Fish ‘n’ Chips

Back in June I experimented in the kitchen with a large rutabaga that I purchased at the Downtown Orlando Farmers’ Market.

I used the veggie to create rutabaga fries. I wasn’t sure if they would be a complete bomb or a total success, but I was determined to do something with the veggie since I had never tried it before.

Luckily the rutabaga fries were fantastic!

I made them again this evening to enjoy alongside broiled trout, seasoned with lemon, basil and thyme.

Din-nah!

 A healthy take on fish ‘n’ chips!

Trout

Rutabaga Fries

Of course I included ketchup on the side for dippin’.

Dip-a-Dip

Deeelish!

Have you ever made “fries” using a vegetable other than potatoes?

I’ve made fries using a whole bunch of different veggies, but I think rutabaga fries and turnip fries are my favorites.

A Giveaway Sadie Wants to Win

I know you’re here for the giveaway, but please humor me and pretend to salivate at my lunch. 😉

Today’s mid-day meal was one heck of an odd combination.

Over the weekend I made Ryan a grilled cheese and refried bean sandwich that he affectionately dubbed a “ghetto grilled cheese.” It was quite an unusual combination, but he also said it was quite tasty. That’s all that matters, right?

Since my first attempt at a refried bean sandwich was a success, I used the protein-packed lil’ suckers in another sandwich for myself this afternoon.

I bring you a veggie bacon and refried bean sandwich!

Bacon 'n' Beans

What's Not to Love?

On the side, I included fresh produce in the form of grape tomatoes, cucumber slices and a small bowl of summer berries.

Looks Like Christmas

Berry Good

In All Its Glory

Protein, veggies, fruit, whole grains.

Of Possible Interest

• Act I Sale on RueLaLa.com (Great deals on designer clothes and jewelry!)
• How to Get a Celebrity Workout at Home (FitSugar.com)
• What to Eat Before, During and After a Workout (FitBottomedGirls.com)
• Easy Ways to Burn Extra Calories (ThatsFit.com)

A Smile-Inducing Giveaway

When I was contacted by Smile.ly about sampling Snikiddy snacks, a line of all-natural snack foods, made with simple, wholesome and real ingredients, I jumped at the chance!

I received a bag of Snikiddy cheddar cheese fries in the mail yesterday, and meant to save them to enjoy in my lunch today. Unfortunately if you put the word “cheese” and the word “fries,” in the same sentence, my self control goes out the window.

Snikiddy Baked Cheddar Cheese Fries

This sample was enjoyed as a pre-dinner (gluten-free!) treat. 😉

Check Out the Cheesiness

I really enjoyed the intense cheese flavor of the fries and appreciated the fact that I understood every ingredient listed on the packaging (can’t say the same for Cheeto’s, unfortunately). I also loved the amount of fries included in the bag, as I often think bags of chips have portion sizes that would only satisfy an ant.

Something about the smell of these cheesey fries intrigued Sadie and she howled until I gave her two to try.

"Gimmeeeeee!"

Sadie said they were delicious, but she’s not exactly a tough critic. 😉

Now it’s your turn to enjoy the cheesy deliciousness!

Three of you will win samples of Snikiddy snacks.

To enter this giveaway, simply comment on this post, telling me about your favorite dish that includes cheese.

For an extra entry, you may tweet about this giveaway on Twitter and create a separate comment below telling me that you did so.

The winners will be randomly selected and announced tomorrow afternoon.

Good luck!!!

“If You Keep Doing What You’ve Been Doing…”

Last night’s foam roller tutorial with my friend Merri started like this…

Merri Rollin' it Out

And ended like this…

"You're on the floor. Clearly that means you want the love."

The floor is Sadie’s realm. Enter at your own risk! 😉

Merri showed me how to use the foam roller to work out kinks all over my body. We rolled away during the commercials of The Bachelorette, which we started watching 30 minutes late since our cable went out! I missed Roberto’s hometown date. 😦  (I did see Chris L.’s though and oh-my-gosh how adorable is his dad???)

We also enjoyed a super yummy and super easy dessert that Merri brought with her. She made lemon sorbet vanilla wafer sandwiches by spreading lemon sorbet between two vanilla wafer cookies to make a mini ice cream sandwich. Perfect for a summer night!

Today’s Workout

I woke up bright and early this morning feeling a little down because Tuesday is typically a running day for me in my half marathon training plan. Since the ol’ heel is healing (seriously that pun will never get old), I opted for 30 minutes of cross training (15 minutes on the stair master, 15 minutes on the elliptical) before taking a yoga class.

I haven’t taken a yoga class in almost a month (thank you Exercise Log for bringing this to my attention).

I really enjoyed the class not only for the great stretch, but for a couple of things the teacher said that really struck a cord with me:

• Every day you decide to work out you make a decision to benefit your health. This is no small feat. Be proud of yourself for making your health and well-being a priority.
• If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’re going to keep looking how you’ve been looking.

The last statement really struck a cord with me.

Of course you can take it in a positive or negative light, depending on whether or not you’re happy with the appearance of your body.

If you like what you see in the mirror, keep on keepin’ on. On the other hand, if you want to see changes in your body, you may need to reevaluate what you’ve been doing in the gym or what you’ve been eating. The statement seemed almost like a toned-down form of tough love.

Take it or leave it, I just thought it was thought-provoking and wanted to share. 😀

Breakfast

Breakfast was enjoyed in the backyard with this beast:

"Oh! Hello There."

Sadie was feeling extra chipper this morning, so I enjoyed my yogurt bowl out back while playing fetch with the monster.

"Stop Taking My Picture. Seriously. Throw the Dang Toy."

"Let's Do This All Day! Allllllllllll Day!!!"

My breakfast came together quickly thanks to some fresh berries I had on hand.

Berry Yogurt Bowl

Summer berries on sale = Heaven.

Yogurt Bowl + Vitamins

On the side of my berry full yogurt bowl, I also enjoyed two VitaFusion calcium gummies and one L’il Critters multivitamin. Vitamins that taste like candy and fruit snacks are the best! 😀

Question of the Morning

How often do you change up your workout routine?