The Cuter Duke

Right now Team Beachbody Coaches are participating in a Success Club Challenge -- I'll spare you the details except to say that guess who's team is currently running in second place?

I'll give you a hint...he used to drive this:

It's none other than John Schneider!

I won't pretend that I was some kind of Dukes of Hazzard aficionado growing up, but when you move to Texas and end up marrying a Texan, it's like, some kind of law that you have to catch those re-runs on TV Land. That's how I know that John Schneider is the cuter Duke brother, and since in real life he's a Team Beachbody Coach, he must be pretty smart, too. 

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Workout of the Day

Insanity: Asylum: Vertical Plyo

Last week Zach and I missed some workouts due to being out of town, so we made good on them yesterday and today. We did the Fit Test on the scheduled day so that we would be fresh. From the likes of how my legs feel right now, that was a good decision!

Since all the workouts are now completed, we did final measurements this morning, too. Zach and I are both pretty lean, so we weren't sure if we would see any measurable results. Here's what we found out:

Weight lost -- Susan: 3 lbs.  Zach: 3.8 lbs.

Body fat lost -- Susan: 3%   Zach: 5%

Waist -- Susan 0.5 inches lost   Zach: 0.75 inches lost

Hips -- Susan  0.4 inches lost   Zach: 1 inch lost

Thigh -- Susan 0.25 gained   Zach:  0.60 gained (we did A LOT of jumping!)

Bringing It: P90X in the U.K.

Meet Phil, one of my customers who lives across the pond in the U.K. After pulling some strings to get Beachbody to send him the program overseas, he started P90X three months ago. He followed the program to a "T" and posted his thoughts and experience on the Beachbody message boards throughout the 90 days.

He had awesome results, and I am so proud of him for sticking with the program. He has made fitness a priority in his life and is experiencing all the benefits that come with that choice. Next up for Phil: Insanity. I can't wait to hear about his success with Shaun T's butt-kicker of a program!

Here are some excerpts from Phil's journal on the Beachbody message boards:

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4/23/2011

My Story so far,

February 2005 weighed in at 217lb, had quit smoking, cleaned up my diet, started cycling, going to the gym and lifting weights, that year saw me shed 57lb.

I kept everything up for over a year, then had some mental health issues, fell of the wagon, kept going to the gym and working out but my diet was all over the place.

This brings me to today, 206lb, fed up with being a porker, you can see my starting pic have tons of lovely looking clothes in my cupboard that i cannot get into, enough is enough, P90x is here so as from Monday 25th April 2011, I am going to "BRING IT" big time.

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4/29/2011

Oh boy this program is tough with a capital X.

Half way through I really felt like throwing up, this is so tough, but guess what I am really enjoying it, ok maybe at my current fitness level which isn't to bad, perhaps i am pushing a bit to hard, as the heart rate is up on the limit most of the work out.

Max HR 185, average HR 153 Hmn cals burned 853.

I do see it as the only way to improve though.

I shall be performing AB Ripper X later in the day.

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5/25/2011

I am lovin this P90x, I feel so tuned into the whole thing, the workouts the diet, its great, I am so glad my daughter found it, funny thing is she was looking for something for herself, I bought the X and the rest is history.

Sure its tough, but then anything worth having should be hard won.

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7/25/2011

Apart from the odd blip from a couple of weeks ago, I have made it to the end, a great journey it has been.

I started out thinking this was all about fat loss, now I am at the end i now realise it is far more.

I have found an inner strength, a better sense of my body, I can push harder than I have ever been able to before.

My fitness has improved vastly too, sometimes when you carry out the same routine you feel that you are struggling, you look back a couple of sessions and think, I did not struggle like that before, then after the session you compare notes, and the answer smacks you in the face, all the numbers have gone up, the numbers that have not but have in-fact dropped, i refer to the heart rate, maximum and average, in my case all gone down, the answer is Improved strength, stamina and overall fitness.

My starting stats were:

Weight : 206lb

Chest : 43"

Waist(abdomen) 43"

Hips 39.5"

Thighs 23"

Arms 13.5"


Stats at the end:

Weight : 192.4lb Total loss of 13.6lb

Chest : 40.75" 2.25" gone

Waist(abdomen) 41" 2" gone

Hips 38.5" 1" gone

Thighs 22"

Arms 13.5"

I am very pleased with the results, it would have been nice to have shed more of the lard, but at least I know I have shed it slowly enough that all the loss, should only be fat.

