Favorite Shakeology Recipes!

Fair warning - these are mostly dessert - y type recipes, because that's how I enjoy my Shakeology :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
2 tbsp. PB2 or 1 tbsp. natural peanut butter
Handful of ice cubes
8 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond coconut milk


Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1 tbsp. PB2 or 1/2 tbsp. natural peanut butter
1/2 frozen banana
8 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond coconut milk


Almond Joy
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
4 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond coconut milk
4 oz. light coconut milk
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. shredded coconut
Handful of ice cubes


Strawberry Banana
1 scoop vegan tropical strawberry Shakeology
1/2 frozen banana
8 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond coconut milk


Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1/2 tsp. butter extract
2 tbsp. PB2 or 1 tbsp. natural peanut butter
8 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond coconut milk

Pina Colada
1 scoop vanilla Shakeology
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
4 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond coconut milk
4 oz. light coconut milk

Enjoy :)

Fantastic Flatbreads!

I've been a bit flatbread crazy lately.

So I thought I'd compile my inventions into one post :).  Bonus, these are also pretty 21 Day Fix friendly for those who are doing that!  If not, they are delicious nonetheless!

Pumpkin / Turkey / Goat Cheese Flatbread
So it sounds like a bizarre combination but the tartness of the goat cheese pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the pumpkin.

1/2 whole grain Naan (1 yellow)
1/4 cup of pumpkin mixed with 1 tsp. of organic honey (1/4 green + 1 tsp)
2 oz. of shredded / cut turkey breast (1 red)
1 oz. crumbled goat cheese (1 blue)
Sprinkle of dried thyme

Spread the pumpkin mixture on the flatbread and top with turkey and goat cheese and thyme.  Bake at 425 for about 12-15 minutes (I kept an eye on it, when the goat cheese started to brown I took it out).

Serve with a side of veggies for a filling and delicious meal!

The next night I made this same thing, but added a handful of fresh arugula on top after it came out of the oven.  Really brightened up the flatbread and added some nice crisp crunch!

And now the next one....

Turkey / Black Pepper Goat Cheese and Egg Flatbread

1/2 Whole grain Naan (1 yellow)
1 oz shredded or cut turkey breast (1/2 red)
Handful of arugula (1/4 green)
1 oz. goat cheese (1 blue)
1 egg (1/2 red)
Freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, combine goat cheese and black pepper (to taste).  Spread on Naan and top with handful of arugula and turkey.  Bake at 425 for about 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook up your egg however you like it.  I just did a sunny side up because I love breaking the yolk over the flatbread.

When the flatbread is done, top with egg and sprinkle a bit more black pepper.  Add a side of veggies to complete your meal!

Want to try Shakeology?

This this is your lucky day!

I have 5 packets of vegan tropical strawberry Shakeology that I'm giving to five lucky people who would love to give this healthy, delicious shake a try!

I've been using Shakeology for over a year, and I have to say, it has helped me cut down on cravings, helped me lose some weight, and more importantly, it's delicious and easy (especially on super busy mornings!)

If you are interested in a free, no obligation sample, please contact me, leave a comment, message me or comment on my Kelly's Kitchen page on Facebook!

Honeyed Goat Cheese and Blueberry Flatbread - 21 Day Fix Friendly!

I'm a sucker for sweet and salty, and so when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I was more than a little intrigued.  I also thought it would be pretty easy to adapt to the 21 Day Fix!

Naan bread isn't on the list for the yellow containers, however in my research, I've noticed quite a few 21 Day Fix friendly recipes using it.  The consensus seems to be as long as it's got an ingredient list you can read and has real ingredients, go for it.  However, this could also be made with a whole wheat pita!

I swapped the prosciutto for low sodium, fat free ham as well.  Round this off with a side of veggies (I chose a green full of brussel sprouts) and it's a filling and delicious meal!

Honeyed Goat Cheese and Blueberry Flatbread
(Adapted From In Sock Monkey Slippers)

1/2 Naan bread
1 blue of crumbled goat cheese
1 tsp. of honey (instead of using it in coffee)
2 slices (1/3 red) of low sodium, fat free ham
1/4 purple of blueberries
Sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves 

In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and honey until creamy.  Spread mixture on the Naan bread.  Top with the 2 slices of ham, torn into pieces, and the 1/4 purple of blueberries. Sprinkle on the fresh thyme.

Bake at 475 for 10-15 minutes, until crust is brown.

