Zucchini Pizzas: A Food Prep Kitchen Adventure

Its food prep day again! Time to get my week planned for healthy eating. As you well know, I hate to cook. I keep it simple. I had no idea what to make this week that was simple and healthy and did not contain chicken. Why no chicken? Cuz I'm all chickened out! I need some variety. So without further delay, here the plan for the week:

Breakfast
I'm a creature of habit. I love my steal cut oats for breakfast. I made a big vat of it again and have enough for 5 days. The other 2 will either be Van's multigrain waffle OR egg, cheese, spinach, and turkey bacon in a wrap.

Lunch

Lunch is a hard one for me to come up with. I had to make some decisions and I really have been wanting some pizza. I decided I will have caprice turkey burgers (2 meals) and zucchini pizza coins
(2 meals). The recipe for my zucchini pizza coins are below.( I doubled it to get 2 servings. Really, the sauce is an estimate, it really didn't take much.) I'm thinking the last day will be a cuke, tomato, basil, feta salad. I will tell you about it later this week. It's pretty far out and that last one may change pending dinner left overs. Weekend lunches tend to be a quick thrown together meal of left overs from dinner throughout the week.

Snacks
Fruit is a staple for me. I got some apples, bananas and watermelon for the week. I also have carrots and hummus.

Dinner
So, I'm sure you realize that I hate to cook by now. (Have I mentioned I hated it?) I'm lucky in that my hubs likes to and cooks dinner. Most dinners are healthy. We normally have some form of meat, a carb, and veggies. I make sure I stay balanced in my meals. Since I follow a specific eating plan, I measure and make sure that I am within what I need to eat.

Zucchini Pizza Coins: When you want pizza but not the carb.
1 serving 1 green 1/2 blue 1/4 purple

Ingredients:
1/2 Zucchini sliced thin
1/4-1/2 cup of Tomato Sauce (home made or low sugar)
2.5 tbs of  (or 1/2 blue if you are doing 21 Day Fix) Shredded mozzarella cheese or parmigiana
Seasoning (pizza seasoning, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, whatever you like on your pizza)

Directions:
1) Place zucchini coins on parchment paper and brush or spray with olive oil and season

2) Place under broiler until start to get golden
3) Flip, olive oil, season and broil until start to golden
4) Add sauce and cheese and put back in the broiler til melty goodness
5) EAT

Don't want coins? Make the zucchini a boat! It will make more than a serving but you can cut your zucchini in half and trim the bottom so it sits flat. You just need to brush the tops with olive oil and season. I recommend baking them at 400 degrees for a little and then adding your toppings. Toss back in and back some more until melty goodness. It can take between 10-15 mins to cook. Leave them in longer or broil a bit for more crisp.

A Walk in the Park

Adventure Sunday! What should we do? How about a walk in the park?

Some of you know I run. I'm a runner. I have not run in a long time (since April) due to injury. Today, I went for a walk with my run buddy Mary. She is a badass runner herself. Why a walk and not a run? Well for a few reasons:

1) Scared to hurt myself

2) I have not run since April 

3) Scared to hurt myself

I have been the queen of running injuries. I had hammie issues then I had a lovely case of Achilles Tendinitis. Most recently, and this has plagued me for a while, I have hip issues. My right hip slides just enough to make my right leg longer than the other. It also causes quite a bit of pain. My chiropractor and I talked and discussed the importance of strengthen my hip muscles to help with the sliding issue. That brings me to today.

Queen of injuries

Today, I went for my first walk in a long time. A real walk. A 3 mile walk around beautiful Hugh McRae park with awesome company. Hugh McRae park is perfect for runners and walkers with its 1.5 mile outside loop and a shorter inner loop.Two laps went quick! It seems we were not the only ones thinking it was a good day for a walk in the park. People were out with dogs, friends, and kids running, walking and playing. The turtles were out in full force sunbathing too! It helps it was not 100 degrees with 90% humidity. 

Sunbather

Sunbather

At the end of the walk, I felt a little tight in the hammies, but nothing bad. Felt a little tight in the hips, but again, nothing bad. Next time, I may try a few short runs during the walk to test it out. What is important to note is I listened to my body. I can't stress how important that is. 

When starting to run, or running after coming off injury, start slow and listen to your body. If you go out too fast too soon, you can risk hurting yourself again, maybe even hurting yourself worse! Nobody wants that. So, try a walk, then power walk. THEN add some short 30 second runs with 1-2 minutes of walk for recovery. Keep this up and then increase your run time and decrease your walk time. That is just what I intend to do. Finally, cross train. On non-run days, add some strength training. It makes a huge difference.

For my cool down (yes there was one after a walk) I took some pictures of the beautiful park to share with you. There is an area that is a park within a park. It is my favorite part of the park. There is a beautiful lake full of fish and turtles. There are also a million dragonflies (one was even red! Never saw one of those before!) Hope you enjoy the adventure. I know I did!

My Why

So, part of my adventure is my why. I talked about it in my last post and how the adventure is within. Well sure!! So today, I'm putting it all out there. My why is personal and helps me with my success. I refer to it every day. It motivates me to continue and to be successful. So, here it is.

