It’s been my privilege over the last 2 years to get to know the local record label Magnolia Red. Based in Magnolia, TX, this crew has produced some of the best Houston has to offer through the likes of Mason Lankford and the Folk Family Revival to Caste Lights.

They now are preparing to launch the surely soon to be steller career of Pop-Folk songwriter Shellee Coley.

Over the last 2 weeks they have been featuring exclusive tracks from Shellee’s upcoming album, Where it Began.

The title track, “Where it Began” is a haunting account of Shellee’s resolution of a broken family, and how she came to terms with understanding that instead of 2 broken pieces, the experience  made her realize she could be 2 whole pieces with 2 names; something experienced by so many these days.

Shellee has the unique ability to deliver deep, personal lyrics, without alienating the listener. Her calming voice and reassuring tone, guides listeners along her path of discovery and healing.

To hear an audio clip of Shellee’s story behind the song and to stream it, visit her website by clicking here.

Where it Began is available February 28th, and if you’re local to the Houston area, check out Shellee’s two release parties this weekend. More deets here.

Hope you enjoy this songbird as much as I do. See you at the saturday show!

As a bonus, here is a favorite live Shellee performance of mine. Shellee and Mason performing Hallelujah. Enjoy.

Our first Bushel

I’m so so so excited to share with you my newest obsession: Farmhouse Delivery!

Fresh produce, fruits, veggies, breads, cheeses, meats delivered to your door each week. I’m in heaven. It’s changed the way I cook, I eat, and the way I think about food.

We’ve been getting bi-weekly (every other week) deliveries for a month. We get our 3rd one this Saturday. The bushels are filled with seasonal, local produce AND come with amazing recipes for each item (my fav part!). Check out their blog of recipes. 

I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen, and I’ll be featuring some of my creations this week. For those of you following me on Instagram, you’ve already seen some of the goodies!

Sorry for the delay in posting, it’s been an interesting few months.

But I’m back and committed to sharing my finds with you!

Also, I’m helping to organize a dinner at t’afia on Tuesday, March 20th with Elizabeth Winslow, co-founder of Farmhouse Delivery. Hope you’ll consider attending and tasting yummy bites from Chef Monica Pope and Elizabeth! More deets here.

Eat fresh, friends!

I’ve sat down to write this post at least a dozen times, not knowing how to start it or what to say. But my patient and encouraging Godsend of a boyfriend offered “just be honest and tell everyone what’s going on.” So here goes.

I ended 2011 on the highest of highs. My fitness and nutrition program was going great and I was excited to be encouraging other to take a new step into 2012. Things were going great…until they weren’t.

Towards the end of last year, I had a tooth infection. Sounds harmless right? Eh, I wish. I had a severe tooth infection, that required 2 surgeries. Easy right? Actually, that was the easy part. The infection was very painful, if you’ve ever had an abscess in your bone you know this is terrible pain. I was on pain medication for 2-3 weeks, and taking way too much of it to even touch the pain. Eventually, things got better, after 3 rounds of antibiotics, and all the fun side effects of those.

I thought I was in the clear.

I wish.

The pain medication, and the amount I was using complicated my digestive system. And I got an infection. That wouldn’t go away. After 2 very painful procedures, 2 more rounds of antibiotics, I am recovering from that. Still waiting to see if I’ll need an additional surgery for that.

In the meantime, oh what, there’s more?, I’ve been having issues with my back. Joey and I were in an accident a few months ago and I’ve been having back issues ever since.

I’m not just listing all these things off to find sympathy. I know that there are many, many more terrible things in the world than a few health issues, and I’m fortunate that none of this is life threatening.

But it has been weighing on me (quite literally, at times), and it’s affecting me emotionally. I certainly can understand how chronically sick people can so easily get depressed. I feel like I fight off depression every day.

I’m not looking for sympathy. I wanted to write this post because I feel that through out these last few months, I’ve had this feeling of letting you down. I’m constantly thinking, “do people think I’ve given up? stopped working out? stopped eating well?”, and the answer is NO NO NO.

I’m plagued by the irony that the first time in my life I make a conscious decision to be healthy, my body doesn’t cooperate.

BUT, I’m trying to keep the faith. And I LOVE hearing your stories of how my progress has inspired you to start a program of your own. It literally keeps me going every day.

I’m trying my best to stick to some sort of healthy eating habits, although my digestive system issues have changed my diet a bit and I’m adjusting.

