Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Want to know a little secret about me?  I love Hobby Lobby.  It's my favorite place to go on my lunch break because I can just walk around, look at all the fun stuff, and disappear into creative-ville.  They already have all of their Fall and Christmas stuff out, which is awesome because my favorite time of year is approaching...Fall and then CHRISTMAS!!!!  :)  Seeing all of the Fall decorations got my wheels turning, and I decided to experiment with a Fall-ish recipe.  I've never made a baked french toast anything so I figured I'd give it a shot, and I was surprised at how good it turned out!  Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:

 

• 12 slices Nature's Own 50 calorie per slice sourdough bread

• 305g (about 1 cup) canned pumpkin

• 3 egg whites

• 3 whole eggs

• 10 stevia packets

• 1 tbsp. cinnamon

• 1/2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

• 50g slivered almonds

• 12 oz. reduced sugar vanilla almond milk

• 4 slices maple turkey bacon

 

 

 

Once I got all my ingredients together, I started with the bacon.  I preheated the oven to 400 degrees, and put 4 pieces onto a cookie sheet lined with foil.  I let them cook for about 20 minutes, and some of the corners burned but that's okay.  Once they were cooked, I laid them on a paper towel then chopped them up into squares.  I let them cool then put them in a ziplock bag and into the fridge.

 

 

Next, I chopped the bread into squares.  I let it sit out for a little while so it would get a little bit stale. 

 

 

 

Then, I put all the bread into a nonstick 9x13 baking dish.  I made sure the bottom was covered, then just spread the rest out evenly.

 

 

 

After that, I topped it with the slivered almonds.

 

 

 

Next, I dumped the pumpkin, egg whites, eggs, stevia, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, almond milk, and vanilla extract into a bowl.

 

 

 

Once I had it blended together, I poured it on top of the bread (check out that action shot)!

 

 

 

Then, I spread it out with a spatula and gently pressed it down into the bread.

 

 

 

Next, I covered it up with foil and let it sit in the fridge for about 8 hours.

 

 

I took it out of the fridge, unwrapped it, and topped it with the bacon that I had previously cooked.

 

 

 

I put it in a 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes, and it came out like this (don't mind the messed up corner - I was making sure it was cooked).   :)

 

 

 

I cut it into 6 servings, grabbed a piece, topped it with some low calorie/low sugar maple syrup and chowed down.

 

 

 

The almonds add in a crunch, and the bacon (yes I burned it, oops) adds in some salty with the sweet...so yummy!  I loved it, my hubby loved it, and I will definitely be making this again!  This is one of those dishes you can throw together the night before and bake in the morning while you are getting ready...and who doesn't love a hot breakfast?  :)

 

 

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 6 servings):

• Calories:  264

• Protein:  18

• Carbs:  35

• Fat:  9

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Decisions

Last week, my hubs and I got up and went to church.  I learned so much from the sermon that I want to share it.  That being said, if you don't want to read this post for that reason - I will take no offense and hope you have a great day!  :)
 
So, the preacher (Bryan) started the sermon by showing a video clip.  It had a few scenes in it, but what stuck out the most was when they showed a tombstone and said "Your life is just a dash between dates."  That totally stuck with me because it's true. 
 
The year 2013 was the most difficult year of my life.  I lost 3 loved ones within a matter of months, and it still hurts to think about it.  When I saw the videoclip of a tombstone on the screen, I couldn't help but think about all of my loved ones who have passed.  At the end of the day, what the video said was right...just a dash between dates.
 
Once the video was over, and the preacher was a good ways into the sermon - I realized that what he was saying can apply to lots of things, especially health and fitness.  So, that's why I'm sharing.  :)
 
The topic of the sermon was about making decisions...how they affect your life, the lives of those around you, and your future.  In order to make the best decision, there are 4 things you should always ask yourself:

1. Would I want everyone to know?
2. Will it make me a better person?
3. Could it become addictive?
4. Will it harm other people?

...Would you want your coach to know you skipped reps at the end of boot camp?  Will that piece of chocolate cake or can of frosting truly make you better?  Do you have to have that glass of wine at the end of work to de-stress? 
 
