Chicken Cauli-Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers + PWO Grocery Shopping

 awesome workout early this morniiiiing!  finally. after monday's sugar slump (my sister's baby shower was the day before lol) i feel SO much better.  i was determined to flip this week around cause it sure didn't start off too great physically and my motivation was shot. anyway, my cuz Diane told me she would come try my Lifetime classes and by golly she came!! not everybody is ready for HIIT at 5:30am but she totally was and kept her word!  we did some cardio together after this morning's weight class and i'm so glad she enjoyed herself and the club.

every time i wear this shirt sent to me by my cyber friend @babyfatboss somebody reads it then looks at me and asks, 'right now????' hahaha! no. not yet.

don't shop for groceries when you're hungry!!! i am good for that and  i'll never learn cause my Sprouts is in the same lot as my gym.

#itsawrap

recent purchases from Sprouts Farmers Market i cannot wait to use at breakfast tomorrow:

yep, you read that right. got my fingers crossed on this one!

making the switch to dairy-free creamer as of today.  this was the only size they had and i need a half-gallon carton or larger for sure.  i've been downing at least one cup of 1/2 caff in the mornings for a while now.

so we are now on week 5 of small group already, my goodness!  i have truly been blessed by meeting with these women to discuss the Word each week and will definitely be open to hosting a small group again in the future. we feasted on these lean ground Chicken-Cauli-Rice Stuffed Bell Peps that you have GOT to try. and when ya do, tag me on Instagram and let me know so i can see!

 i know green bell peppers are the cheapest to buy but i LOVE the taste of, well, all the other colors. ha. especially red! and we know that red bell peps are a collagen boosting food great for helping us moms snap back after pregnancy and for keeping our skin looking great in general.

i used 'riced' cauliflower instead of brown rice so these are chock-full of veggies! do the following:

1. if raw, wash large cauli head thoroughly and break up into small florets (if frozen, let thaw first then break into florets)
2. add to food processor and pulse until a rice-like consistency is obtained
3. in a clean cup towel, add riced cauli and squeeze as tightly as you can to get ALL the moisture out
4. in a wok coated with no stick cooking spray over med-high heat, add cauli and sprinkle a little garlic and onion powder over it. that's optional though.  stir constantly for about 5-6 minutes or until slightly crispy/cooked.

Chicken Cauli-Rice Stuffed Bell Peps

the stuff:

• 1 lb extra lean ground chicken
• 1/2 cup red kidney beans
• 1 ear fresh sweet corn (or 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn)
• 1/2 large green bell pep, diced
• 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes w/ garlic
• 10 oz 'riced' cauliflower (see steps above)
• 1 1/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice (optional to put on top only)
• 2 tsp sweet smokey paprika (reg paprika will be fine too)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tsp parsley flakes
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro (just grab a small bunch and chop it up)
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms of your choice
• sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste
• 5 red bell peppers (discard the seeds but don't you dare throw away those tops after you cut them off! dice them up and eat them later)

do this: 

1. preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a baking pan large enough to hold all 5 peppers at once with no stick cooking spray
2. coat a large skillet with no-stick cooking spray and set it to med-high heat
3. add garlic, onion, and green bell pepper and saute until translucent (2-3 min)
4. add lean ground chicken breast and continue to break it up with your spoon into smaller bits as it cooks
5. once cooked through, add kidney beans, corn, cilantro, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and stir until combined
6. add cumin, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes and 2 tsp of the parsley flakes
7. add the cauli-rice and 1 cup of shredded cheese and blend once more and taste!
8. add salt & pepper to your liking and taste again
9. cut the bottoms flat across the peppers and situate them in your pan (see pic below)
10. stuff peppers with your chicken mixture and fill them to the brim
11. add about 3/4 cup of chicken or vegetable broth to the baking pan and bake for 30 minutes covered with foil
12. remove pan from oven and top peps with remaining cheese; put back in for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts
13. top with remaining tsp of parsley flakes to make it pretty ;)

yummerrrrrrs. enjoy!

Q: what seasonal item have you ever just HAD to try?

le

i workout for:

 well good morning!

i workout for all those reasons and more, but i should have included eating lots of food!!! that's #1.

since i workout super early in the AM most days, i have been enjoying Houston's Fall weather to the fullest.  Fall not only means chili and cornbread, it means warm, hearty, filling, yummy, COMFORT food in general to me!  a big bowl of super creamy mac n cheese is hands down my fave (to eat in a bowl anyway) and pizza is the other

couple things though:

• when dining out, go for the broth based (tomato, chicken, beef, vegetable, clear, see-through) soups vs. the creamy ones because they are usually made with milk or heavy cream.
• the leanest cuts of beef include:
  • eye of round roast or steak
  • sirloin tip side steak
  • top round roast and steak
  • bottom round roast and steak
  • top sirloin steak
• a cup of any fruit usually is anywhere from 50-100 cals, but the sugar count is what you should keep your eye on.
• air/stove popped over microwaved popcorn any day

