Fast Before the Feast

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving yesterday!  I had the pleasure of running for a great cause with two of my dearest friends before seeing my extended family for the traditional Turkey Day meal.  Bailey, Katie, and I decided to sign up for this race a couple of months ago and I am so glad that we did, because I don't know what I would've used as motivation to get running in without it.  I am not going to lie, this race wasn't easy.  I did walk up the hill that started mile 5, but I FINISHED THE RACE and to me that was all that mattered. 

Pre-Race

Getting ready!

We freakin' survived, 6.1 miles!

We could represent Brooks running shoes.

Crossing the finish, we sprinted the last .2 of the race and I was dying by the end. 

Thank the lord for Gatorade!

My friend Susan made me this great headband for the race and I LOVED wearing it!  It's very breathable, but keeps the ears warm :)  She sells them for $10 and with a fleece lining for $15.  She also makes hats for $15.  You can choose your color combination for a personalized style!  Send your orders to sejuratovac@csbsju.edu and she will be in contact to get your products made and shipped before Christmas :)

 

I couldn't be more grateful for my amazing friends and family, without them I don't know where I would be!

 

Until tomorrow :)

C

Recipes

So, I am (as any future teacher should be) addicted to pinterest.  I have been pinning new healthy recipe ideas like there is no tomorrow because I feel like I am in a serious rut of workouts and food.  Being home is wonderful because I get to try fun new things and both of these recipes were on my list of things to try!

Today I made two new recipes and LOVE them both, definitely worth a try!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps:

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (or shreaded rotisserie chicken)

1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons peanut oil, divided

3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and diced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1-1/2 cups shredded carrots

1/2 cup julienned green onions

12 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves

1/3 cup Almonds or Cashews, toasted

 

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes; drain. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and ginger; cook 4-6 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink. Drain and set aside.In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and remaining oil. Stir in the carrots, onions and chicken mixture.Spoon onto lettuce leaves; sprinkle with almonds. If desired, fold sides of lettuce over filling and roll up.Yield: 6 servings.

 

 **For this recipe I threw everything into the pan to simmer with the sauce and it has amazing flavor and that way the veggies are all cooked and have the seasoning! Super yummy, can't wait to bring it to the pre-Thanksgiving party tonight, it'll be a hit :)

 

 

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bake

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

2 apples diced

1/4 cup raisins

2 eggs

2 cups vanilla soy milk (or skim milk)

1/4 cup sugar free pancake syrup

1/3 cup almonds

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease an 8x8 pan

In a small bowl, mix quinoa and spices.  Pour into bottom of pan.

Sprinkle the apples and raisins over the top.

Beat eggs, whisk in milk and syrup.

Pour egg and milk mixture over the top of fruit and quinoa.  Stir to partially submerge the fruit.  Sprinkle almonds on top.

Bake one hour or until the casserole is mostly set with only a small amount of liquid left.

Cool, cover and refrigerate.

 

**This looks and smells like bread pudding, but it is definitely a different taste.  It's really good for a healthy, easy breakfast!  I suggest adding at least one more apple and up the spices or add them to taste when serving.

 

Pre-Cooking picture:

 

Ready to eat picture:

 

I hope everyone has a very happy Turkey Day tomorrow!

 

I'll be sure to blog tomorrow night with a Turkey Day 10K update.

 

Until tomorrow :)

C

Get outside of the box

Today was my six mile run day and guess what?  I made it!  It was 8 degrees with 30 mile per hour winds, but with my many layers, I made it!

I felt like the michelin man with all of my layers.

Top:

2 under armor thermals (long sleeved)

Nike windbreaker jacket

Puffy Down Vest

Mittens

Hat

Scarf

 

Bottoms:

New FILA fleece leggings

smart wool socks

Brooks tennis shoes

Here's the final 6.01mile mark! Ignore the last split, I had to stop walking to take the picture and of course my split time almost doubled.  I managed to run all six miles in under 13 minute splits!

Here's a fun outfit that I wore on Friday to work! Super comfortable and user friendly. 

