Recap and Groceries 101

I know it's been way too long! It proved to be a whirlwind end to the year with finals, end of year events, and too many friends graduating from Hopkins.Then it was off to Charlotte to spend a nice week at home and to see my younger brother graduate from high school (he's off to run at Boston College next year!).

Lol- Congrats Ev!

We love our G-Daddy

After that relaxing week of family time, I was jetting off to Aruba with my two great friends. We had such a blast--there was sun, clear blue ocean water, a lazy river, snorkeling, scuba diving, drinks, and as always..amazing food. I can't even begin to explain the plethora of fresh fish that I had at almost every meal. And to top it all off, we even managed to work out every day while there!


We were primarily doing the circuits from the first week of Kayla Itsines' 12 week training guide while there, but we also incorporated a few days of low intensity, long workouts like walking, jogging, and biking. Usually we knocked out the workouts in the morning before heading out to the pool/beach so that we wouldn't have to worry about doing it later in the day after a draining day of laying in the sun ;) I highly recommend working out in the morning while on vacation because there's nothing worse than a) thinking about it all day while you're trying to relax with a poolside cocktail and b) having to come in from the beach earlier than you wanted to because you have to get to the gym before dinner. Basically it's just sad all around so knock it out in the morning!

A few notable pics from the best/much needed vacation :)

Post-workout smoothies

Some lunch-time frozen beverages. It's vacation, so we indulged! 

My first time scuba diving! So amazing.

But enough about the vacation (although I could go on and on about it all day long)...onto the point of this post!

Grocery Shopping 101!! 

I got a few requests to do a post about what I generally buy each time I go to the grocery store and since I was long overdue for groceries post-vacation, I thought I'd document the trip to Harris Teeter (which is much like Giant, but a lot nicer and with more variety in my opinion).

My cart at the store..I clearly had a lot to stock up on

The fruit: apples (bought at farmer's market), bosc pairs, lemons, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cantaloup. I'm a HUGE fruit person so I tend to buy a lot of it..any thing from berries for smoothies, to bananas for cereal, to cantaloup and apples for cutting up for a quick snack...i like it all

Breakfast items: Kashi Raisin Vineyard cereal (a new buy, it's pretty good and not too sweet which I like), vanilla almond milk, lots of greek yogurt, and fresh-squeezed OJ

Veggies: Sooo many veggies here...spring mix, celery, tomatoes, zucchini and squash (from farmer's market), brussels sprouts, onion, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, and "pico de guaco" (salsa+guac in one container-great for salads and wraps!)

Protein: Faux-chicken strips, tuna, chickpeas, and black beans

Grains: a lot of quinoa, crackers for snacking, and "flat out" wraps (a new try, but I definitely will be buying them again. So soft and only 100 calories..plus flax!)

Miscellaneous: Peach green tea, EVOO, edamame hummus, goat cheese, lemon herb aioli, and almond butter 

Tuna salad wrap and a pear on the side for lunch...this has been my exact lunch for a few days in a row now. 

Kashi Raisin Vineyard cereal with strawberries and a banana, mini flax waffle on ze side!

So there you have it! That's mostly the things that I buy when I go to the store...obviously not the exact same things are purchased every time, but hopefully you get the general idea of the things I tend to purchase.

Also, some of those items were used in recipes--such as the lemon herb aioli being used to make a tuna salad (recipe to come soon!)--so if they seem a bit random, that's probably why.

That's all I've got for you today, but I must say that I'm really happy to be back blogging again. It truly makes me feel so blessed when people tell me they read the blog and have missed it while I took that hiatus. Hopefully that won't have to happen again anytime soon! I'll be back tomorrow with a great circuit to try!

Kettlebells for the Win

I've recently been focusing a lot more on strength training but I get bored easily and am constantly trying new exercises and circuits. When I first came across a kettlebell I assumed you were supposed to use it just like any other free weight, but after a quick demo by some friends of mine who are on their way to being (amazing) personal trainers, I knew that I had had it all wrong. Ever since then, I have loved doing kettlebell workouts. I ordered my very own 15 lb. kettlebell off amazon for the cool price of $20...money well spent!

So this post is going to outline a few great workouts that I have been doing about 3 times/week since my kettlebell arrived in the mail. The greatest thing about them? You can do them anywhere! Even from the comfort of your own living room, which is ideal when you're suffering through the brutal winter we've experienced this year. Just pump some music and get ready to sweat...and be sore the next day.

