Leap for Joy

It's Leap Day!  That's kind of a big deal, right?

I mean, how often does this really happen?  (Once every 4 years, but you probably already knew that)

I didn't really do anything different or special today.  Unless you consider Brian making us an omelette this morning special - in which case we celebrated with breakfast!

One of Brian's co-workers gave us 18 fresh eggs from his very own chickens!  I LOVE eggs, especially when I know that these were laid by free-range chickens that are loved and hand-fed by a 3 year old little girl.  Not to mention that their yolks are the most beautiful marigold hue, and the flavor is unlike any store-bought eggs I've ever tasted.

He made a bell pepper, onion and bacon omelette with some shredded mozzarella cheese that we split right down the middle.  So good!  I drizzled my half with a teensy bit of Mrs. Renfro's salsa verde.  With a little fruit trio on the side for sweetness, and of course coffee.

Today's workout was Chest and Triceps (see it here).  It went much better than last week so I know I'm getting stronger.  I followed it up with a nice 3 mile walk with Hudson around the neighborhood.  It was HOT today - my car said 86 degrees (yikes!).  Straight into summer time, where was SPRING?

Hudson didn't mind the heat so much...

Somebody was not feeling very posey today.

Clearly he can't be bothered to stand still for more than 1 second when it's this nice outside.

I have a delicious soup recipe up next, so make sure you check back for that!

How did you commemorate Leap Day?  Did you do anything different or special to celebrate this day that only comes around once every 4 years?

Leap for Joy

It's Leap Day!  That's kind of a big deal, right?

I mean, how often does this really happen?  (Once every 4 years, but you probably already knew that)

I didn't really do anything different or special today.  Unless you consider Brian making us an omelette this morning special - in which case we celebrated with breakfast!

One of Brian's co-workers gave us 18 fresh eggs from his very own chickens!  I LOVE eggs, especially when I know that these were laid by free-range chickens that are loved and hand-fed by a 3 year old little girl.  Not to mention that their yolks are the most beautiful marigold hue, and the flavor is unlike any store-bought eggs I've ever tasted.

He made a bell pepper, onion and bacon omelette with some shredded mozzarella cheese that we split right down the middle.  So good!  I drizzled my half with a teensy bit of Mrs. Renfro's salsa verde.  With a little fruit trio on the side for sweetness, and of course coffee.

Today's workout was Chest and Triceps (see it here).  It went much better than last week so I know I'm getting stronger.  I followed it up with a nice 3 mile walk with Hudson around the neighborhood.  It was HOT today - my car said 86 degrees (yikes!).  Straight into summer time, where was SPRING?

Hudson didn't mind the heat so much...

Somebody was not feeling very posey today.

Clearly he can't be bothered to stand still for more than 1 second when it's this nice outside.

I have a delicious soup recipe up next, so make sure you check back for that!

How did you commemorate Leap Day?  Did you do anything different or special to celebrate this day that only comes around once every 4 years?

Egg-tastic Oatmeal

After my rather lengthy post this morning I completely forgot to mention my breakfast or yesterday's awesome workout.

Isn't that the whole point of this blog?  To share my (usually/mostly) healthy lifestyle with you guys and hopefully help inspire you at the same time?  Why yes, yes it is :-)

This morning I had a bowl of my Muscle Recovery Oatmeal.

I changed up the proportions a little today because I was feeling pretty darn hungry:

1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup water
1/2 cup egg whites
ground cinnamon and vanilla extract
1 packet of stevia (alternately, use a little sugar, honey, agave nectar or maple syrup)
4 or 5 strawberries, chopped
toasted coconut
small dollop of natural peanut butter

Oatmeal, water and egg-whites go into a small pot over medium-high heat.  Once it starts to bubble, I stir in cinnamon and vanilla extract, and I keep stirring so the eggs don't get clumpy.  Let it cook 2 or 3 minutes until everything is nice and thick.  Turn off the heat and stir in the stevia (or other sweetener).  Pour it into your serving bowl and top with berries, coconut and PB.

Not going to lie:  it tasted a little eggier than I usually like (due to the increased egg whites, obviously).  But for some reason I was OK with it today...maybe because of how hungry I was (?!)

