Weekly Challenge #2:Stretch

That's right ladies, this week's challenge is to stretch, everyday for at least 10 minutes. Stretching is great for the body, so do your favorite stretches this week. You can do them as you fold laundry- as you reeeeaaaaaaach for the matching sock, or set aside 10 minutes a day and just stretch. Make sure you're breathing deep as you stretch to really make the most of it. Post here if you're going to do it/doing it/did it.

Check out last week's playgroup. Leah planned a great activity of walking along Skunk Creek Trail. It was great to get the kids involved too. Mine took a GREAT nap that afternoon. Email me pics when you're in our out getting fit and I'll post it to the blog under the label - Caught in the act! :)

Workout Schedule Roundup March 1-5

-Running Group: Meet at Tessa W's for a great time running. It's quite a sight to see all the ladies with single, double and TRIPLE strollers thundering down the road. There's a 3.1 mile loop and a 4.5 mile loop you could do (this includes a .4 mile walk warm up and .4 mile walk cool down)

Monday 11:15

Tuesday 8:30

Wednesday 11:15

Thursday 8:30

Friday 9:15.

-Melinda is looking for a WALK/RUN buddy to go at a slower pace and take walking breaks when needed along the 3.1 mile loop (2.3 miles walk/run, .8 walk). Due to her beautiful growing belly she needs to take it at a more relaxed pace. Isn't she awesome for staying so active!?!?!?!?!!! So please post here or get in touch with her and coordinate.

-Teresa is getting into biking (while pulling 2 kids behind her - YOU ROCK Teresa!) If you're interested in biking with her let her know. Also, I have a double stroller with a bike attachment that you are welcome to borrow if that's what's holding you back. You are also welcome to use my mountain bike too.

-What else? Do you have something you've been wanting to get into? Find a workout buddy? There's been chatter of a "couch to 5k" idea. Anyone want to head that up????

-I'm going to start a weekly yoga class in a couple weeks, so watch for more info on that. Post here if you'd come to a 9pm yoga class at my house on Wednesday nights.

Carrot and Jicama Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Tessa has jicama on the mind and I really like this crunchy, sweet and zesty side salad. According to Williams Sonoma Essentials of Healthy Cooking, "Jicama is a large, bulbous root with thin, brown skin and a nutty taste." This salad only has about 100 calories per serving, is loaded with fiber and is cholesterol free.

Carrot and Jicama Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 T. oil

3 T. fresh lime juice

1 T. minced, seeded jalapeno chile

1 tsp minced garlic

kosher salt

3/4 lb. jicama (1 large or 2 medium)

3 carrots, peeled

1/4 c. finely chopped fresh cilantro

-In a small frying pan over medium heat, warm the cumin till fragrant, about 20 seconds. Transfer to small bowl. Add lime juice, oil, jalapeno, garlic and 1/2 tsp. salt and whisk until blended.

-Using a sharp knife, trim the stem and root ends from jicama(s) and peel.

-Shred/grate carrots and jicama.

-In a large bowl combine carrots, jicama and cilantro. Pour vinaigrette over vegetables and toss to mix. Serve at once.

Vegetable Melts on Garlic Toast

Katie asked about Eggplant. Good choice. Melinda's eggplant parmesan sounded good! Thanks for sharing. Here's another eggplant recipe that we had last week for the first time and liked. It has a lot of steps, but it's not hard at all. I roasted the eggplant and tomatoes the day before because I was already roasting butternut squash and wanted to cut down on oven usage. I kept the roasted eggplant and tomato slices in the fridge and it was so easy the next day when I assembled. The whole sandwich can be made ahead and placed in the broiler right before you serve them. A thick whole grain bread will make all the difference in these toasts. Regular sandwich bread will not be able to heft the weight of all the veggies. I sliced up some whole wheat homemade bread for it and it worked great. I wish I had a picture. If you make this, take a pic and send it to me.

Vegetable Melts on Garlic Toast - high in protein, high in fiber

1 eggplant, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/3" thick slices

4 large (Roma) tomatoes, sliced

4 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 c. thin sliced sweet onion

4 c. loosely packed spinach leaves

1 tsp. minced garlic, plus 1 clove halved

4 thick slices whole-grain coarse country bread (3/4" thick or so)

4 large basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade (very thinly sliced)

1/4 lb. low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

-salt and pepper

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees

-Place eggplant and tomato slices on baking dish. Brush 1 T. olive oil on both sides of eggplant and drizzle 1 T. olive oil on tomatoes. Sprinkle both lightly with salt. Roast eggplant for 15 minutes, turn and roast about 10 minutes more, until lightly browned and soft. Remove eggplant, but continue roasting tomatoes until skins shrivel and carmelize, about 35-45 minutes total baking time. Remove and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. (you could also grill the eggplant in a panini press or George Foreman type grill)

-In a large frying pan on medium heat add 1 T. olive oil and the onion. Add 2 T. water, cover, reduce heat to low and cook until onion is wilted and tender. Uncover pan, stir in garlic. Add spinach, re-cover and cook till spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

-Rub 1 side of bread lightly with cut side of garlic half. Arrange slices on baking sheet. Brush with remaining 1 T. olive oil. Bake until lightly toasted, remove from oven and turn on the broiler.

