"Man I totally thought this was going to be a punishment meal but it actually tastes like something we shouldn't be eating."  -The BF. Yeah y'all, it's so freaking good.

The other day while happy houring at Mighty Pint and as I used all my will power to avoid my all-time favorite bar food, the Irish Nachos, I thought to myself HOLD ON why don't I just MAKE these myself with a few clean foods swapped in? So I ran home (jk, I waited 30 minutes for the redline, then ran home from the metro), sliced up a sweet potato, threw some stuff together and voila! My OWN CLEAN IRISH NACHOS.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into wedges ($1.50)
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil/olive oil/your cooking oil of choice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 lb lean ground turkey ($3.00)
  • 2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 3/4 Cup Chicken Broth ($.50)
  • 1 Cup mushrooms, sliced ($1.00)
  • 1 can black beans, drained ($.90)
  • 1 Cup mozzarella cheese ($1.50)
  • 1 red onion, diced ($1.00)
  • 1 green pepper, diced ($.90)
  • 1 large tomato, diced ($.90)
  • 1/2 Cup cilantro, chopped ($.50)
  • 3 small jalapenos, diced ($2.00)
  • 1/2 Cup black olives, sliced
  • 1 Cup clean salsa ($1.00)
  •  Greek Yogurt- to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the sweet potato wedges with the oil, salt and garlic powder. Line them onto a baking sheet in ONE layer and heat in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip all the wedges over and throw them back into the oven for another 10 minutes. **lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, season the ground turkey with the cumin and chili powder. Cook the seasoned turkey with the chicken broth until the turkey is brown and the broth has absorbed. Add the mushrooms and black beans to the frying pan for the last 3 minutes.

Top the baked sweet potato wedges with the turkey/black bean mixture. Layer the mozzarella cheese on top of this. Place the concoction in the oven for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Now top it with pepper, onion, tomato, cilantro, jalapeno, olives, salsa and yogurt. We set it up buffet style and everyone scooped up some sweet potato/meat/cheese and topped it with whatever they wanted.

Yall, just do it. You won't regret it.

HOW GOOD DOES MINE LOOK WITH ALL THE TOPPINGS

Little toppings buffet. Like Chipotle for Irish Nachos.

Loaded Irish Nachos

Tuesday, December 31, 2013


This is the perfect clean winter meal. It takes a little longer to make than most of the food I make but hey, it was lunch for a week! I swithed it up a little each day- one day I topped it with avocados, one day with Greek Yogurt, one day with both, etc. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Servings: 6

Ingredients
  • 1/2 lb lean ground turkey ($1.50)*
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil (or olive oil or whatever oil you use to saute your veggies)
  • 1 green pepper, diced ($.90)
  • 1 red onion, diced ($1)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1.5 cups natural, organic chicken broth ($1.00)
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes ($1.50)
  • 2 cups diced butternut squash (I buy the pre-chopped) ($3.00)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 can black beans ($.95)
  • Optional toppings: scoop of Greek Yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, avocado
*vegetarian option: replace the turkey with an extra can of black beans

In a large saucepan, saute the onion for about 3 minutes. Add the pepper and continue to saute another 5 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute. While the veggies are cooking, cook the turkey until it is browned.

Add broth, red wine vinegar, butternut squash, crushed tomatoes, turkey and spices and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Add in the beans and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.


Hearty Winter Taco Soup

Monday, December 30, 2013

So it's almost 2014- when did that happen?? Man what a year, huh? I don't really do resolutions per say, but every year I make a to-do list and set one challenge (which is actually a goal but I'm really competitive and more likely to do it if it is called something that involves winning). My to-do list is extremely Type-A and not very interesting or relevant, so for now let's discuss my challenge. Or goal. Or whatever we want to call it. Choal? Goallenge? Anyway my goal/challenge for 2014 is an entire year of 80/20 Clean Eating- aka 80% of the food I consume in 2014 will be completely clean. The other 20%, for me, is cheat days but that 20% means something different for different people.

