I am so excited to FINALLY make the move to Wordpress and hope that you'll follow along with me at my new domain Lift Love Life.
We've made some great memories together on this little space but so long Blogger, it's been real. Peace out.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
I've MOVED!
I am so excited to FINALLY make the move to Wordpress and hope that you'll follow along with me at my new domain Lift Love Life.
We've made some great memories together on this little space but so long Blogger, it's been real. Peace out.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Toffee and Hazlenut stuffed Pancakes
I promised a recipe yesterday, so here I am delivering!
Today I'm sharing a recipe for a Korean street snack that I can't stop thinking about (yes, I really think about food that often) the Hodduk 호떡pancake. At almost every outdoor market district in Korea, you can find a cart that sells these hot, delicious, pancakes for just less than a dollar each and there’s always a plethora of people in line jonesin’ to get their hands on one. Why are they so popular? They’re sold the second the air turns from muggy to crisp, and they’re hot pancakes stuffed with gooey cinnamon, honey, brown sugar, and a variety of nuts. They’re the perfect comfort snack. How can they NOT be popular? One taste and you’re hooked. For life.
Yup, they’re that good.
Fortunately, I’ve figured out how to recreate the pancakes at home. And because I love good food that doesn’t settle on your hips, I’ve also learned how to “healthify” them using PureAlmond Unsweetened Original Milk, a low glycemic flour, and cutting the amount of sugar used. I was actually able to preserve the amazing flavor that brings me back to cold autumns and winters in Korea. I can’t promise you’ll have the same flashback of memories when you bite into one, but I can promise that if you’ve gotten sick of me talking about Korea so much, these will make you fall in love with me all over again.
Again, they’re THAT good.
So here’s what you need to recreate these babies:
Today I'm sharing a recipe for a Korean street snack that I can't stop thinking about (yes, I really think about food that often) the Hodduk 호떡pancake. At almost every outdoor market district in Korea, you can find a cart that sells these hot, delicious, pancakes for just less than a dollar each and there’s always a plethora of people in line jonesin’ to get their hands on one. Why are they so popular? They’re sold the second the air turns from muggy to crisp, and they’re hot pancakes stuffed with gooey cinnamon, honey, brown sugar, and a variety of nuts. They’re the perfect comfort snack. How can they NOT be popular? One taste and you’re hooked. For life.
Yup, they’re that good.
Fortunately, I’ve figured out how to recreate the pancakes at home. And because I love good food that doesn’t settle on your hips, I’ve also learned how to “healthify” them using PureAlmond Unsweetened Original Milk, a low glycemic flour, and cutting the amount of sugar used. I was actually able to preserve the amazing flavor that brings me back to cold autumns and winters in Korea. I can’t promise you’ll have the same flashback of memories when you bite into one, but I can promise that if you’ve gotten sick of me talking about Korea so much, these will make you fall in love with me all over again.
Again, they’re THAT good.
So here’s what you need to recreate these babies:
For
the pancake:
1 ½ cup all purpose Green Tea flour (found in most Asian grocers, or you can use a whole grain flour)
½ tsp salt
¼ cup Silk PureAlmond Milk Unsweetened Original
3 tbs warm water
1tsp stevia
1 ½ cup all purpose Green Tea flour (found in most Asian grocers, or you can use a whole grain flour)
½ tsp salt
¼ cup Silk PureAlmond Milk Unsweetened Original
3 tbs warm water
1tsp stevia
1tsp dry active yeast
For the stuffing:
For the stuffing:
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs crushed hazelnuts
1 tbs crushed toffee
3 tbs dark brown sugar
And
here’s how you make the pancakes:
Mix the warm water and yeast together, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine sifted green tea flour, salt and stevia. Then add in the Silk PureAlmond Unsweetened Original milk and yeast water. Mix the dough together until everything has been moistened. Set aside to let the dough rise for 2 hours.
In a food processor, combine the cinnamon, hazelnuts, toffee and brown sugar and pulse to grind till everything has been crushed and you have fine powder. When the dough has risen, cover your hands in oil so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands, then form the dough into a ball the size of a golf ball.
Mix the warm water and yeast together, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine sifted green tea flour, salt and stevia. Then add in the Silk PureAlmond Unsweetened Original milk and yeast water. Mix the dough together until everything has been moistened. Set aside to let the dough rise for 2 hours.
In a food processor, combine the cinnamon, hazelnuts, toffee and brown sugar and pulse to grind till everything has been crushed and you have fine powder. When the dough has risen, cover your hands in oil so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands, then form the dough into a ball the size of a golf ball.
Create a well in the ball with your thumb and then spoon a tablespoon of the toffee and hazelnut mix into the ball, pinch the top to seal, then roll making sure the stuffing stays intact.
On medium heat, grease a frying pan with coconut oil and then place the ball into the middle of the pan. Flatten the ball with your spatula and fry in coconut oil until both sides are a golden color and the edges are crispy but the middle is soft.
