Hi Friends!
Yesterday was another freezing day here in MN – temps were -7 when I left for work! Boo!
I really want to get outside and run, but it is too cold and I am too much of a wimp! So I headed to the gym for a quick run:
Afterward I spent some time foam-rolling (focusing on my IT bands mostly – they sure feel sore!) and stretching, along with some pushups, planks, squats and lunges (my “quick” strength workout moves).
I want to show you probably the easiest dinner I have made in a long time:
Easy Roasted Chicken Breasts with Veggies
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish, combine a bag of veggies (could use baby carrots or broccoli/cauliflower or a mix of all 3) and toss with 2 cloves of chopped garlic and about a teaspoon of oil.
Take 2 chicken breasts, rub with some oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place on top of the veggies. Roast for 35-40 minutes.
Super easy and really delicious. I have made a whole roasted chicken in a similar way, but this is easier with just the chicken breasts instead of the whole bird.
What is an easy meal you like to prepare when you are short on time? Usually I make eggs/toast if I am in a rush, but this one might be a close second.
I was looking through some old magazines yesterday (am I the only one who keeps almost any magazine?):
And I picked up an old Cosmo with Christina Aguilera on the cover from 2006 (yes it was that old!) – maybe I thought of her Super Bowl performance?
Anyway, one of the articles is called The Simple Secret to Happiness and it talks about how to “feel calmer instantly, improve your mood and make your life more enjoyable”. Here are a few points :
- Buy memories instead of things (go somewhere and experience something vs. buying actual things)
- Do a digital detox – for a day or a whole weekend
- Instead of spending time thinking about what you wish you had, be thankful for what you DO have
- Think happy, positive thoughts
- Streamline your schedule
- Simplify your home: clean, organize, and get rid of as much as you can (you don’t need it!)
- Before “shopping, pigging out or otherwise overindulging” – think about whether doing so will really help you or will it hurt you in the long run (make you feel bad, increase your debt load)
Obviously an article (or even a book) cannot list all of the “secrets to happiness” – but what do you think of the list? Is there anything you would add? Anything you would take out? I personally really like #6 — we have been working on this and it feels good to donate things and to have a clutter free home. I don’t think that is the “secret to happiness” but it definitely helps me keep calm, which in turn makes me happy!
Enjoy your day!
Holly
The Couch Potato Athlete 
February 9, 2011 at 6:46 am
I don’t keep every magazine, only the ones about fitness/health for future ideas.
That dinner looks amazingly good. Yum.
February 9, 2011 at 7:14 am
I have so many magazines…I don’t know why I have such a hard time throwing them away.
It’s been terribly cold here as well. It was in the negatives when I left for class booo.
February 9, 2011 at 7:48 am
For some reason I think that I will want to read them later? But mostly they just sit in a stack in the bathroom cupboard.
February 9, 2011 at 8:01 am
I LOVE roasted chicken! The dark meat is the best 😉
February 9, 2011 at 10:13 am
I love dark meat chicken too — but I love a roasted chicken breast with really crispy skin. That is my favorite 🙂
February 9, 2011 at 9:39 am
my go to meal is definitely stir fry:)
February 9, 2011 at 10:14 am
Oh yes, you can make a stir-fry out of just about anything. That is a favorite in our house as well.
February 9, 2011 at 10:07 am
i keep magazines for 12-18 months, then the urge to declutter takes over and out they go! sure is a quick n easy way to free up more space!
that is cold out there for you – here, too. huge windchill today. the gym is the way to go!!!
February 9, 2011 at 10:15 am
I hear you — I get those urges to declutter all the time, but for some reason my magazines stick around!
February 9, 2011 at 10:53 am
it is so outstandingly cold. but i hear we are supposed to be in 30s this weekend!
my tip for happiness – stop comparing yourself to others. love the tip on positivity in the list!
February 9, 2011 at 10:55 am
I hope it is the 30s this weekend!!! Really — if I go outside for 2 seconds my whole body is just freezing. I’ve had enough!
Good tip — I compare myself to others all the time and it only causes more unhealthy thinking.
