Get rid of the junk

Hey all! Thursday Mini Challenge- Whos' in?!

It's time to DE-JUNK your home!

Saying goodbye to treats and guilty pleasures is probably the hardest part of the fitness process! Everyone has a secret stash of goodies tucked away in the cupboard (or closet if you're a mother). If you don't have this stash, I'm in awe of you! For me, it was always a big ol' bag of chocolate chips, and it's just sitting there, waiting for the day I lose my willpower. I recently had to stop buying it because I couldn't resist!

I'm going to make your day right now and tell you that every meal plan you'll ever see me recommend will include desserts. So you're not having to say buh-bye to everything, hold tight! I've got your back with some recommendations coming for amazing (and clean) snacks and desserts! But now is the time to de-junk your kitchen of most of it. Keep a few things that will go along with a clean eating meal plan. Get rid of anything processed and junky, like chips, bye bye cheetos.

When you’ve got goals to meet, don’t let anything get in your way. We will naturally reach for the convenient snack, and it's always the least healthy! Don’t leave something in your cupboard just waiting to de-rail you!

If your family still wants their treats and snacks, hey I've got teens, I get it, just keep their snacks separate from yours. And keep them out of eye level for you! My trick is to place them LOW in my cabinet in a non-transparent container. It's all a mind game, out of sight, out of mind!

Make a commitment to de-junk your home as part of this Squat Challenge and it will take you into July with a great start for a healthy lifestyle!

Zucchini Meatballs and Spaghetti

This is a huge hit! Not only could I eat these by themselves, like pop one in my mouth and call it day, but my husband said they were good and my 15 year old son thought there was meat in them! Winning! 

 

olive or coconut oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 medium unpeeled zucchini, grated

1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp fresh chopped basil

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tsp Italian seasoning 

1 large egg

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Jar of marinara sauce

Whole wheat spaghetti, zoodles, or your noodle of choice

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oven to 375°F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with coconut or olive oil spray or brushed on. 

Add 1 tsp of olive or coconut oil and minced garlic clove in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté 1 minute. 

Add the grated zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook on high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Transfer the zucchini to a colander to get rid of any excess water. I use a thick paper towel or cheese cloth to press the excess water out of the zucchini.

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and add the Parmesan, breadcrumbs , seasoning, and basil. Combine zucchini into mixing bowl. 

Form the zucchini mixture into 12 balls about 1 1/2 tbsp each, rolling tightly and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Cook until lightly browned on top, about 20 to 25 minutes.

 

Heat the sauce in a large deep skillet to warm the sauce hen add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

 

* I cooked these with beef meatballs for my family. I added whole wheat spaghetti because since I was serving them zucchini meatballs, I didn't want to push my luck with zoodles also, but this would be ah-maze-ing with zoodles. My son thought there was beef in the zucchini meatballs anyways! 

Make it vegan: Use 1 flax egg and nutritional yeast as Parmesan.

Progress!

I never would have thought that 11 months after my second c section, my tummy would resemble anything close to this 🙌🏼💪🏼❤️ Work hard, play hard. #nofilter #skinnyjeans ALSO, 3 friends have messaged me today to shout out their weight loss progress! 8 pounds, 11 pounds, 14.9 pounds... all started mid February. What can YOU do in 6 weeks with the right tools? Health makes life so much sweeter 😍😍😍