Greetings!
It’s a beautiful night in Sioux Falls and I have just had a great weekend so far. Mike was here this weekend, which always makes things exciting. We had a full but very fun weekend. Check it out.
Friday:
Mike got in around 8:30 Friday night and I was ready to get a special dinner going.
My dad is a big hunter and fisher, and last time I was home he stocked up me with tons of wild meat. I’ve been saving the walleye he gave me for a weekend when Mike was here. If you’ve never had walleye, you should. It’s a staple in Minnesota and I’ve grown up eating it fresh my whole life. It’s a pretty mild fish and is good just about any way you cook it, but I prefer mine battered and panfried. Not the healthiest, I know.
I cooked just over a pound of fish Friday night. I washed the filets, dipped them in egg wash, and coated them in Shorelunch breading. I then cooked them in canola oil for about 4 minutes on each side.
Walleye
Fish fry dinner
Sides included roasted green beans and sweet potatoes. It was a real good Friday fish fry. And I have leftovers still. I know what’s for dinner tonight!
Moving on.
Saturday was super crazy because I worked. Mike always shadows me when I have to work on Saturdays which makes the day go by much faster. As soon as I got off we headed to the Sioux Falls Canaries game to watch some baseball. After the game it was time to head to a bar for a co-worker’s going away celebration. Crazy day.
Sunday:
Like I said before, it is a beautiful night in Sioux Falls and it was also a beautiful day. Mike and I took advantage of the weather by heading out for a 14 mile bike ride shortly after breakfast this morning.
We stopped after about 7 miles to rest and take in the scenery. The Sioux Falls Greenway is gorgeous. It covers pretty much the entire city, but we stuck to just the southern part of the city today. It follows the Big Sioux River which makes for some excellent wildlife sightings. We saw a deer along the water today! So cool.
I actually got a great workout from our bike ride. There were a good amount of hills along the part of the trail that we covered, and I was able to get my heart rate up.
Every good workout deserves a good treat, right? Wrong. But hey, every once in a while is okay. Which is why we decided we needed to stop at Sonic during our ride back to my apartment.
Sonic date
I love when fast food places have ‘mini’ or ‘snack size’ ice cream treats. However, Sonic’s mini shakes aren’t that mini. I ordered a strawberry shake and it was more than enough for me. We also split an order of chicken strips. They were decent, but the strawberry shake stole the show.
Strawberry shake
Cold and creamy. Perfect on this hot summer day!
The rest of the day was spent lounging by the pool and taking a quick cat nap before Mike had to head back to Minneapolis. Never easy to say goodbye after such a fun weekend, but I know it’s only a matter of time before our next great adventure in Sioux Falls!
Alright, now I’m off to enjoy some walleye leftovers. Woo!
Big news! I ran for the first time in three weeks today!
I’ve just been doing interval work since my half marathon got cancelled three weeks ago, but today I finally felt compelled to head out for a real steady pace run. Three weeks off sure does make you rusty.
rusty run
I decided to keep things easy and just did three miles. It is hot in South Dakota. That’s the beauty of the midwest; freezing in the winter and grossly hot in the summer! Can’t catch a break.
Sweatin’ post-run
It’s amazing how big a difference three weeks off makes. My pace hasn’t changed or anything, but I just felt more fatigued than I would have a month ago. I’m running the Sioux Falls Half Marathon in September, and will probably start training within the next few weeks. Hopefully that one doesn’t get rained out, too.
I’ve been wondering how I should go about training for this race. I usually follow a training plan created by someone else, but I’m considering coming up with my own plan. I’m no expert runner and I’m not sure if there’s some magic formula I need to be following to get the best results. I’ll probably just focus on what has worked for me during past training plans and go from there.
I followed my hot run with a nice cold smoothie.
post-run smoothie
Smoothie in a beer mug. Classy, right? Not sure why it looks brown in this picture. This smoothie was simple but delicious. I threw the following ingredients into the blender:
- 1 frozen banana
- 3 frozen strawberries
- handful frozen blueberries
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
- 1/3 cup liquid egg whites
- 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
- handful fresh spinach
Full of fruit! I usually like to use greek yogurt or cottage cheese to thicken my smoothies a little bit. I didn’t have any on hand today so decided to throw some egg whites in instead. I’ve done this in the past so I knew it wouldn’t taste too funky. Also adds even more protein!
I’m off to watch some Netflix and enjoy a relaxing Sunday night!
Happy Monday!
It feels very strange that it’s Monday, because Mike is still here! We actually had a full day together yesterday. That never happens since he normally has to leave on Sunday, and I always have to work on Saturday. We took advantage of the day by going for a beautiful hike at Good Earth State Park.
Good Earth State Park
But before we get to that, let’s talk food.
