Black Bean and Quinoa Bake

I've been meaning to try this for some time now and my only regret is that I didn't make it sooner! It was SOOOO good!! It tastes exactly like Tamale Pie I get from one of my favorite recipes! This is a vegetarian dish but you could easily add ground turkey or lean ground beef if you'd like to "beef" it up lol. Pun intended!! Definitely hit the spot for my regular Mexican food craving and was super easy to make. It took me less than 30 minutes from start to oven and it was a hit! We have a ton of left overs which I'll freeze for the next couple weeks when I need a quick lunch on the go. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups of water
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 small onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 Jalapeño seeded and minced
1 red pepper seeded and diced
1 cup frozen corn
Juice of 1 small lime
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of chili powder
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
2 15 oz cans of black beans drained and rinsed
2 cups of red enchilada sauce
2 cups of shredded mexican cheese
Toppings (optional):  Greek Yogurt, Avocado, Olives, Green onions

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 in pan with cooking spray.

Add quinoa and water to medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes then turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat add the olive oil, onion, garlic and Jalapeno.  Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add peppers and corn and saute for 5 more minutes.
Add lime juice, cumin, chili powder and cilantro.  Stir and combine and season with salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl stir quinoa and black beans.  Add the veggie mixture and combine, stir in 1/2 of the cheese and all of the Enchilada sauce.

Pour the mixture into the 9x13 pan, sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Then cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, remove foil and bake for 10 minutes longer until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Remove and cool!

Serve and enjoy!!!


If you are doing the fix I measured out 1 yellow and also counted it as 1 red.
I served with a side of steamed green beans which is a green.

13 Week BUMP-date!

Feeling really good this week. Worked out every day and stuck to my meal plan with a gallon of water every day! Finished up my last week of the 21 Day Fix and I'll be moving onto a Fix / PUMP hybrid for a couple weeks until P90 comes out and I can start that in October with my challengers!

How Far Along? 13 weeks

Size of Baby: As long as a pea pod. About 3 inches long and weighs about an ounce.

Gender: We find out in about 6 weeks. I can't wait because this pregnancy has been so different I want to see if all the gender stereotypes are true!

Weight Gain: I have gained 4 pounds so far.

Maternity Clothes: Nope still rockin the yoga pants. Need to get a couple "going out" outfits. Probably will just be a size up in regular clothes though.

Nursery: Not sure yet, waiting to find out gender first. 

   

Movement: Not yet, doctor said around 16-20 weeks it should start. I'm very anxious for this!

Symptoms: This week I feel great! Nothing to complain about and energy is back, thank goodness!!

Sleep: I get up about 2-3 times a night to use the rest room. Not sure if thats just the pregnancy or that I drink a gallon of water a day, maybe both ;) I do toss and turn a lot. But can thankfully still sleep on my stomach!!

Cravings: Nothing this week and I am so proud of myself for sticking to the 21 Day Fix meal plan 100%. I feel so much better eating clean, whole foods that fuel me and my baby.

What I Miss: Not gonna lie, I miss an occasional glass of wine. Our back yard is almost done now and it would be awesome to sit out there an enjoy a glass of wine and watch the fire...but I've got plenty of time for that right!??!?!

Best Moment This Week:  Celebrating my sister in laws baby at her shower. It was so fun to see all the cute little outfits!! I want a girl!! just sayin ;)

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender, having my "bump" show a little more and feeling some movement. I just love that feeling of little butterflies in my tummy!

Plan for this week: Pretty much the same as last week, I will be working out to the 21 Day Fix and Les Mills PUMP workouts as well as following the 21 Day Fix meal plan and eating 5-6 small meals a day.I am trying a couple new recipes and hope they're a hit! Stay tuned for the recipes later in the week!

See you next week!!
XOXO

What is P90?

