Review: Panera Bread "Hidden Menu"

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Panera Bread.  I don't eat out very often, but when I do, I almost always choose Panera.  One of my good friends and I have a standing date to eat there every other Wednesday.  

I recently learned that Panera Bread has what they call a "hidden menu".  There are 6 dishes - 2 breakfast bowls and 4 lunch/dinner salads to choose from.  You won't find them on the menu board - hence the term "hidden menu" - but you tell the cashier that you want to order from that menu and they know (or are supposed to know) what you are talking about.

The items on the hidden menu are high protein, low carb choices - perfect for someone who is trying to lose weight and/or wants a gluten-free meal.  Or, like me, just wants a high protein, filling salad.  

So today I decided to give it a shot and ordered the Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad.  It contains chicken, spinach, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, diced eggs and, for a dressing, there is a light coating of olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon.

Here is what mine looked like:

The serving size is generous.  The chicken was plentiful and delicious and there were a lot of tomatoes, egg and bacon.  Everything tasted fresh.  I have been weaning myself off of salad dressing for a while, so the lemon/olive oil combo was fine for me, but might be a little plain for someone who is used to eating dressing.  Panera is extremely flexible, though, so if you wanted dressing, I'm sure they would give you some.

All in all, I really liked this salad - all for 360 calories.  It cost $7.99 at my local Panera.  

They do not offer you their typical sides with these salads, but you can get one if you want one - of course, it will no longer be a low carb no gluten choice!  Me?  I got the baugette!!

As a side note, the cashier at my Panera had no issue with the hidden menu and knew exactly what I was talking about - I guess other people have had issues, but I didn't!

Yup - this used to fit....

As I've mentioned before, there are days when I feel like I have been thin forever, and other times when I think that I am still heavy.  Just the other day I found myself thinking that I couldn't do something because you had to be under 225 pounds and then I remembered that I DO weigh less then 225 pounds!

I have just about cleared out my closet of my old clothing except for a pair of jeans that I keep around for a reminder.  I finally have gotten to the point of selling my old coats there were stuck in a spare closet.  So I posted the coat to Craigslist.  For shits and giggles, I put the coat on.  God I loved this coat...

Yes, that was the perfect winter coat and fit me well.  Wow.

8 weeks - have you quit?

Tomorrow marks 8 weeks since January 1st.  That means that some of you made "New Year's Resolutions" or, hopefully, set some goals for the New Year.  Why is 8 weeks important?  8 weeks - for those who are into statistics - marks the time when the VAST majority of people quit or give up on their resolutions.

So how about you?  Have you given up and surrendered?  If so, I challenge you to recommit today!  It's Monday and a perfect time to get back on track!  I noticed the sun was coming up while I was in the shower today.  Spring is coming!  Time to buckle down so you can look fabulous this summer!!

Remember January 1st?  Remember after all the holiday fun and indulgences that you were READY - ready to change your life?  Remember being motivated and optimistic?  Well, it's not too late.  You can ALWAYS start new if you need to!

Me?  I feel like I am on track!  Exercising and eating right (for the most part - I'm not perfect, you know) has put my weight exactly where I want it.  I am still struggling with time management, but I got the house cleaned  yesterday and because I have been keeping up, it wasn't a disaster and only took a short time to get it cleaned up.  

If you are in my boat, then congratulations - you are beating the odds - keep up the great work!  If you gave up, time to recommit and get back on track!

Winning the fight!

I am flying high today.  It's hard to believe that I could be so down in the dumps - feeling complete despair - less then 2 weeks ago, and can feel SO GREAT today.

First off, I have been struggling - since Xmas really - with getting my weight back down to my happy place.  It hasn't gotten up unreasonably high, but I still wanted to get back down to where I was in the fall and haven't been able to.  

So the last week or so I have really buckled down - no cheats!  I stepped on the scale this morning and saw 116.6!  Yay!  Finally back down to where I want it!

Then I went out for a run.  It was about 36 degrees and there was a light snow falling.  Usually the first mile or so sucks until I get in the groove.  Not this morning!  I was CRUISING from my first step.  I ended up running a full 10 miles!  It's not the longest I've ever run, but it is the longest since running into the IT Band issues AND it felt GLORIOUS.  3 of the miles I ran at 7:34 and a couple under - that is lightning fast for me!  I wish I knew what caused some runs to be so awesome so I could duplicate it!