So anyway, who's with me? We doing this or what? Let's CLEAN UP 2014! Here are some resources I have pulled together:

The 10 Commandments of Clean Eating


Sample Grocery List:

 

 

Not that but THIS! list

 

Meal Plans & Grocery Lists with Pricing:


My Favorite Clean Swaps:

7- Layer Lasagna
"Bread"sticks made with Cauliflower
Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Crispy Sweet Potato Chips
Eggplant Parm
Faux Fried Chicken Fingers
"Fried" Okra
Italian Meatballs
Mozzarella Sticks 
Ravioli 
Squasta with Meat Sauce (Spaghetti Swap)
Stuffed Potato Skins 4 Ways (Greek, Pizza, Buffalo Chicken and Chili)
Sweet Potato French Fries
Turkey Chili {with a kick} 

 Check out all my clean recipes here

Just getting started? Here are my must-have products I bought in the last year of clean eating:


Good luck clean eating in the new year and as always if you have questions or suggestions leave them in the comments or e-mail at brokeandbougieblog[at]gmail[dot]com. 

 

2014 Clean Eating Challenge

Saturday, December 28, 2013



This is one of my new favorite breakfasts- we both love it and may or may not have eaten it for the last 4 weeks...Because it's also super easy.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Servings: 10

Ingredients
  • 12 eggs ($2.00)
  • 2 tomatoes, diced ($1.00)
  • 1 potato, diced ($.50)
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 lb of clean breakfast sausage (remember- 3 ingredients or less. I found 3-ingredient sausage made by Shady Brook Farms and it was delish) ($3.50)
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil/olive oil/oil of your choice
  • 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon garlic powder
In a medium sized frying pan combine 1 teaspoon of the sea salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, oil, onion and potato. Cover and cook over medium for 25 minutes (or until potatoes are tender) stirring occasionally.

While potatoes are cooking, cook the sausages in a frying pan over medium, covered, for about 8-10 minutes on each side. Once fully cooked, allow sausages to cool away from the heat. Once cooled, cut the sausages into little pieces.

Wisk the eggs with the seasonings and pour into the pan used to cook the sausages (the leftover flavor from the sausage will get sopped up by the eggs). Add the sausages and potatoes to the eggs and scramble together until the eggs are cooked the way you like them.

Mix in the tomatoes after everything is cooked (I hate how wilty those tomatoes get when they're cooked!)

Store in a big tupperware in the fridge and scoop some out for breakfast each morning. How easy is that??


Clean Breakfast for the Week: Scrambled Breakfast Bake

Friday, December 27, 2013


Today we have a guest post from one of my personal fav fashionistas. True story: about 50% of my wardrobe is clothes she buys and doesn't want to wear anymore, so pay attention- she knows what she's talking about! You can find her fashion inspiration on Pinterest here

From Chelsea:

NYE is way up there with my favorite holidays, mainly because it’s a time to reflect on the past year and then turn a new leaf. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s the only holiday other than Halloween where you can wear sexual dresses and makeup without being judged (too much). That being said, New Years is probably the only holiday that I ever condone wearing sequins. It’s personally not my thing, but New Years is that one special day of the year where I’ll let myself be gaudy. Here are some of the pieces that I’ve stumbled across online that I’m currently obsessed with for NYE. Hope you enjoy!

TOBI
These dresses are for if you’re going full on party animal. Also, Tobi is one of my favorite websites for inexpensive party dresses. They are currently doing 50% off the entire website with the code MERRYXMAS50. So if you like these snag them while you can!! Most of the pieces tend to be elusive.





Some of these are a little on the expensive side, but the 40% off really helps. Out of all these from Tobi I love the tiered one the best. I’m thinking about ordering it in black rather than the gold. The plus side to these dresses is that they are statements in themselves, I would not suggest adding too much jewelry or accessories when wearing a sequins dress. Just my opinion.


FOREVER 21
Ok so the next website I stalked was Forever 21. I definitely have a love hate relationship with Forever 21. They have some hidden gems if you look hard, but sometimes their quality is sub par. But for NYE Forever 21 is perfect because usually I only wear the dress one time, and Forever 21 is very affordable. Forever 21 also has a lot of inexpensive tights and accessories if you want to spice your outfit up! I haven’t posted any accessories because I thought that would be overkill, but definitely check it out.


