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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

quick fish tacos, waffle sandwiches and more!

These fish tacos from Hungry Girl and Starkist look delicious and would make the perfect solution to dinner on those busy nights when you don't feel like spending hours in the kitchen!  
Move It Momma Tip:
*You could substitute the taco shell for lettuce and make a yummy lettuce wrap OR try my carb balance tortillas that I pop in the oven at 400 until nice and crispy, either way this recipe is worth trying...

 Hungry Girl's Sweet & Spicy Tuna Tacos
PER SERVING (2 tacos): 224 calories, 6g fat, 577mg sodium, 28g carbs, 3g fiber, 6g sugars, 15g protein

Ingredients:
One 4.5-oz. pouch StarKist Sweet & Spicy Tuna Creations®
1/4 cup salsa
4 corn taco shells (flat-bottomed shells, if available)
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced tomato
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix Tuna Creations® and salsa.
Evenly fill shells with lettuce, Tuna Creations® mixture, onion, tomato, and cilantro. Yum!!
MAKES 2 SERVINGS


And what about these yummy Grilled Ham & Cheese Waffle Sandwiches from Everyday with Rachael Ray?  Sounds like a great meal when you have breakfast for dinner, one of our favorite things to do!  Looks pretty delicious, right?  
Move It Momma Tip:
*I'd use the Van's gluten free, whole wheat waffles for this one!  It will cut the cooking time to nearly seconds- just toast 'em and start stacking your sandwich!  

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • teaspoon baking soda
  • salt and pepper
  • eggs
  • tablespoon plus 1 tsp. EVOO
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
  • 1 2/3 cups buttermilk
  • cooking spray
  • tablespoons dijon mustard
  • slices  swiss or cheddar
  • thin slices black forest or other deli ham
  • large tomato, thinly sliced
  • pickle spears, for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees . Preheat a waffle iron. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Make a well in the center, then add the eggs, EVOO and chives; whisk to break the eggs. Whisk in the buttermilk until smooth.
  2. Spray the hot waffle iron with cooking spray. Ladle in the batter, close and cook according to manufacturer's directions until golden (make 4 waffles). Transfer the waffles to a baking sheet to cool.
  3. Brush some mustard onto each waffle. Layer 2 waffles with a slice of cheese, 2 slices of ham and some tomato slices. Set the remaining 2 waffles on top mustard side down. Bake until toasted and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Cut each sammy into 4 wedges. Serve 2 wedges per person with the pickle spears.

And on my wish list...Jillian Michaels Body Revolution!  Anybody else?  I think this series would be awesome to alternate with my running and personal spin classes ;-)  
maybe I'll hint around that it'll make a great Mother's Day gift??

Do you enjoy taking recipes and putting your own, healthy twist on 'em?

What's on your Mother's Day wish list?  

Monday, March 26, 2012

mixin' it up!

with lots of soccer and baseball happening with our 5 year old...
(he's the one to the left in the while shirt, kicking the ball!)
 ...and taking these boys on new and exciting adventures like an NBA basketball game...
GO ROCKETS!
Oh and with my husband working lots of overtime, I have found that mixing up my workouts has done the trick with our BUSY schedule these days...and it seems to be working!  
I feel great, so when it comes to workouts- change is good!

My recent workouts:  I dug out my spin bike from the garage, dusted it off (yes, sad but true) and held my very own, personal spin class in my backyard!  It was mid-80's and sunny so I was able to work on my tan while drenched in sweat-so gross, while getting a great spin workout!  Ah, I love spinning!  With all of you posting to DailyMile about your spin classes, I was jealous and had to improvise!  

Also, I have incorporated some great Jillian workouts-thanks to your suggestions and the 12 minute workout from BessBeFit, as mentioned in previous posts!  
Tomorrow will be a 5 mile run before the temps get too crazy hot, so I'll let ya know how that goes!  My month of March motto is, "mix it up and make it work"since lately I feel like I'm being pulled in 100 different directions!  Do you ever feel that way?  I'm sure as these boys get older, I'll have more days where I feel overwhelmed with sports among other things!  

Guess it always comes back to balance...with all aspects of our lives.
Finding time for healthy living on top of taking care of our families and their needs as well as our own.

**Also, I was suppose to mail the winners their great giveaway prizes, but with my husband working so much, I've yet to have time to bring the box of goodies and get them all mailed out, so patience...they're coming this week!  

what's your favorite way to mix up your workouts?  
Do you enjoy outdoor workouts or prefer the A/C?





