Bacon Bruschetta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

 

I found this recipe in my "Paleo Slow Cooking" recipe book by, Chrissy Gower.

Super easy, and little prep time for us moms on the go!

Ingredients

4-6 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup organic cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a large skillet, cook the bacon until thoroughly done. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

2.  Butterfly each chicken breast by cutting them in half lengthwise and keeping one side intact.

3.  Evenly stuff the chicken breasts with the tomatoes, basil, and bacon.

4.  Fasten the open side of the stuffed chicken breasts with toothpicks to hold them closed.

5.  Place the stuffed chicken into your slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for six to eight hours.

6.  Season the dish with salt and pepper to taste.

7.  Walk away and enjoy not having to worry about what to make for dinner at crazy, hectic, 5:00 PM!!! :)

Spin Classes Coming To TrainStrong!

I am excited to announce that beginning this February I will be offering 45 minute spin classes from my home!  Because of the size of my "home gym" I only have enough space for 2 bikes.  If I could, I would have 50!  So, obviously space is very limited.  There will be a sign up calendar available the last week of January.  Please check back for the schedule and link for the sign up calendar.  First (introductory) class is $5.00!  $10.00 per class after your intro!

Five Benefits of Spin Classes

1. Cardiovascular

ACSM recommends that healthy adults aged 18-65 years old should participate in aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes, 5 days per week or vigorous intensity, aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes, 3 days per week.
A well-directed spinning class will steadily keep your heart rate well within a likely vigorous range for approximately 45-60 minutes. Over time, continuous cardiovascular activity (including interval training often practiced in spinning) can help lower your risk of coronary artery disease, can help lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, and can help lower your overall resting heart rate.

2. Lowered Stress Levels

You've probably heard of the elusive "runner's high." It's not uncommon to see many runners in spinning classes. That's because you get the same rush in a spinning class: a release of those happy-mood inducing neurotransmitters known as endorphins. Endorphins are known to create feelings of euphoria, lower your stress level and enhance the body's immune response. 

3. Increased Muscular Endurance

This refers to the ability of a muscle to continually and repeatedly exert force over an extended period of time. In a spinning class, this happens when you pedal against resistance, which can greatly increase the endurance of the muscles in the legs: quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus, and even the calf muscles. Working out these muscles will also help to strengthen the surrounding bones, tendons and ligaments. Outside the spinning room, this increased strength means you'll be able to perform your daily activities with greater ease. Walking a quarter mile to your car with shopping bags while talking on your cell phone will be a no-brainer for you!

4. Major Calorie Burn

If your fitness goals include weight and/or fat loss, you've come to the right place. According to spinning.com, the founders of spinning, individuals can burn anywhere between 400-600 calories per average 45-minute class. Since it takes 3,500 calories to burn one pound of fat, just 5-8 spinning classes, combined with a healthy diet can help you whittle down your body fat.

5. Low Impact

For such a high-intensity workout, spinning is surprisingly low impact. Many people who have recently recovered from orthopedic injuries (and who have been cleared by their physician) turn to spinning to help them get back on track. When done correctly, there is minimal impact on the hip, knee and ankle joints. When your bike is set up properly and you have appropriate footwear, you'll never have to worry about leaving a spinning class with throbbing knee pain or stiffness in the hip joints. The circular motion allows for proper flexion and extension, while avoiding the pounding often brought on by other activities such as running or traditional aerobics classes.

Lean Pork Chops with Chimichurri Sauce

This is one of our favorite dinners!  The flavor is to die for, and we never have any leftovers with this yummy dish! 

 

 

Chimichurri Sauce

 

1 1/2 C. chopped parsley

1 1/2 C. chopped cilantro

1/2 C. loosely packed oregano leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

6-7 garlic cloves

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil

 

1.  Place pork chops in a Ziploc bag and set aside.

 

2.  To make the chimichurri, place parsley, cilantro, oregano, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor.  Pulse several times until finely chopped.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and add red pepper flakes and stir in olive oil.

 

3.  Remove 1/2-3/4 cup chimichurri and pour over pork chops.  You just need enough to coat them well.  Seal bag and set aside to marinate for an hour or more if you need to.  Cover the reserved chimichurri and set aside.

