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Lifting & Boxing, no Running & Tofu "Wings"

Sports Bar Eats
Last night we ended up watching Going the Distance and just relaxing on the couch. We weren't terribly hungry, as in no need to make a full dinner. But we both knew we needed something small at least. I had pulled some tofu out of the freezer to thaw because I thought we were going to have sushi. Anyway, halfway through the movie I decided I needed to make Tofu "wings."

This is one reason I don't like going to the theater - I can't just get up and head into the kitchen and pause the movie. I don't sit still for long periods very well. Back to the "wings"...I have never had hot wings. I have no clue what they are supposed to even taste like. However, I'm oddly intrigued by them. I couldn't even tell you how many times I've asked Jason about the sauce and how they are made. Again, I have no idea where this bizarre obsession comes from.

Well, last night I decided that I finally had to try making my own Tofu "Wings." I've really been planning this out for a while now. I know, not right in the head, but that's ok. I also decided to try making a Vegan Cashew Ranch Dressing to dip the "wings" in.


Tofu "Wings"
Ingredients:
BBQ sauce (maybe 1/2 cup)
Hot sauce (to your liking)
Apple cider vinegar (to desired consistency)
1 package extra-firm tofu, cubed (frozen then thawed and squeezed)

Directions:
Mix all wet ingredients then let the tofu marinate. Bake at 400 degrees until firm and crisp, flipping at least once (probably baked about 35 minutes).

Vegan Cashew Ranch Dressing
Ingredients:
1/4 cup raw cashews (approximate)
Almond milk (to desired consistency)
Apple cider vinegar (just a splash, and for consistency)
To taste: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder

Directions:
Either soak the cashews for about an hour, or grind them in your coffee/spice grinder. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, the liquid should just be covering the nuts. Puree until smooth. If too runny, add in some oat flour (which is what I had to do). Re-season if needed.
 

I had some leftover hummus, so I decided to include that in my platter of "wings" as well. So we had carrots, hummus, pita chips, Tofu "Wings," and Vegan Cashew Ranch Dressing. It was really kind of fun having this for dinner. Not something I'd do all the time, but fun since I never get to dive into those types of platters out at sports bars. The next time I make these, I will make some additional sauce and coat them again after I remove them from the oven.

Anti-Cardio Day
This morning was cold and dreary. Gray mornings are kind of depressing. It really makes it hard to get motivated to do much of anything, and my to-do list was a long one. Today the plan was to go with chest and abs and some boxing rather than going for a run. I seriously had no desire for a run. In the end, I did chest, some lighter leg work for weights: For the chest weights, I just did pushups and supersets of flyes and presses for 3 sets of 8 reps:

Pushups - 24

Incline chest flye
Incline chest press

Pushups with toes on step - 16

Flat bench chest flye
Flat bench chest press

Pushups - 4 single count, 4 3:1 count, 4 1:3 count

Staggered bench press - 8

SS#1 2x8 with low-end pulse
Squats
Plie squats

SS#2 2x8
Static lunges with low-end pulse
Deadlifts

Drop squats off step - 2x8
Firewalkers - 6
Weighted donkey kicks - 2x16
Roll-ins on ball - 12
Inner thigh squeeze with ball - 2x24

I used Cathe's MMA Boxing workout for my cardio and did abs from the same DVD. I was really excited about the boxing until I got started. I realized I had no desire to do cardio at all, it wasn't just not wanting to run. So I only did the upper body combo and drill from the first interval before the abs then a good stretch before calling the workouts done.

We had a few errands to run today - finally made it to Target and Kroger. I am really getting annoyed with the Kroger closest to us. They just remodeled, and it looks great. But they are never stocked. There weren't even green bell peppers today - not even a crappy shriveled one. 

We're supposed to head over to our friends' house for a Super Bowl party. In all honesty, I really just want to stay in my PJs and sit on my couch. I don't care a thing about the game and I'm starting to feel a little down in all honesty. I think the whole car situation is starting to truly sink in.

For those going out to parties, please be safe!

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