Sugar Free Sugar Cookies

NO, these are not 100% clean. BUT they are sugar free and a whole lot better for you than the traditional sugar cookies that have over a cup of sugar. I found the recipe on Dashing Dish, she has lots of healthier alternatives for sweet treats that you dont have to feel horrible about. My kids LOVE these and i love knowing that I made them and that they are way healthier than buying packaged cookies at the grocery store.

I used REAL unsalted stick butter. I would much rather use real butter from cows than fake processed crap made from chemicals.

1/4 cup butter - softened
1/4 cup truvia or stevia
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separate. Slowly add the dry to the wet. Flour your counter top and roll out the dough. Mine made about 18 mini cookies :) Bake @350 for about 8-10min.
**If your dough is too soft after mixing, place it in the freezer for a few minutes until its easier to work with**

I will continue to experiment with this recipe to make them even better for you (minus butter) and better tasting. My kids love them the way they are but im determined to make the perfect cookie! 

Shoyu chicken

Shoyu (soy sauce) Chicken is a popular dish in Hawaii. Although it's not totally "clean" because of the amount of soy sauce and sugar, it is super tasty and something different to do with chicken. You can usually find drumsticks for $1/lb so this is a very inexpensive meal. You could certainly try doing this with boneless skinless chicken to cut back on the fat but having the bone-in chicken really gives this the flavor. We only eat this every few months. 

1 pkg (5-6 pieces) chicken drumsticks or thighs

water

5-6 garlic cloves

2 thumb sized pieces of fresh ginger - peeled

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

sesame seeds

Place chicken, garlic and ginger to a pot and add just enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and cover slightly with the lid (you want some steam to escape). Let this boil for 30min. Then, add the shoyu and sugar. Reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for 3+ hours (the longer the better) keep the lid slightly ajar. Serve over ice and top with sesame seeds. 

Pumpkin protein muffins with cream cheese frosting

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry four
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
2 tbsp ground flax seed
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp clove
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 small can of pumpkin
1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tbsp vanilla
2 eggs 1 egg white
1/2 cup agave nectar

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl then combine all of the wet ingredients in another. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. The batter will be thick. Pray muffin tin or loaf pan with cooking spray and bake at 350 for 20-30min keeping an eye on them.

Cream cheese icing

4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp agave nectar

Combine all of the ingredients and mix until smooth. Add agave until you get the texture you're looking for.
Since these are topped with cream cheese i stored mine in the fridge and microwaved them for 20 seconds before enjoying. I cannot believe i came up with the recipe on my own! It turned out great. These are an awesome "clean" snack or dessert, even my children like them!

Excess skin after weight loss or pregnancy

As most of you know, I am a mother of two amazing little blessings. Gavin - 3 and Marlee - almost 1! I gained over 45lbs when i was pregnant with my son and close to 40lbs with my daughter. I don't have a super small frame but boy did i stretch!! Gavin was an 8.2lb baby so my tummy was by no means small. Along with the stretching came LOTS of ugly stretchmarks. I don't like to call them "tiger stripes" or "stripes that i've earned" but i try to remind myself that not everyone is blessed with super perfect skin. Genetics played a huge roll in stretch marks for me. All the women in my family have them.

Mother of two and she gained 75lbs with each pregnancy. 

What I want to talk about here is the excess skin you are left with after losing weight and particularly after pregnancy. Some things i hear too often about mothers like myself who have WORKED OUR BUTTS OFF TO GET WHERE WE'RE AT are "you just have good skin", "not everyone is a freak of nature like you", "its impossible for skin to go back to the way it was before pregnancy". WRONG WRONG WRONG. I want to slap these people in the face ((no pun intended)).

Mother of FOUR! - Tamarra Hay

Here's a link to her blog. I LOVE HER! And all of the other FITMAMAs on there. 

http://tamarrahayfitmama.com/find-inspiration/

Our skin is extremely elastic and can stretch, grow, expand, and contract to a degree. Think about how much it stretches during pregnancy or massive weight gain. How long you carry the extra weight may influence how much the skin will become taut after weight loss - 9 month pregnancy V.S. 9 years of being overweight. How fast you gained the weight and how fast you lose it will also come into play. Rapid weight loss will not allow the skin to resume to normal this is why it is important to lose weight slowly. ( I know that is NOT what you wanted to hear) 1-2lbs a week is ideal when in comes to weight loss anything after that you are most likely also shredding lean tissue. 

