Almond Crusted Chicken

This is a family friendly meal packed with protein and all sorts of goodness! It's real easy to make, trust me I did it in between music class and softball practices and I got it baked and ready to eat so that when we got home, dinner was ready! It definitely beats running around the kitchen last minute trying to come up with some sort of dinner.  I'm so thankful that I have "Clean Slate" book to look up recipes, especially when my brain isn't wanting to be in "Chef mode."

The tools you'll need are:

Baking Sheet
Food processor/ blender can work too

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almonds, toasted (I bought the pre-sliced ones from trader joes and put them into the toaster oven for about 10 minutes)

3 tblsp Extra Virgin Olive oil

1 Garlic Clove

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I used chicken breast that was left in the freezer and some drumsticks that I had on hand too)

3 ounces baby spinach  (I didn't measure this, but used my best judgement on handfuls, because I really don't think you can have too much spinach, right? ;) )

Lemon Wedges

Pepper and course salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425. (Don't forget to do this, because sometimes I do and I'm sitting there pacing around my kitchen until it heats up and thats just wasting time). Pulse almonds, oil, garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt to food processor.

Next, Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rub almond paste over chicken.

Almost done stay with me here, roast the chicken on rimmed baking sheet until cooked through (no pink), 15-18 minutes (mine cooked for 20, just to be safe of course). Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Serve the chicken over a bed of spinach with lemon wedges -or-  also with some mashed sweet potatoes, or anything you want!

Enjoy, Toni

This is the book, on many occasions has saved me so much time and money on dinner.

Not the greatest picture, but can't you tell how amazingly crunchy and taste it will be?!

Homework Nooks

" yes, kids love technology, but they also love legos, scented markers, handstands, books, and mud puddles. It's all about balance." 

I'll admit, I was a bit worried that when my daughter first started kindergarten, she wasn't ready. It took her along time to adjust to this new intense schedule of school which consisted of: long hours, school work, less play time, not being with mommy time, and hardest of all HOMEWORK. That year, I frequently called my sister (who is an experienced teacher) to talk to her about my concerns, or in her words "to bring me back to reality". I was worried that I wasn't providing enough outlets for her, or maybe I wasn't reading enough stories at night....or maybe this and maybe that....blah..blah ..blah......She always reminded me that her strengths will show and I just needed to be patient and just keep doing what I was doing. So I did. I have to tell you- she hated trying to read and hated homework and so instead of forcing her, I tried to teach her by "Monkey see, monkey do" probably a terrible way to explain that...but I figured if I read every night and showed her how much fun reading can be, she will then learn to love it too.


Fast Forward to First Grade.....


First of all can I just shout out.... FIRST GRADE?! WTH?!......ok, I'm calm now. I just can't believe I have a first grader. So I have to say how lucky I am to experience with my very own eyes, my child really blossom this year. It's incredible to really be able to watch your child grow and to have a glimpse of who they are becoming. I want to nurture the shit out of it. sorry, but I really do! I freaking LOVE IT! I know I'm her mother and it maybe a biased opinion.....but she is so incredibly sweet, creative, and smart. She is loving to learn to read in both languages and is so responsible.

True story, so every week they get a "homework packet" that's due each week and needs to be completed....it's about 5-7 pages of different homework activities. So two days ago she came into my room and told me she completed the whole packet, so that way she can focus on her reading and not have to do homework for the rest of the week.  I checked over her work and couldn't believe that this kid actually did all this work in one day- only so that she can focus on her reading!

So I decided that I wanted to show her how proud I am of her and all her hard work by making this adorable homework nook for her. It's her own personal and quite space :) She loves it! (and so do I)
You can see where I shopped to find items on my instagram: tonijones  by tapping on the picture.

Thanks for reading, xo

Paleo Friendly Hummus

So hummus is great. We all know that. At least I think we do but if you're on the same page as me, then I think we can agree that HOMEMADE HUMMUS is WAY BETTER! Sorry for the all CAPS but sometimes I really feel the need to shout that...in my head...because kids are sleeping.

