My Hectic yet Healthy Life {Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe } #Greenling

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

Once again, actually make that twice again, Greenling has saved dinner this week and kept me from hauling the kids through the drive through. Oodles of work obligations in addition to all of our sports and extra-curricular schedules have kept us busier than a cat in a bag with two dogs. Or, as a friend likes to put it, keeping up with the Fishers is like trying to take only a sip of water out of a fire hose. I guess we’re an all-over-the-place, in-your-face, deluge of doers, but I’ll take this super-charged, super-eventful season of my life over being bored any day.

I made Chicken Cacciatore in 5 minutes — kinda, sorta!

But all this activity makes getting dinner prepared more difficult. It requires advance planning and stopping by the store, which sometimes – to be honest – is not how I want to spend my few free minutes of the day. Enter Greenling.com, an organic and locally-sourced produce and grocery service that offers free delivery right to your doorstep (in coolers so you don’t even have to be home). I love the idea of feeding my family foods grown by mom and pop farms right here in the Central Texas area – and saving the time, hassle and gas money of going to the market.

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - local box

Local Box from Greeling.com changes every week depending on what’s in season at nearby organic farms.

I’ve ordered their local box of organic produce and it was fabulous – delivered right to my door step and with a card of recipe ideas (thank goodness, because I had no idea what to do with turnips). Knowing how busy we were this week, I picked a family-sized meal from their wide selection of recipe kits. They have a nice assortment of healthy, family-friendly options including Beef Tacos, Slow Cooker Lasagna and Sesame Chicken. While Asian Lettuce Wraps and the Kale Portobello Stuffed Mushrooms have been tried-and-true winners, I decided to go for something new and settled on Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore featuring cremini mushrooms, squash, tomato and peppers and fresh, locally-made linguine pasta.

My recipe kit from Greenling.com included already-prepped ingredients for Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore!

Literally, it took five minutes for me to take the lids off these pre-prepped vegetables, spices and sauce and get it going in the crock pot. Soon after, I left for a trip to the gym, school pick-ups, dentist appointments and football practice. The kids were starving by the time we walked in the door, we could smell the yumminess and all I had left to do was boil the fresh pasta noodles that were included with the recipe kit.

Chicken Cacciatore cooking for four hours in crockpot while I’m out having fun!

I would have paired the Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore with the large grab-and-go Kale Waldorf Salad I ordered, but oops – we ate that two nights ago when we unexpectedly scored tickets to a college football game and had to come up with dinner in a snap. Instead of serving the salad as a side dish, I added some feta cheese crumbles, a little more lettuce to stretch it, and some pre-grilled chicken I had in the freezer. Literally, it was a meal made in 3 minutes!

Are you ready to fire up your slow cooker and make meals while you’re out doing things that are much more fun – like running, CrossFitting and watching your kids play football or toot a trombone? Check out Greenling.com and order a recipe kit – they have locations in all the big Texas cities. If you’re not from ’round these parts, so sorry. But, I’ve rattled off my interpretation of the recipe below – it’s still easy to make, there’s just a lot more chopping!

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 lb organic chicken breast
4 cups squash (zucchini, summer or a mix), cut in ½” chunks
2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 small cans tomato paste
12 ounces chicken stock
1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more if you like spicy)
12 oz fresh pasta of choice

Place onion in the bottom of a large (6 quart) slow cooker; lay chicken on top of onion and then toss in squash and mushrooms.

In a mixing bowl, add chicken stock. Add in tomato paste, bell pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and stir until blended. Pour tomato mixture over chicken and vegetables in slow cooker.

Set the slow cooker to high and cook 3-4 hours until chicken pulls apart easily with a fork.

Before serving, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a medium pot over high heat. Add pasta and cook to manufacturer’s directions.

Drain pasta and serve chicken cacciatore over pasta.

Serves 6.

Time for Socks Talk & Why Everyone’s Doing It + #Swiftwick #Giveaway

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

What do you think about compression socks? Personally, I love them and wear them for both racing and recovery.

Compression socks for the win at CASA Superhero 5k this weekend!

