Back from the Blue Ridge Mountains :)

Hello, everyone! I hope you’ve experienced a wonderful production-oriented week. I’m back from the mountains (sigh), but ready as ever to chop away at the work set before me! But, before we dive into all the excitement that lays ahead (blender giveaway announcement!)… I’ll share a few highlights from the trip J

Shortly into the 4-hr drive up, we made a stop at Whole Foods for juicing supplies. Yes, our wonderful Breville juicer had to come with us, folks.

I love all the bright and bold colors of fresh veggies!

One of my favorite aisles J

We picked out a delicious little treat for the road. Grain-sweetened chocolate covered almonds.  Yum!

And, we got these cookies for the kids… healthy ginger snaps! There are healthy options to nearly everything out there, and if we can’t find them- well it’s up to us to discover, create or find an alternative!

This was lunch on the road on the way there. I can’t remember when I stopped eating fast-food. I don’t think it was ever a deliberate action on my part, just that I don’t really care for it, and the more I learn about what ingredients they use the more logical sense it makes to not eat the stuff. I don’t look down on those who eat fast-food, but I do try and make responsible choices with the knowledge I’ve been given. J 

I’m always amazed at how little time it takes to prepare a healthy option! I’m sure you could whip up this little sandwich I had in the time or less that you’d sit in the drive-up waiting for a burger. To make this, all you need are 2 slices of whole grain bread spread with mayo, a handful of spinach leaves and a few slices of cucumber and tomato.  

We got to the mountain house mid-afternoon last Tuesday giving us plenty of time to relax and settle in before evening. The first night, we enjoyed this delicious Caesar salad with spaghetti for supper!

This gourmet anti-pasta side of olives & mozeralla cheese was so good.

Relishing cool evenings outdoors… a nice change from the typical 65-70 degree evenings experienced at home.

Rustic furniture is so warm & inviting, wouldn’t you just love to sit on this log bench for a spell?

It rained which presented the perfect opportunity to curl up with a pile of good books, tea & chocolate.

Thursday morning, 2 of my sisters & I went scouting for a natural rock supplier. These two girls are the bomb. Inconspicuous as can be but definitely investigating the territory. Excited about this project!

We also went to a couple health food stores. The mountains are great for “earthy” types of foods J

Cute name :)

I didn’t buy any of this, but I love it when companies support the locals.

I'm a sunset watcher- or at least I want to be. This is me with my youngest brother, Joey (he's 7). He makes my life so rich!

Friday, we went to the Mast General Store. Visiting this place is like stepping back in time and brings back great memories as a kid! Here my Dad and I are sitting together on the back porch enjoying some live music.

We bought some raw honey with comb. Yum!

I also believe in "living a little" :p I had one sip of this bottled coke (I think glass bottles are the best!) and a few bites of this freshly bake homemade apple pie. So good!



We also watched quite a few movies/documentaries on WWII in honor of the 68th anniversary of D-Day which was this past Wednesday. These types of movies are hard for me because they represent real sacrifice but it was good to be reminded of freedom's price.

This strawberry kiwi energy drink was a great refresher! I don’t normally drink these types of things, but since it was vacation I figured, why not try something new?

Shock! Be sure to read your labels, people. Surprise, surprise high fructose corn syrup alert :P This one still had sugar in it, but I’ll take that any day over the HFCS. 

This was a great lunch one afternoon!

I went running, of course!

These two little kiddos came with me on their scooters. So fun! 

Mellow Mushroom pizza!

I made a nutritious green smoothie this morning for breakfast. I hadn't had one in several days and after last night's pizza (and ice cream!) my body was craving one!

Okay, so this post ended up being way longer than I expected and I’m going to sign off now :P There were a million other things that happened too- so many blessings experienced I couldn’t begin to share them all! Life is precious- don’t waste it!   

The best part of this trip? Cherishing and cultivating relationships and really stopping to take the time to connect with the people who matter the most to me, my family.

