Balsamic Chicken & Veggies Recipe

My husband and I have been looking for new recipes to try out and come to some sort of agreement since I am an extremely picky eater! Haha. So, we decided to try out this amazing looking recipe we found on Pinterest!! And to give credit, where credit is due -- I found it over on www.CookingClassy.com for sharing this delicious recipe!! I have to say it was definitely a hit for the husband and I!

So I wanted to share the recipe with you and hope you all enjoy it as much as I did! HOWEVER, we decided to switch up the veggies because we didn't have the asparagus and I don't like tomatoes! :)

"One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies"


Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: About 3-4 Servings
Cook Time: 13 Minutes

Ingredients you will need -- This is where you may want to modify to make it cleaner. I will most definitely be looking to use some other ingredients the next time around!

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Italian Dressing
3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Honey
1/8 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (we added more to give it a little kick)
1 1/4 lbs chicken breast tenderloins (we used full chicken breasts)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 lb Fresh Asparagus, trimmed of tough ends, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups MatchStick Carrots
1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved

****We used broccoli and carrots****

Directions:
1. Mix the salad dressing, balsamic vinegar, honey and red pepper flakes, set aside
2. Heat Olive Oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season Chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then place chicken evenly in skillet. Cook until thoroughly cooked. Add half the dressing mixture to skillet and rotate to coat the chicken evenly.  Remove chicken then add your choice of veggies. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste and cooking - stirring frequently. Cook until your desired tenderness.

Once completed, add the rest of the dressing into the skillet. Stirring consistently until thickened (about a 1 minute). This is where you can add the tomatoes to the other veggies and chicken, then drizzle the left over dressing mix over the top.

The taste was perfect! It was just want we were looking for. I recommend pairing it with a brown rice! The taste was similar to something you would find on a local Chinese Buffet BUT you know for sure what you are putting in your foods, and it more than likely has less calories!

Hope you all enjoy! :)
(recipe credit: www.cookingclassy.com)

Super Foods Salad Recipe

How many of you eat SuperFoods? Do you even know what SuperFoods are? There are so many types of Superfoods and are great ingredients to incorporate diet when beginning your health and fitness journey.


Some of the benefits of SuperFoods are strengthening the immune system which the end means, SICK LESS or a shorter duration of the sickness. They also help repair and restore the GI system which means you can become more regular, digestion improves as well as your body is able to absorb more nutrients!! Lastly, superfoods also help reduce chronic inflammation, which is the #1 cause of nearly every disease! Chronic inflammation destroys cells and your immune system.

Check out this Superfoods Salad and comment below when you've tried it! :)

Superfoods Salad
Makes 4 Servings

1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons snipped fresh mint
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

6 cups baby spinach
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (breast or purchased roasted (about 1 pound)
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (chevre) (1 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. For Vinaigrette, in a screw top jar combine vinegar, mint, honey, oil and salt. Cover and shake well.

2. In an extra-large bowl, combine spinach, chicken, strawberries, blueberries, walnut, and cheese.

3. Shake vinaigrette. Pour of salad; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with Pepper.

Loaded with lots of nutrients and delicious foods, hope you enjoy!

Week 10 T25 Meal Plan -- Preparing myself for Insanity Max: 30

Today I decided to share with you what one of my weekly meal plans look like. I am currently finishing up on Week 10 of T25 and will be getting ready to embark on the Insanity Max: 30 Journey beginning December 15th!

Insanity Max is 21 Day Fix approved so I am so excited to be able to stick with the round about same type of planning. Nothing too drastically changing. I am really going to put my all into this program and ensure that I am succeeding in the nutrition department as this has always been a weakness of mine.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Workout	Rip’t Circuit	Core Cardio	Rip’t Circuit	Dynamic Core	Rip’t Circuit	Speed 2.0	Rest
Breakfast	Shakeology 1 tsp Avocado 10 oz Water Banana	1 Egg/Egg Whites Toast Banana	Shakeology 10 oz Water Banana	Shakeology 10 oz Water Banana	1 Egg/Egg Whites Toast Banana	Shakeoloy 10 oz water Banana	Quest Bar Banana
Snack 1	Granola Bar	Shakeology Peanut Butter	Apple Peanut Butter	Granola Bar	Shakeology Peanut Butter	Granola Bar	Shakeology Peanut Butter
Lunch	Baked Chicken Arugula Salad Cucumbers Balsamic Dressing	Baked Chicken Arugula Salad Cucumbers Balsamic Dressing	Chicken Broccoli (Olive Oil) Carrots Rice	Chicken Arugula Salad Cucumbers Pecans Balsamic Dressing	Baked Chicken Arugula Salad Cucumbers Balsamic Dressing	Turkey Burger Broccoli Olive Oil	1 Egg/Egg Whites Toast
Snack 2	Greek Yogurt	Peanuts	Pecans	Greek Yogurt	Peanuts	Greek Yogurt Peanuts	Apple Peanut Butter
Dinner	Salmon Brown Rice Steamed Broccoli (olive oil)	Pork Chop Sweet Potatoes Steamed Green Beans (olive oil)	Baked Chicken Potatoes Carrots	Pasta Ground Turkey Brussels Sprouts	Turkey Burger Hamburger Bun Broccoli Olive Oil	Italian Turkey Sausage Parmesan Cheese Pasta Steamed Green Beans	Tilpia Rice Broccoli
Snack 3	Pineapple Peanut Butter	Pineapple	Greek Yogurt	Apple Tbsp Peanut Butter	Pineapple	Cucumbers Watermelon

I am really trying to mentally prepare myself because my husband and I have decided that we only want to venture out and do the larger grocery list shopping maybe once or twice a month, CRAZY RIGHT? Well the thing is, that means I would have to put together TWO weeks worth of meal plans. But as well as the bulk buying we are doing while grocery shopping to save money, this will ensure that we are able to have enough food for this longer period of time and help us stay on track. We have also agreed to not eat out until the New Year except for a Holiday Party we are attending later in the month.

