Taco Soup

Um. Yum.  

That is all.  

I'm a huge soup lover...and I wouldn't necessarily trust someone who doesn't like tacos...soooooooo....just sayin'.

Anyway.

Here's my recipe for the easiest taco soup...like, ever.

You're welcome.

Taco Soup

Serves: 6 (2 C. Servings)

2- 14 oz. Cans of Diced Tomatoes (low sodium is best)

1- 8 oz. Can of Tomato Sauce 

1- 15 oz. Can of Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed.

1 C. of Frozen Corn

3-4 C. of Chicken Broth, Stock, whatever! (Low sodium is better, homemade is best!)

1- Medium Onion, diced 

1- Lb. of Ground Turkey (or chicken, or beef...but, get the leanest you can)

1- pkg. of Taco Seasoning (you guessed it, low sodium!) another option would be 2-3 T. of Cumin, and 2-3 T. of Chili Powder and a dash of salt. 

Cook the ground turkey and onion in a large skillet.

In a large pot, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, kidney beans, and chicken broth to the pot.  Add the ground turkey and onion when they're done.  Simmer until hot, and serve up with some toppings.  

I added 1/4 diced avocado, 1/8 C. of shredded cheddar, and 1/4 C. of non fat Greek yogurt.  YUM.  

counts as:

1 red

1 yellow

2 green

1 blue 

Feel free to add other toppings that comply with your particular eating plan :)

21 Day Fix: Lasagna Roll Ups *Updated*

So, I grew up on Italian food.  Not Italian food from a restaurant, or a pizzeria....like, authentic Italian food from the old country.  My grandmother taught me the essentials of Italian cooking at the ripe old age of 8, when I would stay up late the night before Thanksgiving and watch her every move in the kitchen.  The GRAVY (yes, in my Italian house, we called the sauce that cooks on the stove for hours on end with sausage, meatballs and bracciole - so fondly called "bra-jole", GRAVY) was on the stove, the fresh lasagna noodles were on every inch of flat, floured surface in the kitchen and dining room, the fresh mozzarella was all sliced up, and the fresh ricotta mixture was ready to be applied.  Assembly was like a fine tuned machine, placing everything with care, precision and let's not forget, amazing speed!  Man, I remember it like it was yesterday...some of my favorite times were spent in that kitchen on the evening before Thanksgiving...

So, what does this mean? It means I know good Italian food.  I know a lame attempt at Italian food when I see one.  This recipe?  Its pretty darn good!!

Check it out:

Lasagna Roll-Ups
serves 4
Cook time: 40 mins

(1) 15 oz. container of part skim Ricotta Cheese
(8) Cooked {Whole Wheat} Lasagna Noodles - if you can't find whole wheat, use regular...I had trouble finding whole wheat lasagna noodles
(1/3) C. Parmesan
(1) C. Shredded Mozzarella
(1) Large Egg
(1/2) Lb. Cooked Ground Turkey
(3-4) C. Tomato Sauce, Gravy...whatever! (I use homemade, usually, but this time I used Rao's...it happened to be on sale for $4.99 and it's worth every red cent...the best!)
(4) C. Baby Spinach
(3) Cloves of Garlic, Minced
(1/2) tsp. Italian Seasoning
S & P for seasoning...use sparingly!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook Lasagna Noodles, drain.
Cook Turkey.
In a bowl mix:
Ricotta, Spinach, Parmesan, Egg, Italian Seasoning, Garlic, S&P and Ground Turkey.
Place 1 Cup of Sauce in the bottom of a glass baking dish. 
For each Lasagna Noodle, pat dry and spread the mixture over about 3/4 of the noodle.  Roll up and place in the baking dish, seam side down.
Top with approximately 3/4 C. of Sauce on each roll, and about 1/8 C. Shredded Mozzarella.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 mins. 

