JM 30 Day Shred, Day 5

Day 1:  Feeling good!  Did the workout and felt tired, but satisfied after completing.

Day 2:  It was truck day at work, so by the time I got home my body was physically exhausted, so it took extensive amounts of motivation to get me moving.  Once moving, I only completed about 1/2 the workout due to my sheer exhaustion and massive headache.  Hopefully tomorrow goes better.

Day 3:  Holy lord!  Have you every hated something with so much intensity you just literally want to throw it out the window?  That’s how I felt about the workout today.  I was so angry that I had to do the workout, I was considering breaking the DVD just to have an excuse not to complete it.  WTH?  Finally, after Carolyn told me I could skip the workout, but still do some sort of exercise, I decided I didn’t really want to be a quitter and went ahead and completed the workout.  I’m glad I did.  It wasn’t as bad as I was originally thinking, but I still have some strong feelings about the workout.  It’s only Day 3…I’m not sure how I can do this SAME EXACT WORKOUT for 7 more days…

Day 4:  Today was…interesting.  My gym has Zumba (which by the way if you haven’t tried it…TRY IT!  SO FUN!) on Thursdays at 5p now and I have been wanting to go for the past few weeks.  Since I was off work, I decided to do it even though I was still supposed to do the JM workout.  I went and, in 1 hour, burned 671 calories.  Like I said, zumba ROCKS!  When I got home, I went right into my JM workout.  I wasn’t dreading it as much as I did on Day 3, but I still didn’t enjoy my workout.  I got it done though and moved on with my life.  Another day complete.

Day 5:  Well, day 5 has arrived.  Carolyn and I have talked about the past week of working out and decided some things. First, let me tell you what I think of the JM workout.  As you may have guessed from the past week, I have not been a fan.  It’s boring, tedious, and repetitive.  If I’m not enjoying myself at least a little bit, I will dread doing the workout.  That’s all I have felt for this video is dread.  In addition, I’m not feeling very much from this workout.  Maybe I’m not doing it right, maybe my body adapted faster than I thought it would, maybe it really is not effective for me.  I have no idea.  The first day I did this I was slightly sore.  The days following…not so much.

I typically burn about 200 calories in the 25 minute workout.  That’s OK, but it’s not great.  If that’s the amount of calories I lose, I’d rather be doing something I enjoy like walking/running outside, enjoying the cool breeze and warm sunshine.  True, I don’t get the added benefit of the weights and abs with the walking, but I can add that in after.  Also, as I mentioned above, Zumba kicks my ass and makes me feel incredible after, so I would 100% all the time choose Zumba over JM.  Every. Single. Time.

With all that being said, Carolyn and I decided to go back to the things we love:  zumba and running.  OK, neither one of us LOVE running, but we don’t dread it either.  We have decided to alter our workouts to include the Couch to 5k program along with at least one other day of exercise.  Most of the C25k days are roughly 30 minutes, which fits in perfectly with our schedules.  We decided to add in an additional day of exercise just for fun.  I love my zumba classes (Tuesdays and Thursdays at my gym) so I may in fact be adding two extra days of workouts.

I believe the body needs rest days and variety.   With the JM video, you don’t get that.  I think my body and mind will be much better off with this new challenge we have devised.  After all, the most important thing it to get out there and move.  And to make yourself happy.  That’s what I’m focusing on today.

Support Our Troops! With Coupons!

In the last several months, I have begun couponing.  Not in the crazy “let’s see how big my stockpile can get in two weeks” way some of the people in the couponing/blogging world do, but in the “let’s see how much money I can save on products my family will actually use” way.

I buy 3 or 4 newspapers and week, pull out the batches of coupons, clip the ones I want, and throw the rest away.

Until now.

Did you know you could send the coupons you won’t use overseas to military families?  They can even used expired coupons! Their newspapers don’t contain coupons, so they rely on people like us to help them stretch their dollars the way we stretch ours.

Here’s a list of FAQs from the Troopons page at supportourtroops.org:

FAQs

This is patriotic, but not tax deductible.

• You get your benefit by feeling good now, and having more good info when you meet God, not when you file with the tax man.

No Minimum Donation Size.

