3-Day Detox Guide

Here's my version of the 3-Day Detox in a pretty little picture! 

3-Day Detox (DAY THREE)

Woo!! Final day! Good for you for getting this far.
(sorry for the lack of pictures... I forgot to take them as I ate my food for the day!!)

Day 3

Breakfast: 1 Cup Oatmeal, Fresh Fruit, Brown Sugar and 1 Cup Coffee
PP+ 5

Morning Snack: Apple and Herbal Tea
PP+ 0

Lunch: 1 Cup Vegetable Soup and 1 Salad with 1/4 Mashed Avocado
PP+ 5

Afternoon Snack: Fruit Smoothie (1/2 Cup Strawberries, 1/2 Cup Carrots, 1/2 Banana, Ice)
PP+ 0

Dinner: 3 oz. Veggie Pasta with 1/2 Cup Marinara and 1 Cup Cooked Fresh Vegetables
PP+ 9

TOTAL PP+ FOR THE DAY: 19

3-Day Detox (DAY TWO)

Sorry for not posting on time! I have been so busy with church, school and whatnot that I just haven't had time to sit down and get some blogging done!!
So I am now officially done with the detox, and it was really just what I needed!! I feel healthier and back on track. Just what it was meant to do, huh?

Day 2

Breakfast: Fruit Smoothie (1/2 Cup Strawberries, 1/2 Cup Blueberries, 1/2 Banana, 1/4 Cup Almond Milk, Ice)
PP+ 1

Morning Snack: 1 Apple and Green or Herbal Tea
PP+ 0

Lunch: 1 Cup Vegetable Soup and 1 Fresh Salad (no dressing) With 1/4 Cup Fat Free Cottage Cheese
PP+ 4

Afternoon Snack: Fruit Juice (1/2 Cup Strawberries, 1/2 Banana, 1 Orange, 1/2 Cup Carrots, 1 Cup Water, Ice, Crystal Light Packet)
PP+ 1

Dinner: 1/2 Cup Rice, 2 Cups Cooked Fresh Vegetables, 3 oz. Grilled Turkey Breast
PP+ 6

TOTAL PP+ FOR THE DAY: 12

3-Day Detox (DAY ONE!)

If you've found yourself coming out of a big junk food fest feeling like Violet Beauregard, trust me, you’re not alone! This 3 day meal plan will help you get back on track, flush the “bad guys” out, and help you get some fresh veggies and fruit into your diet!
The big (but really not that big) secret to this is fresh foods only!

Day 1

Breakfast: Fruit Smoothie (1 Cup Strawberries, ½ Cup Frozen Mixed Berries, ½ Frozen Banana, ½ Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, ¼ Cup Dry Oats) and 1 Cup Coffee

PP+ 4

Morning Snack: 1 Apple and 1 Cup Green Tea & lemon

PP+ 0

Lunch: Fresh Salad (no dressing) and 1 Cup Low- Sodium Veggie Soup

PP+ 4 

Afternoon Snack: Fruit Smoothie (1/2 Cup Strawberries, 1 Orange, ½ Frozen Banana, ½ Cup Baby Carrots, ¼ Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, 1 Cup Ice)

PP+ 0

Dinner: 3 oz. Veggie Pasta, ½ Cup Marinara, Fresh Salad with 1/3 Avocado (Mashed)

PP+ 11

Total for the day: PP+ 19

Vegetable Soup

I got back from work today and looked in the fridge and saw a bunch of leftover veggies and other odds and ends that needed to be cooked. So I decided to make a soup out of it!

Ingredients:
1/2 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups fat free chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
12 oz tomato sauce
1 can corn
1 can green beans
1/2 cup peas
1 medium potato (diced)
1 1/2 frozen okra
1 1/2 frozen broccoli
1 cup roasted grape tomatoes
1/3 cup brown rice
2 cups water
Spices- I used salt, pepper, creole, oregano, crushed red pepper...

PP+ 2 (per cup)

First saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until brown. Then add the rest of the ingredients (prepared as described above. Add more water if needed, or less if you want more a heartier soup. Add the spices according to your liking, I went for a little "bite".

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender. Enjoy!!

Hard Boiled Egg topped Salad

I was at school today and got a random craving for hard boiled eggs. I don't know what spurred it on, other than a strange childhood memory of going to a restaurant and putting mashed up hard boiled eggs on my salads... Weird.
Aaaanyways this salad hit the spot! It was also my first time to ever cook a hard boiled egg, which was pretty exciting!! I added some baking soda to the water while they boiled (a pinterest idea I found), and it really did make the egg shell practically slide right off of the egg! Amazing haha.

