Quick Dinner: Brown Sugar Spiced Salmon

This brown sugar spiced salmon was so delicious and will become a staple in our weekly/monthly. Such a great way to get the family to eat fish: thanks to Katie Lee for yet another simple & amazing dinner inspiration.

Just mix a 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar, a tablespoon of chili powder, sea salt and pepper together in a bowl. Pat the rub generously into each filet and bake in the oven on 400° for 10-15 minutes.  The sugars caramelize and whenever that happens, it's like a party on my plate.

So, so good- Porter loved the "chicky" too ;)

Caprese Omelet | 21 Day Fix Approved!

I stumbled upon something new, that might have changed the way I view breakfast. I seriously look forward to this meal every single day!

Caprese Omelet
-2 eggs
-A handful of fresh basil. I love basil, so I am very generous with how much I use
-Parmesan cheese
-Grape tomatoes, halved

Whisk two eggs with 2 tablespoons of water. Make sure you whisk/beat them really well. Preheat a skillet (or omelet pan) to medium heat, spray with coconut oil, and pour the eggs in. Pick up the pan by the handle, and tilt the pan around around to ensure even coverage. Cover egg generously with your favorite seasonings- I used fresh cracked black pepper, sea salt and some cayenne... because I like it spicyyyy. [If you want to watch an awesome video on the perfect omelet, I love this one!]

If egg starts to bubble, pop them with a spatula... run your spatula around the edges of the omelet to ensure no sticking. When you can see the top of the omelet start to cook through (a few minutes) add some fresh cheese & basil. Let it sit for another minute or so, and then add the halved tomatoes. Run your spatula along the omelet again, and then fold the omelet over.

Once, when I was eating this really late in the day, I added a Yellow Container (21 Day Fix portion) of brown rice and drizzled with Balsamic Vinaigrette before I folded it over. Ohhhhh. This added just the right amount of bulk to the meal- I could hardly finish it.

ENJOY! And try to eat it all- so fresh and healthy!

Ignore my ugly feet and chipped polish and kid's toys... this is about the massive 2-egg omelet you could be enjoying.

See! I suck at omelets sometimes, too. This one got a little brown... but ohhhh it was delicious.

21DF | Lemon Thyme Salmon

My favorite dinner thus far! Add this into your line-up immediately, if you're a fan of these ingredients.

Salmon

Lemon & Thyme

Tomato

Fresh Basil

Fresh Mozzarella (Skim/low moisture or whatever) ;)

Balsamic Reduction

We cooked our salmon the bbq, because the sun came out and we forgot that it was April. It was so easy! Season your salmon with a tsp of olive oil and whatever fresh herbs/citrus you want - we did lemon slices, and fresh sprigs of thyme. And, salt + pepper of course! Then, place it on the grill skin side down, until the fish starts to flake and the white/clear "fat" starts to emerge from the meat. Make sense?

For the Caprese salad, slice tomatoes and mozzarella into medallions. Layer tomato, mozzarella and basil in an alternating pattern, and then drizzle with balsamic reduction. You can make your own reduction by simmering balsamic vinegar over low, low heat until it reduces by half... takes a century, but it's delicious. OR, you can be lazy like me and go to your local gourmet grocery store and buy an amazing pre-made/pure/no sugar added reduction.

I'm just being honest, here. It's a no-brainer for me.

21 Day Fix Totals: 1 Red + 1 Green + 1 Blue

21DF | Healthy BLT

Just... you're welcome. I could eat this every day for lunch.

1 Whole Grain Tortilla

Your green of choice (romaine, spinach, arugula)

4 slices of turkey bacon

For the MAYO =

Plain Greek yogurt + onion powder + garlic powder + sea salt + fresh cracked pepper + a tiny bit of whole grain mustard + a splash of white wine vinegar (or balsamic... whatever you have! Try anything for a fun-flavored mayo) + any other seasoning you'd like. Get creative and experiment a bit.

Spread 1tb of the mayo onto the tortilla, cover with your lettuce of choice, two slices of tomato, and 4 slices of bacon. I usually use 2 slices of bacon for my wrap, and then eat the other 2 straight ;)

21 Day Fix Totals: 1 Yellow + 1 Green + 1 Blue + 1 Red

21DF | A Sample Weekly Menu

Please be advised - these daily options are not my exact allotment of containers. I realize that may not be the most helpful for you, but I wanted to post this sooner rather than waiting for the entire next week to pass so I can write things down exactly as I eat them. So, take this with a grain of perfectly measured/allotted sea salt ;)

SOME REMINDERS: NO DRESSINGS, NO TABLE SALT, NO SUGAR, NO CRAP WHITE BREAD OR PASTA.

If you are a real human, and accept a dinner invitation with friends - I will be posting more about that next week - including some ideas on what to order so you don't blow all the hard work that you've done.

Items I prepare on Sundays: I hardboil a dozen eggs, cook up about 2lbs of ground turkey, and prepare an entire bag of quinoa.

