2015: By the Numbers

Oregon Trip 2015

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a healthy, happy, and safe holiday season. Let's wrap up 2015 by summing up last year in numbers, shall we? Here we go!

1- Oregon finally has a Heisman Trophy!
59- amount of points the Ducks scored in the Rose Bowl (new record!) against Florida St. on January 1st

Green Smoothies

Don't be put off by the color of these smoothies. They taste ah-mazing! Yes, there may be fistfuls of spinach in these frosty bad-boys, but you'd never know if I didn't tell you. The smoothie just tastes like kiwi and vanilla. It is so good! I've always heard you can put greens in a smoothie (spinach, kale, arugula, etc.) without flavoring the smoothie, but believe it or not, I'd never experimented. Well. Now I know I should have done this before.

This is the one of the smoothies this week that I used ice in. I suppose you could freeze your kiwis if you are looking to skip the ice. I blended and blended these smoothies (you know, with my little blender), and arrived at the perfect texture. Not a single ice chip! I made these pretty thick, you could definitely add more liquid and less ice to achieve a thinner consistency.

This may seem like a strange combination. Kiwi and spinach? Turns out to be one of the best combinations! Perhaps you don't eat kiwi. Let me tell you why you should, besides the basic, obvious reason that they are freakin' delicious. These little fuzzy fruits are one of nature's super foods. They're high in vitamin C and potassium. Studies have shown kiwi can lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. They are good for your skin, can help you sleep better, and help lower your blood pressure.

Ok, after hearing all that, why wouldn't you eat more kiwi?

I think the world would be a happier place if people would just eat more fruit. My springtime diet has morphed into a fruit free-for-all. On top of trying to avoid processed food (excluding fruit snacks, my Kryptonite), I try to eat mostly whole foods and allow myself as much fruit and veggies as I want. I've had an easier time managing my weight by eating this way than I ever did eating a calorie-restricted diet and keeping a food journal. I've got a highly unscientific theory that my body doesn't like the stress of obsessing about food and calories. I think everyone would have an easier time managing their weight if they just ditched all the pre-made and processed food.

Did I mention these were unscientific theories? They are :)

All right, Jessica out. It's my mother-in-law's birthday, and I'm taking her out for lunch. Before I stuff my face with pizza however (oh the irony, after I just waxed poetic about ditching processed foods!), it's cardio day at the gym. Gotta go work up that appetite! Then...

Time to come home and bake a cake!

I love birthday season :)

Happy Hump Day!

Ingredients (makes 2 smoothies):

4 kiwis, peeled and sliced

3 cups spinach

1 cup Greek vanilla yogurt

1/2- 1 cup almond milk

2-3 cups ice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in blender. Add more almond milk to make your smoothie thinner. Add more ice to make your smoothie thicker. Pulse until you reach your desired texture. Distribute between 2 glasses. Serve immediately.

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday

Cinnamon Swirl Muffins with Cream Cheese Glaze

Ah, muffins. It's be awhile since we last danced. Months, in fact. Not only because we spent a month in Oregon, but also because I just can't remember the last time I made muffins. The hubby has been chowing down on breakfast burritos for awhile now, so I decided to give him a breakfast break. He's nutty about cinnamon, so I knew this recipe was right up his alley.

Now, about these muffins. So good! They taste like a cinnamon roll, but without the hassle and elbow grease of dealing with yeast. In fact, they are super easy. I threw them together in about 20 minutes. The muffins are moist, and I love the ribbon of cinnamon-sugar goo running throughout the muffin. Another thing I love about this recipe? It makes 8 muffins. That's fantastic news for a 2-person household. The glaze tastes very much like cream cheese, so if you are a person who likes a more subtle cream cheese flavor (like me) you might want to add more sugar and milk to the glaze to diffuse the flavor a bit. You'll end up with more glaze than you need, but a more toned down flavor.

