November 25, 2014

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup...healthified! + skinny bacon

November 25, 2014/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

i told Sonny to get me outta bed when my alarm went off this morning no matter what. he didn't, haha, but i got on up anyway and hit it early so i could use the rest of the day cooking for Thanksgiving! speaking of, we have a Thanksgiving Damage Control Challenge going on right now by the way for 1 buck!! check out the details and sign up to keep yourself in check for the big day tomorrow. i did a little arc trainer for my cardio and then one of our 6 Pack USA upper body workouts which targeted chest, biceps, triceps, and a little back. then i went into the group fitness studio for core and stretching and did a few of these:

[wpvideo 1CFeeUoN]

i admit- i love this Beyoncé video and song. i just do! not a Yonce stan, but definitely a fan.

then i got home and got the boys up and fed before i got cracking on this soup again. yesterday went terribly wrong. bad pics, bad soup color cause i burned the sausage...it was just...wrong. sometimes i want to post anyway and get it off my chest but something kept telling me to WAIT and be still. today turned out loads better. loads.

while i was cooking away, the doorbell rang. i immediately heard a truck engine start which means it was UPS and i had a package, haha! they never wait. ever.

knock, knock...

IT'S BACON!!!!!!

not just any bacon though. uncured, Applegate Good Morning Bacon.

skinny bacon! what? yes please! when it comes to natural and organic meats, Applegate is top-notch. you get what you pay for, guaranteed. Chiso looooved the hot dogs from our welcome-home-from-the-hospital lunch a few months ago! and if you're a dear reader of mine then you know how picky that guy is. we cracked the bacon open right away for breakfast. it's:

applewood smoked
60% less fat than regular bacon
uncured
antibiotic, gluten, casein, hormone, and nitrate-FREE
heaven-sent

it's no coincidence the soup calls for *drum roll* bacooooon. i told ya, perfect timing. His timing! anyway, it tastes just like pork belly bacon without all the excess grease and/or oil. let's give it up for Applegate!

*round of applause*

without further adieu, i present to you, healthified, dairy-free, Zuppa Toscana soup! it's 2nd place to Olive Garden's chicken & gnocchi soup in my book. maybe i'll healthify that one next ;) . the longer you let it sit, the creamier it will become, fyi. i hurriedly took these pics a few minutes after i finished cooking while i still had some good natural light left and it was still a tad thin. a few hours have passed since and the flavors have made their presence known and the texture is just right.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup - Healthified

the stuff:

1 lb sausage of your choice (see mine below), sliced
2 medium red potatoes
1/4 cup Applegate uncured Good Morning Bacon, roughly chopped
1 can light OR full-fat coconut milk
1 large yellow onion, minced
1 medium shallot, diced
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
2 big handfuls of raw, fresh kale
sea salt and black pepper to taste

couple things: i used light coconut milk. full fat would yield an even thicker, creamier soup of course! i also used spinach & garlic chicken sausage that i found at HEB, but you can use whatever you fancy.

do this:

coat a very large pot with no-stick cooking spray and set it to med-high heat
brown sliced sausage in pot (3-4 minutes)
add onion, shallot, potatoes to pot and stir
add chicken broth ensuring the water cover the top of the veggies/meat
cook on medium heat until the potatoes are done (about 10-12 minutes...watch it closely)
add bacon
add salt & pepper and let simmer for 10 min; taste
season again if needed then turn heat to low
add coconut milk and kale (make sure you push the kale into and under the liquid) and stir until well combined
serve warm and top it with more bacon!

using the My Fitness Pal recipe nutrition calculator i estimate 4 big bowls of soup from this pot. for one 12 oz serving:

285 cals, 10g fat, 28g carbs, 4g sugar and 1299mg sodium

(high sodium because of my sausage choice but that can be altered.)

pure YUMMINESS! make this and tag me! @fitfoodiele

omg. i'm running a 10k tomorrow morning. it's not like i don't know how to train for a run, i just don't want to. lol. and the temperature has dipped early this year at that! man. this time last year i was preggo and complaining about the cold. only difference is i still want to workout (indoors) and no first trimester woes. welp, if you're out there getting your trot on in Houston, holla at meeeeee! for now...

back to cooking my mom's famous cornbread dressing! happy TG eve!

May 14, 2014

updated Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships + we're registered!

May 14, 2014/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

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:

set your oven to 350 degrees and coat a large baking pan with foil and no-stick cooking spray.
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.
mix the cooked ground turkey and the marinara sauce together, then spoon the mixture evenly into/onto the zucchini.
sprinkle the turkey pepperoni, tomato, and italian seasoning on top of the cruise ships, and bake them for about 20 minutes.
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.)
let them bake once more for 7-10 minutes or just until the cheese melts to your liking.
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:

heat a large sauce pan to medium-low heat; once hot, pour in your olive oil.
add onions & garlic and sauté until translucent...about 2-3 minutes.
add in the rest of the ingredients except sea salt and cracked black pepper, stir, cover, and let simmer for 12-15 minutes.
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

March 06, 2014

bottoms up + big news on the way

March 06, 2014/ leah.egwuatu@6packusa.com

starting to really feel like i suck at multitasking. or maybe it's prioritizing. both. idk :roll: idk, but whenever i am focused on my next move it's like i can't focus on anything except THAT thing. what thing? hosting my very own COOKING CLASS!!!! i have finally secured a location to do my thang (workout classes are coming right along with that) and i am crazy excited about it. i can't help but to be. this is what i do! a much more detailed announcement will be made really soon. extremely soon.

ok so this past wednesday,

Chi and i hit the road for my monthly check up. while there, that yummy, delicious, glucose drink was also waiting for me to chug. i can't believe it's time to test for gestational diabetes already! it's done somewhere in between weeks 24 and 26.

if i had a dollar for every time i've had to look at someone's confused face and say 'oh, i'm a blogger', i'd go buy a pair of shoes with it :lol: . the phlebotomist shot me a 'why are you snapping pics of that of all things?' look. when i did this test for my 1st pregnancy i went online to read reviews on how the test would go, and with that came comments about how horrid and disgusting this stuff was. so of course i walked in very hesitant and expecting the absolute worst. verdict: no big deal. seriously. i tuned that bottle upside down and drank it all at once, no breaks. after i told Chiso why he couldn't have any orange soda lol.

waiting for my Doc and admiring my kicks! yep, it's tha shoes!!!! the ones i posted about on IG a few weeks ago! i was actually going to keep them in the box until i reached 9 months. kinda like a push present to myself. i couldn't wait though lol. high top Nike Frees. i'm in complete love.

some recent IG eats! man those zucchini fritters are so dang good. please go make them if you haven't already. i am out but bought a ton of zucchini at Sprouts a few days ago and will be making more soon.

clockwise:

lean ground chicken burger w/ tomatoes & mozzarella almond cheese using zucchini fritters for buns
crock pot sirloin stead seasoned with Weber Chicago Streak seasoning and cooked on low for 6 hours w/ roasted asparagus and smashed red potatoes. i boiled the red potatoes until tender, then added green onion, cilantro, some plain non-fat yogurt, and organic whipped buttery spread. mozzarella almond cheese melted on top!
a gigantic salad from the HEB salad bar
zucchini cakes with herb goat cheese, pan seared tilapia, roma tomatoes, and strawberries.

still trying to keep it clean for the most part....even though i want Papa Johns pizza all day every day. no sweets for me...cheese must go on everything.

happy weekend!