Beat the Heat & Friendly Friday

I ran, well kind of, Wii Fit beckoned me in the midst of 100 degree heat outside and 90 degree heat in the workout room above the garage.  I simply could not muster the mental strength it would require to run in that heat.

Instead I burned lesser calories while enjoying a colorful screen and *heavenly music* air conditioning and a ceiling fan.  I have to say I know the intensity isn't quite there when comparing running to Wii Fit but I still worked up quite a sweat!!!

I haven't used Wii Fit in ages, I burned out on it but I found it pleasant and fun to return to. I did a long run around the island, hula hooped for 10 minutes (harder than one would think), and even did about 45 minutes of cycling looking for hidden checkpoint flags I had a hard time finding.

Overall, I may not have got in my half marathon training, but I feel I got a good workout and I entitled myself to a larger piece of low fat cake (perhaps I shall share that recipe soon!!!!)


Have a great weekend and be sure to stay hydrated in the heat wave-HUGS

Orange Beef (Slow Cooker)

Simple and easy to prepare the night before, drop in the crock, and have waiting when you return from a long day of work or play,

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb sliced lean beef (I used lean sirloin)
• 1/2 cup orange juice (1 large navel orange if fresh or from carton)
• (If using orange, you can add 1 tsp of zest for extra flavor)
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 onion chopped (green or white onion work fine)
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp ginger (can be omitted for allergy purposes)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• bok choy or broccoli slaw (I use both)
• brown rice (cooked)
• *can add 1 tsp crushed red pepper for a kick...I just have to add mine to my plate since I am the only spice lover

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Wash and separate bok choy.
2. Cut steaks into strips and place in ziploc bag. Place bag in a bowl and fold over top of bag.
3. Add soy sauce, orange juice & zest, ginger, garlic, and honey into bag. Shake it around. Allow to marinate overnight or if same day cooking at least 2 hours for best taste.
4. Cut up peppers and onion. Place in another bag.
5. When ready to cook pour meat, peppers, & onions into slow cooker, stir to mix. On top add bok choy (either whole leaf stalks or chopped).
6. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours (cook times may vary-my crock cooks very fast)
7. Prior to serving cook rice as directed on packaging.
8. If using broccoli slaw, saute for 5 mins over medium heat with a splash of water and soy sauce.
9. Plate it and enjoy!

Wash and separate Bok Choy

Squeeze orange juice into bag

Zest about 1 tsp of orange zest and add to bag

Add in soy sauce and spices (everything but veggies & rice)

Cut up bell peppers (I had to supplement with some frozen ones with the fresh) & dice up onion finely

Bag up veggies in their own bag and at this point you can fridge them overnight then crock pot them or let them marinate for 2 hours then cook

Add both bags into crock pot and mix together

Add bok choy on top of meats & veggie mix

Cover and cook on low

OPTIONAL: if using broccoli slaw cook in sprayed wok or large skillet for 5 mins with 1/4 cup low sodium soy and 1/4 cup water

This is what it looks like when finished (i moved some of the bok choy)

Here it is in all it's deliciousness!!! I served the orange beef with brown rice and broccoli slaw.

















Marathon Monday Heat Wave

Goodness it has been hard to run.  Near and over 100 degree temps have made even the thought of running daunting.  I have had to do shorter runs on our treadmill which aren't a whole lot better since my sweet-frugal husband keeps the office/workout room set on 90 degrees.  I get his point, we are never up there besides fetching something we wirelessly printed or to work out and he likes to 'sweat-it-out' sauna style.

He doesn't run far so he doesn't get the agony it leaves me with HA HA.  I did manage a 4.5 miler Wedneday and a 5 miler yesterday on the treadmill but I need and want to do a long run.  I have had dreams of aqua running but having no pool, no access, and no aquatic running equipment leaves that dream flat.

What do you do to beat the heat but get a good cardio workout?

My Review of Cast Iron Multi-Pot

Originally submitted at Cost Plus World Market

Our most versatile two-piece kitchen essential includes a 1-quart sauce pot and 6" skillet that doubles as a lid, also known as our Cast Iron Multi-Pot. Its solid cast iron construction results in excellent heat distribution and retention, perfect for tackling limitless cooking tasks - it'...

Cast Iron Multi-Pot

Easy to use, easy to clean

By The Healthy Lantern from Richmond, VA on 7/22/2011

 

4out of 5

Pros: Heats Quickly, Non-Stick, Distributes Heat Evenly, Retains Heat, Easy To Clean

Cons: Handle Gets Hot, Heavy / Bulky

Best Uses: Simple Meals, Small Kitchens

Describe Yourself: Avid Cook

I gave this four stars out of five for one reason, size. This multi-pot is an AMAZING concept but lacks an adequate size to be used for a meal for more than one or two people. The lid/skillet is great for one egg or a few scrambled and the pot is the perfect size for smaller sides. I have used this mainly for foods like beans, green beans, corn, rice, pasta. I have not tried this in the oven, but I suspect it would perform well. Overall a great value considering what cast iron retails for in most stores. I hope that World Market will persue carrying one a bit larger for more family sized meals!

