Cardio Killa - Day 2

Happy Hump Day!
I woke up a little late today but went to the gym and still had a good workout!  My legs were pretty sore from the hour elliptical run so I didn't spend too much time there, I did some alternative cardio instead.  (posted below)
Last night after work, I went to the organic produce market and got a whole flat of strawberries for $6! (that's 8 containers!)  I also bought 2lbs of raw organic almonds, cilantro, green onions, oranges, bananas, red bell peppers, cucumbers, lemons, limes and green apples - all for $24!  This place is like a gold mine.  The only downside is that the produce is typically approaching or just past it's prime, so it has to be used or frozen(if applicable) within the next couple of days.  My mom and I always do our shopping together there so the bell peppers, cucumbers, bananas, 1/2 of the strawberries and 1/2 of the almonds went to her house and the rest stayed at mine.  I washed and chopped all of the strawberries and put 3/4 of them in the freezer.  I love doing the strawberries like this so I can defrost them and add them to yogurt :)  The frozen strawberries in the store are like $4-6 per small bag!
After the organic market, I cooked dinner at my mom's house.  I made Spaghetti and Meatballs with a homemade shredded chicken sauce that my mom made and froze last week.  (we highly support making bulk ahead of time and freezing for convenience and economical purposes!)
I made the meatballs a bit differently since I was in my mom's kitchen and didn't have my ingredients...
Meatball Recipe:
1lb Lean Ground Turkey
1c Italian Breadcrumbs
1/4 Skim Milk
1 egg
1/3c Italian Cheese Blend
1tbs Minced Garlic
Pinch Red Pepper Flake
1tbs Chopped Fresh Basil (from mom's garden - so easy to grow!)

Pre-heat oven to 375

-Combine everything other than turkey in bowl until combined. 
-Once combined, add turkey and fold together
-Line cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray
-Form mixture into approx 1" meatballs and bake approx 15 minutes or until browning on edges
Enjoy!

Since I'm trying to cut way back on carbs this week, I skipped the pasta.  I actually had a very small dinner last night, just 3 meatballs with some sauce and a tiny bit of fat free feta.  Yummy!

After dinner, Branden took Nora to see his mom for her birthday which gave me a chance to run some errands.. I went to Walmart to get a stability ball which I am now using in place of my chair at my desk!  It helps enhance balance and is kind of a constant core workout, which is nice!  At only $16.77, you can't beat it :) Buy One!

I'm sitting on it right now and it's also fun because you can bounce every now and then and play a little :) (and sneak in a few crunches if you're feeling fiesty!) I also got new PJs, an outfit and a pair of shoes for Nora.  Walmart's clothes are super cheap but I think they're perfect for summer play clothes, then I won't get upset if  and when they get stained/ruined!  Aaaaand I got the Mariah Carey Music Box CD because that was my absolute FAVORITE MC CD and it was only $5! lol  Then I went to Meijer, we needed vitamins desperately and they seem to have the best selection/price.  I got Fish Oil (buy one get one free! Holla!), L-Argenine and DHEA.  All really great things that I take daily!  Vitamins are super important in living healthy - I hope you're taking yours, too! :)  My mom is a big vitamin person.. she was always trying to get us to take this and that but I hated taking the big horse-pill multi-vitamins so I never would lol.  At least I've wised-up! 

Workout Today:
Time       Exercise               Reps                 Sets
15min     Elliptical                Med/Fast
              Switch Steps         30sec               4 sets
              Quick Feet            30sec               4 sets
              Ball Crunches        20                    4 sets
2min       Treadmill               Walk
3min       Treadmill                Jog

I am so NOT a runner so I was pretty happy with myself for jogging the 3 minutes.. it may seem like a teeny tiny amount of time to most, but it's a pretty big deal for me :)  I'll work up to a marathon at some point!  (one of my goals :))
I felt good after the workout and was sweating my ass off so I must have done something right!  Tomorrow I might do another long elliptical day, still undecided? 
I'm thinking about buying some ankle weights just to wear around the office.  My brother had some and I used to wear them around my house.. I also used to walk around my house and shower on my tippy-toes to build my calves when I was in high school lol.  My brother had these shoes (pictured below) for football training and I used to love wearing those too!  They strengthen your calves and elongate your achilles tendon. (I have a slight obsession with calves)  I'm thinking I might get some after I get in a little better shape :)
You can buy them at Eastbay. 

Moving on to more food...

Menu Today:

Breakfast:

Choc Protein Shake w/ Skim Milk

Banana w/ 1tbs Natural Pnut Butter (I was extra hungry!)

Snack:

1can Tuna w/ 1tbs Miracle Whip, 1tsp Yellow Mustard and diced dill pickles

Lunch:

Chick Pea Salad over Baby Spinach

Snack:

Cytomax Protein Drink

12 raw organic almonds

Dinner:

Chicken somethin-or-other.. update tomorrow!

Well, I think that's all I have for today!  Toot-a-loo!