Merry Christmas

During this busy time of year, it is always nice to step back and enjoy the season, the lights, the music, the food, and most importantly the friends and family. For us, we celebrate the birth of our Saviour and all our many blessings. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

Spaghetti Squash and Cauliflower

I do realize that spaghetti squash and cauliflower are a random combination.... However, they are two of our new favorite vegetables that we have been eating a lot of. Ryan loves them and tucher will eat the leftovers without question :) They are simple to throw as a side dish or make them a main meal. I don't have any pics however (by the time we eat at night, it is pitch black and the pics don't look that good in artificial light), but you will have to trust me in trying these!

Spaghetti Squash

Last night I made spaghetti squash for the 2nd time in my life. I tried it back in college when weight watchers kept adding it to everything. I hated it. I thought that I would rather not eat pasta than substitute this for pasta! However, last night it was amazing and we are eating spaghetti squash again tonight for leftovers.

Here is how to cook: Heat over to 400. Cut squash carefully in half lengthwise. Place on a lined baking sheet with cut side down. Place about 1/2 cup water in the pan with the squash. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Take out, allow to cool so you can handle comfortably. First remove the seeds, then take a fork and "strip" the squash out. Some of the pieces will be long and some short. Place in a container to use later or make a great dish with it.

picture from google images.... steamy kitchen.com

Recipe for spaghetti squash with shrimp:

1 eggplant - cut in large bite size pieces

1 large zucchini - cut in large bite size pieces

1/2 sweet onion - diced

1 pepper - cut in strips

1 garlic clove

Store bought marinara sauce or homemade marinara sauce (depends on your time)

1 pound shrimp - peeled

Combine eggplant, zucchini, onion, pepper, and garlic on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with seasonings of your choice (I did lemon pepper, shallot pepper, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes - you could just do salt and pepper :))

Place in oven at 400 and roast for about 15 to 20 minutes (stirring once or twice). Remove from oven. In a pan, heat the marinara sauce until warm, toss in the veggies and simmer. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Toss peeled and deveined shrimp on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil and salt/pepper. Cook for about 4-5 minutes. Check the shrimp and cook longer if needed. Do not overcook the shrimp!

Plate the cooked spaghetti squash, then top with the veggies/marinara combination, then place cooked shrimp on top. I sprinkled with a bit of parmesan cheese to top it off. This meal was amazing!

Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower is another vegetable that I don't really like. I am now convinced it is because I always try to eat it steamed in a vegetable medley which has NO flavor. This recipe has been made 3 times in the Pearce's Kitchen over the last week and a half and it is here to stay. I love the ease of it and I also LOVE the taste of it. We have had it alongside lemon parmesan chicken, triggerfish, and pork chops. Many possibilities!

Recipe for Golden Brown Roasted Cauliflower:

I head of organic cauliflower, cut into florets

~2 TBS olive oil

salt and pepper sprinkling

Heat oven to 400. Place cauliflower onto baking sheet and toss with olive oil and salt/pepper, arrange in a single layer. Place in heated oven for 25-30 minutes until the cauliflower is a beautiful golden brown. Enjoy!

These are great side dishes or main meals (particularly the spaghetti squash being more of main meal). Next up are BRUSSEL SPROUTS! MY absolutely new favorite vegetable, and I am not kidding :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving. Hope that everyone has safe travels and enjoys the time with family and friends. Remember to give thanks for all that you have.

This cartoon says it best.... enjoy Turkey Day then worry about Santa coming... I really try not to rush Christmas and give this day of thanks its own time.

~kelly

Country French Vinaigrette

You have heard me talk multiple times about Penzey's Spices (here, here, here, here, here). I love all of their products and more importantly I love shopping at the store. I get lost in their store for hours and my un-creative mind even starts coming up with ways to use each spice. In the store you can smell each spice, which is a major bonus. Unless you smell a hot chipotle pepper seasoning and start sneezing your head off!

The Country French Vinaigrette has been my go to dressing base. I love how fresh it tastes, you have to rehydrate the spices for 5 minutes in water to accomplish this. The directions are on the back of the jar, making it easy to whip up the dressing in a hurry!