A funny side story for the day- the hubby and I went to the gym today. After I was satisfied with the amount of cardio I'd done, I joined the hubby on the basketball court to shoot the ball around. I don't think I've even picked up a basketball since high school. I couldn't believe how heavy it was to shoot, and even to pick up. Basketball, much like riding a bike, was something I obviously took for granted as a kid because I never once thought about the weight of a basketball. Things like that are funny. Like hoola hooping. Have you ever tried to hoola hoop as an adult? Awk-ward.

Anyhoo, my arms are spent and my tummy is happily full of cinnamon swirl muffin. Happy Friday indeed :)

Ingredients:

Muffins:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar (divided)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter + 1 tbsp, melted (divided)
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. To make muffins- In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp sugar, cinnamon, and 1 tbsp melted butter, forming a paste. Add wet ingredients (milk/egg mixture) to the dry ingredients (flour/sugar). Mix gently and only until ingredients are just combined. Add cinnamon mixture to the bowl, but do not completely mix in. You want a swirl of cinnamon goo running through the muffins. Spoon mixture into muffin tin. Bake in preheated oven 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool muffins completely before glazing.
3. To prepare glaze: Combine cream cheese through vanilla in a small bowl. Add more milk (if needed) until you reach a desired consistency for dipping. Dip the muffin tops into the glaze before placing on a cooling rack to set completely. Let glaze completely set before storing muffins.

*Recipe adapted from Recipe Girl*

Enjoying Something I've Always Hated

I'm not a natural-born runner. Or a fast runner. Or even a good runner.

I've hated running my entire life. I've come to realize now, as an adult, that while my childhood self was really speedy, I also had no endurance. Not a lick of stamina. I was technically in good shape, I loved being athletic. I played soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, ran track, and competed on my high school's dance team. I was playing sports year round, which means I was getting plenty of exercise everyday. But I never ran. I hated conditioning, and ended up giving up soccer and basketball to focus on the two sports that made me run the least: volleyball and dance. Loved them, still love them, but they don't require the same endurance as say football or cross-country. They just don't.

For the last couple of years, I've had a pretty much exclusive relationship with my elliptical machine. While I got in some yoga and Pilates on the DL, I pretty much stayed loyal to that machine. That lasted until one month ago. My elliptical machine found its way to that special place for dead electronics in the sky. It was bound to happen, it was 6 years old. I'd logged in plenty of hours on the ol' girl, she had a good life. It was time to think about what I was going to do. Buy another one? Join a gym? Become a couch potato/obsessed soap opera fan? After a lot of thought on the subject, I'm currently at that I-really-want-a-new-elliptical-but-I-really-don't-want-to-pay-for-it state of mind. I decided I would run stairs here at the house until I found a good deal on an elliptical.

2 days into running stairs (OMG, I hate running stairs. Talk about BORING), I up and decided to go for a run. Outside. What was I thinking? I hadn't run in years, and besides, didn't I hate running? Sure enough, the first run sucked. My legs felt like they were being yanked from my body, my hips felt about 80 years old, and I never felt like I could gulp enough air. I wasn't even able to run a mile without walking. At the same time, it felt kind of good. I found this strange, because I'd never felt that way before. In fact, it felt so good, I've continued.

Yesterday, the hubby and I participated in the Path to the Cure event in Huntington, WV. 3000 walkers and runners showed up, all decked out in pink for the 5K. I'd only been out running a couple of times before the race, but I managed to run almost the entire race. The hubby thinks I may have walked 2-4 blocks, which isn't bad for me. I'm pretty proud I just finished. Plus, now I have an actual time that I can try to beat while I'm enjoying my fall running.

Path to the Cure
Huntington, WV
September 29, 2013

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone has a great week!

New Playlist: 8/10/13

I'm loving summer music right now! I think this summer has been one of the top summers for music. There hasn't been summer music this good since Katy Perry's "California Girls". That was the same summer that Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie", Usher's "OMG", Ke$ha's "Tik Tok", Travie McCoy's "Billionare", and B.o.B's "Magic" hit the airwaves.

