Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Happy 4th of July!

By

Saturday’s lake day didn’t result in any Jim Beam-fueled chants, but my friend Kristy did make the most patriotic jello shots the world has ever seen.

They were just as good as they look!

We also enjoyed a great spread – everyone made something to share.  I sweat we didn’t plan the Mexi-theme… obv nothing says the 4th like Mexican. 🙂

The goods included (back to front): watermelon salad, Tostidos, peach-avocado salsa, my chipotle corn hummus, veggie sticks, and bean salad.

Not pictured: sandwiches and a ridiculous amount of beer.

_______________________________________________________________________________

2 hours until the Peachtree Road Race!!!  I’m so pumped.  This year will be my 4th one.

4th on the 4th.  Tee hee.

This is also probably the best running-shape I’ve been in.  I’m especially excited to see how this impacts my endurance – Atlanta is a hilly city!

I hit up the expo yesterday to pick up my number and peruse the freebies (free Vega Sport powder samples!).  Parking downtown is a nightmare, so I decided to jog there and back.  Not a terrible idea until i was half way through the run home and reallllly wishing I wasn’t carrying that bag full of freebies.  🙂

After a hydration-filled day, I got in bed early in hopes of being well-rested.  This was only moderately successful since

  1. I was too excited to sleep and
  2. I firmly believe it is impossible to feel well-rested at 5:30 am (it’s still DARK!).

Nevertheless, I have my gear ready to go and I’m drinking a cup of coffee with my pre-race Chia Banana Pudding.

I made the pudding the same as the linked recipe, but added a bit of almond extract and cinnamon.  LOVE the additions!

Items to Remember Not to Forget:

  • Race number
  • Safety pins
  • Ribbon (orange for Leukemia)
  • KT Tape
  • Inhaler
  • Gum
  • Watch
  • Shuffle + ear earphones
  • MARTA (ATL’s Metro) card
  • Sport Bean samples

________________________________________________________________________________

Last week I decided to begin posting a weekly workout recap on Mondays.  Even though it’s a holiday, I’m sticking to it and using this to add to race motivation!

My running was light due to the pesky Achilles injury, but I really enjoyed a weight-focused week.

Workout Recap (6/27-7/3)

  • Monday – Yoga for Runners, 30 mins stationary bike intervals
  • Tuesday – Biceps/Back, 84 push-ups
  • Wednesday – Legs, P90X Ab Ripper X, 84 push-ups
  • Thursday – 4 mile run, Core, 84 push-ups
  • Friday – Tris/Chest (w/ 1 mile of intervals), 84 push-ups
  • Saturday – Lake day! (that counts… right?), 84 push-ups
  • Sunday – Shoulders, P90X Ab Ripper X, 4.5 mile run

***

It’s already been quite the weekend!  I have a feeling I’m going to want a post-long weekend vacation day.

What’s the most fun you had over the long weekend?

Did anyone else enjoy jello shots? 🙂

***UPDATE: I did it in 51:08!!!***

Weekend Stars

By

Every once in a while, the stars align just right…

 

and a perfect Saturday is born.

This Saturday began with the 21st Annual Pride Run at the park across from my condo.

There was a special buzz in the air following the news that New York joined a growing number of states extending the basic right of  marriage to all of its citizens.

I’ve run this race 3x so far and it continues to be one of my favorites.  The course is great, it’s well-organized, the runners are friendly, and it gets strong crowd support.  Even the police blocking off the streets cheer the runners on!

This year’s race solidified the event’s place in my heart… it marks the first time I placed in the Top 3 Females Overall!

I earned 3rd place overall and 1st in my division!!!

Stats:

  • Distance – 3.14 miles
  • Time – 23:41 mins
  • Pace – 7:45 mins

 

I have NO idea where that came from, but OMG I was thrilled!!!

 

Post-race I walked across the park for some raw milk (I know it’s controversial… but it does have benefits and it tastes like a milkshake!), farm eggs, and peaches.  There is nothing more delicious than local, fresh food.

 

The afternoon was filled with softball and some quick pre-reunion weight lifting.

