10 Easy THM Breakfasts for Moms on the Go

 Hello everybody! Today is a whole new day! If you didn't do too good last week or yesterday... just scratch that and take advantage of the new mercy that's available to you TODAY!

I hope you enjoyed my series of menus from last week... I am so happy to see many of you got inspired by them! Thank you for your comments (here on facebook), likes and shares! You are all too kind!

Now... last week I told you I want to put together a menu for Moms that are "on the go" recipes/tips for quick meals/snacks or just things that you can just prepare ahead to enjoy later...

I asked for help from fellow THM bloggers that I know and trust and I am going to share with you today some of those recipes that might help you feel like you don't have to spend "all day/everyday" in the kitchen. Some of these do require work and preparation, but they can be made in those times when you do have the time to be in the kitchen and then just store for when you are on the run.

Today it's all about breakfasts:

We got for you:

1. (S) Salted Caramel Chocolate Covered Strawberry Shake by Cate at The Fabuless Wife I love shakes like this! Packed with protein, just throw it all in the blender and TAKE IT with you! If you have a blender with individual cups like a Ninja you don't even have to worry about transferring your drink to any other container.

Easy Salted Caramel Chocolate Covered Strawberry Shake

2. Or how about you take some time during the weekend and prepare this delicious (E) Sprouted Wheat Cinnamon Scones by Judy at Wonderfully Made and Dearly Loved. She told me these store great and they are delicious! They sure look it!

3. Or try Jennifer's (E) Baked Blueberry Oatmeal from A Home with Purpose, she prepares this, puts it away in the fridge and eats it cold! It sounds yummy, and you're getting your e meals in!

4. You could also try her Warm Chia Porridge Dry Mix, she keeps it on hand and ready to avoid throwing things together in the morning.

5. If you are more of a "cereal in the morning" kind of person, you won't miss that on THM ... You can always get Ezekiel Cereal:

 and just have it with unsweetened almond or cashew milk for a perfect "E" and there's almost no preparation involved!

6. If you want you can also make your own cereal, I loved (S) The Nutty Banana Crunch Cereal also from Judy at Wonderfully Made and Dearly Loved, it's a great low carb cereal that you can prepare ahead, store in a glass jar and have it ready when you need it! I would double her recipe, here at home we liked it better with a bit of almond extract instead of banana extract. It really has a great crunch! I love it on its own!

7. You could also just have a slice of Ezekiel Bread toast with 1 tsp. of butter, 1 individual container of Triple Zero Yogurt and 1 cup of berries (I love it with strawberries). This would be an "E"

8.  You can never go wrong with Scrambled Eggs! Whole eggs are always an S (just some quick THM info) And Teresia from Nana's Little Kitchen has a very easy (S) Quick Spinach and Egg Breakfast

9. Leftovers! Yes... have dinner (or lunch) for breakfast! The most important thing you have to do is EAT! Don't skip a meal... Don't stay too long without food in your stomach... just make sure you stay within the appropriate setting (S, E or FP)

10. Fruit... If you go for fruit make sure it's not an abundant amount... Have some protein with it (Extra lean protein) to keep it an E (Fruit is always an E, except berries... those can be used in any setting -up to 1 cup- except for berries up to 1/2 cup if you want to use them in any setting. You can even grab 1/2 a banana and have one of those triple Zero Yogurts. The Chia Pudding from the book is a great breakfast option on the go as well.

 I hope this has been helpful for you... Let me know!

Got your Book yet???


© Paloma K.

 Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Sunday Funday - THM Menu One Day at a Time

Chile Relleno Casserole, THM (S) ... One of the several dishes featured on Today's Menu

First of all Happy Birthday to me! Today I turn 36!  I am looking forward to celebrating it... I even used a coupon to get the "So delicious" Coconut Milk, No sugar added mint chip ice cream! I am all ready to enjoy my birthday!

