Sweet Potato Stew

After a long morning of working with my team and scheduling our upcoming Fitness Accountability groups, I was feeling very productive and wanted to go ahead and get dinner taken care of!

Do you ever look in your fridge and grab everything that needs to be cooked before it goes bad, put it together with a few more ingredients, and make a meal out of it?  This is one of my favorite ways to cook...just throwing things together and crossing my fingers it turns out OK.  =)

Today I had some meat that I had thawed a couple days ago to make Taco Soup, never got around to it, and now it needed to be cooked before it went bad.  I also had some sweet potatoes that were on the verge of growing roots into my pantry floor, so those needed to be cooked too.  I figured I could make this work so I grabbed some more ingredients and alas...Sweet Potato Stew was made, it was eaten, and it was a 10 out of 10 for everyone!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs lean ground meat
• 16 oz frozen spinach or 1 can of spinach
• 3 sweet potatoes
• 3 vegetable bullion cubes
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can ranch style beans
• 1 can green beans
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1-2 cans of water depending on your preference
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Brown the meat in a pot.  Drain if needed.
• While it's cooking, peel and dice your sweet potatoes and then add them to the pot, keeping it covered to cook to potatoes.  
• Once all the potatoes are in the pot you can add in the remaining ingredients (potatoes will not be cooked through yet) and let simmer on low for 4 hours. 
• Once it was time to eat we topped our stew with mozzarella cheese and paired it with HEB Gluten Free Cornbread.  This is seriously the BEST gluten free cornbread I have ever had!  

Could dinner be any easier?  Try it and let me know what you think!!  

 

Honey Veggie Mix

You know those nights when dinnertime is approaching and you have no idea what you're going to fix?!  Surely I'm not the only one...right?!?

Ok, well that happens to me often!  The days are busy and by the time we get home from one of the kids practices after school, they're ready to eat!  Yesterday was one of these days that I didn't plan for and I had nothing made.  We could have made sandwiches or something else super easy but I wanted to feed us some VEGGIES!!  I had some ground meat cooked in the fridge that was extra from a baked ziti dish I made for a friend the other night and I needed to use it!  So my wheels started turning...I'll just make bakes ziti!  The kids weren't having that!  They giggled as they yelled, "NOOOOO!!" in unison!   Apparently I make that a lot!  So a concoction it was!

I looked in the fridge and grabbed some things, looked in the pantry and did the same and got busy.

Can I just tell you that my thrown together meal was a hit with all 5 members of our family!  So delicious, so easy, and I made it with things I already had in the kitchen...WIN, WIN, WIN!!  The kids helped name it...Honey Veggie Mix.  Genius! ;)

Here is the recipe below.  I hope you enjoy!!

Disclaimer: I am not a chef (that just made me laugh out loud!) or remotely close to being an expert.  AT. ALL.  So if you don't see a measurement it means I just added a "normal" amount...so cilantro, honey, olive oil... I just added enough to saute the veggies!  If I had to guess on the honey I would say 4 Tbsp.?!  Anyway, it's not a science..add as you want!  =)

Ingredients

1. rice (brown rice or quinoa would be even better!)
2. olive oil
3. honey
4. 1 yellow bell pepper
5. 1 red bell pepper
6. 1 orange bell pepper
7. 3 cups spinach
8. cilantro
9. 1 pound lean ground meat
10. 1 can black beans
11. 1 can Amy's Chunky Tomato Bisque
12. salt
13. pepper
14. seasonings of your choice- I used Tony Chachere's
15. cheese

Directions:

1. Start cooking rice in a pot per directions on bag.
2. Pour your olive oil and honey into a large pan and begin heating.
3. Dice your peppers and put into a pan with spinach and cilantro.  Saute until veggies are soft and spinach is cooked down.
4. Pour in cooked ground meat, black beans, and Tomato Bisque.  Stir it all together and add your seasonings. 
5. Rice should be finished so they you scoop some rice into a bowl, dish your meat mixture on top of the rice and top with cheese!  ENJOY!!!!  

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

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?  

Day 19 of the 21 Day Fix

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!!!  =)

Day 19 down, 2 more to go!!!

Day 18 of the 21 Day Fix

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!

18 down, 3 more to go!!

Day 16 of the 21 Day Fix

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!!

Day 16 down, 5 more to go!

Day 15 of the 21 Day Fix

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!

Dinner is served!

 

Day 15 down, 6 more to go!

Day 12 of the 21 Day Fix

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!  

