Clean Chocolate Cupcakes

Oooh, if you're after a sweet fix these are perfect!!!!
Not only are they clean, they're easy peasy to make too! The main ingredient is a bit of a surprise....it's chickpeas! I know, I wasn't sure either to start with, but honestly they are really tasty. A real chocolate hit! They got a big thumbs up from the kids, so that's a winner in my book.
Chickpeas are a good source of protein, are high in fibre and will aid your digestion, so it would almost be rude not to eat these!

Clean Chocolate Cupcakes

400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed,
3 large eggs
6 fl oz of honey (or I used agave nectar),
40g unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Green and Blacks Organic Cocoa),
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda,
3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted,
1/2 tsp caramel extract (optional, or you could use peppermint extract for a change)

1. Preheat the oven to 180deg C.
2. Prepare a cupcake baking tray with 12 paper cases.
3. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and whizz them up until smooth.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the cake cases.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool then enjoy!

Clean Chicken Enchiladas

I've been on the lookout for something different to add to my clean eating evening meal repertoire. Chicken Enchiladas seemed like a great idea! Although we love to go out to eat Mexican food I've never cooked it at home. This seemed like the perfect recipe to try. I've adapted it slightly from one I found at eat-yourself-skinny.com. I've never really made anything like this before so I was a bit nervous but they were easy to make and they tasted awesome! They were an instant winner with the hubby and kids and now they're firmly on the meal rotation list!
You can spice them up by adding chillis or chilli spice. I keep ours mild because we're a bit soft like that, but feel free to spice these up as much as you want!
To make cooking this more manageable time-wise I like to pre-cook the chicken breasts and shred them beforehand. You can do this the day before if that suits you best.
I serve ours with a side of vegetables to make it a balanced meal.

Don't underestimate these, they are amazingly filling!

Clean Chicken Enchiladas (makes 8 enchiladas)

For the sauce:
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp south-western/chipotle seasoning (you're looking for something with a touch of heat - I'm using Santa Maria American Cajun seasoning)
1\2 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
180ml chicken broth
350ml passata
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped chillis or chilli spice, to taste (optional)
Low calorie spray oil

For the filling:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
Large handful of coriander, chopped
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp southwestern/chipotle seasoning (as above)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
80ml chicken broth
120ml passata
Salt and pepper, to taste

To assemble:
8 whole wheat flour tortillas
50g grated mozzarella
50g grated cheddar

Preheat the oven to 200degC and prepare the sauce:

1. Spray a medium saucepan with oil and fry the garlic. Add all of the other sauce ingredients to the pan and stir. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 -10 minutes. Season to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside for later.

Prepare the Filling:

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the onions and garlic until soft, about 2 minutes.
2. Add all of the other filling ingredients to the frying pan, stir through and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Assemble:

1. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with spray oil.
2. Split the filling mixture evenly between the 8 tortillas and roll each up.
3. Place the tortillas seam side down in the baking dish
4. Pour over the sauce and top with the cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

You can top these with spring onions if desired. Enjoy!

Pork and Sage Meatballs

Today I thought I'd share with you the all-time bestsest crowd pleasing dinner out of all the clean eating recipes in the Kinsman household.

It's Pork Meatballs!!!!

OK, so I know it doesn't sound very rockstar, but trust me, this one goes down a storm in my house. It even gets a fist pump from my youngest son George when he knows it's cooking.
I know, right?
So what's so awesome about it then?
The star of this dish is the sage, which I absolutely adore. I put loads of it in when I'm making these meatballs because I just love it so much.
Pork mince is great to cook with when you're feeding a family because it's cheap.
And this recipe is really so quick and easy to prepare it can be done and dusted within 30 minutes!
It's such a perfect dinner for a busy family when you're pressed for time.

Unsurprisingly this gets cooked every week without fail. We enjoy ours with sautéed cabbage and leeks and jacket potatoes (just make it a small one and be careful not to load up your potato with lots of butter and cheese!)
I hope your family enjoy this as much as mine do!

 

Pork and Sage Meatballs (serves 4)

500g 5% fat pork mince
A large handful of fresh sage, chopped
100g spinach
100g feta cheese
1 tsp onion granules
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Spray a baking sheet with low calorie spray oil.
3. Put the spinach in a covered microwavable bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Leave to cool then squeeze out some of the liquid (but not all, you'll need some to keep the meatballs moist during cooking) and then chop the spinach up.
4. Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and combine together using your hands.
5. Form even sized balls with the mixture and place onto the baking sheet. You should get about 12 meatballs in total.
6. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until they're no longer pink in the middle.

Yummy!

Exercise Makes Me Happy!

Working out regularly over these last couples of weeks has reminded me how much I do enjoy it.

