The Greatest Burrito In The World!

The T H Supreme Vegetarian Burrito

Recipe created by Missy Costello of Karma Chow

1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced into thin strips

1 Green or Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced into thin strips

1 Vidalla Onion or Maui Onion, sliced thinly

1 cup dry Quinoa or Brown rice, cooked

2 cups water

½ small red onion, diced

1 - 15oz. can Organic Black Bean

½ c. Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes

3 tsp ground cumin

1 TBL Chili Powder (Mexican style blend)

1 tsp Sea Salt

Pepper to taste

2 TBL. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 Pkg. Sprouted or Whole Wheat Tortillas

Extras (optional):

Avocado

Cheese (preferably non-dairy)

Salsa

Tempeh Bacon (if you are using this, put it inside the burrito before rolling)

To Prepare:

Rinse quinoa or brown rice, and prepare according to package directions.

While quinoa/rice is cooking, heat 1 TBL of the Olive oil in a large skillet.  Add peppers & onions and sauté until soft – about 3-5 minutes. Add 2 tsp. cumin, Chili Powder, ½ tsp. sea salt and continue cooking for 2 more minutes, stirring to incorporate all the spices with the peppers & onions. Add Tomatoes and stir to mix. Lower heat and cover, cooking for about 5 minutes until peppers are really soft.

To prepare beans, heat remaining TBL of olive oil in a saucepan and add red onion. Saute the onion until soft. Add remaining 1 tsp of cumin and ½ tsp. salt, stir together. Add black beans and stir to incorporate all ingredients. Let cook for 1-2 minutes longer until beans are heated through. Add 1 cup of cooked quinoa or rice to the beans and stir together. Season with fresh ground pepper and remove from heat.

To Assemble:

Heat Tortilla shell over low open flame on stove to soften. Place the tortilla on a flat surface. Spread a very small amount of grated cheese over entire tortilla. Add 1 scoop of pepper & onion mixture to bottom 1/3 of tortilla. Top with 1 scoop of quinoa/bean mixture. Add avocado (optional) and Roll!!!

Enjoy your burrito topped with heart healthy Salsa or a bit of guacamole!!

Makes 6-8 Burritos

Beyond The Walls

When I was a kid I was scared all of the time. I'm not kidding. All the time! Everything around me seemed frightening. I was so self conscience that I put up hundreds of barriers (in my mind) to keep me from changing and growing and exploring the things that would help me. As a boy I was convinced that I was dumb, weak & ugly. I walked around with that in my head 24/7. The one thing I had, was a sense of humor. Silliness saved my life. It was the one thing I could count on when things were looking bleak. 

Getting laughs helped me get by, but my brain and and heart were telling me that there was more to life. In my 20s I had the wherewithal to seek betterment for myself. At that time I was always stuck, lost (dazed) and confused. I hated it! In my stuckness I would try to figure things out alone. Without help. What an amazing waist of time. My intentions were so good, yet my results were so lousy. I would tell myself to be more positive, but I didn't know how to find the tools that could make that happen.

Thank God for self help books. The first one I ever read was Dr. Wayne Dyer's "Looking Out For Number 1". The book didn't change my life forever, but it did allow me to look at things in a new way. It gave me a new perpective to see beyond the walls I had created in my life. It was one tier on a long ladder to help me scale some of those walls.

This web site with it's message boards, chat rooms, WOWY, coaches threads and MyBeachbody are here as a support system to help you move beyond the walls that keep you from your life. You change, grow & learn every time you eat better than before. Every time you push play. Every time you listen to someone who asks for your help. Every time you look for help. 
~See Beyond The Walls In Front Of You ~ Bruce Springsteen

July 2nd 1958

50 years ago today in 1958 my mother was screaming! Today (fifty years later) my sister Mary Beth and I were in our parents den discussing the possibilities of cleaning out some of the old junk in their house. With that in mind I opened this cabinet behind a chair in the corner of our den. I saw an old metal filing box in the corner and my mother suggested that my original birth certificate might be in that box. We cracked it open and discovered that it was loaded with all kinds of ancient paperwork including many of my old report cards plus my original birth certificate. Wow! I've been home hundreds of times and never opened that cabinet or box before. On the day of my 50th birthday I find my birth certificate!? Weird. I learned today for the first time that I was born at 8:57 PM EST. My folks thought it was around 9:00, but weren't sure of the exact time. Now we know. There were report cards from first grade all the way through high school. We're going through them all and my mother finds and starts to read the written remarks on my first grade report-card. Miss Harris at Norwak Elementary School writes, "Anthony needs to read aloud daily during summer vacation. He lacks self-confidence when doing seat work (anyone remember what seat work is?). Anthony needs to accept the responsibility of school work. He is capable but has never completed an assignment without constant urging and encouragement. Anthony tries hard when it is his turn, but independently does little. Anthony is to be promoted to grade 2 but if his work habits do not improve, it may be necessary for him to repeat that grade. Promoted to Grade 2 Miss Harriss."

I got 3 Cs an A and one B. I got the A in WRITING. I got all three Cs in Reading with understanding, Reading with expression and Learning to attack new words. Can you believe there was a category on report cards in 1965 for ATTACKING NEW WORDS? Funny because now is one of my favorite things to do. Under "Personal Development" I received an "Indicates Weakness" for showing ability in working independently. But, under "Does Work Neatly" I received an "Indicates Strength" remark. The wildest part of this tale is that while we were all reading, laughing, remembering and commenting on my struggles as a wee lad, the P90X infomercial appears on the TV in the den. And we think we're pulling the strings. Sometimes I wonder. 

If Miss Harriss could only see me now.