FitFeat

Posts Tagged wii

Last Day of the Do Something Daily Challenge!

Dec 31

Posted by Shari B. in Do Something Daily, Keeping Fit | 9 Comments

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone!  Ours in Colorado is a chilly and snowy one.  We finally got our first measurable snow of the year.  News reports are saying the ‘burb where I live got 7.5″ but it must have all blown away because looking out my window I only see about 3″.  Just enough to make it pretty but not so much that you can’t get out and have fun if you want to.

It’s the last day to post movement for the December Do Something Daily Challenge.  Mine has been pretty weak closing out the year, I must admit.  Nothing more than walking and light yoga!  I’ll do the drawing sometime tomorrow and post the winner.  I’m placing your names in alphabetical order and assigning a number to them so that I can do the random number generator.

So far it’s looking like this:

1 Cindy
2 Jen
3 Joan
4 Julie

Is there anyone else that has been playing along but not posting?  If so let me know!

***

I’m starting some prep in the kitchen this morning for tonight’s dinner – it will be a very lightened up version of a fettucine alfredo (chicken style for the meat eaters that will be here, primavera for the veggie eaters).  Plus a dairy-free caprese salad.  We’ll see how it goes!

There will be plenty of VINO for sure!  I have my usual go-to organic red plus my favorite dessert wine, Moscato d’Asti which is a lightly bubbly.  Can’t wait!  Since I’m not driving anywhere tonight I will be having a few for sure.  So there will be plenty of TIPSY Wii playing going on!  ;)

What are your celebration plans?

Whatever you are doing be safe and have a blast!

– Shari B. =)

»crosslinked«

Tags: , , ,

Midterms Behind Me, Homework Ahead of Me

Dec 4

Posted by Shari B. in Do Something Daily, Natural Chef Culinary School | 5 Comments

Hi friends!

Happy Saturday!  Midterms are finally done (oh thank goodness) and I’ll get my grade for the whole week sometime on Monday.  I’ve seen grades for the written and identification portions (rocked ‘em!) and the knife skills portion (rocked it!) but I don’t know my grades for the improv cooking segments.  Yesterday I used two leafy veggies for my salad that weren’t what I thought they were and so it ended up CRAZY bitter.  Apparently I used radicchio thinking it was red cabbage (oops) and used escarole thinking it was green leaf lettuce (another oops).   Guess I need to hit up the produce section and get a little more cozy with random leafy veg! :)   My instructor gave me credit though for taking a risk in the kitchen, even if it didn’t turn out as I’d planned – that was a very kind thing for her to say.

Then last night was the big benefit event that we Bauman students were working for externship credit.  By 10:30 last night I was ready to drop after having been on my feet (and awake) since 4:20 in the morning.  It was an interesting evening.  As it turns out, we weren’t cooking on the line as we’d thought – we mostly did food prep, plating, food running and clean up.  It was a really great learning experience and I have to say that I have SERIOUS respect for people in the restaurant / catering industry.  It is hard work and requires a LOT of stamina and a LOT of “go with the flow” mentality.

Here are a couple of pics snapped with my phone.

The event was held at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art:

However, we were set up in a tent behind the building.  Check out the huge rental oven!

Food prep before the dinner service started (all of the electricity was provided by a generator just outside the tent and when I got home last night, MSP said I was talking extra loud!)

The chef on the left is Kyle Mendenhall, Executive Chef of The Kitchen restaurant in Boulder, and on the right is Hugo Matheson, Co-Owner and Executive Chef of The Kitchen.  It was really an honor to get to work alongside these men – one thing I noticed was how CALM they were during the all of the chaos and excitement.

By the time I drove all the way home from Boulder, it was almost midnight.  You guys know this fuddy duddy is usually in bed at 9:00.  (When I’m really tired I get about as whiny and cranky as a 2 year old toddler that missed a nap.)  Some of the other students were staying to dance and enjoy the benefit once the ‘work’ part was done.  I just didn’t have anything left in the energy tank.  I realize that I missed out on an opportunity to spend some fun quality time with my classmates but it was all I could do to keep my eyes open on the drive home.  I even missed an exit on the highway and ended up just lost enough that I had to pull over and get out my iPhone to Google Map myself back to civilization.

I had only water to drink yesterday, but feel hung over this morning.  I often feel that way when I stay up too late the night before, which is partly why I’m such a stickler for getting to bed on time.  Does that happen to you?