My Chest and Triceps Workout always kills me:

Day 16:  3x10 each

Wide Pushups                          last set on my knees
Incline Dumbbell Press                        7.5#
Flat Bench Flyes                                  10#
Seated Cable Flyes                               35#
Bench Dips                                 legs straight out
Skull Crushers w/ EZ Bar                    20#
Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks               12.5#
Overhead 2-hand Tricep Extension      15#
Cable One-Arm Tricep Extension         NP*

*I didn't get to the Cable One-Arm Tricep Extension because these two people were hogging the machine for like 25 minutes yesterday.  They kept trading off, back and forth, working every single muscle group imaginable, and I got tired of waiting...ughh!


Before dinner, Brian and I went for a 3 mile run at 9:30 min/mile pace.  I had wanted to be down to 8:30 min/mile pace by now but I think it's going to take me quite a big more time before I can work my way up to that again.  Now that my left foot and ankle are feeling much better, I am slowly but surely increasing my miles back up again and hoping I can get back up to running 5 miles before Gasparilla in a week and a half (!)

My right big toe started hurting about 1 mile into the run but then the pain went away once I hit the second mile.  Not sure what's up with that but I can't worry about it too much right now since the Dr. told me it's not a stress fracture and that I just need some orthotics.

I'm just so happy to be able to get back into running again, even if I have to walk part of my Gasparilla race I don't even care.  A few weeks ago I was so bummed, thinking I might have to sit the whole race out.  Now I feel hopeful that I will be able to finish it, even if I have to walk part of the time or if my speed isn't where I want it to be.  There will always be another race but I'm just thankful that it looks like my feet and ankle issues won't stop me from running in this one! 


What do you do when someone (or more than one person) is hogging a piece of gym equipment for longer than is reasonable?  Do you say anything?  Do you patiently wait? Do you think it's appropriate for people to trade off back and forth on the one cable machine for 25 minutes when there are clearly other people waiting to use it?

http://lapetitemaisonverte.blogspot.com/2012/02/lemonade-out-of-lemons.html

Egg-tastic Oatmeal

After my rather lengthy post this morning I completely forgot to mention my breakfast or yesterday's awesome workout.

Isn't that the whole point of this blog?  To share my (usually/mostly) healthy lifestyle with you guys and hopefully help inspire you at the same time?  Why yes, yes it is :-)

This morning I had a bowl of my Muscle Recovery Oatmeal.

I changed up the proportions a little today because I was feeling pretty darn hungry:

1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup water
1/2 cup egg whites
ground cinnamon and vanilla extract
1 packet of stevia (alternately, use a little sugar, honey, agave nectar or maple syrup)
4 or 5 strawberries, chopped
toasted coconut
small dollop of natural peanut butter

Oatmeal, water and egg-whites go into a small pot over medium-high heat.  Once it starts to bubble, I stir in cinnamon and vanilla extract, and I keep stirring so the eggs don't get clumpy.  Let it cook 2 or 3 minutes until everything is nice and thick.  Turn off the heat and stir in the stevia (or other sweetener).  Pour it into your serving bowl and top with berries, coconut and PB.

Not going to lie:  it tasted a little eggier than I usually like (due to the increased egg whites, obviously).  But for some reason I was OK with it today...maybe because of how hungry I was (?!)

My Chest and Triceps Workout always kills me:

Day 16:  3x10 each

Wide Pushups                          last set on my knees
Incline Dumbbell Press                        7.5#
Flat Bench Flyes                                  10#
Seated Cable Flyes                               35#
Bench Dips                                 legs straight out
Skull Crushers w/ EZ Bar                    20#
Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks               12.5#
Overhead 2-hand Tricep Extension      15#
Cable One-Arm Tricep Extension         NP*

*I didn't get to the Cable One-Arm Tricep Extension because these two people were hogging the machine for like 25 minutes yesterday.  They kept trading off, back and forth, working every single muscle group imaginable, and I got tired of waiting...ughh!


Before dinner, Brian and I went for a 3 mile run at 9:30 min/mile pace.  I had wanted to be down to 8:30 min/mile pace by now but I think it's going to take me quite a big more time before I can work my way up to that again.  Now that my left foot and ankle are feeling much better, I am slowly but surely increasing my miles back up again and hoping I can get back up to running 5 miles before Gasparilla in a week and a half (!)

