Spicy Jack Chicken Mac & Cheese

My plan was to make garlic chicken pizza and I had the recipe all planned out, but I was out of flour to make the dough and didn't feel like driving to the store. So this is what I came up with. A combination of some of the ingredients I was going to use for pizza and another recipe I totally threw together as I went! Here goes! I hope it turns out AWESOME!!! 

Recipe:

2c. Elbow Macaroni (Dry)

2cups Broccoli (Fresh or Frozen)

2c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese (shredded)

2c. Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese (shredded)

1 can Carnation Evaporated Milk

1/2 tsp. Oregano

1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1/2 tsp. Basil

2 Tbsp. Bread Crumbs

3-4 Chicken Breasts

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees

Boil elbow macaroni, separately following instructions on the box or package.

Cut up chicken into bite size and cook in a separate pan until fully cooked

In a separate bowl, combine broccoli, oregano, minced garlic, pepper, basil and bread crumbs. Set aside. 

Finish cooking and draining the noodles and chicken. Combine all ingredients in your largest pot or bowl. Stir until mixed completely, add cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese. Leave about 1/2 cup of cheese set aside for the top of your casserole

Place mixed casserole into a 9x13 dish. Sprinkle the top with the 1/2 c cheese you sat aside above, sprinkle a little bit of bread crumbs along the top. 

Bake in 350 degrees for 20 min covered with tin foil. Remove tin foil and bake an additional 10 min. 

Enjoy!!!

The end product, and review from the family below...........

Thumbs up for mom!! ;)

Gluten Free Pizza

OMG!! This is AMAZING! Gluten-Free Pizza! I could have just eaten the crust raw, that's how good it tastes! The only downfall with this recipe was spreading the dough. It's not your typical pizza dough. It is more like cornbread before you place it in the oven. So what I did to spread the dough was put a little bit of grape seed oil on my rolling pin after placing it in a ball on the pan. I then rolled it out and used the uneven edge as a crust.
Combine:
2 c. Almond Meal
3 tbsp. Grape Seed Oil
2 Eggs
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Mix in a bowl then place on a pan and spread out into a 12 in circle (approx).
Bake on 350 for 20 min

Prepare your toppings:
Organic Pizza Sauce or marinera sauce (I bought mine at Trader Joes

Cook or chop toppings:
Sausage (preferably organic)
Mushrooms
Pineapple
Canadian Bacon
Etc.
Once the crust is finished baking, remove from oven and add your toppings then cook together on 350 for 15-20 min.
Enjoy!!

Strawberry Cranberry Spinach Salad with grilled chicken

This is one of my faves! Delicious and healthy!
Combine on a plate (1 serving) approx. 260 cal per serving:
1 c. Fresh baby spinach
1 tbsp. Honey roasted almonds with cranberries
1 large strawberry (sliced)
1 handful cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp Raspberry Vinaigrette (made with extra Virgin oil)
1 4 oz chicken breast (grilled)

Enjoy!!

Shrimp and Veg Stir Fry

For the last month I have been eating healthy, running and walking. The fun thing about this whole weight loss goal is seeing results and finding new recipes! So for tonight's dinner it is Shrimp and Veg Stir Fry. Here is the delicious recipe:
Combine:
1/2 c. Chicken broth
2 tsp low sodium soy sauce (yes it does exist!) :)
2 tbsp. sugar or you can use stevia
Mix together and set aside.
Heat in a frying pan or Wok:
2 tbsp coconut oil or extra virgin oil
Add 1 lb shrimp
Stir until pink, 3 min
Transfer to plate
Add:
2 tsp coconut oil or extra virgin oil to pan
4 cups broccoli ( I substituted it with cucumber and red onion as I was out of broccoli)
1 thinly sliced red pepper (I used 3 different colored peppers)
Stir fry for 1 minute
Make a wall in the center of the veggies and add
1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Stir fry for 1 min. Add 1/3 c. Water; cover and steam for 3 min
Return shrimp to pan; add mixed sauce that you made in the first step.
Cook, stir, until shrimp is warmed and sauce thickens.
Serve over brown rice
This dish smelled so good while cooking it, it was making my mouth water!

By changing eating habits and exercising, I have successfully lost 12 lbs. I have 15 more to go to my goal!
You can do it if your mind is set on doing it!
Good luck!

