Hammer & Chisel: Day 8

Muscles! Those are actual muscles on my arms, shoulders and back. 

At one point in life I could do a whole bunch of clap push-ups at once. I was a base when I was a cheerleader, lifting other girls over my head. Even then, I didn't have the shoulder and back muscle definition that I am getting now. I know it's barely a week in, but I am seriously loving the changes in my body, both the muscles and the 4 lbs lost.

Ok, but back to today... Chisel Cardio. I have done this workout before starting the program officially. Today, however I bumped up my weights. Tonight, I lay in bed resting my very sore muscles. I took a bath tonight trying in hopes of helping. I don't think it is any one workout that got me, but the combination. Right now I am dealing with post workout sore from today, second day "even more sore" from yesterday and "still? Really?" Sore from Friday and Saturday. It is the combination that has gotten my body all work down. So, here's to "Sore today, stronger tomorrow!"        

P.S. I love top. As both a budding fitness buff and a long time superhero fan, I saw this shirt and had to get it!

Hammer and Chisel: Day 4

REST! Today was a day of rest. It was so needed. Both for my body and for my spirit. It is so tempting to feel like we are losing control when we rest or getting behind, but it is essential. Our bodies, minds and spirits need rest. It is how they process what has happened and grow. We know kids need their rest in order to learn and to be able to grow. But, we start thinking as adults (especially us moms) that sleep is a luxury. Depending on our phase of life, rest may seem unattainable, but we need to make time for it. This may not mean that I can get a solid 8 hours of sleep or a solid hour of Bible study and prayer time, but it does mean that I need to carve out time for those things. I need to prioritize them over other things. That's exactly why I am going to end this post here, lol. I need to get some sleep! We all know how important rest is, so I challenge you: FIND A WAY TO REST OR REJUVENATE THIS WEEKEND!

I wrote a post about the spiritual journey of this day that you can check out here on my other blog page. Grace and peace to you all.

Homemade Basic Tomato Sauce

I am not a fan of veggies. I tolerate green beans, broccoli and lettuce, but really need sauces or dressings to eat them. I like tomatoes and pumpkin, which technically aren't veggies, but as a Fixer they count as veggies in my nutrition plan. I struggle to eat enough veggies and since I am cutting out high fat and sugar dressings and sauces I needed to improvise. This recipe can be altered in a ton of ways to fit your tastes and different purposes, but the basics are the same.

Ingredients: 

- Tomato Puree (Make sure that it is no added salt or sugar!)
- Stevia (If you don't like stevia, you could use raw sugar, honey or maple syrup. This will increase the calorie count and can impact your blood sugar)
- Seasonings: For pizza or pasta sauce I use garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning mix.

Tomato Sauces are really a matter of taste. We each have different preferences for different uses. So, this is how I start but I alter it for different uses. I would start with just a little of the seasonings and sweeteners and slowly add more to get the flavor you want. I typically use dried spices because I don't have the time to saute garlic or onion, but those and fresh herbs would amp it up even more!

Base: 

I usually start with 1 cup of tomato puree and 1 tsp of stevia. Put this on the stove and simmer for at least 20 minutes. The longer it simmers the more flavorful the sauce.

Pizza/Pasta Sauce: 

I typically add 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder and 1-2 tsp of Italian seasoning. For pizza sauce, I add a little more stevia. I am not a fan of spicy foods, but you could add red pepper flakes to this for a more intense flavor. This is also great on spaghetti squash if you are cutting back carbs. Check out my quick lunchtime pizza recipe!

Taco Sauce: 

I use this for taco meat (instead of store bought seasonings full of artificial yuck).To this version, I add the 21 Day Fix Southwest Seasoning (minus the chili powder due to personal preference).  If I am making taco salad I add more sauce to the meat instead of using a dressing.

Simple Chicken Margherita Pizza

I LOVE pizza! Deep dish, thin crust, it doesn't matter, I LOVE pizza. We eat homemade pizza at least once a week in my house. I make the dough and sauce from scratch, but sometimes I really want pizza for lunch and my time is more limited with two little ones running around. So here is my 

Simple Chicken Margherita Pizza. 

Let's start with the ingredients:

-1/2 cup homemade tomato sauce**
-1/2 - 1 cup sliced Roma tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
-1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese
-3/4 cup shredded baked chicken**
-1 Low-In-Carb Ancient Grains wrap
-Balsamic vinegar

**I keep these on hand in my fridge so I can use them whenever. Today, however, I was ot of my tomato sauce and used the same recipe only zapped it in the microwave for about 30 seconds before putting it on the pizza. Not as amazing, but it will work when you are low on time and have your hands full.


Directions:
*Note that this is the quickest way to accomplish this as this is meant to be a quick meal. Nothing fancy here!

1. Place your wrap in a large skillet on medium heat to warm it and get it a little crispy. This pizza is supposed to have a thin crust consistency. When you add the toppings it can get a little mushy, so I like to toast mine in the skillet a little first.
2. While it is heating, warm up your chicken and tomato sauce in the microwave to take the chill of of them.
3. Assemble your pizza in the skillet. I like to add my chicken, then sauce. Follow it up with your tomatoes and cheese.
4. It takes about 5 minutes on the stove to get the cheese melty. (If your wrap is getting more crunchy than you want it, finish it in the microwave.
5. Put it on a plate and drizzle with a little Balsamic. ENJOY!!!





If you are a 21 Day Fixer like myself, this converts to 1-1.5 green, 1 yellow, 1 red and 1 blue.





Change up the toppings with what you like! I have also done this with sun dried tomato chicken sausage and it was AMAZING!