Malissa's Crack Chicken

Over the past 4 years of working for Venus Index / Venus Factor, I have gotten to know a lot of our clients both in person and online, and am honored to call many of them personal friends. We are all women who are driven and share a mutual love of lifting and nutrition. So when one of my Venus girls shares a recipe, I usually have to try it. We tend to like the same things, remember?

My beautiful friend Malissa 

That is the case with this recipe. My sweet friend Malissa shared it on her instagram account, and we have featured it in several posts on our Venus social media as well. Malissa has the best sense of humor and loves to eat all the things like me ;) we both have busy husbands, kids, and dogs running around. It is only a matter of time before we finally get to meet in person!

Speaking of Venus friends, Coach Jenny recommended that I try this Kodiak Cakes protein pancake mix a few weeks ago. Then another one of my Venus girls, Rhonda, shared about it on her social media too. So I finally got my giant 4.5 lbs box of @kodiakcakes in! The kidlets and hubby were super impressed, tasted like IHOP pancakes! We tried all 3 recipe variations and our favorite was just the mix with water. I heated up 1/2 cups of frozen mixed berries and drizzled 1 tbsp PB2 over mine, with 1 slice of Wrights bacon. All for 293 cals! Excited to make waffles and pizza crust next!

8 weeks out from my next shoot, so practicing a pose instead of flexing haha! I have been lifting 4-5 days a week along with some airbike intervals on the gym front. Going on long distance runs 2-3 days per week. Of course, hitting my calorie and protein goals are paramount and my number one concern, as is good sleep.


So Malissa's recipe was just the thing to hit my nutrition and protein goals. And I knew I had to try it! My family was super impressed. We have only made 1 variation so far, but planning on trying the others soon! It stores well for a few days, I think it actually might get better! We enjoyed it in quesadillas and as salad topping too, very versatile!

Malissa's Crack Chicken

Ingredients:
6 large chicken breasts
1 block of cream cheese
2 packets of taco seasoning (or 2x1/4 cup bulk taco seasoning)

Instructions:
Chicken breast, cream cheese and 1st packet baked (covered) at 425 for 45. Take out cut up chicken and put in 2nd packet. Place back in oven at 275 for 2 hours shred and serve. (I also tried it in the crockpot with good success. Cooked on high 4 hours, shredded, then added remaining taco seasoning.)

Nutrition facts are per ounce

Other Crack Chicken Variations From Malissa

Tonight we decided to spin a little Italian flare on the #crackchicken some went for the roll, some went for the noodles. I chose the zoodles with some @mias_kitchen bistro marinara my absolute favorite #thesauceisthebestpart

(This is the original variation) Crack chicken I saw this on a tasty video so easy, so good, and great on protein. The calorie and macro info is per serving I got 12 servings out of 6 chicken breasts

When you have multi-purpose chicken you must put it to good use ;)

Thanks for the recipe sweet friend!

Pizza Chicken

I ran across this idea the other day on Pinterest and thought to myself how clever it was! I am always down for recipes that my kids and husband will enjoy but will fit into my calorie budget. I am being particularly conscientious of that because my next shoot is 9 weeks from today, so I need to be consistent. So expect lots of lower calorie and higher protein meals in the upcoming weeks ;)

My standard poodle Olive Marie and I have been increasing our mileage this week. We worked our way up in time until I hit my max (60 minutes) and now are slowly increasing our pace which increases mileage. We are down to consistent 11 min/miles with a few 10 min/miles, for running on the sand barefoot, I am very pleased. This week on a run, the herons were out in mass. I think we ran across 4 different birds, which is unusual. I stopped and captured this heron taking flight.The ocean and light was just stunning! I think I need these on canvas for my house, love how they look.

I am still gaining strength in the gym too even while in a deficit. This week I achieved a new personal best for deadlift! 205 pounds for 1 rep max woohoo! My back should have stayed more neutral but hey, I will work on it ;) Working hard in the gym day in and day out pays off! I am on the 12th week of Hourglass Extreme, and it is paying off in PR's.

I have been making lots of chopped salads with homemade vinaigrette dressings lately. They are super filling when you are watching your calories and they pack a lot of nutritional punch. The best part is that they last for a few days so you can prep a big bowl and eat off of it! This is one I made to pair with the pizza chicken. I just use whatever veggies I have on hand, this happens to be a chopped cucumber, handful of grape tomatoes, half a red bell pepper, half of a yellow bell pepper, handful of chopped carrots (gave them a whirl in the Ninja), a little onion, and some thinly sliced Brussels sprouts. For the dressing, I did a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon on balsamic vinegar, teaspoon of yellow mustard, teaspoon of honey, a half teaspoon of tarragon, and salt/pepper. Taste and adjust then shake the dressing in a jar then toss the chopped salad with it.

So let's get to this chicken...

