Healthy, fast, gourmet breakfast.

I loooove breakfast. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I love making it for me and the hubby. I was craving something light yet filling this morning for breakfast. I woke up earlier than usual to study but I didn't really have a whole lot of time to spend 30 min. in the kitchen, slicing, prepping, sauteein', etc. My favorite breakfast I would have to say is a sunny side up and an english muffin. Instead of frying my egg, I sprayed a small ceramic ramekin with olive oil and cracked one raw egg in there. I covered it up with a napkin, placed it in the microwave, and cooked it for 30 sec. I let it sit for maybe 2-3 min. It should be cooked and little runny after it sets. But before I cooked the egg, I pre-heated the oven to 400, placed one english muff which i separated into two and added a couple of deli turkey slices, tomato, and fat free swiss cheese on it. Bake it for 5-8 min. When cheese is melted and english muffin is toasted, take it out. Cut the egg in half and place one half of the egg on one english muffin and the second half on the other one. Add a dry or fresh chopped basil and enjoy! I served mine with a couple of organic cherries. They were really fresh! Remember, you can make something healthy, delicious, and fast right at your own kitchen. Just take preparation and willingness in your part. Plus you save a lot of money and you know what you're putting in your body. :)

Joy of Cooking

My favorite thing about cooking is that it lets you be creative and it's not as strict as baking a cake or dessert. Most of the time when I cook, I don't have a cook book right in front of me to follow. Most of the food I've created are inspiration from another recipe, a restaurant, ingredient, color, or taste. I usually let my mind wonder about different recipes I can come up with. I also like the fact that most of my recipes are healthy. I make sure that every meal I prepare is well balanced and at the same time delicious and beautiful in the eye. I've created simple foods like ramen noodles and turned it into a healthy, nutritious soup by adding mixed vegetables in it. My mom inspired me to do that, she loves to add veggies in our ramen soup growing up 'cause she didn't want us just having sodium and carbs. LOL. Sometimes she would even add egg for protein, it was really good! Last night, I found myself creating a recipe from whatever I have in my fridge. Most of the time, I plan out what I will be cooking throughout the week but since I didn't have time this week due to school, I just decided to use whatever I had. This is the reason why I find so much joy in cooking. It's a creative outlet for me and it actually makes me happy. LOL.

I had chicken breast tenderloins thawed and I flattened it out. I had sun dried tomato packed in olive oil, pesto, feta cheese, and red pepper. I spread pesto on the chicken, crumbled feta cheese, placed sun dried tomato, and diced red pepper on chicken and rolled it. I placed it on an oven safe skillet, seam down. After I rolled and stuffed all of the tenderloins, I added salt, pepper, and garlic powder on 'em. I then let all the flavors set in over night and cooked it for lunch today. I pan fried it first, some of the oil from the sun dried tomato had leaked out and I used that to cook the chicken. I then transferred the skillet (it's an oven safe skillet) in the oven and baked it for a few min. I took it out, add fresh spinach on it, and covered it. I've created something similar before but instead of serving it with risotto (Italian rice), I served it with whole wheat ravioli filled with cheese (my husband loves cheese filled ravioli). I also made my own romano cream sauce with basil, it came out pretty good. The hubby really loved this one. He made a comment that it tasted like something you order from Tre Fratelli (a very good local Italian restaurant). So I was very happy about that. :)

You too can create a dish like this. Don't be intimidated. Watch the food network and learn from different chefs. Read cook books. My mom kept cook books and recipes, and growing up I would see her read 'em and she would teach me how to cook. She's definately my biggest inspiration and I would remember her showing me techniques and tips for cooking. One thing I learned from her is being patient while cooking. You need to let the flavors blend in properly, don't move it all around too much, let is sit there, let it all mingle together. That's how you'll get all the flavors from your ingredients. We use a lot of fresh ingredients and one my favorite is ginger. I loooove ginger and it's sooo goooood for you. Ya'll have seen me post a lot on cooking and food and I'm really thankful that God has given me this gift.

Stress

Stress (v) - Stress is the body's reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response.

Synonyms: worry, bother, get to, hassle, harass, perturb

Antonym: relax

Cause: any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious.

