Delicious and healthy.... what a beautiful couple!

See that??? I didn't always knew I could eat sooo good and not worry about gaining weight! Sometimes when someone says "healthy" our mind can go to places where everything is green and bland...  There are so many misconceptions about what healthy really is! Sadly I've been on that same boat in the past... only being able to lose weight by "punishing myself" for being "such a bad girl"! The punishment many times worked, at least apparently and temporarily... but who can live "forever punished"? Not me!!! In my most rebellious moments I would give up and go back to overeating or if I "stuck with the punishment" long enough and managed to lose lots of weight then I would "reward myself" by going back to eating what made me fat in the first place! What happened then? Well... take a guess!!! Yes... I went back to gaining all the weight I had lost (and more) so I needed to be punished one more time!

ENOUGH!

Then on 2012 I discovered a new "thing" (new to me)... exercising... I did become very strict with calorie counting but... this "thing" that I had never tried before made me feel great and even when it still gets hard to wake up every morning to go for a run or to a bootcamp I now don't understand how I could live my whole life "without it" ... But I still couldn't get the 'food thing' figured out! I was actually terrified of losing "all the weight I needed to lose" because what would happen next? I didn't know how to maintain! I've never known how to have a healthy relationship with food... or at least not until 2013 when a friend told me about Trim Healthy Mama; and I started to read and educate myself through books I checked out at my library... I still haven't lost another inch... to be honest... I actually struggle not to gain weight even when eating healthy... but I now know that it is in great part because of the crazy diets that slowed down my metabolism in the past... I now have read books like:  The Fast Metabolism Diet: Eat More Food and Lose More Weight, The Good Fat Cookbook, Cavewomen Don't Get Fat: The Paleo Chic Diet for Rapid Results and many other health/nutrition related cookbooks where I have been able to compare studies, theories and I came up with pretty much the same conclusions from them all and here are some of them:

1. Fat DOESN'T make you FAT!
2. Natural and Whole is always best! (duh!?)
3. Grains and starches are not necessarily all healthy!
4. How we combine our foods results in weight gain or weight loss
5. I have to keep movin'!
6. Food is not my enemy... is my friend!
7. Read the labels!
8. A label that says "Light" does not mean "healthy"
9. Delicious is not in a fight against healthy! There is nothing more delicious, satisfying, and "calming" than good food! delicious and healthy actually make the most beautiful couple!

Right now I am following more closely the Trim Healthy Mama plan, it is way simpler for my lifestyle (and it is soooo good!).... and to hopefully get you on the same boat... I will share a very simple recipe that I enjoy making on the weekends or on Friday night for a fun dinner for my family:

Healthy Lettuce Tacos!
THM - S "Satisfying Meal"

Ingredients:
Yield: About "14-16" tacos

• 2 lbs. ground beef or turkey (beef should be grass-fed preferably)
• 1 small white onion (or 1/2 large one)
• 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped or minced)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. chili powder mix
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional for more heat)
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste (make sure there is no sugar added)
• 1-2 tbsp. chicken or vegetable broth if needed
• romaine lettuce hearts (enough to use 3-4 leaves per person)

Garnish:
chopped cilantro, sour cream (not light!), slices of avocado, shredded cheddar cheese and maybe some lime wedges.

Let's put it all together!

First brown the beef in a skillet, drain the juices that remain (especially if not using grass-fed meat), add the onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes), add the rest of the spices and cook until aromatic (about 1 minute), taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly, add tomato paste and a bit of broth the mixture is too dry so it all incorporates well, cook for about 1 more minute if you want to serve this right away or add more liquid and let it simmer for about 1/2 hour to concentrate the flavors.

Serve on the washed romaine lettuce hearts as the 'real deal tacos'... top with the garnish ingredients!

Tip: I mix the meat filling with cooked quinoa for a very healthy crossover for my family... It is delish!

Enjoy your healthy/delicious food... Healthy and delicious go forever together! Let's not separate them!

Paloma.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. 

Fried Chicken! Yes I can!

If you are a Trim Healthy Mama then you will not be horrified when you see that we can eat "Fried Chicken" and still lose weight... you know that being on this plan "anything is possible". Now... even as a Trim Healthy Mama you might still be surprised at the thought of having "breaded chicken" ... but today I was feeling adventurous in the kitchen and I was really craving some "breaded chicken strips" so I went to my "THM pantry" (oh yes! If you ever join Trim Healthy Mama you know that by now your whole pantry has changed and a big bucket of Extra virgin olive oil is KING in that pantry!) and I grabbed the things that I thought I would need to satisfy my craving and stay on plan!

