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Archive for March, 2012

I Sprung Into Action

Posted in Fresh Ideas, Recipes, Rest Day, tagged , , , , on March 21, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

When I think of Spring, lots of things come to mind, plants blossoming, long walks, fresh veggies, manicures and pedicures. So knowing its flip-flop season,  I Sprung Into Action.

I went with a Purple color in honor of the Blooming Hyacinths.

This makes me very happy.

Sorry for the funky feet picture, but I had to show you my painted piggies.

I love when my bulbs pop up and say hello.

I planted this Pussy Willow tree 4 years ago and it never bloomed, but this year I had a few branches with buds.

And of course Spring would not be Spring without Daffodils.

Such a perfect flower, so bright and happy.

But what really takes the cake for me in Spring is the vegetables, the fresh vegetables.

And I cannot forget my favorite stalks, Asparagus, Tender Asparagus.

Roasted, Raw or Grilled I cannot get enough Asparagus.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite sigh of Spring? 

Check Ya Later.

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Modified Moves

Posted in Spirits, tagged , on March 20, 2012 | 6 Comments »

Nothing fancy on today’s menu. Yogurt and cereal and an apple for breakfast.

Lunch was a Meatless BBQ skewer on a whole wheat pita, an egg and a piece of string cheese. I also had a bag of pretzels.

Can I just say yum-o on these skewers. I am in love, plus they have 19 grams of protein.

Plank Club

I had a break through on my Plank time, I went to 52 seconds. I know 2 seconds is not a big deal, but it’s an improvement and I’ll take it. Do you want to join the Plank Club, well here’s the details.

1st Rule: You can talk about Plank Club.
2nd Rule: You can talk about Plank Club.
3rd Rule: If your butt drops or raises during the plank, the plank is OVER.
4th Rule: No limits on how many people can plank.
5th Rule: Perfect plank form must be observed at all times.
6th Rule: Wear whatever you feel like, plank naked if you must.
7th Rule: Planks will go on as long as your muscles can handle it.
8th Rule: If you join PLANK CLUB, you HAVE to PLANK.

BEST BODY BOOTCAMP

Boot Camp

Mondays workout involved a Lower Body Superset. Can I just say this, SUPERSET are SUPER crazy.  One exercise in particular was the Surrender Squat, it really had me scared. I really had to think about doing this move, I normally don’t have issues keeping my balance, but I really had to check myself a few times, plus it was really hurting my knee’s, I bruise easy. So after a set I decided I was not comfortable doing this exercise so luckily Tina included Modified Moves so I chose to do the modified version, which is a Reverse Lunge with hand weights. That was much easier on me.

Question of the Day: What exercise scares you? 

Check Ya Later.

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Orange Eater

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on March 19, 2012 | 5 Comments »

Do you ever find yourself liking a food better based on its color? I am a huge fan of all things Orange. So when I saw this salmon at the grocery store, I first noticed the amazing bright orange color, then I imagined how I would cook it. So it got me thinking, am I more motivated to buy food if it’s my favorite color? I have to say yes, I am drawn to colors I love, especially orange, I’m an Orange Eater.

Baked on 400 degrees for 20 minutes this salmon comes out flaky and moist. I seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil.  I also had leftover quinoa and left over couscous, so I mixed them together for a side dish.

I also had a nice side salad to go with my salmon. I loaded it up with lots of veggies, avocados, cucumbers, chives, a sliced egg and some sunflower seeds. I was actually really full just from the salad.

 

 

Some of my favorite Orange foods are:

  • Sweet Potato
  • Apricots
  • Orange Bell Peppers
  • Squash
  • Mango’s
  • Pumpkin
  • Carrots
  • Oranges
BEST BODY BOOTCAMP
Today is Week #3 for Boot Camp. It is gradually getting more intense. I really like the progression of the exercises, it has been very challenging. I have been able to complete all 3 sets of each exercise. I had this mental block in my head telling me I could not do all 3 sets and to just be happy with doing 2 sets. So it was nice to be able to silence that annoying voice in my head. Sometimes that voice can be a real “Debbie Downer”.
Hope the weekend treated you well.
Question of the Day: Whats your favorite colored food? 

