Cooking With FFN

My family is super busy! We are on the go every day and evening. Except Monday. Monday is generally free. Because of our busy lifestyle, I'm always looking for ways to simplify our life. I'm so thankful for my friend Barbie! She plans out a week of healthy meals for me and let's me share the recipes with you! This week, I received four of her special crockpot meals. Today, we had  White Chicken Chili waiting on us when we got home from school. It smelled absolutely delicious! And the taste was AMAZING! 

White Chicken Chili

2 TBS olive oil

1 TBS corn starch

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can chopped green chili peppers, drained

2 cans white beans-low sodium, drained

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

6-8 chicken tenders

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

2 cups Chicken broth, low sodium  (Add to crock pot when cooking)

Place all ingredients except Chicken broth in freezer bag, toss to coat then freeze.

Write on bag: Add 2 cups chicken broth- low sodium to crock pot before cooking.

Cook in crockpot 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.   Once cooked remove tenders and shred then return to crock pot, stir and serve.

Stories of Success

I caught up with Ashley & Lajuana in Dallas about a month ago. I love seeing my Texas & Colorado friends! I am so honored to be able to share their FirstFitness Nutrition stories with you!

"I can't even begin to explain how thankful I am that I found FirstFitness Nutrition over THREE YEARS ago! At a size 16 and almost 200 pounds, I was miserable. Nothing I was doing to lose weight was working, I just kept packing on the pounds. Less than 90 days after starting my Suddenly SLiM Transformation Program, I was down to a size 6!!!!!! Because this program teaches you the proper way to fuel your body and how to keep the weight from returning, I am down a total of 50 POUNDS and wearing a size 2!!!!!! I am at a weight and size I have NEVER been before! Thank you FirstFitness Nutrition for developing a program that actually WORKS!!!!!"

"Before FirstFitness Nutrition and SUDDENLY SLiM! I was in major health crisis. Obese, high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal thyroid function, and facial paralysis. I was sick and tired and had a brand new little girl that I was scared I would never be able to enjoy as much as I wanted. Thanks to this amazing program, I've lost 83 pounds and 66 inches from my body!! I no longer require ANY prescription medication and I chase that curly girl around every single day! FFN changed my life and it can do the same for YOU!"

Cooking with FFN

My prepped meals ready to go in the fridge!

I have to admit, it's hard to cook healthy meals for my family when we are super busy.  I was so excited when my friend, Barbie, shared this amazing idea...what if we could show you how to cook meals for your families that were not only healthy, but also time and cost effective? With that idea came "Cooking with FFN". I love the ease of having these delicious meals ready to go each week! Barbie lined out all the details and now, I'm pleased to offer you the first week I tried this out.  It's so nice to know all I needed was about an hour to prep FOUR meals for my family!  I just popped them into the crockpot while my BodyFX shake was mixing up in the Magic Bullet!

Stay tuned for more recipes to keep you on track!

Chicken Fajitas

2 Green Peppers (Or 1 Green/1Red)

1 Onion

3 Chicken Breasts

½ Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1 Packet Low Sodium Taco Seasoning

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp paprika

1 tsp sea salt

Cook in crock pot on low 6 hours or on high 3-4 hours

Serve with whole grain tortillas, black beans and a side salad.

 

Spinach and Salsa Chicken

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast

2 cups of salsa (or Pico de Gallo)

Frozen bag of spinach (I usually use 1/2 the bag, but you could use more or less)

1 to 2 tablespoons of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning

Directions: Place all items in freezer bag, you can add or wait for the spinach 

Write on bag:

1. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4.

2. Shred the chicken and mix together with the spinach.

3. Serve on whole-grain/whole-wheat tortillas, over brown rice.  Don't forget your side salad!

Beef &Butternut Squash Stew

1 ½ pounds Lean Beef chopped in cubes

2 pounds Butternut Squash - cubed in 1/2”

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Large Onion Chopped

1 Sprig Rosemary (or 1tsp) *If using sprig remove before eating

1 Sprig Thyme (or 1 tsp)  *If using sprig remove before eating

32 oz Low Sodium Beef Stock

1tsp Pepper

1tsp Salt

3 TBS Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients. 

Cook for 3-4 Hours on High or 6-8 Hours on low in Crock Pot

Add a side salad for your side!

Bonus Recipe:

Tomato, Kale & Quinoa Soup

2 Cans (14.5oz) Petite Diced Tomatoes – Low Sodium

1 Can (15oz) Great Northern Beans-Low Sodium, drain & rinse

1 Onion, diced

3 Cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried basil

¼ tsp dried rosemary

¼ tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

32oz Vegetable broth – Low Sodium

Sea Salt & Pepper *to taste

1 Cup uncooked Quinoa//Keep in Separate bag till cooking

1 pound fresh Kale, Coarsely Chopped  **Added towards the end of cooking//Keep in Separate bag

** You may also add 1.5-2 pounds of Chicken or Lean Beef **

Put Bag one in Slow Cooker add Quinoa Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours.  Then add Kale cook until wilted.  Serve immediately.

I certainly plan to do this weekly!  It was so easy & dinner was ready when we got home!  

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Prep your way to weight loss success!

Every Saturday, I plan my meals for the week. I create a grocery list.  I hit the store armed with my grocery list. On my list, I have changes I'm willing to make (based on what may or may not be on sale). I gather my goods.  I head home, with all my yummy stuff and get ready to prep for my weekly success.

A lot of people I encounter tell me they don't have time to do this.  I disagree.  We are an on-the-go style family.  Weekends are generally spent doing the kids things or Get Thin With Jenn activities. We are busy during the week too.  Softball practice takes up our Wednesday night, as does my grad school class.  And basketball season, along with practices, is fast approaching. 

I also try to meet with clients at least twice a week and my team at least once.  I don't want to find myself going through the drive-thru grabbing a burger because I failed to plan my meals.  My attention to meal planning has paid off.  I haven't been really sick in over two years!  I've maintained my 60 pound weight loss for  4 years. And I'm at my healthiest now than I was before I discovered FFN.  I'm NOT going back to that sad, miserable, unhealthy place I was before I lost my weight. 

So as with any week, I've made my plan. I always try to keep it simple. Lunch for this week is a Swiss chard, kale & spinach salad topped with veggies and baked chicken & quinoa. 

Tomorrows is topped with guacamole. Not really sure what I will add to the others. 

How do you plan for success in meeting (or exceeding) your goals?!

Make Your Own Almond Butter

I love almonds. I love them raw. I love them roasted. I love them with cinnamon, cocoa, smoked. I just love almonds. 

Up until the last couple of weeks, when I've wanted a nut butter, I've always bought almond butter. I pay close attention to the labels & make sure they only use almonds in my almond butter, but sometimes it just doesn't taste good, ya know?   Two weeks ago, during one of our winter storms, I embarked on a mission to make my own. My first experience was okay, but I really wasn't satisfied.  I used already roasted almonds, purchased from a store. And it still didn't taste super fresh. So this week, I bought some raw almonds.

I measured out 1 cup.

And roasted my own!

   

All you have to do is spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a cold oven. Turn oven on to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake almonds, stirring occasionally, until light tan and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes. Be careful! The nuts will continue to cook after removing from oven.

I let them cool while I ate my breakfast this morning. And then popped them into my food processor. 

You'll go through several phases as they're processing. 

  

First, you'll get chopped up almonds. Then, it will look a little like almond "meal", basically a little gritty looking. After that, the oils will begin to release and it will start to stick to the sides of the food processor.  But...keep going. It's not ready yet!

  

It will kind of get thick & you'll notice heat coming off your food processor. No worries (unless the quality of your food processor isn't very good). The almonds are starting to break down, release their natural oils and make almond butter. (Mine started to ball up & I had to stop and break it apart.) At that point, I went about 5 more minutes, alternating between slow & fast. 

Finally, it started getting smoother. And the smell was positively divine!

And then...it was finished!!! I grabbed my scales & some 2 oz portion cups & divided it out 1 oz per cup. 

 

I now have six 1 oz servings of freshly ground almond butter! Make yours and let me know what you think!

Remember, when following the FirstFitness Nutrition program, you can enjoy 1/2 cup of almonds for a snack. Have some with a little celery! Yum!

2. 
   

New 100 pound club member!

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SlimBalm targets specialized regions of the hypothalamus known as the “Feeding Center,” which signals you to eat, and the “Satiety Center,” which signals you not to eat. The “Satiety Center” reads nerve signals from the essential oil molecules in SlimBalm as it signals that you are full.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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Ultimate Body Challenge Round 3

Holy guacamole! There's TWO brand new grand champs--1 from Arkansas (finally) and the other lost 93 pounds in 90 days! PLUS, not 1, but 2 of the finalists are literally in my own back yard! Check out the Ultimate Body Challenge section for more details!

