Sweet Potato Chips – in the MICROWAVE! OMG – WTH – LOL!
So…I’ve seen the recipes for these a few times and thought, “NO way this would ever work!” That’s what you’re thinking RIGHT now…isn’t it?! Well, like me…you’d be wrong! This actually works!
I was HIGHLY skeptical! But my husband was trolling Pinterest or something and insisted we give this a try. So, I got out my madolin slicer gizmo – which is just kinda fun to play with! This thing is CRAZY sharp, and I am known to be a walking disaster, so I wear the protective gloves lest I slice off a finger.
I digress…
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 sweet potato – I didn’t even peel it!
parchment paper
something to slice with
olive oil spray
sea salt
a microwave
4-5 minutes
Directions: So I scrubbed, dried and sliced a sweet potato pretty thin, not see-through, but thin! I think it would be hard to get it right if you were slicing by hand, unless you are super skilled at knifery! You could also use a food processor with the slicing attachment. After I sliced them, I spread them out on a piece of parchment paper that I cut to fit on my twirly, glass, microwave plate (so that it wouldn’t get caught up as it spun around). Then, I sprayed them with the olive oil spray and sprinkled with sea salt. I microwaved them for about 4 minutes – but watch them as it gets close! When you see the edges start to curl, keep an eye on them and stop before they start getting TOO brown! It shouldn’t take any more than 5 minutes – TOPS! I took them out and let them cool for about 30 seconds. Like magic, they turned all crispy and delicious! I was stunned!
Downside: You can only make a small handful at a time this way. So it’ll probably take a total of about 20 minutes to do the whole potato…unless you figure out a clever way to do more in one batch than I did. 🙂 But for a tasty, crispy, salty snack that is practically guilt-free…this is worth a little effort!
*I am not an advocate for microwaving meals and snacks all of the time. I am sure I lost a couple of brain cells or something in the process…but I did it for science. And I’ll do it again! 🙂
*21 Day Fix (above recipe makes about 2 servings) – each serving is 1 yellow
It’s well documented that I am in love with making my own salad dressing! It’s SO easy, clean, and delicious! It really just takes a few ingredients, as opposed to the bottled dressings that list a PARAGRAPH of ingredients that almost entirely unrecognizable! This is my latest, greatest, bestest, most favoritest homemade salad dressing! This is yet another recipe from the popular 21 Day FIX program. I just modified a few of the ingredients to my taste. 🙂
Dijon Vinaigrette
(Makes 8 servings)
3 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. fresh lemon juice
3 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. honey
2 cloves garlic chopped
¼ t. Sea salt (I like to substitute 1/2 t. Mrs. Dash or Spike no-salt seasonings)
¼ t. ground black pepper
6 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Combine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.
Slowly add oil while whisking; mix well
Tip: Store leftover dressing in a covered container (I like to use Ball jars) in the fridge. I often double this recipe, because my husband likes to take some of it to work. If dressing thickens when cold, hold at room temp. for 30 minutes and stir before serving.
Last week, for FIVE days, a group of ladies – mostly busy moms – made time for themselves! Imagine THAT! We focused on preparing healthy foods, and fitting in 30 minute workouts. We had a 5-day meal plan and a private group for support and accountability. We measured before we started and then hid the scale for 5 days! Five days later, we brought the scales back out and the results were AMAZING!
In just FIVE days, with 12 ladies reporting, they lost a combined total of 37.5 pounds! That’s an average of over 3 pounds each…in just five days! And truth be told…many of them admit to not getting in every 30 minute workout, but by just cleaning up their diet for 5 days, they lost the weight anyway!
Read their testimonials!
Kristin: “I lost 2 pounds and stayed on track. Thank you Angie!!! Your kindness shows through in helping others.”
Chris: “I lost 2.4 lbs., no inches. I love having the accountability because it keeps me on track! Thank you!”
Hope: “Happy … dropped 3 lbs! A start to those unwanted extra 7 I packed on during the fall/winter. Heading in the right direction. I’m feeling real good about what could be an awesome outcome with an exercise routine. Thanks for invite!”
Audra: “I too lost 3 pounds. Believe it or not. I didn’t exercise much. I did love the meal plan. I am excited to keep on going. Thanks Angie. I can’t wait to give the next one more commitment. I’m sure the results will be amazing.”
