Fitnessy Weekend: Electric Run and National Dance Day!

Happy Sunday, friends! I'm a little under the weather today, so I sent the husband to church without me. Mucinex and Drop Dead Diva on Netflix are helping me through the morning.

How was your weekend? The first half of the weekend was pretty full of action. Friday night, my friend Allison and I headed to Charlotte for the Electric Run! Here's a little recap/review of the Electric Run for you!

I actually registered for this run way back in the spring. I thought a night run at the Charlotte Motor Speedway sounded pretty interesting and exciting. I intended to do a little more running this summer... but I just hate to run when it is hot outside. Ugh!

The Electric Run Course at Charlotte Motor Speedway

 

However, lucky for me, the night of the Electric Run was surprisingly (uncharacteristically) cool! Allison and I (and about 20,000 other people) gathered at the gigantic start line.

 

This is BY FAR the largest 5K i have ever participated in. The Electric Run is so big that they have to release people at the start line in "waves" of about 1,000 people at a time. Believe it or not, when I FINISHED the race, there were actually people still waiting to START! We were in the 3rd or 4th wave, starting around 9:20 p.m.

If you do the Electric Run, you will not need your headphones- there is a speaker system set up all along the route with music. And there are tons of cool light displays set up all along the route, too. I had to stop a few times and snap a coupe of pics. (Where are the Google Glasses when you need them?!)

 

My time wasn't awesome- 44 minutes. But I will take that, considering I have not been running routinely. My first mile was about 14 minutes. Mile 2 was my quickest at 12-13 minutes. Which means I was dragging a$$ on mile 3, at about 17 minutes! Oh no! I need to work on my endurance.

After you cross the finish line, there is a huge after party. I have to say, I was blown away by the after party. It was HUGE. I was expecting a DJ and some dancing and people standing around chatting. Nope. It was actually a full-on RAVE.

For a minute I thought I was back in that episode of 90210 when everyone goes to the Rave and Emily gives Brandon Ecstasy. It was a little insane. Or a lot insane.

So overall... It was definitely an interesting experience. Would I do it again? Maybe...it was pretty expensive, as far as 5ks run. (It was over $50) But it was pretty cool. We also encountered a lot of traffic on the way in, but we realized we were caught up in TI/Lil Wayne Concert traffic. (Taking place about 2 miles away on the same night).

Thinking of doing the Electric Run? I would definitely recommend getting there early so that you can be in one of the first waves. I would HATE to be starting the race at 10:00 or after. Also, even though Electric Run claims this is a "family friendly" event... I would leave the kids at home. It's really loud, and there are definitely some drunk runners using some not-so-kid-friendly language. Get a babysitter. Unless your children are into getting their rave on.

You'd think that after running a late-night 5K that I would, sleep in, but Saturday was National Dance Day! So...I was u bright and early to help my friend Ashley and host a 90-minute Zumba class to celebrate! Aother instructor friend, Jennie, also came to help. It was so much fun teaching together, and we had such a fun group of ladies dancing with us! Happy National Dance Day!

(Photo credit: Ashley)

 

Now, THAT is what I call a "fitnessy weekend." How was YOUR weekend?

 

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CFCP Food Essentials

So, I get this question a lot: what are your pantry/fridge staples? I was thinking I had done a post on this, but i searched and I guess somehow I never have! I always think it is interesting to hear what other people buy at the grocery store, so I thought some of you out there might be interested in knowing MY staples. It's kind of like when you go to someone's house to visit and you peek in their medicine cabinet or bathroom vanity. I'm just kidding. I've never, ever done that. Or maybe I have. You'll never know.

Eggs. I always, always buy eggs. Except for today, when I forgot them. So I have to go back tomorrow. But I eat eggs almost every day. Fried, scrambled, hard-boiled, or added to burgers or patties to hold them together. Hard boiled eggs are my go-to breakfast item when I am in a rush, and they also make a great pre-workout snack.

Everroast Chicken Breast (Boar's Head) from the deli. I get 1.5 lbs every week. Makes great lunches, pre-workout snacks, regular snacks. When I need an easy protein, this is it. Add some almonds and an apple- that's lunch in a pinch.

