Cream Cheese Chicken

I have found many great recipes from Crockpot365, including this one for Cream Cheese Chicken. There are two options for ingredients.

Option 1
2 cans cream of something soup
frozen chicken - enough to feed four adults
2 T Italian seasoning
1/2 t celery seed (I never put this in)
1 T onion powder
1 T sugar
1/4 t black pepper
1 t salt
2 cloves minced garlic
block of cream cheese (to add later)

Option 2 - This is the one I've used
1 can cream of something soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
frozen chicken pieces
packet of Italian salad dressing mix
2 cloves minced garlic
block of cream cheese (to add later)

Put everything except for the cream cheese into the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and begins to shred. Shred the chicken with two large forks, and mix in the block of cream cheese. Switch the crock to high and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is fully melted.

I ate this with green beans. That's it! A delicious phase 1 approved meal!

Best Ever BBQ Ribs

Ingredients
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
About 3 pounds well trimmed pork baby back ribs, cut into four sections
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce

1. Brown ribs under broiler – a few minutes on each side – until brown and crispy.
2. Spray the Crockpot with cooking spray. Combine first 4 ingredients. Rub onto both sides of ribs. Put ribs in Crockpot. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours, until ribs are tender.
3. Combine ketchup, sugar, sauces, and mix well. Remove the ribs from the Crockpot, discard cooking liquid. Coat ribs with sauce. Put back in slow cooker, cook on high 30 minutes.

Enjoy the most delicious ribs I have ever tasted!

Mango-Orange Smoothie

August is Mango month! One mango provides a quarter of your recommended daily allowance for vitamin C, nearly two thirds of your daily quota for vitamin A.

Spice up your daily shake routine with a Mango-Orange Smoothie!

6 oz of Skim Milk/Soy milk or water
2 oz of Orange Juice
1/2 cup of frozen mango chunks
1/4 cup of ice
2 Scoops of WellnessPro Vanilla Shake

Blend until all frozen ingredients are crushed.
Enjoy!

Magnificent Meatloaf!

No really... it is!

I used to hate meatloaf, but I like to think that I have grown up a bit, and now love it. I asked my mom for the recipe, and was told there really weren't measurements; just play it by ear (hand). This is her best "recipe".

Mix together hamburger, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, egg, onion (optional).
I made and froze mini-meatloafs. On the day I want to eat it, I take it out in the morning to thaw, then bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Part way through (20 minutes or so) drain and pour sauce on; continue baking.

Sauce 1 (this one is more for a family serving, not mini ones)
2 cans tomato sauce
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons mustard
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

Sauce 2 (I use this one for my mini-meatloafs)
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Pineapple-Orange Bliss

This delicious shake will provide you with all the essential nutrients and minerals your body needs. What a great way to kick off your morning or treat yourself to an evening meal!

8 Oz Glass of Non-Fat Milk/ Soy Milk/ Water
1/2 Cup of Pineapple Chunks
2 Oz of reduced sugar or regular Orange Juice
1/4 Cup of Ice Cubes
2 Scoops of WellnessPro Balanced Nutrition Vanilla Shake

Put everything in a blender and mix until all of the ice is crushed.
Enjoy!

Broccoli Salad

Here’s another delicious way to eat your vegetables! I love this salad!

1/4 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
*I’ve added sunflower seeds and raisins, too. Whatever you have, throw it in!*

In a bowl, combine the broccoli, cheese, bacon, and onion. In another bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Pout over broccoli mixture and toss to coat. Cover and Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Picture and recipe from allrecipes.com

Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 pork tenderloin (3/4 pounds)

Mix the garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, lemon juice, oil, and pepper. Pour in shallow glass or plastic dish. Add pork, turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally, at least one hour (no longer than 24). Heat oven to 425. Spray the baking pan with cooking spray. Remove the pork from the marinade. Place pork in the pan. Bake uncovered 27 to 30 minutes, or until meat thermometer read 160. Cut pork crosswise into thin slices.

How to Lose Your Muffin Top

Hold a stability ball overhead with both hands and with your feet shoulder-distance apart. Keeping your back flat, abs tight and arms by your ears, bend forward from the hips until your torso creates a 90-degree angle with your lower body. Hold for 15 seconds and slowly return to starting position. Repeat 15 times.









Double Oblique Crunch: Lie with your back on the floor, hands behind your head and legs lifted so your shins are parallel to the floor. Exhale as you crunch your knees in towards your right shoulder. Lower and repeat by alternating left and right for 20 to 30 repetitions.