Workout #1: 

Swing(20)

http://kettlebellfitnessdk.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/kettlebell-swings-and-common-mistakes/

Rowing lift (15/arm)

http://www.self.com/blogs/flash/2011/06/back-fat-be-gone-3-steps-to-lo.html

1 arm swing (15/arm)

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/get-big/top-10-kettlebell-moves

Pushups (20 total-pushup, then switch sides)

http://www.fitnessbarbielaurengleisberg.com/2012/12/chest-shoulders-cardio.html

Cleans (15/arm)

http://www.skinnymom.com/2014/02/08/14-kettlebell-moves-for-an-allover-body-calorie-torcher/

Tricep Dips (20)

*this is not using the kettle bell, but uses the chair that you used to do the rows 

Repeat Circuit 4 Times

A few videos to check out! 

I hope this post has given you a few good ideas of how to incorporate kettlebells into your workout routine. If anything, just give it a try and see if you like it. Sure, it's not for everyone, but you might find that it's just what your body needs to tone-up! I know I've really enjoyed researching workouts for myself and for you guys. If you find any you'd like to share, feel free to comment with the link! 

Happy Tuesday!! 

A Few Foodie Updates

This post is completely dedicated to the eats as of late. I haven't been sharing them as much in my past few posts, so I have a ton of pictures to show, plus a few points of advice about healthy snacking--which I am a big fan of :)

B'FAST (aka-my favorite meal of the day) 

 The classic oatmeal-steal cut oats cooked over the stove with flax seed, chia seed, agave for sweetness, banana and cinnamon!  

Frittata and fruit salad! This was a brunch made with my good friend, Esme. We've become real masters of the egg+veggie frittata. 

Then it started to warm up a bit in B'More and was beginning to feel like spring! So I broke out the blender and started making green smoothies for breakfast instead of my normal hot oatmeal. 

Lately my smoothies have consisted of frozen mango, banana, and strawberries, kale, almond milk, and vanilla protein powder. I promise you can't taste the kale at all!

Changing things up a bit---Greek yogurt+fruit salad and a Vans GF waffle+Crofters jam 

 Unfortunately the warm weather was just a tease and the temp quickly dropped back down to freezing-my-butt-off degrees Fahrenheit.  Great...

And so the oatmeal returned as myAM staple. This one was packed to go because I had a big exam to get to! I've said it before and I'll say it again, oatmeal is the perfect breakfast to have before an exam!

LUNCH

A strange concoction of things I had laying around---carrots+hummus, berries, leftover quinoa, and a couple rice cakes with peanut butter.

Mediterranean salad from one of the cafés on campus--spinach, carrots, dates, chickpeas, almonds, red onions and a honey balsamic dressing. Usually I'm not a huge fan of pre-packaged salads, but this one was actually really good and had a lot of flavor.

DINNER

Valentine's Day sushi date with Joey! We were really craving fresh fish so when it came time to choosing our date night spot, Chiu's Sushi was an obvious choice. If you are in the Baltimore area and like sushi, I HIGHLY recommend this place. It's reasonably priced with really quality sushi rolls. Also, the staff is super friendly! They had red heart balloons tied on every chair for V'day and also gave us a free sushi appetizer shaped like a heart! So cute. 

A nice home-cooked meal consisting of sautéd faux chicken strips with broccolini, a cup of spicy black-bean soup and an apple+almond butter on ze side.

I realize this doesn't look very appetizing, but it's probs one of my favorite dinners to make. Quinoa with sautéd peppers, onions and mushrooms. Then avocado and goat cheese sprinkled on top. SO delicious, I could probably eat 5 bowls of this in one night. 

Another bowl concoction! Faux chicken strips, quinoa, peppers, spinach, and avocado. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

Kombucha! I usually stick to GT's Synergy brand of kombucha beverages, but I tried this one because it's sold at the school market. It was actually really delicious! The Granny Smith and the Peach flavors are both so good and perfectly refreshing.

Groceries! I've been going to Trader Joe's for most of my recent shopping trips. I feel like I get really quality food there, while not blowing my budget. It's honestly crazy how much less expensive it is at TJ's than, say, Whole Foods--which I still go to, just only once a month or so. 

SNACKS

I am a big fan snacks. I always try to have a bag of almonds, bar, or apple in my bag at all times. You never know when those hunger pangs are going to hit, so better to be prepared with something that won't break your diet, rather than be forced to buy something bad for you out of desperation. Here are some of the snacks I love! 

I mention Siggi's icelandic yogurt in most every post, but it seriously is perfect. It's very low in sugar, 110 calories, and has 16g of protein so it will keep you full until your next meal. Also, if you get hungry late and night and need a little snack before bed, this is by far your best option. 

Mmmmm almonds. Salty, crunchy, roasty, high in protein...enough said

Apple+almond butter or peanut butter! Again, the fruit alone may not keep you totally full for a while, but adding on the almond butter or peanut butter definitely will. Just make sure it's a brand of nut butter that doesn't have hydrogenated oils or excess sugar in its list of ingredients. 

