by | Oct 31, 2013 | 16 comments

Happy Halloween!  If you’re looking for something fun to make tonight, check out these 10 Low-Cal Halloween Treats from Shape … the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Popcorn balls look delicious!

I didn’t get yesterday’s Workout Wednesday post up, so I want to make it up to you with a bonus post today!  Since I don’t have a Thursday “theme” for my blogging schedule, this post is a little bit random, but bear with me!  If you’re just looking for the workout content, check out the two articles I shared on Facebook yesterday in lieu of a post:

  • The first contains a few tips on how to make working out after a day at work a bit easier.  I don’t follow some of those (avoid Wifi?), but a few of them gave me easy things to work on (posture, deep breathing) or think about (how much damage am I really doing to my body by being constantly attached to technology?).
  • The second is yet another article citing benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training.  I liked how the eight benefits are clearly listed out, and it gives me another reason to love interval training!  I did about 20 minutes of interval workouts from my Pinterest boards last night when I got back from work and needed an energy boost before getting back at it, and it did the trick!

Foodie Pen Pals

foodie pen palsNow, let’s move on to Foodie Pen Pals!  You may remember that I joined Lindsay’s fun program last month for the first time.  This month, I got a great basket of goodies from Sarah at Food, Fun, and Life in Waukesha.  It was so nice of her to share some local Wisconsin goods with me!  The first thing I tried was the candied pecans – dangerously delicious!  The dark-chocolate-covered cherries were to die for, and were probably my favorite part of the package.  I tried to enjoy just a few at a time so I could savor them longer, but could have easily taken care of them in one sitting – I sure do love my chocolate!  I didn’t know that pretzels and mustard was a common Wisconsin snack, but I adore mustard on almost everything, so I was an easy sell for this!  Kevin was actually the first one to try the maple syrup, which was rich and lusciously sweet – I got to snag some before he finished it, though!  We still have the bread mix, spinach dip, and Whoopie pie to try.  Thank you, Sarah, for the nice package! foodie pen pals october 2013

A Recipe I Can’t Leave Behind turkey muffins

As you probably know, I usually travel for work on Mondays-Thursdays.  I love to bring my lunch into the office on Fridays, but usually get in late Thursday nights and don’t have time to prepare something too complicated.  An easy solution that I continue to come back to is Fitnessista’s Turkey Lentil Muffins.  I LOVE the taste of these “muffins,” and also love how easy they are to make, freeze, and defrost for a quick and easy salad topper.  It sure doesn’t hurt that they are filling, protein-packed, and nutritious!  I bring my veggie-filled salad to work, then heat up the turkey muffin and chop it up over the salad, which wilts my spinach just slightly in a way that makes the flavors all come together. lunch at work

Forget the fact that Gina made these for her daughter – they are perfect for adults, too!  For my version, I use one small onion, a handful of baby carrots (about 10?), and 1 clove of garlic.turkey muffin ingredients  I threw some fresh basil in this batch, too, and chop it all in my Vitamix.turkey muffins 1 turkey muffin gratin veggiesI combine the chopped veggies with ~11 ounces of 99% extra lean ground turkey breast, 1 cup of dry lentils (that I have cooked according to package directions), 1/4 cup egg whites, 2 T low-sodium soy sauce, and 2 T dried thyme.turkey muffin mixing I don’t bother pureeing my lentils, and it still holds together just fine.  I mash all of this together with my (clean!) hands, and portion it into 12 sprayed muffin cups.turkey muffins 2 I bake it for 25 minutes at 375, and voila!  So easy, so convenient to keep frozen, and so delicious!

food prep 2The past 2.5 weeks, I’ve actually been working from Dallas, which has been amazing.  The days are probably busier (yesterday’s work day was 20 hours, which was why I couldn’t get up the regular Workout Wednesday post!), but it’s so nice to be able to bring my breakfast, lunch, and dinner into the office and eat my own food rather than relying on restaurants and/ or room service.  It takes a little bit of advanced prep, but is SO worth it!  Here are a few things I prepared last weekend … the desserts are Laura’s Tomato Brownie Cakes, and if you’re feeling adventurous, I highly recommend these!  I brought some to my team at work, and some of the guys thought they tasted a bit healthy, but I adore these, and think it’s SO fun to have hidden veggies in dessert!  Laura’s strange-but-good creations continue to amaze me! tomato brownie cakesSo tell me in the comments … Anyone dressing up for Halloween?  What’s a local snack in your “neck of the woods?”  Is there one recipe that you rely on over and over again?  Or, tell me anything else you want, since I’ve already been so random myself!

16 Comments

  1. Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table

    You KNOW I feel for you. Way to get through it and still maintain your fitness and sanity. I don’t know if I could be so disciplined if it weren’t for the competition.

