Where's the Beach?

Do you try to eat the so-called super foods regularly? Do you think they're over-hyped or hold true to their nutritional claims? Sometimes I do think certain food trends end up overly hyped, but probably with cause. I don't think anyone will argue that lentils or kale are bad for us. Well, actually, if you have blood clotting issues, then excessive amounts of kale could be an issue because it is high in vitamin K, a natural coagulant. But, that aside, super foods are nutrient-dense foods. They are often cleansing as well as offering healthy doses of minerals and nutrients our bodies need. For example, lentils are a fantastic source of iron, folate, thiamin, and manganese. Quinoa is also a great source for manganese as well as magnesium and even protein. So, why not combine some of these ingredients for a nutritionally dense salad? I had on hand some cooked lentils so I thought I would try pairing those with a massaged kale salad. I wanted to "beef" up the protei...

Are there any veggies or ingredients that sort of scare you off? For me, kale is one of those. It took me a very long time to try it out. One of the only reasons I did was because our neighbors gave me a bunch. I had it in my head that it would be bitter, that it had to be cooked to be palatable. So, my first recipe with kale was a soup. I quickly realized that I loved the texture. It stood up very well in a soup, so my next stab at cooking kale was to saute it. I started combining it with apples, butternut squash or sweet potato, and of course kabocha. I loved how it paired with sweeter ingredients. Roasting kale was my next step, and not just kale chips, but roasting it so that it's mostly tender with a few airy, crispy edges. But I kept seeing recipes for massaged kale that looked and sounded fantastic. All the right flavor combos. But, I was still leery that it'd be bitter somehow. But a couple of weeks ago, I finally broke down and gave massaged kale a try. The verdic...

Last week I spent a little extra time in the kitchen with the goal of putting together a few new dishes to try out. We've definitely been in a major rut with cooking. I thought it would be fun to try out a few new ideas. First up was to use up some cauliflower. I love roasting cauliflower and using that for lunches throughout the week. I decided to kick it up a notch though. Usually I just toss with salt and olive oil. This time I broke out some other spices. I have been using more and more turmeric in my cooking because it has some pretty fantastic health benefits to include acting as a liver detoxifier and as an anti-inflammatory. Spicy Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower Ingredients: 1 head of cauliflower Olive oil To taste: salt, powdered red pepper, garlic powder, turmeric Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, toss together the cauliflower, oil and seasonings. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake approximatel...

Party! Did someone say Party?? It's a Pin it Party and I'm all about that. I might be addicted to  Pinterest .  I mean, where else can you be inspired to shop, cook and decorate all in one place? Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean is hosting another Pin It Party . Basically, the idea is that everyone highlights 5 posts that they think are pin-worthy and worth a second look. If you like it, you pin it! It's a fun way to also look back at posts and remember recipes or workouts you might have forgotten about. 1. Biceps Triceps Superset Plus Bonus Burn I've enjoyed doing this workout a few times now, so I thought it was a good one to share again. It's a great time-saver workout, but also includes a great bonus burn to really burn out the muscles at the end of the workout. Everyone loves that right? 2. Calories are Not The Enemy This is one post that I definitely think needs to be revisited. Calories are not immediate fat cells. Calories are fuel for ou...

Last week Jason had picked up some heirloom tomatoes. I had grabbed kale. I really had no specific plans for the kale, and Jason had just been using the tomatoes on sandwiches. But when it came time to come up with something for dinner, I thought the kale and tomatoes would go really well together along with some Greek flavor profiles like olives, feta, sundried tomatoes. Initially, I thought I might just go with quinoa, but realized I had some Israeli couscous in the cabinet. So, I decided to go with that instead. I knew it would have a lot more texture and bite to it. And if you don't have the Israeli couscous, you can use any grain of choice. I think orzo pasta would also be fantastic.  Greek Style Kale Couscous Salad Ingredients: 1 cup Israeli couscous 1 1/4 cup water 1 large bunch kale, de-stemmed, chopped  1/2 small red onion, chopped 1 tbsp minced garlic 1/2 cup white wine or vegetable broth 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, reconstituted and diced 1/8 cup kalama...

Morning Run & Midday Lift This morning I opted to do an easier run with Jason rather than push myself with 800's with my running buddy. My foot feels a little less achy, but I didn't want to chance it any more than I already was with a run period. The plan was 3 miles. This meant we could "sleep in" until 5:15-ish. Hey, I'll take what I can get ;-) Of course, this was the one morning this week when I was sound asleep and the alarm very rudely interrupted that deep sleep. It was another hot, muggy morning. But at least it wasn't a long run...that's what I reminded myself of anyway. It was a pretty good run for the most part. We kept it basic. As flat as possible. The overall average for 4 (yes I did 1 extra mile) ended up being a 9:08 pace. Considering how the heat/humidity has been affecting my breathing and perceived exertion level, I'll take it. We actually had negative splits. The first mile was a super slow one (the wake-up mile) at 9:37...