My right big toe started hurting about 1 mile into the run but then the pain went away once I hit the second mile.  Not sure what's up with that but I can't worry about it too much right now since the Dr. told me it's not a stress fracture and that I just need some orthotics.

I'm just so happy to be able to get back into running again, even if I have to walk part of my Gasparilla race I don't even care.  A few weeks ago I was so bummed, thinking I might have to sit the whole race out.  Now I feel hopeful that I will be able to finish it, even if I have to walk part of the time or if my speed isn't where I want it to be.  There will always be another race but I'm just thankful that it looks like my feet and ankle issues won't stop me from running in this one! 


What do you do when someone (or more than one person) is hogging a piece of gym equipment for longer than is reasonable?  Do you say anything?  Do you patiently wait? Do you think it's appropriate for people to trade off back and forth on the one cable machine for 25 minutes when there are clearly other people waiting to use it?

http://lapetitemaisonverte.blogspot.com/2012/02/lemonade-out-of-lemons.html

The Negative Phase

Good Morning!

This morning's breakfast consisted of:

1 cup plain 2% greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup shredded wheat
1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean
1/4 cup frozen blackberries, thawed

Mmm.  Creamy, crunchy, a little sweet and a little tart.

Plus, coffee and water.

We picked up Trader Joe's 2% greek yogurt when we were in Naples last weekend.  I have to say I prefer Fage!  It's thicker and creamier and tastes more luscious.  Trader Joe's yogurt is fine but it tastes "heathier" - and not in a good way.  I don't have a container of Fage handy to compare the nutritional stats.  Hmm. Anyone else feel this way?

Not sure why but my photos are not coming out clear lately - they look kinda shaky or something.  I think my lens might be messed up again.  Ugh.....

Yesterday's workout was pretty difficult for me.  It was Jamie Eason's 12-week trainer, Day 16: Back and Biceps.

3x10 each exercise, 1 minute rest in between sets

Close Grip Underhand Lat Pulldown
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
Seated Cable Rows
Bent Over Dumbbell Row
Back Extensions
Dumbbell Curls
Incline Dumbbell Curls
Alternating Hammer Curls

By the time I got to the last few reps of the hammer curls on my right arm my biceps were toast.  I literally could not raise the weight up past the halfway point in the range of motion.  Rather than just giving up at 7 or 8 reps,  I did the last few reps as negatives or eccentric repetitions.

Negative or Eccentric Training is a technique used in strength-building whereby the positive or concentric phase of the activity is performed with assistance - either self-assistance or with the help of a partner (often when very heavy weights are involved and for bilateral exercises, those where both hands are involved in holding the weight) - and the eccentric or negative phase is performed individually.  In order to complete the eccentric phase, the weight is slowly returned to the starting position.  In the example of my hammer curls that I could not complete on the right side, I used my left hand to help raise the weight in my right hand into the flexed or curled position.  Then I used only my right arm to sloooowly lower the weight back down to the starting position, fighting gravity to control the movement.
 
Eccentric training is frequently used during strength-training or bodybuilding when one has hit a plateau, that is, they are unable to increase their weight or reps for a given exercise.  Only completing the negative phase of the motion allows you to utilize a heavier weight than you would be able to lift actively, so you are completing a more intense challenge with your muscles and thereby will have larger strength gains.

Phew.  Did I lose anyone?!  Sorry if that explanation was confusing (or perhaps you would use the word boring?)  I just didn't want to mention doing negatives and then not explain what the heck that means for anyone who may not know.  Here is a good resource if you want to learn more about eccentric training. 


Today's workout is Chest and Triceps - boo!  Probably my least favorite of all the workouts.

But I have some really good recipes to share today, including a delicious vegetarian meal we had last night.  You'll definitely want to check back this afternoon for that one.

The Negative Phase

Good Morning!

This morning's breakfast consisted of:

1 cup plain 2% greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup shredded wheat
1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean
1/4 cup frozen blackberries, thawed

Mmm.  Creamy, crunchy, a little sweet and a little tart.

Plus, coffee and water.

We picked up Trader Joe's 2% greek yogurt when we were in Naples last weekend.  I have to say I prefer Fage!  It's thicker and creamier and tastes more luscious.  Trader Joe's yogurt is fine but it tastes "heathier" - and not in a good way.  I don't have a container of Fage handy to compare the nutritional stats.  Hmm. Anyone else feel this way?

