Zucchini Lasagna

Craving yummy lasagna but don't have the carbs in your diet?  Try using zucchini instead of noodles :) This is a great version of the classic comfort food that will not ruin your day!

Ingredients:

• 20 oz lean ground turkey
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
• 2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1/2 cup Grated (not Shredded) Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 8oz Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
• 2.5 Zucchini's
• 4 cups of Spinach

Directions:

In a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain any grease. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and salt. 

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside. 

To assemble:
Arrange 4 slices of the zucchini in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese then a layer of spinach.  Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top

Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.

Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Makes 12 servings

Follow me on My Fitness Pal...BikiniDiva28 for more recipes and to see what i eat :)

Dancin' Doll Chili

Some days are just “chili days”. Is it a coincidence that those particular days are usually “chilly”? I think not.

But bad jokes aside, I really do think that we enjoy food based on our emotions and feelings. On cold days, we want warmth and comfort and the feeling of home and a warm kitchen with fabulous aromas. What better way to scent your kitchen than a big pot of chili?

Ingredients:
20 oz package of 99% lean ground turkey
30 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1 large sweet green pepper
1 large yellow onion
½ large sweet red pepper
5 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, no sugar added, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can kidney or cannellini beans, no sugar added, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (12 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa

Directions:
Chop all vegetables
Mix all ingredients in crockpot until distributed evenly.
Cover
Note: You are not browning the turkey first. Mix it in with all of other ingredients while raw.
Cook on low for 8 hours

Follow me on My Fitness Pal...BikiniDiva28 for more recipes and to see what I eat ;)

FIT CHAMP Competition Testimonials

Robert from Bakersfield, CA said.....

"I was nervous at first when I told my wife I would do the fit challenge with her, wasn't sure about the idea of paying money out to someone I didn't even know. I wasn't even sure I would stay motivated to stick with my program by the end of the first week. But I was able to hold on to the motivation, I saw an opportunity to stick with it and though I had a few hiccups along the way I was glad I stuck around.

It was like a little encouraging voice from strangers that was just enough to keep me on track. I never felt "pressured" into sticking with it, just a nice group of folks willing to throw some encouragement my way (even though it may not have been directed towards me). The door prizes were fun without being "stressful" and the overall feel of the group was non confrontational and accepting. I would rate my experience as an "A++ do recommend" :-)

I found that having someone I know (or 3) join with me was a great way to feel like I had an interest at stake, and helped me to feel comfortable with sharing my thoughts and encouragement and such."

Megan from Bakersfield, CA said.....

"I joined the challenge simply because I needed some motivation and it was affordable. I figured if I won it would be great and if I didn't I wouldn't be out much cash. I wasn't expecting much aside from just a cash motivator to get my butt to work out. What I got though was a great community of folks from all walks of life and locations across the USA who have created a wonderful place to come for support, ideas, and motivation. I gained so much more from the challenge than just the motivation to win a little bit of cash. I feel like I have a team of people who are there to cheer me on when I felt down or discouraged, celebrate my achievements, and push me to stay accountable and become healthier, and it's FUN. I truly enjoy this challenge group and I can't wait to start our January challenge and see how far we all will go!"

Chickpea Cookies

Chickpea cookies with no flour, no oil, no white sugar. These are just full of chickpeas. And they’re my very favorite healthy cookie so far! I don’t know if they really classify as cookies so I’ll go with cookie dough bites. And as a bonus, they’re grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. Just in case that matters to anyone out there! And if you’re worried about the chickpeas, don’t be. I don’t like chickpeas and won’t eat them but that didn’t prevent me from inhaling these.

These aren’t the most beautiful cookie dough bites, but fresh out of the oven, with all that gooey chocolate, I bet you can’t tell that these are made with chickpeas. Or are grain-free. But cold? Yuck. These need to be warm! You can either freeze the balls and pop a few in the oven whenever it’s on, or simply put them in the microwave until they’re warm and gooey again.

