Fit2Flex*

Disney's Princess Half Marathon

2012-02-28T07:31:00.001-05:00

We laughed, we cried, we made bad jokes....it was Disney's Princess Half Marathon Weekend!

19,500 women, 500 or so men, and 18,575 Tutu's descended on Orlando this weekend!

I had an amazing time at the race. The energy was contagious and I can't wait to tackle my own half marathon on Sunday.

RunDisney brought several FitFluential Ambassadors out to the event. Check out their blogs for some great race recaps.
Theodora
Meghann
Heather
Callie
Kelly

FitFluential also has a RunDisney Pinterest board where you can see race highlights as well as some AMAZING costumes! Kelly is my fave!

Source: thewannabeathlete.com via FitFluential on Pinterest

What's fun for me is that because the Princess Half is a female centered race, I get to be the main host for the start line! Meaning I talk first and tell the boys what to do! :) It was fun!
I also got to interview Mrs. United States Shannon Ford, Olympian Jeff Galloway, and ESPN personality Sage Steele.

I also rocked my own "mini" version of a Princess costume. The folks at Running Skirts decked with out with a black crown skirt for the event. It fit great and I'm looking forward to running in it soon. I've never had a running skirt before!

Congrats to all the runners! The winner, Rachel Booth, did it in a record time of 1:18:11! She has won back-to-back DisneyLand Half Marathons and is now a Princess Champion! Rachel is also a Seminole! Go Noles!

source

This was our last RunDisney event for a few months and I'll miss seeing everyone! The next event is Expedition Everest. It's a 5k with a team scavenger hunt and a night party in Animal Kingdom. Check it out!

Love and pretty medals,
Carissa & Kyle

Fit2Flex 50 Challenge - Week 2

2012-02-27T07:35:00.001-05:00

Welcome back to the Fit2Flex50 Challenge!

2 exercises, 50 reps, 5 days.
If you just finished week 1, then a big high 5 goes out to you! Make sure you check in here and enter to win our prize!

If you are just joining us here's how it works:

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-Each week we'll give you 2 new exercises.
-You do 50 of each; 5 days a week.
-You don't have to do all 50 at once. You can break them up into multiple sets and do them different times during the day too.

-Tell us at the end of the week and you'll be entered to win a prize!
- Do the exercises in addition to your usual workouts.
- Feel the burn and reap the benefits.
- Develop the discipline to make fitness a habit.
- Use #Fit2Flex50 and #Fitfluential to share the fitness via Twitter.

How does that sound? Tone your core, challenge yourself, and maybe even win a prize!

Week 2's exercises are:
1. Lateral Lunges - 50 each leg
2. Lying Leg Circles - 50 to the right, 50 to the left
The lateral lunges build on the Great Glutes workout we gave you on Friday. Feel free to add dumbbells and take a very wide side lunge. The lateral lunges will get you feeling the burn, however they aren't too tough that it will interfere with your usual leg workouts.

Step out wider than this for a bigger burn!

The lying leg circles will build on the lower ab strength you increased last week. They will also activate your obliques.
Lay on your back with you hands under your lower back for support. Raise your legs about 12 inches off the ground. Circle your legs to the right. It should be a small circle maybe 8-12 inches. Do 50 circles to the right and 50 circles to the left.
The picture below shows the starting position for your ab circles.

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Remember - it's not the exercises that are tough, but the discipline to do them and push yourself 5 days this week! Ready, set, get FIT!

Please let us know if you have any questions!
Feel free to get friends, family, co-workers, and followers in on the fun!

Are you in?

Love and the challenge,
Carissa & Kyle

Check out Week 1 of the Challenge by clicking here.

Fit2Flex50 Challenge - Week 1 Check In

2012-02-26T18:31:00.003-05:00

Week 1 of the Fit2Flex50 Challenge is officially finished! How'd you do?

Did you have the discipline?

Did you have the strength?

This week we challenged you to do 50 pushups and 50 leg raises 5 days this week!

Congratulations to all of you who completed the challenge.

Forming a habit and having discipline is no small task. There were days where you guys reminded me about the challenge and I was doing leg lifts at 10pm!

Source: falldown7timesgetup8justdontgiveup.blogspot.com via Carissa on Pinterest

If you completed this week's challenge and would like to be entered to win the challenge prize here's what to do:

1. Post a comment on this post.

2. Tweet "I completed Week 1 of the #fit2flex50 @CarissaAnneB. Can you handle the challenge? Week 2 starts tomorrow." Post a comment letting me know you tweeted.

Next week's two moves will be up tomorrow so get ready!

What was the hardest part of the challenge for you?

Love and commitment,

Carissa & Kyle

Tangled Royal Family 5k

2012-02-25T15:42:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it? Another RunDisney event in the books!

I loved the sass of the Tinker Bell half, nothing beats the tradition of the WDW Marathon, BUT I am a princess at heart and LOVE the princess half marathon weekend!!!

Every woman is a princess and that deserves to be celebrated!

What I don't celebrate? 1:50am wakeup times! I guess it comes the territory!
I started my meals at 430am with my usual whole-wheat bagel and peanut butter.

You know what I realized? I eat the same thing before I run AND before I announce! Carb up!
Rudy flew in from the West Coast and we were ready at 5am to greet the over 5,000 5k runners!

It was just a fun run and not chip timed. I loved seeing all the families run together and all of the great costumes!

It was also cool to see several of my fellow FitFluential Ambassadors in town for the race. Say hello to Meghann, Theodora, Heather, and Callie!

Thx for the pic Callie!

RunDisney is feeling the Fitfluential love and brought down some bloggers to enjoy the race weekend and find out what makes RunDisney so special!
After the race it was a rush over the ESPN's Wide World of Sports to kick off the Kid's Races.
Then I made a quick stop at the "Fit for a Princess" expo to pick up a super cute Running Skirt from RunningSkirts to wear tomorrow. I also got to have a quick chat with Mrs. United States, Shannon Ford, who is running tomorrow. Not only is she a beautiful, inspiring woman but she lives with Celiac Disease and works to advocate for easier gluten free eating.
And now I think I need to sleep....see you at 2am Princesses!

Love and tiaras,
Carissa & Kyle

Get Great Glutes

2012-02-24T15:25:00.001-05:00

There are so many "big butt" jokes that I could make...it's overwhelming.
But in order to remain the classy and professional bloggers that we are...I shall refrain. "Red beans and rice didn't miss her"

Sorry. Outburst.

Last Friday we asked you what workouts you wanted to see on Twitter and we kept seeing one word over and over again "Butt".

Butt.

Tush.

Keester.

Glute.

Apple bottom.

Whatever you call it we are here to work it!

Your "butt" owes its appearance to 3 muscles: the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus.