I love doing Paleo and well since chickpeas aren't on the list of "can eats" I had to figure out a different alternative. I've tried cauliflower and it was a no go...at least for my kids because lets be honest, I'll eat anything if I MADE IT, not because it taste good but because I took precious time out of my day to actually go to the grocery store with kids in tow, shopped for organic items and then went home and roasted that shit in the oven and made it from scratch.....so yes, your damn right I'm going to eat it! 

However, because I love you all, I'll save you from the THAT recipe and share with you a new one that was AWESOME ("wave your hands in the air, like you just don't care" type of awesome)....you ready? for the secret new ingredient?....Zucchini!!!.....WHAT?!....yup, it was so delish and my kids even decided, the hell with dipping veggies into it, lets just eat it straight with a spoon deliciousness!  So obviously it's a must share....

What you'll need....

Ingredients:

2 pounds zucchini, cut into large chunks

½ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

Pinch sea salt

Pinch black pepper

4 garlic cloves

juice of 1 lemon (about ¼ cup)

½ cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped

¼ cup tahini

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss the zucchini chunks in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Place onto a sheet pan and cook until the zucchini is tender. Set aside and let them cool down.

Next:

Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse until well minced, then add the zucchini and continue to blend. Scrape the sides down then add the tahini and lemon juice (Mmm-mm). Continue to blend while slowly adding the olive oil in until the zucchini is creamy and smooth. Add the parsley at the end and stir through. Sever with a spoon (as my kids did) or with crackers and veggies.

Enjoy!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Happy Friday everyone! Although my Friday didn't go as planned, due to a sick kid and having to miss my workout this morning, I did manage to make this incredible Paleo Banana Bread from http://www.perchancetocook.com . I've made many types of breads that fit our lifestyle but I'm not going to lie, its been a challenge. I think I even scared my youngest because the moment she saw me taking out the bread ingredients, she immediately said "Oh NO! I don't want the bread your making." (well then more for me ;) )

So I made the bread, and holy moly, it was DELICIOUS! There was all sorts of fun going on in that banana bread. I loved how moist, banana-y, and sweet (from chocolate nibs) I put in it. Now, I needed to face the real challenge, my four year old.  After much convincing and "ooo'ing and aaaa'ong" every time I took a bite, she agreed to taste it and she HATED it! What the hell?! I know she already had the preconceived notion of not liking it, so her stubborn little self stuck to it! That's ok, because my six year old daughter LOVED it! So that makes two out of three, that loved it, so that means you should make it :)

Oh and I cleaned my house, while I baked at the same time....I felt very domesticated. Maybe I should attempt to make dinner-ah, and just like that, I'm over it. Leftovers are always good ;)

Have a great weekend! 

Ingredients

• ¾ cup almond flour/meal
• ½ cup coconut flour 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup honey or coconut nectar
• 1 Tbs vanilla
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 2 Tbs coconut oil (melted)
• 2 mashed bananas 
• ½ cup chocolate chips (I use the Enjoy Life brand because it's dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free and gluten-free)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a small loaf pan with wax paper.
3. In bowl 1, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt with a fork. Set the bowl aside.
4. In bowl 2, mix the eggs, honey, vanilla, and coconut milk with an electric mixer until well mixed. Add the melted coconut oil to the bowl and mix with the electric mixer until well blended. Add the mashed banana to the bowl and mix with the electric mixer until well blended.
5. Put bowl 1 into bowl 2 and mix with an electric mixer.
6. Fold most of the ½ cup of chocolate chips into the batter. Leave some to the side to put on top of the batter.
7. Pour the batter into a lined loaf pan and then pat the top of the batter with a spoon to make sure it is flat. Place some of the chocolate chips on top of the batter and push down with a spoon.
8. Bake for 40 minutes.

Take One...

