilled Rosemary Lemon Chicken and Roasted Cauliflower

I actually cooked this night!  I've had a pretty busy week this week.  I cooked dinner and scarfed it down and then headed to go see a movie with one of my friends.  The movie was a sneak preview of a movie coming out in March.  It's called October Baby.  I highly recommend seeing this movie when it comes out in March.  It was soooo good!  You will cry!  But a good cry!
Here's a link to see a trailer:  October Baby

Grilled Rosemary Lemon Chicken
I put a link to day 9 for this recipe.

Roasted Cauliflower
I put a link all the way back to day 3 for this recipe.

Day 38, February 8th, 2012 Chipotle

We decided last minute to drive all the way over to Plano for a rally one of the presidential candidates was having this night.  Because of that we didn't have time for dinner.  We decided after the rally to go by Chipotle and have a salad.  In the past I would have never done that because I love to get chips with my bowl and eat it like a dip.  But this night I was proud of myself.  I got a salad, brown rice, black beans, and no cheese or sour cream!  That's definitely a first for me!  I didn't take a picture because I didn't want to make you jealous!

Day 38, February 7th, 2012 Salad and Baked Potato with 2 new recipes!

We had a life group social tonight.  We decided to stick with the healthy theme and had a baked potato and salad bar.  Everyone brought different food items and I think it turned out great.  I had a baked potato with low fat sour cream, a tiny bit of cheese, and a little bit of margarine.  I also had a salad with black bean corn salsa and cilantro-lime ranch dressing.
Here are the recipes for the dressing and salsa I made:
Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing - I used low fat mayo and it turned out great.
Black Bean and Corn Salad 

Day 37, February 6th, 2012 Brisket

We had a dinner meeting tonight and so we were pleasantly surprised with dinner. We had brisket, baked beans, and potatoes. No picture again. We are having a social at life group tomorrow night so I will try to remember the picture!

Day 36, February 5th, 2012 NY Strip Steak

We had dinner over at Poppy & GiGi's tonight. They know we are trying to eat healthy so the kept that in mind. Dinner was great. We had NY Strip steaks with homemade steak fries and Lima beans. I forgot to take a picture.

Day 35, February 4th, 2012 Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

This is a repeat of Day 20 except I didn't bake it but instead I cooked it in the crockpot.  I like the baked version better which is what the recipe says to do.  I also made it too spicy this time.  We had to rinse the potatoes off!  Those chipotle chili's are hot hot hot!!

E ate peas and a pb&j sandwich.  It was too spicy for his little tongue.  

Day 35, February 4th, 2012 Part 1 - No Bake Energy Bites

I've seen these on Pinterest for awhile and thought I would give them a try.  I'm glad I did!  They are great.  I can't get E to agree just yet but I know he will like them one day....maybe tomorrow.  

No Bake Energy Bites

Followed the recipe!  

Day 34, February 3rd, 2012 Pistachio Crusted Chicken

My cousin Abby was telling me about a recipe where you crust chicken in pistachio's.  (Thanks Abby!) That took me on a recipe search and I finally settled for one off of www.AllRecipes.com.  We also had an asparagus couscous.  The chicken was a keeper!

Pistachio Crusted Chicken

I followed the recipe except I didn't cut the chicken into strips but just pounded them to even thickness.  I also only used one piece of bread that I ground in my food processor with the pistachio's instead of 1/2 cup of bread crumbs.  I will make this again.  

Asparagus Couscous

I didn't have a recipe.  I roasted some asparagus and then cut it into pieces.  I cooked a box of parmesan flavored couscous and added the asparagus to it.  I bought some plain couscous at Sprout's later that night that I'm going to experiment with.

E ate the couscous because I told him it was mac and cheese!  He gave it a 'mmmm'.  He also ate some of the chicken.  

Day 33, February 2nd, 2012 Fuddrucker's

We had a birthday party today at Fuddrucker's. (Happy Birthday T-man and G-man!)  I did my research before going and I think we ended up with a healthy meal in the end.  I had a grilled chicken sandwich with cajun seasoning.  I didn't get any cheese and I chose a wheat bun and asked for no butter or oil on my bun.  I didn't put any mayo on it and loaded it up with tomatoes, pico de gallo, and lettuce.  Jeremy and I split an order of sweet potato fries.  I didn't eat a cupcake which looked amazing and I just walked past the rice krispies that were calling my name!
I finally got my sense of smell back a little so that's a good thing!!

