fitness. motherhood. life & style.

Quinoa/Bean Stuffed Bell Peppers

I'm trying to work on recipes and cooking again vs. just quick meals (2019 goals). I get so busy that sometimes meal prep is too much work (hello sandwiches) but my girlfriends and I have been making these bell peppers and they can last you for a few lunches during the week! They're so good, I had to share.

What you'll need:
-6 Bell peppers
-2 Tomatoes chopped
-4 Jalapenos chopped
-3 Cups Quinoa
-Shredded cheese to top
-Half bunch of Cilantro chopped
-Can of corn
-Can of black beans
-1 teaspoon cumin
-1 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/2 teaspoon onion powder
-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Lime juice to taste

Optional:
-Half avocado to top

Directions:
-Preheat your oven to 350
-Cook quinoa (I use an easy microwave pouch)
-Cut all your veggies
-Cut the top and center out of the peppers
-Drain your corn and beans
-Mix everything together (minus avocado, cheese, and bell peppers)
-I listed measurements for the seasoning but I know I use way more than that, I just season to taste
-Line a baking pan with foil and your six peppers
-Stuff the peppers and top with cheese
-Bake for 25-30 min.
-Top with avocado if you'd like!

You can store the other peppers for a day or two OR you can just do one pepper at a time so it's fresh and store the mix. I like to store the mix for the week and put on lettuce :)

Enjoy!


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Skin Care Routine

I'm one of those people with really sensitive skin so I've always kept my skin care routine super simple. As in, I only washed my face with a Cetaphil bar, simple. For years I was lucky enough to not have many breakouts until I had miss Mia. After that, my skin changed completely! It's crazy what pregnancy can do to your body. Last year I even had to stop wearing makeup for a little while. This year, I decided to take control of my skin.

Good skin starts from the inside out. I believe having good gut health is one of the best things you can do for your body and skin. I always take a probiotic and I started incorporating more super foods (hemp oil, dark greens, etc.) and fermented foods (Kombucha) into my diet. I also keep up a good water intake and try to get enough sleep. Overall health is first and then the skin care products come into play.

The first thing I did with my skin care routine was switch from foundation to an SPF tinted moisturizer. I tanned without sunscreen for years when I was younger so I'm trying to make up for my lack of SPF back then. This helped me get extra moisture for my dry skin and it doesn't clog my pores. The color in this automatically matches to your skin for a little coverage. The Gentle Cetaphil bar has always worked for me so I wasn't about to take that out of my routine. It's gentle but gets my skin very clean. I stuck to just using this for one week then started incorporating other products into my routine to see how my skin would react. I saw one of my favorite bloggers mention she used the Pond's Cream Cleanser and I remember my grandma always used Pond's (she had AMAZING skin), so I decided to give that a try. I use this to take off all of my makeup and then wash my face with my Cetaphil bar. The Pond's Cleanser was a GAME CHANGER for my dry skin. It takes off make up and moisturizes my skin. I noticed if I use too much moisturizer I break out but I still need moisture, badly. I use the Pond's regularly and every so often I'll use my Fresh moisturizer for extra moisture. The Fresh moisturizer has rose water in it and it's the only moisturizer I've ever been able to use. If I need just a spritz of freshness real quick then I'll use my Mario Badescu spray which I've used, and loved, forever. The spray also has rose water which acts like a gentle toner and it brightens my skin. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and it's basically a quick refresher for my face.




When it comes to breakouts, the first thing that I had to stop doing was touching my face! I am so bad at that. Then I use this acne spot treatment for blemishes and sometimes in the summer I have to use an Apricot scrub to get a deep clean. The spot treatment dries pimples up right away and any scrub is good to clean your pores, this one is just more gentle than others. If I'm feeling like I really need to get some toxins out of my skin then I use this clay mask. It's the best I've ever used and I found it thanks to my sister (and brother in law, haha). It is really strong though and can dry you out if you over use it.




Lastly, I found a few other products that I like to use on occasion. I love this mask for hydration, the honey in it is awesome and so hydrating. I use this eye cream nightly to help my fine lines (darn genes) and reduce inflammation. I also wanted to start incorporating a vitamin c cream and I love this one. Vitamin C really helps with dry skin, dullness, and uneven texture. I love it!




Mainly, I try to use just my tinted moisturizer, Pond's, eye cream, and Cetaphil on the regular and then I add the other products when needed. I think it's best to not use too many products at once because they'll counteract each other and sometimes too many skin care products results in breakouts.  I want to try and keep my skin as natural as possible! I'm happy to report that my skin is now looking its best since miss Mia arrived! I'd love to know what skin care secrets work for you all as well!

Currently

A few months ago, "don't touch your face Katie!"-note to self

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