Leg Scissors: Sit with your legs straight and place your forearms on the floor beside you. Lean back slightly and extend your legs until they form a 45-degree angle with the floor. Scissor your legs, alternating your right leg over your left and left over your right for 30 seconds. Repeat 15 to 20 times. For an added challenge raise your arms.

Berry Blast Shake

Indulge yourself in the morning with a delicious Berry Blast Shake that is sure to get your day off to a good start!

4 oz of Skim Milk/Soy Milk/ Water
4 oz of Low-Calorie/Sugar Free Cranberry Juice
1/4 Cup of Ice Cubes
1/2 Cup of Frozen Berries
2 Scoops of WellnessPro Vanilla Shake

Blend until all of the ice cubes and frozen berries are crushed.

Enjoy!

A Hard-to-Quit Workout

If you want a workout you’re practically guaranteed to stick with, choose this one: walking.

Walking has the highest compliance rate of any exercise. But you’ll need to take the right number of steps each day to reap the maximum health benefits. What’s the magic number?

When you’ve taken at least 10,000 steps today -- a pedometer can help you keep count -- you’ll have walked the optimal amount for good health. Or set your stopwatch, and don’t stop until you’ve accumulated 30 minutes -- all at once, or broken up into 10-minute segments.

Phase 1 Snacks

Eating snacks 3-5 times a day between meals is a great way to keep full and speed up your metabolism. If you include protein with your snacks, you will feel full longer!

Here are some phase 1 approved snacks:

-Raw vegetables – I have a low tolerance for vegetables, so I tend to stick to the same ones: celery, cucumbers, and snap peas
-Cooked vegetables – I will eat most vegetables as long as they have a sauce disguising them. Try some with cheese sauce.
-Cheese slices
-Hard boiled eggs
-Deviled eggs
-Plain Yogurt (I usually find a low carb flavored yogurt instead. I’ve found some with fewer than 8 carbs. Of course, as soon as I found them, they stopped carrying them in my grocery store! But keep your eyes peeled!)
-Half of a WellnessPro shake
-Salad – add bacon bits, cheese, and/or eggs to make it more filling
-Cottage cheese
-Beef Jerky
-Cut up sausage, or any other kind of lunch meat
-String cheese
-Sugar-free Jello

And remember to drink LOTS of water. Sometimes when you think you’re hungry, you’re actually thirsty.

If you have any other great phase 1 snack ideas, let me know!

Cheese Sauce

Since I have a low tolerance for most vegetables, especially cooked ones, I use cheese sauce to disguise them. I LOVE it on broccoli and cauliflower.

Ingredients
1/8 cup butter
2 tablespoons cup flour
dash of paprika, pepper, salt
1 cup of milk
½ cup grated cheese

Directions
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, paprika, pepper and salt. Pour in milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
2. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring constantly, until melted and well blended.

15-Minute Sand Workout

While summer is still here, enjoy working out while you soak in the summer sun!

Shuttle Run:
Make three parallel lines in the sand, 5 yards apart. Straddle the middle line with your knees slightly bent and your arms bent so your hands are in front of your thighs. Move to your right and bend at the knees to touch the line with your right hand, then run to the left and touch the far left line with your left hand.

Sand Skip:
Skip forward so that you're jumping and landing on the same foot. Work on leaping as high as possible by driving your knee upward as you push off the ground with your opposite foot.

Squat Jump:
Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart and your fingers laced behind your head. Bend at the knees to lower yourself until your thighs are at least parallel to the sand, then jump up as high as you can. Sink directly into the next squat without pausing.

Jump and Stick:
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, hands beside your thighs. Jump straight up, then land on only one leg with your knees bent, your shoulders slightly forward, and your butt and hips back. Try to steady yourself for 2 seconds, then return to the starting position and jump again. Alternate the leg you land on and do four jumps on each leg.

Standing Calf Raises

Develop "head turning" calfs by doing standing and seated calf raises. Complete calf raises anywhere with or without weights. Simply stand or sit flat footed, lift up onto the balls of your feet and return! I like to do about 3 sets of 25. You can increase the difficulty by holding onto some weight while you do them. I'm not there yet, but my gym machine Wendy is!

Winner!

And the winner of the very first giveaway is...

Comment #2

Which belongs to

Congrats, Pam!

Email me your address and I'll send you your container or chocolate shakes as soon as I get back to Idaho next week!

Stay tuned for next months giveaway!