Not sure why but my photos are not coming out clear lately - they look kinda shaky or something.  I think my lens might be messed up again.  Ugh.....

Yesterday's workout was pretty difficult for me.  It was Jamie Eason's 12-week trainer, Day 16: Back and Biceps.

3x10 each exercise, 1 minute rest in between sets

Close Grip Underhand Lat Pulldown
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
Seated Cable Rows
Bent Over Dumbbell Row
Back Extensions
Dumbbell Curls
Incline Dumbbell Curls
Alternating Hammer Curls

By the time I got to the last few reps of the hammer curls on my right arm my biceps were toast.  I literally could not raise the weight up past the halfway point in the range of motion.  Rather than just giving up at 7 or 8 reps,  I did the last few reps as negatives or eccentric repetitions.

Negative or Eccentric Training is a technique used in strength-building whereby the positive or concentric phase of the activity is performed with assistance - either self-assistance or with the help of a partner (often when very heavy weights are involved and for bilateral exercises, those where both hands are involved in holding the weight) - and the eccentric or negative phase is performed individually.  In order to complete the eccentric phase, the weight is slowly returned to the starting position.  In the example of my hammer curls that I could not complete on the right side, I used my left hand to help raise the weight in my right hand into the flexed or curled position.  Then I used only my right arm to sloooowly lower the weight back down to the starting position, fighting gravity to control the movement.
 
Eccentric training is frequently used during strength-training or bodybuilding when one has hit a plateau, that is, they are unable to increase their weight or reps for a given exercise.  Only completing the negative phase of the motion allows you to utilize a heavier weight than you would be able to lift actively, so you are completing a more intense challenge with your muscles and thereby will have larger strength gains.

Phew.  Did I lose anyone?!  Sorry if that explanation was confusing (or perhaps you would use the word boring?)  I just didn't want to mention doing negatives and then not explain what the heck that means for anyone who may not know.  Here is a good resource if you want to learn more about eccentric training. 


Today's workout is Chest and Triceps - boo!  Probably my least favorite of all the workouts.

But I have some really good recipes to share today, including a delicious vegetarian meal we had last night.  You'll definitely want to check back this afternoon for that one.

Dynamic Warmup for Runners

Try this great warmup before your next run!

Dynamic Warmup for Runners

Try this great warmup before your next run!

Back on Track

Brian and I had errands to run all day today.

First, we had to take his car to the dealership for routine service so were were up bright and early.  Breakfast was a bowl of cereal at the house and a cup of coffee at the dealership.

Car Dealership Coffee.  I promise I did NOT eat that biscotti even though I thought long and hard about it.

Then we went straight to the gym.  I had an intense leg workout that I followed up with a 2 1/2 mile run at a slooooow 10 minute/mile pace but I didn't have any left foot/ankle pain (whoohoo!).  But my right foot pain is back.  It just figures, right?

I've been doing Jamie Eason's 12-week Live Fit Trainer for the last 2 weeks.  Today was Phase 1, Week 3, Day 15 - Legs.  With my few small modifications, it looked like this:

Each exercise 3x10



Then we hit the track on base since I'm trying to get back on track for my race coming up in TWO weeks (Yikes!).  Two and a half miles were slow and painful (painful because of my leg workout) but I did it and I feel really good about that.  We then headed home for lunch.

I had a spinach salad with red bell peppers and carrots on top and a big dollop of hummus, with two hardboiled eggs on the side for protein.  For dessert I had a quinoa cookie that I made last night that did NOT turn out like cookies at all.  I used this recipe and I was really disappointed in the way they turned out.  They tasted like peanut butter-flavored quinoa with chocolate chips - NOT like cookies.  They fell apart and didn't get any chewy or crispy texture even though I followed the recipe (the only change I made was to substitute chocolate chips for the dried cranberries, which would not have affected the cookie texture).  Still, it was edible and I hated to waste all of that delicious chocolate.

