Healthier 2014

I think a common new year goal for many of us is eating healthy.  We've never been big on fast food and greasy hamburgers, but we weren't really watching processed foods, refined sugar intake, hidden preservatives, etc. in our day-to-day diet.  Both Michael and I wanted to change that for our family and January seemed like the perfect month to give it all a go.
We started with small goals and I'm proud to say we've been sticking to our menu plan and have cut out most processed snacks and sugar (which was HUGE with the boys and with Michael being on the road many days of the week).  We've tried (and enjoyed) many Paleo recipes, switched to coconut oil cooking, transitioned the boys to almond butter, upped our fresh fruit/veggie intake, and have MADE most of our between meal snacks.  Non-paleo items such as beans, rice, dairy, and other grains have remained a small part of our diet (and probably always will), but I'm super happy with our progress thus far.

**I can't say enough about planning out a weekly menu (breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner) and doing a once per week grocery run.  It eliminates eating out (which our tight budget needed), stressful mealtimes, and allows me to see exactly what ingredients are going into our bodies.

A few of you have asked for particular recipes and/or our weekly menus...here is a snippet :)
Most recipes for the dishes listed below can be found on my Pinterest page.

Dinner menu items for last week and upcoming:
*French onion pot roast (carrots & potatoes), balsamic green beans, cornbread
*Greek chicken pita sandwiches (slow cooker) w/roasted garlic quinoa
*Jambalaya, tossed salad
*BBQ chicken pizza
*Bacon wrapped chicken w/ honey mustard glaze, squash chips, rolls
*Chili w/ fixins
*Cilantro lime chicken (slow cooker), homemade guacamole, blue corn chips (non GMO)
*Spaghetti (using spaghetti squash - slow cooker)
*Grilled zucchini pizza slices (layering toppings on grilled zucchini and placing under broiler)
*Mexican braid w/ homemade 'Chuy's' jalapeno ranch dip
*Goat cheese & sundried tomato stuffed chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli
*Southwest chicken soup (slow cooker)
*Grilled pork chops, roasted asparagus, saffron rice

Here are a couple of our favs...
Greek Chicken Pitas:
1/2 c. sliced onion
1 lb. chicken breasts
1.5 tsp lemon pepper
1 garlic clove; minced
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sour cream (optional)

Layer chicken, onion, and garlic in slow cooker.  Mix seasonings and sprinkle on top.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  Spoon into whole wheat pitas and garnish with chopped tomatoes, green onions, or any other preferred toppings.  *Optional:  Remove chicken, shred.  Mix sour cream into the slow cooker juices.  Add shredded chicken back in, stir, and serve.

Bacon wrapped chicken with honey mustard glaze:
Chicken tenderloins
8-10 strips of bacon
1/3 c. honey
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. prepared ground mustard

Preheat oven to 400. Wrap each tenderloin with one strip of bacon and place on a cooling rack (place rack on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet).  Mix other ingredients and baste chicken.  Place in oven for 12-15 min.  Flip chicken and baste again (throw away any unused glaze).  Cook until bacon is crispy.
I made another bowl of the glaze for dipping...it's sooo good!

Squash Chips:
Thinly slice yellow squash and zucchini.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a 375 degree oven for 30 min. (I placed mine on a cooling rack set on a baking sheet to help with crispiness).  Add a little shredded parm. cheese about 5 min. before removing from oven for an added taste :)

BBQ Chicken Pizza:
Refrigerated pizza dough
3/4 c. barbeque sauce (prepared or homemade)
Cooked, chopped chicken
red onion (as much or as little as you like)
fresh, chopped cilantro
Mozz. cheese

Cook pizza crust according to package directions.  Toss chicken with small amount of sauce and use remainder to spread on pizza crust.  Top with crust with chicken, onion, and cheese.  Bake until crust is done and cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with fresh cilantro before serving.

No-Bake Energy Bites: 
Kiddos LOVE these as a between meal snack and they're perfect for on the go
1 c. dry old fashioned oats
2/3 c. toasted coconut flakes
1/2 c. peanut butter (I've also used almond butter)
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
1/2 c. chocolate chips (opt.)
1/3 c. honey
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Chill for 30 min.  Roll into 1 in. balls and store in an air tight container.  Keeps in fridge for up to a week (but they won't last that long!).

I'm always searching for easy, healthy recipes, so if you have some please send 'em my way!