Now that the weather is freaking gorgeous I've been running outside a lot. But at least two days each week I get up early to exercise (before you think I'm so motivated for doing that, it's so I can go to happy hour after work). And for nights when I get home late and it's already dark, I need a good ole basement workout. These are my favs right now:



I took a break from Millionaire Hoy to do T25, and I was so happy to get back with his workouts. I love his 500 calorie videos- most are ~30 minutes. He has a lot!



I love Leslie. I have been having back discomfort lately (really why are we still sitting at desks all day when we know how bad it is for us?) and this twisty video has really helped.




Fitness Blender is back and putting out new videos like crazy! I liked this workout - half weights and half pilates. I also love how Fitness Blender gives all the info about their videos (like below):







I've started playing this in the background when I do yoga and it takes it to a whole other level of relaxation and focus. Plus something about music makes concentrating so much easier for me.

Anyone have some good free workout videos I should be checking out?

Wednesday Workouts:Videos lately

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

I'm only talking about Blue Apron because this Blue Apron subscription is the reason I had parsley and decided to make these sliders which turned into meatballs which were delicious.

Ok so everyone loves Blue Apron. I hear about it everywhere, I read about it everywhere, it is apparently the best thing ever. Do you know what, to me who has a weekly goal of feeding 2 people all organic whole foods on $75/week, is NOT the best thing ever? Paying $10 per meal per person. The other thing, to me who fast forwards through YouTube tutorials to just see the first and middle step because I am confident I can figure it out from there, that is not awesome is following intense directions. So here I am, the only person in the whole world who canceled their Blue Apron subscription. 

I do however think it's worth a try for 2 weeks - I DID have some great meals that inspired me to try new things this winter (recipes to come!). I also learned something from them - add lots of salt and lemon juice to everything and it will taste better! Did I miss that in cooking 101?

Anyway, all that to say I'm horrible at following directions (is that why I never enjoyed school?) and somehow ended up with a random assortment of leftover ingredients from my Blue Apron meals including: 4 cloves of garlic, 1 small onion, 1 tiny baggie of parsley, a bunch of green onions, and a purple potato. So while my chili cooked in the crockpot with 2/3 pack ground chicken I thought what they hey, let's throw a few things together and see what happens!



Servings: 5 Meatballs
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 lb ground chicken ($2)
  • 2 stems (is that what you call it? but you know what I mean right? like 2 stalks maybe?) vidalia onions chopped  ($.50)
  • 1/4 Cup fresh parsley, chopped ($.50)
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon ($.50)
  • 3 Tablespoons crumbled Feta ($1)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced 
  • 1 egg
  • Optional seasonings: marjoram, basil, dill
Preheat the oven to 400. Mix all the ingredients together except for the Feta. Spoon about 1/5 of the mixture onto a separate plate and flatten it out. Sprinkle some of the Feta into the center of your flat meat stuff. Now pull all the edges up around the Feta and pinch them together until the Feta is completely wrapped up. I rolled mine around in my hands to get the round shape too.

Repeat this with the rest of the meat mixture and place your meatballs onto a baking sheet. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. 

I just ate mine plain. I ate them quickly, hence the reason I only have pictures of one cooked meatball.

What is your favorite spin on meatballs?


Clean Eating Greek Stuffed Meatballs + The Time I tried Blue Apron

Monday, October 19, 2015

Oh hey! I went MIA for awhile... did a little soul searching, a little WTF am I doing with my life and when did I become someone with a blog who spends time blogging?? and a lot of eating non-blog-worthy food and doing a lot of non-blogworthy things (like work) and a lot of sleeping. But I'm back, and back on track (maybe?) and glad to be using this outlet again. SO thanks for the emails, comments and messages and let's get back to it:

Anyone who graduated from a big football school usually finds themselves extremely nostalgic at this time of year. I find myself reminiscing about the tailgates, the marathon weekends with friends, crying that time the bulldogs came running out in black jerseys during our blackout game my senior year of college against Auburn (laugh all you want but anyone at that game who claims to have had dry eyes and/or dry pants is a LIAR), and my inhuman ability to binge drink from the time class ended Friday (if I made it to class) until Sunday night.

The next biggest thing I get all hot and bothered and sad about missing is the food. We had some great soul food in Athens, Georgia. My personal favorite was Weaver D's (Fun fact: REM - also from Athens - named an album Automatic for the People after Weaver D's slogan). This restaurant was literally an extension of an old couple's home, you were basically sitting in their actual kitchen when you ate the best fried chicken you've ever had in your entire life. Just look at this beauty:


Anyway, every since I started on this clean eating thing I've experimented with fried chicken and generally end up with chicken coated in soft or slimy skin. Until I found the perfect combo, and it was easier than I could have thought. 

Servings: 3
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
  • 3 Tablespoons of the fat of your choice - I think this recipe is best with bacon grease but olive oil or coconut oil or whatevs along those lines works too.
  • 1.5 lbs chicken tenders or chicken breast sliced into 1-2" strips (I get organic/free range for $5)
  • 2 eggs, beaten ($.50)
  • 3/4 Cup ground Flax Seed (I get mine for $8/box at Trader Joe's)
  • Seasonings of your choice (I use sea salt, pepper, a little chili powder, and some Italian seasoning- weird) + sea salt and pepper
Mix up the ground flaxseed and seasonings in a bowl. Set up an assembly line on your counter in this order: plate of chicken, beaten eggs, ground flax seed mixed with seasonings, empty plate. 

Sprinkle salt and pepper onto each side of the chicken strip. Dip a strip of chicken into the eggs (get that egg all over the chicken strip!), then roll it around in the flax/seasoning mixture until it's completed coated, place on an empty plate. Repeat with all the chicken strips.


In a medium frying pan, heat the fat. Once it's all heated, throw your chicken into it the frying pan and cook about 5-8 mins on each side, or until it is completely cooked all the way through. I may or may not have burned the sh*t out of a chicken strip or two and you know what? All the crunchier. And extra Cajun, right?




Anyway, it's that easy. Sometimes I throw them on salad with some whole30 ranch, or put them on 3 ingredient paleo waffles (yes drool), or just dip them in some stone ground mustard. 

Do you have a favorite "fried" chicken recipe? What is it? Please share!





Easy 5 Ingredient Crispy Paleo Fried Chicken

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

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