KIND bar! They recently came out with Kind bars that have only 4g of sugar, which is way way less than their other ones and there's no reduction in flavor. 

Let me know what your snacks you like to have! I would love to hear ideas from you guys!! 

That's all I have for now though! I'll leave you with this adorable picture of Moses Jones the Cat in his adorable deep slumber...

Zzzzzzzz

Have a fantastic Sunday!! 

Eats of the Week + Snow Day!

The big winter storm has hit Baltimore and I'm stuck inside for the day, so what better way to use this free time than to write a blog post?!

Bundled up for the freezing cold!

Venturing outside to find an open coffee shop...we needed our caffeine fix!!

Now for a look at some of the recent eats and activities of the last couple of weeks...

PC '12!

Bid night craziness 

Rush was last week! It was a crazy busy week, but so worth it because we got so many amazing new members. Look how adorable they are!

Welcome HΦΜE Phis!! 

Obviously we had to welcome our new sisters into Phi Mu the best way we know how...with lots of delicious food!!

This is a bit blurry but this wonderful spread consisted of flatbread pizzas, spinach salad, chips and salsa, breadcrumb baked brussel sprouts, and of course a cheese plate avec crackers, grapes, and apples. Perfection in a potluck.

Closeup of the cheese plate. Cheeses from left (going counter-clockwise): havarti, midnight moon (my favorite kind), cheddar with dried cranberries, gouda, and swiss.

We have another sister dinner this weekend so get ready for more pictures from that coming next week! 

Other eats from the week have included...

Baked brussel sprouts, quinoa, spicy black bean soup

Dinner packed to go- brown rice/quinoa mix with tons of spinach and broccoli, apples and strawberries on the side

Classic oatmeal during these snowy days. Lately I've been very into cutting up a banana and pouring the oatmeal over top so that the banana kind of gets soft and soaks up the cinammon and agave that I used to sweeten the oatmeal. Then I drizzle almond butter on top and it all melts together. It's SO good and really filling.  Oatmeal is seriously the perfect breakfast food. Especially if you have a long morning ahead of you because it will definitely sustain your energy until lunch.

2 in 1 tray (because I don't like doing extra dishes if it's avoidable). Kale chips and baked squash with olive oil, salt and cinnamon sprinkled on top.

As far as the workouts go, they've all been indoors as of late. I've been trying to really change things up and not just do the same old workout on the treadmill each day. Obviously things happen and workouts have to be modified, but here's what my general weekly workout schedule looks like:

Monday-HIIT workout + 1/2 mile slow jog cool down
Tuesday- treadmill long run (5-7 miles)
Wednesday- speed interval run (3-4 miles), arm toning workout
Thursday-speed interval cardio (alternate between treadmill and elliptical), leg toning workout
Friday- HIIT workout + 1/2 mile slow jog cool down
Saturday-treadmill long run (5-7 miles)
Sunday-rest day (or if I'm feeling antsy, then I'll do a nice and easy jog or short strength circuit).

*I'll reiterate that things are most definitely subject to change depending on how my body is feeling that day. If I'm still super sore from a HIIT workout and feeling under the weather, then I don't go hard and do another killer circuit the next day, I'll take an easy jog or rest day. 

Key thoughts to take away--push yourself and change things up! Don't get in a rut and jump on the same cardio machine every time you go to the gym (I was absolutely the number 1 offender of this). But LISTEN TO YOUR BODY PEOPLE! I still struggle with this, but if you're tired, then take it EASY! It won't kill you or backtrack your progress. It's actually really good for your muscles and body to have a day of recovery. 

^If anyone who know's me well is reading this, they know that I'm the worst about taking recovery days, but I really have been trying to get better about it!

Try this"fun" HIIT workout I've done a few times over the past few weeks. It's a killer, I promise you'll be sore the next day, in a good kind of way ;)

HIIT Workout:

Round A (x3)

Burpees

Mountain Climbers

Jumping Jacks 

*first time do 10 reps/exercise, second time do 15, third time do 20

Round B (x3)

Walking lunges 

Pushups

Lunge-jumps

Walk-out inchworms 

*45 seconds/exercise, 15 sec break in-between

Round C (x3)

Kettle bell squats

Pull-ups

Box jumps

Jack knives 

*45 seconds/exercise, 15 sec break in-between

Round D (x3)

Traveling side lunges

Dips

Speed skaters

Plank to pushup

*45 seconds/exercise, 15 sec break in-between

**rest 1 minute in-between rounds

And for those of you who may be stuck inside like me due to the snow, try this at home circuit that requires no equipment or tons of space. It was posted today by my favorite Charlotte blogger, Peanut Butter Runner. I'll be doing this later today!