This + That

OMG, where has the month gone?! I can't believe May is next week. OK, sorry but I think I'm starting to sound like a broken record. This month has been good to me in life and business. Things are crazier than ever, but I end every day like - Today was a good day.

and now for the good stuff...

FAVORITE DISH THIS MONTH 

Say hello to the best cauliflower pizza crust I've ever had -- Califlour Foods. Earlier this month I scored the starter park during one of their sales because you know I love testing new foods and reporting back to y'all. So far I've tried the Plant-Based and Sweet Red Pepper crusts and both were tasty. The above photo is the Plant-Based crust topped with non-fat Trader Joe's pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, basil, cherry tomatoes with balsamic glaze. WHAT! Yes! Order them online, HERE. #notsponsored

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Hands down finding Wild Friends PB at Grocery Outlet for $2.99-$4.99! You better believe I bought all the flavors, Yes, I have a slight peanut butter problem. So my advice is to seek out a Grocery Outlet and buy all the Wild Friends PB - if it's available.

But let's talk about deals that shouldn't be missed. Macy's is having their Friends + Family Sale; A+F is having a 40% off sale making it the perfect time to pick up summer basics -- like this Ruffle Sleeve top for $20!; Target's patio furniture is 25% off + an extra 15% with code PATIO through Saturday - How cute is this little seating combo; Everything is on sale at the GAP so I bought Em this lightweight Floral-lined Jacket.

THIS + THAT

I passed my CF Level 1 Certification! Wahoo, now I can start helping around at the gym.

I started working on my Nutrition Certificate! It will be a few months before I'm finished, but expect some serious food knowledge bombs coming your way! In the meantime, you can join my private FB group - A Happy Healthy Home Tribe. Basically, I just want to help moms create a healthy and balanced life. I would love you to join the conversation.

Again thanks for bearing with me and the radio silence on the blog while I put things in motion! If you want to know what I'm up to on the daily follow along on IG (@tiara_wasner) -- it's where all the fun happens these days.

...and that's a wrap.

Contest Finale TONIGHT!

The contest Finale will be held TONIGHT, Thursday, April 26 at Gene Fullmer at 6pm and will last for approximately 45 minutes. We will provide a summary of the contest, raffle off prizes and announce the winners of the 2018 Way to a Better Life Contest. Hope to see you there!

2018 Way to a Better Life Contest FINALE - TOMORROW NIGHT

The contest Finale will be held TOMORROW, Thursday, April 26 at Gene Fullmer at 6pm and will last for approximately 45 minutes. We will provide a summary of the contest, raffle off prizes and announce the winners of the 2018 Way to a Better Life Contest. Hope to see you there!

Light Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

This is an ABSOLUTE favorite at our house!

Click HERE for the full recipe from A Spicy Perspective!

Final Weigh-In TONIGHT

It is already here! The final weigh-in for the 2018 Way to a Better Life Contest. 

The final weigh-in will be held at the Gene Fullmer Recreation Center (8015 S. 2200 W.) from 5:30pm-7:30pm. You can come by anytime during the final weigh-in to complete your post-assessment testing and record your final weight and points for the contest.

What to expect: 
*Anticipate the post-assessments to take about 30-45 min. to complete.
When you arrive at Gene Fullmer you will go through six stations:
1- Check-in - Pick up your assessment form
2- Weight - Weigh-In for the your official final weight
3- Body Composition - Body Fat percentage measured
4- Waist Circumference Measurement
5- After Photo
6- Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Testing - *This station will most likely take the longest so please be patient. 

2018 Way to a Better Life Contest Wrap Up

CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU DID IT! 

You completed the 2018 Way to a Better Life Contest!

We hope you enjoyed the contest and that you found ways to create lasting habits that will continue to improve your health.

The winners of the 2018 Way to a Better Life Contest will be announced next Thursday, April 26 at Gene Fullmer at 6pm and will last for approximately 30 minutes. We will also provide a summary of the contest and raffle off other prizes.

We hope you can come join us to celebrate your success and the success of others that participated in the contest.

In the Open: 18.5 and Final Thoughts

You guys! We can't forget about the last open workout! All the thrusters and chest to bars. Yeah, I know it ended a month ago, but life happened. What can I say! Let's dive right into things.