Wednesday, March 21, 2012

great running weather, winners and some thoughts...

oh my goodness, like I said before this potty training my youngest son has kept me away from the computer because every time I get ready to sit down and post, he's running to me, shouting "Mommy, I gotta go potty!"

I am so overwhelmed by all of you and your participation in my second virtual race, the Spring Fever!  THANK YOU all so much for taking the time, signing up and giving this race your all!  Yay, can't wait for another...so here are the winners of these great giveaway items!
DRUM ROLL, PLEASE...


The CafePress "I know I run like a girl, try to keep up" performance tee:

 ...goes to Rachelle @ Livin' the Fit Life



...the BondiBand pink camouflage headband goes to...
 goes to Elle @ Eat, Run, Sail. 




The BodyGlide warm FX goes to...
 Audrey Dawkins!




and the very cool, Healthy Steps nut bowl and juicer pro go to...


 Hollie @ NotSkinny, Healthy 





and the Hippie Runner headband and matching running belt go to...

 ( I used this belt on my 10k and it works great...held my keys and ID but I'm sure the possibilities are endless!)
  Carrie @ Family Fitness Food 
Thanks again to all of you for participating and I'm emailing winners now, you have 48 hours to respond!  Congrats to you!!!


Today's Workout:  the weather has cleared up here in Texas, so a nice 5 mile run while pushing my son in the jogging stroller was just what I needed!  He kept turning around telling me to run faster...my boys sure can motivate me to get that extra calorie burn!  LOL!  Then I came home and did one round of the 12 minute workout challenge and I have to admit, my tummy was a bit sore from the 4-rounds yesterday!  


Today's Bite It, Write It:  seems I need to take my own advice and go back to my saying, If I bite it, WRITE IT!  I seem to hold myself accountable with the foods I eat by writing every last calorie down on paper!  So, we'll see how this works for me!  As I've said before I'm frustrated with the stand-still when it comes to weight loss, but it DOES NOT mean I'm giving up!  This lifestyle change was and STILL is a way of life and I will always stay on track, with a few hiccups here and there :-)  we're only human, right?


do you have a cow for sale?  ha, I'm only kidding but seriously with all of the "pink slime" and other junk I've been seeing when it comes to processing...I can't help but feel grossed out when I look at ALL processed goods...
but would my husband and I be able to adapt to a REAL food diet? Lisa @ 100 Days of Real Food  has a great website dedicated to her family's experiences with ZERO processed foods and she shares incredible made-from-scratch recipes that her whole family loves!  


What about YOU?
Great workout today?


Do you count or write down your food intake each day?


Could you and your family adapt to a zero-processed way of life?

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

quick post!

I am so tired from all the potty training happening in this house but I wanted to quickly share that the Bess Be Fit's 12 minute workout was killer today!  I wanted to share how I did this with all of you...here is the workout that she created:
...and I added 2 more rounds, making a total of 4!  I was drenched in sweat and my heart was pounding:IT FELT GOOD!  I needed it!  oh and those #10 tuck jumps...that wasn't pretty!  I need to work on those, I felt like I was dying!!!  LOL  


Thanks to all of you for your great workout series suggestions, we'll see what we decide!  


We had horrible weather here today, but looks like some great forecasts for our future, so lots of outdoor running for me!  My husband and I both agree that the weather here lately has messed with our running workouts, but we're ready to get back on track with it!  It's times like these where a treadmill, although I don't particularly love them, would be great!  


...and I promise the winners will be announced TOMORROW and I'll share some of your race photos (they were so fun, thank you!) 


until then I'm off to bed and preparing for another round of Bess Be Fit's workout in the morning!


What are your quick, go to workouts when the gym and the outdoors aren't an option?

Monday, March 19, 2012

uh oh, where have I been?

Don't worry, I have the winners from the Spring Fever race and am totally amazed at all of you for getting out there and racing my virtual race!  THANK YOU!!!  I have been getting lots of great review/giveaway items in the mail this week and weekend, so get ready for great prizes on top of those who won the virtual race giveaways!  
But being busy with two, active boys has kept me away from this blog this week!  
We've had friends and family visiting all weekend...
oh wait, I'm making excuses for my lack of blogging, aren't I?  
Ok, I'll just a post a few pics of what my boys and I have been up to...