 

Today, I am meeting with my benedictine friend, a nun from campus and we are going to the retirement home for the older nuns to chat and listen to some christmas singers.  I am really looking forward to this event.  I have been in this program for two years now and it's so fun to hear about what made these women give up their normal life to devote themselves to the convent.  My benedictine friends name is Sister Pat and she reminds me of Namie.  Without her being there for me last year I am not sure I would've made it!

 

Here's my outfit.

Love this dress from ATHLETA, it's like a sweatshirt, but it can easily be dressed up a bit!

Black scarf from Lane Bryant

Leggins by Vera Wang

Boots from Heartbreaker

 

I'm ready to hit the road!

 

My advice for today is to do something you're scared of. Go run further than you think you can! Try a new outfit combination! Ask someone out you didn't think you had a chance with! Go out with a different group of people!

 

Without pushing myself out of my box these last few weeks I am pretty sure I would've ended up going home a few times.  I have been having some issues with friends, school is always a challenge, and add work and workouts on top, you have a recipe for chaos.  I have begun to hang out with some new friends and it has definitely helped me find myself again on campus.  I am not the kind of person to go out and party on the weekends and not come home until 4am, so why was I hanging out with people who did?  I have begun hanging out with people whose values are in line with mine and it has definitely lighted my mood and made me feel more like myself, FINALLY!

 

DO SOMETHING YOU'RE AFRAID OF!

 

Until tomorrow :)

 

C

 



Working out is hard...end of story

Today is Thursday, usually my favorite workout day because it's pilates day...today, not so much.  I decided it'd be a good idea to run four and a half miles before pilates and now can barely move.  I spent two hours in the gym today.  It may have been dificult, but I FEEL AMAZING :)

I could probably move mountains if I wasn't so sore!

Here's my fourty five minute run summary! Yay, broke the 500 cal mark

This quote was posted on facebook today and with the intense workout I accomplished today it was totally fitting!

 

I didn't have to work today.  It was so nice getting to wear sweats to class, got to love college life!

I have recently become completely obsessed with popcorn.

100 calorie packs of popcorn are my best friend and my favorite TV snack.

 

I like choosing popcorn because it's not chips or cookies and it gives you that satisfying salt fix.  I seriously suggest you throw in popcorn if you are ever in need of a quick "healthy" snack!  Think, you get so much more popcorn for 100 calories than say doritos and more is always a plus.

 

Until tomorrow :)

 

C

Hump day!

Today was a normal workout day for me. I spent 45 minutes on the elliptical and then did some pilates and stretching.  With these long runs I have been getting really tight.  I have never understood the importance of stretching before this training regimine.

Eliptical workout :) I did an endurance program and KICKED BUTT TODAY. 8 days until the big day!  I can do it!

I thought I would share some new songs that have made their way onto my workout mix! Enjoy.

Thomas Rhett...Get me some of that
Thomas Rhett...Front Porch Junkies (REMIX)
Hey Brother...Avicii (My current fav. It's the perfect tempo for my long runs)
Liar Liar...Avicii
Eric Church...Outsiders
Jake Owen...Beachin'
Joe Nichols...Sunny and 75
Katy Perry...Walkin' on air
Kieth Urban and Miranda Lambert...We were us
LoCash Cowboys....COUNTRY

Until Tomorrow :)

C

Weekly goals! :)

It's Monday, which means time to get those goals in your food journal and to the front of your brain!

My goals for this week are:

60-90 minutes in the gym every day (no excuses)

Hit my running distance goals (Tuesday 3 miles, Thursday 4 miles, Sunday 6 miles)

I am going to try this week to turn lunch into a smaller more balanced meal of a salad with some protein and soup or extra veggies.  Eliminating fruit has been the hardest part for me lately, it's my sweet addiction....

I am running a 10K with Bailey and Katie in 10 freaking days...what in the heck?  I ran 5.5 miles yesterday and felt really good, I ran it on the treadmill at a constant pace and was done in a little over an hour so hopefully I can keep it under 13 minutes per mile come race day!

