Dirty Rice {A Recipe}

Hey there, all you cool cats and kittens!

Sorry, I literally could not help myself.

Life in quarantine has me (or Andy) cooking a whole lot more than usual. Kind of? I guess we normally eat out 1-2x per week. We just aren't really leaving the house so it seems like we're cooking a lot more than usual. Probably more during school/cheer/tumbling season. I'd imagine you're all in the same boat, since everything is closed down to curbside pickup/to go only.

When we do get take out, we make sure we're frequenting locally owned businesses only. Mostly, the Dairy Dip. Our very close family friends own it and it is our go-to for dinner even when we aren't in quarantine!

Today I'm sharing a recipe for dirty rice. Which, my sister calls company rice, and maybe my mom does, too... but I think they're the same thing. It had been years since I had even thought of this dish until about two months ago. And I know my mom made it but I don't think she put peppers in it... because my mom doesn't do vegetables. Like, at all.

Anyway, this rice is delicious and dirty rice might or might not be the same as company rice. For all intents and purposes, I'm calling it dirty rice for this blog post!

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 white onion
1 tube breakfast sausage (I use the spicy one)
2 cups dry jasmine rice
Tony Chachere's creole seasoning

Start your jasmine rice according to package directions.
De-seed and dice both bell peppers, and onion. Begin cooking the breakfast sausage, I make sure to use my spatula and chop the sausage up into tiny crumbles. This is personal preference, I don't really love the texture of any kind of meat unless it is chopped fine/thin/very well done. Add peppers and onions to sausage, sautéing them in the sausage grease. When sausage has browned, add creole seasoning (to taste-- we like spicy foods so I am generous with the sprinkling). Once the sausage and peppers have simmered with the seasoning for a few minutes, drain the grease off them. I put them in a small strainer and also use a paper towel or two to soak up any remaining grease. Add sausage and veggie mix to rice and stir well. Easy Peasy dinner is done!

Home Workout Schedule // Week of 3/30

Hi friends!

One thing I wanted to share more of in this space was fitness/nutrition related information. I have spent so much of my adult life losing weight and gaining it back to lose it again repeat repeat repeat. Consistency is key for a healthy lifestyle, and I'd love to be able to help you achieve and maintain your health goals!

Moderation is my motto. :)

As we enter another week of quarantine, and our gyms are closed, we will be working out at home. Not my favorite thing! I am also doing very light upper body workouts due to my healing broken elbow. I just thought I would share what my workouts will look like this week! We have dumbbells 5#-60#, a tricep bar, plates 2.5#-45#, and a bench in our garage.

Monday: Leg Day (3x10 for everything unless otherwise noted)
Weighted Lunges
Banded Side Squat Walk
Weighted Step-Ups
Single Leg Deadlift with dumbbells
Dumbbell Squats
Weighted Glute Bridges
Weighted Donkey Kicks

Tuesday: Shoulder Day
Standing Overhead Press
Side Lateral Raise
Front Plate Raise
Dumbbell Upright Row
Single Leg Curl to Overhead Press
Shoulder Push-Ups (as able. I tried these earlier this week after getting the OK to train upper body again. My elbow was not as tender as my wrist-- the time I had the splint caused my wrist to swell really badly and it has been quite sore ever since)

Wednesday: Chest Day
Dumbbell Chest Press
Incline Fly
Plate Press Out
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Squeeze Press
Dumbbell Pull-Overs

Thursday: Back Day
Bent Over Row
Incline Dumbbell Row
Elevated Plank Hold Row
Renegade Row
Farmers Carry

Friday: Arm Day (light, due to elbow)
Dumbbell Curl
Tate Press
Overhead Tricep Extension
Tricep Kickbacks
Incline Curl

I am also doing the C25K program again, I will begin week 2 this week. Running days depend on the weather! I really don't like running, but Andy does and once we get over this quarantine, 5K season will be here and that is a fun activity we can do together.

What are you doing to stay active this week? During the weekend I hope to throw in a good 3-5 mile hike with the family as well... Arkansas springtime weather permitting, of course!

Five On Friday // 3.27.20

Happy Friday!

Y'all. This has been the most surreal time of my entire life (and yours too, I'm sure!). We are wrapping up our week of spring break here... possibly the most chill spring break we have ever had. I hope you've been able to rest and relax while working from home, and that you're keeping your mental health a top priority during this time!

Five On Friday

1. Well, let me just start with what is probably the most exciting part of anyone's spring break, quarantine life, life in general, at all, ever, this week. The Tiger King. If you don't have Netflix, get it. JUST so you can watch this hilarious, incredible... very real account of a man in Oklahoma and his Tiger rivals. OMG. That is all I can say. You'll appreciate the memes coming out of it possibly even more than the show. LOL

2. My elbow. I don't have a picture to go with this one, but I got to go get follow up x-rays on my elbow Wednesday, and I am so excited to be able to say... I have the go ahead to start lifting again! My elbow is still "about 4 weeks from being totally normal," but I can begin using my arm in a normal capacity again. I have never been so happy to talk to a doctor in my entire life! It has been 5 weeks since I fell in the gym and broke it. Yesterday I did a small shoulder workout (and I mean, SMALL). I am sore today and it feels so good! My elbow and wrist are also slightly sore/tender, so I am glad I kept the workout light and quick.

3. The weather has been perfect (although pollen-y) for outdoor activities. It has been very hard on Sophia being in 'social distancing' mode because unfortunately, many parents on our street do not feel that their kids need to stay in their own yards/homes. Kids ring our doorbell a few times a day to see if Sophia can go out to play. We keep telling them, she is not going to be able to go out to play with a group until everyone goes back to school. It is so sad for her but it is necessary. I wish other parents would follow social distancing rules. We have gone on two really great hikes over the last week. Yesterday we did 4 miles at the top of Mt. Magazine, and the trail was practically deserted. Score! The views were great, the weather was amazing, and it was an all around great day.

4. I am spending my days in quarantine honing my youtube video editing skills (they are terrible, admittedly). Sophia has been on me for like two years to make more youtube videos for her. So this week, she baked cookies with her favorite stuffed animal Pusheen. She video'd herself. I strung the videos together and now she's awaiting her pending youtube fame. If you're reading this, please go "like" her video. It would just make her day!

5. Writing. With this whole 'work from home' thing (starting Monday, I'll be teaching kindergarten via Zoom conferences), I seriously cannot find one excuse not to write. I have a list of things that Andy and I came up with for book chapters... our planned book about our off the wall family travels and adventures and methods of parenting. I feel slightly silly... like I cannot even blog consistently how on earth will I write a book? The thing is, I love to write. I have always, always wanted to write a book. Andy has been encouraging me to write a book since like 2010. Here we are. I think I am out of excuses! I would like to try out some of our ideas as blog posts and gauge feedback. If we get any....... because this little corner of the internet has been dormant for so long. :) We will see where life takes us, I guess!