Turkey Meatloaf

Yesterday I met with a wonderful group of 18 year old girls to speak to them about nutrition. Some were athletes looking to get into D1 colleges, others just needed guidance to get healthier.

They were all receptive to what I had to say, and I was so glad to be able to connect with them. They had great questions and were open with their obstacles related to healthy eating. A lot of them stayed after the allotted 45 minutes to find out more information. I loved their interest, their passion and their curiosity.

I have to admit that I was nervous.. what if they just don't care? I was quick to realize I was way off. If anything, this age group cares the most. They have finally moved out and are living at school. It is time for them to make their own decisions about eating.

Some had never stepped foot in a grocery store to shop or thought twice about what they snacked on. Now is the best time for them to get educated on healthy eating and sports nutrition because it is at this age where they are looking for information and solutions. The last thing you want is for them to get absorbed into the world of liquid diets, sport supplementation and caffeine roller coasters.

All that to say that I was so pleased when I met the two coaches who suggested I do this nutrition brief. They knew the importance of nutrition for these kids and they acted upon it.

I can't wait until the day all schools, sports clubs, workplaces, you name it, put the necessary emphasis on teaching healthy nutrition consistently. Don't get me wrong, so many places have made great changes in their system but I just think a lot of people are still looking for accurate and real information and don't know where to find it.

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" meaning people, like horses, will only do what they have a mind to do. So your cafeteria can offer as much lean chicken and whole grain rice as they want, but unless the person is educated, informed and motivated there will always be a corner store selling a hot dog.

But, on the flip side, for those looking for a healthy choice- the lean chicken and whole grain rice is a gift and a relief! So I couldn't be happier to see the progress of schools and restaurants in that respect. I just think in order to motivate people to eat the healthy stuff, we have got to teach them the short and long term benefits. Somehow get them motivated to do the right thing for their body and mind.

Alright! Let's see our recipe for today, shall we?

I have switched out our beloved red ground beef for ground turkey in this meatloaf. It is delicious.

Turkey Meatloaf

• 2 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce + extra for top of meatloaf
• 2 eggs
• mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Drizzle olive oil in fry pan on medium. Cook garlic and onions. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine cooked garlic and onions, ground turkey, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper, Worcester sauce, hot sauce, quick oats, tomato sauce, 2 eggs. Mix with hands.
4. Place 1/2 of meat mixture in a bread pan. Slice mozzarella cheese and place on meat, cover with other 1/2 of meat mixture. Poor extra tomato sauce over top of the meatloaf.
5. Cook for 1 hour, or until internal temperature is 160F
6. Let rest before slicing

Enjoy this healthier alternative to regular meatloaf!

Make healthy choices!

- Kimmie

Sweet n' Savory Salmon Cakes

I have been preparing for a nutrition presentation I volunteered to give to a local school in the area.
I found out about it Monday and will be presenting tomorrow at 4:00 pm, or 1600 as Jon would say.

I am so excited to speak to them about healthy nutrition with a special focus on sports nutrition. Can't stress enough the benefits of sound nutrition on athletic performance. What to eat before training? What to eat after training? What to do the rest of the time?

You don't need to be a division 1 athlete to benefit from sports nutrition. Even if you are simply training for yourself, it is important to understand how to eat around scheduled workouts!

So I decided to add a small portion of my presentation to today's blog, because I truly think this could benefit anyone who works out!

PRE workout

 2-4 hours before workout

• a meal with carbohydrates and lean protein

< 1 hour before workout (snack)

• easily digestible carbohydrate

     Ex.  - Trail mix with dried fruit
            - Fruit smoothie
            - Fresh fruit with nuts

You do not want to be to full when starting a workout, but you do not want to be hungry either.



DURING workout

Drink water!

If you are training in hot weather, working out for more than 1 hour or sweating ++ then you need a beverage that provides electrolytes (sodium and potassium) and simple sugars.

Although sports drinks do offer this, they contain way too much sugar. Best to make the beverage homemade with 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup orange juice and a little pinch of salt.



POST workout

30 minute rule!

Get your nutrients in within 30 minutes of completing your workout to maximize recovery.

Consume a meal or snack rich in carbohydrates, protein and fat. The carbohydrates will replenish your glycogen stores and the protein will aid in muscle building.

Ex. - Chocolate milk
      - Pita with low fat cheese
      - Bread with natural peanut butter
      - Nuts and yogurt
      - Pita with hummus


Now for today's recipe!


