Quick and Easy Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

I made a super easy, yummy and healthy dinner last night I thought I would share.  It’s fairly easy to prepare and comes together quickly.  Yay.  The kids all love it too, so everyone is happy ;-).

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Disclaimer:  I’m sorry I didn’t really measure anything.  Just prepare how much you think you and/or your family will eat!

Chicken; cut into cubes
Broccoli (frozen or fresh); cut into florets
Alfredo Sauce (jarred, mix or homemade!)
Healthy Fettuccine Noodles, brown rice or quinoa
Olive Oil
Seasoning Salt

Some of the ingredients I used!

Prepare and cut Chicken into cubes.

Preheat 2-3 T. Olive Oil in a skillet.
I used an electric skillet, but you could also use a wok or large pan on top of the stove.
Add Chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add frozen broccoli (if using fresh, cook chicken about 5 minutes longer before you add it.)

Sprinkle the chicken and broccoli with seasoned salt (add more if you like more….less if you like less!)
Cook 5-10 minutes more until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Ta da!

While the chicken and broccoli are cooking, prepare the sauce and noodles (or brown rice, quinoa, etc.)

I’ve used jarred Alfredo sauce in the past and it is super easy and quick!  I try to buy healthier brands and always check the labels to make sure it’s as “real” as possible.  Classico makes a great one that I love.

I’ve also made my own Alfredo sauce before too.  It’s a little bit of a pain, but it’s yummy.  Click here for a great recipe from AllRecipes.com.

But, last night I chose to make this kind by Simply Organic.

I bought these packets at Smiths and it was very yummy.  It was super easy to make too.

I made Fettuccine noodles for my kids and Kev and I had quinoa.  I cooked the noodles and quinoa while the chicken and broccoli were cooking too.  It was pretty slick.

I loved it with the quinoa.  I just topped the quinoa with the broccoli and chicken and then topped everything with the sauce!  Yum!

Here’s my plate.

All my kids loved it too.

When I snapped this picture, my sweet littlest baby was sitting off to the side in his high chair.  He started saying “Cheese!”  So, I of course snapped his pic as well.

I love this little squishy baby!  LOVE HIM!!!!!!!!

I hope you all enjoy!

Keep on Pluggin…

I was talking to my (hardcore) sister the other day and she seemed a little bit bugged that I ate a few treats over the weekend.  😉

I told her I was a little bit of a slacker, but I was hittin’ it hard this week.  She said, “I thought you weren’t going to eat any treats in January?”

Well….er….uh….I did say that didn’t I???

Dang.

My sister and I (and pretty much all my siblings) have the same treat addiction problem so we’re always trying to motivate each other and keep each other on track.

It’s awesome.

So, I’m sorry I was lame and didn’t completely stick to my plan!!!

In my defense, I could have done a lot worse and I’ve done pretty awesome since then.

Yay.

Oh, and I’ve lost 2 pounds since the New Year!

Wa hoo!

I think I want to lose 7-8 more and then maintain!

Yay!

I’ve found that as long as I don’t have any tempting foods/treats in the house, I’m golden.  The minute it comes into my house, I have serious issues.  In fact, I can’t even buy chocolate chips any more because they call  my name from the pantry!

Speaking of chocolate chips, my cute 13 year old son came home from school yesterday and really wanted to make cookies.  I tried to talk him out of it, but he persisted.  He really wanted to make them by himself and since he never really cooks or bakes anything, I thought it might be good for him.  Oh, and I kind of wanted him to use up the last of the chocolate chips we had in the pantry!

So, I gave him the green light.

He did a pretty good job too.  He also included his two littlest brothers in the process.  It was so sweet.  I snapped this cute pic….

They were being “buddies” and enjoyed watching the cookies (or “toochies” as my baby calls them) bake.  It was so sweet.

I must admit, I did try a tiny taste of the dough and a little nibble of one cookie (I just wanted to see how they turned out), but that was IT.

Thankfully, they turned out a little funky.  He still did a good job, but they weren’t quite as tempting.

*****************

K, moving on to healthier things…

I’ve been having a yummy omelet for breakfast pretty much every morning!  I love it so much!  I will probably keep having it until I get sick of it and then move on to something else.

I know most of you know how to make omelets, but I thought I would share how I make my fav!

I spray a pan with a little olive oil and saute peppers, onions and spinach for a minute or 2, until the spinach wilts.