I know what you are thinking. How do I know that? I'm obsessed with music. Every song on my iPod reminds me of something. A memory is attached to every one. Seriously. Play a song on my iPod, and I can tell you what it reminds me off. All the songs I listed above, I remember for one reason. That was the summer that the company I used to work for sent me on my first business trip. It was to Jacksonville, Florida in June of 2010. It was my first time flying by myself, renting a car by myself, staying in a hotel by myself, etc. After meetings and classes all day, I would return to my hotel room, open a bottle of wine, settle down with a tabloid, and put on my iPod. Hence, listening to all of my summer music that year.

I can already tell this summer's music is going to be around for quite a while for me. I am still freakin' obsessed with "Blurred Lines", in all of its controversary-causing glory. Well, yesterday I stumbled on Flo Rida's "Can't Believe It". I cannot get enough, that song is on repeat around here! It's been great fun bumping that song in the new car. Speaking of that song, it's time to go get my run on :)

Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!

Summertime Workout Playlist

This virus I'm fighting is the devil! While I'm feeling much better today, I'm still a little woozy. I've got tons more energy than yesterday, but I can definitely tell I'm not 100% yet. Food doesn't sound as nauseating as it did yesterday, but I still don't have an appetite. I'm really, really hoping that today can be my last rest day, and my last day of forcing food into my body. I've been saying that everyday this week. Today is going to be yoga (hey, that's pretty restful!), couponing, mani's, and pedi's. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to workout to my new playlist.

I haven't worked out in over a week, and I feel like a capitol S, capital L, capital U, capitol G. Ugh, I hate getting this far off track. I don't get this sick that often, but when I do, it's enough to drive me crazy. Hopefully that will change tomorrow, and I can get my cardio on! I'm really obsessed with country in the summer. It seems like these summer months is when all those country songs get released about partying, drinking, staying out late, and sunshine. In other words, the best of country. And I do realize there are 2 Jake Owen songs on there, but come on. Jake Owen's voice is hot.

I sincerely hope that everyone is having a much better week than me :)

New Music: 5/23/13

Yep! It's time for some new music. Gotta keep on keepin' on.

I am obsessed with Robin Thicke's new song featuring T.I. and Pharrell "Blurred Lines". Obsessed. If you are going to download any song from this playlist, I highly recommend it. It's been on repeat on my iPod during my workouts. I thought I was cool when I found it about a month ago, however it's gone mainstream after being preformed on "The Voice" last week. Oh well, that's how the cookie crumbles. I love it.

I'm still forging ahead on bikini season. I'm a little disappointed that I haven't lost any weight since moving into the house, but I feel so much better. I've toned up a ton. I've completely changed the hubby and I's diet since we moved in. I've been trying to drink lots of water (my goal is 10 glasses a day), and eating very clean. Lots of vegetables. It's making a huge difference. My skin has completely cleared up since we started eating better, and my hair is softer. And like I said before, there has been lots of toning. Overall, I'm pretty happy. My vanity pounds will come off when they come off. I've come to accept this.

I'm off to groove on the elliptical to my new playlist :)

Happy Thursday everyone! One more day until the weekend!

New Playlist: 4/24/13

Summer is upon us! I love this time of year, when the flowers are blooming, the sun smiles down on us, and you can actually picture getting into that bikini again. It's a panic-inducing moment, yes, but that's when the real motivation kicks in.

Winter is hard for me, because swimsuit weather seems so far away. I'm a short-term goal, instant-reward kind of girl, so this is the time of year when I'm finally able to kick it into high gear. And what helps me more than a new playlist? Not a whole lot. Good stuff, my friends, good stuff.

This is a great cardio list. It's a little bit longer, my workouts tend to get longer when bikinis are on my mind. And short shorts. And tank tops. And sun-dresses. Bass lines get my heart pumpin', and my ass in gear!

Workout Playlist #9

Well, guess where I am headed now? :)

Happy Hump Day friends!

More Motivation

Just in case anyone else is experiencing an end-of-winter slump, here's some more motivation and inspiration for/to getting healthy!

Source: Shrinking Jeans

Source: Back on Pointe

Source: Back on Pointe

Source: Back on Pointe

Source: CelebrityDB

Healthy recipes to try:

Source: Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts

Source: Biggest Loser Recipes

Source: The Garden Grazer

Source: Fashion Mommy in Training

There's always room for a healthier dessert!

