Rest Day + Food Journal {3.29.18}

March 30, 2018 CleanEatingMamaLeave a comment

Hey friends!

This is going to be a food heavy post tonight! Today was an unscheduled rest day from running/working out. I have trained pretty hard since Sunday, and while my body feels strong and capable, mentally I needed a break.
Plus, a glass of wine sounded amazing! I don’t drink often at all… maybe a few times per month. And tonight I wanted to kick back with a nice glass (or 2!) of red wine.

Before I get into the wine, let’s start with breakfast, shall we?!

I ordered a soy + SF cinnamon dulce latte from Starbucks this morning. I normally order a black Americano but today I wanted something a bit different. Their SF cinnamon dulce syrup is on point when added with soy milk!

10 AM is when I typically eat breakfast. I have never been one to eat right when I awake. 10AM has always been the time I typically eat breakfast. Before I left for the office I scrambled egg whites with onion, spinach and red bell pepper and topped with cherry tomatoes. Once I get to work I place my container in the fridge and eat my eggs cold. I actually like them chilled!
On the side I toasted a few slices of sprouted bread and had half of an avocado.

Lunch was Pacific Foods butter nut squash (I love this one!), over some Jasmin rice and topped with a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper. I ate it with multi grain rice crisps and Lilly’s red pepper hummus. Super simple and very good!

I stopped by the grocery store after work to pick up some dinner things… like bread, smoked Gouda and wine! 😉 A little pre-dinner snack!

As I was walking around the wine aisle, I noticed these chicken sausages in the cold case nearby. It had been quite a while since I made them and they sounded delish!

More wine? Yes please!

Dinner was pretty simple but very good! Chicken sausage, steamed sweet potato, steamed asparagus and a little more bread. I added a little fresh ground Italian seasoning to my asparagus for an added pop of flavor.

I also picked up a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Americone Dream – my favorite flavor!!! Jordan’s too! So you bet I had some dessert tonight!

Rest day was a success! I feel nourished, happy and peaceful! Now it’s time to sleep!

Good night!

XxOo Tasha

breakfast · dinner · lunch · marathon training · running · Uncategorized

Grub + Training Plan!

March 29, 2018 CleanEatingMamaLeave a comment

Hi Friends! Happy Wednesday!

I did not forget about blogging! I am just trying to find my groove after months and months of not blogging 😉

Between working full time, taking care of little man, training/running/gym, and everyday life things, I am trying to see when I can actually sit down and whip out some posts!

I will say that if you want to see what I am eating on a more regular basis, head on over to my Instagram – this is my preferred platform for posting pictures and life happenings. I wish blogging was as easy as Instagram! HA!

Here are a few things that I have been grubbing on lately! And you may see a trend with these eats… CARBS! I am running more these days and trying to fuel myself with more healthy carbs.

Breakfast is my most favorite meal of the day! I seem to always take pictures of my breakfast 😉

3 egg whites with sauteed onion and red bell pepper, 2 slices of bread toasted and fresh cherry tomatoes.

Overnight oats with apple and peanut butter.
For the overnight oats I added 1/2 cup whole oats to one cup of unsweetened almond milk, a few table spoons of chia seeds, cinnamon and stevia. Place in fridge and I topped it with a chopped apple and a tablespoon of peanut butter in the morning before I left for work.

This may look or sound a bit unusual but it is one of my favorite combos!
I chop a few carrots, some stalks of celery, 3-4 medjool dates and add a dollop of nut butter. Easy and so delish! I typically add an apple but we were out so I added more carrots.

I had a mid-day dentist appointment so on my way back to the office I stopped at a local natural food store and picked up some quick treats. This made a great lunch! Multi-grain crackers, hummus, a chocolate Rebbl protein drink and a coconut macaroon bar.

This was one of my easy lunches – greek yogurt, stevia, granola, homemade oatmeal cookies and a few dates (I was going to eat these before an after work run but I ended up not being hungry)

And looking back at all of my food pictures, this was the only dinner picture I took! Dinner is a little hit and miss with me – usually I am snacking on a few things here or there or eating as I am cooking dinner for Jordan. I have gotten out of the habit of actually sitting down for a meal. I should probably get better at this! But for now this is how life is.
This bowl had a modge-podge of yummy things in it! Whole wheat pasta, chickpeas, leftover turkey burger patty, baby spinach, fresh parmesan, and a a mix of different herbs and spices. I remember being so RUNGRY (hungry after a run HA!) that as soon as I took this picture, this bowl of food was gone in minutes. And it was a BIG bowl!