...like so. 😉

While the "stuff" in sauteing, I mix 4 egg whites with a fork and then add Mrs. Dash, sliced olives and chopped ham/turkey.

I then add the egg mixture to the sauteed veggies.

When it's cooked on one side, I flip it and add a little feta cheese (yum!) I cook until the other side is done!

Here's my plate from this morning. I topped it with salsa and had some sliced strawberries and bananas on the side! Love it!

 Also, yesterday for lunch I had a “clean out the fridge” meal.  I ate leftover quinoa, tilapia (topped w/ low sodium soy sauce), veggies and tzatziki.  It was tasty and filling.

 

I also had a protein shake in the afternoon and then made Taco Soup for dinner.  I love Taco Soup….easy, healthy, yummy.  My kind of meal.  I’ll post the recipe later on.

Anyway, that’s the latest! 

Refocusing…

I’ve been wanting to hop on here and do a quick blog post for days!!!

We’ve been crazy and I’m worried that this “crazy” is the new “normal.”  Eeeek.

However, the kids are back in school.

I love them very much, but….

WAHOOO!

I get to have a somewhat organized and scheduled life again.

Phewwww.

With this new found organization and schedule, I’m feeling particularly motivated.

I’ve been somewhat of a morning person too!!

Gasp, I know!

Since my 12 year old is in Junior High now, I have to wake him up at 6:30.

That might not sound all that early to some of you.

It is early to me.

I don’t want to wake up and be a tired, groggy, ornery mom, sooooo….

I figure I have to wake up early anyway, I might as well make the most of it!

So, I’ve been going to bed earlier!  Yay!

***************

I’ve always loved mornings, but the problem is I’ve always loved nights too!

Sadly, I’ve realized I can’t be a morning and a night person and expect to have any sort of energy or motivation.

It’s not that hard of a concept, but for some reason I’ve struggled with it my whole life!

I’m so productive at night because it’s quiet and the kids are sleeping!

It’s hard for me to just “go to bed” when I have so much to do!!!

But, I don’t like being tired all the time, so I’m not going to be!

I’m going to be disciplined!

*******************
So, this morning I went on a quick 4 mile run.

I really love running in the morning.

It is so refreshing.

It’s also so nice to have my workout done first thing!

Check!

I must say though that (as usual) I DID NOT feel like running this morning!

I went to my favorite Boot Camp class last night (which, btw was not cancelled, but just moved to a different gym, yay!).

That class kicks my can every time!

I feel like I work every muscle (some I didn’t know I had!) in my body!

I’m sore EVERY time!  I love it!

Anyway, I was sore this morning and felt like an 85 year old lady!

It also didn’t help that my 1 year old was up in the night crying because he’s getting a million teeth right now.

Excuses, I know.

My mind starting thinking, “Oh, I’ll just run with the kids in the jogger a little later.”, or “I’ll run on the treadmill”, or “I’ll run later tonight.”

I’ve learned when I start thinking like that, I need to just turn my mind on “auto-pilot” and get up and get it done!

The minute I walked out the front door, I felt motivated.

I was so happy to be out there and glad I didn’t procrastinate!

*********************

When I got home,  I had a very yummy protein shake.

Love it!

Here it is…

Almond Joy Protein Shake

(recipe adapted from http://www.pimpmyproteinshake.blogspot.com)

1 scoop Chocolate Protein Powder

1/2 C. Coconut Milk (you could use Skim milk, Almond milk or water!)

1/4 C. Water

1/4 C. Cottage Cheese

1 T. PB2 (or use any all-natural Nut Butters)

1/2 tsp. Almond Extract

1 T. Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

1 T. Cocoa Powder

Spinach (optional)

Ice cubes

Here's everything you need minus the spinach, water and ice. I bought the Protein Powder at Costco, the Unsweetened Coconut at Sunflower Market, the PB2 online and everything else at Walmart.

Add liquids first (Milk, Water, Cottage Cheese, Extract)

Add everything else (Protein Powder, PB2, Coconut, Cocoa)

Mix well in blender.

Add Spinach (sorry, I always do)

Mix well.

Add Ice and mix well!

Enjoy!

My 3 year old and 1 year old love my protein shakes so much that every time I make one, I have a little entourage that follows me around the house.  I usually pour some into cups for them and they love it!

That is a toy snake in the background, but it looks kinda real in this pic. Freaky.