This is definitely for if you are trying to go the classy and simple route. I’m picturing it with a sparkly statement necklace, tights, and gold or black pumps. A perk to this dress is that the fit and flare silhouette is always flattering.

All right, so I know white after Labor Day is a debatable topic. But I think this dress would be perfect for a holiday party. Especially with tights and gold heels and some sassy jewelry. Oh, and you probably can’t be bashful with that cutout in the middle.



This one would look cute with a basic black tee tucked in and of course some tights. Love it!

This one doesn’t scream New Years Eve at me because of the Aztec pattern. But I think that with a black flowy top, black tights, and some cute heels, this skirt would make a cute NYE statement. Be warned, Forever 21 skirts run small and short… so ORDER A SIZE UP!


FRANCESCA’S COLLECTIONS
Francesca’s is more for if you are going the preppy/conservative route. Their dresses are definitely longer, and they’re definitely going to be more for being with your family on NYE. Their dresses are cute and they do some great sales here and there. Right now they are doing a sale on their holiday dresses for only $40. I’m not sure how long that will last, but they have some really cute dresses.

I’m obsessed with this dress. It’s kind of Gatsby-esque. It’s on sale for $40, and it was $68. I can see this baby selling out!

This one would be flattering for any body type. I love a good shift dress. Also, it doesn’t over do the sequins, there’s just the right amount, which is hard to do.



I love this skirt and I want it so badly. This is not Francesca’s usual style that I’ve seen because it’s a lot more scandalous. In my head I have a million different things I could wear with it that I already have. I’m thinking a basic black flowy top, tights, and gold heels. I would definitely order a size up with this one because I like my clothes to fit looser and this one look a little to tight if I got it true to size.


So anyways, those are the pieces that are on my radar for NYE. Most of these websites offer very quick and or free shipping, and I’ve seen some of these pieces in the store. So get to ordering, put on your sassy pants, and turn up for New Years!

Cheers!
Chelsea

New Years Dresses on a Shoestring! {Guest Post}

Thursday, December 26, 2013

 Merry Christmas! Today I'll be marathoning my two favorite Christmas movies and boozing it up with my family, as well as treating myself to a few Christmas gifts with the insane Christmas day on-line sales:
  • Express: 50% off EVERYTHING (got myself this and this)
  • Forever 21 : BOGO 50% off (I got myself this and this)
  • Old Navy: 60% off
  • H&M: Up to 70% off entire online store
  • JC Penney: 25% off PLUS extra 10% off jewelry, watches, furniture, mattresses
  • Macy's: 1 Day Sale Web-busters- up to 75% off online store
  • Loft: 50% off EVERYTHING (don't mind if I do and do)
  • Crate and Barrel: 50% off winter items
  • Victoria's Secret: Semi-Annual Sale, 70% off clothes, 40% off bras
  • Kohls: 60% off winter items + additional 20% off online purchases
  • Overstock.com: 50% off bedroom furniture, 35% + extra 10% off bedding, 45% off beauty products


Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animals

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

I feel like someday I'll have a daughter who looks through my old pictures (on her Google Glasses maybe?) and says to me "Ohhh mahhhh goooshhh, Mom, sequins? What were you THINKING?" All this to say I think our time with sequins is running out, so I'm planning to maximize it this New Year's. Can't decide if I want to do the sequin skirt or sequin shorts with tights and pairing them with perfect New Year's Shoes. I'm really liking the sequin tops because you can pair them with jeans and look pretty glam without even trying though.. These are my fav sequin looks for NYE:

Skirts:
















Tops:






 
Shop skirts now:


Dazzling Sequin NYE Looks {Under $30}!

Monday, December 23, 2013



Mmm sometimes I'm just craving some ooey gooey Italian food, and this experiment really hit the spot. The quinoa, eggplant and cheese really hold it together so it's more like a lasagna consistency.

The BF refuses to eat eggplant and thinks quinoa is "too weird" so told him this was lasagna and he ate 3 helpings. That was easy.