Source: Biggest Loser Recipes

Source: Southern In-Law

Source: Heaven to 350

Workout Playlist #8

Ah, again, it's mid-February. I seem to be suffering from the wintertime lackluster-ly's. It's too far from swimsuit season to see the finish line, and it's that time of year when motivation is fading. Fast.

But this girl must forge on. I will not give up. Maybe it's because I'm a year older (yes, I realize that's silly), but my body seems to be responding slower than I'm used to with getting in shape. I do realize it's a slow process, so I must give it time and move my arse. Easier said than done.

As always, music is my go-to motivator, so I've been feverishly creating playlists. Maybe one of them will light the spark again. Anywho, this is a great playlist for moving fast during your cardio. I'm not tired of Phillip Phillips' "Home" or Fun's "Some Nights" yet. I also threw in some older favorites as well as Eric Church simply because, well, I love him. Eye candy. Yum.

Keeping it movin' till next time :)

Get Mad! Playlist

Gizmo gets mad!

All right, so it's mid to late January, and it's freezing and dreary outside. The high was 28 degrees today. I'm having a tough time remembering why I need to be working out. Because, of course, eventually it will be June and swimsuit season. Bikini bodies are earned in the winter. A little motivating quote gleaned from, where else? Pinterest :)

I was having an especially hard time motivating myself this morning. I was moving from playlist to playlist, just not inspired by anything I was listening to. The bouncy pop music wasn't cuttin' it. I wanted to quit.

I should have been more naturally motivated. The hubby and I enjoyed his Sunday night off from work with a bottle of wine. It was definitely a cheat day on calories. I woke up Monday morning, feeling sorry for myself that I let myself indulge. I shouldn't have, but I just had to step on the scale. I was prepared for the worst, but when I finally peeked down at the number, I was down 3 lbs! I was shocked. And happy! I was excited to keep it rolling. Until it actually came time to clamber on the ol' elliptical. Pinterest on the couch sounded so much better.

After numerous song skips and some under the breath cursing, I came to "This Means War" by Nickelback. I was pumped! I felt like I'd finally got my legs out of quicksand. 30 minutes flew by. Whilst taking a my water break, I pounded out a quick playlist of my fave angry, kick-some-ass type songs.

If you are in the midst of a late January slump, trying mixing up your playlist! Another trick I like to do is listening to a playlist I haven't listened to in a while (it's like new music!), or even playing all songs by a favorite artist. I've got 55 Nickelback songs on my iPod, so I regularly just play Nickelback songs for my workouts.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Getting In Shape- Week 2

It's Week 2 of getting fit again!

I'm still on track with my New Year's resolutions. My goal last week was to work out 4 days, for 30 minutes, and I did just that. I took Sunday off from working out, and probably drank too much wine in the process, but what are you going to do? Monday I got back on track. The goal this week is to work out for at least 4 days, maybe 5, doing 30 minutes of cardio, along with ab work. I pushed it really hard on Monday and Tuesday, and I'm feeling really, really sore today. I decided to make today a recovery day, and am therefore trying to keep my calories low.

Another goal I want to accomplish this year is drinking more water. As a person who prefers wine to water very much, it's hard for me to make myself drink water. I whipped up a nice little detox drink, Lemon Lime Green Tea, to help me drink more of that H2O:

It's super yummy, and very low cal. Green tea and lemon are proven to be beneficial to speeding up the metabolism. Just what I need right now :) It was easy to make, and I made a big batch to store in the fridge. All you need is water, green tea bags, a couple of fresh lemons and limes, a sweetener of choice, and ice. Having it already made is key for me, because I always have the excuse that I don't feel like making it. To make it, I brought 32 oz of water to boil on the stove. I then removed it from the heat, and put 4 green tea bags in the pot. While I was letting the tea steep, I added the juice from 2 lemons and 2 limes to the pan, as well as 4 packets of Sweet-N-Low. I let the tea cool on the stove, and then poured into an ice-filled pitcher with sliced lemons and limes. Voila! A ready-made water and green tea vehicle, right in my fridge.