I was cleared to begin working out again this week, however I’m now dealing with more intense back issues this week, and hoping to get that diagnosed with an MRI next week. For now, I’m playing it safe and concentrating on my eating habits.

So, bottom line, I’m hanging in there, and I’m hoping to continue to blog about the recipes I am discovering, and my cooking adventures. My weight loss has slowed a bit, but as a friend reminded me today, slow and steady wins the race. Staying positive is number one priority right now.

I have to thank my awesome team for keeping me positive and anxiously waiting my return to JumpStart: Bella, Elana, and all the JS girls. Thanks for your encouraging texts and messages. Promise I’ll be back soon!

I hope you all are off to a better 2012 than me. :-)

Continuing with my high fiber diet, Elana gave me some great and quick recipes to try out. This just might be my favorite thing I’ve made to date, mainly because I took it upon myself to improvise, something I’m still getting up courage to do.

Below is the recipe she originally gave me, and below that I’ve noted the modifications I made to it.

Speedy Black Bean Wrap

Serves 6 wraps

Ingredients

• 1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (or thaw frozen corn kernels)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped green chili peppers
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 6 fat-free whole-grain tortillas, 10 inches in diameter- look for brands that have added fiber, such as La Tortilla Factory
• 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (can sub mild feta or part-skim Mozzaella)
• 1 cup salsa

Directions

Combine black beans, corn, cilantro, chili peppers, onions, tomato and garlic and stir. Microwave on high power for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir and heat again for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat until the mixture is hot.

Place 2 tortillas between paper napkins or paper towels and warm in the microwave for 20 seconds on high. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Add about 1/2 cup bean mixture on 1 tortilla. Top with 2 tablespoons cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa. Fold in the sides and fold the bottom of the tortilla up over the filling, then roll to close. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and serve immediately. 

My Modifications:

I have a man that likes meat. Lucky me. So, I added some ground turkey that I seasoned with chili pepper.

Also, instead of the beans and corn, I bought a can of Bush’s Grilling Beans, the fiesta flavor that included black beans and corn.

I used a can of Rotel insteal of a tomato, which I wish I hadn’t cuz it was a little soggier. <– how weird does that word look?

I was out of cheese, so I took a string cheese snack that I had and took it to the shredder.

I also put chili powder in the black bean mixture. Hey, I like my chili powder.

Sunday night I was finally feeling up to moving around, so I went to the grocery store. I’ve actually started looking forward to my grocery store trips, thanks to the wonderful Elana. (Yes, she’s available for hire!). I also found a great grocery store app for my iPad, since if you make anything techy, I’ll like it. It’s called GroceryIQ. It’s free. Search for it in the app store.

I hadn’t been feeling well for a week and didn’t feel like thinking too much, so I got the pre-seasoned fish from the new Montrose HEB (loves it!). I choose a habanero + pear salmon. OK, so I cheated a little, but sometimes you just need a shortcut, am I right?

For veggies, I got a bag of baby carrots, one broccoli stalk, snap peas, and some mushrooms I already had at home. I cut it all up and threw it in the steamer. I sprinkled them with lemon pepper seasoning Seriously the easier thing I’ve ever cooked. I finally got a chance to try out my new steamer that Joey got me for Christmas. Why didn’t I steam veggies before this?

For the fish, I used the foil packets that Elana taught me about, and it worked like a charm. A really yummy, fishy charm.

Joey got a side of Mac-n-Cheese for playing along with my cooking adventures.

I love that you guys are sharing your favorite recipes with me! Keep ‘em coming!

So, as part of my JumpStart continued goals, this year I’m focusing on cooking more at home. I’ve had great results with TruMeals and I plan on continuing to use them to supplement my meals. However, I promised Joey that in the new year, I’d start cooking. And I kept my promise. I cooked FOUR times this week. A lifetime record. I mean, how many times in your life do you get to say that? Definitely an accomplishment.

Well, you didn’t think I’d just leave you all hanging, did ya? I’m gonna share it all. From the grocery store to the dishes.

