This avocado chicken salad is pretty amazing! I was a little surprised on how much I really enjoyed it. I mean come on... it's just chicken salad ... well chicken salad that is all jazzed up! We all know the combination of avocado, lime and cilantro go great together. Add some Greek yogurt instead of mayo and it makes a fabulous Lean! Serve with your favorite Greens and you have a complete Lean and Green meal. Yum! Talk about a fiesta in my mouth!

I grilled some chicken breasts and cut them into bite size pieces. Measure out 10 oz of cooked chicken. You can also use a whole rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Use the breast of the chicken with skin and bones removed.


Then I added the avocado and used my food scale to measure out 3 oz. Add cilantro, lime juice and your seasonings. Then add the Greek yogurt to give it that creamy goodness without all the fat of mayo. Enjoy!

Avocado Chicken Salad

 Ingredients:
10 oz finely diced chicken, about 2 cups but weigh for accuracy (1 2/3 Lean)
1/2 cup 2% Plain Greek yogurt (1/3 Lean)
3 oz chopped avocado (2 Healthy Fats)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1/8 tsp pepper (1/2 Condiment)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp lime juice (2 Condiments)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (1/4 Condiment)

 Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Divide into 2 servings.

 2 Servings with 
1 Lean, 2.37 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat per serving





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I really love potato salad, but potato salad is higher in carbs. How I miss potatoes, but alas ... I found another substitute. Cauliflower is an awesome alternative to potatoes and it is much lower in carbs. Cut up some florets and you are golden.

Now for the mayo? I got a substitute for you too! Plain low fat Greek yogurt! You can still have that creamy goodness of potato salad without adding only 1 or 2 tbsp of light mayo because yogurt counts as part of your Lean rather than a Healthy Fat. Add a little bit of Dijon mustard, pickles, salt, pepper, paprika, hard boiled eggs and you got a wonderful faux potato salad. The entire recipe is 1 Lean and Green but I like to split it into 3 equal portions. I mean I love potato salad, but not enough to have a big bowl as my entire meal. If you divide it into 3 portions, then you will have 1/3 Lean, 1 Green, 1 Condiment and 1/3 Snack. You would still need 2/3 Lean such as 4 oz of chicken or 4.6 oz of tilapia. Here is a chart that will help you determine how much 2/3 Lean would be:


I have this printed and posted on my fridge!


Cook your cauliflower in boiling water. I used frozen cauliflower and followed the directions on the back of the package.


Drain the cauliflower and pat dry. Cut the cauliflower into small florets or chunks. Place in a medium sized bowl.


Add two chopped pickle spears which you must deduct from your Snack for the day.


Add chopped hard boiled eggs to the mixture. You can always buy the eggs already hard boiled at the grocery store if you want to save time.


Combine the yogurt with Dijon mustard, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Then add it to the cauliflower mixture. Toss until combined.


Great for those hot BBQ grilling parties!

Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups or 9.5 oz cauliflower, cooked from frozen (3 Greens)*
2 cooked hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped (2/3 Lean)
1/2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt (1/3 Lean)
2 tsp Dijon mustard (2 Condiments)
1/8 tsp salt (1/2 Condiment)
1/8 tsp fresh black pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1/8 tsp paprika (1/4 Condiment)
2 pickle spears, chopped (1 Snack)

Directions:
Chop cooked cauliflower into small florets. Place in a medium sized bowl.
Add eggs and pickles.

In another small bowl, combine yogurt, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and paprika.
Add to the cauliflower mixture and toss to coat.
Refrigerate until serving.

Makes 1 Serving
Each serving provides
1 Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments and 1 Optional Snack

 * If you would like to add celery, decrease the cauliflower to 1 1/4 cups and add 1/4 cup chopped celery.

