Pinterest Half-Fail :)

Here is another installment in the (likely to be long) list of Pinterest Fails. I am calling this one a Half-Fail because they tasted DELISH, but looked...well, not so delish. ;)  I found these beauties here from McCormick, and thought "I can do this..can't be that hard". Well, this is what they are supposed to look like...

 

Pretty, right? Sounded easy enough, but here is what mine looked like:

Not quite the same, huh? Again, I stress, they tasted GREAT. Looked...well, I am pretty sure my oldest described them as "reindeer poop". 

If you decide to try these, and are more successful than I am, please let me know. I am always astounded by other people's talents, while completely comfortable with my own shortcomings. ;)

Honey Sesame Chicken (Clean if modified)

Okay, so I have made this recipe before, but just didn't remember it being as AWESOME as it is. This is my oldest child's favorite meal, and he's been doing really great in school, so I decided to make this for him tonight. It tastes even better than I remembered.  May not be the healthiest, but I made it with ingredients from home, so I consider that a success. We buy  that Simply Ketchup that has no high fructose corn syrup (which is one of my least favorite ingredient). I also use honey from the farmer's market. So I am going to just pretend this is healthy.  

It is really easy to put together, so that is always a plus for me. It also goes in the slow cooker, so plus number 2. (I know what you are thinking, but even though I am home all day, I still hate standing in the kitchen for a long time. :) 

Now, I made a lazy change or two, but mostly because a) I was also trying to make my lunch and I was hungry and b)It is easier to use dried minced onions that will disappear than to pick them all off my children's chicken. 

Honey Sesame Chicken

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (or any you prefer)

1 Cup Honey

1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

1/4 Cup Ketchup

2 TBS dried minced onions

3 Cloves Garlic, minced (or grated)

1 TBS Avocado Oil (or olive/vegetable, whatever you have)

Several healthy shakes of red pepper flakes

4 tsp cornstarch stirred into 6 TBS water

Sesame seeds for garnish

Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Mix together all other ingredients, except for the sesame seeds, and pour over the chicken. Cook on low for approx 3 hours. Original recipe calls for 3-4, but I went 4 and I think it was probably a little too much. At the end of the cooking time, take the chicken out and add the cornstarch to the liquid in the slow cooker. Cook in the crock for about 10 minutes on high. I did not see a visible difference for this step, but without comparing, I don't want to leave that step out. :) Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite size pieces and put back in slow cooker and stir up. When serving, sprinkle sesame seeds on top. (Now my kids don't like the sesame seeds...no clue why, so I just leave it off theirs)

I served this with brown rice and asparagus. It looks like a lot of rice, but I really just spread it out to make it look fancy. I usually make quinoa, but forgot that I am out until it was too late. :(

Taco Seasoning (Clean)

I have been searching and searching for a taco seasoning alternative. I have tried a couple of different ones that either didn't taste right, or the kids wouldn't eat...which just won't do. We really like our Taco Night in this house. I found this one from He and She Eat Clean, and it was AWESOME! My oldest (and pickiest) actually said "If I didn't know you made this yourself, I wouldn't have known the difference". Which is a major accomplishment for me. I tried to not let him in the kitchen while I was making it. He will automatically refuse to like it if I change it...brat! ;) But luckily he loved it, and it will now be made in bulk so there is no reason to ever buy taco seasoning again. :)


Clean Taco Seasoning

1TBSP Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
1 1/2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (more or less, of course, depending on taste)

Mix all the ingredients together and use for 1 lb of meat. We use it in turkey, but it can be used in ground beef, chicken, whatever you like. 

Next time I will try their Ranch dressing recipe. I have tried a few, and didn't like, but since this one worked out... I feel good about trying another. 

Chicken Marinade (CLEAN) ala Teriyaki

In trying to help my husband remain on his clean eating path, but still getting my marinated grilled chicken, I had to be alittle creative the other night with my ingredients. I was looking for a Teriyaki-type of marinade, but most called for sugar (white and/or brown). Otherwise, they would call for orange/pineapple juice, and we just never have that in the house. Well, I was NOT going to the store, so I just started throwing some ingredients into a baggie, and here's what I came up with:

Clean Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup Bragg's liquid aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)
1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup raw honey (give or take...depending on your preference)
2 TBSP avocado oil (or olive oil)
3 tsp onion powder
3 tsp garlic powder

I just threw this in with my frozen chicken breasts and let them marinate while defrosting. Had the hubby throw them on the grill, and paired his with the cauliflower "rice" and asparagus. Mine, of course, was paired with quinoa and broccoli. I am NOT a fan of the white asparagus. Too bitter for me. :)

CLEAN Dessert Pops!!