We not only use this as a delicious salad dressing, but also as a topping for broccoli, asparagus, steamed kale, and have even used as a marinade for fish. It works wonderful to create a complex flavor with all the foods I have used it on so far.

I love making Greek Salads with this dressing so here's an easy recipe

Greek Salad

Ingredients:

1 head lettuce or 3 stalks romaine (I usually use whatever lettuce is in my fridge - in the picture above this was a mixed baby lettuce pack)

artichokes in a jar - sliced

kalamata olives (pitted) - halved

grape tomatoes - halved

roasted red and yellow peppers - chopped (you can either make them or buy a jar of them)

chickpeas - drained

sprinkle of parmesan cheese

feta cheese (or could use provolone cheese)

salami - chopped into small squares *optional

pepperocini peppers

Country French Vinaigrette - Penzey's spices (try to order this from penzey's or use a store bought greek dressing to substitute)

Directions:

Mix all of the above together and you have a fresh lunch or dinner salad. I like to toss the dressing with the mixture but remember to start with a little dressing and add more as needed. This dressing is very flavorful so a little goes a long way. I love the ease of this salad. I usually can make 3-4 salads with a jar or can of each of the ingredients listed above. Or use the full jars/can and add some extra lettuce for a large salad to entertain guests with

Balsamic Chicken with Kale

Kale is such a versatile green. I use it in my green smoothies, in autumn soups, and sauteed with olive oil and garlic as a side dish.

{photo taken at night with bad lighting... sorry}

When I told Ryan we were having kale and chicken for dinner, he replied with "what did I do wrong?" Funny thing is that he enjoyed the dinner and have made this multiple times since then. Chicken with kale is a great light dish with a balanced flavor. You could serve this with a fresh salad if you like.

Balsamic Chicken with Kale

Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:

1 TBS olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound of chicken breast (about 4 halved breasts)

8-10 ounces kale (can use a mixture of spinach, swiss chard, and kale)

2 TBS balsamic vinegar, use high quality

1/2 cup chicken broth

a pinch or two of red pepper flakes

1 can diced tomatoes with juice (I used Muir Glen roasted tomatoes)

2 cups grain (can use whole wheat couscous, quinoa, brown rice)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan and cook through, this took about 5-7 minutes (depending on your thickness of your chicken breasts). When cooked through, set aside.

Cook your grain of choice according to the package. I love the Israeli Couscous or brown rice with this dish, but you could really use anything, or nothing at all and make it lower on the carbohydrate side.

Add the 10 ounces of kale (or greens mixture) to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until wilted, then set this aside also.

Add the 3 minced garlic cloves to the pan and saute until the "garlic speaks". Then, stir in the chicken broth (1/2 cup) and balsamic vinegar (2 Tablespoons), which will allow you to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then add in the can of diced, roasted tomatoes. Season with the red pepper flakes (couple of pinches) and simmer for 4 minutes, then add the chicken back to the pan, nestling it in to re-warm the chicken. Remember not to cook the chicken here, as it should already be cooked through.

To plate your dinner, place your grain on the bottom, then the kale or greens mixture, then the chicken with tomatoes on top. You could also add a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese, although I don't think that it is necessary (I say this because Ryan wanted some parmesan on top!)

Farro with butternut squash, walnuts, and goat cheese

Happy Fall!

Fall brings beautiful weather, colorful leaves, and autumn squash. I love acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and kabocha squash and find myself cooking with these on a daily basis. I had family and friends coming to town last week and decided this farro dish would be delicious with large roasted gulf shrimp (followed this recipe-just did the shrimp part) and a fall salad. I loved how great the goat cheese complemented the squash and how the butternut squash wasn't too soft so it stood out against the softer farro. I added a bit more balsamic vinegar with the walnut oil to make it a touch more tastier!