At the reunion I saw some people I was looking forward to reconnecting with, which was nice.  Overall… I don’t know what I expected, but was just ok.  High school seems like a lifetime ago, and it wasn’t the best of times for me.

 

In true foodie fashion, dinner was the best part of the night.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

A small group of old classmates (we are now good friends) – myself, Mallory (my BFF), Greg (her husband), and Laura (another friend) – all met for a pre-reunion dinner at Bocado (887 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, 404-815-1399).

Thank god because the only food they served at the event was a cold tray of chicken nuggets.

 

Bocado has been on my “to try” list for far too long.  Several have contended that they serve the best burger in Atlanta; however, the other menus items are the real standouts.

 

My jalapeno-infused tequila cucumber martini was light and clean tasting.  The flavors were perfectly balanced – a great start to dinner on this hot day.

We enjoyed our drinks with a cheese plate made up of:

  • Purple Haze (goat, California)
  • Humboldt (goat, California)
  • Ewephoria (sheep, Holland)
The Ewephoria took the prize as the favorite, and the best named.

 

Our cheeses were served with radishes, cranberries, honey, and perfect crusty bread slices.  I say perfect because often toasted bread is so saturated in olive oil or butter that it becomes a chewy, greasy mess.  These slices were brushed with just enough olive oil to compliment the flavors.

For dinner Laura and I ordered small plates to share.

These were the best Fried Green Tomatoes I have EVER had.  Normally I’m not a huge fan due the the soggy, greasy nature of the dish.

The chef’s interpretation of the dish did not suffer from this affliction.  The tomatoes were cut into spears and battered in corn meal, leaving them crisp and relatively light.  They were served over a bed of greens and radishes with hot sauce and a buttermilk herb dressing.

Our Beet Salad was served in a bowl with farro, orange segments, fennel, toasted hazelnuts, avocado, and goat cheese.  The flavors played together quite well.

Toasted hazelnuts added a dimension to the more typical beet-orange-goat cheese combo.  I especially enjoyed the different textures – the crunch of the nuts with the slightly chewy farro and creamy avocado and goat cheese.

 

The Burrata was the one dish that I wasn’t impressed with.  The eggplant caponata on top was great, but the burrata itself was a bit too rubbery.  It was the only dish we didn’t finish.  However, it was served with a kalamata olive country toast that was delicious.

Our waiter highly recommended the Summer Squash Salad.  As advertised, it was very good.  My only complaint is the heavy hand on the olive oil.  The squash was delicious and the cherry tomatoes were some of the best I’ve had this season.

Mallory and Greg both ordered the infamous burger.  It was quite good.  As good as Holeman & Finch?  My vote is YES… but it’s very close.

The burger is served with house-made herbed french fries and a side of a buttermilk herb sauce.  I’m not a HUGE french fry eater and I could have eaten an entire plate of these.

For dessert we chose a Banana Bread Cake layered with chocolate ganache and cinnamon icing.

We hated it.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Several other bloggers have begun posting recaps of the previous week’s workouts.  I love the idea – if for no other selfish reason than to have a reference for myself to look back at.

Workout Recap (6/20-26)

  • Monday – 4 mile run, 84 push-ups
  • Tuesday – P90X Ab Ripper X, 84 push-ups
  • Wednesday – Triceps/Chest, 3.5 mile run
  • Thursday – 4.5 mile run, 84 push-ups
  • Friday – P90X Ab Ripper X, 15 mile bike ride, 84 push-ups
  • Saturday – 5K, softball, 30 mins upper body weights, 84 push-ups
  • Sunday – Softball, P90X Ab Ripper X, 84 push-ups

***

I never was a cornflake girl…

Was high school a good experience for you?

Do you like when bloggers post workout recaps?


Balsamic Asparagus Pizza

By

Have you guys been watching Extreme Makover Weight Loss Edition on ABC?

 

I’m shamelessly addicted.  Watching these people lose massive amounts of weight in a year… I can’t imagine how hard it must be – at 400 lbs – to get started and get it done.

