Baked Tilapia and Couscous

This is one of my FAVORITE dishes! Why? 

1. It's yummy and healthy.
2. The only thing you have to chop is a little red onion.
3. Just use what you have on hand. I change up the veggies almost every time based on what is in the fridge. The original recipe doesn't even call for veggies, so you can even skip them if you prefer ;)
3. EASY cleanup = You mix the ingredients in one bowl and use one baking dish for cooking.
4. Throw it in the oven and done! 

I originally got this recipe from Rachel Ray, but have made several modifications over the years :) 

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 tilapia fillets (3 is what usually fits well in my pyrex dish, but you can use 4)

• 10 ounces couscous

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds*
• 1/2 cup raisins*
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/4 red onion, sliced

• 1  14.5 oz can diced tomatoes 

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon zumac (you can omit this if you don't have it. We just LOVE sumac!)
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus 1-2 tablespoons to separately coat baking dish)

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus 1 lemon, thinly sliced

* I sometimes skip these if I don't have them on hand. This recipe is really flexible!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the tilapia. 
2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the tilapia fillets in a single layer in the dish, drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cover the fish with the couscous mixture. Pour 2.5 cups water around the fish, cover with foil and bake until tender, about 30 minutes. 

ENJOY!

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Breakfast Egg Cups - 21 Day Fix Approved

Yesterday I made Egg Cups for the very first time! Why I waited this long when I have been making two eggs for breakfast every day for eight months...I have no idea! These things are so easy to make AND it means I can just grab and go in the mornings. Of course they are 21 Day Fix, CIZE, and Hammer & Chisel approved :) 

I saw a couple slight variations on how to make Egg Cups, so here is what I personally ended up doing. Keep in mind that you can use ANY vegetable combination that you want. These are just the ones I ended up using this time around, but I may switch it up each week. 
Ingredients:

• 12 Eggs

• 1 cup baby spinach, chopped

• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped

• 1/2 cup red onions, chopped

• Cheddar cheese

• Pinch of salt

• Pepper

• Garlic powder

Directions:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F

• Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with olive oil spray

• Whisk 12 eggs in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and a little garlic powder.

• Evenly poor the mixture into the muffin cups. 

• Top each one with your desired veggies. This time I used spinach, mushrooms, and red onion, but you can use whatever you like and have on hand!

• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• I pulled them out at 10 minutes and topped each one with just a little cheddar cheese and put them back in for another 5 minutes. 

*The picture above was the first time I made the egg cups. I decided to sauté the vegetables first and then add them to the egg mixture before pouring into the muffin tin. They came out great, but I have since tried the method of just putting the veggies on top without sautéing. The came out equally as delicious! So, I'm going the easier route from now on :) 

Servings and Containers:
1 Serving = 2 Egg Cups and count as: 

• 1 Red

• 1/2 Green

• 1/4 Blue  - IF you add cheese..and honestly, I didn't even use 1/4 of a blue worth on it, but including it for you just in case.

FYI - Other Egg Cup recipes state that two Egg cups count as 1 Green container instead of 1/2, but I personally didn't see 1 cup worth in my egg cups :) If you are trying to watch your containers carefully, you can count this as 1 Green if you prefer. 

Let me know how you like them! 

Getting in those EARLY morning workouts!

WOW...it sure has been a while since I wrote a blog post :) A break from some things was much needed, but I have to admit, there was A LOT that I missed! I can't say that I'm back with some earth shattering post, but this is a question that I've been asked quite a bit since starting my Beachbody journey. 

How can I get myself to workout early in the morning?? 
"I'd love to start my day with a workout, and not have to worry about it throughout the day, but I can't seem to get myself going that early!"

When Ethan used to wake up around 6:30-7:00am, I'd wake up at 4:55am to start my 30 minute workout at 5:00am. Honestly, some days were a STRUGGLE! But here are some things that really helped me:

1. Sleep in your workout clothes. If I had to change clothes in the morning, my mind had enough time to think and talk me out of working out :)

2. Set up DVD the night before to the correct workout.

3. Put a bottle of water in the fridge. I actually prefer room temperature water, so I left a cup of water out overnight that I could take downstairs in the morning. Better yet, if you like room temperature water, just put it downstairs before you go to bed.

