5 Favorites from SSS (Summer Sweat Series)

~ Chocolaterunsjudy

sssfavorites

Summer is the time where everything just kind of hangs out — even all the jiggly bits we wish wouldn’t hang out. It also happens to coincide with my mini off season. Generally at the end of the year I take an off season, where I still run, but there are no hill repeats, few races, no weekly schedule.

Although I am technically training for my fall half right now, by running with my USAFit group, I don’t consider myself to really be in training until about mid July. It’s the perfect opportunity to try to get in more cross training, as I wrote about in my Weekly Wrap this week, and see if I can tone up those jiggly bits a bit.

Every time I gain a few pounds I’m reminded of how much better running feels when I’m at a lower weight. An off season is the perfect time to work on it — and it will only benefit my running in the long “run” (sorry, had to go there).

It’s Favorite Friday at this week’s Friday Five  from Cynthia from You Signed Up for What?, Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, and Mar from Mar on the Run — and I want to share with you some of my favorite things from the Summer Sweat Series, a free exercise/eating plan that came along right when I needed it.

Daisy Duke Ready Workout
It seems so simple, but no joke, this workout kicked my butt, as I also mentioned in the Weekly Wrap. My buns were sore!

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes
I must say these coconut flour pancakes really hit the spot (even if I made them on week 2 and they were from the week 1 meal plan). The first time, after making the pancakes, I just wanted to dive in and eat. The second time I simply forgot to take a photo.

Coconut flour pancakes are different from the pancakes you’re most likely accustomed to; I’ve tried a variety of recipes, and this one is really good.

Simple but satisfying

Smashed Chickpea Avocado Sandwich
I’m not sure the smashed chickpea avocado sandwich really qualifies as a recipe, but it was super simple, super filling, and super tasty. I left out the dried cranberries and made the sandwich with Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread, so you get that salty-sweet thing going on.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Salad
This salad was also super tasty. I changed the recipe around to suit my tastes again — left out the corn (nothing wrong with corn, we grill it often, but I felt the sweet potato was enough carbs for me), used mango instead of pineapple in the salsa — I’m not a huge pineapple fan and besides, I happened to have a mango.

I really liked the dressing, although I decreased the chili powder a bit because I like things only mildly spicy.

My only quibble was I needed more dressing — but then again, they don’t show it being served over a mound of greens. Next time — and there will be a next time — I’ll double the dressing.

You can’t beat free
Seriously. When it comes to strength training, I crave variety. So I’m enjoying a few different workouts. I do wish there were videos, but hey, as they say, you get what you pay for.

I also like that there is a wide variety of recipes. Vegetarian, paleo, “normal”, more carbs, lower carbs. And dessert and snacks.

I’m not following the recipe plan, so if I do lose any weight I can’t really trace it back to that. I have gotten out of my cooking rut — you know, where you make the same things over and over because it’s easy and fast?

Healthy cooking can take a bit more time, but it’s worth it.

Talk to me. Leave a comment or answer a question:

Do you stick to the same recipes or like to experiment?

Got a new healthy recipe for me to try?

Same old same old or variety is the spice of life?

29 thoughts on “5 Favorites from SSS (Summer Sweat Series)”

  1. Love the recipes! I tried something new this week. Avocado and sundried tomatoes on a sandwich together with salad and topped with balsamic vinegar. reminded me of mozarella – in a heavenly way 🙂

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  2. I love coconut flour pancakes so will check out this recipe. And I hear you about being in a cooking rut. That is 100% me at the moment. I just have no desire to try something new….

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  7. I love to cook. I like to try new recipes and then play around with them a bit. Of course, now seeing your pictures I’m hungry for lunch though I have an hour to go, haha.

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  11. I often end up cooking the same things over, or like you I substitute ingredients dependant on what I’ve got handy. Cooking something new takes a bit of planning and effort but it’s fun to do if you have a bit of free time. On the subject of cheese I discovered grilled halloumi a couple of years ago- a big fave now.😋

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      1. I’m a recent convert too. Saw someone eating it at work in their packed lunch! But I think it needs to be cooked to taste good. I have a griddle pan which puts nice black lines on it!

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      2. I have a griddle pan that goes across 2 burners – I don’t use it a whole lot because it’s a bear to clean, but I do use it sometimes.

        Maybe next time I decide to make a hummus grilled cheese sandwich . . .

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