Did you know that the large size of the "glutes" are a one of the most distinguishing features of the human muscular system? True story. Other primates have much flatter buttocks.

The glutes can be hard to work. Most exercises that involve them also involve much larger and stronger muscles like the quadriceps and the hamstrings. The glutes are also frequently weak in people who sit for a large part of the day.

I always think of squats as my "better booty" exercises. I keep my weight on my heels and I GET LOW! Low is where the butt lifting magic happens.

Here are our five Fit2Flex approved glute exercises.

Incorporate them into your regular leg routine or do them 2-3 times each as part of a "boost your backside butt burning" circuit.

1. Single Leg Split Squat.

Do them with your back foot elevated. And this is important...put all your weight on the heel of your front foot! You should be able to pick up your back foot and still squat. If your weight isn't forward you won't get the maximum effect.

2. Barbell Walking Lunges
Load a barbell and "walk it out". Moving the barbell to your back changes the effect vs. holding dumbbells. You can do these as stationary lunges too. Use a lighter barbell like those used for Body Pump class and not a 35lb one from the free weight area.

3. Lateral Lunge

Start with your feet a foot apart and lunge out to the right side. Return to center. Lunge to the left. Repeat. If you want to kick it up you can stand in a band and use that as extra resistance as you lunge.

4. Low Pulse Squat

This is what low looks like!

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From a normal stance, squat down and from your lowest point "pulse" half-way" up and back down for 10 seconds. Return to standing. That's 1 rep. Do 10.

5. Narrow Squats
These can be done on the Smith Machine (like our 21's), holding dumbbells, or using a bar for balance. Keep your feet about 6-10 inches apart and squat LOW. These do it for me!

The one thing that keeping you from great glutes is getting low!
Don't use momentum and bounce at the bottom of your squats. The challenging part is keeping the movement slow and controlled through the "below parallel" portion of squats. This is what Kyle says he simply doesn't see in the gym. Use a lower weight if you can't keep the slow, control in your movement.

According to Kyle, "If you use a controlled motion, go below parallel with you squat, and use a 5 seconds down, 3 seconds up cadence then you will see an improvement."

There you have it. The secret to great glutes.

Now get out there and do it!

Love and quarter bouncing,
Carissa & Kyle

Muscle Confusion

2012-02-23T17:57:00.002-05:00

Call me Justin Timberlake, because yesterday all I wanted to do was "cry me a River."

Kyle created another one of his killer "numbers" workouts (like the filthy 50) and it was hard! I think it was more mentally hard than anything else and I was a huge, enormous, annoying whiner! *sorry babe*

I finished the workout, but it was tough! It was a "big volume" workout created to shock your muscles into change.

Our muscles are smart and if you don't change up your workout they adapt to what you're constantly asking them to do. 15 squats with 20lb dumbbells won't get the same result week after week.

Enter the "25,50,75,100 Workout". It's hurts. It's hard. It's complicated. And I know you can do it.

Basically you have a set number of attempts to get your required number of each exercise. Use a weight that is challenging for the first set and you can lower the weight if needed for subsequent sets. As I said before, it is a little complicated so please ask any questions you might have. Pin It

Try not to be a big cry baby like me! It's a great workout and one I think would be wonderful to do with a partner!

I also linked up this post to this week's Fitness Loves of the Week on Lindsay's page. Check it out!

Love and muscle confusion,
Carissa & Kyle

Let's Get Physical

2012-02-22T22:31:00.001-05:00

Today I had my annual physical. Kyle had his last week. We were poked, prodded, listened to, and he passed with flying colors! We'll know in a few days if I did too.

Do you guys get regular physicals?
Kyle and I are both in good health with a pretty clear family history, however as they say "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Kyle loved bragging how "allegedly" the Doctor was so taken by his healthiness that she wondered why he was even getting a physical. He blamed it on me and the Doctor understood. Blame the wife right?
That's not the first time a Doctor has praised Kyle's health. After a physical two years ago, Kyle claims the doctor said, "Wow that working out stuff really works!"

Regardless of the medical community's love of my husband, I think physicals are important. They are recommended once a year for those over 30 and every 2-3 years for those in their 20's. I just like to make sure we are looking good and to keep an eye on cholesterol, blood glucose, and iron numbers.
When I think about it there are a lot of doctors I have to see each year: I need a physical, 2 dental cleanings, 1 OB/GYN visit, 1 eye visit, and 1 to the dermatologist. Wow!

I've actually dubbed tomorrow the "worst morning ever".
I get to visit my lawyer to turn in some auto accident related paperwork, take an Advanced Nutrition final, and THEN have the left side of my gums deep cleaned. I mean come on! There's no fun in that morning! I'm already dreaming of a dessert to make that night to compensate. Ideas?

Today since I had to fast before my blood work I missed my morning meal and coffee. I hit the gym after the doctor so when I came home around 1130 I decided to start my day over.
I made coffee and a very comforting bowl of oatmeal. Oatmeal is great for you. It can lower cholesterol and provide filling soluble fiber that reduces your LDL (bad cholesterol).
I managed to make my oatmeal a little less healthy. Here's the run down:

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Waka Choca Oatmeal
- 1/2 cup oats cooked in water
- 1/4 almond milk
- 1T cinnamon
- 1 pack splenda
- 2T PB2
- 1T cocoa powder
- 2T slivered almonds
- 1/2 banana
- AND 15 chocolate chips!

Wow that was some rich oatmeal! I couldn't even finish it , but those melty chocolate bits were divine!

Kyle invented another killer "numbers" workout similar to our Filthy Fifty. I was a HUGE baby today and whined the whole workout. Sorry baby...but really 25 leg press, 50 dead lift, THEN 100 squats! I'll post the whole workout tonight.

Thanks to everyone kicking butt on the #Fit2Flex50 Challenge! I love seeing all the Tweets!

My abs are sore from hanging leg raises and I felt it in my Smith Machine squats today. I'm going to break them into sets of 10 today.

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Do you get yearly physicals? Why or why not?

Love and stethoscopes,
Carissa & Kyle

What I Ate Wednesday - Go Raw!

2012-02-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

Welcome back Wednesday! This month over at Peas & Crayons Jen encouraged us to LOVE our veggies!

This girl right here...ME...I love my veggies! I always have...even when I was this tiny...

....yup....still loved veggies!
I can thank my mother for this love. As a kid, instead of bowls of candies or chips out at night we had bowls of raw fruits and veggies. I mostly remember it being a lot of veggies. Raw bell peppers, carrots, celery, cucumber (in vinegar), broccoli stems were all put in a bowl in the living room. As the night wore on and the desire to "munch" came on...there were veggies. Therefore at a young age I got very used to eating and liking raw veggies.My Mom also let me pick out 1 fruit or veggie to eat every time we went to the grocery store. I feel like I picked star fruit a lot.

