Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas -- Easy Weeknight dinner

I love fajitas! When you order them at most Mexican restaurants they are usually dripping with grease which is not good. This is a weeknight favorite at my house--kiddos love it, daddy loves it, I love it and I especially love how quickly it comes together! 

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp sea salt

or 

2 Tblsp 21 Day Fix southwest seasoning

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel) or 1 can diced tomatoes no-salt added.

1-2 medium onions, sliced

1-3 green bell peppers, cut into strips

Romaine lettuce /bibb lettuce / whole wheat tortillas / corn tortillas

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Mix seasoning together in a small bowl. Next place coconut oil in microwave and melt. Add chicken to 13X9 pan. Pour oil over chicken and stir it around. Then add tomatoes, peppers and onions to the pan and give it one last stir.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

*Prep ahead tip: In a large gallon size ziplock mix seasoning, add chicken strips and all the veggies --MINUS the tomatoes. Store in fridge until ready to add to pan. When ready, add tomatoes and bake.

Reebok Spartan Race Series-- (1) Free Race Entry GIVEAWAY!!

Congratulations to Liz our winner for the Free Race Entry to Reebok Spartan Races!!

A big thank you to Reebok Spartan Races for sponsoring this giveaway. 

I hope that you all have goals that scare you just a little bit for the New Year and if you don't..start planning now! If you didn't win the giveaway and you still want to rock a Spartan race in the New Year here is a coupon code that will get you 10% off!!  Coupon Code: SPARTANBLOGGER

#SPARTANUP

Is Spartan Race on your race to do list?  

One of the things I have learned over the last six years on my journey to better health and fitness is that our bodies are AMAZING!! We only have one body and one mind and it is so important to feed and challenge both to stay at our very best. My most rewarding races were not the ones I nailed my time goals (although they were awesome) but they were the ones that signing up made my heart skip a beat and my chest tighten up just a little bit in a panic--the races that I had to fight fear and fatigue to make it through to the finish line. 

When you challenge your body and mind you grow stronger and when you look back tears come to your eyes in disbelief and astonishment that you made it through. When we face challenges and obstacles and make it through to the other side we gain confidence that cannot be given...it is earned.

If you are looking for a challenge it looks like Spartan Race is here to deliver! #SPARTANUP

To enter the giveaway for a FREE Race entry to any US Spartan Race sponsored by Reebok Spartan Race:
(1) Free Race Entry for any US Spartan Race

Grilled Tuna | Italian Pasta Salad | Grilled Zucchini

Dinner outside again tonight. I'm not great at grilling. My husband does a much better job grilling, but he had to work late so I was master of the grill tonight, the zucchini paid for it. It was a little overcooked but I still ate it.

Grilled Ahi Tuna
I buy the frozen Trader Joe's Marinated Ahi Tuna.
Grill it for 9 minutes.
**I have used the dressing below to marinate seafood just add some chopped herbs.

Italian Pasta Salad
6 oz. Whole Wheat Orzo, cooked al dente
3/4 cup chopped fresh mozzarella
1 can black olives, cut in half
1 tomato, chopped
Fresh Basil, chopped
Fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Dressing
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1 garlic clove minced
kosher salt & cracked pepper to taste

Take already cooked and cooled orzo pasta and place in a medium size bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl.

Make dressing. In a small bowl add lemon juice, garlic clove, salt and pepper and whisk. Next slowly drizzle the olive oil to emulsify the dressing.

Pour the dressing into the bowl with the pasta. Mix, taste, then salt and pepper if needed.

Grilled zucchini 
Nothing fancy here. Just slice the zucchini in half or quarters lengthwise. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add to the grill, for 3-4 minutes.

After everything is on the plate I like to squeeze a lemon over all the food to brighten the flavors up a bit.   Great summer meal!

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!

Organizing my mind with help from the Power of Moms- Review and Giveaway

Feeling Overwhelmed? Think you have a focus problem? Missed appointments? 

Well, you're not alone...

There have been times that I have considered myself to be a very organized person and I never understood how papers could be scattered and/or piled up or appointments could be missed but that is not the season I am in at this time. I'm not sure what changed but I do know it was a gradual shift, one moment I was in control and the next I was treading water trying to keep my head above it. The paper and information that comes into my house is mind numbing from the mailbox, emails, kids backpacks, etc. To be completely honest I was at a point where I felt like I couldn't breath. Even at bedtime my mind would be swimming with things that needed to get done or that I wanted to do and it would take a while to get my brain to shut off...wasting precious sleep and adding unneeded stress to my life. I have felt like I can't catch up with anything and felt very unfocused. Which has been very frustrating.

This is one of my main email inboxes before.

This is my after and has remained my after!

Years ago I read the David Allen's book Getting Things Done (GTD) and I loved it. I told my husband all about the book and what an amazing system it was. I spoke about it so much that my husband and I still joke about it many years later. If we get something done quickly and efficiently we always say "Man, you are a GTDer". But in reality when I read that book I felt overwhelmed with trying to implement David Allen's system it just seemed too complex for what I needed as a Homemaker. 

