Clean Turkey Burgers

 You know, sometimes, you just want a burger!  Barbeque season is in full swing, so burgers on the Weber seem like a natural choice, but I have also made these on the indoor grill with snow on the ground.  That's the beauty of a burger; they are quick, easy, and satisfying!
These burgers are made with lean ground turkey instead of ground beef (if I'm being honest, we RARELY buy ground beef anymore!).  Ground turkey doesn't have much fat, and if there is anything I've learned about cooking with ground turkey, it is that FAT is FLAVOR!  So you have to do something to flavor it up.  This recipe uses dried herbs that you probably already have in your pantry, but if you have FRESH herbs, I bet that will be even better.

The recipe:
1 lb 95% lean ground turkey
1 T dried minced onion
1 egg white
1/3 cup oats (instant or old-fashioned; I've used both)
1 clove minced garlic
3/4 t. sea salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 T dried parsley
2 T dried oregano
2 T dried basil

When I made these, I put diced red onion in them, but my husband wasn't a fan, so now I omit it.  You can keep it in, if you like!

Directions:
1.  Lightly beat egg white.  Add all other ingredients except ground turkey.  Mix well.
2.  Add the turkey to the mixture and mix with your hands, but do not over-mix the meat.  Form into four patties.
3.  Grill until grill marks form and burgers are browned, 4-5 minutes per side.
4.  I serve mine with a slice of clean cheese, a whole-wheat hamburger bun, pickles, and mustard.  Top yours with the healthy toppings of your choice!

BE FIERCE and eat a burger : ).

PiYo Week 7 and Meal Plan

Hiho, Hiho, it's back to work I go!  Aaand things are CRAZY again!  That's okay; I almost think that is the level I operate on BEST!  Anyway, PiYo last week:
Monday:  Drench
Tuesday:  Hardcore on the Floor
Wednesday:  Buns
Thursday:  Sculpt
Friday:  Rest
Saturday:  Drench
Sunday: Sweat

So, I have not realized the INSANE results I've been getting from PiYo until I got some pictures taken last week.  My arms have NEVER in my life looked like this!  I have always been an upper-body weakling!  No more!  Look at those guns!

This week's meal plan will look a little different, because Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday, I am doing the 3 Day Refresh (more to come on that in a later post!)  I thought about doing PiYo during the Refresh; I really did, but I decided that with that few calories coming in, I should probably conserve my energy for teaching.
So, anyway, here it is:

Monday – 3DR	Tuesday – 3DR	Wednesday – 3DR	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
3 Day Refresh - Meal Plan for: 8.11
PiYo:  Sculpt	PiYo:  Sweat	PiYo:  Hardcore on the Floor	PiYo:  Buns	REST!	PiYo:  Drench	PiYo:  Strength Intervals
Shakeology w/ 2/3 c. blueberries and water	Shakeology w/ frozen strawberries and water	Shakeology w/ frozen strawberries and water	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk
Fiber Sweep with Water	Fiber Sweep with Water	Fiber Sweep with Water	Celery and almond butter	Celery and almond butter	Celery and almond butter	Celery and almond butter
Vanilla Fresh Shake blended w/ water; 1 c. diced cantaloupe, 3 cups green leaf lettuce, 1 t. olive oil  and red wine vinegar	Vanilla Fresh Shake blended w/ water; 1 c. diced cantaloupe, 2 medium celery stalks w/ 1.5 t. almond butter	Vanilla Fresh Shake blended w/ water; 1 c. diced cantaloupe, 4-5 baby carrots and 2 T hummus	Spinach Salad w/ grilled chicken and homemade red-wine vinaigrette dressing	Leftover turkey spaghtetti	Leftover turkey spaghtetti	Chris’s family birthday party – EAT CLEAN!  Chicken Fajitas with corn tortillas
cucumber, and 2 T hummus	cucumber, and 2 T hummus	2 celery stalks w/ 1.5 t. almond butter	Cucumbers and hummus	Cucumbers and hummus	Cucumbers and hummus	Cucumbers and hummus
Vanilla Fresh Shake blended w/ water; 1 c. organic vegetable broth; Spinach Salad dinner recipe from guide	Vanilla Fresh Shake blended w/ water; 1 c. organic vegetable broth; Lemony Green Beans dinner recipe from guide	Vanilla Fresh Shake blended w/ water; 1 c. organic vegetable broth; Coconut Steamed Veggies  dinner recipe from guide	Turkey Spaghetti w/ ½ c. whole wheat noodles and zucchini noodles; salad w/ red wine vinaigrette dressing	Cheat Meal – Chris’s Birthday Party	Grilled chicken Salad	Leftovers from birthday party
Unsweetened caffeine-free herbal tea	Unsweetened caffeine-free herbal tea	Unsweetened caffeine-free herbal tea	Carrots and cottage cheese	Carrots and cottage cheese	Carrots and cottage cheese	Carrots and cottage cheese