Phase 1 Meal Plan

Today I started back on a strict Phase 1 diet. I need to jump start the weight loss before school starts, so it’s officially Hammer Time! For the next two weeks, I will be drinking plain shakes (no fruit) for two meals a day and eating dinner/snacks that are completely phase 1 approved. Sometimes I spend so much time thinking/complaining about what to make for phase 1 dinners, so I decided to write down my two week meal plan. This will help me (and anyone else who wants to join in) know exactly what to make/eat. Wish me luck!

Day 1
Barbecued Burger with cheese and pickles – no bun
Cucumbers and celery

Day 2
Vegetable stuffed chicken breast with spinach

(minus the carrots and capers)

Day 3
Barbecued chicken with Montreal Steak Spice marinade
Salad

Day 4
Soy sauce chicken
Broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce

Day 5
Beef Stir Fry

Day 6
Barbecued steaks with Montreal Steak Spice marinade

Cucumber salad

Day 7
Breakfast!
Omelets with ham, cheese, broccoli
(I don’t like many vegetables, but you can add peppers, mushrooms, onions, and any other phase 1 approved vegetable)

Day 8
Hamburger minestrone soup

(minus the carrots)

Day 9
Hamburger minestrone soup

Day 10
Turkey and black bean salad
I’m using the recipe for chicken and black bean burritos, but substituting turkey for the chicken, and putting it on salad instead of in wraps. Should be delicious!

Day 11
Turkey and black bean salad

Day 12
Taco Salad

Day 13
Barbecued steaks with Montreal Steak Spice marinade

You can never have enough steaks!
Cucumber salad

Day 14
Paprika pork chops
I’ve never tried this recipe, but I’ll let you know how it turns out!

Broccoli and cauliflower with cheese sauce

Taco Salad

Taco salad (without the taco chips) is a great phase 1 meal. Yes, the chips are really what makes it so yummy, but its still good without. On occasions when I'm not being so strict, however, you bet they are thrown back in!

Here is one version of a simple taco salad recipe. I deleted the taco chips part. The recipe and picture came from allrecipes.com.

Enjoy!

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup salsa
1 (15.25 ounce) can kidney beans
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Optional garnish: sour cream, chopped tomato, and additional salsa

Paprika Pork Chops

UPDATE: I made this last night. My dad loved it, my mom liked it, and I probably won’t make it again. I just didn’t really like the flavor. We only put half of the onions in, and that was plenty. But, it works for phase 1, so I ate it. Let me know what you think.

This is a new recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but since it is 100% phase 1 approved, I thought I'd give it a shot. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/3 cup sauerkraut, drained
1/3 cup sour cream
4 boneless pork chops
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

1.Set uppermost oven rack 5 inches from heat source, and preheat broiler.

2.Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and golden. Remove from heat. In a bowl, stir together 1/2 teaspoon paprika, sauerkraut, onions, and sour cream.

3.Season pork chops with pepper, garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon paprika.

4.Broil pork chops 6 minutes. Turn, and broil 5 to 6 minutes more. Remove from oven. Spread sauerkraut and onion mixture over pork chops, and broil 1 or 2 minutes more.



Picture and recipe from allrecipes.com

Greek Salad

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Picture found here.

This is a really fresh and delicious salad, perfect for summertime! There are a lot of variations of this salad, but this is my mom's recipe, so you know it's my favorite!

3 medium tomatoes
1 cup cucumber
3/4 cup green pepper
3/4 cup red pepper
3/4 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
olives - as many as you feel comfortable with :)
3/4 cup Greek Salad Dressing

Chop the vegetables. Combine in a large bowl. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Sprinkle with feta cheese before serving.

For those of you who would rather make your own dressing, here is a 4.5 star recipe from allrecipes.com:

1 1/2 quarts olive oil
1/3 cup garlic powder
1/3 cup dried oregano
1/3 cup dried basil
1/4 cup pepper
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
2 quarts red wine vinegar

In a very large container, mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon-style mustard. Pour in the vinegar, and mix vigorously until well blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

How do you like your Greek Salad? Do you have a preference of dressing?

Café Mocha Shake

Kick off your morning with a delicious Café Mocha Shake and get the nutritious energy boost you’ll need to take on the day!

If I were a coffee drinker, I bet I would love this shake! It sounds just like an iced-capp from Tim Horton's. I used to love those!






8 oz of milk/soy milk
1/2 Banana
2 tbs of Instant Coffee
1/4 Cup of Ice
2 scoops of WellnessPro Chocolate Shake

Place ingredients in a blender and blend until all of the ice is crushed.
Enjoy!