So hard work is paying off, and this is always appreciated.  It just goes to show that when you face adversity. you just need to fight through it and not give up, and you will be rewarded!

I hope everyone else is having as great of a weekend as I am!

 

Define yourself differently

I love this quote by Ellen, and I'm trying to get there.  Trying to not define my worth as a person by the raw number on a scale.  I certainly am healthy.  And I think it would be fair to call me "vibrant". 

I hate that the scale has so much emotional power over me on most days.  Another thing that I am working on!

Happy weekend everyone!

Freedom...

I read this quote today not being familiar with the song that it comes from, and it really resonated with me.  I lived my life under the chains of obesity for many, many years.  Who was I waiting for to to unleash me from those chains?  

The fact is that we often place ourselves in our own prisons.  And then we wait around for rescue when the answer to what we are searching for lies completely within ourselves.

Who places food in our mouths?  We do.  Who decides how much we exercise?  We do.  Who decides if we stay in an unhealthy relationship?  We do.

I read a post recently on a weight loss site from a youngish woman (early 20's) and she lives with her sister.  According to her, her sister constantly berates her and tries to sabotage her weight loss attempts.  This woman said that she has "no choice" but to stay with her sister at this time.  

I call BULLSHIT.  We always have choices.  And those choices might involve incredible adjustment and sacrifice and such.  AND there is no right or wrong to the choice she makes, but she needs to understand that it IS her choice.  

If you are playing the victim it has to stop.  You don't HAVE to stay in a bad relationship.  You don't HAVE to cook one meal for yourself and one for the rest of your family.  You don't HAVE to eat out every night.  You are CHOOSING to.  

Once you take control of your life, that will help you in this journey.  Once I realized that no one was going to solve my weight problem but me, the pounds seemed to melt away.  But the first thing I had to fix was my HEAD, not my stomach!

Unlock yourself.  TODAY!

An unexpected surprise

Ok, so this post will mean virtually nothing to many of you, but for those of you who it will resonate with, I just had to share.  WARNING: This post contains unsolicited bragging!!!!

Some of you out there are familiar with P90X and I've talked about it several times on here that I do the DVD's - not in the programmed way that they recommend you do it, but I rotate the DVD's into my regular workout routine.

One of the DVD's is called "Plyometrics".  For those of you who don't know, Plyometrics involves jumping and other high impact activities.  If you look at Wikipedia they say: "...exercises based around having muscles exert maximum force in as short a time as possible, with the goal of increasing both speed and power. This training focuses on learning to move from a muscle extension to a contraction in a rapid or "explosive" way, for example with specialized repeated jumping. "

Tony Horton calls this DVD "the mother of all workouts" and indicates how hard it is.  I did this DVD many times in the past and it just about killed me every time, even doing some modified moves.  There are lots of squats which KILLED my quads and the cardio level is so high that my heart felt like it would burst out of my chest.  I think I have only done this DVD once since having surgery.  I think I did it mid-summer.

Today, I was considering doing an easier DVD at lunch, like Zumba, but I decided to challenge myself and do Plyo.

I was SHOCKED at how easy the DVD was to me!  Now don't get me wrong - I still sweated BUCKETS and it was INTENSE - my heart rate was through the roof!  BUT - NOTHING HURT!!  I didn't do any modifications and could squat and jump and totally go 110%.  I am so excited!!

I think this is a function of 2 things - first, I am more fit then last summer.  Secondly, because of my IT Band issue, I've been working hard on building up my butt and hamstring muscles.  Wow - did it ever work!

I'm telling you guys - there is such a HIGH in getting fit!  It has taken me over 3 years to get here, but it feels awesome!  I hope everyone is working out and pushing themselves.  The rewards are incredible!

I bought myself a present!

My beloved SUV - a Pontiac Aztek - has been dying a slow death for about the last 2 years.  I've sunk some money into it and considered driving it into the ground, but it has been making a horrible grinding noise lately and to be honest, I was getting a little scared of it locking up or something like that on the highway.  

So I had 2 choices - bring it in and have it serviced - about $2000 OR get a new vehicle.

This what won out! A 2013 Ford Edge.

