Dr. SheLution

Transformation Made Simple

Chicken, Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli 

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Try Chicken, sweet potatoes and broccoli  as a meal or salad either way you will not be disappointed.

Are you tired of chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans.  If so, you will love this quick and easy chicken meal. The chicken breast is cut in chucks and marinated in garlic and herbs.  The sweet potatoes are cubed and roasted along with the broccoli and onions. 

Chicken Meal

  • This is a great dish as a meal or a hearty salad.  
  • Eat it hot or cold
  • Add a sweet and tangy salad dressing (see below) and you are in heaven.

I am not a fan of baked sweet potatoes but I was surprised that I enjoyed them cubed and roasted.  

Sweet potatoes cubed

I prefer my broccoli chunky so I roasted the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes before I added the broccoli and onion. 

 

Chicken Meal Prep

When you are making your meal, make enough for lunch and a couple to put in the freezer.

Helpful hints:

  • Roast sweet potatoes first 15 minutes 
  • Add broccoli and onion another 15 minutes until vegetables tender.
  • Marinate meat with herbs and garlic
  • Cook meat on separate cookie sheet
  • When both meat and vegetables are done combine in a bowl  add pecans and cranberries.

Ingredients: 

  • 3 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes 
  • 2 Chicken breast – cut in nugget sizes 
  • 4 cups broccoli florets
  • 1/2 red onion cut chucks
  • 2 clove of garlic – minced 
  • 3/4 tsp of each – dried thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley
  • Salt and Pepper 
  • 1/2 cup pecans – chopped
  • 1/3 dried cranberries
  • 4 T olive oil – 2 T – for vegetables, 2 T – for meat

Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

Added delight:

I grew up eating candied sweet potatoes, so I made a sweet tangy dressing to drizzle on the top.  The maple syrup gave the sweet potatoes sweetness without adding the tons of syrup that I am normally use to. This flavor also compliment the nuts and cranberries.

Salad Dressing:

Dressing to drizzle on top.  Use equal parts of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. 

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup

drshelution: Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

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If you love Stuffed Green Peppers then you will love this soup.

This soup if full of favor.  The taste of Stuffed Green Peppers but the convenience of a soup.  This is a wonderful soup for the slow cooker.  

  • Need a quick meal and have leftover rice … this is a great go to meal.  
  • Tired of chili, but want the comfort of a hearty soup… give this a try.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 can of Red Gold tomatoes with roasted garlic and onions
  • 16 to 32 oz of beef broth — use less for thicker soup, more for liquidy. 
  • 8 oz. tomato sauce 
  • 1/2 t basil
  • 1/2 t oregano 
  • 1 cloves of garlic
  • 2 cups chopped green peppers 
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • Salt & pepper to season hamburger 

Green Pepper Soup ingredients

Instructions:

  1. Brown beef 
  2. Drain any grease from beef
  3. In slow cooker add beef, cooked rice, onion, tomatoes, green peppers and seasonings including garlic. 
  4. Stir together
  5. Add tomato sauce and beef broth
  6. Cook on low for 2 to 4 hours depends on how tender you like your peppers. (I prefer crunchy peppers I cooked for 2 hours)

Note: If you cook the rice and beef the cook time is allow the seasonings and vegetables time to get tender.  

However my sister said, when she is pressed for time she put everything in the slow cooker raw but the green peppers. This requires longer cook time 8 hours but it is a true slow cook meal.  She adds the green pepper in the end, she is like me we prefer crunchy green peppers in the soup.

 

Stuffed-Green-Pepper-Soup

drshelution: 1 hour workout

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A hour workout is 4% of your day.

Give yourself 4% you are worth it.  If you don’t think you are worth 4% who else will?  Here’s a challenge start with 30 minutes a day 5 days a week, that 150 minutes. You can do that watching TV. 

4-percent of your day

 

Old or young you are still worth 4%.  If you don’t want to go to the gym, try these chair exercises that I seen on Facebook. Believe me, it is a workout.  

 

 

 

A hour workout is 4% of your day.

White Bean Chili

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New and improved “White Bean Chili”

Rating  –  

Would I make it again – Yes

Now that the weather is changing and football season is here. How about a big pot of chili.  Hmm,  I need something new and improved, something different.  I got it,  how about “White Bean Chili”. 

Don’t get scared, it has meat for you carnivores. The original recipe called for ground chicken or ground turkey.  I did a blend and had 1 pound of each.  I have also seen white bean chili recipes with sausage.  Since I am trying to eat more healthy, I opted for the turkey and chicken and skipped the sausage.

white bean chili

Here are some “simple tips” for making this chili.

  • Brown your ground meat before adding to the crock pot.
  • Use “White Chili packet seasoning
  • Use white pepper.
  • Use tomato paste in the tube — “you only need 2 T”

crock-pot-white-chili

If you prefer chicken breast that ok too.  My sister uses dry beans  so she cooks her chicken breast and bean together in the crock pot.  Me I was lazy I used canned. When the meat is done she shreds the chicken and then add the other ingredients.  

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 pounds ground turkey or ground chicken

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 package white chili mix

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon tabasco or “I use chopped jalapeño instead “

1 4-ounce chopped green chilies drained

1 19-ounce can great northern beans drained

 

  1. In large skillet, over medium heat, warm oil and add turkey, onion, garlic, and salt and cook until the turkey is cooked through, breaking up the turkey as it cooks. Drain any remaining juices from pan; set aside. (Do not skip … precooking turkey; putting in the slow cooker raw results in a watery unappetizing chili.)

