Turkey Meatballs over Quinoa and Kale Salad

I try and eat red meat once a week, so I usually sub my red meat for turkey burger, esp when I've had too much chicken.  You and I both know you can only do so much with chicken and then you just need to switch things up!

So I was thinking of what I can make for dinner and lunches for a couple days...I already had some quinoa made, frozen organic kale in the freezer, and some organic tomato sauce, so I decided to make up a nice little lunch/dinner that the family will love!

Ok, I can't lie, lol my mom totally had this when I was home and happened to have all the ingredients so I went with it! I can't give myself all the credit.. WAY TO GO MAMA!! I love the we both love clean eating now, because we work together and come up with pretty awesome recipes!! 

So I am actually going to give you the entire recipe for this meal!! It's actually really simple to do and healthy!  

Turkey Meatballs over Quinoa and Kale Salad

To make Turkey Meatballs:

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs lean ground turkey meat
• 1/4 cup organic spaghetti sauce
• 1/8 cup wheat germ
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cracked pepper

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix all ingredients together in medium bowl.
3. Make mixture into balls (medium size) 2 in diameter
4. Place balls on cookie sheet sprayed with olive oil.
5. Bake for 25 min.

To Make Quinoa/Kale Salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 4 cups frozen (or fresh) chopped kale
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cracked pepper
• 1 tbsp EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
• 1 cup organic spaghetti sauce

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to directions on package (boil 2 cups of water and place 1 cup quinoa in boiling water until water dissolves and quinoa is soft)
2. While cooking quinoa, put kale in pan and add 1/2 cup water. Place lid over kale and cook on medium for 5 minutes (or until kale is soft and dark green). Be careful not to over cook kale and strip the nutrients away. 
3. Once kale is cooked, strain kale and let out water.
4. Add cooked quinoa to kale and mix in large pan on stove. 
5. Add 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp cracked pepper, and EVOO to mixture and stir. 

To put recipe all together:

1. On a plate, put quinoa and kale salad down (1 cup will make 1 serving).
2. Add 1/8 cup organic spaghetti sauce on top of quinoa and kale salad.
3. Place 3 medium size turkey meatballs on top or to side.
4. ENJOY!!

For more healthy recipes, fitness and nutrition tips, and also get daily support, 1:1 coaching from ME to help YOU with your fitness journey, please fill out the application below for a spot in my next fitness challenge group held online!

This WILL require you to incorporate an home fitness program, clean eating, and daily check-ins for your own accountability!

NPC FIGURE COMPETITION PREP- BOODY BEAST AND INSANITY MAX 30 WEEK 2!

OHHH man!!!! Ok so when people go to the gym and prep for their shows, I must say from my own personal experience,  you can still kick your own ass and get the same results at home!! I do love the gym, but with my boys being home with me, I just like to save time and driving back and forth by working out at home! Plus its easy for me to get right back to work :) Its like my little workout during lunch break! 

Love it when my kiddos join in on the fun!!  <3 font="">

So I am 14 weeks out currently from my 2nd NPC Figure Competition and I am doing things a little different this time around!! Last show, I did my morning cardio at home with my home workouts FOCUS T25 and 21 DAY FIX workouts, mostly cardio and plyos..... Then my afternoon was my weight training at the gym.  Post weight training, I did my other 30 minute cardio workout (usually high incline, stepper, plyo, or elliptical.  

My before and after of Insanity Max 30 workout! BAHH that was tough!

This time around, I will continue doing my cardio in the morning at home but am following the INSANITY MAX 30 program which is our newest program out by Shaun T himself- high impact cardio workouts, 30 minutes long, no weights required, and is a total body workout! My afternoon workouts, I am following the home fitness program BODY BEAST which is where I get my weight training to build my muscles.  Since I need to focus on my legs, shoulders, and back, I will be doing those 2 times a week instead of 1.  I am not currently doing 2 cardio workouts a day, but starting in less than 2 weeks, I will incorporate my high incline, stepper, and elliptical in post weight training so I will take my DVD to the gym and do it there.  I am pretty pumped that I have my routine down and a good plan set in place!
I am in week 2 of my training and I'm already feeling great!! After gaining 20 lbs back from my first show which was only 2 months ago, I was feeling pretty bad... but so glad I got myself into such good shape that I'm getting back in the groove pretty quick :)
Today was my 2nd leg day and it was suppose to be Tuesday, but I was so sore from my last one, that I needed to rest more!! EEEK!! It was another killer!!!

