Diva Taunia's Backstage Pass Official Blog

DIVA RECIPE #4: SUPERSTAR HEALTHY CHILI!

I think it's pretty clear now that I'm a Diva who likes spicy.  And a lot of it.  Until my mouth is on fire.  Unfortunately, Rob is not always on board with that, so I sometimes have to tone it down.  I think I found a happy medium with this super-healthy, super-easy, protein-heavy, medium-spicy superstar chili:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 packages of Old El Paso Hot & Spicy Taco Mix
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1-2  tblsp of minced garlic
• 1 can of kidney beans (15-16 oz)
• 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 tblsp of hot sauce
• 1 tblsp of cinnamon (I know, wacky!  But it gives it a nice, smoky flavor.)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

• Brown the ground turkey in a pan, and use ONE PACKAGE of the Taco Mix as directed as if you were making tacos.  (Yes, you DO use the water as directed on the package for this. 2/3 cup)
• Drain and rinse the kidney beans.
• While the turkey is browning, start warming your crock pot and add all other ingredients.  (Check list:  tomatoes, kidney beans, chopped peppers, onions, garlic, hot sauce, second taco seasoning package, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper)
• Add cooked and prepared turkey to crock pot.
• Let this cook on low for a good portion of the day to get all the spicy to combine and be happy.

TOPPING SUGGESTION:

This is good all own it's own, but we always like a little cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top.  You can also use some tortilla chips for crunch.  

NUTRITIONAL INFO*:

 The totals are (for the entire chili - minus any cheese and/or sour cream):

• Calories:  806
• Fat:  13
• Protein 39

This makes about 6 really good size portions, or 8-10 mini diva portions.   At SIX servings, the totals per serving are:

• Calories:  134.3
  
• Fat:  2.17
  
• Protein 6.5

This is one you can feel really good about eating.  Let me know if you make it and how you like it.  Enjoy!

(* I'm not a medical professional AT ALL, so I'm just giving you my best estimates here.  But as always, check my lousy math, and check with the pro's, yo.  lol)

DIVA RECIPE # 2: SPICY VEGGIE-RAVIOLI SOUP!

In my quest to eat healthier, cook more, and create WLS-friendly* but yummy dishes, I decided to do a little play on an old cold-weather stand by:  vegetable soup. So here is my # 2 recipe for 2010:  Spicy Veggie-Ravioli** Soup!  I like the spicy, so you can add or subtract spices as you like...but this is HELLA good!  Nice and warm for a cold day, but the ravioli gives you enough to keep the tummy satisfied for a good while. 

Note:  as a former vegetable hater (now lover), I like my veggies cut up really small/diced.  It makes them more appealing to me, probably because I'm a nutcase.  But hey, if you don't love veggies, it may be worth a try to get your veggie-pallette going, you know?  This is a REALLY tasty way to get loads of veggies and nutrients in.

Go fire-up the crockpot and try this out:

Veggie Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 large celery stalk, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 roasted red pepper (I like some black char on my peppers, yo)
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 1 tblsp of minced garlic  (this goes in at the very, very end - garlic burns easily!)

Spices/Oil Ingredients:

• 1 tblsp of Montreal Steak Seasoning (yes, this appears in just about every soup I make!)
• 1/2 tblsp of Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 tblsp of Cajun Seasoning
• 1/4 tblsp of Chili Powder
• 1/2 tblsp of oregano
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tblsp of olive oil for the pan

Other Ingredients:

• 2 large containers of chicken stock/broth (veggie stock/broth would also work great here)
• 16 small frozen cheese ravioli
• I also had a very small piece of cornbread with this, b/c I always need bread with soup.  Some habits die hard, lovelies.

Directions:

1. Warm olive oil in pan, then add all diced and frozen veggies (except garlic!) to the pan to sautee' for about 20-25 minutes on medium heat - or until veggies start to look clear.   Add garlic in for the last couple of minutes to avoid burning it.  (You just want it warmed with the other veggies.)  Season the veggies with salt and pepper - not too much, about a good pinch or two of each.
2. Pour stock into crock pot and turn on low. 
3. Add all spice ingredients to stock and stir. Remember, I like-ah the spicy, so you may want to cut back a bit on the spices if you or your tummy/pouch doesn't agree with spicy.
4. After veggies are done sautee-ing, transfer them to the stock in the crock pot.
5. Let this cook on low for the afternoon - the longer it sits, the more the spices intermingle and do their awesome-thang.
6. About 30 minutes before eating, add frozen ravioli to the crock pot.  After 30 minutes, serve and enjoy!

This makes about 8 pouch-friendly servings (for a gal who's almost two years post-op).  Each serving should have 2-3 ravioli in the soup, depending on if you can handle pasta or not.

