Sunday
Posted: May 20, 2013 Filed under: daily, dinners, recipes, sides | Tags: daily, dinners, recipes, sides Leave a comment »Yesterday I was wide awake at 7am, so I figured I’d take advantage of it and get going right away on my day. First up was breakfast, which consisted of eggs, bacon, and a fruit smoothie.
While I was preparing breakfast, I also did some meal prep. I learned (the hard way) last week that making all my meals ahead of time isn’t always the way to go, so this week I only made a few. I guess it is possible for me to get bored with certain foods, as I found out last week, so by making only a few meals at a time, I don’t have to predict what I’ll feel like eating too far out into the future.
For this week, I made a batch of spinach turkey meatballs, which I can turn into a bunch of different meals over the course of the week, or even freeze for later.
I also tried my hand at making cauliflower “rice” by throwing some cauliflower chunks into the food processor.
When I’m ready to eat it, I’ll probably just steam it in the microwave with spices and maybe some other veggies to have as a side dish. I think it’s going to be good!
When all was said and done, I’d made 3-4 meals, plus cooked up a bunch of chicken and meatballs and sliced up a bunch of fruit and veggies, and it all took less than an hour.
After I cleaned up the kitchen and finished my laundry (my other Sunday morning chore), I decided to pot my new plants. I used impatiens, marigolds, and some other little white flower (I’m new to gardening…) in my window box, and I think it came out beautifully. I can’t wait to see the flowers really start to bloom!
I also potted a patio tomato plant, which I’m hoping survives without a whole ton of sun…
And rosemary and basil plants that I can’t wait to start using in my cooking.
My plants didn’t survive very long last year, and I blamed it on having to travel so much, but with that excuse gone now, let’s hope I inherited my dad’s green thumb and can make these babies last!
After I cleaned up a little bit, I decided to spend some time reading on the porch, soaking up a little sun before the clouds rolled in. A good book, a yummy snack, and some warm sun… that’s about all you need!
Even though it clouded up in the afternoon, the weather still made for the perfect day for a bike ride so of course I took advantage of it. I looped around for about 6.5 miles, exploring neighborhoods I’d never seen before, and it the temperature was just right.
When it came time for dinner, I’d had my meal planned out all day. I’m really not a burger-and-fries kind of girl, but for the past couple of days, it’s all I’ve wanted. Maybe it’s the warmer weather that’s making me crave the ultimate summer-time meal? Instead of going out to Five Guys though, I decided to make it at home, where I could control exactly what went into it.
I baked up some homemade French fries in the oven, letting them get extra crispy, and cooked the burger on the stovetop. I set it on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes, and put some sautéed red peppers on top to finish it off.
It sort of just looks like a big mess, but with some ketchup on the side, it was way better (and much healthier) than anything I could’ve gotten at a restaurant!
It’s too bad the rainy weather outside didn’t match the summer meal on my plate, but at least the rain is good for my flowers! ____________________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE:
Thanks to everyone who participated in my Bestowed giveaway last week. The winner is Erin, so she will be receiving a free box from Bestowed!
For those of you who weren’t quite as lucky, don’t forget that the company is also offering all of my readers $5 off their monthly or annual subscriptions when you use the code 5OFFBSTOWED01 at checkout.
Homemade Chipotle Salad
Posted: May 18, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, dinners, recipes, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, dinners, recipes, strength, workouts 4 Comments »I have to be at my new job earlier than I used to go in, so I’ve had to work more quickly in the gym in order to avoid having to get up any earlier. It’s a little bit stressful, but it also makes me work harder! Here’s what yesterday’s workout looked like:
- Warm-up: 5-10 minute walk
- Strength:
- 15×4 Bent over rows
- 15×4 back extensions
- 10×4 Bent over front raises + Upright rows
- 10×4 Deadlifts @ 85#
- 5×4 Inverted rows
- Workout 1 (5 RFT):
- Sprint 1 lap
- 10 OH squats @ 35#
- Workout 2 (5 RFT):
- Sprint 1 lap
- 10 Front squats @ 35#
- 100 Med ball slams
- Cool-down: 5-10 minute walk
Most of my meals have been pretty repetitive this week, but I did have a couple interesting ones. First up: this one with fried eggs over leftover steak and sautéed green peppers. I have been eating lots of typically “lunch” or “dinner” meals for breakfast, but this was a nice combination of both. Who says you can’t have a nice, juicy piece of steak for breakfast?!
I’ve also been on a berry kick this week, eating this big container of strawberries and blackberries with my eggs and peppers for breakfast the other morning.