• A million grains of sand make a big beach.
• Expired Coupons Are Accepted Until They Are Two Months Old.
• Coupons older than two (2) months expired on the date of mailing are no good. People at the base must have time to process them there, and families need time to use them in their budget stream.

Clip Out Your Coupons.

• We can’t do it.
• You save people at the base time.
• You save postage.

Good Coupons.

• Only “Manufacturer’s Coupons” can be used.
• They can be from the newspaper, dispensers in grocery stores, tear-pads, internet and elsewhere as long as they state “Manufacturer’s Coupon” on them.

Bad Coupons.

• No Assistance Vouchers.
• No Food Stamps or the like.
• No Store Coupons.
• No restaurant coupons.

Sort the Coupons.

• Bases usually have a grocery store, and a department store.
• Put food coupons in one bag and non-food coupons in another bag.
• This helps the base volunteers and personnel send them to the right store.
• Don’t use rubber bands, paper clips, or the like.

Mark the Bags

• Write “food” or “non-food” on the outside of the bag.
• Write the approximate value on the outside of the bag.
  • Use the maximum value printed on any “buy one, get one free” offers.
  • If none is printed, estimate.

What is “Food”?

• Food can be eaten or drank by humans for nourishment.
• Chewing gum and mints are food.

What is Non-Food?

• Housewares, animal food, vitamins, are not food.

Why Total the Value of Coupons on the Bag?

• We can allocate the amounts among the various bases according to their sizes and needs.
• We can track how much good is happening by all us little people.

When to Send Your Bundles.

Send us coupons you won’t use.  We’ll send them over.   Just mail them to Support Our Troops^®, P. O. Box 70, Daytona Beach, FL 32115-0070 the cheapest way you can.

All those men and women fighting for our country (plus their families) dedicate so much of their time and energy for me and my family to sleep soundly at night.  Taking an extra hour out of my week to support them is the least I can do.  My baggies are all set to go just waiting to get tallied.

Invite some friends over.  Make some food.  Have a coupon clipping and organizing party!  Your good deeds will not go unnoticed. 

Please share this post with your friends and family to try and get as much support for the troops as possible!  Thanks in advance.

Encouraging the Masses

I’m not normally one to get on my soapbox and spout my beliefs for everyone to hear.  I think everyone is entitled to their opinion and I try to respect everyone’s point of view.  The fact that we are all different is what makes each of us special and unique.

That being said, I must pull out the soapbox and dust it off today.  I’m not sure how many of you watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution on ABC last year.  If you didn’t, you missed out.  Luckily, it’s on again this year targeting the LAUSD school system in Los Angeles.

LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) is the largest public school system in California and second largest public school system in America (NYC’s public school system being the first).  They are responsibly for molding, shaping, and most importantly feeding nearly 700,000 children in the LA area.

With that amount of children’s health at stake, Jamie decided to try to improve the dietary guidelines in the school district.  California, after all, is known for healthy, active lifestyles, so you would think the school district would be concerned for their children’s health, right?

Guess not.  The reason I’m so irritated this morning is how obtuse the Superintendent and his staff are being as far as Jamie coming in and trying to improve the situation.  He was barred from entering the schools and was told if he tried to enter, the police would be called.

Here’s my question…if you believe you are doing a good job and you have nothing to hide, why are you not allowing just one person to inspect your cafeterias and the quality of your food?

I am a huge advocate of the prevention of childhood obesity.  I believe we should give our children wholesome, healthy foods as much as possible.  Whole grains, bright cheerful fruits and veggies, lean proteins.  That’s where it’s at, man.

One of the main topics of last night’s show was the prevention of sugar laden milk in the schools (think strawberry and chocolate milks).  Jamie did a presentation where he piled one week’s worth of the sugar found in flavored milk alone into a school bus.  By the time the sugar was emptied into the bus, there were HUGE piles of sugar flowing from the cracks and crevasses of the bus onto the ground below.  It was appalling.  All that sugar is unnecessary.

