White Zucchini Lasagna

 
White Zucchini Lasagna
Ingredients:
8oz white skinless boneless cooked shredded chicken breast
1 bag of steam fresh carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower cooked and chopped
2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pepper
2 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried
3 medium zucchini evenly sliced thin
1 jar Classico LIGHT Alfredo (you can get this at most grocery stores)
½ cup of fat free shredded mozzarella (fat free will not melt like traditional mozzarella, go with 2% if it’s worth it to you!)
1 tablespoon Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
¼ cup of egg whites (or 3)
¼ cup of white wine (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Evenly slice zucchini (about 1/8 of an inch) and set aside.
In a large bowl mix cooked shredded chicken breast, chopped steamed veggies, garlic powder, ½ cup of Light Alfredo Sauce, and white wine. Stir to evenly coat. The mixture will be thick but there will be PLENTY of moisture from the Zucchini when it’s baking. Lightly spray cooking oil into a large casserole dish and coat the bottom with about ¼- ½ cup of alfredo sauce. Cover bottom of dish with first layer of zucchini just as you would lasagna noodles. Season Zucchini with oregano and pepper. Top with 1/3-1/2 of chicken mixture. (Depending on the size of your dish) and repeat this step each time with even layers finishing with a zucchini layer on top. In a separate bowl mix remaining Alfredo sauce and egg white (if this appears to be too thick to pour add 2 tablespoons of water). Evenly pour sauce and egg mixture on top of lasagna moving pan around to evenly distribute. Top with Mozzarella and Parmigiano cheese. Cover and bake at 400 for 45 minutes and bake for an additional 15 minutes uncovered until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Allow to cool at least ten minutes before cutting. ENJOY! This is one of my FAVORITE recipes yet!

“Pity Party for one, your table is now ready.”

You thought I had given up on posting? No way. Although the convenience of a Facebook page is a fun, quick, easy way to share a lot of information with you all. Some things require a little bit more detail, time, and courage to share. This is a tough confession to make.

Last week was a bad week for me. For our family, really. Our life style was thrown off dramatically and I owe all of you who work 9 hour days with long drives to and from work an apology and a round of applause. I forgot how hard and exhausting the real working world can be! Aside from the exhaustion the temptations of unhealthy food choices you’re faced with or forced into are nearly unbearable. Cake from co-workers, the convenience of a drive thru, or skipping a meal because you simply don’t have time to eat are all things I haven’t had to deal with in quite some time and came face to face with last week. I was going to bed later, waking up earlier, and missing my “regular” classes at the gym. I found myself in a “funk”. I was in a bad mood. My body felt yuck. But instead of focusing on what I could do, I focused on everything I couldn’t. Everything that was OUT of my control.

This is where I get a lot of eye rolls, but hang with me here. I’m 5’2 and five pounds shows up fast on a 5’2 woman. You know they say, “You didn’t gain the weight in a week, you won’t lose it in a week.” The later half is true for me, but the first half is a lie. I can pick up pounds in a week like it’s my profession. No matter how much I work out. When I eat foods that aren’t balanced it shows up almost immediately. And no, I can’t just turn around a lose it the next week like water weight. So this is why this blog and YOU are so important to me and this journey. Weeks like this. Days that I let the scale get the best of me. You’re a reminder of the big picture. It’s not about that number on the scale. It’s about learning and growing. It’s about being a good role model for my daughter and promoting a positive self image no matter what I weigh or if I’m avoiding jeans for the moment. 🙂 It’s about being real and sharing my struggles and working through them.

My husband did a great job of putting my pity party into perspective for me as I was getting ready for church this morning. I was dreading zipping my dress,I knew it’d be a squeeze and zip experience. I mumbled under my breath the frustration and he simply responded “And how blessed are you that THAT is your biggest problem this morning?”.