So, what is the science that supports wearing compression socks? There are several theories that explain just how wearing these snug, knee-high socks may help an athlete extend endurance and reach peak performance. The main theory is that the graduated compression of these socks creates better circulation (eg: oxygen delivery) between the lower legs and heart. This improved venous capacity will, in turn, help a runner reach peak performance during a race and recover from muscle damage more quickly. Another notion is that muscle fatigue can be reduced by providing a snug hug of stability that lessens the intensity of lower leg muscle and tendon vibrations that occur each time the foot strikes the ground. And, there is also talk that wearing compression socks may also increase leg power by reducing lower leg fatigue, as just mentioned, and increasing proprioception. Proprioception is just a fancy word for explaining how your mind senses its arms, legs and other body parts during movement and sends out messages to make (hopefully) helpful adjustments for future movements.

So, is there any truth to these claims about compression socks? I’m certainly not a scientist and there always seems to be some study or another that rebukes what another one just said. But, that being said, what I lack in science skills, I more than make up for in social studies and, from what I’ve observed, plenty of runners have found some benefit from compression socks. Just go to the start line of a race and take a look around; compression socks are being sported in prolific abundance on the legs of Olympic elite types to the back-of-the-packers. Personally, I’ve found that when I have to do my speed work on the treadmill (which is more often than I’d like), I notice a huge difference in the way I feel the next day if I am not wearing compression socks. Without, my legs feel completely trashed and it takes an extra day to recover. The correlation is significant enough that I don’t like to take any chances, that’s why I wear compression socks during races as well. The only negative experience I’ve had was during a 50 mile race. Although I had plenty of room in the toe box of my shoes to accommodate swelling feet, the compression socks didn’t want to “give” enough. Repeatedly, I would stop, take of my shoes and pull the sock forward – in the end I lost several toe nails. However, this has not ever been the case wearing compression socks in a marathon. Actually, the toe nail fiasco was partially my fault, since I didn’t test out any of my gear ahead of time for that distance. You see, that’s because I ran the 50 mile race on a complete whim, deciding while on course to finish the race after pacing a friend through the first half (you can read about that craziness here).

Here are some other reasons I like compression socks:

Mental edge: Whether the science behind them is valid or not, compression socks have become a must-have part of my race-ready routine. Just like my lucky ladybug earrings, I feel much more in control and ready to conquer when I am wearing a pair of compression socks.

Warmth: I get cold easily, yet refuse to race in running tights or capris. Knee-high compression socks give me a little extra layer of warmth at the starting line.

Fashion: Sorry if I lose the guys here, but compression socks are so much cuter than they used to be. Forget about orthopedic white ones, they are boring and get dirty too fast. I’m all for bright colors, stripes and sporty designs on my compression socks.

Protection: I have been known to throw down some epic falls while running, and not just on the trail where you might expect it. Compression sock coverage means fewer square inches of my body will get road burned the next time I wipe out. Plus, when CrossFitting, I’m ready to dead lift or rope clip at a second’s notice. Yeah, that’s me doing CrossFit Games Open WOD 13.2 in a pair of white Swiftwicks!

While running Hood to Coast Relay this year and last, the official sock sponsor for our team was Swiftwick. This brand has a full line of sock options to meet a runner’s compression, thermal and wicking needs. Aside from the obvious performance of this company’s socks, there are a couple of other things I love about this brand – it’s completely made in the USA and the prices are really reasonable (only about $25 for knee-high compression socks – that’s a deal!).

Some teammates sporting their cute pink-striped “twelves” compression socks by Swiftwick. Not wearing mine yet because my first leg wasn’t for 12 more hours!

Not all of Swiftwick’s compression socks are knee-highs, in fact most come in traditional lengths. But they are ALL compression socks in the fact that these socks are designed to compress at the foot and move blood flow upward. Another perk, if you have high arches (like me) is that the snug fit provides excellent support right where you need it most.

I’m excited to share the Swiftwick love by giving away a $25 Swiftwick gift card code so that one of you lucky runners can try out a pair (or two) and discover all the benefits for yourself. Just follow the easy entry options below!

