I thought I might write a few recipes focused on ground turkey.  In our house, we don't eat too much ground beef--it's all turkey.  Once you know how to season and cook with it, you'll be a fan too!  It's cheaper, healthier and can replace any meal made with beef. 

To start off, I thought I would give some tips for buying ground turkey.

• Most packages are 1.25 lbs.  It's a bit of adjustment to season if you're used to just 1 pound packages of beef.  When seasoning ground turkey, you do need to add a bit more than you would for other ground meat. 
• Start off with "Lean" labeled packages (or 93/7).  Extra lean is quite dry if you don't know how to cook it.  Sometimes premade burger patties will use both dark and white meat and they will be a fattier variety.  I prefer just making my own burgers.
• Keep your eyes peeled on the Sunday paper coupons or on Coupons.com....very frequent coupons lately!  Pair with a sale and stock up!

Our favorite recipe: tacos!  Serve with some pantry salsa and you have dinner in less than 20 minutes! 

What you'll need:

• 1 package of Lean ground turkey
• 1 can (4 oz) of green chiles
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (about 1.5 packets)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Optional: 1 can rinsed black beans + 1/2 cup frozen corn

1.  In a large pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat.  Add onions, green chiles and garlic. (Also corn, if wanted) Cook 3-4 minutes, until soft.  Add package of ground turkey.  Use a spatula to break up turkey as it's browning.
2. Season with cumin and taco seasoning about halfway through cooking.  (Since you don't drain it, you can season early).  Cook about 3-4 minutes longer.  Add water and turn to low heat.   
3. Optional: Add black beans.  Cook on low for 5 minutes. 
4. Serve on taco shells or in a taco salad!

Tired of tacos?  Make some stuffed peppers!  I love to make these when I find markdown produce pepper bags and I'll freeze half of the batch!

This recipe is perfect for a quick and healthy dinner.  I added quinoa instead of rice to keep it light.

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup of quinoa, cooked as directed with 2 cups chicken stock
• Turkey taco meat (see recipe above) making with black beans and corn- I used about 2 cups for my peppers and had plenty left over
• 1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese
• 5-6 green peppers- poblanos or red peppers work great too!
• Garnish: cilantro, salsa, guacamole, green onion, sour cream/Greek yogurt

Let's Cook!

1. Cook 1 cup of quinoa as directed with 2 cups chicken stock (there will be some leftover)
2. Preheat oven to 400*.
3. Cut peppers in half and seed them.  Place in a sprayed 9x13 pan.
4. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup cooked quinoa with about 2 cups taco mixture.
5. Fill peppers generously.  Top with a sprinkle of cheese.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and peppers are browning. 
7. Top with favorite garnishes and serve with a salad!

What's your favorite way to enjoy turkey? Head on over to my FB page to answer that question and I'll draw one lucky winner on Thursday (5/15/14) to get 4 FREE product coupons for Jennie-O Turkey products!

Stonyfield Yogurt Pouches {Road-Trip Friendly Snacks!} #Sponsored

DISCLAIMER: I participated in a Blogger Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Stonyfield. I received coupons to facilitate my shopping trip and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Next week we are headed on our first family roadtrip to Hilton Head Island, SC.  Just call us the Griswalds! 17 hours in the car with two 5 year olds and a 2 year old should be...interesting.  When we made this trip pre-kids, we would blast our favorite music and have a nice relaxing road trip.  Now, I have a feeling we will be stopping more and hearing quite a bit more chatter-- or "are we there yet?"   I'm trying to stay optimistic!

Since we are staying at my parent's condo, we can come prepared.  I'm planning on bringing cereal and other breakfast goodies, plus plenty of beach friendly snacks.  For the car ride, I want healthy, yet filling snacks for us to grab easily.  My go-to product so far has been from our beloved Stonyfield yogurt.

We are loving the new Stonyfield organic yogurt pouches and they are actually quite road-trip friendly! I'm freezing a bunch for our cooler. They will also double as ice packs!  These come in great flavors for everyone...not gonna lie, I have tried a few myself while driving.  Our favorite is the Strawberry Beet Berry.  They are perfect for healthy snacking and almost mess free. 

