Zucchini "Spaghetti" Low Carb Pasta Substitute- Dinner

During my Whole Foods Market challenge I tried a few new recipes and one of them was Spaghetti Squash with Italian sausage  and it was delicious. Someone gave my husband a giant zucchini from their garden and I started thinking about the spaghetti squash and how yummy it was as a low carb and a nutrient dense substitute for pasta so I made Zucchini Spaghetti with meat sauce and it was really great! Another wonderful thing about using zucchini instead of spaghetti squash was that it is super quick to make and quick is always good.

The giant zucchini.

Quick work shredding in the food processor.

Zucchini "Spaghetti"

Recipe by: Simply Fit Mama

• 1 giant zucchini or 3-4 regular size
• 2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Peel zucchini. Cut the zucchini in half and scoop the seeds out of each half. You should have little zucchini boats. Use your food processors shredding blade and shred away. If you don't have a food processor you can make zucchini ribbons with your vegetable peeler which will give you a wider "noodle". Or you can use a mandoline slicer with a julienne blade.

Heat your pan to medium-high heat (I used a medium cast iron skillet). Once your pan is heated add your oil and quickly add your shredded zucchini. Using tongs toss the zucchini a time or two then add the garlic, salt and pepper. I like this cooked al dente so don't walk away your zucchini "pasta" will be done in 3-5 minutes. If you leave it longer it will release water and get soft and a bit mushy. 

Now top with your favorite pasta sauce and enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a yummy soup recipe a friend shared with me about ten years ago. The original was delicious but it used mainly canned ingredients and cream soups. I have adapted this over the years to make a healthier but still very tasty and easy soup. This is my son's favorite soup.

Goodies on the bottom of the bowl

Soup ladled on top 

Mixed together...mmmmm

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Created by: Lori Smith

Adapted by: Simply Fit Mama

• 1-2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2lb - 3/4lb  leftover roasted chicken, shredded in bite size chunks, or poached chicken
• 1/2 cup  diced tomatoes with green chili's (you could use rotels, I use Trader Joe's version because it's organic)
• 1 1/2 32oz.  cartons of chicken broth or (6 cups) homemade broth
• 1/2 cup flour  (you could also use corn starch or arrowroot)
• Spices: 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder,  1/2 Tbsp chili powder, (to taste) sea salt and fresh cracked pepper 
• 1 cup frozen peas

Stuff for the bottom of the bowl:

• Shredded mexican cheese blend
• Crunched up leftover tortilla chips (you know the stuff no one wants to eat because it's small and broken)
• A dollop of sour cream

Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven on medium-high add olive oil and onions. Cook until translucent keep an eye you don't want burnt onion bits. Add the carrots and let cook for a minute or two. Turn your stove down to medium. Now add the chicken, flour and spices. Mix the ingredients until well combined. You want the flour to coat the chicken and veggies. Next add the tomatoes and chicken broth. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. In the last 10 minutes go ahead and add the frozen peas.

Get your bowls out and add a dollop of sour cream, tortilla chips and a little cheese. Ladle soup on top and then enjoy! 

I know a lot of people have tortilla soup recipes if you have a recipe that you love please share it in the comments below. 

Menu Plan

Monday

Sausage and Lentil Soup | Salad | Bread

Tuesday

Garlic and Onion Chicken Thighs | Green Beans 

Wednesday

Roasted Salmon with Potatoes and Mushrooms | Salad

Thursday

Spaghetti | Salad | Bread

Friday

Pizza Night

Menu Plan

Monday

Crockpot Chicken | Sweet Potatoes 

Tuesday

Roasted Pork Shoulder | Mashed Potatoes | Green Beans

Wednesday

Zucchini Spaghetti with Meat Sauce | Garlic Bread

Thursday

Baked Pork Taquitos | Chopped Tex-Mex Salad

(using leftover roasted pork)

Friday

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole | Broccoli

(using leftover crockpot chicken)

I don't know about you but I am ready for a little fall weather. It's still been really warm around my neck of the woods and it doesn't get very cold during fall and winter but I really would love the cool crisp air of fall to come my way. 