Now... to the menu... Have you enjoyed this week of Meals and Menus? They are easy to follow, aren't they? You haven't seen any ingredient that has scared you too much, have you? I don't use many specialty ingredients on my recipes... So you don't need to wait to jump right in and be a Trim Healthy Mama... The main principle of this plan is to keep carbs separated from fats ... those do not combine! It doesn't mean you can't eat carbs... it just means you have to eat them with extra lean proteins, eat them, enjoy them and just don't exceed the 45 gram count in a MEAL ... yes... in a MEAL... that's way above the limits that low carb diets set for you so do not get THM confused by a low carb diet. Now... if what you're craving are fats (like a juicy steak with a garlic/herb butter melting on top) or like a delicious chicken baked until the skin is soooo crispy... then... that's when you do want to keep your carbs to a minimum (10 grams tops).

Now... Let's close this week where we've been having so much fun together with a menu that will be flexible for you... whatever your activities are on a Sunday:

SUNDAY

E Breakfast: Apple and Cinnamon Quinoatmeal (you will have to leave your quinoatmeal soaking overnight and they will cook really quick in the morning)

This is the Quinoa I use:   Red Quinoa

- or - if you, like me... have to have a heartier Breakfast on Sunday Mornings because you go to church and .. well... you just get extra hungry... you could have:

S Breakfast: 2-3 Fried eggs (in Coconut Oil or butter) with some slices of avocado on the side and even some "bread in a mug" (recipe in the book)


Snack: If you are on the go on Sunday (like me) then you want to have something easy to carry with you. I usually have almonds. or sometimes I carry frozen berries in a small container with a tight lid and add some yogurt in it. The frozen berries will keep the yogurt cold and fine.


S or E Lunch: If you eat out on Sundays (like I sometimes do -although most times I cook on Sunday too-) then I highly recommend Chipotle or Jason's Deli. You can choose from the Salad Bar and Enjoy their veggies, hard boiled eggs, cheese, bacon, ranch dressing, YUM! Go crazy with a great "S" salad. If you go to chipotle you can have an E or S salad depending if you choose beans or not. If you do choose beans avoid any sour cream or avocado (to avoid crossover) and go crazy with their salsas, pico de gallo, enjoy a portion of beans and brown rice with it and some of their chicken. YUM! Or ... avoid the carbs (beans, rice) and get guacamole, sour cream and cheese with it! you can have their steak or chicken! (I am not so sure their pulled pork doesn't have sugar in it, most bbq sauces do so I stay away from the pork). If you go somewhere else you can easily customize your meal and adapt it to THM, steakhouses are great, go to town with meat and veggies with butter or if it's a seafood place order some fish with a creamy sauce and buttered veggies, in a hamburger joint you can ask them to wrap your hamburger with lettuce (no buns) and enjoy it like that, most fast food places now have salad as an option. I know! We don't want salad when we go to "Culver's" so if you think it's going to be too hard to stay on plan at a certain restaurant you have three choices:

1. Politely suggest a different restaurant (one where you have more choices and don't feel deprived)
2. If No. 1 isn't possible then be strong and try to stay on plan with a cheerful attitude, make the best of it.
3. Or just go ahead and enjoy whatever is on the menu, even if it's off plan. This is a lifetime plan, get back on track in three hours! (Try to not make a habit out of this one, especially if you're just starting)

E Snack: If you still have enough hours on your day to have a snack and later have dinner then find something like an apple with 1 tsp. of peanut butter and a couple of slices of extra lean turkey or 1/2 of an on plan protein smoothie (might be S, FP or E depending on your fuel source).


S Dinner:  Chile Relleno Casserole  or "Shrimp and Rice" (Cauliflower Rice of course!)  or even another "S" option: Fried Chicken Strips and cauliflower rice (Breading for chicken strips: Salt pepper your chicken strips, pass them through coconut flour, then egg/half-half mixture and then coat with a mix of ground pork rinds and almond flour, fry in coconut oil)


And so we reach the end of this series. Please leave here your comments, questions, suggestions, etc. I am always happy to see what you think and how the things I share are helping others.

