Clean Eating Alfredo Sauce

My skeptical husband recently proclaimed to me that he wanted to, "eat like I do." Now he has been having the dinners that I make(mostly) since I started changing my habits in November.  Other than my healthier dinnertime option, he was consuming pretty much what he wanted during the day or skipping meals! Eek!! I have enjoyed taking regular, everyday recipes that people are used to eating with their families and cleaning them up.  This one is one of my FAVORITES for sure! The secret ingredient is right there on my plate: CAULIFLOWER!!! 

Now, I am the type of person who finds certain foods she likes and sticks with them.  Consistency has suited me well, and I enjoy it; however, during a recent trip to Chicago, I learned that going out of my food comfort zone can be pretty awesome.  Cauliflower is not something I would eat, mostly because I never really gave it a chance! I really enjoyed grilled cauliflower when in that amazing city, so figured I would give this recipe a try.  My 3 daily servings of veggies often come from my dinner salad, so I was really excited to see that the main ingredient in this alfredo sauce recipe was a vegetable!! 

INGREDIENTS: This makes 6, 1/2 cup servings 

*3 cloves of minced garlic (about 1.5 tsp)

*1 Tbsp of olive oil

*3 cups of cauliflower florets

*3 cups of vegetable or chicken stock - I used chicken stock. 

*1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. I used shredded.  

*sea salt and pepper to taste

**Optional ingredients: corn starch( or other thickening agent- healthier option whole wheat flour) & cold water

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  In skillet, heat the olive olive and add the minced garlic.  Stir that around for about 2 minutes.

2.  Add the stock (vegetable or chicken), and bring it to a boil.  Once it boils, add the cauliflower.  Cover for about 6 minutes or until the cauliflower becomes tender.

3.  Take all of the contents of the skillet, including the liquid, and put into the blender.  Blend until is is smooth and no longer has chunks of cauliflower. Add the parmesan cheese and blend a little longer.

  

**4.  The consistency of the sauce was quite watery and thin.  Once it cools, I am sure sure it would thicken a bit; however, I was looking for a nice thick, creamy sauce.  I made a roux out of 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. of cold water.  Once the roux was made, I added the alfredo sauce and it thickened up nicely.  Next time I will try the roux with whole wheat/grain flour since that is a healthier option. 

I added this to a portion controlled size of whole wheat noodles and some chicken! I took some of the excess cauliflower and sautéed it with olive oil and garlic powder! It was SO good! I would certainly add this to plain chicken or even the healthy chicken nuggets I make.  It is so creamy!! 

You don't have to give up eating foods that you enjoy;rather, take the time to find ways to swap foods that lack nutrition with whole food options that will keep you full and satisfied.

My Fixers out there-Just fill your green container with the amount you desire! Boom! Yum! 

Happy Eating!!

Are You in the Game?!

As I was listening to my personal development for today, I kept thinking this idea: There are so many people who are living on the sidelines of life.  With football season upon us, I think about all those athletes that worked their butts off to get time on the field so they can live an extraordinary life using their talents and gifts.  How many of us don’t do that?! I know, I know, we can’t all be professional athletes, and that isn’t the point.  The point is, are you living a regular, mundane life, or are you striving to be extraordinary?

Do you feel awesome when you wake up each day? Do you feel confident when you walk into a room? Do you have the energy to enjoy each and every day?

Why wouldn’t someone want that?

Life is about making choices.  Each choice, as little as it may be or seem, compounds over time, to create a large impact. My choice to embrace a lifestyle of clean eating and exercise has allowed me to gain so much back in my life.  Have I lost things through this lifestyle? Sure! I've lost some major pounds and inches, my restless nights of sleep, and well, a great deal of negativity.  The whole purpose for me to change my ways, truthfully, in the beginning, was to get back in my clothes! That's it! I wanted to fit back into the clothes I bought before having Bristyn.  I never had the intention of having a better attitude, more energy, less sickness, a business, and a group of people that through their success and struggles, have taught me life lessons. 

So don't you want to know what it feels like to get in the game and have all those fans rooting you on to meet and demolish your goals? Be the quarterback in your life and START making some plays, each inching you closer to that touchdown/goal(s). The quarterback doesn't act alone.  He has a coach (me), and other players protecting him and helping him (other challengers). You will NEVER feel different or change your habits if you continue to sit on the BENCH!  

Are you in?!?!

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Fixing my Habits: Peanut Butter Cups

I think I saw my first sighting of Halloween candy at the end of July! WHAT?! Each year stores seem to be enticing people earlier and earlier to buy it.  I mean who the heck would be able to keep those bags of candy in tact until Halloween?! I am a reformed candy addict.  No joke, it was a serious problem.  I am pretty sure when the cute trick-o-treaters came to the door I did the whole, "One for you, one for me" thing.  Yikes! A favorite of mine was Reese's Peanut Butter cups because it unites two of my favorite foods-peanut butter and chocolate. I've really recognized what sugar does to my body as I have depleted the amount that I intake.  It messed with my head making me want unhealthy foods more and more.  BUT, I am human and enjoy indulging here and there, so I experimented with Nestle's dark chocolate chips (53% cacao) and Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter. 

Recipes with minimal ingredients are the best!! 

INGREDIENTS: Makes 12 PB cup treats

* 1 cup of Nestle's dark chocolate chips

* Natural peanut butter (I used about a tsp. per cup)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Put oven burner on the lowest temperature and place pot of chocolate chips on it. As soon as the chips start to melt, remove from heat and continue to stir until completed melted.

2.  Put baking cups into a cupcake tin.

3.  Take a spoon and add chocolate to baking cups. Try for a thin layer that covers the entire bottom of the baking cup.

4.  Add peanut butter to the center.

5.  Put in freezer.  I kept mine in there while we ran a quick errand-about 40 min. 

Enjoy one every once in a while for a treat that won't take you away from your goals! Be careful not to eat too many at once. :) I may have tested a couple too many. ;) I put mine in the freezer to store in a container; however, you may even want to individually wrap in plastic wrap to make it a little more difficult to eat more than one at a time. :)

Since I have embraced this healthy lifestyle in November, I have come to understand more and more that I don't have to say "NO" to foods all the time.  Autumn Calabrese's 21 Day Fix eating plan has reminded me that treats and food like pizza, which I love, can be incorporated with planning and portion control.  The plan is so flexible and real!! It talks about how to plan for certain meals when out, including wine, and gives examples of sweet treats to incorporate when you are feeling like you need that.  I believe that being completely restricted from certain foods tends to cause people to want it more. Keeping my plate "clean" 80% of the time is always the goal!! I've become accustomed to eating certain "red" , "green", "purple" , "yellow", " blue", and "orange" foods each day. I feel full, satisfied, and nourished.  

This is a great month to try the program since it is on promotion.  When I speak to people about their goals, this is the go-to plan I always suggest because of the length of time (3 weeks) to see and feel changes as well as the easy to follow meal plan. 

You want to eat sweet treats like these and other great food while working out 30 minutes a day?

Join my next group starting September 15! 

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