Category: BizNinja Wife

Chicken Fried “Rice” – the healthy way

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While trying to eat healthy who else gets so sick of chicken and vegetables? ME! ME! ME! That is why I try to be creative. I am constantly searching for healthy recipes that actually taste good.

In order for me to stay on track with food, I HAVE to meal prep. If I don’t, a vicious cycle ensues. Here’s how it goes down: I start to feel hungry so I search my refrigerator.  I don’t have any healthy options already prepared. I feel a bit frustrated and don’t want to eat food that I shouldn’t so I try to eat something small but it definitely does not satisfy me. The hunger takes over and I succumb to a binge fest (I am a self diagnosed Binge Eater!) When I have food prepared, it is just easier. I don’t have to think about what I’m going to eat. It is already made and portioned out. All I have to do is warm it up. I don’t get to the point of starvation where chicken, 1/4 cup brown rice, and zucchini just won’t do and all I want is a loaf of warm French Bread from Albertson’s (yes I will eat the whole loaf) or Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.  Do you see my dilemma? I HAVE to meal prep!

I don’t enjoy eating the same things week after week so I have a few easy meal prep recipes that I rotate through.

Chicken Fried Cauli-Rice is super easy and tastes good. Heaven knows that’s probably the only way I will eat cauliflower so there’s that too.

This is all you need!

Ingredients:

Chopped onions

Chopped  celery

Chopped Carrots

  • I buy those in a container already chopped up from Trader Joe’s. Other stores have variations of onions and celery. It all works!

2 bags Cauliflower Rice : Trader Joe’s frozen brand is good and super fast to cook.

2-4 eggs

Cooked Shredded Chicken – I buy a rotisserie cooked chicken from the store. Shreds a lot quicker if it is still warm.

Teriyaki Sauce or Liquid Amino’s or Soy Sauce: based on preference

Olive Oil

Directions:

Heat Olive Oil in large pan. Just enough to cover the bottom

Add onions, celery, and carrots to Olive Oil and saute until onions are translucent.

Whisk 2-4 eggs (I use 4) and add to onion mixture.

Cook until eggs are cooked through.

While onions are sauteing, cook cauliflower rice according to instructions on the bag, takes about 3-5 minutes in a separate pan.

Once the eggs are cooked, add the cauliflower rice and shredded chicken into the egg mixture. Mix it all together and add Teriyaki Sauce to taste (it doesn’t take much and to keep it healthy you want to go easy on the sauce).

That’s it! Super simple. I portion it out into containers so I have the correct serving size. Still tastes good by the end of the week.

Loaded Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Boats

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I have been in a food SLUMP! I am so OVER the same boring stuff. I don’t know if it’s because it is blazing hot everyday but all I want is chocolate Froyo packed with Oreos and dark chocolate chips (so healthy!). Last week I decided I needed to take ACTION so I spent some time with my good friend Pinterest  looking for new recipes. I was adamant that I would actually TRY the recipes I pinned rather than just magically hope they make themselves. Do you ever pin things and then never try them or even look at them again??? I have recipes I pinned from 5 years ago that I have never even looked at.  ANYWAY, not this time!

I found this recipe from Averie Cooks. It was seriously SO easy, SO quick and SO good! You have to try it.

Loaded Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Boats - Skip enchilada wraps and use zucchini instead!! Easy, healthier and there's so much FLAVOR between juicy chicken drenched in enchilada sauce, corn, peppers, and CHEESE!!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 medium/large zucchini
  • 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (use storebought rotisserie chicken to save time)
  • 3/4 cup red enchilada sauce
  • 1/2 cup bell peppers, diced small (I used red and yellow)
  • 1/2 cup corn (I used frozen straight from the freezer)
  • 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese blend
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely minced
  • optionally add or garnish with black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a large baking dish or 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. Trim ends from zucchini, halve lengthwise, and use a spoon to hollow out centers to create boats, leaving a 1/8-inch margin intact. Discard hollowed out flesh (or add it to homemade hummus, soup, or soup).
  3. Arrange zucchini in prepared dish and bake for about 20 minutes, or until softened.
  4. While zucchini bakes, to a medium bowl add the shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, and stir to combine.
  5. Remove zucchini from oven and evenly distribute the chicken down the hollowed out portion of the zucchini.
  6. Evenly sprinkle with bell peppers, corn, and cheese.
  7. Bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese has melted to your liking.
  8. Evenly sprinkle with cilantro and optionally garnish with the toppings of your choice and serve immediately. Zucchini are best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Nutrition analysis per serving (4 servings)
Calories 309, Total Fat 14g, Saturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 0g, Total Carbohydrates 18g, Fiber 5g, Sugar 10g, Protein 30g, Sodium 548mg