Last night’s contestant, Dana, lost 203 lbs in a year with a torn ACL.  Interestingly, he was already trying to lose by taking water aerobics.  Chris Powell (the trainer) told him that weight-less exercise wasn’t going to cut it and started him on a program that used his body weight to work out.

 

Timely encouragement/reminder that there others dealing with things much bigger than I am.  Why?  Because I think have jacked up (technical term) my Achilles tendon.

It hurts.  Sharp pain walking down stairs. *wine* *whine*

I’m not sure what happened.  I felt fine running Saturday’s ACS 5K race, and then as I was walking down the stairs to my car a few hours later I noticed it was sore… and it has gotten progressively worse since.  Playing ball Sunday probably didn’t help.

 

In hopes of catching it at the beginning I visited the chiropractor on my way home from work tonight.  It didn’t help. I was instructed to take it easy, ice it, and massage the area.  My calf even aches.  Bollocks.

 

Maybe if I take the week off of running (and walking down stair cases) it will be better by the weekend?!

Tonight’s workout was an easy 45 mins of shoulders and P90X Ab Ripper X.  I hate being limited.

________________________________________________________________________________

Good thing dinner was not limited.  It was quite tasty!

 

Yesterday I was craving pizza something fierce.  The opportunity to sate that craving didn’t present itself, so tonight was declared Monday Socca-Pizza Night!

It was late when I got home to eat… pics are going to leave something (i.e. light) to be desired.

My Pizza:

  • Socca base (I used herbs de provence this time)
  • Morels
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Nutritional Yeast
  • Balsamic asparagus


 

The real stand-out here was that balsamic asparagus.  It is the easiest thing you’ll ever make; however, the balsamic reduction coating it will give it a decadent taste.  I ate the extra pieces standing up over the stove.

________________________________________________________________________________


Balsamic Asparagus

  • 1/2 bunch asparagus, hard bottom snapped off
  • 1 tsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 C yellow onion, diced
  • Juice from 1 lemon wedge
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat medium skillet over medium heat.  Add in asparagus, onion, and balsamic vinegar, tossing to combine.  Allow to sauté for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally.  

When the asparagus just beings to soften, remove from heat and top with lemon juice and pepper.

Serves 2.

***

Have you ever injured your Achilles?

Have you been forced to slow down for an injury?

Any advice is much appreciated!!

 

NEW Fitness Page!

By

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!!

 

If today’s post seems a bit rushed… that’s because it is.  I’m headed out the door to spend the day on the lake with friends.  (Note to self: remember the sunscreen!)

 

I have an exciting addition!  I added a “Fitness” page.  Check it out in the top menu or by clicking here.

The page has 3 categories:

  • Workouts – a summary of workouts I’ve posted (are you doing your push ups?!)
  • Related Topics – more general fitness tips/observations
  • Races – races run and links to their recaps

 

Feedback/requests welcome! 🙂

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to the crazy rain we had Thursday night, I had a kickin’ run yesterday.  The temperature was perfect and the air was clean.  I think this was my fastest pace yet for a more-than-5K run.

Stats:

  • Distance: 5 miles
  • Time: 41:18
  • Pace: 8:24

 

Then I came home and dug down into a new layer of hell with Excel.  Not.  Kidding.


 

Happily, I did have a fantastic lunch.

More to come on this deliciousness!

 

And at 5:30p I had my first in-home massage.  Why have I not been doing this my whole life?!  It was amazing.  If you are like me, every time you have a massage you wish you could just relax/sleep/do-anything-but-get-dressed-and-drive-home.

The answer is an in-home massage.  They come to you!  All I had to do was roll off the table and onto the couch.  Bonus: it’s about the same $$$ as going to the spa!

***

Time to roll out!

Are you a beach person or a lake person?  Are you enjoying either this weekend?

 

Tank-Top Ready Triceps

By

It’s a big day.

  1. We are just a few loooong hours from a long weekend
  2. I’m going to pick up my first jug or local raw milk and straight-from-the-farm eggs
  3. This is my first post by request (never mind that the request is from  family member… thanks Aunt Teresa!)