I am the type of person that stresses out easily. I hate it. I don't like it and I wish there was a way I can get rid of it permanently. I've taken natural supplements before, Exstress ,that helped me calm down. But sometimes I feel so wrong about just popping in a pill to make everything better. It is an instant relief and it makes me feel so relaxed and focus. Besides exercising, I do need to find a way to relax myself. Summer school started for me this week and I already feel I need a vacation. It's tough in the summer! The classes are 4 weeks long and they pack all that information in those short time. I'm currently taking a weight training class, U.S. History, & World Lit and it is a lot of reading! I'm still trying to figure out a schedule where I'm able to read for both classes without stressing out. I'm hoping to finish my basics by spring 2010, I'll have an Associate's degree in Social Work and then continue with my bachelor's in Psychology. I'm focused right now and want to do well. So I can't afford to slack off or procrastinate (my best friend).

Speaking of slacking off, I've been slacking off so bad in the nutrition and fitness department. Since I can't do my evening workouts right now, I have to do 'em in the mornings. Good thing I have weight training class at 8am 'cause I get to do my workouts then and use the evening time to study/spend time with the husband/do house chores. This past week was really bad for me. I only worked out twice and ate really bad in the evenings. I tend to do well with eating healthy during the day but the evenings I pigged out and ate unhealthy. I had fried food twice this week, low on veggies, had some fruits, and most of carbs were pretty good except for the battered fried stuff. I'm hoping next week will be better. I tend to eat a lot of bad stuff when I'm stressed out. Somehow when I stress, chemicals are sending my brain a message that I need fatty, greasy, unhealthy food to make me feel better. I need to not listen to that and make better choices. I also need to start on the plan I chose to do to train for the 1/2 marathon in November. It's a 12 week plan, 12 miles total of running/week mixed with crosstraining. I think it's a very healthy plan and good for my knees. I'll be getting some new (asics) running shoes soon and I can't wait to use 'em!

To conclude this post, I'm going to end this post with a scripture that has help me get through a rough day:

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Let's Sweat It Up!

I had a really great workout today! Fridays are usually my break from my usual workouts: yoga, pilates, strength training, plyometrics, hard runs, etc. I got on the treadmill and ran 2.5 miles, did some ab work on the medicine ball, swam a couple of laps in the pool (I didn't count this time, I just swam 'til my shoulders & arms were tired), and went in the sauna for 15 minutes. I love going into the sauna after a run & pool time. My muscles and joints feel relaxed, I'm breathing better, and I'm sweating like crazy which I love! I told somebody the other day that I feel beautiful when I sweat. lol. Sweating is actually good for the human body! It plays a vital role in helping you maintain good health. It regulates body temperature and it helps your body get rid itself of waste material. Sweat contains almost the same elements as urine, I know kinda gross, but that's why the skin is sometimes nicknamed as the third kidney. Interesting huh? About 30% of bodily wastes can be eliminated through perspiration.

The sauna or steam baths, though they may not sound that appealing, is a great place to sweat it up. Consider this: Anti-perspirants, artificial environments, smog, synthetic clothing, and a sedentary lifestyle all help clog up your skin pores and inhibit the healthy flow of sweat.

Sweat bathing aids in preventing or reversing the damaging side effects.

Hmmm... The thought of sweat bathing doesn't sound so bad after all, does it?

A fellow friend of mine asked me today if there are any other benefits in going inside a sauna. I've heard crazy stuff about using the sauna, such as: melting away body fat, increasing your metabolism, etc. I don't think those are right. Here's a list of sauna benefits:

• a strengthened immune system



• improved blood circulation



• enhanced detoxification processes



• deep skin cleansing and rejuvenation



• tension and stress relief



• liver and kidney function may also improve

If you need more details just visit the website Sauna & Steam Bathing. I got all the information from there, I just shortened it up for ya'll.

I have a date this evening with a sexy man of God, my husband, and we're planning on going to the beach to watch the sunset and have dinner at this Cajun restaurant (my fav. place to eat @ the island) called Daddy's. I hope ya'll have a great weekend and be safe!

When to blog & Random food stuff.

When I used to blog on Xanga, I blogged almost everyday. Then again I wasn't married, I didn't have much responsibility, and I was trying to survive as a new college student (I had to vent a lot). I've been wanting to update my blog for the past few days, but I just didn't know what to write about. I had a lot in my mind, took a bunch of neat pictures, but I couldn't think of anything to blog. So now here I am, blogging, and I think I'll blog about my food adventure these past few days.

I bought some wheat grass this past weekend and finally tried it yesterday. I added a piece of banana, yogurt, soymilk, and a packet of wheat grass. It wasn't the best smoothie in the world but it was tolerable. I had to get use to the taste. I'm just glad I didn't buy a whole container of it! They had a box with 15 packets and it cost me $20.00. I don't think I'm going to buy any more of these packets. As long as I can say I've tried this stuff, that's all that matters. I just need to make sure I'm taking in enough veggies (the natural way).

I ran out of almond butter at the beginning of this week. So I decided to make some banana oatmeal and stuffed it in the container. It took me 2 hours to eat my breakfast 'cause I wanted to enjoy every bite of it. LOL. But by the time I was done, it was time for lunch! I love oatmeal, it usually keeps me full and satisfied for a couple of hours. The only thing about almond butter is that they're expensive. Good thing I'm the only one that eats 'em in the house. My husband is more of a PB guy, which by the way, I ordered some Naturally More PB and they finally came in the other night. I tried some this morning on a piece of whole wheat bagel and it was gooood! I think I'll make some of my banana peanut butter soy smoothie later for a snack and use some of the naturally more pb stuff.

One last thing, I'm going to finally try Zumba this evening. Woo hoo! It's a new class at Gold's gym and tonight is the first class. I'm excited! I've heard and read so many good things about it. I love to dance. I think it's a great way to exercise because you're working out every part of your body, and not to mention you're having fun while burning calories. I will definately update ya'll on how it goes this evening!

Have a great day!

Introspection.

Introspection (n) - Contemplation of one's own thoughts, feelings, and sensations; self-examination.

When my husband came home this evening, I showed him my new blog and explained to him why I decided to change my blog. He is the reason why I named my first post 'Introspection' , because he told me that's what I'm doing when I'm blogging. Anyway, I felt like my other blog pointed all to me and the attention was on me and the things I did and made. You see I want to have a blog that reflects Christ in me and so She Runs for Jesus - Isaiah 40:31 was born . The name of my blog and the scripture is very close to my heart. When I started my journey towards healthy living, specifically running, I wanted to do it for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). I truly felt in my heart that if I did all this for only myself then there wouldn't be any purpose for it. You see, you and I have purpose in life - to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. I recently found a love for running and through that I easily associated Christ with it. I compare my spiritual journey with running. They're both not easy and it takes endurance, pushing forward, commitment, passion, and love. When I run I keep Jesus in mind and the the cross he carried. Running is not easy for me but I push forward and continue to run. When I'm running I have set goals that I work hard for to reach. In the same manner, God sets goals for us to keep pushing forward and not give up so that we may win the race He has set before us (2 Tim. 4:6-7).

Another reason for the new blog is to encourage people that they can do anything through Christ. Yes even running. I ran the 10k Annual Causeway Run at South Padre Island (my first race) in January of this year . I had never run more than 3 miles in my life 'til that day. I was able to run 6 miles with the help of my husband, friends, and of course God. I ran my second race on May 25th which was 4 miles in the Annual Beach to Bay Relay Marathon. I am planning on running another race along with my husband and other friends, but this time a half marathon (13 miles) in San Antonio, Texas in November of this year. I'm very excited but nervous at the same time. I know I'll be running this race for and with God.

I've explained in my other blog (You Are What You Eat) that we're responsible for our body and so I just want to encourage ya'll to keep a well balanced healthy lifestyle. I am very passionate when it comes to that, and I used to be obsessed about it but God really changed my heart. Remember that keeping everything (food, exercise, etc.) in moderation is very important. My hope and prayer for this blog is that God would use my words, the words He gives me, my experiences, knowledge, etc. to bring glory to Him and to encourage you to live a life that is good and healthy.