Saturday's Stretch and Flexibility -- Relax with Me

It's Saturday!  Time to stretch!!!  Today's routine comes from blogilates.  I usually post her crazy challenges, but thought this would be a nice change.  

She's exactly where I want to be...on the beach, soaking up the sun (sigh)....

Remember, when you are stretching, take it only as far as your body wants to go, do not force it.

Thursday's Total Body/Cardio -- Shape It Workout

Today's workout comes from Melissa Bender.  It is Day 17 of a 30 day challenge she is doing on her YouTube channel. 

The workout is about 15 minutes long.  No warm up or cool down/stretch are provided.

Here are a couple of modifications:

If the table top knee touch is too difficult, just alternate lifting up your legs and leave the arm movement out of it.

For the heel tap leg lifts, as soon as you feel your back arch, stop the legs.  You really don't want to take your legs much past 45 degrees, more than this puts a lot of stress on your lower back.

Wednesday's Wild/Warrior Workout + an Ab Challenge -- Metabolic Booster + 100 Waist Whittlers

Today's workout is another one from the 30 Day Fat Burn series from BeFit.  It is called Metabolic Boost.

It is an intense 10 minute workout that includes the 4 cycles for 4 exercises, done for 30 seconds each.  Each cycle is a progression from the previous cycle--modify to the earlier exercise if you need to.

The exercises included are:  

Squat

Plank

Alternating Back Lunge

Mountain Climber

Squat Jump

Up Down Planks

Alternating Jump Lunges

Push-Up Climber Combo

Squat Jump/ Heel Click

Side Plank/ Hip Pulse Combo

Lunge Pulse

Crawls to Climbers Combo

Squat Pulses

Side Plank/ Hip Pulse Combo

Lunge Pulse

Climbers to Alternate Reaches

No warm up or cool down/stretch are included, please do those on your own.

Since I didn't post yesterday, I thought I'd add a wild ab challenge from blogilates as well.  Do as many as you can with great form.

Monday's Motivation and Challenge of the Week

Challenge of the Week-- it's time to do another diet upgrade!!!

This week I want you to take a favorite processed food that you eat and make a healthier, homemade version.  Yes, it will take more work and time, but it will be so worth it.  Comment below what you will upgrade.  If you need help with this, send me a message and I'll try to give you some ideas.  The second part of this challenge--don't buy that processed food again.

Sunday's Recipe Share -- Layered Ratatouille & Baked Eggplant "Skins"

I absolutely love eggplant, but that was not always the case.  The only way I'd eat it when I was a kid was when it was breaded and fried and dipped in tomato sauce.  Truthfully, it's the only way I ever ate it, because it was the only way it was ever served.

A while back I shared an appetizer recipe for Load Eggplant Rounds on my Facebook page and on Pinterest.  I call them Baked Eggplant "Skins" because they remind me of potato skins.  I made them for my mom's 85th birthday party and they were a big hit.  I think these are my favorite way to eat eggplant now.  The link to the recipe is below the picture.

Loaded Eggplant Rounds

This post, however is about Ratatouille.  I found a recipe for it that was delicious and now that I finally have a mandolin, the slicing will be so much easier!

This version has eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, green peppers, tomatoes and onions in it.  The recipe that I followed used red peppers, but I didn't have any.  When I made this, the tomatoes, peppers and herbs came from my garden.  I can't wait for warmer weather to start up my vegetable garden again!

Here's the link to the recipe:  Layered Ratatouille