I love this shake.  I love the flavor of almond extract and I love the little coconut bits in it.  Yum.  I may add some coconut extract next time to add a little more coconut flavor.  We’ll see.  Oh, and the way I made it is about 260 calories (add more or less if you use different liquids or real peanut butter.)

K, here’s a little 411 about some of the ingredients I used.

Coconut Milk (I buy So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk)

You can buy this anywhere….you just need to know where to find it.  You can find it in the Ethnic food aisle (usually by the Asian stuff) or I’ve found it in the milk section (refrigerated and non-refrigerated) by the other kinds of milk (rice, almond, soy, etc.)

• Only 50 calories per Cup
• 5 g. fat per cup (but it’s the healthy beneficial kind of fat!)
• Coconut Milk has also been known to help people lose weight, boost the immune system, fight disease and help lower the risk of heart disease!

So drink up!!!  If you want to read more about the health benefits, click here.

PB2

This “food” is a stroke of genius!!  I read about this on the internet and one of my good “peanut butter lovin” friends told me how much she liked this.  I decided to give it a try and I LoooVE it!  It’s basically like peanut butter (in powdered form) with a bunch of the fat and calories taken out!!  Who knew??  They keep it “all-natural” too and don’t use any chemicals, preservatives or artificial sweeteners.  Awesome.  Two tablespoons of this stuff is only 45 calories!  You basically mix 1 part water with 2 parts PB2, create your peanut butter and use it how you please.  I also just use the powder in my protein shakes or in baking too!  I bought this online.  For more info, go here.

Unsweetened Coconut

I’ve been surprised at how “non-readily” available this is!  I’ve only been able to find it at Sunflower Market or Whole Foods.  It might be at Smiths too, I need to double check.  I love it though because you get all of the coconut flavor without all the sugar!  Yay!  I don’t have any sweetened coconut in my house, so I don’t know the nutritional facts for it, but unsweetened is 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar and 10 grams of fat for 3 Tablespoons (I usually just use 1 T though).  It’s all healthy and all natural.  Love it.  Oh, and I love love love Bob’s Red Mill stuff!  He is the bomb…that dude comes up with everything!  Love him!

So, go buy all these funky ingredients and have fun using them, K?

I will also share with you a yummy dinner I made last night.  It’s one of my favs because it’s so so so healthy and perty easy too!

Easy, Yummy, Healthy Chicken Veggie Stirfry

This is why I LOVE this recipe…

It's an awesome way to eat tons of yummy veggies!

This really isn’t a recipe, but this is how I make it.

• Prepare and marinate chicken before hand.  If I have time, I use my yummy marinade.  If I don’t have time, I use my easy marinade.  When Kev gets home, I have him grill it.  Love that!

• Cut up any veggies you want to use.  I usually use the following: broccoli or broccoli slaw, carrots, celery, green peas, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, green beans, sugar snap peas, and whatever else I have on hand.  You could even use little corn cob thingys or water chestnuts.  Whatever.

• Cut up, slice, chop, etc. all your veggies (a food processor or mini chopper makes this SO MUCH simpler!)

Throw all the “harder” veggies into a wok or big ‘ol electric frying pan (preheated with 1-2 T. Olive Oil).

Cook them for a little while (maybe 5-7 minutes), then add a little seasoning salt and lite soy sauce to taste.

Then add any softer veggies like broccoli slaw, green peas, corn, etc.  Btw, I really love broccoli slaw…lots of nutrition without a lot of work!

You can buy this anywhere. It's just in the produce section by the bagged salad mixes.

After I added the broccoli slaw...

Cook and stir occasionally for 5-10 more minutes depending on how crunchy you like your veggies.  There is no “right” or “wrong”, it’s just personal preference.  I like mine on the crunchier side.  You can also add more seasoning salt or soy sauce if needed.

The finished product! Yum!

Serve with quinoa or brown rice…

Here’s my cooked quinoa.  If you want to know more about it and how to cook it, click here.

Serve with grilled chicken on the side or cut up and mixed in!

I also made a “clean out the fridge” fruit salad to go with it…

There is everything in this! Pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi and grapes!

Here’s my plate…

Kev and I both love this meal, but I must say that my kids are not big fans.  They don’t love rice or quinoa too much and they prefer their veggies not all mixed together.  They love the chicken and fruit though.  I always get complaints when we have this, but I remind them that their mom loves them and wants them to be healthy! 😉

That is all…easy, healthy, and yummy!  Love it!