Ingredients:
2 cups romaine lettuce
1/2 hard boiled egg, mashed up
1 tbsp fat free cheese
1 tbsp ranch or Cesar dressing
(I also added some croutons for a little bit of a crunch!)

PP+ 3 (without croutons)

Lasagna Rolls

This recipe was delicious, and I'm kind of proud of myself for coming up with it all on my own!!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1/3 cup reduced fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup fat free cheddar cheese
1 cup fresh, uncooked spinach leaves
1 large portobello mushroom
salt and pepper to taste
4 oven ready lasagna noodles
1 cup spaghetti sauce (I used bell pepper and mushroom flavor)

(PP+ 5 per roll)

Directions:
1. Prehead oven to 350.
2. Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling water until tender. Remove and spread them out on a clean surface area.
3. Place the riccota, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, spinach and mushroom in a food processor and chop until well blended. It should turn into a greenish sort of paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Evenly divide and spread the cheese mixture onto the four lasagna noodles, leaving about 1/4 cup left over for later.

5. Roll the noodle up!

6. In a baking dish (I used a small one) pour 1/3 cup of spaghetti sauce on the bottom, then place the rolls in the dish. Cover with the rest of the cheese mixture and pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce on top (you can also top with some more cheddar cheese if desired).

7. Place the dish into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the rolls are warm and the cheese on top is melted.
8. Enjoy with some roasted veggies!

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

These cookies have become my kryptonite. I don't even want to know how bad they are, so I can still enjoy one in blissful ignorance. Adding the coffee just made them even better!!

(adapted from this post)

• 1 stick softened butter
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¼ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 13 broken pieces Oreo Cookies
• 1 cup chocolate chips (or more...)
• 1 Tbsp coffee grounds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter, and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla until mixed well.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl, stir to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients then stir in oreos and chocolate chips until just combined.

3. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop onto baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until cooked, but still soft. Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

**the key to having soft gooey cookies (which are my favorite) is to not cook them all the way, so I take them out right at 10 minutes and transfer them off of the cookie sheet after about 1 or 2 minutes.**

Grilled Veggies with Baked Potato

So this morning my wonderful boyfriend and I went on a 2 mile run, and when we got back we made lunch. It hit the spot!! I had only veggies and a baked potato while he had some chicken with his meal. I simply tossed the vegetables in some olive oil, coated them in some Tony's seasoning then plopped them on the grill and let it do the rest! It turned out wonderfully.

Ingredients:
1 bell pepper, sliced
2 large portobello mushrooms, cut in half
1 bunch of asparagus
1 cup chopped okra
2 Tbsp olive oil
Tony Chachere's Seasoning
2 small potatoes
PP+5 (for half of the vegetables and one potato)


Toss the vegetables in the olive oil, then season as desired. Place the okra in an aluminum foil "bowl" (place the foil on the grill).
Wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven (around 350-400 F) for 30ish minutes, or until the potato is soft and tender.
Place the vegetables on the grill and cook! I kept the burners around medium temperature, depending on how quickly the veggies were cooking. The bell peppers were places on a burner set to high since they generally take longer to cook.

 I like to cook my veggies until they are slightly "burned" and soft. The okra was ready when it was soft.

 My cute little griller :)

Cajun Grilled Veggies

Now don't let the title fool you. I am no Cajun cook, but I LOVE using Tony's Creole Seasoning on my veggies and meat! They give them a little zing and mouthwateringness that other spices don't have. 
For Christmas my wonderful boyfriend bought me a miniature grill, so I decided to try it out with the veggies!

Ingredients:
1/2 large zucchini
1/2 large squash
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 Tbsp Tony's Creole Seasoning
1 Tbsp olive oil
(PP+1 per serving)

Thinly slice the zucchini, squash and bell peppers and place in a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil and seasoning, then place on grill. Cook until the vegetable "meat" is soft.

I like my grilled vegetables to be slightly "burned" (I can't think of any other term for it), since it adds some more flavor and delciousness to the vegetable.

I placed my vegetables in an Orowheat Sandwich Pocket Thin with a slice of cheese to make a scrumptious sandwich! (PP+5)

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

(original recipe found here)
I also made these for my boyfriend's family's finger food Thanksgiving dinner, and they were delish! I made some bigger and smaller ones, since it's nice to have a little one to just pop in your mouth (dangerous as well, though!!). They are best when served chilled and topped with some cool whip (I used sugar free).

Ingredients
2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 15-oz can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup half and half (or evaporated milk)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and half and half until well combined. 

Add in dry ingredients and whisk until no streaks of flour remain and batter is smooth.

Fill each muffin cup with approximately 1/3 cup of batter.

Bake for 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan. They will sink as they cool.

