Italian Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

It’s been a loonnnngggg two days.  Between recovering from Lolla and catching up on a bunch of work stuff, I have been craving a good, hearty and homemade meal.  Since my heating habits were not exactly perfect this past weekend, I wanted to make something relatively clean and nutrient-filled.  I browsed a couple recipes online and landed on PaleOMG’s recipe for Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.  The meal looked excellent, however, I was also really craving Italian so I improvised a little from the original recipe.

Italian Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from PaleOMG’s recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tbs. fresh basil, minced
• 1/2 tbs. red pepper flakes
• 1 lb. organic ground turkey
• 1 cup canned plum tomatoes, diced with juice
• 2-3 cups fresh spinach
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Crumbled goat cheese, for a garnish
• Aluminum foil

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

2.  Poke holes in the sweet potatoes with a sharp knife and wrap in aluminum foil separately.  Bake in oven for 50 minutes to 1 hr, depending on size and width.

3.  Prep your ‘Mise en place’, a French phrase which means putting in place or prepping for your meal.  Dice your yellow onion, mince your garlic cloves, mince the fresh basil, pull out your spices and spinach and separate everything so they are all ready to go when needed.

4.  With 15 minutes left for the sweet potatoes to cook, drizzle the olive oil into a large saute pan and add the onion.  Cook the onions over medium high heat for 5-6 minutes or until they are translucent.

5.  Add the ground turkey, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Cook until turkey is browned.

6.  Once browned, add the plum tomatoes and fresh basil and simmer until turkey is cooked through, about 3-4 more minutes.

7.  Turn off the heat from the saute pan and add the spinach.  Stir until spinach is wilted.

8.  Pull the sweet potatoes from the oven when done and cut open down the middle.

9.  Add turkey stuffing to potato and garnish with a sprinkle of goat cheese.

10.  Enjoy!

 

Turkey Bacon, Kale and Sweet Potato Hash

Hello! Hello!

It’s been a rainy couple of days here in Chicago which just makes me want to stay in bed and snuggle with Bailey.  This morning when I rolled over to see if she wanted to go outside, I got the ‘leave me alone’ look and thus I rolled back under the covers.  While I appreciate cooler days in the summer here and there because of the lack of central air conditioning in my apartment, cool weather + rain, just ain’t right.  No one likes to run or do activities in cold rain, which means we are all forced to go back indoors and face… the DREADMILL.

It’s been a ‘coon’s age’, as my friend Cassie would say, since I have been to my gym due to the awesome weather we have had and amount of activities I have scheduled outdoors.  Can’t say I really missed the gym, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the Xsport by Piper’s Alley had gotten a little face lift since I had been last.  Also, they hand you a towel when you walk in rather than you helping yourself which is good because there were many times over the winter when they were completely out upon my arrival.

Since I was not really please I was having to do my workout indoors, I stuck with a quick 35 minute tempo run on the treadmill.  I alternated between speeds of 6.8, 7.0 and 8.0 to give my tush a little push and lift.

After my run, I headed to the mats to stretch, per usual, and did an awesome AB workout from Tone It Up!

On my way home, I knew exactly what I wanted to make for dinner.  Earlier in the day I had seen Iowa Girl Eat’s recipe for a Crispy Kale, Bacon and Basil Farmer’s Market Hash, and knew I wanted to make something similar to it with the ingredients that were available in my pantry.  So alas, this is what I came up with:

Turkey Bacon, Kale and Sweet Potato Hash

*Modified from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients

• 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 strips of turkey bacon, diced
• 2 organic eggs
• 3 cups of kale, torn into small pieces
• 5 large basil leaves, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• Hot sauce – garnish
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 1 tbs. butter

Directions

1. Add the diced turkey bacon to a large skillet and sauté until crisp in 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Drain the crispy turkey bacon on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

2. Add the butter and diced sweet potatoes to the pan and cook for 8 – 10 minutes or until browned.

3. Add 3 cups of kale and saute until wilted.

4. Throw the turkey bacon back into the pan with the garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper and cook for 3 more minutes on medium – high heat

4. While the hash is finishing, fry up two eggs in a separate pan

5. Plate the hash and top with one or two fried eggs as desired

6. Garnish with a dash of hot sauce and enjoy!

 

5 Things to Start Your Day

1. Last night, my coed soccer team won our first round in the playoffs!

It was a really intense game, we ended up going in out sudden death overtime.