Farro with Butternut squash, walnuts, and goat cheese

recipe heavily adapted from 101 cookbooks

1 1/2 cup farro, rinsed and drained

2 tsp sea salt

5 cups water

3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch piece

1 red onion, chopped

1 Tbs fresh thyme, minced

3 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs balsamic vinegar, divided

3 Tbs toasted walnut oil (or you can substitute olive oil)

1 cup wanuts, toasted

1/4 cup Belle Chevre Goat Cheese, crumbled (support Alabama Goat Cheese!)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Combine the farro, salt, and water in a saucepan, and cook on medium heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the farro is just tender, about 30 minutes to an hour (If you are using pearled farro, the cooking time is around 30 minutes, longer for basic farro - best is to follow the directions on the back of your farro package for best results). You want to avoid overcooking the farro, it should retain its structure. Remove from heat and drain well.

When you are waiting for the farro to cook, toss the butternut squash, onion, and thyme with the olive oil, 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar, and a couple of big pinches of salt. Place on a lined baking sheet, being sure that the mixture is in a single layer, cook for 20-25 minutes until the squash is tender, but not mushy. Stir the mixture every 10 minutes to brown evenly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little.

Place the farro, butternut squash mixture in a large bowl and add the walnut oil, the other 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar, and the toasted walnuts. Taste for seasoning, add salt as needed. Once mixed together, add the crumbled goat cheese or you could plate your farro and garnish with the goat cheese, whichever you want!

Thai Tilapia

My friend Sara always has talked about this dish, but I have never made it before. When I visited her, she made it for me and since I have returned home we have had it twice. It is one of those very easy meals to throw together. I love the ginger and curry...

Thai Tilapia

• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons red curry paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets or other mild white fish
• 2 stalks of broccolini
• 3 cups hot cooked brown rice
• 4 lime wedges

Directions:

Preheat broiler.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute.

Add pepper and onions; cook 1 minute.

Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute.

Add soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil).

While this is simmering, place broccolini in a glass bowl and cover with a very damp paper towel. Place bowl in microwave for 4 minutes, so broccolini is steamed and tender. Cut broccolini in bite size pieces, roughly chopped.

Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sauce, rice, and lime wedges.

Remove the sauce mixture from heat; stir in cilantro and steamed broccolini.

TGIF

Happy Friday!!!!!

Have a fun weekend, and GOOOOO GATORS!

Weekly Meal Plan

It is amazing what a weekend at home can do... I feel caught up on cleaning, laundry, meals, lunch with a best friend, went to Church, and I got to watch a FULL day of football on Saturday along with a fun tailgating party!

Here is our Meal Plan for this week:

Monday lunch: Corn, Shrimp, and Crab Chowder

Monday dinner: Thai Tilapia with brown rice

Tuesday lunch: Black beans and brown rice (kelly) and SW chicken and rice (ryan)

Tuesday dinner: out to dinner (kelly), leftover chowder for Ryan

Wednesday lunch: Salads with toppings (chicken for ryan and beans/avocado for me)

Wednesday dinner: Vegetable soup :)

Thursday lunch: leftover veggie soup

Thursday dinner: King Salmon with daddy sam's salmon glaze, broccolini, and brown rice

Friday = Florida!!!!!!!!!!!! Saturday = TAILGATING at the SWAMP

Chicken and Orzo with Broccoli

Life has been moving too fast... it always happens this time of year, I must mentally prepare for the fall. There is football, weddings, vacations, birthdays (30th bday in October), and holidays all packed into 4 months. As I said before, I haven't really gotten caught up, because how can you when you are on a plane or devoting one full day of the week to college football!?!? But, I love it and wouldn't change the fast pace for anything (well maybe a four month vacation to Europe or Hawaii!)

Anyways, time is not slowing down and I have a ton of recipes that I haven't shared. My blog feels neglected.... so here we go with a new recipe!

