What Did We Do During Shutdown Week?

As you may have noticed, the Rec was closed last week for our annual shutdown week. What is shutdown week, you ask? Every year we close down the Rec the first week after the spring semester is over, to give our Rec a nice, deep cleaning….think of it as a spa week for the rec, if you will. At some point in the year, every facility like ours goes through this process, the most convenient time of the year for us, just happens to be this past week. It’s funny because I think my first official blog for the Rec was about last year’s shutdown week. Literally, my FIRST one. If you want to check out that instance of some fine reporting, click here. I was such a baby blogger!

I am happy to say that we have finished another successful shutdown week! We all generally tackle shutdown week by relying heavily on teamwork. Each morning, a professional staff member or two would take about six student staff members and Keith, our Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations, would assign them to a specific area in the Rec. We organized, cleaned and scrubbed every inch of the building. Seriously, slap an apron on us and give us a scrubber, and call us a bunch of Cinderellas. If you follow the Rec on Instagram, Facebook, or Vine, then you probably saw our progress throughout the week. If not, here are some images to show you what exactly we were doing:

Organizing and discarding old light bulbs!

Reorganizing and cleaning the back office to make room for our incoming GA’s

Kayla cleaning some bikes!

Michele’s team stopped for a photo op!

Putting equipment back after we cleaned the floors.

Yep, we even cleaned up there.

Hope you liked it!!!

Outdoor Workout And a Smoothie

As most of you now know, the building was shutdown last week for it’s annual maintenance week.  It is also partly what inspired today’s Workout Wednesday post.  Although it was unfortunate that we had to shutdown, and our member’s couldn’t use our awesome equipment, it’s something that every fitness facility does in order to keep everything in tip top shape for their customers.  THIS, however, should not be an excuse to not get some form of a workout in!  That being said, today’s workout was created in honor of shutdown week.  I created this workout with Ritter Park in mind.  For those of you who live around Huntington, you are probably familiar with Ritter- it’s also where my favorite, The Safety Trail, is located!  The main loop around the park is approximately one mile, so this workout can be completed virtually anywhere you can run a mile!  You could even do this workout inside, even though everything would be a little more spread out, you could bump up the workout by adding weights!  **Suggestion: If you’re doing this outside, pick an available park bench to complete the tricep dips. Also, if running is something that’s still difficult for you, there’s nothing wrong with subbing the run for a brisk walk, just keep that heart rate up!

Now, on to the smoothie!  The other day I got a nice little present in the mail-Elite Mocha Protein Powder!  This protein is great because it is a low carb, zero sugar, whey protein isolate…did I also mention it was mocha flavored??

This smoothie is clutch for those early mornings when you need to eat breakfast and get some caffeine in ya as soon as possible.  For this recipe you have a few different options in terms of how to get the coffee part in there.  You can either add a cup of cold coffee, make coffee cubes with an ice cube tray, or use these babies (they’re just like Starbucks, but a few bucks cheaper!  Got ‘em at Kroger).  

Over the summer I always make more coffee than I need to in the mornings, then put the excess coffee in a pitcher in the fridge- ice coffee 24/7!  Same idea with the coffee cubes, just pour cooled coffee in an ice cube tray and let it freeze.  The Folgers instant coffee packets have been a lifesaver for me, my roommate just moved to go be a big girl, and the coffee maker went with her!  It’s been a rough week, to say the least.

Anyway, combine the following ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!  The perfect breakfast smoothie, if I may say so myself.

Background thanks to this blog!

The measurements can be altered slightly, depending on the consistency that you’d like. Remember- you can use cold coffee, coffee cubes, or the instant coffee packets…it’s all up to you!

What do you think about the workout and the smoothie? Do you like mocha protein powder as much as I do? What’s your favorite protein powder flavor?