At gymnastics we also had a day called "Fruit & Veggie" day. We payed $1 and on Wednesdays we would start practice with a giant tray of every kind of raw veggie out. The rule was that you had to at least eat one of each. Once all the veggies were gone then they would bring out the fruit tray. The veggie tray had hearts of palm on it. I hated hearts of palm. I don't know what was more traumatic - eating the hearts of palm or the days where they made us stay on beam until we stuck 5 of our series in a row....tough call!

Can you find me? Level 6 circa 1995.

Can you find me here? Hint - I'm the giant holding the sign! :)

Kyle is also a good raw vegetable eater. His dinners often include raw bell pepper, carrots, or a simple spinach salad.The link between fruits, vegetables, and good health is clear. Fruits and veggies have been proven to help prevent numerous cancers and a diet high in them helps your heart.
Go raw this week! Take $15 and buy some veggies, cut them up, and see which ones you and your family like to eat raw. You may discover something new you like AND it's way faster to cut a bell pepper than to even steam one. (psst- red bell pepper totally higher than many fruits in Vitamin C content)
Today my meals have been heavy on the fruits.I had beautiful Florida strawberries in my cereal this am.

I had my usual v8 juice and carrot sticks with my lunch.My afternoon snack was a pear and some Pom Wonderful pomegranate arils. Pomegranate's are very high in anti-oxidants, polyphenols, and Vitamins B, C, calcium, and phosphorous.

Pomegranate seeds are notoriously hard to get out. Pom Wonderful has made this beautiful 100 calorie pack that comes with a spoon, but my friend Alexis has an easy method on her blog.

Dinner includes more veggies in the form of mushrooms, red bell pepper (raw), spinach, and zucchini.
How do you like your veggies?
Love and carotenoids,Carissa & Kyle

I had a great run!

2012-02-21T07:37:00.000-05:00

I had a great run today!
It felt fantastic! The weather was cool, I ended up with a great pace, my feet didn't bleed, and I didn't curse the world for the last 1/3 of my run! I'm ecstatic!

Today was my last long run before the Gasparilla Half Marathon on March 4. I planned to go 10 miles. Since I had to work this afternoon, I got up at 7 and rushed to the grocery store for some couponing magic and then came back to run.
I didn't want to run. I debated just doing 8 and then once I started I wanted to turn around. My legs felt heavy....and I thought I was very close to feeling the "B" word. Burnout. No good.
I told myself that I didn't sign up for this marathon to punk out and I pushed forward. By mile 3 my legs lightened and the 1/2 mile markers were flying by. I was having a good run.

I finished the run in 1:35:10 at a 9:30 pace! That's 24 seconds per mile faster than my run in December!
I used my run-walk-run strategy but altered it and walked for 1 minute every 10 minutes. I had jelly beans at miles 6,7, and 8.
Mile Splits:
Mile 1 9:36
Mile 2 9:52
Mile 3 9:42
Mile 4 9:48
Mile 5 9:21
Mile 6 9:45
Mile 7 9:39
Mile 8 9:35
Mile 9 9:02
Mile 10 8:47

I'm so happy about the run! I needed that. I'm trying not to use this run to gauge my time for Gasparilla. Last race I was so focused on time and it sucked the fun out of the race.
My goal for Gasparilla is to finish strong! That means starting slow and keeping an even pace. I wish my brain would stop doing the "well I could finish in xx" math! :)

I do have a theory about my run.
Kyle bought me a "treat" at the grocery store yesterday. Chocolate covered Rold Gold pretzels. After a weekend of work, I allowed myself a ~~generous~~ giant portion last night. Could the salty and sweet goodness have propelled me to running success?

I buy it. I will be eating them March 3 before my race. It can't hurt! :)

After my run, I showered, ate a quick lunch of leftover shrimp tacos and rushed to work.

Tonight's dinner is thankfully easy to put together. We're having crock-pot buffalo chicken with sauteed organic spinach.

I also have to complete my reps for the Fit2Flex50 Challenge! Kyle & I like to do them together at night. 50 leg raises with ab straps? Yeah - that burns!

Do you have the discipline for the Fit2Flex50 Challenge? I hope so!

When is the last great training run you had? Did it involve pretzels?

Love and sweetness,
Carissa & Kyle

Fit2Flex 50 Challenge - Week 1

2012-02-20T07:20:00.001-05:00

Are you ready for a challenge?

A Fit2Flex50 challenge?

Here it is:

So this is it: Pin It

-Each week we'll give you 2 new exercises.
-You do 50 of each; 5 days a week.
-You don't have to do all 50 at once. You can break them up into multiple sets and do them different times during the day too.

-Tell us at the end of the week and you'll be entered to win a prize!
- Do the exercises in addition to your usual workouts.
- Feel the burn and reap the benefits.
- Develop the discipline to make fitness a habit.
- Use #Fit2Flex50 and #Fitfluential to share the fitness via Twitter.

How does that sound? Tone your core, challenge yourself, and maybe even win a prize!

Week 1's exercises are:
1. Push-ups
2. Hanging knee raises.

Hanging leg raises are my 100% favorite ab exercise. I think they are so effective for crafting sculpted "wow" abs.

source

We will be doing them using our "perfect pull-up" bar at home and arm straps.
You can also alternate them for leg raises in a captain's chair or leg lifts on the floor as seen below.

source

Two exercies. 50 each day. 5 days a week.

Remember you can break up the 50 exercises. The idea is to keep you thinking about fitness all day. Remembering your exercises will help you remember why you committed to fitness.

Why is it a challenge? Making it a habit is the challenge. Anybody can achieve reps on Monday and Tuesday. But it's committing 5 days a week for 4 weeks that develops the habit and the discipline needed.

The challenge isn't the exercise; it's the discipline.

Source: canttakeitwithyou.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

In 4 weeks, with the combination of our added exercises and a clean diet you could find yourself with an impressively toned core!

Please let us know if you have any questions!
Feel free to get friends, family, co-workers, and followers in on the fun!

Are you in?

Love and the challenge,
Carissa & Kyle

Disney's Animal Kingdom

2012-02-19T07:54:00.000-05:00

February in Orlando is magic.
The weather in February is just gorgeous, so Kyle and I decided to take advantage of that magic by visiting Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom is without a doubt Kyle's favorite Disney park.
I'm torn on a favorite. The Magic Kingdom is my childhood favorite. Hollywood Studios has my favorite ride/show/restaurant. Epcot has great wine. And Animal Kingdom has such cute animals! How can you pick just one?

Kyle has two reasons for loving Animal Kingdom.
1. He likes the animals.
2. He likes to debate how the Silverback Gorillas can have so much lean body mass and eat an all plant diet. Your thoughts?

