2014 One Word... ACTION!

One Word. This year, instead of a New Year's resolution, try picking just one word to be your focus for the entire year. Last year, my word was Nourish. It was a great word for me, and I definitely did Nourish the year.

But one thing I have discovered about myself, is that I need to do a better job of following through. I talk the talk, but need to walk the walk a little better. I have ideas, dreams and plans, but seem to always save them for another day.  In November, I saw a fun opportunity to apply for a contest with The Chew and Weight Watchers. It required making a video of myself cooking (and the like). I enlisted friends, and made it happen. I never heard back from the contest, but I had so much fun making the video, and actually following through on my announcement that I was going to do it, that it seemed I found my One Word... ACTION. It's time to turn my thoughts into Actions.

We also have to be realistic. It's not possible to act on every thought. But, it is possible to write down, and track these thoughts. So, I've created a journal, to start writing down my ideas, and plans and tick off things as I do them.  Still, there has to be a little more focus, and that is where my one word sign comes into play.  Take a look:

A: The A is made of a tennis shoe string. This symbolizes my want to continue my journey it competing in triathlons. Currently I'm already registered for the Lake Minnetonka Tri in June, but my goals are lofty. I'm turning 40 in 2014, so my big goal is an Olympic Distance Tri. I think I have one picked out!!

C: The C is made of Coins (Pennies). I admit, I'm bad with money. This is the year I take control. Be more responsible.

T: The T is made of yellow lentils (Yellow split peas). Simply, a reminder to eat more plant based. There are no goals here, I have no interest in vegetarianism or anything, just being plant focused.

I: I wrote in the shape of an "I"; West Metro Miracle Athletics. I have thoughts here of growing the program. Adding kickball for the kids, being more proactive, responding more to parents questions.

O: No need to look close- the "O" is my Dandy Life logo swirl. I have big plans for DL this year, including a new video/vlog/blog series, I'm calling "The KitchGym".

N: The N is blank. Nothing. Empty. I reminder to do...nothing. Life is short, make sure you take time to put everything else aside and enjoy your family, friends, pets, whatever.

Tagline: "She turned her can'ts into cans and her dreams into plans."  When I saw this quote about the same time I chose ACTION for my word... I knew it was right.

I am pretty excited to see where 2014 brings me! What's your word?!

Yellow Split Pea Dal

I love the flavors in this dish! Served over brown rice, it's a perfect meatless Monday entree!

2 T butter, olive oil, or coconut oil.
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 tsp cumin, whole seeds or ground
2 whole cloves
dash pepper

1 cup yellow split peas, uncooked
3  cups water or vegetable broth


Heat oil in large sauce pan, add onions and salt and sautee until soft. Add in all of the spices and let cook for a few minutes until toasted and fragrant. Pour in 1 cup of water, scrapping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Add in the rest of the water and the peas. Simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed and peas are cooked to desired tenderness. This can take 20-45 minutes or more depending on preference and even the kind of peas!

Serve warm over brown rice... add some chopped cashews for fun crunch!

Prepping for October Unprocessed Day 1 + Race Week!

So, I have to admit something. This unprocessed challenge is not all that much of a challenge for me. Just a way to get me back on track. And it's Race Week, so I'm trying to keep myself as well nourished, hydrated and relaxed as possible. This means no skipping breakfast, and getting some good healthy carbs in. It's all about the prep work.

Here's what I have going so far this week.

1) Quinoa! I typically cook up a batch on Sunday afternoon to have it ready for the week. For breakfast I treat it like oatmeal, heat it up and add some almond milk and fruit and nuts! It makes a great lunch!

Quinoa, make a batch and store it for the week!

Today I threw it in with some leftover grilled chicken and frozen veggies.

Here's my latest Quinoa trick! Toast the Quinoa for a few minutes in the sauce pan until it starts to "pop". Then rinse it, then cook it per package instructions. I swear it's always turned out for me this way! And I admit, I've had it become a mushy mess as well.

Sweet Potatoes! Great for breakfast or a snack.

2) Sweet potatoes! Scrub them, prick them with a fork, and bake in the oven for 1.25 hours at 350. Make a few at a time. Let them cool and scoop out the flesh. I bring about 1/2 of a potatoes worth to work, topped with a tiny bit of butter, a drizzle of pure maple syrup and some toasted nuts.  Perfect morning snack. Store the rest in the fridge for the week!

