Turkey Quinoa Chili

Photo by: Taste of Home

Tonight I made a very healthy chili. I found the recipe on Taste of Home. It was so good. I think it might be the healthiest thing I have ever enjoyed! It has a lot of vitamins, fiber, and protein. I added a little fat free shredded cheddar cheese, avocado, and fat free greek yogurt to mine. Yummy!!!! I made a huge pot and plan on using it several different ways this week. I am glad my husband loved it because he is getting a lot of it this week!

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 3-1/2 cups water, divided
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring quinoa and 2 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from the heat; fluff with a fork and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook the turkey, onion, red pepper and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Stir in the chili powder, cumin and cinnamon; cook 2 minutes longer.
• Add the black beans, tomatoes, zucchini, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper and remaining water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in corn and quinoa; heat through. Discard bay leaf; stir in cilantro.

Happy Mardi Gras

This weekend I had my niece over. I like to do theme nights when she is here. Since Mardi Gras is coming up I decided to go with that. She had a very good time! We read a book about Mardi Gras, made a King Cake, made a float, had a Mardi Gras colored meal(I didn't get a picture, but we made yellow curry coconut chicken, broccoli, and purple potatoes), colored a mask, and watched The Princess and the Frog!

To make the King Cake, I took two containers of Crescent Rolls and laid them out flat. I pinched together all the seams. I brushed melted butter on them and sprinkled sugar and cinnamon on them. Then I rolled each one up and created a ring. I baked on 325 degrees instead of 350 because I didn't want the outside to get done before the inside. I then added the colored frosting. Normally I do white icing and colored sugar, but I was out of yellow sugar!

Clean Pizza

*Picture above has tomatoes, kalamata olives, and baby spinach.

I LOVE pizza. Pizza is a lot of things, but clean is not one of them. The pizza I made is not like the pizza you get in NYC in Little Italy, however it hit the spot just fine.

I used an Ezekiel 4:9 tortilla for the crust, added a tablespoon of pesto (I used store bought and it was clean) for the sauce, fat free cottage cheese (drained the liquid) and fat free feta (only about 1oz) for the cheese, and then threw on fresh ingredients. I baked it in the oven on 350 degrees until the tortilla was crispy.

It was so good and hit the spot for sure. Just cause your eating clean and healthy doesn't mean you can't eat yummy! You just gotta get creative!

Extreme Couponing

So a couple of weeks ago my neighbor taught me how to coupon. It's this whole new world I really never knew about. I thought it would be hard and to time consuming. I was surprised when I was wrong. If you go to the website Southern Savers, she lays it all out for you. You pick your store and then she has everything that is on sale at that store that also has either an ecoupon, printable coupon, or a coupon from the Sunday paper. As you go down the list, you check off what you are going to buy. Then at the bottom you print your list. It's so dang easy!!!! My first trip to the store I saved $56 on a $151 bill so I only spent $95. That is crazy to me.

My favorite deal so far was on Kashi cereal. Kashi is the only kind I like and it's $3.99 a box. It happen to be on sale for $2.50 and if you bought 4 boxes of it you got a free gallon of milk. So not only was it on sale for $2.50, I also had a $1 off coupon for each box making it $1.50 a piece plus the free gallon of milk....CRAZY!!!

My other new obsession is ebates. If you ever shop online you have to go there. All you do is go to the website, search for the store you are about to buy from, it takes you to their website, and you get a percent of cash back (it will tell you the percent) The other day I went to order workout clothes. I went to the store first and then remembered ebates. Went to ebates, typed in the name, ordered my workout clothes, and I have a check on it's way for $1.35. I know that's not a lot, but I didn't spend a lot and it adds up. No reason not to do it right...money in the bank!

Ripped in 30

I have been doing Jillian Michaels this week. Her Ripped in 30 video is insane. It's such a hard workout, but a great workout so I thought I would share. This week, all week long, I had not lost a single pound. Everyday I would get on the scale and everyday it would tell me the same number. After 6 days of doing Ripped in 30 I am happy to say when I got on the scale this morning it finally said I had lost 3 pounds. THANK YOU LORD!!! I was getting so frustrated. Last night I saw this on the Eat Clean Facebook Page: "Don't quit now! If you've just started your Eat-Clean journey stay strong, focus on the positive changes you've made, leave the rest behind" It really spoke to me and made me push through. Sometimes you just needs some words of encouragement to get you over a hump!

Clean Turkey Meatballs

I really wanted some pasta the other night and meatballs sounded really good. These are super duper easy to make and tasty! My husband is not on the clean eating diet, but he said he wanted me to make a big batch of these at the beginning of the week so he could eat the leftovers all week!!! :) This made about 14 meatballs that were about a tablespoon and a half in size.

