Menu Monday

well ladies and gentlemen it's another week which can only mean it's time for another fun filled edition of MENU MONDAY!!!  we've done pretty good sticking to the menu so not only am i saving money (always a plus) but we are all enjoying the family time picking the menu out, prepping the meals and eating them together.  in fact, the big kids made breakfast all on their own........protein powder pancakes!!

Sun: french toast; meat roll ups & fruit; southwestern slopy joe's with broccoli
Mon:  egg cups & fruit; beanie weenies; medateranian beef stew
Tue:  oatmeal; egg salad; southwestern pork chops & salad
Wed:  greek yogurt parfaits; hard boiled eggs & fruit; beef & portobello ragout
Thur:  eggs & apples; leftovers; steak & sweet potato
Fri:  gluten free muffins & fruit; tuna salad; hamburger salad
Sat:  eggs & bacon; leftovers; fish tacos w/broccoli slaw

so what's on YOUR menu??  this week i'm linked up with This Flourishing Life and KdBuggie so if you stumbled on me by them please let me know.  if you see anything here that you'd like the recipe for please don't hesitate to ask!

hope y'all had a marvelous monday *waves*

Tasty Tuesday

this is no.2 pencil's picture, because, well i was so drawn in by ours
that i forgot to snap a picture & i didn't think y'all
would want to see my plate w/just a few bites 

this week i am being lazy...........i am repeating last week's menu *gasp* for the simple reason it ROCKED!! one of our favorite things we had last week was a super simple yet delicious meal from no. 2 pencil via Pinterest (if you have not checked out this site go do it as soon as you're done reading this!).  of course i tweaked the recipe, because, well, i rarely ever follow one lol  i swapped quinoa for the rice and i used ground turkey because i had it on hand.  i changed a few other things to from the original recipe.  i did realize a downfall from using the crock pot though........if you are smelling yummy food, that just gets better every hour, cooking all day long; by the time dinner rolls around you tend to get so excited you forget to snap a picture for your blog!  we had leftover for lunch last week and even BabyL loved these *score one for healthy kids* this is without a doubt a keeper in our house.  the kids and i already figured out ways to do other stuffed bell peppers in the crock pot too.  i am starting to fall in love with my crockpot after last week :)

here's how i made it:

5 bell peppers

1-1.5lbs of ground turkey

3 scallions

5 garlic cloves crushed

3/4c fresh salsa

1c of shredded sharp cheese

1/2c of cooked (leftover) quinioa

i used my handy dandy kitchen aid stand mixer and whirled together all the ingredients (except for the bell peppers) until a nice meatloafy texture formed.  while those yummy things were blending together; i cut the tops off the bell peppers, and used a spoon to get the seeds out of them.  after the mixture was all nice and squishy (like a meatloaf) i spooned the meat mixture into the bell peppers, added some extra cheese on top, and placed them into the crock pot.  i put about 1/2c of water in the crock pot and i sliced some yellow onion and garlic and put in there as well for some added flavor.  after everything was done cooking i put the garlic and onions into a container and used them as added fill-ins for eggs :)  i cooked the bell peppers for about 6 hours on low.  throw in some fresh greens and dinner is done!  another cheap and easy meal brought to you by FitMommaD (after some awesome inspiration by no.2 pencil!)!!!

have a tasty tuseday y'all *waves*

Fun Friday

oh looky, looky what day it is!!  it's another round of FUN FRIDAY people!!  there is a cool crispness in the air the last few days here in WA and i can't WAIT to get out there and enjoy it with my kids today!  each week, on FUN FRIDAY, i challenge y'all.   i want y'all to get out there and do something that makes you smile, laugh, and just enjoy life today!  it doesn't have to be anything big, because remember that even baby steps are steps in the right direction.