These are so practical for casseroles! I absolutely love my set:




Love,
 
© Paloma K.

 Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Turkey Bean Soup - Another amazing E meal

Hello fellow healthy eaters... whether you follow a specific plan (like in my case, the Trim Healthy Mama plan) or you just love to make healthy food for you and your family... I have a yummy soup that will not disappoint (at all!!!)

This soup is rich in protein and fiber, it's higher on carbs and very low on fat which, if you are a Trim Healthy Mama, you know it makes a perfect "E" meal.

This week I guess my focus has been on helping you introduce more E meals to your menu... I hope I am succeeding. The Trim Healthy Mama plan is one that is rich on high fats but also has just the right amount of carbs to keep you energized and feeling good! Do not be afraid of "E" meals... they're good for you and they will make this plan more doable on the long term. We all want to lose weight and lose it fast, unfortunately we start to take shortcuts that end up being our downfall many times (just like with the many diets we tried in the past)... Don't try to "get smart" and just do another version of a very popular low carb diet that starts with A and ends with tkins ... Embrace the THM plan and the freedom you can find in it.

My dear, amazing husband does not like beans... he's not a big fan of them... but this soup is one that he never complains about! He devours it (and don't let him know I told you but he asks for seconds most of the time)

Now... with this recipe you can use all cannellini beans or a mix of cannellini and black or pinto beans but the trick is to KEEP those cannellini beans in there! Such a nice mild flavor! ... they are amazing and so good for you. We all know beans are awesome and reach in fiber, right? But... cannellini and pinto beans are particularly lower on carbs in general!

With this recipe I use canned beans but you can boil and make your own if you prefer, I usually go to this recipe when I am in a hurry and still want to eat something yummy, comforting and that says "I love you" when you taste it. But here, let me tell you about the carb numbers (if you're like me and you're interested) behind beans:

1/2 cup of Black Beans (from canned cooked plain beans)
Total carbs: 23 grams
Fiber:  6 grams
Net Carbs: 19 grams

1/2 cup of Red Kidney beans (from canned cooked plain beans)
Total Carbs: 22 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Net Carbs: 15 grams

1/2 cup Cannellini beans (from canned cooked plain beans)
Total Carbs: 19 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
Net Carbs: 13 grams

1/2 cup of Pinto beans (from canned cooked plain beans)
Total Carbs: 18 grams
Fiber: 7 grams
Net Carbs: 11 grams


Now... let's go to that awesome "E" recipe, this can be a great lunch or even dinner... it is YUMMY! I usually cook it on the stove top but it can also be just thrown into the crockpot all together! It freezes well!

Turkey Bean Soup! - THM - E -

This I made with only cannellini beans and prepared on the stove top.

Ingredients

• 1/ 1/2 - 2 pounds lean ground turkey (can use ground venison too)
• ½ cup diced white onion, or more if desired
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (you could use parsley, I prefer cilantro)
• 2 tsp. chili powder (optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp. of cumin
• 1 Tbls. garlic powder (or minced garlic)
• 15-ounce can cannellini beans*  (You can use all this variety of beans or just your favorite kind)
• 15-ounce can kidney beans* 
• 15-ounce can black beans*
• 15-ounce can pinto beans*
• 4 cups chopped zucchini
• 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (I use Original Ro-Tel Tomatoes for more flavor) - pureed in your blender -
• 2 tsp. sea salt (or more to taste)

* Note: Make sure your canned beans HAVE NO SUGAR ADDED. 