-Arrange the toasts by adding veggies in this order: spinach, eggplant, tomato, basil, cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly. Serve at once.

Roasted Cabbage?

Our first weekly challenge was to try a new vegetable. I experimented with cabbage (Which appeared on NY Times list of "11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating"). The article says cabbage is "loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes." However, this is not why I picked cabbage. I picked it after seeing this picture of roasted cabbage on Edible Vignettes. It looked so intriguing, I had to try it. I loved it, my mom loved it and Nate said, "tastes like cabbage." I think he would put it in the category of "GIRL FOOD." The GIRL FOOD category includes things like cucumber sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries and any main dish or salad that includes fruit-fresh or dried. When he puts something in the GIRL FOOD category, I tell him he just doesn't have a refined palette. I'm such a snob.

However, this posting is not really about Nate's preferences or my food snobbery- it's simply about cabbage. And I want to give a fair accounting of the reviews. It's soft lemony goodness was really refreshing and comforting to me. Plus it was SO simple and healthy. I didn't put enough lemon juice on it the first time, so be liberal with it when you put it on. Here's how you make it:

Roasted Cabbage

1 cabbage

olive oil

salt and pepper

lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Cut 1 green cabbage in quarters, leaving the core intact. Place on baking sheet and brush all sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, turn, and bake 10 minutes more. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the cabbage and then add to plate. Devour immediately.

Congrats on the 10k!!!!!

Congrats to Susan, Tessa, Leah and Kassie for a rocking 10k performance Saturday. Way to set goals and work for them! They finished 5th, 6th and 7th in their age brackets! Woohoo!

Workout Schedule Roundup February 22-27

Walking Group

-8am Monday/Wednesday/Fridays. Kim, Laura and Nikki welcome anyone interested to join them! Meet at the clubhouse at Midwestern's campus housing. Post here/please let Kim know if you're coming.

Running Group

-Meet at Tessa W's for a great time running. It's quite a sight to see all the ladies with single, double and TRIPLE strollers thundering down the road. There's a 3.1 mile loop and a 4.5 mile loop you could do (this includes a .4 mile walk warm up and .4 mile walk cool down). There's also several ladies that do a run/walk combo. The schedule changes weekly based on preschool. Post here/ let Tessa know if you're interested

Monday 11:15 (9:15am for run/walk)

Tuesday 8:30am (8:45am for run/walk)

Wednesday 9:15 am

Thursday 8:30am (8:45am for run/walk)

Friday 9:15 am

What Else?

Let me know what you have going on and I'll post it! Hike, bike, run, walk, swim, workout videos, yoga, pilates, whatever! Whether you want to start doing something and want to invite others, or you already have a schedule you want to let other's join, let me know and I'll post it! It doesn't have to be something you're ready to make a steady commitment to either, it could just be a one day hiking adventure. So many possibilities...

Muffin Tin Snack Tray

Here's a fun way to have snack time/keep kids busy while you make dinner. Throw fruits, veggies, nuts, dips, whatever you like into a muffin tray. It's fun and cute.

Weekly Challenge #1: Try a new vegetable this week

Our first "weekly challenge" will be to add a new vegetable to a meal this week. It doesn't have to be one you've NEVER tried before, but get outside your comfort zone and grab something new. When was the last time you had a parsnip? eggplant? rutabaga? Leave a comment on the blog and let us know what veggie you chose and how it went.

Spinach and Zucchini Soup

Don't be afraid of the name, I love this recipe for spinach and zucchini soup! I told Tessa W. I found a great new soup recipe and she asked, "What's in it?" I told her, "Spinach and Zucchini." Her response, "That doesn't sound so good." And yet it is. It has a potato base, which gives it a creamy texture, without all the fat and calories from heavy cream. I got the recipe from 101cookbooks.com , but altered it slightly, adding more potato and omitting the splash of olive oil/cream/yogurt at the end.

Spinach and Zucchini Soup

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
big pinch of salt
4 cups potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 cups zucchini (2 medium), loosely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
one lemon

In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with pinch of salt - just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and zucchini. Add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft throughout, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, and wait for it to wilt, just ten seconds or so. Now stir in the cilantro. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Whisk in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Now taste, and add more salt if needed,l and serve.

Welcome!

This blog is my little way or organizing health and fitness tips, exercise schedules, nutritious recipes and hopefully a little motivation to live a healthy lifestyle. The more comments you make, the better I can tailor fit the blog to be useful. I plan to post weekly "challenges" for health and fitness, healthy recipes, and workout schedules of the exercise groups (running, walking, yoga, biking, etc) in our ward so you know when/where/what people and doing to stay fit and can join in. If you want to start exercising and are looking for someone to do it with, use this blog to connect with others with similar interests. Maybe you want to have a walking group, but the current one doesn't work with your schedule....let's plan another group! If there's something you want to try or teach, leave a comment on the blog and we'll try to put something together!