Congrats to the Grand Champions!

And congrats to MY HUSBAND and his sister, Prattsville residents (population 307)! I'm super proud to have been the one to share FFN with you! 

Are you ready to join the challenge?

Jenn

870-403-8921

Menu Monday rolls back around!

Whew!  I made it through a weekend trip to Eureka Springs without doing too much damage.  We had a wonderful weekend.  Our stay at 5 Ojo Inn was fabulous!  Jan & Richard are wonderful hosts and we are already planning our next trip.  They served up a great (not totally FFN friendly) breakfast, but we were able to not do too much damage to our wasitlines and even indulged a little!

Anyway, while we were in Eureka, we happened upon a few cool places--Fresh Harvest and The Spice Boat.  The Spice Boat had the most amazing spices, fresh from the docks and packaged without any additives.  We even bought some tea too.  Fresh Harvest was an Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar shop.  If you're in Eureka, you really should stop by!  They are worth the trip!

Even though we had a great weekend, I'm so glad to be back home where I can control what I am eating and how it's prepared.  This is our last week of softball and will end with a tournament over the weekend.  You got it...another "I can't plan for this completely" weekend.  And we have football on Friday night.  My crockpot will be getting a workout this week!

My menu this week will obviously include Shakes & Fruit for breakfast as usual.  For lunch, I have planned to have dinner leftovers or tuna using the Lime Infused EVOO we bought at Fresh Harvest. It is positively life changing stuff! (LOL) I'm planning some fish & chicken for our dinners...check out a few of the recipes I'm trying this week:

Seared Salmon with Cinnamon & Chili Powder

Baked Slow Cooker Chicken

Quinoa Pilaf (this is actually my favorite Quinoa recipe.  It's the first one I made that everyone LOVED)

Have a FFN Friendly week!

Jenn

It's Menu Monday again!

Holy cow!  This week is making me nervous!  I don't have a set plan for the weekend because we will be traveling for our 4th annual "Honey Bee" (anniversary).  I know, from past experiences, that when I'm not fully planned/prepared, I will not be a huge success.  I have a general plan, but we all know that FOOD is such a huge part of traveling.  Especially for the Edwards Family.  Wish me luck!  Here's my plan for the week...I'm hoping I don't have to eat 3 grilled chicken salads this weekend...

I know it's somewhat generic...but it's the best I could do for the weekend. 

Recipes this week:

Monday-Sauteed Kale

Wednesday-Tuna Salad with No Mayo

Wednesday-Grilled Fish with Cucumber Cucumber Mint

Have a successful week!

Menu-October 6-12, 2014

It's #MenuMonday!  How am I staying on track this week?  Here ya go!

Notice the "grayed" in boxes....those are NEW recipes to try!  I can't wait!

I've also changed up the system a bit.  I've added a "workout" section & removed the "grocery list".  I tend to buy groceries without my menu, so why waste space there?

We have a busy week this week.  Monday after school, I've promised Cheyenne we would go see The Maze Runner.  We won't be out too late, so we can still have dinner at home. But Tuesday is where it gets all crazy!  Dusty & Cheyenne will be off to softball practice, while I head to Arkadelphia for the City Council meeting.  Wednesday, we will play catch up from a busy week beginning while Cheyenne is at AKC.  Thursday hits us with softball practice & a college night in Hot Springs for Wednesday.  Friday night we have football (Lyndsey) and softball (Cheyenne) while Saturday brings us a college visit for Lyndsey & a softball tourney for Cheyenne.  Just when I think things have gotten slower for our family, we get hit hard with a hectic schedule.

How do you stay on track when your family has you running?

Jenn

30-Day Weight Loss Challenge

I'm looking for 5 people to work very closely with to help lose weight & get healthy! Our focus will be on your nutrition and following a simple-to-do program with guaranteed success. 

I personally know how hard it is to get motivated & stay motivated while trying to lose weight. 3 years ago I tackled my weight problem head on with the help of a coach and can proudly say I have lost (& maintained) 60 pounds! 

My private online group will begin October 5, 2014. There is a cost involved, but this program gets results! Call, text or message me if you're interested! 