Menu Plan

Monday

Meatloaf | Roasted Fingerling Potatoes | Green Beans

Tuesday

Apricot Chicken Tenders | Broccoli

Wednesday

Taco Night

Thursday

Roasted Chicken | Baked Sweet Potatoes | Salad

Friday

Grilled Tuna | Italian Pasta Salad | Grilled Zucchini

Training for my first Triathlon

After my ocean swim I decided that I will be able to get through the ocean swim at PCT. I signed up for  the race after my ocean swim. I'm excited and a bit nervous.

Here is a short video of the race course: Pacific Coast Triathlon Course

This will be my first triathlon. I have already started training since I only have around 8 weeks until the race. GULP!

Luckily for me I am surrounded by more experienced triathletes and they have been more than willing to share their knowledge and help me out.

Here is what my training schedule looks like:

I also have the Long Beach half marathon I have already signed up for. It is four weeks after this triathlon so I have to make sure I keep a decent base milage so that I can add milage once the tri is over and increase my milage for the half marathon. My training schedule is a little tricky because I have a week where my hubby will be out of town and a week and a half that we will be on vacation. I will not have access to a bike but I will have access to a lake and I plan on practicing open water swimming in my wetsuit.

I have read a bunch of stuff on triathlons. Here are some of the websites I have enjoyed reading articles from in no particular order:

• Tri-Newbies
• Beginner Triathlete
• Triathlon Week
• Active.com
• USA Triathlon aka USAT

For my nutrition plan I have been adhering to the Paleo theory. For quite some time I have been having energy issues, sluggish feeling and my belly just always seems to be a little bloated and a little uncomfortable. I have been eating Paleo for about a month and I feel fantastic! I have cut out dairy, sugar and grains. And to be honest I don't really miss anything maybe because my body feels good.

Beef and Veggie Kabobs | Dinner

Summer is really here and I have been brainstorming some easy and fun summer recipes. I want quick and easy recipes that the kids can easily help with. One of the first things that came to mind was kabobs. So I have come up with a handful of new kabob recipes. Who doesn't like food on a stick?

This is a wine based marinade but if you want to opt out of the wine part feel free to substitute beef stock. Also you can change out the veggies to what your family prefers. This is a great low-carb recipe without skimping on taste.

Beef and Veggie Kabobs
Created by: Simply Fit Mama

• 1lb beef cut into kabob size chunks--sirloin, steak tips, tri-tip, etc.
• Assortment of veggies cut in big chunks: zucchini, bell pepper, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms.
• Skewers--if you are using bamboo/wood type make sure you soak them for an hour or so.

Marinade for beef

• 1/4 cup red wine or beef stock
• 1/4 worcestershire sauce--try to get an all natural or organic version traditional normally has some undesirable ingredients.
• 2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute
• 4 Cloves of garlic, chopped

In a large ziplock bag add all the above ingredients and combine. Then add the beef. Next let marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours. You could marinate this overnight if you wanted to.

Get the kids to the counter with all those delicious veggies and let them skewer meat and veggies of their choice on the skewers. You'll be surprised at how adventurous they will be when they get to pick.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat and place the kabobs on the grill till desired doneness. I cooked mine around 8 minutes.

Grilled Italian Stuffed Peppers | Dinner

I've never been a big fan of green peppers until a couple of years ago. I really enjoy them now and love the smell of them cooked. I normally stuff bell peppers upright and cook them in the oven but since it's summer most I try to cook everything on the grill instead of the oven. My small kitchen can't handle the heat! 

I split these in half and laid them on their sides on the grill instead of upright mainly because I wanted a charred skin on the bell peppers. The end result was delicious.

