Southwestern Steak Salad

 

I have a fantastic and fast recipe to share with you today. As a former salad-hater, I understand the "meh" feeling that can come from seeing a recipe for rabbit food (or, "cow food", to my dear husband!). However, I learned that the key is to include lots of colorful ingredients and whip up an easy, homemade dressing. I promise, it makes all the difference!

The dressing on this salad is unbelievable and was so surprising. It is a bit spicy, but you can turn down the heat by reducing or omitting the canned chipotle chiles. I have terrible heartburn, but this salad was so good I couldn't help but dig in. This would be great for a relaxing night at home or for entertaining a group. Enjoy!

Southwestern Steak Salad

Recipe via Jourdan Leigh in the Kitchen, adapted from Martha Stewart

serves 2-4

Up for a Challenge

Happy Friday, friends!

I tell you what, I have been SO busy this week! Although, I guess I already mentioned that, huh?

Well, today is the last Friday with my sweet kiddos. It is very bittersweet. On the one hand, I'm feeling excited that we've almost finished the year. But then I remember it's my last time having these wonderful children in my class. I love the personality mashup we have going on in here, and I'm really going to miss them next year.

Field day was a hit yesterday! We had so many fun games, and some of them included a "musical hoola hoop" with a sideline dance party, and even the teachers playing tug-of-war with the kiddos - I played with both teams once against another teacher and my team won both times. Looks like that strength training is paying off ;)

I've got a packed weekend ahead of me, too. Tonight we have JB's high school graduation. I saw him graduate from 8th grade, too, so it's neat to see this one as well. Saturday we've got a little "couples dinner" going on, with the girls from my usual Girls Dinner crew and their significant others. We're heading to Adobo, and if we stay long enough we might wrangle the guys into some salsa dancing! (Any of you boys actually reading this? Did I just foil our plot?) Finally Sunday I'm heading to Northwest Indiana for a bridal shower for my good friend Katie.

Phew!

Anyhoo, before I got to rambling, the purpose of this post is to invite you to join me in Courtney's June Yoga Challenge!

Honestly, I've never been a huge yoga person. I've done it a few times, but I always find my mind wandering, which I'm pretty sure is the opposite of what's supposed to happen. Well, I decided that with summer and more time coming up, I could challenge myself to consistently incorporating yoga into my workouts. I know Jourdan is a huge fan, too. More encouragement to try, right?

My goal: Include Yoga in my workouts 1-2 a week for the month of June. 

I may or may not get that second one in each week, but something is better than nothing, right? I'm going to take advantage of my gym's yoga sessions and/or the ones on demand on Netflix. I'll keep you posted on my progress, and I hope you do the same!


Anyone care to join me?!

NYC: Part I

Hi friends! I'm back from NYC, and I can honestly say I had the best time. I think I forgot how much I adore NYC - I lived there 5 years ago while interning at a global PR firm. I felt so happy and at ease walking around, and I soaked up every bit of the city I could. I must go back again soon, but this time with the hubby!

Anyhoo, I have lots to update you on, and I'm not entirely sure how many posts I'll actually need to do so. I figured I would start here and see where it takes me. Sound good? I hope so!

I flew in Friday morning with my friend Jessi, and I was thrilled when she agreed to take a fitness class at Physique 57 with me! I asked the rest of my friends and was met with a resounding "NO!" from each of them. The class ended up being a blast, and my muscles were burning like crazy by the end of each "sprint." If I lived in NYC I would definitely make this class a habit!

After showering and getting settled at the hotel - which was fabulous! (I'll save that for the last post!) - we were off to explore SoHo a bit. After checking out some cute street shops and the like, we found a great little cafe on the street, Sanctuary T, which was perfect for people watching and relaxing. We split some fresh bruschetta (sp?) and truffle mac 'n cheese for a late lunch, and we sipped on some mimosas, too. Annie, our dear friend from Colorado, met up with us too.

After a few drinks we went shopping (window for me!) in SoHo. Annie found an adorable dress from TopShop, and then we saw this...Only in NYC would a bride walk down the streets of SoHo in her wedding dress.

We headed back to the hotel and sat at the hotel bar with the bride-to-be Deborah and her family. As our friends slowly got into town they trickled in and joined us. Girls had a few drinks and appetizers, and I headed up to the hotel to relax and freshen up.

