Stovetop Beef Tips N Gravy

This is a spin-off of my Crockpot Beef Tips & Gravy.  It's got more of a spicy kick to it, and the meat is super tender with TONS of flavor!  Here's how you make it:

 

First, get your ingredients together:

• 800g lean beef (I used a london broil cut - it comes in one big piece, and I just cut it into chunks)

• 1 packet A1 original marinade mix

• 13.7 oz. reduced sodium beef broth

• 2 packets brown gravy mix

 

 

 

Next, dump the marinade mix, beef broth, and chunks of meat into a ziplock bag.  Zip it up, and toss the meat around so that it's all mixed up and coated well.  Put it in the fridge and let it marinate overnight.

 

 

 

When you are ready to cook it the next day, get out a big pot and turn it on to medium-high heat.  Once it's hot, put the meat into the bottom and let it sear a little bit.  Once it's all brown on the outside, dump in the liquid from the bag.  Add in both packets of brown gravy mix, and about 1/2 cup of water.  Mix it all around so that all the lumps disappear.  Make sure all the meat is under the liquid (you don't want it to dry out), put the lid on, and turn heat down to low.  Let it cook for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent any sticking...

 

 

 

 

...and that's it!  :)  Super simple and yummy!  My hubs loved it, he said it reminded him of his Uncle Sherm's Sauce Piquante (or as he says with a french accent - sauce peecawh) - he's from Louisiana and loves some spicy cajun tastin stuff yall!  Next time you see him, ask him how he says "filet mignon" :)

 

 

 

Anyway, here's the nutritional info per serving (makes 6 servings of about 3.5 oz each + gravy):

 

• Calories:  257

• Protein:  31g

• Carbs:  7g

• Fat:  9g

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Pesto Marinated Chicken

I threw this marinade together on a whim, and it turned out so good that I had to share!  It's super easy and adds a punch of flavor to your meat!  So far, I've only tried this on chicken, but I think it would be good on beef too.  Here's what I did:

Put the following ingredients into a blender:
• 4 garlic cloves
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• sea salt
• black pepper

Blend until smooth, then put into a ziplock bag.  Add in your chicken breasts, close the bag, and toss around to coat the chicken evenly.  Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.  

When you are ready to eat, just heat up a skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook each piece of chicken for a couple minutes per side, then put on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes or until done.  That's it!  :)

 

 

I only made enough for me and my hubs, so this recipe is only for 2 servings.  Here's the nutritional breakdown (per serving - 3.5 ounces):

• Calories:  247

• Protein:  33g

• Carbs:  5g

• Fat:  11g

Garlic Cilantro-Lime Rice

Tired of plain ole brown rice?  Spruce it up with some fresh garlic and herbs!!!  This rice goes great with anything...fish, shredded chicken, beef, etc.  It's also good left-over.  :)  Here's how you make it:

First, get all your ingredients together:
  • 2 cups brown rice
  • 2 limes
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • fresh cilantro


Next, start chopping up your garlic into small pieces.  Go ahead and put 1 tbsp. olive oil into your pot and start getting it warm over medium heat.  While it's heating, measure out 2 cups of brown rice.  Once the pot is warm, toss in your chopped up garlic.  Let it cook for a couple of minutes. 

Next, toss in all of your rice.  Stir it around to coat the rice in oil and let it toast for a couple of minutes.

 

Then, add in 3 1/2 cups of water, the zest and juice of 2 limes, sea salt, and black pepper.  Stir everything around to mix, then put the lid on and crank the heat up to high.  Once everything comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low-medium and let it cook for about 40-45 minutes.

 

 

 

Once it has cooked, turn the heat off and let it steam for a few minutes.  While it's steaming, chop up some fresh cilantro.

 

 

 

 

Toss the cilantro into the rice, fluff with a fork, and that's it!

