Wicked Fast Healthy Turkey Tacos:

Taco Tuesday is a crowd favorite at our house.  Over the years we’ve made some changes to make this easy meal a bit healthier.  Here is the spice mix that we throw together ourselves so that we have more control over what goes in our food.  We couple this spice mix with the leanest ground turkey available to make tacos, burritos, or taco bowls.

• 4 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 table spoons chili powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons celery salt

Mix spices together and place in an air tight container so you can save any spice mix that you don’t use.  Place turkey meat in skillet and cook over medium heat, when meat is cooked through spoon in spice mix to taste plus 2/3 cup water, stir well and simmer.

If the meat is too dry, it’s OK to add some extra virgin olive oil.  Yes, you paid extra for the lean meat, but the olive oil is a healthy fat.  I’d rather you have the olive oil than the extra turkey fat.

• To save on time, you can buy pre shredded cheese.  I personally do not buy reduced fat cheese for this.  I prefer to buy extra sharp and use less.
• Use non fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
• You can use as much pico del gallo as you wish (fresh salsa)
• Pile on the shredded lettuce 
• Black beans have tons of nutrients.  Go ahead and use canned rinse them well!
• Don’t forget the diced onion!

The Art of the Resolution

Happy new year! Did you make a resolution this year? Was it something BIG? If so, good for you! Now let's set you up for success by making that big goal into something smaller.  That right,  take that big goal you are aiming for and chop it up into smaller goals and then smaller yet by implementing daily steps.

It is very easy to become frustrated by February if you aren't (for example) seeing the weight loss that you were hoping for or you haven't been perfect with fulfilling your obligations to yourself. So, let's start now by re-engineering your expectations.  Sit down with a note pad and pen.  Think about what is realistic for YOU.
 Let's continue with the fitness theme, since getting fit is a popular goal.  Did you intend to walk or run five miles each day only to find that it isn't happening? Figure out what is holding you back.  Is it time? Is your expectation too difficult for your skill level or conditioning right now? How much time can you guarantee yourself? 10-20 minutes five days per week? Maybe it's only two or three days that you can give yourself right now.  The point is to do what you are able to do right now.
  Let's say that you have settled on 20 minutes per day, two days per week.  Make an appointment with yourself for those two days.  Set that appointment on your smart phone, and give yourself a solid month.  Set another appointment at the end of that month, get out your notebook again and reevaluate how you have done.  If you did well, can you add more days and/or minutes to your commitment?

The important part is to not be overwhelmed. Here's another example: Instead of committing yourself to organizing your entire home, commit to 15 minutes per day (or whatever works).  Again, use your phone to set an appointment with yourself.  Before you know it everything will have been straightened and purged.

Perhaps you are wanting to eat healthier foods.  Instead of drastically changing the way you eat, maybe take away one item and introduce something new and healthy each week.

The possibilities are endless! Make a decision regarding what you want to accomplish, write it down, commit to it and use your phone or computer to help you keep your goal at the top of mind.