3) Turkey Sausage. There is always some of this in my freezer. Breakfast is great any time of day, and homemade turkey sausage takes the guilt of regular breakfast meat out of the equation. Check out my recipe here. 

4) Brown Rice. Rice isn't really a staple for me, but again, it's race week, so I cooked up a batch tonight to eat with my Dal. (still have to write up that recipe).

So that's it for quick prep tips. Tip #1-- put in the time and do the prep work to make mornings (and any meal) a whole lot easier!

Homemade Turkey Sausage

This turkey sausage has been my go-to breakfast meat for a long time now... I can't believe I've never blogged the recipe!! This makes 8 "english muffin" size patties. Sometimes I make them round, sometimes rectangular so they fit between a half slice of toast! Sometimes instead of patties, I mix it up and brown it just to throw in with eggs! And they freeze fantastically!

Here we go!

1.25lb ground turkey*
2 Tbls of dry oatmeal or cooked rice
2 tsp dry onion flakes- or 2tbs of grated/chopped onion
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 pinch of crushed red pepper.

Mix together in a large bowl and form into patties. Cook over a medium heat in a large, dry skillet about 4 minutes on each side, and cooked through!

*You can use either the ground turkey breast or just ground turkey. If I do use the ground breast I often use fresh onion and grate 1/4 cup of zucchini into the mix. Turkey breast has no fat and makes for some pretty dry patties.

Quinoa (or Kale),Black Bean and Mango Salad

I had a bit of a mango infatuation this spring. They were on sale for several weeks at the grocery store, and I stocked up for smoothies and salads. A couple weeks later, I'd had enough, and froze whatever I had left. The Orange Sesame dressing developed for this dish, has become a staple in my fridge, it's perfect with all of the greens I'm getting from my CSA!

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Orange Sesame Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Quinoa*
1 cup water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 mango diced, about 1 cup chopped
2 scallions thinly sliced

for the dressing;
1/4 cup Orange Juice
2 T Rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 pinch cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, dry toast the quinoa over a medium heat until it starts to pop, about 5 minutes, stirring often (pay attention here, so it doesn't burn). Then rinse the quinoa in a mesh sieve, to wash away it's bitter, protective coating. Return to saucepan, add water and simmer for 15-20 minutes until water has been absorbed, stirring occasionally.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare dressing. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl, and add the beans. Stir in dressing. Carefully fold in the mango and scallions. Serve warm, room temp or cold. Stores for several days.

* This also makes a great Kale salad. Substitute 1 bunch of raw chopped Kale for the quinoa. Or, simply add it to cooled quinoa as part of this dish.

Kale and Black Bean Salad with Orange Sesame Dressing

October Unprocessed 2013; What it means to me!

The October Unprocessed 2013 Challenge...Here we go again. Another food challenge! There has been a lot going on this Summer, and my food choices haven't been that great, so I'm excited to get back on track. The timing couldn't be more perfect!! I'm racing in my first 10K next weekend, in what I am calling my "Road to Oly". I guess this makes it official; I'm going to attempt my first Olympic Distance Triathlon next Summer!! Ack!  Anyway, back to the food.

This Summer came with a lot of challenges. There was just a lot going on, from teaching my Autism Fitness class, to a broken refrigerator that caused me to limit my groceries; to a September so crazy, I counted two days that didn't have a schedule (today being one of them). I ate out a lot due to the schedule, and lack of fridge. And now, I'm 6 days out from race day, and ready to clean up my act. The  October Unprocessed Challenge from Eating Rules is a perfect start.

I read the official guide to the program and thought I should answer the questions. Putting it in my blog seemed like a great way to make myself more accountable.

My Intention for the October Unprocessed challenge is: to stick as close to it as financially and realistically as possible. I know I will slip, it's ok. It's not cheating, it's a choice. I don't believe in diets or cutting anything out of my diet (everything in moderation)... even processed food. It's true! I know it's bad for me, but it's unrealistic to think- with my lifestyle- that I can cut everything out.  Mostly, I want to stop eating out; including my office cafeteria!

What is my definition of Unprocessed? My personal definition is a little different than listed in the guide. I'm just not that hard core! I'm not a huge condiment eater, so I don't feel like restricting them is a big problem. I try to buy as unprocessed as possible, within reason. If I ate ketchup every day or even once a week, I'd maybe think differently!  I stick to the "5 ingredients or less" rule, and the majority of the time they are ingredients I can pronounce, and/or pass the Kitchen Test.  I became a "real foodie" about a year ago, so I do not eat anything "diet, lite or low-fat". And while I am not even close to vegetarian I do not eat much dairy, or animal protein.