    I’m SO glad you like the tomato brownies!!! I’m still waiting for the beefy oats… LOL!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      I know you do – you of all people relate well to this crazy lifestyle! Your dedication, preparation, and balance continues to be very inspiring to me. And you are SO close to competition … I bet you can just taste the wine and dairy! Ummmm … let’s just say I’ll probably make tomato brownies about 100 more times before I make beefy oats … but never say never!

      Reply
  2. Arman @ thebigmansworld

    Foodie pen pals sound like so much fun and a great way to try out other local goodies! Mustard and pretzels? Wow, never thought the combine the two!

    20 hour day… you are amazing (and crazy ;)) If you get the chance to one of these days, I’d love to see a post on how you manage to balance it all- work, exercise, solid nutrition- it really is inspiring!

    I have a go to tuna pattie recipe I make over and over again- it works and tastes good!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Crazy is definitely the better term – it’s a little bit silly to expect anyone to maintain a lifestyle like that! But, I’m doing my best to make it work and achieve the balance that you talk about. Nine times out of ten, I’m really proud of myself for what I’m able to balance, and I do think it’s one of my best traits. Thanks for suggesting the post – I’ve actually gotten that suggestion before, but I’m really not sure what to write about? Are you looking for my daily schedule, productivity tips, insight into my mentality or how I think about balance, or something else? It’s like asking someone to describe how to ride a bike – it’s just kind of “what I do” so it’s hard to even imagine what to write! Thanks for mentioning the tuna patties – they look delicious and I’m pinning them for the near future! (First up, though, is kabocha cookies – if you see a site visitor that happens to have been on that page for 8 days straight, that’s me! Just waiting for the moment to make them!!!!)

      Reply
  3. Sarah Z

    I’m glad you enjoyed the treats! They were really fun to shop for!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Thanks again, Sarah!! Loved getting a taste of Wisconsin!

      Reply
  4. Michael Anderson

    Both my kids dressed up today for school – which was a challenge since the high school has a ‘no costume’ policy. But one was Doctor Who (David Tennant era) and the other was a mobster … so they can get away with it 🙂 My wife is dressed up as a pirate, and since we have always done ‘themed’ dress-ups, I will also be a pirate while handing out candy …

    Love the sound of the turkey lentil muffins … will have to try those. I bought ‘Vegetarian Times’ to support a senior in our high school, and made a recipe from it last night … not good. I have some thoughts on what I will do with the leftovers, since none of us will eat them ‘as is’. Oh well, you win some, you lose some!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      I loved the Instagram picture of you as a pirate, Michael! And what a cool dad to let your kids “dress up” even with a no costume policy (the rule is kind of silly, in my opinion, but I get the rationale behind it, and I’m not a parent so I’m in no place to pass judgment!). Bummer on the failed recipe – I HATE when that happens but I’m too stubborn (and stingy!) to waste food unless it is absolutely inedible, so I always find ways to “re-purpose” my leftovers, too! Good luck!

      Reply
  5. Amy @ The Little Honey Bee

    Yay you’re back today! I have been baking this buckwheat bread that is perfect alongside soup. Do you think these muffins would hold up without the turkey?! I love the idea of lentil muffins

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Buckwheat bread sounds so hearty and delicious! The turkey does help the muffin stick together, but I bet if you doubled up the egg whites (or used whole eggs) they would hold together! Let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  6. Amy @ Long Drive Journey

    You are AMAZING for being able to work a million hours a week and still blog and live your life. Seriously. I admire you so much for that.

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      It’s a constant struggle to maintain balance, Amy, but I try my best! It’s not a lifestyle that I can (or want to) maintain forever, and I actually think it is very unhealthy, but I’m doing everything I can to make it work for me :).

      Reply
  7. Sara @ LovingOnTheRun

    No dressing up here, though I wish I could! We have been so crazy busy but hope to enjoy some good scary movies this evening 🙂 My husband’s favorite so he will enjoy it!

    These muffins look delicious! I wish I had some really good recipes to pull out but usually if I am short for time I go for a BBQ Chicken in the crock pot or something like that – I know real fancy huh?

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Hope you got in your scary movies tonight, Sara! No shame in utilizing the crockpot – I LOVE mine for easy soups, and it makes the whole house smell delicious! I’ve never done BBQ chicken in the crockpot, though! At the risk of sounding stupid, is it just BBQ sauce and chicken? Do you use chicken breasts or what?

      Reply
  8. Davida @ The Healthy Maven

    I have a turkey muffin recipe that I swear by but I’d never thought to add lentils!!! So clever. Tomato brownie cakes eh? Only because I love you and Laura, I may have to try these out!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Do it!!! The tomatoes make them super moist, and they don’t taste like tomatoes at all – the “healthier” taste just comes from the consistency (more airy than fudgy) and the lack of cloying sweetness. They’re delicious!

      Reply

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Megan Lyons Headshot

Hi! I'm Megan Lyons,

the voice behind The Lyons’ Share. I love all things health, wellness, and fitness-related, and I hope to share some of my passion with you. Thanks for stopping by!
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