My amazing nutritionist from Bella Body Fit, Elana, bravely took me to the grocery store last week. We met before hand, chatted about menus, ingredients, and nutrition. I may take these notes to my grave. At least they’ll get laminated, or something.  After using them in the kitchen all week, they now look something like this:

So, our original shopping list, made up for 4 weekly dinners, fruits, veggies, and snacks, looked like this (I had some of these things already, but including them, too):

Fruits +Veggies (some fresh, some canned):

• Brussel Sprouts
• Broccoli
• Red + Green Pepers
• Cilantro
• Limes
• Red Onions
• Mushrooms
• Cole Slaw (mix in a bag)
• Black Olives (to mix with Broccoli)
• Green Apples
• Can red Beans
• Can Tomatoes

Grains:

• Quinoa
• Wheat/White Flour
• Panko

Spices:

• Garlic
• White Pepper
• Black Pepper
• Sea Salt
• Cayenne Pepper
• Celery Seed
• Sage
• Paprika
• Chili Powder
• Adobe Cocoa Powder

Meat:

• 3 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
• 1 lb of Salmon
• Extra Lean, Ground Turkey

Other Stuff:

• Egg Substitute
• Dijon Mustard
• Buttermilk
• Sloppy Joe Sauce
• Cooking Wine / White Vinegar
• Veggetable oil
• Olive Oil
• Nature’s Own Sandwich Flats
• Pop Chips
• Kashi Granola Bars
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Mozzarella Sticks

All of this cost me about $120, which really surprised me. I thought it would be way more. Granted, this was Kroger, not Whole Foods. However, it fed 2 people for a week, and I was impressed.

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

The night before I went shopping with Elana, I tried out a recipe that I found via my Epicurious iPhone App, which I highly recommend. I think it’s about $3.99, but so worth it. I attempted Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa. It was YUMMY! The beans turned out a little mushier (is this a word?) than I would have liked, but the salsa (with cilatro and green apples) was AWESOME! (Not included in the above shopping list).

Recipe Here

Unsloppy Joes + Greek Cole Slaw

This was one of Elana’s recipes that I’m sure she’s made 100 times off the top of her head, so I gave it a go WITHOUT a recipe. Seriously, this almost caused a panic attack, but I got through it. My favorite part of this was the yummy cole slaw, and I don’t even normally like cole slaw. This was made with greek yogurt, golden raisins, green apples, and celery seed.

Unsloppy Joes:

Lean, Ground Turkey
Green Peppers
Red Peppers
Red Onion
White Onion
Garlic Cloves
Mushrooms
Cooking Wine
Chili Powder
Adobe Cocoa Powder
Canned Red Beans
Canned Tomatoes
Sloppy Joe Sauce
Sandwich Flats

Cole Slaw:

Bagged Cole Slaw mix
Greek Yogurt
Apple Cider Vinegar
Almond Slivers
White Pepper
Green Apples
Golden Raisins

Make the Cole Slaw first so that you can refrigerate it for a while to get it cold.
This was pretty much the easiest thing I’ve ever made.
Just combine everything and stick in the fridge.
Easy peasy, right?

1. Start browning turkey in a large skillet.
2. Cut up veggies. I used about half of each of the peppers, and 1/4 of each onion. About 3 cloves of garlic.  About 4-5 mushrooms.
3. Saute 1/2 the veggies + garlic in cooking wine/white vinegar with a skillet.
4. Simmer in a large pot rest of the veggies, beans, tomatoes.
5. Once veggies are sauted, and sauce is heated, combine into the large skillet with the turkey meat.
6. Toast the sandwich rounds, and serve over sandwich round with a side of cole slaw.
7. BAM! Healthy Sloppy Joes + Close Slaw.

Foil-baked Salmon + Broccoli w/ Panko

Making the salmon in aluminum packets keeps the fish moist, without adding calories and fat, and also keeps you from having to do extra dishes. Once you get the hang of the packet method, use it for all kinds of fish; feel free to experiment with tons of different herbs, spices and veggies.

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb salmon, divided into 4 fillets
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped (may sub canned, but be sure to drain)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

• Prepare salmon marinade: combine olive oil, oregano, thyme, basil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Place salmon fillets in this mixture (if time allows, salmon can marinate in fridge for 1 hour to add more flavor)

• Divide heavy duty aluminum foil into 4 sections, each about 2.5x the size of the fillets. Place each marinated salmon fillet on top of a sheet of aluminum foil; wrap the foil in a kind of a boat shape, and pour in the marinade. Spoon the tomatoes, garlic and onion mixture inside also. Seal the top of the packets, so that the entire fillet is covered by foil.