Mike and I have had some stellar meals this weekend. Friday night’s pizza kicked things off nicely.
pizza pizza
On Saturday Mike had the great idea to make taco salads using ground turkey, enchilada sauce, black beans, fresh pico de gallo, iceberg lettuce, and cheese.
taco salad
Plus a dollop of plain greek yogurt for me! I always use plain non-fat greek yogurt in place of sour cream. I promise it’s just as delicious but much healthier.
Sunday morning we slept in until 9:00! That’s psycho for me! I have a hard time sleeping once I see the sun is up, (we actually fell asleep on the couch at 1:30 a.m. watching Orange Is The New Black. Yikes!) Anyway, I was ready for a special breakfast Sunday morning, so waffles it was!
Sunday waffles & turkey beacon
Sadly, I don’t think my little recipe for these is good enough to share just yet. I need to work on the texture still. They got the job done, though!
Shortly after breakfast we headed out for our hike!
Skippin’ rocks (nice socks)
Giant tree
We covered close to 3 miles of trails. Good Earth is a smaller state park, so we actually got to see most of it in under 2 hours. It’s right along the Big Sioux River which was gorgeous! I really do love all the state parks that are within driving distance of Sioux Falls. I never would have expected it when I moved here, since most of the state is flat grassland. If you haven’t checked out state parks in your area, you might be surprised!
We spent the rest of the day walking around downtown, grocery shopping, and watching Orange Is The New Black before it was time for dinner. We both had our hearts set on burgers.
Sunday dinner
These burgers were even better than I was expecting. Mike seasoned the meat with worcestershire sauce and cayenne, and let it sit in the refrigerator for over an hour. We topped the burgers with colby-jack cheese, turkey bacon, and sauteed onions. These seriously tasted like restaurant burgers they were so good. I ate way too many vegetables in an attempt to keep myself from eating a second burger.
I’m off today and it’s gross out. Perfect weather for finishing Orange Is The New Black! We only have three episodes left!
Good morning!
I’m slowly recovering from the disappointment of yesterday’s half marathon cancellation. Still pretty upset, though. As you can probably guess from the title of this post, it really felt like my dreams of half marathon victory were crushed. At least I get to hang out with this giant pup today:
King Alfie
This is my last day home in Minneapolis before I have to head back to good old Sioux Falls tomorrow morning. Despite the race debacle it’s been a great long weekend and I wish I could stay forever!
Part of the reason it’s been a great weekend is because I got to celebrate Mike’s 24th birthday with him all day on Saturday. He’s officially in his mid-twenties. Crazy! To celebrate, I took him out to lunch at Rooster’s BBQ; a little place in St. Paul he told me about a few weeks ago. We’re both big fans of bbq, and Rooster’s did not diappoint.
Ready for ribs!
Birthday ribs
Mike ordered the ribs while I went for a slightly healthier (kind of) option with the bbq chicken.
BBQ Chicken
All the meals come with a side of fries, a dinner roll, and coleslaw. The fries were seasoned really well and I had to work very hard not to overdo it on them.
Friiiies
Here’s the review: Mike’s ribs were insanely tender. Even more tender than I was expecting for a BBQ place that had great reviews. My chicken was also super moist and juicy. I’d like to try out some of their pulled pork sandwiches next time I’m in town. We saw a couple people ordering them while we were there and they looked amazing!
After lunch, we headed to the bowling alley with Mike’s family. After a couple games, one in which I beat Mike for the first time ever, we headed back to his parents’ house for a birthday dinner of hotdogs, burgers, watermelon and salad.
Yes, I put chips on my hotdog. If you live in an area where there are 7-Elevens, you need to check out hotdog chips.
They sound gross but taste delicious. Mike picked some up while he was in Chicago last weekend since we don’t have 7-Eleven in Minnesota. They were equally as good on an actual hotdog. Who would have known!
And of course, dinner was followed by the famous Oreo cake.
Lots of carbs for the race that never happened! Overall, it was a great birthday celebration and I’m so glad I got to be there for it!
Since I moved to Sioux Falls, all my visitors have consisted of family members and Mike. This weekend one of my best friends from high school tagged along with Mike for a wild weekend in Sioux Falls!
It wasn’t really too wild, but it was a blast. Friday night we just stayed in and relaxed since I had to work the next morning. On Saturday they got to follow me around on the job and see just how glamorous TV life really is. HA!
For lunch, my friend Carly said she was feelin tacos. I remembered recently hearing about a new more authentic Mexican food restaurant in Sioux Falls, so we checked it out. Let’s just say this will not be my last trip to El Jalapeno.
chicken, chorizo, and pork tacos
I loved that they had so many different types of meat options. The chorizo was my favorite and the chicken was a close second.
After working through the rest of the work day, I headed back to my apartment to get ready for a night on the town!