My deliberate exceptions for this challenge? Most visibly: Almond Milk. I have made my own, it was bad. It's more cost and time efficient to buy it, even if it doesn't pass the test. Occasionally pasta is also an exception. I LOAD pasta with veggies, and quite frankly, sometimes you just need the starchy white flour pasta! And since it's October (well, almost, as I write this) and nearly impossible to avoid- I know I will fall victim to Halloween candy! But again, everything in moderation. Also, I'm sure there are some soups in my freezer that may not pass the test, but I'm not going to worry about that. I believe that if you make it at home, it's already better than buying it at the store!

I will try to post recipes, but when you are feeding yourself this way, it's not so much about recipes, and food ideas. Still, I will post as much as possible.

I encourage you to take the pledge and give it your best shot. If it's vowing to eat one meal a week that you made from scratch, going whole hog, or like me, something in between, it will be a change your body will appreciate!

Orange Sesame Dressing

This dressing has become a staple in my fridge over the last month or so. It's a perfect little dressing for the slightly bitter greens I've gotten from my CSA, but would work great with any hardy green.

Salads in my house, are often just a collection of what is in my fridge and pantry. Fresh or dried fruit, toasted almonds, and goat cheese crumbles are pretty much salad topping staples in my house.

Here's the dressing recipe;
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to a week in your fridge.

Here's a salad tip! A perfectly dressed salad leaves no dressing in the bottom of the bowl. Try drizzle a tablespoon (or less) of dressing along the outside of the bowl and mixing in a spoonful at a time.

Asparagus Goat Cheese Crostini

Ever wonder what to do with those asparagus ends that are a little too tough to eat, but you would really like to use? Sure, you could make soup, but it's Summer! This recipe is the perfect fit for happy hour on the patio!

Asparagus Goat Cheese Crostini

Ingredients:
Asparagus Ends (the tough part) from 1 bunch (about 1 cup)
1 garlic clove
1/3 C Goat Cheese Crumbles
Baguette
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat your oven to 375. Place washed asparagus ends on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, or until ends are soft (stick a knife tip in one to check).

In a small food processor, add 1 whole clove of garlic, and cooked asparagus. Drizzle a little (less than a tablespoon) of Olive Oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Puree.  This will be a little stringy, it will not be totally smooth. Add in goat cheese and puree until blended (3-5 seconds is all it takes).

Spread goat cheese mix onto thinly sliced baguette slices and toast for about 10 minutes or until bread is golden brown around the edges. Makes about 24 slices.

Note: one bunch of asparagus ends makes about 1/3 cup when it's pureed. If you have less or more asparagus, use about equal amounts of goat cheese.

I think this would be great as a hot dip, for crackers or other veggies as well!! While untested, I would guess you would put in an oven proof dish and heat until goat cheese is creamy. Stir in Olive Oil 1/2 Tablespoon at a time to get desired consistency! Serve warm!

Super Foods Kale Salad

Kale is certainly one of the hot veggies these days. But, I have found that people are a little hesitant to try it in salads as it can be a little bitter. So here's the trick with Kale salads-- massage the leaves with your dressing and let them sit for a few minutes before topping with the rest of the ingredients.

Here's a fun salad that will feed an army! It will keep even with dressing for a couple of days in the fridge!

Super Foods Kale Salad

Ingredients:
For the salad:
1 bunch of Kale finely shredded
1/2 head of cabbage finely shredded
1/4 C of sliced almonds (toasted)
1/4 cup Gorgonzola or goat cheese crumbles
1 Apple, cubed
1 cup of fresh blueberries

For the dressing:
1 garlic clove minced or grated
1/2 inch of fresh ginger root grated
3T balsamic vinegar
3T Olive Oil
salt and pepper

Instructions:
In a small bowl (or dressing shaker) whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the dressing is too strong for you add more olive oil and balsamic in equal portions 1 tablespoon at a time. You could also try a drizzle (1 tsp) of honey, if you like a sweeter dressing.

Place the Kale and Cabbage in a large bowl. Pour half of the dressing on top of the greens, and then, with your hands massage the dressing into the leaves for 60 seconds. Take the time to do this step, to ensure a more tender salad. Toss the rest of the ingredients with the greens. Add dressing as desired.