THE WORKOUT

This was a repeat of 11.6

Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
3 thrusters / 3 chest-to-bar pull-ups
6 thrusters / 6 chest-to-bar pull-ups
9 thrusters / 9 chest-to-bar pull-ups
12 thrusters / 12 chest-to-bar pull-ups
15 thrusters / 15 chest-to-bar pull-ups
18 thrusters / 18 chest-to-bar pull-ups

If you complete the round of 18, go on to 21. If you complete 21, go on to 24, etc.

INITIAL THOUGHTS
Honestly, I think we all knew thrusters and chest to bars were coming so I wasn't really surprised. I was surprised that Castro gave the CrossFit community a choice of 3 to vote on prior to the announcement. I knew I would have to break up the thrusters and hammer out the chest to bars.

MY PERFORMANCE
Surprisingly well. I hit 91 reps. I broke up the reps early kept the transition quick and never stopped moving. The thrusters never got hard, but those linked chest to bars fell apart at around 15. I actually redid this workout with a different rep scheme and got the same score... I was not pleased.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, I'm happy with my performance. This is a workout that would have previously crushed me and it ended up being my second best finish during the 2018 open. It just goes to show how much I've improved in the last year.

OVERALL THOUGHTS ON THE 2018 OPEN

Now that the open is over I can reflect on my overall performance. It was 10 times better than previous years. I'm actually really happy with my overall finish -- 3,062 out of 30,915 worldwide! My takeaway... I have a lot of room for improvement. A few goals include bar cycling mid/heavy loads, overall strength, and butterfly pull-ups.

WHAT'S NEXT...
Fingers crossed I pass my CF level 1 cert. and then start working on my nutrition cert.... because I have SO much time. Oh, and keep training.

From my CF Level 1 training weekend...

Photo Credit: CrossFit.com

Cajun Chicken Meatballs

This picture makes my mouth water!!
Click HERE to learn how to make DELICIOUS!

You could even lighten up the sauce by using a low-fat sour cream and less oil!

Veggie Loaded Breakfast Casserole

Like I said before, colorful food is more delicious and healthier!
Check out the full recipe HERE!

Fruit and Veggie Tip: Roast or Stew

ROAST

• Red peppers in the oven at 450�, turning every 15 minutes until done (blackened skins). Peel off the skin and slice them, then drizzle in oil and garlic and refrigerate. A Perfect addition to any salad, sandwich or antipasto dish!
• Whole red potatoes in the oven after tossing them in a mixture of olive oil, garlic and rosemary until tender for a mouth-watering side to any meal!
• Some winter vegetables cut in large pieces � parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, beets, sweet potato are some good choices. Coat lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with your favorite herbs, and roast at 425� for 30-40 minutes until tender and browned.
• Brussels sprouts drizzled lightly with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt. Magnifique!
• Thin slices of sweet potato to make chips.

STEW

• Pears. Peel and core and stew gently in cinnamon, sugar and water until tender. Perfect for an after-dinner treat!
• Cabbage with tomatoes and garlic to serve over rice for a unique side dish to any meal!
• Classic stew vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, green beans, celery, onions in canned tomato sauce. Substitute canned beans like kidney beans or black beans for meat.
• Frozen corn, onions, peppers, celery, and salsa. Serve over rice. Add some red or black beans and call it a meal!
• Canned tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and chickpeas. Add oregano and top with sliced olives.

Fruit and Veggie Tip: Microwave

MICROWAVE

• Any of your favorite chopped veggies in a bowl with an egg or two for a quick, nutritious breakfast.
• Cranberries and orange zest with a little sugar and water to make a sweet cranberry relish.
• Frozen or canned vegetables on those busy nights.
• Spaghetti squash by cutting in half lengthwise and putting face down in a dish with water. Scoop out squash and serve like spaghetti with tomato sauce and/or Parmesan cheese.
• A potato for lunch and top with low-fat cottage cheese and chives.

Half of Gabby 
has moved to a new kickass website!

www.halfofgabby.com

 Come on over and let me know what you think of the new place!  