(legalese)

Healthier Box Macaroni & Cheese

EVERY kid LOVES Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and healthy conscience parents cringe.  Here is a remedy when you don't want to make your own and you want your child (or you) to eat something besides mysterious cheese paste and pasta....here you go...it is so complicated...get ready

Ingredients...yes minus water for cooking-this is it!

INGREDIENTS:

• one box mac n cheese (I can't say that Annie's or store brands will work-I haven't tried them, but my educated assumption is that they should work just the same as Kraft)
• one 3.5 ounce baby food puree carrots (I use Gerber organic line)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook pasta as directed, drain, place in bowl or back in pot.
2. Add in carrot puree and mystery cheese pack.
3. Stir.
4. That's it...just felt like there should be at least four steps...perhaps I could say wash pan here or grab spoon...anyways I told you this was soo hard LOL

Drained pasta with carrot puree and cheese packet...please note my daughter decided in the middle of all this she wanted the Kraft Mac Phinneas and Ferb pasta instead so that is now what is cooked)

Final product. My daughter LOVES this and my husband thinks it taste better, richer than by box directions

I made this at the beach for L and my nephew tried some and asked for seconds (this was after he had alread had lunch!)  It is truly yummy!

Marathon Monday...or lack thereof

Vacation was fun, short lived, as all vacations are.  Sorry about the lack of a Friday post. I was submerged in 5 loads of laundry and making the infamous vacation-return-grocery list.  A quick update on my running...

Well I did my long run on vacation but failed to do my midweek short run and am having a hard time getting back on track *sigh*

HELP, seriously, someone make me run before I just turn into a waste of space.  Accountability is waning.  I hope to report next week that I am back on target.

Another note, I bought a C9 tee shirt from Target and I am hoping it will feel better than my old as mold cotton tees I have been running in.

Have a great week and keep moving and stay motivated (unlike me HA HA)

*****ETA***** just writing this post this morning has inspired me, thanks readers, I am off to run at least 4 miles!

Calzones...full recipe up and ready

Eureka!!! I finally found a dough recipe for calzones.  Yes it is easier to just go to a pizza shop and order them, but these are delicious, more nutritious, less expensive, and saves you the gas and tip. Although feel free to send me the tip and any monies saved...seriously HA HA!

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 (.25 oz) Active Dry Yeast Packet
• 2 tbsp oil (I used EVOO)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup 110-115* warm water
• a sprinkle of corn meal (don't you love that measurement)

FILLING IDEAS:

• Basic calzone
• Fat Free Ricotta
• Fat Free Shredded mozzarella
• Italian seasoning sprinkled in

Then add in addition to basic calzone filling...

• Buffalo Chicken Calzone
• cooked diced chicken, franks hot sauce, with bleu cheese yogurt dressing for dipping
• Ground buffalo/turkey/lean beef with veggies
• Veggies (broccoli, spinach, onions, peppers)
• Mexican Calzone
• Black beans, ground meat, Mexican rice, jalapenos, fat free cheddar cheese , with sour cream for dipping
• Traditional Italian
• Pepperoni, turkey sausage

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place yeast packet, sugar, and salt into warm water, stir and allow to sit for about 2-3 mins.
2. While yeast is dissolving and getting all bubbly inside, place flour and oil in mixer bowl with dough hook handle (this can be made by hand but will take a lot longer and require much strength HA HA!)
3. **for extra flavor you can add in dried basil, oregano, garlic, Parmesan into flour/dough**
4. Pour yeasty water into dough and turn on mixer to low speed and allow to knead for 10 mins.  If doing by hand just keep mixing till a ball starts then knead by hand for an additional 10 mins.
5. Separate dough in halve.
6. Roll each dough half as flat as you can.
7. Sprinkle just a bit of corn meal on the lined or sprayed baking sheet before setting dough down.
8. Fill with desired toppings, fold over and pinch seams.
9. Bake at 450* until golden brown
10. **for an extra yumm....coat with melted butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan and garlic powder before baking**

Rolling out the dough, it doesn't even have to come close to resembling a shape, it can, but I am not that persnickety

Baked yumminess...at this point I decided to melt butter on it and add Parmesan and garlic powder (I was glad I did)

They make look alien and very off kilter but these misshapen calzones were fabulous!!

