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One More Little Thing

Dreaming of an easy way to be SUPER Mom

Apple Feta Jar Salad with Chicken and Apple Pear Dressing- THM E

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Weekly Mason Jar Salad logo

Everyone knows that good healthy food isn’t always fast or easy to find.  Jar salads are an easy and great way to prep some lunches for the week.  Now I know, I know you do have to do the prepping yourself but once they are ready you are good to go for a week or so.  I try to make a different kind of jar salad each week.  Yes, that means I eat the same salad for 4-6 days but then the next week I do a different one.  I have really enjoyed doing this.  It’s great for me during the busy lunchtime routine.  They are easy to pack and take with me too.  I also feel good and full after eating them because they are a large salad!

Apple Feta Jar Salad

Chicken Apple Feta Jar Salad


Lately, I have been experimenting a lot with my Trim Healthy Mama (THM) eating and have found that the more E (Energizing) meals I eat the more weight loss I see.  Now for those of you that do not know much about THM these are the meals that are lower in fat but higher in good healthy carbs.  When I say carbs I do not mean white bread or croutons but rather fruit, quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice and things like that.

Of course this should make complete sense since the other THM meal is the S (satisfying) meal and those are the meals high in fat.  This should have been obvious to me since obviously if I’m eating E meals I am consuming overall less calories but you know some things take some time…even years to figure out.

Anyway with that being said I’m obviously on high alert for great new E meals and this week I wanted to try a new E jar salad.  Now this does have feta cheese in it but i think if you keep it low you are fine with the amount of fat content.  If not then you are in crossover mode which is STILL on plan!  Sometimes I have to remind myself of this.

Apple Feta Jar Salad

Without further ado let me introduce you to the apple feta jar salad with chicken and apple pear dressing.  Is your mouth watering yet?  First you need to start by making your dressing which I found over at thehealthymilestone. Once you have that all prepped and ready you can fill your mason jars with 1/4 cup of it. With that dressing you add the rest of the ingredients in order as listed below in the printable recipe and make sure that lettuce is packed in there tight!  Put your lids on and you are ready to go.

Printable Recipe

Chicken Apple Feta Jar Salad
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Apple Feta Jar Salad with Chicken and Apple Pear dressing THM E

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Prepared Apple Pear dressing from thehealthymilestone http://www.thehealthymilestone.com/pear-apple-salad-dressing/
  • 2 Apples Sliced into bite sized pieces 1/2-3/4 per jar
  • 2 Pears sliced into bite sized pieces 1/2-3/4 per jar
  • 4 T Feta Cheese 1T per jar
  • 3-4 Cooked and shredded skinless bonelss chicken breasts 1 breast per jar or so
  • Your choice of lettuce Stuff each jar full
  • I sometimes top with a few pecans for some crunch but not too many!

Instructions

  1. Prepare your apple pear dressing and put 1/4 cup into the bottom each jar.

    http://www.thehealthymilestone.com/pear-apple-salad-dressing/

  2. Cook and shred up your chicken.  I like to do mine in the crockpot!

  3. Cut up apples and pears into bite-size pieces and place into the jars.

  4. Next put in the feta.

  5. Chicken goes in next.

  6. Follow up by stuffing your jar as full as you can with your lettuce.

 Mason Jar Salad tips and tricks 

If you haven’t ever made these salads before do not be afraid.  They are so easy and are a lifesaver to my eating plan each and EVERY week! I absolutely love having them ready in the fridge.  I have written a post about mason jar salad tips and tricks that you will definitely want to check out if you are just getting started! Make a plan to be successful today and let these wonderful salads help you along your way.

 

“Idiots” Italian Chicken: Idiots means EASY- THM S

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Freezer Meal logo

“Idiots” Italian Chicken. Sounds like a not very nice name eh?  The reason I’m calling you an idiot is because this recipe is so easy you will wonder why it isn’t on your menu every week.  This recipe is from the new Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Trim Healthy Table (THT) cookbook.  It’s literally just that, so easy and yet so tasty and wonderful! You will not be disappointed and you can easily be done with your cooking for the week in less than an hour if you make four pans of this and follow my freezer meal theory!

“Idiots” Italian Chicken

"Idiots" Italian Chicken

Now I know what you are thinking, stop it with the Trim Healthy Table Cookbook recipes I don’t have it yet.  I’m so sorry if you do not have it yet but I highly recommend it if you have not ordered.  I also do not want anyone to miss out on a freezer meal this week so if you do not have the cookbook you can also follow this similar online recipe. Don’t let not having the recipe keep you from cooking this week.  You will regret it if you do!

