Meal Planning for a successful Week!!

BLAH - that is what life has been like lately or should I say a BLUR!!

So much has been going on and most days I feel like I am barely staying afloat!!

You know what I mean?

If there were only more hours in the day or at least one more of me!
Between working my 9-5 job, beachbody coaching, mom of 2 very involved kids, housework, volunteering, head chef at the Horcher house (only chef really!) and I am sure I could add a few more jobs onto the list but I think you get my point. I know I am not alone with the overcrowded schedule as this is how most of us live our lives anymore.



The good news is that there are a few tips and tricks I have learned and many I plan on continuing to learn that help me get it all done and well through it all....

First that has been my saving grace for quite some time - MEAL PLANNING and PREPPING for the week ahead. Let's face it - we all need to eat and drink to survive yet I know so many that forego eating because they are too busy. I also know many that REALLY want to eat healthier but say they don't have time to cook healthy meals. Meal planning and prepping helps me take care of both of these excuses!! YEEESSSSSSS - at first it takes time to find and get into your groove but once you do MY GOODNESS you are golden.

When you have a plan in place and the food prepped and ready to go it makes running out the door on time (or GAH - EARLIER!) easier. It also makes running home and warm up and eat a healthy dinner possible!!

lunch today at work

This is how it worked in my house yesterday...
Let me back up when we arrived home late Saturday evening after being gone for a week..
Sunday came and piles of laundry had to be done, our fridge was empty, we were all tired, luggage and more was scattered all over our downstairs. I knew what I had to get done though and so I got started -
Step 1: The meal Plan
Step 2: Grocery shopping
Step 3: Cook food
Step 4: Portion Food
 and in between did my other daily duties as well but guess what I got it done.

meal plan for the week!!

Having a plan in place and food ready to go, meant putting our lunches together this morning was a breeze.
Coming home from work and then picking up kids I was able to quickly throw dinner on the stove to heat it up.

some of our dinners prepped for the week

While dinner is heating I helped my kids with their homework. If I hadn't prepped our dinner I have no idea what we would have ate and I probably would not have had the time to help with homework.

Meal planning and prepping totally make my life easier and these days I will take whatever easy I can get!!

So if you too would like to make life easier and healthier then we should totally talk!! I can help you get started but you gotta want to do it as I won't do it for you.

Cheers to a new week

Now is the time to learn how to live a 

FIT, HAPPY, and HEALTHY Life 

and we will do it 

TOGETHER!!!!

alysonhorcher@gmail.com

facebook.com/alyson.horcher

Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats

Yes, yes....I am still obsessed with Overnight Oats!!

There are so many great recipes out there that I have to keep on trying and creating my own healthy versions.

This recipe today was inspired by a coworker - she saw me with my overnight oats one day and decided to give it a try. Thankfully for her, she found a delish peanut butter cup recipe and shared!! 

My next step was taking that recipe, adding a few changes, and voila....

I give you...

Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats

Ingredients...

2/3 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (all depends on how much chocolatey taste you like!)

2 teaspoon peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions... 

Add all ingredients to a mason jar and mix a bit. 

Top with a lid and place in fridge overnight and enjoy the next day either cold or warmed up a bit!! 

Seriously this is a lick your mason jar good recipe!! Enjoy!!

If you are interested in more healthy recipes or maybe even learning how to eat healthy, CONTACT ME and I can help you get started. I know for me the biggest part of learning how to eat healthy was to have support to help me have the strength to say NO MORE to the bad junk food that use to fill my house!! After that it was all about learning how to change some of my eating habits and from their healthy habits were formed.

Click here to get more information about 

my next group!!

YES I'M INTERESTED!!

Have a fabulous week!!

My passion and my goal is to help others to learn 
how to live a 

FIT, HAPPY, and HEALTHY Life 

and we will do it 

TOGETHER!!!!

alysonhorcher@gmail.com

teambeachbody.com/alysonhorcher2

myshakeology.com/alysonhorcher2

facebook.com/alyson.horcher

Stuffed Peppers

Another Tasty Recipe coming your way this week. 
This recipe is from a dear friend of mine. We had it one evening a while ago when we went to visit them at their house. I have been wanting to give the recipe a try myself as I tried a few other stuff pepper recipes but this one was my favorite.  I did alter the recipe a bit but the flavor is still the same and it is oh so delicious! Best of all it is all good for your ingredients too so it can be put in my healthy recipe box!! 