WOW. Talk about putting me in my place. Sometimes we lose sight of what’s important and that a healthy lifestyle is a journey. It’s also about balance. I share with a lot of you that I live an 80/20 lifestyle. And it works for me and in real life scenarios. Now 20/80, doesn’t work so well! My body feeling sluggish and the scale reminds me of that and holds me accountable to making better and healthier choices. But seriously, if that’s our biggest problem, shouldn’t we be rejoicing? Every day, every moment, and every meal gives us an opportunity to make better choices and be the best version of ourselves. For all of you who have previously reached out to me THANK YOU. I re-read our conversations when I need pick me up. I can’t thank you enough for your friendships and support.

Sugar Free Powdered Sugar

I recently made 100 cupcakes to celebrate the 2 years Anniversary of Fitness Shakers, a group fit studio that I will be a Zumba Instructor at this June! It was the perfect challenge and opportunity to show others you can have a lighter,satisfying, indulgent dessert! The recipes wouldn’t have been a success without sugar free powdered sugar though! I had heard rumors of this magical ingredient but had been unable to find it at local grocers. So decided to research it to make myself!

1 cup of splenda granulated substitute for baking (or brand of choice)
1 tsp cornstarch

Put ingredients into blender or food processor and pulse until mixture becomes light and fluffy to resemble powdered sugar.

This works perfectly as a stunt double in buttercream frosting!

Key Lime Cheesecake Mousse Parfaits

 

 

You know when you eat something so yummy and the room just gets quiet? That happened when we were taste testing these parfaits before I made them for a dinner party with friends! I have been testing several different “cheesecake” variations, per request. (stay tuned for the premier of a real deal cheesecake!) In the process I discovered the cheesecake mousse mixture pictured above. GAME CHANGER. This stuff makes sugar free pudding look sad. I discovered with the pudding mixes at an Ingles store and decided to give the cheesecake and key lime a try. The nutritional stats are equal to a serving of sugar free fat free pudding but you’d never guess in a million years there were good for you!

Key Lime Cheesecake Mousse Parfaits
serves 4 – 6 WW Points Plus (of course I get word press working and my site to calculate nutritional facts is not. Stay tuned for caloric information.)

1 box of sugar free Cheesecake Mousse- prepared by package instructions
1 box of sugar free Keylime Mousse- prepared by package instructions
Fat Free Milk (almond milk will not work here)
Cool Whip Free for topping/garnish
15 WhoNu Vanilla Cookies crushed (or ‘Nilla Wafers will work just watch those portions!)
Strawberries for garnish

Evenly distribute and spread crushed cookies in bottom of serving dish. Fill each with even amount of key lime mousse, layer on even amounts of cheese cake mousse, top with a spoonful of cool whip free and strawberry. Confess to NO ONE they’re healthy. 😉

Zumba Saved My Wife

Long time, no post! Excuse the delay. I have been having some technical difficulties with posting but think I have at least figured out enough to post text and small photos for now! We have some serious catching up to do and although I’d love to stay up talking about ways to make healthy food delicious all night long,I would most likely end up drooling on the key board. BUT I am so excited I just had to share with you all two wonderful experiences today.

First- with the technical difficulties of the blog refusing to post I decided to create a Facebook fan page and the response has been incredible! Thank you so much for the support of the page. It will be so easy to share and confess even more tips and tricks in the moment. I am so moved by the amount of people who truly desire to learn more and be the best they can be. We all have varying reasons and motivation, but I am so inspired by your desire to be a better you! Sharing things I’ve learned so far keeps me in check too. I’m human. I make food choices that aren’t perfect, I skip work outs, I don’t drink enough water, I skip work outs. But I’m not going to beat myself up over it because I am now at least aware that these choices are not what’s best for my body. I’ve also learned that it is all about balance. As I told a friend earlier this week, focus on 80/20. 20% of our choices should be indulgent or special, that way we don’t feel like we’re deprived. Or worse, on a diet. As much as she needed to hear that, I did too.

