On the Menu

I am going to do something that has been done before.
But, not by me.

                                                 ***

I am excited to start a new 'series' that encompasses two of my favorite things.
Food.
food. 
food. 
food.

Oh, and fashion, I guess.
I got sidetracked.



I will be creating posts that pair a new recipe I have tried with an outfit specifically assembled to compliment the dish.




Now, I do plan on posting recipes that worked out for the better...but I cannot promise that I won't pass on my own personal {kitchen disaster} here and there. Laughing is healthy.




Stay tuned!

Here's a taste into what the first post will entail...

And, I used to think the 80s were fashion-less. 

Refrigerator Meal

I have been eating this dish for weeks now, and I am loving how easy and delicious it is! Jake has gotten on board as well...like, I didn't even have to talk it up, he just ate it and liked it. One of the best parts (aside from the good food noises you will make while eating this) is you can throw so many different things into it.


Caution: I love cabbage. I grew up eating it often and love the smell of it cooking. I know many people who are not as keen to it, and even if I don't understand it, I can live with it.



For this meal you will need:

1-2 bags of plain coleslaw
Lean ground turkey (chicken or sausage would be good too)
1 tablespoon olive oil (2 if you are making this two meals and adding more ingredients)
2 cloves of garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
++Extras++
Shredded carrots

Maybe not the prettiest meal, but one of the tastiest. 

Broccoli-chopped
Onion-chopped
Zucchini-diced
Sweet potato-diced
Rice
Quinoa

I brown the meat first over medium heat, set aside and then saute the cabbage and vegetables in the oil. I love love the way it tastes the longer it all cooks together, but I am in a rush sometimes too. Therefore, cooking times will vary to your personal preference. Once the cabbage has 'wilted' and the veggies are softened, add the meat back in and let simmer a bit longer. 
At this point, if I am adding another starch, like potatoes, I add it now (after already being precooked). Now, literally just throw it all into a big bowl and enjoy.


{{Jake has, a couple times, put this all onto some tortillas for a twist on tacos. I usually eat mine like a cave woman from a bowl...it is that good}}


Total cook time: about 30 minutes (including prep)
Calories: about 390 cals (for one large serving)



This meal is chocked full of healthy veggies, fats, and protein!





XoXo

Impatient Patience

Silly title? Maybe...but I am a self-declared and well accepted walking and talking oxymoron.

*I break my foot and then fall again on crutches.

*I tell everyone I am learning patience through all of this, and I am pretty much lying to (the inside of) my face.

*I tell myself I can still do upper body and core workouts, with a super positive and happy voice. Then I do them for the first week, and say, ehhh.

C'mon now. 

My situation is not bad. Not even all that stinky. 

*I have read 3 books. 

*I have watched some sweet movies (yes, I totally will take that as a positive right now).

*I am re-teaching myself the discipline of making my lunches and dinners over quick and easy meals.

*My husband and I are forced to communicate in different ways, as I am pretty much home most of the time (aside from work, and the occasional times I am "allowed" to venture out on my hobble foot).

*My dog is ECSTATIC about this new arrangement of me not leaving her.

As hard or difficult I may think a moment is, it is just that: a moment. 

I have decided to conquer a few health goals at the same time. Not the greatest idea, but like I told a friend the other day, "most of my goals were fitness related before, and now they simply cannot revolve around that."

So, I am trying to do as many (girl) push-ups as I possibly can. But, I am also taking the time to check off a few other things on my list. One of those is, again, making wholesome meals, which is not as hard as I had made it out to be in my head. Another is to decrease the amount of medicine in my body. This is a pretty personal one, so if you have any questions concerning this please do not hesitate to message or email me, I am happy to discuss.

When you make changes for/to your body, it is not going to be easy. 9 times out of 10 it is going to feel like a struggle. But, those 9 times out of 10 are also totally worth it. I am proving to my body that it can heal itself. That I can overcome fears and anxieties that once plagued my everyday.

Broken foot? Yeah, it does suck. I really want to go for a run. Do some squats. Rollerblade. Anything at this point. But, is God telling me to "wait, a minute" and pay attention to some other aspects of my life? You bet.

Now, go on a walk/run for me..mail me the burned calories and I'll see you out there in 6 weeks ;)

Be Mine, Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day darlings! 

No matter how you are spending your day I hope it is sweet in many different ways!

