Be Happy in the Skin You Are In... NOW!

Today's post comes out of necessity for me to get something off of my chest. There is so much talk in the media about what it means to be skinny and even a definition of "fat." We are seeing "fat shaming" and now, "skinny shaming" left and right - wherever we turn.  So, when should we be happy with the body we have? Once we are happy, do we stop trying to make it better?

The truth of the matter is, you have to be happy in the skin you are in at the moment to make any improvements in the future. As most of you know, I had a baby 10.5 months ago and my auto-immune disease has spiraled out of control since then. I'm in a good place as far as my body goes (at least I think so), but I'm not that super teeny size I used to be. Guess what - I don't care! I'm happy with the effort that I have been putting in, the way I have been eating. and can honestly say that I am getting stronger each day - physically and mentally. I fit in most of my clothes (with the exception of those super tiny ones) and I have found the balance that I need to ensure I am taking care of my family while also taking care of myself.

(I was that person... I used to laugh at the people that said I didn't understand what it was like to have a kid, when I didn't have one, but now I understand! Especially at this age, there is very little time to yourself and it's a triumph if you actually cook something to eat and GET to eat it!)

So... does that mean that I won't work hard to get myself to the next level? Absolutely not! Life is a constant state of change and why not change for the better? I am a real woman, a real mother, a real wife and a real member of society. My life has to reflect that. Your life should reflect the person you are and the person you want to be - not reflect what you do or don't see in the mirror. That will come.

Understand that YOU are constantly evolving. Love the process. Love each and every step.

Pasta Night in Less than 20 Minutes

One of my favorite things when I was little was looking forward to "Food Nights." Not necessarily, a bad thing, creating a night of the week that you have a particular genre of food each week can not only be fun but it can help you prep your meal plan for the week in a snap!

Picture this... it's Thursday and you have run out of your Sunday prep food and you aren't quite sure what you are going to have for dinner. You want a fun meal that the ENTIRE family will enjoy, but you want it to be clean and healthy too. Why not incorporate a pasta night? No... we aren't talking floury pastas with cheese and cream. This is a flavorful, protein-packed brown rice pasta dish that you can make when all you have is 20 minutes. (It doesn't hurt that this tastes like (we say like, because it's better!) a pepper pasta dish at one of those famous chain Italian restaurants *wink, wink*.)

Clean Eating Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Pasta Night in Less Than 20 Minutes!

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil Spray (We recommend using a Misto with your favorite Olive Oil)
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1lb Clean Chicken Sausage, sliced (We used Bilinski's Apple Chardonnay Chicken Sausage)
• Clean Pasta Sauce (We used Mario Batali's Arrabbiata Sauce)
• Brown Rice Pasta (We used  Jovial Organic Brown Rice Spaghetti)

Directions:

1. Spray large sauce pan with olive oil spray and heat over medium heat.

2. Add red and green bell peppers and yellow onion. Saute in pan until peppers begin to soften and onions are almost clear.

3. Add in sliced sausage and saute for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add pasta sauce and reduce heat to low.

5. Prepare pasta as directed.

Servings Size varies depending on your caloric needs of the pasta. However, the pepper/sausage mixture should yield enough 6 servings.

Mets are not available for this recipe as this varies greatly depending on ingredients used.

Roasted Italian Herb Chicken

This is one of the easiest recipes to make and a great way to break up the monotony of chicken for dinner. Think rotisserie chicken without the mystery of what your purchased rotisserie chicken was actually cooked with. (Just think! Eeew! It may have even been injected with a processed substance you would NEVER use!)

You may also like our clean & simple roasted chicken recipe!

Roasted Italian Herb Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 whole organic chicken
• 1 TBSP Safflower Oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp coarse grind black pepper
• 1/2 tsp coarse grind sea salt
• 1/2 lemon, peeled and cut in half
• 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Rinse and pat your chicken dry using an unprinted paper towel. Place chicken in a baking dish WITH sides (there will be some drippings).

3. Combine spices together in a small dish.

4. Spread olive oil on chicken and shake spice mixture over chicken to coat. Rub the spices into chicken, combining olive oil and spices together.

5. Stuff lemon and onion into chicken inner cavity. (You will not be eating this - it is for flavor.)

6. Bake for 75 minutes at 450 degrees F.

7. Allow chicken to cool for approximately 10-15 minutes prior to eating.

Enjoy!