We headed to Crawford’s, a pretty swanky little spot in downtown Sioux Falls. The wait to be seated was 45 minutes, so we chose to sit at the bar where we could still enjoy the full menu. The three of us decided to split three appetizers: chicken florentine flatbread, walleye fingers, and spinach & artichoke dip.
The spread
walleye fingers
spinach & artichoke dip
chicken florentine flatbread
All the apps were on point, but I’d have to say the spinach and artichoke dip was my favorite. I also liked that it was served with cauliflower for dipping, not just pita bread.
The night continued at a bar just next to my apartment building with a few co-workers. For some strange reason I had my heart set on walking to a a nearby gas station for snacks at 2:00 a.m.? Bad idea.
After I whipped up some bomb sweet potato hash this morning (forgot to snap a pic), we headed out to see the sights.
Falls Park
somehow this is the only photo of Mike and I all weekend
It was a chilly day in the Sioux Empire, but a good one. I was very sad to see Mike and Carly leave this evening, but am glad I’m heading home to Minneapolis next weekend already and will see them soon!
Greetings!
In my last blog post I noted that I had an 8 mile run planned for last Sunday. Well, it was raining/snowing and winds reached 35 mph that day. A run was not happening. Unfortunately, I’ve worked long hours every day since then. I had a day off today and was finally able to get my run in!
It’s only about 40 degrees here today. We’re kind of in the middle of a cold streak. I thought my cold weather running gear would stay packed away until November, but I guess that’s not the case.
Not one bit amused. My run went pretty well for the first half, and I was able to stay below a 9:00/mile pace. About half way through, I started to feel a blister developing on the arch of my left foot. I’ve been running in my current shoes since January and have never felt any discomfort whatsoever. The pain only increased though the second half, but I pushed through!
I’m okay with my time, but I’m not thrilled with it. I really hope I can stay below 9 minute miles on race day. I need to fix this blister issue sooner than later, though. Maybe thicker socks? Maybe it’s my stride? Not sure.
Anyway, after my run I was more than ready to refuel. I knew I had some black beans and ground turkey on hand so I went for a turkey, black bean & spinach quesadilla.
I’m a big homemade quesadilla fan. I make them for lunch or dinner probably once a week, and love mixing it up with different ingredients. Here’s what went into today’s version:
- Light Flatout tortilla
- 2 oz cooked ground turkey
- 1/4 cup black beans, drained
- handful chopped spinach
- 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- a few jalapeno slices
- pinch of salt, cumin, cayenne, and garlic powder
Directions:
- combine all ingredients except cheese in a bowl, mix in seasonings
- heat a panini press with flat side facing out, or a medium skillet, spray with non-stick cooking spray
- put ground turkey mix on inside of tortilla, top with cheese, and fold over
- place on panini press and close for about 3-5 minutes. If using a skillet, flip after about 3 minutes. Just keep an eye on it.
- top with plain greek yogurt, salsa, or guacamole!
Hit the spot. I’m feeling very fatigued from that run for some reason. I need to get my butt in gear and go run some errands!
PSYCHE!
This will most likely not be an exciting Friday night. It could definitely be eventful if there’s a house fire or severe car accident, in which case I’ll have to drag myself out of my apartment to go shoot some video in the middle of the night.
For now, it’s looking pretty low key. Friday nights that I’m on call are usually pretty dull. I spend my time trying to find different ways to keep myself awake since I’m technically supposed to listen to the scanner until 2:00 a.m.. Here’s what’s on my agenda for the evening.
I should probably clean my apartment, too. It’s pretty gross right now.
I’m very excited for that there Arctic Zero. For those who have never had arctic zero, it’s basically calorie-less ice cream. By no means does it taste as good as ice cream, but it gets the job done for me. I don’t get it too often since it’s expensive, and it kind of freaks me out that it only has 150 calories per pint. One time I actually ate the whole pint and felt terrible. I think the artificial ingredients just don’t sit right with me, so it’s a once in a while treat.
Spring
It is spring in Sioux Falls! I’ve spent the past two weeks in a courtroom covering a cuh-raaazy sentencing trial, but the good thing is I’ve actually had a lunch break every day. Today I took advantage of the one hour lunch break and headed outside to enjoy the beautiful spring day.
I actually felt a little uncomfortably warm in the 70 degree weather. I don’t do well with the heat. But I had this little gem to cool me down!
Iced coffee
It was a glorious lunch hour.
This is going to be a pretty boring post because I have honestly been consumed by work this week, and haven’t had much time to document my food and workouts. I did get a new gym membership, though that I really want to touch on. I also have an 8 mile run coming this weekend that I’m sure will be blog worthy. Ta-ta for now!
Good Evening!
