Working Out on Vacation

Holy cow. Dinner last night was the bomb. Sautéed onions, black beans, corn, tomato, avocado, salsa, cheese, all topped with an over-easy egg. Oh my goodness. I just can’t explain how much I enjoyed this dinner. It was so easy and so healthy and protein packed.

For dessert I had Fage Non-Fat Greek Yogurt with maple syrup (unphotographed).

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I mentioned a couple of days ago that I managed to get workouts in on vacation one way or the other. Staying active is so important to me for so many reasons. I am a much more pleasant person to be around once I’ve gotten some activity in. Just because I am on vacation doesn’t mean I’m not going to move my body.

Three of our mornings in the Dominican, we laced up the old sneakers for runs along the beach. You cannot beat this view.

It was a good thing we had a beautifully scenic route because running in the sand is slightly torturous if you’re not used to it. Running two miles in the sand felt like running 6 miles on the pavement.  Because of the uneven surfaces of the sand, your body continues to be surprised each time you land, not knowing what it is going to need to adapt to next, which challenges different muscles.

Training on uneven surfaces (beach, trails, etc)  is actually highly recommended for runners because it does challenge your body so much and helps to develop other muscles that aren’t always the main focus in pavement running (not that I’m a running expert!). I was glad we were able to get a few runs in while we were away.

After I posted the above photo, I realized that Dana and I were wearing very similar outfits in a photo from our 15k race last summer.  How about that, right?

After our first sweaty run, we decided that wearing shirts was absolutely not a good idea because of the insane heat especially since we weren’t used to it. The rest of the runs were completed in this attire…

It helped cool me down but only by a little bit.

Two times we headed to the hotel’s gym. I am kicking myself for forgetting to take a photo of the quaint space, but did pull this one from their website to give you some idea of what we were working with. We warmed up with 5 minutes on the stationary bikes before hitting the weights. One day we focused on back, shoulders, and biceps, and the other we focused on chest, triceps (with some core work mixed in). It had what we needed!

I participated in beach aerobics one day. Can you find me? I am the palest gal out there (it was our first day of sun).

Went for walks on the beach every day.

And even got to swim and climb waterfalls on a Safari Tour one day which was extremely difficult and scary too!

Were my workouts on vacation as strenuous as workouts at home? No, definitely not. But seeing as I could have completely neglected workouts all together on this trip as some people chose to do, I feel pretty good about my activity level. Nobody wants crabby Melanie, especially not the husband, so getting physical activity in is a must.

Speaking of workouts, it’s time for one right now. Off I go! Have a wonderful day, and don’t forget to MOVE!

Question of the Day: What are some of your favorite ways to stay active while on vacation?

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A Lucky Friday the 13th

I had a really great Friday the 13th. It all started off with an out of the ordinary breakfast for me which was scrambled egg whites with a little salt and pepper, topped with mild salsa. I found it impossible to take a good photo of this breakfast so don’t judge what you see below.

Work was work, but lunch break was great. I headed to Patrick’s Bakery and Cafe (I had eaten there once before) for lunch with my coworkers. I ordered the same thing as last time….french onion soup served with a piece of a baguette. I neglected to take a photo of my soup because it would have looked exactly the same as the last time , same tablecloth and all, therefore I just decided to use the old photo.

It was a very dreary day here in MN, and a bowl of soup was just what I needed, and I LOVE french onion soup. It warmed my soul.

After work, I had plans to go for a run, but since it was really nasty cold, misty, and windy outside, I decided to take it downstairs to our treadmill to run in the comfort and warmth of my own home. BTW our electrical was installed downstairs today and it looks great! We had temporary lights up down there before but now we have actually have light switches with dimmers to go along with the lights. Woo! It’s still coming a long!

Anyway, I hit the treadmill for 45 minutes doing a bit of a run/walk combo. I flipped channels between Ellen and Paula Deen and was thoroughly entertained.

Part of the reason my Friday the 13th turned out to be so great is because of this….

It’s kind of hard to read but it says:

“Happy News! You were selected as a winner in the LARABAR Very Large Sweepstakes. Your prize includes a tote bag filled with a water bottle, a 16-ct of Larabars, and 5 full-sized mixed flavors. From everyone at LARABAR, I’d like to extend a great big THANK YOU for your support and participation in our sweepstakes. Kindly, The LARABAR Team.”