But the star of the show this week as far as meals go though was, by far, my homemade Chipotle salad. I love, love Chipotle, but since we don’t have one where I live, I’m not able to go very often. The other night, I didn’t know what the heck to have for dinner, but I saw a jar of salsa in the fridge, so it gave me the idea to try and recreate the restaurant’s salad myself.
First, I cooked up chicken and peppers in a pan, sprinkling the peppers with just a bit of cumin at the end.
To build the salad, I went layer by layer, just like they do at the restaurant, adding everything that I usually get when I go there.
First up, some romaine lettuce, sliced up into thin strips.
Next came the peppers, cooked up so they were nice and tender. (If you haven’t tried slightly burning your peppers, you should. It makes all the flavors really come out well.)
Next up came the chicken, which I cut up into very thin slices so it was moist and tender.
And last, but not least, a couple spoonfuls of hot salsa to top it all off. Who needs dressing when you’ve got salsa?!
I gave it all a good toss, and voila! It tasted just like I had gone out and bought it. Seriously, I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of doing this before; it was awesome and I practically licked the plate clean!
When it comes to salsa (like anything else), you have to be careful about which one you choose if you’re trying to avoid artificial ingredients. Unless you’re planning on leaving the jar on your shelf for years at a time, there really is no need for all that extra garbage to be added to something that can otherwise be very healthy. Salsa is a great garnish that you can make at home if you choose, but if you’re buying it from the store, be sure to check the ingredients list before you buy.
This brand is one of my favorites because of its taste and texture…
But also because of what’s in it (or not in it).
Just real ingredients and nothing unnecessary!
If you’re a Chipotle fan, definitely give this salad a try. You could easily add beans, cheese, or onions too, just like you’d get if you went out!
Bring Out The Grill
Posted: May 10, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, daily, dinners, fitness, recipes, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, daily, dinners, fitness, recipes, strength, workouts 2 Comments »Wednesday at lunch, my coworkers asked me what I planned to do with my day off.
“Oh, I might sleep in…” I said.
Yeah, right. It took them all of three seconds to call me out on that one. So, yesterday I got up at my usual time on my day off and headed to the gym as I always do. And wouldn’t you know, it ended up being a great morning! I hit a new PR for my front squats, and in fact, I was so pumped up afterwards that I didn’t even feel like going back to bed as I originally planned. A good start to the day, indeed!
The workout portion ended up being sort of a hodge-podge mess, but it was still really effective – and fun. Here’s what it looked like:
- Warm-up: 5 minute walk
- Front squats:
- 15 @ 45
- 12 @ 65
- 10 @ 95
- 8 @ 115
- 5 @ 135
- 2 @ 165 (woo!!)
- {5 @ 135} x4
- Workout:
- Run 2 laps
- 10 Wall balls
- 20 Crunches
- 40 Thrusters
- 20 Hanging knee lifts
- Partner prowler pushes x2
- 50 of each @ 35lbs:
- Power cleans
- Shoulder presses
- RDLs
- Rows
- Front squats
- Upright rows
- Cool down: 5 minute walk
For breakfast, I decided to try out Tina’s two-ingredient pancakes with some extra bananas I had lying around. I altered her recipe a bit so I could make more than one serving, so into the bowl went three eggs, three bananas, and about 1/3-1/2 cup of almond flour. I whipped the ingredients together with my hand mixer, and then poured them onto the pan and cooked them on medium-low. At first I was a little nervous about the thin batter not cooking well, but I soon realized that the trick was to let the batter sit for a few minutes before you pour it, keep the heat low, and let it cook fully on one side before you flip it.
This batch was my first try so it came out a little messy, but the second round of ‘cakes came out perfect! I added some blueberries to the first batch, and I’ll be saving the rest of them (sans blueberries) for breakfasts over the weekend.
I topped my pancakes with a plethora of strawberries, blackberries, and a drizzle of pure maple syrup as usual, and they were seriously so tasty. I don’t generally like banana-flavored foods, but the banana wasn’t overwhelming in these at all.
I often see people topping their pancakes with melted nut butters, and I’ve always been a little nervous that I won’t like it and my beloved pancakes will be ruined, but I might go for that next time.
Later on, I headed down to where my parents live, and my first stop was my dad’s house to do a bit of work for him in the office. We took a break for lunch, and he picked up a pizza from one of our favorite places right near his house. They have a “firecracker pizza,” which is topped with chicken, jalapenos, and ranch dressing, and my dad really likes it. I’d never tried it, but I decided to go with it, getting my half without the dressing. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the combination was actually awesome! I don’t eat pizza very often anymore, but I might actually try to get chicken and jalapenos on it the next time I do.
