Body Beast Leg Day

I'm definitely not up to daily workouts yet, so I was more than willing to take several days off while our hardwood floors in the living room were being refinished (again!). Now that we've moved the TV and furniture back into the room (again), I did the next Body Beast workout.

Today was "Build: Legs." It's about 40 minutes long, and you will need weights, a sturdy chair, and a yoga mat. If you have an exercise step, that would be helpful too. I used 5 lb and 10 lb weights. It's low impact (don't do high-knees with jumps, just lift your knees one at a time), but it requires quite a bit of balance. You'll need to be extra careful to keep correct form, so you don't put extra stress on your knees and ankles. Luckily, if you keep up with leg workouts, your balance will improve! Plus the extra muscle in your legs will help support arthritic joints too. (Be sure to check with your doctor before any new workouts though!) If you find that you really need to work on your balance & you don't mind spending a bit of money, I can't recommend the BOSU Ball enough! I love it. I just stand on it from time to time, eventually moving up to just standing on one leg at a time.

Body Beast - Just Starting

So you may have noticed in my links on the side bar, I'm a Beachbody coach. I started with the Piyo program, but a few months ago I ordered the Body Beast program. I haven't been an active coach, since I don't have a "before & after transformation" story.  Due to my health issues, my story is more of a daily journey. Many people have dramatic success with the Beachbody programs & lose weight. I still struggle to press play on a routine basis. I have Sjögren's syndrome, Hashimoto's hypothyroidism, & fibromyalgia. This means I'm in pain, mostly joint pain, and I'm more tired every day than most people can comprehend. I can't run anymore. I can't do any workouts with impact anymore.

So why am I posting about a workout program? My up-line coach, Erin, encouraged me to try documenting my experience on here. (By the way, that's an awesome perk of buying a Beachbody program from a coach, they really do coach you!) I want to share with you my experience attempting to workout regularly, of trying to not feel limited by my illnesses. Body Beast may seem intimidating to a lot of people, since it's weight lifting. However, the moves don't involve impact on my joints, and the slow pace works well for me when I'm tired. Since I'm just starting out, I'm using a stability ball instead of a bench, and I'm using really light weights. You can increase the weight you use as you get stronger, so feel free to start with light weights. I even use the stability ball to help me do push-ups. Today I completed the Build chest & triceps workout, using 5 lbs weights for everything.

My advice for this workout for anyone with similar limitations as me: use a thick workout mat for push-ups to support your knees and wrists. Also, be very careful getting on and off of the stability ball. Move slowly into position. And it's essential for anyone doing weight lifting, write down what weights you used!

If you want more information, or you want to join me, please let me know. I'd love to help you find a workout program that works for you too!

Summer Squash Breakfast Muffins

Our garden is going crazy. I haven't taken many photos of it, since the weeds are healthier than the plants, so it looks like a jungle. I guess we just have had the perfect combination of fertile soil, compost, manure, sun, and water. The yellow squash plants in particular have turned into gigantic monster mutant squash plants. I've never seen summer squash plants so big & healthy. The zucchini plants, however, mysteriously died. I'm not worried though since the other plants are doing so well & we have way way way more produce than we can really eat.

In an effort to use & disguise some of that squash, yesterday I made muffins. I used a recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction.

They turned out to be the best muffins ever. Since I made so many substitutions, I decided to share the recipe with you.

The muffins are so good, I didn't take any pictures of them whole. I ate half first. Oops!

 

Summer Squash Breakfast Muffins

Adapted from: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/06/18/award-winning-zucchini-bread/

Ingredients:

Topping:

2/3 cups old-fashioned or quick oats

1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, cold

1 Tbsp chopped pecans

1 Tbsp chopped walnuts

1 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

Muffins:

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted & cooled

1 cup shredded yellow squash

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsps ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F degrees and spray a 12-count pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Make the streusel topping first by combining the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Mix in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your hands. Mix until the streusel resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the nuts & coconut with a spoon. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the beaten egg, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oils, squash, and vanilla until evenly combined. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Stir in the nuts and coconut. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until just combined. 

Fill 12 muffin cups with the batter. Press the streusel onto the tops of each muffin. Bake for 5 minutes at 425F degrees and, keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350F degrees and continue to bake for an additional 13-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.

Based on: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/06/18/award-winning-zucchini-bread/

Mango Slaw

One of the things I learned by participating in the Whole30 plan is that I could eat vinaigrette-based slaw with any meal. I love the stuff! Yesterday I made a batch with mango, using the recipe for this slaw from smitten kitchen. Here's my very slight variation of it.

