My Workouts

I am proud to say that I work out almost every morning!  I am starting a collection of workout videos – my goal is to buy one every month until I have enough I can rotate through and not get bored. 

My favorites so far:

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred – LOVE this video, it is quick, intense, and most importantly it works!  I’ve done it many times (didn’t loose 20 pounds like the cover says but I didn’t expect to) and it always kicks my butt.

  The Biggest Loser: Boot Camp or Max Cardio – I have one and borrowed the other and both are great workouts.  Not as intense as the 30 day shred but good if you have an injury or are just starting.  You will still get a good workout and I like that it doesn’t require getting up and down all the time. 

Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 – My new favorite!  LOVE it!!  Similar to the 30 day shred, but different moves and I think it is a little more intense.  This video is also a little longer than the 30 day shred. 

Fit to Strip by Carmen Electra – I can’t find my copy but this is a great workout!  Good stretching at the end too!

Other videos I have:

Yoga Meltdown – not a huge fan of this video, it is a little too hip hop for me and I felt incredibly lost the entire time.  I will try it again since I love Jillian but I’m thinking it might not be for me.

Jillian Michael Kickbox FastFix – This was also a little too hip hop for me, but it was a decent workout.  I use this with the 30 day shred if I want more of a workout but it doesn’t feel like it is enough on its own. 

I only have 5 pound weights right now and a set of ankle weights, but I would like a more complete set of hand weights and a kettlebell. 

What are your workout goals? 

I’d love recommendations for workout videos you love too! 

It’s the Little Things …

It is always the little things that make me happy.  I am a simple girl to please!! 

Today I am extra happy!  1 – It is not over 105 degrees today!  After 7 days of that, I am ready for a cool summer day!  2 – I got out of the shower today and had a place to hang up my towels!!  Michael got this towel rack hung up yesterday – we have not had one in our house (either bathroom) since we moved in!  I am happy, happy, happy to have a place to hang my towels! 

I LOVE the hooks instead of the bar!  It was only $20 at Home Depot too! 

Did you notice the lack of baseboards?  We got the new tile in, grouted, and sealed! It looks great and I can’t wait to show you it!   Just a few more steps – paint, molding, and shower doors are a few things on the list.

What little thing makes you happy?

Salmon!!

Michael went fishing this past weekend.  I was gone all last week at a conference and I was a little upset that he was going to be gone for my birthday weekend.  Not that we were going to do anything, but still! 

He brought home a 20 pounder. 

Michael also brought home 2 smaller fish. 

Do you have a hard time getting your lover or kids to smile in pictures?  Michael never smiles – I had to practically beg him to smile in these pictures!  What do you do to get smiles? 

The 3 salmon!  He also got some cod which were already filleted when he brought them home so I didn’t take a picture.  This made up for not being home this past weekend! 

Our freezer is now full of fresh fish!  Salmon steaks, filets, and cod filets (not pictured).  Gosh I love being married to a hunter and fisherman! 

How should I cook the salmon?  I have never cooked salmon before, so I NEED your help!! 

Double Chocolate Mint Protein Smoothie

I love milkshakes – they are just so delicious.  Drinking a milkshake for breakfast just feels wrong … in the best possible way.

I also love chocolate – the only thing better than chocolate is double chocolate.  Oddly enough I am not a fan of chocolate cake – weird I know!

Before I show you the pictures and give you the recipe ~ I just want to warn you that you are probably going to drool.  I also don’t want you to be jealous of my awesome blue counters – they don’t make them like this anymore.  Now that you have been warned, here it is:  

It is super easy to make too!  It takes less than 3 minutes!  Seriously – time yourself!

Double Chocolate Mint Protein Smoothie:

1 cup milk (I use 1%)

2 scoops chocolate Shaklee 180 Protein powder (or one packet)

1 tablespoon Hershey’s chocolate syrup

1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

handful of ice

Put it all in your blender, blend and enjoy! 

I told you it was easy … don’t drink it too fast, you’ll get a brain freeze!   

So creamy and delicious!  LOTS of protein to keep you full until lunch too!

calories – 350, fat – 5.5g, protein – 26g, fiber – 7g

So good!  I took this picture then noticed there was a tiny bit left and slurped that right up!

Cleaning my Stovetop … the natural way

I have a confession to made – I enjoy cooking but I hate the clean up.  No matter how simple a recipe the dishes seems to multiply and the kitchen becomes a disaster.  Maybe this is a talent I have and nobody else has that problem, but it is annoying.  This is what my stove looked like for a week or three – oops. When we had our mothers over for Mothers Day lunch, I put the box the croissants came in over the burner that way they couldn’t see it.  Didn’t work … but I tried. 

Caked on nastiness is all I can think of to describe what is there.  Those grates (or whatever they are called) have always been just plain gross.  I’ve tried many different thinks to get them clean – bleach, ammonia, 409, comet, soaking then scrubbing – nothing seemed to work. 

I decided to make the switch to natural cleaners (can’t stand the smell of other cleaners) and ordered a Get Clean Kit.  This stove would be the ultimate test … 

I mixed up some degreaser from the Basic H and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Wiped it off with a sponge and this is what it looked like – much better!

But, there was still some built on grime so I brought out the Scour Off and a scrubbing brush. 

Even in this bad lighting it looks good!  It looked so good that I pulled out an old toothbrush and used the Scour Off to get the nooks and crannies. 

Doesn’t it look great?

Meanwhile, I filled the sink with water and a drop or two of Basic H and let the grates sit while I was cleaning.  Then I scrubbed them and they look like new!

The best part … my mom was over for dinner a week or so after and she asked me when we got a new stove!!

Now that I have something that works so well and smells so good (seriously the Scour Off smells like cherry candy) I will not be putting off cleaning for weeks at a time.

Here they are – my cleaning champions!  Basic H and Scour Off – love them both!

Do you have any cleaning secrets?  I’d LOVE to hear them!

June is Dairy Month

Did you know that June is dairy month?

To celebrate, I would like to introduce you to Ellen and her blog Life on a Real California Dairy Farm. 

Ellen and her husband farm in Modesto, CA.  They are 4th and 5th generation dairy farmers and love to share their agriculture story!  Ellen is awesome!  She is a mom with two young kids just like many of you and she helps families all over the country develop a strong connection with their dairy.  She is very open about life on the dairy and will answer any questions you may have!   

My all time favorite post has to be this post where her son Clayton talks about the soakers in their dairy barn.  Pay close attention for her other son Cole repeating some of the phrases – he is hilarious! 

Also check out her virtual dairy tour – she took my class on an amazing virtual tour with Flat Aggie last year.  One of these days, I am going to head down there and go on a real life tour of the dairy!

She is also very talented with her pancake creations.  I love these patriotic pancakes but you can check them all out here. 

Be sure to also like her on facebook where you will find lots of dairy pictures and links!

For all sorts of dairy links visit the Progressive Dairyman’s pinterest board!

Happy Dairy Month!  How are you celebrating?

BLT Salad

While figuring out what to serve for Fathers Day yesterday (we had my father in law over) I looked at all the tomatoes on my counter and decided to make a BLT salad.  It turned out really good!  But the best part is that is only requires 5 ingredients and takes only a few minutes to throw together (once you have the bacon cooked).

Here’s the recipe for this super simple salad:

Romaine lettuce (my lettuce of choice is usually red leaf but I decided to switch it up a little) cut up into strips then again into chunks

Bacon (cut into chunks then baked at 400 for about 12 minutes)

Tomatoes (chunked or use grape tomatoes)

Croutons

Throw everything together, and top with your dressing of choice – mine is ranch. 

Enjoy!

If you want to make it even better – add avocado to make it a BLTA Salad.  YUM!

I had to put the avocado on the side since my hubby doesn’t like avocado.

Look at those big chunks of bacon and tomato – Yum!

Hope you had a great Fathers Day!

What is your favorite salad? 

Leave links in the comments if you have one!