The weather around here is supposed to be pretty nice today & tomorrow so I’m excited to be outside and hopefully play with Ava in the pool at her Grandparent’s house! She gets so excited when you say POOL!

We are dog sitting my friend’s dog Barley this weekend. I think I sense doggie love when Cooper is around her. He literally smiles so big and wags his tail for hours & hours. It’s pretty fun to watch them play together.

Ava enjoys giving them treats too!

Besides dog sitting I have a secret party I can’t really talk about. If I gave you details the person might find out!  Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up!

Anyways, last night before Boot Camp I whipped up a SUPER EASY Chili recipe that took me about 3 minutes to throw together. So any lazy chefs out there, feel free to give this recipe a go because there’s no prep involved and its very healthy!

This chili doesn’t have beans and that’s because I wasn’t in the mood, but feel free to add a can of whatever beans you like it would be delicious.

We served this chili over a little brown rice and I topped it with Avocado. If you are a cheese lover, cheddar cheese goes great and for added spice sliced jalapeños would kick it up a notch.

Easy Peasy Turkey & Veggie Chili Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 1lb Ground Turkey
• 1 can Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1/2 bag of frozen butternut squash chunks
• 1/2 bag of frozen mixed bell pepper strips
• 2 tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Drizzle oil in a large pot on medium heat, add ground turkey break it up as it cooks. Let cook for 5 minutes until evenly browned. Add in spices & mix. Add in diced tomatoes, squash & peppers plus the water. Mix well. Let cook on medium-low for about 20 minutes. Enjoy with sliced Avocado, Cheese, or salsa over Brown Rice or a corn tortilla!

I usually choose simple meals before boot camp for the pure fact that I am jumping around like a crazy woman instructing and working out. Bland foods are usually preferred but I was really in the mood for chili so I went with it.

About 2 minutes into the warm up I got a big cramp in the side of my stomach but I fought through it and it was totally WORTH IT!! I’m still happy I ate that chili it gave me great energy, but now I know why I usually choose bland foods.

Okay enough rambling over here, it’s time to head to work. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Do you like chili? If so, do you like it spicy?

Are there certain foods you can’t eat before a workout?

Instead of making mashed Sweet Potatoes, I made baked potatoes and topped them with the Shepherd’s Pie mix. This saved me time peeling, boiling, and mashing the potatoes. It turned out great!

As you know, most of my dinner recipes are usually simple and easy to whip up… so this one comes together rather fast!

For the recipe: click on this link SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD’S PIE

When I was making the Shepherd’s pie this time, I used Ground Turkey instead of lean ground beef.

We didn’t have frozen corn to throw in the mix so I diced up a little red pepper for some added veggies and color. I like making substitutions to my recipes, it changes up the flavors!

Do you have any quick stove-top recipes with ground meat? 

There’s only one slice of meatloaf pictured on my plate but I had seconds! We have also been cleaning out the grocery store on sweet potatoes, I am slightly obsessed lately.

Ingredients:

1lb ground turkey

½ package of sliced mushrooms

¼ cup diced red peppers

½ medium onion

1 egg

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ breadcrumbs

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

In a medium size pan sauté the veggies with olive oil for 5 minutes. Let cool. In a medium bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Once the veggies are cool, add them to the bowl and mix.  Spray a loaf pan with baking spray and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

Does anyone else LOVE sweet potatoes?

I don’t like recipes that are too heavy before a workout so a turkey burger and some veggies does the trick!

Give this Turkey Burger recipe a try! It doesn’t take long, it is light, and has great flavor!

Turkey Burgers with Peppers & Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1lb Ground turkey

½ cup red pepper, diced

½ container sliced mushrooms, diced

salt & pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

whole wheat buns

sliced tomatoes and lettuce

Direcions:

Heat a small skillet to medium heat, Saute peppers and mushrooms in olive oil for 5 minutes or until soft.

Mix ground turkey with veggies and sprinkle in some salt & pepper. Make 5 patties with the meat mixture.

You can either grill them or bake them in the oven. I baked them because it was freezing outside. Bake 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Build your burger…  Serve on whole wheat buns with lettuce & tomato, avocado and your favorite condiment!