I am going to be doing another round soon, but first I am going to do Insanity, in-fact I started today, performed the fit test.

As you can see I have a long way to go, however I have time and patience on my side.

Keep Bringing it.

See you soon.

Phil.

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Workout of the Day

 P90X One on One - Yoga MC:2

Insanity: The Asylum, Day 30 Fit Test

Whew! Thirty days of Asylum are now behind us, and I have to say that I'm really impressed with this program. It's tough! I think the thing I liked best about it is how it involves both your brain and your body. When I started, I felt completely out of control...flailing all over the place, hitting the agility ladder, completely inept at the jump rope moves. By the end I was flying through the agility ladder and hardly ever missing any of the fancy jump rope footwork.

I don't think I've ever been so mentally drained by a workout as I was after Game Day and Overtime, 75 minutes of sports drills ranging from football to basketball to wrestling to surfing. I was in la la land for several hours after that one.

This morning was the closing fit test, and I improved in all areas except one. The first number listed is from day one, and the second number is from this morning: (All exercises were completed for one minute.)

Agility Heisman     7 / 9
In and Out Ab Progression     37 / 49
Pull Ups     10 / 15
Mountain Climber Switch Kicks     60 / 100
Agility Shoulder Taps     5 / 6
X Jumps     35 / 38
Moving Push Ups     3 / 3
Agility Lateral Shuffle      13 / 17
Agility Bear Crawl     8 / 13


Here are Zach's 30-day results:


Agility Heisman     10 / 11
In and Out Ab Progression     50 / 55
Pull Ups     15 / 20
Mountain Climber Switch Kicks     74 / 104
Agility Shoulder Taps     6 / 7.5
X Jumps     40 / 44
Moving Push Ups     DNC / 5.5 (did not complete first round due to chest muscle injury)
Agility Lateral Shuffle      15 / 17
Agility Bear Crawl     13 / 15


The improvements are due to three things:

1. Better conditioning.
2. Knowledge of the moves.
3. Knowing how to push myself further. (Shaun T.'s yelling is pretty motivating.)

Up next will be a hybrid of P90X and the Asylum. We haven't decided if we are going to use the provided hybrid schedule or if we'll make our own. 

Overall, I'm really glad we decided to tackle the Asylum. I recommend it to anyone with a solid fitness foundation who wants to take it to the next level. 

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Workout of the Day

Insanity: The Asylum - Fit Test

Monday Nutrition Tip of the Week: PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter

We have some serious peanut butter addicts in this household. Zach is the main offender, as he is frequently seen dipping a giant tablespoon into the peanut butter jar and eating it for a snack. It looked so good that Drew wanted to give it a try, and since "Monkey See, Monkey Do" is the mantra for all younger siblings, Kate's gotten into the mix too. I love my celery and peanut butter with raisins, peanut butter in oatmeal, peanut butter in Shakeology...Is there anything that peanut butter doesn't improve?

Natural peanut butter is a great source of healthy fat, but it's so easy to go overboard since it tastes so good.

Enter PB2, the powdered peanut butter!

You guys, this stuff is amazing. I'd heard about it for a few months before finally doing my research and finding a local retailer last week.

Here's the scoop: A company called Bell Plantation slow roasts peanuts and then presses them to remove the fat and oil. The result is "an exquisitely natural roasted peanut butter flavor that's deliciously rich in taste, easy to enjoy and wonderfully healthy." (That came from the jar, but I can wholeheartedly concur.)

Here are the stats as compared to our other favorite peanut butter, Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter:



(Smucker's stats first, followed by PB2):

Serving Size: 2 TB (both)
Calories: 200 / 45
Total Fat: 16 grams / 1.5 grams
Sat. Fat: 2.5 grams / 0 grams
Sodium: 105 mg / 94 mg
Total Carb: 6 grams / 5 grams
Sugar: 1 gram / 1 gram
Protein: 7 grams / 5 grams

Wow. That's crazy! And this stuff tastes good. You can add 1 tablespoon of water to two tablespoons of powder and make real peanut butter, or just use the powder in a shake (delicious in Shakeology), or in oatmeal, etc. All the peanut butter taste, a fraction of the fat content.

