Sweet and Spicy Mahi Mahi Tacos

Holy Monday!  This was a rough day at work and for life in general.  I have to say, this was the worst day for me since the 100 Day Challenge started.  I definitely will not be working out today.  My grandmother passed away last month and we've been cleaning out her house - today we turned over the keys.  It was a very long weekend with a lot of hard work and I can barely move right now.

I've been doing well with food though and I've been forcing my family to eat better as well.  Today's recipe is a grilled fish taco, you can adjust the spice level to suit your preferences.  I like spicy food so I went all out :)  Before anyone says it, yes, I cook my meet and veggies together.  I know all about cross contamination.  I also know all about blending flavors.  I'm a risk taker, but feel free to separate your protein from your veggies.  You could also substitute chicken breast or lean beef for you non-fish eaters....Courtney ;)  I do not have a calorie count on this, sorry guys, too many variables.

I also had a small fire while I was cooking this.  And instead of just putting it out, I stopped to take a picture with my phone.  All in the name of blogging.  Bet that makes my family feel safe!

2 pounds Mahi Mahi, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Large Red Pepper cut into 1 inch squares
1 Large Green Pepper cut into 1 inch squares
1 pound fresh or frozen and thawed pineapple cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large red onion, cut in wedges
2 packages corn tortillas (or one large package)
1 jar of Salsa - Tomatilla if you want it mild, but we used Mango Habanero

Soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes, then place fish, veggies and pineapple on them. Grill on a high heat (be sure to oil the grates or the fish and pineapple will stick) until fish is cooked, turning frequently to keep the pineapple.  Remove from grill and serve on skewers with warm tortillas, using the tortilla to remove the skewer from the good stuff.  (Or skip the tortilla and save yourself the calories)  Top with your choice of salsa and enjoy!

Next week I'm planning on a vegetarian recipe but I haven't decided what it will be yet.

Brown Baggin' It

Even more new followers, very exciting :)  I'm extra excited to see another VTNT alum!

One of my goals for the 100 Day Challenge was to eat healthier.  I do good for breakfast and dinner, its lunch that gets me.  Even as a little kid I didn't really see much appeal in a sandwich that had been sitting around for four or five hours getting mushy and warm and my feelings in that area definitely have only gotten stronger with age.  I'll occasionally take some left over pasta or soup with me to work but for the most part I eat with all the girls I work with.  I love each and every one of them in their own special way, but I don't want to share their eating habits!  When I eat food that's bad for me, I FEEL bad.  I can guarantee if I eat a half a french fry at lunch I will be tired and cranky by the end of the day - and I won't work out that night.

I've worked hard at it this week and I've got to say, it has been a challenge.  Today I had a salad, yogurt and fruit for lunch.  I've already found a perk (besides the calorie payoff!) to bringing my lunch.  My "scheduled" lunch time is 2 p.m.  I start work at 9 a.m. and usually eat breakfast around 6:30 or 7.  Everyday, around 1:30, I get a headache.  I've always attributed this headache to stress.  Guess again!  That would be my blood sugar talking!  Now that I have food available to me, I can eat it when I get hungry around noon, rather than waiting up to eight hours.

Now I just have to find a way keep myself interested in my homemade lunches.  I think this weekend I'm going to cook a couple pasta dishes and freeze individual servings to bring with me to cut down on prep time in the mornings.

I'm throwing it back to my readers now:  Do you bring lunch with you to work or order out?  How do you keep your lunches healthy?  Anyone have a way super extra amazing lunchtime recipe I can't live without?  Please share, I'd love to hear from you!

Plan B

Hey fellow 100 day challenge participants!  How was your day two?  I'd love to hear!

My day two didn't go as smoothly as planned, but I'm going to make the best of it :)

Tonight I planned on meeting Courtney for a spin class at 6:45.   We both have to go straight from work when we do this, so sometimes it doesn't work out at the last minute when one of us gets held up.  Let's just say this was NOT Court and my day.  She was stuck at work late and while I made it to the gym with plenty of time to spare, I discovered when I was changing that I forgot my shoes!  I just made it home from there, so I obviously won't be getting back in time for class.

Now its on to Plan B:  Dinner with my best friend and then a run on the treadmill.  We had good intentions going into today, and we'll get a workout in one way or the other!

What do you do when your workout plans end up not working out ?

Dinner Time!

Thanks to all the new readers and followers.  And to Court for the free advertising!

I cooked dinner tonight.  I feel a lot better when I'm the one that cooks because I know exactly what goes into the food - ultimate control freak, I know.

I made a pasta dish which I fully intend to make again for several reasons:
1) It was cheap!  I spent less than $8 on the ingredients and it made tons...The picture I took is what was left after everyone had eaten!
2) It uses mostly fresh ingredients.
3) It only has 265 calories in a serving :)
4) It made everyone happy!  Courtney came over this evening and after she picked at the food while I was cooking she wanted some to take for her lunch tomorrow!

This recipe came to be when I saw some very pretty zucchini at the grocery store yesterday.  I love pasta and I was trying to come up with the healthiest way to make some this week.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Italian Sausage and Summer Veggies

1 Box Whole Wheat Penne, cooked and drained
5 Links Jennie-O Sweet Italian Sausage
3 Zucchini, sliced
2 Summer Squash, sliced
1 Pint Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Medium Red Onion, Roughly Chopped (you want bigger chunks or they'll get lost with the other big veggies)
Oregano
Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil

Cook sausage ahead of or at the same time as the veggies.  You can grill them (that's what I did) or cook on the stove in a grill pan, just make sure any grease drains off (there should be very little grease if using lean turkey sausage). When cooked, slice into small pieces.
In a large saute pan, heat garlic in the olive oil with oregano and basil.  Add red onion, cook for about two minutes.  Add the zucchini and squash, cook until heated through, about 10 minutes.  Add sliced sausage and stir.  Add tomatoes last, cooking only until they are warm.
Combine with drained pasta and serve!

This makes about 10 very generous servings.

One last thing....I'm still playing with my layout and such, so bear with me while I'm ironing out the kinks.

First Step

My first step is starting this blog.  Join me on my journey while I train for the Nation's Triathlon next September and work to live a healthier life.  I know I can't change everything the second I wake up tomorrow morning, but I hope each day I can take one step forward - make one small change that can become one of many.

I've starting this blog as part of the 100 Day Challenge hosted by my best friend at runcourtrun.com.  Court invited her friends and fellow bloggers to join her in dedicating one hundred days to improving their lives.  As part of the challenge we were asked to submit our goals for the challenge.  These were my goals:

Eat healthier
Work out 5 days a week
Lose weight
PR at the Hot Chocolate 15K

I'm adding one more goal and I've asked Courtney to update her list for me as well:  I want to maintain my modest little blog and hopefully be able to help other people improve their lives!