We started our day in Africa on the gorilla trek.
I really liked the Colobus monkeys. Look at that face!

Our first run by the gorillas caught us in luck. We were just in time to watch this particular fellow...ummmm...how do I say it??? He relieved his body of his food and then he re-ate it.

Get my drift? It was kinda gross. However this is the second time we've seen a silverback perform this behavior. Apparently it has something to do with getting all the nutrients.

In Asia we took another animal walk in hopes of seeing the Tigers. The tigers were not as visible as our gorilla friends. Leave it to the cat to be anti-social!

Mid-afternoon we had a very important appointment with the Festival of the Lion King show! Two of the performers I worked with at last week's Let's Move event are singers at the Festival of the Lion King. We were lucky enough to get set up with VIP seats and a meet and greet after.

As we sat down on the first row I had a revelation. This show involves audience participation. I instantly knew Kyle would be in for way more than he bargained for.

He was a good sport as he cheered on the "Elephant" section. Want to see how he did? Take a look at the video:
A BIG thank you to Veryl for the great experience!

Before leaving we made one more trip through the silverback enclosure. We had a very rare treat as we got to see all 4 male gorillas at once! There's some footage of them on the video above.
We had a great day and then headed home to have our favorite blue cheese turkey meatballs.

Are you a Disney fan? What's your favorite park?

Love and wild animals,
Carissa & Kyle

psst- Have you heard? The Fit2Flex Challenge is coming tomorrow! Get ready!

Blonde Moments

2012-02-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

So I had two blonde moments today. One was a major blonde moment and the other was just ironically bad timing.

It is a good thing to take Omega-3 supplements. It helps me with my mood and some of the essential oils that I may not be getting enough of on a daily basis. I use Nordic Naturals and I save money by buying them on Amazon. All of that is smart.

Here's what is not smart.
Set them on top of the toaster to remind you to take them in the am.
Use toaster to prepare breakfast.
Open the container to reveal melted capsules of omega 3's.
#fail

How blonde was that?

My second fun part of my morning (yeah all this was before 8am) was the ironic timing of our sprinklers. Picture me carrying a suitcase, backpack, and clothes.

And that's when the sprinklers came on! Really! Can you imagine?

It's a lot funnier looking back on it when I'm not late rushing out the door!

I'm out of town for the weekend working again. I was a little bummed out about it, but I'm grateful to have a job I can work on weekends and still go to school. There are worse things I could do than work, sit in my hotel room, and eat room service! :)

Tonight after work I ordered room service. Yes I will run 10 miles to train, but walk 3 blocks for food after work? I'll pass!
I ordered blackened salmon with steamed veggies. Broccolini and bok choy! It was amazingly good.

Do you think I liked it?

Delicious!
Tonight will be spent with Law & Order re-runs, blogging, and sleeping!

What are your plans for the long holiday weekend?

Love and bom bom,

Carissa & Kyle

Five Things Friday Workouts

2012-02-17T07:51:00.002-05:00

Today is Flashback Friday! I thought it would be fun to take a look back at 5 great posts and workouts from the Fit2Flex past. I hope you newer readers enjoy this blast from the past! Also feel free to ask any fitness questions in the comment section and we'll answer them in next week's post.

We also have a fun fitness challenge that Kyle created coming your way on Monday! Get ready to add a little extra "work" to your weekly workouts!

You're not afraid of hard work are you?

Source: mycollegesandcareers.tumblr.com via MyCollegesandCareers.com on Pinterest

Five Things Friday Workout Flashback:
Click on the link (the title) to be taken to the original workout post.

1. I want thinner thighs
The most popular Fit2Flex post on how to tackle my #1 trouble spot.

2. Armageddon
This workout focuses on toning the biceps and triceps.

3. Beginner's strength workout
We all start somewhere. Getting in the gym is step one. Step two is learning to use the machines. This will teach proper form and prevent injury. Start doing the exercises once and progress to 2-3 rotations.

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4. The Filthy 50
This workout notoriously left me and about 10 of Kyle's clients sore for 4 days! It burned, but I saw results in my strength and leg tone.

Source: fit2flex.com via Carissa on Pinterest

5. What is High Intensity Training?
We don't just lift....we HIT. If you're not sure what that means check out the basics of HIT training. We firmly believe it is the best way to get in shape, build lean muscle, and prevent injury.

Don't hesitate to pin and share these workouts with anyone you like. Our fitness information is free...motivation, however is priceless!

What was your favorite workout you did this week?

Love and lifting,
Carissa & Kyle

Melting Pot Valentine's Dinner Date

2012-02-16T08:02:00.000-05:00

I feel ironic posting this today. Yesterday's post showed a very reasonably priced day of healthy eating. It focused on coupons and watching grocery store price cycles.
From frugal to fancy...
Today's post highlights a less than thrifty Valentine's night dinner. High cost + high calorie! Don't judge me - sometimes life deserves a celebration!

I'm not an insane Valentine's person. I like the notion, I like decorating my house with pink hearts for a month, and I like any excuse to dress up and go to dinner with my husband!
I even busted out my fancy shoes! That my cat apparently finds fascinating!

Enter February 14 and The Melting Pot.
I chose the Melting Pot for 2 reasons:
1. You get a massive amounts of melted chocolate. It's so close to heaven it's scary.
2. Your meal takes a long time. I like that. It provides a relaxing environment and gives Kyle and I lots of time to catch up. Our dinner took 2 hours.

Have you been to the Melting Pot?
The Melting Pot a fondue restaurant. Most times when we go we opt for the 4-course dinner. You get cheese fondue, salad, meats to be cooked, and the aforementioned heavenly chocolate dessert course. You leave stuffed, happy, and smelling like the restaurant!

Smoke!

We started our dinner with the Swiss Champagne fondue.

Melted cheese is served with bread, Granny Smith apples, and raw vegetables for dipping. I used a lot of the broccoli for dipping...it totally made me feel like I was eating healthier!
The cheese had a good flavor and I liked the hint of nutmeg they added. It was mild and not over-powering.
The next course was the salad. Kyle and I both opted for a traditional Caesar salad and we were underwhelmed.

The third course was the meat course. You are served a platter of raw meat and a pot of boiling cooking liquid. This is how it goes: spork + meat -> hot liquid. Wait and eat.
Our platter had lobster, filet Mignon, buffalo chicken, white tiger shrimp, mushroom ravioli, and duck.

You also get a plethora of sauces for dipping and unlimited red potatoes, mushrooms, and broccoli.