I am so excited for the newest Beach Body Home Fitness Program, P90 by none other than the amazing Tony Horton!!!!!  When I first heard that this program was coming out I was over the moon! Have you ever done P90X??? I have, and It is hard!!!  Have you ever tried P90X and failed?!?!  YOU ARE NOT ALONE, I did too! Maybe you want to work your way up to P90X but aren't quite ready to go all in with that amount of intensity right now. Maybe you want want a stepping stone to build a base level of fitness so that you can tackle something like P90X down the road.

Well, Tony saw the need for a program that was the foundational skills to advancing to a more extreme workout and he created P90! P90 is the gateway to getting fit regardless of one's age or fitness level! This program includes ten all-new workouts that are simple, doable, and less extreme than his others, but still just as effective. Whether a person hasn't worked out in a decade, or is just looking to maintain what they've got, P90 opens the door for customers to see dramatic, visible results in just 90 days.

Who would this program be perfect for?

• You don't want a hardcore workout but you want to lose weight.
• You want to get back some of the muscle tone you have lost over the years.
• You want to just get out of bed in the morning without a backache.
• If you are just someone who wants to be in good health, get regular exercise and feel strong then this could be the workout for you.

So what is this program all about?

It's not high intensity, its not pounding your joints.  It's literally simple cardio, simple workouts, 25  minutes a day for 90 days to totally and completely transform your body and your life. It's more than just a workout, it comes with a simple nutrition guide that is going to help you clean up your daily food intake and focus on the right foods to fuel your body for health!  The moves are modified right from day 1 so that everyone can do the workouts.

So when will it be available?

Well the expected release date is September 23rd, 2014 through a Team Beachbody coach which is ME!  More info will be rolling out this week including details on the workouts, the program, the options and the pricing.


Who should do P90?

Anyone who wants to get started on fitness no matter what age or ability.  I have talked to my Dad about this and he will be joining us for the entire workout.  My Dad is newly retired and he is not at the level where he wants to be doing push ups, pull ups and crazy plyometric jumps and lunges, but wants to stay active and improve on his health. This workout will be perfect for him.

I will also be doing P90!!   Right now I am 14 weeks pregnant, Yup I will be following along to this program while pregnant! I have consulted with my doctor, reviewed the info I have already and will work closely with her to make sure I am cleared for this workout. Obviously I'll have to make some modifications but this is a great way for me to be able to test out the program with my challengers and stay active so I have a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Although I LOVE T25 and Chalean Extreme those will be my programs of choice for AFTER baby comes :)

I believe that if you want to change your body, you want to start creating a healthy exercise routine then this is going to be the best way to do it.  Tony Horton is an amazing trainer with an entire team behind his workout philosophy that is tried, tested and true.

I know for a fact that this is truly going to be a spectacular workout.  I mean, heck you have SERIOUSLY no excuse not to workout.  There is something out there for everyone!  Sometimes we just need a little motivation in order to make it happen!

So what's the game plan?!?!
How Do I Make Sure I Am THE FIRST TO GET IT?!?!

I want to make sure that this doesn't become another fitness program that you invest in that sits on your shelf and collects dust.  I want to make sure that when you get the program in the mail, you bust it out, you make a plan and you SUCCEED!  My job as a coach is to be your support system, to help you to decipher the meal plan, to put a list of foods in place, to start together on October 6th and to track our progress, stay accountable, stay motivated and encourage one another to get into the best shape of our lives.

So I am hosting an EXCLUSIVE TEST GROUP where you can get support and be surrounded by other like minded people, you can enter to win $500 for your transformation and you can get results.

What is a test group?
The P90 Exclusive DREAM TEAM TEST GROUP!

It is a closed Facebook group where no one but the members of the group can see what is being posted. I will walk you through how to set realistic goals for yourself, how to meal plan, prep, how to set yourself up for success, then each day you log into the group for a post of the day, motivation, recipes and tips.  We will track progress through our online group and you will succeed!  Trust me, if you commit I will meet you half way!  I won't let you give up! Are you ready to put all fears aside and go for it?  What's the worst that can happen? You could lose a few pounds, kick the soda habit and have a ton more energy!  Not so bad, right!!!! 