Here's what I did:

Almond Crusted Chicken Strips (or just call it fried chicken!)
Yield: 4 generous servings (about 4 strips per person)



"Fried chicken" with "cauliflower rice"

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (skinless/boneless) cut in strips (about 4-5 strips out of each breast)
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 cups (or more) of almond meal (it's basically just ground almonds, I bought a good sized one at Trader Joe's for a great price)
salt and pepper to taste
Italian seasoning (about 1 tbsp.)
4 eggs
Oil to pan-fry (extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil or a mix of the two)

Directions
Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper, transfer to a plastic bag and add the coconut flour, shake to coat all the strips evenly.

On a separate dish whisk the eggs and on a large dish (can use a baking dish or a pan) mix the almond meal and Italian seasoning together and add some salt as well (about a teaspoon). Now pass each coconut flour coated chicken strip through the egg and then through the almond meal, set aside.

In a large skillet pour all of your oil necessary to pan-fry your chicken (not too much that the chicken would be swimming or completely covered), turn your heat to medium-high and let it warm up until it's hot enough to fry (very, very hot!), now pass your "breaded" chicken strips to your skillet (carefully, don't just drop them or the oil will splash and burn you) and cook them for about 3 minutes on each side -or more if necessary- but be careful, the strips are not too thick and they cook (and dry) quickly.

When they're ready transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to remove excess of oil and serve! You can serve it next to some buttered vegetables (or cauliflower mash) ... Butter? Don't be scared! It's OK!!! If you've been on THM for a while you now confidently add more butter to your veggies and you know you're doing a big favor to your health and heart!

My girlies topped their chicken strips with ketchup and devoured them, I was a good THM so I used some Ranch dressing on mine! YUM!

You are not a THM yet? Sounds too good to be true? Well... it is true though! Those THM ladies are losing weight almost like they're getting paid to do so! And they're doing so by enjoying life and great food!

This recipe is low carb, it's an S meal in the THM plan and also paleo friendly, gluten-free and dairy-free.

Quick update: A fellow THM (Marilyn) just said (on the THM Facebook Page) that she used this recipe to coat pork cutlets.... she said: "it is awesome"(her exact words). That was so encouraging, thanks Marilyn!

Hope you will try it and love it too!

Paloma.

Delicious and Nutritious Homemade Protein Bars

Hello everybody! Sorry it took me a while to write a new post... my computer was acting up really bad and then after some cleaning done to the inside of the CPU it decided to act even worse! So... we ended up having to get a new computer... nothing fancy... just a desktop that would allow me to keep couponing, allow me also to be in touch with our families far away and also let the girls continue to enjoy Starfall.com ... I am sure you have heard from them... if you haven't you and your little ones are missing out on some good ol' learning! I am sharing about them with you because it is another GREAT DEAL! You can use it for free to some extent (great materials are available for free) and then if you pay for access for your computer for a whole year you do get all the benefits of this amazing site! It's been a great tool to complement our homeschooling.

Now... you're here probably because the sound of Homemade Protein bars caught your attention... So... yes... I make our own Protein Bars... I should probably call them Protein squares though ... these are amazing and oh so good for you! Hubby loves them so much that he forgets that they're not just a "delicious treat"... I actually make them to have something healthy at hand for those moments when I have a chocolate craving but also to eat them right before a good workout!

My recipe is a very basic one and very easy to customize to your own taste and liking... The measurements are approximates... You can add or switch ingredients for your favorite ones....

So... to make these delicious protein bars you'll need:

Ingredients:
(Yield: about 35 2x2" squares)

- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup hemp seed hearts
- 1/2 scoop of protein powder (My recommendation is Jay Robb Chocolate whey, Swanson Vanilla Whey Isolate -way more affordable and the one I typically use or the Trim Healthy Mama Brand)
- 2 tbsp. to 1/4 unsweetened cup cocoa powder
- Sweetener to taste (if you're trying to lose weight I recommend you use stevia, I use THM pure stevia extract, if you're not concerned about weight issues you can use honey or pure maple syrup)
- about 3 tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil (sooooooooo good for you!)
- 2 tbsp. of an unsweetened nut butter (optional)
- vanilla extract (optional, to taste)
- almond milk (unsweetened) - enough to incorporate it all, about 2 tbsp. to 1/4 cup -

Directions:

Put all your dry ingredients in a food processor (no nut butters, almond milk, extract or oil yet), pulse until they are chopped into very small pieces, add your wet ingredients except almond milk, pulse again to incorporate. Gradually add almond milk (just enough to make a "dough" looking mixture, it should be very thick).