Pizza Chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 lb(s), Chicken Breast (approx 6 - pound them thin or butterfly them)

14.50 oz, 100% Natural Diced Tomatoes, 1 Can 

1 small can (10 tbsp ea.), Tomato Paste (could sub storebought pizza sauce for the 2 cans of tomato)

2 tbsp Italian seasoning (I used a greens blend my friend makes)

1.50 cup, shredded, Cheese, mozzarella, whole milk

1 bag Turkey Pepperoni Slices

Directions
Preheat oven to 400*F. Spray a large casserole dish (I used a 9x13) with nonstick spray and lay out your chicken breasts. Mix up the 2 cans of tomatoes and Italian seasoning and spread on top your chicken. Top with mozzarella cheese, then the bag of pepperoni. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes covered, Then, take off the foil 15 more minutes of cooking time.  Enjoy! This reheats very well, by the way.

Nutritional information

per serving

Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 437
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15 g	23 %
Saturated Fat 6 g	32 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 185 mg	62 %
Sodium 1013 mg	42 %
Potassium 479 mg	14 %
Total Carbohydrate 10 g	3 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	12 %
Sugars 5 g
Protein 62 g	125 %
Vitamin A	15 %
Vitamin C	18 %
Calcium	17 %
Iron	17 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Pulled Pork and Sweet Potato Hash PLUS a Review of Halo Top

This hash is my latest obsession. I have eaten for dinner several days in a row, that is how I know this is a shareable recipe haha!

Sooooo Halo Top where have you been all my life???!!!  #soinlove #lookatthosemacros #yum 

I had TWO different friends tell me recently that I had to this stuff ASAP. I finally listened and made a run for it after looking for stores who carry it in my area on their website. Boy howdy, I am so glad that I did go get it. I have been telling everyone who will listen since I tried it last night. Guys, this is like the holy grail of dietdom. Perfect timing, since my shoot is 10 weeks from today!

You know that I had to go back for more ;) not sure whether I like #halotop birthday cake or vanilla bean the best? How about a tie for first? 💜


Sadly our HEB does not carry any other flavors... I might have to order all the other flavors from icecreamsource.com ASAP!

My Olive Marie ran free for 4 miles on a beach run this week. You can literally see her smiling, she loved it! And keeping up with her made my pace go up a bit too! My last mile was 10 min/mile! Getting closer to my old half marathon pace ;)

New squat PR today! And during a cut too 💪love lifting heavy! It is built into Hourglass Extreme (my workout which you can get HERE). 

To work PR into your existing Venus routine, pick 1 heavy lift per routine (row, deadlift, squat, benchpress, shoulder press) and cit it down to 3-5 reps; on your PR set, you may only be able to get 1 rep out in good form.

Each set, work your way up in weight. For this squat, I did 25 lbs plates, then 35 lbs plates, then added 52.5 lbs to each end for final PR set. 

That was my pulled pork and sweet potato hash for dinner with pulled pork and sweet potato leftovers with a side of apple slaw.

My dear husband, God bless him, ordered a giant pizza to eat off for the week. Not something he would do normally and I just cannot. After 1 maintenance day of pizza, I am over it. I can be 1000 calories into a pizza and be hungry still. 

So I made up a huge Crockpot of pulled pork the other night for me to eat off of for the week, and baked a bunch of sweet potatoes. I made this slaw with diced apples, some plain Greek yogurt, and lemon juice. 

Here are some of my favorite uses for cooking 1 meat and re-mixing it throughout the week:

• Straight 
• Salad
• Omelet or frittata
• Hash
• Stuffed into a potato
• Stuffed into a pepper
• Refried rice or stir fry
• Nacho, taquito, or burrito
• Soup
• Casseroles

First night was the meat, potato, and slaw all separate on the plate. The next night was this hash which is amazing BTW, with some zucchini. The next night was all of it stuffed into the potato. Tonight was hash again. Thinking tomorrow night I might try a stuffed pepper variation ;) the kids enjoy it separate or as pulled pork nachos. It freezes well too if you get tired of it before you can get through it all.

Pulled Pork and Sweet Potato Hash

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 baked sweet potato (approx 1 cup, you could totally sub regular potatoes)
4 oz pulled pork (Recipe HERE - I used pork shoulder this time but sometimes I used pork loin or pork butt; I think shredded chicken, brisket, or ground beef would be good too!)
1 egg

Directions:
In a pan, cook the pulled pork to reheat and dry it out a bit. Place aside. Cube sweet potato and put into pan. Top with pork, allow all to saute for a couple of minutes. Crack an egg over the top and cover for 1-2 minutes. I topped with a little cinnamon, salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy! P.S. this would be divine with avocado on top too!

I am loving this marinade right now for everything from chicken to pork to beef

Nutritional info

1 serving


538 calories
38 g carbs
25 g fat
36 g protein


I am going to get back to my hash dinners and Halo Top dessert ;)
X- Liss

Funfetti Protein Cake Batter

I don't know about you, but I love me some cake batter... and cookie dough. I am officially 11 weeks out from my next shoot, so I am having to tighten down to be ready for the camera. So obviously, I thought the real deal was not the best idea last night haha!

In other news, I have a new records board going in the gym.