Chicken and Orzo with Broccoli

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

8 oz whole wheat orzo pasta, uncooked

2 chicken breasts (butterflied into 4 pieces)

2 tsp Herbs de Provence

1-2 tbs olive oil

1 shallot, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes (if you can find the fire roasted one get that)

2 cups broccoli florets or 2 stalks of broccolini

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

10 basil leaves, julliened

salt and pepper to taste

Cook orzo according to package directions. Do not overcook the orzo, just until tender and still firm to the touch (no mush). Reserve some of the pasta water

Season both sides of the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and then evenly sprinkle the herbs de province on chicken. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallot until slightly browned then toss in the garlic until it becomes very fragrant "Garlic Speaks". Add the can of diced tomatoes (with juices) and the broccoli florets (or chopped broccolini). Bring this mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low to simmer. Test the cooking time (about 8-10 minutes) until the broccoli is tender but not limp. Stir in the cooked orzo, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper as needed. If you think that your sauce is too thick, you can now add some of the reserved pasta water. Remove from the heat and toss in the basil. I like to add a bit of red pepper flakes at the end for a bit of a kick :)

August 28 - September 4 Weekly Eats

I'm back and trying to get on a schedule! In the past week I have gone to Atlanta for a Pilates Workshop, then to visit my friend Sara in Columbia, SC and then to Santa Rosa Beach, FL for a fun weekend with friends! WHEW.... after all this have a fun Labor Day Weekend planned in NAPA! It is so hard to eat well and chart all of my foods when traveling and this is something that I need to get better at. I also find it hard to drive 5+ hours and find time to unpack and workout. So my workouts have been kind of bad lately. Anyways, hopefully this week will be better and I can keep myself accountable on this next vacation

Sunday:

Travel day back from Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Fruits: 0

Veggies: 2

Workout: 40 minute walk outside and wow it was a beautiful fall-ish feeling evening :)

Monday:

Fruits: 0

Veggies:2

Workout: 40 minute walk outside with Tucher and 55 minute core barre class taught by angel

Tuesday:

Fruits: 1

Veggies: 2

Workout: 55 minute walk outside

Wednesday:

Fruits: 2

Veggies: 4

Workout: 55 minute outside walk with Ryan and 55 minute advanced reformer

Shrimp and Crab Corn Chowder

I am not one that absolutely loves uploading pictures so you know when I immediately get done with dinner and upload one it is because the recipe is that delicious.... This was very refreshing for a different summer meal and I loved the ease of making it. Let me know if you try this dish

Shrimp and Crab Corn Chowder

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light (August 2011)

Ingredients:

6 slices center cut bacon, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped (about 4-5 celery stalks)

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed

2-3 cups fat free, low sodium vegetable broth

3/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

8 oz crab meat (I used claw meat but if you want to pay extra, use lump)

1/3 cup half and half

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

Heat a large dutch oven over med-high heat. Add the bacon and saute for 4 minute or until the bacon is just browning. Then remove a handful of the bacon and set aside to drain. Add the onion, celery, thyme, garlic to the pan and saute for another 2 minutes. Add corn and cook for 2 minutes stirring as needed. Then add the broth (I added closer to 3 because I like it more "soupy" than thick) then bring to a boil and cook for another 4 minutes.

Place 2 cups of the corn mixture in a blender (I used my vitamix). Secure lid on blender and blend until smooth. Return the pureed corn mixture to dutch oven. Stir in the shrimp and crab meat and cook for about 2 minutes until the shrimp are done. Stir in the half and half, pepper, and salt. Crumble the reserved bacon over soup

This makes 4 servings (1 and 2/3 cup per serving) for a total of 294 calories, 7 g fat, 26 grams protein, 34 grams of carb, and 4.3 g fiber

To note: The Cooking Light Recipe did not call for crab meat but I had a friend make it before I did and added the crab. I loved it and would always add the crab from now on!

Weekly Eats August 15 thru August 21

Monday:

Fruits: 2

Veggies: 3

Workout: 40 minute walk (outside and very hilly) around Highland Avenue and 60 minute level 5 reformer

Tuesday:

Fruits: 2 Veggies: 2

Workout: 60 minute YCross Cardio Class

Wednesday:

Fruits: 2, Veggies: 2

Workout: 55 minute core barre class (taught by angel) and 90 minute Bikram Yoga

The "quick add" calories under dinner was my shrimp/crab/corn chowder

Thursday:

Fruits: 3 Veggies: 2

Workout: 90 minutes at Dance Trance

Friday:

Dinner at Rebecca and Scotts

Core Barre workout

Fruits: 3 Veggies: 2

Note that I did not put my food into the program today

Saturday:

Travel day to Atlanta for Pilates Workshop

Normal breakfast, falafel and chickpeas for lunch, amazing French food for dinner and 1 glass of white wine. A little bit of granola to munch on along with an amazing chair class taught by Rachel!!!