Remember, a perfectly dressed salad leaves no dressing at the bottom of the bowl!

Chicken and Tomato Saute

This is a great dish for any size group (I recently made it for a group of 6, and a group of 17!). It's easy and fun, and a great use of cherry tomatoes!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 half pounds of chicken tenders
2 tsp dried oregano
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
3/4 C dry white wine
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat a little olive oil over a medium high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken tenders with salt, pepper and oregano. Brown chicken in Olive Oil. Hint: Place chicken in skillet and do not touch it for 2 minutes before checking to see if it's golden brown. Flip chicken over, and repeat.

Transfer chicken to a plate. Lower heat to medium. In the same skillet, add the shallots, and cook for 3 minutes or until slightly soft. Add in the tomatoes and cook until they begin to burst (4-5 minutes), add in the white wine, and simmer until reduced to about half. Slide back in the chicken to heat.

This is served best with a side dish like rice or noodles, or perhaps potatoes-- something to soak up the delicious sauce!

'Faux 'Fredo

The number one food that I get asked to recreate, is Fettuccine Alfredo. But, I am not a fan of Alfredo sauce, so it's something I've continued to put on the back burner. Then one day, I was watching The Chew, and Daphne Oz made a healthy alfredo! Boiling cauliflower in milk sounded disgusting to me, but I tried it, and while it needed a few tweaks for my taste, it turned out quite good!

Ingredients:

1 pound Fettuccine noodles

4 cups cauliflower, cut into large chunks (about 1 large head)

1 cup of milk

2 Tablespoons butter

1 large shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Place the milk, and cauliflower in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook cauliflower until it's fork tender (10 minutes). With a slotted spoon, transfer cooked cauliflower to blender, then add the milk back in. Carefully blend, to make a creamy sauce. Add butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to blend until completely smooth. (or leave it chunky if you'd like).

Cook fettuccine according to package instructions minus one minute.

In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil and sauté the shallot and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add wine to deglaze the pan and reduce by half. Stir in the cauliflower puree adding starchy pasta water as needed. Add the noodles, Stir in the parmesan cheese, toss and serve! 

No one will believe it's healthy!

As a side note: the first time I made this I used almond milk, as I do not drink cow's milk. It turned out fine, perhaps a little sweet. The second time I made it- I used regular milk- I have to say it was creamier and tastier (of course I'd refined the recipe as well). None the less, you should be able to use just about any milk substitute.

Also- add some color by stirring in some frozen peas at the last minute (before you add the cauliflower puree, I'd guess). Or maybe some steamed broccoli when you toss the noodles! Yum!

Nutty Broccoli Spread

This easy peasy spread idea was found in an appetizer cookbook that I got a few few years ago. As is typical, I found a way to make it mostly healthy! And we snuck it some good veggie action!

Ingredients:

Nutty Broccoli Spread

1-10 oz bag of frozen broccoli florets
4 ounces of cream cheese (half a brick)
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
1 clove garlic, sliced or minced
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 loaf of french bread

Cook broccoli according to directions and drain well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place broccoli, cheeses, garlic, and basil in the food processor and blend until ingredients are mixed. Add the walnuts and process for another 4-5 seconds.

Split bread loaf lengthwise, and spread broccoli mix over it evenly.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until bread is toasty, and everything is heated through.

Cut into small slices and serve warm.

Options: I think this would work with a lot of frozen veggies, spinach, peas, asparagus! You could probably trade out the cream cheese with goat cheese, and the walnuts with pine nuts, for a "fancy" version! It may also work great as a dip for crackers or other veggies. Huh, seems like I have some more experimenting to do!

Midway through Week 2 of Cleanse

We are chugging along with the cleanse! Added grains back in has helped a TON! I'm less food focused and feeling like it's really a fun challenge. A few tips for anyone doing it?! If you are someone who likes to cook, go off the menu. Remember the rules, but branch out a bit. I got caught up in week one and forgot about all of the other vegetables that I LOVE (like brussels sprouts), no reason you can't eat them.

Banana Oat Pancakes

The banana oat pancakes were killer. My first batch didn't well, I think using a cast iron skillet is not the best choice, and perhaps related, the heat was too high.. they didn't cook through. I used those as my "leftovers" and packed them for the next morning, reheating them in a non-stick skillet and they were great! It was a good first entry back into the real world!