Grilled Italian Stuffed Peppers

Recipe by: Simply Fit Mama

• 4 green peppers
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 8 oz. package of mushrooms, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1lb ground beef
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes--if you want a little kick
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Fresh mozzarella slices--I did not have any and just used a cheese blend but mozzarella slice on top would be superb!

Heat a pan on the stove to a medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of the oil once the pan is hot. Now add the onions and let them cook until translucent and soft, a couple of minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms to the onions and let them cook until they reduce in size, about 4 minutes. Now you can add the garlic let it cook for another minute with the veggie mixture. Pull the pan off the heat and transfer the veggie mixture to a bowl. 

Place the pan back onto the stove and let it heat up again. Add the rest of the oil and brown the ground beef. While the beef is cooking start prepping your green peppers. Cut them in half. Then you need to remove the stem, seeds and ribs of the pepper. When you are finished with that lightly salt and pepper the insides of the peppers. Your ground beef should be almost done.

Heat your grill to a medium heat. Once the ground beef is cooked add the veggie mix back and add all of the seasonings and tomato sauce, mix well. Also make sure to salt and pepper to taste. 

Stuff each pepper accordingly with the meat. I make sure to under stuff the kids peppers because they don't eat as much as we do and the extra goes to waste. Once the peppers are stuffed add your desired cheese on top ( I hope you pick fresh mozzarella!) then take them to the grill. 

Now that the grill is nice and hot turn the heat all the way to low. Place the peppers on the top rack, close and come back in 8-10 minutes to pull them off the grill. If you don't have a top rack turn the heat off on one side of your grill and put the peppers on the unheated side but keep the heat on the other side closer to medium.

Another easy way to enjoy these peppers is to use leftover spaghetti with meat sauce instead of having more leftover spaghetti.

Enjoy!

A few changes around here

I don't know if you have noticed but there have been a few changes at Simply Fit Mama. I enlisted my amazing web faerie to make some magic happen to give this blog a little summer cleaning ( I missed the spring cleaning boat). And in the blink of an eye she had everything that I needed done because she's rad like that.

Here are some of the changes:

• There are two new categories on the navigation bar at the top "Recipes" and "Menu Plans". You will be able to click on either word and the page has all the recipes or all the menu plans from this blog. Yippee!!

• At the bottom of every post right next to the comments there is a "Print Friendly" button that will enable you to print that post if you would like. This should come in handy for printing recipes. You also have the option once you click that button to delete what you don't want from the post like pictures or my rambling, to save printer ink.

• You can also now get to this site through the web address: www.simplyfitmama.com or www.simplyfitmama.blogspot.com and of course just by searching "Simply Fit Mama" in your search engine.

• The rest of the changes are cosmetic but I do hope you enjoy the refreshed look of this site.

And just in case you are interested in new blog designs or need a refreshed look for your current blog take a look at Carrie from Sweet Faerie Designs. I think she is awesome and highly recommend her! I also know her in real life and she is a peach. She makes all my crazy ideas become a reality.
Thank you, Carrie!

Frozen Grapes

You know when your grapes are getting a little mushy and nobody wants anymore but you still have a bunch left, and you don't want to throw them away. That's when you throw them in the freezer. Frozen grapes are a great treat for hot summer days.

Warning: If you have small children make sure to cut the grapes in half or maybe quarters because frozen grapes can be a choke hazard. 


If your baby is teething, you can cut up frozen grapes and put them in those little mesh bags feeders, they are sweet and cold, babies love them. The bonus is you don't have to worry about them biting through one of those mystery rings with fluid.

**This post has been reposted from last summer because it's hot outside and I have slightly mushy grapes to tend to.

I am also participating in a Fitness Friday link up party by Ang at Sparkles and Bugs.

Women's Retreat at Tahquitz Pines

I attended a women's retreat a week ago and it was a much needed break. Up on the mountain you are free from everyday noise and distractions. You have ample time to be quiet and still. You can hear yourself and more importantly hear God.

