Shew! It's been a whirlwind of a few weeks recovering from reconstruction! I have to say that heading back into surgery I was NERVOUS.Mostly nervous of how I was going to feel after and honestly, just afraid it was going to cause me to take 5 steps backwards in my journey. But I have to say, at exactly two weeks post surgery, I feel more determined, positive and motivated then ever!

From the minute I knew what the plan was, I KNEW exactly how I was going to get back into the swing of things. It was such an easy decision because I've been there before. I can't wait to get started back up with the program that I originally started my journey with. PiYo.

You can read more about how I started my journey here, but let me just tell you that this program was PERFECT for me. I was limited on what I could do after treatment. I still had limited range of motion in my arms, very little strength and stamina and had gained 20 lbs during treatment. Well, this time around I don't have those extra 20 lbs, but I am back to needing to work on my range of motion and building my strength back up. And I know this program can do it.

I have a hard time looking back at these pictures, but at the same time, I'm proud of how far I've come! This was after just the first 30 days of PiYo! That's HALF of the program! In those first 30 days I lost 10 lbs and over 9.5 inches! I was amazed!

PiYo was perfect for me because I didn't have to jump. I didn't need weights. I wasn't straining my arms or my joints in any way. It was all low impact and exactly what I needed to start. All I needed was my own body weight and because the moves were all low impact (but still high intensity), it was the perfect combination. I was able to stretch, strengthen and stabilize pretty much every part of my body! Coming from the person that couldn't even carry the vacuum up the steps at the time, that's pretty good!

This is why I am so excited when folks decide to join our team with this program. Because I'm living proof that it WORKS! And it works no matter what your starting point is! If I can start with this program, ANYONE can! I have two more weeks left until I have the full go ahead to jump back into exercising, but you better believe I'll be ready come the beginning of May to pop in my PiYo DVDs. I would love to have some other folks join me too!

Would you give it a try for just 30 days?!

We can do it together with PiYo, Shakeology, AND a FREE 30-day trial membership to the Team Beachbody Club, which will give you the ability to stream your PiYo workouts on your laptop, tablet or phone!


Oh, and did I mention it's on SALE only for the month of April?!?!

Maybe you want to lose weight and burn fat without the high-impact jumps or complex choreography like I did. Maybe you want to just build lean muscle but don't want to lift heavy weights? Maybe you want the results like a more extreme program, but your body just isn't ready for that level yet? Maybe you really like Pilates and Yoga?! Maybe you don't want to have to buy a lot of equipment?!

If any of that sounds like what you are looking for, join me because I'm starting in May too!

Tasty Tuesday!!! Clean Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

It's Tasty Tuesday! 

This has quickly become one of our favorite week night recipes! Its quick, easy, simple ingredients and EVERYONE (including the kids) love it. And it's also great for making a few extra to easily grab and go for lunch the next day! This is a recipe from the new Insanity Max 30 nutrition guide. The suggest topping the burgers with avocado, lettuce and tomato. We also like to top ours with a little fresh cut cilantro! It just adds a little something extra to the flavor of the avocado. The sweet potato fries are a healthy baked version of everyone's favorite side. The sweet potato gives it a slightly different flavor, and the cayenne pepper gives it just the right kick!

Clean Turkey Burgers w/ Sweet Potato Fries

What You'll Need

Turkey Burgers

• 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey (we sometimes uses 99% lean turkey)
• 1 tbsp. organic fresh salsa per 7 oz of turkey
• Romaine lettuce 
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced

Sweet Potato Fries

• 2 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions
For the turkey burgers, preheat oven to 375 degrees. (Or preheat a grill or broiler on high). Combine turkey and salsa in a medium bowl; mix well. Once mixed, form into patties of desired size. Bake or grill patties for about 6-7 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle. Serve each patty over lettuce, tomato and avocado (and with some fresh cilantro too!)

For the sweet potato fries, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bake in the over for 30 minutes, turning over after 15 minutes. Bake until all sweet potatoes are cooked thoroughly.

Motivation Monday: Be Stronger Then Your Excuses

There are so many days where I come home from work and just start talking myself out of pushing play. Especially on those days when I got up early to work on coaching activities before work, then head off to my day job and put in a full day, filled with meetings and stress and firedrills. Then it's off to pick up The Squishy from school, and most likely, deal with some sort of meltdown because he didn't nap that day. 

>>>  I could say that I'm too tried from a long day of work.