Side note:  Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips are AMAZING!  They are such high-quality chocolate - way better than Nestle's or Hershey's chips!  I'm so glad we stocked up when we were there this weekend :-)

After lunch I had my podiatrist appointment (finally!) and he told me he doesn't think I have any stress fractures in my feet but that I have a bunion on my right big toe that is causing the foot pain during running and that my left foot and ankle pain (the one that got me into the doctor's in the first place) was, in fact, peroneal insertional tendonitis like I had thought.

Side note:  I cannot say "bunion" without cracking up and laughing hysterically (how old am I again?).  I think of Funyuns every. single. time I have to say it (or even type it).  I hate Funyuns.  Does anyone even like those?  They're so gross....anyway, back to the point....

He recommends I get a pair of custom orthotics made in order to support my arches and prevent further deformity in my right foot.  But most importantly, he said I am free to increase my running distance as tolerated, and I can run in my race (as long as I don't have too much pain!).

I'm pretty happy about the good news - the absence of stress fractures in my feet.  It's such a relief to have a better idea of what's been going on but I'm cautiously optimistic since I think I may have some chronic biomechanical issues to deal with long-term.

This afternoon the weather was gorgeous so we took Hudson for a nice relaxed 2 1/2 mile walk on Bayshore Boulevard.  

And after that we made homemade GRILLED pizza!  Whole wheat crust, homemade pesto, mozzarella cheese, balsamic marinated chicken and sliced tomatoes.  Amazing!  And even more exciting, I baked another batch of quinoa cookies and this time they turned out perfectly.  I started with a different recipe and tweaked it to make it healthier and satisfy my chocolate cravings.  They turned out awesome!  I'll share the recipes tomorrow, but for now I'm beat and saying good night!

How did you spend your President's Day?

Back on Track

Brian and I had errands to run all day today.

First, we had to take his car to the dealership for routine service so were were up bright and early.  Breakfast was a bowl of cereal at the house and a cup of coffee at the dealership.

Car Dealership Coffee.  I promise I did NOT eat that biscotti even though I thought long and hard about it.

Then we went straight to the gym.  I had an intense leg workout that I followed up with a 2 1/2 mile run at a slooooow 10 minute/mile pace but I didn't have any left foot/ankle pain (whoohoo!).  But my right foot pain is back.  It just figures, right?

I've been doing Jamie Eason's 12-week Live Fit Trainer for the last 2 weeks.  Today was Phase 1, Week 3, Day 15 - Legs.  With my few small modifications, it looked like this:

Each exercise 3x10



Then we hit the track on base since I'm trying to get back on track for my race coming up in TWO weeks (Yikes!).  Two and a half miles were slow and painful (painful because of my leg workout) but I did it and I feel really good about that.  We then headed home for lunch.

I had a spinach salad with red bell peppers and carrots on top and a big dollop of hummus, with two hardboiled eggs on the side for protein.  For dessert I had a quinoa cookie that I made last night that did NOT turn out like cookies at all.  I used this recipe and I was really disappointed in the way they turned out.  They tasted like peanut butter-flavored quinoa with chocolate chips - NOT like cookies.  They fell apart and didn't get any chewy or crispy texture even though I followed the recipe (the only change I made was to substitute chocolate chips for the dried cranberries, which would not have affected the cookie texture).  Still, it was edible and I hated to waste all of that delicious chocolate.

Side note:  Trader Joe's semi-sweet chocolate chips are AMAZING!  They are such high-quality chocolate - way better than Nestle's or Hershey's chips!  I'm so glad we stocked up when we were there this weekend :-)

After lunch I had my podiatrist appointment (finally!) and he told me he doesn't think I have any stress fractures in my feet but that I have a bunion on my right big toe that is causing the foot pain during running and that my left foot and ankle pain (the one that got me into the doctor's in the first place) was, in fact, peroneal insertional tendonitis like I had thought.

Side note:  I cannot say "bunion" without cracking up and laughing hysterically (how old am I again?).  I think of Funyuns every. single. time I have to say it (or even type it).  I hate Funyuns.  Does anyone even like those?  They're so gross....anyway, back to the point....

He recommends I get a pair of custom orthotics made in order to support my arches and prevent further deformity in my right foot.  But most importantly, he said I am free to increase my running distance as tolerated, and I can run in my race (as long as I don't have too much pain!).

I'm pretty happy about the good news - the absence of stress fractures in my feet.  It's such a relief to have a better idea of what's been going on but I'm cautiously optimistic since I think I may have some chronic biomechanical issues to deal with long-term.