I'll let you know how the Refresh turns out!
Because of this amazing cleanse, I have started a new kind of group; the 30 Day Refresh and Clean Eating Group.  If you are interested, fill out the application below!

Be FIERCE!

PiYo Week 6 and Meal Plan

This week has just been crazy hectic!  I have been scrambling to get my ducks in rows in preparation for the end of my summer break.  Yep, back to school already!  I go in tomorrow for a few days of prep time, and my kids come back Monday.  I'm really excited - I DO love my job.  But this means that I will have to work hard at managing my time so that I can do justice to everything about which I am passionate.
One thing I am sure I DO NOT want to do is to have to do PiYo doubles again!  The week before last got the better of me, and I got behind; in order to get back on track, I did THREE days of double workouts this week!  I don't recommend it!  This will be part of my motivation to stay on track with my workouts once school starts, even if I am exhausted!

This is what last week's workout schedule looked like:
Monday - Drench and Strength Intervals
Tuesday - Sweat and Sculpt
Wednesday - Sweat and Core
Thursday - Drench
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Buns
Sunday - Strength Intervals

I LOVE PiYo, but PiYo doubles are ROUGH!  It's only an 8 week program, but it is seriously challenging!
In reflecting about my experiences with PiYo, I have noticed something interesting.  I used to HATE downward dog.  Plank?  Always a struggle.  Squats?  Oooh.. Ouch.  But since I began PiYo, I have come to know downward dog and plank as positions of REST.  Squats?  After some serious stretches of bowler's lunges, these are a godsend.  I KNOW I am stronger.  Hey, I have mastered the tricep pushups!  I'm so proud of how far I've come.

Now for this week's meal plan:  it HAS to be simple.  Things around the McIntyre house are going to be crazy!  I need recipes that are quick, easy, and clean.  I will be sharing some of these recipes with you soon!  Snacks need to be things that are easy to pack, grab, and eat while I'm rushing around school getting ready for the year (check out my healthy snacks list!)  But here is my meal plan:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
PiYo Meal Plan for: 8.4
Workout	PiYo:  Drench	PiYo:  Hardcore on the Floor	PiYo:  Buns	PiYo:  Sculpt	REST!	PiYo:  Drench	PiYo:  Sweat
Breakfast	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk	Shakeology w/ fruit and 1.5 c. skim milk
Snack	20 Grapes and String Cheese	20 Grapes and String Cheese	20 Grapes and String Cheese	20 Grapes and String Cheese	20 Grapes and String Cheese	20 Grapes and String Cheese	20 Grapes and String Cheese
Lunch	2 scrambled eggs with swiss cheese; I slice cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread, 1 c. strawberries	Italian Beef Sandwiches; salad	Chicken, potato, green bean bake	Pork chops, baked potato, steamed veggies	Chicken fajitas; salad	Leftover Italian beef sandwiches	Leftover Chicken fajitas
Snack	Blueberries,   Greek Yogurt, and 1 tsp. honey	Blueberries,   Greek Yogurt, and 1 tsp. honey	Blueberries,   Greek Yogurt, and 1 tsp. honey	Blueberries,   Greek Yogurt, and 1 tsp. honey	Blueberries,   Greek Yogurt, and 1 tsp. honey	Blueberries,   Greek Yogurt, and 1 tsp. honey	Blueberries,   Greek Yogurt, and 1 tsp. honey
Dinner	Italian Beef Sandwiches; salad	Chicken, potato, green bean bake	Pork chops, baked potato, steamed veggies	Chicken fajitas; salad	Cheat Meal – Bristol!	Leftover chicken bake	Pork Tenderloin in the smoker; corn on the cob; salad
Snack	Blackberries, raspberries, and cashews	Blackberries, raspberries, and cashews	Blackberries, raspberries, and cashews	Blackberries, raspberries, and cashews	Blackberries, raspberries, and cashews	Blackberries, raspberries, and cashews	Blackberries, raspberries, and cashews