Chill cupcakes before serving. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Makes 12

Impossibly Easy Mini Turkey Pot Pies

(adapted from the post here)
I made these delicious turkey pot pies for my boyfriend's family's finger food Thanksgiving meal. They were a hit, and the only thing I would change is using foil cupcake liners, since the pot pie stuck to the paper ones. 

Ingredients:

Chicken Mixture

1

tablespoon vegetable oil

1

lb boneless skinless turkey breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1

medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1/2

cup chicken broth

1

cup frozen peas and carrots

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

1/4

teaspoon ground thyme

1

cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Baking Mixture

1/2

cup Original Bisquick® mix

1/2

cup milk

2

eggs

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray
In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center. 

Add onion and chicken broth; heat to simmering. Add frozen vegetables and seasonings. Heat until hot, stirring occasionally until almost all liquid is absorbed. Cool 5 minutes; stir in cheese.

In medium bowl, stir baking mixture ingredients with whisk or fork until blended. Spoon 1 scant tablespoon baking mixture into each muffin cup. Top with about 1/4 cup chicken mixture. Spoon 1 tablespoon baking mixture onto chicken mixture in each muffin cup.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. With thin knife, loosen sides of pies from pan; remove from pan and place top sides up on cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes longer, and serve.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp table salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp powdered sugar

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, beat together buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, sugar and melted butter. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients; fold in just to combine.

• Coat a nonstick griddle or pan with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Spoon batter into pan in batches using 1/4-cup batter for each pancake; cook until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove pancakes to a tray in a warm oven; repeat with remaining ingredients (being careful not to spray cooking spray into an open flame). Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving. Yields 2 pancakes per serving.

• 

Parmesan Zucchini

Ingredients:

Zucchini, 1 cup, sliced

Parmesan Cheese, grated, 1 tbsp

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Original Buttery Spray, 10 sprays

Non-stick cooking spray

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, then coat with some non-stick cooking spray. Place the zucchini slices out on the pan, then spritz with them with the butter spray. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and then pop it in the oven. Broil for a few minutes - until the cheese starts to brown. Enjoy it while it's warm!

Bean and Rice Soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes
4 oz can tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup corn
1 cup water
2 cups cooked rice (I used white rice here)
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, cook the rice according to instructions on the bag/box.

Meanwhile, in a large pot pour out the black beans, pinto beans and diced tomatoes without draining.  Add tomato sauce, garlic and corn. Simmer until the rice is done cooking, or for around 20 minutes.

Once rice is done, add it and simmer the soup for additional 10 minutes, or until flavors have blended. Add the water if the soup is too thick. 

Serve hot!
I enjoyed it with a small cesar salad.

PP+ 5 per serving (about 1.5 cups) 

Berry Smoothie

Ingredients
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 banana
1/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
2-3 ice cubes

In a blender, mix all the ingredients together, until it has reached a smooth consistency. Add ice cubes and blend until they are fully incorporated.
Enjoy!!
(PP+1)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

(recipe was found here!)

Serves 4

2 lbs sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs honey
4- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400º.

2. Place sweet potatoes in a flat layer on a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or rimmed baking sheet. Place rosemary sprigs on top of sweet potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Roast, stirring occasionally for 35 to 45 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Serve hot.

Zucchini and Squash Soup

(recipe was found here!)

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 T butter (or use more olive oil, but I decided to splurge with a little butter here)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 T minced fresh garlic
4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (or can use 2 tsp. finely chopped dried rosemary, but fresh rosemary will be much better)
3 lb. diced green and yellow summer squash (about 8 cups diced squash, can also use all green or all yellow squash)
8 cups chicken stock 

Instructions:

Heat olive oil and butter in large heavy soup pot, then add onion and saute about 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent and softened. Add garlic, rosemary, and Vegeta Seasoning and cook 3-5 minutes more.

Add chicken stock to onion mixture and simmer 10 minutes. Then add chopped zucchini and yellow squash, turn heat to very low and simmer 30 minutes, or until squash is very soft and flavors are well blended.

Use immersion blender to puree the mixture, or work in batches and puree in food processor or blender. (Be careful if you’re using the blender or food processor and don’t fill them too full when blending hot liquids.) When mixture is as pureed as you’d like it, check the consistency of the soup. I simmered it about 20 minutes more at this point, or until soup was reduced by about one-fourth.

Serve soup hot.

PP+ 4 per serving (about 1.5 cups)

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1/2 romaine lettuce
3 sliced strawberries
1 1/2 Tbsp Feta cheese
1 Tbsp chopped glazed pecans
2 Tbsp Strawberry Balsamic Vinagarette

PP+ 3