Motivational Monday

Fit Foods Friday: Loaded Cauliflower

I am kind of obsessed with cauliflower lately. It is one of those vegetables you either love or hate and I am loving it. I use it to replace potatoes and rice in lots of different recipes. Some work well and some do not. This recipe it works amazingly well with and if you like cauliflower at all, you MUST try this recipe.

Loaded Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 8 oz shredded cheese
• 1 bundle green onion, sliced
• 5 pieces turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Steam cauliflower until tender.
3. Combine cheese, chicken, bacon and salt and pepper in a bowl.
4. Stir cauliflower into cheese mixture.
5. Pour into a baking dish and sprinkle with extra cheese.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 25 min.
7. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 min.

Motivational Monday: Hills are REWARDING

Running hills is not my favorite thing to do but it has to be done. Always love that view from the top and the sense of accomplishment I feel when I can turn around and see what I have just done. 

TUTU BLING

More of what you can add on to your tutu when you order from Race Junkie...

Add RHINESTONES!!! 

Adding bling to your tutu will make your tutu sparkle in the sun as you cross the finish line !

Add GLOW in the DARK STARS!!!

Are you wearing your tutu to an Electric or Glow run? 
Why not add some glow stars to your tutu and really light up the night.

Add GLITTER SHAPES!!!

Express your inner Diva with a specialty glitter shape pinned to your tutu.
This is a nice change up from the standard satin bow and lets you achieve the
look you desire with your running tutu.

Fit Foods Friday: PB&J cookies

Remember the peanut butter cookies I posted a while back? Check out the recipe HERE if you missed out. If you have not had the chance to try them out yet. YOU MUST!!! I keep them around my house regularly. I actually pop them in the freezer so I can have one small low calorie treat available whenever I get that crazy sweet tooth.

This week I created a new spin off of these cookies simply by adding one more ingredient and one simple step. I turned these cookies into a "thumbprint" style cookie using my favorite jelly and WOW!

PB & J Cookies

1 cup of sunflower seed butter

(any nut butter will work)

1 cup splenda

(any sugar or sugar replacer will work)

1 egg

8 t (approx.) blackberry jelly

(any flavor will work)

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min and immediately remove from oven. Use the back of a 1/4 teaspoon to push small "thumbprint" dents into the center of each cookie. Fill each cookie with a tiny bit of your jelly. Let cool so jelly will harden in the cookies. DELICIOUS!!!!

Running: Just Stick With It

Is this not totally true?!?!?

I remember when my journey to becoming a runner started.

I thought I would never be able to even run a mile.

As soon as I conquered that I thought a 5K would be impossible.

As soon as I was able to run 5K I thought a half marathon was out of the question.

Now, I cannot remember the last time I only ran a mile.

I run over 5K several times a week.

I have run 2 half marathons this year and have 5 more on my schedule.

Im so glad that when doubting thoughts crossed my mind I did not listen to them.

I am so glad I decided to JUST STICK WITH IT.

Tutu Extras

Did you know that Race Junkie offers many different "extras" you can add to your tutu to customize it? Available at our Etsy shop for any tutu are these great add ons.

TUTU LIGHTS
Add 30 Battery operated LED lights to your tutu.

This is a really great add on for your tutu that will FOR SURE get you noticed.
These are wonderful for a night run,race,rave or just for fun.

REUSABLE BIB HOLDER
A removable toggle allows you wear your bib on your tutu.

You will never have to get another hole in your shirt from a race bib again. 

Sturdy waterproof plastic that will last through water, mud, bubbles or a serious blast of color.

HIDDEN TUTU POCKET

It is perfect to carry your iPod, Phone or GU during a race.

Add a discreet sewn in pocket to the inside of your tutu.
It closes with a little drawstring to keep your valuables tucked away safely. 

Fit Foods Friday: Spaghetti Squash Casserole

I found this recipe on pintrest (of course) only problem was it was a vegan recipe and I am not a vegan. I changed a few things around and swapped out some ingredients and WOW!!!

Extremely filling
Low calorie
Low carb

I will be making this recipe again for sure!

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

• 1 med spaghetti squash
• 2 c your favorite marinara sauce
• 1/2 c cream cheese
• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
• 2 c broccoli florets steamed

Cook your spaghetti squash first. I usually roast mine in the oven on 350 for 40 min. Cut it open length wise and scrape out the seeds. Drizzle a little evoo, salt, and pepper and place meat side down on a foil lined baking pan. Remove from oven and scrape down strands with a fork like this...

While your squash is cooking steam your broccoli florets slightly. Simmer the marinara sauce adding any of your favorite italian spices. Add cream cheese to the sauce as well as the parm cheese and continue to simmer until all is combined well. Mix together the broccoli, squash, and sauce and put in a casserole pan. Bake for 35 min on 350 degrees.

Super yummy comfort food with a healthy spin.

Birthday Giveaway WINNERS!!!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered! I loved reading all your blog comments. Be sure to follow the blog over the next few months I will be reviewing products and having more giveaways.

Birthday Gift WINNERS are.....