Directions (for stove top)

1. Brown the turkey (or venison) meat in a skillet and drain (salt lightly).
2. If cooking on the stove top, (on medium-high heat) using a very large pot add the meat, onion, cilantro, chili powder, cumin and garlic, stir until onion is slightly softened.
3. Open and partially drain all 4 cans of beans; I leave about half the liquid in each can for the soup to have more liquid. Add the beans, and tomatoes to the large pot. Stir to incorporate.  Keep the heat on medium high until it starts bubbling. Turn the heat to low to simmer (covered with a lid, slightly open) for about 40 minutes .
4. Stir and taste occasionally, adjusting seasonings as needed. Add the zucchini and simmer for 15 more minutes (covered). Add the salt just before serving to best preserve its nutrients.

Directions (for slow cooker)

1. Brown the turkey (or venison) meat in a skillet and drain.
2. Turn your slow cooker to high setting. Add the meat, onion, cilantro, chili powder, cumin and garlic the pot. Stir, cover and set aside.
3. Open and partially drain all 4 cans of beans (leave some liquid, about 1/2 of each can for the soup). Add the beans, zucchini, and tomatoes to the cooker. Stir well.  Keep the heat set on high for 4 to 5 hours or adjust heat to low and simmer for 6 to 8 hours.
4. Stir and taste occasionally, adjusting seasonings as needed. Add the salt just before serving to best preserve its nutrients.

Sprinkle some extra fresh chopped cilantro when you serve. If you can handle the heat add some crushed red pepper flakes too! Optionally top with a dollop of plain 0% greek yogurt if desired or top with cheddar cheese for a crossover (crossovers are great but not weight loss inducing).



Please let me know if you try this recipe and how you liked it! I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do.


© Paloma K.

  Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Add some cheese to your sandwich! THM E recommendation!

Hello dear THMers or just friends who are looking for a healthier way of life... I've got lots of updating to do on my blog... My Meet ME picture is so old it's not even funny! My girlies have grown so much! At least I updated my age over there... I looked into it and it said 33 still... I am almost 36 already! My information there doesn't even include anything about my THM journey and my health findings... like the fact that I have Hashimoto's disease which has caused Hypothyroidism and lots of struggles to lose weight! I celebrate my "not giving up" as part of a great victory when it comes to my health! My scale might say horrible things but I KNOW I am victorious just for the fact that I am soooo stubborn and I am not quitting what I know is best for me just for a "number"!

 So... here I am... and today I just want to tell you... Please eat more "E" meals! Don't fear them! Embrace them! They are part of the very healthy balance of THM... I've read several times people saying they find they need more "fiber" in this plan (because of certain digestive issues), others complaining of gas and bloating and many others just concerned because the plan resembles so much the Atkins Diet....

Please know that if your plan resembles the Atkins Diet is because you've CHOSEN it to be that way... I've never seen the Atkins plan allow you to eat up to 45 grams of carbs in ONE sitting! Have u? As far as I know the number is closer to 20 grams TOTAL for the WHOLE DAY! MY GOODNESS... I know I wouldn't be able to do that FOR LIFE... So... how about we shake things up a little bit and start incorporating the e meals back into your daily living? You don't need to eat all "E" meals... but you do need to find what's best for your body... to keep it energized and... ehem... well... regular as well!

I know some are afraid because they just don't know what to eat for an E-meal... But there's such a big variety to choose from! FRUIT!, Plan Approved Cereal, Lentils, Beans, carrots, sweet potatoes (and other starchy veggies), quinoa, barley (hulled is best but pearl barley is great and on plan too), brown rice, old fashioned oats, steel cut oats ,  brown rice pasta (Tinkyada Pasta is my favorite and it's great for Purists) and Plan approved bread (like Ezekiel Bread or Gwen's Easy Bread) .... SEE? You can do this!

Today for lunch I had a delicious "E" sandwich! Lots of lean turkey deli slices with veggies, tomato, onions and with a delicious slice of cheese! Cheese... yes! You can have SOME cheese in an E setting, just don't add any other source of fat! I can't eat "cheeseless" sandwiches! So ... If you haven't thought of this.. YOU ARE JUST MISSING OUT !

Sorry... I was biting before taking the pic! Too good to wait!