PS: eat some chocolate, it'll taste even more delicious than usual.

Stuck On You

© Kenneth J. Miller

You're sucrose, you're glucose,
You're fructose and more,
From your head to your feet...
Which are stuck to the floor.

You're Hershey's, you're Snickers,
You're sweet English Toffee.
If you spit in my cup,
You'll just sweeten my coffee.

I love you so much
That I'm getting frenetic,
But I can't even kiss you,
'cause I'm diabetic.

XoXoXo 

Breakfast Cupcakes: Part II

I hate throwing food away. My mom always taught me to finish my plate. Now that I am spending "my" own money it hurts to toss food that has spoiled, expired, etc. Especially produce; or things that are expensive (i.e. nuts of any kind).

So, on my day off I decided to create something delicious from some elderly bananas in our fridge ;) 
Viola! 

I also had some pecans and raisins in the pantry that needed some overdue TLC.


Add a few shakes of cinnamon and you have:



Stout Banana Muffins
Makes 12-15 muffins

2-3 overly ripe bananas mashed
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup Stevia brown sugar
1/2 cup Fage Total 0% Greek yogurt
1 egg
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat or oat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp EACH of baking powder and soda
A couple shakes of salt
A couple handfuls of whole or chopped raw pecans.
Handful of raisins. 

Prepare your muffin pan for the deliciousness that is to come.

Preheat oven to 375. 

Mix above listed ingredients, use your muscles. Flex a little whole lot.

Drop batter into muffin pan and bake for 15-17 minutes.

I kept the recipe pretty simple so that you can have fun with toppings (but they are great alone too). For example: chocolate chips, peanut butter, almond butter, Nutella, Biscoff, or just plain butter- which was my husband's weapon of choice.



Enjoy! I have averaged 2.5 daily. Really, Allison?.. should have doubled the recipe.

Breakfast Cupcakes: Part 1

Muffins. Cute word. But, does it get your family and friends willing to do your dishes for one? Maybe. BUT, say the word "cupcake" and you are bound to have an infestation of hungry bellies.

Today I am going to share my latest "breakfast cupcake" venture: Banana Fudge.

I had sweet little bananas that had seen better days, so I scoured for recipes to turn them into something amazing. I found a few I liked, then changed some details to turn them into what I devoured after dinner last night...and breakfast, this morning.

They are roughly 100 calories, no added sugar (option), fibertastic, and most importantly, delicious!


Banana Bread Double Fudge Muffins: 

1 egg
1/3 cup Fage Total 0% or 2% Greek yogurt
1/4 cup Truvia Brown Sugar Blend or regular brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 medium or large mashed bananas
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or regular WW flour, oat flour, or spelt flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cocoa powder (I used regular the first time, but Hershey's Special Dark make them extra yummy)

Optional:

Chocolate chips
Peanut butter

{Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix wet ingredients, then gradually add dry ingredients. Grease muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Will make 6-8 large to medium sized muffins or double mini-muffins.}


I admit, I topped mine with some peanut butter; Nutella would be awesome too. 

Enjoy!

Fitness Friday: Goals

These are not "New Year's Goals."

These are Allison needs to continue to work hard...and then work harder to reach her goals she has had for several months now.

GOALS:

1. Eat 3 FULL servings of veggies every day.

2. Run a 1:50 half-marathon (long term goal is a 1:45 PR).

3. Do more interval runs outside rather than on the treadmill.

4. Worry more about toning up/getting stronger rather than my weight.

5. Fit comfortably in this dress (It fits, but my mid-section needs to be tighter for me to be able to not 'suck it in' while wearing it).   -------->  

6. Run early in the morning..i.e. stop procrastinating in general.

7. Make wholesome dinners more often for my husband and I.

8. Get my Master's in Historical Preservation.

9. Visit Germany and Poland (to be able to SEE what I study).

10. Measure out my portions for snacks...I have gotten away from this and have noticed (negative) differences.

11. Read the Bible and my devotional daily, no matter the excuses I may try and come up with.

As you can see, many of my goals are fitness or health related, but they delve into other parts of my life. When I eat better, relax about being a certain weight (or being the weight I "used to be"), stop procrastinating, and workout regularly, I am happier and more at ease. I want to enjoy a healthy life, indulgences included. 