B-day gift #1 Evil Queen set -  Melissa Feathers

B-day gift #2 Favorite things pack and Race Junkie Tank - Robin Cook

B-day Gist #3 Race Glow tutu and Race Junkie Tank - Laura Galler

B-day gift #4 Shakespeare Fierce Tank - Joanne Lyons

B-day gift #5 Keep Calm and Run on Tank - Pamela Biron

B-day Gift #6 Beauty Runs like a Beast Tank - Julia Henke-Hadley

B-day Gift #7 Race you to the Castle Tank - Laura Liccardi

Happy Birthday Race Junkie

   It was one year ago today that I opened Race Junkie on Etsy and  I was so nervous when my shop went live I can remember my cheeks feeling hot and flushed when I pushed the launch button.

 It is really scary opening a business but I think it is can be just a little more nerve wracking when the product you carry is handmade. In a way it felt like the first day of 4th grade and thoughts like "what if they don't like me" and "what if everyone laughs at me" sounded through my head. For those of you who shopped with Race Junkie in the early days you know I wasn't the very best at photographing my tutus in the beginning.
So when the first 3 days went by without a sale I was a starting to getting nervous and experimenting on making the photos better.

 Luckily on day 3 the first order came in and everyday after that another came. While I was excited to be sending out those tutus and making every one's race that much more special nothing ever gave me more than joy than my first customer appreciation photo. I was overwhelmed to tears and just so excited to be able to see the tutu I had created on a customer and that person smiling ear to ear. I still get so excited when I get an email with pictures or find out someone posted a few on Facebook. I just love being able to share in those moments with you.

   Here we are a year later with over 1,600 sales to date. I honestly had no idea Race Junkie would become what it is today. I am so proud of the all the hard work I have put it in to. I have made sure each tutu is quality and made with love something you can be proud to wear. Recently I was just in awe while I was running a 1/2 marathon and actually saw several of my own tutus on the course! I just thought that is the coolest feeling ever!

   I am also proud to say that no matter how many orders pour in or what has happened in life I have NEVER not had a  tutu arrive to it's destination late. I know that when I am training for a race I spend a lot of time deciding what to wear to that race and it would put a huge wrench in my plans if my race costume never arrived. So no matter what I will continue to always get them delivered in time :)

   This birthday would not be possible without all of you. I appreciate each and everyone one of you so much.
I love hearing your ideas and making your tutus special for each one of you. I appreciate your loyalty more than words could ever say. Which is why I constantly keep trying to add new items and options for you.

  This coming year has so many exciting changes in store for Race Junkie. I can't wait till I can show everyone. I will also be putting together a Race Junkie Ragnar team for next year here in So Cal so please stay tuned for more announcements regarding that.

Thank you again for making this such a special birthday I hope to have many more to come.


Happy Running

~Angelina

Cross Training: Get fit in the water!!

So recently I have ventured out and tried a few new forms of exercise just for fun. Today I want to share with you my thoughts on water aerobics. I know what you are thinking... water aerobics is for elderly folks or those who are overweight or injured or have a restriction of some sort. While all of that is true what I have found in trying out water aerobics is that it is truly for everyone of all fitness levels. How great is that?!?

A class in particular that I have grown quite fond of is AQUA ZUMBA. I have tried ZUMBA classes in a gym before and not enjoyed them very much. I am not a great dancer and trying to keep coordination to some Latin tunes really is not my style. BUT. The AQUA ZUMBA class at the gym is very popular and everyone talks about it. I crept by and peeked in a few times before actually trying it and everyone appeared to be having so much fun. So I thought I would give it a try. I am happy to report, I loved it! It was a lot of fun and when fitness is fun that is an added bonus. I have been back several times and really enjoyed it each time.

FITNESS WORKOUT PARTY IN THE POOL!!

Group fitness classes can sometimes be a bit intimidating in my opinion. With ZUMBA the complex choreography can get hard and when you are standing in front of mirrored walls in the studio it is discouraging if you cannot keep up. BUT the atmosphere of being in the water can be very forgiving. It is impossible for anyone to see how uncoordinated I am when it comes to Latin rythmic moves when my body is hidden in the water. I found that I was able to relax, let loose, and have so much fun!

This class in my opinion was very challenging even for a well conditioned runner. It is a great form of cardio conditioning and body toning. The resistance of the water helps to strengthen muscles that can not be worked out while doing ZUMBA in a studio setting. Every time I leave the classes feeling like I got an amazing workout and a full body massage from the water around me. I highly recommend you try it the next time you want to enjoy a FUN way to cross train.

Fit foods Friday: Cauliflower Salad

Summer time always means outdoor bbq and picnic time. This is a recipe I have been enjoying for a few summers now. It is a mock potato salad of sorts replacing your potato with cauliflower. It is super yummy.

Cauliflower Salad

1 head cauliflower - trim and cut to bite size
3 hard boiled eggs - chopped
1/4 c. onion - fine chopped
1/2 c. frozen peas - thawed
3 slices turkey bacon - cook crisp and crumble

3/4 c. plain greek yogurt
1T mustard
1t salt
1/4t dill
1 T splenda

Cook cauliflower by steaming until just tender. Drain and cool. Combine yogurt, mustard, salt, dill, and splenda in a large bowl. Add cooled cauliflower, peas, egg, onion, and bacon and still until all is coated. Cover and cill in fridge overnight.