Day 32, February 1st, 2012 Chicken Enchiladas

Today I used the left over chicken from last night and made some chicken enchiladas.  I still didn't have any sense of smell so I couldn't taste anything.  J said they were good.  

Chicken Enchiladas

I used the chicken, 1 can of sauce, and maybe 1/3 cup of cheese.  I only made 4 enchiladas and added onions.

E ate a chicken cheese quesadilla and black beans.  

Day 31, January 31st, 2012 Cafe Rio Chicken Tacos

I broke down and went to the doctor today after being sick for two weeks.  I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and I am now on antibiotics.  The worst thing about all of this is that I can't TASTE anything today!!!  Nothing!  It is life group night so I needed something easy so I decided to do the Cafe Rio Chicken again.  See day 13 for the recipe.

It is really pointless to cook tasty food when you can't taste it.  I have no idea how it turned out and I didn't really eat any of it so I forgot to take a picture.  I'm so ready to be well!

E ate avocado, black beans, and chicken and cheese.

Day 30, January 30th, 2012 Super Salad

I've been pretty sick and worn out so when J came home from work and offered Super Salad I said Yes! Please!  :)  I had a big salad full of yummy veggie's.  I also had a baked potato with chili on it.  I didn't eat very much of it.

Thank you, J!  I love you soooooo much!

Day 29, January 29th, 2012 Pizza and salad

We had a meeting this night and dinner was provided.  I had salad, grapes, and 1 slice of Papa John's pizza.  I didn't eat the crust and I tried to find a piece that had more veggie's on it.  I forgot to take a picture.

Day 28, January 28th, 2012 Props to my husband! And a day off!

Did you know J is the best omelet maker in the world!  No joke!  He definitely has mad omelet making skills!  

This day I got to take a day off from cooking and we had a big salad at Sweet Tomatoes!!  Yum!  I controlled myself and only had 1 bowl of soup.  No potato and no chocolate chip cookies!  :(

They have a really good couscous there with black beans, tomatoes, and scallions.  I'm going to try to replicate it at home.  I think I like couscous better than quinoa. 

Day 27, January 27th, 2012 Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

So good...  I will be making this again and again.  J asked for more cabbage and so I think I provided with this recipe.  

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

I followed the recipe exactly except I used ground turkey and maybe 3/4's cup of cheese.

E ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with peas.  I tried to get him to eat some brown rice and some turkey mixture by itself but he was being picky this day!

Day 26, January 26th, 2012 Chicken Burgers

Part of my eating healthy fast is no fast food!  I got into the habit of stopping and getting a hamburger at least once a week so it's been hard to just say no!  I've been craving a hamburger lately and I thought I should try to find a healthy alternative.  I started out wanting a turkey burger but recipe searching I found this one and gave it a try.  I could not have been more satisfied.  I just think it was too good it couldn't have been healthy...

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayo

I followed the recipe except that I only used 1/3 cup of low fat mayo and about 1.3 pounds of ground chicken.  I grilled them on the stove on my grill pan.  We didn't have any extra mayo and we ate them without a bun.  They were 5 star delicious!!!  

(My guilt comes in that I don't know what the fat % was in the ground chicken.  Next time I'm going to try turkey.)

Sweet Potato Fries

E ate a chicken burger on bread.  I don't remember if he ate any fries.  He has in the past.  

Day 25, January 25th, 2012 Cod baked in foil packets

Today we had baked cod with potatoes and asparagus.  I felt like I was eating really healthy tonight.  I can say that I've never sat down and had baked fish for dinner.  This is branching out for me.  I felt like I've made some improvements by adding fish to my diet!

Cod baked in foil packets

No recipe for this one.  I microwaved the red potatoes for 5 minutes then cut them in quarters.  I placed half of them on top of one square of foil and the other half on the other square.  I then placed the fish and then the asparagus.  I drizzled with olive oil and greek seasoning.  I wrapped it all up in the foil and baked it at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Everything was cooked perfect.  (As far as I know because I've never baked fish before!  But I think about my Chopped show on The Food Network and what the judges would have said about my fish...probably too overcooked for them.  Who knows?!)

