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Friday Favorites – January 8th, 2016

desk

Greetings and Happy Friday gang! I thought it’d be fun to start Friday Favorites off this week with a glimpse of my office and desk.  After a few tweaks during our staycation, this space has become one of my favorite spots in our house. That’s a good thing since I spend the vast majority of my time here either working, blogging or perusing the internet.

After a pretty draining week, I’m looking forward to the weekend. On the workout front, it will be a bit of a refresh weekend with a fun, 60 minute Soul Survivor class tomorrow morning followed by some gentle yoga practice on Sunday. Socially, it’s a busy one with activities both tonight and tomorrow night but I am definitely penciling in some time for ourselves on Sunday. Whether it’s reading a book or relaxing, I definitely need to keep some unscheduled time in my weekend and week.

Since it’s Friday, and the only thing keeping me from a nice glass of red wine is a few more hours of work, here is this week’s Friday Favorite. This year you will see more of these Friday Favorites posts as I really enjoy writing them and, based on analytics, it seems like you all enjoy them too!

So, as you count down the minutes until the weekend begins, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

Okay, serious life goals are not to look like either of the people in this amazing video but, instead, to make my friends and loved ones smile as much as they make each smile. The seem like the happiest, most in love couple and watching them just makes me happy.

These delicious, banana bread granola bars from Running with Spoons not only look amazing but also seem like they’ll be the perfect pre-workout snack or afternoon snack when paired with a cup of herbal tea. I love that they are gluten free and have an extra protein option in case I want to add some staying power.

If you don’t have time to bake your own bars this weekend, at least check out this Well+Good article highlighting the best and worst bars. Most of the good for you bars are widely available nation-wide so try upgrading your bar game next week.

I have no idea why this sweater is 60% off, as I have caught myself wearing it TOO much since buying it two weeks ago. It’s cozy, comfortable, flattering and goes perfectly with leggings and tall boots! If you’re a size medium, snag one before they sell out!

The new dietary guidelines don’t come as a great surprise to those of us who read a great deal about health and wellness, but I’m glad that the rest of America is hearing about the negative effects sugar has on the body and getting a reminder to add more fish to their weekly diet.

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but after using it every single day this week, I have to give the Magic Bullet another high five. While there is definitely a time and a place for a more high-powered blender, like our VitaMix, on a daily basis the Magic Bullet is able to whip up nut butters, blend smoothies and make delicious sauces. It’s frequently included in Macy and other retailer’s sales so keep you eyes peeled as we were able to snag it for under $70!

Speaking of smoothies, I’ve said goodbye to the plastic straws of my childhood and upgraded to these snazzy, stainless steel straws. Wide enough for the thickest smoothie, I just pop them into the dishwasher after using! Not only do they save on waste, but make drinking anything more fun!

If you somehow haven’t seen the multiple blog posts that some of my favorite bloggers shared this week about Victoria’s Secrets awesome deal, hop over to their site immediately. All I need to say is FREE workout pants, valued up to $75 when you purchase a sports bra! I was able to see the product first hand, during a Mile High Run Club workout with Theodora this week, and the colors are fun and the bra support and fit looked great. PSA: They are definitely running out of sizes and colors quickly!

If you think that eating healthy often forces you to spend more money, check out this helpful article from two dietitians who promise to help you eat healthy for less. I especially like tip #8! We just realized that we’ve been storing celery the wrong way and since making the change, it lasts 2x as long!

Huge congratulations to Jenna and the Green Blender team for launching the Los Angeles operations this week! It’s so exciting to see a young, female pursuing her passion and helping others get healthy! If you aren’t familiar with Green Blender, here’s an article from the LA Times, highlighting their success!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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The Best Healthy Turkey Chili Recipe

turkey chili

Here’s what you should know about me. Once the temperatures dip below freezing, I crave a few things: warm slippers, flannel pajamas, chai tea, red wine, and chili. Seriously, I could eat chili every night during the Winter months as long as the flavors change.

Our tastes have fluctuated over the years, and we’ve most recently been eating white chicken chili rather than the traditional red chili. But, after last night’s dinner, I think I’m back on team red.

In fact, I’m about to make a very strong statement. This chili recipe is the best, healthy chili we’ve ever tasted. Hearty, filling, flavorful and rich it leaves you smiling from a full belly while still warming your mouth with smoky, rich flavors. A few surprise ingredients, like charred red peppers, will add depth to the flavor while only requiring a minute of extra effort. Trust me, it’s worth it.

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It’s one of those dishes that only gets better as a leftover, whether served for lunch or dinner. The few simple, surprise ingredients give it a rich, warm flavor that is often missing in healthy chili recipes. Made with lean, ground turkey, it’s healthy enough to eat during the month of January when 99% of blog readers are thinking twice about what they eat.

We recommend topping off your bowl with with jalapenos, shredded cheddar cheese, scallions and a dollop of sour cream before grabbing your largest spoon.


turkey chili

The Best Healthy, Turkey Chili

Servings: 12-14 depending on serving size
Active prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1-2 hours simmering
Ingredients:
2 medium onions (diced)
6 garlic cloves (grated on a micro planer)
2 red bell peppers (charred on the burner and diced)
2 pounds ground white meat turkey
4 15oz cans red kidney beans (rinsed well with cold water)
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
10 Tbsp. chili powder (divided into 8, 1 and 1)
2 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup bourbon
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. corn starch (to thicken if needed)
salt
pepper
olive oil
Directions
1) Place a large stock pot on the stove over medium high heat, once hot add about 2 Tbsp. olive oil
2) Add onions and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes or until the onions begin to soften
3) Add red peppers and cook for another 3 minutes – remove contents of pot to a side dish
4) Return pot to stove and add additional olive oil – once hot, add 1 lb of turkey and season well with salt, pepper, 1 Tbsp. chili powder and a little cumin (you can also add any other spices you like such as garam masala, turmeric, or paprika)
5) Once brown remove turkey to bowl with onions and peppers and repeat with other pound of turkey
6) Return all cooked ingredients to the pot and add kidney beans, tomatoes (crushing whole tomatoes in your hand as they go into the pot), stock, spices, herbs, bourbon and syrup
7) Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and let simmer for at least an hour, up to 2 hours (the kidney beans should not be broken)
8) Season to taste with salt and pepper and if the chili seems a little thin, add corn starch a little at a time to thicken the broth
9) Garnish with any combination of white or green onions, avocado, cheddar cheese, sour cream, corn chips, cilantro, etc.
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My 2016 NYC Half Marathon Training Plan

NYC Half Marathon training plan

Sunday morning, I spent a few hours developing my half marathon training schedule in preparation for the NYC Half on March 20th.  Instead of working with a formal coach, I decided to invest the time and research to create my own training plan, leveraging the knowledge I’ve gained over the years.  I found the experience to be very enlightening and also served as a good confidence builder, as it allowed me to reflect on how much I’ve grown as a runner.  I spent time comparing my half marathon and marathon plans from the past few years along with training recaps from the recent months when I felt my strongest.  Who knows whether I’ll be thankful for this choice in a few weeks, but for now, I’m happy that I took the time and effort to personally create the plan. Even though I am not working with a formal run group or coach, I know that there is plenty of support thanks to the social media community.

What you’ll notice over the next three months, is that I am only going to run three days per week. Since my body has reacted positively to the mix of running, yoga and strength training I’ve incorporated into my routine thanks to ClassPass, I want to continue this even during half marathon training.

Over the next eleven weeks, my calendar includes the following workouts each week:

  • 3 runs (1 speed/hills, 1 long, 1 mid-distance with hills)
  • 2 strength training workouts
  • 1-2 yoga/Pilates/barre classes

If you do the quick math, this equals 6-7 workouts each week.  The number of workouts a person can manage and tolerate is very personal. I perform best as an employee, friend, wife, daughter and blogger when I have the positive endorphins and energy that workouts provide. However, even though this shows 6-7 workouts each week, my goal is to still have one day each week that is a complete rest day. Therefore, there will likely be one day per week, most likely a run day, where I finish the day with an evening yoga class. My body and mind both respond very well to yoga and therefore I don’t want to limit the number of classes I can take per week. However, I will limit the number of power yoga classes and ensure that I include restorative classes in my practice as well.

My weekly speed/hill runs will primarily take place at Mile High Run Club. The seven classes I’ve taken at Mile High have convinced me that the treadmill can be a powerful training tool and not a dreadmill, when used properly. The upbeat music, neon lights, inspiring and motivating run coaches like Jes Woods as well as the diverse and challenging workouts have helped me realize the potential I have as a runner when I can push through the mental barriers. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit one of Mile High’s two locations in New York City, you can bring their workout to your own treadmill using this exclusive workout which was created for Shape Magazine.

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My mid-distance runs and long runs will primarily take place in Prospect Park as it is only a mile from our apartment and the 3.68 mile loop includes plenty of rolling hills as well as gorgeous scenery and perfect dog watching. If any of my running friends want to head out to Prospect Park for a run and brunch, let me know. It can provide a nice change of scenery if you’re tired of Central Park loops or running down the West Side Highway.

NYC-ProspectPark-map

Your turn: What are your thoughts or input? Like I said, I created the plan myself but am always open to suggestions or input! 

*As I mentioned, I am not a personal trainer nor a certified run coach. Therefore, I am providing this information to you based on my experience and suggest that you consult and expert before starting any new training plan. 

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