Monday's Meal- Quick Chicken and Broccoli Pasta (super simple!)

My kids love pasta!  Ok, so who doesn't like pasta?  The pasta mixes that come in the box are really tasty, but they are filled with crap that I can't even pronounce.  I feel like there is no way to justify giving my family these box pasta mixes, when I can whip up a batch of great tasting, one dish meals like this one. This is super easy and it only took me about 10 minutes to prepare it.  

Ingredients

1.

  I batch cooked A LOT of chicken on the weekend, so that when I needed to prepare some quick dinners, it was all ready for me!  I used about 4 to 5 cooked, chunked chicken thighs.  (boneless, skinless).  I just took these out of the fridge.

2.

  1 box of any pasta

3.

  Black pepper to taste

4.

  Salt to taste

5.

  1 cup shredded Parm cheese, plus another small amount for garnish

6.

  1 bag broccoli steamers or about 3 cups of fresh broccoli

7.

  around 1/3 cup of Olive Oil

8. 

  about 1 clove of garlic, or more if you like!

9.  

  Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Instructions

1.  I started cooking the pasta according to the directions on the box.  Any pasta would do, I just happened to have spaghetti. 

2.  While the pasta is cooking, I put a broccoli steamer in the microwave.  5 minutes should do it!  You could use fresh, but again, I wanted to use what I happened to have on hand.  I ALWAYS have steamers on hand!

3.  While the steamers and pasta are cooking, I heat up a skillet with about a quarter of a cup of olive oil.  I do not use EVOO, just straight up olive oil.  This seems like a lot, but this is the "sauce" for the dish.  Olive oil is healthy!  To the oil I put in black pepper ( I use A LOT), salt, and some chopped garlic.  Add in your cooked chicken.  I like to add red pepper flakes for some heat!  Stir the sauce around to coat the chicken and incorporate the spices.  Heat until the garlic is cooked.  

4.  When the pasta is done, drain the water, reserving about a 1/4 of a cup of the pasta water. Put the pasta back in the large pot.  Add the steamed broccoli, the chicken and the sauce.  

5.  Stir the mixture, until all the broccoli and the pasta is coated!  YUM!  It might need more olive oil and sometimes I might add a little of the pasta water.  But I think that I usually end up just adding a bit more olive oil.  

6.  Stir in about a cup of shredded Parm cheese.  You can omit this part, but who would want to omit the cheese?!?!  

7.  Plate up, and I like to garnish with a bit more black pepper and parm cheese on top!

Viola!  A pasta dish that EVERYONE loves!  This is one of those meals that there is never any leftovers!

Wholesome and DELISH!

Let me know what you think and if you try it!

High Five Friday

This was another quick week.  I feel like all the weeks run together and I usually have no idea what day it is!  I guess that is the downfall of being a SAHM and a homeschooling mama!  So here are my top 5 for the week.

1.  

I lost some weight!  I am down 16 lbs. since Dec. 26th!!!  Seriously, WOW!!  I feel good and am still motivated.  I have so much more to go, but it is a wonderful start.

2.

Only 33 more days til my and sis go to VEGAS!!!!  So, excited.  I have not been out on my own (sans kids), for a year and a half!  I need a ME break.  It is going to be so much fun!

3.

I decided to get back on track with the envelope cash budget.  I have gotten away from it because our finances have been so tight, there really was no need for the envelopes (nothing to put in them!), but I need to start doing this again!

4.

 I have been trying to go to bed earlier!  I am the night owl that goes to bed at 4am, but I need to get away from that.  It is not healthy and I do not want my kids to be on a crazy schedule for ever.  I am really trying to get better at this, but my body and mind is fighting me all the way.  So, slowly but surely, I am getting there.

5.

I got all crafty, and glitterized EVERYTHING in sight!  I made a great bulletin board for my room, and I also made this Valentines decor for my fireplace mantle! I'm not done, but it's a start!  In a house full of boys, I have to get my glitter on every once in a while!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I will be back on Monday with a new recipe!

Throw some glitter on it!

In a house full of men, I sometimes feel the need for glitter.  Glitter, pink, and maybe a bit of turquoise thrown in.  When I found this bulletin board for $1.99 at Goodwill, I just knew it was begging for some  pizazz.  I mean who wants a plain bulletin board, anyways?  I also found the 3 hooks for $1.99 there, as well.  So, took them home and slapped some white paint on it, beat it up, then sanded it down a bit to get the shabby look.  I like the way these two pieces turned out!  It was really easy, and it solved two problems I was having in my bedroom.  1.  A place to hang my scarfs.  2.  A place to put all my goals, inspiration, etc.  All for under $4.00.

yes, I did sit there and glue glitter on push pins.  And, yes, I know I have a problem!

So, there you have it.  A cheap solution to my scarf storage problem and a creative and sparkly solution to posting my goals and other important info.  

I think the world could use a lot more sparkle in it! I'm just doing my part! 

Wednesday Weigh in #3

Sickness is gone!  Well, at least for the most part.  I have found myself blowing my nose and sniffing non stop.  Not sure if that is because the flu is still in my body or maybe it could be the weird weather we are having here.  I hate the hot summers we have here in Chandler.  But I love the winters.  They are mild and sunny, not too hot, not too cold.  But the last few weeks have been COLD!  27 degrees in the morning and warming up to the upper 40's.??  What the helicopter is this all about? I don't even have any long sleeve shirts!  Thank goodness I at least have a few hoodies!  But you will not hear too many complaints from me.  I would much rather have the cold here, than the hot!

So, no more stalling, here is the number for this week:


Last week:  -10
This week:   -6

Total:  -16 lbs.!!!