I have to admit that there was a ton of guilt buying this for myself.  I seriously felt panicky last night about buying something this expensive and having a car payment again.  But I think I did the right thing and there was a certain relief driving home and knowing I didn't have to worry about it dying at all!

Wherefore art thou, Spring?

Have I told you guys how much I HATE the cold?  Yes, I know, only about a billion times, right?  Well this winter appears to just be dragging on and on and it's miserably cold.

Those of you that are on my Facebook page know that I have been having a very tough time this week.  When Marc and I visited our relatives in Albany I ate way too much.  I came back prepared to get on track, but I didn't.  My mind told me to eat, and then eat, and then eat some more!  My weight was up, but it wasn't so much the numbers as it was the obsessional eating patterns.

As you know I am on a weight loss site and there are a bunch of other "maintainers" that I interact with and a whole bunch of them seemed to be going through the same.  That helped my meltdown a little - to know that others that I admire and who have fought this fight were going through the same.

I am proud to say that I had a great weekend of eating well and exercising and my weight is back down.  Not quite where I want it, but close enough for government work as they say.  

Yesterday we just about finished the workout room.  I got it painted and then we put down some new carpeting and then cleaned and organized the room.  There is SO MUCH more room down there now that we aren't bumping into each other.

I also bought us a heavy bag.  Boxing is supposed to be a great form of exercise.  I haven't had a chance to try it out, but I'm looking forward to it!  

I feel like I'm getting back on track emotionally, but I really really need this weather to break!

Here is a pic of the expansion:

Flashback: 2010

I've mentioned a number of times that I don't know why I finally started this journey and became successful at it.  Unlike many people out there, I never had seriously tried to lose weight before.  But it was 2010 when all the pieces fell into place and I started my battle.

One of things that happened was that I collapsed at work and had to be taken out on a stretcher and placed in an ambulance.  I realized last night that this week was the anniversary of that happening.  Once again, for those that might not know, the collapsing had nothing whatsoever to do with my weight.  It was an inner ear thing and I ended up being perfectly fine.

But it was scary.  I remember laying there on the stretcher feeling embarrassed, scared and so, so, so sick and miserable.  Because I was projectile vomiting, I remember the ambulance crew asking me what I had eaten that day.  Believe it or not, I remember - I had a soft pretzel with melted cheese and a yogurt parfait from Target!  I told them believing that the only reason they were asking was because I was so fat.  I was scared that I was so heavy that they would drop me when loading me into the ambulance because I was so heavy.  

In the few weeks that followed, I had to see my primary care doctor and weighed in at 344.  I had to get an MRI - in an "open" machine - not because I was scared to being closed in, but because I could not fit in the regular MRI machine.  I also remember concerned friends and family members saying that I needed to "take care of myself" and I knew they meant I should lose weight and I was angry and ashamed and I reminded them that it was an inner ear disorder and nothing I could have done anything about.

How much these events motivated me to change my life, I honestly can't say.  But it did mark the beginning of me taking baby steps to become the person I am today.

 

How things have changed!  That time in my life seems eons ago in one respect and like it happened yesterday in another.

Yesterday 5 of us took a long trip in 1 vehicle.  I was thinking about us going and wondering if I could have the front seat so that we all wouldn't be squished in the back.  Then I remembered - I was actually the thinnest one on the trip so they wanted me in the back seat so there would be plenty of room!  

So it has been 3 of the hardest and most rewarding 3 years of my life.  I wonder what that person that I was then would say now if I went to her in the hospital where she was lying - absolutely miserable - and told her that she was in for some tough times, but 3 years from now her life would be radically different...

Where will you be 3 years, 5 years, 10 years from now?

  

Recipe: Tomato Soup

I made this to take to the friends' house last weekend and it was a HUGE hit.  I guess I should have taken pics, but it frankly looks like tomato soup!

This recipe makes 4 servings at just 76 calories per serving!!

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 small Onion; diced
2 cloves Garlic; chopped
2 tablespoons Tomato paste; no-salt-added
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 Bay leaf
2 (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes; including juice
1/4 cup skim Milk
2 tablespoons plain non fat greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Cook onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, sugar, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, and 2 cups water. Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.