SARGENTO ULTRA THIN NATURAL SLICES! (Yes, I am yelling! everyone has to hear this!)

I think I've already mentioned it before... but I see so many struggling to add e meals to their menu and many others just saying "they're hungry" and not satisfied at all after an e-meal that I thought you'd like to know you can eat VERY GOOD FOOD (and plenty of it) in an E setting.

I had 2 slices of toasted Ezekiel bread, lots of turkey (there's no limit on the amount of lean protein for an E meal), spring mix salad, some mustard and 1 slice of Sargento Ultra Thin cheese (No, I am not getting paid or compensated in any way to promote Sargento, they don't even know I exist! But I truly enjoy this product! It's genius)

In this case I got the Swiss Cheese, but they have different options for you! and how much fat is there? Take a look:

There are 9 grams of fat per serving! There are 3 slices in a serving! You just need 1 slice to transform that sandwich into *THE* sandwich! so that puts you at 3 grams of FAT! Perfectly within the limits of an E meal! Fill your sandwich up with lean turkey meat! Tomatoes, onions, green bell pepper, salad and even pickles! and guess what? you can add one of those marvelous

THM approved Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt (sweetened with stevia) to make it all even better! (incredibly... it is possible!)

Eat good, eat "E's", eat plenty!

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Apple and Cinnamon Quinoatmeal - THM E

 Hello fellow foodies! Let's talk super foods, shall we? If you are part of the Trim Healthy Mama community then you know about the difference when it comes to "E, S, FP and Crossover" Meals/Snacks... If you are not part of that plan but you love good, healthy and tasty food ... don't leave... this recipe is for you too!

So... Before we get to the recipe let's talk a little bit about something, and let's be honest fellow THMs... Dairy... don't you love it? I do! What would I do without cheese? it's so good! But at the same time many of us tend to overdo it... No judgment here... just speaking out of my very own personal experience... And if we're not careful, the "frankenfoods" start to occupy way to many places in our menu... The THM plan gives you lots of freedom... but sometimes I like to switch things around a little bit to keep my metabolism moving and on its toes... And I like to give it a shock of energy not only with tons of veggies but with some amazingly good for you ingredients like:

Red Quinoa and Steel Cut Oats ,


Quinoa is rich in amazing nutrients for you, it is gluten free, it has all the essential amino acids (including Lysine), it basically has more and better protein than most grains, it has a glycemic index of 53 which is low for a grain and it's even better when soaked -soaking removes the phytic acid-, it is high in minerals like magnesium, is loaded with antioxidants and IT IS EASY too cook and incorporate into your meals.

I hope I just convinced you in case you were doubting...

Now... what are Steel Cut Oats? and what's the difference between them and the old fashioned rolled oats? or even the quick cooking oats? The difference is mostly that they are less processed, steel cut oats is the first best option, rolled oats is the second best and the quick cooking or instant I would just avoid them... because the more processed they are, the faster they convert into sugar in your body. Steel cut oats is basically the whole groat cut in pieces while rolled oats go through the process of steaming/pressing between rollers and drying them... They are still a very good choice but not the very best... Nutritionally there's no difference BUT the glycemic value is a bit different and it can change how our body reacts to the conversion of carbs to sugar in the body. (Don't be afraid of rolled oats, they are still a good option and definitely THM approved! Just don't use the "quick cooking" or "instant" kind).

Now after all that I am sure you want me to get into the recipe... Right? This breakfast is sooo delicious and so... dare I say SATISFYING? (I am always a bit afraid of using the word "satisfying" when talking about an "E" THM meal... I don't want anybody to be confused!) BUT... This stuff is sooo good! You can even have it for lunch! Why not?

This recipe requires a bit of preparation ahead of time... but it's totally worth it!