if you're stumped for ideas here you go:
grab some chalk and start drawing on the sidewalk
go pick some apples
go for a walk along the shoreline
take your dog for a run
play board games, or cards with your family
go attend a live concert
find a farmers market today and walk around
throw together a pot-luck with some neighbors
treat yourself to some frozen yogurt

see the possibilities are ENDLESS!  just get out there and do something that makes you smile ladies and gentlemen :-)

here's a fun friday song for y'all:




tomorrow is Shakeology Saturday, and my RockStar ShoutOut!  If you want to be included in my RockStar ShoutOut tomorrow go find me on Twitter, MyFitnessPal, FaceBook, or even on TeamBeachBody and say "I was a fitness/healthy RockStar because........."  as i always say; even baby steps are steps in the right direction.  so did you drink your water goal once this week?  did you eat cleaner this week than last?  did you get in 3 workouts instead of 2 this week?  did you loose .25lb this week?  did you run a marathon this last week?  did you stick to your calories all week long?  did you get enough sleep all week long to help repair your body?  see, it doesn't take much and every little bit counts.  so what are you waiting for?  let me know so i can add you to my RockStar ShoutOut on saturday!   in honor of Shakeology Saturday i have a special treat planned for y'all tomorrow so stay tuned!

this friday i've decided to join in on a few blog hops (the more the merrier right?), so if you've found me through one of them welcome!  be sure to let me that you stopped by and what you think of Healthy Ambition.  if you have your own blog why not link up to this great people: Posh on a Budget, Chubby Cheeks Thinks, and and An Island Life.  

have a FABULOUS FRIDAY y'all *waves*

Menu Monday

as i mentioned yesterday; i am trying to get back on track with all that i put in my mouth (and my family's) so i sat down to make a menu this last weekend.  it was odd adding up my class work and seminars, the kids' stuff, daily routines and fun times to all of our meal times.  i am trying to save some money and not go out as much too with this.  it was really hard since my husband took my bag of Shakeology to the ship with him and i won't get my new bag until later this week *tear*  but i did it and so far we have stuck to our menu.  also, the farmers market stopped last week so i need to figure out what i'm going to do.  i think i may have to travel off island and go to Trader Joe's and Costco more often for produce.  in the past i would just make a list of 7 meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and cherry pick what i wanted to serve each day.  this plan works great if you don't have anything going on that day but, we have gotten hella busy the last few months and it's just going to get worse.  in fact, as i was figuring things out i realized we have something going on sun, tue, wed, thur and fri every week.  that's if i don't choose to take supplemental classes and if we don't do field trips or park days!  crazy, huh?

so here's my menu for the week:

Sun- eggs & bacon; leftovers; hamburger salad
Mon- primal muffins & eggs; lunch meat roll-ups & cheese; steak, sweet potato & salad
Tue- greek yogurt & fruit; veggie chips & hard boiled eggs; mexican stuffed peppers & quinoa
Wed- toast & greek yogurt; leftovers; chicken enchilada soup
Thur- fruit parfait; deviled eggs & lunch meat; BLAT & veggie chips
Fri- primal waffles; veggie chips & lunch meat roll-ups; beef & broccoli
Sat- egg cups & fruit; leftovers; veggie chili over cauliflower rice

snacks will be- kiwis, hard cheeses, apples or raw nuts

do you make a menu?  if not why not?  if so how do you go about doing it?  have you found that having one helps you with staying on track with your nutrition?  what's the hardest part about doing this for you?


i'm linked up with; This Flourishing Life, KdBuggie Boutique, CrazyMomma and Marine Wife, Mommy & Life ------why don't you join the party and link up too :-)  if you have your menu planned out on your blog please feel free to share it here!

New Month

when a new month starts to do you think it is the start of a new you?  many people think that monday is the day to start their new workout and eating plan.  some (like me) like to switch things up every month or so.  i tend to do a lot of things on the 1st of each month; pay rent, pay for the kids dojo, deep clean the house, redo the kids chore chart, look over the homeschooling agenda for the month and reevaluate my eating habits and/or my workout plan.  since i've started using W.O.W.Y. SuperGym i don't really change up my workouts but every 3months or so because they keep it SO interesting!  i'm now doing P90x and have been for almost a month.  i am starting to see changes in my body.  i'm starting to get my pecs back which is *sing-song* AWESOME!!!!