>>>  I could say that I'll just do it tomorrow.

>>>  I could say that I have laundry or cleaning to do instead.

>>>  I could say that I don't have time. I'm just too busy.

>>>  I could say that I had pizza for lunch, so I might as well throw the whole day away.

>>>  I could find a thousand different excuses. Believe me, I've done it before. For years.

But  I already know what giving up like that feels like. And for once, I want to know what it feels like when I don't give up. I want to know what it feels like when I am finally stronger then my excuses.

Giving Back On World Cancer Day

I honestly had no idea that today was World Cancer Day. When I first heard about it my initial thoughts were something like....

"What the hell? Breast cancer has an entire month. Now cancer needs another day?"

Then I realized what #WorldCancerDay actually meant. It meant raising awareness and taking a proactive approach to the fight against cancer.

Solutions DO exist and they are completely within our reach.

The theme of World Cancer Day is "Not Beyond Us". Meaning that the ultimate solution will exist and is reachable. It's all about cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and care.

• Chose a healthy lifestyle because healthy lifestyles can lower your risk of cancer. 
• Early detection. For many types of cancers, there can be warning signs and symptoms. The benefits of early detection are indisputable.
• Treatment. Everyone should have the right for treatment, and without suffering some finanical hardship because of it.
• Quality of life. Everyone, cancer survivors and their caregivers deserve high quality and compassionate care and support!

So I was thinking about how I could give back, and I decided that since the nutrition changes that we made after I finished treatment made such a big impact on how I felt and how I recovered, that was a a great place for me to start.

Let me tell you, it wasn't an easy switch after treatment! There were things I didn't know about and learned the hard way. There were special circumstances that I had to deal with because of treatment that I never had to worry about before. And I didn't really know who to talk to about it.

I'm not a doctor. I'm not a nutritionist. I'm just a mom who has been through treatment and fumbled my way through, learning as I went. And I want to share what I have learned with others.

So starting on February 23rd, I'm running a completely free, 5-day, clean eating group for survivors! If I can just help one person, or help them to make one small change, it will be worth it.

If you would like to join, or know someone that might benefit from this group, please leave a comment or visit the event page HERE.

Tasty Tuesday!! Bruschetta Chicken

It's Tasty Tuesday!

This was one of our favorite (and quick) recipes that we got from the P90X2 Nutritional Guide! This dinner was a really simple recipe that had a ton of flavor, and with the kiddos, we just didn't give them any of the salsa topping. Its super simple ingredients combined for a really fresh and tasty meal. I bet this would be even better in the summer when tomatoes are at their prime here! We made ours with baked broccoli (which we put a little EVOO, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic and Mommy burnt - so disregard that part) and some brown rice. A quick easy meal for any day of the week! This is also SUPER easy to measure out on the 21 Day Fix meal plan! Enjoy!

Bruschetta Chicken

What You'll Need

Salsa Topping

• 6 medium Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Chicken Breast

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions
For the salsa, just combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Voila!

For chicken breast, combine all ingredients in a large ziplock plastic bag. Shake to distribute all the ingredients well, seal, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Preheat over to 350 degrees and remove chicken from bag. Make sure to discard any extra marinade.  Place chicken in glass baking dish and cover with foil and place in oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with salsa on top; garnish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!!

Motivation Monday: Because I Could

I honestly kind of thought that I was threw all the big "one year anniversaries" back in October. Maybe it was because I was SO afraid of October and worked SO hard to conquer it...

(which I totally did kthanks - October, don't let the door hit you on your way out - just sayin')

...but I really didn't think about many "cancer" anniversaries outside of that and my one year anniversary of being cancer free. Then I realized there was yet another one that kind of creep-ed up on me when I wasn't looking.

January 13th, 2015

I didn't really even realize it until the end of the day, when after work I was REALLY tired. I was hungry. All I wanted to do was to get into my comfy clothes and slippers and curl up on the couch. But I hadn't gotten my workout in that morning. It was just one of those days where the motivation wasn't there.

Until I realized where I was a year ago on that date. I was in bed. Barely able to lift my head off my pillow because I was so sick. 

I couldn't even kiss my babies goodnight. I couldn't sleep next to my husband, because if he rocked the bed too much I would get sick. I was just laying there, basically just wishing the next 5 months of my life away.

And remembering that, was all the motivation I needed to get up and push play on my program.