Sweet n' Savory Salmon Cakes

What you will need:

• 1 large fillet of salmon
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups of water
• 3 bunches of green onions, chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp of fresh dill
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp old bay seasoning (I use the low sodium kind)
• bread crumbs (I use Panko bread crumbs)
• olive oil

1. Poach the salmon in water with bay leaves in a fry pan until salmon is light pick and flaky. What's poaching? Poaching is the process of gently simmering food in liquid other than oil. Make sure the water is fully covering the salmon.
2. Meanwhile, peel and chop sweet potato. Place in boiling water until soft. And mash.
3. In a bowl, combine chopped green onions, cooked salmon, mashed sweet potato, thyme, dill, egg, salt and pepper, hot sauce, old bay seasoning and 1/2 cup of bread crumbs. Mix.
4. Pour out more bread crumbs on a plate (for coating the patties)
5. Drizzle olive oil in fry pan. Heat on medium.
6. Make 4-5 patties out of mixture, coat in bread crumbs and cook both sides in oil until golden brown.

Serve with steamed vegetables and a garden salad.

This recipe was inspired by one of Racheal Ray's recipe for salmon cakes! Delicious!

I hope you enjoy these delicious salmon cakes. If you ever have any questions or comments please send me an e-mail at kim.doskocil@gmail.com!

Make healthy choices!

- Kimmie


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Baked Seafood Medley

Scallops and shrimp are going to be the seafood of choice in this medley!

This is a great recipe for those busy nights because you basically throw it all into a baking dish and let it do it's thing!

Scallops and shrimps are low in calories and high in protein. I buy scallops and shrimps frozen and keep them in the freezer for fast dinner preparation.

Jon was held up in the emergency room with a student last night while he was on duty, so this was a great recipe to whip up, throw in a Tupperware and serve in the hospital waiting room!


Baked Seafood Medley

What you will need:

• Deep (corningware type) baking dish with lid
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups of large frozen shrimp
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen scallops
• green beans (or whatever green vegetable you have)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• carrots, chopped (could also be a bell pepper)
• 2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

1. Preheat over to 375F
2. Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of baking dish
3. Throw in frozen shrimp and scallops, green beans, red onion, garlic, carrots, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover
5. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes
6. Serve over quinoa or rice

It was great for lunch today too! Play around with the quantities depending on the number of people you are serving. We like to have leftovers, so we added more scallops and shrimp for extra protein.

Hint: To quickly remove skin from garlic, place flat surface of knife over garlic clove and give it a little wack. You will see that it will slide right off.

Make healthy choices!

- Kimmie

Tomato Basil Chicken

Meet the newest Iron Chef Jonathan Doskocil!

Jon wanted to create a delicious dish for the blog and he definitely did!

Running into the living room, he turned into the Iron Chef Chairman and commentator:

"... and the secret ingredient is chiiiicken... What is Iron Chef Jonathan going to do now.. oh, it looks like he's reaching into the fridge... What has he got there? ... looks like a tomato... yes sir, that is a tomato..."

A man like that will always be able to make me smile!

I had put together an appetizer with basil, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinaigrette, so we had leftover ingredients at our disposal. Jon added chicken and a little heat to the mix and came up with a delicious dinner for the two of us.

Here it is for you to try!


Tomato Basil Chicken

What you will need:

• 1 tomato chopped
• fresh basil leaves
• 1 chicken breast
• mozzarella cheese
• olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
• Italian spice seasoning
• 2 garlic cloves

1. Slice chicken breast thinly to make two pieces
2. Lightly season chicken with Italian seasoning
3. Drizzle olive oil in pan and heat on medium
4. Place chicken in pan
5. Chop tomato, basil and garlic
6. Wait until chicken has been flipped and top chicken with chopped tomato, basil and garlic
7. Add balsamic vinaigrette to pan
8. Cook chicken entirely
9. Remove chicken from pan and add a piece of mozzarella (wait until it melts)
10. Top with cooked tomato, basil and garlic from pan

Make healthy choices! And remember to be creative in the kitchen!

- Kimmie

Sweet Spaghetti Squash+ XFit 6

"Man Cave"

I completely thought Jon made up that word, but then I found a definition in Urban dictionary! He has been talking about this "man cave" since the day we met. The first time he mentioned it was during a conversation about hunting. He pointed out that the meat would be so fresh and that one of those deer wall mounts would be such a cool decoration in our living room. Oh my goodness... did he really just say that. I get sad when I see a deer on the side of the road after it's been in an accident. I would rather feed a deer out of the palms of my hands then hunt it. So evidently, I disagreed with the decoration suggestion. "I can put one in my man cave then", he said.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this term, let me share the knowledge.

A room, space, corner or area of a dwelling that is specifically reserved for a male person to be in a solitary condition, away from the rest of the household in order to work, play, involve himself in certain hobbies, activities without interruption. This area is usually decorated by the male that uses it without interference from any female influence.

Luckily, there are no animal wall mounts in our dwelling. Thanks goodness. But Jon has claimed the garage as his own and has named it, yes you've guessed it, his man cave. Decorations? A great big American Flag. He admits that he would have hung up a Canadian Flag too, but he couldn't find one. The man cave is pretty neat though, I must admit. He has it equipped with a Bowflex, complements of Valerie and Wayne, and one of those Power Towers. But the floors are cement and there are spiders and earwigs crawling around everywhere, so as you will see in the workout video- I bring my cute purple yoga mat in with me for protection.

The workout today may not look hard, but I was sweating by the second set. Here we go!

Cross fit #6

1. 8 count body builder
2. 10 leg lifts

Repeat this combination 5 times

Remember to always warm up and cool down before and after your workout.

As promised, a great recipe for Spaghetti Squash!!

Easy Brown Sugar Spaghetti Squash

What you will need:

• 4 tsp Margarine (we use Earth Balance vegetarian margarine)
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• 1 Spaghetti squash 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise and empty out seeds with a spoon
3. Place on baking sheet, cut side up
4. Place 2 tsp of margarine in each squash half. Sprinkle 1 tbsp brown sugar in each squash half
5. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until fork inserts easily
6. Scrape out all the cooked flesh into a bowl
7. You can add more margarine and brown sugar if you would like

Jon loves this side dish, and I hope you will too! Enjoy!

- Kimmie

Apple Cinnamon Pork Chops

Good morning Autumn!

It is that time of year again, when the leaves are starting to change colors and the days are a little more crisp. Jon called down the stairs this morning, " Kim! Stick your head outside! Can you smell that?! It's fall".

I think every season has it's perks. I, for one, love Autumn. Waking up this morning, with the thermometer reading 53 F (or 11.6 C), meant a slightly bundled up walk with Colby. It was great!

But, being a self declared food lover, fall in New England also means we are smack in the middle of harvesting season! We are finishing up our summer harvests (ex. berries and peaches) and headed towards our root vegetables.

I'm sure you have all heard it before, eating "local and in season" is not only good for the environment, but it is good for your health, your wallet, as well as your local economy. We are all familiar with summer farmers markets, but don't forget about the ones open for fall harvests. I know a lot of people are skeptical to bring home a squash or a turnip but there is no reason to be afraid. These vegetables can be used to made some pretty delicious dishes!

I have yet to go apple picking this year, but apples are definitely in season and they are tasting scrumptious! Today's recipe puts them in the spotlight and trust me they do not disappoint.

Apple Cinnamon Pork Chops

What you will need:

• 4 pork chops
• 2 apples cut in slices (I used McIntosh apples)
• olive oil
• pepper
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Drizzle some olive oil in a skillet and heat on medium-high
3. When hot, add pork chops. Cook both side quickly to lock in flavor.
4. Drizzle some olive oil on baking dish
5. Place pork chops in prepared baking dish.
6. Sprinkle pork chops with pepper, place apple slices on pork chops, sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over apple slices
7. Pour apple juice and water in the bottom of the baking dish
8. Cover and bake in 350 F oven for 40- 45  minutes or until tender



I would definitely encourage everyone to check out local farm stands or farmers markets. We're lucky because some grocery stores are now selling local produce. Remember to also buy produce that is in season. A good hint: it is usual what is on sale or least expensive.

What are some vegetables that are in season from September to November and usually grown locally in New England?

• Apples
• Beets
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Squash
• Turnips

... to name a few.

This list may be intimidating to some. But I will work on some yummy dishes using this produce in the upcoming weeks so I can share some healthy recipes!

Thanks for reading!

And don't forget, to make healthy choices!

- Kimmie

P.S. No XFit today... it was movie night! We rented "Secretariat", yup a horse movie. I have the best husband ever!

Lemon Pepper Salmon + XFit 5

Although plain baked salmon is delicious and packed with a lot of healthy nutrients, I wanted to try to spice it up a little bit. We're lucky because there is such a wide range of flavors that work with this type of fish.

So what exactly is "lemon pepper seasoning"?

"Lemon pepper" is essentially a mix of lemon zest and cracked black peppercorns. You can make this seasoning at home or purchase it commercially. Ingredients such as salt and sugar can be added to commercial brands, so be sure to read the label carefully.

To give you an example of what can be in lemon pepper seasoning, here is the ingredient list from the Mrs. Dash brand that is known for their salt free, all natural and no msg products.

Ingredients: Onion, spices (black pepper, basil, oregano, celery seed, bay, savory, thyme, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, mustard, rosemary, marjoram) garlic, lemon juice powder, carrot, citric acid, lemon peel, natural lemon flavor, oil of lemon, turmeric color, chili pepper. 

Citric acid is probably used here as a natural preservative.

So, as you can see, this seasoning is packed with spices giving it a lot of flavor.

Today's recipe is extremely quick and easy! Jon and I also found out that this fish tastes great broken up in the quinoa and avocado salad from yesterday's post.

Lemon Pepper Salmon

What you will need:

• 4 (5 to 6 oz.) fresh salmon fillets
• olive oil
• 1 lemon
• lemon pepper seasoning blend (I used Mrs. Dash lemon pepper seasoning blend)

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Line baking pan with aluminum foil
3. Drizzle olive oil on foil
4. Set the salmon on olive oil
5. Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning on salmon
6. Slice lemon and place slices on salmon
7. Cover salmon with another piece of aluminum and fold edges shut, leaving one end open for steam to escape
8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through. The salmon should flake apart.

What a great workout! Repeat this 5 times with about 1.5 minutes break in between and I promise you will break a sweat!

Cross fit # 5

1. Split squat jump with height 5x
2. Man maker 3x
3. Throw ball down 10x
4. Jump rope 50x

Repeat set 5 times

Always remember to warm up and cool down before and after your cross fit workout.

 

I hope you enjoy today's recipe and workout!

Make healthy choices!

- Kimmie

Quinoa and Avocado Salad+ XFit 4

Requested by my friend Marisa: Quinoa Salad


Quinoa is pronouced keen-wa, you will see in the video that I have some difficulty with the pronunciation!

Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it has all the essential amino acids that our body needs. Complete proteins are normally found in meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and cheese. So it is pretty cool to have a grain that is considered a complete protein!

For those who are wondering what an amino acid is- amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Imagine a pearl necklace, where each pearl is an amino acid and the necklace as a whole is a protein. Our bodies form all sorts of amino acid combinations (protein) to form our hair, skin, tendons etc.


Quinoa and Avocado Salad
* if you do not enjoy avocado, you can replace it with cucumber in this recipe

What you will need:

• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup shredded spinach
• 1/2 cup tomatoes
• 1/2 cup red onions
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt
• 1 avocado
• 2 tbsp feta cheese

1. Cook quinoa as indicated on respective package
2. In bowl, mix quinoa, spinach, tomatoes, onion
3. In another bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil and salt
4. Pour wet ingredients over salad
5. Serve with sliced avocado and feta cheese

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook 15th Edition

Last September I filmed the preparation of this recipe. If readers enjoy video preparation of recipes, I may think of making more! Our new apartment in Quantico, VA has an island in the kitchen- perfect for filming. We move there on September 27th.

Cross Fit #4

1. Sprint shuffle through cones with push up at each end
2. Shuffle side to side with medicine ball 6x
3. Box jumps 5x
4.  Push ups 3x with roll 4x ( total of 12 push ups)

Repeat set 5 times

Always remember to warm up and cool down before and after your cross fit workout.

Please let me know if you have any fun recipe requests!

Make healthy choices!

- Kimmie

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa + XFit 3

I did not have any time to go grocery shopping for dinner so I looked around the kitchen for some ingredients and brought the list to google. I had some frozen chicken breasts in the freezer left over from a trip to BJ's, cilantro and lime from making Jon's favorite rice and an avocado sitting on the counter.

The wonderful search engine brought me to this delicious Cilantro- lime Chicken with avocado salsa recipe. So, this recipe is not a Kim original, but it was so delicious I needed to share it. I found it at http://www.myrecipes.com/.

Cilantro- lime Chicken with avocado salsa

What you will need:

Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Salsa:

• 1 cup chopped plum tomato (about 2)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

 

1. To prepare chicken, combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss and let stand 3 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.
2. To prepare salsa, combine tomato and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Add avocado; stir gently to combine. Serve salsa over chicken.

This recipe was light and fresh, yet full of great fats and protein. Perfect for a post cross fit workout meal.


Cross Fit #3

1. Deadlift x7
2. Barbell Row x7
3. Power clean x7
4. Push press x7
5. Squat x7
6. Burpies x7

Repeat set 5 times
Always remember to warm up and cool down before and after your cross fit workout.

Jon and I have started doing yoga together after dinner. We follow a Ronald Yee DVD in our living room. It has been doing amazing things for our flexibility.

Make healthy choices!!

-Kimmie

Breaded Tilapia

I'm sure you've all seen this bumper sticker before!

I just got back from a great bike ride with our adopted collie named Colby. He stays right beside me and is a great workout buddy. We road out to a nearby field to try our hand at some fetch. Key word: "try". No luck today, but it was fun anyway.

With Jon being away so much with work and with his upcoming deployments, we thought it would be a perfect idea to get me a companion. We searched high and low for a dog while we were in Annapolis. Adopting a puppy seemed impossible! One of our biggest obstacles was breed. Unfortunately, many housing establishments don't allow American bulldog, American pittbull, and the list goes on. What Jon and I started to realize was that most of the dogs at the SPCA were mixes, usually with a restricted breed.

We were at a loss. Having visited over 5 shelters and calling 7 others, we were about to call it quits. It just wasn't meant to be. There was one shelter left on the list. It was an hour drive away . We said a little prayer, "Lord, if you want us to have a dog, we will find him at this last shelter. If you don't want us to have a dog, we wont find him and we will put it to rest." And we were off.

We drove into the shelter parking lot with only fumes of gas left in the tank. Jon seems to enjoy the thrill he gets when he is past empty and only seconds away from breaking down. I don't get it. We walked though the shelter doors with only 20 minutes left until visiting hours were over.

We decided to take out Milo, a female black lab puppy. She was cute and full of energy, but was she the one? The dog we would be with for 12+ years. The dog that would be there when our future babies grew up? Ohhh geez! I don't know! I turned to Jon and said "let's look at one more if there's time". He looked at me and responded "let's take Buddy out". So the shelter worker brought Milo back to her cage and brought out Buddy. He was a manly dog, yet only a year old. He had been living in the shelter for 6 months. When he got out, he scurried around the fenced in area and then came to lay down right between Jon and I. A lot of thoughts crossed our minds in the 10 minutes we were out playing with him. The man gently reminded us that visiting hours were soon ending and that if our decision was to adopt Buddy, we would have to go to the front and fill out the application. We would have Buddy in one week after his vet visit.

Woooowzers. I knew I liked the dog, but goodness! This was a big decision. Being a terrible decision maker, I was in a panic. Jon, on the other hand, was sure this one was the one. "Honey, do you want to adopt him" Jon asked. I responded, yes. While he signed all the paper work, I paced around the office, hoping this was the right decision.

Two months later, I can tell you it was the greatest decision we could have made. Colby, as we decided to name him, has been a blessing and he is such a sweetheart. He is the third member of our family and we love him. He is a great companion in so many ways! He really does keep me company while Jon is gone and he even gets me out to exercise everyday!

What's for dinner?

Breaded Tilapia

What you will need:

• Tilapia filets
• Japanese style bread crumbs (Panko)
• Olive oil
• Mrs. Dash (garlic and herb seasoning blend)
• 2 eggs
• Milk

1. In a bowl, scramble eggs and add a dash of milk.
2. In another bowl, mix Japanese style bread crumbs and Mrs. Dash seasoning.
3. In a fry pan, cover the bottom with olive oil and turn onto medium heat.
4. Take 1 tilapia filet, cover with egg mixture then cover with bread mixture.
5. Place breaded tilapia in fry pan, cooking each side for a couple minutes until breading is golden.
6. Repeat with other tilapia filets.
7. Place in the oven on a baking dish at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until fish is white and flaky.

I served it here with rice and yellow summer squash.

Make healthy choices!

-Kimmie

Cobb Salad

Returned home from "heaven on earth" on tuesday morning!