The meat packing district was calling our name as a big bunch of girls loves to dance! We went to a few spots, including The Standard, and ended up at Kiss and Fly, where we danced the night away. I love nights out dancing with the girls! By the time I made it home I had been up for almost 24 hours, and was completely exhausted. The bed screamed my name and I slept blissfully for 7 hours.

Outfit for Friday
Dress: Forever 21
Blazer: Land's End
Nude pumps: Chinese Laundry via Macy's
Purse: Kate Spade via Nordstrom (sold out - same version but larger found here; same version but canvas found here)

Googliebear!

Silly girls...

in meat packing district

Friends since Freshman year of college! (soph year college pic on left, obviously!)

More to come!

Kettle Bell Full Body Blast!

Happy Friday, friends! I don't know about you, but this week has gone by pretty quickly. At this time of year, all the way through summer, time seems to fly. The end of the year approaches so quickly, and we have quite the busy summer ahead...3 weddings, 5 showers, 1 big graduation, 1 couples vacation and several parties in the mix. Throw in a couple weekends at the lake and the new school year will be here before I know it. Phew! It will all be a blast, but quite busy.

Anyhoo, I've done pretty good with my weekly workouts, and I'm feeling much better about myself now that I have two solid weeks back in my routine. I'm feeling stronger and like I'm treating my body well.

Weekly Workouts
Sunday	Rest day…ahhh :)
Monday	Elliptical Incline Power Walking	50 mins 15 mins.
Tuesday	Elliptical “Feel the Burn” workout* Abs circuit	25 mins. 35 mins. 10 mins.
Wednesday	Elliptical Incline Power Walking	45 mins. 15 mins.
Thursday	Strength Training (legs|arms|core)	50 mins.
Friday	Elliptical Kettle Bell Full Body Blast (below!)	20 mins. 40 mins.

So, here is a new workout for you! You use kettle bells for the whole thing, which is actually a super fun way to mix up your workout. The wonderful Molly, my trainer and friend, turned me on to a bunch of these and I have loved playing around with the routines. For a lighter workout, complete the routine for a total of 1 to 2 times. I hope you have as much fun with this one as I do. You will definitely feel the burn. :)

Kettle Bell Full Body Blast! Complete each of the exercises with kettle bells at your current physical level. Repeat for total of 3 times.
Squat	12
Windmill	20
Hockey Lunge	16
Squat with Back Row *bonus for doing it on Bosu!	12
Bicep Curls	15
Lateral Shoulder Raises	15
Tricep Extension	15
Front Shoulder Raises	15
Plank with kettle on back	45 secs.
Hot potato *in V-position	45 secs.
www.laurenbrapp.blogspot.com

 
Some moves you may not be familiar with:
*Windmill
*Hockey Lunge
*Hot potato (not shown in V-position)

Have a wonderful Friday - and weekend, everyone!

Maximize Your Moves Workout

Happy Fit Fridays! I have been so bad about posting these lately. Maybe because I haven't been feeling like I was doing such a great job of staying "fit" recently. I continued my workouts but not as frequently as I had been, and I was feeling blah.

Well, this week I definitely took control and changed that. I've been at the gym every day (including Sunday), and I'm feeling so much better about myself already. So, as I write this, I've decided to try something with fit Fridays...add a "Weekly Workouts" blurb, where I share the basics of my workouts for the week. I won't post all details (though I'm happy to if you're interested!), but I will share when I went, what I did (cardio, strength training) and how long I did it. I'm aiming for some extra accountability!

Weekly Workouts (4.14-4.20.12)
Saturday	Rest Day – in Chicago!
Sunday	Elliptical Incline Power Walking	50 mins. 10 mins.
Monday	Elliptical “Maximize Your Moves” Workout (2x through)	30 mins 30 mins.
Tuesday	Elliptical “Maximize Your Moves” Workout (1x through)	35 mins. 15 mins.
Wednesday	Elliptical Incline Power Walking	45 mins. 15 mins.
Thursday	Strength Training (legs|arms|core)	55 mins.
Friday	[Plan to get 1 hour in before *date night*!]

The workout I'm sharing below is one I noted above.  I love it because so many of the moves are dual - targeting arms and abs, or legs and arms, etc. By focusing on two areas I don't have as much time to dwell on how one area is burning or whatnot. Plus, you get a whole body workout with fewer moves. Score!