2. Remove bay leaf. Use a handheld blender to puree the soup in the saucepan, or transfer soup to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. (If you're using a standard blender, allow the mixture to cool first; hot liquid may cause the blender to squirt out contents. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in batches.)

3. Heat milk in microwave for 30 seconds to warm, and then stir it into the pureed soup along with yogurt. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

It's Valentine's Day and love is in the air, right?  So I want you to right now think about someone you love with all your heart.  This could be a significant other, your child, your grandfather, your Aunt Myrtle.  Think about them - picture them for a minute.  Now think of 3 things you love about them.  

How was that?  Could you think of 3 things fast?  Now I want you to name 3 things you LOVE about yourself.  Go ahead - do it now.  Could you do it?  Did it take a while?  I'll bet if I asked you to name 3 things you hate about yourself you could do it instantly.

We are so hard on ourselves.  I'm betting a couple of things.  One is that when I asked you to name 3 things about the person you love that makes you love them that how they look is not one of the first things that popped into your head.  But this is the way that we judge ourselves and whether we are loveable or not!

I right now can't name 3 things about myself that I love.  Pathetic, right?  Ahhhh - yet another issue I need to work on!

Marc and I aren't much into Valentine's Day - our wedding anniversary is in a couple of weeks and we'll celebrate more at that time.  So no chocolatety temptations for me tonight!  

Anyway, I hope everyone reading this has a great evening and can celebrate with someone they love.  And I hope if you've decided to celebrate by eating a little off plan, you enjoy it and get right back to brass tax tomorrow.

Much love dear readers!!

The poor me, pity pot blog post...

IT'S NOT FAIR that I can be perfectly 100% on plan and it takes weeks to take off 2 pounds and one weekend of decadance can put it all back on.

IT'S NOT FAIR that I have to analyze and think about every single thing that goes into my mouth rather then just eating like a normal person.

IT'S NOT FAIR that I know people that eat massive amounts of food and never put on a pound.

IT'S NOT FAIR that I'm 5'1" and therefore my BMR is extremely low and even a small amount of additional calories can cause weight gain.

IT'S NOT FAIR that my husband - like many other men - can eat really badly and then just behave for a couple of days and be right back to their ideal weight.

IT'S NOT FAIR that I should be battling any sort of injury which limits my exercising.  (DAMNED IT BAND)

IT'S NOT FAIR that there is not enough hours in the day for me to accomplish everything that I want to.

IT'S NOT FAIR that sugary carby and fatty foods taste SO FRICKING GOOD.

IT'S NOT FAIR that stress makes me want to eat rather then suppressing my appetite.

Ok, after this temper tantrum I feel a little better.  Anyone care to add their own? 

Moving forward....

Today is Lincoln's Birthday and, lucky me, I get the day off!  I am definitely enjoying this long weekend and getting a lot done.  

I've been reading around the weight loss sites and there seems to be a lot of discouragement going on right now.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been feeling it, too.  I think one reason is this fracking weather.  It just will NOT warm up!  At least this is true in my area.  

 

I ran a little this morning, but my IT Band hurt so bad - even with the strap, that I had to surrender.  And this just compounds the problem.  I can't burn as many calories as I want.  I've noticed a lot of people complaining that they are either not losing or, for those that have reached their weight loss goal, they are having trouble maintaining.  

 

I am hopeful that when spring gets here it will be easier to drop a few more pounds.

 

Anyway, I found this quote by our former President:

 

I am not a history expert by any means, but I do know that it is widely believed that Lincoln had a lot of issues, including times of serious, unrelenting depression.  Yet he changed the world - for the positive.  Because, not matter what adversity he hit, he continued to move forward.

So if you weight loss is slow, or you feel discouraged because things aren't moving fast enough, just remember to keep moving forward, no matter how slowly, and don't walk backwards.

 

Girls just wanna have fun!

Hi everyone!  Sorry that I haven't posted but we took a couple of days to go visit relatives in the Albany area!  I'm glad to say that we had an awesome time.

This weekend was an interesting one for me.  It's the first time in who knows how long that I was really able to put diet and exercise thoughts to the side and just have fun.  In fact, we walked around a large museum in Albany on Saturday and then spent some time walking around the capitol taking pictures.  And then we hit a couple of malls on Sunday.  But other then that, no formal exercise.

