Stuffed Bell Peppers...I see them everywhere and they're a great idea but once they're made how the heck do you eat them?! We just cut them up which then made me wonder why we stuff them in the first place instead of just chopping the peppers from the beginning but I guess that's because the peppers would get too soft?! Something to think about but regardless they were delicious and my 7 & 5 year old actually gave me a hug and thanked me while they praised how yummy they were! =) I was pretty shocked and made a mental note that I will keep this recipe on the list of regulars! I actually made this recipe up... I've seen lots of different recipes out there that I've wanted to try but last night my daughter had gymnastics and I didn't have a clue what I was cooking for dinner. I got home and decided I would throw some things together to make a healthy dish and this is what I decided on! I'm pretty proud of the spinach addition because nobody would EVER know it's in there! So healthy and so yummy!! Try them yourself and let me know what you think!
Ingredients:
Quinoa
6 Bell Peppers
2 pounds lean ground turkey or I used venison from our freezer (perks of a hunter husband!) which is super lean.
2 cloves of garlic
2 TBSP coconut oil
1 cup chopped spinach (I chopped fresh spinach in my food processor)
2 tomatoes, diced OR you can use 1 can of diced tomatoes
3 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning (it's salt free!)
pepper to taste (a little salt is delicious but if you're doing the 21 Day Fix then don't add it!)
grated cheddar cheese
Directions:
Cook Quinoa according to box.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the top of each bell pepper and rinse out seeds. If you need to trim some of the pepper on the bottom so it stands up on the pan you can!
Place foil on a pan or casserole dish and place bell peppers inside.
Heat coconut oil in large skillet and add onion, garlic, and chopped spinach and saute for 5 minutes or until soft.
Add the ground meat and cook through.
Add the tomatoes and spices and mix well.
Once Quinoa is finished, mix it in the skillet and blend.
Tightly stuff the mixture into the peppers and then top with shredded cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes. ENJOY!!!! Please share or pin this recipe with someone you think would like it! How do you eat your stuffed peppers?
Do you see that?!? That means that I'M FINISHED!!!! Yay!!! I made it through my 21 days and I couldn't be more proud of myself! I feel amazing and can't wait to post my full review but here is how my last 2 days went...
On Saturday, what I used to call my rest day, and I got up at 5:30 and pushed play on Dirty Thirty and Pilates. I was almost done with my workouts when the rest of the house started waking up...what a great start to my day!!!
We got dressed and headed to my sons basketball game where he played the best game he has EVER played (granted this is his 3rd basketball game of his life...but it was the best, hands down!) =) He was on fire and made 4 baskets, stole the ball multiple times, and had some great rebounds! I'm a proud momma!
Lunch was on track and then came a big crossroads in my journey. We made plans to go with family to dinner...Mexican food (my favorite) so I had to decide what I was going to order!
I did my double workout today, I drank my Shakeology, I had a healthy lunch with plenty of leftover containers and I only had 1 MORE DAY left of my 21 Days...to cheat, or not to cheat?!?!
Well, I've been good for 20 days so far, would I really want to blow it the night of the 20th day, the EVE of my last day?! That would be crazy right!? There are plenty of things I could do to stick to it...10 chips with salsa (yellow), corn tortillas with chicken and veggies (yellow, red, green) I could stick to the plan. If it was earlier in my journey I wouldn't have even questioned sticking to it or not. But,here's why I decided to CHEAT when I was almost done with my full 21 Day Fix!
This 21 Day Fix wasn't just a phase for me! I didn't go into it with the attitude that I would do these 21 days and then go back to eating junk and large amounts of anything and everything I wanted. No, I went into these 21 days looking to make healthier habits, wanting to learn how to eat the right portions, make healthier snack choices, and be on a consistent workout schedule! I DID that and now that I'm finishing up, it's time for me to continue doing the healthy habits I've learned while also indulging a little now and then! Shaun T calls it the 80/20 rule. 80% healthy, 20% indulgence and that's how I want to live! Life is too short to count EVERY single calorie or to just never let loose with family and friends! So I went out and had 2 skinny margaritas and shared a fajita plate with my husband. It was delicious and we had a wonderful time with family!
I don't regret cheating and guess what? I got up on Sunday and did my Yoga workout before church, had my Shakeology and continued on a healthy day. I weighed myself (at a family members house because I don't own a scale!) to see the results of my 21 days and I lost 6 POUNDS TOTAL! I feel amazing and I didn't gain it all back by eating some Mexican food! Now, if I chose to cheat and indulge everyday I would, but not by doing the 80/20 rule! The crazy thing is that I actually lost the least amount of weight from my other 21 Day Fixers in my Challenge Group!! I lost the least at 6 pounds, then there were some 7 pounders, 10, 12, and even 16 pounds! AMAZING!!
Feel free to read through each day of my 21 Day Fix for food ideas and my personal journey plus I will be blogging my review of each workout so check back soon for that!
