Fajitas, Some Bad Pictures ;), Product Reviews

Hello guys! Thrilled its almost Friday, how about you?

This afternoon/tonight has been busy but great! I cleaned the apartment, took Frank for his usual stroll and then taught Body Step with my friend Kristen! The class was packed and so high energy! I was drenched by the end! Before I left to teach, I threw together Josh's dinner. I cooked up these bad boys in the microwave:

And cooked up a few chicken breasts covered in chili powder and a few other spices. I then added the cooked beans and some corn.

All of the above was served with tortillas, spinach, cheese, and these black refried beans to make some fajitas!

These black refried beans were NOT good! They weren't creamy at all. I am going back to the TJ's brand!

When I got home from teaching, I made myself a dinner fajita under the broiler using corn, the black beluga lentils (sooo yummy) and a little cheese. On the side I had an apple with a little PB. It was an odd combo of a dinner, but very very good :)

Weekend Plans? We're going out to dinner with Kristen and her husband tomorrow night. Saturday AM we're launching Body Step at another gym and then we have tonsssssssss of errands to do!

Spanikopita Burgers

Hey, hey! We're half way through the work week and its a LOST night, so things are good ;)

My plan after work today was to walk Frank, give him a bath, and then relax and take a night off from the gym. While the walk/bath happened...I did end up working out. I made a big decision last week to train in another Les Mills program, Body Attack! One of my friends, whose already certified, let me borrow her DVD so I could start learning the moves, so I did the video tonight and boy did I sweat! From the Les Mills website:

"BODYATTACK™ is the sports-inspired cardio workout for building strength and stamina. This high-energy interval training class combines athletic aerobic movements with strength and stabilization exercises. Dynamic instructors and powerful music motivate everyone towards their fitness goals - from the weekend athlete to the hard-core competitor!"

You runners out there would LOVE this class. Here and here are promo videos for attack. I am going to training in Florida next weekend for two days, I am SUPER excited.

Any who, onto dinner! I made a half batch of spanikopita burgers tonight for dinner.

Josh's plate:

And mine:

Yum! I love using Arnold's thins as buns! Did you set fitness goals for this year? If so, hows it going?

Ode to Frank

Hi Everyone! How are you? Did you have a nice Tuesday? Mine was pretty good :) After work, I came home to take the Frankster for a walk and then taught Body Step.

As part of my lunch, I tried this protein powder:


I mixed it into milk (I don't like milk alone, but flavored I can do!). I mixed and mixed and it was still rather clumpy/chunky (anyone else have this problem)? The flavor itself was pretty good and it was filling, but the chunkiness made me gag! Maybe this is a powder that should only be mixed into yogurt/oatmeal or used to make shakes???? Thoughts?

I also received a really fun package from Josh's mom that contained these TJ's goodies:



Ok, now onto the most important part of my post....today Franklin Beans turned three! As part of the celebration, we went for a nice walk and he got his birthday steak (a Frank tradition). Here are some pics of my favorite English Bulldog to celebrate his big day:

Body Step Launch, Cauli/Broc Pasta and Cheese

We made it through Monday again- hooooooray! First off, thank you for all your sweet comments on my to-be kitchen. I seriously have no design sense at all and Josh and I were so nervous picking our options. We're thrilled with how it turned out!

After work today, I had quite a bit to do around the house. I got a chunk of it done and then ran out to our first Body Step launch. We dressed in a checkered pattern as the theme of this Body Step is racing. I'm in the middle, looking wayyyy too pale ;) Is it summer yet? We took this pic after the launch so we're all super sweaty!

I was sooo hungry when I came home and could not wait to try this recipe for Cauli/Broc Macaroni and Cheese from Red Head, Yellow Dog. It was so yummy, you all must try it. Here is her recipe (I slightly adjusted it and she adjusted it from Shape magazine haha):

Ingredients:

1 small head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets
1 cup broccoli florets
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped (I left these out because Josh is not a carrots fan
2 cups whole wheat pasta (or shape of your choice)
2 cups nonfat milk
2 T. unsalted butter
2 T. WW flour
3/4 cup shredded cheese
Salt + Pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425*. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook cauliflower, broccoli for 2 minutes. Remove and plunge in ice water. Keep water boiling and cook carrots and then macaroni until it is al dente, drain and set aside.