I WON! I don’t win anything. Ever. I entered into the sweepstakes a while back thinking I had about a 0.05% chance of actually winning. Holy cow. I feel like the dad in a Christmas Story when he won the Leg Lamp. I was jumping up and down after I read the letter like I just found out I got into college or won a ton of money. I really truly love and enjoy LARABARs so this was a big one for me.

Maybe my luck is changing. One can only hope. I want to win more stuff, this is fun!

I can’t wait to try some of these flavors I have never tried before such as Blueberry Muffin and Chocolate Coconut Chew. Um, yum. Thank YOU LARABAR!

To make my day even brighter, this came in the mail today.

My beautifully bright swimsuit from Victoria’s Secret I ordered. Even better news is it fits. It is countdown time until our vacation now…TWO WEEKS from yesterday!

After all the excitement in the house, Dana and I ran a couple of errands including Home Depot and Target because I needed to get a couple of ingredients for our dinner.

Dinner

I sautéed 1 cup of diced onion on the stove top, then added in 1/4 cup of pre-cooked ground beef (I had cooked it a while back and froze it), 3/4 of a can of black beans, 1/2 cup corn, 1/4 cup water, and 1 Tablespoon of low sodium taco seasoning. I mixed all of the ingredients and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, I prepared lettuce cups using a head of boston lettuce. I rinsed the head of lettuce then carefully peeled off layers into cups. I also chopped a Roma tomato, and a half of an avocado (no cuts this time).

Once the filling was done simmering, I spooned 1/4 cup of it into the lettuce cups, topped them with tomato and avocado, and enjoyed a very healthy, easy and flavor-filled dinner.

Looking back on yesterday, I had a day of multiple “wins”:

  • An awesome breakfast that held me over until lunch
  • Electric work done in the basement
  • Great soup with friends for lunch
  • A run while watching fun shows
  • A giant WIN in the LARABAR sweepstakes
  • Swimsuit in the mail, AND it fits
  • Great dinner
  • And lastly, a night to relax with my boys (awwwwwww)

It was a very lucky Friday the 13th for me!

How was yours? Anything lucky or unlucky happen to you?

Continue Reading A Lucky Friday the 13th

To Bake or Not to Bake

After work yesterday I headed over to mom and dad’s neighborhood for a run. I really enjoy their neighborhood because there are great sidewalks and trails everywhere. The run was really not easy for me today (who am i kidding, it’s ever easy for me). I was having some tightness in my legs,  on the outside of my shins. I had to stop and rub them a few times. I am thinking I could really benefit from a tiger tail or some other type of massage tool for muscles. Anyone have any input on any massage tools? I still managed my way through the run and feeling pretty fantastic towards the end. I finished 4 miles in just under 40 minutes.

I cannot believe that I didn’t realize Spring had officially sprung until about 4:00 yesterday afternoon. My gosh, I have been so excited for it’s arrival and then when the day finally arrived, I completely forgot about it. Anyway, HAPPY SPRING friends, just one day belated! Woo eee I cannot wait for the tulips to start popping up! I think that is my favorite part of Spring.

I want to be here preferably with a skinny caramel latte in hand.

Once I got home from my run and showered up, I sat relaxing on the couch, and was struck with a terrible urge to bake. It was gloomy outside, I haven’t baked in a long time, and Pinterest had sucked me in and was inspiring me to get creative in the kitchen. My  mouth watered as I oogled these goodies.

I was left with a terrible hankering for chocolate BUT I gave up sweets for lent so if I were to make any of these treats, I would not be able to make them for myself. I could make them for my co-workers, that would be really nice right? That means I would have to resist licking any batter or eating any dough which happens to be my favorite part of baking in the first place.  I decided maybe it wasn’t the best idea. I know I would have strong enough willpower to resist but I guess I didn’t feel like torturing myself. I botched the baking idea, threw it out the window. Maybe on another gloomy day.

Instead of baking and savoring every morsel of a chocolate chip-oreo-brownie bar, I popped in a piece of dessert gum.