 

 

Here's the nutritional info per serving (makes five 1-cup servings):

• Calories:  269

• Protein:  5g

• Carbs:  53g

• Fat:  4g

 

Enjoy! :)

 

What I Learned From My Spontaneous Week “Off”

This past week has been a total whirlwind of crappy decisions and not taking care of myself!  "Just this one time" turned into a whole week of not working out and eating junk.  So, I want to share what I learned not only so I can look back on this as a reminder of why I'm on this journey, but also to possibly help someone else out there who may be having a rough week!!  So, here's what I learned from my week of madness:

1. Eating out is more expensive than I realized.  Each week, my hubs and I get a certain amount of “blow money” to spend on whatever we want.  I usually save mine up for things like boot camp, getting my hair done, and protein powder.  I had 50 bucks, and I blew through it in 2 days. 
2. Not having my meals prepped stressed me out.  I usually plan my meals, get groceries, and prep everything for the week on Sundays.  I didn’t "feel like it" last weekend, so I only got half of my food ready.  Since I didn’t have it all completely done, I just said screw it all and decided to take the route of eating out instead.  While finding a place to eat may sound easier than bringing your own lunch, it actually caused me to stress.  I didn’t have a plan, not much time to think about where to go, and kept ending up at stupid drive through windows and convenience stores.  Having everything in the fridge ready to grab and go is definitely a must. 
3. Skipping workouts sucks!!  It may sound crazy, but after a week of doing absolutely no physical activity...boot camp was way harder than usual.  I kept getting out of breath quicker, I felt weak, and I was slow.  With sweat pouring off of me last night while doing superband hammer curls and feeling like I was going to pass out, I remember looking down at my legs and thinking about how I am never taking a week off from boot camp again.  If you want to stay in shape, you’ve gotta stay on top of your workouts - there's no way around it. 
4. Reverting back to old habits brought back old emotions.  I felt like a fatty, ugly, boring, not confident, and just gross.  My hubs would tell me I was beautiful, and instead of believing him and saying thank you, I would shake my head and be like psh yeah OK.  Eating greasy junk foods and not working out = feeling like ew. 
5. I have to learn how to balance all the craziness in my life and not let stressful situations drag me down.  I recognized that I have a tendency to go back to old routines when stress comes up.  In the past, when I felt overwhelmed – I’d just hide on the couch with food.  That’s all I wanted to do last week...I would think about what all I had going on all at once, and I would reach for food...cheez-its, candy bars, cokes, just junk.  Not cool. 
6. I’m not the same person I used to be.  I read a quote once that said, “Stop being who you were and become who you are”.  SO TRUE.  I used to be totally okay with being the girl who never worked out, ate what she wanted, felt like crap, and did nothing to fix it.  I’m different now.  I have goals.  I want to be the best version of me, and eating healthy and working has definitely become a WAY bigger part of my life than I realized. 
7. Haters gonna hate.  Someone is always going to have an opinion about how I live my life and the decisions I make.  As much as I'd love to please everyone in this world, I can't.  If someone has something negative to say to me, I try to only let it bother me for a few minutes...then I let it roll and just keep doin my thing!
8. Making excuses and saying “oh, it’s just this ONE time – it won’t hurt” ADDS UP!  All those days that I told myself it was okay to have just this ONE drink, just this ONE order of fries, only ONE cupcake, and it’s just ONE day of not working out...all added up – not only on the scale, but also on my rear...and waist...and face.  Yes, it’s easier to make excuses than do the work – but you’re only hurting yourself in the end.  
9. No matter WHAT is going on, I have to make time to stop.  Last week I had a ton going on.  I decided to take last Friday off (which was amazeballs by the way), and I need to do that more often. Making time to take care of yourself is not selfish, and it's OKAY to do!
10. I had a crappy week, and it's time to get over it and move on.  Life has its ups and downs, good times and bad times, crazy times and slow times.  It's okay to mess up, but I'm not going to let it stop me.  I've only got 67 days left until I hit my bikini goal, so I've gotta get with it!!!!!!

To sum things up....

Not working out + eating junk + lack of sleep + stress = not a happy girl!