Why workout that day when I was so tired and hungry? Simply because I could. I would have given anything to just be "tired and hungry" on that date a year ago. I would have given anything to have felt good enough to exercise. It was a feeling that I always took for granted.

But never will again.

Don't take your ability to get up and get moving and get healthy for granted like I did. Because you never know when that choice might not be yours.

Just One Of Those Days...

Tuesday was one of those emotional days that catch you by surprise. 

I got a message early that morning about a young mom, just diagnosed with cancer and she has been in my thoughts ever since that very moment. There are so many things I want to tell her. There are so many things I wish I knew. My mind was racing all day as to what I should or shouldn't say to her. What if I told her the wrong thing? What if I didn't make her feel better? And all those questions that I had no answers to at first, all those terrified feelings of the unknown came rushing back through my mind, and I just couldn't fight them off.

I was so tired on Tuesday night from all those emotions and I honestly just wanted to eat my feelings away or have a glass (or two) of wine. But instead, I decided that's what the old me would have done. So the new me, with my new goals, went downstairs and hit play on my workout to clear mind and just to process everything that happened today. It wasn't until almost the end of the workout when I realized what that one thing would be that I would tell that new mom. 

I'd tell her to clear her mind of "can't". 

I just kept thinking about what it was that got me through those really REALLY tough days. And sure, some of those days it was just the unbelievable support my from family a I broke in half, but most days when I just thought that I just can't do this, I cleared my mind of of that word... "can't".

There will be days where this new mom will think she can't get through this. Just like I thought. But she can. And she will. And she will come out stronger then ever on the other side. 

When you clear your mind of "can't", you can do anything.
 

There will days when she will think she can't get through this. Just like I thought. But she can. And she will. And she will come out stronger then ever on the other side.

When you clear your mind of "can't", you can do anything.

Tasty Tuesday!! Pork and Red Chile Hominy Soup (Pozole Rojo de Puerco)

It's Tasty Tuesday!

This recipe is one of my (Wes) favorite recipes!  I love authentic Mexican food and this is a very hearty rich soup. I have made this with many different varieties of chili powders and all have made for a delicious meal. Varying the type of chili's you use will either add more or reduce the heat depending on what you chose (pasilla, ancho chipotle, Anaheim, etc.) We like to garnish ours with shredded cabbage, avocado and lime wedges. We have also made this with adding black beans (which gives it a whole different taste and flavor, which is equally as good). This recipe is a great meal in and of itself, but can also be used as a good starting point for many other variations. You can essentially add whatever you like, you just need to play around with ingredients! 

We usually save this one for a Sunday evening which is when we like to cook some of the meals that take a little longer then our quick and easy ones during the week!

Pozole Rojo de Puerco (Posole)

 

What You'll Need

• 6 boneless country style pork ribs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 inch pieces, if using bone in pork, cut into 2 inch squares
• 4 (14 1/2 oz) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbs grapeseed oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 tbs pure ground pasilla or ancho chile
• 1 to 2 tbs seasoned chili powder
• 1 1/2 tbs dried oregano (Mexican variety preferred but not a must)
• 1 tbs ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 (15 oz) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
• 2 (14 1/2 oz) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup, loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro (I always use more!)
• 1 1/2 tbs masa harina (flour for corn tortillas)
• Finely chopped cabbage
• Diced avocado
• Fresh Lime Wedges

Directions
Put the pork pieces in a medium heavy pan. Add 1 can of the chicken broth and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook the meat until tender, about 40 mins. Reserve the meat in the broth, off heat. If the pork is on the bone, you may remove the meat from the bone, if desired, when it's cool enough to handle. Reserve the meat and discard the bones.

In a heavy large pot, heat the oil and fry the onion for 2 mins. Add the garlic and cook stirring, until onions and garlic are softened, 2 to 3 mins. Add the carrots, ground chile, seasoned chili powder, oregano, cumin thyme, and salt. Cook stirring, 30 seconds

Add the remaining chicken broth, hominy, tomatoes, cilantro, masa harina, and the reserved pork with it's broth. Bring to a boil, and cook over medium-low heat, covered, 25 mins to blend the flavors. Adjust salt, if needed. Serve the pozole and garnish with shredded cabbage, avocado, and lime wedge. Enjoy!

Shaun T's New Workout Is HERE! Insanity Max 30 Details!

Shaun T's New Workout Is HERE! Insanity Max 30 Details!