Containers

1 yellow
1/3 red
1/4 purple
1 blue
1 tsp. honey

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash, Brussel Sprout and Quinoa Salad - 21 Day Fix Friendly!

I love fall.

LOVE.

And in the fall, if I'm not eating pumpkin, I'm eating butternut squash.

Browsing Pinterest (when am I not), I found this salad by Iowa Girl Eats and thought it would be easy to make 21 Day Fix Friendly.

And it was!

I made a few substitutions, using coconut oil instead of butter and using 100% pure maple syrup instead of brown sugar - since I don't use it in my coffee as you are allowed to as a "freebie", I figured I'd use it for a recipe.  I also used chopped brussel sprouts instead of shaved for texture.

I also used organic low sodium chicken broth for the quinoa.  In researching, the consensus is on the Beachbody site this is okay to cook the quinoa in since it will end up being a pretty small amount in the portion sizes.

What I did was cook up all the parts necessary and stored them separately, that way I can throw together this portion controlled salad anytime I want!

Maple Butternut Squash, Brussel Sprouts, and Quinoa Salad
(Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats - Link Above!)

1 container of pre-cubed butternut squash
1 bag of brussel sprouts
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
3 tsp. extra virgin coconut oil
3 tsp. pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 425.  Line baking sheet with foil.  Chop brussel sprouts to desired thickness and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Sprinkle black pepper and a pinch or two of Himalyan pink salt (or sea salt).  Roast for about 15 minutes (or until the edges turn brown and crunchy).

Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in saute pan.  Chop the butternut squash into smaller pieces, and toss into the pan.  Leave over heat for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through, tossing occasionally.  Then stir in the 3 tsp. of pure maple syrup and toss.

Cook quinoa according to package directions.

(Now for the fun part!)

In a bowl, combine 1 yellow of the cooked quinoa, 1 green of the squash, 1 green of the brussel sprouts, 1/2 blue of shredded parmesan cheese, and 1/2 orange of pumpkin seeds.  Toss together and voila!

Now this can be eaten cold or warm.  I warmed it up and the cheese melted and it was amazing!

As a note, the squash made three green containers, so I divided the teaspoons of oil and maple syrup by three.

For each serving - 1 yellow, 2 green, 1/2 blue, 1/2 orange, 1 tsp. (coconut oil)

Filling and super delicious!

(PS - if you aren't doing the 21 day fix, just combine it all in one big bowl with some more cheese and pumpkin seeds - would be an amazing side dish!)

Pumpkin Pasta Bake - 21 Day Fix Friendly!

So, you've been warned.

Around this time of year, I'm a pumpkin - a - holic.

From savory to sweet, it's all about pumpkin for me.

So thanks to Mom getting me a little pumpkin cookbook, I found this recipe and realized it was really quite 21 Day Fix friendly!

It's from a cookbook called Favorite Brand Name Recipes - Pumpkin! (I'm pretty sure it's one of those checkout aisle at the grocery store books).  I really didn't change much except I used regular tomato sauce instead of marinara. 

I also measured out all of the ingredients in the fix containers so I could accurately (or at least as close as possible) give you the Fix container servings.

This recipe makes 8 servings, and I used the green container to measure a serving.  I figured that was what Autumn recommended for lasagna in the book, and this is a fairly close idea to lasagna.

One last note, turkey sausage isn't in the book, but I researched on the Beachbody website and the mods on the board there said it could count as a red if you checked the ingredients and it was clean.  The sausage I got was meat, water and spices so I figured we were good :)

So here goes!

Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Organic coconut oil spray
5 links of lean spicy turkey sausage out of casings ("fried up" those equaled three red containers)
1 minced garlic clove
2 1/2 greens of tomato sauce
1 1/2 greens of 100% pure pumpkin puree
1 blue of shredded parmesan
10 yellows of cooked whole grain pasta (I used a quinoa / brown rice blend!)
3 blues of shredded part skim mozzarella cheese


Preheat oven to 375.

First up, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain.  Measure out 10 yellow servings (the package made more, I saved the rest in a separate container).

In the same pasta pot, spray with coconut oil and "fry" up the turkey sausage until cooked through (I actually measured this out after it was fried for three containers, just in case, then put it back in the pot).  Add the minced garlic and let cook for about a minute.

Stir in tomato sauce and deglaze the pan.  Then stir in the pumpkin and half of the parmesan cheese.  Stir well, then add in the pasta. 

