Cousins and Country Living September 20, 2012

Well, so much for Keenan sleeping in (at least not at my parent’s house!)…today he promptly woke up at 6:30 a.m.! On top of waking up early, he didn’t fall asleep until 9:00 p.m. last night, due to a little fiasco of putting he and Maddie to bed in the same room. I thought Keenan was already asleep when we put Maddie to bed last night. As soon as my mom and Maddie walked in the room, Keenan stood up in the crib and was ready for play time! Needless to say, we didn’t have the two of them sleep in the same room, otherwise no one would get any sleep! As far as Keenan’s early wake-up goes, I think it is partly due to his teeth, and also being at my parent’s house. He has two molars coming in on the bottom, so he is constantly sticking his fingers in his mouth, not to mention being a little irritable. Also, for the past few days, he has only been napping for an hour to an hour-and-a-half (he usually sleeps at least 2 full hours!). I’m hoping after his teeth come in, he will go back to his normal sleeping habits (crossing my fingers!).

A quick picture before we headed up the road!

Since we have been at my parents’ house, we have been playing outside non-stop and enjoying the country. Every time we visit my parents’ house, it makes me want to move back to the country sooner, rather than later!

Yesterday, after Keenan and Maddie woke up from their naps, we went on a bike ride up the road (Keenan rode his trike and Maddie rode her bike) and on the way back, we stopped to pick peaches! Keenan thought the “mushy ones” on the ground were SO funny! He kept wanting to pick them up and make them even more mushier! I can’t wait to make a nice crisp or cobbler with some of the peaches this weekend! I am going to try making it with almond flour and Xylitol. I’ll let you know how it turns out!

Picking peaches!

After we got home, we made ice cream cones, cupcakes and cakes out of play doh.

Play doh time!

A little while later, we danced, sang and gave lots of love to the dogs, Lady (Rottweiler) and Princess (German Shepherd)!

Giving lots of love to the dogs!

Hugging Princess!

“Scratching” Lady’s back with the broom!

For dinner, my mom made roasted chicken with potatoes, broccoli and salad. She stuffed the chicken with lots of garlic and herbs, so it was perfectly juicy and full of flavor! Once again, I forgot to snap a picture, sorry!

After breakfast and a little playing outside, we went to the ranch so Keenan and Maddie could ride the tractor with Avo. At first, Keenan wasn’t sure about the whole thing, but after seeing Maddie on the tractor, he wanted to ride it, too! They also got to sit in the big tractor!

Maddie enjoying a tractor ride with Avo!

Enjoying his tractor ride with Avo!

Sitting in the big tractor!

After we were done with the tractors, we picked a LOT of tomatoes (Keenan wanted to pick the green ones!) and visited GG (my grandmother), who lives down the road.

Picking tomatoes!

When we got home, Keenan helped my mom pick a couple of pumpkins from her garden, to bring home to our house (we’ll save them for carving next month!).

Helping to pick some pumpkins!

For lunch, we had leftover chicken and broccoli with some slices of tomatoes and peaches. Since Maddie and Keenan finished all of their lunch (including all of their broccoli!), my mom made them small ice cream cones, before they went down for their naps.

We definitely had a busy, but fun-filled morning! Hopefully, with all of the activity, Keenan and Maddie will take long naps! Once Keenan gets up, will be heading home and I’m hoping to go to the later CrossFit class tonight. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon!

Question: Aside from eating peaches fresh, grilling them or making a crisp or cobbler, what other ways do you eat them? Since we have so many peaches, I’d love to try some new ways of cooking/baking them. Also, how do you like to use fresh vine-ripend tomatoes? We picked two big bags full, so I’m thinking of roasting and grilling some. I would love to find other ways to cook/eat them (aside from adding them to salads or pasta dishes).

The Importance of Family September 18, 2012

I had to post this picture…we gave Keenan some peanut butter ice cream (left over from his birthday) after dinner last night, as a treat, and he was SO excited to eat it!

My brother and niece arrived from Montreal late last night, to stay here (our house for a couple of days and then at my parent’s for the rest of the time) until Sunday. My brother has work in the area for the next few days, so he thought it would be nice to bring my niece along, so we can all see her. Most importantly, Keenan and my niece can spend time together and play. Keenan woke up this morning around 7:30, a little before my niece, and was SO excited to see her and his Uncle E (my brother) that he kept saying, “See Maddie and Uncle E!” Since my niece and brother weren’t up yet, Keenan stayed with my husband and I in our bed, reading stories. As soon as my niece woke up, Keenan and her were SUPER excited to see each other. It was non-stop giggling, screaming, running and playing from that moment until lunch time! Keenan adores his cousin and my niece is such a wonderful big cousin to him; it’s very cute to watch them interact. I just love seeing the two of them play so well together! Every time we are all together, I always wish we could live closer, because it would be so nice for our children to grow-up next door to each other. Maybe some day…

When my brother, niece and sister-in-law (though, she is not here this time, due to her expecting baby number 2!) are here, it always reinforces the importance of family to me. I’m so blessed and thankful to have such a supportive and loving family. They are always there for me, supporting me along the way, no matter what happens. Even though we might disagree sometimes, we always come together in the end. We enjoy spending time all together and since we don’t get to see each other that often, we cherish the moments we do have!

Once everyone was up, we headed downstairs and Keenan and Maddie played in his kitchen, while my husband and I prepped breakfast. We made scrambled eggs with a little mozzarella cheese and fruit (we also had lattes, of course!). Both Keenan and Maddie also wanted some cheerios, so they each had a small bowl, in addition to the eggs and fruit. After breakfast, we got dressed and headed outside to see Slinky and play in the sandbox. Maddie loves Slinky so much that she only wanted to be with her, following her around everywhere; it was too cute! Meanwhile, Keenan played in his sandbox the whole time!

Keenan and Maddie “cooking their own breakfast!” Keenan was wearing the hat that Maddie and Uncle E gave him, too!

For lunch, Keenan had a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich with cooked carrots, applesauce and a glass of milk. Maddie had a jelly sandwich (no peanut butter) with carrots and a glass of milk. For some reason, Fage Greek yogurt sounded good again, so I had a cup of it for my lunch with chia seeds, flax seed and a nectarine. It hit the spot!

After lunch, my mom came to get Maddie, so she can stay with her for the next few days. Keenan was sad to see Maddie go, but we are going to my parent’s house tomorrow, so the two of them can continue to play.

After Keenan gets up from his nap, we are heading to CrossFit (yesterday’s WOD was a good one: 10 push presses and 10 back squats of 65 lb for women, doing as many rounds as possible in 8 minutes, which I completed 6 rounds and 3 reps) and then home for dinner. On the menu is a grilled baby bok choy salad, with sauteed red bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and chicken. Since we have had so many Italian/Mediterranean meals lately, I thought it would be good to switch things up and have something Asian inspired! I saw grilled baby bok choy in a Bon Appetit magazine a while ago, so I thought it would be fun to mix them with other veggies. We’ll see how it turns out! I’ll post a picture and the recipe tomorrow!

Question: What are you having for dinner tonight? What kinds of different vegetables have you grilled?

Alaska… August 15, 2012

Enjoying the beauty of life (Lake Clark, Alaska).

We made it home safe and sound (well, maybe not sound, as we are still trying to adjust to the HOT weather and face reality again!) yesterday afternoon. It was nice coming home in the afternoon; we had time to unpack, do laundry, put Keenan down for a nap (he was SO tired from all of the traveling, poor little guy!) and get to bed early. It was a LONG day of traveling…we had to be at the airport at 5:00 a.m. for our flight (not fun)!

It is good to be home, but at the same time, I kind of miss being in Alaska. It was nice to be completely remote without any communication with the rest of the world (no phones, internet or TV). It allowed us to appreciate the simple things that we often forget in the hustle and bustle of  life, and most importantly, it allowed us to truly spend quality, uninterrupted time together as a family: Rolling logs down the lawn, picking wild strawberries and blueberries with Keenan, smelling the flowers, fishing, enjoying the sounds of nature, getting excited when a bald eagle landed on the lawn in front of my in-law’s lodge to eat the remains of the fish I caught, playing board games and reading. It made me realize what is truly important in life: Family, health, faith, food and shelter. Everything else is not that important (if at all).

I was fortunate to meet a native Alaskan man the night before we left my in-law’s lodge to fly back to Anchorage.  After talking with him, I saw the world so differently. His worries are so different than ours. He has to worry about staying safe from bears or moose, picking enough wild blueberries to freeze for the winter, catching enough fish to freeze and/or smoke to feed his family, providing a safe house for other native kids who live in a horrible household, and finally having enough money to put a roof over his family’s head. Having a car or the latest technology is foreign to him. Wearing the newest clothes is not important, as long as you have them to stay warm. We (myself included) too easily get caught up in the game of life, needing the latest cell phone, computer, TV, new car, or new clothes, but is that what really matters in the grand scheme of things? Does that new cell phone add value to your life and to your family’s life? Or, is it taking time away from your family because you are spending too much time on it? Is materialism and consumerism the essence of modern life?

Here is a recap of our trip:

Leaving for Anchorage (actually Seattle; we had a layover before getting on another plane to head to Alaska).

Keenan was SO excited to fly on a “big airplane!” If you are wondering why my eyes are red and somewhat puffy, I had an allergic reaction to a new eyeliner that I tried the day before.

Leaving for my in-law’s lodge at Lake Clark, an hour and 15 minutes Southwest of Anchorage, in a little plane.

Keenan was SO tired and SO silly!

The view from the small airplane was incredible! Here are few pictures that I captured. Keenan had a great time on the plane ride (despite being OVERLY tired), playing with a few native kids who sat behind us!

A glacier runoff into the lake.

The beautiful Lake Clark.

Our little plane!

Once we arrived at my in-law’s lodge, we had dinner, put Keenan to bed, relaxed for a bit, bathed in the sauna and went to bed. It was a VERY LONG day of flying. Our flight in Sacramento left at 9:20 a.m. and we arrived in Lake Clark at 7:30 p.m. Alaska time (they are one hour behind us). We traveled for 12 hours and Keenan, once again, was a trooper. He was a great traveler! He slept part of the way from Seattle to Anchorage which was nice! It also helped that I had some episodes of “Elmo’s World,” “Shaun the Sheep” and “Timmy Time” on my nook to keep him entertained for a while!

Keenan being silly on the little plane to my in-law’s lodge! I just had to take a picture!

After getting unpacked and settled the next day, we  headed in the boat to go across the lake to visit my in-law’s friends and introduce Keenan. Keenan was a little unsure of the boat, but once we were in it, he had a good time. After that first boat ride, he couldn’t wait to go again! Once we got home, we enjoyed some relaxing time, playing with Keenan and cooking, since the weather was bad. It was raining for the first 3 days that we were there, providing a great excuse to rest and relax, which we all needed.

Helping Daddy drive the boat with Grandpa!

Play time!

The next day we went fishing (in the rain) for Pike and my husband caught one, but I only had a few bites. I love fishing for Pike (aka Fresh Water Barracuda) because they jump up to bite your bait. They have huge mouths with razor sharp teeth. It is fun and exhilarating! Keenan was mesmerized with the fish my husband caught. He was so focused on watching my husband reel in the fish, unhook it and put it in the bucket to bring home. In the afternoon, my husband created a WOD for us which included sprinting down the runway (3,000 ft), throwing logs down and up a hill in the lawn and doing 25 pushups for three rounds. It was a good workout, especially doing it in pouring down rain! For dinner, we baked the Pike and made “Pike pasta” with a garlic cream sauce. It was SO yummy! Sorry, I completely forgot to take a picture of our dinner.

Keenan ready to go fishing in the rain, wearing his make-shift “waterproof pants” out of a kitchen garbage bag that Daddy made (which actually worked quite well)!

After another day relaxing at the lodge and playing outside with Keenan, we headed up the river to fish for Grayling (which I caught two!), had a picnic and found a moose and bear print for my mother-in-law to do a print with Keenan’s boot and hand out of Plaster of Paris. It was a fun day! When we got back, Keenan rode on the four-wheeler with Daddy, which he loved! While Keenan was napping, my husband and I went kayaking, since it was such a beautiful day. That night, we baked the Grayling that I caught, flaked out the meat and made pizza, using Arugula, pancetta, caramelized onions and goat cheese! Again, I forgot to take a picture of our pizza, sorry!

The view heading up the river!

The first Grayling that I caught!

The second Graying that I caught!!

The weather was stormy again, so we all lounged around the lodge and did some more reading and relaxing, while my mother-in-law and Keenan made bread! He loved being my mother-in-law’s “Baking Assistant!”

Baking bread with Grandma!

“Show me the measuring cup!”

Kneading or rather, “punching” the dough to relax it a little before letting it rest.

A couple days later we headed across the lake again to check the mail and visit with my in-law’s friends (who sure enjoyed Keenan!). Later that day, Keenan helped Grandpa mow the lawn.

Riding the tractor (mowing the lawn) with Grandpa!

The day before we left, we did some Pike fishing again, and this time, I caught two fish! We tried to get a picture, but my husband accidentally let it go (you can sort of see the mouth of the Pike before I reeled it in). Keenan also fished this day, using a little pole that my in-law’s had. He had a ball, saying “Fishing like Mommy and Daddy!” He didn’t catch anything because we didn’t put a hook on it, but he certainly learned how to drop the line in the water and reel it in.

Keenan fishing with Grandpa.

The first Pike that I caught!

On our last day at the lodge, we packed up and headed back to Anchorage to drive down the cost to Seward. It was a cute little seaside town with a wonderful Sea Life Center. We stayed in Seward for two nights, visiting the Sea Life Center (seeing Puffins, a baby Walrus, lots of neat colored fish, seals and sea lions), hiking up to a glacier, eating WONDERFUL seafood and shopping. It was a nice little getaway before flying back to Sacramento. I highly recommend visiting Seward, if you are traveling to Alaska!

Keenan had to hug the bear outside of a store in Anchorage. It was too cute!

The family, after hiking to the top of the glacier in Seward!

Our little family with Keenan in the Ergobaby Carrier (the best thing ever when traveling, hiking or just going shopping!).

Keenan driving the boat in the little play area at Seward’s Sea Life Center!

Horsing around in the car (Keenan wearing my sunglasses) on the drive back to Anchorage from Seward!

We arrived in Sacramento yesterday and Keenan wanted to help with the luggage. Once we got home, Keenan was so exhausted, he slept for 2 hours!

Helping with Grandpa and Grandma’s luggage (cooler filled with frozen fish)!

Sound asleep after a long day of traveling!

It was a fun two weeks! We all had a great time and Keenan saw a lot of wildlife and learned so much. It was fun to see the world through his eyes! Now, it’s back to reality for us (which started with CrossFit this afternoon that wiped us out!).  Time for bed and on to tomorrow…

Hard to Say Goodbye July 24, 2012

Keenan licking his plate clean after finishing a piece of his early birthday cake last night!

It is always hard saying goodbye to my brother, sister-in-law and niece. Every time they leave, I always have tears in my eyes, no matter if I’ll see them next month or 3 months from now; I just hate goodbyes! My husband just took them to the airport, to fly back home to Montreal. Thank goodness for skype, because it would be hard to not see my niece for a while! Fortunately, we will see them in September, since my cousin is getting married. Knowing that we will seem them in little over a month, makes saying goodbye a little easier this time. We had a great time with them this past month and Keenan and his cousin had SO much fun! They played so well together and shared lots of laughs. We called them “Ooga and Booga,” because they were always so silly together!

Last night, we had one last family dinner together (Mexican food from our favorite taqueria) and my brother and sister-in-law surprised Keenan with an early birthday cake and gift (since they won’t be here for his birthday on Aug. 20th). It was so sweet and Keenan was excited, but he didn’t really know what to do. He was mesmerized by the candles, so my niece and I helped him blow them out. They got an ice cream cake (a perfect choice, since Keenan is infatuated with ice cream cones these days!), so Keenan devoured his slice and ate some of my mom’s cake, too! They got him a set of balls: soccer, basketball and football, as well as a Play Doh ice cream maker set. Keenan was thrilled!

This morning, after we all finished a simple breakfast of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal, Fage yogurt, nectarines and blueberries (lattes, of course!), we opened the ice cream maker set and Keenan and his cousin had a blast making different kinds of ice cream cones.  As they were playing and Play Doh was flying everywhere, onto our rug and in the crevices of our coffee table, it made me realize how little space we have, especially as Keenan is getting older and accumulating more toys (and bigger ones). So, as his birthday approaches, I need to start thinking about making more room, i.e. purging and reorganizing (which my husband loves…not really!). We want to get Keenan a little table to use for art projects and playing with Play Doh, but the question is “where do we put it?” Before I was pregnant, my husband and I always said we didn’t want our house to be overrun by our children. We wanted it to still look like our home, but with a small play area for our kids. We have to think creatively in finding more space, so it doesn’t become overrun with Keenan’s things. I can only imagine what it will be like when we have another child! Do you have the same issues with space and finding room for your child’s toys? Does your house feel overrun with your child’s or children’s toys? How do you make room for all of your child’s or children’s things?

Speaking of Keenan’s upcoming birthday, call me old fashion, but I like traditional mailed invitations. I know evites are the new thing, which are much easier and most importantly, environmentally friendly, but I just like receiving an old fashion invitation in the mail. I enjoy making cards, thank you notes and invitations, so I look at it as a fun project to make his birthday invites. I know most people might think that making your own invites takes too much time and since I’m at home with Keenan everyday, I  have plenty of time to do them. Creating your own invitations doesn’t take much time at all. I made Keenan’s 1st birthday invites last year when I was working. You can make them as simple or as intricate as you like. For his 2nd birthday invitations that I just completed and mailed, I purchased cream colored card stock (already cut in a A6 size) from Cutcardstock. They are very reasonably priced, about 10% cheaper than purchasing a package at Michaels or Office Depot. I formatted the invitation in Microsoft Word, added Keenan’s picture and wording. Since I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked (since we are getting ready to leave for Alaska), I made them very simple, but cute. We are going with a theme of “Keenan’s Favorites” for his birthday this year, so the invite was geared to some of his favorite foods, which we will have at his party. It should be fun!

This afternoon, we are heading back to CrossFit for another awesome workout and then home for dinner. Yesterday’s workout was brutal for our first day back after a week off! It was a partner WOD, consisting of rope climbs, box jumps, over-the-bar burpees and deadlifts (women weight: 205/men weight: 325). The workout was 2 rounds for time and my partner and I completed 1 round and 23 reps at 175 pounds for our deadlifts. It was tough! I could definitely tell that my lack of working out last week and not eating as I usually do, affected my performance. When we are in Alaska, my husband and I are making sure to at least workout every other day, so we don’t feel like this after being gone for two weeks!

On the menu for tonight is sauteed Kale with a torpedo onion (diced), sun dried tomatoes and chicken sausages over whole wheat couscous. It should be yummy! I will make sure to take pictures and post the recipe tomorrow! Have a great rest of your afternoon!

My Little Shopper Helper July 9, 2012

Keenan having fun riding Nonna’s Rocking Horse over the weekend!

We are all home again and ready to start the week (a short one, since we leave early Friday morning for a vacation with my family). Since we had no real food (fruits, veggies, eggs and milk) in our fridge, Keenan and I made a trip to the grocery store after his swim class this morning to stock-up (buying only enough to get us through the week). Keenan is my “Shopper Helper” as I call him, because he loves going to the store and helping me pick out our things and putting them in the cart. He also loves to hold onto the list for me. I enjoy taking him to the store, because it is a great learning experience for him and teaching moment for me. We talk about all of the different things that we see and how they can be prepared/cooked. How do you involve your kids at the grocery store? Do you find that involving your kids in picking-out fresh produce helps them to eat their veggies?

After getting home and unloading the groceries (which Keenan likes to help with; I hope it lasts!), I put together most of our dinner, so it will be ready when we get home from CrossFit (CF) tonight. We always end-up staying late at CF, so unless I prepare dinner ahead of time, it makes it challenging to get it ready quickly, so Keenan can go to bed on time (between 7:15 and 7:30 p.m.). On the menu for tonight is turkey meatloaf (mixed with feta cheese, fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes), oven-baked sweet potato fries and sauteed spinach with onions, garlic and olive oil. For the meatloaf, I am cooking it in the crock pot which keeps it nice and moist! I put it on low, so it can cook all afternoon. Since our oven has a delay start function (which I recently discovered, thanks to my husband!), I prepped the sweet potatoes, placed them onto baking sheets and put them in the oven to start while we are at CF. The delay start function is AWESOME! I’ve been using it a lot lately, because it makes it easy to prep things ahead of time, like roasted veggies and potatoes (things that won’t spoil while sitting in the oven for a couple of hours) and have them ready when you get home. Just like a crock pot (which I have been using more lately, to save time at night), you can fix-it and forget about it! The only thing I need to do when we get home tonight is cook the spinach, which only takes 10 minutes, at most. How do you save time when making meals for your family?

Here are the recipes for my meatloaf and oven-baked sweet potato fries. They are both my creations!

 

 

 

Turkey Meatloaf in the Crock Pot: (serves 6)

Ingredients:

– 2 lbs ground turkey

– 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)

– 1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped)

– 1/4 cup feta cheese

– 2 eggs

– 1/4 cup of ketchup

– 1 cup oatmeal

– 1/2 onion (finely chopped)

– 1/2 cup ground flax seed

– 1 clove of garlic (minced)

-1/2 teaspoon pepper

-1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

– pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Spray non-stick cooking spray or rub a small amount of olive oil on the bottom and sides of your crock pot (to prevent the meatloaf from sticking).

2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

3. Put all ingredients in crock pot and form a “loaf” shape.

4. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours. Serve warm and enjoy!

The turkey meatloaf before I set it to cook.

Oven-baked Sweet Potato Fries: (serves 3)

Ingredients:

– 3 medium-large sweet potatoes or yams

– 1/2 cup ground flax seed

– 1/4 cup olive oil

– 1 clove fresh garlic (minced)

– 1/2 teaspoon pepper

– 1/8 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon cumin

– 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

– 1 teaspoon all-purpose (no-salt) seasoning *I use Costco’s Kirkland brand

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If you have baking/cooking racks, place them onto 2 baking sheets (if you don’t have any racks, drizzle olive oil or spray non-stick cooking spray on each baking sheet).

2. Peel sweet potatoes, slice into wedges (or large steak fries size) and place into a large bowl.

3. Pour the rest of the ingredients on top of the sweet potatoes and mix well, to ensure each wedge is coated with an equal amount of seasoning.

4. Place sweet potatoes on baking sheets and bake for 25-35 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Enjoy!

Ready to go into the oven!

Happy 4th of July! July 4, 2012

Keenan licking the batter!

Happy 4th, everyone! I have always loved the 4th of July because it means barbecue, ice cream and swimming! In our family, it is a day of cooking, making ice cream, swimming, playing bocci ball and having good conversations. It is a nice day of relaxing and spending time together.

Today started out with Keenan and I baking the most moist and easiest peanut butter cookies to compliment my husband’s homemade vanilla ice cream with peanut butter chunks and fudge swirl (YUM!!). Keenan loves to be my “Baking Assistant” or “Sou Chef,” as I call him. He loves helping us in the kitchen (including setting the table). I love that he has taken an interest in cooking; maybe he will be a chef when he grows up! He enjoys helping me measure out the ingredients, pouring them into the bowl and adding spices. Once we are all finished, he absolutely LOVES to lick the batter when we are baking (only if the recipe does not include eggs, of course). The nice thing about this peanut butter cookie recipe is there are no eggs, so Keenan can lick away (as you can see from the picture!). He was in hog heaven, since one of his favorite foods is peanut butter! How do you involve your kids in the kitchen? Do you find that involving your kids in the kitchen helps them to eat better?

The finished product: yummy peanut butter cookies (some with Hershey kisses!)

After Keenan and I made the cookies, I started on my grilled corn salad (we grilled the corn last night to save time today) that consists of tomatoes, red onions, black beans, cotija cheese, avocado and cilantro. Once we are ready to eat, I’ll add the avocado and chopped cilantro (since they tend to brown if they sit out for a while). Before dinner, we will enjoy linguica (a 4th of July tradition in my family), cheese, crackers and guacamole with chips (my husband thinks it’s funny to see linguica and guacamole together, but that is how we roll!). For the rest of our dinner, we are having watermelon feta salad (my sister-in-law is preparing), ribs, tri-tip and bread. For dessert, we will be having cookies with my husband’s ice cream and homemade cherry ice cream that my dad is making (another 4th of July tradition, made with our own cherries!). It will be quite a feast, to say the least!

If you are interested in my salad recipe, I adapted it from one I saw in Cooking Light a couple of years ago. It is super-easy to make and it is always a crowd pleaser!

Grilled Corn Salad: (serves 10-12)

Ingredients:

– 8 ears of corn (my husband seasons them and wraps them in foil; grilled and kernels cut from cob)

– 1 red onion (medium dice)

– 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered, depending on the size)

– 4 avocados (large dice)

– 3 cans black beans (low sodium, rinsed)

– 1 bunch cilantro (de-stem and finely chop 1/4 of bunch for dressing; repeat with the rest when finishing salad)

– 4-5 cans sweet corn (depending on the size of your ears of corn)

– 1 block of cotija cheese (cut into small cubes, or crumbled)

– 1/4 cup olive oil

-4-5 limes (juiced, to taste)

– 1/2 teaspoon of cumin (to taste)

– pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in large bowl, except for avocado and cilantro.

2. In a small container, mix lime juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, pepper and 1/4 of the chopped cilantro and whisk together.

3. Pour dressing over salad and mix well.

4. Put plastic wrap over salad and let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

5. After 2 hours, add diced avocado and the rest of the cilantro and mix. Serve and enjoy!

My Grilled Corn Salad before putting it in the fridge to sit for two hours.

Keenan will be waking-up from his nap soon, so it’s time to get ready for swimming and having some munchies, before digging into to our delicious dinner and later, dessert! Today, I am definitely not watching my food intake! I will be gladly enjoying a little bit of everything! Tomorrow, I will be getting back on track with eating and exercising!

Getting back on track, at least for a little bit… July 3, 2012

Last night’s WOD was awful, to say the least! It kicked my butt (literally!). The workout was “Death by Barbell” (but rather a Death by Barbell challenge, since we had to complete 5 rounds), one of CrossFit’s benchmark WODs:

15 Deadlifts

12 Hanging Cleans

9 Front Squat

6 Push Jerks

*20min Cap

Weights:

Women: BEG: 65,  INT: 75 and ADV: 95

Men: BEG: 95,  INT: 115 and ADV: 135

After a weekend full of rich food, wine and little sleep, it was a struggle to keep-up. For an additional challenge, I decided to do the advanced weight, to see how many rounds I could do (I don’t know what I was thinking!). It was definitely difficult, since the weight is heavy for me, but I wanted to push myself to continue to get stronger. I ended up completing 3 rounds and 18 reps. It wasn’t too bad, but I was hoping to at least complete 4 rounds. The weekend really affected my performance, but it felt great to work out and get back on track. My body needed it (especially after eating plenty of banana bars and rocky road over the weekend)!

After working-out, we headed home and I made HUGE strawberry, walnut, chicken and feta cheese salads for my husband and me. After the weekend at my parents’ house, we needed to have greens! Since Keenan can’t really chew lettuce (he only has 9 teeth in the front and 2 molars barely coming-in), he ate chicken with avocado and strawberries, washing it all down with a glass of milk.

My favorite…salad!

Today, we are back to our normal routine of our “usual” breakfast: Yogurt with berries, flax seed, chia seeds and Kashi Go Lean Cereal (and a latte for me, of course!). Keenan and I have this breakfast pretty much five days a week (weekends are usually special breakfasts of buckwheat pancakes, eggs or scones). I love having our “usual” breakfast, because it is a nice balance of protein, fiber, fruit, dairy and whole grain carbohydrates that satisfies me until lunch time (I even converted my husband, who usually ate cheese and a bagel or eggs, to having this breakfast daily!).

The start of the messiness!

Keenan loves yogurt as much as I do, as you can see from the picture! Yogurt gets everywhere, including his hair! I don’t know how he does it. As far as yogurt goes, I love Fage Greek yogurt (0%) and I buy Mountain High original (3.5% milk fat) plain yogurt for Keenan. I would buy Greek yogurt for him, but I can’t seem to find any that are whole fat. I’m always on the look-out for it, because Greek yogurt contains such a high amount of protein. If you ever see any, please let me know! What is your “usual” breakfast?

This afternoon, we are off to CrossFit again, to have one last workout before we head to my parents’ house for the 4th. Tomorrow will be a fun day with family and friends and of course, lots of good food again! I need to burn as many calories as I can, to make-up for all of the food I’ll be eating! What are your plans for the 4th? Do your plans revolve around food?

Food and Family July 2, 2012

Cousins!

We just got back from a fun-filled (not to mention food-filled) weekend at my parent’s house. My sister-in-law and niece flew in from Montreal (where they live) on Saturday to spend their annual month of July here. Since we only see them a few times a year (aside from skype), we were so excited to see them! My brother has been here for the past 2 weeks on business, so they were finally able to join him, due to my sister-in-law finishing-up school for the year (she is an elementary school teacher). It was fun to watch Keenan interact and play with his cousin; he just loves her! They pretty much play non-stop from the moment they wake-up to bedtime (stopping for meal and nap times, of course). It’s cute, by bedtime, they are SO exhausted!

In my family, food is a MAJOR part of all of us spending time together. My mom is Italian, which means TONS of good food all the time (mostly healthy food, but a lot of it)! Most importantly, she loves to have all of us at the table enjoying meals together. Since I was child, sitting down for a meal as a family has always been a special time for us to converse, talk about our days and solve the world’s problems. So, this weekend was full of wonderful (but rich) food: steak, ribs, potatoes, bread, cheese, ice cream and best of all, my mom’s special banana bars and rocky road! Having will-power doesn’t exist at my parent’s house; I think I ate at least 3 banana bars and 4 pieces of rocky road over the course of the weekend…EEK!

So, needless to say, it is time to face reality and go to CrossFit this afternoon to work off what I consumed the past 72 hours (before more indulging occurs on the 4th!). I have to say even though I splurged this weekend, it was worth it! I am firm believer of eating 80-20 or 90-10 (eating healthy at least 80% of the time and allowing yourself to indulge in not-so-healthy foods 20% of the time). If you tell yourself you can’t have a certain food, such as ice cream, you will want it even more, so you might as well allow yourself to have a treat here and there. Life is too short to not enjoy the simple pleasures, such as eating homemade banana bars!

When I go to my parent’s house, I know I will probably splurge a little (dessert, having an extra rib or a second helping of pasta at dinner), so I try to compensate for the additional calories by eating a little less at breakfast and lunch. I also practice mindfulness when I eat: listening to my body when I’m full. I may want another rib, but I ask myself, “Do I really need it when I know I am going to have dessert later?” Once the weekend comes to a close, such as today, I always make sure to get back-on-track with my eating, proper portions and most importantly, exercise. After a few days, my body feels back to its’ normal self. As far as the scale goes, I like to weigh myself three days after coming home from a weekend away or vacation, because consuming additional sodium, alcohol and drinking less water can make you retain water (which adds pounds). By giving yourself 72 hours before you weigh yourself, you might find you didn’t actually gain any weight! On a side note, I only weigh myself once a week to keep things in check, but I mostly keep tabs on how my clothes fit.

How do you get back-on-track after being on vacation or gone for the weekend? Is food a big part of your family gatherings?

Appreciating the little things… June 30, 2012

Keenan being silly at our “box” while I was working out. He just HAD to wear the goggles that were in the toy box in the kids’ area!

Where do I begin? This has been a long time coming. Welcome to Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy!! Since I had my son, Keenan, almost two years ago, I have wanted to start a blog, but with going back to work for a while and being consumed with the craziness of life, I never  got around to it. Finally, here it is. That little thing called LIFE never seems to slow down these days, especially with a toddler. We are constantly on the go, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. We have lots of fun and I truly cherish our time together. A child really puts life into perspective, because they live in the present, only focused with what they are doing NOW. They truly see the beauty and rawness of life. I wish as adults, we could live more in the present, instead of worrying about finances, family issues, what we are going to make for dinner, what school are we going to send our child to or when we can move into a bigger house, etc. Our minds are constantly flooded with thoughts and ideas about what we are going to do next, which can make us pretty stressed out! Keenan has made me stop and appreciate the little things, such as smelling flowers, watching a pill bug roll over or a bumble bee fly from one flower petal to the other, or just being goofy (there is always a lot of goofiness in our household!)! We can all use a good laugh (or two) and just be silly, remembering what it was like to be a kid. When I feel particularly stressed about something, laughing always does the trick to help me feel better, in addition to working out. It really is the best medicine! When I was a child, every time I was sick or not feeling well, I would always watch “I Love Lucy” episodes (thanks to my grandma for introducing me to the show when she babysat me), and immediately felt better! What makes you feel better when you are feeling down? How do you manage your stress? Do you ever just stop to focus on the here and now to truly enjoy the moment?

At Fit ‘N’ Well Mommy, it is my goal to share my experiences of being a new mom, staying fit, being well (physically and mentally) and giving my child the best nutritional start as possible, as well as my knowledge and passion to ultimately help you become a Fit ‘n’ Well Mommy, too! I hope you enjoy reading this and if there is anything you would like to see, please let me know!