Second- I was asked to partner with our church for a lifestyle/wellness fellowship event to offer Zumba and any tips, tricks, and support that attendees may have. This was my first time leading a class at a church and I expected a small crowd.. I was wrong. A mass of people arrived. A few familiar faces, but almost everyone brought a friend or family member. A few had attended a Zumba class before, I would say seventy-five percent had not. Approximately half of them have not been engaged in any type of exercise in years. We were laughing, we were shaking, and we were killing calories. I smiled the entire time. I always smile the entire time I’m in a Zumba class because I genuinely love it. But, tonight I was reminded of my first zumba class experience and how/why I fell in love with this fitness phenomenon. I had a lady come up to me after class, I still don’t know her name. But she hugged me- even soaked in sweat! – and thanked me. “My mother has not gotten up and MOVED in years” she said ” I can’t tell you how thankful I am. We’ll be back Thursday.” She left quickly after and I was on to the next conversation with another new face to Zumba. During quiet time with my daughter tonight I couldn’t help but think of this special group and all of the individuals I have met on this journey who get into Fitness with Zumba. I know this is the beginning of many stories just like this as I continue to meet more faces at the studio I’ll instruct at and as this ministry with our church grows.

I joke with my husband about a bumper sticker we saw on a truck once that read, “Zumba saved my wife.” We laugh, but it’s true. It gives me so much joy and I am so glad I get to share it with so many wonderful people.

Confession: I was terrified my first class and started on the back row too. I got overheated and nearly puked. But as the image says, thinking about working out burns between 0 and 0 calories. It doesn’t matter where your starting point is, as long as you START.

Cherry Tomato Sauce with Asparagus and Spaghetti Squash

I don’t watch a lot of TV but when I do I easily become obsessed with the Food Network and Cooking Channel. Shocked,I’m sure! I would previously just stare at the TV from my couch in awe and only wish I could dream up the recipes and cook as they could. It turns out I can and you can too! Be warned, there are few cooking channels that offer a continuous supply of balanced meals and healthy choices. However, Between The Pioneer Woman, Trisha Yearwood, and the Butter Queen Paula Deen we are usually left salivating on the floor, recreating their delicious recipes, and left with a belly ache. Luckily, as I mentioned, there are some new shows that support healthy lifestyles too and all of the shows above have mentioned their committment to a healthy lifestyle. Admitting they don’t eat the way they cook on television every day. Giada DeLaurentiis is famous for her Italian American flair and she usually has lighter choices and offers balanced meals. This is one of her recipes below that I removed some of the oil, wine, and carb heavy pasta from. The sauce with shrimp and asparagus is delicious enough to eat on its own anyway! For other healthy Food Network and Cooking Channel recipes and tips check out Bobby Dean “Not My Mama’s Meals”- he has the ultimate make-over challenge of Paula Deen’s famous southern dishes. Drop Five Pounds- teaches you a new recipe, excercise, and lifestyle best practice with every episode. Hungry Girl shares easy “semi homade” recipes and has a newsletter (sign up today!) www.hungry-girl.com It will share with you upcoming health food news at grocery stores and restaurants. I occasionally get to catch a show but most of the time I search their recipes and tips. So get off the couch, stop wishing and start doing! Don’t be afraid to try new things and if you’re worried about the nutritional content(as you should be!) I know a girl who is fabulous with recipe make-overs!

Cherry Tomato Sauce with Asparagus and Spaghetti Squash
serves 4. 186 calories. 4.5 grams of fat. 514 mg sodium. 15 carbs. 4 grams of fiber. 20 grams of protein. 4 WW Points Plus
1 spaghetti squash halved and seeds removed
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed off and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (we add more, we like it spicy!)
2 pints cherry tomatoes halved
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup of fresh chopped basil
1 pound of shrimp shelled and deveined
Directions
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Lightly spray spaghetti squash with cooking spray and bake for 1 hour. Remove and set to the side to cool before removing spaghetti strands with a fork.
In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook or about 1 minute on medium heat, be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the cherry tomatoes and red pepper, salt, pepper to taste then cook for 3 minutes on a medium high heat. Pour the chicken stock and wine into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the liquid begins to reduce. Gently press down on tomatoes with a fork or masher. Add chopped asparagus and shrimp. Cook until asparagus is tended and shrimp is a opague pink and white color.

ENJOY!