Monday
Breakfast: 1 piece of Dave's Bread toast, 1/4 avocado, Tapatio, sea salt + pepper
1 Yellow (toast)
1 Blue (1/4 avocado)

Snack: 2 hardboiled eggs - cut in half and season with fresh pepper + sea salt and HOT SAUCE
1 Red (2 eggs)

Lunch: Bistro Bowl -- Salad green of choice, ground turkey, brown rice or quinoa, second green/veggie of choice (sauteed onion or mushroom, chopped yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes). Season with s+p, balsamic vinegar and HOT SAUCE. Or, just hot sauce if I'm sick of vinegar for the day.
2 Green (one container of salad, and another container of additional veggie(s) for salad)
1 Red (turkey)
1 Yellow (brown rice or quinoa)

Snack: This is the snack I forget most often. I need to be better at grabbing some greek yogurt/granola (1 Red, 1 Yellow) or some hummus/celery or peppers (1 Blue, 1 Green) or half a banana (1 Purple). Those are some delicious, easy snacks to add to your day! What I choose depends on what containers I'm lacking for the day after lunch!

Dinner: SSS (Steak + Sweet potatoes + Salad) - my hubby BBQs some lean steak, and I chop up a sweet potato and cook with a little EVOO, s+p + garlic until browned and a little crispy. You can add some onion too, if you want. Then I make us a side salad: I love arugula, mushrooms & some s+p+balsamic! For fun, grab some whole grain mustard to dip your sweet potato hash in, or throw some chopped nuts or seeds (1 orange) or some parmesan cheese (1 blue) Yum!
1 Red (Steak)
1 Yellow (Sweet Potato)
2 Green (Arugula, mushrooms, onion)

Post Workout//Late Night Snack: Shakeology
1 scoop + 10oz water, 3tsp peanut butter, frozen strawberries
1 Red (Shakeology)
1 Purple (Berries)
3tsp (PB)

---

Tuesday
Breakfast: 1 piece of Dave's Bread toast, drizzle of raw honey (since we're allowed to add this to our coffee sometimes, I decide to add it to my toast instead)
1 Yellow (toast)

Snack: 1 banana, 2 hardboiled eggs
1 Purple
1 Red

Lunch: Brown Rice Pasta, cooked/seasoned mushrooms & asparagus in 1 tsp EVOO, and parmesan cheese.
1 Green (mushrooms/asparagus)
1 Yellow (brown rice pasta)
1 Tsp (EVOO)
1 Blue (cheese)

Snack: Greek yogurt + fresh raspberries
1 Red (Greek Yogurt)
1 Purple (Fruit)

Dinner: Chicken Quinoa Chili
2 Red (Chicken, Black Beans)
1 Yellow (Quoinoa)
1 Green (Fresh, organic diced tomatoes)
Lots of fresh seasoning - salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, cayenne, chili powder, etc
This cooks in the crockpot all day - I don't measure this, but I always eat 1 bowl and just assume these are how many containers it represents. I add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on top, too. Refrigerates great for leftovers tomorrow!

Post Workout//Late Night Snack: Shakeology
1 scoop + 10oz water, 3tsp peanut butter, frozen strawberries
1 Red (Shakeology)
1 Purple (Berries)
3tsp (PB)

---

Wednesday
Breakfast: Coffee (Oops... no food. I really need to remember breakfast)

Snack: 2 hardboiled eggs, a handful of raw kale, hot sauce, salt/pepper, brown rice.
Roughly mash with a fork until it's all mixed up together!
1 Red
1 Green
1 Yellow

Lunch: Leftover Chicken Quinoa Chili
2 Red (Chicken, Black Beans)
1 Yellow (Quoinoa)
1 Green (Fresh, organic diced tomatoes)

Snack: Avocado Toast
1 Yellow
1 Blue

Dinner: BBQ Salmon w/lemon and thyme, brown rice, and Brussel Sprouts & Kale
1 Red
1 Yellow
2 Green

Post Workout//Late Night Snack: Shakeology
1 scoop + 10oz water, 3tsp peanut butter, frozen strawberries
1 Red (Shakeology)
1 Purple (Berries)
3tsp (PB)

---

Thursday
Breakfast: Steel-cut oatmeal mixed with 1 packet stevia + pure vanilla extract, 1 banana
1 Yellow
2 Purple

Snack: Shakeology

Lunch: Brussel Sprouts & Kale, sautéed with fresh garlic and oregano over quinoa & 2 poached eggs and lots of hot sauce.
This is my favorite lunch!
2 Green
1 Yellow
1 Red

Snack: Strawberries, afternoon coffee (black w/a splash of almond milk, a couple drops of chocolate stevia)
1 Purple

Dinner: Spaghetti with Spinach Salad
I use quinoa noodles, organic marinara (or you can easily make your own - tomato, garlic, oregano, some evoo in the blender!), ground turkey. Serve your spinach salad with a another veggie of choice - I love mushrooms - and dress with balsamic vinegar or lemon and EVOO.
1 Yellow
1 Red
2 Green

