Chicken & Mushroom Zucchini Pasta

Eating Paleo, I have never felt better. But I LOVE an amazing pasta dish. Not being able to eat any type of grain is frustrating, I think I found my way around the noodle (grain) problem. 

I have made this dish a couple different ways by adding things to this dish but here is the staple recipe. Ideas on things to add will be at the bottom of post.

 Serving size 4 

Ingredients 

- 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast

- 2 tbsp of coconut oil 

- 4 small/medium green zucchini

-1/2 chopped red onion

- 3 cloves of garlic 

- 1/4 tsp dried basil 

- 1/2 tsp dried parsley 

- 1/2 to 1 carton of sliced mushrooms 

- 1/2 juice from a lemon 

- Fresh shredded parmigiana reggiano cheese

- Sea salt and pepper to taste. 

Directions 

1. Put 2 tbsp of coconut oil in pan on medium heat and melt. 

2. Slice chicken breast into nugget sizes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (*note salt cooks OUT of your food and brings out flavor if you use it in the beginning) 

3. Add chicken to pan and cook chicken. 

4. Chop red onion into small peices (my kids HATE onion but it gives such good flavor I chop mine super small so they can't tell) 

5. Mince 3 cloves of garlic 

6. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

7. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, dry seasoning and a pinch of salt & pepper into pan and sauté. 

8. Make zucchini into "spaghetti" noodles. 

I use a Veggetti tool. It has two different size "noodles" you can make. It is SO easy to make. You cut off ends and twist your veggie of choice in the Veggetti. 

9. Once veggies are sautéed add juice from half a lemon. 

10. Mix zucchini noodles and veggies thoroughly. Add chicken. 

11. Serve with a pinch of fresh cheese ontop. 

Enjoy! 

Things you can add in: sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, broccoli florets, fresh or frozen peas 

Energy bar snack recipe

Ok, I have been having so much fun experimenting around with different recipes!!!! Here is one I LOVE! 

Great for a snack or dessert after dinner. 

Dark Chocolate & Cranberry Bars: 

1 cup of raw almonds. (No salt) 

1 cup of pitted dates 

1 cup of dried cranberries 

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 

2 Tablespoons of shredded, unsweet, coconut 

Put all ingredients into a blender. Pulse until all ingredients are mixed and turn into a wet dough like texture. Line a pan with wax paper. Put mixture in pan and flatten with a spatula. Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hrs. Then cut up into squares or bars. Leave in fridge until ready to eat. 

I made two batches, and put it in a 13" x 9" rectangle pan. My kids LOVE these! And so do I. It's a quick and easy go to snack or dessert. 

Try them and tell me what you think!!

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate...

I can't tell you enough how important it is to stay hydrated.

 

Other than being the main source that makes our body function correctly there are other reasons we should make sure that we get enough water each day.

 

* It boost our brain power.

* It helps maintain the balance of body fluids

*It helps with appetite control and gut health

*It will improve your mood

*It lowers the rick of heart attacks
*Just to name a few

 

My kids and I get tired of just plain water. But with so many water flavoring items out there, none of them are any good for us. They are full of chemicals. NEVER eat or drink anything with sucralose or aspartame. These sugar substitutes are worse than sugar!

 

We have started experimenting with different natural things to put in our water to make it taste different.

 

Tonight we have strawberries and mint infusing in our water. It will be ready for us in the morning!
 

 

What you will need for this drink.

1. Water pitcher with infuser. I got mine from TJMaxx for $14.99. TJMaxx also has just an infuser you can add to any cup or pitcher.
2. Filtered water
3. 6 strawberries, leafs cut off and cut into three pieces
4. 2-3 bundles of mint depending on how much mint flavoring you want.

 I rinse off my mint and strawberries to help get any dirt off of them. I put them in my infuser and then in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours.

It is so refreshing and the mint has a calming effect. My kids love it!

I also made a pitcher of an herbal tea we love to drink.

Herbal tea has come a long way and has many different flavors!!! Right now we are addicted to Tazo's passion fruit tea.