Spoon into a sprayed 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan and the three containers of shredded mozzarella.

Bake for 15 minutes (you can cover, but I found I didn't need to!) or until bubbly.

Now for the containers (this is as mathematically as close as I can figure out, it might be a little high on the red but if it is it's only a slight amount).

1 green container serving = 1 1/4 yellow, 1/2 blue, 1/2 green, 1/2 red

As a side note, I had this for dinner with a leftover green of roasted veggies and it was a perfect dinner!  Would also be great with a salad!

3 Day Refresh Results and Thoughts

And done!

The results?

Down 4.4 pounds and 1 inch!

Not bad for 3 days.

The big question, was I hungry?

Day 1?  Yes.

Day 2?  MUCH easier.

Day 3?  A little harder than Day 2 but easier than Day 1.

Day 2 was by far the best day for me.

Now it helped that I was extremely busy this week with prepping my classroom.  Even when I got home I did work so I was constantly occupied.

And to be honest, I did have more coffee than they recommended.  Because let's be honest.  This is me and I basically run on coffee.

However, the rest I followed.

I also discovered a new favorite side dish!  Which, on this wasn't a side dish but will be from now on!

Coconut oil steamed broccoli!  Which is really just steamed broccoli tossed with 1/2 a tsp. of coconut oil and Himalayan pink salt.

So overall I thought the program was worth it.  It's only 3 days, and you definitely feel a lot less bloated / puffy once it's done.  And I feel ready now for the upcoming 21 day fix (which, if you missed it, I will be starting a challenge group on 9/15 so message me or comment if you are interested!)

3 Day Refresh - Day 1

All the details!

Word of warning, definitely do this on a day when you are busy.  If I had been sitting home it would have been a huge challenge not to snack!

So I started off with a vegan chocolate shakeology with 1/2 a banana.  I had been anxious to try the vegan chocolate and I really liked it! 

My one slight issue is that I'm not a huge fan of using water with Shakeology, but it's temporary so it was fine.

I had a cup of green tea about mid-morning.

Then the Fiber Sweep drink.  Another word of advice: blend it with ice.  It's a funky consistency but blending it with ice makes it better.  It has a slight lemony taste.

A few hours later: lunch!

2 tbsp. of hummus, 5 baby carrots, and the vanilla fresh shake blended with ice and cherries. 

Another cup of herbal tea in the afternoon, and when I got home from my classroom, I snacked on a cup of cucumbers and 2 tbsp. mashed avocado.


This was the toughest time of day for me, because I was home and I'm a snacker.  But I muddled through (with lots of water!).

Dinner was the optional cup of organic veggie stock, along with the recipe for steamed kale with pine nuts and lemon juice, followed by another vanilla fresh shake.

My main issue is the water with the Shakeology because I normally use unsweetened almond milk, but it was still good, just not as thick or creamy I found personally.

So day 1 is almost done, let's see how day 2 goes tomorrow!

Coconut Oil Popcorn for 1

I'm a snacker.  I've always been a snacker.  I love to snack.

And popcorn has always been one of my go to snacks.  For a long time, it was the 94% fat free microwave version.

But in reading the labels and reading online, I saw how many chemicals were actually used in making it, so I searched for a better alternative.

The answer?  Coconut oil.

I'm a fairly recent convert to coconut oil, mostly using it in my coffee as well as using the spray to "fry" an egg or some veggies.  I really love the flavor it gives.

So I turned to the trusty internet and found a lot of recipes for coconut oil popped popcorn.  Only the recipes made huge, and I mean huge, family size amounts.

Which, I would definitely eat.  However, I decided to play around and see if I could come up with a friendlier, single serving ratio. 

So here it is!  But know that you can definitely double if you are making it for more than one person!

In a small saucepan, melt 1 tsp. of coconut oil.  Place 2 unpopped kernels of popcorn in the oil, and cover the pot partially with a lid.  Listen for the 2 unpopped kernels to pop - this will let you know the oil is hot enough for the rest of the kernels.

Remove the 2 now popped kernels and put 3 tbsp. of unpopped kernels in the heated oil.  Cover the pan completely with the lid and shake slightly. 

Then let it pop!  You don't have to watch it but don't go too far, you need to listen.  Mine usually takes about 2 minutes, but when you hear the popping start to slow down, get ready to remove it from the heat.

The result?  Delicious, fluffy, healthy popcorn!