And yes, we've kept up with our running!  
My husband and I took turns getting in some great runs this weekend!  And I downloaded some great workout songs to add to our playlists...there's something so fabulous about new workout songs on your playlist while you're out there sweating!  We've had 80+ temps, so songs that'll keep us moving and running hard are definitely a plus!!  I need to start focusing on the mud run coming up in May, 
but I can't help but focus on our upcoming Disney trip for my son's 3rd birthday!  
Yep, we'll be Disney bound in less than 2 months!!!  


We are looking for a great workout video series that'll help us get strength training in along with our runs!  Suggestions?  I know I've looked into the Jillian series that is all over the TV right now, but anybody tried it?  I'd love to know if you have tried a set that's really worked well for you and your husband!  ??  I think Insanity might be a little INSANE for us right now...but I know without access to a gym, we'd love something that gets us summer-ready and is just right for both of us!??


...I'll post winners from the Spring Fever VERY soon!!!  thanks again for all of you getting out there and racing!!!  I love my readers!!!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Finding Balance?

When it comes to losing weight or reaching a new fitness goal, 
we must all focus on finding balance.  It is a change for life and we must make the decision every day to be healthy, to put ourselves as a priority in our own life and lead a healthy lifestyle!  It's a struggle and sadly, I don't think it gets much easier.  I still fight the urges and temptations that are there all of the time.  I choose to get up and exercise, to make working out and healthy eating a part of my daily life and it's a choice I must make each and every day.
When I think about finding my balance...
I think about these boys and the example that I want to set for them as they grow.
I think about my childhood...the lack of self-esteem from being overweight.
I think about crying myself to sleep most nights in high school because I felt so ugly.
I think about having to be the "funny girl" so people wouldn't focus on my weight.
I also think about how I used to consume portions that were 3-4 times the size they should have been.
or coming home after school and going straight for the pantry and fridge, I couldn't get to the food fast enough.  Every time I felt emotional, I turned to food.  All of the time, I turned to food.  I could control that food, even if everything else was going wrong.
I needed to find balance.
I started making small changes that gave me huge results.  I was feeling good and confident.  I was gaining self-esteem, getting strong and healthy.  I finally had balance!  hooray!!
and now that these boys are in my life...
I am able to focus on them, my husband and our family!  I know that they help me focus on what's important in life!

After losing over 80lbs in 2002,  I allowed myself to gain a lot of that weight back when I was pregnant with my first child.  When I look back at pictures, I understand that I had let that balance go.
2006-after the birth of my first son
lost that balance...


Last summer, my husband and I were kicking butt!  
My husband reached his weight loss goal of losing over 100lbs!!  
We were running and training hard, and our diets were incredible...
2011- found that balance once again!

And here I am, struggling to find that balance once again...I had gained 9lbs since this picture was taken but I am determined to get it off!  And now with only 5lbs to go...
I am about 85% there and just need to focus and set those small goals!  
And believe me, I will succeed!  I will also run another half marathon and make it under 2:30!  
I will continue to lead a healthy lifestyle and share my story and struggles.  
I will raise a healthy family who shares the joy of exercise, together!  
And I will continue to help all of the people who struggle to lose weight, just as I once did, 
to help every one find that balance and keep it!


Now it's your turn, 
how do you find balance when it comes to eating healthy, exercise and maintaining a healthy weight?

Monday, March 12, 2012

Got Salmon?


This salmon was quick, easy and had great flavor!  
My five year old kept asking for MORE!!

But wait, please read before you continue to the recipe- I need some help with my recipe photos?  As if ya couldn't tell!  I have a wonderful camera, but am totally clueless when it comes to photographing my food correctly...haha, sounds so silly!  but seriously folks, this salmon looked amazing IN PERSON and then this is the photo...help??
Move It Momma foil-wrapped Salmon
you'll need:
2-3 salmon fillets
lemon pepper seasoning
3 cloves garlic-chopped

Place one fillet on a square sheet of foil, large enough to fold over and vent the fillet.
Top with lemon pepper seasoning and 1 chopped garlic clove.
Wrap the foil, allowing room for steam between the fillet and the foil seal.  
Heat a skillet with 1-2 inches of water, and bring to a boil.  
Place foil-wrapped salmon in the boiling water and allow to simmer on the water for about 8-12 minutes depending on type of fish and fillet size.  Fish will flake with a fork when cooked through.
I served this fish with whole wheat noodles and broccoli, and would be a great addition on a salad!