Check Ya Later.

 

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Tradition

Posted in Fresh Ideas, Prepping, Recipes, Spirits, tagged , , , , , on March 18, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Ever since I can remember I have been eating Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patty’s Day. My mom took her corned beef dinner very serious. My parents would head to Down Town Detroit and go to Eastern Market to pick out a nice flat beef cut brisket.

So when I got married I continued the Tradition of a Corned Beef with Cabbage meal for St. Patty’s day weekend. Although I rely on my local Kroger’s for my corn beef, I still take this meal very serious. So you can imagine my surprise when I found the brand that my parents use to buy, from Detroit Michigan. Score. I love supporting my State.

 

How easy can this meal be, boil in a pot for 2-1/2 hours and then eat. I used a Dark Guinness, some water and the spice pack.

 

Vegetables on the menu, cabbage, carrots and red skin potatoes.

 

With an hours left on the Corned Beef cook time I added the potatoes and the carrots. Once they were cooked properly I removed the meat and the veggies, added some more water and boiled the cabbage  for 20 minutes.

 

Then I made and plate, and ate every bit of food on the plate.

I love Tradition. Now I have dinner for the next two days or so.

Plank Club Update: I am sitting solid with my 50 second plank, I have not been able to add-on to the time without breaking my form, so I will continue to do daily planks and hope that in time I will get stronger and be able to add-on to the time.

BEST BODY BOOTCAMP

Best Body Boot Camp Update: Today was a rest day. I reviewed my Week #3 and Week #4 schedule that Tina sent out and I am ready to head into Week #3.  Looking forward to the challenge that Week #3 will present.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite holiday meal? 

Check Ya Later.

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MI Kinda Salad

Posted in Fresh Ideas, Recipes, Spirits, tagged , , , , on March 17, 2012 | 5 Comments »

This here is MI Kinda Salad. Well it’s really called a Michigan Salad, but MI works for me. This salad is loaded with apples, cherries, blue cheese and has Michigan Honey is in the dressing. I personally love this salad and recreate it at home as often as I can, although I have never tried to make the dressing so I’m hoping I get it right.

Ingredients

  • 3 Teaspoons Honey
  • 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Oil
  • 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
For the salad, I just used a big bag of greens, like a spring mix with spinach.
I grabbed some cherries, some blue cheese and some sunflower seeds.

I thinly slice an apple.

Mixed it all together and added the dressing.

The salad was perfect, the dressing needs a little work, the vinegar was just too strong for my taste.  So next time I am going to try a different recipe for the dressing, and hopefully I will have a fresh bag of Michigan cherries and will recreate the perfect Michigan Salad.
Question of the Day: Do you make your own dressing or do you buy yours?
Check Ya Later.

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Protein Challenge

Posted in Chobani, Fresh Ideas, tagged , , , , , , on March 16, 2012 | 2 Comments »

So a few weeks back one of my favorite bloggers Annette tackled a question I have long been confused by. How much protein do I need.

With magazines and diets stating the importance of protein in today’s diets, it’s important to know this essential nutrient does a lot more than fill you up. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues, and it is an important building block of muscles and bones.

So how much protein do women need? According to studies some say most women need between 50 and 60 grams of protein a day, I have even read that active woman need up to 80 grams of protein a day. I used Annette’s method and found that I should be getting 63 Grams of protein per day. Well I wanted to see if I was close in my day-to-day meals so I randomly choose a day and calculated it.