I've tried this blogging thing so many times with the intentions of being a frequent "blogger".  However, I really suck at this stuff. I'm not a good writer and my grammar sucks (I'm sure within the last two sentences you can find errors) but mostly because I was confused on what to write about. At first (if you throw it all the way back to 2007, when I first started this blog thing) I thought I wanted to write about my pregnancy and how being a mom would change my life. Then as I read through my posts, I thought to myself "wow, why would anyone care to read about me changing diapers?!" So then I think I changed it to something else (which I can't even remember, but obviously it was worse than my first blogging attempt because I can't even remember it!)  Then I switched it into a fitness blog, trying to post motivational quotes on being healthy, at home workouts and I even attempted to do a weight lifting video (which was awful to watch a year later! [what was I thinking?!]) So I just stopped. Over it. Not a blogger. Until now...

Let's just be clear... I don't mean "now" as in, I'm all of a sudden a "blogger" but I mean "now" as in here's my last attempt at this thing. As of right now, I'm kinda digging my URL and the Title, I think I like where this is heading.

"Fierce Fit Mother"- speaks for itself right? I'm a fierce mother that would do anything possible for my children, and I'm a fit mother because well I love to workout and be fit. As for the title "Healthy Wife, Healthy life"-I'll just go straight to the point. I'm Married. Two Daughters. Whatever I make, you eat.

"It's a beautiful thing when a career and a passion can come together." I won't try to get all sappy and deep with you all here, but I couldn't agree more with it really being- a beautiful thing. As a personal trainer and soon to be certified nutritionist, health is a huge priority for me and my family. I love that I can take what I do for work and implement it into our everyday lives. Sharing my knowledge about nutrition to my daughters has been this eye opener to me. I never realized how passionate I was about it and how much I love cooking with them and teaching them new things. I want them to experience it all and to truly know what being healthy is all about.

So to conclude this (hopefully not too boring) post, I think I have a clearer idea on what I want this blog to be about...I want it to be about all the things I've written before in the past but with the passion I have. I want to share recipes, motivational quotes, helpful do's and don'ts, motherhood, raising daughters, making crafts and maybe sharing home renovations (because I'm a wanna-be interior designer) Either way, whatever I write about, I hope I can be consistent and enjoyable.

Paleo Egg Muffins

I love to cook breakfast for my kids and send them off to school knowing that I gave them a nutritious breakfast to start their day. With my schedule always being all over the place it's hard to make sure I've done just that but what saves the morning for me is when I have prepared ahead of time these Egg Muffins. My kids love them and all I have to do in the morning is, take them out of their glass container and put them on the skillet to warm up! (I don't own a microwave). It's super easy and saves a lot of time in the morning. Best part of it all is getting it prepped only take 5 minutes and the total cooking time is 30 minutes. 

Ingredients:

2 big hand fills of fresh baby spinach, cooked

4 whole large organic eggs

4 organic egg whites

1 roma tomato, diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2tbsp of fresh Parsley, finely chopped

2tbsp chia seed (or flax seed works too)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4tsp white pepper (black too)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 350F.

2. In medium bowl, whisk eggs with egg whites, and add the rest of ingredients. Combine.

3. Spray muffin tin with non stick oil or use silicone cupcake cups and pour the egg mixture in.

4.Bake for 30 minutes or until fully cooked through. 

You can serve warm and refrigerate for the next couple of mornings!

Enjoy, Toni 

Paleo Meatballs

The fall season brings out the best of me  and my kitchen skills. I'm not a chef but I love to cook. I've been doing the whole foods Paleo thing for a few months now and I'm loving the way it makes me feel. I feel like I have a lot of energy and not feeling bloated at all. I feel great. I really do believe in eating food that comes from the "source" a.k.a our planet. I've reduced tremendously on buying packaged stuff like snacks (i.e chips, crackers, etc.) That has always been a staple to have around the house for an "easy" snack choice for me and the kids. Now we don't need it and snack on things such as hummus with vegetables and fruit. My kids love it and ask for those things now instead of all that other junk!

So now that I'm on my Paleo kick, I love coming up with stuff and using fresh herbs with vegetables and of course 100% GrassFed Organic Meats!

Ingredients:

1 lb grass-fed ground beef

1 lb Ground pork (sub with turkey if you don't eat pork)

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup fresh Parsley

1/4 cup Almond Meal

2 tbsp Coconut flour

1 tsp fresh oregano (dried works too)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp White pepper (or black pepper)

1/2 tsp fresh basil (dried works too)

Pinch of rosemary 

2tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup marina sauce (make sure it doesn't have sugar added to it)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients into a medium bowl and roll into balls.