Oh, one more fun little thingy…

I ran a free “just for fun” 5k that my church organized on Saturday morning.  It was so much fun!!!  I didn’t have my running watch though, so I felt like I was running blind.  However, the good news is because I was “running blind”, I didn’t know exactly how fast I was going and couldn’t really pace myself.  I ended up finishing faster than I thought I could (24:15, 7.48 pace) and came in 2nd place for all the women (probably because most of them walked it!) 😉  I was happy about it though!  Yay!

Here’s a pic with my little ribbon.  Fun.

’till next time!  Hopefully soon!!!

Freakin’ Awesome Kabobs

Well, I’m still goin’ strong!!  I’ve exercised every day this week (although today’s workout was pretty lame) and I’ve been eating really well.  I feel great!  I’ve decided it really isn’t that hard as long as I plan and stay committed.

I thought I’d share a dinner recipe that I LoVe, lOvE, LOVE!!!  Yumm-o!  Here it is…

Chicken/Beef Kabobs

Kev and I LOVE this recipe.  It is kind of a pain in the bum, but it is so so worth it.  I would make these every week if I had the time.  Here it is…

Cut up chicken/beef into even chunks

Chicken...this is a kind of gross pic...sorry.

Beef! Uhhhh....yum?!

TIP:  We love to buy pot roast on sale, cut it up into chunks and freeze it.  It makes the yummiest kabobs and it’s nice to have them already cut up.

I often experiment with different marinades, but here is one of my favs for chicken…

Yummy Chicken Marinade

(This is kind of a BIG recipe….you could probably 1/2 it.)

3/4 C. Canola Oil

1/2 C. Soy Sauce

1/4 C. Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 C. Red Wine Vinegar

3 T. Lemon Juice

1 T. Dry Mustard

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 T. Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp. Dried Parsley

Mix all of the ingredients in a large Ziploc bag or bowl.

Here it is....

Add Chicken

Chicken in the marinade

Marinade in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour or longer. 

The longer you marinate, the more flavor it will have.

Now, for the beef.

This time, I chose to go the easy route.

I just bought a good ‘ol McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak marinade pack.

Yummy and easy.

Just follow the directions of the back of the package.

It’s basically the marinade mix, vinegar, oil and water.

Mix it up in a bag or bowl

Mixed up in a big 'ol Ziploc

Add the beef…

Beef in marinade...sorry for the blurry pic

 Marinate in the fridge for 1/2 hour or longer

Chicken and beef getting ready to go in the fridge...

TIP:  I love it when I remember to do all this earlier in the day.  It makes the meat so flavorful and yummy AND it saves on prep time later on.  Cool.

Moving on…

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes…

Skewers soaked in water. I bought these at Walmart for $1.00 (for 100 of them!)

Chop all veggies

I love peppers, onions, tomatoes, pineapple, zucchini and summer squash

Some people like mushrooms…I do not…bleh…

This time I used peppers, onions and pineapple. Fresh pineapple is AWESOME on the grill too!

Put everything on the skewers.

Everything skewered and ready to grill!

I chose to do the meat and the veggies separate. 

I’ve mixed them together before and it works out fine.

I just like to separate them so I don’t have to worry about raw meat juices and things. 

Grill it up!

The finished product! Yum yummy yum!

We love to serve this atop brown rice or quinoa.

Tonight we chose to do quinoa.

If you haven’t heard of quinoa, here’s the 411…

Quinoa (pronouced, “keen-wah”) is very yummy and very healthy.  It is super high in protein (the highest content of any grain) and high in fiber.  If you’re interested, read more about the health benefits of quinoa here.

I really love it.  You can find it in any grocery store, usually in the health food section.  I buy mine at Costco (of course.)

Quinoa!

Here’s how you cook it…

Measure out how much quinoa you want and rinse it very well.

If you don’t rinse it well, it will have a bitter taste.

Rinsing the quinoa

Combine the quinoa and water.

It cooks pretty much just like rice…one part quinoa to two parts water.

I added a boullion cube for flavor (I know, I know....very salty and MSG ridden, but yummy!)

Bring to a boil…

Boil 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed

Boiling!

Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes.

Fluff with fork and…

Ready to eat!

Enjoy!

Here's my plate. I added a little low-sodium soy sauce for extra flavor! Yum!

Seriously so so so yummy!  A little high maintenance, but very worth it!