And that’s it! When you bite into the pancake, the stuffing should be gooey and
ooze out with every bite. You COULD stack them on a plate and eat it the old
fashioned way with a fork…but I prefer you do it how they do on the
discovery channel and eat that bad boy with your hands - just like how they
do it on the streets ;)
And the nutritional info if you're interested:
Calories
|
117.3
|
|
Total Fat
|
3.1 g
|
|
Saturated Fat
|
0.5 g
|
|
Polyunsaturated Fat
|
0.5 g
|
|
 |
||
Monounsaturated Fat
|
1.7 g
|
|
Cholesterol
|
0.6 mg
|
|
Sodium
|
11.0 mg
|
|
Potassium
|
151.9 mg
|
|
Total
Carbohydrate
|
21.0 g
|
|
 |
||
Dietary Fiber
|
3.4 g
|
|
 |
||
Sugars
|
2.7 g
|
|
Protein
|
4.2 g
|
|
FYI, this post is part of a sponsored campaign with Silk and Fitfluential, LLC. All opinions expressed are definitely my own. Learn more about Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened on Facebook and Twitter. And make these pancakes and report back to me, pronto!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Catching up
Tap, tap. Is this thing still on? I swear my laptop has a thin layer of dust on it from not blogging in what's considered "forever" in blogland. Perhaps I should dust my house more often? Or, I could just catch you all up with a post full of randomness instead.
Besides, who actually wants to dust? ;)
1. So, remember our four year anniversary post? Well, that night we tried to celebrate by trying a new to us restaurant, Circa 1800. We had a whole fun night planned out for us - we got dressed up, I rocked my favorite chevron leggings, and we even hired a new and awesome sitter off SitterCity.
BUT. The food that we actually managed to choke down was absolutely delicious. And it was the first restaurant I've ever been to where they served bruschetta instead of giving out plain ol' bread before the meal. If you're in the Fayetteville area, I highly recommend you check Circa 1800 out. I'd definitely love to go back, but only if we're in a better mood of course.
2. Another thing I haven't blogged about recently is how I rang in the new year. Leave it to me to blog about something that happened forever ago but hey, at least I'm getting it done.
Since champagne was out of the question this year, I decided to kick off 2013 by going to a warm flow glow yoga class at Hot Asana. We arrived to the studio pretty early and started our night with our drink of choice, pomegranate green tea, while we helped the staff prepare glow sticks for the class.
We then went through a series of intermediate to advanced poses to pumping music, in 115 DEGREE HEAT, under a black light, with glowing balloons, and while wearing glowsticks. It was SO much fun!
But did I mention the 115 degree heat? Yeah, it was ridiculous! We weren't expecting it to be bikram hot, otherwise I would have worn less clothes or probably would not have gone. I've tried and loved bikram yoga before, but being pregnant I wanted to make sure I didn't do anything stupid. I made sure to leave the room often and drown myself in water throughout the class.
In spite of the heat, it ended up being one of the best "girls night" and new years I've had in awhile.
3. Speaking of things I have yet to blog about, I still have so many more adventures in Korea that I want to share. I mean, we freaking visited the North Korean border! It was one of the most interesting things I've experienced in in my life and I still haven't written about it. What is wrong with me!?
4. These brown butter vanilla pancakes will rock your world. They're incredibly fluffy, yet moist, and the flavor is just plain...bangin'.
And they're even better if you serve them for dinner ;) I'll be sharing the recipe soon, just remember that "soon" is a relative term here, haha. I have a few other recipes I'd like to share first. I know, I'm a big tease.
5. These two are my freaking life.
And I will never, EVER, get tired of seeing the two together.
6. HIP PAIN. OH MY WORD, my hips! I don't know what it is about this pregnancy but my hips hate me right now. I didn't have any problems like this while pregnant with Caleb but with this one, I feel like I've aged 50 years, all in my hips. It hurts to sleep on my side, it kills me when I try to take long strides in runs, it hurts to walk up hills...I could go on. I've done everything to try to relieve the pain, but nothing is working. Not even all of my favorite hip opening poses in yoga. Nuttin'. Nada. I'm doomed to deal with this throughout the rest of this pregnancy.
Someone help me.
7. Speaking of pregnancy, we find out what we're having the end of this month! I can't wait! However, the hunk is away at a school for the Army, so he'll be missing my appointment. Anyone care to share cute gender reveal ideas for the husband? I really want to make it special this year since it's our last baby and because I didn't do anything when we found out we were having Caleb. Help?
*edited to add* Just to clarify, the hubs is just at a school right on post. So no need to ship anything or skype haha. I appreciate all of your wonderful suggestions though!
8. We had a yard sale today. No one came. I didn't sell a single thing. And we had lots of baby goodies too. Huge fail. Major sad trombone. Boo.
Which means I'm off to donate everything at Goodwill now.
No seriously, that's where I'm headed. Plus, I'm sure this is enough randomness for one post. I'll catch you fools mañana with a recipe ;)
Friday, January 4, 2013
Week in Workouts and lessons from a documentary
Happy freaking Friday! This week was a pretty good week in workouts, even if I didn't make it into the gym everyday like I wanted. Having only one car kind of puts a damper on those things but I deal with it and do what I can ;)
So here are my workouts for the week:
Monday
3 miles with the stroller and the little man. And then an hour of yoga.