So, the other day my kids begged me to make Popsicles. But of course, I forgot to buy any healthy juice to make them out of ... Waaawaaaa. So I started digging on the Internet, and thinking of what was in my fridge, etc, and came up with these. HUGE success. (Except with my oldest, who refuses to believe that ground up fruit is not going to suck, but I will share his version at the end)

Clean eating fruit pops

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup frozen cherries (or whatever fruit you like)

1 TBSP honey

Stevia (to taste)

Blend first 3 ingredients in the blender, add stevia to your liking, and pour into molds. I put a few mini chocolate chips in the bottom of a few for the kids. You can also use ice cube trays. I did find them hard to get out of the molds, but a little warm water and they popped right out. :)

Now, for my oldest, I used vanilla yogurt with chocolate chips. He thought they were good, but would rather have juice pops ;)

Now my molds are tiny...maybe 3 or 4 inches, so when I plugged the ingredients into myfitnesspal, the calorie count came to 45. The only sugars are naturally occurring, so I think they are guilt-free. :)

Chicken with Capers (Low Carb)

This is a recipe I have wanted to make for a long time, but most recipes for Chicken Piccata have SO many steps. Ugh, I don't want to WORK at dinner in the kitchen. ;)  Plus, most recipes for Piccata call for the chicken to be dredged in flour, and that just won't work for me. So I found this one, and it looked so easy, that I just had to try! It was as easy as she promised, and DOUBLE yum. This is not "healthy" because of the cream, but is low carb. So don't yell at me for not posting a healthy recipe today. Clean recipe next time, I promise. :) Just use this one as a cheat meal. 

Chicken with Caper Cream Sauce

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp lemon pepper (check your brand for sugar in the ingredients or make your own.)
1 tsp salt (you might want to leave this salt out if you are sensitive)
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp garlic powder
3 TBSP butter (I used a bit less than this. Just enough to cover the bottom of pan)
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 TBSP capers, drained and rinsed (you don't have to rinse, I didn't. I like the flavor)

Melt the butter in the skillet. Mix together all the spices, and sprinkle both sides of the chicken and place in the pan. Sear on both sides on medium high heat, and then lower the temperature to medium and cook until breasts are cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and add cream to deglaze the pan. Whisk and cook over medium low heat until reduced.  Add capers and remove from heat. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve. 

Honestly, this tastes even better reheated the next day. Pair with a vegetable and you are set. :)

And what about those goals?

That's what they always ask.  Always. I went to a gym a couple years back, and got the "3 free training sessions". Riiiigggghhhhtttt...Free? The first session is just them "assessing" your fitness level. And as always, she asks "So what are your goals?"  I want to be skinny! What do you think my goals are? Is there another goal people come in here with? "Uh.. I would like to work out endlessly with no positive results".  Well, it has taken a few years, and ALOT of soul searching, but I think I finally understand why it's important to have more specific goals. Just wanting to be skinny is not enough. So I have been coming up with my own list of reasons I want to get healthy, lose weight, and ultimately be in better shape.

1. I want to enjoy clothes shopping again.  I hate trying on clothes...all clothes. HATE IT! I remember, once upon a time, when I didn't even have to try clothes on. Just went in, picked out what I wanted, straight to cashier and paid. Now, I get to drag a small child (or two) into the dressing room with me (as if that isn't humiliating enough) and try until multiple sizes of the same item (all the while fielding a million questions), only to come out of the dressing room with little to nothing that fit. This is my number one goal. To enjoy shopping for clothes.

2. I want to like the clothes already in my closet. I stand in there for I don't know how long, staring at each item. Round and round in circles looking at my clothes and hating each and every item in there because I know how it looks on.  (Don't even get me started on all the clothes I have in a box for "someday"). I would like to just pop into my closet and pick anything, and not change my clothes 3-4 times every time.

3. I want to be healthier. I realize this one should be first, but if I am being honest, this is, at best, third.  I consider myself pretty healthy in most aspects of my life. I eat good-for-me food. I don't drink alcohol very often anymore (and definitely not as often as I would like). I walk on that damn treadmill a few to several days a week. But I don't feel healthy. I have a few weaknesses. Like popcorn, chips and the occasional inability to pass up a dessert, especially if it is cheesecake. So, if I could get myself into a healthier place, it wouldn't matter if I had an occasional glass of wine (or 5). ;)


This is as honest as I want to be for now. But I knew that if I didn't write them down, I would never face what is really bothering me. I will save that for a future entry. ;)