Take-In Thursday

Happy Thursday!

Today we wanted to share with you a fun and seasonal treat that you can make for your friends and family for Halloween! It has a nice sweet taste that we think everyone will enjoy :) We found the recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen Series. We have provided the recipe below for you to look at and see if you want to try it for yourselves! We hope you have some fun preparing them and the rest of your creative halloween dishes.

 Today's Recipe:

Maple-caramel popcorn balls from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen

Simple pleasures, such as hot cider on a crisp morning or a still-warm cinnamon-sugared donut, are often times the best ones. We took some of our favorite fall-time flavors and rolled them into one sticky snack: the popcorn ball. Kettle corn gives these balls that perfect sweet-salty crunch, while puffed cereals adds a light, airy quality. But what makes these popcorn balls truly special is the maple-cider caramel that we whisk into the melted marshmallows. It’s total crunchy-sweet satisfaction.

Maple-Cider Popcorn Balls

Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen

Yield: Nine 3-inch popcorn balls

Cook Time: 30 minutes

• INGREDIENTS
Nonstick cooking spray
1½ cups unsweetened puffed rice cereal
1½ cups puffed Kamut cereal (or substitute puffed rice cereal)
½ cup puffed millet cereal
7 cups store-bought kettle corn or freshly popped popcorn (preferably kettle corn-style, lightly buttered or unflavored)
¾ cup apple cider or juice
¼ cup maple syrup
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 ounces marshmallows (either 3 cups mini marshmallows or 3¼ cups jumbo marshmallows)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Generously coat the interior of a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. On a rimmed baking sheet, place the puffed rice, puffed Kamut and puffed millet, and bake in the oven until fragrant and toasted, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to the greased bowl. Add the popcorn and use your fingers to combine.

2. To a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, add the apple cider and maple syrup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the maple-cider mixture produces thick, foamy bubbles and the temperature on an instant-read thermometer is 250°, 12 to 15 minutes (you can also test the temperature by dipping a metal spoon into the hot maple caramel and then submerging it in ice water; after 5 seconds, you should be able to press the bit of cooled caramel into a soft ball). Turn off the heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter, whisking to combine, then whisk in the cinnamon and salt.

3. While the maple-apple cider mixture caramelizes, melt the marshmallows: In a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add the marshmallows and reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally until the marshmallows are melted, about 3 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the maple-cider caramel into the marshmallow mixture, whisking to combine. Immediately scrape the marshmallow-maple caramel over the popcorn mixture and use a wooden spoon to thoroughly combine. The mixture will become very webby.

4. Immediately use the nonstick cooking spray to generously spray your hands and form the mixture into nine 3-inch balls, respraying your hands as needed to prevent sticking. Place the popcorn balls on a baking sheet and set aside for least 1 hour to set up before eating.

We hope you enjoy!

Get Fit For It,
 D & K

Workout Wednesday ~ Straight leggin' it

Hi Everyone!

The week is quickly slipping by, how have you been doing with your health and fitness schedule? Today is the day to get back on track or continue pushing through the hard work you have been doing. This workout we designed for one of our clients that had runner's knee and wanted to workout but not aggravate the injury by bending the knee. We challenge you to try it and see if you think it is tough enough for you! Do want you need to do to modify for your fitness level, whether it be doing less or more! Good luck and have fun!

Today's #TrainingOpportunity:

             -Equipment Needed: mat, dumbbells (M), gliders, MB

Warm up: 3 rounds of 30 sec

-Jumping jax

-Opp arm- leg touch w/ leg lift

-Standing Russian twist w/ MB

Set #1: 2 rounds of 20 reps or 30s sets

-One-leg Dead lift w/ wt

-leg lifts - Front, Side, Back

-Inch worm

-Plank walk w/ ft on gliders

Set #2: 2-3 rounds of 30s

-Standing torso twist

-Jabs

-Uppercuts

-L-L-R jabs then R-R-L jabs

Partner work: 1-2 rounds of 20 reps

-Side cross-pivot throws w/ MB (both sides)

-Overhead throws w/ MB

-Back-to-back russian twists w/ MB

-Plank/Pushup claps

Table Top series: (both sides) 30s or 20 reps

-Opp arm/leg hold

-Straight leg back lifts

-Side leg lifts

-Back to side swings w/tap or no tap

Mat Work: 45-60s holds or 20 reps

Forearm to hand plank
Superman
Forearm plank with leg lifts (10/side)
Boat pose w/ twist-hold center switch
Forearm plank w/ knee ins (10/side)
4-step leg lower/lifts

In&Out Scissors
Pike w/ Gliders
Straight leg on floor crunch up
Alt V-ups (w/ wt)

Finish the workout with 3 sets of pushups (pick 3 different variations)

We hope you have a great workout!

Challenge Accepted!

Get Fit For It,
D & K

Photos from:
www.mensfitness.com
www.cardioworkoutset.com
www.woldfitness.com
www.123rf.com

Tuesday Tunes ~ Drew's Twift Picks

Guess what happened yesterday? Twift’s highly anticipated album, Red, came out! Since I’m a huge Twift fan I decided to give you guys five of my favorite picks (one from each of her four albums and a bonus pick from Red). Enjoy!

1. Red (Album: Red)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZW8QNIiu1A

2. 22 (Album: Red)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjAuNhufppM

3. Speak Now (Album: Speak Now)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeYrzpcU72w

4. Fearless (Album: Fearless)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCqq48pOZM4

5. Our Song (Album: Taylor Swift)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb2stN7kH28

Motivational Monday

Good Morning Everyone!

We hope you had a great weekend! Congrats to everyone who completed an event! Take today to recover and plan your workouts for the week. Remember stretching and foam rolling are both as important as the training and nutrition! Take the time to recover, rest and heal your body.