Come back abs!!

A litte Insanity Max 30 Strength Tabata!! 

One thing I am also doing differently is trying to take myself off my addiction to pre-workout drinks! I use E&E which is our supplement through my company Beachbody, but instead of using 1 or 2 scoops, I would use it over and over as I felt tired, and and now addicted... I also use C4, which is another pre workout formula, and used more than the required dosage... I was using up to 6 servings a day... NOT GOOD!! So I am sucking it up, and moving on to Green Tea! I've been clean of pre workout drinks for 2 days!! YIPPIE!!! I took a 3 hour nap yesterday and literally layer down for almost 6 hours, and today took a 2 hour nap even with 3 cups of Green Tea... I know my health is more important, so even though I'm slacking to get my work done when I need to, I'm sticking through it!! On a good note, after almost not doing my leg day today, once I got going, I felt SOOOOO much better and had my energy back!! Now its midnight and I'm drinking more Green Tea and getting my work done that I didnt do this afternoon ;) Better late than never right?!? 

On to the nutrition part!! Here is my meal plan for the week!!

 My nutrition has significantly improved since getting back on track last week!! This week, even better!!! I have had some pretty good cheat meals when I was allowed them, but I will slowly make them a little better too!! My healthy food is tasting great again and love my chicken and man cakes!!! Im back in the game!!! WOOHOOO!!!

Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash

I did make a different breakfast since I added a new recipe to my blog and it was amazing!!! Banana Bread Quinoa!

Last but not least, some of my yummy chicken, sweet potatoes, and broccoli! :) 

To get more information on clean eating and reaching your own health and fitness goals, please fill out the application below for a spot in my next fitness challenge held in a closed group on Facebook! You will get 1:1 support and coaching from myself, along with daily tips, recipes, and accountability!!

Fill out my online form.

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November Weekly Meal plan / INSANITY & TURBO FIRE TRANSFORMATION!

Happy SUNDAY!! So I love Sundays because this is my day to write out my meals for the week and have them ready! Nothing like saving lots of time during the week by not cooking right!?! I seriously take 3 hrs on a Sunday to prep my meals, and literally save like 1 hr every day not cooking! So when you say you have no time, maybe start prepping meals and that will be a great start to give you extra time in your day!
My meals have lots of lean protein, good fats, and complex carbohydrates!

	Nov 11th-17th
	Insanity	Turbo Fire Fire 40	Turbo Fire HIT 20	Insanity plyo	Insanity Power & resistance	Insanity core and balance	Rest
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Meal 1	Shakeology	Shakeology	Shakeology	Egg white omelet 1 slice Ezekiel bread	Egg white veggie omelet, 1 slice ezekiel toast	Egg white veggie omelet, 1 slice ezekiel toast	Fruity oatmeal bake
Snack	Hard boiled eggs, mixed nuts	Hard boiled eggs, mixed nuts	Hard boiled eggs, mixed nuts	Kashi cereal with greek yogurt	Kashi cereal with greek yogurt	Kashi cereal with greek yogurt	shakeology
Meal 2	Greek Salad salmon	Greek salad salmon	Greek Salad English muffin pizzas	Shakeology	shakeology	shakeology
Snack	Veggies and hummus	Veggies and hummus	Veggies and hummus	String cheese, almonds	String cheese, almonds	String cheese, almonds	Tuna on melba snacks
Meal 4	Quinoa salad , ½ sweet potato	English muffin pizzas	Quinoa salad, ½ sweet potato	Quinoa salad, ½ sweet potato	Off meal	Shrimp stir fry	Shrimp stir fry
Snack	Shakeo balls	1 rice ccake with pb	1 rice cake with pb	2 shakeo balls		Kale chips	Kale chips
	http://deidrap8.blogspot.com

So my food is all set, now I am ready to kick off an awesome week! I have 4 challenge groups going on right now and they are doing AMAZING!! This seriously may be the best experience ever with my groups! They are staying to dedicated and committed.. Taking accountability pictures of their workouts, food, and drinking their SHAKEOLOGY and water!! 

