Turbofire Chili

I have never been a big fan of chili. To be honest, up until recently, the only chili I really liked was my sister-in-laws white chicken chili. BUT...then I came across this recipe. It had good reviews and everyone seemed to rave about it. Now, that alone did not convince me. But when I saw a picture of it and read the ingredients....I thought to myself "that doesn't really sound like regular chili". In my mind, when I think of chili I think of alot of red sauce & beans. That may not be accurate on what chili is but that's what has always been in my head haha! So anyway I figured that I would give it a try. I ended up LOVING it!! I thought for sure that the corn must have been a typo...why would corn be in chili?!? But, the little sweetness of the corn actually made it better! I was hooked. I make this at least 1-2 times a month now. I freeze the leftovers in small containers and then thaw them for quick lunches. I hope you enjoy!!! 

TurboFire chili

1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 c diced tomatoes
8oz canned corn
1/2 onion, diced
2cloves garlic
8oz canned black beans
8oz kidney, pinto or chili beans
1 tbs tomato paste
1 package Lawry's chili seasoning
4oz cheddar cheese (optional)

Brown turkey meat, drain excess. Place all ingredients except cheese into slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours. I cooked mine on the stove for 30 minutes on high and it turned out great.
Place 1oz cheese on top  if desired.

Cauliflower pizza Crust

Cauliflower pizza Crust
Recipe from Kati Heifners blog!

 Serves 2
Ingredients
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed garlic
½ teaspoon garlic salt
olive oil (optional) 
pizza sauce, shredded cheese and choice of your toppings

Making the cauliflower dough

Instructions
To "rice" the Cauliflower: Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself. One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven.



Cauliflower Pizza Crust with lots of veggies

To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).
*Note: Toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Clean Zucchini Lasagna

We make this meal once every couple weeks. I take the leftovers and cut them into small pieces, wrap them in seran wrap and freeze them. I use them for my lunch the next week paired with a salad:-) Its quick and easy!!

-1lb turkey ground meat
-24 oz low fat cottage cheese
-1 jar no sugar added spaghetti sauce
 (choose one with the fewest ingredients)
-4 small zucchini
-1egg
-1 medium minced onion
-1/2 cup low fat mozzarella cheese
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp parsley
Dash of sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1.Slice zucchini length wise in 1/4 inch thick slices. Set aside.

2.Brown ground meat in a frying pan. Add minced onion, garlic, parsley and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Add spaghetti sauce to pan. Mix. Set aside.

3.In a medium mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, egg, and mozzarella cheese.

4. In a 9 by 13 baking dish speed a thin layer of sauce on the bottom. Layer zucchini to cover sauce. Add a layer of the cheese mixture next, then another layer of sauce. Repeat one more time ending with sauce on the top layer. Sprinkle left over mozzarella cheese in too.

5. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 mins. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let set 10 mins.

Enjoy!!!!

Do you really know how much sugar is in the fruit you eat??

I know I'm guilty of saying "Hey, its fruit- I can eat as much as I want". But remember, fruit is still sugar..and even though its natural sugar, it all adds up at the end of the day.

I used to think that I could eat all the fruit I wanted. When I would go grocery shopping I would just grab any fruits that looked appealing. It wasn't until I started to write down what I was eating on a daily basis that I realized I was eating way too much!! I'm talking 5-6 servings a day. So I took a closer look and realized I was only getting about 1 serving of veggies a day. So I adjusted. I wrote out a meal plan, counted how many fruits I really needed in the house for me and the family and replaced veggies where I used to eat fruit.

 Its recommended to eat 2-3 serving of fruit a day. Eating fruit earlier in the day also allows for you body to have more time to process it. I also learned that pairing fruit with protein is a great snack. The fruit has a whole bunch or water and fiber in it...that is what helps you feel full. The protein will slow down the digestion process and also help you to feel fuller longer. My all time FAVORITE snack is a medium apple with 1/4 cup of whole almonds. Believe it or not, I have never liked almond before. Turns out, I had only had coated almonds and never tried them just plain! It tastes so good and keeps me full until my next meal!!! I hope you gained some knowledge that you didn't know before! Comments or questions feel free to shoot me a quick email!!

Are Sweet Potatoes Good for You???

Did you know that.....

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin C, E, B6, and Beta-Carotene? 
That they help keep your heart healthy and are good for your eyes?
They aid in weight loss and helps to lower blood pressure?

The sweet potato will keep all the benefits of its status of a "super food" in this recipe!! This is a perfect substitute for french fries. Sweet enough to satisfy that craving, yet you get all the benefits! 



Ingredients
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon grated orange rind (optional)
1 small garlic clove, minced

Preparation
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Arrange sweet potato slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until tender, turning the potato slices after 15 minutes.

Combine parsley, orange rind, and garlic in a small bowl; stir well. Sprinkle parsley mixture over sweet potato slices.

Yield: 7 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

source-Cooking Light NOVEMBER 1995

Super Nutritious Green Smoothie

Super Nutritous Green Smoothie

Up until recently I was never one to make my own smoothies. I had no idea where to start, what to mix together or how much. Then one day I saw this recipe posted on facebook and thought I would give it a try. I'm so glad I did!!! So here it is....

