Easy & Clean Peanut Butter Cookies

I love baking cookies at Christmas time.  However, this year I decided I wasn't going to bake as many batches as I used to in the past.  The sad part is the more cookies I have in the house, the less likely I am to resist temptation.  So it is just easier not to have them.

But, it is Christmas and I just can't not bake any cookies at all.  I went on the search and found this on Pinterest.  I thought, seriously peanut butter cookies with just 3 ingredients and none of the ingredients are flour, sugar, butter, or eggs - yeah right.

Yet again, I was proven wrong.  I love trying new recipes and finding out they really are good.  This is one of those that just goes to show, you don't need all those added ingredients to have a good cookie.  They are soft, chewy and have a great peanut butter flavor.

Peanut Butter Cookies - Simple & Easy!

Ingredients:

1 cp. All Natural Peanut Butter
1/3 cp. All Natural Honey
1 Egg

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix above ingredients in a mixing bowl with the mixer on medium speed.  Mix until just combined.
- Once mixed, drop a tablespoon of cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place cookie sheet of cookies in the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges of the cookies begin to brown and look crispy.
- Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool completely.
- ENJOY!!

* Makes about 15-18 cookies.

*If you wanted to get creative, swap out the peanut butter for almond butter or another nut butter of your choice and give that a try.

Buffalo Style Chicken Meatballs

My family and I were invited to a Christmas party this past weekend and needed to take a dish to share.  Early in the week I started looking at the recipes I have began to accumulate for clean eating and decided while they would all be great, I was looking for something more along the lines of an appetizer sort of thing.  So, my search began.  I happened across this recipe and decided, what the heck let's give it a try.  I though worse case if there were a bunch left over, at least my husband likes buffalo chicken wings and pretty much anything so I figured they would get eaten one way or another.

Needless to say, no worries there!  I made a triple batch and had only 3 left!  They were delicious!  I will say I was a bit concerned when I was mixing them up.  The recipe does not call for an egg or any type of grain to bind them together so I was keeping my fingers crossed they would stay together.  They did and they turned out great.

Give these a try for your next football party, friends and family get together or just for a different spin on other meatballs.  ENJOY!

Buffalo Style Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 pound Ground White Meat Chicken

1/2 small Onion, grated
Garlic Powder to your preference (I used about 1/2-1 tsp. per pound)
1/2 cp. Fresh Parsley, chopped (I also used dried parsley and used about 1-2 tbsp. per pound)
1 tsp. smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1/2 cp. Hot Sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Original Hot Sauce)

Garnishes:  Blue Cheese Dressing
Carrot & Celery Sticks

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground chicken, onion, garlic, parsley, paprika, and cayenne.  Season with salt and black pepper.
- Take about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture and roll between the palms of your hand to form a meatball about the size of a golf ball.
- Place the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Place them in the oven and cook for about 20-30 minutes or until they are cooked through.
- As the meatballs cook, heat the hot sauce in a large skillet.  Once the meatballs are cooked in the oven, place them in the pan of hot sauce and give them a hot sauce bath, turning them until they are all coated with the hot sauce and let cook for a few mintues.
- Serve the meatballs with celery and carrot sticks as well as blue cheese dressing on the side if you so wish!

*Makes about 15 meatballs.

Mini Denver Quiches

I don't know about you, but every year at Christmas, I usually make a special breakfast.  In the past it has been some sort of breakfast pizza or breakfast casserole.  But, this Christmas I am thinking of making a healthier breakfast instead.

I found this recipe on the Team Beachbody's website and after making it for the first times this past summer, I fell in love!  I love having these in the fridge and grabbing them for a quick breakfast by themselves as a burrito/pita sandwich or having one for my protein at breakfast.

I hope you find them as tasty and enjoyable as we do!

Mini Denver Quiche

Ingredients:

6 Large Eggs
1 1/2 cp. Nonfat Milk
Sea Salt & Black Pepper to Taste (optional)
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
1/2 med. Onion, chopped
1/2 med. Green Pepper, chopped
1/2 med. Red Pepper, chopped
2oz. Nitrate Free Ham (Boar's Head meat offer nitrate free ham - or use as low sodium ham as possible)
2oz. Cheddar Cheese

Directions:
-  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-  Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
-  Beat eggs well in a medium mixing bowl.  Add in the milk, salt & pepper; then the peppers, onion & ham.
-  Pour evenly into 12 muffin cups (fill to the top) and top each one with cheese.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

 **These are great prepared on the weekend and kept in the fridge for the week. You can re-heat them for about 20 seconds in the microwave and have one as your protein or have 2 in a whole wheat tortilla wrap or pita and enjoy!