Holy Humidity  As has become typical on Tuesdays, we woke up just after 5am to get in our medium distance run. The plan was for 6 miles. It was humid from the start, that kind of humid that makes it feel like someone is sitting on your chest. Normally exercise does not affect my asthma. Humidity, however, is not my friend. I had a terrible time getting my breathing under control this morning. I finally started to settle into an ok rhythm around mile 2. The first mile was just getting moving really and was at a 9:31 min mile. Mile 2 we stepped it up a bit for 8:54 pace. Jason made a stop by the house and I continued on meeting him at my mile 3, which was surprisingly an 8:44 pace. I had to stop and wait a while for 4 cars, perfectly spaced apart, just after my 3-mile point. This completely threw my rhythm out of whack. We got going again and mile 4 was 9:09 (not bad considering the extending standing and waiting time). Then my Garmin froze up on me. I didn't notice it for a w...

Low-Key Weekend This weekend was pretty low-key for us. I should have gotten far more done around the house than I did. I tried to keep up with laundry, sweeping (dead grass + 2 dogs = lots of sweeping), and general clean up/straightening, other than that, I was pretty lazy. I did get in two decent runs. I did 5 miles on Saturday and 3.5 yesterday. Both were hot and sweaty and deserving of pool time. Though, I can justify pool time pretty much any way you look at it. I was pretty happy with Sunday's run. The first mile was pretty slow (9:31 mm) but I hit a good rhythm and was able to pull out negative splits with mile 2 at 8:55 then mile 3 and the last 1/2 mile both at an 8:36 mm. Not too shabby. My first attempt at pool time on Saturday was met with clouds. We desperately need rain so I was more happy than annoyed. Of course, right after I get cleaned up the sun comes out. Jason and I ended up going for a late-ish lunch after he was finished with yard work. By that time the s...

Elliptical & Kettlebells Today was another oddly warm day - 80 degrees in March. Rather than hit the gym at lunch, I had to make a quick trip to Target. It was nice being outside even if it was just a quick errand spent mostly in the car. The sunshine definitely helped my mood. I won't harp on it; I feel like it's becoming redundant. But I really had no motivation for the gym. It just felt too nice outside to be stuck indoors. Thank goodness my gym does have a nice view. That helps some. But my PT wants me to lay off spin for now, so that really only leaves me with the elliptical, weights, and the kettlebell tabata that I've been doing (low-impact). In other words, it's kind of hard to get excited about doing something not terribly exciting. I can definitely understand why people stop working out if they aren't doing something they really enjoy. On a positive note, I did pick up some new magazines while at Target. I've gone through A LOT of magazines si...

Spinning Again Days like this make me wish I could work outside somehow. It was another gorgeous, sunny, warm day. So hard to be inside when the weather is so unseasonably nice. I think companies should provide laptops and wifi so we can all sit outside. Anyone else with me on that? While I couldn't be working outside or running outside, I at least got to enjoy the scenery during spin class. I am definitely spoiled by the views from my gym - 29th floor, all windows, looking out over the city, the river, Pinnacle Mountain. I can even see my running trail from the gym. So I often sort of day dream during class, pretend I'm riding that trail rather than spinning in place. I was really feeling sluggish today to be honest. But I got in there and got it done at least. Pat on the back for that on a Monday right? Too Warm for Winter Meals With the temperatures being so much warmer than typical for this time of year (hello 70 degrees), the usual winter meals like chili, soup, ...

Spin In Lieu of Running I'm going to try to set up the workout in the most positive manner as I can. Today was sunny and mid-60's. It seems that almost everyone is experiencing some incredible late-January weather. It would have been ideal for a run. In fact, I had my running clothes packed. I was determined to get in a run today. However, my foot and sciatica are really causing me some serious pain. So much so, that I skipped the run and hit up spin instead. This about killed me (ok, a bit dramatic, but you get the picture). Ideal weather for running in January (so rare) and I can't run? It just doesn't seem very fair at all. While spin was a great workout, it was not at all what I wanted to be doing. All I could do was stare out the windows and dream of what it feels like to be out there running, and running pain-free. So, I did something I've been putting off...I made a doctor's appointment for Thursday. While I have an idea what's going on, at thi...

Back & Spin Today was another pretty day out, and rather warm, though windy. I feel guilty for not taking advantage of the weather and going out for a run. Tomorrow the weather changes on us, so I feel like I wasted an opportunity. However, I am trying to workout smarter. I don't "have" to run. I don't "have" to put in a certain number of miles this week, or any week really. And I must let my piriformis and sciatic nerve heal. While the pain isn't constant, it's still there when I walk or move a certain way and most definitely when I run. Thankfully, I am lucky to have the option of spin for cross-training. So I hit up spin again today. But before class, I did get in back. I went with a triset of 3x8: Underhand barbell row (time to increase weight) Pullovers Double-arm rows I won't lie, my legs were actually a little sore from yesterday's class. Duh, spin is a great leg workout. I was worried today would be a struggle, but once I...