A 2.5 hour trip that turned into a 5 hour trip brought about by  two car accidents, one famous 4 lanes to 2 lanes construction sign and Boston traffic, not to mention the added bonus of Colby pee in the back seat for the entire duration of the trip. On a normal Tuesday this may have simply been an adventurous ride home from New Hampshire- but this particular Tuesday was a little different. Jon needed to be in at work by 10:00, Captains orders. It was a race against the GPS clock that kept adding on minutes to the already unpleasant news of "arrival time 10:45 am".

"Why leave on Tuesday morning, when you have to be at work on Tuesday morning? Why the added stress?" you might ask.

We could have left on Monday afternoon.

Ben and Maryam, my brother and sister in law, only arrived to the lake house on Monday afternoon.

Aunt Andrea and Uncle Dave were staying for one more day.

And Grandma and Grandad Doskocil were not able to have anyone up to the cottage this summer so we had not seen them very much.

So the choices were to head back to Newport (with our move to Quantico, 8 hours away from family, on sept 27) or take a leap of faith, call Captain, and ask if there was any way to report into work at 10 o'clock the next day allowing us one more night to spend quality time with family.

Jon did it! He got the ok from Captain! We had one more night to make toast-tites and eat frozen yogurt, play scrabble, cranium and pinnocle with the family! Jon was so glad he asked. He kept whispering in my ear, "family is so important to me, i'm so happy we decided to stay." 

During one of my internships at a retirement home, I remember being so impressed with the detailed charts each patient had. Topics such as employment, income, number of children, marital status, hobbies, medications etc. were covered so caretakers would know more about each resident. With loss of independence and decreased health status, the residents were not living the same lifestyle as they used to- but they still had their memories and their legacies.

As a young 23 year old girl, my "chart pages" are yet to be written.

But I always wonder... What do I want them to say? What will they say?

Life can definitely throw you curve balls, and you certainly can't plan everything out! But I think there is much to be said about making decisions to make you happy in this life. What that happiness is, is for each to discover.

Just wanted to leave you with this serenity prayer that my Grandma always had hanging up at our Ocean Park cottage.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Maybe Jon's gesture was a small one this weekend, but in the grand scheme of things, it is small decisions like the one he made that will make him into the hard working family man he wants to become.

Tonight's quick meal is Cobb salad! Yum!

Cobb SaladWhat you will need:

• lettuce
• 1 avocado
• 5 hard boiled eggs
• 3 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/3 C feta cheese
• 1/2 can of corn
• 2 tomatoes
• ranch dressing

1. Boil enough water to cover 5 eggs. Drop eggs in. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove and place eggs in cold water.
2. Cut up chicken breast into pieces. Place olive oil in fry pan. Cook chicken pieces until no longer pink.
3. Chop up lettuce, avocado, pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs. Mix in bowl.
4. Add corn, chicken and feta cheese.
5. Serve with ranch dressing.

Make healthy choices!

- Kimmie

Shepard's Pie + XFit 2

Today Jon is working a 24h day! He's sleeping at NAPS tonight. We're going to head up to New Hampshire tomorrow morning to spend the long weekend with his family.

My mom and grandfather are coming down to Newport to visit while Jon is at work. My grandfather is also going to be taking two beds that we have set up in our guest room to use in one of his two cottages. The story as to how Jon and I acquired the two wooden beds is actually a good one.

I was out walking our dog Colby one morning and there they were- two gorgeous, full of potential, bed frames leaning up against a rusty green, smelly industrial sized garbage bin. "Well now, those shouldn't be going to the dump", I thought to myself (ha!). So Colby and I quickly ran home. I grabbed the car keys from my sleeping husbands nightstand and set off on my "rescue mission".

Soon after I left, I returned home with my treasures. I carried them up the stairs, past the door to the master bedroom and into our first guestroom. Like a little kid on Christmas morning, I crept back down stairs on my tiptoes, not to wake Jon, to fetch some of his working tools.

An hour later, after some sweat and tears, the room was complete with two new beds! I awoke Jon and led him into the room. He was speechless. He looked over at me, opened his mouth, and all that came out was " Uh?.. Wha... How did you..". "He loves them! Perfect." I thought to myself.

"One person's trash is another person's treasure" definitely holds truth in this household. Refurbishing is a passion of mine, as you will surely realize if you read this blog.

They are two great beds! I swear! But since we're going to be moving a lot in the next couple years, we thought they would be better off in a more sedentary setting until we have kiddos old enough to use them!

Yesterday Jon and I had another great cross fit workout.

Cross Fit #2

1. Pull ups x5
2. Squats x 20 hold for 10 seconds
3. Push ups x 10
4. Cones x 2 (sprint, shuffle, backwards, karaoke)

Repeat set 5 times
If pull ups are too difficult start by hanging, then with time you will be able to pull yourself up.

Finish off with a 5 minute cool down jog.

*A note for cross fit training* It is always important to warm up and cool down before and after a workout. Also, between sets, take a 1-2 minute break so that you can really push it when you're doing the combinations.

Dinner yesterday was an easy Shepard's pie. I try to keep it healthy by replacing ground beef with ground turkey, keeping salt to a minimum and by keeping the potato skins on the potatoes when I mash them.

To add flavor to the ground turkey without using salt I use Mrs. Dash. This is a blend of spices without salt that you can add to many dishes.

Shepard's Pie

What you will need:

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 2 15oz cans of corn ( I use whole kernel corn)
• 5 golden potatoes (the thin skin allows you to keep it on while mashing)
• 1 whole onion
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 tsp of Mrs. Dash Original Blend
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 tsp margarine or butter
• cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
• panko bread crumbs (optional)

1. Cut potatoes into smaller pieces to speed up cooking process. Drop them in boiling water. Cook until soft.
2. Chop onion. Chop garlic.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of EVOO in pan/ wok. Add onion and garlic. Cook until golden.
4. Add ground turkey to onion and garlic. Cook turkey until brown.
5. Add spices (Mrs. Dash) to turkey and mix.
6. Remove potatoes from heat. Stain out water. Return potatoes to pot.
7. Add milk and margarine or butter to potatoes. Mash until smooth.
8. In a rectangular baking dish, layer ground turkey, canned corn, mashed potatoes.
9. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese and panko bread crumbs on top of mashed potatoes.
10. When ready to serve, place baking dish in oven at 350F until cheese is golden brown.

Let me know what you think if you get a chance to try it out!

Make healthy choices! Bon Appetit!

- Kimmie

Chicken Linguine+ XFit 1

Jon and I have been living in Newport for 7 weeks, a good amount of time on the one hand but on the other hand, barely any time at all.

In Montreal, if I wasn't counselling a client on their diet, I was out teaching a fitness class, in the gym or planning our wedding. Here in Newport, finally living with the love of my life, things are busy in a different way.

At first I had the feeling of not wanting to lose my footing that I had built in my hometown. But more often are the moments where I just want to pinch myself because helloooo this is a DREAM! A clean slate, a place where I can use all my knowledge and skills and put them to use- rebuild instead of being afraid of losing what I had already built. So much opportunity and possibility, what a cool feeling.

But I need to stay motivated- because that clean slate can be a slippery slope to laziness, boredom and a whole lot of unhappiness in our marriage. Consistent motivation to me is the road to getting a citizenship and green card, license to practice dietetics in the US and certification to teach, among many other short term goals, those are my long term goals.

The first couple weeks of our arrival in Newport were used unpacking and decorating our wonderful three bedroom house. Following these two weeks was our yearly vacation in Ocean Park. On our arrival home after vacation we had to get back into the swing of things, Jon went back to work at NAPS and I stayed home and worked on various things, like immigration forms, American dietetics association applications, our budget, car repairs, housing for our move to Quantico, groceries and cooking etc. A big change in lifestyle from being a dietitian in downtown Montreal and fitness instructor on the go all the time, but I was loving the change! Free time spent with my husband and quiet time to be creative. Not constantly feeling overstimulated as one can sometimes feel in the city. I was finding there was more to life than I ever thought. Still though, a little worried that if I didn't make an effort to hold onto what it was that I loved of my identity and independence I wouldn't be the girl Jon had fallen in love with.

The one thing that I think I was missing the most was my daily training. Because in Montreal I was in a position where my work was my workout and vice versa, I didn't necessarily have to schedule in time to exercise. That was not the case here in Newport. So what are my solutions? I wasn't about to sit on my bum, let the day go by, hoping I would stay healthy and fit. Then it came to me- from the mouth of my tall, dark and handsome man- he muttered the words "crossfit".