I will say that I had to add more salt and pepper to everything on my plate.  It was a bit bland for my taste buds.  We got out the ketchup too for the potatoes.  The asparagus was perfect though!

E ate fish and I baked him a sweet potato.  I'm thankful he likes fish.

Day 24, January 24, 2012 Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan + Home-made chicken nuggets

The first picture below was home-made chicken nuggets and honey mustard dip I made for E for lunch.  They were very delicious and healthy.  I felt much better feeding these to him than the ones out of the bag.  Now do I have time everyday to un-thaw chicken and fry up some nuggets?  No, but if I'm going to do a crock pot meal with chicken I can start the recipe at lunch and cut off a little chicken for nuggets.  Some people make a bunch of nuggets and then freeze them.  I guess I could do that too! 

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Tuesday is Life Group day and so I needed something easy that makes a lot.  I saw this recipe as I was looking at another recipe on the same website.  I decided to give this a try.  Everyone said it was good but I thought it was ok.  It might have been the 100% whole wheat pasta that made it taste not so good.  The chicken itself fell apart but the sauce was funny tasting to me.  I don't know...judge for yourself.  

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan

Day 23, January 23rd, 2012 Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a repeat protein from Day 8.  It was just as good this time as the first.  The side dishes were wild rice pilaf and roasted brussels and asparagus.   

E ate chicken and rice.  

Day 22, January 22nd, 2012 Grilled Fish Tacos

I have to say that eating healthy is not so bad!  I still get my tex-mex fix but not with all the cheese and dairy!  This meal was so full of flavor.  Lots of lime and cilantro.  Bold flavors I really enjoy.  We went to Costco and got the cod out of the freezer section.  I have never been a fish eater but this tasted nothing like fish.  It was like a less chewy chicken and less fattening.

Grilled Fish Tacos

This is the recipe that got the ball rolling after we bought the fish.  I didn't follow it though.  I cut the cod in chunks.  I then marinated it in lime juice, honey, lime zest, s&p, garlic powder, and olive oil and then placed in the fridge until ready to grill.  I then grilled it on my stovetop grill pan.  I used the fiber & flax white corn tortillas again and the jalapeno greek yogurt (refer to day 13).  

(I didn't make the dressing the recipe calls for.  I didn't really do anything the recipe calls for.  It was inspiration!)

Fiesta Lime Rice

I made this as a side dish again.  It is so good with the long grain brown rice.  I would highly recommend checking it out if you haven't.  Also, check out day 5 for my tips on this side dish.  

E ate fish, black beans, and avocado.  

Day 21, January 21st, 2012 Tuscan Veggie Soup and Pizza

This day is an exact repeat of Day 17.  We really like the vegetable soup and plan on having it all the time.  This time I didn't put the beans in it.  The pizza was just non-fat mozzarella and fresh garlic this time.  Pretty simple meal and scrumptious!

I forgot to take a picture!  Whoops!

E ate pizza.

Day 20, January 20th, 2012 Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken

This meal was a huge success.  I can't wait to make this again.  It was a little spicy with the chipotle peppers but it was delicious.

Spiced Chipotle Honey chicken with Sweet Potatoes
I followed the directions except only using two chicken breasts.  It is spicy!  The potatoes were so good!

E ate chicken that had been rinsed.  I also made him some mashed sweet potatoes.

Day 19, January 19th, 2012 Grilled Chicken with Roasted Brussels & Squash

I marinated the chicken in sun dried tomato salad dressing.  I grilled it on the stove.  I roasted the brussels and butternut squash together with olive oil, s&p, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  We also opened a can of green beans!

E ate the chicken and green beans.

Day 18, January 18th, 2012 Healthy Spaghetti

I need to find some new recipes!  This is the same version we had the first week of our fast.  I enjoyed it again.  I'm thankful for this brand of spaghetti.  

E ate spaghetti and 1 and 1/2 pieces of bread and butter.

Day 17, January 17th, 2012 Tuscan Style Vegetable Soup and Home-made pizza

This is life group night so I cook for Poppy and GiGi too.  GiGi is only eating vegetables and fruits right now so I chose to make her the soup.  I knew that would not be enough for Poppy and the rest of the family so I made pizza again.  Both were big hits.