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Yesterday was a crazy day for me!  I have been "doing flowers" for years, and I finally decided to venture out on my own and start a business on the side.  My first little event was last night, where I provided the centerpieces for the Austin Wedding Guide magazine launch party.  The day before, half of my flower shipment arrived (minor freak-out) because the truck coming from the grower was running late.  So, the other half of my order had to be delivered yesterday morning.  I was sitting in my office at work with flowers in buckets all morning.  Once it was time for my lunch break, I just closed my door and whipped those centerpieces together on the fly!  I got them all done and ready for delivery, then I waited until it was time to go.  My husband came to meet me at work, and we left together.  He helped me set up everything at the event, and before I knew it the room was filled with people!  ........Just a little insight to how I operate - I know it may not seem like it online, but I am VERY shy in person.  It takes me longer than usual to open up to new people and feel comfortable.  I have a tendency to be very quiet and just watch people to try and figure them out before I talk too much.  So, being in that room was extremely intimidating to me!  I was so glad my hubs was with me because I might have just hid in the bathroom the whole time.  At one point, I looked around the room and thought...what did I get myself into?!?!  All of these people in here are pro's at what they do, have been around for years, and then there's me!  Austin is NOT a small town yall, so competition in the industry is fierce!!  I remember telling my hubs something that my Dad has been telling me my whole life:

"Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do to get where you want to be."

We noticed that they had put out some food, so we decided to go get some and grab a seat.  I think that was the best decision we made all night because a lady came and sat next to me and just started talking to me, and I ended up walking around the room shaking hands, introducing myself, trading business cards, and carrying on conversations for a good hour and a half or so.  WHAT!  Everyone was friendly, wanted to know more about me, and offered me tips on how to get started.  When I was done chit-chattin, I found my hubs and we went over to the pool table to take a breather.  I couldn't believe that I had actually gotten up and talked to so many people!  Here's a snapshot of the room so you can get a better idea...

Soooo....how does this relate to health and fitness?  Well, it's all about getting out of your comfort zone.  That must have been the lesson I was supposed to learn this week because my coach sent out an email about it, and I focused on it all week.  From the laps and burpees at boot camp, to the event last night.  It may not seem like a big deal to some of yall, but I am really dang proud of myself for talking to all those new people.   I didn't think I could do it, I didn't really want to, and I was scared...but I DID it anyway!

What things do you want to do but are too scared to because they will make you feel uncomfortable?  Is it those pull-ups in boot camp?  What about running laps in the parking lot?  Is it eating foods you've never had?

Whatever it is...All you have to do is TRY.  Put your mind to it, quit worrying about everything else around you and what people will think, and just TRY IT!  Once you try, chances are you will succeed!  Heck, you might even surprise yourself!

 

Turkey Chili

If you are looking for an easy one-pot meal packed with protein...look no further!  I have become a huge fan of this Turkey Chili because...
1. I can make a ton of it at one time, and I have plenty of leftovers for the week.
2. It's super easy!
3. It tastes good, it's healthy, and it keeps me full for a long time.

Wanna know how to make it?  Here you go!

First, get all your ingredients together:

Next, get out a big pot and put 1 tbsp olive oil in the bottom.  Turn it up to medium heat and let the pan heat up for a couple minutes.  Then, add in all 3 packages of turkey and break it up with a spoon.  Keep stirring it around until it is all cooked.  On a side note...ground turkey doesn't "brown" like ground beef...it stays white...weird, I know.  Anyway...once the turkey is all cooked, drain off all the liquid.  Then add in some garlic salt, pepper, and sea salt.  Stir it all around and let it cook another couple minutes.

Next, add in both cans of crushed tomatoes and both packets of chili seasoning.  Then fill up one of the empty tomato cans about halfway with water and dump that in your pot.  Stir it around on medium heat until it starts to bubble, then turn it down to low and put a lid on it.  Let it sit as long as you want...the longer it sits, the more the flavors will come together!  I usually let mine cook for about 45 minutes to an hour.

 

Once you have let it sit and cook for a while, you need to add in the beans.  I always strain the liquid out of the beans and rinse them before adding.

