fitness friday!

what i've been doing / /

water. the whole drinking 1 gallon a day thing? going really well. on work days, that is. i will chug water all. day. long. and pee about 8 times a day! (that's at least once every hour while i'm at work. awkward! haha). but when i'm at home, i don't drink nearly as much! you see, the water in herriman is GROSS. you should hear me curse at my dishwasher every time i unload the supposedly "clean" dishes. it's so awful! it tastes really bad too, plus tap water isn't my favorite. i like water to be ice cold. so we've started buying those giant water dispensers for the fridge that cost like $2 for 2.5 gallons, and that's been okay. but it's still a lot harder at home. i'm workin' on it. by today, i'm starting to think that maybe 1 gallon is a little too much, so i'm not going to worry too much about getting to a gallon, but i will make sure i'm getting half my body weight in ounces for sure.

push-ups. devin and i resolved to do push-ups together every night. with his job and all his climbing, he is getting some major back muscles (it's pretty attractive, in case you were wondering.) but now he's got to even out his chest so his back isn't overcompensating and causing him to slouch and bring his shoulders forward. and i mostly just want Gabby Douglas arms (seriously. google her. she's a babe. and an olympian and all.). we've been doing 2 sets of 15 each night and it's ROUGH. I'm glad we started with 15. Our first plan was 25! Psh! We're both sore all day every day from it, but it's nice to do it together. We plan on going up 5 push-ups per set each week so next monday we'll start doing 20! I have already felt like i'm getting better at them. It's also easier to just get in my push ups while I'm at the gym and I'm already working out.

working out. well, obviously! on saturday, i met Danica at the gym and let her be my trainer for the morning. we did cardio/back/butt/abs and I about died. It was really hard and I maybe cursed her name a few times in my head because she is pure MADNESS in the gym, but it was so great. I felt sore and in pain in the best way and I can still feel it in my behind! She taught me a lot of really awesome moves that I use a lot now. i took sunday off. because i deserve at least one day off, right? we still did our push ups, and I ended up doing a mini ab circuit while i was at it. monday, devin and i went to the gym together and that was a lot of fun. i am surprised by how much i liked working out with him! i say that because when you're working out, you're gross and sweaty and making weird faces and weird grunting sounds and you're hurting.. it's a pretty ugly state.. but we had a good time anyway! on tuesday, i came home from work sick and skipped out on the gym. i probably would have passed out or worse if i had gone, so i just accepted it. i took work off on wednesday as well, still feeling awful, but by the evening, i was able to make it to the gym for my "orientation" which was really just a free session with a personal trainer. i learned a lot and it really helped me to see exactly where i'm at with my overall health and knowledge of health, where my goals are, and how to attain them, but it was also very vague and he wouldn't answer a lot of my questions. he put me through a GRUELING work out that i hated so much and LOVED at the same time, and then tried to sell me on getting a personal trainer 2-3 times a week for $50 a day! uh... no thanks, but nice trap there... by thursday morning, i was almost positive my legs were going to fall off. the only way i even knew they were still attached is because i could feel the pain when i did so much as bend to sit down! (TRX band squats... my new worst enemy / best friend). he also worked my biceps and triceps harder than i'd ever worked them and stapling anything at work was an embarrassing task... so thursday night at the gym, i avoided all those areas and focused on core/butt/back again... for the 3rd time this week! i still did cardio and today i'm definitely more sore than i was yesterday, but so be it! today i'll go to the gym and i think i'll just stick with cardio and abs to stay safe and hopefully try some trx bands again tomorrow.

what i've learned / /

being sore. being sore sucks and feels awesome at the same time. i feel like if i'm not sore, then i'm not doing much. i've also learned that you'll reach a point in your workout where your soreness is null and doesn't matter anymore and you can hardly feel it anymore, so you just keep going. just keep going. i have come to learn that the feeling that i'm about to die will always pass. it really always does. i get a second wind every time and power through to the end of each workout and feel great afterward and high-five myself for lasting the whole time. it's a major feat in my book!

this new recipe: my new favorite snack. i've always been a big fan of peanut butter and apple slices as a snack, but this takes it to a whole new (and even healthier) level. here's how easy it is:

1 container vanilla greek yogurt (i used chobani and i think it was 6oz)

3ish tablespoons peanut butter (i honestly think greek yogurt tastes like sour cream. every flavor. i totally hate it, but when i mixed it with enough peanut butter, it was good. i didn't measure, but i'm guessing it was about 3 tablespoons, or maybe a little more. the recipe i saw called for only 2... so i think it's really up to you.)

1 tablespoon honey 

a tiny bit of cinnamon (again, up to you. i only did a little, because i didn't want it to be too cinnamony. i did a pinch and it was just what i wanted)

mix it all up, makes about 4 servings. i dipped applies in it. i think it would be amazing with strawberries, but i'm sure you could use it for just about anything. crackers, waffles or toast (that would be so yummy!)... use your imagination.

what I want to try / /

did i ever tell you that my mother in law is a personal trainer? she's this tiny, fiesty little woman and she's so fit and so strong! so after my personal trainer teaser session, i realized that i would benefit most from a custom workout. i also realized that i don't have hundreds of dollars a month to spend on that kind of attention in the gym, but then i remember my mother in law, and my free buddy passes... so i'm hoping i can convince her to come to the gym with me and put together a routine! she'll be the biggest help, i think.

like i said, when i did my free session with the personal trainer, we did some trx band squats and they were so awful. i loved them. i want to learn some more moves with the trx bands because i think i benefited a lot from the squats. i mean, it's 2 days later and i'm still feelin it!

this weekend we have a lot of plans with family. tonight, we're heading down to devin's parents to hang out with the babies who are in town and tomorrow i'll be making macarons all afternoon for easter dinner, then we're heading to ogden to have a big sleepover party with all my siblings in kelli and sean's new house. sunday, we'll head back down to devin's parents for easter dinner so i'm almost positive my weekend will be full of junk food and it will be really hard to get to the gym, but i'm going to do my best. i'm already planning on using 1 day this weekend to cheat and eat easter candy, because... easter! but i want to do my best to stick to the healthy stuff. on monday, my march challenge will be over and i can have soda again! i haven't been craving it at all these past few weeks, so i'm not sure i'll drink too much, which is okay with me! i'm glad i went a whole month without diet coke. that's a pretty big deal for me since i'm an addict!

(uh... these posts are getting too long and too detailed. and probably really boring. i'll write less next week, i promise. haha!)

cooper: 8 months

our sweet little buddy turned 8 months old yesterday! (9 years old in dog years!) i can hardly believe it! he has grown so fast and he is so, so smart! he is turning into a big dog now, and it's so much fun to watch him mature and figure things out. he is very independent, but also such a mama's boy. he is master of the puppy eyes, and the most patient and loving dog you could ever imagine. we haven't weighed him since he was 7 months, but at that time he was just under 40 pounds, so i'm guessing he's anywhere between 40-45 now.

favorite foods:

ice cubes

baby carrots

peanut butter (it was an acquired taste for this guy)

dryer sheets

leaves

potato bugs

chips

whatever is on mom and dad's plates

carpet (remember that time he chewed up our bedroom carpet? that was fun.)

window blinds (we'll be replacing those, too)

newest tricks:

cooper knows words and names! i play a game with him where i sit in the living room and one at a time, ask him to bring me certain toys: ball, bone, kong, rope. he knows the name of each toy and will bring the right one every time! if he can't find one, i will tell him "look in the kitchen" or "in the bedroom" and he will go in whichever room i said to look! this guy's a genius. he knows "mom" and "dad" and he knows that "load up" means we're getting in the car. i think he knows what "dog park" means, and he knows "dinner" and "water". he pays such close attention to us, so i'm not surprised. he's even gotten in the habit of copying whatever we do! it's hilarious!

favorite games:

tug-o-war

fetch

hiding in his "fort" (under the bed. he is under there all the time)

"you can't catch me" (he loves to be chased!)

and he also loves to talk/bark with us.

it's important to him that he is 100% included, 100% of the time

things we're working on:

catching (we throw him a treat and it hits him in the face... haha)

sleeping on his own bed, not ours  (a constant work in progress)

stay/come (we're getting there! he is just anxious)

cooper will always be my first baby. i obviously don't know what it's like to love my own child, but i'm pretty sure i love cooper just the same. he's so gentle and funny and has such a big personality. he's made the biggest difference in our lives, and in the best way! cooper is just fun to be around. he is always entertaining, and the perfect snuggle buddy. he can definitely tell what kind of mood we're in. he is always goofing off when i'm mad and when i don't feel good, he is totally content to snuggle up and fall asleep. sweetest thing ever. i can't wait to get another dog so cooper can be a big brother! i think he would do so well with a little puppy. he'd teach him everything he knows!