Nutrition has A LOT to do with your skin. You can do crunches all day long but if you are not eating a clean diet to shed the fat that is sitting on top of your abdomen, you will not get results. Another reason i recommend getting your body fat measured! Lose skin is one thing but still having a lot of extra body fat is another. Suppose you start at 36% body fat and drop down to 25%. You should feel GREAT about this accomplishment but you shouldn't be worrying about the lose skin just yet. Although 25-30% body fat is considered "average" for a woman you  most likely will not see muscle definition until your body fat is in the mid to lower teens (15%). To achieve this you need to become LEAN and continue to focus on strength training to build lean muscle. 

I strongly discourage tummy tucks/lipo until you have done ALL you could possibly do. Lowering your body fat will take time. Gaining lean muscle may take even longer! But it IS possible. I know of a woman who got a tummy tuck and lipo before even trying to lean out and lose all the excess body fat. I guarantee if she were in her low to mid teens in body fat before her surgery the surgeon wouldn't have needed to do lipo (removal of fat) because there wouldn't have been enough there to begin with. It is remarkable how much your skin can tighten up once your body fat goes from "average" to "excellent" and even more so when LEAN body mass increases. 

So the key to getting tighter skin is to lose more body fat, in a sensible way, improve your muscle to fat ratio and shoot for BETTER than "average". Only after you reach your body fat goal should lipo or a tummy tuck even cross your mind. So please, don't take the easy way out. Work your tush off every day, eat right, and i promise, you WILL see results. 

THIS ^^^ IS ME! If i can do it, so can you!

Weight lifting

First off, lets clear up the misconception many of us have on women and weight lifting. I'm tired of hearing "I don't want to lift weights, i will look like a man!" Strength training WILL NOT,  i repeat, WILL NOT make you look like the hulk. You will not get masculine bodybuilder type muscles from lifting. Due to the fact that women's bodies do not, and cannot, naturally produce as much testosterone ( the hormone linked to muscle size) as males do, it is IMPOSSIBLE! God never intended on making women look like men, that is why our bodys chemistry is made up of totally different things. What about the women bodybuilders you see on TV and in magazines?! Those women spend countless hours in the gym lifting extremely heavy weights, probably have good genetics and in most cases take some type of anabolic steroid. They do not look like that by accident. Regardless of how much or how often you train or how much protein you consume, you will not come close to looking like a MAN!

I personally think VS models are too thin. Now SHE has a body! 

You want to "tone"?

Everyone already has muscle, its about bringing them out and showing those beauties to the world! 

Tone = Define
Definition or "tone" is created by:
1. Building and preserving muscle
2. Lowering body fat

THIS is why i cannot push clean eating enough! 
Lowering body fat is all about your diet and caloric needs. Building muscle comes from a good strength training routine and heavy lifting! 
Why do we so often hear that women should'nt lift light?? Is it because we "shouldn't be as strong as men"? I don't know, but throw that out the window ladies!! Lifting 5lb dumbbells 50 times isn't going to give you the "toned" shape you're going for. Very high repetitions will not encourage your body to make your muscles bigger or more defined. Feeling "the burn" is not a sign of burning fat. The "burn" is lactic acid being built up into your muscle. The pump feels good and will make you feel like you're getting toned, but in actuality you are just growing the size of your muscle.

To "tone" you should stick to heavier weights and lower reps.

Example 115lb squats (3 x 8) or preforming 8 squats, 3 different times :) 

Lifting heavy with smaller reps will make your muscles more dense - not larger. Which is great for toning, IMO. The reason for this is known as myobibrillar hypertophy. This basically means that you are increasing the thickness of your muscle fibers instead of the fluid that's in them. 
I am all for building my muscles, so sometimes i do lift slightly lighter with more reps, i like to switch it up! 

Burn calories 24/7

Usually the goal of weightlifting for women is to get a nice figure while slimming down and toning up!   Although cardio will burn more calories than strength training in 30minutes, strength training will have your body burning calories all day long! Studies have shown that if you lift weights 3 times a week for two months you will gain nearly two pounds of muscle weight and lose about 4lbs of "fat" weight. As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism. They say, that for each pound of muscle you gain, you will burn 30-50 more calories each day. This is why i like to tell people to GET RID OF THE SCALE! Or at least try not to weigh yourself everyday. 

