Skillet Honey Mustard Chicken Pasta

As we get closer to the new year, I know a lot of us are thinking ahead to getting healthier in 2016.  I have some ideas of what I want to do.  And while I am going to be keeping track of my calories, I don’t want to consider this another diet.  I’ve had this blog for nearly 7 1/2 years and while I’ve had my ups and downs weight wise over that time, I am basically at or a bit heavier than where I started in 2008. 

But I am okay with that.  Like I’ve told you before, I am at a place now where I can look forward to what is ahead of me, and even though Hannah and Jacob live with me, I don’t have to “take care” of them which is my nature.  Not gonna lie there have been times where I’ve come home and they are at work.  I’d make my dinner.  Then Hannah would come home and I’d make her dinner.  Then Jacob would come home and then I’d make him dinner.  While I am sure they love this, I am no longer going to be a short order cook.  I am going to be meal planning based on schedules, and if their schedule doesn’t match with mine, well, tough luck.  Both Hannah and Jacob are good cooks, and I am doing them a disservice if I cook every meal.  

I have a feeling that 2016 is going to be the year of me!  Which is hard when you have a personality like mine that just wants to make everyone else around me happy, even if that means sacrificing my own happiness.  I know that I have to make myself the healthiest I can so that I have many years on this earth, and I am perfectly okay being selfish this coming year.

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I had leftover steak and baked potatoes in the fridge, so it made perfect sense to have steak and potatoes for breakfast!  Guys, this is a super easy make ahead breakfast you can make for your whole family on the weekend.  Simply scramble half a potato with whatever your family likes:  steak, ham, spinach, mushrooms, etc. and then put that scramble in the shell of the potato.  They can be wrapped in foil and labeled in the fridge and everyone can reheat their tot by adding just a bit of cheese and popping it in the microwave or under a broiler if you have the time.  My whole breakfast, including the orange from my PIL orange tree from Florida, comes in at 394 calories, 51 carbs, 11 fat, 22 protein and 5 fiber.

I have to say that the posole that Hannah and I made for dinner the night before last night was even better yesterday for lunch.  I made a corn tortilla panini quesadilla for dipping instead of chips and it was so good.  The flavorful spiciness was really pronounced in the best way possible.

I think I told you that for Thanksgiving, Hannah wanted to make this crack slurp noodles for her dinner.  The key ingredient?  Fried chicken skins!  Not kidding – my mostly vegetarian daughter actually went to the grocery store butcher counter and wanted to know if she could buy just chicken skin.  Um, turns out, you can’t.  So they pointed her to a package of chicken thighs and said she could buy that and just take off the chicken skin, so that’s what she did and froze the chicken thighs.  Didn’t even ask for my help to do it either!  Sadly, the dish was a bit underwhelming for her, and I felt so bad because she spent so much time on it.  I never do a big grocery shop on holiday weeks so when Hannah and I were meal planning on Saturday for the week, she said “you still have all these chicken thighs from the skin I used for my noodles.” 

So I did a quick Pinterest search for chicken thighs recipes and this one jumped out at me.   Only a couple problems.  We didn’t have any skin on the thighs to get that nice crisp skin.  Second, I don’t really like maple syrup, but her recipe inspired my dish that I tossed with penne pasta.

You’re welcome for the awful kitchen lighting, and while this looks like a simple pasta dish, which it is, it has so much flavor going on – the tangy vinegar and mustard, with a hint of sweetness from the honey and then a spicy kick from the crushed red peppers.  Hannah had plain pasta with mushrooms, but Jacob gave this two big thumbs up.  #winning!

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So my exercise for the day:  I downloaded a new app that I am going to try out before I decide to recommend it or not (it’s not free) – I love it so far, but it’s only been a couple days.  It is a strength training program.  I did the fitness test, and based on that, it set up my first of five weekly workouts for week one.  After yesterday’s workout it asked me if it was too easy, hard – but in a good way, or too tough, and it would adjust the following days workout accordingly.  Yesterday’s workout was hard, but in a good way for me.  I was able to finish it!

It was four rounds of jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, and leg lifts, with no break in between.  It took me just over 12 minutes and because I am not in the best shape, I was huffing and puffing at the end.  It felt good though!  Then I did a one mile walk, and then after work did 2 more miles. 

What I like about this app that it has instructional videos as you are going through the workout so it makes it really easy to follow.  I can definitely feel it in my abs and quads after so many squats and leg lifts.  I’ll keep you posted.

Hooray for my Friday!  I hope all of you are lucky enough to have the next two days off.  Not going to lie, I am happy not to be working on New Years Eve!   Off to put my food together for the day – I have no idea what I am making so it should be interesting eats!  Make it a great day!