My New Favorite: Frozen Cherries!

Last night was a pretty simple and great night.

After arriving home from work, I immediately changed my clothes so that I could get between 7 and 8 miles in on my running log.  My time wasn’t that great, there were lots of stops and starts due to stop lights, but I logged 7.5 miles.

Due to a kind of wacko schedule, I have been completing my long runs in Friday evenings after work.  When it comes to working out, it is ALWAYS easier for me to do in the wee hours of the morning…so running after a full day of work is tough for me.

In order to prepare for my long run during the day yesterday, I made sure to do a couple of things thanks to some comments on a post on the Fitfluential Running Board:

• Eat well throughout the day. (I packed extra snacks so there was no chance that I would be hungry or lacking energy)
• Drink plenty of water. (I tried to drink a full large Tervis of water every hour!! Boy did I go to the bathroom a lot!)
• Get up and move around. (I tried to get up and move around when I filled my bottle each hour.)

I think all of those tips were great, and I felt much better than last week when I went for my evening run.

After the run it was time for dinner (gotta refuel!) and grocery shopping.  It was just a quick trip to the store to purchase some veggies, cheese, eggs, and Greek yogurt.

 

Then, it was time to relax…such a nice, stress free evening!

Breakfast

While at the grocery store yesterday, I had the urge to purchase something new.  Frozen cherries.  I have seen them in the stores many times, but I never thought that I would like them so I never purchased them.  Well, I saw a little recipe that Runner’s World tweeted yesterday that called for frozen cherries.  The recipe sounded delicious…so I bought some, and boy am I glad that I did!

Seriously, those little gems taste like sweet sweet candy and I could probably eat the entire bag in one sitting!! Yum!

I made sure to incorporate them into my smoothie this morning:

 

• 1/2 cup frozen cherries
• 1/3 frozen banana
• 1 cup unsweetened original almond milk
• 3/4 scoop protein powder of choice
• 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 1 packet Truvia
• ice cubes for thickness

The cherries gave the smoothie a creamy milkshake-like texture and it was OH SO GOOD!  I just kept mmm…mmm…mmm..ing my way through it 🙂  Thank goodness Brian wasn’t awake so I didn’t have to share with anyone 😉

Workout and Afternoon Plans

Now, I am off to practice Body Pump then teach it.  Then, Brian and I are headed out for a super secret surprise trip…don’t worry, I will tell you tomorrow!

Have a great Saturday!

What New Foods Have You Fallen In Love With Lately???

• Frozen cherries!!

Simple Things A to Z

Last night, Brian and I met with the planner at our wedding reception venue.

Right from the get-go she took us upstairs, offered us some wine and cheese and said let’s get to business.  She is my kind of girl!

The meeting was everything I needed.  Basically, we were just touching base to make sure that we were all on the same page since we made these arrangements over a year ago.  She told us we were ahead of schedule, and made me feel like we really had a handle on things!  Thank goodness!

Breakfast

I knew exactly what I was having for breakfast this morning when I woke up.

Yesterday, there were little scrapings of peanut butter in the jar, so I immediately made myself a batch of overnight oats in a jar to eat this morning.  My oats were then topped with blackberries and strawberries and totally hit the spot.  Yum!

Friday

Ok, so it is Friday, and I really don’t feel like sitting at a desk all day and doing “work” stuff…but I gotta!  So, In order to make Friday fun, I found this little survey to share the simple things that make me tick.  You can see Julie’s survey on Peanut Butter Fingers, Chelsey’s survey on Clean Eating Chelsey, or Dory’s survey on Living with Healthy Hunger.  Enjoy!

The Simple Things: A to Z

A – Almond butter.  I have to restrain myself around the stuff, because it is just so. darn. good.  My favorite varieties are homemade, Justin’s, and Maranatha

B – Brian, my fiancé.  He is my best friend, and I can’t wait to marry him!

C – Christmas. I absolutely LOVE the holidays, especially Christmas.  I love the feel in the air, the traditions, and being close with my family and friends.  Needless to say, I can’t wait for the winter season to roll around.

D – Down time.  I need to work on taking advantage of it more often.