I have some challengers who are getting great results with PiYo, and I hope they will step out of their comfort zones and let me share their results with you:)

If you think a challenge group would be something you would be interested in, fill out this application!

Use Wufoo integrations and get your data to your favorite apps.

Be consistent.  Be strong.  Be FIERCE.

Grilled Portabella Mushroom Sandwiches

I am ashamed to admit that while I was making these, I didn't take any pictures.  I actually didn't really plan on adding the recipe to my blog!  The whole thing began like this:

My friend Symphony and I are both teachers, and the end of our coveted summer break is looming.  She hadn't been over yet to check out the new pool, so we decided that on Wednesday, she would come over to hang out and we would swim.  Symphony is a fellow clean eater, but she is ALSO a vegetarian.  Now, there are about a billion things I love about Symf, but one of them is that she challenges me to be healthier (honestly, there aren't many people in my life who do that!).  I am NOT a vegetarian, but I DO love food, and I do not discriminate!  So I thought that since she was coming over, we could also make lunch.  I didn't want to JUST make a salad; that's BORING, and probably typical fare that meat-a-tarians feed vegetarians.  I had been kicking around the idea of making some grilled Portabella Mushroom Sandwiches.  Way back in the day when I worked at Llywelyn's Pub, they featured a pretty amazing one on their menu.  I had been craving one for awhile, but my handsome husband would have been less than enthusiastic about a meal like this one.  Making these glorious sandwiches with Symf seemed like a natural solution, and it gave me the chance to take our new Weber Kettle for a spin.

My friend, Symphony.  She seriously brings a little ray of sunshine everywhere she goes!  She is pretty incredible.

They turned out pretty amazing, if I do say so myself!  Symphony provided the excellent salad as accompaniment, and I had made some red wine vinaigrette dressing that morning.  I also did a foil pack of grilled onions and red bell peppers, and we put those on our sandwiches, too!  It really was the perfect pool-date lunch!

Here is what you will need:
5-6 large Portabella mushroom caps, wiped clean

Marinade:
1/2 c. Bragg's Liquid Aminos (you can use soy sauce if you need to; Bragg's can be hard to find in some grocery stores)
1/3 c. water
1 T honey
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tsp dried basil (fresh could work, too)
2 T olive oil
Pepper to taste

Whole wheat hamburger buns (or, if you are lucky enough to find them, Ezekiel bread English muffins)
5-6 slices clean Provolone

What to do:
Mix together the marinade ingredients in a large container.  Add the mushroom caps and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning after 30 minutes.
Pre-heat grill of your choice (charcoal, gas, or indoor)
Place the mushroom caps on the grill and grill for about four minutes per side.  Before taking mushrooms off the grill, top with  slice of Provolone and allow to melt.
You can also toast your buns on the grill, if you like.
Place mushroom on sandwich; add toppings you desire (I used Dijon mustard and the grilled onions and peppers).
So good!

Don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, especially when it comes to food.  You might be missing out on something amazing!  And like my mother said, you have to try it, but if you don't like it, you don't have to eat it.

"I like being a woman in a man's world.  After all, men can't wear dresses, but we can wear the pants." - Whitney Houston

Be FIERCE!