Mango Slaw

1 bag shredded cabbage, coleslaw blend
1 mango, julienned
1 small red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 shallot, finely minced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
6 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
5 tsp (1 Tbsp + 2 tsp) olive oil
1/4 tsp red chile flakes
3/4 tsp salt
heaping 1/4 cup cashews, toasted & roughly chopped
1/4 cup mint leaves, finely sliced

Notes: Julienned means cut into thin strips, like matchsticks. Dressing can be made in advance; just shake well to re-emulsify.

In a large mixing bowl, mix your cabbage, mango, and bell pepper.
In a small jar, add the shallot, vinegar, lime juice, oils, chile flakes, and salt. Shake well to emulsify.
Thoroughly mix dressing into the slaw.
Optional: chill for an hour.
Just before serving, mix in cashews and mint.

My Favorite Pasta Sauce

First thing you should know before I go on, I'm two-thirds through my first Whole30! The Boyfriend is not participating, although he'll eat what I cook. Thus, this recipe is paleo, gluten-free, & Whole30 approved. To keep the whole meal in line with the Whole30 plan, I served the sauce over roasted spaghetti squash. It would also be good with zucchini noodles, and honestly, it's so good that I like to eat the leftovers heated up with a spoon.

Also, if I was a real food blog, there would be pictures. Unfortunately for you, I'm not a photographer, my only camera is my iPhone, and my kitchen is usually a mess. So no pictures. Trust me, it looks like delicious pasta sauce.

Big Batch Meat & Mushroom Tomato Sauce

(This makes enough for 4 dinner servings + leftovers for snacking + a jar for the freezer)

Olive oil
2 lbs ground beef
2 small sweet onions, chopped
4 carrots, peeled & diced
4 celery stalks, diced
16 oz mushrooms, sliced or roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
2 bay leaves
2 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes with basil (no-salt added, if possible)
1 small can tomato paste
splash of balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy pan, such as an enameled cast-iron dutch oven. Add ground beef & cook until brown. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onions to pan, cook until softened and starting to brown. Remove and set aside with the cooked meat.
Add more olive oil if the pan gets dry. Add carrots and celery to pan, cook until slightly softened, then add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms begin to brown.
Add garlic, dried spices, and bay leaves. Cook 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant.
Add cooked meat & onions and all remaining ingredients. Stir well.
Lower heat to lowest setting on burner, cover with a heavy lid, and cook at least 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. The sauce will get better if you can cook it longer.
Taste for seasoning, season with salt or vinegar if needed.

Designing Our Perfect Entertaining Space

This post brought to you by Char-Broil. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Accidental Carolina Country Girl.
The idea of custom designing our perfect entertaining space sounded like fun. It's daunting! Luckily we weren't completely starting from scratch, and we're at the point in the renovation now that I can visualize the end result.


Old farmhouses from the 1930's don't have big open floor plans like modern homes. The rooms are smaller, and there are more hallways. When our contractor suggested moving our kitchen into the master bedroom, I absolutely could not see his vision. Thankfully he knows what he's doing, and now the kitchen, while kind of isolated at the back of the home, is going to be the heart of the home.

Our kitchen design is centered around a set of french doors leading out onto the future deck. We're putting in a large island with a sink that faces out those doors. With the design of the kitchen coming together and the warm weather, I've started dreaming about our outdoor space. I can see it in my imagination, hosting parties in our big farmhouse kitchen, people gathered around the island, french doors open to the dining area on the deck, and a patio just off the deck with the grill, more seating, and a fresh herb garden. Can you visualize it too?








It doesn't look like much yet. We haven't even replaced the old sliding door with the french doors yet.

The original deck on the house was quite small. We're adding a bit more to it, so it'll go to the driveway, but that's only just over 12 feet off of the house. We'll put a table and chairs on the deck itself. The grill will go on a patio off the side of the house. Since we grill on charcoal, this is not just a good use of space, it's actually a safer design. Unfortunately, it looks like we won't be able to move our big old grill, so soon we'll need a new grill. We've been to Lowe's several times now to browse. The new Char-Broil Kettleman Grill looks like a good option for us, since we seem to be constantly running out of charcoal, and it uses less than a standard charcoal grill (learn more about the Kettleman grill). Plus, it looks easy to use, has grates designed to keep food from falling through (perfect for grilling veggies), and it fits within our super tight budget.