Recently I posted a shoulder workout sure to leave you shoulders lookin’ good.  My aunt commented that she would like some ideas for triceps as well.  Ask and you shall receive.

Triceps are my favorite body part to work.  Thoughts of tight tris = awesome motivator!  Since Memorial Day Weekend marks the official beginning of tank top season, I worked mine big-time last night. 🙂

I always work my chest and tris on the same day.  There are a lot of opinions out there, but I subscribe to the primary/secondary theory.  Triceps are secondary muscles in chest exercises; therefore I like to work my triceps on the same day as my chest.  I find it goes a long way in my being able to totally exhaust the muscles.

  • I like to keep my heart rate up.  I sprint to rest my arms.
  • Grouping exercises is an easier way for me to organize/write a routine when I’m using sprints.
  • My first group incorporates non-chest/tri muscles.  It’s more of a warm-up.
  • Almost every workout I do ends with abs (albeit some days are lighter than others).

I ALWAYS end with a green protein shake… and after particularly hard days, I end with a glass of vino.

To me, from me

This is my go-to tight-tri workout.  It may seem long, but remember you are just 11 moves (14 if you do the abs) and 1 quick mile from a shake (and maybe some wine).

1. Warm up for 5 mins (jogging or elliptical)

2. Group 1

20 Diamond Push-Ups

Your hands should form a diamond (to target tris) like this:

Diamond push-ups

20 Skull Crushers

Skull crushers

Lie flat on your back with a dumbbell in each hand.  Bend your elbows, lowering barbell toward your forehead.  Be sure your weights aren’t too heavy… otherwise you may actually crush your skull. Straighten elbows (without locking them!) and repeat.

20 Seated Leg Tucks

Leg tucks

30 Seconds of Fast Squats

Important Note: get low, but be SURE not to let your knees go over your toes.  That’s how you hurt you knees.

3. 1/4 Mile Treadmill Sprint

4. Group 2

Dumbbell Press with Twist – 3 sets of 15

dumbbell twist

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground.  Hold a dumbbell in each hand slightly above chest, with your elbows slightly bent out to the sides and palms facing forward.  Extend your arms over chest (without locking your elbows!), and turn each palm to face your head.  Reverse motion to return to starting position and repeat.

Bridge Fly – 3 sets of 12

Lie on a stability ball (you can also use a flat bench) with a dumbbell in each hand.  Dumbbells should be slightly above upper abdomen with elbows to your side.  Lower dumbbells to sides until chest muscles are slightly stretched. Bring dumbbells together in hugging motion until dumbbells just touch. Repeat.

Note: Hold your butt up, keeping your body in a straight line.  This will give the added benefit or engaging your glutes and abs.

5. 1/4 Mile Treadmill Sprint

4. Group 3

Overhand Push-Down – 3 sets of 12

Place hands 6-10 in apart on straight bar with an overhand grip (palms down).  Pull down until your forearms so they are parallel to the floor. This is your starting point.  Be sure to keep your elbows close to your body and feet slightly bent, shoulder width apart and bend your knees slightly.  Push the bar down slowly toward legs until arms are fully extended (don’t lock elbows!).  Your elbows should still be close to the body and your core should be tight.  Repeat.

Underhand Push-Down – 3 sets of 12

reverise grip tricep pushdown

Same as above, but with hands holding the bar in an underhand position.

Straight Arm Pull-Down – 3 sets of 15

Straightarm pulldown

Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart (or with one foot slight in front of other).  Using an overhand grip on the straight bar, place hands shoulder-width apart.  At the start, the bar should be slightly higher than shoulder level.  Keeping your elbows slightly bent, tighten core and pull the bar down until it reaches your upper thighs.  Be sure to keep your arms straight (again, without locking your elbows) throughout.  Slowly allow the bar to raise back to shoulder height, maintaining your tight core.

5. 1/4 Mile Treadmill Sprint

6. Group 3

Tricep Kickbacks – 3 sets of 12

dumbbell kickback

Place left knee and left hand on a bench.  With your right hand, hold a dumbbell keeping elbow against body.  Straighten the lower part of the arm all the way, then bend back to a 90˚ angle. Do not move the shoulder.  Repeat 12x with each arm to complete a set.

