Week 9

Week 9: March 29th - April 4th

Physical Challenge: # of sit-ups
Bonus Challenge: Breakfast challenge (See post below)

Remember to post your results!

Bonus Challenge for Week 9

Well it's time for another Bonus Challenge, are you ready? All the experts say that you should start your day off with breakfast, never skip it right? So this week's challenge is to eat a healthy breakfast everyday, NO CEREAL of any kind. It has to be something you put a little effort into to make it healthy. Even though there are healthy cereals out there, pouring milk into a bowl of cereal isn't really a challenge. So each day that you eat a different, healthy breakfast you score 5 points. No duplicates!! (And don't count on a healthy breakfast at my house Easter morning because Bubble Bread and Orange pull aparts don't count, but I take the day off for HOLIDAYS!)

Points

I have to get ready to take Caleb to the Jazz game points will be totaled tomorrow March 23rd. Sorry Ryan and Daylemarie I never answered before but the tourney points are only for tournaments that are one or two days. Not end of league. I think if everyone decides to play in the Summer games in one sport or another, I will give everyone 50 pts for registering since the dates are a week or two after we finish.

Week 8

Week 8: March 22nd - March 28th

Physical Challenge: # of Standing Squats (No weight unless you want)
Bonus Challenge: Same as last week(See post below)

Remember to post your results!

Bonus Challenge for Week 8

This week I had such a fun time trying new things that I want to do this bonus challenge another week! So for your 1 hour of exercise (5 points) it has to be a class, video, sport, or other physical activity that you haven't tried since we started this challenge, including week 7. Have fun being active! (And for each hour of new exercise it counts as 5 bonus points, and 5 exercise points, again DOUBLE DIP in your points!)

Bonus Challenge for Week 7

Let's try new activities this week! Our bonus points will come to those who try a new sport, physical activity, at home work out videos, or new exercises or new classes at the gym. You get 5 points for each hour of new exercise. These points could count for your exercise points and for the bonus challenge. After our poor week last week we need to double dip in points, so let's get to it!

Week 7

Week 7: March 15th - March 21st

Physical Challenge: Jumprope (# of minutes you jumprope in one week)
Bonus Challenge: TBA (See Above post)

Remember to post your results!

Baked Brown Rice

Just like the last recipe I shared from My Kitchen Cafe, this one seems like it will make brown rice taste better, and help us get in our whole grains! My Kitchen Cafe has other awesome recipes as well. I am making it tomorrow with pork chops!

Baked Brown Rice


*Makes about 3 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water (if using water, add 1 teaspoon salt)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the above ingredients in a 3-quart baking pan or casserole dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil and fluffing with a fork.

Week 6

Week 6: March 8th - March 14th

Physical Challenge: Pedometer - # of steps by the end of the week
Keep track of how many steps you take for the week

Bonus Challenge: Whole Grains(see Below)

Remember to post your results!

Bonus Challenge for Week 6

I loved DayleMarie's ideas and so thankful for them since I was running out of new ideas! This week's bonus challenge will be about including whole grains in our daily diet. For each serving you eat of whole grains per day you get 1 point with a max of 5 points a day. So the most points you could get this week is 35! Good luck and healthy eating.

Challenges

Just some more suggestions. Don't know where you want them? Was thinking it would be fun to try some new things---like for every new activity you try you get 5 points---like if you have never done Zumba, or kick boxing or swam laps, or racquetball or ultimate frisbee, or spin or PICKLE BALL!!! Haha! Lets get out and do something different!
Then I was thinking a good healthy habit to start is whole grains, olive oil, and breakfast!! I am in this two fold, I want you all around along time---so helping with suggestions that will lower cholesterol and help with blood pressure and such are really important! Changing the kinds of fats that we use and switching to whole grains are slower to metabolize, higher in fiber, and so important (did you want me to preach??) Switch to brown rice, whole wheat buns, bread, pasta and tortillas, and cook with good fats! OH and EAT BREAKFAST! SO I don't know how to score it? Each time you try to make a switch? Or choose a better option? Hard!! The health benefits should out weigh the "taste" which is debatable! I love it!

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Here is what I made for dinner tonight, delicious! I know that I am helping people get their Bonus points, but that's the kind of person I am. Enjoy!
Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

*Makes 6 wraps*

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center - it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.