Mushrooms with Kale

Here's one I forgot to post in week 1... the portobellas with kale! YUM! The marinade was fantastic! And the mushroom was so meaty, it made a great dinner!

Quinoa with pears and almonds is pretty good. Honestly, I was hoping that it would be better.  In my head, it was going to be sweet creamy deliciousness... it wasn't. It wasn't bad- don't get me wrong, but it wasn't what I expected.

Black Bean Patties with Sesame Kale Salad

The other night I made both the black bean patties and the Sesame Kale salad (I omitted the quinoa, because it just seemed weird). It was a perfect combination! Here's a hint with the black bean patties, make them thinner than you think.  I think like- CD size? They get a little crispy on the outside, adding fun texture, and I think if they were bigger (and thinner), they would be crispier and delicious!

Zucchini Noodles!

This week, I'm doing the Whole Living Detox Cleanse, and I'm in week one. This week we are surviving on Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, seeds and lentils. It's pretty strict. At first I limited myself to just the foods listed in the plan. But after one too many servings of cabbage, I was really feeling like I wanted something more similar to my regular diet. I subscribe to a lot of healthy food magazines, that I enjoy reading at the gym! :) One featured some raw food recipes, and it inspired me to come up with this dish.

Makes 1 serving.
1 raw zucchini
1 Tbls Coconut or Olive Oil
1 portobello mushroom cap, diced
2 Tbls minced onion
1/4 prepared marinara sauce
Nutritional Yeast, optional

To prepare zuchinni. Slice thinly- using mandoline or sharp knife, then cut into strips to form "noodles". These could be blanched or used raw. I chose raw- but I would have liked them warm- and the sauce didn't heat them enough for me. In the Summer though- this might be fun!

Heat Oil in skillet. Add mushroom and onion. Cook until desired tenderness, then add the sauce and heat through.

To serve, top "noodles" with sauce mix, and sprinkle with a pinch of nutritional yeast to add "cheese". This recipe is Vegan, but you certainly could add a protein to the mix!

Detox/Cleanse Week 1 & Tri-Training Week 2 in Review

I last updated you just one full day into my cleanse. As I sat down to write on day 3 or 4, I realized, it would be horribly boring for you to read, so I decided, less is more.

Mango Smoothie

It's Sunday night, and week one is nearly complete. I managed to stick through it the whole time! Pretty amazing considering the temptations I had to face. On Day 2, we had a birthday lunch scheduled at work, I contemplated skipping, but I knew I didn't want to. So instead I looked at the menu and found a salad that would "mostly" work. This is a good tip in general, that I learned from a friend. When you want to stick to a plan, checkout the online menu first, and pick what you are going to eat. Then, when you are at the restaurant, you will be less tempted to go off your plan. As it turned out- it snowed like crazy on Monday night and the two birthday guests could not make it in. Crisis averted! Thankfully, I had brought the broccoli soup, for just this reason!

Beet and Spinach Salad

The next big temptation was Thursday... bowling night. I managed to make it through the night without drinking. At first it was pretty easy... but it's amazing how pushy your friends get once they start drinking. It actually wasn't that hard to say no, it's just that there was constant pressure... more annoying than frustrating.

I was nervous about the weekend, but I kept pretty busy and that helped. I know I'm a snacker when I'm home! I was not good about drinking water though-- I never am at home! It's probably good that I work 5 days a week!

Since this week was really low on the protein scale, I was a little nervous about how it would affect my training. If you've scanned the cleanse info, it says to stick to stretching this week, and don't be too active. This was not a problem for me. I completed all of my workouts as planned, with the exception of waking up Saturday morning with a headache that limited my interest in pushing myself. (when I got home from the gym, I used Peppermint oil, and it was gone before I got out of the shower- hindsight). Perhaps less healthy eaters would struggle more with energy levels, but I had no problems.

Sweet potato and Red Lentil Soup

I'm really looking forward to adding grains to the program! One of the things I've struggled the most with is not feeling full. I miss the satisfaction that only comes with grains!

Be sure to check the Whole Living website for these awesome recipes!

Whole Living Detox Cleanse Day One

Lately, I've been struggling with a lot of headaches, and some knee and SI joint pain that has been creeping back. It's only the first week of my tri training and I'm already struggling. I knew I needed to take a look at what was different. I started tracking my food, and really, to no surprise, it became pretty clear. Too many grains, too much meat, too much sugar, NOT enough veggies. I tried to get myself back on track, but there were just too many distractions. And then, last Friday, in an issue of Whole Living that I'd picked up weeks ago and hadn't looked at yet, I saw this cleanse.

