I found an awesome race medal hanger on Gone for a Run and, after perusing their site, spotted the cute magnets. (Picture of the medal hanger coming!) They have a lot of cool products! I even got one of the running hats with 2 zipper pockets to stash my keys, money, gels, etc. So handy especially since some running shorts are pocketless. Sure, cute is nice but functional is so much better for a long run. I have some cute AND functional running shorts/skorts so it’s clearly possible to do both. Not sure why some companies are lagging behind. Oh well, doesn’t matter to me because I have a cool new hat! And, it’s pink so it’s even cooler. Can’t wait to wear it!
Which, honestly, isn’t going to happen anytime soon. My leg hurts when I walk these guys so running is definitely out of the question.
Still waiting to hear back from my doctor. :/ I know, I know, I shouldn’t have pushed it this week. I’m resting it. I promise.
Cooking for two
No, not THAT kind of two. Sheesh! One birdie just left – I am NOT trying to refill our nest. Thing 2 is gainfully employed and, with her work schedule, I have less mouths to feed. And, since I’m really the only one who eats the leftovers, I’m trying to cut down on the “feeds a football team” recipes.
Found this recipe in my Abs Diet Cookbook. Yes, the name is ridiculous. No, I didn’t make it up. But, the meal is delicious! I used a 15 ounce can of cannellini beans instead of 10 ounce but I don’t think it made it overly “bean-y.” It was a perfectly light, healthy and tasty dinner that came together in no time. Om nom nom!
It Takes Stew, Baby
Makes 2 servings
2 cups roughly torn baby spinach
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 can (10.5 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cubed precooked chicken
1/2 cup fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
In a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, saute the spinach, peppers, and garlic in oil for 2 minutes, turning often. Add the beans and chicken. Saute 1 minute more. Add the broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
Hello! Just a couple more days and the weekend and Memorial Day will be upon us. Woohoo!
So, there are some new developments in my “leg injury” saga. :/ CrossFit last night was good. We had a 400m run as a warm-up and that hurt a little but, there was no running after that. Phew!
Our skillset was 2 for 1 Wallballs. You’re probably thinking, “what. the. heck?” Yeah, that’s what I thought too. And, then they showed us what that was and I thought, “what. the. (insert bad word here)!?” Basically, with a wallball, you take, well, a weighted ball (I was using the 12 pound – it’s huge, looks like a hackeysack for giants), hold it in your hands in front of your face, squat and, when you’re standing, toss the ball up to a marker 10 feet high, catch the ball and go back into the squat. Confused? Here. This will help.
So, that’s a regular wallball. THIS is a 2 for 1 wallball.
Yeah, those peeps are ridicilous. THAT certainly wasn’t going to happen! Although, I really did try.
Anyway, the actual WOD was fun. EMOM stands for every minute on the minute we did 5 hang clean and jerks and for the rest of the minute, we did double unders or pushups. I, being crazy, opted for pushups because it aggravates my leg to jump. I scaled down the weight to 55#- 95# jerks are too much for me – and had a great workout.
Tempo run this morning? Not so much. We warmed up with a mile and then set to keeping an 8:00/mile pace for 5 miles. I got through about a mile and a half and was too hurt to hold that pace. BIG ole hitch in my giddy-up this morning. My leg refused to loosen up and stretch out and I was limping and all out of whack. Caused my plantar fasciitis to act up in my right foot and my toes were cramping up a little. I was an absolute wreck. So, I slowed waaaaayyy down and told Carla to go on without me. *sob!* (I’m such a martyr!) I managed to finish the 6-mile loop without thumbing for a ride – don’t think I didn’t consider it! Carla even came back to get me! She’s so sweet. At present, I’m waiting to hear back from my doctor about getting in to see a sports medicine doc. Definitely not going to be running for a bit. It’s only week 2 of marathon training. Maybe with proper treatment, I’ll bounce back quickly. Yes, I know I should have rested it. I know. I’ll keep you posted on how the visit to the doc goes, whenever that happens. Military medicine is not known for its quickness. *sigh*
Anyway, happy thoughts!
What are you cooking this weekend? Got any big barbecue plans for Memorial Day?
If you’re looking for ideas, have I got the burger for you! I was looking for something other than the traditional burger to cook and, after perusing the Food Network web site, I came across these recipes from Rachael Ray. Don’t get me wrong – I love me a good burger but sometimes, a girl just has to mix it up. The recipe says to cook these burgers in a skillet because ground chicken isn’t as sturdy as ground beef in patty form – it wants to fall apart. I cooked these on the grill because I have a nifty vegetable pan for my grill that is perfect for veggies (of course!), shrimp and – wait for it – chicken burgers! I thought about making them in a skillet but well, I have a perfectly fabulous grill and why wouldn’t I want to use it?! You could even use a grill pan or a griddle, if you wanted to – just make sure it’s non-stick or that you remember to spray it because chicken can be notoriously sticky and you don’t want to flip the burger only to leave the top part behind.