Even just with my one group that has been involved for 1 week, these are some of the comments:

"I have not used coffee/creamers/sugar"

"I have given up sweets which is huge for me"

"I have more energy"

"I never worked out this much before"

"I have less cravings"

"I am more regular in just 1 week"

I specifically run challenge groups because it is a support group for people who feel unmotivated reaching their goals alone.  They may need a boost with motivation, or keeping them accountable..or help with nutrition tips and recipes so they can enjoy the food they are eating! 

This is what my group is all about! We take day 1 , day 30, day 60, and day 90 pictures and measurements to track their progress to see an amazing transformation by the end of their challenge! 

Why I love doing these challenges is because I teach my challengers that this is not just a 30, 60, or 90 day challenge, this is the beginning of a lifestyle change to a healthier and happier person! I have seen the most amazing transformations and lifestyle changes by doing these groups and it is soooo honoring that I am the one who gets to witness this! 

I want to give an example of how my challengers make this a lifestyle change.. 

Sherri S. was one of my very first challengers when I really got involved as a coach with Beach Body.  She went through Insanity, and TURBO FIRE, and drank Shakeology every single day.  She has been committed every since.  This changed her life and she is now one of my coaches on my team! I am so thankful to have her because she motivates me! Sherri is what you call a life changer.  She just sent me this picture last week and just gave me another thanks for helping her.. I seriously get chills EVERY time I see yet another picture of her because they get better and better! She has stopped smoking, and has totally changed her eating and exercise habits! I also want to say if you ever need a cleaning lady, she burns over 900 calories in 3 hrs so Im sure she does a great job LOL!! 

I know it is not my normal Transformation TUESDAY, but when it comes to success.... sometimes you just cannot wait!! 

So CONGRATS to my friend and fellow coach SHERRI S. for being so dedicated and motivating throughout her entire JOURNEY! Im sure there will be more to come!! 

SHERRI S. JAN 2013-NOV 2013

If you would like a spot in my next fitness challenge starting November 25th, add me on facebook at facebook.com/deidra.penrose and message me for more information!

It's all about CHANGING LIVES, 1 PERSON AT A TIME! 

Asian Chicken- Healthy version

Asian Chicken

Ingredients:

1.5 lb chicken

1 1/5 Tbsp minced garlic

4 Tsbp Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp EVOO

4 Tbsp Soy Sauce (low sodium or use braggs liquid aminos)

4 Tbsp chicken broth (low sodium)

1/2 tsp brown sugar (light)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 Tbsp corn starch (in 2 tbsp water - do not add until you add sauce to mixture)

Directions:

Cut raw chicken into 1 inch cubes and bake in oven @ 350 degrees for 25 min

Then put chicken in large pan and add minced garlic and 2 Tbsp brown sugar to cook onto chicken on medium high

Add sauce on low heat for 15 min. or until thick

Make sauce:
In a mixing bowl, add EVOO, chicken broth, soy sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, crushed red pepper together.
Don't forget to add the corn starch mixture after adding the sauce to thicken your sauce!

Serve on top of brown rice or Quinoa! Oh, and definitely broccoli as a side!! 

If you are having a craving for Chinese food, this is so what you should replace it with!! My family is obsessed with this meal and pretty sure we can live off Asian Chicken!!! They are simple steps and does not take too long to make!! 

*If you want to cut back on a little time, I even cook my chicken in the pan instead of baking it for 15-20 min, but just make sure you drain the juice before adding the garlic and brown sugar!

Please post a comment if you try it and let me know what you think!!!

MY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SINCE I STARTED GETTING HEALTHY WITH BEACH BODY!

