Palm Trees
So my guess is not every gym has palm trees inside?
Honestly, I didn’t even notice the palm trees until I saw the comments last night referencing the tree in the background of the photo I posted of Sarah.
See it?
Today I counted FIVE palm trees throughout the gym! Maybe its a Florida thing because seriously palm trees are everywhere around here! You should see how many are in the malls!
This evening I had another gym date with Sarah this evening to it hit the weights, only tonight it was all about legs.
Before I left worked I had a light snack of multigrain cereal and freeze dried strawberries.
Sarah had a great work out planned for us. She had some great tips including a nifty move she showed me that involved walking lunges on the treadmill! I need to do a ‘how to’ video of the lunges on the treadmill because I was seriously impressed with that move!
We worked the hamstrings, squads, calves, etc. My legs were BURNING at the end!
I promise to post the work-out plan Sarah built for me sometime tomorrow! Sarah did a great job laying everything out and even color coated which moves work out which muscle groups. Basically, Sarah ROCKS!
To thank Sarah for all her help the past couple of days I brought her home, gave her a beer, and made her a killer dinner.
I couldn’t let Sarah drink alone! I popped open a brewskie for myself as well. 
I asked Sarah what se wanted and her only request was for some of my famous cornbread. I spent all day trying to think of a fun, creative meal that would go with cornbread and was was pretty excited with what I came up with.
Tempeh Sloppy Joes anyone?
Yum!
Tempeh Sloppy Joes
- Tempeh
- Onion
- Carrots
- Mushroom
- Garlic
- S&P
- Ketchup
- BBQ Sauce
- Honey Mustard
I started by chopping all the veggies and adding them to a hot pan with the tempeh and S&P
I then added generous portions of ketchup, bbq sauce and mustard
I let it simmer for 5 minutes and served a heaping serving on a reheated piece of left over cornbread
With some roasted sweet and white potatoes
I think Sarah was happy with her meal!
But, I think she was even more excited about dessert!
You’ve heard about customized granola, customized cereal, and customized bars, but what about customized chocolate?!?!
Chocomize is a great site where you can do just that!
You start with a chocolate base (such as dark, milk, or white) and then select from a variety of amazing toppings that range anywhere from dried fruit and candy pieces to coffee, cayenne pepper, and potato chips (!) then you load it up!
Chocomize gave me the option to create a few bars to review for the blog. I had so much fun deciding what should go on what bar and am quite proud of the amazing combinations I came up with.
- Dark Chocolate, Dried Strawberries, Ground Coffee, Hazelnuts
- Dark Chocolate, Macadamia Nuts, Coconut, Dried Pineapple, Basil
- Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chips, Toffee, Mini Marshmallows, Oreos
- Dark Chocolate, Cayenne pepper, Cinnamon, Mango Dices, Potato Chips
Tonight we decided to break into the peanut butter chips, toffee, marshmallow, and oreos combination first.
One thing is for sure: they do not skimp on the toppings on these bars!
Hello toppings! I <3 you all!
I broke off a couple of pieces to sink my teeth into.
The overload of toppings may be overwelming to some, but in this case I think the flavors melded together perfectly. This bar is rich and meant to be savored and enjoyed very slowly. I loved it and can’t wait to try the other combos I picked out!
So far I am digging Chocomize and believe they would make great gifts. Who doesn’t love chocolate overloaded with fun toppings?!?! I know I do!
Alright, I need to get my pack on!
Good Night!
i’m drooling on the couch here looking at that chocolate…yum! can’t wait to hear about your workouts some more!
Ok, we definitely do NOT have palm trees in the gym around here!
I must try Chocomize and SOON!
Those bars sound delicious!
In my mall, the only tree growing is a christmas tree, haha
Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Chocolate!
you really need to ask the company to do a giveaway. Those look amazing!!
Excuse me?? Chocomize?! Where has this been all my life? (I think you just revolutionized my life…)
I am interested in those moves! I need to revamp my strength training!
Customizable chocolate?! NO!!! They didn’t! oh yum…. looks great!
As does your dinner!!!
I think palm trees are for sure a FL thing. And a beach thing in general ha
This blog boy is officially jealous of a palm tree filled gym. Just throwin that out there.
Chocomize…lol, love it! Those look awesome…as does y’all’s dinner!
Dinner in exchange for a personal trainer–too perfect. I’ll cook for someone willing to kick my bootay too.
I sometimes make my own customized chocolate but ordering a batch would be fun too!
That loaded up chocolate bar looks delicious – maybe the company wants to sponsor a give away? Hint, hint!