The Whole Living 2013 Action Plan

After reading through the menu and recipes, I decided this was actually a healthy detox. There's no protein shakes or supplements, you eat real food, and you pretty much eat as much of the prescribed food as you feel like.  And so, I set out to the grocery store with a plan.

Today was day one...  I started out the morning (6 AM) with this Blueberry Smoothie! YUM! You can bet that this smoothie will be on the menu all summer! I added a half of a grapefruit to my breakfast (Not the smoothie) because I know that I'm a "Food" person- I like to chew- not sip- my meals. I think this helped a lot. I didn't get hungry again until about 9:45-- that's pretty good for just having a smoothie! I'd packed a baked sweet potato (with sliced almonds) as a snack. Perfect! (Sorry no picture)

Lunch (11:30 AM) was this fabulous Mango-Pine Nut salad! Now, I've had this recipe for EVER, and stumbled across it the other day, and with mangos on sale this week, it was a no brainer... the fact that it fit into the program was perfect!

Around 2:30 I broke into this Coconut trail mix. While I wasn't that hungry, I knew I was going to work out after work, and thought I should put something in my system.

Dinner was Broccoli Soup. Honestly, I REALLY wasn't sure about this one. I like broccoli enough, but I've found these pureed vegetable soups to be less than satisfying, if even edible. I made this with store bought veggie stock, and I waited to add in the avocado. I LOVE avocado and I thought i didn't want to waste one on a soup that wouldn't make it past one bowl.  I tested the soup, and it was really good! So, I pureed in the avocado-- it made it SO MUCH BETTER! Creamy and delicious! I added some pumpkin seeds, for crunch!

It's the end of the day, and I'm feeling really good! Tomorrow I face my first challenge... of course it had to happen, someone planned a birthday lunch! I don't want to miss time out of the office with my friends, so I scoped the menu and found a salad that will work pretty close with the plan. It's not perfect, but I'm ok with that! I'll make it up somewhere else, I'm pretty proud of sticking to day one!

Tri Training- Week 1 Recap

I haven't been a very good blog poster! I'm going to start trying...again. I say this a lot. :)

My 2nd triathlon is scheduled for June 15th, 2013. June still seems far away this week, even as we turned the page to March, but yesterday (Saturday) marked 15 weeks from race day! I have a lot of work to do.

I'm trying some new things this year. For starters, I've been swimming once a week since probably Thanksgiving (maybe before- I don't remember). A couple of weeks ago, I read an article that said that just swimming laps was relatively pointless, and you should basically be swimming increasingly difficult intervals. I decided to start following that plan. Today was swim #3. Because this swim plan is really geared toward a 1/4 mile swim, and mine is a 1/2 mile swim, I'm doubling the workout. Technically it has me swimming a little less than I was before, but it's definitely more of a workout. Today, I swam 20 laps (50 yds) as fast as I could with a 20 second rest in between laps. I've been using poker chips to count my laps- so that helps. And typically I've been able to go the same pace throughout the whole workout with in about a 4 second variable! I feel good about the workout. And I can really feel it in my shoulders!

Another thing I'm trying is Yoga. The gym I belong to is offering a Saturday morning Yoga Fusion class at 8am. Currently, the timing is perfect. I'm able to get up and do a short interval run before the class. I'm not sure how this will work as we move into warmer weather, and longer runs, when I can run outside. I'm really enjoying the class!

My goal this training session is to remember to continue to stretch everyday AND lift weights twice a week. I guess you could say, I'm approaching this triathlon a lot different than I did last year. I think I signed up with about 10 weeks to train last year. I was out of shape and it was a big goal. I definitely have more confidence going into it this year!

In closing, week one went really well! I got all of my workouts in pretty easily. I am struggling a little with my knee, but it's a post-workout soreness, and not affecting my actual workouts. This upcoming week, I am hoping/planning to do a 3 week detox cleanse. Honestly, I doubt that I will make it through 3 weeks, but I'm looking forward to trying!

Strive for Five

Introducing my Strive for 5 initiative!! A list of simple 5-based guidelines to help you live a healthier life. I hope this helps you remember how eat less processed food, and get enough of the good stuff on your plate each day!