Sunday:

Pilates workshop day... amazing mat class taught by Rachel that had me SWEATING! I love PIlates!!! Best sweat is in mat for me:)

Starbucks egg white, spinach, and feta wrap and a coffee with milk and sugar. Lunch was at EL Figo in ATL which was a zucchini, portabella, pesto, and sundried tomato sandwich on ciabbata bread... Snacks included some Trader Joe's blueberries and gorgonzola crackers. Dinner was at Sara's house... Amy's Organic Margheritta Pizza (3 slices)

Weekly Eats August 8 thru August 14

Monday:

Veggies: 4

Fruits: 5

Workout: 55 minute pilates chair and 60 minute dance trance class

Tuesday:

Veggies: 2

Fruits: 4

Workout: 45 minute outside walk

Wednesday:

Veggies: 4

Fruits: 3

Workout: 40 minute advanced mat and 55 minute jumpboard class

Girls night out at Dodiyos (still trying to master not overeating when in a large group or out to dinner!)

Thursday:

Woke up sick... think that I had some food poisoning... today was a minimal eats day with mostly an intake of bland carbs :)

Friday:

Saturday:

4 mile, 60 minute walk outside at the beach!!!!

Sunday:

Travel day back from beach...

Fruits: 2

Veggies: 2

Monday Reads

I found these two articles while wasting time on the good old World Wide Web and wanted to share them with you.....

Rice and Pasta are so 2009.... First of all, I have been exploring with tons of new grains lately and farro and quinoa happen to be on the top of my favorites list. If you haven't tried them yet, maybe this article will give you that extra push to add them to your meals. The farro with mushroom and dill looks amazing....

One thing that aggravates me is how influential celebrities are. Jennifer Anniston has Smart Water on set, Madonna has coconut water drinks at an after party, Dora the Explored is printed on kid's yogurts.... the list can go on and on. Basically, a lot of health fads start in Hollywood with lots of marketing money to influence us on what we "think" we need. All this being said, Coconut Water has been all the rage lately and when I saw this article I had to pass it on. As a dietitian I do believe the coconut water can be a way to rehydrate, but not if the electrolytes are mis-labeled. This goes back to the fact that we have to be aware buyers and not always trust what the celebrities are doing to be "healthy". I still believe in Gatorade (possibly because University of Florida came up with this amazing idea and anything with "gator" in it makes me happy to be a Florida Gator!!!!)

Ham and Cheese sandwiches

These are great for parties and for easy lunches that Ryan can take to work with him. We have made these several times and they are always a success! Very good to reheat and easy to take on the run.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Recipe from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

12 full size buns (I like Italian bread - something a bit harder than hamburger buns which are soft) or 24 mini rolls (mini Hawaiian rolls are delicious)

24 slices of honey ham (I love Boar's Head)

24 slices of swiss cheese

mayonnaise

1 1/2 tbs yellow mustard

6 tbs butter, melted

1 tbs onion, finely minced

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

poppy seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split the rolls in half and spread mayo on the bread (you can skip this step if you hate mayo). Fold the honey ham in half and add to the sandwich (Note if using the full size rolls, put two ham slices on, if using the minis- just use one slice). Add the piece of swiss cheese. Place the other half of the bun on top and place the sandwiches in a baking dish.

For the sauce, combine yellow mustard, butter, onion, and worcestershire sauce. Whisk to combine. Pour over the sandwiches and then sprinkle poppy seeds on top.

Cover with Aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted then remove the foil and bake for 2-3 more minutes. Serve warm or reheat.

We love these for fun appetizers or like I said for lunches. Personally, for me this is a bit too unhealthy for lunch, but Ryan loves them!

