You've probably heard of overnight oats before and you may have already tried them and loved them.  But I'm late to the bandwagon and just realized how amazing they are.  I had tried overnight oats a few months ago and didn't like the texture, so I had written them off as not being for me.  And then I found steel cut oats and fell in love with them.  I decided to give overnight oats one more shot and I'm so glad I did because they were amazing!  So here are some recipes that I'll be trying over the next few days.

Here's the recipe from Dashing Dish for Strawberry Shortcake Overnight Oats.

Here are two recipes that I found on Fit Foodie Finds

And here are a couple of other recipes from Amy's Healthy Baking and Food Done Light.

Let me know in the comments if you have any other recipes for overnight oats that you would recommend.

Due to the fact that I've been a vegetarian for 13 years you were probably surprised to see that I am posting a recipe for pork chops...am I right?  Well that's because I am going to modify the recipe by using "Chik'n" cutlets instead of actual pork chops.  I will still post the actual ingredients and the instructions used to cook real pork chops, but for my own purposes I will be using fake chicken.  

Surprisingly, I didn't find this recipe on Pinterest.  Shocker, I know!  I saw a picture on Instagram that looked absolutely delicious and the person who posted it indicated that they had found the recipe through a site called The Pioneer Woman.  I immediately went to the site and found the recipe because I knew I had to make it for myself.  Not only is the website full of amazingly delicious recipes, I also really enjoyed the "voice" of the author, whose name is Ree.  So here's a link to the original site so you can check it out for yourself.  

And here is the recipe that I am so excited to make for myself.  {As a side note, the person who posted the recipe on Instagram commented that she cuts down the soy sauce because the first time she made the recipe it was too salty.  So take that how you will and adjust according to your own tastes.}

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 whole Pineapple, Cut Into Spears And Skewered
• 2 cups White Or Brown Rice, Cooked
• 6 whole Pork Chops
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut Oil Or Canola Oil
• 1 whole Large Onion, Sliced
• 6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (more To Taste, Or If More Liquid Is Needed)
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha, Or Other Hot Sauce
•  Salt To Taste
• 3 cloves Minced Garlic
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 jar (small) Drained Pimentos
• 1-1/2 cup Frozen Peas
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (additional)

Instructions:

Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Grill or saute pineapple spears until they have good marks/color on the outside. Slice, then set aside. 

(Note: soak wooden skewers in water for a few hours first.)

Heat butter and oil over medium high heat, then add the pork chops to the pan. Saute on both sides until they have nice color. 

Throw in the sliced onions and work them into the crevices between the chops. Shake the pan and move the onions around and let them cook for a good couple of minutes. 

When the onions are starting to soften, add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, and hot sauce. Shake the pan, stir it around, and let it cook and bubble up for a good couple of minutes until the pork chops are completely cooked and the sauce is thicker. Remove the pork chops to a bowl, then let the sauce bubble up and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Pour it over the pork chops. Set aside.

Add a small amount of oil to the same pan (without cleaning it) and return it to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir it around, then crack in the eggs and immediately stir them to scramble them a bit. Add peas, pimentos, and a couple of tablespoons (additional) soy sauce. Add cooked rice and stir it around to cook for a couple of minutes.

To serve, pile rice on a plate, then top with a pork chops and onions from the sauce. Drizzle a little bit of sauce over the top.

Doesn't this look amazing?  I am so excited to make this and I hope it tastes even half as good as it looks!

I decided to start counting the weeks of my 21 Day Fix transformation instead of days because it was getting too hard to keep track of which day I was on!  So today is the beginning of my 6th week doing the 21 Day Fix.  Instead of doing this round on my own, I have decided to join a challenge group.  I will continue to blog the whole way through this round so that you can follow me and find out what it's like to be a part of this type of group.

Since you might not know what a challenge group is, I wanted to spend some time today explaining their purpose so that you understand what I am doing and how this is affecting my weight loss transformation.  Basically, I am in a group on Facebook where I am working with other people who are also trying to lose weight and get healthy.  The  accountability part comes in because you usually do a daily check-in where you rate your workout and your nutrition for the day.  

To me, the best part about being in a challenge group is that I am not alone in this journey.  It gives me a place to go where I can talk about what I'm going through (good or bad) and get advice, support, and motivation from the other people in the group.  Sounds nice, right?  

It gets even better because the challenge group is totally free as long as you already have a Beachbody fitness program and are on a home direct order of Shakeology.  If you've already invested in these things, you might as well connect with other people who are on the same wavelength as you, right?

In order to give a sneak peak into what a full 21-day challenge group looks like, I am going to be hosting my own free 5-day clean eating group, starting on December 7,  You don't need to have purchased anything from Beachbody to join this group, so let me know in the comments below if you are interested and I will reach out to you so we can talk about your goals.  You can also sign up here: Beside Beth Clean Eating Group.

This past weekend I was looking for a healthy and delicious recipe for a special breakfast.  I remembered seeing an Instagram post the previous week with a recipe for a breakfast bake that I had wanted to try out.  Yes, you heard that right.  I actually found a new recipe somewhere other than Pinterest!  Shocking, I know...