A little background on how it came to be...The other day, I was working on some marketing material for a show I'm doing this week. Thinking about signs and advertisement, and how to draw people in.  I decided to focus on the real food movement this time, as it's January, and so many people are thinking about goals and diets and eating healthier. 

I came up with the idea of doing a raffle drawing for a few Real Food items that you can find in your mainstream grocery store. I was creating the sign for display and I typed "Strive for 5 ingredients or less on your packaged food".  Strive for 5-- cute! Then it hit me, there are many other things that come in 5's when it comes to being healthy.

STRIVE FOR 5 (the details)

5 Ingredients or less in packaged foods. I originally started eating less processed foods by following a plan called “100 Day of Real Food”. It starts with a 10 day challenge of and becomes a lifestyle choice. Start looking at your nutrition labels, not just for the fat and calorie content, but for the ingredients list as well. Strive to find foods that have 5 or less ingredients listed. Less ingredients is better, but be realistic too-- Condiments are tough! I choose to just use them minimally!

5 Cups of Vegetables and Fruits. To be clear, this is 5 cups of vegetables and fruits combined. This is the USDA recommendation. What counts as a cup? Without being too exact, 1 Cup of 100% juice, ½ Cup dried fruit, 1 average size hand fruit (apple, orange, grapefruit, banana, etc), 1 C chopped raw or cooked vegetables, or 2 cups of leafy greens

5 Ounces of whole grains.  It might be hard to think of grains in this “Ounce” proportion. Here are some common equivalents; 1 small biscuit, ½ cup uncooked oatmeal, 1 4-inch pancake, 3 cups popped popcorn, 1 C cold cereal, ½ C cooked rice or pasta, or 1 small (6 inch) tortilla. While I’d like to see you eat as many whole grains as possible the message of the USDA is “Make half of your grains whole”.

5 Ounces of Protein. Protein is important for building muscles and keeping you feeling full. Per the USDA: “In general, 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, ¼ cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the Protein Foods Group.”

5 Teaspoons or less of oils. Oils are not a food group, but they do provide essential nutrients. Use oils sparingly in cooking, and try to get healthy oils from nuts, olives, fish and avocados!

5 One-half cups of dairy. Ok, so the real recommendation is 3 cups per day, but I had to make it fit into my rule of 5! Choose low-fat dairy as much as possible. There are 5 categories of Dairy: Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, Milk-based desserts, and Soymilk. Assume 1 cup of food = 1 cup of Dairy, with the exception of cheese, which can be considerably more or less depending on variety. Check the USDA (myplate.gov) website for clarification on all of these food amount recommendations.

5 Hours of Exercise! Get Active! This doesn’t mean you have to run for an hour 5 days a week! But get out there and walk, play with your kids, or actually hit the gym for 45 minutes every day!

This about sums it up. I'm pretty excited about this whole thing!!

No-Cheese Sauce

This is straight from the Forks Over Knives Cookbook (p29). I will say- this will never replace cheese, but I think if you were making a Mexican dish and wanted to add some flavor and cut the fat of cheese, you could sub this in. Or maybe cut half the cheese with this mix! I think it would be really good in chicken enchiladas. Or as a chip dip- cut with plain yogurt or sour cream.

Makes 2.5 cups
1 large yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped (about 1.5 cups)
3 tablespoons cashews, toasted, optional
1 tablespoon tahini, optional
1 cup nutritional yeast
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender in the order given and puree until smooth and creamy, adding up to 1/2 cup of water if necessary to achieve a smooth consistency.

Thoughts? I have no idea if I really understand what nutritional yeast is... but I've used it a few times in recipes from this book, and it really does make things creamier!

What I did differently? I really don't like raw onion, and the book calls a variation of roasted red pepper. So I roasted the onion and pepper myself. I also skipped the tahini as I didn't have any in the house.

Results? It tasted a little like queso. Think of this as you think about where you would use this.

Would I make it again? Yes, but as I mentioned earlier, I would make it as a dip or a filler. In this case, I put it on a plate of nachos in place of cheese, it was pretty good.

Pork Chops with Apple & Wine Sauce

For starters, the real name of this recipe is "OMG Chef Michael Symon Tweeted Me!" Pork Chops...