GAH! It's here!! Shaun T's new workout, Insanity Max 30 has officially launched and guess who is signed up and ready to kick things off starting January 5th!! And guess who is going to be my early morning workout buddy but didn't know what he got signed up for?!?!

Insanity Max 30 Program Details!

Shaun T’s new workout, Insanity Max 30, has been one of the biggest releases yet and I KNOW is going to sell out fast!

Get this, each workout is ONLY 30 minutes long but is going to give you the workout of your life. The goal isn't to get through the whole 30 minutes either. The goal is to go as hard as you possibly can and "max out". It's a 60 day program, where you workout 5 days a week. It has 150 new cardio and strength moves that are, well, for lack of better words, insane.


 
Insanity Max 30: What is "Maxing Out"?
Basically, maxing out is the point that you just can't do any more OR the point at which you can do any more without losing proper form. So even if you might be able to struggle through but you are getting sloppy and can't hold form? Yup, you've maxed out. The idea is that you keep track of the time when you "max out" in each workout and then when you come back to do that workout again, the goal is to just beat your previous max out time. That's probably the thing I love the most about Insanity Max 30, it's like a competition with yourself!

 
Insanity Max 30: Am I Ready?!?!
Here's my second favorite thing about the program. It's a seriously challenging program but you can start it no matter where you are in your fitness level. I am still only a few months out of finishing treatment and I know I can do this program. There is a modifier the ENTIRE TIME and you get a serious workout even if you have to modify the entire time until you max out. So this is the perfect program for people who are just starting out, for people looking for a total transformation or for people who have already graduated from some of the extreme programs!

Insanity Max 30 Program Includes...
Here's what you get with the program....

• 12 different workouts on 10 DVDs
• Nutrition Guide
• Max Out Guide
• Max Out Calendar
• No Time to Cook Guide
• PLUS 2 FREE bonus workouts, Pulse and Ab Attack:10

 
And you know why it doesn't include any equipment? Because you don't need any!

Insanity Max 30 Workout Descriptions
Here's a little insider info on the description of each workout!

• CARDIO CHALLENGE: 30 minutes of an insane cardio sequences. Welcome to Insanity Max 30 people. 
• TABATA POWER: Strength training with traditional Tabata-style "20 seconds on, 10 seconds off" structure.
• SWEAT INTERVALS: Just in case the cardio workout wasn't hard enough, great ready for sweat intervals.
• TABATA STRENGTH: NO REST, Tabata-style strength workout. That's right…30 minutes, no rest. Eek.
• FRIDAY FIGHT: ROUND 1: This is a battle between mind and body!
• MAX OUT: CARDIO: Even more cardio in Month 2!
• MAX OUT POWER: The intervals are longer in this "45 seconds on, 15 seconds off" Tabata-style workout!
• MAX OUT SWEAT:  The more minutes, the more sweat and the more calories burned.
• MAX OUT STRENGTH:  Arms, shoulders, chest, and core, "45 seconds on, 15 seconds off" Tabata-style routine.
• FRIDAY FIGHT: ROUND 2: The new "hardest workout ever." Enough said.

Check out this Insanity Max 30 video here for more info!

Ready to Start?
If you are thinking this might be a good fit for you, but maybe you need a little support, just message me at lauramodom@yahoo.com and join our next accountability group where I'll be there to support you in any way I can! You can also purchase Insanity Max 30 Here!

Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

It's "Tasty Tuesday"! 

So this week's Tasty Tuesday marks the first time that we tried to grill a pizza! We had it for the first time over the summer at my parent's house and it was really good, so we decided to give it a whirl! Instead of buying the pre-made pizza crust (which you could totally do to make it even quicker), Wes tried whipping up some homemade whole wheat crust which was surprisingly both good and super easy!

This recipe makes two twelve inch pizza's which worked out great for our little family of four because we were able to let the kids make one just for them with some more kid friendly toppings, and then we made one for us with grilled chicken, sauteed onions and some cherry tomatoes. I think all in all, for the first try, it ended up pretty good, and we have been able to do different variations since! This recipe was a hit with all four of us (and even Shamus too because The Squishy dropped an entire piece of pizza on the floor which Shamus quickly snatched up). When the summer was rapidly coming to a close, we were trying to use our grill as much as possible so did this a few times! You could pretty much put anything on your homemade grilled pizza and although its not quiet as convenient as picking up the phone to order one, it certainly is much better for you! What toppings would you try?

Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

What You'll Need

• 1 cup water(heated to about 110 degrees)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 envelope (2/14 teaspoons) rapid-rise or instant yeast
• 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions
Preheat grill to 500 degrees.

Whisk water, sugar, oil, and yeast together in a small bowl. Allow yeast to proof for 5 minutes. It should puff up some by then.

Pulse flour, parmesan cheese, and salt in a food processor until combined. While running the food processor, slowly pour in the water mixture and process until a shaggy ball forms, about 1 minute.

Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and quickly knead dough a few times until it comes together. Halve the dough.

On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll dough into two  rounds about 11 inches in diameter. Brush each with a light coating of olive oil.

Place each on grill for about 3 minutes a side, enough to get the outer shell a little browned. Add your choice of sauce, cheese and toppings! Place back on the grill until cheese is totally melted and starting to brown on the sides.

Tasty Tuesday! Healthy Burrito Bowls (Great for PiYo & 21 Dax Fix Meal Plans)

It's Tasty Tuesday!

For this week's Tasty Tuesday we are doing one of our (definitely one of Wes's) favorite meals, healthy burrito bowls! This is usually one that everyone loves, so long we don't give Emma any rice!! We starting making our own spice mix to make it a more healthy option than a taco seasoning packet. The great thing about this recipe is that you can essentially tailor it to your liking. You can add chipotles in adobo sauce if you want it spicier, or you can make it with ground beef or turkey instead of steak or chicken. Listed below is the recipe, and really you can just make the servings that are appropriate for your family size. We generally make things in servings of 4, since that works for us!

This is a great meal for us to make because we each eat it slightly different. Wes likes his with more rice, less lettuce, and I like mine more as a salad (more lettuce, less rice). This is a great meal to use with the PiYo and the 21 Day Fix program! This is also a really easy meal to make as a clean version. When we have time, we substitute the canned black beans with dry beans, we make our own seasoning, use fresh salsa and it's a great clean meal!

Also, this is pretty close to the Chipotle Burrito Bowl but a healthier and quick version made at home!

Healthy Burrito Bowls

What You'll Need

• Mexican seasoning
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lean cut steak or chicken
• Black beans (1 can reduced sodium or dry black beans)
• Long grain brown rice
• Red onion
• Heart of romaine lettuce
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Avocado
• Fresh salsa
• Lime wedges
• Cilantro

Directions
Cut whatever meat you choose into cubes or bite size pieces. Chop red onion, tomatoes and romaine lettuce.

Prepare brown rice according to the package.Heat beans over medium low heat until warm. If you end up using the dry beans make sure you check the cooking instructions because they usually need to soak and cook for a while (this is a great thing to do on the weekend for a meal later in the week)!

Heat oil in a large saute pan on medium high heat. Add meat (steak or chicken) and reduce heat to medium. After 5 minutes, add Mexican seasoning and a 1/4 cup of water. Cook until water is mostly evaporated and thickened slightly.

While meat is cooking, slice avocado and lime. Chop cilantro.

Remove meat, beans and rice from heat. Serve in bowls (or if you are like us do it buffet style because there is less to clean up afterwards). Add rice, beans and meat. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion, and salsa. Squeeze lime wedge over top. Garnish with cilantro.

Tasty Tuesday: Healthy Mexican Lasagna w/Spinach

It's "Tasty Tuesday"! 

For this week's Tasty Tuesday we are talking about a new healthy Mexican Lasagna with Spinach that we tried out! As for how it went over with all four of us, both Wes and I were quite pleased! It had good flavor, was great for leftovers but I'm totally not going to lie. Emma wouldn't touch this with a ten foot pole (she completely refused dinner the night we had this) and Jack, well, he at least tried it and ate several bites of the ground turkey but that was about it. So maybe if your kids are a little more adventurous, or you have older kids, I think this would be a hit with them too. But not so much with our picky little eaters this go around. We are definitely going to give it another try though!

This is another recipe where you could really add whatever your family likes best. We actually didn't put in all the spinach that the recipe called for because frankly, it just seemed like a lot, and I think next time we might try chopping the spinach up into smaller pieces too. This would probably also be really good with zucchini or maybe some other veggies thrown in. What toppings would you try?