well, then, since my workouts are taken care of for me i guess it's time to double check my eating plans right?  that's what i did over the last week while hubby was home.  life is hectic right now (but wouldn't it be boring if it weren't) between my college courses, homeschooling the kids, sports for the kids and trying to find family/me/date time every day.  some days there just doesn't seem to be time to cook so we have been going out to eat a LOT.  even though we were i was choosing healthy options for us all.  for example: yesterday the kids and i went to Red Robin *yummmmm* and here is what we all ordered...........C (11.5) ordered a turkey burger w/cheese in a lettuce wrap and a side of broccoli; MK (9) ordered a grilled cheese on wheat w/side salad and blue cheese on the side; i had the tavern burger w/bacon, took off half the bun (gave it to BabyL lol), and only ate half the burger and less than half the fries.  we all had water to drink too.  that's all very good healthy options for dinning out :-)  and, no there was NO prompting from me with the kids meals that's just how we eat.  well in an effort to save money and to really get back on track i did some research and found a lot of healthy crock-pot, easy do the night before and quick meals for our menu.  some of my class work is early in the morning and if you miss breakfast it seems to throw the WHOLE day off ya know?  with my list in hand we headed off the island and went to Costco, Target and Trader Joe's with a mission!  i was bound and determined to find all the things on my list to make my life, our meals and days easier and healthier!  i accomplished it too and within budget!  i found beans, raw almonds, pistachios, tons of great veggies (even baby cucumbers that BabyL and i just adore), greek yogurts, bacon and OH SO MUCH MORE!!  i still need to go and grab a few things today to finish out the next few weeks but i'm really proud of myself for doing this.  since C is trying to do P90X with me (well the cardio and plyo stuff) and MK likes to do yoga i need to really make sure they are getting the food to fuel their growing bodies for sure.  BabyL is starting to eat more and more food now (he still nurses 3-5 times a day) and i was not happy when i realized all he wanted was breads, beans and cereal the last few weeks.  nutrition is MY thing and i want to make sure i pass along the right ideas to my children.  now to see if we stick to the menu hahahaha

do you make a menu or schedule out your meals each week?  have you found a website or app that makes it a bit easier for you?  do you feel as lost as i do when you don't have a menu for the week?  do you feel having it all planned out helps you succeed with your fitness and nutrition goals?  i would LOVE to hear what y'all have been doing!

hope y'all have a SPECTACULAR SUNDAY and (if you're a football fan) your team brings home a big win today too!!

Menu Mondays

yes, yes, i know it's actually Motivation Mondays on my facebook and twitter but i don't want to kill a good thing :-)

starting this week i will be sharing my menu for the week, and maybe it will give you some ideas for your week's meals.  i do not plan mine until thursday evening; after i've returned with my spoils from the local farmers market.  last week i came back home with 4 huge bags of fresh fruits, vegetables and i even splurged and bought a fresh loaf of bacon cheese bread!  the picture doesn't quite do all the food justice but you get the idea.  also, by shopping local i'm able to save quite a bit.  between the flat of berries, pounds of greens, and other fruits/veggies i spent about $50 for over a weeks worth of fresh food for me and the 3 kids!  not bad right?  who said eat healthy has to be expensive :-) i will admit my morning meals are the same almost every single day

here's my menu for the week:

breakfasts

• coffee w/creamer & handful of raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios) during the week
• weekend breakfast is eggs & bacon with spinach

morning (post workout) snack

• Chocolate Shakeology; i will add in a handful of berries, a few ounces of almond (or coconut milk)

lunches

• salad with chicken breast
• left overs
• steak tacos & salad
• 1/2 avocado w/salt and chicken breast
• salad w/lunchmeat, cheese and tomato
• green tomato, eggs and bacon
• lunch meat roll ups, almond crisps and cheese

dinners

• steak and salad
• lemon chicken thighs, yams & green tomatoes 
• mini turkey meatloaf, salad, cauliflower rice
• london broil, roasted kale w/olive oil and salt
• steak, salad and fruit
• leftovers
• pizza

snacks:

• berries and almonds
• pretzel sticks and almond butter
• aprium w/glass of almond milk
• prunes

so that is what i eat, and the kids eat this as well.  i know it's hard sometimes to ensure we are eating the right things but remember that abs are made in the kitchen not the gym!  if you aren't fueling your body with the right things all the workouts in the world will not help you shed the fat! it's all about scheduling your food and your workouts just like anything else important in life.  

nutrition + fitness + support = success

i hope y'all have a motivating monday and do something GREAT with this wonderful week!