Today's Workout:  

It finally cleared up enough for my husband and I to both get in a great run!  We both ran a 5K and felt great!  The temps were in the 80's and muggy, so we both came home drenched...eww, right??  I was going to use today as my Spring Fever race, but decided I WILL run the 10K like I set out to complete in the beginning!  I'm still getting entries coming in every day and am so proud of all of my readers for taking the time to compete and have FUN!!

Tomorrow's Workout:  I will start with my 10K, if the weather allows, and then I am going to try the Bessbefit "12 Minute Workout" that she posted a few days ago...
if I survive this, I'll consider myself a machine!!!  LOL!  But,
*I have a feeling my husband will be peeling me off of the floor after this workout!!


HELP??:   My husband and I are both having issues with our Nike+ sensors, so we are looking for something else out on the market, that won't cost a fortune, but will give us the pace/distance/calories/etc...any suggestions?  I know a lot of you love Garmin, but they are EXPENSIVE :-( so I'd like to know if there are any other options for us...

Sunday, March 11, 2012

these recipes are worth trying...and workouts too!


When I was asked a few weeks ago to review, Eating Light, Done Right I wanted to see what this book and author were all about!  I was so thrilled to find out that she is a fellow Mom from Texas trying to keep her family healthy!  I started to read her story and felt like I had known this woman for years!  Just as I did, she turned to food during emotional and stressful situations.  I could relate to every word she wrote in the beginning of that book.  
I read the excerpt of the book and was immediately sold when I saw Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Omelet....Mmmm!  Sounds good, right?  Yea, you know it does!  
Her healthy recipes are easy to prepare and call for very little ingredients.  And from what I read, she keeps these kid-friendly which is something I am always looking for when it comes to healthy cooking!  

"Tania is a full-time single mom to two little boys, one of whom has Asperger’s syndrome. She also juggles a fashion career, volunteering for her sons’ PTA, raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and other charities, attending her sons’ sporting activities five nights a week, exercising, writing, and tending to the daily cooking, laundry, dishes and stress that come with modern life.
She lives in Dallas, Texas, and saw what appeared to be a hole in the self-help/cookbook market as she quickly dropped her baby weight and experienced droves of people at the gym asking “How?” As she dug deeper, she realized that while she had made the decision to stop eating emotionally, many of these people had not. Herein lies the groundwork for Eating Light, Done Right: Simply Sinless Recipes from the Single Mom Next Door. Drawing on her experience in the military counseling troops on weight control, she quickly realized that she loved helping people face the demons within. This turning point redirected her life in a positive direction."


**I will be reviewing the hard copy of her book, but I wanted to make sure you all had this recipe right NOW!!


Simply Sinless Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Omelet
1 cup egg whites
4 teaspoons nonfat or light cream cheese
1 ounce smoked salmon
Fat-free cooking spray, olive oil flavor
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
Smidge of olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Coat nonstick skillet with fat-free cooking spray and add a smidge of olive oil. Whisk
together egg whites, cream cheese, salt and pepper and pour into prepared skillet.
Cook over medium to high heat, gently moving the mixture around as it cooks.
2. When eggs are almost finished cooking, add the salmon to the top of the eggs and
cover for 30 seconds to a minute. Remove lid, add a little more salt and pepper,
slide omelet onto plate, fold in half, and serve with fresh fruit or whole wheat toast.
Serves 2.




Weekend Workouts:
With it raining like crazy around here, I had to depend on many indoor workouts to keep me moving over the weekend!  If you are limited to outdoors and home video workouts like me, then you are probably aware that Exercise TV no longer exists?   ExerciseTV allowed us to view Jillian Michael's workouts, Jackie Werner, Crunch Crew, Biggest Loser workouts and more.  OnDemand, thankfully decided to keep some fitness channels which are like made-for-TV workouts BUT they aren't bad!  I was afraid to try them out, thinking they couldn't possibly make me sweat and burn calories like Jillian, but I was actually WRONG!  These are some great workouts, with interval training routines, which are my favorite when I'm forced to workout indoors!  With the rain, I also missed my weekend Spring Fever run, but I WILL complete my 10K run by the 15th, even if it happens in the pouring rain!!

Spring Fever- March 1st through 15th- I have been loving all of your pictures from the race!  They have made me smile!  I love that I have readers from so many different places!  Amazing!  Thank you all for participating and don't forget that you have through Thursday, 15th to get your email, picture or link to me to be entered to win!  Hurry!!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

did you know about this?

