In a perfect world

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Malin

I think yesterday turned into a awesome day. As I mentioned before I need to take control back over my own situation. I cannot only do yoga although I love it and could not live without it. But I have to get back on the track, I need to start running and start lifting weights on a regular basis. As most people know it was “Cinco de mayo” yesterday and my 5th grader needed to bring guacamole to school for their celebration so we ended up leaving home super early. This totally work in my favor because I managed to get a 5k in before going into an awesome yoga class with the fabulous Jodi at Lifetime Fitness in Old Orchard…I truly felt like a million bucks and in an amazing mood me and Ms Mira was playing rockstars in the kitchen as we were making dinner.

This morning still on yesterdays high I went to work teaching a private class thinking I would kick some butt lifting a little heavier than I usually do afterwards but on my way into work I get a phone call that I was having a showing of our house in the afternoon. We just put our house on the market, yesterday to be exact and my plans went down the drain and instead of getting a good workout in I ended up going home and spending 3 hours prepping the house. It is almost like making dinner, you spending hours in the kitchen and you calling your family to the dinner table over and over again and when they finally get there the dinner is over in less than 15 minutes. Well, fingers crossed that the effort will pay off

Dear diary I have a confession to make…

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Malin

This year so far I have met so many new people who have touch me in so many different ways. Some I have lived near by for years, others I got to know better and some I have randomly met because our paths has crossed. What they all have in common is that they are all unique, I think if we are open to the fact we are all different from one another because of our upbringing, experience, religion or what ever it might we have one thing in common. We do all share that we are “peculiar” to one another and if you can embrace that and listen to their stories I think we become a happier person.

So one of my sweet, sweet Swedish friends and her family are moving back to Sweden so last night we had a girls night out and we had a blast. With great food and a lot of laughters the girls was ready for a sleep in this morning so we canceled this morning class which also meant a sleep in for me, yeah right!

Although I had the house to myself (I think for the first time ever) I still woke up bright and early and made it out for a 3 mile run just before the thunder rolled in over us. It was really humid and I had decided in my head not to go all out because I was going to an “invasion” yoga class afterwards but that was not happening. You know when you start and you feel pretty good and you push it, it is hard to stop! It was far from my greatest run but yet I fought all the way and as I walked trough the door the rain started pouring down as did the sweat at the back of my back.

I hurried to change clothes and ran off to the yoga studio for an 1 1/2 prep for handstands. I thought I knew how to get on to my hands but not so much, I guess because when my teacher Jodi Ryan told me what to do it totally made sense. She told me to lift my shoulders through the ribs and engage my core (she probably would describe it in a different way) it was like a “aha” moment and I became an addict. There you go, I am and addict! It is an amazing feeling when you figure out your body and you are able to take it to a new level, you just want more and more. So when I got home I was doing stuff around the house I kept on practicing handstand just so I could get that rush again. I guess this is what yoga does to you…haha. So to sum my day up I have had a great day and I am absolutely knackered and looking forward to get my family back!

Jodi and I playing around after the evening class…like i said I am an addict 😉

Kids were running wild while I made Low carb Chicken Burritos

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Malin

Freddie is out of town this week so it is just me and the kids finish this last week of school before the summer vacation kicks in. With no homework and mild summer afternoons the kids are running wild on the block just the way it should be when you are young.

So after I’ve manage to track them down (thank god for cell phones) we enjoyed some Chicken Burritos before it was time to call it a day.

Burrito Wrap (made 2 servings)

1 egg

2 tbs Psyllium Husk

1 deciliter Unmodified potato starch

1 deciliter milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 deciliter grated cheese

salt

Mix all the ingredients together and let it “rest” for 5-10 minutes so it becomes a thick paste before it is spread out on top of parchment paper and bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350 F.

I used 2 chicken tender that I chopped into small pieces and marinated in a homemade taco rub….

a splash of Unflavored coconut Oil

Coriander

Cumin

Paprika powder

Oregano

Chopped garlic

Salt and pepper

…before I threw it on the grill

I am going to admit that I was a little lazy yesterday and had bought spicy guacamole from whole foods that I think is amazing that I added together with some spinach, cheese, cucumber, tomato and onion.

There is nothing wrong with quirky!

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Malin

It’s been a while since I did spinning but now when the “half” is over and done with I thought I’m going to change it up a bit to make it a bit easier on my body. So I with all this ambition that I was going to do great in this spinning class I entered into the room which was cold and dark and all of sudden all my motivation went out the window and all I wanted to do was to get out in the sun and lie by the pool.

But I pulled myself together and adjusted the bike to my liking as the instructor started with some light stretches before we got going. And as the first song was playing out load in the speakers this woman, slightly in front of me started cheering and clapping her hands and saying “I am Stephanie and I can do this, yay”. It was the most quirky moment I have ever experience in a dark room filled with strangers, that together was going the sweat their guts out for an hour. But you know what I used her energy and cranked the speed and resistance and gave everything I had as she kept on doing her “yays” throughout the class…so I guess there is nothing wrong with quirky 😉

Hickory BBQ salmon with Horseradish infused vegetables

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Malin

This spring has been crazy hectic but yet full of fun and excitements but one thing that has been suffering is how I eat. I normally don’t eat anything with sugar or any vegetables that grows from under ground. The thing is that with all the guest we have had I have indulged in Swedish chocolate, homemade cinnamon rolls and much more that my body don’t do so well with (nor my weight). Anyhow now it’s time to clean up and get back on track so tonight I made an amazing salmon on the grill that for sure will enjoy more than once this summer.