Protein Challenge:

Breakfast: 22 Grams Total

  • Chobani 6 Ounce Yogurt – 13 Grams
  • 3/4 Cup Go Lean Cereal – 9 Grams
  • Fuji Apple – 0 Grams
Lunch: 33 Grams Total
  • Sabra Hummus Singles – 4 Grams
  • Whole Wheat Pita Bread – 3 Grams
  • Hard Boiled Egg – 17 Grams
  • Serving of Pretzels – 3 Grams
  • Mozzarella Cheese Stick – 6 Grams
Dinner: 19 Grams Total
  • 3 Ounces Marinated Lime Roasted Tofu – 8 Grams
  • Roasted Broccoli with 1 tbsp Oil – 3 Grams
  • 1 Cup Nasoya Japanese Noodles – 8 Grams
Snack: Zero
  • Archer Farms Dried Fruit Bar – 0 Grams
Results:
I came in at 74 Grams! 
But here’s the thing, I am not at all happy with the 19 grams for dinner. That’s the one meal I eat with my husband and I know he needs more protein than that, this of course is not our dinner every night, but it is a typical Monday night meatless meal for us. So I think in addition to the tofu, I will start adding an additional protein to this meal.
Another problem I found is that I change-up my cereal and I eat the Kashi Berry Blossoms and that cereal only has 3 grams of protein verse the Golean Crunch that has 9. So just by making a small change like switching cereal flavors and not looking at the protein values I could short myself 6 grams of protein. So all in all this has opened my eyes.

What are the best sources?

Most people with a well-rounded diet eat enough protein, but it’s important to include complete proteins, which contain all nine of the essential amino acids. Sources of complete protein include meat, fish, eggs, most dairy products, and soybeans. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are often missing certain amino acids, but they can be combined to make a complete protein meal.

And although meats contain high amounts of protein, be sure to consider how much saturated fat is in your cut. Here are a few good examples of low-fat, protein-packed foods:

Protein source Amount of protein (grams) Serving size
Tuna (yellow fish) 33 4 oz.
Roasted chicken 32 3/4 cup, diced
Lean flank steak 31 4 oz.
Soybeans 21 3/4 cup
Lentils 17 1 cup
Non-fat plain Greek yogurt 15 6 oz.

Some of my favorite foods scored really high on the protein list, here’s a few:

  • Tofu has 8 to 11 Grams of Protein in 4 Ounces
  • Quinoa has 9 Grams of Protein in 1 Cup
  • Veggie Burger has 13 Grams of Protein per Patty
 The great thing about learning new information is this, it’s never too late to make a change, it’s never late to improve your diet. That’s why Healthy Living Blogs are an essential part of my day, they feed me ideas, information, tip and support.
Question of the Day: Do you know how much protein you’re getting in your meals?
Check Ya Later.

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Any Excuses

Posted in Cardio, Circuit Training, Fresh Ideas, Recipes, Smoothie's, tagged , , , , , , , on March 15, 2012 | 15 Comments »

BEST BODY BOOTCAMP

Boot Camp Update, I am really getting into this, I am looking forward to what comes next, not to say that when I’m done, I’m not exhausted, starving and a bit sore, I am, but first and foremost I am doing it and having fun. I increased my hand weights this week on a few of the exercises.

Work has been crazy for me lately, I have had to work 10 plus hours extra this week alone, but I have made my workouts a priority. I tried to make a few meals in advance so that I could save time on the nights our Boot Camp took me longer to complete. Monday was a hectic day for me, I worked late, got home, I made my husband dinner, went and worked out, prepped my breakfast and lunch for the next day, then I finally sat down to eat my dinner at 7:30pm, but it was worth it. I took care of everyone including my self, and I didn’t make Any Excuses.

I had a nice glass of this Silk fruit and protein smoothie after my workout, it was just what I needed to give me a little boost. I loved the mango flavor, it was really taste.

Plank Club, I rocked a  50 second plank. That is a really good time for me, I am working on improving that time, but I am really happy starting with that as a base line, just 6 short months ago during a yoga class I could barely hole 30 seconds without violently shaking.

Dinner was one that I could put together in about 15 minutes, I love taco’s and I love shrimp, so we had Shrimp Taco’s.

Quick and easy was the theme here.

 

One of my favorite taco topping is guacamole and the little wholly guacamole packs are the best to just squeeze on. Plus they can be kept in the freezer and they thaw in minutes in a bowl of water, so I always have them on hand.

