Recipe Corner: Staci's Taco Salad

My taco salad usually gets lot of attention, I've had several private messages and a few comments on it so I figured I'd write it all out for you guys! This is one of my favorite things to make so much that I don't really make regular tacos anymore.  Honestly it's just something I threw together one day and I've been in love with it ever sense.

Staci's Taco Salad
Serves 6

1lb of meat ( I usually use Chicken or Ground Turkey)
Taco Seasoning
1 can pinto beans or black beans (I use pinto)
1 bag of Spanish rice ( I use Knorr)
garlic, minced 
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2lb mushrooms, sliced
Lettuce (shredded)
Tomato (diced)
Avocado (diced)
Corn Tortillas (I use Mission thinly sliced, you get 3 per serving!!)
2% mexi blend shred cheese (optional for garnish)  
Salsa (optional for garnish)
Sour Cream (optional for garnish, I use light) 

 I'm going to give you the directions on how I make my personal taco salad. You can play around with the ingredients to you're liking....just remember the points value is based off the below information and it will change based on how you prepare yours.

TORTILLAS/MEATS/RICE/BEANS:
Preheat the Oven to 365. Spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray, place tortillas on pan, spray them with cooking spray and sprinkle salt on them. Before oven is fully preheated place them in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until desired crispiness is achieved.

Heat the beans and cook the rice according to packaging.
 
 When using chicken(3oz = 3pts) I sprinkle the it with about 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning, grill it on the George Foreman, once it's cooled some to where I can touch it I rip it to sherds and usually give myself 3oz. If using ground turkey(4oz = 4pts) I brown it and then add 1/4 cup of taco seasoning and 3/4 cup of water and cook until thickened)

VEGGIES:
Spray a skillet with non stick spray add desired amount of garlic and sauteed whatever veggies you'd like until tender over medium heat. To keep the veggies free of points I only add water as needed to keep them from burning.

MAKE YOUR SALAD:
When making the salads, I layer desired amount of lettuce, 1/2 cup of rice, 1/4 cup beans, desired amount of veggies, meat, tomatoes, 1 oz avocado, 1 tablespoon salsa, and 2 tablespoons light sour cream. I stick 3 cooked tortillas on the side. This salad with 3oz of meat of choice is 9 classic WW pts.

Just remember you can change you points based off of how much of each item you use, so just use your calculator to figure out the points.  I'm always available if you have any questions! Enjoy!!!

Staci's Taco Salad

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Recipe Corner: Weight Watchers Honey Chicken with Cashews

Weight Watchers has done it again....another AMAZING recipe I made tonight. I love making recipes that I haven't tried before, it's so exciting! I kept taking bites thinking....surely I didn't just make this....this most definitely should be considered "bad" for your "diet". One of the many many reasons I love WW is because I always feel like I'm cheating when I'm actually not, I'm making my own food which is delicious and it tastes so so good! I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we did! I added a few things to it to spice it up for our family and I will note them in ingredients.


Weight Watchers Honey Chicken with Cashews
Serves 4
8 points plus/ 6 classic points

Ingredients:

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons corn starch 
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1lb chicken tenders, cut length wise into think strips
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 red bell peppers (I used 1 mini red bell pepper since I'm the only one who likes them)
6 baby carrots, cut into 4 slices each (I added this)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced (I added this) 
1/4 cup unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped
2 cups hot cooked whole wheat thin spaghetti

Directions:

1. Whisk together broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, and honey in a small bowl until smooth

2. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Spray wok or large deep nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over high heat until a drop of water sizzles in wok/skillet. Add chicken and stir-fry until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds; transfer to plate.

3. Add bell peppers (onions and carrots if you are using them) to wok/skillet and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3-5 minutes. (I added a little bit of water while they cooked so they didn't burn) Return chicken to wok/skillet along with cashews; stir-fry until heated through, about 1 minute. Re-whisk broth mixture; add to wok/skillet and stir-fry until sauce bubbles and thickens, about 1 minute longer. Serve over spaghetti.

