Cooking is a work out!

Anyone who says you cannot burn some calories and build some muscle cooking, may not be making the right things?  A statement I pose not as an absolute (given my aversion to absolute statements), but more as a challenge. I mean really, who doesn't LOVE a great challenge? Well I certainly do, but admit I can also be scared of them, for example, when it comes to working out with a personal trainer.....

Well, I went back to work this week after being away for two weeks for the holidays. While it was tough, fortunately I was thrown into an insightful, inspiring and useful leadership training.  But I did not exercise or cook all week- the result: never good. My favorite work-outs are obviously cooking for one (based on my title) and also running, cross training, and yoga. So after a Saturday morning of prep work for Monday and a two hour solo decompression time at the beach, I rushed home for one of our dearest friend's birthdays! I have to admit it was tough to get motivated since I was tired from my week and the lack of activities that heal, energize and spark my creativity: cooking and physical exercise. To top things off, my husband was battling a cold... As I hurried to get myself in the space for a celebration with some I know and some I don't, I got word that our late departure would likely not work out.

And so instead it turned out my love and I ventured on a walk to Fresh Market to get some of our favorite comfort food ingredients: Everything to make my spicy Italian sausage pappardelle pasta dish. Fortunately a visit to Knaus Berry Farms this week with my brother and his gal, got me all the right fresh Florida grown herbs: oregano, basil, thyme & rosemary. For those who have tried it, this dish can only be called a.......FAVORITE!!!!

While I have not had physical exercise this week besides walking the dogs and some random yoga icebreakers in my training, I did work out that night chopping spicy sausage, onions, yellow and red peppers, celery, carrots, herbs, mushrooms & tomatoes. Laugh if you must, but if you want them minced by hand, it is a workout!  I didn't know that my week's physical workout would be Saturday night from 7:00-9:30pm with my appetite as the motivation and a good knife and chopping board as my tools, but they were. And it turned out great!

Simmer the ingredients and serve over some of my favorite pappardelle pasta with a side of garlic toast and we were in a little place we call heaven!

So while I encourage exercising your mind, body and soul as much as possible, it is especially nice when you find something that challenges and strengthens them all at the same time. Cooking is it for me. Here's to us all finding that for ourselves!