Color Run!

I am so excited to do my first color run Saturday March 2nd in Columbia. We have quite a huge group running together.   This video shows what the run is all about.

       I have to say that I am super excited for a few reasons. First, colors thrown on me different points of the race is super exciting. Second, we have a huge group so there will be so much support. I am most excited that my mom is participating. I have been talking about health for about a year and a half to her. The main reason was because she is my best friend and I want her here forever...  :).   She has gotten so into working out and being healthy now. I. Can't wait do this fun run with her and so many others.   I can't wait to post some pics after!

Has anyone ever done a color run before? Do you have any suggestions?


I think registrationis still open if anyone is interested: http://thecolorrun.com/columbia/ 

Clemson game

               For the Clemson Miami game, Devin and I were debating between going to the game at Clemson, or staying home to enjoy some great appetizers and a few beers. We decided that getting cozy on the couch in sweatpants, eating some delicious appetizers, and having a few beers sounded more fun and a whole lot cheaper. We starting cruising around our newly added SUPERTarget ( can you tell how excited I am?) and came up with a few good and pretty healthy appetizers. We recently had a delicious Greek salad at Zorbas, and ever since then I have been loving Greek salads. So... We  got lettuce , olives, feta cheese, and pepperonchinis to make one. YUM!                                          

            I feel like there has to be some good sports appetizers. We settled first for nachos.  We stuck corn tostitos topped with sharp cheddar cheese and jalapeños in the oven. Then we added salsa and light sour cream. 

                                                                 Lovin some nachos!

I walked by a pizza and oh man... I had to have some pizza. We thought about making our own, but then looked at frozen pizzas.Wait... 

The calories were herendous. So we resorted back to making our own. We used whole wheat tortillas and spread pizza sauce on them. Then we sprinkled cheddar cheese and turkey pepperoni on top. We put them in the oven on  bake and then broil until they were golden brown.  

Watching a clemson ball game we needed beer. I got select 55. I am a huge girl when it comes to beer.  I like Select 55, but can tolerate Mich Ultra. This is as far as my beer drinking extends. 

 We had so much fun eating our homemade apps and drinking beer while cheering on the tigers. Clemson ended  up losing by 2 points to Miami. Miami was no. 3 in the polls.  Even though, it stunk we lost, but it was such a great game! 

To finish off the night I ate a pack of skinny cow dreamy clusters. They are only 120 calories of a perfect chocolate, nut and caramel mixture.   

What are some of your favorite appetizers for a big game? 

Fitness Circuit and Pump Up Jams!

First of all, I have to say that I absolutely reading magazines.  When I spot one in the mailbox, I get way more excited than I should. :)  With that being said, I was perusing through my new fitness magazine when I spotted a new Fitness workout. Lately, it has been a bit colder than normal for the south, so I have been doing some circuits in my house.  I find that doing circuits are great for a few reasons:

1. It mixes up your normal workout routine.  This is good for changing up your monotous routine, and changing up the workout is great for your body too.

2. Also, it is very time efficient.  There are some good workouts for abour 30 minutes I have found from magazines, online, and other blogs.  This takes away the time to drive to the gym and back in the mornings before work.

3.  You can stay out of the cold.

4. You can add or take away favorites or dislikes you may have in the workout.

Fitness workout.

I actually went through this particually routine twice.  I modified the pushups to do girlie pushups.  (Playing basketball in college, I hated lifting so much weight.  I would much rather do more reps than more weight.) 
This work out is by far one my favorites.  I also love how I was constantly doing some type of upper and lower body workout with each step. 

                  Lately, I have gotten a little tired of my routine music, so I looked on Pandora for some workout mixes.  I found one that I am loving.  It keeps a good up tempo beat and mixes in the hip hop and pop styles I like.  The pandora station is called  Pop and Hip Hop Power Workout.  I also am loving the Pandora station called Workout Radio.

What are some of your favorite indoor circuits and what workout music are you loving right now?

Family, Food and Fun!

             This weekend was a great time to enjoy being with family, eat some great food, and just relax and have fun.  It was jam packed with fun shopping and my new favorite dessert.  We went to Chapin Friday night to cook my mom a birthday dinner.  I am so proud of the weight she has already lost over the past few months, so we got grass fed steak for her birthday dinner.  Man do I love some Grass Fed Steak...delish!!!  It was so nice to relax by the fire and enjoy each other's company.

