Plank-a-day, easy peasy recipe, and a few more need-to-knows

I am pleased to say that this little blog reached 700 page views today! Now I certainly did not start this blog to gain a following or become famous in the blogging world, but it is nice to know that at least a few people check out what you have to say. So, thanks to my few but faithful readers! :)

I was reading one of my favorite magazines yesterday and I came across a great idea. There were articles about several ladies who had committed to "tweeting" everything that they eat at the end of each day in hopes of eating less or eating healthier since everyone will be able to see what they are eating. Several of them lost over 30 pounds! Not only do I not have a twitter, I also have no shame, so I am not sure that this would work for me, but it is a great idea! There was, however, an idea that I think I will try. A lady started her own hash-tag on Twitter (#plankaday) and hundreds ended up joining in. Her idea was to spend at least one minute a day in the plank pose. Easy enough, right? I am going to try to commit to doing this because I know from my experience in Pilates that planks are THE way to go. Planks strengthen your core and force you to tighten just about every muscle in your body. Join me in the plank-a-day challenge; lets get that flat belly that I know we all want.

I published this and then realized how weird it was to talk about a flat belly and then put a Mexican dish immediately following. All I can say is...I use low-fat ingredients. :)

Cheesy Taco Salad
This is a recipe I have put together from several different recipes

Ingredients:
One pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
Half a head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 1/2 cups low-fat cheddar cheese, grated
One packet taco seasoning (homemade is great and easy)
Jalapenos (optional)
Can of black beans (corn would also be good in it)
Small onion, minced
Light sour cream (about one cup, but I like a little more!)
Jar of salsa (or homemade if you have time)
Bag or tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 375. Brown ground beef in a skillet with a little bit of oil and the onion. Then add the taco seasoning and some water (whatever it calls for on the seasoning packet.) Set aside.
Place a layer of chips in a casserole dish. Then layer with some of the beans, some salsa, some meat, some lettuce, and some of the cheese. Then put another layer of chips, and another layer of all of the fixings (be sure and save 1/2 cup of cheese for the top.) Top with remaining cheese and some jalapenos. Place in the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt (not too long or the chips will get soggy.)
Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream on top (you could mix the sour cream in with the layers but warm sour cream kind of freaks some people out.) A lot of recipes call for Catalina dressing, so you could have that on the table if anyone wants it. :)