4. Plan for enough sleep. You probably know how much sleep your body needs to function the next day. For me, about 7 hours of sleep is OK. So, when I was waking up by 5am, I'd try to be asleep by 10pm.

5. When your alarm goes off, don't check your phone or start anything that will distract you. Just roll out of bed and and walk to your workout room before your brain really has a chance to process what you're doing :)

6. Join an accountability and support group and share your goals with them! Seriously, this is why I fell in love with Beachbody. Busy mamas with multiple kids, full-time jobs, commutes, etc. would post about their struggles for the day, but that they still fit in their 30 minute workout. It reminded me that I had NO EXCUSES, but in a supportive way. It also gave me a place to post "I WILL workout at 5am tomorrow" and I didn't want to let them down. 

OK, for those of you that have a REALLLLLYYYY hard time getting out of bed in the morning. Here are some extra ideas:

1. If you know that you are a snoozer, then set your alarm for 4:30, so that you'll actually get up at 4:55. This doesn't work for me, because my brain starts working (and then talking me out of my workout), but this works for some people.

2. Put your alarm on the other side of the room, so that it forces you to get up.

Lastly, just like with everything, what it really comes down to is how much you want it and making a decision. I KNOW, I KNOW. That is not what you want to hear, but it is true :) Personally, I'd rather workout in the morning. Although I don't love a 5am alarm clock, I am much better in the mornings. By the afternoon and evening I allow myself to make SOO many excuses and it takes a lot more effort to get it done. When Ethan started waking up at the butt crack of dawn and I couldn't get in a morning workout, it took me quite some time to mentally adjust to an afternoon workout. It's tougher for me, but ultimately (after months), I made a DECISION that I WOULD workout in the afternoon or evening no matter what! Why? Because I'm a much happier person when I do it :) 

But I will say this - if you are more of an afternoon or evening person, then go with it! Don't try to force yourself to workout in the morning unless it really doesn't fit in your schedule or you find you are too tired by the end of the day. Going with what works naturally for you always seems to be less stressful and you'll enjoy your workout more. That's important to making exercise a normal part of your lifestyle. 

If you got this far, thanks for reading and I hope that this helps!! Are there any other things that help you get up for a morning workout?? If so, please share!

Veggetti & Egg Free Zucchini, Banana, Chocolate Chip Bread!!

I put my egg free baking skills to the test again! Let's just say, I didn't fail as miserably as last time :) This time around I made Zucchini bread with banana (instead of egg) and some chocolate chips! The flavor was really good (we ate it all in one day...opps!!!), but it was a little dense. I'll have to try it again in a few weeks..not giving up yet!

Second attempt at Zucchini bread

First attempt at an egg free, grain free zucchini bread ... no it's not a roast :) 

This is the recipe that I used and I'll update my post when I try it again: http://www.milkallergymom.com/2009/07/zucchini-bread-milk-and-egg-free.html

To shred the zucchini, I used a Veggetti that I randomly picked up a few months ago at Ross. I finally put it to the test and it was SOOOOO EASY!!!! I can't believe I waited so long to use it! I'm not one to buy things that are only good for one purpose, but this one is worth it. We even used some of the leftover zucchini noodles as a replacement for pasta at dinner.

What is a one purpose kitchen tool that you use and love??

The AWESOMENESS of life :)

Today is awesome! OK, life in general is pretty AWESOME! The last 1-2 weeks I've taken some time to slow down and focus on living my life the way that I want to every day! Because...well, isn't that what it's all about?! :) Sometimes we get off track and need to take a step back. Now, I am feeling much more focused, energized, and balanced. I'm giving and receiving love and that feels pretty great!