I know what you mean about the palm trees. I grew up in Arizona. Palm trees are so ubiquitous there that I don’t even notice them anymore. Whenever tourists or northerners ogle at them, all I think is “it’s just a palm tree…”
That’s the first thing I noticed yesterday was the palm trees too!
Dinner and dessert look so good!
You know you’re from Florida when you don’t even bat an eye at things like palm trees and alligators, huh?
Is anyone else not able to see the pictures anymore? I lost the ability to see them yesterday and now only see the image title…
I think Chocomize really would be death by chocolate for me. Just a guess…
ooooh that all looks so good!!!! YUM!
OHMYGOODNES: my worst nightmare/greatest fantasy has come true! customizing your own chocolate!!! going to the website as soon as I finish this comment.
dinner looks delic. if there were palm trees in my gym perhaps i’d be extra motivated. ok, i can’t stop thinking about the chocolate… sweet dreams
Customized chocolate….sign me up too!!!!! YUM!
-emily http://emilyeatsclean.wordpress.com
You are a girl of my own heart! You dug into the one that I was drooling over. I think we may have to do a lil swap soon!
I can’t wait to see the weight workout. After this long week and crazy bachelorette trip down to Atlanta I am going to focus on my body and food next week before the half. Could you ask Sarah her take on lifting/spinning the week of the half? I think i’ll ask Gina too. I tend to think that I should spin on Monday and Tuesday then just run Wednesday and Thursday before resting Friday and Saturday. Thoughts?
That chocolate website looks dangerous! Good thing it is entirely too expensive for me to even consider!
Those candy bars look fantastic! I’m not so sure I would be able to control myself around them. They would be gone in a day!
LOL the palm trees! I didn’t notice, but now that you pointed it out, it is WEIRD!
I got my mom some chocomize bars for her birthday! I think she liked them? haha
A silly question from a Northern Californian~~so are the palm trees real? They look so perfect that in the pic that they look as though they could be fake. BTW, awesome gym. I am looking forward to the video of the treadmill lunges. I want to try them out.
Very jealous of the palm trees in the gym! So fun and tropical. Why can’t we have that in NY????
Happy Friday!
The chocomize sounds absolutely divine. i might have to get my hands on some
mmm chocolate!
wowow @ that chocolate!! Crikey. That looks SO GOOD.
As does your dinner – I’m going to do something like that tonight I’ve decided – thanks for the idea
Potato chips on chocolate!? That even beats your hummus/jelly combo! Can’t wait to hear about how that one tastes.
Both you and Sarah look gorgeous ~ I wish I could be that beautiful after leaving the gym. I’m usually a hideous, sweaty mess!
<3
~Jess~
You’re seriously making me miss Florida! I can’t wait to go visit my mom in Pensacola in May!
I can’t wait to check out Sarah’s plan. I need some serious help and ideas! I could also use more chocolate in my life…that stuff looks ah-may-zing!
Oh wow, those chocolate bars look awesome. I love toppings!! BTW, I know Flordia does the palm tree thing too. Did you get a palm tree christmas tree? I know my friend bought one and she just moved down there last year. lol I thought it was the funniest thing ever.
I have never seen trees INSDIE a gym before! Looks like a very nice gym! How do you come up with such great recipes on a whim? Happy Friday!
Those chocolate bars look so good! How fun and creative! mmm, sloppy joes… I am hungry. =P
I’m not sure I’d dig the marshmallows, but the peanut butter chips sound awesome!
I love Tempeh sloppy joes!!! Perhaps I shall try your recipe sometime!
I WISH my gym had palm trees, that’s so cool. Those chocolate bars look to die for.
My gym barely had lights on at all, let alone sunshine or palm trees
haha sorry I had to notice the palm trees! so cool. i love palm trees, we have none in MS.
I have been wanting to buy from that chocolate website but just haven’t yet! yum yum
Chocomize sounds amazing. I think it would make a great gift, and I noticed they had gift cards, too. Yum!
The customized chocolate must be the best idea ever!
I won a gift certificate to Chocomize and it was AMAZING! The chocolate is really high quality as well
Those chocolates sound soo incredibly ridiculously amazing. I want some now, even though it is 930am. hahaa.
Yes, I have heard about Chocomize @skinnyrunner.com. I’m anxious to create my own bar. You’ve got some crazy combos to review : )
aha we have palm trees in our shopping centre and i live in south england!
Oh man! I just looked up the website for chocomize, all the chocolates look sooo good! Maybe I’ll get it for a graduation gift? It’s not as expensive as I thought it would be though, which is good! I want to try making chocolate pizza (chocolate spread stuff, ‘mellows, ect.) anyone have a good recipe for that?
Why do you work out twice a day?