2. This recipe from Olives n’ Wine is rockin’.  Brian and I made it last night and had absolutely no problem finishing the entire thing.

I even topped mine with a little hot sauce for an extra kick!

3. This quote Fitfluential posted rocks my world.

4. IT’S GOING TO BE A BALMY 42 DEGREES IN CHICAGO TOMORROW!  A FREAKIN’ HAPPY CHANGE FROM THIS:

Everyday in the office the weather is pretty much the only topic of conversation that I hear. Fact.

5. Chipotle might be pulling guacamole from their menu.

Stupid climate change…

And that’s it – there isn’t anymore.

Sushi & Workout Apps

Good Morrrrrning!

Last night I had the best sushi I have had in Chicago.  Two of my coworkers and I decided to grab dinner and drinks after work and one of my coworkers raved about this sushi place in her neighborhood that was amazing and BONUS – BYOB.

The place? Kai Zan.

After walking in I immediately could tell that this would be a different experience than your typical BYOB sushi place.  The decor inside modern and unique, the staff was friendly, attentive and extremely knowledgeable about the menu and ingredients listed.

Since my friend had already been there she knew some of the items that were a must try.

The menu was not too large which I loved and featured a lot of unique non-roll items to order.

But just as my friend said, the ‘Angry Crab’ stole the show.  Fresh tuna, spicy crab w/ chef’s togarashi.

Once this delicacy entered my mouth it practically melted as this cool, creamy, delectable morsel.  By far the best thing I have ever tasted.  We joked that these could be served at our ‘last meal’, but I’m not sure any of us were really joking.

All of the other items we ordered we also fresh and very good:

Edamame – standard

Flaming Tuna Roll – shrimp tempura, spicy tuna & avocado with seared tuna

Escolar Pearls – rice spheres topped with scallion and super white tuna soaked in soy sauce, truffle oil, spicy mayo and chili oil.  Then lightly seared.

A seasonal roll that had kobucha, sweet potato and avocado

And a special on the menu – yellowtail sashimi

We also couldn’t help finishing off our meal with a couple more orders of the Angry Crab.  SO GOOD.

Switching gears…
Have any of you started using or have heard of the Nike Training Club App? It is my new best friend.

It’s my favorite at-home or in the gym workout companion.  You can choose which workouts you feel like doing – Lean? Toned? Strong? Focused?  And inside these various categories are different workouts based one three levels: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.  The app also tells you how long each workout will take and my favorite 30 minute workout right now is the ‘Curve Carver’.  I usually do the Intermediate level, but have also done the advanced as well and it is a GOOD WORKOUT.

What I really love about the app is that it takes time to have you warm up/stretch and cool down so it isn’t promoting anything that could cause injury.  In the ‘Curve Carver’ workout I have to do 30 seconds of froggers which is so much fun, but Bailey looks at me like i’m crazy.

I highly recommend you try this app out… IT’S FREE!

Halloween Celebrations

Hello there, friends.  It’s been a little while, eh?

I had such a relaxing weekend… It’s a shame how fast the weekend go by even if I take my time to appreciate every last moment.

Friday night was spent on the couch.  The whole night.  As I mentioned last week, it was a crazy work week and I was completely exhausted.  A few friends had asked if I wanted to get dinner or drinks, but the only thing I wanted to do was to lay down and chill out.  I lit my pumpkin spiced candle, moved my giant comforter from my bedroom to the couch and did not move.

The next morning, Brian and I woke up rather early for a Saturday and decided to take a walk and crab some coffee. After coffee, I walked to my car and headed out to the suburbs.  My cars tire pressure light had been coming on often, even after putting air in the tire, so I figured there was some kind of leak.  My mother suggested I take it to NTB to get it checked out and so I decided to come out to the suburbs so I could spend some time with my mom – and because I had a dentist appointment scheduled. Yuck.

The best part about going home?  There is always good food in the house.

Bam. Breakfast.

After breakfast and some catching up we headed out to NTB which was conveniently located next to a Home Goods store 🙂  We had no problem passing the time as the customer service agent said he needed an hour or so to test out all the tires.

Home Goods is like Target.  You go in wanting one thing and come out $100 in the hole.

My finds for the day?

– Brown Betsy Johnson Boots

– Cupcake Pans and Bread Loaf Pans (Yup, I did not own any of those – seriously. I didn’t.)

