The 100 Workout

Happy 2k12 ladies and gents!

This morning I tried out a new workout at the zoo, I mean gym. It's called the 100 Workout. I learned about this from the blog Swim, Bike, Running on Empty. The 100 workout program is designed as a reverse pyramid of repetitions.

The program has its own website - The 100 Workout. Here's what you do:

I thought the crunches and squats were going to be a total killer, but I actually completed the whole thing and felt great in the end. I did incorporate different kinds of crunches and leg lifts in order to infuse a bit of variety. For  me, the whole workout took about 30 minutes to complete.

If you're looking for something new and different (read: NOT the treadmill or elliptical), give the 100 workout a try!

What other fitness programs do you like?

Happy Friday!

What's not to love about Adele and Glee? 

Dinner in Under 10

Consider it another dinner FTW...


I stumbled on this recipe from a food blog I follow - The Daily Dish. The original recipe came from the food blog Iowa Girl Eats.


This recipe is so good, that I've made it for dinner 3 times in the past 2 weeks. What can I say? 5 ingredients, it cooks in less than 10 minutes and it is so super decadent.


Crispy Pesto Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese 


Hubster likes to annoy me by asking me to make more Ganache. That's right, Ganache. He knows it's called Gnocchi but he would rather get under my skin and ask for a food that also starts with the letter G and is a sweet something. How rude! 


Don't wait... make this recipe for dinner tonight!


Pardon the craptastic iPhone photos...

{ high quality photo from Iowa Girl Eats } 

{ high quality photo from Iowa Girl Eats } 

Of course, I did make a few adjustments. 

1. I used Barilla pre-made pesto. I didn't want to buy additional ingredients b/c I wanted to keep my grocery bill down. 

2. I added in a tablespoon of jarred chopped garlic. 

This recipe will be a staple for quite some time to mi casa. 

Mac & Cheese FTW!

Remember two weeks ago when I said I was going to make Buffalo Mac & Cheese for dinner? Well, I didn't. But, yesterday I got to thinking that Mac & Cheese sounded really good for dinner this week. I hit the SOPO (aka Southport) Jewel Osco to pick up a few ingredients and tonight was dinner magic!

Of course, I always say BYOC (be your own chef), so per usual I made a few substitutions.

I had fresh chopped leeks in the house, so I used it instead of celery.

I kept the chopped onion (on, how I love onion!)

I didn't have dill, onion powder (shocker), etc. The only spices I used were 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. chili powder and 1/4 tsp. paprika. Also, I had hot sauce in the fridge instead of actual buffalo sauce.

I wasn't in the mood to cook and cut up chicken, so I omitted it. Because this is a healthy version of mac and cheese, I used turkey bacon instead of the oh-so-delicious pork kind.

Overall, it was a yummy dinner. Hubster even said I could make it again (score!)... of course, he had a few recommendations for next time (like bleu cheese?!).

High quality photo & recipe from Courtney of Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life

I can't wait to make this recipe again. FYI, it only makes an 8x8 pan full... great for dinner, but doesn't leave much for lunch leftovers. 

October in Review

It's hard to believe that the last day of my October {my favorite month} is tomorrow. So many wonderful things seem to happen in the month of October, that I'm sad to see it leave.

Instead of writing a few short posts about what I've been up to, here is October via iPhone photos... Enjoy.

Hubster and I served as Lincoln Park Course Marshals for the Chicago Marathon on October 9. As folks who ran the marathon last year, it was so nice to give back. I can't believe how many runners said thank you to me as they ran by. I'm so torn to keep going as a volunteer or to actually run it again next year. Hmm. Stay tuned. 

I've spent about half my mornings on Skype with this cute 1 year old. <3 him 

I ventured all the way out to Aurora to sit in the freezing cold to support Hubster as he officiated a high school football game. 

I carved a pumpkin for the first time in about 5 years. 

Alright, November. I'm ready for you. 

Autumn Treats

Yum!

Pumpkin Dessert Bars via The Daily Dish 

Pumpkin Filled Cannoli Cones via The Daily Dish 

Gooey Chocolate Cheesecake Brownie Bites via Cheeky Kitchen 

Grown Up Pumpkin Pie Milk Shakes (w/ Bourbon) via Sweet Tooth Sweet Life 

Crock Pot Baked Apples via Skinny Chef 

Oh, sweet nectar. I'm going to need to test out a few of these recipes before Thanksgiving. 

Menu Sunday

It's back! After a nearly 6-week hiatus, I am back with a menu for the upcoming week. I have to admit that hubster and I really haven't grocery shopped in a couple weeks, so it's been tough to make meals. Every once in a while we get in this kick to 'eat everything in the kitchen, so we can start fresh at Jewel-Osco.

My co-workers know when it's one of those weeks because I'll bring a sweet potato, apple sauce and a granola bar for lunch. Healthy? Yes. Filling? No.

Our food cabinet is just.about.empty...

Alright. It's time to get to the goods. I present, the menu...

Butternut Squash Lasagna via Cheeky Kitchen
Buffalo Mac & Cheese via Sweet Tooth Sweet Life
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili w/ Sweet Potatoes via The Daily Dish (via Real Simple) 
Risotto w/ Butternut Squash, Leeks & Basil via City Girl Chicago (1/2 of recipe and using orzo instead) 




What are you eating this week?