Wellness
Succotash
A great way to cook up some of your favorite vegetables is with a succotash twist. Enjoy this easy showstopper recipe with whatever meat you can grill up on your BBQ. Serve this up with some shredded BBQ chicken made in a crockpot-recipe coming next week…….
- 2 TBS coconut oil or olive oil (if you want a touch of coconut flavor, use coconut oil)
- ½ diced onion
- ½ diced bell pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 TBS paprika
- 1 TBS tumeric
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 2 stalks of corn (corn cut off)
- 1 tomato
- 1 zuchinni
- 1 TBS cumin
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- Saute the onions, bell peppers, and garlic
- Add paprika, tumeric, and cilantro. Cook for 3 minutes
- Add the corn, tomato, zuchinni and cook for 5 minutes
- Add the cumin and chiken broth and bring to a boil
- Add the parsley, salt, and pepper at the end.
What is one of your favorite side dishes to serve at your summer BBQ?
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Acai Bowls
Fourth of July is a fantastic time to gather with family and friends. We had a wonderful celebration yesterday with a parade and swimming and lots of delicious food. If you are craving a sweet and refreshing afternoon treat but do not want to spoil your dinner….make these delicious and nutritious Acai Bowls. We whipped up a batch after a long afternoon swim and everyone just loved them.
Ingredients
2 Sambazon Acai frozen packets (from Costco)
1 ripe banana (easiest if you have frozen it before hand)
½ cup water
2 scoops (¼ cup) vanilla protein powder
½-1 cup frozen berries
granola
bananas
fresh blueberries or sliced strawberries
flaked coconut
Allow the frozen Acai to thaw just a bit or run the frozen packets under warm water for a minute. In a Vitamix or powerful blender combine Sambazon Acai, frozen banana, water, 2 scoops (¼ cup) vanilla protein powder and frozen mixed berries.
When smooth and well blended and very thick, spoon into bowls. Top with granola, sliced bananas, berries and coconut.
ENJOY!!!!!
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Zucchini Stuffed Quinoa Boats
Summer is here and if you have planted a vegetable garden you may be harvesting the first crop of zucchini, peppers and tomatoes. 
Here is a delicious way to serve zucchini. These stuffed zucchini quinoa boats can be your side dish with turkey burgers or chicken on the grill or you can eat them as your main dish because they are packed with protein and veggies.
Ingredients
6 medium zucchini (3 large zucchini forgotten in the garden for a few days)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic smashed
1 onion finely diced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper finely diced
2 roma tomatoes or 1 large tomato chopped
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 sprigs of fresh thyme chopped fine (2 teaspoons dried thyme)
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
4 basil leaves chopped
3 cups cooked quinoa (I used red quinoa)
½ cup grated parmesan
½ cup grated mozzarella
¼ cup pine nuts
Wash and cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center portion of each half zucchini and dice up what you have scooped out.
Saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Add peppers, tomatoes and chopped zucchini and stir until all vegetables are soft. Add thyme, salt, pepper, chopped spinach and basil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add cooked quinoa and parmesan cheese and stir until blended.
Fill zucchini boats full of the quinoa mixture and sprinkle pine nuts on top. 
Bake in 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your zucchini. Sprinkle grated or sliced mozzarella cheese on top and bake for 5 minutes more until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!!!
Water Challenge
How do you like to drink your water?
This week in our Summer Sizzle group we challenged everyone to share their favorite ways to get their daily water intake in.
Every since I was pregnant I’ve loved to drink my water with added electrolytes for flavor and extra hydration. I also needed the extra hydration while breastfeeding. I was ALWAYS drinking water. Although I’m no longer pregnant or breastfeeding I still make sure to drink lots of water because proper hydration is key for good health!
How much water should you drink?
Although there is no “one-size fits all” approach to how much water you should drink, a general rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces. So if you weigh 100 pounds, you should drink 50 ounces of water per day. Of course this will vary based on your activity level, the temperature, and if you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mama.
What are the benefits of drinking adequate amounts of water?
