Yummy, Healthy, and Husband Approved!

This recipe is healthy without tasting like it, and easy to make.

Turkey Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast- try to get the Lean turkey

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salad oil

1 can red or green enchilada sauce, whatever you prefer

Salt

12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)

2 cups shredded reduced-fat jack cheese (8 oz.)

Chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, stir turkey, onion, garlic, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste.

2. Meanwhile, cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves evenly over the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit. Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese evenly over the tortillas, then top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.

3. Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro

*This recipe is easier than it sounds and takes very little time. I don't care for rice and beans, so I served mine with couscous that I seasoned with a bit of cumin, cayenne pepper, cilantro, and lime juice to give it that Mexican taste.

 

The Enchiladas are around 250 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving.

Can you Avoid a Swimsuit in Florida?

E is nearly five months. So, I have decided that it's about time to do something about my baby weight. Unfortunately, since leaving work my baby weight has now combined with my stay at home and eat all day weight, and my married and happy weight. So you could say I have a lot of work to do. I have tried every diet in the world, from Atkins to weight watchers, shakes to raw food, and I have decided to go with my oldie but goody. The Slim Fast diet. I know, you may think that it is a fad diet and you can't live forever on this diet. You're right about that because anyone willing to drink those chalky shakes for a lifetime might as well just give up now. But I have had success in the past losing a significant amount of weight and then maintaining it with diet and exercise. So far it has been 9 days. 9 long days. But to be honest it isn't that bad.

In the back of my mind I know I'm also doing this for my son. I don't want E to have the mom who won't play with him on the floor because I can't get back up. Or the mom who is out of breath playing with him at the park. Or worse, not playing at all at the park! I don't want him to think that a balanced meal is pasta or McDonald's. I also don't want him to think of his mom as the "fat mom". I want him to know nutrition, eat vegetables, and see me working out and think that is normal. So I am 9 days into this diet and 7 pounds less than when I started. Can you tell? Hell no. I need to lose quite a few more for that to happen. But for now I eat well and exercise, for me and for my son. Because really who wants their children to remember them laying on the couch eating chips? Nobody. Would I love to lay on the couch and eat chips? Yes. (Mmmmm chips.) But I am committed to this and to what I have set out to do. So, can you avoid a swimsuit in Florida? Yes. But what's the fun in that?

My Mommy Group = My Sanity

I was really worried when I was pregnant that I would have my baby, leave work, and never leave the house again. Thankfully, I was wrong. Now don't misunderstand me, if I had waited for friends to come to me, I would still be sitting on my couch at home watching HGTV. But I didn't wait, because really, how can you make friends when you never leave your house? So I did just that, I left my house, with a newborn in toe. I did not wait the recommended two months before I took E out of the house. In fact, he was in his first restaurant at 4 days old (oops). I just couldn't stay inside. So when E was 5 weeks old, I decided it was time for us to go make some new mommy friends. Up until this point my friends were women with no children, and if you ever want to bore your childless friends to death, talk about breastfeeding and strollers for thirty minutes. They look at you like you have 3 heads. So I did what my mom and husband told me to do, "make mommy friends". I had no idea where to look. Are there secret hideouts, or mommy only clubs. Well, kind of. I stumbled upon meetup.com. My savior. There I joined a group for moms of babies, hey, that's me! And then I did the really hard part, I actually showed up to something! My 5 week old son had no clue he was at a "playgroup" because he slept all the way through it. But I on the other hand, had the time of my life. I could talk about car seats, nursing, c-sections, bottles, doctors, swaddling, diaper bags, vaccines, tummy time, jumpers, crawling, stretch marks, reflux, and just about anything and everything that has to do with baby and new mommy. And the best part is, the other ladies didn't give me bored eye rolls, because they themselves were in the same situations.

So if anyone else out there is a stay-at-home mom, I know how hard it is. Not only to be in isolation for several hours on end, but to make friends. But it doesn't have to be. Join mommy groups. Then actually go to the meet ups! I have found several great friends, and I have only been in my group for 3 months. In fact, I have more in common with these new friends then any of my other friends from BB (before baby). Our typical week of meet ups include the park, the pool (my favorite), and mall walking. If I don't get out at least 3 days a week, I go crazy. I feel more motivated to clean the house and actually take a shower and do my makeup when I venture out for meet ups! So I guess you could say that for me "A happy mommy makes a happy family"!

Join a meetup group by you at: www.meetup.com

I Hate Mondays, But I Love...

I am around a lot of moms to babies and toddlers. So I often get the scoop on really great things for both mommy and baby. So while I hate mondays, (and really who doesn't?) I love good mommy or baby stuff!

This was my newest discovery for all you baby-wearers out there (and even some baby-wearing sceptics). I was a Bjorn junkie until I found this great product. It's called the ring sling. And while the product is not new, I found a woman that makes them from home for a fraction of the price. I bought mine for around thirty dollars, while some brand name ring slings sell for nearly two-hundred dollars. The material is beautiful and the craftmanship is impecable. I ordered my sling in "ash". A woman in my mommy group discovered her and she swears by them. I am a newbie, but once you get a hang of it, it is wonderful. And, you receive your product in about 2-3 days.

  http://www.sleepingbaby.net/

Come on in, the waters fine!

Welcome to my first blog ever! I hope you like what you see and come back often. For those of you who do not know me, I am a 25 year old stay at home mom to my beautiful 4 month old son, E. These first few months have really been a whirlwind of change. From working full time to actually working full time, from having me time to having tummy time, and from romantic nights with my husband to screaming nights with the baby. A lot has changed, and I am enjoying every second of it. It hasn't been easy though, there have already been a few hurdles. For instance, my struggle with breastfeeding for nearly two months. And I can't forget my lack of sleep that has still not subsided. But when my son smiles at me, it warms my heart like nothing ever before. And each day I wake up knowing that I am his mom, he is my son, and we will always love each other, and it makes it all worth it!