Tuesday
Full Body Strength Training in the garage. Here's what I ended up doing:
3x10 Bench Press
3x15 Decline Pushups
3x10 Shoulder Press
3x10 Underhand Barbell row
3x10 Front Squats
3x10 Overhead Lunges
3x10 Bulgarian Split squats
3x10 Sumo Deadlifts
It was a pretty grueling session but I definitely plan to do it again someday. I loved that I was able to squeeze it in during Caleb's nap time and that I managed to hit the entire body using compound movements. I felt awesome afterwards!
Wednesday
30 minute treadmill HIIT run and then a yoga class at the gym. I tried to take a picture of my workout on the treadmill because I was so proud, it was one of the fastest runs I've had in awhile. Unfortunately, one of the daycare workers stopped me right at the end of my run to get me to console Caleb (he had a horrible diaper rash that day) and when I hit "stop" it cleared all of the data on the treadmill. I swear this treadmill must have been built in the stone age, usually when you press "stop" on the machine your workout results will pop up and blink a few times before completely shutting off.
Oh well, I'll go back next week and try to recreate my run ;)
And I shared this on FB about my yoga class because the class was amazing:
Thursday
3 miles with the stroller. I really struggled this morning, mainly because I'm still so sore from Tuesday. My body just isn't handling DOMs as well this pregnancy :(
Friday
Heading to the gym today to do another full body strength training workout. Maybe I'll repeat the same one from Tuesday? Wish me luck!
So tonight the hubs and I decided to check out a documentary about a legendary 86 year old sushi chef in Tokyo, Japan. He owns one of the most famous sushi restaurants in the world, a tiny underground restaurant in a subway station that only seats 10 people and has no bathroom, yet it takes months to get a reservation and it costs $300 per person at least to dine at his restaurant.
Here's the trailer if you're interested:
I'm only a year late on watching this film but in this case, better late than never. The documentary truly is a work of art and there were so many valuable life lessons to be learned from it. It was such a beautiful documentary, all the way down to Jiro and his family's inspiring values, the food cinematography, and the beautiful music (I'm a sucker for anything classical). Not only that but the sushi porn (even better in slow motion) made me fall even more head over heels in love with sashimi ;)
Anyway, since the documentary left me so inspired I thought I'd share the top 3 lessons that stood out to me the most from the film:
1. Find your craft, and dedicate your life to mastering it. Jiro stressed that you don't need to do everything well, but to do your one thing to the best of your ability and to continuously improve on it.
One of my favorite quotes from Jiro:
"Once you decide on your occupation, you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That’s the secret of success and is the key to being regarded honorably." ~ Jiro Ono
2. Be ethical. In one part of the film, Jiro's son mentioned how he wished the government would regulate fishing. Even though their business thrives on the availability of fresh fish, they wished that people would stop overfishing and instead focus more on quality and not quantity. They were also so honorable in their work ethic that they worked tirelessly all day, trained for 10 years, and never complained once. Even if it wasn't the most lucrative or glamorous job, they loved their job and they loved to be the best at it.
3. Quality over quantity. Instead of sucumbing to usual business practices of trying to make a good product as cheap as possible, Jiro's son went to the fish market every morning and dealt with only the best fish dealers, and bought only the best fish of the day, regardless of price. He simply wanted to make the best quality sushi and that was all that mattered to him. His work was never about money or fame.
3. Be humble. Even though Jiro had been a sushi chef for 75 years, he was still relentless about perfecting his practice. He stressed that everyday is a new day to learn, and a chance to get better at your craft. He dedicated his life to creating a perfect plate of food, even while knowing that perfection is impossible to achieve.
Of course, there are a number of gems from this movie that I could quote all day. I don't think I'll ever tire of this documentary and if there's a day I'm where I'm feeling unmotivated, I'll definitely come back to this film. This documentary makes me want to WORK. But I'll let you experience the documentary and decide for yourself.
To me, it's funny how our night started out as a casual night of relaxing in front of the tube while eating Chinese food, but then turned into a transformational night where we were both left empowered. The documentary was that moving for us and I strongly encourage you to check the documentary out. even if you're not a sushi fan, the story of his life and his family is interesting in itself and I promise you won't regret it.
But I have to ask...how can you NOT be a sushi fan!?
And one last gem from this wise man before I sign off: “Always doing what you’re told doesn’t mean you’ll succeed in life."
Preach, Jiro, preach.
So here are my workouts for the week:
Monday
3 miles with the stroller and the little man. And then an hour of yoga.
Tuesday
Full Body Strength Training in the garage. Here's what I ended up doing:
3x10 Bench Press
3x15 Decline Pushups
3x10 Shoulder Press
3x10 Underhand Barbell row
3x10 Front Squats
3x10 Overhead Lunges
3x10 Bulgarian Split squats
3x10 Sumo Deadlifts
It was a pretty grueling session but I definitely plan to do it again someday. I loved that I was able to squeeze it in during Caleb's nap time and that I managed to hit the entire body using compound movements. I felt awesome afterwards!