As I said earlier, a 7 mile run was on my agenda today as part of my half marathon training. The weather was my favorite for running. About 40-45 degrees, partly sunny, nice breeze. I did an out and back run along the bike path in Sioux Falls. It was honestly an ideal run, but I still feel like I could have pushed myself a little harder. Here were my finishing stats:
It would be awesome if I could keep this pace during my race. Fingers crossed! After my run I spent some time stretching outside on this beautiful spring day, and headed inside to refuel with a smoothie bowl.
Outdoor stretch
Giant smoothie bowl
Into the smoothie went:
- 1/2 frozen banana
- frozen strawberries
- scoop of plain greek yogurt
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- frozen kale
- fresh spinach
- almond milk
- ice cubes
- topped with kashi
I felt very accomplished after my run. I know it was only 7 miles and I have a long way to go before my half marathon. But knowing that I can run half of a half marathon easily makes me feel much better about going the rest of the distance! Gotta stay positive.
Meal Prep:
Tomorrow is going to be a crazy long day for me. I will be spending the first half of my day covering a court case, and the second half working on the Sioux Falls municipal election. I’m looking at a 14 hour day, roughly. Yikes! I made sure to pack most of my meals since I don’t know when or if I’ll get a break at any point.
Lunch, Dinner, Snacks.
Tuesday meal prep
This is usually what my daily meal prep looks like, minus dinner. Apart from breakfast at home, here’s the menu:
- large apple for mid-morning snack
- turkey and cheddar sandwich with veggies and string cheese for lunch
- quest bar for snack
- pulled pork with beans and quinoa for dinner
I’m sure I’ll need a late night snack by the time I get home. I also have plans to bake some sugar cookies tonight to bring into work. I have a feeling one of those will also sneak into my lunch bag!
Off to get baking!
Good Morning!
It’s the first day of my work week and I’m felling good despite being pretty drained after my drive back from Minneapolis last night.
Here’s the weekend recap.
Saturday:
I arrived in Minneapolis around 10:30 Saturday night and picked up my friend Carly before heading over to Mike’s sister’s apartment. After changing and hanging out for about an hour we headed over to a nearby bar. It was a pretty relaxed night that ended in a Domino’s pizza that I unfortunately do not have a picture of. But I promise it was amazing.
Sunday:
Sundays are always crazy busy when I’m home. Mike and I had tickets to the Timberwolves game and had plans to grab lunch at Mason’s Restaurant before the game.
The best thing about Mason’s is every beverage comes in a mason jar. I know mason jars are a little overdone these days, but I still love them.
After starting out with some bloody mary’s, I ordered a giant salad with arugula, goat cheese, beets, chicken, toasted nuts, and a balsamic vinaigrette.
That thing was massive. Then it was off to the game! They lost, but we still had a blast.
I was pretty bummed because if they win and get over 100 points, everyone gets free frozen yogurt. No frozen yogurt for us.
The rest of the day was spent visiting Mike’s family then dinner at my family’s house. My mom made some awesome baked rigatoni that I forgot to snap a picture of. whoops!
Sunday:
Sunday was spent lounging and having lunch with my mom. Oh, and a terrible run. It was snowing yesterday in Minneapolis. The 6 mile run I had planned sounded pretty unappealing once I looked outside, so I decided to give it a go on the treadmill. Big mistake. There are no words for how much I truly dislike running more than 3 miles on a treadmill. I have zero motivation and feel 10x worse than I would outside. I finished the run in just under 54 minutes, but it felt like a lifetime.
Next time, I won’t be such a little baby and will brave the elements!
While everyone is slowly easing into the week on this lovely Monday, I’m enjoying the tail end of my weekend.
Mondays are usually my days to get things done, since it’s technically my Sunday. On the list today was a workout, run several errands, and dive into some Spring cleaning!
After a quick breakfast and some TV watching, I hit the gym for a great legs workout.
I rounded out the workout with 20 minutes on the elliptical. Got me nice and energized for running errands! After hitting all the spots on my checklist, it was time for lunch. I was craving a breakfast scramble yesterday, but ingredients in my apartment were slim. After a tip to the grocery store yesterday, I was stocked up! My breakfast scramble turned into a lunch scramble.
Lunch
I’m a huge fan of sweet potato scrambles or hash browns. I make at least one of these delicious dishes each week. Today’s rendition included about half a sweet potato cut in cubes, chopped onion, spinach, red bell pepper, egg whites, sliced turkey, and shredded cheddar cheese.
I topped my scramble with salt, pepper, and sriracha. Tasty! Perfect Spring cleaning fuel! I made a checklist for everything I want to accomplish around my apartment in the next month or two. Last night I began tackling organizing my closet. I have no idea how I’ve managed to obtain so much crap in my 23 short years. Today I’m hoping to reorganize the bookshelf in my living room and dust all surfaces.
It’s go time.
biggest food junkie 