Clean Turkey Meatballs

1/2 pound of lean ground turkey

2 1/2 slices of Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread

2 eggs (1 whole and 1 white only)

1 garlic clove minced (I used two and kept off the vampires)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place slices of bread on a cookie sheet and cook for 5-7 minutes. Basically until it's hard and crunchy and not a square hockey puck! Normally at this point I would add this to my mini food processor. Mine is broken right now so I doubled up a freezer ziplock bag and hit it with a meat tenderizer and then jumped on it! And Voila! you have clean bread crumbs.

In a medium bowl add the bread crumbs and the remaining ingredients. Mix well. I let mine sit for about 15 minutes so that liquid would really soak up in the bread crumbs.

Heat a skillet with a couple of sprays of olive oil or Pam. Make small meatballs out of the turkey mixture. About 1 1/2 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons in size. I turned my about every 5 minutes until cooked all the way through. About 20-25 minutes total. I always suggest cutting into one to make sure they are cooked all the way through.

I served this over a clean eating spinach-tomato sauce (I will add this recipe soon) and pasta made of a brown rice flour.

My favorite kitchen gadgets

How do you know when you are fat, I mean a foodie??? Your favorite store to shop in is not J. Crew, it's not Anthropologie, and it sure as heck isn't Victoria Secret. What store is it you ask!?!?! William-Sonoma! I could spend HOURS in that store. I could also empty our bank account in this store. The good news is that my husband loves this store as much as I do. I'm one lucky girl!!!

My favorite tool in the past has been my Kitchenaid Mixer. That thing is a rockstar. I however have stopped doing a lot of baking since the diet and don't plan on doing a ton of it. I want to learn some clean cookies recipe very soon though ;) Now I have a couple of new favorites I recently got that I would like to share. They help in clean eating so that's good!!!

First is the Microplane Herb Mill. You stuff your fresh herbs in there and twist. Voila!, you have finely chopped fresh herbs. Clean up is a snap too!!!!

The other one is the Orka Oil Mister. The pots and pans I have can not have Pam and those types of sprays sprayed in them. I always have to use olive oil. I love olive oil and it's very good for you. Sometimes I get to much and don't mean to. This really helps controlling how much I use.

Healthy "almost clean" Smoked Salmon Dip

I call this "almost clean" because I know a small amount of sugar was used when the salmon filet was smoked. Other than that it is clean and it is GOOD!!!! Smoked salmon is one of my favorite foods. I think I could eat it everyday. When my husband and I went to Alaska in the summer of '10 we had a lot of smoked salmon and of course brought some back with us!!!

Healthy "almost clean" Smoked Salmon Dip

1 naturally smoked salmon filet

3 tablespoons of fat free Greek yogurt

1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives

Flake the salmon apart in a bowl. Add all ingredients to the salmon and mix until well blended. Server chilled.

I served this with these crackers to keep it healthy and clean.

Football Bean Dip

Tonight is the Cotton Bowl and my team of choice, the Arkansas Razorbacks, are playing in it. GOOOOO HOOOOGS!!!! Football food can be pretty high in calories and not CLEAN!! So, I decided to do dips and chips. Black bean dip, guac, and of course salsa! I will be sharing my recipe for black bean dip and guac. I purchased my salsa, but don't worry it's clean! The guac recipe is my all time favorite, but I did not make it up. It's from the restaurant Rosa Mexicano.

Clean Black Bean Dip

2 cans of black beans (1 drained and one with liquid)

2 garlic cloves minced (I use more, but I love me some garlic)

1 tablespoon of ground cumin

2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne (if desired)

fat free Greek yogurt

In a food processor or blender mix all ingredients together except for the Greek yogurt. If using a blender you may have to stop halfway through and mix so the blades don't get stuck. I like mine to be chunky so I don't let it mix for very long. You don't want it to be soup.

After its all mixed I transfer it to skillet on med low for about 10 minutes stirring often. Just to get it warm.

Then pour in a bowl. I have a bowl that is in somewhat the shape of a football so I pipe on laces with the Greek yogurt. The way I pipe it on is just by adding it to a ziplock bag and cutting a tip and Voila! it becomes a piping bag! :)

Clean Rosa Mexicano's Guac

1 tbsp white onion
cilantro
jalapeno
3 hass avocado
3 tbps diced tomato
2 tbs chopped cilantro
Grind 1 tbsp. finely chopped white onion, 1 firmly packed tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, 2 tsp. finely chopped jalapeño, and 1 tsp. salt together in a molcajete until all the ingredients are well ground. (Alternatively, use a fork to mash the ingredients to a paste in a wide bowl.)