Adventure Is Not Outside; It Is Within

Lets talk about adventure. There are so many kinds that you can take. There are outdoor adventures like kayaking, hiking, running, and golfing. There are also book adventure (think reading a wonderful book where the characters are all your friends and you travel with them on their adventures). And there is also the adventure within.

The adventure within is your personal journey. It starts with you and what drives you. Who do you want to be? What kind of person do you want to be? How will you get there? It all has to do with your "why."  How do your start that journey? There are a few rules.

Rules:

1) be authentically you

2) start at your beginning

3) reevaluate often
4) develop yourself personally

5) journal (optional)

Let's talk about this. First, be authentically you. Well, everyone else is taken so you can only be you. Who you are is not set in stone. You decide who you are. If you want to be kind, be kind. If you want to be a caring friend, do so. Just be you. 

Start at your beginning. Your beginning is different from my beginning. Oh, and don't compare yourself to others. Your chapter one may be someone else's chapter 13. You will get there. It takes hard work but keep working at it. Remember, it's your adventure, not someone else's.

Reevaluate often. You may find that your adventure takes you places you had no idea it would lead. Your "why" may change. And that is ok. See where you are and see where you have been. You may be choosing your own adventure, but it may change without you realizing it. Case in point: when I chose to join BeachBody and workout and eat healthier, it was just to help me. I needed to be healthier. That was it. That was December 2014. A few months later, my why changed. It moved from not only helping myself, but helping others. (I will share my why in a future post. But I figured I would show how things change and the importance of reevaluating.)

Personal development. WHAT? How does that make sense? This is my adventure you said. I did. Personal development, reading books about things that interest and help. I have read a lot of personal development books about things like leadership (The Fred Factor comes to mind), business/life (I love The Compound Effect), and eating disorders (I'm a binge eater and The Hunger Fix is my current read). It helps on the adventure to discover your best you!

Journal. It is not. Hard fast rule but hey, why not check out your adventure? I find journaling helps to keep you held accountable for anything I want. If I write it down and don't like what I see, I can still change. 

The reality is your adventure to be a better you is a wonderful adventure to be on. It is your adventure within you. Dig deep, think about your why, and choose your own adventure within.

Food Prep...a Kitchen Adventure - Tacos

I'm going to put it out there. I hate to cook. There I said it. I just hate it. I find NO joy in it. But BOY do I love to eat. Sprinkled throughout the blog I will add some of my favorite recipes and (some made by others) where I....GULP...cook.


Why do I do it? Well, food prep is important in my healthy and fit journey. Yes, working out is great, but real health starts in the kitchen. You can quickly undo a workout by grabbing chips or something else quick. If you are ready and prepared, there is a better chance of grabbing something yummy and healthy.


Today, I prepped. I made a weeks worth of oatmeal, turkey taco meat (courtesy of a recipe I found online that I tweaked a little), there are always carrots and veggies in the house for a quick salad snacks and of course, hummus.
















And now...here is that taco recipe:
(makes 4 servings) 1 red 1/2 green if doing 21 day fix

Ingredients:
1 pound lean turkey meat
1/2-3/4 zucchini minced
3/4 bell pepper minced (I used an orange one)
1/2 onion minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt (or to taste if you need to watch for salt)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup tomato sauce or salsa (I've done both...today I used sauce)
1/2 cup water ( like some juice in mine....if you want less, do 1/4 cup)

Ingredients

Directions:
1) Brown the turkey meat
2) Add spices, water, and sauce or salsa
3) Mix in onion and pepper and zucchini
4) Simmer for 20 mins on low
5) EAT

Simmer time

Done!

What to eat with this? Its a choose your own adventure!
....put it in a hard taco shell
....put it in a soft taco shell
....put it in a lettuce wrap (anyone watching carbs?)
....put it in a zucchini or squash boat (hollow out and stuff, toss in the oven and cover with cheese)
....put it in a salad

What will I do with it? I see a salad, lettuce wrap and soft taco shell in my future :)

Enjoy!
In Health!

Three Holidays in One

Three holidays in one day? Yup, going to tackle it all!

First, Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to all the dads. Let me tell you about mine. He is a tattooed, motorcycle riding, stubborn, crazy, badass. (Yes, I get it all from him....OK, minus the motorcycle riding, but HEY, it could still happen!)

What is it about my dad that makes his so freakin awesome? Well, he believed in me, and still does. I could tell him I'm taking up the trapeze and he would be right there cheering me on. When I started to run just a few short years ago, he told me how he used to run and did a one and done 10k (Orange Classic in Middletown, NY). I told him about  my first run and that I was scared. He told me I could do it and call him after. (He was right.) I told him my next was 2 weeks later. He didn't tell me I was nuts, he said that was awesome. As my raises grew from 5k's to 10k to half marathons....he was more and more proud and he would just keep saying that he knew I could. At my first (and only to this date) full, He was not even the least bit surprised to hear it was happening. And he cheered me on for that. Now, every year, I do the Marine Corps half at Camp Lejeune, NC in his honor.....dressed like Wonder Woman. All because he believes in me. Yup he is awesome. That being said...he is damn stubborn and should listen to me more! ;)

The many views of Dad

Wonder Woman!

