My at-home "gym"

I know this may come as a surprise, but raising a baby in 800 sq feet comes with it's challenges. There are a lot of perks living in a city... ample living space is not one of them. But I like to exercise at home in addition to the gym, so I have to be creative with my at-home workouts. I obviously don't have room for big equipment, but I can still get a good workout with a few key pieces. Here's what I use:

• Hand weights ~ I mainly use 8 lb & 5 lb weights to do exercises for biceps, triceps, shoulders and back. I also have 3 lb and 2 lb weights, but don't really use them.
• Resistance band ~ I use this to work out the same muscles as above, but I like that it works the muscles differently. It's all about variety.
• DVDs ~ I mainly do yoga for my DVD workouts. Each has a different focus, such as abs, total body (broken out into upper body, lower body and abs... for those days you only want to target a specific area), and cardio yoga (this one's a killer on my legs).
• Push-up bars ~ I'm horrible at push-ups, and they usually kill my wrists. But these help make push-ups a little more bearable. (with that said, I'm still lucky if I can do 12 in a row.)
• Pilates & yoga mat ~ The mat has that gripping surface so I'm not sliding all over... every little bit helps.
• Pilates "Magic Circle" ~ This enhances a lot of the pilates moves, forcing you to focus even more on proper form.
  
• Foam roller ~ This is a new addition to my mini gym. Although I don't "workout" with it, it's been a lifesaver as a muscle massager after runs.
• Little H ~ Carrying him up and down the stairs of a 3rd floor walk-up counts as a workout to me :)
• Jogging stroller (obviously not pictured) ~ Even though this technically isn't used "at home", I still consider it part of my non-gym repertoire. Truth be told....I haven't actually used it yet. I just picked it up yesterday and, unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'll be able to try it out for a couple more days. With all this torrential rain, it was a struggle just to motivate myself to make the 5-minute trek to the gym this morning, especially with a wiggly little 18 lb person strapped to the front of me. But I made it there, and managed to run 4 miles in anticipation of using the new stroller... hopefully on Thursday!
  

Besides the DVDs, which I store in the entertainment center, all of the other equipment is stored under the bed or in our bedroom closet. If not, we'd be tripping over it everyday. In 800 sq feet, we can only keep out what's absolutely necessary for daily life. And, yes, a 3 ft wide baby jumperoo sitting on our living room floor is a necessity. If you have kids, no explanation needed. 20 straight minutes of a happy entertained baby is a dream :)

Breakfast for Dinner

As you might recall, I love breakfast. Any excuse to make or eat breakfast food, day or night, works for me. We've been trying to eat less meat for dinner, so that means getting creative. There have been some successes, and some major flops (last night's quinoa with sweet potatoes didn't go over well... and I have to agree with my husband on that one. Believe me, you don't want that recipe). Tonight's dinner/breakfast falls into the "success" category. And, surprise surprise, it's from the talented Ina Garten. Seriously though, everything I have made of hers has been amazing. I realized that I've been (unconsciously) working my way through a lot of her recipes in the last month. She's my go-to gal for great, easy food. I'm a bit obsessed.

I love eggs, and so does my husband. And, since there's a ton of variations with eggs, we have a lot of options. Tonight was scrambled eggs with goat cheese and chives, chive biscuits, and turkey bacon (ok, so the turkey bacon was my addition; Ina would use applewood smoked bacon, which of course would have been even better). The difference between my typical eggs and Ina's eggs is butter and half & half. As you can imagine, these not-so-healthy additions make the eggs taste really REALLY good.

The chive biscuits sounded like they'd go well with the eggs. I'd never made biscuits before and was in the mood to try something new. I always thought biscuits were difficult to make, but they were extremely simple and quick (made during Little H's afternoon nap)... and delicious. She also has a recipe for buttermilk cheddar biscuits that I think I'll try soon.

Since I made the biscuits ahead of time, the eggs and turkey bacon took only 15 minutes. I warmed the biscuits in the oven (wrapped in aluminum foil) while the bacon was cooking. Ideal for a quick, yummy dinner... or breakfast... or lunch. Speaking of, I think this will be my lunch tomorrow too.

*On a side note, I also made Ina's Country French Omelet twice last week. Loved it. Updates soon. (Oh, and yes, I am now on a first name basis with Ina. My new BFF).

Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese (from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style)
This original recipe serves 6, but I cut it in half when I made it tonight and had more than enough for two (although my husband had no problem finishing it off)

Ingredients:

• 16 extra-large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk or half & half (I used half skim milk, and the rest half & half)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 6 ounces fresh goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Directions:

• Whisk the eggs in a bowl with milk, salt and pepper.
  
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saute or omelet pan. Add the eggs and cook them over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the desired doneness.
• Off the heat, add the goat cheese, chives, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir and allow the eggs to sit for 30 seconds, until the cheese begins to melt.
• Check for seasonings. Serve hot.

Chive Biscuits (from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style)
Makes 8 biscuits (you can freeze the leftovers if you're not planning to eat them within a couple of days)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 3/4 cup half & half
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives or fresh parsley
• 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. With the mixer on low, add the half & half and beat until just mixed. Add the chives and mix until just combined.
• Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead lightly into a rectangle 3/4-inch thick. Cut out round with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter (I didn't have one, but my 1/3 measuring cup was the same size at the top and worked decently) and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with the egg wash.
• Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are firm. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

My half-marathon man

I have to wish a huge Congrats to my husband who ran the New Bedford half-marathon yesterday! Little H, my mom and I cheered him on at the 5-mile mark and after he crossed the finish line. He reached his goal of running it in under 2 hours... 1 hour and 58 minutes, to be exact. Since the farthest I've ever run is about 5.5 miles, I'm so impressed by his accomplishment. The weather was gorgeous, about 55 degrees and sunny... apparently it was a little warm for a 13.1 mile run (really? seemed like an ideal temperature, but all the runners were in shorts and t-shirts... and still extremely sweaty). But it was perfect for us spectators :)

Personally, I took a week off from running last week but continued to hit the gym for cross training, and at home I did pilates, yoga and weights. I was back running today, doing 3 miles on the treadmill. If watching hundreds of ridiculously in shape people run 13 miles doesn't motivate you, what will?!

Also, another incentive to run ~ a new purchase I made this morning, the BOB Revolution jogging stroller. It's something my husband and I have been talking about getting and I'm really looking forward to using! The weather is getting nicer and nicer, and we want to take advantage of running outside on the gorgeous days. So now I'll be able to do that during the week with Little H, and my husband and I can run together with him on the weekends. Although we don't have the stroller yet, we should be able pick it up sometime next week!

Chicken

No, this not not a food-related post. I chickened out of my race on Sunday. It's not because I didn't think I could finish...I was feeling really good about it actually. I didn't run because of the rain. And I'm not just talking about a little drizzle. It was practically a hurricane here for 4 days (ok, so that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it was pretty bad). I don't like to walk outside in the rain, so you can imagine how I feel about running 5 miles in it. I didn't even leave the condo... not even once, all day. I thought I'd feel a little guilty about missing the run, but no guilt here. I was perfectly happy inside, warm and dry.

The weather this week is a different story. It's going to be sunny and close to 60 degrees. Now that's my kind of weather.

On the move

I've had a good workout week, although I missed one workout on the schedule. Here's my week in review:

• Monday: Stretch & strength ~ At home while Little H napped in the a.m., I used weights, a resistance band and push-up bars to work my biceps and triceps. Then some stretching. It was nice to have a slower workout day after the Sunday run.
• Tuesday: 3 miles on the gym treadmill.
• Wednesday: Rest day. I was supposed to do 45 min of cross training, but I took a mom & baby class and couldn't make it to the gym. So instead, I moved this to tomorrow and didn't take the usual Rest day on Friday.
  
• Thursday: 45 min of cross training (mix of elliptical, rowing machine, bike)
• Friday: 2 mile run & strength ~ At home while Little H napped in the a.m., I used weights and a resistance band to work my shoulders and back. After he woke up, we were off to the gym for a 2 mile treadmill run followed by some ab exercises.
• Saturday: I should be doing 60 min of cross training but we have other plans for the day.
• Sunday: I should be doing a 5.5 mile run, but the race/event I'm running in that day is 5 miles. But since I ran 5.65 miles last Sunday, I'd say that makes up for it!

This was a good week, as far as fitting in all the workouts. I haven't had too much else going on so it was easier to make it to the gym. During busier weeks, it's not so easy and I sometimes miss 2 or 3 days. I just try to fit it in when I can.

Little H has also been getting a workout lately. He's on the move, or at least trying to be :) I've been seeing a lot of this adorable bottom...
He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth, then falls to the ground flailing his arms and legs, and gets right back up and does it again.... and then he repeats that over and over. It's adorable. Although he's not actually crawling, he's somehow making forward movement because when he sees a toy he wants on the other side of the rug (or a pacifier on the other side of the crib), he makes his way over and gets it. He's a very determined little boy.

Although I've been very excited for this next milestone, I'm also stressing out. Our place isn't quite ready for a mobile baby. I've put in the outlet covers, but other than that we have some baby-proofing to do. Right now, he pretty much stays on the living room rug, and I always have my eye on him. But I know that pretty soon the inevitable will happen... he'll be zipping across the floor. Oh boy. Our little guy is growing up so fast.

Baked sweet potato "fries"

Tonight, I made the sweet potato "fries" I mentioned in the previous turkey cheeseburger recipe post. These fries are another staple in the dinner rotation at our house. It's another one of Ina Garten's recipes, from the same cookbook as the blueberry streusel muffins. They are so simple and quick to make. I usually peel and cut the potatoes while Little H is playing or taking his afternoon nap. I put them in a large ziploc bag, and later (right before baking them) I add the olive oil and other ingredients and shake it all up in the bag so the potatoes are evenly coated. Then I put them on a sheet pan covered in aluminum foil (easy cleanup) and some cooking spray (to prevent them from sticking), then pop them in the oven. I love that they're baked and not fried. So you can enjoy them without the guilt!

The only thing I struggle with in this recipe is cutting the sweet potatoes to the right size and shape. In the picture in her cookbook, they look more like the shape of typical fries; whereas mine tend to look more rectangular (see photo below... I have to admit, the fries are looking a little sad in that picture). I think the sweet potatoes I've been using are too big, so when I try to cut them into smaller "spears" this is inevitably what happens. Luckily, their shape doesn't affect the taste... always delicious. A perfect side for all kinds of burgers and sandwiches.
Baked Sweet Potato "Fries" (from Ina Garten's Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavors from Simple Ingredients)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Halve the sweet potatoes lengthwise and cut each half into 3 long spears. Place them on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil. Spread the potatoes in one layer.
• Combine the brown sugar, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on the potatoes.
• Bake for 15 minutes and then turn with a spatula. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle lightly with salt and serve hot.
  

Enjoy!

Blueberry streusel muffins, and another "treat"

On Saturday, my mom and I had the pleasure of getting facials at Exhale Spa. I try to do this twice a year, but wish I could go more. I love this spa. It is the ultimate in relaxation. An ideal day would be a day at Exhale, including a yoga class in the a.m., followed by a massage, facial, manicure and pedicure. A girl can dream, can't she?

My mom and I were both looking forward to this special treat for ourselves. I thought I'd start that morning off with another kind of treat... something sweet. I was itching to bake something, so I pulled out the cookbooks and browsed the breakfast recipes. I have two of Ina Garten's cookbooks (aka Barefoot Contessa), and I almost always turn to them first because 1) her recipes are "accessible" for the everyday cook (and mom), meaning they are quite simple to make and don't involve a ton of ingredients, 2) everything of hers that I've made has turned out delicious, and 3) I love her show. I'm a little obsessed with the Food Network, and I particularly enjoy watching Ina cook and entertain. I would love to cook in her East Hampton kitchen (with her, of course; not only is she an amazing cook, but she seems like the sweetest person too), and then relax and enjoy some delicious food and a glass of wine with her in that beautiful backyard. (Apparently it never rains there... the weather is picture perfect in every episode. My kind of place.)

In her cookbook Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavors from Simple Ingredients, I found a recipe for blueberry streusel muffins. I love that crumbly streusel topping, so I was sold. For the record, these are by no means healthy. But we all deserve a treat every now and then. And when you can make it yourself, it makes the experience and the food that much sweeter. I have a huge sweet tooth and love to bake... so this was just another excuse to try something new :) These muffins were very simple to make. Besides using the food processor to mix the streusel topping, everything else can be mixed in bowls (making cleanup pretty easy). I loved the flavor that the lemon zest added to them... it was not overpowering, but gave them an added dimension. They turned out amazing and I would absolutely make them again. My mom and husband agreed. I served them with Greek yogurt, fresh strawberries, blueberries, sliced almonds, fresh OJ and coffee. It was the perfect treat to start the day.

Then we were off to the spa, and from there off to lunch. I have to give a big thanks to my husband who watched Little H while my mom and I were getting pampered. I'm already looking forward to going again (never soon enough!).
Blueberry Streusel Muffins (from Ina Garten's Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavors from Simple Ingredients)
(this original recipe makes 20 muffins, but I cut the recipe in the half and froze the leftovers)

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups buttermilk, shaken
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemond zest
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (2 half-pints)

For the streusel topping:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
• Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and blend with your hands.
  
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest and eggs.
• Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a fork, mixing just until blended. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Don't overmix!
• With a standard (2 1/4-inch) ice-cream scoop or large spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cups, filling them almost full.
• For the topping, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces. Pour into a bowl and rub with your fingers until crumbly. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the streusel on top of each muffin.
• Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 muffins until golden brown.

Enjoy!

5.65

= the number of miles I ran today! Boston was a gorgeous 53 degrees today, and since my weekly long runs fall on Sundays, I was looking forward to running outdoors on such a "warm" day (when you live in New England, 53 degrees is "warm" after 3 months of winter... we take what we can get.) No gloves, no hat. Beautiful views of the city running along the Charles. Infinitely more enjoyable than running on a treadmill, as most people would agree.

I was only supposed to run 5 miles. I wish I could say I had a burst of energy and wanted to run the additional .65 miles, but the truth is I ran farther by accident. Before I left, I quickly mapped out the route using Google maps and calculated (what I thought) was 5 miles. (Google maps, by the way, is very helpful when mapping out runs). When I got back I double checked the distance, and it turns out that it was 5.65 miles. Surprise! It was my mistake, but I guess it's better to run more than expected rather than less. Realizing that I ran that far made me feel amazing, especially since I was nervous about making it 5 miles without stopping/walking.

Next Sunday, I'm running in a 5-mile race/event. I'm feeling confident about it after today. And although the chance of having another gorgeous 53 degree day next Sunday is slim, I'll just be happy if it doesn't snow or rain. I don't ask for much!

An excuse to eat mac & cheese

Not that you ever need an excuse to eat mac & cheese. But read on to see why I'm eating lots of it this week....

I ran 4.5 miles on the treadmill yesterday, and was dreading it before it even started. I was supposed to do it Sunday, but I took a day to relax instead. Then on Monday, Little H's eating and napping schedule was all out of whack. His bottom 2 teeth are coming in, and I think it was making him more fussy than usual. So I decided to spare the gym babysitter from a cranky baby. Thinking back, I should've gone because I could've used a mini break from Mr. Crabbypants.

But he seemed better yesterday morning, so off we went to the gym. And maybe taking 2 days off worked in my favor because, to my surprise, I had a great run! I really had to think about not looking at the clock and the timer. I have Will Smith to thank for making the time go by (fairly) quickly. Gotta love True Hollywood Story.

When we got home, Little H went down for his nap and I had myself some mac & cheese. This wasn't your typical blue box mac & cheese (everyone's childhood favorite), although that would've been much simpler to make. I finally cracked open The Athlete's Palate Cookbook, and found a recipe for a "grown-up" mac & cheese. My husband's choice ~ Baked Macaroni and Artisanal Cheese with Chorizo and Piquillo Peppers. (Sounds a lot more complicated than it is.) I made it on Sunday. My husband ran 10 miles that day, so I thought it would be a good time to make one of the "recovery" meals in the book. It was delicious, if I do say so myself. I substituted with andouille sausage and roasted red peppers, since the other ingredients weren't in stock, and grated 50% light cheddar to lighten it up a bit. I made a large amount so we could use it for other meals this week. I love leftovers.
So this was my "recovery" meal after yesterday's run. Some days when I run or workout, I feel like my stomach is a bottomless pit, but this filled me up. Now, as far as the other 3 times I've eaten it this week... no excuses. It just tastes that good, and it's sitting there staring at me in the fridge. Waste not.

Plus, it's such a comforting way to end the day... curled up on the couch with a blanket and a warm bowl of mac & cheese.

Here's the original recipe (double it like I did if you want a lot of leftovers):

Baked Macaroni and Artisanal Cheese with Chorizo and Piquillo Peppers
(from The Athlete's Palate Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. macaroni, cooked al dente
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk (I used skim and it was still creamy)
• 2 cups grated artisanal Cheddar cheese (I used 50% light Cabot cheddar)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg)
• Salt and white pepper to taste (what is white pepper? I used black)
• 3/4 cup chorizo sausage, casing removed and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped basil, loosely packed
• 1/4 cup piquillo peppers, julienned (optional)
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cook the macaroni to al dente according to package directions; set aside.
• Make a roux by heating the butter and flour in a large pot, stirring constantly on very low heat until blonde. Add the milk; simmer on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes (the mixture will be thick). Add the cheese, slowly, whisking to make sure it melts all the way through. Add the nutmeg and season with the salt and pepper, then fold in the cooked macaroni.
• Remove the pot from the heat and add the chorizo, basil, and peppers.
  
• Place in a 13"x9" baking dish. Cover with the bread crumbs and drizzle the olive oil on top. Bake for 15 minutes or until done and the top is golden brown.

Enjoy!

I heart avocados

Little H, however, does not seem to share my love. After a one week break from solids (yeah, it was going that bad), he started on them again last Thursday. Since he's almost 7 months old, I thought we would've made more progress with solids by now. I re-introduced butternut squash first because that seemed to be the food he disliked the least. This time around, he seems to be liking it more. So next up was mashed avocado... this one's not a big hit. He tolerates it, but makes a funny face every time it actually makes it into his mouth (usually he just chews on the spoon and avocado falls down his chin). And so it goes.

Personally, I think avocados are extremely yummy.... so buttery when they are good and ripe. I eat them on sandwiches and salads, with eggs, and of course when they're used to make guacamole. And they're pretty delicious by themselves too. Obviously, Little H doesn't agree.

As luck would have it, they're also good for you. According to a recent article "Absolutely happy!" in the March issue of Parenting magazine, avocados are a flat-belly food. (Now do I have your attention?) Yup, apparently eating them can help you lose weight in your tummy. Avocados are rich in potassium, which helps counteract the negative effects of salty foods by helping bring water into the cells, where it should be.

*Here are a couple other avocado nutrition facts (had to sneak it in here): They contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated "healthy" fat that helps decrease bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL). They're also rich in the nutrient folate, which is also important for heart health. (There are even more health benefits, but I'll spare you any more boring facts.)

Now, where was I? Oh yeah, flat-belly foods. Here are some more the article lists: berries, cherries & grapes, low-fat dairy, lean protein, whole grains, healthy fat (nuts, olives, flaxseed oil, avocado, and chocolate!), green tea, and beans. Bonus for me because I love this stuff.

Little H is actually trying to put on some weight (he's a bit under where he should be), so maybe that's why he's not eating up those avocados. Maybe he's smarter than I give him credit for. As long as he maintains that adorable, round baby belly, then I'm happy :)