Lemons. I buy a bag every week or every other week. I add lemons to regular water, sparkling water, chicken, fish, salad, sliced apples (keeps them from turning brown), and more. Nature's condiment!

Bag of apples and 6 bananas. These two fruits are so portable. You don't need any utensils to eat them, and they don't make a mess. In the fall, I always buy Honey Crisp apples by the 3 lb. bag, and other times I buy Pink Lady or Gala apples. Why 6 bananas? I have no idea. Just seems to be the magic number.

Ground beef- grass fed if they have it where I am shopping. I use ground beef to make hamburger patties, Paleo meatballs, Chili, and more. We eat it every week. If it is on special, I always stock the freezer, too! It's a great price at Trader Joe's, and I just heard that Aldi has it for a great price. I guess I need to learn how to shop Aldi!

Almonds or cashews. I usually buy one or the other every week- because it's a portable yet healthy fat and sometimes you just need something crunchy!

Breakfast sausage. Some people are camp bacon. Some are camp sausage. I am camp sausage. I add it to scrambled eggs, frittatas, sweet potatoes, and more. I am trying a new brand this week: al fresco. I hope I love it! It's got a pretty clean ingredient list!

Sweet potatoes. I used to despise them, but my tastes have really changed! I used to disguise them, but now I even like puréed sweet potatoes!

3 lb. bag of yellow onions. Onions go in almost everything I cook- breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Veggies- tomatoes, zucchini, and frozen green beans. We eat these almost every week because they are so easy to add to any meal. Zoodles, anyone?

So... Those are the staples I buy every week. You all know how I love to order groceries online... And Harris Teeter keeps my frequent purchases on my list from week to week, so I can shop for groceries in a snap! Then I just send the hubby to pick up the order! By the way, our local Harris Teeter is offering free pickup this week! So if you haven't tried this service out... Now is a great time!

So tell me...what are YOUR grocery staples?

In other news... I am heading back to work after 11 days of rest and relaxation. Starbucks, please have my Grande Bold Blend ready. I will be seeing you early in the morning!

 

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Seafood by the Sea

Happy Saturday, friends! I can't believe it, but our week at the beach is already over. As I type, we are in the car, making our way back home. It's always sad to say goodbye to the beach and our family after our fun week is over. This week, we ate too much, played lots of games, soaked up lots of sun, swam in the pool, enjoyed nightly golf cart rides, and had a lot of laughs.

 

I thought I would write one final beach post about some of our beach eats.

 

First up: Creek Rolls

 

My sister Meredith and her husband David introduced us to Creek Rolls last year. Creek Rolls are a lot like spring rolls, but they are filled with all sorts of goodies, like local shrimp. You can buy Creek Rolls from The Crab Cake Lady or from Harrelson's Seafood Market in Murrell's Inlet. I couldn't find a website for Harrelson's, but here is a listing on Urban Spoon:

 

If you happen to be in the Surfside Beach, Garden City, or Litchfield Beach areas, this would be a great place to get fresh seafood.

Warning about Creek Rolls: these do not last long! Once is platter was set out on the table, I had to snap pictures quickly before everything disappeared!

 

Next: Low Country Boil.

 

If you are from the South, then you have probably grown up eating this simple meal. It has lots of names: Shrimp Boil, Frogmore Stew, etc. This is my brother-in-law's signature beach meal. He and my sister make this for us every year at the beach. Low Country Boil includes: potatoes, sausage, shrimp, and corn on the cob. Sometimes, you can add in crab legs for an extra treat, also. Everything is cooked in a pot together with Old Bay seasoning.

 

David's Low Country Boil:

Ingredients:

(Note- the amounts ar appropriate- these can be adjusted for your tastes)

• 6 Budweisers
• 3/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning
• Red Potatoes (1-2 per person)
• Corn on the cob (frozen, 1-2 per person)
• Sausage, sliced (ex: kielbasa, 1/2 lb. per person)
• Shrimp (raw, unpeeled, 1/2 lb. per person)

Preparation:

(We cook outside, but this can be prepared on the stovetop in a large stock pot.)