What are my difficulties with staying on track with nutrition?

My biggest struggle while staying on track with my nutrition is sweets! I have tried to plan accordingly and choose "healthy" sweeter foods. This will help ensure that I am not grabbing snacks throughout the day or depriving myself. 80/20 rule is key when trying to stick with any fitness program. If you aren't then you will set yourself up for failure by depriving yourself of those "treats" here and there.

What do I hope to get out of this weekly meal plan?
I hope this meal plan and seeing it everyday keeps me on track because they do say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I usually prep my lunches during the day Sunday and keep them similar because it's easier for me when I am in the office. I get a lot of peer pressure from the office, so I want to ensure that I am able to come back and say that I already have my lunch and pass on the invitation.



Beginning December 15th, my husband and I will be venturing into the crazy journey of Insanity Max: 30! I will be sharing our progress and our meal plans for the week as we go on and will ensure that we share with you our struggles and what we love about the program! Be sure to subscribe to my blog to ensure you are getting the information!

You can also follow my progress by liking my Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/maketodayyourtomorrow or follow me on Instagram: @maketodayyourtomorrow!

Tips on Dining Out (The Healthy Way!)

How many people absolutely love weekends? The freedom to relax, hang out with friends and family, do all those fun activities, and EAT OUT!?!?! OH NO... all your hard work is instantly ruined because there aren't any healthy items on the menu... and you think, oh that's ok -- I'll just start again Monday!

WRONG WRONG WRONG.

I am here to share with you five tips that I think will be very helpful for you while dining out... AND you won't have to eat just rabbit food! Exploring the different ways to modify your meals is very simple and easy! These are the tips that have helped for me and normally what I do when I go out to eat.

Tip 1: Map out where you will be eating!

Why you ask? -- The reason I make this tip #1 is because it is the most crucial! If you are prepared for where you are going to dinner, you will be able to look at their online menu! Most companies nowadays share their menus on their websites. This will give you a chance to look over the menu, pick and choose what you like and think about ways you will be able to modify it to be much healthier!

Tip 2: Ask for grilled, broiled, or steamed!

Why you ask? -- Obviously, this should be a given. If you are trying to stay on track with your nutrition and fitness.. when you're out to dinner and you find an entree you like but it's breaded... ask if there is an option for it to be grilled or broiled. Breaded meats PACK on the calories... on average a 4oz piece of grilled chicken would be between 100-125 calories. If you were to get a piece of breaded chicken, there could be double if not TRIPLE the amount of calories there!! Also another tip I want to share here, if you have side options .. choose the steamed veggies!! There is no extra added fat, which essentially means no extra calories!

Tip 3: Ditch the POP/Soda!

Why you ask? -- Oh my goodness, where do I even begin here. The amount of sugar, the 16-20 ounce glass you're getting, and oh how many refills did you just have? Pop is a no go, ask for water. Most health and fitness websites mention you are suppose to drink half your weight in ounces! Add some lemon to it and you have yourself a healthy flavorful drink SUGAR FREE!!! This should be a given, just ditch the pop!



Tip 4: Sauce on the side, please!

Why you ask? -- Getting your salad dressing or sauce on the side will help cut back on those calories! If you get your sauce on the side, typically (from when I waitressed) the ramikins are about 2 oz, BUT when the restaurants put the sauce right on the entree, you can never gauge actually how much sauce you will be getting! Dressings (such as ranch) are really high in fat and calories. I usually get my salad dressing or sauce on the side and just dip my food in there but very cautious not to use a lot of it.

Tip 5: Save your cheat meal!

Why you ask? -- Ok, so when you're on your health and fitness journey -- and you'e trying to eat healthy but your friends asked you to go to dinner this weekend. OH NO, WHAT DO I DO... RESTAURANTS ARE PURE EVIL... no no no! Just listen, if you are on point with your eating habits during the week and you know you have an obligation to eat out with friends or family, be cautious throughout the week and save your cheat meal. Maybe you want to have a glass of pop or you would like to have mashed potatoes and gravy with all the fixings. You don't want to deprive yourself, and I'm not telling you you have to do this to lose weight or be healthy... just make healthy choices and you will do great!

I hope these five tips help you better handle eating out situations. I know they can be rough, and when  you're eating out with friends you don't want to be the "difficult" person but sometimes, you have to. Don't let the peer pressure of others affect your decision. It's your body, you have to live in it... not them! I am not saying I am a fitness expert or nutritionist, I am simply offering you my personal opinions and advice! I hope you find them helpful.













For more daily tips, suggestions and daily motivation about health, fitness and life in general, feel free to like my Facebook page *Make Today Your Tomorrow* ------> RIGHT over there... and Follow me on Instagram! :) @maketodayyourtmorrow -- If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe!!