In addition to working out bright and early this morning with my hubby, showering (that's a biggie :)), spending all day with my amazing little boy and one of our friends ... I've been able to share successes and struggles with others doing 21 Day Fix. Women who are just getting started and seeing amazing results..and others, like me, that have been going at it for a couple months and need that extra push to keep going on their journey. I can't capture all of the amazing things happening today, but here are just a couple of the highlights!

"I am down 70 lbs and from a size 22 to a size 12/14. I had done calorie counting and the gym... when that stopped working, Holly introduced me to 21 Day Fix Extreme! I am happier than I have been in years and I'm able to keep up with my son!"

"We both lost 10 pounds in round 1 of 21 Day Fix and I lost 15 inches!"

"I wanted to let you know that I started the 21 day fix on Tuesday. I weighed 170.4 and today I am 165.6!!"

These are just some of the successes, but to me...every person who makes a choice to take that step today is a success...whether you are choosing to just get started or if you are trying to get back on track. It doesn't matter. Either way, you are choosing YOU. You are choosing life and happiness. That's what matters. 

If you are feeling off balance or know that you just need to make a change, and want to join in on the awesomeness...message me at https://www.facebook.com/holly.atkins63 and let's talk. It's worth it...and pretty fun :) What do you have to lose? Or better yet...just imagine what you could gain (and no I'm not referring to weight, but how about some muscle ;))!

12 nights in CALIFORNIA!!!!!

I have ALWAYS wanted to go to California, so I am super excited for our upcoming trip...especially since we will be there to celebrate our THIRD wedding anniversary! My husband and I mostly took international vacations before having Ethan, but now as a family of three, it seems just a little easier to stay in the US. Plus, there is still tons that we want to explore here.

I do have to say that I am a little nervous about Ethan adjusting to the time change when we get there and when we return. He is a pretty good, predictable sleeper and I don't want that to stop once we get back. But... I also want to go with the flow as much as possible while we are traveling (want my cake and eat it too, I suppose? :)). We will just see how he does and go from there...

SO, here is what our trip looks like so far! We have planned out a few things we want to see at each place, but still have more planning to do.

Fly into San Diego

• San Diego - 4 nights
• Pismo Beach - 2 nights
• Carmel/Monterey - 3 nights
• San Francisco - 3 nights

Fly from SF - SD and then SD home!

We are trying to strike a good balance between sightseeing and having some relaxing downtime...as much as you can with a toddler. My youngest brother and sister-in-law just moved outside of LA in July, so they are planning to meet up with us in San Diego. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM and explore San Diego together! They may even give us a date night out on the town! WOOOO HOOOOO! Now to figure out what to do on our night out..

Until we get there....I'll be dreaming about this view :)

Childhood Cancer Awareness - Donating $1 for every POUND lost in September!

I remember my dad training for a marathon many years ago! At that age, I thought the only reason people ran marathons was to raise money for a cause. So, I asked him what cause he was running for, which prompted him to sign up with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.... I still remember trying to help him fundraise smile emoticon

September will be my fourth accountability group and found myself asking...how can I use this as an opportunity to give back even more?? Well, it is Childhood Cancer awareness month! 

Now that I have my own son, I can't help but get emotional when I think about what those little kids and their families are going through. The struggles - physically, mentally, emotionally and financially that they experience at such a young age that most of us don't have to experience in a lifetime. It breaks my heart to even imagine Ethan going through that. 

So, for each POUND lost by one of my Challengers in my next group, I will donate $1 to Childhood Cancer awareness! My next accountability group is starting Monday, September 7. Don't worry, I know that's a busy week with Labor day and kids going back to school, so that week will be pre-season - just getting to know each other, etc. The workouts will start September 14!

I hope that you will join me for a month of FUN, meal planning tips and recipes, and daily motivation and support you need to make a healthy lifestyle change! I will be your cheerleader the whole way through to get you the results that you want to see smile emoticon

If you are interested, please send me a Facebook friend request and message at https://www.facebook.com/holly.atkins63. Feel free to share this with anyone else that could use some motivation and support on their journey to be healthier and happier every day while giving back to an important cause!