Tricep Push-Backs – 2 sets of 15, 1 set to exhaustion

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.  Arms should start straight down at sides with palms facing back.  Lift arms straight back (~2 ft behind you), pausing for a second before return to sides.  Repeat.

On your third set, repeat as many times as possible (to exhaustion).

7. 1/4 Mile Treadmill Sprint

8. Abs (a.k.a. Bonus Round)

Decline Crunches – 2 sets of 25

Bicycles – 2 sets of 30

Second best flat-ab exercise, in my opinion

Planks (click for times/tips) – best ab exercise ever for flat abs (in my experience)

If you aren’t tired after all of that… I’m seriously impressed.  Don’t skip  your 20g of protein post-workout!

***

After this crazy work week, I couldn’t be more ready for 3 days off.  AND I’m kicking it off right with a massage this afternoon. 🙂

What is your favorite body part to work out?

How are you kicking off the long weekend?!

Tasting, Tasting 1-2

By

Saturday and Sunday I visited the tasting tents at the Food and Wine Festival.  I miiiight have snuck in Saturday… shhhh!

The gates of heaven

The food was all good, but I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t more variety.

There’s only so much fried chicken and BBQ I can consume.

Indian-Spiced Fried Chicken and Waffles = worth it

An exception to the “too much fried” rule is the above Indian-Spiced Fried Chicken and Waffles by Asha Gomez of Spice Route Supper Club.  I have GOT to check out one of her events ASAP.  Rumor has it she may be looking for a restaurant space…

Celeb Highlight: I got to meet Chef Norman Van Aken (the father of fusion… I shook his hand!).

Food Highlight: The beer, cheeses, and desserts (duh).

Best beer – New Heaven

The cheese spread (pun intended)

Coming to Whole Foods ATL soon!

I wish I’d done a better job remembering to photograph… there’s was just so much to eat! 🙂

My favorites beer/cheese/dessert:

  • Wild Heaven Craft Beers – I’d had these before, but Invocation and Ode to Mercy are the two brews offered by this new Decatur, GA-based brewery.  If you find them, drink them immediately.  It’s the best new beer I’ve tasted in a long time.
  • Sweet Grass Dairy’s Truffled Chevre – Decadently delicious.  There’s no other way to describe this.  Need proof?  They are complete OUT for the season.  🙁
  • The Hungry Peach’s Peach Cobbler Cupcake – Moist, flavorful, light… dignity is the only thing that kept me from devouring their whole display
  • High Road Craft Ice Cream – Every flavor was good (I shamelessly sampled everything), but if I had to cheese I’d say don’t miss the Caffeine Cacao and the French Toast (JUST like your mamma’s… in ice cream-form).  Good news for Georgian’s – they are coming soon to Whole Foods!  #godblesswholefoods

I had a great time hanging out with 2 new friends on Saturday and the Lippy crew on Sunday.  (Nathan’s wife, Chelsee = coolest chick ever.)

Me and Nathan Lippy. Our hair matches a little.

________________________________________________________________________________________

If you ever wonder if your “clean” way of eating really makes a difference, eat like I did all weekend.  Monday I woke up feeling like crap.  Too.  Much.  Rich.  Food.

I seriously almost hurled during the flight to my client meeting.

At least it was better than it would have been: I ran 5 miles Saturday morning, took an hour walk that afternoon, played 2 ball games Sunday morning, and then ran 3.5 miles.  I should re-name this blog Run-Eat-Repeat. 🙂

I’m trying to mini-detox this week.  It’s not working so well since I’ve been traveling, but I’m definitely eating much cleaner than I did this weekend!  Monday I drank my breakfast (not in a noon-game tailgating way) before rushing to the airport:

Some days, you just need a green smoothie.  This was one of those days.

I did my P90X Ab Ripper X (best ab workout ever, btw), followed by my 75 push-ups (are you doing yours?!).  Then chugged enjoyed this refreshing smoothie.