I know refried beans are not the prettiest to photograph, but I love them.

 

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite Bean?

Check Ya Later.

 

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Mixed Bowl of Goodness

Posted in Cardio, Fresh Ideas, Prepping, Recipes, tagged , , , , , on March 14, 2012 | 5 Comments »

BEST BODY BOOTCAMP

In addition to Boot Camp I have also tried to add in other little exercises and adapt a few new healthy habits and give my self daily and weekly goals. I love-making out lists and checking them off when I have completed tasks, so why not do the same thing with daily goals, so when I saw this post on Plank Club, I just knew I had to join in. So I started with a base line of a 45 second plank. Then each day I will try to add-on an additional 5 seconds.

Now I’m not going to say that it was an easy 45 seconds, there was a “Whole Lotta  Shakin Going On”, but I did it, and I plan on doing it everyday and increasing my time where I can, my hope is to add-on to the daily time.

So now to the good stuff…Food. I am a good eater, 81.5 % of the time. I normally make healthy choices, and one thing I really love are grains and seeds. I try to keep them on hand and pre cook them so I can add them as a side dish to a meal or make it into a nice lunch or dinner bowl, here is last nights dinner bowl.

Apple flavored Chicken Sausage.

Grilled on my panini maker, I will be getting my outdoor grill out of winter storage this week-end, just in time for some amazing weather.

Grilled for about 15 minutes.

Then the most important part the grains and seeds. 1/2 Cup of Farro and 1/2 Cup of Quinoa in 1 cup of water with vegetable stock packet.

I had this batch pre cooked so I just needed to reheat it.

Then I just started to layered on the goodness from some leftovers I had on hand.

Cut up Cucumbers, Cauliflower and Feta Cheese from yesterdays meal, Roasted Chickpeas, the Apple Chicken Sausage with Quinoa and Farro.

This certainly was a Mixed Bowl of Goodness.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite Grain or Seed?

Check Ya Later.

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Meatless Monday Meal

Posted in Cardio, Dogs, Fresh Ideas, Oatmeal, Recipes, Tofu, tagged , , , , , on March 13, 2012 | 3 Comments »

Started Monday off with a creamy batch of OIAJ. This is becoming a habit for me, I just can’t get enough oatmeal lately. It’s funny I went through the entire winter stuck on Chobani yogurt topped with cereal, and then it starts to get warm out and I start eating a hot oatmeal breakfast.

I then gave the babies some love. My Killian is getting to be an old boy, he is 14 now and he is getting lumpy, the vet told me that they are just fatty tumors, but some of them are getting quite big. He still acts like a young dog, so that’s a good thing.

I just love there little faces, they make my heart melt. Stuart loves to give kisses and who am I to turn one down.

I found this amazing recipe over at Around The Plate, and knew I had to make it.

Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower with Feta

Ingredients: 

1 large head of Cauliflower
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
Cumin, to taste
Sea Salt, to taste
Rosemary, to taste
Thyme, to taste

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Separate the cauliflower florets and place in a bowl. Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, Cumin and Sea Salt to the Cauliflower. Toss lightly.
3. Place the cauliflower on a sheet pan in a single layer and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cauliflower browns on the edges.
4. Remove the cauliflower and place back in the bowl. Add the feta cheese, rosemary and thyme. Mix together.
5. Place the cauliflower and feta back on the sheet pan. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
6. Serve and enjoy!

I upheld the Meatless Monday tradition here at my house and made tofu with noodles and cauliflower for dinner with a dose of fresh cucumbers mixed in.

Last week I picked up the pre-cubed package of tofu. I thought it would save time, but I must say I will stick to the block next time, I didn’t consider how I was going to press out the liquid.

The little cubes also shrunk up quite a bit, but they tasted amazing. I marinated them with 1/3 cup of soy sauce, 1/3 cup of lime juice and 2 tablespoons of oil. I baked on 400 degrees of 15 minutes.

I also boiled up a batch of  Nasoya Japanese noodles.

I just love a big plate of noodles.