Tuscan Style Vegetable Soup

I followed the recipe except for adding a can of fire roasted tomatoes instead of a fresh tomato.  I didn't add any cheese.  It was very fresh tasting and easy to make.  

E ate pizza and peas.  (and a huge amount of Teddy Grahams...thanks Poppy & GiGi!)  ;)

Day 16, January 16th, 2012 Bruschetta Chicken and Broccoli Slaw

I enjoyed the bruschetta chicken the first time we had it so we are having it again tonight.  I actually found some basil at central market which made it even better.  I have been using my meat thermometer that Michelle showed us and I really like not overcooking my chicken!  Thanks Michelle!  

The broccoli slaw was a healthy spin on Joan's Broccoli Madness from Sweet Tomatoes.  

Bruschetta Chicken

Broccoli Slaw

I don't have a recipe for this one but I'll tell you how I made it.  I got a small bag of broccoli slaw from Wal-mart.  I put that in a bowl with some raisins, red onion, 5 strips of turkey bacon fried, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds (which was when I discovered the fat content of those little things!).  Here's where I changed how I would normally make this, the dressing!  I would usually use mayo and sugar.  Instead I made the dressing out of 1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt, 1 small pack of sweet n low, and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar.  I mixed it all together and poured it over the slaw mix.  Added s&p and chilled it.  

I really like the raisins and turkey bacon in it.  I will make it again!  Just no sesame seeds!

E ate chicken and peas.

Day 15, January 15th, 2012 Grilled Sandwiches with Asparagus Soup and Kale Chips

Today was a day of experiments.  I have always wanted to try kale chips so we did.  I also saw a recipe on The Neely's for asparagus soup.  I really like asparagus so I wanted to give that a try.  I also got a panini press for Christmas that I wanted to break out.  Soup and sandwich go great together so dinner came together nice!

Kale Chips
These turned out great.  They tasted a lot like roasted broccoli.  They had a nice texture and were really crispy.  J didn't like the lemon on them.  Also, I didn't realize how much fat are in those little toasted sesame seeds!  Caution!

Asparagus Soup
This soup was delicious!  I didn't have a shallot so I used onion.  I also didn't have half and half so I put a little cream that was expired in my fridge!  I thought I would get one last use out of it before I threw out 3/4 of the bottle.  I used maybe 1 and 1/2 tablespoons.  I used my vitamix blender to blend everything together.  Keeper!

Grilled Sandwich
I put the link to my sandwich griddler.  We used healthy bread, roast beef, low fat cheese, and low fat mayo.  We loaded it up with tomato, avocado, and spinach.  They were good but I felt guilty eating roast beef and cheese!  Even though I only used a little of each.  I should have felt worse about the sesame seeds and cream.  Let's just say I worked out on the treadmill this night for sure!

E ate a grilled sandwich too.  He would NOT eat a chip but he took one bite of the asparagus soup.  He wasn't a fan.

Day 14, January 14th, 2012 Day off - Central Market Cafe

We decided to go out for dinner tonight after church.  I needed a break from all the cooking!

Central Market Cafe is where we decided to go.  J had a salmon salad and I had 1/2 grilled chicken sandwich and chicken tortilla soup.  I love their tortilla soup!  I took the cheese off of both my dishes.

E ate grilled chicken pizza.  

Day 13, January 13th, 2012 Taco Salad

This might be my favorite meal so far in this eating healthy fast.  The chicken was fantastic.  I attempted black beans and they turned out soft and tasty.  I found a couple of tasty healthy substitutions and dinner came together perfect.  My two subs were La Tortilla Factory white corn tortilla's with fiber and flax and skotidakis jalapeno greek yogurt dip which I used as the taco salad dressing.  I got the tortillas at Tom Thumb and the Yogurt dip at Costco.  I noticed on the Skotidakis website they have a ranch greek yogurt dip too!  The black beans I soaked overnight and then put in the crock pot the next day with 6 cloves of minced garlic and cooked on high for 5 hours.

