It’s Friday! I may or may not be singing the Rebecca Black song in my head. Don’t worry, I won’t make it a habit, I’m just excited for the weekend!
I’ve been to the Baltimore Running Festival before, for work. My previous job would have runners raise money and run for us in the race. It always seemed like a fun event as a participant, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t dread waking up before the sun on a Saturday, so I could stand shivering while we waited for our runners to arrive and then finally leave.
Well tomorrow I’m going to be waking up before the sun on a Saturday, except this time by choice! I’ve heard so many good things about this race, so I’m really excited, but also really nervous. This will be, by far, the largest race I’ve run in. Plus I’ve never done a relay race. I know once I get started running I’ll be fine, but I keep having nightmares about the exchange points going horribly wrong.
Anyways positivity is key! So non-scale victory Friday it is!
I had a bad run on Wednesday, which isn’t a victory, but the way I handled it is. I managed to make myself stop stressing about the bad run, and stay positive so that I’ll have the right outlook going into the relay tomorrow!
I signed a lease on a new place that I’ll be moving into in December! I’m super excited. It’s much closer to work (five minutes as opposed to the hour I’m doing now) and it’s cheaper!!!
I started my Whole30 on Monday and aside from some headaches on Tuesday and Thursday it’s been going really well! I only have 25 more days to go!
Don’t forget to share your non scale victories below and have a great weekend! To anyone running in the Baltimore Running Festival, or any race for that matter, this weekend GOOD LUCK!!
My eating has gotten lazy recently. Granted it could be a lot worse, at least I’m still practicing moderation. Still, my sweet tooth has managed to win more often than not recently and I’ve been eating out a lot more than is normal for me.
This past weekend, for instance, I had fried chicken and a milkshake in one meal. It was delicious, and I don’t regret it. I can’t remember the last time I had fried chicken, and this was definitely the best I’ve ever tasted. Still, definitely not the healthiest of choices.
About a year ago I learned about this diet called Whole30 I was intrigued but thought there was no way I’d have any interest in doing it. I decided to learn about it and everything in entails. It sounds daunting, you spend 30 days eating no added sugar, no alcohol, no grains, no dairy. It makes eating out next to impossible, and means you’re reading so many labels. In practice, however, it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds. You eat, a protein at every meal, vegetables (SO many vegetables), and then a fat. Three meals a day with no snacking, and as long as you’re choose good recipes, of which there are many, you’ll find you’re eating tastier food than you did before, and definitely a lot more of it.
I’m not, by nature, a label reader. I try to be healthy, but I’m not a health nut. I don’t try to convince people to follow my version of healthy. I’m not one to participate in fad diets, and believe that when it really comes down to it, moderation is key. I still believe that.
However, as I was running more and more I became more concerned with what I was putting into my body. Whole30 isn’t something you do permanently and its focus isn’t on weight loss (You’re not allowed to weigh yourself, or count calories while you’re doing it), but it does force you to take a serious look at what you’re eating and focus on adding more whole foods into your diet.
It’s definitely restricting while you’re doing it but, overall, I loved it. My headaches went away, and I definitely wasn’t as tired. Well it’s been almost six months since the end of my first Whole30 and I started my second yesterday! So far so good, but then again it’s only the second day haha. I’m hoping to reset my eating habits just in time for the holidays that are just around the corner!
I have a confession to make. Until two years ago I had never eaten a brussels sprout. My parents hated them and so they were never on the menu in our house. That situation was fine with me. Growing up my friends reminded me how lucky I was that my parents didn’t make me eat brussels sprouts, so I counted my blessings and never even gave the vegetable a chance.
That, is a tragedy! The fact that I dismissed an entire vegetable as something I won’t like because popular culture, and my parents said I won’t means I’ve missed out on deliciousness for years. Granted if I had eaten them earlier I would have probably been subjected to steamed or boiled brussels sprouts, which I hear makes them bitter and gross and the reason they get such a bad rap. I have never eaten them that way, and quite frankly unless someone convinces me otherwise I never will.
My introduction to brussels sprouts came when I visited Miami for a work conference and a coworker took me to a favorite restaurant of his insisting we try the brussels sprouts. I was hesitant, but the brussels sprouts were cooked with bacon, and who doesn’t like bacon? I’ll try anything once, and I was curious to finally find out why they got their negative reputation. Well I never found out because those sprouts were delicious!
Despite becoming a brussels sprout convert I still didn’t even attempt to start cooking them until a few months ago. After careful research I decided roasting or pan frying was the way to go. I tend to prefer pan frying, largely due to how much easier and quicker I think it is.
Recently, I’ve started throwing some bacon in with the sprouts for some added flavor, however, I’ve cooked them without it, gone heavy on the garlic and loved them just as much. I love both ways equally as well.
This recipe yields a lot, so if you want less just halve it. I love cooking large portions of food as it makes it easier for me to eat healthy throughout the week. This is my first recipe I’ve ever written so bare with me and definitely let me know if something doesn’t make sense.
First prep your brussels sprouts by rinsing them, removing the outer leaves, cutting off that icky stem, and quartering them. DON’T THROW AWAY THOSE LEAVES save them and keep them in the refrigerator for brussels sprout chips, your stomach will thank you later!
Washed and all ready to go!Peeled and quartered.Outer leaves. SAVE THESE!
Chop up your bacon and throw it into a pan over medium to medium high heat to begin cooking (confession, I usually can’t help myself and throw in an extra strip or two of bacon)
Mmmm…Bacon!
Once your bacon has browned throw in your brussels sprouts, MIX IT ALL UP and watch the magic happen. If you are so inclined throw in some minced garlic right before you do this. Stir occasionally, BUT NOT TOO MUCH, you want the sprouts to brown, and the only way to do that is to be patient and let them sit.
All mixed up and ready to cook!
Once they’re done scoop up and ENJOY! (I usually under cook mine a little so I can throw my leftovers in the microwave throughout the week and not end up with a soggy mess, as a result mine are never as brown as they should be.)
Yum! Let them brown even more than this if you’re eating them right away.
Not Your Mother’s Brussels Sprouts
4 1/2 cups brussels sprouts cleaned and quartered
4-5 strips of bacon chopped (look for bacon with the least amount of additives, and if you can, no sugar)
2 garlic clove finely chopped (optional, I like it fine without it if I’m using bacon)
Cook bacon over medium high heat stirring often. Once browned put in the garlic and allow to cook for about 30 seconds (careful the garlic doesn’t burn!).
Throw in the brussels sprouts and mix together. Let sprouts sit so they can brown and stir occasionally to prevent burning. Sprouts will be done in about 10-15 minutes or until softer but still firm.
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