I always put it in a smallish bowl too, so it looks really big :)

As for toppings?  Well I try to keep it healthy, I may spray a bit of coconut oil spray on it, and then I love to sprinkle some malt vinegar - a great substitute for my favorite salt and vinegar potato chips.  I also really love sprinkling some tabasco over the top for a spicy kick!

Crockpot Balsamic Chicken - 21 Day Fix Friendly!

The crockpot is my best friend.  Especially when I'm doing the 21 Day Fix, where prep is key.  Throwing something in the crockpot on a Sunday and having it for the week makes life a lot easier.

I knew I wanted a protein for the week, something I could eat on its own or toss on a salad or in a wrap.  And so this recipe was born.

I used a pound of chicken breast, but you could just adjust the spices up if you wanted to make more.

First things first, I sprayed the crockpot with organic canola spray.  Then, just lay the chicken breasts on the bottom.

Then I sprinkled a 1/2 tsp. of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp. of dried rosemary, a pinch of kosher salt and a 1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper.

Then I added 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar.

Turn the crockpot on high and cook for about 2 and a half hours.  I flipped the chicken about an hour and a half in.

After about 2 and a half hours, I turned the crockpot down to low and shredded the chicken (it was so tender, it took about 2 minutes!).  Then I let the shredded chicken sit in the vinegar mixture on low for another half hour.  I also added about 2 tbsp. more of the balsamic vinegar.

And that's it!  Fill a red container with it and use it to top salads or just eat on its own!




Recipe

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. of minced garlic
1/2 tsp. of dried rosemary
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
pinch of kosher salt
1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper

Spray crockpot with cooking spray.  Combine all ingredients and cook on high for 2 - 2/12 hours.  Flip chicken about halfway through.  Turn crockpot to low and fork shred chicken, allowing to cook for another 30 minutes.

A Chocolate Covered Cherry - For Breakfast?

Sounds crazy right?

And yet, this new Shakeology combo I tried the other day?  Totally tasted like it.  And yes, also 21 Day Fix friendly!

As I've said before, I make my Shakeology with coffee since those yellow containers are precious to me, too precious to swap out for almond milk, but you could totally do this with whatever you make your Shakeology with. 

I used a Double Chocolate Truffle K-Cup (brewed the night before and refrigerated over night), 1 purple container of frozen dark, sweet cherries, 1 tsp. of pure vanilla extract, 1 scoop of chocolate Shakeology, and a handful of ice cubes.

Like having candy for breakfast, only totally healthy!

Turkey and Berry Salad - 21 Day Fix

Salads are tough for me.

I like them out at a restaurant, but that's because they are usually loaded with things that aren't the healthiest.

I'm not a huge veggie fan either, which is a whole other post entirely. 

So when I make salads at home, I tend to veer towards fruit.  Because fruit?  I love fruit.

Tossed this quick salad together after summer school and it was delicious and filling!

The Breakdown:

2 green - filled with arugula
1 purple - mixed berries (I used blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
1 red - leftover baked turkey breast, shredded
1/2 blue - crumbled goat cheese

For the dressing, I drizzled some raspberry infused balsamic vinegar over the whole thing.  Delicious and easy!  (And a great use for any leftover protein!)

Shakeology Review

I honestly wasn't sure what to think about the claims Shakeology made when I first started researching it.  I'm a vet of protein shakes, it's an easy quick breakfast that I can drink while getting ready for work.

But one day I bit the bullet and ordered a bag of the chocolate.  Within about a week?  I was a believer.

First and foremost for me?  It tastes great.  And there are tons of availabe recipes online where you can mix up the variations (I also have a few that I've tried that I'll be posting soon!).

But what really impressed me was how filling it is.  I have my shake, during school at least, at around 6 in the morning.  Snack time with the kids is around 10.  And I have to say, that shake kept me satisfied for those four hours.

I felt more energetic and definitely had less cravings for sweets.

Now I can't imagine a day without it!  On the weekends I usually have it as a post - workout meal or lunch since I have the time to cook a good breakfast on the weekends.  But regardless, it really is a delicious and healthy way to get a lot of nutrients into one power packed drink.

Full disclosure - the chocolate is definitely my favorite.  I tried the vanilla and while I liked it, the chocolate was what I ended up putting a monthly order on.  I also tried the strawberry but found it to be a tad too sweet for me.

I definitely credit Shakeology with my success in getting healthier and more fit.  If you have any questions about it, let me know!