Bell Plantation has tons of recipes on its site that range from cookies to Chinese food to protein bars. One jar cost me $7 at the Beef Jerky Outlet next to Bass Pro Shop in Rockwall, but you can order through Amazon or directly from Bell Plantation. Here's the link to find a store near you that carries PB2.

And oh, did I mention they have chocolate PB2 as well? Slap me sideways.

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Workout of the Day

Insanity: The Asylum - Speed and Agility

It's our last week! Fit test tomorrow -- I'll post my results to show how much I've improved. 

I don't think that's what MyFitnessPal had in mind...

So, I think my food journal is causing me to eat more food than normal.

Let me explain. We're doing Asylum now and burning a bunch of calories in our workouts, so there are usually some "unused" calories left at the end of the day. Instead of being happy with that and going to bed, I'm immediately transported to a 1980s episode of Wheel of Fortune, back when they used their prize winnings to go shopping in a lovely showroom of prizes and gifts.

Do you remember that? "I'll take the ceramic dalmatian for $400, Pat."

But instead of a hideous dalmatian, I'm spending my calorie winnings on handfuls of cereal and almonds, some cherries, a pile of dried cranberries. Maybe all four of those things with a splash of almond milk. Am I hungry? No. But that screen says I've got calories to spend, and dangit I'm spending 'em!

I guess the lesson here is that even though keeping a food journal can be a valuable tool to keep your caloric intake in check, you should never forget to slow down and ask yourself if you really are hungry. Don't ever let Pat Sajak talk you into getting that dalmatian MyFitnessPal talk you into another brownie just because of some numbers show a deficit on the screen. Listen to your body...it knows more than a computer program.

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Workout of the Day
Insanity: The Asylum - Strength

Monday Nutrition Tip of the Week: Fancy Dinner

When people find out that Zach and I are "Healthy Eaters," we sometimes get sympathetic (or maybe bewildered?) looks along with what I suspect is a dose of pity. I'm sure they picture us with plates piled high with kale and collared greens, with a side of radishes for dessert.

Don't get me wrong...we do eat our fair share of raw vegetables (and like them, too). But by my estimation, we are eating far better-tasting and nutritious foods than we ever have in our married lives. I'd bet dollars for doughnuts (pun intended) that if the "Non-healthy Eaters" in our lives were to come over and eat dinner with us, they'd be blown away by how good healthy food can taste.

And the real kicker is that this stuff is not hard to make.Take the dinner I made last Friday night. I started at 5:00 and we were sitting down to a seriously fancy, restaurant-like meal at 6:00. And most of that time was sitting around waiting for the vegetables to be done.

This is Fillets and Spinach with Balsamic Vinaigrette from the Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. (How I love my old red-and-white checkered cook book!) I picked out the recipe an hour before dinner. It was pretty to look at and even better to eat. I used tilapia fillets, and served roasted asparagus and roasted sweet and new potatoes as the side dishes.

Ingredients

• 1
  pound fresh or frozen fish fillets, 3/4 to 1 inch thick
• 4
  cups baby spinach leaves, trimmed
• 1
  medium onion, cut into thin wedges
• 3
  tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
• 1
  medium red or yellow sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/8
  teaspoon salt
• 1/8
  teaspoon black pepper
• 2
  tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1
  tablespoon honey
  
  
  directions
  

  1.Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut fish into
  four serving-size pieces, if necessary. Set aside. Place spinach in a large bowl; set aside. In a large skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon of the oil
  over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender and slightly golden. Add sweet pepper; cook and stir for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir onion mixture into spinach; transfer to a serving platter. Set aside.

  
  

  2.Meanwhile, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. 

  In same large skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add fish; cook for 4 minutes. Carefully turn fish. Reduce heat to medium; cook 3 minutes more or until fish begins to flake when tested with a fork. Place fish fillets on top of wilted spinach; cover to keep warm.

  
  

  3.In a small bowl stir together the balsamic vinegar and honey. 

  Add to skillet. Cook and stir until heated through, scraping up any browned bits. To serve, spoon balsamic vinaigrette over fish and spinach.

