Switching Roles

Sick boy thanks you guys for all of your get well wishes!

He also thanked me for preparing a yummy dinner of BBQ pulled chicken with roasted asparagus.

bbq chicken 012

bbq chicken 013

While I tended to the chicken and veggies, Ryan helped out by balling a large honeydew that we enjoyed along with our meal.

bbq chicken 011

The melon was deliciously sweet and juicy.

We actually switched tasks halfway through dinner preparation. Ryan pulled the remaining chicken breasts and I balled the second half of the melon. What can I say, he’s the meat man after all… and I really don’t care for cutting or pulling meat.

Yaa-zum!

I’m off to hang out with Ryan and Sadie on the couch and catch up on last week’s episode of Jersey Shore.

Don’t knock it ‘til ya watch it! 😉

***

If you’re feeling extra snacky today, pop on over to Tina’s blog and bid on some yummy baked goods, including my flourless peanut butter cookies! All of the money raised will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Now go eat some cookies for cancer! 😉

Working Out When You’re Sick: A Do or a Don’t

It’s official. I have a sick fiancé.

Poor Ryan came home from work yesterday feeling stuffy and achy. We took it easy last night, thinking he might wake up feeling better.

Not the case. He is very congested and feels sick every time he stands up.

Needless to say, he’s home from work for the day. He thought he might be able to go in after lunch, but didn’t feel any better by the time noon rolled around.

Lucky for him, I work less than two miles from our apartment, so I was able to swing by at lunchtime to bring him a hot meal.

I stopped by Pei Wei and ordered the Mongolian beef, Ryan’s favorite meal, to go. I also substituted the white rice for egg noodles because Pei Wei’s noodles are doughy and delicious!

Pei Wei

When I arrived at our apartment with a Pei Wei bag in hand, Ryan’s eyes lit up.

We split the meal between us, though I got all of the mushrooms and Ryan got the majority of the beef.

Mmm, Beefy

I loved all of the scallions!

For dessert we each enjoyed a fortune cookie.

Behold... The Future.

Well, I ate my cookie on the way to our apartment as an appetizer… but Ryan ate his at the appropriate time. 😉

Check out my fortune:

Enlightening

Not too shabby!

Working Out When You’re Sick: A Do or a Don’t

Ryan’s sick state, coupled with an email I received from blog reader Simone, inspired me to touch on working out when you’re feeling under the weather.

Sick as a Dog

As a general rule of thumb, I think that if you’re feeling sick, your body needs rest and nurturing, not sweat sessions at the gym. However, I totally understand the desire to get a good work out in when you’re not throwing up or feeling nauseous.

Of course, I am no expert, but when I am trying to decide whether or not to work out when I don’t feel my best, I use these tips:

  • Does the thought of a workout exhaust you? If simply imagining yourself working out makes you feel exhausted, skip the gym.
  • Simply sniffles? If you’re simply fighting a case of the sniffles and generally feel okay otherwise, a workout is probably okay. Just be sure to clean off any machines and equipment you use!
  • Tone it down. If you’re just starting to feel better and want to get back into the gym, try working out at a lower intensity. Take a yoga class, walk on the treadmill or enjoy a light workout on the elliptical with a magazine. Ease back into your normal intensity workouts. You don’t want to exhaust yourself on your first day back in the gym.

I really love the Mayo Clinic’s approach to working out when you’re sick:

  • Proceed with your workout if your signs and symptoms are “above the neck” — such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or sore throat. Be prepared to reduce the intensity of your workout if needed, however.
  • Postpone your workout if your signs and symptoms are “below the neck” — such as chest congestion, hacking cough or upset stomach. Likewise, don’t exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches.

If you choose to exercise when you’re sick, listen to your body. If your signs and symptoms get worse with physical activity, stop and rest. Resume your workout routine gradually as you begin to feel better.

Of Possible Interest

Stop, Start

I kicked off this beautiful Tuesday with a five mile run with Sadie.

5 Mile Run + Walking at the End

Our run was more of a stop-start-stop-start run than a steady paced run due to my running buddy who likes to potty all the time.

Now that I’m not training for a half marathon I care a lot less about running continuously and I try to embrace Sadie’s potty breaks and use the time to stretch and catch my breath.

We finished five miles in under 50 minutes and cooled down with a short walk back to our apartment. I always have to take some time to cool down after a run before hopping in the shower, otherwise I’ll keep sweating and that makes getting ready a truly miserable experience.

Breakfast

Post-run, I was in the mood for a cold and filling breakfast.

I also wanted to use the brand new Cuisinart immersion blender I got from my aunt as a bridal shower gift (my shower isn’t until next weekend, but she cannot come and sent her gift ahead of time).

I decided to make myself a pumpkin pie cheesecake breakfast bowl by blending the following:

  • 3/4 c. cottage cheese
  • 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
  • Sweetener, to taste
  • Pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, to taste

Pre-Blended

After blending away, I had a thick, pumpkiny breakfast bowl, perfectly appropriate for fall. (The immersion blender worked perfectly and was really powerful, just in case you were wondering.)

I topped the bowl with a sprinkle of nutmeg for some added flavor.

Sprinkle O' Nutmeg

Chomp!

I like to use no salt added cottage cheese when creating breakfast bowls because regular cottage cheese actually has quite a bit of salt!

Friendship Cottage Cheese

I use Friendship All Natural 1% No Salt Added cottage cheese, which works really well.

However, I must warn you: This stuff tastes absolutely terrible on its own, but when mixed with yogurt, pumpkin or a more dominant ingredient, it’s delicious!

Date Night

For those of you who asked me to report on the movie last night, both Ryan and I really enjoyed Date Night. I think Tina Fey and Steve Carell are absolutely hysterical and they definitely made the movie. Though I wouldn’t care to own it, the movie is definitely worth a watch!

What was the last movie you saw in the theaters? Would you recommend it?

The last movie I saw in the theaters was Eclipse. If you’re curious, you may see my thoughts on the movie (and the Twilight books in general) here.

I hope you all have a wonderful day! 😀