Transfer your mixture to a flexible long (rectangular preferably) container (I use the lid of my 9x13" baking pan), spread it out with a spatula or butter knife until it's evenly spread out and it's about 1" thick. Superficially score your mixture with a knife to make squares (about 2" each) and get it into the freezer for about 20 minutes. Take it out and pass the knife again through the lines of the squares just to cut them all the way through (but don't move them yet) and get them back in the freezer for a few hours until they are completely frozen.

Remove from your lid/container/mat and store in Ziploc bags in the freezer, enjoy frozen (or they'll melt/get soggy) ... They are a delicious frozen protein square that even your children will love!

Now... since we are talking about "deals" let me tell you that I buy most of the ingredients in this recipe at Costco (you can get the super affordable swanson protein at Amazon), it is 29.99 for a big container of protein powder (over 2 pounds)


Click here



And I don't think you will find cheaper almonds/pecans, hemp, chia seeds and extra virgin coconut oil than at Costco (but if you do, please let me know!)

If you follow this recipe and do not add any dried fruits/honey or maple syrup each square has:
about 100 calories, less than 1 net carb and everything else is rich nutrition that will energize you! good fats that will heal you but keep in mind that the amount of protein is not high enough for a complete meal so make sure you do incorporate other sources of protein for a whole meal.

So... there you have it! You've made your very own protein squares! If you are a Trim Healthy mama then you know you can enjoy these in an "S" setting. Enjoy!

Paloma.

Frugal Mexican Meal!

Hello everybody! Here's another "frugal post" :)  ... Today I am planning on sharing a super quick "recipe" with you... it is hard to call it a RECIPE because it is more like a tip on how to prepare your beans... Beans have amazing health benefits... they are a great source of fiber and vegetable protein, they also have a very low glycemic index, which means that they don't cause a rapid sugar increase in your blood, they are a very healthy complex carb... If you didn't grow up eating beans then they might have some unwanted "secondary effects" but that can be fixed by soaking your beans in plenty of water (3 parts water for 1 part of beans) all night and then draining them and filling them up with water again now for cooking. Soaking the beans will also help you reduce the time of cooking which will save you money on your energy bill.

So... let me tell you how I make beans to have them be a great accompaniment to a meal or a perfect lunch option!

First of all cook your beans (pinto, black or cannellini, for this recipe I prefer pinto or black), to cook them just boil them in plenty of water WITHOUT SALT and with about 3 cloves of garlic (whole cloves, not chopped, just peeled) - Add the salt when they're "mid-way cooked", if you add the salt from the beginning they will harden and take longer to cook, if you add it at the end you might need to use more salt- until they are tender (there should be NO resistance when you bite into one of the beans)- once your beans are cooked you will serve them in a bowl (right away) and use the following for garnish

BASIC GARNISH -for a side dish-:

(All of the ingredients should be finely chopped)

• cilantro
• fresh tomato
• white onion
• freshly squeezed lime juice 

 

 Toss it all together and add on top of the beans, then add some freshly squeezed lime juice (to taste), season with more salt if necessary, you can also add a bit (just a very little bit) of ground cumin to season and for more flavor.

More elaborate GARNISH - to make it a more complete meal-

Serve your beans in bowls and just have different plates with the garnishes for people to add, it is FUN and your kids can participate in the making of "their own meal"


(all of the ingredients should be finely chopped)

• Crumbled Queso Fresco or "Queso Panela"
• Cubed Avocado (cut it up right before serving to avoid oxidation, toss with a bit of lime juice for the same reason)
• Cilantro
• Serrano peppers (optional, that's for the grown ups! YUM!)
• White onion
• Lime Juice (you can cut your limes in wedges and let people "squeeze away")
• Ground cumin and extra salt for seasoning if desired.

I hope you will like this idea... Hubby always thought he hated beans... well... he had only had baked beans, those that have molasses or sugar in them... You might like those but trust me... I think you will LOVE these... They have such a great flavor and are soooo good for you (particularly without the sugar) ... You can have a delicious piece of Mexico's cuisine (yes, I am so proud of our Mexican food) at your table without having to go out!

Let me know how you like this idea... if you are not convinced yet, let me throw some facts about Pinto beans and their great nutrition right here: (black beans have very similar numbers)

Pinto Beans, cooked
Nutrient:

  (1 cup)  DRI/DV

 molybdenum285%

 folate73.5%

 fiber61.5%

 copper41.1%

 manganese38.5%

 phosphorus35.9%

 protein30.8%

 vitamin B127.5%

 vitamin B622.9%

 magnesium21.3%

 potassium21.3%

 iron19.8%

 Did I convince you yet? I hope so!

