Christmas Gift or Just Because

The canvas I made below would be a great Christmas gift or a "Just Because" gift or house decor.  If anyone is interested in me personalizing one for them I can. 
I will charge $15 (plus S&H) for a canvas that size with a 4 letter name or an initial.  This canvas is 11x14.
I will charge $18 (plus S&H) for a bigger canvas with a longer name.
Email me: jlr1004@swbell.net or leave a comment on here if interested. 
Please pass this along to anyone you know that may be interested. 
Thanks! 

Off the Beaten Path

This post doesn't contain a yummy recipe or a workout.....

I have had A LOT of free time on my hands these days with no studying (YAY!) and no job (no bueno) so I have gotten crafty.  I have to find things to do to occupy my time here in the country :)

Dan and I had been looking for something to go over the toilet in our guest room.  We had a print there that we had gotten as a wedding gift and I still love that print, just wanted something different.  We ordered a canvas off of canvaspeople.com of a scenery picture we had taken at Petit Jean.  We got it in black and white....mistake.  It looks awesome and we LOVE it, but the black and white does not look good with our browns/creams/tans in the bathroom.  We should have gone with sepia or color.  Soooo......that's what lead to this project

MIA

MIA.....for a good reason! I have abandoned my blog for a couple weeks because I had to buckle down and spend every free moment I had studying. It was well worth all that studying because I PASSED!!! I am officially an RD! Yay! It is the biggest relief I have ever felt. I can't even explain it. Now I wake up and can do what I want to do. I don't feel guilty about reading my Runner's World, cleaning the house, going to see friends, shopping, watching the Today Show, etc. It is such a wonderful feeling. I feel very blessed that the Lord enabled me to pass the first time. We are now praying the Lord opens the door for a job soon. I have been encouraged the last couple of weeks because new jobs have been posted (where as there had been nothing before this) and I have put in my application. I have had one interview. So we are just waiting to see what the Lord has in store for me now. In the meantime...I will continue giving recipes and workout ideas! :)
Recipe
This recipe is one that Dan had to help me with. We did chicken & veggie kabobs. We look forward to the weekends so much (or at least I do a whole lot) because Dan usually always grills. It gives me a break from cooking but we still get to enjoy homecooked meals vs going out to eat and spending too much money :)
Chicken & Veggie Kabobs:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
Italian dressing for marinading the chicken
1 red bell pepper
2 small zucchini
1 onion
or any variety of veggies you prefer
Skewers to put the food on for grilling
Dice the chicken into cubes and marinate in Italian dressing for a couple of hours.
If you are using wooden skewers you need to soak them for about 30 minutes in water to keep them from burning on the grill.
Cut the onion, zucchini, and bell pepper into bite size pieces that will fit on the skewers.
Assemble the skewers however makes you happy! We did a few pieces of chicken separated with several veggies on each.
Sprinkle with seasoning of choice (we used Nature's Seasoning) and grill. I can't give directions on grilling....that would be Dan the Man's job :)
They were DELICIOUS and so very healthy for you. I did a couple of skewers with just veggies b/c we had more veggies than chicken. The next day I heated the veggies over some brown rice and had that for lunch. It was perfect.
The finished product....mmmm!! My mouth is watering now!

The skewers before they had been grilled.

Dan working hard to assemble the skewers. So thankful for a husband that loves to grill and help out in the kitchen.

Workout

Strength training .....

I am going to start giving strength training moves for different muscle groups. Group 1: shoulders.

1. Standing Row (not sure if this is the proper title...but thats what I like to call them)

Get a dumbbell in each hand. Stand up straight with 1 foot slightly in front of the other and the dumbbells hanging down in front of you (arms straight and palms facing you). Pull the weights up to your chin while keeping your elbows above your wrists. Lower back down where you arms are straight. That is 1 rep.....do 10-15 reps.

2. Straight arm raise

Get a dumbbell in each hand. You will want to use light weights for this move so you don't hurt your rotator cuff. Stand up straight with 1 foot slightly in front of the other and the dumbbells hanging down in front of you (arms straight and palms facing you). Lift the weights straight out in front of you with a slight bend in your elbow so as to not put too much pressure on your rotator cuff. Lower back down and lift your arms straight out to your side with a slight bend in your elbow. Lower back down to the starting position. That is one rep...do 8-12 reps.