Today Is such a special day for me… 1 year ago, I started my transformation by joining a challenge group using Beach Body products.  I was definitely skeptical because #1. I didn’t have the money after having my second child and had 2 in diapers, going part-time, and building a house, #2. I did not even know if the products work, and #3. I didn’t have time with two kids, along with finishing school.  I could have used those excuses, but I trusted my gut and went with it.  What is the worst that can happen right!?  I started out with Insanity Aug 6^th 2012 and went all the way.. SHAKEOLOGY once daily, workouts 5-6 days a week (INSANITY), and eating healthy.. I was getting results, but did not feel they were coming fast enough.. Did that stop me?!? NO!! Im not one to quit so easily!! Also, you don’t know if it works, until you finish it!! Here, as I was slowly making progress, IT WAS STILL PROGRESS!! Every 30 days I was making changes (slowly), until looking at 90 days when I finished my challenge.. Those 30 day marks added up and now looking at the big picture, I had awesome results!! I changed my eating habits, build strength with my workouts, had more energy, and felt amazing!! It was not until after my challenges, that I was so excited with my results that I had to do this myself and coach others in challenge groups to watch them transform into their own success stories!! This is what I do now.. I watch people live a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle and it feels AMAZING!! This is one of the best opportunities I have had and it is all because I decided to participate in a challenge group! I know if I hadn’t, I would not be where I am today!  I have officially completed INSANITY, TURBO FIRE, ULTIMATE RESET, and ON T25 with a little P90X adn LES MILLS COMBAT! THANK YOU BEACH BODY!!

Now for how today went.. Great!! I am so motivated right now and am taking advantage of my opportunity to be healthy! This morning I had a new shake!! 

Pina Colada SHAKEOLOGY

• 1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
• 6 oz organic all natural pineapple juice
• 1/2 c pineapple chunks
• 2 oz c water
• A few pieces of ice
• Blend!

SHAKEOLOGY is not only good for you, but great for your kids!! My 1 and 2 yr old LOVE their SHAKEOLOGY!! They even fight over the next sip!! :) This is what being healthy is all about.. SHARING HEALTH with your family!! I wouldn't have this any other way!! 

I did my T25 of course, total body circuit (Its a killer!!)
I followed my meal plan as I planned and I feel great!  I had an apple and string cheese for a snack

Lunch: Quinoa salad and turkey meatloaf

Snack: Black bean, corn, and  edamame salad (under my recipes)

Dinner: Artichoke Lemon Pesto Chicken Pasta (under my recipes)

Snack: Kale chips (did not need my extra shake)

Just a little tip: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!!!  DON'T GIVE INTO THOSE SMALL TEMPTATIONS THAT ARE ONLY TEMPORARY... LOOK FOR THE LONG TERM SATISFACTION!! :)

T25 WEEK 3 DAY 4

WEEK 3 DAY 4

FOCUS T 25

So I had an exhausting evening and definitely did not wake up this morning prior to work to get my workout in. ughh! I know if I would have gotten up, I would have been fine, but I’m human and do these things sometimes.

 I had my shake for work which was great- Berrylicious Blast SHAKEOLOGY made with Greenberry Shakeology! 

For my snack, I had plain Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries (1/2  cup) and kashi go lean cereal (¼ cup).

I was starving for lunch even though I was drinking my water, so I had ½ medium sweet potato and Quinoa salad from the Ultimate Reset.  This is definitely one of my favorite meals from the Reset cleanse! 

My 4^th meal, or should I say snack was raw veggies with ¼ cup hummus and 1 oz raw almonds.

For dinner, I had a greek salad with kalamata olives, feta cheese , with a piece of grilled chicken.  I used oil and vinegar for my dressing!!

No evening snack! Drank lots of water!!

Just because you do not workout, does not mean you need to ruin your nutrition part!  Remember, nutrition is 80% of your weight loss!! If you can’t do it all, do what you can to get the most of your results!! It’s an early night for me so I will update tomorrow!! 

FOCUS T25 WEEK 3 DAY 2

FOCUS T25 Week 3 day 2! I am soooooo loving this feeling of being healthy!!  I cannot stress enough how you can physically and mentally feel different just by eating healthy and exercise!!  Take my advice and try it, so you can see for yourself!! Only 2 days of being completely on track, focused, and committed has made me feel amazing!! Here was my day:

430am- wake up, drink my E&E, and workout T25 Speed 1.0 (Drank 20 oz water)

6am- SHAKEOLOGY (vanilla with 1 tsbp natural peanut butter, 8 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 12 oz ice

7am-work

830-drink 20 oz water

9am-snack: ¾ cup Plain Greek Yogurt, ½ cup fresh blueberries, ½ fresh strawberries, ¼ cup kasha go lean mixed berry

1130am-drank 20 oz water

12pm-lunch: turkey stuffed peppers, quinoa salad

3pm-snack: raw peppers 

and hummus (1/4 cup), 1 ostrich stick

330-done working, go home and take care of boys

4pm- 15 oz water

6pm-dinner: spaghetti squash

730 20 oz water

830pm-put kids to bed

9pm: kale chips

If I can say one thing that is making me feel such a difference would be cutting down on the peanut butter and not snacking at night (or at least only having veggies at night). 