When I came across the Power of Moms website I felt like I had finally found what I needed and really what I had been looking for all of these years. It's the GTD system but better! It's the Mind Organization for Moms (M.O.M.) program, it's exactly for people like me, created by a mom that has been in my shoes.

I have been working through the M.O.M. program and I have absolutely loved it! I carved away a little bit of time here and there and now can say that I have a wonderful functioning system and it works! With each task that I completed in the M.O.M. program I felt a little weight lifting off my shoulders and more importantly out of my brain.

Below is a look into what my system looks like right now. My calendar and Immediate Next Actions are digital. I use my calendar on my computer it syncs to all our devices. I also use my reminders app as my Immediate Next Actions list because it's with me at all times and also syncs to all the devices. I may look into a more detailed app in the future but for now I'm sticking with simple.

I finally feel like I have a working system in place and now I can rest easy and know that things are taken care of.

I really have enjoyed getting my "stuff" organized. It was one of my New Years resolutions and if getting organized is one of your goals for the New Year I recommend going to the Power of Moms website and checking out all the wonderful resources they have available.

To enter the giveaway sponsored by Power of Moms :
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of Mind Organization for Moms but the views expressed are my honest thoughts and opinions of the program.

Easy Chicken Dumpling Soup

Easy Chicken Dumpling Soup
recipe by: Simply Fit Mama

• 1 1/2- 2 cups leftover Chicken, shredded, cubed (however you like it)
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced - I use dorot frozen garlic
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 can Trader Joe's buttermilk biscuits 
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp chicken bullion
• Sea salt and cracked pepper, to taste

Heat large pot or dutch oven over medium- high heat. Add olive oil and onions, heat until softened not brown. This takes about 4-5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, garlic and chicken. Stir for another minute or two. Now add the broth, thyme, bay leaf, bullion then cover the pot and let simmer on low for  45 minutes to an hour or until the veggies are tender. 

Now comes the fun part. Pop open the can of biscuits and lay them out on a cutting board. Cut the circles in quarters and then roll each one in little balls (this is great to do with the kids, practice fractions and fine motor skills). Add all the little balls to the pot of soup cover and cook on low-medium (simmering not boiling) for 7-9 minutes.

Turkey Meatball Stroganoff

I have really been in the mood for some comfort food lately. This is a healthier version of a traditional stroganoff. I don't use the heavy cream, I feel like the sour cream is enough to make this dish nice and cream without the extra fat. I love using good egg noodles like pappardelle instead of the traditional egg noodle. You can make your own turkey meatballs or use pre-made if you are short on time, just check the ingredients list before buying. 

Turkey Meatballs

created by: Simply Fit Mama

1 egg

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

3 to 4 turns of fresh cracked pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 lb ground turkey breast

Preheat broiler. Spray sheet pan with cooking spray. 

Mix first five ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Once they are well combined add the ground turkey and bread crumbs. Lightly mix until combined, don't over mix. Next make meatballs into 2 inch balls.**If you give your hands a light coating of olive oil the meat won't stick to your hands** Place the meatballs on the sheet pan and into the oven for around 10 minutes, they should have a nice brown color to them.

Stroganoff Sauce 

created by: Simply Fit Mama

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 8 oz. package of mushrooms, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup white wine

2 tsp flour

1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 to 1 1/4 cup beef broth

1/2 cup light sour cream

Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add olive oil. Add onion and let them sweat a little until translucent 5-10 minutes depending on how finely chopped the onion is. Next add the garlic and mushrooms. Go ahead and add the wine now and crank up the heat to a medium-high temperature. This will reduce the wine. After the wine has evaporated from the pan turn the heat back down to medium and let the mushrooms brown up a little. Once the mushrooms have a little color add the flour to the onions and mushroom and stir it up so that it's combined.

In a medium bowl whisk together the beef broth, Dijon mustard and sour cream. Add this mixture to the skillet. Let it come up to a low simmer, where there are little bubbles at the surface of the sauce. You do not want to boil this sauce. Next reduce the heat to low add the meatballs and keep warm until ready to serve. 

Egg Noodles

Boil according to directions. While you are making the sauce you want the water boiling and ready to add the noodles. Drain the noodles and serve warm with the Stroganoff sauce and turkey meatballs on top.

Fight over the leftovers!

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

Italian Beef Sandwiches | Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges | Salad

Tuesday

Chicken Fried Rice | Japanese Onion Soup | Asian Salad

Wednesday

Stuffed Green Peppers | Salad

Thursday

Chicken "Chipolte" Bowls

Friday

Salmon | Brown Rice | Asparagus

Saturday

Beef Stew | Fresh Bread 

Sunday

Taco Night

Sexy Mom's Running Club Giveaway WINNER!!!

By random generator:

Congratulations, Meercat!

I will contact you and make sure your prize package is on it's way to you! 

