The past couple of days we have had highs in the low 80s – a cool front. You read that right. A cool front. 80s. Yea it doesn’t quite match. Although Roxy sure does think so!

I cannot get that dog to come in from the porch. I think she hates me. She always runs away from me and the camera. It took quite the sneak attack for this picture. And oh – Julie, Meghann, and Kelly – here’s living proof I have a dog! They all had no clue when I mentioned her on our lunch date. Then again, that doesn’t surprise me because, like I said, our dog never wants anything to do with any of us. I wish she did!

Enough dog talk. 80s still feels toasty to me, so I have been keeping it as cool as possible lately. Lunches have consisted of no cooking. I had an egg, bean, or sweet potato sandwich/wrap kick for awhile – all of which I end up cooking or warming up for my lunches. Not this week.

I have stuck to cracked pepper deli turkey sandwiches with spinach, avocado, and swiss cheese. Plus fruit. Plus veggies and hummus. That is until Friday rolls around and I suddenly have a strong hankering for leftover BBQ kettle chips from the Father’s Day cookout. Stay cool and roll with it.

The cool factor continues with snacks. Smoothies!!! Yogurt!!!

Like The Black Eyed Peas, I just can’t get enough. I have had quite a few people ask for my smoothie mixes so here ya go! My smoothie of choice this week includes the following blend, blend, blended all together:

• 1.5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond breeze
• 2 handfuls fresh spinach (you can’t taste it! M even loves it!)
• 1 frozen banana (for a thicker, creamier smoothie experience)
• 5 large frozen strawberries

I use the first 3 ingredients in all my smoothies, then add in whatever fruit I’m feeling at the moment. For the record – frozen cherries, frozen mango, frozen berry mixes, and frozen peaches all taste stellar. Frozen fruit = key for creaminess. On the side, I enjoy some extra creaminess in the form of greek yogurt and granola. I need something to eat along with my smoothie!

Cool, refreshing satisfaction right there. And the endless flavor combinations help it to never get old. That must be why pizza and frozen yogurt never get old for me, right? 😉

• Did you know I have a dog? Random question but I’m curious!
• Besides the heat, what one thing gets old to you fast in summer? SHAVING!!!

I have a beast of a workout to share with you all this morning. Hold up. Let me clarify. This workout will not make you look like a beast. It will make you feel stronger than a beast. It will give you a hunger beast (aka that super hunger that sets in after hard training). A strong body to kick butt on my fitness endeavors? Me likey. A strong appetite reflecting a fired metabolism? Me likey that too.

I have only so much time to milk all I can out of my workouts. I like to go big or go home. Balls to the wall. Squeeze out every last drop. Okay, you get the picture.

I began my workout yesterday with my short, steady 2 mile run from my training plan. That run where I sorely missed my revamped workout playlist? Yea, that one. While completing my run, I dreamed up a circuit workout with a new mix of moves I wanted to try. I hopped off after my 20 minutes and got my self all set up in the weights area to bust out the little routine I came up with on my run.

My subconscious apparently had something against me. It had it out for me when dreaming up this circuit. Clearly…

• Speed Skaters – 20 reps per leg
• Kettlebell Swings – 15 reps total with 20 # kettlebell
• Wall Squat with Resistance Band Chest Presses – I grabbed a heavy resistance band and looped it around these wood columns we have in our gym. I did 45 seconds of a wall squat up against the column while simultaneously doing chest presses with the band.
• Planks with Spidermans – I held a straight arm plank for 15 seconds, then completed 10 “spidermans” (pull knee out and up to the chest) on my left side. I held a plank again for 15 seconds and did the final 10 spidermans on my right side.
• Toe Taps on the Step – A drill where I shuffle my feet quickly, tapping my toes up on a step. 45 seconds.
• Kettlebell Cleans – 10 reps per side with 20 # kettlebell
• Wide Stance Squat with Upright Row – 12 reps with 10 # dumbells

The combination of complex moves that work the entire body, plyometric style drills, and new-to-me equipment (kettlebells!) gave me a much tougher workout than I expected. I went through the circuit three times…and still finished in around 20 minutes! Wham, bam, thank – you – ma’am subconscious!

I felt the effects of this workout later in the day when I craved a hearty and filling dinner. I wanted my favorite enchiladas!

Kill the Hunger Beast Enchiladas

• 6 oz lean ground beef (or chicken or turkey)
• 1/2 can refried beans
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1 can green enchilada sauce
• 1 can 98% fat-free cream of chicken/mushroom soup
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cheese of choice

Preheat oven to 350. Cook your ground beef/chicken/turkey. In a large bowl, mix the filling ingredients (meat through grated carrot). In a separate mixing bowl, stir the enchilada sauce, soup, and diced chilies to create the sauce. Pour 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Place approximately two large spoonfuls of filling mixture into center of corn tortilla. Roll and place seam-side down in the baking dish on top of the sauce. Repeat until you fill all your tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the top. Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese begins to bubble.

You can easily make this recipe without the beef and simply use the full can of refried beans. We use the beef on occasion for added texture. You can also use your personal favorite enchilada sauce. I do the soup mix in mine to create a thicker sauce because I’m a freak about thinner sauces making my enchiladas too soggy. Overall, lots of ways to mix this up and I’m sure they will all taste good. Unless you add some chocolate covered grasshoppers or something crazy like that. But I trust you’re smarter than that.

• Do you like enchiladas? Green or red sauce? What fillings?
• Of Possible Interest: Check out my interview as the “Fit Blogger We Love” over on the Fitness Magazine site this week!