In a medium size pot over medium heat, bring milk to a simmer. In a medium heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Mix in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Wisk flour mixture into milk and cook for 10 minutes more. Add 3/4 of the cheese and continue to wisk until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread macaroni, cauliflower, carrots and broccoli evenly in a 12×10 inch ovenproof dish (she put some tinfoil in the pan for easy cleanup and I should have too!). Pour sauce over both, and sprinkle remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes (I only baked mine for 10 minutes and it seemed good to go!).

It was seriously so yummy!

On another note, I do have two protein powders I am trying this week! I will be posting reviews, so look for those. Question- Are you a chocolate or vanilla (or neither) person?

Since you been gone.....

What is it about Kelly Clarkson songs that I love so much?? I do not know. Sorry that I have been a little MIA this weekend. Here is a brief summary:

Friday: Ran 3 miles, Outback, WF's, Relaxing
Saturday: Taught Body Step, Parents came to visit for lunch, longgggggg nap with Josh and Frank, lots of baking
Sunday: Walk with the Frankster, little shopping, Body Step practice, little work, din din.

Tonight for dinner, I wanted something wholesome. I made soup with tons of veggies: peas, corn, potatoes, zucchini, carrots, spinach, chickpeas:


I had mine with some bread. For Josh, I made a melty turkey and cheese sammy to go with his soup:

And now, for something fun! Our new house is ALMOST done and I wanted to show you some pictures of my kitchen to be! I am currently cooking in a very tiny and old kitchen. I cannot wait to move into this beauty. All that is left to put in are the appliances and faucets. View from the family room:
Breakfast nook (sorry its blurry):

View from the nook:

etc....

Ah! I cannot wait! The only thing my old kitchen (in MD) had that this one doesn't have is an island. I will miss the island a bit but really love the setup of this kitchen!

How was your Sunday?

Product Review: MorningStar Spicy Black Bean Burger

Hi all! I am so excited that tomorrow is Friday!!!!!! Today was another super busy day, but a great day because I got a ton done. After work, I took the Frankster for his usual walk and then went to the gym and took Body Pump. I came home and cooked dinner (more on that to come) and then had to do some more stuff for work. I got the apartment about 75% cleaned and then finally caught up on blog reading. For dinner tonight, I tried another new (to me) product- Morning Star Black Bean Burgers (nutritional info here).

I cooked mine up in the oven and placed it on top of a salad. It was a little greasy but the taste was AWESOME! I will def be purchasing these again.

For Josh, I made his in true burger form on an Arnold's thin with cheese and a side of brussels. I also made him a buffalo chicken sammy on an Arnold's thin (no pic). Josh also loved the patties! Yayy!

Alright, I'm ready to crash! Weekend plans???

Stir Fry and LOSTTTTT!

Today was a toughie. But I am still feeling pretty good because we finally get a new LOST tonight! Hooray!

After work, I went for a three mile run outside despite the cold (40 degrees....I know, I know its not that cold) temps in Charleston. After my run, I did Jackie Warner's core and lower body workouts (20 minutes each). The core workout is tough! The only thing I don't like about her workout is the speed at which she completes the exercises. Sometimes its too quick and I want to slow her down and have her move to the music ;).

For din din, I made one of my usuals, stir fry! Mine contained lots of veggies and chickpeas:
Josh's was turkey, veggies, and chickpeas:

Now, some relaxing, learning more Body Step and getting ready for LOST! What are you up to? I think you should head over to Meghann's blog and help her raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Just by visiting her blog you are helping!

A Treat/Salads and Bread

Did you have a good one? My Tuesday was super busy! Work was total craziness! When I got home, I found a very fun package containing my wins from a contest on Tri to Cook!! I cannot wait to bake with these cinnamon chips! Thank you thank you!