This helped to snap my craving but let’s be real, does not nearly compare to a REAL dessert. I mean, come on. At least my pants will thank me. 😛 Eighteen days until Easter.

Dinner last night was an old favorite/go-to meal: a big veggie-filled salad topped with a runny egg. It was G-O-O-D.

Mixed greens, mushrooms, broccoli, tomato, banana peppers, quinoa with Western Dressing and an egg on top! I completely flopped on the first egg attmept because the yolk broke on me in the cooking process. This would not result in a runny yolk and I was just not having that, so I ditched it even though I hate wasting food, and started on egg number two. Success.

I had a couple of snacks and relaxed the rest of the night. And that my friends is what you call a random, all over the place post. Good day.

So, here is my question for YOU: What are some of your “go-to” meals?

Continue Reading To Bake or Not to Bake

Two N.Y.’s

I have landed in my mystery destination! Okay, a mystery to some. 🙂

Let’s here it for NEW YORK! Dana and I have a little get-a-way weekend planned in NY and it begins right now.

We don’t have a ton planned for the weekend, and we did this intentionally. We decided we wanted a low key weekend and we would “fly by the seat of our pants” when it comes to what we will do while we’re here.

Tonight however, we do have plans. We are meeting my cousin Stephanie, and her boyfriend, Jeff for a nice greek dinner. I am thrilled that it worked out for us to get together with them on such short notice. It will be so good to see them.

The only other time I was in New York was when I traveled with my cousin Betsy and our friend Ellen. We stayed with Steph, which was an absolute blast and especially helpful considering the three of us were broke college students. We all look like babies in this photo. I want to say this was about 5 years ago?

I can’t believe it’s been that long already. I am very excited to be back.

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The other day I whipped up this beautiful egg white omelette.

If you will remember, I sprinkled some nutritional yeast over the top. Let’s talk about that. Nutritional yeast is fairly new to me. I guess I did hear of it a while back, but didn’t look into it much. I was flipping through Women’s Health Magazine recently and I stumbled upon it again. I have been meaning to try some and this was the nudge I needed. The description I read mentioned it having a cheesy flavor that resembles parmesan cheese. Sounds wonderful right?

But first, What is this stuff?

Nutritional yeast (aka Nooch), is a deactivated yeast. Unlike the active yeast you use in breads, this type will not rise (so don’t try and bake a loaf of bread with it). The product comes in a flake form or a powdered form. It is very popular among vegans as it is plant-based and is packed with protein although it can fit into a carnivore’s diet as well. The flavor does resemble that of parmesan cheese. It is commonly used as a substitute for parmesan.

Nutrition Quick Facts (per 2 tablespoons)

Finding accurate nutrition facts became a frustrating task seeing that each source I viewed was slightly different. With that being said, I will give you a range of data from what I found.

  • Protein: 8-9 grams!
  • Calories: 60-80 calories
  • Fat: approximately 1 gram
  • Fiber: 4-5 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 5-7 grams
  • Rich in B vitamins including B12 which is a common nutrient deficiency in vegan and vegetarian diets. B12 is most commonly found in meat.

I am only beginning to learn all of the wonderful health benefits of this new superfood.

How can you use it?

Sprinkle it on:

  • hot popcorn
  • steamed broccoli
  • omelets
  • scrambled eggs
  • pasta
  • salads
  • cook into soups

So far I have only used it on cooked rutabaga and on an egg-white omelet. I am loving this stuff. It looks like powdered gold. I have been becoming more aware of my protein intake lately. I generally don’t eat much meat at home (minus this past week) but do try and get my protein in other ways: greek yogurt, peanut butter, eggs, beans, cheese, whey protein, and now, nutritional yeast!

That’s the cliff notes version of it at least.
How ironic that the two topics in this post, nutritional yeast and New York, share the same initials. Neat, right? 😉 I am a huge nerd.

Alright, I need to go explore this city that we know don’t sleep. Right, all of you Big Willie fans? Gotta get jiggy wit it.

Have a wonderful Friday friends!

Continue Reading Two N.Y.’s

First Shot at Chops

Yesterday morning I whipped up some oat-less oatmeal for breakfast. This was the best batch I have made yet. I think it is because I put all of the ingredients together the night before, and let it work in the fridge over night. This gives the chia seeds a chance to gelatinize which creates a different, thicker texture in the dish. In the morning I cooked it all up on the stove top and noticed it made for a more “voluptuous” looking bowl.