 

  1. In slow cooker, combine the broth and tomato paste and mix well.  Add the turkey mixture to crock, then add all remaining ingredients, except for the chilies and beans. Stir well to combine.

3. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

4. Stir well, then cook 1 hour more.

Roast Chicken with Lemon-Garlic

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Five Stars on“Roast Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes” by Monica B.

Recipe Rating :  

Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken with Lemon Garlic Brussel Sprouts and Potatoes

Monica’s challenge from our “Weight Loss Group” was to try a new vegetable. She choose to make “Roast Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes” from AllRecipes. This was a hit, and will be added to Family Favorites.

Monica said that this recipe changed her attitude toward brussels sprouts. In the past she felt brussels sprouts were mushy and overcooked, however this recipe gave the vegetable flavor and crunch.  

Monica not only critiqued the recipe, but also gave the ”Weight Loss Group” the benefits for adding brussels sprouts to your diets.

Brussels Sprouts:

“Brussels sprouts a good source of protein, iron and potassium, but they also offer other benefits that can boost your overall health.” For more benefit check out this article  Health Benefits of Eating Brussels Sprouts.

 Great job Monica, we are all excited about trying this recipe.

DIY – Homemade Deodorant

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Embrace Change with homemade deodorant.

Try this healthy alternative to store brands. A homemade deodorant can be made with only 4 basic ingredients but I researched different recipes on Pinterest to come up with this blend.  I was surprised, just how easy it was to make and how effective it was when using.  

Try DIY Deodorant --- you will never use store brought again. Click To Tweet

A word of caution if you are normally use to an anti-perspirant DIY deodorant will allow you to sweat.  I didn’t experience any odor but the wetness caught me off guard.  I did enjoy using different essential oils for a fresh scent, lavender and jasmine was my favorite.  

Check out my Transformation Tips for others health alternatives.  

 

diy deodorant

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil

3 tablespoons beeswax pellets

2 tablespoons shea butter

1/3 cup arrowroot powder

2 tablespoons baking soda

15 drops lavendar essential oil — or a scent of your choice

5 drops of tea tree oil

Directions — fills 2 empty containers.

  1. Melt cdeodorant containeroconut oil, beeswax and shea butter. ( I used a double boiler)
  2. Stir in arrowroot and baking soda
  3. Add essential oil and tea tree oil 
  4. Pour in empty deodorant containers. 
  5. Let set or put into refrigerator until solid.  
  6. Replace caps 
  7. Use like any other deodorant.

deodorant

 

Water Challenge

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Do you drink enough water? Try this water challenge.

Water Challenge

Drink 4 bottles per day, 28 bottles a week.

Before I took this water challenge, I thought I drank a lot of water. I was wrong. Yes, I do drink a lot of water, but I found I was not consistent on a daily bases. 

The challenge was to drink 4 bottles of water per day for 7 days.  I purchased a 32 pack of Nestle Pure Life Water from Walmart for only $3.98.  I numbered the bottles 1 to 28. The goal was to drink 4 bottles per day, it didn’t  seem like a lot, until I started drinking them.  

4 bottles of waters

On day 2,  I had only consumed 1.5 bottles by 4:30 pm. I drank the 4 bottles,  but you know what that meant.  Yes, I was running to the bathroom all night long. After that incident,  I started checking the number on the bottle top to ensure I was on track so I would not repeat that mistake again.  

Quick note to my “Green Lovers”,  I know plastic bottles are bad for the environment, but this is a great test for accountability and accuracy. So often, we over estimate the amount of water we are consuming, at least I did.  Feel free to adjust the test to a more environmentally safe container if you feel more comfortable. 

Back to the test; at the end of 7 days this should give you a good ideal on how much water you are consuming.  At the end of 7 days, look at the results to determine if any adjustments are needed.  

Water Challenge drink 28 bottles of water in 1 week. Thats 4 bottles per day for 7 days. Click To Tweet

Stephanie was a part of our 30 day trial when she took this challenge,  she found it difficult to drink 4 bottles each day.  She said “I can get 3 down, but I am having problems with the 4th”.  I suggested she drink half a bottle of water when she first get up and the last half in the evening before bed. It worked, that simple adjustment made the difference.  Stephanie also noted that infusing her water with fruits made it easier for her to drink.

Water is essential in your weight loss journey. Taking this challenge will give you a true insight on how much you are consuming.

 

Embrace Change: Find Courage

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Find Courage: A great quote from Lewis Timberlake calendar.

Each day my goal is to find more courage and do the things I love. Stepping outside my comfort zone can be hard, however staying in fear is more frightening. I love finding quotes or nuggets of wisdom to start my day.  I found this in my  “First Thing Every Morning” calendar.  These quotes are from January 4th, it was the perfect word to start my day.

Courage

Courage is:

  • Performing the task that would be easier not to do.
  • Mastering our fears and getting on with the wonderful things life has to offer — even when it appears there is no road on which to travel.
  • Flourishing in adversity and facing life’s disappointments head-on.
  • Not allowing fear to take over and control our lives. It is making plans for ways to overcome those fears.
  • Accepting the responsibilities that would be more comfortable not to accept.
  • Taking the least traveled path.

Resource: Lewis Timberlake calendar

Courage is: Not allowing fear to take over and control our lives. It is making plans for ways to overcome those fears. Click To Tweet