2. In large skillet, on medium-high, warm coconut oil

3.Cook meatballs until brown on all sides

4. Turn the heat to low and add marina sauce (careful it splashes!) heat for about 5 minutes until everything is nice and heated.

Directions for Zucchini Noodles:

1. Spiral Fresh zucchini, if you don't have a spiralizer then peeling it with peeler will work (just be wider strands)

2. sprinkle some salt on zucchini to get it to "sweat"

3. With cloth or paper towel pat the "noodles" to dry them as much as possible (they retain a lot of water)

4. Once zucchini is as dry, add to skillet with coconut oil and sauté it for about 5 min on medium heat.

5. Serve with meatballs and marinara on top.

Enjoy! Toni 

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope to lift some taste bud spirits today by sharing this Delicious recipe that I created today. It's simple and budget friendly. My kids took a serving to school today and makes me so happy knowing that they eat healthy food that I've provided for them. To make the Cauliflower into a "rice" texture I used a cheese grater. It works well and I love the consistency of it. Have fun by adding some of your favorite proteins and other vegetables of your choice. There is really no going wrong with this dish.

Eating healthy and simple doesn't have to be expensive and time consuming. So if you are trying to start off a new week and eating healthy then you are in the right place. Always remember that ONLY YOU can make the change you want. Be a positive example to your little ones and show them what good food is and how to be healthy. Our kids learn so much from what they see us do and how we involve them in things such as cooking, grocery shopping, etc....as hectic and sometimes NOT EASY it is to take the kids along to the grocery store- its important that they see and talk about different vegetables and fruits.  I'm not saying do it ALL the time but at least try to incorporate their involvement at least 1-2 times a week if possible :)

Cheers,
Toni J.


Ingredients:
3 cups of Cauliflower
2 eggs
1/2 cup Carrots Sliced
3 Garlic cloves-Minced
1/2 cup Onion Chopped
1/2 cup frozen Peas
3tbsp Coconut Amino's or soy sauce (low sodium)
1/2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

Instructions:
1. In large pan, saute garlic and onion in coconut oil on medium/high heat. Until onions become soft.
2. Add in peas, and carrots and cook until carrots begin to soften and peas are cooked through.
3. Stir in eggs, cauliflower and the coconut amino. Frequently stir ingredients for about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add in your favorite protein and other vegetables that you prefer (optional)
5. Serve and Enjoy!

Coconut Yogurt Blueberry Parfait

On these hot summer days having a refreshing snack is so delightful! We don't eat dairy in our house so instead of using regular yogurt we eat coconut yogurt, it's #dairyfree #soyfree #cornfree and taste amazing. We throw in some fresh fruit and sometimes some mint and it's the most refreshing snack. Me and the girls love it and it's nice knowing that I'm feeding my children something healthy and creating healthy habits for them

What you Need:
Coconut yogurt
1/2 cup blueberries
Little  Mint

What you DO:
I added some blueberries at the bottom followed by 1/2cup of coconut yogurt and then added the rest of the blueberries to the top. I garnished it with a little mint to give it the refreshing summer feel.


Enjoy!

Toni Jones

Spaghetti Squash Dinner

This has to be one of my most favorite "pasta" dishes. It's low in carbs, taste great, and easy to make! We eat it at least once a week in our house and there is never any leftovers. 

What you Need:

1 large spaghetti squash 

1 jar of Rao's Marinara Sauce (got mine from Sprouts Farmers Market)

What you Do:

Preheat oven at 375

I put the whole squash in the oven because its so hard to cut it when the outside is so hard. With a sharp knife I poked all around the squash and put it in the oven on a tray  for about 1hour and 20 minutes. Just rotate the squash every once and a while. It's done when you can poke a knife easily through it. 

Once out and cooled off cut the squash in half, length wise and grab a fork and shred the inside into a bowl looks like spaghetti noodles. Transfer all the "noodles" back into the pot and pour sauce over and heat up and serve.

Enjoy!