**Weight Watchers healthy note suggestion
Add 2 cups of trimmed and cut green beans to the wok/skillet along with the peppers in step 3. ** 

Weight Watchers Honey Chicken with Cashews

** In the above photo I added a small about of cashews to the top of each plate for a little extra crunch (just make sure if you do this you account for the added points)

Serves 4
Per Serving: 1 cup of chicken mixture. 1/2 cup of spaghetti
310 calories/7g fat/2g sat fat/0g trans fat/ 63mg chol/504 mg sod/33g carb/10g sugar/5g fiber/30g prot/38mg calc


Source: Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook
You can get yours here:
http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Watchers-One-Pot-Cookbook/dp/1118038126/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1384439966&sr=8-1&keywords=weight+watchers+one+pot

www.weightwatchers.com 
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Happy Birthday....to me!

January 7, 2013 197.8lbs

Today I am no longer an infant, I am a one year old! You're sitting here thinking, has Staci lost her mind...isn't she 30?! What is she talking about....well a year ago today I started my fitness journey. On January 6th, I was drying my hair and realized the only thing I truly liked about my physically appearance was my hair, after all....it is pink. I looked at my daughter who was sitting in her bouncy seat and I thought I can't let her grow up with me as a role model. That was it, that was all it took, putting my children in the muse spot. Sure I could fail myself, I could hide behind people in photos, I could crop pictures, I could wear jeans and be miserable during the summer, I could hate myself every single day, but what I couldn't do....is fail my kids. I had the power within me to change and all I needed was a good focus point and I had found it. It was so simply really, honestly I can't believe it

January 7, 2013 197.8lbs

had never occurred to me before. When I lost 65lbs in 2008-2009 a year after my son was born I did it because I didn't want to be fat anymore, it wasn't a lifestyle change it was a diet to get rid of the weight, yeah I felt amazing when I got down to 145lbs, I was 210lbs when I started. But once I hit 145lbs (my goal was 130lbs btw) I stopped everything, went right back to the same old Staci who just shoved it in and didn't exercise. I gained about 30lbs back between 2009-2011. In February 2011 I found out I was pregnant with our second child and there I was after delivery at 215lbs. I had gotten myself right back to where I had been before and I hated myself so much for it. I couldn't bring myself to fully commit to losing the weight because in my mind I was going to work so hard to get it off and then just fail

December 23, 2013 (Yup in Florida) 146lbs

again. But on January 6, 2012 I had an epiphany and I am grateful for it every single day, because  I am a new person. I woke up on January 7th with a new attitude towards weight loss and what it really was all about and started my journey to a better me. Yeah I recently went totally nuts on Christmas vacation and I gained 10lbs from it but I have hit the refresh button and I am fully focused again. I think I may of needed that because I have been struggling since September with my weight loss....it's not about the number, I know that. I feel amazing and I am so very proud of how far I have come. I have reached the goal I set out to, be a role model for my children. These last pounds are for me....no one else. I will hit that goal of 135lbs which is now 18lbs away....but you know what I will get there in 2014. It's been a year of tears, sweat (lots and lots of sweat), disappointments, over powering joy, weeks of ease and weeks of struggles but in the end it has been one amazing year and honestly I am super excited to say that I won't ever have to make again because I will never go back to the obese Staci. Yeah she is still inside of me screaming...but she isn't screaming for

My family <3 December 2013(yup hot in FL)

food....she is screaming at me to never give up and fight each and every day, to push myself to be better than I was the day before. I know I will make mistakes and I know I will have weeks where I gain and weeks where I lose but as long as I stay in control and keep fighting I will never be a failure. If you are sitting here reading this thinking that you can't do it, I'm here to tell you, YES YOU CAN DO THIS. You can be the person you've always wanted to be. One of the biggest steps you will take is believing that you can do it, because you can. Coming from a food lover, emotional eater and a mother of two young children (giving them snacks is one of my biggest daily challenges) if I can do this, you can do this. Never ever give up, if you mess up, just keep going, keep your eye on the prize and you will reach that goal!!!! Smile, because no matter what that number on the scale says, you are beautiful....now get healthy!!!!