I don't have cheat days, I have dessert when I want it, but sometimes it is lighter and sometimes it is disgustingly chocolately. 

Keep me accountable! And, if you have goals you are looking forward to accomplishing, please share. If you need support or encouragement...or a kick in the rear, I would be happy to be your I'm not going to let you fail buddy :)

Happy Fitness Friday! 

Eating the Holidays

How will I eat throughout Christmas and the surrounding days that I consider party of the holiday?

I am going to eat what I want.

I am going to try what I want.

I am going to indulge.

I am going to try my best to NOT reach the point of feeling ill.

If I do not really enjoy something I will NOT continue to eat it.

I will continue to work out.

And, that's it!

Voi-la!

ENJOY yourself; just don't pop and turn into a big Christmas cookie ;)

Merry Christmas and enjoy this blessed time with the people God has placed in your life.

Fitness Friday: What a Twist!

Thank you M. Night Shamamlana and late night cartoons for my oh so creative blog title today.

Another Fitness Friday post is here! 

What did Allison learn this week?

Slow and steady & Fast and Feisty are both necessary and productive. What?

Gross, I have to do both?

Yes.

I am finally committing to learning how to pace myself. This means I need to slow down on my long runs and give it all I got on my [race] pace and interval workouts. AND take it easy on my easy runs.

I have been sticking to this for about 3 weeks now and I have felt a noticeable difference in my pace and overall running performance (for the better, I might add). 

Your body should not get used to stagnant activity. I learned this last year and had to change up my routine enough that I can keep it guessing most of the time. This means that once in a while I take off 2-3 days in a row and then get right back into my routine to "shock" myself a little and continue to get stronger.

I hope this helps, and PLEASE share what you've got goin' on...or what you need to have goin' on.

A Rainy Fitness Friday

A plus of running in the rain? You usually can't tell what's sweat and what's rain ;)

This week I felt like a failure. My eating wasn't the best and I didn't work out that much.

Even though it felt like a disaster in the moment, when I look back I realize some positives.

The eating has no excuses. But, why beat yourself up over it? It's already in my body, I need to move on.

The lack of exercise was because of a stomach bug I was dealing with. I had a couple of good days, but I rested because I should not have been jumping around, running, etc. When your body tells you it needs rest, listen.

Fitness Friday!

What have you done this week that you want to share? Or better yet, give the rest of us some ideas! :)

Fitness Friday!

Fitness Friday!

This week I have stuck to my running schedule and even completed an 8k at 9:10 p.m. on 11-12-13...cold, but super fun and everyone was full of energy! It was also my friend's first race, so that is DEFINITELY something big to celebrate : )

Share your tips, tricks, guilty pleasures, goals, or accomplishments...

Magical Podcast and A Food Review

I have finally found the hidden treasure that is podcasts.

I like listening to music when I am doing faster runs (tempo, intervals, or farltek), but for my long and easy paced runs I was getting tired of the same routine. I do enjoy running with nothing blaring in my ears, especially when it is nice outside or right around dinner time (the lighting is always GORgeous)...but, sometimes you just need a little distraction. 

Cue the clouds opening and harp playing?

JillianMichaelsPodcast.com

Jillian Michaels' podcast are keeping me busy these days. She is funny, gives great and realistic advice, and the shows themselves vary in topic so much so that it's hard to even categorize her podcast. I have been listening to them for about 2 weeks now, usually 2-3 times per week. I haven't gotten tired of her or them in the least bit and I have even learned some neat tricks. Imagine that...learning and running, shew whee, am I an overachiever or what? ;) 

But, really, I do recommend browsing through ITunes and sampling the huge selection of shows they offer. (PS: Most are free!)

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To do something (sorta) new today, I am going to, very amateur-ly, review a product.

Yesterday I was having some stomach issues, no details needed (I could have probably even gone without stating that)...and so I wanted to keep my food as neutral as possible. I have family visiting so we all ate dinner at my parents' house and my mom made baked spaghetti. Now, her baked spaghetti isn't all that bad and she does add spinach, but it was still a little too heavy for me. 

I went ahead and brought some Fage 0% Greek yogurt over (my favorite) with some frozen cherries and an Amy's Rice Macaroni and Cheese Gluten Free dinner. I know, frozen meal, but I liked the ingredients and I was majorly craving cheese.