I know I've said this before, but yall...life is shorter than you think. It's so easy to get caught up in things that don't matter that you can lose sight of that. That's why it's important to live a life that you are proud of, make the most of every opportunity, and chase your dreams. I've been asked before, "How do you stay so determined? Where do you get your drive?" - and it all boils down to: life is short. Yes, I certainly have my "off" days and make mistakes, but I have a will to succeed in life. I want to be the best version of ME so that I can accomplish my dreams - be a Mom one day (no, not any day soon), run a successful business, be able to do fun things with my hubby when I'm gray-headed, and be confident.
 
Some of you may have already seen the pictures below, but I'm posting it on here for those of you who don't have Facebook (ahem...Kim!) and so you can see the difference between these two girls. 
 
On the left:  completely CLUELESS about how to eat and workout...fake smile...uncomfortable...not really happy on the inside...would have never dreamed of wearing spandex pants or eating green vegetables

On the right:  strong...knowledgeable about food and fitness...confident...happy...ambitious...a fighter

My road to getting healthy and fit has been everything but perfect...I've flat out quit, lost, gained, succeeded, failed...but ya know what?  We all start somewhere.  All those little decisions along the way that you think don't really matter...DO!  Am I where I want to be yet?  No, but I'm a heck of a lot closer than I've ever been, and I've gotten to this point one step at a time.

Are you happy with the person you see in the mirror every day, or do you wish you were different? Do you truly like who you are? Do you feel like you are getting the most out of life? If not...stop wasting your own time and do something about it!!   Right NOW!   Start making some decisions to improve your life instead of wishing it away.  You are the only person who can change yourself, so don't wait around on some magical moment or some person to come do it for you. Get up and go!  Start each day with a goal to improve, then finish strong. If you fall down, get back up. Never give up on what you truly want out of life. Make the best decisions you can, make your life count, and enjoy the ride! 

"What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." -James 4:14

 

What the Heck is iifym?

So, if yall are anything like me...when you see anything about iifym (aka if it fits your macros aka flexible dieting), you are totally confused.  What's a macro?  Dieting and flexible go together?  Huh?

Well, my coach does iifym, and I clearly remember her sending me a text at the end of December last year suggesting that I look into it.  She said I could still go out to eat and have treats and stuff.  I was like pshhh, yeah OK.  Totally blew it off.  At that time, I was stuck on the “gotta eat CLEAN” bandwagon, and I didn’t care about trying to eat a different way.  I was perfectly content planning out my meals for the week on a spreadsheet, and cooking the same exact thing every single day.  If it wasn’t on my spreadsheet, it wasn’t on my plan.  And if it wasn’t on my plan, it was BAD!  That means every time I ate chocolate, pizza, ice cream, or anything “not clean” that I was “being bad”.  Which lead to feelings of guilt followed by more junk food.  Restricting myself to stay away from bad stuff just made me go crazy.  When the weekend would arrive, I’d start it out with a mocha cookie crumble frappuccino from Starbucks.  Then I would eat everything under the sun – frozen pizzas, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, nachos, etc.  I’d tell myself “hey, it’s the weekend – I deserve a break...it’s only a couple days, it’s not a big deal...I’ll be good again starting Monday”.  This was a vicious cycle...workout and eat according to my spreadsheet all week, then go crazy on the weekend.  I’d gain 3-5 pounds between Friday and Monday, then I’d lose it by the time the weekend came again.  Finally, one day I was just like what the heck am I doing?!  I’m paying for boot camp, working by tail off all week, blowing the weekends, and then feeling like crap about myself.  Something has got to change.  Then, I remembered an email my coach had sent out a while back saying something along the lines of “...if you’re not seeing the results you want, you know it’s not the workouts – it’s got to be what you’re eating.”  And I got curious. 

I started to wonder, what this iifym crap is all about anyway?  So I researched – for a couple of weeks.  I read all kinds of stuff online, joined a group on facebook just for iifym women, and I still couldn’t figure out how in the world to do it.  Then, my coach put up a blog post laying it all out there.  After reading it, I was like hold up...soooo I can eat whatever I want as long as it fits my macros?  I don’t have to “eat clean” anymore?  WHAT?! 