NEVER GIVE UP!

 PS! Take pictures....I didn't really start documenting my weight loss photo wise until I had already dropped 20lbs...I was so ashamed when I started (note the above start day photos with no face) that I didn't want to do it and I really wish I would have done more than just the two. Even if they are never seen by anyone but you, take photos....you see yourself every day you may not see all the changes that are happening. Having photos to compare really shows how much you've accomplished!

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Recipe Corner: Skinny Deep Dish Taco Pizza

Skinny Deep Dish Taco Pizza

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• • 1 lb. ground turkey
• • 1/2 cup chopped onion
• • 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• • 1 packet reduced-sodium taco seasoning
• • 3/4 cup water
• • 1 1/2 cans reduced fat crescent rolls
• • 1 can fat-free re-fried beans (optional for added fiber)
• • 1 cup cheddar cheese
• • Salsa (to garnish)
• • Fat Free Sour Cream (to garnish)

Instructions

1. Brown meat and onion in a large skillet and drain well
2. Add water, seasoning, and drained tomatoes to meat/onion mixture
3. In a 9x13 baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray - press crescent rolls into the bottom and halfway up the sides
4. Spread re-fried beans on top of the crescent roll layer (Yes, this is harder than it sounds...just do it gently and your rolls wont get too mangled.) This step can be left out, I just added it for the fiber.
5. Spoon meat mixture over the bean layer
6. Bake at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes - remove from oven and top with cheese
7. Return to the oven for 5 minutes (or until the cheese melts and the edges of the crust are browned)
8. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving

Skinny Deep Dish Taco Pizza (serves 6)

Nutrition Info and Tips

Calories: 286
Fat: 10g
Carbohydrates: 31g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 19g
Sugars: 5g
Weight Watchers Plus Points:8pp/ Classic Points 6pts

Weightloss Superstar: Krista Donovan

One of the things I hear the most when asking others what made them start their weight loss journey is they didn't like the way they felt about themselves. It's amazing how the extra weight on our bodies can take away from our quality of life. We don't do all the things that thinner people do, we hide in photos, we don't like shopping, keeping up with our children is a lot harder. These are some of the things I personally experienced and I hear them from others often. My favorite part of someone's story isn't the number of pounds they have lost but the lives they have gained by making the choice to not be skinny but to be healthy. 
Meet Krista, a 28 year old mother of two from Florida who didn't like the way she felt about herself and changed her depression into empowerment and went from overweight and unhappy to fit and happy! Check out her story below!

Krista (Before)

When did you start your journey?
June 2011

What is your favorite exercise routine?
Chalean Extreme (weight lifting)

What's on your playlist that gets you pumped?
The music on the programs I use

How much weight have you lost total?
55 lbs

What tips do you have for someone still working towards their goal?
Just keep going, you will hit plateaus, you will have nutritional slip ups BUT as long as you keep on your routine you WILL see results!

How did you lose the weight/ what plan did you follow?
I used home workout programs and a DELICIOUS meal replacement SHAKEOLOGY, the

Krista with her husband and their two children (After)

workout programs are Insanity, Turbofire, Chaldean extreme and Focus T25. I love then so much I became a coach to help others achieve their fitness goals!

What's your favorite "cheat" meal?
 I am SO BAD, I LOVE LOVE LOVE pizza, pasta, bread, cheese, sugar, chocolate... Pretty much everything I shouldn't have. But,"Everything in moderation!" Right?

Krista (After)

What are your favorite snacks?
Avocado, almonds, bananas, carrots I keep them in the house to keep me from over indulging on junk.