giveaway winner!

wahoo! the giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the other Danica for winning! you guys. you should have entered. i'll forgive you this once, but man. it was a lot of fun and you sorta missed out, i'm not gonna lie!!! but, because I still love you, my coupon code, CHEETAH25 is still good for 25% off your order! i think i'll be doing some more giveaways soon, so stay tuned! sorry this post is short and lame and picture-less, and also I haven't really posted in awhile - I have a ton of posts to do! But my computer charger broke (it was sparking so...) I've been computer-less for a little while and am only able to write this little blurb during some down time at work. Hopefully my new charger will be here soon, and then I'll just do all my posts at once. Because you'll love that, I just know it :)

fitness friday

So, have you heard of GBO Fashion? Cutest blog. This girl is so bubbly and so genius and also a total beaut. Funny thing is, my husband actually introduced me to this blog. Once upon a time he went to church with Shannon, and she's since become one of my favorite fashion blogs to follow. BUT. She's also been doing this killer series she calls FITNESS FRIDAYS. She's a weight lifter extraordinare and I love love love her concept for this series, so I thought I'd join.

You see, what happened was yesterday I joined a gym. Like, I'm an official gym member and stuff. First time ever. And the thing is just that I don't ever really do a lot of working out. I do quite a bit of vinyasa yoga at home and even had a brief relationship with Jilian Michaels workouts on youtube, but it didn't take me very long to realize that working out at home just wasn't going to get me anywhere. I lack a lot of motivation when there's a dog shoving tennis balls in my face while I'm doing downward dog and at least 10 new episodes of my favorite shows in my queue. I needed to get outta the house to actually get something done. So I broke down, found a really awesome, really nice, really affordable gym, and now I'm loving it. (says the girl who knows nothing and is only on day 2).

I really want to make this a thing for me. I want to be that girl that goes to the gym regularly and eats healthy foods and makes it a lifestyle, but... I know nothing! So my plan is to learn what I can along the way, and do some documenting while I'm at it. And become that fitness-lifestyle-girl who everybody loves and wants to be (cough coug shannon cough cough). So for my first Fitness Friday post, here's what I've learned so far:

/ / Soda. I haven't had a diet coke in over 20 days (it is my March goal to not have any soda or basically anything but water for the whole month.) annnnddd I don't really miss it usually (I do have my moments) but I also don't feel like I've noticed a change. A little lame. I was really only ever drinking Diet Coke with the occasional Dr. Pepper, but really nothing has changed. I drink just slightly more water than I used to, so I'm sure that once March is over (just so I can say I finished), I'll be back to my beloved DC, but since I haven't even had any real major cravings for it, I'm sure I'll drink it less often. (apparently, the chemical combinations in diet coke literally kill brain cells, so...)

/ / CardioCinema. The single most effective way ever to get cardio in. Ever. I hate cardio. I hate running. I sort of like the elliptical sometimes and I'm decent on the bike, but when it comes down to it, I still hate cardio. BUT, put me in a dark room with an awesome movie and surround sound, and I'm set. I'll spend an hour in there and feel like I can go longer! It's the best idea. I just like having my mind engaged in something else, so I can focus on that instead of the grueling workout. It's the perfect distraction.

/ / W A T E R . Period. Tons of it. I'm drinking about 96 ounces of water a day (that's 3 standard nalgene's worth. thats how i measure, because i drink out of a 32 ounce nalgene every day). I want to up the intake to 128 ounces a day, which is 1 gallon of water (4 nalgene's worth). That's a lot, but I think I can do it! I drink like a horse at work - the hard part is when I'm at home! But it makes such a difference. I keeps me feeling full, it gives me lots of energy, and I have clearer skin because of it!

/ / Making a plan. What I have realized over the past several months is that when I decided to just work out, at home, on a whim, I did it because I felt guilty, and I didn't give it a lot of effort. Yesterday, I spent all day getting psyched about going to the gym. I had already made the decision in my head that I was going, so when the time came, it only broke my heart a little bit to put cooper back in his pen and hit the gym. I only spent about an hour there doing cardio, but it was time well spent, and time that I had set aside, prior to going, to be at the gym. It was easier. And when I checked in and the employee looked at me and smiled and said, very sincerely, "have a great workout!", I was even more excited. It made me that much more willing to go today, which I wasn't even originally planning on.

G O A L S :

/ / make it to the gym 3-5 times a week. Do a different work out each time (legs, arms/shoulders/back, core - thanks for the idea, Danica!) and try to do cardio on the other days, and yoga at home or other online workouts on days off.

/ / drink 1 gallon of water every day.

/ / make a meal plan and follow it! abs are made in the kitchen - isn't that whay they say? i've been making a very concious effort this month, along with my no-soda goal, and have successfully avoided fast food, most candies and desserts (most... haha) and have made a real effort to eat healthier and it's working! devin and i also take regular "plastic fasts", which is where we don't swipe our cards unless it's for groceries or gas, for however long we set the plastic fast for. that helps a lot, becuase i know i can't spend money to go out to eat (and also keeps my shopping habits under control). i even went to a new restaurant this month and instead of getting some big burger or sandwich, i got salmon. and i was very proud of myself.

anyway. there we go. i'm excited to learn more about what it is that i'm trying to obtain and share what i learn here! if you have tips, good clean eating recipes, killer workout playlists, or anything else (like a gym membership so we can be workout buddies), let me know!

giveaway!

 

My sweet friend Danica is hosting a giveaway for my shop today! I've said this at least twice before, but if you aren't already following her, do it now. Go. Do it. Follow. Now. Do it now. She's hilarious and genius and fashionable all rolled into one.

Anyway... the giveaway. She's got all the details over on her blog, but the main point is... you could win a free subway art of your choice from twentysix eleven! How cool is that?! Please go visit her blog (stay awhile) and enter! Rumor has it there's a coupon code over there, too ;)

french macarons

What I don't understand is how I can make a dang good french macaron (which is considered one of the hardest cookies to make) on the first try, but chocolate chip cookies defeat me on a regular basis?! What kind of rubbish is that?!

I've always been attracted to french macarons. They are small and colorful and very pretty, but I had never tried one until a few months ago. They are pretty hard to come by around here, but I never once thought about making them myself. It sounded like a death wish!

After enough curiosity and probably too much research, I found myself thinking that I could probably do it. So I set out yesterday afternoon to accomplish my goal. I made a trip to the grocery store (the first time i've ever bought almond meal - it's crazy expensive!) and set aside plenty of time to allow myself to try these cookies. I was pretty surprised when they came out of the oven - they actually turned out! They were absolutely hideous, but they had feet! And they were the perfect texture and taste! I could hardly believe it! The only mistake I had made was that I piped the batter wrong.

So today, I was determined to try again, and this time make a truly perfect macaron. I'm pretty proud to say that I think I accomplished it! Okay, so maybe they aren't perfect, but they're pretty dang close! Especially for a first try! I was so amazed! I can't believe I did it! I've been on such a high since I pulled them out of the oven and they were unmistakably the adorable little french macarons of my dreams. So the way I see it is that if I can do it? Psh, pretty much anybody could.

I followed this recipe from PopSugar, and have written it below for you! This recipe was perfect for me. It was very descriptive and very easy to follow. I only wish they had included pictures! So today, when I made my second batch of macarons, I convinced my husband to photograph the process. Here we go!

A few things before we get started:

The key to these cookies, as I have discovered is to be very careful and precise. Be really patient, don't over-mix anything, and read the recipe all the way through before you begin so you understand the process. If you have any questions about anything, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them. Also keep in mind that these are basic, vanilla french macarons. The possibilities for flavor and color combinations are virtually endless! I think next I'll try raspberry. To keep up with current trends, I dyed these macarons a perfect shade of mint green, of course! 

trace circles on your parchment paper so you pipe them all the same size (make sure to trace the circles on the bottom of the paper, though, so the ink doesn't get on your cookies)


powdered sugar and almond meal


sift them together. twice.


sifted


leave your eggs out for awhile. overnight up to three days will be fine. they just need to be room temperature.


we only need the whites, but save 2 yolks for the filling.


beat it. michael jackson style.


until they are frothy and bubbly


then gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time


like this


beat it


add vanilla (and food coloring) here.


beat some more. until you get those stiff peaks when you lift the beaters


add half the almond meal / powdered sugar mixture, and fold it in very gently. VERY gently.


until well incorporated. and then add the second half.


it'll look something like this. and will be the consistency of molten lava, you know, since we all know exactly what consistency molten lava is and all.


use a simple tip like this one.


fill your piping bag like so


pipe 'em


they'll look like this. (i probably should have used my finger to smooth out those little dollops)


rap the baking sheet on the counter a few times. this will pop the bubbles and flatten out the cookies a little bit, and also help with the feet.

put them in the oven. make sure your racks are as low as they can go.


pull them out before they start to brown! (look! they have feet! like real macarons!)


omg omg omg i did it omg omg omg

// so for the filling...\\


remember those 2 egg yolks you saved? you'll need them now.


but first, cut up almost an entire stick of butter and smoosh it for awhile.


back to the eggs: add the sugar and whisk it.


whip it. whip it real good.


add the milk once it's turned almost white and you can't see the sugar anymore.


mix it all together.


now put it on the stove


by the way - the butter should eventually look something like this.


okay once that's off the stove and nice and custard-y, whisk it until it's back to room temperature


then start adding the butter, in 3 batches.


add vanilla and food coloring

// once the macarons have cooled and you're ready to fill...\\


pipe a blob of filling into the center of one macaron


and gently sandwich it with another cookie. be careful! they're fragile.


see? they're perf. do yourself a favor and take a bite. it's like, sugary, sweet, melt in your mouth goodness. they are amazing and your life will never be the same. and you can impress pretty much anybody.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup almond meal

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 large eggs white at room temperature

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 280 degrees and position 2 racks in the lower section of the oven. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. If you have time, draw 1-inch circles on the back of each sheet, spacing the circles at least 1/2 inch apart.

2. If your almond meal is very coarse, grind it with the powdered sugar in a food processor until fine. Sift the almond meal and powdered sugar together twice.

3. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) and begin to beat on medium-high. When the eggs are frothy (doesn't take long), gradually add granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. Continue to beat the egg white mixture until glossy and stiff peaks form when you lift the beaters. Gently stir in the vanilla extract, and any food coloring. Be careful to not over-beat the meringue (it will get clumpy).

4. Add half of the sifted almond mixture and gently fold it into the meringue using a flexible silicone spatula. Lift from the bottom, up around the sides, and toward the middle, being careful to not over-agitate the meringue and lose too much air. Once the almond mixture is predominantly incorporated, add the second half and repeat the folding motion.

5. Pour batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 0.4-inch tip. On your prepared baking sheets, pipe out 1-inch rounds in the circles you drew (remember to draw the circles on the back side of your parchment to avoid ink or pencil stains on your macarons!). Don't pipe the batter like a cupcake in a swirling motion (this is what I did on my first try yesterday, and they turned out just fine, but they were ugly!) Make sure to just hold the tip in one place and let the batter spread into a circle.

6. Holding the baking sheet in both hands, ramp each baking sheet firmly on the counter two or three times. This smooths out the tops and helps form the "pied" or frilly foot on the bottoms of the macarons. Allow the piped macarons to dry, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes. The macarons should form a very thin, smooth crust where, if you tap it lightly with your finger, the batter will not stick to your finger. This may take longer depending on humidity.

7. Place both baking sheets in the oven and bake for 14-16 minutes. After the first 2 minutes, open the over to allow any excess humidity to escape. Halfway through, swap over racks and rotate the sheets for even baking. The macarons are done when the are baked all the way through and the shells are just hard. Take care to not underbake (insides will be mushy) or overbake (tops will be brown). Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.

8. When they are completely cooled, assemble macarons with your choice of filling. The assembled macarons can be stored in an airtight contained in the fridge for up to one week.

Basic Macaron Buttercream Filling

Ingredients:

7 tablespoons unsalted buttered, softened

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Cut butter into pieces and mash with a spatula until the consistency resembles mayonnaise.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the granulated sugar and whisk until the mixture lightens to an off-white and you can no longer see the granules of sugar. Add the milk, and whisk to combine.

3. Pour the egg mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low heat, whisking frequently to ensure that the mixture does not curdle or scorch. Cook until the mixture becomes thick and custardy, like pudding.

4. Pour the egg mixture back into a bowl and whisk constantly until it returns to room temperature. Whisk in the butter in three batches, add the vanilla and any food coloring, and stir until smooth and all ingredients are fully combined. Pipe or spread onto one macaron half and sandwich between the other.