2 cups kale
2 cups spinach
1 green apple
1cup frozen pineapple
8 oz water to blend

Chop up spinach, kale and apple. Mix all ingredients in blender and enjoy!!!!
It's very healthy and tastes so good! I have one at least 3 times a week. It makes a perfect and quick snack! Even my 1 year old son loves it!!! Hope you enjoy!!

Clean Eating Snack Ideas

As a mom of 2 things can get very busy! I'm always looking for quick healthy snacks for me and the kids! One of the problems I had was that the kids would always get hungry when we would be out in the car traveling from place to place or just running errands... It was so much easier just to stop at a fast food place. But.... Now I don't do that anymore!

I found a medium sized insulated bag that I fill with small containers of pre cut snacks. Watermelon, pears, oranges and yogurt is what I mostly pack in it. That has always been enough to hold over the kids and I until we get home to make a real meal!!!
So here are some ideas.....

Clean eating snacks

*1 cut apple with 1tbs of natural peanut butter
*1 cut apple and 14 raw unsaltes almonds
*1 cup baby carrots 1-2tbs hummus
*2 plain brown rice cakes with 1-2 tbs of natural peanut butter
*1 cup strawberries and a handful of raw unsalted cashews
*Shakeology
*2 cups celery with 1-2 tbs natural peanut butter
*1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cup blueberries
*1/2 cup Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup berries (drizzle of agave nectar to add sweetness)
*1/2 sliced Banana on top of whole wheat bread with 1tbs natural peanut butter-- my favorite!!!!

I hope this face you some good ideas for some quick healthy snacks! Feel free to comment with any other healthy suggestions!!!!

My First Taste of Shakeology

I had heard about Shakeology on Facebook mainly and had been approached by my friend to try it several times. I didn't know much about it so I did what anyone else would do... Googled it! I couldn't  believe how many vitamins, nutrients and super foods were on it! Growing up, my mother always had us take vitamins as opposed to going straight for medications, so seeing how many healthy ingredients were in Shakeology....I was excited!! 

I knew right away I wanted to try it but since at the time I was still in nursing school I didn't have the extra money to spend on it. So I contacted my friend who had approached me before and she suggested that I could buy sample packs from her. At $5 each I went right ahead and did just that!

I initially bought 3 single serving packs from her. 2 chocolate and 1 greenberry.  I mixed the chocolate powder with water in a blender and did not like the taste at all! I was so disappointed! Fortunately, I talked to my friend about it and that's when she told me to mix it with fruit and almond milk. Wow! Did that make all the difference! I mixed 1cup almond milk, a banana, 1tbs of peanut butter and the Shakeology all in a blender. It seriously tasted like a milkshake!! Now, how could this be healthy and taste so good!! I was hooked. Over the next couple of days I was at clinical in the hospital for school and I could already tell a difference in my energy level!!

So I thought a little more about the price and realized that I would spend $5 each morning at the gas station for breakfast. If I would replace a shake with breakfast I would actually be saving money!! So I had made up my mind... I was ready to order! As soon as I figured out my finances... I discovered something else... I was pregnant!!! I didn't know enough about it at the time to drink it during my pregnancy and I wanted to do everything possible to make sure the baby was healthy so I took a break for awhile. Once I had my son and he was 6 months old, I and was back to work, I signed up as a "discount " Beachbody coach. That gave me a 25% discount every month on my Shakeology home direct order. I have replaced breakfast with Shakeology from that day forth... My energy has increased, I'm more regular, my my skin cleared up, I have lost 22 lbs in the last couple months and most important of all... I am all around happier!!!!!!!!

What is this whole "Clean Eating" thing??

So when I started paying attention to what I was eating, I decided to follow "clean eating". I didn't know what the heck that was. But I knew I could learn. So I researched it. It turned out to be very simple in fact. "Clean eating" is mostly about eating "real" foods. Ya know.. Things without artificial flavoring, artificial coloring and sugar substitutes. The less the ingredient list the better!


 Seemed easy enough! But I very quickly learned that changing the way I ate would be a process. I wasn't one of those people out there that could just turn my diet completely around all at one time. So I did it slowly and learned a few things along the way...

 1. Try switching one food out each week ( I started by switching to whole grain pasta, quinoa, and barley instead of white pasta and white rice) This way you get used to eating healthier and its not as much of a shock.

 2. You may not like everything you try, but don't get discouraged! Play around with new recipes. (I found very quickly that I was not a fan of quinoa... But I finally found a stir fry recipe that I loved!) Trying several new recipes a week was too overwhelming for me. Plus I didn't have all the ingredients in the cupboards. So I decided to try 1 new recipe a week.

 3.Always stock up on fresh or frozen fruits and veggies! There are so many different fruits and veggies out there! Not until I took the time to look did I realize what I was missing out on. Things as simple as blackberries, watermelon and pineapple were things I overlooked before while shopping because my cart was filled with other unhealthy food

 4.Lastly I learned to shop on the perimeters of the grocery store. Did you ever notice that most fresh foods are on the outskirts??


I didn't! Now, not all the food you will need is on the outskirts but alot of it is:-

I hope you learned something from this! I'm still continuing to learn every day and will continue to share with you on my journey!!!