Picture Perfect

My Reason to Stay Fit #3: To Be Able To Take A Photo And See How Far I’ve Come

Sometime a camera can add 10 lbs to how you really look, but that should not be an excuse when it comes to body definition and firmer muscles. Some say I'm petite so I naturally weigh less, but being petite is no different that any other average women's body shape. There are specific zones I would like to target and other than doing the same cardio routine to maintain my health, I've recently been focusing on my arms and abs. It's time to tone up the underarm flab and burn the abdominal fat!

  

Arms and Abs

Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 bag of popped popcorn

Directions

1. To make the caramel sauce, heat a saucepan over medium heat to melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn, stirring to coat.
2. Place coated popcorn in a baking dish and bake in 250 degrees F oven stirring after 2 minutes, for 4 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.

Enjoy these crispy and crunchy bites! You'll be done before the movie starts.

Mini Wedge Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

I first discovered a wedge salad at a fine-dining restaurant where my boyfriend and I celebrated our two-year anniversary. I recalled the first thought that crossed my mind was that it was a lazy way out of making a "real" salad however reality sunk in as soon as I took a bite. The crunchiness of the iceberg lettuce and condiments with creamy dressing sealed the deal for me. I now could say that I appreciate the imagination and creativity of turning a salad into something unrecognizable and simply delectable to make. 

 

Serves 2

 Ingredients: 

• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• 1 roma tomato
• 2-3 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled 
• ranch dressing (recipe below) 

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup of non-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 cup of milk and 2 tbsp. of vinegar)
• 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic (pressed) 
• 1 tbsp. of honey
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper

Instructions:

Slice the head of lettuce in half. Remove the core by cutting diagonally around it and cut each half into three wedges.  Drizzle with ranch dressing and sprinkle with bacon bits, diced tomatoes, and more dressing if desired.

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.