Water definitely plays an important role in health. I know personally I am easily prone to headaches when I get dehydrated. Drinking water can help prevent and counteract overeating. Sometimes what we mistake for hunger cues are actually thirst cues. So if it isn’t time for a meal, or you aren’t sure if you are hungry, it is best to drink a nice big glass of water and see how that makes you feel first!
A properly hydrated body also burns more calories than a dehydrated body. So embrace the cup and get your water on for optimal calorie burn!!
And don’t forget the importance of eating your water! Water-dense fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, bell peppers, and watermelon can also contribute to optimal hydration.
If you have a favorite way to drink your …
Read MoreTHERE IS NO TRY
This week we launched into our 60 day summer sizzle challenge with almost 80 participants!! 80 people ready and willing to make positive changes in their life. We know we have a big job to do, so we started with the most important thing to make lasting changes – MINDSET.
Mindset is so important for success in anything. You can’t just TRY to do something. The harder you try to do something the less likely you are going to create something new. You’ll just stay where you are.
A wise Jedi named Yoda once said, “Do or do not. There is no try.”
In order to change your mindset you have to ask yourself:
“What’s the image I carry in my mind? How do I see myself?”
If you see yourself as anything less than the beautiful and perfect creation of God, you won’t succeed. You have to KNOW and tell yourself constantly that you are His. That HE made you. That you are enough.
“What you focus on you find.
What you focus on grows.
What you focus on seems real.
What you focus on you become.” -Rod Hairston
What do you focus on? What thoughts do you allow into your mind?
You ARE what you say you ARE. You need to speak LIFE into your LIFE.
Here’s my challenge: Pick one negative thing you are telling yourself or one thing you are convinced you can’t do. Now ERASE that one thing from your thoughts. It is gone forever and never allowed back. Replace that space with an affirmation that reminds you YOU ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE, that you are worth it, you are enough, you CAN.
If you want to join us in the mindset shift, take a picture of yourself holding your affirmation and post it …
Read MoreZoodles and Roasted Veggies
I have such a wonderful support system for healthy eating and you will be learning all about some fun ways to find creative and healthy meals to try in the next few weeks. I love staying in touch with friends who like to cook and are willing to try creative vegetarian meals. Suzanne is one of those girls that is always looking for new ways to creative delicious and nutritious meals. She is on our team for the Summer Sizzle 60 day challenge and she shared this recipe with me. I am adding my own flair and a few more vegetables but the basic recipe was shared with me by Suzanne.
Ingredients
5 Roma tomatoes
1 large head cauliflower
1 bunch zucchini
2-3 cloves garlic smashed
3-4 large zucchini
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 teaspoons liquid aminos (about 8-10 sprays)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1-2 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1-2 teaspoon thyme
1-2 teaspoon rosemary
1-2 teaspoon basil
1-2 cups cooked quinoa
Preheat oven to 400. Slice tomatoes ¼ inch thick and spread slices on a large baking sheet covered with foil. season with salt, pepper, thyme, basil and rosemary. Cut cauliflower into small pieces, wash and spread in a single layer on a separate cookie sheet covered with foil. Spray with liquid amines and season with garlic salt, seasoned pepper and some thyme, basil and rosemary. Roast the tomatoes for 25 minutes until starting to look dry. Roast the cauliflower for 30 minutes until a bit brown and fork tender. 
Wash and cut asparagus into bite sized pieces and set aside. Spiralize the zucchini into noodles using a special peeler or spiralizer. Heat olive oil in a pan and add garlic. Add asparagus and sauté until just barely tender. Remove from pan and …
Getting our Kitchen Ready for the Summer Sizzle-Creative Casserole Idea
Our Summer Sizzle 60 day challenge begins today. I decided to get my kitchen ready to support our family goals and the first step was to take inventory of what I have in my refrigerator…
1) Toss out all expired sauces, dressings, condiments, yogurts etc.
2) Give away or put into the freezer any foods that do not support your fitness and health goals.
3) Make a list of all the foods you need/want in your refrigerator and pantry and head out to your favorite store (Trader Joe’s for me) to stock your shelves.
4) Wash and cut up vegetables for quick snacks.
5) Wash, cut up and roast any vegetables you will be using in recipes for the week-so much easier to do ahead of time for quicker meal prep in the evenings.
