Friday Night Feast

Last night Kyle and I had planned to go to our favorite restaurant, Texas Roadhouse, but Kyle came home from work and had a fever. So, I offered to go get Texas Roadhouse take-out, which was a first for us. We were very pleased! Here's what we got:


Have you ever seen so much food for 2 people in your life?? And for only $27! (We had a coupon for a free appetizer). And there's PLENTY of leftovers.

If you have never been to a Texas Roadhouse and there's one in your area, I would definitely recommend it.

Deal-of-the-Day websites

I may be a little late to jump on the bandwagon, but I have recently learned about the amazing-ness of the websites Groupon and Living Social. In case you're a little behind the times like I was, here's how it works:

These websites offer at least one daily deal for a variety of businesses in major cities. Discounts are for 50-90% off.

If you, and enough other people, chose to buy the deal, the deal is on. I don't think I've ever seen a deal that not enough people bought it to make the deal valid, but if they don't, you are not charged a cent.

If you subscribe to the website (which is free), you receive a daily email with the deal of the day.

To give you an idea of the types of deals, today's Groupon deals for Des Moines are:






$9 for $18 worth of BBQ at Shane's Rib Shack












$25 for two tickets to the Des Moines Playhouse ($60 value)










$10 for two tickets to the Home and Garden Show ($20 value)






It's a great way to open your eyes to new places to go and things to do in your area!

Treadmill Interval Workout #2

Here is one of my favorite interval workouts, because it combines just the right amount of hills and speed work. It looks like a lot, but that's because you change speed and/or incline every 1 or 2 minutes. All you need is 45 minutes and a treadmill!

	Elevation	Speed	Minutes	Clock Time
Warm-up	0	Jog	5	5
Stretch	0	Off Treadmill	2	7
Work	0	Jog	2	9
Work	0	Run	2	11
Work	0	Sprint	1	12
Recovery	0	Walk	1	13
Work	0	Sprint	1	14
Recovery	0	Walk	1	15
Work	3	Jog	2	17
Work	3	Run	2	19
Work	3	Sprint	1	20
Recovery	3	Walk	1	21
Work	3	Sprint	1	22
Recovery	3	Walk	1	23
Work	5	Jog	2	25
Work	5	Run	2	27
Work	5	Sprint	1	28
Recovery	5	Walk	1	29
Work	5	Sprint	1	30
Recovery	5	Walk	1	31
Work	3	Sprint	1	32
Recovery	3	Walk	1	33
Work	0	Sprint	1	34
Recovery	0	Walk	1	35
Cool-down	0	Jog	3	38
Cool-down	0	Walk	2	40
Stretch	0	Off Treadmill	5	45

Goody Two-Shoes

I've recently invested in a couple new pairs of shoes (If you know me, you're probably not all that surprised since I'm sort of the queen of tennis shoes). I used to be a Nike-only sort of girl, but I'm now completely devoted to 2 different brands for 2 different uses.

1. Saucony for work. I'm lucky enough to be able to wear tennis shoes to work, and it's a good thing. I probably walk a couple miles a day at work, and because of it, I go through shoes pretty quickly. But when I tried my first pair of Saucony shoes several months ago, I decided these are the best work shoes for me. This is my second pair, and they are SO comfortable! And they seem to be very reasonably priced.


2. Mizuno for running. For the last several years, I have been very loyal to the Mizuno Wave Creation. They work great for my wide feet and hold up despite what I put them through while running outside in all kinds of weather. When it comes to price, they are on the higher end, but I have found that I am more willing to work out for longer when my feet are comfortable.
What shoes work for you?

A Healthy Cookie Bar??

While I was flipping through the HyVee Seasons Magazine that came in the mail this week, I came across a recipe for Z3 High Octane Bars (recipe here). I think it was the picture that first caught my eye:


My first reaction was, "whoa, that looks like a cookie bar!" Kyle thought they looked good too, so I decided to make them. Unlike my beloved cookies, they contain no flour, butter, or sugar.

Here's the how-to:

Ingredients:

2 c. Hy-Vee quick oats
1 c. natural peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 c. Hy-Vee honey
1 c. dark chocolate chips
1 c. Hy-Vee dried cranberries (I substitued pecan pieces instead)
1 c. milled flaxseed
1 c. vanilla whey protein powder

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and stir until blended. Spread mixture into a 8-by-8-inch pan and refrigerate until ready to serve. Store in refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.

I was very pleased when I tried it! It was a very filling snack that did actually taste similar to a chocolate chip cookie.

Why the Z3 in the name? Well, these bars were created by Jenny Weber, the head coach of the USA Triathlon's youth and junior team program and owner of Z3 Youth and Junior Triathlon Team. Since they contain carbs and protein, they are a great way to replenish your body after a work out!

Food Storage Novelty

First of all, I found this delicious homemade granola website off of a blog linked from my friend Leah's blog. It was so easy to make, and tasted so sweet that I couldn't believe my taste buds that it was healthy! It uses agave nectar (which I had never heard of) but found at the grocery store next to the honey.

I wanted to keep the granola fresh, so I bought one of these pop containers by Oxo from Bed Bath & Beyond. I already store my cereal in one, but now I have fallen in love with these fancy containers all over again. They are a bit pricey, but worth it because the food doesn't get that "stale" taste. So I told Kyle I want them for every birthday/holiday/anniversary from here on out.

The Snack That Satisfies

Remember these?


Up until about 6 months ago, I couldn't stand even the smell of peanut butter (maybe I over did it on PB&Js as a child?), but I have recently given PB another try....and I love it! Now I even have to limit myself, because it contains a lot of fat. But it is a great source of protein, that keeps you full.

I have created a delicious snack that not only keeps me full, but also satisfies my craving for something sweet. And even Kyle likes it, so you know it's good!

Here's what you'll need:

And here's what you do: Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on about 5 Ritz crackers. Then sprinkle with some mini chocolate chips.

Mexican Pizza Spin-Off

I'm a huge Taco Bell fan, and my absolute favorite item on their menu is this mouth-watering delight:



The Mexican Pizza!! I just checked the nutrition info and it's not good....540 calories and 30 grams of fat. However, I discovered it's so easy to make at home, and way healthier. Here's how:

Ingredients:
flour or whole wheat tortilla
a can of refried beans (regular or black)
diced tomatoes (or rotel for more of a "kick")
shredded cheese (whatever you have on hand)
Optional: sour cream, black olives, lettuce, salsa

Spread a layer of beans over the tortilla. Then place desired amount of tomatoes on top of beans, and finish with a sprinkle of cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes. Serve with additional toppings if desired.

This Mexican Pizza Rendition has only about 350 calories and 8 grams of fat. It's a very yummy and quick dinner idea to have on hand.

A New Year, A New Method

I've recently discovered the amount of money that can be saved by using coupons. Whenever we checkout at the grocery store, 3-5 coupons print out, many of which are for things we buy anyway. Also, on Target's website you can view and print out selected coupons.

Up until today, this is how I've been storing our coupons:


Well, I finally got sick of rummaging through the drawer to find coupons that I might need; that is, if I even remembered to bring coupons at all. So I picked up this handy dandy coupon organizer from Target yesterday, and now I can just toss the whole thing into my purse when I head to the store.


So if organization is one of your New Year's Resolutions, this would be a great start!