Creamy Avocado Pasta and Spicy Blackened Chicken with cool and creamy Avocado Sauce

This is such a yummy and surprising dish!! I didn't even like Avocados before making this switch to being Top 8 and corn free. But this, I love!

For the pasta you will need:
3-4 servings of pasta (I'm gluten-free so I did rice spaghetti. You could use any kind of pasta really!)
1 avocado
1/2 lemon (juiced and zest)
1 Tbl minced garlic (we just buy the huge already minced containers at Walmart)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil and strain pasta according to box directions. While the pasta is cooking let's make the sauce!! Place avocado, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper into a blender/food processor/bowl and mix until delicious and oh-so creamy! Put the sauce and cooked pasta into a large bowl and mix well. Top with lemon zest and eat immediately :)

For the chicken and you will need:
2-4 thawed chicken breasts
1 tsp of paprika 
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder or onion salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp olive oil

Add the olive oil to a pan and heat on medium for a min or so while you are spicing the chicken.

Combine all dry seasonings in a bowl and mix well. I used a larger flat-bottomed bowl. Dip and cover both sides of the chicken breasts in the seasoning mix. Then place in the oiled and heated pan. Cook until tender and blackened on both sides. Once it is finished, place on plates ready to serve and allow it to cool while you make up the sauce.

For the sauce you will need:
1 tsp Lime juice (totally just used the kind in the little green lime bottle :) )
2 Tbl Mayo (we use the yellow top canola oil mayo, but check your ingredients!!)
1/2 an Avocado

Blend together above ingredients. You can use a food processor or a hand mixer or just a fork. I just used a fork until it was kinda creamy kinda chunky. Spread cool sauce on top of the spicy chicken and eat your heart out!

Turkey Kielbasa and mixed veggies, Brussels sprouts, and quinoa.

Ok. Here goes! My first attempt at somewhat of a food blog. I'm off the top 8 and obvious corn (but not all hidden). I'm having THE toughest time finding good things to put inside my body. Things that taste good and will fill me up. Things that will nourish me as I'm running and training and nursing and chasing a 2 year old! So....you will find good healthy recipes made from real food and free of the top 8 here!

You will need:
Assorted bell peppers (I used one red and one yellow)
1/4 of an onion
2-3 Tbl Olive oil (will depend on how many veggies you use)
Celery (or some other veggie)
Turkey Kiebasa (I used Jennie-O, but check the ingredients for yourself!!)
Salt and Pepper
Paprika

Chop all the veggies. Put olive oil in a large skillet pan and turn on high, once the oil is warmed turn down to medium/low. Once it's warmed add the veggies and sautee until they are soft and the onion is becoming more transparent. While that is cooking cut up the Kielbasa into small circles. Add that to the skillet once the veggies are soft and ready. Salt and Pepper to tase and add in a few dashes of Paprika. Mix all together and allow to cook for another 5 minutes or so. (If it's dry or sticking at all add some more olive oil). Then eat and enjoy!! We mixed ours with Quinoa. Quinoa is delicious and packed with protein! You can find it at a natural health food store or in the organic section at your local Kroger/Frys.

Brussels Sprouts -

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the bottom stemy parts off. Slice in half length-ways (some of the leafs may fall of and that's ok!). Lightly grease a small pan with olive oil. Place the Brussels Sprouts flat side down onto the greased pan. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle fresh ground pepper and sea salt on top. Make sure there's enough olive oil to absorb in a bit and also to help the salt and pepper stick. Cook for 10 minutes and check. They should look roasted, but not brown/burnt. They will be tender and oh-so flavorful!

Weekly weigh-in

I've been slacking! I thought I was only behind a week. But apparently it was worse than that!

I've still been trying to work out 5 days a week. But this week decided to change it up. I asked my sister for Ripped in 30 and am excited to shake things up a bit. I thought it would be good for toning, but wasn't really sure about the overall workout. So yesterday when I started my plan was to do day 1 of R in 30 and then go for a 3-5 mi run. Let me tell you. That did NOT happen! I finished the DVD and I was covered in sweat and panting and my legs were even a little shaky.

That thing was intense! Then I woke up this morning and I can hardly even walk! I cannot get over how sore I am. I feel bad now for thinking it wasn't going to be that great of a workout! I'm pretty excited about this. I took before pics and I'll take afters at the end of the 30 days. I'm excited to see the results! Not sure if I'll post the pics or not as I'm in a two-piece. But I'm glad to have them for me!

I'm still counting calories with MyFitnessPal and still loving it. It's so easy and convenient! I'd really love to continue dropping around 2 lbs a week until I hit goal. My goal right now is 13 lbs away. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep my goal or lower it. I guess we will see how I feel when I get there. I just want to feel happy and comfortable in my own skin. There's no magic # to reach that. So I'll just have to wait and see!

My starting weight - 161.8, Last week - 151.8, This week - 148

I'm still not losing as quickly as I'd like. But it's consistent and I haven't sacrificed my milk supply at all. So I guess I'm ok with it. This weeks weigh-in is in just 3 days and I'm hoping I'll see 146!

Weekly weigh-in 7

This was a crazy week! I worked out a LOT! I counted calories and had one cheat day (parent's bday at Outback. DUH I cheated! haha). I was definitely expecting a two-pound loss. I'm not gunna lie. I've been doing better on the soda front and have been trying to make each calorie really count!

Then I weighed in on Thursday morning (sometimes I weigh in on Thurs and sometimes Fri depending on what's going on that week). And as of Thursday I'd only lost a lb! I was furious! haha. So I weighed myself again this morning hoping that it was bloat or water weight or whatever :)

Here were my results!
My starting weight - 161.8, Last week - 153, This week - 151.8!

So not quite two pounds, but close! Some things that changed this week: I'm able to wear one pair of non-fat pre-pregnancy jeans! woot woot! My rings are loser, my love handles feel smaller, and I feel that baby pooch shrinking away. See ya baby weight! I'm 4 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight, 16 lbs from my goal weight, and have lost 32 lbs since having Delaney! (yes, if you did the math I gained 36 lbs! YUCK!). I feel like I'm starting to feel pretty again and that is a huge accomplishment in and of itself!

Some tips and goals:
Having an accountability partner (or even many) is key! Melissa has been my rock and my motivation these last few weeks and it's working! Working out (even if you only burn 150 calories) makes a huge difference in the way you feel on the inside and the way you LOOK on the outside. Even though that scale says I lost not even 2 whole pounds, my body and the way my clothes fit say that I'm WAY more in shape and less fat than I was a few weeks ago!

My goals for this week are to continue my 4-5 day a week workouts. To do a good job again limiting soda and making my calories count. To do some more strength training every day on my arms, thighs, and abs. And to lose another two lbs. Bring on those 14s baby!!!