When you are used to working out 2X's per day, every day, this is a HUGE deal.  I had nagging guilty thoughts with anxiety, but was able to keep them pretty much at bay.  Although now that I'm home, I do feel upset and guilty. 

I also have learned that I am still not at the spot where I can be trusted with food.  The good news is that I still have no desire for processed crappy foods.  The bad news is that even when faced with healthy selections, I stuff myself senseless. 

I will be curious to see what longer term effect this weekend has on my weight.  I am way up this morning, but we ate out last night and I had a reasonably healthy dinner - barbequed turkey and swiss cheese on a roll with a side of baked beans - but it was pretty salty.  Combine this with the other choices I made this weekend and my weight will be up for a few days.  

Either way - I'm back on track starting NOW.  I am having my cup of coffee and then will be hitting the treadmill and eating 100% on plan today - no excuses.  This is what I want you guys to remember - no matter when and if you fall off, you can always get back on track.  If I gained 5 pounds I start working right this minute to get the pounds off.

 

And overall, I think just breaking out of my rigidity was a good thing and a learning experience.  Now I just have to learn to let go in MODERATION.  Moderation?  WTF is that  ;))))

 

The sky is FALLING!

As I type this, there is a huge winter storm heading into the northeast.  You know what this means, don't you?  It means that the media has gotten into hysterics about this and they are pretty much predicting it's the end of the world!

People are already fighting over gas and police were called to a grocery store in the Albany area for people fighting over supplies.  Are you fricking kidding me?

Now don't get me wrong - it looks like there are some places that are going to be hit bad.  And I hope people are smart and stay home in those areas and nobody gets hurt.  But here, they are predicting a storm total of 3-6 inches for the day.  That is NOTHING here - yet all the schools have canceled.  It just shows what impact the media plays in our every day lives.

When stuff like this happens, it definitely increases my anxiety.  And I have a strong, powerful urge to eat.   And my motivational level SUCKS.  I am feeling very guilty today because I didn't run yesterday and I won't be running today.  Yikes!  I did run up and down stairs yesterday during my lunch break.  I traveled up and down 108 steps for 50 minutes.  But I had to go slower then I would have liked because I tripped a couple of times.  So it wasn't the cardio workout I could have had.

I am so ready for spring and nicer weather.  

For those of you in the storm's path, please stay safe!  And for those of you that are in nice weather, get your ass out there and do some exercise - no excuses!  Some of us would kill to have the weather you are having!!

Things I love: ZUMBA

When I first started exercise, one of the first things I did was Zumba.  I love to dance and I thought it sounded like fun.  So I borrowed 2 DVD's and tried them out.  It was instant love!

First off, you DO NOT need to be a great dancer to fall in love with and/or benefit from Zumba.  As long as you keep moving and trying out the moves, you will be burning calories.  Zumba is like a aerobics workout combined with latin dancing, and you don't feel like you are working out because it is so much fun!

The DVD's I started with were a 20 minute "Zumba Express" and Zumba "Cardio Party".  The Zumba Express has a tutorial that takes you through all the moves and teaches you how to do them.  Then there is the 20 minute workout.  I remember the first time that I did the express workout - I got through about 5 minutes before collapsing!  LOL  The Cardio Party is a more intensive 45 minute workout session.  That's what I'll be doing for my lunch workout today.

Zumba also makes a version to do on the Wii.  I know a lot of people love doing that because of the feedback you get while doing the moves.

I have never taken a live class, but I really want to in the future because I think it would be a lot of fun!

Don't worry about looking silly - most people don't have those "Latin Hips"!  Just pop in a DVD, move and have fun.

As Beto - the creator says - LET'S ZUMBA!

A perfect world...

What would your perfect world look like?  What would you look like?  What would your home, your family, your job look like?

My friend recently went through a nasty breakup and has herself CONVINCED that it is because she is unattractive that she is alone.  She said that it is only logical.  I reminded her of the saying "For every hot woman out there, there is a man who is sick of having sex with her..."  She did at least laugh at this.

Just remember that perfection does not exist.  You will not ever get to the point where you are 100% satisfied.  Trust me, I know!  I am the healthiest I have ever been in my life.  However, I still lament my thighs and boobs (or lack thereof).  And, since I was always told what fat women are told a lot - "You have a pretty face" - I always thought that if I ever lost weight that I would be pretty.  Turns out that's not true!  I still am not what I consider "pretty".  Not even close.