Being fit was always important to me and I used to be at fitness classes or the gym, or playing netball every evening when I was in my early twenties. My friend and I would often go to a fitness class as a warm-up for our netball match! Whilst I was pregnant with my first baby, Joe, I ran a 5K race and was still going to the gym regularly right up until I was 6 months into the pregnancy. I think the combination of that and a bit of luck helped me get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes almost immediately after I gave birth. I got back into netball and the gym after a few weeks and my body hadn't really changed much from before. I even used to go to the gym in my lunch break at work!
Fast forward 3 years and things were different after I had my second baby, George. I was older, my body didn't bounce back to what it was before, I was more tired, had less time and my exercise naturally took a back seat. Eventually I got back into netball but that just wasn't enough. I put on weight and felt like I wasn't my old self. The old Tracy was fit and active but I felt like that was another me, in another time - so far away from how I felt right then. I felt lost without the exercise, like I wasn't really living up to who I had been before. My priorities had changed, and that was OK, but it kept nagging away at me. So I signed up for the gym again in the hope that it would kick-start my fitness. The trouble was that I found it very stressful rushing to the gym after work in the traffic, squeezing in a quick workout that really didn't fit my needs, and then rushing back home again to be with my family. Of course, the gym ended up dying a death and I cancelled my membership because I just wasn't using it and I was wasting our hard earned cash.
But then I discovered home workouts and it was just so much more do-able! I could fit a workout in around everything that was going on without the guilt. It suited me perfectly! The only thing with home workouts is you're on your own. There's no friend waiting for you at the local leisure centre and you don't want to let her down. There's no group doing a workout together pushing you through to the end. There's no instructor shouting at you to do one more rep! You have to have discipline to work out at home regularly. That was the catch for me - discipline. It's easy to not work out when the sofa's calling your name.....and we're back to the importance of the small stuff again!
Making the decision to make time for my workouts was important to me - they affect my fitness, health, and they help me to be who I really am deep down.
On top of that, it's empowering to hold yourself accountable for sticking with it. It means I'm still in control even when life throws me curveballs that I have no influence over. I am in control of whether or not I work out, and by default I'm controlling how I feel regardless of whatever else might be happening in my life.
I'm glad I'm taking back control. You only get one life, and I'm gonna live mine my way!

Dishing the Dirt on Eating Clean

I'm often asked what I mean when I say I'm into clean eating. Today I'm going to go through the basics for you.
Eating clean is a very simple concept but it has big benefits. Our nutrition is massively important in how our body looks and feels. If you eat rubbish your body will show it. It's said that 80% of what our body looks like is down to what we eat, 10% is down to exercise and 10% is genetic. You've heard it before but you really are what you eat.

Clean eating is simply the practice of limiting processed and refined foods and basing your diet on whole foods. It bases itself on the concept of food as fuel to nourish your body. It's not complicated, you just need to understand the basics.
Eating clean is not a fad diet. There is no calorie counting or deprivation. It doesn't eliminate food groups. You get to eat plenty of food, just the good stuff! It is a permanent lifestyle change where you go back to basic healthy eating principles.

There are lots of online resources you can use to find out more about clean eating. The concept can be open to interpretation and some people have different thoughts on it. This is my take on it and how I practice clean eating principles in my life. This suits me and my family and has helped us become healthier. We all have our own opinions and you may feel differently than me so I strongly encourage you to do what is right for you and your family.

Eat real, whole foods that come from nature:

• A variety of fruit and vegetables. Vegetables in particular are low in calories but are packed with fibre and lots of vitamins and minerals
• Wholegrains. Replace refined grains with whole ones to ensure you're getting all the lovely nutrients and fibre that are in them. Choose steel cut oats, brown/wild/black rice, quinoa, freekeh, etc. There are loads of options. 
• Lean meats
• Fish
• Dairy
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthy fats and oils (such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil)

Limit processed foods:

• This is anything that has been 'tampered with' to make it into it's current state
• Avoid added sugars, salt and fats
• Avoid refined sugars. Refined sugar = empty calories. It has no nutritional benefit at all.
• Avoid refined white flours and replace them with wholemeal flour.
• Avoid anything with preservatives, additives or artificial sweeteners.
• Read ingredients lists carefully. Anything with lots of ingredients will generally mean it's not 'clean'
• A rule of thumb is if you can't pronounce one of the ingredients then you shouldn't buy it!

Clean Eating Principles:

• Eat breakfast every day to boost your metabolism
• Eat regularly. Every 2 and a half to 3 hours. This also keeps your metabolism firing on all cylinders and will reduce the chance of you needing to snack on something bad in between meals
• Cook from scratch. It's easier than you might think. I've enjoyed learning how to cook with lots of fabulous fresh ingredients. I've got some really quick and easy recipes that I'll be sharing with you
• Adhere to proper portion sizes (see below) 
• Combine lean protein with complex carbohydrates in your meals. This keeps you feeling fuller for longer and helps with your metabolism to burn fat more effectively
• Limit caffeine and alcohol. Use both in moderation
• Keep hydrated!
• Stay flexible!!!!! More about this below.....