Ingredients...
4 large bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
1 small zucchini, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, minced
Sea Salt
ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped finely
1 teaspoon fresh basil leaves, chopped finely
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions...
1. Cut the bell peppers lengthwise in half and remove the seeds and membranes. Place the peppers in a pot of boiling water, reduce heat to medium and simmer ~ 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. 
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown ground Turkey until cooked through.  Remove turkey from skillet and set aside.
4. To the same skillet, add the onion and cook until softened, ~ 5 minutes. Add zucchini, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until veggies are tender, ~5 minutes.   Stir in 1/2 cup tomato sauce, cover and simmer for 10 minutes
5. Remove mixture from heat and add cooked ground turkey, parsley, and basil - mix well.
6. Stuff each pepper half with mixture and place in shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan Cheese
7. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until cheese is melted and tops are slightly browned. While baking, heat the remaining tomato sauce in a small saucepan.
8. Serve peppers with a tablespoon of sauce on top.

Enjoy!!

As you know I am all about eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle.  The food we eat is so very important to how our bodies function.  I don't know about you but I want my body in tip top shape so I can enjoy as much of life as I can.  There was a time in my life when healthy wasn't a priority of mine, I thought it was but I wasn't doing anything to achieve it. I am thankful I had a friend who was supportive and knowledgeable and helped me learn how best to fuel my body and she got me on the path of HEALTHY! Now it is just something I do and now I also love helping others find their way to a healthy lifestyle as well.  If you are one of those people who wants to live a healthier lifestyle then please lets talk.  Like I said I was once there too and know it can be hard, that first step always is but let me take some of the burden off of your shoulders.    

                                                       

If you are interested in more healthy recipes or maybe even learning how to eat healthy CONTACT ME and I can help you get started. I know for me the biggest part of learning how to eat healthy was to have support to help me have the strength to say NO MORE to the bad junk food that use to fill my house!! After that it was all about learning how to change some of my eating habits and from their healthy habits were formed.

Click here to get more information about 

my next group!!

YES I'M INTERESTED!!

Have a fabulous week!!

My passion and my goal is to help others to learn 
how to live a 

FIT, HAPPY, and HEALTHY Life 

and we will do it 

TOGETHER!!!!

alysonhorcher@gmail.com

teambeachbody.com/alysonhorcher2

myshakeology.com/alysonhorcher2

facebook.com/alyson.horcher

Dijon Crusted Panko Chicken

Love me some yummy food!! 

Seriously who doesn't love food that is yummy?!?!

I am always amazed at how much I use to despise cooking and now I LOVE IT! There is something about creating foods that are not only healthy but tasty too. HUH who knew my hands could do that!!

Each week I am always wanting to add in or at least try a new healthy recipe. I don't always but I can tell you I am always looking!! If you happen to come across a recipe or a meal that you LOVE please share it with me!! 

Today I am sharing a recipe that I have been working on for a few weeks now and have finally got it to the point where it is easy and yummy!! I found a recipe online and have added a bit of my touch to it.

Dijon Panko Crusted Chicken

Ingredients...
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best!)
1 teaspoon salt, divided in half
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup whole wheat panko break crumbs
1 teaspoon thyme

Directions...
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees
2. Whisk mustard, garlic, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in large bowl. 
3. Mix breadcrumbs, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt in shallow bowl. 
4. Prepare baking sheet with cooking spray
5. Coat one piece of chicken in mustard mixture then coat both sides in breadcrumb mixture and place on prepared baking sheet
6. Bake chicken for 25 minutes or until cooked through

Lastly, ENJOY!!

This was a meal my entire family loved and asked for more!! I served with a fresh veggie and brown rice & quinoa medley.

Have a fabulous week!!

My passion and my goal is to help others to learn how to live a 

FIT, HAPPY, and HEALTHY Life 

and we will do it 

TOGETHER!!!!

alysonhorcher@gmail.com

teambeachbody.com/alysonhorcher2

myshakeology.com/alysonhorcher2

facebook.com/alyson.horcher

Meal planning Week of June 6-12, 2015

Monday, Monday, Monday!!!!

Wipe it clean and start fresh kind of day!!!!