**Also you could swap out the ham for some nitrate free turkey bacon to change things up a bit.

21 Day Fix Containers:
1 Muffin = 1/2 Red container, 1/4 green container (I usually eat 2).


~Sarah Strubhar
Independent Emerald Team Beachbody Coach

Turkey Meatballs - Clean Eating Style

I don't know about you, but prior to starting on my clean eating journey, I would pick up a bag of frozen turkey meatballs or the prepared turkey meatballs and call it adding protein to our next pasta dish.

But, I found this recipe and it has taken me a couple times of making them to get them to where my family likes them.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.  Honestly, if I must say so myself, these are WAY better than the store bought ones!

Turkey Meatballs - Clean Eating Style

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. Lean Ground Turkey
1 Egg
1/2 cp. Oatmeal***
3/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Dried Basil
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (if you like spicy go for the 1/2 tsp.)
Black Pepper

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl using your hands to mix it together.
- Once mixed, shape the meat mixture into 1" round meatballs and place on a baking sheet or baking pan.
- Bake for 23 minutes.
- Add in spaghetti sauce or use for meatball sandwiches!  ENJOY!

- Makes about 24 1" meatballs.

** You can use quick cooking oats or the old fashioned oats.  If you use the old-fashioned oats, you might want to pulse them in a food processor a couple times so the oats aren't as big.  Also, if you have any non-oatmeal fans in your house, you might want to grind the oats down to a fine consistency as well.

Thanks for checking this out!

Sarah Strubhar
Independent Emerald Team Beachbody Coach

Keeping it Real!

So, if you have been following me, you know that I have been consistently getting my workouts in every day...however, I am about to get real with you.

While I have been doing my workouts, I have been really, and I mean REALLY, REALLY struggling with eating properly.  I have been sticking to eating clean as much as possible, eating 5 small meals/day, getting my water intake in, and drinking my Shakeology every day, BUT (and here it is) I seemed to be giving in more and more to the not so great for me sweets.  Sweets have always been my downfall and while I try not to bring them in the house they are around.  It is one of those things that if they are here, eventually I will give in.  I go for those couple M&Ms in the evening - 6 or so, not a ton, but every little bit adds up.  And, not to mention the more I eat the more I want.

I have been dealing with it for about 1 month now and this past weekend, I decided ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!  I needed to re-focus and get back to concentrating on my nutrition.  I sat down and really focused on my meal plan this week.  Keep in mind, I don't count calories.  I have however been doing the 21 Day Fix workouts for a couple months now and in the beginning I did really well with following the meal plan and using the containers.  But, I have gone astray and after this weekend, I realized I hadn't been consuming enough of what I should have been and likely that is the culprit behind my sweet tooth desires.

I have been following it and can honestly say, HOLY COW, I am feeling better already after just a few short days!  My cravings for that small palmful of M&M's is diminishing once again and that constantly being hungry feeling is diminishing as well.

So why now, why am I re-focusing now when Christmas is one week away....well, if I don't do it now, I know my nutrition will really go south and not to mention I need to be on point again to start feeling better.  It is crazy how easy and quickly we can get off track.  But, one slight turn off track isn't the end of it all.  Slight habit adjustments will get us back on track.  While it has only been a few days since I re-focused, I will say when I hopped on the scale this morning (side note - I own a scale, but I don't let that rule my thoughts and mindsets of my fitness journey), I noticed a difference already.

See, we all struggle with similar (if not) the same things and by making slight decisions and changes can make all the difference in the world!

Thanks for reading - now you have one responsibility by reading this - KEEP ME ON TRACK!!!!!

Sarah Strubhar
Independent Emerald Beachbody Coach

Egg White Omelette w/ Spinach and Salsa

Every morning I eat oatmeal and something with egg for breakfast.  Usually my egg consists of a hard boiled egg or egg white scrambled with spinach or basil and tomato.  But, one morning earlier this week, I realized i was out of tomatoes and thought, oh man what am I going to put in my egg whites with spinach that was already in the pan cooking.  So as I looked through my fridge I realized I had salsa and thought, well let's try that.

So, I pulled out the salsa and tried to scramble it in with my egg whites.  Needless to say, it didn't turn out the prettiest, but this morning I was determined to try it again but use a different approach - the omelette approach, and voila it was yummy.