I personally weigh myself every two weeks, just out of curiosity. I am at my "goal weight", being 5'7 and 132lbs i am totally happy with that. People look at me and say "there is no way you weigh 132lbs", remember people, muscle weighs more than fat! At one point (before weight lifting) i weighed 122lbs. My body looked almost exactly the same EXCEPT i had no muscle definition. I like to call it "skinny fat". I am now HEALTHY AND STRONG! 

I recently had my body fat measured at the base gym. They have something called "The Bod Pod" it is highly accurate in measuring your fat and takes only a few minutes. Keep in mind that the "average" body fat in the US for women is 30%. At 127lbs i was 13% body fat. The man preforming the test put me in the "at risk" category. After having breastfed i lost all breast fat and now have nothing but sagging skin :( BUT, im getting boobies soon to fix that ;) ANYWAYS, this could be one reason my body fat is low. Another reason may be because i am healthy, i eat right, and i am gaining muscle!! Again, muscle weighs more than fat. After being put in the "risky" category i did tons of research to see what i was doing wrong. What I found was that i am doing everything right! I do not want to be what the "average" American is. For the average American today is overweight. As long as i have normal menstrual cycles and no health issues it is perfectly safe to have low body fat. I am now 5lbs heavier than i was when i took the test because I have upped my carb/protein intake and have gained muscle mass. So im sure my body fat percentage went up just a bit. 

I was one of those women who used to walk pass the weight room in the gym and cringe. There was no way I was ever going to step foot into a room full of confusing machines, crazy amounts of iron and lots of intimidating men & women. Trust me, once you breach the free weight area, you'll realize your fears are unfounded. 

Still not convinced?! 

Here are some benefits of lifting heavy:
1. FAT LOSS
2. Muscle preservation
3. Increased metabolism
4. Increases functional strength - daily activities
5. Increases bone density
6. Increase energy
7. Improves digestion
8. Lowers blood pressure
9. relieves stress
10. Helps with depression
11. Lowers resting heart rate
12. Makes you look good naked!

So in summery, get off the damn treadmill and get your booty to the squat rack! 


TO BE CONTINUED......time for bed! :)

Overnight Oats

There are many different ways you can make overnight oats. You can add greek yogurt, and just about any fruit, spice, nut you can think of. This is one of my favorites :) Keep the next empty jar you have and try this out! Perfect for an on the go breakfast/snack/lunch as well. 

1/2 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup milk (skim, almond, soy)

1 tbsp peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)

2 tbsp flax meal

1 tbsp agave nectar

1/2 banana - sliced

a few crushed almonds (i used cocoa roasted) 

Combine everything into a jar, cover and shake! Let sit over night and in the morning they will be ready to go. Just give them a stir and enjoy! I like mine cold but you can certainly microwave them for a few minutes if cold oats aren't your thing. 

This will look soupy when first combined but the oats and flax meal will absorb the liquid while it sits overnight :) 

Health benefits of consuming oats:
Eating oats in your diet provides a wide range of health benefits including dietary fiber which helps keep your heart healthy and cholestrol down. They also reduce your blood pressure, blood sugars, and risk of cancer. They also help with bowel function and weight control. Since oats are valued as a carb they are excellent for giving your body the energy it needs for athletic performance.

I work out!

As most of you already know, I am obsessed with working out...I like to call myself a gym rat :) I look forward to the time of the day when i can put on my workout clothes, tie my hair up, take my pre-workout, turn up the music and PUMP SOME IRON!! I crave it. 

The photo on the left was taken in Feb 2012 (( YES, this is ME! I've had people ask why my tattoo is on the wrong side, implying that they aren't the same person. Well genius, the first picture someone took of me and the second i took myself in a mirror.)). This was 4 months after giving birth to my daughter. I gained close to 40lbs while i was pregnant with her and was determined to lose the "baby weight" in the healthiest way possible. So, i turned to CLEAN EATING & EXERCISE. There are no products in the world that will do what a healthy diet and frequent exercise will. Many people are under the impression that they can take a weight loss pill, go on crazy fad diets, or simply starve themselves. Wake up!!!! Those might be quick fixes, but they are the easy way out and will not last. 

Losing weight, gaining muscle, and becoming a healthier person will not happen over night. This will take time. Especially if you're in deep enough. Losing weight is a mind game...change your mind, change your body. It's all about making the change.

I encourage taking progress pictures. Go in your bathroom right now and take a picture of yourself with minimal clothing on (something you wouldn't mind showing people down the road). I only WISH i would have kept the other pictures i took along with this one. My husband took a picture of me from the front and the side and you know what i did, DELETED them! I was ashamed of my body. I know i shouldn't have been since this was only 4 months after having a baby and my hips were still out of place. But now i wish i would have those to look back at and to encourage others with. 

Whole Wheat Banana Bread / French Toast

I forgot to take a picture of the banana bread before it was gone :/ So here's the recipe for the bread and how i made french toast out of it! Let me warn you, its not AS good as the traditional banana bread made from a whole stick of butter and loads of sugar BUT it's healthy and you should feel better eating it this way. Although there is no butter or sugar in this recipe, it should still be eaten in moderation :)

1 cup (2-3) ripe mashed banana
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs (or 1 egg 1 egg white if watching fats)
1/2 cup light agave nectar
1/4 cup coconut oil - melted
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of the wet ingredients (banana, eggs, agave, coconut oil, vanilla) then slowly add the dry just until mixed. The batter will be thick. Spray a baking pan with coconut or olive oil spray and bake @ 350 for about 30 minutes. 

To make the french toast:
slice up the banana bread loaf. 
Dip slices in a mixture of 1 egg 1 egg white, cinnamon, and alittle milk. I topped mine with a mixture of 1 tbsp melted peanut butter, 1 tbsp greek yogurt, banana slices, sugar free syrup and cinnamon :)

Lemon Pepper Fish

This recipe can be used with any type of fish you like. We tend to eat lots of tilapia because its loaded with protein and inexpensive.

fish fillets
1-2 lemons
Lemon pepper seasoning ( like Mrs. Dash because its all natural and is salt- free)
Parsley
small amount of light butter
foil

Lay out a piece of foil. Add 2-3 lemon slices and about a 1/2 tbsp light butter (could also try coconut oil). Season fish on both sides with lemon pepper and parsley. Loosely close the foil making it almost like a tent. You do not want the steam or juices to escape. Put on a baking pan and bake @ 400 for about 15min. Fish will flake when done!

I served it with brown rice and broccoli, pouring the juices from the foil all over it :)

Better than take out orange chicken

Not only is this better than take out, its better for you by 100%! Chinese food is filled with more than 40% of your daily sodium needs, with lots of horrible additives. Here is my spin on orange chicken. Next time I will make it with my home made fried rice too!

1 orange - juiced and zested
1/4 cup OJ
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp fresh or powdered ginger
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp chili paste
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup agave
1-2 lbs chicken breast
2 tbsp corn starch
bundle of asparagus - rinsed and diced

Add all of the above ingredients EXCEPT for chicken, asparagus, and corn starch to a bowl, mix and let sit. Cut chicken into thin strips and toss with corn starch. Heat a pan with sesame or olive oil. Cook chicken for about 3min on med-hi heat. Add asparagus and cook for a few more minutes until slightly tender. Add sauce mixture and bring to a boil, stirring for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5min. Sauce will thicken slightly. 

**If you are not a fan of asparagus try adding carrots, peppers, onion, squash, broccoli, etc.**

Sweet ginger grilled salmon

1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup light agave nectar OR honey

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 green onion - chopped

In a glass dish mix together all of these ingredients and add the salmon, refrigerate for 15min. Then grill over med-hi heat until done. I also did shrimp like this! You can put them on a kabob to grill or place a piece of foil on the grill and cook them on there instead :) I served this up with broccoli and a mixture of brown rice and quinoa and topped with sesame seeds :) 

Chocolate coconut black bean protein brownies

If you have a sweet tooth like me, especially when it come to chocolate, then this is the treat for you! I was hesitant about making brownies out of black beans because i thought you'd be able to taste them and their texture. I was WRONG! These are amazing. I looked all over the internet for a recipe and ended up making up my own. Most recipes called for real sugar, butter, flour, etc. Although there is no butter, flour, or real sugar in them, still enjoy them in moderation :) 

