Veggie Gyoza! Yum!

I just whipped this little meal up and it turned out to be great! 

I was really hungry and didn't feel like the big ordeal of dinner. So, to the freezer I went! I know, I know, FREEZER!? "EEEEWWW!" Don't worry, its not what you think, Trader Joe's has a great frozen food section with many healthy options which are fantastic when you are low on time, or just don't feel like cooking! 

Tonight, I pulled out their Thai Vegetable Gyoza. Super yummy, very healthy, vegetarian (and vegan!), and easy to make! What more could you ask for!?

These can be prepared three different ways: pan-fried, microwaved, or steamed. I chose to steam them because you do not have to add any extra oil to cook them, so no added calories! 

I got water boiling and topped the pot with a strainer/steamer and tossed the whole package in: 

It only takes about 10 minutes to get them steamed all the way through and you virtually do nothing else! It is helpful to rotate them around in the steamer so they cook evenly.

Just pull one out and cut it in half to make sure everything has cooked all the way, and you are done! 

While the Gyoza were steaming I did cook up some brocolini  to have as well. In a medium sauce pan, I heated up a tiny bit of Smart Balance cooking oil and some fresh chopped garlic and sauteed the brocolini until the Gyoza was ready (also very painless). 

Dinner is served!

Soy sauce is an obvious choice for the Gyoza, but I decided on Tapatio to give it a little more kick! 

This meal was packed with veggies, easy to make, and most of all tasty!

Stairway to....?

I HATE missing a workout for silly reasons! So, you can imagine how annoyed I was when my car wouldn't start yesterday morning!! First off, that's just annoying to begin with, and second, I was missing Fitness Kickboxing at Farley's!! I was NOT a happy camper (or should I say kicker!).

After getting a tow truck and realizing my car would be stuck at the dealership all day (and night!) I caught a shuttle ride back home and made the decision to not let this situation ruin my day OR my workout!

I headed out for a nice little run. P.S. Running is FREE, can be done at ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, and is a great work out! 

I am blessed because I have great scenery to check out during my runs :) but regardless of where you live, getting out into the nice, fresh, summer air is one of the best things you can do for yourself! 

Anyway, I realized I had not ran the "Capitola Stairs" in a while. Uh-oh. I had to do it now, I was out and about and running right past this famous, steep set of stairs so I went for it:

Painful? Yes, but also very fun and rewarding! I felt great when I got to the top:

No pain, no gain baby!

Stairs are a great thing to add to you exercise routine whether you walk up them, or can run them! It is a great cardio workout and really busts those glutes!!

Get out there, mix it up, try some stairs, and have some fun!

Happy stair climbing!

Healthy BBQ Idea

There are so many reasons to love summer! One of the being the great opportunity to BBQ!

BBQs are a great way to spend time with friends and family, but lets face it, no one wants the guilt of eating fatty hamburgers and hot dogs all summer long!

Here is a great healthy alternative to try at your next BBQ: Chicken, prawn and veggie skewers!

Chicken and prawns are lower in saturated fats than your typical burgers and dogs and the veggies will bring added vitamins and minerals you would be missing out on!

Sure, they take a little more time to prepare, but its relatively easy and fun!

I start by chopping up the veggies I decide to use. I usually go with ones that are on the heartier side so they can withstand the high heat from the grill. For our little BBQ on the 4th I picked, bell peppers (all colors!), broccoli, and mushrooms.

I usually cut them pretty big so they don't cook too fast!

Meanwhile, I cut up some white meat chicken and marinated it in a Island Teriyaki sauce and held that in the fridge. Depending on what type of prawns you buy, you may have to be peeling and washing those while the chicken is marinating.

Next, its skewer time!

You can arrange the veggies, chicken, and prawns any way you'd like! You can mix it up and make some skewers with both chciken and prawns or keep them seprate depending on people's diet preferences/allergies. All veggie ones are great too!

Once they are on the grill, make sure to rotate them with tongs so that everything cooks evenly.

Now they are ready to serve!

Yummy! These are a great healthy alternative to any summer BBQ! I encourage you to try different combinations, marindes, etc.

Happy Grilling!