Crockpot Turkey & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Taking an old favorite & giving it a new spin one of my favorite things to do.  Check out this new twist on stuffed peppers.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground turkey, browned

1 cup cooked quinoa

6-8 green peppers (depending on size)

1 small tomato, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced finely

1-2 tsp. sea salt, to taste

1-2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:

1. Cut the tops off of the green peppers & remove seeds.  Dice the usable pieces from the pepper tops.

2. Combine ground turkey, quinoa, diced pepper tops, diced tomato, diced onion, & seasonings. Mix until combined well.

3. Spoon even amounts of turkey & quinoa mixture into green peppers.

4. Place peppers in crock pot, open end facing up.  Pour 1/2 cup water into the bottom of the crockpot.

5. Place lid on crock pot.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

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Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

These muffins taste like fall & happiness. 

You can make a big batch for quick, grab & go breakfasts or enjoy one as a wholesome dessert.

Ingredients:

-1 cup pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

-3 eggs

-2 Tbls. coconut oil, melted + 1-2 tsp. for coating muffin tins

-3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

-1/2 cup pure maple syrup

-1 cup oat flour (you can pulse old fashioned oats in your blender or food processor to make your own quickly & easily)

-1/4 cup coconut flour

-1 Tbls. baking powder

-1/2 tsp. sea salt

-1 Tbls. ground cinnamon

-1 tsp. ground ginger

-1/8 tsp. ground cloves

-1/8 tsp. ground allspice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Lightly coat muffin tin with coconut oil

3. Combine pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, almond milk, eggs, & maple syrup in a large bowl.

3. In another bowl combine all dry ingredients.

4. Pour dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture & mix well.

5. Use a measuring cup, ice cream scoop, or ladle to pour batter into greased muffin tins.  Fill approximately 2/3 of the way.

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown & a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

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Election Day Workout

No matter which side of the aisle you fall on, we can all agree that good health is something that is good for our entire country!  So why not start today & get in a little election day workout?!?!

You can spread out the moves throughout the day, or keep a tally & get a bit sweat on while you watch the results roll in tonight.

Who is ready to make America healthy?

Join the Finish Strong Challenge to end 2016 on a healthy note!

Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe is the perfect way to warm  up on a crisp fall day.  It would also be a super tasty addition to any holiday meal! 

*Disclaimer: 99% of the recipes I post are kid-tested & hubby approved...in all honesty the men in my family are not squash fans (silly boys!), so this recipe was only a hit with my daughter & I. So even though not everyone in the house wanted to eat it, I loved it so much that I ate it for lunch every day for a week & never got sick of it...in my book that makes it a must share recipe!

Ingredients:

-1 butternut squash, peeled & cubed

-2 cups vegetable stock

-2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced (or 1 Tbls. garlic powder)

-1 large carrot, peeled & diced

-1 green apple, diced

-1 white or yellow onion, diced

-1/2 tsp. sea salt

-1/2 tsp. black pepper

-1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

-1/8 tsp. cayenne

-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT almond milk in your crock pot.  Stir to combine.

2. Cook on HIGH for approximately 3 hours or LOW for approximately 5 hours - until all vegetables are soft enough to mash with a fork.

3. Carefully ladle small batches into your blender (do not fill your blender more than half way!). Place a towel over the top of the blender lid & puree until smooth.  Return pureed soup to the crock pot or place in another pot or bowl.  Continue until all the soup has been pureed. 

**You can also use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the crock pot.

4. Stir in almond milk & combine well.

Serve soup as is or garnish with a sprinkle of paprika or a handful of chopped pecans for some added texture.

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