1. Boil water, Budweisers, and old Bay.
2. Add potatoes and cook 10 minutes. (David just leaves then whole.)
3. Add corn on the cob and cook 5 minutes.
4. Add sliced sausages and cook five minutes.
5. Add shrimp and cook until pink and floating to the top.
6. Drain water and serve!

Cooking tip: playing a game of corn hole helps pass the time.

 

So does great scenery.

 

This year, we decided to make things REALLY simple. We lined our table outside by the pool with newspapers and just dumped everything on the table.

Cheers to seafood!

 

We gathered around with empty plates and dinner was served "family style!" After dinner, clean-up was super easy. Just grab the newspapers and boom: clean table.

 

Finally: Mom and Dad's Baked Shrimp.

 

This simple appetizer made by my parents was a huge hit! It is so simple, but so delicious! My mom found this recipe on Pinterest, but adapted it slightly.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter
• 2 lemons, sliced
• Shelled uncooked shrimp (approximately 2-3 lbs- as many as will fit on your baking sheet)
• Creole Seasoning (as much or as little as you like)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet (with a rim) with foil or parchment paper. Melt stick of butter and pour over the baking sheet.
3. Lay sliced lemons on the melted butter. Space evenly over pan.
4. Lay shrimp over top of the butter and lemons.
5. Sprinkle everything with creole seasoning.
6. Bake for 15 minutes (or until shrimp is cooked through).
7. Dump everything into a serving dish and serve immediately. No sauce needed!

Again- these do not last long! These would make a great appetizer for a summer party!

 

We sure had a lot of great eats this week. I am already missing the beach! Hopefully we will see the waves and put our toes in the sand again sometime soon. But for now...

 

Goodbye, Surfside!

 

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Murrell's Inlet and Wahoo's Fish House

A funny thing happens when you are on vacation. You forget the day...and the time...you eat all kinds of delicious things...and in the back of your mind, you know it can't last forever. But it's so nice. I am appreciating this vacation so much. This is the first summer in the past 13 years where I have worked the whole summer, and it's so nice to take a week off!

A few pictures from tonight...

Tonight, we had a wonderful dinner and walk in Murrell's Inlet, SC. We have been coming to Murrell's Inlet for years, but we tried out a new restaurant tonight: Wahoo's Fish House.

We used one of my favorite apps/websites to pick the restaurant- Yelp! Wahoo's had really good reviews on Yelp, and they accept reservations. There was another restaurant we were interested in trying, but they don't accept reservations. This was okay before we had a little one with us...but when you have a five-year-old with you, waiting an hour or more for a table isn't feasible. Thankfully, we had a reservation and sat down right away!

I have to say that our server was awesome. She was on top of things the entire meal!

We started with fresh bread and peach butter!

I went for a Cosmopolitan. I mean, it IS vacation...

We had salads first. In retrospect, I wish I had shared a salad with Ryan because it was really big, with all kinds of toppings!

It was really hard to choose, because everything on the menu sounded amazing, but I ended up going with the dinner special: Amber Jack (fish) with bacon-cheddar grits and tempura asparagus.

Loved it! I never had this type of fish, but our server compared it to Mahi Mahi. It also reminded me of yellowfin tuna a little bit, texture-wise. The grits were also delicious! I rarely eat grits, but these were delicious! And the tempura asparagus was crunchy, but you could still taste the asparagus, which I liked.

The food at Wahoo's is delicious, but the view and atmosphere are also excellent. Wahoo's is located right on the Inlet, you you have these nice views of the water.

 

And they also have a fun (brightly-decorated) bar outside where you can order food and listen to live music.

It was such a nice night, so we decided to walk along the marshwalk on the inlet. I had no idea this boardwalk/marshwalk even existed, but it was neat to see all the other restaurants right near Wahoo's.

 

I love this picture that I was able to get of this row of restaurants!

If you are planning to be in the Myrtle Beach area, this would be a great place to have dinner one night, either inside or outside!

Thanks, Wahoo's, for a great dinner tonight!

 

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