Once you have stirred in the beans, cover it up and let it sit for about another 15 minutes or so.  That's it! 

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 10 servings with about 1 1/4 cups of chili each)

• Calories:  310

• Protein:  45g

• Carbs:  24g

• Fat:  5g

You could eat it just like this or add on some toppings of your choice...shredded cheese, onions, etc.  

Enjoy!!! :)

 

 

 

You Don't Have to be Perfect

You know those “ah-ha” moments you have sometimes when you feel like a light just came on?  Yeah, totally just had one.  I have spent the past two weeks stressed out about everything under the sun...how I’m going to make my new business successful, upcoming road trips, bills, work deadlines, etc.  All that stress has made me turn to my old buddy...FOOD.  Instead of dealing with the stress, all I want to do is stuff it down with chocolate and macaroni and cheese...which I did, a few times.  And what happens when I do that?  I get fat.  I gain weight.  I feel like crap.  Soooo, to fix it...what do I do?  Eat more or drink!  And guess what that does?  Makes me feel like crap.  I get fatter.  I gain more weight.  Boot camp kills me.  Ew.

This morning I realized something...  I put WAY too much pressure on myself!!!!!!  I’m a “git er dun” kinda person, so before I’m even done with one thing, my mind is already moving on to the next thing.  I like to get things done, to a T, and fast.  

Example...we live in the country, and our trash service requires that we take our trash cans to the end of the road (which is a good mile or so from our place).  So, we decided that paying for that was stupid and that we would take care of the trash ourselves.  Sometimes we take bags to work, sometimes we put them in the back of the truck and wait till it’s not windy so we can just burn them in the field (call it redneck if ya want, everwhat).  Well, we had about 4 bags that had accumulated in the back of the truck, and I was determined that we needed to take care of them NOW.  I didn’t care if it was windy.  So, we went outside and burned them.  The entire time...my husband was in a tizzy and about to have a panic attack because the wind was just whippin stuff all up into the air, so he was afraid we were going to cause a grass fire.  I remember thinking to myself...wow, I am really stressing him out by wantin to burn this stupid trash.  After that, we took the push-mower to my parents’ house (we had borrowed it a few weeks ago).  When we dropped it off, I told Mom that we needed it back next weekend because we needed to mow really bad.  A couple days later, she asked me why we HAD to have it this weekend.  I told her that our grass looked like a dadgum pasture and that we had to take care of it NOW.  When I got home that night, I remember stopping to look at the grass and thinking...man, that grass isn’t as tall as I thought it was.  Then last night, I got home and was talkin my poor hubby’s ears off about all the stuff I have comin up that I need to get done, and he just looked at me and said, “I think we can procrastinate on all we have to do for one more night.”  

My point is...sometimes, things are just gonna have to wait.  I spend too much of my time spinnin my wheels worrying about doin this or that, trying to be perfect while I'm at it, and not enough time slowing down to enjoy the little things.  It makes me stress out, want to eat junk, and lose myself in the madness.  Yes, life is going to be a little nuts at times, but it’s not up to me to take care of it all RIGHT NOW.  And I don’t have to be perfect all the time.  Trying to be perfect only leads to disappointment (cause duh...nobody is perfect), which leads to more stress, more junk food, more fat, and more ew.  Not a fun cycle.  

 

So, I am done with expecting myself to be perfect and puttin all that pressure on myself.  I’m going to make mistakes sometimes, I’m going to gain weight sometimes, and I’m going to eat junk sometimes.  And I’m okay with that.  Why?  Because I’m human and it’s allowed.  

My journey to getting healthy and fit does not have a finish line (sure wish it did, but it doesn’t).  I know that I will never be “done” with it because it’s a way of life.  Some weeks I will feel like a rockstar, and some weeks I will feel like a turtle crawlin through the mud.  Either way, I WILL KEEP GOING!

NEVER GIVE UP...you can screw up, go slow, and struggle...remember, success comes one step at a time - you just gotta keep on steppin!!!