Mango-Almond Smoothie

  • 1/2 champagne mango
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1 C fresh spinach
  • 1 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp Maca
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • water (adjust to desired consistency)

Put it in a blender.  Pour into glass.  Top with your favorite crunchy treat (I love this low-sugar citrus-granola).  

Drink up!

***

More like what I gorged on this weekend… but whatever… 🙂

Even though we’re already mid-week, this may be a timely discussion question given the upcoming long weekend…

How do you detox after a weekend of indulgence?

Push-Ups + Socca Pizza

By

75 push-ups.  Every day.

That’s my favorite way to make sure my arms are summah-time ready.  This is – in my opinion – the best exercise to do in order to tone your upper arms and back.

I’m telling you – anyone can do this.  Here’s how:

1. Proper Form

  • In the low position, your upper and forearms should be at a 90 degree angle and your hands should be under your shoulders.  Start out laying on the ground to be sure you’re correctly lined up.
  • Keep your core tight – don’t sag you butt OR stick it in the air.  You want a straight line from head to ankles (much like the bikini-belly planks earlier this week!).
  • Don’t let your chest touch the floor – it should be 2-3 inches from the floor in the lowest position.
  • Breathe!  In going down, out pushing up.

2. Find Your Starting Point

In order to determine how many sets to do each day, you need to learn what your max is.

Using the aforementioned proper form, get on the floor and to as many push-ups as you can.  Go on, do it!  Pretend the person in the cub isn’t starting…

Whatever number you reached is your max.  Write it down!

3. Divide and Conquer

Divide your max number in half.  The result is the number of push-ups you’ll be doing 3x each day with 30-60 seconds of rest in between.

For example:

  • Say you did 20 push-ups in your max set (which is where I began)
  • Half of 20 is 10
  • This means you need to do 3 sets of 10 push-ups each day

Rest for 30-60 secs between sets.  You’ll probably need 60 seconds when you begin; as you get stronger, cut down on the rest time a bit.

4. Keep Pushing

Don’t stop here!  Re-test yourself once you are able to complete your sets more easily.  This might be take 1 week, or it might take 3 weeks.  Move at your own pace, but don’t sacrifice form.

If you have trouble with your wrists, try making a fist and doing push-ups on your knuckles so that your wrists aren’t bent.  If you have free weights, you can also use those to keep your wrists straight.

Push-ups are awesome because they engage multiple muscle groups – from your core to your calves.

Added bonus: you can do them anywhere!  I do them in hotel rooms when traveling to get my blood pumping in the morning.

Results, yo.

When I started, I maxed out at 20 push-ups in a row.  I’m up to 50 in a row and do 3 sets of 25 for a total for 75 each day.

Speaking of… it’s about time to re-test…

 

Steph @ Bite by Bite opens her bake sale today to benefit Team in Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Please click here to check out the bake sale!!! As I said perviously, my dad passed away from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.  The proceeds will go to an organization that can really put it to good use.  Much more research is needed!

My contribution is a cookie that my dad enjoyed: Dark Chocolate Sea Salt.

Recipe to come (not today as promised… I got distracted planning a baby shower)!!! The basics include: dark chocolate, butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, almonds, and crunchy fleur de sel glittered across the top.

Last night I was inspired by Sarena @ The Non-Dairy Queen.  She had Socca Pizza for Mother’s Day!

I’ve been craving pizza lately and I’m ALWAYS craving Mexican, so I made a Mexican-inspired socca pizza.

This came out perfectly.  It was just the right amount!

I’ll definitely try it with cheese rather than nooch next time (I was OUT!) BUT I really liked it with the nooch.  Between the flavorful salsa and the eggy-ness, I didn’t miss it.

After eating pizza topped with a runny egg, I don’t know if I’ll ever eat “regular” pizza again.  So.  Good.

Mexican Socca Pizza

  • 1/2 C chickpea flour
  • 1 tsp Essence of Emeril
  • 1/2 C water

Toppings:

  • Salsa
  • Minced garlic
  • Celery
  • Artichokes
  • Zucchini
  • Nutritional Yeast
  • Egg

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Grease 9-in round (cake) pan.  (I used olive oil spray.)