Here are some of the benefits of  drinking herbal tea.
* Tea can boost exercise endurance.
*Reduce the risk of heart attacks.
*The antioxidants in tea might help protect again a boatload of caners.
*Helps fight free radicals.
*Tea is hydrating to the body.
*Drinking tea is linked with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease.
*Tea could keep waist circumference in check.
*Tea can help the body recover from radiation.
*And so much more!


I like this tea best with lemonade but wanted to try a healthier way to make it. I think I found it!

Here is what you will need.

 

1. Pitcher

2. Tea

3. Lemon

 

Yup that's it!

I fill up my pitcher with water and then add the bag of tea to let it steep. I cut up 1/4 - 1/2 of a lemon and put it in the pitcher with the tea bag. I let it sit in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. Take out the tea bag and you are ready to drink!

 

What are some of your favorite ones?

 

Goodbye holidays!

Christmas has come and gone, and I'm so excited to say I somehow managed to loose .8 oz! Whoop whoop! (seriously not entirely sure how this happened, but I'll take it!)

Christmas was amazing. Got to spend the day with my amazing family, watch as my boys opened gift after gift! I love watching those two grow up. I want them to stay small, innocent and my babies but I am having a blast watching them grow.

Christmas Eve we had our annual Mayfield Christmas party. It's amazing to see my baby cousins having babies. My boys playing with my youngest cousins and enjoying my crazy Mayfield side. I love all of them and all their disfunction. I just wish my grandparents were still here to see us all together.

After our Mayfield party we went to Christmas Eve service and it was beautiful. I love hearing my boys sing for the Lord and watch as they sit and listen to the message and soak up the word of God.

Christmas morning was a blur as I waited until 10 o'clock the night before to start wrapping presents. I was one tired mama when I got woken up at 6 am. That was only 3 hours of sleep! Ah! But I wouldn't have it any other way!

I'm excited and thankful for everything I got, as for me it's not about the gifts any more as it is about spending time with my family. But there are two things I'm VERY excited for!


First thing is my Ninja Blender! I started juicing 3 years ago. I fell in love with it. I never felt better than when I was juicing all the time. But, the maintenance of having to make those juices, clean up and prep just wasn't something I had the time to do anymore. I love that with the ninja blender I can get the juice like texture, plus I'm using all the part of the fruit and veggies, and it's a super easy clean up!!! As a single mom of 2 with 3 jobs, this is SO important for me. Now I have no reason to say I'm not juicing and doing what I know makes me feel good! I already have some recipes to try. I'll share the ones I love with you!

Second, my parents got me a Fitbit zip. Super excited about this because it's SMALL. It tracks my steps, distance and calories burned. I have many different type of watches, gadgets, that do the same thing but they are bulky, not cute and I get annoyed with them. This is so small I can wear it anywhere and hide it! Super excited to track my daily activities and see if and when I need to up my activities! I'll keep you posted!

Slow and steady...I guess

This morning I was able to get a workout in! I was so excited! I have been enjoying my beginning yoga stretches at night but this morning I wanted to add in some cardio.

I started my workout off like I do with any workout, I stretched! Love starting my mornings with a good stretch. I will tell you a trick to help you stretch if stretching is not your strong point. Grab a tube sock. Yup, I said a tube sock.

 

This is how almost every class is started at Lets Get Up and Move. There is so many different ways to stretch with a tube sock that will help you push yourself further, elongate, and stretch those muscles you don't normally use.

 

Sock Stretches for beginners

 

-Take the sock and start off by pulling it super tight then release the tension in the sock so your hands go back together. Think butterfly press in the sitting position. You will be opening up your chest muscles.

-Then  take your sock, sit up straight, and start to twist working our oblique's.

-Sitting on the floor, put the sock around the bottom of your feet. Then try as hard as you can to push your legs straight. This stretches the back of the leg. To take this a step further try to put your nose on your knees laying flat.

-In a straddle position, legs out in a V, wrap the sock around one foot. Try as hard as you  an to push your leg straight. Once leg is straight take it one step further lay your ear on your knee. Works your legs and your lower back! (my favorite stretch!)

 

 

After I stretched for a good 5-10 minutes I did a cardio workout with no equipment other than my house. I used my staircase and the wall. That's it!