Today, we want to help you get through the frustrating times in your life where you feel overwhelmed with work, "to-do's" and life itself. Do you have a stressful week ahead or is there a big decision you must make soon? You are not the only one that is struggling with big life decisions, changes or stresses. Keep in mind that life will always have it's ups and downs but it is how we push through the downs and appreciate the ups that makes all the difference!

Drew found this fun article over the weekend that we want to share with you. We hope you enjoy it!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2012/10/04/40-things-to-say-before-you-die/

Instead of stressing over all that you have to do, make a list of all that needs to get done and prioritize it. Then, start with the first item on the list and just try to accomplish one at a time and not worry about the rest until the first is complete. Take a break to keep your mind clear and alert - go for a walk, workout, meditate ... whatever helps you regain your sanity!!! Keep up some of your routine, because something is better than nothing!

Take a deep, calm inhale and now, exhale slowly.

Challenge Accepted!

Get Fit For It,
D & K

Weekend Warrior! Good Luck fellow Tough Mudder Participants!

Hello Weekend!!!!

Good Luck to everyone participating in a race! I am participating in my 3rd Tri-State Tough Mudder today with 2 other friends and some others coming from different states. Today's photos are personal photos from previous Tough Mudders we have participated in that we wanted to share with everyone! Hopefully there will be some fun ones after today to add to the collection :)

If you are not out there racing this weekend, see if you can create your own race, event or challenge that you can do with friends or family. Whatever it is, make sure you never stop smiling and never give up!

.

Here are some articles for you to read if you have some down time and want to read...

Cooking with Pumpkin:http://www.freep.com/article/20121017/FEATURES02/310170186/Put-another-face-on-pumpkin-The-versatile-vegetable-brings-its-popular-flavor-to-surprising-recipes

Skipping breakfast may cause you to crave fatty foods:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19962588

What is the perfect Food Label?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/opinion/sunday/bittman-my-dream-food-label.html?emc=eta1&_r=0

This weekend we leave you with a quote to hold onto and think back at when the going gets tough.

“Courage is the commitment to begin without any guarantee of success.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Get Fit For It,

D & K

Get Fit For Friday! Challenge Accepted!

TGIF!

Friday is a special day for many of us because it marks the end of the week and the beginning of the weekend. In Get Fit For It's world, Friday marks a #TrainingOpportunity! Friday is the day with an added challenge, mental and/or physical, we must break through and accomplish before our weekend can start.

Today, we present to you a challenge  Drew loves to do!

The Challenge:

The 3-Minute Pushup Challenge - How many can you do in 3 minutes?

If this seems too easy or short for you, add in more time or do multiple sets. Remember you can do different types of push ups to add to the challenge and always remember to drop to your knees if your form becomes compromised.

In addition to push ups, you can challenge yourself to other 3-minute challenges, such as, wall sits, pull ups, handstands... you name it!

Have fun and get it done!

Get Fit For Friday!

Challenge Accepted,

D & K

photos from:
www.katyproduce.com
http://www.bodyweighttraininghq.com/how-to-do-a-push-up/
http://www.body-mania.com/Exercises

Take-In Thursday ~ Quinoa Smoothie

Happy Thursday!

We can't believe it is already Thursday! The weeks keep flying by! We encourage you to keep up all the great work you have done this week and never stop.

Today, we are sharing a quinoa smoothie recipe with everyone. It is a great vegan recipe for someone looking for a nutrient-filled smoothie. It is a great recovery drink for after one of your hard workouts too!

Quinoa-Berry Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

3 oz tofu

1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup vanilla almond milk

2/3 cup frozen fruit of choice (Blueberry-strawberry mix)

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to thedirections on the package.

2. In a blender, add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. You may want to add some additional ice for a thicker consistency.

3. Serve and Enjoy!

Why is This Drink A Great Post-Exercise Snack?

This is a great recovery food after a workout because of its rich nutrient profile. It has lots of carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores in your muscle cells including a whole grain source from the quinoa. It also has adequate amount of complete protein from the quinoa and tofu to help build and repair the muscles you just worked and broke down. The chia seeds provide omega 3 fatty acids to help reduce inflammation and the fruit, blueberries in particular, are rich in antioxidants and assist in the recovery process.

We hope you have a great day!

Get Fit For it,

D & K

Resources used:
http://www.healthfulsense.com/2011/06/04/coconut-mango-quinoa-smoothie-with-chia-seeds/
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&biw=1440&bih=715&tbm=isch&tbnid=rmODMfBQ30MDQM:&imgrefurl=http://www.town.dennis.ma.us/Pages/DennisMA_NaturalResources/Blueberry&docid=hFDHqLcyTLG5eM&imgurl=http://www.town.dennis.ma.us/Pages/DennisMA_NaturalResources/016015E9-000F8513.0/Blueberries.jpg&w=468&h=313&ei=ZROAUNGIE-jz0gHo3YHoDQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=156&sig=110087427172794143653&page=1&tbnh=149&tbnw=194&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:0,i:120&tx=84&ty=85
http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1440&bih=715&tbm=isch&tbnid=HE1B4QwMvv_uXM:&imgrefurl=http://www.gorgeouslywed.com/2012/10/foodie-monday/&docid=IzExpWDDRZ02yM&imgurl=http://data.whicdn.com/images/25772722/tumblr_m1p032Pv5w1qclu6ao1_500_large.jpg&w=500&h=332&ei=TROAULmzNeX40gGOvIHQBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=561&vpy=164&dur=156&hovh=183&hovw=276&tx=33&ty=207&sig=110087427172794143653&page=1&tbnh=157&tbnw=211&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:80