rock that body... diet & exercise

Thought I'd post something about my diet & exercise routine which I have to say, has honestly been a roller coaster since the  accident.  

I love to cook, & I try to eat healthy most of the time, but never deny myself something that I really want & don't punish myself if I sometimes over indulge because I would be under constant scrutiny if I did.  Most of my recent favorites can be found on my Pinterest pin board,  Yummy Stuff!  A few that I've made recently that I've really enjoyed:

Gnocchi Mac n Cheese

Parmesan Chicken Bake

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Cream Cheese Sausage Pinwheeles (I used ground beef)

Pulled pork sandwiches

I try to use Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese, mayo, & sour cream.  If I do use either of the other 3 aforementioned ingredients, I buy light or low-fat.  I also do this with salad dressings.  The taste is not that different, but plain Greek Yogurt is by far the healthiest (also no or low-fat) & it works just as well if not better.  It doesn't have to be softened, & it's creamy.  

We also have our own garden, we grow tomatoes, and lots of peppers including jalapenos, bells, banana, and habeneros, also green beans, & green onions.  We have done okra in the past too.  I love to make fresh salsa or poppers on the grill with low-fat cream cheese and bacon. 

here is some of the salsa I made this weekend.

Here are some of our favorites:

1lb ground beef

1 pie crust (I use the boxed one)
1 1/2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 onion finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped peppers (I use a jar of sweet)
4oz. Daisy Lite Sour Cream
4oz. Non-fat Greek Yogurt
1 tomato finely sliced

Shredded cheese (I like to use a Mexican blend)

Brown ground beef & chopped onions, drain & add garlic powder & chili powder.  Mix well.  Fill pie crust with the ground beef mixture.  Mix together sour cream, Greek yogurt, & chopped peppers.  Spread evenly over the ground beef.  Thinly slice tomatoes and cover the pie with the slices, then cover the pie with shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend works best).  Bake the pie at the temp according to the pie crust for 30+ minutes or until cheese pie crust is golden brown.

1 Pillsbury Flat Bread Pizza Crust

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp. hot sauce
1 tbsp. Tabasco sauce
Steak Seasoning (an orange powdered spice not A1)
Ranch or Blue Cheese
Shredded mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, etc…

Precook pizza crust for 5-7 minutes according to the temp on the package.  Season chicken with steak seasoning, (a little on each side will do) & cook in a skillet until done.  Shred chicken (I throw mine in the Kitchen Aid with the paddle, it shreds it like restaurant style, AMAZING! Thank you Pinterest).  Heat the tomato sauce, butter, hot sauce & Tabasco sauce & add chicken once boiling.  Coat the chicken with the mixture.  Use ranch or blue cheese dressing as the sauce, spread evenly over precooked crust.  Spread chicken evenly over the crust, add your cheese, pop back in the oven for an additional 5+ minutes or until cheese is melted & enjoy!  The guys LOVE it!

1 package Phyllo dough (found in the freezer section)

1 stick of butter (approx.)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small bag leaf spinach
1 1/2 cups Italian blend cheese

Season chicken breasts with salt & pepper, oregano, basil, & garlic powder.  Cut up into cubes & cook all the way through in a skillet, set cubes aside.  Cut stick of butter in 1/2 and heat in the microwave until melted.  Brush each sheet of Phyllo dough with butter, fold in half & layer on top of each other, (try to use 3-4 sheets per packet, so folded you will have 6-8 layers of dough).  In the center of each square, put a few leaves of spinach, a few cubes of chicken, then sprinkle with cheese.  Fold each corner of your dough up & to close the filling in.  Brush with additional butter & set on a cookie sheet.  Phyllo dough will come in a box with 2 rolls of  sheets, one roll will make 4-6 packets depending on how many sheets you layer, a few layers is good though, you don't want them to be too thin.  Set oven to 350 and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

These are a tad messy to make & take more effort than other dishes but they taste amazing.  The butter makes the dough flakey and delicious.  I highly recommend these.   


As far as working out goes, most of my workouts have been done at physical therapy which I have been doing for about 16 weeks now with at least 10 more to go, I might be going for a full year.  Before the accident I would go to the Y roughly four times a week.  Tuesday's and Thursday's were water aerobics night, which I love & once we finally settle down in the house I plan to go back.  It will be a great workout for my knee & it's low-impact.  It's an hour long & it doesn't even really feel like a workout.  Plus it's in the therapy pool so the water is warm, I love it.  I wear a one piece (so JR. high) & water shoes because the bottom of the pool is awful.  I got these from Swim Outlet for real cheap.  I spend the other two days in the fitness room on the elliptical, treadmill, & whatever random machines I feel like working on.

So we are finally about done with the house & will be moving in this weekend!  I will be posting pics soon, everything is looking amazing,  The paint colors turned out awesome.  Right now we are working on the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation which is time consuming, but has so far been pretty easy!  Stay tuned!