Beefy Black Bean and Corn Chili

I found this recipe in Cooking Light.  My family LOVED it.  It is even better the next day.  I used dried beans (no sodium, all you have to do is soak them over night)  This recipe reads just like it does off the Cooking Light website.

Beefy Black Bean and Corn Chili

1 pound ground round
2 teaspoons salt-free chili powder blend
1 (14-ounce) package frozen seasoned corn
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 (15-ounce) can seasoned tomato sauce for chili

Reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)

1. Combine beef and chili powder blend in a large Dutch oven. Cook 6 minutes over medium-high heat or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain and return to pan.

2. Stir in frozen corn mixture, broth, and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Ladle chili into bowls. Top each serving with sour cream and onions, if desired.

Nutritional Information


Calories:193 (14% from fat)
Fat:3g (sat 1g,mono 1g,poly 0.3g)
Protein:20g
Carbohydrate:20g
Fiber:3.4g
Cholesterol:40mg
Iron:2mg
Sodium:825mg (You can see why I chose to use dried to cut this number down)
Calcium:0.0mg

I LOST I LOST....BOY did I Lose!!

I just returned from my weigh in.......I.....LOST.....12.6 pounds!!!!!!!!!

I could not believe it!  I kept asking the weight recorder are you sure??!!!  I was pretty shocked...I just could and still can not wrap my mind around it!

I know this is just the first week water weight loss.  But I'm still pretty EXCITED!  It really gives you great motivation to keep moving forward.

I watched what I ate all week.  I was very cautious of what I've put in my mouth.  I worked out everyday one day I did Sweatin to the Oldies III.  The rest of the week I did Wii Biggest Loser.  I love that "game".  You really get a great work out.  You pick the intensity.

How is your week going?

Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce

I made this, this weekend and placed the rest in the freezer for a quick meal.  I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light 2007. I omit the salt because if you use canned tomatoes there is almost always salt in them, as well as the chicken broth.  To me it just adds too much salt.  My family does not really like fennel, so I cut this ingredient in half.  This sauce is SO easy anyone can make this.  Let me know what you think.

Picture Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Cindy Barr

Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 (28-ounce) cans no-salt-added crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

To store in the freezer: Ladle room-temperature or chilled sauce into plastic containers or zip-top plastic bags. Seal and freeze for up to four months. Consider freezing the sauce in one-cup increments (two servings' worth). That way, you can pull out exactly as much as you want for future meals.

To thaw sauce: Try one of three methods.
1. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Place frozen blocks in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Place frozen blocks in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave at HIGH one minute at a time, stirring after each increment until thawed.

To boost taste: Long stints in the freezer can dull the taste of tomatoes. To perk up thawed sauce, add one-half teaspoon finely grated lemon rind or one teaspoon balsamic vinegar while reheating.

1st week

Well I must say my first week is going GREAT!  I've got in 3 days of exercise, followed my eating plan with no cheats!!  That in itself is a huge accomplishment for me.  My biggest problem is snacking, especially at night when the children are in bed. 

We bought a Wii a few weeks ago and my wonderful husband surprised me with the Biggest Loser game.  BOY that is NOT a game at all.  You actually get a full work out.  I have muscles in my body I never knew exsisted!! LOL!  My whole family loves doing the workouts.  It is great to be doing this as a family.  At the beginning of the week I thought my hubby wasn't on board with me loosing weight, but I think he is seeing how good it makes me feel.  Not only that but he told me this morning that he feels great as well.  We are not eating junk.  I thought it would be difficult for me to give up on the sweet things, but so far so good. 

I also dug down deep on my cookbook shelf and found a couple of great books.  My husband also surprised me with another cookbook, "So Easy..by Ellie Krieger"  There are a lot of "weird" recipes in there but many more really good ones that I can not wait to try.  I will post the review of certain recipes when I make them.  I am REALLY enjoying tasting food again.  How all the flavors come together is so wonderful.  I'm SO looking forward to Monday's weigh in. 

So how is your week going?

Day one down...

Well day one went off with out a hitch.  I ate VERY well and did not feel hungry.  I felt as if I was eating way too much.  But that is because I almost never ate breakfast and sometimes didn't eat anything until mid day.  I know I know...not good at all. 

I worked out to Richard Simmons: Sweatin to the Oldies III yesterday.  Let me tell you my legs are K*I*L*L*I*N me!!  I couldn't do the video again today.  So I picked up the Wii, and played tennis.  I really worked up a sweat but now my arms are killing me...LOL!  Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better and be able to work out to the video. 

How do you get past this?  Do you just work through the pain?  It's been so long since I have worked out I think my muscles are in shock.  I've also been drinking a bunch of water....this is kind of personal but I have to ask....how long will the trips to the bathroom last?  I've been running to the bathroom many times today...hey that could be counted as a workout...LOL!

Anyway, everything has been going very well.  I'm feeling a bit hungry right now so I'm going to grab a couple of grapes while supper is cooking.  I pray everyone is having a wonderful and healthy day.

Homemade Healthy Refried Beans

I've made this recipe a number of times for my family, they really like it.  I usually make a double batch and freeze the rest for later use. I'm not sure where I got the recipe but I've had it for years.

Refried Beans

1 onion, peeled and halved

3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
9 cups boiling water

Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature on the slow cooker is too high.


Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

Beginning Weigh In

Well last night I had my starting weigh in.  Boy am I glad I went to the doctor last week so I knew "sort of" what to expect.  I was actually mortified at how much I actually weigh.  I look in the mirror and many times I don't think I weigh that much.  I'm still embarrased to put my weight on my blog.  How on earth did I let myself get to be like this? 

The good news is I'm more determined than anything to loose weight and get healthy!  Just wanted to check in and write how I was feeling about last night.  I'm not sure my husband is completely on board with me loosing weight...I don't know why because I was much thinner when we met.  But this is something I AM going to do.  I'm tired of being sluggish.

Ok off to workout...Sweatin to the Oldies III...I used this video years ago.  It is just right for me to start out with.  I pray everyone is doing well.  Could you guys let me know...what has worked for you in terms of exercise.  We can not afford a gym membership.  We bought a Wii and I'm waiting for the Biggest Loser game to come in the mail.  I can't get out and walk because of the 3 feet of snow outside...LOL!