– Ramekins (They are so cute and blue)

– A serving tray (What entertaining set is complete without that!)

I don’t even remember what I was looking for in the first place… napkins?  Guess I’ll have to go again another day 😉

Once the car was all fixed – I did not have to buy new tires, thank goodness – we headed back home before I had to go to the dentist.

After my cleaning was finished, the hygienist tried to get me to schedule a sealant treatment.  She explained what it was and all the benefits, but I asked if I could get a price print out before I left.  Well I’m glad as hell that I did because the “treatment” was going to cost over $500!!! Say what?! Are you nuts Mrs. Hygienist?  I’m 25 do you think I’m some kind of billionaire who can pay for a $500 elective dental procedure whenever I feel like it?  Uh – No.

So she struck out with that sale.  5 seconds later, she told me that she was going to give me a fluoride treatment that didn’t cost anything extra, but the Dr. recommended it for adult patients.  Okay – harmless.  She then proceeded to give me a notecard full of do’s and don’ts after getting the fluoride, one of which included no drinking alcohol for SIX HOURS.  Okay, okay, I’m no alcoholic but it was Saturday Night of Halloween weekend… I mean c’mon.

Also, I knew I was going to get drinks that night because Brian had run the Fleet Feet Pumpkin 5k and reached his corporate wellness goal of running it under 9:30 min/miles!  His wellness plan was that he needed to run a 10k and finish, run a 5k in under 9:30 min/miles and finish a spartan race – which is this coming weekend!  Once all of those are complete he receives a pretty awesome incentive – $$$$.

To celebrate, Brian, Lauren and I went out for food and drinks starting at Burger Bar – Uncle Julio’s for some tequila and then ending our night at Burwood Tap.  We did not dress up this year (I will be on the actual day!), however, we had more than enough fun “people watching” at Burwood where they were holding a costume contest.  Some people got really creative!

When Brian and I first starting dating we used to always go out to Burwood Tap for their pool table and free popcorn.  Our good friend Imtiaz would also most likely be there with us and the night always ended at Angelas for a steak burrito.  Imtiaz has since moved to the Big Apple, so we pay homage to the great Mexican joint and found their last Halloween picture up on the wall.

Like a kid in a candy store.

The rest of the weekend was so relaxing and fun.  Our Sunday consisted of lots of walking outside.

Followed by a short run

My favorite part about this map is the spot where you can tell that it was WAY to windy to be running along the lake, so I made a quick turnaround.

For dinner, I set the table for fall (Yes, I need to iron my table runner).

And made a delicious Cabernet pot roast with sweet potatoes.

It hit the spot.

Meal Planning Tuesday

Good Morning! Good Morning!  Happy Hump Day!

It is SO nice and warm out still, I love it!  Also, it’s pay day – so I’m in a happy happy mood (although I do have to pay off my credit card later today) but for now… 🙂

Yesterday after work was just as warm as it is today, so I went home… laced up my shoes and headed out the door!  I had a specific route in mind when starting my run, because I wanted to end close to Trader Joe’s so that I could pick up my groceries for the week.  In all honesty, I’ve been running this route a lot lately – It’s my new favorite.

There were a lot of people out running and biking last night and I even ran into a few friends from college.

Before I knew it, I had completed a steady 4 mile run and was steps away from TD’s.  Success.

I seriously love the fact that I am still running in short and a tank top and get super super sweaty – no humidity!

While on my run, I mentally planned out my meals for the rest of the week so I could be prepared when I got to TD’s:

Tuesday – Turkey, Spinach & Sweet Potato Hash

Wednesday – Roasted Chicken with Fennel & Butternut Squash

Thursday – Lou Malnatis for a friend’s birthday

Friday – Panko Crusted Chicken Tenders and Salad

Saturday – TBLTS (Turkey Bacon Lettuce & Tomato)

Sunday – Run 10 Feed 10 – 10k – Out to Brunch/Wing It

Knowing what I needed going into the store, meant that I was out of the store in a record 15 minutes – including waiting in the line.

I had forgot to bring my CTA card with me on my run, which meant that I couldn’t take the bus back to my apartment.  This was only a slight concern as my bags were kind of heavy since I crammed everything into two.  It’s about a 0.7 mile walk to my apartment so, needless to say, my triceps were burning once I got home.  I guess I got a little strength training in after all?! 🙂

For dinner, I tried out Tina who blogs over at Carrots N’ Cake recipe for Sweet Potato Hash, but modified it ever so slightly.