6) Wash and dry all greens and store in an airtight container for easy add-ins for shakes or for salads.
7) You can also make Green Cubes if you have trouble keeping your greens from wilting and spoiling.
Stock up on frozen fruits and fresh fruits for snacks and smoothies.
8) Plan some healthy main dishes that can be made ahead in case you have a busy day full of summer fun.
9) The last thing I did was try to make sure I was not wasting any of the left-overs I had from the weekend so I got creative and put together a healthy Mexican casserole that can feed us for a few meals this week.
Here is what I had on hand that need to be used up: LOTS of homemade salsa, BBQ corn, browned and seasoned ground turkey, shredded chicken, fajita vegetables, tortillas and grated cheese. So instead of serving up a make your own burrito bar as I had done 2 nights …
Read MoreCountdown to Summer Sizzle
Growing Weisser is committed to adding value to your life by sharing wisdom we have learned/are learning. One of those areas of wisdom that has always been important to us is HEALTH. We are always looking for ways to stay healthy and get healthy and one of our favorites is to get healthy with FRIENDS!
Our 60 day Summer Sizzle Challenge starts Monday, June 6th, so NOW is the time to jump in. We have been building up excitement among our friends and families and we cannot wait to make this our healthiest summer ever.
We have amazing nutrition, a plan for EVERY BODY (that’s right! Pregnant, nursing, weight loss, weight gain, athletes, exercisers and non exercisers…YOU!), weekly challenges and prizes, workouts, apps to help you keep track of your food intake and help you plan clean healthy meals, AND THE BEST PART – a community and environment to support you!
We always think of Summer as being laid back and care free, but the reality is we can get off our regular schedule and life (especially our health) can feel chaotic. We want to challenge you to take charge of your health this summer so you can ENJOY the crazy, have fun, and sizzle with confidence.
The time is right NOW and we want YOU to join us!
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Read MoreCowboy Caviar with a Twist
Memorial Day BBQ’s are the BEST when everyone brings one of their favorite dishes to share. Yesterday my mom brought some Cowboy Caviar and it was SCRUMPTIOUS. She added a special ingredient that made it better than ever! Set a bowl of this fun appetizer out and it will be gobbled up.
Ingredients
2 tomatoes seeded and chopped
1 small bunch of green onions chopped
⅔ cups cilantro chopped
1 can corn drained and rinsed (2-3 ears of bbq corn cut off cob)
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed (most recipes call for pinto beans but we like the garbanzo beans for a new twist)
2 avocados chopped
Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic smashed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon sugar
Mix all dressing ingredients and let dressing sit until all vegetables and beans are chopped and mixed together. Toss dressing over bowl of vegetables and salad. Place in a serving dish and serve with tortilla chips. This can also be a wonderful side dish for a mexican dinner-enchilladas, burritos, fajitas. You can use leftovers the next day rolled in a tortilla that has been warmed with a bit of cheese sprinkled on top. Enjoy!
- 2 tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 1 small bunch of green onions chopped
- ⅔ cups cilantro chopped
- 1 can corn drained and rinsed (2-3 ears of bbq corn cut
Summer Sizzle
Do your Summer plans include a plan for your health goals? Wether you answered yes or no, we’ve got you covered with an amazing and fun Summer Challenge!
We’ve had so much success with our Clean Eating Challenge we are ready to kick it up a notch with our healthy habits!
This 60 Day Challenge will feature our favorite daily nutrition, weekly challenges, and group accountability as we guide you in making lasting changes and achieve a healthy lifestyle you can maintain!
My favorite part of the challenge is our option to “choose your sizzle,” allowing you to determine your own goals and effort level. With nutrition options to support any goal and any phase of life, the choice is simple — choose to make your health a priority this Summer. Life can get a little hectic when your schedule changes, so let this challenge be your constant and your anchor so that the rest of your time and energy can be focused on fun, family, and living life to the fullest.
If you are interested in learning more about our challenge you can comment here, email us at weisserwomen@growingweisser.com or contact Rachel directly at rachelweisser@yahoo.com.
Let’s get ready to SIZZLE with confidence and fun this Summer!
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