Okay, so early next week I will announce a winner for the Marathon Bullet Blender! We have a grand total of 20 contestants thus far… Hold onto your seats, you just might be the winner! 

Magic Bullet Blender Giveaway

Wow. I think this is such an exciting giveaway! It makes me want to enter myself :P Okay, but still fun, totally- because my readers get a chance to win a really helpful tool :-) The Magic Bullet Blender company is graciously sponsoring this giveaway, and I'm delighted to be apart of it! And, just for the record- I don't get anything out of this. Just the mere satisfaction of promoting a helpful tool that I believe can make a difference in your health :-)

Check out this quick clip to discover all the amazing ways the Magic Bullet Blender helps save time and deliver healthy dishes in record time! Follow this link to see what's in the box.

Requirements to enter this giveaway? Yes, I know I should make you work for it, but I'm not going too :) All that's required is for you to LIKE the Real Food Runner FB page or share this post on your FB wall, and leave a comment with your name and blog address (if you have one) on this post! I know, too easy! 

Alright, now that we're all hyped up about this incredibly amazing little blender, I suppose I should mention that I'm taking a few days break so you don't think I fell off the side of the earth. Yes! Off to enjoy the beautiful mountains of North Carolina with the people I love the most. We leave bright & early tomorrow! Haven't done this in forever... so this will be a sweet treat! Ooh, just thinking about getting out into the fresh mountain air, surrounded by natural beautiful makes it impossible for me to keep from smiling! 

We're hoping to go canoeing (which always ends in a huge water war-- lots of good healthy competition and hearty laughs) and at least do a bit of hiking. Toss in there some local history, browsing mountain furniture stores just for fun, late night games, movie watching, ice cream from the chocolate shop, watching majestic sunsets with a good book and friends and I think we have a plan :) 

That being said, I won't have internet access so it will be next week before I can announce a winner... But, that will give you a whole week to steep in the excitement!!! :-) 

{Hearty breakfast sandwich}

And, I hope have a wonderful, wonderful week at that! Work hard and soak up all the blessings God gives. 

Late Night Projects & An Upcoming Surprise :)

Last night the brain juices were flowing. With a dogmatic emphasis on working together as a team my sisters and I attacked a seemly daunting task list together after supper last night. It's amazing the ideas you can come up with in a group! Love it. 

{Buckets of tears and barrels of laughter have been shared with this group!}

{Friday's refreshing lunch}

For today's workout, I ran 3 miles and did some interval training. Interval training is fun because even when it's hard you always know you can rest in just a few minutes :) 

{Homemade veggie pizza from last night}

The recipe for this amazing pizza? From scratch whole wheat pizza dough, Ragu sauce (I chose this because it was on sale!), a blend of your favorite cheeses, garden fresh tomato, peppers & onions. So good! A great, fun activity for the whole family :-) 

{Just had to share this picture of these free-range, farm fresh eggs some friends gave us!}

And, this was from tonight's supper. It was basically just an effort to make do with what was in the frig/freezer but with a country cook twist :) I threw together these super easy whole wheat biscuits which were great! Spread a little homemade jam with creamy butter and you've got what they call "comfort food".

Garden fresh meals are a favorite around here!

Okay, so I have a HUGE surprise coming up for you on Monday!!! Be sure to check back to find out what it is... I think you'll love it! :-))) See you then!  

Light & Fresh

The past couple of days I'm grateful to say I haven't craved much of anything that's really bad for me :) Nope, light and fresh is what I'm loving! 

For lunch today I made cucumber sandwiches. Because the weather was warm, I think they were a big hit and everyone loved them! My recipe? Your favorite salad dressing or mayo on whole grain bread layered with thinly sliced fresh cucumbers. Remember to be sure and slice your cucumbers very thin-- no one wants to bite into a huge cucumber that makes the whole sandwich fall apart! Small and delicate is much more appealing. You can still pile it high, though! :P 

We're trying a new hummus around here... the cayenne pepper version! It's different and I like it for a change. 