Each serving is 2 rolls and can be counted as:
(1) - Green (1 C. of Spinach)
(1) - Purple (1 C. of Tomato Sauce)
(1) - Red (3/4 C. Total of Ricotta + Egg + Turkey)
(1) - Yellow (2 Lasagna Noodles)
(1) - Blue (1/3 Cup of cheeses)

I think for this dish, the quality of the ingredients will make a big difference in the true-to-Italian taste.  To keep it a bit more authentic, you might want to opt for the non-whole wheat variety of lasagna noodles, but, experiment! have fun with it! And because the quality of the ingredients is key, don't skimp.  Buy the good stuff ;) you won't regret it! 

*EDIT* upon {trying} to eat one WHOLE serving, I realized I could not--sadly! So, I would say each serving is really ONE roll and just cut the containers in half...really...way too much food! 

Mangia! Buon Appetito!

Asian Quinoa Turkey/ Chicken Meatballs

How appetizing do these bad boys look? 

They're really good.  Honestly!! And not in that typical "Asian style" that everyone makes, the teriyaki sweetness...that's not Asian, that's just boring! This has a great Siracha flavor...a little spice!

Here it is:

1 lb. ground turkey (I used ground chicken) 

1 C. Cooked quinoa

3 cloves of garlic

2 green onions (plus more for garnish)

1 large egg

1 T. Soy sauce (low sodium is best)

2 tsp. Sesame oil

1 tsp. Siracha, or more to taste

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Sesame seeds for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Lightly grease a baking dish (I used Pam)

Mix all ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl. I used a cookie scooper to make 24 1 1/2" balls (wet hands every few balls, it makes for easier rolling)

Bake for about 20 minutes.  

Now, the sauce:

1/4 C. Soy sauce (low sodium is best)

2 T. Rice vinegar

1 T. Freshly grated ginger (they have it in a tube, now....awesome!!)

1 T. Packed brown sugar (light or dark...doesn't matter)

1 tsp. Sesame oil 

1 tsp. Siracha, or more to taste

2 tsp. Cornstarch

1/2 C. Water

Whisk it all together and put in small sauce pit.  Cook until thickened.  I add the sesame seeds in, here.

I served mine over brown rice, and each meatball was approximately 55 calories.  So, for an easy 500 calorie dinner, 1/2 C. (Or one yellow container) of brown rice, and 6 meatballs will do the trick! (Actually, it's 498 calories, but, who's counting??)

I haven't figured out exactly what this would translate to in 21 Day Fix containers, but, I'm thinking 1 1/2 yellow and 1 red?? 

Simply put: My Story.

I'm sure you've read stories about weight loss "journies" that's what we like to call it, our "journey"...I guess it's because that's really what it is...it's a trek, it's a wild ride, it's constant ups and downs and wanting to quit and wanting to keep pushing.  I suppose a better name for it would be a roller coaster...but, nobody would find that to be too encouraging...oh, yeah, let me take you on an emotional and physical roller coaster...sounds like fun, right? Nope. So, we so eloquently rename it our "Journey"... Well, here's mine:

I graduated college in 2006, ironically enough, the same year I met my now husband.  I was around 160 lbs.  at 5' 6", with a slightly muscular build, that's pretty lean.  I wore a size 6/8 in women's pants and my diet consisted of primarily cigarettes and coffee during the day when I was in class and work, and when I cooked at night, I found about 487 ways to jazz up tomato soup.  Classy, huh?? 

Anyway.

I met my husband right after graduation, and as the years built on to our relationship, I gained what most people would call "comfort weight"...fast forward to my wedding day, and I'm at about 185 and wearing a size 10.  I'm still pretty comfortable with my size and weight, especially since I landed my man, and I wanted to have kids ASAP...which I did.  Our 1 year anniversary was a sober one because I was pregnant with our fist son. I wound up gaining a whopping 40 lbs with him...FORTY...I'm now up to 225 lbs.  Needless to say my doctor wasn't too happy with those numbers.  I was determined to lose it all. I started off strong! Down 25 lbs! Screech....halt! Pregnant, again!  I found out I was pregnant, again, right before my son turned 1.  We had started announcing it earlier than we did with the first because we were excited.  Then, a couple weeks later...a small tragedy.  I suffered a miscarriage.  Only about 2 months along, but, a small piece of me died along with that baby.  We named him or her Jaime and attempted to move on with our lives. I bet you didn't realize you can suffer from postpartum depression after a miscarriage...and I did.  Who could focus on losing weight after something so sad? Not this lady.