E – Exercise.  Moving, being active, and challenging my body is something that I do, and love to do most days of the week.

F – Friends and family.  Mine are pretty awesome, and I can’t live without them!

G – Grocery shopping day.  I love to go the grocery store,  slowly go through the aisles, and pick the perfect ingredients for every meal coming in the next week.

H – Help.  I love to help out when I can and feel like I have a job and I am needed.  I also welcome help when I need it! 😉

I – Ireland.  Brian is Irish, and his family has remained in close contact with his relatives there.  I can’t wait to meet them someday!

J – Jewelry.  I love accessories and I feel that jewelry totally makes an outfit.  It doesn’t have to be the fanciest or most expensive, just something that puts a little flair of “you” in whatever you are wearing.

K – Kangaroos.  Australia was one of my favorite places to visit while I was working on a cruise ship.  I was lucky enough to feed some, pet some, and get very up close and personal!

L – Love…

M – My Mom. She just gets me when no one else does, she is a great listener, and love how our relationship has developed into my adult life.

N – Nuts.  They say you are what you eat…well, I eat a lot of nuts. 😉

O – Oatmeal.  One of my favorite breakfasts whether it is hot, overnight, in a jar, I love it all the same!

P – Planning.  I have to have my planner with me, and I love trying to schedule everything…even though that is impossible!

Q – Quiet time.  Typically I love to be loud, and around people, but I need that time to myself where I just think.  It’s nice.

R – Running. I love it because all I truly need to complete a run is me, myself, and I …and my running shoes.

S – Strawberries.  They are my absolute favorite fruit. Growing up, we would go strawberry picking each year and I would eat so many that my tummy would hurt…every single time!

T – Traveling. I love experiencing different cultures, different traditions, and just seeing how other people live!

U – Upcoming events.  I love putting things on the planner so that I can look forward to it all the way until it gets here!

V – Vegetables!  I love them so much, and they make me feel so good J  I love them raw, roasted, steamed, baked, any way you make them… I will eat them.

W – Weddings. This summer, Brian and I have attended more weddings then I think I have in my life. I love being a part of the celebration and being able to celebrate this special day in the newly weds’ life.

X – X rays…ummm…Xcellent food! (that was a STRETCH!)

Y – Yoga.  I never had a true appreciation for yoga until I began taking it in order to prepare myself to teach it on the cruise ship.  I haven’t kept up with it as much as I should, but I love the completely relaxed, loose, and free feeling I have after a great yoga session.

Z – ZZZZs… I love getting my Z’s in 🙂

What are some of the simple things in your life?

What is Paleo…Have You Tried it?

I tried something new this morning.

I had seen Clare from Fitting it all In try these a couple of days ago, and love trying new things and I was running out of eggs  to make for breakfast so I made myself a bowl of Oatless Oats.

They were surprisingly simple to make and really tasty.  In the picture above, they are just plain, but when I ate them for breakfast this morning I topped them with a bit of peanut butter, strawberries, and blackberries…oh so good!  I will be promptly adding this little meal to my list of “regulars.”

How to Make Oatless “Oatmeal” (original recipe from Fitting it all In)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 mashed banana (I took a frozen banana and thawed in the microwave so it was nice and mushy)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• shake of cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp ground flax meal

Directions

Mash the banana in a bowl.  After the banana is mashed, combine all ingredients in the bowl until mixed will.  Then, simply place in a saucepan and heat until the texture of the mixture becomes creamy.  When you get that creamy texture, you are finished!  Simply place in a bowl and serve with your favorite toppings (nuts, nut butter, berries, fruit, or plain!)

**I made mine the night before and ate them cold in the morning…they were delish!  Highly recommended!

Why Oatless and What is Paleo?

Some of you are probably wondering why anyone would want to eat oats without the oats.  One huge reason is because the “Paleo” or “Paleolithic” diet cuts out all grains.

Now, I am very new to this whole Paleo way of eating (you may have heard of it referred to as the “caveman diet”), so I have been doing a lot of reading on it lately, and I find it very interesting!