The Sexy Mom's Running Club Giveaway!!

An item from Becky Reese’s apparel line 

                                              

                                                                          The Fresh 20 Cookbook by Melissa Lanz 

                                                                  

                                        And a $50 gift card good for any paid content on SexyMomsRunningClub.com

Thank you everyone for participating!! Hope you enjoyed the Pantry list and I hope you had a chance to stop by the Sexy Mom's Running Club.

The Healthy Pantry-The Sexy Mom's Running Club Blog Tour GIVEAWAY!

Today I'm participating in The Sexy Mom's Running Club blog tour! Becky Reese is the founder of The Sexy Mom's Running Club, she is also an author and owns a activewear clothing line. You can hop on over to Becky's site to be inspired, find training plans, recipes and many other fun things.

The Sexy Mom's Running Club Giveaway!!

An item from Becky Reese’s apparel line 

                                              

                                                  The Fresh 20 Cookbook by Melissa Lanz 

                                                                  

                        And a $50 gift card good for any paid content on SexyMomsRunningClub.com

Becky Reese @ The Sexy Mom's Running Club is sponsoring this amazing giveaway. Please take the time to leave a comment to be entered in the random drawing closing Friday evening at midnight (Central time zone). Winner will be announced Saturday.

I know with fall on it's way and school days right around the corner I have been stocking my pantry to get ready for school days and busy sports filled evenings. I  love to keep my pantry well stocked because if you have a well stocked pantry you always have the choice to make something at home instead of going to a drive thru. And that my friends, is one of the biggest battles in making healthy food choices.

Last week I didn't want to go to the grocery store due to a trip we were getting ready to take but because I had a well stocked pantry I was able to throw together a handful of dinners using only what was in my pantry and bits and pieces of what was left in my fridge.

So what kind of things do I stock in my pantry with?

Canned Items:

• Tomato Sauce- no salt added (4 cans)
• Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilis (2 cans-I prefer Trader Joe's brand)
• Basic Spaghetti Sauce (2 jars- if you shop at a conventional store watch the ingredients list)
• Garbanzo Beans (2 cans)
• Kidney Beans (2 cans)
• Black Beans (2 cans)
• Organic chicken broth-no salt added (2-32oz containers)
• Organic beef broth-no salt added (2-32oz containers)
• Vanilla Almond Milk-Unsweetened (1-64 oz)
• Coconut Milk (4 cans)
• Creamy Almond Butter-no salt (1 jar)
• Creamy Peanut Butter-no salt (1 jar)
• Tuna (2 cans)
• Whey Protein

Starch /Grains:

• Organic brown rice
• Quinoa
• Cous Cous
• Organic whole wheat spaghetti (3 bags -.99 cents a bag at Trader Joes)
• Panko bread crumbs
• Dried black beans
• Sweet Potatoes (4-6 potatoes)
• 2-3 varieties of cereal (6-8 grams of sugar max...otherwise it's should be considered dessert)
• Steal Cut Irish Oatmeal
• Quick cook Steal Cut Irish Oatmeal
• Pretzels

Fats:

• Nuts-raw unsalted--We love almonds, cashews and pistachios
• Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• Grapeseed Oil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Spray Coconut Oil
• Ghee

Flavor Makers / Seasonings:

• Balsamic Vinegar 
• Apple cider Vinegar
• White wine Vinegar
• White vinegar
• Dried Herbs-anything and everything you can get your hands on
• Spices-anything and everything you can get your hands on
• Sea Salt
• Onions (red and yellow)
• Fresh garlic

Baking / Indulgent stuff:

• Unbleached flour
• Sugar
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Turbinado raw cane sugar
• Stevia
• Baking Powder (aluminum free)
• Baking Soda

Freezer-(my extended pantry):

• Broccoli
• Corn
• Green Beans
• Ginger
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Chicken breast
• Fish-Salmon, Mahi Mahi, Tuna
• Pork, variety of cuts
• Beef, variety of cuts

Hope this helps get you on your way to a well stocked pantry. 

If you are just started on your journey to healthier living take it one step at a time. Don't look in your pantry and feel discouraged. If you have unhealthy foods crowding your pantry start by not buying things that have a long list of ingredients that you can't read. Stop purchasing that stuff! Start buying healthier choices. And as you stop buying unhealthy things they will run out  and you will have slowly replaced them with healthy options without killing your food budget. 

What kind of things do you like to stock in your pantry?

Wordless Wednesday

Source

Wordless Wednesday: My Kiddos :)

Photo by: FotoEnvy

Menu Plan

Monday

Salmon | Asparagus | Salad

Tuesday

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli | Rice

*I didn't get to make this last week*

Wednesday

Meat Free Taco Night

Thursday

Grilled Tuna | Green Veggie | Salad

Friday

Baked Spaghetti | Broccoli Slaw

*Leftover reinvention*

Saturday

Grilled BBQ Chicken | Salad

Sunday

Leftovers

For more menu plan ideas check out Menu Plan Monday.