We're ALL IN.... again!

I've been involved with AdvoCare for over 3 years and still get excited about every cleanse/challenge I do. In 2015, over 70,000 people started the 24 Day Challenge together.  This year, over 128,000 jumped in to start the year off on the best foot. Clay and I are two of them!

2015 was a crazy year for us with selling our house quickly and moving to a temporary place, designing and building a house, moving again and of course, having a baby. Needless to say, it was often tough to focus on ourselves, so we're ready to take back control and get off this fluff!

I decided to do something a little different when we began planning our challenges- I am going to blog through it in addition to using my Instagram account.

Clay is doing the regular challenge with no modifications. He did add on ThermoPlus and Crave Check.

Since I am breastfeeding, I elected to change up the products I use to ensure Riley is safe and put together a program that's similar to the challenge. I will be using the peaches n cream Fiber Drink, Probiotic Restore Ultra, OmegaPlex, Spsrk, meal replacement shakes, Catalyst and Muscle Gain. I will also use the Post Workout Recovery.

I put together our meal plans and spent an hour or so prepping on Sunday. I like to chop veggies once, put together salads in mason jars and bag dinners to make things easier and prevent excuses.

Clay has eggs and reduced sodium turkey bacon every morning, and grilled chicken and green beans/blackeye peas every day, even off the challenge. I make them and put them in bowls to grab and go every week.

I also build mason jar salads.  Put dressing on the bottom if you want, softer veggies (bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers) next, then harder veggies (carrots, onions). Top with protein and then add your greens. These hold for 5 days or so if in mason jars and make life so much easier. Just shake it up to coat with dressing and you can even eat from the jar!

I seasoned the pork chops and put them in a bag. We were having boiled cabbage with it, so I chopped it and put it in its own bag.

Clay is having cheesesteak (with no cheese. Ha) one night, so I browned the beef and put it in a bag with sliced onions and green bell pepper after it cooled.  I can pour the bag in the skillet when it's time to cook and only have to clean one dish.

I also put together overnight oats in mason jars - just the dry ingredients: steel cut oats, flavor god gingerbread cookie, cinnamon, vanilla Muscle Gain, flaxseed. I only made three because some mornings, I'll have a shake. I'll add unsweetened almond milk to a jar the day before I plan to eat it. Prep only requires a good shake and about a minute in the microwave. Another eat from the jar meal!

I cut bell peppers into strip and bagged them, as well as carrot sticks. Snack size bags are perfect and being portioned makes it easy to eat while I'm nursing. I also bagged frozen mixed berries, spinach and chopped radishes to mix with Muscle Gain and almond milk for smoothies.

I am a firm believer in prepping for the challenge and beyond. I started this a few years ago and have done it almost weekly since. With the busyness of life, it's easy to find excuses to eat for convenience instead of health, but when I do, I feel TERRIBLE. Plus I mean, who wants to wash dishes daily? This helps eliminate some of the chores that come with cooking, and I'm all for that!

From Freezer to Slow Cooker

Before Bryson was born, I stocked our freezer with easy crock pot meals .  Since he came along, I've found it's so much easier to spend an hour or two in the kitchen on Sunday prepping meals for the week than to cook each night.  I have to clean the kitchen once instead of every night, which leaves a lot more playtime with my little man.

I got this crazy notion to prepare a month's worth of crock pot meals, thanks to my friend, Kim.  Since I don't have the freezer space for that, I cut it in half and did 16 bags that provided supper for Clay and me, as well as lunch for one of us.  It took me 96 minutes to get everything chopped, measured and bagged.  Clean up each night was as simple as packing leftovers and tossing the slow cooker liner!

This round, I made:
- pesto ranch chicken x2
- meatloaf (1/2 ground turkey, 1/2 ground beef) x2
- garlic beef stew
- balsamic roast
- ribs
- sweet Asian meatballs x2
- fajitas x2
- Philly cheesesteak
- beef w/ sugar snap peas
- chicken teriyaki x2
- tex mex chicken

Coming up with the list of things I wanted to make was the hardest part.  I tried to make similar recipes so I could use all of what I bought.  Since I was buying so much in addition to the groceries we needed for the week, I also matched sales and did a lot of ad matching.  What can I say?  I love a couponing high!  I got all of this plus our regular groceries for less than $150!

To start, labels bags with what's in it and the date.  DO NOT skimp on bags.  Great Value and other cheap bags leak and the last thing you want is garlic beef stew frozen to the bottom of your freezer.  I prefer Hefty slide zipper bags.