Basically, anyone following the Paleo way of eating guidelines eats anything that would have been available to a caveman and nothing more.  So, grains really aren’t an option.  The main foods that are eaten following this lifestyle are:

• Nuts
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Meats, Eggs, and Fish

Things to avoid are sugar, legumes (beans), and basically anything that is processed and packaged, because that’s not what the cavemen ate!  There are many web sites outlining various details and health benefits of the diet.  To me, it all makes sense and sounds like a great plan to follow for some.  I completely believe that every person has different needs and will find a different eating plan and lifestyle that just works.  So, while I think that this whole “Paleo” thing is interesting, I don’t think it is something that I want to try full-out…but I will still sample a few of the Paleo recipes here and there!

Dinner

Moving on from the Paleo diet…(that was a smooth transition…)

I made a DELICIOUS meal last night, and I can’t wait to share the recipe with you.  Unfortunately, all I can offer you right now is a little tease:

 

It was as delicious as it is pretty 😉

Workout

As for my workout today, this is my last Cardio Intervals class of the summer.  In honor of the last class, I will be doing another mixed bag workout much like last week.  Also, to show my class their appreciation I made them some little goodies.

 

The special gift is a colorful workout towel with some homemade “Luna” Bars.   Next week, I will be starting a new boot camp class!

Wedding Update!

It has been a while since I have posted anything about the wedding, but never fear…it is still on!  Brian and I are meeting with the reception venue contact tonight.  I can’t wait!

Question of the Morning:

• Have you tried a Paleo recipe?  What is your favorite?

This is my first Paleo recipe, but I plan on trying more in the near future!

*PS.  One of my co-workers owns a photography business called EBT Photography.  Recently, he has been nominated to win the Wedding Industry Experts Best Indianapolis Photographer Award for 2012.  So, share the love and click this link to vote for his company!

 

My Favorite Running Gadgets

 

 

 

 

Good morning!

Before heading to the gym to teach my final Yoga Sculpt class and do a bit of running, I started with a delicious bowl of berries, bananas, almond milk, a little bit of protein powder, cinnamon, and a teaspoon of peanut butter.  Seriously, this little bowl was so delicious, I wish it was bigger!  It was just the thing I needed to give me some fuel before my morning workouts.

Half Marathon

Recently, I mentioned that I was resuming my half marathon training.  I must say that I am a little bit nervous about this one because I had to take a break due to a lack of hours in the day, and I am coming back to training still searching for the time to run.  What I am trying to do is squeeze runs in anywhere I can, so I am going to do a short run at the gym before I teach today to focus a bit on speed, and I will complete my long run of 7 miles on Friday.

The race is September 28, and I know that if I stick with my plan and just keep logging miles I will be fine….but I am still nervous!

In the spirit of my half marathon training, I thought I would share some of my favorite running gadgets that help me plug through those 13.1 miles:

 

Garmin 305

I must say that I LOVE my Garmin Forerunner 305.  When I ran my last half marathon, I did not have a watch that logged miles for training and solely relied on pre-mapping my trails online.  With the Garmin, I feel that I have the freedom to explore somewhat new places, I love that I can keep track of my pace which allows me to be more competitive, and I can see my overall time as well.

All in all, I don’t know what I did without it!

 

Road ID Bracelet

Mom got me this Road ID bracelet for Christmas because I on the cruise ship, I would frequently go running when we stopped in various ports, and didn’t have a simple way to carry any sort of identification.  I love this bracelet because it is lightweight, simple, PINK, and it has my name, my parents information, and Brian’s information.  You can even put an inspirational saying on the bracelet 🙂  Needless to say, I no longer run without it.

Nathan Handheld Water Bottle

I love this little guy!  If it weren’t for this Nathan handheld water bottle, I would be dying of thirst on my runs over 5 miles.  It is great because it literally straps to your hand, does not leak, and is easy to just put to your lips and get some water out without making a mess or having to stop running.  Seriously, it is awesome and I highly recommend it…especially in the summer!