Please don't forget to leave a comment and/or share/pin :).

Note: If you are following the Trim Healthy Mama Plan then you need to know that this is a perfect E side dish (just use the BASIC GARNISH only - no avocado or cheese) and have some lean protein with it like chicken breast or turkey or you can go all the way and enjoy it with EVERYTHING as a great and very healthy crossover.

Love, 

Paloma.

Kroger, HEB, Randall's Best Deals of the week

Hello everybody! I woke up today, went for my run and then visited Kroger, I live in Texas so we have Kroger, HEB, Randall's, Aldi, etc... I will be including some of our Texas deals everyday and also some National Deals... If there's a specific store you'd like me to learn more about and share here I can do that once a week... Just let me know!

As you know I am sharing coupons, deals and offers, not all of them, just those things that help moms that just like me are trying to balance living a healthy life in a tight budget, sometimes there will be organic products, non-gmo, gluten free and sometimes other products that might not meet all those requirements but that are more inexpensive and still a better option than all artificial/super processed foods ... as I mentioned in my first post... My focus on this blog is a more conservative approach to couponing... so... I hope you like today's deals: (Offers Valid from 08/06/2014 - 08/12/2014)

For now... Here are the deals  of the week I got from Kroger,  HEB and Randall's:

KROGER:

Clairol Herbal Essences Hair Care (on Sale for 2.50 with Kroger Card) - final price 1.50 with coupon
 + Printable coupon is for $1.00 off Herbal Essences Shampoo or Conditioner
Printable Coupon

CRAZY Good deal - Gillete Razors (includes Max and Gillete Body) on sale for 6.99 (reduced from 7.99) and you can get the digital coupon for an extra $5.00 off!!! here

Kashi Cereal (13-14 oz) (on Sale for 1.99 with Kroger Card) - final price $1.49 each with coupon
+ Printable coupon is for $1.00 off of any TWO Kashi Go lean Cereals
Printable Coupon

Nature's Bounty Vitamines Buy 1 Get 1 FREE
+ you can use a MFG coupon from Red Plum Coupons for $1.00 if you get those coupons on the mail

Smuckers Fruit Spread 12-18 oz on sale for 1.49 with Kroger Card

Sargento Shredded Natural Cheese 5-8 oz on sale for 1.99 with Kroger Card
 
 Tide Laundry Detergent 46-50 oz (on sale for 4.99 with Kroger Card) -final price $3.49
+ Printable Coupon is for 1.50 off
Printable Coupon

 Dawn Dish Soap 19-24 oz (on sale for 1.63 with Kroger Card)
+ you can use a MFG coupon from P&G Coupons for $0.25 if you get those coupons on the mail


Bertolli Olive Oil, 50% Off (on sale with Kroger Card) Final Price: 6.00
Personal Note: Aldi has really cheap Olive Oil.

HEB:

Marble Composition Book, 100 sheets- limit 6 for .50c each

Personal Note: Hubby says they will be even cheaper at Wal-Mart after school starts, he bought a big box last year of these notebooks for .10 c each... but I had to share this great deal at HEB for now.

Shop Walmart's Back to Class Savings Event from 8/1-8/10 at Walmart.com!

Grapes Seedless, Red, per lb - .97 cents (61% savings from the regular price)

Central Market Organics Milk, gallon $3.98 each. (20% savings from regular price) 

RANDALL'S:

Lysol All Purpose Cleaners 22-32 oz (on sale at 1.50 with Club Card)

qualifies for Clean Up & Save Promo, BOGO, lesser item free, mix and match, final Estimated price .50 cents if you also use a MFG coupon from SmartSource Coupons for 0.50 cents if you get those coupons on the mail.

Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna 5-oz (on sale for .69 cents with Club Card)

+ Printable coupon is for .75 cents off when buying 3 Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna (Final Price would be 0.44 cents each after coupon)

Printable Coupon

Those are the biggest deals that got my attention for this week from those 3 different stores... You choose what you pick... and remember to print your coupons here!!

I hope my tips and deals help you reduce your grocery bills! Don't forget to leave your comments! They are a great encouragement!

Love, 

Paloma.

Don't put a price to your health... yeah, right!

I have joined several health/Diet/Nutrition groups in social networks during my search for a healthier lifestyle... I have been consistently working out and watching what I eat, avoiding unhealthy stuff, etc... for over 2 years now... I have always tried to feed good things to my family but it was just 2 and a half years ago that I took it to a whole new level for myself and started to make some other drastic changes for my family as well...