Healthy Mexican Lasagna w/Spinach

What You'll Need

• 10 6-inch corn tortillas
• 2 Cups of canned low-sodium black beans, rinshed
• 4 Cups of Healthy Tomato Sauce
• 1 1/2 Cups Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 Bag (10 oz) baby spinach leaves, rinsed
• 2 Cups Grilled Chicken, diced
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, rinsed, drained and chopped
• Nonstick Cooking Spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place two to three corn tortillas on the bottom, trimming as necessary for a good fit.

Add beans, 1 cup of the tomato sauce (we used Wes's homemade clean spaghetti sauce), and 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Top with two to three more corn tortillas. Then repeat! But in this second layer, add the spinach in between the sauce and the cheese. Then top with two more corn tortillas.

Add chicken and 1 more cup of the tomato sauce, then top with two more corn tortillas. For the top layer, add the last cup of tomato sauce, 1/2 cup cheese and chopped cilantro.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned and chicken is reheated. Let stand for 5 minutes, cut into eight even squares and voila!

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: (serving size is one square)
Calories: 304, Total Fat: 10 g, Sodium: 275 mg, Vitamin A: 80%, Total Fiber: 6 g, Protein: 23 g

Tasty Tuesday: Baked Pork Chops with Apple Cranberry Sauce

It's "Tasty Tuesday"!

We have been a little behind when it comes to our Tasty Tuesday recipes but today's is one of our new favorites! This comes from the same Healthy cookbook that our Healthy Turkey Meatloaf and Crunchy Chicken Fingers. This recipe has a very Thanksgiving-y feel too it, making it the perfect fall dinner. The orange and cranberries give it a sweet but tart (odd I know) taste. If you have picky eaters, you can give them the pork chop, with a side of applesauce and dried cranberries, which is what we did and both Emma and Jack loved it!

Baked Pork Chops with Apple Cranberry Sauce

What You'll Need For The Pork Chops:

• 4 boneless pork chops (about 3 oz each)
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 medium orange, rinsed, for 1/4 tsp zest (use a grater to take thin layer of skin off the orange; save the orange for garnish)
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil 

What You'll Need For The Sauce:

• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium apple, peeled and grated (about 1 cup) (use grater to make thin layers of apple)
• 1/2 cinnamon stick (or 1/8 ground cinammon)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup 100% orange juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and season your pork chops with pepper and orange zest.

In large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pork chops, and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn them over and brown the second side, an additional 2 minutes. Remove pork chops from the pan, place them on a nonstick baking sheet, and put in oven to cook for an additional 10 minutes (to a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees).

Add chicken broth to the saute pan and stir to loosen the flavorful brown bits. Bring to a boil, and then lower to a gentle simmer. Simmer for up to 10 minutes, or until the cranberries are plump and the apples are tender. Remove cinnamon stick.

Peel the orange used for the zest, and cut it into sections for garnish. Serve one pork chop with 1/4 cup of sauce and two orange segments.

Conquering My Fears - Beating October

So obviously my last post was something I wrote after a tough emotional day. And towards the end of September I had a lot of those types of days because I was so afraid of October, and everything that it represented. But one day, I just woke up and decided that cancer had taken enough from me already. It had already taken too many days away from my family. It had already taken too many happy moments away from me. So I decided that enough was enough and that instead of being afraid of October, I would use that fear, to conquer it. I decided that the only way to beat October, was to face it head on and face my fears. It's kind of like on those old talk shows where they would have someone on the show that was afraid of spiders, and then make them hold a tarantula. Yeah. Ummm...I wasn't about to hold a tarantula but same kind of thing. Work with me here. :)

So I decided to challenge myself during the first full week of October and choose 5 things I've was afraid to do, and do one thing each day that week. I purposely chose that specific week because it was the week before most of my big one year anniversaries. I figured this little exercise would either help me through that week or be a big fail, in which case I didn't want to have a big fail AND a tough week of all the one year anniversaries at the same time. Ha. I dubbed the week #fearlessforfive.

It didn't take very long to come up with my list of five things I had been afraid to do. What was harder to do was narrow it down to only five! I ended up making a last minute switch on the last day, but more on that to come.

Each day, I posted about my challenge and my accomplishment on my Facebook page. I had no idea what kind of response I would get. Honestly, I really didn't even think anyone would care. But after my first post, I knew I had stumbled onto something and the response was truly amazing.