Earlier this week, I hit over 200 pounds for the first time on any lift in my life! I did 205 lbs for 3 reps of hip thrusts, and it felt EASY!

Still running on the beach a few times a week on off days from lifting. After about 8 weeks of effort of running barefoot in sand, I have worked up from a couple of 16 minute miles to 4 x 11-12 min miles today! Time to add another mile next run. I am nowhere close to my previous half marathon times, but not sure that is comparable!

So, this recipe is just the start of my ideas for this protein batter/dough. I love funfetti cake so I wanted to start there. The texture is not quite as dense as the real deal, and the yogurt gives it that bit of tang. But other than that, it is on the money. And you cannot beat quick to make with 4 ingredients!!! And those macros too!

Funfetti Protein Cake Batter

Serves 3

Ingredients

• 0.25 cup, Homeground Oat Flour
• 1 cup (227g), Yogurt Nonfat Plain Greek
• 1.50 Scoop, Whey Protein (Vanilla) (I used Premiere Protein in Vanilla Milkshake; it has a bigger scoop than most so you may need 2 scoops of normal sized)
• 1 tbsp(s), Sprinkles

Directions:

In a blender or food processor (I used my Nutribullet), blend 0.25 cups of oats to a flour. Dump those into a mixing bowl and stir in the whey protein and Greek yogurt. Then stir in sprinkles and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Nutrition Facts
Servings 3.0

Amount Per Serving
calories 235
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 51 mg
Sodium 107 mg
Potassium 1817 mg
Total Carbohydrate 22 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 4 g
Protein 25 g

What is your favorite flavor of batter or dough?

X- Liss

Sweet Potato Toast

Guys, have you tried this hack yet? You literally just toast slices of sweet potato in the toaster like toast. It is SO super simple, but genius. Why had we never tried this before?!

It has been SO super hot here on the coast. I hate using the oven like I would usually do without thinking. My kids are into playing Pokemon Go, they beg me to take them on walks almost every day. We have to schedule them either early in the day or in the evening.

Snapped this pic on our walk the other night, it is so beautiful here. I keep pinching myself! It cannot be real.

I also finally got a records board going in our gym room. I was nice enough to leave the other half blank for the husband ;)

So here is the recipe. Well, it's not really a recipe so much as a few tips ha!

Sweet Potato Toast

Serves 1

Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato

Directions
Slice the sweet potato into slices with a sharp knife.. I tried for less than 1/2" thick. A small sweet potato was just halved; while a large required 4 slices. Put into toaster. Turn the sweet potato around each toaster cycle. Toast until done. My toaster required 5 toasting cycles.

Notes: I tried microwaving the slices for 90 seconds before toasting and it cut my toasting cycles down to two! This is my favorite method.

Nutritional information

1 medium sweet potato

103 cals
0g fat
24g carbs
2g protein



Can you think of all the possibilities?! Here are just a few off the top of my head:

• All by itself (this happens to be my current favorite LOL)
• Sweet potato hamburger buns
• Topped with avocado and over easy egg
• Topped with PB and bananas (or strawberries!)
• Topped with tuna or chicken salad
• ...anywhere you would normally use toast!

Have you tried this yet? What did you think?

X- Liss

Quinoa Throwdown - Oats vs Brown Rice vs Quinoa

Is quinoa a "super food" or is it just something novel? I call novel though it has it's uses.

But why don't you be the judge?

Compared here to brown rice, I am going to pick quinoa... but they are pretty much the same. Quinoa has slightly less calories, less carbs, and 3 more grams of protein for the same serving size.

Neither one is quick to prep.

Onto the next throw down...

Compared here to oats, I am going to pick oats all day long. Less calories for TWICE the volume. Less fat, more fiber too. Oats are also much quicker to prep.

As an aside, quinoa is a complete protein. So are rice and beans, but unless you're vegan neither make a good choice for a protein source (and even as a vegan they would be a mediocre choice). The calorie to protein ratio is quite low, especially when compared to things like egg whites, tempeh, tofu, seitan, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, fish, or meat. To put it in perspective, to get 78 grams of protein (which is a decent daily total) you would have to have 2,210 calories of quinoa which is well over most any woman's maintenance calorie level. In general, people would define and incorporate quinoa, brown rice, or oats as a complex carbohydrate source as that is their highest macro.

Chocolate PB&J Protein Oats is a recipe that I like to make with either cooked quinoa or oats, it is one of my go to meals. Lately I have really been into adding the greens to the recipe too! Here is the recipe and macros- http://venuscrossing.blogspot.com/2015/12/chocolate-pb-protein-oats.html

Bottom line

Is quinoa cool and different? Sure, but it's nothing magical. And it's not quick to prep either.

It's easy to get swept up in the latest super food trends but you have to rationally analyze and compare whether there is merit in the claims. Quinoa is healthy and a fine choice, but it's not "better" than brown rice or oats.

Try new things to see if you like them or not. Eat what you enjoy the most that fits within your calorie goals.
X- Liss