This was mine, I used fat free ricotta, fat free mozzarella, turkey pepperoni and green bell peppers in mine and served it up with marinara (see below)

MARINARA RECIPE

• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• *optional- Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients into small pan and heat over low until well incorporated.
2. Pour into small ramekins and cover with Parmesan cheese and hot pepper (if desired)

Marathon Monday

To cross train or not to cross train, that is the question...

well not really.  If you are training for any running event it is good to incorporate other muscles into the preparation. Everyone's training regimen will differ based on skill, likes and dislikes, and availability of resources.


My training schedule is a bit lax I suppose but it works for me. 

Sunday: rest
Monday: short quick 1 mile run with stretching and exercises from PT
Tuesday: stationary bike ride (my bike set up on a trainer)
Wednesday: 4-5 mile run, each week adding 10% more distance than week prior
Thursday: stretching and exercises from PT, along with strength training
Friday: stretching
Saturday: 7-8 mile run, each week adding 10% more distance than week prior

Personally I would love to swim but have no pool or local facilities within financial reasoning to use.  I get bored with routine so I am looking for new things to try and do on my non-run days.  What are some fun exercises you do?

I have tried yoga but apparently I just don't have the patience or balance to do the positions.  These are those times I wish competitive eating counted as an exercise HA HA!

I have found that it really isn't all that hard to maintain your training while traveling if it is something you think about and plan for ahead of time. That being said...we will see how I do at the beach :o)

Not-so-fried, not-so-green tomatoes

As I have mentioned before, I dislike tomatoes in their raw state, but I do love tomato products and foods one of which is fried green tomatoes but sometimes the green ones are hard to find so I substituted with yellowy, orange ones but any firm non-red tomato would work. I love this recipe because it takes an unhealthy fried comfort food, keeps the flavor all while losing the fried oil and greasiness.

INGREDIENTS:

• Two tomatoes (medium size), sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 cup AP unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup bisquik Heart Health baking mix
• 1/4 cup corn meal
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• egg whites

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all dry ingredients. 
2. Take sliced tomatoes and dip them in egg whites until well covered.
3. Coat them with the dry mix until well covered.
4. Place on baking sprayed sheet pan or baking sheet pan lined with non-stick mat.
5. Bake at 375 degrees until you notice browning (10 mins), flip and continue to bake until well browned on both sides. (about 15-20 mins total)

Dry ingredients

  

Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick

  

Have a little station order set up to speed up production. Take slices soak in egg white, batter them, place on sheet.

  

This is in the oven about half way through cooking, I turned them when they looked like this.

This is the yummy tomatoes finished. So golden brown and not an ounce of greasy oil

We had them with cheesy grits and green beans. I also made a homemade remoulade from stuff I found, it was ok, but I needed proper remoulade ingredients. 

  

Product of the Week: Double-Sided Cast Iron Griddle

Originally submitted at Cost Plus World Market

Large griddle is perfect for cooking everything from burgers to pancakes. Reverses from smooth surface to ridged.

Double-Sided Cast Iron Griddle

Product of the YEAR!

The Healthy Lantern

5out of 5

Pros: Heats Quickly, Retains Heat, Easy To Clean, Durable, Distributes Heat Evenly
Cons: Handle Gets Hot, Cannot use on glass top
Best Uses: Small Kitchens, Elaborate Meals, Simple Meals, Large Kitchens
Describe Yourself: Avid Cook

I feel confident in writing this review since I have owned and used this now for about 4 months. I use this at least 2-3 times a week. This is same quality as ones I had previously looked at from two different gourmet shops that had them priced at $89 and $100. My husband sold our grill when we moved and honestly we haven't missed it. I will say this probably wouldn't be ideal for a large party. We plan to buy another so we can use it for entertaining. I have used both sides and love them both for particular things. I use an olive oil baking spray and so far have had very few issues with sticking. I haven't tried pancakes yet. So far I have done a variety of burgers from stuffed to turkey, sausages, hot dogs, crab cakes, toasted buns, veggies, shrimp, skewers, fruits...all turning out fabulous. I have had the luxury of using this on a low end gas and a high end gas range and this worked on both excellently. I use foil to cover it lightly to avoid splattering. DO NOT USE THIS ON GLASS SMOOTH TOP SURFACES!

(legalese)

Black Bean Burgers

These were fantastic.  I made an error in not greasing/spraying the cast iron griddle so a bit of 'stickage' but they were so delish.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 individual sized frozen corn package (thawed)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1tsp dried jalapenos (1 tbsp chopped if using fresh)
• 1/2 cup cheese (equal mix of reduced fat cheddar and mozzarella)
• salt and pepper to taste
• black bean and corn salsa or avocado as garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all of the above (wow tough huh?)

 

Form into patties

Cook on grill (indoor or out) or skillet cook them

Serve on buns or alone with fresh veggies

With remaining canned black beans, corn, and a handful of shredded cheese and seasonings to your preference you can make a delicious cheesy dip. We ended up pouring this on our burgers instead of just cheese.  I also dumped some on some baked potato fries...oh for the love it was good