Details: Makes 4 servings Per serving: 1 Lean. 2 Greens. 1 Condiment
photo used with permission
Why I love it
This is a family friendly recipe that’s casual enough for a weekend treat, yet special enough for a date night or dinner with guests. The best part as always to me is — it’s kid-pleasing! The second-best is that it’s guilt free but tastes indulgent! This is a great one for quelling the pizza cravings without the carbs.
Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients:
15.6 ounces cooked skinless chicken breast (2 3/5 leaners)
½ Teaspoon garlic powder (1 condiment)
½ Teaspoon Italian seasoning (1 condiment)
¼ Teaspoon onion powder (1/2 condiment)
¼ Teaspoon salt (1 condiment)
¼ Teaspoon pepper (1/2 condiment)
2 ounces turkey pepperoni (2/5 lean)
1 Cup (4 oz) reduced fat mozzarella cheese (1 lean)
2 Cups (16 oz) Rao’s sauce (8 greens)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Pound chicken breasts with mallet to thin out for easier rolling.
Whisk the seasonings together and sprinkle over the breasts.
Place 1/2 oz of pepperoni on each breast.
Sprinkle the mozzarella over the pepperoni.
Pour 1 cup of sauce in the baking dish and spread around to cover the bottom of dish.
Roll each breast up and place seam side down into dish.
Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken.
Bake 45 minutes
Super simple, right?
Comment below and let me know how you liked it, and what other flavors you’d love to see in the recipe box!
**I did not create this recipe. As an Independent Optavia Coach, recipes are used with permission.**
I love this recipe because it’s a kid-pleaser, but it tastes like something you’d eat at a fancy Venetianristorante overlooking the Canale Grande. Not that I would know, but I can imagine! I like food that sweeps me away and helps the day’s stress melt off while I’m cooking — and eating! There is nothing to stress about in the ingredients, either — it’s a lean and green, no guilt meal! Try it with a side salad, garlic brussels sprouts, or green beans.
Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
• 2 lb. ground turkey
• 2 eggs
• 1 t. basil dried
• 1 t. oregano dried
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. Italian seasoning
• 8 oz. mozzarella cut into 1-inch strips
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1 c. Sugar free spaghetti sauce
(simply Ragu, Rao’s, Hunt’s)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine turkey, egg, basil, oregano, salt, and garlic powder.
3. Combine mixture with a spoon, and then by hand, until it is well incorporated.
4. Spread mixture on a large piece of parchment paper about 1inch thick.
5. Place strips of mozzarella along the edge of the meat mixture, leaving 1 inch on all sides uncovered by the mozzarella.
6. Spread pesto over mozzarella evenly.
7. Use parchment to roll the meat into a loaf. Transfer into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Very carefully, flip your meatloaf onto the baking dish, using the wax/parchment paper to help you release it from the pan.
8. Reshape the sides of the meatloaf and make sure all mozzarella is covered by the meat mixture.
9. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes in your preheated oven.
10. Uncover meatloaf and pour the spaghetti sauce on top. Continue baking, uncovered, for 10-15 more minutes.
Buon Appetito! Mwa!
**I didn’t create this recipe — as an Independent Optavia Coach, recipes on the Lean and Green plan are used with permission.**
Comment and tell me how you like it and what other flavors you’d like to see in the recipe box!
As we head into the new year, some of you are likely standing at a funeral for your dreams. Last year didn’t bring the success or the progress you had hoped. In fact, it brought great loss. You don’t feel like a “new you” just because the clocked ticked past midnight. I have been there. Wow, have I been there.
This story is for you.
The Flower Girl by Holly Pheni
There once was a girl who loved to grow flowers,
She’d sit and she’d sing in her garden for hours.
Her plants grew in beauty, with great love and care,
They brought her such joy that she wanted to share.
So into her wagon went violets and roses,
Forget-me-nots, peonies, lilies, and posies.
The wagon bump-skipped down the dirt road to town,
“We’ll give away smiles and chase away frowns.”
It didn’t take long before someone passed through.
“Would you like some flowers? They’re my gift to you.”
She handed him roses, all bursting with pride,
But to her dismay, he just cast them aside.
“These roses have thorns, and their color is dull.”
And he gave them a stomp, splitting petals from hull.
The girl felt a pang, but she straightened and said,
“Someone else will like them, let’s just move ahead.”
A woman came by, and she asked for some lilies.
“These don’t smell at all!” down they went, willy-nilly.
The little girl cringed as the flowerpot shattered.
The lilies were mush, and her dreams lay there, scattered.
She picked up the pieces so no one would fall,
Then pressed on and said, “I’ll find homes for you all.”
A third passer-by said the mums were a gaff.
Soon more flowers fell to the well-trodden path.
This went on and on, as the girl persevered.
Not one person smiled, not one heart was cheered.
With bitter complaints they all mocked her dear flowers,
And all were thrown down in a matter of hours.
Her treasures lay dead, and her tender heart pained,
She sat in the dirt and her tears fell like rain.
Along came a friend and the friend said, “Take heed –
“Those flowers aren’t wasted — each one has a seed.
“Your tears gave them water, the sun shines above,
“The whole path will bloom like a rainbow of love.”
Given some time, up grew bright second chances,
Soon blooms, bees, butterflies and children had dances.
They renamed the dirt road the “Beautiful Way.”
The seeds made a garden that blooms to this day.
And where are the naysayers? Who now complains?