I am always searching for healthy recipes that are quick and easy to prepare, and I stumbled across this website from Special K and fell in love!  Most of these featured recipes take less than 20 minutes to prepare and require little ingredients but I think you'll agree that they look amazing...

Skillet Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta- recipe HERE


Mediterranean Turkey Sandwich- recipe HERE


Jamaican Chicken Breast with mashed Sweet Potatoes- recipe HERE 





...and something else you may not know!?  I've decided to keep myself REALLY busy these next few months!  My oldest son wanted to play baseball (which he's done four seasons of tball and has moved up to Little League) and also try soccer!  Last night was our first soccer practice and he LOVED it!  Yay!  He's taking after his Daddy because my husband played baseball and soccer for most of his life!  As for baseball, I'm the Team Mom, which requires a lot but it's worth it for my boy!  ...and I'll leave ya with a picture of what I should look like by the end of the season for both sports...LOL!!

I'm one, proud "Sports Mom"


where do you find great, healthy recipes?
Are your kiddos in sports this season?  What's the key to survival as a Mom?
There's STILL time for the Spring Fever
email me for a race bib or as soon as you've completed the race of choice, 10k or 5k!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

why I love it...what about you?

It's crazy how much I love blogging and meeting other blogger's that share a similar story.  They share their personal struggles, just as I've done.  We are able to relate to one another by offering motivation and encouragement, even though we've never "met".  We log on and post our accomplishments, frustrations, questions and concerns, injuries and more!  And if I'm having one of those days, I can always count on a reader to lift me up and help me through the funk...nothing better than that.  And if there's a day when I'm lacking motivation, I can always read a post about a blogger's great workout, and I'm out the door!  Even if you aren't a blogger but read their stories, you are able to relate as well!

I met Run with Jess several years ago and was always amazed by her determination and passion for running.  She's training for her first triathlon and just completed a weight-loss challenge at her gym.  She shared this the other day and I wanted to share with all of you.  

It's never too late to change...NEVER!

I lost -24.9 pounds!
13.7% body weight
How?  It's the most frequent question people ask me through this journey.  The answer is two-fold and quite simple...  Hard Work and Dedication.  (Thanks Dolvett!)

#1 - HARD WORK 
in the gym, around the track, in the pool, on the bike...
You need to burn more calories than you consume.  And by burn, I mean sweat your ass off... not a casual jog around the park.  Several times a week, I put in two-a-days (workout in the morning and again at night) to cash in on the magical "afterburn".  The longer and harder you workout, the greater the post-exercise metabolism increase and the longer it lasts. During the final week of the weight loss challenge, I did two-a-days every. single. day.  Exhausted, but I eliminated nearly 5 lbs over a 5 day period (making up for that week-long vacation!).

To give you an idea of my workload over the Weight Loss Challenge, I kept track of my key activities.  Here's what it takes for me to lose 25 pounds in 55 days... 
Ran 250 miles
Biked 235 miles
11 Spinning classes
Swam 18,500 yds or 10.5 miles
7 Yoga sessions 
4 Elliptical sessions
Numerous circuit workouts

#2 - DEDICATION
to a healthy change in my food choices.
The biggest part of my success the last two months has been a change in my food selection. I'm a firm believer that for weight loss to last, it must be a realistic change.  I can't expect to eat separate meals from my family.  We are an old fashioned family that sits down around a table, says our prayers and eats together... every night.  So the food aspect was a big challenge for me.  No fad diets here. I'm in it for the long haul.

I focused our meals around lean protein and an assortment of fresh vegetables. I minimized carbs and switched to whole grain whenever possible. I completely cut out salt and soda. I have a sweet tooth and every afternoon, it ached. Sometimes I fulfilled it with fruit, and other times, I gave in to chocolate. The most important lesson I learned was balance and moderation. One aspect I had to balance was the checkbook.  Undeniably, eating fresh and healthy IS more expensive when you're feeding a family of four. In the long run, it's a great investment, but still a challenge of current money and time to keep fresh foods in the house.

This latest weight loss success has made me slightly nostalgic. I started my weight loss journey in the fall of 2008 when I topped the scales at (gulp)... 230 lbs.  Seriously, right?  I was miserably obese with a depression that transferred to every area of my life. At the peak of my life with two baby girls, I was falling apart at the seams.  My heart breaks when I think of the hell I put my husband and mother through. They truly are my life vests. 

