5 minute meals-- Shrimp Stir Fry

Thanks to Women's Health (11/08) I have been inspired to create my own 5 (-10) minute meals.

This week I plan to highlight quick and easy meals that you can make in 10 mins flat!!

1 package of Cascadian Farms Stir Fry

1 cup of frozen cooked shrimp

1/2 tsp chili pepper

2 TBS reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tsp ginger

2 tsp olive oil

Cook Shrimp, chili pepper, olive oil and ginger in pan (3-5 mins).

Remove Shrimp

Add the remainder of the ingredients into the same pan (cook for 2-3 mins).

Add Shrimp.

Viola Done-- in 10 mins flat.... to make it heartier add brown rice!!

Slim & Strong

I am ready to kick my tushie into gear this fall!!

I just signed up for Ariane Hundt's Slim and Strong Program-- this program kicks your but into gear!! I think this program will get me on track and show me results that will keep me charged for the long haul.

By signing up for the program I will receive:

4 weeks of Indoor Boot Camp - Take inches off your body with NYC's most effective workout

• Classes held at Luxury Club Boom Fitness (34th & Park Ave.)
• 16 classes total: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 6:30-7:30am
• No class on Labor Day (September 7)
• 4 additional classes on the Brooklyn Bridge
• No gym membership required; showers and lockers available
• Burn up to 800 calories per class

Nutrition Workshop

• What foods promote fat burning? Which will make you fat?
• How to lose fat for good without feeling hungry and deprived
• What approach gets fitness models lean, healthy and energized?

Extras

• Before and After Pictures
• Before and After Measurements (weight, body fat %, inches)
• Personalized Fat Burning Nutrition Plan
• Workout Bands with Home Boot Camp Routine
• Boot Camp T-Shirt/Tank Top
• The winner who loses the greatest percentage of body fat wins a Free Month of Slim & Strong!
• $200 worth of Brooklyn Bridge Boot Camp Classes (10 classes) for the 2nd biggest loser
• $100 worth of Brooklyn Bridge Boot Camp Classes (5 classes) for the 3rd biggest loser
• Goodie Bags with samples, gym trial memberships, and other surprises

Julia & Julie

The beauty of this chick-flick (besides steering clear of the classic hollywood ending) is that it highlights what it takes to stay committed. Often in life we only want to commit to a sure thing or as I like to think of it-- the percentage of success. If that percentage is low-- I am not really going for it-- because why invest? I often put myself last because of my pleaser tendencies and I want or hope that people will follow suit. Well I used to think that when I was younger (yesterday)-- but I have come to see that it is foolish to invest more in others or things than yourself-- if you can't put yourself first who will?

What I loved about this movie is that it highlights what it takes to get something done. Goal setting is great but what about the third week when it rains do you adjust the plan or put it off for another day. When you are stuck in the office late? do you still order a healthy dinner or self-soothe through food? I am not an expert on the topic-- but something my boyfriend says comes to mind-- it can't take place unless it is in place-- when we set goals do we anticipate the unexpected? do we plan? are we prepared?

Well this week while temping at a job that is less than --ok. I missed a free concert to complete and assignment. The self-soothing side of me could not find a meal that would replace seeing Pat Benatar performing We Belong and Love is a Battlefield--- the Assistant Director side of me would not let me veer off track. I found a healthy alternative to the greasy burrito I wanted to self-soothe with and I was able to feel annoyed about the job but not at myself.

Seeing Julie & Julia reminded me of who I am and who I want to be. We are the masters of our own universe. We are the dream makers? What are your dreams? How do you anticipate the unexpected??

Quiche-tastic

I wasn't raised eating quiche in the morning with a side of salad--- but for the past two weeks I have been discovering the magic of the Quiche. You can put anything in it and it will taste amazing-- Below is my quiche structure--- play with it as you will.

4 egg whites

1 lg egg ( for clean eaters-- use 6 egg whites and no egg)

1/2 package of soft tofu crumbled

salt/pepper to taste

tsp Adobo seasoning

1/2 tsp garlic

3/4 cup of filler

1/2 cup of low fat cheese

2 TBSP low fat Parmesan cheese

1 Gillian's Wheat and Gluten free pie crust

possible fillings- mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, kale,broccoli, chicken, sausage, turkey cheese etc--- any thing you can think of--- i use a random green from the CSA last week.

First mix egg and tofu together till the tofu is in tiny pieces.

Add all seasonings (+ plus you favorites)

Then add in 3/4 cup of veggies cooked (steamed)

Pour the mixture into the pie crust-- sprinkle cheese on top

Place in the oven for 45 minutes (give or take 10 mins)

Voila-- serve with a side salad

Easy & Quick and you have breakfast all week.

How do I love Cool Running.....

Let Me Count the Ways—

I have been searching for a way to get off my tuckus and burn the extra fat I have gained over the years – the Set Fat, I gained as a DGA trainee (the craft service table can be deadly) and the Happy Fat I gained when I met Craig (mi amore). Many of the running programs I found online seemed too ambitious -- A sedentary person cannot just wake up and run 2 minutes—or maybe I can’t. So I was very pleased when I discovered C25k on sparkpeople.com

C25k, Couch Potato to 5K, is a running program created by Josh Clarke of coolrunning.com. This program gets you off the couch and on the track! Cool Running is a great website for newbies and experienced runners because it offers several programs; from training for your first 5k to your first marathon. I like this beginner program the best because you start off slow. Week 1 you are alternating between running and walking – running 60 seconds and walking 90 seconds—by the end of Week 9 you are a runner.

The first issue I encountered while doing this program was that I kept on forgetting when to run and when to walk (looking at my watch every 60 seconds was a pain in the arse as well)… Thank God for podcast! Below are a list of several podcast creators and their music style. Click the link below to see the list and let me know which one you love the best!


Here is a list of cool podcast for these running programs: My Favorite Site—GoNicoleYourself-- http://gonicoleyourself.blogspot.com/ -- The music rocks – poppy girly music—who doesn’t want to run to the Pussy Catdolls

Suze’s Couch to 5k Podcast* -- this is a great podcast for all the hiphop lovers out there!! http://www.kissmyblackass.org/?page_id=86

Robert Ullrey's C25K Podcasts*Robert is the father of all C25K podcast—even though I do not like the music – kind of new-agey – but I love that the voice comes up to tell you when to walk and to run. It makes running more enjoyable. (* = the podcast tells you when to run or walk)
http://www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/page4/files/category-7.html

Couch to 5K - Christian Indie Tracks*Christian Indie music tracks— http://www.buriedtalentsband.com/C25K/

DJSteveboy- This is a great mix of house type music—he has plans for 5K, 8K, 10K-- http://www.djsteveboy.com/intervals.html

Chubby Jones --Creates podcast for workout lovers -- http://chubbyjones.libsyn.com/

Helpful Apps/ Programs that can help you Create our own Playlist

C25K App for iPhone—Be your own DJThe iPhone app let's you listen to your own music and it gives you audio alerts according to C25K intervals. This sounds really neat. Cost is $3.99.C25k App for the Android Phone- Same as the apple app but free- http://web.media.mit.edu/~guy/C25K/

Lestyn's C25K Podcasts: No MusicThis is the garage band document that will allow you to create your own playlist.

http://www.sbellcheck.co.uk/couchto5k/Couch_to_5K/Podcast/Podcast.html