Mexican Taco Lettuce Wraps

This Fixate recipe is a huge favorite in our family.  Fraser likes his in a whole wheat wrap mostly because it's easier for his tiny hands to manage; while the rest of us enjoy ours in lettuce wraps!  

The great thing about the Fixate Cookbook is that many of the recipes refer to other recipes within the book so you can make a meal plan around prepping an item like tomato sauce and use it for a few recipes through the week.  

Both boys started out with lettuce wraps but Frasers
changed to a whole wheat wrap after a couple spills.

This Mexican Taco Meat recipe is used for a few recipes the the cook book gives you a few suggestions on how you can use it and what container counts you would use.  Tonight we added black beans and corn to it and then topped it with a sprinkle of shredded white cheddar then added it on top lettuce wraps.  We all love it this was but I would also love it over some Zoodles or a bed of brown rice, I just love the freshness of the lettuce wrap.

FIXATE Mexican Taco Meat

Serves: 4 (approx. 1 1/4 cup each)

Prep Time: 20 min. 

Cooking Time: 26 min. 

Container Equivalents per serving: 2 Green, 1 Red, 1/2 Purple, 1 Tsp 

Ingredients

1 tsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeds & finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb. raw ground 93% lean turkey breast

1 tsp. ground chipotle chili powder (or 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder) 

1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano leaves

1 dash sea salt 

1 1/2 cups Grandma's Tomato Sauce (recipe also in FIXATE) 

3 tbsp. all natural tomato paste, no salt added 

Directions

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. 

2. Add onion and peppers, cook, stirring often for about 4-5 minuts, or until onion is translucent. 

3. Add garlic, cook, stirring often for 1 minute. Transfer onion mixture to a medium bowl, set aside. 

4. Add turkey to the same skillet, cook over medium heat, stirring often to break up the turkey, for 8-10 minutes or until the turkey is no longer pink. 

5. Season with chili powder, oregano and salt. 

6. Add onion mixture, tomato paste and Grandma's Tomato Sauce. Mix well. Reduce heat to medium-low, gently boil stirring often, for 8-10 minutes, or until most of the liquid evaporates. 

Serving Suggestions

(For one serving of taco meat) 

Serve with 2 corn tortillas, 1 cup shredded lettuce and 2 tbsp. Homemade Salsa (recipe also in FIXATE) 

Containers: 2 green, 1 yellow, 1 red, 1/2 purple, 1 tbsp

Serve over 1 cup Zoodles (recipe also in FIXATE) 

Containers: 3 1/2 green, 1 red, 1/2 purple, 1 tbsp 

Serve over 1 cup cooked quinoa 

Containers: 2 green, 2 yellow, 1 red, 1/2 purple, 1 tbsp

Serve inside 2 large romaine lettuce leaves

Containers: 3 green, 1 red, 1/2 purple, 1 tbsp 

Breakfast Quesadillas

I am always looking for breakfast ideas I can prep ahead and take to work with me.  Often I'll make my Baked Oatmeal or overnight oats but this weekend I made Breakfast Quesadillas and prepped an extra for work on Monday.  

I love making egg scrambles on the weekends or days when I'm home from the office for my breakfast but it's more difficult to make the time on work days to make a hot breakfast and eat it before I go.  So I decided to give these Quesadillas a go.  

The were easily heated up in the toaster oven on the toast setting or bake setting; either would work well.  I heated them until slightly crispy and cheese is bubbling again.  These Breakfast Quesadillas made for a rare hot and cheesy breakfast in the office!  YUM!  The only thing that could have made these better was if I had brought a little salsa with me too.  Next time :)

Breakfast Quesadillas

Total Time: 30 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 15 min.
Yield: 2 servings, 1 quesadilla each
Portion Fix Container Count:  1 Yellow, 1 Green, 1 Red, 1 Blue

1 tsp. olive oil
1 portobello mushroom, chopped
1 medium Orange (or red) bell pepper, chopped
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 whole wheat tortillas
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add mushroom and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until peppers are slightly soft. Reduce heat to medium-low.
3. Add eggs; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until eggs are set. Remove from heat.
4. Top each tortilla evenly with egg mixture and cheese.
5. Fold each tortilla in half; cook in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until cheese is melted and tortilla is golden brown.

Tip: You can cook quesadillas you are going to eat or serve, and you can tightly wrap the others and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days (or freeze them). This is a great way to have breakfasts prepared in advance. 

12 Easy Ways to get your 10,000 steps in

So many of us have fitness trackers now, it's really a huge and common thing to have one!  I have had a fitbit for 2 years and upgraded to a fitbit Charge HR a little over a year ago so that I could monitor my heart rate during workouts as steps aren't always tracked well with programs like PiYo or went lifting weights in Hammer and Chisel. I love it and with the updates it just gets better and better for keeping me motivated to get up from my desk and move more consistently through the day.  