Granted, I am not a mom.  Yet.  I don’t have kids.  Yet.  But I do know what it’s like to buy school lunches every day.  I remember very clearly what my school’s lunch program was:

Day One:  Pizza
Day Two:  Cheeseburgers
Day Three:  Frito Chili Pie
Day Four:  Chicken Strips
Day Five:  Pizza
**Every day french fries were available and most of the time I would get those covered in ranch dressing.  It’s no wonder I have had weight issues my whole life!  (Disclaimer:  my mother did her best to encourage healthy eating at home, but she wasn’t there to slap the fries and ranch out of my hand at lunch!)

In fact, when I moved out and went to college, I lived on cheeseburgers, fries, pizza, chicken strips.  Typical college fare.  It didn’t help that I worked at a diner that made these foods readily available.  Luckily, in my third year of college, I began rooming with Carolyn, who slowly and gradually helped me see what exactly I was doing to my body.  Thanks, friend!

I really want to encourage everyone to pay attention to the health of the humans (and most importantly the children) around you.  Yes, it can be hard to eat healthy all the time, especially when you are used to eating fat and sugar and CRAP.

Make little changes.  Swap out whole grains for white bread and pasta, pick a yogurt that has more fiber protein in it (Chobani versus Yoplait or Dannon), drink one extra glass of water instead of that soda. If you made one change a week for one year, think of how much healthier you’d be by April 2012.  If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for your kids.  Promote a healthy image for them!

If you feel like helping Jamie’s cause to bring healthy food to the children of America, visit his website to sign the Food Revolution petition and get tips on being active in your community.  Over 23,000 people have signed the petition in Ohio alone, yours truly being one of the few and proud!

Do your part, America.  GET MOVING!

(That is all.  Storing my soapbox under my bed for at least a week.)

Break FAST

While I was visiting my dad’s side of the family for Christmas this year, my cousin Melissa told me about a dish she eats quite often for breakfast.  Quick, easy, FAST.  Sounded like the perfect breakfast for me as I’m always running a cool 5 minutes behind in the morning.

She told me about egg cups, which are pretty much exactly what they sound like:  cups filled with frozen eggs, cheese, and other various fixins.

It took me a long time to try them, but today was the day!  I am off work today and tomorrow so utilizing my time is a must!

I opted to use onions, turkey bacon, and asiago cheese today, but the varieties are endless!  Turkey sausage, cheddar cheese, sundried tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, spinach, ham, red pepper…just to name a few. Anything you’d have in an omelet is perfect here!

They are so simple.  You just mix, pour, bake, cool, and freeze!  Yes, please!

Egg Cups
(adapted from onceamonthmom.com)

4 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 tbsp milk
1 onion, diced
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic gold nuggets in oil
5 slices turkey bacon, crisped
1/2 cup asiago cheese, shredded
3 slices whole wheat bread, quartered
salt, pepper, other herbs and spices to taste

Begin by preheating your oven to 450°.
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Saute your onions until soft and slightly browned.  I added a bit of garlic gold nuggets here just because I can.  I’m a garlic lover after all.  Once browned, remove from pan and cook the turkey bacon in the same pan until crisp.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Once drained, chop up relatively small. In a medium bowl, wisk together the eggs, egg whites, and milk until well incorporated.  Add the onions, turkey bacon, and asiago cheese and wisk together.  At this point, you can add any spices you like.  I used salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.  We like things spicy around these here parts.  Once everything is good and mixed up, pour evenly into silicone lined (or cooking sprayed) muffin tins.  Bake at 450 for 12 minutes or until eggs are set.

You can either eat them right away or freeze for grab and go breakfasts.  Once A Month Mom suggests defrosting the cups overnight in the fridge and then reheating on 50% power for 90 seconds.  I have a feeling you could defrost them in the microwave on 30% power for a few minutes and then heat through after slightly defrosted.  I’ll have to play around with it and let you know.

Bonus Round!  I have found many people don’t really know how to cut an onion quickly and efficiently.  Today, because I love you, I have explained the process.  Enjoy!

Challenge Extended

“Challenge extended.”
“Deal!”
“Challenge accepted.”
“All right, we’ll start with…apples.”
“We’ll be starting with apples.”
“Stop that now!”

I have this problem finishing things I start (just ask my mom).  For this reason, I have an entire “scrapbook center” in my basement I haven’t visited since we moved in two years ago, a half completed cross stitch pattern I started for my mom about four years ago, and several stretches of blogging (followed by several stretches of silence) over the past few years.

Today, after much discussion with Carolyn, I poised a challenge:  do Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred and blog about it on a regular basis.  She agreed and so a workout challenge (and blog topic!) was determined.

Here’s the breakdown:

1.  Complete the workout every day.  No exceptions.
2.  Blog about our results, progress, pros, cons, etc. every five days.
3.  Whittle body down to nothing!  (OK, OK, really just get healthy and incorporate regular exercise.)

It takes 30 days to develop a habit and, as luck would have it, JM’s video is 30 days.  Here goes…

Salad Zinger

Lately, I have found myself eating a lot of salads. One of my favorite salads to eat is romaine topped with cranberries, pistachios, and grilled chicken. I typically use a light ranch or something like that, but I’m trying to eat less creamy dressings and instead reaching for more vinegar based dressings.

Yesterday, I used Ken’s Steak House Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette. It was good, but a bit too sweet for my liking. Then I realized what was missing…cheese! Bleu cheese to be exact. I don’t love bleu cheese, so I don’t keep it in the house that often, but it would have been a yummy addition.

Instead, I decided Parmesan cheese would have worked great too.  That reminded me of something the food network talent is always making…Parmesan crisps!  They are a great addition to most anything from salads to mashed potatoes to steak!  Very versatile, they could even be a “cracker” of sorts.

First, you preheat your oven.  Then, if you haven’t already, chunk up a block of Parmesan and grind it with the regular blade in your food processor until small, fluffy pieces.  If you don’t have a food processor, you can always use a hand or box grater…it will just take you a little longer.

Next, on a silpat (or cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray), spread the Parmesan in 1 tbsp mounds around the pan.  Try to flatten out the mounds a bit so they can get gold and bubbly.

Top with whatever you like.  I did black pepper, Garlic Gold nuggets, and smoked paprika on mine.

Bake until nice and golden.

Play with kitties in the morning sun.

Remove from the oven and let cool, then serve or store in between paper towels in a zip top bag.  I’m not sure how long they are good for as I tend to gobble them up quite fast.  I’m guessing they would be OK for a day or two, but much longer would be pushing it.

Parmesan Crisps
6 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated
Black Pepper
Garlic Gold nuggets
Smoked Paprika

Preheat oven to 400º.  Spread tablespoons of Parmesan in even layers around on a silpat lined or cooking spray prepped cookie sheet.  Bake until golden brown (about 5 minutes).  Keep your eye on the cheese so you don’t burn it.  Remove from the oven when baked and let cool.  Crumble over salads, mashed potatoes, or anything else that could use a little zing!

What are your favorite salad fixins?

Restaurant Review: ‘Boro Bistro

I know what you’re thinking…two restaurant reviews in a week?  What are you smoking, Bethany?  What can I say?  The public has spoken.  You guys like restaurant reviews!

Today, I met Jeff again for lunch.  I love that he works so close now.  His work is a short five minute drive from the house, so when I have days off we often meet up for his lunch hour.

This time, I thought we’d try ‘Boro Bistro.  I had been there before, but Jeff hadn’t.  After Terri mentioned they also use natural ingredients, I was excited to try them out!  She also suggested I try the pesto pizza so, naturally, that’s what I ordered.

After perusing the relatively extensive menu, Jeff decided to try the Thai Chicken burrito.  We placed our order then sat down to wait for our food.

While we waited, I snapped some quick pictures of the place.  I love all the interesting artwork on the walls and the cozy seats.

We also took a few candids of ourselves.  You guys never get to see my cute husband!

After a couple minutes, our food arrived.  The Thai Chicken burrito was interesting but pretty tasty.  There was a smidge too much peanut sauce in it, but I thought it was yummy in spite of that.

The Pesto Pizza, however, was delicious!  Not to mention the fabulous white sauce on those tortilla chips.  I have no idea what it is, but I LOVE it!

It’s so great when you have a husband that’s willing to split his lunch with you!  That way you can try two dishes at the same time!

Now, a little about the restaurant.  As I mentioned above, the produce is local when possible and, according to the website, the entrees are baked, not fried.  The portions are also very proportional, unlike most restaurants out there who give you WAY too much food.  This provided a slight problem for Jeff (since he’s a growing boy, you know), but I gave him a little bit extra from my plate and he was OK.

The restaurant is located at 722 N. Main Street in Springboro.  In layman’s terms, it’s in the same shopping plaza as the Springboro Dorothy Lane Market (which you can read about here).  It’s a great place to go for a quick lunch with a girlfriend!  They are open Monday through Saturday from 11a – 8p.  One other little tidbit…they serve alcohol!  A glass of wine or a beer on their patio (coming April 25th) would be a great way to unwind after work!

Do you have a blog and live in Dayton?  I wanna hear about it!  Just based on my last post I have two new blogger friends (hi, Terri and Karlee!) I’m excited to read about!  I’d also love to hear where my Daytonian readers like to eat.  Comment below!

Finally, here’s a little treat from today’s luncheon:

Restaurant Review: Boosalis Baking and Cafe

I am always on the lookout for new, local restaurants I can haunt.  The other day, my husband and I decided to meet for lunch so I immediately began looking for a new place to try.  He, like myself, is always up for some place new.

Being as he works right on 741 in Miamisburg, I wanted to pick a place that was very accessible.  After doing a bit of research and looking at several menus, I decided on Boosalis Baking and Cafe.  Incidentally, this place was right across the street from his work!  Score!

Upon entering, we immediately felt like we had stepped into someone’s home.  The cafe had charm, with wooden shelves on the wall, racks of bread behind the counter, and rows of delicious treats showcased below.  They have a small but diverse lunch menu with things like Cranberry Turkey, Tuna Salad, and Mom’s Beef sandwiches.  They also offer different soups each day.

The Beef and Bleu sandwich looked scrumptious to me.  Roast beef, bleu cheese, horseradish mayo, and veggies all piled on a crusty baguette.  Yes, please!

The lady taking my order asked if I’d like the lunch special.  What’s included in that? Turns out, for only a few bucks more, you get a side dish (chips or fruit), a drink, and a cookie.  Sweet!

Jeff opted for the Ham and Havarti which was served with veggies and sweet mustard all on a croissant.  I should mention they bake everything fresh and in house.  My wonderful husband ate his entire sandwich before I could ask for a bite!  Next time, I guess…

OK, can I just say my sandwich was so yummy?  Apparently Jeff’s was too!  The only thing I had a slight hard time with was just how crusty the bread was.  I love crusty bread, but when it’s on a sandwich it’s a bit harder to eat.  I managed though.  Don’t you fret about that!

After downing our sandwiches and fruit, we split the cookies we got:  oatmeal raisin for me and peanut butter for Jeff.

Oh. My. Goodness.  The cookies were slightly underdone, making them almost melt in my mouth.  They were thick, rich, and just right.  I loved every second of my cookies!  I could have most definitely eaten another dozen of them without batting an eyelash.  But I didn’t.

As an afterthought, Jeff bought a carrot cake muffin to take back to work with him as a mid-afternoon snack.  Of course, not ten minutes went by before I got this text:  “I was bad.  I ate my muffin.”  I’m sure it was just calling out to him…  He did say it was one of the best muffins he’s ever had.  I should have gotten one!

So, basically, if you live in the South Dayton area and are looking for a nice little bakery to go to, stop by Boosalis.  They are some of the friendliest restaurant owners I have ever encountered and they really go out of their way to make sure your dining experience is great.

They are open for breakfast, but I have yet to try that meal.  When I do I’ll let you know!

Be aware, however, they are closed on Sunday and Monday.  You can find their hours of operation as well as their menu here.

Wanna know one of the other great things about this place?  They use 100% natural ingredients!  I love that!  My friend, Carolyn, and I have this philosophy that if you use natural ingredients (think butter and cream) instead of artificial, manufactured substitutes, it’s not only better for your body, but you need less of it to feel satisfied.

Some of you may be wondering where this wonderful little slice of heaven is…it’s on the corner of 741 and Spring Valley, across from Starbucks and facing Lexis Nexis.  For you GPSers, the address is 9486 Springboro Pike
Miamisburg, OH 45342.

So, pop in, say hello, and tell ‘em Bethany sent you!