3. Overhead Press

There are several varieties of this you can do. I'll explain one. Grab a dumbbell in each hand. Lift above your head in the position that looks like your showing your muscles :) with palms facing the front. One arm at a time, twist the weight as you press it above your head (your arm should be straight and palm facing your head) and lower back down to the starting position. Alternate arms and do 10-15 reps per arm.

All of these moves will work your shoulders which is a major muscle group in your body. For girls, this is a great way to get lean looking arms without looking bulky. When working a major muscle group (shoulders, hamstrings, back, quads, etc.) you will burn more calories throughout the day.

Keep cooking and moving my friends!

Stir Fry and Ab Workout

Ok, now to the good stuff :)

We have been on this kick of stir fry. I have always heard how easy it is to make and how cheap so I finally decided to try it. It is true...super easy and super cheap! We do some chicken with our stir fry vegetables and serve it over plain brown rice.

Stir Fry Chicken and Vegetables

2 chicken breasts (thaw, cut into bite size pieces, marinate in Italian dressing)

1-16 oz package of Deluxe Stir Fry Vegetables (freezer section of Wal Mart, Great Value brand)

1 tbsp oil for chicken

2 tbsp oil for vegetables

2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup cold water

Directions

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in large skillet (or WOK if you have one) on medium high heat

Add chicken and cook 5-6 minutes until done

Add 2 tbsp oil and 16 oz package of frozen veggies

Cook 4-5 minutes with the lid on

Mix soy sauce and ginger and add to veggies during the first 4-5 minutes

Combine cornstarch and water and gradually add to veggies after the 1st 5 minutes

Bring to a boil and cook for another 3-5 minutes until thickened.

With stir fry, the veggies are supposed to be a little crisp. I prefer mine more tender, which is why I cook with the lid on, to keep the steam in. It just depends on how you prefer it.

I have also bought a HUGE bag of Birds Eye frozen stir fry veggies that comes with the sauce already package for you. It is easier and cheaper than making the sauce yourself. I have done it both ways and they both taste very good. I have also used a mixture of shrimp and chicken. If you use shrimp, do not marinate before. Add it at the same time you add the vegetables to the pan and cook until they are pink.

Rice

1 cup brown rice

2 cups water

Combine in saucepan, bring to a boil

Cover with lid and reduce to simmer.

Cook 35-45 minutes.

I serve the chicken and veggies over the rice and add some low-sodium soy sauce to the rice after its on my plate.

I have got to learn how to take better pictures of my food. They are kind of boring. And pay no attention to the serving size. :)

I love this meal because it is sooo good for you and fills you up!

ABDOMINAL Workout

Your CORE is one of the most important muscle groups to keep strong. It helps you do things from cooking dinner to running marathons to lifting weights (or kids) to laundry. You use your core ALL THE TIME!

It is important to do AB workouts and take a day off in between. The day off will give your muscles time to rebuild and rest before you work them out again. That is true with all muscle groups but most people thing ABS are the exception. They are just like any other muscle group when it comes to working them out.

Here are a few moves I try to do about 3 times a week.Plank/Side Plank

Get on the floor with your forearms and toes holding you up. It will feel like push up position except you are using your forearms to hold you up verses your hands. Keep your butt down, your back straight, your CORE tight and your inner thighs squeezed tight. Keep your head and neck in line with your back (you should be looking straight down). Hold this position for 6o seconds. If you cannot do 60 seconds, start with 15 second intervals. Hold for 15 seconds, rest 10 seconds, hold 15 seconds, rest 10, etc. Build up to holding for a full 60 seconds.

Next, turn from plank to side plank. Keep your left elbow/forearm on the floor, turn towards your right side and position your feet one on top of the other. Put your right arm straight in the air. Hold your hip high, keep your CORE tight and legs straight out. Hold this for 45-60 seconds and switch the the other side and do the same.

I found pics online, hope that helps with my explanation above.

3 way CRUNCH

Sit Indian style and lay down with your legs still crossed. Once lying down, puts your hands behind your head and do a crunch. Concentrate on pulling your belly button into the floor. Do 15 reps. This will work the lowest part of your ABS.

Immediately switch to having your legs bent like a normal crunch. Keep your hands behind your head and do a crunch, still concentrating on your belly button. Do 15 reps. This will work your middle ABS.

Immediately switch to having your legs straight up in the air and cross your ankles. Keep your hands behind your head and do a crunch, still concentrating on your belly button. Do 15 reps. This will work the upper ABS.

The one I don't have a name for :)

Lay on your back with your legs straight out in front of you. Grab a dumbbell (I use 5 lbs) with both hands. Hold with your arms straight above your head. Push the dumbbell up (using your ABS) while bringing one leg straight into the air and make contact with dumbbell and foot. Come back down and do the same with the other leg, alternating legs. This should be a continous movement. When you come up with the weight you should be on your lower back/upper butt, balancing with your abs. I hope that makes sense...its hard to explain on here. Do 15 reps with each leg (30 total).

Hope you can decipher the ab workouts. It is a lot harder to explain a workout move without pictures. Maybe I'll have Dan take a picture or video of me doing the moves next time and it will be easier to explain.

Enjoy! Let me konw if your trying the recipes or the workouts!

Have a good week!

Wedding/Rehearsal Dinner Pics

Me and Lauren at the reception. I'm so glad we're friends! Lauren was my Maid of Honor at my wedding and her husband, Justin, was Brian's Best Man. So fun!

Mom with all the men in the wedding. All the groomsmen are like adopted sons to her. I love this picture. That's about all the wedding pics I have. I have lots from Rehearsal dinner though.

Me and my new sister-in-law!

Mom and Dad looking stylish in red. I'm so blessed to have them as parents!

Me and my handsome hubby!

Sydney and her family.

The bride and groom at rehearsal dinner. Love this pic of you guys!

My computer is being real weird right now so I am going to have to do a 2nd post with my recipes and workout......

Lately

Here is a glimpse of why I have not posted in a while.......
My brother got married this past weekend. I have been attending showers and working on getting ready for the big weekend. Everything was perfect and fun! I'll post wedding pics later.

Lauren (my best friend from high school who is married to Brian's best friend from high school) and I hosted a shower at Lauren and Justin's house. We did a "Home Depot Gift Card" Shower and watched the Hogs play Georgia.

A few pics of the decor....

This is Brian and Sydney (Brother and Sis-n-law) at their couples shower in LR hosted by my parents friends.

I forgot to take a pic of dinner last night but I'll still post the recipes.

We had grilled chicken, sweet potato fries, and a salad.

For the chicken, we just thawed it out, let it marinate in Italian dressing for a couple of hours then Dan grilled it. I have no clue how to grill or I would post some tips :) SORRY!

Sweet Potato Fries (my absolute favorite side dish)

2 sweet potatoes

Olive Oil

Natures Seasoning & Tony Cacheres Seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash potatoes and cut into steak fries. Put in a large gallon bag with 1/4 cup (estimating) olive oil. Shake till all fries coated. Pour onto a baking sheet and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with Natures Seasoning and Tony Cacheres. Bake 10 minutes and remove. Flip with spatula, season other side and bake 10 more minutes. Total baking time is about 35-40 minutes but you need to flip them every 10 minutes.

They are good for you & DELICIOUS!

Exercise

A couple weeks ago Dan and I decided to do a new workout together and for those of you who don't know...that is VERY rare. Dan works out on his own and does his own thing. He does not like to work out with me. I was so excited when he asked if I wanted to try this new workout he found in his Men's Health magazine TOGETHER. We were both pretty sore the next day from it. It only took us 20-30 minutes to do the whole workout so it definitely doesn't take much time to get in a good workout. What I loved about it was that it combined resistance and cardio so you got a little bit of both. If you're a runner it would be a great exercise to do if you do 2-a-days or if you're just trying to workout and stay in shape then its a great, short but beneficial workout.

Find somewhere you can mark off 40 yards to sprint. We went up to the community softball fields and just ran down the baseline.

1. Do 10 squats (no weights)

2. Sprint 40 yds

3. Do 10 push ups

4. Sprint 40 yds back

That is one set.

Repeat 5 times (magazine said 10 times but we had never done it so we started out with 5 and we were sucking wind by the end for sure)

We gave ourselves 1-2 minute break between each set.

Until next time....

Blog Revamp

Ok, so it has been FOREVER since I posted on this blog. I decided to revamp.

Last time I wrote, I was headed to UCA for the Dietetic Internship. Well....a year and a half later, I graduated from the internship. I am currently studying for my RD exam and looking for a job. I decided with my free time I am going to post recipes and pictures from the meals I cook and exercise/workout tips and ideas. I am very passionate about eating....and eating healthy...and working out. I love coming up with new, creative meals and hopefully I can inspire and motivate some of you to try something new!


I wish this had posted under the recipes, but some day I will figure all this out. The picture above is from dinner last night. Baked chicken, green beans, and oven baked fries. The picture below is the creamy honey mustard I made to dip the chicken in. YUM!

FOOD

Sometimes Dan and I really CRAVE fried foods because we rarely eat them. When we are craving fried foods I will make my "healthy" version of chicken strips and french fries and I always add a green vegetable in there too. Last night was one of those nights. I made chicken strips, baked fries, green beans, and a homemade honey mustard dipping sauce.

Oven Baked Chicken

4 chicken breasts (or you can buy already cut tenderloins)

1 cup oats

2/3 cup reduced fat parmesan cheese

2 tbsp parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup Italian dressing

1. Thaw chicken and cut into strips. Marinate in Italian dressing for at least 1 hour if not longer.

2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a plastic bag.

3. Spray in a baking sheet with cooking spray.

4. Dip each piece of chicken in dry ingredients, coat thoroughly and place on baking sheet.

5. Once all chicken has been coated, spray the tops with cooking spray.

6. Place in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

7. Remove and enjoy!

Homemade Creamy Honey Mustard

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsp honey

Mix ingredients until combined. Use for dipping oven baked chicken (and fries).

Oven Baked Fries

Baking potatoes

Season salt, Tony Cacheres, Nature's Seasoning (seasoning of choice)

Cooking Spray (I use olive or canola oil)

Cut potatoes into steak fries, coat with cooking spray and seasonings. Bake on 400 for 10 minutes, flip, recoat, and bake another 25-30 minutes.

This is not a regular meal around our house but it is one of our favorite splurge meals! It is a great way to fulfill the craving for fried foods without all the added fat.

EXERCISE

As most of you probably know, I am a runner. I have been for almost 7 years now, which seems CRAZY to me. I learn so much new stuff about running, exercising, working out, etc. every day that I feel like I still don't know everything I should know to be a runner. I hope I can give a little insight from what I have learned over the years that may help you in whatever exercise you enjoy. I definitely don't claim to know much but have learned a lot from past mistakes!

I do not run every day of the week. On my days off from running I cross train (XT). For XT I like to do some plyometrics. Plyometrics is a type of exercise that incorporates high impact, jumping moves to improve strength and power. It is a good substitute for speed workouts if you are looking for something different. Sometimes I will use a workout video or I will just do some things on my own. Yesterday was a video day.

A few of the exercises from the video that are my favorites include:

- Squat jumps: start in squat position and jump (making a full 180 turn) landing in a squat position. Repeat, turning back and forth for 30-45 seconds. Do as many reps as you can in that amount of time. This works glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core really well!

- Pogo jumps: stand on one leg with arms straight up, bend at the waist and touch fingertips to the floor. As you raise back up, jump on the one leg and land back on the same leg. Repeat for 30 seconds on each leg. This is great for your core because of the balance it takes to bend over and touch the floor. It is also great for calf strength.

- Wide in-and-out Abs: start on all 4's with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your feet spread wide (plank position with feet wide instead of close together). Using your lower abs, jump your feet towards your arms and back to starting position (keeping them as wide as possible). Repeat for 30-45 seconds. This one is hard to describe but I hope that description helps. It is great for your abs, obliques, and shoulders.

Those are the only moves I will share with you today. More to come!

Hope you can enjoy these recipes as much as we have and maybe try some new exercise moves!

Have a great Wednesday!

Jenny Odom