Okay, now that the hard stuff is out of the way, how is everyone doing? It's Monday again and it is damn cold in Calgary! My iphone says it's -5 right now brrrrr. Who's in for hibernating?? Changing our clocks back on Saturday and getting an extra hour of sleep last night was so awesome. Okay maybe I like winter a little bit then....but just a bit. I saw this picture below and had to share with you. God I wish junk food was healthy :)
We spent this weekend in Banff and completed the Banff Winter Start Race at the Caribou Lodge and Spa, so fun! Basically a few hundred people get together at 7pm and run in the cold in crazy costumes and glow sticks, up and down a mountain for about 5 miles. They had to change the route this year because a bear was sighted getting cozy where we needed to run. The race ended up only being about 6.5km so left us more time to party :) The race itself wasn't difficult but man was it slippery. When your only lighting is a few glow sticks, the challenge definitely increases. I think the funniest costumes I saw were a few guys in Cheetah onsy's, a group in banana suits, and then full on Christmas tree's running up the mountain. Good job guys. We went for the "tight and bright" theme and lots of glow sticks. I bought these neon Nike shorts at Winners and they were perfect. After the race we cooked a huge dinner with some friends; chicken, meatballs, squash and kale salad, in our suite at the Hidden Ridge resort (http://www.banffhiddenridge.com/ definitely recommend this place) and then headed to the Banff Brew Co. for some very hydrating glasses of wine and beer...work hard play hard right?! The night ended way too late so most of yesterday consisted of napping and eating but sometimes a girl's just gotta have fun :) Here are a few pics:
I did do some cooking yesterday so I wouldn't have to worry about it later. Today is the only night I don't have something going on, so having healthy items in the fridge is a big relief. My new obsession lately is root vegetables; beets, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, ginger, onions, garlic, yams, turnips etc. They are so good for you and very filling. I peeled and cut up about a thousand veggies yesterday and put them in our crock pot to simmer for the day. Now I can add these babies as a side dish to any meat and we are good to go. I still have grass fed meatballs in our freezer, have you tried the recipe from my earlier post? We also have some left over baked chicken with cinnamon (weird combination I know) that I served on Saturday night to our friends (they liked it!) so I feel good about our meals for the week. Tonight I'm going to bake some more coconut flour muffins (they don't last long in our house) and clean my room! Clothes are EVERYWHERE and it's driving me (and mostly my fiance nuts). You'd think being 30 I could keep my room clean but I can't. I organize it and somehow the messy fairy finds her way back in and messes things up. It's not my fault..really :)
Here is a quick way to prepare the root vegetables and some pictures. I really recommend these for the winter and according to Best Health Magazine, here are some other reasons why root veggies rock:
Root vegetables grow underneath the ground where they are able to absorb high amounts of minerals and other nutrients from the soil. They are also able to absorb important nutrients from the sun through their leaves. Root vegetables can be enjoyed throughout the year, as they can be eaten fresh in the summer, and will keep well in a dark cellar throughout the winter days.
Most root vegetables are high in complex carbohydrates, which break down into sugar in your body to give you energy and the ability to function properly. They are also high in fiber and phytonutrients, and normally are low in fat as well as in calories. Additionally, they are generally high in vitamin C, beta-carotene, and contain essential minerals such as potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and small amounts of iron.
Root vegetables are awesome!
Instructions:
Peel and cut up your favourite root vegetables into small chunks. My favourites are listed above.
Place in your crock pot and add almost a full box of low sodium beef, chicken or vegetable broth, your favourite seasonings and simmer for 4-6 hours. The longer they cook, the more flavour they will absorb. Every few hours, stir vegetables and make sure broth is being evenly spread out. I use a turkey baster to drizzle the broth on the top vegetables.
Once done, turn off crock pot and let cool. You can freeze the vegetables if you'd like or store in the fridge to add to any meal. Yum!
Tomorrow night I start extra Triathlon training from 6:30-8:30pm through the City of Calgary. It is brick training where we bike for one hour and run for the other hour (OUTSIDE..we are nuts). It's a way to get your body used to transitioning from one exercise to another and increase your endurance. I'm going to be sore, please wish me luck!
Have a great week everyone and I will have a new post for you on Wednesday.
Sending you lots of blessing and love.
Sam xo
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