If you do have the THT cookbook this recipe is on page 223.  I really just followed the recipe it was so easy.  I did use fire roasted diced tomatoes from Aldi’s but I’m sure you can use regular diced also if you are worried about the heat. My family is pretty easy going about food.  I’m very blessed that way but they definitely loved this recipe!

New to Freezer Cooking??

If you are new to freezer cooking you have come to the right place!  First off don’t be afraid, I have people ask me the craziest things about freezing means and I have NEVER had any of these issues, let alone heard of some of them.  I follow my freezer meal theory which has me in the kitchen only one night a week and by night I mean two hours MAX. I’m all about weekly stocking your freezer so you can pull daily from your freezer without a freezer anxiety attack!!

There are lots of freezer meals listed on my freezer menu and different ways to get started stocking your freezer.  The most important thing to remember is this will be such a blessing to your family.  My children have no idea what’s it like to have crappy food for dinner or any meal for that matter.  It’s not because I’m anything special it’s just because I have taken the time to plan and you can do it too.  A bonus is it will save you money! The biggest benefit is at the 5 PM time when things get crazy and your anxiety is at an ultimate high because you have no idea what is going to be on the table for dinner.

Tips

I will offer you just a few tips as you get started.

  1. Don’t be afraid to start slow.  Just start spending one day making 4 of a meal once a week.  Or choose a few days a week and just double the dinner you are already making. It honestly will not take you much more time at all.
  2. Go to Sam’s club and buy their 9×13 aluminum pans and lids. You get 36 pans and lids for less than $15.  If you do not want to cook in these pans you can line them with parchment paper and pop it out to cook in glass.
  3. Let your food cool if needed before freezing.
  4. Almost all meals need to be completely thawed before cooking. I do this simply by placing the pan in my sink in the morning and letting it thaw there all day.
  5. Label your lids before you freeze them by writing on them with a pen. I have an upright freezer so I also label the sides with an address label.  You have to do your labeling BEFORE you freeze or it won’t stick or stay on. I label the sides so that when I open the freezer I can easily see all my options.
  6. If you freeze in plastic freezer bags you may want to double bag them.  Sometimes the corners get hit and will leak.  Double bag them and just use the cheapest bags to do it because no one bag works better than another.
  7. Sometimes after you thaw your food you may have excess liquid that you need to drain off.  Simply cover it with your lid and drain it off.
  8. The only thing I have found in YEARS of freezer cooking that does not freeze well is potatoes.  If you are using frozen potatoes you are fine but regular potatoes do not freeze well.  Also, spaghetti squash wasn’t great but some people have frozen that just fine also.

Thanks again!

Thank you for joining me today and please share any freezer advice you can give!  I have never had issues with freezing so don’t be scared you can do it! Start today.  Make a plan.  You won’t regret it!

 

Oven Roasted Chickpeas- THM E Snack

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THM freezer treats

Who needs a salty fix? Is that bag of chips just staring at you every time you open the pantry? It can be so hard to stick to healthy eating if you are not prepared for the attack.  Take 5 minutes and make up some of these wonderful snacks.  I promise they are good.  I was hesitant at first but I’m so glad I tried them!

Oven Roasted Chickpeas- THM E

Oven Roasted Chickpeas

These are so easy to make and I love to keep them in a baggy for days I’m on the go.  Dump one can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans into a strainer.  Drain and rinse those babies.  Once they are rinsed you can spread them out on your cookie sheet.  I sprinkle mine with plain cinnamon or salt and vinegar.  Put them in the oven at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until they feel light and airy or dried out.

Let them cool and you are done!  You can season these with so many more options but these are the two I use often.  Store them in a baggy for the next time you are out and beware you will probably eat the whole bag!

Oven Roasted Chick Peas
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Oven Roasted Chick Peas- THM E

Ingredients

  • 1 15oz (or whatever size) Chickpeas or Garbanzo beans
  • Seasonings of your choice. I like just cinnamon, or salt and vinegar, you could do a spicy mix, or whatever your favorite seasonings would be.

Instructions

  1. Drain and Rinse beans.

  2. Spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet

  3. Sprinkle with your seasonings.

  4. Bake at 350 for 30-45.  They will look dried out and feel hollow.

Enjoy!

Trim Healthy Mama (THM) has become a certain way of life for me and being prepped and ready is the key to success.  I find when I fall off the plan it’s because I wasn’t prepared!  Do yourself a favor and make up a couple bags of these for when the chip cravings come.  You can also prep by following my freezer meal theory and stocking your freezer with GREAT meals.  Another way to be prepped and ready is with these wonderful jar salads.  There is a different kind for everyone.  You can do it.  Get prepped for success!