After they boiled I rinsed in cold water and then tossed with soy sauce, rice vinegar and touch of oil. I also have a shaker of  seaweed and sesame seeds that I season to taste. You can make cook up the noodles a day in advance, they really soak up all the flavor overnight.

I just layered on some fresh cucumbers, the tofu and the cauliflower with feta.

I really loved the flavor the feta cheese added to the entire dish, I will make this again.

BEST BODY BOOTCAMP

Boot Camp Update: I am really digging the workouts and making progress, I honestly don’t think I have ever been this motivated to workout.

I have also started to add Planking into my everyday workout. I found some motivation from my friend over at Life’s Little Bits. I will be joining her for a daily Plank with her Plank Club. Just start where you are with your first Plank and add 5 seconds to your time every day! Fun right.

Here are the Rules:

1st Rule: You can talk about Plank Club.
2nd Rule: You can talk about Plank Club.
3rd Rule: If your butt drops or raises during the plank, the plank is OVER.
4th Rule: No limits on how many people can plank.
5th Rule: Perfect plank form must be observed at all times.
6th Rule: Wear whatever you feel like, plank naked if you must.
7th Rule: Planks will go on as long as your muscles can handle it.
8th Rule: If you join PLANK CLUB, you HAVE to PLANK.

I love this! I hope you will join us.

Question’s of the day: What’s your favorite meatless meal?  Are you going to join us in some Planking? 

Check Ya Later.

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Lunch Quest

Posted in Cardio, Circuit Training, Fresh Ideas, Recipes, tagged , , , , on March 12, 2012 | 7 Comments »

I am venturing out on a Lunch Quest.

Habit and convenience are the two reasons I tend to eat the same lunches during the week. I like to keep certain items on hand that are healthy and easy to eat at my desk.  But I have to admit, I am getting bored with eating my same old, same old bag lunch. I have been craving green salads, but I like mine loaded up or I tend to get hungry not long after eating. I wanted to try out this salad in advance to see if I would be able to adapt it for a during the week “take away” shrimp salad.

Avocado Shrimp Salad

I sautéed the shrimp in Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and seasoned with white cooking wine, lemon juice, paprika and chives.

They cook up so fast, they only need a few minutes of cooking time. They get really tough if they are overcooked.

I chopped up an avocado and sprinkled with lemon juice to keep its color.

I did not add any dressing to this salad, just some lemon juice and I mixed up the avocado really well. It coated all the leaves and really added a creaminess like a dressing would.

Here’s my thought on the salad, it was perfect to make and to eat at home, but I don’t think I’ll take this to work with me, the avocado cut in advance would get too brown and everything would have to be packed separate and then added together at my desk, so it really would not be the most convenient, plus I would worry that the shrimp would lose its freshness.

So this is a keeper when made at home for when I want to eat it for that meal, but the quest for something different for lunch continues on, I might have found a great new salad, but my quest is not complete.

In today’s Boot Camp news, we start week #2 and I am ready to go, I am able to do all the workouts on the day’s as they are listed and I have chosen a new goal. I am going to be keeping my in Bed By 11p.m. for Goal #1, because I really need to develop better sleeping habits, but this week I decided to go with Using a Foam Roller after each workout as my #2 Goal.

BEST BODY BOOTCAMP

One of my main focuses for this weeks workouts is to really concentrate on the muscles that I am working. I want to really focus on breathing, tempo and form.  I have noticed that I hold my breath on excretion and push too fast through the exercise. I have enlisted the help of my husband this week also, I asked him to make sure I am keeping my form when I do the sets. He pointed out a few things for me last week and I really liked having a spotter. He kept asking me during the Crab Walk “Is your Butt suppose to be dragging like that?”  So I would start over and keep my tush up. I think he should have been a coach, he has a really good attention to detail kind of mind, plus he’s a great motivator, i’d shout out “tell me I can do it”  in my I don’t think I can voice, and he would jump up and cheer me on! He’s so cool.

Question of the day: What do you bring for your bag lunch?

Check Ya Later.

 

 

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