Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Fitness Tip of the Day: Tuesday's Trunk and Core -- Yoga for Abs

As you know, I love the many benefits of  doing Yoga.


Today's workout comes from Rodney Yee.  I actually own this video.  I was happy to see it was posted to YouTube via the Yogasalutations channel.  It is a yoga workout that focuses on your core muscles.


Today's post was short, but hopefully you got a great core workout!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Fitness Tip of the Day: Monday's Muscle Work -- Long, Lean Dancer's Legs

Today's workout comes from the LiveStrong Woman Channel on YouTube.  It is part of the Pilates Bootcamp with Cassey Ho.



Pilates is known for creating long, lean muscles without the use of any extra equipment.  This entire workout is done standing up.  Make sure to keep the knee you are standing on soft, you don't want to lock out the joint and watch your form--stand tall, shoulders back, chest open, abs in tight.

Similar exercises can be done lying on your side as well.

No warm up is included, please do one on your own--march or jog in place for 3-5 minutes.


No stretch is included, please do that on your own--you can follow the lower body stretch linked in the right side bar.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Fitness Tip of the Day: Sunday Recipe Share -- Freezing Cucumbers

Did you know that you can freeze cucumbers?  YES you can!  I've done it for two years now and am getting ready to do it again.


Please note, your cucumbers will not be crunchy like they are when they are raw.  I use these cucumbers to make salad all Winter long.

Here's how to do it.  In a large bowl that has a lid, add sliced cucumbers to fill the bowl about 3/4 of the way.  I usually add in 1 onion that I have halved and then sliced thinly.

As far as spices go, you can do what you like.  If you like your cucumbers to be more like pickles, add some dill and celery seed.  I tend to make my cucumber salad either Italian or Greek style, so I add spices like oregano, basil, thyme, etc. use DRY spices.

Mix this all up in the bowl.  Fill the bowl with white vinegar, until all the cucumbers are covered.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you like your cucumbers sweeter (like bread and butter pickle) add some sugar as well.

Cover and put in the fridge for 24 to 72 hours.  You can eat the cucumbers now if you'd like--they are like refrigerator pickles at this point.  Otherwise, use a slotted spoon and place in freezer bags--make sure to get all the air out.  You can put a bit of the liquid in the bag as well.  I use a food saver system, so I don't add too much liquid.

Now if you have a lot of cucumbers like I do, you can reuse the vinegar for another batch, topping off as needed.

Throw the bags in the freezer, done.  When ready to use, put the bag in the fridge the day before.  If it isn't completely thawed you can run the bag under water.

Use the cucumbers in your favorite salad--taste them first and adjust your seasonings as needed.