Am I crazy?

This week was rather monumental for me. I have Although I am a relatively active person, and I always enjoy physical challenges; I have never been a runner. Many of my siblings have done marathons, 5k's, tough mudders, and various other forms of running for sport, but this never appealed to me.
 I will gladly hike 26.2 miles, but unless I am being chased by a bear, murderer, or lunatic I see no reason for me to to run. In the past I have tried it. I will lace up by new running shoes (that I bought just to motivate me), head out the door, and slowly work my way from walk to jog to run. After five minutes my heart starts pounding, my knees start aching, and I quit. 
As I said earlier, this is a big week for me, I signed up, or rather, I got talked into, running the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Marathon on December 2nd. I am doing this for a few reasons. First off, and most importantly I will be raising money for a wonderful organization that send children with cancer to summer camp.  Secondly this is a great goal to have. I work out to be healthy and because it makes me happy. But by committing to run a ridiculously long corse I am forcing myself to set a goal and reach it. I am looking forward to seeing myself be able to run longer distances each week. And lastly my husband signed up first and I can't let him beat me at something. 
Committing to something this serious is very nerve-racking, but I have 135 days to get ready. I am alternating between 3 running/walking days 2 yoga days and 2 rest days each week. If you are looking for a high intensity cardio yoga Jillian Michaels has the best one that I have found so far. 
As I get ready for the weekend I can't but help to feel excited about the next 4 months! This is a big adventure for me, and I can't wait to let you know how it goes. 

Tuna Salad Wrap

There are various activities I do that make me feel accomplished. Transforming a delicious and unhealthy recipe into an even better tasting and less heart attack inducing one can bring the feeling of accomplishment to me. But when I am am able to successfully multitask I get the biggest feeling of accomplishment. I am not the best multi-tasker but I have found that when it comes to cooking I am amazing at it. 

As a working woman I often try to fit meals in where ever I can. To make this work I have to make all of my meals include all the essential nutrients in as few ingredients as possible. I call this Multi Task Meals. 

After work today I came home starving. After looking in my fridge for ideas I pulled out the following ingredients. 

Tuna (this was already made in my fridge but it is super easy and quick, I always add mayo and mustard)

lettuce

hummus

tortilla

Avocado

 

 Step 1) 

-spread a layer of hummas over tortilla

- mash avocado over hummas and layer tomato slices on top

 Step 2) 

- lightly spread tuna salad over tomatoes and follow with a layer of lettuce

Step 3)

- try to successfully roll the wrap without it breaking.

Enjoy. If you have any recipes for salad wraps please send them to me. I am always looking for quick and healthy (and filling) lunches. 

-Tamara

Grocery round up 6/11/12

 I love being organized. Unfortunately it is not very often that I get to feel that way. After a few weeks of complete chaos I decided to take control again. I have just returned from the grocery stores (yes multiple stores) and have dinner planned for the week. Let's take a look. 

I try to have different categories when I go grocery shopping. 

1)Buy new each week

                fruits and veggies

2)Every other week

                eggs, milk, yogurts, drinks, and cheese. 

3)Once a month

                crackers, pasta, canned goods, and snacks (basically the foods that belong in a pantry.)

My favorite places to shop are Trader Joe's and Sprouts; although I usually find the cheapest eggs and dairy and my local Ralphs. 

This week I bought. 

FRUITS AND VEGGIES

onions

brocoli

cauliflower

green onions

cucumbers

asparagus

lettuce ( a few verities)

sweet potato

apples (red and green)

spaghetti squash

limes

avocados

zucchini

strawberries

DAIRY AND FRIDGE MISC

eggs

orange juice

Chobani yogurt (as you can see this is a staple in my house)

feta cheese

cheddar cheese

cottage doubles (great for on the go and only 100 calories)

SNACKS

luna bars

snack mix ( I can't resist anything cheddar flavored)

I apologize for the poor photos. I was using my phone today. 

Check in later to see what yummy dishes I make with all the food I bought!

"Random" Pasta

 Last week was one of those weeks that seem to last forever. After working a full day on Sunday I got sick and couldn't leave my bed until Wednesday. And then obviously I had to spend Thursday and Friday catching up the work I missed. I'm not going to blame work, but it seems like quite a coincidence to me that I get sick after working on a weekend.  :)

Since I obviously wasn't going grocery shopping I had to make do with what was in my cupboards, fridge, and counter. With a very hungry husband coming home from work, not to mention a very hungry me, I had no choice but to make "random" pasta

My first piece of advice to EVERYONE is to always have a stash of frozen vegetables. I have found that as long as you have food of substance in your house you can always make a meal. 

Other ingredients that I always keep around are pasta and some form of protein. 

With only half an hour to whip up a meal I quickly set to work boiling some water. While the water was boiling I washed some heirloom tomatoes and pulled some spinach from the freezer. I sautéed the spinach and tomatoes with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once the water was ready I added the pasta, and added Smart Strips® Chick'n to the veggie mixture. You can use real chicken, tuna, or any other form of protein you like. I also add morning star meat often. Put everything on a plate. sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and you have a healthy and easy dinner in under 1/2 hour!

Saute any veggies you have on hand

Add Protein

Serve over pasta

And to thank me for my hard work my kind husband brought me Peonies to cheer me up!

Quick n' easy roasted veggies

If you are anything like me you are always looking for new side dishes, if you are anything else like me you would prefer them to be healthy.

Wash, dry, and slice vegetables. Throw into a bowl. Mix with olive oil, salt, and pepper (I also add basil). Place on foil lined baking sheet  and bake at 400. The vegetables will all bake at different times so check every 20 minutes or so and remove when soft. 

I use

Zucchini

Mushrooms

Bell Peppers

Tomatoes

Pineapple Chicken

One Bowl Blueberry Corn Muffins

Since my husband is a big eater and he LOVES muffins I found if I make a big batch of muffins on Sunday it will last through the week, and if stored properly will taste fresh until Friday.

 I love corn muffins and he loves blueberry. I found a great blueberry corn muffin recipe the other week but I didn't like all the unnecessary sugars and other fattening ingredients. Here is my deliciously healthy take on a common recipe. 

• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ*
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed*
• 1/2 cup soy or non-fat milk
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries ( I use a 1 1/2 cups)
• 
  
• * Optional

1. Pre-heat oven to 400. In a mixing bowl, mix apple sauce and sugar. Add egg; mix well. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, wheat germ, and flax seed; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk just until moistened. Fold in blueberries (if you stir too much it will cause the batter to turn blue.) Coat muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray and use paper liners; fill two-thirds full with batter. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack

Let cool completely and store in zip lock bag. Make sure no air is left in bag. 

If you have a recipe that you have made healthier please share it! I am always looking for new recipes!