A Two-fer

This may come as a surprise to you but this recipe contains no peanut butter OR chocolate.  I know, I know it’s an injustice and totally out of my comfort zone.  But in the spirit of trying to get healthy and lose a few Reese’s induced pounds I’m trying some new things.  One of those is getting up at 5:00 a.m. to do Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga.  WHHHHAAAAT?   If you know me at all you know that exercise is a dirty word in my vocabulary and that I detest it.  But I have to admit that I’m kinda digging this yoga stuff, shhh don’t tell I have a reputation to uphold.  Also gone are my misconceived notions that yoga is all about relaxing and sitting cross legged, palms up chanting “Hmmmmmmm” which was it’s whole selling point for me by the way.  Turns out you really do break a sweat and work those muscles, who knew?!?  My very favorite part of the yoga workout?  The last 2 minutes of cooldown where you get to lay on your back, palms up, and relax.  I LIVE for those 2 minutes, it’s the only thing that gets me thru the first 32 minutes.  The other thing I’m attempting is eating healthier.  I’m kinda copying the Weight Watchers philosophy, without paying any fees or going to meetings hence my own special name….. Waist Watchers.  I’m nothing if not a creative copycat.  So while on my quest for “Waist Watchers” recipes I came across this one and it was quickly declared the biggest loser, a winner at our dinner table.  And it’s easy which is good considering after my yoga work outs, lifting the pound of meat out of the fridge is about all I can muster with my muscles aflame and all.

How about a little less talk and a little more action?  Here goes…

Waist Watchers Taco Soup (adapted from the Weight Watchers Taco Soup Recipe found on our friend the internet)

1 lb. extra lean ground beef or turkey (I found some extra lean turkey sausage that worked great!)

1 large onion, diced

2 cans chili beans (I switched it up and used one can chili beans and one can dark red kidney beans because I’m a trendsetter)

1 can zesty chili beans (ex:  Mrs. Grimes Chili Beans in Sauce (Hot) or you can use medium or whatever your heat tolerance is)

1 can black beans, drained

1 can corn, undrained

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 ½ c. water

1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 pkg ranch dressing mix

Brown meat and onion, drain.  The original recipe says to add remaining ingredients to drained meat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  But I, being a lover of the crockpot decided to convert this to a crockpot recipe, and instead browned the meat and onion, drained, and then dumped EVERYTHING into the crockpot and put it on low all day and it was perfect.    Top w/ shredded cheese and perhaps a dollop of sour cream, reduced fat of course.

And since you’re eating such a healthy soup for dinner how about indulging a little with my secret cornbread recipe?   And now you see how my twisted little mind works and also explains why I can’t seem to lose any weight!  But hey this cornbread, THIS cornbread is worth the splurge.

Chilly Night Cornbread

1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix

1 box Jiffy corn bread mix

2 eggs

½ c. cold water

1/3 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350.  Basically you’re following the directions to each mix and combining them but instead of being a lazy blogger I’ll walk you through it.  Add cake mix, cornbread mix, eggs, water, and milk to a mixing bowl.  Stir until well blended.  Grease a 9×13 baking dish, pour mixture in.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the top is nice and golden but not too brownish.  Do the toothpick test, if it comes out clean it’s done.  Serve warm w/ Waist Watchers Taco Soup and don’t feel the least bit guilty about it since the soup is so darn healthy.  Add a little butter and honey to your cornbread if you really want to live on the edge.  Now go do some yoga to work it off, have frozen vegetables handy for post work out muscle relief. 

Happy waist watching!!!!