Apple Cinnamon Quinoatmeal 

Servings: 2
GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, VEGAN, SUGAR FREE
Nutrition PER SERVING:
CARBS: 39 grams, FIBER: 4 grams, NET CARBS: 35 grams, FAT: 2.9 grams, PROTEIN: 5.5 grams.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Red Quinoa (why red? because it's pretty! But you can also use white quinoa)
• 1/4 cup Steel Cut Oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cashew or almond milk, plus more for serving
• 1 pinch sea salt 
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• sweetener to taste (I used 1 doonk of pure THM stevia extract) - click here to know what a doonk is 
• splash of vanilla 
• 1 apple cubed or shredded

Preparation

• The night before cooking, rinse quinoa thoroughly and drain. Combine oats and quinoa in a medium saucepan and cover with 1 cup boiling water, (put a lid on it and forget about it 'till the next day).
• In the morning, bring oats and quinoa to a boil. Stir in almond milk, salt, and cinnamon and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until quinoa grains are tender, 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add splash of vanilla and sweetener, give it a stir to incorporate.
• Top quinoatmeal with apple, and sprinkle more cinnamon, if desired. Drizzle with unsweetened almond or cashew milk to thin or enjoy as it is (like I do! it's pretty thick... but you can thin it to your own liking!)
  
  -------
  
  This is what the oatmeal and quinoa looked like when I covered them with the boiling water in the night.
  

  

  
  
  Now this is what the mix of grains looked like the next morning
  
  

  

  
  Once the quinoatmeal is ready it yields 1 1/2 cups.... 3/4 of a cup is ONE serving.
  
  

  

  
  

Now... if you want to pair this with some more protein... Go ahead! You can use 0% Greek Yogurt and now it doesn't even have to be UNFLAVORED... There is this new (DELICIOUS) Yogurt from Dannon that is sweetened WITH STEVIA! YAY!!! I have tried strawberry, vanilla and coconut... they are all delicious but I can't wait to get my hands in a BANANA CREME one!

So... it's been confirmed to be plan approved! It has 15 grams of protein and it will keep you in a very healthy "E" because it has no fat! (if you eat it by itself it would be an FP)

So... Let me know how you like this delicious SUPER breakfast packed with nutrition and flavor... I'll love to hear from you.

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Quinoa Salad! - E or Crossover

Hello friends! Today is the 5 Day of the 30 Day Challenge  I started on Facebook... Hopefully you'll join us! It is a quick routine of exercises to tone some muscles and I am definitely starting to feel it! It is great to have somebody else to do it with me (Thanks Karen) as it is helping me stay accountable!

Now... of course exercises are great but we need to also watch what we eat ... I am making all the right choices and eating until I am satisfied (or a little more, yeah... that's me) and I am starting to see the scale slowly (oh so slowly) go down again! It's been a while since it did that for ME so I am ecstatic (even if it's an ounce... we're headed in the right direction!)

If you already know the Trim Healthy Mama Plan then you know what I talk about when I mention "E meals or Crossovers"... if you're not on the plan you can also enjoy the recipes I share because they're healthy, yummy and nothing like your "typical Diet Food" ...

So... today I am going to share with you an amazingly delicious (and easy to make) Quinoa Salad, which you can eat in an "E" setting or as a crossover if you're at that point where you incorporate healthy crossovers to your menu.

Here it goes:

You can see it with avocado here, it is a yummy crossover!

 Quinoa Salad (E)
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of cooked red quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked)   I use this one
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 medium zucchini (or yellow squash) - cubed-
- 1 medium red tomato
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- the juice of 1/2 a lime 
- about 1 tbsp. of olive oil (you can add this if you keep it to only 1 serving and do not incorporate any other fat in your meal, it would still be an "E")
- 1 clove of garlic (very finely chopped)
- salt to taste
- 1 avocado -cubed- (ONLY FOR CROSSOVER, omit if you want to keep it an "E")
- Add 1/2 a fresh serrano or jalapeño pepper (chopped) if you can handle the heat, (you can seed it if you want to tame the heat down a bit), this will add a bit of a quick and give it more of a "Mexican flare" to it.
 