 

Workout Routine:

 

-Up downs starting on my right side. 1 minute

(I used my bottom step and went as fast as I could up, up, down, down, for one minute)

- Wall Pushups 30

(Standing in a plank position against the wall, arms out straight, tush tucked tight, abs engaged and bench arms so nose touched the wall, then straightened arms.)

-Repeat sequence starting on the other foot.

 

Once I was done with my second set of pushups you would have thought I just ran a marathon! My body was telling me to slow down! So, I ended with a couple of stretches.

 

Took me 15 minutes total, stretching, work out, stretching. Not bad!

 

I had the negative thought that it was really only 5 minutes of cardio and I use to be able to do up to 2 hours of cardio, but I need to see the positive. I DID 5 minutes of cardio. Good job! I'm not working with a body that is healthy, I'm working with ailments that make it hard for me to even do those 5 minutes so I'm proud of those 5 minutes. Next week, I'll shoot for 10 minute workout and work my way up from there!

 

So, if you are like me, you once were healthy and able to do so much more than you can do now, don't get discouraged. It didn't take you over night to get to the place you are at, so it will not be over night that undoes what has been done. But as long as we are trying to make that change, one small step at a time, that is all that matters. Keep your head up. I'm keeping mine up. We can do this. Don't compare yourself to someone else, or even a past you. Live in the moment and make those conscious choices to change your life for good. This is the last time you will ever be this unhealthy. Keep telling yourself that and be excited for every step you do take. You are doing it!

 

Now, off to finish my first liter of water for the day. Are you drinking enough water?

 

 

Long days...

My long days are showing me how hard it is to keep an active routine going. Following my food regiments, workout routine and blogging daily has been a challenge, but I wake up every morning with the intention of succeeding. One day it will become second nature and won't be as difficult. Until then I will do as much as I can.

Tomorrow I have a meeting at Connect5 for a Cookie N Cream party. I will be talking about Nerium. (Job number 2 for those of you who are keeping track.) I will be sharing with the world how Nerium is taking over the anti-aging industry. Here are some amazing results of real people using Nerium.




She has to LOVE these results!

 

I hope that tomorrow I can help some mommies shed their mommy marks!

 

If you would like to know more about Nerium send me a message at Kristie.Rodricks@gmail.com or leave a comment. you can also go to my website www.Rodricks.Nerium.com.

 

I can't wait until my Nerium business takes off. Once it does I will get to quit working at TJMaxx. Though, I do like working there and the people it would be amazing to be able to be home with my kids at night again. Once I hit senior director I will receive my very own FREE Lexus. I can't wait! Not only will Nerium help me quitting my third job, they will also be paying for me to have a brand new Lexus! Um, yes please!!!!

 

I'm off to go and do the same yoga video I did the other night. I liked it! Until tomorrow folk! Good night! 

 

Wah Wah Wah

Where is Charlie Brown when you need him!

Got my meal planning done last night. Got my grocery list written. All I needed to do today was go to the store so I could start my first day of clean Paleo eating. Never made it to the store.

Running my own business is so stressful. I had so much to do today getting to the grocery store just didn't happen. I spend most of my morning answering emails, taking phone calls, before I knew it I had to get a couple of errands done so I could make it to my 3rd job. Yup I'm one of those multi-jobers. I have my main business, Lets Get Up and Move. That's my baby. It's our slow time of the year and I refuse to take a loan out on it. I also sell Nerium. I am loving it. It isn't like any other MLM I have ever seen. It is a ground floor company that is showing amazing results for its customers and its brand partners. So proud to be with them. But, in the mean time I need extra cash so I also work part-time at TJMaxx. I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love helping people, working with people, and NOT being in charge, but I hate the time it takes away from my family.

Once I was done working at TJMaxx my body was so tired I could barely make it from my car to the front door. I have to listen to my body. I don't want my adrenals to start acting back up. Even though I wanted so bad to get to the store to start today I couldn't. I will however get it done in the morning. I am going to make it a priority.

So, my eating today wasn't amazing. Ugh!

Tonight, I plan on doing some yoga. My body just need to relax and stretch. I don't have a favorite yoga program yet so you might see a lot of different videos from different sources.

Here is the video I am going to do today. (I don't understand why she comments about her hair, that was random but hey, that's just me.)

 

I'm off to go and do this yoga video! Finger crossed I like it!