I think the mushrooms with a big dollop of ~~creamy~~ totally unhealthy Green Goddess sauce are my favorite part of this course!
And then comes the chocolate!! Oh yeah! Kyle & I agreed upon the Yin & Yang chocolate which is a combination of white and dark chocolate. (yes, I know white chocolate isn't chocolate...but my Valentine likes it)

The chocolate comes with dippers like strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, brownies, rice krispies, marshmallows, and red velvet cake. Surprisingly the marshmallows were my favorite dipper!

Once all the dippers were gone I was literally eating the chocolate with a spoon...like it was soup. And now I'm embarrassed I did that. But it tasted gggoooooddddddd! MMMMMM!

The great part about the night was just spending time with Kyle. Call me a cheese ball, but I love that guy and any reason for chocolate, wine, and a handsome husband is a good reason to me!

Please not the mess of chocolate on my plate!

What was the best part of your Valentine's Day?

Love and cupid,
Carissa & Kyle

What I Ate Wednesday - What does it cost?

2012-02-15T00:00:00.003-05:00

What does it cost for me to eat each day? Have you ever thought about that?

This week for What I Ate Wednesday I thought I would take a look at what a typical day of eating costs me. Fun? Let's go!

Breakfast

Minnie is not included in the breakfast cost. She's priceless.

Kashi cereal + Chex + berries + Almond MilkKashi - $3 a box (with coupons) - 12 servings - 25 centsChex - $2 a box (with coupons) - 12 servings - 16 centsBerries - $3 a pint - 5 servings - 60 centsAlmond milk - $2.50 (always buy on sale) - 10 servings - 25 centsTOTAL BREAKFAST COST: $1.26
Snack #15.5oz Low Sodium v8 - $2.99 - 6 servingsTOTAL SNACK #1 COST: $0.50
Snack #2

Green Giant frozen "Healthy Weight" vegetables - $1.33TOTAL SNACK #2 COST: $1.33
Snack #3Apple - 5lb bag $3.99 - 10 servings - 40 centsTOTAL SNACK #3 COST: $0.40
LunchDinner leftovers - baked chicken + spinach + sweet potatoBaked Chicken - 6oz - $2.99lb - $1.12Sauteed organic spinach - $4 package - 1/8 package - 50 centsSweet potato - 98 cents/lb - 98 centsTOTAL LUNCH COST: $2.60
Snack #4GAT ProLein Shake with Water - 1 scoop$32 for container - 30 servings (2 scoop serving)TOTAL SNACK #4 COST: $0.53
DinnerChicken salad

Chicken + spinach + red pepper + cucumber + avocado + tomato + homemade dressingSauteed chicken in coconut oil - 6oz - $2.99lb - $1.12Spinach - $4 package - 1/4 package -$11/2 Avocado - 98 cents whole - 49 cents1/2 Cucumber - 50 cents whole - 25 cents 1/2 Red pepper - $1.48 whole - 74 cents1 roma tomato - 46 centsHomemade dijon vinaigrette- pennies! TOTAL DINNER COST: $3.06
TOTAL DAILY FOOD COST: $9.68
That's pretty cool to look at an entire day of food cost. I ate for an entire day and spent less than a typical lunch out would be.Keep in mind that I am a big coupon girl and that I buy the same things every week so I'm very aware of price cycles. I'm also aware of when the price is at its lowest and I stock up.

Maybe healthy eating doesn't have to be as expensive as we think.
What is the most expensive food item you ate today?
Love and crunching numbers,Carissa & Kyle
Fit2Flex Couponing Tips:- Extreme Couponing Tips- Beginner Tips- Crazy Coupon Lady

My sexy Valentine

2012-02-14T07:52:00.003-05:00

My Valentine is sexy. I'm not afraid to say it.

My favorite thing?
Well since it's Valentine's and we can talk about "man candy" I'm going to go with his muscular chest. Some girls like glutes..I'm a sucker for a beefy chest.

Ladies if you want your man to have a little chest to snuggle into here's a Kyle approved chest workout. And, yes, it can be done my women too. And don't worry...it will have no effect on your uh *ahem* chest!
Our "pumped for pecs" workout is here to give some love to your chest!

You can add these exercises to your current workout routine or complete as a killer chest combo. Kyle works chest typically 2 times a week as part of a full-body routine. Kyle usually pairs a pressing chest exercise with a pulling exercise (For example -reverse grip pull up, deadlifts)

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There are other variations of these move too that you can incorporate as your strength grows like dumbbell chest fly's on the stability ball as seen below.

DB Chest Fly

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Tonight I'm excited for a delicious, romantic meal at The Melting Pot! To say I've been looking forward to this dinner is an understatement!!
I hope you have a great time with your Valentine! However, if you don't have one this year don't fret! Love yourself by eating well and working out! And a chocolate treat isn't a bad idea!

Love and Hallmark holidays,
Carissa & Kyle

Gym Clothes in the Car

2012-02-13T18:27:00.001-05:00

Attention! This is a Fit2Flex alert....do as I say:
If you do not have a complete set of gym clothes in your car (shoes, socks, shorts, tank, sports bra) then DO IT RIGHT NOW! Yes, right now!

Sorry for the urgency I just wanted to make sure I got that great tip out to you.
Today was a hectic day and I actually used my "car gymbag" and I got in a fantastic workout! I don't want you to miss that great chance!

Life can get crazy and schedules can change. By keeping a fully loaded workout bag in the car, you will always be ready to keep focused on your fit, active lifestyle!

I started out today thinking I was going to go to school, the grocery store, then run 12 miles. Once I woke up, I could tell that my neck was out of alignment and I was starting to have pain down my arm. I immediately called my chiropractor once in the car and made an appointment.
Since my schedule had now changed and I was on the other side of town I was able to fit in a full-body strength workout (that was awesome!) before my appointment. Without that bag I would've been a girl in scrubs wishing for a sports bra.
I've said it a million times, but planning is the key to fitness success! Case in point: our workout and meal planning for the week...

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Today I lifted, I had my spine straightened out, I went to Wal-Mart (not fun), and now I'm here feeling quite pleased with my productive day.

I moved my long run to early tomorrow morning on a treadmill. I have NEVER run more than 3 miles on a treadmill so please send me kind, inspiring tweets during the 545-730am range tomorrow!

I hope I look this excited on the treadmill tomorrow~

Tomorrow is my official "Run for Sherry" so I feel like I will have a little extra motivation. Have you run for Sherry yet?

Last night Kyle and I relaxed at home and watched The Grammy's. I was happy to see Adele succeed. I have been a big fan since her "19" album came out several years ago.
We "like" to watch awards shows, but we don't love it. So we DVR'd it, waited 30 minutes, then came up with a fun game. It was called "Mistletoe"....inspired by the movie Four Christmases.
Whenever a part of the show came on that bored us and we wanted to fast forward one of us would say "mistletoe". If the other echoed the "mistletoe" we would fast-forward until the performance/award was over. If only one called "mistletoe" and the other didn't that was a strike. 3 mistletoe strikes and you lost fast forward privileges. It kept the show pretty entertaining. Don't judge our musical tastes, but Jason Aldean, Paul McCartney, and the Glen Campbell tribute all got the mistletoe treatment!