Directions:

Mix the quinoa, cilantro, zucchini, tomato, onion (and avocado if using it) in a big bowl, separately whisk together the lime, olive oil and garlic, drizzle over the quinoa mixture, season to taste and let it sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors "mingle". Serve at room temperature (or even cold), this salad is a great accompaniment to any meat (keep your meats lean for the "E" setting).

I soooo can see it served in this salad set... I am going to add it to my Christmas List! 


 Enjoy!

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. All the recommendations and suggestions are entirely my opinion.

Chicken and Barley CROCKPOT Soup... and a book recommendation!

Good day everyone! I hope you had a great weekend and you come back re-energized and ready to keep walking through this life in a worshipful attitude....

And talking about worship, tomorrow is the last day of Ladies Bible Study this fall! I can't believe it... that was so fast! We studied the Bible focusing on worship with the help of Lorraine Hill and her book: "Deepening Your Worship" I hope you take a look at it... it's been convicting, edifying and really a good read! It does take you all over Scripture... so get ready to get to the "cleanest pages in your Bible"

And now... to the soup...

If you are a "Trim Healthy Mama" you've probably realized that there's a lot of freedom when it comes to food... but I've found that for some reason it seems that we get a little stuck eating "S" meals and we can't seem to be able to make the healthy switch between S and E meals... I get it... don't think I don't... S meals are soooo delicious, creamy or cheesy, full of yummy/healthy fats, etc... but... if we remember, the healthiest approach to this method is to keep things moving and changing... we do have to incorporate good healthy carbs, meals with a higher carb count that will boost our energy and will keep our system on its toes.... if you didn't know this, mixing healthy carbs into your diet tell your system "it's ok", carbs help our metabolism "calm down" and the cortisol levels decrease (which helps our adrenal glands and of course helps the "fat go away")... a higher carb meal is like a "massage"... of course we shouldn't overdo them... but we should definitely include them... carbs keep things moving and provide the very necessary dietary fiber so we can be heathy and happy....

So... please remember to welcome "E" meals in your Trim Healthy Mama Menu.... Fall is here and its beautiful colors as well! We start craving soups and of course we start seeing all the amazingly delicious creamy soups appear and fill our Pinterest Boards but what about "E" soups? I do love a great turkey chili as well... but... there's more than that! The possibilities are endless... Today I am sharing one of my very favorites, this one I ended up making one day when I actually ended up ruining a whole meal when my crockpot lid chipped on one end and I ended up with tiny pieces of glass in my food, I thought it was a tragedy (it really was though!) but blessings can come out of bad things and this soup was created when I put together the only ingredients I had left for a soup.... The result was a successful, yummy "E" soup that hubby and my girls love and enjoy so much they actually get excited when they know I am making it... so here it goes:

Chicken and Barley Soup with vegetables
Yield: 4 very generous servings

Ingredients:

• 2-4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts (Depending on the size)
• 3/4 - 1 cup of raw pearl barley (I love Bob's Red Mill - Pearl Barley)
• 3 stalks of celery (chopped)
• 1/3 cup chopped white onion
• 2 medium carrots (chopped)
• 32 oz. chicken broth (fat free and preferably organic)
• about 1 cup of water
• 1 tsp. crushed dry bay leaves
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. crushed dry oregano
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• sea salt to taste (be generous, about 2 teaspoons, add more if needed before serving)

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of your crock pot (preferably thawed but it's ok if they're frozen),  add the rest of the ingredients on top, cover and cook in low for about 4-6 hours, remove the lid and shred the chicken with two forks, gently stir to incorporate and if you need more liquid add a bit more hot chicken broth, taste and more of salt if needed. Serve immediately. Enjoy!!!

Preparing my soup in my new very much needed crockpot

If you try it... please let me know how you liked it! ;)


Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, the product recommendations are entirely my personal opinion, I have not been paid or compensated in any way to recommend them.


