Day 2: Sore Muscles, But Good Meal

Day two began with me waking up feeling the pain! My "simple" workout left me very sore, particularly in my thighs and rear end. No bueno. So not only did I wake up feeling like I had aged 30 years over night, but it was also about 20 minutes before I needed to leave for work. I got ready really fast, poured my coffee into a travel mug then realized I had forgotten about packing a lunch. The selection of "pack and go" food is minimal at the Collins' household right now, so I packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat and a yogurt. Not too tasty, but still healthy, so I guess it was alright. Breakfast was my coffee and a banana in the car, not the best start to the day, but alright for not planning ahead of time. It did make me realize how important it is to keep the fridge and pantry well-stocked with lunch items for days I need to take it to work, and good breakfast items to take in the car. More importantly, I need to wake up early so I will have time to eat a better breakfast!

Last night we stayed up really late hanging out with a friend, so between that and teaching elementary students today, I came home very tired. I was also very hungry from my small breakfast and lunch. So I decided (well, my stomach did), that it was time for a healthy snack. I made some of my homemade salsa the other day, so I ate that with some organic blue corn tortilla chips (Archer Farms brand from Target, good, cheap organic chips). The old Chelsea would have brought the entire bag out on the couch and eaten way too much, but the new Chelsea is way smarter. I put some chips on the plate with the salsa and enjoyed a well-portioned snack. I did mess up the nutritional value of it a bit by paring it with a Modela Especial Cerveza. It had been a long day...




I have always loved salsa, and when we lived in New Mexico, I grew to love it even more, especially those that were spicy. I thought salsa would be difficult to make, but after looking over some different recipes and making a few changes, I have come up with my own. Now, I don't always do the exact same amount of everything, so my measurements may need a little tweaking.

Here is the recipe for my salsa:

• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
• 1 serrano pepper (stem and seeds removed)
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers (stem and seeds removed)
• About 5 roasted Hatch green chiles (stems and seeds removed)
• About half a bunch of cilantro leaves
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• Salt and Pepper

Place all ingredients (except salt and pepper) in a blender or food processor (you do not have to chop them ahead of time). Pulse until blended well and fairly smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. This will stay about a week or more in the fridge. This will make a pretty spicy salsa, so if you like it more mild, leave the serrano out. Also, if you do not have fresh Hatch green chiles, you can find them canned in the Latin foods section of most grocery stores.

For dinner, I tried another recipe from my Cooking Light cookbook. It was very easy, good, filling, and inexpensive. I would definitely make it again. We both liked it a lot. It also makes a great vegetarian dish.




Exercise update: I skipped the cardio today (lazy and short on time), but still did the strength and core exercises similar to yesterday. Definitely difficult, but I survived (we'll see how I feel tomorrow).