We live in such a go go go society and it's very easy to fall into the routine of busyness. It's easy to smile and wave and move through your day. But when we are given time to be still we almost don't know what to do with ourselves.

I'm thankful for this time I had at Tahquitz Pines and I am completely blessed from the people who touched my heart during the retreat.

Leaving the retreat I could feel a season of change coming. God is doing a work in my heart and mind and it's a little bit scary (okay a lot a bit scary) and refreshing all at the same time.

School is winding down and summer is right around the corner. 

I'm planning on a slow paced summer. 

How about you?

I quit P90X!

So you may be wondering why you haven't heard from me and my P90X updates. Well that's because I decided to quit. I can't believe I'm even writing this...I'm not really a quitter. I really had to swallow some pride to make the decision to quit. But my time with P90X had come to it's end.

I was really excited to start the program and I really needed a little break from running. This made the first 30 days go by quickly and I really did enjoy the challenge and change. Then the next 20+ days were okay but I started to get really bored of the same workouts, the time commitment in front of my TV and the lack of fresh air in my workouts.

I started to dread working out and that is the opposite of what I try to achieve in my fitness goals. I never want to push through something I am not truly happy doing. I completed 7.5 weeks of P90X I took a week off for spring break thinking that would refresh my outlook of the program to finish it up. I tried a day here or there after spring break but just couldn't spend anymore time with the program.

The positives about the program are:

• If you have bad weather where you live this would be great for long winter months indoors.
• If you can't get away from the kiddos this is a great fully body program to do in the comfort of your home while kids are napping, sleeping, playing etc.
• Don't have a gym this is a good replacement: cardio and strength training
• You build a ton of strength

My shoulders, biceps and upper abs look a lot more defined than they have ever been. I feel a ton stronger in my legs, core and upper body. In the end I was able to do bicep curls and swimmers press' with 10 lb. weights my highest weight I have used before was 5 lbs. In the beginning I was only able to do 3-5 pull ups (chair assist) and by the end I was able to do 10 pull ups (chair assist).

I really enjoyed the Kenpo cardio workout and the Yoga. I never really warmed up to Plyometrics. The weight videos became my favorite (minus the push ups and pull ups).

The negatives about P90X:

• They are videos, you are in front of your TV for an hour to an hour and a half everyday!
• The videos get really old after 45 days.
• There are a million pushups (different types) and a lot of pull ups and chin ups.
• The ab workout is intense and was really hard on my tailbone (349 ab moves in 15 minutes).
• 90 days is a long time to do the same program 7 days a week.

I was disappointed in the change or lack of change in my lower abs (my trouble area). My upper abs became very defined which I think made my lower abs look worse. I know that some of the problem with my lower abs is extra skin and still some fat that needs to get burned off but still I would have liked to see a little more change for the effort I put in.

P90X nutrition plan

The first 30 days is very high protein lower carbs. I felt great the first 30 days. The 2nd 30 day phase you take away some of the protein and add in a little more carbs. I felt awful with this change. So I ditched the nutrition program and ate how I normally eat I just boosted my calorie intake to ensure I had enough calories for the workouts. 

Supplements

I took my normal vitamin intake. Post workout I used a recovery drink that I really liked and think that it really made a difference in how sore I felt the next day. I did not use the P90X recovery mix because I felt it was too pricey. Mike's Mix is what I used and plan to continue using with running, swimming and biking. (I prefer the original formula over the chocolate.)

So in the end I was happy I tried it. I believe you would see major changes in your body probably after the 2nd round of P90X. If you love working out to videos  than this is a great program. 

If you love being outdoors than this program will drive you a little nutty. I felt like a bit of failure after quitting and really for not keeping this blog updated with my progress so I'm sorry if anyone was waiting to see progress reports I just couldn't squeeze it in. I hope you understand. :)

A few tips if you plan to embark on the P90X journey

• Make sure you print out the worksheets from their website. They are free and they are really easy to use to track your weights during the workouts. 
• Commit to a 2 hour time slot every day for the workouts.
• If you can have a committed space to workout in. Line up your weights, bands,  yoga mat, pull up bar.
• Drink a recovery drink, it makes a difference in how you feel the next day and I hear it helps your muscles rebuild quicker.