Cafe Rio Chicken
I followed the recipe exactly.  I cooked it in the crock pot for 6 hours.  It fell apart and was so easy to shred.  There was none left.

E ate black beans, avocado, and a cheese and turkey quesadilla.

Day 12, January 12th, 2012 Home-made pizza and salad

My friend Misty made pizza for us the other day which inspired me to try it at home.  Thanks Misty!  Hers was really tasty and I think ours turned out well too.  J & E both really liked it.  J had a hard time eating his salad because he liked the pizza so much.  

Home-made pizza - I bought a honey wheat pizza crust.  I boiled a piece of chicken breast and then let it cool, shredded it, and then added a little olive oil and s&p (Misty's tip).  Then I assembled the pizza.  Crust, olive oil, pizza sauce, chicken, (not too much) low fat mozzarella cheese, tomato, onion, fresh pressed garlic, salt, fresh cracked pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Then I baked it like the crust package says.  It was delicious!  I could have ate a whole one by myself.  But I only made one!  Healthy choice.

E ate pizza and peas.  

Day 11, January 11th, 2012 Un-Fried Chicken

We had un-fried chicken, roasted brussels sprouts and butternut squash, and wild rice pilaf.  The chicken was ok.  It is not a keeper for me so I won't post the recipe.  The wild rice pilaf was from a box.  

E ate the chicken and some rice and 'potatoes'.  Not as well as he did the other night though.

Day 10, January 10th, 2012 Crockpot Chicken Chili

This day was our first day back to life group.  I decided to do a crockpot chicken chili.  I also made a healthy cornbread.  I don't think I would eat the cornbread by itself but it was good in the chili.  The cornbread had no sugar, oil, butter, or whole eggs.  Just egg whites.  

The chili was too spicy for E so he ate a sandwich.  (Not really because Poppy & GiGi were here!)  :) But we'll pretend he did.

Day 9, January 9th, 2012 Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Today we had grilled lemon rosemary chicken, crash potatoes, and green beans. 

Grilled lemon rosemary chicken

No recipe.  Just throw some chicken breast in a bag with some fresh squeezed lemon, olive oil, fresh rosemary, and s&p.  Let it marinade for however long you want.  I did 1.5 hours today.  Then grill it.  I grilled it on the stovetop.  The only advice I give is to pound the chicken a little flat on the thicker side so it grills consistently.  

Crash Hot Potatoes

Perfect recipe.  Thanks Ree!  

E ate chicken, potatoes, and some green beans.  Not the ones I made but some out of a can!  I know...

Day 8, January 8th, 2012 Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu

It's Sunday and our one week anniversary of eating healthy.  I thought I would have a little cheese.  Thanks Abby for this recipe for the chicken cordon bleu.  Thanks Jen for the squash recipe.  

Roasted Broccoli

So good and so easy.  I add a little red pepper flakes too.

Pan Roasted Butternut Squash

This isn't the recipe I used but don't brown the butter and add 3 tablespoons of honey to the pan and it's the same.  I only used 1.5 tablespoons of real butter and then 1.5 of diet butter.  I need to try it with all diet butter.  It's like eating potatoes but not.  E thought they were potatoes.  

Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu

I didn't have a recipe on hand when I made this.  I didn't put a breadcrumb topping on it.  Just salt and pepper.  J has already requested it again!

E ate the 'poatoes', peas, and the chicken.  We will work on the broccoli.

Day 7, January 7th 2012 Sausage Tortellini Soup (minus the tortellini)

Today we had one of my favorites, Sausage Tortellini Soup.  I got this recipe off of Our Best Bites.  I took a meal to one of my sweet friends that just had a baby and I had everything I needed to make this soup.  I followed the recipe exactly (adding fire roasted tomatoes instead of plain and a little extra juice, tomato sauce, water, and carrots).  I took out a portion for J and me and then added the tortellini to their soup.  I then added spinach to both batches which the recipe doesn't call for.  The only way to make this even healthier is to use turkey or chicken sausage which I just didn't have.  

It is my favorite soup right now...even more than tortilla...gasp! 

E had a turkey sandwich and avocado.

Day 6, January 6th 2012 - Spaghetti (healthy style)

This day we had spaghetti and green beans.  I don't have a recipe for either but I do have the best 100% whole wheat pasta...Bionaturae.  It is by far the best tasting healthy pasta I know of.  I get it at Central Market.  I used 93/7 ground turkey and added spinach to my spaghetti.  

