Game Day Recipes (2018)

It’s that time of year again!  In less than two weeks, millions of Americans will be watching the biggest game of the year.  THE SUPER BOWL!!  I remember the first time I ever heard about the Super Bowl.  I was in 8th grade.  It was the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills, and Michael Jackson on the half-time show.  I remember this because my parents held a Super Bowl party in our house.  My dad loved (and still loves) to cook and had a great spread for us.  I don’t remember what we had.  I just know there was a lot of food, and a lot of beer (for the grown ups), and we had a party ON A SUNDAY.

 

I have some friends that could care less about football, but are Super Bowl enthusiasts.  What’s not to love?  FOOD, FRIENDS, HYSTERICAL COMMERCIALS, AND A KICK BUTT, SOMETIMES JAW DROPPING, HALF-TIME SHOW.  Thanks to my husband, I enjoy watching football.  And on football season, you can count on finding us eating hot wings and maybe other game day food EVERY SINGLE SUNDAY.  It’s our thing.  I’ve been able to find healthier options.  With the power of GOOGLE, we really don’t have a reason not to try healthier options.

On Super Bowl Sunday this year, I will be on day 21 of the 80 Day Obsession, so I have to make sure I plan my meals accordingly even for Super Bowl Sunday.  I’ve rounded up some new game day recipes that you can perhaps try on Game Day, even if you’re not on doing 80 Day Obsession.

Shrimp Ceviche (not for me because I’m allergic to shrimp, but for my shrimp loving family)

Image Credit: BeachbodyonDemand.com

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Guacamole

Baked Buffalo Wings

Image Credit: Skinnytaste.com

Pulled Chipotle Chicken with Cilantro Slaw
(this is delicious, but I made and used this adobo sauce)

Image Credit: BeachbodyonDemand.com

Slow Cooker Beef Chili (you can also sub the beef for venison)

And one of my FAVORITE dishes:

Loaded Plantain Nachos  *I make my own plantain chips (see recipe below).

EASY PLANTAIN NACHO CHIPS

3-5 Green Plantains (or more depending on how much you want to make), sliced into thin circles

3 tsp melted coconut oil or EEVOO (just enough to coat the plantains)

Sea Salt

1     Preheat oven to 350F.

        Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

        In a bowl, toss plantains with oil. Sprinkle with sea salt.

       Layout (single layer, don’t overlap) on your baking sheet.

5      Bake for about 20 minutes.  You will need to repeat this process until you have baked all your plantains.

6       ENJOY!!!

      Will you be watching the game for the GAME or for the commercials?  I would also LOVE to get some more game day recipes, so please share your favorite HEALTHY game day recipes below!

Worth More Than Stew

 

   

  "'Look I am dying of starvation!' said Esau, 'What good is my birthright in me now," (Genesis 25:32).  I am reading the One Year Chronological Bible again.  This week, I was in Genesis 25, when Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob.  Did he sell his birthright for massive land?  Nope.  Did he sell it for cattle? Not that either.  He sold his birthright for a bowl of STEW.

    That's right.  A bowl of stew.  One day, he came home from the wilderness, "exhausted and hungry" (Genesis 25:29) and asked Jacob for some of his stew.  I have read this passage a few times before, and it never really sat right with me.  This time around, I camped out on this passage a little bit.  What I realized was that there have been times when I am not all that different from Jacob.

    How many times have I acted like I was willing to give up my birthright in Christ?  The Bible tells us that we have been adopted as God's own children:

"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves.
Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.
Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”  For his Spirit joins with our spirit
to affirm that we are God’s children.  And since we are his children, we are his heirs.
In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.
But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering."

(Romans 8:15-17)

 

"But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 

God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law,

so that he could adopt us as his very own children.  And because we are his children,
God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, 

'Abba, Father.'  Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.
And since you are his child, God has made you his heir."

(Galatians 4:4-7) 

 

     And yet, I give up my birthright by giving in to the desires of my flesh.  Not only in eating things that are not good for my body, but also in the way I live my life.  When I give in to my anger and let it manifest by losing my cool towards my family or thinking hateful thoughts towards someone.  When I choose not to forgive others.  When I choose to tell a white lie or even a big lie.  When I allow something to become my god- allow it to run me, to rule me, to be my priority. 

 

     You might say, oh, nobody's perfect.  That is 10000% true.  Everyone sins and falls short of the glory of God.  BUT if I am not careful, if I do not keep myself in check, I can lose my way.  The apostle James writes:

"Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.

 These desires give birth to sinful actions. 

And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death."

(James 1:14-15, NLT) 

Everyone sins, but we cannot let our sin rule us.  We cannot allow sin to take over our birthright.  Reading Esau's story this time around got me thinking about what my "stew" might be in my life.  That thing that, if I am not careful, will end up robbing me of my birthright.   What is your "stew"?

Countdown to 4-0

     This weekend, I worked on my Life Plan with the help of the book, Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want.   I had to determine what my priorities are.  These priorities are called "Life Accounts."  One of my Life Accounts is... drum roll please... my Health and Fitness.  I have been told I am too obsessed with my fitness bordering making it my false idol.  I am thankful for my well meaning friend that pointed it out, but I do have to disagree.  Yes, I talk a lot about health and fitness on my page, but it's because it is one of my passions or as social media lingo would call it, my niche.  And yes, my health is a priority for me.  I have been given this ONE body and I need to take care of it.

   When I took the time to take an assessment of my life accounts, one of which was my health and fitness, I was faced with the realization that in the last couple of months I have drifted in that area, particularly the eating department.  I can come up with excuses about why I drifted but I wont do that.  All I know is that I am turning 40 this December, and I want to be in the best shape of my life.