I did my workout, drank tons of water, ate clean, and I had energy throughout the entire day, and felt great!!   Being a part of my own challenge group is definitely helping me to stay on track… It helps keep me accountable, motivated, and its fun!!  Join my next challenge group starting Aug 12^th!! 

What you get in a challenge group:

• FREE COACHING by me
• Nutrition and fitness tips
• Meal plans
• Accountability
• Motivation
• A NEW TRANSFORMATION

What you need to start my challenge group:

• Any BEACH BODY workout of YOUR choice (INSANITY, TURBO FIRE, P90X,CHALEAN EXTREME , FOCUS T25, LES MILLS PUMP, etc)
• SHAKEOLOGY (meal replacement full of dense nutrition and one less meal to worry about planning for!)
• An area to workout in (bedroom, living room, basement)
• You need to WANT to change!! I give you ALL the tools you need, YOU have to be the one to use them!! As a team, we can do this together!!!

*If you need both the WORKOUT and SHAKEOLOGY, you can order them together in a CHALLENGE PACK and save up to 90$ and get FREE SHIPPING!

There are only 4 spots left, they are going fast!   If you are interested in joining my challenge and be the next success story, message me and we will get you started!

Deidra.penrose@yahoo.com

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR TRANSFORMATION!!

T25 WEEK 2 complete~

T25 End of week 2

This week was definitely more challenging than usual.  I did get all of my workouts in this week, including while I was away at the beach, my husband ran with me and it was amazing! I just love the beach and warm weather and having the support of your spouse trying to be healthy with you is amazing!

 Food wise, I did take healthy snacks with me to the beach, and did great throughout the day eating oatmeal with natural peanut butter for breakfast, whole wheat wraps, veggies and hummus, almonds, ostrich sticks, and string cheese for lunch and snacks, and for dinner, one night I had baked chicken with salad, stuffed peppers with turkey burger, and seafood without the butter, corn, and potatoes. 

But the bad part was sweet frog 2 times (Ice cream buffet), and 10 wings (into 2 meals). That definitely put me off track a bit.  The thing that is making the biggest difference is not having my shake for 5 days.  I now see why I drink SHAKEOLOGY! It is not because I am a coach and that is what I have for my product, it is because it TRULY makes a difference!  I feel bloated, not as energetic, and I am craving food like crazy!! So excited to drink my shake as soon as I am done with this post!!

Since last week was such a mess, it is the start of a new week and time for progress!! I will be waking up at 4 am for my workouts ( I have workout buddies to keep each other accountable), I have my grocery shopping done for the week, and my meals prepped!! I have some left- over turkey stuffed peppers, grilled chicken, veggie stir-fry, quinoa salad, and spaghetti squash! I am using a few meals from the Ultimate Reset, which I absolutely LOVED!! It really helped me understand food, even food that I would never eat prior to the reset.  Now, I use them in my weekly meal plans!  I also made a yummy snack that is easy to make, and healthy.. KALE CHIPS!!

 I am officially ready to rock this week!! Are you?? What are you doing to set yourself up for success this week? Meal planning, food prepping, get yourself into the right mind set?

Reaching health and fitness goals is not something that comes easy.  It is something that takes dedication, thinking ahead, preparation, and will power!! Persistence is key!! If you don’t stick with it, you will be stuck in the same place you started.  In my eyes, for me and my challengers… the only failure is when you give up!! If you TRY and KEEP going, you WILL SUCCEED!!  Do you feel it’s your time to make the change and reach your fitness and health goals? If you’re reading this, most likely, it’s for a reason!  Join me in my challenge group starting Aug 12^th! You will be in a support group and me as your coach to give you motivation, nutrition and exercise tips, meal plans, and recipes!  Do any work out with TEAM BEACH BODY of YOUR choice, along with drinking SHAKEOLOGY once a day!  You also will be held accountable to reach your goals by doing before pics and measurements, along with 30 and 60 day follow ups! This is a great way to make new friends, along with a new transformation!!

*If you are interested in joining my challenge, message me to get started deidra.penrose@yahoo.com