After opening my goodies, I took Frank for a walk, gave him a bath, put in some laundry and then did some cooking. I made this bread (I added a little extra honey). I also cooked up some chicken for Josh's salad. I made up both salads and put them in the fridge.

Josh's (he also had a bowl of pasta):

Mine (I later added some tomato):

The bread:

I then ran off to the gym to teach Body Step. When I came home, I was thrilled to have dinner already made! Do you like puting together make ahead meals?

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Hi! Hope your Monday was ok (whether you were working or not!). I wanted to thank you all for your protein powder suggestions! Since a few people were also looking for this info, this is a summary of the responses:

Jenn uses Biochem Vanilla and Jay Robb

Chickpea uses rice protein by Nutribiotic (chocolate)

Mizfit uses all kinds including pea, hemp, whey, soy

VeggieGirl uses Living Harvest Hemp Protein Powder

B_Hlthy recommends whey Pure Protein Brand and Designer Whey Brand

Lauren uses whey protein in her shakes

Heather uses Jay Robb's whey protein powders (she said Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are all very good, the pina colada or tropical dreamsicle flavors are yucky).

Mark uses LTF protein powder

Fitness Surfer uses Elite by Dymatize nutrition

I am planning to try a few varieties and will let you know my thoughts!!

As for my day, I did have to work today and it was busyyyy. After work, Josh and I had to do some house stuff. I know I have been very vague about all of our house junk going on right now and promise to give more info at a later time. Right now is just super stressful!

Any who, after the house stuff, I came home and did some baking (Tina bars) and made up a dinner of bbq chicken pizza. It turned out sort of eh...I am going to use a different sauce next time:

Still quite a bit of house stuff to do tonight! 2 days until the LOST premier! What are you looking forward to this week?

Sweaty Morning, Wonderful Night

Hiya folks. Thanks for all of the almond milk suggestions! I am going to use it in my coffee tomorrow am and am going to try to sneak it into Josh's oatmeal...shhhh don't tell.

WELL, this morning I went to hot yoga and I LOVED it. I got very nervous almost immediately after walking into the 105 degree room, as I saw a lot of the participants practicing very difficult positions before class had even started. However, the instructor was wonderful and did a great job guiding us through all of the motions. I sweated up a storm! I definitely suggest you bring 1 large towel and a hand towel if you are going to try this class. I felt strong and flexible at the end of class. I will definitely be returning.

After Yoga, I had to run to the gym for Body Step practice with the rest of the instructors. After a long morning of working out, I ran home to EAT, clean up the apartment, and watch the eagles game (booo to Arizona).

Tonight, we headed up towards the Myrtle Beach area because my parents moved from PA to SC today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The closest I have lived to my parents in the last 8 years was an 8 hour drive during college. Now they are 45 minutes away and I could not be more excited. We had dinner out but I didn't take any pictures! I promise a more pictured filled post tomorrow ;)

Quick Question: Does anyone use protein powder? I am looking for a lower calorie powder to use since I have decreased my meat intake. Let me know ;)

Soup etc

Hi All! How is your weekend treating you? Mine is going great! Thank you for all of the compliments on Frank- he is an awesome dog! I feel so lucky to have him in my life! Onto today! I woke up early because I had to re-certify in CPR so I can continue to teach at the gym.
Afterwards, I ran to WFs for Chobani, bars, and this:

I finally purchased some almond milk! Yes, I got a sweetened version...I wasn't ready to jump all the way in ;). Do you all have suggestions on how I should try this? I am not a big milk fan so I don't want to try drinking it alone first. I was going to put it in coffee. Thoughts??

After WF's Josh and I ran to check out the house- it is looking fabulous! I came home and took a really long nap. I was exhausted and it felt fabulous. Next, Josh and I went to the gym and I spent an hour on the treadmill. I ran straight the first 30 minutes and then alternated running and walking for the last 30. I ended up at 5.5 miles.

For dinner tonight, I made Aggie's Little Turkey Meatball soup again. So yummy. I served with chunks of bread.

The rest of the night looks like mostly relaxing :) Tomorrow morning I am going to take Hot Yoga! I am so excited! I was inspired by Sammie, Heather, and Bridget and cannot wait to try it. Will report back tomorrow. Have a nice night!

