Jessica

Fitness Update & 2 Week Clean Eating Meal Plan

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I know, I know I skipped the last Bi-weekly fitness update. I
won’t whine about my hectic life to you anymore so we are just moving
forward from this point on.

The last few months have been going good. I am getting in
the gym and lifting like a champ. Except for an awkward incident where I
totally left the gym without finishing my cool down because of running into my
ex. I have seen him there several times now and it appears we both are
terrified of each other so I think we will continue to pretend we don’t see the
other for a while, it’s cool. I personally think we are very mature (when are
they going to start using sarcasm font?).

I am still following a similar routine to this one I
posted way back when. However I think I’m going to need to add a few runs in
there since I seem to keep being recruited to run races with friends. Who am I to
say no? Race events with friends are always fun, so long as you don’t get overly
competitive about them. I also have one crazy friend who wants me to do a triathlon
with her in the fall, so I will probably have to throw a few bike trips and
some swimming in there too. In case you aren’t aware I really hate biking, so I
don’t have the slightest clue how she talked me into this.

The last few weeks have been good. I am getting stronger, but I haven’t been visibly seeing the results that I had started seeing at the beginning of this whole thing. I think the culprit may be my diet. Birthdays and holidays abound this time of year for my family so there have been a few more indulgent meals than should be, and with the hectic schedule a few too many quick and carb loaded meals.

Source

The above being so very true, I think it’s time to revisit
my diet and bring it back to being a priority. Swim suit season is coming,
despite Mother Nature’s fickle ways it is finally starting to get
warmer in these parts, and I want the results of my hard work to actually show
up, I mean that’s kind of the point right?

This is my rough plan for the next 2 weeks (starting
yesterday). It’s totally clean except for the one meal a week we have with my
parents, and a training class I have at night where sandwiches are provided. The
focus of this diet is proper workout fuel, and high protein throughout the day. I may alter things based on my own cravings and what not, but this gives you a general idea. My workout days are typically Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, after work with a
random weekend day for a long run, hike or bike. Because I knew I had a training class coming on Tuesday I put in an extra day this weekend. So I won’t miss a workout.

Korean Beef, Sausage, Tomato & Spinach Stew, Roast Chicken, Greek Salad w/ chickpeas & feta, Shrimp Fried Rice, Orange Salmon, Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Recipes for Orange Chipotle Chicken Stir Fry, Greek Tilapia, Loaded Greek Salad are coming.
EDIT: Orange Chipotle Stir Fry, Greek Chicken & TIlapia

I Had Big Plans. . .

By Jessica

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I had big plans for this week. It marks the 2 year anniversary of this little
space and I wanted to celebrate it, having let the first anniversary pass
without much fuss. I was going to revisit my shop and talk about all my
plans for all the wonderful new stuff I have been creating. I was going to find
a really awesome spring recipe and bake it up for you. I was going to share a
collection of my favorite blog moments, or recap the last two years in some
fashion. I even thought about putting up some decorations and taking ridiculous
pictures of myself celebrating. I was going to do a lot of things that just
didn’t happen.

It’s cool though, we can get by without a big celebration.

I’ll just list my Top 5 Most Viewed Posts. It’s Friday after all,
and we like lists, and not thinking too hard. At least that’s how I feel about it.

Scalloped Potatoes, and Oscars Smoke House
Clean Corn Chowder with Crab and Red Pepper Crostini
A girl’s Gotta Have Quirks!
Hungarian Goulash: An Impromptu Dinner Party
D4One: Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff

So now that we have recapped a little, how about I slap a discountto my shop up here too? Interested in a new piece of inexpensive, classy jewelry
for spring? (How’s that for a sales pitch?) 25% OFF FOR THE NEXT 7 DAYS!!! Just
use the code ANNIVERSARY

Each and every piece is unique and hand made from my own heart. After
this sale whatever is left is going to get broken down for new pieces, because
I’m moving in a different direction, but we will talk more about that another
day.

D4One: Shrimp Fried Rice

By Jessica

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Fried rice is probably one of the easiest recipes ever, and shrimp fried rice is only about 1/8 of a degree more difficult. It’s also something that can be made pretty easily from pantry staples, so no additional shopping is needed. I made this recipe the easiest I possibly could, even cutting out a lot of chopping and shucking by using frozen peas and carrots. Of course you can also use fresh veggies, I do suggest cutting them up pretty small, and at least tossing the carrots in the pan at the same time as the onion so that it cooks all the way through, and otherwise it’s basically all the same.

This recipe, though suited for one is pretty easy to double, triple, or even quadruple to feed a crowd. I was able to stretch this recipe for one to feed both me and Chuck by steaming up a large batch of Asian style veggies. We are trying to keep it a little healthy over here.

PS. This one is clean too.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 1 serving

Ingredients

4 oz. of Shrimp (about 9 medium shrimp), peeled & deveined
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp low sodium teriyaki sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ a small onion, peeled and chopped
1 egg
½ cup of frozen peas and carrots
½ cup of cooked brown rice
handfull of green onions, chopped (optional)

Instructions

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and ginger then add shrimp and toss. Allow them to marinate at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Preheat a large sauté pan with oil over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté for about 30 seconds a side, or until they begin to turn pink. Remove from heat and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium (you may need to add some more oil) and add onion to the pan cooking for 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to turn translucent.
Add the egg right into the pan and using a spatula mix well, breaking the yolk and cooking through.
Then add the vegetables, and rice tossing well to mix and heat through.
Stir in the shrimp, and green onion to the pan and again mix well.
Serve immediately with an extra drizzle of soy sauce.

Sunday Dinner: Asian Style

By Jessica

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A few Sundays ago, if you follow me on instagram you know I made
a boat load of wontons. What you don’t know is that I made an entire Asian
inspired Sunday dinner that day. I meant to post it last week, but life got in
the way, it happens.

Regardless, I spent a peaceful afternoon watching New Girl and
folding these little babies. I used this recipe pretty much to a tee (Check this
girl out she knows what’s up), because let’s be honest I have no clue what I’m
doing here with most Asian flavors, aside from soy sauce. The one main difference
is that I followed the instructions on the back of the wontons package to
create the shape you see. These came out magnificent! I loved them! Like totally
completely loved them, and have big plans to make them again in the future,
maybe with a few more changes/additions. I did however get uber fancy and make
my own dipping sauce.

Wonton Dipping Sauce

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp sesame seeds for garnish

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and serve.

In addition to these guys I made Korean Style Beef in the crockpot.
It was totally inspired by this recipe, also from Damn Delicious, she’s
totally my new food blog crush can you tell? Anyway I wanted to make something
that was clean, so I took her photos, and general idea and made it my own. It
came out AWESOME! I am seriously proud of this one. It’s super easy and healthy
what more can you ask for? It’s definitely going into the I-have-to-work-too-late-to-cook-anything
rotation.

Clean Crockpot Korean Style Beef

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp raw honey

1 tbsp sesame sauce

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp ground ginger

2 lbs lean beef roast, trimmed of visible fat

10 mini sweet peppers, sliced thin

1 cup broccoli florets (optional)

Sesame seeds for garnish

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, red
pepper flakes, and ginger. Place roast in slow cooker and pour the mixture over
the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Remove the
roast from the slow cooker and shred the beef before returning it to the pot
with its juices and mini peppers and broccoli florets. Cook on high for another
30 minutes. Stir well and serve immediately.

To round out this meal I also added a little side salad of
bagged Asian slaw, simply because I felt more vegetables were required, and
after making all of the wontons I knew I would be to fried to make something
else.

Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did. I’m also wondering what your favorite kind of take out is. I would really like to come up with some more easy, and clean takes on traditional take out so please give me some ideas!!

I”M SO EXCITED!

By Jessica

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Now everybody else get excited. It’s National Grilled Cheese Month! I’m so enamored with grilled cheese. I could eat it every day that is if
I was capable of making it without burning the bread which 7 out of 10 times I will
do without fail. I’m getting better though!

It helps that I have been making grilled cheese once a week
for the last several weeks. You see I get excited about pretty much any
celebration, especially celebrations of food, especially when they have cheese
involved. Since it’s Friday I’ll give you the run down of this months awesomeness in Friday Five format.

1 – In case you are interested the National Grilled Cheese Academy
has an annual contest to find the best grilled cheese. Check out last year’stop contestants, you will thank me. And if you are interested in submitting an
entry get ready because it’s happening now!

2 – My favorite grilled cheese in the whole wide world is the Margherita Grilled cheese. I mean you know my feelings on the pizza version, but this grilled cheese is the easier format to transfer all that deliciousness.

Margherita Grilled Cheese

2 slices thick slices of bread

½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

3-4 basil leaves

1-2 slices of tomato

Light drizzle of balsamic vinegar

On one slice of bread stack the cheese, basil, tomato and
balsamic drizzle. Top with the other slice of bread and lightly butter the
outside slices. Place in a warm pan over medium heat and cook, flipping
occasionally until the cheese has melted and the outside is crispy. Serve
immediately.

3- I’m working on a compilation of grilled cheese, kind of like the best index for grilled cheese ever. So get ready for that one at the end of the month.

4 – In the mean time if you are looking for ideas to help you celebrate this momentous occasion check out Food Network’s List of 50 Grilled Cheeses.

5- Also since it’s Friday lets Back that Azz Up with possibly the best song ever written, and performed by none other than Elmer Fudd.

Jessica

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