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked ($1.00)
  • 1/2-lb ground turkey ($1.50)*
  • 1/3 cup natural chicken broth ($.50)
  • 1 medium white onion, diced ($.80)
  • 1 large eggplant, cubed ($1.00)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (if you're not as garlic-crazy as us use 2)
  • 1 Tablespoon dried basil 
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 14-oz can natural, no sugar added tomato sauce ($1.00)
  • 1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes ($1.00)
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese ($2.00)
  • 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese ($1.00)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil/coconut oil/your oil of choice
*optional- vegetarians leave this out

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the eggplant into cubes and put the cubes into a bowl of ice water. Let the cubes set in the ice water for about 20 minutes- I read somewhere that this pulls the bitterness out of the eggplant, and since I had to trick the BF into eating it I figured the less eggplant taste the better.

While the eggplant is setting, pour the broth into a small frying pan. Add the turkey meat and cook until the turkey is brown and the broth is absorbed.

In a medium frying pan, combine a tablespoon of coconut/olive oil with onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute together for about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant cubes and saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently (do NOT let that eggplant get stuck to the pan- that is the WORST).

Add the crushed tomatoes, sauce, salt, pepper, Italian seasonings and half the basil. Mix well, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low and let it cook for about 25 mins.

After 25 mins, remove it from the heat and combine with the quinoa, red pepper, turkey, and half the parmesan cheese. Mix well and add it to a greased 9x9 baking dish (I only have my 9x13 so I built a barrier with aluminum foil). Top with remaining parmesan, mozzarella cheese, and basil.

Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

Cut up and enjoy!



Eggplant and Quinoa Parm Lasagna



I grew up with horrrrribbblllee skin- "pizza face" would be putting it nicely. My dermatologist and I became quite close, and these are her most-recommended moisturizing products that won't clog your pores, because really how terrible is it to be dry, then oily, then breakout all over? These are my FAVORITE products and most cost under $10!

Sidenote: Did you know you're supposed to apply lotion as soon as you get out of the shower? This way your pores are more open and absorb the lotion and nutrients!
  1. Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer with SPF 50 PureScreen (face): I always forget about sunscreen in the winter. This is gentle enough to use daily and doesn't leave that nasty film like other sunscreens, plus you can put a layer on right over your makeup!
  2. Udderly Smooth Extra Care Cream (face, body, feet): My mom discovered this one years ago. It's wonderful, unscented, and makes your skin so soft! Woman's Day magazine rated their footcare cream as #1 beauty product a few years ago, and doctors recommend these lotions to moisturize diabetic feet (that's powerful stuff)
  3. Corn Huskers Lotion (hands): Oil-free, no grease, extremely intense. My nurse friends keep this at their hospitals to heal their cracked skin during the dry winter months when they have to wash her hands every 5 minutes. It works miracles, even on alligator skin conditions.  
  4. Eucerin Intensive Repair Very Dry Skin Lotion (body): I swear by this stuff and use it on my face when times get tough.
  5. Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser (face):  This super-gentle face wash will cleanse your skin without drying it out. It's so gentle that you don't even need water to use it! You can just apply it to your skin and wipe it off with a towel! (So weird, I know)
  6. Aquafor Healing Ointment (lips, feet): The mac-daddy of all moisturizing products. Let me count the ways to use Aquafor: CHAPPED LIPS (a little goes a looong way- if your lips are extremely cracked and dry just use this a few times each day and you'll notice immediate results), face protection from windburn, dry spots on my face, extremely dry spots on my hands, oh and on my feet-- I rub some on my feet before bed, put socks on, sleep, wake up and voila-baby soft feet (much cheaper than a pedi).

You can buy now from Amazon below:


Friday Favs: Best {budget-friendly} Dermatologist Recommended Winter Skin Products

Friday, December 20, 2013

Honestly, I'm really bad at this casual comfortable look- mostly because I hate hate hate the look of sneakers with jeans (what am I, a mom power walking through the mall?), I have this weird issue with feeling like Toms make me look fat (they make my lower half look like a triangle!), but I feel too old to wear Converse or Jordans or whatever else comfortable footwear is out there.

