Black Bean Chili: Family Meal Under $6

After several tweet requests for my black bean chili recipe, here it is! It's delicious, healthy, inexpensive and super quick. I also did a cost analysis and it only costs about $5.55 for the entire recipe which will serve 6.

Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon almond oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans black beans, undrained
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions:
1. Heat oil to medium in stockpot. Saute onions and garlic. Add beans, tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, oregano, basil and red wine vinegar.
2. Reduce heat and cover; simmer for 45 minutes.

It actually tastes better the longer you let the flavors blend. It tastes great as leftovers the next day, too!

9 Quickest Ways to Lose Weight and Look Fab in Your Swimsuit

With swimsuit season just around the corner it's time again to cut those extra pounds and get your body swimsuit ready. The good news is there is plenty of time if you make the commitment to take action now. You have about 6 weeks so let's not waste any more time and get started so you can look fabulous in your favorite bikini!

You can pick any one of the nine below but you will definitely get the most benefit and weight loss by applying each one to your life and get a rockin' bod.

9 Ways to Lose Weight Fast for Your Swimsuit
1. Eat only 3 meals a day and one snack which you can either have in the afternoon or early evening.
2. No eating after 7:30 pm. Allow evening and sleeping time to put your body into a caloric deficit to promote fat loss. Also, just like my mother-in-law says "you won't know you are a little hungry if you just go to sleep".
3. During the next 21 days avoid all alcohol (you can have up to two drinks for Cinco de Mayo!)
4. Stop eating when you feel 80% satisfied, not full, stuffed or sick. This will easily save you 200-700 calories! It adds up very quickly since 150 calorie reduction per day can help you lose 15 pounds in a year!
5. Avoid the clean plate syndrome- always leave some food on your plate.
6. *Lift weight 3-4 times per week for 30 minutes but work out hard during those thirty minutes with little rest between sets.
7. *Do some leg squats- there is nothing that can make cellulite go away but doing squats at the gym with just the bar is a great way to tighten up you hamstrings, butt, and quads.
8. *Sprint for 10 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds. Continue this for 10 minutes. *As always when starting a new program consult with your physician.
9. Write down your food intake. Whenever you write it down you will be more accountable and research shows that people who have been successful at losing weight and keeping it off typically keep a food log.

Have a fabulous summer at the beach or pool and don't forget your sunscreen to keep you skin looking young!