Start with a staging area.  Get everything you plan to use in one area that's easily accessible.  Open cans and jars.  It makes things so much easier when you can just grab and go.

I used to drag the garbage can beside me and dump everything as I went, but have started using a Rachael Ray trick and keep a garbage bowl handy.  It prevents me from tripping over the trash can.  Now I only have to worry about Bailey being under foot...

Invest in Reynolds slow cooker liners.  They're something like $2.50 and prevent you from having to wash the crock pot with each use.

All of the recipes below are either my own creations or adapted from recipes I've found online.  We prefer to eat as healthy as possible and live on the AdvoCare/Paleo diet, so all of these recipes fall into that category.  When possible, I've included a link to the original recipe.

Pesto Ranch Chicken Source

- 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

- 1 small jar Classico pesto

- 1 package dry Ranch dressing mix (I use homemade Ranch mix)

- low sodium chicken broth 

- Combine chicken breasts, pesto and Ranch mix in the bag.  Add chicken broth when cooking.  I use roughly half a box of broth- it's never enough to cover the chicken as I don't like the texture too much broth gives chicken, but does give it some flavor and moisture.  Chicken doesn't need to cook long because it dries out. The max I ever leave chicken in the crock pot is 6 hours on low.

Meatloaf

- 1 pound lean ground beef (I use 97/3)

- 1 pound lean ground turkey (I use 97/3 when possible)

- 1 egg

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 small can no salt added tomato sauce

- 1 tablespoon dry Ranch mix

- salt

- pepper

- Mix all ingredients except the tomato sauce and half the mixture.  

- Form the mixture into two loaf shapes.  Top each loaf with tomato sauce and place in individual bags.  

- When cooking, just place in crock pot.  No liquid necessary.  This doesn't take long to cook, but can go all day if necessary.  I did 6 hours on low.

Garlic Beef Stew Source

- 1.5 pounds lean steak, cubed, or stew meat
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3-4 medium carrots, sliced
- 6* cloves of garlic, finely diced
- salt
- pepper
- no salt added tomato paste
- 2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth

- Combine all ingredients in the bag and just toss in the crock pot when you're ready to cook.  No additional steps needed.
- * I never tried this because I had a stomach bug when we cooked it.  Clay wasn't a huge fan of it because it was pretty garlicky.   I think I'll probably reduced it to 3 cloves next time.  I like green beans in my beef stew, so I'll probably add some frozen cut green beans to the bag.
- I used a soup/stew preset on my crock pot, so it cooked for 3 hours on high and 6 on low.

Balsamic Roast Source

- 1.5-2 pound roast 

- 1 large onion, sliced

- 8-ounce can no salt added tomato sauce

- 1/2-cup balsamic vinaigrette (I used Marzetti brand I got on sale)

- extra virgin olive oil

- salt

- pepper

- garlic powder

- Season each side of the roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and brown the roast on all sides.
- Allow it to cool, then put in the bag with the remaining ingredients.
- When cooking, just put everything in the crock pot.  No additional steps required.  Cook low and slow- I did 8 hours on low.  

Ribs Source
- rack of ribs (I used baby back, trimmed of all visible fat)
- pepper
- salt
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- cayenne (I didn't add this because Bryson was eating them)
- BBQ sauce for dipping, if desired
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

- Rub the ribs with the seasonings and place in the bag.
- Pour the broth in the bag before freezing. It will act like a brine and make the ribs more flavorful and tender.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.

Sweet Asian Meatballs Source
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 egg
- salt
- pepper

- Combine all the ingredients and form into balls.  I made the meatballs palm-sized, but you can do mini balls or big ones.  Totally your preference, just make sure they're the same size.  Separate the balls into 2 bags.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4, depending on the size.

Fajitas
- 2 yellow onions
- 4 bell peppers (I used one pack of tricolor and a green)
- small handful of taco seasoning (I make my own from this recipe, minus the salt)
- 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

- Rub the chicken breasts in taco seasoning.  Toss everything except broth in 2 bags, no need to chop the chicken.
- Dump the bag in the slow cooker, then pour in broth.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  As the chicken cooks, it will become very tender and will shred easily.  Shred the chicken using tongs or two forks, then wrap up in a tortilla or put on a salad!