The burgers were really quite tasty and the slaw was a delicious topping. One of the positives touted about the slaw was that it was perfect for picnics because it doesn’t contain mayonnaise. I think the real positive about the slaw was the mellowness from the olive oil and the sweetness from the relish and honey. The lemon juice definitely added a nice acidity to balance the sweetness. It was really quite good! I make a pretty mean pulled pork sandwich and am considering using this slaw with those sandwiches in the future. Yummy!
BBQ Chicken Burgers with Slaw
Yield: 4 servings
1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces
1 small red onion, ½ finely chopped, ½ thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 ¼ lbs ground chicken
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (like McCormick)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons honey
1 lemon, juiced
3 rounded tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 cups shredded cabbage mix
Salt and pepper
4 cornmeal Kaiser rolls, split
1. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chopped onions, garlic and tomato paste and sweat them for 5 minutes to soften and sweeten. Sprinkle in sugar and remove from heat. Cool in a bowl, 5 minutes. Add tomato paste mixture, Worcestershire, hot sauce to bowl and combine. Add chicken to the bowl then grill seasoning and combine the burgers well to evenly distribute the flavors and form 4 patties. Wash up.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties 6 minutes on each side.
3. Combine the honey, lemon juice, and remaining extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl. Add relish, cabbage mix and sliced onions and season with salt and pepper. Toss the slaw to coat and reserve.
4. Serve burgers on bun bottoms topped with slaw and bun tops. (yes, this instruction is actually in the recipe!)
Texas Oven Fries
Serves 4
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
1. Heat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Cut potatoes into Texas fries, 10 per potato. Coat in extra-virgin olive oil, then season with chipotle powder, salt and pepper and roast 25 minutes, turning once.
*None of these Rachael Ray recipes comes with nutritional information. In fact, MOST of the recipes on the Food Network site don’t have nutritional information. I think they should provide it but maybe it’s too much work, I don’t know. I, for one, think it would be beneficial to them AND the people who try the recipes. Okay, that’s enough soapbox – it just frustrates me, that’s all.
Hello! Happy Wednesday! We’re just a couple of work days away from a fabulous 3-day weekend. I don’t know about you but I’ve been waiting for this weekend since February! March and April are really long months and Memorial Day can seem so far away when you’re dealing with the crazy “is it Spring or is it still Winter” weather. I’m looking forward to the rest! And the barbecues!
What are your plans for the Memorial Day weekend?
As you know, Thing 1 left the nest yesterday. Yesterday was interesting. And odd. And surreal. It was pretty much a regular Tuesday – I did my track workout and then I went to work. I practiced the pigeon pose all day (I should be an expert soon!) and I ran a couple of errands at lunch. Normal, right? On my way home, Thing 2 asked if she could eat dinner somewhere else. Fine, I need to learn how to cook for 2 and not a crew anyway. So, that’s what I did. I found a great stir-fry recipe that serves 2 and that’s what my Sailor and I had for dinner. Still, not abnormal for it to be just the two of us. The girls both have social lives and would, at times, both be gone for dinner. It didn’t really hit me until this morning. She’s swearing in today and will actually fly off to Great Lakes. And I feel like I want to cry. She’s really gone – I mean, she’ll come back for leave and she’ll be in this area for school – but that’s it. She’s making a career and life for herself. I just don’t know how to process that. I’m so proud of her!
So, here’s that stir-fry recipe. It comes from the Abs Diet Cookbook. It’s absolutely packed with protein and flavor. The red pepper does give it a nice kick so, if that’s not your thing, you probably want to scale back to a pinch or maybe just use freshly cracked black pepper, instead. This took no time at all. We used up all the brown rice in the chili the other day so I was stuck with white rice but it was still delicious. The rice took the longest time to cook and that was only 15 minutes. Got more than 2 mouths to feed or want leftovers for lunch the next day? Double the recipe! Easy peasy. Enjoy!
Stir-It-Up Chicken and Snow Peas
Makes 2 servings
2 teaspoons peanut oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces or strips
1/3 cup frozen snow peas*
1/3 cup asparagus tips
1/3 cup thinly sliced carrot
1/4 medium onion, cut into bite-sized pieces or strips
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sayce
Cooked brown rice
*I could not find any so I used some frozen bell pepper strips instead. They were delicious.
Heat the oil and red pepper flakes in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients, except rice, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Serve over the rice.