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Winning Gridiron Grub | Ranch Cornbread Sliders & Crunchy Veggie Salad

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

It’s football season; my inquiring mind wants to know just exactly who are you rooting for this weekend? I’ll be in the stands cheering on my little Jr. Pee-Wee football player and then later on, we’ll head out for the varsity high school game. And, no Saturday would be complete without flipping on the big screen to catch the ole Alma matter hit the turf – too bad we can’t be there in person, it’s going to be a great game! Whether your team wins or loses, you’ll score big taste with this awesome recipe I developed for Litehouse Foods – Homestyle Ranch Cornbread Sliders with Crunch Veggie Cups. Touchdown!

Made especially with a tailgate party in mind, these savory cornbread muffins have been kicked up with thick, creamy ranch dip and Lighthouse Food’s Instantly Fresh Herbs. I really can’t describe in words just how marvelous and moist they bake up. Slice in half, toss in some lean protein of choice and you’ve got yourself some good grub for the gridiron. To round out the meal, I’m suggesting a build-your-own raw veggie salad that is assembled right in plastic party cups (pure genius if you ask me because there is no clean-up and guests can eat and mingle around at the same time). I used a rainbow slaw with broccoli, carrots and other veggies and set out an assortment of cheese crumbles, nuts and salad dressings. Potato chips seem to be standard fare but I also think that my homemade Spicy Sweet Potato Chips would be an excellent substitution.

Check out the Living Litehouse blog for all the delicious details and the full versions of all these easy-to-tackle recipes.

So, what do you like to eat at a tailgate party? Do you try to be mindful of eating fit and healthy foods or do you indulge and vow to work it off later? Let me know in the comments below.

Muffin Mania | Multi-Grain Peanut Butter Banana Muffin Recipe

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

It’s midnight muffin-making mania! Once again, I have stayed up way to late, but this time it is for the sake of having a healthy breakfast in the morning – after all, it’s still Better Breakfast Month! Two of my kids take a brown-bag breakfast to school to eat after sports practice. I often feel bad that they’re missing a hot meal at home (yes, I often scramble eggs, but that’s all I’m capable of at 5:45 in the morning). I feel even worse when I send them off with a meal where everything comes out of a wrapper – the protein bar, the fruit bar, the juice pouch and so on. New rule, only ONE wrapper per meal!

For this super yummy Multi-Grain Peanut Butter Banana Muffins, I tweaked a few recipes to make a new and improved muffin experience. In terms of baking concepts, I cut some of the oil and replaced it with a natural peanut butter – you could use any nut butter you like. I reduced a great deal of the white processed flour by substituting in whole wheat flour, bran cereal and flax seed. There’s a whole lot of whole-grainy goodness going on in these morning, afternoon and night muffins. Another muffin recipe of mine you should try is the Berry Cheesecake Power Muffins, it has a totally different consistency (yet amazing taste) while these muffins today have a traditional texture.

If you haven’t put flax seed into baked goods before, you really should. There are three healthy benefits from sneaking a little flax seed into this muffin recipe. First, it adds extra fiber to the muffins, each tablespoon of flax seed has 8 grams of fiber. Second, flax seed is a plant-based source for omega-3, an essential fatty acid that provides and anti-inflammatory role in the body. Third, flax seed contains lignans, a compound that helps our body metabolize estrogen in a safer way. Studies have shown that consuming lignin may reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer. Remember to use your flax seed in a ground state, that’s how you reap all the nutritional benefits.

I also have two cooking tips to share for this recipe. First, I used a little in-a-pinch baking solution my grandmother taught me. A great substitution for buttermilk (which is so good in most muffin recipe but always ends up going bad in the fridge because who really uses it for anything else), is to sour your regular milk (even low-fat milk) by adding 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for a few minutes to get to the right consistency. The other tip is new to me tonight – and that is to spray muffin papers with cooking spray before pouring in the batter. This seemed like a weird thing to do, but I gave it a try – wow, the muffins didn’t stick at all inside the baking liners.

Next up in my Better Breakfast Month rotation, one of the quick and easy recipes from the gallery of Cooking Light’s Grab and Go Quick Breakfast ideas. Fig, Applesauce and Almond Loaf (below) immediately caught my eye , but there are tons of other speedy and satisfying recipes on the site that will help make mornings easier.