• • 
    
  
• Prep Time: 8 min
• Cook Time: 10 min
• Ready in: 18 min

Yield: 14 1" cookies

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups canned chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter, SunButter Natural or almond butter - room temperature
• ¼ cup (80 grams) honey (commenters have usedagave and maple syrup with success!)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn't have salt in it
• ½ cup (90 grams) chocolate chips (use vegan and dairy-free chocolate chips, if needed)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C. Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they're combined.
2. Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.
3. With wet hands, form into 1½" balls. Place onto a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don't do much rising.
4. Bake for about 10 minutes. The dough balls will still be very soft when you take them out of the oven. They will not set like normal cookies.
5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the fridge) for up to 1 week.

Notes

• My can of chickpeas was 400 grams, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons.
• Don't even try with regular peanut butter! They'll come out oily. You MUST use natural peanut butter. :)
• If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

Cheesy Chicken Veggie Casserole

Try this inexpensive and fresh version of a chicken casserole--no need for processed soups or sauces!

Ingredients
24 oz cooked chicken breasts, diced
4 T all purpose flour
4T butter, unsalted
20 oz skim milk
2 pinch white pepper
2 t Italian seasoning
2 T parmesan cheese, grated
7 oz penne pasta, whole wheat
4 yellow or orange bell peppers, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped 4 heads, approx.
24 ounces broccoli, chopped
2/3 c monterey jack cheese
nonstick cooking spray

Directions
Prepare the white sauce by placing the butter in a small sauce pot that has been preheated over medium heat. Once the butter foams, add flour and stir for 1 minute; try not to let the mixture turn brown. Add milk to the mixture and continue to stir until it starts to bubble. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pepper, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir to combine. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees. During the last minute of the pasta's cooking, add the chopped broccoli to the water. Allow to simmer for one minute.

Drain the pasta and broccoli. Spritz the bottom and sides of a large oven-proof casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta and broccoli with the chicken and chopped vegetables; cover with the sauce. Place in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the Monterey jack cheese and cover with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is melted.

BBQ Pulled Pork

When you need a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, take a stab at this savory dish. Thanks to 4-6 hours of slow cooking, the recipe yields incredibly tender pulled pork soaked in a delectable barbecue sauce. Chili powder and cumin add a spicy and scrumptious kick!

Time: 4-6 hours or until internal temperature of meat reaches at least 165 degrees F. Meat should easily pull apart when done.
Temperature: Low
Yield: 12 servings
Recommended Slow Cooker Size: 4 quarts

Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce, no sugar added
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 pork loin top loin chops

Directions: In your slow cooker insert, mix together all ingredients except the chops. This will create the barbecue sauce. Please note that this makes a lot of sauce. If you feel it's too much, simply save some of it for another use. But do not reduce by more than half. Place the chops in the sauce and cook as directed. 

Nutritional Content:
Serving size: 1/12 of the recipe
Calories: 146
Total Fat: 2 g.
Saturated Fat: 1 g.
Trans Fat: 0 g.
Cholesterol: 35 mg.
Sodium: 426 mg. (This can be lowered with low or no-sodium tomato sauce.)
Carbohydrates: 15 g.
Dietary Fiber: 1 g.
Sugars: 10 g.
Protein: 18 g

5 Fat-Flushing Drinks and Fat Flush Water

Check out these 5 fat-flushing drinks that will have you on your way to a slim trim body in no time. You CAN eat the ingredients used in each drink if you so choose, but they are mainly there for the taste. Drink 8 ounces before each meal 3 times a day for 10 days and marvel at the results.

Combine ingredients for these fat flushing drinks into a glass pitcher, chill, and enjoy!

1.) FAT FLUSH WATER Yes, that is the real name. The fat flush water was first introduced by Kim Lyons, who presented this concoction on The Biggest Loser, combined with other weight loss tips. Kim adds that this drink tastes better the longer it sits. The vitamin C turns fat into fuel, while the tangerine increases your sensitivity to insulin, and the cucumber makes you feel full. Try this fat flush water for the next 10 days and see how great you feel. Below you will find a more detailed recipe for Kim Lyon’s fat flush drink!

