My week in a nutshell has been, well awesome. Despite some computer troubles, which is pretty much a given, it has been awesome. Why has it been so awesome? Pretty much no in particular reason. Just thinking about the little things have really put me in a good mood. Ive been able to cook some fun things, see progress in my lifting, spend time with friends family and be outside to enjoy the sunny days. Can it get better? Oh and if you live in the southwest you know what end of summer brings. Hatch Chili season! These chilies are incredibly delicious and are good in just about anything. Bad news, they are only in season for a mere few weeks. But why focus on that? This post is about enjoying the good things that life has to offer. So Im gonna ignore that little piece of trivia and keep pushing on.
In terms of lifting Ive been able to see much gains in my power cleans, yey! and my body is handling heavier lifts overall. Im excited to see what the next few weeks will bring.
Ive been on the lookout for new exercises to incorporate into my routine as I like to change it up every few weeks. Just to alleviate boredom and work the muscles in a slightly different way. I came across this on t-nation and I absolutely love the combo. (thanks Eric!)
It hurts in a whole new way… I used to do the two exercises separate. Reverse lunge with an Oly bar and SLDLs on their own. But adding them together brings a whole new world of hurt that Im currently loving.
In terms of food Ive been eating a bit more simple since for the next weeks Im trying to lean out a bit. Then once the fall comes its back to normal. But eating plain and simple doesn’t have to mean boring.
Tilapia roasted with lime juice, garlic,cumin and chili powder is a bit spicy and overall tastes great. Ive been eating this with a cabbage salad and its just light and reminds me of summer. Which I guess is a good thing since its summertime. The salad is just cabbage, tomatoes, (heirlooms are the best during late summer) and cucumbers with a quick dressing made with apple cider vinegar, stevia and some smokey mustard. Im on a kick with this combo.
But for my hubs he wanted something a bit more festive. So I made some honey chipotle grilled chicken with mexi rice. It got 2 thumbs up from my husband so I have a feeling this will become a new staple.
Honey Chipotle Chicken
(taken from tasteoftx.com)
4 chipotle chiles (in adobo), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 Cup honey
2 Tbs stone-ground mustard
2 tsp ground cumin
juice from 3 limes
1 Tbs basalmic vinegar
2 Tbs vegetable oil
12 5-oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Put all sauce ingredients except the oil into a blender or food processor. While the processor is running add the oil. Brush onto chicken and grill 6-7 minutes on each side. Or until chicken is done. This marinade works with pretty much any protein.
Mexican Rice
(taken from HomeSickTexan )
Ingredients:
1 cup of rice
2 cups of chicken broth
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1/2 cup of cilantro
1 tablespoon of cumin (You can use less if you prefer, I just like the flavor.)
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Add rice, chicken broth and butter into a pot.
2. Bring to a boil on high, stir once and cover.
3. Simmer on low for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and keep covered for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
4. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook onions in oil for 10 minutes or until just about to brown.
5. Add garlic to pan and cook for one minute. Stir in tomato paste and cumin and cook for one minute.
6. Mix in cooked rice, lime juice and cilantro, and season to taste.
Serves 4-6
Notes: Can add fresh peas, diced carrots and/or chopped Serrano or jalapeno chiles.
Anyways next up was a hatch chili cheese turkey burger. I have so many hatch chilis and Ive been trying to think of all new ways to use them. Burgers are one thing that I haven’t made all too much so Im on a mission to make an amazing tasting burger. This is what I came up with so far but I think it still needs a little work.
One thing that I love about recipes like this is that they take a while to perfect but once you get it down its something you cant really translate down onto paper. Its just something you “know” how to do. How cool is that? Little practice, a little patience and some crispy burgers later and something delish might come out of all this experimentation. I will post the recipe a bit later since this post is already crazy long.
Overall, the past few days Ive been taking a tech break (this has been a reoccurring theme for me at the moment) and really focusing on all the little amazing things in my life at the moment. We all have them and its just taking the time to really see them to learn to appreciate them. Love the strength that you have and take of your body because its the only one you are going to get.
What are some of the little things in life that you take the time to enjoy? Any new lifting combos that you are working at the moment?
Until next time….