On the Eve of Back to School

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Tomorrow the lazy days of summer come to an end. No more late nights, sleeping in, beach or pool days. The 1st day of school is always bitter sweet. On one hand, I am looking forward to being back on a routine and a house that stays clean longer than 2.1 seconds. On the other hand, back to school means my kids are another year older, a step closer to being teenagers and then adults (I can’t!). My goodness, time is just going too fast! There was a time when I longed for these days.

Having 4 kids in 5 years was not easy.  It was exhausting and I remember thinking how awesome it would be when they were all in school. Now that day is here. I often wonder if I cherished those days enough.  Did I cuddle them enough? Did I love on them enough? Did I let myself enjoy those hard baby years? In the moment, it was so overwhelming but now I feel we are in turbo time and I am desperate to slow it down. I’ve been a mom for 13 years now. With those years comes the knowledge that time is a thief and ONE day I will look back and wonder where the time went. For that reason, I have been trying really hard lately to be present. To not get frustrated (deep breaths) when my 10 year old daughter who was supposed to be asleep an HOUR ago asks me to sing her a song. I know one day she will no longer ask and so for now, I will go upstairs and sing her a song. I will cherish those moments. I will tuck them in at night. I will hug them as they head to school (eye rolls and grunts by certain older children). I will be excited to hear about their day when they return. I will be present and cherish my time with them. As one of my daughter’s middle school teachers said in an email today: We only have them for 18 summers (eek!) That’s not long enough! I intend to make those years count!

10 EASY TIPS TO ELIMINATE ROAD TRIP CHAOS

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Summer = Road Trips.

Over the last 13 years, our family has taken 1-2 long road trips a year. In 2016, we drove from Southern California to Vancouver, BC. Through trial and error I have mastered the chaos of long car rides with 4 kids. Here are my hacks (I saved the best one for last):