Aside from the yogurt pouches, I'm making up a few batches of Greek yogurt banana bread and muffins.  The protein will keep us full, without being stuffed.  I really don't want to have to stop for fast food.  Another snack I'll be packing is some veggie dip made with Stonyfield Greek yogurt, dill and lemon for some crudites.  I'm sure I'll get get some major eye-rolls from the Mr. for my healthy snacks...but he'll thank me when his stomach starts growling around hour 2.  His version of snacks are a case of sugar free Red Bull and Munchies snack mix. (Let's be honest, that Munchies snack mix is ah-mazing...but doesn't make you feel so hot a few hours later)

If you want more information about Stonyfield organic yogurt products, check out their website.  They have coupons to print too! 

Other ways to connect:

• Stonyfield Facebook
• Keep up on Instagram to watch their fun adventures!
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Do you have any fun trips planned this summer? What's your go-to snack?

Quick Tip: Keep Those Strawberries Fresh!

**I shared this tip a couple of years ago, but I thought I would bring it back since prime strawberry season is coming up. YAY!**

Gotta love Pinterest.  Some things are hit or miss, but I found a strawberry tip a few summers ago and it WORKS!  Don't you hate when you buy berries and they are moldy by the next day?! I love to use this tip especially when they go on sale for $1 at Meijer.

How to keep your berries fresh!

1. Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water and 1/2 cup of vinegar.
2. Place berries in the bowl and move around for a minute. I like to put a colander inside of my bowl for easy draining.DO NOT RINSE!
3. In the bottom of the berry container, place a folded paper towel.
4. Put the berries back in their original container or chop up and put in a covered bowl in the fridge.

They stay fresh so much longer!  Don't worry, you can't taste the vinegar... it just kills all of the mold spores.  I do this before I freeze my berries, as well.  This is a great tip for markdown fruit!  This works well with blueberries too! I also use it to wash off waxy fruits like apples or cucumbers.

Have you tried this before?

UPDATE: Don't forget to sign up for the Driscolls Rewards for berry coupons!  You simply enter a code from the bottom of the package and take a quick survey--helps save SO much!

New Stonyfield Yogurt Pouches! {Giveaway!!} #StonyfieldYoGetter

This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield. All opinions are my own.

Liv spent a few days at Grandmas...she missed the boat on this photo op (and yogurt!)!

My kids fly through yogurt.  We basically have a whole shelf in the fridge dedicated to yogurt of all types: tubes, quarts, cups and now pouches!  When Gabby was a baby, they just started coming out with the cool pouches of baby food and I LOVED them! So convenient and mess free.  I was always bummed they never made yogurt for older kids that way.  UNTIL NOW!  Stonyfield has yogurt pouches in all of their kids varieties: YoBaby, YoToddler and YoKids.  All of them are organic and made with whole milk, perfect for your growing kiddos!

I find the pouches at Meijer, Family Fare and Target has 4 packs!  With coupons, they are the same price as any other variety.  We like to pack them for the car after school or the Y.  When it gets warmer, I will love to freeze these for a tasty treat at the beach or pool.  Even when we are home we hand them out for lunch because our kids make a MESS with their yogurt, this keeps the tables clean!

Would you like to try the pouches?  I have a giveaway for you!  One lucky winner will get 10 coupons for FREE yogurt!  Horray! 

Enter on the Rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


NOTE: I do monitor all entries...if you have failed to complete a certain step, I will remove that entry.  Once the winner is drawn, they have 48 hours to respond to the email so keep your eyes peeled!  If there is no response, another winner will be drawn.

Can't wait to try the new Stonyfield pouches?  Here's a printable coupon for you!

Coupon Alert! Macy's Friends + Family Sale {25% off!} #Macys25

Heads up everyone: Mother's Day is next week! Macy's has a Friends + Family sale to help you save on some gifts.  With the code SAVINGSFF, you can get 25% off until May 5.  Woohoo!

What is it that you really want? 

I can't think of anything until AFTER the fact.  And I'm completely banned from getting any more yoga pants or flip flops.  (Let's be honest, they are heaven...)  This is a test to see if Ricky actually reads my blog: I would love a new summer purse, my favorite perfume or new earrings.  Or a day without cooking!

What are you shopping for this Mother's Day?

MYO "Skinny" Drinks: Strawberry Margarita

You should know by now, I have a slight Crystal Light addiction.  I use it to make all of my favorite "skinny" drinks: margaritas, apple cider-tinis, sangria...the list can go on and on.  This variety is my new favorite.  I know people are all up in arms about sugar substitutes right now, but I figure I can indulge sometimes...right?

Ricky and I came up with this margarita last week when we were celebrating his new JOB!  Woohoo!  It's simple and dangerously addicting.  Perfect for patio season!