Tabbouleh and Feta stuffed Pitas

Ina Garten does it again... she convinces me that another one of her recipes is sure to satisfy and always enjoyed. I would explain this recipe as "fresh". I see a lot of the reviews argue whether this is traditional Tabbouleh or not and to be honest, why can't we have more than one type of tabbouleh? Basically lebanese style has more parsley than bulgur wheat while Ina's recipe has more bulgur wheat than the traditional lebanese style does. Does it make it less delicious? I think not. So, if you want to make traditional tabbouleh, find another recipe but if you want a refreshing lunch then try this!

Tabbouleh and Feta stuffed Pitas

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgur wheat

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/4 cup olive oil

salt

1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (I don't like scallions so didn't use)

1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 seeded cucumber, medium diced

2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

1 tsp pepper

3/4 lb good quality feta cheese, crumbled by hand (try to buy block feta not the pre-crumbled kind)

4 whole wheat pitas

Directions:

Place the bulgur wheat in a large bowl and pour the boiling water on top and add the lemon juice, olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Stir all together and then leave at room temperature for 1 hour.

Then, add the scallions (if using), mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, 1-2 tsp salt, and pepper. Combine all ingredients together well then cover and refrigerate. Stuff the tabbouleh into a pita and enjoy!

Note that the longer the tabbouleh sits in the fridge, the better the flavor enhances. I ate this for lunch for 4 days straight and it just kept getting better and better!

Weekly Eats August 1 - August 7

Monday:

B: coffee prepared as normal and 2 tbs of granola in 1/4 cup milk

L: Black bean taco (1 whole wheat tortilla with 1 black bean patty with fresh tomato, cilantro, 1 tbs sour cream, 1 ounce cheese, and salsa)

D: yogurt with berries and granola and 6 honey graham crackers with fig goat cheese (my obsession is fig goat cheese and I just finished the last bit thank goodness!)

Workout: 1 hour dance trance class and 1 hour Core barre class (taught by Kaitlin)

Fruits: 3

Veggies: 1

Tuesday:

Click on Tuesday to see what I ate!

Fruits: 4

Veggies: 4

Workout: 60 minute 3.5 mile walk OUTSIDE (supposed to be 110 today) with Mandi and Jake

Wednesday:

Click on wednesday to see what I ate and calories consumed

Fruits: 4

Veggies: 3

Workout: First Time trying Bikram (hot) yoga and it was AWESOME.... sweated so much

Thursday:

click to see food diary

Fruits: 3

Veggies: 4

Workout: 45 minute dance trance breakdown and 60 minute dance trance class (love me some booty dancing)

Friday:

Fruits: 3

Veggies: 4

Workout: 30 minute reformer

Bad day because we went to Mexican Restaurant (Cocina Superior) for dinner

Saturday:

Fruits: 1

Veggies: 4

Workout: 65 minute advanced reformer (whole level 5 work minus a few of the "secret" parts) and 20 minute walk in the HEAT to the pool!

Another bad day... drinks and the nacho splurge for snack is not a good combo.... gotta get the weekends back in order

Sunday:

Fruits: 2

Veggies: 0

Workout: 45 minute dance trance rewind and 60 minute 3.5 mile walk with Ryan outside

The Big Easy

Heading to the Big Easy for a Bachelorette Party for Kate and Stef Dawg!

In honor of New Orleans, I made Ryan some of the Cajun Chicken Pasta this week, if you need a bit of spice in your life, you should check this recipe out. Beware though, they guys called me "cayenne" after eating, so if you don't love spice, only put 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper in your recipe! Can't wait to get to NOLA with my florida girls and get some real cajun food!

Breakfast of the Champions - Summer Style

Berries are unbelievably delicious right now and I am taking in as much as I can while they are in season. The days are getting a bit shorter :( so I know that the season can only last for so long. This is my favorite quick and easy breakfast to use as many berries as I can. I love the granola from BlackBerry Hills. I get this granola at whole foods and it is the best I can find (Thanks Sharon for introducing it to me). Try this for a snack or breakfast and enjoy all that the summer fruits have to offer... this is more of an idea than a recipe but it is great.

Summer Berry Breakfast:

1 container of nonfat organic vanilla flavored yogurt (Whole foods brand is great)

1 ounce of Blackberry Hills granola (or whatever granola you love to use)

Fresh assortment of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, even pineapple or fresh peaches is great.

ENJOY!