Spi Belt

My mom also got me this little gem.  I was having trouble when running because when I would go long distances, I didn’t have anywhere to put my phone, car key, or any other random little tid bit that may be floating around and need a place to go.  The Spi Belt is great because it easily fits my phone (which is a rather large iPhone in a big case), and even includes a waterproof pouch so that things don’t get ruined by the sweat.  It simply straps around the waist and can hold almost anything you need it to.

 

Body Glide

Last, but not least, the beloved Body Glide.  During the training for my first half marathon, I started to have some trouble with chafing during my longer runs right under my armpits and a little where my shorts would rub between my legs.   In order to prevent this, someone recommended that I use Body Glide.  It is honestly like chapstick that you put on your skin, and I was a little skeptical as to how well it would work…but believe me, it works wonders!  Now, I don’t even risk it and I always wear it!  And that little stick of body balm will last you forever.  Seriously, a great investment.

 

source

 

Now, that you know some of my favorite running tools…I’ve gotta run!  Literally 😉  Have a happy Wednesday!

Question of the Morning:

• What are some of your favorite pieces of running gear?  Favorite shoes, running top, watches, headbands, anything?!

Upper Body Workout and Indianapolis Bloggers

I have so much to share with you today!

Indianapolis Bloggers

Yesterday, I was invited to join a group called Indianapolis Bloggers.  Indianapolis Bloggers is a community of all kinds of local bloggers living in the Indianapolis area.  Being apart of this community will allow me to connect with other bloggers in my area, and it will give me the opportunity to promote various events and happenings in the Indy area in addition to earning some free swag occasionally.  Needless to say, I am very excited to be apart of this great community and can’t wait to see what opportunities come my way.

Office Arm Challenge

Yesterday, while glancing at the Twitter app on my phone, I saw that Brittany at Eating Bird Food posted a link to something she started called the Office Arm Challenge.

Like many others, I work in an office where I am sitting down for most of the day and really only take breaks to get water several times a day and go to the bathroom.  Not exactly what one could call physically demanding.  When I saw this challenge idea I thought that it was perfect for my office!  I recruited one co-worker to try this first week with me.  Maybe next week we will have more!

Tricep dips

Basically, we will be taking a 10-15 minute break once a day to do something great for our body and minds.  Seriously, I felt so much more awake and motivated to finish the day strong after completing the short workout stint.

Brittany started this with one of her co-workers so that their arms look amazing in their wedding dresses next year…so even though this is a great way to get my body movin’ during an otherwise idle business day, I don’t mind the fact that my arms will get a tad more toned while completing the challenge!

A dress is not an excuse to wimp out on push-ups

Upper Body Workout

And in the spirit of toning my arms, after my teaching my spinning class this morning I decided to complete this upper body circuit!  Get ready to feel the burn 😉

Question of the Day:

• If you sit at a desk most of the day, what do you do to break up your day and move around?

Instead of getting water out of the fountain just outside the office door, I walk to the other end of the building to fill my bottle with the cold filtered water 🙂  And now I do the Office Arm Challenge!  Thanks Brittany!

PS:  If you are looking to order protein powder, nuts, flax seed, PB2, natural products, vitamins, grains, etc then check out iherb.com!  Currently, my special code will get you $5-$10 off your first order!! Gotta love a discount 🙂  Simply click this link for the code.

New Workout Page and Honey Peanut Buttery Granola

Boy, oh boy do I have a recipe for you!

But first, I want to tell you about some updates I made to the blog yesterday.

After the usual Sunday grocery shopping and food prep, I got out of the house and headed to Starbucks to completely focus on getting some blog work done.

 

The end result was a mission accomplished!  I updated the workout tab on the top bar, and created a drop down list categorizing various workouts that I have created, my race stats, and I compiled all of my fitness related posts into one place.

So, if you are in need of  a workout routine, then head on over to the workout page to check it out!

Now, on to the important stuff…

Honey Peanut Buttery Granola

I had really been wanting to make a batch of granola recently, so I decided yesterday was as good as a day as any!  I looked at several of my usual recipes, took bits and pieces from each and threw in a little of my own flair.  The end result was completely tasty.