I hope you all had a fit start to your week! We have devised a fitness challenge for you that is coming your way next Monday....GET READY!
Also I don't know if you noticed, but Fit2Flex is now "self-hosted"! No more .blogspot! We put on our big-boy blogging pants now!

Do you watch awards shows? Which one is your favorite?

Love and dot coms,
Carissa & Kyle

Let's Move with Michelle Obama

2012-02-13T07:31:00.002-05:00

Did you know that nearly 1 in 3 American children are overweight or obese?

Or that if things don't change 1/3 of children born after 2000 will develop diabetes?

I'm shocked by that statistic. The life-threatening diseases that those children are at risk for are no joke. They're serious and sad for kids who should be enjoying a carefree life with a limitless future.
America is in an obesity crisis.
Two years ago our First Lady, Michelle Obama, picked up a torch and started the Let's Move campaign to inspire American's to raise a healthier generation of kids.

This week she has been celebrating the anniversary of Let's Move and I had the chance to work her at event in Orlando.

Why else would I be up at 330 on a Saturday morning and NOT heading to a race?
Because I care about America's health....that's why!
The event was at Disney's ESPN's Wide World of Sports. In addition to the First Lady, we had several Disney Channel stars, fitness celebrities (Tony Horton, Tom Shaw), and athletes (James Blake, Ian Fuller) on hand to inspire a group of young Floridians to move!
The kids were served lunch and had a chance to visit with a healthy chef before we got them moving.

I was tasked to interview Tom Shaw (former New England Patriots strength and conditioning coach), Tony Horton (seen above), Ian Fuller (Orlando City Soccer player), and several other VIP's on hand.

The event included all the kids coming out onto the field and participating in multiple workout stations. They learned tennis fundamentals, worked out with Tony, played soccer, and did some NFL style speed drills with Tom Shaw and the FRS team. In talking to the kids, I was surprised how many of them love soccer. Maybe it's finally catching on in America?
When the First Lady came out it was exciting!

All the kids performed a dance they had just learned called the "Platypus Walk". There's a cute video from You Tube of the dance - check it out! And yes, I've had that song stuck in my head since then!

Mrs. Obama also took time to play some of the games with the kids. She played soccer and tennis with James Blake.

Even if you don't have kids please take this healthy message to heart! I encourage you to find 30 minutes to be active today! Walk, bike, run, lift, do chores, play catch in the yard....but get out there and be a part of the solution!

Love and moving mountains,
Carissa & Kyle

Yellow Dog Eats

2012-02-12T09:54:00.000-05:00

Yellow Dog Eats?
No we didn't get a new, brightly color pet....we went out on date night to a cute restaurant in Gotha, FL called Yellow Dog Eats!
After a long day working the First Lady's Let's Move event at ESPN's Wide World of Sports, Kyle and I went out to catch up and get some delicious food. I'll have a full Let's Move recap Monday with video.
This was our first time at Yellow Dog Eats and after the delicious food we had...it won't be our last.
The owner of Yellow Dog Eats is a graduate of the Culinary Institute America whose tasty skill can be seen in their creative salads and sandwiches.

I usually don't eat pork, but I have a weakness for great pulled pork BBQ. Is that the Southern Virginia girl in me? Yellow Dog Eats pork wasn't great, it was phenomenal!
I got the pulled-pork salad that included pulled pork, pickles, blue cheese, and a Citrus-BBQ sauce.

Kyle got the Club Elvis and was a very happy husband!

We also shared a tomato and mozzarella salad. (Although is it a salad if there's no lettuce...just cheese and fruit?)

The restaurant also has a selection of wine bottles that are reasonably priced for you to drink there. We opted for a Tangerine Wheat beer that was great! The tangerine flavor really came through.

If you're ever in the West Orlando/Gotha/Winter Garden area take a trip to Yellow Dog Eats!
After our dinner we noticed a chill in the air..it's 35 here right now people!
So we did the only reasonable thing.....went to get frozen yogurt!!!!
The last time I had frozen yogurt was months ago and it was a disaster. Yuck!
This time was much better. A Cold Stone by us added a frozen yogurt bar. We had a groupon burning a hole in our pockets and a sweet tooth that needed filling!
Cake batter + vanilla + nuts + oreos +chocolate covered pretzels!

Kyle was the mastermind behind the pretzels! Salty and sweet = success!
It was a great date night. I'm off again this morning for another day of work. Only...it's 35...and I'm working outside! Think warm thoughts for me!

Love and the other white meat,
Carissa & Kyle

Smoothies for lunch

2012-02-11T07:19:00.002-05:00

Happy Saturday! I am at work now (5am) waiting for the start of our Let's Move event at Disney with Michelle Obama! How cool!

If you missed yesterday's post check it out here. It's a fun one and there's a great squat set to try in the gym next week. Now onto today's fun!

We all have our own healthy eating achilles heel. That one time where we are more apt to chew the wrong thing. What's yours?

Night time snacking, happy hour, the afternoon candy rush?

I am the breakfast champ and I rule the dinner table....but lunch...oh lunch...you sneaky mid-day nosh. I am a lunch time loser! What can I say? If lunch time was on facebook, I wouldn't be a "fan". I don't like deli meat, I don't like reheated leftover chicken, and I only tolerate tuna.

My usual lunch time plan of attack is to eat my healthy leftovers from the night before. Most of the time that does the trick. Although as I said above I LOATHE re-microwaved chicken so I usually eat it cold. Nobody said clean eating was fun all the time! Yesterday I was over it. I had to go workout so I know I needed a good blend of protein and carbs...and cold chicken and brown rice..I wanted no part.

I decided to visit Planet Smoothie...my own homemade Planet Smoothie! If made the right way, a smoothie can be a great, nutritional choice and they are a classic pre-workout food.

PB Banana Choco-Cinna Smoothie

1 cup almond milk* (or whatever milk you use)
1 scoop Dessert Cinnamon Roll Protein powder* (or whatever flavor you have on hand)
1 handful ice
3/4 banana
1/4 cup oatmeal
1T flax seed
2T cinnamon
1/2T peanut butter

After I blended all this up I still wanted my smoothie to have a little more *sparkle*, so I thought WWMD. What would Marjorie do? Marjorie is my wonderful Grandmother-in-law and she is a certified, card-carrying CHOCO-HOLIC! So I added a squirt of sugar free chocolate syrup for Grandma's sake! :) All for you Grandma!