February 9, 2011 at 11:27 am
Looks so simple, but I really enjoy baked chicken and roast veggies. It’s like a treat to me. We are freezing our butts here today, it’s currently 9 degrees! But rumor is that it’s going to be in the 40s next week! Heatwave!
February 9, 2011 at 11:40 am
40s will feel like summer weather compared to how it is now!
February 9, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Roasting veggies is my favorite way to eat them! When in a rush, I love to make a grilled cheese or quesadilla. Last night I made a black bean quesadilla and it was soooo delicious, and filling, too!
February 9, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Last night Jason said “what did you do to the vegetables?” — roasting makes them taste so much more delicious. A black bean quesadilla sounds so good right now!
February 9, 2011 at 12:47 pm
The only magazine I have kept is that one you have on top of the stack since I’m in it. LOL I do pull out and keep articles though.
And that article sounds like its got it pretty covered. It’s basically saying keep things simple. I agree with that to have a more joyful life! The small, simple things are usually what matter most.
February 9, 2011 at 12:50 pm
My “easy meals” lately are bowls of cereal or hummus and crackers. Oops. 😉
February 9, 2011 at 1:02 pm
I really like the first one! Creating memories is far better than objects for sure!! And I like #3 too!! Concentrating on what you do have instead of what you don’t have….also looking to the positive of things…especially when something bad happens..usually it could be worse.
February 9, 2011 at 2:17 pm
I love that list, Holly!
Other things I would add
Don’t compare
Don’t be yourself up
Give 100% and after that, remember you have given your best and to cut yourself slack
And selling your juicer? Oh i have sold things i wish i hadnt but honestly, my juicer collects dust b/c i hate cleaning it! lol
February 9, 2011 at 3:26 pm
I totally agree about the juicer thing — I just am seeing more and more fresh juices on blogs and it makes me kind of wish I had kept it. Very rarely do I want a juice, but when I want one, I want it right away!
I love the don’t compare/don’t beat yourself up bit. I definitely spend too much time beating myself up for not being all that I wish I was.
February 9, 2011 at 6:50 pm
and yes, i bought my juicer b/c everyone on blogs had one. I went thru a 3 month period where i juiced tons…and then realized i didnt have the desire to clean it up but sometimes i want juice….so badly, ikwym. 🙂
February 9, 2011 at 2:18 pm
MMMmmmmmmmmmm roasted chicken and veggies! 😀
When I want for a quick meal, I usually go for stir fries because they’re quick, yummy, and nourishing. They often involve onions and chicken, and for veggies I like to add winter squash, carrots, or tomatoes. I like gingerbread spice mix for seasoning and herbs like basil, parsley, chives, or tarragon.
February 9, 2011 at 4:03 pm
I LOVE roasted chicken! I can’t deal with a whole bird so I usually use chicken thighs and roast them with rosemary
February 9, 2011 at 8:11 pm
The thought of digital detox gives me anxiety! Lol.
February 10, 2011 at 8:53 am
Me too — I think I could make it work with just accepting phone calls — but no texts, emails, etc. But I think I would end up really bored without those things 😦
February 9, 2011 at 10:09 pm
I had to stop subscribing to magazines because of my magazine hoarding issue. I just can’t toss them! I always think I will “need” the info in one of them one day. Ugh. It’s a problem!
Great job on the workout! It sounds right up my alley! Push-ups, planks, foam rolling. Love it.
February 10, 2011 at 8:55 am
Yep, I feel like I “need” them too — And it is so silly, they cost what, $2-5 each at the most?
Ever since I started doing more planks and pushups I have noticed much more definition in my shoulders and my waist is so much stronger than it ever has been. I love them!
February 10, 2011 at 12:49 pm
I also keep ALL my old magazines. I feel emotionally attached to them :D..hehe..I actually have magazines dating back to the 1990s! it’s crazy. PS: Love the happiness list. I agree w/ the recommendations.
February 13, 2011 at 9:09 pm
I am a notorious magazine horder. When I moved I swore I wouldn’t let it bad again – but it has. 😦