So, there I was...heavier than I'd ever been, depressed and my marriage was suffering.  I'm lucky my son was so small and didn't know the difference because I'm sure he would have suffered, too.

A few months later, I get pregnant, again! We're cautious not to announce it, and we wind up with a beautiful baby boy! Our rainbow baby! With that pregnancy I gained 25 and then lost 40! Yay! Oh, but, I was also diagnosed with Hypotyroidism.  Nice.  Makes your metabolism slow as molasses in the wintertime...among other things, but, you could imagine how awesome it was to have that "minor" setback...anyway, I was back to my wedding weight! Back in my size 10s! I'm nursing and the weight is shedding! 4 months in: whammo! Pregnant, again! Oofa! When does this fertile myrtle take a break?? Never, I guess! 

Gained 30 lbs with my daughter.  And after I had her, I couldn't even think of losing weight...my eldest was in speech therapy 2 times a week, and the three of them were so demanding, I could barely find time to do anything...

Then....another small tragedy: my husband lost his job.  Now, I'm a stay at home mom.  We worked on the weekends with an adult sports league and that made up some great income, but, certainly not enough to supplement my husband's entire salary....we did what we needed to do...we bunkered down, ate lousy food because it was cheap...we didn't qualify for food stamps, bc that would have obviously helped out in buying food that was more nutritious than hamburger helper (ugh! I cringe when j think about the crap I used to put in my body). 

I felt awful, my body hated me.  I don't blame it...I hated me, too. 

My husband ultimately found another job.  A job he loves and is good, nay, great at! So, really, everything happens for a reason...

So, now...here I am, I have hit rock bottom.  I hate the way I look. I am steadily growing out of my clothes.  I'm 207.5 lbs, and a size 14.  I needed to change something.  And I say I hit rock bottom because I believe that people only really start to get serious about changing their habits when they have hit rock bottom.  I was there.  I began to work out, track my calories on my fitness pal, and I started to feel good, again.  My progress was slow, but, it was progress...so who cares?! I'm down 18 lbs! 189...and slowly going down... BAM! Pregnant, again. 

Whoops!

My OB warned me that a 4th c section and a 5th pregnancy in 4 years would reek havoc on my uterus.  It could rupture, ultimately killing me and perhaps my unborn child.  Scary.  Talk about below rock bottom.  I've always wanted a big family, so, a 4th child didn't scare me.  What do I do?  Okay. I got this.  I was introduced to Beachbody and didn't think much of it until I had to make sure I didn't gain a lot of weight during my pregnancy.  So, here I go.  My OB didn't approve shakeology for me, given my history of complications and preterm labor.  21 day fix, let's do this!

I gained 20 lbs.  that's it! My doc was so happy with my weight gain (or, lack thereof) and I knew this was for me.  After I had my son, I hit the ground running, once, again...this time with shakeology! Holy moly. Not only did my doctor look at my scar in amazement at my 6 week check up, but she told me I was amazing, and that my uterus looked as healthy as it did before I had kids! It's amazing what eating clean can do for your body, inside and out! 

So, here I am...down to 166 lbs...a size 6, and determined to keep going.  

That's it.  That's my story.  Maybe a little drawn out.  Maybe I forgot a few details...but, that's how I remember it, and that's what rings in the back of my mind when I feel like giving up...

Many people will turn up their noses at your "journey" maybe because it's a term used so often these days...who knows...but, next time you hear about someone's journey, think of how much work went into getting where they are...they're not bragging for the sake of showing you how you should be living...they're simply sharing with the world how proud they are of themselves and are finally confident enough to show you their struggles and leave themselves vulnerable to your criticism.  Be kind.  A journey is just that.  It's a trek through what feels like hell and back.  It's hard, and worth it.  It's climbing up mountains laced with chocolate and sugar.  It's trekking through vallies of beer and buffalo wings...soda and ice cream...it's resisting because you're not willing to set yourself back after all the work you've already put in.  But, most of all, it's your badge of honor.  To show the work you've done, all you've accomplished, and the promise you've made to yourself and your loved ones...that you're going to be the best "you" you can be.  And your body will thank you for it.

