Quick Lunch Recipe + Local Produce (my favorite!)

I love healthy lunches! To make this light little lunch, you will need: whole wheat bread (I used Great Harvest from our local bakery), homemade lunch meat (chicken), a few leaves of fresh lettuce, mayo, avocado and hot sauce. Lay out your bread, slather on your mayo and mix in a thin slice of avocado with a shake of hot sauce. Add your chicken and lettuce and serve with your favorite seasonal fruit! 

The local produce is in full swing and it only gets better as the season progresses! We pay a good friend who loves to garden $25 a week in exchange for a boatload of weekly freshness. Wednesday is delivery day so yesterday I was very happy! My 7yr brother started snacking on things before we could even get them out of the bag. You would have thought it was candy the way he wanted it! I'm so grateful he's starting out with this as his base. If good food choices are his normal than he'll be a whole lot better off. Big sisters and other role models out there-- it starts with us! 

Look at those fresh carrot tops! The tops are the most nutritious part of the vegetable because they contain most of the nutrients, whereas the roots are more sweet (which we typically prefer!) because they contain more water and sugar. If you can, try and find ways to use the whole vegetable :) 

Washing straight-out-of-the-garden produce can be a lot of work, but it's a fun, relational thing as well. Purchasing a salad spinner will greatly benefit you. The time invested is worth it!

Okay, so I ran 5 miles this morning- amazing. Learning to love those long distances (well.. at least it's long for me). I'm trying to maximize my time by listening to thought provoking lectures or listening to some uplifting music while I run. It's fun to time those fast-upbeat songs for when I know I'm going to need the extra motivation :) And now, I'm getting ready to go biking and soak up some sunshine. It's a great day to be alive!

Kickboxing

Wow. I haven't done this in forever! Phew, that stuff will wear you out! But, and it's a big one- you will have the time of your life. I've never been "taught" kickboxing, just learned things here and there from DVDs so I'm still very basic, but I love it :) And, girls, if you're looking for a "be sore the next day" workout than you'll want to check out the FIRM's Pump, Jump and Jab which includes some kickboxing. It's the bomb.

After working out this morning, I made a breakfast smoothie with some of this beautiful looking, delicious tasting kale.

And, here's the finished product! It tasted amazing. Especially after such a tough workout. Don't you just love maxing out and then replenishing your cells with pure nutrition? 

This was yesterday's lunch at the office. I made it the night before so I could grab it and go. The small container is a black bean dish that Allie made. Not quite sure what her recipe is, but it this dip was awesome and a nice addition! This girl is such and inspiration. She was up before 5 am yesterday morning and ended the day with a workout at 10pm last night. I'm so blessed to work with such a loving, dedicated person and not to mention, she's my sister!

For a treat, we had this raw chocolate pie with a nut crust for dessert. Oh my, y'all! Hold onto your socks. I think I'm going to have to do a recipe on some of our favorites soon :) In the mean time, here's a link to a sweet and savory cheesecake that, yes- is out of this world!

And for lunch, well... welcome to the sandwich station :) We whipped up these little babies with homemade lunch meat which is so much healthier for you than the pre-packaged.

So there you have it, the highlights from my eats of the last few days. What dishes have you been enjoying? 

The Week's Begun

I love Mondays, don't you? I never really thought I did until I realized how much I look forward to the start of a new week! New goals, new challenges, and new ways to grow.

I was listening to Zig Ziglar and Brian Tracy over the weekend and was reminded of several good things! One of which is, successful people don't try to re-create everything themselves- they learn from the experts. Another really important point that stood out to me is what a game changer an attitude of gratitude can be!

{Click the picture to read some exercise excuse busters}

For my workout today: I ran 2 miles, than 30 min of interval training/weight lifting, ran 2 more miles, and by that time I was really ready for a deep stretching session. It felt good to get to the other side, but I enjoyed the process!

How about you, what are you learning? Do you have fitness goals for this week? If so, what are they?

Chocolate Mousse Recipe + Random Post

It's recipe time! This is one of my very favorites and I think you'll love it too :) This chocolate mousse recipe isn't your typical, but it is a great option if you're looking for a way to get some healthy fats in and enjoy a satisfying dessert. If you don't tell anyone, I bet they won't be able to guess it's made with avocados!!!

{4 organic apples for just $1.12}

And, I just have to share with you this fabulous deal my sister Kristen found on organic apples this week! 4 organic apples for just $1.12!!! The secret? Shop off the "ripe shelf". The produce it just as good, the only thing is you have to eat it quickly as it's already ripe. It's worth it for us though, as we go through this stuff fast and we get a good deal in the process! Just thought I'd throw that out there. Anything to save a few dollars :-)

My sisters and I had a vocal recording session yesterday which was tons of fun! We were able to knock out two songs that we've wanted to do for a while pretty quickly which was nice. You never know how things are going to go when you're recording. You might get it right on the first try or it could take you ten! You never know :) I'll be sure to give you a sample though once I get the finished tracks back :0)

{Kitchen tables are great for lots of things!}

{This is me, getting ready to sing}

{Delicious "set" food}

This was scrumptious morning bread, sweetened with honey, that Mary and I  yesterday afternoon as a gift for our horse farrier.

And, a shot of my delicious chocolate banana smoothie I enjoyed for breakfast. Here's a quick rundown of the recipe: 8oz water, 3/4 banana, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, and a few leaves of kale and ice to thicken. Yummy!

I read this motivational quote this afternoon and thought it was great: "A man too busy to busy to take care of his body is like a mechanic too busy to care for his tools." Thought this was a great analogy and wanted to share it with you!

So now onto the long await chocolate mousse recipe....