© Paloma K.

Trim Healthy Mama - Mexican Style! S, E or FP

When people ask me: "Do you cook Mexican all the time?" I must admit that I don't always know what to say so I usually say "I guess" ... I am a Mexican, born and raised there, so whatever I cook I guess has the "Mexican flare" to it... it doesn't mean that I always cook what American people consider Mexican, it doesn't mean that I am always eating "chimichangas" (which by the way I've never had one) or "burritos" (which, I always considered "American food" growing up), it doesn't mean that I am always making "taco soup" or "taco salad" (I came to know those existed when I moved to the USA... I've never made them, btw, I should try those!) so, I guess that's why I don't know what to respond. I am always cooking rice, chicken, beef, "meatloaf" (pastel de carne), etc. Yes I do make "tostadas and tacos" but I also cook "guisados" (like casserole dishes I guess), pasta, etc... and even when I have indeed introduced other foods that I never ate while growing up in Mexico (like barley, which I LOVE!) and I do use some other seasonings that I never used to before (like Italian seasoning) I guess my food can always be considered "Mexican" because, well... that's what I am.

So... now that I am on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, I've been seeing a lot of dishes and recipes but not many of them entirely "satisfy my Mexican palate", I thought I would cook the "way I know to" just making sure I combine the ingredients the right way, the THM way, to make sure I stay on plan... and I am going to share one of my dishes with you... This one can be easily modified and used as FP, S or E... Here it goes:

Picture taken by Rhonda from the Trim Healthy Mama Team

Note: The picture is NOW great!!! Thank you Rhonda! It is beautiful!

Get your own Mexican style placemat here

Chicken with Zucchini THM dish - Mexican style
Original dish is naturally Gluten Free
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 big chicken breasts (or 3-4 smaller ones)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 white onion (chopped)
• 1 big clove of garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 green bell pepper (chopped, discard the seeds)
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce (make sure there's no added sugar)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 3 zucchinis (cubed) (I even used 2 zucchinis and 1 yellow squash)
• salt to taste

Directions:

• Place the chicken, water, onion, garlic and salt in a large skillet, cover with a tight lid and let it cook in medium/low heat until the chicken is cooked through (about 30 mins).
• Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet, let them cool a little bit, while they cool add the tomato sauce, cumin and bell pepper to the water (add a bit more liquid if necessary, there should be enough sauce up to 1/2" high in the pan).
• Cover the pan with the lid and let the sauce simmer in low heat while you shred the chicken breasts with two forks (or with your fingers if it's cool enough to handle).
• Return the shredded chicken to the pan and incorporate the zucchini, cover and let it all cook together until the zucchini is cooked through (about 10 more minutes), taste and add a bit more salt to taste if needed. Serve immediately.

FOR FP:

Serve and top with some 0% Greek yogurt next to a big green salad dressed with some balsamic vinegar. You can sprinkle some fresh chopped cilantro on top of your chicken dish.

FOR S:

You can substitute chicken breast for chicken thighs, you can serve with a side of avocado sprinkled with salt or if you're not a purist you can even eat it in 2 low carb (3 net carb) mission flour tortillas topped with sour cream (Don't forget your avocado), iceberg lettuce and cucumbers are a great accompaniment for these flavors! Make a good side salad.

FOR E:

You can serve it with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (don't add any oil to it) and even go for 1/4 cup of refried beans (fat free, Rosarita has great fat free beans) to go with it. Hopefully you'll make a side salad as well.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family enjoys it! As you can see... I guess I do cook Mexican all the time, it's awesome to be able to stay on plan.

ETA 11/1/2014: This recipe will be promoted by the Trim Healthy Mama Team, Jessica Myers (Admin from the THM FB Group ) sent it to Pearl (one of the sisters that created this amazing Plan) and they were so interested in it that they prepared it and took the beautiful picture I am sharing with my recipe... I am honored and thankful!

© Paloma K.

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