 

......and then it allllll started!  I got the My Fitness Pal app on my phone, changed my goals online according to the iifym calculator, and started tracking everything I ate.  At first, I was still a little confused because I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I could actually eat things like candy, pizza, sandwiches, etc. without losing my progress and “being bad”. I had the “eat clean” mindset for so long that shaking it was a little difficult.  But once I got the hang of it and started noticing changes physically and mentally...I was hooked!

Before iifym, I would stress about food ALL the time.  If I didn’t follow my little eating plan, I’d just throw caution to the wind and eat junk.  Now, I don’t have a plan.  I wake up and eat what I want, grab some stuff for lunch, then I figure out the rest of my day by using the my fitness pal app.  It doesn't take as long as I thought it would to track food, and I do it because I WANT to not because I HAVE to.  I don’t restrict myself anymore, which means I don’t go nuts on the weekend anymore. Last weekend was the first weekend in months that I kept track of what I ate, worked out, and actually enjoyed myself. Don't get me wrong here - doing iifym doesn't mean I eat junk all day long. If I did, I would never be able to hit my macros. It's all about moderation.   If a co-worker brings me chocolate mints from Olive Garden, I can eat them.  If I wake up late and only have time to grab a pop tart out of the vending machine, I can do that.  If we are planning on going out to eat, I can actually enjoy it instead of stressing out.

It. Is. AWESOME!

Not only do I have a better understanding with food now, but I am also noticing changes physically.  My back fat is slowly disappearing, I can actually see 2 or 3 of my abs, I’ve got muscles poppin up that I would have never expected, my clothes are starting to fit differently, and most importantly – I’m starting to feel comfortable in my own skin.  I am by no means perfect nor do I want to be, but I am learning to embrace who I am, and I like it! 

For some of yall, this whole thing is still confusing - I get it!  There's so much stuff floatin around these days about how you can or can't eat this or that to be healthy - that it's hard to know what to do.  I was the same way.  I thought it sounded weird, too good to be true, and I just didn't think it would work.  All I can say is, if you are unhappy with how you are eating now and with your progress...do some research on iifym, and don't be scared!  Try it out for a week and see how you feel.  You might be surprised!  :) 

 

I am not an expert at this getting fit and healthy thing, and it is a constant learning process, but I think I am finally starting to understand it.   It’s not about doing it this way or that way, or being good or bad, or whatever...it’s about balance and doing what works for you!   For me, that’s boot camp and iifym.   Simple as that.

...and if you are curious about what I have been eating lately, feel free to check out my food diary here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/losingfluffwithkelli :)

 

 

Low N Slow BBQ Chicken

So this recipe is way easy.  Two ingredients and a crockpot is all you need!

Ingredients:

• 1 jar BBQ sauce

• 800g chicken breast

First, pick out a jar of BBQ sauce that you like.  I grabbed Stubb's because it's awesome.  :)

 

 

Next, dice up your chicken breasts and throw em in the crockpot.  Then, dump your whole jar of sauce over the top and stir it all around to make sure it's all covered.

 

 

Put the lid on, and let it cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high if you are in a time crunch).  Luckily, my crockpot has a timer which is AWESOME because I can set it for however many hours I want, and once it's done - it just goes to "warm".  So by the time I get home after work and boot camp, it's still hot and ready to go.

 

This is what it looks like when it's done:

 

 

Instead of leaving the chicken whole, I decided to shred it up.  I just grabbed a couple forks and pulled all the meat apart so the sauce could really get all over it.

 

...and that's it!  I know, easy right?  :)  We had ours with some sweet potatoes and squash, but I think it would make a killer sandwich!  My hubs loved it, and I loved it because it was super easy, plus it makes great leftovers.  Score!

 

 

 

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 6 servings):

• Calories:  253

• Protein:  31g

• Carbs:  21g

• Fat:  2g

Pineapple Herb Chicken

Not gonna lie...I have been burnt out on chicken for a looooooooong time.  I didn't start eating chicken again until just a few weeks ago.  Instead of continuing to cut it out of my meals entirely, I have started experimenting with more marinades to add flavor.  I mean, who wants plain ole chicken?  Uhhhh boring!

I threw this recipe together, and it turned out great! 

Marinade Ingredients:
• 800g raw chicken breast
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tsp fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh pineapple juice (I just used the juice that came from the cutting board where I cut up the pineapple)
• 25g fresh pineapple
• salt and pepper to taste

 

First, weigh out your raw chicken breast.  I usually cut mine up into chunks, but you can leave it whole.