Before breakfast, I did The FIRM's Accelerate Cardio workout and a few other things. My total workout time hit around 50 minutes, add stretching in there and it timed just over an hour. 

While skimming the headlines this morning before my workout, I ran across this article on sugar. What do you think? Should the government have a say in how much we can eat or drink or this a personal issue, one of self-discipline that they shouldn't touch? Interested to hear your thoughts!

I've been thinking a lot about time and it's value, particularly concerning exercise. I know you've thought about this, we all have: Is it really worth it to spend an hour of my day just working out? Considering that most of us don't lead an active lifestyles and a large part of the day is spent sitting behind a desk, I think you'd agree with me that an empathic "YES"! is in order. Now, there are phases of life where we honestly can't give as much attention to this part of our lives for way too many reasons to list at the moment, but physical exercise is important. It doesn't have to be in the gym or doing a workout DVD. It can be playing basketball with your kids or friends in the backyard, throwing the Frisbee with your dog (make sure YOU move, though), or running with a friend to build relational capital. I guess my point in bringing this up is, physical fitness shouldn't be self-consuming or self-focused. In a very real sense, it's not about us- it's about being a good steward and taking care of ourselves so that we can reach out and take care of others. Just some thoughts... Let me know what you think! 

Bagels for Breakfast

This morning was such a treat! Mary made completely from scratch honey whole wheat, raisin bagels. Can you believe it?! There were out-of-this-world some kind of deliciousness!!!

The smell of fresh bread baking is like none other. It fills the house with a wonderful aroma that is calming and reassuring. It's interesting how smells from our childhood can bring back feelings of peace or not... 

I ate my breakfast in the car on the way to work this morning. 1 whole egg and 1 egg white scrambled together and made into an egg sandwich! Delish. Definitely planning to do this combo again. It's quick. It's easy, and it's good for you! 

Yesterday I didn't workout... I know, what happened to me? Well, I'll tell you. On Monday, I wore almost 4-inch high wedges to the picnic (clearing of throat). Yes, and well... my ankles were just too sore to do much of anything yesterday. Just walking was enough :P I enjoyed it though, the shoes that is, and and I guess this is just proof that I'm a preppy, southern girl as I'd do it all over again in a heart beat! This is where you say, "Bless your heart..." 

The week feels slightly off as everything seems to have been out of the ordinary. Taking a Monday off always seems to throw the week off. It's great, but I do appreciate routines. Discipline brings freedom.

I'm branching out... or at least trying! I tired this new protein powder from Vega this past week and I'm happy to report it's not only great tasting but it's plant-based. I highly recommend it!

I came across an article yesterday which I thought was interesting. Michael Pollan's health/fitness advice? 

1. Eat real food.
2. Not too much.
3. Mostly plants.

I thought this was great advice! Here's the link if you're interested :) 

I did workout today, though. A short 20 min workout DVD and 15 minutes worth of good stretching and I was ready for the day! For some reason, I don't feel like I can fully focus on the rest of my to-do list until I've worked out, even if it's just a few minutes. It helps get my blood moving and wake me up.  Life is constantly changing though and flexibility is something I'm aiming for.

Later in the day, I ran 2.5 miles which felt amazing. I love the feeling after a run so much that it motivates me to keep running!!! 

When do you like to workout? Do the mornings work better for you or can you still give it your all at the end of a work day?

Fresh Fruit for Fitness

These beautiful berries are from a bush in our backyard! They were so delicious and I had to restrain myself to keep from eating them all so there would some left for others :-) 

Blueberries are a wonderful source of natural fiber and it's one of the best fruits you can eat for antioxidants which fight free radicals. 

