Happy, happy Friday!
I started off my morning with a wonderful short run. I’ve been doing my Body for Life runs on the treadmill, but today I decided to take it outside!
I look a little sinister in this pic….eeee.
It’s been raining a lot the past couple of days, so the weather this morning was cool, crisp and fall-ish. I loved it!
And after I took this pic, I realized it looks like I wet my pants because I’m standing in a giant wet spot, lol!
I followed the same Body for Life Interval run plan, but I didn’t time myself perfectly. I started running at a 50% effort (or so I thought) and then I kicked it up to 60%, 70%, 80% and then 90%. I didn’t run these intervals in perfect one minute increments, I just ran for a bit and then ran a little faster for a bit, etc. Then I ran a full out sprint (~5:50 minute mile) for the last minute.
It was a great workout and I was spent.
I realized it’s a lot harder for me to run slowly outside though. I kept wanting to run faster. So, my 50% effort outside was more like my 70% effort on the treadmill. It worked out okay though. I definitely reached my 100% effort a few times and that’s what really counts. My treadmill workout is usually 2.2 miles, but my outside run today was about 2.7 miles. Cool.
When I got home, I made myself a yummy breakfast.
I scrambled 1 egg + 3 egg whites with some peppers, onions and spinach. Then I chopped up a mini Babybel cheese and threw it in at the end.
I topped it all with some chopped tomatoes and also had some sweet potato on the side. Yum.
Kev made a really yummy breakfast this morning too. I decided to take a picture…
He took some of the leftover baked potatoes we had and fried them up with a little onion and topped them with ketchup. He also had some chicken on the side. This looked so good!
Speaking of Babybel cheese; I was sent some Babybel Mozzarella recently.
My kids were thrilled. They think Babybel cheese is so cute.
I love that they are such a quick, easy and yummy snack AND only 50 calories. I also love to throw them in the kid’s lunch boxes.
Super slick. The kids love how much fun they are to open too! Love it.
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Well, I told you guys about the Crock Pot Chicken I made the other night, right? It turned out so good and it’s been so nice to have it in the fridge! I’ve been throwing it into everything; salads, wraps, eggs, whatever. It’s been great.
I love to make a big Crock-Pot full early in the week and then use it in 2-3 dinners throughout the week. It makes dinnertime so easy (or at least not as stressful!)
I made some on Tuesday and just served it up with some baked potatoes for the kids and sweet potatoes for me. It was great. I actually haven’t used it in any other dinners this week because I’ve been hogging it all myself. It’s been making my Body for Life meals a cinch.
BUT, if I wouldn’t have hogged it all, here are some other dinners I could have used it in…
- Chicken Quesedillas
- Soups
- Chicken Sandwiches/Wraps
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Salad
- Hawaiian Haystacks
- Pizza topping (plain or add BBQ sauce)
- Stir fry veggies with chicken
- Various casseroles
Awesome! I think I’ll make it again next week. Maybe I’ll share some with the rest of the family too.
Anyway, here’s my official recipe. It really is just a simple, basic recipe; nothing fancy at all. But, the beauty of this recipe is that you can add whatever spices you like! Feel free to change it up however you want.
Basic Crock Pot Shredded Chicken
- 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I’m sure you could use whatever kind of chicken you like though.)
- 1 can (14.5 ounce) Low sodium Chicken Broth (~ 2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Put the chicken in your Crock Pot (my chicken was still frozen!)
Add the chicken broth and all the spices.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Do not cook it longer than 6 hours or your chicken will be too dry.
When the chicken is done, there will be quite a bit of liquid. You can toss it or use it to make gravy!
Shred the chicken using two forks and eat it just like that or throw it into your favorite recipe.
Keep the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it for up to 6 months (or probably more!)
I’ve been loving this chicken so much! I’ve been having it the past couple of days with this yummy quinoa salad and sweet potato. So good!
This quinoa salad came from my Cafe Zupas Blogger’s Cookbook. It is such a wonderful cookbook with so many incredible recipes. I will share this recipe PLUS I will have a fun little Cafe Zupas giveaway for you guys on Monday!
Super fun.
Well, I gotta jam. I want to enjoy the rest of my Friday night. I hope you guys are all happy and healthy!
I received the complimentary Babybel cheese, but the opinions expressed are entirely my own.
You cannot look sinister! You are too beautiful. Good job for taking it outside. We have to do that before old man winter strikes. Thanks for sharing another recipe. As you may notice, I need help in the kitchen.
You are so sweet. I know, winter will be here before we know it!
Wow mama- you look fab! And I love that you incorporated sweet potato for breakfast – genius! I just had a baby 8 months ago and while I’ve lost all but 10 pounds, I still just don’t feel as fit as I’d like because I’m sitting more than usual (breastfeeding, watching her play, etc). I eat very healthy but look forward to more fit tips on your blog. I love following your journey, and I’m curious if you may be interested in a guest blog post from Humble Seed? We are an organic seed company, and love featuring blog posts about how to garden using organic/heirloom/non-GMO Seeds, how to use the garden to make baby food, and how to involve children in the garden. We also have over 35,000 followers on our FB page, and can promote the post there. Let me know if that’s an idea that interests you! -Jesse @ Humble Seed (Jfnattamai@gmail.com) Humbleseed.com
Thanks so much! I’m so happy you found my blog. 😉
I went running outside this past week and realized I am horrible at keeping my pace. I was doing a jog/power walk mix and it turned into a run/jog mix. By the end of my 3.2 & 3.6 (two days of running), I was super spent.
I am the same way! I always run faster outside and don’t realize it until I start to get tired too quickly. Congrats on your two runs though; sounds like they were great!
I love doing a big batch of crockpot chicken to use throughout the week! I’ll have to give this recipe a spin 🙂
Crock-pot Chicken definitely simplifies things. I hope you love this recipe!