I also got a small side salad with their house oil + vinegar dressing to try and get in some greens…
And my dad came home unexpectedly with these two brownies as a special surprise. The pizza place makes awesome brownies, and he always picks some up when we go there. They sure are good!
For dinner, all I really wanted to do was use my mom’s grill. I absolutely love the taste of grilled food, and now that summer’s coming up, it’s definitely time to bring it back out! I can’t have a grill of my own at my apartment, but I certainly take advantage of having one whenever I’m home. I saw a picture of grilled chicken + pepper kabobs somewhere a little while ago, and it had stuck in my mind since then, so I headed to the grocery store to pick up what I needed.
I cut up a red, orange, and yellow pepper, plus one lime…
And cubed three large chicken breasts into small chunks.
I slid the chicken and peppers onto skewers, put them on a piece of tinfoil, and drizzled them with the lime juice. Once it was all ready to go, I just threw the whole thing onto the grill, leaving the juiced lime pieces right on the tinfoil with the chicken and peppers. The prep didn’t take long at all – and the clean up was even quicker!
While they were grilling, I sprinkled them with some spices my mom had, but I would’ve used cilantro and maybe cumin if I’d had it. They came out great and were really tasty, but we had all kinds of ideas for what else we could do next time… drizzling the chicken with apricot preserves or balsamic blueberries were some of the things that came to mind.
I ate the chicken and peppers alone as a meal, but some grilled pineapple would’ve made a great side dish. Good thing summer’s long because clearly I’ve got a whole lot of ideas for the grill. One of the things I absolutely want to try this summer is grilled pizza. It looks so good that way!
Questions:
Do you like banana-flavored foods?
What are your favorite things to make on the grill?
It’s Working!
Posted: April 19, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, daily, desserts, dinners, fitness, paleo, recipes, strength, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, daily, desserts, dinners, fitness, paleo, recipes, strength, workouts Leave a comment »I’ve had to modify my workouts a little bit since there are no barbells in the hotel gym (and I haven’t felt like lugging the 100lb set I brought with me out of my car after all), but so far, it hasn’t been too difficult. Sets, reps, and intensity are inversely related, meaning that when you’re doing more reps/sets, you should use less weight, and vice versa. With that in mind, because I’m not lifting as heavy as I normally would, I’ve increased the number of reps and sets instead. It has still given me just as good of a workout – just in a different way. And because it’s always good to switch things up from time to time, that’s been fine with me!
Here’s what yesterday’s workout looked like:
- Warm-up: 10 minute walk on treadmill
- Dumbbell deadlifts:
- 20 @ 50lbs
- 15 @ 65lbs
- 10 @ 85lbs
- {5 @ 100lbs} x5
- 10 @ 85lbs
- 15 @ 65lbs
- 20 @ 50lbs
- Run ½ mile
- Workout (15 min AMRAP – 8x):
- 10 HR push-ups
- 10 Box jumps
- 10 DB swings @ 35lbs
- 10 Air squats
- Run ½ mile
- {12 Biceps curls @ 20lbs + 12 Close-grip bench presses @ 20lbs} x4
- {12 Bent over front raises @ 10lbs + Bicep X’s @ 10lbs} x4
- 100 Crunches
- 100 Med ball twists (each side)
- Cool-down: 10 minute walk on treadmill
This week I have been really focused on consistently eating well, and it seems to be working. I have stayed away from grains, dairy, and gluten (as well as processed foods in general – with the exception of dark chocolate) and I have really noticed a difference in just a couple days. My stomach aches are weaning, my energy levels are higher, and I feel generally better overall.
There have been a couple times where I’ve been tempted by the pastries or biscuits down at the hotel breakfast, when I contemplated just having a bite or two – but even a bite or two isn’t worth it to me anymore. It’s a great feeling to be able to resist the things that I know won’t make me feel good, and I’m definitely going to keep rolling with it.
Yesterday for breakfast, I made a three egg scramble with tomatoes (no green peppers or spinach this time!) and bacon.
For lunch, I brought one serving of my spaghetti squash with turkey meat sauce and green peppers for me, and another one for my friend from work. She had never tried spaghetti squash before, but I’m happy to say that I think she liked it!
For a snack later on, I had cantaloupe and some Trader Joe’s trail mix (cashews, almonds, dried cranberries) that my mom gave me.
