Pepper Asparagus Pasta

When I was doing my student teaching, my cooperating teacher was Elizabeth.  I really lucked out with her; she is smart, she has a great sense of humor, and as green as I was back then, she was very patient and understanding with me.  I was so nervous!  I was practically afraid of the teenagers.  I so desperately wanted to do well that I stressed and fretted the entire semester.  

At the time, Elizabeth was pregnant.  I couldn’t figure out why a pregnant woman would choose the additional stress of having a student teacher, but about halfway through the semester when she asked if I would be her long-term sub while she was on maternity leave, I was ecstatic!  She made me feel like I must have done okay.

Anyway, in addition to being so wonderful in many ways, Elizabeth is also a vegetarian.  Every so often she would bring in this pasta dish for lunch; it was so pretty, and it smelled divine!  I would ogle it every time she brought it.  Finally, I asked her for the recipe, and she was kind enough to share it with me.

I’ve made the dish several times since then, and once I began my clean-eating journey, I made one small change to it: I replaced what originally was bow-tie noodles with whole wheat rotini noodles (if I could find whole wheat bow-ties, I would use those, but as of yet, no such luck).  It is still clean, still wonderful, still fresh and vibrant, just like Elizabeth.

This Pepper Asparagus Pasta makes a great lunch or dinner and reheats beautifully.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 red and/or orange bell peppers, chopped

1 lemon, zested, juice reserved

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. salt

2 cups whole grain pasta such as rotini or mostaccioli (if you can find bowties or farfalle, go for it!)

¼ cup olive oil

Parmesan cheese,shredded

Directions:

1. Cook pasta.  Drain.
2. Saute lemon zest, peppers, asparagus, salt, and pepper in olive oil over medium heat until vegetables are crisp-tender.
3. Add beans and juice from lemon.  Cook until warm.  
4. Stir in pasta and additional salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve either warm or room temperature with shredded parmesan cheese.

Let me know what you think if you try it!  In the meantime...

BE FIERCE!

Ummmm... CLX Update and NEW Meal Plan

I am a bad coach.
This last week has completely gotten away from me.  I can't blame anyone but myself.  I have a laundry list of excuses as to why I have eaten like crap, or why I haven't gotten my workouts in, but that's exactly what they are:  excuses.  I'll spare you the details.  But just suffice it to say that I have been a total BUM most of this spring break.  I am disappointed in myself!  But this is just an opportunity to remember my WHY: because I like feeling like I have energy when I eat well and exercise!  I LOVE feeling healthy and strong, and I really need that time every day to work off my stress.  I HAVE to do this for myself so I can meet the demands of my job as a high school teacher!
Excuses:

Anyway, here's to recommitting!  This is my meal plan for this week.  Who is with me on DIGGING in, picking yourself up where you left off, and being the best version of YOU?

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Meal Plan for 3.23 Meal Plan
Workout	Lean Circuit 1	Lean Circuit 2	Burn Intervals and Extreme Abs	Lean Circuit 3	Burn it Off and Recharge	Rest	Rest
Breakfast Protein, CCFV, protein	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit
Snack Protein, CCFV,	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick
Lunch CCFV; protein; CC-S; HF	Leftover Mexican Chicken	Leftover clean fettuccini alfredo; salad	Leftover Turkey Taco Salad	Leftover Teriyaki Salmon, Steamed veggies, and baked sweet potatp	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers
Snack Protein, CCFV,	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds
Dinner CCFV(2); protein; CC-S(2); HF(2)	Clean Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo; salad	Turkey Taco salad	Teriyaki Salmon, Steamed veggies, and baked sweet potatp	Leftovers	Cheat - The Melting Pot	Leftovers	Turkey Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries
Snack Protein, CC-S,	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus

BE FIERCE!

CLX Week 9 Update and Meal Plan

Forgive me if I have several typos, as my arms are sore and feel a little shaky!  I just completed week 9 of ChaLEAN Extreme.  This is the first week of the LEAN Phase, and let me tell you, my body KNOWS I'm doing something new.
The Lean Phase focuses on working multiple parts of the body simultaneously; for example, you might be going into a forward lunch while lifting one arm into an Arnold press with a weight(!).  A move like this works your whole body - arms, legs, butt, and core.  This month also has you doing breakdown sets from the very first to the very last exercises in the workouts for maximum effectiveness.  After each strength session this week, my arms were TREMBLING in the shower while I was washing my hair!  I've also noticed that my legs and abs seem tighter, and if I remember correctly from the last time I did this program, this is the month  where I saw the biggest changes to my body.

I don't know if it is the weather FINALLY breaking, or just my body craving what is good for it, but I have been yearning for HEALTHY YUMMIES!  I cannot wait for local fruit to be good and sweet! Lately, egg white omelettes, spinach salads, and oatmeal seem to be haunting my dreams.  I can definitely tell you that this is a good thing!