The smoothie was filling and delicious and I made enough to have 1/2 for my post workout shake as well. I may still be a lunch time loser but I'm working on it.

What's your toughest healthy eating time?

Love and smoothie goodness,
Carissa & Kyle

Five Things Friday

2012-02-10T19:52:00.001-05:00

The weekend is here and here are 5 things I have been loving on this week!

1.Flowers in the bathroom.
My sweet husband brought me beautiful pre-Valentine's roses. Then we remembered we have a kitten. Who loves water. My flowers are now locked in the bathroom.

2. Shopping!
I never shop for clothes. So when I do...I binge shop! Is that a disorder?
I went to the Orlando Premium Outlets today in search of a V-Day gift for Kyle and some new bras (can I say "bra" on a blog?) from the Victorias's Secret outlet. I got a V-Neck Pink bra for $6.99! That's a good deal!

Nike outlet <3

Kenneth Cole - I want this for work!

I also got 3 great summer dresses from Charlotte Russe. It's February, but it's 80 here. I'm ready to bust out the flip-flops.

Can you stop the creeper?

And now there's two!

3. Smith machine squats.
These hurt, but they are a GREAT exercise for your glutes and core.

If you've never used the Smith machine ask at your gym for a quick lesson and maybe a spot. Start with just the bar, then up the weight. And GET LOW!

source

Here's a fun and Pinterest friendly rep scheme to try. This will work your inner and outer thighs, glutes, quads, and core.

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4. Clif Z Bars
I mentioned these yesterday, but YUM-O! I have only had the one since I bought them, but I look forward to them as a sweet treat on a day when I need some extra calories. The chocolate chip tasted just like a cookie! No high fructose corn syrup plus vitamins and calcium makes it a "health-ified" treat.
5. The Real Housewives of Orange County

Our second favorite housewives are back and we are enjoying our guilty pleasure! I love all the hair extensions and false eyelashes!

Favorite post of the week: How to Lose Weight
Favorite FitFluential post: How to Become a Certified Trainer - Blonde Ponytail
Last week's Friday five: February 3

Tomorrow I'm excited to be meeting Michelle Obama as part of the 2nd anniversary at Disney of her Let's Move campaign.

What are you loving this week?

Love and smelling the roses,
Carissa & Kyle

Normal Days are Interesting

2012-02-10T09:01:00.000-05:00

Sometimes in the "blog world" the most interesting posts to read are the most normal. Is it weird that I just like to see what other people do, eat, buy, watch, wear?
Today I thought I'd show you an "average" part of my day here in Orlando.

Just an ordinary girl!

This morning I thankfully had my Advanced Nutrition mid-term. I have been studying since our beach weekend and I was glad to have it done! It went very well and I think I got an "A"!
Today I am not working out, so I came home to answer emails.
I ran 10 miles yesterday and as much as I'd like to workout today, because I have the time, I know resting is better. Resting is how muscles repair. Resting is how muscles get bigger. Resting will insure I can kick butt in my workout tomorrow. I'm resting!

How do you feel about running errands? It's no secret that I LOVE grocery shopping..but other errands I don't get as excited for. Here's a look at today's errands and some money saving coupon deals I scored along the way.

Stop #1: CVS
I need to pick up a prescription and I have a coupon for the $5 gift card if I "met my pharmacist". Well hello easy money!
While there I also got a great deal on some Biore face wash. CVS had a gift card deal where you got $5 back for buying $15 of products. I had $6 in coupons, so I got 3 face washes for $8 total or $2.66 each.

Stop #2: Sam's Club
Oh does Sam's give me anxiety! It's always so crowded and my carts never push easily. Never!
Today I had a relatively small amount to get. I needed 1.5L water bottles (ironically the same amount your full stomach can hold), lemon juice (to flavor my water at home), and Pure Protein bars for Kyle.
I also picked up 2 bottles of red wine! Yes, we ~~drink~~ love wine! Coppola is a red wine favorite in this house and if I buy it at Sam's it's $5 less!

I also had an impulse buy. I am a social media marketer's dream. Many of you bloggers (Courtney) kept talking about these Clif Z-bar things. I could get 24 of them for $10, and while they aren't exactly "diet" food they are organic and loaded with vitamins.
They're amaze-balls! I'm addicted...where should I hide them from Kyle?

Stop #3: Michael's
I got something I am way more excited about than I should be....a paper cutter! Think of how easy coupon cutting will be now?????

I had been wanting one of these for quite a while and it was 40% off!
I also got some items for a special Valentine present for my Valentine!

Stop #4: Publix
I never need a really good reason to take out my coupons and grocery shop...but...I kinda cleaned up today! Big coupon baller here!
I got everything you see here for $56...BUT....I also got a $50 gas card so it's like all of this was $6! You can clap for me now. Please. No really....CLAP!

Since this was an "extra" grocery trip I had coupons for practically everything. I only went to get grass fed beef for a cookout on Sunday and look at all I came away with!

Publix paid me $1.40 to take the soup home and all the Duncan Hines products were free thanks to a FoodBuzz and Duncan Hines promotion from December. It's not homemade, but Kyle's friend Davis is coming for dinner tomorrow and I think the boys will enjoy some cupcakes!

Tonight will be spent blogging, cooking baked chicken tenders for dinner, and catching up on some great DVR'd TV. I'm talking Revenge and the Real World/Road Rules Challenge!

Do you coupon? Do you shop at warehouse stores?

Love and easy clipping,
Carissa & Kyle

Fueled by Vega Sport

2012-02-09T07:24:00.000-05:00

Today I knocked out 10 miles fueled by the all-natural, plant based nutrition from Vega Sport.
Vega Sport is a brand that makes plant-based sports performance foods. They are gluten-free, as well as dairy and soy free, and full of good for you nutrients.

The 10 miles weren't fun, but the fuel was tasty!

I let myself have a leisurely morning before heading out for my run. I did this because I am trusting. I trust weatherman. When they claim the high will be 74, then I blindly believe them. Curses. Does this look like 74?

Ok - well in the sun it felt hotter. Way hotter.

Before my run I had a Acai Berry pre-workout energizer. I mixed it with water and drank it 20 minutes before I ran. I have been experimenting with different pre-run fuels. Vega Sports' has sprouted brown rice syrup for instant energy and organic palm nectar for slow, steady energy.
The taste was decent and I did feel energy at the beginning of my run. I liked that it was in a powder form and easy to transport and mix anywhere.

Enter the run. Enter the sun.