Omellette for Breakfast without the cheese!

I was thinking about what to make myself for breakfast, but I didn't want anything heavy and was really craving a protein. So I went through my fridge....... this is what I came up with. My personal spin on an omelette.

Ingredients:
1 large organic brown egg

1/2 cup fresh spinach

1/4 cup fresh cherry tomotoes

1/4 cup of fresh mushrooms sliced (not canned)

1/2 Avocado

Diced Onion (I did not have this on hand but I think it would add even greater flavor to the dish)

1 tsp. unsalted real butter

Directions:
On medium heat, cook egg in a pan with 1tsp. unsalted real butter. While that is cooking, remove the skin from the avocado and slice and place separatly on the plate. Finish cooking the egg and place on the plate next to the avocado. In the remaining butter of the pan place the spinach, mushrooms, and tomato cook together for 3 minutes or until the spinach becomes limp. Place over the egg and avocado on the plate. I used sea salt and fresh pepper to taste. ENJOY! This has great flavor!

xoxo
Jacque

Chicken Avocado Salad

Here is one of the recipes that I have been using. This recipe is a great non-dairy option to fatty/ greasy chicken salads and does not have gobs of mayonaise in it.

Ingredients:
2-3 Organic Chicken Breasts or you may use 1 Rotisserie Chicken (Just take the fats and skin off and use the white meat)

1 Avocado

1/2 Onion

1/3 cup Cilantro (Cut up, leave a little for garnish)

1 fresh lime juiced (squeezed lime in the bottle contains additives)

A pinch of fresh sea salt

Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Best if it sits in the fridge for atleast an hour to mix the flavors.

This has a fun Salty/ Citrus taste and you can add it to green lettuce as a wrap or over a bed of lettuce. Or you can add it to a tortilla for the family as a chicken wrap.

I added a little more lime and lemon juice over a bed of lettuce as a light dinner.

Happy tasting!
XOXO
Jacque

3 Day Cleanse (Day 3)

Well, I am on my last day of the cleanse. Yesterday I felt amazing when I woke up. At lunch I felt a bit bloated but I think it had to do with the vegetables in the shake. Last night, I did not do the detox bath because I felt like I had no energy at all, which was probably not the best decision. I should have relaxed in the tub. This morning I got on the scale and I was down another pound. YEAH!
I have had my green tea, with a slice of lemon. I chose not to purchase the Stevia. I like green tea. So its not to hard for me to drink it down.
My only issue this morning is trying to drink my shake. I don't think I blended it long enough and therefore I am having a hard time drinking it. Make sure you blend your shakes really good or you may experience some gagging reflexes and an urge to throw up the shake. Sorry TMI.
Overall, it has been a great cleanse. I feel lighter and my clothes are lose on me.

I will post one last update tonight, to let you know how I feel this evening.

Update:
After the 3 day cleanse, I have managed to keep the weight off and I am still losing. I have been watching what I am eating and portion control. I have been sticking strictly to proteins, vegetables, fruits and healthy carbs. I have not had dairy, sugars, or bad carbs in 3 weeks. My energy levels are amazing! Total weight lost 10 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Just by changing my diet, excercising minimally (2-3 days a week) whether it is a walk or a run, along with boosting my metabolism with the 3 day cleanse.

I will share a few recipes that I have been using through my journey.