Wednesday
30 minute treadmill HIIT run and then a yoga class at the gym. I tried to take a picture of my workout on the treadmill because I was so proud, it was one of the fastest runs I've had in awhile. Unfortunately, one of the daycare workers stopped me right at the end of my run to get me to console Caleb (he had a horrible diaper rash that day) and when I hit "stop" it cleared all of the data on the treadmill. I swear this treadmill must have been built in the stone age, usually when you press "stop" on the machine your workout results will pop up and blink a few times before completely shutting off.
Oh well, I'll go back next week and try to recreate my run ;)
And I shared this on FB about my yoga class because the class was amazing:
Thursday
3 miles with the stroller. I really struggled this morning, mainly because I'm still so sore from Tuesday. My body just isn't handling DOMs as well this pregnancy :(
Friday
Heading to the gym today to do another full body strength training workout. Maybe I'll repeat the same one from Tuesday? Wish me luck!
*****
So tonight the hubs and I decided to check out a documentary about a legendary 86 year old sushi chef in Tokyo, Japan. He owns one of the most famous sushi restaurants in the world, a tiny underground restaurant in a subway station that only seats 10 people and has no bathroom, yet it takes months to get a reservation and it costs $300 per person at least to dine at his restaurant.
Here's the trailer if you're interested:
I'm only a year late on watching this film but in this case, better late than never. The documentary truly is a work of art and there were so many valuable life lessons to be learned from it. It was such a beautiful documentary, all the way down to Jiro and his family's inspiring values, the food cinematography, and the beautiful music (I'm a sucker for anything classical). Not only that but the sushi porn (even better in slow motion) made me fall even more head over heels in love with sashimi ;)
Anyway, since the documentary left me so inspired I thought I'd share the top 3 lessons that stood out to me the most from the film:
1. Find your craft, and dedicate your life to mastering it. Jiro stressed that you don't need to do everything well, but to do your one thing to the best of your ability and to continuously improve on it.
One of my favorite quotes from Jiro:
"Once you decide on your occupation, you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That’s the secret of success and is the key to being regarded honorably." ~ Jiro Ono
2. Be ethical. In one part of the film, Jiro's son mentioned how he wished the government would regulate fishing. Even though their business thrives on the availability of fresh fish, they wished that people would stop overfishing and instead focus more on quality and not quantity. They were also so honorable in their work ethic that they worked tirelessly all day, trained for 10 years, and never complained once. Even if it wasn't the most lucrative or glamorous job, they loved their job and they loved to be the best at it.
3. Quality over quantity. Instead of sucumbing to usual business practices of trying to make a good product as cheap as possible, Jiro's son went to the fish market every morning and dealt with only the best fish dealers, and bought only the best fish of the day, regardless of price. He simply wanted to make the best quality sushi and that was all that mattered to him. His work was never about money or fame.
3. Be humble. Even though Jiro had been a sushi chef for 75 years, he was still relentless about perfecting his practice. He stressed that everyday is a new day to learn, and a chance to get better at your craft. He dedicated his life to creating a perfect plate of food, even while knowing that perfection is impossible to achieve.
Of course, there are a number of gems from this movie that I could quote all day. I don't think I'll ever tire of this documentary and if there's a day I'm where I'm feeling unmotivated, I'll definitely come back to this film. This documentary makes me want to WORK. But I'll let you experience the documentary and decide for yourself.
To me, it's funny how our night started out as a casual night of relaxing in front of the tube while eating Chinese food, but then turned into a transformational night where we were both left empowered. The documentary was that moving for us and I strongly encourage you to check the documentary out. even if you're not a sushi fan, the story of his life and his family is interesting in itself and I promise you won't regret it.
But I have to ask...how can you NOT be a sushi fan!?
And one last gem from this wise man before I sign off: “Always doing what you’re told doesn’t mean you’ll succeed in life."
Preach, Jiro, preach.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Pan Fried Udon with Crispy Tofu
Is it any surprise that I am madly in love with Asian food? It doesn't help that with this pregnancy I crave anything with the word "noodles" in it. I'm not complaining though, I love cooking noodles and I'm even more in love with how filling and nutritious most Asian foods are.
I'm especially in love with how delicious this dish was, so much so that I of course, had to share. I know, I know, I'm like your new best friend ;)
So here's what you need:
I'm especially in love with how delicious this dish was, so much so that I of course, had to share. I know, I know, I'm like your new best friend ;)
So here's what you need:
2 packages udon noodles, cooked according to package
1 package firm tofu
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 package firm tofu
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 tbs sesame oil
4 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
4 tbs sesame oil
4 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tbs mirin
2 tbs minced ginger
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cup mushrooms
2 cups broccoli
1 cup sliced carrots
cilantro leaves to garnish
Asian sprouts to garnish
2 tbs minced ginger
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cup mushrooms
2 cups broccoli
1 cup sliced carrots
cilantro leaves to garnish
Asian sprouts to garnish
Sesame seeds to garnish
Heat a frying pan with a few tablespoons of sesame oil. Cube tofu into small squares and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add to frying pan on high heat. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes or until crispy and browned. Set aside.
In the same wok or frying pan, add sesame oil and then add carrots, mushrooms, and broccoli and saute till soft. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, mirin, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes. Add the noodles and then stir everything together. Finally, add the tofu back into the dish and garnish with sesame seeds, sprouts, and cilantro. Then, stuff your face and enjoy!
And I promise, you will definitely enjoy this dish. There is something about eating udon noodles that makes it so much fun.
In other news, I am now the proud owner of a Breville Juice Fountain Plus Juicer! I am so ridiculously excited to start juicing, my mom got us hooked while we were in Korea and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since.
 |
| Please ignore my post WOD hot mess ;) |
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.
Now I can't stop daydreaming about all of the yummy vegetables I can juice. I know it's recommended to use a few root vegetables, a watery vegetable, a green, a fruit to add sweetness, and a garnish for extra flavor like lemon, ginger, or parsley and I have a few ideas up my sleeve but I'm always open to suggestions. I just want to have some more fun with my brand new toy ;)
Anyone have favorite juicing recipes to share? And have a great Thursday! I'm off to bed early tonight because I have another pregnancy migraine...WOMP WOMP. Super fun times!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
2012 in Review
Last year I had a lot of fun reflecting on my resolutions so I've decided to do the same for this year to see how I fared. So here's how my resolutions for 2012 actually went down:
Love
Continue telling my husband one thing I love about him every day - Check! When he was home, that is.
Go on a date night once a month - Again, he was gone for most of the year. But we did go out a lot after he got back!
Get to church together more often - Fail. I can't remember the last time we went.
Be a little more understanding of how stressful his job can be at times - Still working on this one.
Cooking
Try one recipe a month that scares me - Fail. I was actually uninspired to cook this year and repeated a lot of meals throughout the months.
Be more consistent with Meatless Mondays - Fail. I didn't meal plan very well.
Get over my fear of leftovers - Fail. I'm still picky about leftovers and think I will always be.
Fitness
Wake up early to work out - Fail. I just need to come to terms with the fact that I am not a morning person. Ugh.
Yoga once a week - CHECK! Except I fell even more in love with yoga this year and ended up doing it every day on my own if i didn't make it to a studio.
Continue exercising 4-5 days a week - Most weeks I make it, other weeks, life happens and I end up going 3-4 times instead.
Work on my military style push ups & pull ups - CHECK!
Hold an unassisted handstand for as long as possible - CHECK!
Increase my overall strength - BIG CHECK! And so proud of myself. My deadlifts, snatches, kettlebell swings, squats....all have improved greatly!
Beauty
Get more haircuts - I actually took care of my hair this year. Yay me. So check!
Actually get a pedicure for once - I got ONE pedicure this year. I guess I am just not the type to pamper myself. Ridiculous.
Continue my natural skin care regime, start applying to hair/body - Sometimes?
Life/Other
Continue playing my piano 3x a week - YUP! And now I play with Caleb :)
Get certified in 2 new certifications - Finances and timing precluded this from happening, fortunately, I will be getting certified to teach yoga in 2013 :D
Organize all of my files - Nope.
Finish painting the living room, hallway and kitchen - Finished the living room and hallway, still working on the kitchen. So...fail and check?
Caleb
Have faith in my own maternal instincts - For the most part, check!
Learn to say no to having all of the latest, coolest baby products out there - Check! I did a very good job of not shopping for things unless we really needed them.
Try not to stress too much and learn to appreciate the moments - I definitely did a lot of growing this year and realized that I'm a pretty relaxed mom. So a big fat check to that!
Arrange all of his photos and memories into a photobook - Fail! But I did arrange everything onto our Apple Time Capsule. Does that count?
Enroll him into Baby Sign Language Class on Post - CHECK! But it didn't stick, hah.
Breastfeed for the first year of his life - Sadly, we only made it to 8 months since he weaned himself.
Once he can eat solids, make ALL of his food from fresh veggies/fruit - Check!
Overall, not too shabby. I didn't expect to accomplish everything since that's pretty much impossible with life. But I am proud to say that I achieved most of my important fitness goals and that I grew a lot this year in my first year of being a mom.
However, for 2013 I'm ditching the planning and the checklists. I'm keeping it simple and won't be making any concrete resolutions. We'll be having another baby, moving with a strong possibility of the move happening overseas, I'll be starting my journey of yoga teacher training, and eventually I hope to go back to school to finish my ultimate dream of being a Physical Therapist. I'd rather just concentrate on getting through these big ticket items with my family than nitpick at goals.
As much as I love making resolutions, this year all I want to do is spend less time on the internet and more time with my family, and spend less time worrying about unnecessary crap and more time smiling. 2013 will be another fun year and I'm more excited about the memories in store for us than worrying about a million resolutions to upkeep. That's it.
And because I can't ring in the new year without saying goodbye to the old, here are a few memorable moments from 2012:
So that about sums it up for 2012. It was definitely a busy year for us and after looking back on this blog, I realized we ended up doing a lot of traveling. No complaints here about that!
As always, I thank each and every one of you for sticking with me throughout the year. I'm so proud to be a part of this supportive community and I wish everyone else an amazing 2013.
Cheers to a new and wonderful year!
Love
Continue telling my husband one thing I love about him every day - Check! When he was home, that is.
Go on a date night once a month - Again, he was gone for most of the year. But we did go out a lot after he got back!
Get to church together more often - Fail. I can't remember the last time we went.
Be a little more understanding of how stressful his job can be at times - Still working on this one.
Cooking
Try one recipe a month that scares me - Fail. I was actually uninspired to cook this year and repeated a lot of meals throughout the months.
Be more consistent with Meatless Mondays - Fail. I didn't meal plan very well.
Get over my fear of leftovers - Fail. I'm still picky about leftovers and think I will always be.
Fitness
Wake up early to work out - Fail. I just need to come to terms with the fact that I am not a morning person. Ugh.
Yoga once a week - CHECK! Except I fell even more in love with yoga this year and ended up doing it every day on my own if i didn't make it to a studio.
Continue exercising 4-5 days a week - Most weeks I make it, other weeks, life happens and I end up going 3-4 times instead.
Work on my military style push ups & pull ups - CHECK!
Hold an unassisted handstand for as long as possible - CHECK!
Increase my overall strength - BIG CHECK! And so proud of myself. My deadlifts, snatches, kettlebell swings, squats....all have improved greatly!
Beauty
Get more haircuts - I actually took care of my hair this year. Yay me. So check!
Actually get a pedicure for once - I got ONE pedicure this year. I guess I am just not the type to pamper myself. Ridiculous.
Continue my natural skin care regime, start applying to hair/body - Sometimes?
Life/Other
Continue playing my piano 3x a week - YUP! And now I play with Caleb :)
Get certified in 2 new certifications - Finances and timing precluded this from happening, fortunately, I will be getting certified to teach yoga in 2013 :D
Organize all of my files - Nope.
Finish painting the living room, hallway and kitchen - Finished the living room and hallway, still working on the kitchen. So...fail and check?
Caleb
Have faith in my own maternal instincts - For the most part, check!
Learn to say no to having all of the latest, coolest baby products out there - Check! I did a very good job of not shopping for things unless we really needed them.
Try not to stress too much and learn to appreciate the moments - I definitely did a lot of growing this year and realized that I'm a pretty relaxed mom. So a big fat check to that!
Arrange all of his photos and memories into a photobook - Fail! But I did arrange everything onto our Apple Time Capsule. Does that count?
Enroll him into Baby Sign Language Class on Post - CHECK! But it didn't stick, hah.
Breastfeed for the first year of his life - Sadly, we only made it to 8 months since he weaned himself.
Once he can eat solids, make ALL of his food from fresh veggies/fruit - Check!
Overall, not too shabby. I didn't expect to accomplish everything since that's pretty much impossible with life. But I am proud to say that I achieved most of my important fitness goals and that I grew a lot this year in my first year of being a mom.
However, for 2013 I'm ditching the planning and the checklists. I'm keeping it simple and won't be making any concrete resolutions. We'll be having another baby, moving with a strong possibility of the move happening overseas, I'll be starting my journey of yoga teacher training, and eventually I hope to go back to school to finish my ultimate dream of being a Physical Therapist. I'd rather just concentrate on getting through these big ticket items with my family than nitpick at goals.
As much as I love making resolutions, this year all I want to do is spend less time on the internet and more time with my family, and spend less time worrying about unnecessary crap and more time smiling. 2013 will be another fun year and I'm more excited about the memories in store for us than worrying about a million resolutions to upkeep. That's it.
And because I can't ring in the new year without saying goodbye to the old, here are a few memorable moments from 2012:
- In January, I said goodbye to my hunk again. And I had a guest poster for the first time.
- In February, I met one of my favorite bloggers. And she's become one of my best blog friends! I also revealed my love story.
- In March, I witnessed my husband and 80 other deserving soldiers receiving one of the most coveted awards in the Army. We also traveled to DC, Savannah, and Tampa.
- In April, I ran the dirty girl run with a bunch of awesome Fitfluential ambassadors.
- In May, Caleb turned 6 months, I went to New York for the first time. Fell back in love with Boston, and did CrossFit at the Reebok One headquarters.
- In June, I bonded with a new friend at a family retreat with the Army, and talked about being at the "halfway point".
- In July, I turned 26.
- In August, I was beyond happy to report that my husband safely returned from war.
- In September, we went on another marriage retreat, I revealed all of my favorite healthy living spots here at Bragg, and I talked about intermittent fasting.
- In October, I reflected on 31 days of yoga, protested the West Boro Baptist church, and we fell in love with Seattle.
- In November, we went to Korea, Caleb turned one, I announced our second pregnancy.
- In December, we celebrated four years of marriage, and spent a very merry Christmas back home.
So that about sums it up for 2012. It was definitely a busy year for us and after looking back on this blog, I realized we ended up doing a lot of traveling. No complaints here about that!
As always, I thank each and every one of you for sticking with me throughout the year. I'm so proud to be a part of this supportive community and I wish everyone else an amazing 2013.
Cheers to a new and wonderful year!
Friday, December 28, 2012
Chik A FIl Copycat Spicy Chicken Sandwich
I'm skipping today's Week in Workouts post because to be honest, with all of the fun holiday happenings, working out was the last thing on my mind. I got a few runs in, and one run where I even tried to wear headphones, but I was reminded of why running with headphones sucks so I'd rather not talk about that.