Happy Summer Solstice!

First official day of Summer. Someone forgot to tell Mother Nature a few weeks ago because she turned the heat up early here. It's also the Pagan Holiday Litha. So....go out and celebrate the sun, the warmth and don't forget your sunscreen!

Finally, Happy National Yoga Day!

Yes, this is a holiday. It works well if you are into hot yoga (see Happy first day of Summer.) Did you do any yoga? I totally did. If you didn't go get a good stretch it. You will be happy you did so!

In Health!

Adventures in Weight Training (Shoulder Edition)

Hello Adventurers!

Today, was shoulder day!! Its been so long since I have weight trained and, well, I want some Angelina Jolie arms for my friends wedding.

It started all nice and normal. some presses and arm raises. I did some flies too. All nice normal exercises. I also did the "I don't know." Hey, that is what he said to do! I don't ask questions of The Beast. He knows best.

And Lift!

"I Don't Know"

He also has the Sagi 6 way. Yup, sounds terrible. It is! You move your arms in 6 ways, and yes it targets the shoulders. and WOW does it. Its so badass only 2 rounds needed! WOAH!

While I'm at it, lets talk about strength training and women. No, you wont bulk up to look like a man. You will lean out and get strong (remember those Angelina arms??) You may put weight on. Ok, OK, I know, no one wants to weigh more....unless.....you look so much better for it. Not everyone puts weight on, BUT lean muscle is more compact. This works in your favor. (Trust me on this one). BONUS: You continue to burn calories after weight training is done. So why not do it?

After weight training, it was time for a shake to refule those muscles. Mango-Peach!

Here is the recipe. (You will also find it on the Recipes For Those Who Hate To Cook tab)

Mango-Peach Shakeology
Lets start simple. I love a good shake and I have been on a mango kick all week. So here is the recipe!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chunk mango (I use frozen)
1/2 cup cut peaches (frozen)
1 cup water
hand full of ice
1 scoop Shakeology

Toss everything into a blender and let the blender do its thing. Make it nice and creamy. Too thin? Add more ice!

Pour into cup and enjoy!

Adventures in PiYo

YO YO PIYO! Yeah, I know, I need to stop.

Low Lunge

This mornings adventure was PiYo SWEAT. Just like the name says, you SWEAT....a lot. I love good cardio and weight training but this workout gave me just what I needed: cardio and stretching. Because I weight train at night, my body was sore and tight this morning. What is PiYo? Why, I will tell you!

PiYo is Pilates (Pi part) and Yoga (Yo part). It is a sneaky program, starting out relatively easy and short.....then BAM! Sweat all over the place. There is a lot of balance involved as well. Lets just say my balance is that of someone who drank WAY too much. (A good friend of mine calls it the Drunken Toddler...DT for short.)

Pigeon (Dirty Bird)

There is another reason this was an adventure for me this morning. I have done this workout before. Today was different because I did not have to modify the moves. Even the triceps push ups. I'm sure you will see other PiYo adventures but this one was important to me because it proves that every day I get stronger.

One more thing! I wore one of my favorite shirts during my work out. It has a motto on it that I try to live by: Be Bold. Be bold in your life and all that you do. To me, it is try new things, get out of your comfort zone. Do something different. Grows starts at the end of your comfort zone.....soooo BE BOLD today!

Not the easiest move I've done

See ya on the next adventure!

A Hot Golf Adventure

So, let's start off with a golf adventure, shall we?

Its hot out. So hot we saw 100 degrees. I don’t know about you, but that is damn hot! So last night, we went to the driving range to hit golfballs. Yes, you read that right, we hit golfballs in the heat. Now to be fair, it was 6:30 in the evening and we were in the 90’s by then. Interestingly, it was jam packed at the driving range.

 Little about me and my golf skills: they don't exist. I want them to. I want to learn, but I'm terrible. I took 1 lesson and never went back (my fault). But I have a good time trying and that is the important part.

Anyhow, hubs was 3 spaces down from me. I took a place by the net (less chance of me hitting people with only 1 person behind me). It's hot; there is sweat on my brow. Then it happens. The sprinklers hit me with a nice cool mist! (I know, all that build up and I still didn't take a swing!!

Ok, back to golf. I took out my 7 iron and placed the ball down with the writing on top. I learned last year during my lesson to keep an eye on the writing. I swung and hit the ball! Imagine my surprise! It went a whole 50 yards before it hit the ground. Holy moly did you see that?! I was able to pretty consistently hit between 50 and 100 yards! Then I took out the 1 wood. Oh hell. I suck even worse at this. I put the ball on the tee and swung. And…..I caught some serious air….3 times in a row. I tried again. Grounded it. Hey, at least I hit the ball! I hit a few and managed a few to make a good distance (yes, the 100 sign is a good distance).

 
                              
So as for my adventure review? I had a great time! Maybe next time I will go when it's in the 80’s, you know….cooler? Maybe I will hit past the 100 sign. Guess we will have to wait till the next time I go.

See you next adventure!