I already had all of the ingredients, so I decided to go ahead and make it.  I had heard that you could also cook the dough in the microwave for 2 minutes, but for my first try I wanted to follow the recipe exactly the way it was written and use the oven.  It turned out fantastic and was so tasty & filling.  I liked it so much that the next day I made the brownie batter breakfast bake from the same website.  

Here is the link to access the original post from Running With Spoons in case you want to see her other recipes.  And here is the Oatmeal Cookie Dough Breakfast Bake  recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. almond butter (or other nut butter)
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tsp. maple syrup
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup rolled oats
• 2 Tbsp. almond meal*
• 1 Tbsp. chocolate chips**

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a small ramekin or oven-safe dish. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine almond butter, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Mix well until fully combined. Add oats and almond meal, stirring until you're left with a sticky dough. Mix in chocolate chips.
3. Transfer dough to your greased ramekin, topping with a few extra chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sea salt if desired. Bake for 18-20 minutes, depending on desired consistency.

Notes:
* If you don't have almond meal, you can replace it with an equal amount of oat flour. To make oat flour, simply grind rolled oats in a food processor or blender until they reach a floury consistency.
** Feel free to sub with raisins or nuts for some added nutrition.

Let me know in the comments below if you try this recipe and whether you think it is delicious!

Have you ever noticed how slowly time seems to go when you're counting days? Whether you are counting down to something exciting or you are keeping track of how many days you have done something, either way time seems to drag.  Doesn't it?  

I was thinking of this last night because I was getting down on myself for not being able to see results in the mirror from doing the 21 Day Fix.  Then I realized...I've only been doing this for 11 days!  Of course I don't see results yet!!  

​Realistically, anything having to do with weight loss is going to take some time before you can tell a difference in the mirror, no matter how extreme it is.  Here's a quote I found on Pinterest that helps me keep things in perspective:

That seems about right, doesn't it?  So although it feels like I've been eating healthy and working out for a long time, I still haven't hit that 4 week mark where I see it.  I do, however, already feel some changes in my body.  I can tell that my muscles are starting to come back and my flexibility is also getting better every day.

Speaking of results, what I wanted to talk to you about today is something I don't think I've mentioned yet, and that is the part about me drinking Shakeology every day.  I started the same day I began using the containers and have definitely noticed a big difference in my appetite and my cravings.  In case you haven't heard of it, Shakeology is basically a super food meal replacement shake that provides you all of the nutrients you're probably missing from your diet.

I will admit, I was a little skeptical about the taste of Shakeology before I got my package, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tastes.  I especially love the chocolate flavor.  It might sound crazy, but I actually look forward to drinking it every day because it tastes so good.  The other nice part is that there are so many different ways to prepare it.  Here are some of my favorites:

• Tropical: strawberry with frozen pineapple and banana
• Mocha: chocolate with chilled coffee
• Pumpkin Pie: vanilla with pumpkin filling
• Peanut Butter Banana: chocolate with frozen banana and peanut butter

And there are so many more options...it's crazy!  You can also order the Shakeology to come in packets, which makes it nice and easy to take with you either to work or when you're traveling.  The 21 Day Fix comes with a shaker bottle (in the picture above), so you can take that with you and add water to any of the flavors for a quick and healthy meal.

So that's my update for halfway through my second week on the 21 Day Fix.  I'll post another update at the 14 day week mark so you can see how I've done after a full two weeks.  As always, if you have any questions please leave them in the comments below and I'll do my best to answer them!

Ever since starting the 21 Day Fix I have been searching high and low for vegetarian protein sources.  I used to always rely on fake chicken breasts in order to customize recipes, but I haven't been able to find them lately.  

​So instead, I went out on a limb and bought some vegetarian kielbasa the other day.  I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to prepare them or if I'd be able to find a healthy recipe to use them in, but I figured I might as well give it a shot.

Thankfully, Pinterest came through once again and I found a clean eating recipe for a healthy hash made with kielbasa, pepper, onion, and potatoes.  The recipe is from a site called The Two Bite Club.  You can follow this link to see the original post and the amazing photographs.  

Here are the quick & easy instructions on how to make it.

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 ounce) package turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow, red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 small or 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. In a heavy bottomed skillet (I like to use my cast iron), heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the potatoes to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, around 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even browning.   
2. In a separate skillet, brown the sliced kielbasa for around 5 minutes in 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat.  Remove the kielbasa from the pan and set aside.  Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.  
3. Add the cooked potatoes and kielbasa to the skillet with the onions and peppers and mix everything together.  Serve nice and hot!

Notes

• I use two skillets to make this recipe.  I used to make it in one, but something always came out wrong.  I've learned that when I cook my potatoes in a separate skillet they cook more evenly and stay nice and crispy when they're added to the other ingredients right before serving.
• Sometimes I'll add some minced garlic to the peppers and onions, but it tastes just as good without it.
• Source: The Two Bite Club

So that's what I ate earlier this week.  It made a lot of food, so I had leftovers for a few days.  For the 21 Day Fix I counted a serving as 2 red containers, 1 green container, and 1 yellow container.

