Uncategorized

RECIPE – Spaghetti Squash with Sausage Ragu


Spaghetti squash is a great option for those that are following a low carb lifestyle! It looks intimidating but it’s just as easy and much faster than boiling pasta.

Fast Cooking Spaghetti Squash (2 servings)
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Make a few slits with a sharp knife in your squash. Do not cut it in half!
Place it on a plate or in a dish and microwave for approx. 10 minutes – flip squash at the 5 minute mark.
Squash will be soft and very hot so be careful when pulling it out of the microwave!

Sausage Ragu (2 servings)
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1/4 yellow onion diced
1 small bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup black onions
1/2 fresh zucchini, chopped
1 cup pasta sauce of choice
2 Aidells Italian chicken sausages, chopped
Herbs and spices – I used salt, pepper, thyme, italian seasoning, garlic powder

Drizzle a little olive oil in a large pan and cook all ingredients together until veggies are soft.

I topped the squash with a tad more olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder before adding my sauce.

Sprinkle with a little cheese, if desired.

There you have it! A healthy, fast and nutritious dinner in less than 20 minutes that the entire family will love!

Uncategorized

11/7/2020 {Food Journal} Full Day of Clean Eating Plant Based Style

Hello hello! I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Today’s post is another what I ate in a day! This was from this past Wednesday.

I started the day with black coffee and water. Then around 10AM I had a super food smoothie. I blended it up before I headed off to the office for the day
My smoothie had vanilla vegan super food powder, natural peanut nut butter, almond milk/water, ice, 1/2 frozen banana and cinnamon. It tasted like a cinnamon sugar cookie!

Lunch was a big bowl of nutrient dense goodness!

Romain, kale and cabbage as a base, then topped with 1/2 cup peas (frozen then thawed), 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 cup pinto beans, and dressed with organic salsa.

I’m not sure if you can tell from the photos but this salad was very big and very filling! I was full for the rest of the day up until dinner. Dinner was homemade pizza – dairy free and guilt free!

I used whole wheat pita bread and organic tomato sauce, topped it with red onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms and dried basil.
Full of flavor and none of the guilt, stomach issues or inflammation!

A year ago I found out I am intolerant to eggs and dairy. I try to avoid these items but I have been testing the waters lately. I wanted to see how they truly effected me and if I was still sensitive to those foods. My ND told me that sometimes sensitivities could go away.

I found my digestion was horrible after eating my trigger foods, I had breakouts on my face and felt super puffy. So I am ditching them completely. It’s not worth the pain and the inflammation. And while I am at it, I am limiting my meat consumption as well. I ALWAYS feel my best when I eat a plant based diet.

I have some new recipes for you coming up that I am excited to share with you! Even if you are not plant based, I am certain you will like them or at least inspire you to eat more clean!

Do you have any food allergies or intolerance? If so, please share below!

Enjoy the rest of your day friends!

Tasha – The Clean Eating Mama

Food Journal

11/2/2020 {Food Journal} Full Day of Clean Eating

Hello friends!

I thought it would be fun to document a full day of eating!

I always start the day off with black coffee and water.

I wasn’t too hungry for breakfast so I had two scrambled eggs with spinach and a whole wheat english muffin. I topped the eggs with Franks hot sauce – my favorite!

Lunch was a salad with chopped cabbage, green onion and cilantro, topped with nitrate free lunch meat, dried cranberries, almonds, smoked gouda, and dressed with olive oil, salt, pepper and basil flakes.

I had an orchard bar for dessert.

Dinner was a soup mix I picked up from World Market. It was their Spicy Tortilla soup mix. It was the perfect soup for a chilly fall Monday!

All I added were two whole chicken breasts, a few table spoons of tomato paste, a half can of black beans and simmered until the chicken was cooked. I took the breasts out, shredded them and added the chicken back to the soup. I cut up a few flour tortillas and put them in my air-fryer to crisp up. I served it with a dollop of sour cream, a small sprinkle of cheese and a handful of chips. It was delish!