What's your favorite motivational quote or saying?
"Look like a beauty, train like a beast"

Who is your biggest inspiration?
My sister. She lost a lot of weight after having her second child, she inspired me and introduced me to these awesome products.

How much more weight do you want to lose?
None, I am working on toning and building muscle.

Have you always had a weight issue?

Krista (After)

No, in fact I could eat whatever I wanted and not gain an ounce! While I was pregnant (both times) I over ate and stuffed myself with junk, gained 75lbs with my first and 60lbs with my second.
 
What made you decide to start losing weight?
I had to wear maternity clothes for 6 months after my son was born, I was very depressed that I had let myself go so bad and I wanted to feel better about myself.


Way to go Krista!!! If you are interested in Shakeology or any of the exercise programs that Krista follows hit her up at
BeachbodyCoach.com/KristaAnderson or GetFitWithKrista.com She also has a facebook page at Facebook.com/getfitwithkrista

Want to inspire others too?! Send me your story and you might be our super star of the week!!!!

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My heart has stitches that sometimes want to break.

I don't dream of you very much anymore. I wake up most mornings and the sad feeling is there, knowing that I could have had some stolen moments with you in my dreams. Sipping on my morning coffee and looking out at the snow on the ground that is melting away, my heart is sad. Life has become....normal without you here. I hate that. I don't want that huge hole in my heart to be reopened but at the same time I hate that not talking to you on the phone, seeing your face for lunch dates and listening to your frantic voice mails about me not driving in the fog are no longer there. Christmas is coming, it is my favorite Holiday, something that you instilled in me, giving gifts. Seeing the faces of the ones we love opening a gift and their joy....your last Christmas with me wasn't anything special, in fact the last few Christmas' of your life I didn't spend much of the day with you. I hate that. I hate that I pushed you aside to run off to others, I did that a lot in the last year of your life. I loved you always and I enjoyed our time together but I was always in a hurry, I always had somewhere to be or something to do. Was that a reason why you didn't want to fight as much this time? I will always have to live with that thought. The last night that I saw you alive and conscious.....you didn't want me to leave. You cried as I was told I had to leave the hospital that visiting hours where over. I think you knew, you knew you were leaving,  we always called each other "favorite friend" you were always so much more than my Grandmother. You ARE so much more than my Grandmother, see I use you in the past tense now. I hate that. I sit her watching my daughter smile and giggle at the tv and my heart hurts, I didn't get to show you her, yes you saw her and Xander in heaven before they were given to me, but I missed out on the joy of showing them to you. Oh how they would have loved you, and how they could have bragged that you were their Great Grandma. Lord knows I love knowing that while everyone calls you Nanny and loves you as their Grandma, you were always truly mine. One day my children's children will call me Nanny..I hope I can be even half of what you were to me to them...and I hope that one day Bella will want that of her children's children. I love you Nanny, and even though your void in my life has become...almost normal, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of you, miss your snorts of laughter, your silly misuse of words, your hot tea, your singing, your soft warm arms that always hugged just the right amount of tight, your kindness, and above all your wonderful loving heart. When you talked to me about death and I said, I don't want to hear it, you aren't going to die, you put your hands on my cheeks, looked me straight in the eyes and said, "I love you, I will always be in your heart."  Forever you will stay Nanny......always in my heart.

Nanny April 2006

Super Star of the Week: Alicia Kloster

Meet Alicia a 28 year old mother of two from the Midwest! Her weight issues started in college and in 2007 she hated the negativity of her life due to her weight, so she decided to lose weight and feel better about herself. Check out her story below!

When did you start your journey?
I started my weight loss journey in May 2007.  I had just graduated college and had put

Alicia (before)

on the freshman 15, and by that, I mean 30 lbs.  Looking in the mirror one day was a big

reality check.  Whoa.  I’m overweight, not happy, and most certainly not healthy.  Time for a change.

