I am always trying to sneak veggies into foods for Ava because lets face it, even the “good eaters” have a tough time getting the correct amount of veggies in on a daily basis. Although we all eat healthy I decided sneaking in some peppers would make this burger more flavorful & crunchy and that it did.

We all agreed that these were tasty and satisfying. I will definitely be making them again.

QUICK & EASY TURKEY BURGERS

1 lb Ground Turkey Meat

2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 tbsp water

1/2 cup red bell pepper (chopped into tiny pieces)

1/2 cup orange bell pepper (chopped into tiny pieces)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Makes 5 burgers 

Directions:

• Chop peppers into tiny pieces.
• In a large mixing bowl add in all ingredients, mix until everything is combined. I used my hands but you can use a large spoon.
• Form into 5 burgers. Some of the pepper pieces might fall out but you can stuff them back in.
• Heat grill to high (about 400 degrees) cook approximately 8-10 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

These burgers are delicious served over a salad, in a lettuce wrap, on a bun or in a wrap. I don’t know about you guys but even though summer is coming to an end I will NOT stop grilling until the snow piles up over our grill

What foods do you try to sneak veggies into?

Do you like turkey burgers?

Here is a quick Photo Recap of our fun filled 4th Of July weekend:

Friday was a beach morning for Marc, Ava and I. This girl loves to be at the beach and run wild.

Around 3pm we headed to Todd’s Point for my friend Lindsay’s birthday beach party. It’s really impossible to get Ava to cooperate for the camera. If you have any tips, please share!

Ava once again swam in the water and played in the sand.

She ran around until she had no energy left!

Lets just say it was an early bed time for Ava.

Saturday was a cloudy day and a slow start in our house. We all slept until 7am which is a record. We never sleep that late, but I’ll take it.

We treated ourselves to some Dunkin Iced Coffees, walked Cooper and did some stuff around the house.

Marc did a lot of cooking Saturday and we BBQ’d at our house with our family for dinner. Ribs were on the menu and I’m so happy they were because they were so delicious.

Sunday we went for a long walk with Cooper again and then headed to Todd’s point for one last weekend beach trip. The weather was perfect and I loved being outside and playing in the water with Ava.

Kids really make the beach a lot more fun.

All in all we had a fun time being outside and enjoying extra time together with family & friends!

What did you do for the 4th?

Did you BBQ, if so what was your favorite food?

]]> http://thefitskool.com/?feed=rss2&p=7340 0 http://thefitskool.com/?p=6761 http://thefitskool.com/?p=6761#comments Mon, 25 May 2015 15:23:50 +0000 http://thefitskool.com/?p=6761 Continue reading →]]> I’m all about being outside, especially now that the weather is warmer. On Saturday I taught an outdoor boot camp class and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Even though it felt chilly to start we warmed up within minutes.

It always feels nice to get a great workout finished early in the morning!

We had new neighbors moving in Saturday so we spent most of the afternoon hanging around the house and helping them move a washer/dryer in.

Our dinner came on the early side because we didn’t really eat much in the afternoon. I grilled up some Pesto Chicken, zucchini, and we had some sweet potatoes with it.  Pesto is my best friend in the summer time and I’m pretty sure you will be seeing a lot more of it, so get used to it!

Once Ava fell asleep for the night (7pm woohoo) Marc and I sat on the Porch and sipped on a glass of Cabernet, it was quite delicious and nice to relax such a beautiful night!

We also snacked on some popcorn and finished our night with the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy which was GREAT! I’m slightly obsessed with that show, if I haven’t told you that before.

Sunday started off a little slow in our house. Ava got to watch some TV for a while because I woke up with a migraine. I get them from time to time and this one was pretty brutal. I initially started thinking that my day was ruined and I really didn’t want to be stuck inside on such a sunny day.

I decided to take some medicine and within an hour I felt like a million bucks. I’m always hesitant to take medicine but I’m super thankful I did! I felt like a normal human being again!

Around 9am we took Cooper and Ava for a walk on Greenwich Avenue and then let them both run around on the field. It’s so fun to watch Ava chase Cooper and let her explore the park on her own.

We dropped Cooper off after the walk and headed to the beach, we didn’t want to waste any time! Ava loves playing in the sand and she actually sat on the beach towel for a solid 20 minutes straight. It was nice to just relax and watch her pile sand on my legs.

There weren’t that many people on the beach so that was pretty awesome too. Ava started getting fussy and threw a small tantrum so we new it was time to get her lunch and a NAP!

Ava took a fairly long nap in the afternoon, and while she slept Marc headed to a friend’s Birthday BBQ.  Around 3pm we all went over to my parents for a BBQ. I love BBQ food and I think it’s because the foods are so simple and extra tasty when they are grilled. We had hamburgers, corn on the cob, salad, and potatoes!

We all had fun being outside for the majority of the day and seeing Cooper & Ava smile!

My dad bought Ava a big pool, so she had fun playing in it while he set sit up. She clearly couldn’t wait for him to put water in!

Now I am heading to the YMCA to teach an early Memorial Day Group Power class before we attend our last BBQ of the weekend at the beach!

It’s easy to forget what Memorial Day is all about so lets take the time to remember those people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces.

What fun things did you do this weekend?

What is your favorite BBQ food?

]]> http://thefitskool.com/?feed=rss2&p=6761 0 http://thefitskool.com/?p=6605 http://thefitskool.com/?p=6605#comments Mon, 11 May 2015 17:02:17 +0000 http://thefitskool.com/?p=6605 Continue reading →]]> I hope you all had a great weekend celebrating with the important women in your lives. We had a fun and relaxing weekend with both Marc’s Family on Saturday and my family on Sunday.

Our Mother’s Day celebrations were so laid back and stress free which is exactly what I wanted.

Early Saturday morning we headed up to Rhode Island. Our drive was a breeze and we were there in no time. We spent the day hanging out at Marc’s parents house and we also got to see Marc’s sister, her husband and our niece Natalie.

Ava and Natalie played for hours and hung out. It’s so cute watching them follow each other and chase each other around.  Ava passed out and was asleep by 7:15pm.

She woke us up rather early Sunday morning with her new wake up time of 5:15am. (can’t say I am a fan of that early time on weekends!) I woke up to a lovely breakfast made by Marc.

A delicious Fritatta with spinach, mushrooms & tomato. He clearly knows I love breakfast, and it was a lovely surprise to wake up to.

Shortly after we headed back to Greenwich to spend the day BBQ’n and hanging out with my family.

We sat on the deck and ate some more delicious food.

I made a corn & bean salad, my mom made some eggplant dip and we also had some hummus and crackers.

I think I ate too much of the appetizers because I wasn’t hungry for the grilled food.

I had a small piece of BBQ Grilled Chicken and a scoop of potato salad.

We spent the rest of the afternoon/evening just hanging out. I took Ava for a long walk and we soaked up some sun on my parents deck! It was overall a lovely weekend.

This is a flashback picture from this time last year on Mother’s Day. Can you believe how small Ava was??

What did you do for Mother’s Day?

Do you use your grill a lot this time of year?

Are you ever looking for an easy, healthy lunch or dinner idea? My go to family summer meal is BBQ pulled chicken.  Click on that link for a simple recipe!

It is SO yummy and goes perfectly with some cold cole slaw. You can even toss it over a large salad for more veggies.

This batch was made by my mom so it was a double win for me!! Make sure to choose a BBQ sauce that does not have ADDED SUGAR. Whole foods sells some great BBQ sauces.

Also for the cole slaw dressing. Try making it at home, that way you can control the ingredients and again that unwanted sugar. Here is a SIMPLE & EASY recipe for Homemade Cole Slaw Dressing.

What is your go to summer meal?

I absolutely love this time of year, the weather is warm, I am outside more, and there are tons of BBQ’s and Parties to attend. 

Come Monday are you that person that regrets your weekend choices? Holidays of course are for celebrating but by making a few smarter choices you can keep your health & fitness goals on track!!

Tips for a HEALTHY & Happy 4th:

1. Avoid all the processed snacks. The chips & cookies may look good but they are not going to keep you full and they will most likely have you craving more sugary and carb rich foods.
2. Take a small plate… load up on as much of the fruits, veggies, tossed salad, & lean protein as you can. If you are still hungry go back for seconds but only choose one scoop of the things you REALLY want to indulge in. Better yet have the burger but throw it on a huge salad and skip the bun!!
3. Limit your alcohol. Avoid sugary drinks like Margaritas and Pina coladas; they are loaded with sugar and calories. IF you’re going to have a drink, have a beer or wine and make sure to mix in a glass of water to stay hydrated.
4. Skip Dessert. This will throw your calorie budget over the top! If there is fruit…dive in! If you really need it, take 1/2 of a brownie, or 1/2 of a piece of cake and then throw it out!
5. Get your workout in! Just because it is the 4th of July doesn’t mean you can’t get a quick workout in. Even if it is at home with some pushups, squats, & sit-ups. You will thank me later

These little TIPS will help you feel better in the long run! Happy 4th Of July

Do you have any Healthy Eating BBQ Tips to add to the list??