 

4.  When ready to cook, preheat the grill.  Remove pork chops from bag and let the excess marinade drip off.  Place on grill and cook until internal temp. is 160 degrees F., flipping approx. every 5 minutes.  You may take it off the grill when internal temp reaches 155-158 degrees F. since it will continue to cook a bit as it sits.  Remove from grill and let it stand for 5 minutes before cutting.  Serve with remaining chimichurri sauce drizzled on top if desired.  (Highly recommended!)

 

*You may use pork tenderloin in this recipe.  I prefer the thinly cut pork loin chops, and like it even better!  Also great with steak!

 

*Recipe courtesy of Our Best Bites

 

 



Happy 2014!

 

Make 2014 a great year!  Set goals...You can achieve anything you want!



30 Day Burpee Challenge

We began a 30 day burpee challenge on Monday October 21st.  By the end we'll be doing 100 burpees!  Join us...It's a great full body exercise that works the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, abs, pectoral muscles, triceps, and deltoids.

Eat Clean and Train Strong

10 Reasons Your Body Isn’t Changing

You’re eating healthy, exercising and watching your diet, with little to no results to show for your effort. Before you throw in the towel and give up on your weight loss goals all together check out these Ten Reasons Why Your Body Isn’t Changing according to A Calorie Counter and Spark People to see how you can get back in the game!

1. Are you eating too much?: Weight loss is a simple equation of eating fewer calories than you burn in a day. If you’re not ending the day with a calorie deficit you won’t be losing weight. Instead you’ll be just maintaining or even gaining weight. Try keeping a thorough food journal with what and how much of everything you eat for a week. You’re probably eating more than you think!

2. Pounds vs Inches: How are you measuring your progress? If your workout routine includes weight training you’re most likely adding muscle mass, and subsequently changing your body composition. With muscle weighing more than fat, relying on the scale alone may not be giving you an accurate reading of your progress. Taking measurements of your arms, thighs, mid-section, and hips on a bi-weekly basis may paint a different picture of your success!

3. Change It Up: “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.” This well known adage is especially true of your fitness routine and diet. If you’ve hit a plateau, you may need to change up your routine and increase the intensity, as well as adjust your daily calorie intake. The less of you there is the fewer calories you need.

4. You’re Only Doing Cardio: 45 minutes on the elliptical may feel like a good workout, but without weight training you’ll never change your body composition by adding more muscle. A greater muscle mass increases your daily calorie burn, leading to a lower body fat percentage and a leaner you. If you love cardio try a Kettle Bell class or circuit training in place of typical weight training.

5. Falling for the Flavor of the Week: Making too many changes too quickly can be just as detrimental as getting stuck in a rut. Ballroom dancing may be the latest fitness craze but it may not be the calorie burn or weight training routine you need. Figure out what works for you rather than everyone else and stick with it.

6. Fact vs. Fiction: Are you doing or trying? You may feel like you’re eating healthy and exercising regularly, but a well kept food and exercise journal may tell a different story. Take a close hard look at your food choices and fitness routine and see what is really going on and where you can make improvements. (photo credit here)

7. You’re Rewarding Yourself with Food: It’s awesome that you just ran three miles, but rewarding yourself with a Starbucks Frappuccino will do nothing but negate all your hard work. Rather than food, try setting a long term goal and reward yourself with a gift when you reach your goal.

8. You’re Not Working Hard Enough: Are you challenging yourself with your workouts? If you’ve found yourself getting through your fitness routine with less or minimal effort it may be time to take it up a notch. Add weight training, High Intensity Interval Training, or a faster pace on the treadmill to keep your workouts challenging and you seeing results.

9. You’re Working Too Hard: As crazy as it sounds, working out too hard can be detrimental to meeting your fitness and weight or body measurement goals. Make sure to take at least one rest day a week, drink plenty of water and eat nutritious foods to replenish your muscles after a hard workout. Remember you want to build muscle, not break it down without recovery.

10. You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep: Few of us can say that we get the recommended 8 hours of sleep a night. Although it may be hard to forgo productivity for sleep, your efforts for a good night’s sleep will pay off in the long run. Lack of sleep can lead to hormonally charged weight gain and poor workouts due to fatigue and lack of concentration. Set a sleep schedule complete with a bed time and wake time and stick with it.

See what areas you can improve on and start seeing the results you’ve been looking for!

*Courtesy of Skinnymom.com*