DISCLOSURE – Redmond Trading sent me these products free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve used their Real Salt in my cooking for the last year or so and absolutely love it. I recently wrote about it on my Pantry Staples post. It tastes better than regular table salt and I like knowing that it doesn’t contain any funky ingredients. It’s just unrefined salt with natural minerals.

Today, I wanted to share a review on the items in their Organic Seasoning Gift Box.

Organic Garlic Salt ingredients: Real Salt, Organic Garlic

Organic Onion Salt ingredients: Real Salt, Organic Onion

Organic Season Salt ingredients: Real Salt, Organic Onion, Organic Corriander, Organic Mustard, Organic Black Pepper, Organic Paprika, Organic Celery Seed, Organic Tumeric, & Organic Parsley. (Kosher Certified by OU)

Unlike some of the other seasoned salts on the market, these products contain NO anti-caking agents, sugar or MSG. There aren’t any ingredient names in these products that I don’t recognize.

One of my favorite ways to use the Organic Garlic Salt was for Sweet Potato Chips. Using the mandonline slicer on my grater, I thinly sliced one sweet potato. I placed them in a bowl, added some EVOO, tossed them to coat all of the potatoes and layed them out on a sheet pan. Then, I sprinkled them with the Garlic Salt. I baked them at 400° (flipped them halfway through the cooking time) until they were crispy, about 20-25 minutes. They were super tasty and definitely something I will be making again. Healthy, delicious potato chips with only all-natural ingredients!

The Organic Seasoning Gift Box sells for $19.99 on the website, and I think that it would make a great gift for the health foodie in your life. They also sell individual bottles of each product as well. The Real Salt is available in stores, but I haven’t seen the Season Salts in my local stores, so I think you may have to order those off of their website. I might be wrong though.

Individually, the season salts sell for $4.92 on their website, which I think is a fair price. Prices on the Real Salt vary depending on the store, but I usually pay somewhere between $3.25 and $3.50 for mine.

Have you tried Real Salt or any of these other seasonings?

I was recently trying to think of a new variation of the classic chicken salad that I hadn’t yet posted on here. I have several chicken and tuna salads on the blog because I love making them during the summer months. Coming up with a new one had me stumped for a little while, but then I got an idea while we were eating at Panera.

My husband and I both love the Chicken Cobb Salad at Panera, and we order it every time we go there. So, why not take the same elements of that salad and make a version of it that you can eat with your hands.

Oddly enough, up until last year, I had never tried a Cobb Salad because I didn’t think that I would like it. That’s probably they usually have blue cheese in them. Growing up, my mom always said that blue cheese was yucky, so I just assumed that I wouldn’t like it either.  I think that’s a pretty common thing between parents and their kids. Who knows, maybe back then, I wouldn’t have liked it. My tastes have changed, and I am a lot more open now to new flavors. But, I do think that parents should encourage or at least not discourage their kids in trying new things by telling them that they wouldn’t like something before they even try it.

These can be a little messy to eat, but like my husband said, “A lot of the best foods are”. You may want to assume Guy Fieri’s “The Hunch” position while you eat them to avoid any clothing disasters.

Instead of the usual mayo based dressing, this chicken salad is made with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Do you like blue cheese? What’s your favorite kind of salad?

I came across a recipe for this Avocado Sauce when I was searching the internet for new recipe ideas. We’ve kind of gotten stuck in a rut lately, and I really wanted to try some new things out. The original recipe can be found over on Laylita’s Recipes blog.

I absolutely love avocados and cilantro, so I couldn’t wait to try this sauce! Not only is this sauce tasty, but it’s also very good for you. It contains healthy fats and the cilantro has great antioxidant properties.

Fun Fact: Did you know that cilantro is an amazing detoxifier, which can help remove heavy metals and other toxins from the body?

Pretty amazing benefits for one little herb, right?

I cooked some chicken breasts for dinner last night and served this sauce over them. Delish! I also plan to serve this over some salmon cakes later today.

Adapted from Laylita’s Recipes

Cilantro. Love it or hate it?

This past Saturday we had dinner with my parents at a new (to us) restaurant called Zanata. This locally owned restaurant is located in downtown Rockwall, a suburb of Dallas. There’s also a location in Plano now that opened in July of last year.

