Chicken-Cauli-Rice Stuffed Bell Peps + 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 good 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

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

H-town's very first 24 hour donut cafe

 a former colleague of mine and fellow UH Cougar, Ose Ohen, opened up Glazed last week!  we headed to stuff our faces immediately after church as planned.

transparency is a wonderful thing.  i appreciate and enjoy being able to watch my food being prepared and just the entire process in general.  maybe that's why i'm such a big fan of Unwrapped on Food Network.  seeing how things i've been eating for YEARS are made is just really interesting and cool.  anyway, kitchen windows build trust.  it can also change the way an employee works if you know what i mean, lol.

 they had 3 flavors ready to go for the soft opening: lemon poppy, glazed, and maple bacon (with a turkey bacon version as well).

more glass windows, awesome.

we all sat down and got comfy while Sonny went to order our sweets.  i didn't even have to tell him what to get either.

*just before pulling the deliciousness out of the bag*

i know. and it tasted as incredible as it looked.  perfect balance of sweet/salty/doughy/chewy/fluffy. WHAT a donut. i am crazy excited about this gigantic list of flavors they'll be selling in the near future and i'm not even a donut person!

Chiso eats his donuts just like his pizza, plain.  i'd say he enjoyed it.

 well you knew this was happening later.  sweaty stair master intervals and some core work completed my sunday.  5 weeks postpartum and i still work my kegal muscles (when i think about it randomly at home) to strengthen my pelvic floor again.  it's a process, ladies!  be patient, work them daily if you can, and make sure you do them on an empty bladder.

 as i got meal prep going for the next few days, i channeled my inner Fish City Grill with these tacos for dinner.  if you've been there and ordered them they should look pretty familiar to ya ;) .  i used La Tortilla Factory 70 calorie tortillas as usual (which i saw at HEB recently!!!!) and filled them with baked swai fish, bagged cabbage and Annie's all natural Lite Goddess dressing.  this is super similar to the Crunchy Ginger Rotisserie Chicken Wrap from a few days ago.  then i grilled them up on our griddle for a few minutes until they browned.   heating the tortilla first makes a huge difference vs a cold, flimsy tortilla.  try it!  someone from Instagram suggested i taste that flavor of Annie's next and i'm glad i did.

Q: kolaches or donuts?

i'm a cheese lover so that's an easy one. 

le

4 weeks pp + Dego's 1 month mark

last night i said i was going to get up at the crack of dawn this morning and not just get my treadmill interval workout in, but to pop up on my 5:30am class to say hi while i was at it! i made me some hot coffee and headed out, Beats and ipod in tow.

i kinda forgot to factor in feeding my newborn before leaving though so i arrived way after class started.  it was SO good to see old and new faces all across the studio when i peeked my head in the door!  i caught up with some of my regulars after class finished and they only made me more anxious to put that mic on again.

cardio killaaaaa. i was hoping to be cleared to lift this week, but my OB's schedule is jam packed!!! huge bummer. still crossing my fingers to be worked in somehow. else i'll just wait 'til next week.

Chiso woke up and requested pancakes, so he got'em.  i made him a stack of my WW Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Birthday Cakes complete with dolphin sprinkles and he almost finished the stack by himself!  i gladly killed the rest. remember, you can also sub blueberries for the chocolate chips.

who's 1 month today? that guy! i asked Sonny does 4 weeks make it one month, or will July 17th make it one month... idk and too lazy to Google. close enough.  also up until today, smiles from Dego were only reserved for Chiso. i finally got mine :)

our God is an awesome God.  i make an effort to praise Him for all things, both great and especially small.  after receiving and reviewing Dego's newborn screening results in the mail a few days ago i began to thank Him repeatedly.  i was instantly reminded of the time in my life when my thoughts consumed me and convinced me that i was unable to bear any children, ever.  God has blessed us with healthy baby boy #2, and for that we give Him all the glory.

this is so funny because i actually remember doing this to my mom.  putting my face on the floor to see her feet while calling her name over and over again and everything.  well it's payback time!  who am i kidding... once Chiso doesn't give a flying hoot about my whereabouts i'm gonna have a mommy moment...

grilled sirloin steak and taters for dinner tonight.  we've been outta sweet taters and they are exactly what i need to keep me feeling fuller longer between meals.  the steak was marinated in some Annie's balsamic vinaigrette, pinch of sea salt and black pepper before i tossed it in my grill pan.  that delicious sauce is just Grey Poupon mild and creamy mustard (which is calorie free, sugar free, and fat free) sauteed with white mushrooms. it's bananas!

Q: how do you like your steak cooked?  

blood = no bueno. can't do it. well done, please.

le

one...two...THREE #may27th

saturday, this boy woke up singing 'because i'm happyyyyyyyyy!' :P  he knew it was finally party day.

we threw a joint birthday pool party with friends of ours, Kristina and Allen; their daughter, Celén, was born on May 28th.  the location was at my gym, Lifetime City Centre! it was special to me because i had part of my 30th birthday celebration there, Chiso was finally able to come gymming with me when he turned 3 months old, and now he has celebrated his 3rd birthday there.

excited and picking up the Mickey and Minnie Mouse cakes the morning of.

the guests of honor! and why do they look like long-lost brother and sister?! LOL

but before their guests arrived, we put them to work stuffing their favor bags. we paid them in food, no worries.

on the menu:

 cheese, pepperoni, & BBQ chicken pizza (provided by the Lifetime Cafe), an assortment of subway sammiches, a variety of chips, cake batter rice crispy treats, strawberry-pecan-spinach salad, juice, water, and cake.

right on time, Papa, thanks.

we played gym games upstairs on the 3rd floor before hitting the pool. 

does that parachute give you a nostalgic feeling too?

they had some parachute fun, bowled, played scooter races, and there was even a real live Angry Birds game... pretty neat.

Chiso had all the pretty girls to himself before his guys friends arrived ;)

my girlfriend, Michelle (bottom L corner), put her super long legs to work and dusted EVERYBODY in the scooter race! her daughter, Lyonna, and Chiso share the same birthday.

now for the part the kiddos had been waiting all day for-

it's time to SWIM!

the party ended at 4, but we were in that pool from about 2:45 to 6:15.  he just didn't want to leave! you know where to find us this Summer.

this picture cracks me up- i was just trying to get their attention for the picture and i have no idea what i even said! but ummm, they look so annoyed. ROTFL.

splish, splash <3

i didn't get pics with everybody, but i'm grateful some of my family and friends were able to come celebrate with us!

my cousins Angie and Gerrilyn and their kiddos,

my sorority sister Trashina took a dip with her adorable boys,

and my friend Krystal was on double duty and held it down! i tell her all the time what a huge inspiration she is to me.  i feel like i'm starting all over balance-wise with Odego on the way and all... heck i feel like i JUST got into a groove with one kiddo (remembering to add an event to my calendar, getting there on time if at all, making sure he has pants on, etc) and she always encourages me that i can. experience is the best teacher and i believe you, girl. alright *clears throat*

let's sing! make a wish, Celén.

your turn, Chi!  he would not put that pizza down.

before & after.

 asleep in the car by 6:30pm and didn't wake up til the next day. party POOPED.

all four of us were! happy, HAPPY, 3rd birthday to our Chiso <3

thanks for reading!

le