Italian Crockpot Chicken- Manic Monday

Happy Monday everyone!  The MRC Staff and I are back from a very successful shutdown week, and ready to go (blog about shutdown week coming tomorrow)!  Today, I have a very simple and tasty recipe for you guys to try.  It involves my best friend in the kitchen- the crockpot!  Let’s look at some other crockpot recipes I’ve talked about in the past:

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Lean (not mean) Crockpot Turkey Chili

Sausage and Tortellini Crockpot Soup

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest and it’s been a big help this past semester- here are the three reasons why I like it (some of this credit is due to the amazingness of the crockpot):

1.  It’s healthy and delicious

2.  It makes a ton of food

3.  You can put frozen chicken in it- frozen!

Number 3 is a huge deal to me right now because like I talked about last week, I am moving, which means I’m trying to clean out my fridge and freezer.  Less food= less food to move. If you remember anything about my blog about stilltasty.com, then you know I’ve got a lot of frozen chicken!  I adjusted the recipe slightly by buying low-fat, low-sodium, or fat-free ingredients.  I know that at times this can alter the taste, but with this recipe it truly doesn’t!  So if you have a crockpot give this recipe a go!  If you’ve been reading this blog and still don’t have a crockpot, then I have failed as a blogger in convincing you get ahold of one! It truly is a lifesaver!

(Source)

Give it a shot and let me know what you think! What do you like to make in the crockpot?

Jolly Pirate Donuts- Food Friday

Last week the spring semester of 2013 ended for Marshall students….boy did time fly! With the end of the semester also comes exam week, one of the most (if not the most) dreaded times of the year. As a “graduated”, Graduate Teaching Assistant, I had to say goodbye to my last group of students at Marshall University. Every semester I always bring them donuts for their 8 AM exam time…it’s the least I can do, right?

Back home when you say the word, “donuts”, the next question is- “Is the hot light on??” Although there are no Krispy Kreme’s around here, Jolly Pirate Donuts is just as good!

(Source)

Located on Route 60, this donut shop, which has been around for over 35 years, offers it’s customers a wide variety of fresh, homemade donuts and other pastry goodies.

Bright-eyed and bushy tailed at 7:30 AM! (yeaaaa right…sometimes 7:30 is still too early!)

When you get a dozen donuts from Jolly Pirate, you essentially get a baker’s dozen, which is thirteen. With every dozen you get a free donut. I used this opportunity to get a donut for myself. In terms of staying “healthy”, that’s pretty hard to come by in a donut shop, so I just went with what sounded the “healthiest”….the Whole Wheat Donut (and it’s actually really good!)

Jolly Pirate has also changed a few things up in recent years, by opening up a gyro sandwich shop in the right half of the restaurant. Check out this article about that renovation in the Herald Dispatch here. I love gyro’s! I haven’t tried the gyro’s at Jolly Pirate yet, but that’s something that I definitely need to check off of my list. So if you’re in Huntington and have a donut or gyro fix, Jolly Pirate is the place to be!

Have you guys eaten at Jolly Pirate before? What do you like to get? Have you tried their gyro’s?

Kitchen Sink Mac & Cheese Casserole

As some of you may know, I’m in the middle of what some might refer to as a “transition” stage. The lease on my current apartment will be up at the end of the month, so there are two things I’m trying to avoid- 1. Spending money on food that I can’t eat with the coming weeks, and 2. Moving over one boxful of anything food related. That being said, I’ve been channeling the core of my inner college student and coming up with some pretty interesting meals. My most recent creation actually turned out really well, so I decided to share it with you, because it is cheap, super easy, and healthy, and can be used by college kids all over the world! Here’s what you will need (all of these things were either in my pantry or freezer):

-1 Box of Mac and Cheese (your choice on the brand….I use Kraft)

-1 ½ cups of frozen broccoli

-1 can of tuna (I use the tuna canned in water)

-1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

-1/2 tsp of creole seasoning*

-1/4 tsp of pepper*

*The seasoning can be adjusted to taste, I normally eyeball it, to be honest

Another little “health” tip: When I prepare my Mac & Cheese I use skim milk and spray butter (ex. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Spray), this cuts the Mac & Cheese by about 100 calories! That friendly little tip is also on the side of the Kraft Mac & Cheese Box.

I love the Simple Truth Garbanzo Beans! A product of a future hummus  creation that I didn’t get to in time!

If you’re wondering what creole seasoning is/brand to get/etc, here is my favorite creole seasoning brand. I put this stuff on everything- chicken, fish, breakfast omelets- you name it!

It even says it right on the label- “Great on everything!”