Oat-less Oatmeal (adapted from Tina’s recipe)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 frozen banana, mashed (you can use fresh instead if that is all you have)
  • 1/4 cup egg whites
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chia seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • a dash of cinnamon
Directions
Combine all ingredients. Cook on stove-top over low heat. Stir frequently until an oatmeal like consistency appears (about 3 minutes). Top with fresh fruit, nut butter, granola, or whatever your heart desires!
Dinner was a new adventure for me. Dana had requested boneless pork chops for his birthday dinner, and although I have eaten them, I have never made them before, so I knew this would be a learning experience. Tuesday night while I was at the in-law’s for dinner, I asked Sue how she usually prepares pork chops. She gave me a simple recipe involving mushrooms, onions, and red wine. Here’s what happened.
I began by trimming any visible fat off of the meat. I then placed each chop on its own piece of aluminum foil spritzed with cooking spray, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, and topped them with chopped onion, mushrooms, and a splash of red wine. I took Rachael Ray’s advice and used wine to cook with that I would actually want to drink. I wrapped up each chop and placed on a baking pan to bake in a 350° oven for exactly 1 hour.
In the mean time I got working on the side dish:baked rutabaga fries. Here is the large rutabaga.
I washed it, peeled off the skin, poked it with a fork a few times, and microwaved for about 3 minutes. I did this to soften it so that I would be able to cut it into french fry size strips more easily.
I placed the “fries” on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil spritzed with cooking spray, but you could also use olive oil or vegetable oil, and sprinkled them with seasoned salt. They baked at 350° (because that was the temperature the pork was cooking at) for about 37 minutes, flipping once halfway through. I then placed them under the broiler for about 2 minutes, watching them carefully so that they wouldn’t burn. I removed them from the oven when they turned a light golden brown. I like my fries on the crispy side.
It’s not the prettiest plate of food ever, but it was extremely nummy! I’m thinking I aced my first shot at pork chops. I am generally not a huge meat person but I really did enjoy this meal. The rutabaga fries turned out awesome too. I dunked them in some ketchup and was in my glory. Dana gave the meal two thumbs up.
After dinner Dana opened up his birthday gifts, I sang him ‘Happy Birthday,’ we watched our favorite shows, Whitney and Modern Family, and talked about our upcoming trip which is happening VERY soon! I think it was a success of a birthday. We will probably continue celebrating this weekend, just for fun.
I am off to work now ladies and gents. After work I am heading straight to the gym (hold me accountable), and then I am going to finish packing for our trip. Can you handle the anticipation?
Happy Thursday friends. I am out.
Continue Reading First Shot at Chops

And We’re Off

“I hopped off the plane at LAX, with a dream and my cardigan…”  We are officially California bound baby and yes I just quoted Miley Cyrus! So what? I am pumped. I’m still hoping to can spot some celebs, but more than anything I am just very excited to get away and see some friends.

Aww, Kate I wish you were going to be there too. 🙂

First things first, a little recap from yesterday. I could not quite capture the deliciousness of this salad but I will still share the photo to give you some idea of what into my belly at lunch.

I wasn’t quite sure of how this would turn out because I was literally just tossing items into the mix that I had on hand that I thought might blend well together in a salad.

In the mix:

  • raw kale
  • chopped walnuts
  • feta cheese
  • two clementines, peeled and segmented
  • Craisins
  • balsamic vinegar

At first bite I still wasn’t sure what I thought of it, but I kept mixing and kept eating and eventually came to the realization that I really enjoyed this mix. It’s packed full of superfoods and vitamins too! For lunch I also ate a banana, apple, and carrots. Crazy veggie intake I know. I like to really fill up on them before a vacation because I don’t know what my intake will be like while I am away.

For dinner, I wanted to try and use up some of our perishable items in the fridge. I steamed a whole lot of broccoli, topped it with cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper, and threw an egg on top with some mustard, and called it a dinner. I’m so sorry you have to witness yet another runny egg. I have been in such a kick with this egg bit. It’s probably getting old but it is just so tasty and such an easy way to get some protein into a meal.

