4/29/2012 300 REP BALANCE WORKOUT

After a 2-mile walk, I did this 300 rep workout.  You may have noticed that I like workouts that incorporate balance.  I didn't time myself because I focused on perfect form rather than speed, but I think I completed 3 rounds in about 38 minutes.  If you want a more intense workout, do more rounds, add jump rope, &/or move as quickly as you can with good form.   Make sure to warm-up & cool-down!

4/28/2012 180 REP TOTAL BODY WORKOUT

After a 3-mile walk to the beach & back, I did this quick 180 rep workout.  If you want a more intense workout, do more rounds, add jump rope, &/or move as quickly as you can with good form.  I didn’t time myself, but I think I completed this in less than 15 minutes.  Make sure to warm-up & cool-down!

4/25/2012 BALANCE BUILDING WORKOUT

After a short walk, I did this quick workout which can be done anywhere.  I only did 2 rounds because I was in a hurry.  If you want to increase the intensity, add more rounds, jump rope, or convert the workout to HIIT (example: set your timer for 10 sec rest/50 sec work for 16 rounds = 16 min workout).  Make sure to warm-up & cool-down!

CARROT PECAN MUFFINS (OIL-FREE)

These little muffins are oil-free, packed with protein & beta carotene, & yummy!  Have then for breakfast or a snack.  The recipe was inspired by a recipe for carrot-pecan muffins in my Readers’ Digest Live Longer Cookbook.  This recipe is NOT sweet, which makes it a great breakfast option.  
If you prefer a sweet muffin, use more brown sugar!

TOMATO-LESS TOMATO SAUCE

This post probably won’t appeal to you unless you avoid eating tomatoes.  Who the heck wouldn’t eat tomatoes?!  Well, anyone with blood type B who follows the Blood Type Diet, or maybe someone who has an issue with tomatoes & their stomach.  Or maybe you like the idea of a sauce made of two highly nutritious vegetables instead of one that tastes almost the same.  

Tonight I finally tried out tomato-less tomato sauce.  I used a recipe posted on dadamo.com & one posted by a great cook, Donna Blankenship, as a basis for my sauce.  I was very skeptical that carrots & beets could pass for tomato sauce, but I am now convinced!  I made my sauce from scratch, but you can easily save time by using canned carrots &/or beets.  The sauce will freeze well, so I made a double batch.

400 REP EQUIPMENT PARTY WORKOUT

Tonight I came up with a routine that used all of my favorite workout equipment.  I kept the intensity low, but you can easily turn it into an inferno workout.  Add jump rope, complete the workout as quickly as possible with excellent form, or change the format to HIIT (18 rounds 10sec rest/50sec work =18min).  Make sure to warm up & cool-down!

200 REP MINI WORKOUT

Here's a great equipment-free workout I did during my lunch break that you can do anywhere.  

400 REP WORKOUT, < 30 MIN

I've been a bit fatigued the last few days, so tonight I made a up a rep-based workout & took my time completing it.  To make it more challenging, complete the workout as quickly as you can with good form, add jump rope between exercises, &/or make the squats & dead-lifts harder by adding a jump.

Potato Fennel Soup With Caramelized Onions

I rarely follow a recipe exactly as written, but today I am glad that I did (okay, my version is 2% different).  I made potato-fennel soup from The Moosewood Cookbook, & it is amazing!  This filling soup is easy, tastes rich, & can be made without any dairy products if you prefer. 

YOGURT WITH PEARS, OATS & WALNUTS: EASY HEALTHY BREAKFAST

This breakfast is so easy that I’m a little embarrassed to post it.  Did you ever watch "Not Another Teen Movie"?  Do you remember the scene where the the girl's artwork is revealed, & the masterpiece was a stick figure drawing?  That's how I feel about this post!  However, it’s delicious, filling, healthy, versatile, inexpensive, can be prepared ahead of time in bulk, & is great for rushed mornings.  It was born out of laziness one morning.  I mixed up a bowl of yogurt & pears, but when I went to add homemade granola, I was out!  I decided to try adding raw oats & nuts (“deconstructed granola”).  I really liked the combination, & have been making it frequently since.  I use plain yogurt & do not add a sweetener since the fruit is sweet.

ORANGE GINGER STEAK STIR-FRY

This orange ginger beef stir-fry is simple & delicious!   We ate it for dinner over brown rice, & I have some packed for lunch tomorrow.

HALIBUT IN JEWELS' FANTASTIC FISH MARINADE

Jewels’ fantastic fish marinade (The Family Chef) is one of my favorite recipes.  It is excellent with fish, mixed into quinoa or rice, & can be turned into a refreshing salad dressing.  The meal in this post is halibut in Jewels’ marinade, which I served with brown rice & easy almond green beans.  The marinade is tasty with all types of fish, so try it with your favorite. The salad dressing is described in a separate post.  I hope you like this marinade as much as I do!  The marinade will last for a few days.

FENNEL, SHALLOT, & LEMON SALAD DRESSING

Jewels’ fantastic fish marinade (The Family Chef) is one of my favorite recipes.  It is excellent with fish, mixed into quinoa or rice, & can be turned into a refreshing salad dressing.  

SPICY NAPA CABBAGE SALAD WITH CUMIN GINGER LIME DRESSING

Tonight I made a new cabbage salad based off of a recipe I found on Epicurious.   This cabbage salad is refreshing, healthy, & versatile.  It can be eaten on its own, added to tacos, served on the side with fish, poultry, or red meat (cumin-lime grilled flank steak) like I ate for dinner, or served with rice & beans for a satisfying vegetarian meal.  I only added dressing to the portion we ate tonight; store leftovers without dressing so that it doesn’t wilt.  This is a very flexible recipe; experiment with ingredients to find your favorite combination.  The next time I make this, I may add jicama & red cabbage.

20 MIN INTERVAL WORKOUT

April 5th workout: 16 min workout 4 min bonus 20 min total Equipment is optional (or get your workout gear here.)

WHITE BEAN VEGAN BLONDIES: CCK'S GENIUS BLONDIES ARE GOOD!

On that wonderful time-sucking website, Pinterest, I saw a recipe that I wanted to try.  The first time I made Chocolate Covered Katie’s genius blondie bars, I did not think they were post-worthy.  To be fair to Katie, I mutilated her recipe the first time.  Today, I barely modified her recipe & they turned out much better.   If you have not discovered Katie’s website yet, check it out!  It is full of creative ways to eat chocolate in a sneakily healthy way. 

PEAR OATMEAL PANCAKE

There are times I really don't want to go the grocery store, even if I'm running low on supplies; I call it a grocery store boycott.  Sometimes the boycott is due to laziness, sometimes it is because I will be going out of town, & today it's because I woke up with a stiff neck.  Grocery store boycotts force kitchen creativity.  

This morning I wanted to make my favorite breakfast, (oatmeal pancake) but I only had 1 egg, & didn't have bananas (if I don't have 2 eggs, I will use 1 egg & ½ banana).  I did have a pear, so I tried that in place of a banana.   The result was a tasty pear oatmeal pancake!  If you like oatmeal pancakes, try using ½ pear blended into the batter & omit one of the eggs. 

390 REP MAD ABOUT BALANCE WORKOUT

Here’s another at-home barefoot workout that  I did tonight before Mad Men.  I used equipment, but this can easily be an equipment free workout.  This is great for balance!