Jenn

870-403-8921

#loseweight #smallerjeans #weighloss #getthinwithJenn

Weekly Menu: September 28-October 5, 2014

Tomorrow is #MenuMonday & I've got mine all ready for the week!  As usual, Lyndsey has her weekly football game and Cheyenne has softball practice, but things have definitely slowed down at our house.  Thank goodness, right?!  Softball league is over now & we are off from tournaments this weekend. We get to enjoy dinner at home every night but Thursday & Friday night this week!  It's been a while since that happened!

It's always super hard to stay on track when you're on the go.  We try our best to make the healthiest choices when we are away from home, but we all know you can't really control what's in your food when you don't prepare it yourself.  With that said, I'm starting on a 30 day detox today!  I've been feeling super clunky & funky and feel that I need to get back on track, even if I haven't gained any weight!  The best way to feel better quickly is through a good cleanse & detox.  Follow my menu to feel better inside & look better on the outside!

Have a great week & eat well!

Jenn

Stay on track even when busy!

I've had this lesson thrown in my face over & over & over again...when you plan, you're more successful with staying on track.  I should have learned it by now...really...I should have.  But over & over & over again I let myself get side-tracked with being overly busy & trying to hit my goals that I forget...

PLANNING is the KEY to SUCCESS!  

So, I'm back on track with Menu Monday!  This week's menu is attached along with what we have going on all week...you can see just how busy our lives are!  With that said, I must share with you the one thing I know--my plan is my goals in writing...and it helps me stay on track & holds me accountable!  I can't just skate by without a plan!

So here's my plan for the week!

September 22-28, 2014

	Breakfast	Snack	Lunch	Snack	Dinner	Snack
Before Meal:	45 mins-Xano		45 mins-Xano		45 mins-Xano

Monday Hair Appointment	9/22	Chocolate BodyFX ½ apple		Celery	Shake FFN Salad (VitaBlend with cherry tomatoes, avocado & onions)	Jello		Body FX Shake FFN Salad		Jello
Tuesday Softball-6 & 7	9/23	Get-Up-And-Go Shake (Tropical Crème BodyFX, strawberries & SPN Energy)		Jello	Chocolate BodyFX FFN Salad	Almonds		McAlister’s Grilled Chicken Salad		Pistachios
Wednesday	9/24	Chocolate BodyFX ½ apple		Celery	Chocolate BodyFX FFN Salad	Jello		Grilled Fish FFN Salad Brussels Sprouts		Jello
Thursday Softball Practice	9/25 *Weigh/Measure	Chocolate BodyFX ½ apple		Trimbolic + SPN Energy	Tuna FFN Salad	Trimbolic + SPN Rehydration		Grilled Chicken FFN Salad Green Beans *Grill extra for lunch		Jello
Friday LHHS Football & Dance	9/26	Get-Up-And-Go Shake (Tropical Crème BodyFX, strawberries & SPN Energy)		Trimbolic	Grilled Chicken FFN Salad Green Beans	Trimbolic + SPN Energy		Grilled fish FFN Salad Edamame		Jello
Saturday Softball Tourney	9/27	Get-Up-And-Go Shake (Tropical Crème BodyFX, strawberries & SPN Energy)		Jello	McAlister’s Grilled Chicken Salad	Trimbolic + SPN Rehydration		Subway Salad		Jello
Sunday	9/28	1 egg scrambled with Sauteed spinach, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers 4 oz yogurt ½ apple		Trimbolic + SPN Energy	Chocolate BodyFX FFN Salad	Trimbolic + SPN Rehydration		Grilled Chicken FFN Salad Green beans		Jello
FFN Salad			Shopping List						Supplements
¼  Avocado Vital Blend (Kale, swiss chard, etc) Purple Onion Tomatoes			Produce: Apples Celery Avocados Vital Blend (lettuce mix) Purple Onion Tomatoes		Meat: Tuna Tilapia Chicken		Fresh or canned: Green Beans Steamer bags- Broccoli Cauliflower Brussels Sprouts Edamame Fresh or frozen: Normandy Blend Dairy: Yogurt Eggs		XanoLean 45 minutes before meals Reneu-1 hour after breakfast/at bedtime Remember to take Reneu at least 1 hour away from all prescribed/OTC meds

I hope this helps you stay on track too!

Jenn

FirstFitness Nutrition

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