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and spices.  Gradually whisk in water.  Pour into pan and bake for 8-10 mins.  Meanwhile, prep any veggies you will be adding to the pizza.

When socca is done, cross your fingers that you greased the pan enough and flip it out onto a baking sheet or pizza stone.  Add your sauce and toppings – EXCEPT the nooch and egg.  Place in  oven for 6-7 mins, until veggies are nearly at desired level of tenderness.

Remove from oven to add the egg and the nooch.  Bake for 4-5 more mins, until the egg is just beginning to set.  Be sure not to over-cook the yolk.

Remove from oven and let cool briefly before plating and devouring!

***

Thanks for all the input on my rug yesterday. 🙂

What’s the weirdest thing you eat on your pizza?  

Ever try it with an egg?

Bikini Belly Secret

By

Want to know the single most effective exercise you can do to flatten your belly?

Plank.  I swear by it.

Side Plank

The above was my side plank yesterday morning.  My form is usually a little better… it’s hard to plank and take a picture of yourself in the mirror! 🙂

Here’s my daily recipe for a bikini belly***:

  • Regular plank – 2:30 mins
  • Left-Side Plank – 1:30 mins
  • Right-Side Plank – 1:30 mins

***In my opinion.  Don’t sue me if it doesn’t make you look like Jackie Warner!***

The thing to remember when planking is to keep your butt down – don’t be sticking it in the air.  Don’t sag it to the ground either though.   You want to be in a perfect line.  Your elbows should be directly in line with your shoulders (it will help keep them from hurting!).  Keep your hands relaxed.

Same goes for the hips when side planking.

Keep them in line – no sticking them wayyy up or sagging wayyy down.  Straight.  Line.  The elbow on the floor should be directly in line with your shoulder.

Don’t start with a 2:30 min plank if you are new to planking.  Start with what you can do and work your way up.

Form is important here or you won’t be effective.  2 minutes with bad form is just a waste of 2 mins.

Growing up, Mom used to feed my sisters and me chicken fingers with a dip made of honey and mayo.

We didn’t like mustard.

This is my 7-year old mental state: Mayo + Honey = Delicacy.  Cheese = Terrible.

I’ve mentioned before how picky I was.  I didn’t even like CHEESE.  Thankfully, I grew out of that.

Mom shares my passion for all things cheesy, so for Mother’s Day I got her her very own basket ‘o fancy cheese!

The nice ladies at Star Provisions, a specialty market in Atlanta, let me taste until I found just the right ones for the basket.  It was hard work, but I sacrificed for Mom.

In the basket:

  • Valdeon – Cow AND goat’s milk blue cheese from Spain.  This spicy, buttery blue is wrapped in sycamore leaves.  It is hands down then best blue I’ve ever tasted.
  • Winnimere – Cow’s milk from Jasper Hill in Vermont (made seasonally – Nov-April).  Washed with lambic-style beer and wrapped in strip of spruce bark cut, it has a fantastic woodsy taste.
  • Wabash Cannonball – Goat’s milk cheese from Capriole Farm in Indiana.  It has 3 layers of goodness, the last being a rind of gorgeous ash and mold.
  • Little Martha – Salty cow’s milk from Flat Creek Lodge in Swainsboro, GA; named by Star Provisions after the Allman Brothers’ song.
  • Potter’s Crackers – Hazelnut Graham
  • Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Bar – Dark with Salt and Pepper

Did anyone else’s stomach just growl?

There are all TOTALLY different cheeses… but if I were forced to choose a favorite it would be the Cannonball.  The layers added so much to the complexity.  It’s like nothing I’ve had before.

Mom!  Which is your fav?!

***

I’m running to a meeting, so the Mother’s Day Brunch review is coming tomorrow!

What do you find to be the most effective ab exercise? Do you plank?

What is your favorite cheese?

Follow Me!

instagram_b facebook_b twitter_bpinterest_b
rss_a email_ayoutube_b googlep_b

Popular Posts

Home | About Me | Privacy Policy | Fitness | Recipes | Training & Nutrition

Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!