Before I got started I soaked the hickory smoked wood chips in water and started the grill and was letting the chips get real hot so they would emit as much flavor as possible.

1 pound of salmon

salt and lemon pepper

Vegetables

Asparagus

Zucchini

Red onion

Red bell pepper

1 tablespoon of horseradish

2-3 tablespoons of butter.

Chop up the vegetables and melt the butter together with the horseradish and mix in a little salt and pepper. Brush the vegetables with the mix and grill together with the salmon.

Shrimp and fish roe farrago

1/2-1 cup of sour cream

1 crushed garlic clove

Dill

Fish Roe (I get this at my local sushi joint)

10-15 Shrimps

1 Red chili

Salt and white pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and let it “rest” in the fridge for half hour to an hour…Enjoy

Beetroot soup with ginger, lemon and chili

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Malin

It seems like everyone is escaping this never-ending winter and traveling south. At the same time we are receiving letters regarding strep throat, infections and stuffy noses so what else can you do than trying to stay healthy by eating food that boosts your immune system. Not only is beetroot good for defeat colds but it also enhance physical activities because it improves the oxygen uptake…so I guess more beetroot for the people!

3 big beetroot
1 yellow onion (i used a red onion)
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 tablespoon Ginger
Chili Flakes (depends how spicy you like it)
6dl /3 cups water
3 tablespoons beef fond or 2 cubes vegetable stock
salt and pepper
1 lemon (juice and peel)
Sour cream
Direction: Chop the beetroot, onion, garlic and grate the ginger. Fry the beetroot and the onion for a couple of minutes before adding the ginger, chili and garlic and sauté for another couple of minutes.

Add water, bouillon, season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for 15 minutes, mix the soup until it is smooth and serve with a splash of sour cream.

Original recipe by Linnea Sward

What is your goal!

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Malin

What is in your grocery bags?

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Malin

I am a pretty good planner when it comes to what I am making for dinner but lately I have been working out of what I have had available in front of me. Then yesterday came and I finally sat down and planned my week ahead and went to my new favorite store Mariano’s and Costco and this is our first dinner.

Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut milk

1 big Sweet Potato

Ginger

Cumin

Chili flakes

Lemon Grass

2 cups of Water

1 cube of vegetable bouillon

1 can of Coconut Milk

Coconut Oil

a small “squeeze” of agave nectar

1 Sausage from Greenridge Farm

Chopped Cilantro

Direction: Boil the sweet Potato for about 5 minutes, drain and use a hand blender to make it into a smooth paste.

Fry the lemon grass, chili, cumin and ginger for a couple of minutes in the coconut oil.

Mix in the spice mix with the sweet potato, add the water, bouillon and coconut milk and let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

Fry the sausage and chop the cilantro. Serve the soup with sausage and cilantro…mmm

LowCarb Nasi Goreng

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Malin

I always have my freezer stocked with meat or fish but when I opened it up today I realized the only thing left was a piece of pork tenderloin. Not knowing what I was going to do with it I started to unfreeze it and pulling out whatever we had in the fridge…and this is what it turned into 😉

1/2 shredded Cabbage
Sesame Oil
chopped Garlic
fresh grated Ginger
Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon tomato pure
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek
Fish sauce (I used touch of taste)
apple cider vinegar
splash of Worcestershire Sauce
1-2 teaspoons Hoisin Sauce
leek
Cilantro
2 egg
Salt
Edamame Beans
Pork Tenderloin
Salt and Pepper

Direction: Start by shredding the cabbage and fry it in the sesame oil. Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin, sambal oelek, tomato pure, fish sauce, vinegar, worcestershire sauce and let it cook or simmer until dry. What you will find is all the spices will really infuse into the cabbage.

Whisk the two egg with some salt and fry in sesame oil. Slice into smaller pieces add into the cabbage together with the edamame beans and the chopped leek.

I used the grill to cook the pork tenderloin. I love to use the grill, less mess and the meat taste 100 times better!

Serve the meat on top of the cabbage with some fresh cilantro. The kids loved it and so did the grown up…so tumps up!

Unfortunately I did not keep track of the measurement but I think with common sense it will be ok 😉

That is how a recovery run should go down!

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Malin

Oh gosh, this weekend has been really busy with one thing after another. The premier of “The Ghost Pirates” was at seven o’clock friday evening, all the kids had practice really hard and did an amazing job and Mira was really buzzing when she got off stage. She though it was so much fun so the next morning I found her totally dressed up with bright red lipstick and a pair of my highest heels on ready to bring on the world.

But in-between all the birthday parties, hockey and theater I managed to get my 7 miler in and it is amazing how your mind works. I mentioned my 4 mile recovery last Wednesday and it was sooo hard and I was disappointed because half way through it felt like it was never coming to an end.

This time around, I knew I was “turning” around at 3.5 mile and was running “home”. The only thing that gets me is the “sprint session” in the middle of the run, they are truly killers for the legs so for the rest of the afternoon it looked like I had **** in my pants…haha.

So when Sunday morning came around I had a choice to make…the 3 optional miles. The thing is optional is not really optional unless you hanging on by thread so I decided I was not going crazy. I took it nice and easy and I really enjoyed the brisk sunny morning not meeting a single soul on my first run of the season through the forest preserve! My legs were a bit stiff as expected but I went straight to a well deserved hot yoga session and what can be better for both the soul and the muscles to reach for your fullest potential to complete the workout week…this is truly how a recovery run should be like!