  1. Individual Snack Bags.  In 1 hour you can expect a child to at least once declare, “Mom, I’m hungry, can I have a snack?” Multiply that by 4 kids over an 8 hour drive. I’m not good with math but that is a lot of “Mom, I’m hungry-s” which results in my neck hurting from turning around and throwing a snack to the back seat. Not anymore! Each child now gets their own snack bag OR a large bag per row of seats. Don’t ask Mom for a snack again! Don’t forget to include the drinks in there as well. I give them 1 fun drink (juice) and a water.
  2. Small Ice Chest. We have a small ice chest that fits between our front and middle row seats. We pack healthy snacks, lunches, and drinks.
  3. Trash Bags Per Child/Row. A zillion snacks eaten during the hours in the car results in way too much trash. Why do kids throw trash on the ground??? Or maybe by some small miracle they will announce “Mom, here is my trash.” Nope! No more neck pain or trash on the ground. You have your own trash bag. If you don’t use it, there will be a price to pay (enter The Evil Mom laugh) FYI Target bags work great!
  4. Car Sick/Stomach Flu Essentials. Be prepared. It happens. Only took it happening once to us to make sure we were prepared the next time. A kid throwing up in the back seat of the van without a bag is just going to make a miserable trip. Again, Target bags have proven to be most effective in catching barf. To be safe you may want to double bag it. Wipes and sanitizer are a must.
  5. Toy Backpacks. Now that my kids are older, I instruct them to pack a few toys or items they want to play with on the drive. When they take out an item, it goes straight back into their backpack which leads me to #6.
  6. Limit Clutter. Clutter makes me very irritable. Whether it’s in my house or in my car, the result is the same = Irritable Mom. Everything should have a place. Snack bags, play bags, everything should be in a bag.
  7. Potty Breaks at Rest Stops. Gas Station Convenience Stores are like Disneyland. My kids LOVE to go to the Gas Station. They want every candy, chip, soda, and lame little toy they can find. Enter Mean Mom who has to say no a million times to all their requests. What should have been a quick 10 minute stop is now approaching 30 minutes and everyone is crying because they didn’t get skittles, a large ICEE, and a wind up plastic duck. Rest Stops have nothing exciting; go in, do your business, let’s be on our way. From our experience, they are pretty well maintained and usually cleaner than gas stations.
  8.  Small Pillow and Blanket. Let’s be real, we all want our kids to sleep on those long drives…awww peace and quiet. Making them cozy makes it a lot easier for that to happen. Bed Bath and Beyond has these great travel pillows . Let’s not pretend that those ones that go around your neck are actually comfortable.
  9. Easy On and Off Shoes. My kids have a talent for taking off their shoes SO fast when they get in the car. Then they announce they have to use the restroom and we arrive at the rest stop but they still need to get their shoes on. Ummmm no! Flip Flops for the win! Let’s get back on the road. They fit perfect in the seat pockets so they won’t disappear in the car. I love a simple Old Navy Flip Flop for travel.

10. Car Charger.  GAME CHANGER: It is all about electronic handheld devices these days. The kids want to play on their IPAD’s and Phones and watch NetFlix. I highly recommend these car chargers with 6 charging ports. Everyone is plugged in, no devices dying, and the drive is nice and quiet. Don’t forget your long chargers though and headphones for everyone.

What’s your best survival tip for long car rides? Comment below.

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About Tanya Jorgenson

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The BizNinja Wife was launched in 2017 for moms who love to travel with their families, get in a great workout, relate to other moms, and have a laugh throughout the day.  If you love to to travel with your families, read a good book, or shop you are in the RIGHT place. This is a place for me to share my passions as a wife to an entrepreneur and mom to 4.  You will find travel tips,  workouts, book recommendations, shopping deals, and my favorite things.

Last fall, I sent my youngest child to 1st grade. Do you know what that means? After 12 years, I was FINALLY home all day by myself. All 4 kids were in ALL day school. No half day Preschool or Kindergarten pickup.  From 8:00am-3:00pm, the time was ALL mine. It was amazing! However, after a few weeks I started to get bored. I mean really, do I want to clean my house ALL day EVERY day… ummm no! I needed SOMEthing. After a recent trip to St Thomas and Orlando, I had a great idea! Traveling with kids isn’t always easy or cheap. I rely heavily on reviews and travel blogs to know where to eat with my kids so I don’t end up at the Mastro’s of St Thomas (have you ever been to Mastro’s, I highly recommend, get the Gorgonzola Mac N Cheese), or a beach covered in rock so my kids can’t swim. On our recent flight home from “Summer Vacay 2017,” I decided to start a blog to help other moms like me enjoy traveling with their kids and to share whatever other fun things I find.

My husband is The BizNinja and we have been married since 2003. Ever since I’ve known him, he has had multiple projects going on at one time.  There was a time when he sold furniture. One day a new leather chair would be nicely situated in my front room and the next day it would be gone, sold to the highest bidder. He is an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. We don’t believe in 40 hour work weeks in our family. Sometimes, it’s 80 hours a week and sometimes it’s only 4. As a wife to The BizNinja I have to be prepared to fly our family of 6 across the country to the Virgin Islands with only 24 hours notice…that’s how we do life. It’s time for me not to let my husband have all the fun. I want to share the things I’m passionate about.

If you are still reading, thank you! Thank you for being here and taking this journey with me as I discover my voice as The BizNinja Wife.