The Health-usiast: Weekly food prep ideas + things I'm loving lately!

Happy President's Day, lovers! I hope you are as lucky as I am to have the day off! Either way, what have you done to make today great?! I shopped and meal-planned and am currently in the throes of my weekly food prep. On the menu this week: a yummy roast chicken and grass-fed beef in the crockpot. The apartment smells heavenly!

Pre-heat oven to 375.
Take a 4-5lb organic roasting chicken and salt and pepper it to taste.
Dice up a medium sweet potato, half a lg onion, and some garlic cloves and
place them in a large roasting pan with some EVOO. Put the chicken on top
of the veggies and put it in oven for 1.5-2 hrs, or when a meat thermometer reads 160.
That's it!

Pretty much anything comes out delicious from the crockpot! Take one package
of TJ's 85%/15% grass-fed, org. ground beef and place it in the crockpot over veggies of your choice.
I used frozen broccoli, onion, sweet potato, and a little cilantro. Season w/ salt + pepper to taste.
Cook in crockpot on low for 5-6 hrs, and voila!

If you read my previous post, you know that I've been busy juggling work and my internship, specifically trying to find time to produce the February newsletter for the gym. I'm happy to report that with a whole lot of effort and teamwork, we met our deadline and the newsletter went out on Valentine's Day. I was very happy with the final project! Take a look below for a preview, and visit BSF's Facebook page to sign up for the monthly newsletter!

Despite all the busy days I've been having, I've still managed to find time to curate a new list of things I'm lovin'! Because after all, we can't be all work and no play, right?! ;-)

My latest obsession is the "Before Sunrise" movie series starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. Oh. Em. Gee. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, the first movie, "Before Sunrise" introduces us to Jesse and Celine, whose chance encounter on a train in Europe inspires Jesse to invite Celine to join him to explore Vienna on his last night in Europe. What ensues is an enchanting, romantic night shot almost entirely in real time and sets the scene for two subsequent films, "Before Sunset" and "Before Midnight," which was just released in Fall 2013. "Before Sunset" is about what happens when, 9 years later, Jesse and Celine find themselves together again in Paris for one fateful evening. "Before Midnight" wraps it all up. Do that romantic side of you a favor and go rent these movies if you haven't yet seen them! I promise you won't regret it!

I'm a huge fan of making my commute as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, so it stands to reason that I enjoy podcasts. In addition to the ones that I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm totally digging The PaleoHacks, The Paleo Solution podcast, and The Dinner Party Download podcast. I started listening to the first two to maintain my motivation during the 21-day challenge, but I'm sure I'll keep listening long after it's over. The content is great and informative, and the guests come from a variety of different backgrounds. The Dinner Party Download podcast is so clever. The template for each show is the same in that there is always a joke at the beginning to help you "break the ice" at a dinner party; there's a drink specially prepared by a bartender to fit the show's theme which could be served at a future dinner party; and there's music that again, fits the theme, and could be played at the diner party itself or in the car on the way home. It's ingenious!