The dish turned out really well, we will definitely be adding this to our list, however, I think next time I will add fresh garlic and red pepper flakes to spice it up a tad bit more!

So, I’ve been catching up on all my current events in the evenings because I’m too sleepy in the mornings and holy cow!  There have been all these runners who have been attacked in the morning in my hometown – Arlington Heights (you were expecting me to say “holy cow – the shutdown!” or something about “Obamacare” – tricked yah!).  It gives me the chills reading about these runners, because I don’t like thinking about the fact that I am unsafe at any point in my decompressing run.  Plus, Arlington Heights is usually such a low-key suburb – jeez.

Stay safe out there my early morning runners!

Trail Run Sunday

Hello, All – Happy Monday!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend – we had a beautiful two days here in Chicago and we stayed quite active.

Saturday morning, I woke up early and headed over to the local farmers market to pick up a few things: Fresh peaches, Pretzel Rolls and Jalapenos.  Weird combo, right?

The market was bustling – great energy to start the day!  Plus, a few of the vendors were giving out free breakfast item samples – score.   After the market, I made a quick pit stop at the local coffee shop for some beverages that would help Brian and I wake up and start the day.  This past weekend was the Chicago Air and Water show and if you live right by the lake, your wake up call is pretty the planes constantly flying over head – coffee is needed to help keep your sanity.

I took Bailey on a long walk along the lake after I returned home, but the crowds had  not formed yet so there was not much to see.  Bailey, however, loved being outside so early and met quite a few doggies along the path including 3 other adorable pit bulls.

Around 2:30 p.m., Brian and I headed to the Metra station to catch a train up to Ravinia!  We had tickets to see George Thorwood and Buddy Guy and had my parents early pass so we could get up there before the crowds set up.  It was seriously the perfect night to be outside, listening to music.

Our spread included, chips, salsa, guacamole, fresh veggies and fixin’s for turkey sandwiches.

Plus copious amounts of wine.  Seriously.  I mean we got there at 4:30 p.m. ish and our train did not leave until 10 p.m.  It was very easy to finish a bottle of wine to myself with all that time 🙂

Whoops!

Surprisingly, I was not the slightest bit hungover the next day!  It was Brian’s turn to get coffee and once he got home, we whipped up a delicious breakfast of fresh turkey bacon and eggs.

This protein packed breakfast was eaten to help fuel us for a run we had planned in the suburbs.  A TRAIL RUN as a part of Brian’s training for the Spartan Race.  Once we got to the burbs, my dad hopped in the car and drove us to his favorite forest preserve.  My dad brought his bike, so he lead us into the trails for about two miles and then went off on our own to fend for ourselves 🙂

The scenery was breathtaking – so peaceful.

Brian and I were able to knock out about 4 miles which flew by very quickly.  I like running in the woods as opposed to a paved path because you constantly are looking at your surroundings which takes your mind off the fact that you are getting tired!  Also, there is LOTS OF SHADE.  Part of the trail we were on briefly ran next to a paved trail that was in the prairie.  I saw a couple of runners on that trail and kept thinking to myself that you could not make me switch places.  The paved path was directly in the sun with no shade in sight – not my cup of tea!

My legs felt good the whole way and right as we finished our run, my dad magically appeared out of the woods on his bike.

Perfect timing!

We headed back to my parents house where my mother had an impressive lunch spread waiting for us.  Fresh watermelon, cheese, crackers, veggies and dip.

Before I dug into the food, I immediately put my bathing suit on and jumped in their pool.  Jumping into a pool after a sweaty run has to be one of the best feelings ever.  I just floated for 5 minutes letting my muscles relax and recover.

The rest of the evening was spent relaxing outside, watching Bailey play in the plants and catch up on life.  My mother and I broke away from the men for a few minutes to go on a mini shopping spree at the LOFT in downtown Arlington Heights.  Everything in the store was 40% off!  I got 5 tops and a pair of new colored jeans for $113!  It was such a good deal I practically felt like I was stealing.

When we got home, Brian and my dad had grilled up some BBQ chicken, so we sat down for dinner shortly after.  The delicious, succulent chicken was accompanied by some zucchini and tomatoes, sweet potato slices and green beans.