Philly cheesesteak in a bowl Source
- 1.5 lb lean steak, sliced thin (I use eye of round most often)
- 1 green pepper, sliced thin
- 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp low sodium worcestshire sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- pinch of black pepper
- pinch of chili powder
- 1 tsp-1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
- 1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella shredded cheese (optional)

- Combine all ingredients except broth and cheese in the bag and shake well.  Toss in the crock pot and add chicken broth.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Since the steak is sliced so thin, it doesn't need long, but does get more tender the longer it cooks.  Eye of round is super lean, but can also be chewy, so the extra time in the crock pot really helps the flavor and texture.
- Add cheese on top in the last 30 minutes to give it time to melt.  Dairy isn't allowed on the 24 Day Challenge and some Paleo eaters avoid dairy, so if you follow either of these, leave out this step.
- We've eaten this on a wrap, but it's good all by itself!  No carbs necessary!

Beef with Sugar Snap Peas  Source
- 1.5 - 2 pounds lean steak, sliced very thin (I used sirloin)
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger (or about 2 tsp dry ginger)
- 5 scallions, sliced on the diagonal
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, either finely minced or made into a paste
- 1.5 - 2 cups snow or sugar snap peas (fresh or frozen)

- In large bag, combine in all of the ingredients except the peas.  Toss to coat everything in the sauces.
- Put the snow peas or sugar snap peas in a smaller bag and place it in the big bag.  I used sugar snap because I couldn't find snow peas.  I've since  made it with snow peas and they're both fantastic!
- Cook the ingredients of the large bag on low for 6-7 hours.  Add the sugar snap peas in the last 30-45 minutes.  They'll give the dish a freshness and crisp crunch!

Chicken Teriyaki Source
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Splenda brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup low sodium, low sugar teriyaki sauce or 1 teriyaki chicken seasoning packet
- 2 scallions, sliced on the diagonal
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

- Pour soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, sesame seeds and teriyaki sauce or seasoning in the bag.  Close and shake to mix.  Break up the brown sugar with your fingers if it clumps.
- Add the chicken to the bag, then toss to coat.
- Pour the contents of the bag in the crock pot, then add chicken broth.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  In the last hour, add the scallions and stir to make sure they're covered by the liquid.
- If you want to make a sauce, pour the leftover liquid from the crockpot into a pot and get to a rapid boil.  Let it boil for 3-4 minutes, then reduce to a simmer.  It'll take a while to reduce unless you add cornstarch, which of course, I don't do, but it will reduce to a thicker consistency and it's soooo good!

When you've made all of your bags, lie them flat and remove all the air you can.  Place them on the bottom of your freezer, as flat as possible.  When they're frozen through, you can file them like books on a shelf.  Thanks for that tip, Grandmama!  It saves so much space in the freezer!

Tex Mex Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- no sugar added salsa
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- juice of 2 limes

- Put the chicken in the bag and add all ingredients.
- Cook on low for 5 hours.  I shred the chicken when it's cooked and add to a salad with black beans.

Bryson: Month Five

Weight: At your last appointment on 11/27, you weighed 19.6 pounds!

Height: You haven't been measured since your four month appointment, at which you were 27 inches long.

Eating Habits: 
You started eating solids this month and you love them!  You are still getting milk every 3 hours, but twice a day, get a vegetable.  So far, you have tried squash, carrots, corn, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, avocado and sweet peas.  You LOVE carrots and sweet potatoes and absolutely HATE avocado.  You're a boy after your mama's heart. :)

Accomplishments: 
I feel like I could write a novel on all you accomplish each month.  This month, your biggest accomplishment is sitting up on your own.  You're still a little wobbly when you see your feet, and can't pull yourself up to a seated position yet, but you're getting there.

You're also really trying to crawl and mommy isn't ready for it!  You don't like being on your tummy still, so you don't give crawling a try for very long, but you put the time you spend on your tummy to good use.  You are good at pushing your booty in the air and balancing on your elbows.  You can even scoot a few inches in that position.

You are really starting to like toys now, especially if they make music.  Grandmama bought you a set of keys (for Christmas and she's a sucker and you have them already) that has fob that looks like keyless entry.  It has a button that starts the music and you've figured out how to push it to make it play.

You laugh ALL. THE. TIME.  You've been giggling for awhile, but some things just make you belly laugh.  When the puppies walk by you, you grab their tails and think it's HILARIOUS.  Grandmama also plays a game with you where she pulls you across a mat by your ankles and you think that's the funnest thing.

Favorite Things:
Toys!  You love to look at yourself in the mirror on your playmat and have to have your Cookie Monster wherever you go.

Bathtime is still a lot of fun.  Since you're getting stronger, your spirited kicks usually end up in a soaked mommy and bathroom.

Carrots and sweet potatoes.  You love them and can knock them back in minutes.