I always strive for an entire gallon of water per day. I love my Hydro Jug – the perfect way to get enough water in each day! They are half gallon containers and perfect for at home, at the office, on the road and at the gym. *Use my affiliate link to save $$$ if you order!*

Tell me – what was something YUMMY you ate today?!

clean eating, dinner, guest post, recipe, vegetarian

Guest Post – Pretty In Pink Fitness { RECIPE! }

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

guest blogger recipe
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
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.

www.instagram.com/pretty_in_pink_fitness
www.prettyinpinkfitness.wordpress.com

 

XxOo Tasha

Food Journal, recipe, vegan, vegetarian

Food Journal 10.28.13

I am ALWAYS being asked what I eat in a day – I should do these food journal posts more often! 😉

Breakfast

Black Coffee + Overnight Oats

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My overnight oats my be ugly but they sure were tasty!

I measured 1/3 cup of quick cook steel cut oats, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (half a serving) and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I mixed it all up and placed it in the fridge over night. This morning I stirred it together and added a splash more almond milk.

If I don’t add protein powder, I will add a teaspoon of nut butter and a splash of honey or maple syrup.

Lunch

Raw Kale Salad! I LOVE raw kale salads!

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I use my original Raw Kale Salad recipe but I will change it up every time! This time I added cayenne pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes and dried cranberries. Yum!!! Can you believe this was an entire bag of Organic Tuscan Kale from Trader Joes? I almost ate this entire salad for lunch! This is a good reminder for those that are going to make a raw kale salad – the kale shrinks down!

Early Dinner

I was pretty hungry before dinner (5:00) so I started noshing on my quinoa veggie patties I made a few night back. I topped them with some edamame hummus (YUM!).

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I ended up eat two while I cooked some turkey patties and rice and I became full! Woops! So I gave Jordan his portion of dinner and saved the rest for tomorrow!

Now I am settling in on the couch with a hot cup of coffee and watching the Seahawks game with Jordan! 🙂

Question:

Would you like to see more food journal posts?
What do you put in your overnight oats?

competition

Meals – Day 2 Tuesday

Tuesday is done!
I felt AMAZING today with my eats!

I started the day with my protein oats again!

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1/3 cup organic oats with a scoop of my ViShape Powder and black coffee. I never used to eat oats as they seemed to go right through me and not keep me full. Now that I am adding my protein powder, they are sticking with me! And they taste AMAZING! I am LOVING my ViShape!

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Snack was a ripe banana! Did you know that I have never like bananas? Yup! NEVER! Over the past few months though, I have forced myself to eat bananas and now I eat one a day! But they have to be SUPER RIPE! Lots of spots!

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I came home and quickly mixed this salad together – it was similar to last night’s dinner. Romaine lettuce + dried cranberries + 1/3 cup chickpeas + 2 teaspoons feta + red onion + red bell pepper + frozen peas + basil + dill + olive oil. YUM!!! I NEVER add dressing to my salads – I always drizzle olive oil with dried herbs and pepper. When I add feta or gorgonzola this adds salt and flavor, too!

I started to feel a little nauseous at about 4PM today which was very strange. It felt like I was car sick – headache, sensitive to light, dizzy… I am not sure where this came from or why. I sipped a little 7-UP to calm my stomach which helped!

After I started to feel a bit better I went to the grocery store to buy veggies and protein!

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A full fridge is a happy fridge!

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I write my shopping list down for you tomorrow – it’s getting pretty late here!
But it included lots of produce (asparagus, yams, apples, spinach, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, parsley, melon), lean ground turkey, organic chicken breasts, quinoa, millet, beans, frozen peaches, oats and eggs. There was some stuff for Jordan, too!

As I put away my groceries I sipped on a shake.

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This purple beauty had blueberries, strawberries, frozen banana, ViShape Powder, water, almond milk and peanut butter. I didn’t finish it all so I saved it for in the morning.

I also consumed 2 liters of water today! YEA!

I was going to head to the gym this afternoon but as soon as I started to feel sick I knew that would have been a bad idea. I am hoping tomorrow that I will be back up in the gym! I cannot wait!

There have been SO MANY of you contacting me about my program and sharing your thoughts and insight. Thank you ALL SO MUCH! This means more to me then you realize!

If you are wanting more information on my program or would like to say HI, please contact me!

Goodnight!

Tasha and Jordan

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competition

Meals – Day 1 Monday

Happy Monday!

I wanted to quickly post my meals and snacks today. If you have been following me on my facebook page or instagram account, I have been posting some of my meals there. Ever since I mentioned that I am going to start training for  body/bikini competition, I have been getting massive amounts of emails and messages asking me about my food, fitness, etc.

I am so happy that so many of you are curious and wanting to know what I am doing!

I am planning on learning with all of you since I am just beginning! I have been researching my booty off this past weekend, too! I think the most complicated part is nutrition. I haven’t picked a competition date out yet so I am not going to be super strict about my diet but I am definitely cleaning it up! No more bites of chocolate, frozen yogurt runs, etc. I am eating more plant based protein and I will also be eating lean meat. Not all of the time but I will incorporate it a few times a week – turkey, chicken, fish.

Here are some of my rules that I am starting to live by:

  • Eat small, frequent meals during the day (5-6)
  • Drink water! I am aiming for 3 liters – 1 gallon
  • Limit my salt
  • Meal prep daily and weekly
  • Cardio + weight training is a MUST!
  • Start measuring my food – I have never measure my meals so this will be a challenge!
  • Schedule my day! Include times for my cardio, weights, meals, family time, work, etc.
  • Be very conscious about what I am doing – always have an answer to the WHY!
  • Ask for help! Weights intimidate me so I will be asking for help!
  • Always strive towards my goal! I am constantly looking at contest pictures, reading stories, researching and visualizing! This is SUPER important for me!

I am giving myself the next 90 days to lean down, tone up, practice good eating habits and to mentally prepare for the next step!

Here is the food that I consumed today:

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*When measuring your oats, measure dry. Not cooked. I use 1 packet of organic instant oats with a scoop of Vi Shape protein powder. Heat for a minute or two.*

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* My salad was a few cups of chopped romaine lettuce, 1 teaspoon of dried cranberries, 1 teaspoon of feta cheese, chopped red bell pepper, chopped red onion, 1/3 cup garbanzo beans, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, dried basil and a splash of olive oil. I added a small dab of coconut oil to my sweet potatoes along with cumin and black pepper. *

I didn’t go to the gym today – I will be starting my cardio weight training tomorrow! Eeeee! 🙂

During dinner I sat in on a team call, took notes, drank my water and wrote out my my goals! It is so amazing when you love what you do in your life! Even the stressful times seem not as stressful because your heart is just bursting with passion!

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This is a HUGE step for me! I have always wanted to compete and to be in the best shape of my life! I am ready to take the challenge, push myself to my limits and start taking action! Always go into something whole heartedly!

Leave your comments below! I would love to hear if you have competed! OR what has been your biggest physical accomplishment?

Remember to follow me on facebook, twitter and my instagram account for daily updates! ❤

clean eating, dinner, lunch, raw, salad

Raw Summer Salads

As the hot summer sun shines down on me, I crave and eat more raw food than any other time of the year. As my passion for clean eating deepens, it only makes sense to eat most, if not all, of my meals in its most natural state: RAW.

When I coach clients to start incorporating a clean eating lifestyle, I promote eating a diet that is 80% raw food. The most commonly asked question is: How do I eat that much raw? Individuals are afraid that they will become bored and not feel satisfied by eating so much raw food. However, once people start eating a diet high in raw food, they are even more satisfied than before, and they have a greater appreciation for food in its most natural state.

Here are some wonderful salads that you can not only eat in the summer, but these salads are great to serve all year long! They are full of variety, color and nutrients, and they will have your taste buds jumping for joy!

salad1

Shaved Carrot Micro Green Salad – Kitchen Apparel

salad2

Baby Kale Strawberry Avocado Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing – Pickles & Honey

salad3

Rainbow Raw Pad Thai – Oh She Glows

salad4

Raw Empanadas with Chili Macadamia Filling – Young and Raw

salad5

Watermelon Jicama Mint Salad – Rawmazing

salad6

MoRAWccan Salad – Raw Food Recipes

clean eating, dinner, gluten free, Maninis, recipe

Rigatoni with Turkey Meatballs

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You all know that I eat fairly simple. I do like to add several spices to jazz up my dishes but the ingredient list is normally small and to the point. This dish is not only simple but it’s family friendly, clean and satisfying.

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This recipe can be created to your liking. When I create my turkey meatballs and turkey burgers I don’t really measure my ingredients – it’s been one of those things that I make so often that I know how it’s supposed to look so I just eye ball it. Just remember that they need to be moist and full of flavor!

Turkey Meatballs:

I combine Organic ketchup, Organic mustard, basil flakes, garlic powder, dried oregano, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix until well combined. ( I used the leanest grade of turkey so I added a bit of olive oil to a large pan to cook them in. )  Roll meat in to small meat balls – about 1-2 inches. Cook until well done.

Sautéed Vegetables:

In a sauté pan, add a tablespoon  of olive oil. Once hot, add a cup of diced yellow onion, sliced bell pepper ( I used an entire orange bell pepper ) and 4 cloves or minced garlic. Add a pinch of sea salt and some fresh ground pepper. Sautee until the veggies are soft. At the very end, add a few handfuls of baby spinach leaves and cook until soft and wilted.

Maninis Gluten Free Rigatoni:

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add your rigatoni and cook for 3 minutes. Drain. in a large bowl toss pasta with dried basil, a pinch of sea salt and a teaspoon of olive oil.  Add your sautéed vegetable mixture and toss thoroughly.

Now you are ready to dish! Simple, clean and very family friendly! I love cooking with turkey as it is very versatile and takes the place of greasy hamburger and sausage.

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Food Journal, Healthy Eating

Food Journal: Clean Eating Dinner

The one thing that I learned from clean eating over the past 4 years or so is that simple is ALWAYS better. Clean Eating = Simple Eating.

It’s the truth.

My goal for these food journal entries is to help you understand that dinner, lunch and even breakfast should be simple, mostly if not all plant based but definitely not boring.

Last night’s dinner was amazing. I steamed cut up sweet potato and mixed it with black beans and a cut up Field Roast sausage. I topped it with some salsa for added flavor. I also had a side of celery and hummus.

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I don’t buy a lot of meat substitute items because I find that most of them are not very clean at all. Plus, when I went plant based I had no desire to eat meat nor did I crave the taste for meat. But Field Roast is far superior in the fake meat category, in my opinion.

First of all they are based out of Seattle. And I love to support my local food companies! I did a quick search and there are a ton of products that are made in Seattle – I am hoping to do a post on these companies here very soon!

Here is the ingredient list from the Italian Sausage links I ate:

field roast For a meat free product that not only tastes amazing but that is relatively clean these are a great option for those that are trying to include more plant based products in their diet. Around Thanksgiving I picked up a Field Roast Celebration Roast and it was soooo good!

But again, this is not a product I eat on a regular basis. It’s definitely a splurge type item and I buy it maybe once every few months.

field roast pic

I cooked to sausage over my flat top grill for a few minutes to get it nice and crunchy on the outside and hot in the middle. But you can totally eat these cold, too.

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I also sipped on some sparkling water through the night. FACT: When I was pregnant I drank sparkling water everyday! This started my love affair with sparkling water and I still drink it on a daily basis. It’s a great option for those of you that are trying to get off of soda or for those that need some help getting in the daily hydration allowance.

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I am off to attend the Mother’s Day event at Whole Foods! I cannot wait to see what goodies will be in my bag!

XxOo

Tasha