 

 

 

Next, get out a big ziplock bag.  Put the chicken inside, then start adding in all your other ingredients...

 

 

Once you have all the ingredients inside, zip up the bag, and toss the meat around to coat well. Put it in the fridge and let it have a marinade party overnight.

 

 

How you cook it is totally up to you!  ...grilled, baked, roasted, etc.  I just seared mine in a skillet for a couple minutes and then put it in the oven on a baking sheet at 350 for about 25 minutes.  While it was in the oven, I put 75g of pineapple into a skillet to heat it up.  After the chicken was cooked, I divided the pineapple up evenly between servings and added it on top.

 

 

I've never had chicken and pineapple together before, but it was yummy!!!

 

 

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 6 servings of about 55g each):

• Calories:  173

• Protein:  31g

• Carbs:  4g

• Fat:  3g

 

 

PB&J Protein MugCake

Let me start off by just saying that this is only the second time I have ever made a "mugcake".  So, I have no clue if it turned out to be the right texture or if I even did it right...all I know is that this little creation is UH-MAZING!  Here's how I made it:

 

1.  Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl.

2.  Add in all wet ingredients and mix well.  Use a fork or a whisk to make sure there are no lumps.

3.  Spray a little non-stick spray inside a coffee mug.

4.  Pour mixture into mug.

5.  Microwave for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

6.  Take mug out of microwave (careful, it will be hot!)

7.  Dump cake onto a plate.

8.  Add topping.

9.  Stuff yo face!  :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 scoop Biotrust vanilla protein powder

• 1 large egg white

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp. vanilla almond milk

• 1 tbsp. Jif natural creamy peanut butter

 

Topping:

• 1 tbsp. Jif natural creamy peanut butter

• 1 tbsp. Welch's grape jelly

 

Here's the nutritional breakdown:

• Calories:  296

• Protein:  18g

• Carbs:  21g

• Fat:  17g

 

 

*If you want to omit the extra tablespoon of peanut butter on top, then you will have this:

• Calories:  201

• Protein: 14g

• Carbs:  17g

• Fat:  9g

:)

Panko Crusted Squash

I don't know about yall, but I love me some fried squash!  Growing up, we had a garden in our backyard every summer with squash, okra, and other stuff.  Dad would pick it, mom would fry it, and my sister and I would eat it...I could seriously just eat fried squash and okra with ketchup for the rest of my life and be just fine!  Hey, a girl can dream.  :)  Anyway, I have come up with a healthier way to get that same crunchy fried squash taste with less calories and fat.  No, it's not the same as mom's but it's pretty darn good.  Here's how I make it:

First, get your ingredients together and turn the oven on to 350:

• 200g yellow squash (this was about one medium squash)

• 1/8 cup liquid egg whites

• 60g panko bread crumbs (you can find these on the baking aisle)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Next, you'll need to cut your squash.  Personally, I like mine super thin so I use a mandolin.  It's not fancy but it works!  If you don't have one of these, you can just use a knife.

 

 

 

Once all your squash is cut, set up your breading station.  Dump the egg whites into a bowl or plate, and add in some salt and pepper.  Then dump your breadcrumbs onto a plate and add in some salt and pepper.  Also, get your baking sheet ready.  I lined mine with foil and spread 1/2 tbsp olive oil on the bottom.

 

 

 

So, a little trick when it comes to breading - use one hand for wet and one hand for dry.  This keeps the breadcrumbs from stickin all over your fingers.  With my left hand, I coated each piece of squash in the egg whites then dropped it into the breadcrumbs.  With my right hand, I pressed breadcrumbs onto each side of the squash then dropped it onto the baking sheet.

 

 

Once you have all your squash coated and on the pan, drizzle 1/2 tbsp olive oil evenly on top.  Then pop em in the oven.

 

 

Let them cook for 10 minutes, then flip them over.  Let them cook for about 10-12 more minutes, and that's it!

 

Easy, simple, quick, healthy, and delicious!

 

Here's the nutrition info per serving (makes 4 servings of about 40g per serving):

• Calories: 96

• Protein: 3g

• Carbs: 14g

• Fat: 4g

 

 

 

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Have a good one!! :)