1 can reduced sodium black beans - drained and rinsed

1/4 cup light agave nectar

3 tbsp truvia (or sweetener of choice)

3 eggs (or 1 egg 2 egg whites)

1 scoop chocolate protein (optional)

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp coffee grounds

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (or sugar free)

1/3 cup shredded coconut

Blend everything BUT the chocolate chips in a food processor or blender until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and coconut shreds. Line a baking pan with parchment baking paper and pour in the batter. Top with a little more chocolate chips and coconut. Bake @ 350 for about 15-20min. 

**you can ommit the coconut if you'd like but it makes them super yummy! there is about 45 grams of protein in the entire recipe WITHOUT the added scoop of protein, adding it will give the recipe close to 70 grams**

Almond crusted tilapia and roasted asparagus

Here's an easy, inexpensive, and HEALTHY dinner idea :) This can be done with any type of fish or even chicken. Roasted asparagus is a favorite in our house, we eat it atleast once a week. They're loaded with 

nutrients, antioxidants and amino acid asparagine. 

fish fillets

1 cup almonds - any type will do, try to stay away from salted

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 egg

1tbsp water

salt & pepper, other spices

Line a baking pan with foil and preheat oven to 375. In a food processor or blender pulse a few times to crush the almonds and garlic (you dont want them too large, they wont stay on the fish, but you dont want them completely ground either). If you dont have either machines you can buy crushed almonds at the store and add minced garlic OR cursh them yourself using a large ziplock bag and a rolling pin. Whisk together egg and water. Season fish and dip into egg wash then into almond mixture. Bake for about 15-20min. 

Roasted Asparagus

Fresh Asparagus - use half the bundle if you wont eat the whole thing

a few tbsp of minced garlic

1-2 tbsp olive oil

pepper, onion powder, seasoning of your liking :)

Rinse the asparagus and place on a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, garlic and seasoning. Bake at 375 for about 10min. Make sure you keep an eye on them, if you cook them too long they will get mussy and stringy. You still want them to be slightly firm. 

What is clean eating?

I've just been asked to define clean eating, here is my view:

Clean eating is eating whole, unprocessed foods avoiding artificial ingredients or preservatives and hydrogenated trans-fats. Avoiding sugar and artificial sweeteners such as Splenda (Sucralose) and aspartame, and substituting them for natural sweeteners like stevia and xylitol.

Example: eating whole grains like whole wheat bread instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white rice, fresh fruit instead of concentrated juices.

Eat whole grains, legumes, complex carbs, fruits, nuts, vegetables, good fats(nuts and avocado), lean meats (if you eat meat), drink water and stick to natural ingredients.

I'll be honest, the road to clean eating can be a bumpy one. If you're used to eating out 5x a week and snaking on CRAP all day it's going to be a challenge. But i believe (and many people disagree with me) that if you want something bad enough you will do anything in your power to get it. If you're trying to lose weight and be an overall healthier happier you, then make the change! 

I don't agree with cutting out "cheats" all together. We like to "cheat" (eat out) once a week. That way you have that meal to look forward to and you work hard every other day to stick to your healthy choices. 

Protein pancakes!!!!

Pancakes are my FAVORITE breakfast food ever. I could eat them for every meal of the day. The best thing about them is how versatile they are. I like to us oat flour in my pancakes. You can buy it or make it yourself by grinding whole grain quick oats OR rolled oats in a food processor or blender. Oats are a healthy carb and are gluten free :) You can also use whole wheat pastry flour (it is less dense than regular whole wheat flour). You can do without the protein powder if you'd like.  

**sometimes they like to turn out a little dry. In that case add extra cottage cheese, banana, applesauce, or pumpkin next time**

Spinach Protein Pancakes

1/3 cup oat flour
1 tbsp coconut flour
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp baking powder
vanilla
truvia

Banana Blueberry protein pancake

1/2 cup oat flour 
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 egg or two egg whites
1/4 cup almond milk or skim milk

1 tbsp cottage cheese

1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 tbsp truvia
banana
blueberry 

Mix everything except for banana and blueberries. Pour onto griddle and top with banana slices and blueberries, flip. I topped mine with greek yogurt and sugar free syrup :)

Pumpkin Pie Protein Pancake

1/2 cup oat flour

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

2 1/2 tbsp canned pumpkin

1 egg or two egg whites

1/4 of a banana (mashed)

3/4 cup almond milk or skim milk

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ground flax seed

1 tbsp chopped pecans

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tbsp truvia

Mix all ingredients, pour onto griddle, flip. I topped mine with greek yogurt mixed with cinnamon, chopped pecans and sugar free syrup. 

