Sunday Night Feast

It's tradition in my family to have a big meal together every Sunday evening. It's really fun for me as I know this will be a guaranteed time to try out new recipes. I love that I get to head to Whole Foods on Sundays and browse all of the amazing foods, try the samples and chat up the staff to learn about the different seafoods, cheeses, etc.

Tonight I decided to try out Pesto Mussels recipe from Real Simple Magazine that my friend Julie recommended. Real Simple does a great job of creating quick and delicious recipes with relatively few ingredients. I stuck to their mussels recipe (see below) but wanted to make sweet potato fries rather than the garlic fries (which I'm sure are great too). I can't get enough of sweet potatoes right now and thought they would be fun to incorporate. I tried two variations detailed below!

Lastly I felt like we needed another veggie in our meal so I roasted asparagus in the oven as well. It was a nice, light side and paired with the mussels and fries well.

Pesto Mussels Recipe
(From Real Simple)

1 cup dry white wine
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed
1/2 cup pesto (store bought or homemade if you are feeling ambitious!)

Directions:
Bring the wine to a boil in a large pot. Add the mussels and simmer, covered, until they open (about 3-4 minutes). Mix the pesto into the cooking liquid and let simmer for another minute or so. Serve with fries or bread.



Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

2-4 sweet potatoes (depending on how many you are serving or the amount you would like)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Italian seasoning

Directions:
Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into wedges/stripes. You can create whatever size fries you like, just try to keep them consistent so that they require the same amount of time to bake. Arrange the wedges flat on a baking pan or cookie tray. I coated all of the wedges with olive oil and then sprinkled half with salt and pepper and the other half with salt and Italian seasoning to try out different flavors (both were delicious). From there bake the fries at 425° F for about 30-35 minutes depending how crispy you want them (remember to flip and move them around about half way through).



Roasted Asparagus
2 bunches of asparagus
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Wash and trim the ends off of the asparagus. Arrange on a cookie tray and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper (make sure to get both sides). Bake at 425° F for about 15 minutes or until they start to brown and are tender.



My family really enjoyed this whole meal! Tell me about your Sunday night dinners!

Yoga Sculpt

Yoga has became an important part of my health and fitness routine. I love mixing it in with the higher impact, strenuous cardio workouts like running, biking and hiking. It's a nice way to give my joints a breather and turn the focus towards strength and flexibility.

I have enjoyed trying several different types of yoga, but my favorite go-to class is yoga sculpt. If you haven't tried it, sculpt is a high-intensity class that combines yoga, weights and cardio (along with pop-type music to get you going... think Lady Gaga, Rihanna, etc). You will find yourself doing many of the normal yoga postures but with dumbbells in hand. The other part I love is that most of the moves combine upper and lower body workouts. For instance you will be doing squats and bicep curls at the same time.

The class is definitely a bootcamp type workout which I think the athlete in me really enjoys. It's nice having a "coach" pushing you to keep going while having your fellow yogis going through it with you as well.

I take my sculpt and other yoga classes at CorePower Yoga and have had a great experience at many of their studios around town.

Tell me about your yoga practice!

Peanut Butter Cups + Brownies = Perfection

There are times when I want to make a fancy, gourmet dessert and there are other times that I want something fast and simple especially after a big, filling dinner. In my mind there is no better combo than chocolate and peanut butter. It helps that I LOVE peanut butter (it's probably my favorite food) and who doesn't love chocolate? I saw this dessert while browsing Katie Lee's site and love how simple yet decadent it is.

All you need is your favorite box brownie mix (with any ingredients that it calls for... usually oil, eggs and water) and peanut butter cups (I used Reese's). I have made this dessert for a dinner party with the girls as well as for my Dad's birthday dinner. Serve warm, with ice cream and your guests will love it!

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies Recipe
(from Katie Lee)

1 box brownie mix
16 peanut-butter cups (like Reese's)

Prepare brownie-mix batter according to package instructions. Pour half of the brownie batter into a 9-inch by 9-inch baking dish.

Top with peanut butter cups (see picture below). Spread the remaining half of the brownie batter evenly over peanut-butter cups. Bake according to package instructions. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins from FitSugar

FitSugar is one of my favorite health and fitness sites. They always have great workout tips, fitness dvd and gear reviews, healthy recipes, etc. FitSugar recently posted a recipe for Oatmeal, Dark Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins. Due to the fact that as soon as the fall weather sets in I become pumpkin obsessed I had to try them right away (plus who doesn't love dark chocolate). I made them this weekend to have for either breakfast or a snack before workouts throughout the week. They are delicious and will definitely be a staple for me this fall and winter. Check them out and let me know what you think!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
(From FitSugar)

Ingredients 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons canola oil
one large egg
one large egg white
1/4 cup lowfat milk
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line muffin tin with muffin cups.Whisk dry ingredients and spices together in a large bowl.Add pumpkin, oil, milk, and egg and egg white to a medium size bowl and mix thoroughly. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredient and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.Fill muffin cases evenly and bake for 18 to 25 minutes Makes 14 muffins.

8 Mile Training Run with my Running Buddy

About three weeks to go until my first half marathon! I'm a little nervous and have been trying to make sure I get enough training in, especially with a long run each weekend. I have been loosely following Hal Higdon's training plan, but mix in my own workouts of yoga, cardio, weights, etc to even out all of the running.

Today I ran 8 miles and it was good, but tough! I'm so glad that I have a great training buddy (my brother's dog Winston). A 2 year old high energy lab is just what I need to keep myself going. It does make it so much more fun to have a happy training partner that is loving every mile.

Next weekend will be 9 miles... I'll keep you posted!

Baby Shower Brunch

I helped host a baby shower for a friend today. It was so much fun to get the menu together and spend the morning cooking! We wanted to have a good mix of food, sweet and savory, and something that everyone could enjoy but of course that was "mommy-to-be" friendly!

The menu ended up being:
- Peanut Butter Banana Bread
- Egg Casserole
- Fruit Salad
- Parmesan Potato Pancake

My two favorite dishes ended up being the bread and the egg casserole. The peanut butter banana bread was featured in the October issue of Cooking Light (one of my favorite foodie mags). It was the second time that I've had it and it is delicious yet simple to bake. I love having it around the house to pair with a smoothie for breakfast.

The egg dish was a recipe I got from a friend and it is all all-time favorite. The nutmeg and thyme make it very unique and flavorful. The best part is you can make it the night before you are hosting a brunch and just throw in the oven. Recipes for both of these dishes are below!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread Recipe
(From Cooking Light)

Ingredients
Bread:
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
Cooking spray
Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

Preparation 1.

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.

4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.

Florentine Brunch Casserole Recipe

4 cups cubed french bread or italian bread, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 10 oz pkg frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup chopped onion
8 italian sausages chopped and cooked (use whatever breakfast meat you prefer)
2 cups shredded 2% milk sharp cheddar cheese
8 eggs
2 cups skim milk
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 by 13 in pan with cooking spray. Place bread pieces, spinach, onion, sausage, and cheese in casserole dish. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, thyme, salt, nutmeg and mustard until well blended. Slowly pour in egg mixture. Bake immediately, or cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove cover before baking. Bake 25-30 minutes until casserole is golden and puffy and center reaches 160 degrees. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

Breakfast Smoothie

I have been on a major smoothie kick the last few months and make one for breakfast almost every morning. I love that I can take them on the road with me to work or have one before a morning workout to fuel up. I have tried many ingredients and variations including adding spinach to get a serving of veggies in first thing in the morning. It sounds a little scary but the fruit really masks the taste. I also throw in flax seed for fiber and protein powder. Below is the recipe that I am loving right now. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Recipe:

1 banana chopped
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup frozen berries (I use whatever frozen fruit I have on hand or that I can get a good deal on)
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1/2 - 1 cup almond milk (if you like a thicker smoothie use less milk)
1 handful fresh spinach

Directions:
Throw everything in, blend and enjoy!

Little Red Pumps

I'll admit it... I LOVE shoes! In my mind they are the best part of an outfit and I often find myself picking out my clothes based on the pair of shoes that I'm dying to wear. As we said goodbye to summer I was on the hunt for a new pair of red heels to take me into fall. To me red pumps are an essential part of every woman's wardrobe... the can add a pop to the simplest of outfits.

My cousin and I were out and about shopping at Nordstrom Rack when I found the perfect pair! They are a gorgeous berry red with a bright red heel from Franco Sarto. I am definitely a shop the deals type of girl so finding these little beauties at the Rack made it even better!

These will go great with anything from dark skinny jeans and a simple black top to a fun dress and tights.

Do you have a go-to pair of little red pumps?

Relaxed Dinner Party

I had some friends over last night for dinner and wanted to make something cozy and delicious, but not too complicated! For me this often times means pasta and red wine :) ... you can't go wrong with that combo.

For the pasta dish I tried out a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce. I followed the recipe pretty closely, but did make a few modifications (noted in the recipe below). Overall I really loved this recipe and think it was a hit with my guests! The great thing is that you can prep it beforehand and just pop it in the oven when you're ready. I served this with a simple spinach salad to lighten the meal up.

Recipe:
(Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis @ The Food Network)

• 1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 (8 to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese (I used low-fat)
  
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I used dried basil)
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)
• 5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows

**Note, I added a package of frozen, thawed spinach to the turkey mixture

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts (and frozen spinach) and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)

Arrabbiata Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped (I didn't have pancetta, but the sauce was still great)

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta (if you have it, otherwise just skip this step) and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Yield: approximately 6 cups

Half Marathon Training with Podcasts

My first half marathon is about a month away! I'll be running the half with 3 of my friends from college in St. George, Utah. I had to get a 7 mile training run in today and ended up going to a greenbelt trail nearby. I wasn't feeling super motivated, but once I got on the trail and saw the beautiful setting with all of the trees changing colors I felt much better!

This was the first time I had tried listening to podcasts instead of music on a long run. A friend that just completed a half recommended this to me to help get through the training. I think it definitely helped and will keep it up!

What tips do you have when you're in training and just aren't feeling motivated for a long run?

The start of the run:

Green Salsa Chicken Soup

As the fall weather finally started to set in this week so did my desire for making soup! I've had my eye on this quick and easy recipe from Real Simple Magazine and was so excited to finally get to make it.

I adapted the recipe with some of my favorite ingredients as well as doubled it to make sure I had leftovers for the week.

I started with 2 jars of green salsa and added the chicken broth. One good thing to note is you
can adjust the portions of salsa to chicken broth however you would like. If you are looking for more of a thick chili or stew, use more salsa. If you want it to have the feel of a broth based soup I would suggest adding more broth. My theory is always to play around until you get the texture you like.

While bringing the soup to a boil I cooked two lean chicken breasts in a skillet. The original recipe calls for rotisserie chicken, which I would love to try next time. Once the chicken was ready and chopped I proceeded to chop and throw in various vegetables that I wanted to use up (mushrooms and bell peppers) as well as the drained/rinsed beans. Lastly I added the cumin and let the soup boil until we were ready to eat!

When it came time to serve the soup I decided to top it with crumbled goat cheese, sliced avocado and green onions. The goat cheese was a great substitute for sour cream and added a really nice flavor and creaminess.

I hope you give this a try and tell me how you like it!

Recipe
(Adapted from Real Simple)

• 2 jars of Whole Foods 365 brand green salsa
  
• 2 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
• 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped for a topping
  
• Goat cheese (crumbled on top)
• Fresh mushrooms chopped
• 2 bell peppers chopped
• 2 avocados, sliced for topping
• Tortilla chips for dipping