Friday, January 27, 2017

Sweet Potato Chili

OMG!  I found this recipe the other night and it looked amazing!  I decided I was going to make it tonight BUT I didn't have half the ingredients. (ugh seriously!!)




I already had my heart set on this chili so I was determined to "wing" it and make something work.  So here was the final recipe and I was so pleasantly surprised by how DELICIOUS this was! It was hubby AND teenager approved so it will be added into the rotation.   


Ingredients
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 small or ½ large onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 can of kidney beans
  • 1 can of chili beans
  • 1 large can of fire roasted tomatoes
  • 2 cups of baby spinach, chopped into small pieces
  • 2 med/large sweet potatoes, diced (measure about 3 cups)
  • 1 cups of chicken stock
  • 3 T taco seasoning
  • chili powder to taste
  • optional - honey
  • toppings:
  • cheddar cheese
  • cilantro
  • chives
  • avocado
Instructions
  • In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 2 tsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and spinach and cook until soft. Season with taco seasoning and turn to low.
  • Add the remaining 2 tsp of olive oil to another pan and saute sweet potatoes just until they start to brown. Cook until potatoes are soft enough to put into blender.
  • In original large pot add the can of fire roasted tomatoes, both cans of beans, and 1 cup of chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 10 minutes or so.
  • You can leave the potatoes as is, but I **highly recommend** the following step to get an amazing texture to your chili. This is also the way to go if you have picky eaters in your house who “don’t like sweet potatoes” **Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until it reaches your desired consistency (you can also transfer to a regular blender and puree that way, which is what I did! I just pulsed a few times).  I put half in a blender and left half as little chunks of diced potato.
  • Add potatoes to the pot and stir to combine. Add additional stock to reach desired thickness, as the chili will continue to thicken up as it cooks. Season with chili powder to taste, starting 1 teaspoon at a time so you don’t overdo it. And, if you want to bring out the flavor of the sweet potato a little more and cut some of the tomato, you can add a spoon of honey. If you want a little more spice, add some cayenne! Simmer for a 15-20 more minutes before devouring!
  • Top with fresh chives, cilantro, shredded cheddar and avocado. YUM!
  • You can make this vegan by using vegetable stock instead of chicken, omitting the honey and cheese.
21 Day Fix Container Count:
Makes six (1 ¼ cup) servings: 21 Day Fix  1 G, 1 Y, ½ B (Blue - toppings)





Origanal recipe I adapted http://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/2016/10/21-day-fix-sweet-potato-and-black-bean-chili/

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Week 3 of 30 Day Chisel

Today was a #truthbomb for me.  I don't feel like my body is changing, I have no motivation to workout, I am just blah.


I took my measurements and compared to when I started....I have lost 1 inch.  ONE inch and no pounds.  Which only put me in a worse mood.  So I did some reflecting!  I looked over my tracker sheets and realized I had SUCKED on my nutrition.  I was eating way more cheats that I should be, I wasn't sticking to the meal plan like I should and I had skipped a few workouts.  


Is it the end of the world?  No.  Is it the reason I am not getting the results I want? Yes.  So at this point I really to had to stop complaining and make a change.  So that was enough of a kick in the face to go chug my Energize and press play on Chisel Endurance.    I think so many times this is what happens to people.  We THINK we are following the program and eating healthy and when we actually look back, we aren't as on track as we think we are.   That is why I love Beachbody programs and the accountability groups. 


This realization made me feel like a fraud.  Here I am, a Beachbody coach, supposed to help encourage and keep others on track and I can't even do it in my own life.   So, I shared with them all that struggling is normal, but you have two choices, Give Up and Give it all.  I am not ever going back to the give up lifestyle so that means head down, blinders on and I am going to rock this last week and a half. 

We aren't perfect and sometimes even coaches need support and motivation.  My goal is to rock a bikini when I go to Punta Cana at the end of April and only being half in and half out won't get me to that goal.  

Here is my meal plan I am following this week. 


Do you need an accountability buddy?  My next group starts February 6th and I would love to have you join us.  

Check out the FB event for more details:

https://www.facebook.com/events/409172686086392/



Monday, January 16, 2017

Chicken Stir-fry

One of my biggest pet peeves is throwing away food.  It always seems like we either have so much food, most of it goes bad before we can eat it.  Or it's old mother hubbard and we have NOTHING to eat. 


I was trying to figure out what to eat tonight and I knew we had some chicken already cooked and sitting in the fridge, we had some fresh broccoli that was going to go bad and I had some rice.  

