Slow-Cooker Meatloaf - 21 Day Fix approved!

Meatloaf.  In the slow-cooker?

Yes!  This meatloaf recipe couldn't be any easier!  It's mixed in one bowl, and cooked up in a slow-cooker, so you can just throw it together and forget about it until it's ready.

My kids love this moist version of an old family meatloaf, made in the crockpot, with eggs, rolled oats (instead of bread crumbs), and Parmesan cheese for extra flavor!  I love it for the ease and simplicity.

Yummy 21 Day Fix Slow-Cooker Meatloaf

Slow-Cooker Meatloaf (21 Day Fix Approved)

6 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
2 lb. ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup organic no-sugar-added tomato sauce
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. mustard
2 tsp. dried minced onion
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Spray slow-cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl. Crumble ground beef over mixture and stir well to combine.

Shape into an oval loaf; place in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 5 to 6 hours.

(Optional:  Whisk a little ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl; spoon sauce over meat loaf.  Continue cooking on Low until heated through, about 15 minutes.)

Remove from slow-cooker and let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

This would be EXCELLENT served with a side of my Mashed Cauliflower, too!

(21 Day Fixers:  There are 6 servings.  Each serving counts as 1 red, 1/2 a yellow, 1/2 a blue, and a smidge of a purple -- for the tomato sauce.  Just eat 4 less grapes next time!)

If you would like to participate in one of my monthly 21 Day Fix online accountability groups, get in touch with me here, or email me directly at chrispechulis@gmail.com!

If you give this recipe a try, please let me know!  I would love to hear how it went, and if you came up with any variations as well!

ALL THE BEST,
 

Weekly Meal Plan: Week of 12/15-12/21

Weekly Meal Plan: Week of 12/15-12/21

Why do I "Meal Plan"?

1. It helps us to eat healthier, as a family. When you already have a menu of the foods you're going to prepare for the next several days, you won't have to resort to eating out or ordering takeout.
2. I grocery shop more efficiently.  This is because I already have a list of the ingredients I need even before I go the supermarket.  I know if I need bread crumbs, cumin, or cooking spray!
3. I save money.  When we eat out less, we naturally save money.  I also stick pretty closely to my list when shopping.  I don't deviate much from the list.
4. We get to enjoy variety!  Instead of eating the same dish five times a week, I plan our menu so that we are often enjoying something new, but yet still loving our old favorites.
5. I can make it a "family affair".  This is particularly helpful if you have children who are picky about their food. You can also ask for their preferences when planning meals so you can be sure they will like to dishes you serve them.  They are also more likely to try NEW foods.

So, here is OUR plan for the week ahead!

Monday:  Salad with Brussel Sprouts and Grilled Chicken (Adding grilled chicken for protein.)
Tuesday:  Fend-For-Yourself
Wednesday:  Honey-Soy Baked Chicken Thighs with Brown Basmati Rice
Thursday:  Quinoa Turkey Taco Bake with a green salad
Friday:  Easy Make-Your-Own Omelet Night (Self-explanatory, right? Made with leftovers.)
Saturday:  Dinner Out (For ME, anyway .... LOL!)
Sunday:  Italian Turkey Burger Soup

AND for something a little extra, I'm making a Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal recipe for our breakfasts this week -- sounds yummy, doesn't it?

Accompanying grocery list:

I would love to hear about YOUR meal plan for the week .... AND, if you happen to try any of these recipes or this plan, please drop me a note and let me know!

ALL THE BEST,

Breakfast Sausage Taquitos - 21 Day Fix Style!

These are FANTASTIC! 

I make plenty of them at one time (usually the night before), and they reheat quite well.  Great recipe for "batch-cooking"!  And, family-friendly, too.  If you give them a try, please let me know!

21 Day Fix Breakfast Sausage Taquitos

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. coconut oil

1/3 cup yellow bell peppers, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chopped

3 baby bella mushrooms, chopped

8 oz. Al Fresco Apple Maple Breakfast Chicken Sausage
6 large eggs
1/4 cup salsa
4 large low-carb tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. Italian Seasoning
 Pink Himalayan salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large sauté pan, heat coconut oil over medium heat.  Add peppers, onion, mushrooms, and sauté under tender.  Add all spices, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate pan, over medium heat, brown the Al Fresco sausage.  Once the sausage is cooked all the way through, drain and combine with cooked vegetables.

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and salsa, and fork whisk until blended.  Add the egg mixture to the meat and vegetable mixture, and cook until the eggs are scrambled.

Lay the tortillas flat, evenly divide the cheese into 4 portions, and put a layer of cheese down the center of each tortilla.  On top, layer one-fourth of the scramble mixture down the center of each one.  Roll the tortillas tightly, packing the ends with any extra scramble mixture. 

Place rolled tortillas on baking sheet, fold side down.  They should not be touching.  Spray the tops of the taquitos with cooking spray.  Use additional spices to sprinkle the top of each tortilla.

 

Bake on the top rack in your oven for approximately 10-12 minutes.  Flip each roll over, spray once again with cooking spray, and cook for 10-12 minutes more, or until nice and crispy on both sides. 

 

Allow to cool and cut each one in half before serving.

 

Makes 4 Servings.  For the 21 Day Fix, each serving = 1 yellow, 1/2 a green, 2 reds, 1 blue, and 1 tsp.

If you would like to participate in one of my monthly 21 Day Fix online accountability groups, get in touch with me here, or email me directly at chrispechulis@gmail.com!

The original inspiration for these was taken from Peace + Love + Low-Carb. 

ALL THE BEST,

Dinner Menu Plan for the Week of 12/8-12/14

Dinner Menu Plan for the Week of 12/8-12/14

Welcome!  I hope that you find this more detailed menu-plan helpful!  It will include links to the relevant recipes for the week, in addition to a grocery list for our week. 

