A Three Hour Tour

All three hours were in the same room.

In the corner.

Up against the wall.

And sitting on a bike.

I rode with purpose on Saturday.

And not because I had basically eaten an entire "failed" cake the night before.

I rode to benefit the American Diabetes Association. 

But ended up also challenging myself physically in the process.

I've never ridden for that long before.  In an intense spin class kind of way.

And I wouldn't have ever signed up for a double benefit except for the girl at the front desk "challenged" me.

Apparently, I am still prone to peer pressure.

Some thing that I am not proud of.

But it was all worth it in the end.

My biggest issue... was staying hydrated.  I chose to ignore Kev's suggestion of taking Gatorade and therefore did NOT get enough fluids.

In fact, I am still feeling dehydrated today.

As far as being sore.... well, the soreness I was most worried about is what would be caused by sitting on a bike seat for three hours.  I ended up using a gel seat and haven't had a single problem.

That I'm aware of. 

I hope some one would tell me if I was walking funny.

My inner thighs are a little painful but I barely notice it unless I attempt to crab walk across the floor or perform toe kicks.

All in all, I am very pleased with how my body is reacting to intense fitness.  It seems that I am getting stronger and stronger.

Unless I go to boxing class.  My tail gets kicked there every single time!

But all of the leg work did make me forget about how sore my arms and abs were.

At least until I have to do some chores.  And then the soreness all comes back to me.

Final Thoughts:

1.  I love supporting a good cause!

2.  I HATE Diabetes!! It is such a jerk!

3.  Gel seats are a fabulous invention.

4.  I love having cake to eat when I get  home from a workout.

5.  I love having the cake around.  Period.  ( I promise the recipe will be coming soon!)

6.  A guy my Dad's age riding next to me commented that I had "40 years on him".  I immediately asked him to marry me.  And offered to share my cake.  And was thrilled that this class takes place in the dark.  :)

The Grill Professor

I took a class on Friday night.

From the ultimate "Grill Professor".

Otherwise known as Kev.

Our weekly grill night had to be changed due to the fact that I had to work tonight.

So, considering that Kev's Friday nights are pretty busy.... I volunteered to grill the meal.

Except for the fact that I am afraid of the grill and have no clue how to cook anything on it.

Which makes it even more ridiculous that I chose to grill lamb.  LAMB.

Something I have never made.  Ever.

But I was determined.

Until I went grocery shopping today and discovered that not only is lamb expensive... but it is hard to find the healthy cut of meat.  

I opted for flank steak instead.

You can never go wrong with that.

Kev hooked up the propane tank.  Something that we mutually decided he should ALWAYS do for the sake of our house and our lives.

Then he gave me all kinds of lessons.  

But most importantly I learned that I am a grumpy student.

I can't help it.  I don't like not knowing how to do things.  

But once I got the flipping technique down.  And stopped "dropping and rolling" every time he lifted the lid...

All was well with the world.

He ended up helping me more than I think he planned to.  But hopefully I will get the hang of it soon.

Because I would LOVE to grill the majority of our meals this summer.

As long as he handles the tank, of course.

I went ahead and grilled some veggies for Mother's Day.  It is part of what I am taking to dinner at Shannon's.

And then started on dinner....

Fresh "Farmer's Market" beans...

 Flank steak and Greek potatoes....

The Greek potatoes were DELISH.  Almost as good as Grecian Gardens.  Which are my favorite.  They tasted very similar but didn't have the extra sauce that I am used to.

I will have to work on that.

And the steak.... well, it was incredible!  As usual.  Maybe even a little better since I actually grilled it.  Even though Kev was supervising the entire time.  :)

Cake Fail?

I am fully carb loaded and ready for tomorrow's three hour burnathon.

Except for the fact that I am still MAJORLY sore from my boxing class on Wednesday.

I usually have a little soreness... but good grief, it has been bad this week!

My abs are so sore it even hurts when I laugh.

Which is just about every second.

I am in desperate need of a yoga class.

Or an Advil.

Or a dose of chocolate.

Chocolate? Me?

I realize that chocolate is not normally in my food rotation..... but something happened today that blew my taste buds away.

So much so that I had to lick the beaters, the bowl, and the spatula.

And then the corners of my mouth.

I only meant to "taste test" it.

Too bad it was just that good.

Don't worry... I will definitely share the recipe with you as soon as I decide what to do with it.

Because some one ( possibly me) with zero patience could not wait 30 minutes for the cake to cool and flipped the bundt pan WAY too early.

As in as soon as I pulled it out of the oven early.

This was the result....

 The chocolate chip bundt cake was a FAIL.