So if you're not seeking perfection - because it is an illusion - can you chase happiness?  That's where I feel that I am at today.  Just because I am thin doesn't mean that I crap rainbows and skip through daisies on my way home.  But life is pretty good.  

Slowly, gradually, I'm getting there - accepting myself, appreciating what I do have, being happy.  If you find this, it doesn't mean you stop moving forward - you just do it with a different perspective...

Poor winners/poor losers

So the Superbowl is over which I imagine is a huge relief to some of you who don't like football!

I just have to post about this because it really struck me yesterday.  Let me first say that I am HUGELY competetive.  I sometimes wonder if that competetive streak is something that has made me successful in this weight loss journey .  Almost like I have been competing against myself!  

At any rate, I would be described as a poor loser.  I am also a very poor winner.  Meaning that I have absolutely no issue with rubbing people's face in my victory in a very nasty way.  This is not something that I'm proud of, it is a definite character defect that I need to work on.  Since I don't play competetive sports, I don't have to deal with this very much.  

Something struck me yesterday - after the game was over, most of the Baltimore players were celebrating with their teammates on the sidelines - hugging each other, jumping up and down, crying, etc.  But there was one player - Ray Rice - who I noticed went right over to the San Fransisco sidelines and began shaking hands with the 49'er players and saying "good game" and stuff like that.

I was incredibly impressed with that show of sportsmanship.  That was very cool of him and very classy.  It just points out that you don't have to knock someone else down to build yourself up.  And that's a lesson for all of us.

Superbowl Sunday!!

For those of you like me who LOVE football, today is a big day.  My team is not playing, so I get to relax and just hope that it's an exciting game.  If you have no plans today, then this is a regular Sunday for you.  But even if you're not a big football fan, you might be going to a party or having some people over.  

I want to talk about strategy today - and this is relevant not just for the Superbowl but lots of events - everything from baby showers to birthday parties - so read on!  First of all, what is your plan for today?  I ask that with no judgment.  Are you planning on staying rigorously on plan?  Indulging a little?  Throwing caution to the wind and eating whatever is there?  Any of those choices are fine, but you need to have a plan BEFORE you walk out the door so you have no regrets either way.

 Ok, so let's make some decisions.  Let's say you want to just eat what is there and enjoy yourself.  Ask yourself these questions:

• When I get on the scale tomorrow, if I've eaten "typical" party food, the scale will be up by a lot.  It will not be uncommon to see 5 pounds more.  This will MOSTLY be water weight from fluid retention.  Can I handle and accept this, or will it throw me into a depression and/or cause me to lose motivation?
• If I eat a lot, I will probably not see a loss this week.  Can I live with this?
• Am I a sugar/salt/carb addict?  If so, will I be able to get right back on plan tomorrow or will it throw me off kilter for days or weeks?

 What about if you choose to eat completely on plan?

• Will there be any food there that is healthy or do I need to bring my own food?
• Am I prepared for comments from other people?
• Will I feel deprived and resentful watching other people eat and enjoy?

There are no right and wrong answers to these questions.  But they are things that you need to look at before the time comes.  Whichever decision you make, make sure you're ok with it and make a plan for this to be a one day event, not something that drags on for the next 2 weeks and leads to a major setback.

If you do want to eat a little recklessly today, here are some advance ways to mitigate the damage.  You've got some time now, how about a little extra exercise this morning?  No, you're not going to be able to exercise in advance a lot of extra calories, but 1 hour now can at least cover a piece of pizza!  Bring your own water to the event.  Drink that to fill you up some.  Eat something healthy for breakfast and lunch so you're not starving when all the junk comes out.  And don't hang out by the snack table!

Good luck, have fun and GO NINERS!!!!

Recipe: Turkey Chili

One of my favorites!  Tastes delicious and doesn't take that long to make!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 boullion cube
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• olive oil

Directions:

1 - In a large pan, heat olive oil. Brown the turkey, then add garlic and onions and cook until softened. Add water with boullion already dissolved in it. Then add beans and tomatoes. Add spices.

2 - Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes