Upper-Body Strength And Cardio

Happy Friday friends! I created a killer workout for you this week that incorporates both upper body strength and upper body cardio moves. Tomorrow I have a math final that is expected to last eights hours...what! Today I knew I had to get a great workout in so that tomorrow I will be ready to take on my test!

This workout consisted of five circuits each with two upper body strengths moves and one upper body cardio move. This workout took me about forty minutes to complete. Here is what I got for you this Friday! 

Upper-Body Strength And Cardio 

Warm Up - Do Each Move For 30 Seconds 
-Arm Circles 
-Boxer Squat And Punch
-Butt Kicks 
-Arm Cross With Side Lunge
-Reverse Lunge With Twist
-Jump Rope
-Push Up On Knees 

Circuit 1 - Do Twice 
- Bicep Curls - 15 Reps
- Tricep Extension - 15 Reps
- Mountain Climbers - 30 Seconds 

Circuit 2 - Do Twice 
- Back Row- 15 Reps
- One Arm Tricep Kickback  - 15 Reps Alt. Sides
- Burpees - 30 Seconds 

Circuit 3 - Do Twice 
- Hammer Curl - 15 Reps 
- Shoulder Press - 15 Reps
- High Knees - 30 Seconds 

Circuit 4 - Do Twice
- Upright Row - 15 Reps
- Chest Press - 15 Reps
- Cross Jacks - 30 Seconds

Circuit 5 - Do Twice 
- Back Fly - 15 Reps
- Front and Lateral Raise - 8 Reps 
- Plank Jacks - 30 Seconds 

Cool Down - Do Each For 30 Seconds 
-Ab Stretch
-Neck Stretch 
-Chest Stretch 
-Tricep Strength 
-Shoulder Stretch
-Biceps Stretch 
-Cat Cow
-Child's Pose 

I hope that you enjoy this workout as much as me! Give it a try and let me know what you thought and any recommendations you may have for future workouts. :)

Enjoy! 

Finishing Up What Alice Forgot & Starting Little Bee

I loved What Alice Forgot. It was so interesting to see how such a traumatic event turned into a wonderful story. It was a great love story and I was sooo happy with the way it ended. This book left me feeling happy and like you should never take anyone or any day for gratitude. :)

What did you think about What Alice Forgot? Here are a couple questions about the book. Let me know what you thought!

1. Did you like the younger Alice best? Or did you relate more to the older Alice?

2. What would your younger self of ten years ago think of the person you are today?

3. What would surprise your younger self most about the life you're currently leading? What would disappoint you?

4. What would you think of your children? Are they how you imagined they would be? Are you the parent you envisioned? Why or why not?

5. Alice is shocked by many transformations—her gym-toned body, her clothes, her house. Are you more or less polished than you were a decade ago? And do you think there's any deeper significance to such change?

Our next book is Little Bee by Chris Cleave. We will be starting it Sunday October 23 and ending on Sunday November 6th.

Synopsis From Goodreads:Little Bee, a young Nigerian refugee, has just been released from the British immigration detention center where she has been held under horrific conditions for the past two years, after narrowly escaping a traumatic fate in her homeland of Nigeria. Alone in a foreign country, without a family member, friend, or pound to call her own, she seeks out the only English person she knows. Sarah is a posh young mother and magazine editor with whom Little Bee shares a dark and tumultuous past.

They first met on a beach in Nigeria, where Sarah was vacationing with her husband, Andrew, in an effort to save their marriage after an affair, and their brief encounter has haunted each woman for two years. Now together, they face a disturbing past and an uncertain future with the help of Sarah’s four-year-old son, Charlie, who refuses to take off his Batman costume. A sense of humor and an unflinching moral compass allow each woman, and the reader, to believe that even in the face of unspeakable odds, humanity can prevail.

Lets Get Reading! 

Chipotle Turkey Chili

I have never made chili in my life nor have I ever eaten chili in my life because I have a thing against beans. But, I have working very hard to start eating black beans and I do not mind them now. This recipe is super easy, healthy and of course delicious. :)

Ingredients:
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves; Minced
1 Sweet Onion; Chopped
1 Red Pepper; Diced
1 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Dash Chipotle Chili Pepper
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Oregano
1/2 Pound Lean Ground Turkey
1 - 8 oz Can Tomato Sauce
2 Small Tomatoes; Diced
1 Whole Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce; Minced
1/2 Cup Of Water
12 oz Frozen Sweet Corn
15 oz Black Beans; Rinsed And Drained
Salt And Pepper; To Taste

Optional For Serving:
Greek Yogurt
Avocado
Tortilla chips

Directions: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add in garlic, onions and red bell pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes or until onions and bell pepper until soften. Next add in ground turkey, making sure to break up the lumps; cook until turkey is no longer pink. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano; stir, and cook another minute. Add in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chipotle pepper, water, corn, and black beans. Add a little salt and pepper. If you want your chili to be more spicy add in more chipotle peppers. I do not like my food very spicy so I made this pretty mild. Bring chili to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour. Be sure to stir occasionally. Taste the chili and adjust seasonings as necessary. This recipe makes about 4 servings. Serve with greek yogurt, avocado,and tortilla chips. Our favorite chips to use are Way Better Snacks Sprouted Sweet Potato Chips. The only ingredients are stone ground non-GMO whole corn, sunflower oil, sweet potato, sprouted seed and grain blend (sprouted quinoa, sprouted chia seed), and pure sea salt. They are super good too!! Enjoy!

Full-Body Strength And Cardio

I love to create my own workouts but I never share them but that is about to change. Every Friday I am going to share a new workout with you guys that I have created. 

Here is the first of many awesome workouts I will be creating and sharing with you. This is a full-body strength and cardio workout that will challenge you. I would recommend this workout for intermediate to advanced people who are active on a regular basis. 

This workout has a five minute warm up, three strength circuits that you will do twice, three cardio circuits that you will do once and a five minute cooldown. If you are feeling super determined and want to complete the cardio circuits twice go for it! :) 

This workout took me about 40 minutes to complete. I used a pair of 15 pound dumbbells for this workout and it was very challenging for me. Pick a weight that is going to challenge you! And remember ladies lifting heavy weights is not going to make you bulk up. ;) 

Full-Body Strength And Cardio 

Warm Up - Do Each Move For 30 Seconds 
-Twisting Toe Touch
-Lunge and Twist
-Butt Kicks
-Low Squat with Knee Tuck
-Arm Circles
-Jumping Jacks
-Spinal Flex
-High Knees 

Circuit 1 - Do Twice 
-Goblet Squat - 20 Reps
-Deadlift with Back Row - 15 Reps
-Bridge with Chest Press - 20 Reps 

Cardio 1 - Do For 60 Seconds
-Side Lunge Jumps 

Circuit 2 - Do Twice 
-Shoulder Press with Side Crunch - 20 Reps Alt. Sides
-Overhead Reach with Leg Lower - 15 Reps
-Seated Russian Twist - 15 Full Rotations 

Cardio 2 - Do For 60 Seconds 
-Sprint 

Circuit 3 - Do Twice 
-Reverse Lunge with Bicep Curl - 20 Reps Alt. Sides
-Lawn Mower - 20 Reps Alt. Sides
-Leg Balance into Warrior 3 - 15 Reps Alt. Sides

Cardio 3 - Do For 60 Seconds
-Tuck Jumps

Cool Down - Do Each For 30 Seconds 
-Ab Stretch
-Hip Flexor Stretch
-Standing Forward Bend
-Quad Stretch
-Shoulder Stretch
-Biceps Stretch 
-Cat Cow
-Child's Pose 

I hope that you enjoy this workout as much as me! Give it a try and let me know what you thought and any recommendations you may have for future workouts. :)

Enjoy! 

Breakfast For Dinner Bowl

Almost every night of the week we have a theme for dinner. But I always have troubles coming up with what to make for dinner on Wednesday nights because it doesn't have a theme. This week I decided that Wednesday nights from now on are going to be breakfast for dinner. I mean come on who doesn't love breakfast for dinner. ;)

This is our first Wednesday of doing this and I knocked it out of the park. This meal was so delicious and very filling. I love coming up with breakfast recipes so this should be fun. I will share as I keep creating. But here is what I got for you tonight.

A delicious breakfast bowl filled with turkey sausage, sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, eggs, avocados and tomatoes. :)

This recipes makes two very hearty servings. 

Ingredients: 

Turkey Sausage: 

1/2 pound Lean Ground Turkey
1 Teaspoon Coconut Sugar
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
1/2 Teaspoons Ground Sage
1/2 Teaspoons Ground Thyme
1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Sweet Potatoes: 
1 Sweet Potato 

1 Sweet Onion

1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil 

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Peppers: 

1 Red Pepper

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

Sprinkle of Salt 

Other Ingredients: 

4 Eggs
1 Avocado

1 Tomato 

Spinach or Kale (optional) 

Directions:

Turkey: 

Mix turkey with all of the seasonings and let marinate for at least two hours.

Cook and crumble the turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 6 to 8 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes: 

Wash and scrub sweet potatoes thoroughly. Dry potatoes well with a towel or paper towel.

Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into 4 long strips. Chop each of the strips into small cubes. 

Chop onion into small cubes as well. 

Mix the sweet potato and onion with tablespoon of coconut oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat.

Either bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until crisped, flipping once halfway through to make sure that both sides get crispy. Or cook in a covered skillet for about 25 or until lightly browned. 

Pepper:

Saute pepper in a bit of olive oil until tender. 

Eggs: 

Prepare your eggs however you like them. I like to make them over easy so that they are all runny and delicious for this bowl. 

The Perfect Breakfast Bowl Assembly: 

My husband and I talked about the best way to assemble this bowl and we came up with the following. :)

1. Start by putting sweet potato and onion on the bottom.

2. Next put the peppers and tomato.

3. Followed by the turkey sausage. 

4. And of course the delicious eggs. 

5. Last by not least place the avocado on top. 

There you have it now give it a try and let me know what you think!

Enjoy! 

Salt Free Homemade Meat Seasoning

This is a great seasoning for beef, chicken and fish. The cinnamon gives it a unique and delicious flavor! 

Ingredients: 

1/4 Cup Garlic Powder
1½ Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1/6 Cup Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp Cayenne
1 Tsp Roasted Cinnamon

Directions: 
Blend all spices together in a bowl. 

Keep in a mason jar, plastic baggie, clean spice jar etc...

Enjoy! 

Finishing Up The Snow Child & Starting What Alice Forgot

I found The Snow Child to be a breath of fresh air. It was a nice story and made you feel like I was experience the story in real life. I really enjoyed every single page of this book. I was a bit sad with how it ended but I was expecting it at the same time. What did you think of The Snow Child?

Here are a couple questions about The Snow Child. Let me know what you thought of the book. :)

1. When Mabel first arrives in Alaska, it seems a bleak and lonely place to her. Does her sense of the land change over time? If so, how?

2. Why are Jack and Mabel emotionally estranged from each other in the beginning of the novel, and how are they able to overcome that?

3. How do Esther Benson and Mabel differ in temperament, and how does their friendship change Mabel?

4. The first time Garrett sees Faina in person is when he spies her killing a wild swan. What is the significance of this scene?

5. In what ways does Faina represent the Alaska wilderness?

Our next book is What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. We will be starting it Monday October 10th and ending it on Sunday October 23.

Synopsis From Goodreads: Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child.

So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes.

Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over.

Lets Get Reading! 

Healthy Homemade Granola

I think that granola is perfect for fall. It is getting chilly and I have been wanting more yummy comfort foods. This granola is great to eat by itself or with a little milk. It is also so easy to make and a lot more healthy than the granola you buy at the grocery store.

Let me know what you think! :) 

Ingredients: 

2 Cups Old Fashion Oats

½ Cup Slivered Almonds

¼ Cup Flax Seed

½ Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup

2 Tbsp Melted Virgin Coconut Oil 

½ Tsp Vanilla Extract

½ Tsp Cinnamon 

1 Large Pinch Fine Sea Salt

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 300º F. 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.

Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until very lightly toasted. 

Cool before serving or storing. 

This granola can be kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!