My return to Beachbody and Shakeology

I really tried last week to buy everything local. I did but boy did it dig deep into the pockets. I really wanted to start using Shakeology again and had to figure out how to put it in my budget. Most sites tell you how much you spend eating out and on junk food but this was going to add to my food bill. I don't eat out and we already eat healthy real food. I needed to add in or cut out $200 so both my husband and I could use Shakeology.

I signed up to become a coach because with two of us using Shakeology and the Ultimate Reset Maintenance Supplements we get a 25% discount. Even with tax and the monthly website fee we are still coming out ahead. I used Shakeology before and loved it. It's worth every penny!

To make room in my budget, I will still use Desert Roots CSA and am purchasing my grass fed meat from JH Grass Fed. The rest of my groceries will come from Costco, I simply can't find better deals anywhere else for healthy food. I've tried and have spent more at Walmart for a fee healthy items. Unfortunately coupons are for processed food and we do not put that in our bodies.

Seven years ago I started using P90X and I was in the best shape of my life. I long to get back to my weight before I had three girls in a four year period. After my first baby my doctor told me that my belly would never be flat again. I don't like the word never and a mommy doesn't have to settle for a mommy pooch. I'm combining Les Mills Combat and Pump while occasionally adding an Insanity workout. I like variety! On June 3rd I will begin the 90/10 clean eating challenge for 30 days plus my husband and I have just started drinking Shakeology for breakfast. I already have more energy to chase around my little girls and to nurse my 6 month old.

My yummy Recipe for 3 (Husband, Me and two toddlers):

2 scoops chocolate shakeology
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 cups almond milk
1 cup orange juice
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon almond butter

Blend and enjoy!

Link to my website: www.beachbodycoach.com/KLMEEKS

Peach Coupon!

I was just checking out Fenway Park Orchards and they have a coupon for peaches! If you purchase 10 pounds of peaches you get a pound for free, the limit is one per vehicle though. Here is the link: http://www.fenwayparkorchards.com/home. They plan on opening this weekend and will have blackberries as well. I really want some blackberries. It's hard to grow berries in the desert so this would be a nice treat. I'm really trying hard not to run to the store for fruit that came from who knows were.

Mesa Community Farmer's Market

Yesterday the girls and I finally were able to leave the house after having been sick for 8 days. I decided some fresh air would be good for us so we headed over to the Mesa Community Farmer's Market. We haven't been to this market before so I was excited. I was very surprised at how small it was. There was just a few vendors there but we are in the slow season in Phoenix. Those that can leave the desert when it gets hot are lucky indeed. The vendors there were great. One Windmill Farm was the only veggie vendor. We bought some peaches, tomatoes, cabbage, onion and farm fresh eggs. I grabbed two jars of salsa from Lil' Sassy's Salsa, chocolate from Stone grindz and 1 pound of pecans from Donaldson Farms. The girls had a great time but I need to remember to bring cash only so that I don't get sidetracked. I have a hard time saying no to people and to be honest I went over my budget by splurging on chocolate that I didn't need.

Cold Brew Coffee

This was my first attempt at cold brew coffee. I'm hooked! I use to just pour hot coffee over ice add some milk and I thought I was good. I read an article in Edible Phoenix (www.ediblephoenix.com) yesterday about cold brew coffee. There is a place in town I would love to visit, Vovomeena (www.vovomeena.com). They are known for the Mornin' moonshine, cold brew coffee. Since I have kids and rarely get to visit a restaurant let alone Starbucks I decided to give it a try.

Cold Brew Coffee:
1 1/3 cup of coffee grounds (I use a dark roast)
4 cups of water
Place in a mason jar and let sit on the counter for 12 hours. Strain and place coffee in the refrigerator. It should keep for a couple of days. I use a one to one ratio in a glass of ice with almond milk.

Note: If you drink a lot of coffee then this will last about a day or two. You can tell in the picture I have had a lot of coffee today, I couldn't resist.

Chicken Penne Alfredo with Swiss Chard Beet Salad

Last nights dinner was yummy! If you are looking for a meal that both adults and children love then this is it. It's really easy to sneak veggies into the alfredo sauce. My salad was 100% local with all the ingredients from Desert Roots Farm.

Swiss chard and Beet Salad:
4 medium red beets (about 1 pound), peeled and shredded
3 cups (packed) thinly sliced Swiss chard
1 medium green onion, finely chopped
1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

In a large mixing bowl, toss together beets, chard and green onions. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and granulated garlic powder. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Allow the salad to stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.


Chicken Penne Alfredo:
1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg yolk (Pinnacle farms)
1 clove garlic, crushed (local)
1 1/2 cups Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (local)
1 16 ounce bag frozen broccoli florets (steamed)
1 summer squash (steamed) (Desert Roots Farm)
Salt and pepper
2 shredded grilled chicken breast (JH Grass Fed)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the penne according to directions on the bag. Steam the broccoli and squash. In a sauce pan over medium high heat, heat the cream and egg yolk for a couple minutes. Add garlic and cheese and whisk just enough to heat through. Remove from heat, pour in a blender and add the vegetables. Blend and you may have to add more cream to thin it out. While working on the sauce grill your chicken (I use a small indoor grill and it takes about 8 min.) To shred the chicken I place it in my mixer for a few minutes using the flat head. Add the shredded chicken and sauce to the penne. This feeds about 8 adults or will leave you with some leftovers for a few days.

