I decided that I wanted something that would jazz chicken breasts up since JoeyWaffles loves breasts (ha) but we usually buy thighs since those are my favorite. What can I say, I date a sweetheart who always wants me happy. Lucky for him it's mutual so I threw chicken breasts in my cart a la Mary Tyler Moore and came up with something new for dinner. I had homemade pesto and spinach so I knew something good was going to happen. 

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

2. Butterfly the chicken. That's fancy for cut it in half in even portions. You should end up with about 4 pieces. I am not great with cutting so I had six. These were originally going to be stuffed and not rolled but changed lol

3. Lay the slices on saran wrap and cover 

4. Pound the chicken with a tenderizer. I have one from my Grandma but everyone is not so lucky. If you don't have one, use a can and pound it out. (ha pound it) 

5. When it's nice and thin, about 1/4 inch, you can stop.

6. Sautee garlic over medium heat with oil or avocado oil and add spinach when browned

7. In another pan, start frying bacon until crispy

8. Let the crispy bacon sit for a minute or two and then chop into small pieces.

9. Drain spinach

10. Add chopped bacon to spinach

11. Season chicken with s + p. 

(You can also choose to marinate ahead of time with pesto and s +p if you have the time)

12. Baste the chicken with Pesto on the inside and fill with the spinach mixture

13. Slowly roll one end of the chicken in, basting with Pesto as more chicken is exposed.

14. When it is all rolled, use 2 toothpicks to hold the roll together

15. Baste any area you missed

16. Repeat with all the breasts

17. Place in glassware baking dish

18. Place in over and bake for about 25 minutes. 

19.Enjoy!
This was my first attempt and I think they came out pretty good. You could easily just stuff the breasts and not roll them. You could also roll them tighter and make then look a little neater. I really enjoyed making these and it certainly made for a non boring chicken dinner!

Who doesn't love pesto? It's delicious and adds a great taste to any dish. Tonight I made a delicious and easy pesto salmon with creole seasoned zucchini with avocado. It's actually the second time I've made it this week because it's so simple and healthy. A huge bonus to making anything at home is that you know what's in it. Making pesto is so ridiculously easy I can't believe I didn't start years ago. I will honestly never buy pesto again because I like mine better and you can freeze the leftovers if you don't think you're going to use it within the next two weeks. I've actually seen some pinterest boards that have people making it in ice cubes and freezing it for portioned sizes. Never tried that but could be interesting.  Anywho, here's my recipe for a paleo cilantro-basil pesto. 

Ingredients

1/2 bunch of basil

1/2 bunch of cilantro

2-3 medium garlic cloves

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup Fisher pine nuts

1. Put garlic cloves in the food processor (if you have one) and pulse until chopped. If not, mince by hand and add to food processor. If you don't have a ninja or something like it, feel free to use a blender.

2. Add in basil and cilantro leaves, I like to take the big stems off but you don't have to. 

3. Add in pine nuts. 

4. Pulse until mixed. 

5. Add in olive oil until you get your desired consistency.

6. Add in salt and pepper to taste,

7. Enjoy!

Directions

The prep work 

Making the magic

1. Get a medium sized frying pan and set the heat to 5/medium to high heat
2. Put the burgers in the pan, I usually do 3 at a time if they fit
3. Burgers have fat so you do NOT need to add any oil
4. Get a second smaller pan ready so you can cook the spinach simaltaneously
5. Add a little oil to that pan and put in the rest of the garlic,  set to medium heat
6. Let the burger get a nice char going and when you think it's to your liking, flip
7. Go back to the spinach pan and add in about 2 handfuls of spinach, always add more because it becomes a much smaller portion when cooked
8. Add a splash of lemon juice 
9. Go back to the burger and keep the char to your liking. Mine go for a few minutes because I like a good char
10. Keep the heat at medium , about a 3/4 and cook to your taste. I like a medium rare to medium so I cook it about 5 minutes on each side
11. Stir spinach until wilted and remove pan from heat
12. Grab your serving plate and add the spinach to the middle of the plate
13. Add one of the burgers on

1. You can honestly use the same pan as the spinach or start a new one
2. Using a medium sized frying pan and pour some coconut oil
3. Set the stove to a medium heat and let the oil heat up some
4. Add in the onion and maybe a little seasoning, creole or garlic powder, if you want
5. Sauté the onions, flipping the onion after a few minutes
6. Flip again after a few until onions are grilled to your liking. I like mine pretty grilled and a little charred but you can stop sooner

1. Add the onions to the top of the burger
2. Garnish the plate with the avocado
3. Add lime and garlic salt to taste on the avocado or leave plain
4. Feel free to add some baked sweet potato fries (recipe coming soon!)