April: “I lost 2 pounds. I haven’t measured but I notice my stomach is a bit tighter and I cranked up my back workouts this week and loving the progress. Thanks so much for the motivation all week!!”
Sharon: “Down a pound and down 1.5 inches. Thank you Angie for coordinating this challenge for us! I loved having the accountability and the easy to follow meal plan. It definitely got me back on track with clean-eating and showed/reminded me that it’s not as hard to do it as sometimes I think AND I feel better and sleep better when I eat good, clean food! Thanks Angie ! You’re the best!”
Molly: “I lost 4 pounds! I didn’t see much change in my measurements. I’m going to keep using the meal plan but mix it up a little! My typical work day always included a stomach ache after lunch – no matter what I was eating – the healthy choice meal or a salad? I did not have one stomach ache this week!! I didn’t think I would be able to cut out the diet pop – it was hard but not as hard as I thought it would be! It was a very good week – I had to adjust some meals for my kids but hopefully they will work into more of the food as we keep going! Thanks for a great week with nice results!”
Debbie: “I lost 1.3 pounds. I just got P90X3 so anxious to start that. I never have an issue working out. I love to work out. I just can’t get the last bit of my diet dialed in. I have a mental hang up somewhere. Thanks for the great week.”
Stefanie: “I actually lost 1lb. I did eat clean But didn’t follow the meal plan 100%. I exercised only 2 this week. It really wasn’t about losing anything for me, but feeling energized and the good feeling you get when you eat clean!! Ty Angie Beech Hunt!!”
Kelley: “Loved this 5 day challenge! Before I got the stomach flu, I’d say I was at an 8 for the challenge. I love the hide the scale idea…I have to do that more often!!!! I lost 10.8, which some of that was due to being sick, but definitely not all! Thanks, Angie”
Michelle: “Really enjoyed this challenge, thank you Angie. I just got back from vacation so this was great for me to get right back on track! I have had so much energy this week and felt great! I lost 3 lbs and am very happy with that! I would give myself a 7 for excercise this week and a 9 for nutrition! I will be making my own meal plan today for next week. Thanks again!”
Nancy: “I was so excited to weigh and measure this morning! I lost 4 lbs and 5 inches! Even though I couldn’t workout much this week, I think being sick helped me not eat much. Angie, thank you SO much for doing the meal plan. I always thought eating clean would be harder…and it did take some extra planning, but I really liked all of the food! This is definitely something I am going to continue (with exercise).”
Now imagine what those results could have been with everyone focusing on BOTH exercise AND nutrition!
And then imagine what we could accomplish in 21 Days of clean eating and daily 30 minute workouts! Well, some of these ladies are going to find out! And you can, too! 🙂
Starting April 7, I’m starting a 21 Day Challenge. We’ll be using the EXTREMELY popular program – The 21 Day FIX. My first group with this program lost an average of 4 pounds/week each! One of the ladies lost 18 pounds in just 21 days – almost a pound a day!!! This program combines nutrition AND fitness. You’ll get an easy to follow nutrition guide that utilizes neat, color-coded containers that you fill with the foods you need to eat each day. You’ll be eating lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, veggies and good fats, in PROPER portion sizes! You won’t need to count calories or points or anything like that. If it fits in the container, you can eat it! And you’ll find that a little goes a long way! The most common comment from my first group was how satisfied everyone was eating this way every day! They were shocked, because they weren’t hungry! And the workouts? Every day you’ll do a different 30 minute workout. They are so effective and easily modified for anyone at ANY level of fitness!
I’m excited to start another group with this program, because it is SO effective! Deadline to join is March 31 and spots will be limited. So if you’re ready to commit for 21 days and see what you can achieve, provide your information below so that I can get you signed up and ready to go!
*Sorry, no coaches or anyone already working with a coach.
I didn’t know what else to call these. I could have gone with: “Super-food, Chocolaty Nut Balls”, or “Balls of Chocolate Goodness” (nah!), or maybe “Super-food Nutrition & Protein in One Delicious Little Bite of Nutty Chocolate”? Whatever you like to call them, they’re a hit at my house!
*TIP: Hide them if you want to keep them around for more than a day!
Place dry ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend or pulse just until a course meal is formed.
Transfer to a bowl. Add wet ingredients and stir.
Wet hands and roll into rounded teaspoon-sized balls. You should get around 16 with this recipe.