Ta-Da!! Chicken stir fry to the rescue. 


Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast
1 bag of frozen stir fry veggies
1 chopped broccoli floret (that was something extra I had, you don't have to add this)
Instant Brown Rice

Directions:
Add frozen veggies into pan and cook on med-high to thaw veggies and add chopped broccoli (the water from the frozen veggies will help steam the fresh broccoli).  Cook for 5 minutes and then add cooked chicken and continue to cook for 5-10 more minutes.  

During this time, cook instant brown rice according to directions. 

Once done, just use the containers to measure your rice, veggies and chicken.  If you aren't following the fix meal plan strictly you can add some stir fry sauce, if you ARE following the fix you can add Braggs Amino Acids that is an approved soy sauce.  

I made one serving and it was 1 green, 1 yellow and 1 red.

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Getting ready for week two of 30 Day Chisel


Week 1 is done!  I really missed lifting weights and my body is SORE!  I am super proud of myself for not skipping any workouts though.  That is where I really struggle a lot of the time - I miss one workout and then it snow balls into missing another one or another one and then a week has passed.  My goal for this month was to be laser focused and just stick to it!   


The eating part is always a work in progress.  I do great at the 80/20 lifestyle but I do love my margaritas! And blue containers lol, I could easily not eat any yellows all day but I would eat like 5 blues.  AHHHH the struggle is real. Meal prepping and having a plan are life savers for me.  

So here I go, starting week 2.  Feeling stronger, and better than ever.  Our Beachbody Health bet is getting ready to kick off the second week as well and it's going amazing! I am so proud of all my clients who are making healthy changes and taking it one day at a time. 

Do you need an accountability buddy??  Join my next group!!

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WufooPowered


Monday, January 9, 2017

Week 1 of my January group

Happy Monday!!!!  

Today I kick off my January challenge group with an amazing group of people who are ready to get healthy.  With the new All-Access pass from Beachbody On Demand I couldn't decide which program I wanted to start with but finally decided on The Masters Chisel - it's a 30 day program adapted from The Masters Hammer & Chisel.  I was missing my weights after doing Core De Force so Im really pumped to get back into it. 


My goals this month are to (1) not miss any workouts!  I am very guilty of letting something get in the way and I miss a day here or there.  and (2) sticking to the meal plan to a T!  again, this is my biggest challenge because I often feel like I earned an extra carb or healthy fat.  The programs are designed to be this way for a reason.  Stick to it Danielle!!  


I have my meal plan done and I woke up this morning and crushed my first workout.  I had good intentions of waking up at 6am and pressing play but somehow that turned into snoozing for an hour.  Honestly, the only reason I woke up that early was because Max was making gagging/puke sounds in the living room and I didn't want dog vomit all over my carpet so I jumped out of bed. 

Thank goodness for energize because I chugged it and by the time I was changed into workout clothes I was awake and ready.  

Here we go!!!!! Stay tuned!!!


Thursday, January 5, 2017

Sneak Peak into Coaching

Have you been following me and wondering HOW DOES SHE REALLY make this a full time job? Do you creep on my posts and think I WISH i could do that! Do you feel unfulfilled in your current job? Are you a stay at home momma who wants to bring in some extra income to help your family? Do you want to be part of something GREAT and BIGGER than yourself and make an IMPACT on peoples lives everyday? 



I am looking for YOU! 2017 is going to be an AMAZING year. I have already decided it and I want to see my team and my coaches FLOURISH! I'm looking for someone who is MOTIVATED, someone who DREAMS BIG and someone who is READY to build a business that could change your WHOLE LIFE. You don't have to know it all, or anything  I will help teach you what has worked for ME and help you SHAPE the VISION for your future.

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM ME?? 


-Access to documents, team calls, trainings - I will basically SHOW you have to be successful at this.
 -Want to RUN with it? I will run with you. Want to WALK? I will walk with you. I can't DO THIS for you but I will be there RIGHT ALONGSIDE you.
-Accountability groups that I WILL run FOR YOU until YOU get the hang of things!
-A mentor, tons of support and an amazing team to back you up. I will NEVER expect or ask you to do something I HAVEN'T or WON'T do.





Are you slightly curious? Think you may want in? We start January 9th so send me an email at daniellemullen87@gmail.com or fill out the application below. I can give you more details, no strings attached and we can see if this is a good fit for you.






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  • Check All That Apply *
  • Which BEST describes your goal as a coach? *
  • I am self motivated, teachable and would love to be able to work from home and be my own boss. *