It might be down right wrong for me to share this next photo with you after the above... but I will anyways :P 

We savored these delicious peanut butter cookies this week... Oh my, they were so yummy! I'll see if I can snag the recipe for you sometime in the future :)

Memorial day weekend was kicked off for us starting Thursday evening with house guests from out of state. So fun and so refreshing! And, I should have mentioned this was the reason for the cookies. No, unfortunately we don't make cookies around here on a regular basis and it wasn't a "just because". Purpose, folks, purpose :P

Here's a picture of the food spread. Homemade chicken salad with walnuts & apples, quinoa with tomatoes & avocado, dill flavored deviled eggs, pineapple & strawberry fruit bowl, fresh bell pepper salad, poppy seed bow tie pasta, green salad with goat cheese and bakery fresh whole wheat rolls with butter & jam.

We have lots of leftovers so if you're hungry, come on over! :-)

Here's a up close of the quinoa! If you'd like to check out the original recipe, here's the link. We ended up having to do something a little bit different with the recipe because our grocery store didn't have the plain quinoa and instead it was a brown rice/quinoa mix with rosemary seasoning. Anyways, this recipe looks great and I'm planning to try it once I get some plain quinoa :)

And, here's the workout run down from the week: 

Mon - 1 hour full body workout

Tues - 1.5 mile run, 30 min FIRM sculpt workout

Wed - 30 min full body workout (kick boxing included), ran total of 3 miles

Thurs - .65 mile run in 5 min, 20 min FIRM burst DVD, upper body sculpting: bicep curls, overhead presses, tricep dips, push-ups, etc...

Fri - day off

Sat - 3.25 mile run, randomness (i.e.: push ups, lung & squat plyos-- so fun!), barefoot workout :)

Alrighty, y'all! I hope you enjoy the weekend and the extra day off. Remember to find a veteran and express your gratitude. Life as we know it would be completely different without their sacrifice.

Last summer I went to Normandy with a group of students and was privileged to walk beside some of the men that fought in WWII as they returned to the beaches of Juno & Omaha. After personal encounters, hearing their stories, and watching them tear up as they spoke of their fellow soldiers who never returned homes gives this Memorial day a whole new meaning for me. Here's the link to the trip which shows a final celebration for these brave men who were willing to give up everything so that we could be free.

How do you plan to spend your Memorial day weekend? Any plans?

Working Wednesday

It's already Wednesday? Wow. This week is flying past and it only gets busier from here on out :) Don't you just love weeks like that?! 

On Monday, my sister dragged encouraged my to do this workout called The 500 Calorie with her. Ahh! I fully expected to be unable-to-move kind of sore after it but it wasn't as bad as I anticipated. Actually, I was barely sore which surprised me :) It's a great motivator to stick with those hard exercises when you have someone watching you. Reputation at stake! 

Tuesday I did sculpting with weights and ran. My goal was to run 3 miles, but I had to stop twice because of terrible stomach bubbles.  This has happened to me the last few times I've run and I'm not quite sure what's up. In the end, I only went 2.6 miles... Does anyone have suggestions or know ways to make this stop? I really want to run!!! 

{Italian goodness}

This is what was on the menu for supper last night. Delish! So sad to not be able to share the recipe with you all, but I didn't make it. It was an Italian pasta bake which shouldn't be too hard to replicate though :P 

{Supper side salad and apple with cinnamon}

I have a lot of things going on right now and feel it's nearly impossible check off all the boxes on my to-do list. It's a fun phase of life, though! Investments I've made in the past are beginning to pay off and more ideas are in the hatching process :-) 

{This morning's protein shake included a mixed of spinach and kale for added nutrition}

Today I wanted to RUN and thankfully I was able to log 3.1 miles this morning and some good kickboxing. Oh, yeah-- my favorite!!! 

And, I should mention breakfast was delicious! I know I probably way overdo it with my green smoothies, but they are so refreshing!!! They give me a satisfying feeling I can run on till lunch. You can be so creative with it! If you love fruits, well this is a great way to be sure you get all your daily servings. Don't like greens too much? This is an excellent way to hide the taste behind those fruits you love! I encourage you to experiment and join the adventure! 

{The colors of real food are so vibrant!}

Well, folks, that's all I have time for now... Hoping you have a fabulous day and enjoy the sunshine! 

Please feel free share what delicious eats you've been experiencing! I'm always up for new ideas :-)