I was getting a little bored with my playlists, which is never good for my motivation. Can you see where this is going? Yep, new playlist.

Oh yes, new music always put pep in my step!

I hope everyone is having a happy and healthy week :)

21 Days

Photo courtesy of http://photo.esolar.com

I must confess, I'm one of those people who loves making New Year's resolutions. I love the idea of making a fresh start and having a clean slate. January 1st is one of those days when I feel like I can do anything, while December 31st feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I know many people hate making New Year's resolutions because they never keep them. I'm pretty good at keeping up my resolutions for a while. But you know what? "A while" is worth it. They say it only takes 21 days to make a habit. Well, bring on 21 days! Here's what I'm looking to accomplish in 2013:

1. Get Back In Shape- 

2012 was a tough year. The hubby and I didn't have our own home for 6 months. Whilst this is no excuse to have fallen off the wagon as bad as I did, it happened. I was doing fabulously until October, working out 4-5 days a week. Then I left to go to Oregon for a month, and I went into vacation mode. When I returned from Oregon, I was still in vacation mode, plus I was eating pretty bad food. At the beginning of December, the hubby and I moved into our house and pretty much all my free time was spent unpacking and organizing. No more excuses. Time to whip this flabby, 30-year old butt into shape :) My goal for Week 1 is 30 minutes of cardio, 4 times this week. 

2. Keep A Food Diary-

I kept a food diary for a couple of months last year, and it was an excellent way to hold myself accountable for what I was eating. Needless to say, I've gained a couple lb's from my lifestyle at the end of 2012, so I'm going to need to keep track of calories to get back where I was.

3. Finally Learn How-To Roast a Chicken-

Those damn birds. I'll get a victory in 2013, watch me!

4. Improve My Photography-

After reading the Pioneer Woman's series on photography, I'm bound and determined to learn how to use my digital camera and in turn, create better pictures for my blog. I'm also going to be spending some time with Photoshop, and figure out how to improve the food images that I use.

5. Save More Money-

Last year, I had $3300 in my couponing account before the hubby and I used that money as a down payment on our new appliances. What a difference having that down payment made! We'll have our appliances payed off in 10 months, rather than doubling that amount of time. My goal for the year is $3500, which I think is a do-able goal.

There's 2013 in a nutshell for year. All my goals make sense for my lifestyle and the way I live, so I don't think I will have a problem accomplishing any of them this year. Well, the chicken is the only thing that keeps besting me...

But I'll get it :)

Food Diary Of A Food Fanatic

http://caloriecount.about.com

I must admit, my eating and alcohol habits have not been the healthiest lately. The hubby and I are obviously under some stress, what with the house construction and living in someone else's house, but it's definitely caused us to overindulge. Both in food and cocktails. The straw that broke the camels back was I got on the scale on Tuesday, and realized I'd gained 6 lbs from Friday to Monday! I know some of the weight was probably water weight, but the more I thought about it (especially about the crap that ate and drank on Sunday), the more I realized that I have been eating too much.

After stepping on the scale that morning, I just felt... gross. I decided it was time for a change. I've kept food journals in the past, and they help me stay accountable for what I'm eating. I think about what I eat, because I know I'm going to have to add it to my journal. So, I signed up at caloriecount.about.com. I've been keeping track of my calories for 3 days now, and the plan is working.

Working out hasn't been my problem, I've been getting 4 workouts a week in. Good, long ones too. It's just the amount I eat and/or drink after my workouts that is the problem. I never think about how many calories are in those vodka cocktails I make (lots!). With watching my calories and working out, I stepped on the scale this morning, and discovered I lost my 6 weekend lbs. A good start, but I'm still 11 lbs over my normal weight. Time to keep going!

I do feel like I'm "restricting" my calories, even though I'm eating between 1500-1700 calories. It's always hard to train your body back to what's normal when you've been having a free-for-all. But a girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do. I've also swapped out my 2nd cup of coffee in the morning for a cup of green tea with lemon juice. 3 servings of green tea a day is supposed to aide weight loss, and can also boost your metabolism up to 80 calories. I know 80 calories doesn't sound like a lot, but to burn that just from drinking tea? Sign me up.