So while I have no clue what to wear on my feet, I'm down with the flannel look- camper wood chopper meets casual weekend meets lots of color. And they're affordable so I like that too. These are my favs:

















$17.99 Arizona Plaid Button-Front Shirt at JCPenney 



I love the look of flannel with vests too. Cozy and some vests add a little edge: 

Winterwear: The Flannel Shirt

Thursday, December 19, 2013

It's as bad as it sounds, I was actually cursing Melissa out during this one (out loud, I know) but really no other exercise works the body as hard as burpees- I've even heard these urban legends of women who had to QUIT EXERCISING before their wedding because they were just too burpee-buff for their strapless wedding gown. Clearly since I max out after this 19 minute workout, I may end up with half of that problem which is awesome.

This 19 minute workout is killer but feels so good at the end! How do you feel about burpees??

I found this solid how-to burpee visual from joshuaspodek.com which is totally necessary since when I am burpeeing I'm like this is too hard, there is no way I'm doing this right. Nope. It's right, it just really really sucks. 

Sidenote: am I burning more calories since I'm crying while burpeeing?



P.S. I'm linking up with an awesome blog I've been following for challenges and lots of motivation! Shoutout to FemmeFatalFitClub for creating a positive and inspiring fitness community! Go check her out!



Femme Fitale Fit Club

Wednesday Workout: Burpee Burnout

Wednesday, December 18, 2013


Let me just say how difficult it is to stay healthy during the holiday season, especially for awkward people such as myself who find ourselves standing next to the food table stuffing our faces and chugging drinks in an attempt to "look busy" and not have to make awkward small talk.

Since I always bring food and booze to the parties I attend anyway, why not bring clean snacks? If I'm going to awkwardly binge, it might as well be healthy right? Plus I love when people are like "omg this is so good what is in it? Wait is it seriously clean??" Trickery at its finest.

Here's my rolodex of clean eating party snacks:

25 CLEAN EATING SNACKS! {perfect party foods}

Tuesday, December 17, 2013



ZOOOOmmmMMGGG. Ok, this is almost embarrassing to confess but last weekend we even ate these on our cheat day- we just wanted something to go with our greasy burgers and these are seriously so much better than real fries. So enjoy this. I mean, really really enjoy. 

Oh and PS, they take about 15 minutes to make. I mean this is just too good. 

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 16 mins
Servings: 4 (4 "servings" of these babies = 1 for me..not sorry- they're super low carb and low cal)

Ingredients:
  • 1 sweet potato ($.88)
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (melted) or olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 475 degrees (I know, I didn't even know my oven goes this high). Slice the sweet potatoes into the inch thick fries (this takes some muscle, those sweet potatoes are tough!).

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Combine the seasonings (you can use any seasonings you want) with the oil and mix well. Toss the fries in the mixture and spread out in one layer (CAUTION: DO NOT STACK THEM ON TOP OF EACH OTHER! YOU WILL RUIN EVERYTHING- I speak from experience) on the baking sheet and put on the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Flip the fries and allow to cook for an additional 6 minutes.

Let them cook for a sec and enjoy something better than the real deal..

Sweet Potato Fries {seriously as good as the real thing}

Monday, December 16, 2013


So this was a weird idea that turned out FREAKING AWESOME. I know, it sounds weird but just try it. Also it takes 15 minutes to make. I know right?

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Servings: 1

Ingredients:
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 small sweet potato
  • 4 slices of onion, diced
  • garlic powder
Grate the sweet potato and toss with the onion and garlic salt and place in a non-stick frying pan. Cook over medium heat 10-15 mins, stirring constantly. Once the grated sweet potato pieces are slightly crispy and sauteed, remove from the heat.

While the sweet potato is cooking, cook your eggs however you prefer (I always pick over-easy).

Place the egg on top of the sweet potato and enjoy this protein/fiber packed breakfast (and enjoy being full for the next six hours).

Sidenote: I know I've been really into sweet potatoes, but for good reason. They pretty much burn fat while your body digests them, they are packed with fiber which aids digestion and takes longer for the body to process i.e. preventing hunger, and are packed with vitamins. Oh and they cost $.88 per pound. And have less carbs than regular potatoes.

Oh and, as for eggs: a recent study found obese people who ate 2 eggs for breakfast 5 mornings a week lost 65 PERCENT MORE WEIGHT than those eating bagels. Yeah so, sign me up.

Doesn't it look funky?

double duty stovin

get in mah belly


3 Ingredient Brunch Special: Fried Egg over Sweet Potato

Friday, December 13, 2013