A short description of their menu and restaurant from their website:

“Our Italian-Mediterranean infused menu features handcrafted pizzas, fulfilling entrees and other mouthwatering bites, all authentically cooked in two wood burning ovens.

Our menu highlights flavors from afar, while utilizing local farm fresh ingredients, bringing the warmth, relaxation, and great food culture of Italy and neighboring countries right into the heart of historic downtown Rockwall.”

My mom has been wanting to try this place for some time now, and we finally got a chance to do that this past weekend. We arrived around 6:30, and there was about a 10 minute wait for a table. I was glad that we got there when we did because the dinner crowd started showing up after that and the place was packed.

Loved the look of their menus!

All of the pizzas sounded tasty, with the exception of the Happy Hour one. I’m not really a ‘pineapple on pizza’ kind of gal. We ended up choosing two different pies, one that was a little different for me, my mom and husband, and one that we thought my dad would actually eat. He’s not that big on pizza, but really isn’t into trying new and different foods.

On the left, the San Jacinto: goat cheese, pine nuts, prosciutto, balsamic, figs.

On the right, The House: prosciutto, house sausage, olives, onions, tomato sauce.

The restaurant was pretty noisy, so conversation was a little hard. It wouldn’t be a place I’d recommend for a romantic date night on the weekend, but perhaps during the week, it’s a little quieter.

I’d definitely go back. There were several other items on the menu that I’d like to try in the future. I really enjoy supporting local businesses and restaurants!

We walked down the street to a fairly new place called Hen’s Dining and Roosters Too, for a little dessert.

My mom and I both got the Key Lime pie, which was just okay. I kind of wished that I’d tried the banana pudding. It’s supposed to be made from scratch.

By the way, my dad says hi!

How was your weekend? Did you run any races? Try a new restaurant?

 What’s the weather like where you are?  

When organic veggies go on sale, I stock my freezer full of all kinds of them. I buy whichever brand is on sale at the time. Having a freezer full of these items means that I always have a side dish to serve with our meals. I do buy fresh spinach and kale, but I also like having the frozen kind on hand all the time. Frozen spinach is great to have on hand for putting in soups, meatloaf, frittatas or omelets. Just make sure you defrost and drain if using in those last three items.

Pre-diced frozen sweet potatoes are great for making mashed sweet poatoes. Just steam, then mash. Add a little butter, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder and sea salt and you have a very tasty side dish!

The Earthbound Farms organic veggies are a fave because the bags are resealable.

I also buy whichever frozen, organic fruit has a good price that day. These are great for making smoothies or as a healthy snack and dessert.

Meat

Organic Prairie 100% Grass-Fed Ground Beef

100% grass-fed beef has an optimal ratio of Omega-6 to Omega 3′s. It is also higher in CLA’s (conjugated linoleic acid), a fatty acid shown in animal studies to protect against cancer.

When these go on sale, I will buy 4 packages, which is enough for a month of meals for us because I usually only cook red meat about once a week.

I have also purchased the grass-fed beef from Sprout’s when it is on sale or I can’t get to a store that sells the Organic Prairie brand.

Poultry

I was buying the Organic Prairie brand, but we don’t really care for the texture of the ground turkey and chicken. I am currently on the lookout for an affordable brand of pasture-raised chicken, but have been buying the Sprouts brand of all-natural most recently.

Cooking Oils and Butter

California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Not every olive oil that labels itself extra virgin actually is. This particular brand was tested by the California Olive Oil Council and was certified as being legit. This is what they call an everyday olive oil, but they have others as well.

Trader Joe’s Virgin Coconut Oil

This coconut oil sells for $5.99 at TJ’s, which is the best price I’ve seen so far.

Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, which supports the body’s immune system.

Kerrygold Butter

Grass-Fed butter has higher levels of CLA (a good fat that may be a potent cancer fighter), Vitamin A and K2, and a balanced ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3.

I typically melt a little butter over some steamed veggies to season them. You need a little fat to help the body absorb the nutrients of the vegetables.

Redmond’s Real Salt

Pastured or Pasture-Raised Eggs

Jeremiah’s “World’s Best Eggs” from Coyote Creek Farm

There are a variety of “pasture-raised” eggs on the market, and I chose these not only for that reason, but also because their diet is supplemented with feed that contains no soy. Supposedly, the effects of the soy usually diminish during egg production, but I just feel better about avoiding it whenever possible.

These eggs do cost quite a bit more than conventional eggs, but it’s a splurge that I am willing to make when our budget allows. There is one other brand of pasture-raised eggs that I like and will buy when I can’t get the soy-free ones because of budget or availability.

Vital Farms Pasture-Raised Eggs

Muir Glen and Bionaturae

Muir Glen’s tomatoes are canned in BPA free cans. I love using their Fire-Roasted crushed tomatoes to make pasta sauce.

Bionaturae Tomatoes come in glass bottles and BPA free cans. I also love using their tomato paste, which comes in a jar, so you don’t have to transfer it to another container if you don’t need it all at once.

Fish

Sardines: Bela and Wild Planet

I like both brands of these sardines, but the Bela smoked ones are my favorite. I like to top them with a little Tabasco Chipotle sauce. Delish!

The brand of salmon that I buy varies, but I make sure that it is always Pacific.

Other items:

Spices: Frontier or Simply Organic

*The links above are NOT affiliate links.

What are some of your pantry staples?

I had thought about ordering the Tilapia, which was one of the featured dishes on their Spring Menu. One of the chicken dishes sounded pretty good too. My husband chose the Steak Frites dish, and I decided steak really sounded so much better than fish or chicken.

We followed up dinner with a little dessert.

We came home and watched Playing for Keeps with Gerard Butler. I thought it was pretty good, but there are a few changes I would have made.

It was nice to just unwind, not watch any news and just enjoy being together.

Do you like gelato? Are you a Gerard Butler fan? How do prefer your steak to be cooked?

I mentioned in my Second Half-Marathon Plan post that I wanted to get serious about my strength training in order to prevent running injuries. I have been having some lower back pain and knee pain during my more recent runs, and I feel that it has to do with the fact that I may have weak lower body muscles like hips and possibly glutes as well. I use to be so good about doing all kinds of lower body exercises but lately, it’s pretty much just been all about running for me. That’s not a good thing. Weak hips, glutes and ankles can lead to running injuries that could be prevented with a little strength training.

I have been searching online for exercises that specifically benefit runners and have come up with a list of them that I plan on incorporating into my workouts. Having strong legs not only can help prevent knee injuries, but it can also help you increase your speed, build up your endurance and make getting up those dreaded hills a little easier.

Here’s a list of lower body exercises that I will be incorporating (or re-incorporating):

The Squat

2 sets – 15 reps

Single-Leg Deadlifts

2 sets – 15 reps per side

Donkey Kicks

Get on all fours, with hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. With your leg at a 90 degree angle, flex your foot and lift knee to hip level. Lift knee to hip level and lower back down without touching the floor.

2 sets – 15 reps per side

The next 3 exercises are featured in the video below. These are some of the moves that Cameron Diaz does to get her gorgeous gams!

Curtsy Lunge

Single-Leg Squat

Plié with Calf Raise

15-20 each side on lunge and single-leg squat and 15-20 times on plié. The curtsy lunge is a great move because it works your glutes, quads, hamstrings and abs.

Bridge

2 sets – 15 reps

Proper posture and a strong core are also essential to your running form, so I’ll be implementing the next few exercises to strengthen those areas.

Push-ups

3 sets -10 reps

Plank  and  Side Plank

Superman

2 sets  - 15 reps

I REALLY hate doing these, but they are supposed to be great for your lower back and rear end.

I didn’t place forward lunges on this list because that is one of the moves that I use to warm up before a run, so I get plenty of those in. I usually do a 20 reps prior to running.

I plan to do this workout 2-3 times a week, depending on how much time I have.

Hopefully, these exercises will keep me injury-free and running strong. Another benefit of doing these moves is that they should help me tone and tighten some of my problem areas. Not a bad side effect, if you ask me!

What are some of your favorite strength training moves? Any others I should add to this list? Has strength training personally improved your running?