I cannot believe it!!!!  I lost 6 lbs. in one week?  Crazy!  Probably has something to do with the flu and all, but I will take it!  No complaints.  AT ALL!!!!

Here were the goals:

1.  Water:  A
I have been drinking so such liquids, I feel like I am going to float away!


2.  Calories: A
 I have been keeping my calories under 1300 all week.  In fact, when I looked back I was way under some days.  I don't think this is good, nor was it intentional!  I will have to be more mindful of keeping the calorie counts right around 1300.

3.  Supplements:  D
I do really good with breakfast, but forget the rest.  My hours are all messed up and I have been sleeping in, so this probably has a lot to do with that!  I need to regulate my hours then work on the supplements!

I am not going to add any more goals this week.  I think I need to still get in the habit of taking the supplements and such.  I do not want to get overwhelmed with too many changes at once.  I would like to take the fitness aspect to the next level, though.  I have been very sporadic.  But I am not going to worry about that just yet!  Whatever I am doing, it is working!

Hope you all have a great Wednesday!

High Five Friday

This week kind of snuck up on me.  Or should I say, this Friday kind of snuck up on me?  This was a very boring week, but here it is....

1.  We are finally getting over the flu!  We still have some of the lingering symptoms, but my strength and stamina is coming back so I was able to get some of the cleaning done yesterday.

2.  I did not have the best meals this week, but still managed to stay within the calorie limits I set for myself.  Also, I managed to get a couple of walks and a bike ride in!

3.  I made me a bulletin/inspiration board for my room.  I made a list of January goals to post on there.  I will me showing pics next week.

4.  I made french toast.  Enough said.

5.  I finally saw the newest Bourne movie.  Jeremy Renner is my new crush.  I may or may not Love him.  Just saying.


Sorry there are no pics, I totally was unprepared for this post.  I mean Friday only happens every 7 days, like, forever!  Why would I remember?

I hope you have a great weekend.  See ya on Monday!

Wednesday Weigh In #2

Though this week has not gone as planned, I did not want that as an excuse for total derailment on the diet and fitness front.  I worked hard to power through the flu that hit us this weekend, and I still am not feeling too good.  The flu seems to lingering, but NO excuses!  I worked out once on Thursday (Zumba and squats).  I know that my body hurt from the flu, but I totally couldn't sit on the toilet all weekend!  Soooo out of shape.  I hope to get back into the swing of it this week, though.

Here are the numbers:


week 1:  -8
This week:  -2

Total weight Loss:  

-10 lbs

I am really happy that I stuck with it, and there was something to show for it!  I am not going to lie, and say that I wouldn't want that number to be bigger, but the goal was to steadily lose 2 lbs. a week.  So, mission accomplished.  Let's check in with the goals so far.

1.  Drink more water: A
I have been counting my decaf tea as water, and I drink more than 100 oz.  of liquids a day, so not too bad!

2.  Calories under 1300:  B
I have way under some days, but went over two of the days.  I do not count any exercise calories as extra calories.  So no matter what, the calories must stay under 1300.  Now, the only time I can see that this will change, is if there is a special event coming up.  But that hasn't been the case.  Keeping the calories and the carbs in check is the key!

Now I am adding a new goal:
3.  Be more diligent about taking my supplements.  D
I tend to forget and then find myself too far into the day to take some of them.  I do not want to take certain ones too late in the day, so they have to be skipped.  So this week, I am making it a priority.  I might even set an alarm!


So, this was a good week considering I had a tons of crackers and sodium packed soups for most of the week.  I hope to get my diet back on track from here on out.  keep those numbers moving down!!

Have a great day!!!  I hope that you are keeping your resolutions in mind.  I know it can be hard to follow through, but you can do it!!!

Yah or Nay? 1

This last week has not gone according to plan.  I was doing so good on the diet (still am), feeling great, then BAM.  The DH comes home from work with the flu.  I immediately opened all the windows and doors and grounded him to his room.  But, to no prevail!  The kids and I were sick ALL weekend!  I still am not feeling great, but life must go on.  The last week I kind of changed things up and tried a couple "new" things.  I have been pretty strict with what food goes into my body, but with the flu, I just wasn't up to cooking.  Here is my Yah and my Nay.

Yah:

Smart Ones Chicken Enchilada
Now don't get me wrong, I have had this meal before.  It tasted great, no complaints, at all, on the taste side.  I also think it is not too bad in the filling department.  This kept me full for quite a while!  I will say that the ingredient list is not the best (there are artificial ingredients), and there are WAY too many carbs (49).  But, in a pinch or a once -in- a -while kind of thing, this meal is great.  Easy, filing, delish, and quick.  Perfect for the kind of weekend I had!


Nay:

Healthy Choice Frozen Greek Yogurt
I sooooooo wanted to love this!  I love ice cream!  I had a fever and was not feeling great when I bought this and was so excited to get this home and soothe my sore throat.  The only good thing I can say about this was, it did soothe my sore throat.  I had a stomachache after eating about half and I did not like the taste at all.  This was not cheap ( about $1 a serving), and I was left very disappointed!  I would not recommend this to anyone.  I believe wholeheartedly that if you really want the ice cream...have it.  Eating less of the real thing is way better than getting more of a not so great substitute!



     So, not sure I will be doing this on a regular basis, or maybe just when I feel like I can give a good review of something.  Who knows, but I hope that you find this helpful!






Disclaimer:  I was not paid or approached to give my opinion of anything in this post.  I just like to blab about stuff I like or dislike.  The opinions would not change, had I been paid!