Multi-Grain Peanut Butter Banana Muffins Recipe

Non-stick cooking spray
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup natural style peanut butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup bran cereal
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt

For Streusel Topping:

¼ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Line muffin cups with paper baking cups and lightly spray with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine oil and peanut butter together with a whisk or electric mixer. Add brown sugar, stirring until combined. Next add egg, cereal, mashed banana, Greek yogurt, and vanilla, stir until just combined (will be a bit lumpy).

In non-reactive small bowl, add milk and vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes to sour, will look slightly curdled. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, flaxseed meal, and nutmeg. Stir this dry mixture into wet mixture alternating with soured milk. Repeat until ingredients are combined, but not over-mixed. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups approximately two-thirds full.

In medium bowl, add streusel ingredients. Mix together until combined but crumbly. Sprinkle streusel on top of muffin batter.

Bake in 375 F degree oven for approximately 20 – 22 minutes or until top lightly browned and toothpick pulls clean when inserted into the middle.

Cool on wire rack.

Makes 20 muffins.

Healthy Snack Solutions + SunRype Fruit Strips #Giveaway

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

School is back in session for the kids and extra-curricular activities are in full swing. Let’s see, we’ve got cross country (two different teams), Pop Warner football, band, robotics team, extreme performance percussion team, Boy Scouts, National Honor Society and school play practices. I’m surely forgetting something. It takes a lot of food to keep the tanks of this crew topped off and ready to roll, and quality snacks become ever so important this time of year when our dinner is often delayed for hours. Plus, I won’t lie; with marathon training and CrossFit workouts, I’m an all-day grazer, so I like to have nutritious snacks on hand so I’m not tempted to pig out on junk food. While some people say “out of sight, out of mind,” I say “out of sight, out of mouth” – I still dream about my chocolate M&Ms.

Veggies always make a great snack. Loaded with vitamins, minerals and micronutrients, plus many of my favorite raw vegetables like mini carrots, sugar snap peas and cucumbers have such a satisfying crunch. One thing I’ve noticed about getting my kids to eat vegetables for a (gasp) snack is the presentation. I’ve had lots of luck getting them to munch on mini salads by making easy-to-grab veggie cups that have a little dollop of ranch dip at the bottom. If you want some other ideas, I did a fun post on this for Litehouse Living on mini veggie cups.

Who doesn’t love popcorn as a snack? The average American eats more than 50 quarts of it a year and I know that I can’t pass up a bowlful once I smell it popping. As an alternative to store-bought microwave popcorn which is packaged with congealed transfats, sodium and chemicals, I like to microwave mine in a brown paper bag, plain and simple! It couldn’t be easier or healthier; most people are surprised to find out this can be done without fats or oils. For a special treat, my recipe for Caramel Almond Popcorn with Coconut Oil and Honey is fun to pack in backpacks or for movie night – and it’s even acceptable to most of my Paleo diet peeps!

Out of necessity, other snacks have to be grab-and-go – I like to call these types of “fast” foods either purse snacks or car snacks! Beef jerky has always been a popular with my family, now we have a new reason to love it even more. Recently at the TriRock Expo I bumped into the Austin rep for Krave Jerky and he hooked me up with some of their gourmet jerky – previously, I had only tried the Sweet Chipotle Beef Jerky but found out this Sonoma-based company has lots of other flavors profiles I love like Black Cherry Barbeque Pork and Basil Citrus Turkey Jerky. Not at all like gnawing on an old boot, as is the case with some jerky; low and slow braising is Krave’s secret to its super-tender texture. I’m a #Kraver!

One of my longtime favorite take-along snacks is SunRype Fruit Strips – they are fruit leathers made with only 100% natural fruit ingredients and no preservatives or artificial colors at all. This season debuted new fun flavors that the kids will love as much as you – Raspberry and Strawberry Watermelon.I also use them as fuel while running — they have 50 calories each, 12 grams of clean carbs and are easy to carry on the course. By the way, for full disclosure, I am an ambassador for .SunRype but would totally eat this nutritious, delicious snack even if I wasn’t. Whoohoo, I think I feel like giving one of y’all a case of SunRype Fruit Strips this week – just check out the giveaway instructions below.

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