Tired as I was this morning, I got up and WORKED OUT!  I have to credit our “December DSD challenge” for staying on track (otherwise I may have given myself a pass).  I got up a bit before 7, had my coffee and lounged around and then we strapped on our heart rate monitors to do some Wii dancing.  High heart rate today was 173!!  We did that for 45 minutes and I just have to say that MSP took me to SCHOOL in “Just Dance” today.  Usually this is one game that I can beat him at – but he was on fire this morning!  And unfortunately I will have Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” song stuck in my head the rest of today….

And now, the weekend of homework begins…. so far I’ve dreamed up:

Northern Italian Eggs Benedict on Sage Polenta with Porcini Mushrooms and Yogurt “Hollandaise”

and

North African Crepes with Almond Fig Filling and Sweet Balsamic Reduction

I have four more to come up with, one to prepare, run the ingredients through nutrition software, write 2 pages about one of the regions, and write a recipe analysis of the one I prepare.

I think this will require more coffee…  ;)

See you on the other side of the homework!  Thanks for posting your exercise info – keep it coming for the challenge!  You are all doing a FABULOUS job!

– Shari B. =)

Tags: , , , , , ,

I Dare You Not to Laugh

Nov 4

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 4 Comments

Mornin’ blog buds!

I’ve been a little lacking in the cardio department lately.  With the shorter days, I haven’t been outside to run in the mornings and I’m just not ready to face the treadmill yet.  So I decided to do something FUN to shake things up!  I’ve talked about getting my cardio time in via dance before… and how much we love doing “Just Dance” on the Wii because it feels like a workout.  This morning I finally decided to actually make it my workout and wear my heart rate monitor.

Interestingly enough, the “Just Dance 2″ game has a “Sweat” setting so you can just pick songs (rated by drops of sweat for level of difficulty of course!).

First the song selections!

The results? 45 minutes with my heart rate right in the cardio range I’d do on the treadmill.  During most of the songs I was in the 140s to 150s.  During “Jump” I was up to 170!!  And can I just say – I was grinning like a fool during “Jump” – ahh the memories of music from when we were younger…

In the mood to grin like a fool with me?  Check out their video from 1992.

Then picture me trying to dance to that song – and I guarantee you will giggle.

There, I just gave your abs a little workout from the laughing at your desk!

;)

– Shari B. =)

Tags: , ,

Perfect Ending, Perfect Beginning

Jan 2

Posted by Shari B. in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Hi friends!  Thank you so much for all of the congratulatory messages yesterday for our anniversary.  We had a GREAT day!

We got to eat some Chinese food for lunch:

Miso Soup

Spicy Shrimp & Veggies

We finally got the pups out for a WOG (it’s been a long time!) 

We “visited” Wii Resort for an activity-filled afternoon:  canoeing, skydiving, wakeboarding, archery, swordfighting, frisbee, ping-pong, tandem cycling and jet-skiing.  I think we played EVERY game that comes on this disc.

I was working so hard playing I needed a protein-shake break!  This one turned out SOOOO yummy!  Half a scoop of my new Life’s Basics protein, half a scoop of chocolate Vega, almond milk and carob powder.  Can’t beat a protein shake that mimics a chocolate milkshake.

We had a delicious dinner of salad and pita pizza:

This particular pita pizza turned out to be KNOCK-YER-SOX-OFF good.  I cut half of the pita off like so:

Added a light smear of olive oil, nutritional yeast, sliced romas, olives, a very LIGHT sprinkle of shredded raw goat cheddar.  Then I lightly sauteed one whole portabella, 1/3 zucchini, and a big handful of spinach to add on top.  Baked at 425 for about 10 minutes and then devoured. It was tastebud heaven.

Then we enjoyed a little anniversary treat:  MSP and I shared a piece of white cake (to give the ‘illusion’ of wedding cake ;) – but wedding cake always tastes so much better – must be all the LOVE surrounding it at receptions!)

It was the perfect day – hanging out together and having a lot of laughs.

Today is ‘back to business’ day:  get out for a run, some blog work, take down the Christmas tree and decorations, housecleaning, write thank-you notes, etc.  A “to-do list” kind of day!

But before I get busy on ‘chores’, I have to rewind a bit back to new Year’s Eve.  Talk about another fun-filled day!

I woke up at 4:00 AM as you may recall from my post that morning, worried that I would NEVER be able to make it until midnight.  I got in 45 minutes of cardio (treadmill/boogie combo) so that was good.  The work day flew by and then I came home to start getting my stuff organized to take to the dinner we were invited to that evening.

I took a huge salad, the sweet cashew cheese with crackers, hummus and baked pita chips, a big veggie tray and some marinated mushrooms:

Even MSP liked the cashew cheese (be sure to serve it with a slightly sweet cracker – I think it makes a big difference.  We used Carr’s Whole Wheat cracker which almost has a shortbread texture.)

The dinner our friends made was AMAZING.  I enjoyed two HUGE crab legs while MSP had steak (he’s the Turf to my Surf.)  We all played Wii “Band Hero” (which I must admit I am TERRIBLE at) right up until it was time to see the ball drop.  And at about 12:20, it was time for us to scoot so we could get home and to sleep.  I was awake until 1:00 (which meant by that time I’d been up for 21 hours straight).  I was out cold the minute my head hit the pillow.

The last few days have been filled with such good times, great friends, fun healthy food, games that require movement – the perfect ending to the year Thursday night and the perfect start to the new year yesterday.

Here’s to 364 more days just like it!

Have a SWELL Saturday, FitFeat friends!

– Shari B. =)

Tags: , , , , ,

Ice Ice Baby, Dance Dance Lady

Dec 11

Posted by Shari B. in Keeping Fit | 9 Comments

Well hello there FitFeat friends!  Happy Friday to you!  Second-to-last shopping weekend before Christmas – are you on schedule? 

I’d say it’s beginning to look a little TOO much like Christmas inside our house.  I present exhibit A.

img 969

No, that is not a freezer in dire need of defrosting.  Look very closely – zoom in!  That would be the INSIDE of our guest bedroom window.  This next photo might make a pretty postcard if only the ICE were on the OUTSIDE!! 

img 965

This is apparently what a few days of below-zero nights and days in the single digits does to our windows.  We’ve lived in this house for 4 years and have never seen this happen – it was 1/4″ thick at the bottom, at least!  Need new windows much?  (Know any blogs giving away windows instead of VitaMix blenders?)  You’d think we lived in a house that was 100  years old.  It’s only 12 years old!  

I am showing you these pictures so you have proof of why I haven’t been outside running.  Or dog-wogging. 

(And as a side note for the record, yes it is true – Heather is giving away a VitaMix - you have until Sunday so get on over there and enter!)

Speaking of blending, someone is anxiously awaiting their green smoothie … and it’s NOT me!

img 976

Rascal now knows that when he hears the sound of the blender, he gets a little green smoothie poured into his bowl.  (And judging from that roll of pudge behind his neck,  you can see that he could use a few green smoothies in place of his “lean” dog food… I think I want our money back.  It’s making them FATTER!)

26 ounces for me… 3 oz for each of the pups! 

img 977

Lunch at work today was a vegan Sunshine burger patty topped with 1/4 avocado, a slice of tomato and a drizzle of peppercorn ranch.  It was perfect.  If I can’t SEE sunshine, at least I can eat some.

1 burger

A tall soy steamer on my way home.

img 979

A quick-n-easy veggie wrap for dinner (Nasoya FF mayo, 1/4 avocado, tomato, spinach, sea salt & pepper on a whole wheat tortilla. 

img 981

I also had a GINGER cookie that has been taunting me since Sunday.  Just had to do it.  :)

Thursday’s exercise was a TOTAL BLAST.  As usual I bored of the treadmill after 32 minutes and had to move on to a little BOOGIE session!  And the songs that were coming from Pandora.com were so good I couldn’t stop!  So I got another 40 minutes of DANCE  DANCE CARDIO in my basement.  Too .. much .. fun .. to actually be counted as exercise!  But my heart rate stayed in the 150′s so heck yeah it counts!

During my training client’s session Thursday morning, we saw an ad for the new Wii game called “Just Dance”.  Have you seen this???  I am SO going to rent it.  It looks silly yet insanely fun!  Now I won’t have to hide in the basement to get my dance on … I’ll be able to do it right in front of the TV!

If this is the only way I can get MSP to dance with me, I’ll take it!  :)

Have a FANTASTIC Friday, friends!  Make it a FEATful day!

– Shari B =)

 

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes