What do you do with an acorn squash?

My mom and dad came to visit recently and mom brought us 4 fresh squash from home.  I was so excited and then I opened the bag and thought...what is that and what do I do with it?!

Mom told me it's an acorn squash!

I decided to try something new with it and I ended up making it two nights in a row because we liked it so much.  I mean, you pretty much can't mess up when you have squash, brown sugar, and butter.

In case you're not sure what to make as a side dish for Thanksgiving, here is what I did:

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the pumpkin looking guts inside.  Try to scrape the endges as best you can - that stringy stuff doesn't have any flavor.

Turn the squash halves upside down in about 1 3/4 inch water in a microwave safe dish.  Poke with a fork and microwave for 15-20 minutes (until soft).

Be careful removing them from the microwave - they will be hot!  Turn on the broiler in your oven to high.  Flip those bad boys over, add salt and pepper to taste, and put 1-2 Tablespoons fo butter in each half (2 was way too much for us so we cut back to 1) and 1-2 Tablespoons of brown sugar (again we cut it back to 1).  Put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes (until butter is melted).

Mix up all that buttery, sugary goodness within the squash and put it in a bowl to serve.  Yum!

Don't worry about the butter; the benefits of squash cancel it out.  

BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe

This is another one of those recipes I tried at a restaurant and loved so much I just had to remake it at home and over the years I've changed it up on multiple occasions depending on what was in my fridge at the time.  I think I originally had it at California Pizza Kitchen years ago; Panera has a very similar BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad.

Ingredients:

• BBQ chicken (grill after marinating in your favorite bbq sauce overnight)
• Romaine
• Black beans (washed and drained)
• Corn (drained)
• Jicama (optional, but trust me it is worth every bite!)
• Favorite veggies 
• BBQ sauce or Ranch dressing

Steps:

1. Marinate chicken in your favorite BBQ sauce overnight (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's) and grill completely through.
2. Prepare lettuce, black beans, jicama, and any other veggies on plate.
3. Put corn in skillet to "blacken" on medium-high heat until warmed and slightly black in places. (This step is not necessary, but it adds flavor and makes your salad seem more gourmet)
4. Garnish with extra BBQ sauce or your favorite dressing.
5. Enjoy!

P.S. Tomorrow is the Celebrate EVERYTHING! link up so be sure to get ready to celebrate whatever is going great in your life and come back tomorrow to link up!

Easy & Healthy Snacks for Work

Being pregnant at work is not easy.

You may find yourself starving halfway through the morning, way before lunch time.
If you walk past the candy bowl or the vending machine several times a day with those hunger pangs taunting you, it can be easy to grab Doritos or a Honeybun which are both not fantastic choices.

I am all about indulging on occasion.  Now that I'm pregnant, I may find a way to indulge once a day even (keep in mind I am still running, practicing prenatal yoga, and taking water aerobics.)  However, if you don't plan, it can become very easy to indulge multiples times a day/week.  Those indulgences will not keep you satisfied nor will they help with the extra weight gain already happening.

The most important thing to remember when snacking is that you are providing nutrition the baby needs.  I've read over and over that we really only need, on average, an extra 300 calories during pregnancy.  Most women take this opportunity to eat whatever we want without abandon.  I am definitely having more than normal, but I'm trying to listen to what my body needs.  So I've come up with several snacks that are quick, easy, healthy, and satisfying for the work place.

healthy snacks while pregnant by coachgaines on Polyvore

If you pick up a snack like a bag of Doritos or a Honeybun or a candy bar, chances are you will be hungry within an hour or so.  Those choices will not satisfy your hunger.  They might satisfy your tastebuds, but eventually you will need something else to curb your cravings.  And let's just be honest, none of us need the extra calories and sugar, especially when pregnant.

With a little planning, you can be sure to have healthy snacks on hand each day.  Buy snack size ziploc bags and fill them with raw almonds, carrots, berries, trail mix, or edamame.  Fix a small cup of peanut butter or hummus to dunk those fruits or vegetables in.  I prepare all of my snacks along with my lunch the night before.  In today's world of fast pace, convenience there are so many healthy pre-packaged options.  Recently, Influenster invited me to test out the Lifeway Kefir products.  They offer a variety of different products ranging from cheese to frozen treats. 

Kefir is one of the best probiotics out there.  It gives your body the good bacteria it needs to aid your immune system.  It has a similar taste and texture to yogurt you drink, but contains more live and active cultures.  I tried the strawberry cultured milk smoothie.  I'm going to be completely honest; I was skeptical.  When I poured it into my glass for the first time I was afraid of how it would feel in my mouth and what the after taste would be.  I have to admit, I really liked it!  What a tasty way to get some healthy bacteria into your diet.

I had some difficulty locating it in my small town, but they carry it in most Walmarts and Lowes' Foods if you are interested in trying it.  I will definitely be purchasing it again.  Drink up!

*I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are my own.*

Mouthwatering Mondays

Oriental Shrimp Salad Recipe

**If you missed it yesterday, go sign up to win a Sweaty Band here!  Trust me, you won't regret it.

And if you didn't miss it, go do an additional entry for a great chance of winning!**

I had a similar salad for lunch while I was home with my best friend from high school.  It was so delicious I knew I would be recreating it at home.  Here is my take on it and what I would do differently next time.

Ingredients:
Coconut Shrimp (I used SeaPak frozen, but an easy recipe can be found here.)
       *Important Note: Pregnant women should limit their shrimp servings to 2 per week*
Artisan Lettuce
Veggies of choice (I used carrots, green peppers, and tomatoes because that is what I had on hand.  I would definitely add cucumbers next time.)
Ginger (This was a little strong for me.  I ended up taking it off.  After talking to my friend, we decided it must have been pickled ginger on top of the salad we had.)
Ginger Dressing (I used Trader Joe's Soy Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette and it was delicious!)

1. Prepare shrimp as directed on box (or in recipe).
2. Clean and prepare all veggies.
3. If using ginger, slice extremely thin (I used a veggie peeler) and place in middle of lettuce.
4. Add light amounts of dressing all over salad.  This dressing is strong and a little bit goes a long way so don't be too generous - remember, you can always add more.
5. Place coconut shrimp on top of lettuce and enjoy!

*If I were to make this again, I would also prepare pork pot stickers to have on top of the salad.

How To Make Your Man Drool

There are a few things we wives know bring our men to the yard.

For my hubby, it's my roast.

For the longest time I avoided making roast because it intimidated me.

It was something my MIL made on Sunday afternoons and we all know the general rule about a wife's cooking vs. a mother's cooking so I steered clear of this one.

After attempting it once, I realized how easy and not-so-scary it is so I do it about once every other week and any time we have company coming over for dinner.

I think many women stray from roasts because they are time-consuming, but if I get home at 4:00 on a weeknight, my roast is done by 7:00 that evening.  It's later than our normal dinner time, but worth the wait.  And did I mention easy?

Here is what you need:

3lb roast (This gives us dinner and a leftovers)

Montreal Steak seasoning (even Food Lion brand is good)

Salt and Pepper

3/4 c. water

Here is what you do:

Line a baking pan with aluminum foil (to make clean-up easier).

Coat all sides of roast with salt, pepper, and seasoning to taste.

Lay in pan and pour in about 3/4 c. water.

Cover with foil.

Cook for 1 hour per pound at 300 degrees.  (approx. 3 hours) 

Your man will think you slaved away in the kitchen all day 

and you'll be wondering what took you so long to try this!

Cha Cha Cha Chia!

In an effort to maintain health and wellness, I've done some research on chia seeds and flax.  I decided they were easy, affordable ways to incorporate more fiber and nutrition into my diet.  In case you aren't aware of the health benefits of chia seeds, they include:

• Helping with weight loss - they reduce food cravings
• Extend the substance of foods - adding chia seeds to a smoothie will make it last longer in your system so that you feel full longer and don't get hungry as quickly
• Hydration - the gel chia seeds form is a great way to hydrate your body (especially for athletes)
• Reduce blood pressure
• Omega-3 - fights heart disease
• Controls blood sugar (great for diabetic patients)
• Easier to digest than flax seeds (and easier to consume - no need to grind them)

Honestly, you can't taste chia seeds when adding them to yogurt or smoothies.  They give a little texture to the food and all the benefits are well worth it.  

I tried a new workout this week, too.  I have taken kickboxing before, but this was on a totally different level.  This class is in a building where boxers/fighters train.  The man that leads the class trains boxers, karate students, fighters, etc.  Not to mention he had an abundance of knowledge on exercise and strength training that he shared throughout the class.  I have to admit, I was super sore for 2 days after!  However, the class is well worth the 30 minute drive and $5 price tag.  I will definitely go again.

Here is how my week looked:

Monday: 2 mile walk with dogs, 3 miles run

Tuesday: 1 hour kickboxing class

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 2 mile walk with dogs

Friday: 2 mile walk with dogs, 3 miles run

I have a total of 34/52 miles in May so I've already accomplished Nikki's 30in30 and I'm going to keep going!  I love when you set a goal and then go above and beyond!

Link up your health and fitness goal from this week below!

<center><a href="http://sweettea-lemonade.blogspot.com"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5clXjzKX4gNA0chIPtWIZAPmL3lbsSYttLppenWLSTj_Px4heDbAxFiVA5vz0A_WsUrIenJREIcIwdNGQlbBJPshzSqaH0I0F1Od1XddSVGqMPrwjRp-6aH39o4Ppi9Qr9rij19eH1q0/s320/running3.jpg" /></a></center>
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The Bandwagon

Via

There are times in life when its easy for us to accomplish our goals and there are times that are more trying causing our goals to shift or to be pushed back.  The problem is often times when our goals shift we lose sight of them totally.  Thus falling off the bandwagon.

It's important to remember that one bad day can't undo a series of good days.  One cheat meal won't undo a week of healthy choices.  One chocolate bar doesn't equate a pound and one day off won't diminish your muscle.  Just don't let that one cheat/chocolate/lazy day turn into more than one.

There is temptation everywhere: the bowl of candy in the office, the soda machine in the lounge, the Sonic on the way home from work.  Not to mention the distraction: the floor that hasn't been swept in days, the last episode of The Office on DVR, the book that needs finishing.  Excuses are plentiful.

Keep your goals front and center.  Do whatever you have to do to hang onto the bandwagon for dear life.  After all, it just may be a matter of life.  I do lots of things to keep my goals as a top priority.

• Share them.  Talk about your goals with as many people as will listen.  Post about them on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.  Talk about them in the grocery aisle.  Text them to your friends.  I have found the more I talk about my goal, the more committed I am to reaching it.  I don't want to let all those people down if I don't!
• Post a calendar somewhere so you see it every day.  For me, its my refrigerator.  I look at my fridge at least three times a day if not more.  I love crossing off my workout each day and having my completed workouts at the end of each month.  
• Plan.  I plan everything.  I plan my workouts and my meals.  Sometimes that means brining clothes and shoes to work to get my workout done between school and classes or meetings.  Sometimes it means running before I work or right after before plans with my hubby.  Sundays are my meal planning days.  I plan our meals for the week based on what our schedules are like and what we have in our pantry.  I prepare all of our vegetables, fruits, salad, etc. so that we can grab and go throughout the week.
• Surround yourself with motivation.  I only read blogs that inspire me in some way (faith, fitness, career, etc.) and I only follow people on Instagram that motivate me.  Surrounding yourself with positive people will, in turn, make you more positive.  The more positive you are, the more achievable your goals will seem and the harder you will strive to reach them.  If there are toxic people in my life, I spend as little time as possible with them.  I just don't have time to hear things like, "I don't know how you do it.  I couldn't do it."

What do you do to keep yourself on the bandwagon?

Checking In

I don't have a lot of time to write a post today because I'm at home getting a ton done on my National Boards.  But I wanted to check in and let you all know where I'm at with my miles and the Green Smoothie Challenge.

Me all day long.

This week I have run even more than last week!

Sunday: 4 miles running, 1 with dogs

Monday: 1 with dogs

Tuesday: 3 miles, 1 with dogs

Wednesday: 1 mile

Thursday: 3 miles, 1 with dogs

Friday: 3 miles

Total: 18 for 42 out of my 50!!

*Linking up with Nikki & Kelly for this*

My Favorite

1 banana

1 mango (cut up and frozen)

1-2 cups spinach

3/4 cup skim milk

2 big spoonfuls vanilla Greek yogurt

This made 2 (1 for me and hubby).

What healthy decisions have you made this week?

<center><a href="http://sweettea-lemonade.blogspot.com"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5clXjzKX4gNA0chIPtWIZAPmL3lbsSYttLppenWLSTj_Px4heDbAxFiVA5vz0A_WsUrIenJREIcIwdNGQlbBJPshzSqaH0I0F1Od1XddSVGqMPrwjRp-6aH39o4Ppi9Qr9rij19eH1q0/s320/running3.jpg" /></a></center>
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Going Green.

Bracelet: Stella&Dot, Skirt: me

I jumped on the juicing bandwagon around Christmas time when my husband hinted that he might possibly like a juicer as a gift.  My eyes lit up and I'm sure he knew exactly what he would be receiving under the tree!  I still really enjoy juicing, but I have quickly realized the high sugar and low fiber that the juice contains.  So, when I saw Kristine and heard of the green smoothie challenge I decided it was time to try my hand at those.

You need to get your mother, sister, sons, and daughters drinking green smoothies!  Seriously, they are the most delish concoctions on Earth and you're getting a serving (or more) of spinach/veggies. I have been drinking mine for breakfast and they keep me satisfied until midmorning when I take my students to lunch.  Not just that, they taste so much better than a typical breakfast.

My favorite concoction so far this week has been banana, mango, spinach, and skim milk.  I've been playing mix-master and trying out my own flavors.

Whole 30 Recipe: Garlic Buffalo Shrimp

This is a fantastic, easy recipe that everyone loves!  I combined a recipe I learned when I was 14 working in a pizzeria with my own favorite flavors and made it a shrimp dish instead of chicken!

Ingredients:

Shrimp

Hot sauce (not Franks)

Butter or ghee

Garlic (fresh or minced)

Steps:

1. If necessary, devein and peel shrimp.  Put shrimp on skewers or in grill basket.  Grill until cooked through.  Make sure not to overcook - they will get chewy.
2. Heat 1-2 T of butter (depends on how many shrimp you are making) to melt.  Put in bowl and add hot sauce.  Amount of hot sauce depends on how hot you want your shrimp.
3. Mix sauce until well blended.  Chop 2-3 cloves of garlic and add to sauce.  
4. Once shrimp is fully cooked, add to bowl with sauce.  Toss until completely covered and serve immediately.

Whole 30: Week 3 Recap

Wow!  I'm already 2/3 of the way through Whole 30!  I have to admit, the first week I felt like 30 days was going to last forever, but now that I'm already here, I feel as though they flew by!  I can't wait to share all the things I've learned from this whole process with all of you.  It is definitely a lifestyle change worth making or at least trying out.

Best Part of the Week: The best part of the week was being at a cookout and having my friend's husband say, "Lindsay, you've lost weight!"  I know, I know...this process isn't about losing, but its so nice to know that what I'm doing is working for me.  Not just for the weight thing, but for all of the dietary issues I was having.  

Hardest Part of the Week: I went out to eat with coworkers on Wednesday and I ordered a grilled chicken salad without cheese or croutons, but apparently the waitress didn't hear me.  When she brought out a bed of lettuce topped with chicken salad (with mayo) I cringed.  I had to send it back and get her to bring me the right thing.  I hated it, but I'm glad I wasn't trying to be "nice" and just deal with it.  She was very understanding after I explained I couldn't have the mayonnaise.  

Loving: Still loving those blueberry LARA bars.  I've been snacking on sunflower seeds like a mad woman.

Missing:  Carbs.  I've noticed that my runs are much more laborious and my time is increasing greatly.  I feel like its because I don't have enough energy to burn in the form of carbs.  I want to point out, I'm not missing the flavor or taste of carbs - just the fuel they give me.

I've Noticed: My clothing fits better.  Things had gotten pretty snug around these parts before I decided to do this.  I'm excited to find that they are fitting the way they should now.

Looking Forward: I'm almost done with Whole 30!  I do plan to celebrate with a glass of wine next weekend, but I will definitely not be gorging on sugar and junk.  I have realized its just not worth it.

Eating: I've been purchasing lots of vegetables and fruits from the produce section.  Hubby and I are still grilling.  We ate Chinese food one night and I got the egg drop soup.  

Steamed cabbage, roast with sauteed mushrooms, and tomato slices

I've been really bad about meal planning this week (making this week more difficult than last), but I also had breakfast for dinner one night with bacon, eggs, and fresh fruit.  Excuse the lack of pictures!