This is my last full week at school before Thanksgiving break so I want to set some good ground work for heading home where temptations will surround. Can you say green bean casserole and pumpkin pie?

Here's a new outfit combo I tried on Friday.  I LOVE that I finally got to wear my cowboy boots to work.  We have a couple of kiddos that wear their boots to school everyday and they thought it was pretty cool that we matched. Gotta love the kindergartners :)

 

Scarf: H&M

Cardigan: Target

Peplum Shirt: Target

Jeans: Old Navy

Until tomorrow :)

C

Water (check!)

 Lately, I have been lacking in the water department so today I decided to change that. I threw the good ol' blender bottle in the backpack and guess what?  I drank 5 bottles today.  That's huge.  I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings in terms of water. My goal for tomorrow is between 6-8 bottles.

Here's my food log for today.  This week I challenge you to write everything you eat down and circle one area or "choice" you made and make that change for tomorrow. 

 

Today, I circled my cappuccino from the dining center and my trail mix snack. I definitely know that I can make better choices, it was just that these were easy today...try not to choose easier, plan for better!

 

Until tomorrow :)

 

C

Grocery day...what's the cost of being healthy?

Anyone who is eating healthy knows that your wallet takes a hit when you make the commitment to eat and live a healthy lifestyle. My cupboards were bare so I knew it was time for a target run.
Here's what was on my list:

No calories = a great pop replacement

I suggest throwing one of these in your weekend (night out) bag.  You will be WAY less tempted to drink a soda, juice, or alcoholic beverage if you're prepared.

My "healthy"treat. 

Great breakfast option, this granola has flax and dried blueberries. I would also suggest measuring it out the night before and having it ready to go in the morning so there are no last minute "Crap, I forgot breakfast I'll hit the drive thru" moments.

My produce: raspberries, carrots, grapes, Bolthouse Farm Smoothie.  I am loving the fruit smoothies right now, problem is my lovely roommate is sleeping when I eat breakfast.  This pre-made smoothie is a great alternative for me because it's ready to go and it helps me get a couple servings of fruits and veggies with my breakfast.

  (I also have apples and bananas, but I forgot to throw them in the picture)

I am on a cheese kick....LOVE it.  Here are some nifty cheese cubes, super easy to throw in a baggie and bring to class or eat on the way to work.  Also, here are my first cups of greek yogurt in weeks...hopefully they taste good again.  I seriously overdosed on yogurt over the summer so for a while I could barely look at it without feeling icky, but it's such a good way to get protein you shouldn't go without it!

Need a movie snack?  Pick this up.  So good and not bad for you at all!  I usually get the 100 calorie packs, but I grabbed the wrong box today...shoot!

I have been craving something sweet and watching my roommate eat her fruit roll ups, chocolates, and candy corns, definitely isn't helping.  I found these today and of course had to try one after lunch and oh my lord. I found my new favorite treat.  Obviously, don't eat one after every meal and snack, but for 130 calories and 3 grams of protein, you can't really get any better and best of all its actually chocolaty and soft!

 

Here are two more of my favorite snacky/night out foods.  I always have a baggie of these in my purse when we go to St. John's because I know that I don't want to eat ruffles or Doritos.  I deserve better snacks.

 

Words of advice: don't worry about how much the grocery bill is....it's totally worth it in the long run! Healthy me, happy me! 

 

Until tomorrow :)

 

C

Turn it up!

Last night Annie and I spoke at a literacy conference. It was fun getting a chance to chat with a bunch of teachers about how awesome technology is and how it can be used to teach reading! 
Here's a picture of our table.

 

Since we were at the conference yesterday I didn't get a chance to hit the gym, so today it was back to reality. I have done a good job eating clean and sticking to my goals today...it's about time!

 

I thought I would share my favorite twitter follower @fitness. Seriously, everyone should follow them.  Their quotes and statements definitely kick my butt in gear.  They are so true you can't not do what they tell you.  We all know what we need to do to keep the weight off, so why aren't we?

 

 

Today was supposed to be a 3 mile day on the 10k training program, but I was feeling so good I kept going and made it a 4 mile run.  It was great.  I love having those moments of runners high!

 

We CAN do this! Find the motivation and live every minute to the fullest :)

 

Until tomorrow :)

C

 

Weekly Goals

Mondays are going to start being the day for weekly goals.  As you all know I feel that if you write things down you are 100X more likely to stick to it, so here I go!

1) One meal a day of only fruit, veggies, and protein
2) No dining center desserts
3) Workout 60-90 minutes (only after school stuff is done)

Today, I was SUPER busy....so I didn't get a workout in and that's okay! I know that having the opportunity to speak at a literature conference was much more important than spending an hour working out. I got to meet a bunch of educators and administrators tonight and tell them all of the fun things that are new in the world of technology for the classroom!

I also want to take a moment to share the story of an acquaintance who passed away today.  I had only met Jeff a couple of times, but it was a true blessing to be in his presence.  An Iraq and Afghanistan Vet and a committed service member, are only a couple of things that describe Jeff.  I had the great opportunity to see him at the wedding last weekend.  Yesterday, Jeff had a brain aneurysm, went into a coma,  and he was taken off of life support this morning. Jeff was the person who brought light to a room of people.  His passing definitely gave me a reality check, life is short and there is no time to live with regrets. Rest in peace Jeff, your service and dedication truly shine on this Veteran's Day!

Blessings to Jeff and his family.

Until tomorrow :)

C

Saturdays are made for SHOPPING!

Today I met Jake and Katie at the Albertville outlets.  We had a blast eventhough when we first got there we had to wait to find parking and the lines were almost as bad as black friday. Can you say deer hunting opener?  When the husbands are away the wives will....shop!

Here are the things I bought today!

Grey sweater dress from Old Navy

Love this tan and lace dress from NY&C

Green trouser pants from Target

New bootcut jeans from Old Navy

Love these tan pointy flats from Target

A shopping day isn't complete without a selfie!

 

Until tomorrow :)

C

Switching it up

I thought I would share our new room design.

It was definitely time for a change!

Look for a fun post tomorrow :)

Until then,

C

This week....where in the heck has it gone?

I am so sorry for not blogging more this week...it's been a busy one!

I am going to be real honest, I haven't stuck to two of my goals for this week...how embarrassing is that?

I have eaten carbs for at least two meals...like pasta and bread carbs, not even good carbs!  What in the heck am I doing?  Eventhough I have been limiting the amount of carbs (I try to stick to a cup to a cup and a half max) I still want it to end....my body deserves better. 

I DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK TO THE OLD ME...EVER!

My workouts have also been pathetic this week....like MAYBE an hour a day. Again, WHAT AM I DOING?

Oh yeah, and there have been coffee stops almost everyday on the way to work.  I have been waking up so tired that if I didn't have coffee, I don't think I would be awake in kindergarten and that's saying something.

This week has been stressful and I know that shouldn't be my excuse, but we are all human, we all have slip ups and today is my day to change my three days of bad habits. I am NOT going back to the old me,

Yesterday, I found out I got into the elementary education department, THANK THE LORD!  I legitimately don't know what I would've done if I hadn't gotten in, I can't imagine myself doing anything but teaching.  The sad thing is I really didn't have time last night to let it sink in, I just rewareded myself with the CMA's while doing homework and work stuff, but hey, what's new about that? 

I have been so busy that last night I cracked, I broke under all of the stress and upcoming assignments.  So I spent some time (the only 45 minutes I could find) in the gym, but that always seems to help me clear my head.  By the time I got back to watch Luke Bryan strut his stuff, I had a very neat and organized schedule of when and how I am going to balance my mountain of homework with some social events throughout the next few weeks. Good news, I should make it through! :)

I am really looking forward to the weekend, having even just a couple of hours to relax, maybe even catch up on some TV.

Love this outfit. 

Skinny jeans-Macy's

Patterned shirt-H&M

Scarf-Hearbreaker

Sweater-Target

Until tomorrow :)

C