Plan B Workout Well this week's workout plans are just flying out the window right and left. Yesterday was good though. A 3-mile run with Jason trumped at 6-mile solo run in almost 90-degree temps. Today I was going to go for that 6-7 mile run after work. We had a strong cold front move through which dropped the temps from 90 to 50. However, "they" said it was supposed to start clearing by noon so sunshine and low 60's. 2pm it was still gray and drizzly and 50 degrees with 20mph gusting winds. Not exactly fun running conditions in my book. Luckily, I have become more and more flexible with my workouts. While I might be really annoyed that the weather is messing up my plans, I at least had a backup plan. It wasn't my first choice for the day, but it worked. I ended up hitting the treadmill for 3 miles after work then got in my biceps/triceps workout for the week as well. Like I said, not ideal because I hate treadmill runs, but I did intervals so that helped...

Two-a-Day Tuesday This morning I did indeed get out of bed and get in an early morning run. It did help that I had a running date with a friend. Jason was going to bike while our friend Thad and I ran. I finally had a really great outdoor run too. Maybe it was the cooler temps (only about 64 degrees), being completely over the sinus infection, or the good company. Either way, I'll take it. We got in 5.4 miles. We had to turn around just a hair early because part of the path was flooded. I was ready to run, not swim this morning. I have to give major props to my friend Thad. I know he's been worried about going out for a run with me, thinking I'll just run off and leave him. But we were there to run together. I let him pretty much set the pace, and he's much faster than he gives himself credit for. So high 5's Thad!!! Today was another 2-a-day Tuesday. I am trying to fit in all of my weight workouts before we leave for vacation. So I decided to go with bicep...

Brunch for Dinner Last night we decided to go with Brunch for Dinner. I thought a vegan frittata sounded like the perfect lazy day dinner. I had some kale to be used and a new package of tempeh bacon, so I went with a Vegan Kale and "Bacon" Frittata . Vegan Kale and "Bacon" Frittata Ingredients: 1 package extra firm silken tofu 1-2 tbsp spicy mustard 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar Splash of soy or almond milk To taste: salt, pepper, basil oregano tomato spice blend, turmeric, nutritional yeast flakes (approximately 2 tbsp) 1/4 red bell pepper, diced 1/4 green bell pepper, diced 1/4 white onion, diced 4 slices tempeh bacon, diced 2-3 leaves of kale, chopped To taste: salt, pepper Daiya Vegan cheese (optional) Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In food processor, puree tofu, mustard, vinegar, milk, and first set of spices until thick and creamy - almost like a mousse. In non-stick, oven-safe skillet, saute remaining ingredients up to "chees...

Tired Tuesday So, the plan was that Jason and I were going to get up around 5:30 this morning and hit the gym. I had everything ready to go. I had even let my boss know I'd be doing 8-5 instead of 7-4. Here's where we went wrong...we both took a Zyrtec for allergies. Of course, we needed it. But it always messes with my sleep in a big way. I was up every two hours throughout the night. At 4:50 am, I made the executive decision to switch the alarm back to normal time and get in some more sleep. My workout ended up being done after work in the end. I would have loved to have run today, but it was gusting 30+ mph winds today. We have another major storm front moving through, possible tornadoes already predicted. Since I am not always a glutton for total punishment, I went with upper body weights today over a run. I did two exercises per muscle group as supersets of 3x6. I did 10 minutes on the treadmill as a warm up. Decline pushups as warm up - 24 Assisted chinups Pul...

Conquering the Dreadmill Well today started off chilly and misty then turned into chilly and snowy. We were supposed to be doing my boss' birthday lunch, but I actually thought ahead just in case the weather caused us to have to cancel it and brought along some Amy's Organic Split Pea Soup. Very glad I brought the soup as the lunch was indeed postponed. The snow was thick and wet, coming down sideways. It was so heavy that from our 10th floor windows it actually looked more like fog. Probably about 15 minutes after I had finished my soup, the bosses said that we could go home as we needed and just use personal time or work from home. Well, in all my planning, I brought along my gym bag. The plan was to get in my training run at the gym because I knew the weather would likely prevent an outdoor run. I figured I needed to wait at least 30 minutes before leaving so as not to hurl split pea soup all over the treadmill. I finally decided to leave work around 12:20 and get the r...

First Stew of 2011 As promised, here are the recipes from our New Year's Dinner. Like I said yesterday, we don't normally make it a point to get in all the "lucky" dishes like black-eyed peas and cabbage. However, it was the perfect opportunity for me to use my new crockpot (correctly). I also made a Vegan Chiptole Cornbread to go along with this hearty Lucky New Year's Stew . Lucky New Year's Stew Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups black-eyed peas soaked overnight 1 yellow onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1-2 sweet potatoes, diced 32 oz no-salt vegetable broth 2 cups water 1 not-beef bouilon cube To taste: salt, pepper, chili powder, liquid smoke, red pepper, garlic, parsley, basil 1 bunch kale, roughly chopped Directions: Put all ingredients minus the kale in the crockpot and cook on low for approximately 5 hours. Add in the kale and cook an additional 30 minutes on high or hour on low.   Vegan Chipotle Cornbread Ingredients: 1 cup cornm...