*Disclaimer #1:  Always check with your nutritionist/dietician/doctor about what you should and should-not eat if you are a WLS peep.  I'm not any of those things - just a diva who likes to cook.  And eat.  :)

**Disclaimer #2:  If you take the ravioli out, this becomes a pretty kick-ass veggie soup all on it's own.  I put the ravioli in there for a touch of protein and substance, but a lot of lovelies can't handle the pasta...so use it at your own discretion.

My nutritional estimates (per serving - based on the labels I have):  approximately 120 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein in each serving.  This does not include the small piece of cornbread I have pictured or any other bread.  Come on, yo!  Enjoy.  :)

BAKED APPLE GOODNESS!

I re-made a baked apple recipe to make it a bit more WLS-friendly.  It was deeeeelicious!  Rob is shown here eating it with icecream, but it's delicious enough to eat all on it's own.  If you make it, let me know how it comes out and if you enjoyed it!

REDUCED CALORIE/HIGHER PROTEIN BAKED APPLES:

*2 Fiji apples (Calories 80, Total Fat 0g, Protein .5g)

*1/2 lemon (Calories 22, Fat 0g, Protein .5 g)... See More

*2 tblsp butter (Calories 200, Fat 22, Protein 0)

*2 tblsp of Splenda brown sugar blend
(Calories 40, Fat 0, Protein 0)

* 1 snack bag of Kay's Naturals Honey Almond Cereal
(or any other sweetened protein or fiber cereal)
(Calories 100, Fat 1.5g, Protein 9g)

*1/4 cup of chopped pecans
(Calories 200, Fat 22g, Protein 3g)

*1/4 cup of raisins
(Calories 130, Fat 0, Protein 1g)

Directions:

1) Split the apples in half and use a melon baller to hollow out the seeds and make a little "cup" for the good stuff.

2) Rub the lemon half over the white inside of the apples.

3) Melt the butter in the microwave - about 15 seconds.

4) Add all dry ingredients except raisins to a bowl, pour in melted butter and stir until well-coated.

5) Put the raisins in the little cuppy-cup of each apple. Top the raisinswith the crumbly goodness so that it overflows and covers most of the top of the apple.

6) Bake on 350 for 40-45 minutes until apples are golden brown on the outside.

Holy shnikies, this is good!

Nutritional Totals (makes FOUR servings):

Calories: 772/4 = 193
Fat: 45.5/4 = approx 11.5
Protein: 14/4 = 3.5

Enjoy!

12/21 "MORE GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS" PRIZE GIVEAWAY LIST!

Honestly, this 12/21 "More Gifts of Christmas" show is going to ROCK!   Be sure to keep the number handy, because you'll want to call-in to win some of this awesomeness!  (347) 857-2052.  Tune in on Monday, 12/21 between 6:00-7:30pm and all you have to do is be the right number caller to win any of these fabulous prizes:

(Updated 12/17 - more prizes to come!)

• Award-winning Broadway and Hollywood Actor/Singing Superstar SAM HARRIS has donated an amazing prize package!  Three signed CDS ("On This Night," " Revival, "and "Free"), and a dvd of "free" behind the scenes, and the "I Can't Make You Love mM" music video.  For more information about Sam, please visit www.samharris.com.

• Rimmel London has put together and donated a holiday party essential package for one lucky winner on the show!The package includes: Sexy Curves Mascara, Colour Rush Quad Eyeshadow in Smokey Noir, Soft Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Jet Black, Lasting Finish Kiss & Stay Gloss in Old Flame and 60 Second Nail Polish in Night Before!  Check them out at www.rimmellondon.com.

• Our WLS Lovely feature for this week is obesityhelp.com, and they've generously donated another THREE annual subscriptions to OH Magazine.

• Supreme Protein has a whopping four boxes for a prize!  1 box of 50gm Caramel Nut Chocolate, 1 box 43gm Peanut  Butter Crunch, 1 box 50gm Rocky Road Brownie, and 1 box of 45gm Cookies & Cream! To read more  check out their website at www.supremeprotein.com.

• Kay's Naturals Variety Sampler Gift Pack including cookie bites and the BBQ flavor. This is their second time donating, so thanks to everyone at Kay's!  To see some of their yummy products, please visit www.kaysnaturals.com

• Mikal (our 12/7/09 New Music Feature) donated two great prize packs!   Signed CD and Poster, 2 tickets to the  1/22/09  show at The Lucky Dog Music Hall, Worcester.  To hear Mikal, please visit www.mikal.us.  This is Michael's second prize package with BSPR - thanks, Michael!

• From the Diva Taunia Store, an Avon Footworks in Tropical Coconut gift package!