Camping with kids in Big Bear California

The last time we camped was back in 08'. Sad right? Before kids my husband and I loved to go camping but after kids it wasn't really a top priority and it seemed like it would be a lot more work with babies.

My son has asked us continuously for the last couple of years if we could go camping again. We kept telling him we will go soon. Of course life just gets busy and camping is low on the totem pole of priorities. In January we decided we are going to start camping again that this was the year to reignite our love for the rugged outdoors.

Our first camping trip this year was at the start of spring break. We decided to camp our for two nights and three days after a little research online we decided on Big Bear to go camping. The funny thing is as we told friends that we were going camping in Big Bear most of them looked at us like we were a little bit crazy. You see most of the locals are still going skiing in April. It is true there is still snow in Big Bear but only on one mountain not the one we camped on.

Of course we had checked the weather and knew it would be a little chilly at night. So we made sure we had warm sleeping bags and a borrowed heater ...the heater was awesome!

My husband found a great campground for families called Serrano campground. This is a great campground for first timers and for families because it has bathroom facilities, showers and cleared campsites. It is not a rugged campground. I really appreciated the super clean bathrooms (they clean them three times a day) we did not use the showers because we forgot towels but they looked great.

After surviving the first chilly night my husband made a delicious breakfast and tried his hand at percolated coffee...it was not good. So he headed to Starbucks in town and brought back yummy coffee. Now I know some of you die hard campers are shaking your head at the thought of getting Starbucks while camping but I'm not an all or nothing kinda girl so I enjoyed my coffee guilt-free.

I was able to use a dutch oven I won in a chili cook-off years ago for the very first time. I was super excited to use it. I ended up making a yummy pot roast and boy did it hit the spot!

The kids favorite part of the whole trip was a hike in the Woodland trail. It is a mile and a half long and perfect for little kids. There were sixteen markers throughout the hike that taught us about the plants and wildlife indigenous to the San Bernardino mountains.

Big thanks to the workers at the Discovery Center for steering us to the right activity for our kids. If you are ever in Big Bear make sure you stop by the Discover Center they have a ton of ideas, maps, activities, crafts, and adventure passes.

My kiddos had a wonderful time running through the bushes and "hunting" cheetahs, bears and snakes with their sticks. My husband and I enjoyed the quiet unplugged time we were able to share.

Everyone had a wonderful time even with the chilly evenings. We are already planning for our next trip sometime this summer!!

Menu Plan

Monday

Grilled Mahi-Mahi | Wild Rice | Asparagus

Tuesday

Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken | Bread

Wednesday

Tilapia with a Lemon and Caper Pan Sauce | Herb Roasted New Potatoes | Haricot Verts

Thursday

Vegetarian Tex-Mex Grilled Pizza 

Friday

Simple Roasted Chicken | Sweet Potatoes | Salad

She Runs LA - Virtual 10K

Last night I ran my first ever virtual 10k with the She Runs LA hosted by Nike. I was able to get together with a couple of friends and pound out the miles. For the event Nike provided super cute pink tanks with the She Runs LA logo. Love it!

Since I have been on a break from running this was my first longish run since Surf City. I was slow as molasses but the company was great and the view was extraordinary! We decided to run Quail Hill Trailhead / Boomers Canyon area. It's very hilly which was a nice change but it was tough. Hopefully since the sun sets later now we can run this trail more often.

If you are ever in Irvine you should definitely run this trail the views are great. We finished a little after dusk and as we reached the top of the last hill we could see all the lights of the city. I was tempted to take a quick picture but decided to drink water instead.

It was really a fun idea to run a virtual 10k especially knowing that there were women all over running on the same day the same distance for the same event. 