Snack: 6 chocolate covered almonds,
1 Blue

Post Workout//Late Night Snack: Shakeology
1 scoop + 10oz water, 3tsp peanut butter, frozen strawberries
1 Red (Shakeology)
1 Purple (Berries)
3tsp (PB)

---

Friday
Breakfast: Coffee, Banana
1 Purple

Snack: 3 slices of turkey, 1 hardboiled egg, toast, blackberries/raspberries
Clearly, I am not always a chef. I just grab healthy snacks about 10 minutes apart and that is my "mid morning snack attack".
1 Red
1 Yellow
1 Purple

Lunch: Avocado "Creme" Pasta
1 small avocado, blended with 3 cloves of garlic, a handful of fresh basil, 2tb EVOO, and the juice of 1 small lemon. Serve over your favorite brown rice, quinoa or whole grain pasta. I usually throw a veggie in there too, like chopped raw kale or steamed broccoli on the side.
1 Yellow
1 Blue
1 Tsp
1 Green

Snack: Oops. I usually forget! Fridays are hard because I'm so focused on TGIF!

Dinner: OUT TO DINNER - or -

Breakfast bowls! 2 poached eggs, spinach, sweet potato hash, cilantro/lime quinoa, caramelized onion. Mix it all together and top with... hot sauce! ;)
2 Yellow
2 Red
1/2 Green

Post Workout//Late Night Snack: Shakeology
1 scoop + 10oz water, 3tsp peanut butter, frozen strawberries
1 Red (Shakeology)
1 Purple (Berries)
3tsp (PB)

And since you have your meals down, I've discovered that buying new workout gear keeps me motivated for my at home gym life. All of these finds are under $100... what are some of your favorites?

21DF | Brussels & Kale

I was grossed out by brussel sprouts when I was a kid, until the one time my dad sautéed them in maple syrup, and then I was all "VEGGIES ARE AMAZING!"

Nice try, dad. Good game.

I bought some brussels at Costco after a couple of my favorite health food bloggers raved about them; I knew I couldn't douse them in maple syrup on the Fix, so I prayed that a little olive oil would magically do trick.

It's not quite syrup, but it was freaking delicious. I'm a fan. Newly converted, but a fan nonetheless. Try it for your next lunch. It was so filling, and but didn't leave me feeling heavy at all.

Kale

Brussel Sprouts

Fresh garlic, chopped

Olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper + oregano

Topped with a few sesame seeds, for fun ;)

Sautée chopped garlic in a dash of olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano over medium heat until tender and slightly browned. Add brussel sprouts and keep cooking. Once you start to see crispy brown edges on the brussel sprouts, add lots of kale and a a few tablespoons of water (just to create some steam). Add some more oregano, pepper and sea salt to taste (I love my seasoning) ;) Cover, and let cook until kale is soft. Top with some sesame seeds and serve hot!

21 Day Fix Totals: 2 Green

#21DayFix Me!

I'm a serial dieter.

Atkins, HCG, raw, juice, "eat-kind-of-clean all week and then binge on the weekends" (no joke, I actually thought that would work).

I have a friend named Chelsea, and I watched her total transformation from Day 1. She never harassed me to join her, she never stalked me and tried to sell me... what she involved herself in was so impressive, I started to want it. I started to realize that it wasn't about building a following for her, she just genuinely loves what she does - and has seen her body/life/mind completely change as a result. So, a little over a week ago, I tracked her down and told her I was ready.

She'd been waiting for me. ;)

What had sold me was all the before-and-afters I was seeing of the 21 Day Fix. It looked amazing - totally attainable.

There are a few reason why this program appeals to me:

- It sounds short term. I work so much better if I have the finish line in site... even if that just means it's the finish line for round 1, I still have a finish line. Just like when I was laboring to bring my son into this world, I so badly wanted to know when it would be over... how many more pushes? How much longer do I need to suffer through contractions to give birth without an epidural? I love that there's a finish line with this program, but every time you cross the finish line, there's an upcoming Monday that awaits a fresh start.

- The meal plan is foolproof. Not gonna lie, the color-coding system seemed a little intense at first, but it's really not bad. And, there are lists of foods that you can have. Figuring out how many containers of each color you get is simple. And guess what? Bread is on that list. Whole grain pasta is on that list. CHEESE is on the list! Portion control is key, and that makes me beyond happy. It's ALL about portion control... learning to eat for fuel, and not for fun. 

- Workouts are only 30 minutes and can be done in my living room (and all the working moms say "aaaaamen.")

Paul is doing it with me, which is wonderful. He doesn't need to lose any weight, but he needs to get healthier! Americanos aren't a complete diet. ;)

We are on Day 2 now, and I'm loving it so far! I also did an extra Yoga class last night (two a days? Who am I?) and so I'm feeling the pain today like no other. Today's workout is called "Dirty Thirty". Safe to say, I'm shaking in my Nikes.

Stay tuned!