The requirements are that you purchase the P90 Challenge pack through me as your free coach. I will be giving you all of the details to get the package once you complete the application below.  I must be your coach and only my customers and coaches are allowed to participate in this group.

Are you in?!?!  I'm only accepting a limited number of people into this exclusive group.  So please complete the application below to be considered for a spot and gain more information!

All you have to do is decide that now is the time for you to make a change!!!  Let's do this together!!!    Fill out the application to be the first to know about the release date, the details and more!!!!

Chicken Enchiladas - 21 Day Fix

It's no secret that Mexican food is one of my ALL time favorites so when I found out that I could make chicken enchiladas "21 Day Fix friendly" I was one happy girl!! Achieving a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean that you have to GIVE UP your favorite foods, sacrifice flavor or eat grilled chicken and steamed veggies all day, it just means you get a little creative and keep on moving!!

INGREDIENTS:
*3 shredded chicken breasts. (I had left over chicken I baked from Chicken Chili earlier in the week so I used that)
*8 oz fat free Greek Yogurt
*10- 6" corn tortillas
*1 package Frontera Enchilada Sauce. (you can make home made but I used a new product I found at the store with only natural ingredients, I could pronounce and was familiar with everything in it)
*shredded cheddar cheese for topping
*Optional toppings - cilantro (free food), olives (orange container), dollop of greek yogurt
*one yellow container black beans and corn

DIRECTIONS:
*Preheat oven to 350
*Spray 9x15 baking dish with non stick spray
*Mix chicken, greek yogurt, beans and corn
*Spoon 1/3 cup mixture on warmed corn tortilla and roll up.
*Line rolled enchiladas in baking dish, cover with enchilada sauce ans sprinkle on cheese
*Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and heated all the way through

21 Day Fix Containers:
1 serving = 2 enchiladas1 red - chicken & greek yogurt
1.5 yellow - 2 corn tortillas & corn/beans
1 green - enchilada sauce
1 blue - shredded cheese

We're Pregnant!!!

Ok so the cat's out of the bag!! It was SO hard to keep a secret this time but we are SO excited to announce that we are expecting baby #2 in March of 2015!! Jayden is VERY excited that mommy has a baby in her tummy and he can't wait to be a big helper!! He has informed me that he will be giving the baby bottles and changing diapers all by himself!! SWEET!!!

For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you may have noticed that there was an instant lack of my workout pictures and some days lack of activity on my wall at all. And that's because Baby Olaf (as my son has named him for the time being) really threw me for a loop!! With Jayden I was blessed with the most amazing, easy going pregnancy ever!! I didn't have one single day of nausea, I was able to exercise and life was great. Well this go around the first trimester was a bit of a roller coaster. Weeks 6-9 were pretty much 24/7 nausea and I was EXHAUSTED!! I am so excited to share that that is all behind me and I am feeling 100% back to normal!

I will be sharing my "Bump-dates" here weekly as a way of documenting my pregnancy for myself as well as to inspire other moms and moms to be to have a healthy and fit pregnancy! If there is anything that you would like me to specifically cover please don't hesitate to shoot me a message, I love new ideas :)
How Far Along? 12 weeks

Size of Baby: The size of a lime! (about 2 inches crown to rump)
Gender: We find out in about 6 weeks. I can't wait because this pregnancy has been so different I want to see if all the gender stereotypes are true!
Weight Gain: I have gained 3 pounds so far.

Maternity Clothes: Not yet. I pretty much live in yoga pants and workout tops. I should probably pull out some jeans to see how I'm doing there but the summer has been SO hot I haven't worn jeans in many, many months. Another favorite is dresses :)

Nursery: Not sure yet, waiting to find out gender first. 