Lately I've been following the Country Heat program and I've gotta tell you I seriously rack up the steps when I'm doing that 30 minute workout! So even on days when I'm not as good with getting up and walking consistently through the day I usually hit my 10,000 steps very easily once I've done my workout.  And gosh is it a ton more fun that standing in place walking at the end of the night trying to meet my goal or pass someone else in one of the challenges!  *wink wink

Here are 12 easy ways you can get more steps each day 

1. Get a dog. Nothing will get you out of the house faster than a puppy that needs to do some business. If you have a dog like ours however you might find yourself dragging him or her out of the house!  Our little wiener dog isn't and eager walker but once she is out on the leash she is a great partner. 

2. Take the stairs. At work, at the mall, at the train station, anywhere. If you wear a fitness tracker, like the Fitbit Charge HR I have you’ll score both steps and flights.

3. Take a moving break. During your lunch break, go on a 15-minute walk around the block. Not only will you get your steps in, but you may feel more focused at work. And remember to get up frequently during the day, not just at lunch. I know my fitness tracker now encourages me to get 250 steps per hour for 9 hours of the day. 

4. Park far away. Every couple of hundred steps walking to or from your car adds up quickly. Heading to Target?  Park as far away as you can, not only will the spot be easier to pull into but if you park at the back of the parking lot, you’ll help save your car from dings and dents too.

5. Take the long way. When you’re at work and need to go to the restroom, skip the closest one and take a detour. Hit the stairs and use one on a different floor, or just take the longest route there. The same goes for doing errands (on foot) or strolling to a friend’s house.

6. Get off the bus or train one (or two) stops early. If you take the bus why not get off a few stops early, log a few extra steps and enjoy some fresh air. 

7. Play with your kids. Hide and seek or a game of Tag can take a lot of steps and be a lot of fun too!

8. Walk and talk. Take your business calls on the go, or skip the conference room and have walking meetings with your colleagues.

9. Don’t fast forward your DVR. The next time you binge-watch “The Walking Dead,” don’t fast forward through the commercials. Stand up and march in place or pick stuff up around the house until the zombies get walking again.

10. Drink up. All of those trips to the water cooler at work—and the restroom—will make a big dent in your day’s step total.

11. Go on a walking date. It’s a kind of a throwback, but there’s something charming about taking a stroll, especially a sunset one, with your hubby!  Gord and I go for walk dates at lunch time most days and it's a great way to catch up and make plans for the rest of the day or week too!

12. Take extra trips. When unloading grocery bags from the car or carrying laundry to the bedroom, it’s tempting to try to take as few trips as possible. Instead, try taking one more trip than you absolutely have to.

Which one of the above tips will you implement today?

Fixate Protein Waffles

Tonight was a breakfast for dinner kinda night! So I decided to throw together a batch of protein waffles from the fixate cookbook! We topped them with homemade blackberry jam!  #YUM

I'm currently following the Country Heat Program which I am really enjoying, and the Meal plan mirrors that of the 21 day fix so I've been referring to my Fixate cookbook for inspiration in addition to the New Fixate Cooking show on Beachbody on Demand!  Having so many recipe ideas and inspiration at my finger tips keeps me on track.

In the Fixate Cookbook these waffles are paired with chicken for a Chicken and Waffle combo as you will see in the photo below.

Fixate Protein Waffles

Ingredients

4 large egg whites, beaten to form stiff peaks
2 cups oat flour *
2 Tbsp. flaxseeds
¾ cup vanilla protein powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
A pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Pre-heat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or using a mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

In a medium bowl, add oat flour, flaxseeds, protein powder, baking powder, vanilla, and almond and mix to combine. Add the egg whites and gently fold to incorporate.

Drop by 2/3 cupful onto hot waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer's directions, until golden brown and crisp.

Serve immediately with your favorite topping.

Notes

*Oat flour can be made by grinding an equal amount of regular uncooked oatmeal in a blender or food processor until it forms a powder.

Adapted from the FIXATE cookbook

Wanna Bet on you??

Have you heard of the website Diet Bet? They host these diet bets for people who are trying to get healthier and lose weight, you bet your own money that you'll lose 4% of your body weight in a certain amount of time and lots of other people do too! You essentially bet on yourself to win! If you do, you get your money back plus some... if you lose, then you lose your money. I looked into this earlier this year but I was too chicken to bet my own money!!

WELL, I'm excited to tell you that Beachbody is doing a Diet Bet.... BUTTTT you don't have to put up ANY of your own money! They're handing out over $1,000,000+ in cash prizes to customers and coaches who are part of Accountability Groups on the My Challenge Tracker App! All you have to do is log your workouts and your Shakeology! 

Beachbody isn't calling it a Diet Bet, but a HEALTH BET!! Which I'm really happy about, because I hate the word diet.... I prefer calling it "clean eating!" The challenge is pretty simple, from September 5th - October 2nd you can qualify for winning the cash prize. 

