Warm to your soul Chili!

Chili is one of the dishes that actually is fun to make and healthy to eat. I love trying different ways to make Chili!  Spice it up, or substitute your favorite lean meat or textured vegetable protein. Experiment with different beans and legumes. It's also great for using up those soon to spoil veggies.  Try to avoid certain popular mix-ins like cheese and sour cream that add more fat than flavor. 

1 lb. ground chicken/turkey, extra-lean (or make it without meat and use buglur wheat)

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

28 oz of fresh tomatoes diced

2 tbsp of tomato paste

1 bay leaf

12 oz of fresh tomato juice

2 cans (15 oz.) black beans or tri colored beans, rinsed

2 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, brown ground turkey. Spoon out any excess fat. Add onion, garlic, celery, and pepper,  and sauté until veggies about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer at least 30 minutes. The longer it's cooked the better! Can be served immediately (although leftovers are great, too). Serve with hot sauce to taste. Serves 4.

Who doesn't love pumpkin in the fall!

Did you know that pumpkin is an extremely good source of vitamins A and C, essential for maintaining good eyesight and a healthy immune system, high in potassium, manganese, copper and one of the B vitamins, riboflavin, considerable amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, iron, folate, vitamins E and B6, niacin, thiamin and pantothenic acid — and is low in salt, cholesterol and saturated fat.

http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-pumpkin-quesadilla/

Veggie Chicken Burger

So one day I was trying to use some of my "end of the road" veggies up, and I came up with this awesome recipe that my family and I love! Let me know how you like it!


1 pound of lean ground Chicken
1/4 to 1/2 of very small chopped avocado
1/2 of a large sweet red pepper chopped very small
1/4 of a large red onion chopped very small
1 to 2 tbsp of olive oil
1 to 2 tsp of seasoning salt

Mix and patty up the Chicken into 4 4oz patties, cook on the grill until done, serve on romaine lettuce or with  whole wheat hamburger buns. Add light cheese and whatever you LOVE on your burger! ENJOY!

How often do you have your "treat" ??

So I learned a hard lesson this past week. I restrain myself and my family and we eat so perfect for a good 4 weeks....so I've taught my family that they don't need the willpower I have it for them, but when all my willpower is gone no one is there to help me fight against my cravings. So I fall down...and I fall hard! So after way to much Ice Cream and a few to many s'mores I have come to realize I need to "treat" myself a little more often and not take so much control of how my family eats. If they slip, I can't use all my energy talking them down. Hard lesson, but I'm glad I've learned it! I see the next 4 weeks being much more productive and a lot less stressful! What are you learning on your journey?

5 Breakfast Ideas for Busy Lifestyles

It's hard to eat healthy when you have a busy lifestyle! Breakfast is so important! After you have fasted through the night your body will be glad to have a healthy meal!

Oats: Many varieties! (rolled oats, steel cut oats, etc...) A quick cook oat will save you lots of time! You can add nuts, fruit, cinnamon, vanilla extract, nut butter, honey or whatever you want!

Quinoa: Great source of protein! It's similar to oats, you can add whatever you want!

Fresh Fruit: A fruit salad is a great breakfast! Be creative try new things!

Eggs: You can do anything with eggs! Make a sandwich, add spices, and veggies...endless ideas!

Shakeology Shake: Shakeology is by far the quickest healthiest breakfast you can have! It's very filling! You can add anything to it! I love almond milk and a tbsp of PB2! Lots of ice! Yummy! (let me know if you want more info on Shakeology!)

Enjoy your breakfast! Find something that works for you and stick to it!