I didn’t have that much left in my fridge when it came time for dinner, so I decided to use the rest of my steak up, even though I just had it the night before. I cooked the asparagus on the stovetop, and although I didn’t like it as much as I do when I cook it under the broiler, it all still made a pretty good meal. I’m headed to the grocery store tonight after work to stock up though, so you can look forward to some different meals in the future!
For dessert, I went with what has become my usual this week: honey almond cookies with strawberries and almond milk. It gives me a good helping of healthy fats and fruit, plus just enough sweetness to let me feel like I’m eating dessert. It’s perfect!
I tend to lose track of what day it is when I’m on these two week work trips… but I just realized it’s Friday, so have a good one, everyone!
Spicing Up My Life
Posted: April 17, 2013 Filed under: cardio, crossfit, daily, desserts, dinners, fitness, recipes, strength, traveling, workouts | Tags: cardio, crossfit, daily, desserts, dinners, fitness, recipes, strength, traveling, workouts 8 Comments »Yesterday, I had my very first hotel workout of the trip. I’ve stayed at this hotel a couple of times before, so I knew what to expect out of the gym, which is always nice. It’s definitely one of the nicer hotel gyms I’ve seen, and that makes sticking to my workouts fairly easy. I brought along my own jump rope, but they have a nice selection of dumbbells, med balls, Swiss balls, and cardio equipment available.
Here’s what my workout looked like:
- Warm-up: 10 minute walk on treadmill
- Dumbbell push presses:
- 15 @ 40lbs
- 10 @ 50lbs
- 8 @ 60lbs
- {8 @ 60lbs + 8 Handstand shrugs} x5
- Workout (7x):
- 30 Jump ropes
- 10 Push-ups
- 20 Sit-ups
- 25 Air squats
- 15 Rows @ 40lbs
- 100 Med ball slams
- Circuit (4x):
- 12 Squats @ 40lbs
- 10 Julie’s shoulder move @ 10lbs (each side)
- 12 RDLs @ 40lbs
- 10 Diagonal arm raises (each side)
- 100 Calf raises
- Core (4x):
- 25 Swiss ball sit-ups
- 25 Swiss ball back extensions
- 25 Weighted side bends (each side)
- Cool-down: 10 minute walk
After my workout, I stopped by the hotel breakfast to see what they had for fruit. I hadn’t had a chance to go grocery shopping yet, so I figured it was my next best option. Luckily, I found a pretty nice fruit salad, so I had that alongside a few of my peanut butter banana muffins.
I had to work a split shift yesterday, which put me back in my hotel room around lunchtime for a few hours. I stopped at the grocery store on the way back to pick up a few things, and then got to work in the kitchen, prepping some food for the week.
I made a big batch of turkey meat sauce, with two pounds of lean ground turkey, one can of tomato paste, water, basil, and crushed red pepper.
I also cooked up a spaghetti squash, and with the addition of some sliced green peppers, I’ll get at least four or five meals out of it!
For lunch, I heated up some of the chicken, peppers, and snow peas I cooked up on Monday, and had some almonds on the side.
I spent a good deal of the rest of the afternoon lounging around before I had to head back to work, so I decided to crack open the new book I just bought. Although I don’t label myself “Paleo,” I do really identify with their beliefs, and I find a lot of their recipes very interesting. I already eat mostly a meat, fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds diet, so although I also eat things outside the Paleo confines, I still like to read and learn more about it when I can.
Often times I’ll find myself repeating what I think is the exact same recipe over and over again, only for it to turn out differently each time. This is primarily because I don’t measure anything, but if you’re doing it on purpose, one of the easiest ways to make the same meal in a different way is to use the same basic ingredients, but change up the spices.
When you’re eating basically the same foods all the time, like I do, spices are the thing that can take a simple recipe to the next level. But admittedly, I’m not very good at identifying which spices to use, so I often find myself at a loss when it comes to keeping things interesting. This book has a ton of great recipes in general, but it also gives ideas for many different ways to flavor basic ingredients, using spice combinations I would probably never even dream of.
Hopefully I can get some good ideas out of it!
Before I went back to work, I heated up one of the portions of my spaghetti for dinner. It was delicious in itself, but I think the fact that it was already basically ready to eat made it taste even better!
For dessert, I snacked on three honey almond cookies with strawberries and almond milk. It was definitely a good decision for me to bring these along!
After that, it was time to head back to work. We had a long night in the warehouse, but luckily the worst part is now over!
Questions:
What are your favorite spices? I rotate between about five and I really need to expand my arsenal!