I have Challenge Groups starting every single month so if you'd like to join one of my groups please comment below! I would LOVE to help you reach your goals and the new 21 Day Fix Extreme comes out in Feb 2015! Both programs are guaranteed to give you results so there is no risk!
I can't believe this is my last weekend of my 21 days! What a journey it's been so far! I can tell my body has changed but I don't own a scale so I wont know the numbers until the end when I'll go to a friends house to weigh myself! =) I really don't care about weight, I just go by how I FEEL! If I'm happy and feeling good in my clothes and daily life then that's my perfect weight! When my clothes start getting tighter and I'm feeling sluggish and blah...I know it's time to make some changes! =)
This morning I tried Greenberry Shakeology for the first time and it was delicious! My usual Chocolate is so sweet and tastes like a yummy dessert so the Greenberry was a nice change and very refreshing! I can't wait to try more recipes with it but here is the one I had today and will definitely repeat in the future! =)
Today was a double day of Cardio Fix and Upper Fix. I can really tell that I am getting stronger! I really didn't feel like doing a double but pushed play twice and of course felt amazing afterwards! Why do I ever even argue with myself...JUST DO IT!!! =)
Oh man...when that alarm went off this morning I did NOT want to get up! I really wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. I actually might have done that but I really had to pee so I had no other choice but to get out of bed..true story. ;)
So I got up and was so tired that I knew if I wanted to kill this workout my usual slummy gear wouldn't work. No, today I needed something fierce to fire me up so I naturally went for my camo pants! Nothing says POWER better than camo! Then I had some E&E to kick-start me into enthusiasm! =)
I not only finished my double day of Total Body Cardio Fix and Pilates Fix, I killed it! I've said it before but there is no greater feeling then finishing what you set out to do! WINNING!!!
I decided to try a different recipe today and I knew I needed coffee in it! I'm really not a huge coffee fan, it has to be sweetened! This was delicious and another recipe I loved! Try it and let me know what you think!!
I had a busy day and was at my sons school for most of it. I loved being able to have lunch with him and I skipped out on getting fast food or eating at the cafeteria and instead ate a salad when I got home!
Today was Lower Fix and the 10 minute ab video! I was a little excited that my workout wasn't going to be an hour long today and was looking forward to the break! =) I nailed Lower Fix! I really like this one and it has gotten SO MUCH easier for me compared to Week 1...it's amazing! I thought the ab workout was a great workout but my back started to hurt! I think I need a nicer yoga mat, something thicker...I'll get on that!
Lower Fix...Nailed It!
For dinner my husband cooked some fish that he had caught a while back and it was delicious! He seasoned it with Mrs. Dash salt free seasonings, pepper, and gluten free corn flour in some coconut oil! The crispiness of the breading was delicious and something I had missed in my diet lately! =)
We paired the fish with a salad and I counted this plate as 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green, and 1 teaspoon!
Day 16- Today was Upper Fix and Cardio Fix! I really love having a schedule because I don't get up every morning and try and decide what workout to do and I think that's what makes the double week so much easier! I just wake up, look at the schedule and push play! No questions, just do it! =)
My workouts went great and are getting a lot easier than they were in the first week! I am just loving the feeling of waking up and getting it done!
I woke up at 5 to get my double done, do some work, and have some time before the kids wake up and look who decides to get up early too! =) I had an audience for the whole hour! Love that little cutie and she actually loves watching me workout!
Ummm, I drank it before I could take a picture! =) DELISH!!
I LOVE that my new lifestyle is effecting my ENTIRE family! The kids know we work out everyday, they ask about it and they love joining us! Now that my husband is doing the program too it's just really changing us all for the better and I love the good habits we are ALL forming!
For dinner I had 1 yellow, 1 red, 1.5 greens left so I ate 1/2 a turkey burger on a gluten free piece of toast with mustard, lettuce and tomatoes with a side of veggies! Doesn't look like much but it was actually really good and I had some tea afterwards to fill me up a little more! It is the perfect amount of food! No more overeating for this girl!!
I woke up early this morning feeling on FIRE! I have rocked these first 2 weeks in my opinion and I am feeling fantastic! I have energy, feel tighter/thinner, and who POPS out of bed ready for their workouts at 5:00? Not the old me, but apparently the new me does! I LOVE it!!
So today started my last week and I chose to do the DOUBLE week! I started by drinking my E&E and then pushed play to Total Body Cardio Fix and killed it! I can tell that I'm getting a lot stronger and I actually had to buy some heavier weights (I was using 5 lbs, so I bought some 8 lb.). After that I did Pilates Fix which was a great stretch and "Active Rest" compared to the cardio!
I did change my regular Banana Nutter Shakeology up today and made this delicious Cinnamon Roll recipe! My kids loved it too so I made them one to enjoy as well!