So, what do you think? Are there better designs for our outdoor entertaining space?

Renovation Realities

Buying a vacant 85 year old house is not simple. Getting a renovation loan is not simple. It took us two months longer than planned just to close on our new old farmhouse. Thankfully, that step is done. Now the real work begins!

The farmhouse sat vacant for over a year. Last winter it wasn't winterized as soon as it was vacant (it was a foreclosure), so there are burst pipes and water damage. With wall-to-wall old dirty blue carpet, mold, damaged ceilings, damaged walls, a small kitchen, etc, we have a ton of work to do. We're tackling the demolition work ourselves to save a bit of money.

Before: Gross carpets!

During: So much demolition!

There's a lot of work to be done, but we're making progress. I'll try to write posts on the projects we tackle. In the meantime, know that we're keeping busy.

The Lazy Girl's Method for Washing her Face

I have a confession to make: I hate washing my face at the sink. I always have. It's just so messy. Maybe it's because of my height, but I end up with water everywhere. Until my late 20's, I would often sleep in my makeup. Now, I take much better care of my skin, but I still dislike washing my face at night. So, I came up with a solution, and my skin is better than ever!

There's a lot of steps here, but don't worry, they're the easiest steps ever. You don't even have to tie your hair back. This method works best on sensitive, combination, or dry skin, but it does work on oily, acne-prone, or aging skin. Just use variations of the products to best suit your skin. I have sensitive combination skin.

First up, your products. You'll need:

Jojoba oil

Makeup remover wipes / pre-moistened face cleaning cloths 

(Optional) eye cream &/or spot treatment 

The method:

1. Apply a heavy layer of the jojoba oil to your whole dry face using your clean hands. (You can let it soak in a few minutes if you want.)

2. Use a face cloth to wipe off the oil and all of your makeup.

3. Rinse your face with water & dry gently (optional but recommended).

4. Apply eye cream or spot treatment (also optional).

5. Apply a final thin layer of jojoba oil.

Why this works:

Jojoba oil does not clog pores or cause breakouts. The initial oil dissolves dirt and grease on your skin. Your face wipe removes all of the loosened dirt and grime. A rinse with water helps too, although I skip this step most nights. I don't have much water pressure or any hot water to my bathroom sink (it's a rental house). Jojoba oil is also a great moisturizer, thus why I apply it a second time.

Let me know if you try it, and if it works for you.

King Cake

February is for Valentine's Day. No wait...it's Mardi Gras season. How about both in one dessert?

I love to bake, but before meeting my SO, I had never successfully worked with yeast. I had tried to make my own King Cake in the past & failed. Luckily my SO is a master at baking bread, and he taught me a few tricks. Now I'm confident to take on almost any baking challenge. Last year we made a traditional King Cake. That was my intention this year as well, but I ended up using blood orange in place of the lemon zest in my recipe. It turned out better than ever. I think this is the best thing I've ever baked. Plus the blood orange juice in the icing makes it pink, perfect for Valentine's Day, although it us definitely not going to last that long in this house!

Blood Orange King Cake

Recipe adapted from "Paula Deen Celebrates!"

Cake:

1 stick butter 

3/4 cup plus 1 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup half & half

2 envelopes or 4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

3 eggs, whisked

Zest of 1 small blood orange

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

1 egg white, for glazing

Filling:

1/2 stick butter, melted

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Icing:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 Tbsp blood orange juice

1. Melt 1 stick of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Mix in 3/4 cup sugar and salt, stir until sugar dissolves, reheating if needed. Allow to cool, then mix in half & half.

2. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix together yeast, 1/4 cup lukewarm water, and 1 tsp sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes. If yeast does not foam up or bubble, discard and start over with new yeast.

3. If you have a cast iron pan or 2, place them on the lower rack in your oven. Place the second rack in the middle of the oven. Turn on your oven & allow to preheat no more than 5 minutes. Turn off. Leave door closed if oven is approximately 100F, vent to cool if needed.

4. Whisk cooled butter mixture into yeast mixture. Add in eggs and orange zest, whisk well.

5. Add flour 1 cup at a time. After 3 cups, switch out your whisk for a dough hook attachment. Occasionally scrape the sides & bottom of the mixing bowl. Continue alternating scraping the bowl and kneading the dough with the mixer just until a cohesive and elastic dough forms.