This afternoon the weather was gorgeous so we took Hudson for a nice relaxed 2 1/2 mile walk on Bayshore Boulevard.  

And after that we made homemade GRILLED pizza!  Whole wheat crust, homemade pesto, mozzarella cheese, balsamic marinated chicken and sliced tomatoes.  Amazing!  And even more exciting, I baked another batch of quinoa cookies and this time they turned out perfectly.  I started with a different recipe and tweaked it to make it healthier and satisfy my chocolate cravings.  They turned out awesome!  I'll share the recipes tomorrow, but for now I'm beat and saying good night!

How did you spend your President's Day?

Salmon Omelette with Caramelized Onions, Spinach and Chevre

Continuing my theme of detoxing from the State Fair, this morning's breakfast was so delicious and so full of REAL foods.  I really can't entirely express my love for this omelette that Brian made me this morning.

Wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon, mild chevre, caramelized onions, spinach.  Could there be any combination of ingredients that is more delicious?  I think not.

These omelettes were big.  You could easily serve 4 with this recipe, making 4 smaller individual omelettes if you were to use a smaller saute pan.  Go ahead and add some chopped herbs if you have them on hand - chives or basil would be lovely.

Salmon Omelette with Caramelized Onions, Spinach and Chevre

serves 2

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

4 eggs + 2 egg whites

4 oz wild alaskan sockeye salmon filet, cooked and flaked into small pieces (or thinly sliced smoked salmon)

1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped

2 oz goat cheese/chevre, crumbled

salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the sliced onions.  Saute onions in the butter, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes until soft and caramelized.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and egg whites and add salt and pepper.  Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Pour half the egg mixture onto the pan and allow to cook about 30 seconds until the bottom starts to cook.  Then, add the salmon, spinach, cooked onions and goat cheese and cook until eggs are mostly done.  Flip half of the omelette over the toppings and cook another few seconds, just to let eggs finish and to melt the cheese a bit.  Carefully slide the omelette onto serving plate.

Today we took Hudson for a nice long walk before the rain started, he loves his long walks with us on the weekends.  After that we came home and Brian and I did a little spring cleaning.  I definitely prefer cleaning on rainy days - when it's sunny outside and I'm trapped indoors I get really resentful.

This afternoon, I did an hour on the elliptical and 3 cycles of this ab workout:

25 regular crunches
25 bicycle crunches
25 leg raises
25 high and low reach sit-ups
right side plank (max hold)
forward plank (max hold)
left side plank (max hold)

While I was on the elliptical I finally watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Netflix streaming on my iPhone.  I have lots of thoughts on it but it deserves its own post another time.

The rest of the day was relaxing:  Brian worked on our taxes and I caught up on reading some magazines and then baked some quinoa cookies (!).  I still need to do some tweaking of the recipe so it's not quite ready to share yet but I had lots of fun eating the rejects ;-)

Tomorrow is President's Day!  Brian and I are planning to hit the gym early and we have to take his car for service.  I have an appointment to see a Podiatrist about my foot and ankle issues in order to get some orthotics made for running.

Looking forward to another week!  

Salmon Omelette with Caramelized Onions, Spinach and Chevre

Continuing my theme of detoxing from the State Fair, this morning's breakfast was so delicious and so full of REAL foods.  I really can't entirely express my love for this omelette that Brian made me this morning.

Wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon, mild chevre, caramelized onions, spinach.  Could there be any combination of ingredients that is more delicious?  I think not.

These omelettes were big.  You could easily serve 4 with this recipe, making 4 smaller individual omelettes if you were to use a smaller saute pan.  Go ahead and add some chopped herbs if you have them on hand - chives or basil would be lovely.

Salmon Omelette with Caramelized Onions, Spinach and Chevre

serves 2

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

4 eggs + 2 egg whites

4 oz wild alaskan sockeye salmon filet, cooked and flaked into small pieces (or thinly sliced smoked salmon)

1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped

2 oz goat cheese/chevre, crumbled

salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the sliced onions.  Saute onions in the butter, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes until soft and caramelized.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and egg whites and add salt and pepper.  Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Pour half the egg mixture onto the pan and allow to cook about 30 seconds until the bottom starts to cook.  Then, add the salmon, spinach, cooked onions and goat cheese and cook until eggs are mostly done.  Flip half of the omelette over the toppings and cook another few seconds, just to let eggs finish and to melt the cheese a bit.  Carefully slide the omelette onto serving plate.