Correct Portion Sizes:

• Protein = size of palm
• Complex carbohydrates = one cupped hand
• Fruit and veg = 2 cupped hands
• Cooking oils and healthy fats = 1 tablespoon

Benefits of Clean Eating:

• Easier to maintain a healthy weight thereby reducing the risk of health problems
• A diet full of variety ensures you're getting lots of nutrients
• Whole foods are great at keeping the digestive system regular
• A healthy diet makes you stronger so you can stay more active for longer.

The Really Important Bit!!!

It's vitally important to be flexible when you're eating clean. Clean eating 100% of the time is not very realistic. It's completely OK to enjoy a treat every now and then. It's not cheating! It's just making a conscious, informed choice to enjoy something different every once in a while. All you need to do is be comfortable with your choices. For me, I'll often have artificial sweeteners in my tea or coffee. That's fine by me - it's a choice I've made and I'm comfortable with it. We enjoy making homemade pizza, and my dough recipe uses white flour. That's OK with me! We only have it once in a while. The key is balance.

Lots to take on board? I know, I felt the same way. What's great is that you can take this slowly switching out ingredients as you go along. It's taken me a while to learn what I have so far, and I'm still learning. It's a work in progress!

Clean eating will change your body from the inside out. So eat like you love your body. I promise you you'll feel better for it!

How the Little Things Affect Your Bigger Goal

When you have a goal (whether personal or professional) it can seem unachievable, too big, too far away to even know where to start. But it has to start somewhere. If you don't take the first step you can't make the journey and you'll never get to where you want to be.

Baby steps are your friend. They're seemingly insignificant actions that you take and decisions you make. The things that you do every day, often without really thinking about it - the small stuff. Making considered choices that actively move you closer to your goal are the answer.

These baby steps - they're easy to do. But you know what?
They're a darn sight easier not to.
If you don't exercise today is it a big deal? If you finish up the kids' leftovers have you thrown all of your progress away? If you eat a packet of crisps instead of an apple is it a disaster? Of course not. One bad decision doesn't throw you off track as long as you get straight back on the wagon. But you have to get straight back on the wagon. It's when one bad decision turns into another, then another and.....well, you get the picture.

It's hard to not eat that piece of birthday cake when everyone else is, or to work out after a long day at work. It's easy to make excuses and convince yourself it's the right decision. Hey, no one will know if you didn't do it. No one except you.
That's where the true test is. It depends on how much you want it - whether you want the change more then you want to stay the same.

Know that the cumulative effect of your small daily actions and decisions will ultimately take you closer to or further away from your goal.

You have the control.
Keep your eyes on the prize. Envision it, make it real. You have to be committed for the long haul. You won't achieve your goals in a matter of days. Be prepared for it to take months, maybe even years. But keep your eyes on the prize.

So go ahead and take those baby steps. Make those considered decisions. Sweat those small things. Do it day in and day out. Do it even when nobody's watching.

You'll be smashing those goals before you know it!

Why I'm Sweating the Small Stuff

Hello! Thanks for joining me. This is my first blog post ever so please bear with me. I've never done anything like this before and I'm completely out of my comfort zone!

So what's this all about then? Well, you can head over to my About page which has more information but the main reason I've started this is for my own personal accountability in my health and fitness journey.
Although I've always been pretty active with regular bouts of intense working out (you know who you are Insanity!) I have an amazing ability to come up with any old excuse so I can just laze around on the sofa.
Over the last 10 months or so I've found clean eating and it's finally clicked with me that no matter how much I exercise nothing will truly change unless I'm eating right.
Honestly, this year so far has been more about getting my nutrition balanced than it has been about exercising. And hey, it's not been so bad because I actually weigh less than I have in a few years (not by a lot, but it's something right?). I know it's doing me good because I feel a whole lot healthier.
But, recently I've slipped back to some of my old habits and I haven't been as good with my nutrition as I'd previously been (you know how it is - one bit of chocolate turns into the whole bar....every evening) and not surprisingly I'm putting on weight. I hate the feeling I get after I've made bad food choices and the next day when I feel all bloated and uncomfortable. My body is very quick to tell me when it's not happy *sigh*.
I need to get a handle on this now before it gets out of control! So I'm starting up again with regular exercise but this time I'm going to be good with my nutrition as well. All at the same time - genius!
I'm mad at myself because I get it.  I've seen the benefits first hand. I know that healthy eating and exercise have great results, not just in the way your body looks, but in how you feel. And I passionately believe in it's importance to keep you healthy and living life to the full. I've learnt so much and I'm just not putting it into practice. Well that's going to change, right now! I'm holding myself accountable by blogging my progress and I'd love for you to join me in my journey.

Thanks for sticking it out to the end of this post, I truly appreciate it and I hope to see you next time!