6. Remove dough ball from bowl, throughly grease bowl, return dough, and cover with greased plastic wrap.

7. Place dough in warm oven to rise for approximately 1 hour or until slightly less than doubled in size.

8. Prepare filling: mix cinnamon and sugar in small bowl, and melt butter. 

9. Prepare a large work surface for working with the dough. Get out a large cookie sheet.

10. Divide risen dough in half. Press dough into a 10"x15" rectangle.

11. Brush with half of the melted butter, and sprinkle on half of the cinnamon sugar.

12. Roll tightly into a 15" long roll, seal edge, set aside, and repeat with remaining dough and filling.

13. Twist together the dough rolls, then transfer to your cookie sheet, and form into a circle or oval, pressing ends together.

14. Cover with greased plastic wrap or parchment paper. Return dough to warm oven to rise again, 1 hour or until slightly less than doubled in size.

15. Carefully remove dough from oven. Set oven to 350F and allow to preheat. Whisk egg white and 1 Tbsp water together. Remove covering and brush egg wash onto dough.

16. Bake cake for 35 minutes, until golden brown. Cake should sound hollow when tapped.

17. Prepare icing: whisk together confectioners' sugar and 2-4 Tbsp orange juice. Icing should be smooth. Add more sugar or juice if the mixture is too thick or thin to drizzle.

18. Drizzle icing onto slightly cooled cake. Top with colored decorating sugar if you desire.

Enjoy!

An Accidental Country Girl

I grew up in the suburbs.

I hate the suburbs.

To be fair, I spent my younger, or formative, years in upstate New York in the country. But we lived in an allotment neighborhood, the closest thing to suburbia the area had. I loved my neighborhood growing up. I loved the freedom we had as kids. We were free to ride bikes, cross-country ski, sled, run around, build forts, play street hockey, whatever we could dream up...as long as we stayed inside the neighborhood. It was a big enough neighborhood that we rarely felt confined. Plus there were a ton of kids around my age. It was a fairly idyllic childhood.

And then we moved. At the traumatic middle school age, my family moved away from cold, snowy New York to warm, sunny Georgia. But we moved into the real suburbs, a planned community outside of Atlanta, or as I like to call it - "Suburgatory" (please tell me someone else remembers that tv show?). I hated it, even if it was warm & sunny. I vowed I would get out of there. I'd escape. My escape of choice? The big city. I'd go to college in downtown Atlanta. And I did. I even moved to the bigger city of Los Angeles after college. Turns out though, there were a few parts of my childhood I missed, especially the food. 

Turns out, when you live in the middle of nowhere, food is different. When the closest grocery store is 30+ minutes away, you find other sources of food. You grow a big backyard garden. You get eggs from the school music teacher who has yard chickens. You pick apples at the orchard next to the school. You get preserves from friends. You get ice cream & cheese from a local dairy. You get to know a local farmer who sells produce. I didn't realize it, but I grew up eating a lot of farm-fresh food. Thankfully when I lived in Los Angeles, farm-fresh food was trendy & easy to find. I lived very close to an amazing weekend Farmers' Market. Finally, I had eggs that tasted like eggs again! Since moving away from California, I've tried my best to buy these types of foods at the grocery store, but I find myself longing for backyard chickens and a huge garden. I want to get to know local farmers.

Well, we're buying a farmhouse. It wasn't our intention to end up in the country, but we found a house that's an amazing investment & we're going for it. We're about to close on a 1930's farmhouse, zoned agricultural, and surrounded by farms, but in desperate need to a full-house major renovation. The renovation process will be long & difficult, but I'm going to be a country girl!

An Accidental Carolina Girl

What is an accidental Carolina girl? 

Well, I live almost on the border between North & South Carolina, but I wasn't born here. I was born in dreary, cold, grey Ohio. I grew up in beautiful but snowy upstate New York & boring suburban Georgia. I went to college in fun downtown Atlanta. I lived in exciting & expensive Los Angeles, CA, for my first job, and I even lived just outside New Orleans very briefly. Then a new job brought me to Charlotte, the greenest city I've ever seen.

Like many young single professionals, I lived where ever my career took me. Until now that is. Now I'm finally settled into a location. My SO grew up in this area, and he owns a business here. We may not be in our forever home yet, but this is our forever area. I even convinced my parents to move to Charlotte, so they're close by as well. 

This is my home. Whether it's North or South Carolina, one thing's for sure, I'm a Carolina girl now.