Ingredients (warning, this recipe makes a TON!! So you can definitely half it or even quarter it!):

• 1 1/2 cups honey
• 1/2 cup agave nectar syrup
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 cups oats
• 2 cups sunflower seed
• 1 1/2 cups wheat germ
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the peanut butter, oil, honey, vanilla, and agave.  Place in the microwave and heat for about 1 minute, or until it is slightly bubbly and easy to stir and combine.

Place dry ingredients in peanut butter and honey mixture.  Stir until combined.  Place the mixture onto one or two greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and stir.  Reduce the oven temperature to 250, and place the granola back in the oven for 10-15 minutes removing it to stir and replacing it back in the oven until it is the desired brownness.

When it is done cooking, spread the granola on waxed paper to cool, then store in a sealed container.

ENJOY!!!

Cravings All Over the Place

After teaching my Saturday morning Body Pump class, Brian and I got all gussied up to head to a wedding of two of Brian’s childhood friends.

 

This was some dangerously delicious punch made by the groom’s mom.  It tasted like pineapple juice, but I have a sneaky feeling there was a little something secret hidden in there 😉

 

I love attending events in Brian’s hometown with his childhood friends because I am always meeting new people.  At Butler, Brian and I very much hung out with the same group of people.  I knew his friends and he knew mine, and on a lot of points…the crowds just mixed!  These new people are fun, welcoming, and they are becoming not-so-new anymore!

 

The couple was happy and I know they will have an amazing future together 🙂

Breakfast and Work Day Sunday

This morning, my taste buds and brain were all over the place.  I hope that is not a prediction of how productive my day is going to be!

Did I want sweet?  Always.  Did I want peanut butter?  Yes.  Did eggs sound good?  Of course!

In order to satisfy all of my cravings, I made a little breakfast sampler platter of sorts.  Some egg whites (with one whole egg) and spinach topped with salsa, apples topped with some almond milk and cinnamon, half of a whole wheat english muffin with a little dab of peanut butter.   YUM!

 

Now, it’s time to hit the grocery store (yay!), cook up some food for the week, get some computer work done, and hopefully have time to relax!

What Are Your Sunday Plans?

• Relaxing or Getting Things Knocked Off the To-Do List??

For me?  Hopefully both!

 

GROCERY LIST MAKE-OVER CONTEST WINNER!

And the winner of the Facebook “Like” me contest is….

Emily!!!

Send me an e-mail at trebleinthekitchen@gmail.com so that we can get crackin’ on that grocery list make-over 🙂

Friday in a Nutshell and the Foodie Blogroll!

I had a pretty eventful Friday…here is what went on (in a nutshell 😉 )

I was invited to be a member of Foodie Blogroll!!

Foodie Blogroll is a blogging community that features different blogs each week, allows members to participate in exclusive promotions with various food companies, and is a great way for food bloggers to connect with other food bloggers. I am so excited to be a part of this community, and I can’t wait to be involved in my first promotion.

Lunch Date

Yesterday, Brian showed me just how great of a fiance he was by stopping by the hotel to take me out to an unplanned lunch date!

 

It was very unexpected, but much needed.  Panera was our restaurant of choice.  Seriously, I don’t think that I could ever get sick of that place.

 

My lunch was one of the You Pick Two combos including the vegetable soup with pesto, and the Thai chopped chicken salad…sans the chicken.  So good, I need to figure out how to make that salad at home!

 

After we were finished with our lunch, we ran next door to Bed Bath and Beyond to pick up a wedding gift for the wedding we are attending later today.  Unfortunately, we had to order the gift to be delivered to the couple, but luckily they had a coupon code that I could text to receive on my smart phone!  Gotta love savin’ some moolah 😉

 

Running

My work day ended with a meeting downtown.  Since my workout scheduled for the day was my long run for the week, I totally took advantage of this and made sure to pack workout attire.

I stopped by one of the gyms I teach at to change, then headed out along my usual path.  Sadly, I didn’t charge my Garmin last night and she died about .2 miles in…so I think I ran just about 6 miles.

 

I got pretty thirsty along the way and forgot to bring my mini water bottle, so I stopped at a hotel and creeped around until I found this little beauty.  It was glorious!