So... let's start with the background for this recipe. If you've read this blog before, you know that I am in love with the show The Chew and Iron Chef, Michael Symon.  Keep that in mind as we go along. This Christmas, I asked for, and received a cast iron skillet. While I know how to cook and care for a cast iron skillet (never soak it in water, just wipe out and dry), I've never used one that's brand new. It was New Years day and I was researching what to do before it's first use online, so I tweeted Chef Symon and asked him what to do. It was less than a minute later, and he responded! I jumped out of my chair and laughed! And... immediately posted it on Facebook! :)

So Chef Symon, the only way I know how to thank you is to cook some pork! Thanks for making my 2013 just 11 hours into it!

I just kind of threw this together, it's what sounded good. Sorry it's a little rough on the details.

Ingredients:

My new Skillet- And the Pork Chops!

2 boneless pork chops, thinly sliced

1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/2 apple, diced into medium chunks

2T golden raisins or craisins

1/4 C white wine

1/2 T cornstarch

salt/pepper/oil/red pepper flakes (all optional, and to taste)

Heat skillet over medium high heat, with a tablespoon of oil (I use grapeseed oil). Season pork chops with salt and pepper, and place into skillet when oil is hot. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side (hint- don't move it around just place it in the pan and flip).  Remove chops from pan and set aside.

Add onions to the pan and let them cook until soft (4-5 minutes) Meanwhile toss the apple chunks with cornstarch and place in the pan. Cook for one minute, then add wine, raisins and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Bring sauce to a boil- and slide the chops back in to reheat and cook through.

You can decide if this is one serving or two. Personally I ate this all myself. But if you served with roasted potatoes and a side of steamed broccoli- this could probably serve two! :)

Just for fun... here's my Twitter interaction!

One Word Workshop

Today I invited some friends over to my house for a One Word Workshop. The instructions were simple, instead of making a New Years Resolution, pick one word to focus on all year. Use the word in as many different ways as you see fit! It was fun to hear everyone's stories about why they picked their words. It seemed the hardest part of the day was deciding on background colors.

Boards in the works!

NOURISH is my 2013 word

As a Fitness Chef, my word "Nourish" has some pretty obvious meanings. But, to me it's about feeding my brain and relationships, not just my body! You can read the post I wrote about my word HERE.








My friend Diana and her step-daughter arrived first. Emily didn't have a word picked out but after a few minutes of chatting about how she wants to read and study more this year... she ended up with FOCUS.

Emily's got FOCUS!

Diana's already RELAX'd

Diana is busy planning a wedding, and running her own business... so RELAX seemed like a great word for someone who has a lot going on in 2013!  Although this picture might make you believe she's already found it!

ELASTICITY... it's a big word to live up to!

My mom came next! She was prepared she had her word "Elasticity" and all of her reasons for it. She even had some dragonflies (her favorite) already picked out. It took us a few tries to make her letters fit, but in the end she really liked the way hers turned out!










Next up - Kim and her twin 8 year olds Erika and Ella. They are a scrapbooking family, and they came prepared for the event. We didn't get Kim very far on her word FAMILY, but she's got it all planned out. The girls appeared to have a great time, and were excited to have their photos taken with the boards. FOCUS and DREAM seem like perfect words for these two! I was told I started a trend with the family.  :)

Ella's a DREAMer!

Erika's  FOCUSed in on 201

Working away!

Jen came over to check things out. Deep into her own craft projects at home, we decided she was "crafted out". But, she had picked her word, BELIEVE. I kind of forced her to do something. So we wrote her word in glitter on a wood craft stick! She plans to hang it above her list of goals at home (goals that include a half-marathon!)... because she's my neighbor, I'm sure I will be able to get her to stick to it! (Ha- no pun intended)

Jen BELIEVE's  2013 is her year!

A few others couldn't make it to the party. Jess picked her word CHOICES. I'm personally excited about being able to throw this one back at her throughout the year... Jess- are you making good choices?

Jess is making good CHOICES

I know a few other friends chose the words FINISH, ACTION and CONFIDENCE as well as another friend who chose to make an inspiration board this year.

My cat Sixx finally came out of hiding after everyone left... I'm pretty sure her 2013 word is PLAY, as she immediately jumped on the table cloth I'd tossed on the couch.

Sixx PLAYing

All-in-all, it was a really great day! I was happy that I got to bring the One Word concept to so many people! I continue to count my blessings that I was ever introduced to Jon Gordon and his work. It has changed me in so many ways!! Did you choose One Word? If so, I'd love to hear about it!