Cut 3 medium-ripe hass avocados (about 8 ounces each) in half. Twist the halves to separate them and remove the pit with the tip of the knife. Place an avocado half, cut side up, in your palm and make 3 or 4 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts through its flesh down to the skin, without cutting through the skin. Make 4 crosswise cuts in the same fashion.
Scoop the diced avocado flesh into the molcajete. Repeat with remaining avocado halves. Gently fold the avocado into the chile–onion paste, keeping the avocado pieces fairly intact.

Add 3 tbsp. diced tomato, 2 firmly packed tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, and 1 tbsp. finely chopped white onion.
Fold together all the ingredients. Taste and add salt, if necessary.
Serve immediately, directly from the molcajete (or bowl), with tortilla chips. Makes 4 servings.

I refuse to give it up!

There are a few things on the eat clean diet I refuse to give up. I know they are not healthy, but I am just not gonna do it!!

1. Fat Free Calorie Free Spray Butter. Just a few sprays and your food tastes like butter. There is no way it's good for you, but I justify having it by the fact that it's 0 fat and 0 calories!

2. Mio Drink Mix. OMG, this stuff is amazing. I am trying to ween myself off of it a little. It is full of artificial sweetener so I know it's not good for you, but oh my goodness it's amazing. And once again 0 fat and calories!

3. I have actually really toned this down. I haven't had one in 5 days and that is good. I am going to try to limit them to once a week. I will probably get to the point where I don't even like the taste anymore. And once again 0 calories and 0 fat?

My favorite clean breakfast

Mango Greek Yogurt! I LOVE it! So easy, so healthy! 1 cup has 23 grams of protein.

Mango Greek Yogurt

1 cup of fat free Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons of mango puree

1 tablespoon and raw agave syrup

Mango Puree

2 mangos peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons of water

Add water and chopped mango to a food processor. I use the mini one that has one speed. Voila! Mango puree!

Taste the Rainbow!!!

I just thought I would share pictures of the food I had today. (I did not take these pictures by the way) Such a colorful variety of food!

I have to keep in mind, You don't have to eat skittles to taste the rainbow!!

Clean Nachos

I LOVE Mexican food. I could eat it everyday. Unfortunately it is not that good for you. I came up with this version of Clean Nachos last night.

Clean Nachos

2 whole wheat pitas

1/2 pound of ground turkey

1 cup of black beans from a can

1 cup of frozen corn thawed

1 med tomato diced

1/2 avocado diced

Fat free plain Greek yogurt

1tsp cumin

1tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup of water

Preheat oven to 350.

In a small bowl add 1 cup of black beans drained, 1 cup of corn drained, diced avocado, and your diced tomato. You can eat this cold, but I normally toss it in the microwave for about a minute so it's hot.

In a medium skillet on medium heat add ground turkey, cumin, onion powder, cayenne, and garlic powder. Chop up the turkey just like you would ground beef. Stirring and flipping often. Once it's cooked all the way through it will start to get dry. Add a little bit of water at a time and cook until the water is reduced.

While the turkey is cooking, cut your pita into 6 pieces like a pizza. Then pull those pieces apart so you have 12 pieces. Place them on a cooking sheet, inside up. Cook for about 10 minutes. They should become crispy like a chip.

Once your chips are done remove them from the oven and arrange them on a plate. Add about a tablespoon of turkey, a tablespoon of the black bean and corn salsa, and about a 1/2 teaspoon of the Greek yogurt to each pita triangle. Some people could eat all 12. I am trying to lose weight and eat smaller portions so I shared them with my husband.

Enjoy!

Oh and by the way....I lost 1.5lbs when I got on the scale this morning. Since starting to diet I have lost a total of 5lbs. (I started before Thanksgiving, but with the food then, then Christmas, and then my best friend was in town, I kinda fell off the wagon!)

This Lala wants to be a Mama!

UPDATE POST 08/06/12
UPDATE POST 07/31/12


So, I am now 31 and childless! Most of my married friends have 1,2 and even 3 babies! I haven't really had to much baby fever. I like being lazy on the weekends. I like my freedom to pack up and go on vaca when I want. I like to have spontaneous date nights with my husband. You get the point, I just haven't been ready! Well now it's official, this Lala wants to be a Mama!

