One More Little Thing

Creamy Parmesan Mushroom Chicken- THM S

September 26, 2017 By Jill

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Does anyone else LOVE a good creamy chicken? Sometimes we just need some good old comfort food and what a blessing when this comfort food can actually be ON your diet. This creamy parmesan mushroom chicken is a Trim Healthy Mama (THM) S (Satisfying) meal. Let me tell you it definitely lives up to that satisfying title! This chicken is so good and easy to make.

This is the meal I’m using this week to stock my freezer. Did you know that I only cook ONE night a week? That’s right you saw that number correct ONE night. Don’t worry I do really mean one NIGHT too, not one day or one days worth of hours in one night but REALLY ONE NIGHT! Only two-ish hours with cleanup.

You can read more about my freezer meal theory here and let me tell you it will change your life. Dinner time can be so stressful and having a plan that’s ready to go is SUCH a blessing.

Creamy Parmesan Mushroom Chicken

This chicken was super easy to make. Basically, I started by laying out my pans and putting raw chicken in them. Next, I covered them with a can of drained mushrooms. When that was done I made the sauce. Start with melting the butter then add the chicken broth. Next, sprinkle with glucci. After that is mixed in, add the rest of the ingredients including the spinach and allow it to cook and wilt. It should thicken a little and then pour over your chicken. From here I let mine cool and then I freeze mine until I’m ready to use them. On the day I want to use them I thaw and cook at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

Printable Recipe

Creamy Parmesan Mushroom Chicken

This makes FOUR 9x13 pans

Ingredients

24-30 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 7oz Sliced mushrooms drained
2 Sticks Butter
1 qt Chicken broth
1-2 t Glucci
1 qt Heavy Cream
2 cups Parmesan cheese (I use the green can)
3 t Garlic Powder
1 t Pepper
2 t Salt
24 oz Bag of fresh Spinach

Instructions

Start by dividing the raw chicken breasts between 4 9x13 pans.
Cover the chicken in each pan with one 7oz can of mushrooms.
Heat butter to melt and add in chicken broth. Once warm sprinkle with glucci.
Add the rest of the ingredients and heat until the spinach is wilted and the sauce has thickened.
Pour over the chicken.
Allow to cool and then freeze.
When ready to use thaw and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

Take the Time

Taking the time to prep just one night a week saves me so much time and energy (and honestly years of my life). Dinner time is a busy time of the day and knowing I have our meal ready and all I need are some easy sides is such a blessing. This meal is also a GREAT meal to share with other families. If someone is sick or has a new baby this is a great option. Kids love it, parents appreciate it and it’s good and healthy!

Thanks as always for joining me and supporting me in this blogging journey. I love hearing that this is helping other people all the while holding me accountable. It’s a win win!

Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Two-Week Fuel Cycle Menu

September 22, 2017 By Jill

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Are you feeling stuck? Lost in your weight “loss” journey? Looking for direction but not sure where to turn? Trim Healthy Mama (THM) has been an amazing answer to so much for me but after being dedicated to this plan for over 3 years I sometimes get stuck in a rut and need to switch things up. This is a good time to do a fuel cycle.

What is a fuel cycle?

Basically, a fuel cycle cycles your body through the different fuel sources (low fat, low carbs, and low of both) for a whole day. This has been awesome for me! I recently finished a two-week cycle and lost 5 pounds after being stalled for 3-4 months. I did a fuel cycle about a year ago and lost 9 pounds in two weeks. If you are looking for more direction than THM normally likes to give you, this is also a great thing to do. I have found that sometimes I just need more of a plan and the fuel cycle gets me back on track.

How to do it

You can do a fuel cycle for one week or two weeks. It’s a great option when you have a dress you need to fit into or just need some structure to the way you eat. The important thing as always is to center your meals around protein. Only add in one fuel source at a time (carbs OR fats, not both). I personally like to do the two-week fuel cycle but even a one-week cycle is great to get you going.

My Two-Week Fuel Cycle Menu

Two-week Fuel Cycle Menu

To make this menu I tried to use the foods I love the MOST because I know I will fall off the bandwagon if it’s something that is too much work. Not to mention something that I don’t like! If you see something on here that you won’t eat or don’t want to make then sub it for something you do like. It will be worth it but this is a great way to get started with planning.

First, to clarify, Deep S days are fat and protein days but you are to exclude nuts and dairy. This makes the S days the hardest days in the cycle for me but yet I know it’s good for me.

I’m sure that my menu is not perfect. I know there are many different rules and variations you can follow so please take that to heart and if you have advice please share! I learn from all of you every day.