Instead, you get a recipe. Holla! And not exactly a healthy one but hey, life is short, live a little! Newflash, one unhealthy meal and a few skipped workouts aren't going to magically turn you into a huge porker. Trust me on this.
Anyway, what is this unhealthy meal I speak of? Well, we live within a short 5 minute drive from Chik Fil A, Panera, and Chipotle, which can be a blessing and curse at the same time. I love being able to hop in the car and pick up a meal when the craving strikes, but my wallet isn't too happy about that and I'm pretty sure if I continue the habit, my ass won't be either. Since I already recreated a Chipotle bowl, and my favorite tuna sandwich from Panera, the spicy chicken sandwich and Chik Fil A sauce from Chik Fil A was the last order of business.
And let me tell you, this sandwich will NEVER be the last order of business in this house. It was my first time ever frying chicken and I am proud to say that both the sandwich and the sauce came out absolutely amazing, had my boys raving for more, and completely satisfied my cravings. Plus, now that I've got this sandwich down pat, if we happen to move somewhere far, far away from Chick Fil A, I won't be too devastated.
As I mentioned earlier, it was my first time ever frying chicken so I wanted to make sure I did this correctly. I combined recipes from Serious Eats, Table for Two, and this blog and I honestly believe I came up with the perfect adaptation of the three. And because I found it somewhat of a pain switching back and forth between each recipe, I decided to make things easier for you and provide a step by step breakdown - Pioneer Woman Style. Your welcome ;)
So here's what you need for the breading:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar (YES)
3 tsp paprika
2 tbs black pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper ( I like my eyes to water so you can add less if you don't)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Here's everything else you need for the chicken:
2 large chicken breasts or 6 small tenders, beaten till tender
1/2 cup pickle juice mixed with 1/2 cup water
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Peanut Oil for frying
Dill pickle slices for the sandwich
And here's what you need for the delicious Chick Fil A sauce:
1/2 cup mayo
3 tsp yellow mustard
3 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon honey mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of bbq sauce
So now that you have all your ingredients together, the first thing you want to do is mix 1/2 cup pickle juice and 1/2 cup of water. Then, let your chicken brine in the solution for 30 minutes while you assemble the rest of your ingredients and make the faux Chik Fil A sauce.
Next, mix the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, powdered sugar and baking soda together.
Then, make your coating mixture by mixing the cup of milk, two eggs and a splash of pickle juice.
While the chicken is still brining, you can also make the Chick Fil A sauce. Mix the mustard, dijon honey mustard, honey, paprika, bbq sauce, garlic powder, lemon juice, and mayo together and stir until evenly mixed. Set aside.
After you have everything set up, you can then move on to the buns. Lightly butter the tops and insides of the buns, and then toast on your lowest setting. Once the buns have toasted, add even MORE butter to the top and insides.
If we're trying to get that authentic greasy sandwich taste here, the more butter the better ;)
Once you've finished toasting and buttering your buns, (does this not crack anyone else up?!) heat a large frying pan filled with 3 cups of peanut oil. Try to get your oil temperature to around 350 degrees.
Add a little bit of the milk and egg mix to the flour and mix everything up till the flour mixture gets crumbly. I promise this makes the breading on the chicken even more crispy, thick and out of this world delicious.
It's also how the professionals do it so of course, it's how you should do it too ;)
Fry the tender on each side for 4 minutes or until golden brown. If you're worried about the inside of the tender not being cooked enough, you can warm the tenders in the oven for a few minutes while you get the table set up or clean up your oily mess ;)
There you have it! A perfectly crispy and perfectly spicy chicken filet sandwiched between a rich buttered bun and two sweet and sour pickles, just like the real thing but almost better because it was made with love and without MSG.
As for the Chik Fil A sauce, the hunk suggested I make a whole jar of it and keep it in the fridge so we can put it on "everything". The sauce was that ridiculously good and I dare say that it even rivals the real thing.
Hey, don't shoot the messenger. Just try it and tell me what you think. I hope you all love it as much as we did, because you'll definitely be seeing a lot more of these babies on this blog. I want it in my face FOREVER AND EVER AND EVERRRR...
And finally, for my local peeps: If you want to start your new years off right, Hot Asana Yoga Studio & Boutique is hosting a Hot Gratitude Yoga Glow Flow this Saturday! There will be glowing balloons, black lights, and killer music! Sounds like TONS of fun, right? I'll be there and hope to see some of you there as well!
Have a happy, healthy (not if you make this sandwich) weekend!
Instead, you get a recipe. Holla! And not exactly a healthy one but hey, life is short, live a little! Newflash, one unhealthy meal and a few skipped workouts aren't going to magically turn you into a huge porker. Trust me on this.
Anyway, what is this unhealthy meal I speak of? Well, we live within a short 5 minute drive from Chik Fil A, Panera, and Chipotle, which can be a blessing and curse at the same time. I love being able to hop in the car and pick up a meal when the craving strikes, but my wallet isn't too happy about that and I'm pretty sure if I continue the habit, my ass won't be either. Since I already recreated a Chipotle bowl, and my favorite tuna sandwich from Panera, the spicy chicken sandwich and Chik Fil A sauce from Chik Fil A was the last order of business.
And let me tell you, this sandwich will NEVER be the last order of business in this house. It was my first time ever frying chicken and I am proud to say that both the sandwich and the sauce came out absolutely amazing, had my boys raving for more, and completely satisfied my cravings. Plus, now that I've got this sandwich down pat, if we happen to move somewhere far, far away from Chick Fil A, I won't be too devastated.
As I mentioned earlier, it was my first time ever frying chicken so I wanted to make sure I did this correctly. I combined recipes from Serious Eats, Table for Two, and this blog and I honestly believe I came up with the perfect adaptation of the three. And because I found it somewhat of a pain switching back and forth between each recipe, I decided to make things easier for you and provide a step by step breakdown - Pioneer Woman Style. Your welcome ;)
So here's what you need for the breading:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar (YES)
3 tsp paprika
2 tbs black pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper ( I like my eyes to water so you can add less if you don't)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Here's everything else you need for the chicken:
2 large chicken breasts or 6 small tenders, beaten till tender
1/2 cup pickle juice mixed with 1/2 cup water
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Peanut Oil for frying
Dill pickle slices for the sandwich
And here's what you need for the delicious Chick Fil A sauce:
1/2 cup mayo
3 tsp yellow mustard
3 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon honey mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of bbq sauce
So now that you have all your ingredients together, the first thing you want to do is mix 1/2 cup pickle juice and 1/2 cup of water. Then, let your chicken brine in the solution for 30 minutes while you assemble the rest of your ingredients and make the faux Chik Fil A sauce.
Next, mix the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, powdered sugar and baking soda together.
Then, make your coating mixture by mixing the cup of milk, two eggs and a splash of pickle juice.
While the chicken is still brining, you can also make the Chick Fil A sauce. Mix the mustard, dijon honey mustard, honey, paprika, bbq sauce, garlic powder, lemon juice, and mayo together and stir until evenly mixed. Set aside.
After you have everything set up, you can then move on to the buns. Lightly butter the tops and insides of the buns, and then toast on your lowest setting. Once the buns have toasted, add even MORE butter to the top and insides.
If we're trying to get that authentic greasy sandwich taste here, the more butter the better ;)
Once you've finished toasting and buttering your buns, (does this not crack anyone else up?!) heat a large frying pan filled with 3 cups of peanut oil. Try to get your oil temperature to around 350 degrees.
Add a little bit of the milk and egg mix to the flour and mix everything up till the flour mixture gets crumbly. I promise this makes the breading on the chicken even more crispy, thick and out of this world delicious.
It's also how the professionals do it so of course, it's how you should do it too ;)
Finally, it's time to FRY! Hallelujah!
Working in an assembly line, remove one tender from the pickle juice brine mix, then dunk into the egg mixture before coating the tender with the crumbly breading.
And here's where we get ridiculous. To get even more of a thick and extra crispy skin (don't lie, you know you love it that way), go back and do it all over again. It really doesn't take that long to do and the results are totally worth the extra work.
And in this case it's perfectly okay to double dip so have at it - no slapped hands here! Dip the tender back in the egg, then back into the flour and finally, carefully place the tender in the oil.
Working in an assembly line, remove one tender from the pickle juice brine mix, then dunk into the egg mixture before coating the tender with the crumbly breading.
And here's where we get ridiculous. To get even more of a thick and extra crispy skin (don't lie, you know you love it that way), go back and do it all over again. It really doesn't take that long to do and the results are totally worth the extra work.
And in this case it's perfectly okay to double dip so have at it - no slapped hands here! Dip the tender back in the egg, then back into the flour and finally, carefully place the tender in the oil.
Fry the tender on each side for 4 minutes or until golden brown. If you're worried about the inside of the tender not being cooked enough, you can warm the tenders in the oven for a few minutes while you get the table set up or clean up your oily mess ;)
There you have it! A perfectly crispy and perfectly spicy chicken filet sandwiched between a rich buttered bun and two sweet and sour pickles, just like the real thing but almost better because it was made with love and without MSG.
And because of the pickle juice and water brine, the chicken retains
it's moisture and stays incredibly juicy, even with the deep frying.
As for the Chik Fil A sauce, the hunk suggested I make a whole jar of it and keep it in the fridge so we can put it on "everything". The sauce was that ridiculously good and I dare say that it even rivals the real thing.
Hey, don't shoot the messenger. Just try it and tell me what you think. I hope you all love it as much as we did, because you'll definitely be seeing a lot more of these babies on this blog. I want it in my face FOREVER AND EVER AND EVERRRR...
******
And finally, for my local peeps: If you want to start your new years off right, Hot Asana Yoga Studio & Boutique is hosting a Hot Gratitude Yoga Glow Flow this Saturday! There will be glowing balloons, black lights, and killer music! Sounds like TONS of fun, right? I'll be there and hope to see some of you there as well!
Have a happy, healthy (not if you make this sandwich) weekend!
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