For dinner last night I made a second attempt to clean out the kitchen, and I must say that it was another success.
I’m a lover of all things in casserole form, so I’ll pick a Mexican-inspired salad over a taco any day of the week. To make this dish you’ll need:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small tomato, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3/4 cup kidney beans
- 3/4 cup black beans
- 1 tablespoon chili seasoning
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- extras: brown rice, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.
First I sauteed the onion, tomato, and garlic with some olive oil over a medium heat. After about 8 minutes I transferred the cooked veggies into a bowl. Then I seasoned the ground chicken with salt, pepper, and chili seasoning and cooked it in the same pan, also on medium heat. When the chicken was cooked (about 8-10 minutes) I added the vegetables back in, as well as the beans. After another 2 or 3 minutes of cooking, it was a chili-like mixture of deliciousness!
I ate the chicken + bean mixture atop a base of romaine lettuce and some brown rice, and topped it with cheddar cheese and sour cream. It. was. heavenly.
I love the sporadic exercises for the same reason… just to get the blood pumpin’
I work from home, so it’s easy to drop and do 20 pushups…or whatever and then get back to my desk, but I’ve also fallen into a workout rut. I actually started a 30 day self challenge yesterday to try some kind of out of the box exercise every day – something to put the fun back in. Yesterday was 30 minutes of frisbee with the family and it was a great workout and LOTS of FUN! Today we’re getting busy with an old tractor tire we found in the neighborhood -I really really want to flip that baby- hope I can muscle it up enough!
yogurt with muffin and nut butter is one of my favorite breakfasts! looks delic:-)
hula hooping all the way!!! I loved hula hooping growing up and never thought anything of it until a few months ago when a class of mine held an events with all old-school recess games. I hooped for 2ish hours and OUCH!!! My abs hurt for days!
sun salutations are great for warming up and getting the blood flowing as well!
At home at night, I’ll sit up from the couch and back down. It’s like a squat, but you have to use all your butt muscles to get back up.
Taco-less salads rock!
I love jumping jacks, etc and always include them in my plyo workouts!
No sporadic bursts of exercise for me. That’s what I get for working in an office for 11 hours a day. Though thinking about my co-workers’ reaction to me busting out in jumping jacks midday is kind of hilarious.
Great idea with the jumping jacks! You are so right- something is better than nothing! I, however, designate time for my workouts and when they are done, they’re done! I do cardio in the morning and check it off my life and go back and do strength training (splits) later in the afternoon and check that off the list, too. Then, I’m done for the day and don’t think another thing of it! We’re all different!
A+ on the taco salad! Ay ay ay!
Something is DEFINITELY better than nothing.
I love me some mountain climbers.
I do one minute of jacks every morning when I wake up, just to get my blood pumpin! It’s a really energizing way to start the day.
I have to say that jumping rope is my favorite “old school exercise move.” It’s fun and doesn’t feel like exercising, even if you’re really going for it.
Speaking of elementary school gym class, I have vivid memories of my 7-foot-tall male gym teacher teaching us the Macarena for an entire period. True story. Talk about fun, non-exercise!!
I use to jump rope to NKOTB, those were the days.
Good for you and those jacks, every little bit helps.
Nice work on the salad, looks like you had it planned all along:)
Jumping is so much fun
I used to be on a team in elementary school for double dutch jump rope, haha! 
That coconut flour cake looks to DIE for – I just saw it in your last post and oh goodness…I must make it soon, or a variation 
Enjoy your day gorgeous!!
mmm that salad looks delicious! How many servings does it make?
Thanks!
Hey Danielle!! I would say it makes 6 servings…give or take a serving depending on the appetites of the people eating it
YES! love sun salutations. Good suggestion
Almost every day there comes a point when I’m in my room, listening to music, and just decide to start dancing. Sometimes it can get pretty energetic; I consider that exercise
Besides that I *sometimes* whip out some random push-ups.
I love doing old school moves. I felt like I was IN the 80′s when I used to take a step class. Also, for some reason, doing those lying down side leg lifts always make me think I should be wearing a spandex unitard and legwarmers.
I know that it good to get up and mover around a bunch when you are sitting around but I still like my designated workout time. Sure I walk around getting stuff, making lunch, etc but I end up pretty stationary throughout the day :/
your breakfast looks delish!
I love jump rope! thats pretty old school if you ask me but love it!
naturally more is hands down the best PB in my opinion! its no longer in my grocery store either which makes me so sad! but its sooo good!
You HAVE to pick up Naturally Nutty. The butter toffee pb is just outrageous!
I love jumping jacks! Throw in some 5 pound dumb bells and it gets really hard. But it’s like you said, it gets you moving!
Great! Thanks a lot!
I love doing jumping jacks, pushups, lunges, and squats. I also like doing wall sits sometimes like I used to have to do at high school practice!
I still get up and do a few jumping jacks when I’ve found myself sitting at my computer for hours. It just gets your blood going and clears your head!!
I want to try Naturally Nutty too! They don’t supply it anywhere near me!
About the jumping jacks – I try to do a couple sets of 50 each day – I am testing for my Black Belt in December and we have to do 500 without stopping during the physical test. Maybe my sensei knows this info…?
I usually get one strong bout but I know I’m active throughout the day too with a toddler!
And if I tried to jump right now I would wet my pants. This baby is sitting on my bladder!
I so share your “something is better than nothing” mentality! If I haven’t gotten in a lot of movement in a day, I’ll do some jogging on the spot, squats, tricep dips (using a chair) and jumping jacks while I’m watching tv. I like the feeling of just getting my body moving and my heart pumping a bit!
I love this- I often find myself sitting on my butt for way to many hours in a row. I’ll get up and do some stretching. I also happen to love doing plank to engage my abs. Billy is in the room with me right now – I think I’ll get up quickly and start doing jumping jacks.
Yummmm, it might be because I’m starving right now, but I could literally lick my laptop looking at the foods posted LOL!!!
Jen
http://jenslosinit.blogspot.com/
I totally know what you mean about just getting up and moving. I go for a lot of walks not to burn calories but to get outside and get moving.
[...] jump around! [...]
I had Naturally More a few weeks ago and I loved it. The crunchiness of the flaxseeds were a nice change and I don’t usually enjoy crunchy PB–love that it has extra protein, too!
I love jumping jacks! They make you feel like a kid
I looove anything in casserole form! In my house, the husband calls this “messy eating”. Whenever I make anything that resembles a casserole (or just a bunch of ingredients thrown into a skillet) he is jumping on that meal lik eyou would not believe!!!
“I have vivid memories of my 7-foot-tall male gym teacher teaching us the Macarena for an entire period.” <— LOL!!
That is SO COOL that you’re testing for your Black Belt! Wow!! I’ve always wanted to try Martial Arts, so you’re super inspiring