 

Dinner

After the run, I was pretty hungry and so thankful that I had leftovers from last night’s salmon patties.  Even though they weren’t perfect, they were still a tasty and quick dinner.  I just added a side of green beans and called it a day!

 

Ella’s Frozen Yogurt

The other day, Brian and I stopped by a friend’s on our way home just for a moment to say hi and see her new house.  On the way we drove past this cute little frozen yogurt shop!

 

We didn’t stop then, but I knew we would be making a trip in the very near future.  Ella’s Frozen Yogurt was decorated so cute, the toppings were displayed perfectly making Brian and me want to try each one, the staff was incredibly friendly giving us samples and recommendations, they had live music, and special discounts every day of the week! They had a live band playing outside too. Not to mention the frozen yogurt tasted delicious!

Topping Station:

 

More Toppings:

 

Even More Toppings:

 

Tara’s Creation:  1/2 Snickerdoodle and 1/2 Cake Batter Frozen Yogurt topped with granola, peanut butter drizzle and a few cookie dough bites to snack on in the car.

 

Brian’s Creation:  1/2 Cake Batter and 1/2 Strawberry frozen yogurt with cheesecake bites, butterfingers, strawberries, and peanut butter drizzle.

 

The best part about the whole thing was that it only cost $5!! Friday’s promotion is 40% off for students, and Brian and I completely took advantage of that discount.  A delicious Friday night treat!

Breakfast

This morning, I woke up pretty hungry, so I immediately ran upstairs to make myself a delicious strawberry protein smoothie bowl (strawberries, almond milk, Sunwarrior protein powder, spinach, ice and water, raw oats, and a bit of peanut butter on top).

It totally hit the spot!

 

Now, it’s time to review some Body Pump before teaching my class later this morning.  I hope you all have a great Saturday!

Question of the Morning?

• What were your Friday night plans?
• Anyone else eat some fro yo? (or ice cream??)
• What is your favorite Fro Yo topping??

My absolute all time favorite fro yo topping would be….granola!  I love the crunch, the sweetness, everything about it.  Yum!

Friday Tangents and a Mixed Bag Workout

Yesterday morning, I taught my Cardio Intervals group fitness class.  I have been teaching this class since May and have had a pretty solid little group of participants.  Most weeks, I would have a new circuit style routine featuring alternating cardio and strength exercises to get the heart rate up in quick bursts.

Because next week is the last class (this gym changes classes each semester based on a school schedule), I decided to throw a little curve ball at the class.  Yesterday, I let THEM create the workout!! It was actually really fun!

I took each of the exercises that we had completed in workouts throughout the summer and put them in two baggies.  One for Cardio (C) and one for Strength (S).  The participants then alternated and picked 4 from the C bag and 4 from the S bag.

The workout turned out to be challenging, fun, and a great workout!!  We will be picking from the bag next week too!

 

I then got home and had the best kind of mail waiting for me…..the kind where I get something free!!!!

I entered a Peanut Butter & Co. Twitter contest last week, and won a free jar of peanut butter plus a ton of other coupons for discounted PB!! 🙂

 

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the jar of peanut butter right there because I was pretty hungry and ready for dinner…so I got to work in the kitchen creating some salmon patties…

Dinner Kind of Flopped….

 

They tasted good, but they didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted.  The consistency was a little crumbly…so back to the drawing board for that one!  At least this flop was still edible 🙂

 

Breakfast

This morning was a morning for protein pancakes.   I wanted to make sure to eat a hearty breakfast because after work I am planning on running between 5 and 7 miles.

 

I am running a half marathon in late September and really need to kick my butt back into training gear.  I was doing pretty good (I had gotten up to 7 miles) about a month ago, but had to take a break so that I could focus on putting together group classes and learning Body Pump choreography.  Now that I am all caught up (kind of…) and the race is soon, back to training I go!!!

Have a happy Friday, and don’t forget that you can still enter my contest for a Grocery List Consultation and Evaluation simply by liking me on Facebook and commenting on yesterday’s blog post!! The winner will be picked tomorrow morning.