Put into the freezer to firm-up (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a Ziploc bag or air-tight container. I keep mine in the freezer and pop one out when I need a little something sweet.
A FREE 5 – day meal plan with recipes AND a shopping list!
Daily Support
Daily Motivation
Daily Tips
Daily Accountability
We’ll have a private group on Facebook for daily communications and accountability. You will be amazed what you can accomplish in 5 days! We’ll all commit to exercising a minimum of 30 minutes each day. Combine that with the daily meal plan, support, accountability and your TOTAL dedication and you might just knock your own socks off! The last time I did this plan…I lost 4 pounds, in just 5 days! It’s not uncommon to lose 5-7 pounds! You won’t be starving either. I am not a fan of starving myself! EVER!
*This group is for NON-coaches only, and for those who are not currently working with a coach.
Interested?
Fill in the information below to get ready to SHAPE-UP! 🙂
Oh. Em. Gee! This dressing is MONEY! I’m looking all over my house for things to put it on! Celery, carrots, spoons, bowls! I don’t buy dressing of any kind anymore, I just find it so much easier and healthier to make my own. Not to mention the artistic freedom I have, creating works of salad-topping art! Typically, I work in oils and vinegars…until my latest discovery…
Creamy Avocado “Ranch” Dressing!
*This recipe was inspired by a dressing recipe from “The 21 Day Fix”. I just had to tweak a few amounts and ingredients for my taste!
4 T. finely chopped herbs (I used dill, chives and parsley)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 C. low-fat buttermilk (more to adjust consistency if desired)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (lots of pepper for me!)
1/3 C. extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Place avocado, yogurt, herbs, lemon juice, buttermilk, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender; cover (duh!). Blend until smooth.
Continue blending avocado mixture, slowly adding oil until well-blended. *Use more buttermilk if you prefer a thinner consistency.
Store in the frig, tightly covered, until ready for use. I filled a pint Ball jar to the top!
*This is tasty on salads, but also a great dip for raw veggies – and spoons! 😉
Best News: There are only 34 calories in 1 Tablespoon of this dressing…so go ahead and have 2!
Bestest News!: All of the ingredients are SUPER clean and healthy. I bet you can pronounce EVERY one of them! Well…”herbs” can be a little tricky. The “H” is silent! 😉
Unlike THIS chemical ____ storm ingredient list! YIKES! What the heck is disodium inosinate? My spell-checker doesn’t even recognize those as words, let alone FOOD! Blech!
Yes, the kids LOVE them, and they’re quick and easy to make when you’re short on time, but I’m done. I have begrudgingly purchased them over the years, but I won’t anymore! The cleaner I eat, the more grossed out I become about the foods that I’ve continued to allow the kids to eat.
Do chicken nuggets pass the ‘Grandma Test’? In other words, would my Grandma have served these to her family…NO WAY! Because it’s not real food.
The kids were a little angry with me initially, but then I introduced them to this recipe, and now…they fight over the leftovers and don’t even miss that big red package that used to take up SO much space in my freezer! Yes, they’re a little more work, but they’re worth it (the chicken AND the kids)! Oh, and the grown-ups will LOVE them, too! 🙂
Homemade chicken tenders
6 servings
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breast – cut into strips (or use the pre-cut tenders!)
2 C. whole wheat panko bread crumbs (you can use whole wheat bread crumbs if you can’t find the panko)
1 C. parmesan cheese
1 t. Italian seasoning
½ t. garlic powder
¼ t. cayenne pepper
¼ t. pepper
2 eggs
1/2 – 1 C flour (I use wheat/white blend)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°.
Spray a large pan with cooking spray.
Whisk eggs in a shallow bowl.
Combine bread crumbs, parmesan and seasonings in another bowl.
In a third bowl, add flour.
Take chicken pieces and roll in flour, shake off excess and add to egg mixture, then press into the breadcrumb mixture until thoroughly coated on each side.
Set on the prepared pan. Continue until all of the chicken is coated. Lightly spray the top sides of the chicken with cooking spray.
Cook for 12-15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, flip pieces over and return to oven for another 12-15 minutes.
*A good dipping sauce is mustard (regular and/or Dijon) mixed with honey. I just mix the 3 together, using about equal portions of each – just eyeball it. 🙂
That’s what my daughter was calling our afternoon snack.