Step 4: Control my food portions 

Sometimes I think like the girl who weighed 80lbs more and feel a compulsion to order a ton of food. I usually remember I am not and start to order like a normal, average, adult. Usually after the fact when it's too late to change my mind, I remember I have lap band and need to only eat a kids size portion. It's kind of crazy to think that often, especially going out, a kid's size portion is really more appropriate for an adult and that we really have huge over sized meals. It's not even about over eating, it's really about wasting food and money because I never eat what I think I'm going to and end up wasting it or giving it to JoeyWaffles. That doesn't work because it means he ends up eating a meal and a half which isn't good for him either and I want his health to be optimal as well (total Rick word!) So I resolve to order more appropriate sized meals when I do go out and when I am home, use a smaller plate and grab smaller sizes.

Since getting more into oils and learning a lot from Kristen @ Naturally (un)Balanced, I really want to use more essential oils in my life. There are a lot of oils out there and feel free to do research but this is a great video about the difference between companies and the oils they produce. Thanks to Kristen, I have replaced my toothpaste with Thieves AromaBrite toothepaste, clean my house with a Thieves spray, use lemon oil to get anything stuck with adhesive off, diffuse with eucalyptus and purification for Joey's asthma, and more. I am just learning and the more that I can replace toxic products with essential, all natural, and organic oils I am all for it. So this year I strive to replace more products, educate myself more on the oils and share my knowledge. Diffusing is so great when I sleep and the epsom salt and Oils baths Kristen recommends are amazing! I also have a roller ball of Stress away that I use when I am feeling...stressed lol

Step 6: Take more Yoga classes

Yoga is amazing. I am so lucky the company I work for offers it once a week thanks to our amazing CEO. Without my work offering it I would have never tried it and found out how truly amazing it is. Everyone is all about weights and I think they have their place but simply adding yoga into my routine has made a huge difference in my muscle definition. Yoga makes your body flexible, stretching alone has so many great benefits and when you add in the peace of mind, it really is something special. Being able to take an hour out of your day and connect with your body and mind is special and often something we neglect. I have a great CorePower Yoga near my house and my goal is go there there a few times a month in addition to my practice at work. The first month of two or even three of doing it I was still unsure if I was doing it right of some of the moves but the great thing about yoga is no one is judging you because they are all in their own state of mind and thinking about themselves (in a good way). I can't believe how much more flexible I am and how much I enjoy my body after yoga. So treating my body better doesn't just involve the food I do or don't put it, but how I use my body as well. As White from America's Next Top Model once said, "my body is a temple...and my temple wants cheesecake" Mine too girl but sometimes it wants yoga as well so I feed it both!

Grab
-1 container of mixed green or spinach. $5
-1 package of Fisher Nut Pecans $5
-1 package of crumbled goat cheese $4
-1 package of dried cranberries (8oz will do) $3

For a dressing I usually mix
-olive oil
-lemon juice
-balsamic vinaigrette
-some minced garlic, salt, and pepper
-Dijon mustard

Directions (5 minutes or less total time)
For presentations sake, I don't mix this but put the ingredients on top.
-Place the salad greens in your desired container
-sprinkles pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese on top.
-artfully arrange
-leave dressing on the sides
-voila! you're done!

