Finding Food, Fitness, and Fun on the Internet

I have been completely devoid of creativity the last few days. I always turn to the internet for recipe and workout inspiration, but usually I like to put my own twist on things. Not this week; this week, I don’t want to have to think at all. I want every last step plotted out for me. Luckily, there are a ton of brilliant bloggers out there who make it easy to do a quick search and find exactly what I’m in the mood for when it comes to both food and fitness.

Food

• I saw this Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Sweet Potato Hash from So Good Paleo on Carrots’n’Cake and made it the very next day. It was healthy, simple, and flavorful, and the leftovers tasted just as good as the dish did on the first day.
• Whenever my husband and I go out for Chinese and there’s Mongolian Beef on the menu, it’s his first choice, so when I saw a crockpot version on Very Culinary, it was a no-brainer. I used about half the cornstarch the recipe called for and replaced the white wine with chicken broth because I didn’t want to open a bottle for only a quarter of a cup. I ate it over roasted spaghetti squash with some onions and peppers, and it was a big hit with both me and Cesar.
• I made these scrumptious Cake Batter Energy Bars from Chocolate Covered Katie. I didn’t use the sprinkles, so mine are nowhere near as cute as hers are, but they taste fantastic. I don’t think they are going to last very long in this house because I find myself cutting off tiny pieces pretty much every time I walk by the refrigerator.

Fitness

• During the first few intervals of this Treadmill Torture from One Fit Foodie, I was thinking to myself that the recovery periods were longer than necessary; then I got a little deeper into the workout, and I quickly realized I was wrong. As much as I love distance running, I also really love spending less than 25 minutes on the treadmill and still feeling like I got in a quality workout. This routine definitely gave me that feeling of accomplishment.
• This Burpee Blast Upper Body Workout from JillFit.com pretty much rocked my world. It was 20 minutes of intense, focused, heart-pounding, muscles-on-fire awesomeness. I will be using the Compact Chain concept that the workout utilizes when I come up with some of my own workouts in the future.

This song has been the soundtrack for much of the time I’ve spent in both the gym and in the kitchen this week. I’m a tiny bit obsessed with it at the moment.

Sometimes I really wonder how I ever survived without the internet…

Motivational Music and Meatballs

Well, today was supposed to be my triumphant return to the Shortcut to Size program, but it turns out that I hit my snooze button one (or maybe five) too many times, so I modified my plans and got my tempo run for this week out of the way. Today’s run called for 3 miles at a 7:27 pace, 3 minute rest, 2 miles at a 7:24 pace, 2 minute rest, and finally 1 mile at a 7:24 pace. I didn’t think the run would be that much of a challenge, but my body wasn’t entirely in agreement with my brain on that point. I was really struggling during the last half mile of my 2 miles, but then this song came on my iPod.

This is the song that was playing when I finished the Fargo Marathon. Every time I hear it, I am transported back to the moment when I entered the Fargo Dome and saw the finish line come into view, and I knew that I was only seconds away from running a Boston qualifying time. And just like that, I had the energy to push through and finish the workout strong. I’m always amazed by power that certain songs have to invoke such vivid memories and to transform my attitude.

Time to talk about balls! Meatballs, that is. On one of my many stops at the grocery store last week, I noticed some thick, lean, beautiful pork chops on sale, and I felt the distinct need to buy a couple of pounds. I stuffed the first pound with prosciutto and manchego cheese, so when it came time to use the second pound, I was in the mood for something completely different and not necessarily in chop form. Inspiration struck when I looked out at my deck and saw my out of control basil plant. I decided to go with an Asian version of meatballs, and this is what I came up with.

Basil Ginger Pork Meatballs

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup Panko
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground pork (I ground up some boneless pork chops in my food processor; I have a hard time finding lean ground pork in the grocery store)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Sweet Garlic Chili Sauce

1. Place a jelly-roll pan lined with a silicone mat (foil works too) in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir gently just until blended; don’t overmix, or the meatballs could become tough. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Divide the pork mixture into 20 equal portions. Shape each portion into a meatball. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on the preheated pan. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until done.

Nutrition Information per 5 meatballs
Calories: 188
Fat: 6.3g
Carbohydrates: 85.9g
Protein: 23.6g
Calculated on Sparkrecipes.com


I loved these so much that I ate them for lunch three days in a row with some coleslaw mix that I sautéed in garlic and sesame oil and sprinkled with chopped cashews. I normally brown meatballs prior to baking them; I didn’t this time, and I wish I would have or at the very least flipped them halfway through the baking time. The bottoms of the meatballs had a nice brown and crispy crust that I preferred to the top of the meatballs.

Things I’m Loving Lately

1.  This song.  Only 15 days until their new cd comes out.  I am seriously counting the days.

2.  The Newsroom.  This show is so smart and so well acted, and watching the way Jim looks at Maggie sort of makes me melt.

3.  Hot chocolate. Yeah, I know - it’s August in Florida. What can I say? I’m a freeze baby, and all that chocolaty goodness for under 50 calories can’t be beat.


4.  This nail polish.  It’s a little bold for my hands, but I am loving it for my feet.

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