Note: you can add what ever vegetables that are in season, I did note in the ingredients which items were local. In the past I have used roasted beets and eggplant as well. The sauce is great over spaghetti squash for a low carb meal.

This isn't a quick meal but it's worth the time. I did manage to prepare it while my 5 month old was napping and my two toddlers were running around playing. Allow 1-1.5 hours for prepping and cooking the entire meal.

Desert Roots Farm

I just love Desert Roots Farm CSA. I stumbled upon them by accident a couple of weeks ago. I had been using Chow Locally and Bountiful Basket. Both are great but Desert Roots combines the best features of both. First the vegetables come from their own farm year round, you can add on items like bountiful basket and they deliver to your home! They deliver and it doesn't cost a fortune. Perfect when it's hard to get three little girls out of the house and contained.

The downside is that you can't skip a week but they deliver during the week so if you are out of town over the weekend it isn't a big deal.  You do have to pay upfront but you can join at anytime and the price is prorated. I'm paying $29 a week including a $6 delivery fee for a whole share. They have several pickup places throughout the valley and you would only have to pay $23 a week for a whole share. They do offer half a share as well. You will typically pay for 12 weeks per season. The veggies arrive clean and labeled in their own bags. Every week I have had lettuce for a yummy healthy salad. I've been receiving basic staples plus fun new items I would never have tried.

I simply love their add-ons! You can add on grass fed beef from JH for $7 a pound. It is .50 cents more for ground beef then I was paying from The Meat Shop but it's delivered with my veggies so one less place I have to run to. I also purchased some Gluten free bread for $7.50 from Great Harvest Breads. I did splurge and purchased some raw aged goat's cheese, Queso Blanco for $12.60 (1 pound Pkg).

They do offer one week trial membership for $30. Give them a trial, I think you will be happy.
http://www.desertrootsfarm.com/

Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup

Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup

Not everything in this recipe was bought locally but it's a start in the right direction. The original recipe is from Martha Stewart, here is the link: http://www.marthastewart.com/317401/lentil-and-swiss-chard-soup. I made just a few changes such as adding 2 more cups of water and 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. It took about 20-30 min. longer to cook. If you are in a hurry or have a bunch of toddlers hanging on you just dump all the ingredients in, it will turn out great. The changes are noted below.

A few of the items were purchased through Bountiful Baskets: lentils, lemon, garlic and herbs. The herbs were fresh but I dried them for two weeks. From Desert Roots CSA I had a spring onion, swiss chard and raw aged goat's cheese added for a topping.  The tomato paste and diced tomatoes were purchased from Costco. I would love to make my own tomato products from locally bought tomatoes, that's my plan for this summer. Bread served on the side was Sourdough from Arizona Bread Co purchased in bulk from Bountiful Basket.

Links:
http://www.azbreadco.com/
http://www9.bountifulbaskets.org/
http://www.desertrootsfarm.com/
http://www.localharvest.org/footes-hold-dairy-M23825

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice
• 2 bunches (about 1 1/2 pounds total) Swiss chard, stalks cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces, leaves torn into 2-inch pieces (keep stalks and leaves separate)
• 7 cups of water
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Bread, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan with a lid, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano, and thyme; stir to combine.
2. Add lentils, 7 cups water, and tomatoes with their juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 40 minutes. Add chard stalks and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chard leaves; season with salt and pepper, and cook until lentils and chard are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.                                                        
3. Stir in lemon juice; ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve with bread, if desired.
 

Chow Locally

Chow Locally is a great idea and I do love using them. They are a cross between a CSA and Bountiful Basket. They buy from area farmers keeping the food local and you don't have the risk involved with a CSA. I like the fact that you can skip a week if you are going to be out of town and you don't have to pay a couple hundred dollars up front. You can also change your pickup location as well. What doesn't work for my family is the amount of vegetables we receive. I could double my order but that would cost us $47.90. They do provide you with recipes but they aren't really child friendly or economical for us. If you are a family of two then I would recommend them.

http://www.chowlocally.com/

Brief idea of my financial position and what I'm trying to accomplish

I'm trying to be frugal but when it comes to good, wholesome, nourishing food it's hard. I slashed our food budget several months ago, buying the cheapest meat I could find and filling up the freezer with homemade crock pot meals. Well, several months later my husband gained weight and my attempt to loose the baby weight came to a halt and that was with exercising. My exercising was intense, Insanity! Plus, we aren't crock pot casserole types. In the past we had gone gluten free in the house for it seemed to help my two oldest daughters. But, as I already mentioned I was trying to be frugal and gluten free can get expensive. After this short experiment, I realized it wasn't working for us or our long term health.

To give you an idea of what I spend per month on food it's $800. I was trying $500 but that wasn't working but that is my goal. We are a family of five however our three girls are 3 and under so they aren't big eaters. We are a one income family, own our cars (no car payments) and our rent is really low. We no longer pay for cable TV, when we do watch TV we have an antenna, Amazon prime and Hulu. We have one cell phone which we are on the cheapest monthly plan, I really don't talk on the phone that much and my husband has a cell phone through work. I hand wash our dishes and hang our clothes out to dry. I make our own detergent, cleaning solutions etc all in an attempt to save money and to rid our home of harsh chemicals. We have made sacrifices in many areas so that we can build up our savings and eat healthy, yummy food.