Me...you know I love to have my meal and in place and that's why I call it meal planning Monday 😉

If you are new to meal planning I got to tell you the sooner you start the sooner you will see the rewards!! I eat healthier, I keep my weight in check, I save money on groceries, and I don't have to think about what I am going to eat when I am hungry!! You all know that feeling when you are hungry and you start grabbing whatever you can which often leads to eating foods that are not the healthiest for us or eating way too large of a portion!! 

Part of Meal planning is also meal prepping which can be a bit more time consuming but again the rewards will be worth it. Whether you work out of the home or at home meal prepping is still a great task to add to your list. It is such a treat when you are running out the door and you can easily grab your already prepped and packed snacks & lunch. If you are running late or get home later in the evening it is also nice to warm up dinner rather than have to start from the beginning with slicing and dicing which will then prolong dinner even more. 

The best tip I can give you is to START meal planning now!! 

Set aside a day that works best for you to plan for a week's time and then start planning!!

Once the plan is complete make sure to post it somewhere in your house that you can easily reference. Maybe you will need 2 copies even. Either way make sure it is visible and you can refer to it when needed. 

Here is what my plan looks like for this week...

Last but not least if you would like assistance getting started please CONTACT ME! 

I do meal planning weekly and I have helped many others get started and keep moving forward!!

My passion and my goal is to help others to learn how to live a 

FIT, HAPPY, and HEALTHY Life 

and we will do it 

TOGETHER!!!!

alysonhorcher@gmail.com

teambeachbody.com/alysonhorcher2

myshakeology.com/alysonhorcher2

facebook.com/alyson.horcher

Meal Planning June 29-July 5, 2015

Well it is late here and I want to get to bed so tonight it is short and sweet as I did not work today (when I would normally have written this post!) 

I set a goal for myself though and that was to share my meal plan each and every Monday as part of....

My Meal plan was done as of last night and shared with my health and fitness groups that I run but I save my public postings for Monday! As you know I find it essential to moving forward with my healthy habits to have a meal plan in place for the week!! 

Here you go - my meal plan for the week - once again following the 21 day Fix Nutrition Plan!!

Fancy Fancy right?! 

I am thankful for a client who put this spreadsheet together and was kind enough to allow me to use it!! 

Well there you have it - plan in place for the week and I am ready to rock it!!

Are you ready?!?!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

It's SUMMERTIME and who doesn't love getting out their grill & having a BBQ!!

Oh who am I kidding I have a husband who will grill all year long!! He has grilled in downpours, snow, and sunshine!! 

One of my favorite foods on the grill is BBQ chicken and I use to always buy bottled BBQ sauce until I started my clean eating journey. At that time I started reading labels and found the majority of BBQ sauces out there are loaded with a ton of extra ingredients - ingredients I couldn't pronounce and therefore I didn't want to use in cooking.

This lead me on a hunt for a homemade BBQ sauce that myself and my family would love!! It has taken some time to finally get to the point we are at today but I am now thankful I have a BBQ sauce we all love!! 

What I also love about this recipe is you can make it more or less tangy depending on your preference!! Read below the recipe to find out how!

Presenting Homemade Clean BBQ Sauce!!

As I said I love my BBQ Chicken...we paired it with fresh corn on the cob and spinach from our garden!!

YUMMO!!

Recipe for Homemade BBQ Sauce:

Ingredients...
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
8-16 ounces tomato sauce (or leave it out all together)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
1/2 cup EVOO
1/2 cup water

Directions...
1. In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients except oil and bring sauce to a boil.
2. Continue boiling 3 to 4 minutes
3. Remove from heat and stir in oil
Your sauce is ready to go at this point!! 

Note: If you would like extra tangy sauce leave our the tomato sauce. If you want a mild yet somewhat tangy sauce play around with the amount of tomato sauce you use. We have had this recipe with no tomato sauce, 8 ounces tomato sauce added, and the 16 ounces of tomato sauce added. All leave you with a different flavor so find the one you love!!

All that is left is to go make yourself some BBQ sauce and get grillin'!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!! 

Until next time I leave you with this...

Your Choice - Eat Healthy or Not!!

Need help getting started?

I can help!!

My passion and my goal is to help others to learn how to live a 

FIT, HAPPY, and HEALTHY Life 

and we will do it 

TOGETHER!!!!

Meal Planning June 22-29, 2015

Seriously I use to tell myself ALL the TIME...

Monday, I'll start a new routine

Monday, I'll eat healthier

Monday, I'll exercise

Monday, I'll start a cleaning schedule for the house

Monday, I'll get to bed earlier

Monday Monday Monday

well guess how many Mondays have come and gone - too many to count!!