And speaking of running, I have finally created a training plan for a marathon I am running in August!

My customized HalHigdon Novice1 marathon training plan!
To say I’m a little excited is an understatement. #nofear #allgood
The last time I was training for a marathon was over 5 years ago. I sustained a lower back injury that put me on bed rest for weeks. I was at a complete hault with no recovery time in sight. Once healed, I was so scared to run any distance over 4 miles that I completely took races out of my future.
Until this year.
The difference?
Weight lifting, conditioning, proper rest, a plan and patience.
And ENJOYMENT!
I have always enjoyed it, but I would be so critical of my time and how I felt during and after each run. Now I embrace my speed (or lack of), and embrace the flow of each run.
I am so excited for this year, this challenge and to see where my love of running will take me!

I am also encouraging Jordan to run with me on the weekends.

Here was his very first jog with me!

I will be updating my running here on the blog. But remember to head on over to my Instagram for more running and race updates!

Well, this is all for now! I am off to the gym to work on some speed running at the gym.

Goodnight!

XxOo
Tasha

breakfast · dinner · jordan · lunch · Uncategorized

The day after…

March 21, 2018November 7, 2020 CleanEatingMamaLeave a comment

Hi friends!

Just a quick post to show what I ate today! 🙂

I was pretty hungry this morning and my tummy was growling at me by 8:30. That is pretty early for me as I normally have my first meal around 10. But last night was leg night and I am ALWAYS more hungry the day after.

I generally stay away from meal / protein bars but I do have a small stash in my desk in case of emergencies. And I didn’t feel like eating my “real” breakfast so early in the day as I knew I was not going to be able to grab lunch until 2PM today.

So I enjoyed this Zone bar with my coffee this morning while checking emails.

Around 10:30 I enjoyed my actual breakfast that I brought to the office with me.

3 egg whites scrambled with a little coconut oil and spinach and fresh baby tomatoes. I make my eggs in the morning before work and then keep them in the fridge until I am ready to eat them. I actually prefer my eggs cold vs. hot!

I also had some oatmeal with chia seeds, cinnamon, stevia and natural peanut butter.

I was going to take my lunch at 2 after my meetings but I was pretty satisfied still from my two breakfasts; so I opted to stay at work and eat when I got home around 4:30. I will say by the time I got home I was pretty hungry and the ONLY thing that sounded good was a big salad!

This salad had a ton of chopped baby spinach, green cabbage, red onion, shredded carrots, a few kalamata olives, a sprinkle of fresh parm and ceasar dressing. I also had a side of flatbread crisps.

And to curb my sweet tooth, I had 3 dates.

Little man had a super-short, but super-cute recorder concert at his school – he had so much fun! And it was so fun to watch him and all his friends play instruments!

Tonight’s workout:

40 minutes speed-work on the treadmill + back/biceps

Question: What is your favorite “healthy” sweet treat? I love dates and dark chocolate!

clean eating · dinner · grocery haul · smoothies · workout

Recommitting to Yourself + Grocery Haul

October 22, 2015October 22, 2015 CleanEatingMamaLeave a comment

Hi friends!

How has your day been?

Today I could not get enough coffee! But… that’s kind of the case every single day. lol

After getting Jordan off to school, I did some emails and work, then I did a PiYo workout! PS – I love PiYo! I have been doing PiYo for over a year and it is one of my favorite workouts! I did BUNS today followed by 10 minutes of core work on my own. Holy burn! Even after a year, it still burns!

I went to go get in the shower and saw someone found a sliver of sun to lay in! She was sooooo happy sunbathing!

After a week of down time with my mom, I am recommitting to myself again. I think it’s super important to keep recommitting to yourself, your goals and desires! After very minimal working out and relaxed eating, my clean diet is coming back in full force! I can tell my sugar cravings have been out of control lately and I need to get those in check FAST! Sugar has and always will be my downfall – it’s really easy for me to fall into the sugar trap.

I had to restock my healthy foods ASAP! So a trip to Trader Joes was in order! Keep in mind that NOT all of what I bought was for me – I bought for my son’s lunch and my husband, too.

GROCERY HAUL!

Bag 1 – ground turkey, chicken breasts, frozen blueberries, nitrate-free smoked turkey, yogurt for Jordan, black beans, garbanzo beans, salsa, organic tortilla chips, potatoes, organic romaine, organic eggs and tea tree soap.

Bag 2 – organic baby spinach, organic yogurt tubes for Jordan (like GoGurt but much healthier!), frozen fish sticks for Jordan, organic tomato soup, string cheese, organic bars for Jordan, nitrate-free black forest ham, plain greek yogurt, asparagus, broccoli and dark chocolate.

Bag 3 – tomato sauce, yellow onion, apples, Panda cereal for Jordan, bananas, cantaloupe, cauliflower and almond milk.

Clean Eating Tip – When you have healthy options in the house, you will eat healthy!

I was in such a rush to get out the door today that I completely forgot to eat! I ended up eating a Lara Bar on the way home from the store… at 2:30pm!

After I put the groceries away, I made myself a smoothie. This really hit the spot!

Tropical Strawberry Protein Powder (I used Shakeology)

1 large ripe banana

1 tablespoon peanut butter

Unsweetened Almond Milk

Ice

Cold, thick and creamy!

I also had a small snack about an hour after my smoothie:

Pumpkin Terra Chips and a string cheese – my mom left the chips from when she was here and at first I didn’t like them… but they are actually pretty good! I am all about pumpkin right now!

Before dinner we all just hung out and relaxed! We watched Back to the Future III in honor of Back to the Future day. The third one is my favorite!

Dinner was SIMPLE! I made pasta sauce with ground turkey, basil, garlic and boiled some spaghetti and steamed some green beans. I had a small portion of noodles, a ton of green beans and a healthy portion of meat sauce. I love adding veggies to my pasta bowls.

For dessert I had a piece of dark chocolate.

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Here are my tips for getting back on track after a day, a weekend, a week or maybe a month from your healthy eating and living schedule:

Don’t dwell on the past!

Create a PLAN of attack!

Surround yourself with healthy inspiration!

Make a change TODAY!

Be patient and extend grace towards yourself!

How do you get back on track after time off?

dinner · lunch · recipe · vegan · vegetarian

Recipe – Vegetable Tempeh Saute

July 25, 2015July 25, 2015 CleanEatingMamaLeave a comment

Gooooood morning clean eaters!

So today I have a very tasty recipe that I want to share with you! My Vegetable Tempeh Saute! ❤

I have partnered up with a massage and wellness clinic called All About Massage and Wellness and I have started to create recipes for their blog! I have featured their clinic in my Partner Tab where you can read all about their practice – they are pretty amazing! They are based out of the Pittsburgh PA area so if you are based in that area or know of anyone in Pittsburgh please be sure to pass them their info.

I have been loving tempeh lately but it took me a while to really figure out how to cook with it. I finally nailed it with this dish! This dish has Plant Power written all over it!

Tempeh is a fermented soy product (whole soy beans) that has been consumed over in Indonesia and other Asian countries for hundreds if not thousands of years. Since it is fermented it is much easier to digest and has more nutritional value than tofu or other soy products. It has virtually no taste so it is extremely versatile and can be used in many dishes.

The George Mateljan Foundation has labeled tempeh to be one of the world’s healthiest foods. And it’s easy to see why! Tempeh packs a whopping 31 grams of protein for one cup of tempeh making this a plant based protein warrior! It also has high amounts of Riboflavin, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Manganese.

Please check out my recipe here – I certainly hope you try it soon!

XxOo Tasha

benbella books · cookbook · dinner · lunch · recipe · vegan

Artichoke Sunflower Burgers by Plant-Powered Families

June 25, 2015June 25, 2015 CleanEatingMamaLeave a comment

Over the next few weeks I will be teaming up with BenBella Books to bring you some of today’s HOTTEST plant based cookbooks and featuring recipes from them, too! You all know that I promote plant based eating and I am always looking to share the best recipes and cookbooks with all of you.

The first cookbook that I am excited to share with you is called Plant Powered Families by Dreena Burton. Dreena blogs over at Plant Powered Kitchen and is ALWAYS sharing her AMAZING vegan recipes. Seriously… they are all simply amazing! Her cookbook has everything from breakfast to dinner to snacks and everything in between! If you are looking for simple recipes that will knock your plant taste buds off then look no further! PS – they are kid tested and approved, too!

Continue reading “Artichoke Sunflower Burgers by Plant-Powered Families” →

dinner · gluten free · lunch · recipe · soup · vegan · vegetarian

Butter Bean Veggie Soup

April 25, 2015April 25, 2015 CleanEatingMamaLeave a comment

Butter Beans are my new favorite bean. They are large and in charge! Butter Beans are sweet, creamy and hold up perfect in soups! This is my new favorite soup… at least for this month. I have made this soup a few times now and it never disappoints. It has a nice heat from the chili flakes and a fresh from-the-garden taste from the basil. And the butter beans are sooooo amazing! You could sub with white beans but if you can find butter beans please try them – you will LOVE them!

Continue reading “Butter Bean Veggie Soup” →

clean eating · dinner · lunch · recipe · recipe roundup · soup · vegan · vegetarian

Recipe Round Up Friday!

January 16, 2015January 16, 2015 CleanEatingMamaLeave a comment

Hey clean eaters!

Today I am doing a recipe round up featuring SOUPS! Soup is a healthy way to get in your veggies while adding warmth to your body on a cold winter day or evening.

Making soup is very therapeutic: the chopping, the stirring, the seasoning… I put a lot of love into every pot of soup I make! And my family can tell 🙂 And for those that may be intimidated by making soup, let me tell you that soup is virtually indestructible! Just keep adding veggies and spices until you find the right balance and taste! I will say that soup is what I use when I have veggies that need to be used ASAP – everything in the pot and in a few hours you have dinner! Simple!

Here are some of my favorite soup recipes! Enjoy!

Magical Healing Vegetable Soup – (My most popular soup recipe!)

Lentil Soup II

Vegetable Soup with Adzuki Beans

Winter Vegetable Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup with Gluten Free Noodles

Butternut Squash Soup

XxOo Tasha

dinner · eggplant · recipe · vegan · vegetarian · zucchini

Ratatouille 2

January 15, 2015January 15, 2015 CleanEatingMamaLeave a comment

Brrrrr!

It has been cold this winter! My bones are cold, my feet are cold, my hands are cold… but my stomach is nice and toasty! Why? Because I have heaps and heaps of hot Ratatouille in my belly!!!

Big chunks of veggies, tomato broth and an amazing array of herbs makes this dish one of those meals that is great for lunch or dinner, alone of with a crowd. Want to come over and have some?

~ Ratatouille ~
Makes roughly 3 quarts
Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients

1 large can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
4-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large eggplant (1 pound), cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large yellow onions, diced large
6 fresh garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 bell peppers (any color – I used red), seeded and diced large
2 large zucchini (1 pound total), diced large
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
1 tablespoon basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the entire can of tomatoes on a baking sheet. Take a knife and chop them into 1/2 inch pieces. Drizzle with olive oil (approx 2-3 tablespoons), salt, pepper and died basil flakes. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.

In a large bowl, toss eggplant with a good pinch of salt. In a large heavy pot, heat about 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, a pinch of salt and pepper and let cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until onions and garlic are soft, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes minutes. Season with salt and pepper and herbs.

The add tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bay leaf and water to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook partially covered until veggies are soft. Approx 20 minutes. Taste to see if you need to add any more seasonings. Serve with warm crusty bread and a salad.

XxOo Tasha

clean eating · dinner · guest post · recipe · vegetarian

Guest Post – Pretty In Pink Fitness { RECIPE! }

January 8, 2015January 8, 2015 CleanEatingMamaLeave a comment

Hey friends!

I have a very special treat for you! Upala from Pretty In Pink Fitness is dropping by to share an amazing recipe! Her stuffed bell pepper recipe is perfect for cold winter nights! I hope you enjoy 😉

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Stuffed Bell Peppers

I love to take unhealthy recipes of my favorite foods and create my own healthy recipe. I love loaded baked potatoes but I don’t love the extra calories and processed ingredients. I have created my version of a healthy baked potato just for you! Send me a message and let me know if you enjoyed the recipe!

Ingredients
4 Bell Peppers
3 large Sweet Potatoes
½ cup Guacamole
Handful of Cilantro
3 chopped Green Peppers
Salt to taste
½ cup chopped Basil Leaves
Salsa to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place slit in sweet potatoes and put in microwave for 15 min
Scoop out inside of sweet potato and place in mixing bowl
Add all of the other ingredients (except bell peppers and salsa) and mix together
Cut off top part of the bell pepper and clean out the inside
Place sweet potato mixture inside the bell peppers
Place the stuffed bell peppers in the oven for about 20- 30 min
Check oven frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn
Take out of oven and add salsa on top
Enjoy!

Biography

Upala is a Texas girl who loves to exercise and eat healthy on a daily basis. She is an online fitness and nutrition coach who has helped many people with their fitness goals. She also loves to exercise and create healthy recipes for her family. Her greatest joy is helping people realize and reach their greatest potential in their fitness journey. You can also find her spending time with her sweet and energetic 9 month old daughter and husband of eight years.