Here's the thing about frozen drinks: I hate the ice cream headache and cup of ice at the end.  I wanted to get the perfect frozen consistency--almost slushy, but not too icy.  This is IT.  Also, you can add whatever frozen fruits you like to it.  We've tried Strawberry-Banana and it's ah-mazing as well.

Here's what you need: {Makes two 10 oz margs}

• 1 Cup-Crystal Light Mocktail Mix Margarita flavor
• NOTE: When mixing, use 1 packet + 3 cups water
• UPDATE: They no longer make the Margarita flavor, so use the strawberry lemonade. SO SAD!
• 1 cup Kirkland frozen strawberries
• 1 cup ice
• 1 teaspoon Wholesome Sweeteners agave
• 2-3 shots of tequila
• We aren't super picky about our tequila for margs...El Torro is cheap and good to us!

Mix It Up!

1.  In a blender, add ice, margarita mix, agave and strawberries.  Blend until smooth.
2. If you want, rim two glasses with a raw sugar/coarse salt blend.  Pour 1 shot (or 1.5...) into each glass. Divide mix from blender into cups and garnish with a lime.
3. Enjoy! To make pitchers, just double or triple the mix, but still keep tequila on the side.

At first, I was hesitant to post this recipe, since it's so simple...but my FB and Instagram friends convinced me to.  Thanks guys!  Let me know what you think! 

Check out my How-To video to see how to make simple skinny drinks! 

Do you have any big plans for Cinco de Mayo?

My Weight Loss Journey: Protein is Key!

Disclosure: I am part of the Stonyfield Yo-Getters.  I received coupons for Greek yogurt, but all opinions are my own!

I have some news!! I’m going to be in an upcoming issue of All You Magazine!  SO excited/nervous.  You would think I would be sharing money saving tips, but it's actually something very different! More details soon, but basically I’ve been testing a fitness app for the last month.  I have really been focusing on being more active after that loooong winter and it’s making me feel great!

Although I am trying to lose weight, I refuse to say that I’m on a diet.  I am ready to make lifelong changes!  One of my top priorities is getting enough healthy food, especially protein.  Before I just assumed protein was coming from meat and occasionally beans…now I make sure to fill up each plate with protein!  Bob Harper says that you should get half of your body weight in grams of protein (ex: if you weigh 160, you need 80 grams of protein a day).  While that may seem like a lot, it’s actually quite easy!  The main purpose of protein is to keep you full longer.

My go-to (and tastiest!) form of filling protein is Stonyfield Greek yogurt. I have the bad habit of standing at the counter to eat during the day and yogurt is a quick way to fill up!  Favorite flavors: Superfruit, Black Cherry with 1 teaspoon of mini chips or the blueberry!  Many people think they don’t like Greek yogurt, but when they try the smooth Stonyfield variety they are hooked. (*cough* Ricky!) I love that they are so flavorful!  This year, Stonyfield is the official yogurt of the Boston Marathon!  Good luck to everyone today!

Aside from snacks in cups, I buy a big tub of plain Stonyfield Greek yogurt for cooking.  I add it instead of sour cream or mayo to many recipes.  My new favorite lunch is a can of tuna, mixed with a bit of mustard, plain Greek yogurt and a hard-boiled egg on a bagel thin.  SO filling!!  On the side, if I’m not having a cup of yogurt, I have cottage cheese with a drizzle of honey.  That meal alone gets me almost half of my protein quota for the day!

Here are some other great (non meat!) sources of protein:

• Liquid Egg whites.  For only 25 calories you get 5 grams!

• Low Fat Cottage cheese. 12 grams per ½ cup!  Great toppings: honey, salsa, berries.
• Tuna.  1 can has 28 grams!
• Steel Cut Oats. 5 grams per serving.  Add some peanut butter and nuts for a great filling breakfast!
• Beans. Protein varies per bean, ex: black beans have 7 grams per ½ cup. I like to add them to salads, blend them up for dips.  Make sure to always rinse and seek out low sodium cans.
• Endamame. 17 grams per cup!  Roast in the oven, add to stir fries, make endamole.

The list is endless, but once you start keeping an eye out for protein, you’ll find some of the sources surprising. 



My weight loss journey is FAR from finished, but I feel like I've gotten a great start so far!  Maybe one day I'll be completing the Boston Marathon...or at least cheering on Ricky!

What's your go-to source of protein?