I hope you give this recipe a try.  If you do, let me know in the comments below if you liked it!

I don't know about you guys, but I absolutely love crepes.  To me, they're much better than pancakes and I love that you can customize them however you like with all sorts of different fillings.  Unfortunately, traditional crepes are not very healthy, so I was ecstatic when I found a recipe for clean eating crepes.  

Here's the simple & delicious recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 tbsp. almond milk

​Directions:

1. Spray a non-stick pan and pre-heat.
2. Blend ingredients together in a blender.
3. Pour about 1/2 to 1/3 of the batter into the pre-heated pan.  Swirl the pan around to get the batter nice and thin.
4. Watch closely, because the crepe will cook quickly.  Once you see bubbles and the edges look firm, flip the crepe over.  The second side will cook even faster, so only leave it on for about 30 seconds.
5. Repeat with the rest of the batter.  You should end up with 2 large crepes or 3 smaller ones.
6. Fill the crepes however you'd like.  Peanut butter is a nice option or you can also do Greek yogurt and fruit.

And that's it!  They're so easy and taste good even though they're surprisingly healthy for you.  Let me know in the comments below if you make these and what you decide to fill them with!

If you follow me on Instagram (@besidebeth), you've probably noticed that my posts have been trending towards working out and eating healthy.  Hopefully you're not sick of me already because I'll be continuing with those types of posts as I follow my journey towards losing weight and getting healthier.  

You might be asking yourself, "Didn't she just do one of those programs a few months ago?  What ever happened to that one?"  And yes, it's true.  I have started and stopped a number of different programs in the past.  Like most people, weight loss has been a challenge for me for a long time.  So of course I've tried everything I can do to make it work.  

What's different this time around is that I'm also starting to work on becoming a happier, healthier person on the inside.  I'm working on personal development every day in hopes that I can get one step closer each day to being happy, healthy, and confident.  It's not going to happen overnight, but I am going to stick to it and try my very best to share my experience along the way.

My plan is to use this blog as a way to share healthy recipes, weight loss tips & tricks, and lots of personal development ideas.  I'll be continuing on with my Something For Yourself series so that you can learn something new about how to take care of your own wellbeing, whether that be spiritual, physical, or any other way you take care of yourself.

So now that you've heard about my plan, I'll share a healthy recipe with you that I just tried for the first time.  I was skeptical about making a recipe with brown rice because I've never liked it in the past, but amazingly I loved this recipe.  I don't know if it's the type of rice I bought (which was Safeway brand long grain brown rice) or if it was the other ingredients, but whatever it was, I loved it!

No surprise, I found this recipe on Pinterest, just like most of the other recipes I make, but it's originally from a site called Skinny Ms.  Check out their site for the original post.

Mexican Rice
​
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small sweet onion, diced 
• 1 cup long grain brown rice (recommend Uncle Ben's Long Grain Brown Rice - not the quick or instant kind)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Kosher or sea salt to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petit diced tomatoes
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles (optional)
• 2 cups vegetable broth, low sodium (optional, chicken broth)

​Directions
In a large skillet or sauce pan add oil, turn to medium-low heat and saute onion until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute one additional minute. Add remaining ingredients, cover, reduce heat and simmer on low for approximately 45 minutes or until rice has soaked up the liquid and is tender. 

NOTE: The time it takes to cook the rice will depend on the brand. Some brands take 35 minutes, while others take up to an hour. We prefer Uncle Ben's Long Grain Rice because it is tender in approximately 35-45 minutes. 
​
Remove from heat, leave covered and allow to set 10 minutes before serving.

I hope you make this recipe and tell me if you like it in the comments!

Margaritas are one of my favorite drinks.  I used to buy the big jug of Jose Cuervo margarita mix and blend it with ice and tequila to make frozen margaritas.  But recently I found a new way of making margaritas that I think is even better.  Here is an agave margarita recipe I found on Bon Appetit's website.

Agave Margarita

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 2 lime slices or wedges
• ¼ cup tequila blanco
• 1 tablespoon agave syrup (nectar) 
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

Instructions:

• Pour some kosher salt into a small dish. Rub 1 lime slice over half the rim of an Old Fashioned glass (if you prefer your Margarita on the rocks) or a coupe glass (if you prefer it up). Dip rim of glass into salt. 
  
• Combine tequila, agave syrup, and juice in a cocktail shaker; fill with ice and shake well. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with second lime slice.

Servings: makes 1 drink

Let me know in the comments if you make this recipe and whether or not you liked it.  I would also like to know your favorite summer cocktail.

If you love eating raw cookie dough but don't like the idea of eating uncooked eggs, you will love this recipe!  It tastes just as good as cookie dough from the store but doesn't have any raw eggs in it to potentially make you sick.  I found this recipe through Pinterest on a blog called Fun Foods On a Budget.  Click here to see the original posting.

Egg-Less Cookie Dough

Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
Pinch salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla and milk. Mix in the flour, salt, and chocolate chips until well blended. Chill in the refrigerator.

Let me know in the comments if you make this recipe and whether or not you like it!