As you can see above, that took me about 2 minutes to make and I didn't even take use a different container. Place in a fancy dish and you are all set!
Sometimes you just want an easy dinner. You don't want to spend an hour in the kitchen but the idea of picking up fast food holds no appeal for you. If you're like me, it's actually not even a last resort. Well, unless it's a DQ blizzard, then that's always good. So instead of hitting up a fast food joint, here's what I do:

First, I figure out the nearest grocery store to me on my way home from work/the gym. I go in, grab a my ingredients: steak, an avocado, and some cous cous. I pick a small but good steak, usually grass fed/organic, I eat a lot less because of lap band and I always want quality over quantity. An avocado completes any meal in my opinion. You can get out of the store for under $20 even at Whole paycheck Foods, I usually have a glass of Pinot Grigio or Tempranillo in my fridge but feel free to skip the wine.

Directions (15 minutes total time)
1. Follow directions on cous cous box. Usually involves boiling water with some olive oil and the spice pack. I use Near East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil.
2. Chop 1-2 cloves of garlic.
3. Coat steak with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder
4. Make a few shallow cuts in steak and put in cut up garlic
5. Flip steak and repeat.
6. Grab a pan and turn stove on medium heat with a little olive oil, I lie adding a little lime juice over mine but that's a personal preference. Try it once to see. You will no be disappointed.
7. Check on cous cous and continue to follow directions. When the water is boiling add the cous cous, cover and remove from heat I believe, I don't have the box in front of me but I've made it enough,
8. Place steak in hated pan.
9. Start cutting up avocado. I l ike garlic salt and lime sprinkled on mine but it can be plain or even with some lemon juice and/or salt. Again, a preference.
10. Cook steak 3-4 minutes on each side should get you to a medium rare, add more time to get your temperature preference.
11. Plate the avocado and cous cous.
12. Add the steak and enjoy!

I love any and all seafood. I guess this is from my Italian side because my Dad absolutely abhors any kind of fish. This just means at the Japanese steakhouse I get his shrimp which is a win for me. A quick and easy seafood meal is great for being low cal and delicious! Tilapia is great dinner and easy to cook without smelling to fishy.

All you need is:
-cabbage, which can you can get pre-shredded if you feel like it
-olive oil
-mayo
-lemon (bottled lemon juice is fine)
-tilapia filet
-avacado
-lime (bottled lime juice is fine)
-handful of cherry tomatoes
-1 egg

Directions
The Israeli Cabbage Salad (5 minute prep)
1. Chop us a quarter to half of a cabbage and out in bowl. Otherwise use the pre-shredded stuff.
2. Chop the cherry tomatoes in half and add to bowl
3. Add a tablespoon or so of mayo
3. Add salt and pepper to taste
4. Add lemon juice, enough to wet the cabbage
5. Mix.
6. Put in fridge. Doesn't matter covered or not since it will only be there about 15 minutes.

The Tilapia
7. Get a shallow bowl and crack egg into a bowl
8. Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder and put on a plate
9. Coat filet in egg and then dip in spice mixture, evenly on both sides
10. Get pan ready with a little olive oil and medium heat
11. Add filet and cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes, until flaky.  I like a char so I use a higher heat for about 3 minutes. Put on plate.

12. Cut up avocado, plate, add lime and/or garlic salt

13. Take Israeli salad out, mix, plate.

14. Eat and enjoy! Use lime juice for added flavor.
Simple easy meals are the way to go to stay healthy and well fed. When you start cooking and realize how easy it is, it becomes a lot easier to make a great meal at home with fresh meat/seafood than go to a restaurant where half the time it's poor quality and frozen. When I do go out to eat, I make it count and this weekend was no exception. Joey took me to Sabatino's on Sunday night and I had amazing garlic tilapia and a nice glass of Pinot Grigio followed by a decadent chocolate mousse cake. Quality food in a romantic setting made for a wonderful Sunday night.

Sunday morning was even better.  JoeyWaffles went to t-mobile with his brother and took my phone while I went into home goods. I assumed he was asking about a new case or battery life or something with our plan. I met his up at Potbelly's and he told me he got me a new case. He handed me my phone in a new case and then I realized it wasn't my phone, it was the new Sony Xperia Z3. Besy boyfriend ever. I love surprises and I have been getting sick of my phone since I have too many pictures and no memory card slot.

Sabatino's + new phone + seeing our friends Rick and Sara who came in from Indy= a perfect weekend.

So how about you? What are your easy to make go to recipes? Anything fun happen to you this weekend?