It was a end the weekend 🙂

Summer Storms & Strength Training

Good Morning to my hungover Blackhawks friends!!

Coffee. Advil. Water. McDonalds Breakfast – pretty sure that is the only cure – I can’t lie even though this is a health and fitness blog – so get to it.

I read a quote somewhere last night on some form of social media that I was checking every five seconds… “If my team couldn’t win, I’m glad my city’s team won.”  That being said – congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks and all of their fans!  The Buffalo Sabres are coming for you next year 😉

This morning started with a 5:00 a.m. wakeup call which was easy for me since I did not partake in any festivities last night.  I ran one of my usual five mile loops which circled me back up north on the Lakeshore path.  When I made that turn I saw something that gave me a little extra boost in my pace:

Storms.  At first I was all like “crap” because I was not prepared to be down poured on, but once I realized it was a little farther away I cooled my jets a bit.  There were lots of people out by the lake watching the storm either pausing from their run or ending their “night” after a long day of celebrating.  Chicago could probably use some rain – especially over on Clark Street in Wrigleyville – it stinks! 🙂

I feel like in part – my blog post yesterday set the tone for the entire day – victory.

My first victorious occurrence was my lunch.  Brian and I (mainly myself) have not had the chance to go the grocery store, so I was forced to hit up the BOA salad bar during my lunch hour.  I have not been there in a while, so I was like a kid in a candy store with all the choices and various toppings.  I ended up concocting this masterpiece for only $4.50 – yup! Win!  I threw together some mixed greens, feta cheese, pepperoncini peppers, bell peppers, shredded carrots, artichokes, tabbouleh, roasted beets and fennel.  Delicious.

Around 5:00 p.m., I headed upstairs in the office to help celebrate one of my coworkers birthdays.  We were supposed to go on an outdoor picnic at Millennium Park, but since rain was in the forecast we moved the party indoors.  We celebrated with a little red wine, some cheese, fruit and a delicious quiche someone brought.  It was the perfect light picnic to tie me over until dinner!

When I got home, Brian had rearranged our living room to accommodate the window AC units we have installed in preparation for this heat wave.  I plopped right down and turned on the game.  Obviously.

An hour or so later, I was getting hungry again so I whipped up a couple of chicken burgers, light salads and baked sweet potato fries.

B and I were too impatient to wait for the fries to be done, so we feasted on the burgers and salads first.  So yummy.

The game was really intense and after the 2nd period I had a major surge of energy… so what did I do… a circuit workout of course!  I completed the scheduled Tone It Up! Wild Child workout – four times with a few modifications of my own.

• 1 minute jump rope
• 1 minute plank
• 20 TIU tummy tucks
• 20 sit ups
• 20 weighted lunges (both legs)
• 20 jumping jacks
• 20 squats
• 20 dead lifts

Repeat four times!

Brian thinks he should receive commission off his photography skills…

I’m so glad that I finished these sets before the 3rd period ended because I would have missed everything, in a mere 17 seconds!  Crazy.  It was a good night to live in Chicago, moments later we could hear helicopters, fireworks and the loud riot chants from our windows.  And I was off to bed… haha!

Until tomorrow, friends – hope you survive the work day!

Training & Turkey Burgers

Good Morning!

It’s another beautiful day in Chicago and I can’t wait to be outside all evening after work.  If you are a ‘How I Met Your Mother’ fan like myself, you woke up in a FANTASTIC mood as last night we…

Met the mother!

I won’t say anything further as I know some of you might not be caught up yet.

Yesterday went by like most Mondays do, rolled out of bed… Fought with my alarm clock… Drank mass amounts of coffee to perk up from the weekend.

For lunch I packed a fresh and simple salad that consisted of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, red bell pepper, carrots and quinoa tabbouleh my mother gave to me.  The quinoa had a wonderful vinegar based dressing on it so I didn’t need to put anything additional on the salad.

After work, I stopped at Trader Joe’s to pick up the grocery items for the week.  I got a little carried away and ended up having 3 bags of groceries to carry a mile home… I. was. sweating, but managed to snatch up some really delicious goodies!

My favorite additions were the frozen pineapple chunks to incorporate in my protein smoothies and the Coconut Water Popsicle. The best!

On tap for my training plan was to strength train and stretch.  I counted carrying the groceries as part of my strengthening 🙂 — And paired it with the Tone It Up! Sunkissed Abs video x3!