Today we took Hudson for a nice long walk before the rain started, he loves his long walks with us on the weekends.  After that we came home and Brian and I did a little spring cleaning.  I definitely prefer cleaning on rainy days - when it's sunny outside and I'm trapped indoors I get really resentful.

This afternoon, I did an hour on the elliptical and 3 cycles of this ab workout:

25 regular crunches
25 bicycle crunches
25 leg raises
25 high and low reach sit-ups
right side plank (max hold)
forward plank (max hold)
left side plank (max hold)

While I was on the elliptical I finally watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Netflix streaming on my iPhone.  I have lots of thoughts on it but it deserves its own post another time.

The rest of the day was relaxing:  Brian worked on our taxes and I caught up on reading some magazines and then baked some quinoa cookies (!).  I still need to do some tweaking of the recipe so it's not quite ready to share yet but I had lots of fun eating the rejects ;-)

Tomorrow is President's Day!  Brian and I are planning to hit the gym early and we have to take his car for service.  I have an appointment to see a Podiatrist about my foot and ankle issues in order to get some orthotics made for running.

Looking forward to another week!  

Muscle Recovery Oatmeal

I woke up sore this morning after my legs workout yesterday.  Since setting a goal for this year to increase my strength I have been incorporating a more-disciplined strengthening regimen for the last week and a half.  Previously, I had just been working out at home and using what I had available (limited weights and equipment) or doing P90X workouts occasionally but I didn't have a consistent schedule for working out so I never really felt like I was improving in strength or fitness.  I'll tell you all about my workout below, but first here is my recovery breakfast this morning (along with two glasses of water) :

Recovery Oatmeal
serves 1

1/3 cup old fashioned oats (use gluten-free oats if desired)
1 cup water
1/3 cup egg whites (equivalent to 2 large egg whites)
1 tablespoon or so Chia seeds or Flax seeds
dash of cinnamon
drop of vanilla extract
packet of stevia (or two, optional, or substitute a little brown sugar or maple syrup)
handful of berries (I used frozen  blackberries, thawed for 10 seconds in the microwave)
small dollop of almond butter
small sprinkle of sliced almonds

Combine oats and water on medium heat in a small pot on the stove.  Once oats start to thicken, stir in egg whites and chia seeds.  Keep stirring and stir in cinnamon, vanilla extract and stevia (if using) to heat thoroughly until oats are cooked and oatmeal has thickened.  Serve topped with the berries, almond butter and sliced almonds.

Macro breakdown for Muscle Recovery Oatmeal (for oatmeal described above including 1/4 cup berries, 1/2 tablespoon almond butter, 1/2 tablespoon sliced almonds and 2 packets stevia):
Kcal 328  |  Fat 15g*  |  Carbs 34g total  |  Fiber 11g  |  Protein 14.5g

(*You could decrease the amount of fat by omitting the almond butter or sliced almonds but for me personally, I like a hearty and satisfying breakfast.)

Note:  It's best to eat your recovery oatmeal as soon as possible after an intense strength workout!

For the last week and a half, I've been doing Jamie Eason's LiveFit 12-week Trainer and yesterday was Day 8 Legs and Calves.  I've also been adding in a few extra exercises here and there where I think Jamie's program gives certain muscles short shrift, especially those where I know I'm weak (ahem - glutes, inner calves and hamstrings).

Yesterday's Legs and Calves workout looked like this:

Each exercise is completed 3 sets x12 reps with a 1-minute rest break in between sets.  I included the weights I used yesterday.

Leg Press - 110#
Leg Extensions - 75#
Wide Stance Barbell Squat (I performed these in the Smith machine) - 60#
Seated Hamstring Curl - 80#
Standing Calf Raise - 160#
**Seated Calf Raise - NP
*Standing Single-Leg Calf Raise, toes in - 40#
*Dead Lift (in Smith machine) - 40#
*Single-leg Lunge - #20

*I added these exercises to target specific areas of weakness I recognize in my body
**I did not perform this exercise due to not having the equipment available in the gym


It's a pretty straightforward workout, hitting all of the major areas.  Nothing groundbreaking here but I like having a set routine and I've been writing down my weights that I'm lifting each time I repeat a workout so I can see improvements over time.

