veggie packed cheesy mac + plot twist

 so.... Sonny was laid off from his Lead Network Administrator job last wednesday! that morning, i was finishing up nursing Dego and simultaneously saying a prayer of thanks to God out loud.  i never want to get in the habit of always asking God for things.... it shouldn't be like that.  so i randomly started saying thank you for everything i could think of that i might have taken for granted!  until i was interrupted by Sonny's phone call.  'welp, i just got laid off!' was the first thing he said, which was followed by an 'oh wow...' from me.  my initial, honest reaction in my head though was 'really, God??well, we're listening.' Sonny had been preparing for this day, hence his Facebook status:

and warning me about the ongoing employee cutbacks other companies were making. however, i still have a bad habit of thinking we are somehow exempt and that 'those kinds of things' can't happen to us. ha! every once in a while i have to be reminded that His plans > our plans.  sometimes when we find ourselves floating down that comfy, stagnant river, He will abruptly turn the boat right on over.  thankfully, we have been presented with some really awesome opportunities as well as more time to focus on our fitness company, 6 Pack USA.   for that, we are extremely grateful!  i'm most excited about Sonny having more time to spend with his boys, especially at their ages. looking for the good in a seemingly tragic situation is not easy,

but when you place your future in His hands completely there is absolutely no room for stress and/or worry.  i snapped that pic of Sonny heading out the door friday (well, barely, he wouldn't slow down lol) for his last official day. we are boldly stepping out on faith and ready for this new plot twist in our story.  here we go!

---

i am a mac & cheese freak!!!!! Luby's is where i get my fix if it's not homemade. it's prolly my fave comfort food besides pizza.  aaaand if it ain't creamy, it just ain't right.

this recipe is lightened up and full of VEGGIES. most important, the creaminess factor is still strong, as it should be.

my veggies of choice: fresh asparagus and portabella mushrooms.  broccoli would work very well here too.

the secret to this recipe's cheesy sauce: butternut squash!!! see, veggie-packed.

cheese choice is up to you, but i went with part-skim mozzarella.

i'm not sure how it would work with almond or rice cheese, but if you try it let me know! that would make this entire dish dairy-free.

any type of pasta works here: penne, corkscrew, bowtie, maccaroni, whatever!  and you can sub whole wheat pasta as well.

i ate some just like this before baking cause i could not resist!

Veggie Packed Cheesy Mac 

the stuff:(source)

• 1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cashew milk
• 3 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 2 tbsp Toffuti dairy-free cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheese of choice
• 1 lb cooked pasta
• 1/2 lb  vegetable of choice
• 2 tbsp shallot, minced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• optional: 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs for topping

do this:

1. pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and coat a large 13 x 9 baking pan with no-stick cooking spray
2. in a large saucepan, combine butternut squash, chicken broth, milk, and shallots and bring to a boil.
3. let simmer for about 20 min or until squash is tender
4. cook pasta while squash mixture is simmering
5. pour hot squash mixture in your blender and add cream cheese, salt, and pepper
6. blend until super creamy and smooth
7. add squash mixture back to your sauce pan and sprinkle in your shredded cheese
8. stir until combined and melted
9. add all veggies and cooked pasta, stir until combined, then transfer to your prepared baking dish
10. sprinkle optional whole wheat bread crumbs over the top (i toast my own wheat bread then make crumbs via my food processor) and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until browned

makes 8 (cups) servings!

stats per serving: 261 cals, 7g fat, 38g carbs, 15g protein

happy monday, peeps!

le

*updated* Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships + we're registered!

had a bowl of organic rolled oats cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk, water, cinnamon, and vanilla before heading to my (now weekly) OB appointment this morning.   fresh blueberries, more cinnamon, more almond milk, and pure maple syrup went right on top.  i had egg whites w/ salsa on the side too. fueling up for some kickboxing a little later today.

was running late and threw on whatever (but i was comfy though!)  and we made it just in time for my group b strep test and routine check up.  if only pap smears were that quick & easy-peasy!  all is well @ 35 weeks and i thank Him for another great progress report. and yes, i smacked Chiso right after he smacked me.

on to our new hospital to registerrrrrr!