Not-So-Favorite Things:
Avocados rank at the top of the things you don't like list.  Mommy and Daddy don't like avocados either, but since they're so good for you, wanted you to like them.  I wish I would have taped your reaction to the first bite.  Typically with the first bite of a new food, you make a face and let it fall out of your mouth.  With avocado, however, you projectile spit, screamed and shuddered from head to toe, then looked at me with a death glare.  I didn't even try a second bite, but don't you worry, we'll try it again in a few weeks. :)

Being on your tummy is still not fun.  You're content for about 3 minutes, then pull the familiar shove your face in the blanket and snort while trying to breathe stunt.

Other Bryson News:  You've had a lot of firsts this month:

Halloween:  You were a cute ferocious little dragon.  We didn't go anywhere, but did stand in the driveway and watched all the other kids trick or treating.  You even scared a few neighbors. ;)

Thanksgiving: On Thanksgiving Day, you got to meet the majority of the family on my side.  You loved all the attention and fought to stay awake.  You finally had enough and passed out in the middle of the living room floor at Grandmama and Granddaddy Heald's house.

Iron Bowl: It's a good year to be an Alabama fan, so I'm hoping that since you were born this year, you'll pick the right side.  This year has been a different one than I've ever experienced.  Alabama was at the top of the polls and because of some coaching issues, Auburn was winless in the SEC.  It made for a very boring Iron Bowl.  You enjoyed it though, like you do with any football game.














You saw fireworks for the first time on November 16, 2012, when they lit The Summit for Christmas.  A lot of babies and kids bigger than you were terrified of the loud noises.  You were amazed by the pops of color.  Daddy and I joke that you didn't blink for 10 minutes.  We couldn't get you to look anywhere but at the show!

On November 23, you went to your first football game.  Daddy's alma mater, Fayette County, played Leeds High School in the playoffs.  Since Leeds is just a few miles from us, he wanted to go.  It was pretty chilly outside, so we all bundled up and cheered on the Tigers.  When we got there, you were enthralled by the band.  You love music, so having real, live musicians there thrilled you.  When the football players took the field, your eyes locked on them and you watched their every move.  You hung in until the third quarter, when you got hungry, and then so sleepy you couldn't stand it.  

With each day, you are becoming more fun.  You are the happiest baby I have ever seen.  Even if your lips aren't visible, your eyes give away that you're smiling.  Your smile is the highlight of my day and I do anything necessary to see it over and over.  You're a pretty incredible little guy and Mommy loves you more than you will ever know!

Freezer Cooking

Plan meals that use the same ingredients in different ways to cut costs and prevent food from spoiling.
GOOD freezer bags are also a necessity!

With Bryson's arrival [hopefully] less than 2 months away, I have started nesting hardcore. I have plenty of projects around the house, but Pregnancy Brain Syndrome makes concentrating on one thing nearly impossible, so I decided to buckle down and knock out the least time consuming- prepping some meals for the freezer.

Friday night, Clay had a friend over, so I spent 2 hours in the kitchen chopping and bagging. Because of those 2 hours in the kitchen, I have about 2 weeks worth of meals frozen and ready to go! Since we eat foods that are low on the glycemic index, foods that are typically considered convenient aren't for us, so this will make our lives much easier! 

 I've had a few people ask for recipes and/or what I put in the bags, so here you go! 

On the menu: 

Teriyaki Chicken 

Meatloaf 

Roast 

Beef Stew 

Paleo cheese steak 

Pork tenderloin 

Marsala sauce 

Beef Stir-fry 

Chicken Stir-fry 

Stuffed Bell Peppers 

Spinach Lasagna

The ingredients listed below are what's actually in the bag/foil. I labeled each bag and if you don't know how to make the dish, writing instructions on the bag is helpful. Unless otherwise noted, nothing is pre-cooked. 

Teriyaki Chicken 

Baby carrots 

Red onion, chopped 

Pineapple 

Garlic 

Chicken breasts 

Teriyaki 

-- Directions: Toss everything in the crock pot with water or chicken broth and cook on low for 6 hours.

Meatloaf 

1 pound ground beef 

1 pound ground turkey 

1 egg 

Yellow onion, diced 

Dale’s 

-- Prep Notes: I actually added a ton more than this because I had extra stuff. I tossed in diced tomatoes, minced mushrooms and minced bell peppers. They'll add flavor, moisture and nutrition, so if you have anything left from any recipe, toss it in! I lined a meatloaf pan with foil, formed the loaves, then popped the foil out and froze the loaves in gallon-sized bags. Without the pan, there's so much more room. 

-- Directions: Thaw completely.  Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes. 

Roast 

Pork sirloin roast 

Baby carrots 

Cubed red potatoes (Normally don't use these, but will need some carbs)

Frozen cut green beans 

1 onion, chopped

-- Directions: Pour the contents in a crock pot and cover with beef/chicken broth. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Beef Stew 

2 pounds beef, diced 

1 onion, chopped 

1 bag green beans 

Few stalks of celery, chopped 

1 can diced tomatoes 

-- Directions: Pour the contents in a crock pot and cover with beef broth. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Paleo Cheese Steak 

3 pounds steak 

2 onions, sliced 

4 bell peppers, sliced 

Worcestershire sauce 

Wing sauce 

-- Prep Notes: This actually made three bags, so you can definitely change up the ingredient amounts. 

-- Directions: Preheat a skillet with a tablespoon of olive or canola oil. Pour the contents of the bag in the skillet. Cover with lid [or foil]. When the onions are translucent and meat is cooked through, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and place under broiler for a few minutes, until cheese is melted.
Source

Pork Tenderloin 

1/2 cup pineapple juice 

Soy sauce 

Ground mustard

Ground black pepper 

Minced garlic 

-- Prep Notes: I thawed a few pieces of the frozen pineapple I had for the teriyaki chicken, then smashed it with a fork to release the juice. No need to buy cans of pineapple juice that you won't use AND you get some yummy chunks. 

-- Directions: Thaw thoroughly, then wrap in foil. I like to slow roast on 300 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature is roughly 145 degrees (the recommended safe cooking temperature for lean pork is no longer 160 FYI). 

Marsala Sauce 

8-10 white mushrooms, sliced (or 1 small pre-sliced container) 

1.5 onions, sliced 

1 can reduced sodium chicken broth 

Marsala cooking wine 

-- Prep Notes: This is pre-cooked and just makes an easy topping for chicken. Before bagging, allow the sauce to cool. Lay the bag flat in the freezer until it's frozen through, then you can stand it up like a book. 

-- Directions: Slice mushrooms (or buy them sliced) and onions. Cook the onions on medium-high heat in a preheated pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once they begin to soften, add mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes, until mushrooms release their liquids. Pour in a can of chicken broth and marsala cooking wine to taste. I eyeball this, so I have no idea how much I use, but I'd guess between 1/4 and 1/2 cup. Season with salt and pepper. If there isn't a lot of liquid, add more broth. Bring to a rolling boil and leave it for roughly 2 minutes, then turn down to a simmer until the liquids have reduced by roughly half. 

Beef Stir-Fry 

1 pound lean beef 

1 bag stir-fry veggies 

1 small can water chestnuts 

Stir-fry sauce 

Soy sauce, to taste (can be added after cooking instead) 

-- Directions: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet or wok and toss in the contents of the bag. Cover with lid or foil until cooked through, stirring occasionally. 

Chicken Stir-Fry 

3 chicken breasts, cubed 

1 bag stir-fry veggies 

1 small can water chestnuts 

Stir-fry sauce 

Soy sauce, to taste (can be added after cooking instead) 

-- Directions: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet or wok and toss in the contents of the bag. Cover with lid or foil until cooked through, stirring occasionally. 

Stuffed Bell Peppers 

7 bell peppers 

1 pound ground turkey 

1 onion 

Roasted red peppers 

Mushrooms, diced 

1 small can crushed tomatoes 

Worcestershire sauce 

-- Prep Notes: Brown the ground beef and allow it to cool before combining with other ingredients. Mix all ingredients, then place in bell peppers. To ensure the peppers don't fall over, cut the very bottom of each pepper, but not too far up. You just want to level the pepper off, not cut a hole in the bottom. I froze each pepper in its own bag. 

-- Directions: Thaw the pepper(s) completely. Take out of the bags and place in a casserole. Bake on 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Spinach Lasagna

1 pound ground turkey

1 small tub part skim ricotta cheese

1 jar no sugar added spaghetti sauce

1 bag frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 egg

-- Prep Notes: This is not cooked through, but the ground turkey is browned.  Freeze in a disposable foil container for easy cleanup.

-- Directions: Brown ground turkey and drain.  Allow to cool completely.  Combine thawed (and drained) spinach with ricotta cheese, egg, and seasonings (I use Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper).  Put half the meat on the bottom of the dish, layer with the ricotta mixture, then top with spaghetti sauce.  Repeat the layers.  When you're ready to cook, allow it to thaw completely, then bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until warmed through.

Make sure your bags are clearly labeled.