So you can find me on caloriecount.about.com, under the username JessicaJarr13. I know, a totally creative name. As for now, it's time to go hit up that elliptical :)

Wednesday- By The Numbers

50- minutes of cardio I've done today
100- amount of crunches done today
25- reps of lunges, squats, and jumping jacks done 3 times today
60- seconds of planks done today
6- lbs I've lost since I started detox
94- the high temperature for the day
82- % the humidity is supposed to be today
21- days since we signed our construction loan with no construction having started on our home (argh!!!)
40- days we have been staying with the hubby's aunt and uncle with no construction having started on the home (double argh!!!)
3- business days after signing our construction loan that construction was supposed to start
2- cups of coffee I've had today
11- new beauty products I've tried this month
7- number of those products I would buy again
5- amount of times the dogs have gone to sit by the door to go outside
45- amount of minutes I will spend vacuuming up dog hair today
7- hours spent slow cooking a pork shoulder yesterday
20- minutes it will take to bake a pizza with yesterday's leftover pork shoulder
1- amount of days until I get my hair done!
0- amount of patience I have left with the home construction situation

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday! Once again, hoping today is that special day that construction starts. Sheesh, I'm breaking out not 1, but 2 bottles of champagne the day that someone actually shows up!

Move in May: Bikini Buster Workout

http://mommiecouture.com

Needless to say, I hated the Brazil Butt Lift. When I hate something, I don't do it. It got to the point where I didn't want to work out because I knew I should be doing the Butt Lift. It had to go. What's the point of an exercise regiment if you aren't going to do it?

http://carharttsandcoachbags.wordpress.com

In February, March, and April, I got out of shape. I had a lot of headaches, some low moods, and not a lot of energy. Working out fell by the wayside. May has come along with its 90 degree weather, and it's like I suddenly realized, "Hey! I'm going to have to be in a bikini soon!". Yikes. May has become Get Back Into Shape Month.

I started up again 3 weeks ago. To say it was hard would be an understatement. I can't believe how out of shape I got. I had to start small, doing 10-minute circuits on the elliptical. I'm proud to say I'm working back up there though, I got in 4 workouts this week. Hard workouts too! I'm tired and sore today, and taking a much needed day of rest.

Here's what I've worked myself up to and what I'm hoping gets me back in fighting shape:

20 minutes cardio- 1-minute warmup, followed by 2-minute intervals of sprinting, then resting. 3-minute cool down at Minute 17. I do my cardio on my elliptical machine.
Ab Toning- 25 crunches on stability ball, followed by 30-second plank. Repeat 3 times.
Butt Toning- 25 squats, followed by 20 arabesques on each leg. Repeat 3 times.
Arm Toning- (Using 5-lb weights) 15 push-ups, 15 lateral raises, 15 bicep curls, and 15 tricep extensions. Repeat 3 times.
20 minutes cardio- same as above.

Whew! That's a good workout. I also do 5-10 minutes of stretching pre and post-workout, as well as some dancing in between moves if a booty-shaker song comes on (there's just something about One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful"). It also goes without saying that if you are doing a workout like this, make sure to eat enough calories during the day. I don't have a problem getting enough calories :)

If you need some inspiration to get moving this month, here are the requisite cute animal pictures to get you going :)

http://www.jokeroo.com

http://newslite.tv

http://uberhumor.com

I love that polar bear :)

A Week of Salads: Chicken and Black Bean Salad

I can't believe it's Wednesday already! The week is rolling right along. I fit in time for a workout today and did some circuit training consisting of a cardio rep (elliptical), crunches on the stability ball, planks, squats, and some arm exercises. I repeated the circuit 3 times and I was exhausted! I'm obviously out of shape, I've got work to do.

It was Night 3 of A Week of Salads. On deck was the salad I was supposed to make last night, Chicken and Black Bean Salad.