*The page that you are on right now (www.halfofgabby.blogspot.com) is no longer posting new articles and information. Half of Gabby has moved to www.halfofgabby.com and will continue to post new material regularly! In addition, all older articles have been updated on the new site.

~~~

Fruit and Veggie Tip: Saut�

Saut�

• Pear and apple slices (peeled) in a skillet with a little butter until tender. Add marmalade and orange slices, remove from heat and serve for a fruity dessert.
• Cauliflower with nutmeg and oil after pre-steaming for a tasty twist on an old veggie.
• Spinach with garlic and olive oil.
• Green and yellow summer squash with onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. For a different twist, add chopped tomato and basil.
• A variety of different colored peppers with onion. Serve as a side dish.

Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet

I'll take sweet potatoes any way I can get them!
Click here for the full recipe!

Friday Favorites

TGIF! Apparently someone couldn't get their shit together the last few weeks. Don't worry I have an 18.5 recap coming in hot, too - for those of you who care.

Can you believe it's April?! How did that happen? Let's just dive in.

BEST DEALS OF THE WEEK
You know this frugal gal isn't going to pay full price for anything... so why would I expect you too!

Anyway, let's talk deals because mama always needs new workout clothes and Emerson is growing like a weed. So here's what I've either purchased or it's sitting in my cart: MADEWELL Knot Front Tee, Faux Leather Foldover Clutch,  MADEWELL Studio Ruffle Hem Top,  Split High/Low Hem Top and these New Balance 247 Decon shoes even though they aren't on sale - $89 is a pretty good price.

BECAUSE TARGET
Honestly, I should make this into a monthly series... because Target. Until then here are a few things I'm loving and eying: Knit Wrap Dress, Chips Salsa Repeat Short Sleeve V-Neck and Salvia Round Garden Stool Black & White. On another note, I can't wait for the Hunter x Target collection to launch!

BEST MEAL/SNACK OF THE WEEK
I love food. Seriously, it brings me joy cooking, eating, etc. Without a doubt my favorite dish was the Carrot Cake (pictured above) I made for Easter. It was SOOOO good. As in the best Carrot Cake I've ever made. I was full of carrots, pineapple, and coconut!

IN OTHER NEWS
My business continues to grow and we might even need to hire a full-timer next month. It's exciting and terrifying all the same time. I mean I have a hard time managing myself sometimes, HAHA.

On a fitness front, because I don't have enough on my plate, I'm getting my CF level 1 certification in a few weeks and I'm working towards obtaining a nutrition certification! Of course, as long as I pass the test ;)

Until next time...

Turkey Chili

Click HERE for the full recipe! 

Fruit and Veggie Tip: Grill

GRILL

• Mushrooms, bell peppers, onions and tenderloin for the perfect summer kabobs.
• Corn on the cob. Peel and coat in a mix of seasonings such as oregano, pepper, onion and chili powders and salt with a touch of butter to help it stick. Wrap in aluminum foil and grill until tender.
• Pineapple, peaches or mango. Top with a dollop of low-fat ice cream, frozen yogurt or sherbet.
• Asparagus and add to a salad of mixed greens, roasted peppers and toasted nuts.

Fruit and Veggie Tip: Steam

STEAM

• Artichokes for a long time (about an hour) to get flavorful leaves perfect for dipping! Try them with a tasty almond pate.
• Any of your favorite vegetables with citrus juice and zest added to the water to create bold, new flavors. Try lemon juice with spinach, orange with broccoli or grapefruit with carrots!
• A medley of vegetables and season with some herbs. Serve over couscous.
• Cabbage, and season with caraway seed, salt and pepper.
• Green beans with chopped onion. Add a clove of garlic to cooking water.

Fruit and Veggie Tip: Blanch

BLANCH

• Almonds in water for 15 seconds and peel for a new twist on a healthy snack.
• Basil and parsley leaves. Blend together with olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and a little lemon juice for a great pesto!
• Broccoli and cauliflower to use on a vegetable platter for snacks and appetizers.
• Broccoli rabe in salted water to reduce bitterness. Then cook like broccoli.
• Carrots, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus and broccoli. Marinate in your favorite low-fat vinaigrette and serve cold. If desired, add other veggies like onions, mushrooms and peppers.

Steak Fajitas!

Colorful dishes mean extra flavor and health benefits! 

Find the recipe HERE!