What's sad, is that joy has been stolen from many of us. We are constantly bombarded by magazine covers, commercials and media images that are unrealstic and not attainable. I have fought that battle trying diet after diet to find it never produces the results I hoped for. I never magically turned into a flawless model and only ended up hungry and miserable. I mean, who wants to eat chicken breast and brocolli while everyone else is eating pizza? Not me! And after years of being on that roller coaster, I have finally been set free!
That's right! I am not vegan, vegetarian, low carb or paleo. I do not go on juice cleanses, follow a raw diet or make smoothies every morning. I now focus on a balance of REAL FOOD and finding the best quality ingredients I can. I eat foods that I enjoy (including bacon, butter and bread) and do not fret or stress about whether my meals fall into a strict plan. I mean, we only get to eat three times a day, we have to make them count, right?!
With that said, I do care about my health and eating to live. I have an amazing husband, daughter and three stepsons that I'd like to care for as long as I can. Cancer also runs in my family and research has shown that diet can be directly related to this disease. So am I going to eat processed, corn syrup laden, deep fried foods for every meal? Of course not! Besides, fast food, frozen food and processed packaged foods are not near as tasty and satisfying as making the food yourself. Plus, when you make it yourself, you know what was put in it and don't have to question the list of chemicals listed (or not) on your food label.
So I strive to eat a variety of ALL foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, healthy fats and meats and try to avoid fast food and processed foods. Am I perfect with it? No. I try to eat real food 75% of the time, and the other 25% of the time I give myself grace and don't stress about it. During the week I try to cook all my meals at home but come the weekend, I eat out and indulge in whatever I feel like and am not sorry one bit. And so far, this has been the best path for me!
Are you ready for a recipe? I thought so! Here's a family favorite!
Bonita's Stuffed Bell Peppers
1 lb ground beef
6 green bell peppers
1 cup cooked rice (I use white)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (16 oz) can rotel tomatoes
salt and pepper
garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Boil a large pot of water. Cut the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5-8 minutes or until slightly tender. Remove peppers from water and set aside.
2. Saute beef and onions in a separate skillet until beef is browned. Drain off fat and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir in rotel, one can tomato sauce, rice and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes and remove from heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stuff each pepper with the beef mixture and place each pepper open side up in a casserole dish. Pour second can of tomato sauce over the peppers. Top liberally with grated cheese.
4. Bake covered for 25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
ENJOY!
