Memorial Day Weekend & Healthy Living

A little weekend recap- but first! My take on the "healthy lifestyle" concept.

Everyone talks about the importance of a healthy "lifestyle". In reality everyone's life is different, and you just need to figure out what works for YOU! This takes trying different things, and also depends on what your goals are. If your health is a priority (which it should be) make time and feed your body and soul with good nutrition and endorphins!! Living a healthy lifestyle is all about balance- not deprivation, starvation, or punishing yourself. Everyone deserves to feel good in their own skin! :) Find something you enjoy and do it! 

I love a good 3 day weekend, and this weekend was excellent. It was spent working out, cooking good food, and spending time outside (with my best friend obviously). 

I didn't workout Friday morning, so we went to the gym Friday night, then came home and made a delicious dinner (stuffed flank steak- so good). It was so nice just to stay home and relax! 

[what a babe] - contact me if you need a personal trainer- 
Brian is doing online training! 

Saturday I worked out in the morning while my sweet husband took our car to have the safety/emission inspections and get it registered :) I am so glad  I didn't have to participate in that. We also went to a baby shower and hung out in Salt Lake for a bit. 

Sunday was beautiful- none of the kiddos showed up to my Sunday school class, and of course Arrested Development is back-- yes! We finished the night with a walk around the lake- the weather was perfect! 

perfect. 

Monday morning we slept in for the first time in a long time. I did a quick interval workout, then we went on a picnic by the lake in our neighborhood. I am obsessed with our neighborhood-- so open, so many trails, and of course the lake that's a 5 minute walk from our house. As much as I miss California, I sure do love Daybreak.

fruit with greek yogurt dip, multigrain chips with salsa, and little sandwhiches- yum!

We finished off the weekend with froyo from Menchies. And then I cried about having to go back to work ;) 

nothing better than napping in the sun!

SO-- this post just goes to show that you can be active, eat healthy and not be deprived!! I have never felt as happy (mentally and physically) as I do now- and it's because I love and take care of my body. Everyone deserves the same happiness!

Easy Recipe: Fajitas and Spanish Rice

We had these saturday evening after being at the pool for the afternoon. They were very easy to throw together and so tasty!

Fajitas 

ingredients:
Olive oil 
2 chicken breasts, sliced in thin strips
2 peppers (I used orange and red), sliced in thin strips
1 large onion, chopped in large pieces 
Taco seasoning (I use a mixture of chili powder, cayenne, cumin, salt, and garlic powder- combine to your taste for spice)

corn tortillas 

toppings
We used avocado and greek yogurt, but it would also be delicious with lettuce and tomato

directions:
Chop onion, peppers and chicken. Add olive oil to a hot pan. Saute onion and chicken until chicken is almost cooked through. Top with seasonings and mix. Add Peppers, cook until heated through. 

Serve in corn tortillas with desired toppings. 

Serves 2 with plenty of left overs!


Spanish Rice

ingredients: 
Olive oil
1/2 onion
1 T chopped garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1-2 T of taco seasoning (see above for ingredients- mix depending on your taste for spice)
1 C brown rice
1/2 C water (or more depending on what type of rice is used)

directions:
Saute onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, continue to saute for another 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients. Follow instructions on rice for cooking times. 

**all ingredients can also be placed in a rice cooker without sautéing onions as well but you may need to add more water 


Enjoy! 

Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad

This weekend was a perfect combination of relaxing and being productive. On Friday night we had date night (CPK + Menchies = best ever), hung out with friends, stocked up on groceries and supplements, got the apartment cleaned and laundry done, and of course worked out. 

new workout clothes

my delicious Menchie's creation

my growing bicep, and Cellucor- new favorite pre-workout

my husband after a lot of hard work

Tonight we had this delicious (and easy) salad for dinner. I love spring and summer for a million reasons, but I really love the fresh produce. I got some yummy strawberries at Costco and they were perfect in this salad. You  can really use any veggies you want in the salad. 

For the salad:

Spinach
Strawberries
Avocado
1 Yellow pepper
Celery stalk
A handful of chopped pecans
Chicken breast
Salt-free seasoning

For dressing I just used olive oil and balsamic vinegar


I just tossed all of the salad ingredients, then topped with grilled chicken- nothing better than dinner in under 30 minutes!

Enjoy!!

Recipe: Spicy Salmon and Quinoa Salad

I made this last night for dinner and it was so yummy (and took less than 30 minutes to put on the table) !

For the salmon:
2 salmon fillets
1 t cumin
1 t garlic powder
1 t chili powder
1/8 t cayenne pepper
pinch of brown sugar
pinch of salt
lime juice
Diced avocado, for topping 


For the Quinoa Salad:
1-1/2 C quinoa
2 peppers, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
lime juice


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*. Combine spices, sprinkle on salmon with a squeeze of lime juice. Bake salmon for 20- 25 minutes depending on the size. 

While the salmon is baking, cook quinoa according to instructions. Combine with chopped veggies. Sprinkle with lime juice and cumin if desired. 

Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta

This is an easy and delicious meal that only takes about 20 minutes to put together. Enjoy!

You will need:
Whole wheat pasta of your choice
Olive oil 
Medium onion
1 T crushed garlic
3 Roma tomatoes
1/4 C nonfat plain Greek yogurt 
1/4 C tomato sauce
2 C spinach (I used fresh, but you could also use frozen)
Italian spices 
Salt/ Pepper

Optional: Top with Grilled chicken and/or shredded cheese


Directions

1. Boil water and your choice of pasta and cook until al dente
2. Sautee onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, wait about a minute and add tomatoes. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and Greek yogurt. Stir. Add spices and spinach. Simmer. After pasta is cooked, drain and combine with sauce. Top with cheese if desired.