  
  

  4.Makes 4 servings

  
  

  This dinner has your lean protein, healthy fat, and colorful veggies. It's the real deal! Try it when you want to impress someone.
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  Workout of the Day
  Insanity: The Asylum - Back to Core
  
  
  
  

Let this be a lesson

When Texas gardening expert Neil Sperry indicates that you should thin out your baby squash plants before they get too big, you should take heed.

It's incredibly difficult to wade through those vines to find the zucchini.

I was going to title this post, "Check out these melons!" but was afraid of the web traffic that would solicit.

A bee in action. Pollinate, bee, pollinate!

It's been incredibly dry this summer, but our garden is hanging in there. The tomatoes are suffering, but the yellow squash have started another round of production, and we have about 15 cantaloupe on the vines, some of which are much larger than you can buy at the store. I plan on weighing that one in the picture above before we eat it -- it's the biggest we've ever grown!

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What do you think about the 5-day Challenge? Could you commit to five days of Shakeology, clean eating, and exercise? It will be easier than you might think -- the hardest part will be making the decision to do it.

Let me know by this Monday so that I can be sure to have enough Shakeology packets. Take a chance! You never know what you're capable of till you try.

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Workout of the Day

Insanity: The Asylum - Game Day and Overtime.

You guys, this workout destroyed my legs. And my core. And my arms. It's more than an hour after we finished, and I'm still in a bit of a haze. There will be some serious hydrating and possibly a hot bath tonight in the hopes of avoiding a massive leg cramp in the night. 

You'd think there would be a rest day after 75 minutes of very intense exercise, but no. Sadly, no. Tomorrow is Vertical Plyo, another leg destroyer. I said a few months ago that I wanted to concentrate on legs this summer. I definitely got my wish.

A New 5-Day Challenge

"Life's challenges aren't supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are." - Bernice Johnson Reagon

This summer we've been working with Drew on his swimming skills. Like many kids, he's not a fan of putting his face in the water. A few weeks ago I devised a series of challenges that were designed to help him accomplish some new swimming goals. 

The first was to simply hold his nose and put his head under water. The second was to hold his nose while I pushed him down so that he sat on the bottom of the shallow part of the pool. He gradually progressed all the way to Challenge #11, which was to swim the width of the pool with his face underwater. 

Drew responds to "Challenges" really well. If I were to ask him to stick his head underwater, he'd say no. Put it in "Challenge" form, though, and his little ears perk up and all of a sudden it's a big deal. He's excited to accomplish the goal.

When he swam the width of the pool underwater, you couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He knew he'd accomplished something big. He had met the challenge.

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This week I issued a new challenge to my Beachbody customers. It's a 5-day Shakeology/Clean Eating/Exercise challenge designed to show you just how far you can come in as little as 5 days. 

Here is what the challenge entails:

• Challenge dates are August 1-5, 2011
• For $30, I will provide you with 5 packets of Shakeology.
• I will provide a meal plan and recipes - you must purchase and fix food for yourself. Each day will consist of breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner.
• You must work out for at least 30 minutes per day during the challenge.
• You will log your food and exercise into myfitnesspal.com and send me your log nightly.
• Measurements and weight taken at the beginning and end of the challenge will determine the "winner". Prize is to be determined.

There are several reasons why I would like people to complete this challenge.

• To allow people to sample Shakeology for five days. I understand that it's an expensive product and people might not be ready to buy a whole month's worth.
• To show how clean eating can be both simple and delicious. 
• To demonstrate how daily exercise impacts your body both physically and mentally.

I will set up a private Facebook group for challenge participants to share tips and encouragement with each other. 

Send me a message by Monday, June 18 if you'd like to participate in the challenge. I think five days of clean eating and exercise is an attainable goal that could be a springboard to more permanent changes in your fitness. 

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Workout of the Day

Insanity: The Asylum - Strength

You know a workout is tough when...

...they have to bleep out the trainer because he said a nasty word during one of the exercises.

Insanity: The Asylum, Vertical Plyo. Our motto during this workout is, "Think how easy P90X Plyometrics will seem now!"

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This week I've gotten back into using www.myfitnesspal.com. Zach is pretty dedicated when it comes to logging his food, but I have gotten away from it. I'm organizing a 5-day Shakeology/Clean Eating/Exercise Challenge, though (more on that later), and one of the requirements for the participants is that they log their food and send me their journal each night. Since I don't want to ask them to do something that I'm not doing, I have made that a priority this week.