Here’s a couple of not very attractive photos.

K, seriously ugly photos but seriously delicious. If I haven’t convinced you to try runny eggs over veggies, I will. I won’t give up on it.

Alright, I am out! I will do my best to keep you updated on the trip but can’t make any promises! Either way I will catch you up at some point. Happy Friday everyone!

Continue Reading And We’re Off

No Dreadmill

Good evening friends! How was everyone’s Tuesday? Mine was pretty good. Work was smooth and flew by, but what helped my mood the most today was the beautiful weather! We are having some seriously out of season weather here but I LOVE it! I’m not sure what the official temperature was today, but my car said 43° when I was driving home from work at 4:00. Talk about a heat wave! 🙂

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First things first. I didn’t take snap a photo of breakfast this morning because I kinda flopped on it. I was trying to make Oatmeal No Oats again but decided to “wing” it and make  it from memory versus looking at the recipe. Whoops. I forgot the cinnamon and it completely changed the taste and ended up with a slightly egg-y taste. It wasn’t horrible, and I still ate it after adding a little brown sugar and some banana. It was actually kind of good in a weird way, but next time I will remember the cinnamon.

Fast-forward to lunch… I actually decided to pack a lunch today versus coming home. I had an errand to run so I packed a peanut butter banana wrap, Pink Lady apple, mini bell peppers, carrots, clementine, and string cheese. I always pack more than enough when I do pack a lunch because I never know how hungry I will be. Today I ate everything pictured below minus the string cheese and clementine.

After I ran my errand I parked my car in a sunny spot and pulled out my book. I am still reading the Help but am getting towards the end of it. I am loving it still and will probably finish it tonight before bed! When I was driving back to work after break I decided since it was so beautiful outside that I was going to run outside after work. No “dreadmill” today! Alleluia!

It’s been a while since I ran outside due to unkind Minnesota weather and due to the fact that I am pretty much a big baby when it comes to cold temperatures.  After work, I geared up in my long underwear, headband, gloves, and hit the road running. It was challenging but felt SO good to be outside. It makes a world of difference breathing the fresh air, having the constant changing scenery, the entertainment of other walkers and cars, and the challenge of hills. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t love the hills but they are great for training and building stamina. I think I had a little bit of a hard time maintaining any sort of steady pace because I noticed myself breathing heavier than normal. I have a lot of work to do in order to feel more confident in my running. I will get there though! I know it doesn’t happen overnight.

The good news is I didn’t have any shin pain today. I am hoping I can get another outside run in soon so I can see if I have ditched the shin problems all together or not and then see what happens when I run on the treadmill again. Experiment time!

Get it 40 for forty degrees? Neat.

I will be the first to admit that the picture above totally grosses me out. I am not one of those people who thinks it’s cute to get slobbered on by their dogs. This picture was an accident as I was trying to get Moose to sit with me for a picture. It was too funny not to post though. I immediately washed my face after this happening occurred. Gross. I love you, Moose but honestly you don’t have a clean mouth. I don’t care what everyone says about “dogs mouths are cleaner than human mouths.” I know where that mouth has been. Ew.  Sorry to anyone eating while they are reading this.

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After a nice little shower, I started pulling dinner together. I threw some Alexia’s Sweet Potato Crispy Bite-Sized Puffs, aka tator tots  in the oven along with a whole bunch of broccoli sprinkled with garlic powder. As I waited for the tots to cook, I snacked on some broccoli and  Holy Land  Roasted Red Pepper Hummus which is made in Minneapolis. I love supporting the locals.

So let’s see, I had a starch, a veggie….I needed a protein. How about an egg? Sure, why not. I cooked an egg over-easy and topped it on the roasted broccoli alongside the tator tots. I dabbed a bit of good old Heinz Ketchup on the plate, sprinkled a little parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, and a dash of salt over the whole rainbow bright dish. Then, dug in.

Random, but good and very pretty! I would do it again! Dessert was a handful or two of Craisins. Now, on to the rest of the evening involving relaxation and possibly a cup of tea. Good night good night, and tomorrow is Wednesday. I love Wednesdays!

Continue Reading No Dreadmill
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