Also, I should mention that I ran about a mile yesterday before my workout to warm up!  No foot/ankle pain!  After the workout I rode the stationary bicycle for 30 minutes at moderate speed/resistance while listening to a fitness podcast.  It was awesome!  I felt like I was accomplishing something while I worked out and it helped pass the time quicker since I usually feel that the bike is so boring.


What workout plan do you follow, if any?    Do you listen to podcasts?  If so, have you found any good ones that you can recommend?!!

Muscle Recovery Oatmeal

I woke up sore this morning after my legs workout yesterday.  Since setting a goal for this year to increase my strength I have been incorporating a more-disciplined strengthening regimen for the last week and a half.  Previously, I had just been working out at home and using what I had available (limited weights and equipment) or doing P90X workouts occasionally but I didn't have a consistent schedule for working out so I never really felt like I was improving in strength or fitness.  I'll tell you all about my workout below, but first here is my recovery breakfast this morning (along with two glasses of water) :

Recovery Oatmeal
serves 1

1/3 cup old fashioned oats (use gluten-free oats if desired)
1 cup water
1/3 cup egg whites (equivalent to 2 large egg whites)
1 tablespoon or so Chia seeds or Flax seeds
dash of cinnamon
drop of vanilla extract
packet of stevia (or two, optional, or substitute a little brown sugar or maple syrup)
handful of berries (I used frozen  blackberries, thawed for 10 seconds in the microwave)
small dollop of almond butter
small sprinkle of sliced almonds

Combine oats and water on medium heat in a small pot on the stove.  Once oats start to thicken, stir in egg whites and chia seeds.  Keep stirring and stir in cinnamon, vanilla extract and stevia (if using) to heat thoroughly until oats are cooked and oatmeal has thickened.  Serve topped with the berries, almond butter and sliced almonds.

Macro breakdown for Muscle Recovery Oatmeal (for oatmeal described above including 1/4 cup berries, 1/2 tablespoon almond butter, 1/2 tablespoon sliced almonds and 2 packets stevia):
Kcal 328  |  Fat 15g*  |  Carbs 34g total  |  Fiber 11g  |  Protein 14.5g

(*You could decrease the amount of fat by omitting the almond butter or sliced almonds but for me personally, I like a hearty and satisfying breakfast.)

Note:  It's best to eat your recovery oatmeal as soon as possible after an intense strength workout!

For the last week and a half, I've been doing Jamie Eason's LiveFit 12-week Trainer and yesterday was Day 8 Legs and Calves.  I've also been adding in a few extra exercises here and there where I think Jamie's program gives certain muscles short shrift, especially those where I know I'm weak (ahem - glutes, inner calves and hamstrings).

Yesterday's Legs and Calves workout looked like this:

Each exercise is completed 3 sets x12 reps with a 1-minute rest break in between sets.  I included the weights I used yesterday.

Leg Press - 110#
Leg Extensions - 75#
Wide Stance Barbell Squat (I performed these in the Smith machine) - 60#
Seated Hamstring Curl - 80#
Standing Calf Raise - 160#
**Seated Calf Raise - NP
*Standing Single-Leg Calf Raise, toes in - 40#
*Dead Lift (in Smith machine) - 40#
*Single-leg Lunge - #20

*I added these exercises to target specific areas of weakness I recognize in my body
**I did not perform this exercise due to not having the equipment available in the gym


It's a pretty straightforward workout, hitting all of the major areas.  Nothing groundbreaking here but I like having a set routine and I've been writing down my weights that I'm lifting each time I repeat a workout so I can see improvements over time.

Also, I should mention that I ran about a mile yesterday before my workout to warm up!  No foot/ankle pain!  After the workout I rode the stationary bicycle for 30 minutes at moderate speed/resistance while listening to a fitness podcast.  It was awesome!  I felt like I was accomplishing something while I worked out and it helped pass the time quicker since I usually feel that the bike is so boring.


What workout plan do you follow, if any?    Do you listen to podcasts?  If so, have you found any good ones that you can recommend?!!