Here are the rules:

·    Rule 1: You MUST be registered in my challenge group on the app by August 31st!

·    Rule 2: Log a minimum of FIVE Shakeology's into the app every week WITH a picture attached! The 5 Shakeology's are due by each week's end (9/11, 9/18, 9/25, and 10/2)

·    Rule 3: Log a minimum of THREE Workouts into the app every week! The 3 workouts are due by each week's end (9/11, 9/18, 9/25 and 10/2)

·    Rule 4: You MUST have a valid first name, last name, email and mailing address in order to be paid out. 

IF YOU MEET ALL OF THOSE QUALIFICATIONS ABOVE YOU GET TO SPLIT THE PRIZE MONEY EQUALLY AMONG EVERYONE ELSE WHO DOES TOO!!!

COOLEST PART......

THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW THROUGH WILL GET THE REWARD!!!!

We know how this sometimes goes. People hear "CASH PRIZE" & they're all like "SIGN ME UP" - but when it comes to following through & doing the work - there is only going to be a percentage of us left standing... am I right!?!! That prize pool just got a lot bigger for YOU and you're reaching your health & wellness goals at the SAME TIME!

Basically... would you invest in yourself & COMMIT TO WHAT MATTERS --- your health?

If you need some more details or need some help getting set up - fill out my Challenger application form below or leave your email below and I'll email you so we can chat!

So let's get our friends on board & tackle some health and wellness goals BEFORE all the PUMPKIN LATTES and TURKEYS! Ya?

If you want in on the Prize pool then fill out the application below and I’ll message you to discuss which program might work best for you to participate!

Challenge Group Application

* indicates required

First Name

Last Name

Phone Number

Email Address *

Facebook URL *

Do you currently have a Beachbody Coach? *

• Yes, you are my coach.
• No, I do not.
• Yes my coach is (name below)

Coach Name

LIVE IN *

• USA
• CANADA
• Other

Do you currently own a Beachbody Program? *

• 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme or Country Heat
• Turbo Fire, PiYo, and or Chalene Extreme
• Hammer and Chisel
• Less Mills Pump or Combat
• Body Beast and or Hammer and Chisel
• Insanity, Max30, T25, and or Cize
• Brazil Butt Lift
• P90X, P90X2, P90X3 and or 22 Min Hard Corps
• Other

Why do you want to be a part of this group? *

What is the best way to contact you?

What are your Fitness Goals *

What is a typical day of eating like for you?

Have you tried Shakeology? *

• I have never tried Shakeology.
• I have tried Shakeology, but I am not currently drinking it.
• I currently have shakeology, but I am not drinking it on a regular basis.
• I drink Shakeology everyday!

What motivates you to live a healthy lifestyle? *

Iced Coffee

We are on holiday right now in Patksville, enjoying the beach and the sun ☀️

Today we hit the beach after lunch and Had some left over coffee in the coffee pot from this morning which inspired me to make an iced coffee when we returned. ☕️

Trailer made Iced Coffee

Ingredients 

Ice

Splash of maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

Splash of milk or cream 

Cooled coffee

Directions

Add the ingredients in the order listed, at your preference (more milky, less sweet etc) stir and enjoy! 

White Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Chicken

This week my meal planning has been on point!  Yay me!!  Through July I found we were really winging it and not planning ahead as we normally do during the school year so before we headed to the root cellar grocer on Monday (Holiday day) afternoon I made my meal plan and grocery list for the rest of the week.  On Tuesday we enjoyed homemade turkey burgers with veggies for dinner and last night I made these lovely white cheddar and broccoli stuffed chicken roll ups!  

Everyone really loved these and they were super easy to put together too. I made a small pot of brown rice as a side dish for the boys along with some veggies to complete the meal and I was surprised to see the kids gobble it up!  

White Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast very thin
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped broccoli fresh or frozen

Sea salt

Ground black pepper

Garlic powder

Paprika
1/2 tbsp Olive Oil 

Toothpicks

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If your chicken breasts are not already thin, pound them with a mallet or rolling pin until thin. This makes the chicken easier to fold in half. Place them in a baking dish or parchment lined baking pan.

Pulse fresh broccoli in the food processor to make very small pieces, the smaller the better.  Or chop broccoli into small pieces.

Coat chicken with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.

Sprinkle white cheddar cheese evenly on top of the chicken breasts. You can save a little bit to add to the top after you fold them if desired.

Sprinkle chopped broccoli evenly on top of the cheese. The smaller you chopped your broccoli, the easier it stays on when you fold it.

Fold your chicken breasts in half and secure with 1-2 toothpicks each.

Brush the tops of the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with more sea salt and pepper.

Place Chicken into the Oven.  Cook for about 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

If desired sprinkle chicken with the remaining cheese and then bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.