I started walking, then wogging and finally running.  I quit smoking and cut down the alcohol.  It began a gradual weight loss that changed more than just the number of the scale.  Running changed my life.  I fell in love with the run and how it made me feel.  It was contagious, a healthy addiction for once. It made me a better person, a better mom, wife, daughter and friend.  This is why I write about running - it is a passion, a love, that I believe has the potential to change everyone's lives.

Then & Now...




Jess hosted a virtual run last year and it was a huge success...good news? It's back with lots of race options and prizes up for grabs!  If you've never done a FREE, virtual race I suggest you sign up!  It's fun and you go at your own speed!  
Mark your calendars!  The Jelly Bean virtual race is back for it's second running.  This race was such a giant success last year and I'm so excited to do it again.  More events + more prizes = More Fun!  More details to come, but early registration is now open! 
Sign up here.

Monday, March 5, 2012

random ramblings...and healthy food too!

Random Updates: 
1. I actually weighed myself this morning and am down 4lbs, but the bad news is that I changed a few things to my workouts and diet, so not sure which one made the weight finally move?!  I'm going to use my health education background and say it was a combination of both and I totally stepped up my strength training with workout videos from home!  Whatever resources you have, right?  RIGHT!
2.  Getting lots of emails regarding the Spring Fever race and remember you still have through the 15th to complete the 10k/5k, so it's NOT too late!  I've had some really neat race finishes, some even battling snow and other conditions that I can't even imagine from here in Texas! 
 Thanks to all of my participants that pushed through to complete this race!  
3.  I will be running my 10k race on Thursday, so wish me luck!  
I'm hoping to recruit my friend and she doesn't even know it yet....I'm so sneaky!
4.  My son is ready for another race!  I think we've got him hooked!  He loves the races and of course, receiving his medal at the finish line, so my mission this week is to find a great, local race that's coming up soon!
5.  We have a new wrap in this house that we're officially addicted to...would you like to try it?  So simple, so here ya go!  Take your tortilla of choice, ours is Ole high fiber/low carb, slice avocado, purple onion, 1/2 slice provolone cheese, cracked pepper turkey breasts slices, lettuce, and a tbs of ranch dressing...wrap it up and enjoy!  My goodness it's good and addicting, so watch out!  My husband has brought them to work every day since we created them over a week ago!
Yea, it's that good.  


And now for another Pinterest-inspired recipe that is mouth-watering good!
From honeywhatscooking.com via Pinterest
Mexican Tortilla Pizza

Looks delicious, right?  If you haven't figured it out, this is inspired by Taco Bell's Mexican pizza, which back in my super UN healthy eating days, these topped the list of my favorite fattening meals!  They have taken that recipe and lightened it up and it's worth giving a try and think it'll turn out to be a family favorite in your house too!  




Directions, taken from honeywhatscooking.com 

NUTRITION: Whole Wheat Tortillas are a great source of Protein and Fiber.  Beans are an excellent source of Protein and Fiber.  Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin A and C.  Although high in fat, cheese is an excellent source of Protein and Calcium and should be eaten in moderation.


INGREDIENTS (makes 4 pizzas):
  • Whole Wheat Tortillas – 8 tortillas (2 pieces for each pizza)
  • Canola Oil – very small amount to glaze both sides of the tortilla
  • Old El Paso Refried Beans – 1 (1 pound) can
  • Water – 1/4 cup
  • Onion – 1 small (diced)
  • Paprika – 1 tsp
  • Black Pepper – 1/4 tsp (or omit – you don’t really need it)
  • Ortega Taco Seasoning – 1 tsp they make this low sodium too!
  • Scallions – 1 bunch (chopped)
  • Jalapeno – 1/2 a jalapeno (deseeded & finely chopped)
  • Tomato – 1 (chopped)
  • Whole Foods 365 Organic Salsa – enough to spread over the pizza (demonstrated below)
  • Mexican Cheese Blend – enough to cover the pizza …you can use reduced fat cheese
  • Sour Cream Reduced Fat – 1 dollop (optional) I would use plain greek yogurt as a substitute here.  
Lightly drizzle oil onto tortillas and bake at 400 until crispy.  Warm refried beans and add chopped onion and they seasonings.  chop your veggies, and now layer bean mixture onto tortillas, add a little salsa to this layer and cover with second tortilla.  spread a little salsa on top, then scallions and tomatoes, then jalapeno and top with cheese.  Place in the oven for 12 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Enjoy!