• Place your packets on a baking sheet, and bake for about 25 minutes. When cooked properly, the salmon should easily flake with a fork, and the skin will be translucent.

Broccoli w/ Panko + Lemon-Garlic

Recipe Here

Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken + Brussel Sprouts

• 1 ½ c. panko bread crumbs
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. paprika
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper (may add cayenne or red pepper to taste, if you like additional spiciness)
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1/4 c. buttermilk
  Non-stick vegetable spray
• 3 large chicken breasts, split

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a plastic bag, mixing well.
3. Combine Dijon, buttermilk and egg substitute; brush both sides of chicken with this mixture
4. Place chicken in bag with crumb mixture, shaking to coat.
5. Coat broiler or baking pan with non-stck spray, and bake chicken uncovered for about 45 minutes

Brussel Sprouts:

1. Combine in a quart sixed-ziplock bag brussel sprouts, black pepper, sea salt and olive oil. Shake and coat.
2. Pout out over a cookie sheet.
3. Towards the last 15 minutes of the chicken cooking, place the cookie sheet in the oven.
4. When chicken is done, turn oven to Broil and leave spouts in for 4-5 minutes until browned.

When I started this journey, the goal was for it to be a true jumpstart. Not a start and end. A START to a healthy lifestyle. I think what I’ve been most excited about these last few weeks, as I’ve seen the pounds come off and my strength increase, is how forward I am looking to what’s next.

I certainly have come a long way, but have a long way to go to get to where I want to be. At the risk of sounding dramatic, this program has changed my life, and I know that a lot of that is to do my own hard work and commitment, and that’s what I’m most proud of: that I set out to do it, and with the right team and tools, I DID IT. :-)

So no more suspense, I know you’re all here for the half-naked before and after pics. This morning we took my final pics, weight and measurements, and here are the cold hard results:

Weight

173 to 163

Net loss: -10lbs 

Measurements

Waist: 33 to 31

Hips: 45 to 41

Arms: 12 to 11

Net loss: -7 inches

BMI / Body Fat

Body Fat: 32.3 to 29.6

BMI: 28.5 to 26.3

And my favorite pics from today:

I can’t thank you guys enough for encouraging me along this journey to fitness and health. Your comments meant more to me than I can express. And I absolutely could not have done this without my amazing team Bella and Elana from Bella Body Fitness and TruMeals! Partners in my success!

But it doesn’t stop here though. I’ll be continuing the program with a new list of recruits who have signed up for the first group session of JumpStart 2012 which begins on Monday morning.

Are you ready to JumpStart, too? Join us!

But enough about ME. Let’s talk about YOU.

I’ve been overwhelmed with your support and encouragement throughout this process. Your comments, and tweets, and Facebook likes, have helped me along in my journey to health. I’ve heard from countless readers that this process has inspired them to start a program of their own, or at the very least, think twice before that 3rd serving of pumpkin pie.

Being that it IS the Holiday Season, and the season is for sharing and being thankful, I can’t keep this new found lifestyle to myself. No, I want to share it, and the results I’ve gotten, with YOU. I’ve had so many people ask to try out Bella and TruMeals, and the program we’ve created, and we are listening!

My JumpStart 2012 team, Bella Body Fit + TruMeals, has been hard at work putting together a plan based on the very one I am in the midst of, a plan that works, a plan that I’m proud to be an advocate of.

Announcing the Jump Start 2012 Health + Wellness Program

Beginning January 2nd, 2012, Bella, TruMeals, and myself will be offering the JumpStart 2012 Health + Wellness Program. We are stoked to help other women see the results I’ve seen, and jump start a healthy lifestyle of their own!

The plan consists of a 6-week program that includes:

• 3x (MWF) weekly workouts at Bella Body Fit studio with trainer Bella Barak
• 20% off TruMeals food
• Weekly meeting with BBF Nutritionist Elana Vey
• Access to weekly shared content, tips, support forums, and videos
• Weekly healthy cooking demos
• Guest Speakers
• Unlimited cheers, high fives, and “You can do this” chants

JumpStart Gems

Wait, there’s more?! Oh yeah, you didn’t think we weren’t going to reward you for all your hard work, did you?

We’ve teamed up with some of Houston’s finest to offer you JumpStart Gems each week for completing key components of the program. Gems include items such as:

• Luxurious Massages
• Slammin’ Workout Gear
• Fresh, funky Jewelry & Accessories
• Spa + Beauty Services
• and much, much more!