I did download the Nike+ app for my iphone so that I could upload my run to their website. I have tried a couple other running apps for my phone in the past but I will say this one was neat. I used it for the first time last night so I haven't had a chance to play with all the features but for $1.99 it looks like you get a  lot of bang for your buck. 

Tonight they hosted the celebration at the Nokia theater in downtown LA for the She Runs LA event. It sounded like it was going to be a blast. Unfortunately I was not able to make it and I was totally bummed! Hopefully some of you were able to attend and if you did I would love to hear all the details.

Menu Plan for the week

Monday

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce | Italian Green Beans | Salad

Tuesday

Ham and Cheese Panini | Salad

Wednesday

Grill Greek Chicken Kabobs | Greek Salad | Pita

Thursday

White Bean and Ham Soup | Salad | Bread

Friday

Baked Spaghetti | Broccoli Slaw

Looking for some healthier leftover ham recipes? I found some recipes that looked great at
Eating Well.com.

Back to running...yippee!

source

I haven't ran a single mile since Surf City half-marathon. Boy have I missed running. Saturday was my first day back and I had the pleasure of running alongside two lovely friends...running and friends = double awesomeness.

I didn't bring my Garmin. I wasn't interested in tracking my time or distance really. It was a beautiful and peaceful morning. I don't love waking up early but I do love the quiet of early morning runs. I love the  morning light and the gentle breeze against my skin.

I'm trying to take it nice and slow but it's hard because I just want to jump right back in where I left off. That's not how it works. I'm sore today but it's a good sore. It's been a long time since running has made me sore and I welcome it.

Tomorrow I will start my last month of P90X. I am changing from the classic plan to the doubles plan to get my running back into the mix. 

My running plan for this week:

M: 3-4 miles

W: 6.2 miles--She runs LA

F: 3 miles

S: Swim

Spring break hiatus and other ramblings

Hello Friends!

We started spring break with a great camping trip in Big Bear, CA. When we returned to suburbia I decided to stay unplugged for the week. I hope that you all had a wonderful spring break and would love to hear about all you did!

I also took the week off from P90X. I can tell you that around week seven I started to feel burnt out with the program. I wouldn't say that it's because it's that tough because it's not as bad as I thought it would be although I have the tendency to build things up bigger than they are. Perhaps I'm getting tired of Tony Horton's corny humor...or all the push ups and pull ups...but maybe more than anything I think I just miss running.

So for spring break I took the week off of P90X (I didn't quit just a short break). I will pickup tomorrow with the start of the last four weeks. I will change from the classic program to doubles and instead of adding an extra cardio video I will add running back in because running makes me happy!


My spring break was nice. Camping, hanging out, a little spring cleaning, a visit from dear friends and of course to end with the celebration of Easter was great!

What where you up to for spring break?

Menu Plan for the week

This week will be a busy week for me so I really don't have a lot of time to work in the kitchen. My menu plan reflects the time I have to spend. Two of the items are pre-made items from the frozen aisle at Trader Joe's. We had spaghetti last night and I have already made the casserole so it's ready to just be heated in the oven. So as you can see I have little cooking to do this week!

Monday

Trader Joe's Teriyaki Chicken | Brown Rice | Broccoli

Tuesday

"Brinner"

(Breakfast for Dinner)

Wednesday

Trader Joe's Frozen Pizza | Big Salad

Thursday

Spaghetti Casserole | Broccoli Slaw

Friday

Jalapeno Burgers | Fruit and Veggies

Looking for more menu plans?

• Menu 1
• Menu 2
• Menu 3
• Menu 4
• Menu 5
• Menu 6
• Menu 7
• Menu 8
• Menu 9
• Menu 10
• Menu 11
• Menu 12
• Menu 13
• Menu 14

Want to link your menu plan?

Wordless Wednesday

Grilled Nutella, Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich. 

Simply Indulgent.

I posted this @ Angry Julie Monday’s Wordless Wednesday Linky.