Fearless for Five (Day 1): Filling Out My Genetic Testing Paperwork

I got this huge packet of papers the day I met with all the surgeons last October right after diagnosis. It was such an overwhelming day, completely like drinking from a fire hose. A fire hose that keeps smacking you in the face. The packet of papers were the forms required to start the process of genetic testing. I had been staring at these papers for a year. I had been so afraid to do this because if the results came back and show that I have the BRCA 2 gene mutation, it means automatic surgery to remove my ovaries. That gene mutation links breast cancer and ovarian cancer. It's just a surgery that I couldn't face yet. I was also afraid that if I have that gene mutation, what that would mean for my Emma Kathryn. Maybe it would mean that I passed that gene on to her, and she would have a higher risk of breast cancer in her life. That's a weight that I wasn't ready to hold on my shoulders yet. I was still just trying to figure out how to stand tall myself. 

So this was an easy decision for me to put first on the list of my #fearlessforfive challenge to myself. So before bed on day one, I sat down and filled out the paperwork and the next day it was sent in. Although I am still nervous about what the results might say, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted, just knowing that one thing is done! The overwhelming support that I got from my Facebook post was unbelievable.

Fearless for Five (Day 2): Heading to the Pumpkin Patch

After day one, I was thinking that my day 2 post would seem silly to most folks. But I stuck with it because it was a big deal to me, and something that I had been afraid of for months at this point.

Last year, the day after my diagnosis, October 15th, I went on Jack’s Pumpkin Patch field trip. That day was incredibly hard. I was crumbling on the inside. Crumbling. I was hiding behind my sunglasses the entire day. I was trying to talk in code to the surgeons after I got call after call trying to set up appointments, while Jack just wanted Mommy to come look at the animals and the pumpkin he picked out. Emma was actually there too, but decided she would rather go with her friend then Mommy. It was actually a big relief. In retrospect, going on the trip that day was probably the best thing that I could have done, but man was it tough.

This year, that same field trip to the same pumpkin patch was happening about the same time, and I was afraid to go. I was afraid of how it would make me feel. I was afraid to have to face those feelings all over again. But I decided that I was more afraid, of missing that time with my Squishy, and never being able to get it back. So on Day 2 of #fearlessforfive, I conquered my fear of the pumpkin patch and signed up to chaperone Jack’s field trip. The overwhelming support just continued. I was blown away. 


Fearless for Five (Day 3): Consultation for Reconstruction Surgery

Day 3 was all about conquering my fear of going back to where I was after surgery. My first surgery was pretty major. It was just 9 hours long and truly took me probably two months to really recover. I had been putting off contacting the hospital to schedule my reconstruction surgery because I was afraid to feel that pain again. I knew this surgery wouldn't be as bad, but that little voice in my head just kept telling me to put it off. The thought of going through surgery again, especially now that I was finally feeling like my health is back under my control, wasn’t fun. I didn’t want to have to go through it again, even if it’s not as bad as Round 1. I didn't want to have to tell Emma and Jack that I couldn’t pick them up for two months again. I didn't want to have to wait 6 or 8 weeks to start exercising again. I’ve finally found my rhythm and I wanted it to stay that way.

But I decided on day 3, that even if all those things happen, they are all only temporary. If I eventually bounced back from surgery and treatment the first time, I can bounce back from this, and probably even faster now that I’m in better shape than when I started. Nothing can match what I have been through already, and if I am ever TRULY going to move on with my life, I couldn’t keep having this hang over my head. So I stuck a fork in Day 3, and it was done! I made an appointment for my consultation with my plastic surgeon as the first step towards my follow up surgery. 

Fearless for Five (Day 4): Before and "After" Pictures

Day four is where my little switch-a-roo came. I was originally going to do this one on the last day, because to me it felt like the biggest. But I quickly started to second guess myself and I could feel myself starting to chicken out. So I knew that if I waited an extra day, I wouldn't do it because I was too afraid, and that's what this little challenge was all about right? So on day four, I posted my before and after pictures from our health journey so far. All of the fears that I’ve was trying to overcome that week felt so different for me. With this day though. I was not just trying to conquer the fear, but the shame of how I felt when I started our journey.

I normally would never have posted a picture like this of myself for all to see. In fact, I’ll pretty much posted it and then ran away from my phone so I couldn't see the responses. But ultimately I figured that if I was truly going to share my story and our journey, it needed to be with full disclosure. The good, the bad, the embarrassing, etc.