E ate some of the spaghetti but J got him a piece of bread and he ate a spaghetti sandwich.  

Day 5, January 5, 2012 Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

This day we had Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken and Fiesta Lime Rice.  This day again was delicious and I'm enjoying our healthy eating.  Thank you Krista for the inspiration.

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken
Followed the recipe except only used two chicken breasts.  Super easy and tastes great.

Fiesta Lime Rice
This is the recipe that gave me the idea of the rice.  I read it and then made my own version.  The best substitution I made was using long-grain brown rice.  I am impressed with the long-grain brown rice compared to regular brown rice.  Much better in my opinion!  Here is a link on how to cook brown rice.  How to cook brown rice. (BTW, the package of rice says to cook it for 50 minutes!  Just follow what this guy has to say on cooking rice and it will be perfect every time!)  I also grilled the corn and tomato on my grill pan.  Lastly I also added a drizzle of olive oil.  I was going to add avocado but I forgot.  It was delicious!

E ate the chicken and the rice.  He really liked it too!

Day 4, January 4, 2012 Bruschetta Chicken

This day we had Bruschetta Chicken with roasted brussels sprouts and potatoes.

I enjoyed this dish too even though we were rushing to get to church and I didn't get to savor it like I wanted to.  Also, I didn't get to put basil with the bruschetta because Wal-mart nor Tom Thumb had it. 

Bruschetta Chicken

I followed this recipe except like I said above I didn't have the basil.  I marinated the chicken for 5 hours.  I also grilled the chicken on the stovetop with a grill pan.  5 stars!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is the recipe that was my inspiration for the side dish.  I really didn't follow it at all though!  

I cut the fresh brussels sprouts in half and the red potatoes into chunks.  I placed them on a baking sheet with parchment paper.  I then drizzled olive oil, salt, pepper, and greek seasoning all over and tossed.  Baked at 375 for 40 minutes.

I've already bought more brussels sprouts for the second go around!  Yum!  

FYI, Costco has nice fresh brussels.

E ate the chicken and potatoes.  I made him some peas to eat along with the other items.

(Do you notice the "dip"?  It's ketchup!  Yes, J and E love ketchup!)

Day 3, January 3, 2012 Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Peppers

This day I did a turkey quinoa stuffed pepper with roasted balsamic cauliflower.  I really liked everything about this meal and will be making it again and again.  I have a link for both of the recipes and I'll tell you how I changed it up!  (Because obviously I can't just follow a recipe!)

Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Peppers

First off, I cut the tops off of three peppers and took out the seeds, 2 yellow and 1 red.  Then I placed them in a glass bowl with 1/4 cup water and microwaved them for 4 minutes to soften them a little.  

I cooked the 1/2 cup quinoa in 1 cup water.  

I cooked the turkey like it says with the onions through step 6.  I skipped step 7 on the recipe and added some spaghetti sauce because I had an open jar I needed to use.  I followed the recipe from then on except I didn't add cheese to the top.  

Side note:  I like yellow bell peppers because they are sweeter than the others.  Also, this made extra turkey stuffing and so I just let E eat it in a bowl without the pepper.  (In a perfect world he would have ate this but today he didn't!  Maybe next time!)

Roasted Balsamic Cauliflower

Followed the directions for ingredients.  Let it all marinate while I was preparing the stuffed peppers.  Baked it at 400 degrees in the same oven as the peppers for 30 minutes.

Day 2, January 2, 2012 Apple Maple Glazed Chicken

This day I did an apple maple chicken in the crock pot.  I pan fried some fresh green beans in olive oil on the stove.  I also had lima beans.  J really liked the chicken.  It was really tender.  I liked the green beans a lot. (Thanks Krista!)

Apple Maple Glazed Chicken

I didn't follow the directions with the chicken.  I threw it all in the crockpot and let it cook for 4 hours.  I then just ate the chicken and left the juice in the crockpot.  I also used boneless skinless chicken breast.  I used the same ingredients other than that.

E ate the chicken and the lima beans.  He likes canned green beans but we will have to work on the fresh ones.