Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Bell Peppers was always one of my favorite meals that mom would make when I was younger. I had always thought it was a difficult dish to make, however, making it myself, I now realize that it is super simple to create! I make my mine vegetarian style, however you can easily add ground beef or turkey if you would like. This is a gorgeous dish with lots of color and is a great healthy dish that we have at least once a month! I almost always make enough "inside goodness" to freeze for a future quick meal, or if Mark just wants a snack on the weekends without the bell pepper. 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2 Tb. olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup rice, cooked (I use brown)

3 Tb chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup cheese, grated (I like either mozzarella or colby jack...whatever you have should work)

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. chili powder (or more if you like some heat)

salt and pepper, to taste

4 peppers, stemmed and seeded (depends on size of peppers, might need more)

4 slices of cheese (to cover the peppers at the end of cooking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper.

In a frying pan, heat oil and cook onions and zucchini until softened.

In a large bowl, combine rice, beans, corn, tomatoes, and the cooked veggies. Mix well. 

In a small bowl, combine spices and combine with rice mixture. Add in cilantro and grated cheese. Set aside.

Boil water in a large pot and cook your bell peppers until they begin to get soft. Take out and cool.

To assemble peppers: Place pepper in the baking dish and fill with rice mixture. Fill all peppers with mixture and bake about 25 minutes. Place sliced cheese on top for the last two minutes of cooking. 

Serve immediately. 

My combined rice mixture

Boiling the peppers

Stuffed Bell Peppers!!!

This is a simple meal that can be made with basically whatever you have. One of the many reason why I love it! 

Hubby's Rating: 4 MMMM's! The sweetness of the yellow peppers is fantastic.This is a delicious way to get lots of veggies.  Definitely good stuff.

Enjoy your veggies this week!

-Kir

10 Simple Fitness Tips

As the warmer weather starts to fade away it becomes harder to get out of bed in the morning and go for that morning run, but don't forget that meeting your fitness goals isn't all about working out. It starts with your eating habits. Not only are these changes easy to make but should make you feel better and have more energy throughout the day. These tips will hopefully help you get into a workout rhythm for the colder months!

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks:

1. Find a workout partner. Pick someone who you can trust and who you know will push you toward your fitness goals. This person does not necessarily need to be someone who will go and workout with you everyday, but I would recommend someone who can hold you accountable for completely your daily workout.

2. Get some good kicks. This is especially important if you plan on running daily or even weekly. Nothing will stop you from reaching your goal than having to put a halt on your exercising plan. Blisters suck, especially on your feet, so please, go get some good shoes!

3. Watch your sweets! Believe me, I know how hard this can be, but once you conquer those late night cravings, it will make your diet so much easier. I would recommend swapping a sweet with either fruit or even some yogurt. 

4. Watch your portions. Keep in mind that your veggie portion should cover about half your plate and don't forget about the fruit! Here is a simple tool for you to use in choosing your portion sizes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-eating/tips-for-portion-control/pictures/index.html

5. Drink H2O. This is one of the hardest things for me, but I have found some simple tricks to help make sure I get my dose of water. 
      -Always have a cup of water filled (out where you can see it)
      -Put some lemon in your water (I have noticed that I drink more water when there is some lemon in it)
      -Take a bottle of water with you in the car (I tend to crave water while driving)

6. Write it down. Although this may seem like a pain to do, but it does help and allow you to look back see your healthy changes. Not only should you write down your reps and running time but I like to write down what I have for each meal and throughout the day as snacks. 

7. Stretch! Stretching can lower your risk of injury and also increase flexibility. Make sure you performing the stretches correctly both before and after working out. 

8.  Don't be afraid to eat. Eating is not bad...it is what we eat that can either start our day off right or make us sloth like all day long. If you plan on working out that day, make sure you get a big healthy breakfast that will give you enough energy to last through your whole workout. 

9. Sleep. Don't cut out sleep in order to workout more. Make sure you get enough sleep, then eat, then workout! Sleep sleep sleep! I don't know what else to say! Go sleep already!

and lastly...

10. Make it a habit. It takes about 21 days to create a habit that sticks (although everyone is different). Just a little under one month of doing something and sticking with it, can help you become healthier and more fit! So make yourself a calender and start crossing of those days, each day you workout and eat healthy is another day closer to your goal.


I hope these tips and tricks help you out with accomplishing your fitness goals! I would love to hear what your fitness goals are since the colder weather is now here! 

Enjoy!
-Kir