Except for the taste is still divine!

And so now I need to figure out how I am going to make the cake in to an acceptable dessert for Mother's Day dinner.

Perhaps a layered trifle.  With pudding and cool whip. 

That is if it lasts.  We ( I) can't stop eating it.

It will help me power through my spin class in the morning.

Right?



Cinco de Mayo



It could very well be my favorite holiday of the year.

Or at least it is pretty high up on the list.

I love Mexican food more than you know.... or maybe I should say.. more than you would like to know.

So, give me a reason to celebrate it.. and the jalapenos and cheese start flying.

Literally.

My kitchen is a wreck right now.

Except for there wasn't much cheese.  Believe it or not.

Because I decided to go a different route with our celebration this year. 

And created a Mexican meal that could go down in history for being healthy.

Some thing that is hard to come by.

Even though I have had the time of my life this week reading healthy Mexican recipes.  They are actually all over the place if you just take the time to look for them.

I guess I finally decided to take the time.  :)

My original plan was to do mini Mexican pizzas.  With pico de gallo and guacamole.

But once in the grocery store... my plan changed once I saw these...

Multigrain.  All Natural.  Minimal ingredients.  Clean.

Yes, please!

But comment #3 on the back of the box is what sealed the deal...

Great applause is what I strive for every day!

Even if some times Kev can only muster a sophisticated quiet clap and a loud burp.

And to be honest... I'm happy if he eats more than one bite.

I'm pretty easy to please.

Mostly.

The Farmer's Market was my next stop.

#1.  Because I chose to make the meal vegetarian.
#2.  I heart the Farmer's Market too much for words.
#3.  Delicious, inexpensive veggies are the way to go.
#4.  They play "pickin' and grinnin'" music there.
#5.  I wonder if I could join the Market's band and blow in a jug.  It has always been a dream of mine.

This is what I came home with.  Plus a head of lettuce.

My beauties without their clothes on....

Those avocados were creamy, buttery perfection.  I actually started eating them with a spoon straight out of the bowl.

I should have to cook with hand cuffs on.  Or a muzzle.

However, I'm sure that chaos and hilarity would ensue.

More than usual, that is.

 For protein, I cooked up some organic pinto beans.

I sauteed them in a little olive oil.  With chopped onion, jalapeno peppers, garlic, salt and pepper.

The meal was SO easy.  And super fresh.  The bowls were a little on the smallish side... so, I filled them with beans and then put the guacamole on the top.  On the side I put the pico de gallo and a small salad.

Kev was quick to comment on the nice presentation. 

I love that we act like we are judging a cooking show at every single meal.

Except for I'm still waiting to receive my big check for winning for the best dish.

Kev did go ahead and add sour cream and cheese to his.  Because he is crazy like that.

I have to admit, though, that I didn't miss either one of them one single bit.

I know.  It's insane.

And to replace our beloved margaritas.... I had a lime flavored La Croix sparkling water.

                                        

It was nice to have a celebration without feeling like I was hit with a ton of bricks. 

And it was nice for Kev to not have to pose in a sombrero for his annual picture.

Fortunately for you, I will be making all kinds of Mexican inspired recipes this summer.  I have lists, people!  Lists upon lists.  And I can't wait to get started.

Hope you all enjoyed Cinco de Mayo!

Riding Solo

I have an aversion to bikes.

They make me sweaty and nervous and anxious.

I worry about balance and falling off and getting chased by dogs.

And as much as I fantasize about riding around my neighborhood singing "Sound of Music" style... I take one look out my front door and realize I would probably be arrested for disturbing the peace and thrown in a stockade for the whole town to throw tomatoes at.

(Obviously, I've spent a lot of  too much time thinking about neighborhood bike riding.)

I think that is why I love spin class so much.  I have the thrill of riding a bike without actually going anywhere.

Even if it is in the dark.  And the room usually stinks.  And there is someone yelling challenges at me while I am trying to enjoy my experience.

In addition to having a fear of bikes, I also have a fear of clowns.  And circus performers.  And bears that know how to juggle.

Which is why this new addition to my home has totally freaked me out.

This new addition is one of the perks of being married to Kev.

He is attracted to randomness and whatnots.

And circus acts.

( I hope I didn't just describe myself!)

And is constantly trying to think of ways to out do the rest of the family for skit nights.

Which means I have probably been nominated to perform as a juggling bear.

Kev has tried it.  And says it is hard to do.

I could have told him that... without us needing to own one.

Wow.  I never thought I would be saying that I owned a unicycle.

Life in the Snyder household is never boring.  That's for sure.

Famished

I just INHALED my two over easy eggs and toast.

And INHALED is an understatement.

In fact, I don't even remember what it tasted like.  It is a good thing I eat it every day so I don't feel like I am missing out.

I blame my ultimate hunger on my workout this morning.

BOXING!

I happen to have a love/hate relationship with it.

I LOVE it because it is just so much fun!  And such a great workout!  And something different from my normal routine.

I HATE it because it is SO hard (to me!) and completely drains me of my sanity.

Not that I had much left to begin with.

I burned 900 calories today.  NINE HUNDRED.

And my instructor says he is working on a 1000 calorie burn for next time.

That news caused me to start sucking my thumb.  And cry for my lovie.

And then I signed up for 15 more classes.

Because I need boxing in my life.

I've learned that I can't live without it.

The problem is that I haven't learned to manage my calorie intake based on my workouts.  What works for me on a regular ole day of work does NOT work for me when I am burning 900 calories in one hour.

So, my brown rice cereal with one scoop of peanut butter and one scoop of honey was like eating one sunflower seed for a meal and hoping to make it through the morning.

Impossible!

It was all I could do to finish my errands and get home for some eggs and toast. 

I don't like that feeling one single bit.

And I have officially learned my lesson.

In fact... I was planning this post to tell you all about some snacks that I purchased recently.  And realized that if I had had these snacks with me today I would have felt so much better.

Individual packets of organic peanut butter, organic hummus, and salted almonds.

I came across them at World Market. 

And immediately thought they were the PERFECT snack for travelling. 

If you remember, last time that I went to Raleigh I packed an ice chest.  An ice chest to house my home made hummus and opened jar of peanut butter. 

It was big, annoying, and leaked.

These packets don't have to be refrigerated!!  And are already in individual servings.

Grab some carrots and apples and you are good to go.

Or, if you are like me, you can just squirt the peanut butter directly in your mouth.

Just make sure you are alone.

I will be throwing a couple of these in my gym bag.  For emergencies.

And will hopefully be able to continue about my day without biting chunks out of my steering wheel.

Now I am off to ice my shoulders and chest... It seems that "dropping and giving 20 pushups" (on my toes) in between walking lunges, squats, and punching the heck out of a bag... over and over and over...has caused me to be in a little pain. 

I might not even be able to pull weeds this week.

Or fold my laundry and put it away.

Or floss my teeth.

I guess that is the price I have to pay to be a boxer.  :)

It's a tough job but someone has to do it.

The Other White Meat

Pork... a loin to be exact... was our challenge for Grill Night this past weekend.

It was scary.  But only because I have an absolute fear of undercooked meat. 

Which is why I tend to over cook it.

Or at least I used to.  Before Kev gave me proper meat cooking instructions.

Pork chops are a no brainer.  I've made the chops a million times.  I get them thin and small and easy to bake.

But the loin... it has taunted me from afar for years.

And I usually have to speed past it without making eye contact.

Publix's meat department is brutal for a raw meat hater.

But we were ready to try something new.  And with a little encouragement from my friend, Melissa, we decided to give the loin a try.

Kev opted to go with the charcoal grill.

 I know that I have said this a million times.... but Grill Night is the best night of my week!! I LOVE sitting outside while Kev cooks the main dish.

Not to mention that I LOVE the smell of fire.

It takes me back to my youth.  A youth that I spent camping and roasting marshmallows.

 (I've got to remember to buy some marshmallows.  My summer happiness depends on it.)

Oh.  And then there is the constant stream of entertainment.  What is not to love about that?

 Air guitar with the pool "leaf scooper thingy".  Classic.

 The marinade that I used was brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, salt and pepper.

The pork turned out PERFECTLY!!  

 It was so juicy and flavorful.  And fabulous! 

We served it with wild rice and grilled broccoli.

And topped it with pineapple salsa.

Because it was the right thing to do.

I've got to get back to Trader Joe's soon!!  And by soon.. I mean YESTERDAY!!  We are starting to run out of supplies.

The salsa is incredible.  I don't know if I can ever go back to regular tomato salsa.  The fruit just adds a whole different delight.

Except for I love any kind of salsa... so, forget what I just said.

Speaking of salsa... Cinco de Mayo is just a couple of days away.  What great meal do you have planned?

It should be no surprise to you that mine will include guacamole.

And jalapenos.

On another note, Kev and I just discovered that I am dressed like Richard Simmons right now.  EXACTLY.  And my hair is even a little frizzy. 

I just performed a "Sweatin' to the Oldies" workout.

It was as bizarre and ridiculous as it sounds.