Q: what activity (exercise) have you wanted to try but haven't? i'd like to try the different types of yoga- i had NO idea there we so dang many.

le

fluffy tummies probs

exhibit A :shock:

it's no longer weird feeling this way once you know the culprit!  this was prolly one of the most puzzling and straight annoying bumps along my ever-evolving fitness journey. identifying trigger foods (foods that trigger reactions in a person e.g. gluten sensitivity = celiac disease) can be helpful in relieving certain ailments, eliminating excess weight, or preventing IBS (tummy issues e.g., uncomfortable, painful, gas, bloating, fluffiness, etc).  how do you pinpoint them? conduct a little experiment on yourself.  remember, health and fitness is all about trial and error.  find out what your body benefits best from and stick with it☝. first,

• keep a food dairy
•  track what you eat
• track when you eat 
• take note of how you feel afterwards

after a few weeks (yep, this takes time but the process is always worth it) you should be able to see a pattern. once you have identified a possible trigger food, eliminate it from your diet for two weeks straight.  was there a change? mentally? physically? add that particular food back in and pay close attention to your reaction, if any. once these foods are identified, they can either be avoided easily, completely, or at the very least, finally give you some dang answers!!!  my trigger foods are dairy,  broccoli, and Kashi.  i haven't cut them out completely, but i know when not to eat them, that's for darn sure.  no two piece swimsuits or form-fitting clothing for me for a few days!  hope this helps someone else as much as it has helped me.  learning your body is a process, fit friends. and fyi, i had some chicken pizza from Ruggles Green with a bunch of crème fraiche, mozzarella and fontina cheeses on it a few hours before the right pic. it was so worth it lol.

smile, tomorrow's friday yall :)

le

hearty turkey casserole + fit foodie lean legs workout

while i was away at the BE Conference (that post is in the works), my FITzee Foods orders came in!  thankfully Sonny only got to one meal before i got my hands on them :x.  i now have a new favorite to add to my list i wanted to share with ya:

Mom's Hearty Turkey Casserole

layers of sautéed vegetables, lean ground turkey, rich tomato sauce, and mashed yams all baked to perfection and sprinkled with mozzarella cheese!   low carb and gluten-free.  it was the first meal i cracked open and it reminded me of a healthified shepherd's pie.  this experience was over way too fast.

*stats: 353 cals, 16g fat, 20g carbs, 5g fiber, 29g protein*

then i hit the gym to combat the massive amount of sugar i ate over the weekend :shock:

i created that lean leg routine up there while using the limited hotel gym at the conference, and did it again that day.    grab two dumbbells (preferably 10's or higher) and a sturdy wall to lean on for the wall sits and have at it.  3-5 times through, no breaks!

i couldn't decide which bar to eat for my post workout snack so i ate both!!!! kidding, i had the apples 'n oats, my fave.

afterwards, PWO grocery shopping.  which is always a bad idea for me.  i can never wait until i get home to open something up.  you can eat them in the car. you can eat them on a chair. you can eat them ANYWHERE.  get those greens in :)

the FITzee Food's menu changes frequently because they use local, seasonal and natural ingredients.  make sure to keep checking the online menu to see the latest and greatest culinary delights – they just might become your new favorite.

in those defeated moments, think back to why you even started your journey in the first place.

then keep going, friends!!!

 FITzee Food questions? email me directly at le@fitfoodiele.com.  to order your healthy meals, go check out the September menu- October is upon us! 

le

let's try this again, shall we!?

and just like that....my prayers for the last 2 months have been answered.  to God  be ALL the glory.

buy FIT FOODIE LEAN right here, right NOW.

if you don't have a Paypal account, no big deal! you can log on in as a guest.

:shock:

as promised, it includes:

full page color foodie photos

*

almost 50 healthy, lean, clean, delish recipes

*

breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert & snack options

*

gluten-free, dairy-free, low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar, low-calorie, vegetarian, vegan options

*

macro & micro-nutrients included (calories, fat, sodium, carbs, fiber, protein)

*

specialty grocery list for my favorite items used in the book

*

made with tons of LOVE!

to buy Fit Foodie Lean, click meeeeee!

or click the Fit foodie Lean cover in the right sidebar up there OR the cover pic in this very post. they'll all get you to the right place.

i just want to thank each and every single one of you fit foodies for being so patient with me and the never ending battle to publish Fit Foodie Lean.  i can finally say IT IS COMPLETELY FINISHED without a shadow of a doubt.  enjoy this ebook and have fun making and devouring these recipes with your family!

*jumping up and down*

NOTE: if you've purchased Fit Foodie Lean already via amazon, EMAIL YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFO TO LE@FITFOODIELE.COM RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!! please and thank you :)

for now, ummm it's super late and i have to teach in the morning, eeeeek!!!! GOODNIGHT!

le