Since I have really only been posting dinner and side dish recipes, I thought it was high time I share a something for breakfast.  But, I don't know about you, I tend to like breakfast for dinner (which my best friend in Alaska refers to as brinner) so this would be just as good for that as well.

Here you go!

Egg White Omelette w/ Spinach & Salsa

INGREDIENTS:
Olive Oil Cooking Spray
A handful of spinach leaves (I usually use about 1 cup but use as much or as little as you like)
1/2 cp. Egg Whites (or 2 Large Egg Whites separated from the yolk)
1-2 tsp. of Salsa (whatever kind you like - I like the medium heat salsa)
Salt & Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
-  Spray a small frying pan with a small amount of olive oil cooking spray.
-  Drop the handful of spinach leaves into the pan and let them cook down for a few minutes until they become wilted.
-  Once the spinach is wilted, pour in the egg whites, season them to taste and let them sit, do not stir them.
-  After 3 minutes or so - once the egg whites are set on the edges and not as runny in the middle, carefully flip the egg white & spinach over to the other side.
-  Once flipped, spread the salsa on one half of the omelette and fold it in half.  (*NOTE:  You could also not flip the omelette and spread the salsa over the egg whites in the above step, and place it in the oven for a few minutes to get the inside cooked, but I didn't feel like turning my oven on).
-  After you let it cook for about 2-3 more minutes, it should be cooked and nice a brown.
-  Slide it out of the pan onto a plate and ENJOY!!!

* I like my eggs and omelettes more on the well done side, so if you like yours a bit more runny, adjust cooking times as you see fit.

Sarah Strubhar

Grilled Romaine Salad w/ Walnuts or Pecans

I tend to eat A LOT of salad and love my salads.  However, sometimes I get tired of the regular "normal" salad of romaine lettuce and a variety of veggies.  I found this recipe this past summer on Beachbody's website after I began my journey with clean eating and love it!  It is a great change to the normal salad.  While it is extra tasty when cooked on the grill, I made it tonight on the stove and it was just as tasty.

Next time you are looking for an alternative to your "normal" salad, give this a try!

Grilled Romaine Salad w/ Walnuts or Pecans

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste
3 Romaine Hearts (1/4ed or 1/2ed length wise down the center w/ the stems on)
1/4 cp. Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
-  Preheat grill or grill pan to high.
-  Combine 2 tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt & pepper in a small bowl and whisk to blend.  Set Aside!
-  Brush the romaine with the remaining 1 tsp. olive oil on the inside of the leaves.  Place on the grill or grill pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned, but not burned.
-  Once cooked, remove the lettuce and chop into bite sized pieces - discarding the stems.
-  Place lettuce in a bowl and drizzle with the dressing.
-  Top with walnuts or pecans and cheese and ENJOY!

** Top with grilled chicken for added protein.  Could also top with cranberries if you like.

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches - Clean Eating Style

So have you gotten a French Dip Sandwich at a restaurant in the past and thought, my oh my, this is yummy, but now you are trying to eat better and make better choices?

Well, do I have a recipe for you.  This recipe is an A+++++ on my recipe collection list for sooooo many reasons.

#1 - It is a crock pot recipe!  Put everything in, turn it on and forget about it.
#2 - It feeds a crowd!
#3 - The ingredients are somewhat few but easy!
#4 - My husband and kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this recipe!

So without further ado...here you go:

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:

4lbs. Pot Roast
32oz. Low Sodium Beef Broth
7 Cloves of Garlic Peeled OR Garlic Powder to your liking
1 Onion - Quartered
1 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp. Ground Mustard
1 tbsp. Black Pepper
Whole Wheat Tortilla Wraps/Pitas/Rolls (whatever you prefer, but the wraps and pitas are a better clean eating choice than rolls).
Provolone OR Swiss Cheese (optional) - see below

DIRECTIONS:

- Place the pot roast in the crock pot.
- Add the broth, onion, garlic and seasonings.
- Turn on to low for 7-9 hours.
- After 7-9 hours, take the roast out and place on a cutting board with sides or on a large platter & shred the beef with 2 forks.
- Strain the broth so there are no large chunks.
- Top rolls/wraps/pitas with beef and serve the broth on the side for an au jus dipping sauce.

ENJOY!!!!

**Serve alongside a salad and some sweet potato fries and you have a great meal!  Not to mention likely tons of leftovers for the week.

**Use organic when/if possible for an even healthier meal.

**Could also saute up some onions/peppers in olive oil to top the sandwiches with as well.  And you could top your sandwich with a piece of provolone or swiss cheese if you have some you are serving that prefer their beef sandwiches that way.