• $25 Gift Certificate to www.restaurant.com

I'm also featuring the music of Hollywood and Broadway actor and singing superstar, SAM HARRIS!  You don't want to miss this show.   More prizes and features to come....check back often! Happy Holidays!

DIVA-LICIOUS CROCK POT CHICKEN SOUP!

After boasting (read: being obnoxious) yesterday that I make the most delicious chicken soup in the world, I got a request for the recipe!  I decided to post it here so that my pals could make their own Diva-licious chicken soup and have a nice warm belly for the holidays.  :)

It's a little different than a traditional chicken-soup because of the spices. (Note:  you can add more or less to taste.  This is NOT too spicy, but I keep it that way for Rob.  My preference is spicier.  lol)

If you make this, please be sure to leave a comment and tell me how it turned out!  Happy Eating!

DIVALICOUS CROCK POT CHICKEN SOUP:

• 2 large containers of chicken broth (I like College Inn - Printable Coupons:  Explorer and Firefox)
• 1 leftover chicken - including meat and carcass (I know, yum)
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 3 large stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3/4 cup of soup pasta (I like Barilla Piccolini Mini Wheels)
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1/2 tblsp of cayenne pepper
• 1 tblsp of tumeric
• 1 tblsp of Goya Adobo Spice
• 1 tblsp of salt and pepper - more or less to taste
• 1 tblsp of McCormick's Montreal Seasoning
• 1/4 tsp of garlic powder for extra punch
  

Directions:

1) Remove chicken meat from carcass.  Place chicken stock, meat, and carcass in crock pot and put on low overnight.  In the morning, you will need to carefully strain the chicken bones from the soup.  I use a small strainer and remove all bones....takes time, but it's worth it!  You can skip the bones if you prefer and just let the meat and stock simmer overnight with the spices.

2)  Warm the oil in a pan and then sautee' the onions, carrots, celery until they are soft and transluscent.  The last two or three minutes, add the garlic to simmer with the veggies (wait until the end so you don't burn the garlic).

3)  Add the sauteed veggies to the crock pot, then add all spices (tumeric, salt and pepper, Adobo, garlic powder, and Montreal Seasoning).  Stir, and let simmer for the afternoon.

4) One hour before eating, put in the pasta to slow cook. (Don't put it in earlier or the pasta will expand and take over the whole soup!)

This makes about 4 very large bowl servings, and tastes better the more often you reheat it.  Serve with a nice crusty roll.  A little bit of work involved, but worth it....yummy!

Enjoy :)

SITE REVIEW: COUPONCHIEF.COM

Ok, so you all know that I have recently become the Diva of All Things Coupon.  Whereas once I used to talk on and on about my weight loss surgery and music (and really, I still do), I now talk and talk and talk about my favorite couponing sites, deals, etc.   I mean seriously, how can you shop these days WITHOUT using a coupon or coupon code, huh?  Who doesn't love to save money?!

So today I checked out a new coupon code site:  couponchief.com.  At first glance, the setup and organization of the site looks very much like some of my other favorite coupon code sites, but hey, they are very user-friendly and easy to navigate so I don't blame them for following a successful lead there.   And honestly?  The setup isn't nearly as important as what they have to offer, so let's see what they've got...

The front page boasts featured stores (eh), popular coupons (yay!  that means they actually work), and new coupons (saves me the hassle of having to search for those, so thanks).   Immediately I see a coupon for Benefit Cosmetics, so I'm starting to fall in love.  (I'm a Diva, yo.  I like all-things girly, and Benefit is one of my favorite makeup lines EVER.)  I check it out and find a page packed with great coupon codes....score!

Ok, so now I need to know if I can find some printable coupons.  I click on the "Stores" feature and find a full list of the stores on the site - which is great.  Easy to navigate, and I can even find some stores that might have otherwise slipped my mind.  I click on the Wal-Mart store, and find a ton of coupon codes that I can't really use, but nothing really printable.  I decide to search the Target store as well, and find no printable coupons, but a long list of really great coupon codes...nice.

So far, I'm not really impressed with printable coupons, but the online coupon codes are really fantastic, and that seems to be the focus at couponchief.com. I then see the Pays-2-Share feature at the top....anything that infers that I can be paid is A-Ok with me. You can upload your own coupon codes and any time someone uses one that you've uploaded, you make 2% of the sale.  Hells, yeah!  That works for me.  I think that is a pretty awesome feature....sign me up.

I think the Pays-2-Share program is going to be what keeps me coming back.  The coupon codes are great, but that program will keep me returning to the site and checking how my own coupons are doing, and in turn, I'll likely use them for my coupon and promo codes as well.  It's a clean, easy-to-use site that provides and incentive for me to return again and again.  I'll link to them over on the side, so give them a try (hey, the more we all use the site, the more money we can all potentially make, peeps) and get to saving some money, my fellow divas!

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