My favorite thing about myfitnesspal is "earning" extra calories through exercise. It takes me right back to my school days, where I would obnoxiously accumulate extra credit points to make my 99% a 103%. (Yes, I was "that girl" with the extra credit. I can't say that high school was much of a challenge for me academically. But don't worry, I got my bag handed to me the first semester of college when I narrowly escaped Business Math -- a.k.a. Math for Dummies -- with a low C.)

We're still sticking to the Shaun T Asylum nutrition plan pretty closely, so I generally don't have to worry about getting out of control on the calorie count. But seeing those bonus calories is a super motivator. If you haven't tried using myfitnesspal yet, I highly recommend it. Even if you just take one week out of your life to get a reality check on your food intake (that Starbucks latte cost me HOW MANY calories???), it's a valuable exercise.

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Workout of the Day

Insanity: The Asylum - Vertical Plyo

We are more than halfway through the 30 days of Asylum. My body is pretty tired, but I can already see improvements in my quickness and agility. 

Monday Nutrition Tip of the Week: Chickpea Recipe

I'm really getting adventurous when it comes to beans. Consider the recipe I found in Real Simple magazine and fixed a few weeks ago: Chickpea and Raisin Salad with cilantro. Huh? I had never seen anything like that! But at the same time: chickpeas? yum. Raisins? ooh! Cilantro? I'm sold. Mix them all together (with a few other key ingredients) and you've got yourself an interesting and healthy side dish.

Try it this week...if you dare!

Chickpea and Raisin Salad from Real Simple Magazine

Photo from Real Simple Magazine

• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 cup fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine the raisins, vinegar, and sugar and bring just to a simmer; remove from heat and let cool.
2. In a large bowl, toss the chickpeas, cilantro, scallions, and raisin mixture with the oil, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. 

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Workout of the Day

Insanity: The Asylum: Speed and Agility -- Group workout day!

It's not what you lose, it's what you gain

We just got back from a camping trip at Dinosaur Valley State Park, where we hiked, biked, went fishing, and climbed up and down steep river beds to hunt dinosaur tracks. We took a three-hour canoe trip down the Brazos river, stopping now and again to play in the water and enjoy the scenery.

We had a blast.

Even though someone wasn't happy about appearing in photographs.

At the tail end of a dinosaur tail drag.

Whenever we attend a Beachbody event, we inevitably hear from people who have lost 50, 60, sometimes 100 pounds working out at home. They are inspiring stories, for sure. But one thing most of those people say is that it's not about the weight that they lost, it's about everything that they gain by having a healthy body back. Being able to play football with their kids, going hiking, or dancing again.

If Zach and I had to pick the primary reason for eating well and staying in shape, keeping up with our kids would be reason number one. We want to be able to show them the ropes and give them a run for their money well into our 40s, 50s, and 60s. We can't wait to take the kids on a mountain bike trail or run a 5K with them. We don't want to be on the sidelines, wishing we could do more.

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Workout of the Day

Insanity Asylum: Back to Core

Monday Nutrition Tip of the Week: There's never a bad time to fix chili

It will be 100 degrees in  my neck of the Texas woods today, and probably tomorrow, too. My plants are shriveling up, and my dog's shed hair is collecting like tumbleweeds in the corner of the yard. So what did I fix for dinner last week?

Chili, of course!

I stumbled upon this recipe on a new website I found while searching for a salmon filet marinade. It's Santa Fe Chicken Chili from Fried Eggs and Toast, a blog that is "Part Nutrition, Part Education, Part Policy. Combine."

This is actually a great summertime chili (if there is such a thing) because it's sweet and spicy, and uses chicken instead of beef. It's great with heaping pile of cilantro and fresh lime. We really liked it! Here's the recipe...try it out soon.