so the hospital where Chiso was born doesn't do L&D anymore. i enjoyed the experience there and was saddened after hearing that!  however, the new hospital is literally 3 minutes away, so no biggie.  AND my favorite OB in the entire universe will be there to deliver Odego this time, Lord willing.  (she was out having her twins at the time Chiso was born :'(  ) .  i went ahead and registered juuuuust in case we have to pop up there sooner than expected, but i am coming back with Sonny to take a tour so we can be cheesy and take pics and stuff.  a date i am so looking forward too, again.  i hardly EVER buy overpriced convenience store food/snacks, but i was unprepared and Chiso got restless while i filled out paper work.  so i got him this Sabra pretzel and hummus dip along with a banana.

enjoy this updated recipe of last night's dinner:

*updated* Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships

the stuff:

• 4 large, raw zucchini, halved & seeded
• 2 cups cooked and seasoned extra lean ground turkey
•  1 cup homemade marinara (add more if you'd like and the recipe is below)
• 8 turkey pepperoni, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup shredded almond or rice cheese
• 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced into coins
• 2 tsp dried italian seasoning or parsley or fresh basil
• sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

do this:

1. set your oven to 350 degrees and coat a large baking pan with foil and no-stick cooking spray.
2. after halving the zucchini, scoop some of the insides out using a small spoon.  they should look like empty canoes cruise ships once you're done; arrange them flat and seed-side up on your baking sheet.
3. mix the cooked ground turkey and the marinara sauce together, then spoon the mixture evenly into/onto the zucchini.
4. sprinkle the turkey pepperoni, tomato, and italian seasoning on top of the cruise ships, and bake them for about 20 minutes.
5. remove them from the oven and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. ( i used 2% colby jack cause that's all i had. to keep this recipe dairy free, use almond or rice cheese.)
6. let them bake once more for 7-10 minutes or just until the cheese melts to your liking.
7. top with fresh basil or parsley!

i thought i posted my marinara recipe in the Fit N' Crispy Chicken Parm post but maybe it didn't save like i thought?? can't explain that one.  but here it is:

homemade marinara:

the stuff:

• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 6 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning blend (optional)
• sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

do this:

1. heat a large sauce pan to medium-low heat; once hot, pour in your olive oil.
2. add onions & garlic and sauté until translucent...about 2-3 minutes.
3. add in the rest of the ingredients except sea salt and cracked black pepper, stir, cover, and let simmer for 12-15 minutes.
4. shut off heat; add mixture to your blender or food processor and blend on high until super smooth.

you can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge to be used for pizza sauce, wing dip, breadstick dip, whatever!

happy hump day! hollaaaaaaaaa

le

3rd triggity-tri update

 it's happening again :shock: . food aversions have returned and all i want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is Subway!!!  so i had some last night for dinner.  yes, the entire thing in one sitting. don't worry, it fit my macros, lol.  i've been randomly putting my meals in MyFitnessPal just to make sure i'm somewhere in the ball park of my daily requirements.  anyway, thanks Sonny, you're awesome.

it's a turkey breast sammich on honey oat bread with all the veggies except onions and jalapeños with honey mustard.  hadn't had one since the 1st trimester and boy was it as tasty as i remember.

uncomfy , eh? understatement. i enjoy the constant reminder that Odego is awake, moving around and doing his thing in here. however, i feel every single twist, turn, kick, punch, head butt, and cartwheel. all of it.  just like Chiso, he gets wired up as soon as i get settled in the bed at night.  but thankfully it doesn't hinder my sleep one bit.

let's talk about these energy levels though!  this baby is siphoning mine off day by day and i knew that was coming...just not so dang soon.  so most mornings,

i wake up like that.

but this morning before teaching my 5:30am weights class i felt good. like really good again. maybe i should eat foot long Subway sammiches before bed more often.

10 weeks left yall!!! :shock: WAT. i'll explain more about that #pregnantNOTpowerless hashtag in a bit.

ironically, i'm most uncomfortable when i'm dormant or at home cleaning and picking up random stuff off the floor.  i do all this working out at the gym but when i see something on the floor at home that's not where it's supposed to be most times i just leave it there LOL. why is it so much more of a challenge then?!  idk.  i've been sleeping with one of those body pillows from Target for the past 4 months now and i highly recommend one.  you can splurge and get the real thing too.

still not caring for sweets, just all things dairy, mainly cheese.  but every now and then i'll make this guy instead of going to get fro-yo, soft serve at BK, or a McFlurry - a low-dairy chocolate milkshake at home.  i'm totally satisfied after slurping this guilt-free concoction down.  try it! throw this in your blender:

• 3/4 cup cookies and cream or vanilla maple Arctic Zero ice cream
• 1/4 cup + (2 tbsp or so if needed) unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 tbsp Hershey's sugar-free chocolate syrup + more swirled in your glass ;)

before i made coconut whipped cream (which is dairy-free) for the first time a few days ago, i just used fat-free Reddi Whip and chocolate sprinkles for my topping.  legit yumminess for a total of:

that's it.

this little boy here. he has his 'Odego Time' every single day, multiple times a day.  he GETS it now.  his little brother is on the way and he can't wait to slide down the slide with him at the park.  his words, lol. i was worried about how he would be affected (and still somewhat am after he arrives) and i'm reading up on how to make this transition easiest for him.  heck, all of us.  any tips moms, please share!

[wpvideo M9FRyDbw]

you have a bigger influence on your kiddos than you think!  i just knew the park would be way more exciting than lil ol' me, but as soon as we got there he asked, 'mama can we make a video?  i want to exercise with you.' floored. so that's how our 30 week playground workout came about.

check out this adorable article via babycenter.com that shows you how big your fetus is using fruits and veggies, love it.  Odego is the size of a cabbage this week!

le

that's amore - homemade whole wheat pizza crust + med ball moves

what.a.morning.

 i woke up at 2:30am randomly and just couldn't get comfy again nor could i go back to sleep! daylight savings time + a kickboxing 27 week fetus = one tired mama.  praying & hoping this doesn't become a normal occurrence.

getting to 5:30am class was something like pulling teeth but we made it!  smiling up there in the pic cause my workout was finally over after that :lol: .  i taught Total Conditioning for 1 hr as usual and then did these exercises with the med ball and bands afterwards (listed clockwise):

[wpvideo IxeR5xi2]

1.  medicine ball squat throws against the wall: 4 x 25
2. med ball squats w/ explosive jack - band is optional but come ooooon! USE IT! 4 x 25
3. burpees with overhead dumbbell presses. modify where needed! walk back if you are preggo or nursing an injury if you do not wish to jump. it's your workout. 3 x 12
4. 90 degree wall sits with extended med ball (see top pic).  hold this guy for as long as you can. your arms will most likely give out before your legs, so let them drop but stay up until you can't take it anymore. HOLD until it burns ;)

i owe you a pizza crust recipe, don't i!

this was Chiso's cheese pie hot outta the oven.

the sauce is homemade too!!! i'll share that recipe in a future post.

and here's the pie i made Sonny and i for dinner that night looooaded with goodies!

extra lean ground chicken, red onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, grape tomatoes, fresh cilantro,  homemade pizza sauce, and plenty of shredded provolone.

i'm saving my very special crust recipe for my homemade pizza cooking class so you'll have to join me on March 25th to get that one!

homemade whole wheat pizza crust

the stuff:

• 1 cup white whole wheat bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp coconut sugar (or agave nectar or honey or pure maple syrup)
• 1 cup warm water
• dash sea salt
• 1/4th tsp fresh minced garlic
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 envelope)

do this: 

ok, i actually had steps listed out for the beginning part ( :shock: i know) but SEEING it done is the easiest way to actually get it. i don't want to scare you guys from making it and i haven't created my own video yet, so i'm going to use a popular youtube vid that is very similar to what i did. also, i added the dry seasonings and garlic in with the wet ingredients.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvIF81APkj8&w=560&h=315]

1. NOW you're ready! let the dough rise for at least 2 hours minimum. (whip up a ball right after breakfast)
2. preheat your oven to 500 degrees and put your pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven NOW.
3. on a flat, clean, floured surface, drop your round dough ball in to the center.
4. use your fingers to press the dough out as wide/thin as you'd like it. my Sur la table instructor advised against using a rolling-pin.
5. sprinkle your pizza paddle (or a pan/cookie sheet with no edges) generously with dry, yellow corn meal
6. pick up your dough and place it on top of the corn meal bed. is it slide-able? rock the pan back and forth and see.
7. top your pizza however you'd like. (sauce, cheese, veggies, meat, cheese...but remember less is more! that doesn't apply to cheese though)
8. do a slide check one more time, then open your oven and transfer (rock vigorously back and forth til you've successfully moved it over) the pizza paddle onto the already HOT HOT HOT pizza stone or baking pan.
9. needs to bake about 7-9 minutes at most. cooks super fast!

nutritional stats ONLY IF you use the entire dough ball and make a gigantic pizza cut into 8 slices:

i find that cutting the ball in half first makes the perfect size pie for 2 people. in that instance, stats for 1 slice when cut into 8:

you can refrigerate the other half for 2-3 days and even longer in the freezer.

yummmmmmmmmmmmmy!

make your own pizza at home, take a pic, and tag me @fitfoodiele on IG! also, if you send your pics to le@fitfoodiele.com, i will feature them on my Facebook Fan Page, blog, or IG. can't wait to see the deliciousness you create!

 Q: what do you do when you can't go back to sleep? read? watch TV? stare at your significant other in the dark? :shock:

le

that's amore: homemade whole wheat pizza crust + med ball moves

what.a.morning.

 i woke up at 2:30am randomly and just couldn't get comfy again nor could i go back to sleep! daylight savings time + a kickboxing 27 week fetus = one tired mama.  praying & hoping this doesn't become a normal occurrence.

getting to 5:30am class was something like pulling teeth but we made it!  smiling up there in the pic cause my workout was finally over after that :lol: .  i taught Total Conditioning for 1 hr as usual and then did these exercises with the med ball and bands afterwards (listed clockwise):

[wpvideo IxeR5xi2]

1.  medicine ball squat throws against the wall: 4 x 25
2. med ball squats w/ explosive jack - band is optional but come ooooon! USE IT! 4 x 25
3. burpees with overhead dumbbell presses. modify where needed! walk back if you are preggo or nursing an injury if you do not wish to jump. it's your workout. 3 x 12
4. 90 degree wall sits with extended med ball (see top pic).  hold this guy for as long as you can. your arms will most likely give out before your legs, so let them drop but stay up until you can't take it anymore. HOLD until it burns ;)

i owe you a pizza crust recipe, don't i!

this was Chiso's cheese pie hot outta the oven.

the sauce is homemade too!!! i'll share that recipe in a future post.

and here's the pie i made Sonny and i for dinner that night looooaded with goodies!

extra lean ground chicken, red onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, grape tomatoes, fresh cilantro,  homemade pizza sauce, and plenty of shredded provolone.

i'm saving my very special crust recipe for my homemade pizza cooking class so you'll have to join me on March 25th to get that one!

homemade whole wheat pizza crust

the stuff:

• 1 cup white whole wheat bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp coconut sugar (or agave nectar or honey or pure maple syrup)
• 1 cup warm water
• dash sea salt
• 1/4th tsp fresh minced garlic
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 envelope)

do this: 

ok, i actually had steps listed out for the beginning part ( :shock: i know) but SEEING it done is the easiest way to actually get it. i don't want to scare you guys from making it and i haven't created my own video yet, so i'm going to use a popular youtube vid that is very similar to what i did. also, i added the dry seasonings and garlic in with the wet ingredients.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvIF81APkj8&w=560&h=315]

1. NOW you're ready! let the dough rise for at least 2 hours minimum. (whip up a ball right after breakfast)
2. preheat your oven to 500 degrees and put your pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven NOW.
3. on a flat, clean, floured surface, drop your round dough ball in to the center.
4. use your fingers to press the dough out as wide/thin as you'd like it. my Sur la table instructor advised against using a rolling-pin.
5. sprinkle your pizza paddle (or a pan/cookie sheet with no edges) generously with dry, yellow corn meal
6. pick up your dough and place it on top of the corn meal bed. is it slide-able? rock the pan back and forth and see.
7. top your pizza however you'd like. (sauce, cheese, veggies, meat, cheese...but remember less is more! that doesn't apply to cheese though)
8. do a slide check one more time, then open your oven and transfer (rock vigorously back and forth til you've successfully moved it over) the pizza paddle onto the already HOT HOT HOT pizza stone or baking pan.
9. needs to bake about 7-9 minutes at most. cooks super fast!

nutritional stats ONLY IF you use the entire dough ball and make a gigantic pizza cut into 8 slices:

i find that cutting the ball in half first makes the perfect size pie for 2 people. in that instance, stats for 1 slice when cut into 8:

you can refrigerate the other half for 2-3 days and even longer in the freezer.

yummmmmmmmmmmmmy!

make your own pizza at home, take a pic, and tag me @fitfoodiele on IG! also, if you send your pics to le@fitfoodiele.com, i will feature them on my Facebook Fan Page, blog, or IG. can't wait to see the deliciousness you create!

 Q: what do you do when you can't go back to sleep? read? watch TV? stare at your significant other in the dark? :shock: