Eat on the Run — Fueling up for a healthy life!

SCW Philly Mania 2014

by Melissa on February 24, 2014

This past weekend I spent three days working out, sweating, and smiling from ear to ear! That’s right, the harder the workout, the more I smiled!

I’ve been teaching group fitness since 2008, and have done quite a few certifications, trainings, and moving from gym to gym (thanks to my crazy schooling). But, honestly, having an entire weekend to just spend learning new techniques for the formats I’ve already been teaching was so beneficial. Cycling is my first group fitness love and I ended up taking 6 cycling classes and trainings during the entire weekend Smile

The best part of taking Philly Mania Schwinn Cycling sessions? The fact that the room is on the roof of the 26 floor Sheraton and the view of Philadelphia from the top is smokin’ – sizzle! Definitely worth getting up for the 7am sessions!

Since getting certified in 2011 through Schwinn with Rachel Vaziralli I’ve been a bit of a Schwinn groupie Winking smile Why? Well key part of their training is “If you can’t do it on an outdoor bike, you’re not doing it inside”. So weights on a bike? Can I get a HELL NO!?!? Amen sista!

That’s right – keep it authentic! Preach it Rachel! If you haven’t heard of this girl, it’s time you be introduced to the most kiss ass cycling instructor ever.

Also, I learned from Julz Arney, Amy Dixon, and Doris Thews plus Rachel (duh) in a stellar “Girl Power” class that had us taking our shirts off and dancing on chairs….say what!? That’s right, your cycling instructors can get down and naughty… don’t worry, shirts were back on and we were clipped in by the time the lights came back on. Must act like these fitness conferences are serious business, right?

Nah! That’s impossible when you’ve got Julz, Jeffrey Scott, and Skip Jennings being Rockstars, Preachers, and Party People! Just watch my Instagram video…if that doesn’t pump you up, I’m not sure you’re capable of motivation. Sorry, gotta say it! I’ve never been so motivated to kick my own butt!

I can’t wait to take everything I learned to my cycling class on Wednesday. I hope they’re ready for some F-U-N!!!!

I also took kettlebell training with Keli Roberts and then learned about Shockwave. Have you taken this workout format? I wasn’t 100% sure what I was signing up for when I walked into this session. Shockwave was my 4th session of the 2nd day and my 4th workout of the day. I looked at my friend Annie and said “I’m probably just going to observe and take it all in.”

Bottom line? I couldn’t! It was way too much fun to sit out! It’s a full body workout that only lasts about 30 – 45 minutes. They use the Indo-Row machines and I honestly never knew that rowing could completely wear me out in less than 1 minute. WHOA! (PS – I’m in the top left hand corner in all black…yep, getting ready for the rower)

Even though I got my fitness fix on, the best part of the weekend was reconnecting with old friends. I spent a lot of my college career in the White Building at Penn State sweaty, smelly, and with my blood pumping full of endorphins. Because of that, many of my friends are the instructors that I taught alongside.

In this picture I’m sandwiched (I’m the one in the pink head band) between the two awesome instructors who trained me in my first Kinesiology course that taught me the basics of group fitness. Yep, thank you Erica and Quita for being patient as I struggled finding the 8 count (let alone the top of a 32) for 16 weeks Smile SO MUCH LOVE!

And of course our fearless leader – Jill, made sure there was ample opportunity for all past instructors to get together. The above picture represents instructors from 1999 – 2011. Even girls I’d never met before were instantaneously some of my favorite people. There’s just a bond that spans the realm of group fitness, getting through countless new year’s resolutioners, spring breakers, and the occasional hung over cycler (yes, that’s college group ex for ya).

It’s amazing to come together and see how many awesome things everyone is up to. We have girls as school teachers, engineers, university level group fitness directors, nurses, physical therapists, and many other things. And yet we all still find time, energy, and fun teaching group fitness. Nothing better Smile

I can’t wait for next year!

PS: Sorry for all the sweaty ugly pictures. I’m not a girl that walks out of the gym looking good.

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Pasta that will Melt Your Heart

by Melissa on February 17, 2014

I made one of the most delicious meals of my life last night. Well, if I’m not counting all the meals I had while in Italy, then this would rank in the top 5 – real Italian food will always beat other food. Fact of life.

I stopped at The Fresh Market while I was out exploring this weekend, and let’s be honest, all the foods looked delicious. It was difficult to keep my purchases to just those that I needed for the week. So it was good I had this delicious recipe on tap. Roasted red peppers make most meals amazing, right?

And why does cheese just make a meal complete? One of the 4,869 reasons I have difficulty with the vegan diet.

I would like you to say this out loud while reading this. Ready? I’m serious. . . Ready? “I pledge to the Italian food gods that I will only buy pasta made with bronze plates. Namaste.” Ok, I feel much better. When pasta is made with bronze plates (instead of steel) it imparts more texture which allows sauce to stick. Key to making a delicious pasta dish.

So what was this delicious meal that I made? Well, it was Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo.

I know.

Ahhhh Mayyyyy Zing!

Onions, garlic, olive oil, roasted red peppers, half and half, herbed goat cheese, and parmesan.

Sometimes I wonder how I lived without an immersion blender? How do people make soup and sauces? Thanks Aunt Brenda for bringing me out of the dark ages. Smile

As involved as the name of this recipe sounds, the hardest part was waiting for the water to boil for the pasta. Killer right!?

But in all honesty, sometimes you just need to celebrate yourself and make yourself a wonderful homemade meal. You deserve it. You’re special too!

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day weekend. Whether you were with your significant other or were celebrating the other relationships in your life that bring you lots of love, I hope it was absolutely wonderful Smile

In other news, I was featured over on the Stone Soup blog which many talented dietitian bloggers (like Maria) contribute for. Pop on over and pay a visit! I love reading all the recipes and nutrition news straight from the experts!

What was the most delicious meal you’ve made recently?

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A Sweet Treat for any Valentine

by Melissa on February 14, 2014

I will admit. It’s only early morning on Valentines Day and I’m kind of sick of the holiday. Maybe it’s because I’m single and want to vomit over the mush and gush (or maybe that’s just the leftovers of the stomach flu). But I got into the spirit last night after 12+ inches of snow fell in the DC area and I was stuck indoors all day. I had to move about and do something!

So, Snow Ball Love Balls were born. I’ve seen a few variations of this recipe across the internet, so here is my version. The real key is making it with a few chocolate cookies. Yeah, takes a bit of the healthfulness away but who doesn’t like a hint of cookies and cream? You can subtract them and they’re perfectly vegan

Enjoy!

SNOW BALL LOVE BALLS

Makes 18 small cookie dough balls

1 cup cashews
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts (could use peanuts and give it a peanut buttery flavor)
1 cup oats
1 TBSP vanilla extract
4 TBSP coconut oil
4 TBSP agave or honey
2 TBSP cocoa powder
optional: 5 chocolate cookies crushed, chocolate chips, sprinkles etc
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut for rolling, could also do cocoa powder, ground nuts, chia seeds, or dip them in melted chocolate

In a blender or food processer, crush nuts and oats (and if you have chocolate cookies put them in now). Once they have formed a fine powder, remove the blade and add the rest of the ingredients and stir. I tried to let my blender do the work and the dough was just too thick. Your muscle works a lot better for this process.

Then take a tablespoon and form small balls. Roll in coconut. Will make about 18 small balls. They can sit on the counter or you can put them in the fridge. Freezing is also possible for up to 3 months!

They really do taste like little cookie dough bites, but obviously a lot healthier than eating real cookie dough. Although it’s never a bad thing if you do that…I may have done that once or twice in my life

Happy Valentines Day! Treat yourself to something nice – a glass of wine, mani/pedi, or these tasty little love balls!

Are you celebrating this year?

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February Goals 2014

by Melissa on February 12, 2014

I’m not sure about you, but in the DC area, the flu has taken over. I spent the better half of last week fighting off fatigue, body aches, and chills, and then this weekend succumbed to the full on stomach flu.

But, I’m ready to be back to blogging and then I hope in the next week training for all these spring half marathons Smile

Thanks to Amy, these buddies have been my main source of food. My brain is ready for a cheeseburger and my stomach is ready for at most a slice of cinnamon toast…

To follow up from January, I want to review those goals and set a few new February goals. While at the beginning of February my goals were a bit different until I got sick, so I’m modifying them. C’est la vie!

So here we go:

January Goals:

1. Continue to Grow Eat on the Run – I would say that one is still in the works. While January was a very successful month for the blog (BIG THANK YOU), I still want to continue to put some TLC into the site and make it even better.

2. Yoga – I definitely made more of an effort to be on the mat. I had a lot of stress during the month of January and my first instinct was always to hop on my mat, even if only for 10 to 15 minutes and then to continue with meditation. Like they say, praying is when you talk to God, meditation is when you listen.

3. More Food Prep – I was good at this for about 2.5 weeks and then all hell broke loose. I just want to say that life can get in the way. There are certain things in your life that with derail even your best intentions. The key isn’t avoiding them but actually in how you adjust when they do happen. So I’m getting back on the wagon. I’m doing pretty good since ginger ale and saltine crackers are super quick to throw together. Winking smile

So what about February goals? Well since the month is short and I’m just now getting around to enjoying it (dumb flu), they’re pretty light.

1. Start training. Yep, I’ve got a couple half marathons on my schedule for the spring and I was supposed to start training last week. So, with a small blessing from the big guy, I’ll get that started soon when my strength and energy return.

2. Eat more veggie rich meals. I’m a carnivore. I’ve tried vegan, vegetarian…etc, but I still love meat (can I get an AMEN!?) But I do know that meatless meals are very healthy and allow us to focus on buying only the best meat for those times when we eat it. So I’m going to try to eat half of my meals as meatless for the rest of the month.

One way I think I can stick with this is by using my pesto vinaigrette. I whipped this up the night before I got sick – no I do not blame my illness on my cooking…

You can use apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or balsamic. I actually used a little of apple cider and balsamic and really enjoyed it!

PESTO VINAIGRETTE:

3 TBSP pesto
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup vinegar of choice
salt and pepper

Put into a salad dressing shaker and shake it up! Let sit for an hour or overnight to let flavors blend. Great as a dressing or a marinade. I can’t wait to whip up a pasta salad with it!

What are your February goals? How do you stay healthy during flu season?

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Ski Weekend Getaway

February 4, 2014

Sorry for the week of hibernation! Between the weather and the chaos called life, blogging just wasn’t an option last week. This past weekend I got away for a few days for a much needed ski tip with my Amy, Nikki, and Maria. We had a great time in Pennsylvania hitting the slopes at Hidden [...]

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The Friday Five – Jan 24

January 24, 2014

I cannot even tell you right now the crazy week it has been. TGIF my friends, TGIF! It’s time to wind down and enjoy a little R&R this weekend. In preparation for that, I would like to share the five things this week that have excited me or caught my interest. Feel free to share [...]

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Quick Dinner with Trader Joes

January 22, 2014

As part of my January goals, I am trying to do more food prep and eat more homemade meals. Living in the city makes getting food on the go pretty easy, however, even when you are trying to make the best choices, extra sodium, hidden fats and sugars sneak in. To make cooking at home [...]

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Corepower + Snow Day Workout

January 21, 2014

Sorry that I missed you yesterday! I’m sure many were enjoying a day off, so I enjoyed a day off from blogging, and I’m bringing something to you extra special today Actually two special things. The first is a giveaway…who doesn’t love some free product to try and enjoy? I was very excited when [...]

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Five Things Friday – 1/17

January 17, 2014

This has been a bit of a whirlwind week for me. Actually every week since the holidays has felt a bit like a tornado! Anyone with me on that? But in usual Friday fashion lately, I’m sharing some of my favorite things of the week. It’s a chance for me to be a bit random [...]

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The Half Marathon

January 15, 2014

Since 2009, I have run 12 half marathons and 1 full marathon. I’m going to give you one guess which of those distances I love the most I’ve learned a lot about myself over those 157 miles, and that’s just the race itself. If you add up a typical half marathon training plan that lasts [...]