Chicken and Apple

So after a while of being boring, I've finally tried a few new recipes again.  This one is from a Paleo recipe site. It's really simple and very flavorful. My kids even liked it, which is saying a lot since neither of them (especially my 5-year-old) like to try new things.  I ate this plain but served it over brown rice for the rest of the fam. Warning, leftovers do not look appetizing because the apples turn a grayish color for some reason. But they still taste great!

(Serves 2, so mutiply ingredients as needed)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 t. salt
2 T. coconut oil
1 large apple
1/2 t. cinnamon and/or allspice (I love these spices, so I used both!)

Dice chicken breasts.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat a saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil when hot.  Add chicken and cook until slightly pink.  Grate apple into pan and add cinnamon/allspice.  Continue to cook until chicken is done and apple is tender.

Enjoy!

Italian Turkey Burgers

Here's another recipe courtesy of Jamie Eason! I just made these for the first time on Tuesday night and they are SOOO good. Even my red-meat eating, zucchini-hating husband was a fan. The shredded zucchini makes them really moist and they get so much flavor from the seasoning. I ate mine on a bed of spinach and topped it with some salsa. Enjoy! (I know you will!)

1 lb. ground extra lean turkey breast
2 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper

(*note: You can tweak the spices in any way you want. I didn't have any onion powder or dried basil and I don't like black pepper, so I put in some cayenne, poultry seasoning, and a little Worcestershire Sauce.)

Set broiler on high, arranging rack so that burgers will be about 2 inches from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with hands, adding turkey last.  Mix well and scoop out into 4-5 portions.  Mixture will be really moist so for easier clean-up, use a foil-lined baking sheet, prepped with non-stick spray.

Place burgers in oven and broil for 7 minutes. Carefully flip each burger and continue to broil for another 7 minutes on the other side.  Serve warm.

Also makes great meatballs!

Nutrition Facts:
(if making 4 burgers)
Calories: 144
Fat: 1 g
Carbs: 3.5 g
Protein: 27.6 g

Musclemania Figure Competition

Back in Oct. 2011 I competed in my first physique competition. It was a huge commitment and a lot of hard work. However, even though I didn't place very well, I was very proud of my hard work and of what I had accomplished. Then, I did my competition in the bikini division. Bikini competitors have a feminine build, lean muscle and low body fat percentage. Judges aren't looking for too much muscle. Your stage presentation is also a big part of it. You have to be bubbly, confident, shake your booty and make it pop....all that crap that makes you feel like an idiot, basically. I did it all and had fun, but it just wasn't me. So, I have decided to challenge myself again and do another competition but in the figure division. Figure is more about leaness, muscle definition and body symmetry. Figure is more hard-core. Training is intense and a lot heavier than bikini. I am more of a figure girl. I have broad shoulders and can put on muscle pretty easily. Below I've posted pictures of the differences in the 2 categories. First is the bikini than figure below that.

The competition is Sept. 15, 2012. I will officially start my competition prep (diet, training routines) the first week of July. I want to use this blog to map my journey by posting my training splits and diet as well as the changes in my body. I have muscle to gain and body fat % to loose! I will need to get down to about 10% body fat 1 week out from the show. I would appreciate lots of encouragement to keep my motivation up!