It's salad with a decidedly Mexican flair. Grilled chicken, black beans, and chopped green peppers and tomatoes. And like last night, there's lettuce under there somewhere.

The vinaigrette is so different than other dressings and gives the salad tons of flavor. It actually uses chopped tomatoes in the dressing, something I don't see a lot in other recipes. It's also supposed to have fresh cilantro in the dressing, however the cilantro at the grocery store was less than inspiring. I added a pinch of coriander instead and didn't regret it!

I'm already feeling better from the healthier eating this week. A good start to Project Bikini Season :)

Ingredients:
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
Drizzle of olive oil
Taco Seasoning
4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 (15-oz) can of black beans, washed and drained
1/4 cup tomato, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
Zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 garlic clove, chopped
Fresh grated cheddar cheese (garnish)
Crumbled tortilla chips (garnish)

Directions:
1. Drizzle olive oil over chicken, then rub chicken with Taco Seasoning.  Let rub sink into chicken for 1 hour. Heat grill over medium high heat and grill chicken for 12-15 minutes, or until done. Remove from grill and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Roughly chop chicken and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine romaine lettuce through black beans. Add chicken to mixing bowl.
3. In a food processor, combine diced tomato through garlic. Pulse until mixture is smooth. Drizzle dressing over salad, toss to combine.
4. Place salad on a plate and garnish with fresh grated cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.
5. Inhale :)

*Recipe adapted from Cooking Light*

A Week of Salads: Take Two!

Here's the deal peeps.

It's getting too darn close to bikini season and according to my skinny jeans, I am up a couple of l-b-s's. Argh. Instead of consoling myself in a chocolate wonder-fall, I've got a plan to hit it hard this week!

I've got serious cardio planned for the week, ab exercises, squats, planks, and strength training as well. I also informed the hubby we were doing another week of salads.

He was actually ok with this.

The salad up to bat Night 1 was Tuna and Broccoli Pasta Salad.

It was actually supposed to be an orzo salad, but I scoured my pantry for a good 5 minutes in a fruitless attempt to find the orzo. I thought I had a couple of boxes, it turns out I don't have any. I decided to throw in gemelli pasta instead (one of my faves!).

The salad is fairly economical to make since I used a bag of frozen broccoli and a can of oil-packed tuna. I had feta leftover and used kalamata olives, which I always keep on hand. Yum! It was an excellent start to A Week of Salads!

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta of your choice
1 5-oz can oil-packed tuna, chilled
3 cups frozen broccoli, defrosted
1/2 cup kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup parsley, minced
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
lemon zest (garnish)

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Run under cold water until pasta is cold. Add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add tuna through parsley to mixing bowl.
3. In a separate small bowl, vigorously whisk lemon juice and olive oil together. Drizzle dressing over salad. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss to mix well.
4. Zest lemon over salad and serve.

The Wintertime Blues

I've had just about zero motivation to work out this week. My body has felt sore and tired. Monday when I got on the elliptical I lasted 15 minutes. My mind wandered and I kept thinking about all the other stuff I had to do. Ok, to be honest, all the stuff I would rather be doing. Yesterday, I felt off all day. After I posted my roasted chicken entry, I accidentally deleted all my tabs. I was beyond frustrated.
It was actually a blessing in disguise. After about 20 minutes of seeing red and frantically hitting the back button on my laptop, I realized I needed another solution. I poured myself a hot cup of coffee, took a deep breath, and sat down to fix what I had done. And you know what? It looks better than it did before.
Still feeling off today, I did some internet research on lacking motivation to work out. One article I read was pretty blunt. It said "Just *&^%#@# do it!" The gist? No excuses, just get it done. The article wasn't being mean, just to the point. So that's what I decided to do. And I did. I got on my elliptical and put in my 30 minutes. I worked my stability ball. I did my planks. I did my arabesques. And I rocked my free weights. And you know what? I feel better for it.
So if you are feeling those wintertime blues like I am and don't feel like working out, just *&^%#@# do it! Much like the article I read, I am not saying this to be mean. I am just being blunt with you. Don't make excuses for yourself. Trust me, you will feel better for doing it.