I think I actually called it a before and “during” picture because I’m certainly not done my journey, not by far. I let go of my fear of what people will think of me. I let go of the fear that at 34 years old my mom would probably still reprimand me for posting something like this. I let go of my fear of my coworkers seeing me like this. I let go of the fear of showing my imperfections. And before I knew it, day four was done! The positive comments, support, inspirational messages started pouring in. I woke up with the biggest, widest smile on my face the next morning. I couldn't thank everyone enough.

Fearless for Five (Day 5): The Hair

At this point in my little conquering my fear challenge, I was surprised at how much it was truly changing the way I looked at October and my fears in general. The past couple of days had taught me so much. I was so afraid to put myself out there, thinking that no one would even care. But people were sending me messages about how inspirational they thought I was, how they couldn't wait to see what I did next. I got stopped in the hallway. I got stopped at daycare. People were truly listening. They were truly caring. I quickly learned that social media isn’t about portraying your “perfect life” or just your “highlight reel”. It’s about sharing your true story, the ups and the downs. That’s what people relate to. That’s how you truly connect with people. 

Because of my little switch-a-roo the day before, I had what I felt like was an "easier" idea for my last day. But with feeling suck the unbelievable support, I was on cloud nine, and decided that I needed to go out with a bang. So I came up with a new fear to conquer, and it was all about the hair.

On January 27th, right after we got home from my second of four big treatments of the red devil, we buzzed my hair. After that point, I never posted a picture of myself without my hat or wig on until my hair started growing back after I was done treatment, like eight months later. I kept my profile picture from last year, a picture of me and the hubby, with my long flowing hair. At home, I pretty much never wore my hat, so Wes and the kids got pretty used to seeing me with no hair, even though I never really got used to it. Outside of my parents, there were very few other people that saw me like that.

On the tough days when I would get upset about the hair, people would try to reassure me that it wasn’t as bad as I thought. They would say that it was only hair and that it would grow back. They gave me scarves or hats. They said I didn’t need hair, that I looked beautiful without it. They told me what it might be like when it started to grow back. They always knew someone whose hair came back like this or like that. They would call be brave, or strong. And I appreciated everything they were saying, because I know how hard it is to react to something like that. They were just trying to help, trying to make me feel better.

But most days, I just wanted to reply “None of that matters. It just sucks. Like big time.” No matter what they said, the hair just always mattered. And it wasn’t just the hair on my head. It was my eyebrows, my eye lashes, everything. It mattered to me. It mattered to the kids, even if they didn't say it outright. Emma would always draw pictures of Mommy “when Mommy had long hair”.

Sure, there were some perks. But the perks never came close to how much it mattered. When your nose hair falls out your nose runs constantly. It’s embarrassing. No one tells you about those kinds of things. They give you a window of when they think your hair might start to fall out, and every day, every.single.day, you wait for it. You pull on your hair to see if today is the day. Then one day you just know that it’s starting. For me, it was the day I did my 2nd treatment. I was sitting in the chair, just pulling out strands with my mom watching. I couldn’t wait to get home and buzz it off, because I couldn’t sit back and just wait for it any longer.

One of the hardest things about losing your hair, is that it takes away your ability to fly under the radar on the days where you just want to be “normal”. There were days where I ran to target to get a gift, and I just didn’t want anyone to know. There were days when just Emma and I went to breakfast, and I couldn’t help but see the stares from across the room. Some days you just want to hide, and losing your hair takes your ability to hide away from you.

I don’t have many pictures of myself without my hat on, but for some reason we decided to snap a few shots the day we buzzed it. And I'm glad we did. I only took one picture when it completely fell out, to show my oncologist the allergic reaction that I was having on my face from my Taxol treatments. I never wanted to show anyone this picture.

But my #fearlessforfive challenge had given me the confidence to put it all out there. To truly show ME. To show that no matter how much the hair mattered, I could still conquer those feelings. I could conquer the shame and fear. I may not have had the confidence to do this while it was happening, but after this challenge, I was ready. So for my day five challenge, I showed my true self, on my darkest of days.

So there it was. I was done my challenge and I felt amazing. It has truly changed the way I look at the things that I am afraid to do. Are there still things that I am afraid of? You bet. But am I going to wait a year now to conquer them? Nope.

And you know what the most amazing part of all of this was? The fact that I was so afraid of October, this year, and the majority of the biggest days that I was afraid of, came and went. On most of those days, I didn't even think about what day it was until late that evening. 

I truly conquered October. And maybe even inspired a few people along the way.