Day 12 down, 9 more to go!!

Day 10 & 11 of the 21 Day Fix

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!

Day 10 and 11 down, 10 more to go!! 

Day 8 of the 21 Day Fix

The start of my second week!  I'm not going to lie, it feels really good to have made it past the weekend and still be on track!  Today was Total Body Cardio Fix and I really love this one!   I do think Autumn is a liar when she says the "surrenders" are the hardest move of the day!  =)  I beg to differ and feel like the knee pulls are harder but maybe that's just me!  Anyway, it was another great workout!

 I of course had my Chocolate Shakeology for breakfast and then for lunch I made this delicious salad!  I love that the containers are just so easy to use!  This program really is fool proof and if you read and follow the Meal Guide they provide for you then there is really no excuses and you WILL see results!  

 1 can of salmon, spinach, strawberries/blueberries, feta, and sunflower seeds.  

 I love that the portions are pretty big too!  You really do get enough food to fill you up and it helps you realize how much you were overeating in the first place!!

Day 8 down, 13 more to go!

Day 7 of the 21 Day Fix

Ahhh, the end of the first week!  Very rewarding to make it this far and know I'm a third of the way done!  =)  Today I had my Shakeology on the way to church and then had a salad when we got home.  Nothing spectacular that I thought was picture worthy!  =)  Then we had some friends come over to watch football and eat.  My hubby can make a mean pot of chili and it was perfect on this cold day!

He doesn't really measure things out but here are the ingredients:

• Ground meat (we use deer venison but you should use turkey to make it leaner than beef!)
• onion
• garlic
• cumin
• rosemary
• chili powder
• green chili's
• diced tomatoes
• ranch style beans
• salt (don't add salt if you can help it while on The Fix.)  

We then cook some rice and pour it over rice with a little cheese on top.  Delish!!

I used my containers to measure everything out and when everyone went for seconds and had dessert, I stuck to the plan...it was hard, but I did it!  =)

Then once my family went to bed I realized I hadn't done my workout yet today.  I couldn't skip it because I've been determined to make it through this whole thing and doubling up the next day wasn't going to cut it, so at 10:15 I pushed play and got my Yoga Fix on!

At first I thought it was going to be awful.  I'm not much of a yoga person, it's hard for me to slow down, and I really didn't think I could do it for a full 30 minutes.  Once it got to the balancing moves I started enjoying it and the stretching really felt amazing!  Overall, it was nice to have a "rest" day from the harder workouts and just stretch!  

Day 7 down, 14 more to go!

Day 1 of the 21 Day Fix

Today was my first day of the 21 Day Fix.  OK, I confess, it's not my first day EVER but it is my first day this round!  See, I have attempted the 21 Day Fix two times before this but I gave up each time because I LOVE food and just threw in the towel.  How dare me!  My challengers that I'm coaching are doing it so why I can't I?  Well, I'm here to prove I CAN and I'm going to be posting about my journey everyday! 

I was very excited!  It's day 1, Christmas is over, New Years is over, I have new resolutions and I'm feeling motivated so all went well!   =)  I am coaching a new group with 29 woman in it so you just can't get more support than that!  I have no doubt this round will be a success due to these amazing women and they're encouragement!  

Here's how my day looked:

Workout: Total Body Cardio Fix.  Great workout!  Nothing TOO hard but definitely brings up your heart rate and gets you sweaty!  I wonder if I'll be sore tomorrow?  We'll see!  =)

Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology, 1/2 banana, peanut butter, water, ice ( counts as red,purple,tsp)

Lunch: I took my kids to Build A Bear at the mall because it was the last day of Christmas break and afterwards we went to the Food Court.  I was surrounded by unhealthy options but I stayed strong and ordered grilled nuggets from Chick-Fil-A with fruit and water!  (Red,purple)

Dinner:  Gluten free bread, turkey burger, cheese, and veggies.  (Red, green, blue and each piece of bread was a yellow!). 

Snack: Later that night I got hungry and I still had one red and some greens to use so I had another Shakeology!  What can I say, I LOVE them!!  =)

Now, my day went great and I stuck to the diet however I still had greens left over at the end and I really need to be eating all my containers!  Overall, the day was a success and I'm feeling great!  The water intake is a HUGE change for me!  I hardly ever drink water (shame on me, I know!) so it is a struggle to keep drinking!  I peed more today than ever before!  A catheter would be very convenient for the next 20 days!  

1 day down...20 more to go!