From the death of a dream came such valuable gains.
What is the lesson in this little tale?
Keep trying, even if it seems like a fail.
Keep giving, although some will cast it aside.
Love always comes back like the deep ocean’s tide.
Some things take time, as the flowers bestowed.
Seeds planted with tears can still bloom down the road.
When I first began my health journey, I was sick and tired. Forget tired, I wrestled with chronic pain and fatigue on a daily basis!
I first decided something HAD to change for me to be well, strong, and energetic enough to do all the mommy things! My kids were my greatest motivation – and still are.
As I regained my energy physically, I was amazed by how much better I felt emotionally and mentally. It’s amazing how much easier it is to smile, relax and enjoy family time when you aren’t in pain and falling asleep at 2pm!
When I experienced something better, I desperately wanted my kids to experience it too! No, they weren’t in the poor state of health that I was – I was pouring every resource I had into them through it all. But, I wanted us to capture that energized joy as a family — and getting them to eat veggies isn’t a bad bonus!
Here are some of the intentional changes we’ve made to be well inside and out – as a family:
I began making a concerted effort to play with my kids more. “Let the dishes wait a while.” — we’ve heard it a million times but it’s easier said than done. Once I had my get-up-and-go back, I was able to enjoy playtimes so much more – and to find time and energy for more play. Here are a few of the activities we enjoy when we want to get moving:
Hide and seek, basketball, walks outside, trips to the park, soccer
When we play together, the stress of the day melts away and conversation flows. It’s been amazing to hear what flows from their little hearts when they express their feelings in an informal setting. That’s why play is my top way to improve wellness as a family.
The Family that Cooks Together Just Might Eat More Veggies
Away with the boxed, hurried, meals. They’re okay in moderation – we all have an extra-busy evening in our week, don’t we? — but prepping I the better choice. On my health plan we have a wealth of recipes and many are quick and easy. But – would my kids eat this if I make it?? The good news is that they do!
Here’s how I made it happen:
Mobilize your troops! I enlisted my mini-chefs in the stirring, measuring, and prepping the pans. When they got a little older, they learned to chop as well! Feeling like they had a part in creating the meal promoted eagerness to taste the result!
Talk about the benefits! Veggies are more than just “good for your eyes” – they give you energy for sports, almost all contain mood-boosting B vitamins, you probably won’t get sick very often if you eat nutritiously, which means more playtime – the list goes on of thing that matter to them right where they are now as kids.
This isn’t a rigid time frame at our house, but we tend to settle down about an hour before bedtime. This is when it’s great to take out a board game or some cards, to draw or color, paint or clay, and to read together.
We have had so many deep discussions on topics I had no idea they were thinking about because it came up in a book. I can not emphasize enough about the value of reading – not to mention the cuddle time on the couch when everyone is leaning on everyone else. That physical closeness is thought to boost the immune system, and in our experience, it definitely builds connection as a family.
We live in a state where the days are short and nights are long throughout the fall and winter months. This creates a lull in energy that is not small to contend with. Using a sunlamp can be very helpful, but what I like even more is to open the curtains! Just letting those rays touch your skin, even through a window, help everyone get moving and the vitamin D is a great mood-booster and good for immunity during cold season! This simple practice helps us keep a routine and is indispensable to me winter, spring, summer or fall.
The law of inertia says, and I’m paraphrasing, An object in motion will stay in motion, and an object at rest will stay at rest, unless acted on by an external force.
I hate to break it to you, but we are objects friends. If we don’t wake up knowing what needs to be done, our natural response for most people is what my grandmother used to call “puttering.” We might grab our coffee, or on the weekend lay in till late. (You can have that weekend lie-in as part of the routine for sure!) Generally speaking, we get more done, we humans, when we start early and stay in motion.
I’ve never been one for a super-tight schedule when it comes to household things but having a routine and sticking to it creates a security that is so healthy for adults and children alike. We all love knowing what to do and when, for the mot part, and this can relieve stress for as often as we’re able to settle into the rhythm of a daily routine.
Believe me when I say, if we can do it, anybody can! I used to have every reason on earth to think that more rest would help my health, but it was finding ways to get moving that really worked. Engaging with the kids in these activities has brought so much joy to our home. Comment your family’s favorite activities below. We are always looking for new ideas! Stay moving in 2023! I know you’ve got this!
**Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this article is not intended to replace profesional medical advice.**
I’ve missed writing here! I started this blog in 2020 with all the ambition that a lengthy lockdown afforded me. The past couple of years, my posting has been sparse, and I’ll tell you why. My most-shared post was so vulnerable, that I chickened out. I did! Now I’m on a mission in 2023 to revamp and energize this space again. Here’s what I’m hoping for:
I would love, love, love to see this site become a friendship circle for writers, parents, and anyone who needs a little encouragement. Please comment and contribute, email me at holly@flyingelephantmom.com, and engage with us here.
I’m an educator, a writer, a health coach, but first and foremost, I am a mama! I love my three pumpkins and everybody knows it. I can’t wait to share more articles here about parenting, life with special needs, and just our loving, loud, messy days! Please share your stories in the comments and let’s encourage each other!
Join Me!
Follow the blog for updates and follow on Twitter @MomElephant, and if you like fiction/short stories, visit my author page on Vocal. I can’t wait to see you and hear from you this year! Thanks for reading this far, and please do comment your ideas below. Let’s do this together!
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