This is such and easy and tasty snack! Do you like edamame? If you said no, than you need to try it like this! You won’t be able to stop popping them into your mouth!
Edamame are immature, green soybeans still in the pod. You can get them fresh or frozen. They can be boiled whole, then shelled and eaten as a snack or added to stir fries, soups or salads. Soy has many health benefits such as: weight loss, cardiovascular, and immune system. They are high in protein and low in fat! Which is a win-win combination if you ask me. BUT! Studies have shown a possible link to reproductive difficulties if eaten in excess, so don’t overdo it! Stick to one serving per day. Control yourself! OK?
Here is the recipe:
Edamame Snackers
1 – 12 oz. package of frozen, shelled edamame
1 T.olive oil
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (this is a MUST!).
Toss frozen edamame with oil, cheese, salt and pepper (to taste).
Pour evenly onto the lined cookie sheet. Bake for a total of 20-25 minutes, tossing every 5-10 minutes to cook evenly.
Remove from the oven when they are turning a little golden brown, or to desired crispness! Let them cool and enjoy!
Makes 5 servings
Nutritional info (per serving): 141 calories, 8 g. carbs, 10 g. protein
I’ve got some cleaning to do! Wrapping paper, boxes, and my belly!
If you’re like me, you had a great holiday with your family and loved ones. And maybe that included eating some foods that you don’t normally eat…or more of them than you normally do. Either way, you may have that bloated, full of regret feeling today. I know my husband is regretting the 3 1/2 cinnamon rolls, box of chocolates and the countless cookies and other goodies he enjoyed yesterday, and is moaning about today!
He wasn’t alone, I did my share of tasting this week too! 🙂 I can avoid sweets and treats pretty well, cause I don’t really like them much. But the french bread, pasta and various dips and snacks sure tasted good!
So today is a new day, and I am definitely feeling it!
So, I started the day with a good old-fashioned detox smoothie!
Ingredients
kale
spinach
green apple
blue berries
strawberries
pineapple
1 C. water
1/2 C. ice
BLEND! (I have a Blendtec, so I keep the peels on the apples and throw the kale in – stems and all!)
You might find this surprising, but it was actually quite tasty! Plus, it just tastes clean and healthy! It was JUST what I needed this morning. I’m sure I’ll be enjoying this several more times this week, and whenever I’ve had a little TOO much fun.
Of course nutrition is KEY! But add daily workouts, support and accountability and you have the perfect recipe for SUCCESS!
Check out my upcoming groups if you have some health & fitness goals, and you’d like some help and support to reach them.
This has turned into a recipe blog! I’ve been doing lots of cooking lately, and luckily…most of it…I LIKE! 🙂 I can never stick to any one recipe, which is how I come up with many of my own. I usually combine things I like from multiple recipes, and just hope for the best.
Today I was in the mood for eggs. But not just eggs…FANCY eggs! It seemed like a good day for a frittata! I have LOTS of different farm veggies and I’m always looking for new and different ways to use them. I’ve been thinking all week that I needed to something with all of these potatoes that I have in my pantry right now! I’m not usually a big potato eater these days…but everything in moderation. AND waste not want not, and all that!
For this recipe though, you surely wouldn’t HAVE to use potatoes…you could use anything! Broccoli would be good, or peppers, asparagus, etc…all maybe all of the above? What’s in your fridge/pantry? Get creative! 🙂 And the great thing about a frittata is that you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner…whatever! You can eat it cold, warm it up…whatever! You can add meat, keep it vegetarian…whatever! *I should have called this the Friday Whatever Frittata! Enjoy!
Spinach & Potato Frittata
4 servings
Ingredients
1 T. olive oil
3 smallish potatoes (red, white, whatever!) quartered and thinly sliced.
1 cup baby spinach
1 roma tomato – diced
Super excited, Costco carries these now!
2 T. onion- diced (whatever variety you like)
1 clove garlic – minced
1 t. basil (dried is fine)
salt and pepper to taste
3 eggs
3 egg-whites (or the equivalent)
1/3 C. milk
Directions
Heat olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes in the skillet and cook about 7-10 minutes, until tender but firm. Mix in spinach, onions, tomatoes basil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted.
In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, whites and milk. Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until eggs are firm. *You can tilt the pan every so often to make sure that the eggs on top are getting cooked-through.