I started out with my run-walk-run strategy immediately.
I run 4 minutes and walk one from the beginning. This keeps me from hitting the "wall", allows my legs to stretch, and helps me focus.
My typical route isn't too shady, but when temperatures are low that's okay. It's February...I thought I was okay. Today...what do you think? Hot, hot, hot!
There is about a 1.5 mile stretch of shade, so I utilized it. I typically run out and back routes. I like these, because once I'm halfway done and turned around I feel energized and confident. Today's shade finding dance was mentally tough.
Jeff Galloway recommends slowing your pace by one minute for every 5 degrees over 65. I made a mental note to slow my pace, find my shade, and carry on.

Here's a look at Jeff's tips for heat:

Adjusting Race Pace for Heat: Estimated temperature at finish - Slower than goal pace - 8 min mile becomes...
55-60 degrees - 1% - 8:05
60-65 degrees - 3% - 8:15
65-70 degrees - 5% - 8:25
70-75 degrees - 7% - 8:35
75-80 degrees - 12% - 8:58
80-85 degrees - 20% - 9:35
Above 85 degrees - Forget it... run for fun

* Note: This chart is based upon my own experience in the heat and talking to other runners. It has no scientific verification.

At mile 4.5 there was a water jug and I reached for my Vega Sport Endurance Gel.

To be honest, I was nervous. I usually don't like gels. I was working in the heat and I wanted my jelly beans.
Wow! I was surprised. I had the orange zest gel and it was great! It tasted like a sweet date and the consistency was just right. What I liked about this gel was this is does not contain high fructose corn syrup. It also has coconut oil, which gives your body instant, non-carbohydrate energy. I am already a coconut oil fan so this was a plus!
My only drawback was that the gel is more of a "one stop shot". I like to have my beans at miles 5-7 in groups and that's harder to do with a gel. I did, however stuff it in my sports bra to enjoy again at mile 7.5. That, however, could've gotten messy. Lucky for me it didnt...one classy gal!
My run slowly plodded along. I got in the ten miles and my pace was a little over 10 minutes per mile. It's slower than I would've liked, but I got the miles on my legs and that's what matters.

My overall thoughts on the run: Vega Sports' products are good. The sun is bad.
Did I mention my new shoes are higher in the back than my old ones? I learned this around mile 6 when my heels blistered and bled. That, my friends, is why we do our training runs in the same gear we plan to do our race in. Better to learn now than on race day.
I wanted to show you a picture, because for some reason bleeding heels make me feel like a more hard-core runner. But my rational brain won so there is no blood on the blog. Sorry Twilight fans!

I have more Vega products to share with you in time as well as the story behind the brand.

Out of these 2 products, I would 100% buy and use the gel again. You can order them online or use their store locator tool. They are about $2 per gel.
Disclaimer: I was given these products by Brendan Brazier the creator of Vega Sport and an Iron Man triathlete, however these opinions are all my own.

What fuels your runs?

Love and Live Well Now,
Carissa & Kyle

WIAW- Turkey Blue Cheese Meatballs

2012-02-08T12:00:00.001-05:00

Today I have a treat for you. Blue balls.
Really?
That's mature.
Blue Cheese Meatballs!!!
They're amazing. A fan favorite dinner in this house.
I hinted at them in this week's In & Out post and they are proudly making their debut on What I Ate Wednesday! The virtual blog party where it's okay to blog with your mouth full!

We are also all about veggies this month...but....I'm devoting next week to the veg and today to the meatballs. At least they're covered in tomato sauce!
For the meatballs I use Jenny-O Extra Lean ground turkey. I season them like a typical Italian meatball with breadcrumbs and Italian spices.Before baking I use the end of a wooden spoon to poke a hole in the top of each meatball. Just about halfway through. I then carefully drop blue cheese crumbles into the hole.

I bake them as usual and top with marinara sauce. You can make your own or use a low sugar version.You would think the blue cheese/tomato combo is weird, but it's so good! I pinky swear!

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We served ours with a side of super easy spaghetti squash and roasted broccoli. I went a little heavy on the EVOO with the broccoli. Whoops!
Other meals for the day included a relaxing oatmeal breakfast. Oats, PB2, chocolate Prolein, strawberries, and slivered almonds for crunch.

I also enjoyed coffee in my Tinker Bell Half Marathon mug.

For lunch I had a blogger meet-up with Mara who I met at the Central Florida Blogger Conference last summer. We met at the Drunken Monkey, a super cute coffee shop outside of Downtown Orlando. I had never been there before and I was excited by their selection of soups, sandwiches, and gluten-free baked goods.I had an almond milk chia tea latte and a Vegan Spanish Bean soup. Mmmm!

I love blogger meet ups!
Now here's the blue cheese meatball recipe. Give them a try and I promise they will be a favorite of your family too!
Turkey Blue Cheese Meatballs:

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup Whole Wheat Panko breadcrumbs or lightly crushed Wasa Light Rye Crispbread
1/3 cup FF milk
1 lb. extra-lean ground turkey
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 T plus 1 tsp. grated RF Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup of blue cheese for filling

Homemade marinara or sugar free sauce for topping

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly mist a medium baking sheet with olive oil spray. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs or crushed crispbread and the milk. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the milk softens the crumbs. Add the turkey, egg whites, parsley, cheese, garlic powder, onion powder & salt. With clean hands or a fork, mix well. Divide the mixture into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms to shape into a ball. Place the meatballs, not touching, on the prepared baking sheet.

Using the bottom of a wooden spoon, lightly poke a hole in the top of each meatball. Fill the hole with blue cheese crumbles.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until no longer pink inside.

Today I have 2 questions for you:

1. What's your favorite semi-strange food combination?

2. What vegetables would you like to see in next week's WIAW?

Love and blue balls, Carissa & Kyle

I dreamed a Chobani winner

2012-02-07T19:41:00.000-05:00

I had a dream last night. Kyle & I were the trainers on The Biggest Loser and I was lecturing a group full of contestants on fitness and I remember saying, "muscle is more metabolically active than fat."

Did you know that?
It's true. Muscle takes up less space than fat and burns more calories at rest then the yucky, yellow stuff.

Fat vs. Muscle

Source: Uploaded by user via Carissa on Pinterest

That's what I'm so adamant about women picking up the weights! Even if you're a big runner or triathlete, give the iron some love and your body will thank you!

Speaking of Biggest Loser, I would REALLY like to be a trainer on that show. Duh!
Kyle sent in a tape last year and the casting directors actually called...but...apparently he is too similar to Bob. I mean Bob has hair. Kyle clearly doesn't. I think he should've been given a shot.

Kyle for BL!

Check out his casting video:

Can I start a "put Kyle on the Biggest Loser" letter writing campaign?

Also congrats to my Chobani Giveaway winner:

Thanks to everyone for entering..keep eating the creamy, high protein goodness that ya'll obviously love so much!

Love and Hollywood fame,
Carissa & Kyle