Clean Eating - Vegetable Quinoa Stirfry

Recipe and photo from The Gracious Pantry

Clean Eating Vegetable Quinoa Stir Fry
(Makes 3 servings)

Ingredients
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped, raw broccoli
1 cup sliced, brown mushrooms
1 tsp. garlic powder OR 1 tbsp. chopped, fresh garlic
1 tsp. onion powder OR 1/2 a chopped, red onion
1 tbsp. virgin coconut oil
3 cups cooked quinoa
Low sodium, organic Tamari or Soy sauce for topping

Directions

Step 1 – In the coconut oil, sauté all of the vegetables until cooked to your liking. Al dente is typically best for retaining nutrients.

Step 2 – Serve over the cooked quinoa and top with a little tamari or soy sauce.

Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1/3 of the recipe

NOTE: Data does not include the tamari or soy sauce and is based on using garlic and onion powders.

Calories: 306
Total Fat: 8 gm
Saturated Fats: 4 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 32 mg
Carbohydrates: 48 gm
Dietary fiber: 8 gm
Sugars: 4 gm
Protein: 11 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 22

Nutritional Information estimated at Nutritiondata.com. Data may not be accurate.

Clean Eating - Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

Recipe and photo from The Gracious Pantry

Clean Eating BBQ Rosemary Sweet Potatoes
(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and sliced (peel if preferred)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh, chopped rosemary
1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Step 1 – Peel (if desired) and slice your sweet potatoes very thin. About 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick at the most. The thinner they are, the better they cook.

Step 2 – Place all ingredients in a large, food-safe bag and shake to coat the potatoes in the oil and spices.

Step 3 – Using a grill pan or aluminum foil, cook the potatoes on the grill. They may take a while to cook, so allow for that. They will take a bit longer to cook than most pieces of meat. So time your meal accordingly. They are done with they begin to fall apart when stirred.

Post 6 Week Challenge - Learning to Live a Cleaner Lifestyle

The biggest change in the last 6 weeks has been my diet. By far, my diet.

There have still been plenty of times that I have made choices that I shouldn't have made, more exercise could have been done and so on. But to look at my/our families diet prior to this, there have been some big changes. 
So with that in mind, a big part of the Challenge was eating cleaner, more fruits, vegies, lean meats etc. Makes sense, and is pretty obvious. But what I was wanting to know more about what WHAT can I eat? There's only so much boiled kumara/pumpkin and salads one can eat before it gets a little monotonous. I need a little adventure in my diet sometimes. Hence how packet pasta snuck into our otherwise healthy dinner tonight.

Where I have stuck with the cleaner, healthier eating, my stomach really has thanked me for it. So tonight while Adam is playing Xbox and the kids are asleep, I am sitting here researching a whole lot of recipes. I do that anyway, it's just normally gorge-worthy baking, so this will be a welcome change!!

I have discovered Spinach Salads. LOVE!

So I will set up a tab especially for these recipes. Feel free to use them, comment/email me with your own for me to try and tell the world about them!!  

Happy Friday
Nikki

Bloggy's had a makeover!!

So today I have been very productive in my bloggy land, completely unproductive in my real land.

But hey, Multi Tasking Mummy has had a facelift. I think it is much cheerier and in synch with my improving happy face. I also changed stuff around, removed a few gadgets I no longer use and fixed a couple of "buttons" that didn't link to the appropriate sites. Next up The Undercover Bloggers, that will be a BIG job!! Including changing the "spy" pics and just giving it a general update.

What do you think?
Nikki

6 Week Challenge - some positive changes over the last 5.5 weeks

So the 6 Week Challenge is almost over, although I think we are catching up again next week, due to missing last week and my neck being so sore for the last almost 4 weeks.

All in all, given how little exercise I actually ended up doing, starting on some new medication at the beginning and then changing that again 2 weeks ago, (so have been VERY low on energy), I am really pleased with how it has gone. My diet has changed hugely, and that was the part that needed the most work. I have cut out/right down a lot of things that didn't need to be in my diet. 

My "wee man" and I at the Fireworks on the Waterfront this weekend.

I find that I still slip up easily when it comes to comfort eating, but I am working on it, and am trying to not keep the tempting kinds of foods that I like so much in the house. Does make it easier.

The 3 biggest changes I have made are firstly cutting out bread/white flour/white rice/potatoes. This was a huge deal for me and one that was not easy. It's just lucky that I like brown rice and love kumara and pumpkin!!

The second huge change was cutting my carbs right back at night time (and changing the kinds of carbs I was having). No more potatoes, packet pastas etc here. Prior to the challenge, the majority of my meal was potato/rice/bread/pasta, closely followed by meat and lastly by a tiny (if any) serve of vegetables. My vegetable intake has increased A LOT and I still feel just as full.

Thirdly, portion sizes. I ate waaaay too much. With dinners, as I mentioned above, my portion of vegies has gone right up and carbs down, but portion sizes have decreased at all my meals. This can only be a good thing.

I did say not all my choices were good choices...

I admit, there have been days when I have hugely slipped up, but I am learning that a bad day/weekend isn't the end of the world. Just get back on the proverbial horse and carry on and don't let it get you down. I think that has been the biggest learning curve for me, that because I stuffed up, I don't have to climb right off the wagon and give up, as has been the case every other time in the past.

I can honestly say that the 6 Week Challenge, although it involves quite a lot of committment and being prepared, to me, it really is sustainable. So much so that seeing as at the end of this week when it finishes there is 12 weeks until the week of Christmas, so I have decided I am going to carry it on. But this time I am going to focus on the 3 main parts that I need to work on, since the diet side has improved so much.

EXERCISE!!!! I need to increase this heaps. With injuries subsiding, my son starting kindy, getting used to new medication (and medication helping to improve pain levels), and the warmer days, I know that this will get easier.

INCREASE MY WATER INTAKE!!! When I was working, water was easy. Had a bottle beside me, water coolers in every corner of the room, it was simple. At home, with 2 little kids, it's really easy to forget to drink.

INCREASE MY SLEEP!!! Unfortunately, this is only going to happen when Amber decides to start sleeping through the night again, instead of waking 2-4 times a night like she currently does. She has been sick and also had a infection to a wound on her hand, so I can't really hold that against her, but more sleep will be good in every aspect of my life!

How could you mind not getting any sleep 
when she's this cute?

So there you have it. I will be back on Friday with the final results. I know the KG's/Measurements could be  better, but the changes I have made make me feel so much better about myself, and I know that the results will come in time and I feel that this time I am really going to stick with it and not get back up to the 94kg I was before getting pregnant with Amber.

Remember if you want to get started with Le, you can contact her either on 021 543 804, via the website, www.formhealth.co.nz or on her Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/formhealthandbodymanagement

6 Week Challenge - Weigh in Day SUCCESS!!

Woo hoo I am finally in the 86's!! 86.8kg to be exact.

Very stoked with this, especially as considering between sore neck, lack of discipline and some new medication I am on making me really sluggish, not a lot of exercise has been done, and there has been the odd bit of bread sneaking back in. Must work on that one.

So that is 3kg exactly lost in 5 weeks. Not bad given the setbacks!! My neck is starting to come right now, so fingers crossed for a big increase in the exercise from now on.

A beautiful day today and the weather is set to stay the same for the weekend, so hoping I can get out in the fresh air, sans kids.

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!
Nikki

Happy 3rd Birthday to my little man!!

On Sunday my boy turned 3 years old. It's amazing how quickly 3 years has gone and how much has happened in that time.

We went to Chipmunks and had a party there in one of their party rooms. He had an absolute BLAST!!! All his friends came, as well as the grandparents and he was so spoilt rotten with presents.

Amber helping to open presents

Awww thanks for my present!!

New General Grievous mask (Star Wars)

Love the slide!!

Hugs with Charlie Chipmunk

Apparently the cake was good. Didn't even need hands to eat it!

Star Wars Lego Chocolate Mud Cake

The Party Room.