As a side note: I need some advice from some fellow bloggers/runners.  I’ve been experiencing some cramping in my right foot lately when I run and even when I do some of the strength training videos.  I feel that I drink a significant amount of water throughout the day… What other causes could make this occur? Is there something after my runs that I should be doing specifically to my feet? Ice baths?  Any advice is appreciated!

On the menu for dinner was Turkey Burgers with a southwest yogurt and avocado! Plus, some sweet potato wedges on the side.

Southwest Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground white turkey
• 1 tbs. dried basil (or fresh if you have it!)
• 1 tbs. Worcester Sauce
• 2 tbs. panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
• 1/2 lime
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Tomato
• Lettuce
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• Sandwich thins or burger buns

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add turkey, basil, Worcester, panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and mix until fully incorporated.
2. Divide the mixture into 5-6 patties and cook in a pan over medium-high heat (you may have to do more than 1 batch depending on the size of your pan)
3. While the burgers are cooking, slice the avocado, tomato and lettuce and set aside
4. In a small bowl, combine the Greek Yogurt, taco seasoning and lime juice
5. Once the burgers are finished cooking – about 3-4 minutes per side – place on bun and top with dollop of yogurt, piece of lettuce, sliced avocado and tomato!
6. Dig in!

These burgers really hit the spot! Brian and I cut the burgers in half horizontally and placed them next to each other on the bun so that it filled up the whole space.

Hope you all have a great Tuesday! Get out and enjoy the day 🙂

Woof woof!

Hydration Talk

Good Morning!

I am wearing a dress to work without tights or leggings, I repeat, WITHOUT tights or leggings 🙂  Ahhhh warm weather, Chicago has missed you dearly.

You cannot deny that most people are in a better mood when the weather is nice out.  My CTA conductor was cracking  jokes over the intercom and my Starbucks barista was extra friendly by upgrading my ‘tall’ to a ‘grande’ – free of charge!

Yesterday was not too bad either.  My day started off with coffee as usual, almond butter toast and some fresh sliced pineapple.

It was two of my coworkers birthday’s and we all know what that means… extra sweets in the office.  There was a huge, adorable, cookie-bouquet that had about 12 different kinds of iced sugar cookies and a homemade double chocolate cake.  I do love my desserts, but I truly hate the feeling of eating a lot of sugar at work and not being able to stop – so I passed and had a handful of trail mix instead.  No – it was definitely not the same, but I did feel really good throughout the day and did not get snacky due to an unexpected sugar high.  Plus, my weakness is sour candy!

After work, I headed straight home to change for my first BvB powder-puff practice.  It was great seeing everyone again and being able to get outside and get a little muddy 🙂

The walk home after practice was so calming and peaceful.  I love the city lights on a warm spring night!

Bailey was anxiously awaiting my arrival when I got home and immediately wanted to get on my lap!

I think she has been a little extra “needy” lately because we no longer allow her on our couch to snuggle with us – new couch, new rules.

After our little cuddle session, I rolled out my yoga mat and concentrated on some stretching and strengthening before I started dinner.  I adapted the “Biker Babes” workout from the Tone It Up! Bikini Series Challenge and just completed the circuit portion.

• 25 squats
• 10 push-ups
• 1 minute plank
• 25 tummy tucks
• 20 lunges w/ twist on each side
• 20 bench dips (used a chair)

I repeated this twice!

On the menu for dinner was Grilled Chicken with sliced avocado, sweet potato tots and a small side salad.

Props to Brian for grilling the chicken PERFECTLY – this meal was delicious and only took 30 minutes to make!

A couple of you have asked: What is the type of hydration pack I use during my long runs?  Currently, I run with the Camelbak Women’s Charm Hydration Pack and love it!  It is small, slim and lightweight.  It really conforms to my body and does not move at all when I’m running.  I love having it with me, especially on really hot days, because I cannot always find a usable water fountain on the trails.  Also, sometimes my mouth gets dry and I just want to rinse it out with a little water instead of drinking it.  The hydration pack helps me keep a comfortable state of mind.  If I get thirsty – I can drink, I don’t have to worry about when the next water station is during my run.  This is just a personal review based off some reader’s questions… Camelbak is not in any way sponsoring this 🙂

Do you run with any type of hydration pack or belt?  How thirsty do you get on your runs?

Have a great day!  Get out and run!