Deep S Days

Breakfast Options (The numbers below stand for the day in the cycle)

One: Eggs and sausage with butter
Two: Fat Stripping Frappa (cookbook pg 240) and hard boiled egg
Seven and optional Eight: Eggs and sausage with butter (if you are doing a two week cycle you are supposed to start the next week with an e breakfast but I’m putting this s option also)
Nine: Eggs with Bacon
Fourteen: Omelette with sausage and peppers

Deep S Snacks

Hard Boiled, Protein shakes from the cookbook, Brownie in a mug, Veggies and berries

Lunch Options

One: BLT Jar Salad I try to stay away from mayo during a fuel cycle so for the dressing I did MCT oil (2T) and Apple Cider Vinegar (SCV 1/4 cup), 1 doonk Stevia, and some salt and pepper instead.
Two: BLT Jar Salad
Seven: BLT Jar Salad
Eight: Deep S Jar Salad (Cookbook pg 189)
Nine: Deep S Jar Salad (Cookbook pg 189)
Fourteen: Deep S Jar Salad (Cookbook pg 189)

Dinner Options

One: Bunless grill burger with lots of lettuce and pickles and mustard, Green fries or Roasted Cauliflower
Two: Grilled Chicken in olive oil and frozen mixed vegetables
Seven: Pork chops and butter covered broccoli
Eight: Taco Salad (I served it in shells for my family, tacos for them, Salad for me)
Nine: Cab and Sauce Skillet (Cookbook Pg. 58)
Fourteen: Bacon Wrapped Chicken on top of Fresh Kale

E Days

Breakfast options

Three: Oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce, doonk of stevia and a 1t cinnamon
Four: Bust a Myth Banana Cake (Cookbook pg. 298)
Eight: Oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce, doonk of stevia and a 1t cinnamon (This is supposed to just be an E breakfast if you are doing atwo-weekk cycle but I also listed a day 8 deep S breakfast)
Ten: Mango Protein shake
Eleven: Oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce, doonk of stevia and a 1t cinnamon

E Day Snack Options

Just Peachy muffins (cookbook pg. 286, I make these in a pan and cut them up instead of as muffins), BAM cake (cookbook pg. 298), mango protein shake, Apple, Wasa Crackers with laughing cow cheese, Fruit and 000 greek yogurt

Lunch Options

Three: E Jar Salad from the cookbook
Four: E Jar Salad from the cookbook
Ten: Sweet potato pizza (sweet potato cooked and cut up, top with spaghetti sauce, and your favorite pizza toppings. I like to use turkey bacon and veggies)
Eleven: Cherry Waldorf Salad with BAM cake (Cookbook pg.90 use cherries instead of apples if you desire, BAM cake is cookbook pg.)

Dinner Options

Day Three: Turkey and Spinach Quinoa With a sprouted roll
Day Four: Orange Chicken and Brown Rice (on the orange chicken recipe I left out the honey and used 2 t super sweet instead and no tapioca starch)
Day Ten: Easy Ham and Beans
Day Eleven: Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake

Fuel Pull Days

Breakfast Options

Five: Big Boy Smoothie (Cookbook Pg 243)
Six: Big Boy Smoothie (Cookbook Pg 243)
Twelve: Fat Stripping Frappa (Cookbook Pg 240)
Thirteen: Fat Stripping Frappa (Cookbook Pg 240)

FP Snack Options

Praline bars (cookbook pg. 391), Superfood chews (cookbook pg.382), Big boy Smoothie, Fat Stripping Frappa, LOTS OF BERRIES

Lunch Options

Five: FP Jar Salad (cookbook Pg. 188)
Six: Trim Train Taco Soup Leftovers
Twelve: FP Jar Salad
Thirteen: FP Jar Salad or TTT Soup leftovers

Dinner Options

Five: Trim Train Taco Soup
Six: Eggroll in a Bowl (Cookbook pg. 62)
Twelve: Salsa Verde Chicken
Thirteen: Fuel Pull Stuffed Peppers

You Can do it!

Now you’ve got your list of foods all ready to go. Make your grocery list and get going. You can jump start your weight loss. RUN now! I’m yelling!

Turkey and Spinach Quinoa- THM E

September 19, 2017 By Jill

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Good MORNING insta-pot lovers! This post is for you! If you do not have an insta-pot, otherwise known as an electric pressure cooker, I HIGHLY recommend saving up for one. Mine has saved me so much time and energy. For those of you that have been following me you know, that is VERY important in my household. I will prove just how quick as easy they can make meal time but even more wonderful is how they can save us in our freezer meal prepping.

Today’s meal is quick and easy and you can have four of them made up in 15 minutes in the pot. They take about 40 mins of pressure cooking (plus the time it takes to get up to pressure). It’s about 10 minutes to put everything in and 5 minutes to take it out and spoon into the pans. Another bonus for this meal is it is a Trim Healthy Mama (THM) E (Energizing) meal which I don’t always share a lot of E dinners.

Turkey and Spinach Quinoa- THM E

Turkey and Spinach Quinoa

This Recipe was done in my pressure cooker but it is DEFINITELY something you can do without. I based my recipe off this recipe online so if you do not have a pressure cooker but would still love to try this recipe here it is for you! I also changed a few other things to keep this as a THM E meal.

Start by layering the ingredients into the pressure cooker. I always like to have some liquid in first so things don’t burn on the bottom. I also spray the bottom with butter spray or coconut oil to help with sticking.

First I put in the tomato sauce, then the onion, garlic, 4 cups of water, and seasonings. Next, I put in the uncooked ground turkey and spinach but I try to break them up as much as I can by hand. Last I top it off with the uncooked quinoa. It helps if you try to mix it up slightly to make sure the quinoa gets cooked. I set the machine for soup and did it for 40 minutes then I let it go!

Finish it off

This fills my 8qt pot but it makes two (sometimes 3) 9×13 pans. When the pot is done I use my chopper to mix it all together and then put it into my pans. I love some extra flavor so I also top each pan with another 14oz tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatoes. You can then allow this to cool and freeze it. Once frozen to serve it just thaw and cook at 350 for 25-35 minutes.