A long time ago I gave myself a goal and told myself that if I didn't reach this goal then I could not start trying for a baby. This goal is to get down to 145 and stay at that weight for at least 6 months. So here we are January 1st and I have 80 pounds to lose. That is A LOT of weight to lose and then keep it off for 6 months. If I want to start trying in 2012 I have a lot to work to do....HOLY COW! I have a feeling I might be starting on December 31st ;)

I am jumping on the eat clean bandwagon and here is why.....I have done every yoyo diet on the planet. Some with success some without. I was on the Atkins diet and lost 55lbs just to turn around and eat like a normal person and gain it all back plus some. Here is the deal, I like to eat. I am a foodie. I love rich, tasty foods. I LOVE to cook. I love creating my own recipes. I feel like the the clean eating diet is not a diet, it's a life style change. You can eat 90% clean and still get your indulgence sometimes. On the Atkins diet I once thought I drank a Dr. Pepper and not a DIET Dr. Pepper and I went home and made myself throw up and jumped on the treadmill for 45 minutes because I thought I was going to gain 2 pounds just from one bad thing. With the clean diet I can still eat my favorite foods, I just have to alter the recipe. It's fun for me to try to change it up and get creative. That is the part I love about cooking anyway. I also like that if I eat something that is not clean I don't feel like I need to become bulimic.

Another reason for the eat clean bandwagon is the name....clean! So many foods out there are so processed and disgusting and we don't even know it. After watching Food Inc. and The Truth About Food, it really changed how I feel about food. Don't get me wrong, I love a hot dog from a Braves game or to sit and eat a whole box of cheez its while watching TV (did I say that out loud). Eating clean doesn't mean I have to stop that all together (well eating the WHOLE box should come to an end!), but I need to stop that at least 90% of the time and I think I can do that.

Everyone needs help when it comes to loosing weight. I went to an OA meeting in 2011. I never went to another one. Not because it wasn't good. It was good. If that is what you need then by all means go to them. Go to them every week. I am just to busy to go to them every week or I would. Ok, back to my story. I went to an OA meeting in 2011 and the best piece of advice I have ever been given is that you need God. (OA is not a Christian program, when they say God, they mean any God). For me, this is Jesus! I had a "why didn't I think of that" moment. I mean duh! He will help you with anything and everything. Of course your peers around you need to be mindful and not shove a burger in your face, but you can't expect them to eat like you are eating since this is your fault that you got this way and not theirs. So, I will be praying a lot about my weight in the next coming months. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to the Lord" Phillipians 4:6 (side note: I just typed up that verse without looking it up. This is one I have been trying to memorize and I just got it!!! Yay me)

Normally I use this blog as a creative outlet. Sharing recipes, craft ideas, party ideas, and so on. It will still be all that. I probably won't have as many fattening recipes as I normally do, but I am sure a few will sneak in 10% of the time ;) And just because I am eating clean does not mean I am not still going to make crafts and plan parties. What kind of world would that be!

Today I will leave you with a recipe that I made this morning. I TOTALLY forgot to take a picture of it, but you can imagine that it was pretty!

Clean Huevos Rancheros

1/4 of a whole wheat pita

1 egg

1/4 avocado

6 grape tomatoes

clean refried black beans (recipe below)

When I say 1/4 of a whole wheat pita, this is what I mean......a pita is round and there are 2 layers to it. I cut mine in half and then peel the 2 layers apart from each other. It will look like a half moon.

Preheat your oven to 300. Start the beans (see recipe below). Once the beans are done, put your pita in the oven with the inside up. Cook for about 6 minutes. It should become crispy, but not too hard. While the pita is cooking, start your eggs. I do mine over medium. ( I am not going to teach how to cook an egg, sorry!). While your egg is cooking dice up your avocado and tomatoes.

Pull out your pita, smear some refried black beans on it, put the egg on top, add the avocado and the tomatoes and voila! you have yourself some clean eating Huevos Rancheros. I add a little cilantro to mine when I have it on hand! My husband adds hot sauce to his, I choose to omit that!

Refried Black Beans

1 can black beans

1 tablespoon of ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet on medium heat spoon in black beans from the can. As you spoon them in, try to reserve as much liquid in the can as possible as you will need to use it later. Once all the beans are in the skillet add the cumin, garlic, pepper, and salt. Take the back of a wooden spoon and start smashing the beans. Continue smashing and stirring until the are creamy. As you cook the beans they will become dry. This is where the liquid from the can of beans comes from. Pour a little at a time until you get the consistency you want. In a lot of restaurants they use oil or fat at this point. We could use olive oil and they would still be clean, but I would rather them be clean and low in fat. My husband says he can't tell the difference and he loves my refried black beans!

Enjoy!