Fast Food Inspiration

Good ol' Mondays. Always there to remind you that you had too much fun on your weekend, didn't get quite enough done, and have a whole five days until the next one. But still! Today turned out alright. Highlights included breakfast, chatting with my dad, lunch, a short workout, dinner (are we noticing a pattern?), and hopefully seeing my husband at some point. But let's focus on the food and fitness.

I wish I had taken pictures of this morning's breakfast, because it was seriously delicious and wonderful for winter! We made oatmeal with milk instead of water, which made for a delightfully creamy bowl of warm goodness, along with some maple syrup, cinnamon, sliced bananas, and a scoop of peanut butter. Random Monday breakfast for the win!

Speaking of which, I wanted to share the evolution of our breakfast patterns. We used to eat a bowl of cereal every morning. I kid you not; boxed cereal was our go-to for Monday through Friday, plus one or both weekend days, guaranteed. Squeezing in anything different seemed impossible. If we ran out of cereal, we'd maybe make some toast.

But since we made the switch to mostly non-processed foods, breakfast has made a comeback in a big way! I don't really have to wake up much earlier, especially if I make overnight oats. If you're looking for ways to spice up your breakfast routine, switch to real foods, or just kick start the day with a healthier, more satisfying meal, check out the "Breakfast" section of my recipe page.

Among the breakfast recipes: Apple-Peanut Butter Waffles!

So that oatmeal got the day off to a tasty start. The rest of the day, while not quite as tasty (except for my avocado-cream cheese-bell pepper sandwich), gave me good reason to be excited about getting home. While sitting in traffic, all I could think about was Chipotle. I've been craving it for several days, but I also knew I had just about the perfect ingredients at home to create a fast food replica.

Mexican Stir Fry

Mexican Stir Fry (15 minutes!)

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 onion
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 small zucchini squash, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (or make your own)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cups brown rice
• 1 can black beans

Heat the brown rice and black beans (separately) according to the directions. 

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Chop the onion, and add it along with the salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, or until a bit tender. Add the chopped bell pepper; cook another 3 minutes, then add the zucchini for about 3 more minutes. Add the taco seasoning and about 1/4 cup water. Add the frozen corn. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the water reduces by at least half. Serve and enjoy!

It started off looking gorgeous! Yellow and green deliciousness.

And it ended up like this.

Well, really, it ended like this.

Delicious! Before that scrumptious meal, I squeezed in a quick, late workout. It got my blood flowing but didn't kick my butt. Good thing, because my tush is still rather sore from yesterday's crazy yoga class!

*I keep these easy with light weights due to a lingering
 neck injury, but feel free to challenge yourself!

Finally, the night ended with some playtime with Scout. He found my foam roller box and had himself a grand time. 

Pouncing into the box

Got my eye on you

Just hanging out

Not bad for a Monday, right? I finished up the dishes, made overnight oats for tomorrow's breakfast, packed leftover stir fry for lunch, and waited for Terry to get home. He has joined a flag football team through his work, which is a great way for him to get some exercise between our half marathon training. If you're the type who needs motivation to work out, look into community or work teams. You can find kickball, softball, football, and other sports, plus some new friends and a great environment for a workout!