So... a consistent thing that I saw whenever someone mentioned something like "well... I can't afford this or that" was always kind of a judgmental response like: "Don't put a price to health!" ... People would even dare to mention "I can't understand why some people choose food that is not organic" ... WHAT?! Yeah... we choose to eat not organic because we prefer pesticides and fertilizers in our food... has nothing to do with the fact that we CAN'T afford it! Especially if I want to serve my children all the recommended number of servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day! ... "Don't put a price to health" to me sounds actually cruel, when the person who hears it doesn't respond it might just be because they realize there's nothing they can say for the other one to understand... saying that "phrase" implies that a mother would say "yeah... I wish I could give you something healthy but I care more about the money I can save than about your health!" ... I am sure there might be cases like that but for the most part it's not like that!(particularly if we're in HEALTH groups is BECAUSE WE DO care about our health and our family's).

Others would say: "Just think about how much more money it would be if you get sick". I do agree... doctor's bills are insane and way more expensive than buying organic food... so if you CAN afford it... go organic all the way! We're all happy for you! But would you please not pretend to even begin to "understand" the reasons behind a mom who has to choose to buy a lot of "filler" food? I will also be sharing tips on how to make better choices... I understand sometimes we don't even know where to begin (and to make matters even worse it is hard if you have a picky eater)... remember beans, quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal (preferably steel cut oats) are great, healthy, nutritious, usually more inexpensive ingredients that go a loooong way when cooking... they provide protein combined with healthy carbs and fiber... And if you can afford to buy some ground turkey or other ground meats you can combine to add more protein and make it a more complete meal. I also agree that water -for example- is always best (and the cheapest option) I am not making excuses to just go eat the worst possible ingredients in the shelves... We can still try to make the most of what we have... BUT... BUT... I will NEVER TELL YOU "Don't put a price to health" ... *I* don't put a price to health but stores and clinics certainly do! I can't just go to the cashier and instead of paying say "hey! Don't put a price to health!" ... The price is there... whether we like it or not ... and it is painful when you realize that if you want to live with a really, REALLY small amount of money or if you have to visit the dollar stores most of the things are loaded with glutamate monosodium, corn syrup, yellow #5 or other artificial, highly processed ingredients...

Where am I going with all this? I don't know! Perhaps I am just venting and perhaps I just want to let you know that you're not on your own... You're a good mom! I know you're not putting a price to health... But I know that health does have a price... we just have to find the way to pay the least to get the best we can within our means.... Like I said in a previous post... Try to do your best and trust God with the rest. Would you please share this post to encourage other moms who have heard that "Don't put a price to health" quote as well? I am sure I am not the only one who has felt frustrated with it.

And just for being such a good reader... let me share with you a great coupon I found, this coupon is for a Bob's Red Mill Product, I absolutely love their products but they are sometimes not affordable for me... I was able to buy a bag of delicious muesli for my girls' yogurt with this coupon... you can use it for your favorite Bob's Red Mill item:

This is not the actual coupon, click on the link to print  http://www.bobsredmill.com/coupon-1-off.html

Love,

Paloma.

Deal of the Day, a cheaper breakfast

Hello everybody! Today I am sharing with you a very good deal, if you live in Texas you can run to your HEB store and get 2 boxes of  KASHI GO LEAN CEREAL -click to see the DEAL- (don't forget to get your in-store coupon while you're in there).

The Kashi products are not THE healthiest in the market but they are certified NON-GMO which is already a great YES! ... My personal preference is not to buy them... They do contain sugar (check all of their ingredient labels and pick your favorite one)... I stay away from the "Protein" one and buy the "Crunch" one... it does have cane syrup and some soy but it is the one I found with the more wholesome ingredients... it is not gluten free so I do not eat it (especially for my slow metabolism and strict diet) but hubby (whose metabolism is the fastest I've ever known and who is always healthy and sugar levels are always THE best) decided we would buy it as a cereal to mix with our personal favorite as the healthiest choice... the cereal that I eat as well (it is not Gluten Free but the wheat in it is sprouted so that is fine with me)... Ezekiel Cereal (click to take advantage of the great deals in Amazon) ... Now... if you can't wait to buy it in Amazon then you can buy it at HEB (again, if you're in Texas) and never buy it at Kroger (unless it's on some amazing sale) ... Ezekiel cereal usually sells for 5.00 at HEB and for 7.99 at Kroger (huge difference).


So... if you want to take advantage of these offers then run today to HEB... The Kashi offer will end on 8/12/2014

I hope you like and enjoy today's deals and our tip to try to balance our healthy life with the tight budget.

For more coupons remember to check out more coupons and deals here:


Paloma.