   

Movement: Not yet, doctor said around 16-20 weeks it should start

Symptoms: Weeks 6-9 was nausea and exhaustion. Everything else has been pretty smooth sailing. Slight round ligament pain if I get up too fast from sitting down. Nothing stops you in your tracks quite like a sharp pain to your lower abdomen.

Sleep: I get up about 2-3 times a night to use the rest room. Not sure if thats just the pregnancy or that I drink a gallon of water a day, maybe both ;) I do toss and turn a lot. But can thankfully still sleep on my stomach!!

Cravings: Nothing too bad right now. The first several weeks it was BAD...I can't believe I'm even about to say this but it was pretty much survival mode. I had fast food (yuck), ramen noodles, a few sodas, pie and brownies....YIKES!!! So glad to be back to clean eating!

What I Miss: I missed being able to workout every day through the last couple weeks. I had to take about a three week break and it killed me. But there was no way I was going to get into a downward dog in PiYo or knock out some burpees in T25. Glad that's all past me!

Best Moment This Week: Getting our house in order! We have started buying some new furniture, working on finishing up the back yard and our house is looking like a home. I can't wait for the holidays with my little family <3 br="">

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender, having my "bump" show a little more and feeling some movement. I just love that feeling of little butterflies in my tummy!
Plan for this week: I will be working out to the 21 Day Fix and Les Mills PUMP workouts as well as following the 21 Day Fix meal plan and eating 5-6 small meals a day.

See you next week!!
XOXO

21 Day Fix Buffalo Chicken Dip

As the official NFL season kicks off for 2014 it's only natural that my mind wanders to all the tasty party foods that line the buffet tables. But this year it is my mission to have a healthy pregnancy so I'm going to take some of my all time favorites and make them 21 Day Fix friendly!!

No way is this girl missing out on the fun! But I'll gladly leave some of those extra unneeded calories on the table!!

Buffalo chicken dip is one of my favorites and I'm happy to say I've made a 21 Day Fix friendly version, YAY!!!!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 red container Greek yogurt
1/2 red container shredded chicken
1/2 blue container shredded cheese
1 green container veggies
Tapatio, Franks Red Sauce or favorite hot sauce

DIRECTIONS
*Preheat oven to 350
* mix yogurt, chicken and 1/2 of cheese and hot sauce
* scoop into oven safe bowl
*Bake for 15 minutes until heated all the way through

Enjoy this whole recipe for one red container, 1/2 blue container and 1 green container!

21 Day Fix Chicken Chili

One of my all time favorite recipes is the TurboFire chili. But now that I'm following the 21 Day Fix I decided that I wanted to try to make some new recipes to share with my awesome challengers!! Something just kept bringing me back to that chili. Maybe it is the fact that I'm SUPER busy these days, as are ALL moms...right??? And I needed something to throw in my Crock Pot and get out the door!! Then I thought "why mess with a good thing?". So I made one SMALL tweak and viola!! A new recipe was born!! I love the chicken chunks in this version because it makes it a little more hearty but doesn't change the nutrition too much. Give it a try and let me know what you think!!

INGREDIENTS:
3 chicken breasts - cooked and chopped into cubes
2 cans diced or stewed tomatoes with green chilies
8oz whole kernel corn, canned
1/2 onion diced
2 garlic cloves (I used minced....and A LOT OF IT)
16oz can of Black Beans
16oz  can of Kidney Beans
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
Home made seasoning mix - Cumin, Chili Powder and Mrs Dash Chipotle seasoning.  Add to desired taste...I put a LOT :) its all salt free and a "free food" on the program.
4 oz low fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
 Place all ingredients except the cheese into the crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours. Top with 1 oz cheese per serving if desired.

21 Day Fix containers: Fill one GREEN container with chili and serve in your bowl. You will need to mark off one RED and one YELLOW container from your daily container allotment. (pg. 71 in guide book)