Now, how to make this college casserole creation (FYI- it tastes just like any other broccoli/tuna/cheese casserole):

1. Cook Mac & Cheese according to box instructions (remember the milk and butter tip)

2. Cook frozen broccoli according to package, you could also use fresh broccoli, whatever you have around.

3. After the broccoli and Mac & Cheese have cooked, combine these along with the remaining ingredients in a bowl.

That’s literally all you have to do! The great thing about this recipe is that if you don’t like one of the ingredients you don’t have to add it, or you can sub it for something else. Like, chicken for tuna or any other vegetable for the broccoli. It’s all about getting creative, and being cost effective at the same time, especially during these college years! It’s easier than you think! J

**As a little side note to all of you Rec-er’s out there- This week is the Rec’s annual shutdown week. This means that the building will be closed until Saturday. During this time our staff is working to clean and polish our building from top to bottom, so that you all can have the greatest rec experience possible. We also have a new piece of equipment coming out, so that’s really exciting!

What do you think of the kitchen sink casserole? Are any of you guys at the same transition period that I am?

Hillbilly Hotdogs and the Homewrecker Challenge- Food Friday

Today’s Food Friday spot may not necessarily be healthy, but it is a staple here in West Virginia. Hillbilly Hotdogs is a famous hotdog establishment that is open in two locations in West Virginia- Lesage and right here in Huntington on 3^rd Ave! You may have driven by it a time or two, the restaurant is definitely noticeable for their decorations….we’ll call it, character. Guy Fieri has even visited the restaurant on the show, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives! I know what you’re thinking, what’s so great about a hotdog restaurant? Well, their hotdog selection just about mirrors their decorating skills, which does not disappoint. Check out their menu here. The other day the old boy and I went for lunch with some friends. Here we are with our hotdogs…

Are you thinking that Jimmy’s hot dog is a little oversized? You are correct, good sir! I got the Junk Yard Dog with a side of fried pickles, but Jimmy had other plans in mind for this lunch trip. Hillbilly Hotdogs has both a burger and a hotdog challenge. This baby is called “The Homewrecker”, and if you can eat it in under 12 minutes, you can get it for free. Jimmy had high hopes for this challenge (and I did too, because I was paying)! Our waiter told us that even though it’s a tough challenge for most, there was once a guy in Huntington who ate The Homewrecker in under 2 minutes….AND THEN went on to eat another one, all within the 12 minute time frame. What the heck?! Who was this person??? Before I give you a play by play of the next 12 minutes of our lives, let’s get a close up of our food-

My meal above…

And this Big Bertha of a weenie is known as The Homewrecker.

Jimmy started the challenge strong, but as the timer ticked down to it’s final minutes, he began to slow down.

Really, I’m so proud.

By the time the 12 minutes was up, Jimmy had finished the hot dog. However, there were still remnants of the toppings on the plate, and Hillbilly Hotdogs would not accept that as a full completion.

This is what the plate of a failed Homewrecker attempt looks like. Although a valiant effort was put forth by old Jimbo, the hotdog challenge had defeated both his spirit and his appetite for hotdogs ever again. Hillbilly Hotdogs is a great place to at least check out, if not for the food challenge, then for the experience. Check out their website (linked above) for more images. Overall Hillbilly Hotdogs is a great place to have a friendly and welcoming eating experience. They also have as much outside seating as they do inside, so as the weather warms up, be sure to stop by and check them out!

Have you guys eaten at Hillbilly Hotdogs before? What did you order? Have any of you successfully completed The Homewrecker challenge?

Treadmill Workout and a Smoothie- Workout Wednesday

Workout Wednesday on a Thursday, how about it? It’s finals week, so I know you guys are going through the same thing that I am!

Today I am going to share a very simple, but effective treadmill workout with you guys, but first, let’s have a conversation about my breakfast smoothie. I originally adapted the Apple Pie Smoothie from fitsugar.com. However, I changed mine around a little bit and came up with this tasty creation. Remember the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Well, this smoothie is a good way to fit that in!

Easy-peasy, breakfast smoothie it is!

Gotta get it in that Marshall Tervis tumbler!

Now, on to the workout- if the speed is too slow or too fast for you, you can adjust your starting pace accordingly, however just make sure to keep the ratio’s and you should be good to go! You could even turn this into a walk/run workout if you wanted! (If walking, starting speed should be 4.0) The quickest and easiest way to get bathing suit ready is to amp up the cardio! So, let’s get to it!

What do you guys think of the workout? What about the smoothie?