Today was a holiday and 2 of my kids had playdates scheduled so I took my middle daughter to the movies to see Annie. I used to think to enjoy myself at the movies I had to experience everything by ordering a large coke, popcorn, sneaking in my box of Hot Tamales, and enjoying them during the movie. This time I had water and brought in a pear plus a handful of my daughters popcorn. Sounds boring but it was still really good and I was proud of myself for sticking to the plan. Obviously we really enjoyed our time together so I am learning I don't have to indulge to experience something or enjoy myself! Again, thinking about what I CAN have and not what I CANT! =)
For dinner we had grilled chicken, mushrooms, and veggies! We used salt free Mrs. Dash to season it with and everyone in the family enjoyed it! My husband has seen how I've changed over the last 2 weeks (inside and out) and decided today that he wants to start THE FIX too! I am so excited and happy for him! So we took his before pictures and started planning. We prepped chicken, fish, veggies, fruit, eggs, seasoning, and a bag of Shakeology for him to take to work and have on hand for snacks and lunches! After we cooked it, we measured it with the containers and bagged it all up! He did his workout and his journey has begun! So excited to watch it change him like it has me! I will update on his journey on my blog too!
I have gotten really good at getting up first thing in the morning and pushing play! I love the feeling of getting it out of the way and not having it hanging over my head all day AND it wakes me up and gets me energized for my day! So today I woke up early and got my Yoga in before church! The stretching feels SO GOOD after all these workouts! My kiddos were asleep on the couch after a family movie night so I had to do my workout in our study instead. It was quiet and peaceful! =)
I stuck to the meal plan again and it was hard because I love to have some drinks and unhealthy snacks while we lounge around watching football on Sundays! Instead of always thinking about what I CANT have though, I've started to think of what I CAN eat and I'm finding lots of healthier options that I love and they keep me satisfied! Today's meals were another day of leftovers from last week so no new meals to report! =)
Day 14 down, 7 more to go! 1 week left!!
I LOVE living in a world where this chocolaty goodness is the healthiest meal of my day!! So yummy!!!!
Today is Saturday...I used to never work out on Saturdays! Those were my rest days and I couldn't imagine it any other way. Until now. I LOVE Dirty Thirty days! This is my favorite workout of them all! It has the cardio, it has the weights, I get a great workout but don't feel like I'm dying...it's perfect!
Today I tried E & E before my workout, I had never tried it before so I wanted to give it a shot! I drank it about 15 minutes before my workout and loved it! I felt energized but not gittery and I killed my workout! These will be my new favorite thing on those days that you just can't seem to wake up!
That afternoon my son had a basketball game and wanted to drink a pre-game Shakeology! =) My kids are obsessed with the stuff and I am happy to give it to them! He had a great game and made 3 baskets! This is our first year playing basketball and we're all loving it! I'm so proud of my boy!
I have started waking up early and getting my workouts done before my day gets started and I LOVE IT! There were a few workouts I did super late at night, one at 10:30, and I just don't like doing that! I feel amazing when I get up and get it done for the day instead of it hanging over my head and me wondering when I'm going to fit it in as things pop up in our schedule!
So today was Cardio Fix and it's a killer! =) The Knee Highs in Round 1 are hard and even though you don't have your breath yet, it's time to start the next move so it's tough! I learned I shouldn't drink too much water during the breaks because their is too much bouncing going on during these 30 minutes! I really love the skater jumps and the lunges in round 3 are a breath of fresh air! =) When she said there was a Bonus Round I was none too pleased but pushed through anyway! It's tough but I felt great afterwards!
For lunch I had a delicious taco salad: 1 G, 1 Y, 1 R.
Later in the day when I was wanting to snack I made some tea instead! I tried Passion Tea and sweetened it with a little Stevia and honey and it was really good and helped me get through the afternoon without stuffing my face! =)
That night I got together with some friends and we all went out and got pedicures and then went to my friends house for a fun night in with homemade, organic facials! It was exactly what we Mommas needed! We giggled and laughed like we were 13 year olds at a slumber party! It was so much fun! We are all in my Challenge Group so we were very good and stuck with healthy snacks and portions! Wine=Yellow
Be sure to make time for friends who make you better! These girls definitely do that for me!
So day 10 pretty much looked exactly like day 9 except the workout was Lower Fix instead of Upper Fix! =) I was craving the same foods I ate yesterday so I repeated everything and it was just as good this time around! Lower Fix was a great workout and not nearly as challenging as I thought it was last week!
Day 11: Today's workout was Pilates Fix and I LOVED it!! It too was easier than last week and the stretching aspect of it just felt so good! I really feel like my habits are changing as I look forward to every workout and don't crave all the junk! I'm really enjoying all the healthy foods I'm eating and don't feel deprived at all!
I of course had my Banana Nutter Shakeology after my workout!
As a snack today I measured Plain Greek Yogurt in the red container and put it in a bowl and then mixed in cinnamon, apple pie spice and a little honey. Then I measured berries in the purple and poured those in and it was REALLY good!
.JPG)
.jpg)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
