Wise Words from Kid Rock

April 20, 2012April 20, 2012 / runningchickago / 1 Comment

Yesterday was a great day! I decided to sleep in (9 glorious hours of sleep!) and go on a hunt to find the perfect muffin. After checking out 4 places, I finally settled on a delicious Raisin Bran muffin. It was pretty much the size of a grapefruit. Read: YUMMM.

I made the rest of the day healthy until after my boyfriend Joe and I attended a painting class together.

Art + The Artists

We went to a place called “Merlot and a Masterpiece” and had a great time drinking some wine, painting, and laughing. The theme of the night was “The Dancer”, and we were supposed to copy the artist’s painting. When I paint, I have to do my own thing… so I didn’t really follow the rules 😉 but, I kept it abstract (which I never do) so that’s gotta count for something…right?

Anyways, after that I felt like a bear coming out of hibernation. I needed food and I needed it NOW. Of course, the fact that I had already eaten breakfast, lunch, and dinner didn’t matter. It was time for dinner number two… and I was going to indulge.

We went to a Mexican restaurant and ate a million too many chips (with salsa) and delicious burritos covered in queso. See, I really wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to indulge! Did I mention we I grabbed a baby ice cream cone from McDonald’s after, too? Sorry I’m not sorry.

Of course, the reality of that delicious treat really hits you the next day. Today’s goal has been healthy foods, healthy foods, oh! and more healthy foods.

I began with a banana smoothie, snacked on some cereal, and then had this health-packed lunch:

Get into my bellayyyy

Steamed broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and baby carrots made up my “sides”.

The main part of the meal was my sandwich thin + roasted red pepper hummus + marinated kalamata olives. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Olives = ❤

Basically, today’s lunch rocked. It’s great to be home and have any kind of veggie at your fingertips. It’s lunches like that make me feel better about last night’s treats.

As Kid Rock said on a recent episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

Hope you enjoy your day (and have a few sweet treats in there too)! 🙂

Question for you:

What’s your favorite thing to eat on a “splurge” night? (I think mine is Mexican food!)

BYOB

April 17, 2012April 17, 2012 / runningchickago / 3 Comments

Hey there!

Today was one of those days.

The days were you have to just take a break, curl up in a blanket, and watch Ellen. And laugh like crazy when someone’s dance moves look eerily similar to your mother’s.

The days were you decide to skip making dinner and use that birthday coupon you got from Noodles & Co.

don't mind if I do, Noodles & Co.

I usually order the Chinese Chop Salad but with my long mid-week run tomorrow (9 miles!), I figured the Penne Rosa was the way to go!

It was so, so delicious. The free part didn’t hurt either. But wait, why am I showing you pictures of pasta and bread…when the title is BYOB?

Well, I have a confession to make. I love veggies. A lot. I wanted to incorporate more veggies into my dinner so, before I headed out to Noodle’s, I steamed some broccoli. I had planned on getting Noodle’s to go…but instead I decided to eat in the restaurant. Yep, BYOB means Bring Your Own Broccoli. Awkward and embarrassing? Yes. Too embarrassing to not eat it? Well…

…busted 😉

Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do. For me, that was making sure that I ate the carbs & veggies I need to help fuel my run. It’s really important for runners to make sure they are eating the items their body truly needs. Pasta, bread, and other forms of carbohydrates truly help to make runs “easier”. I have learned (numerous times) how terrible it can be to not fuel your body correctly. Eating too much food, eating oily or greasy foods, or both, will not help you out the next morning. After eating too much of my favorite dinner on Friday, and being forced to take breaks on my Saturday run, I’ve realized it’s better to stick with average-sized, nutrition-packed entrees instead.

As my roommate and long-time runner always says, “Food is fuel.” Try your best to fuel your body correctly with healthy and nutritious foods and your body will thank you during your runs.

Have a good night!

Delish Frittata

April 16, 2012April 16, 2012 / runningchickago / Leave a comment

Hey friends!

I hope your day was as good as mine! Today was my “off” day for marathon training and I must say, I’m definitely appreciating the lack of a run. I treated myself out to a nice steak dinner with wine tonight (gotta get that iron in from the red meat 😉 ) but still felt like cooking. Apparently, I just need to get some type of cooking or baking in for the day!

To make this recipe, I used some food that I had and also grabbed some food from the dining hall. “Shopping” at the dining hall definitely makes life easier when you don’t have a car!

Anyways, here’s the recipe:

1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup Cherub tomatoes (I love these!)
2/3 cup steamed broccoli
1 yolk
2 egg whites
2 TB skim milk
1.5 cheese sticks (I used Frigo Light Mozzarella)
Ground Pepper, to taste (I used a few dashes)
Garlic Powder, to taste (I used a few dashes)
Red Pepper Flakes, to taste (totally optional- but I love spice, so I used a few heavy dashes)

Preheat oven to 450F, and place pie dish inside to get warm.
While the oven heats up: steam the broccoli and cut up the green pepper, tomatoes, and cheese sticks.
Next, crack eggs and put the 1 egg yolk and 2 egg whites into bowl.
Whisk eggs, and add 2 TB of skim milk.
Pour egg mixture into pie dish and add vegetables, cheese and seasonings.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until sides are brown and top isn’t runny.

My first frittata!

After it’s out of the oven, run a fork around the edges so that the frittata isn’t stuck to the dish.
Then, grab a plate that’s about the same size as the pie dish, and flip it! (and cross your fingers that it doesn’t turn out like mine…)

Okay, okay…so it’s not the prettiest looking frittata. Give a girl a break 😉