Great idea! Crossfit. It is a combination of varied exercises that are done one after another, and then repeated as a set. What's great about it is that it is a whole body workout, lasts about 30 minutes, can be done at home or in the gym and can be done at any level of fitness. So Jon and I can do it together and it's hard on us both.

Cross Fit #1

1. Zigzag shuffle with sprint back to start x 2
2. Dot drill x 11 (2 dot orders)
3. Burpees x 5-10
4. Tricep dips x 15

Repeat set 5 times

If it is too difficult, work your way up to these numbers. Try to keep good form, and really push through the whole workout. It will be over before you know it, so you have to work hard to get results. In the video I did 10 burpees, by the 5th set I was only able to do 5.

Having prepared my chicken linguine before meeting Jon on base to workout was a good idea, because when I got home I was pooped and didn't have much of an appetite. Knowing how important it was to ingest nutrients post workout, I made myself a little plate and sat down with Jon for dinner. He ate his usual behemoth portion.



Main Dish: Chicken Linguine

What you will need:

• 1 lb linguine
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 head of broccoli, cut
• 1 orange pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• salt
• pepper
• parmesan cheese

1. Cook linguine and set aside
2. Cook cubed chicken in fry pan
3. Place 1/2 cup of oil  and garlic in another large fry pan/ wok, heat up
4. Add broccoli and orange pepper and saute for 5 minutes
5. Add cooked chicken to fry pan/ wok
6. Pour contents of saute pan over cooked linguine, mix
7. Top with Parmesan cheese when serving

                                          

A lot of leftovers again today for lunch, delicious!

Make healthy choices! Bon Appetit!

- Kimmie

Hot n' Sweet Salmon with Cilantro- lime rice

Yesterday was Jon's 24th Birthday!

What to prepare for dinner on this special day?


I had purchased 1.71 lbs of fresh salmon that was originally 14.94$ but reduced to 8.53$ for quick sale post Hurricane Irene a couple days prior, so I thought I could definitely fix something delicious up for my man with this great starting ingredient.

We had a bag of organic brown sugar left over from our honeymoon that was at my disposal, and Jon had mentioned he would love to savor the taste of my cilantro- lime rice I had made for his surprise birthday party on Saturday.

Perfect- Mexican inspired salmon it was!

I had to run out to our local Stop and Shop for some Chipotle all purpose seasoning because, although my parents had graciously given us an array of spices as a housewarming gift, we did not have this one!

Main dish: Hot n' Sweet Salmon

What you will need:

• salmon filets (frozen or fresh)
• brown sugar
• chipotle all purpose seasoning
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Drizzle some EVOO on the bottom of a baking dish (you will want to use something with edges because this recipe will produce a lot of delicious juices that you don't want at the bottom of your oven!)
3. Place all your salmon filets on the baking dish (thaw fish if you are using frozen)
4. Sprinkle Chipotle seasoning over top the salmon (the more you sprinkle the more spicy it will be)
5. Sprinkle brown sugar over top the salmon until the top of filet is lightly coated with sugar
6. Place in oven at 350 F (now depending on the size of your filets and the number of filets you are using, the cooking time will change) Rule of thumb: Salmon is ready when it is flaky and pinkish/ white in color. So keep checking!

Side dish 1: Cilantro- Lime Rice (makes 3 cups of rice)

What you will need:

• rice (any kind will do) 
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 
• juice of 1/2 lime

1. Make up your rice as directed on rice package. I used an enriched long grain rice last night. ** it is important to follow instructions carefully because all rices cook differently.
2. While rice is cooking, chop cilantro leaves until you have 1/4 cup
3. Juice 1/2 of your lime into a bowl. I use a fork while squeezing to get all the juice out.
4. Add cilantro and lime to rice and stir

Side Dish 2: Fresh Green Salad
(it was a last minute alternative to steamed broccoli... that was no longer edible in the bottom of the fridge)

What you will need:

• head of lettuce 
• tomato
• green pepper
• light salad dressing

1. Chop up lettuce, tomato and green pepper
2. Place in serving dish and serve

Desert: Chobani Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and we love chobani because it tastes great too.

So there you go! A fast, easy, healthy and complete meal that kept us within budget! I like it! And Jon did too!

I made sure to make large dinner portions to ensure that my Marine was full and also to make sure we had leftovers for a healthy lunch today.

If you do get a chance to try out any of the recipes above, please let me know how you liked them!

Make healthy choices! Bon Appetit!

- Kimmie