Today may be Monday,

                                  It is also THE day when you get moving on those goals and dreams you have in your head!! Make today YOUR Day to finally put your plans into action!!

                                       

                  NO EXCUSES

If the thought of taking action scares you or overwhelms you then I suggest you find someone you can trust to support you along the way!! 

I also suggest you take that plan and write it on paper. 

Next step is to break it down into manageable steps.

After that choose 1-2 steps to focus on and get moving!!

For example, when I started my health and fitness journey back in 2012 the thought of cleaning up my nutrition and exercising was a bit too much for me to handle. I also didn't want to give up the foods I loved or those that made me feel good. (there was a lot I didn't know at the time about my eating habits!!)

My first step was to get up early 3 days a week to exercise and eventually make it to 6 days a week.

Next even though I fought it like crazy was to create a meal plan...Yes I know meal planning is what I always talk about on Mondays but the truth is I HATED meal planning when I first gave it a try. I thought it took too long, I thought it would cost us more money, I thought I couldn't stick to a plan, I thought I would miss the foods I was use to eating....

all of those were excuses I was telling myself!!

The moment I started meal planning I saw the light and hit my goal!!

Why am I telling you all of this?

Well it's simple really, I want to help you NOT make the mistakes I made when I began my health and fitness journey!! Whether you are beginning, you hit a plateau, or you have been working out for quite some time - to all of us our nutrition is important!! I have found the best way to keep my nutrition in check is to 

MEAL PLAN!!

This week I am back to following the 21 day fix clean eating nutrition plan!!

Why? 

It works and it is simple to follow and gets you the results you want!!

Here is my meal plan for the week...

Going forward each Monday I will be sharing with you my meal plan!!

You can also get the inside scoop on meal planning when you join me for one of my 30 day groups. (want more information on the groups - contact me HERE!!)

Remember this - we all have to eat so why not learn how to eat healthier, why not learn how to help your family eat healthier, and in the end you will be rewarding your body the best way you know how...by taking care of it!!

Your Choice - Eat Healthy or Not!!

Need help getting started?
I can help!!

My passion and my goal is to help others to learn how to live a 

FIT, HAPPY, and HEALTHY Life 

and we will do it 

TOGETHER!!!!

Meal Planning Monday June 8-14, 2015

Another Monday is here and what are you going to do? 
Are you going to sit there and let it be what it is?
Or are you going to set your goals, put your plan in place, and get moving?

The decision is yours but I gotta tell you it starts with YOU!!


An Investment in your Health will by far be the very best investment you ever make!!

Invest the time

Invest the money
Dedicate yourself to taking better care of YOU!!

The way I personally do that is focusing on my nutrition because at the end of the day WE ALL HAVE TO EAT to survive!!

You again can choose here...EAT CRAP or EAT HEALTHY!!
I choose to eat healthy and I would love to help others learn how to do the same!! 

It all begins with focusing on what you are eating NOW!! 
So break out that pencil and paper and keep a food journal. This helps determine what foods you ARE eating and it also helps you determine how certain foods make you feel or when you might be stress and/or emotional eating. 

Next step is to make a meal plan. I do this every Sunday and I am ready to go come Monday morning with what I am going to eat! It takes the guess work out of what to eat, it saves on my grocery bill (only buying what is needed), and it helps keep my body in check healthwise!! 

Here is mine for this week:

I have this plan posted in my kitchen and in my office. I prep as much as I can for the week on Sunday and Monday. The more you can prep the easier your week will be. I do however cook most of my dinners fresh that night (unless we are having leftovers!!) Regardless it all comes down to the planning ahead of time!! When you have a plan in place you are more likely to succeed when life hands you a curve ball...and trust me it will!!

No matter what though, always remember if you WANT to eat healthier or live an overall healthy lifestyle YOU CAN!! It is possible!! All the roadblocks standing in your way are EXCUSES! The sooner you let go of those the sooner you will be begin to feel happier & healthier!!

Bottom Line....YOU CAN DO IT!!

I'd love to help you get started!!
Let's talk!! 

Now is the time to learn how to live a 

FIT, HAPPY, and HEALTHY Life 

and we will do it 

TOGETHER!!!!

alysonhorcher@gmail.com

teambeachbody.com/alysonhorcher2

myshakeology.com/alysonhorcher2

facebook.com/alyson.horcher