You can also divide this salad into 3 equal portions as
1/3 Lean, 1 Green, 1 Condiment and 1/3 Optional Snack

 or in 2 equal portions as
1/2 Lean, 1 1/2 Greens, 1 1/2 Condiments, and 1/2 Optional Snack


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Oh pasta... how I love you, but I must admit... my waistline doesn't! What to do, oh what to do, but find an alternative! By golly... I think I've got it!

Zucchini!

I know zucchini isn't pasta, but it sure does make a great substitute. You won't even miss pasta if you give zukes a try. My favorite way is to saute them in a pan with a little bit of water, oil or butter (depending on what I am making) but only a few minutes.

I have already been a fan of substituting zucchini for pasta for quite some time now (ever since I started doing Medifast), but I have never tried cooking it with a lemon cream sauce. The lemon flavor is not overpowering and it tastes great with the slight crunchiness of the zucchini and the acidity of the tomatoes. It is a colorful dish that is sure to impress!


Instead of using a julienne peeler, I used this amazing contraption I got from Amazon. It is called a Paderno World Cuisine Spiral Vegetable Slicer. I love this spiralizer! It is so easy to use and clean up is a breeze so what's not to love? You get these really neat spiral cut veggies in a matter of minutes and it makes your dish look oh so pretty! Simply stick the zucchini on the slicer and turn the handle. It's that easy!


If you are interested in purchasing one, you can head on over to Amazon or you can always use a julienne peeler and make thin zucchini strips as your pasta.


Saute 1 teaspoon of olive oil with garlic over medium-high heat.


Add the laughing cow cheese and lemon juice.


Stir until the cheese is melted.


Add the zucchini.

As you can tell from the photo, the laughing cow cheese was still clumpy and thick on the zucchini so I added 1 1/2 tbsp of water.


After adding the tiny bit of water, the sauce was smooth.


Toss the sliced cherry tomatoes in and let it cook for about a minute or until the tomatoes get warm. Serve with your favorite Leanest Lean!


Zucchini Pasta in a Lemon Cream Sauce

 Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup zucchini, peeled with a julienne peeler (2 1/2  Greens)
1 tsp olive oil (1 Healthy Fat)
1/2 tsp minced garlic (1/2 Condiment)
2 garlic and herb light laughing cow cheese wedges (1 Healthy Fat) 
2 tsp lemon juice (1 Condiment)
1 1/2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp kosher salt (1 Condiment) 
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper, to taste (1/4 Condiment)
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced (1/2 Green)

Directions:
In a large saute pan over medium high heat, heat olive oil and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
Add laughing cow cheese, lemon juice, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of water stirring until cheese is melted.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add zucchini noodles, tossing to coat in sauce, and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until wilted. 
You don't want to overcook the noodles -- you want that slightly crisp texture! 
Toss in the cherry tomatoes and heat until warm, about 1 minute. Serve with your favorite Leanest Lean immediately.

 1 Serving with 
3 Greens, 2 Healthy Fats, and 2.75 Condiments

Click Here to Print

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Vacation is officially over for me! Boo hoo! Boy... time sure flies by when you are having fun, but unfortunately vacation time always comes to an end and reality sets in again. I spent 10 wonderful days in Florida visiting family and friends which explains why I have been MIA for some time.

One of the highlights of our trip was when we went to the beach!


My son, who is now almost 16 months old, has never seen the beach. We have only lived in Colorado and Nevada since he was born. On the other hand, hubby and I grew up in Florida so we were lucky enough to experience the beautiful waters quite often. I really missed being in Florida so it was great to be back if only for a few days. It was so cute... my son did not know what to think of the sand that touched his feet for the first time. At first, he was a little bit hesitant about walking on it, but then he loved it! We definitely made some wonderful memories we will cherish forever!

Also, I can't forget the fabulous times we had with both sides of our family. It was great to see everyone again because we missed them deeply, but what usually comes with family gatherings is food and LOTS of it! Whether it be going out to restaurants more often than usual or the tons of food that gets served at family gatherings, it is soooooo hard to stay on plan. Temptation was everywhere!

I am happy to say that I did maintain my weight while on vacation and actually lost one pound since being back which was Friday. Now that I am home and I have SOME normalcy in my life, I am ready to be 100% OP and get the rest of the weight off!


As for the recipe...

This Oven Baked Chicken Fajita recipe is so easy to make and both hubby and I enjoyed it. I think marinating the chicken in the olive oil and fajita seasoning mix is key. It adds more flavor to the chicken the longer you let it marinade. Also, if you don't like zucchini and yellow squash, feel free to switch them out with more peppers or to one of your favorite veggies. This is a great dish if you are craving Mexican!


Marinade the chicken strips in olive oil and fajita seasoning mix. I left the chicken in the marinade overnight.


Slice your peppers, dice your squash and toss with rotel tomatoes.


 Stir the veggies with the marinated chicken strips until completely combined. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake until done!

 
Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (3 Leans)
1 tbsp olive oil (3 Healthy Fats)
2 tsp chili powder (4 Condiments)
1 1/2 tsp cumin (1 1/2 Condiments)
1/4 tsp paprika (1/2 Condiment)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp salt (1 Condiment)
1 cup Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained (2 Greens)
1 cup red bell pepper, cut into strips (2 Greens)
1 cup green bell pepper, cut into strips (2 Greens)
1 1/2 cups zucchini or yellow squash (3 Greens)
Juice from half a lime , about 2 tsp (1 Condiment)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine chicken strips with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder and salt. Marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or more if desired.

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and squash to the chicken and stir until combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Squeeze juice from half a lime over chicken and veggies before serving.

 Makes 3 Servings
Each serving provides
1 Lean, 3 Condiments, 3 Greens, and 1 Healthy Fat


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As some of you may know, I am on vacation! Woo hoo! Fun times ahead with family and friends! I am having a blast, but I am sorry to say I was not 100% on plan. I know... BAD ME! I was only off plan the first two days of vacation, but now I am back OP. Even for those first two days of being a naughty girl, I did eat five Medifast meals daily and one regular meal. Now the other meal did not happen to meet Lean and Green meal standards. That is what got me into trouble! I hate to say it but I did gain one pound. Since being OP yesterday, I have already said good bye to that one pound and I am now the same weight as when I left for vacation! I consider that a victory because normally good eating habits and vacation for me just don't mix. I will keep you posted on how I do the rest of my vacation, so stay tuned!


Wondering how I did on my July Dietbets? I did pretty well if I do say so myself! This is how much I won:



Sunshine's Dietbet (316 players): $37.29 minus $25 = $12.29

Team Kelsey DietBet (8 players): $90 minus $25 = $65

Sandy's Kitchen July Dietbet (848 players): $42.80 = $42.80

Fit and Fun DietBet (56 players): $32 minus $10 = $22



Grand total after subtracting my bets: $142.09!



 Starting weight: 167.8 lbs

Final weight: 160.2 lbs




Go me! Go me! It's my birthday! Okay, it isn't my birthday, but it sure feels like it!


For the month of August, I only signed up for the one I created Sandy's Kitchen August DietBet. I might sign up for more when I get back from vacation! I am officially addicted to Dietbet!

Are you interested in trying the weight loss plan I am on? If so, check out some of these great deals below!

Medifast has some deals for you! If you use my code, SANDY56, and sign up for Medifast Advantage when you order $250+, you’ll receive 56 free Medifast Meals and free shipping! You’ll receive 28 free meals with your first Medifast Advantage order and ANOTHER 28 free meals with your next order! This offer is only valid if you enroll in Medifast Advantage, and it’s limited to one per customer. It’s not valid with prior purchases, any other promotions or discounts, or for Medifast Ready-to-Drink Shakes.

Not ready to enroll in Medifast Advantage? You can use code SANDY28 to receive 28 free meals with your purchase of over $250. Limit one per customer. This offer is limited to new customers only and not valid with prior purchases, Medifast Advantage, or any other promotions or discounts.

Both codes expire on 12/31/13. See website for complete details on program and discounts. Consult your physician before beginning a weight-loss program.


For the recipe...



If you are looking for a different variation of grilled chicken, then this is a great summer recipe for you to try! WARNING! You must be a fan of root beer... I mean after all... it is called marinated grilled root beer chicken! The name says it all!

I, for one, absolutely love the taste of root beer so I was pretty excited to try this recipe and so happy I did! Hubby on the other hand, wasn't too thrilled with the flavor, but he also doesn't really care for root beer. This is just one of those recipes that can be a hit or miss for the family.



I will definitely make this again even if it is only for me :) and possibly experiment with coca cola or orange soda. Anything to try and keep plain old grilled chicken just a little bit more exciting!






First, you need to pour the diet root beer in a medium sized bowl.



Then add the apple cider vinegar and oil to the root beer.


Next, pour in the lite soy sauce and give it a good stir.


Place the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for more than 3 hours. As you can see, there will be tons of marinade leftover so you will only be using half your condiments and healthy fats.


Mmmmmm... marinated grilled root beer chicken! Bon appetit!

  Marinated Grilled Root Beer Chicken
Slightly adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

 Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) can diet root beer with 0 carbs (free item)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (1 Condiment)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (6 Healthy Fats)
1/2 cup lite soy sauce (12 Condiments)
27 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts - should yield 18 oz cooked (3 Leans)

Directions:
Combine root beer, vinegar, oil and soy sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken and marinade at least 3 hours. I marinated overnight Grill.
3 servings with 1 Lean, 2.16 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat per Serving (since the condiments and healthy fats are in the marinade, only half is absorbed and half is discarded).


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I absolutely love this dish as a quick and easy Lean and Green meal! I mean... it doesn't even require cooking so you don't have to get your kitchen hot from turning on the oven! Leave the heat outside!

Peanut flavored dressings or sauces have always been a favorite of mine, but I haven't found a great low carb one yet so what is there to do but create my own. Plus, you know never know what is really in those dressing you purchase pre-made. When you make it yourself, you can always vary the ingredients in the dressing to your own liking. For instance, if you don't like spicy, leave the crushed red pepper out! It is a great way to get your water in though!

The peanut dressing mixed with already packaged cole slaw mix is phenomenal! The cole slaw mix I used was from Wal-Mart and it is called Market Fresh Tri Color Cole Slaw mix. It has a mixture of cabbage, red cabbage and yes.... carrots. You can pick the carrots out, but there isn't much inside the bag. A cup and a half of this mix is only 5 grams of carbs! That's all your greens with only 5 grams of carbs! One serving of greens needs to be less than 5 grams of carbs. Yeah... so I left those orange tid-bits in! This will definitely be a regular menu item for me! 


Shrimp Salad with Peanut Dressing

 Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups tri-color coleslaw mix OR 1 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (3 Greens)
7 oz cooked shrimp - I had the frozen ones in the bag with... tails and shells removed defrosted (1 Leanest)

Dressing:
2 tbsp powdered peanut butter aka PB2 (1 Optional Snack)
1 1/2 tbsp water
2 tsp lite soy sauce (2/3 Condiment)
1/4 tsp ground ginger (1/2 Condiment)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (1/4 Condiment)
1/2 packet stevia or to taste (1/2 Condiment)
2 tsp sesame oil (2 Healthy Fats)

Directions:
 Combine cole slaw mix and shrimp in a medium sized bowl.
Mix all the ingredients for the peanut dressing together in a small bowl.
Pour over shrimp and veggies.
Toss to coat. Enjoy!

Makes 1 Serving
Each serving provides
1 Leanest, 3 Greens, 2 Condiments, 2 Healthy Fats and 1 Optional Snack

 Don't care for shrimp? Use 6 oz of cooked chicken breasts and decrease the sesame oil to 1 tsp in the peanut dressing for 1 Healthy Fat.

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