Frank

Hope you had a good Friday!! Josh and I just got back from din din. Since I didn't take any pics at dinner, these pictures of Frank will have to do for now ;). Frank gets really irritated when I change the sheets on our bed. Here are some pictures of him angry after the sheets have been removed:

hahah...hope you have a wonderful night!

Pierogies

I am sad that it is my last day working from home :( I really have enjoyed being able to control the flow of my day! Sighhhhh. Any who- enough whining!

Did you enjoy your Thursday? I got to work early early again. I took a break to take Body Pump and then finished off my day. After work, I cleaned the house and got my oil changed. The best part about the place where I get my oil changed is that it is connected to a Starbucks ;)

Tonight I made an easy, easy dinner (I'm not sure you can even call this making dinner haha). I boiled up some Mrs. T's MINI Pierogies. Before I went to Penn State, I had never even heard of pierogies. My freshman year roommate introduced me to them and ever since then, I get a craving for them once or twice a year. Basically its like a ravioli but instead of just cheese inside, there is potato and cheese (or onion, or broccoli...there are a bundle of varieties):


I also boiled up some edamame and corn to serve with the pierogies. My bowl:

And baked up a piece of Chicken to add to Josh's bowl:

I also ended up adding some chickpeas to both (not pictured). It was very yummy. You can also fry the pierogies, but I prefer them boiled!

Time for a shower and some relaxing! Weekend plans???

Pancake Night!

Hi! We're more than halfway through the work week which is wonderful! I had another great day working from home! I started working around 5:45 am. I took a break mid morning and took Body Step. After work, I took Frank for his usual walk and spent some more time learning the new Body Step Choreography.

Dinner tonight was one of my favorite indulgences, pancakes! I wanted to use my oat bran in the pancakes, so I modified this smuckers recipe and made a half batch:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oat bran hot cereal, uncooked,
1/4 cup all purpose flour (or sub whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tablespoon sugar (or leave out)
2 bananas (1 for the batter, 1 to top)
1/2 cup skim milk (or 1% or whatever you have!)
1 egg or egg white equivalent

Directions
Combine oat bran, flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mash bananas and mix with milk and egg (or egg whites).

Add dry mixture to wet mixture.

Heat griddle, spray with non stick cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto hot surface. Cook until bubbly; turn and cook remaining side until golden brown.


I put a few chocolate chips in Josh's:

They were really good! I also made some egg whites and put together some yogurt and granola for Josh! Men need lots of food ;)

Are you guys as excited as I am about all of tv shows coming back on?

Lunch, Bumble Review, Spaghetti Squash

Working from home is so great! I started my work day at 6 am! I got tons done and took a break around 10 to take Body Pump. The gym was filled with hot mamas! It was a totally different environment from the afternoon. These ladies were spunky and serious about their fitness! After a great workout, I came home and started back to work. For lunch, I had hummus with pretzels and carrots (I had a few more pretzels than what is shown here) and a chobani (blueberry is my FAVORITE!!).

Later in the afternoon, I gave the cherry chocolate bumble bar a try (based on Heather's advice):

I was a little nervous after yesterdays experience but can I say WOW! This flavor blew me away! You can really taste the cherries and chocolate (non-dairy)! It was WONDERFUL! I cannot wait to buy another one of these bars for Josh to try because I know he will love it.

Ingredients:Organic agave syrup, Organic sesame seeds, Organic cherries, Organic non-dairy chocolate*, Organic flax, Organic almonds, Organic coconut, Organic cocoa powder, Organic cherry flavor, Organic chocolate extract, Natural Vitamin E for freshness, Processing agents: Organic safflower and/or sunflower oil

After work, I had loads to do around the house. For din din, I made spaghetti squash. I topped it with spaghetti sauce and ground turkey.

On a side note, I won a contest last week from the Fit bottomed girls (they are AWESOME!!). Today I received my prize!! I cannot wait to try out this video!!

How was your Tuesday? Are you counting down the days until the weekend ;)?