Happy Cinco De Margarita!

(or cinco de mayo) -Hello Hello. How is everyone doing? I hope great. It's been quite some time since my last post. But I had been doing some very productive things, so hopefully you can understand :) Lets see. First and foremost, I joined the gym! Now that is huge for me. It's been over 4 years since I've belonged to a gym. I feel so good, after working out. It definitely still is hard- just getting there. But once I do. It's really good after. So I always try to remember that feeling I feel after a workout. When I'm trying to make excuses not to go. Which happens a lot :) I've never been a workout person. Or athletic, active, etc. I grew up with hobbies being singing. Of course I've always loved swimming. But it was just for fun. I never really learned discipline when it comes to eating or working out. I think thats why I struggle so much with keeping a routine. 

Today my friend made a good point. That instead of 'writing down' a fixed plan and schedule, etc. To just wake up and that be apart of your day- just like going to work. Or other tasks you have to do. I always make it optional in my mind, and typically just get consumed with laziness :( But I am going to start trying that out. I came home today from gym and tore my 'schedule' up. Decided to just make it apart of my daily life. Sure I don't need to go everyday. But staying active when I don't go is also very important. But this is just my advice. You can obviously do, whatever is best and works for you! 

Sooooo back to yesterday. I made this dish late in the night or I would've shared it with you earlier yesterday. I got this black bean penne pasta from whole foods. I couldn't believe there was only 1 ingredient in the pasta! So I had to try it out and create a recipe around it. Very pleased with the way it turned out! My boyfriend said it was a tad bit too spicy, but spice never bothers me :) You can omit peppers and get mild salsa, if you don't like spicy :) The pasta kept together really well- just like normal pasta. After cooking it at first, it was a bit weird, but once you add sauce to it, it gets just like normal pasta. I'm sure it'd be good with alfredo or any type of regular italian pasta sauce too. It takes on the flavor of whatever sauce you put in. This pasta itself is sooooooo good for you per serving. My goodness. 
-22 grams of protein
-15 g of Fiber

Yowza!
Sooooo here is the recipe! (Scroll down)

Black Bean Mexican Casserole 
- [with TOLERANT  Black bean penne]

2 cups of Black Bean penne ( cook according to box instructions)
1 small can of diced green chilis
1 small can of tomato paste
1/2 cup salsa (I used HOT!)
1 chopped bell pepper
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup organic corn
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
-Add as much as you want cashew cheeze, after baking. 
-Avocado & Cilantro for topping

After you cook pasta, place all ingredients in bowl and stir.
Then place in a oven safe pan and bake for 15 minutes at 425.
And then finito! 

If you'd like to enjoy it with a nice refreshing TDK margarita, you can do that too :)
So heres my recipe I made last night.

Sparkling Grapefruit Margarita:
For 1 drink. (Salt your rim of glass first ;)

1/4c Grapefruit Zevia Sparkling soda
Juice of 1 lime
1.5 oz Tequila
.5 oz of Triple Sec

Mix it up and put a festive straw in there and enjoy!!