Peanut Butter Cup Protein Pancake

1/2 cup oat flour

1 scoop chocolate peanut butter protein

1 tbsp PB2

1 tbsp coco powder

1 egg or two egg whites

1/4 cup almond milk or skim milk (more if needed)

1 tbsp ground flax seed

1/2 tbsp truvia

1 tsp baking powder

Mix everything well, pour onto griddle, flip. I topped mine with a mixture of greek yogurt and natural peanut butter mixed together, semi-sweet chocolate chips and a little sugar free syrup. 

Apple Pie Pancakes

(yes-way!)

3/4 cup oat flour

1/4 cup shredded apple

1 tbsp cottage cheese

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)

1 egg 

ABOUT 1/4 cup almond milk or skim milk (i didn't measure it so use your best judgment) 

1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp truvia

1 tbsp ground flax seed

1 tsp baking powder

topping -

diced apples

light agave nectar

cinnamon

Mix all of the pancake ingredients together. Place a small amount of coconut oil in a skillet and let it melt, add the batter, flip. For the topping add diced apples to a microwave safe bowl with a few table spoons of agave nectar and a decent amount of cinnamon. Microwave for about 20-30 sec or until the apples are slightly mushy. Top your pancakes with greek yogurt and apple topping. Enjoy! 

You may be asking yourself why all of these recipes include flax seed, and what is it? Well, here is a website that explains the benefits that go along with it: 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/30291-benefits-consuming-ground-flaxseed/ 

Stuffed Chicken

The possibilities are endless when it comes to stuffed chicken. Here are a few ways i do it :)

Jalapeno popper stuffed chicken

2 large boneless skinless chicken breast

1/2 package (4oz) of fat free cream cheese - softened

4 stripes of bacon cooked and chopped OR 4 tbsp jarred bacon bits

1 jalapeno - diced

1/2 cup onion - diced

1/2 cup cheddar or colby jack cheese - shredded

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Cut chicken breasts in half long ways to make them thinner and pound in between plastic wrap with a meat mallet until very thin, sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, bacon, jalapeno, onion, and cheese. Put 1/4 of the mix onto the middle of the chicken and roll them up. Secure with toothpicks. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Bake chicken for about 20min or until fully cooked. Try dipping it in fat free ranch!

You can also dip these and egg wash and breadcrumbs for crispy chicken!

I serve mine with diced potatoes drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with 1 packet of dry ranch dressing mix. Baked at 375 for 30min. ( i put them before i start the chicken)

Cheese & Broccoli stuffed chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 pkg frozen broccoli florets

1 cup shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese

1 egg

1 tbsp water

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

spices for breadcrumbs - parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper, etc

Preheat oven to 375. Cut chicken breasts in half long ways to make them thinner and pound in between plastic wrap with a meat mallet until very thin, sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. In a bowl combine cooked broccoli and cheese. Place 1/4 cup of broccoli cheese mix in the middle of chicken, roll and secure with toothpicks. Whisk egg and water. Dredge chicken in egg and roll into breadcrumbs. Line a baking sheet with foil and cooking spray. Cook for about 20min or until done. 

Spinach mushroom and feta stuffed chicken 

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

fresh spinach leaves

mushrooms

1 container of feta cheese

minced garlic

onion powder, salt & pepper

olive oil

a few tbsp of whole wheat bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375. Cut chicken breasts in half long ways to make them thinner and pound in between plastic wrap with a meat mallet until very thin. Spread with minced garlic and sprinkle with spices. in the middle of the chicken place a few spinach leaves and about once sliced mushroom and as much feta you can fit! Carefully roll the chicken and secure with toothpicks trying to keep everything inside. Line a baking dish with foil. Brush the tops of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake for about 20 minutes.