I am experimenting as I go here, so feedback and helpful hints are surely welcome.

If you have any questions about how I do this (I use Pinterest A LOT), please let me know.

For breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, I buy or always have on-hand the following:  plenty of fruits and vegetables, a big "box" of mixed green salad, whole-wheat bread and nitrate-free lunch meats, eggs, nuts, healthy granola/snack bars, yogurt, oatmeal, and of course, Shakeology!  We also eat plenty of leftovers for lunches.

So our dinners for the week of 12/8-12/14 will include:

Monday:  Thai Chicken & Pineapple Stir-Fry
Tuesday:  Fend-For-Yourself
Wednesday:  Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats
Thursday:  Vegetarian Minestrone
Friday:  Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries (I most often use Butterball Turkey Burger Patties)
Saturday:  Leftovers OR Dinner Out
Sunday:  Taco Casserole Bake (made with whole-wheat tortilla chips)

This list is the "main entrée".  I always serve the entrée with 1-2 vegetable side dishes or a large mixed green salad.

I've created general, categorized grocery list for this menu-plan, assuming you have the usual pantry items.  Next week, I'll include more about the "pantry items" and specific amounts of each item if that would be helpful.  Here it is:

Again, I hope that you find this beneficial.  Comments are welcome!  And please, do let me know if you try any of the meals! 

Thanks for your patience.

ALL THE BEST,

Top 10 Tips so that YOU Don't Feel Like a Stuffed Turkey

Top 10 Tips so that YOU Don't Feel Like a Stuffed Turkey!

 

 

Because WHO wants to feel like a stuffed turkey after Thanksgiving?  Not me!  Maybe a few ..... or ALL of these tips will help you to not feel that way too. 

1. Get that workout in!  Before the festivities begin or before you put that turkey into the oven.  Sweat comes first. 
2. After your workout .... have a healthy breakfast.  I will definitely have my Shakeology first thing in the morning, before I eat anything else.
3. Use a smaller plate.  Fill it up only once.  This will help to keep your portions under control.
4. Fill up on the healthy stuff first.  There will be less room for the not-so-healthy stuff!  Go with the lean turkey breast and any non-starchy vegetables. 
5. Go easy on the gravy.  A little goes a long way!  And, you want to be sure to TASTE your food ..... not mask it with something else.
6. Just say NO.  Just because everyone else is eating, doesn't mean that you have to.  Choosing smaller portions shouldn't offend a host, but sometimes it IS just necessary to decline.
7. Drink plenty of water.  Holiday beverages add up.  Stay hydrated by drinking water all day.  You can also alternate water with other beverages.
8. Take a walk after your meal. 
9. Rest up.  Don't skimp on sleep during the holidays.  You'll feel stressed out and run down.  Work on getting those 8 hours of shut-eye.
10. Stay positive.  Everyone makes mistakes.  There will be times when even the most disciplined person overeats or skips a workout.  Don't worry -- just get back on track IMMEDIATELY.  Staying positive and having a good mindset is more than half the battle!

 

 

Wouldn't THIS be a great vegetable appetizer to bring to a Thanksgiving gathering?  SO CUTE!

 

If YOU have any tips that help you to stay on track during Thanksgiving, be sure to share them in the comments below!



So very thankful for YOU.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends.

ALL THE BEST XO,

These are SO DARNED Good ..... I Feel Compelled to Share.

These are SO DARNED good.

Now, I'm not saying that I don't eat REAL pizza.  That is one food that will never be removed from my diet. 

But, I seriously LOVE pizza.  I could eat it every day.

Thankfully, I recently discovered these Flatout Artisan Thin Pizza Crusts.  And, have been trying out different toppings on them -- they totally do the trick for my frequent "pizza cravings"!  In the photo above, I used a Rosemary and Olive Oil Pizza Crust, along with some ricotta cheese (spiced up), a bit of organic pizza sauce, and fresh chopped spinach.

In this next photo, I used ricotta cheese again, along with some oven-roasted broccoli that we had left over in the refrigerator.  I always pre-season the ricotta with a little salt, garlic, and onion powder. 

These totally taste like a "cheat food" to me. 

You can use the link I posted above to input your zip code, and find a store near you that carries them.  You can usually find the Flatout products near the produce or deli section in your local grocery store.

If you do buy them, let me know.  I would love to hear what combinations you come up with!

If you would like to participate in one of my monthly 21 Day Fix online accountability groups, get in touch with me here, or email me directly at chrispechulis@gmail.com!

And, as always, it is all about balance.  It is okay to enjoy that occasional slice of authentic pizza.  Along with a glass of wine.  XO

ALL THE BEST,

EASIEST Snack Ever ---> Cheese-Stuffed Mini-Peppers!

 



I kid you not.  This is the EASIEST -- and healthy -- snack, ever.  You may even wonder why you didn't think of it yourself?  Ha ha ..... just kidding. 

But, now that I thought of it, and posted it for your benefit -- go ahead and buy some mini-peppers.  And, make this.  Dee-lish!

Cheese-Stuffed Mini-Peppers

(21 Day Fix-approved)

Ingredients:
2 mini-peppers
1 cheese stick
1 tsp. dried parsley

Preheat oven to "broil".  Remove tops and seeds from mini-peppers.  Cut cheese stick in half.  Place one half in each mini-pepper.  Broil for 7-10 minutes.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with dried parsley, and ENJOY!

That's it!  It really doesn't get much easier.

If you try this, please leave a comment and let me know how you like it! 

(21 Day Fixers: This one serving counts as 1 green and 1 blue.)     

If you would like to participate in one of my monthly 21 Day Fix online accountability groups, get in touch with me here, or email me directly at chrispechulis@gmail.com!

ALL THE BEST,