XOXO,
Jacque

3- Day Cleanse

Being a mom and working full time, it can be tough finding time for you to work on yourself. I was a very fit person prior to having my two kids. I ran everyday, ate good meals. After getting married in 2004, I gained what you would call "Comfortable marriage pounds". I went from 115 to 135. When I had my daugher back in 2006, I gained 20 lbs with her and was able to lose that weight shortly after having her. In 2008 I had my son, I gained 20 lbs with him and lost that shortly after having him. I nursed him for 13 months which helped me get back down to what I weighed my senior year of high school. I worked as a Preschool Teacher for 8 years and it was a very active job.
In 2009, I started a job in the HR field and now sit at a desk. I watched and watched as the pounds slowly creaped up on me. 140, 150, 160, and finally I had enough. I had to do something. Did you know the average weight gain for someone in 1 year is 10 lbs? Well that is where I am. I am going on 4 years in July sitting at a desk. I am fed up! 2 years ago I did Insanity for 2 months. I had fabulous results, lost about 15 lbs, felt good. Then I stopped, gained all that weight back. Can you say fad diet? You can only keep it off if you keep doing it, but then you grow bored of the same thing over and over and over again. I then joined the YMCA and unless you have time after picking your kids up from school and being home at a decent time to cook dinner so your kids are in bed in a timely manner. There is just no way your going to get a good workout in.
After enough frustration of trying to lose weight, I searched and searched the internet to see what I could find. One of my friends tried Premier Protein and lost weight like magic after having her 3 boys. I was on board to do it, until I saw the price tag. EXPENSIVE!!
I was talking to my boss and she was doing this cleanse that was on tv with Doctor Oz. It is a 3 day cleanse of shakes and vitamins. When searching for this, I came across the Green Coffee Bean Extract and watched the videos. Women had lost up to 3lbs in 22 days. I thought well, losing weight is not a sprint it is a marathon. So I decided to try it. 22 days 3 lbs. Not bad!
My results on the Green Coffee Bean Extract
Within a week of taking this, I did not see any results. However, the next week I dropped 6 lbs. So 14 days in I was 6 lbs lighter and still seeing results.
I was thinking to myself, I wonder how this would work if I did the 3 day cleanse and the Green Coffee Bean Extract?
So I started off with the 3 day cleanse yesterday and I was down 1 lb this morning. The 150's are in sight! 3 more lbs and I will be jumping up and down with glee!
My goal is 140 by May 1st. I can do this! I just need to lose 23 more lbs. I am hoping this cleanse will help clean me out and allow my metabolism to work good. Here is the link for Dr. Oz 3 day cleanse. The best thing! It has a grocery list!
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-3-day-detox-cleanse-one-sheet

Here is a picture of my breakfast shake, which tastes FABULOUS! I thought it was going to be gross but it is GREAT!

My Pinterest Addiction.....

How many of you have sat on Pinterest hours on end? (Enter raising hand here). I LOVE LOVE LOVE Pinterest!
Pinterest is like technology crack for me. Open my ipad, or my iphone, click on the app and pin away! I seriously lose myself with the inspiration that it has. It has all of my hopes, dreams, and desires. I can create my fairytale wedding, even though I have been married for almost 9 years. I can create my dream home and how I would decorate each and every room. Oh I can imagine it now! Shabby Chic with a little bit of Modern decor. How dreamy!

I try to give my self time limits. I tell myself "1 hour". 1 hour turns to 2 which then turns to 3 and so on and so on. I am telling you totally addicting!

How many of you have actually done a Pinterest project or maybe even a Pinterest Party?
Just last week after searching Pinterest for a "How to distress furniture" I came across this lovely pin http://www.addicted2decorating.com/diy-project-accent-furniture-how-to-paint-distress-and-antique-a-piece-of-furniture I didn't use all the supplies she listed like Primer, and the Deglosser/ Desander.

My many attempts to actually do something that I pinned was finally becoming a reality.
My husband and I picked up the supplies at our local Home Depot.

That weekend, I started sanding two night stands that I had picked up last year for $10. They really are not night stands more like ends of an old dressing table. Great for a small room. So my plan was to bring my Yellow Thomasville Bamboo Dresser that was in tip top shape which I also purchased for a bargain for $90 (They go for $600-700 on Ebay) and my husbands 100 yr old dresser that has never been refurbished and has lots of character from knicks and scraps into these two night stands.

The supplies I used are Rust-o-leum Kona Coffee colored spray paint and Rust-o-leum Yellow Flower Spray Paint. My husband had 100 grit, 80 grit sand paper, block sanders (great for crevices) and an electric hand sander on hand and said those would work for what I was going to do.
So I sanded them both down, vacuumed them off, wiped them down with a damp cloth to remove any residual sanding dust that may still be on the night stands. Let them dry for about 10 minutes. I then sprayed the raised edges of the furniture where normal wear and tear would show with the Kona Coffee spray paint. After that dried I sprayed the Yellow Flower covering the whole night stand, using more on the sides to cover. After that dried, I then attempted the sanding part. The previous owner had a cat and used one of the night stands as a scratching post, so this gave it character and less sanding in that area. Overall, I am very happy with the results and they look FABULOUS in our bedroom! I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures.
P.S. The next time you are on Pinterest, you should make something that inspires you and will add creativity and inspiration to your home.
Good Luck Pinners!
XOXO