{Chocolate mousse ingredients}

I went off this recipe as my base, and did a little experimenting :) Here's my recipe:

2 avacados
1/4 - 1/2 cup raw cacao
1/4 -1/2 cup blue agave (depending how sweet you want it)
1/2 cup or more dates
1/2 cup Irish moss
1-2 tablespoons Smuckers PB

That's it! Just mix it all up in your food processor and you have a quick and easy, delicious dessert. 

{Healthy fats}

Here's the finished product topped with a sprig of fresh chocolate mint. So delicious!

{Inside photo}

{Outside photo. The difference in lighting is fun :) }

After taking this picture of the mousse outside, I came back in and dipped freshly picked strawberries in it. Oh my, talk about something succulent!!! 

{Yummy!}

Thus far this week, I've run over 10 miles with today logging 3.5 miles. And just for fun, I'd thought I'd mention that today I hit the 150 mile mark since the New Year. Obviously, I'm a beginner runner but I'll take what I can get :) I'm interested to see what that total number looks like at the end of December.

Anyways, the week is going well, hope it is for you too! Please comment and share :-)

Oh and PS: I going to a play downtown tonight! So excited, I love anything artsy...

Swinging Into the Week :)

{Green smoothies help you think better!}

I made my little bro a green smoothie this morning! I'm really trying to get him hooked on these things and cultivate his taste for healthy dishes, and in this case-- drinks! He's a sweet, intelligent child and will try most anything with a little coaxing. He wanted carrot juice this morning, but we didn't have quite enough to go around so I gave him a few ounces of my strawberry/green smoothie. 

{Garden fresh lettuce with a juicy tomato on sprouted whole wheat bread = deliciousness!}

Mom & dad embarked on a road trip this morning so I made this lunch-on-the-go for them to take as a nutritious option. I used sprouted multi-grain bread as we're desperately trying to eat down our freezer before all the local fresh fruits and vegetables are in full swing.

I worked out this morning too which was slightly painful. I was able to go 10 days with barely any refined sugar (maybe one bite, if any, which can be quite the feat in today's sugar-laden society) until last night. The reason I did this was for workout performance reasons and really just to try and be a good steward of my body. Well... last night I had more than a little leftover cake from Josh's birthday and this morning I paid for it. My muscles just plain ached after exertion and I know it was the effects of unnatural sugar taking place and improper fueling. It's a good reminder for me that food truly is fuel! And the discomfort experienced was enough to make me not want anymore desserts for a while! Hey, take any motivation you can to get that stuff away from you. Sugar depletes our bodies of B vitamins, the energy vitamin, so this is one of the reasons we can experience tiredness or fatigue after a sugary dessert.

Anyways, I ran a total of 4 miles today, plus spent twenty minutes doing some resistance/cardio training and stretching. It was a great workout and left me feeling so good :)

{As you can see, I still have quite a few more weeds to pull. I let it get really bad!}

I also spent time in my little garden today. It's great to be outdoors! I believe I am finally convinced that it's impossible to grow a garden without having to pull weeds. As much as I hate weeding, it is necessary. They somehow always choose to grow right next to my lovely little plants, threatening to choke them. Ahh! I try growing a garden nearly every year and it simply doesn't work to let it go :-) One thing does though-- pull the weeds while they're small. ha! 

The rest of the day included work, work and some more work. It's only mid-afternoon but it always feels good to check things off the list! Hope you are having a wonderful Monday! Next recipe, healthy chocolate mousse :)

Anyone else growing a garden or have tips on how to make healthy foods appetizing to small kidz?

An Early Morning Run

Good evening, dear blog readers! I hope you are having a fabulous ending to this fabulous day!!! My day started earlier than usual, but it was a nice shake up to the ole routine.

My dad and I had a business meeting in Apex, NC this morning which is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from our house. So I crawled out of my comfy bed at 4:50 am (!) to squeeze in my run for the day before we had to leave to beat the rush-hour traffic. It was worth the lack of sleep because it lighted me up and really got my blood pumping, plus I knew I wouldn't want to do it once I got home after a long day's work...

I ran a total of 4.67 miles and then called it quits, headed for the shower, made myself a quick green smoothie and was ready to walk out the door after hair and make-up!

Here's my attempt to be quiet with the blender in the wee hours of the morning. he! I made my smoothie in the dining room in hopes not to wake anyone with it's roaring engine :P It's really not that loud, but when the house is completely quiet and people are sleeping... well, let's just say it's best not to mess with people trying to get some shut-eye :)))

The day went well and I learned a lot! How was your day? Did you learn anything? That's life- full of ways to improve :)

Sleep well and pleasant dreams...

Accentuate the Positive (Eliminate the Negative)

It's Monday again and I hope every one's hard at work! I love it when I'm so excited about life that I go to bed thinking about the next day's adventures and have those "tickles" in my stomach when I wake-up because I'm so thrilled about attacking my to-do list. I'm learning happiness really has nothing to do with what my life holds as much as my perspective and eternal values. Do you find this to be true as well?

Over the weekend, I savored two green smoothies with kale. I'm getting to where I crave these things and feel deprived when I don't have them! ha! Never would have envisioned myself this way, but so grateful to be here. 

This was a stir-fry we enjoyed over the weekend! It included broccoli, peas, organic tamari soy sauce and our own grass-fed beef, doesn't get better than this folks! There are many health benefits to grass-fed beef and I highly recommend it if you're going to eat beef. It can be a bit of an adjustment with the cooking though as grass-fed meat is considerably less fatty than grain-fed meat but nothing you can't learn to adjust to. 

So I ran 3 miles this morning and also did a 20 min FIRM express sculpt DVD. My goal for this week is to run a total of 15 miles. That's about what I did last week and I'd like to do that again: 3 down, 12 more to go! We'll see if I can make it :) What are your workout goals for the week, please post?!