Ingredients                                                                                   

·         1/2 gallon water

·         6 wedges grapefruit

·         1 tangerine, sliced

·         ½ cucumber, sliced

·         2 peppermint or mint leaves

·         Ice

Directions

Rinse grapefruit, tangerine, cucumber and mint leaves. Slice cucumber, grapefruit, and tangerine (or peel). Combine all ingredients in a half gallon pitcher. Allow the ingredients to sit for 2 hours for maximum benefits. Drink throughout the day. Stir & Enjoy!

2.) CRANWATER. We all know water is a diuretic and great for the entire body, but combined with cranberry juice, it’s a fantastic fat and water flushing drink. Combine 5-6 ounces of water and 8 ounces of 100% cranberry juice. Mix together and drink throughout the day. Make sure it is 100% cranberry juice with nothing else added. The cranberry juice contains high levels of organic acids, and when consumed on a regular basis may help your body actually dissolve fatty deposits.

3.) GRAPEFRUIT JUICE. Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice is one of the best things for your body. Grapefruits contain high amounts of Vitamin C, which helps your body to detoxify naturally. This drink helps your liver do the job it was meant to do – detoxify and metabolize your body!

4.) WATER. Yes, we know. What a shock! Plain old water! But, truly your body needs plenty of water to facilitate the breakdown of fat in your body. Drinking water will help flush out toxins and keep you energized so that your body to perform at it’s best. Keep in mind, drinking tons of water is not the answer to losing weight. You will still need to take in a  proper diet and facilitate an appropriate exercise regime. Drinking water will keep your body clean and allow all of your organs to work properly instead of working overtime to keep your body going.

5.) GREEN TEA. Green tea is one of the most famous fat flushing drinks. Like cranberry juice, green tea is extremely high in antioxidants. It is known for helping many dieters lose fat quicker than usual when consumed 2-3 times a day. Green tea not only flushes fat, but also is packed with other helpful benefits for your body.

These 5 drinks won’t work miracles alone, but are a great start and will help increase the benefits of a healthy diet and cardio regimen. For maximum health benefits, it is important to also implement an appropriate fitness program with a nutritious diet. 

Fruit & Herb Flavored Spa Water

An easy formula for making a variety of fruit and herb infused waters. Say goodbye to soda, juice, & bottled water with these refreshing "spa water" flavors!

Ingredients

• fruit -- 2 cups berries, citrus, melons, pineapple...most fruits will work (see recommended amounts in directions)
• herbs -- a sprig of mint, basil, sage, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, or lavender
• water (tap or filtered)
• ice

Directions

Supplies needed: 2 quart pitcher or jar with lid; muddler or wooden spoon

General formula for whatever fruit/herb combo you desire.
1. If using herbs, add a sprig of fresh herbs to jar/pitcher; press and twist with muddler or handle of wooden spoon to bruise leaves and release flavor; don't pulverize the herbs into bits.
2. Add approx. 2 cups of fruit to jar/pitcher; press and twist with muddler or handle of wooden spoon, just enough to release some of the juices
3. Fill jar/pitcher with ice cubes.
4. Add water to top of jar/pitcher.
5. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Suggested flavor combinations:
ALL CITRUS (no herbs) --  Slice 1 orange, 1 lime, 1 lemon into rounds, then cut the rounds in half. Add to jar and proceed with muddling, add ice & water.
RASPBERRY LIME (no herbs)  -- Quarter 2 limes; with your hands, squeeze the juice into the jar, then throw in the squeezed lime quarters. Add 2 cups raspberries. Muddle, add ice & water.
PINEAPPLE MINT -- Add a sprig of mint to the jar (you can throw in the whole sprig; or, remove the leaves from the sprig, if you prefer to have the mint swimming around and distributing in the jar). Muddle the mint. Add 2 cups pineapple pieces, muddle, add ice & water.
BLACKBERRY SAGE -- Add sage sprig to jar and muddle. Add 2 cups blackberries; muddle, add ice & water.
WATERMELON ROSEMARY --  Add rosemary sprig to jar & muddle. Add 2 cups watermelon cubes; muddle, add ice and water.