    I KNOW what I need to do to do it the healthy way and now I have to do it. I know that fitness is not a puishment, it's a blessing; and nutrition isn't restrictive, it's healing.  It is more than just eating healthy and working out.  It is going for my yearly physical (which I am on pretty good about) as well as my yearly women doctor visit (ok, I was reminded by my doctor to schedule this because it has been a year and three months since my last visit).  It is (GULP) seeing my dentist regularly.  It is taking time to de-stress including taking a social media break, and even scheduling a massage for my hard working muscles. 

    I will be scheduling my overdue doctor and dentist visits this week, which will take care of those.  BUT I need accountability to stay on track with my healthy eating.   I scaled back on my challenge groups in 2017 because I didn't want to bug and pressure people to join my groups, but here's the truth: I NEED THESE ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS as much as others do.  So, as part of my Action Plan for this particular life account, with the short term goal of LOOKING AWESOMELY FIT at 40, instead of holding different challenge groups throughout the year, I will be forming a year long challenge group. And yes, I'll be reaching out to everyone I know to join me on this journey because I NEED YOUR HELP TO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE.   I will open it up every quarter for those who want to jump in. 

     Do you want to be a part of my Fit for 2018 group?  I'd love for you to join me  (and I mean that because I kinda need you to join me).  I will be kicking it off on January 15.  Please complete this form if you'd like to be in this group.

My One Word, 2018

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will aearn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 
 
Zig Ziglar wrote, “If you aim at nothing, that is what you will hit it every time.”  That just about sums up my 2017.  It pains me to admit that on the most part of last year, I was idle.  My verse for 2017 was Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but the Lord’s purpose prevails.”  2016 was so jam packed with plans and aspirations, some of which didn’t go quite as planned.  I thought it was my fault for not REALLY seeking what the Lord wanted for my life.  Perhaps, this is why I entered 2017 fearful to make plans.  In hindsight, I went from one extreme (micromanaging my plans) to the other (not really making any plans). If there is one word I can choose for what I did in 2017, it would be “drifting" and  I don't think that is what the writer of Proverbs meant in Proverbs 19:21.

The realization that I was drifting came to me towards the end of year.  I was forced to be still (thank you, concussion*), slow down, and just read, read, read. Or rather, because of my concussion, I listened to God's Word.  My first reaction to the realization that I was drifting was panic, not a very godly reaction and not something I’m proud of, but yes, I panicked.  Then, there was sorrow and even shame. I have failed God by being too laid back and idle. But GOD, who is ALWAYS faithful, came in and gave me that peace that passes all understanding.  He also began working in me, bringing certain things my way to give me clarity.  (THANK YOU GOD FOR YOUR GRACE!!)

Some will say it’s coincidence. Some will say that my own desire to focus on something attracted other things in the universe to speak to me about this very thing that I am focused on.  For me, it is a GOD thing.  Several things came my way that led me to my one word: a sermon series in church, bible verses in my daily devotions, readings for school, words of wisdom from family and friends, and finally, a book that I had on my Christmas 2016 wish list but did not get until Christmas, 2017, Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life that You Want. I realized that it wasn’t so much about making plans as much as it was making sure I focused on the right things.

All those sources paved the way to my One Word.  As the end of 2017 came to a close, I prayed about my One Word for 2018 and what I got was “SIMPLIFY.”  I rejected this word at first.  Prayed some more.  Waited.  Prayed again.  Waited some more.  But "SIMPLIFY" kept coming back and this verse:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,"

Hebrews 12:1

I wanted a more profound word.  But I couldn’t escape from the word SIMPLIFY and Hebrews 12:1.

This is why my first blog post is coming to you this January 5. FIVE DAYS INTO THE NEW YEAR.  I gave God all the different reasons why this can’t be the word or verse for me. But of course, as I dug, prayed, and listened, SIMPLIFY and Hebrews 12:1 were it.

So what will SIMPLIFY look like for me in 2018? It starts with sitting down this weekend to complete my LIFE PLAN as laid out in Living Forward.    As I draw up my Life Plan, I will be praying for God's leading.  He gave me a dream three years ago, and some set backs threw me a little off course.  My Life Plan will help me to focus on what's important to me, including my God-given dream, instead of drifting.  It will be my guide when I make the decisions and commitments. 

Most importantly, I need to SIMPLIFY my life by "throwing off everything that hinders" my relationship with God and my Spiritual growth as well as "the sin that so easily entangles."  SIMPLIFY also means throwing off everything that hinders my Life Plan.

I know that even with my Life Plan, God's plan will still prevail.  I still believe the truth in Proverbs 29:11.  I can do my best to discern what God wants for me but God will allow unexpected things my way.  I will be drawing up my Life Plan with the that truth on my mind.  I want my Life Plan to be a response to God's own plans for me.  One of the books I am reading for school right now is The Ripple Church by Phil Stevenson.  In it he writes:

"That is not to say that planning doesn't matter.  It is a recognition of the fact

that it is God, not our plans and goals, that directs us.

God implants dreams in our hearts and minds.  He gives us gifts and talents

to carry out those dreams.  Yet dreams belong to him. When we become possessive

of our God-given dreams, we may neglect the God who gave them. 

We must cherish the dream, but love the God who gave it even more."

(emphasis mine)

Do you have your One Word?  How will you live out your One Word?

<3,  Marie

*SIDE NOTE: For those of you that missed my Facebook post about it in December, a soccer ball hit me on my head, causing me to have a concussion.  For the most part of December, I had to "rest my brain" as the doctor put it, and couldn't be on my phone, or watch TV, or read.