Friday, July 3, 2009 at 01:01 PM
Gotta make this post quick! We’re supposed to meet with our realtor in about 20 minutes!
After an awesome lower body circuit workout (it kicked my butt!), I whipped together a protein-packed recovery smoothie using the following ingredients:
- 1 container of Stonyfield Oikos Greek yogurt
- 1 packet of Vega Whole Food Smoothie Infusion
- 1 cup vanilla hemp milk
- 1 banana
- 2 figs
- 1 plum
- Handful of ice
I split the smoothie with Mal, so each one had approximately 19 grams of protein. Wahoo! I hope it keeps me full during our marathon afternoon of home tours!
This batch came out light and frothy! I loved the little chunks of chewy fig in the mix. 
The sun finally came out in Boston!!! 
Butt-Kickin’ Lower Body Circuit
Repeat circuit 2-3 times.
For all of the bolded exercises, I did 15 reps and used 20 lbs. dumbbells. I rested as little as possible between exercises, but allowed myself to rest for about 2 minute between sets. I was a sweaty mess by the end!
Time to house hunt!!!
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: products, workouts
Friday, July 3, 2009 at 08:13 AM
Mal and I were supposed to spend the July 4th weekend in New Hampshire with my sister and fiance and some of their friends, but we decided not to go. With flying out West last week and flying down South next weekend, we thought we’d be better off enjoying a “staycation” instead. Plus, after all of the fun we had in Seattle and Victoria, I am still recovering! Basically, I need a vacation from vacation! So, a “staycation” was the perfect option for this long weekend.
Staycation Tips
From ACB.com & CNN.com
- Schedule start and end dates. Just as you would with a vacation, schedule a beginning and ending for your staycation to make it feel like an official vacation. Otherwise, it runs the risk of feeling like just another string of nights in front of the tube.
- Pack that time with activities. Plan a daily activity, and make sure something takes you out of the house — for fun — every day.
- Declare a “choratorium.” That means no chores! Don’t make the bed, vacuum, clean out the closets, pull weeds — nothing. You’re on vacation!
- Take staycation photos or videos, just as you would if you went away from home for your vacation.
- Enjoy your “staycation” by becoming a tourist inside or near your own home. Consult guidebooks and check out websites like Chowhound.com to find the best local eateries.
- Stay in a nearby hotel. Tell them you’re a local, and they may give you a discount so that you’ll recommend them to visiting friends or relatives
- Join your local museum to get on lists to identify when the best cultural opportunities are happening
More great tips!
Breakfast
I started-off my staycation on the right foot with a hearty bowl of banana-peanut butter oats.
In the mix:
- 1/2 cup oats
- 3/4 cup vanilla hemp milk
- 1 banana
- 2 spoonfuls of peanut butter
We’re out of iced coffee, so I drank black tea with breakfast this morning.
Mal and I are looking at houses with our realtor ALL afternoon today. We have a list of about 8 or 9 homes that we plan to see.
Spending that day looking at houses might seem rather “un-staycation-like,” but we really enjoy checking out houses. It’s sort of like we are on House Hunters! 
I’m off to enjoy my staycation! Enjoy the holiday weekend, blog friends!
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized
Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Hey people! I’m Diana, the blogger behind Soap & Chocolate and the “You might be a health blogger” list. My blog is mostly about healthy eating and recipes both created and tried by me, your average twenty-something New Yorker workin’ hard for the money and cooking for one. I gravitate towards vegetarianism naturally, but that doesn’t mean that meat doesn’t show up every once in a while. Above all, as much as I enjoy being creative in the kitchen, I don’t like to spend a lot of time in the process, so I will gladly take a shortcut when it doesn’t sacrifice quality or healthiness.
This is how I arrived at a recipe for “Shortcut Gazpacho,” which I’ll share with you now. I developed a love for gazpacho during a semester in Spain while in college, and to this day it remains something I look forward to when summer rolls around.
Ingredients:
- 1 cucumber, cut into chunks
- 1 bell pepper, de-seeded and cut into chunks (I used green)
- 1 handful grape tomatoes, cut in half (or not…)
- 1 cup of your favorite jarred marinara sauce
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
Singular direction:
Chuck it all in the blender and let it go until everything’s smooth!
Makes about 3 cups of gazpacho, which serves two or three people, depending who they are… I enjoy eating this cold, so you might want to chill it for an hour or so before serving.
I like substituting jarred tomato sauce for additional tomatoes and herb/spice/garlic/onion combinations because it takes the guesswork (and additional chopping) out. Also, if you’re not much of an onion lover (like me), using the prepared sauce means the potency of any onion or garlic is already diluted a bit. And the more powerful your blender, the less pre-chopping of the fresh veggies you’ll need to do. This is pretty much a no-excuses recipe – you don’t even need to own any herbs or spices.
I hope you get to enjoy this easy gazpacho as a seems-more-sophisticated-than-it-really-is starter for your favorite summertime meal! Try it and unleash your inner lazy chef.
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: guest blogger, recipe
Tags: gazpacho recipe