Seriously. 

Honey Shrimp Stir Fry

Oh, shrimp, you hidden little gem, you....why do I not cook you li'l guys more often?! (Because you're friggen expensive, that's why). Way to go, jazzing up my plate and not be super crazy difficult to cook...

I found this recipe on Pinterest (where else?!) and I tweeked a few things...I will post the link to the original down below...

For now, here's mine:

Honey Shrimp Stir Fry 

Serves 4

Counts as: 1 Red, 2 Green, 1 Yellow, 

1 tsp. 

1 lb. (abt. 25) Jumbo Shrimp, split in half, lengthwise (this is just how I like mine, they curl up when you cook them:

2 C. Shredded Purple Cabbage

2 C. Various Bell Peppers (any kind that tickle your fancy, really)

1 C. Green Beans (cut in half)

1/4 C. Honey

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 T. Finely Chopped Ginger

2 T. Rice Wine Vinegar

1/4 C. H2O 

4 t. EVOO

1 C. Uncooked Brown Rice

Look how pretty the ingredients are:

Okay, okay...I'm done being mesmerized by how beautiful the food looks...just kidding, one more:

Okay, for real now, prep the veggies...cut, chop, peel, mince, dice....etc...

Defrost and peel the shrimp (I got mine frozen, they defrost quickly and peel, nicely...)

Cook your rice according to package

Add 2 t. Of olive oil to a large skillet...high heat.  Let it get hot, but not smoking. Then add the cabbage, peppers and green beans.  Toss to coat with oil, and sauté until they are how you like them cooked (I like mine a little crunchier, so I don't cook until soft.)

Remove from pan.

Add 2 t. Of oil to pan, again, let it get hot, but not smoking.  Add shrimp, garlic and ginger.  It cooks quickly, so, keep an eye on it. Meanwhile, mix honey, vinegar and water in a small bowl, and pour over the shrimp.

Allow it to reduce a bit, and add veggies back to pan.  Toss veggies and shrimp, and allow the honey mixture to reduce a little more.  

Divide rice between 4 bowls (or, like I do: 2 bowls and 2 container for lunch the next day)

Divide stir fry amongst 4 bowls (again...lunch container over here)

Ja-Blow! Done! Easy! Yum! Clearly I'm excited bc I love shrimp! Thanks for reading! Lemme know how yours turns out! 

Gimme a shout, below!

Original post:

http://21dayfixfood.blogspot.com/2014/04/hone-shrimp-stir-fry.html?m=1

Recipe under construction...

So, my husband was working from home, today...and we like, literally had nothing "good" to eat in the house...usually, we'll have some leftovers from the night before...but....not today *womp womp*

So, I remembered a while back that I got these new flavors of Boca Burgers...okay...I got this:

*Yes, I had a glass of red with lunch! *

I took:

1 orange pepper

1 small onion

1 garlic clove

1 tomato

1/3 cup of frozen corn

1 tsp. Olive oil

Some cilantro

Fresh ground pepper

Chopped it all up, and tossed it in a pan:

Um, yum! 

So, then I took an individual serving size of green yogurt and added Chipotle tobasco sauce to my heat preference.

Then, I took a corn tortilla, brushed each side with about a tsp. of olive oil and pan fried it until crisp.

Cooked up the Chile Relleno flavor of Boca Burger, shredded up some extra sharp cheddar and assembled!

I have to say, it was really good!

I'm still working out the proportions, but, so far there is probably very little that I have to tweek.

I served it up with some Veggie fries (omg, so yum!)

If you have any suggestions on how I can improve this bad boy, sound off below :)

Super Mom Secrets...

I've been called many things: Super Mom, Super Woman, Inspirational, Idiot...but that was a LONG time ago...and it's a LONG story...I don't wanna get into it...

