Menu Plan Monday

 

It's another new week which means another new menu plan! Please subscribe to get updates when I post the recipes and other great stuff! Feel free to comment and let me know what you think of the menus, recipes, etc. If there's something you'd like to see on my blog, let me know!! Ok, on to the menu.....

Breakfasts this week:

Peanut butter instant pot oats

Spinach & cheese omelets

Lunches during the week are typically leftovers, however, if by chance there aren't any, we have an egg salad or tuna sandwich

Dinners:

Monday: Spaghetti squash pad thai

Tuesday: Chicken Tinga

Wednesday: Creamy BLT chicken

Thursday: Creamy broccoli cauliflower soup

Friday: Spicy chicken & sautéed zucchini and cabbage

Dessert of the week: Pumpkin spice mug cup

The weekends are for leftovers, take out and winging it with what's on hand that needs to be used up. 

Sometimes, it's just some soup and grilled cheese. 

Enjoy!

Small Choices, Big Results!

 

It is easy to say, “I am going on a diet.”

It is harder to say, “I am going to eat 100% healthy today.”

And it is really hard to actually eat 100% healthy.

We like the grand idea of a diet or program, but nobody really likes

the idea of doing the good, hard work of restriction and deprivation. 

But the reality is that when we try to follow a strict diet, it rarely lasts…

which is why thousands of people make a New Year's resolution to lose

weight every year.

Many people don't actually stick to a diet the way that they are supposed to. 

Unless you plan to never get busy, always be prepared, pass up every

birthday party and dinner invite, skip vacations, and stick to a schedule

all day every day - LIFE will get in the way of your "perfect" meal plan.

Some people may follow a diet or meal plan perfectly, but it can become too

strict for too long. 

Then they often go back to their old way of eating because they don't know

what else to do when the are not on the plan. Or they begin a plan that was

meant to be temporary and continue to follow it for too long - which can lead

to deficiencies, disordered eating habits, or other health (mental, metabolic,

hormonal) consequences.

A lot of people may follow a strict plan for a while but won't really enjoy it.

This discontent can pose a serious challenge for a diet to be sustainable long term.

So, instead of another diet this year, why not choose small daily changes?

Focus on what is possible and doable and what you can do TODAY. 

You can’t set a goal to lose 30 pounds and expect to lose 5 within the first day.

Regardless of which nutrition or fitness plan that you follow, you need to make

your plan a priority, do the hard work (yes, this is not easy!), and stay consistent.

You have to show up again and again and again… even when you want to quit.

Let’s say we go to the future and we go to the place where you have reached

your goal… say you lost all of the weight... You won’t remember the small failures

that seemed so big and important at the time. That Tuesday that you overate is

irrelevant. Aren’t you glad you didn’t quit when the scale went up 5 pounds?

Or when things got tough?

What small choices can you make today to reach your goals this year?

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

 

NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

PREP TIME:10 mins

TOTAL TIME:3 hrs

YIELD:12 SERVINGS

This Skinny No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie is light and creamy and ever so addicting! Whip this up in minutes for a dessert everyone will love!

INGREDIENTS

• 5 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup Better n Peanut Butter
• 2 1/2 cups light whipped topping,
• reduced-fat graham cracker pie crust , homemade or pre-made
• 2 tablespoons Hershey's chocolate syrup, for drizzling

INSTRUCTIONS

• Beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar together in a medium bowl.
• Mix in Better 'n Peanut Butter and beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
• Spoon into graham cracker pie shell; cover, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2-3 hours.
• Drizzle with chocolate syrup before serving.

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 215kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 2.5g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4.5g, Sodium: 83mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g

Menu Plan Monday

 I'm a day late!! Sorry about that. 

This week's breakfasts:

Sausage Egg & Veggie Bake

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes w/sausages

Lunches during the week are usually leftovers. If, however, there aren't any, I always have eggs and tuna on hand for sandwiches.

Here are the dinners for this week:

Monday:

Spicy tuna bowl

Tuesday:

Instant Pot brisket taco bowl

Wednesday:

Slow cooker garlic butter chicken

Potatoes

Baby carrots

Thursday:

Sheet pan stir fry

Friday:

Crockpot buffalo chicken chili

Dessert for the week:

No bake peanut butter pie

Weekends we have take out one night, eat leftovers or just wing it with what's in the house for all meals. 

Bacon and Egg Breakfast Bites

 

BACON AND EGG BREAKFAST BITES

(MAKES 3 SERVINGS, 4 EGG CUPS EACH) TOTAL TIME: 34 MIN. PREP TIME: 5 MIN. COOKING TIME: 29 MIN

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray 

6 large eggs, lightly beaten 

2 cups broccoli florets, coarsely chopped 

3 slices raw center-cut bacon (or turkey bacon, or vegan alternative) 

1 cup cooked quinoa 

¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese 

1 green onion, thinly sliced 

Sea salt (or Himalayan salt) and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. 

2. Prepare muffin pan by coating lightly with spray; set aside. 

3. Steam broccoli for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender-crisp; set aside. 

4. Heat a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes, until bacon is crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. When cool enough to handle, chop bacon. 

5. Combine eggs, broccoli, bacon, quinoa, cheese, green onion, salt (if desired), and pepper (if desired), in a large mixing bowl; mix well. 

6. Evenly divide egg mixture among prepared muffin cups. 

7. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and eggs are set.

Cream Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers

 

Cream Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers

PREP TIME10 mins

COOK TIME14 mins

TOTAL TIME24 mins

COURSEAppetizer

SERVINGS15 servings

INGREDIENTS

  

• 1 pound fresh Divine Flavor Tribelli peppers sweet mini peppers
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage cooked, crumbled, drained of fat
• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove ribs and seeds. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the filling by mixing the sausage, cream cheese, cheddar and Parmesan together until well combined. Taste filling and add salt and/or pepper if needed.
• Fill the peppers with the sausage mixture. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Serve warm.

NOTES

If any of the pepper halves won't sit upright on the baking sheet, remove thin slices of pepper from their bottoms to make them stable.