              Saturday, I went shopping with my mom and sister.  We had such a blast.  First, we went to Starbucks, and we got skinny vanilla lattes.  These have changed my life...haha  but seriously they are amazing and you don't feel guilty drinking them.  

            As we walked out of the Starbucks, we noticed a setup for the American Heart Association.  It was a display with stations that had a variety of things to learn about keeping your heart healthy.  There were stations with giveaways and door prizes to sign up for.  One station had a variety of heart healthy recipes.  The last station we stopped at was the BMI and body fat station.  They tested your Body Fat and BMI to tell us what our ranges were. 

             I was so excited to see such a great set up in the mall.  I feel like sometimes people get so caught up in actually losing weight that they forget that the most important thing is to keep your body healthy.  I also think that there is not enough support and encouragement for people to live healthier.  Needless to stay, I was so excited to see such a great display for health awareness.

                               The stations were around the setup displayed above.

                  After a great day of shopping with the girls, I came home to a beautiful view of Lake Murray from the back porch.  Wow what a view... I just love this!

Now to a great recipe I made for my cousin's baptism...Apple Crisp!

I love this recipe because it is quick, easy, and healthier for you than most desserts. I had already decided to make it for my cousin's lunch after her baptism and then it was posted on one of my new favorite blogs 

Carrots n cake.  I did a little different oatmeal twist and based my recipe on  this apple crisp recipe.  I made the recipe for a bigger pan since we would be having a lot of people for the baptism.                                   

           These are the only ingredients.  I tried to hide the butter, because I am not a fan.  I have recently found that is is better to have some butter and sugar in a dessert so that one serving satisfies me.  I have learned that replacing with applesauce or other healthier replacing options just leaves me wanting more.                      

           To make the Apple Crisp heat the oven 350 degrees.  Dice up about 8 apples and spread the across a 9x11 pan.  Pour a little water in the bottom.  This helps get the apples a little mushy so they melt in your mouth.  Next, mix 1 1/3 cups of brown sugar, 1 cup of oats, 1 cup of whole wheat flour, a stick of butter softened , and a tablespoon of cinnamon.   Mix this together and pour it over the top of the apples.  After, I added more cinnamon and I poured a little melted butter over the top to get it crispy.  It cooked for about 45 minutes.  The Apple Crisp is even better when you make it the night before and it can blend together overnight.                                                                                                                                         

                                                 

                                                  What is your favorite dessert right now?

Meatless Monday!

Driving to work today was such a great moment from God! This is the view I had alongside me and in the rear view mirror.  There is just something about nature that brings so much emotion in me.  What a great start to a Monday!

After a fun day with my 3rd grade kiddos, I set off to my spin class at the YMCA. I have grown to love this class. There is something about going harder and longer than you thought you could. It is so empowering when you finish. This is one of the greatest benefits of exercise and why I am so passionate about it. 

After spin, I came home to make one of my favorite Meatless Meals.  Devin and I went to a wonderful resteraunt in Hendersonville a few months ago where we had Veggie and Humus Pitas.  They were so delicious and we knew had to make them ourselves. We never knew how easy they would be to make.   

To make the Pitas for two you need: 

Olive oil

Humus( I used roasted red pepper) 

Whole Wheat Pitas lightly toasted

1 diced squash

1 diced zucchini 

1 diced onion

First, sautée the diced vegetables, olive oil and rosemary. After, lightly toast the pita bread. Spread

the humus on both sides of the inside of the Pitas. Next, stuff the Pitas with the sautéed vegetables.  

The way that humus and vegetables blend together is undescribeable. I love meals that taste like they should be bad for you, but aren't. Oh so good!

My Delicious In House Birthday Dinner!

My birthday was about a week ago and I realized that I forgot about my delicious meal. I used to always love going to nice restaurants for special events... Like my birthday! Lately, Devin and I have been buying grass fed beef or wild caught fish, and our favorite sides instead of going out to eat as much . I must say that  the food is much better tasting, healthier for you, and cheaper than going out.  Check our my birthday meal. 

This meal was definitely one of the best ever. We had grass fed steak, scallops, and the delicious beet and goat cheese salad I posted about a few weeks ago. The taste of grass fed beef is such a deeper and unique flavor that anything I ever tasted. If you haven't had it before... You have got to....it will change your life. :). You can find it at Whole Foods, Earthfare or a local farmers market. What makes it even better... is that the entire meal ended up being about $30 for two people. What a great price for such a high quality meal! This was by far my favorite celebratory meal. What are some of your go to meals for celebrations or special events?