Product Reviews (and a Giveaway) & Spinach, Rice & Bean Recipe Filed under ( Beans, Healthy, product review, Turkey, Vegan, Vegetables )

Thank you all for the sweet comments on our Jamaica trip! Yes, I did keep this a secret! I always feel a little strange posting that we will be gone/out of our house for an extended period of time, so I figured I'd just wait until we got back to tell you ;). The rest of my Sunday was lovely! I ran six miles outside (the speedy time was due to the chill in the air- I just wanted to get back inside!!):
And got the house organized(laundry, cleaning, ironing, cooking, etc)! I also broke into my stash of Galaxy Granola that the company sent me.

I tried the Vanilla Almond and it was super yummy! I'm not a big fan of overly sweet granola, so this hit the spot! It is very light, super crunchy, and has 50% less fat than other granolas. I cannot wait to try the other flavors and will report back on my thoughts! I will be trying them mixed into the new Caramel and Chocolate Oikos that I was FINALLY able to find yesterday!

Last night for dinner, I made up a spinach, rice, bean and turkey (for Josh) mixture, inspired by this recipe on Dawn Dishes It Out. This recipe can be made vegan without the turkey and is pretty yummy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (more as needed)
• 1/2 lb ground turkey (or eliminate and use additional beans for vegan version)
• 8 ounces canned vegan/vegetarian pinto beans (or favorite bean)
• 8-14 ounces tomato sauce (depends how saucy you like it)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
• Desired quantity fresh or frozen spinach
• Brown Rice

Directions:

Cook Brown Rice according to directions on box.

Heat olive oil in a large pot or skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes. Add turkey (if using) to onion/garlic mix and cook until no longer pink. Add all seasonings, beans, and tomato sauce and let simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Add in desired quantity of spinach and cook until wilted into mixture. Combine cooked brown rice and turkey, bean & spinach mixture. The result:

If you're not vegan, you can also top it with some Parmesan cheese. I used my favorite brown rice in this recipe, Success:

I love this rice! Whats your favorite brand? Success recently sent me a coupon for a free box. Do you want to try Success too? 10 lucky Itzy's Kitchen readers will win their own coupon! To enter, simply leave a comment below! For an additional entry, tweet or buzz about this contest and leave me a separate comment letting me know you did so! The contest will be open until Wednesday night, March 10 at 11:59 PM!

How is your Monday going so far? I taught Body Pump this morning and am now working away. I am hoping to meet up with my parents later for some coffee. Enjoy your week!!