This week, I am on spring break from teaching, so I know I need to stick to a meal plan!  But also, since I have more time this week, there has been some recipes I've been wanting to try, so I am enjoying my time off by getting playful in the kitchen!  I will blog about the ones that turn out well.
The downside (well, sort of) to having ten days off is that there are so many people I want to catch up with, because honestly, when school is in, it is just so hard to find the time!  I'm having lunch at Crown Candy Kitchen with my BFF Rachel and her youngest son; there is no way I'm going there and not ordering a shake and a BLT!  But I'm going to see if Rachel and Cameron will split a shake with me because they are HUGE!  On Thursday I'm having lunch with my friend Kim at Panera, which is awesome because I know I can always find something healthy there (that power salad I had last week keeps coming to mind - YUM!).  On Friday night, date night, Handsome Hubby and I have been wanting Fish Fry.  Even though we aren't Catholic, it IS the season for fish frys, so it will definitely be a cheat meal!  But I have made it something I really want, so I'm okay with it.
Notice I am having TWO cheat meals this week.  I don't usually do that, but considering I am on vacation (and can get in a extra workout or two ;)) and I am maintaining my weight, not trying to lose, I am going to be flexible and let it happen, but I am not going to make a habit of it.  The rest of this week I am STRICTLY sticking to my plan.
Speaking of, here it is:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Meal Plan for 3.16 Meal Plan
Workout	Lean Circuit 1	Lean Circuit 2	Burn Intervals and Extreme Abs	Lean Circuit 3	Burn it Off and Recharge	Rest	Rest
Breakfast Protein, CCFV, protein	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit	Shakeology, almond milk, and frozen fruit
Snack Protein, CCFV,	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick	Halos and cheese stick
Lunch CCFV; protein; CC-S; HF	Asparagus and White Bean Pasta	Clean Orange Chicken and fried Brown Rice	Cheat – Crown Candy Kitchen with the Leals	Bread Co – Power salad and apple	Leftovers	Leftovers	Leftovers
Snack Protein, CCFV,	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds	Apple and almonds
Dinner CCFV(2); protein; CC-S(2); HF(2)	Clean Orange Chicken and fried Brown Rice	Shredded Beef Crockpot tacos	Clean chicken fettuccini alfredo, salad	Leftovers	Cheat – Fish Fry	Leftovers	Mexican Chicken, salad
Snack Protein, CC-S,	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus	Mini Peppers and hummus

What is YOUR spring break plan?  How are you keeping yourself accountable?  

If you would like to learn how to make your very own meal plan, consider joining my upcoming "Spring into Fitness" support and accountability group!  It begins March 23.  Fill out this application:

Online contact and registration forms from Wufoo.

Oh, yeah:
BE FIERCE!

How to Stay on Track During Spring Break

Spring break:  for teachers, it is a definite benchmark in the school year.  Personally, for me, it feels like the rest of the year is a downhill ride; we save the most enjoyable units for that last stretch. Let's face it; we LOVE our students. They are the absolute best parts of our job. They are the REASON we do the job. I once read a statistic somewhere that said the teachers make over 200 decisions before 8 AM; day after day, that can wear a person out . In a profession that sometimes requires “hanging on” until the next break, spring break is a good place to be because the next break after that is SUMMER!

However, an extended break from work can derail your efforts in weight loss and fitness.  I myself would like nothing more than to sleep, eat, nap, and catch up on the DVR, but I know how difficult it is to get back on track!  Here are my tips for staying on track this year during spring break:

1. Go play outside.  People, IT IS SPRING!  Go out and enjoy the weather.  Take your dog for a hike, go for a run at the park, catch up with some friends for a game of softball.  Get some sunshine, some vitamin D, and some relaxation time all at once!
   
2. Make an interesting meal plan.  With TEN whole days off (counting the weekends), I finally have time to try some new recipes I’ve been wanting to take for a spin, but seem like too big of a commitment to undertake on a weeknight the first time out.  Since I have more time, I am making some really yummy, interesting meals that will make me WANT to eat healthy.
3. Schedule your cheat meal.  Notice the word meal is singular.  Pick that one meal you have really been craving, put it on your meal plan, and use it as your carrot.
4. Don’t use your break as a catch-up.  This is me; I am always tempted to do this.  I even made a spring break to-do list, but once I realized how much I was putting on it and how much time it would all take, I reigned myself in.  Pick two or three things you would like to accomplish over break, and then schedule those things in.  Then, on the other days, strategically schedule such practical items as sleeping in, meeting a friend for lunch, taking a nap with the dog, and taking a walk with your husband.  This break is a time for your to relax and recharge, and you can’t do that if you are running yourself ragged.  You need to be refreshed for the last leg of the school year.  Take care of what is really necessary, and let the rest wait until summer.
   
5. Meal prep like it is a regular week.  Go ahead and prep your snacks at the very least; the last thing you want to have to do is slice strawberries in the middle of your Downton Abbey marathon.  You might be relaxing, but you will still be busy doing it; remember that FAILING to PLAN is PLANNING to FAIL.
6. Find ways other than food to indulge.  Get a message AND/OR a mani-pedi.  Plant some spring flowers.  Splurge on that new salon-quality shampoo that smells AMAZING.  Take a bath, light a candle, and have a glass of wine.  Don’t use your vacation as an excuse to also take a vacation from your diet.
7. Going on vacation?  Make sure you are staying active!  Take your laptop or tablet with you and use Beachbody On Demand to keep up with your workouts.  Get them done in the morning before the fun of the day begins.  Pack snacks that do not need to be refrigerated and your Shakeology to help you stay on track.  Decide in advance what your ONE cheat meal will be, and stay as clean as you can the rest of the time.

Let’s rejoice because SPRING is HERE and WINTER is (nearly) over!  Come out of your shell, shed your old skin, and feel renewed, but don’t have cause to beat yourself up for a backslide.  

What is YOUR spring break plan?

Do you plan to

BE FIERCE?