Snowed In On Monday

Accidental Morning Workout

Sometime around 3:15 this morning I realized that I was not going to be getting out of bed at 5 am to get in my workout. I just wasn't sleeping well at all. At 6 am I finally decided there was no point in trying to fall back asleep, though that was right about the time when I could have crashed hard. I got up, got ready for work, and was stewing about how I hadn't managed to get up and get the workout done. I mean, I was basically awake. About that time, Jason knocked on the bathroom door and asked if I'd looked outside. Well heck no. It's dark and I'm grumpy. I guess I should have looked though. We had about two inches of snow on the ground. Holy smokes, where did that come from???!! 

(Approximately 6:45 am)

The weather folks missed the mark again somehow. I called into work and we got a two hour delay. Most people would have gone back to bed. I figured it'd take me longer to fall asleep than it'd be worth. So I jumped on the opportunity to get the workout done in the morning after all. I did Step Blast this morning. I was a bit distracted though with phone calls from family wondering if I was going to make it to work and such. Oh, and the dogs were acting all kinds of crazy too. I got it done though.

I ended up opting to work from home. I had lots of research I could get started on for a new social media project. I'm really excited about the project and am a geek about researching. So it was a great day for me! I pulled out stacks of old health and fitness magazines and surfed the Internet looking for some fun, unique motivational tips for exercising and eating healthy. I'm really glad I didn't venture out as the snow started up hard and heavy by 10am. It was a gorgeous snow too. Huge, fluffy flakes. It's so rare that we get such pretty snow here. It's typically sleet or freezing rain. This was a treat.

Multitasking on Monday

Speaking of treats, since I was working at home, so I took the opportunity to try out a recipe for Gluten Free Golden Goddess Crackers that I had seen posted by Kris @ iheartwellness 

Gluten Free Golden Goddess Crackers

Ingredients: 

1 cup millet flour (I used rye flour)

1 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup flax meal

1/2 cup filtered water

sea salt and pepper to taste (I also added in a basil & tomato spice blend)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix. Turn dough out and roll thin. Use a knife to create cracker sizes before baking. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes depending on browness level.

Mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty as Kris'. I think it was because of the use of the Rye flour. I also messed up and rolled out the dough on the baking sheet and didn't cut the crackers out before baking. I also forgot to top with sea salt. They were still really tasty though. They were also very easy to make, a huge bonus in my book. I will definitely be making these again. They would go so well with hummus or even alongside a soup.

For lunch I made a large salad with red leaf lettuce, spinach, black beans, roasted kabocha squash, sundried tomatoes, and topped with toasted kabocha seeds and balsamic vinaigrette. Yum. It was such a filling salad because of the protein and fiber.

Dinner tonight was Kabocha Squash, Red Bean, and Spinach Quesadilla. I had wanted to do black beans, but was out. EEK! I also made a Vegan Chipotle "Sour Cream" and pico de gallo.

Kabocha Squash, Red Bean, and Spinach Quesadilla

Ingredients:

1/2 white onion, finely diced

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 can red beans (or black), rinsed, drained

1/4 - 1/2 Kabocha squash, roasted, cubed

1-2 chipotles in adobo, minced (also use some of the liquid)

Baby spinach

Spices to taste: sea salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, cilantro

Shredded Mexican cheese blend (optional)

Whole-wheat flour tortillas

Directions:

In sauce pan, saute onions and garlic in small amount of olive oil until soft. Add in beans and mash lightly. Add in kabocha, chipotles (with some sauce), and spices. Cook until heated then add in spinach and cook until wilted. Re-season if necessary. 

In non-stick skillet, heat tortilla on one side until very lightly browned, then flip. Add shredded cheese across the tortilla and then add kabocha mixture on one half. Fold tortilla and brown on both sides. Serve with Chipotle "Sour Cream" (see below for recipe) and pico de gallo or salsa of your choice.

Chipotle "Sour Cream"

Ingredients:

1/2 box soft, silken tofu

1 chipotle pepper in adobo

Fresh lime juice

dash sea salt to taste

Directions:

In food process or blender, mix all ingredients until smooth.

The sweetness from the squash offset the heat and smokiness from the chipotles. I loved the various textures.