So, here it is...let me know what you think! :)

Maximize Your Moves Workout
Exercise	Reps
Squats with Barbell Press	15
Wall Sit with Shoulder Raises	12
Alternating Lunges with Bicep Curl	12/leg
Alternating Reverse Lunges with Tricep Extension	12/leg
Back Rows	12
Incline Push Ups	12
Plank Side-Side (Toe Taps)	45 sec.
Russian Twist with Medicine Ball	30
*Complete the exercises a total of 2-3 times.
laurenbrapp.blogspot.com

Favorite Fit Blogs

This "Fit Friday" I decided to share some of my favorite fit/healthy living blogs with you. I've have some great workouts to share with you in the coming weeks, but I wanted to mix it up a bit this week. That, and, I'm too excited from seeing The Hunger Games and waiting for the IU game to start to create too much detail. Eek!

To start, I decided to share three of my current favorites. I've included the blog names, links and a description of the blog and/or why I love it. I have other great ones that I'll share in coming posts. So start following some of these (and don't forget about my little one...!). Happy Fit Friday! :)

Peanut Butter Fingers - I love Julie's blog. It chronicles her healthy life, but she will enjoy nights with indulgences every once and awhile. She is very real, which is important to me in following blogs. Plus, she shares great workouts and recipes!

Sweet Tooth Sweet Life - I also love Courtney's blog! It's similar to Julie's but I relate a bit more to Courtney because she shares her struggles with being healthy all the time - I feel you! She shares workouts (she's former teacher turned personal trainer!) and some yummy recipes, too.

In Sweetness and In Health - Lindsay's blog is great! It shares awesome workouts (hello, FLOW!), and tidbits of her life. I love reading her posts because she's upbeat and seems to genuinely nice. I have a feeling she'll be an awesome OT. :)

Outdoor-Friendly Exercise Circuit

I don't know about where you all live, but it has been so warm and beautiful here in Indy! It has made my kids extra energetic, but I can't really blame them. I've been itching to get outside, too! So much so that the thought of driving to the gym and starting out the windows at the sun and warmth has been unbearable.

I didn't want to miss out on my workouts and this weather, so I came up with an outdoor-friendly exercise circuit! It was so easy to do, and I knew I had to share it since it does a nice job of targeting legs (running - but only for 10 minutes at a time so don't worry you non-runners!), arms and abs. Best part? You'll be done within 45 minutes, and you could easily do this at a gym if you're not enjoying nice weather.

Happy Fit Fridays!

Outdoor-Friendly Exercise Circuit

Run for 10 Minutes

Complete the following: *50 Russian Twists *20 Push-Ups *30 V-Ups *20 Reverse Push Ups *30 Plank Toe Touches

Repeat for a total of 3 sets!

laurenbrapp.blogspot.com

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Core Circuit Workout

Fit Friday is here! I hope you didn't think I would leave you hanging two Fridays in a row. Of course not! I'm back and feeling good after my workout yesterday. So great that I am feeling the burn like whoa today. Looks like a week off from strength training took its toll. I also realized that my body was seriously missing the strength training. Even though I'm super sore, I feel so much better. I think my body is trying to tell me something...keep exercising!

Anyhoo, these are some of my favorite core exercises, one of which I was introduced to last night! I've included links and descriptions below for any that you might now recognize or know. If you have any other questions feel free to leave a comment!

Let me know what you think of this circuit! I really do love to hear from readers. Happy Friday!

Core Circuit Workout

30 Stability Ball Crunches

60-Second Plank

30 Russian Twists with Medicine Ball

30-Second Up-Up Down-Down Plank

30 Stability Ball Crunches w/ Resistance Band

30-Second Plank Toe Touches*

Complete each exercise with little to no rest. Rest for 60 seconds after completing the set. Repeat 1-2 times.

Call Me Mrs. Rapp http://laurenbrapp.blogspot.com

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Links to exercises: Russian Twists with Medicine Ball, Up-Up Down-Down Plank, Stability Ball Crunches with Resistance Band

*Plank Toe Touches: Start in a plank position, with feet together. Move your right leg to the side to touch right toes to side, and then bring it back to center. Do the same with your left side, alternating sides for the full 30 seconds. This video shows a variation but the same form (I don't use the stability ball). 

For more exercises head on over to In Sweetness and in Health!