What is your favorite exercise routine?
Honestly, this kind of changes with time.  I very much enjoy running during the nice

Alicia (Before)

weather months.  My family and I like to run outside and enjoy the scenery.  I never ever thought I could be a runner, and never ever have been until this past April.  Now that the weather has become very cold, I can honestly say I miss it.  Running is not only physically good for you, but it’s so good mentally for you too.  I have never come back from a run in a bad mood.  It’s very uplifting.

What’s on your playlist that gets you pumped?
Heart of a Champion by Nelly & Written in the Stars.  Those are two of my most favorite songs on my playlist.  I love when they come on towards the end of my workout when I need a boost to not quit.

How much weight have you lost total?
I started my weight loss journey at 180 lbs back in May 2007.  From that point, until right now as I stand, my weight loss is 26.4 lbs.  It has fluctuated throughout my journey as I have had two babies in there.  Although I technically officially started my journey

Alicia (before)

in May 2007, I have “re-started” my journey a total of three other times, with my most recent restart April 25, 2013.  Since April 2013, I’ve lost a total of 19.8.

What tips do you have for someone still working towards their goal?
NEVER EVER quit.  Every single time I stopped counting points and slacked off working out, the pounds slowly crept back.  Never ever give up.  If you fall off track, start back immediately.  It’s never too late to make good decisions.  And when you do fall off track(it happens to everyone; we are human), don’t call yourself a failure and punish yourself.  Brush off your shoulders, and take back control.  Most of all, believe in yourself.  You CAN do this.

How did you lose the weight/what plan did you follow?
I follow Weight Watchers

What’s your favorite “cheat” meal?
Definitely pizza.

What is your favorite snack?

Alicia (After)

I really like Fiber One brownies.  They are two points a piece.

What’s your favorite motivational quote or saying?
“You are lapping everyone on the couch.”  One of my biggest goals was to run a 5K.  I achieved that goal this summer, with my first 5K being in June 2013.  However, at first, I tended to get a little discouraged watching people pass me and get incredibly better times than I did.  Although my times did get better throughout the summer, I realized that I will never be the fastest runner, and that’s ok.  I’m proud of me, proud of how far I’ve come, and proud to call myself a runner. So the other 5k’s I did, I would repeat that quote in my head while I ran, and would smile.

Who is your biggest inspiration?
I would have to say Staci Chambers, the starter of this site.   Each post that she puts on the site is very motivating.  And it’s crazy, but the timing of posts almost always correlates to how I’m feeling that day.  Staci has been on this journey for quite a while now, and has never given up.  She’s a wonderful wife and mother, and still finds time to be healthy.  Thank you Staci for never giving up, helping motivate me as well as so many others, and teaching me that it’s ok to be human.  Most of all, thanks for being you!

How much more weight do you want to lose?

Alicia (after)

Ideally, 10 lbs.

Have you always had a weight issue?
Not so much.  I was never a skinny girl by any means, but played sports in high school so that helped keep my weight in check.  My weight issue started in college.

What made you decide to start losing weight?
When I was overweight, I didn’t feel healthy and most certainly not happy.  I didn’t like how my clothes fit, and hated trying anything on.  Overall, everything in my life felt negative.  Looking in the mirror that day in 2007, I knew I was ready to change, but also felt scared.  Would I be successful? Would I stick with it?  How long will it take to lose the weight?  I took it day by day, and eventually things fell into place.  Some days are easier than others, and some days my attitude just plain sucks.  But I will NOT go back to the old me.  I care about ME, I care about being healthy for my KIDS, and I’m proud of who I have become.

Alicia after a mud run 5k!

Congrats on all your success Alicia! You will reach your goal, I will be there every step of the way, and when we screw up we will lift each other back up! We got this! My biggest reason for doing a super star of the week is to remind and encourage everyone that we are all human, we make mistakes by how we deal with them shows that we are truly superstars. Send me your story and you never know who you might inspire to not quit! 

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