Big Fat Catch Up Post!!

Whew! I really need to catch up. A big weekend and 2-3 days of NO blogging! You all must be missing me terribly!!! LOL!! Truly, how are you surviving? Okay, where to begin?

Let's just go in order so you don't miss anything. Saturday my energy was up when I wrote my post and then as the heat kicked in it dwindled down. But I did have a really great glute and ham workout. I was really strong that day and kept adding weight to everything. AWESOME!! Then I did my post-workout cardio and it was a done deal. Then I went home, ate again and then I was really beat! So it was naptime for me...aaahhhhhh...love my naps!! And then it was cleaning my house! Done and done!! Woohoo! So then I got to relax Saturday night.

Sunday I was up bright and early and to the gym at 6am for 45 minutes cardio, a fine mixture of incline treadmill, stepmill, and more incline treadmill. And hitting level 16 for about 5 minutes on the stepmill!! Woot woot!! Then it was home for more food and then off to the Beverly Hills Farmer's Market to pick up my FIRST CSA box from South Central Farmers Market and whatever else looked good. While they made finding the stand very hard since they had no banner up, I was happy with the box I got. Here's what was in the box. 3 kinds of kale - regular kale, dinosaur kale, red kale, 2 ears of corn, 1 cantaloupe, 1 small bunch of basil, 4 tomatoes, 3 yellow squash, 3 zucchini, 4 ronde de nice, and 3 patty pan squash. All this produce for the small price of....wait for it....yes! $15!!! What a bargain. And fresh and organic!! Woohoo! It is donation based and you can choose between $15, $20, $30 and $40.  

cantaloupe, red kale, kale, dinosaur kale, corn, cantaloupe, basil

tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, patty pan squash, ronde de nice, cucumbers (not pictured)

So what is with this CSA, you ask? Well, let me tell you. CSA stands for Consumer Supported Agriculture. Description from their site: Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a new idea in farming, one that has been gaining momentum since its introduction to the United States from Europe in the mid-1980s. The CSA concept originated in the 1960s in Switzerland and Japan, where consumers interested in safe food and farmers seeking stable markets for their crops joined together in economic partnerships. Today, CSA farms in the U.S., known as CSAs, currently number more than 400. Most are located near urban centers in New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Great Lakes region, with growing numbers in other areas, including the West Coast.


I like the idea a lot. Please feel free to check out their site. You can plug in your zip code and find one near you. They have several different drop off locations and they may take a while to respond if you send an email but they will eventually give the info and help you out if you have questions. I'm impressed with the produce so far. I've eaten a tomato, zucchini and cucumber. Tonight I plan to make some stuffed squash with the ronde de nice. I think it will be VERY cute!! Because after all, cute food is where it's at!!!


Moving right along...let's see...made some food:
3 zucchini loaves
Shrimp - mix pressed garlic cloves, paprika, cayenne, sea salt together and stir shrimp in. Put on broiler pan and spray with olive oil spray. Broil 2 minutes then turn over and broil 1-2 minutes more. Yummy!

Mushroom and veggie saute
Crunch A Munch salad

Okay, now Monday, let's see. Woke up tired, tired, tired...guess that's what happens when you're still making Crunch A Munch at 10:15 at night!!! Ugh! At any rate, got up and got to the gym for my 35 minutes of cardio - 10 minutes incline treadmill, 15  minutes stepmill, 10 minutes incline treadmill, stretch and NO rolling. Went to work, home for lunch and nap, back to work, and then back to the gym for heavy shoulders and 35 more minutes of cardio - mostly incline treadmill...just didn't have it in me for the stepmill. The treadmill gave me that meditation time I needed too to sort out my night so I would find myself in bed by 9:30!! I was beat and knew I needed sleep. All my workouts suffered. It was a hard day for me workout wise! Yep! LESSON LEARNED: Get to sleep early on Sunday nights. I know this will definitely NOT be the last time I learn this lesson!!

Got home from the gym and ate my dinner lickety split! Then I made THESE fantastic microwave zucchini chips!!!!! WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!!" Name that movie...Elf!!

Simple Microwave Zucchini Chips

These smell like potato chips while they're cooking and taste ridiculously good! Much better than when I make them in the oven!!

1 zucchini, sliced very thinly on a mandolin

sea salt

olive oil spray

Place sliced zucchini slices on parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, like I didn't, feel free to use a brown paper bag, cut to fit on microwave turntable. Microwave for 4-6 minutes. This will basically dehydrate the zucchini. Then I put them on a new drier piece of brown paper, lightly salted and sprayed with olive oil. Then I continued to microwave for about 4-6 more minutes. Remove paper from microwave and slowly peel chips from bag  and VOILA!! Chips!  I think it took a total of 30 seconds to eat these!

Here are a couple of photos from last week's menu:

Zucchini Pancakes made with quinoa flour, fish to stuff in pancakes, and dipping sauce - WOW!

 

HUGE salad - romaine, butterleaf, zucchini, orange pepper, red pepper, mushrooms, baby heirloom tomatoes, celery, jalapeno, and lemon zest!! SUCH a delicious salad!!

There's much more to add but I have to go eat!! I'll finish later...just you wait!!