When I first cooked it I was a little worried because I could smell the rice pretty predominately, but shew whee, I am glad I didn't base my opinion on just that. It was soooo good! I wasn't even expecting it to be that delicious, but it baked up perfectly, with the top layer have a little "meatier" texture to it.

The cheese was REAL and tasted real good ;)


                                                         I give this dish 4.5/5 stars!

Fitness Friday!

Fitness Friday!

This week has been up and down with my healthy eating habits...but I am on week 2 of my new workout routine (lifting 4X per week with 5 days of running and other cross training). 

Today, when I couldn't run as scheduled I still walked [briskly] for 30 minutes and then walked to work. 

What are some things are are doing/have done this past week to improve your healthy lifestyle?! :)

More Importantly

Sometimes there are more important things than eating your vegetables.
...than getting your workout in
...than lifting weights 3 times per week
...than PR'ing

Also, there are more important things than eating the biggest slice of pizza.
...than making an easy dinner over a fulfilling one
...than being comfortable
...than feeling average


Last night, after a volleyball game, I asked a good friend if she wanted to go get ice cream. Normally I save "super fun candy filled" ice cream for the weekend, but I wanted to go and I knew we would have fun.

Guess what?

I didn't feel guilty. I enjoyed my ice cream and even more I enjoyed the time I spent with my friend. We talked about life, we laughed like old hens, and we shared where we wanted to be in 6 months.

Other times, when I eat foods that are not in the 'healthy' category I feel guilt, which takes away from enjoying them. This can be a common battle, but not an easy one to win. Food should never be an enemy. It fuels our bodies and it can bring excitement to meals. 

So, there are times that ice cream with a friend will trump counting calories or a lower body fat percentage...but remember there are times that ice cream is not worth it and a walk instead will more than suffice. YOU are the best judge of you.

Have a spOOky sweet day! :)

Fitness Friday: Horror Edition

If you have discipline
If you can say no
If you choose fruits and veggies over chocolate and sugar
If you abstain from cookies and brownies at parties
If you can stop at one mini-size candy bar

Well, then, I admire you. I know it should be as easy as "Allison, no"...but most of the time I make it much more difficult and painful than that.

This time of year there is more chocolate in mini form than ever, making us feel like we are only being 1/2 as bad as eating a normal size candy bar; never mind that it usually doesn't stop at 2 or 3 or 8.

So, this Fitness Friday post is a special one. 

What are you going to do to help with temptation. 
Make your own sweets? Just say no? Say yes and work out later? Shout YES and say screw it? Steal little kids' candy? Whoa  no. 

But, please! Share your tips and tricks or guilty pleasures during this beautiful and delicious time of year :)

Cookie Monster

Pumpkin is in EVERYTHING right now...so here is something else to add to your list!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
adapted via AllRecipes.com

 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or spelt flour
 1 teaspoon baking powder
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1/2 cup butter, softened
 1 to 1 1/2 cups white sugar
 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
 1 egg
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Wait for it...1 can cream cheese frosting. I know, I know. But, I tried making my own cream cheese frosting and I have to say, I really like how the canned stuff tastes with these. 


Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry and wet ingredients separately. Combine both mixtures, stir vigorously. Bake for 10-14 minutes (I under-bake them a little so that they are more of a soft and gooey cookie). 


Let the cookies cool completely and top generously with cream cheese frosting. Feed your hungry family and friends...they will bug you for more, I guarantee it ;)

allrecipes.com


Enjoy!

Fitness Friday!

Fitness Friday!

What am I proud of this week? Getting back into my running after a break the week following my half marathon in Cleveland. Yesterday I got out in the fall air and had an amazing 6 mile run that was very uplifting :)

What's going on in your corner? Please share! Even if it is a delicious story...like how I ate too much raw pumpkin cookie dough last night ;)

What's to Come

*Rock 'n' Roll Cleveland Half Marathon race report

*Iced Pumpkin Cookies recipe

*"Fall into Fashion" Mosaic ed.

                             *Training changes for my half marathon on November 30th

*Homemade turkey noodle and veggie soup recipe

                                                             *Fitness Friday!

Check back later today :)

Fitness Friday!

Fitness Friday!

Where free encouragement, bragging, advice, recipes, complaining, and shiny pictures come to meet.

Fitness Friday!

Fitness Friday!

Please share any fitness news, goal, training, advice, recipes, or any other exciting lifestyle changes you have made :)