Santa Fe Chicken Chili: (Serves 4-6)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin, to taste
1 teaspoon ground cayenne or chipotle pepper, to taste
1 sweet medium sweet potato, peeled, diced
2 15-oz. cans pinto or white beans, rinsed, drained
1 28-oz. can Fire Roasted Tomatoes, with juice
8-oz. (1 cup) chopped roasted green chilies- mild or hot
2 cups chicken broth, more if needed
1 tablespoon balsamic or apple cider vinegar
A small drizzle of agave
2 heaping cups cooked chicken pieces- hand torn looks nice
1 juice of lime or lime to taste

In a large pot heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat and cook chopped onions until they are soft and translucent.  This step should take 3-5 minutes depending on stove.  Once onions are translucent add your tablespoon of cumin, cayenne pepper, and minced garlic.  Stir to combine and cook for an additional minute.  Add chopped sweet potato, pinto or white beans, green chiles, chicken or vegetable stock, 1 tablespoon of balsamic or apple cider vinegar and a drizzle of agave.  Stir gently to combine.  Bring to a simmer then lower heat, cover pot with lid and cook for 30 minutes or until your sweet potato is soft.  After 30 minutes or so add cooked chunks of chicken and lime juice.  Continue warming pot without lid and add any additional spices, agave, or lime juice and voila you are done.

Photo from Fried Eggs and Ham website.

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Workout of the Day

Insanity: The Asylum: Back to Core

Group workout today with our Asylum buddies! Asylum is a 30-day program, and our goal is to work out once a week with the people who are going through the program with us. We are trying to do a different workout each time we meet, and that meant that we needed to meet on the 4th of July this week. Were there any complainers about meeting on a holiday? NOPE! It's awesome to hang out with such dedicated people.

A Major Pizza Announcement

Ya'll, I ate pizza last night. I bet you thought I couldn't have pizza since I'm on that pesky break with dairy, right? Well Shaun T wouldn't leave me stranded without pizza for 30 days.

Behold, the "Tofu Ricotta Cheese Veggie Pizza":

Veggie on the right, regular old mozz on the left for the kids. I didn't eat any cheese, I promise!

Now before I'm struck upside the head with a projectile thrown by a Pizza Purist, just give me a chance to explain.

In the Asylum Get Shredded Meal Plan, there is a recipe for Chicken Pita Pizza that shows you how to make "Ricotta Cheese" out of tofu. I like tofu and am willing to experiment with it, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.

It was really simple. All you do is take 4 tablespoons of firm tofu and smash it with a fork. Then you add a dash of garlic powder, pinch of dried oregano, a pinch of dried basil, dash of salt, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. You mix it all up, and low and behold you've got a ricotta-looking substance. And it tasted like ricotta, too!

Before you turn your nose up, let's compare the nutrition info between a half cup of tofu and a half cup of mozzarella cheese:

Tofu
Calories: 88
Fat: 5 grams (1 gram saturated)
Sodium: 15 grams
Protein: 10 grams

Mozzarella Cheese (shredded, part skim, low moisture)
Calories: 170
Fat: 12 grams (9 gram saturated)
Sodium: 298 grams
Protein: 14 grams

So tofu has half the calories, less than half the fat (especially the saturated kind, which is the bad stuff), virtually no sodium, and some good protein (although less than the cheese).

Now, did this taste like Pizza Hut pizza? No. Did the grease pool in the middle of the pie? No. And were there strings of cheesy goodness stretching between the pan and my plate? No and no. But this was good pizza.

It had great flavor (part of which was due to my new homemade sauce, which I'll share below), and good texture. It kept me in line with my 30-day non-dairy goal, while still allowing me to have some pizza. It was worth the effort, and I would fix it again. I would even suggest using the tofu ricotta in a lasagna, but probably as a way to reduce the amount of total cheese that you use, not as a complete replacement. (A lasagna's got to have cheese!)

The other great new thing about this pizza was the fresh tomato sauce that I made in about 3.5 minutes. I found the recipe in this month's Southern Living, and it could not be any easier or more delicious. All you do is get a 14-oz. can of Italian stewed or diced tomatoes and mix it in a blender or food processor with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. It tasted so fresh and tangy! It was one thousand times better than Ragu. Seriously.

It's Friday! Make some tofu ricotta cheese pizza for me. And also, have a great 4th of July, everyone!

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Workout of the Day

Asylum: Relief

Nearly a week of Asylum in the books, and Zach and I are loving this workout. Vertical Plyo yesterday was some crazy jumping, and I was drenched in sweat at the end. Usually Zach's the only one standing in a pool at the end of the workout, but I had my own little pool yesterday, too. I even saw some drip off the end of my hair. Crazy!