Quick Weight Loss Seekers Need Not Apply

It’s proven that it takes a good solid 6 weeks to get into the groove of a health and wellness routine. Studies show that most efforts to begin a plan fail within the first 3 weeks. The JumpStart Program is designed to help you succeed, by offering accountability, professional consultation, and peer support.

The JumpStart plan is just that: a jump start to a healthy lifestyle. This plan is not intended to be the be-all end-all of your dream body. This is about beginning a long-term lifestyle change, supported by others who are doing the same. After the initial 6-week program, the JumpStart team will assist participants on continuing a plan that supports a healthy lifestyle that suits each participant.

I’m so in! When can I start?

The first JumpStart session begins Monday, January 2nd, and will continue through Friday February 10th. Workouts will be held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6:30am, or 6:30pm at Bella Body Fit Studio located at 2621 S. Shepherd, Houston, TX. TruMeals is located just down the way at 3821 Farnham Street between Shepherd and Greenbriar. The cost for the 6-week plan is $399. Weekly payment plans are available. During the program period, participants will also receive discounts to private training and group classes at Bella Body Fit. To sign up, and for more information call 281-687-7515, or email me at jumpstarttwenty12@gmail.com.

Dude, if I can do this, you can do this.

I know you can. If I can, I promise YOU can. I’ll be along every step of the way in classes with you, helping you out, encouraging you, and keeping you away from the pumpkin pie. I want you to succeed. I know you can.

THIS IS THE YEAR FOR YOUR BEST YOU!

Note: I am not a health or fitness professional. My team at Bella Body Fit and TruMeals are trained professionals.

I’ve attributed my lack of cooking to probably 80% of my weight gain over the past few years. Fast food options, eating out, parties and events have all been staples in my eating habits. It’s something I always knew I’d have to face, and I’m happy to have finally found a transition that has helped me get into healthier habits.

For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been (mostly only) eating TruMeals pre-prepared foods (2 locations in Houston). I have tried MANY of the pre-prepared meal companies in Houston (My Fit Foods, Real Meals, Smart Meals, etc.) and I have to say that by FAR TruMeals is the best TASTING meals I have had. Steven will explain in the video the nutritional value, but all that matters to me really is the taste. No matter how healthy it is, if it doesn’t taste good, I won’t get into the habit of eating it.

If you haven’t heard, I’ve lost SEVEN pounds in 3 weeks, simply by eating TruMeals, working with my awesome nutritionist Elana and amazing trainer Bella from Bella Body Fit. (I’ll be posting a detailed schedule soon!). I can’t tell you how easy it’s been, after getting used to the routine. Seriously, y’all, if my fat, busy ass can do this, ANYONE can.

I should note that I know that it’s unrealistic for someone to purchase 5 meals a day, and eat those meals solely forever. I’m committed to weight loss for 6 weeks therefore I’ll be mostly eating only TruMeals through the end of the year. However, as part of my continued healthy living, I will eventually be working in to the mix meals that I can cook at home, and keep TruMeals a supplement to my busy life on the go.

Why TruMeals?

A few things that I really love about TruMeals, and what I feel makes them different from the other options:

• It just TASTES fresher – A lot of the time when I go into the store I see the chef preparing fresh sushi and setting it out to eat. He always lets me try some, and I usually end up eating that for my next meal!
• Portion Sizes – instead of a teeny, tiny portion size, TruMeals offers a small, and a medium size meal, both of which have plenty to fill me up. (I buy the small size).
• Variety – The first time I went into TruMeals and loaded up for the next few days, I returned looking for my favorite items. Some were there, some were not. I was bummed at first, then realized that there were new favorites to be made! Now when I go, I look forward to trying new things, and they are always good.

Try Tru

The folks at TruMeals have been generous enough to extend an offer to anyone who wants to try out TruMeals. Come in on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday through the end of the year and receive 15% off your entire order. You can use this deal as many times as you want through the end of the year on a weekend. Just make sure and mention JUMPSTART.

I truly hope you give them a try. Hell, I’ll even meet you there and walk you through my favorite meals! Seriously, let me know and I’ll be there!

I should also note that TruMeals has NOT paid me for my endorsement. I selected them based on recommendations and they have agreed to provide me with meals throughout my 6 week program.