Anywho...so, when I post things about my journey on the healthy road, and many of my friends have seen me through all my stages of life and health, people will often tell me that I'm Super Mom and I'm inspirational...and although it's very flattering, I can't claim all the credit.  They 99% of the time follow up with this gem of a line "I don't know how you do it" or some variation of that.  I'll be 100% honest, shoot you straight: I don't, either.  What I can tell you is this: organization is the key to all this!  You have to plot out your meals like you plot out your day.  And that's not to say it has to be followed to a "T", but, if you have a general idea of what foods you have on hand, it's easier to stay on course and not stray.  If you're not the planning type...well, then, just give it a try...even just a little bit of planning helps out, tremendously! 

Start off the week by making a shopping list.  But, not just things you want, or see in the circular, things you may have coupons for...whatever.  Sit down and take the 30 minutes it takes to {loosely} plot out what you want to make for dinner the nights of the week.  That's where I start. (And many times I will choose recipes with similar ingredients, so I don't buy a ton of things and only use half bc recipes only call for a little bit)

Then, go through each recipe's ingredients.  Write down whatever you don't have on hand, and on some of the things that aren't basics, write down the amounts you need.  I can't tell you how many times I got to the store and couldn't remember how much of something I needed and didn't get enough...ugh! 

From here, I like to separate my list into different departments.  If I'm walking through the store, and I have all of my produce ingredients randomly within the list, I'm gonna either miss one, or have to make multiple trips back and forth between dairy and produce...not really efficient when you are on borrowed time...so, color code, or separate or highlight...whatever works for you so you can visually see what departments from which you need your foods.

Then, add things to your list that you may need for the kids, or the house, or even for breakfast (this is where I would list all my Shakeology add-ins)...these things should go on the list last bc now that you've already plotted out dinner, you can fill in the spaces...don't necessarily add lunch foods bc...

Lastly, when I cook at night...I make sure to package up the other portions...so, if something makes 6 portions, I will take out 2 bowls, for me and hubbs, and 4 containers.  That way, you have lunch for the next day that's already portioned out.  More bang for your buck, and now you don't have to add lunch foods or take time to make a whole lunch bc it's already made for you! Pop it in the microwave! 

I'm honored that people say I'm inspirational bc, at the end of the day, that's why I got into fitness coaching in the first place.  I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, and more importantly, if I could do it, anyone can.  And I can help! I want people to feel as amazing as I do...everyone deserves to feel wonderful! A year ago, I didn't...and to see, and feel, the difference that a year makes...well, it's just fabulous! 

Sorry there were no cool pics on this post, but, I just wanted to share with you the secret of Super Mom! 

Are There Better Choices @ The Chinese Buffet?!

So, it was my grandmother's birthday...

Where to, Bubbie?

Chinese Buffet....eek!

Although, I'm not a bit surprised, my family loves that place, I kind of had to cringe a bit.  How do I go, not eat, and not get charged? It's not exactly a spectator kind of restaurant, ya know?

Okay, I'm up for a challenge...how to buffet better!

Well...I have to admit, upon entering, I got lost in a sea of familiarity...haven't been to one in years, but, when you spend many a Saturday night in this place, it doesn't take long to be right back there...I'm half Jewish, what did you expect?!

Anywho...I got lucky, this time around, this place had a fresh hibachi station.  I eagerly went over to inspect...

Looked pretty standard...fresh veggies, raw proteins...a few starches...okay, awesome! I can FIXIFY this bad boy!

I threw on my plate:

Broccoli

Red onions

Green peppers

(Enough for 2 Greens)

Shrimp

Chicken breast

2 eggs 

(Enough for 2 reds)

White rice (unfortunately, they didn't have brown)

(Enough for 1 yellow) 

Here's the result:

It was really good! Probably not the best with the garlic sauce on it, but, I was able to control the amount of each container, and it wasn't deep fried...win!

I also had a little soup, because I love soup:

And lastly, I treated myself, but also, Fixified it...

This place had some great pineapple, which I hear helps you digest, anyway :). (Enough for a purple container) and of course, a little vanilla ice cream down there in the bottom ;) 

WHEN IN ROME...